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THE KLONDIKE GOLD FIELDS IN ALASKA.
y Tho United States Government In
1807 paid Russia $7,200,000 for the
.Territory of Alaska says the Chicago
{fimos-Herald.
Alaska has paid back her purchase
money in gold four times, having pro
duced during the time it has been a part
of the United States about $30,000,-
000 of the precious yellow metal,
f' To-day tho eyes of the world are
turned toward our frozen acquisition
in the north, for within its borders
has been discovered an Eldorado, seem
ingly “richer than Pluto’s mine.”
A few weeks ago the word Klondike,
literally translated meaning Deer
River, was known to geographers and
a few miners on the Yukon; to-day it
is on every tongue and is known as
the designation, if the reports be but
half true, for a gold-bearing district
’greater in area and richer in character
than any the world has known, with
the possible exception of California.
; The reported gold discoveries ofthe
present day in Alaska and the report
ed gold discoveries of ’49 in California
afford many parallels. To the average
man the treasures of the coast State
were seemingly as inacoessible qs are
riches of the Yukon and its tribu
taries. One was more than 2000 miles
"across a trackless “udfeert and over
[snow-bound mountain passes, beset
ipy savages, whose deadly attacks
the trail with bleaching bones
across the Western States; the other
Is nearly 7000 miles by water, through
a rigorous climate, or almost 4000
miles by land and water, with moun
tain passes to scale as dangerous as
those of the Swiss Alps.
The fabulous tales of wealth sent out
By the California pioneers were no less
.Wonderful than those brought back by
the men who braved tho last cold
season in the Klondike mineral belt,
and in both cases those who returned
brought back with them great nuggets
of the precious stuff that left little or
no doubt in the mind of the hearer.
•The California miner in the song who
■had so many nuggets that he was ac-
Ichstomed to ‘ ‘go a hatful blind” finds
his parallel in the Yukon miner who
aims to have “washed out” $212 in
lie panful of dirt—a process that re
lires ten or twelve minutes.
! AS THE MINERS JOURNEY DOWN LAKE LABARGE DURING THE WINTER.
Poor Man's Mines.
, The Alaska and California gold fields
(ire alike also in being placer mines.
rPiacer mining is commonly called
ft'poor man’s mining,” for the reason
[that it is done without machinery,
jyhile the implements required in the
Alork are few and of small cost. A
jplacer miner can get along very well
yvith a pick, shovel and gold pan. If
.the dirt is not rich he can accomplish
better results by running it through a
sluice box, but where the yield is in
nuggets instead of fine gold he prefers
to “pan” it.
The great Klondike strike was made
nine months ago, but nothing was
known of it in the United States until
June 15, when a vessel called the Ex
celsior arrived in Han Francisco laden
with miners from the Klondike, who
in turn were laden with gold.
They told almost incredible tales of
the richness of the newly discovered
district, where fortunes had been ac
cumulated in a few months. Experi
enced miners and “tenderfeet” seemed
to have shared good fortune alike, and
with some justice, too, for the credit
of the discovery of the new gold fields
is due to the inexperienced Sieh.
Another vessel brought to Seattle a
second party of successful prospectors
and a ton and a half of gold. These
men had endured peril and undergone
MINERS CROSSING THE CHILKOOT PASS.
great hardships in accumulating the
fortunes they brought, and they told
a story that had a dark as well as a
bright side. To follow then- example
means a risk of wealth, health and
even life, but for those who are willing
to take the chances the prospect they
hold out is alluring.
; Location of tlie Klondike District.
The richest of the mines in the
Alaska region seem to be in the Klon
dike, a few miles over the British
border. They were discovered, as has
been said, by a party of “tenderfeet,”
,who, against the advice of the old
timers in the district, wandered “over
yonder in the Klondike” and struck it
rich. From Klondike comes much of
the gold and from Klondike seems to
come all the excitement. A few
“tenderfeet,” going it blind, have
stirred up the Nation. Out of the
regions of their discovery has come,
it is estimated, $2,000,000 worth of
gold during the present summer.
■Nearly all of that gold has found its
way into the United States.
It is hard to tell where the Alaska
gold fields are located except that in a
general way the best of them are along
the Yukon. There are a few “lode”
miners near Juneau and along the
southeast coast of the Territory (the
most accessible part of it), but the ore
is of low grade and mining is made
profitable only by the most careful
management.
Tho placer mines, from which pros
pectors are said now to be lining their
pockets with gold, are in the region
remote from civilization, little known,
and, on account of its uncertainties,
dangerously alluring to the average
man. This gold-producing country
of the interior is in the vicinity of the
Yukon near where that great river
turns to the west in its course to the
sea. Before the discoveries in the
Klondike the most productive districts
had been along Forty Mile Creek,
partly in British and partly in Ameri
can territory, and tho Birch Creek
dislrict, all in American territory.
Along all of the river in this section,
tributaries to the Yukon, gold dig
gings exist, and in many places pay
the prospector well for his trouble.
In all the immense country over
which the placer mining extends it is
estimated that up to last year there
were 2000 miners. The districts in
which most of them worked were in a
a broad belt of gold-producing rock,
through which quartz veins carrying
gold occur frequently. Through the.
gold-bearing rocks the streams have
cut deep gullies and canons, and in
their beds the gold which was con
tained in the rock is concentrated.
Tho mining of this country consists,
therefore in washing out the gravel of
these beds. So the minerß worked,
being fairly well paid for their labor,
uptil the “tenderfeet” made the Klon
dike discovery. That was nine months
or so ago, and the news of it is just
reaching the outside world. It was
not long in reaching the miners along
Forty Mile and Birch Creeks, though,
and they shouldered their picks and
moved forward in a wild rush at the
first word of the new lucky strike. As
a result gold dust and nuggets by the
ton are turned into the mints out on
the coast, and men who never before
rose above the level of the commonest
of miners have come back to civiliza
tion and comfort loaded with gold t;o
last them a lifetime. Take as an il
lustration this list of returned miners
who came on the Excelsior:
Bfought Value
from of
Alaska claims.
T. S. Lippy 8 65,000 81,000,000
F. G. 11. Bowker 00,000 500,000
Joe La Due 10,000 500,000
J. B. Hollinseed 25,500
William Kulju, 17,000
James McMann 15,000
Albert Galbraith 15,000
Nell Macartlnlr 15,000
Douglas Macarthur 15,000
Bernard Auderson 14,000 35,009
Robert Krook 14,000 20,000
Fred Lendesser 13,000
Alexander Orr 11,500
John Marks 11,500 ,
Thomas Cook 10,000 25,000
M. S. Norcross 10,000
J. Ernmerger 10,000
Con Stamatin ; 8,250
Albert Fox 5,100 35,000
Greg Stewart 5,000 20,000
J. O. Hestwood 5,000 250,000
Thomas Flack > 5,000 50,000
Louis B. Rhoads 5,000 35,000
Fred Trice 5,000 20,000
Alaska Commercial Cos. 250,000
Total... $399,850
- <■■'•*-" A Perilous l/olYVfu yl
Every one of these men has a story
to tell of the vast riohes of the neiV
gold fields, but they tell another
story, too—a story of hardship, trial
and sufieriug through long winter days,
when the sun was smiling on this
earth’s other pole and leaving them in
miserable cold and darkness. They tell a
story of prodigious travels, of stagger
ing journeys and the dangers that be
set the traveler. They tell what a
trip it is to reach the gold fields, and
when they get through the faint
hearted prospector, who isn’t thor
oughly convinced that he wants to Un
dergo the trial, decides to forego the
trip to Alaska and dig up his wealth
at home or go without. Some of the
gold-mad adventurers, though,rush on
unheeding, crowding into the Alaska
bound steamers without anything like
enough supplies or enough money to
see them through ten days of travel
on land. Miners who have been there
say that such as those will perish.
How to Reach the New Gold Fields.
There are two general routes to the
Klondike district. From Chicago both
lead to Seattle, aud there diverge. One
goes by ocean steamer west and a lit
tle north, and passes through Dutch
Harbor, at the extreme end of the
southwest Alaskan peninsula. From
there the steamer turns north and con
tinues on to St. Michael’s Island, a little
above the mouth of the Yukon, in Ber
ing Sea. At that point passengers are
transferred to the river steamers to be
gin the long journey up the Yukon,
which winds northward and eastward,
and finally brings the traveler to Daw-
Bon City, now the principal town in
the mining district, although sixty-five
miles from the Klondike fields.
The cost of the trip from Chicago
this way, as prospecting miners usu
ally travel, is $261.50. It is divided
as follows: From Chicago to Seattle
(second class), $51.50; from Seattle to
Dawson City, S2OO.
In time the trip costs thirty days—
four from Chicago to Seattle, sixteen
from Seattle to St. Michael’s Island,
and ten up the Yukon to Dawson City
by the fast boat. The distance in gen
eral figures is 2250 miles from Chicago
to Seattle, 2500 miles to St. Michael’s
Island and 1890 miles up the Yukon
to Dawson, a total of about 6600 miles.
The other way to the Klondike, tho
“mountain route," is shorter in miles,
but equally long in the time it requires
and a great deal more difficult. By
this route the traveler sails more di
rectly north to Juneau, which is 899
miles from Seattle, and then goes by
lake and river and over the mountains
1000 miles to the new mining terri
tory. On arrival at Juneau the trav
eler changes to a smaller boat and
sails 100 miles north to Dyea. From
there he has a portage of twenty-seven
miles through the Chilkoot Pass. The
last half-mile of this pass is over a
glacier and the severest of climbing.
Chilkoot Indians ore employed to pack
supplies to the top of the pass, but
from there on the traveler has to pack
his own load.
After getting through the Chilkoot
Pass the traveler reaches Lake Linde
man. At that point is a sawmill,
where boats are sold for $75 each.
Travelers who do not care to pay that
price can purchase lumber and build
their own boats. The lumber can be
bought for SIOO a thousand feet, and
about 500 feet are required to build a
boat that will answer the purpose.
Still other travelers carry whipesaws
and get out their own lumber, and a
man handy with a saw and hammer
can build a boat in three or four days.
J
THE RIVER ROUTE TO DAWSON.
To continue the trip, though, a boat
is necessary and by some means or
other one must be had.
After seouring his boat tbe travel
er floats down Lake Lindeman and
Lake Bennett and then has half a mile
of portage where his boat has to be
moved on rollers. There is any
amount of rollers to be had, though,
for earlier beaters of the path have
left them. This half mile overland
brings the traveler to Lake Tagish,
through which he goes six miles and
over a quarter of a mile of portage to
Mud Lake, and on to the White Horse
Rapid3. Here there is another port
age of three-quarters of a mile, and
the traveler brings his boat to Lake
Labarge. From there on tbe journey
is through Thirty Mile Biver, the
Lewis Biver, 150 miles to Five Fin
ger Bapids, to tbe Yukon at Fort Sel
kirk, and then down stream 250 miles
fo Dawson.
The cost of the trip this way can
not be definitely stated beyond Ju
neau, because after that pCint it de
pends somewhat on the bargain made
with the Chilkoot Indians, who pgek
stipplies [through the pass, and the
length of time the overland part of the
jouniey requires. The cost from Chi
cago to Seattle is the same as by the
other route, of course, $51.50 second
class and $lO more for first class. The
steamer fare up to Juneau and on to
Dyea is $42. What it costs on the
overland trip each traveler determines
partially for himself, but the Indians
who act as guides and pack supplies
do not work without big pay.
The Centre of the Gold Kegion.
Dawson City, the centre of the new
mining region, although sixty-five
miles distant from the Klondike, is
Said to be a typical mining camp
minus the guns. The British Govern
ment enforces its laws in Dawson, and
those laws prohibit the use of firearms,
so few men carry guns. The laws of
the camp are enforced by mounted po
lice, whose captain is ajjjcivil officer.
Though there are said tt> be 3000 peo
ple in Dawson, few houses have been
built, for the principal reason that
lumber is SIOO per 1000 feet. The
general fear is, of course, that there
will be great suffering there this win-
DAWSON CITY, IN THE KLONDIKE GOLD REGION.
ter, and it will be increased, it is ex-j
pected, by the rush of unprepared
prospectors who sailed for the new :
fields immediately on learning what
luck had befallen those who have but
recently returned.
To give an accurate idea of the cost j
of living in Dawson City, the price
list of a general store there is herewith
given:
Flour, per 100 pounds @12.00
Moose ham, per pound ‘ 1.00
Caribou meat, per pound 65
Beans, per pouud 10
Rice, per pound 25
Sugar, par pouud -25
Bacon, per pound .40
JButter, per roll 1-50
Eggs, per dozen 1-50
Better eggs, per dozen 2.00
Salmon, eaeh @1 to 1.50
Potatoes, per pound 25
Turnips, per pound 15
Tea, per pound 3 1-00
Coffee, per pound 50
Dried fruits, per pound <5 .85
Canned fruits •..., .50
Canned meats ■■ • • •“>
Lemons, each .20
Oranges, each ■ -50
Tobacco, per pound 1-50
Liquors, per drink .60
Shovels ft 2.50
Picks... .-nvftpf: ™ .8-00
Coal oil, per gallon , 1.00
Overalls 1.50
Underwear, per suit $5 to 7.50
Shoes 5.00
Rubber boots SlOto 15.00
Alaslta and Its Resources.
In the purchase of Alaska, the United
States acquired a Territory more than
half a million square miles in extent,
a part of it within the arctic circle and
in the region of everlasting ice and
A PLACER MINE IN THE KLONDIKE GOLD FIELDS.
snow, where, during part of the sum
mer, there is continuous day and dur
ing the winter continuous, dreary
night. The Alaskan ooast line is
greater than our Atlantic seaboard, but
the entire population of whites, Eski
mos and fieroe Indians, who are called
the Apaches of the north, is not much
more than that of a ward division in
Chicago.
In acquiring the Alaskan Territory,
though the United States moved its
center, figured in geographical miles,
not in area or population, as far west
as San Francisco. The country now
extends from about the sixty-fifth de
gree of longitude up at the far east
corner of Maine to the 122d degree up
at the far northwest tip of the Alaskan
mainland. This is taking no account
of the little island of Attu, 1000 miles
out in the Pacific, beyond the Hawaiian
group, which, since the purchase of
Alaska, has really been our western
land limit.
The United States, therefore, may
almost say with England that the sun
never sets on its possessions.
The principal river in Alaska, the
Yukon, up which prospectors have to
work their weary way to reach the
gold fields was called by Schwatka, the
Alaskan Nile. It rises a little more
than 200 miles above Sitka, in the
southern part of Alaska, and then
strikes northward, following a broad
circle to the west before it empties
into Bering Sea through an extensive
delta. Six hundred miles in from the
ooast it is more than a mile wide and
the volume of its water is so great as
to freshen the ocean ten miles out from
land.
The principal cities of Alaska are
Juneau and Sitka. They are both
thriving towns, and probably they will
thrive from now on, for a time at least,
as they have never thriven before.
Alaska is ruled by a Territorial Gov
ernor, who just now is J. G. Brady,
recently appointed by President Mc-
Kinley to succeed James A. Sheakley.
The Governor’s residence is in Sitka.
The citizens up in that frozen coun
try do not vote for Prudent of course,
being under Territorial government,
but they do send delegate's to the Na
tional political conventions. The judi
cial function there is exercised by a
district court, established in 1881.
The court sits alternately at Sitka and
Wrangle. [How odd for a court to sit
at Sitka and Wrangle.]
And speaking of Wrangle, among the
things Alaska has done for this coun
try aside from stirring up the present
gold excitement one of the most for
ward was to involve it in disputes with
England on the boundary question and
the seal fisheries business.
Both of these disputes threatened
war, but white-winged peace settled
over the situation in each case and
brought the suggestion of that newly
invented English-Ameriean institution
—arbitration. However, the boundary
question is not settled yet, and the Brit
ish lion is even now roaring a little and
angrily swishing its tail because of a
diplomatic (the British call it undiplo
matic) note from Secretary of State
Sherman demanding that British ves
sels “keep off the grass” as it were in
the seal fishing grounds.
The Boundary Question.
It was not unexpected, of course,
that the discovery of gold in the Klon
dike region would revive in a measure
the old question of a boundary line be- i
tween Alaska aud the British North
west Territory,
The Klondike fields are considerably
east of Fort Cudahy and Dawson City,
and both of these are on British soil.
Into the new regions, though, Ameri
can miners first ventured and made
the first discoveries of gold. Since
then hundreds of them have trooped
over the border, staked out their claims
in the rich hills and begun to dig.
Should the Canadian Government pass
an exclusion act all of these miners,
of course, would be dispossessed.
The difficulty of enforcing such an
act, especially on miners who have
staked out their claims, is at once ap
parent. The result in retaliation by
the Government of the United States
is also easily imagined. The Domin
ion Government hqx already established
a custom house on the border, and is
doing a fair business collecting duty
on tlje goods that go into the new
country, and miners tliiiik they will
be satisfied with that. The exclusion
of Americans would practically close
the comitry for a time, for the best of
the means of transportation to that
frozen region are owned by American
companies.
In the past miners of any national
ity have been free to enter any new
diggings and stake out their claims
without restriction. Canadian miners
are now free to work across the border
in the Alaskan fields. What the result
of an exclusion act would moan to
Canada in a retaliatory measure by the
United States, Canadians know better
than they can be told.
It is not believed, however, that
Canada will attempt to exclude Amer
ican miners. It is true that the United
States excludes Chinese, but Canada
probably recognizes that keeping out
Chinamen and barring the way for
Americans are two different things.
Topography, Population and Climate.
The Territory naturally falls in six
grand divisions. They are the Arctic
division, a treeless expanse diversified
by icy hills and mountains and with
no inhabitants but the Eskimos; the
Yukon basin, with its extensive forests
near the coast and its inhabitants of Es
kimos and Indians; the Kuskokwim dis
trict, the Aleutian district, comprising
the islands off the coast,(where fishing
and sealing are the chief pursuits, and
where the population is mixed Aleutian
and Russian blood; the Kadiak district,
including the mainland and islands
south of the Alaskan range, and the
Sitka district, including the archipel
ago and the coast, extending south to
British Columbia. The Sitka district
is that seen by the tourists from the
States. They gaze on its enormous
forests and imagine they have seen the
country. Asa matter of fact, they do
little more than set foot on the Terri
tory.
The census enumeration of 1890
gave the population of the Territory as
30,329, of whom 4416 were whites, 82
blacks, 1568 half-bred Indians and Es
kimos, 13,735 natives not Eskimos
(Indians); 2125 Chinese and 8400 Es
kimos. The number of whites has
probably been more than doubled sinoe
then, as the Alaskan gold fever set in
in mild form three or four years ago.
In winter the thermometer falls so low
in places that no one will recognize it;
MINERS CROSSING THE BORDER.
that it goes down to 70 degrees and
lower. During all this kind of winter
up in the Yukon region little can be
done but sit about a fire in a vain en
deavor to keep warm, for darkness
exists most of the time, and the life
seems like that of a man uncomforta
bly seated at the bottom of a well.
During the summer season the days
are sometimes even a little bit hot,
but not for long. In that time, too,
there is almost continual day, for that
end of the earth (for it may he so
called) is the one that is pointed di
rectly at the sun.
Birt as the summer brings warmth
and daylight it also brings mosquitoes.
And such mosquitoes. Creatures that
buzz and bite in such a way os to
make the dreaded Jersey variety seem
by comparison like the silvery, angelic,
sweetly, humming fancies of a peace
ful dream. The travelers who return
from the Yukon region tell stories of
how brave and strong men, courageous
enough to undertake tbe perils a jour
ney to that country involves, actually
break down and sob in utter despera
tion and despair under the torments
of these terrible pests. The ice and
the “magnificent distances” of the
country are not the only drawbacks to
its exploration or to journeying to the
goldfields; the mosquitoes must ever
be remembered.
Of course, in the southern part of
Alaska, where Juneau and Sitka are
situated, the winters are not so rigor
ous. There the weather is compara
tively mild, and in summer is said to
be delightful. But Juneau and Sitka
are infinitesimal as compared with the
whole country, and they are not an in
dex to what is furnished farther up
and farther inland.
Queer Place of Refuge.
The passengers on a Tenth street
trolley car were treated to an unusual
sight early yesterday morning. As
the car was bowling along in the
vicinity of Parish street a couple of
sparrows, one in chase of the other,
swooped down in front of the car.
The pursued, by a quick flank move
ment, eluded its tormentor by darting
under the roof of the front platform,
and before the motormau knew what
was up the bird had perched on his
hand which gripped the lever. There
it sat contentedly, while the passengers
craned their necks to get a view of the
: odd spectacle. The sparrow didn’t
seem to mind the fact that the motor
man’s hand was constantly turning
around as he manipulated his lever,
and,-after riding on its queer perch
for fully a block, chirped its thanks
and flew away. —Philadelphia Record.
An Orlando (Fla.) citizen, who is
known locally as a successful inventor,
has devised an apparatus by means of
which he says he can by suction trans
port grain for several hundred miles
! from inland fields to river boats.
j. a mS&agZj&ygz t nfesi
Soot Water,
Water in which soot has been dis- !
solved has always been a favorite with \
florists for manuring plants, and also [
at the same time keeping off inju ious
insects. It has a slight smell of snl- j
phur, to which doubtless its power to
repel injurious insects is due. Some
ammonia in the water makes it much
more effective as a fertilizer. The
soot is pure carbon, and has consider
able power to absorb amnfonia, which
it will give out only as the roots of
plants surround the carbon thus
charged and absorb it.
Cucumber Pickles.
The best time to plant cucumbers to
grow pickles is from the first to the
fifteenth of July. They will make a quick
growth at this season, and be much less
likely to attacks from the cucumber
bug than if planted early. The secret
in growing cucumber pickets is to keep
vines very closely picked, allowing
none to grow much, if any, above two
inches long. If even one cucumber is
left on the vine to ripen, it will take
so much of the plant’s food that the
roots furnish, that the vine will wither
and began to turn yellow.
A Summer Hog-pen.
The swine quarters are often in
buildings connected with the house,
and in such cases are likely to become
ORCHARD PIG-PEN.
offensive during the warm weather of
summer. It is wise in such a case to
construct summer quarters out in the
orchard. The cut gives a suggestion
for a cheap little house and yard. The
end of the yard has a sloping top, so
that the pigs can lie out of doors upon
the ground, and still be protected
from the sun. The roof of the little
house can be of matched lumber and
left unshingled.—New England Home
stead.
of Ensiling Food.
The logical conclusion of the large
amount of experimenting on this sub
ject at the Ohio and other stations is
that the process of ensiling adds noth
ing to the nutritive value of the feed
ing stuff. “It does add to its paya
bility, however, when the method has
been properly employed, and in conse
quence a larger proportion of the fod
der will be consumed. In regard to
the cost of this method, we do not con
sider it any greater than that of the
ordinary method of cutting and husk
ing and stackiug aud grinding the
grain, and certainly all this must be
done if the food materials are to be
thoroughly preserved and made as
completely available as they are in
well cured silage.
The Cabbage Koot Maggot.
The white maggot in cabbage root is
tbe larva of a two-winged fly, which
closely resembles the common house
fly except that it is smaller. The flies
appear iu April and early May and lay
eggs at the base of newly-set cabbage
plants. These eggs hatch iu about a
week. ’ The maggots begin work in
the young roots and proceed in their
attack to the larger roots and finally
the stem. In two or three weeks the
maggots are full grown and proceed to
pupate. After so ne days tlie next
brood of flies emerges. There are
about three such broods.
The best treatment to avoid this
maggot is to put cabbage iu ground
where turnips, radishes or cabbage
were not grown the previous year.
There is no satisfactory remedy to de
stroy the maggots aud save the cab
bage, but the best is the use of carbon
bisulphide. Inject a teaspoonful just
under the plant when the maggots are
first discovered iu May. It would not
be safe to replant the same grouud
with cabbage either this or next sea
son, although late cabbage is not so
much troubled as is the early crop.
Lime or salt would not destroy or
drive away the maggots.—American
Agriculturist.
Culture of Melons.
Watermelons are excessive feeders,
and many fail in attempting to grow
them because they do not furnish suf
ficient plant food to supply the neoes
sary strength for vigorous vine and
flue fruit,., Not infrequently water
melon vi les turn yellow and die when
they should be just in their prime
simply fi om plant starvation.
I prepare the ground as for corn.
Lay off in rows twelve feet apart each
way. I dig a hole about one alid one
half feet deep and perhaps three feet
in diameter. In the bottom of this I
put a peck or more of good stable ma
nure, tramping it lightly. Next put
in a layer of soil, and follow with a
layer made up of equal parts of soil
and fine rich manure thoroughly
mixed, aud, lastly, where the seeds
are to he placed, another layer of pure
soil. Sow seeds thickly and cover
about one inch. When the second or
third leaf shows thin out to two or
three plants in the hills. If excep
tionally large melons, regular “prize
takers,” are desired, thin to but one
plant 111 the hill. I cultivate about as
I do corn, hoeing each hill after an
entire patch is plowed. If very dry,
cultivate often, particularly about the
hills. It is some trouble to thus pre
pare the ground, but it more than pays
in the size, number and quality of
melons produced, also in the increased
length of time that the vines are in
bearing, -as they remain green and in
goiju condition until killed by frost.—•
Orange Judd Farmer.
The Horn Fly,
One of our representatives writes
that the little black horn fly is again
appearing- to the great annoyance of
the cattle and loss to the owners who
are anxious for practical methods to
prevent the loss of thrift which follows
the discomfort which the fly causes.
When the fly first ‘appeared in this
country about ten yeurs ago, all sorts
of wild stories were told concerning it.
Among other things it was said that
the fly ate through the horn, caused it
to rot and laid eggs in it which after
wards penetrated the brain. There is,
of course, no truth in such tales, but
the facts are bad enough, for the an
noyance to cattle is very serious and
prevents thrift in beef animals aud
milk production in dairy herds.
A great many methods of combating
it have been tried with more or less
success, those most effective consist
ing of the application of substances of
an oily character. Kerosene emulsion,
applied with a spray pump, has been
found quite useful, as it kills all the
flies it touches. Good results have
been seoured with fish oil to which
about two tablespoonfuls of carbolic
acid to the quart is added, the mixture
being applied with a broad, flat paint
brush. Two parts of fish oil or cot-
ton seed oil and one part of pine tar
is a successful application and the cost
is low. At the Mississippi Experi
ment Station this mixture was applied
to three hundred and fifty cattle at a
oost of only $2.20. These suggestions
indicate in a general way the character
of the remedies to be used. Any of
them require frequent renewal as they
only protect the cattle for from three
to six days. When dairy herds can be
confined in dark stables during the
day it is best to do so, care being taken
to keep the flies out.
The horn fly is propagated from eggs
laid in the droppings of the cattle, and
it is therefore a good plan to break
these up when the droppings have be
come a little dry. One peculiarity
about the horn fly is that it cannot
travel well nuless it has cattle to ac
company. If, therefore, the farmer
can prevent the multiplication of the
fly on his own premises by the use of
the remedies and by breaking up the
egg-bearing droppings, he is not likely
to be much troubled, even though the
fly be numerous on the adjoining farm.
—Wisconsin Farmer.
The Farm Uanlen.
The garden is the most productive
acre of the farm. If it is not, it should
be made so. It is the most indispen
sable part of farm life. Half of our
living should come from our garden in
summer.
Not one-half the country people make
an effort to have a garden. There are
some that start out well in the spring,
sow' an abundance of seed and never
look at the garden again until they
think it is time they should have re
suits. They' take a look and cannot
find any for the weeds have covered
the little pluuts. Then they come to
the conclusion that the seed did not
grow'. They’ say all sorts of things
about the seedsmen, and mow off the
weeds and wait until another spring
when they go through the same pro
cess. Now this is all wrong. To keep
the garden clean we should begin early
and continue the cultivation until fall.
It is impossible to destroy all the
weeds while we are cultivating the
early vegetables. Little patches of
weeds around the garden will produce
seed enough to seed the whole garden
next year. We should try to plan so
as to keep all the ground occupied in
the garden. It will require but little
more labor to cultivate a cabbage or
turnip in a vacant place than simply
to cultivate to keep down the weeds.
You can sow lettuce in July and it
will be nice in the fall. Cabbage and
turnip can be transplanted into the
ground when the early peas and pota
toes have grown; or you can set celery’
and beets for winter use. Keep all the
ground occupied. If clean cultivation
is given, as should be done, the w'eeds
w’ill be killed out and at the same time
a good crop secured. Thinning out
plants is an important matter in gar
dening; beets and carrots will not grow
to any size if left too thick. No vege
table but the onion will stand crowd
ing. If the soil is rich enough onions
will grow to a good size when five or
six stand together; they will crowd
each other out of the ground all but
the roots and will bottom nicely. The
onion maggot destroys onions badly; a
good remedy is to take the soil away
from the bulbs no matter if the little
onions tip over; so long as the roots
are in the ground they are all right.
By doing this the fly has no chance to
put its eggs on the stalks aud then
there are no maggots in the bulbs. —
Farm and Home.
A Poultry House IJevice.
Where fowls are kept in confine
ment, whether the season be summer
or winter, they must be furnished
green food in the form of cabbage,
turnips, beets or cut clover. These
should not be thrown loosely’ into the
pen to become'quickly soiled, but put
BACK FOB POULTRY FEED.
into a rack -with sloping sides, like
that shown in the sketch. The hens
reach through the slats and eat what
they desire. The top slopes so that
they cannot roost upon it. If filled
with cabbages, etc., they will com©
down to the hens as fast as eaten. —
American Agriculturist.
Bruise Discoloration.
To prevent a bruise from becoming
discolored apply immediately water as
hot as can be borne comfortably,
changing the cloth as it loses its heat.
If hot water is not to be had at once
moisten some dry starch with oold
water and eover the bruised part with
it.