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THE HISTORIC SHENANDOAH TALLEY.
Work of tie OiiM States Department of Ajrtcnltnre.
OUT ELLIOTT MITCHELL.
Tb» famous Shenandoah Taller la
OM of tti beat farming aecOona of
Virginia, and I bad tbe pleaaore re-
caotlr of taking a trip. In company
with my father, down to Ita lower end
at Harrisburg, probablr 140 miles
• outb of Washington. Tbe Taller was
tbe scene of manr bard fought aUg-
mtabeo and battles In tbe late cirll
war between Sheridan and Early, and
we touched at the point where Sher
idan made bis famous, ride to Win
chester and turned back tbe rlctorloua
troops of Early. I bare more than
once beard my uncle, who was a cap
tain In tbe 128th Illinois under Sher
idan, relate bow after working all
night making up bis companr's par
rolls, be bad turned ont of bis tent
Inst In time to see Sheridan riding br
on bis black charger, swinging bis sa
ber, swearing like tbe trplcal cavalry-
man that be was, and shouting to tbe
bore, “turn back, w'ro got them
will giro GO and 00 bushels. I noticed
largo acreages of ponrlr cared for corn
which would not make bait a crop,
eren when tbe land was apparent!/
falrir good.
It seems singular that so manr
farmers, not onlr in Virginia, but In
ersrr Stats, win plough a Held, barrow
It, fertilize It, and lag It off and plant
It, cnltrate It once or twice and then
through neglect to giro It two or more
cultivations at tbe proper time reduce
their yield from 20 to 40 per cent X
noticed manr corn fields on this trlp-
and tber can be seen in every farm
ing district In Virginia—where tbe corn
had gotten a good start and grown
waU, up to Ita first cultivation; then
work bad ceased on It and tbe wire
grass and weeds Were gathering as
much fertiUtr as tbe corn Itself.
Corn la Virginia appears to be tbe
.. —, f or planting In ronng
is, In fact, bettered br
7Wo')l({6/MA
Corn Fields.
JheQooo Corn
mu. YIELD SIXTY
BUSHELS
7he f*>oR
NOTHING BUT,
licked.” 1 great fighter too, was
Earty, wbo was said never to know
that be was whipped.
This part of Virginia la full of land
marks of tbe great drll strife. Manr
old-fashioned houses, with their great
outside stone chimney* tell their own
tales of antebdlum days when tobacco
i tbe great stato wblcb was
tbe Mother of Presidents. Peace again
prevails over Virginia and she la now
taking on a second prosperity. Tbe
8benandoah Valley, as a whole. Is rich
la agriculture; It has also many stone
quarries and some manufactories,,
row prettier places could be found'to
lire In than the country around Har
risonburg.
Nestling Among the Mountains.
The Talley nestles between the Man-
sneton spur of mountains to tbe west
and tbe Blue Ridge of the Allcgbnnlos
to tbe east It grows great quantities
of corn and wheat; some sheep and
cattle are raised and considerable
fruit “The horticultural possibilities of
this section of Virginia are wonderful,”
said one of tbe fruit men of tbe De
partment of Agriculture to me, recent
ly. “Old Virginia will yet wake up
some day. Tbe main stay of tbe
country, however, now. Is tbe trinity
of wbeat com and grass (timothy and
dorer). One feature of the trip was
a Pekin duck farm with 2.1000 birds,
which produced. It Is claimed, f 16,000
last year. But com and wheat are the
principal money crops. Wheat costa
about TO or 70 cents a bushel to raise.
This Includes seeding the field with
timothy and dorer and conaeqaently
a stand of pasture land, which gets Ita
start from the fertiliser for tbe wbeat
crop. So that If a farmer gets 70 cents
RUSSIAN SUNFLOWER VIRGINIA.
TWELVE INCH HEAD.
Jstrodacsd by Department of AgrtaUtsre-
a bushel for his wheat, he comes out
whole and Is getting his grass and
clover without coat. This rotation of
crops and the plowing under of. the
clover the second year keeps the land
fertile and Improved. e
Hooey In Well Tended Corn.
Corn, Weil planted and cultivated. Is
a good money crop In Virginia and Is
almost necessary to a proper rotation.
The average pf the Virginia crop Is
$11.85 per acre; In Illinois which baa
much richer soil, tbe value Is $11.50
and much of tbe com yield In Virginia
Is pltably small There are thousands
of acres sf worn-out lands yielding ns
higher than 20 or 19 or even 10 bushels
to the acre. Tbe 8bensndoab Valley
farmers all say that their;
Mads, sad even sores of i
many farmers and fruit growers to be
the best orchard crop.
It seemed to me that there must be
much pleasure In getting up In tbe
early morning and looking over toward
a range of mountains with their sum
mits In tbe. clouds and tbe mists rising
from amoks. As tbs son breaks over
tbe crests tbs clouds are dispersed and
It Is then time for breakfast.
Bateau of Animal Industry.
Dr. D. A Salmon, wbo baa recently
resigned as chief of tbe Bureau of An
imal Industry of the Depsrtmnt of Ag
riculture, has held that position for
over twenty years and has done some
of the best work wblcb bas been ac
complished In that department Under
bis direction and supervlsloo tbe sys
tem of Inspection of slaughtered meets
Intended for Interstate, shipment and
export baa been brought to a high state
of perfection until American meats
which are received abroad with tbe
official tag from tbe Bureau of Animal
Industry are assured an good.
The Integrity of tbe American mer
chant or shipper may be as high as
that of tbs merchants of any other na
tion, but It Is nevertheless a fact
irelgn mark
y killed by unscrupulous dealers,
la believed that the Inspection
system of tbe department baa done and
It doing more to bund up American
trade a brood for agricultural products
than any other work.
Inspection et Dairy Products.
A very Important branch of tbe Bu
reau of Animal Industry Is tbe dairy
division, and of late years government
Inspection and regulation, to some ex
tent has been extended to dairy pro
ducts. Congress recently passed a law
authorising the Department to Inspect
butter shipped abroad.- and further
to supervise and practically compel
creameries and renovated butter estab
lishments fo adopt cleanly and sant-
(inr method*.
Dr. Salmon resigned, presumably, on
account of the charges made against
him by reaaon of hla connection with a
private corporation supplying tags and
labels to the bureau of which be was
chief. After an exhaustive Investi
gation by the Department of Jus
tice, Secretary Wilson exonerated Dr.
Salmon from any wrong doing In this
connection, but. either be himself de
sired to sever bis connection with the
government or It wee thought advis
able to ask hla resignation and later
appoint s new man not connected with
such charges.
Dr. A. D. Melvin, an assistant In tbe
btresu. has been placed In charge and
may become the permanent chief.
Free Form Bulletin.
Tbe Department of Agriculture baa
In cooperation with tbe Department at
Waahlngon. It Indudde such questions
as tbe tap dressing of gnu land, pea
nuts as forage crops; winter killing of
fruit trees; cranberry culture ltme-sul-
phnr-salt wash for scale Insects; dean
milk; poultry houses, etc. The bulletin
Is one of a series known as “Experi
ment Station Work.” Four or five of
these pertlrular bulletins are Issued by
tbe Department during tbe course ef
eseh year, each sue containing from
six to a dssaa short artMss on practi
cal farm srettars. Those pnbllutions
are of the meet popular sad useful
little daeurerete Issued by tbe Depart-
meat The one referred to Is fro. 227
and can be bad upon application to
-members of Congress, or Senators, or
to tbs Secretary of Agriculture.
Orange Tree Foe .
Tbe Department of Agriculture has
received a report from an agont In
Mexico stating that In six. and perhaps
more states In Mexico be has found
traces of tbe orange maggot, wblcb Is
a dreaded foe of oranges, and It Is
feared that this condition might per
mit of Ita entry Into California.
Tbe Mexicans In attempting to erad
icate tbe maggot have destroyed thou
sands of orange and mango trees
Tbe multiplication of tbe orange mag
got Is said to be something enormous.
Japanese Paper Plant.
Secretary Wilson's men arc working
to Introduce a sort 'of vegetable
leather. It is In reality a paper plant,
as much so as the papyrus plant of
ancient Egypt but Ita uses are mani
fold. ranging all tbe way from dainty
note paper to water-proof garments—
and wblcb are really water-proof
under tbe severest tests—and leather
pocketbooks which outwear real
leather. Tbe plant Is a pretty little
shrub called In Japanese "mltsumata,"
and It Is Its Inner bark which Is
converted to use. Tbe plant grows In
the mountains of Japan, and Explorer
Fairchild, of tbe Department of Ag
riculture, believes that It will thrive
over a large part of the Appalachian
range sad other similar sections of the
United States.
In Japan pipe cases and - tobacco
pouches are manufactured from the
material as well as a kind of wall
paper, wblcb Is already becoming fash
ionable In America. Such wall papers
of vegetable leather are turned out In
tlful designs for wall and celling
decorations, being stamped and mod
eled by hand In tbe most artistic pat
terns. It would seta that Americans
bare a great deal to learn from the
Japanese about paper-making. Already
-large quantities of another kind of
paper obtained from tbe same plant
are Imported for nae as legal docu
ment* diplomas, deeds and bonds.
There are at least eight other plants
from which the subjects of the Mi
kado obtain paper stuff, while this
a special study of this subject, says
that It Is not pleasant to think that tbe
brilliant white note paper which s wo
man uses may have nn It part of tbe
filthy garmeiH of some Egyptian fellah
saved by a ragpicker from tbe gutter,
yet It Is a fact that hundreds of tons
of Egyptian rags are fetched every
rear to the United States to suit’
he-paper mills. At Mannheim on
Rhine tbe American Importers have
rag-picking bouses, where rags are col-
looted from all over Europe (the
disease infected levant not Excepted),
end where women and children work
With wet sponges tied over their
mouths sorting tbe filthy scraps for
shipment to New York. Tho best
papers are nude of these vile rags.
Papers made from the Inner bark of
plants, like the “mltaumsta,” are a cre
ation of the Orient They are softer,
silkier, tougher and lighter than Amer
ican-made papers. If wet they lone
their strength, like tissue paper, but
on drying regain It
SEW UONBr SEEDED.
Tbs Government Cannot Frist It
Rapidly Enough.
The great Bureau of Engraving and
Printing at Washington has reached Its
limit and new machines and additional
workmen must be provided to turn ont
tbe money needed for tbs country.
“We are even now baring much diffi
culty In keeping up with tbe demand
for new money,” said Charles H. Treat,
the United States Treasurer, “and It
Is going to be difficult to supply tbe de
mands for tbe busy business season,
large amounts of old money are com
ing into tbe treasury for redemption,
with the request that new money be
issued In Its place. ~ '
WHERE THE MOSEY IS ENGRAVED.
the country must have what It wants
In the way of currency, and when tbls
old money Is sent In for redemption
It Is not wise to delay getting out the
new money to replace 11
“Tbe national banks of tbe country
are increasing their circulation at a
remarkable rate. During tbls last year
tbls lacrosse lias been about gOO.OOO.ood.
and many of tbe banks bare bad to
wait much longer than prudent to ob
tain their circulation. These delays
'tie up’ tbe circulating medium. There
were recently 118 banks on the list
waiting for new currency. This in
creased growth of the drculstlon out
standing of national banks represents
the normal growth of tbe country.’
Plans are being considered at wi
'ash-
Ington for the extension and enlarge
ment of tbe Bureau of Engraving and
Printing, where all of Uncle Sam's
money Is manufactured.
JAPANESE TEACH RUSSIANS.
Remarkable Incidents Connected
with the last War.
War and peace are strange bed
fellows. for over In Japan, the land of
the rising sun, the Japanese readily
mixed the two arts In a fashion totally
Unexpected. The Japs bnd enrolled
at Hlmeju somewhere In the neighbor
hood of 75.000 Russian prisoners, most
ly from Port Arthur,probably 70.000
of whom were Illiterate. A well-
known writer In commenting on the
success of the Japanese arms brings
out Into the light tbe secret of Japan's
atrength. It is In just one thing, ibu
men have mental as well os physical
BriefsFrom Everywhere I
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'In Perfect Adaptability Under all Conditions to
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r ri HI
KlfpHjBH i^pi
ff.'V Jr <
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Kentucky Wagon Manufacturing Co.
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r LAMEST PRODUCERS OF FARM WAGONS IN THE WORLD
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The honey bee Is said to be tbe In
veterate foe of tbe bumble bee and will
kill him on slight provocation, and
often without provocation at all
There were Imported Into tbe United
.States for the last fiscal year 3,(158,131,.
447 pounds of sugar.
The product of the poultry Industry
In the I'nlV-d Slates was worth last
year 8280,000,000. The value of bog
products was 818(1020,000.
Salt Is a government monopoly In
Italy, and people living on tbe sencoait
are forbidden to evaporate sea water to
obtain aall
Iced whale wna one of the dellca-
clcs served by the Emperor of Japan
at hla dinner to Secretary Taft and
party.
Thomti Kilpatrick, who gave to New
York Ita drat apartment bouse. In 1853,
was ridiculed aa a man who built five
bouses, “one on top of tbe other.”
The fact that malaria was canted by
mosquitoes was known to Cingalese
physicians In the sixth century.
Tbe baraaaed Sultan of Turkey never
sleeps in a dark room. Hla chamber
and the nearby apartments and gar
dens are brilliantly lighted all nlghl
lie la read to sleep each nlghl usually
by hla brother.
The Michigan Central Railroad will
tunnel the Niagara River.
Fifty million codflah are caught In
tbe waters of Norway annually.
AMERICAN CROWN
SOAP
*• a green soap, consistency of pyff a perfect
cleanser for automobile masBfccry and all
vehicles; will not Id jure the moat highly
polished surface. Made from pare vefetable
oils. If your dealer doee not carry American
Crown Boap in stock, send ns his name and
address and we will see that your wants are
supplied. Pat up in 1SK 0 and 60 lb palls.
James S. Kirk & Company
CHICAGO, UU
BOOKS—BOOKS
Wa have published some good ooeS spec*
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every farmer to, make more oat of his farm
Write foronr catalocue.
WEBB PUBLISHING CO.,
St. Paul Mhin.
of
y
of unfailing service
proves the
ABSOLUTE RELIABILITY
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Remington
TyPEW'RITE'R
WYOKOFF. SEAMANS * BENEDICT
some Tons, and with the desire to en
lighten the Russian prisoners, the gnv-
erment of Japan established In the
prison at Hlmejn a school wherein
was taught to the Illiterate Russians
their own language. Strange as tbls
may aeem tbls fact lias been brought
ont by a abort arilele In the Japan
Dally Tlmea In which appears the
statement: “Thanks to the teaching,
those soldiers who were totally Illiter
ate are now able to write letters to
their homes. It Is stated that the
authorities of the quarters received
Inquiries from Russia asking If the
letters were really written by the
send era."
Credit Due Japan.
This, one of tbe most unusual events
ever produced by war, Is as much to
Japan's credit aa It la valuable to
the poor Russia a peasantry. Tbe
Kobe Daily News has been Issuing
an Illustrated weekly for the Russhin
prisoners. The drat Issue of tbe sheet
called “Japan and Russia" contained
over twenty excellent photograph lo
Illustrations. This paper In Introduc
ing Itself stated that Ita object was
“to ksep tbs 70.000 Russian prisoners
aow In this country Informed about
tba genera! situation at tbe front and
the attitude of the various powers In
connection with tbe war, aa well aa
to acquaint tba prisoner* with tbe
Tho great turbine steamer* of the
Cunnrd line, wblcb are expected to
show a speed of twenty-dve knots an
hour, will be In service in tbe spring of
1007.
King Oscar of 8weden and tbe'Nor
wegian poet BJarnoon are great per
sonal friends, though tbe poet has long
been wrllng in bcbalf of the Independ
ence of Norway.
Tbe black spotted trout Is the great
est climber among flab. He goes np
fulls sad dam* on his way to headquar
ters with esse.
An automobile omnibus line b In op
eration In Lima, Pern.
The total number of merchant ves
sels registered In the world b 29,750.
The German sculptor, Meissner, bus
completed bis statue of Peter ilenlem,
who four hundred years ago substituted
springs for weights In clock* thus
making the watch a possibility. The
statue b to be erected In Heulem's
birthplace, Nuremburg.
Dauicl Webster, on his MsrtbdeM
farm, was s scientific farmer and a
breeder of thoroughbred cattle—Alder
ney* Ayrshire, and Devon*
characteristics of our people, thus pew
parlor the way tor mutual friend
ship and confidence between tba two
nations after tbe restoration of
Well Drilling
Machines
Over 70 sixes and styles for drilltng
either deep or shallow wells in any kind
of soil or rock. Mounted on wheels or
sills. With engines or horse powers.
Strong, simple and durable. Any mo-
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Adapted to bank barn work. Stands up
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Self-feed Attachment increases cap
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and does not increase drafts
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124 Main Street, Sandwich, IU
SI LOS
Eagle Tank Co., 281 N. Green 8t,
Chicago, 111.
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