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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 NO OTHER WAGONS APPROACH 'In Perfect Adaptability Under all Conditions to The'Strong Old Hickory r ri HI KlfpHjBH i^pi ff.'V Jr < __ MANUFACTURED BV Kentucky Wagon Manufacturing Co. LOUISVIILE, KY. r LAMEST PRODUCERS OF FARM WAGONS IN THE WORLD HT I 1* * C *A Q\isirter < JOLll JDl ^ Center 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* iaUy suited for farmers. Books that will help 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 of the 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- ebanie can operate them easily. — SLID rOR CATALOCUE WILLIAM BROS., Ithaca, N.Y. Sandwich SELF FEED FILL CIRCLE TWO DORSE HAY PRESS Tho Baler for speed. Bales 13 to 18 tons e day. Has 40 inch feed hole. Adapted to bank barn work. Stands up to its work—no digging holes for wheels. Self-feed Attachment increases cap acity, lessens labor, makes better boles and does not increase drafts SANDWICH MFG. CO- 124 Main Street, Sandwich, IU SI LOS Eagle Tank Co., 281 N. Green 8t, Chicago, 111. IF YOU WANT A JACK . . 8«nd for our Jack Catalofue. Sure to ctm tain tha deaenpuon of exactly what yon wc*t Hydraulic Jacks our Specialty Watson-Stillman Co#, 40 I>ey 8Up N. X. Citj. Cpe missouia Rurserp Producers of Northern grown acclimated trees and the best varieties for planting in Northern States. Every Variety of Standard Fruit Thoroughly tested Apples, Pears, Plums; Che-ries and Trees Ornamental, Small Fruit Plants, Shrubs, Vines and Roses. THE EVERBEARING STRAWBERRY A SPECIALTY OF FLOWERING PLANTS AND SHRUBS Cut Flowers and Floral Designs. Also Vegetable Plants shipped by express. Catalogue and Price List Free. Mail orders have prompt attention. r* MISSOULA NURSERY CO MISSOULA, MONTANA ~