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MAKING RESOLUTIONS - A little editorial talk about joys and sor rows, failures and achievements of the old year , and hopes and promises for the new : : Suggestions for a New Year’s Eve party:: Also a few words by a doctor about “ swearing off ” 4 TANDTNG. as we are, upon the threshold of another year, many of us ' vil1 ' iu fancy, so back over the twelve months tlwt have passed 3Lg3s3jKv||) and smile when we recall the “New Yenr resolutions” we made a year “Yes,” a woman will say, “I made good resolutions last New Year s tny in tentions were of the very best, but I did not have the will power to live up to them. Pray, what is the sense of making new ones?” Well, forget last year’s good resolutions and forget the past year entirely. Turn with hope and confidence to the great new year about to dawn, and —yes, make new good resolutions, as many of them as your brain can conjure up. Per haps you did fail to keep the good Intentions that made you so happy when you thought them out, but remember you are very human. Indeed, if we all were not so very human there would be absolutely no need of our ever making any kind of good resolutions. Many of us will see the old year go with few regrets. It brought us, perhaps, an extra share of cares and disappointments, but are we not all the better and stronger for them, and will not the lessons they taught us stand us in good stead during the coming days? Dear friend, let me as sure you that the difficulties and discouragements yon surmounted during this still present year will without question make you a better and braver woman. Welcome the new year; and by ail means make new good resolutions. Every one of us needs to make them, because as I have said, we are all man or woman. In the hearts of most of us is a wonder, a curi osity, as to what the coming year may bring to us, whether good fortune or had, sorrow or joy. How many of us realize that the shaping of our fortunes during the year to come Is in our hands? We do not need to depend on souk imaginary fate to deal us out good luck or bad, as she wall, it we have the earnestness and the desire to suc ked. All Desire Happiness. But, after all, we want something more out of the year to come than just material success, wel <>ome though that may be. Success is not always attended by happiness, and what we all desire in reality in 1917 is happiness, no matter what its source. To be contented and happy, that is the most we can wish for anyone, including ourselves. We can find true happiness by making and keep ing tlie proper kind of Now Year’s resolutions. The annual period for taking stock of our pnental, spiritual and material resources finds most of us about where we were a year ago. We p re living about the same. We are thinking about the same thoughts. We are animated by about the same expecta tions. When wo are depressed it is because of the same old fears. Some have learned something in the dying year. Some have not. Some hope to learn during the coming year. Most of us spend the main portions of our lives in disappointment over the failure of that which eve hoped might come to pass, balancing that with 4iur washed-out pleasure that the we st of the (things we feared did not happen. Some of us ilack grip upon ourselves. This annual stock-taking of our mentality should light the future of the coming year with |the experience of the year just passed. If it sloesn’t do that we are not doing the job right. The extent to which we have learned our les uons in the old year will be the measure in which pve mav gauge our expectations for the new year. Turning the New Leaf. From time immemorial it lias been tlie custom pf tlie forehanded good old-fashioned neighbor to (Square up his accounts, make new resolves, stait (cutting off certain bad habits, and turn over a pew leaf.” This is perfectly reasonable and natural. As the Calendar marks a new cycle of time, so we in- § ! . 2 » stinctiveiy pause and make ready for a fair new start in life, even though we know that neither life nor time lias any pause iu its onward sweep. It is probuble that there are many more New Year’s resolutions broken than are kep# strictly ilirougli tlie year. Even so, there is good value in the making of them, in spite of what somebody lias said about the downward loud being paved with good intentions. Ih od new resolves are good for us any time, and a backward glance will not hinder our for ward march. We cannot make too many efforts to prune off bad habits und such other (lead wood as we find in our lives each yeur. All who have no faults, please stand! However, it may be that the best New Year’s resolve we can make this first holiday of 1917 will he to start the good hubit of beginning new every ;ao r ning. After all (lie mistakes and disappointments and business battles that leave us tired and sour and sick, there comes a new day, so that we can begin ever again and do better. If we start such a plan, the coming year and those following it will be happier new years. New Year’s Entertaining. New Year’s eve is an occasion of big celebra tion all over the country, every man and woman having a desire to si>eod the old year and wel come the new with some form of festivity. Iu the cities tlie hotels and restuurants make a big feature of this holiday, and each and every one advertises a special supper, with dancing, etc. This is all very well for those who do not have to count the pennies when seeking pleasure, for entertainment on New Year’s eve comes high. Everyone wants to be amused, to greet the incom ing twelve months with jollity and song, and the consequence is that the restaurants de mand and get high prices for entertainment on that occasion. There are no end of enjoyable ways of enter taining in one’s own home on New Year’s eve, and the woman who wishes to give pleasure to the family and friends on this occasion can do so at very little expense. All she needs is to ask a jolly crowd, to think out a clever scheme of table decoration, to arrange some forms of amusement and all will be well. The woman who lias fairly large rooms in her house will do well to select dancing as the chief fora? of entertainment for tlie evening. Dancing lias lost none of its fascination for tlie majority of folks, and if it is made the big feature of the party it is safe to say that most of the guests will he well pleased. A small dance need not lie an expensive affair. If you have a phonograph all is well; if not surely you have some friend from whom you cun borrow an instrument for tlie evening. Dancing to a phonograph is just as good fun as dancing to an orchestra, provided one’s partner is skillful at treading the “light fantastic.’’ When giving a New Year’s eve parly where dancing is to lie (lie chief attraction of tlie eve ning it is a good idea to qsk one’s guests to come 10 the affair masked. This will lend mystery and excitement to the party and there will be great fun when tlie guests unmask as tlie hour strikes twelve and the new year is ushered in to the time of many happy voices wishing each other “Happy New Year.” After tlie usual felicitations are over, supper shouid lie served. This may be simple or elab orate, just as the hostess desires. As for table decorations, a pretty centerpiece is to have a star made from a brilliant red poin sottia. In tlie middle of tlie star place a tall candlestick with a long white candle for tlie new year. Each point of tlie star should lie marked by a low candlestick holding a shorter white candle. At the left of eacli plate have a spray of poinsettla. A pretty way to serve ice cream on this occasion would be to have it molded in the form of a candle and candlestick, the candle to he the vanilla cream ar.d the candlestick to be of pistachio green. A tiny wax taper may be in serted at the top of each “candle” and lighted just as all are brought in. A simple supper menu for New Year’s eve might consist of hot bouillon (a thin soup) served in <ups so that it is easy to hand around, chicken salad, sandwiches, ice cream, cake and coffee. The supper should be of the buffet order, the men guests helping the girls to the food they re quire. On this way the need of extra help is dispensed with and no additional expense is in curred on this score. THE DOUGLAS ENTERPRISE, DOUGLAS, GEORGIA. For those who d<» not care for dancing, cards, either bridge, “rum,” fantun or some other popu lar game, will do to pass the hours before twelve. Doctor Smith Talks. Drinks, smokes and candy are not tlie only tilings to swear off on New Year’s day. There are plenty of others, aud for most of us the others are much more important, as fortunately tlie readers of this department are not victims of rum and tobacco. New Year resolutions, however, should not con sist entirely of “swear offs.” Too many “don'ts” are not advisable. “Do” is much better tliun "don’t.” Positive resolves ure better than nega tive ones. If you “swear un" enougli good habits it will not be necessary to “swear off” any imd ones. In other words, positive or constructive policies are better than negative or destructive ones. This applies to health just as much as to anything else in life. So, don't think you can “get by” simply by swearing off on one or two of your pet vices. Not at all. Your New Year resolu tions, to be of any real value, must be construc tive. You must decide not only to quit some things, but to begin some things, also. Good resolves und swear offs may be grouped in pairs, and to advantage, it seems to me. Let’s try it that way for a change. I will take good care of my body. I will not abuse it. Hold Up Your Right Hand. This first pair of resolves pretty simple, but if you think a minute you will see that it in cludes a multitude of lliings. It actually is the whole thing in a nutshell. If you swear tills par ticular pair of swears, and keep your oath, yon will have health and happiness all tlie year, and your bill at tlie doctor’s and the drug store will iie so small that you can have an extra new dress instead. Let's see what it does include. 1 will have “house cleaning” in the house I live in. I will not procrastinate in instituting prepar edness against disease. This means that, you will have flic dentist go over your teetli with absolute regularity once or twice a year, but it also means that you have sense enough to know that the rest of your body is at least as important as your teetli and that you will have your doctor examine you from head to foot and fix up anything that needs it before any symptoms appear, which would simply mean that llio process had gone on so far that correc tion would lie much more difficult if not impos sible. This would include an examination of the urine and tlie blood pressure, both of which should be investigated once every year iu the case of every person over forty years of age. I will keep clean inside and out. I will avoid dirt. This means not only the daily bath, but it means the flushing of the inside of the body so as to keep the sewers working. It means the drink ing of about a gallon of fluid per day. It also means keeping tlie teeth scrupulously neat, cleansing them morning, noon and night, so that they will not infect every single mouthful of food you swallow. What is the use of pure-food laws if you save a choice selection of germs between your teetli so as to spread them on tlie food which Uncle Sam certifies is “pure.” It also means sufficient exercise to maintain bodily activity, so that circulation will keep tilings dean inside and prevent stagnation. It also means plenty of fresh air, so that (he oxygen will oxi date, or burn up, all (lie debris and tlie poisons and the toxins which are being formed in every body nil the time as tlie result of eating and of living. Keep Smiling. T will cultivate good cheer. I will avoid anger, bate and moroseness. It doesn’t hurt to smile. Remember that. It isn't hard work. It doesn’t cost anything. It isn't simply for others that one should smile. It helps one’s seif even more than others. Sing! Whistle! Laugh ! These things do not cost any thing, either, and they Help a great deal. We doctors know that if we can get a patient to laugh and sing it is pretty sure that he is on the metid and on it good and strong. We also know that anger, hate, sulks, pessimism and all such horrid tilings are actually destructive. Thin is not Christian Science or any oilier sectarianism, hut just plain common sense backed up by the latest laboratory experiments. All these mental conditions cause tlie formation of actually poison ous chemicals in the body and at the same time hinder the activities of normal health processes. FATTENING CRATES TO FINISH CHICKENS The best way to finish chickens is by crate fattening. Only strong, vig orous chickens that have obtained their growth should be put in the crates. Birds weighing from four to six pounds are best. The object of crate fattening is to plump out the breast und body so that the bird will have an attractive appearance when dressed. Cockerels should be crate fed from two to three weeks. As soon as they lose their keen appetites they should be taken out and killed. Good cocker els that weigh four pounds when put in the crates should gain one pound per bird in two weeks’ feeding. Construction of Crates. Fattening crates are usually made 7 feet 6 inches long, 20 inches high und 18 inches wide. The crate is divided into throe comportments, each holding from four to five birds, according to the size of the chickens. The crate Is made of slats, except the ends and. SPACE IN COMPARTMENTS FOR FIVE FOWLS. partitions between the compartments which are solid wood ; those on the top, bottom and back running lengthwise of the coop, while those of the front run tip and down. The slats are usual ly 1 Yt inches wide, aud % inches thick. Those in front are placed 3 inches apart to allow the chickens to put their heads through for feevliiig. The slats on the bottom are placed 1% inches apart, so as to admit of the droppings passing through to the ground. There is a small V-shaped trough ar ranged in front of the coop for feed ing und watering tlie chickens. This trough is from 3 to 4 inches deep and is generally made of %-lnch lumber. Rations for Fattening. It is difficult to give a rutiou for fat tening chickens that meets the require ment of every individual. Oats, finely GUARD AGAINST ROUP Season at Hand for Dread Dis ease of Poultry Flock. Attacks Fowls at Time of Low Vitality at Close of Long Period of Egg Production—Effective Anti septic Is Given. (By C. S. ANDERSON, Colorado Agricul tural College, I*'ort Collins.) Fully 75 per cent of the farmers and poultrynien of this country calm ly submit to an annual invasion of roup, or some closely allied respira tory disease, into their flock. This disease is second to white diarrhea in its mortality. Roup is always most prevalent in the fall, attacking the birds at a time of lowest body vitality, at the close of a long season of egg production, or during the molting period. The sharp, chilly nights of late fall and occasional damp, rainy days are also conducive to the disease, for it fre quently finds conditions made more favorable for its development by colds and exposure. Roup is an infectious disease. While comfortable houses, freedom from drafts, plenty of exercise and whole some food will go a long way toward prevention, it is not sufficient. One of the chief means of communication of the disease germs is through the drinking water. The following antiseptic is one of the most effective: In the bottom of a quart jar put a layer of potas sium permanganate crystals and add cold water, always being careful to keep more crystals than the water will dissolve. This will constitute your stock solution, and from this jar add just enough liquid to give the drink ing water a deep violet color. Make it a practice of not allowing your birds to drink any water with out this antiseptic, nnd you have taken a big step in preventing roup. SPROUTED OATS FOR WINTER Excellent Feed for Chickens During Cold Weather—Traps May Be Placed Near Stove. Sprouted oats have proved an excel lent feed for chickens during winter months. The oats may bo sprouted in a regular sprouter, in trays by the kitchen stove, in the cellar, on dirt or on burlap. The trick is to soak the oats witli water, spread them out in the light and keep them warm and moist until the blades are from three to six inches long. A successful feeder soaks the oats for 24 hours, spreads them in a shal low box and place it in the cellar. Frequently an inch or more of sand is placed in the bottom of the box up on which the oats are spreud. ground, with the hulls sifted out, should form the greater purt of any fattening ration. All the grain fed should bo finely ground, as whole grain requires too much energy to di gest and the chickens are likely to get sick when placed in close confinement on whole grain. Some grit and char coal should be fed to the chickens at least once a week. A very good com bination Is as follows: Two parts finely-ground oats. Two parts finely ground buckwheat. Two parts finely ground oats. Add sufficient sour skim milk t* make a batter, just so it will pour. Mix food 12 to 24 horn's before feed ing. Feed night and morning. Bar ley meal may be substituted for the corn. These grains produce a firm, white flesh of superior quality. How to Feed. The success of crate fattening de pends very much on the way iu which the feeding is done. Regular and ju dicious feeding must be followed throughout the whole fattening period. Starve the birds the first 24 hours. Then feed sparingly, never ail the birds will eat, the first week. Feed twice a day, 12 hours apart. The chickens eat us well by lantern light as in the day. The second week feed all the birds will eat up clean. Food should never he left before the birds longer than ten minutes. This is very important. Re move all food not eaten up readily, or the chickens will go off their feed. The crates should be in a secluded spot v away from other chickens. The blrdft must be dusted with sulphur or insect powder when put in the crates to keep tlie lice in check. If the sulphur is used too freely it produces a scaly appearance on the birds when dressed. SELLING OFF FARM POULTRY Tendency on Part of Some Farmers to Market Chickens on Account of Price of Grain. With the high price of grain them is a tendency on the part of many farmers to sell off their poultry. They think it will nut pay to feed high priced grain to hens. Here is Just where they make a big mistake. Eggs have gone up in vulue also. Some of the dealers, however, have not ad vanced their prices as much as they should, due partly to the fact that they still follow old practices in buying and selling. It is a mighty good plan to sell off the surplus cockerels, the late pullets and hens over two years old. Good, sound yearling hens that have shown some capacity for laying and all weil inuturod pullets should be kept over. The surplus stock can be sold at » profit and the better-class fowls will show larger egg production if given suitable care. Farmers who sell off all their fowls, thinking that they will save a big feed bill aud be üble to buy young chicks or hatching eggs next spring, may be disappointed. They will find a bigger demand thun usual for hatching eggs and chicks und as a consequence may liuve to wait weeks before their orders are filled. GEESE ARE SELF-SUPPORTING Little Grain Occasionally, With Ade quate Water Supply They Yield Handsome Profit. Geese come as near being clear prof it as any stock raised on the farm. Geese make their living largely on grass and ure practically self-support ing. They do not require a large pas ture field, but one that produces a good yield. Add a little grain occasionally and you will have no trouble raising geese. They only require water for drink ing purposes, same as a hen. They are louse and mite-proof, are seldom sub ject to any kind of disease, and hawks seldom prey upon the young goslings. Some complain that a goose is a nui sance; so are hogs if they are not con fined to their pasture. Large num bers of geese should be raised every year. CARING FOR WATER VESSELS When Disease of Any Kind Appears in Flock, Pay Particular Attention to Drink Dishes. If any diseases of the head or throat appear in the flock, even colds, be sure that the drink dishes are disinfected every day (scalding with boiling water will do) and keep a slight film of kero sene ou the drinking water while the troubles last. This will help to prevent the spread of the troubile from one bird to an other. . .