Newspaper Page Text
TH*H; a rbor light. #
How vi ms ’O'er the sea that night
The tw a M the harbor light;
A Btar Mt trembles on the fuam
With h ttna of love and dreams of home.
The bd S ring o'er the tossing kars
The ts sails dipped beneath the stars;
But or.ifcan all stars or night
The Sir UAfliBfetii—the harbor light!
"OJtni jlcrt I IgStlngtng jJKaltenge to In the the stars! spars
O’fapti A HJit glad command
■Khip whose
Cur M leans toward the land!
i%T : vlne-clud cots of white
ffn seagull’s the sea-bells be our In flight the night;
s a light!"
Xgjft^lfce light, the harbor
And Jft we sped from storm and gloom
To It Bw shores of light and bloom;
The Pthe of the voyage post
Sang joy of Home at last!
Ho $rhere here the iho light—the ships In shelter love Is rest; best:
Ho*! w 'plunging
Over* the seas of night
l,ov«jPDi leasing in the harbor light!
O s|ffpe that In harbor the darkness bells of roam, Home;
SwSetjStng Thotjttfh far the the shore—the voyage long,
Ths’flark will drift to morning song;
The bells sing o’er the tossing bare—
The satis bend sure beneath the etars;
Still— still the distant shore we sight
And —F.fL. gain the light—the harbor light!
Stanton. In Atlanta Constitution.
| The Brakeman’s Race I
r T"'iltl conversation having warped it
I self around to the discussion of
speed, the man who had but lately come
into the deliberations of the smoking
room congress remarked;
"Yes, sir, a race horse Is fast and a
railroad train is faster, but there’s
something that can lick the whole lot."
“II-m-m!” said the man who had lied
about bicycles. “The tables of stotia
lics don’t recognize it, then. What aort
of machine or animate body it is?"
“it ain’t either one. It don’t breathe
nor turn wheels nor anything like that.
It is just two long, half-beveled planks
that turn up a little at the front end.”
Tbe others looked at him wearily. A
story about a plank that could get over
the country faster than a fast express
train was plainly and tiresomely false,
and it did not help the thing out any
to say that it was two planks.
"You don’t believe what I’m telling
you." the stranger remarked, with a
shade of regret in his voice. “Well,
then, it’s plain you never saw a pair of
skees."
“Skees?” the whole crowd chorused.
“Some ignorant people call ’em skies
because they’re si>elted with an i. Cut
they’re skees—a kind of second cousin
to a snow-shoe, with some blood rela
tionship to a sleigh runner.
“Out in the wept," lie went on,
“they're common property in 1 lie moun
tain country. Yon fasten a foot to each
ski and start down a mountainside, and
If it’s your first trip you haven't got
very far in your experience before you
have landed across the valley seven or
12 mi'es away.
“What I was going to say was that a
pair of skees is a fast thing. Maybe 1
can prove it to you by telling of a little
Incident that came under my observa
tion. It was out on one of the slope*
down which the South Park line pitches
—a continual deseent for about 17 mile*.
Our train, which was an accommoda
tion string of freight cars with a coach
at the hind part, was pulling and chok
ing up the mountain, and had got to
about the sixteenth mile, I suppose,
when the beginning of this story hap
pened. It was in November and the
snow had not yet got the better of the
section men—was beaten down pretty
well between the rails—ju&t a smooth,
nice chute between high banks of white.
Well, sirs, as we neared the summit,
what happened? Nothing scarcely,
only that the coach broke Its coupling,
and before we on board could realize it
and jump off she was kiting down that
mountainside pretty much like a tele
gram. We ran to tbe brake und Bet it,
and she eased a little, and then we heard
a sort of straining, and the brakeman,
who was the only railroad man on
board, said that tbe chains were giv
ing and we’d be off at full 6pced again
before she’d have a chance to slow up.
We knew what that meant, for there
was a train following us a couple of
hours back. The coach would go slid
ing down that mountain like a gunshot
and out over the plain, and somewhere
away off in the level of the valley would
find that olher train and mix with it
and strew us around in a sort of human
debris.
"It looked mighty serious, especially
as those chains creaked the more, and
we werestili proeeedingnt a three-year
old gait down the hill. One man turned
to another, and the other looked in
quiringly at the next, and then the
brakeman—great, noble, profoundly
wise—had an inspiration.
“ 'Three miles up the valley.’ he said,
‘there’s a junction where n line runs up
to the Old Tom mine. If we eould get
that switch thrown for the mine track,
which is five miles long and uphill all
the way, like this, we’d be nil right.’
"‘Httirah!’ everybody yelled. And
then: ‘But how in thunder can it be
done T
" 'Watch me.’ said the brakeman. He
pevrv. 4 . into the baggage oompnrttnenl
and brought out a couple of long, hook
nosed planks. They were a pair of
akers he had bought down at Como for
the operator r1 thr Pumrr it. We scarce
ly knew what his plan was and looked
with InfPT-ssvt rf! strapped them to
his feet and made for the back door—
which was. of course, the front door
now. This all took only a few seconds,
you notice, please, Lut vve were bally
hooting along at a whirling, dizzying
rateeventh n
"Tbe braken.au cot out nnd poised
himself, leaning forward, •When l
count three.’ be said, 'one of you on
each side give me a throw so that I’ll
land out ahead of tbe coach on my feet.
Be careful and do it together, for if
there’s the slightest difference in your
action I'll twist a little, maybe, and will
simplv be a wet red streak on the snow.’
"Gentlemen, it took nerve for a man
to do a thing like that, but the brakes
niHii wns game. He wna a lot caimec
Ihnn me and th# other man who aided
up to him to do the throwing act. ’Ouey
two, three!’ ht exiled, and with har
mony of movement we tossed him out,
A benrt-beflt after the moment we did
so that ehttin broke and the brakcshoea
flew otT the wheels. Hut the half-see
ond was nil liable, for it allowed him
to get the lay of things, and he. bent
over and wns away like a blue and brass
buttoned streak. The release of these
hnikeshocs gave that runaway coach a
fresh start and after him we tiew. and
for the first half-mile or so it seemed
we were drawing closer to him. but that
wns because he hadn’t got fully and
evenly poised yet. We watched with our
hearts in our mouth* ns we climbed up
closer to him, and, ob, It w-iis horrible
suspense. But when we had about
counted he was going to get /under us
for sure be seemed to strike his gait
nnd inch by inch he crawled away.
Then it was foot by foot anil pretty soon
he was going a good three cur lengths
ahead.
“We were go-ing a little bit ourselves,
as you enn purs*. Imagine s runaway
coach, without a brake, on n IT-mile
grade. Why. sirs, we were going so fust
that to breathe st had to turn to the
►ear and breathe backward into space.
If we tried to breathe facing out side
ways the respiration would be Cut
right square off. as with n knife, and
leave a man choking and gnsgrtg with
a sort of bob-tailed breath between his
lips—half a breath—not enough tor
anybody—child's size. 1 can't conceive
how that brnkemao mad* hi* breathing
against tbe wind, for I recollect that
one man who didn't know any better
tried to take a breath whils facing for
ward, and it went away back in hia
bead, penetrating lib# a bayonet and
leaving a hole or depression there near
ly an Inch deep. As 1 say. just aa though
he’d had his month open when a boiler
blew up and a wagon spoke or an iron
casting or something had sailed along
and shot into th* chasm.
"Well, of conrse, you’re none of you
interested in any digression like that.
You want to know about tbe brake
mac. We could see that he was pulling
away from us; now he was a good
quarter-mile off—now a mile, and go
m ! ,Jll
•m ^
I
Is ’V'
Wf'V ' 7 ■A >/
Ill rj
//
im
m
r Mk
SEEMED TO STRIKE HIS GAIT
ing—oh, my friends, bow h» was goitxgvl
We began to gel intea-estsd in the sub
jeet of his being sbl* to stop, but t
mountain man who was aboard said it
waa easy. II# eould give s kind of
gouge and it’d be as though he had
slapped on air-brakes — just a little
wriggle nnd tbs check-up would be
swift but easy. Three minutes after
we had started bim off he wae clew out
of view around a curve about two mile*
away. We continued on the boom and
were feeling pretty veeR, when suddenly
one of us, looking forward, said:
“ ‘Holy Mow*! W*'sa lo*t! There
ain’t any snow worth talking about
ahead. It’s bten getting thinner and
thinner, and now yon can **e th# tie*
between the rails. H#*» probably been
thrown off back somewhere by striking
th* gravel and being somersaulted.’
"But the mountaineer looked out.
‘Nothing of the ki»d. Don’t you aee
that thaw is in two parallel itreaka?
He’s thawed the snow from the frietloo.
Don’t be an ass. That thaw followed
him—didn’t go ahead of him. He’s ali
right.*
"Yes, sirs; and he was. We streaked
into the valley and covered those miiea
to that Old Tom Switch. Then we clat
tered oTer the switch and -tubed on
uphill again. Soon w# began to ease
off, and finally we cam# to a stop. Then
we rolled back down, and having no
brake kept going backward and for
ward foT lessening distances for an
hour and 42 minutes. That show* how
we bad been running. Hut at length
we stopped there at that switch, where
tne hrauvman stood pntienth w oting.
TYutrcing along aeroes tbe valley to
ward 'is we could ere that briatrd fol
lowing t rnin. too.
“Now. I"! tell yon the most peculiar
part of that thing. We found I hr brake
man with only one ski. The last two
miles had been made one-legged. The
other "ki had been fairlv burned off
! is font—l/lnzrd up. you know, and was
one- -’--ti Hr «nid hr reckoned it was
— ■Hr /if inferior material."—Chicago
ripcord.
Indigestiod and Dyspepsia afflict so
nian v ,KK/ple that we desire to call atten
'
tioB (he factthat tha6 e common ailments
read *. * . . b the , U lu “ ^ * ^
^ ? “ .....
1.V vegetable preparation Me refer to Plan
ters Nubian Tea, the Great Liver Reg
ulator.. Its action on the liverand bowels
is so gentle that the papient hanlly realizes
he has taken medicine; it d</cs not even
gripe, and yet the effect is so think satisfactory he Jltas
the patient is surprised readily and te pleasantly.
been relived so
He suggest you send 10 rente in stamps
to New Spencer Medicine Co., Chatta
nooga, Tenn., fora trial package.
Planters Female Regulator is the Queen
of Tonics for women and girls. A purely for
vsgetable preparation that lias no equal
for the treatment of female diseaees. A
box of “Monthly Regulating i ill with
ever v bottle.
.
•S-&-3-S -9-M-3H5^ «.-9-S^->S«-S.-;-3-5-3-S -9
] A TERRIBLE NIGHT. „
T’UllS SPRING WAGON stood at the
J door, pouring all ready rain. to Word start, had although
it was come
that Mrs. Bell’s mother wns very ill.
and she must go at once. The year-old
baby could go with her, but the other
three children were to be left at home,
alone, since Cousin Lucinda, who usital
|y stayed with them when father and
mother were away, was, as it happened
ibis time, sick and uuuble to come,
Mr. Bell called Impatiently to his
wife, who lingerer! instructing Janie,
the eldest of the trio, what to do In
every possible, or rather probable,
emergency, and charging Bob. the 11
year-old boy. again und again to be
have himself, and not “leave his sister
un til father came home."
“1 don’t half like it," said the mother,
anxiously, as at last she climbed to her
seat. “If it wns anything else but
mother’s being so sick, 1 wouldn’t go
for a kingdom! I know Janie’s as good
and steady as any girl of her uge need
be; still she isn’t but 18, and Bob’s as
frisky as a colt—”
"Pshaw, mother!" interrupted her
husband. “Don’t worry; nothing enn
hurt the children, and I’ll be back be
fore night. The river is high though,
isn’t It ? I never remember to have seen
it so near the bridge before; it won’t
take much more to bring it out Into
the road. Get up. Bull!”
And the spring wngoti rattled.briskly
along across the stout wooden structure
raised on massive stone abutments.
Meantime. Janie, at home, was busy
with household duties. She washed the
dishes and set Bob to churn, while
three-year-old Dottie. ns they nil called
their little sister, amused herself by
pretending to keep the flies away from
the churn with a cherry bough, and
thought herself exceedingly useful.
The rain came down steadily and
heavily, keeping them all indoors, but
it also kept away tramps. r. c Janie
thought to herself not without satisfac
tion. trumps being, in her opinion, the
one tiling to lie feared in the quiet
country neighborhood.
The house stood In n fertile meadow,
about 800 yards from Middle river, as
the central and largest fork of the
Shenandoah is called in that section,
and far away from a range of hills that
are almost mountains—outlying spurs,
in fact, of the. Blue Ridge.
Ordinarily, Middle river is a small
and. although rapid, not a mountain
current, but, like roost mountain
streams, it is subject to sudden rises,
and on one memorable occasion, long
before the date of my story, said occa
sion being in the early part of 1805. had
overflowed its banks for 100 yards in
tbe direction of the Bell cottage.
This was a double-roomed frame
structure, with kitchen and lean-to in
tbe rear, the main part of the building
being a storv and a half high—the com
fortable dwelling of a small farmer, in
a region where but little attempt at dis
play is made, even by the wealthy, snd
where, ou many farms, the barns are
larger than the dweiling-housea.
Besides the orchard trees near tbe
cottage were several hickory and sugar
maples, nud one great elm—« very
giant among tree *—grew close to the
house, almost touching the sloping roof
with its branches.
As evening came on the storm in
creased rather than lessened. Janie and
Boh. going out to feed tbe cattle, found
the paths running like small rivulets,
while the river, as Bob pointed out
eagerly, had passed the high-water
mark of ’05.
”1 dqn't believe father will be home
lo-night. Janie." said he. “lie can’t
cross the creek by grandpa’s, and I
don’t believe he can get to the bridge
beyond here, either; \jut never you
mind—I’ll take care of you."
Janie feared as much herself; never
theless. she kept supper waiting long
after Dottie had gone to sleep, and Bob
nodded in his chair, stoutly refusing to
go to bed until she did so.
At last, reluctantly admitting that he
was probably right, she made fast
the doors and windows and lay down
without undressing.
How the wind blew, and how the rain
pcurrdl I'he river, too, roared at she
hao never before henrd it. It was far
beyond high-water mark now. and
looked like a lake, if, in the darkness,
she had been able to see it.
At length, however, she fell asleep,
and slept soundly until something, she
never knew what, waked her. Surely
the low irtindlebed on which she lay
was rooking. What could be the mat
let?
She sprang out of bed, and, to her
horror, found herself half way up to
her knee* in the water.
Wading to the chimney piece, she
managed to light the lamp. Yea, the
floor was cove red with water, on which
the chairs and stools were floating
about the room. Taking up her little
stater she climbed on their mother's
bed nnd nastily dreesed her, although
her Unger* were trembling with fright
and excitement, and not a few of the
buttons and buttonholes went a*tray.
Meanwhile, the water kept rising
»' pa di:.v higher and higher. The stairs
l( “ ,d [ n K ,0 ,hf "PP" r °° ms .'' a n,P ,low "
in l he l>^1room, ( and. by climbmp on a
chest of drawers, could be reached
f rom ^ ^ without much difficulty.
Om*, upstairs, she felt safe from all
danger of drowning: still, she aroused
Bob. who through all the tumult of
wind and rain slept the sleep of the
bralthv boy. and made him dress him
SP jf. Stii,' the water crept higher, and.
to their terror, began to flow over the
edge of the topmost stair.
"Sister.” asked Dottie. with wide
open eyes, "i* jt another Hood, and
shall we all be drowned?”
hope DOf anRwerPd <lantp , , rvin)?
brave,
“Looks mightily like it. anyway,”
(truck In Bob. “See. the water is com
ing in over the floor. We must take to
tile big tree, Juuie," he continued. "We
cun climb into it from the window easy
enough. I’ll go first, und you can hand
roe Dottie, und then conic yourself."
Climbing into the tree iu broad day
was one tiling, climbing into it in the
pitch durk und pouring rain quite an
other: still, it was cfttirly the only
thing to do. So, making Bob put on his
overrun!, she bundled IX/ttie up in a
shawl, and put on her own waterproof
cloak. Then, taking one of the strong,
home-woven sheets from the bed, she
tore it iuto strips, with the aid of Bob's
knife, tbnt with it Dottie might be tied
to the tree
Tile window and the tree were fur
Innately oa the lee side of the house;
so that the lamp eould be set near the
open window, and. feeble as was its
light, it gaw them some aid in their
perilous journey from the roof to the
tree.
At last it was safely accomplished,
and Dottie, seated on a stout limlb, wns
securely hound to the trunk, w hile Bob,
perched above her, and Janie sat just
below, near enough to keep tight hold
of her hand.
By and by the wind ceased, the rain
slackened and at lust stopped, and tbe
gray dawn began to glimmer in the
east, its light allowed ft fearful scene
of ruin and desolution.
In place of the small river was an.
inland lake, its surface covered with
debris of every sort—fences, hay
stacks, drowned cattle, roofs of houses
and household goods of every deserip
The great flood of that year will
long be remembered by the people o£
the valleys of the Shenandoah and
James rivers for the devastation which
it wrought, and our poor little friends
were but us an atom in the grand total
of suffering,
Bob’s quick eye singled out a huge,
black mass of wood, conspicuous by
the. gilded name on its summit flashing
back the rays of the rising sun.
“Look, Janie!” he cried. That’sHaef
felburger’s big barn. I know it by the
weather cock. Jerusalem 1 isn’t this
awful?”
Slowly and steadily the dark mass
hove down toward their own house,
which was still standing, though the
watcT was up to the very eaves.
The children watched it in breath
less suspense, and Dottie ceased to cry
for mamma anti breahfast, while she
clung tigher to Janie’s hand.
“Would it strike their tree?" was the
question in both Bob and Janie's
minds, though neither dared to ask it
of the other, and Janie prayed silently
but fervently.
Onward it came, not only the roof,
but a great mass of debris which had
3S:
i r rO'
Jr?' X
lii j?
5r;
A
¥ m --
Sij
* ■'
%
: V
f/,
e
HE SAW A ROWBOAT APPROACHING.
gathered around it. A terrified rat
was scampering over the roof, seeking
wildly to escape. ,
If it struck their tree it must go.
Other trees almost as large were float
ing on the current, although this still
held firmly, and did not even tremble
in the main trunk.
Closer and closer it earne, apparently
bearing right down upon them, when
it veered, and striking the house at the
opposite end, swept it away, leaving the
Iree untouched.
After that there was no more immi
nent peril, for the river had ceased to
rise, and the great eim held firm, while
less deeply rooted trees were swept
away.
They were cold and hungry, and
very tired, but cautious .Janie had fas
tened a strip of the sheet around both
her brother and herself, which support
gave them great assistance in holding
on.
It was nearly noon, when, to their
great joy, Bob, from bis lookout, saw a
rowboat approaching from the shore
with a man in it, who proved to be
their father.
Mr. Bell had had but little hope of
finding them alive, but had made every
effort to go to their rescue. 1 he bridge
had been washed away, and be had
been forced to go for miles and mile.
up stream, in order to get across even
in s boot. Hours were thus j/assed, j
each moment increasing his anxiety.
Ho, although house and furniture
were gone and cattle lost, there was a
j'-yful reunion of the parents and the ,
children who-m they had a'.mowt given
up for lost.—Golden Days.
Planters CUBAN OIL cures
Cuts, Burns, Bruises, Rheu- i
matism and Sores. Price, 25 cents,
Easllj Proven,
She—George, do you believe that "out
of sight is out of mind?"
He—No! Turn the gas out and I'll |
prove it.—Puck.
The InNtltntlon a Failure.
“He was brought up in a reform
school. I understand."
"Yes: but it didn’t seem to work." ,
—Chicago Journal.
finally GarNxrd.
Q.—Why should the habitual criminal
be devoid of cowardice?
A.—Because he has the courage of his
son viet ions.—Punch.
1
nV & £J®Dt
RUBBER AND EVENER.
IftHiil luipleiucul for I’rcparlou l.nud
for Seeding.
In preparing iund for corn culture,
the land rubber illustrated herewith
may be made at home u! but small cost
and will prove to be an effective imple
ment. It consists of six pieces of four
by four scantling, seven feet long,
loosely bolted by the corners Three
bolts are in each piece, an eye in curb
end of t be bolts and so eonneeted as not
h
___i__Hi_ .21L.
€
‘C-- 3 ^
pf)R pKI „, AR|NO LAKl , TOB seed
, N( .
,l1 tK ’ 1 ' 1 11 P"' ri ' <lf scantling rigid.
One boll is placed in the center; the
others one fool from each end Chains
,rom t,] e outer bo.is of the front sea til
are brought together and serve
as! a P* lu ’ p attachment for the w hif
Peirce. 1 lie front cutting edges of
eneli scantling are protected and their
efficiency aided by having them bound
1 '>'h flat iron two inches wide and one
quarter inch thick. I his size rubber is
found to be heavy enough amt well
adapted for ordinary work, but if made
l,f pine or uny light wood it will require
weighting. S. N. Lox, in harm and
Gome,
TANNING FUR SKINS.
An Operation lleqiitrln* Son/r Cnrr
and Experience.
Snnk the skin* until soft, remove su
perfluous flesh nnd soak in tepid soft
water one hour. For each skin make n
solution of one-half ounce of borax,
three-quarters ounce saltpeter nnd one
half ounce globular salt. Dissolve or
moisten with soft water sufficient to
spread on the flesh Bide of the skin. But
on with a brush, taking into eonsider„
tion the varying thicknesses of skin
and apply accordingly. Keep in a mod
erately cool place for 24 hours, when
the skin is to be washed clean. Then
take one ounce sol eodn, one half ounce
borax and two ounce* hard soap, melt
together, taking care not, to bring to a
boil. Apply tbe heated mixture to the
flesh side and keep in a warm place for
24 hour*. Wash the skins clean and
apply two ounces saleratus, three
quarts hot soft water, four ounces alum
and eight ounce* salt. Dissolve in
water. When sufficiently cool to allow
handling without scalding the bare
hand allow the skin to remain In this
mixture for 12 hours. Afterward wring
out the moisture atKi allow 12 hours to
dry. Finish by pulling and working
and finally by rubbing the flegh with
sandpaper or pumice stone.—G. TL Hap
good, in Fnrm and Borne.
AGRICULTURAL NOTES.
Cultivate the corn before it is up.
Get the implements ready for spring
work.
Clover will run out the common
weeda.
Alfalfa is not satisfactory in the mid
dle west.
On poor soil sow wheat a little thicker
than on goodi
Orchard, timo/thy, blue grass and
clover make a good posture.
Wire fencing Is bo cheap that there
is no excuse for lack of fences.
Fermenting and heating in the mow
are what make clover hay dusty.
Black loam earth, in a dry stat*. is
just as good an absorbent os plaster.
If the land is level three inches of fine
pulverization of the soil is believed to
he best for conservation of moisture.
There is a very general opinion among
corn growers with whom we talk that
we plant too thickly for best results.
Old straw stacks may be spread on
the pastures in spring to ad-vantage. It
is a mulch and prevents too close crop
ping.
If cattle are turned on topped dressed
pasture before tl/e grass gets a good
start and before there has been a good
ruin, it will be offensive to them.—
Western f’lowman.
Ashes with Stnblr Hsnnrr.
It may soeui strange to advise uppl.y
WfMa j aaiies unleiiched to stable tn«
mire j llKt l)efore iK pl „ vvri , lln , )er
Yet thi , j„ often a KOO ,| , hi „ K U) ,|„
n'liile exposed to the air. especially it
( | ie manure l/e wet so ns to leach the
ashes, there will be some lox* of am
monia. Bui so font an the manure nnd
ash/* are turned under this waste of
(inimoni!1 (VnH ,,. Tt , P „ K | IPa ( .. |I1NP ,i„.
manure to ferment rapidly, and in con
tact with the soil none of the ammonia
will be lost. In fact, inti<!. of it will
combine with (l/e potash in the ashes.
forming n nitrate of potash, which is
the most effective manure known.—
American Cultivator.
Sloderii tsrtei/lfnrnt Tmlnlnw.
Education in all branches of fnrm
ing will it/ the future be universal. Eu
rope lias dairy schools, and short
courses in agriculture are being given
at nearly all of the experiment station*
this country. Tbe Rhode island sta
,io ” now bn* n po try department, in
which pupil* are taught the merits and
characteristics of the breeds, fowl an
atomy, diseases, artificial incubation
and the brooding of chicks, chemistry
as applied to the food* of fowis, con
of poultry bouses, growing
green foods for poultry, etc.
WORN-OUT P ARM SOIL.
It Cam tl** Improved Plowing Un
der Ureen Crop*.
Soils that have been iu long culture,
without having been in clover or the
grasses, or received periodical dressings
of barn-yard manure, liuve been de
prived of the greuter portions of tlielr
mold. And, us is also an ad mi lied truth,
that mold isnu indispensable ingredient
iu every productive soil, it stands to
reason that, when in the course of Im
provident culture, it bus been extracted,
it is essential that it be restored. The
question, then, how shall this restora
tion be brought about, is one of full
interest to every farmer. Those who
liuve ample resources, who have full
supplies of animal and mineral and veg
etable mutiures, who have the materials
on their land to form composts, com
prising the elements in question, need
look no further for the means of re
storing the needed constituents to the
soil. But those who are differently
situated, who liuve but little manure
and ure but ill-supplied with the raw
material to make compost, must turn
their attention to the best means of
placing such matters in the soil as will
form mold. The growing and plowing
iu of green crops is often advised, anti
we here repeal that advice. No soil
can be truly productive unless both
organic and inorganic plant foods are
present. The air can supply a portion!
of the organic food, as clover roots can
by their luberelt bacilli convert Ihe
unavailable nitrogen of the air into
available plant food. Tills cun be done
only while the plant is growing.
What kinds of crops should be cul
tivated and plowed in? This question,
must be solved by circumstances. The
facility with which seed may l/e ob
tained, the facility with which plants
selected can be grown on these poor
lands, their cost, etc., will determine
to a great extent which shall be used.
Chief is red clover, valuable for pastur
age and equally so as a fertilizer ( lover
is first and no doubt the best mortgage
raiser there is, for it surely does restore
the fertility of the land. As mentioned
before, it supplies the nitrogen supply
as none other can. 1 know farms that
would raise scarcely anything, which
in course of four or five years’ treatment
with clover, and with proper rofa
t ion. have l/ecottie very valuable as crop
producing farm. Clover is a good crop
for green manuring. Rye and rape are
likewise recommended, but clover un
doubtedly stands first,—Charles VV.
Burkett, in Farm and Fireside.
i
WIRE FENCE REEL.
It Dom Not Require Mn<‘h Skill to
Make One ut Home.
For a homemade wire fence reel sim
ply convert an empty barrel into a hand
roller. Aeroes the open end, two pieces
are-nailed at right angles and in the cen
ter of this, as well as the bottom, a hole
Is bored to admit an iron rod. The
push frame can be made of light pieces
of hard wood i/raced across and on the
under side a staple or hook is inserted
to carry a can or paint bucket with
f,
1
m l/A
&
H 1 - 'u_
WIRE FENCE REEL.
tools, staples, etc. This may he sus
pended from the rod just inside the
open end of the barrel by means of an 8
shaped wire, but is not quite so con
venient. In removing wire, one end is
stapled to the barrel and then it Is a
simple matter to push the contrivance
before you. in this way the wire is not
dragged through tbe dirt and so does
not gather much litter. If it is a tem
porary fence, it is frequently necessary
to move it hut a short distance and then
it can be pushed all the way. but if the
remo ;al is to a greater distance, the
rod can he taken out and the barrel,with
its coil of wire, lifted into a wagon/—J.
M. Shull, In Orange Judd Farmer.
Steam KnKtnrs for Farms.
Because farmers always have horse
poweron the fnrm it does not follow that
it must tic used for every purpose where
additional power is required. There
are many kinds of jobs where a small
engine, which any farmer can easily
learn to run. will give better satisfac
tion ami l/c far less expensive than
keeping a horse. With the proper con
nections so as to furnish the power such
an engine will do the churning or run
the milk separator. It will do the wash
ing and turn the grindstone in the sum
mer. a job that has disgusted more boys
with farming than any other. One of
the best uses of the engine is to make
it tarn a lathe where the young peo
ple ean cut out various kinds of wooden
utensils and learn skill In handicraft
that will i/e useful to them all their
lives.—American Cultivator.
The t ee of Fertilizers.
Yon cannot, by the ure of commer
cial fertilizers alone, make your land
rich. Indeed, if they are ignorantly
applied, tbe result will be the impov
erishment of the soil. If you add ten
dollars to your bank account and check
out $20. you know the result. In like
when you use a small quan
tity of your fertilizer, it grows a vigor
ous plant, which enables it to gather
fertility from the soil largely in excess
the materials added by the fertilizer.
need, they are a great boOD
to the farmer But, I repeat, the best
of using the phosphates and
salts is on the pea and clover
It insures as a rule, a fine
of these renovators. — Southern
Farm Magazine.
Now that it Is established that
corn fodder Is abouf as val
as hay. stalk* standing In th* field
something like a sin.