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A STUDY IN SCARLET. By A. CONAN DOYLE. PART ONE. {Being a reprint from the reminiscences of John H. Watson, M. I)., late of the a—my medical department.] “There’s more work to bo got ont of one of those little beggars than ont of a dozen of the force,” Holmes remarked. “The mere sight of an official looking person seals men’s lips. These young sters, however, go everywhere and hear everything. They are as sharp as needles too. All they want is organization. ” “Is it on this Brixtou case that yon are employing them?” I asked. “Yes, there'is a point which I wish to ascertain. It is merely a matter of time. Hello, we are going to hear some news now with a vengeance! Hero is (iregsou coming down the road with beatitudo written upon every feature of his face. Bound for ns, I know. Yes, ho is stopping. There he is!” There was a violent peal at the bell, and in a few seconds the fair haired de tective came up the stairs, three steps at a time, and burst into our sitting room. “My dear fellow', ” ho cried, wringing Holmes’ unresponsive hand, “congratu late me. I have made the whole thing as clear as day!” A shade of anxiety seemed to mo to cross my companion’s expressive face. “Do you mean that you are on the right track?” he asked. “The right track! Why, sir, w T e have the man under lock and key. ” “And his name is?” “Arthur Charpentier, sublieutenant in her majesty’s navy,” cried Gregson pompopsly, rubbing his fat hands and inflating his chest. Sherlock Holmes gavo a sigh of relief and relaxed into a smile. “Take a scat and try one of these cigars,” he said. “Wo are anxious to know how you managed it. Will you have somo whisky and water?” “I don’t mind if I do,” the detective answered. “Tbo tremendous exertions which I have gone through during the last day or two have worn mo out. Not so much bodily exertion, you under stand, as the strain upon the mind. You will appreciate that, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, for we are both brain work ers. ’ ’ “You do me too much honor,” said Holmes gravely. “Let us hear how you arrived at this most gratifying result.” Tho detective seated himself in the armchair and puffed complacently at his cigar. Then suddenly lie slapped his thigh in a parbxysm of amusement. “The fun of it is,” he cried, “that that fool Lestrade, w’lio thinks himself so smart, has gone off upon tho wrong track altogether. He is after the secre tary, Stangersou, who had no more to do with the crime than a babe unborn. I have no doubt that lie has caught him by this time. ” Tho idea tickled Grcgscu so much that he laughed until he choked. “And how did you get your clew?” “Ah, I’ll tell you all j about it. Os course, l)r. Watson, this is strictly be tween ourselves. Tho first difficulty which we had to contend with was the finding of this American's antecedents. Some peoplo would have waited until their advertisements were answered, or until paities came forward and volun teered information. That is not Tobias Gregson’s way of going to work. Yon remember the hat beside the dead man?” “Y’es, ” said Holmes; “by John Un derwood & Sons, 129 Camberwell road. ” Gregson looked quite crestfallen. “I had no idea that you noticed that,” he said. “Have you been there?” “No.” “Ha!” cried Gregson, in a relieved voica “You should never neglect a chance, however small it may seem.” “To a great mind nothing is little,” remarked Holmes sententiously. “Well, I went to Underwood, and asked him if he had sold a hat of that size and description. He looked over his books and came on it at once. He had sent the hat to a Mr. Drabber, residing atCliarpentier’s boarding establishment, Torquay Terrace. Thus I got at his ad dress. ’ ’ “Smart—very smart!” murmured Sherlock Holmes. “I next called upon Mine. Charpen tier, ” continued the detective. “I found her very pale and distressed. Her daugh ter was in the room, too—an uncommon ly fine girl she is too. She was looking red about the eyes, and her lips trem bled as I spoke to her. That didn’t es cape my notice. I began to smell a rat. You know the feeling. Mr. Sherlock Holmes, when you come upon the right scent —a kind of thrill in your nerves. ‘Have you heard of the mysterious death of your late boarder, Mr. Enoch J. Dreb ber of Cleveland?’ I asked. ’ ‘The mother nodded. She didn't seem able to get out a word. The daughter burst into tears. I felt more than ever that these people knew something of the matter. “ 'At what o'clock djd Mr. Drebber leave your house for tho train?’ I asked. “ ‘At S o’clock, ’ she said, gulping in her throat to keep down her agitation. ‘His secretary, Mr. Stangerson, said that there were two trains—one at 9:15 and one at 11. He was to catch the first’ “ ‘And was that the last which you saw of him?’ “A terrible change came over the wo man's face as I asked the question. Her features turned perfectly- livid. It was some seconds before she could get out the second word, ‘Yes, ’ and when it did come it was in a husky, unnatural tone. ‘ 'There was silence for a moment, and then the daughter spoke in a calm, cleat voice. "‘Nogc- ever come of falsehoc mother,’s. Ac- frank.w this gentle. We did .ee Mr. l>r beu again. ’ ANSWERS TO INQUIRIES Commissioner Nesbitt’s Ques tion Box For the Month. VALUABLE INFORMATION GIVEN Why So Few Sheep Are Railed In Georgia. More About the Wire Cotton Tie —Jeru- salem Artichokes as a Food For Hogs and How to Plant Them —Importance of the Selection of Good Seed. Question.— -Why is it that in Georgia, many parts of which state are pecu liarly adapted to sheep raising, there are so few sheep raised? One would suppose that if properly managed it could be made a most profitable business. Answer. —ln southern Georgia there are a good many sheep raised. Several years ago one of the largest sheep own ers there reported that he clipped an nually 90 cents worth of wool from sheep, which cost him only 14 cents a head in expenses. There is only one reason why sheep husbandry is not one of the leading industries of the state, and that is, there is no law for their protection against the dogs which roam at will through the country. It has been said by men of experience that one acre well sodded in Bermuda grass will support five sheep nine mouths of each year. This was ou ordinary land, which had not yielded profitable returns in other crops. For the remaining three months we have other crops, such, as rye, turnips, barley, potatoes and the hardy native grasses, all of which can be grown in abundance. The sheep more than pay for their keep in the increased fertility of land on which they are folded. One hundred sheep reeularly folded will fertilize eight acres of land to such a degree as will enable it to double the crops produced on it. Besides the added value to the lands in the droppings we have the crop of wool and the in rease of the flock, which last may be reasona bly calculated as 90 per cent of the whole. Nor are these all. The charac ter of tho crops required to support tho sheep are just those needed to recuper ate our too often exhausted lauds. Ber muda is particularly adapted to these lands and the grass roots serve to hold the soil together and prevent the wash ing away of the accumulating vegeta ble matter. Many worn fields could be thus rehabilitated, that now offer no encouragement to cultivation in other crops. We trust the day will dawn when the present difficulties in the way of successful sheep raising will be re moved, aud instead of about 500,000, the present number of sheep in the state, Goorgia will contain at least 3,000,000 or 4,000,000. Our mild winters and early springs givo us many advantages, of which growers north of us are de prived. Iu some sections of the state the sheep receive no attention beyond the annual clipping, aud until the price of wool was so much reduced they were even under this careless management found profitable. If more attention were given to raising crops for them, to improving the breeds, and to the gen eral care of the flocks, there is no rea son, except the one mentioned, why sheep raising should not be made profit able iu our section. Au experienced sheep raiser in Southeastern Georgia once said to me, that it was cheaper in that section to raise a sheep than a chicken, because the chickens had to be fed, while the only attention the sheep received was au occasional salting. State Agricultural Department. llow to Tell the Age of Sheep. Question. —How can I tell the age of sheep? Answer.— By examining the front teeth. The first year, eight small teeth make their appearance. The second year the two middle ones are shed, and two teeth of much larger size take their place. The third year two other small teeth are shed, one on each side of the two center teeth, and they are replaced by two large teeth; thus giving them four large teeth in front, on each side of which are two small, pointed ones. In the fourth year, this process is re peated, the animal then having six large teeth in front, flanked on each side by one small tooth. In the fifth year the last of the small teeth are lost, and are replaced by large ones, thus giving them eight large front teeth. In the sixth or seventh year, they generally begin to drop out, and if not they will begin to break or st ow signs of wearing.— State Agricultural Department. Wire Ties, Question. —I notice that there is much complaint from compresses as to the wire ties with which some of the cotteu has been baled. Are these the same ties of which you speak in your last month’s report, or are there other patents on the market? Answer.— There have been several ties used, all more or less unsatisfactory on account of the inflexible quality of the wire, light weight and inconvenient methods of fastening. Most of these are single, large wires, without bncklea or other means of fastening quickly and securely. The Hitt patent wire tie, to which we called attention last month, consists of two flexible wires, with pat ent buckle, which oan be quickly and securely adjusted, and weighs 50 pounds to the bundle. Wherever this has been tried it has proven not only equal to, but superior in many respects, to the flat tie. Had it been patented earlier in the season, there is no doubt that it would have been largely used, but it j was perfected too late to be used on this year's cr p. Many merchants, ginuers and compress companies had laid in a stock of the flat ties and were not will- ! lug to try the wire. It will, however, j be given a thorough test during the j present season at compresses in the different sections of the south, and an other year it will doubtless be a strong competitor against the flat tie. Be sides, the reasons giveu by compress men for its adoption is the fact that no special machinery is required for its manufacture. —State Agricultural De partment. Artichokes to Fatten rio^s. Question. —Are Jerusalem artichokes good to fatten hogs? If so how are they planted? Answer. —A few years ago the Jeru salem artichoke seemed to be making its way into favor with the farmers; but. of late little is said about it. It is highly recommended as a fattening food, not only for hogs, but also for homes, cattle or sheep. It costs but little to raise them; they will grow ou almost any soil if not wet. They are said to yield two or three times as much as po tatoes, and they are easily stored and kept. With these advantages I think they should be planted more largely. The great objection urged against them, is the difficulty of getting rid of them, once they are planted; but my opinion is that a few hogs confined to the patch of artichokes would soon fmd every tuber that had been overlooked in gath ering. They may be planted iu drills, three feet apart aud two feet in the drill. Plant whole small tubers, aud cut the large ones as you would Irish potatoes. Cultivate as you would corn. They do best on a rich, mellow, light soil, and the laud should be prepared and manured as you would for Irish potatoes. This plant is a native of Mex ico, but has been cultivated in Europe for more than two centuries. It grows from five to eight feet high and is a hardy perennial. I hope you will plaut at lea t a patch, aud report result to the department. State Agricultural De partment. Turnin'! Under I>ead Grass. Question. —Where I planted corn this year, I have a heavy coat of dead grass. Would you advise burning this off, or turning it under? Wont the burning of the grass kill most of the seed, and ben efit me in that way? Answer. —By all means turn under the dead grass instead of burning it off. It is to a small extent a fertilizer, and if it does no other good, it at least adds mechanically in loosening up and mak ing the soil more porous, so that air aud moisture can more easily reach the roots of plants. The burning of the grass would undoubtedly kill some of the grass seed, but the heat is too shoi't-lived to kill them all, and next spring when cotton-hoeing time comes, you would not miss those ruined by the fire. Lay it down as a general rule, never to burn off your fields, but always turn under all vegetable matter, even if it is dry and dead, and the more you can turn under the better for your land, espe cially if it is a stiff clay.—State Agri cultural Department. Fertilizing Peaoli Orchard*. Question. —Should peach orchards be fertilized, and if so, what would be a good formula? Answer. —lt has not been very usual for our peach growers to fertilize their orchards with special reference to the trees and their fruit. As a rule the fer tilizing has been done to promote the growth of some crop requiring shallow cultivation, such as cotton or ground peas, and the fertilizer applied to these crops, between the rows of peach trees, has usually been considered enough for tho trees, with perhaps the addition of a little ground bone applied immediately around the tree. This plan is not con ducive to either healthy trees or flue fruit. Fertilizing the peach orchard is as essential to success, as fertilizing the garden or the cotton field. As you would not expect to make fine cabbages or onions on poor land, neither need you expect fine peaches from an impover ished and worn out soil. Fertilizing the peach trees, not only improves the fruit both in size and flavor, but it gives vigor and health to the trees, and thus to some extent enables them to resist the attacks of insect enemies, always ready to pounce upon and destroy any tree that shows signs of loss of vitality or strength. Nitrogen, potash and phosphoric acid are as essential to the perfect growth of peach trees, as they are to any of the cereal crops. The use of large quantities of nitrogen should be avoided, as an excessive growth of leaves aud wood, would be the result, with deteriorated fruit. Generally speaking, sufficient nitrogen can be sup plied, by planting peas in the orchard annnally, and giving them clean culti vation. If, however, the trees show want of vigorous growth, apply from 75 to 100 pounds of nitrate of soda, or its equivalent in cottonseed meal, or dried blood, per acre. Potash may with great benefit be used liberally on land devoted to peaches, especially after the trees have commenced to bear. This can be supplied, by muriate, or sulphate of pot ash, by kainit or by ashes. While phos phoric acid is perhaps of less importance on most lands, than potash, it should by no means be omitted, if yon wish to im prove both the health and the fruitful ness of your peach trees. Late experi ments seem to prove that proper manur ing, not only adds greatly to the crop, but a’:so to the Ufa of tha trsa. To il lustrate this, one of the most profitable peach orchards in New Jersey received annually 200 pounds nitrate of soda, 200 pounds ground bone, 200 pounds acid phosphate anu 200 pounds nitrate of pot ash. This from the time the trees were 3 years old, until now they are 12 years old, with no signs of decay, where the average life of a peach tree is only 8 years. The following figures taken from the New Jersey Experiment Sta tion report will will show the yield with and without manure: The yield without manure: Baskets per acre ISS4-1593. inelusivo, 10 years, aver age per year <50.3. The yield with complete chemical manure: Baskets per acre 1881-1893, inclusive, 10 years, aver age per year 183.4. You will thus so 3 that by the proper use of fertilizers the crop was increased 800 per cent annually. During the ten years, the fertilized orchard received 250 pounds of nitrogen, 560 pounds of phos phoric acid, and 750 pounds of potash. In your case, supply the nitrogen by sowing peas, and you will o ily have to buy the potash and acid phosphate.— State Agricultural Department. Hi tits on l>reakiii£ Land. Question. —My crops are all gath ered; I have sowed my oats and wheat, now would it not be a good idea for me to break my land for next year’s crop? Answer. —Your crops being all gath ered, by all means start at once to break your land for another year. Many of our farmers, when their crops aro housed, make the serious mistake of waiting until spring before starting their plows, This mistake frequently results in serious loss, for should th > spriug be dry, the ground, packed by the heavy winter rains, becomes so hard that it is impossible to break it properly and the result is that they are forced to plant on poorly prepared ground. The old adage that “a crop well planted is half made” is perfectly true, therefore “take time by the forelock,” and go to work at once preparing your land for another crop. In doing this work don’t follow the too common plan of simply scratching the surface as it were, but get your piows deep into the ground, bringing to the surface, if pos sible, not less than an inch of the sub soil, upon which the sun has never shone. At the same time turn under everything that is on the surface, such as grass, cornstalks cottoiistalks, poaviuos, etc. Burn nothing, except in excep tional cases, where on very rich laud the' cottoiistalks have growu so large that burning is necessary to get rid of them. Our farmers, as a rule, do not appre ciate the importance of this deep fall plowing. The advantages of it are nu merous and important. Among others, I regard the deepeuing of the soil as most important. Should you turn to the surface in the spring an inch of the red clay subsoil, it would probably be baked into clods by the heat of the sun, interfering with the growth and proper cultivation of the crops through the en tire season. Turned up, however, in the fall this subsoil becomes disinte grated by the frequent freezings and thawing, and when you plow your land in the spring it becomes thoroughly in corporated with the top soil, adding to its depth and fertility and thus insuring you better crops. You see at once that if this process is repeated annually you will in a few years have a deep, mellow soil, capable of withstanding drouths, and in a condition to hold the rain that falls upon it. There are other advantages in fall plowing which make it desirable. The grass, cornstalks, etc., which are turned under now, add to the fertility of the land, whereas, by spring their fer tilizing properties have been largely ex hausted by evaporation and by leachiug rains. Then again land that is deeply plowed at this season will not wash so badly as that that is left untouched. Another very important gain is, that your fields will be in fine tilth for your spring preparation for planting, and while your neighbor perhaps will find his ground at that time, so hard that he cannot plow it, yours so treated will be as mellow and friable as an ash bank. These advantages of course apply chiefly to stiff lands, for where the soil is a deep sand, 10 or 12 inches perhaps to the sub soil, I can fee uo advantage in fall plow ing, except the single one of getting the grass, etc., turned under while yet they have some fertilizing properties. I trust that the farmers of this state will generally try fall plowing at once, this year being peculiarly favorable for it, the crops having been gathered so un usually early. I am fully satisfied that it needs but a fair trial, to become the rule, instead of the exception, as at pres ent. —State Agricultural Department. Inspection of Gaano. Question. —Is guano inspected at the factories in bulk, or where do the in spectors get their samples? Under the present inspection system, is there much room for fraudulent guano to be sold in Georgia? Answer. —Some years since it was the practice for the inspectors to take samples from the guano in bulk in the factories, but that method has been posi tively prohibited by order of this de partment. Now the inspectors take samples wherever they find the goods— in the warehouses, in the farmers’ wag ons—on the farms, or in freight cars. The manufacturers of course cannot know, from what sacks, samples will be taken, and are therefore compelled to make their goods equal to the guarantee that the lav/ requires them to braud ou their sacks. I will say 1o e, however, that from my acquaintance with the guano manufacturers, I consider them as honest and honorable in their busi ness dealings, as any men in the state, and the suspicions entertained against them, is in most cases entirely un founded. The manufacturers are re quired by law to notify this department of every shipment made by them, giv ing the name of the goods shipped, to whom sent and the number of sacks, iu the shipment. They are also required by law to have a tag ou eacdi sack or barrel in which they ship their goods, which shows that said goods are regis tered with this department. These tags cost the manufacturers 10 coutsfor each tou of guano sold. This trifling ex pense adds nothing to the cost of the goods to the purchasers, aud yet the ag gregate amount received from the sale of tags, pays the salaries and expenses of the inspectors, tho salaries of the state chemist and his two associates, the sal aries of the commissioner and his clerk, and in addition to all this, turns over a largo amount to the public school fund. This state uses more commercial fertili zers than any other state in the Union, indeed almost twice as much at any other; and the mode of taking samples, and making analyses, affords better pro tection to the fanners, than the methods adopted in any other state. Were there no inspection or analyses made, the state would be flooded with worthless fertili zers, which the farmers could not dis tinguish from honest goods. The in spectors are all sworn officials of the state, and are selected for their fitness for the work. The safeguards thrown around this business in this state are so many, and so carefully prepared, that there is practically no chance for worth less fertilizers to be sold within our borders, without detection. To show the great increase in the fertilizer busi ness, and consequently tho greater ne cessity of careful inspection, I append a table showing the number of tons in spected for each of the last 21 seasons: Season of 1874-5 48,648.00 tons Season of 1875-6 65,316.00 tons Season of 1876-7 75,824.00 tons Season of 1877-8 93.178 00 tons Season of 1878 9 .... 85,049.00 tons Season of 1879 80 119,583.00 tons Season of 1880-1 152,424.00 tons Season of 1881-2 125,327.00 tons Season of 1882-3 125,377.00 tons Season of 1883 4 151,849.00 tons Season of 1834-5 170,153.00 tons Season of 1885-6 160,705.00 tons Season of 1880-7 166.078 08 tons Season of 1887-8 208,007.39 tons Season of 1888-9 £02,869.36 tons Season of 1889-90 288.112.30 tons Season of 1890-1 396,734.00 tons Season of 1891-2 296,342.00 tons Season of 1892-3 307,519.30 tons Season of 1893-4 315,612.00 tons Season of 1894-5 ~226,532.20 tons Season of 1895-6. .335,617.80 tons —State Agricultural Department. Good Seed For Planting. Question. —Is the selection of good seed for planting as important as many think? Answer. —Good seed is the very first requisite for a good crop, but a great number of farmers are very indifferent on this point, seeming to think that any seed of a given plant will produce a good crop. There could be no greater mis take. For instance, take seed of oats or wheat that has been cut when the grain was only half ripe, and what is the re sult? There is an immediate deteriora tion in the crop, the yield diminishes, and smut and rust are greatly increased. Let your seed for planting be always fully matured aud ripened, that the re sulting crop may have iu it but few im perfect plants. Seed corn should not be selected in the crib, but in the field, where the stalk as well as the ear can be seen, and where by judicious and persistent selection, great improvement in size of ear and early maturity can be attained. There is much room for im provement in the way we select our cot tonseed for planting, aud with more care iu this respect we could considera bly increase our cottou crop.—State Ag ricultural Department. Stocking a Fish Pornl. Question. —Ou my farm I have just completed a fish pond, covering about au acre, and from Ito 6 feet deep. How can I get some fish to stock it, aud what kind would you recommend? Answer. —Captain J. D. Edmondson of LaGrange is the fish superintendent for this state and you should write to him on the subject. Carp and tench have been the fish most usually selected for our ponds, on account of the ease with which they thrive and multiply, but they are poor fish for the table, and I would recommend for your pond the black bass or trout aud the bream, both of which are very fine table fish, and being very game, afford much sport in the catching. If the government does not distribute these last, you might find out from the fish superintendent where they can be obtained. The speckled catfish is also a good pond fish. —State Agricultural Department. Balking Horse*. Question. —How do horses acquire the habit of balking, and can they be cured of it? Answer. —The balking habit in horses is not a natural or inherited one, but is taught them through bad or careless driving. When first acquired, by ex ercising great care, this fault may be corrected. Never whip a balky horse or use any harsh means whatever to subdue him. Nothing but gentle means will avail anything, unless you want to utterly ruin the animal. When thu bad habit is once thoroughly acquired, it is considered incurable and the ani mal is rendered almost worthless.—State Agricultural Department. PROFESSIONAL. DK.J.T. ROAN. Office iu Hollis & Hinton Block, SUMMERVILLE GA. lam prepared to treat Rupture, Hemorrhoids, Fistula in Auo, without liga! ure or knife or drawing blood. My operations are quite painless. Consultation free. v»; ______ A. L. MURPHY, Jeweler. MENLO, G-EORG-IA Repairing a specially. All work neatly aud cheaply executed aud satis faction guaranteed. Give me a call. 11. J.-Arnold Dentist, LaFayette, - - 6 a Does first class Dental work of all kinds. Will visit Trion once a month WESLEY SHEOPSHIBE, Attorney-at-Law Summerville, - - Ga W. H. ENNIS. J. W. STARINJL^— ENNIS & STARLING Attorneys-at-I aw. MASONIC TEMI’LE. ROME, - - - GA. Will practice iu all the courts of north Georgia. T. J. Harris, LAWYER, Summerville, Ga. T. S. Brown, Dentist. Office over Hollis & Hinton’s store Summerville, Ga. All Dental opera tions neatly performed aud work guar anteed. Prices reasonable. C. L. ODELL Attorney at Law. SUMMERV’LLE GA^ —— Strict at ton tic; !Wg fvCiito all business nlrusted tc my care. 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