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Show V FARSI AND heights cf TOO to 3C'0 feet abov tGrt earth. The fight for place and exit- eace is now chiefly between the ever-MATTERS OF INTEREST TO greens and the broad-leave- d or deciduous trees, and in this struggle AGRICULTURISTS. the broad-leave- d trees are so far superior Some Hint About Cultiva- that the evergreens have already been driven to a great extent to the less tion of the Soil and Yield Thereof cold regions or to the drier temperate, Horticulture, Viticulture and and less favorable soils. GARDEN. te Ilorl-cultur- e. Advantage of Oralnaee, II E necessity o f drainage is not to be determined by the quality of water which falls or flows upon the surface, nor upon the power of the sun to carry it off by evaporation; but upon the character of the sub-soi- l. If that is cf sand or gravel the water will pass off below by natural drainage; but if the sub-so- il is clay or other impervious substance, the water is checked in its downward course and remains stagnant or bursts out upon the surface in the form of springs. Most of the prairie lands are of the latter characexists ter, and wherever such sub-so- il the land will not only be improved by tile drainage, but it may be said that such drainage is absolutely essential to its proper development and culture. To question the necessity of the process Is little less absurd than it would be to ask whether it would be Improved by plowing, instead of making hills for corn in the prairie grass with a hoe or spade. All lands require drainage which, at any season, contain too much water that is, which hold at any time of the year more moisture than is good for the crops, and causes them to suffer, either by freezing out in winter, or having their roots in water during the growing season. Drainage has been appropriately defined as the art of rendering land not only so free from moisture that no superfluous water shall remain in it, but that no water shall remain long enough to injure or retard the healthy growth of such plants as are required for the sustenance of man or beast. There are some plants, as rice and cranberries, which require a wet soil, but most of those which are useful to man, are drowned by being overflowed for a short time, and are injured by any stagnant water about their roots. The soil of ihe prairies, in most cases, is underlaid with clay, which not contains a mixture of metallic oxides, which cause it to form a substratum almost of the nature of rock, and known commonly among It is a comfarmers as hard pan. mon impression that clay is impervious to water, and that, therefore, a clay Boil and particularly if it has assumed the solid form of hard pan under the surface can not be drained with tile, and especially if the tile is laid lower But that such than the "hard pan. land is not absolutely impervious is wet proved by the fact that it is very tn the spring at almost any depth, while In the latter part of the summer It becomes dry and hard. How comes It to be soaked at any time, if water does not go into it? And how comes it out of it? dry, If water does not come The facts that clay will readily absorb a great deal of water, and that it maybe subsequently dried, prove concluto sively that It Is not impervious water that not do prove liut they water, will pass through it with sufficient rapidity to answer the practical purIt is nevertheless poses of drainage. ala fact that owners of clay farms difthe overestimate most invariably ficulty In draining their land. They know that puddled clay is used for the bottom of ponds, canals, etc., and is nearly or quite impervious. But such Is not its natural condition, and it Is and beating only reached by working It while wet, or, as In the ease of the bard pan subsoil, by continued pressure from above. Nor can clay be kept In this condition except byor being subconstantly wet. If once dried, resumes jected to the action of frost, it its natural porous condition. Anon. Origin of Forest . The life of plants as well as of ani-ma- began in the water, and from water plants of simple structure there fit! gradually developed the forms to thrive upon land, writes M illiam J. first Hopkins in Chicago Record. The land plants of which we have evidence, exalthough probably not the first that As in eh.ur.cter. isted, were fern-lik- e their number became greater the crowding forced each plant to reach out higher after the sunlight and th air. In this struggle for existence bemost l.t gan that evolution of those ted to survive, which has resulted in Th se the forms that we know which developed the tallest trunks conquered the shorter varieties and forced them either to die out completely or to occupy less favorable situations. The trees of the first great forests, which became the beds of coal of the period, were principal weak in structure, not far removed from the ferns, with pithy trunks, requiring much moisture and waruuh. They were not wellas adapted to propatheir seeds were gate and spread, of withstandand incapable small very From these ing rigorous conditions. forms there gradually developed the resembling palms and trees somewhat g forms, or the present evergreens, this process of development continuing until in comparativecame the prevailing ly recent ages trees of our modern forests. These classes may be divided into two great cone-b- i narrow-leavaring the broad-leave- d trees, or evergreens, and the trees, which usually shed their leaves in the autumn. Al! have a great in advantage over the earliest forms of suptheir strong trunks, cajabie of branches and porting a great weight to attain them and enabling leaves y. coal-formi- cone-bearin- ed, Methods of Spreading and Growth. The distribution of forest trees depends not only upon the characteristics of the particular kind and its adaptability to the soil and climate, but also upon the chance of distribution of the seed and the provision by animals. against its destruction Many trees are subject to the depredations of various insect enemies which may prevent seeding or may even destroy the tree; and the seeds of most trees form a more or less palatable food for birds or beasts. Some trees are better protected than others destruction of these chances against and the better protected trees stand a incorrespondingly better chance of and surpassing in numbers creasing the other kinds. If the squirrels or the wild pigs find the nuts of the white oak sweeter and more wholesome than those of some other oaks the standing white oaks will leave few if any and will eventually disappear, while the red oaks flourish. In entering upon new ground the trees having the lightest seeds will be the first to take possession, their seeds being carried to greater distances than those of the others. The light seeds of the willow or the seeds of the maple, which, although heavier, have upon them wing-lik- e attachments, will enable their kind to far outstrip the nutbearing trees, like the walnut, hickory trees are and oak. These heavy-seede- d limited In their reproduction, practically to the distance at which a nut falls to the ground or to the chance distribution by the forgotten hoards of the squirrel. By the swiftness of their d march the plants will thus more quickly reach regions where the rainfall is just sufficient to furnish the roots enough moisture or the growing season is just long enough to enable them to mature the wood of each years growth. Beyond this point they canforms arj not live. The heavy-seede- d plodding surely along behind them and in the final struggle the trees best adapted to the soil at any given locality will endure by the overwhelming of the others. light-seede- Fall Rye. There are a few crops that the American farmer can use more profitably than this. When it is sown early in the fall and the weather Is favorable for the plant, it affords a great amount of pasture for calves, colts or pigs, writes S. Blanchard In Journal of AgIn much of the weather riculture. during the fall when pastures are short, the cows can be turned upon the land to feed, and that will make the wife smile with joy when she goes to town d with her jars or pails of butter. The farmer, too, will smile with pleasure when he beholds his calves, colts and all other stock entering upon the winter in such fine condition. During much of the winter, when they are turned out of their yards they will start at once for the rye field. In fact, it can be pastured nearly all winter when the ground is not covered with snow. It can also be pastured quite late in the spring, and when the stock is all removed will often spring up if weather is favorable and afford to the farmer a fair crop of grain. Or the field can be plowed up in the spring and planted to corn or some other crop. The fall plowing will have made the land more mellow for any spring crop. All farmers who have fields that can be utilized in this way should not fail to sow rye. Years ago many of the farmers in Kansas pastured their wheat fields when not covered with snow. Some thought it was no detriment to their crops while many question the utility of the practice. But rye is one of our hardiest grains. Drought does not affect it as it does wheat or oats. wrell-fille- (t .rulfnrt and Olive distinct branch of tr is rapidly being developed on the Pacific slope, says a contemporary. It promises to speedily become of national importance and to relieve the people from all danger of being subjected to deception and fraud in one important article of food supplies. Experts of the department of agriculture who have been investigating the matter have been astonished at the rapidity with which the industry is being developed and have made glowing reports of its future possibilities. At the present time there is being imported annually into the United States 1,000,-00- 0 gallons of olive oil. It comes here from Italy and Spain, though the latter country is rather niggardly with Us exports, consuming nearly all it produces. The annual production of the Iberian peninsula is 70,000,000 gallons, of which 60,000,000 are consumed at home. If the people of the United States consumed olive oil as do the Spaniards 180,000,000 gallons would be required to supply the demand here. What we do get from abroad is by no means an A1 article. Analysis made by the agricultural department of that found on the market has proved that large quantities of it is nothing more than cotton seed oil or peanut oil labeled and sold as pure olive oil. No necessity exists for the people submitting to any such imposition. The United States, instead of being an importer of olive oil, should be a large exporter. It is likely to become so iu the not far distant future. The investigations referred to show that no better soil exists In the world than is to be found in this country. In California there is a territory from 600 to 700 miles long and from B0 to 123 miles wide which Is particularly well adapted to olive culture. In addition extensive sections have been found in South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Lousiana, Texas and parts of Arzona in which the olive might be successfully cultivated. In illustration of how olive culture is being developed on the Pacific slope it may be said that from 500,000 to 600,-00- 0 olive trees are being planted in California annually. In seven years from the time of planting these trees should be bearing fruit. After they once begin they continue yielding for centuries. A good tree in its prime will produce 230 gallons of oil a year. There is no reason why the territory described, in this country, should not produce 140,000,000 gallons annually, the present market value of which would be $240,000,000. Oil A new and olive-produci- Clean Wheat There Is no excuse for the presence of rye, cockle or chess in wheat at harvest-time. It is not always possible to have absolutely clean seed, and weed-seed- s are in the soil, but it is practicable to clean the standing grain when these weed pests appear. Rye shoots up much higher than the wheat, and cockle has a blossom easily seen. Taking two drill widths at a through, a man can pass over an acre of wheat very quickly, clipping off the heads or blossoms of these undesirable plants. We have too much thoroughbred cockle take in the country. The fanning-mill- s out the lighter and smaller grains but too often leave the largest grains in the seed. In this way we have been raising the standard for cockle until some of it is as heavy as wheat-grainIt, together with rye and other filth in wheat, can be wholly eradicated by a little care before wheat harvest. Lowlands often have some docks in the wheat, and seed is ripened before harvest. Getting into the manure, they are carried back to cultivated fields. A watch should be kept for these, and an ounce of prevention saves the cost of a pound of cure Ex. s. Winter Shrubbery. Anyone planting a lawn or shrubs should first of all consider how to have lawn. Most it an shrubberies are pretty only in the spring, but it is possible to have the shrubbery showy, bright and cheering even in winter. The best wintei shrubs are the barberries, including the English sort, which has become natuMechanical Effects of Drainage. The ralized in many of our states, the high mechanical effects of drainage are to hush cranberry and the fire-red bark This last has deepen the soil and promote its more dogwood. it is ten years when and Its first all effect winter, pulverization. thorough old will cover a space twenty feet in is to dry its surface soil by drawing It is grand for out of it all the surplus moisture, so diameter in moist soil. Bush cranberry is The High or late winter. autumn it spring in early that always beautiful, flowering in May, and may be worked with the plow as advanat midsummer. A wet in July and August is covered with tageously as soil" can never he properly pulverized, yellowish red berries, which turnondeep the and remain or a working clay soil, crimson in October, and the plowing for for all But till w bush hen spring. wet, tends or even a heavy loam, a The me barberry. large winter only to puddle it and render It less berries give do not lose their brilliancy pervious to water and air. Rain water with any amount of freezing. For and contains a great quantity vaiiety early winter by all means add the of fertilizing substances, and it deposAll the above Euouymus. American its them in the soil during its passage can be found in our woodland shrubs these facts are Both perthrough it. edges. Vick's Magazine for August. ceptible to the senses without resorting to chemical tests. The most expensive product in the is said to be charcom tnreau, woild No a Drains. of of portion Outlet is employed for incandescent which caredemands more system of drainage for the most p.ui, manful consideration than the outlet. It i3, lamps. It inis, and con es from Paris, of course, essential that it should be ufactured an artist who desires Ms of hands the of than the any portion enough lowpr to name to remain unknown in lands that are to be drained by it to adthe secret of the manumit of sufficient fall for the passage of Letter protect The product sells at from facture. water from the heads of its most dis$12,0U0 per pound, according to $8,000 Yet it must be high tant tributaries. kind of lamp mat is to be supthe to of level the whatever above erough water it empties into to prevent danger plied. of its being overflowed and the drainBisulphide of Carbon for Ants age water dammed back in the pipes. Those who are annoyed with ants on Wheat King of Argentina. The their lawns can get rid of the peats bj and making hole wheat king of the world belongs to A taking a sharp He is an Italian emigrant in or near the ant hills, ami pouring o! named Guazone, and his broad acres into them about two labiespoou.-fu- i are situated in the south of the provbisulphide of carbon, pressing the soil over the hole at once to prevent its ince of Buenos Aires. His crop occuacres. 66.270 of He area numan evaporation. The fumes of the bisul- pies the workmen by and plude will penetrate tne son and kill his thousand, hrs each one receives a certain share of every Insect. Ex. he profits. When his seasons crop la Do not cultivate the orchard in harvested he fills over 3,000 railway fall. Ex. his with trucks grain. d MOUNTAIN - CLIMBING. GROWING IN ALL PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, Danger A It &eeil Attending the Sport Difficult to (limb Ip, It's ot a to (totting Down Again o to Lare the Couulry. I (Special Letter.) r: HE reetnt accidents la Washington, California, and one or two other states have put a temporary damper on the spirits of the MfV s Mazama society, a 1 v Western Alpine club, organized for cf the purpose mountain climbing, but there is every reason to believe that the discouragement will be only temporary, for the craze of mountainclimbing is said to be growing, not only in the west, but throughout the country. The perils of mountain-climbin- g are by no means despicable. In the first place, when a difficult mountain is to be ascended there is always danger, at cne point or another, of the traveler missing his foothold and getting a fall. Of course, the higher precipices are, as far as possible, avoided by the climbers, and only in cases of extreme necessity and the impossibility of finding another road will the climber attempt the side of a cliff. It is a maxim among members of Alpine clubs that any prec'pice can be sealed or crossed unless it is as smooth as the wall of a room, and even in that ease passages have been effected by driving spikes Into the crevices which here and there present themselves on the surface, and using these as steps from one point to another. The mountain cliff which from beneath seemg to be as smooth as a wall, upon closer inspection presents many irregularities, jutting points, cracks and ledges by means of which an experienced climber can effect a passage. Of course a fall from one of these precipices means instant death, but, during the ascent of an ordinary mountain there are many places But In the higher portion cf nsorra-tain- s that rise above the enow line the difficulty of climbing is immensely increased by snow and ice, for the rocks become covered with a coating us smooth as glass, and even when an apparently sure foothold is found the climber is liable to slip when no ice is present, the rock being wet, and, therefore, presenting an insecure footing. Difficult as may be the ascent, descending is even more uangerous than going up. Mountaineering in parties is the safest method, for when several are present precautions can be taken which are impossible when the climber is alone. The outfit of a mountaineering party consists of ropes, b" which the various members may he fastened one to another; of ice picks, one end shaped somewhat like a mattock, the other beof provisions, coring dials, blankets, shoes, the soles of which are studded with sharp pointed nails, a plentiful supply of spikes or wooden pegs to drive in the crevices of the rocks, and thus afford a foothold where it otherwise could not be gained, and, above all, abundant muscle and never failing nerve. The United States has many mountains, and will undoubtedly present attractions to the Alpine societies of this country when such become more general. We are commonly disposed to ignore the Alpine attractions of the United States, but there is no country in the world which has more mountains or more mountains above a given height than our own. The highest mountains in the world are those of Asia, the great peaks of the Roof of the World towering from 25,000 to 30.000 feet above sea level. A number of these have never been sealed, and there are some mountains in South America which, on account of their height present insurmountable difficulties to climbers. The roof of the United States is Colorado, and lu that state there are said to be 180 peaks, each more than 10,000 feet above sea level; Utah has 50 exceeding that height; Wyoming. 44; California, 40; New Mexico, 30; Nevada, 27; Montana, 11; Arizona, 10. and Idaho, 3. Our new territory of Alaska is said to have hut four peaks of greater height than feet, but it is probable that when the territory s better known more will be discovered. Mount St. Elias is believed to be over 19,000 feet above sea level, and the other three peaks named in the hooks are of very considerable altitude. sharp-pointe- CLARENCE HAILEY HAS TAKEN TO EQUINE PHOTOGRAPHY. Th Specialty Suited flis Fancy and He Una Made a Sacceu Somethin About Ihe Iutricecie of (setting Good t lei urea of Blooded Uoraea, WO subjects which make a photogra- pher unhappy are babies and horses both being equally hard to handle, That is why Clar- i. enoe llailey of St. lrl' Johns Wood and I I ( Newmarket is fam ous. Mr. Hailey la young about 80 and premiers, lawyers, writers and society folk Interested in horses flock to his studio. He started In some twelve years ago In the general photographing business, but his fondness for horses led him to branch out into a specialty. He says very seldom will a horse adapt Itself to the camera. The handsomest lioises, like handsome people, often take the poorest pictures. Theu, rightly enough, trainers and ovvners will not allow the photographer to pull about a valuable horse entered for a big race because they fear a ehill for their delicate charges. Mr. Hailey selects his background, focuses his camera and has everything ready. Then the horse is walked into the scene, his blanket removed, and the. picture instantly taken. The brief time allowed for posing Is a great drawback and it takes experience to get good results. Position, Mr. Hailey says, means ev- -i erythlng. Some horses are hopeless. Sometimes the wind is wrong or th. flies are bad and then the artist has to f" 10-0- 00 Famous Old Irish Abbey. Muckross estate iu Ireland, which, according to the London eatJeg, has been selected as a site for a Jwyal residence, is one of the most charming spots in the Emerald Isle. The question of a regal seat In Ireland has long been the Bubjeet of much discussion. Her British majesty Is not loved in Ireland, and her neglect to visit the country, to say nothing of her discrimination against it as a place of residence, has not served to soften the asperity of Irish sentiment queenward. The political effect on the Irish of the establishment of a regal abode among them remains to be seen. The Muckross estate, Including the famous abbey, is, or was, the property of Henry Arthur Herbert. The grounds about the ancient ruin are among the most exquisitely beautiful landscapes In Ireland. They touch the Middle Lake of the Lakes of Killarney. If the queen decides to build there she will be surrounded by the most charming scenery In all her kingdom. Mr. Herbert not long ago built a modern palace upon these grounds to replace the old house. This building contains a portrait of the old Countess of Desmond, whose ancestor, Donald McCarthy, Lord of Desmond, founded the abbey as long ago as 1440. The abbey became the last resting place of the O'Sullivans, the McCillicuddys and the ODonoghues. It was restored in 1626 and is a favorite sight of tourists. I m. A The A HARD ROAD, of great danger where a slip signifies a fall of only 15 or 20 feet, a mere trifle In comparison with which might happen, but still sufficient to disable or kill outright an incautious climber. Slips and falls, sprained ankles, broken limbs and necks are of common occurence among the members of the Alpine clubs, but these are not the only dangers to which such adventurers are exposed. The tops of mountains are elevated many thousands of feet above the level of the sea, and in the upper regions of the atmosphere the air is so rarefied that persons unaccustomed to mountain-climbin- g find breathing exceedingly difficult and active exertion almost impossible. Men who have the slightest tendency to heart disease subject themselves to serious peril in attempting the ascent, of a high mountain, for they are liable at any moment to fall dead from heart failure. The upper portions of the Swiss and Tyrolean Alps, and, to a large extent, of the Rocky mountains also, are composed almost altogether of the primitive rocks granite, basalt, porphyry and the like and these have a tendency to crystallize in columns and surfaces which, at a distance, appear is ,'y ;'.'t V'' 0 ,n 1-- s. f l v r t- -. fl- M.; T'Tj.ffcy-- 'VVfrh.'f. Vr U rxf " . - .HliiJ: give up and try it again. Mr. Hailey work Is Instantaneous and he uses no shutter, making hand exposures. Ha has some records to be proud of. Using two cameras he photographed twelve horses in fifteen minutes; again he spent three whole days trying to get good pictures of twelve mares and their foals, the difficulty being in getting the foals and their mothers together in the right pose. In Mr. Haileys worst trouble lie photographing hunters, which are seen at their best only when galloping with their long tailB flying. When standing g still they are objects. He remedies this by painting with a brush a handsome tail floating on the breeze and wiping out the original one on the plate. nieek-lookin- Sun-Sp- Vi 2. , MR. CLARENCE HAILEY. Bun-siK- - i ysi Mxc-Dowa- vrl r p and the Weather. The Interesting question whether there is any measurable influence exerted upon the earths atmosphere, and particularly upon wrhat we call the weather, by the black spotB on the sun, is again under discussion. Sunspots increase and decrease in size and number periodically, the average time (Vires a Protection Against Lightning fiom one maximum of spots to another eleven years. At present "People living in cities are prone to being about believe that the increasing number of the spots are becoming less numerous, and their minimum period is approachtelephone, telegraph and trolley wires from electric ing. At a recent meeting of the Royal increase the danger ll society Mr. A. IJ. storms, writes Edward IV. Bok in the Meteorologicalreasons for believing that, gave On the conLadies Home Journal. it as the minimum draws near, trary, the maze of wires 's a protec- - there is a tendency toward greater heat in the summer and greater cold in the winter than is the case near the sunspot maximum. The part of the world A Hw, 'tJ !, specially considered by Mr. MncDowalt r. was western Europe, but if Europe is v-r S hf affected by America must be affected by them also. V bu.-he- s r ' X', 1 -' i ? . vV W v - ; ' Ll'V , v i;, VV--V ifo n sun-spot- s, Protection Agaiimt Tnrp,Ioe. M. Duboc Writing in Be Ya lit, states that the Japanese have made some remarkable experiments in connection with the best means of strengthening a ships hull against torpedo attack. Two bulls were prepared, each with an inner shell, the spaeo between the two being in one ca-- e left empty, and in the other packed with On exploding equal charges bamboo. the againbt the outer shell of oa.-l- i d hull had bo'h outer and inner skins wrecked, while the second and case the inner skin injury most completely, though the bamboo packing was i educed to shieds. first-name- i . CLEVER AT 1IIS ART. MUCK ROMS ABBEY. smooth, but upon closer inspection are found to he full of irregularities. 'Ihe Giant's Causeway in North Ireland, the basaltic formations along the Iri.-.and Scottish coasts, and at several expoints in our Western states, are of this s'jle of cellent illustrations formation. A basalt cliff, whi sfcm-ingl- y r to asunscalable, is really h cend than a limestone bluff of its height, for the err, c s foi raw! of the materiel by the erystai'iz-.-.iooffer to the cfimbir bolds for hand and foot which en.Mle the expert to go up one of these cliffs with surprising ease. i one-fift- n tion, and lessens the danger, since It h shown that where the wires attract th eli ctricity they hold it, and discharg it only at the end of the wires In th central station. The fact is that of th( two hundred lightning accidents ever vear only an average of forty occur ii the cities. The trees in the country art a far greater danger; they account foi the proportion of four cases in th reentry to one in the city. Chicago harbors about sixty sand Ikbrewu. thou- To Maily IMant DUeitH?.?. Au experiment biation or what has been called the vivisection of p'ants has neen established by the Department of Agriculture in Washington. Somewhat similar stations exist elsewhere, hut it is said to be the inten-- j tion to make this more extensive than Valuable results a,,0 any other. from the expected of of diseases the plants. and f sm.-g; been Mi tL 3 it has long may lead to the ciiplov meat of "plant doctors, just as now we haw. M.tor for men and animals. n-- i c |