HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times, 1892-6-23, Page 2sipommes4
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ItITOR RANDALL'S *WARNING.
Dr JESSIE 11.TACIXOD.
., PART III,
Maijor Randall only remained a few days
but from what he had gleaned, the evidence
was fearfully againet the prisouer at the bar.
To state it briefly William Armstrong had
been four years in Isaac Twyforcla employ-
ment as foreman at the mill, when he was
dffered a higher salary and a house to live
in by a Qorn.factor at Boston, The old
at. the Hall, havang a large °mole of friends miller was unwilline to part with him, and
tct vi 1:1 before returning to hia eatery offered to raise his wages to those proposed
duties in India. There wae to be A week's by the corn-clealer ; t ut young Armstrong
huntine at one place, a week's sbooting at declined. The chance of a lame rent-free
another; then a easy with former brother- was a great bth'enlent for the change,. as
officers at 1,Voolwich, and Aldershot, lastly, it would enable him to merry a young girl
to lua married sister M Worcestershire, Sir
Philip and Lady Hartbury were rieb, spend-
ing thee money freely, as, wealthy people
ought to do. They entertained largely. 43.
country seat with a succession of staying
guests Is charming; at least, the Major found
it so after his long sojourn in the East, and
for the time be quite gave himself up to the
enjoyment of English uomeslife and society.
He WaS a general favourite, being bright, posed to have any enemies ; yet, within a
agreeable, fine-looking, ani mgsmt4 week of his disagreement with Armstrong,
raconteur of Indian adventivas I unmarried, he was shot dead on the high -road leading
on the verge of forty. Now forty 'is really from Meretoke to Grantham, beside which
an excellent age in a man; for he is exper- his mill war sheeted. He had been the
immed, as clever perhaps as he will ever be; best part of the day at Aferstoke transect -
the glamour of youth with its rote -tinted ing business, but had unexpectedly been de -
atmosphere has departed, ani he sees his tained until late; indeed it was nearly
fellowtnen with plain black and white 'out- half -past six when he quitted the Crown
lines, yet is still young enough to enjoy life. Inn on his starting for home.
Such was Major Randall. Many persons had heard the old man call
There were few ladies who would have his foreman hard names—ungrateful, time -
refused him had he made proposals of mar- server, and such-like—and. had seen Arras
riage ; hut he was not a marryang man; an strong leave the mill in anger. Other wit-
nesses from Boatou deposed that he poesess-
early disappointment --through death—ha
caused him to relin 'i -h that idea for ever. ed Pistols said a fowling -Place, which he
There were frequeet dinueraparties at the had been cleaning and using recently.
Hall, and occasional dances; the timeSome had met him et ten o'clock on the
swiftly and pieasantly. Several tunes pass -
night of the murder, looking wet and fagged.
he attempted to take his departure, but had Ur. Twyford'a housekeeper stated that in
the afternoon of that day Armstrong bad
been heinced to stay on by his sister and
brother-in-law's solicitations. At last he come over from Boston saying he partiou-
tenni Elated hie visit in a very unexpected lerly wished to see her master and. apologize
t� him for the hasty words he used
or home eoncert, in which the Major :
ing
maamer. One night after a musical even -
pained him to be at variance with the old ,
had distinguished lurnself—for be had a miller, who had formerly treated him with
pleasant baritone voice, and sang ballads kindness, He appeared disappointed when
nicely—he retired to rest about eleven she tolti him that Mr. Twyford had gone
to Merstoke for the day making many in-
ottloek, in a happy enough state of mind,
the time of his return, also
such as people feel who have done their best tlinties as to
and been appreciated. He went to sleep at saying he had half a mind to go and naeet
to whom he was engaged. Unfortunately,
his master did not take the refusal in good
part, and thought him too young to get
married. High woras had. followed, and a
quarrel ensued.
Mr. Twyford was well known and re-
spected as a just man by all the country
round ; but it was also acknowleclecl that
he was a. severe one; still, he was not sup=
once, and slept for twe hours, when he
awoke with a start: some one was speakreg
to him. Raising himself upon his elbow, he
g.azed, round the room, dimly visible by a
tatty night -light. There was no one there,
and nothing disturbed. Yet a voice had
said distill:alp "Go to Lincoln."
Had lie dreamt it? If so, why dream of
Lincoln, where be knew no one? Compos -
Mg himself to sleep again for another two
home, once more he was suddenly awaken-
ed with a greater shock, for again the voice
repsated closer to him and most impressive-
ly Go to Lincoln." This time the Major
got up and thoroughly searched the room.
He had locked the door, so no one could
enter that way. The hoose was hushed in
profound repose, not a sound, save the dull
tacking of a clock at the end. of the corridor.
Major Randall was extremely discomposs
ed. He was not a superstitious roan by any
means ; but there was a tone in that voice
that penetrated to his veryeoul with a thrill
through his system such As he had never be-
fore experienced,
"Dreams are strange things," he said to
himself; "why should I dream of Lincoln,
'where I have not been half a dozen times in
tny life, and that twenty years ago?"
Again he got into bed, but not to sleep,
for Isis nerves wore too much excited. He
tried to lose himself in vain; his mind, was
so thoroughly awake and clear, that—es he
afterwards declared --he could have writ -
ton any letters or despatches as well as ever
he did in his life.
He lay thus, quite still, on his back, with
wide-opan eyes, whon he was electrified by
the same relate saying close to Mem.; "Go
to Lincoln—at once 1'
"I will," answered the Major aloud; and
springing up, be lighted the tapers on the
toilet table and began to dress. Consulting
his watch, he foiled it was four o'clock in
the morning; and looking from the window
which gave a view over the park, he saw a
clear starlit sky and a white frost on the
grass. Writing a short note of explanation
so his brother-in-law, Sir Philip, he placed
it on the outside handle of his door, in order
that it might be seen by the servants at an
early hour.
"He will think I am cracked; I hope I
am not, for really I am going to Litwin
:without knowing why," he soliloquised as
lie noiselessly descended the broad staircase.
The Hall door was so barricaded by its
manifohlefasteginga of bars, bolts, and
chains, that he could not undo them with-
out alarming the household; he therefore
entered a conservatory opening from the
drawing -room, and unlocking a glue door
let himself out into the park, traveraing it
without encountering a keeper, but disturb-
ing the deer clustered together under the
bare branches of the fine elms and beeches,
who started up from their lair, gazing at
him in wonder.
Major Randall rather enjoyed his tramp
to. Worcester isa the bracing air of a fine
frosty morning. He reached the station in
time to take a cup of coffee and a sandwich
before starting by the six o'clock train.
Being an experienced traveller, he arranged
his lozig journey so well, that, changing at
one junction in order to catch the express
at another, he was enabled to reach Lincoln
by two o'clock. After enjoying a luncheon,
he strolled through the hilly street of that
interesting old city.
"Why am I here, I wonder 1" he kept re-
peating to himself. "Shall I have further
orders ?"
But though he listened attentively, no
voice spoke again. Resurveyed the exterior keeping a pony phaeton and giving garden -
of the fine cathedral, e.nd looked in the shop [parties, to let the county families see she
windows, wandering without any definite I could hold isp her head as high as any of
hiin ;whether be dad so or not she could
not say. Soon after he loft, it began to
rain.
Another witness was the carrier, who met
him, and exchanged a few words on the
Merstoke road; it was then raining fast.
The prieoner had pleaded not guilty.
What the witnesses had stated was correet.
Upon hearing that the miller had ridden
over to Meratoke, he started to meet him;
but the rain fell so fast, he turned back.
Unfortunately, he missed the train, and
was obliged to walk the whole distance to
Bostonwhere be arrived greatly fatigued
and very wet It was a great shock to him
when he was arrested the following day
charged with tte murder of his former em-
ployer.
It was seven o'clock when Mr. Twyford
was shot; the woman at the roadside cot-
tage stated that her timepiece struck that
hour just before she heard. the report of the
pistol.
"1 am innocent," the prisoner said aol-
emnlY. "Appearances are fearfully against
me; but I would never raise my hand againat
Twyfcrd. We were not on good
terms I • still, there was no malice on either
side. I was not near Merstoke higloroad
at the time el the murder, but in a directly
opposite directon, seven miles away from
it, going home. There is one person, the
only one in the world, who could prove it.
I overtook him on the way. It was pitch
dark; the rain came down art torrents, and
we took shelter for a time in the porch of
Bertoft old. church, and exchanged a few
words, Of course we could not see each
other. That stranger -could testify the fact
of my presence there—though perhaps he
has forgotten it."
" No ; be has not," rang out Major Ran-
dall's clear voice. lie as bare."
In the midst of great excitement, the
'Major pushed his writ through the crowd to
the witness -box. He now saw why he had
been sent to Lincoln.
Thus, at the eleventh hour, William Arm-
strong's character was vindicated to the
world, his statement hilly corroborated by
a witness of irreproachable integrity. Clear-
ly and eircunistantially the Major related
bow he was walking from the small station
to Creasing Hall, and had been overtaken
by a fellow -pedestrian, seeking shelter with
him for a short time in the old church porch
—the clock striking seven while there ; also
the conversation they lead held together in
the dark—of how the prisoner's graudfather
had during a flood rowed in a boat to make
his purchases at the village shop, and shot
wild -ducks in the fields of Bortoft—facts
which a stranger could not possibly have
known.
William Armstrong was discharged, and
a toward of a hundred pounds at once of-
fered for the apprehension of the actual
murderer.
Sir Philip and Lady Hartbury were quite
prepared to quiz their brother unmercifully
on his wildgoose chase, when he retufned";
but when they heard its result, speedily
changed their intention, listening almost in
awe to his recital.
Major Randall never heard the voice
again, and declares, in spite of the general
opinion to the contrary, that it was not a
dream.
To do Mrs. Drew justice, she was
greatly shocked at her uncle's trawl°
death and poor Elizabeth's sudden de-
cease, but triumphed in the expectation
of inheriting the miller's property, its
amount proving greater than expected. She
contemplated removing to a country -house,
object. The town was unusually full of
people, who seemed in a state of excite-
ment. The winter assizes were on. Not
knowing how to occupy his time, he stepped
into the courthouse'where a trial was MI.
ing place. The entrance was blocked with
people.
"What case is on?" ho inquired of a police-
man.
"A young man is being tried for his life,
sir—ills a murder."
"Of whom ?"
"Mr. Twyford, the miller at Roby, as
was shot on the road between Merstoke and
his house—pore old gentleman."
Major Randall recalled the sad affair that
had happened the night of his arrival at
the Miss Ingestres' in his successiou of
visits a.nd amuserneuts it had escaped his,
"1 will go in, if you can get me a place,"
:said he, slipping silver into the policeman's
band. This talisman aud his fine military
appearance gained him an admission waich
had been refused to many others. Through
some private interest -he poseeased, the
officer succeeded in not only introducing
him into the body of the court but procur-
ing him a good seat.
The interior was densely packed, and its
heat was great, for the trial had lasted some
hours. Tile accused was a young man of
about foureansatwenty years of age, tall,
fair, and haecisorne, but pale and worn by
axiety. The Major was sorry that he had
not bend tbe etas: frem its commencement ;
them. But behold ! when the time came
for legal settlement, no certificate of her
parents' marriage could be found—no entry
in registers. Alas !Mrs. Drew was illegit-
imate. .
Pride must have a fall," exclaimed the
townsfolk.
She never again upbraided her husband
w (
ith having ao ambition."
The miller's fortune went to very dis-
tant relations, who were advertised for in
'she papers.
A convict named Ashworth died at Port-
land. On his death -bed he confessed that
he had shot his father-in-law on the
reed home, having learned from his
wife that she was forgiven and would
inherit the property. Her sudden death de-
feated him.
Nate END.]
Pigmy Camels of Persia.
The western part of Persia is inhabited
by a species of camel waich is the pigmy of
its race. Typical spes Onens of this crea-
ture me almost, a pure white in color, and
are, on account, veers', Hod ly some tribes
of the natives. When the Shs 11 was
Berlin in 1889 he was kincliy 13 etcd by the
city ant horities, and in retsn.csen lea
the munieipality with a pait of these Jutl
white wonders. The largest of the tw
weighed but sixty-one pounds, and wa
only 27 irashes high.
o
HOUSEHOLD,
The COMMQ11 Path.
Whether we toil 'Leath the mountain pine.
Where the rooks aro barren and stoop;
Or delve in the damp and darksome mine,
Whore the shadows of midnight sleep;
Whether we stand in the harvest field.
'Mid the wheat field's garnered gold;
Or strive for the treasures °coma yields
To the Maude that are brave and bold;
Whether we strayover frozen wilds,
Or toll on a burning plain.;
Or whether fair fortune frowns or smiles
On the work of the hand or brain;
Whether it rough. or if smooth the road,
Or the hours be era or gas.
We must bear our share of the common load,
We must walk in the common way.
But the common way to the heart uncowed.
Blooms out into beauty true;
And a song can shatter the deepest cloud.
And the sunshine shall shimmer through,
Less grows the weight of the common load.
If the courage be high and bright;
And less the shadows across the road,
If the oyes are fixed on the light.
Mental Vs, Ilysioal Betenty-
Another advocate of feminine beauty who
believes that woman's first duty is to make
herself attractive has risen up and pronounc-
ed against too much study for our girls.
He is Sir James Crichton Browne, and he
has talked upon this subject before the Med-
ical Soeiety of London, Re described a
group of girls that he once saw on a plat-
form of a railway station. They were en
route from college to their homee. They
were not fair to look upon it seems, and
bad, the lover of beauty' declared --from
which which we infer that he studied them
attentively—"stooping gait, withered ap-
pearance, shrunk shanks mad spectacles on
nose." And did their books do all this for
them we might ask? Our Crichton would
pepbably reply that their devotion to books
preveisted them running free in the meadows
and lanes, acquiring ease of movement M
rollicking play and the gayety and
color of the butterfly. We do not
quite agree with our Crichton be-
cause we have seen country girls with
plenty of air and exercise looking pale,
angular and meagre in figure. Then, too,
they lacked the expression of intelligeace
and, mental Alertness which transformed
often an otherwise plain girl into one of in-
terest, if not attractivenesa,
We think our Crichton simply miereads,
by reason of his predominant love of physical
beauty, the average school girl's thin and
ungraceful figure. She is amply unde-
veloped 171 body as in mind. While she is
growing tall she does not fill out, and matur-
ity of physique doea not come to all alike.
Our Crichton says he would rather English
girls remained ignorant of logarithms than
that they lost a jot of their beauty. Well,
fortunately, girls will still go on deoiding
for themselves, and we think it the sneer
way, since there is a beauty of mind and
spirit as well as of externals, and it shines
through the latter, and is clearly perceptible
to the appreciative. Mere beauty needs no
appeal; it makes its own. But there is
nothing, after all, so vulgar and wearisome
as physical Outran without adequate herrn-
ony of mind and heart. We should prefer
that all our proclamationa should be for the
development of feminine harmony rather
than the conservation of bodily beauty.
June.
Juno by universal acclamation is the
tnonth of roses, the leafy month'and in all
her characteristics deserves the high mike
giums which poets have ever lavished upon
her. Without the fickleness of April, or
May or the arid heats of July and Augusa
she Is truly the month of nature's most lavish
exuberance of color and fragrance. In all
ages since old Roman times Juno has been
considered the most auspicious month for
weddings and betrothals, although her
immediate predecessor, May, was consider-
ed the most unlucky month in all the year
in which to contract marriage. "The bridal
of May," says an old adage, "is the bridal
of death," and no reason canbe assigned for
this dismal idea, except that the Romans
2,000 years ago celebrated their festivals in.
honor of the dead in this month, and singu-
larly enough our only festival in honor of
the dead is held in the same month. The
rush of weddings that occur in the begin-
ning of June and the scarcity of weddings
that occur in May gofer to prove the power
that old superstitions still exist
There are many other superstitions that
are recalled by the month. It used to be
always considered unlucky for a bridal
couple on the way to church to meet a, monk,
a priest, a dog, cat or serpent, and these
were singled out as obnoxious on very rea-
sonable grounds, as all being in some way
inimical to the richest bliss of the married
state—monks and priests not accepting it
for themselves, though wMingly enough
joining others, dogs and cats being symbol-
ical of the most unhappy union possible a,nd
the serpent having broken up the original
Mippy home. But to meet a wolf, a toad
or a spider was an auspicious omen indeed,
but upon what grounds it was considered
so ia not so apparent.
The charivari or horning party, which is
now quite common in some of our villages,
especially on the occasion of an ill-assorted
marriage, was a custom away back in the
early centuries, and was the subject of a
synodal order from the church. The fee
now given to the minister was formerly pur-
chase money for the bride given to herself
to "bind the bargain," and the ring was
originally merely a part of this purchase
money. The system of wedding presents
which has now become so formidable, prob-
ably arose from the" penny weddings" of
Queen Bess's time, when it was a custom
for all the guests to contribute something
to the couple at the wedding feast.
To the city resident, June also represents
the time for the annual exodus to green
fields, seashore, lakaand mountain, and for
this is welcome enough to make it a favorite
month without its traditions or its beauty.
The Laundry -
The first June days are welcome to the
good laundry woman. No artificial bleach-
-ere do such work as the green grass and. sun-
shine, Winter clothes are quite likely to
have acquired something of a yellow hue,
They may now be bleached to a snowy
whiteness and :acquire the fragrance of
clover.
Household linens, which no housekeeper
allows to be frozen, will bleach in a few
days if spread on the green grass in the
bright sun and sprinkled three or four times
a day. No bleaching but this is strictly
safe, thee& the market abounds with
bleaching fluids and bleaching powders. No
prudent, housekeeper uses- a soap or fluid of
such strength that it eats the dirt out of
the clothes without rubbing. The rubbing -
board remains to -day as much of a necessity
as it was the day before Washing machines
Were invented.
One great labor-saving maChine has been
giveu so the laundry whieh actually does
its work better than it can possibly be done
by hand, and that is the wringer. There
appears so far no possible way of inventing
a machine to take theplace of hand -rubbing,
one that will select out the spots thet need
rubbing and will soap and rub thetri espee.
'ally, giving the remainder of the gement
merely a general washing. Itis true that
a washing machius does the work quite as
intelligently as the unskilled washerwoman
who does her work with no regard to the
necessities oi the case, but this es no mom-
mendation.
There is a great deed to be said about
soaking clothes over night. If they are
merely plunged its cold water it is better to
leave them unsoaked, but if each garment
is carefully looked over, the fruit and coffee
stain removed with boiling water and all
the other stains treated as they should be
and the clothes theo soaked in cold water
over night, a little soap being rubbed ou
the wristbands said other parts of the gar-
ments which are especially soiled, it will
prove a success, The careful laundress
puts her coarse clothes in one tub and her
finer clothes in another and she begins by
washing her finer clothes.
Where the water is hard, as it is in cars
Min parts of the country where the water
supply comes from mountain springs, it
will be necessary to add a certain amount
of ammonia or borax to soften it. Two
tablespoonfuls of ammonia to a gallon of
water or a half polled of borax to five
gallons of water is fully sufficient. This
should be used in the rubbing water and
again in, the rinsing water. There eheuld
be an amount of melted, soap put in the
boiler and this will probably soften the
water sufficiently for boiling. It is a great
mistake to allow clothes to boil any great,
length of time. 43.8 soon as they are fairly
boiling they should be removed tothe ren -
sing water, Too much cannot be said in
regard to the necessity of thoroughginsing.
If the clothes are thoroughly rinsed they
may be slightly blued and, though this is
not a uectiesity, it gives a pearly tint when
properly done which is very desirable.
Some good laundresses blue their clothes
every other time they are washed. This is
by far the best plan as it forestalls any at-
ternpt of the laundress to cover up the
stains by the use of blueing. In order to
treat the different sets of clothes wasted in
alternate weeka let the first two weeks'
washing be blued and then omit the blueing
during the next two washings. With plenty
of fresh air and sunshine aud a little good
judgment oven washing day may not be al-
ways so sorry a day as it as usually pic-
tured.
Salt Bathia
itt this season of the year, when children
are apt to be languid with the approach of
warm weather it is an excellent time to
start the habit of the daily bath, if it is not
elready a pert of the regular regime of the
day. With the coming of the new summer
and the lovelinese of the earlymorning hours,
oven the most indolent feels the impulse to-
ward early rising, and the very best begin-
ning of the day es a refrealling bath, follow-
ed by some light food and a vigorous walk
in the open air. The addition of a cup of
rook salt to the bath is a great advantage,
and is especially soothing to the nerves of
delicate people who find the shook of cold
water too severe. Even indoors, such a
bath possesses muoh of the strengthening,
invigorating qualities of the OCOOD wave.
Rock salt as considerably cheaper than fine
table salt, Audis quite as good for this pur-
pose. It should be thoroughly dissolved,
however, so that not one metal remains.
When it is put in a cold bath, it is better
to dissolve the mit in a little warm water
first, though not enough to change the tem-
perature of the bath perceptibly. It is very
important that the salt be completely dia.
solved as a single crystal may out into the
skin. Where a litee child is feverish and
restless a warm salt bath will sometimes in-
duce sleep when everything else fails. Let
the temperature of such a bath be about
from 85 degrees to 90 degrees. Add a cup
of salt to every six gallons of water. Do not
rinse olf the salt with fresh water, but dry
the child's akin thoroughly, and rub it
down with smooth, gentle strokes of the
hand. All this has a wonderfully pectifying
effect and a fretful baby will often drop to
sleep before you are aware of it under such
treatment.
Some Bridge&
Coalbrookdale bridge, England, is the first
cast iron bridge ever built. It was con-
structed in 1779. •
The brid.ge of the Holy Trinity, Florence,
was built In 1569. It is 322 feet long, of
white marble, and is even now reckoned as
being without a rival aa a specimen of the
bridge art.
The covered bridge at Pavia, over the
Ticino, was built as early as the fourteenth
century. Although a half a thousand years
old, it is in a perfect state of preservation.
The roof is held in place by 100 gigantic
granite columns.
The great cantilever bridge at 'Elegem
Falls is entirely composed of steel. It is 810
feet in length, weighs 3,000 tons and cost
$900,000.
The Rialto Bridge, Venice is said to
have been built from designs furnished by
Michael Angelo. It is a single marble emit
of 98 1-2 feet.
The new bridge at Burton, over the Trent,
was formerly the longest bridge in England,
1,545 feet.
The new bridge over the Tay at Dundee,
Scotland, is 77 feet above the water, has 85
piers, and is over two miles long..
The longest bridge in American s trestle-
work over a portion of Lake Ponchartrain.
It is nearly twenty-five miles long.
The largest and longest stone bridge in
the world is over an arm of the China sea—
five miles long, 300 arches. Each 70 feet
high.
Wonderful Bookie
Thirty-five or forty years ago someone
issued the famous "Thumb Bible," so call-
ed because it was scarcely larger that the
first joint of the thumb; now Mn. Frowde,
of Oxford, England, is out with a marvel-
ous little book, which has been dubbed
"The Finger Prayer Book." This tiny
volume has 700 pages and is bound in
morocco and velvet with brass clasps. It
weighs less thanthree quarters of an ounce,
is only one inch in breadth, three and one-
half inches in length and one-third of an
inch in thickness. It is difficult for one to
believe that a book of 700 pages could be
made thie 'enough to convemently go into a i
a common pocket purse, but this s what
Mr. Frowde has achieved in his "Finger
Prayer Book." It is a marvel in paper mak-
ing, and one of which the author, the paper -
maker and ti.e printer are justly proud.
A copy 6; 101 in silver with gold clasps
will be ext;.;-,t,d at the world's fair.
A rich man is an honest man, no thank
to him, for he would be a &Ode knave t
cheat mankind when he had no need of it
—[Daniel DeFos.
THE CHOPS IN ONTARIO.
Offioial Report of the Department of
Agriculture for Tune.
Tnn WEATEER.—April began warm and
fine but frein the second week the
weather was cold and dry with severe and
trying winds. The average temperature
for tbe month was 40.81° as compared
with 42.970 in 1S91 and an average for ten
years of 40.22 0 The rainfall in this month
was 1.25 inches ±n1892, 1.84 inches in 1891
while the average for ten years was 1.91
inches. May has been cold, cloudy and
Wet, retarding farming operations. In the
west and south-west of the province the
rainfall has been considerably over double
the usual amount. The figures of tempera-
ture for May are 51.55%51.94° and 52.63,and
of rainfall they were 3.48 inches, 1.07inches
and 2.73 inches. The following stations re-
port over six inches of ram for May :
Kingsvill,e 8.03; Redgetown, 8.40 ; Cedar
Springs (Kent), 7.73; London, 6.74; St.
Marys, 6.13.
FALL Wnnea.--This crop isstillin ra, very
promising cousition, very little has heeo
plowed and the only unfavorable conditions
are noted in connection with late -sown
grain a,nd that put in upon lowlying un-
drained lands. The diverse conditions of
climate of this province are shown by two
reports—one stating that fall wheat was
heading out, another that spring seeding
had just fairly commenced. The greatest
loss appears to have fallen ou the extra
acreage of last fall which was hastaly put in
on poorly prepared land. The principal fall
wheat counties report as follows: Essex
and Kent, suffered front drouth and frost in
April and rains in May, some plowed up,
only two-thirds of an average crop pronna-
ed ; Elgin, fair; Norfolk and Haldimand
first class, espeoially.where properly put in;
Welland, fair; Letuulon affected by heavy
mina, two-thirds of a crop ; Huron, Bruce
and Grey, early sown good, late sown poor,
crop late, prospects above average;
Shneoe, never better except on low
laud; Middlesex, crops affected by weather
and are backward, prospects fair for gocd
crop ; Oxford, Brant and Perth, prospects
very good except on low lands; Wellington,
Waterloo and %aerial, prospects good, crops
a little baokwerd ; Lincoln, very fine ; Went-
worth, good, except en lowland, straw rank;
Halton and Peel, very good; York, to
Prince Edward, good. On the whole, pres-
ent couditIons point to a first class cropof
fell wheat, warm weather, however, being
very desirable and necessary, as a very
rapid growth of straw hes taken place and
a continuance of wet weather would cause
great loss from drowning -out andfrem lodg-
ing. An extra good crop may be expected
should bright warm weather continue,
&Rum Wilasm—The Lake Erie mulls
ties report much damage from rain in the
west, with improvement an condition as we
come east, the condition of this aection aa
present is only fair. Leanbton and Huron
report a backward growth and much loss
through raM ; Bruce, Grey and Siincoe on
the whole give most satisfactory returns,
Rams. —Conmeratively little had been
dome with roots. The wet weather prevail-
ing 031 over the province, hag delayed the
seeding of roots and the planting of pota-
toes. From the Lake Erie comities there
are many reports of the rotting of potato
seed in the ground, and more :metered re.
pone of like experience come from other
parts of western Ontario.
Fame. —Vegetation appears to be about
a week backward. In many places the
woods were only in earliest leaf, but the
genial weather past ushered in gave`gromise
of a more geeerous foliage While in some
of the uorthern countries apple blossom
were only just beginning to show, the more
southern sections reported the bloom as
well advanced, and with but few exceptions
the accounts regarding this staple of our
orchards were moet fevortable. It wee
stated, however, .that notwithstanding the
abundance of blossom, the heavy rains pre
-
veiling at the time of bloom may have wash-
ed off much of the pollen, and that imper-
fect fertilization may result. Pears where
grown 'promise well. Peaches along the
Lake Erie and and Lake Ontario coun-
ties were more or less injured by
the winter. Plums and cherries are
still assailed by their enemy, the
blacksknot. A. few localities report a pro-
fusion a plum blossoms, buttin some of the
recognised plum sections thr\ yield is not
expected to reach that of last-tyear. In
eastern Ontario the interest in oratharding
appears to be developing. Front various
poiuts come reports regardingwinter injury
to grapes, but in the main the remarks of
correspondents are hopeful. Strawberries
were hurt by frost and heavieg" on a
few ekposed fields, but the general condi-
tion is far from unsatisfactory. Ragpbers
ries appear to brave sustained moro injury
than any other fruit The Cuthbert suffer-
ed greatly in many querters. tither small
fruits came through the winter well. The
fruit prospect is on the whole encourag-
ing.
BEES 811.(11101XV.--The reports regarding
the every are far from encouraging. In
addition to losses by starvation, chilled
brood and dysentery were not uncommon.
Foul brood was reported in only a few lo-
calities, but the death of queens appear to
have been more frequent than usual. The
reported losses during winter and spring
vary from 3 up to 75 per cent, ; the average
may be placed at about 25 per cent, Just
as correspondents wrote, however, fruit
blossoms were providing excellent supplies
of nectar, and with more aeasonable
weather bees were beganning to pick up.
Lamm ssatie WADES.—There is little that
is special to note an the condition of farm
labor. Regarding the quality and supply
of labor opinions differ. Whale the greater
number of those reporting consider that the
right class of hands are available, a strong
mtnority state that good farm laborers are
scarce. This is said to be cssused by the
large emigration of our farmers' sons to the
United States, Manitoba and the North-
west, their places being taken by "farm
pupils" and others from the old country,
some ot whom are of doubtful quality so fa;
as our agricultural methods are concerned.
In
some parts being affecte•1 by too much rain seine western counties boys from theHomo are being tried in
and the growth being a little backward. Batnartl°
the place of men, but the moiety paid them
The prospeots in the West Midland couto
ugnot included in the rates of wages here -
ties aro good, as also they are from Lincoln "
with summarized : The amount paid per
to Prinee Edward county. The eastern and
northern sections report spring wheat in
very good condition except on low land.
While the spring wheat can, on the whole,
be considered in hardly as good condition as
the fall wheat, the present prospects are up
to the average, but the success is now de-
pendent upon continued warm weather.
BARLEL—The acreage is still decreasing.
Essex, Kent, Lambton and Middlesx appear
to have suffered most front rain and frost.
There is an improvement in condition along
lake Erie in going east, and Bruce and
Huron give bettor reports than the counties
to the south. As to the rest of the western
section the general report is that the high
Ian& look very promising, the low lands
very poor. From Lincoln to the the east-
ern boundary of the province, the returns
are quite favorable. The inland and north.
ern regions report backward growth, favor-
able only on well drained soils. The present
condition of barley over the province is fair
but backward, with the prospect of a very
much decreased total yield unless the
weather soon becomes and continues more
favorable.
OATS.—As with barley the greatest loss
has occurred in in the south-western portion
of the province, many reporting at least
one-third of the crop in that section de-
stroyed by water. The condition improves
as wego east and north east. The central,
eastern and northern sections reporb a large
acreage doing exceedingly well on high
land and poorly on low land, the growth,
however, being mudh retarded. On the
whole the condition of oats is bettter than
that of barley, and should the weather be
favorable for the next few weeks a more
than average crop may be expected.
RYE.—Very few report rye as being sown
at all, most ot the reports indicate the prob-
ablity of a small crop. In many cases it,
is grown either for early feeding or for
plowing under.
PEAS.—The reports as to peas are neces-
sarily incomplete; as, owiug to the lateness
of the season, sowing was still in progress
in many sections. With the exception of
the south-west the pea crop of western On-
tario is one of great promise, above the
average, the most encouraging reports corn-
iug from Grey and Situate. From Toronto
east returns are uniformly very good, Prince
Edward especially reporting a large acre-
age, rand fine condition. Present indications
point to an extra fine pea crop over almost
the entire province.
. Cones—All over the province, but more
particularly in the corn -growing countries of
the lake Erie group, the repeated rains of
May greatly hindered corn planting. A few
fields on high situations were doing nicely,
but on low and level land there was much
washing out of seed and yellowing of the
young plants, and some replanting will have
to be done. The rains have delayed corn
planting by a week or ten days, and when
correspondents sent in their reports fully
half the corn area, remained to be planted.
The weather was then more promising, and
there is no reason to doubt that the usual
acreage will be given to corn.
Beaes.—The planting of this crop as in
the case of corn, .has been delayed by wet
weather making it difficult to prepare the
soil for the seed. Very little had yet been
planted in Kent, and adjacent counties.
where most of our beans are raised, and
some correspondents ventured the opinion
that the area grown this season would not
be as large as usual.
Hal AND Ceovnes—During the past few
weeks the hay crop has made wonderful
growth owing to the continuous rains.
Since our last report the prospects of the
crop have continued steadily to improve, so
that now a heavy yield is assured. The
appearance of timothy was perhaps never
better than at present. Although clover
was badly winter -killed and still looks un-
even and patchy, yet, what survived is mak-
ing strong growth and looking wolL.
month for the working season, of say seven
months, runs from $14 to $20 with board,
the average being $16.79, an increase of 28
cents over that of the previous year. The
amoumt paid without board range A from $20
to $28, the averagebeing.$24.60, or 59 cents
more than in 1891. The wages 'per day of
temporegy help averages 86 cents with board
and $1.15 without board, both these rates
slightly exceeding their respective figures
of the previous year.
ODDS LisTD
Fifty thousand women belong to the trade
unions of England.
Turkish women eat rose leaves with but.
ter, to secure plumpness.
During the past year Chicago spent over
$54,000,000 for 11,845 buildings, mild° New
York expended over $36,000,000 for 2,827,
.A. society has been organized in Stockton,
Cal., whose members believe in the effi-
ciency of Limburger cheese as a cure for
dyspepsia.
An Australian correspondent writes that
his country no longer offers good %mars
tunities to the skilled artisan or the in-
dustrious laborer,
In about sixty years a walnut tree, grown
from the seed, will attain a, diameter of -four
feet and if properly cut and seasoned will
be worth $400.
An old soldier of Wichita recently re.
ceived from the Government three centr
which had been due him without his know.
ledge for more than thirty years.
Farmers in Mexico always use oxen of
one color isa the morning and of another
color in the afternoon. They do not know
why; but they know that it must be the
right thing to do, because their forefathers
did it.
In the Chicago cattle yards the various
plants are estimated as worth $11,000,000,
with 25,000employes, to whom annual wages
of $20,000,000 are paid. In the fiscal year
of 1890 the approximate value of the prod-
ucts of all sorts utilized there WAS $150,-
000,000.
The longest train ever haule4 in the
United States by a single engine has just
been hauled on the Reading road. It con-
tained 260 empty freight cars and was about
a mile and a quarter in length. The longest
train previously recorded was on the North-
ern Central road, a mile and an eighth in
length, or 6,113 feet
A Small Girl Oomposes About Bays.
Boys is hawrid. That's what all the gurls
sez. They doant thiok so bet they as so,
soz thay wunt gib plaged.
Boys like to hay gurls think they un tuf.
I like tuf boys.
Mi big Blaster sez tuf bop is the best.
Shes had speryunce.
I have novur thot of gettin married, but
Iv had lots uv chances.
Boys is yusful. They clan tres and steel
things fur the guri they likes best. Sicks
diffrune boys sez they likes me best.
Gurls pretends they doant can fur boys.
Gurls hoo sez thay doant car fur boys wunt
t).;o to heven. Gurls mus tell the trooth if
thay go to heven.
After whil boys is men. When boys git ,
to chum tewbackst they ar men.
Boys is better than men.
Millions of Organism.
In the milt of a codfish'or in water in
which vegetables have been infused, the
microscope discovers animalculi so minute
that 100,000 of them would not exceed
bulk a single mustard seed. And, stram,ge 58
it may seem, each of these infinitesimal
creatures are supplied with organs as com-
plete in every detail as are those of the
whale or the e;ephaut.
tt,
tO;;