Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1896-8-14, Page 2FATI'S tNSTRU1VIENTSI 4 t CHAPTER 1rII.- (Continued) "1 shalt have to do it," he said to hjmself; as he silt moodily in tris churu- bers, " They're all at me—anal° Roger, Tommy Myles, Isabel—alk .of them, 'Pm shot if I ever interfere with anybody's marriage again.". The defection of Isabel rankled in his mind worst of all. That she, of all peo- ple, should turn against him, and, as A last insult, send him upbraiding mes- sages through Tommy Myles! This she had done, and George was full of wrath. " A note for you sir," said Timms, en- tering in his usual silent manner. Timms had no views on the controversy, being one of those rare people who mind their own business; and. George had felt* en so low as to be almost gr atef it f.,, the colourless impartiality with he bore himself towards the quarrel Ir. {ween his masters. George took the note, " Dir, Gerald been here, Timms?" " He looked in for letters, sir; but went away directly on hearing you were Isere.,, Timms stated this fact as if it were in the ordinary way of friendly inter- course, and withdrew. "Well, I am— I" exclaimed George and paused. The note was addressed in the hand- writing he now knew very well, the handwriting of the Bournemouth char- acter. "Dear Mr, Neston, "I shall be alone at five o'clock to- day. Will you come and sea me? Yours sincerely, " Neaera Witt." "You must do as a lady asks you," said George, " even if she does steal shoes, and you have mentioned it. Here goes! What's she up to now, I won- der?" Neaera, arrayed in the elaborate care- lessness of atea-gown, received him, not in the drawing-r000m, but in her own snuggery. Tea was on the table; there was a bright little fire, and a somno- lent old cat snoozed on the hearth -rug. The whole air was redolent of what ad- vertisements called a " refined home," and Neaera's manner indicated an al- most pathetic desire to be friendly, checked only by the self-respecting fear of a, rude rebuff to her advances. "It is really kind of you to come," she said, " co consent to a parley" " The beaten side always consents to a parley," answered George, taking the seat she indicated. She was ball sit- ting, half lying on a sofa when he came in, and resumed her position after greet- ing him, "No, no," she said quickly ; " that's where it's hard—when you're beaten. But do you consider yourself beaten?" " Up to now, certainly." And you really are not convinced?" she asked, eyeing him with a look of candid appeal to his better nature. " It is your fault, Mrs. Witt." My fault 1" e " Yes. Why are you so hard to for- get ?" George thought there was no harm in putting it ea a pleasant way. Ab, wby was Miss—now is it Game or Games 2—so hard to forget ?" "It is, or rather was, Game. And I suppose she was hard to forget for the same reason as you—wuld be." And what is that?" "If you ask my cousin, no doubt he will tell you.' Neaera smiled. What more can I do ?" she asked. " Your people didn't know me. I have produced a letter showing I was some- where else." "Excuse me--" " Well, well, then a copy of a letter." "What purports to be a copy," "How glad I am I'm not a lawyer! It seems to make people so suspicious." "It's a great pity you didn't keep the original." Neaera said nothing. Perhaps she did not agree. But I suppeee you didn't send for me to argue about the matter 1" No. I sent for you to propose peace. Mr. Neaten, I am so weary of fighting. ;Why will you make me fight ?" It's not for my pleasure," said George. For whose then ?" she askedestretch- ing out her arms with a gesture of en- treaty. "Cannot we say no more about it 2" With all my heart." " And you will admit you were wrong?" " That is saying more about it." You cannot enjoy the position you are in.' I confess that." " Mr. Nestor, do you ever think it's possible you are wrong. But no, never iniad. Will you. agree just to drop it?" "Heartily, But there's the Bull's- eye." Oh', bother the Bull's-eye! I'll go and see the editor," said Neaera. He's a stern man, Mrs. Witt." " Ile won't be so bard to deal with as you, There, that's settled. Hurrah I you shake hands, Mr. Neston 1" By all means." " With a thief ?" " With you, thief or no thief. And 1 must tell you you are very—" " What'?" " Well, above small resentments." " Ob, what does it matter? Suppose I slid take the loots?" "Shoes," ,said George. Neaera burst into a laugh'. " You are very accurate." And you are very inaccurate, Mrs. Witte' "1 shall always be amused when I meet you. I shall know you have your band on your watch." Oh, yes,I retract nothing." „ Then it is peace?" " Yes.' Neaera sat up and gave him her hand, and the peace was ratified, But it so chanced that Neaera's sudden movement roused the cat, He yawned and got up, arching his back, and digging his claws into the hearth -rug, Bob," said Neaera, " don't apoil the rug. George's attention was directed to the animal, and, as he looked at it, he stare, ed. Bobs change of ,pasture had re- vealed a serious deficiency: be had no ;tail, or the merest apology for a tail. It was certainly an odd. coincidence, perhapps nothing more, but a very odd coincidence that George should have seen hi the court -yard at Nekton Gaol no less than three tailless eats Of eourse there are a good many in the world; but still most cats have tails. I like a black eat, don't your said Neaera. " lie's nice and Satanic," The Peokton eats were black, too,— black as ink or the heart of a money- lender. An old favourite?" asked Georgy, in- sidiously I've bad bine a good many years. Ohl" The last word slipped from Neaera involunteeny 'Vhy'ohs'" " I'd forgotten his milk," answered Neaera, with extraordinary prompti- tude. Where did you get lam?" Neaera was quite calm again, " Some friendsgave him to me. Please don't say I stole my cut, too, Mr, Neaten." George smiled; indeed, he almost laughed, "Well, it is peace, Mrs. !Fitt, he said, taking his hat. But remem- ber I" !!What?" said Neaera, who was still mailing and cordial, but rather less at her ease than before. " A cat may tell a tale, though he eerie none." What do you mean?" "If it is ever war again, I will tell 1 you. Good-bye, Mrs. !Vitt." 'Good-bye. Please don't have poor Bob arrested. He didn't steal the boots —oh, the shoes, at any rate." ' I expect he was in prison already." Neaera shook her bead with an air of bewilderment. " I really don't un- derstand you. But I'm glad we're,mot enemies any longer." George departed, but Neaera sat down on the rugand gazed into the fire. Pre- sently Bocame to look after the for- gotten milk. He rubbed himself right along Neaera's elbow, beginning from his nose, down to the end of what he called his tail. Ah, Bob," said Neaera, " what do You want? Milk, dear? 'Good for evil, milk for—'" Bob purred and capered. Neaera gave him his milk, and stood looking at him. How would you like to be drowned, dear?" she asked. Tho unconscious Bob lapped on. Neaera stamped her font. " He shan't! Ile shan't!" she exclaimed. "Not an inch ! ' Not me inch !" Bob finished his milk and looked up, No, dear, you shan't be drowned. Don't be afraid." As Bob knew nothing about drown- ing, and only rneant that he wanted more milk, he showed. no gratitude for bis reprieve. Indeed, seeing there was to be no more milk, he pointedly turned his back, and began to Slash his face. CHAPTER VIII. " I never heard anything so absurd in all my life," said Mr. Blodwell, with em- phasis. George had just informed him of the treaty between himself and Neaera. He had told his tale with some emha.rrass- ment. It is so difficult to make people wbo were not present understand how an interview came to take the course it did. She seemed to think it all right," George said weakly. ' Do you suppose you can shut peo- ple's mouths in that way?" There are 'other ways," remarked George, grimly, for bis temper began to go. , 'There are," assented Mr. Blodwell; " and' in these days, if you use them, it's five pounds or a month, and a vast increase of gossip into the bargain. What does Gerald say?" " Gerald? Oh, I don't know. I sup- pose Mrs. Witt can manage him." Do you? I doubt it. Gerald isn't over easy to manage.Think of the i position you leave bun n 1" " He believes in her." "Yes, but he won't be content unless other people do. Of course they'll say she squared you," Squared me 1" exclaimed George, in.- dignantly. Upon my soul, I'm not sure she hasn't." " Of course you can say what you please sir. From you I can't resent it." Come, don't be huffy. Bright eyes have their effect on everybody. By the way, have you seen Isabel Bourne late- ly?" ' No." "Heard from ber ?" "She sent me a message through Tommy Myles." Is .be in her confidence?" Apparently. The effect of it was, that she didn't want to see me till I had come to my senses." In those words?" " Those were Tommy's words: " "Then relations are strained?" " Miss Bourne is the best judge of whom she wishes to see." ' Quite so," said Mr. Blodtivell, cheer- fully: At present she seems to wish to see Myles. Well., well, George, you'll have to come to your knees at last." " Mrs, Witt doesn't require it." " Gerald will." "Gerald bre--- But I've never told you of my fresh evidence." Oh, you're mad! What's in the wind now?" Five minutes later George flung him- self angrily out of Mr. Blotewell's cham- bers, leaving that gentleman purple and palpitating with laughter, as he gently ie -echoed. The eat 1 Go to the jury on the cat, George, my boy I" To George in bis hour of adversity, Mrs. Pocklington was as a tour of strength. She said that the Nestons might squabble among themselves as much as they liked; it was no business of her. As for the affair getting into the papers, her visiting -list would suffer considerably if she cut out everybody who was wrongly, or she added signifi- cantly, rightly abused in the papers. George Neston, might be mistaken but he was an honest young man, and for her part she thought him an agreeable one—anyhow, a great Ileal too good for that insipid child, Isabel Bourne. It anybody didn't like meeting him at her house, they could stay away, Poor Laura Pocklington protested that she hated and despised George, but yet couldn't stay away. Then, my dear," said Mrs. Pockling- ton, tartly, " you can stay in Lhe nur- sery.' It's too bad I" exclaimed Laura. " A man who ss3ys such things isn't fit--" Mrs. Pocklington shook her bead gen- tly. Mr. Pocklington's Radical princi- ples extended no more to his housebold than to his business. Laura, dear," she said, in pained tones, "I do so dislike argument." So George went to dinner at Mrs. Pocklington'?, and that lady, remorse- less in parental discipline, sent Laura down to dinner with .him; and, as everybody knows, there is nothing more pleasing and interesting than a pret- ty girl in a dignified pet. George enjoy- ed himself. It was a tong time since he had flirted; but really now, consideringIsabel's conduct, he felt et perfect lierty to conduct himself es seemed to him good. Laura was an old friend, and George determined to see bow incapable her wrath was. TSE: BRUSS "It's so kind of you to give me dale pleasure," be began, Pleusuto1" said Laura, in her'lotti- est tone, )res ; taking yon down` you know." "U'annra matte use." "Ab, now you're trying to take me down." "1 wonder you can look any one in the face --""I always enjoy looking yon in the face." After the things you've said about poor Nesere I" Nesera ?" "Why shouldn't I call ber Neaera?" "Oh, no reason at all, It may even be her name," "A woman who baekbites is bad, but a 1Mn*--" !y is the deuce?" said George inquiring - Laura tried another tack. "All Soar friends think you wrong, even mamma.' "Went does that matter, as long as you think I'm right?" "I don't; I don't, X think—" "That it's great fun to torment a poor man wbo—" George paused, "Who what?" said Laura, with de- plorable weakness. "Values your good opinion very high- ly:. "Nonsense!" George permitted himself to sigh deeply. A faint twitching betrayed itself about the corners of Laura's pretty mouth'. If you want to smile, I will look away,' said George. "'You're very foolish'," said Laura; and George knew that this expression on a lady's lips is not always one of disapproval. I am, indeed," said bus "to spend my lime ba a vain pursuit," Of Neaera?" "No, not of Neaera." "I should never," said Laura, demure- ly, "have referred to Miss Bourne, if you hadn't, but as you have—" I didn't." Presumably George explained whom he did refer to, and apparently the ex- planation took the rest of dinner- time. And as the ladies went upstairs, Mrs. Pocklington patted Laura's shoal-• der with an approving fan. "There's a good child! It shows breeding to be agreeable to people you breeding , Laura blushed a little, but answered dutifully, "I am glad you are pleased, mamma." Most likely she did not im- pose on Mrs, Pocklington. Sha cer- tainly did not an herself. George found himself left next to Sidmouth Vane. "Hallo, Neaten I" paid that young gentleman, with his usual freedom. Locked her up yet?" George said Mrs, !Vitt was still at large. Vane had been his fag, and George felt he was entitled to take it out of him in after life whenever be could. Wish you would," continued Mr. Vane. 'That ass of a cousin of yours would jilt her, and I would wait out- side Holloway or Clerkenwell, or where - ever they put 'em, and receive her sym pathetically—hot breakfast, brass band, first cigar for six months, and all that, don't you know, like one of those Irish fellows," Yon have no small prejudices." "Not much. A girl like that, plus an income like that, might steal all Northampton for what I care. Going upstairs?" Yes; there's an 'At Home' on, isn't there?" "Yes, so I'm told. I shouldn't go, if I were you." "Why the devil not 1" "Gerald's going to be there—told me "Really, Van, you're very kind. We shan't fight." 1 'don't know about that. He's simply mad," Anything new?" "Yee; he told ine you'd been trying to •quare Mrs, Witt behind his back, and he meant to have it out with you." !Well," said George, "I won't run. Come along The guests were already pouring in, and among the first ,George encount- ered was Mr. Dennis Espion, as over- strained as ever. Espion knew that George was aware of his position on the all's -eye. Ab, how are you, Neston?" he said, holding out his hand. George looked at it for a moment, and then took it. I support life and your kind at- tentions, Espion." Ah I well, you know, we can't help it—a matter of public interest. I hope you see our position--" Yes," said George, urbanely; "Il faut vivre." I don't suppose you value our opin- ion, but—" Oh yes; I value it at a penny— every evening." 1 was going to say—" "Keep it, my dear fellow. What you say has market value—to the extent I have mentioned." My dear Neston, may I—" "Consider this an interview? My dear .Espion, certainly. efalce any use of thus communication you please. Good night." George strolled away. "Suppose I was rather rude," he said to himself , "But, hang it, I must have earned that fellow fifty pounds 1" (To be Continued,) TEXAS'S BIG HOG. Texas lays claim to the biggest hog ever raised do the United Stales. The hog weighs 1,430 pounds, and is 8 feet 3 inches long., 110 measures 6 feet around the neck, 8 feet around the body, and stands 4 feet 1 inch high. His feet are as large as those of a common ox, and the leg bone larger than that of the largest steer. lIe is Poland China and red Jersey. He eats corn like an ox; takes the whole ear in his mouth at once and eats the cob as well as the corn, eating from forty to filly ears at a time. There seams to be no surplus flesh on him, and pbystcians tivlso have examined the hog say he can easily be made to reach '2,200 pounds. The pre- sent owner, T. 1l,atigan, paid $'250 for the bog, and has been offered $1,500 for him. He has a fire policy on the ani- mal for $5,000. No other hog, it is said, ever reached such tremendous propor- tions., We expect to learn soon that be Ins been burned. CONSCIENCE MONEY, A merchant in Biddeford, Me., afew days ago received is letter inclosing 81 and a sheet of paper, on wlsich the word "Conscience" was written. Phis calls to mind an old story of te thief who broke into a store in Skowhegan sev- eral years ago, awl ?soured is good sum of money from the cash drawer. A few months afterward the merchant receiv- ed a letter in which was a $10 and the following note: I stole $78 from your money drawer. Remorse gnaws at myconscience. When remorse gnaws again I will send 3.051 setae more," LSA POST, THE FAR THE OiLI) HERD. I can bear the tinkle, tinkle Of the bells so soft and low Which the herd bore through the clover Of the old barn long ago; And to me no sweeter music From the organ over swells Than the tinkle, tinkle, tinkle Of the meadow's matchless belle. In the morning of a boyhood Which has never passed away Did! 1 drive the old herd b nieward At the closing oe the clay •,Arid to me sweet Recollection Stories of that boyhood tells, While I listen to the music Of the old herd's homely bolls. There they came, up through the clover, O'er the pith beloved of old, Snowy 'Plass," the chosen leader, Nearly worth her weight in gold; Homeward, o'er the fragrant blossoms Co the e'er remembered bars, Where Melinda, waits to greet them For a milking 'neath the stars, One by one they reach the brooklet In the gloaming cool and clear, While they drink the limpid water, Not a sound salutes my ear; But anon the old herd gently Love and reverence ca ape's, And I'm dreaming to the music Of its ne'sr forgotten bells, Barefoot boy alone remembers Far away from scenes of yore How the herd came through the clover By the insects hunted o'er; ' And fall many a preeious. picture With its colors bright and warm Memory paints with magic brushes Of the ever treaeured farm. Here lbs farm house lova-encircled, There 'a sainted mother's face; Here a mound and there a cradle, Baby's features be can trace; And, to finish off the picture Which of golden moments tells, Single file across the meadow Coma the bearers of the bells. At the window in the twilight With the winds but half asleep, Sits the boy who drove the cattle Thro' the clover red and deep And lie calfs from out the lost years Many a scene that bears a charm And his thoughts go flying backward To a boyhood on the farm. Does be smile? a sound that pleases Seems to stir the maples now, And a beam of golden sunlight For a moment 'gilds his brow; Fast asleep 1 but still in dreamland, Under Recollection's spells, He is wading through tyle clover To the music of the bells. GROWING AND FEEDING CATTLE. This is an age of specialization and it is, speaking generally, neither possible nor desirable to run counter to its tendencies, Business is divided and sub- divided into special lines, and by nar- rowing the draft men acquire special skill with which one seeks to combine many of these can hardly compete on equal terms. The Homestead believes that it can be carried too far, and there are indications that in the cattle busi- ness there has been too much disposi- tion isposition to separate the growing of stock cattle and feeding of finished steers. There are reasons why farmers should grow, one year with another, the calves they need for feeding, and should not grow stockers for sale. We are aware that drawiog upon the limited exper- ience of single years, one can prove al- most anything with respect to the re- lative profitableness of these two halves of cattle production. Taking the ex- perience of the last year nothing pays but growingstock cattle, and it does not pay to feed at all. Taking the ex- perience of some other year when feed was short and cattle plenty, is is just as easy to show that it does not pay to grow cattle at all, and that it is cheaper• and more profitable to buy stockers to feed. This year stockers have Leen worth about as much as fin- ished cattle. In some other years the finishe?i cattle are high and the stock- ers arg almost given away. There are amen our people so man3' price chas- ers th t these changes rattle them and they (jet away from one branch to an- other with rapidity that only enables them o miss a profit every year. The thing 'bat each farmer wants to do is to c Lisette laver headedness as well as or s, and to develop steadiness of purpo, as well m his live stock. With respec to cattle he can do this by g owing every year as nearly as po -ible, just as many animals as he ne-.s and no more, baying no stock- ers to ell and none to buy. -Mien feed is pie ty stook cattle will be quite cer- tain be relatively high as compared with inislied steers; when very abun- dant, s it is now, the margin will pro- bably bo obliterated entirely. On the other hand when feed grows scarce, it is he finished product that is high and se stock cattle is almost given away. The man who grows his own supple s, bowever, and feeds them will be lil'cly to make a steady, moderate profit every year. When the first con- dition exists he makes it off the stock- ers; when the second occurs he makes it off he feeding. What we mean by this i that when a man has a good grain nd bluegrass farm, it cattle produ ion from start to finish be con- sidere as an entire, indivisible opera- tion, s me money can be made; but if it is ' 5 in two it becomes a sort of 'gambl' as to whether the profitable enc{ of 'he transaction has been select- ed for •he particular year. In graving stork cattle for one's own Ce line, the breeding becomes of even m o enportanee than when they are gra n to sell as stockers. What we, do .ean is that when stockers are it high ire second rate stuff will gen- erally cc nnsand relatively more money than the hest. But when a farmer in- tends to eed them himself it is only the best .hat he can feed to the best advantag, Really good stock cattle arc and or a long time have been, toite be pie up e decade athat o a at any small sbi ..ing point cannot be picked. up in tha way any longer. They aro bought no by twos and threes, and command price that leaves no soar - gin for the ceder, even with our cheap food. Wha. the Farmers of the cattle regions ong,5 to do is to give to their /lards of b eding cattle something of the same atention that the breeder of breeding cattle glees to his, with, of course, a closer confinement of iris attention to treaty useful points.'Ths involves careul selection of clams and the use of re lly first-class beef bulls, As to breed, at is a question oC taste somewhat, an of the food, conditions, care, etc., wit which the owner is like- ly to tee able o surround then?, But when the cha anter oI the selection isl determined u as, the selection itself should be from the ng the li best, usefulne a beep pointsb in i t c terion, It Is being the etoadynor who wins in the long Mtn, and the man wbo produces his own cattle, taking care to breed them well, and who will feed them, taking eve .to make theta good will, one year with another, find his condition stead- ily improving, Of course, es 0 'flyer,' there aro seasons, such as tha ppresent, when all the money is In the stockers. :!.'hero are seasons, too, when there is no inoney irhfooding, and there ere otb- them when all the money that is made in the cattle business seems to be there. But, by regarding the production of beef as one operation, from the calf to the shambles, there is melee'ssonie pro- fit le it when there is profit in any- thing, ARMY WORD ON THE 1IAROH FARMERS AGAIN TROUBLED WITH THIS FORMIDABLE PEST. Lt. Invades boulh weestern 5,•5, Yarlr State, 151111 3'e eceilevd' 1a Saw 111 $onlaern nottivie-Tile ,Motif d.'nnrl11 at -World 1+ gdaying•—Steric? Shout Slovenes of Che .Uany, The news despatches have brought word that the w'orrns are causing ruin in the cultivated fields of western and southwestern New York about North Tonawanda, in the Hudson River coun- ties in the neighborhood of Poughkeep- sie and Newburgh, and on Long Island, destroying, as one telegram said, tbou- sands of bustlers of grain every hour, Ind, according to another, making away with fifteen acres of rye within twen- ty-four hours after they were first no- ticed in the patch. The reports speak of, the " arrival" of the worms, and of their " first appearance," and go on to tell of the havoc chat is the immediate consequence, but in this the reporters are wrong, for the worms have been present with them right along, only the farmers were not watchful of them. It is one of the unfortunate features of the army worm's warfare upon the farmers that until the wonderful pro- lificacy of bis kind has sent forth my- riads of the destroyers into the grain fields the worm remains unnoticed, al- though present all the time. As soon as withered splotches in a grass plot or denuded hummocks of a grain patch draw attention to its activeness, the multitudes of the destroyer are beyond the farmer's ,.power to cops with, and ruined crops are inevitable, The stories of the African ants that travel in droves across regions of the Dark Continent, sometimes covering the ground to a depth of several inches as they pile up- on each other in the eagerness of their progress, devouring everything organics in their path, even to the point of leaving of an elephant, only his bones as carefully cleaned as a naturalist would have them,find almost their coun- terparts in the reports of the ravages of the army worms. The worms pile one upon another to cross streams or slippery logs, they climb up and down tree trunks, instead of going around them, and in their voracious marches they • DENUDE WHOLE FARMS of vegetable life. Though present at all times, for the most part of the time they do no appreciable harm, and their. visitations when they lay waste the 'farms are at irregular and unpredict- ed intervals. The only approach to foretelling them lies in the observation that the plague swarms usually come in seasons— springs and summers—following dry years. It is only about forty years since naturalists began to study the worms, although their destructive marches were known a hundred years earlier. For a quarter of a century the studies resulted in only meagre infor- mation as to their life history—tbemost of it being obtained in the groat worm year of 1501—and it was only after ob- servations of the visitation of 1581 that knowledge sufficient to settle all dis- putes was {attained. It was with great glee that entomologists,aftermuch toil, traced the gray or brown, yellowish - streaked caterpillars from the eggs of a night -flying moth. It was not until 1870 that the eggs and the mode of oviposition were known. The elusive fe- male moth from which comes the army worin—or Leucania unipuncta, order Le- pidoptera, family Noetuidoe, as it is known scientifically—offered, when it was found, a fascinating study in its functions and habits. It bas been de- scribed as an owlet -moth, not less be- cause of its nocturnal prowlings than because of the wisdom with which it selects the places for depositing its eggs. It bas all the gripping power when it comes to a piece of grass that suits it, and it has all the pertinacity with which summer visitors to Jersey are familiar, in the Hackensack mosquito, and it is small wonder that some of the most notable performances of the moth's off- spring have taken place in that com- monweal th. The moth conceals itself in the day- time, and begins to fly as dusk settles clown. 1t flits or walks about among the grasses of young shoots, or the stubble of a field, and finals a epee where the growth is thick, and it is shady in which to lay its eggs, so se- curing for the larvae shelter and a ].randy food supply. It is of it cinnamon color, but seven -eighths of an inch long in body,, with a one and three-quarters of an inch spread of wing. On each front wing is a double spot of white. The moth is economical sometimes in the matter of glue. Whenever the eggs are deposited on a leaf or grass blade they are concealed by PASTING TIIE SIDES together around them, but if they are "thrust beneath the sheath and stalk (of grain) or otherwise naturally con- cealed, the gummy fluid is often very sparsely used, and sometimes not at all." The amens batch he a week or ten days, Like their progenitor, they like the night better than the clay, and do their work usually after dusk or before dawn. The favorite " nest " for the eggs is in wild or tame grass or grain, along the inner base of terminal blades, where they aro yet doubledt or between the stalk and its surieunding sheath." They are also, however, placed in crev- ices on the sidle of a sward cut or brok- en or between roots. They are found in the fold at the base and junction of terminal stalks, and in the natural earl of a green leaf or the unnatural curl of Auut ST 14, 1890 extra coatings of ferlilleer bavo been, � ens the SO {110 lr stew ' inh season i7r V Berl). n C Gar old stank?, hayricks, or fodder stacks of corn stallds 0501 to be the anotlt's preference, Ocls bits of corn stalks in pastures gene last year's grass blades have also contained eggs, 1Vbcn espe- oially numerous tite moths lay the eggs uneoneealed on plants or clover, Oats, wheat, and timothy earn and clover are eaten by the worms, The fruit stalks is stripped of its leaves, and the head is out off and falls to the ground ,where it is eaten more or less, The worms at first eat what 15 near at band, and a number of them in dif- ferent parts of the field new eat away for sons time without being noticed. As will have been Been from ihe state- ment that the moths leave their eg s whenever possible in the richest tufts of grass, the worms hatch out in groups or families in various parts of the fielcta. It is when these, having eaten what- ever is at Band,. unite with each other and move on for new forage that the fanner sees what has been going on in his 'fields. The worm rimy is MAD'Lt1 OF BANDS, as the Rev. Dr. Samuel Lockwood of Freehold, N.J., bas pointed out, each band having been bred in its own spot, and disseminating thence. The various bands, spreading out, come together and go on after food, The bands are lost in thereat army formed, which then ]parches on as one great aggregation, devastating wherever it travels, It is usually first noticed then, which gives rise to the saying that worms havemade their appearance all of a sudden, The travelling in largo armies is said to be abnormal, and to be clone only when the food supply oe any spot is exhausted. When the, travelling is once begun, however, ?when the army is formed, it is too late for the fanner on whose land it is to save his crops. And it is only by great and active labor that his neigh- bors can save theirs. From a story told of one migration of the worms in Illinois, it would seem to be possible to tell in advance, after an ariny was once located, when it was likely to move on. The army referred to was under observation in a wheat field. when there began a great shaking of beads of the worms as though they were uneasy. It w as noted that the heads were moved horizontally. Then the worms took up their march, going first to a field of blue grass. From the grass field they crossed a travelled road to a corn field that was partly ploughed over. They ate every bit of the corn for the first gtenround. or fifteen rows on the ploughed ground, but little on the unploughed The Rev. Dr. Lockwood, telling of a visitation of the worms in elonmouth county, N,J., says: "The army had,iust made complete havoc of a clover field. They were bred from eggs laid in a low- lying, last year's rye field, adjoining. After but partially eating the grass in this old field it was abandoned for the more succulent and. tender clover and grass in the next field, . . . The field w as completely denuded; not a spear of grass or leaf of clover escaped the invad- ers. Nothing but naked clover stalks with empty heads remained. . A tow but distinct and unpleasant CRINKLING SOUND accompanied the feeding. As if actuated by one impulse, the w hole army made straight for a wheat field across the highway. The plough- ing of a trench on the Lar side of the road intercepted the march. Two men with spades cut a clean, perpendicular fare on the side of the furrow next the wbeat and a series of little pitfalls in the trench at intervals of about fifty feet. This completed the trap. The caterpillars, wearied with useless efforts to climb the straight side of the trench, would crawl along until they fell into the little pits. Myriads of ants beset them, sucking out their juices, which with the heat of the sun soon destroyed them. They cannot endure sunk ht,but are distinctly night feeders. 16 unin- terrupted their march to the new feed- ing grounds would have been completed ere the sun was well up." • One swarm of worms, passing from a wheat field to an oat field, crossed a sward of timothy and red clover and tock off everything clean, even straw- berry plants and the green berries, and the "tamers' pest," the ragweed, Dr. Lockwood says. He speaks also of a field left, after harvest, naked except for stubble after the ants had been over It. The army that ate up that ragweed, as told of above, got into a forty -aorta what field r e o d before its march was ended and devastate it in seven days, Speak- ing of the swarm at this work, Dr,Lock- woad says: , The squirming mass and the crink- ling sound of this feeding were especi- ally repulsive. But few dared to enter the field. In truth strong Wren turned pals from nausea, so loathsome mus Lhe si.glst. It really seemed that nalurewas smitten with a plague of crawling ver- min." This army divided after the wheat field was despoiled, one of the divisions going into a timothy field and the oth- er marching across to a cornfield. When these fields bad been ruined the worms ' disappeared " the neighbors said. What they did was to go clown into the ground. to assume the pupa state. The moth as well as the larva hibernates, and it is thought that also the moth may hibernate in a chrysalis form. The larval life lasts from fifteen days to five weeks. Dr. 'Lockwood thinks that TlsLId SMELL THE FOOD which they seek when their army for- aging bsins. !'hereegis no turn back to this sin- gular worm," she says again, and he instances an army which finding a stream in its way crowded forward. un- til "a comparted muss was urged on- to the water to serve as a living pen - teen, over which the army passed and took possession of the new foraging ground, " Among the, worms' enemies are sever - at parasibio ones. A thin tilhLge, uniform but not close, makes conditions harder for the worms. Farmers are warned by Dr, Lockwood to look early in May for the caterpil- lars' point of origination—the thick spots oh grass or grain and in damn planes in meadows and grain fields..Lspecial- ly if the winter is milt. and the spring warm after a wet year a watch should be keptfor the moths andworms. If a, breeding spot is found the grass or grain may be cut out and feel to t:be stock. If the worms have hatched the crinkling sound of the feeding will di- rect the searcher in the stillness of evening or early morning, Burning over fieldis in the fall, in- stead of allowing stubble and stacks to remain on thein, is also advised, as is burning over a field as late in the' spring as possible. It is said that a field is free from worms according as it is free from stubble and old straw. .el person may walk daily in his lots and not see that the worms aro there until the grass plot gets bare in patches. Entomologist Thomas of Illinois failed to see them in ids own back yard, al- though he was looking for them until the are patches told him that they west there and ab work. a wi hared one, The moths seek the Brahma onto asitea of rankest tufts of grass or grain such es is stronger 1 ban thou?" grow where the droppings of cattle or Address."—IIugo. Force, "Who Silo replied,