HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1918-10-3, Page 7'11
1SAnd,
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13y Agronomist.
This Department le for the use of our farm readers who want the advice
!of an expert on any question regarding soli, seed, crops, etc. If your question
le or sufficient general Interest, It wilt be answered through this column. If
stamped and addressed envelope Is enclosed with your letter, a complete
answer will be maned to you. Address Agronomist, care of Wilson Publishing
Co,, Ltd., 73 Adelaide St. W., Toronto,
Ilar veit in g tad Storing Certain
Vegetables.
While vegetables have bean har-
vested continuously in many gardens
in Canada sine radishes and spinach
were ready for use in early spring, the
time has come when the bulk of the
crop must be gathered to eseape hard
frosts.
As berme discolor and mould very
readily, it is important to dry them
aa soon ae possible, and to keep them
dry. They should be spread out thin-
ly under cover, and turned every two
oi three days VI cjuite clry. If
it is necessary to harvest the plants
before they are thoroughly ripe they
can be hung up outside until dry.
There will be many tomatoes which
will not ripen before the plants are
killed by the frost. If the fully -
grown green specimens are picked
before being frozen, and each speci-
men "'rapped in paper and stored in
closed boxes, they will be found, from
tests made at the Experimental Farm,
to ripen better than by exposing them
to the . Even if put closed
boxes without wrapping each speci-
men, they ripen well.
Frequently cauliflowers are just be-
ginning to head when it becomes nec-
essary to harvest them owing to sev-
ere frosts. If the plants are pulled
and replanted in boxes in the cellar,'
and kept watered, they will go on.
developieg, and one can have nun.'
flower for some weeks. Brussels
sprouts ran also he replanted in this'
way. Both of [Nee vegetables may,
howevele be left in the ground for
some time yet.
If cabbage begin to split and it is
not yet time to harvest them, the
splitting will lie prevented to some ex-
tent by twisting the plants so as to
loosen them. This checks the flow,
of up to the head. If the cellar,
is warm and dry, and the cabbage
have to be harvested owing to the
frast, they will keep wen for a time
outside if covered with. leaves.
Where the accommodation is poor,i
celery rmy be kept outside in the
soil well into the winter by opeeing
treneh, preferably a narrec one
fifteen or sixteen inches wide, and,
deep enough so that the tops of the!
celery will come about level with the'
surf.ne of the ground. Tho celery'
Mania are put close' together in la!
and before there are severe frosts, a!
thin layer of straw or leaves is put'
over the top. When the cold weath-
er comes a heavier covering of leaves,
may he put over, if it is desirable to;
leave the celery longer, and then
Nally to fifteen inches of soil over
that, By putting sufficient leaves or
straw over the' soil again, frost may
be kept out, and the celery dug out
as required,
In harvesting potatoes, any which
show signs of decay should be kept
separate from the rest, and used first,
thus helping to avoid the development.
!of rot when stored, Potatoes should
be dry when they are stored.
Keep onions dry, spread thinly.
Squashes, pumpkins and citrons
should be kept 10 a moderately warrn,
not a cool, place.
After -Harvest Cultivation.
Adequate cultivation is just as es-
: sential for the production of maximum
'crops as is the application of manures.
In fact, many farmers assert that
plenty of intelligent tillage le almost
equal to a coat of manure. Such
statements do not detract from the
! value ot manures or other fertilizers,i
but they serve, in some measure, to:
. bring into relief, the need for main-,
taining the soil in the best possible
tittle The proper time to commence'
tillage is immediately after the crop,
has been removed, If the soil is in-'
fested with weeds, shallow cultivation,
either with a gang -plough or a disc-,
harrow immediately after harveet, will
cause the germination of the weed
seeds. Subsequent cultivation will
kill these young plants and, if the'
ploughing has been done early enough,'
it may be possible to effect the ger-
mination of a second growth of weed,
seeds before the final "ridging -up",
ploughing is done late in the fall.
This is one 02 the most effective means'
of combatting such weeds as wild.
oats and mustard.
Where the land is comparatively.
free from weeds some advocates
of after -harvest cultivation favor
deeper ploughing, for the purpose of
retaining more moisture from. the
autumn rains. This is a matter of
experience and the individual farmer
should experiment and decide for him-
self which method is most suitable to:
the needs of his soil.
The final ploughing in the autumn,
should leave the land ridged, so that
frost action wilt pulverize it thor-
oughly. In this way a fine surface
mulch is formed ,during the w.nter,
which dries out quickly in the spring;
at the same time it forms an excellent
seed bed and protection for sub -sur-
face moisture.
Scarcity of labor may make this,
process difficult, if not impossible, on,
many farms. Bdr, where such handi-
caps do not exist, every effort should!
be made to practice after -harvest cul-
tivation, It is a factor of prime im-;
portance in increasing production next
Year. By Andrew P. Currier, Mb
ANTE) ''2aTZ.
FEATHfirifi
Highest Priolos Paid
Prompt Beturna--No Clommiselon
P. POULIN & CO.
89 Borgroours Market 140-4treal
-155,epairityn
What the Cow Would Say.
We need a period of rest after we
have worked for you all the year, SO
that we may properly.. nourish our
calves and build up our energies for
another season's work.
Our food should be well balanced,
but we hope that the time may conte
when you dairymen will not value a
pound of protein from one source with
a pound from another. Some of the
protein feeds you give us are simply
awful for us to eat and digest.
We sometimes feel as though we
were all out of whack. We can only
lay this feeling to the way in which
our owners, have interfered with na-
tures laws.
' You have bred us so that it is our
very nature to put our fat into the
pail, and when we get short rations
we Put the flesh of our own bodies
into yoUr milk. The drain on our
systems is awful.
It seems as though you thought of
nothing except buying more protein,
making more milk, and forcing us to
our very limit. Do you wonder we
get tuberculosis, garget, and that we
play out under such care and treat-
ment?
When you confine us to such nar-
row rations as many of you dairy
farmers do, we cannot use our instinc-
tive preferences in the choice of our
foods and when you choose our food
for us, you should do it wisely,
We need some succulent food to
keep our bowels in condition and as-
sist us in the digestion and assimila-
tion of the heavy grain foods we aro
compelled to eat.
If you would feed us a little more
of the good things that you grow here!
on the farm, and not so much of those:
boughten feeds, we should make bet-
ter milk, and we should have better!
calves to take our places when we are
sent to the shambles.
Machine Corn -Cutting.
One man with a corn knife by
working hard can cut and shook an
average of one and one-half acres a
day. Twa men vibh a ialatformhor-
vester can harvest four or five acres
in the same tirne; and three men with
a corn -binder in a ten-hour day can
cut and shock from seven to nine
acres. This year when farm help is
so scarce there is urgent need for
the use of labor-saving machinery
wherever possible. Cutting corn by
hand is a hard, disagreeable task,
and the time when it should be done
FUNNY FOLD.UPS FIELD SELECTIO N OF SEED EARS
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CUT OUT AND f01.1) ON DOTTED LIIIETFIE UDGE'S5
NOW BOTIERED BREADTA5TES VERY GOOD
,lLIHEN HUNGRY AS IAM,
BUT IF MY NOSE DECEIVES ME MOT
MY MOTHER'S MAKING JAM .
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is limited to a few days if the full
feeding value of the corn is to be
retained
Fall plowing, seeding for winter
wheat and digging potatoes must be
done on many farms at about the
same time. In such eases, the
tintsli-
ness and ease of accomplishing the
work are determining factors in de-
ciding the advisability of using cern-
cutting machinery, The corn -bind-
er does the best work when all the
corn is standing upright. Usually,
most satisfactory results are obtained
with a three -horse team, and some-
times four horses are necessary when
the corn is heavy or the ground hilly.
In ordinary yields, 011C man operating
the binder will keep two men busy
gathering the bundles and shocking
them.
These three nien eutting and
shocking by hand would scarcely
.cover more than four acres in a day
and it would be necessary to work.
much ar er thsn when the coin- in -
er is used, thus the machine requiring.
less laborious work takes from ene-
half to
two-thirdsI
given acreage.
The boarder, the leaner, the slacker,
And other guest cows of that ilk,
Should be hurried away to the but-
cher—
They take all the profit from milk.
Have you woo a ribbon at the
county fair?
GOOD HEALTH QUESTION BOX
The ' best time to select breeding
ewes for next year's crop of lambs is
just about the time they aro taken
from their lambs this year. The
ewe, like the dairy cow, should be
judged largely ppon her performance.
The ewes that bring large, thrifty
lambs and provide them with plenty
of nourishment are the kind that pay
for their keep and return a profit.
For the man who already has his
land picked out, and is the possessor
eof suitable buildings for the purpose
of wintering, early fall is the time for
starting in sheep raising, and if the
beginner has ertffieient confidence in
his own ability as a judge of sheep,
ie has no better opportunity to select
his foundation stock than is provided
at the Fall Fairs, Many of the
ehownten at the big exhibitions will
be found to have, in addition to their
first prize -winners, plenty of desirable
animals in their show string, especial-
ly in the case of young rants. Ewes
also can he procured more readily at
this season than at any other, and the
purchaser will have the opportunity
of providing his newly acquired flock
with feed at small cost for some weeks
to come on grassland that is intended
for fall plowing, end on the stubble
fields.
It is perhaps wiser for the now be-
ginner with sheep to start with good
grade ewes, than to endeavor to get
into the pure-bred line immediately.
Experience with the less valuable am-
ine's will fit him to produce fancy
flock headers and exhibition stock
later, and in the meanwhile his profits
from disposal of wool and mutton will
be satisfactory provided he proves a
a good shepherd. The dieposing of
any considerable number of Cop notch
pure-breds, on the other hand, is
somewhat of a business, in which a
man requires, first a reputation for
leis stock and second a wide connection
in the breeding fraternity, The use
of only My beet in the way of rams
is noceeenry however, in any case, and
it goes without saying that the ram
mum be e pere-bred,
When teeths are weanej keep them
on the old pastures frig a few days and
remove 010 ewer to pasturee as fin!.
away as poesible. When accustomed
to beleg by therneelvee, the lambe
should lie pat oe good fresh feed.
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Red, White and Blue Pullets. !
Red for the six-monbh-old layers,
white for those first laying at seven
months, and blue for those laying at.
eight months are the leg -band colors,
used by some poultrymen 10 keep,
informed of the egg production by
the new crop of pullts. Those facts,!
as well as others which are valuable
in culling 2 or b e second year and in
making up breeding pens, are obtain-
ed by noting when the banded pullets
matt and begin to lay. Usually, but
not invariably the red -banded birds
molt last. 13lue-banded pullets are
tedways sent to market as yearlings;
red -banded ones seldom are, The
age at which a :pullet starts laying
and the date when site begins to molt
determine whether it will be fircMt-!
able.to keep her another year. Birds
we nu bands are to be cu et.
The first bands in the cese of heavy
breeders are often put on at six and
one-half or seven months. The above
ages are for Leghorns.
The test is sometimes the trapnest,.
a band of one color being placed on
pullets when coming into laying.
Sometimes physical examination is
used instead of trapnesting. In the
a ter ease ibere are s'sllabla s gns
to follow. The color of the vent and
the condition of the "laying" bones
&meg° quickly when a pallet begins
to lay. Tho yellow color leaves the!
vent. The laying bones became pit.;
able and the flesh between them and
the end of the breast -bone grows
loose and flabby. With experience'
the poultry keeper acquires sell! In
,reading these signs. A little later;
the combs of laying pullets will be,
rod, plump and smoobb and itt the
rase of Loghorns, the oar -lobes will,
be white. When pullets ere examin-
ed, birds found malformed or very,
much undersized are culled, as web.
as those whose conformation Indic-
stes they will make poor layers.
In the long run it is shoet-sighted
economy to kill productive COWS. It
I is not Only patriotic to keep every
good mulch cow, but it is the only wee,
to maintain iiii industry Nvhich is es.
eentiel during the war 'and after, For
afterethe war European countries will
kneel< at our door for animals for
foundation herds. Be ready to open
, the door.
Dr. Currier will answer all signed letters prefacing to Math. 11 your
emotion is of general interest it will bo answered through these columns:
11 not, it will be answered 'seasonally if stamped, addressed envelope is ea.
closed. Dr. Currier will not prescribe for individual cases or make diagnosis
Address Dr. Andrew F. Currier, care of Wilson Publishing Co., 73 Adelaide
t. West, Toronto.
Suggestions Relating to Skin Diseases penetrates beyond the surface must
The prevalence of skin diseases necessarily leave a scar, hence there
among Canadian people is astounding.is clanger of disfigurement from to
tions advertised to remove freckles,
Bogle are simple, local, and easily
remedied, many are the outward mani.! moles, and liver spots, if they are
festations of internal disease and, Powerful enough to do this.
others are stubborn local diseases' The removal of parasites and ver -
lasting months and years, min from the skin requires not only
In all skin diseases It is safe to judgment in selecting medicines but
assume as a fundamental principle skill in using it.
that the bowels must always be kept There are good sulphur soaps and
freely open for the skin is comple- ointments for the itch parasite and
mentary to the intestines in elim- if they fail a sulphur bath will fin-
inating poisons from the body. ish the job.
Hence cathartic mineral waters, Mercurial ointments are neces-
salts of various kinds and laxative sary for the parasites which get at
oils are important in treating skin the roots of hair but they must be
diseases. used cautiously for mercurial poise
Skin diseases are especially pre- oning from such a source is not Ian -
valent during youth and they often usual, especially among children.
attack the face and neck, the moat Caustic and corrosive ointments
conapicuous parts of the body and, and salves are often advertised to
about the beauty or ugliness of treat cancer of the skin.
which young people are always most They are painful and destructive
sensitive and should be need only by those
You cannot blame young persons who are familiar , ith their action
for mortification or shame when and with the diseases for which they
the mirror reveals --blobches and are &appropriate.
blackheads and sores and swellings Disease of the skin is often in.
which disfigure their countenance duced by substances used upon it.
and wound their pride, and I al- This is especially true of cosme.
ways try to lend a sympathetic ear tics which clog the tubes of ems
to their tales of woe when they are sweat and sebaceous glands of the
based upon such diefigurement and skin with materials which will not
armoyaneo. dissolve, which interfere with the
The griefs and discomforts of circulation of the blood and the ole -
others sount itIways be measurcolifh f sweatd1mat-
possible
from their standpoint. ter and will make the skin dry and
The patent medicine venders find hard even if they. do not produce
easy victims in those who suffer eruptive disease,
from acne, for they grasp at evety Theatrical people and others whose
straw which gives any prospect ef taste or preference induces the use of
relief, rouges and cosmetics often find the
But 12 thereIs a patsnt m di ine results of such maltreatment of the
Nvhieh will cure acne, I have mem skin sufficiently disastroug.
seen it. Ointments are usually preferable
There are some which may help to liquids or lotions for application
it, eepeoially when jotted with ca. to the skin as they are more readily
thartics, massage, and other means applied and more readily retained,
for improving the circulation in the and their bases are lard, vaseltne,
sk
in,
w
lanolin, cols butter, etc.
'Po
ssibly the now.fashioned method The lard in ointments often be -
of treating acme with injections of comes rancid and irritating to the
serum may salve 60 difficulty. skin.
Frorking are another source of Ointments for itching eruptions
Annoyance to young people, these contain ter, eine, ttulpliur, ete., and
being deposits of pigment below the enie geed advantage of theta and
sairfeee of the ein and destroyed other external npplioations is that
only by acids, asel strong mineral they are upon the surfeee where)
enlistancese, their action can be watched from day
Any of these elibetamee which to day.
Methods of Gathering, Curing and Storing Seed Corn Calculated
to Develop Strains of High -Yielding Corn in Ontario.
Right now is the time to make plans
for gathering and storing sufficient
good earfar web spring's supply of
ived. To, wiry Mode success with
neat year's corn crop lies in the easy
tend cesnmon is,'nee with which the
seed corn slated to produce this crop bi
gathered and cured this fall. To be
sure, the importance of testing seed
corn in the spring cannot be overes-
titivated, but at best spring, Meting
simply serves as a check c safeguard
In determining the etricieney of the
previous handling and curing which
the corn has had.
The fleet step toward stewing bet-
ter seed ears for planting is that of
selecting varieties that will mature
during the normal growing season. To
intensify early metering tendencies
and enable one to examine the char-
acter of the growing stock as well as
the ettr that is attached to it, it is
preferable to select seed ears from
the field about the middle of Septem-
ber. This gives seed corn that will
make good silage and mature sound
grain during a normal growing sea-
son. Only careful seed seleetion will
enable Ontario farmers to gradually
intensify the early maturing ierl-
encies of their corn until it is possible
to mature ii maximum quantity of
Gent corn.
In selecting seed from the held one
ehould not pee. ist in sieleeting ears
ennply because they /AM big, The pro-
sitelae limit to the size GC the earl le
as lerge as will mature o:, one's farm.
In selecting elm that lave reaehal it
fete, maturity eefore it ig time to har-
test she main crop they may has., a
a deep grain, bet never as large a cob
as the seerrinigly large ears that tea.
lure later, or as those that aee not
mature after heavy frosts. The big-
ness, or circumference of the col),
should correspond with the length of
the growing season. This point is im-
portant because it enables the grower
to keep the size of the ear adapted
to his soil and climate. After one has
selected his variety and finds that it
suits his soil, latitude and require-
ments, then he should aim to grow as
big ears and no larger than will make
a maximum erop of sound corn.
Only the inexperienced or the unob-
serving grower persists in selecting -
ears simply because they are big. Yet
the charm of bigness is over many
breeders ot corn as well as farm ani.,
mats. The fact that this idea of big-
ness of ear associates with the idea of
bigness of crop is so universal that
corn growers must devote special at-
tention to studying the problem be-
fore they can succeed in developing
strains of high -yielding corn adapted
to their soil and climatic conditions.
With the big paying crop ever before
our minds, we may easily sacrifice
bigness of ears for soundness, quality
and maturity.
The successful corn grower who
takes particular pride in developing
a uniform strain of seed corn adapted
to his farm finds it pays to strap a
bag or basket over his shoulder and
go through the field before the corn:
is cut and walk up and down the rows
selecting the best seed ears from the'
standing stalks. In ease he has no
special seed plats. he may find it pos-
sible to make fairly good selections!
from the best portions of the field;
crops. At any rate he must have iti!
mind the type and qualities of a good
ear and stalk. He must appreciate
the value of otout, vigorous, leafy
stalks, that produce ears at a conveni-
ent height for harvesting and husking
and with shanks just long enough to
allow the ear to droop nicely. As a
rule stalks of this type will bear good
ears.
It is always better to have a sur-
plus of seed stored away in the fall
and to make final selections of seed
ears before planting in the spring. It
is also important that fairly mature
ears be selected, as the immature
ones are apt to eause mold, and at
i best are very difficult to cure. Such
immature seed, even though it may
possess high germinating qualities,
has a tendency to produce weak -grow -
Ing plants, unless weather and soil
conditions are especially favorable.
This serves to, emphasize the import-
ance of growing a variety of corn that
will mature well and which, by eare-
ful seed selection, may prove adapt-
able to climatic conditions.
No amount of attention to scientific
field selection will solve the problem
of seed corn selection unless adequate
plans are made to get the seed ears
into storage promptly.
The methed which will bring about
,the quickest drying of the ears is the
most efficient. In general, any prise-
! deal method of storage that will keep
the ears separate so as to prevent ac-
tual contact of one ear with another
and allow free circulation of the air
round each ear will give the best re-
sults. One of the best and cheapest
methods; is that of having woven wire
cut up into,etrands. Ttle ears are
easily attached to these strands and
dry rapidly. Another good scheme is
that of driving finishing nails into a
cedar post far enough apart to hold
each ear separately. Several manu-
facturers have put on the market de-
vices for keeping the ears separate.
No place on the average farm is
better adapted to curing seed corn for
moderate plantings than the ordinary,
well -ventilated garret with windows
that may he opened to permit breezes
to blow through freely. In such a
place the ears will not be injured by
frosts during the fall and at the same
time be protected from the rain and
storm. The room above the kitehen,
where the stovepipe passes through,
will furnish ideal conditions for cur-
ing the seed ears.
Nothing will give one a Letter idea
of the value of providing ample cur-
ing facilities for corn than the tests
for germination in the spring. Let
the farmer who believes that proper
miring of his seed ears during the
fall does not pay, test out ear:, pro-
perly cured and those stored in the
tool house or barn and the results will
prove to his satisfaction that proper
curing pays. But such ru test does not
fully determine the value of proper
curing. Many kernels of corn that
germinate readily do not produce a
vigorous plant, It is only well cured
seeds that produce strong vigorous
plants, Life processes go on in the
seed kernels at a very slow rate. Ex-
pose the seed ears to damp, freezing
and thawing weather and the germi-
nating powers are either destroyed or
weakened to such an extent that it is
difficult to secure a full stand. Pro-
per curing and storing of the seed
ears locks up the energy and vitality
in the kernels and keeps it there until
it is set free by the soil to produce a
healthy, vigorous -growing plant.
Spreading Farm Manures.
It takes as long to load a manure
spreader as it does a wagon box, but
the spreader will unload and spread
the manure in a third of the time.
Hauling manure in a wagon box and
spreading it on the field with a hand -
fork is hard and disagreeable work.
It can be done much easier with a
spreader and the material 18 more
evenly distributed. The spreader
is a useful implement to have at any
time when manure is to be spread, but
particularly so now when labor is
scarce and the need for increased
crops demands that not a pound of
fertility be wasted. Save time and
avoid waste—buy a spreader. If the
' amount of hauling is not sufficient to
justify the itivestment, it may he
worth while to rent or borrow your
neighbor's.
Leaves as Fertilizer.
Dead leaves, contrary to common
belief, have practically no fertilizing
value. Most of the eleineuts of plants
food pass into the body of the tree on
the approach of winter. A ton of
the best quality of autume loaves
contains six pounds of, potash, less
than three pounds of phosphoric acid,
and .10 or 1.5 pounds of nitrogen.
Leaves are of practical value when
in the proper state of decomposition.
Leaf mold is used in all well-esmipped
florist establishments for mixing with
sand and Orden loam to make a good
potting soil. Soil made in this man-
ner is especially valuable for ferns,
palms, and other woodland and tropi-
cal pIante.
Composting leaves, manure, and
rubbish is not uncommon. A low
place is aelected for the compost,
which is allowed to stand for two
yeses,. It will be found advantageous
to wet the pile during the dry season.
The leaves keep the soil mao and pee.
'vent its packing together .1 1111.11
011185.
Table 111100
threads from the
Be a Friend of the Farm.
The farm is yoor friend; be a friend
. of the farm. Some folks live on the
farm but have no love for it. They
take all they can out of it, and then
kick it for what it has done for them.
It pays to keep friends with the farm.
Because the farm that is petted and
made much of will give back more.
Even bare ground feels the touch of
the man with the true farmer -spirit
in his heart. It leaps to do its hest
for him; it gives the very best for
him; it gives the very hest there is in
it, Sing and the farm responds;
laugh and the farm smiles back at
you and pours your lap full of good
things,
Use,Honey, Save Sugar.
About sixty pounds of sugar seal
consumed each year in Canada by!
every man, woman and child. With'
the increased price of sugar beekeep-
ers should remember that 110118Y cant
take the place of sugar both for sweet-
ening and preserving.
Too many people have used honoy:
only as a spread for bread and griddle.'
cakes, forgetting that, it can be used.
in tea and coffee, In making cakes and
preserving.
Wo beer much about the clean plat-'
ter, and saving the waste eo that our:
Allies on the other side of the sea can!
be fed; yet in the matter of securing
honey there is a fearful amount go-
ing to waste every year simply be-
cautte there are no bees in certain lo-
calitie to gather the nectar so freely
given by the flowers.
-+ --
Comm un I ty *tanning clubs bee,*
been formed in Victoria, 13,0„, and
l3rntferd,
For eabbage-vvorms: Mix one part
of air -slaked lime, and dust it on
the plants at register ittervals.
Sleep is the war ration for beef,
matton and wool, A elle full
ter e',..11 Cann is the allowance. It is
h.,th iced end succulence. It takes
;14 );;ATV of grain and pasture, "03," them.
LITTLE GIRL
One October dusk when Judge
Moulton entered his nepnew's lihrto7
lie found the feminine members of the
family in deep discussion.
"Lucy again?" he asked.
"Yee, Lucy; but it's the worst yet,"
said Mrs. Grant. "0 Uncle Prescott,
if you could do something! The Car.
ringtons are planning a three-day
inotor trip into the mountains—six
young people and Mr. and Mre, Car-
rington. Bob Carrington invited
Lucy, antt she asked hint why he didn't
invite Celia Fenton instead, because
she was so much more entertaining.
So he took her at her word. And now
Lucy is crying her eyes out, for she
really wanted to go, and she can't see
that it's all her own fault. Really,
withIdli,,
don'tknowwhPm
at going to do
"People will be milling her 'queer'
pretty soon, if they aren't already,"
said Christine. "Ari when a girl gets
that title, her case is hopeless."
"You can manage her better than
anyone else. If you could make her
see how foolish her shyness is--" said
Mrs. Grant, leaving the sentence un-
finiehed, an open door to her 'hope.
"Pll go up," Judge Moulton ans-
wered.
He climbed the stairs slowly --not
because he was growing older but be-
, cause he was thinking how hard life
often is for young persons before they
have lived long enough to gain a
sense of proportion. Lucy always had
been his special comrade.
At the door he tapped three times—
their old signal. He had to wait be-
fore Lucy opened it, and when she did
she kept her face turned from the
light. But the judge's voice was
quite casual.
"Hello, little girl! Suppose anyone's
using the nureery?"
Lucy led the way without a word.
The nursery, long disused but dear
because of old memories, was always
a comforting place of retreat. As
she pushed the door open, she turned
with a sudden cry.
"Why can't people stay little? It
was so much easier then. I hate
things now. I hate being different
and He 1 e df tr e owu t h—e
down beside him on
the arm of the big chair.
"Lucy," he asked, "what would you
think of a storekeeper who when
customer came in declared that he had
nothing worth buying? Or a teach-
er who began every lesson by saying
she didn't know enough to teach? Or
a doctor who declared that he wasn't
competent to practice? Do you think
11 would be very long before the
world took them at their own valua-
tion?"
"Why, I suppose not," Lucy ans-
wered slowly.
"Well, then, your business just now
is to be a aweet, happy, friendly
girl. People—your old uncle includ-
ed --have an idea that you are. But
if you keen insisting that you aren't
—.don't you see that you aren't play-
ing fair, that you are shirking the
business God set yoe to do. by run-
ning yourself down ?"
"Shirking!" Lucy cried.
In the dusk her uncle smiled. What-
ever else she was, Lucy was no ehirk.
The Sentry.
It's cold out here in the ram and sleet,
And I'd sraetehte.r be home right under
ah
My boots are wet and are leaking
through;
My socks are wet and my feet are,
too.
A sweat comes over my face at times,
Then coldiesit turns: as I write these
in
My back it aches from standing
straight,
I feel as it carried a cargo of freight.
The gloves I weer are cold and stiff;
Pd rather be home besidek if Gte mao , the "wif."
Then
o'er,
n
The men who came out to end thia
war,
And I'm glad that I'm honored to
guard ese mett,
The cremh of the manhood of lands,
ye ken;
So I buckle up and pace the ground,
With not much fuss, and little sound,
That the men will rest and sleep
While a careful guard I keep.
F. J. C., 1918.
te
Alir-Cure for
On a Cingalese fishing -boat, in tho
blazing sunshine, two or three peer1-
divers, in various stages of paralysis,
will Ile about the deck. A gong
sounds! the paralyzed divers flap and
flounder in ghastly fashion, like great
fish, to the side; then they topple
over. To drown? No; for, like the
great fish, again, once in the water
they are quite themselves. Tho sea -
depths gave them their parelysia.
The sea- ep t y.
Divers' paralysis is due to the too.
sudden changes of atmospheric pres-
sure which diverse undergo. "Like
oures like," say the homoeopathists,
and if a diver has contraated peraly..
sit by rising too suddenly from a
depth of seventy feet, he can cure
himself by going down to seventy
feet again.
And now to -day our airmen, dese
eending in nose-dives and vrilles from
heights of 20,000 feet or 26,000 feet,
ere attacked in their turn by a slitaeage
similar to that of the pearl -diver. The
cure is similar. •„
Ships "wear" flags; they eio not