ODDS AND ENDS. 



MARY STUART'S CURIOUS WATCHES. 

 Among the watches owned by Mary 

 Stuart, was a coffin-shaped watch in a case 

 of crystal. Probably the most remarkable 

 one in her collection was the one which 

 was bequeathed to Mary Seaton, her maid 

 of honor. It was in the form of a skull. 

 On the forehead of the skull was the 

 symbol of death, the scythe and the hour- 

 glass. At the back of the skull was Time, 

 and at the top of the head was the Garden 

 of Eden and the Crucifixion. The watch 

 was opened by reversing the skull. In- 

 side was a representation of the Holy 

 Family surrounded by angels, while the 

 shepherds and their flocks were worship- 

 ing the new-born Christ. The works 

 formed the brains, while the dial plate 

 was the palate. She also possessed another 

 skull-shaped watch, but it is not known 

 what became of it. August Ladies Home, 

 Journal. 



DIGGING POTATOES. 

 A man can dig potatoes by hand. He 

 can also cut his hay with a scythe, harvest 

 his grain with a cradle, and thresh it with 

 a flail. He does not do any of these things 

 however. Why? Because hand labor is 

 too expensive and too exhaustive. Further 

 than this, he knows from experience that 

 the labor can be performed in a better way 

 by machinery. These things are no less 

 true of digging or harvesting potatoes. 

 There is little work on the farm that calls 

 for more arduous backaching labor than 

 digging potatoes. Many men have been 

 deterred from producing this valuable and 

 money making crop solely from the diffi- 



culty of harvesting it. If you have been 

 digging your potatoes by hand in the past, 

 quit it this fall and buy a machine for the 

 purpose. With a machine you can dig 

 your own potatoes and those of the entire 

 neighborhood, thus saving your neighbors 

 much labor and making a snug sum for 

 yourself. 



The Hoover digger made by Hoover f 

 Prout & Co. of Avery, Ohio, is a very 

 superior machine. Write them for cata- 

 logue. The price has again been reduced. 



HE WANTS TO KNOW. 



An AGE subscriber writes us that he in- 

 tends going- into irrigation and desires a 

 few hints from those of the more advanced 

 disciples of the art. He says he is satisfied, 

 that in order to insure good crops in Texas 

 where he is located, irrigation is a neces- 

 sity. He therefore intends trying it and 

 with this end in view would like to have a 

 few practical irrigators give him, through 

 the columns of this journal, "some minute 

 details as to the manner of conducting 

 water from a main reservoir to different 

 parts of the land to be watered, also the 

 probable cost per foot of the same." He 

 wishes to know the proper method for ir- 

 rigating onions, Irish potatoes, sweet pota- 

 toes and turnips. Our columns are open 

 for answers to these questions and we hope 

 that those versed in these matters will 

 hasten to reply. 



Corn and oats are splendid ; 



Grand crop of wheat ; 

 Summer crop of islands 



Can't be beat. 



Chicago Record . 



