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THE ILLINOIS FARMER. 



OCTOBEE 



birds were not made in vain, not merely to furnish 

 "sport" for the idle.^The Creator formed them for 

 an important use ; if you destroy them you frus- 

 trate his plan, and nature always suffers when the 

 laws and plans of God are destroyed. You have 

 / probably heard your elders speak of the great in- 

 j crease of the various tribes of voracious insects, 

 ' and that the fruits are not so fine and fair as of 

 old ; but knotty and worm-eaten. Yet we suppose 

 that you nor they either ever dreamed that the de- 

 struction of the birds hnd anything to do with the 

 case. You would realize it, could we tell you how 

 manv bugs and worms and fli s were frequently 

 found in the crop of a single bird. We cannot 

 te 1 you the number, but have been astonished at 

 the amount as certified by creditable witnesses. — 

 Farmers and gardeners are beginning to find out 

 the birds to be the most u.-?eful aliie.s. Nothing m 

 the insect tribe comes amiss to their dainty-look- 

 ing bills, from the aphidis upon the rosebush, to 

 hideous caterpillars. And if they sometimes treat 

 themselves to 'a ripe cherry or a tempting straw- 

 berry, who can blame them if after such a dinner, 

 they fancy a little fruit for a desert — and how do 

 you know but their quick eye perceived a worm in 

 the very cherry you gi udge them ? "The laborer 

 is worthy his hire"-. and man can well afford this 

 small compensation for their tireless industry. — 

 Jfforticulturiit. 



RuRAf. Refinements. — Our people have yet to 

 learn what value there is in a well kept flower 

 garden. Does it not supply to children their most 

 beautiful memories ? A child who has nothing 

 but a dirty house and neglected grounds to recol- 

 lect, a.s connected with his early home, lacks «n 

 important impulse to a well ordered life. Beauty 

 in morals can hardly be expected from deformity 

 in condition. And not only to childhood do flow- 

 ers minister happy influences, but also to the la- 

 bors and fatigues of manhood and old age. Is not 

 the farmer who returns from the labors of the 

 field to repose in a well kept house, in the midst 

 of gieen lawns and beautiful flowers, a happier and 

 better man for their presence ? Does not old age 

 find them an added element of its repose ? It were 

 v.Beless to ask, "What good e 'mes of flowers ? Can 

 we eat, drink or wear them '? How can I spare 

 the time to cultivate them, when the necessaries 

 of life demand so much of my attention ? Just as 

 if ministering to our love of the beautiful is less of 

 a necessity than eating, drinking and wearing. — 

 Virtue and happiness depend as much upon neat- 

 ness, order and beauty, as animal life upon eating, 

 drinking and sleeping. No class is so unpardona- 

 ble in neglecting to beautify their homes as the 

 farmers, who live where the means of doing it may 

 be had with so little care and cost. — Chronicle. 

 -—t~ 



Lice on Cattle. — Mr. Miner: — I see in your 

 paper a recommendation from your correspondent, 

 of soft soap for lousy cattle. It will cure if you 

 put on enough to take all the hair off. A much 

 better remedy is to give cattle sulphur, say a tea- 

 spoonful in salt three times a week, for two or 

 three weeks, a tablespoonful for large cattle, the 

 only efl'ectual remedy. If cows are lousy put a 

 spoonful in the calves' milk when you feed them, 

 three or fuur times a week ; if this fails, there ib no 

 cnre. Try it. — A. Richmond, in Bural Amenearw 



Pleasant Surprises. 



The sunshine that sometimes quietly takes a sea* 

 in your room in mid winter. 



A forest brook in August, so full that the sea- 

 son has no effect upon it — and so clear it seems 

 but another air to show you the pebbles and the 

 smooth bottom. 



A green field in March west of you, with the af- 

 ternoon sun upon it. 



An eye that reminds you of a precious stone. — 

 But better — an eye that itself is precious. 



A bird pelted by the storm, but singing after it. 



The sight of even an indifferent Iriend when you 

 are homesick among strangers. 



The pleasure of a dog when it meets an old 

 friend. The affection of a dog at any rate, remind- 

 ing you so much of human affection. 



The word of affection dropped accidentally by 

 the pen of your sweetheart. 



The sight of a child not your own, which you 

 love. 



An eagle. 



An angel (in human form) that yet does not 

 know itjs an angel. 



A man just out of trouble that did not hurt him. 



Forgetting your own meal when you are eating 

 a better at something else. 



To see a poor, miserable man made happy. 



To do a really meritorious act, when j our heart 

 is in it. 



To save a maiden from disgrace. 



To go to bed with a good conscience — (old, but 

 worthy to be repeated.) 



To look upon death as another new field of en- 

 joyment — showing your lifef is right, and your 

 view of death the same. 



To see an aged wayfarer shed tears at the re- 

 ceipt of needed alms. 



Stars on a dark background of night, seen from 

 the city street. 



The first breath of a buckwheat field, ere the 

 field is seen. 



The idea that the simplest of flowers (small Ce- 

 landine) "heralds in the whole troop of flowers." 



Your first sunset in Italy. 



The first bumble-bee of the season — telling you 

 of summer days. 



The pine tree looking over the other trees to 

 the sea, and responding with its melody. (liOwell's 

 thought.) 



The sudden face of a friend when you expected 

 a bore. 



The thought that there are many "pleasant sur- 

 prises" yet in store. 



To Keep Flies from Working Cattlb. — ^Take a 

 piece of scantling 3x4 inches, and a few inches lon- 

 ger than the yoke. Through this bore four holes to 

 correspond with the bow holes in the yoke. Have 

 bows long enough to extend five inches above the 

 yoke, letting the bows come through the holes. 

 Bore several suvall holes in the sides of the above 

 piece, and fasten in a brush long enough to reach 

 the oxen's hips. The brush should be of some 

 tough wood with the leaves on. When it is worn 

 out put in more. Some use blankets for their cat- 

 tle while working, but it makes them unnecessarily 

 warm, and costs something at present prices. The 

 motion of the oxen while walking will keep the 

 brush waving about enough to keep the flies off. 



