Literary Mention. 
Cassell s Family Magazine for August has for 
its frontispiece the picture of a charming young 
lady sitting back in her Victoria : 
“A dainty damsel, waiting, sat, 
Smiling in shy, sweet pleasure.'” 
So the accompanying verses tell us, and one cannot 
but envy the one for whom the shy smile is intended. 
Miss Alice O’Hanlon’s capital story, “A Diamond in 
the Rough,” has reached its tliirty-flrst chapter and 
goes on interestingly to the end. “How we lived 
upon Wheels,” a description of four vans that were 
rigged up by a husband and wife for a holiday trip. 
They took two frienas and two servants, besides the 
drivers, and they camped out, as it were, in mov¬ 
able houses. “The Postmen of the World,” “Cum¬ 
berland Statesmen,” "Gymnastics for Girls 1 ” “Lon¬ 
don by Night,” “Some Great English Painters.” and 
an account of that wonderful People’s University, 
the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle, and | 
“The Gatherer,” with serials, short stories, poetry, 
pictures and music, enliven the pages of this admir¬ 
able magazine and makes it a welcome visitor.— 
Published by Cassell & Company, New York, $1 50 
a year. 
Demorest’s Illustrated Monthly Magazine for 
August cannot fail to give pleasure to its numerous 
readers. It opens with an excellent story by Eleanor 
Kirk, and, in addition there are other admirable 
stories. The article on Heraldry, which is profusely 
illustrated, is both instructive and entertaining, and 
among other good articles are “Memories of Napo¬ 
leon” and “The Grave of Rob Roy.” The valuable 
papers, “From Pencil to Brush,” are continued, and 
“Woman’s Indebtedness to the Animal Creation” 
will be read with interest. The various departments 
are, as usual, well-filled, and the oil picture, “Music,” 
by Iieloir, is a charming production. 
The American Farmer. A late number of this ex¬ 
cellent semi-monthly contains articles upon Ger¬ 
mination, Immigration and Manufacturers, Dis-' 
solved Bones, Breaking Colts, selecting the Best, 
The Grange and many shorter articles—in fact, 
every department is full. Published at Baltimore, 
Md., at $1.00 per year. 
The Western Rural, in its ownward career 
takes no back seat. Every number is filled to over¬ 
flowing, and every subscriber gets a full measure for 
his money. Published weekly at $1.65 per year by 
Milton George, 155 Dearborn St., Chicago, Ill. 
The Cultivation of Strawberries. 
Mr. Roosevelt in his Work entitled “Five 
Acres, Too Much;” in speaking of his expe¬ 
rience in starting a strawberry patch, in his 
amusing strain of presenting the subject, 
mirrors the experience of many in their 
effort in the safcie line. Perhaps one reason 
that so few farmers cultivate their own 
berries is because, on reading of the subject, 
they get the impression that such an 
amount of care is necessary in order to 
insure success that they become discouraged, 
without even making any attempt. In the 
first place farmers must remember that 
those who make it a business to grow and 
sell berries, will be very likely to complain 
of the great amount of labor and care 
required in their production and will be 
very likely to hint that one had better buy 
their berries than to grow them upon a 
small scale. 
Well, that depends upon circumstances. 
With a hardy berry, one that is iron-clad 
in its character, and can stand neglect, and 
at the same time continue to grow, the 
farmer can grow all the berries that his 
family would require with comparatively 
little trouble. He may not produce as 
large fruit as if his plants received constant 
attention, but he will get all any reasonable 
mind need require. And all that is nec¬ 
essary is to set the plants in the spring in a 
good, rich, mellow soil, and keep thorough¬ 
ly clean through the season; but as the 
plants begin to send out runners let them 
grow so as to cover the ground if possible. 
The Crescent seems to be desirable as a 
family berry, because it is a vigorous grow¬ 
er in any good soil and under ordinary cir¬ 
cumstances will stand the winter without 
protection. During the second season, fruit 
will be supplied in abundance, and if the 
patch does not get too much overrun with 
grass or weeds, will also furnish a good 
supply the second year. To insure a supply 
set new plants every spring and plow up 
those that have become worthless. This 
course avoids much labor that is recom¬ 
mended in the management of the plants 
where they are continued for several years. 
Twenty-five plants set and attended to each 
spring will supply most families with all 
the fruit they would care for.— German¬ 
town Telegraph. 
---- 
E. P. Roe on Improved Straw¬ 
berries. 
I thought that varieties which proved so 
superb on my own grounds, would do as 
well elsewhere; but I had much to learn. 
There has been a rage for novelties, a dis- 
