MOORE’S  RyRAL  MEW-YORRER. 
'i^latnralist. 
THE  SPAKROW-A  FARMER’S  COMPLAINT. 
YEARfs  ago  the  -‘inch-worms” — popularly  so- 
called — were,  really  and  truly,  a  pest  in  cities,  not¬ 
ably  BO  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  The  lea  ves  of  the 
trees  wore  oaten  up  before  tliey  were  half-grown 
— the  trees  in  mid-summer  were  not  rnilike  trees 
in  mid-winter— tlio  slilewalka  wure  so  bespattered 
and  soiled  by  the  oxorement  of  the  worms  and 
by  tlieir  licing  cruslied  under  foot,  and  they  were 
60  thickly  suspended  between  the  branches  and 
sidewalks  that— taking  the  risk  of  being  run  over 
and  regai-dlesB  of  mud  or  dust— it  was  less  annoy¬ 
ing  to  walk  in  tho  middle  of  the  street.  Ladies 
witJi  their  flowing  robes  were  all  but  constrained 
to  remain  indoors  during  tbo  inch-worms'  larval 
state — or,  if  they  boMly  ventured  out,  a  bravo 
boy  or  so  was  iiccessai-y  to  clear  tbo  way  and  to 
pick  off  tliose  that  were  jirone  to  lirop  without 
giving  notice.  Ail  this  I  know,  though  a  farmer. 
But  hear  my  oomplaiut. 
The  city  people  when  tlioy  imported  tho 
greenly,  hghting.  songlcss  sparrow,  that  they 
were  liitnKliicing  one  jH'st  to  exterminate  anoth¬ 
er;  I  liny  knew  that  in  the  nu-al  districts  of  En¬ 
gland  a  |)rizo  was  offered  for  their  scalps  and 
that  they  were  destructive  to  grain  and  fmit  of 
various  sorts.  “But  let  us  cross  tliat  bridge 
when  we  come  to  it!”  exclaimed  they.  Well,  tho 
sparrows  proved  a  high  hiiccchh.  The  horrid 
worms  disappeared  as  if  by  magic.  Tho  leaves 
remained  nimii  the  trfjes— and  tlic  ladies  wore 
enabled  to  dispenite  with  the  boy  wtirm-ciitchers 
and  to  carry  their  enchanting  howls  with  their 
wonted  serenity.  The  sparrows  being  blessed, 
petted,  fattened  and.  [irovidwl  for  in  every  way, 
multiplied  pr<.Hliglon«ly.  Kooii,  however,  they 
became  so  abundant  that— like  all  snperabnndnnt 
tilings— their  first  meritorious  eJaims  were  for¬ 
gotten  and  they  wore  obliged  to  betake  tlmm- 
selvet-  to  the  conntry  for  a  livelihood.  We  have 
now  arrived  at  *'  that  bridge”  and,  for  aught  we 
see,  the  farmers  are  left  to  “cross”  it  alone. 
Ladies  and  gentlemen  of  tho  city — tho  beauti¬ 
ful  and  useful  singing  birds  that  frequent  our 
doors  and  grounds  to  bnild  thou-  nests  in  oiir 
trees  and  to  pick  up  the  morning  crumb,  are 
being  driven  away  by  tlje  voracious  sparrow. 
With  its  bleak  cry  like  the  mow  of  a  sick  kitten, 
it  is  ever  there  —cvei-  ready  whether  to  eat  or  to 
fight  .  The  lihiebird.  and  tho  wren  and  the  snow¬ 
bird  stand  aloof  like  helpless,  hungry  puppies  in 
the  iH-csenco  of  a  bull-dog  feeding  upon  an  ample 
bone  nud  turning  to  ’’arl  Ihrcntenhigly  at  tho 
cringing  puppies  respectfully  distant.  Every 
crumb  is  devoiu-ed  or,  if  not,  tho  ruftianly  spar¬ 
row  remains  close  at  hand  to  preserve  it  for  an¬ 
other  meal— and  om-  native  birds  are  left  to  seek 
their  food  far  off  in  flelds  and  woods. 
Now  will  tho  ladies  come  hither  to  assist  in  ex- 
terminaling  thrir  pest — or  will  a  lingering  senti¬ 
ment  of  gratitude  to  the  sparrow  in  particular 
and  of  affection  for  birds  in  general  restrain 
them  ?  Much  as  wc  ailmire  tho  ladies—  and  it 
seems  to  the  dull  observation  of  a  farmer  that 
they  become  more  admirable  and  costly,  if  not 
more  useful,  with  every  succeeding  season — radi¬ 
cally  as  we  are  impressed  that  wc  could  not  in 
any  wise  get  along  without  them— yet  upon  all 
bird  questions  we  believe  thorn  to  be  sadly  mixed 
up.  They  will  shed  a  tear  when,  to  preserve  our 
fmit  and  grain  and  to  recall  our  native  pets  that 
60  assisted  to  render  our  grounds  cheerful,  wc 
begin  our  war  of  extermination  upon  tho  greedj', 
homely,  fnreign  eparrow — while  they  view  their 
bonut  ts  with  a  happy  glance  that  Is  bedecked 
with  one  of  our  harmless  native  birds  that  are 
vilely  slaughtered  to  raaiutain  a  heartless  fash¬ 
ion — a  fashion  that,  if  there  is  tho  least  chance 
of  my  being  pardoned,  1  should  designate  as  a 
“  triplet  relic”  of  barbarism.  Major. 
WHAT  IS  INSTINCT  AND  WHAT  REASON. 
This  is  one  of  those  questious  upon  which 
scarcely  any  two  iiersoua  can  agree.  Still  as  its 
discussion  tends  to  make  people  close  and  care¬ 
ful  observers  of  animal  life,  we  think  that  even 
some  ratliei-  wild  theories  on  the  subject  may  be 
admissable  in  order  to  lead  tho  earoless  and  in¬ 
different,  to  seek  a  more  intimate  knowledge  of 
the  living  creatures  with  which  they  are  con¬ 
stantly  Bun-ounded.  In  a  late  issue  of  the  West¬ 
ern  Ihual,  R.  li.  BnossoJi  gives  his  views  upon 
this  subject  as  follow.s : 
All  the  voluntary  phenomena  of  life,  we  be¬ 
lieve.  physiologists  agree,  aie  dependent  on 
nervous  matter,  and  the  executive  power  is 
issued  from  that  iiortion  called  the  brain,  or,  a 
nerv'ous  mass  of  mivtter  which  answers  to  what 
in  man  wo  call  cerebrum  and  cerebelliun.  In- 
stinot  then,  bo  far  as  our  feeble  powers  have  yet 
comprohonded,  emanates  from  tbo  same  nervous 
matter  which  oxorcises  the  power  of  reason  ;  at 
least,  in  the  present  state  of  mental  science,  our 
finite  minds,  that  is,  finite  in  their  action  here  on 
earth,  cannot  conceive  of  reason  and  instinct  as 
being  entirely  independent  of  each  other,  and 
manifested  through  separate  and  independent 
masses  of  nervous  matter.  It  is  tine,  some 
things  we  call  instinct  .ajipear  to  he  entirely  free 
from  all  mental  action,  and  yot  we  cannot  .see 
how  such  a  phenomenon  can  bo  possible. 
A  robin,  invariably  in  the  spring  of  tho  year 
builds  a  nest,  and  tho  low-bunting  never  build’s 
one.  hut  deposits  her  oggs  in  tlio  robin’s  or  other 
birds'  neats.  Building  a  nest  is  said  to  bo  an  in¬ 
stinct,  and  if  so.  the  fact  is  clc.n-  that  one  bird 
has  an  instinct  uhicli  another  ha-s  not,  and  yet, 
the  final  result,  the  perpetuation  of  tbe  species, 
is  accomplished  elfectnally  in  boih  t;aKe.s.  Tho 
robin  feels  that  she  is  about  to  lay  oggs,  aruJ 
this  feeling  suggo.sts  tho  important  thought  that 
a  nest  is  needed,  and  then  she  feels  that  sitting 
on  the  eggs  will  produce  young  birds,  and  her 
O'vn  experionoe  teacho.s  her  that  they  must  be 
fed  till  ablo  to  take  care  of  themsolvos,  that  tho 
end  of  robin  existence  may  bo  consummated. 
Now  tho  feeling  that  imjiels  tiie  i-obin  to  build  a 
nest  may  be  an  instinct,  but  firocuring  tlio  ma¬ 
terials,  the  mechanical  skill  eiuployoil  in  the 
biiilding  and  tho  selection  of  a  seenro  site, 
smacks  more  of  reason  and  judgment  tliun  of 
blind  instinct.  So,  the  apparent  necessity  of 
shelter  from  cold  may  bo  an  instinct  in  man,  but 
tho  architectural  oonstmetion  wliich  aihqits  it  to 
his  wants  will  scarcely  he  thought  other  than 
tho  deliberate  acts  of  reason. 
There  are  manj'  acts  and  operations  of  ani¬ 
mals  and  insects  that  wo  do  not  understand  as 
being  the  resnlts  of  reason  as  exhibited  by  man, 
and  yet,  we  cannot  give  .a  satis  factory  explana¬ 
tion  of  their  origin  from  any  other  source  tliaii 
a  modified  or  limited  form  of  nei-voiis  exhibition 
inseparable  from  reason,  possibly  tliroilgli  ignor¬ 
ance,  or  the  unexplained  facts  in  the  case.  Of 
course  no  sane  man  will  say  that  instinct  is  tlio 
ciihniiiation  of  fortuitous  cu'ciunhtances,  Isnii 
of  chance;  and  he  cannot  well  conceive  of  Its 
practical  oxlstorice.  Imt  through  nervous  matter, 
and  as  nervous  matter  is  the  medium  of  reason, 
how  and  where  is  the  lino  of  dcmarkatlon 
between  tlie  two ?  At  licst,  wo  can  only  say,  and 
that  without  being  ablo  to  give  any  satisfactory 
solution,  that  instinct  is  a  modification  of  rea¬ 
son,  wliich  to  the  human  mind  thus  far  is  inooni- 
prohensiblo. 
\Ve  have  soon  it  stated  that  a  frog  dofirived  of 
its  brain  would  still  malce  iustinolivo  movomentH 
upon  being  touched  in  certain  places.  Wo  might, 
with  a.s  niiich  propriety  and  reason,  say  that  a 
hen  with  her  head  cut  off  is  instinctively  jump¬ 
ing  aboil  I  to  find  her  head.  This  doctrine  ig¬ 
nores  tbe  use  of  tho  brain  in  tbe  visible  produc¬ 
tion  of  Instinct, ami  makes  muscular  sensation  the 
author  of  instinctive  motions,  a  fallacy  wliich 
may  deeive  the  untldnking  or  those  whose  bigotry 
binds  them  to  fixed  oiunions,  however  unnatural 
or  untrue.  lu  the  case  of  tho  frog,  immediately 
aftoi-  taking  out  the  brain,  there  remains  for  a 
short  time  muscular  sensation,  which  if  specially 
excited  will  make  those  motions,  which  coincide 
with  the  functions  of  tho  muscles  excited,  and 
these  raotions  arc  made  simply  because  up 
others  could  he  made,  and  they  bear  no  relation 
to  instinct,  any  more  than  they  do  to  astute  meta¬ 
physical  im-estigations  of  tho  operation  of  reason. 
A  rattlesnake,  with  its  head  out  off,  will  still  to 
all  appearance  strilte  at  his  foe  as  though  his 
he.ad  still  retained  its  natiu-al  position.  The 
niuscuiar  power  which  is  prodomiuant  in  life  is 
not  quite  extinct  and  the  throes  of  death  excites 
those  muscles  to  action — not  a  particle  of  instinct 
about  it. 
With  onr  present  knowledge  wc  caiuiot  dis¬ 
criminate  between  instinct  and  reason,  only  at  a 
distance  from  the  division  line,  any  better  tlian 
we  can  tell  where  goodness  ceases  and  evil  begins. 
When  a  pig  is  carried  two  miles  m  a  tight  bag 
and  lot  out,  and  takes  a  bee  lino  for  tho  place, 
he  came  from,  we  at  once  say  tliat  is  instinct, 
and  we  can  discover  no  particular  relation  with 
any  priwess  of  reason ;  but  on  tho  other  iiand 
when  the  old  hounds  remain  by  tho  runways  of 
the  hare,  and  let  the  young  dogs  do  the  rumiing 
and  wait  patiently  till  the  hare  comes  around 
we  recognize  a  clear  act  of  reason,  entirely  dis¬ 
connected  from  instinct  so  far  as  known. 
In  conclusion,  allow  me  to  suggest  that  instinct 
is  tho  primeval  function  of  all  tho  organs  of  the 
brain,  and  rea.son  is  the  fmit  of  education  en¬ 
grafted  on  instinct.  Certain  it  is  that  no  child 
was  ever  born  with  educated  faculties,  and 
equally  as  certahi,  that  some  instincts  can  bo 
detected  soon  after  birth.  Now,  if  some  instincts 
arc  present,  is  not  it  a  fah  inference  that  every 
organ  as  fast  as  sufliciently  matured  in  physical 
growth  has  its  peculiar  instinct  ?  And  it  is  well 
known  that  many  of  the  faculties  of  miud  are  not 
capable  of  action  until  long  after  others  have 
been  clearly  manifested.  In  man  by  virtue  of 
the  volume  and  power  of  nervous  matter,  he  is 
par  excellence  a  reasoning  being,  wliilo  many  of 
the  lower  animals  and  insects  are  incapable  of 
that  cultivation  which  elevates  man  into  a  supe¬ 
rior  reasoning  atmosphere.  Do  you  ask  then, 
why  aU  this  difference  between  man  and  brutes  ? 
The  only  answer  which  we  can  offer  as  embrac¬ 
ing  the  truth  is,  that  it  is  so,  because  God  in  his 
wisdom  so  willed  it  to  be. 
®l)f  Cfcntfuiiiiil. 
THE  CENTENNIAL. 
The  following  circular,  received  from  the 
Chief  of  the  Bureau  of  Agriculture,  will  supply 
some  desired  information  in  regard  to  the  ex¬ 
hibition  of  fraita  at  the  Centennial  : 
INTERXIITIONAL  EXimilTtON.  ) 
BL’UKAC  op  Auriccltoke.  y 
1’nir.AOKi.pntA.  March  ifi,  1876.) 
Hir  :  -The  Centonni.al  Commission  are  erecting 
a  sviecial  annex  for  tlie  exhibition  of  fruits.  The 
dimensions  of  the  atnmluri',  sitimled  on  the 
cast  of  the  Agricultural  Binldl'ig  and  connected 
witli  it  by  a  covered  way,  are  180  by  200  foot, 
affording  room  for  tlie  display  of  .8,000  dishes  of 
fruit  at  jXTiods  of  .sjxicial  displays.  Althougli 
tho  oxliihition  of  pomological  products  will  ex¬ 
tend  over  tho  entire  term  of  tbe  Exhibition, 
affording  most  marked  manifcstatio.i  of  tho 
wide  range  of  our  soils  and  climatc.s,  still  there 
will  bo  certain  periods  cspocially  dosignatctl  for 
tlie  display  of  particular  fruits,  wliich  liavo  spe¬ 
cial  soasoii.s,  under  the  influences  tliat  more  hu- 
mcdiatcly  pertain  to  tlio  States  near  to  Pounsyl- 
vania,  and  which,  from  tlioir  proximity  to  tbo 
]Mjint  of  (lidplay,  will  afford  tho  material  for 
largo  .and  oxprossivo  exhibits. 
Tho  periods  decided  upon  for  tJiese  special 
displays  aro  as  folicbvs,  tliougli  any  of  tho  fruits 
onuineratcd  will  tie  rocoivod  for  e.xhibition  either 
jjrccoding  or  subsotiuout  to  these  dates  : 
Pomological  products . May  lu  to  24 
Straw berric.s . . . lunij  7  to 
ituspherrles  and  blackberries . July  3  to  8 
SoiiUicrii  poinological  prod  nets... .Inly  18  to  22 
Melons . . . Auk  22  to  20 
Peaches . . . Hopt.  4  to  9 
Northern  pornological  prodm-ts.  .gept.  il  to  16 
Nuts . Oct.  23  to  Nov.  I 
The  Pomologioal  Annex  will  also  bo  used  for 
tlio  exhibition  of  vogotahlos,  oontumously,  and 
at  tho  stated  dates  of  .June  20  to  21  for  Eiufiy 
Summer  Vegetables,  Se|it.  19  to  2ii  for  Autumn 
Vogotahlos,  and  Oct.  2  to  7  for  Potatoes  and 
Feeding  Roots. 
Tables  and  dishes  for  both  fruits  and  vege¬ 
tables  will  bo  fm-nished  by  the  Commission  free 
of  charge,  producers  being  simply  requested  to 
pay  the  charges  for  transportation. 
Ill  addition  to  tho  above  tlioro  is  to  be  a  dis¬ 
play  of  Autumn  lionoy  and  Wax,  Oct.  23  to 
Nov.  1,  and  staled  ilisplays  as  we  are  informed 
by  iinotlier  circular  just  received,  of  : 
Mowing  Machines,  'feddors,  and 
Uay  Hakes . .Juno  15  to  30 
Heapln«  .Machines  . July  5  to  15 
lilVE  STOCK. 
Horses . Sept.  1  to  14 
Dogs . Sept.  Ito  8 
Neat  Catt  le . . . Kept.  21  to  Oct.  4 
Sheep . . . Oct.  10  to  18 
Swico . Oct.  in  to  18 
Poultry . Oct.  27  to  Nov. « 
The  above  dates  may  be  favorable  for  the 
assembling  in  Philadc<l|ihia  of  Societies  and  As¬ 
sociations  interested  in  Uio  specialties  above 
enumerated. 
The  right  to  amend  or  annul  this  circular  is 
reserved.  A.  T.  Goshorn,  Director-General. 
Burnet  Landreth,  Chier  Bureau  Agriculture. 
®ljf  Oiaukit. 
MANAGEMENT  OF  LAWNS. 
Thomas  McClumi,  landscape  gardener  of 
Hartford,  Conn.,  says  of  the  management  of 
lawns  in  America,  that 
1.  The  drier  climate  of  America  requires  a 
deeper  and  richer  soil  than  England,  to  maintain 
a  continued  green  through  the  heat  of  the  sum¬ 
mer. 
2.  Terraces  aro  properly  objected  to  and  de¬ 
nounced,  as  being  unnatiual  and  discordant  with 
true  taste. 
3.  Sewers,  where  necessary,  and  iinderdrains, 
arc  tho  fli-st  requirements  when  a  lawn  is  in¬ 
tended. 
4.  Tho  reasons  for  drainage  are,  access  to  the 
air,  and  the  admission  of  tho  rains  to  pass 
through  it,  so  that  “  it  is  treated  like  a  dirty  gar¬ 
ment,  and  Is  washed,  uked  and  dried.” 
5.  Deep  tiiJage  and  manm’iug  are  the  founda¬ 
tion  of  snceosM  with  American  lawns — the  soil  to 
bo  uniform  in  texture  and  quality,  to  prevent 
spots— and  trcncMug,  keeping  the  rich  soil  at  tho 
surface,  being  essential. 
6.  8ow  in  freshly  mellowed  soil ;  and  if  there 
are  many  annual  weetls,  sow  iii  autumn,  that  the 
winter  may  kill  them ;  but  if  there  has  been  much 
grading  and  tilling,  sow  in  spring  after  the  set¬ 
tled  surface  has  been  smootlioil.  Bteep  hillsides 
are  recommended  to  bo  sown  iu  summer,  to  pre¬ 
vent  washing ;  but  we  suggest  a  botteir  way  to 
secure  the  surface  by  tho  roots  of  a  tliin  crop  of 
rye  sown  the  previous  antiunn,  and  then  sow  the 
grass  among  this  crop  in  spring,  cutting  the  rye 
away  as  soon  as  the  grass  is  weU  established. 
7.  Roll  in  spring  old  or  new  lawns,  to  smooth 
the  surface,  and  tiller  the.  grass. 
8.  Avoid  coarse  or  lumpy  manure,  and  apply 
as  a  surface  dressing  either  tinely  pulverized 
comfiost,  or  a  mixture  ot  guano  and  superphos¬ 
phate  of  lime. 
9.  Keep  the  grass  out  short  from  the  first,  to 
cause  it  to  grow  thick  and  form  a  dense  carpet. 
10.  Never  adopt  the  absurd  practice  of  allow¬ 
ing  tho  grass  to  grow  tall,  to  cut  for  hay. 
11.  After  many  trials,  tho  selection  of  grass 
for  each  acre  is  iiarro\ved  down  to  Kentucky  blue 
grass,  2  bushels;  roil-tep,  I’a  bushols ;  white 
clover.  2  to  4  lbs.  E'or  dry  and  gravelly  ground, 
increase  the  white  clover,  and  depend  less  on  the 
gi-asses.  Sow  tbe  clover  and  grass  seed  sepa¬ 
rately,  as  the  latter  is  lighter  and  cannot  be 
thrown  so  far. 
■  ■■  ^  » - - 
WETHERSFIELD  RED  ONION, 
OoR  English  coipiins  appear  to  have  j ust  learned 
that  there  aro  good  varieties  of  onions  raised  on 
this  side  of  tho  AtlaiiUc.  Tire  Agrioultural  Ga¬ 
zette.  in  refciTUjg  to  an  old  and  well-loiown 
variety,  tho  Wethersllolil  red,  says: 
niiring  the  past  year  the  Royal  Hortlcidtural 
Society  made  a  trial  of  the  varieties  of  onion 
now  iu  cultivation,  at  tho  Chiswick  Garden,  and 
perhaps  tho  greatest  novelty  in  the  collection  was 
the  variety  nbovo  named,  which  was  sent  for 
trial  by  Messrs.  James  Ciu'tor  A  Co.,  Messrs. 
Ikmary  &  Son  of  Erfurt,  and  Messrs.  Hovey  & 
Co.,  an  American  firm.  It  is  officially  described 
as  being  of  free  and  robust  groivth.  Tlie  neck  is 
small,  and  ripens  off  freely.  Bulbs  largo,  flat¬ 
tened  or  oblate,  very  oven  and  regularly  formed, 
about  1'2  inches  in  circmnferonce,  and  2  inches  in 
deptli.  Tlio  outer  akin  is  of  a  light  rod  color, 
and  peels  off  freely,  the  inner  coating  being  light 
pm-pliah,  aharling  greatly  from  the  crown  to  the 
base,  where  it  Is  very  The  flesh  is  pure 
white,  tho  outer  surface  of  tho  coating  only  be¬ 
ing  colored.  It  is  very  Arm,  solid,  and  of  mUd 
and  excollent  quality,  and  keeps  well.  A  remark¬ 
ably  line  and  haiulsomo  onion  from  America  ;  the 
finest  typo  of  red  onion. 
Prunino  Melon  Vines. — Few  persons  prac¬ 
tice  pruning  cucumber,  melon,  and  other  similar 
kinds  of  vinos ;  still,  it  is  just  as  beneficial  if 
properly  done,  as  the  annual  prunings  of  the 
grape  and  other  woody  plants.  The  pruning 
should  bo  confined,  however,  to  the  pincliing  off 
of  the  ends  of  shoots  only. 
INSURANCE  NOTES  AND  NEWS. 
A  Aluisance  to  be  Abatei.— Some  years  since, 
the  course  pursued  toward  its  policy  Ijolders  in 
this  vichuty  by  the  Continental  Life  Insurance 
Conqniny  of  New  York,  was  commented  upon  in 
terms  which  subsequent  revelations  of  its  con¬ 
duct  olsowhere  showed  to  be  only  too  mild.  And 
now  it  appears,  from  the  California  papers,  that 
the  people  of  the  Pacific-  Coast  lu’e  being  put 
through  tho  same  merciless  ordeal.  Tho  lan¬ 
guage  of  some  of  the  complaints  is  rather  too 
forcible  to  be  Cjuotoil,  but  the  substaiieo  shows 
that  while  one  set  of  men,  supposed  to  be  agents, 
went  around  proclaiming  the  insolvency  of  the 
Company,  another  set  followed  proffering  to 
purchase  the  policies  at  prices  far  below  their 
real  value.  The  Coast  Review  mentions  a  paid- 
up  endowment  poUoy  of  ten  thousand  dollars 
($10,000;  duo  and  payable  in  less  than  two  years 
for  which  they  offered  first  $.'5,00U(i,rid  afterwards 
laised  the  bid  to  six,  and  another  case  whore  a 
laboilng  man  sold  an  endowment  policy  of  $2,000 
due  in  two  years  for  $.500,  believing  the  Company 
insolvent,  '.rhero  is  peiiiaps  no  way  iu  which 
this  flompany  can,  if  tlmso  charges  aro  sustained, 
be  brought  to  account  and  niiwlo  to  treat  its 
policy  liolders  more  equitably.  The  insm-ance 
laws  and  insurance  departments  take  no  cogniz¬ 
ance  of  these  things.  The  only  course  to  be 
pm-sued  is  provontive  not  remedial,  and  prudent 
people  will  foresee  tho  evil  and  avail  it  by  insur¬ 
ing  thoir  lives  elsewhere. 
A  Itvjhtenus  Juilgemoit.  -Thedecreuso  of  con¬ 
fidence  in  the  integrity  of  tlio  management  of 
certain  Life  Insurance  Companies  has  ceased  to 
excite  sm-priso.  It  could  not  be  expected  to 
long  survive  the  abundant  evidences  that  these 
Companies  neither  treat  the  insured  with  fah-ness 
during  his  life  nor  pay  theJr  widows  after  their 
decease,  except  at  the  end  of  a  lawsuit  when  the 
minutest  flaw  can  be  found.  A  case  recently  de¬ 
cided  by  an  upright  judge  fnrni.Hhe8  a  notable 
example  of  this  kind.  The  company  refused  to 
pay  the  loss,  because  tlio  man  bad  stated  iu  his 
application  that  “  he  hod  not  required  the 
attendance  of  a  physician  for  eoveral  years,” 
and  the  Companv  was  ablo  to  prove,  that  on  one 
occasion,  several  years  nreviocaly,  a  physician 
attending  his  wife  had  loft  some  meUioine  for 
him,  he  having  a  slight  cold.  Tho  judges  very 
properly  decided  against  tlie  Oomi)any,  because 
“it  would  bo  tbe  grossest  injustice  to  aUow  the 
Company  to  occapo  the  payment  of  the  policy 
because  the  applie.iut  had  forgotten  that  he  h^ 
taken  a  pill  five  years  before.’^ 
