it. When it begins to germinate it will split 
open in two equal parts, each of which is a 
cotlyedon, hence the bean is dicotyledonous. 
Within these two parts will be found the lit¬ 
tle plumule which grows upward, and the 
radicle which forms the root. Some have two 
colytedons (dicotyledonous);some one (mono- 
cotyledenous) as wheat; some several (poly, 
eotyledonous) as (be seeds of pine trees. 
L. C ., New York City, asks, 1, how toads 
breed and when. 2, how can their age be 
told? 
Ans. —Toads breed from eggs in March or 
April. The eggs as they are expelled are en¬ 
veloped in a glairy mass in which the em¬ 
bryos are seen like little black dots. The 
head and tale are perceptible in the course cJ 
the second or third days, the gills next and the 
tadpole on or about the fifth day, if the tem¬ 
perature is at 80 degrees, or so. It wili aver¬ 
age nearer a month before the tadpole hatches 
in our ordinary seasons. There are said to be 
eight days in the develop nent before the 
adult form is reached. Probably every boy 
and girl in the country have seen these tad¬ 
poles or “polly-wogs” as they are sometimes 
called. 2, We know of no way to tell the 
age of a toad. 
if in the higher and more interior regions of 
nature exist subtle forces of an evil and de¬ 
structive character, which no methods of 
analysis known to chemistry can detect, is not 
the fact itself conclusive that good remedial 
forces, by which these may he counteracted 
and neutralized, must exist also, and that 
ebembtry has not been able to discover the 
one more than the other? 
All this will be plain to any one whose mind 
is unbiased, and who thinks from reason. 
Every new discovery of universal application 
must and will touch ibe interests of individ¬ 
uals. and often of a whole class or profession. 
If, as we deflate, the discovery of what we 
call Compound Oxygen has given to the world 
anew -ubstance, in tLe use of which for the 
cure of diseases, all the deleterious (fleets of 
drug medication and violent reactive treat¬ 
ments are avoided; and in the use of which 
internal obstructions are removed and nervous 
centers vitalized, so that nature can herself do 
the gentle and orderly work of healing and 
restoring, fueh a discovery cannot fail to touch 
and seriously affect fhe interests of the medi¬ 
cal profession, and especially of a large class 
of empirics and specialists, from whom will 
naturally come assaults and misrepresenta¬ 
tions 
Happily for the community, and especially 
for that large and steadily-increasing class of 
sufferers from diseases which physician 0 fail 
to cure. Compound Oxygen was left free from 
assault and misrepresentation fromtho9e who 
w ould naturally Ire roused to opposition if it 
were really v hat it was said to be, and long 
enough for it. to give incontestable proofs of 
its remarkable power over nearly all classes 
of ailments by which humani'y is afflicted. 
For the sake of suffering humanity, as well 
as in our own interests, we meet at once this 
question of analysis, and at the same time 
e ff-r to send free our "Treatise- on Compound 
Oxygen;" our pamphlet, containing over fifty 
“ Unsolicited testimonials'" to its wonderful 
curative value from persons who have used it, 
and “ Health and Life," our Quarterly Rec- 
cord of Cases and Cures under the Compound 
Oxygen Treatment, in which will be found, 
ns reported by patients themselves, and open 
for verification, more remarkable results 
in a single period of three- nwnfhs, than all 
the medical journals of the United States can 
show in a year! 
Dus. STARKEY <& FALEN, 
110f and 1111 Girard St-., 
Philadelphia. 
Attempted Analysis of 
Compound Oxygen. 
In our Treatise on Compound Oxygen, page 
4, will be found this statement: 
"It is a preparation of which chemists 
know nothing; it is not ’ nitrous oxide' or 
laughing gas;' it differs essentially from all 
substances used in medical inhalation. It 
contains no medicament, unless the elements 
of pure air arc medicines; and its adm inis¬ 
tration h traduces into the body nothing which 
the system does not welcome as a friend, 
accept, with aridity , and appropriate as en¬ 
tirely homogeneous to itself .” 
All the attempts which have been made to 
discover through analysis, the substance we 
call Compound Oxygen, have failed. And 
these attempts must always fail; because this 
substance is one of th< se which belong to a 
region of natural foices that lies above the 
gross r i k mentstbat re-pond to chemical tests. 
The chemical Solution in which we have 
been able, after long and carefully conducted 
experiments, to hold this substance and trans¬ 
mit it for use, can, of course, be analyzed. 
But the magnetized fubstance itself is above 
and beyond the reach of the chemist. Its dis¬ 
covery. which marks the beginning of anew- 
era in the healing art, was, indeed, made in the 
laboratory, and while experiments were being 
conducted with the substances well known to 
chemi-try from which it was evolved; but the 
subtle ELEMENT itself, after it has been 
i volv,-d from these substances when brought 
into certain relations and conditions, and then 
held in a chemical solution, ennnot be dis¬ 
covered by subjecting that solution to the or¬ 
dinary tests of quantitative and qualitative 
analysis. 
In order to be assured of this, we submitted 
the solution in vrhich Compound Oxygen is 
held, to probably the ablest chemist in the 
United States, formerly a pupil of Baron 
Liebig, and now holding the chair of Chemistry 
in one of our largest e nd oldest Eastern col¬ 
leges. His analysis, while minutely accurate 
as to the chemical elements of the solution, 
failed to detect the beetle element which 
we knew to be therein full potency. 
In regard to the professional ana’ysis of 
Compound Oxygen, which has been widely 
circu lated in the new spapers, it must be noted, 
that in no instance which we have seen, has it 
been stated that the article so called was pro¬ 
cured from Drs. Starkey and Palen. Whether 
any one of the preparations submitted for 
analysis came from our laboratory or not, 
does not, however, touch the question at all. 
The chemical solution in which we have been 
able to fix, for use, the Compound Oxygen, 
can be analyzed, as we have said; but no test 
yet known to chemical science can discover 
the presence of the new agent of cure fir 
w bieh this solution has been made a vehicle. 
That there may be, and are, active sub¬ 
stances in nature which cannot be detected by 
any of the tests now known to chemical science, 
is beyond dispute. 
We claim to possess the secret by which one 
of these substances, hitherto unknown, may 
be evolved and made eminently useful in cur¬ 
ing diseases which have baffled the highest 
medical skill; and in proof of our claim, we 
point to the thousands of cases already suc¬ 
cessfully treated. 
In the face of this array of indisputable 
facts which we offer in proof of the curative 
value of Compound Oxygen—facts open for 
verification to any who wish to have in¬ 
contestable proof—there is neither force nor 
reason in the denial of potency to our Treat¬ 
ment on the simple ground of failure to find 
the subtle element it 
We bought him a box tor Jits books and toys 
And a cricket bag fur tits bat; 
And he looked the brightest ami best of boys, 
Coder his brand new hat. 
We handed him into the railway train 
With a troop of bis young compeers; 
And we made as though it were dust and rain 
Were tilling our eyes with tears. 
We looked Into ids Innocent face to see 
The sign of a sorrowful heart ; 
But he onlyshouldered Ids bat with glee 
And wondered when they would start. 
’Twas not that he loved not as heretofore, 
Fur the boy was tender and kind ; 
But his was u world that was all before, 
And ours was a world behind. 
’Twas not his fluttering heart was cold, 
For (tie i-hild was loyal and true : 
And the parents’ love the love that is old, 
And the children (he love that is new. 
And we came to know that love is a flower 
Which only groweth down ; 
And we scarcely spoke for the space of an hour 
As we drove back through the town. 
LETTERS FROM THE COUSINS 
HELPING MOTHER, 
Uncle Mark:— There was only one of my 
watermelon seeds that grew and it is in bloom 
now (August 24). I have a small flower gar¬ 
den this Summer, and an onion bed, some 
cabbage, some lettuce and six Cbater Holly¬ 
hock plants. We divided the seeds with a 
neighbor. We have 200 Golden Ileartwell 
Crlery plants, three Gem Squash vines and 
11 catalpa plants. We have 146 hills of flint 
corn. Caddie Rhed. 
Lucas Co., Ohio. 
Dear Uncle Mark. —As I have not seen 
any 'etters from this part of the State, I will 
try to write one. We live on a farm about 
two miles and a half from Ovid which is our 
nearest town. We have a large raspberry 
and blackberry patch. We also have a very 
large peach and apple orchard. Our flowers 
are doing very poorly this year, scarcely 
any of the seeds which the Rural so kindly 
sent us came up, but we are locking for better 
success next year. We have six horses and 
two cows. Your niece, Satie M. Chapman. 
Seneca Co., N, Y. 
Dear Uncle Mark:— My prize water¬ 
melons are not doing very well on account of 
dry weather. 1 had six watermelon seeds and 
one muskmelon seed. I planted them in three 
hills. Four of the watermelon seeds came up, 
but two of them were destroyed. I found a 
nest of some kind of a worm something like 
the silk worm. The worm was about an inch 
and-a quarter long and of a dark brown color. 
Would you please give its name? I will send 
you a piece of the nest. Your niece, 
Lois Spencer. 
[Could not name the insect from so brief a 
desci iption. u. m ] 
It is expected always that girls will help 
their mothers about household affairs, but 
sometimes we come across a boy who thinks 
that “ helping mother” is out of his line of 
duty; that his work is out-of doors, in the gar¬ 
den or broad fields, and that it is “undignified” 
to be found helping about the domestic affairs 
indoors. Largely his work must be out of- 
doors; he is strong, hale and hearty, and 
farming needs strong hands and williog hearts 
to make it a success; in short, he is better 
adapted for such work. 
But there is a time before boys become 
strong enough to labor hard at farmwork 
when they could do much to “ help mother” 
with her too arduous duties; nor would we 
have them stop when they are big enough to 
hold a plow or ride the mowing machine. It 
is not necessary to mention the many, many 
ways that boys can “help mother” wonder¬ 
fully; there are certain duties peculiar to 
every farm household and there are others 
that differ w idely, so each boy should be on 
the lookout for the best way to lend bis assis¬ 
tance. In general, a mother has too much run¬ 
ning about the house to do, and 1 think if a 
boy were to try to “save steps” for her he 
would be doing her an inestimable favor. 
Hard work at sewing and mending, at wash¬ 
ing and ironing, at cooking and scrubbing is 
hard work, bub will not many a mother say 
with me that it is the continual running about 
the house, here and there, up stairs and down, 
that tries her most ? 
If a boy or gill wants to keep on the right 
side of mother (and how easy that can be 
done) they will strive to please her, to help 
her and to obey her, and what a pleasure it 
gives to think you have done something to 
make her burdens a little lighter, her duties 
a little less difficult to bear. Some day mother 
will be bowed down in sickness and her body 
may be racked with pain; how gladly you 
will then help her; how eagerly run at her 
slightest nod! But why not do this for her 
now, and thus it may be w<ard off the sickness 
and pain that comes from overwork! 
I do not forget that boys need to play as 
well as to work; no one can justly deny the 
exuberant spirit of healthy boyhood its 
natural, and sometimes noisy, manifestations, 
but there is a time for work and a time for 
play and neither should seriously encroach 
upon the other. Now boys, and girls too, let 
us think this matter over and see how we can 
“help mother” most, and by pleasing her we 
shall please ourselves much more. 
Uncle Mark. 
AYER’S 
AGUE CURE 
I.S \VA It It A XTKIi to cure all eases of malarial 
disease, sueli as Fever and Agne, Intermit tent or Chill 
Fever, Remittent Fever, Dumb Ague, Bilious Fever 
and Liver Complaint. In case of failure, after due 
trial, dealers are authorized by our circular of July 
1st, 1882, to refund tlxe money. 
Dr. J. C. AYER & CO., Lowell, Mass. 
Sold by ail Druggists. 
fcruumv|*x IjES that Dell I N 
*N IMLKKlblEDY 
“ uiua-i- i mat IJeJSf I'll, K If liitlEDY 
fadstocure. Prepared by J.P.MTU.LK, M I>..916Arch 
»t. X uila Fa. Aon genuine inlfiou-t hi, niunature. Send 
tor circular. Sold by druggists and country stereo, SI. 
ACME ” Pulverizing 
Uncle Mark: —It is time I was writing 
again, if I fulfill a Cousin’s agreement to 
write tw ice a year. Itw'asso cold and wet this 
Spring that 1 did not have good luck with my 
flow ers. I have 14 different kinds of gladioli 
and a nice bed of nasturtiums. I wish you 
and the Cousins could see them! The Rural 
Picotees are very nice again this Summer. 
Hollyhocks are growing nicely, but will not 
bloom this Summer. Our celery seed all 
grew” had plants to divide with our neigh¬ 
bors. Parsley seed grew and is very pretty. 
Our squash seed came up and two of my 
watermelon seeds. 1 had a hard time wdth 
the bugs, but saved them. So I have a large 
Rural garden of wh>ch I am very proud, and 
I thunk you very much for the seed. 
Your niece, Ada Shaffner. 
Washington Co., Iowa. 
Dear Uncle Mark: We thought we would 
write and tell you of our success in gardening 
this Summer. The melon seeds you sent us 
did not grow; we planted the seeds very care¬ 
fully, but it was so wet and cold afterwards 
that only one plunt came up and that died 
soon after. We were quite disappointed 
about them. My brother Ernest and I sent 
for eight choice kinds of flower seeds, but 
some of them did not come up; those that did 
grow were very nice. We have a little flower 
garden, 16x16 feet in s-ize, like the design given 
in a Spring number of t:.e Rural. We have 
nice pansies, portulacas, geraniums, migno¬ 
nette, phlox, and a good many others. My 
brother and I have a lot of nice onions for 
setts; they are doing nicely. We live in a 
beautiful part of the country, called the Haw- 
patch. It is very level and the soil rich. Price 
of land around where we live is from $ 100 to 
$125 per acre. When will the discussions of 
the Club commence agaiu ? Your nephews, 
Walter and Ernest Franks. 
Noble Co., Ind. 
[The Discussions will begin just as soon as 
the members of the Club will send in their 
remarks on the question lately given.—u. m.] 
contains by means of 
tests which can ouly discover the well-known 
and for the most part cruder fubstances in 
nature. 
The truth is, that chemistry, yet compara¬ 
tively in its infancy, is at fault here, and fails 
to discover by any of its methods this new 
substance which we know to exUt, and in the 
use of which we ure curing diseases which no 
physician has been able to ret ch, arresting the 
progress of maladies which hitherto ended 
with death, giving ease from pain and suffer 
ing, and sending strength and vitality into 
the weakened nerves and relaxed muscles of 
thousands to whom life bad become a burden. 
Aud chemistry, notwithstanding its won¬ 
derful achievements during the past forty 
years, in which time it has discovered a large 
number of elemental substauces unknown be¬ 
fore, is equally at fault in detecting the in¬ 
visible malaria which vitiates the atmosphere 
and sends sickness and death throughout 
whole districts of country. 
it is at fault when it attempts to find the 
morbid element in small pox or vaccine virus. 
It is at fault, and cannot give a test whereby 
to discover the peculiar taint, or nidus, in 
which typhoid fever, scarlatina, yellow fever, 
diphtheria, measles, or the various so-called 
blood poisoned diseases originate 
Aud it is at fault iu any effort to discover 
in a honKBopatbic remedy the particular sub¬ 
stance held m potency above the third atten¬ 
uation. 
Referring to hydrophobia, and blood-poison 
by a venomous snake, in connection with the 
mystery that still surrounds these affections, 
the London Nature says: 
“The poison in one xs a uatural secretion, 
provided for the distinct physiological pur¬ 
pose of enabling the reptile to secure its prej ; 
in the other, a new and morbid product genex - 
ated by disease in a secretion naiui’ally innox¬ 
ious—whether by chemical decomposition or 
by the formation of new com pounds from ma¬ 
terials pre-existent there or from others spec¬ 
ially eliminated from the hi od, we cannot 
sav. For it is to be observed that neither the 
microscope nor chemical examination has 
offered u& any clue to the mysterious ingre¬ 
dient which constitutes the toxcemicproperty 
of these fluids as yet.' 1 
And because chemistry is at fault in any or 
all of these instances, is that a proof that no 
malarial, pestilential, or infectious substances 
exist ? 
That they do exist, we know too well; aud 
HARROW, CLOD CRUSHER 
AND LEVELER. 
The “A C'JWK” subjects the soil to the action of a 
((rusher and l.c vt*ler, aud at tVe saxne time to the 
CntUiiK. Lifting, Turning process of double 
rows of .Steel Coulters, the peculiar shape and ar¬ 
rangement of which give tmuien sc i-miiua uow- 
cr. The entire obscure of Spikes or Spring 
Teeth avoids pulling up and scattering of rubbisn. 
It Is especially ndnpted to Inverted sod. hard clay 
and “slough land ” where other Harrows utterly fail, 
and aiiio works perfectly on tight soil. 
Sent on trial to responsible farmers anywhere in 
the United Slates. Agents wanted. Bend for circular 
JV’d&H A* H H O It , >ol t .a ntvfait urtrM , 
Harrisbubg, and 32 Coi.ujoe Placr 
Penn., New York City. 
YOUNG QUERIST. 
Caddie R , Sylxania, O., asks if the catalpa 
plants have to be protected during Winter. 
Ans. —You can cover them with straw or 
remove them to the cellar after the leaves 
have fallen off. Transplant them, in that 
case, into boxes. 
Pansy, Siveelland, Mich , wishes to know 
where she can get books on drawing. 
Ans.— If you will tell us what books you 
wish, we will gladly refer you to a firm dealing 
in them. Any large book-store should keep 
books on drawing. 
M. E. S., Silver Springs, Iowa , asks the 
names of two or three of the prettiest ferns 
for ornamental plants. 
Ans. —Adiantutn farleyense is a beautiful 
Maiden-hair fer", also A. graeillimuin. A 
fern well adapted for hanging baskets is one 
with the curious name Poly podium kurrudi- 
anium. 
L. E. S.. Mahone, Fa., wants to know 
what the the cotelydons of plants are. 
Ans.— An illustration will convey the best 
idea. Take, for instance, a bean and plant 
FiVE-TON 
All Iron and Steel,Bouts Toll fleam. Jouea he 
pays tins freight. All mre» equally loie,for free 
book, mldrera 
JONES OF BINGHAMTON, repj ppj 
B'ngiintsu, IT. 7 . 
Queen the South 
D=O^T , _^13X.E 
FARM MILLS 
For Stock Feed or Meal for 
Family nee. 
10,000 TiT T0TSI3. 
Write for Pamphlet, 
Simpson & Gault M’fg Co. 
Succuasors to St it a up Mii.i, Co. 
CINCINNATI. 0. 
Can now group a fortune. Outfit 
worth $10 free. RIDEOUT & CO. 
10 Barclay St., New York. 
