SEPT U 
6H 
of 150 to 200 bushels per acre. Now let’s see 
about how this corn looks in the field: 
With rows four feet wide and hills 20 inches 
in the drill, three average ears to the hill will 
give about 185 bushels to the acre. With 
rows four feet wide, stalks or hills 12 inches 
in the drill, one ear to the stalk will give 102 
bushels'per acre, or two good average ears to 
the stalk will give about 204 bushels to the 
acre, or'21,624 ears to the acre, which, if shell¬ 
ed, will completely cover one acre of laud; and 
if the variety be the large Southern Shoepeg, 
(which counts out about 13,000 grains to the 
bushel) and the grains lie touching each other, 
it will form a continuous row of grains 166 
miles long, or if the corn rows be 2% feet 
wide and the ears be laid lengthwise of the 
rows, every row on the acre will have a con¬ 
tinuous line of ears touching each other all 
over the acre. A yield of 200 bushels on one 
acre of land will “ bread ” two families with 
a husband, wife and six children each, and 
furnish forage for one cow to each family; or 
will “ bread ” a family of five persons and 
furnish grain and forage for a pair of horses 
one year. If a South Carolina farmer beats 
the United States on the best acre of corn this 
year, our Board of Agriculture has arranged 
for a premium of $1,000, or $100 will be given 
for the best acre grown in this State whether 
the United States is beaten or not. 
Anderson County, S. C. j. c. stribling. 
Farming Pays.— The successful farmer is 
the one that conducts his farming operations 
in a prompt, business-like manner. He is the 
one that never has an ailing animal from the 
lack of proper care, food and shelter. He is 
the man that works with his brains as well as 
his hands. But it is not only this class that 
makes farming pay, but farming pays the in¬ 
dolent, shiftless farmer better than any other 
business possibly could. Any other occupa¬ 
tion pursued in the same manner would re¬ 
sult in utter and complete failure. Although 
he may do little else but growl, yet he 
generally manages to make a living by farm¬ 
ing, while in any other business he would 
from necessity become an object of charity. 
Watkins, N. Y. O. c. 
Wtwum’s IDorK, 
CONDUCTED BY EMILY LOUISE TAPLIN. 
CHAT BY THE WAY. 
W HAT is the proper time to marry ? One 
forlorn maiden sighs: “Whenever 
you get the opportunity;” but this is looking 
at the matter in a very frivolous light. The 
Hospital Magazine says that the best time for 
the average civilized woman to marry is any 
time between 24 and 36 years of age, It is 
not said that no woman should marry earlier 
or later than either of these ages; but youth 
and health and vigor are ordinarily at their 
highest perfection between these two periods. 
Very early marriages are seldom desirable 
for girls, and that for many reasons. The 
brain is immature, the reason is feeble and 
the character is unformed. The considera¬ 
tions which would prompt a girl to marry at 
17 would in many cases have very little 
weight with her at 24. At 17 she is a child, 
at 24 a woman. Where a girl has intelligent 
parents the seven years between 17 and 24 are 
the period when mind and body are most 
amenable to wise discipline, and best repay 
the thought and toil devoted to their develop¬ 
ment. Before 17 few girls have learned to 
understand what life is, what discipline is, 
what duty is. They cannot value what is 
best, either in the father’s wisdom or in the 
mother’s tenderness. When married at that 
childish period, they are like young recruits 
taken fresh from the farm and the workshop 
and hurried off to a long campaign without 
any period of preliminary drill and training, 
or like a schoolboy removed from school to a 
curacy without being sent to the university 
or to a theological hall. Who can help griev¬ 
ing over a child-wife, especially if she has 
children and a husband who is an experienced 
and possibly exacting boy-man ? The ardor 
of his love soon cools; the visionary bliss of 
her poetical imagination vanishes like the 
summer mist; there is nothing left but disap¬ 
pointment and wonder that what promised to 
be so beautiful and long a day should have 
clouded over almost before sunrise. 
Sensible people will agree to this. We know 
girls who married at 14 and 15; at 30 they are 
elderly women, too often broken down with 
illness caused by over-work and too early ma¬ 
turity. These very young marriages are us¬ 
ually among people of small means; they are 
most prevalent among factory or mill opera¬ 
tives, both here and abroad. Very often the 
young wife can’t even make bread, ana it is 
our fixed opinion that no girl who does not 
possets a sure income in her own right ought 
to marry until she is competent to cook a 
good meal and manage a house. 
♦ * * 
We women certainly can do a good many 
things well, though the men do not always 
admit it. We don’t always get credit for our 
cleverness; but a recent writer in the Boston 
Times gives quite a list of things easy enough 
to woman, but impossible to man. He says 
that the average woman can come to a con¬ 
clusion without the slightest trouble of reason¬ 
ing on it, and no sane man can do that. 
Six of them can talk at once and get along 
first-rate, and no two men can do that. 
She can safely stick 50 pins in her dress 
while he is getting one under his thumb nail. 
She is cool as a cucumber in half a dozen 
tight dresses and skirts, while a man will 
sweat and fume and growl in one loose shirt. 
She can talk as sweet as peaches and cream 
to the woman she hates, while two men would 
be punching each other’s head before they had 
exchanged 10 words. 
She can throw a stone with a curve that 
would be a fortune to a base-ball pitcher. 
She can say “ no ” in such a low voice that 
it means “ yes.” 
She can sharpen a lead-pencil if you give 
her plenty of time and plenty of pencils. 
She can dance all night in a pair of shoes 
two sizes too small for her, and enjoy every 
minute of the time. 
She can appreciate a kiss from her husband 
75 years after the marriage ceremony is per¬ 
formed. 
She can go to church and afterward tell you 
what every woman in the congregation had 
on, and in some rare instances can give you 
some faint idea of what the text was. 
She can walk half the night with a colicky 
baby in her arms without once expressing the 
desire of murdering the infant. 
Sue can do more in a minute than a man 
can do in an hour, and do it better. 
SOME DAINTY FURNISHING. 
T HE problem of furnishing a big, bare, 
country parlor presents itself to many 
young house-keepers, and there is no doubt 
that a recent description in the Art Inter¬ 
change will be of service to such. It com¬ 
bines artistic beauty with economy—not al¬ 
ways an easy matter. The parlor furniture 
described cost, altogether, $50. It was a 
large room, with six windows. The fire¬ 
place was in the middle of the room, so that 
there were two awkward little passages be¬ 
tween the chimney and the wall, which ended 
in two tall windows. In the center of the 
floor was a square of dark-blue Canton mat¬ 
ting 18 by 22 inches, the remainder being 
painted ochre yellow. This cost $1 for paint 
and varnish, and $7 for the matting. The 
walls were tinted pale yellow, the dado and 
freize being broad bands of rich, dark-blue 
paper. The ingenious furnisher then bought 
a bamboo railing and lined it with blue make- 
believe India silk—really soft cambric—and 
put it up over the narrow passages that sep¬ 
arated chimney from walls. From this she 
suspended on rings portiferes of Japanese silk, 
having a border of gold worked in conven¬ 
tional figures. They were bought at a bar¬ 
gain for $3, but reduced the awkward size of 
the room, giving it a graceful irregularity. 
There were six tall, many-paned win¬ 
dows, trimmed, first, with plain shades, and 
then with curtains hung from rattan canes. 
The curtains hung in straight folds, the sticks 
being run into the stuff so that half a yard 
hung over and formed a lambrequin. They 
were made of straw-colored scrim at five cents 
a yard, but dainty designs painted on the 
lambrequin and border showed a wide band 
of morning-glories, daisies, running vines, 
Virginia Creeper and trumpet flowers out¬ 
lined in gaily-colored silks. The center-table 
was a huge hogshead, its ample form covered 
with a full petticoat of rich yellow sateen 
that fell in charming folds on the blue mat¬ 
ting. Its top most securely nailed on, held a 
student’s lamp wjih two burners, the shades 
of which were both covered with yellow 
India silk, on which moths and butterflies 
were painted and outlined in Kensington em¬ 
broidery. 
The book-case was made of three dry-goods 
boxes, painted black, as least conspicuous 
(and a rough board will not ebonize) ;the sides, 
inside and out, were covered with folds of 
yellow sateen, tacked in place with gold 
tacks, and graduating in size, so that it 
formed a pretty and unique piece of furniture. 
On top of this book-case stood a huge 
jar. This had been a bottle-jar of 
dismal snuff-brown; the artist painted it 
dark blue, glazed it with varnish, and filled 
it with golden-rod and wood-lilies, and a back¬ 
ground of cat-tails; and then she twined it 
with the luxuriant Virginia Creeper and trum¬ 
pet^ flower whose bell-shaped, ruddy flowers 
are a delight to color-loving eyes. The great 
difficulty was in providing sofa and chairs. 
Thirty-three dollars accomplished this, secur¬ 
ing a rattan sofa, two arm-chairs and two 
rocking-chairs, a little willow- rocker at 75 
cents, and a couple of stump chairs with rat¬ 
tan backs. The sofa was made a real resting 
place by covering it entirely with a mattress 
of cat-tail down. It required three layers of 
muslin and cat-tails, then a cover of muslin, 
and then one of light blue denim, through 
which mattress stitches were taken, fasten 
ing it securely to the sofa. The pillows on 
this sofa are of red, blue, yellow and sage- 
green linen. A similar cushion was put in 
each chair. 
An upright piano, placed so as to cut off 
another corner, had a gray linen cover,worked 
in conventional designs in colored wash silk. 
In odd corners were three little comer cup¬ 
boards and cabinets, worth 50 cents each, 
which were respectively stained in antique 
oak, in cherry, and enameled white, each 
with a little China silk curtain on a brass rod, 
pulled aside to show trifles of bric-a-brac. 
The fire-place was tilled with a mass of gor¬ 
geous wild-flowers. On the tall, ungraceful 
mantel was a mirror its full length, frameless 
and not of very fine glass ; but this did not 
show. On it, all around the edge, was painted 
a trailing vine of morning-glory and Virginia 
Creeper. Books were everywhere, and maga¬ 
zines, and the pretty colored prints that come 
with first-class art magazines were pinned 
with easy negligence on the wall, instead of 
framing. As the Art Interchange describes, 
it was a charming interior, and one that will 
suggest ideas to many busy fingers. 
material at your command in the usual places, 
and see if you have not provided for stable 
use a grateful protection for the poor, wor¬ 
ried horses. 
VERY HOMELY JOTTINGS. 
OLIVE E. DANA. 
S OME one told us lately that a good way 
to improve the looks or pies is to wet the 
upper surface all over with cold, sweet mdk 
just before putting into the oven. The milk 
may be applied with a bit of clean cloth, a 
brush kept for such uses, or the tip3 of the fin¬ 
gers. I was delighted with tlie fine glaze the 
new way gave, and with the delicious brown 
hue the upper crust, so treated, took. 
Cookies and hard ginger-bread get a fine 
gloss treated in the same way. 
The flat, handleless covers of tin lard pails, 
which accumulate so rapidly, are very handy 
to hold pie-plates, with pies in them, just 
taken out of the oven. I keep a stock to 
serve as pie-holders, and they save soiling 
shelves and table-cloths. 
I have been much troubled ere this with 
the crusts of custard and pumpkin-pies. 
They would sometimes break around the rim, 
when the crust was built up, and for no appar¬ 
ent reason. I tried a suggestion of Adelaide 
Cilly Waldren, in the “Cozy Corner” of 
wood Housekeeping,” with good success. 
She advises exposing the crust, adjusted to the 
plate and ready for filling, to a current of 
cold, dry air for some minutes. Try it!- 
If you haven’t a fine, japanned cake box, and 
find that an earthern jar or any other tight 
receptacle makes the frosting melt, try a new 
pasto-board one, of convenient size, and lined 
with fresh paper. In a cool, dry, dark place 
it serves very well for a short time. I have 
found, too, that an apple or two placed in the 
cake-box or jar seem to help keep the cake 
from drying. But ordinary sorts of cake, it 
seems to me are much better eaten at once or 
within two or three days at longest. It is 
better to bake less and oftener. 
An excellent relish for breakfast or tea may 
be had from any cold corn left from dinner. 
Cut the corn from the cob, and put into a 
saucepan with milk enough to cover the corn 
and a little more for broth. Add a little but¬ 
ter, salt and pepper ; let it come to a boil, 
and serve hot. 
Another good relish for breakfast, dinner, or 
even tea, with cold meat, is made of either 
green or ripe tomatoes. Wipe the tomatoes 
carefully with, first, a wet and then a dry cloth 
and cut out all specks. Slice rather thinly, 
and put over the fire in a granite or porcelain 
stew-pan with equal parts of vinegar and 
water to cover them. Cook till nearly tender 
enough to eat, then drain, add vinegar to 
cover, a little butter, salt and pepper, and 
simmer again somo minutes. May be used 
warm or cold, but is better quite cold. 
Probably horses, especially while in the 
stable, suffer more than people do in fly-time. 
Some very serviceable though homely fly- 
blankets may be made of shirts, bags, or any 
other coarse, thin bagging. Take two similar 
bags, cut out the seam of each so as to leave 
a rather long piece, sew together very firmly 
the longest way, and hem the edges. We 
used for thread twine such as comes around 
grocery-parcels, and threaded it into a darn¬ 
ing-needle. Sew straps of the strongest 
GOLDEN GRAINS. 
L YMAN ABBOTT says that if aman builds, 
Nature straightway sets to work to 
undo his building. Rust eats into the iron 
and decay into the wood, and little by little 
time ravages and destroys. But if a man 
plants, Nature proceeds to complete his unfin¬ 
ished work. He sows a seed, and behold 
wheat; he plantsa cutting, and behold a tree. 
Such is the difference between working alone 
and working with God. 
In preaching, said Beecher, never tuni 
aside from a laugh any more than you would 
from a cry. If mirth comes up naturally, do 
not stifle it; strike that chord, and particular¬ 
ly if you want to make an audience weep. If 
I make them laugh, I do not thank anybody 
for the next move: I will make them cry. 
Did you ever see a woman carrying a pan of 
milk quite full, and it slops over on one side, 
that it did not immediately slop over on the 
other also ? . 
Where Is the use of the lips’ red charm, 
The heaven of hair, the pride of the brow, 
And the blood that blues the inside arm. 
Unless we turn, as the soul knows how, 
The earthly gift to an end divine? 
—Robert Browning. 
The Christian Inquirer says that many 
a man can show resignation in a great bereav- 
ment, whose daily life is in large part devoted 
to grumbling over the little ills of life. 
The Christian Union says that he who 
has a well-defined purpose in life finds that all 
his time and all his energies are not too much 
to devote to that purpose. He who lacks 
such a purpose knows nothing of the true en¬ 
joyment of life. "What are you living for? If 
you cannot answer that question, your life is 
a failure. 
“ As we meet and touch each day, 
The many travelers on our way, 
Let every such brief contact be 
A glorious, helpful ministry; 
The contact of the soil and seed, 
Each giving to the other’s need, 
Each helping on the other’s best. 
And blessing each as well as blest.” 
— Coolidge. 
Nothing under a thorough change will 
suffice, says Robert Southey; neither tears nor 
trouhle of mind, neither good desires nor in¬ 
tentions, nor yet the relinquishment of some 
sins, nor the performance of some good works 
will avail anything, but a new “ creature,” a 
word that comprehends more in it than words 
can well express; and perhaps after all that 
can be said of it, never thoroughly to be un¬ 
derstood by what a man bears from others, 
but by what he must feel within himself. 
The London Daily News tells this inter¬ 
esting anecdote in a sketch of the late Laura 
Bridgman: “When Carlyle impertinently 
asked, ‘ What great or noble thing has 
America ever done?’ somebody replied, ‘She 
has produced a girl, deaf, dumb, and blind 
from infancy, who, from her own earnings, 
has sent a barrel of flour to the starving sub¬ 
jects of Great Britian in Ireland.’”.„ 
CONDUCTED BY MRS. AGNES E. M. CARMAN. 
“ This life Is not all sunshine. 
Nor is It yet all showers, 
But8tormsand calms alternate 
As thorns among the flowers. 
And while we seek the roses, 
The thorns full oft we scan, 
Still let us though they wound us, 
Be happy as we can.” 
AROUND THE HOUSE. 
ANNIE L. JACK. 
^ \ ND the rain descended.” Steadily 
J-JL since the first few weeks of spring 
the rain has fallen, and hay, grain, fruit and 
$UsrfUMMu$i 
H ften Hatty was sic*, we gave her i 
When she was a Child, she cried for Castorla 
When she became Miss, she clung to Castorhk 
Wbew she hat 1 Children she gave them Caatort* 
