to myself, what an endless job this man has on 
his hands. It appeared to me that it would 
require a year to plow the field. Cau one who 
has made a thousand dollars in a day be 
satisfied with such slow, dreary, unintellectual 
work as this? There was a time when I was 
contented to hold a plow from Funriso to sun¬ 
set; but that was many years ago, aud I had 
almost forgotten how slowly the plow moved 
through the soil. Another man was “dragging” 
in the same-field, clouds of dust enveloping him 
as he plodded on slowly and monotonously 
through the yielding soil. When a boy I har¬ 
rowed many fields like this, unmindful of the 
dust or the wearisome march. 
In order to hasten my journey, I struck 
across lots through a piece of timber. The 
autumn leaves had fallen, aud my tread dis¬ 
turbed the partridge and rabbits by the way. 
Coming t< > a clearing. I discovered a man with 
a long-handled hoe, hauling black mud out of 
a ditch. His hands were knotty and callused, 
his face stained with smoko, but bis efforts 
were well directed aud pushed with great 
vigor. I asked if he owned the clearing. He 
replied that he had purchased it three years 
before. I noticed that stamps and fallen logs 
were burning in different parts of the field, 
apparently receiving his attention, aud I in¬ 
quired if he bad been at this work of clearing 
up all Summer. He replied that this was the 
third year he had been at work clearing this 
tract, the whole of which did not embrace over 
20 acres, and could not have been worth more 
than the labor ho bail expended upon it, as 
much of it was low aud undrained. A slow 
way of making money, thought. I to myself, as 
I marched along. 
I had visited out- farm only once before, and 
then only hastily. I arrived at the farm¬ 
house at dusk, and as the doors were not bolt¬ 
ed, I entered unhindered through the back 
way. If there is one thing more desolate than 
another, it is an empty farm-house on a run¬ 
down farm. The plastering was tom from the 
walls, glass was often missing from the win¬ 
dows, the paint was scratched and soiled on 
the wainscotting. The only ornaments the 
rooms contained were an old broken chair and 
table in advanced stages of dilapidation. I 
hastily built a fire in this same fire-place, 
which soon beamed forth merrily, and did 
much to dispel the loneliness of my surround- 
iuprs. Thic .l.iui', I W<>k«d out of tJu> window 
upon the garden, which was in keeping with 
the general desolation; the bare arms of tall 
weeds swayed in the wind, half dead trees were 
straggling about in every direction, striving 
to keep up with the fences in their crooked 
rambles; ancient grape-vines as large as 
my arm were hanging without support, 
and everywhere ns far as I could 
see, there was a general break up of 
order, and a reign of confusion and aban¬ 
donment. Having nothing to read, or other, 
wise amuse myself, aud being exceedingly 
tired, I hastened to my cot, which had been 
sent on in advance. I did not know a soul in 
the vicinity, and had no idea whether 1 might 
not be located among a lot of horse thieves, or 
worse. The question arose in my mind as the 
midnight darkness came upon me, whether in 
case I was surrounded by such a class I might not 
be disturbed in my slumbers by a demand for 
my money, or my life. As the night progress¬ 
ed, the October winds howled and whistled 
around the corners of the house, rattling the 
crazy bliuds and throwing out the old hats and 
other temporary barricades that had been 
placed in the broken windows. I remember 
placing a boot-jack against one broken glass, 
and thrusting a pillow in another, the night 
being quite cold, and the blast exceedingly un¬ 
inviting. As the embers on the fire-place grew 
dim, I discovered that I was not alone iu the 
house as I had supposed, for one after another 
numerous enormous rats made their appear- 
auce dancing in the most convivial manner, 
now over the floor, and now over the bed iu 
close contact, with my nose. 
Thought I to myself, here’s an experience! 
Here I am, a boy who lias spent 12 years of bis 
life behind the cashier's desk of a commercial 
house in the city, handling greenbacks daily 
by the barrel, now transplanted to this dreary, 
desolate, tangled, stumpy, rocky, uudrained, 
untilled. run-down farm. Of course, every one 
will prophesy failure, and a hasty return to 
the city. W ill their predictions be true? Will 
these hands that have grown white and soft 
endure the blistering of the hoe and prun¬ 
ing knife? Will the wife aud children accus¬ 
tomed to the luxuries of the city, be content¬ 
ed in such a desolate place? 
For myself 1 had no fears, for I had been 
born and bred a farmer. Had it been otherwise 
my success would have been exceedingly 
doubtful. But as it was, I had a good under¬ 
standing of all I was about to undertake, aud 
knew it was not a holiday undertaking, but a 
hand to hand struggle with the elements. It 
is natural to seek positions of ease, and to 
shrink from such tasks as I was about to 
undertake, and yet, positions of ease arejiot 
for our good. We would choose to be shel¬ 
tered like some weak tree in the midst of the 
forest. How much better that we should stand 
alone, exposed to the blasts on the hill-top, 
that we may send our roots deep into the soil, 
and accumulate knotty arms that the tempests 
cannot break down. 
As I lay looking into the dying embers, the 
wind diet! away gradually, the rats, seeming 
to have satisfied their curiosity concerning 
me, had scampered away, and when next. I 
regained consciousness the morning sun was 
beaming in upon me from the windows. 
quantity of milk set down, a certain number 
of points being allowed. The total solids were 
then ascertained, and two points for every one 
per cent, were allowed. The time since calv¬ 
ing in days was then given, for which l-10th 
per cent, was allowed. These points were then 
totaled, and if the fat had failed to reach a 
certain standard, a deduction was made, which 
told against the cow. Thus, for example: take 
one of the prize cows she had calved 123 days, 
and received 80.56 points, as follows:— 
lbs. points. 
Weight of milk In 24 hours. 
32 
13-7(5 
32 
13-76 
5-23 
S per cent. Is the fat standard. 
Add or deduct 1 1 per cent, for every 1 per 
cent, above or below-consequently add 
2255 
Time since calving... 123 days. 
Add one point for every 10 days. 123 
Hydrophobia. —The recent “road-dog” ex 
citement has called out a multitude of articles 
on hydrophobia and its treatment. It is well 
that the public should be educated in this mat¬ 
ter. Hydrophobia is the most horrible dis¬ 
ease imaginable. Statistics show that, it is far 
more prevalent than has been supposed. When 
we consider the damage a single rabid animal 
can work in a community, there Is grave 
reason for apprehension. Tbe experiments of 
M. Pasteur may lead to a practical and satis¬ 
factory treatment of the disease: yet it will be 
years, in any event, before this treatment can 
be made general. In many instances the dis¬ 
ease develops in so short a time, that a journey 
for treatment, as is now necessary, would be 
impossible. Prevention is far better than any 
possible treatment. The history of the disease 
in EngJaud and in Europe will show that the 
number of sufferers has always been rapidly 
diminished whenever the people became nerv¬ 
ous and consequently took better care of dogs. 
The disease is alwaj's communicated to man 
by dogs, and hence the only means of stamping 
it out seems plain. Prompt and decisive 
measures are needed, particularly in the large 
cities. Every homeless and wandering dog 
should be killed at once. All dogs running at 
large, should he securely muzzled. Every 
license should have, printed plainly upon it. 
the symptoms of rabies in simple and easily 
understood language. The owner of every 
licensed mad dog should be held to be guilty 
Of a crime. It is thought that many persons 
are frightened into the disease. People gener¬ 
ally believe there is no cure for it, and im¬ 
mediately after the bite, give up in despair, 
leaving tbemindin just the condition to aggra¬ 
vate the trouble. The truth of the matter is that 
hydrophobia does not always develop from the 
bite of a rabid dog, and that with prompt 
treatment and strong will power, the disease 
may be warded off in a majority of cases. The 
most dangerous wounds are those inflicted 
upon the hands, face or Other exposed, portions 
of the person. A bite through the clothing is 
rarely dangerous. Dr. Alfred Jewell, a dis¬ 
tinguished Euglish veterinary surgeon, in a 
recent lecture on this subject, said a wound in¬ 
flicted by a rabid dog should be immediately 
washed with cold water ; placing the part under 
a tap and allowing a free stream of this fluid 
to run on it is best. The wound afterwards 
(provided the person has no sores on the lips 
or tongucl should lie well sucked, and caustic- 
should afterwards be applied. Suction alone 
should never be depended on. There is a 
difference of opinion aiqong medical men as to 
which is the best cautery. Some recommend 
one kind and others another. Nitrate of silver 
is very effectual for superficial wounds or 
scratches, but for a deep puncture the free ap¬ 
plication of nitric acid is best, as it is more 
penetrating than the former caustic. It would 
lx- dangerous to persons with decayed teeth to 
draw the virus into the mouth. ‘“Mad-stones” 
so frequently used In some sections, are of no 
use in determining the disease. If a friend is 
bitten, carry out the instructions noted above 
at once, and keep the patient impressed with 
the idea that his wound is not dangerous, and 
that he will recover. 
The Sparrow a Pest even in England.— 
Miss Eleanor Onnerod, in speaking of the 
sparrow, says that the yearly increase of this 
national agricultural pest, aud the consequent 
loss on graiu crops, takcu in connection with 
its avoidance of insects and its driving away 
of those birds that do feed on them, require 
prompt measures and steady treatment to rid 
the uation of the nuisance. And yet many 
are found who argue that the little Englishman 
is not a pest on our shores! 
A Good Test of Milch Cows. —Our Scotch 
cousins, as we learn from Bell’s Messenger, 
have very level heads in many particulars. For 
instance, last August there was a tidal of cows 
at Edinburgh, which had many features that 
could be followed on this side of the water. 
The prize for the best cow was not given to 
the animal giving the largest quantity of milk, 
nor to the one giving milk of the best quality; 
but the two milkings were weighed aud the 
This seems a very fair way of testing an 
animal, only some account should be taken of 
how much aud how rich food the cow eats. 
THE LATEST AND BRIEFEST. 
Speaking of the rude forms of butter-mak¬ 
ing practiced in some countries. Dr. Davenport 
states that in Brazil they fill a hide with milk, 
and it is tightly closed and then lustily shaken 
by an athletic native at either end, or it is 
dragged about upon the ground after a gallop¬ 
ing horse until the butter comes. In Chili, the 
filled hide is placed upon a donkey’s back, and 
he is trotted about until the butter conies. In 
Morocco, a filled goatskin is rolled about aud 
kneeded by women until the same effect is 
produced ..... 
W. H. YEOMANS tried planting sunflowers, 
so that they might be used as bean poles. He 
says he will never try it again. It may pay 
to raise sunflowers for seed—we have seen 
them raised in the West for fuel—but no 
plant can serve two purposes without slighting 
one . 
A number of papers are discussing the 
question of soaking com for feeding to stock. 
The general verdict 9eems to be that it will 
pay where a few head of stock are kept. 
Where one does business enough to warrant 
him in purchasing a corn mill, or where the 
regular mill is handy, soaking com will prob¬ 
ably be voted “too much bother.” The 
smaller farmer, living at a distance from a 
mitl, will And it profitable ................... 
The Planter’s Journal urges Southern fann¬ 
ers to sow more oats. At the Gulf coast, a 
crop can be harvested in June and be followed 
by a crop of peas with excellent results. 
A correspondent of the Western Rural 
succeeds in keeping his flock of sheep in good 
health. By no means the least important of 
his appliances lie counts a Winchester rifle,two 
good shot guns and a bottle of strychnine. 
The sheep live, but there is a frightful mortal¬ 
ity among dogs at times ..... 
Dr. Hoskins says: “There area good mauy 
meu whose labor cannot be used to profit. 
They are called “cheap bauds,’ but they are the 
dearest help a man can have ”. 
A writer in the Philadelphia Ledger says 
that the correct name for hard times is 
“whisky and tobacco.”. 
The Gregg, as first reported by the Rural, 
is 7io? a hard}* raspberry. But it is large, 
though of poorish quality. 
The Cuthbert is, by general consent, the 
best of the red raspberries. It was first dis¬ 
seminated by the R. N.-Y in its free seed and 
plant distribution. ...— 
The white Aim Arbor Grape drops from the 
stem....... 
TRANSCONTINENTAL 
XLVII. 
LETTERS.- 
ALASKAN SERIES. 
MARY WAGER-FISHER. 
Prince of Wales Island; Scowl's; Tongas; 
native missionaries; back to British Co¬ 
lumbia; news of Grant's death; close of the 
Alaskan cruise; return to Seattle. 
The following morning—July 24—dawned 
clear and warm, with the ship at anchor off 
the coast of Prince of Wales Island in the 
Kassan Bay. Here were also lying the Pin- 
ta and the United States Survey ship, the 
Patterson, which we had met in Ward’s Cove, 
on the upward eruise. Captain Nichols, com¬ 
manding officer on the Pinta, told me that 
strawberries grew farther north, from Glacier 
Bay, up to Cliekhut, and that at the latter 
place the Alpine berry isalso found. But none 
of the mauy persons with whom I talked, had 
ever seen in any part of Alaska blackberries 
or raspberries growing in a wild state, such as 
grow iu most jmrts of the United States. This 
officer also told me that the Prince of Wales 
Island is 180 miles long and 60 wide, in the 
extremest length and width: that it abounds 
in minerals—has gold, silver, copper, marble 
and good bituminous coal: how much, of 
course, is not yet known. 
As the steamship was to lie at anchor at 
this point for the day—another fishing station 
—the captain took us all off in boats, drawn 
by a steam launch from the Patterson, to a 
point five or six miles away, called Scowl s 
House, where we found a charming picnic- 
ground. and spent the day. hampers of prolu¬ 
sion having been brought from the ship in 
care of a number of waiters who spread 
the tables on the thick moss in the 
woods, where I found, for the first time, 
an orchid, growing in abundance, but 
past its first bloom and without leaves. 
About six miles further on was Scowl’s Village, 
a Hycla settlement, which we were very 
desirous of visiting, but the captain deemed it 
too far awav. Scowl was the Hyda chief who 
died last year, and whose imperial brother, 
blind Paul Jones, we had seen in Wrangell, 
in June. Whether the house near the picnic 
ground had been built by Scowl, was a mat¬ 
ter of dispute. It is an uncommonly fine In¬ 
dian house, large, well furnished, with modern 
kitchen furniture, and the four inside posts 
are carved in the finest totem style, while in 
front of the house rises a tall totem 50 feet 
high, perhaps, a very fine one. The top is 
crowned with the figure of a man with a hat 
on his head and with his hands resting on 
the shoulders of two other men below him, 
which indicates that the founder of the pole 
owned two slaves, according to the inter¬ 
pretation given to us by an Indian. The 
house was locked and quite unoccupied. 
On our way back from the picnic, the par¬ 
ty received an invitation to visit the Patter¬ 
son, and spent some little time in peering 
about into the cozy quarters of this beautifully 
fitted up vessel. Senator Miller of California, 
with his wife and daughter, had been guests 
on the “ Patterson ” for some days, baling 
left the “ Ancon n on her upward cruise, and 
rejoined her at this point. Lieutenant Clov¬ 
er in command of the Patterson, is the fiance 
of Miss Miller. That evening we again were 
in motion and next morning, early, stopped 
in Naha Bay to take on a passenger, and in 
the afternoon reached Tongas where we weut 
on shore for two or three hours—having 
touched at this point in going up. in the nigh 
to take on a Custom House officer. The day 
was perfectly clear and “ blazing hot” in the 
sun, and the one white woman we saw here 
was clad in a white gown trimmed with em¬ 
broidery. Tongas consists of two or three 
houses, prettily located on a terrace above a 
very rooky beach, and considerably removed 
is an Indian settlement, with a population vary¬ 
ing between three and four hundred in Win¬ 
ter : but with a few exceptions the Lillians at 
this time were all away hunting and fishing. 
I noticed a number of well kept gardens here, 
the potatoes and peas being particularly fine, 
and in one I saw growing for the first time 
the cultivated red raspberry looking perfectly 
at home. It was a tiresome tramp along a 
narrow path beaten through bog and bush, to 
the Indian ranch, where we found quite a 
number of totem poles which the Indians seem¬ 
ed to be utilizing for monuments to the dead, 
nailing upon them legends, and even cloth¬ 
ing. On the front of one house was an inscrip¬ 
tion in Euglish to the memory of Ebhitts. 
chief of the Tongas tribe, who died last 
year at the age of 100 yea is. We were 
pleasantly entertained for a little time in the 
house of native missionaries, the woman hav¬ 
ing been trained in Mrs. McFarland’s school 
at Wrangell. She told me that in Winter she 
had a school of 45 pupils, and that she 
was paid 8500 a year by a Board of Miss¬ 
ions. Both she and her husband were 
neat and well mannered, and both spoke En¬ 
glish readily. They had a baby that lay qui¬ 
etly in a hammock. Around all the Indian 
houses are wolfish-looking dogs in abundance, 
but I rarely heard one bark, and I never had 
any cause for feeling in the least afraid of 
them. 
Tongas was the last Alaskan port, and that 
evening ive sailed on into the waters of British 
Columbia, passing through Queen Charlotte’s 
Sound in the night, and next morning we were 
in the quiet water of Graham Reach, with its 
beautiful scenery. It was Sunday, aud there 
were priests ou board, both Protestant and 
Catholic; but the captain did not favor hav¬ 
ing any religious service, because of the diver¬ 
sity of sects among the passengers. We had a 
Sunday dinner and ice cream for one of the 
extras—made, presumably, of condensed milk, 
but quite good. On the following day we 
passed the Seymour Narrows about noon, and 
from morn until night we sailed as in the 
northward cruise, amid most enchanting 
scenes of mountains and isles. As the perfect 
evening came ou, we reached Departure Bay, 
and the atmosphere was obscured by the 
smoke.from forest^fires. The ship halted only 
