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rrrr I I) • ri f 4^ J^RAOICA^ MIC£ IN OltCHlARDa I 4on't tblok 1 have ever Been so tna^j field mice aA tlvere are 'IbU aeas- fto. It seeiufl ttk-.y are inoro niujierous during drouth and do more daiuage than at any other time. (U'ow«wri auya a writer, they girdle trcea during the winder aeaaon. und«>r tht; suovwalso, un- lem the trees ha.va been (-arefully cared for and jirotecled. These who have not done this work yet abould not delay one day. Do it to-oiorrow, e«]>ecially if th^-re is O/uy rubFtiah, wanda or griuia around your treeeâ€" and th<^re ia this fall, for H|>ring and early Biuumer made a strong growth of vegetation of all kinda. I have no doubt but that there are tboua- aada of apple treea already girdled in Ohio. The drouth was so gem-.ral and «o severe that soon after the first of October th<*re waa not a green spear of iraas to lie seen here. It was then that theae little rodents rouiuuenced their irork. It would seem that they do it more then on aoruunt oC the alisence of inythiag else gieen to eat. Unwenrer, they will girdle trera loora or lass even when graaa is grr«in„ id they are ai» nu- merous an thia season. It can eaaiiy be area, now since the raina have comoh how full they are of fresh clover; bow (tbey eat out the crown â€" in fat-t kill a large luoount of it. In spite of (Are and vigilaace w« loat two trees in Octol^er, nin« yeAra •Id. and a few planted lost spring. The pursed things tackle tr«M-a thia year re- fardleas at sizeâ€" air, eight Inches io diameterâ€" but are uAually worse on roung trees that have no dry, rough Dark an the outside. There are many devices to prevent thia destruction of trees by mioe, and I shall only mention a few which I thiink best. Ih'liere newjy planted trees wore m.ulched, the mulch should be renuncd clean with an iron rake In a circ'e two feet from the trees. Kor trees that wer* not mulched and have OD protection, take a sharp lion, keep a file with you to keep it sbarpC and remove all manner of stuff to the ? round the same distance as for small rees. Uite the hand ii ne<'esHary cloae to Uu4 tre^a. 'IVo men can do several hundred trees per day. The work should have lienn dono this year dur- ing |)ie latter part of S<;pte(nber Around newly planted IrtM's it is best to throw up a little mound of clean earth, six or eight iiiohea high. In the ipri.Tig it may be raked down and the mulch dr.iwn back. Ordinarily if well done tbrt alxive an- r,<crb the iMirpose for one year. Mi<e don't girdle trees unle«s arreened from siaM.. Instinct teaches the little ras- cals of the dangler of some â- |arru>»- hawU's ilartiiig down ujion lh«m by day aad screech owls in the night. (Ry l)i« way, it always doiw iiiic gooil â€" ajid I •toB when I see one of these little hawks fliitteri.ng up in the air uitU his hea<l turned to the earth; and presently he ijarl.i dcrwTi like a shot and flie<ioff with <i I ' le blax'Jc thing in his clutches and lillhts on a slump or fencj( and diB»e<'ts tlic blamed varmint !) Mice aro not like- ly t.> circulate under Uvo snow where it lies on the l>ar« ground, and so Ib^y doa't find the tr«ww wlw>.n the grawtand mulch are ki>i>l away from the trunks. For permATient and lietter work wa put nhout a bushel of fine cinders amimd each treo in cone shape. For Raia.ll trees less will di>. N<»ither mice nor vegetation of any kindl lik'^^ cinders and in the winter the uind and a lit lie sunshine cleuns the lop of the little black miHindn from snow and givejj the Irecs a safe and <<Mn for table avprarance. ^Ve get the cinders fnwn the ele<;tri/- poiver plant. I'bejje are the finest. We want no clinkers which would roll out and lie in the way about ineiwing. ete. They cost Iwwnt'y cents per Io*d. I mice tried wire .screen for (analllsh treca. ^Ve out it twelve inches square and roll it on a round stick, open it iiv Mid spring it around Iho trees and chuck it to the grouud. Ai couple <t1 years runted tlM-.in to pieces and freez- ing heaves It U|> the trees and gives llic mic* a cliance just wli'-re they want it. 1 have Iried tarred |>aper \vrapi)ed around the trees. Neither 1 roved sali.'(fn,(l,>ry. String soon rol- led off and if wire wad u.*'d, il( would â-  iijure the lr«*«-«. In t-onclusion I ad- â-  ise the use of cuiderH if the di.sUnre to haul will not niakii il to«i exi)oiisive. ALL ABOUT THK CHICKHNSi When chirkena have lieen kei>t grow- ing thriftily frcMU the time lh«y were hatched, it roquirea but little care to fit theim for market by or Imfore I'hU'nkagi.vi.ng. When Ihey have U'en iiegleofced, and haw grown but slowly md are only framcfi scantily cov»'.re4 M'itb feathers, the task is more diffi- 9Ult. Aa a first step towanl fattening sep- arate the (XK'kerels from the pulle|.saud then reatritt their range to Hinallci jnardu. To aunh as will Ih large enough lo kill in four or six weeks, give every woming as early as Uiey comei from the roost, la mash of cornmeal, warvu but not hot, made thick and dry •riouigh Ijo criuiible as it in fed oul,i'in which has iieeii mixed dry lieef scraps at I lie fate of a pint to four <iuiirla of meal. If their feed has been print ipally 'wheat make the change gradually by reducing the wniount of bran and innreadlttg the cornuRal, and do not , .(iiert'ivtid at first, giving only what will â-  be eaten up clean very quickly. Ue- ' .move the f(x>d aa soon as they aeamMto M.v« eooug'taL ' Otoaaional meases of boiled potatoes mashed up and made thi^k with the meal may !» given to vary the feed, but do not feed than or other cooked vegetable* too freely. If they have uol griuss, oabliage or lurni{>-leavesmay be uiMxi as a gruen food; but shiuld not be given until aft*r the regular feed* and in liiuited quantitiea. At noon and night give good, sound wheat or com, the latter Iwing preferable for the lust meal oif the day, wh.ch should t>e given just liefore they go \o roost.^ In preparing the mash i's<i iboiling water and cover it up to cook through until cool enough to f«ed out. Oats and wheat are not as good aa corn fox fatteningl. Plenty of clean gravel anrd pure water are Indispensable tor fattening. Guard esi>ecially against draughts of cold air such as would blow across the roosts. A cold at this season' will take off flesh more rapidly than cornmeal con put it on. A temperature of alxty degreea ab night should be maintained, but tbey should not l>e so crowded an to get ^or« than that whan the glass la held near them while on the rooet. As the fleab or fat c&Q be sweat off (is weJI aa worked off. Of course, lice must be kept off by using kerosene on the roosta and walls, and by blowing insect powder among their feathers if nece«sary. A lit tie grease cm the back of the bead and tin- der the wings miy be needed to dis- lodge one soeciea of large gray louse that frequents these points more than elsewhere. CAEED FOfi AND CURED. LITTLE SICK CHILDREN «hort SkrtPk ef ihi; W.rk Dene by Ike Creal nalker \ur(c--Tke Hvsplul fr SIek Cklldrcn. Tarsals. From every country In tb« Province of Ontario children are admitted into tha HospiUl for Bick Childreii at Tor- onto, free if their parenU cannot af- ford to pay. And few of the poor Uttle sulferera who are nurtaed and cared for aavo COMMEBTIAL PLUM ORCHARD. In planting a commercial plum orch- ard, location, varietiea and manage- ment mtaii be well considered. While the plum is not so sensitive to location «« the peach, it will not bi-ar the »ieg^ left which ao frequently falls to the »pple. A good elevation is desirable, but not absolutely essential to success, provided other conditions are favorable, such as a good soil and thorough drain- agek There should be but few varitiea in a ouinmercial orchard, Ifut thoaei sel- ected should convbine si/e, quality, and a fine appearanoe. Aa a rule, blue and purple plum sell best, as the yellow varieties are frequently placed on the market before they are ripe. A good general list will include the following: Of the dark kinds, Urad- abaw, IJuane Purple, German Prune, Lombard t;nglel)ert, Quackenboss; nf the yellow sorts, Coe's Goldxn Drop, Gen- eral Hand, Jefferson, Yellow Kgg. There are many other excellent varietiea. but the above is a good general list. Of the •Tapanese plumn. Abundance, Iiur))ank, I^iley, .Sataurna and Willard have been highly recTuiuuendvd. Thorough cultivation, early and fre- quent B|iraying, and Ihe jarring sheet for «-urculio, are nrnxvatary to succ. hs Before the lea.ves start, gO over the or- chard and carefully cut out aud burn all block knot. Thia is imperative. The treea should receive wlia.1 pruning they require liefore the buda start, and tha first spraying slu>uld be given, just aa the buds are -opening. Corn and {>ota- toes may Ix! plants <1 in young orchards, but IVIien the tre^a come into liearing, tbey should receive the full usa of the land. Never aow wlwiat or oats aaiiong treea. as tlicy are sure to rul> th«i orch- ard of more tJian they rciturn the own- er. STIIEAKY UirTTER. If the veaael nuitaaning tbe creant is exjioaed to tbe action ofi thm atmosphere a part of the ntuiature will evaporate a part of the moiHture will e\'aporat«v and a Btsaiu. or .tkin will be formed un the tuj> uf the cr<^aIU. Thia will Im broken up in the churning and there will be portions of thickened dried croa.m in the Imt ter. I*r»vention is letter tlian any nltt^npt at cure, l.et tbe creium vess«l be covered and l>y fre- qup,nt stirring prevent tlie skin of dried creaiu The straining of the cream in- to tbe churn is also a good means of keepi,ng spetks uf lhi<'kened urea,m or curd from finding tlwir way into the Imtter. Oa-asioiially Jiutter-ouakerK, find the butter full uf atreaka. That condilion may lie duo to the retention of ixyrtiiHis of the l>ultermilk in the iiiiiHS of Ihe butter. The addition of a quii'l of water for every two giilliuia of cream, afUtr t lie granules of butter U'.gin to aii>jiear and liefore the cburn- iii^ is coui]>let(wl will ht^lp to liring alMHit a sp4MMly and full aepa ration of the butteiiiulk. Whou the butlermilk luiH betui removed th egranular butter Hliould lie washed with lold wat4''r. In summer IIm- temperature of the water sivould lie about iio <Iegi>«s and in winter flll ile|{r«-4'S. In the wn«*bing the t burn shoulil l>e rRVolved a half fa.sler than for tbe churning). A streaky oondition of Iho butter soinr'tiiueH re- sults from an imi)erfect mixture) of the sitit with tlie l,iitter. Itt^workiiig after the salt m ili.ss<»lv«id will c»)rr«H't that H,nd care should Ixi taken lo umc only fine-grained solt. The presence of the salt should lie perceptible to the tgwta, but not to tha sense of touch. NATIONAl> CIlAUACTEniSTUW. A Uerinan and a I'lenc.hman sat oi>- ixksite each other at table d'hote in a certain hotel in Switzerland. "You are a Krunclunan, I sup|K>.sef ' inquir- ed the German at the commencement' of tbe iiwal, '"Hos. " was Ihe reply. "Hut how do you manage to Find that out?" " llecause you eat an much bread, "said the German. I'here was a long pau.se Wlaen the dinner was over the Krench- iii»n in turn questioned his vis-a-vis. "Von are a Gennan, f preaume?" " lo le sure; but tell me pray, how yuu made thiat difioovery." "Itecauae you ate so much of everything," wa,s the dry retort. THK TAbli HAT. The tall inat nvom by men fir.nl apiiearkd in I'rauue nearly &0U years agOi rloh parents, it would aeem. Laal year the expense of the Hospital was near- ly 130.000. And to meet this but |I,S25 was received from pay patients. The balance must coma from the more fortunate folks, who are (Charit- able and. generoua. The HospiUl for Sick Children is the largest of ita kind In tbe worldâ€" with- out exception. There are 200 oot'*. The average number ol patients la 100 per day; 476 wiei« nursed in the Hospital thia yearâ€" 512 little ones were cured and departed with health, strength and sturdy limbs. In tbe dispensary department medi- ctn» was given to 4.133 children. llius nearly 5.00:) children «are treat- ed in one year. A great record of good. In twenty-two ye-ars soma 24,000 sick children have baen nursed and cared for by 'Ji« Hospital for Sick Children. Where do the Uttle patients come iromit From all partJi of the proviiK« â€"cities, towns, villages and townships. How do they comer Very often |>ar- ents hear of the work of the Hospital through tbe new-apapurs. In some in- stances friends of the little sufferers make application on behalf of parents ~^» are poor, but independent and self-reliant. It generally falls to tbe lot of the chairman of the Hospital Trust to de- cida when Uiere is a question of abil- ity to pay. One day, atxiut a year ago, this gentleman was driving towards tha city at Hrockville ».im' while pass- ing a m-^.i> 'se ' •^ i 'j "^ rushed out ineagei haate lor th. t':i .>en min- utes of joy they crowd into recess. Mr. Robertson raoilied aa the young- sters pasaed him, but the smile van- ished when ha okieerTed in the rear a litfl* chap who was hobbling along on (.-utcbes, happy but crippled. One of bis legs wa.s lient at the knee to a right angle. The carriage was stopped, anrf thio little fellow called. "My boy. how did you injure your teg so badly f" was tbe enquiry. Tha la.d explained that he bad met with a mishap one day while chopping wood; that he hod been treated in an eastern ho«jj4tal for some timo. that bis leg bad Ijeen straightened, but bad again become useless. His parenta and schoolfellows looked upon ttioi a.s a cripple for life. Ar.d eo he might have been. "Row would you like to have your leg straightened for good!" asked the H(*i»ital chairman, who knew of the oumplebe cure effected at the great Toronto institution in similar cases. "Wall, mister, there is nothing I would like better," said the boy. His was assisted into tbe carriage, and. told to direct the driver to his father, who bad a blacksmith shop near by. The Ix>y was one of a fam- ily of pnven children. Most gladly did the fauber give his rotnaeot to the chilti's removal to tbe H'jspital for treauii'-n'... - 'I'he .riiu Reformed lad thiLs for- tunately met on tha highway near Prockville is a cripple no longer. His let» is stiff, but it is straight. He re- mained in the bos]>ital for many months. Hut it was a joyous faome- comin« when the boy walked firmly and straight without the aid of stick or crutches. This is a .single case. Thousands of ri.«s might be cit«d. The editor of thia paper has been Informed that if anyone kno\"'a of any sick child under fourteen years of age who ia suffering from accident or disea.se. and wboea parents cannot af- requlraa no less tbaa fire »xacatlva officers. 24 auntes and 20 domeatics to carry on the work of the Hospital. Twenty-five more children oould be tatcea care of with the aame number ot attendants. Tha work of tbe Hosfital la t»ver ilk- creasing. Its dcjors are wide o[)en to every ailing child in the provinc e. Such a work should have a millioa friends in Ontario. If each friend could sijare a dollar â€" what a rica ea- dowment with which to carry on tbe work. But the tm.stee.H only ask for J20.000 â€"a sum whii-Ji tbey are required to pay before tha enrl of January. Kvoryone can help. The n<?ed is moeit pres.sing. The apiieal is the appeal ot poor, weak, suffering childhood, of little, wan-faced babies and children who Us on beda of pain. The Hospital appeals to youâ€" tha reader of thia newspaper. Tour dollar will bless you in tbe giving. And you will give It. Every penny aidsâ€" every dollar helps â€" and your dollar may restore health. strength and straight limba to sooM poor crippled boy or girl. Won't you help? This ia a home charity â€" somethiotf that should appeal to every heart. It was Charles Dickans. that great- hearted EngUshman â€" the friend ol the fatherless, the reliever of the op- pressed and down-trodden, who ap- pealed to every human heart, when be said: "The two grim nurses â€" poverty j and sdckneSK â€" who bring these children before you, preside over their births^ nxk t.heir wretched cradles, a-ani nail down their coffins." In this enlightened Canada of oursâ€" this bright Province of Ontarioâ€" tills i ahiaU not h^ as long as the doors of tba , H<j»pital for Sick Children remain apes. j Help remove that mortgage. Help uoJood tha,t load of debt. (Group of children who are being treated by the best doctors in Canada, at the Iloapltal for Sick Children.â€" reproduced from pbotograph.> ford to pay for proper medical or sur- gical a-s-sistamieâ€" they are asked to o(vxmuji<cate with tbe Hoapital for Sick Children. There is room for .sucb children in the Hosi«ital. They will le nursed, cansl for, and in all probability, cured. There is a del>t uf |70.000 hanging over the institution, |2t),000 of which is for debts which must Ije i>aid at once. Even with the stricte-st economy it Contributioivi for the delivery of tha Hoapital from this bondage of debt will tie ackoowleilged by letter and alae in the columnii of The £vening Tele- gram, a copy of wbioh will ba mailed to eat^fa donor. Jloney may be forwarded to Mias Maria Buchaub trea.surer. 165 Kloor St. East, Toronto, or to J. Roas Robertson, chairman of the Hospital Trust. Tor- oato. DOllBERRI IN HEW MEIICO WILD. WEIRD JOSTICS RENDERED BY MAGISTRATES. A riae jf^S. Wllk aa AlieranilTeer â- Â«!â- ( Sk»( - JuMlce Ura rwr n»y â€" Aa *l* MrxICMU't Hreack mt PraaiUe Sail. Among tbe wild, weird, and won- derful things to he found in the South- west are the de^^isions sometimes made by new Mexican Justice* of the I'eai-e. Most of the Juatii*9 in thia Territory are Mexican.-*. A few of them are men of sufficient intelligem* and educa^ tion to know something al -out thetinst principles of law. but most of them are very meagrely equipi>ed. One such administrator of tbe law holdiug office in northern New Mexi- co decided that it was his duty to try a man who had been charged with iiiuixler. Ai«oirdin«ly he iuiianeled a jury of six persuuii and tried Ihe ca.-^'. the jury found tbe man guilty and the Justice at once ordered the pri;doner to stand up for sentence. He delivered a long lecture to tbe mur- derer upon the Heinousneaa of hia crime and warne<l him never to ap- pear in his court again upon Huch a charge. Then he impreseively pro- nounced scnteno*.'â€" ?5 and coataâ€" and dL'wuissed the court, his face beaming with pride and satisfaction over hia oratorical effort. Hoforo anotlier Mexican Justice of the IVa o who dispensed his ideas of law in southern Now Mexiixi. there I aiue u Mex'u an man and maid to le tied in wedlock. The Judge looked them over critically, and apparently had doubts about the oomi>atibility of their tempers, for he put a limit upon tita combination and as he pronounc- ed tbe words which made them man and wife, he added with omphasis, "for the spai-e of two .years only." As tbey went away he told them if they were diiisatisUod with thtir venture lefore that time to come l>aok and be would divorce them FOR TOR SAME KKE. Still another, wh>i won his fame in TexAs, tried a man for some petty of fence, found hiui guilty, and fined hiui #5 and casta. Rut this was too much for the prisoner at tbe bar. who de- clared that h< could uvt pay the fine; that he bad not so much money in the world. The Justice looked over him with fine, large I'exan contempt fur any one so ornory. tshruggod h .s shoul- ders and turned lo the niariihal with the nonchalant alternative: "Very well. Then take him out on tbe mesa and shu.il h ml" One veiieraliU' disciple of the law. who for a long time ha^ I alam-ed the scule-s o£ justice ir the town of 1,aa Cruces. Ls famous tliruugh all that re- gion for bis remarkable decisions. Be- fore him a Me.xican Uiy. through bin father, svunl an American rancb<-r for 9(Sl), which he claimed as tbe wagm due for three luonlhs' work. l>tween a Mexican and an American, any Mex- ican Justice can always see ttuit the right is plainly on the .â- 'idu of tbe suitor of bis own natiimality. and no matter what the evidence, he ca.n usually find auuio way of making hi.s deci.sion ex- press his syiu] athy. in this case the defendant proved that thit lioy had l>een hired to do chores for his board and tliat it had Iwen expre.ssly stipu- lated that he was npt t.i receive mon ey payment. The Justioo oon.sidered tbe < ase with frowning brows and !a boring biaims fur some time. Then lie announced that the plaintiff had fa'lod to prove his case. "I!ut,"'be added, "the lx>y is a poor loy and it wiiuld lie a sbuine if he did not get »«>mv.thing out of this suit. He is entitled to sonu^tbing. and I hereby award biiu thu defendant's lilaok mare that is tied in front of tha door." This ^ame Justice had to decide a unique BltKACH OK PROMISE SUIT. Among tile Mexuans it is the univer- nal custom for the brid«>groom to de- fray all the exien.s? of the wedding. He mu-st furnLsh ihj bride's trous-s< au and all the hou-sekeepirig equipment, and be nvust |>ay for the wedding f<'a.st and all the native wine that the guest.4 can drink. Ho may lie .so iKior that he will have to live with his wife's parent.s afterward, but be must not think of maitrimuny until he has money enough to pay for the whole affair, froon tbe first article in his bride's troiuaeau to tbe phutojgrapb 'in their wedding garments, whi<'h they in- variably have taken after tbe feast ia over. A Mexican bridegroom would no more expect his brid<- to pay for ttnr wedding clolhe.s than an American lover would expect hia bride to pay ftfr the license. .An oUlerly Mexican in the town cxf I.a« Cnicea, whoae heart was as warn m his head was white, h.%'1 gained tha promime of a pretty young seiiorita and together they went to tbe store to buy her trousseau. Krom under her long bla-k lashes she fla.sbM her black eyes at him with such effect thai he opened wide his pur.se aad > ought her all the pretty clothes ska wanted. And tbe t^enorita took ad- vantage of tbe cccas'on to want pretty much everyth'mg fhe saw. Aa tsoon as she had got the nretty things stowed away at home ahe jilted her elderly lover, and would not •.•ven al- l<r.v him to come to her bauM. Wbile clad in lh.*> dresoss ha had pad fdr. (ihe would sail past hiri ia tbe street wiilh her head in the air and give hitu iml tha least notice. That wo-H t«i much for a hot-hearted but ccril ht-ar'ed lover to .-itand, and be brought suit for brea'h of prom- ise ai«king dain.iges to the amount of the value i»f the trou-.aeiau. It cama uut i« the trial that th'? elderly lov- er hful Unrow>><l the ui' nvy with which he hid 1 ought the wedding finery. Then the Jii,>ti<e decided In the girl's favor, on the ground that the th'ngs didn't helooiit to the man liecau** they bad not lieen tniuight with his own umney. Many of those Mexican Justices can- not siealc Ki'glieh. Hut that is not .so mii.'h of a diwiualificatiou as it might appear, for the territorial law c^niiiiiandH all ixnirt j>i iiceedings tote carried on in both Kng'i.sh and St>an- ish Hvery New .Mexiia,ti mJurt has ita official interpreter, and every word Hpdken in either laiij^USage l>y Judge, lawyers, or witn vs.ses is Iranslated a'oud into the oth«r tongue. WHKN HB GROWS TALL. My little boy looks up at meâ€" I'm Iventy-e'ght and he is tbr<a And three fe?t ta'l, I'm .nix. and ohi He envies me my iu'-hes so! Rut as the days go by I gueas The differeni-e will le le-3 and less. Kor while through year* of youth he'll climb I'll lx>w liencath the weight of tinva. And by and by as .summers flow â-  And winters ebb a'asl I know Tbe little toy I t.cnd to si^ Will .'igh as he lo >k» down at me. ABSENT MINDED. The MAidâ€" You forgot to kis^ mo this morniitg, Mr. Jones. Mr. Joneaâ€" Pear me, how atisont minded I'm getting I It must have been my wife I kissed. f\