AGRICULTUKAL.
TOPICS OF INTEREST RELATIVE
TO FAR 31 AND GARDEN.
GBOWING FEKTS DUCKS.
A great many people, first and last,
Have been seized with an irresistible
desire to go into poultry raising upon
a -large scale, says Webb Donnell in
the New York Times. They have fol
lowed out the desire with varying re
sults, but the majority have made la
mentable failures. Especially has
there been failure when the attempt
has been made to make chickens and
eggs the chief source of income. There
is one branch of the poultry business,
however, in which certain individuals
have made quite a distinct success,
and that is the raising of young ducks
for market. Lonar Island is Darticu-
Jarly noted as the location of the
A . 1. - i. . .
greater numoer oi tnese mammoth
duck plants, though an equal decree
of success appears to have followed
the efforts of parties in other parts of
the country along the same line. The
PekiD, a pair of which are figured
herewith, is the duck used for breed
ing purposes in all these erreat duck
hatcheries. Thid is because of its
white color making pin-feathers less
objectionable in the dressed specimen
its large size and, in particular, its
habit of wonderfullv ratrid growth
, A. CJ
from the shell up to six or eight
weeks of age. One who has never
raised these ducks can scarcely realize
with what amazing rapidity the Pekin
ducklings will shoot up. It almost
seems as though one can see them ex
panding before his very eyes ! I have
kept all kinds of poultry, with the ex
ception of geese, and speak advisedly
when I say that for rapid growth the
rapid doubling and doubling again of
fiizo there is nothing in the whole list
that has come under my notice that
can at all compare with the growth of
a young Pekin duck. In the mean
time, the young duck i3 eating in a
way to well nigh cause a famine ! Bat
he turns what he eats to good purpose,
and gives a satisfactory profit if he is
fed to his utmost capacity for a few
weeks and is then sent promptly to
market. Kept a little beyond the
proper limit, and he will soon be
; 'eating his head off," for a duck's bill
is a veritable shovel, and a shovel that
will always be worked effectively
when anything in the way of food is
in sight. I suppose there is a limit to
a duck's appetite, but just at this mo
ment I do not recall ever having wit
nessed it.
In large cities there is a demand at
particular seasons of the year for
young ducks, and it is to meet this de
mand that the busines3ofduck raising
on a truly mammoth scale has been
established. All of these establish
ments hatch with incubators, some of
them having a capacity of 9000 or
10,000 eggs every four weeks. More
over, as Pekin duck eggs are remark
ably fertile, almost as many little
ducks are hatched out as there are
ieggs put into the incubators. The lit
tle ducks are brooded by hot water
pipes passing through long sectional
brooders, and are fed from start to
finish on a forcing diet. As these
ducks are, in many cases, to take the
place ot unobtainable, or too expen
sive, wild ducks, the idea has been
cpneeived of feeding them on celery
during the last few weeks, of their
growth to give ihe peculiar game
flavor which wild ducks acquire by
feeding upon wild celery in the
marshes. So pronounced is this flavor
of celery fed ducks that one firm, at
least, has acres upon acres of celery
growing to feed to its thousands upon
thousands of ducks.
It goes without saying that ducks
love the water, and in the case of the
breeding stock it is undoubtedly bet
ter if access can be had to a pond or
stream, but in the case of young ducks
being grown rapidly, the absence of
water for swimming purposes is not a
detriment, but probably a positive ad
vantage, for it would undoubtedly bo
much more difficult and very much
more expensive to put flesh upon a
duck that has access to water for
swimming. Too much exercise is not
conducive to the putting on of flesh, and
a quick putting on of flesh is an im
portant point in this business.
As a duck for the farm the Pekin is
admirably fitted in everyway except
color, and this is no objection, where
the birds can have access to water to
keep their plumage white ; but where
ducks are kept simply for consump
tion, and where water for swimming
is not at hand, I should much prefer
to keep the beautifully colored Ron
ens, which are of large size and thrifty
habit of growth. They are excellent
birds from a practical point of view,
while, as ornaments to one's ponds or
poultry yards, they cannot be sur
passed, being always attractive in ap
pearance, whethei there is a chance to
swim or not. With a white duck,
however, the chance is different, for
where water is not at hand it will
shortly get its plumage into a decid
edly filthy condition that makes its
presence an eyesore. But for duck
breeding on a large scale, where quick
and large growth is of the first im
portance, the Pekin cannot be sur
passed. When celery fed it undoubt
edly passes mu3ter on thousands of
tables as wild duck.
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MIES A MAN HID
FARM AND GARDEN NOTES.
Guernsey cattle will give the high
est colored butter of any breed of
cattle in the world.
The man who sticks to raising first
class cattle and hog, and does it with
good judgment, will find it reasonably
profitable.
Do not overlook buckwheat as a
summer crop. It grows on poor land
but yields more largely if the land is
rich. It is considered a profitable
crop for plowing uuder in the fall, be
ing used for renovating poor land. Its
blossoms afford excellent forage for
bees at a time wbeh thev can find but
few honey-producing plants on which
to work.
It is contended that severe winters
do not destroy insects, as thev so
down below the effects of moisture, but
it is a fact that the severe frosts of
winter do destroy son: e of them. Late
frosts, however, which come after the
warm weather begins,are very destruc
tive to insects. In 1853 a June frost
destroyed the growing crops in Penn
sylvania, bat also exterminated the .
red wheat weevil, which moro than
paid for the damage to crops.
The Spice Islands.
The Moluccas, or Spice Islands, is
a name applied to the islands of the
Malay Archipelago, between Celebes
and Papula, comprising Gilolo, Ceram,
Booro, Amboyna and Banda Islands.
Oby, Bachian and Waigeoo. They
are volcanic and fertile, producing
nutmegs, cloves and other spices, s&so.
fruits and fine woods. Around them
are many pearl fisheries. The Moluc
cas have beon for centuries alternately
in the possession of the Spaniards.
Portugues and Dutch, but at present
are held by the last named Nation.
The population consists of Malays,
Papuans, Chinese, Japanese and some
Europeans.
The Largest Pecan Orchard.
The largest pecan plantation, of
which we have seen any account, is
that of F. A. Swinelin, Brownwood,
Texas, which is said to contain 11,000
trees and occupy 400 acres. Wo have
no report on the yield or the price
obtained for the nuts. Colonel W. R.
Stuart, of Ocean Springs, Miss., is
also an extensive cultivator of pecans,
ana ne made a verv fine exhibit of
these nuts at the World's Fair, Chicasro,
1S93.
! One of the Most Remarkable Crim-
inals of the Century.
MURDER WAS HI3 MANIA.
He Ruthlessly Ma tie Way VTltU Men, TVo-
men and Children After Insuring; Their
Lives A Sketch of Ills Bloody Career
u Hit Real Name is Mndgett and lie
"Was Born in New Hampshire.
Weird and grewsome beyond human con
ception almost are the developments at Chi
cago in the case of Holmes, j the alleged mur
derer, bigamist and swindler, now in jail
at Philadelphia, awaiting trial. From almost
every nook and corner of his malodorous
"castle" are coming evidences of murder in
the form of ghastly relics of bodies that were
i slaughtered. Each hour adds to tha discov
eries. In fiendish cunning they were laid
away and would have remained forever
unknown but for the action of the au
thorities in ordering the place torn down.
From the great vault, from the ruins
of the cellar, from the vat in which chem
icals were placed, from every place, in fact,
that - could hide a body are evidences of
wholesale murder. Chicago is now vieing
with Detroit. Toronto and Philadelphia in
an endeavor to obtain possession of the ac
cused that justice may be meted out to him.
No series of crimps oi the; century, in cold
blooded atrocity or in the number "of unfor
tunate viciims.in any degree approaches this.
The victims ranged in age from nine to fifty
years. Many were believed to have been
murdered for the sake of the insurance they
carried. Others were saerified, fearing they
knew the secret. They were made away
with in divers manners. The body of one
was eut up into small pieces and fed into a
stove. That of another was put into a trunk
and sunk in the lake. Two others were shut
up in a vault and allowed to die there, the
bodies being subsequently! articulated and
the skeletons sold to a medical student.
Not only is the cellar of the "castle" a
veritable graveyard, but the bones of other
victims are scattered all over the country.
One is believed to have been murdered in
Arkansas and two in Canada. The trail ol
the murderer is all over the country, and in
every case it .was either the ettins; of in
surance money or the fear of discovery that
was the motive. These capital offenses were
necessarilv Reeorrmanipd bv minor onu-v
such as arson and perjury, but th3 crraver
crimes may be summarized as follows:
The murder of B. F. Pietzel.
The murder of Alice Pietze!.
The murder of Nellie Pietzel.
The murder of Howard Pietzel.
The murder of Mrs. Julia' Connor.
The murder of Anna Williams.
The murder of Minnie Williams.
The murder of Emma Cigrand.
The murder of Milford C.1 Cole.
The murder of Dr. Russler
The swindling of insurance companies to
the extent of at least $250,000.
Criminal history is without a parallel for
Holmes. He seemed to have a mania for
crime. There wag no form too revolting for
him, no deed too darincr. Murder and
swindling was his life business. He pur
sued it as a profession and with a boldness
that was startling almost beyond credence.
He operated everywhere and anvwhere, with
headquarters at Chicago. His "castle"
there was a ghastly mausoleum.
Like most other criminals of method,
Holmes was not born in criminal surround
ings. His was an educated shrewdness,
quickened and made alert j by the risks ho
ran. It was not common, low cunning, but
the development of a plan that was the life
work of a daring criminal.
The story of the life of Holmes is a grew
some tale. If written in fiction it would be
denounced as unnatural and improbable. It
would be deemed utterly beyond belief that
in every city of consequence in the country,
except the city of New York, he had plied
successfully his criminal trade and finally
was only brought behind prison bars through
the accusation of a train robber, whose only
grudge was that Holmes! had not recom
pensed him for an introduction to a "useful"
man. j
This man Holmes, confessed bigamist, per
jurer, swindler and alleged murderer, was
born a short distance from London, in the
New Hampshire hills. His real name is
Mudgett Besides Holmes he is known to
have used the alias Howard. His parents
were plain, homely country folk, but with
ambitions for their boy. He was the prize
boy in bis classes always. From his farm,
home he went to Gilmartin and there taught
school. He saved money enough to attend a
medical college at Burlington, Yt. Then he
went West and entered upon his career of
Clime. Which included mil r.1nr nrenn living.
u i ' . y "
ling insurance companies, bigamy and burk-
An Astonishing Agreement.
If they are converted within t m?n?
THE NATIONAL CAME,
rittsburg ha3 thus far tried nine pitchers
Pitcher Stratton has been released bv Chi
cago. j. 3 m
Hoffer is Baltimore's most successfni
pitcher. . ut
! Brooklyn shut out Loabvillo three tio,
this season. j
Cleveland has not yet won a game in Chi
eago this season. j
Pitcher Meekin, ot New York, appears to
be all right again. j v
Ehret, of St. Louis, seems to be a comnleta
failure this season. r
Turner, of Philadelphia, generally
two strikes before he hits the ball.
Clarke, of New York, seems to be even
more effective with Farrell to catch him.
Pickett, of the Ausrustas, is said to ba on
of the finest young batsmen in the country.
When the Cleveland Club is defeated th
attendance drops more than in any other
city.
Hass.amaer, of Washington, has not made
an error in fifty-six games, and but two this
season. j
In thirty-three games McKean, of Cleve
land, has failed but twice to make at least
one hit, j
The good work ot the ew Yorks in tho
West has boomed the game one 3 more in
Gotham. . j '
Since Davis has joined the team New York
has settled down to good work. His battin
was missed. .
Iiusie declares that he; considers Lane
of Chicago, the most valuable outflelderin
the League. j
Hogriever, of Cincinnati, ha3 stolen mora
bases than any one except Hamilton, of
Philadelphia. .. . j
All the League teams have now been shut
out, Baltimore being thej last to succumb
at Cleveland.
Baseball is now boinc hlaved Ttinaii
ranks next to cycling as a
in Mexico. It
popular sport.
The New York Club has purchased Tf of
fer's release from the Louisville Club and he
will play second base. j
At Kockford, III., a dozen society young
ladies have organized a baseball team and
will play several amateur clubs.
Jennings, of Baltimore has had seven,
eight, nine and ten put-outs in games this
year, and in one game had nine assists.
Batting is the life of baseball. Without it
no team can win. No matter how well it
plays in the field, with no batting tho game
loses life.
John M. Ward, who managed the New
Yorks last season, has been admitted to the
New York Bar, for which he passed a most
creditable examination, j
Baseball has queer changes. Last year
Baltimore gave Inks and $2000 to Louisville
for Hemming, and this year, in a losing dab,
Inks is showing up better than Hemming is
with the champions. j
It is announced from Chicago that the
proposed Australian trip of American base
ball players under the management of Hart
has been postponed one year, as it has been
found impossible to make 'arrangements for
l J
The pitchers have evidently gauged the
new distance, and more legislation will soon
be required, if there is tq be any batting.
Thethiee and four hit games are beginning
to come with their bid frequency, and shut
outs are looming up in formidable numbers.
Guess the pitcher will yet have to go to the
centre of the diamond. j
Connor, the first baseman of the St. Louis
team, notified President Von der Ahe that be
had decided to abandon baseball, and sub
mitted his resignation. He stated that his
playing had deteriorated .because his eye
eight was failing, and was as unsatisfactory
iu mmseu as 10 tne public. Connor s bat
ting average is higher than that of any New
vrn. piaytr.
TAILORS ON STRIKE
Nearly 20.003 Coatuiikers in New Tort
City, Brooklyn and Brownaville Oat.
Nearly 20,000 tailors went on a strike in
New York City. Brooklyn and Brownsville, a
suburb of Brooklyn, to prevent a return to
the sweating system.
In New York City mora than 8333 tailors
laid down their work in protest against a
alleged effort to force them back into the
conditions of labor under whieh they toiled
until a year asro. Four thousand mn and
women struck in Brooklyn and Browns
ville. and about ilOOa in New
ark, N. J. Besides these there were about
3000 persons in New York and 1000 in Brook
lyn and Brownsville who were idle because
they could not work without those who were
on strike, so that the total of those affected
amounted to nearly 20,003 persons.
The principal cause ot the strike, accord
ing to Schoenfield, its leader, is the refusal
of the contractors to renew last vear's agree
ment, which provides that fifty-nine hours
shall constitute a week's work, and the min
imum rate of wages shall be as folio w$:
Basters, 13 a week and Upward; pressers,
310a week and upward: bushellers, -13 ani
upward; trimmers, 613 and upward;
and finishers $9 and upward. None but
members of the union are to be employed,
and permission is given by it to representa
tives of the Brotherhood to examine the
cards of members; it abolishes the tenement
work system, and permits no settlement with
isteare. ' ueay uis ex-
wttiraztcr wno emptors men tn inc.
TT unto m A. Ti