time. merated in the Comstock ledge are now yield- third time moulting, making the three years ing a revenue to stockholders. The energy displayed in the development of these mines will, if continued, soon add other claims to the dividend-paying list. The Gould & Curry is yielding, at the present time, about $450,000 per month; and when all the improvements now under way are completed, it is thought the product will exceed $500,000. The Ophir is producing about $150,000 monthly. The yield of the Savage exceeds $100,000. The Potosi yielded $77,000 in one month. The total product of all the mines on the Comstock, including Gold Hill proper, cannot at present be far short of $1,000,000 per month, which is just 4 per cent. per month upon their market value of $25,000,000. NATURAL HISTORY. The Flour Worm. I will give you the changes of the bug that produces the Flour Worm, which will be of interest and value to all families that keep flour, to farmers who keep wheat in their granaries, and more especially to millers. It is a small black bug, half an inch long, and an eighth of an inch broad, flat and thin, with a long head, and has six legs. They lay their eggs in the crevices about. the meal chests, and in the bolts of flouring mills. The egg hatches into a worm, which when first hatched is not visible to the naked eye, but which grows to the length of half an inch in six months, secreting themselves under boards and boxes and mortice-holes, or wherever there is flour dust. They do the most damage when the mill is not running, by eating holes through the bolting cloth. The miller should-be very particular in April to move and sweep throughout the mill a few times during the year, and destroy them by feeding them to poultry or burning them. They are in the worm state three years before they are a bug again, of course eating and doing injury all this time, and grow to be an inch and a quarter long, of a yellowish color, and of the size of the top end of a wheat straw. They moult three times while in this state. They change into a bug again after the Now if you and your neighbors will sweep up and destroy the worms, you will have no bug to lay the egg again to produce them. I will now describe the Pea Bug, so often seen and not generally understood. The egg is laid in the pea when the blossom is yet on the end of the legume or pod. It hatches into a worm, remains in the pea, passes into the chrysalis state, and then comes out a bug in March or April of the next year. All the peas, not intended for seed, should be fed up or ground before the month of March, but those saved for seed should should be put in a tight bag, and kept till they are wanted for sowing, when pour them out into hot water, to kill the bugs. If all the farmers will follow these directions, they will not be troubled with bugs in the peas, for this is their element and nothing else. Another remedy, perhaps not as good, is to keep seed peas two years, not sowing within that time. There will then be no bugs to lay eggs in the peas. Still another remedy is to sow late in the season, about the first of August, when there are no eggs, they having all been laid in the early season. It is for this reason that this crop is so valuable in Canada, and more perfect, because not early planted so as to be injured by this insect. It will be the same here if late planting is resorted to. MILTON G. ALMA. FARMER, Seneca Co., N. Y. EDUCATIONAL. County Superintendency. MR. EDITOR:-In your journal for March I read an article in which the office of County Superintendent of Schools is assailed. Some objections to it are set forth, and the writer closes by advising the circulation of petitions to abolish the office. The writer, O. P. D., if I am not mistaken in the man, has been a town superintendent, and is a true and zealous friend of common schools. Hence I am disposed to render all due respect to his article. Some of his objections are quite plausi ble, but I am persuaded from my observations qualified, and who will be attentive to their and reflections that the greatest objections are duties. Fidelity to official duty is as much not in the system alone, so much as in its needed as anything else to answer all the demisuse. The system might be rendered more signs of the system. efficient by certain modifications, and by having the right kind of men to fill the office. I am by no means insensible to its defects, but, under the town system, teachers did not re-ers and those who attend as spectators Those ceive the encouragement that they now do, and I know, too, that schools have been vastly improved under the present system. I have had personal acquaintance with several County Superintendents who were active men and who were well acquainted with school policy, and who assidously looked after the school interest. Some were negligent, or, perhaps, had too many schools to look aftermore in their counties than they could visit once during each term. Perhaps, too, some, in their inspection of schools, were more influenced by reports from some of their political cronies than by what they should have learned by personal examination. Too many people do not know how to visit a school so as to learn what its real condition is, to show due respect to the teacher, to encourage the pupils, and to leave a salutary impression. So it may be with some of the County Superintendents, but it was more so with the town superintendents. Many towns do not afford a man that knows enough about the sciences and school policy to hold the office of superintendent. The county at large, or a senatorial or assembly district, will be more likely to afford such an one. O. P. D. says: "Under the present system the distance from the school to its nearest superintendent (which is from district to county) is so great that there is a coldness and lack of interest engendered that causes many schools to flag." This may be so in some large superintendent districts or counties. there is a remedy. Let each superintendent have jurisdiction over only as many schools as he can inspect at least twice during each term, besides holding the examinations. And let us have men in the office who are well But The public examinations by the County Superintendents are interesting occasions, and they have a beneficial influence on the teach by town superintendents were often farcical. The Institutes which the Superintendents are now required to hold are very advantageous to teachers and highly interesting to all friends of education. Hence I affirm that we only want proper qualifications in the present superintendents, and more faithfulness in their duties, rather than a change to the old system. G. D. H. BEAVER DAM. MISCELLANEOUS. The Emigrant's Farewell. BY MRS. F. D. GAGE. Farewell to the land, With its hills so bonny and green, And its valleys low, where the corn-blades grow, To the rock, and the bush, and the tree, Farewell to the vill! I've dwelt here many a year; I've often been sad, but still oftener glad- That have welcomed me many a day; I have wandered through them long; With its young hopes merry and bright; They will come in the summer hours, Farewell! May the hands I love come to gather them here, Farewell to my home, Where I've loved and labored so long, Where my children all grew healthy and tall, As duty and love grew strong. Farewell to the hearth Round which we gathered at night We shall meet no more as we've met before, Farewell! I'm going away; But never till I die Will my heart grow cold to the loved of old- Bayonet Charges. The mere appearance of an impetuous and determined bayonet charge is generally counted upon as decisive by commanders. The troops charged upon are almost sure to seek shelter from the dreadful sight, as the rebels did at Williamsburg, at Pea Ridge, at Fort Donelson, and at the gallant little affair of South Mills, near Elizabeth City, which is less known than it deserves to be. What do you suppose we keep our bayonets bright for, but te scare the enemy?" a distinguished general said to one who was inquiring into the nature of bayonet charges. and a Marshal of France wrote: "It is not the number of killed, but the number of frightened, that decides the issue of a battle." one or two men at the end of the line which first comes in contact with the enemy's line It is said that, severe and well contested as are really engaged during the few decisive the fight at Pittsburg Landing undoubtedly moments, and thus the conduct, individual was, but one bayonet wound has been discov-bravery and strength of perhaps half a dozen ered by our surgeons there, and that was in- men, who alone cross bayonets with the eneflicted by a barbarous rebel upon a helpless my, gain the victory for the side to which they sick soldier, lying in a hospital tent. Some belong. surprise has been expressed at this fact; there is a general impression that after a bayonet charge, if the contesting forces are composed of brave men, there should be a great number of such wounds. Even Mr. Russel, the correspondent of the London Times, seems to have fallen into this error in his account of the battle of Bull Run; he spoke slightingly of the conduct of our soldiers there and gave as one reason for his poor opinion, that he could hear of no men in our hospitals wounded by bayonets. From this, of course, the inference was drawn that our soldiers did not hold their ground as well as they ought to have done. From an account of some conversations with rebel officers, in a letter printed in Saturday's Evening Post, it will be seen that the enemy was not of Mr. Russel's opinion. They say that our soldiers fought gallantly, and, if well led on, would have gained a victory. But after the battle of Waterloo, where both sides fought with conspicuous bravery and determination, there were found, after a careful search by the Surgeon General of the British army, but seven bayonet wounds in all the hospitals to which the wounded, French as well as English and Prussian, were carried; and at Waterloo the forces engaged were much more numerous than those who fought at Bull Run. The truth is that a bayonet charge is a very different affair from what is generally supposed. In the first place, the regiment or other force which makes the charge, though probably ranged as near as possible squarely opposite its enemy, cannot keep up this formation during the quarter of a mile or more of ground which must be traversed by it before the foe is reached. Even with the best drilled and bravest men, one end of the line lags behind, and if the enemy should stand still to receive the charge only a part of the line would be engaged at first. Do whole regiments, then, never cross bayonets? it will be asked. It would be rash to say never; but it may be safely asserted that military histories record but few such affairs. Jomini says distinctly that he saw a bayonet fight but once in all his military experience; and it is related by one of the historians of Napoleon's wars, that when the French were once charging the Prussians with the bayonet when the latter would not or could not retreat, there ensued a spectacle unexpected by the officers on either side. The French and Prussian soldiers, when they got within striking distance, apparently by mutual consent, clubbed their muskets and fought desperately with their arms thus reversed.-N. Y. ve. Post. THE HOME. Farmers' Daughters. MR. EDITOR:-Will you allow me, through your columns, to say a few words to that most interesting class of our young ladies, farmers' daughters? In practice, however, military writers confess that bayonets are very rarely actually I say this, my young friends, not in the crossed. A charge usually takes one of three spirit of flattery, but because I really believe turns: either the charging party, by its firm- you to be, as a class, in real stamina and comness and impetuosity, throws the opposing force into a panic, and it breaks rank and pleteness of character, superior to any other. flies without awaiting the thrust of the bayo- Some of you, it is true, when you are sent innet; or by firmness and a well delivered volley at short distance, the side which is at- to the city to attend school are very foolishly tacked drives off the other; or, in the fewest ashamed to have it known that your father is cases, both sides behave well, and then, in the a farmer, unless you can make it appear that words of one of our most distinguished gen erals, "the best sergeant decides the fate of he is a wealthy one, so that you have not been the charge," because only the sergeant and obliged to assist in the daily labors of the -8 farm. This appears very surprising to those who take a sensible view of things, and argues so little sense in this class of our young folks that I will pass directly to those who are in the habit of helping to milk the cows, when it is necessary, and who find it a pleasure rather than a task, to be foremost in the preparation of that most delightful mealfarmer's breakfast. To such as daily lend a cheerful hand to the duties of their daily lives, and who are not mortified at the rosy cheeks they bring into the homes of their village cousins, I would say: Improve to the utmost all the privileges that have fallen to your lot, and make the most of your daily and intimate acquaintance with Nature. I will say to you, what I would not say to your city sisters, that it will do you no harm to spend an hour, now and then, alone in the woods, building cloud-castles, dreaming, romancing, or what you will. It does not hurt a true farmer's daughter to be a little romantic. Among the healthful influences that surround her, and the busy cares of her life, there will be little danger of her becoming either lackadaisical" or morbid, and such reveries, besides being very pleasant, will add a nameless charm to a character which might otherwise, from the force of circumstances, become too entirely practical. Above all, do not think, those of you who are deprived of the facilities for education that others enjoy, that you are justified in remaining ignorant. There is scarcely one of you who has not some friend whom you could apply to mark out a course of reading and study suited to your age and attainments. Such a system, though sometimes wearisome and discouraging, like a tedious journey on foot and alone, will in the end, if perseveringly carried out, compensate you as richly as the delights of home and friends repay the way-worn traveler for all the hardships he has endured. You will feel yourselves at home among cultivated and educated people, and the fruits of knowledge will be all the sweeter for the exertion that has been necessary to attain them. STEVENS POINT, Wis. E. P. Under the Violets. Her hands are cold; her face is white; Shall say that here a maiden lies, And gray old trees of hugest limb Shall wheel their circling shadows round To make the scorching sunlight dim That drinks the greenness from the ground, And drop their dead leaves on the ground. When o'er their boughs the squirrels run, And through their leaves the robins call, And, ripening in the autumn sun, The acorns and the chestnuts fall. When, turning round their dial-track, That tried to blossom in the snow, Some Kinds of Christians. There is a class of persons in the world called Christians, who profess to love and serve God. There are several kinds. The Sunday Christian, who all the week through is not to be distinguished from the non-professor, except that he is more remarkable for grinding the poor, and for the tightness of his purse strings. Sabbath morning he dons his christianity as regularly as his best coat, and with stately step and elongated face he enters the honse of God. He contributes liberally to public charities, is loud in his amens, and says within himself, "Lord, I thank thee that I am not as other men are." He returns home, and hangs his coat and religion in the clothespress, and is ready for another week of hard dealing. Then there is the chance christian, who has not independence enough to be anything different from the company in which he happens to be thrown; consequently when in company with christians he is as good as the best of them. HEALTH AND DISEASE. What shall we Eat? DEAR FARMER: I was much interested in the article in your February number, under the heading, "How we abuse our Stomachs." I believe it is all true, and am sorry it is so, for it is a sad reflection that so many in this great nation are "digging their graves with their teeth." But it seems to me that, had I wielded that writer's pen, I would not, could not have left off where he (or she did; but having pointed out the danger, I would fain have suggested a remedy. Suppose, for example, a prairie-farmer's We have more particularly to deal with the winter christian-one who may have enjoyed religion in times past, but now (I scarcely know how to account for it) is dead, except in time of revival, when he becomes wide awake, can pray as long and fervently as the minister, labors with all who happen to come in his way to become christians, and seemingly has his heart so filled with the love of God that there is danger of an explosion from its unnatural expansion. When revival has pass-wife, as she reads the article referred to, should ed, and summer, with its multitudinous cares, makes its appearance, his zeal begins to ooze out, and until there in another revival inaugurated there is nothing very alarming about his appearance. Oh! the influence of such a man upon his family, his neighbors, and upon community! It is very clear to be seen when he really begins to feel as though he would be useful, his example looms up before us, and his admonitions are as "sounding brass and tinkling cymbal." Turn your thoughts for one moment toward the whole-souled christian, who, whether he eats or drinks, does all to the glory of God. Draw the contrast; then, whether your life be long or short, let it be an embodiment of religion as it really is, a living principle. LAUREL HILL. WIT AND WISDOM. NINA. -We generally prefer new articles to old ones-the new mades to the old maids. -Be temperate in diet. Our first parents ate themselves out of house and home. -Politeness is like an air-cushion; there may not be anything in it, but it eases jolts wonderfully. -A young man who has recently taken a wife, says he did not find it half so hard to get married, as he did to get the furniture. -A Dutchman being called upon to give a toast, said: "Here ish to de heroes what fit, pled and died at de battle of Bull Run-of which I am one." resolve that, so far as she is concerned, she will wash her hands and her conscience from any share of this stomach abuse; that henceforth nothing but health shall find a place under her dish covers. Noble resolution! but how to be carried into practice? Aye, there's the rub. Remember, I am speaking of a farmer's wife, whose duty it is, in harvest or threshing time, to prepare three meals and two lunches per day, for from six to sixteen stalwart, hard working men. Now, let us see what things are ruled out of the common bill of fare: "Too much meat, especially pork." Well, empty your pork barrel, and nail on the cover of the beef tub. "Hot, soda-raised biscuit, hot griddle cakes," flour, corn meal, rye and buckwheat, all at "one fell swoop." Alas for supper and breakfast now! "Hot black coffee," yes, and hot green tea. Alas for those who flood their stomachs with six or seven |