The herald., 1896-03-09

N, a. Bolton tnuS describes a mySterlOuS
disease which has affected large number
of orange trees in Florida, and is not un-
known to California growers of citrus
fruits. The department of agriculture in
its annual, pays special attention to dys-
peptic oranges, describing the disease and
its cure. The cause is practically the same
which brings on dyspepsia in human be-
ngs--over-feeding. Excessive cultivation
and the application of too much nitrogenous
manure, affect the orange tree just as too
many table d'hote dinners affect man.
Instead of a pallid face and resort to
pepsin, the orange tree turns We dark
green, while the twigs exude a reddish
brown gum. The lips turn up and shape
themselves into S like curves. The fruit
turns lemon color before it is half ripe,
and develops thick, spongy rind, splitting
open as the fruit ripens, and becoming
quite worthless The reddish-brown resin
stains the fruit before it is ripe and renders
it unsalable. Most of the diseases affect
ing orange trees are due to lack of cultiva.
ton. and it has always been held that
tree would not absorb more nutriment than
was required. But this idea has been dis
PEELED, and it is now acknowledged that the
tree will take up all it can get and then,
like glutton who has taken
TOO much. becomes sick. The dark
green color which the foliage
then assumes is very beautiful, but it in
dicates that the tree will bear no oranges
that are any good. In Florida the disease
is called die-back, because the twgs begin
to die at the tips and then gradually die
back to the branches. The only cure for
the trouble is TO lhold the fertilizer, but
when the disease prOrressed too far.
and gum pockets oegin to form on the
bark, there is no cure for it,
Edwin Hofstad and his cousin, II. W.
Nelson, old-time miners, left for Alaska
yesterday They have gone to develop
Hofstad' g claim on the shores of the famous
"gold lake. near Sitka, which was
known to the early Russian settlers in
Alaska, but was most jealously guarded
by the czars officerJ, and only very
small quantity Of the precious metal was
taken out. According to Sitkan traditions
several enterprising miners in early days
established camp near the lake and Sc
cretly mined quantity of the precious
metal. disposing of it in Sitka; but they
were finally caught and are now serving
life sentences in a Russian prison. Until
after the Seward purchase miners paid no
attention to the lake, and by that time the
location OF the mines had been almost for
gotten. Recently Alaskan adventurers
have been diligently seeking for the lost
El Dorado, but their efforts were fruitless,
until Hofstad, who is connected with the
Sitka custora house. found the wonderful
lake. venerable Russian shoemaker put
him upon the right track. but it took
months of patient exploration before the
spot was discovered. The shoemaker's
sole guide was the knowledge that the
''gold lake. lay just beyond another one
of similar size, and that both were within
twelve miles of Sitka. After thoroughly
examining the value of his find Hofstad
succeeded in bonding his mine to capital
lists. The gold is easily washed from the
sand on the shores OF the lake, and assays
all the way from $l.25 to $25 per cubic
foot.
Lieutenaut-C Colonel Bradford, an old Ok
ford m an, told the following amusing story
of master lately deceased. He was the
father of three daughters of remarkable
beauty, and the one desire of his heart was
that they should make aristocratic mar
riages. The young ladies' entertained a
similar desire, and were thus able to resist
the ardent wooing of many an eligible
young fellow whose sole disqualification
was the walt of a title. Among the second
year men was an Indian prince of enor-
nous wealth. The don felt it to be his
duty to invite the princely undergrad. to
dinner. and the daughters did not object.
The prince came, saw and was conquered.
and asked for an interview. The door was
closed and the conference began. After
some fatherly encouragement he managed
to express his desire to marry the three
girls-he would take the lot The don had
some difficulty in explaining that such an
arrangement would be breach of English
laws, which even prince must observe.
The princely poten ate was infinitely dis
gusted, and declined to take one of the
girls on the ground that it would spoil the
set.
Speaking of the mass meeting to protest
against the employment of Japanese and
Chinese cooks, and the effort to boycott
restaurants of which they are proprietors,
we'll known lady said at the Abbottsford
that they are almost unsurpassed as
cooks, not even excepting the French or
Germans. They always cook by rule, if
there is one to go by, following the recipe
with the same accuracy as druggist in
compromising prescription. Hence the
results are uniformly satisfactory. They
are marvels OF economy. Nothing is ever
burned or spoiled; no materials are ever
spilled OH the floor; consequently nothing
that goes through their hands is wasted
They cook just enough, no more.
Elmer W. Chisholm, one of the most VEN
turesome of American explorers in Egypt
and Morocco, told the following story:
Last July, on returning to Valetta, Malta,
from Tangiers. he met another traveller
named Colonel D. Il. Turner, who for many
Years has sought to explore the carefully
guarded mountainous regions of interior
Morocco. Mr.. Chisholm had attached to
his watch Chain by small swivel a scarib
which had been given him by a shereef
about two years ago. 1t was ono piece of
exquistely colored turquoise, and the
ecarib displayed this inscription:
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