The "dangerous" Strawberry

A short time ago the strawberry eating portion of this section of the country, i. e., the entire community, was momentarily thrown into a state of mental indigestión by the startling announcement, promulgated, we believe, by an "Hoc." Mr. F ulier, of Pencsylvania, and subsequenily reiterated at one or two "scientific" gatherings in New Jersey, that the strawberry, the time-honored and innocent strawberry, was known to contain certain germs of disease and po3sibly of death. In the words of these iconoclasta: "The sharp, insinuating, burrowing seeds of the strawberry induce many serious injuries to the various membranes lining the terminal section of the alinientary canal together with culde-sac cavities progressing necessarily and invariably to fistulous openings." Those who boasted that they have eaten strawberries all their lives, in evey possible variety, f rom the lusciou3 wild strawberry to the aristocratie and artificial strawberry short-cake without experiencing any other feeling than that of great satisfaction with themselves and the knowledge of having enriched church fairs and festivals, were told to "wait long enough anc your time will come." Doubtless this Delphic utterance is very true, ir (the "if" in this case is remarkably obstinate) the conditionr could only be fulfilled. It is the kind of argumeiit which the wicked photographer uses with the small boy, when he tells him he can see the weasel run out of the instrument, if he will only wait long enough. At least this is the light in which the majority of mankind appear to have regarded the attack on the strawberry; for critioal observation and statistics indicate no apparent diminution in consumption of the berry itself, and the strawberry tnarket was firm to the close. All mankind, except l.he pessimists, therefore, agree with the Chicago editor, that these libelers of the noble fruit deserve no less ignominy than to be ranked with the inferior and despicable class of beings who go about seeking to persuade all whom they meet that the watermelon is f uil of colic, the bean of flatulency, the tomato of cáncer, the cabbage of dyspepsia and the turnip of fevera. A. B. Howard of Massachusetts, says: "A friend of ours who grows cabbages extensively for market has found that saltpetre dissolved at the rate of one and a half to frwo ounces to a gallon of water and applied with a sprinkler will coinpletely banish the European cabbage worm. It has proved uot only a sure cure for this juisance, but a special fertilizerin stiinulating anincreased growth of plant. Saltpetre (nitre) if purchased by the qaantity can be secured at lew rates. It is now quoted 5@6c. per pound. Professor Law says that "the great majority of ringbones in young horres carne from the failure to shorten the toes." To this may be added that ringbone is apt to be formed if colts are allowed to stand on a plank floor, or anywhere eíse where the footirig is hard, during the flrst eighteen months of their age. Whether in atable or yard during this period, let thetn have earth for standing or walking free from stone or gravel.