Every poultry writer in the land has told his readers day in and day out that exercise is necessary for the well being and well doing of laying hens. There is good sense and sound reason in this advice. while all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, no work and idleness makes a good hen a non-producing loafer. Fowls need plenty of exercise. When given their liberty they will wander for miles over the fields and hunt and dig for bugs and seeds and that is the time they lay the most eggs. The lazy hen is never the laying hen. Activity and proficiency go hand in hand. It is, however, a sore trial to the poultry keeper to keep his hens active in winter. The tendencies are entirely toward sluggishness upon the part of the fowls. Inactivity brings its own penalties. No animal organism can maintain health and virility without exercise. Such is not in the line of the creation's manifest intent. Neither man nor the lower animals can expect a healthy digestion, normal liver or good general tone of the system without some hustling. The practical question arises, "What is the surest way to induce poultry to hustle and exercise?" We must not feed too heavily or make it too easy for the birds to get their food. They will not work unless obliged to, and in this particular are not unlike many human beings that we know. We must make them scratch for the living. One of the main points of the Philo system is to bury the wheat or oats in the ground several inches deep and let the hens dig it up, either in a sprouted condition or otherwise. We must make them scratch in a foot of straw or leaves for their grain all winter. Also throw some large sized beef scraps among the litter. They will hunt and dig all day long for such delicacies and get the much-needed exercise at the same time. And this parts the vigor and health that promote the egg production and vitality that gives us the greater amount of fertile eggs. Make them work for all that they get; only feed mash feed, table scraps and vegetables in the troughs; through all the grain into a deep litter.

I believe that many of our household animals can understand our conversation, and comprehend much of the daily talk between men. I have a friend in the country who is a great hunter of foxes and rabbits, and when I visited him some time ago I found him in the act of cleaning his hunting gun.

I said to him, "Are you getting ready to go hunting?"

"No," he replied, "I am going to shoot Bob here. The dog is getting too old and stiff for hunting."

The dog until then had been lying on the floor, seemingly unconcerned, but hardly had his master announced that he was bout to shoot Bob when the animal jumped up, whining and crawling behind the skirts of the hunter's wife.

I believe that we underestimate the intelligence of animals the value oft heir affection.
If you make friends of dogs or cats or bird, they ware always your friend. They study and know you better than you know them.

You need never regret or be disappointed in having bestowed your kindess on these friends.

On the subject of hauling manure, Professor Gilmore of the New York experiment station says: "We think, all things considered, it is better to haul the manure directly from the stable to the fields than it is to pile it up for any length of time. If well rotted manure is desired for trucking purposes or for top-dressing for hay lands, then it must be stored, but under ordinary conditions for this purpose losses from 25 to 45 per cent. in the fertilizing value of manure occur, and if it is not kept reasonably wet and stirred from time ot time, excessive fermentation results, to say nothing of dry burning and leaching, Losses amounting to 35 to 57 per cent. have been recorded when manure has been exposed to weather. This loss refers mainly to the fertilizing material in the manure. It is still available as humus or organic matter when applied to the soil."

Editor Minnetonka Record:

Two years ago our Sunday school had an average attendance of 75. Our children came regularly, rain or shine, and most of us thought we had better let well enough alone, but there were some who though we ought to have a church, and it was decided to have one. Most of us wanted a union chapel. We voted on the question and it went union. But those who wanted a denominational church were not satisfied to let it stand that way.

They took another ot and it went denominational, but there were more votes cast than there were people in the room.

Well, what was the outcome? Today the attendance at Sunday school averages 35. It has been said that the "other side has not played fair." (That is why they are pleased to call us.) I don't see what we have done except to leave them alone. The talk is to abandon the church and Sunday school, but I say do not abandon the Sunday school.

We have 76 bright children right here, many of whose parents are not. Congregational but who are willing to pay their share. I know that we will appreciate Will Aldritt for his work as superintendent for eight years, and hope he will not let his good work be undone.

Non-Congregationalist.