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^ Ptienrs flaindeafer. J. VAN SLYKE, T^BL«hkb. ___ _ hujnojs. cHENRY, a 1GIHCULTURAL AND DOMESTIC. "St1 --• Hwlc at D»y-D»wn. to the melodies of morn can tell ? rbe wild brook babbling down the mountain aide; • lowing herd ; the eheepfold's simple bell; rhe pipe of early shepherd; dim descried the lone valley; echoing far and wide Che clamorous horn along the cliffh above; > e hollow murmur of the ocean tide ; , rhe hum of bees, the linnet's lay of love, Lnd the full choir that wakes the universal grove e cottage ours at early pilgrim oark; SpOT'iied with her pail the tripping ™nir»n»Jd sings; whistling plowman stalks afield; and, hark! )own the rough slope the ponderous wagon rings; rough rustling corn the hare astonished springs; L"ow tolls the village clock the drowsy hour ; partridge bursts away on whirring wings; >eep mourns the turtle in sequestered bower .nd shrill lark carols clear, from her aerial tower. ieatti'\ • . Around the Farm. AMI farmer can build a wood-house, d th« saving in time and quality of KH! will pay for the lumber in one ar. It is a convenient place to spend el day, or be protected from the storms winter,--Iowa State Register. &CANA»IAN farmer missed a valuable irer, and, after several days' unavail- ; search, found that she had eaten her y thirty feet into a straw stack. She taken a winding course inside the ck, which accounts for her not having ;en her way through. N feedings oxen, it must be remem- ed that they are ruminating animals, need to be fed differently from rses. Having a large stomach, an ox da coarse food to All it. An ox, refore, is not refreshed by a feed of meal, but is by one of cut hay or saw and meal mixed, and the noon feed oxen should be of this kind. Qive pie time for feeding and rest at the )n spell L'HE Gardener*s Chronicle relates a e of an orchard of apples and pears, uns and cherries, which was planted heavy clay, trenched down to an iron on which it rested. For a few years trees grew very well, that is to say, long as their roots were near the sur- and got the warmth of the summer's but as they advanced downward growth became small, and by de- ses less and less, till at last the trees sed to grow, and nothing flourished >epfc gray lichens, with which the inches soon became covered. RECENT writer has compiled the Lowing table of weights and measures ready reference: A bale of cinna- n weighs 92^ pounds. A ceroon of hineal weighs 110 pounds. A last of measures 80 bushels. Diamonds, carats make 1 ounce, troy. A rman mile measures 5,866 F.nglinh 'dei. A dicker of hides is 10 skins, ast of hides is 20 dickers. A dicker gloves is 10 dozen. A gallon of ey is 12 pounds. Indigo, 3| mauds 260 pounds. A pocket of hops is to 200 weight. A cade of herrings >00 fish. A cran of herrings is 37| Ions. o KEMEDY the fault in a horse which ries the tail on one side, a simple op­ tion may be resorted to, which is ther painful nor injurious. It is to through the skin, on the side of the to which it is desirous to draw it r, a few scojes close together# ro­ ving the skin between two or three the scores ; or, the skin may be fired h a sharp-edged instrument, and a scores made close together upon the e required. Then a thick pad should placed on the crupper, so as to force tail into the proper position and ?p it there until the skin on the side osite to the pad is healed. After it the tail will keep its proper posi- L. HE milk of cows soon after they have i«sd contains more butter, and is much re easily churned than it is afterward, out five months after calving the milk lergoes a change, and the cream is only less in quantity, but the butter bules are smaller. The reason why ik froths in churns is that when it rs alcohol is formed by the deoom- ition of the sugar of milk, and this ses the milk, when shaken or beaten, bam or froth. If this froth exists to urge extent, butter will not come, and milk is useless for churning purpo- The longer a cow is milked after •dng the less is the yield of butter, ' the less nourishment is there con­ ed in her milk.--Land etnd Water. HE fact that stock which it> not pros­ ing is just a machine for the de- ction of farm produce ought to tie many a man who will read these :ds. Let him remember, too, that live stock are inevitably machines for troying a certain portion daily, which directly daily wasted and burned in every animal that feeds, as if it been put on the fire. How much ater the premium, then, on keeping ,le, whose fattening is done in a life- e of 700 days, than on keeping those ise fattening requires 1,200 days or e. The weeding of the flock and d upon a farm is a part of live stock i^gement which needs as much ptitude and decision as the weed- of our crops and fields.--English zette. • the spring, move back the soil and el, roll the walks nicely, and they as clear and fresh as if new. Before ahing the walks, clip the edgings so 0 have them only six or eight inohes i. Treated in this way, the top of edging is sometimes slightly frost- but no more is injured than is desir- > to cut off in clipping. I have prac- thia method, says a correspondent he Practical Farmer, and nave seen ?rs do the same for two score years, have never seen a failure with it. dividing walks from beds, both in kitchefc and flower garden, no other ing is as good or as lasting as this, hould never be allowed to grow more 1 ten inohes high, and six inohes high thick is better. When over a foot high thick, it looks clumsy, injures the >s near it, takes up too much room, injures the appearance of both LS and beds. About the House. riaCK of charcoal boiled in the water l "high " meat or fowls will render r them quite sweet. A piece of char- i or powdered charcoal should be iept in every larder. Hams, after being smoked, may be kept for any length of time packed in powdered charcoal. OATMKAX. GRIDDLE CAKJCS.--One pint of oatmeal mush, one pint of flour, two eggs, pieoe of butter size of an egg, one and a half pints of sour milk or butter­ milk, one teaspoonful of soda. Real well and add the soda dissolved in a lit­ tle boilinc water insf hofnrA ^r»ins. . o « - ~ GINGER CASS.--One and one-half pounds of flour, three-fourths of butter, one pint of molasses and five table­ spoon fuls of ginger; rub the butter ar.d Bugar together; then roll them out very thin and cut them into rounds, place them on tin sheets and bake them wellr and they will keep good a year. CHILDREN'S PUDDING.--Gut up a loaf of stale bread the day before it is re­ quired, put to soak in a pan of oold water; when going to mix, squeeze the water through a colander; put the bread in a pas, with two ounces of suet chopped fine, two tablespoonfuls cf flour, some grated ginger, a little mixed spice; beat well np with a fork; mix half a pound of treacle (not golden sirup) with a little warm milk, then stir altogether, and boil three hours in cloth, basin or mold. This will make a large pudding, much liked by children; it is cheap and wholesome. OLD ENGLISH PLUM PUDDING.--Take of raisins well stoned, currants thor­ oughly washed, one pound each ; chop a pound of suet very finely and mix with them, add a quarter of a pound of flour, or bread very finely crumbled, three ounces of sugar, one ounce of grated lemon peel, a blade of mace, half a small nutmeg, one teaspoonful of ginger, half a dozen eggs, well beaten ; work it well together, put it into a cloth, tie it firmly, allowing room to swell, and boil not less than seven hours. It should not be suf ­ fered to stop boiling. " GXPST" writes to the Country Gentle­ man: "Our hired man would think it queer if the boss told him to pitch hay with a scythe, and yet he will sit at the table with his abused boss and pitch 4 meat and taters' with his knife all through the meal-time, to the imminent danger of cutting his ' tater trap ' larger and longer. When will the average 4 farm hand' learn that knives were made to cut with, and forks or spoons to con­ vey food to the mouth with, and that to draw his knife from his lips and cut but­ ter or bread from the common supply plate is a proceeding that decent people ought not to tolerate ?" All Sorts. _ AN ostrich feather grows to its full size in six or eight months. ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND NANA of to­ matoes were packed last season at San Jose, Cal. WONDERFUL to relate, the gas company of Panama has failed, and the Pana- maniacs have gone back to coal oil. THE voyage of the Discovery and the Alert makes the 134th expedition to the frozen regions since the days of Gabot. SOME Cincinnati proprietors of retail dry goods stores have the lady clerks searched before they leave for uie day. 44 STEER & TURNER " is the firm name of an organ-building copartnership in Westfield, Mass. The partners ought to have been boat builders. A JOB lot of Maine islands, sixty-two in number, were auctioned off at Rockland, the other day. The whole of them only brought $1,500. - DURING the past twenty years the British Government has added 617 ships to its navy. It has sold 110, broken up 125, and 31 have been lost. COL. J. A. MCDONALD, Captain of the Scottish rifle team which recently visited the United States, has been appointed Solicitor General for Scotland. THE population of Peru is decreasing, being less than 3,000,000. The decrease is attributed to earthquakes, diseases, civil war and brandy, especially the latter. A CINCINNATI girl of 19, but only four feet high, complains to the police that children of lesser age and larger pro­ portions roll her in the mud and pull the feathers out of her hat. LAST week a Hartford clergyman, on rising from his pillow in the morning, exclaimed, "How well I have slept! How well I feel!" He then fell back and died almost instantly. A LEADING florist in New York says that in the past twenty years he has cut .1,800,000 violets, 1,760,000 tea roses, 1,450,000 tuberoses, and has made 912,- 000 button-hole bouquets. A LADY and gentleman created a sen­ sation in Quincy the other day by rid­ ing through the streets mounted on one horse, he before and she behind. They were from Hannibal, on their wedding tour. THE silver springs just discovered in Oregon are remarkable. The waters are impregnated with liquid silver so that an iron bar floats on the surface. A hunter recently rowed across one of them and found $15 worth of precious metal in the basket work of his canoe. WM. A. JONES, foreman of the com­ posing-room of the New Orleans Times, died last week. Just before bis death he became conscious for a moment, and, in that gleam, dwelling upon the habit of his life, he suddenly exclaimed: " The ads are all right, Sherman; lock up the forms and let's go to press." MARX MILLER, a shoplifter, who is mentioned as having "eluded the de­ tectives of a hundred cities," has just been arrested in Detroit, along with her son, who personated a country merchant while his mother was '• lifting " whatever she could reach. When captured she was loaded with plunder. AN old negro testifying in the Crim­ inal Court of Memphis, Tenn., concern­ ing the loss of his wardrobe by theft, fixed the following values upon the same: Coat, $3; "briehes," $2; "top shirt," $1; " onder shirt," 50 cents; "draws," 25 cents. The latter articles he apolo getically remarked were " very ole ones." WHTLE all England was agog with the Turko-Russian difficulty, a London clergyman wrote to an evening paper thus: " This morning I married, in my church, a man and woman bearing the names of Thomas Turk and Jane lluss. Very likely the match will end sooner or later in trouble, and make the coinci­ dence more perfect." LAST OF THE BLFI SHOW. Sale of the Exhibition Building*--An Oat. of 92,500,000 Bringing Bstam at Auction or Only *-!><!, i60. (Philadelphia Cor. New York TrlDune.J Probably the _ largest sale of property ever held in a single day took plaoe to­ day on the Centennial grounds, when the twenty-four buildings belonging to the Board of J^manee and a dozen structures of varying dimensions belong­ ing to individuals or firms, were exposed at public auction. The total cost value of the property offered for sale was esti­ mated in round figures at 82.500,000, and the actual figures realized from the sale were #296,160. Machinery hall. Horticultural hall and Memorial kail, not b?ing in the list of properties owned by the Finance Board, were not included in the list. . The sale began with the Main build­ ing, in which the gas-pipes, elevators, and other personal property were re­ served from the sale, while the chande­ liers were included. The building cost about $1,600,000. The only bids for it were one of §200,000, by R. J. Dobbins, and one of $250,000, by John S. Morton, Esq., who made the bid on behalf of the Permanent Exhibition Company. It was knocked down to Mr. Morton, amid the general applause of the audience. The two Mineral annexes, which cost together over 019,000, were next offered, with the privilege of taking one or both. The successful bidder was Mr. William King, of Philadelphia, an oil merchant, to whom both the buildings were knocked down--the larger at 8600 and file smaller at $400. The Carriage building was than put up. It cost about $55,000, and the terms of sale require its removal before the 1st of April. The first bid was one of $1,000, and from this start the bid­ ding ran up rapidly to $4,100, at which sum it went to Mr. James C. A .lama f0r Richard J. Dobbins, Esq. Photographic hall, which is to be re­ moved by March 1, and for the con­ struction of whioh between $22,000 and $23,000 was expended, was the next on the list of sales. In answer to a ques­ tion as to who would bear the loss in case of fire between the time of pur­ chase and removal of any of the build­ ings, Mr. Welsh replied : " I guess we will have to assume that risk." The building was then disposed of at $1,000 to Mr. Crous, of Reading, Pa. The Art Gallery annex, which cost $110,000, was next offered for sale. The first bid of Mr. R. J. Dobbins of $1,000 appeared lor a time to have no second, but finally rose to $3,050, and at this sum was knocked down to A. P. Bil- yew & Son, builders, of Philadelphia. Judges hall, which cost $30,000, was sold.for $1,500 to John S. Morton, Esq., for the International Exhibition Com­ pany. The gas fixtures of the building, according to an estimate by Mr. Welsh during the bidding, were worth $1,500. The buiiding will probably be retained in its present position, the purchasers having until May 1 to make any neces­ sary arrangements. The list of build­ ings offered was then proceeded with and disposed of at the rates and to the purchasers named as follows : The Medical Department building for $300, to Henry H. Yard, of Ocean Beach, N. J., dealer in real estate. The Department of Public Comfort building, which oost $22,000, for $1,000, to James and John Hunter, of Philadel­ phia. . i v ••<«*"- • - * «*• The Shoe and Leather building, cost­ ing $30,750, was disposed of for $3,000 to R. J. Dobbins. The Centennial Guard Reserve build­ ing, a small frame 20x30 feet, whioh cost $500, sold for $155. The British boiler-house, costing $15,- 396. sold for $100 to R. J. Dobbins. The Corliss boiler-house, costing $20,- 976, and containing 8,125 cubic feet of masonry, 243,450 bricks, and 25,000 pounds of iron, was sold for $1,400 to John Welsh, for either Fairmount Park or the Franklin Institute. Boiler-house No. 3 and machine shop, costing $39,700, were sold for $2,200 to Frank H. Ward, Philadelphia. Boiler-house No. 4, costing $24,000, was sold for $1,400 to John Shed rick & Sons, Philadelphia. The saw-mill and boiler-house No. 5, costing $12,000, were sold for $1,275 to Lewis Haelinlen, Philadelphia. Boiler-house No. 6, costing $3,131, was sold for $300 to Andrew Watson, Phila­ delphia. The Music pavilion brought $100. The Wagon annex was sold for $850 to Samuel A. Simes, Treasurer Pennsylva­ nia Salt Manufacturing Company. Agricultural hall boiler-house was sold for $250 to R. J. Dobbins. The annex to Horticultural hall was sold for $600 to John Welsh. Agricultural hall, covering ten acres, and costing $275,000, was bid for at one time at a lively rate by Messrs. Allison and Dobbins, the effect of the brief ri­ valry being to increase the price some $4,000. It was finally knocked down to R. J. Dobbins for $13,100. The Pomological building, which oost $19,000, was sold for $1,250 to R. J. Dobbins. The Butter and Cheese building, which cost about $15,000, brought $1,- 100. The owner proposes to take it to Asbury Park, N. J. The Centennial National Bank, with stationary counters, vaults, etc., in­ cluded, which oost $7,000, went for $600, and will be taken to Ocean Grove, N. J. The Grand American Restaurant, 273 by 188 feet in size, which cost over $30,- 000, and which, according to the state­ ment of the auctioneer, the arohitect had offered to take dowo, remove, and re- erect for lees than $7,000, sold for $1,100 to W. E. Baker, of Boston, and will be taken to Ridge Hill farm, Wellesley, Mass. Ceok's "World s Ticket Office." which cost over $6,000, sold for $525. The Liberty Stove works went to J. C. Shaw, of New York, for $325. The purchaser intends to remove the build­ ing to his farm at Bound Brook, N. J. The Averill Chemical Paint Company's pavilion sold for $550. The Boston Daily Advertiser build­ ing went for $160. Howell's Newspaper pavilion sold for $520. The Pennsylvania Educational hall, costing $12,000, went for $900 to James A. Bradley, and is to be token to Asbury Park. The British police barraoks went for •650. The British workmen's headauarters for $425. The Turkish cafe, costing $4,000, for $250. Two of the eight cigar pavilions offered brought $40, caah, apieoe, the remainder not being disposed of. At the close of the sale it was an­ nounced that another sale would soon be held of all gates, fences, and movable property to be removed from the grounds. BURNED AKP UBSED, Successful Cremation of Che Body o« the Late Baron De Palm in Dr. l>Moyae's Furnace, Near Pittsburgh, Pa. [Washington (Pa.) Cor. Chicago Time*.] When the body of Baron De Palm ar­ rived on yesterday, and was taken in course to the crematory, the good people of Washington held up t'mvr hands in horror, for it now seemed certain that there would be a consummation of the pagan ritfs of which they had heard so much. A delegation of narrow-minded citizens called upon some, leading law­ yers, with a view to hate the proceedings stopped, but learned that there was no legal authority for such interference, and consequently the purpose of the pro­ jectors would be carried out So. at an early hour this morning, Dr. LeMoyne, CoL Olcott, Dr. Newton, Dr. Otterson, of the Board of Health of Queen's coun­ ty, New York; Dr. Folsom, of the State* Board of Health of Massachusetts; Dr. Asgate, of Pittsburgh; Aug. Buckhorst, undertaker and embahner, New York Thoosophioal Society; M. D. Evans, Philadelphia; many prominent people from different cities of the country, and representatives of the Chicago, New York and provincial newspapers, pro­ ceeded up the steep grade of Gallows hill to the crematory. Here the Baron lav in the reception- room, tucked up nicely in an iron coffin- shaped crib. His living weight was 170 pounds, but the embalming process, whereby the stomach and entrails had been removed, together with the ravages of decomposition which had taken place since death, had reduced him to ninety- two pounds. His face was exposed, and was of a gray, brownish color, as if he had lain for years in the crypts of Egypt. His whiskers were white, and worn under the chin and extreme edges of the cheeks, after the fashion of the plain old philos­ ophy, Horace Greeley, and on top of his head were little tufts of white hair. The scientific gentlemen and members of the press then removed their hats, while Col. Olcott proceeded to decorate the body with immortelles, pea blossoms, myrtle, primroses and evergreen emblems of immortality, as prescribed by the so­ ciety of which deceased was a member,. The body was also enriched with fragrant spices, myrrh and frankincense, after which the retort door was opened. Here a discussion arose between Le- Moyne and CoL Olcott about the way the Baron should be put in, the former insisting that it would cremate better with the toes toward the retort door, while tho latter wanted him put in feet foremost. LeMoyne's plan was finally adopted, and the body was removed into the furnace-room and slipped into the retort. At this moment, there was a strong, offensive smell of burning meat and spioes from the body, but it was over soon, and the fireman shut the re­ tort door and stirred the fire vigorously. The latter was a strictly honest fellow, for at midni^Mtiwt night, when he and 'a oouplfe of repKsehtafcives sat alone in the crematory, he refused a $100 bill and fare to Pittsburgh to put the Baron in and burn him up before morning, which could easily be done in half an hour. After the body was placed in the retort, by lookiug through a small peep-hole a dull mist was observed similar to that seen over water at early sunrise, but there was no smeli whatever, and the evergreens, flowers and myrtle lying on the iron crib had apparently not beea disturbed by the ravages of fire. After the lapse of an hour the remains assumed the shape of the charred hull of a minia­ ture steamboat. The head had disap­ peared, but the ribs remained erect, standing up prominently from the keel or backbone, but every now and then one would drop off and fall crumbling into the crib. " It is beautiful I" said Col. Olcott, alluding, no doubt, to the man inside. At 11 o'clock, LeMoyne, Olcott, Folsom, Otterson and other medical men went into the furnace-room, and, taking a long piece of iron, gave the Baron's crib a smart punch, and in­ stantly what bones had up till that time been erect toppled over, and the whole structure of the man lay a heap of ashes on the floor of the retort. Two hours and a half were occupied in bringing about this complete incineration, and the Baron was now pronounced done-- or, in other words, oompletely cremated. Following is the official report of CoL Olcott: Body insert8:27. At 8:45 o'clock vapor cleared away; body seen plainly against the brilliant fed back­ ground of the retort A flue-mouth yr&n white hot and deemed like a radiant crown floating over the old wau's bead. The form of every sprig of evergreen was seen, the pointed branched arching, and turned toward the cen­ ter. The sheet enfold* the corpse, the alum experiment being a perfect success in preserv­ ing elements of decency in covering Ixxlies. At 9 o'clock and 15 minutes the sheet was charred at the head and stood up blaok and ragged. A remarkable effect is to be noticed. The left hand is raised, and points upward, seem- wn to indicate that the dead man had ascended from the consuming remains. At 9 o'clock and 25 minutes Dr. Otterson tested the drait through the eye hole with a bit of paper. It had been tuggeetdd that there was not enough oxygen. It was found that there was a draft, and the left arm was seen to fail h^'aiu. A glorious roee-colored light about the remains, and a sort of faint mist and faint aromatic odor stealing through the vent-hole. At 10 o'clock and 35 minutes crib red-hot; body surrounded by a golden-tinged mist. A Good Deed not Forgotten. Tie Rev. Mr. Clark, an Episoopalmin ister of Halifax county, Va., says the Raleigh Sentinel, was exceedingly wealthy before the war, and has Bpent the greater portion of his means in obey­ ing that instruction of the Savior, " Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee, turn not thou away." In early life there was a poor boy going to school with Clark, named Hodges. Clark was the rich boy and Hodges was the poor one. He gave Hodges $1,000 to complete his education in the ministry. Time rolled on. The venerable Ciark has had his property wrecked by the war, and all his money is gone. He also had a boy he wished to send to sehoaL The other day alefc-, ter came to Mr. Clark. It was from Hodges, and contained a check for 1200, telling him to send his son to school, that in a short time he would send him more, and if it was so he should die be­ fore his son was educated, to rest as­ sured that he (Hodges) would see to it, and would take charge of his boy and have an eduoation given STATE AFFAIRS* ItofMirt of the Suite Tmmrfr. The biennial report of Hon. Thomas S. Bidgeway, State Treasurer, for the period from Dec. 1, 1874, to Sept. 30, 1876, has been submitted to the Gov­ ernor. The total receipts of the State for the period covered by the report are as follows: Ueveime fnnd $3,414,1*13.15 School fund. i,168,42S.03 Illinois Central railroad 769,836.74 Illinois river improvement 125,270.43 Unknown and minor heirs' fluid 214.85 Refunding fund 108,921.50 Local bond interest fnnd .. .... ...5^885,484.31 Total $9,262,169.99 The following table is a recapitulation of all the Treasurer's accounts: "gSi l|| :f?siS8 Jd ® • OB e 2 d no: ,® - 2.» * 2 • • --SsS-: : ' ere c: • 2 Is 111; rsssssip llrl £. B g re : w 5,K i ill b S"§ § OS'S- S 2 » ts *1 &s'E 3 c, -- 5 : : : §6* • s tOCd IIJJ I i l l . keebo «© »•* tc * > °5 £ 2? Oi »hi ca c* oc ' is'aifck W O W C tc g! iv cp 90 M s ^ Ni3>M»0 -3 fcO Ci 8 r owbaiNlcoc I o « to et Iff lis sj| i l • 388ft §88 5«feSS'c i QO ' o oo X W4 g i gg - g&ass ; a Ifc <P is » o > to o (Oft I tdcc Total balance In treasury Doc. 1,1874.$ 2,126,532.06 Total receipts. 9,262,169.99 Grand total $11,888,702.05 Total disbursements. . 8,979,747.71 Total balance in treasury Oct. 1, 1876 $ 2,4<»,954.34 The total State debt is, as already stated, $1,480,600.27. Of this debt and the means for its payment the Treasurer says: "On account of the decrease in the receipts from the Illinois Central Railroad Company, I find that the Illi­ nois Central railroad fund will not be sufficient to pay the claims against it and meet the State debt falling due before January, 1878. On Jan. 1, 1877, State bonds to the amount of $35,000 will be due, and on Jan. 1, 1878, $1,172,450.89 will be due. In addition there will be interest on the State debt and ou the school fund amounting to over $200,000, making a total of $1,407,450. To pay this there is now the balance on hand of $424,246.75. The probable receipts from the Illinois Central before Jan. 1, 1878, will be about $550,000, making a total of $974,000, le,avintf a deficiency of about $430,000 to $450,000, which the next General Assembly must airange to pro­ vide for." Secretary Barlow's Report. Hon. Geo. H. Harlow, Secretary of State, has submitted his second biennial report to the Governor. In the two years covered by the report, the fees re­ ceived and paid into the State treasury are $9,100.60. Applications for the or­ ganization of 760 incorporated com- panies for peouniary profit have been re­ ceived, and of these 513 have completed their organization, received certificates, and been authorized to do business. The objects for which these corporated bodies have been formed are distributed as follows: Manufacturing, 158 ; mining, 46; printing and publishing, 13; library associations, 17; cemeteries, 40; distill­ ing, 10; gas companies, 9; law associa­ tions, 3; art associations, 2: telegraph­ ing, 3; Patrons of Husbandry, 44; horse railways, 8; plank roads and turnpikes, 4; water works, 2; ferries, 5; amuse­ ments, 46; miscellaneous, 75. The law requires that the full amount of stook be subscribed before final certificate of organization can be issued. Under that provision of the law authorizing the formation of corporations not for pe­ cuniary profit 150 have organized, as follows: Educational, 34; religious, 14; literary, 5: benevolent, 103. Thirty- four new organizations have been ef­ fected since last report. Eleven cities and 61 villages have organized under the general law. The cities are Chicago, St. Charles, Redbud, Wenona, Mount Sterling, Kinmundy, Murphy sboro, Highland Park, Ashley, Lanark, Joliet. The publication of the Revised Statutes is reverted to, and the Secretary is of the opiuion that the manner of publica­ tion and distribution was the best pos­ sible arrangement that could liave been made for the State, as well as tlie cheap­ est. The total cost of publishing and distributing the revision is $29,641.65. Of this amount $15,112 has been reim­ bursed to the State from the sale of copies by County Clerks. m • #! H| flKf •Vf.% Keport of State Auditor Mppincott. State Auditor Lippincott's biennial re­ port gives the following statistical sum­ mary of the State finances from Deo. 1, 1&74, to Sept. 30, 1876 : On band Dec. 1, 1874...... $ 3,126,832.06 Actual receipts 8,841,2^1.79 Actual disbursements 8,568,859 51 On hand Sept. 30, 1876 2,408.954.34 The warrants drawn during the teim are classified as follows : Legislature $ 221,810.74 Executive 814,^34.11 Judicial ••»•••>... 380,04)0.78 Educational..... 8,189,332. • 8 Charitable 1^)43,485.08 Penal and reformatory 119,018.09 Asrriculture S6,0t)O.t)0 Commerce 805,388.10 Military 19,248.87 State iudebtedness 5Cl.12u.49 New State House 707,678.12 Refunding tax-1873 4J)8,921.50 Refunding and other taxis. 27.3H6.33 Local bond fund 8,81)8,623 40 Transfer of funds. 42J 888. <0 Total $ 8,983.880.49 The estimated expenses of the State Government to July 1,1877, are 1,897,813.40 Of bonds of oonntief, townships, and cities registered under act of 1889 there is outstanding 14,901^68.81 The bonded debt of the State outstand­ ing is 1,488,000^7 CHRISTMAS DECOKATIOm VtaMly tor Making Them--The Mm* , • *>m q . . ; - - t e r t a l s I n ( f e e . * . '• _ [From Harper's Bazar.] . Jf The custom of decorating with everlk ' %i$t\ f H I# greens is far from, being a modern cnei 7 The Romans, 2,000 years ago, did ti# :f * same thing; indeed, it is more thMT pronahie that the origin of adorning homes with ivy, holly and "bay must h§ sought for in the Roman saturnalia, heldi v. every year toward the end of Decent*- ber. Formerly the decorations of consisted of a few branches of eve: stuck here and there as might be venient; but now they are of a mi more complicated character, and req time and skill in their manufacture*. Where decorations of any extent are an­ nually employed, the week before Christ­ mas is a busy time with the ladies of th« household, as the making of the deooran tions principally falls to their share. To make effective and pretty designs n* quires good taste, practice, skill, and * general knowledge of the materials to bfc employed. A few hints 011 this subjedL " therefore, may prove acceptable,as I havf assisted in making many decorations at Christmas time, and so can speak from experience. for garlands, wire or strong cor4 should be used. The latter is, howeveau preferable, as it is not so liable to twist; as wire; and, for what are called upright wreaths or panels, fine iron rods are th8 best. For ornamental devices, perfor­ ated zinc should be used ; for letter^ strong brown paper ; for narrow bea4rs-' ings, where single leaves only are ent> ployed, tape wire; for crosses, pictv» frames, texts, etc., flat laths, such as safe used in the construction of ceilings by plasterers, or hazel rods; and for wreaths, strong wire; for small garlands fine twine is serviceable. In addition to the above, several balls of hemp twin* (fine and coarse), large needles and strong linen thread (dark green or black), a pair of scissors, penknife and reels of hindin* wire must also be at hand; and, though last on the list, one of the most impo$» tant ai tides to be supplied with is S strong pair of kid gloves, to protect thft hands from the scratches and outs whioht they are certain to receive if unprotect* ed from the prickly leaves of holly from the binding wire. Although I reo» ommend strong kid gloves, I do not mean them to be thick or in any way clumsy as, if that were the case, it wonlfl be impossible to do any of th» fine work--suoh as letters in sing]* leaves--neatly. Having thus alluded to the different materials required, let m» now direct attention to the manner it which particular designs are manufaQ* tured. As has been stated, the iMtgfc. material for the foundation of garlands is strong hemp eord. A loop should b* made on one end, and this is slipped over a nail or hook fastened for the ptt^ pose in a wooden table or anything thsfc will hold it firmly. Having a supply of evergreens at hand, cut to the required lengths,, bind them on to the cord witfc fine twine; one firm twist of twine will be enougn to keep each bunch of ever­ greens in its place, and so work dow* the cord to whatever length it may bs required. A beginner will find it diffi­ cult to bind the garland even as it is b#> ing worked; but, if such be found to bt the case, where it is too full the pieoes can be thinned with a pair of scissors. If it be desired to suspend a garland of large dimensions at any height, the fo|p lowing shrubs will be found the beak adapted for its construction, viz., arbtt- tns, euonymus (common), holly, ivy, laurel, Portugal laurel, spruoe and sa­ ver firs, and yew. For giving color, of course, scarlet berries are indispensable^ and first among these ranks the holly. The best way to arrange the holly bei- ries is to remove all the leaves and cttfc off the stems, leaving that portion onij which is covered with berries. A pieoe of fine binding wire can then be fas­ tened round the stem and passed round the garland, and, where lastened, hid among the foliage. In this manner a& the berries can be added after the gas- land is made. Some introduce flowecs made of colored tissue-paper, but I my­ self prefer color being given with b«s nes only. Small and light-looking gar­ lands for suspending from gas bracket^ etc. , can be made on line twine in a similar manner to those before de­ scribed, but for this purpose very small- leaved plants should be employed, sack as prickly holly, variegated box, etc. Upright wreaths or headings are mads best on fine iron rods, and their manu­ facture is very similar to that of garland% save that the headings are made on one face, and for binding them reel wire should be substituted for twine. For this style of decoration I like to ses branchlets of the dark green holly only employed, its rich, glistening, somb« leaves being relieved by large bunches of the brilliant berries fastened on witk wire, as I have before described, at equal distance apart. Wreaths of very pretty appearance can be made on strong wire for hall lamps, etc., by taking a pieoe at wire and forming it into a circle of what­ ever size may be required ; on this bind the evergreens with fine wire, using plenty of berries in their construction : blooms of laurustinus also work in well for this purpose. Ornamental devices should have their foundations of per­ forated zinc cut out into whatever de­ sign may be selected. Mottoes formed of letters made of evergreens are often employed among other styles of deooration. If of ever* greens, the best leaves for this purpoas are the holly, as sharper outlines can be obtained with them than any other plant, the dark-green or variegated kin<% being selected according to taste. Wh fc- ever letteis are required should be cut out in strong brown wrapping papex^ and the leaves are then sewn on them foundations ; letters of white, for plac­ ing on colored grounds, can easily be formed by cutting out the letters is white paper instead of brown, brushing them over with liquid gum, and the®. covering them with grains of rice. Nar­ row headings of single leaves are best made on blaok tape wire, each leaf be­ ing sewn on as before described. Bind ings of this description look most effect ive round door panels, etc. Grosses should be made on founda­ tions formed of flat laths, and, if these are not obtained, hazel rods must suffice; unless a cross be of very large dimen­ sions, small-leaved plants should be em­ ployed as far as possible, and the lighter the colors are, if plenty of berries bs used, the prettier will be the effect pro­ duced. C \