Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1854-09-04

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until the discovery of America, ana our Pill
grim Fathers found it extensively cultivated,
among The Indians; indeed, if it had not been
they would have suffered far more severely for
food, than they were compelled to do. They
soon learned its uses as well as the method of
cultivation from the Indians, and it is interes-
ting to turn back two and quarter centuries
to learn how the Indians or rather squaws, raj
sed corn-now, as then, the staple agrcutur-
al product of the country. We gather our in
formation from Prof FIint's Report of the
Mass. Board Of agriculture.
The Turning Of the natives, as we'll as most
of the hard work, fell to the lot Of the women,
assisted, sometimes, by old men and little boys.
Their tools were very imperfect, as they con-
sisted only of rude hoes, made by tying the
shoulder blade of deer or bear, or a large
ciam-shell., to pole or stick; and stone AK.
es with which they girdled trees, or scraped
the charred surface of the logs to hasten their
burning. The land. when. selected, was clear
ed bykeeping up fire around the foot Of each
tree until it was burned so that if would die
When tree fell, it was burned into lengths
so that it could be rolled into heaps and burn
ed into ashes. Thus, in the course of years,
piece was wholly cleared Of its timber. In
some instances the trees was girdled and left
standing until dry, when hey were burned
down as above described.
The finest ears of corn were collected for
seed, and particular attention given to planting
al the proper season. Holes were dug with
the hoes mentioned above, about four feet a.
part, and those living near the sea-shore then
put into each hole a horseshoe crab or two,
upon which they dropped four and sometimes
six kernals of corn, and then covered it with
the implement with which they had dug the
holes. In the interior a few small fishes in each
hill were used as fertilizer Beans We're
planted with the corn after it had come UP,
and grew supported by it. Great attention
was paid by them to the culture and protection
Of their growing crops. Not weed was to
be seen in the fields, and the corn was care
fully guarded against destruction by insects
and birds. To prevent loss by the latter,
small watch house was erected in the midst of
field of corn, in which one of the family, Of
ten the Oldest child, slept, and early in the
morning rose to watch the blackbirds. TWAS
their universal custom to hill the corn about
two feet high, for its support, and spots may
be seen at the present day, which were evident
ly cultivated BY them. The coonsts very
generally. Initiated this custom, and it has
been continued down to our own times.
1t would be interesting to know if the Gus
tom of tapping and suchering corn was not
likewise derived from its original cultvators.
They made no use of the stalk 8, and hence
would not be likely to take the. amount or
quality of the fodder into consideration. II
has been seen that they practiced manstring and
clean culture, the great principles Of growing
corn in the nineteenth as well as the seventeenth
century.-[ Rural New Yorker.
CURIOUS EFFECTS OF HAIR ON Grass. -
A few years ago the purchasers of hos-halr
at Terra Haute, Ind, carried it out upon the
prairie and spread il ON the srass to dry
This was in the fall and winter. After being
washed with the rains, ii was rak9d up, lea
r{s ~, he Int
spring this was the earliest green spot AMI
continued TO be the sweetest, as was pro-
we'd by the cattle resorting there to fead.-
By and by one of them died, then another
and another, though apparently fat and heal
thy. Then one was opened to ascertain the
cause of death, and afterward others tor Curl
osity. In the stomachs of those that had fed
most upon this hair MANFRED spot, were found
two or three dozen hair balls such as we
used to be t cd when boy were s.witch
ballso We have seen them three inches in
diameter and solid as it is possible to com
pact hair together. The calamity grew so
serious that the owners of cattle had to plow
up the ground and turn under the sod and
its rich manuring, which contnu to show
its effects for years after.
Hair balls are often found in the stomachs
of cattle on the farm, from a morbid appe-
lite, eating their own or another animals, Oh
when the swine have been butchefed and
perhaps oftener produce death than is imagin-
ed. TO prevent accidents, let, all the hair be
plowed under: it is very valuable manure
TNew York Tribune.
Franklin says : A poor man must work
to find meat for his stomach, rich one to find
stomach for his meat.
An author may write by the yard, and
think by the inch; or write by the in inch, and
think By the yard.
A humble man is like good tree, the
more full Of fruit the branches are, tnelower
/ they bend themselves
! rThe houses of the Arabs are never with
out lights. They burn lamps, not only alk
] of the house This custom IS SO vel! estaa-
lished in the East, that the poorest people
J wonld rather retreneh part Of their food than
neglect it.