davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1858-07-30
Country Roads.

The following article, by correspondent
Of the New York Tribune, will DO Us appli-
ealIe, perhaps to some places in Maine
a. for the section Jr which it ws written
The Farmers OF the State OF New York,
Us class, are certainly not ignorant men.
pot them down u intellectual. Indeed,
in this section OF Otscgo County one can
produce from these hills class Of farmers
no, 20 be outione by any in the State for
strong good sense, and they are a reading
people. ThosO with whom associate are
men who take from three 20 six weekly pa
pes. Well you would think that men Of
tai. stamp make good road To be surc
they could. And you would imagine tha,
they would think 50 much OF their horses
the wear aud tear Of veheieles, 10 say moth.
Ing Of their own comfort, that sometimes
they would for their own personal conyen-
icnco ssc to tho good state Of the roads.
Bot such does not appear TO be the fact. |
have seen stone twice as biz As man.
head lay for weeks in the wheel.track and
every wagon that came along went noun-
dering over tha, stone; and have seen a
hole in u bridge remain open for three
months, large enough TO take in a horses
foot, bu, fortunately no horse went through.
I have heard persons say in passing over the
stone or the bridge: That stone should
not be there; !" " That hole will break some
horses leg" but this was all-,hc remark
did no, remove the stone nor mend the hole.
III know anything OF country life and
livin. know this-that there is q great
comfort aud personal satisfaction in riding
over good roads; while to ride over poor
roads has no other tendency than TO keep
man in a passion. There can certainly be
no satisfaction on hot summer day, to ride
over road chuck full OF stones, or knee
deep in mud. To be sure, there is no sac.
counting for taste. and there may be 9TH
ers who like il. dislike bad roads and
there is no reason why we should have them.
| will conclude, then by laying down few
self.eviden, propositions net to be found in
Euclid Playiair.
/. Black muck will not make hard
road.
.. Bigs,oncs are no, easy things to ride
over.
3. Throw Ou, your stones. and you will
not ride over them.
1. Use gravel instead Ofmuck. and your
road will be hard.
5. See that sluiees and water.courses
are all clear.
6. Any small pieco Of road you use
grea, deal keep it hard aud good. Ii will
pay to do 30.
:. The wear and tear Of wagon de-
pends a great deal upon what kind OF road
IL is used upon.
s. Ask the blacksmith how nine-tenths
OF the springs are broken aud he will tell
you.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1858-07-30

TnE .EoSAN IIRr. \ corre.p5nlentdo.
siros u, Io give him some particulars Of
,hi, instrument, and directions how 70 con-
struct it and a, the summer is coming on
and it. melancholy music may fad many
who vii ENJOY it during tic hot season, We
give the desired information ior the benefit
Of all our readers
Thi. instrument consists Of long mar
row box Of very thin pine, about six inches
deep, with a circle in the middle OF the up
per side, OF an inch or an in'h and halt
in diameter, in which are to be drilled small
holes On this side seven, ten or moro
strings Of very fne cltsus are stretched over
bridges at each end, like the bridge OF
fiddle, and screwed upor relaxed with screw
pins. Tho string must all BE- tuned to ono
and the same note, CD i'pcrhaps, the bcst.)
and the instrument should bo placed in
window partly oPcu, in which the width
i, exactly vQual u the length Of the harp
with the sash iu.t raised ~ give the air ad-
mission. When the air blows upon thcso
strings with different degrees offorcs il will
excite different, tone, OF sound. Sometimes
the blast brings out all the tones in tall con-
cert, and sometimes it sinks them to the
sofisst murmurs.
\ colossal imitation Of the instrument
Just described was invented az Milan, in L.
-, by the Able Gattoni. H. gsirctchod sew
en- strong iron wires. tuned 10 tho notes of
tho eamut, from tho top Of tower sixty
feet in height to the house OF Sisnor
MOscotc, who was interested in tho sue
ccss Of the experiment, and this apparatus,
called tho " giant. harp" in blowing wea-
ther yielded ensihencd pcils ofharmonious
music. In storm, thi. music was some
times heard at the distance Of several miles.
scientific American.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1858-07-30

wHrRE MosQUuoEs CoNE FRon. These
pests of summer proceed from the animal
cuIes commonly called "wisgle tail" ia
bowl Of water is placed in the summers sun
for n few days, u number of "wgglc tails"
will b. visible. and they will continue in
size till they reach threo-siKtcenth- OF an
inch in length, remaining longer at the sur
face as they approach maturity, as II seem
ing 10 live on influences derived from tho
two elements Of air and water; finally they
will assume a erysalis form, and by an in
creased specific gravity sink 10 the bottom
of tho bowl. A few hours only will elap,e.
when short black fdrIo or hair wall grow
out on every side Of each, til it assume. the
form OF a minute caterpillar. Its specific
gravity being thus eounterac,ed. IL will
readily hart TO the surface, and DO waited
To the side Of the bowl by tho slightest
breath of air. In a short time Ny will 10
hatchoi and escape, leaving its tiny house
upon the surface Of the water.
Any one who has had eistsrn in tho
yard has doubtless observed the same effect
every summer, although no may bo ignOr-
ant Of the beautiful and simplo process Of
development. la pitcher of ci',Orn or other
water containing these animalculos !. plae-
Ell in close room oT'r night. from which
all mosquitoes have previously bccn eIelu-
ded, enough mosquitoes will breed from it
during the night to giyo any satisfactory
amount Of trouble. Ia fact, siandin. by
shallow, hall staguant pool on n midsum-
mcr's day, the full development Of any num-
Der Of wigcle tail, " in the mosquito stAto
can b. witncsscl and the origin or these
d,turhar 81 nights .lumbers thus fllly a,.
ccrtainod.' [Sc,en,iGc Amcr-an.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1858-07-30

81 would like to buy that man and set
him free" I said to one Of our party.
I" You would do him no good" wa. the
reply. a. manumittcd slave has seldom
any selfrellanec or energy. Slavery so de-
grades and crpplcs the moral faculties Of tho
negroes that they require the crutch even in
freedom, and canno, walk alone. They find
IL impossible to compete with the poor
whites. and II lsft to themselves, sink into
the loves, and mos, misernbly paid oecupa-
iions."
"You are an Englishman and travel.
ler," said the slavo dealer. and I should
he much obliged to you II you would put,
any questions to tho negroes"
wha, questions" said I. "Shall !
ask then whether they prefer freedom or
slavery"
don't mean that" he replied. "Ask
them whether do not treat them we'll
whether am no, kind to them-whether
they do no, have plenty to eat and drink
while they are with me2'
told him that had no doubtofthe fact.
that they looked clean and comfortable and
we'll fed bu,-and in that &" but" lay the
whole case, though tho worthy dealer Of
New Orleans was totally incapable Of COM
pretending IL. The same feeling seem, to
c1i., all through the Southern States but
more Of this hereafter.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1858-07-30
Tum the wo-kins r,rmer.
Fall Flowing

Our friend Brown, Of the Ohio Farmer,
give, the following excellent article on "Fall
Flowing" and like most Of his articles, 1.
full Of sslf-evilen, truths. Much Of the soil
in Western New York, Ohio, and elsewhere.
contains - much clay tha, i, cannot be
plowed when wet, without An injury 10 the
soil by compression, which require. many
years Of tillasc 10 remedy; and in such ca
Sc. 70 " ridcs and baok.firro,r " the soil in
the fall, 80 as 10 increase theamouns Of sur.
face Cor winter frerIins, a. well as elevh,ins
na..cs Of soil IN these ridges above the sur
face and exposing the lower coil IN The fur
rows % the various benefits arising from the
action Of frost, etc.-,heso ridges may 10
spli, by double mold board plow in the
srring, and thu, rendered ready for use a. an
early date. lED.
We have often spoken Of the advantages
Of this operation. We have done 90, be-
cause 4, has been our settled conviction, tha,
on clay soils, especially, it is one Of the most
needlul and mos, profitable processes in Tie
whole system Of ,illage. Land properly
stirred and pulverired IN the fall, is soften
"a by the winter frOsts, and its slods become
dus, in the spring. II trenches are cut 30
that water can how OF freely, it can DO till
ed much earlier in the spring. Vas, nun.
Der, Of insect. are destroyed by the cold.
Seeds Of weeds, that have gcrmiuatel in
early autumn are disturbed and destroyed.
These advantages are sufficient certainly to
secure the proper stirring Of land in the
fall, when either a summer fallow is de-
,isnSd the next year. or the land is intend
el for some crop in the spring.
But there is one advantage whica we have
not msnti1ued-an advantage which. in ad.
dityn to all the rest, is a very great one in
deed. IL &, this that plOwins in the fall.
along with other preparations all properly
and ,killlully made, will, 10 many cases,
render ploving in the spring needless. Ma.
ny of our readers may be startled at this.
They may even suspect US Of attempting to
impose on the eredulity Of the public, by
such Il statement. Now we DO no, ask them
10 believe what we have stated at all-at
leas; jus. now. ButwS do ask them to con.
slider. fOr a moment, wha, would be gained
il what we have said could be true. What,
in other words. would be gained In our clay
soils, II large part Of the springs blowing
could be done during the fall prseeeding'
The following advantages will strike any
observant farmer, on moments reflection.
The blowing could be done a, a season
when the ground could bo thoroughly titled
without injury from the rain. Our clay soils
have a ".ieslish temper. In tho spring
they are often wet; but the dry weather,
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1858-07-30

which occurs almost every fall, furnishes
full opportunity to do this kind Of work
without risk Of harm.
\ second advantage would bO, that the
plowing would be done at a time when la
bOr is much less valuable than in the hurry
Of spring work. How often has the farmer,
on cla, farm wished, just as hl' land has
become dry enough. in the spring, to begin
plovipg, tha, he could sc, ten plows IN mo-
tion. instead Of one, that he might finish
his work before tho next .iorm-which was
now warning him Of its npproach-.hould
delay his stirring the soil for two weeks
longer. Hall this couli be done during the
dry weather. the fall before. when no other
work is pressing, l, would Gil up time COM
para,ively idle, and greatly relieve the pres
sure in the spring. when work Of oil kinds
crowds him very severely.
A third advantage Of this fall plowing-
always supposing 1, would servo the purpose
is, that 1t would hasten the season Of
sowing early spring crops, sometimes two,
or three. or four weeks. Every farmer has
noticed that his land-clay land especially
could be narrowed or stirred with cult.
vaior for several days-sometimss for fort
nicht-hcforc he would dare to touch II
with the plow lie has often noticed-some-
times with sickening dcspondeney-tha, jus,
as land was dry enough to plow. great
rain, or little rain has fallen, 40 that tho
field. which should have been sown to-day.
must liO untouched tor weeks 10 come. We
have known events Of this sort to happen
twice or thrice IN succession, % that impor-
tan, crops have been delayed Eve or 'iT
weeks. The difference, in these cases. has
often been just the difference between sue
csss and fAilure-betwecn having a good
crop, and having none. Now II fall plov-
inG can, in any important crops, take the
place Of spring plowing-if the farmer could
SOW or plan, as soon as the land would bear
the harrow, or n cultivator in the spring,
with tho assurance ola crop nearly or quite
as good as II the plowing were done in tho
srring, would not this bo very grcA, al.
vantage? Would i, no, 10 much toward
making our strong clay soils So justly
priIed on many aseounts-iormilAblc CON.
Po,i,or' Of the higher sorts, in the very par.
,icular, in which the latter now enjoy the
prc-emincneo Bot one answer can be civ.
on 10 these questions. We anticipate tho
reply tha, many OF our friends will make to
these supposi,ions. They all hang on an
A. lii will DO, there can be no doubt ,ha.
all thess advantage, would rcsul, from the
pros,s. But that ~ Is an important
word, L, la. proved a bomb she'll, which
has exploded the faneic- Of many ,heOri',
before. II would no, be strange II i, were
10 turn out 50 in the present case" We
admit all this, dear friends. Siill 1, can do
no harm 10 hear wha, more we have TO say.
Ba, We have already given all thc'pAeO that
we can now give u thi. matter. We shall
resume IL soon.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1858-07-30
Cure for Corns on Horses Feet.

MEssRs. EDrroRs Noticed the inquiry
Of a correspondent in the March No. OF Tho
Cultiyator. concerning corn' on horses feet.
Ia answer would say, corns Of long stand
ing are incurablc. Those Of more recent
date can bc helped. The only remedy |
know OF is the following, viz; Dig the
corn out and pour in hot tar. II tho horse
is ilat.foo,cd. DO careful about pairing tho
hcols-only rnsp II carefully, and avoid
having the shoe bear on the heel as much
as much as possible. make Few extracts
from Youatt on the Horse, which como di.
rOctly to the point.
In the angle between the bars and the
quarters. the horn OF the sole, has some
times red appearance and is more 'pongy
and softer than at any other par, the horse
hinchcs when this portion OF the horn ],
pressed upon, and occasional or permanent,
lamencss is produced. This disease Of the
FOO, Is termed corns. Tho FIRST thing to bc
done is to pare ou, the angle between the
crust aud tho bars. Two objects are an
swsrcd by this, tho extent OF the disease
will DO ascertaincd, and one cause OF Il re.
moved. A very small drawing knife must
be used for this purpose. The corn must
he pared out to the very bottom taking care
not TO wound the sole. l, may then be dis
covered whether there is any efusion Of
blood or water underneath. II this is sus.
pocted an opening mns, be made through
the horn, the mater evacuated, the scpera.
tel horn taken away the course and extent
OF the sinu.cs explored, and the troi,ment
recommended for qui,,or adopted. Should
there be no collection Of fluid, bu,yr OF anti
mony should be applied over the whole cS'
ten; OF tho corn after the horn has been
,hinned, a. closely as possible. \ horse
that ha. once had corns to any considerable
extent, should n, every shocing have the
seat Of the corn well pared ou, and tho
buiyr Of autimony applied.
Country Gentleman.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1858-07-30

. in the cock. As no ono would think Of dry
ing herbs in the sun, or where the dew and
rain would fall on them, 50 with grass, cut
when dry, dry II as little as possible in the
sun. and let il cure by sweating. In this
state 1t undcrgOes a partial fermentation,
and thA; causes the wa;cry portion OF the
grass 10 separate IRON the other parts.
Nearly the whole nu,ritiye properties OF the
bay are in luid or semi.Huid state highly
susceptible Of fermentation, and II fcrmen.
tAtion above certain degree, takes place,
they will be immediately dissirated IN va
por. The objcct to Ne attained is TO cure
the hay by cooperating the 'cdir only Of
thesr juices, leaving the saeeharino and 9TH
or principals in solid state in the body Of
the grass. But II the juices OF the grass are
allowed TO fcrmcn,. then all these principles
are rapidly changed and pass of with the
upor. The main thing after cutting,
should BE- TO preserve the partially dried
grass from the dew and rain, as these soon
wash away The soluble salts ana ihereoy
seriously aneS' 'ne A''P'ns qu'''''',, '0' nay
'nu, 1s''''o''''1 '''"'"'' WI ''A-' WV"
''.rA'I ,.',.S,,.-.i.,, - =" ~ nv. .,,..,
bcrd.grass by this mode, is greater than that
Of the fner kinds Of hay. Clover when di.
,,.,,v .,,,-.l % n. .un and oir |. liable
n - s.,ri,,I in handling Oft. head. and
l,,y.. which c,r.,;,n,s n. mos, valuable
norton Bv h.ipr rl.,cd in cock. a. soon
a, well vilted and the external moisture
dried OF ,hi, difficulty can 30 entirely ob.
,i,,,J Usrl.,r.s. by beinr cured in ,bi.
manner i. dsrrived Of il. rigid har.hncss.
which i, o,bs,wi-, rosses.,.
T,-n.r, q, c,pr.. will understand ,b.,
4, wm ..n.-.I,v y, nocs..,rv IN turn IN.
c,.l, ,vs, .bor, tim, b,ro,s hauling in
in order to give the bottom. an airing. o.pO-
riallvifi,h,, beeu long cooked up.
We have aid ,ha, the proper time FOR
cutting rr,.. /. when i, !. in full flower
bu, {, should bc rvmembcrci tha, every
rlan, in a field /, no, in fall flower a, the
-mo time. Tho ob;cc, should Be to secure
the crop when i, has attained is maximum
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1858-07-30

DocroR,rrs. Commenting on College
commcncement., the New York Evening
Post remarks.
"Thi. is tho season. too. fOr sowing tho
annual crop Of doctorates. In the morning
many persons will arise men. and in tho
evening will go To bed Doctors Of Divinity
or Doctors Of Civil and Canon Law. There
are some cases when the comforting Of ths
degree OF Doctor Of Divinity does great good.
IL sometimes put. a sudden end 10 the COM
plants Of a too Eult.dnding congregation.
The story Is told Of q clergyman in a Now
England village, who bad been in the same
pastora,e for many years, and who found
HI. influence at length 'ensibly diminishing.
III. people desired chango-.hey wanted
a smarter man. SJms Of his friends, how
ever. sgued a petition. carried it to New
England college, and finally tho dOctorais
was conferred on the aged pastor. The de-
gree worked like 4 charm. His remaining
yeaF, were passed in peacc among ais peo.
pie, and they followed him lovingly to hi.
burial.
The degree also has good influence up
on the poson who receives it. The story is
told Of a Trustee Of one Of our Colleges, who
had a number Of times vacated his seat
when the question annually came up: who
shall receive honorary tites' Tho Trustees
needed his advice. The coincidence was at
las. noticed. They made him d. D., and
he bas been faithful to his post ever since"
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1858-07-30
For the o,Srd Democrat
Cutting and Curing Hay.

4, may Be safely averrcd that there is not
= single operation on farm that cannot bO,
and ought no, to 30 conducted upon soi0n-
tisc principles Aud IL the remark be true
OF farm operations generally, it is more 80
roci.lly 81 Of the su5jsc, Of hay-mskinS.
Al,sr al iha, has been said and written,
there i, .;ill difference Of opinion in regard
20 the bost mode Of managing the hay crop,
both a. TO the period at which grA~ should
be cut in order 20 be-, NEE, the wants Of
stock. and the manner Of treating /. in the
process Of curing. On the former point,
the main question has been, whether grass
contained more nutrimcn; q; the time o.
towering. or at a later stage. While some,
therefore. have acted on the mode Of cutting
before lhe blossoms have fallen. others have
deferred the operation ,ill a much later Pc
Rod, and others I'LL the SD has 80 for sia-
taryd as 10 gsrminate. But from reasons
that are obvious W. think il far from econ
ouy to allow grAss TO stand long after the
lowering stage IS past.
1, l. gratifying 70 End that the results Of
chemistry agree with the most correct pras.
iieal obssrva,ions-as they 10 in all cases
when the truth ., reached. So far as chem.
zeal research has served to illustrate this
subyct, it ha, confirmed the views Of those
who advocate the earlier cutting.
The great objsc, to be sought is the pre-
ssrVatOn Of hay in a condition mos; nearly
resembling the srass in a perfec, state. 10
order to accomplish this end, grass should
Be cut when i, contains the mos, gluten,
sugar. and such other nu,riliye properties
a. are conpossd Of the sane slsno'f', but
are hardened. and in part changed to woody
hbre,-ihi. being insolluble eannO. a.simi-
late itself TO the requirements Of the animal
stomach
The objec, sough, by nature il the pro-
duc,i0u Of soed Plants when they frst
come from the ground cou,ain more water
than at any other time. From the time OF
towering all the snersis, OF the plan, are
directed to the formation Of .oed. II seed
j. sought il should be allowed 10 stand tall
ma,ured, but as hsrbiage is sought IN hay,
it should bo cut before the seed is formed
for all the substance used up in the lorna
ton Of seed is lost, As but very few, IL any,
ars digested in passing through the animal.
Un.ided BY chemistry, the proper rule 10
be observed in cutting grass. might be infer
TED from the practice Of cutting herbs. whose
intrinsic properties it i' designed to retain
in dry state. Experience long ago taught,
that the period Of towering was the one in
which the plant possessed the desired prop
critics in ihs hishes, perfection. IL has
taught also that the best mode Of curing in
reference TO securing those properties. was
drying in the shade. 81 far as relates 10 It's
quality, this rule - as applicable to hay a.
70 herbs but as it is inconsistent to adopt
"On large scale, We should approximate
@n as near as practicable, which is curing
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1858-07-30

FArTESiSG PKorERuEs or Pas And
BEANs. These articles have been found by
chemical analysis rich in nitrogen. The in
ference has been that they would especially
useful in supporting the waste OF tho mus
cles Of animals. and it has been suggested
that they would be particularly useful in
the production OF wool. They arc evident.
ly valuable for these purposes, but not the
lc.s valuable for the production of fat.
Those persons who have used peas for fat
tsning hogs, consider them worth as much
Us Indian Corn. Iu districts where that
grain Is not grown, very fine pork isprodu.
ced from peas.