Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1858-04-07


To meet another weary morrow!
l shall heed neither night nor dawn,
But still with folded hands sleep on!
And yet, methinks, if steps of those
Tdknown and loved on earth were round me,
'Twould break the night of my repose,
Shiver the icy cords that bound me-
Save that know this cannot be,
For death disclaims all sympathy.
Then mourn not, friends, when We shall lay
The clods of earth above my ashes,
Think what q rest awaits my clay,
And smooth the mound with fearless lashes;
Glad that the resting form within
Has done with sorrow, care and sin.
Think that with me the strife is o'er,
Life's stormy, struggling battle ended;
Rejoice that 1 have gained the shore
To which my faltering footsteps tended,
Breathe the blest hope above the sod
And leave me to my rest with God.
Song Birds.
We have sometimes made the money annual.
" paid by the city of New York for having its
ear tickled with sweet sounds subject of ref1ec-
tion. The amount is very considerable. But
we only reckoned the opera, the concerts, and
the hand organs. The song birds, except what
one gets for nothing in the parks--not the less
delicious because it is gratuitous, however-nev-
er occurred to our mind, nor the equally gratui-
tous and frequently delightful parlor music nei-
ther. But it now appears, by curious statist
in the Tribune, that that city actuslly imports
from Europe annually thirty-two thousand dol,
lars worth of song birds, in addition to those OF
African and South American origin of nearly
eight thousand dollars worth more.
The list is very interesting, the most numer-
Gus being canaries of course, which every fami-
ly must have, if it has any. Ten thousand six
hundred of these, 600 goldfnches, fifty black
birds, twenty nightingales, 800 linnets, 100 sky
larks 400 fancy -pigeons12 gold and silver pheas-
ants, comprise the birds from Europe. Ihe Al
rican and South American birds are parrots,
wedoes, or birds of paradise, mocking birds,
nbese are of the United States) Java sparrows,
white and red cardinals, grobriols, nonpareils,
fire birds Besides there are hundreds more of
domestic production; such as blue birds, indigo
birds, blue robins yellow birds, red robins,
threshers, bobo-links, and multitude of other
wild birds bought and sold in New York in q
single wear. costing probably $4,000 at least
The European birds are picked up in Germany
chiefly by traders who import them. They
travel extensively for the purpose among the
villages. finding generally but few in one place,
and arrive in New York with them at about
this season of the year. North William street
seems to be their principal depot.
MANY have objections to bird Imprisonment
il shocks their sentiments of liberty. Such feel
ings NAV be INDUCED undoubtedly till they be.
come morbid, and the story by Sterne of the
moor starting who was continually crying, 81
can't get out, / can't get out" has probably
cansed some tender sympathy and more affecta.
tion. But we rather think that the musical ol
the featbered race are quite as we'll off wher
cared for and caressed in lady's boudoir a:
when liable to want, suffering, or hostile attsck
If not actually murdered or starved in the Hartl
mountains of Germany.
q A bird is chiefly to be admired for his plum
aoe or his song for as to his moral character
there is not much to be favorably said. AS fal
az our own observation extends, and we have
watched the canary long and closely, as well 81
some other birds, we are forced to bear testi
mony to their overbearing disposition. They
want generosity, are encroaching wherever they
can be, envious and quarrelsome. They are al
this at times to the gentler, we cannot say beau
tiful. sex among them ; for in the feathered tribe
of creatures the males are almost always tn
handsomest.
1t is common to say of children, they are a
sweet or innocent as birds. 1t would be sad, il
our opinion, if they were not much more 80, o
we believe they are. Why, these canaries, fol
example, at the witching time when Natur
softens the child's heart, (and older peoples al
so,) the half hour just previous to going to bed
when q spontaneous, irrepressible piety touche
- 4 nf off
ton to parents, and brothers and sisters, ant
kindred. and especially to the Maker and Pro
tector of all, gush from its soul in full mingled
stream of love and piety-at this blessed hour
when the sweet child prepares to close its ey
on his parents and playthings for the slumber
of night, blessing and blest of all-at this tim
does the canary begin to poster and battle will
its mate to see which shall have the highest o
favorite part of the perch. The whole charm
ing twilight is thus spent in q selfish quarrel
which is only ended by the arrival of night
which prevents their contending any longer
and leaves one of them expelled, perhaps, entire
" from the roost. N. B. There is one gsllan
fellow among the birds, to wit, the barn-doo
cock.
We hardly know how to account for the grea
annual investment in song birds in the city {
New York. 1t must be perhaps because the
have such terrible amount of ugly noises ther
to neutralize. Their hearts must crave som
other sounds than bawling street men and boy'
and women and girls, than rafting carts an
coaches. and the thousand other discords whic
New York flesh is heir to. If such is the cast
then sing on, melodious birds, and crack you
cheeks You have work before you that wi
task all your powers.-Neudrh Daily Ado.
MEADOWS AND OLD FIELDs.-"If you have an
meadows or old fields that are sward-bound, c
which bore but Indifferent crops of hay last ses
son, give them thorough narrowing as soon q
the frost is out of the surface, while the groun
is soft, then sow to each acre four quarts of tin
othy seed, ten pounds of clover seed, one bush,
of plaster of Paris, FIVE bushels of wood asht
and five bushels Of newly Stacked lime, all we
mixed, and finish off by rolling."-America
Agriculturist.
If after the above you will sprinkle the surfat
with 1OOlbs. of nitrate of soda (cubic petre)
solution, much benefit will ensue.
Fields occupied by winter grain, if partial
winter. killed, should be narrowed, the bal
spots sowed with spring grain or clover, ar
suitable top-dressings, and then the whole role
Any roots disturbed by the harrow will be pa
tally restored by the roller to the soil, and Il
abrasion will cause such roots to tiller (thro
: out new shoots from the first joint and tn
give full crops.
Top-dress pasture and moving lands and Wi
ter grains with l cwt. Of nitrogenized sup
phosphate of lime per acre.
4 pronora oud aoxu onrin oroin plnuv daanl