The mountain Democrat., 1863-11-28

VERSATILITY OF PRINTERS. s.-The Belfast
QrelanD Mercury gives the following in
relation to printers: From high to low
they are the same reckless, free.hearted,
clever, well-informed fellows-khoving
how to act better than they do-nOthing
at times-everything IL the occasion re-
quires or the ft takes them. No sooner
are they comfortable in one town than
they travel for another, even they travel
on bair-space means. And to what will
they not turn tEeir bands 1--WE have
seem" says an American editor. tone and
the same individual of the craft, minis
ter in California, lawyer in Missouri, .
sheriff in Ohio, a bontmaD on the western
canal, sailing n privnteer, an auctioneer in
New York and a preSSman in Q great
printing office" Nor are these charac-
teristics confined to any counuy-they
are everywhere the same. We meet on
tramp in this country members of this
wild, rowing protest. n, from all parts Of
the globe Frenchmcn, Spanlards, Portu-
guese, Germans and Swedcs-and all ap.
| parently as much at home as if in their
own country. Ardent lovers of liberty,
kingcraft finds but little favor in their
eyes. When the chartist excitement was
raging in England, the most eloquent
leaders in the movement were printers
When the barricadeS were raised in Paris,
in l648, compositOr cast their types into
bullets and fired them at the loyalist
troops They make the best 0i soldiers,
ablest statesmen, truest friends; pregnant
with knowledge, yet slow TO impart it
fully verSed in current events, and famil.
lar with modern and ancient authors
cmnently fitted os editors and govern.
nent officials, yet holding all such in con.
tempt as subjects for mental criticism
modest, yet sociable-prOud, yet chari.
table the journeynan printer lives with.
in himself, the frecst and noblest Of men.
RENovArIxo FLOWER BEDs.-If the ex.
hausted beds have good bottom, we Ad.
wise removing the top spit and replacing
it with n mixture Of virgin earth from an
upland field, well chopped up with old
chippy cow-dung, and good proportion
Of leaf-mould--say if you can obtain the
quantities, equal part of the three ingre-
dients. Ifyou can get the beds empty
in the winter the best way will be to take
off the top spit and fork over the SUBJ
soil, so as to let the frost and snow pene-
trate it, then get a good supply of burned
clay and hot bed dung, and chop them
down together in ridge, and let them be
well frozen and I'll up the beds with q
mixture early in March, and they will be
in admirable condition for planting as
soon as they have settled. Clippings Of
haI rafu ekro, 2o h,,sl
hole, and packed round with cakes Of old
turf. and then burned, make capital
dressing to dig into the old soil, if you
cannot get new material to replace the
worn.o out stuff. If used chiefly for bed
ding plants, compost Of leaf-mould and
sandy soil from a common, equal parts,
and one fifth of the whole very old dung
would prove q very good mixture. Bed
ding plants do not require very rich
soil as much as q new soil.-Gardener'
Weekly Magazine.
Rose CurTNGs-An experienced hor-
ticulturist says: Rose cuttings, generally,
are the most sure to grow directly after
the Towering is over for the month";
Geraniums grow at any season, also, fu.
scias, verbenas, and other similar grow
ing plants. Difficult woody plants re-
qure to have the new wood from which
the cuttings are taken, we'll ripened, to
insure growth. Pink pipings may be cut
at any season. Generally speaking all
plants grow more readily just after bloom
ing, and the best cuttings are taken from
those shoots that have blooms. Usually
it is well to have q small part of the past
years growth on the cutting. Fuscias
grow best from young shoots, also hello
tropes and verbenos. Oleanders need to
be rooted in water previous to planting
in the earth; the roots are tender and
should be handled with care. Cactus re-
quircs drying for number Of days before
planting; those leaves that have flower
buds and are said to bloom early, and al.
so to continue Towering annually.
Herbaceous plants root sooner when
the stems are placed in the water for q
day. Equality Of temperature and mois-
ture is important to insure success. For
this purpose glasses are placed over deli
cate cuttings; some prefer white, others
green glass. Cuttings generally require
partial shading until roots form. The
soil should be firmly pressed to the low
Cot DOihh W i''S SUNNY tbuh tAO
not penetrate and dry the embryo roots.
Cuttings like the dew and moonlight,
therefore the coverings Of those placed in
hot beds should be removed, if the wealth
or is moderate at sunset The horizon
tai branches nearest the ground are much
more apt to form roots than the upright
ones.
-~A~
i n ,f Hof
worked into horse. shoes Is worth ten dol
lars, and fifty cents; needles, three hun
dred and tity.fve dollars; penknifs
blades, three thousand two hundred and
eighty-ive dollars shirt buttons twenty.
nine thousand four hundred and eighty
dollars; balance springs Of watches, two
hundred thousand dollars. Thirty one
pounds Of iron have been made into wire
upwards Of one hundred and eleven miles
in length, and so fine was the fabric that
part oft was converted in lieu Of horse
hair, into barriStcr's wig. Yet there
are three things to which "imPrOving" is
of no use Dirty water will quench
fire as well as clean; plain wife is as
good for blind man as n pretty one;
and wooden sword, for coward, is as
we'll as betteotempered one. '~.
CArEcnIsM.-Who was the oldest son
Of NOah2