Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-04-02

line for Tho first insertion, and eight conts per
llno tor each subsequent insertion
IRRlGATIoN.-In the issue of the New
Iork Tribune, MIR. Greeley presents his views
on the "Possibity OF Irrigation" and says
IAN old and successful farmer in my neiehbor.
hood athrms that water is the cheapest and
best fertilizer ever applied to the soil. IF this
were understood to mean that no other is
be erroneous. Still, think it clearly true
that the annual product of most farms can be
increased, and the danger of failure averted,
more cheapIy by the application of water than
that OF any other fertilizer whatever. Plaster
(Gypsum) possibly excepted.
took run through Virginia last summer,
and not far from the l>t Of August. That
State Was then suffering intensely from drouth
as she continued to do tor some weeks thore-
after. am quite sure [ saw on her thirsty
plains and hillsdes not less than three hun
dred thousand acres planted with Indian corn,
whereof the average product could not exceed
ten bushels per acre, while most of it would
fall far below that yield, and there were thou
sands OF acres that would not produce one
sound ear Every one deplored the failure,
correctly attrbutlng it to the prevailing drouth.
And yet passed hundreds II not thousands Of
places where moderate outlay would have
suthccd to dam stream or broOklet issuing
from between two spurs OF the Blue Ridge, or
tho Alleehanes, so that refreshing current
OF the copious and tcrtiliZIng floods OF winter
and spring, warmed By the tcrvid suns Of June
and July, could have been led over broad fields
lying below, 50 as to vanquiSh drou!h and In
sure generous harvests Nay, | feel confident
that could in many places have constructed
rude works in q week after that drouth began
to be fell, that would have saved and made the
corn on at least a portion Of the planted acres.
Suspicion AND PREJUDICE. E.-SUsPIcIoN.-
There Is nothing more vexatlous and annoying
to conscientious, honorable man than to act
in perfect sincerity without any intention OF 10
juring any man or doing any one injustice, and
yet have actions imputed TO him for mali
ciouS desire to lnjure another. Aud 1t Is equal
" hard for christian man TO bear, peacably,
intima,ious which = delicate sense OF honor
would naturally resent. Aud yet, these things
will occur even to the most upright man. Men
who have scnsibilities, slightly blunted, tre-
uuently cast insinuations which to them arc
nothiHg, but finer natures are hard to be borne.
OF all men deliver lis from the suspicious class,
thcs, who discover "impllcatlon' IN every far
dealing. as the, coward fancies 1oc In every
bush.
PREJUDICE. The cure for untounded preju-
dice is more intimate acquaintance with the
objects of them. Ignorance is the most pro-
life cause of prejudice. Breadth of inorma-
ton will dispel it as The sun dlspels the vapors
of the night. While it may not be possible or
advisable to occupy ourselves rerpetually IN
cradicating antipathics, it is at least duty TO
be their master, and not their slave. lie who
is victim to prcjudiccs ceases to enjoy Tree
dom, aud cannot act either justly or generously
10 his fellow men.
How MARBLES ARE MADE The chief place
Of the manufacture of marbles" those little
pieces OF stone which contribute so largely to
the enjoyment of ''Young America, IS at
Oberscin on the Nahe, in Germany, where
there arc large agate mills and quarries, there
fuse Of which is carefully turned to good paying
account by being made into the small balls en-
ployed by experts to knucke with, which are
mostly sent to the American market. The
substance used in Saxony isa hard calcarlous
stone, which is first broken into blocks, nearly
square, by blows with hammer. These are
thrown by the one hundred or two hundred into
flat, stationary slab OF stone, with Il number
OF concentric turrows upon Its lace. y block
OF oak or other hard wood, of the same dame
tric size, is placed over the stones and partly
resting upon them. The small block Of wood is
kept revolving while water flows upon the stone
slap. 10 ABOUT lll(Ccn minutes tuc StouCS iic
turned to spheres, and then, being fit for sale,
are hcncctorth ca led ''marb!cs." One cstablisl =
ment, containing onb three OF these mills will
turn out fully sixty thousand marbles in
each week.
KEEPING LENT AND HEALTH. DIR. W..
W. Hail. the publisher OF Halls Journal OF
Health. in his recently published work on
"HcaIth and Good Living" has the following
on tho physical benefits OF keeping Lent strictly.
without the dispcnsation usually granted:
IF all persons for month 10 early spring
were 10 abstain from all meats whatsoever, as
the spirit of the doctrine of Lent requires, 1t
would add greatly to the health OF communities,
by enabling the system to throw off the lmpurl-
ties of the body acquired by the hearty eating
OF winter, would coo! of the heated BLOOD and
thus destroy the germs of spring and summer
disease and thus it is that the proper practice
of the rrcccptS Of religion promotes not only
the spiritual but the physical health OF man.
These are simple measures; they are prac
tcahlc, cost no money, and are available 10
all ard ii needed in rational manner, death
would be kept from many adwcng and lilc
time sorrows would be lightencd to many
hnSomS.