The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-07-07
HoYT g. CO., Proprietors.
Editing an Agricultural Paper.

In the July number of the GGed1y marx
Twain" relates his experience as an agrlcultu-
raj editor: ,..,. =,
did not cake the temporary editorship OF
an agricultural paper without misglvngs:-
Neither would landsman take command OF
stances that made the salary an object. The
regular editor of the paper was going OF TOR a
hnliday. and accepted the terms he offered,
and took his place.
The sensation of being at work again was
luxurious, and wrought all the week with nn- :
eagging pleasure. We went to press, and L
waited day with some solicitude to see wheth-
er nv effort was going to attract any notlce'
AS / left the Office, toward sundown, group
of men and BOYS at the foot of the stairs DIS
persed with one impulse, and gave me passage
way, and I heard one or two OF them say
saThats himp' was naturally pleased by this
incident. The next morning found similar
group at the foot of the stars, and scattering
couples and individuals standing here ana tnere
in the street, and over the way, watching me ne
With interest. The group separated and fell
hack az I approached, and I heard man say
tIook at his eyep' I pretended not to OBJ
serve the notice was attracting, but secretly L
was pleased with it, and was purposing to write
an account of it to my aunt. went up the
short fight of stairs, and heard CHEEKY voices
and ringing laugh as l drew near the door,
which I opened, and caught glimpse of two
Young. rural-looking men, whose faces blanched
and heightened when they saw me, and then
they both plunged through the window, with
great crash. was surprised. =,
In about half an hour an old gentleman, with
a flowing beard and fine but rather austere
face. entered and sat down at my invitation.
He seemed to have something on his mlnd;
He took off his hat and set it on the toor, ana
got out of it a red silk handkerchief and copy
of our paper. He put the paper on his lap,
and, while he polished his spectacles with MS
handkerchief, he said:
care you the new editor 2"
said was.
aHave you ever edited an agricultural paper
before?"
every likely. Have you had any experience
in agriculture, practically"
"No, believe 1 have not"
"Somc instinct told me SO" said the old gen
tleman putting on his spectacles and looking
over them at me with asperity, while ne folded
his paper into convenient shape. WISH 10
read you what must have made me have that
instinct. 1t was this editorial. Listen, ana see
if it was you that wrote it:
s'Turnips should never be pulled-lt ln]ures
IQeu.. LII lS uiuCii oSceoi w SSA~S ~ K
let him shake the tree"
"Now. what do YOU think of that ?-for re-
ally suppose you wrote it"
aThink of it? Why, l think it is good. l
think it is sense. I have no doubt that, every
wear. millions and millions of bushels OF tur-
nips are spoiled in this township alone by being
pulled in a half-ripe condition, when, If they
Lad sent boy up to shake the tree -
"shake your grandmother Turnips don't
@Oh. they don't, don'tthey? Well, who said
they did? The language was INTENDED 10 De
figurative, wholly tigurative. Anybody that
knows anything, will know that meant that
the boy should shake the vine"
Then this old person got up and tore MS pa
per all into small shreds, and stamped on them,
and broke several things with his cane, and
said did not know as much as a cow ana
then went out and banged the door after hlm,
and in short, acted in such way that l IAN
cied he was displeased about something. But,
not knowing what the trouble Was, l could not
be any help to him.
Pretty soon after this long, cadaverous
creature, with lanky locks hanging down to his
shoulders and weeks stubble bristling from
the hills and valleys of his face, darted in the
door. and halted, motionless, with finger on lip,
and head and body bent in listening attitude,
No sound was heard. Still he listened. No
sound. Then he turned the key III the door,
and came elaborately tip-toeing toward me,
when he stopped, and, after scanning my lace
with intense interest for a while, drew foldeo
COPY of our paper from his bosom, and said:
tThere-you wrote that Read it to me
quick! Relieve mel suffer" .r
I read as follows-and as the sentences tell
from nv lips 7 could see the relief COME
could see the drawn muscles relax, and the
anxiety 90 out of the face, and rest and peace
stole over the features like the merciful moon
light over desolate landscape:
i'The guano is a fine bird but great care is
necessary in rearing it. 1t should not be I'M
ported earlier than June nor later than sep
tember. In the Winter it should be kept IN a
warm place, where it can hatch out Its young;
r. is evident that we are to have a backward
season for grain. Therefore it will be well ior
the farmer to begin setting out his corn-staiks
and planting his buckwheat cakes in July In
stead of August.
Concerning the Pumpkin.-This berry is
fayorite with the natives of the interior OF New
England who prefer it to the gooseberry for
the making of fruit cake, and who likewise
olive it the preference over the raspberry for
feeding COWS, as being more filling and fully Us
satisfying, The pumpkin is the on! y esculent
of the orange family that will thrive In the
North, except the gourd and one or TWO otheI
1nl varieties of the squash. But the custom of
planting it in the front yard with the shrubbery
IS fast going out of vogue, for it is now gcener-
ally conceded that the pumpkin, as shade
tree, is a failure. a
Now, as the warm weather approaches, and
the gardens begin to spawn
The excited listener sprang toward me to
shake hands, and said:
"There, there-that will do! know am
all right now, because you have read it Just as
/ did, word for word. But, stranger, when |
never never believed it before, Notwithstanding
nv friends kept me under watch SO strict, but
now believe am crazy; and with that l
fetched howl that you might have heard two