davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-03-23

! Lands are made to increase yearly in fer
tility, mainly in three ways-by buying
commercial fertilizers, by ploughing under
clover, by buying rich food for animals and
saving all their droppings. That farmer
understands his business who knows which
mode is best for him. The most successful
farmers practice all three.
1t is stated that every farm of loo acres
in Eastern Kansas, is underlaid with / 800, ;
900 tons of coal, or nine times more fuel than
| if the surface were covered with heavy
timber.
! Animals require quantity as well as quail
| ity of food. The philosophy of feeding our
farm stock has been but little attended to by
farmers yet it is field of inquiry that will
pay as richly for investigation as any the
farmers can explore
DR.. Randall says that nc does not believe
that the American Merino can be improved
by any cross whatever, for the greatest pro
duction of medium fine wool
America consumes nearly one-third of the
coffee production of the world, and nearly
seven times as much as the inhabitants of
Great Britain.
In one of the packing houses in Illinois,
recently, 480 hogs were slaughtered in one
hour, and 26S0 in nine hours and ten min
utes.
There are II, ZOO windmills in constant use
in Holland at the present day, for the sim
purpose of drainage. They are of colossal
size, each lifting from 10 000, 900 to so 900 :
600 gallons ofwater every twenty-four hours.
Mr.. John I. Alexander, of Illinois, who
grazed last season, 1000 head of Texas cat
tie, informs the Springfield Journal. that he
has found it losing business, and that here
after he will give the Texas long horns the
go-by, and Craze and feed none but native
cattle.
The question whether there are two kinds
of Alsike clover, is being discussed in several
agricultural papers The weight of evidence
is decidedly in favor of there being but
one variety-the difference in size being ac-
counted for by the difference in soil, climate,
etc.
In some parts Of Surrey, (England), as at
Dorking, the first migration from the parent
hive is called a SLCarm; the next is a cast !,
while the third increase in the season, goes
under the name of cote. The latter is also
called spindle " in some of the middle
counties of England.
A correspondent of the Journal Of Agri-
culture, in advocating proper fastenings for
open barn doors and gates, says that half the
wear and tear of barn doors comes from slam
ming, and that when boy he came very near
being killed by a barn door which was closed
with great force by a gust of wind. The
cattle bad knocked down the prop which had
been placed against it when opened.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-03-23

THE BLIND BEGGAR's DoG.-A blind
bggar used to be led through the streets
Rome by a middle-sized dog. This dog,
bsides leading his master in such man.
mr. as 10 protect him from all danger, learn
e. to distinguish not only the streets, but
also the houses where his master was &C
castomed to receive aims. Whenever the
animal came to any of the streets with
which he was well acquainted, he would
not leave it till call had been made at
every house where his master was accus-
toned TO be successful in his petitions.
When the beggar began to ask aims, the
dog being wearicd lay down to rest. But
the master was no sooner served or refused
than the dog spontaneously and without
----S --Urd or sign from his master, rose anC
proceeded to other houses where the beggal
vas accustomed to receive some gratuity
When a half-penny was thrown from 8
window, such was the sagacity and atten
ton of the dog, that he went about il
quest of it, lifted it from the ground with
his mouth and put it into his masters hat
Even when bread was thrown down, tn,
animal would not taste it unless he receiv
ed portion of it from his masters hand
PHILOSOPHY of Natural History.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-03-23

BESEFIT OF FARHERs' CLUB s.-Secretary
Goodale, in his report for 1863, dated Jan
LIST Of the present year, after remarking that
g from present appearances the action of the
Board of Agriculture at its session in Jan.
last, requiring County Societies to encour-
age the formation of these simple and effec-
tive aids to progress, will accomplish great
good" gives the following brief summary
of advantages resulting from their organiza-
tons. He says: Z" The benefits arising from
these Clubs are many and varied. Farmers
are, necessarily, more isolated than those en-
gagged in other industrial callings: Hence
whatever furnishes to them, even in limited
measure, the advantages of cooperation must
be of great service. These Clubs bring them
together and afford rare facilities for exchange
Of the results Of experience and observation.
They awaken desires for careful experience
and closer observation for increase Of prac-
teal and scientific knowledge. They educate
IN the true sense of the term drawing forth
developing and nourishing the faculties oil
those who participate. The social element
is encouraged /; and, look at them in what
ever aspect we may, their usefulness is ap-
parent. At the same time they operate eff
fectually toward supporting and strengthen
ing the higher and more comprehensive
organizations for the promotion of agricul-
ture. 1t is not too much to say that these
Clubs sustain a relation to, and perform q
function for agriculture among us similar to
that of the primary town meetings for the
government of our country
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-03-23

MAKING SoAP.-Every farmers wife is
proud of good barrel of soap, but some are
so unfortunate as to seldom get one. They
try hard enough, but the ashes are sometimes
poor, or the right proportions of I've and
grease are not used at other times the soap
appears to be good when put up, but changes
entirely after standing few days. The last
trouble usually arises from getting the soap
too strong and diIuting with water. If very
strong, it will be thin and dark, and by ad-
ding cold water and thoroughly stirring, the
color is changed many shades lighter, and
the mass thickened, giving it the appear
ance of a number one article, when in reality
it is very poor.
Hickory ashes are the best for soap making,
but those from sound beech, maple, or 81
most any kind of hard wood, save oak, will
answer well. 4 common barrel set upon an
inclined platform. makes very good leach,
but much prefer one made of boards set in
a trough in V shape, for the strength OF the
ashes is better obtained, and 1t may be taken
to pieces when not in use, and laid up.
First, in the bottom of the leach put few
sticks over these spread piece Of carpet OF
wooden cloth, which is much better thar
straw: put on few inches of ashes, anC
from four to eight quarts of lime fill witt
ashes, moistened, and lamp down well-tamI
the frmest in the centre. 1t is difficult Il
obtain the full strength of ashes in barre
without removing them after days leach
ing, and mixing them up and replacing
The top should be first thrown off, and new
ashes added to make up the proper quantity
Use boiling water for second teaching.
Take about four gallons of I've, and bol
up thoroughly with this twelve pounds o
clear grease, then add the I've as it is obtained
keeping slow fire and stirring often, unit
you have barrel of soap. After boilin
the grease and four gallons Of I've together
it may be put in a barrel and the I've adde
there, which will form good soap if frequent
when weather and time viii permit the wor
/ to be done Ohio Farmer.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-03-23

VALUE OF LIQUID MANURE.-The best use
Of liquid manure is undoubtedly that OF
absorption by muck. Many farmers, who
would not like to be called careless or waste
full. have their barn-yards or stables SO I'M
fortunately located that the urine of the cat
tie escapes or, if good heavy rain comes,
the soakiDgs of the manure lie in pools
scattered here and there throughout the yard.
1t ought to be their first duty to corcr ali their
manure. and not permit it to soak but, fail
ing in that, the next best plan is to draw in to
the yard large quantities of muck from the
swamp, let it be trodden over by the cattle,
and let 1t absorb the liquid oOzing of the
entire yard. At least once every three
months the entire yard should be cleaned out,
the manure piled in heaps, and replaced with
muck again. If the farmer can afford the
expense, it would be well to have the ward
slightly slOping, with cistern at the lowest
end, to collect the liquid manure this can
be pumped out as fast as filled, on to a nile
of muck close at hand, which will require
very little time, and yet add many loads of
valuable manure to the farmer manure bean
We cannot urge farmers too much to save all
their manure, and make as much more as
they can. Next to labor, the farmers most
important problem is manure. Prices NAV
auctuate, but well MANFRED field will never
fail to yield a good profit.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-03-23

Young chickens and tender turkeys require
soft and rich food for the first two weeks,
lust as a newborn infant needs mix. LII
would be Just as consistent to gorge the oe-
licate stomach of an infant with popped corn
and candy as to attempt to rear chickens ana
turkeys on coarse and raw meal and small
often empf grain. And yet such iced Is
numbers Of if69T that purpose where laIge
losses of young chicKee produced put ' sne
were soft food employedAptld. ia. De muon ~
birds have acquired sufficient streslne. =" a;
gest coarse and hard food. "
In many instances more than half the
turkeys that are Matched are so seriously in.
jured by improper food that they die before
they are one week old. Indeed, many ped.
pie will not attempt to rear turkeys, simply
because the young birds will die in spite O
all their efforts to raise them. The frs
food that young birds of any kind should re
ceive is boiled eggs.
After an egg is boiled, cut the shell il
two equal parts, and place them where the
young chicken can have access to the ricl
and soft food. After they have eaten tn,
egg, mush made of equal parts Indian mea
and wheat flour, should constitute their chic
food. If milk can be obtained, let it b.
made into curd. Great care should be taker
in the preparation Of chicken feed to exclude
everything that contains SALT as only small
quantity win surely kill young turkeys anC
chickens.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-03-23

F.,v CurcxENs-A writer on spring |
chickens saws: Chickens Matched in Feb
ruary can be raised by having proper eoops
for the hen and brood, and paying them COM
mon attention. When raised thus, they pay
donbIe for food and trouble-more than that
because they are salable at such small size
To do it. though, the hens must be fed well
from this time, 30 that they will commence
IN Law early and set soon after New Years
day. Warm roosts, with nests which can
be reached by the hens in all weather, are
all that is necessary to start with; ana as
| 10 the feeding of the chickens and keeping
! chem all alive, the writer will say more at
the commencement af the New Year. On
the Astor House farm were coops which an
swered the purpose, for hundreds were sue-
cessfully raised there in the spring; in fact
| the spring chickens were the only healthy,
prosperous ones there. On Mr.. Deimaters
Beacon Farm an Englishman raised spring
chickens in this manner quite away from the
barns, &C." In connection with this We
find curious discovery how to fatten hens,
which resulted from confagratiOn. A cor
respondent of the Boston CultiuGfor says
90 Several years ago the buildings on the
/ Town Farm were burned, and at the time oil
the fire about 20 bushels of rye in the gran
airy were so badly burned as to make it use
| less for flour or meal, and consequently II
was fed to the hens that season. The wife
(now widow of the supervisor of the farm
at that time informs me that she never saw
hens Law as theirs did that season it seemed
they laid two eggs per day, and their feed
was the roasted rye. | roast all the grain
give my hens, and warm their water in cold
! weather.
Rye, wheat and barley are the best grair
for laying hens, and | have no doubt of the
value of the roasting process. Corn and
corn meal scalded with boiling water, mixed
with one third of boiled potatoes and FED
warm, is capital feed for fattening fowIs
Keep clean fresh water-runniDg water il
possible-before laying hens not so with
these you wish to fattep feed three times
a day, with food and water, both warm.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-03-23

EARLY VEGETABL Is -' Woodman,' Ia the
Rural Ne1o- Yorker, offers the following hints
as to the manner in which he manages so as
to have vegetables in advance of their season;
and to those who are willing to take little
extra trouble essential to their production,
they may be of value:
Early Peas.-Get few p-Pers of the very
earliest kind-say extra Early May. Select
the warmest day in March you can, and spade
up as much groun1 in sheltered srot as
you desire to FTrn< 9say south-side iSce-
row or wall), plant ysbur peas thick, three
inches deep; cover with warm, dry leaf
mould or chip-manure, and on each side Of
the row lay eorn-stalks, piling them up a
foot on each side, so they will not fall over
on the row. Scatter straw lightly over the
row, 50 as not to fully exclude the sunlight.
If very rough weather sets in (Which will be
the case in all probability, cover over the
rows with plank or boards until the rough
weather is over Remove when the sun
shines warmly. In this way you can have a
| few " messes' month or more in advance
| Of those planted at the usual time. The pea
is quite hardy, as | have had them covered
with snow when two inches high without in
| jury when protected as above directed.
! CuouUbers.-Early in March procure some
/ sod about eight inches thick. Turn them
over and cut the soil so the seed can be struck
in an inch or so deep. Plant only the g Early
Frame" Set the sods in pit or hot-bed, il
you have them; if not, set them in a room
where there is fire water with milk-warm
water occasionally as the sod gets dry; and
when warmer weather comes, remove them
to the garden, and place small boxes, a foot
square, having neither bottoms nor tops, over
them. At night, until the young plants get
% hardened, place pane of glass over them
Remove the boxes as the ground and the all
get warmed up, and you will have fine early
cucumbers.
! Lettuce-Make hot bed in the usual way
about four BY eight feet. Sow any kind o
early seed you prefer; keep it covered with
sash air and water every bright, pleasan
day. Thin out the plants as you use them
Such bed will furnish an abundance, quite
early, for family Of dozen or more.
Tomatoes.-Sow in boxes of about TIVE
feet by one and a-half, six inches deep, il
earth of the richest kind. Cover the seeC
half an inch deep. If you have hot-bed
place this box in it if not, set it in a warn
room. near a sunny window. Water occa
sionally. When the plants are an inch o.
two high, thin them out to about an incl
apart. So soon as the weather is free 0
frost, transplant in moderately good gardel
soil not rich, as that would make fine vines
'" EG a';';;r f f-s.is For d.. 49,.
as for the tomato likewise pepper plants.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-03-23

LEAcHED AsHEs.-At a recent meeting OF
the New York Farmers Club, the question
was asked, When and how to apply leached
ashes to crops for the best results? In reply,
Mr.. Quimby said be had used over ten thou
sand bushels for the last three years, and
found them good for all crops on sandy or
chestnut loan soil. He would cover his en-
tire farm with them, if he could get them
If put in the hill, they started corn early
and with vigor. Had increased his wheat
crop over one hundred per cent by applying
two or three hundred bushels per acre. They
also benefited grass, and were one of the
best fertilizers for clover. On some of his
land which had been hard run before he got
1t, 1t was difficult to make clover catch, but
leached ashes made it grow splendidly A
new seeded field was only partly ashed, last
year, and where the dressing was omitted
the clover was poor; on the rest, very luxu-
RANT. He ashed part of rye field, and got
a great increase of grain and good clover
catch. Thought heavy clay soil was not
benefited as much by ashes as lighter loans
or sand.
Mr.. Collins had put leached ashes an inch
deep on four acres of heavy clay land. and
got fine crop of corn. The stiff clay be-
came more friable, and ploughed up mellow
instead of in Jumps in dry time.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-03-23
agricultural.
The OyercrOwding of Horses.

What the Scottish Farmers say on this
subject Will apply in this country as well;
Comfortable, healthful lodgings are essen
tial alike for man or beast. Without sufh
cient room, pure air and perfect cleanliness
are unattainable, health is apt to be impaired
and disease engendered. Amongst the horses
in most large towns extreme Overcrowding is
common. In London, Birmingham, Liver
pool and Glasgow it Is, however, considera-
bly, worse than in Edinburgh. In all towns
the CAD and omnibus horses belonging TO the
poorer proprietors are the greatest sufferers.
In some London ami Birmingham stables
each horse is allowed only four hundred and
sixty cubic feet Of space, or about One-third
of the amount Of space really consistent with
comfort and health. Frequently dc we fra
novels often low and damp, surrounded with
houses, and rendered still more impure by
the proximity Of rocking manure heaps, con-
tanning twenty or thirty horses, when they
have not space sufficient for One-third of their
inmates. Here the poor beast is vainly
expected tonrecruit his exhausted energies
after his days labor, but instead Of health
and strength he frequently finds only lassi-
4ude and disease.
=. In badly constructed stables-and under
TINS category come most of tt,os, x.,baro 80,
crowding is great-there is, bs.~iese ic Gfea
anv provision for ventilation. The door and
windows usually furnish the only channels
either for the introduction of fresh air OF for
the renoyal Of foul air. To secure warmth
these sindows and doors are, however, most
careful, closed during the night But from
the luz and skin of the half sti1ed horses
there Is 1ntinuously poured out large guam
titles of ,oxious gases, consisting especially
Of carbon, acid, and watery vapOr charged
with the L1isome waste products of the body,
The dung and urine likewise contribute their
pungent quota to this heated, pestilent air
which the imprisoned beasts are compelled
to breathe throughout the weary night. We
do not wOndsr that when the stable door Ii
thrown open in the morn ing, the acrid atmos
phere las become almost irrcsplrable, anC
that 1t Irov1kes coughing when 1t enters
even the seasoned air passages of the veteran
stablemans and brings tears TO bis well trleC
eyes. Builwell may we marvel at the won
drous conservative power Of nature which
enables the horse to bear up, otteL for years
against treatment so unnatural. From the
pure fresh air of his rural pastures what
dreadful change is this Often, indeed, suffi
cient speedily to develop serious diseases
Many young country horses. when immureC
in such stables, take violent colds, or infiam
nation of the eyes, become permanently dam
aged in their wind, or worse STILL fail from
CHAMBERS or farcy 1t is generally under
stood that it takes about a year thorough,
to Inure a young horse TO town work, but i
IS the town lodgings quite as much as II
town work that the animal is with difficult
reconclied TO. Like many hard wrought
badly housed human being, the horse, poo
fellow, becomes only very gradually accus
toned to his unwhOlesOme quarters.
Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-03-23

AGRICULTURE AND MANUFAcrUREs-Shor
sighted people often make the blunder to
suppose, that what helps one interest in the
community Injuries another, and that protec-
tion to the manufacturing interests is a tax
on the agricultural and other interests The
most satisfactory refutatiOn of this is a com
parison of the agricultural prosperity of
states where there is a diversified industry,
the factory contending with the farm fer the
precedence, and those that DEPEND on the
farm alone. The commissioner of agricuI-
ture in his last report makes this comparison
IN one particular alone, and that is the wages
paid per month to farm hands. The results
are such as working men may well ponder.
While they show that the decline of wages
has not kept pace with the diminution of the
cost Of living for the last three years, thew
also show that the decline has been greatest
in the purely agricultural States, and least
IN those where the industry is most diversi-
fed, with mining and manufactures. Hence
the commissioner comes TO the conclusion,
which every Intelligent political economist
must endorse, that % the idea of expectation
OF the raw products of agriculture to the Old
World from. the heart of the American con-
tinent as a source of wealth for an entire
State should have its origin in an insane
asylum, and if carried into practice would
make the county infrmary the principal
local institution
The commissioner further shows that New
England with its thin, hard soil, had through
its manufactures increased in agricultural
importance, till farming here now has become
actually more remunerative than in the Ohio
valley, the garden of the west, the wages of
farm hands being some 20 per cent higher.
The reason is apparent. Manufactures bring
the market for the fruits of the farm to the
door Of the farmer, instead of compelling
him to send one-fourth the circumference of
the globe, and paying half their value for
transportation. The observations of the
commissioner on agriculture do not confirm
the theory Of Mr.. Wells, that the rich are
growing richer and the poor poorer. On the
other hand the agricultural laborer can OBJ
tain nearly two bushels of wheat now for
the same amount of labor would purchase
one in 1866, and the cost of labor now bears
such disproportionate relation to the profits
OF the farm, but the employed has a decided
advantage over the employer. 1t is only in
few items of foreign production that the
reverse Of this is true. The true moral with
respect to these is that We should learn to
produce them at home instead of importing
them from foreign lands.-lSPr. Union.