Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1874-12-05
A & RIO U.LT U r. A L.

Gravenstoin apple Ia the best apple
in the world, as all pom0logists
agree. The other day, we met the
man who net the first gratis of this
variety of apples in America. Mr..
Gorham Parsons Of the Fatherland
farm, Byfield, received from Europe
q package of the CRAFTS from the
Seeding tree. They were left al bis
counting room in Boston, and he
sent them to his country place in
Brighton, but his Overseers, having
no spare stocks for them, sent
them to Byheld. Our informant.
Mr.. II. u. Rogers, was grating over
the old trees at Byfeld when the
crafts arrived, but the foreman of
the place, seeing that they were a
little shriveled, owing to their long
voyage, and that they were rather
small specimens Of CRAFTS at best,
refused to have them set, declaring
that he wouldn't pay for the work.
Mr.. Rogers, nothing daunted, CARR
ed the poor gratis to his father, II
somewhat celebrated fruit.raiser,
and proposed to set them in his
trees. But Rogers, senior, didn't
believe in new tangled apples in gen
eral, nor in these withered CRAFTS in
particular, and he would have none
Of them. AS last resort Rogers
carried the scions to James Pea
body, who favored everything new
and fancy and who gave him per
mission to set them, with the un-
Outstanding that they would go
halves on the profits. The third
year. the trees came into bearing
and Mr.. Peabody carried a plate of
the apples to the cattle-show, where
they attracted much attention, tho
the committee could not name them.
They were cut up into minute pieces
and distributed among the cOnnois-
seurs, all Of whom pronounced it
the champion apple. The next year,
Mr.. Peabody carried plate to the
Massachusetts society, where he
met Marshall P. Wilder, the presi.
dent, who had just arrived from
Europe with basket of apples, a
bunch of the gratis and the name,
which has always been spelled
wrong, Graf Stein-Count Stone
being the name of the proprietor of
the estate on which the apple orgi-
mated. All the CRAFTS in this cOun-
try came from Mr.. Peabody's trees,
which took pity on the poor import
ed scions, after they had been refus-
ed every where else.
FATTENING Fowls. Lucy Hoop
er writes from Paris to the Philadel-
phia Press: "The greatest curiosi
ty in the Jardin HAcclimation is
the singular fowl-fattening machine.
which has been in operation for a
short time, but which is great sue.
cess. Imagine the top of a round
tea-table divided off into sections,
with partition between each sec
ten and a board in front with IA
half moon shaped aperture in it. In
each of these sections an unhappy |
duck or chicken is confined by
chain to each leg, and under is fitted
tray, which receives all the dirt
and is emitted daily. Through the
centre of this structure goes round
post, and there is series of such
tea table tops to the root of the
building, each with its divisions and
its imprisoned fowls. At stated in
tervalS man comes round with a
complicated machine fill
ed with kind of thin cruel, and
fitted with pipe at the end of a
long lndia-rubber tube. He intro
duces this pipe down the throat of
a duck, presses down pedal with
his foot, and a certain quantity of
food is forced through the tube into
the creatures craw, a disk above
showing exactly what amount of
force he is to use and how much
food passes. This process is gone
through with each fowl till all are
fed, and it is repeated four times
day for ducks and three for chick
ems. Two weeks suffice to fatten
duck, but three are necessary for
chicken. Apart from the necessary
of the birds the pro-
cess does not seem to be cruel one
as the amount of food forced down
their threats is not excessive. The
ducks which saw fed did not seem
to suffer in the least, and in fact
when they saw the man approach
most of them became clamorOus for
attention, and plucked
at his clothes as he passed, with
eager beaks.
WHEAT-GRowING MAXIMs.-
has been at the trouble
Of condensing great deal of infor-
nation about wheat.growing in
very small compass, and somebody
Else has set it afoat without credit.
If we could, we would gladly give
The name of the author,
The best soil for wheat is a rich
play loan.
Wheat likes a good, deep, soft
bed. a..
Glover turned under makes just
such a bed.
The best seed is plump, heavy,
ply and clean.
About two inches is the best depth
for sowing the seed.
The drill puts in the seed better
and cheaper than broadcasting.
From the middle of September to
he last Of October is the best time ,
20, co,p.no