The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-08-26
yEarieh.
MINOR MISCELLANY.

A flock of 1900 sheep we're destroyed
through strange accident recently, near
the San Jose Mission, California. Inc
fiock were passing along, the edge OF a
steep precipice when the leader lost his
footing and fell over the declivity. The
rest of the sheep, possibly supposing this
wasin the usual way oflbusiness, jumped
one by one after their leader and were
all killed on the rocks below. " ii
The enormity of the crime of whistling
in the presence of a gentleman, and a
sLfanferr and a clergyman to boot, was
lately brought home to a farmers boy OF
pansance. England, and the young misA
cteant was fined So 1911 costs, his apology
and cortritionS Sfor so heinous an otfehse
IssinSgutterly refused iby the reVerend
nlaintiff. The penalty for this wan. OF
reverence will doubtless cause the too,
festive boy to whistle hereafter in mel
ancholy strains. So tttfit
The Mmitesir industrial Beige states that
German manufacturers are purchasing
the fish bones gathered along the Norwe-
gian shores, which result from the extern
sive fsh-curing stations there located,
These bones make fine fertilizer, and
when pulverized by suitable machinery
AZ the points of, collection are readily
transported. The same journal suggests
the more extended utilization of the
honey from the establishments in New
foundlsnd, and estimates the product
from American fisheries at $lOOOOO,OOO
year. x s. x ~. j w.
There was never an evil without it's
attendant, although hidden, good, never
a cloud without its silver lining, And
now the farmers who have been worried
by the grasshoppers, are, encouraged to
refrain from Inalediction and take to
blessing the supposed evil by some who
have discovered that these pests brought
with them from some unknown region
the seed of new grass, which they
widely planted after they had kindly
eaten up all the existing herbage. AS
the new grass, however, is said to be dry,
Wiry. and worthless, it is ungratefully
rejected by those farmers who are preju-
diced in favor of the old-tashloned and
valued blue grass,
The change which has of late occurred
in the agriculture of the Southern States
is a healthy and profitable one. We
learn that the present season there will
be no necessity for planters and farmers
to 20 outside of their own farms for food
or provender. That the wheat crop is
of excellent quality, and will be more
than self-sustaining; that the country
overhows with corn; that the acreage of
grass and fodder crops is greatly extend
ed. and with all thistha the cotton crop
ia both early and abundant. 1t would
seem that this season will be marked
turning point in Southern agriculture,
and the beginning Of aprosperity which
has long been hoped for'and worked for.
There is one class of plants thatare too
much overlooked, and whose uses re-
main to be discovered. 4 They, are COM
monty called weeds. Botany teaches
how to make plants grow; it also teaches
how to make them die. If we may not
discover the uses of weeds, we may dis
cover from their structure and habits the
most effectual means of destroying them,
To one acquainted with plants, the pres
ence of an enemy is revealed before 1t
has time to colonize extensively. An
article in the North american Review
states that "the value of produce raised
annually in the United States amounts
to $256O,OO0OOO. Of this, one.tifth is
lost from the attacks of injurious plants
and insects" Prof. Thomas, in COM
menting on this article, says "The
United States annually produces 8,00O,-
900 tons of weeds; if good hay were
raised instead, it would be worth $780,
100000; or, if some other crops, much
larger sum. Here is an invading army
needing some attention. Vegetable
chemistry treats of the composition OF
plants, what plants take from the air and
soil, and what they restore to it, From
vegetable chemistry is obtained a knowl-
edge of the relative value of plants as
food. as fertilizers, and for manufactur-
ing purposes, and what it is that makes
this difference in value. When the COM
Nositiop of a plant is known, and also in
What proportions it is necessary to supply
these materials to develop to the great
est degree those parts Of plants most
uspf1l to man,