davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-08-21
Wax Fruit-Making.

Closely allied to wax f1ower-masing is
that of w2S fruit, some specimens OF
| which are marvellous for their faithful i'm
itation of nature. Here molding or cast
ing is of more importance than IN flower
making, seeing that accuracy OF form is
the chief desideratum. Most kinds of
initiative fruit are shaped in double molds,
one for each half, and if the fruit is irreg-
ular in its curvatureS a tripartite mold
may be needed. Say that an orange is
to be initiated in wax; q smooth, damp
surface OF sand is prepared into which ex-
actly one half of a good orange is care
fully pressed; a Gordon or border of tin or
stiff paper is built up around it at about
half an inch distance from the orange on
all sides; plaster of Paris in a creanllike
consistency is poured into the cell thus
made, SO as to fully cover the orange; ;
when quite firm enough to handle this
plaster halfmold is taken up and the
orange extricated; the orange is turned
over in the sand and another halfmold
made in similar way. Whether fruit is
cast solid or hollow depends mainly on
the size; if large the mass would be heavy
and much wax wasted by solid casting;
in this case core of some rough material
is fixed in the middle of the mold, which
gives cavity TO the middle of the fruit
Soft kinds of fruit, such as pHims, cher
49, oNs tlpS PSoAs, ohu SUNNI hoAN
and unyielding fruits, require special
management to extricate them from
the halfmold without injury to the fruit
on the one hand or to the mold on the
other. Pomegranates, medlars, pine-ap-
pies, etc., require molds in more than
two parts. Occasionally, elastic molds
of glue are found advantageous. Generally
speaking, the color of the wax employed
is that of the lightest parts of the fruit, the
deeper tints being afterward laid on with
brush or pencil. The chief pigments en-
ployed are such as burnt and raw lumber
and sienna, chrome yellow, red lead,
Prussian blue, carmine, lake, ETC., greens
being produced by various admixtures of
blue and yellow. Certain small varieties
of fruit, such as grapes and currants, are
made of glass bulbs, carefully blown to
the proper shape; these are fixed by wax
to wire inserted into holes, ami are then
dipped into melted wax of the proper
color, . very thin coating of which gives
the proper kind of semi-transparency to
the glass, and at the same time a smooth
ness of surface not inaptly resembling that
of the natural fruit The fastening Of the
various fruits to initiative stems, leaves,
leaflets, etc., is an affair of wires, silken
thread, strips of green paper, white flock,
arrowroot-paste, gum mastic, varnish, with
other simple materials and tools employed
in artificial flower-making.- Jour-
nal Of Chemistry.
American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-08-21

be in no danger of damage from rains ::
Build up few layers of sheaves, walking
around the foundation upon the ground,
making the foundation as square az may
be. This being done, tramp the sheaves
firmly, keeping them as near level as pos
sible, only making the middle full after
the drawing inn of the stack is COM
menced or the bilge is completed. Build
up perpendicularly four or five feet from
the ground, SO when the stack settles the
butts of the sheaves will not rest upon it.
Do not get upon your knees when you
stack, for it is hard work and wears out
your clothes. Put the sheaves in place
with your hands, or a pitchfork may be
used to good advantage with little prac-
tice, only be careful to place the sheaves
close together and tramp the center we'll
After the process of widening the rick is
fairly begun, do not walk upon the out
side course, for in this way it may be en-
larged to a wonderful extent without
danger of slipping, and allow the outside
to settle enough more than the inside, so
that the butt ends of the sheaves will ex-
tend downward more than they can be
placed in the ordinary way of stacking.
The side of the stack should be ex-
tended out very gradually SO that when
you are ready to draw inn the stack will
be about ten feet high. The settling will
then bring the bilge of the stack all right.
Pitch from the wagon on each side of the
stack alternately, if possible, so that it
may be kept in an upright position exactly.
The labor of pitching upon a high stack
is considerable, yet it is not best to top
out too rapidly, else the sides may take in
water. In placing the last sheaves spon
the top let the butts hang well downward
so that the wind cannot get under them to
blow them off
By pursuing the above plan you will
not be disappointed with the results when
you come to thresh, whatever the season
NAV be.-Western Rural,
American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-08-21
The Connecticut Earthquake.

| CONNECTICUT papers devote considerable
space to the earthquake shock which was
| felt in portions of that State about four
O'Clock Wednesday NOR ming, July %.
The Hartford COurdnt says that it was
felt in various parts of that city, and by
numerous individuals, many of whom
were aroused from their slumbers by it,
though at the time it is doubtful if many
supposed that the real cause was dis
turbance underground. Early in the fore
noon reports were received from other
parts of the State, chiefly from towns west
of Hartford, as far as Canaan, showing
that an earthquake had taken place, the
effect upon buildings and contents in many
cases being so decisive as to leave the mat
ter in no doubt whatever. One gentleman
in Hartford, who was awakened by the
shock, reports that it was the most severe
that he had ever felt, though how many
he has felt we are not told. A lady who
came to Hartford from Winsted said that
she felt the shock, and did not know what
it was. She was at first greatly fright
ened.
The Hartford Post has kilograms giving
more details, from which it appears that
at Collinsville the shaking lasted about
fifteen seconds. Windows were shaken,
dishes and lamps ratified, and many peo-
pie sprarg from their beds in terror. There
was low, rumbling noise, with consider
able vibration, such as might result from
the explosion of heavy blast near by.
At Winsted the sound approached from
the north little before four O'Clock, with
a rumbling, gradually-Increasing noise,
and retreating in reverse manner to the
south. twas as loud as an ordinary clap
of thunder, and its force was sufficient to
shake windows, shut and open doors,
move vehicles, and considerably alarm
many people. At New Hartford the
shock was accompanied by rumbling
noise as of heavy wagon proceeding over
a rocky roadway. Windows ratified, and
houses were shaken so as to awaken the
occupants. In one house a number of
pickle jars on shelf were broken. A
butcher who was out in his yard at the
time of the earthquake describes the noise
as resembling heavy blast or large wall
falling. At Canaan the vibration of the
earth seemed continuous rather than in
distinct shocks. No property was injured,
but many people were awakened by the
Earring of the houses, and the rafting of
windows and crockery. At Litchfield the
bling sound was heard, which was accom-
panied with a heavy tremor running
through the ground. Dishes were ratified
on the shelves, the windows shook, and
many houses swayed as if about to fall
Many persons were awakened from sound
sleep, and great alarm was felt. One
family was so frightened that they fled
from the house in alarm. The shock was
also felt in Waterbury, Morris, Sandis-
field, Mass, Winchester Center, Wolcott-
vile and over an area of several hundred
square miles in the northwestern part of
the State, which is a mountainous dis
trict. Persons in Simsbury report moth
ing of the kind, and it is probable no
shocks were felt SO far to the eastward.
American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-08-21
Hints ON Stacking.

The uncertainties attending the produc-
ton of small grain, especially wheat, in
most parts of the West, make it important
that farmers take every precaution to Sc
cure and protect the grain from damage
by rains, which so often occur about har-
vest time. A very critical period is past
when the harvest is put into the shock in
good condition, but the danger of damage
does not cease until it is put into the stack
and then the danger may be greater than
at any other time, unless the stacking is
well done.
The straw should be as dry as possible
when stacked, tor, in whatever condition
it may be, there is degree of dampness
or ." SWEAT it passes through, more or less
marked in its effects. If any part OF the
bundles are saturated with water, the
stacks become permeated with mold,
which does more or less damage to the
straw and grain. But if stacked when
seemingly dry, there will be enough
dampness developed within few days to
take it through what farmers call a
| "sweat," which improves the condition OF
the grain in appearance and prevents heat
ing in the bin when threshed.
After grain is sufficiently dry to be
stacked, farmers often let other work OF
less importance interfere with the mai
gathering in of the harvest, allowing
much of it to be damaged or destroyed by
little neglect just at the time the work
ought to be done.
Two teams with wagons, if the grain is
not to be hauled to exceed One-half mile,
with four men-or a boy may do the load
ing-can perform the work with the greatest
economy Select high point of ground
or one well drained, and place, if possible,
rails, brush, straw or other rubbish for a
foundation. If none of these are con-
venient, commence in the middle of the
stack by standing the sheaves upright at
first and inclining the heads downward as
the foundation enlarges. When much
grain is raised ricks are the most con-
venient Place them north and south,
and leave enough room for setting the
threshing machine between and SO that the
sun may have access to the sides. Thus
four. ricks may be placed in pairs, with the
end9 together, yielding 400 or 500 bushels
of wheat or 800 to 200 bushels of oats if
well filled, and threshed at enc setting lof
the machine. They should be left far
enough apart so that the machine may be
set in any direction as the occasion re-
quires. Grain is often poorly cleaned or
wasted, and the straw is handled with a
great deal of extra labor by not being able
to work with the wind and not against
it. Ten feet wide and twenty five feet long
is foundation enough to erect the largest
sized rick.
By carefully pursuing the following
plan, the stackers may perform the work
rapidly and leave it in such shape as to
American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-08-21
FARM AND HOME.

To Prepare Fruit for Dessert-Beat
! well the white of an egg with little
water; dip the fruit in and roll it Imme-
diately in some fine crushed sugar; place
it on a dish and leave it five or six hours,
then serve. A more slightly and exquisite
dessert than a plate of currants thus
dressed cannot be had.
To Keep Ice Water Cold-Place be-
tween two sheets of thick brown paper a
layer of cotton batting half an inch in
thickness; fasten the ends of paper and
batting together, forming cylinder like
section of stove-pipe. Place this over an
ordinary pitcher filled with icewater,
making it deep enough to rest on the table.
Put over the top circular cover, made in
the same way as the cylinder. This will
keep boiling water hot, as well as ice
either-N. Y. Tribune.
While almost all farmers keep hens
there are but very few who give them any
special attention during the summer
months. There seems to be very general
impression that in warm weather hens can
take care of themselves. While it is true
that they will generally manage to pick
up food enough to keep them alive, it is
also true that they need something more
than they can obtain by their own exer-
tons. If obliged to run around all of the
time in order to get enough to satisfy their
appetites they will not and cannot do as
well as they will if properly fed. A great
deal of trouble which is caused by hens
scratching in gardens would be avoided if
the owners would feed their biddies and
not compel them to scratch for living.
Hens should have good food, clear water
and plenty of thick milk. When these
things are provided they will have time to
do something beside run all over the barn
in search of food.-N. E. Homestead
The life of farmer is not necessarily
hard or slavish. Thought, skill and care
have their reward here as surely as any
where, and in as large measure. Men
who lack these find any business hard and
slavish enough. But the fault is in the
man, not in the occupation. 1t is rare to
find men honest enough to see and con-
fess the cause of their failures. Were
they to do so the unskillful and therefore
unsuccessful farmer would be compelled
to say: Farming is not bad business.
1t is, when rightly conducted, honorable
and profitable. Money has been made in
it by men who have the faculty of making
money. Almost any man, with average
skill and industry, can make a cOmforta-
BILE and honest support by farming. 1t is
l who am a failure for undertaking
business which demands thought, skill
and labor, when l have them not or
am not willing to give them as the price
of success" When we have men in any
business talking to themselves thus plain
ly of the cause of their failure the world
will have the first and most needed ele-
ment in doing away with incompetency
and its natural result in failure-Rurdl
Neao Yorker.
American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-08-21
Lime and Glover as Renovators.

A CORRESPONDENT of the Country Gen
teadn thus discusses the effects of these
two important renovators:
Lime and clover together are by far
the cheapest renovators and fertilizers of
land in all situations where limestone and
lining can be traced in the crops for ten
years. Outside of it, in the same field, all
this time there is comparatively marked
feebleness of vegetable growth. Great
mistakes are, however, made by unfledged
experimenters. When lime is spread upon
bare, worn-out field, containing no vege-
table matter of any kind, it is simply a
destroyer instead of help. 1t should al
ways go upon scotland just broken up
either clover, timothy or bluegrass, or,
indeed, any heavy coat of weeds, roots,
etc. j; such as, when rotted, makes, with
animal dung, good organic manure. The
province of the lime is simply decom-
poser of all vegetable matter and to pre-
pare it to be valuable food for the new
plant. Lime itself, without the above-re-
sulting good, is an enemy of plant-life and
when too much of it is spread at once it is
an injury even on land with some vegeta-
BILE matter.
"Another serious error is often com
mitted, in ignorance of agricultural chem
istry. Eager to make great crop they
haul out the barn-yard manure and dump
air-slacked lime with it, sometimes on the
same pile. This is getting up an antag-
unism between two friends of plant life
The potent energy of stable manure is in
its great concentration of ammonia. Am
monia is to vegetable life what blood is to
animal life. Chemistry and experiment
will teach us that lime is in mortal enmity
to ammonia, and at once drives it all of,
destroying the value of the manure.
Hence we should manure the first year,
and then next year, when a coat of grass is
on the ground, sow lime (say 100 C. 100
bushels per acre on heavy limestone land),
and to have ground that will not fail to
pay well for tilling.
"Clover is valuable because it shades
the ground and retains the native ammo
mia, and not, as some suppose, because it
leaves roots in the ground. Gypsum is
valuable because its property is to fix the
ammonia in the ground and to prevent its
waste by the winds, SUM- etcn
American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-08-21
Dogs and Sheep.

At recent meeting of the Farmers
Club, of New York, this subject coming
under discussion, at the request of DIR. J..
V. c. Smith, excerpts from several news
papers on the subject of the killing of
sheep by dogs were read by the Chairman.
According to one of the excerpts it ap-
pears that in the monthly reports of-the
Department of Agriculture for the month
of January the loss of wool and mutton
through the sheep-killing propensities of
dogs was 81 ,0O0. 900, and indirectly a
larger sum in the repression of sheep hus-
bandry, and a consequent waste of a large
percentage of the annual grass crops. In
the stock returns for January 50Ocounties,
representing one-fourth OF the territory
and onefourth of the sheep of the United
States report that 70 ,2S5 sheep were
killed during the past year. In some of
the States the loss is not less than to II
per cent. of the whole value of the sheep
kept. In Massachusetts, with an efficient
Dog law, the percentage of loss is COM
paratively small, and yet it is much too
great. Another of the excerpts read con-
tains the following statement:
"A Missouri farmer, after a long calcu-
lation, presents the following facts con-
corning dogs: In thirty-two counties 1O,-
COZ sheep have been killed by dogs. He
estimates the number of dogs in these
thirty-two counties to be 1852, 900; that a
hog will thrive on the food necessary to
support an able-bodied dog and at the end
of year weigh 200 pounds; therefore, if
the food for the 1852 900 dogs went to the
hogs it would make 81, 100000 pounds of
pork, worth, at six cents per pound, 3d.
$40, O00-nearly twice the value of all the
school houses in the State and more than
twice the amount used by the State for
school purposes"
Mr.. Ely said that the " efficient Dog law
in Massachusetts" referred to was, he sup
posed, similar to the Dog law in Connect
cut. Owners of dogs in that State were
required to pay a tax, which, as nearly as
he could remember, was the sum of two
dollars for males and one dollar for fe
males. Under the Connecticut Dog law,
when sheep are killed, the owner can re-
cover damages for the sheep lost if he can
bring the necessary proofs before the
courts.
Mr.. Wolf and DIR. Trimble were of the
opinion that dogs might be trained, with
some trouble, not to kill sheep; and the
former said that the mixing of goats with
a flock of sheep was good thing, these
animals being able to drive the dogs away.
The general opinion of the members ap-
peared to be that the dogs should be ex
Terminated sooner than that sheep hus-
bandry should suffer.-N. Y. Independent.
American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-08-21

THIS is an advertising age. Every man
who is up to the times takes care that the
world knows it. A trade candle is not hidden
under a bushel, but placed upon hill: Bust
ness is found to increase in direct ratio with
the amount of money judiciously expended
in letting the public know where you are and
what you have got to sell. The great diff
Guilty is to know when, where and how to do
it. This led to the establishment of adver-
Using agencies, of which the most extensive
and reliable is that of Geo. P. Rowell q Co.,
of New York, which has met with success
unparalleled in the history of similar under
takings. They are the largest customers the
newspapers of the United States have, and
have SO managed to simplify and arrange the
advertising system as secures the greatest
amount Of publicity for the lowest amount
of money. More than five thousand Ameri-
can periodicals are received regularly, and
kept on file at their office, which is located in
the New York Times building, Al Park Row,
and we are informed that their corps of as
sistants outnumber the combined force OF
any four similar establishments now in ex-
istencc Visitors to New York will find their
office capital place to find news from home,
for it must be secluded spot which is not
represented by a paper on their extensive
files, which are always open to free inspec-
tion.-Dauenport (Ioca) Democrat.
American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-08-21

A RICHMOND (Va.) lady few weeks ago
notified her friends that she was to be mar
ried on day named 10 Mr.. A. Extensive
preparations were made, a bridal party
gathered, and the clergyman who had
been notified by the lady TO appear was
present, but no bridegroom came Great
was the indignation of friends against the
delinquent bridegroom; but the next day
the lady became Enthusiastically insane, and
the truth became apparent that the pro-
posed marriage was only one of the lady's
unfortunate decisions, the beginning of
her insanity. The gentleman, who was at
first SO severely criticised, says he had
never been engaged TO the lady, had never
proposed to her, and had not heard of the
event in which he was expected to take so
prominent part.
American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-08-21
Value of Covered Manure.

AT various times we have pointed out to
our readers the profits resulting from COW
ering manure, instead of allowing it to
get soaked by the rains, or dried by the
sun, as is generally done. We have Civ
en- this advice from what we have actually
seen. When rough sheds have been built
to cover the manure heap the crops fertil-
lied by this pile have been increased in
productiveness sufficient to pay for the
shed-covering the first year. We have
never seen any exact figures of the pro-
portiOnate value of covered and uncovered
manures that we remember, until the fol
lowing, which we find by Lord Kincaid, a
Scotch landowner and farmer. They pre-
sent the best statement possible, we think,
of the advantages of the plan:
-Four acres of good soil were measured
two of them were manfred with ordinary
barn-y yard manure and two with an. equal
quantity of manure from the covered shed.
The whole was planted with potatoes.
The products of each acre were as fol-
lows:
Potatoes treated with barn yard manure
One acre produced 272 bushels.
One acre produced 292 bushels.
Potatoes MANFRED from the covered
sheds:
One acre produced Az bushels.
One acre produced All bushels.
The next year the land was sown with
wheat, when the crop was as follows:
Wheat on land treated with barn-yard
manure:
One acre produced Al bushels, 1s
pounds (of 81 pounds per busheD.
One acre produced AZ bushels, SO
pounds (of 81 pounds per busheD.
Wheat on land MANFRED from covered
sheds:
One acre produced 55 bushels, 5 pounds
(of 81 pounds per busheD.
One acre produced 90 bushels, Al pounds
(of 81 pounds per busheD.
The straw also yielded one-third more
upon the land fertiliZed with the manure
from the covered stalls than upon that to
which the ordinary manure was applied.
~. Y. Independent.
American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-08-21
Sure Signs Of Marriage.

A CYNICAL bachelor is responsible fer
the following directions how to tell the
married:
If you see a lady and gentleman disa-
gree upon trif1ing occasions, or correcting
each other in company, you may be as
sured they have tried the matrimonial
moose.
If you see silent pair in car or stage
lolling carelessly, one at each window,
without seeming to know they have a COM
panion, the sign is infallible.
If you see lady drop d glove, and a
gentleman by the side of her kindly tell
ing her to pick it up, you need not hesitate
in forming your opinion; or,
If you meet a couple in the fields, the
gentleman twenty yards in advance of the
lady, who, perhaps, is getting over stile
with difficulty, or picking her way through
muddy patch or,
If you see a lady whose beauty and &C
complishments attract the attention of
every gentleman in the room but one, you
can have no difficulty in determining their
relationship to each other-the one is her
husband.
If you see a gentleman particularly
courteous, obliging and good natured, re-
laXing into smiles, saying sharp things,
and toying with every pretty woman in the
room excepting one to whom he appears
particularly cold and formal, and is I'M
reasonably crOss-who that lone" is no
body can be at loss to discover
If you see an old couple jarring, check
ing and thwarting each other, differing in
opinion before the opinion is expressed,
eternally anticipating and breaking the
thread of each others discourse, yet using
kind words, like honey bubbles floating
on vinegar, which are soon overwhelmed
by preponderance of the fluid, they are,
to all intents, man and wife; it is impossi-
BILE to be mistaken.
The rules above quoted are laid down as
infallible in just interpretation-they may
be resOrted to with confidence; they are
upon unerring principle and deduced from
everyday experience.