Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-07-11
" Scissors " Editing.

"Scissors Editing.
An avaricious agricultural publisher once
said to US that he saw no use in having an
editor; that an agricultural paper could Just
as well be edited with pair of old scissors,
and that the farmers would never know the
difference. He tried the experiment his
subscribers left him, and in less than three
years he was bankrupt He seems TO have
sold his philosophy with the relics of his
subscription list, for the publisher who
bought it has lately discharged both his ag-
ricultura and his horticultural editors, and
his paper shows the loss by the publication
of such ludicrous paragraphs as the fol-
lowing;
1.-THE cause Of an animals death in choking is
the accumulation of gas (chefy suphuretted n.y.
drogen). This gas can be decomposed by forcing
strong solution of salt and water down the ami
mails throat, or by forcing the beast to jump over
the bars of gate or fence"
Never retain the same kind of seeds too long
upon the land, since after the first year they will
deteriorate, and ought to be changed Never Sc
lect seed from rich soil to SOW on poor soil, nor
plant seed that matured in warmer climate
than your own
One might suppose that even pair of old
scissors ought to know better than to try to
decompose sulphuretted hydrogen gas in
COW by jumping her over gate That is
chemical "reaction " such as Professor
johnson never heard of. And, by the way,
that eminent agricultural chemist once paid
AN agricultural editor the compliment of
saying that his paper was quite as notice
able for what it did not publish as for what
1t dill publish )" meaning that such para
graphs as the above (Which scissors editors
seem to have such fatal weakness for),
were carefully excluded from that editors
paper.
As matter of fact, there are two kinds of
choking by which domestic animals suf-
fer. One is the obstruction of the tracbea.
or air passage to the lungs; the other, the
plugging of the esophagus, or gullet. The
former is usually fatal within short time.
unless the animal is able to eject the sub
stance by coughing. But hard substance
impacted in the gullet may be removed in
various ways. 1t can often be reached by
the hand thrust into the throat. 1t NAV be
pushed upward or downward by the hand
applied externally, or downward by fex-
IDLE rod, guarded on the end by wrapping
OF some sort 1t may often be smashed by
pressure or a light blow on the outside, where
1t can be seen or felt. Pushing it either
way is aided by lubricating the throat in
ternally with oil or soft soap. And, finally,
violent exertion, or jumping" though it
VIII not "decompose sulphuretted hydrogen
gas" will sometimes cause the offending
substance to be either elected or swallowed.
When nothing is done, air or gas will some
times accumulate in the animals stomach
but if there is room to force down salt water
there will be room for the creature to force
up the gas.
The paragraph about seeds contains about
as much error as can be well put in so few
words. Seed will deteriorate or improve on
the same land, according to the care given
to the crop. Skillful cultivators take but
little stock in changing seed, unless of some
exotic crop, of which the seed does not ma
ture well in their climate. We know
farmer who is sowing the same wheat he
has grown for twenty-five years; another
who grows the same potato that he grew
forty years ago; and still another who is
raising the same corn he raised as far back
as 1916. In each instance there has been
improvement rather than deterioration. 1t
is the slovenly or unskillful cultvator who
is continually changing his seed. In saying
this we do not of course, refer to obtaining
the seed OF new or improved varieties. But
we do mean that one farmer can make an
improved variety" as well as another, if
he will take the necessary pains.
But OF all follies, the greatest would be
TO follow the advice of the last sentence
Never select seed from a rich soil TO SOW
on poor soil, nor plant seed that matured
IN a warmer climate than your own" 1t
would be pretty hard work for some farmers
to obey that first clause, since it would be
difficult to find any seed that grew on poorer
land than their own. Just the opposite ad-
vice would be more nearly correct. Get
good, plump, clear seed, such as can only be
grown upon good land, well TILED. Many
seeds are sown proftably far TO the north of
where they can be proftably grown. And
even where we might raise good seed, it
does not follow that seed grown farther
south is not quite as good. We never have
seen better turnips, or beets, or carrots, than
those grown in Vermont from Pennsylvania
grown seed and as for onion seed, or long
orange carrot seed, We have found by expe-
rience that they cannot be raised, one year
with another, as good in northern Vermont
as in Connecticut. The best pea, bean oat,
clover and grass seed, and the best seed DO.
tatoes, on the other hand are grown north |
wards. Corn should not be carried very
far north or south Wheat is also best If
not changed far north or south. Any arbi- |
trary rules like the ones quoted, only show
Ignorance in the writer, and work only in.
jury to those who attempt to follow them
The agricultural paper that publishes them.
and Others like them, is self-convcted of in. |
competence in its business.