The daily gazette., 1879-06-27
FIRST EDITION.
CUaIosITIEs OF THEFAKn.
oATs ON A CORN sTALK-A TEXAN DIANA
SENATOR ooRDON-PEACH PIcKING.

OATs ON CORN gTALK-A TEXAN DIANA
SENATOR ooRDON-PEACHP PIcKING.
william r. Birch owns ranch near
Redwood CIiy, California. As Mr.. Birch
was passing til. oueh bis oat field ON
Thursday two weeks ago he was surpris-
ed to see, towering above the dark green
of the crop,a stalk of what at first glance
appeared to be corn. He pucked the
stalk up by the reot, and presented 1t to
the State Agricultural Society. The
main stalk, which stood several feet
high, was round and reedy, precisely
like that of corn. At intervals 1t sent out
the peculiar long, narrow blades OF the
corn plant, the only difference being
that the leaves of this plant had no sta
men or backbone like corn blades. At
the juncture of the stalk with the leaves,
where the fruit appears, instead OF an
ear of corn there was large bunch OF
perfectly formed oats. Again, Instead
Of tassel the corn-stalk was topped off
with large cluster of oats. Altogether
1t was the most singular freak of nature
found in grain for many years. The Ag-
ricultural Society regret that the plant
was pulled before the ripening Of the
oats, as then the latter might have been
sown with the possibility Of reproducing
the wonder. The society are inclined to
think that some use could have been
made of the grating, especially as the
grain appeared to be more forward and
of better quality than that growing i'm
mediately around.
People around Lawrence, Kansas,
,mplain that the best farmer of the
neighborhoOd is a w0nan-Mrs. Mary
Macutchen. Mrs. Mac. IL a widow. Ten
years ago, when her husband died, she
fJun that he had left her a bit Of land
anu four children. She went to work q,
| fnlIo wing tho v.lnw harsalf Saop sha
added to her property by purchase and
| Improvement In 1874, when half of the
| people were scared out Of their wits by
the grasshoppers, she contracted for an
unimprOved farm for ST 800, which she
gave to one Of her boys. She has since
paid for the land from the surplus pro.
ducts OF her own farm of 12O acres. Last
| yoar she bought the Bob Allen farm ol
| 100 acres at the price OF $1,000, ,One-fOurtt
of which she has already paid, and viii
pay over the her fourth from the cropt
of this year. She runs her farm with the
aid of her two sons and without mucl
hired help. This is good example o.
" hat has been done in the midst OF wha
are called hard times in Kansas by &
widow with family of children and NJ
resources.
Around Clarksville, KY, where ther.
are many large fields, some OF the far
| uieTs arc running JutlT mdCulu6S Al
night. Lanterns are placed on the team!
and a sufficient force employed in tn,
day to shock what is cut at night, ant
also during the day. This pr ctice is ex
tend ng wherever the crops are larg,
and time is pressing. Moonlight wOult
facilitate matters, but the Clarksville To
bacco Leaf suggests thai the manufac
turers put a light on the machiue sImi
lar to the headlight of a locomotive. B.,
| hi Ta
TO 800 acres in season. Binding blade
by moonlight and picking peaches b.
torchlight are old steries, out this thin
of keeping time to the music of til
whippoorwill with a machine is nov
city.
The exploit of Texan Diana is thu
told by the San Saba Ne,es Miss Vau
CHAN, daughter of Mr.. James Vaughan
of M enard county, owns a brand of cat
tie, and recently while she was out hert
ing, her dogs chased a Mexican hog int
a thicket. The young girl followed t
see the fight and to protect the dogs
necessary, for IL is well known that
wild Mexican hog is dangerous foe.-
The hog was getting the mastery of tn
dogs, end probably would have var
pushed them had not Miss Vaugha
come to the rescue with club and kille
the beast. 1t Is said Miss Vaughan
besides having the courage to protst
her property, has many graces an
charms worthy of imitation by any on,
Senator Gordon's ranch is at Ty-T
Station, Ga. 1t comprises 10000 acre
of good land. The Senator's stalwal
. son, Hugh ii. Gordon. is the manager {
the ranch in his fathers absence. He
an enthusiastic sheep farmer, and is ju
starting with flock of 200. The ranc
is being inclosed with walls built b
4 negro convicts, who according to Il
D Georgia system, are leased out und'
contract. Already seven miles of wa
have been put up. Senator GordO
will make his 40 900 acres one vast shee
ranch.