davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-09-06
FARM AND GARDEN.
NoxiOus Weeds.

There are two theories As to how the weeds
and other plants are propagated The gener-
ally received theory among farmers is that all
plants or weeds spring from seeds sown by
wind waves or birds or other process known
to the laws OF nature Another theory Is that
the soil is constantly undergoing process of
fitting for the spontaneous production Of weeds
and plants, as the beginning. Both theories,
in my Judgment, are correct. Usually how
ever. 1t is safe to conclude that if the farmer
prevent weeds going TO seed upon his land
he will eventually eXtermnate them. But we
commenced this article for the purpose turn.
ing the attention of the intelligent farmer to
the Canada thistle and the velvet" weed.
The Canada thistle is an exotic. 1t is not
natura! to our soils 1t tlourlshes best in cold,
clayey soil 1t must have a cold, barren eli
mate Can 1t be eXtcrminatedg 1t can
Take the most healthy tree or plant and keep
it stripped of leaves for one or two years and
it will die. The leaves are the lungs. With
out lungs nothing can long live. Take knife
or spade, cut the thistle off deep in the
ground, and in two or three years the farmer
will look in vain IN his thistle patch for
Canada thistles. AS YOU cut off these thstles
IN their prime, gather them in bundles and
burn them. The farmer can kill the Canada
thistle. But there Is one other weed which
the farmer seems very indifferent about kill
ing which is worse than the Canada thistle.
This weed is known here as the velvet weed.
1t is Indigenous to our soil. Kill one and
ten others take the place of the dead one. l
found small patch in my corn field, and in
appropriate granger vernacular addressed a
prominent weed among the smaller ones. This
impudent weed replied as follows to me:
II am the velvet weed | was here before
the Indian. | am the protoplast of this soil.
Kill me and will live again, I will laugh
at your calamity and mock when your face
Cometh"
This little speech of the weed won the cleo
ton. | have just been out to see this patch
Of velvet weeds and find that the ground in
one week has been literally covered with a
new and healthy crop of young weeds and
incpient orators. How Can this weed be
gotten rid of? | find this weed by the road
side, in gardens, IN fields, everywhere. 1t is
the meanest weed that grows. 1t is more inju-
rious than any weed that grows 1t is more
tenacious of life than any weed that grows.
am stuck. / am at loss to know how best
to deal with this pest of the farmer Good
lands in our county | am told, are being aban-
dOned because Of the presence of this weed.
What shall the farmer do? Who will give a
remedy EARLvILLE.
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-09-06
----------- --------7' -
Sewing Winter Wheat.

There will undoubtedly be large area OF
wheat sown this fall 1t is foreshadOwed by
letters we are constantly receiving and patent
from the fact that the full crops of last year,
and especially the extraordinary yield both in
quantity and quality of this seasons crop will
set many farmers "agog" on wheat sowing.
We do not advise farmers to rush headlong
into wheat. While 1t is an undoubted fact
that Europe will require year by year large
drafts of wheat from the United States, yet we
may not expect that succeeding years will show
successive failures there or extraordinary
yields here That the present crop, large as it
is, will be taken at good prices there is no
doubt; the wheat producing countries have
not given anything like their normal yield,
and in some of them the shortage has become
a very serious matter. Yet succeeding good
weather may very materially influence the
state of the crops in England and France, our
two greatest buyers. What we set out to say
was this. No person can expect to succeed
year by year in getting large or even fair crops
of wheat by slack cultivation, and especially
where the crop is sown wheat after wheat, eX-
cept in those localities where the soil is not
only virgin bit especially adapted to the crop
A great deal has been sad first and last as to
the depth at which to SOW wheat Expert
ments have shown that upon ordinarily COM
pact soil and moist wheat terminates most
promptly and produces the strongest plant
when sown at depth not exceeding one inch !;
from thence up to SIX inches 1t came more
and more tcebly. SoeXperments would seem
to show that very early sowings were not pro
ductiye of good results, and many incidents
are cited where wheat sown in October had
produced better crops than that sown in Sep
TENDER. In the prairie region, however, and
especially upon light and fluffy soil, wheat
sown in early September at depth of two and
a halt to three inches, drilled have as a rule
given the best results. In fact well north it
may be proftably sown the last of August up
on such soils. On soils reclaimed from tim.
bered districts and on stiff clays, the grain
should not be covered more than one inch
deep, and the sowing may be delayed until the
middle of September or even later if the fly is
feared. Upon all soils liable to heave in win
ter the gram should be sown early and deep
Prairie Farmer
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-09-06

The Palmyra Enterprise, published in JET
ferson county, Wisconsin, relates tins dog
story-a pretty good one. A gentleman con
nected with the United States Lake Survey, in
this city, was engaged one day on the skirt of
a wood in Indiana. Near him, sleeping
lazily in the sun, lay his faithful dog, Tiger
Thinking to have some fun with the dog, he
gave a shout and Il jump into the thicket as if
all the game ever protected by game laws
from maraudIng hunters was thrashrng
through the bushes. As he expected, Tiger
came bounding and barking to the fray, and
soon detecting the trick that was played upon
him, sneaked back to his lar and lay down
again. TIE surveyor resumed his duties, and
was hard at work for two or three hours, when,
all at once, the dog rose from his sleep, set
his ears and eyes IN the direction of the wood,
gave bark and made rush to the forest
depths. The surveyor followed the noble
brute to tree up which he was sending canine
congratulations to the prey; but when the sur.
veyor came and began anxiously to scan the
boughs ior the hiding game, Tiger gave a
satisfied "Ah Wooh" bestowed a glance of
contempt at the surveyor, and striking dig.
nited gait, walked back TO his couch with the
appearance of a dog that had squared up all
accounts with the lake survey, and had left
nothing due on either side.
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-09-06
Struck With Dearh.

N1OuilSstOn, u, New Star.)
The Republican party is sick,
What is the matter?
Here is diagnosis of the patient:
/. Lower House of Congress lost
2. In the minority in the United States
Senate
3. The Executive obtained SO that the title
is squarely disputed.
4. Could not spare one state out OF the count
for Hayes; California counted for HAYES, but
is now hopeessly and Incidentally lost to
the party in 1880.
}. Nervous excitement in Name last year,
followed by party prostration.
q, Maine is going Greenback next month.
Governor and Legislature will be lost to
the Blaine and Sherman party.
7, Scion Chase of Maine, will succeed Ham
lin to the United States Senate.
s. The loss of Maine will be another North,
ern state to tumble out of the Republican col.
umn in 1880
3. No hope of carrying single Southern
state in 1880.
Is it any wonder the patient is sick, nigh
unto death:
The Republican party Will not survive in
1880.
The death damp is on Its brow, and 1t Will
he buried beside the old Wing party.
There Will Ge no resurrection.
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-09-06

The question as TO whether salt is injurious
to poultry, has often been muoted. To get at
the true facts, have been feeding salt to my
poultry young and old alike, and closely
watching the result. | have fed it in cOld
mush and hot; i'll bran and everything else, all
the spring and summer $50 far with the fol
lowing result: The poultry will eat all kinds
of salted food in preference to unsaled; they
are better in general health not a louise of any
kind on old or young the first year have
been able to say so), and they are all begin ming
to moult, many of them laying as If they were
not moultlng, Eggs are cheap now, and the
hens will be ready for fall laying when the
weather is cold and eggs scarce. This may or
may not be the result of feeding salt largely
to them, but | am compelled to believe this to
be so, as are some other pecularities. have
noticed one feature, which may not be In favor
of salt-the hens have seemed more persistent
ly inclined to SIT, it being very difficult to
break of the inclination; they sit closer than
usual. All seem yoraciOusly fond OF green food
of any kind. and have eaten large quantity
OF clover, grass, young corn and other similar
food. My observations lead me to the conclu-
sion that salt is a needed condiment for all our
poultry and in all points is beneficial to them
Pigeons are excessively fond of salt IN any
form, and why should not our poultry be also
Such being the true status il behooves us to
consider their needs and attend to them.-Cor
of Country Gentleman.
The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-09-06

In two years the price OF cheese IN this
country, says the Utica Heyuld, has fallen oil
nearly one half; while the exports have in.
creased nearly 10 per cent. The latter is
probably consequence of the former There
is one consolation in it all, viz, that America
is gradually driving the English out of the
manufacture of cheese, and educating them in
the consumption of our own product What
effect these very low figures will have upon
the factory system, should they be long contin-
ued, remains to be SEEN
The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1879-05-15
The Uses of Adversity.

There are thousands and thousands Of
men who are in trouble, and who say they
wish they were dead, but who if they sW.re
confronted by death itself would be guilty
of a like evasion I admit the infirmity,
the weakness, the folly of being restless
and discouraged under troubles; and Yet
when l look back upon my life, can sSse
that though have not made halfas mu',h
use Of it as / ought to have done, the
Lords cl,astenings have been to me better
than my properties. l think j. "a
thousand times better to he tried and to
learn how to he patient, to learn it rs
leather learns how to be tough by beilag
tanned; TO learn it by being obliged to I've
patient, than to have uninterrupted pleas
urc from the beginning of life straight
through TO the end. What we want is to
he built up for living again; we want as
much as I'VE can to get rid Of the lower
animal nAture; we want to develop in
ourselves the reasonable, the moral, the
aesthetic creature, man; we want to get
the gold I,ut from the quarries Of our be-
ing; and / do not know how we are going
to do it If the quartz does not go into tic
stamp mill. We want as much as we con
get rid Of. the under man and to develop
the upper mani Christian Union.
The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1879-05-15
Tho Art Of Advertising.

Some of the queer things in business is
the propensity of people to seek irregular
mediums for advertising. 1t is llnac-
countablc the prices that some now pay
for sticking their advertisements in irreg-
ular places. Especially is this so when
compared with their unwilingness to pay
anything for advertising in the regular
channels. Men will pay large sums for
inserting their business cards i'll a section
Of frame in a hotel, bar-room, street car,
railway station, or in hotel register, or
an almanac, or guidc-book, Or annual OF
one sort or another. The byways they
seek, Or that successfully solicit them, are
innuncrable. Likewise they will spend
large sums for printing special circulars,
and in postage to send them. In all this
they ignore the most essential condition
in advertising, namely, that it has char
actcr and effect from the medium through
which it is given TO the reader. Advcr-
tiscmcnts thrust INTO irregular and'unbusi-
ness places impress the general mind
that the concern is Of similar
character. On the other hand, an
advertisement in a general newspaper of
first class standing carries the impression
that the advertiser has a standing in his
own community, which he is not afraid
to show to his neighbors, and that he
docs not shrink from competition with
the best Of them. These arc the different
impressions that are made on all minds
by advertising in a journal of high charac-
ter and circulation among the reputable
classes, and when seen in by places and
ir cgular and low channels. Every one
finds this in his own feelings, if he would
think on the subject. If any one is go
ing to a place to buy, whether he be a
trader or buying for his own use,
and he has to seek dealers through adver-
tiscments. where will he look for them!
TO registers, almanacs, theatre bills,
frames in railway stations, occasional adj
vcrtising sheet or circular? On the con
trary, he looks to the. most reputable
newspapers of the place, aud he thinks
that advertising in these gives an assur-
a,ce of the good standing Of the advertiser
and his business enterprise and of the
sufciency of his stock.--Cincinnati Ga
The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1879-05-15
The Bride and Her Dowry.

A clergyman was sent for to visit afgifl
who WAS seriously i'll. The illness proved
fatal, and the mother was left bcreaved If
her child lis well as husband. A few days
after tic child s funeral the widow called
and requested to see the clergyman. Slie
put into His hand a small packet, which
she begged he would give to some society
which YVES sending the Gospel to the
heather world. He opened the parcel,
and to his amazemcnt counted out twenty
dollars. He at once demonstrated with
the widow; told her that, gaining her
prearcious living MS q laundress, she surely
ought not to give soslarge y sum. With
firmness she urged him to take it, and
then said, ssHow came to have this large
sum is just this: When my child was
born l thought, She'll live to get married
some Of these days, ,and thought | would
put BY little sum to be q store for htr
then, and i began that day with sixpepe.,
You kilow what happened last weeE
Well, thought, The Heavenly Britf-
groom has come, and he has called ll'sr
home tp His bride; and ,sas He has tsken
the bride, it is only right that He should Il y
have the tlOwry.'" ss sg lsts s.saas, II
The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1879-05-15
Fashions Fantasies.

With all the qualities of beautiful col
Orcd materials for dresses, nothing cal
equal the beauty and daintincss of a hand
some black silk. This year the silks ar,
SO perfect in finish, SO soft and uncrump
ly, as never before. With the inimitabIt
drapcry of Worth & Heutcnaar and tn,
trimmings of beautiful jet, prsscmentcri,
OF old gold beading, these dresses are alb
solutcly perfect Tor rlcn carriage costumes
The fanciful mantles and mantillas t,
match, with the tilmy masses Of lace anG
the glittering beading, are crowned ano
completed by the straw bonncts shot Will
golden threads, and have the fine feather
SO dclicatcly powdered with gold as t,
have only suspicion created, which
however, completely carries out the gen
cral idea. Not only for carriage dresses
arc black silks pretty. Some of tn,
street costumes in it are absolutely Sc
cheap as to make one ask twice that th,
tight fitting coat and skirt well drapcd
were trimmed with silvcr-whitc and
black-strlped pckin. The effect was
novel and very odd. The lower houncc
had regular stu pcs of woolly black and
white, broad rcvcrs Of it. and a vest and
cording of similar kind. 1t was pretty
and stylish, and cost $50.
"A coarse silk netting, like white seine,
is being used with great effect. The dress
is made in black silk The trimmings
are of some high color in rather wide satin
ribbon. Sometimes two colors are used,
such as poppy and gold satin. Over thu:
is loosely drapcd this fsh-nct, and then
the i'm PRESTON given is Of iridcsccncc.
The satin gicams out but subducdIy.
With these dresses the sleeves are usually
of black lace, and the bare arm shows
through pleasantly to the observer, though
it Processes to be covered to the wrist
Among the grenadines shown this
spring are some Of the most rich brocadcs
At few feet they look precisely like
heavy silk brOcades, but closer observation
reveal the fact that the ground is of light
silk granadinc, and the brocades are
thrown in high relefs of green and gold,
maroon and gold &c Odder still are the
large plaidcd grenadines in faithful im-
tatiOn of the Madras or bandana plalts of
bright scarlet, gold, green and blue. At
first one says these would be atrociously
vulgar, but 50 skilltuIly are the coIors
mingled that you can in a moment realize
what pretty effective Saratoga or Long
Branch gowns these NJ ght be. En- suite
with: grenadines arc the the long bands
of silk gauzc embroidered in scarlet,
maroon and gold.
Among the stuffs shown for summer
wear are the most cnticins brilliantncss
Or pcrcalcs, in such perfect stimulation
of silk patterns as to deceive the most cx-
pcricnced eye. The prcttincss Of these
goods when contrastcd with old-tashioncd
patterns in percales is overwhelming.
Tire fould satins arc equally lovely, as
the should be, costing ever 50 much more
-ye5 cheap after all, as they are marked
one dollar They come in quartcr-inch
stripes of black and white, black and
gold, garnet and gold, &c, or in the neat
little polkn dots that you associate with
Yachting parties.
The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1879-05-15
An Appreciative Old Party.

Sometimes tbs rather difficult tosus
tain conversation even with man who
Is apparently willing to talk. Yesterday
on the c. B. Il c.. train coming east from
Fairfield, two men occupied a seat just IN
front of me- One of them was pleas
ant-lOoking old man, and the other was a
young man, who looked like student
They appeared to be strangers to each
other, and for some miles they rode in
silence. Then our train paused moment
to catch its breath at Il siding and "a
] freight train went laundering past us,
| Then the young man turned to his neigh
Dor and said:
"What wonderful thing is a railroad
'Eh:" said the old gentleman, looking
up with a pleased expression, "Eh!"
IT say railroad,' repeated the young
man, ''is Il wonderful thing"
"Oh"' said the old man, delighted, Sis
| lit!" ..a.aa a9;sI
The SUDDENLY looking young man
looked as though he didn't know just cx,
actly what to say to that, and nobody
blamed him. i@
But the old man was too well pleased
to find talkativc friend to permit the
conversation to die an untimely death as
that, so he asked, in brisk, interested
tones:
"Why is it?' Z"
The young man looked as though he
didn't exactly know why, as indeed any
man might have looked under the circum-
stances, but he gathered himself and said,
with little rhetorical flourish: 5s
"Why, it winds through the valleys and
scales almost inaccessible mountain
heights; it crecps along the dizzy ledges
of the beating prccipicc and stretches
away hundreds of miles across the smil-
ing plains and the lmitlcss prairies; it
pierccs the rock ribbed hills, and where
it cannot climb it burrows; it winds
Old gentleman, in fine burst of en-
thrsiasm
"Oh, docsit?' ..-....l... .tl-."
Now, what could any man say to that?
The young man felt Just that way, and
all the fire died out of his eyes and the
flush faded away from his cheeks, and
somehow he found himself wishing that
he had the old man in a dark and lonely
tunnel on the Union Pacific railroad, and
Nv 'lit DA w sup tIlC llul'Cl. VI AVtitS 90
he sank into profound, abashed silence,
but the old party was by this time thor
ou@hIy interested in the subject, and he
spurrcd his young companion on by aay
ing, after an apparently intense intcllccu-
al effort:
"N,-er--but why. wha' fOr.' ......
The young man made one more effort
to entertain his enthusiastic comradc,
and answered his rather childish question:,
growing in carncstncss us he went on: ,s
"Why, to meet the ccasclcss demands
Of restless trade; to annihiatc space and
bring the climates close together; to pour
the gold and silver into the treasury
vaults at Washington; to bring the corn
Of Iowa to the port Of New York; to emp
ty the wheat fields of Minnesota into the
elevators of Baltimore: to-
Old gentleman, fairly carried of his
feet with excitement:
''Ground, fences and all."
Then the young man glued his nose to
the window and rivctcd his whole atten-
ton to the landscape, and the old party
vainlv cndcavored to draw him out again.
He was enthusiastic enough, was the old
man, but somehow he didn't have the
flow Of language to express it.
The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1879-05-15
The Young Merchants.

Two country lads came at an early hour
to a. market town, and arranging their lit
tie stands, sat down to wait for customers.
One was furnished with fruits and veg
ctablcs of the boys own cultivation, and
the Others supplied will, Holsters and fish.
The market hours passed along, and each
little merchant saw with pleasure his
stores steadily decreasing, and an equiv
alent in silver shining in his little money
cup. }'he last melon lay on Harry's stand,
when a gentleman came by, and placing
his hard upon it said:
"What fine large melon! Whaf do
you ask for it my boy?" 81
The melon is the last I have, sir; and
though it looks very fair, there is an un-
sound spot in it. said the boy, turning it
over. W itA tF r ;8
$50 theretis," said the man II think
will not take it. But, he added, looking
into the boys fine open countenance; ''is
it very business-like to point out the de-
fects of your fruit to the customcrs7'
cit ii better than being dishonest, aid
the boy modestly. 5zI 1
''You are right, little fellow; always're-
member that principle, and you will ind
favor with God and man also. shall: re-
member your little stand in the future"
care these Holsters fresh s"hc continued,
turning to Ben Williams. z
"Yes, sir, fresh this morning; 1. caught
them myself, was the reply, and l,ur-
chase being made, the gentleman went
away.
''Hariy, what fool you were to slow
the gentleman that spot III the melon.
Now you can take it home for your pains,
or throw it away. How much wiser is; he
about those Holsters I caught Yesterday
Sold them for the same price l did $he
fresh ones. He would never have ilooEed
at the melon until he had gone away
"Ben,. would not tell a lie, or act ',ne
either, fer twice have earned this morning
Besides, shall be better off in the eld;;
for have gained 4 customer, and youhsfye
lost ore +'.o = y =
A man who by lying and cheating,
drives away one customer day, while in
little while have very few left, and they
will soon find him out and leave hisn -
Lite Christian.