davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-08-05

The scythe is of less account than former
ly, though the moving machine will never
entirely supersede it. 1t is still of some i'm.
portance that there should be some that know
how to use it and to take care of it. Keep
ing a scythe in order might be supposed to
be very simple thing that every mower
should understand but we have known ma
ny fail to do it well. In the first place it
should be properly hung. Daniel Webster's
scythe would never hang to suit him till he
hung it on tree. Though this was q good
way enough to hang lbs scythe, many have
since made a great mistake in attempting to
hang a scythe in tue same style but we are
not writing for that class. A scythe proper
ly hung should not only have the point in the
right place, but the edge should hang at just
the right angle if too low, so that the edge
strikes the grass nearly directly across, it
will cut hard, and a good edge cannot be
made to last long il too high, it will strike
the grass with such an upward angle as to
pass over the finer portions without cutting,
The point of the scythe may be varied either
in vertical OF in horizontal direction, and
few inches of variation in the place of the
point may make the difference between a
well hung scythe and an awkward hanging
implement with which it is next to impossi-
BILE to do good work.
A scythe should be ground with true bev-
ell equal on one side to that on the other, and
the milestone should be 30 used as to wear
with a true, smooth surface. Many mowers
use their soythe-stones 80 as to wear them
into irregular shapes with knobby and twist
ed surfaces. 1t is impossible to put keen
cutting edge on to scythe with such stone.
Having a good scythe stone with an even
surface in whetting the scythe place the
stone so that its plane surface will exactly fit
the bevel, about a quarter of an inch back
from the edge of the scythe, and draw it rap
ly of with a downward and forward motion,
repeating ON alternate sides, being careful
that the plane surface of the stone is applied
fatty to the bevel, alike on both sides. Now
ers frequently draw the stone SO nearly across
the edge on the side of the scythe that is moi
seen, that 1t begins to cut with difficulty when
it should be doing its best. A scythe kept il
perfect order greatly lightens the labor o.
moving, besides cutting more grass and cut
ting it better. With good mowers that know
how to handle a scythe, moving by hanC
costs little, if any, more than moving with
machine on a majority of the farms in thi
section.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-08-05

How MILK SHOULD BE TAKEN. Milk is n
food that should not be taken in copious
draughts, like beer or other fluids, which diff
fer from it chemically. If we consider the
use of milk in infancy--the physiological in
gestion, that is, of tive find that the suck
ing babe imbibes little by little the natural
food provided for it. Each small mouthful is
secured by effort, and slowly presented to the
gastric mucous surface for the primal diges-
tive stages. 1t is thus regularly and gradually
reduced to curd, and the stomach is not OPP
pressed with lump of half-coagulated milk.
The same principle should be regarded in the
case of the adult. Milk should be slowly TAX
en- in mouthfuls, at short intervals, and thus
it is rightly dealt with by the gastric juice.
II milk be taken after other food, it is almost
sure to burden the stomach and to cause dis
comfort and prolonged indigestion, and this
for the obvious reason that there is insufficient
digestive agency to dispose of it, And the
better the quality of the milk, the more Sc
we're the discomfort will be under these con-
ditions. Popular Science for august.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-08-05

A Delicious CuJTdnt Pie.-One cup of cur
rants, one cup of sugar, l egg, l tablespoon
full of butter. Beat together and bake with
two crusts.
Elder6eTy Pie. Many people are not aware
that elderberries are an excellent material for
pies.
Rice Mu6iaS.-Ono cup cold boiled rice
one pint flour; two eggs one quart milk
one tablespoonful butter one tablespoonful
salt. Beat the above together very thorough
ly, and bake quickly.
Plum Marmdldde. Choose plums that are
fully ripe. Scald them till the skins peel of,
and take out the stones. Allow pound and
half of sugar to pound of fruit let them
lie in the sugar few hours, then boil to
smooth mass.
Delicious NuBins-One egg, l pint milk,
one pint flour, one-half teaspoonful salt Beat
the egg light; add part of the milk, all the
flour, then the rest Of the milk. Bake 20 min
utes in buttered tins, and serve hot.
Tomato Street Picke.-Seven pounds of to-
matoes, peeled and sliced pour of the wa
ter put in a kettle with three pounds of su-
gar, one quart of vinegar, a tYo-ounce stick
of cinnamon, half an ounce OF whole cloves,
and boil till thick.
Sponge Cake for TioO.-Beat the whites of
four eggs to stiff froth, add one teacup of
sugar, then the yolks, and lastly one teacup of
-four. The whole recipe does not make a
large cake, and it might be easily divided. To
be perfect it must dltodyS be put together in
the order given in the recipe.
Spruce Beer.-Two ounces of hops, 9 ounces
sassafras chips, ten gallons water. Boil hall
an hour, strain, and add seven pounds brown
sugar, one ounce essence of spruce, one ounce
essence of ginger one-half ounce pimento
Put the whole in cask and let COOL then
add one-half pint of yeast let stand "a hours
and bottle it.
Corn Cakes for TDo.-Sift a cupful of corr
meal into bowl or tray, make hole in it
put in salt, soda and shortening as for biscuit
break in two eggs, and stir with stronI
spoon until the eggs are well broken and mix
ed; then with new buttermilk or sour mill
make into a batter. Bake in a brisk oven
Have the cake three -fourths of an inch thic
when it goes into the oven.
Steued Pears If small and ripe, cut GU
the blossom end without pairing or coring
Put into saucepan with water enough I
cover them, and stew until tender; add one
half cup of sugar for every quart Of pear
and stew all together ten minutes; take on
the pears and lay them in a covered bowl
keep warm; add to the syrup little gingc
or few cloves, boil few minutes Longer
and pour over the fruit hot.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-08-05

If the battle against the weeds is kept up
until the end of the growing season, for few
years, the expense will be very much lessened.
1t is a great mistake to give the weeds a
chance to seed in the autumn; many are care
full to keep the weeds down the first of the
season, but cease their efforts when they
think it is no longer necessary TO keep them
down for the benefit of the present crop
thus they give the weeds a chance to seed
and the grass time 10 increase and strengthen
its roots for another year. How often we see
farmers fight the battle with twitch grass,
hoeing i've or six times in May and June, and
at the very time when they might kill it, let
it rest, and by so doing, give it chance in
the autumn TO fill the ground with roots, so
that the following year the battle must be
fought over again with no better success ;
thus year after year the ground is filed with
this troublesome grass, and the belief is en-
tertained that it can be killed only by dig
ging out all the roots when the fact is,
there are but few troublesome plants so east.
ly killed, II properly understood. The time
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-08-05

W. A. Armstrong of Elmira writes us fol-
lows in the New York Tribune:
81 have fed many crops cut when the grain
was nearly full, period indicated to the eye
by the gray appearance of the field At this
stage there is almost completed growth, but
the ripening process has not begun the sap
is in the stalks and tue heads almost formed.
After willing in the swath few hours in good
weather-longer time in poor weather for cur
ing-the oats are bound in sheaves of moder
ate size and set two-by-two in shocks, where
they are left until dry enough to draw in, the
degree of curing dependent somewhat on the
conditions Of storage. If the sheaves are to
be put on scaffolds and not packed to great
depth, little care need be taken to secure
thorough curing in the field. Now as to value,
1 must say that oats so gathered are worth
more for feeding mich cows than the best
hay, if made part of the daily supply. l
have never fed exclusively on oats. Cows in
milk, and doing well on good hay, will at
once show increased yield when given a suit
able allowance of oats, cut green and used in
this way 1 have described, and they will eat
oil as clearly as they consume the best hay.
The fodder is also good for horses, better
| than ripe oats for horses not steadily employ
ed, for they keep the coat good and digestion
unimpared."
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-08-05

to kill It is not in the spring, but in the sum
mer no nmount Of spring hoeing will kill IT,
because the roots at that season will live with
out top for many weeks; but during Au-
gust, II the root is deprived of its top 1t will
die; consequently il the top is cut of Just be-
low the surface of the ground at that time, II
is very sure to die. To make sure work of
it, il is best to hoe the ground over the last Of
July and again week or ten days after. A
sharp hoe should be used, and care should be
taken not to leave the end of single root
above ground, for IL not cut below the sur
face, it does not decay, but dries, and thus
preserves life at the bottom but when cut
below the surface the whole root will decay,
if left undisturbed until hot weather over. On
this point we speak with confidence, because
we have given it thorough trial.-Ilough-
man.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-08-05

The richest and thickest cream contains
from 90 to Go per cent. of water.
Prentice milford declares that two hours
work about hot stove is more exhausting
than four hours work out of doors, and thinks
the women who in Europe do mems work in
the fields are better off than the American
housewife, of whose life fve-sixths are spent
in the kitchen. There is more truth than
poetry in this.
In England sea sand is found to be very val
liable as a fertilizer. In Cornwall where it
has been used, sheep have not suffered from
the huke and other diseases as they have
done elsewhere. The best crop of potatoes
is grown in sand soils. For wheat land, sea
sand is very valuable manure, the grain
ripening twelve days earlier than with any
other manure. Many other crops have also
been benefited by its application.
Manure should be forked over occasionally
to make it fine. If it is heating, muck or
loan should be mixed with il to absorb the
ammonia which is formed during the process
of decomposition. Sprinkling the heap with
ground plaster is also advisable. The plaster
will absorb any ammonia which escapes from
the pile and save it for the use of growing
plants Ammonia is too valuable an element
of plant food to allow it to be wasted.
A farmer in Indiana gives the following re-
suit of an experiment with bone-dust and
wood ashes. He says 81 applied 600 pounds
of dry unlesched ashes to the acre, and sowed
wheat on that, and the result was only six
bushels to the acre. Adjoining this tract
drilled in 200 pounds of bone-dust, and the
three acres produced twenty bushels to the
acre, being an increased yield of fourteen
bushels over the tract sown with wood ashes.
| The following year used 500 pounds of bone
| dust ON the plat where had previously sown
600 pounds of ashes, and the result was forty
bushels of wheat to the acre, being double
what the bone produced alone This expert
ment satisfied me that ashes alone or bone
dust alone would not give me a yield that
paid to my satisfaction. This acre with ashes
yielded six bushels the acre with bone dust
yielded twenty bushels, but when the two
were combined / harvested forty bushels
This shows what experiments and small ex.
penditure of money will do for the progress
siYe farmer"
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-08-05

BY the census of 1870, the town of West
minister produced G,277 tons of hay. This
was the largest yield reported from any town
in Windham county. The next largest hay
producing town was Wilmington, that town
falling but little short of Westminster, with q
product of G,O46 tons. The total product of
hay in the county was reported at $4,000
toms
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-08-05

The completion and publication of the full
reports of the census has heretofore been de-
layed to some remote period after the enum-
Grafton. The completion of the last census
was expected within the census year. and its
immediate publication promised; but some
of the special agents are still circulating
schedules to be filled out and returned.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-08-05

From the various reports in the papers, in
addition to some personal observations, we
learn that the apple crop, both at the East
and the West, will be small this year. AL
though this is the odd or unproductive year,
the trees in many places set quite full of BIOS
sons but larger proportion of the young
fruit than usual has dropped and left small
crops. In some portions of eastern Pennsyl-
vania, in Delaware and parts of Maryland,
an unusually heavy crop is reported, as well
as in some of the extreme western counties of
New York. A large part of the peach crop,
and in some cases the trees, have been killed
by the winter, but when the fruit ripens there
will probably be more than was expected by
many. Grape-vines in many instances have
been killed sufficiently to destroy or lessen
the crop This is the abundant year fol-
pears
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-08-05

Though disease cannot always be conquered, its FIRST
approaches be checked. But not only is the use
Of medicinal safeguard TO be recomm ended on the
first appearance OF a maady, but wise discrimina-
ton should be exercised in the choice of remedy.
For thirty years or more Hostetters Stomach Btters
has been the regnng specific for dyspepsia fever and
ague loss of physical stamina liver complaint and
other disorders, and has been most emphatically
dorsed by medical men health and strength resto-
rative 1t is indeed wise precaution 10 this
ereign terrifying agent and Alternative in the early
stages Of disease for it eeotualy cOunteracs II the
malady belongs to that large class to which this ster
ling medicine is adapted. Not only is it eicacious,
but pure and harmless.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-08-05

The practical value of chronological stud
les may be appreciated when we consider the
fact that the crops are annually damaged by
insects to the amount of many millions of
dollars. This state alone probably suffers a
yearly loss of not less than million from in
jury done to the crops by noxious insects,
though the damage here, owing to the charac-
ter of our staple crops, is much less than in
some other states. 1t has been estimated
that the products of agriculture in the United
States were diminished to the amount of
$500, 600, 600 from this cause. 1t is of course
not possible to estimate the loss very closely,
but we know that it is very large.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-08-05

Buckwheat seems to be held in but little ia
vor by the farmers of this section. One may
travel ten miles on some of the roads in this
county and not see buckwheat field, while
in some parts of the country they are nearly as
plenty as oatfelds. Abouteight times as many
bushels of buckwheat as of rye are raised in
the state The whole product of buckwheat
in Vermont is usually from 400, 900 to 5O0,-
600 bushels of which only about one-eightieth
part is raised in Windham county. The coun-
ty raising the next least produces about twice
as much as this county. New York raises
over 5000, 600 bushels, or more than ten times
as much as Vermont
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-08-05

LEVEL CULTURE OF CoRN.-In talking"
fiat culture for corn have almost invariably
been met with the objection, and nearly al
ways in the same words, YES but your corn
will all blow down" The simple fact is that
corn will stand up better under fiat culture
than under the killing system. Corn will go
down more or less in very heavy rains accom-
panied by strong winds; but in flat culture it
will mostly come up again, whereas in killing
the mass of earth lying against the stalks
prevents this. Economy, too, is decidedly in
favor of fiat culture, as 1 have proved over
and over again. Cor. Rural NeD Yorker
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-08-05

Farmers or others desiring copies of tho
premium list, with names of officers and full
information in regard to the Vermont State
Fair to be held at Montpelier, September 10,
IA, 10, and 1G, 1881, should address the Sec
rotary, henry Clark, Rutland, by postal card
or otherwise.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-08-05

Gen. lie Dues tea farm in South Carolina
is a poor investment of government money,
according to William Sanders of the agricul-
tural department, who has just returned from
spying out the land for Commissioner Loring.
The climate is not warm enough to grow
strong tea, and the farm is an exhausted plan
tation literally worn out by successive crops
taken out without adequate care or eultiva-
ton. The commissioner may leave ono man
to care for the tea plants, but the government
will practically go out of the business Ifany-
thing is done, Florida is the place to do it,
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-08-05

Refined and educated women will sometimes suffer
in silence for years from kidney diseases constpa
ton and piles which could be easily cured by pack
age of Kidney-Wort. There is hardly woman TO be
found that does not at some time suffer from some Of
the diseases for which this great remedy is specific
1t ia put up In liquid and dry FORMS equally efficient.
-SDTingdeh Union.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-08-05

An Austin boy came home from school very much
excited and told his father that he believed all human
beings descended from apes, which made the old
man so mad that he replied Rngrily; "That may be
the with you, but 1t amt with me; tell you
that, now. n-IeIds Siftings.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-08-05

Come come, ladies; there's poor Charley Guteau
lAnguishing in Jail, and not single bouquet yet.
What can be the matter Puck
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-08-05
VERM0NT VALLEY RAILROAD.
nav LONDON NORTHERN RAILROAD

TRAINS LEAVE bhAIIIEEDhb A. fbi'i1o"''
Going south.
l:2n a. m. for South Vernon, Springfield, MIXERS
Falls, Fitchburg, Boston, aud all stations on the
Now London Northern railroad. Sundays only
connects for Springfield. Mondays, starts from
Millers Falls, leaving there at :0j N.
$500 a. IN for Mers Falls and Boston.
1900 A. M, for Conn. River II. r., Millers Falls,
Fitchburg, Boston, Hoosac Tunnel, &c.
$3.50 p. m, White Mountain express for sprinRhelui
Now York and Philadelphia.
4I5 p. m. steamboat train Tor New London and also
for Conn. River X. Il.
Going North.
rainFarrive in Brattleboro-
10 :2G a. H., from New London aud New York.
~ 100 D. M. from Millers Falls Hoofac tunnel, Dos
ton, Fitchburg &c.
4 :34 p. m, white Mountain express.
b:43 y. M, from Springfield, New York, &c.
lO:1i . m. from Boston, Worcester Hoosac Tunnel,
and all stations on New London Northern road,
aud from Springfield, New York, sc.
q. W. BENTLEY, Gen, Supt.
New London. Conn, June 80, 1881.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-08-05
FITCHBURG RAILROAD

North Adams 1880 l:O2 2:l5 $40 $500 II :o2
A sunday passenger train leaves Fitchburg for No.
Adams and the above-me utoucd intermediate stations
at 5:40 A. NJ Returning leaves No. Adams at 3: go ?.
NJ for Boston aud the aforementioned intermediate
stations.
'Ruus Sundays: omitted Mondays.
tSlratuga special Express with DraWing-room car.
The trains arriving in Boston at 1905 am, 2a5,
aud 80 p and the trains leaving Boston at $3.50
am. 3 800 and 500 pm, are through trains with
through sleeping drawing-rooAl cars to and from
the West via Ho1sac Tunnel.
General ofice Housac Tunnel Route, $50 Washington
Street. Boston. JOHN ADAMS, Geu1 Supt.
T.. X. TURNER, Ass'tSupt
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-08-05

There is no cough medicine so well adapted 10 the
young as DR.. N. q. Whites Pulmonary Elixir. II re-
heYes Group Instantly.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-08-05
Agricultural.

The value Of the annual farm productions
of windham county is estimated at 81, 500,-
OOO
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-08-05
SEWING MACHINES,

HH to T20 per day at home. Samples worth IS free
w Wv Address sTIHsoH Co., Portland, Me
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-08-05

vEdErINE has restored thousands to
been long and painful sufferers.
, 1881-07-21

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