davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-12-14
Fence Posts.
Massachusetts Ploughman.l

MASSACHUSETTS Pl0ugnman.l
The fact that there is great differ
ence in the lasting qualities of fence
posts set green, and those that are well
seasoned, or. that there is any prefer
ence, as to the season for cutting, is
too often entirely overlooked by farm
ers; they use posts just as they chance
to have them; if they have them on
hand all seasoned at the time they
wish to use them. they set them, but
if not, and they have them growing.
they will cut them and.set them green.
This is not good economy, for a post
set green and full of sap will not sea-
son well in moist earth, but instead of
drying it will soon begin to decay. 1t
is better to season posts that are to be
set in the earth, at least one year
before setting; by so doing they
will last nearly twice as long as
posts cut at the same season of the
year, and set green; but a post cut in
September, and set green, will proba-
bly, last nearly, if not quite as long. as
one cut in March or April, and season.
ed year before setting.
There are more farmers that know
that it is not economy to set green
posts than there are that know that
there is great preference as to the
season of cutting. Timber, to be good.
should be cut soon after it has made
its growth for the season; then the san
has formed into wood, leaving it COM
paratively dry; but if cut the latter
part of winter or the first of spring the
sap is flowing up through all parts of
the wood in such quantities as to.make
it very difficult to dry it; hence its in
creased liability to decay.
Farmers who cut their own fence
posts should look ahead far enough
to enable them to cut them at the
right time. and have them seasoned
when they want them for use.
For reasons'that do not appear very
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-12-14

state, this organ taking an excessive
action, it is question worthy of con-
sideration, whether the gland may not
have a degree Of immunity impaired
to it by toughening the structure
through handling. as the muscles of
the colt are strengthened by severe ex-
ercise, rendering them thereby more
secure against injury by active use.
AS the COW, or heifer, approaches
the completion of CESSATION, the udder
receives a large flow of blood to it,
takes on high excitement, and it is a
question worthy of being settled by
careful trials, whether or not the I'D
der of the heifer may safely be in
creased in volume by manipulation,
rendering it at the same time more
nearly proof than now, against the
sensitive and irritable state into which
it is liable to drift when its functions
are brought into active play. Even
though this be not done until the
udder of the heifer begins to spring,
as she nears calving, there can be no
question as to our ability to enlarge
its capacity for milk giving, while at
the same time we accustom the heifer
to this handling, and when she drops
her calf, it will be found that she is
already trained to submit to the milk
ing process, and will stand quiet un-
der IL
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-12-14
HOUSEHOLD SCRAPS.

If you put soda in the water with
which you are to wash the windows
you will find that finger-marks, putty
stains, ETC., will be much more easily
removed than if clear water alone is
used.
Lemonade which is intended for a
sick person should be strained. This
is practically necessary if there is any
trouble with the stomach, as the
tough fibers of the lemon are hard to
digest.
A teaspoonful of charcoal in half a
glass of warm water often relieves a
sick headache. 1t absorbs the gases
and relieves distended stomach, press
ing against the nerves that extend
from the stomach to the head.
Charcoal forms an unrivalled poul-
tice for wounds and old sores. 1t is
also invaluable for what is called
proud flesh. 1t is a great disinfec-
tant. 1t sweetenS the air If placed in
shallow dishes around the apartment,
and foul water is also purified by its
use.
If but little light is admitted to an
apartment the ceiling should not be
dark; but even in this case it should
never be white. Cream-color, formed
of a little middle chrome in white, will
harmonic with almost any color and
is even more reflective than white it
self.
Stoves blackened when entirely cold
will keep the clean look very great
deal longer than when they are pol
ished when the stove is warm. Zinc
can be frightened by rubbing it with
kerosene oil, but it is much better to
have it painted, as this will save much
labor. After you have swept your
carpets quite clean you may brighten
them with a flannel cloth wrung from
beef's gall and water. White paint
may be cleaned as well as windows,
by using whiting and water, while
grained wood work should be wiped
with flannel cloth wrung out of cold
teL Wash pantry shelves with hot
alum and water to rid them of ants,
water-bugs and Iother troublesome in
sectS.
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-12-14
Medicinal Value of Vegetables.

Asparagus is a strong diuretic, and
forms part of the cure for rheumatic
patients at such health resorts as
Ankles Bains. Sorrel is cooling, and
forms the staple of that soupe aux
herbes which a French lady will order
for herself after long and firing
journey. Carrots, as containing n
quantity of sugar, are avoided by some
people, while others complain of them
as indigestible. With regard to the
latter accusation, it may be remarked,
In passing, that IL is the yellow core
of the carrot that is difficult of diges-
tion-the outer, n red layer, is tender
enough. In Savoy the peasants have
resource TO an infusion of carrots as a
specific for jaundice.
The large sweet onion is very rich
In those alkaline elements which coun-
teract the poison of rheumatic govt.
If slowly stewed in weak broth, and
eaten with a little Nepaul pepper, il
viii be found to be an admirable arti-
Gle of diet for patients OF studious
and sedentary habits. The stalks of
cauliflower have the same value, only
too often the stalk of caulitiOwer is
so ill-boiled and unpalatable that few
persons would thank you for propos-
ing to them to make part of
their meal consist of so uninvit-
ing an article. Turnips in the same
way. are often thought to be in
digestible, and better suited for cows
and sheep than for delicate people. but
here the fault lies with the cook quite
rs much ~ with the root. The cook
boils the .urnip badly, and then pours
some butter over it, and the eater of
sucE a dish is sure to be the worse for
l.. Try better way. What shall be
said of our lettucesy The plant has a
slight narcotic action, of which a
French old woman, like a French doc
tor, well knows the value, and when
properly cooked it is really very easy
of tigestion.-Medical Record
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-12-14
English Rules for Bntter Making.

/. The cream should be removed
from the milk before the latter has
become sour. The reason for this is
easily explained. As soon as the milk
begins to turn. curd is produced, and
it is then impossible TO remove the
cream without taking off some of the
curd also. Curd means cheese, and if
curd is made up with cream into butter,
the latter must necessarily have a
theesy flavor, and will in Il short time
become strong" and very inferior in
quality.
2. AS soon as the butter makes its
appearance, and while still in a granu-
lar state, the buttermilk should be run
off. Plenty of cold water should then
be thrown into the churn, and the
butter washed by turning the churn a
few turns; two or more late of water
should be used until the butter is
thoroughly cleansed. Butter is fire.
quently damaged by over-churning.
1t is quite an error to suppose that
after butter once forms more can be
obtained by further churning. Every
revolution after the granules are
about the size of Indian corn or small
nuts deteriorates the quality.
3. Butter should not be touched by
hand. The water should be applied
by means of butter worker.
No animal on the farm pays better
for good keeping than the cow.
Cows purchased from rich lands
seldom do well on poor soils.
One COW well fed will produce as
much milk as two carelessly treated:
the former will be kept at profit, and
the latter at loss.
The best economy is to keep cows in
such manner as to make them give
the greatest quantity of milk with the
greatest profit.
Carrots and other roots cause COWS
to give milk in abundance and of an
excellent quality.
One kind of forage, even of the best,
may not furnish in suitable proper
tionS, all the elements necessary to
produce the best milk; therefore, give
a large variety of food, but guard
well against anything that will faint
the milk or butter.
Pure water at regular intervals is
essential to the best results.
Cows which are near calving should
be fed with substantial food and lodg-
ed in some clean. warm apartments by
themselves; let their drink be luke
warm for day or two after calving.
Great mixers pay as they go, but
seldom carry much flesh on their
bones. 1t is not good policy to allow
COW to lose single pound of flesh; it
costs money, and will cost more to re-
place it.
Cows seldom yield their milk kind
ly to a person who is not gentle with
them.
Cleanliness in the dairy is some
times classed among the cardinal vir-
tues.
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-12-14
Winter Treatment Of Poultry.

The Germantown Telegraph says:
"a recent correspondent in writing on
other matters touches upon the sub
ject briefly as follows. Each fowl
ought to produce 100 eggs year. In
winter warmth Is Indispensable. The
fowls in this season should have some
of the food they find at other seasons
when running at large They must at
ali times have plenty of room in
their house, and it and the laying
boxes kept clean and fresh.
They must be fed with corn bar
ley, and oats, have box of sand, a
box of oyster or clam shells pounded
up, or old mortar and bones dried and
pounded fine; mashed boiled potatoes
and corn meal are excellent; fatty
matter of any kind. fresh beef, pork
scraps, etc, ought to form portion of
their diet. Hens are fond of vegeta-
BILE matter during the winter, and will
freely eat cabbages, etc. 1t is very
that they should be kept
free from vermin, and there
is nothing will effect this so well
and perfectly as entire cleanliness.
In case, however, vermin should make
their appearance, there is nothing so
effective in removing them as rubbing
the tops of their heads, under the
wings and upon the back, with lard.
This is an old remedy, but it is rem
edy, and a very simple and easy one.
These suggestions, offered to others,
have followed time and again, and can
can say that if any desire complete
success, and of course satisfactory re-
suits from poultry raising, they should
adopt them"
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-12-14
Chichen Cholera.

A correspondent of the Poultry Yard
thus describes his new remedy for
chicken cholera: While our neighbors
D. for geyeral miles around us, have lost
nearly all their chickens from the so
called cholera, ours are in fine condl-
ton. They were attacked with the
premonitory symptoms OF the disease,
which seemed to be epidemic here, tut
we cured them and have no trouble
with them since having accidentally
found cure. Cut up onions with
food, and administer once day FOL
several days, afterward once week
will answer. Also mix lit tie
ground ginger with Their meal, once
every day or two. We also give them
a little salt every two or three weeks,
which we deem highly necessary, and
above all things, keep waterlnelons,
muskmellons and cucumbers away
from them. The tops of celery
cut up with their food will be
found beneficial, and they appear to
like il very well. Do not get these
statements mixed up. The onions
and ginger only for the cholera, the
remainder constant attention. Too
much whole corn we have found in
furious: we give meal, of this only
once in three or four days. Raw on
ions and a very little ginger against
the world for curing cholera, II the
disease mas not been allowed to run
too far. A well informed poulterer
endorses the raw onions and ginger,
but has never Pounds melon lnJuri-
Gus. Last summer he raised. in an
amateur way. nearly 300 chickens and
turkeys. Bushels of melon rinds and
imperfect melons were thrown to
them daily and eaten eagerly. Over
ripe cucumbers and seeds of musk
melons were likewise devoured; and
there was no losses from any disease.
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-12-14
Land Cultivation In China.

The following is from letter of the
Shanghai correspondent OF the Lon
don Times to that journal: 1.-The
greater part of the land is owned in
small properties of five acres and I'M
der, even down to the sixth of an acre.
1t is, in fact, divided and subdivided
till IL can be divided no more. The
possession of plot of land, however
small, implies at least something in
the way of capital, but below these
again there is another class of cultiva-
tors, who, as tenants, farm the land of
those who from circumstances or dis
position do not care to do so them
selves. Six or seven-tenths of the
land is cultivated in this way. The
system adopted is almost invariably
the metayer, or half-proft system, the
landlord providing the houses and
paying the government taxes, which
last amount to tenth or SO of the
net profits, though they vary
very much in different provinces.
These cultivators are invariably men
of no capital, their whole stock-in-
trade consisting of a few rude and
simple instruments costing a mere
tritie. 1t is on this class that the
pinch of poverty first falls in bad
years. The holdings are in size just
sufficient to afford a bare sustenance
in good years. When the crop fails
these peasants are literally beggars;
they have nothing to pawn or pledge
They have no credit, and even If they
had, there is nobody to lend. The
landlords are not IN a position to give
assistance, and, if the bad season con-
tinues, these latter are in quite as
miserable plight as their tenants,
for at such times even land depreciates
in value so much as to be hardly
worth selling, and large tracts are not
unfrequently deserted altogether and
left waste
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-12-14
HOME. FARM AND RANCH.
Treatment Of the Horses Foot.

The man has cut away the frog, be-
cause he thinks the horse will be in
jured If the frog touches the ground.
He has then cut deep groove at the
base of the frog. This is to give a
well opened heel. rs he is pleased to
call it. He has scooped away the sole
&c give il spring" He has scored
deep notch in the toe for the shoe.
This Is evidently a conservative relic
of the time when nails were not used,
and the shoe attached by three pointed
clips hammered over the edge, one in
front and one on either SIDE. Then
he has improved the whole of the
outer surface of the hoof. AS
the Creator has furnished this part OF
the hoof with thin, hard polished
plate, forming sort of varnish which
Is impervious TO wet, the farrier, as a
matter of course, rasps it all away up
to the crown. And as the Creator has
placed round the crown a fringe of
hair, which acts rs thatch to the line
of junction and throws off the rain
upon the waterproof varnish, he cuts
this away with his scissors. Lastly,
the Creator having given TO the horny
hoof n nothing of soft and partially
translucent brown, gray-blue, yellow,
black and whichever exactly the
same in two hoofs, much less in two
horses-the farrier takes backing
pot and brush, polishes up the boots
until they look like patent-leather
boots, all four exactly alike, and then
contemplates his work with satisfac-
ton. In his own words. he has
"turned out a finished job of it.
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-12-14

should be two feet deep
from the top-and about
two feet four inches wide at the top.
Make the feed box at the bottom of
the manager.
Make the floor of the hall level in
stead of descending from the manager
toward the rear, and use more and
better absorbents. In so doing you
not only save the most valuable part
of the fertilizing product of the horse,
but you remove the strain of stand
ing with his hind feet lower than the
forward ones. When at rest in the
parture the horse chooses to stand
with his forward feet lower than his
hind feet; this he does to throw the
center of gravity nearer to the fore
legs and shoulders, by which the pro-
jecting head and neck are balanced by
the rear portion of the body. Don't
groom your horse while eating, espe-
cially while eating his grain. If you
doubt the wisdom of this SuggeS-
ton, try something similar on your
self. While you are taking your
breakfast let someone shampoo your
hair. You will either stop eating OF
stop the shampooing. 1t is an unwise
practice to use either currycomb or
brush while the horse is eating. Let
him have his food without being dis
turbed. Men do this foolish thing
with the idea that it saves time. 1t
might save time to drive the horse to
his daily task without taking food at
all. The horse wants clean food and
drink. Nothing is clean where hen
goes. Hens should be kept away from
horses, not only from touling their
food, but from communicating lice.
These parasites are difficult to remove
from horses when once upon them.
Don't work horse all day upon the
farm and at night turn him out to
pick upascanty supper when he should
be resting in the stable after eating.
All that a horse demands for his SER
vices is rest, food and drink, and he is
cruel who denies these. There is
economy in keeping n working team
in the stable at night, where it can be
regularly fed, and is always ready for
use. Don't scrimp the allowance of
suitable food. All "a horse needs OF
hay and grain to keep in good condi-
ton, it is for the profit of his owner to
supply. One dollar saved in grain is
81 lost in work. Don't stuff a horse
with hay and withhold corn or
oats. Less fodder and more feed will
be better for horse and owner. Don't
allow your horse to suffer with cold
when little repairing of the stable or
blanketing will make him comforta-
bic. The hardening process of making
horses stand in cold stables without
blankets rs hard-hearted. A stable so
cold that the manure freezes into solid
balls is too cold for the good of the
horse. If these suggestions are heed
ell by persons owning and using
horses the writer will have the thanks
of thousands of misuSed horses, if
only they could say: We thank
Farmer.
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-12-14
HOME, FARM AND GARDEN.

Two-year-old trees of the apple, plum,
pear and cherry are the best size for
planting. Peach trees should be one
year old. Stocky, low-branched speci-
mems will give the best satisfaction.
According to Prof. Beal, of Iowa,
the bat, instead of being an object of
aversion should be regarded as true
friend of man." as it is great de
stroyer of insects, and unlike many of
the tropical species, does no harm to
man OF beast.
In England window curtains of
stained glass, for the lower half of the
window, are becoming usual, and are
a very great Improvement upon the
ugly structures of woven wire and
wicker which have done service for so
long a time. Those who know as
sert that these particularly pretty adj
ditions to the windows will soon be
equally usual in this country.
Corn will shrink from time it is
husked from the field or shock, in the
autumn, in well-protected cribs from
twenty to thirty per cent by spring.
That is one hundred bushels will shrink
to seventy or eighty, according to how
dry it was when gathered. Sound
corn will shrink twenty per cent, so
that forty cents per bushel as it comes
from the field is as good as fifty cents
in the spring.
The Gardeners Monthly says: at
has only recently been clearly demon
strated that dead branch of tree
makes almost as great strain on the
main plant for moisture as does a liv-
ing one. This is one of the most i'm
pOrtant discoveries of modern botani-
cal science to the practical horticul-
turist, as by this knowledge he can
save many valuable tree. Any dead
branch, or any weak one, should be at
once cut away"
A writer in the National Farmer
says: "a half pint of sunflower seed
given to a horse with his other feed,
each morning and night, will keephim
in better health and better spirited
than he will be without it, while his
hair will be brighter. When saddle
horse is required to be particularly
sprightly, he may be given pint of
suntiower seed with his oats at night,
and half as much in the morning; he
will be found more antic and spright-
ly through the day, and consequently
be more pleasant to the rider.
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-12-14
Developing the Udder Of a Cow,


1t does not usually occur to breeders
that the udder is as susceptible of de-
velopment as are the muscles of the
trotting bred colt. ANY gland or mus
Gle can be invigorated and made to
take on more than its natural growth
by a degree of handling. Develop
ment comes of circulation to the part,
and free motion invites blood. while
inactivity does not. While the car
penter is using the saw or plain. the
right arm receives largely more blood
than while at rest. So, likewise, if
the udder is handled, whether it has
milk in it or not, blood viii flow to it
in an increased quantity, adding to
the tissues of the part.
This would be the necessary result
in the case of the young heifer as well
as the grown-up cow. A small lump,
or thickening of any of the soft tissues
upon q part, in the case of person, is
sometimes made to grow and develop
into tumor in a few months, simply
by handling it frequently. The udder
of the young heifer never having bred,
can be made to secrete milk. by excit-
ing flow of blood to it, in the manner
named. As the cow, under our fore
ing modes, is, N so far as her udder Is
concerned, thrown into an artificial
The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-12-14
POpularizing Home Rulers.

The Irish members are possibly re-
sorting IN a roundabout way to their
old tactics in order to recover some of
the ground they have lost by their re-
cent discussions and by the limits
which the improved condition of Ire
land have placed on their opportunity
for agitation. The Home Rulers were
never so popular with the masses as
when they were confined in Kilmain-
ham jail. The multitude then pic
tured them as martyrs and surrounded
them with enthusiasm and allegi-
ance. Messrs. Davitt, Healy and
Redmond apparently wish, by persist
ing in infiammatory reasonable
harangues, to cause themselves to be
thrust into prison again, thereby
bringing the government into odium
and themselves into pseudo-martyr-
DOM Had this ruse really benefited