davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-09-07
Agricultural.

Selection Of seed Potatoes in the Field.
1t is common practice to use potatoes for
seed taken from the refuse Of the crop or at
best those which are hardly fit for the table.
There is often depreciation in the quality Of
the potatoes when the same kind has been
planted for series Of years that is probably
owing to this fact. II only the smoothest and
best potatoes we're selected for planting the
quality Of the original Seeding instead of be-
coming poorer would, no doubt, be improv-
ed. We believe that some farmers who al
ways use good shapey potatoes for seed, now
have the Early Rose of quality equal to that
potato il the first years of its cultivation,
though it is not generally what it was for the
first few years after its introduction. Good,
smooth, woll-shaped potatoes for seed may be
best selected in the field at digging time, and
if this is lono we shall have reason to expect
the quality to improve rather than to deterio-
rate. A successful potato grower who has
raised Thorn this season at the rate of 800
bushels to the acre, claims that his success is
largely due to the selection of the best for
planting. Yet it is still question whether
very large potatoes are any better for seed
than those of medium size or even rather
small ones, except that the large tubers afford
moro nourishment tc the sprouts at the first
start but, whatever the size scabby rough
or il-shapen potatoes if planted will be like
~ to reproduce their kind, and we are inclin-
ed to believe that, in long run, the most
profit will be found in selecting none for seed
below the medium size.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-09-07

where they cannot be all tho time eating.
They work of good deal Of bad matter
from TIE system through the skin, which is
curried by the friction Of their coarse cloth
ing and in the summer they 90 in swimming.
They have fresh air and muscular exercise.
Yet they usually keep about them some pain.
full remembrauces Of ill.managed youth in
weak lungs, dyspepsia, constipation piles,
etc, etc, 9ld me0eC. to make them worse
gradually Dy taking patent medicines, chew
ing, smoking, drinking tea and coffee, il not
rum, aud eating the various concoctions Of
tho frying.pan or kettle and the pie-oven.
But the girls What escape is there for
them What were the hardships of our pio-
neors, well clad In homespun wool, to those
of the Yankee girl of to day, who, in eli
mate where the thermometer falls farther be-
low freezing in winter than it ever goes above
it in summer, wears summer clothing the
year round l say summer" clothing but
ia fact her winter dress does not average as
warm as the summer clothing of men. From
top to toe our girls have nothing to wear
that is suitable TO the season, or that answers
the requirements of health The Canadian
women are in this respect far more sensible
than ours. They dress a. warmly in winter
rs men, and go out as much with perfect i'm
punity from the weather. AS for the little
girls, we see them about every winter with
thin dresses shoes of thinner leather than Il
ever put into a mans slippers, cotton stock
ings, rubber shoes that make the feet damp
rs well as cold, insufficient underclothing
and practically bare headed No wonder it i.
so hard to get women out in winter the time
when they need fresh air the most They
won't wear proper clothing, thoy can't go GU
without suffering, and so they hang over the
stove six months in the winter, and burn oul
pair of shoes month trying TO keep thei
poor feet warm. They live mostly on pie and
pickles and tea, with doughnuts and frieC
meat, fitting themselves as fast AZ they car
for a tombstone, meanwhile bringing up thei
few puny children to follow in the same tract
with increasing speed. So we live and so w
die, while tho Irish and the Canadian, trainet
10y necessity to simpler living, increase anC
multiply, aud stand fair to be the New Eng
luuders of the next century.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-09-07
The Feeding Value of Foods.

The feeding of animals with foods contain
ing the proper proportions of substances nee
ossary to promote growth or fat is a very i'm
portant branch of knowledge, and those who
fully understand how to procure the largest
supply of available matter from the several
kinds of feed allowed to stock will derive
more satisfactory results than those who feed
as a routine, without having any special pur
pose to accomplish by so doing. Although
animals are not confined to any particular
diet exclusively, where they can be allowed a
variety, yet all that can be obtained from the
feed, whether it be concentrated or bulky, is
classed under the heads of protein, carbo.hy.
drates fay and ash. Protein is that substance
which is principally found in lean meat, the
whites of eggs and in the blood, being nitro.
genous, while the carbo-hy drates include
starch, woody fibre, sugar etc, and derive
the name from the fact that they are com
posed Ono matter in what form we possess
them) of carbon hydrogen and oxygen. Fat
exists in plants, also, but in small quantities.
Ash relates to the mineral substances, which
supplies the bones aud tissues
AS the matter which is appropriated by the
animal Is composed Of these four substances
protein, carbo- hydrates, fat and ash-it is
at once apparent that, in order to feed to the
best advantage, some consideration must be
given the character of the food allowed, and.
instead of feeding unfortunately, certain
quantities and proportions must DO used.
Many valuable experiments have been made
Tor the purpose of testing grains and folders.
IN order TO estimate their value for feeding.
and we are gradually arriving at that point at
which the aid of Investigations will be used
IN order to feed animals according to age,
period of growth and weight of carcass. For
instance, by the use of 100 pounds of ordina.
ry hay the supply of digestible nutriment will
be fraction over five pounds of protein for
ty-three pounds of carbohydrates aud about
pound Of fat, while only a pound of protein
can be extracted from the same quantity of
dlgesuble material in mangolds, with ten
pounds Of carbohydrates aud no fat The
difference between the nutritious matter of
hay and mangolds at once enables the stock.
breeder to discard the mangolds altogether or
use less quantity of hay and supply the de-
hciency with mangolds. Any number of sub.
stances can be used, provided they are fed
proportionately to value, the object being 10
neither have an excess nor deficit of any sub.
stance that enters into the composition of
the body
What Is given in the shape of bulky mate.
rial, such as hay and straw can also be found
IN grams, which possess nutriment in a more
concentrated form. Using wheat straw as
compared with corn, the straw contains about
three pounds of protein to the 100 pounds.
while corn contains over ten. 1t is necessary
therefore to lessen the supply of straw and
add corn to complete the proportion of pro.
TEN and as the straw contains about 40 per
cent OF crude fibre, which is almost useless,
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-09-07
Canning Fruit---EconOmy In the Use Of
sugar.

pro.u,na tb.y all knou, that tl,,r,. aro say,
eral kinds of suS,rs Cane SUGAR Crane sup.
mr. or glucose and milk smear are the princi-
nal yarietia. or lhese can. supar stands pro
emipcnt for lis syeetoning nrono,ties baing
rate1 AT 100 while crane SUGAR ia onIv ratsd
at 40. In other words il takes "a po1pd. Of
grape sugar to ,uual one pound OF cane sup.
ar Cane sugar il not necessarily made Of
cane but that made from the sug,r tree and
that mazda from beota ia techuicallv called
cane supar. Crane sugar or glucose ia made
from IA ,,r.at vnrietv Of s,,bstaI,c.s and rror,i
nent among thss, are cornstalks and cbips mr.
shavipgs Mai, smear il mad. from, uilk and
has n5out tho same s,y,etcning power AS
Crane sugar pre.ume howryrr hat vour
9dy readers do not ali know What il knovn
IN very cbepis, that yIcn c,rr .,,gsr and
fruit mr., hoiI.d topetber Nh, acid or H.. frui,
Gangs a chemical chang, I, t,,ks nl,ro which
rhnu,.s tho SUGAR to plncose ar 1rano SUGAR
which ia the sam, tbipg
40 mot sunnosc tbav int.ndto throyr a,va,
siy noupds Of sugar oui of .vsry te,, ,b,y uss
in the nrensration If frpit Vat sucL - The
oct. tbav bsv. a. . ,a-,lt NJ ia, hoiIinl, 49,,
mounds Of glucose which il only pnnsI IN
four pounis of sugar and b.sides nus loss
the fIuit has To n great cxient lo.t its ,rua As
vor and il of c,urss iufarior in opaIi,v IN tho,
sya,t.n.d vim cam. zne,ar H. can frni,
ha gEggtpueH with " ilhput m ak inc
This chang. and loss of 1,Vorg A. that il the
priucipaL object of this paper. | will answer
The ou.siion
First cook YOUR fruit until il i. dome So
tben II vou nav, linn. Iot itg.t coli and ,Ler
ada vonr smear tni,it,, II vii I.t i, s,and a.,
hour or more The sugar by tina, time viii h,,
absorbad Inv tina fruit Won viii lion hayo
saved all YOUR sugar and preseryed The flavor
~ tho fru1t AT The zane lime n con bava
not time 10 wait add vour spg.r WIN the
fruit is only partially cool and You will only
lose tiv,, or any u-r ., Mt Of the sugar
In MAKING what oar grsndmnph.rs c,lIad
prtseryes he rul. vas to tako- anal mart IN,
weight of fruit and ,ngar bo,I Them togstb ~
in tho n,.s.rviug ksttl. mill tb.y pYoula
"keep. By that time all the sugar was
changed TO glucose and therefore, A clear lo.s
~ Gn nor -. Mt vas incurred NV orr GOOD
housewives ike TO place OF, their fables snec.
in.ens Of their xiii in the form of ,,prtzer.
w." mad of vsrio,s frnits and hall ,hsv ha
prevented from 40 doing Not at ali There
are two WAYS tn avoid he. loss of suyar One
is to use only glucose and fruit in eGuL narts
a. il il much cbesner Ia Luv ,,luco.. thsr IN
make il of the higher priced can. sugar. An
other way i, TO COOK your fruit as before de-.
scribed then add one half a mound of sugar
TO the Mound of fruit and seal mn in cans or
steam the fruit when practirablr Law il in the
,,,, o,,,l gI 49,, it'll 80 ... .,
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-09-07
He KNEW 1T.
WHAT DID HE KNOW, AND HOW
DID HE FIND III OUT, ARE
THE questions.

ITS good thing; know it's good thing
These words addressed to a representative of
this journal during call made at the fashionable tail
oring establishment of Nathan Taylor, under the
Narragansett House, Providence, r. I. As Mr. Leroy
Porter the head manager, spoke, he kept cutting
his artistic way through the pile Of paids aud broad
cloths strewn about the table in front of him.
"Mr. Porter remarked the item-gatherer, chow,
please do you happen to know it is good thing ?"
"By the best way In the world, my boy-by expert
It wasn't so long ago that habually felt if
had swallowed canuOn-bal. I was sometimes
obliged to rise from my bed at night from sheer short
pess of breath. You in the spring, busy sea-
son, we are at work l6 hours day; have short time
for meals aud at irregular hours. My stomach got
completely out of order you can easily fancy It
would. doctored and dosed. It was touch Of dys-
pepsa had, the doctors said At last struck Dr..
Rennedy's Fayorite Remedy, and It went squarely TO
the spot. My trouble melted away like ice in the
mer sun. Yes, tell you it's good thing-a mighty
good thing"
So saying Mr.. Porter emphasized his words with q
dash Of his shears on the cutting board.
DR.. David Kennedys Favorite Remedy is issued
from Rondout n. Y, but its home is in the esteem Of
the people who have learned its value Don't suffer-
Get bottle Of your druggist. Price 81.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-09-07

CULTIvATING ORoHARDs.-W. W. Hgbee
of this state writes to the Practical Farmer,
giving some of the results of his experiments
in cultivating the orchards, which, although
according with the experiments of others,
may be useful if briefly stated in enforcing
their teaching. Sowing wheat in an orchard
always seriously checks the growth of the
trees, even if the ground is MANFRED. Oats
are exhausting but less 80 than wheat. Corn
and potatoes both answer well, and the cult
walton they receive benefits the trees. In one
instance half of an orchard was sown with
wheat, and the consequence was it was put
back two years as compared with the other
half Wheat in thrifty young plum orchard
ruined it. To these statements an exchange
adds the following; A neighbor set out 100
peach trees, cultlyating part of the ground
in potatoes and the remainder was in wheat
None of the trees in the potatoes grew less
than foot and half, and some sent up
shoots two feet and a half. None of those
which stood in the wheat ground grew more
than three inches.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-09-07

CHEAP TRANSPORTATION. The demand for
cheapness seems perpetual and Unsuitable.
All the strength of human muscles, all the
ingenuity of human brains, and all the pow
err of enormous machinery are taxed to pro
duce articles to eat, drink, or wear, a little
cheaper this year than they were last and
although the effort is continuously successful
We are never satisfied No matter what level
of cheapness may be reached, there is a per
petual demand for a still lower one. This is
most strikingly illustrated in railway car
riage The time is within easy recollection
when it cost SlSO to send barrel of flour
from st. Louis to New York; now, three bar
rels can be sent for that sum few years
ago ii cost more than a bushel of corn was
worth on tue Mississippi river to send it to
the seacoast that is, for every bushe of this
grain that was sent by rail to New York, an
other bushel aud half had to bs sent along
to pay The freight on it now, one bushol Of
corn will pay the freight charges on nearly
three bushels. "Poor's Manual" for lSs2
shows that the charge on all the railway
freight moved in New England last year was
100 cents mile per tom the charge in the
middle states was Is cents, and in the west
ern states l.2 cents. These figures will be
better understood by remembering that u ton
is a two horse load, aud that 81 to ! l. 30 is
tho Transfers charge for carrying il a mile
The railroads did all the carrying amounting
to over 800, OO0,O 600 tons, at a charge of only
lone and two-tenths per mile
One would think this is cheap enough in all
conscience, and that it is impossible to bring
it down lower And yet there is an incessant
demand for cheaper rates of carriage re p
spondei to on the part of the roads by I'M
ceasing efforts to reduce them. The ten.
dency is steadily in the direction of lower
rates.-,St. Louis RepuJHcan.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-09-07
Damage Done by CRASH Oppers and Lo



The little grass that remains in some Of the
dry fields and pastures is being consumed in a
way that brings no profit to the farmer. Lo-
Gusts and grasshoppers abound in great num-
bers. They start up in aocks as you pass
through the fields. An entomologist might
gather a half .dozan species in fvJ minutes.
The common meadow gras5hoppers are most
numerous but various other species are living
happily with them Fortunately they ara not
long-lived. After reaching their perfect state
most of the species live only three or -four
weeks Many are now seen that are stiff in
the joints and indisposed to move. These
have lost their appetite for grass, and their
pilgrimage is about finished For short
time their places will be supplied by the
younger generation, which is still abun liant.
They all delight in dry, warm weather aud il
the hot sun. A long continued storm would
give them fatal chills We hope that few
millions Of them may be thus disposed of be
fore this paper is read, but the indications al
the time we write that many will die from
this cause, are not very encouraging They
will not survive many frosty nights and we
AIhy nave " hhlt lOi tuSoo " hcS tut lA7
of them. We are not aware that there i.
an unusual number this year, except in limit
ed localities In this section there are more
than we have seen before for many years
There are two species of locusts that art
more numerous than we have ever bofor,
seen them-the large dusky brown kind,
with colored under wings, in one specie,
blush black with yellow border, in the 9th
or a deep yellow with dusky margin.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-09-07
The aeef SUNNY.

Notwithstanding the enormous advance
made in cattle raising during the past twenty
years or SO, the increased supply, oven in IA
vorable seasons, has not been at all common
surate with the increase in the demand for
beef. The ratio of increase in cattle is less
than that in population, so that even with the
change in detetic habits the demand for beef
would tend to steadily outrun the supply.
But our appetite for beef increases much
more rapidly than our numbers. Tho mar
ket-mau makes his daily rounds with fresh
beef in hundreds of communities where salt
pork was eaten almost exclusively twenty -five
years ago and generally throughout the
country beef has largely displaced pork on
the tables of farmers, mechanics and well-to
do people. This is partly due to the universal
improvement in the scale of popular living,
due to general prosperity but more, perhaps,
to the influence of an active school of would
be reformers who have persstently decred
pork as an article of food and created a wide
spread and unreasonable ejudce against it.
Leaving out of consideration any possible in
crease in the demand for beef for exportation,
We may reasonably anticipate that the home
demand for beef will continue to increase as
fast il not faster, than the population does !;
and there can be no marked decline from the
present excessive prices until the supply OF
beef-cattle is brought up to the level OF the
popular requirements. 1t is not the prime
cost of beef cattle in the field, or their neces-
sary cost at the shamblss after being driven
or carried half across the continent that
chiefly determines the price Of the meat to
the consumer, but the single fact that the sup.
ply is relatively 50 medgre that cattls raisers
can ask and readily got prices which enable
them to make 20, 80 and even 80 per cent.
profit per annum on the money invested. -
Scientific iUfeyiClH
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-09-07

ing cheese, and next morning found to my
satisfaction that had succeeded in trapping
a very large rat-one Of the largest he'd ever
seen-which, after had besmeared him with
tar, | let loose into his favorite run. The
next night tried again. and succeeded in
catching another equally big fellow, and serv-
cd him in the same manner. l could not fol.
low these two tar. besmeared rats into their
humorous runs, to sec what would happen (;
but il is reasonable to assume that they either
summoned together all the members of their
community and by their crest.fallen appear
auce gave their comrades silent indications Of
the misfortune which had so suddenly befall-
en- them, or else they frightened their breth-
rem away, for they one and all forsook the
place and fled The experiment was emf.
nently successful. From that day in 1875 till
now OSS3) my house, ancient though it is,
has been entirely free from rats.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-09-07

while corn contains less than . per cent, the
waste in the system is much less from the
corn. The straw, though containing less fat,
contains larger amount Of ash, and there is
no kind of material used that is deficient in
one direction but what is ,overabundant in
other respects.
by directing attention to !he study of food
composition there is another object to impress
on the stockbroeder, which is that by feeding
a variety of food the animal will grow faster,
fatten more readily and keep in a healthier
condition than by using single article of
diet. Although it is not every farmer who
makes it duty to feed for nutrtive value
only, yet they know by experience that GER
tain foods give certain results but the field
is still open for more knowledge in that di.
rection and every farmer should avail him.
self of the privilege of obtaining it.-Phila.
RecOrd
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-09-07

The TRIUMPH OF AMERICAN SHEET. 1t was
long believed that the United States could
never raise as fine Merno sheep as the Aus.
tralian colonies and American manufacturers
were compelled to go to Australia for long.
staple wool, or to buy it in the English mar
kets. All this seems now to have changed
The Pacific NAL steamer City of New York,
on her last outward trip to Sydney, carried
away for Australia seventy-two head Of Amer.
lean Mernos, and the deck space of the
monthly steamers of this line has been en-
gagged Tor similar freight for six months to
come. The sheep We're selected from the
best ilocks in the states of Vermont and New
York. OF course the Australian wool grow
ers would have preferred California sheep /;
but on the Pacific slope of the states they do
not, as rule, register their stock, and the
pedigree is lost. However, some selections
have been made from the focks CT Mr.. Ash
ley, who resides in the city of windmills,
Stockton Cal II is said that the American
Merino gives ten pounds of secured wool fit
for manufacturing purposes, while the Aus
tralian Merino only gives eight pounds The
wool of the unmixed American Merino is not
so fine as the Australian, but it is much
denser, and the cross will preserve the fine.
ness and add to the density. st. James
Budget.
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-09-07

We may well suppose that the habit of the
pig in laying on an excessive quantity of fat
has been caused by long and excessive feeding
of fat producing food and it is not likely that
any sudden Transformation could be brought
about; but it is well known that the pigs of
different countries differ in respect to fat. We
have only to CONTRAST fAttened pigs OF this
country with those in Canada. There pork is
fattened partly upon barley, but largely upon
peas, IL highly heterogeneous food, yielding Il
large proportion OF muscle, and our pigs are
fattened almost wholly upon corn, an excess
sively starchy and fattening food. The Cana
dian pork has a much larger proportion of lean
meat and less lard. The difference is very
marked, so much 50 that in market supplied
with both kinds, purchasers easily select the
one or the other Us desired. Wild hogs do
not have such excess Of fat, and the Southern
hog, which is grown much slower than those
in the Northern aud Western states and fed
much less corn, is comparatively lean.
There can, therefore, be little doubt that
the habit of deposting this excess of fat is
caused by long continued feeding adapted to
that end. Tue hog is naturally grass and
root-eating animal, aud in its domestication is
fed almost wholly, in this country, upon con.
centrated food. Hogs fed upon skinned
milk have less proportion of fat than those
fed upon corn. II young pigs are kept upon
food that will grow the muscles aud bones and
develop q rangy frame, they will possess 10
much muscle when half grown, that Il moder.
ate length of time in fattening, even on corn,
will not pile on an excessive amount of fat
Lire Stock Journal
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-09-07

GREEN CABBAGE WoBM.-In reply to a
query from Geo. N. ODER, of Athens Prof.
@. V. Riley, of the agricultural department
suggests the following remedy; Twenty
parts superphosphate of lime, three parts
fresh air Stacked lime and one part carbolc
powder, to be scattered in small quantities
upon each head of cabbage. Where it is
available, water heated to l4Oo Farenheit,
and sprinkled upon the plants, will probably
Kill the worms without injury to the cabbages.
Pyrethrum powder mixed with -four or lime,
in the proportion of one part pyrethrum to
fifteen or twenty of the other, is also eiIec-
tive"
Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-09-07

SoRoFULA.-A medicine that destroys the germs OF
scrofua and has the power to root it out is appreci-
atcd by the afflicted. The remarkable Of men,
women and children, as described by testimonials
prove Hoods Sarsaparila reliable medicine, contain
ing remedial agents which eradicate scrOfua from the
blood. 100 doses 81. Sold by all dealers. CT. HOOP
4 Co., Lowell, Mass.