Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-12-28
The Agricultural Editor.

Dyke Fortescuc ramblra inta RI.
once OF rural newspaper published in
the interest of u small class Of rural
readers and named the Fag7arS' Frieg9
AMI C"tttrdtorS' Champion. DYKE vas
fresh from Denver, where he had been
dong local work on daily. lie wanted
situation-he wanted it badly. and he
soon closed bargain with the proprir-
tor of the Farmers Friend ana t9fls
gators, Champion. The proprietor in
tended TO be absent for two weeks. and
Dyke undertook 10 hold the Journals
head steadily up stream until his r.
turn.
:" You will receive some visitors. quite
likely, said the proprietor. Enter
tam en-. Entertain en- in manner
which will reflect credit upon the paper.
They will want to talk stock. farming.
horticulture. etc, You know. Give i,
TO EN- strong"
Dyke bowed, borrowed a half-dollar
got clean shave and glass OF beer.
and soon returned TO face the music and
edit the first agricultural journal with
which he had ever been connected.
: | can feel that, with my Journalistic
experience, it will be Just fun 10 nun
an agricultural paper" said Dyke to
himself.
AT two o'clock p M the first visitor
showed up al the door of the office and
Dyke cordially invited him inside. The
farmer entered hesitatingly and re-
marked that he had expected 10 meet
the proprietor, with whom he had an
appointment to discuss ensilagc.
= | am in charge of the journal" said
Dyke.
80, You are. Well, You seem TO have
a pretty clean Office here
Yes" replied Dyke but about
this cnsilage. Ensilage is pretty good
breed, isn't it?n
" Breed.n exclaimed the farmer,
why
" | mean its sure crop; something
that You can rely"
.'Crop! Why it isn't crop at ALL"
Eyes, yes, | know it isn't crop"
said Dyke, perspiring until his collar
began to melt away down the back Of
his neck, ''but you can do better and
cleaner work with good sharp cnsilager
on stubby ground than"
"Take it for sulky pillow, do youp''
"No, no." said Dyke. you don't
seem to understand me. Now, if ~
farmer builds an cnsilagc on low
ground"
Builds an ensilage! You seem tn
have got the thing mixed up with somo
kind of granary.
must make myself palmer. You see.
this ensilage properly mixed with one
part guano and three parts of hypophos-
phate of anthony, with the addition of
a little bran and tan-bark, and the
whole favored with chloride of lime,
makes top-dressing for strawberry
beds which"
"Why, ensilage isn't no manure"
"No, certainly not" said Dyke. Il
know il is not often used in that way
You don catch my drift When said
top-dressing ! meant turkey dressing
stufling, you know for Thanksgiy
ing"
Great heavens, man! Ensilage isn't
a human food!'
mo, not a human food exactly
said poor Dyke, grinning like an aims
house idiot, lit isn't a food at all, in the
true sense of the word. My plan has
always been 10 lasso the hog with
trace chain and after pinning his ears
back with clothes pin, put the ensi-
lage into his nose with a pair Of twees
ers.
'My good lands! You don't use en-
silage to ring hogs
Il never believed that it should be
used for that purpose, but when you
want TO ring hens, or young calves TO
keep them from sucking
The farmer gravely shook his head
Ibid you ever try ensilage on the
hired girl said Dyke, desperately.
and winking like bat at 1:3O a. m.
The farmer slowly arose, and with
his legs.
young man." he said, solcmnly,
you are y long ways from home, amt
you?'
Yes replied Dyke, dropping his
eyes beneath the stern glances Of the
farmer. lin my ancestral halls in
sad-eyed retaincrs YEARLY
watch and wait for my return
$50 home, young man, 90 home TO
your feudal castle, and while on your
way across the rolling deep. muse on
the fact that ensilage is simply canned
food for live stock-put up expressly
for family use in a silo, which is moth
ing less than an air-tight pit where corn
stalks, grass, millet, clover, alfalfa and
other green truck is preserved for win
ter use, as green and verdant as the
sub-editor of the Farmers Friend ana
= -
And Dyke Fortescue sighed as he re-
marked to himself: There amt SO
blamed much fun in running an agri-
cultural paper as ! thought. '-Teras