Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1885-03-25
SPRING BARLEY.

STAUNroN, March 2lst, 1885.
The attention of our farmers is called to
Spring barley. 1t should be sowed as soon as
there is sufficient warmth in the ground to
cause it TO terminate in five or six days. The
land should be good, strong land, in good
and half to two bushels to the acre sowed-
cost of seed about 80 cents to 81 per bushel this
Spring-product ranging from 30 to so bushels
price generally about that of rye-rather less
than wheat and better than corn. The straw
decidedly better than wheat or oat straw for
stock This crop has been tried by some of our
Rockingham farmers with success. Those
wishing to try it have no time to lose. A few
bushels OF seed can be gotten from S. Fl. Moi.
do not have it, CHAS. GRATTAN.
We give place with pleasure to Capt. Graf
tan's communication. He does what many
others engaged in farminy should dog We
the benefit of their observations and expert
ence through the columns of the SPECTATOR,
which are always open to them. At February
and our recent March court we conversed with
many farmers in regard to q general desire to
produce Spring cereal crop, which will, in a
measure, make up the anticipated failure of
wheat, and barley is generally preferred to
Spring wheat and oats, though few will try
wheat. In February, our enterprising grain
and seed merchants, Messrs. Jas. H. tlackl ley
& Son, brought from the West a full stock OF
barley seed. which they arc advertising In the
SPECTATOR ana which is going off freely to
farmers in Augusta and in adjoining counties
Capt. Graltan refers to the order of land requi
site to successful cultivation. 1t is useless to
SOW it on poor or badly prepared soil.
SUICIDE IN HIGHLAND COUNTY OF Mr..
POLK GUM.-On Wednesday last, Mr.. Polk
Gum, about miles North of Monterey, High
land county, deliberately committed suicide
h;
which he discharged by tying his shoe string
to the hair trigger and then passing it around
the other and fastening it TO switch which he
pulled. The ball entered just above the left
eye and came out on the back part OF his head,
on the right side, near the crown.
Coroner Wilson decided that an inquest was
unnecessary, and ordered the body TO be given
to his friends for burial which took place on
Friday.
The Recorder says
"Mr. Gum was good citizen and was respect
ed by the community In which he lived, and
no one suspected that he contemplated taking
his life into his own hands. His family rela-
tiens are said TO have been very pleasant and
that he was not involved financially. He had
been in poor health for some weeks, and it is
supposed that his bodily weakness brought on
mental alteration. Wednesday was the first
day he had been out of the house for some
time. On the morning of that day he left with
his gun to go hunting "for partridges,' and re-
turned about noon. After dinner he cleaned
his rifle and put load in it, remarking as he
did so that he DID NOT WANT ANY FAILURE
about that load. This remark caused his wife
to entertain suspicion as to his sincerity about
hunting and she begged him to stay at home.
Even after he had started she called to him to
come back. and seeing his determination 10 go,
followed with two children. Perceiving that
he was being followed. he FASTENED on, and
getting out of sight at the distance of ha
mile he dOdgef into the wood, went to the top
of an elevation about so yards from the road,
and a few minutes afterwards the report of his
rifle was heard by his wife and children, with
the result as above stated.
Mr.. Gum was about Al years of age and leaves
wife and five CHILDREN, the eldest about IA
years old, who have the sympathy of the en-
tire community in their truly sad aff1iction."