Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-04-09
AS AN AGRICULTURIsT.
The Gentle william Tilicth the Soil and
Telleth of His Strange and Exciting
ss.zIs. riences,

considerably interested in agriculture
I met with some success, but not enough
to madden me with joy. 1t takes a
GOOD deal of success to unscrew my
reason and make it tottcr on its throne.
I've had trouble with my liver, and
various other abnormal conditions OF
the vital organs, but old reason sits on
his or her throne, as the case may be,
through it all.
Agriculture has a charm about 1t
which can not adequately describe.
Every product of the farm is furnished
by nature with something that loves it,
so that il will never be neglected. The
grain crop is loved by the weeyil, the
Hessian hy, and the chinch-bug; the
watermelon, the squash, and the Gu
cumber are loved by the squash-bug;
the potato is loved by the potato-bugi
the sweet-corn is loved by the ant thou
sluggard; the tomato is loved by the
cut-worm; the plum is loved by the
curcullio, and so forth, and so forth, so
that no plant that grows need be a wall
flower. early blooming and extreme
" dwarf Joke for the table. Plant as
soon as there is no danger OF frosts in
drills four inches apart, When ripe,
pull it, and cat raw with vinegar. The
red ants may be added to taste.)
Well. l began early to spade up my
angle-worms and other pets TO see if
they hal withstood the severe winter.
/ found they had. They were unusual
ly bright and cheerful. The potato
bugs were little sluggish at first, but
as the spring opened and the ground
warmed up they pitched right III and
did frst-rate. Every one Of my bugs
in May looked spleudidiy. was most
worried about my cut-worms. Away
along in April | had not seen cut
worn', and I began to fear they had
suffered and perhaps persisted in the eX-
tremc cold Of the previous winter
One morning late in the month, how
ever, saw a cut-worm come out from
behind cabbage stump and take OIL
his ear-mulf He was a little stiH in
the joints, but he had not lost hope. l
saw at once now was the time to assist
him ii had q spark of humanity left. |
searched every work could find on
agriculture TO find out what it was that
farmers fed their blamed cut-worms,
but all scientists seemed TO be silent.
/ read the agricultural reports, the die
tioaary, and the encyclopedia, but they
didn throw any light on the subject.
I got wild. / feared that had brought
but one cut-worm through the winter,
and I was liable TO lose him unless
could find ont what to feed him.
asked some OF my neighbors, but they
spoke joeriugly and sarcastcally.
know now how il was. All their cut
worms had frozen down last winter,
and they couldn't bear'to see me get
ahead
an at once au idea struck me, ]
haven't recovered from the conclusion
vet. II was this: The worm had win
tered under cabbage stalk; no doubt
hc was fond OF the beverage. acted
upon this thought and bought him two
dozen red cabbage plants, at 30 cents q
dozen. ! had hit il the first pop. H'
was ppssionatoly fond of these plants
and Would eat three in one night, lie
also had several maunces and saucr
kraut lawn festivals forhi friends; and
i'm u week bought three dozen more
cabbage plants. BY this time | had
collected large group OF common
scrub cut-worms. early Swedish cut
worms dwarf Hubbard cut-Worms, and
shorthOrn cut-worms, all doing well,
but still thought a little hide-bound
and bilious. They acted languid and
IstlcSs As my squash-bugs, currant-
worms, potato-bugs, etc, were all do
ing well without care, | devoted myself