davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-07-04
The Working Horse,

1t is impossible to carry on farm in
these days without the aid of working
horse. And as the size of the farm in
creases so does the working horse,
until he numbers not one but twenty.
The value of the working horse should
be appreciated and his strength should
be spared as much as possible, while in
these hot days he should never be hur-
ried and occasionally allowed periods
of rest and change of work. The most
unreasonable of frequently-recurring
acts is the practice of working horse
up to his highest power of endurance
and rushing him through the hot sun
at high rate of speed, without the
slightest consideration for his feelings,
although the heat is almost beyond
human endurance. Those actuated
only by policy, with the desire to keep
the horse longest in working condition,
will favor the animal as far as possible,
while all actuated by human motives
will endeavor to make the animal as
comfortable as they wish to be them
selves. When these motives-these of
profit and kindness-are realized more
universally, there will be fewer of the
bony, WORKOUT looking creatures and
the life of the working horse will not
be such relentless torture and continu-
GUS misery as it too often is to-day
Exchange.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-07-04
Good Care In Raising Colts.

The gain of two hundred twenty-one
pounds in ninety-two days made by
Harbinger colt owned by John Put
nam, Esq, of Winthrop shows what
good care will do. This gain was for
the three months after weaving, and in
this time the colt grew six and one-half
inches. He was by Harbinger, dam by
Whalebone Knox. A liberal feeding
of milk was what told the story, and no
one can say that it was not valuable
food. 1t is an important lesson to learn
that colts must be kept growing every
day until they reach maturity. There
can be no let-up. The starvation sys-
tenn should be applied to the owner, not
to the stock. The secret of success in
stock-breeding to-day is rapid growth.
BY this we do not mean forced con-
dition. That is unnatural. The young
creature, no matter what kind, should
be fed on good nourishing food that
will make bone and flesh, not fat, pro-
tected from the cold, and so grown
steadily from the first. Maturity is
reached at an early date and the ami
NAL ready for full term of service.
Stunted stock means stunted pocket
books, but somehow the connection be-
tween the two is not recognized. Mr..
Putnam, with good care, comfortable
quarters and little milk added to the
grain ration daily is making growth
that can never be lost.-Mdine Farmer.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-07-04
The Pyrethrum Remedy.

The common squash-bug has proved
very troublesome in various parts of
the state. This insect does not con-
sumo the surface of the leaf, but forces
its tubular mouth-parts down through
the epidermis and draws its food from
the inside of the leaf and is not af-
fected by poisons on the surface. 1t is
necessary, therefore, to use some SUBJ
stance which will affect it otherwise
than through the digestive system, and
for this purpose pyrethrum has been
found excellent. 1t may be used as a
powder and busted on by means of
bellows prepared for that purpose, or
in solution in water, which is most
economical and efficient. The bulk of
the powder is dissolved in the water,
to which it at once imparts its insecti-
eide principle. No stirring is necessary,
but it should be applied in very fine
spray-the finer the more economical
is its use and the greater the chances
of its reaching all the insects. 1t must
be used when first mixed, for if allowed
to stand it gradually loses its power.
Pyrethrum is also an excellent insecti-
eide for the cabbage butterfly, all kinds
of plant lice, flea beetles, thrips on
rose-bushes and grape-vines, and many
other insects, but it is liable to be
adulterated, and one should be very
careful to purchase only that which is
pure. 1t has the great advantage of
being harmless to man and the domestic
animals, and may be used with i'm
punity when Paris green or London
purple would require great caution.
Half an ounce stirred in two gallons of
water was sufficiently strong to kill
ordinary naked caterpillars when
showered on them, but was not strong
enough to kill the most hardy, or such
as are protected by dense hairy cover
ing.-ProfeSSor C. II. Fernald.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-07-04
An Indian Monkey.

One day we were riding through a
noble grove of tall and ancient tama-
rind trees, when our great deerhound
rushed suddenly in on the monkeys
which were sitting about in large family
parties. The scufi1e was frightful, all
making rush to the nearest tree,
shrieking with rage and terror. In the
hurry and confusion some very young
monkeys were left behind and took
refuge in network of roots overhang-
ing bank, and there, with great pains,
our people managed TO catch baby not
a month old, which we tied up in a
handkerchief and carried home. He
formed strong attachment, amounting
to hero-worship, to the deerhound, the
original cause of his captivity. For
long time Leo encouraged him with
nothing more loving than growl, but
the small thing persevered with equal
tact and courage, until the dogs hos
tility was conquered and he quietly
allowed Jocko to sit upon his back.
From that moment the two were great
friends. Jocko was never chained, as it
was quite sufficient to chain Leo. The
monkey then amused himself all day by
playing gymnastics among the tent
ropes or in the trees, except when he
saw stranger approaching. Then his
sole idea of safety was to scramble
down and take refuge on Leo's back.
He made all the marches on Leo's back,
and the perils he underwent were many
and varied. Once we were passing a
field of tall "arhar," when Leo spied
fox therein, and doggishly unmindful
of his friends feelings, dashed into the
tangled depths, where the branches
quickly swept poor Jocko from his seat.
In vain we called him. He would do
nothing but run like a crazy thing
among the arhar stems, standing up at
intervals on tiptoe, peering with anx-
ious, wrinkled face into the forest of
stems and uttering shrill, plaintive
cries. He would not be comfOrted nor
would he leave the field until Leo re-
turned. On another occasion two
pariah dogs set upon the deerhound,
and wild confusion reigned as the three
dogs fought and struggled, and some
times one was uppermost, sometimes
another, while, through the cloud of
dust Jocko could be seen dancing
piteously round the combatants and
gripping convulsively the hind legs of
all in turn, while he rent the air with
shrieks. If we were going out cours-
ing or shooting Jocko had to be tied
up until we were far out of sight. On
being released he would Immediately
climb up palm-tree, and from thence
sorrowfully and wistfully scan the
country for hours to catch the first sight
of his dear friends return. A faithful
and affectionate heart was enshrined in
that wee, weird body, and Jocko was
every ones friend. Once, when our
small daughter was in disgrace for hav-
ing insisted ON kicking the cat, j ocko was
so touched by her distress that he went
to comfort her, and, regardless of all
rebuffs, curled himself lovingly round
her neck and let her sob over him.
There we found him, his pitiful little
face peeping out from her curly hair
and his fur believed with tears
Hdrper'S Young People.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-07-04
A Cheap Country Paint.

A method of painting farm buildings
and country houses, while by no means
new, is yet so little known and so de-
serving of wider application as to war;
rant description. The paint has but
two parts, both cheap materials, being
water-lime, or hydraulic cement, and
skinned milk. The cement is placed
in bucket, and the skim-milk, sweet,
is gradually added, stirring constantly,
until just about the consistency of good
cream. The stirring must be thoroughly
done to have an even flow, and if too
thin the mixture will run on the build
ing and look streaked. The proper
tons can not be exactly stated, but a
gallon of milk requires full quart Of
cement and sometimes a little more.
This is convenient quantity to mix at
a time for one person to use. If too
much is prepared the cement will set
tie and harden before all is used. A
fiat paint-brush about four inches wide
is the best implement to use with this
mixture. Lay it on exactly as with oil
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-07-04

paint. 1t can be applied to woodwork,
old or new, and to brick and stone.
When dry the color is light, creamy
brown, or what some would call yell
lowish stone color. Neither express
sion describes it well, but it is a very
good color for country building. A
pigment like ochre may be added to
change the color, but it is very difficult
to do the mixing so thoroughly as to
give an even tint. If attempted the
cement and coloring matter, in carefully
weighed proportions, should be first
run through paint-mill. This skim
milk paint, well mixed, without added
color, has good body, gives smooth,
satisfactory finish on either wood or
stone and wears admirably. A friend of
mine used this paint for set of farm
buildings which have since passed
through three winters and are now look
ing fresh and well. One building was
new and the covering boards imperfectly
seasoned; others had been whitewashed,
some repeatedly for more than half cen
fury. All appear equally well. The older
buildings were prepared by scraping
off the loose and scaly whitewash, the
scraper being curry-comb. 1t was not
much work to do this. The expense of
this piece of painting was surprisingly
slight. A laborer at $3.50 day did the
work, and he covered two-story,
twelve-room house in six working days.
He laid on from three to four gallons a
day, the whole quantity used on this
building being less than bushel of &C.
ment, costing fifty cents, and twenty
two gallons of skim-milk, worth less
than dollar on the farm. The whole
cost of satisfactorily painting a good
sized house, brush included, was below
S12. This painting mixture, so easily
and cheaply prepared, was described in
recipe books years ago, but a knowl-
edge of it was revived by General lie
Due while he was United States COM
missioner of agriculture. He mentioned
an instance of country house within
his personal knowledge the body of
which was covered with skim-milk
and cement and the trimmings with
lead and oil paint forty-five years be-
fore he described it. During this pc
riod the trimming paint had been re-
newed several times, but the cheap
body color remained well preserved
Professor AFFORD, in american Guilt
l0tOr
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-07-04

THE average farmer makes too law
ish use of arsenical poisons for killing
insects. Paris green or London purple
in excessive quantities are unnecessary,
expensive and injurious to the plants.
Again, they are often dangerous to
poultry, stock, or even to the operator
himself. According to Professor Bar
rows, who first diluted Paris green
with fifty, then with 100, next with $50
and finally with 200 parts by weight of
plaster, always finding the mixture eff
cacious in the destruction of insects, he
was finally surprised to find that the
subsequent season one pound of Lon
don purple thoroughly mixed with
barrel of plaster was sufficiently strong
to do the work.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-07-04

force-pump and spray nozzle. An
emulsion may be made with soap in
stead of milk by dissolving four pounds
of common bar-soap in one gallon of
hot water, adding gallon of Kerosene
gradually while still boiling and churn-
ing it with the force-pump as before.
A gelatinous compound is formed,
which is very stable and will keep a
long time if protected from the air. 1t
can then be reduced by mixing with
water in any proportion, but great care
must be used in making the emulsion
to obtain complete union, otherwise
the oil will injure the foliage of the
plants. -Erchange.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-07-04
EInuIsiOns.

A very valuable insecticide is the
kerosene oil emulsion, made of two
parts of kerosene and one part of milk,
either sweet or sour, but sour is prefer
able. Mix these in pail or tub by
continually pumping with force-pump
through the spray nozzle back into the
pail. In short time the liquids unite
and form creamy emulsion, and finally
white and glistening butter. When
this mixture is required for use take a
sufficient quantity, thin it by adding
some water, and when it is thoroughly
mixed add as much water as is neces-
sary to dilute it to the required amount
For plant lice pint of the butter to a
gallon and a half of water is fair pro-
portion. 1t should be applied with a
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-07-04
Hereditary UnsOundness.

The temptation is great in these
times, when good horses command
ready sales at paying prices, to raise
colts from unsound horses, frequently
from mares that are so disabled as to
be entirely unfit for work. The owners
of such animals always hope to obtain
good stock Frequently a mare has
many good qualities, and aside from
some such defect as the heaves or a
SPAWN is superior animal. In such
cases the owner of the mare is apt to
act on the supposition that she will
transmit to her offspring only her de-
sirable qualities, forgetting that the
general law of life-that like begets
like-applies to the defects as well as to
the desirable qualities of the dams.
When SPAWN on mare is due to a
natural weakness the probabilities are
that her colt will show something of
the same weakness, although with care
full handling they may develop SPAWN.
Generally speaking spavins, curbs,
ringbone, sprung knees, heaves and
blindness are defects that should lead to
the rejection of mare for breeding pur-
poses, but if such mares are ever bred
particular care should be taken to cross
them with horses that are particularly
strong in the part where the mare is
weak. There are doubtless many I'M
sound mares that will prove to be valu-
able breeders, their unsoundness being
due in some instances to mechanical
injury and not a natural weakness, but
the general rule holds true, neverthe-
less, that to raise sound colts we must
have sound mares.-F. L. Russell, Y. S.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-07-04
Babies of the AntipOdes.

One day when travelling through
China on my bicycle tour around the
world l came upon very novel and
interesting sight. 1t is the first thing
of the kind | ever saw or heard about.
Ny overland journey led me through
many out-of-the-way districts where
the people are primitive and curious in
many respects. In one of these OBJ
scure communities in the foothills of the
MacLing Mountains l saw about twenty
Chinese infants tethered to stakes on
patch of greensward, like so many goats
or pet lambs. The length of each
baby's tether was about ten feet and
the bamboo stakes were set far enough
apart so that the babies wouldn't get
tangled up. Each baby had sort of
girdle or kammarbund around its waist,
and the end of the tether string was
tied to the back of this. Some of the
little Celestials were crawling about on
all-fours; others were taking their first
lesson in the feat of standing upright
by steadying themselves against the
stakes they were tied to. What queer
little Chinese mortals they all looked,
to be sure, picketed out on the grass
land like a lot of young calves whose
mothers were away for the day! In
this respect they did, indeed, resemble
young calves, for l could see their
mothers at work in a rice-feld few
hundred yards away. All the babies
seemed quiet contented with their
treatment. l stood and looked at them
for several minutes for pure amuse-
ment at their unique position; but
although they regarded me with wide
per from any of them. Nobody was
paying the slightest attention to them,
and from appearances l should con-
clude that they were most likely picketed
out in this manner every fine day while
their mothers worked in the neighbour
ing fields. Very probably these Chinese
babies soon come to regard their daily
outing at the stakes as great privi-
lege. - Bdbyhood.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-07-04
Use the CultiyatOr.

How the weeds growl The wet
weather and the heat make the most ia
vorable condition for their termination
and growth, and ceaseless vigilance is
a necessity if one would keep them
down and not allow them to rob the
crop. Do not be afraid of using the
cultivator, for the old saying, " it stops
corn week every time it is hoed," we
take no stock in. Weeds are easiest
killed when they are small. If they are
left till it nearly roots up the crop to
kill them the crop would be quite likely
to be injured, but if one can find time
the cultivator might be run through
corn twice week to advantage till the
corn is so large as to be in danger of
breaking down, and especially would
this be true on light, dry soils. On
level land the smoothing-harrow may
be used to great advantage while the
corn is small, but not on a side-hill.
The good cultivator, horseshoe, is the
farmers friend and ally in hoeing twice,
and it won't do to slight it when the
season is so crowded with work and
haying right at hand. The backward
spring has brought on everything to be
done in less than its usual time and
no ten-hours-a-day business will do this
war
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-07-04

J. ABBOT, Jr. of Philadelphia, Penn.
sends to the Country Gentleman the re-
suits of the analysis of milk in his lab
oratory for the year1 1887. Twelve Jersey
herds average 14.75 per cent of solids.
The highest herd averaged 1881 per
cent. Three Guernsey herds averaged
1859 per cent. Herds of grade Guern-
seys and Jerseys averaged 1875 per
cent. Seven herds of general breeding
for part of the year analysed 1882
per cent and five herds for the entire
year 1896 per cent. The highest herd
analysis was 17.12; the lowest 1854.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-07-04
Value Of a Visit.
year.

l have many times recommended cor
respondents who have asked advice to
take trip among successful farmers,
for many times one can learn more in
an hour with the eyes than by days of
reading. A reader of the Farmer in
Vermont who is making good butter,
but wanted to improve il if possible,
after attending his state dairymen's
the dairymen he had read of. He called
on me for long discussion on dairy
matters and then visited several others,
spending considerable time getting
what information he could from Boston
dealers. On his return home he wrote
the following letter: 81 had many
pleasant thoughts about my call at your
house, and wish to thank you for your
kindness and for the valuable nforma-
ton received while there; also for the
pamphlets and interesting back num-
bers of the Farmer sent me after my
return. They are full of sound in
struction and / consider single paper
is worth the price of subscription for
the year. have enjoyed reading them
so much l will hand them to my neigh
bors to read. / am encouraged about
doing something up here in northern
Vermont in the agricultural line-to
feed my COWS better, also to make my
soil produce three times as much as at
present. When we read what you have
done in Massachusetts it stimulates us
to try to do likewise. After leaving
your house l went to see some butter
makers in your state and had very pleas
loar no
their milk for gathering cream and how
they churn and fix their butter that sells
at highest fancy prices. l saw their
cows and the way they feed; also
their horses, sheep, hogs, etc. l saw
their Guernsey and Jersey cows. Then
l went to New Hampshire, to Mr..
Hazen's creamery at Whitefield, and
learned how they ripen their cream and
churn, wash and salt their butter. The
trip was worth 800 to me, though if |
had not attended the dairymen's meet
ing at Montpelier l should have been
plodding along in the old ruts as years
before. learned then that something
was the matter with our butter, and you
helped me to find it out. l think you
will find better flavor in our butter
next time you test it. l am now feed
ing more corn-meal than usual; also
selling my Short-horn cows and milking
all Jerseys, which improves the butter
materially. / went to learn how to
farm it better and did learn something,
and now am reducing it to practice as
fast as / can."-A. w. Cheerer, IN Ne,0
England Farmer.
MoRAL.-Attend the dairymen's and
other farmers meetings-it will do
you good every time-and write your
experiences to the WATCHMAN.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-07-04
agricultural.
An Agricultural Plant.

Oh, let me drink from the moss-grown pump
That was hewn from the pumpkin tree,
Eat mush and milk from rural stump,
From form and fashion free;
ewgathered mush from the mushroom vine,
And milk from the milk.weed sweet,
With luscious pineapple from the pine
Such food as the gods might eatl
And then to the whitewashed dairy I'll turn,
Where the dary-mad Fastening hles,
Her rudy and golden-red butter to churn
From the milk of her butterflies;
And I'll rise at morn with the early bird,
To the fragrant farm-yard pass,
When the farmer turns his beautiful herd
OF grasshoppers out to grass.
IS. W. FosS, in Tid-Bus.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-07-04

AT coin sale in New York the other
day a cent of 1893, known as the Lib
erty Cap" and very rare, brought
SS25S, perfect specimen of the year
1904, SOS and one of 1896, $50. A half
cent of 1896 went for SOL, Quarter
dollars of 1853, with rays about the
eagle on the diverse, are reported in a
contemporary to be worth 81.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-07-04
fer tbs CHILDREN.
Three's Company.

Two's company, we used to say,
Before the baby came;
But now that he has come, you know,
Things hardly seem the same.
And as hold him in my arms
And hear him softly COO,
wonder how we e'er could he
quite satisfied with two.
For since his coming brought such Joy
II surely seems to me
Though two is called good company,
Still better far is three. -BaJDhood.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-07-04

jill. JACKSON of Croton, n. Y,
writes that WIsTAR's BALsAM OF WILD
CHERRY cured his wife of lung diff
Guilty, with splitting of blood, after she
had been under a physicians care for
more than year and used many reme-
dies without avail.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-07-04

MoRAL.-Attend the dairymen's and
other farmers meetings-it will do
you good every time-and write your
experiences to the WATCHMAN.
San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-07-02

GEN. HOOKER, of Mississippi, is pre-
pairing bill to present to congress
which provides:
"That the fifty-first congress shall
begin its session on the 4th of March,
adjourn the LIST of June and reassem-
BILE on the first. Monday in October"
Gen. Hooker says, this will do away
with the short session, and the con-
gress, instead of remaining idle nine
months, will begin to legislate at
once, and when the president takes
his seat congress will be ready to re-
ceive his message. 1 am inclined to
think this hot weather will have the
effect of securing favorable considera-
ton of the BILL"
The change would be good one,
and if it can be effected by act of con-
gress will likely occur. Objections
heretofore have been that it has been
brought forward as a constitutional
amendment to be ratified by the state
legislatures.