davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1889-04-27

The proprietor Of . pool-room re
marked. as he glanced over hundred
or two men who were scattered about
his place: 1T is q mysterious thing to
me where the fascination Of the game
of pool comes in. There are men here
tonight who have been coming here
steadily every evening in the week. ex-
cept Sundays. for eight or ten years
Some of them are old. some middle
aged and some young men. They arrive
with the regularity Of fate immediate
ly after dinner. usually smoking .
big cigar. pull on their coats, and 20
to work in a leisurely manner TO play
pool. or course. they are good play
crs. They must be. after 90 much
practice. They poke the balls for .
hour or two. drink three or four
glasses Of beer. light another cigar.
and toddle of home perfectly content
ed and thoroughly satisfied with their
evenings amusement am easily en-
tertained, but it would take more than
that sort Of thing to keep me going
night after night as the years 60 by.
These men. however, seem not to know
such q sensation Is boredom. Pool to
them is an exciting pastime forever. I"
Chicago Journal.
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1889-04-27
Garden on the Farm.

To open the subject We may say:
First, the garden should be near the
dwelling. SO that the family can have
easy access to it; should have a south
or q. southeastern exposure; and t.,at
the soil be light loan and naturally
well drained. The location being a
starting and important point. tho
other two reouisit g OF soil and drain-
age. il not right by natural conditions.
must be made 90 by artificial means.
such as undertaking. il too wet. III l
the application OF woods mold or
sand. If too stiff. No trouble in cult
ure or production will follow after a
proper soil Is obtained. Second. the
shape of the garden-plat should
be a parallelOgram. with sides
three times longer than the ends; a
roadway through the center length
wise will be useful in hauling in and
dumping manure on either side for
convenient spreading; the plantin:
and cultivation in long rows parallel
to the roadway may be done by light
one-horsc plows and other implements
About one third Of the ground at ons
end may be devoted to grapes and
small fruits. and when these need cul
ture it may be given by planting bo
tween tho rows light crop. such as
bush-beans or peas. Irish potatoes
between the spaces. with their culture
and manuring. would be beneficial tc
the vines and shrubs Third. q neat
and substantial inclOsure will be in
dispensable. Southern Planter.
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1889-04-27
NUTRITIOUS FRUITS.

The Banana and RI IN ain staple Articles
Of Diet In the SrOucs.
The banana is much softer and more
delicately favored than the plantain.
The fruit when ripe contains seventy
four per cent Of water; Of the twenty
six remaining parts. twenty are sugar
and two gluten or Aesh-f0rming sub
stance. Like rice, it is not by itself .
perfect food. but requiring the addition
of some more heterogeneous material as
pulse or lean meat. When dried and
converted into meal, 1t Is less
nutritious than the meal OF the
grain mentioned. In tropical coun-
tries it Is. nevertheless. most val
liable food. and is SO extensively con-
sumed as to take the place OF cereal
grains rs the ordinary articles OF diet.
About six and half pounds Of the
fruit. or two pounds Of the dry meal
with one-qrarter pound Of salt meat or
Ash. form in tropical America the
daily allowance for the laborer. The
pulp Of the plantain Is squeezed
through . fine sieve and form d into
loaves which. when dried. will keep q
long time. The unripe fruit oft,n be
comes the staff Of life; II is dried In the
oven and il eaten in this State. and will
keep such y length Of time that natives
carry 1t with them when proceed
ing on journeys While unripe
the fruit IL filed with starch.
and when dried has . resem-
blar ce to bread both in taste and CON-
position. The loaves made by the
ripened pulp are saccharine and not
farinaceOus. There are many in
stances of men suhsisting entirely upon
bananas. who have been deserterl
from ships in tropical climes- Mr..
Stanley, In his book Across the DARK
Continent" frequently mentions ba'
nanas as one Of the principal articles o.
food for his party. and IS one Of the
most important crops Of The natives
He states that villages aud banans
fields were always found together.
Also. that in tho dwarf lands banana,
as long rs his arm and p'antains q
long as the dwarfs Gust ono yard,
were sufficient food ios . nan ooo day
-A@aDtcn.AnssSst
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1889-04-27
HERE AND THERE.

Haul out your manure now and ges
ii out of the way before spring. BY 50
doing the manure will be in better con.
ditiOn for the crops
When the spring rains come de-
not allow any Of the water to flow int"
the we'll. Grade up around the we'll 50
rs to turn the surface water of.
Salt is said to be an excellent
fertilizer in peach orchards. A better
fertilizer would be twenty parts wood
ashes to one Of salt. applied broadcast
One of the most important items OF
poultry management is to keep the
drinking vessels clean. In order to dc.
this it will be necessary to wash Out
clean every day or two.
O-Thousands of dollars worth OF grain
is destroyed annually by mice. rats and
other vcrmin. that may be saved by
using half-inch wire netting under tho
floors Of stables and barns.
Moist. damp soil. IL sometimes tho
most valuable. Celery. and in somo
sections onions. do best on such coils
II the soil is sandy strawberries viii;
thrive better on damp soils that are not
too wet f at'r
The properly-fattened animals
marketed the moment they reach the
points where further feeding would
entail loss. are always profitable To
the feeder. But 1t takes q good judge
to know when this point Is reached.
The Matching of the tent caterpil.
ler can. to a great measure. be pre-.
vented by going through the orchari
and picking OF the clusters Of eggs
that can be found upon the limbs.
During the winters is good time t"
do this while the foliage is of. as they
can be seen more readily. q.
Paint is IN important substance on
the farm. 1t preserves the buildings
aud adds to their appearance. Farm
ers who neglect to use paint are not
economical. It adds much to tho
value Of everything on the farm. stops
holes and cracks and saves its cost In
o single season.
In selecting turkeys for breeding
have either the hens or the gObblers
two Years old. Il il not best with this
variet, Of fowls to breed from all
young stock. II the hens are young
have a two-year-old gobbler. A little
pains taken on these points will result
in . better class Of foV.
Eggs used for setting should al
ways be clear. II covered with filth or
dirt Of any kind the probabilities OF
their Matching are largely decreased.
While il IL not desirable TO handle any
more than 10 strictly necessary. At the
same time IL viii b better TO wash on
clean than 70 set them dirty.
Several dairymen Who have been
successful n feeding ensilage 70 their
COWS do not recommend the use Of any
variety of corn for the silO which will
not fairly ripeu . crop Of cars before
cutting. Corn thus matured furnishes
in part the grain rat;oo ceedA viii
- sveHgS sn&0A =
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1889-04-27
ruE rEMoR.s REVENGE.


Qo Breeds Over the Encore and Decsoss
Go Try lt Hi.use1G.
He vas . tenor singer noted Tor tno
sweetness of his voice. and consequent
" a favorite with the public. This was
gratifying to him. but encOres grew
tiresOme after time. and he began to
consider it unfair that he should be
compelled to perform double work every
night that he sang. He thought these
things over until he waxed wrOth.
One day. while promenading tho
principal street Of the city where he
was singing. he thought he would do
little encoring himself and see how it
would work. He stepped into hat
store. found the proprietor. whom he
recognized rs a patron Of tho opera,
and aske d the price of a silk hat
''Seven dollars" was the reply.
The tenor selected one and paid for
it. and then he shouted. '.Eocorer
.'What do you mean'" asked tho
proprietor. in amazement
Repeat the hat" said the tenor.
Certainly. sir" said the proprietor.
handing down another. and exact
duplicate.
The man with a voice picked them
both up and started for the door.
Hold on there cried the batter.
'you haven't paid for that other hat"
II got it on an encore" explained
the tenor. .-~v
IAN encore?"
Yes. it's an encore hat paid for
one and then l called for an encore
and got it That's all right"
But we don't do business that way"
"You obli8e US to. though"
Explain"
tires volontiers You were at tho
opera last night. wero you uotF'
"Yes. I was ther.; but don't see
what that has to do with your getting
q hat for nothing"
Listen. You paid to hear the opera
sung?"
Certainly ! did. I'm no deadhead
S'pose we call the two hats"
''Don't call them yet You didn't
pay to hear that opera sung twice. did
you?"
= aw absurd! Certainly not What
do y3U Say to $12 for the two"
"Say nothing until get through. /
am the tenor of that opera tro, pc.
Nearly every aria that I sang l was
required to repeat. and II am not
mistaken you yelled encore 10 der
! than anv one e,ss. MetaDhOrica lv
speaking. you were getting two hats
and this caps the climax-f0r the price
of one; see?''
The halter did sec. and he wanted 70
make the singer present Of q hat to
set the matter even. but he declined It
bowed and pursued the even tenor o.
his way.-Texas Siftings
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1889-04-27
WHiMS ABOUT BABIES.

saperstltisps Thlcksy Hedge About the
lnaocent Little Thing.
Among Vosges peasants children
born ut new moon have their tongues
better hung than Othe.s. while those
ut the last quarter have less tongue.
but reason better. A daughter born
during the waxen moon il always pre-
cociOua
A pair of tongs or knife put in tho
cradle will satisfy the Welsh mother -
70 her child's safety. The knife is also
used in parts OF England.
A small bit OF red ribbon Is all tho
Roumanian infant rsquires TO secure il
from harm. while the Esth0nian moth
er attaches bit Of assfetida to tne
child's neck. Garlic. salt bread and
steak are first put in the cradle Of .
newborn child in Holland. A sufficient
preventive for an Irish babe is a belt
made Of women's hair.
In lower Brittany on the birth Of .
child neighbOring women a once take
IL in charge. wash it, crack its joints
and rub its head with oil to ''sOlder its
Uranium bones" Ii is then wrapped
up in u tight bundle and its lips moist
ened with brandy Ito make it a full
Breton" says the Manchester Union.
In modern Greece the mother. before
putting the child in its cradle. turns
three times around befOre the fire
while singing her fav0rite song to ward
away evil spirits.
In Scotland it is also said that to
rock the empty cradle will insure the
coming Of other occupants for it
II you rock she cradle empty
Theu you shall have babies plenty
The Swedish mother puts q book
under the head OF the newborn infant
that it may be quick at reading. and
puts money into the first bath TO
guarantee its possession in the future
The Turks load tie child with anu
lets as soon as it Is horn. and a small
bit Of mud we'll stepped in u jar Of hot
water, prepared by previous charms.
il stuck on the forehead.
In Spain the child's face ID swept
with . pine-tree bough--N. Y. StasI.
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1889-04-27
PROPER VENTILATION.

scientific Notes on the Admlsslon Of Als
to Living ls00m~
Air should be introduced and 70
moved at those parts Of the room
where it would not cause n sensible
draught Air DOWN. against the body
at, or even somewh hat above. the tenn
perature OF the air Cf o room will
cause an inconvenient drau.ht. from
the fact that. as It removes the moist
ure OF the body. it causes evapor .tion
or a sensation OF cold. Air should
never. as u rule. be introduced at or
close to the floor level. The openings
would be liable TO be fOuled with
sweepinys and dirt. The air. unless
very much above the temperature OF
the air OF the room. would produce q
sensation Of cold to the feet 1t may
be regarded rs an axiom In venti ating
and warming that the feet should DO
kept warm and the head be kept cool
The orifices ut which air 10 admitted
should be above the level OF the heads
OF persons occupying the room. The
current Of inllowing air should be di-
rected toward the ceiling. and should
either DO - much subdividcd as possi-
bile by means Of numerous orifices. os
be admitted through conical op soings.
with the smaller openings toward the
outer cir and the larger openings 70.
ward the room. BY which means the
air Of the entering curren: u very
rapidly dispersed. Air admitted neal
the ceiling very soon ceases to exist a,
q distinct current. and will be found al
a very short distance from the inlet Il
have mingled with tho general mas
OF the air. and to have attained tn,
temperature Of the room. partly owini
to the larger mass Of air in the room
with which the innowing current min
giles. partly to the action Of gravity il
cases where the innOwing ar Ia cOlde
than the air in the -vosn-N Gu!son
i2&N&;mrx
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1889-04-27

''What is the worst experience yoa
ever underwent, COl0nel?"
The worst? Well. it occurred years
ago. when l was . young man. Iwas
a sailor then. and the vessel on which
] was working was wrecked. A barrel
half full Of whisky was floating shout
and / clung to it. drifting in the 10y
water for day and . night"
THAT was horrible
Horrible? No name for Il
couldn't keep the darned barrel in one
e'ositton long enough 70 Upeu IT,
!.iuu&ni1ouEua.
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1889-04-27
a FATAL ERRoR


~ very courteous man
vim manners perfect quite:
"o one was ever more urbane.
VI could be moro polite.
40 aeas him nurmur: THANK you. sirr.
was really quite a treat;
aim oow, with Unborn grace,
We happiness complete.
IT theogh . man be most polita.
some time he's sure to slip
EOo grace, and once q cruel fate
Aade even this one trip.
Eor one DAY q sweet girl said Yea"
tnow strange are Cup;d's pranksO
anu toen he lost her. once for all,
0ecause he murmurcd: .'Thanks!s
-Someryille Journal
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1889-04-27
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL.
Bee-keepin&

Bee-keeping is different from all the
other small industries. 1t Is all the
while novel In tho study Of the honey
bee. every day presents some new phase
some new problem for solution. to
entertain and instruct
Tho wide-awake bee-keeper is fully
alive TO the importance OF the work
required in the apiary. As soon
as the bees commence to gather
pollen, the queens are stimulat-
ed to the production OF eggs, and
brood-rearing goes on with vig0r II
the colonies a.e strong. with plenty
of bees and stores. In the elabOra-
tion Of the food for the Larvae, great
quantities OF both honey and pollen
are used up. and unless the colony has
on hand sufficient honey to last till
they can gather from natural sources.
the colony is destined TO perish. What
bloom there is in February yields but
little honey; and most frequently at
this time the weather is too inclement
for the bees to stir.
All colonies should be examined this
month, to see their condition. The
bottom boards Of the hives should be
kept clean; for in the debris OF wax
and dirt there ar0plenty Of eggs Of the
bee-moth to hatch and develop into
destructive Larvae. II you find any
deficient in store they must be fed.
To ten pounds Of granulated sugar add
a gallon and half of water. and as-
i,atc the mixture until all the sngar is
dissolved. Feed pint or quart at a
time. or as much as the bees will take
up. II the weather is cold. the feed
must be placed Immediately over the
cluster. in n feeder that will allow
them to crawl to tho feed without q
loss of heat.
II tho weather is mild and the bees
can d.. it is more convenient to place
1t in feeder that can be attached to
the outside of the hive. and at the
same tirne admit OF the bees crawling
to the feed from the inside. With this
style Of feeder there is no danger of
robbing. and it obviates all necessity
of opening hives. removing covers.
etc.
After you commence to feed. keep it
up until they have stored a sufficient
quantity to last till they can gather
from natural sources. With bees,
poverty freezes the genial currents of
the SOUL" pretty much the same rs it
does with humans. When q colony OF
bees feel themselves rich and above
wan. they work with a vim. breed
rapidly. and generally throw early
swarms. These are the only kind OF
colonies that enrich the bee-keeper and
make his profits. When a colony is too
weak to be built up into . strong one
In time for the honcy-harvest. it had
better be united with some other weak
one.
Provide yourselves with empty hives.
frames. sections and foundations. etc. 4.
before the time you want to use them.
II you ''take time by the forelock. il
may save you bees, and will save your
temper and stop you thinking prOfan-
ity.-Cor. Southern Cultivat0r.
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1889-04-27

A lawyer told me- that he heard ono
Of his learned brethren make q funay
remarx the other day. They were talk
ing about case in which the learned
lawyer was interested, when tn, latter
remarked: Il was talking to COl,a,el
- about that case and ] asked him
a question. and whether he answered
it in candOr or GESTURE I can not say"
And this reminds US OF another learned
lawyer Of the city bar. who had the
ambition 10 shine as law-maker in
the State Senate. He was telling his
fellow-citizens why he was the best
man for the position. Il understand" "
he said. ''that my opponent is = drins-
ing man; that he drinks vinous, maitu-
,us o! spirituous liquors As for me,
I don't drink nary one Of en- "-Bir-
mingham (Ala Age-Herald.
-Teacher-"When does suicide be.
come a crime?' Smart Boy-'When
it becomes confirmed habit" Mon
sense. sir. Why is suicide a crims?"
'spGrsse i injuries The hGihe
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1889-04-27

The dust-bath Is the toilet OF the
hcr. With it she cleans her body and
saasaers, Iade 4nesaN - vegWs1 Aca
St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1889-04-27
Spring Management Of Strawberries:

~ I'D sss.~S~'S's - ~S'
Work on the strawberry bed should
commence before the plants begin to
grow. The sooner the manure is
spread over the plants the quicker will
be its effects after spring sets In. There
are several reasons for giving a good
coating of manure. one being to supply
plant food and the other TO protect the
vines. II this is done early no damage
will be caused to the plants, but II it
Is delayed until the plants begin to
grow it is often the case that where
the manure is very concentrated. such
rs The droppings from poultry. the
plants will be killed.
A mulch or covering should consist
OF manure, rs it will be a saving of
labor. and the plants will get the bene-
fit of tie matter dissolved by the rains.
The covering is not intended to keep
the plants warm. as that is impossible.
but to prevent the ground from warm
ing too early or too suddenly. 1t is
Just US i'm .,Ortant to mulch In those
sections where the climate is mild as
it is to do so where the winters are
severe. owing to the alternate freezing
and thawins Of the ground. II the
ground is frozen it can be partially
kept in that condition by the mulch.
which prevents the plants from being
thrown up out of tho coil. and also
from beginning growth too early in tho
season. In this section the winter is
seldom very cold previous to January.
and the necessity for mulch is great
e- in a mild winter than ut any other
time. owing to the liability OF the
plants to begin to grow too early.
Except in the middle OF the row the
strawberry bed needs no cultivation
unless the plants are grown In single
stools. but to facilitate picking the crop.
all weeds that may appear should be
pulled out bv hand as soon ~ possible
Every weed that is allowed TO remain
robs the plants and lo0sens the crop
Wood ashes are excellent tor strawber-
ries. but IL commercial fertilizers are
used. high grade sslts Of potash. and
at least two bags Of superphOsphate per
acre. will be the best form. and 1t
should be applied early in the season.
Lrst raiking OF the mulch and break
ins all Jumps Of the manure. 90 Is to
have all the substance - fine as posi-
BILE. II there is liability OF dry wealth :
Or. which is injurious to strawberries.
the use Of chopped salt hay around the
sinsle stool plants will Be OF advant-
aee All fertilizers should b evenly
distributed, aud may b ussl literally.
Ivn;l~A>lnh,a RoC0ed
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-23

them" For this reason they rarely ever OBJ
ject to fishing for them in their private duck
ponds, where they are in fact regarded as a
great nuisance, being very mischievous
among the young ducks and goslings, which
they will snap by the leg and pulling them
under the water paddle to the bottom and
feast at their leisure, chuckling at the
stupidity Of the old goose who no doubt
sails along, her neck arched with pride,
thinking how much better her goslings can
dive than some of her neighbors.
A farmer once told me that he observed
commotion and heard a great quack-
ing among his ducks one day and
upon investigating found large
drake struggling frantically to rise
out Of the water, but was fast being pulled
under when the man plunged in and dragged
the duck ashore, the snapper still holding
on with death grip, and even then refused
to let 60 until beaten off with club. Con-
trasted with the country peoples aversion
TO the turtle, we have the great love of
them as an article of diet by city people and
especially those who make a business of
camping out every summer.
l have visited Camps when they were 50
eager to secure turtle that they would buy
Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-23

chickens from the farmers to bait the lines
with, piece of idiocy the denizens of the
rural districts never will be able to under
stand. One of the most characteristic
qualities about turtle soup is that you do
not tire of it as you will of fish and other
game. The soft shell turtle is not fshed
for now, although they were formerly much
sought after, but the snapper or hard shell
are now considered far superior in flavor.
The turtle, like other alternating reptiles,
crawls down In the mud and sleeps through
the winter, awakening with the croaking of
the frogs in the spring. Their eggs are
round and covered with hard shell and are
laid in hole which they dig in the sand
Matching out in about six weeks.
Their growth is very slow. They are be-
coming scarce in some localities, and if no
law is passed for their protection they will
soon become SO rare as to no longer be
source of cheap food. A restaurateur told
me he had great many in his cellar last
fall, and some of them secreted themselves be-
hind boxes and barrels, and were not missed,
but were found this spring in as good con-
dition as when put in in the fall, they hav-
ing slept the winter through just as serene
ly as though at the bottom of a mill dam.
Snapper fishing cannot be dignifed as sport,
as the pot is always the end in view.
There is an absence of the electrifying
thrill with which game fish are captured. The
turtle is slow, sluggish, pulls in like dull
weight. There is no darting this way and
that, now curving the spine and holding
with his broad side backing water, and
fighting like tartar, as does the black bass.
Snappers are pugnaclous fighters, and this
bull dog quality is made the most of by
some camping parties, or rather those men,