davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-03-09
A Word About Celery.

William Falconer, in the Garden, gives
very interesting practical note respect
ing celery. Mr.. Grant, Of Mamaroneck,
n. Y, grows celery in the good old En-
glish way, two rows to the ridge Late in
the fall he banks them up high, and on
the tops of the ridges lays A shaped
board cap to throw off rain and snow water,
and over all thick mulching of salt hay.
In digging out celery he brings in a
months supply at time and stores in a
frost-proof shed. Celery kept in the ridges
in this way is never apt to damp or rot off
in winter, as is often the case with celery
that has been lifted and stored in trenches.
But, then, while we can get along very
well with this method in moderate way,
it would be impracticable on large scale.
Mr.. Grant is emphatic in praise of Major
Ctark's pink celery, and declares that it
surpasses in quality any other variety he
grows. Mr.. Falconer, too, bears testimony
to its excellence, for he has grown it for
years; indeed excellence of quality is pecu-
liar to all our red varieties of celery. But
many people object to the pink tinge in
the leaf celery on the table, and to the
dark color of pink celery when it is
cooked. Appearance goes a long way in
vegetables, as well as in fruit; indeed, the
finest appearing of all celeries-the self
blanching ones-are, Mr.. F. thinks, the
poorest in quality.
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-03-09
Saltmaking in England.

The quantity of brine used annually has
been estimated at 9,000,000,00O tons,
which will yield allowance being made
for waste) 100000 tons of white salt. A
gallon Of fully saturated brine contains 2
pounds ounces, sometimes > pounds 10
ounces, of salt. The general average of
seawater does not exceed to 81 per cent.
The manufacture of white or table salt,
and practically commercial salt of every
description, is effected by evaporation in
shallow pans, either over coal fire or by
the utilization of waste steam from engine
boilers. The heat applied varies accord
ing to the quality of salt which it Is de-
sired to produce. Domestic salt of the
finest grades requires for its manufacture
temperature of 226o F-the boiling point
for brine. As the liquid evaporates the
solid particles sink to the bottom of the
pan, forming in the aggregate the Jumps
with which every housewife is SO familiar.
For commonor salt the temperature is 1902
to 170o f. This salt is so close in texture
and clustered together in large or smaller
pyramids, according to the heat applied.
For large-grained faky salt the tempera-
ture is 1902 to 140o Fahrenheit, and for
large-grained fishing salt 1902 to 100
the slowless of the evaporation allowing
the salt to form in cubical crystals. What
used to be called bay salt, or salt formed
by the operation of the air and heat of
the sun, although still extensively prac-
ticed in warmer climates, seems now to be
thing of the past in this country. In
the earliest times this process was proba-
bly, the only one carried on. Either brine
or sea water was run into shallow pits or
reservoirs, where it evaporated to GER
tain degree, the work being afterward COM
pleted by pouring upon twigs, and some
times, it is said, by pouring the liquid
upon burning wood and collecting the salt
deposited upon the ashes. Until long
after historic times, wood was the only
fuel used; it was not until the year 1856
that the substitution of coal, at Nant-
wich, is mentioned as novelty. This
might be explained by the difficulty of
carriage in those days, as no coalbeds ex-
list within good many miles of the salt
districts-C Chambers Journal.
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-03-09
FLFXiRI,F SraNE.
A Curious Specimen from a North Caro-
lIpa Mountain.

There lay this morning on the desk of
Mr. Samuel i1odgkins, acting Chief Clerk
ct the War Department, 4 stone wrapped
in brown paper. 1t weighed about a
pound, and was perhaps Is inches in
length, p III width and : of an inch thick.
On picking it up from the desk, when his
attention was called to il, Star reporter
noticed that ii bent slightly at the ends,
and had the feeling OF an elastic substance.
On removing the wrapper, however, it was
seen to be hard, compact piece of sand
stone, of light yellow color, with the
ends cut to points. The texture of the
stone was fine and presented no evidence
of stratifcation, and was smooth over the
entire surface. A knife blade made no i'm
preston on the particles. There was no
doubt as to its being genuine stone, but
it nevertheless possessed the fiexibility of
piece of india rubber. When taken in
the hand and shaken in the direction of
its fat surfaces it would bend back and
forth with dull muffied sound. The
movement was more of laxity in the ad-
hesion apparently than an elasticity.
When held horizontally by one end the
other would drop and remain in that
position. With the two ends supported on
rests, the free center could be pressed half
an inch below the middle line. With one
end held firmly on the desk the other
could be bent upward over an inch. The
movement was not confined to the one
direction-in the plane of the fiat surface
but the entire stone seemed to be con-
structed on the principle of an universal
joint, with movement perceptible in all
directions under pressure.
This stone was given to me by a
FRIEND" explained Mr.. Hodgkins, "who is
a lover of curious things He told me
that it came from mountain in North
Carolina, and bears the name of flexible
sand stone' The entire mountain is COM
posed of this material, and pieces cut at
random exhibit the same flexible proper
ties. | have never heard of auy use to
which it has been put. 1t is quite strong
and stands considerable pressure in bend
ing it; in fact, do not know how strong
it really is, for l have hesitated about
trying to break it, as it is the only
piece l possess. l have tried, however.
to break off the point by the pressure
of my fingers, but have never been able to
do it. l consider this one of the wonders
of geology. 1t is natural production
that man has never been able, with ali of
his art, to initiate. > Washington Star.
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-03-09
A Patriotic Parsop.

1t was fine Sunday morning in the year
III that the inhabitants of a little parish
in Vermont, and on the borders of New
Hampshire, assembled in their accustomed
place of worship. The cares of that fear
full and ng-to-be-remembered summer
had imprinted an unusually serious look
countenances of the male members of the
congregation. The rugged features re-
Taxed, however, as they entered that hal
lowed place and felt the genial influence
of a summers sun, whose rays illuminated
the sanctuary and played upon the desk
and upon the countenance of him who
ministered there. He was venerable
man, and his whitened locks and lettering
frame evinced that he had numbered
three score and ten years. Opening the
the sacred volume, the minister was about
to commence the services of the morning
when messenger, almost breathless, rushed
into the church, exclaiming: "The enemy
are marching upon our western counties !"
The clergyman looked around upon his
congregation and announced his text :
'He that hath a garment let him sell it
and buy sword" After a few prelim-
mary remarks, he added: $50 up, my
friends, beseech you, to the help of your
neighbors against the mighty. Advance
into the field of battle, for God will
muster the hosts of war. Religion is too
much interested in the success of this day
not to lend her influence As for myself,
age sits heavily upon me, and cannot go
with you; neither have representatives Of
my family to send. My daughters-my
Jn,cLto~, oo,, ,,nt Jr.,, AZ ,,,-o-l -
handle the musket in defense of their
country, but they can use the hoe; so that
when the toil-worn soldier returns from
the field of battle he may not suffer for the
necessaries of life"
The venerable pastor bowed his head in
devotion. When he again looked around
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-03-09
ABOUT MINERS.
A short Chapter Which Girls and YOUNG
Ladies' Nay Read with Profit

a snort C0apter w 1fcfl GIFTS anu 1ouuR
Ladies May Read with Profit
She leaned back on her chair, she twisted
her feet one over the other, she shouted
out her words at the top of her voice, she
screamed with laughter over her own With
cisms, she said people or things were aw-
fully funny, awfuliy pretty, awfully jolly,
awfully horrid, awfully good, awfully
wicked" and yet she had good belongings.
Her father was a moneved man and had
tried to educate her; she was correct in
her department, and called herself a lady,
and in entertaining those around her made
frequent allusion to the cultured people in
her society at home. 1t was hard to tell
by her manners of what species of culture
the growths around her home were,
whether agriculture, horticulture or horse
culture.
Is this young woman a rare specimen of
the culture we hear SO much about, or only
a rank weed, towering above the appliances
of education and the civilizing influences
of schools and books of etiquette and good
parental example and precept? Are such
young ladies not frequently met in school
room halls, in society cliques, in the streets
or in cars, who, with all claims to respect,
forget that by carelessness of speech and
manner they create an impression, at least
upon strangers, that whatever may be their
claims to responsibility, they are most GER
tainly deficient in the proprieties of speech
and manners that make up the true lady.
We cannot all be beautiful and have
very winning ways, but we may at least be
gentle and refined. and while nature may
not have endowed us with an attractive
face and pretty figure, or with uncommon
grace of speech or manner, we certainly
need not repel or shock by coarseness of
words or attitude those who surround us at
home or abroad.
1t may not be amiss in this sketch to
call attention to the prevailing use of the
words "awful" and lawfully" Present
dictionaries must be giving them prom
inence and meaning entirely unknown in
the schools of former days, or our young
generally would not find them so neces-
sary to express either an exuberance of de-
light or horror, of gladness or grief, as we
SO frequently hear interspersed through
their animated recitals of what they have
seen or heard.
An ignorant girl who had never been
taught good manners or proper language
in her own home, was advised by the
teachers under whose care she was placed
to substitute the word ''very" for awful, in
her sentences. She was anxious to i'm
prove herself, and succeeded soon in
dropping the unnatural use of the word
| from her conversation. How times have
changed! Are the ignorant alone awful
glad or awful sorry? Let the educated
young ladies of our schools search and
see.-ChristiaR Iptsiliqencel.
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-03-09
Jeweiry that Crooks.

Every jewe,er has doab;iess met With
many curious incidents ia his business ca
reer, but | think that a recent experience
OF mine Is worth relating. Shortly after
the holidays there came to nay place a
pleasant-mannered young man who ex-
pressed desire to look at some gold neck
laces. II Is needless to say that | sold him
one. 1t was ii carats and very pretty
Two days later the door was flung open
and in rushed the same Young man. Soil
ing with rage. He threw the necklace on
the counter, demanded the return of his
money, and threatened TO expose me as a
swindler. 1t took half an hour to learn
his story.
1t seems that after presenting the neck
lace to his lady love he had taken her to
reception oruamented with his present.
After the first dance there was commo-
ton in one corner of the room, and the
| rivals of our customers best girl were tit
.ering among themselves and whispering
| about her.
The young lady looked in the glass and
almost tainted at the sight. Her beautiful
| neck was almost black from the friction of
the necklace. She changed her mind about
| fainting, returned home with her brother.
and sent the necklace back to her young
man with note that she did not like his
brass.
l tested the necklace in his presence and
proved to him that it was full IA karats.
About that time young physician called
to purchase scarf-pin. He had over
heard part of the story and asked to hear
the balance, as he believed he could throw
some light on the subject. Pretty soon he
laughed outright and said: "Why, sir,
the trouble is with your girl and not with
| the necklace. She has too much sulphur,
iron, mercury, sat or acid in her blood,
and as any of these substances has an af-
fnity for gold the explanation is clear. |
have patients for whom mercurial medi-
cines have been prescribed, and the result
is that their fingers upon which rings are
worn discolor at once" My customer
cooled off and carried his purchase away.
In connection with this subject, good
story is told at the expense of a Maiden
Lane dealer. He gave his sister an
lS-carat ring as present. He is a practical
joker, and she asked him if the ring was
gold. He replied that it was. That
evening the young lady had occasion to
remove the ring from he finger, and
she noticed that the skin was greatly
discolored. Jim has carried his Jokes to
far" she exclaimed, and opening the win
dow threw the trinket into the street;
some gamin picked it up. When my
friend learned of it he came to me for
consolation, and | explained my own ex-
perience. His sister is sorry for her haste.
.All is hot gold that glitters," nor is
| everything brass that discolors. A person
| wearing a l4-carat ring on one finger and
a 10-carat on another, may have noticed
that the finger with the higher carat will
be discolored and the other one not. The
reason is that the ring of the lower carat
fits snusly, and the other is rather loose,
| thus causing a friction. -JelelerS Weeklu.
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-03-09
Killing SQUIRRELS.


This is the very best time of the year to
kill off these pests. A little expense in
this month will save much Zine and trouble
later on. Ma y ways have been used in
this State to keep the squirrel down.
Traps do well enough for an occasional
lone squirrel, out require altogether too
much labor when they are present inquan-
tity. Two or three years ago the ''smok-
ers" became very popular, and iron
cylinders OF great many descriptions, all
furnished with some apparatus for blow
ing smoke into the squirrel holes, were
offered in every direction. The lightning
like way in which all these contriva aces
have disappeared is proof enough of their
inehectiyeness. As one man put the case,
1T was far simpler to dig them out and
kill them with club.p 1t required two
men to run a smoker with any degree of
speed, and what with carting around the
machine, the fuel and other incidsntals,
very little progress could be made In
| addition to this, the machines generally
burnt out after about three weeks use, and
cost more to repair them than they ever
were worth in the first place.
The carbon bisu!phide gas is remarkably
effective, and there is no possible danger to
stock from its use-with The possible ex-
ception of the man who used it. 1t is
quite disagreea5le to use however, is very
| costly, and can be very easily wasted.
We have never found anything give so
much satisfaction in the long run as the
prepared poison wheat. If this is used in
reasonable quantities, either on the very
edge or just inside the squirrel-hole, the
squirrels will eat greedily there is little
risk OF killing off birds, and practically no
risk at ali of injuring live stock, as the
grain soon becomes SO scattered that what
any one animal bigger than a squirrel could
get hold of would be little more than a
medicinal Dose The material is cheap; il
can be distributed by one man, and Goes
the work as completely as anything We
know of. There are several brands on the
market, some OF which are perfectly USE
less. At the Southern farm we have gen.
| orally used Wakelees, and it has done very
good work. -.Saa Le1adro Reporter.
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-03-09
A Remedy for the Vine Disease.

The Los Angeles Tribune of recent
date says: Vineyardists have been at a
loss to account for the new vine disease.
One thought it was due to the presence of
the pepper trees, another to oyer-much ir-
rigation, another to some fungus growth,
and so on. The microscope failed to dis
cover its origin 1t manifests itself in the
tender shoots, then the branches wither,
and last the roots die. The second year of
the disease on the plant causes its sure
death. A vigneron in Pomona, who was
born and raised in France, remembered
when the disease appeared in this vicinity,
of having seen it in Europe, and also re-
membered the remedy. He took ten
pounds of lime and one pound of blue
stone, which he mixed with sixty gallons
of water, and thoroughly dampened each
vine with this solution. The result is said
to have been perfect cure.
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-03-09
Army Worm Remedies.

The army worm, according to Lawrence
Bruper, of the Nebraska Experiment
Station, has appeared in that State in
threatening numbers; and as means
of checking Its increase he makes the fol-
lowing suggestion in recent Station bulle-
tin:
Chief among the remedies adopted for
keeping in check the increase of this pest
is the burning of old grass, stubble and
other like receptacles for the eggs and
alternating Larvae. Perhaps this accounts
for the absence of the pest from our frontier
settlements in this and other Western
States for the past twenty years and more,
the customary fall and early spring prairie
fires having destroyed such eggs and Larvae
as would otherwise have entered upon the
spring and summer campaigns. This is a
preventive before the pest has material
lied" The burning should be postponed
until spring has well advanced, to be of
most benefit. During late years. the in
crease of area cultivated, and the pre-
vention of starting fires on the prairiss,
especially in the Seattle districts" of the
Northwest, has perhaps been the direct
cause for the presence of this insect in
injurious numbers.
Ditching, rolling, blowing, etc, are
remedies that can be used advatageously
now Ditching and fencing can be re-
sorted to in preventing the worms from
passing from one field to another. Fence
boards set on edge and saturated with
kerosene will effectually check an advanc-
ing column, after which they can be de-
stroyed by crushing. Ditchiug, with the
opposite side of the ditch from the advanc-
ing host dug UNDER will "corral' the
worms for the time being when they can be
destroyed by crushing, or by covering them
with hay or straw and setting fire to it.
Poisoning with London purple and Paris
green has also been resorted to with good
results; but as long as other and less dam
gerous methods do not fail, it is advisable
not TO resort to.these. Grass or grain that
has been sprayed with these poisons should
never be fed to stock, as there is danger of
poisoning animals so fed.
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-03-09
The Scale Bug.

4 scale-bug is bark-louse. A bark
louise is coccus belonging to the sub-order
coccida of the order homoptera. They
are peculiar in the female never having
wings, only heing able to crawl; therefore
their spread from tree to tree, and orchard
to orchard, is necessarily slow, except
other insects. The males are highly or
ganized delicate creatures, provided with
ample wings. They are peculiar in the
adult state by having no feeding or diges-
ting organs, their only part in life being
simply to impregnate the female, but as
larva and crysalid they feed on the same
as the female. Some of these scales are
two or three brooded in the year, others
only one; the habits of all are very much
the same. When the young bark-lice
hatch from the egg they are provided
with six legs with which they can travel
around briskly, and being very minute
and light are often carried from tree
to tree by winds, being SO small
they are seldom noticed The young
lice, after moving around freely for a time,
into the cuticle of the bark, leaf or fruit,
and begin feeding by suction, as we call it,
then shed their larval skin and all their
members, such as legs ETC., assuming a
grub form and then remain stationary;
the females at least during the rest Of their
existence, gradually growing over them
selves scale covering for protection. Such
scales are generally of the color of the bark
of the tree, rendering them inconspicuous,
but in other cases markedly different, such
as white red, etc. In due time the male
scales, which are always much smaller
than the female, gives forth the perfect
winged males, which perform their func-
tons, then die at once. After impregna-
ton the females increase in bulk very fast,
this bulk being in the form of eggs, which
in some species are produce in great num-
bers-600 to 800, in others, 80 to 100, and
200 to 300. These in due time hatch out
minute bark-lice to go through the cycle.
Orchard and Garden.
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-03-09
No Great Man Smokes Cigarette s

1t has come to be generally understood
that the boy who smokes cigarettes makes
himself smell bad and grows idiotic. The
Charleston Sun, on this subject, says: "And
now we learn that Emperor William Of
Germany is cigarette smoker. That
settles it. He will never turn the world
upside down. Water cannot rise above its
level, and smoking cigarettes never yet
inspired anyone 10 heroic deeds. From
Alexander to Napoleon Bonaparte, no
great man was ever addicted to this habit.
The man who spends the most appreciable
portion of his existence striking matches
to keep alive the lighted end Of roll OF
paper stuffed with vile-smelling tobacco,
rehashed out of castaway cigar stumps, has
very little brains, and soon fritters away
the modicum with which nature has en-.
dowed him.. o. Picagpa,e.
Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-03-09
EaeSine Poultry.

All gallinaceous fowls, in fact all ON
niverous birds, have crop in which the
food is first received, where it lies until
soflened by maceration, when it passes to
the gizzard, where it is triturated and
ground down ready for digestion The
natural and principal food of barn-yard
fowls is whole grain, vegetables, insects
and almost any garbage that may be picked
up. Pebbles and pieces OF bone are also
swallowed 10 assist in breaking up this
food. Hence we do not advocate feeding
largely of ground food, since it may ulti-
mately weaken digestion. Young chicks
require soft food. 1t is valuable for the
sitting hen and those with clutches OF
young, and especially so in fattening of
birds for market. D
The use of green food in winter should
be more strictly attended to than is gen.
orally practiced. Cabbage makes a cheap
and good green food, if hung up by the
stalk in such position that birds can
easily pick at it. Any green stuff can be
used, and, in lieu of this, parsnips or beets
chopped fine make good substitute. Clio.
yer ensilase makes an excellent green food
for winter, if cut pretty fine
Between the crop and gizzard lies what
is termed the fore-stomach, prorcat'iculus
Iu this stomach lie the glands which pour
out the gastric juices upon the food, pre-
pairing it for digestion.
The science of feeding neccssitates a
change of food, and that it be given often
enough to prevent gorging. The evening
meal may be the most liberal, especially in
winter, to carry the birds through the
long nights. Where fowls have the range
Of the farm, feeding should always be
practiced as soon as the fowls come from
the roosts, but not more than half feed
should be given, since this will induce
proper exercise in search of more. If the
birds have not picked up sufficient to sat
isfy themselves, in two hours or less, ac-
cording to the state of the weather, give
them more
1t should be unnecessary to say that
pure water should always be kept
where it can be taken at will-PraI1ie