The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-10-02

without natural attractions, but she
is cram full of real live people who
know how to supply what nature
failed to give.
The success of the Spring Palace
suggests Winter Palace for Austin.
Itwould attract health and pleasure
seekers from
"The blizzard blighted regions of the cold
and icy orth."
Who would find in Austin and her
beautiful suburbs a climate and seen
cry not excelled on the continent, and
equal in health restoring qualities to
the fashionable South of France.
1t would attract people for pleasure
that would remain for health. Deem
Der is the month we should try to in.
duce visitors from the North to come.
At that season they are ice bound at
home and "under the weather." they
would find our average Christmas day
more genial than their Easter, and ii
norther did swoop down during their
visit it would be embraced as an old
friend.
The winter palace might be made
feature in the agricultural fair.
Railroad extensions are needed, but
not more than schemes TO attract Wis
itors and develop our illimitable re-
sources.
ELECTRICITY IN AGRICULTURE.
The wonderful discoveries and in
ventions in the last half century have
prepared the mind for the belief of al
most ANYTHING that may come in the
name of science. The telegraph, the
telephone and the phonograph, not to
speak of lights, railroads, ships and
machinery operated by electricity, have
shown in how wide field the mys-
FERROUS agent can be applied, but the
boundary of that field is still far from
reached.
Thousands OF bright intellects are at
this moment SEEKING to discover
methods to control and new applica-
tons OF this giant power, and the
bOldest Imagination cannot conceive
its possibilities.
Agriculture is generally the last to
be benefited by new inventions, and
when a friend a short while ago
prophesied that in a few years the
country roads and farm houses, stables
and barns will be lighted by electricity,
| asked leave to doubt; but the idea
may not be so far fetched as sup
posed. Something more wonderful
is being tried. Experiments have re-
Gently been made to test the effect OF
electricity on plants, and it has been
found that a gentle current diffused
amongst the roots of certain plants has
stimulated growth in marked degr9e
But while the application of cleo
tricity tu the roots has been ben
efcial. it has been noticed
that the foliage of plants
growing under electric wires has been
injuriously affected and in oneinstance
crop of potatoes was entirely ruined,
the leaves becoming covered with
black spots, a condition that did not
apply to the crop beyond the range
OF the wires. 1t is well known that
trees and plants do not thrive near
overhead telegraph and light wives
in the city, but the application OF
electricity to tie roots may have the
the contrary effect and who can tell
what new Developments await us in
the way of scientific husbandry.
HANDLING COTTON.
A writer in Home and Farm urges
cotton planters to exercise more care
in handling the crop, in the matter OF
picking, and tells what extra profit
can be made on clean harvested crop
over the average method. He advises
farmers to gather the staple without
any particles of withered leaves or
other trash and assures them that the
increase price per pound will more
than compensate for the care. This
NAV be so, in some states but will not
apply to Travis county, Texas.
In this enlightened and progressive
corner of the United States, buyers
are above the small and stingy prac'
tees of other states. They do their
BUSINESS on broad, liberal
scale, il keeping with the
magnitude OF our great state. lhey
don't go cutting and scratching into
bales in search of notes and impuri-
ties, but like the large souled men
they are, they buy any thing that
comes along without question, ant
rarely outbid each other. They seen
to have unlimited faith in the honest.
of the horny handed son of toll, TO
they will bid him on his cotton with
out looking at it.
A short time ago I met the bigges
(anatomically) cotton buyer in the cit,
of Austin wi en- the following colloqu,
took place;
Biggest Cotton Buyer-"Well, col
onel have you any cotton in today?
"No. What is cotton worth"
BIC. B.-"Nine cents"
"For what?" l inquired.
D., "For anything" replied the B. {
i B.
And so it is; only one grade re
e cognized. About month ago | too
y two bales into the Alliance yard an
l was twice bid 81 cents for them, neitl
i err bidder taking the trouble to look