davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-10-09
Raise Your Own Fruits.

This is the advice offered by Mr.. John
Custom. He says every garden in Texas
should furnish home supply of all the
available fruits. Every farmer should
add to his resources by raising fruits to
supply the home market in excess of
what is needed for his own family. Keep
trying until you know what will succeed.
If the peaches propagated in the nurs-
cry do not succeed, try raising seedlings
of your own growing. They are usually
much harder aud adapt themselves
much better to the conditions of soil and
climate. If you cannot raise the Kelsey
or other fine varieties of plums, try the
more common native varieties, they are
better than none. Raise small fruits,
blackberries or dewberries. raspberries
and strawberries. Grapes can be grown
anywhere, and yet one seldom sees home
grown grapes on the market.
Fruits add so much to health and COM
fort that il Is q sin and a shame to find so
few small fruits grown and placed in
market or on our own tables. 1t would be
a blessing to Texas, Mr.. Custom says, If
not q can of fruit could be imported for
time and we were thrown on our own
resources,
Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-10-09
The Roots of Trees,

Now that the season for transplanting
trees will soon be fully upon US, 1t is in
order to introduce In substance what that
eminent authority in such matters, Mr..
Josiah Hooper. has to say with reference
TO tree roots. He says the old idea as to
the soft, spongyorgans "spongioles ~ 10
Gated at the ter minus of every root beng
the only means of extracting nourish-
ment from the soil Is untenable. Such
organs might collect more moisture,
etc., for the reason that all young growth
is very porous, consequently more sus-
| ceptible, but, really, the same office is
performed by any part of the younger
and delicate roots, and particularly the
| rootlets. AS they harden with age, and
their bark becomes tough, the power of
extracting nouishment is lessened. The
modern theory of all rootlets being only
annual, as are the leaves. is entitled to
credit, and, in part, may explain the
cause of death in trees transplanted dur
ing summer months. The rootlets proper
are very delicate, and should not be ex-
posed to the outer air; unprotected they
inevitably shrivel in the same manner as
immature foliage. Horticultural writ
ers from earliest time have cautioned
against the ruinous manner in which so
many trees are dug; but the needless
system yet prevails to some extent.
The average ignorant laborer cannot I'M
derstand why two or three of the larger
roots are not sufficient for sustaining
life; he is guided by size, without UNDER
standing the true source of vitality.
More failures result from this than from
all other mistakes ombined. Next in
Importance is the need of preserving the
roots moist and cool when out of the
ground. The moment they are removed
from contact with the soil rapid evapor-
alton begins, and, the juices of the tree
becoming absorbed, the younger growth
shrivels and life soon ends Without
discussing the relative vitality of differ
ent forms of roots, 1t is well to caution
planters against removing during
autumn trees with succulent, fieshy
roots. This particular structure is I'M
able to remain in a quiescent state after
transplanting, and, consequently, the
removal of such trees should not be at
tempted until towards spring when in
MIGRATING rains and increasing warmth
of the soil will start growth in very
short time.
MIR. Hooper had the North in mind, of
course. For Texas the case is slightly
different, in some respects. Take broad
leaf evergreens, for instance. If we
have these within reach, where we can
get them exactly at the time we may
want them, there is no season IN the year
better for putting them out than early in
fall just as the regular rains have broken
the summer drouth. The drouth has
put them at rest, as we say, and these
rains will revive and start them into
prompt growth sufficient to establish
them for the winter. OF course they
may, with reasonable certainty, be
upon to grow if put out at any
time in the regular transplantlng season,
but our experience with them has settled |
US IN the conviction that the season !
named is best. |
Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-10-09
Rouen Ducks,

correspondent of the Rural Poultry
Bulletin says where farmer has the re-
quired facilities for breeding them, there
is no domestic fowl that will pay better
than ducks. They are hardy, mature rap
idly, are less liable to disease, and very
profitable for eggs, meat and feathers.
There are several improved breeds of
ducks, as the Rouen, Aylesbury, Pekin
Cayuga, etc. Each of these has its ad
vocates, and each breeder claims some
special advantage in the breed he keeps.
The writer, however, after much expe-
rience, is settled in the opinion that for
general purposes, particularly at the
South, the Rouen is the best duck of
them all. 1t is peculiarly Southern
bird, and while it may get along reason
ably well in Northern state. it develops
its greatest perfection in the states south
of the old line of Mason and Dixon.
Tie plumage of the Rouen, he says, Is
precisely like that of the Wild mallard.
though the bird il considerably larger.
The drake should be of commanding ap-
pearance with rich green and purple
head and fine long bill, well set In the
skull, so that the beak should appear to
be almost in line from the top of the
head to the tip. The bill should be
clean, of yellow ground with very
pale wash of green over it, and the
"pean" at the end Of it jet black. His
Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-10-09
Handling a Horses Shoe.

The experienced smith is presumed to
know all about this-po other kind of
smith should be patronized by the horse
man. But occasionally it becomes neoes-
sary for the farmer, not a smith, to have
more or less to do with the shoes of his
horses, and to such the editor of the
Southern Cultivator has a email batch of
advice to offer. When 1t becomes neces-
sary to take off shoe, he says, never
remove it with violent wrench-rhis
might result in splitting off a portion of
the hoof. Let the clinched end of each
nail be first turned back. Then the shoe
may be carefully raised with the pinoers
far enough TO withdraw the nails, SO that
their heads may be taken hold of by the
pincers and each nail separately drawn
out. The nails may also be drawn out
one at time, SO as not to alter the posi-
ton of the tip of the shoe, should it be
desirable to simply renal q loose shoe
without removing it. Having out the
nails that were not serving good pur-
pose, select new nails that will exactly
fit the countersink in the shoe, SO far as
relates to head, and that are, if possible,
avery little larger in body than the nails
removed. Drive these in firmly, clinch
them, and the work is properly done.
Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-10-09
Gilt Edged Butter.

One often sees dairy wagons moving
about the streets carrying the legend,
"Gilt Edged Butter.'' There is moth
ing wrong about this, provided the arti-
Gle offered for sale is really what IL is
represented to be. There may exist
possibility that the person Offering his
goods for sale as "gilt edged butter''
has some other kind of butter for sale,
and yet is honest enough in the convic-
ton that he has not, owing to his own
lack of information as to what manner of
butter "gilt edged butter,'' up to the
regular standard, really is. And this
very naturally suggests the question,
"What is gilt edged butter?'' a noted
Massachusetts dairymau tells US, through
the Scientific American; that is, he tells
us how he makes butter, and his is in
varlably full stock ''gilt edged ''-he
never makes any other kind. "My OBJ
iect,' he says, "has always been to
make the best butter-not the most pro.
titable, necessarily, but the best. Hav-
ing this object IN view, L have been COM
PEELED to keep my cows out of all base
ment cellars or very close stables, the
consequence OF which has been q smaller
yield than l might otherwise have Sc
stables scrupulously clean, wheeling the
manure so far away that the stencil of it
cannot reach the cows. 1 have been
forced to discard deep setting for
my cream, and to content myself with
the open. shallow method, which is more
expensive. and requires more attention
and returns less butter. 1 have been
obliged to reject all feed except corn,
wheat, hay, beets and carrots. l have
for dozen years carefully aud faith
fully tried to make good butter-as good
as 1t could be made. This has always
been the first consideration; profitable
ness has always been secondary. The
result has been, for many years, this
butter has brought higher price than
any butter in the county of Berkshire,
where SO much good butter is made, and
it has taken the first prize over the
county. 1t has been in such constant
demand at sixty five cents pound, the
year through, that when making 100
pounds week there have been untitled
orders for twenty-five to thirty pounds
more
Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-10-09

sustaining 60. 900 people on SO small an
area seems almost beyond belief, and yet
there are areas in Texas capable of doing
the same thing, and doubtless will do
the same thing in time to come. We al
lude to the great artesian areas of our
state when they shall have been brought
under perfect system Of irrigation by
artesian wells.
AT first thought it might be conteuded
that we could never get so heavy popula-
ton on account of the great extent of our
common country. Such q position would
be simply bad philosophy. Our delight
full summer climate will draw. Man is
oy nature tropical animal, and where
you find him above the tropics he has
fought his way there against nature.
This being the case it ia but reasonable
to suppose that his settlements will even
tually become heaviest in the favorable
regions nearest to his natural cline.
You find it that way in all the civilized
countries of the Old World-the Southern
portions of them, where inhabitable,
have the heaviest population.
Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-10-09

neck should have a sharp, well-defned
white ring around it, not altogether
meeting at the back; breast deep olaret
brown color to well below the water line,
then passing into the under body color,
which is beautiful gray, shading off
into white near the tail. The back
ought to be rich greenish black quite
up to the tail feathers, the curls in
which are rich dark green. Wings a
greenish brown, with distinct purple and
white ribbon mark very well developed.
The flight feathers are gray and brown;
any approach to white in them is posi-
tive evidence of impure stock.
The Roueu can stand about as much
rough usage as the common "puddle
duck
Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-10-09
p. STEELE, EDITOR.

southern states, is the mock orange
| (Prunus Caroliniana). 1t grows to the
| height OF about thirty five feet under ia
vorable circumstances, and has q very
| thick foliage of cherry-like leaves that
1airly glitter in their dark, glossy green
| ness. No tree could be more hardy or
more ready to adapt itself to every kind
| OF condition within its natural range,
which extends from the gulf well nigh to
| the mouth of the Ohio river. Il grows
| almost ike a willow, spring up from seed
| all ABOUT place upon which IL has once
| oeen started. For rich ornamental effect,
ana Tor giving a summer look to the
winter season, we know of no more de-
slrable small tree than this-the only
thing urged against it in the eastern gulf
states is that cit is SO common -
We have never. met with the mock
orage growing wild in either Alabama,
Mississippi or Louisiana, but all the
prominent nurseries in those states
keep 1t IN stock, and being $50
very common it sells at low
figures, OF course. Indeed, most
of the trees mentioned IN the fore
going are sold IN those nurseries, we
think-we know that the old Langdon
nurseries. near Mobile, kept all of them
AZ tnc uafs VI Tue late OOl. =. Y. Lang
don. 1t may. be possible that some of
our Texas nurseries haye them in stock
If not, they ought to get them at once,
for Texas needs just such trees, and
doubtless our people would buy
them If they knew where they
were to be had. Most of
them would succeed here-perhaps
all. The Magnolia Grandifiora Is not in
dlgeous to California, yet to-day there
are more magnolia trees growing as street
trees in that state than in almost any
other state of the Union. we had some |
thing to do with giving the tree start |
there. About twenty years ago we re-
ceived at Mobile an order from a Cali |
fornia nurseryman for fifty pounds of |
magnolia seeds. We hustled the boys of |
the region out to gathering them, and |
succeeded in getting thirty pounds. |
Next year the same parties sent us an |
order for 100 pounds, which, coming |
earlier in the season, we succeeded in |
Killing, and thus the magnolia started in |
California. No doubt the nurserymau |
realized little fortune on his venture.
There are some desirable deciduous
trees not now planted in Texas that are
well worthy of attention, also many
shrubs and vines. For lack of space to-
day we must leaye these oyer for O sub
Quent article
Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-10-09
On Whipping n Horse.

1t is always best to do as little whip
ping as possible, but in cases where whip
ping becomes absolutely necessary it
ought to be done in the right way. The
editor OF the Southern Cultivator claims
to understand the right way. He says
unless the horse Is known to be very quiet
and unexcitable, he should never be
whipped on the hind quarters, as it often
tempts horse to kick. Strike him on
the shoulder or fore leg, and if he doesn't
answer to it Immediately, strike him
harder. 1t will not hurt him as much as
jerking his mouth with the reins and you
had better do 1t yourself than to be
obliged to sell him to some one that will
drive him, and whip him without meas
ure or mercy. There Is as little real
kindness in spelling horse as there is in
spelling child.
Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-10-09

In making scrap book I find some trouble
with my paste. Common mucilage makes the
paper look like it had been soiled, and flour
paste soon sours and moulds: and when wet
weather comes on the paper in my book mil
dews. Can you give me directions for preparing
a paste better suited to my purpose? If SO,
MISS P.
Dallas, Tex.
Make your -four paste in the usual
way, and then TO, say one pint of it, add
q tsaspoonful of pulveriZed sugar of
lead, to be had at any drug store. The
sugar of lead will be in crystals, but you
can crush it up yourself. Stir it well
through the paste and you will have no
further trouble in the direction named
The paste will keep for q year without
becoming sour or mouldy, and when
used no mildew will ever appear on your
work. Then 1t carries another advan-
tage: Crickets or reaches will never cut
the paper or binding of book where
this paste has been used. If book bind
ers would prepare their paste and glue
in this way, their books would never be
troubled by book moths or the insects
above named. This is an invention of
our own, but after many years of test
we can vouch for the truth of everything
we say with reference to 1t.
OF course you will understand that
sugar of lead is poison, but the proper
tionately small quantity employed does
not render it at all unsafe to work with.
An animal eating the entire pint OF paste
at one sitting might experience some I'M
pleasant effects afterwards, but such a
thing would not be likely to happen. We
usually keep our paste in a large mouthed
quinine bottle, stopping the bottle when
the paste is not in use.
Some persons recommend putting alum
in paste, but alum damages its sticking
qualities, while sugar of lead does not,
in the least-if any difference, it adds to
the adhesiveness of the paste.
Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-10-09
Home of the JERSEYS.

According to the London Provisioner,
the island of Jersey, from whence we OBJ
tain our favorite little Jersey COW, is so
small that If squared 1t would measure
only six and three fourth miles each way
And yet this little island has population
Of 60, 900 human beings, and has over
II 600 cattle, and has lad that number
for the last twenty years, for the census
OF 1861 gives 2,037. And yet they ex-
port on an average annually 1000 head
Roughly speaking, on this island they
manage to support one head of cattle to
every acre, while in England there il
only one head to every ten acres. There
fore. in proportion to its size, Jersey ex-
ports as many cattle every year as Eng
land contains. II England were to export
cattle at the same rate, her whole stock
would be swept away in a single year.
To US OF Texas who are scattered over
90 vast an area Of country, this thing of
Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-10-09
Texas Scrub Cows,

We have no disposition to discourage
of cattle, yet we have always held to the
notion that with proper care and Judi
cious selection we might eventually
make out of our scrubs better COWS for
this state than any we could import.
They would be natives and hence strictly
hardy in every respect. 1t might re-
quire considerable time to bring the
thing about, but few great works are
accomplished in day, as it weres The
Practical Farmer tells of a case which
pretty clearly illustrates our meaning.
Five years ago common scrub calf was
bought for 81. The mother of the calf
could have been bought for SIP. She
was considered a rather good COW of her
kind, giving four quarts of milk per day
two in the morning and two in the
evening. There was no. cross blood in
the calf-it was scrub of the purest
water-but the new owner. being q
village resident, and having no other
cattle, made regular pet of it. The
best of quarters were provided for the
little pet and it was supplied with every
thing it needed.
In due course of time the little calf be-
came cow, and there was another little
calf added to the owners livestock
The young COW gave eight quarts of milk
day, which yielded seven pounds of
butter a week.
AT the time when the editor of the
Practical Farmer writes there is second
calf, and the cow is regularly giving
twenty quarts of milk a day, which
yields ten and one-h half pounds of butter
a week. Concluding, the editors says
''scrubs are made-so are good cows.''
Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-10-09
young trees? My Wits inciSa, kindly named by
you. is loaded with berries-sre they edible?
EMMA GEORGE.

| young trees? My Wits inciSa, kindly named by
you' Is loaded with berries-are they ediblef
layton, Kent County, Tex.
Werefer you to an article on street trees
for Texas appearing in to-day's GAZETTE;
another article on the same subject ap
peared last week-presume you saw it.
Most of the shade tire es recommended in
those articles would be apt to succeed in
Kent county, especially in the valley
lands. The Southern catalpa, (Catalpa
with you, as 1t is tree that does not
seem to much mind drouth, but as q
shade or ornamental tree 1t is not overly
desirable. 1t grows soraggling; that is,
does not make thick top, aud late 10
summer 1t inclines to shed its leaves, req
newing them again to some extent when
the fall rains set in. Furthermore. IL is
tree much liable 10 be preyed upon by
insscts-a certain species of caterpillgf
often completely defolates it about TOE;
beginning of summer. X
The Northern species (Catalpa SpeSts
osa), grows taller and more con pAct
than the Southern species, but whether
or not it would succeed with you is more
than we are prepared TO say.
The Southern cata pa Is q tree OF rapid
growth, and its wood Is probably the
most durable of any wood known. 1t
makes the best of fence posts; set In the
ground as posts it will last fifty years.
We would recommend starting 1t from
seeds, but do not know where the seeds
could be had. If you have any ac-
quaintances living in the Gulf states east
of the Mississippi river they would prob
ably gather seeds for you. The seeds
are just now getting ripe. though they
will hang on the trees we'll through the
winter. Sow in seed bed early in spIing,
and transplant young trees in February
of the next winter.
For deolduous shade and ornamental
trees of small growth nothing can sur
pass the umbrella china. 1t comes true
to seed il the tree bearing the seeds did
not grow in the ueighborhooi of the
common china tree-not the wild china
of Texas CSapindus marginatus), but
the old introduced 'chiuaberry or
pride of India, know to botanists as
Melia azedarach. If the umbrella china !
has grown and yielded seed near the old |
species, there is danger of a cross, and,
possibility that the young |
plants from the seed will not develop |
into perfect umbrella china trees.
The berries of Wits insisa are not |
classed as edible. A good square meal |
of them would be apt to produce slight |
emetic effects; but there is not much |
danger of your using many of them, for |
you would not relish them as an article |
of diet we're you TO put them to the test.
Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-10-09

in the hope that not few Texas people
will consider the after of banana Gull
ture. OF course we don't expect any
of them to undertake banana culture as
leading crop for profit, yet il must be
plain to any thinking person that gully
filled with Iuxuriant banana plants
would present an appearance far more
attractive than many OF them now pre-
sent in their tangled growth of wild sun
flowers and cockleburs. Protecting the
plants in winter would necessarily in
volve some trouble and expense, of
course, yet 1t is entirely above mere
probability hat the resultant fruit would
more than pay for all outlays.
Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-10-09
Canada Thistle Wanted, Etc.

think it would be grand idea to have good
specimen of the Canada thistle (plant and seed
at the Dallas fair so that all Texas farmers
might become acquainted with it. and hence
would afterward know it at sight. Such
information might be of much value to
them afterwards in enabling them to cut
short its progress on their farms at
first appearance. An article from you in THE
GAZETTE urging such an exhibit would proba-
bly, bring the Canada thistle there
My brother, George II. Hogan and myself are
making quite collection OF things for the fair.
In casting about among the farmers for this
purpose we found one man with ten acres in
Colorano grass (Panicum TeIanum), doing very
well indeed We shall endeavor to have nice
bale OF it made for exhibitionat the fair. l ex-
pect TO have at least go species OF other Texas
grasses. I expect to also have two samples of
Texas sauer kraut, one made from red cabbage,
which is as pretty pink colored kraut as you
need wish to see. G. II. HOGAN.
Ennis, Tex.
The idea of having the Canada thistle
on show is q good one, and we hope that
some one having the pest to spare will
favor the fair with nice specimen.
Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-10-09
Shade Trees for Texas

would like your opinion as to the best shade
and ornamental trees fos this section Of our
state. The only native trees are mesquite,
blackberry wild china and colt onwood. There
are no fresh water streams; the country is very
broken, with valleys generally fertile. Do you
think catalpa would stand our dry seasons? or
the two species Of catalpa do you think.
II either would do. that the southern species
would be bestf How would you advise starting
by seed or by transplan ting young trees? At
what time OF the year would you plant in either
case9 Where could We procure either seed OF