davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-11-20

each plank, and will take as many
teeth, which should be driven in so as
to project four inches below the bottom
of the plank. Make the holes in the
second plank so that they will break
joints with the other row, that is, SO
they will not track after the others.
These will cut and comb the ground in
a remarkable manner, and the small
Jumps that pass between will be ground
to powder by the sharp edges of the
planks that follow. The driver stands
on the crusher while working, or a seat
may be firmly attached to it Should
there be much rubbish, this will bother
very often, but this can be obviated
somewhat by driving staple near the
back edge of the rear plank; into this
tie one end of small rope two or three
feet long, aud the other end into ring
to be held in the right hand. To dump
rubbish, step with the left foot upon
the slanting board at the front and at
the same time lift up with the rope,
which is all easily and quickly done,
and the obstruction will be drawn from
the tooth as the crusher moves forward.
In using the tool after the corn planter,
the teeth should be driven back SO as
not to run so deep as to disturb the
seed.-American Agriculturist.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-11-20
AGRICULTURAL HINTS.
CLOp CRusHER.
A Home-Made Device That Does Excel
lent Work.

A Homemade Device That Does Excel.
lent Work.
The implement depicted herewith.
after sketches by George o. Gridley.
Ill, is very effective for thoroughly
pulverizing fall blowing after the cult
vator, and for following the corn planter
a few days after planting; nothing could
leave the field in more desirable con-
dition. The implement is very simple
in construction and can be made by any
one in couple of hours; the cost need
not exceed two dollars. Take two
planks, two-by-eight inches and sixteen
feet long, cut each in two in the middle,
which will give four pieces eight feet
long. Then take two pieces of two-by-
four-inch scantling a little more than
two feet long; to these bolt or spike
the planks, tapping them two inches,
as shown in the engraving.
Slant off the front ends of the two
pieces Of scantling, and nail piece Of
board six inches wide on these ends to
prevent dirt from showing on top of the
crusher when working. Bore hole
in the front end of each scantling and
put a clevis in each, attach with a chain
to doubietree. Go to your blacksmith,
and have him take some three-eighth
inch square bar steel. and cut this into
six-inch lengths, and sharpen these
like harrow teeth. 1t will need about
four dozen. Now with a three-eighth-
inch bit bore holes four inches apart in
the front and second planks just in
front of where the second plank laps on.
This will require twenty-four holes in
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-11-20
EVENING ADJUSTMENTS.

Games and Exercises That Are Very Much
to Be Commended.
We were seated in the pleasant parlor
of a town house, and F. with his vio-
lin. and mamma and little sister at the
piano, had given US some very charm
ing music. There was still an hour be-
fore the children's holiday bedtime
should arrive, and some one proposed
that it be spent in a pleasant game of
word-guessing.
The sweetest and dearest, obliging as
usual, volun teered to go out of the room
while a line of poetry was selected.
The line from stanza of the Ancient
Mariner" was presently chosen:
1.-The wedding guest he beat his breast,''
and our friend came in, and beginning
at one extreme of the circle, asked
questions of each person in turn. She
was allowed to ask any sort of question
she pleased, and the person questioned,
in his or her reply, was obliged to bring
in deity, and with as little emphasis as
possible, the word which had been as
signed, for each of US had taken a word
in order. Thus No. had the" No. 2,
''wedding;" No. 8, .'guest;" and SO on.
The questioner was permitted three
separate guesses as to the word on
hearing the answer of each, and you
would hardly believe that the familiar
line went twice around the circle be-
fore it was finally discovered.
Such an exercise is very much to be
at home. 1t gives an opportunity for
sentences; and those who take part in
k1,o f1nr of oo1
lines which 1inger in the memory. Odd
bits of information come to hand, and
even well-read people are sometimes
surprised to be told that the line they
thought belonged to Moore was really
written by Campbell, or that some fine
sentiment which they had attributed to
classic source.
After this game, if there be nuts and
apples for sociability. and song or two
from the pretty daughter or the older
brother, another violin solo, or chapter
from "Ben-Hur" or some other good
book, the evening will be voted charm
ingly satisfactory. For reading aloud
at home, The Capitals of Spanish
America, by William Eleroy Curtis, has
proved delightful. enlisting the atten-
ton OF every BODY, and giving the
pleasant experiences of travel without
going away from the fire-side.
In summer, when the conversation on
the piazza flags, such quiet amusements
as these come in very we'll to put the
listless mood to flight It is worth
while to plan a little for an evenings
enjoyment, so that to young and old
there may be no place like home. -
Aunt Marjorie Precept. in Harper's
Young People.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-11-20
The Apple Root Plant Louise.

In many parts of the Western States,
especially in Illinois. young apple trees
are affected by disease in the roots.
produced by the attacks of a woolly
plant louise. This minute creature
works under ground. and produces upon
the roots swellings and excrescences of
all sorts of shapes and sizes; these in
terfere materially with the trees supply
of nourishment, and when very numer-
Gus occasion its death. DR.. Hull, of
Alton, ILL.,, considers it zone of the
worst enemies with which our apple
trees have to contend" and states that
it is much more common than is gen.
orally supposed In Is4s it was found
so abundant in Chester County, Penn
sylvania. that thousands of young trees
had to be thrown away; and of late
years it has been very injurious in many
localities
The apple root plant louise is little
over a tenth of an inch in length, in
Guiding the closed wings, and of an
opaque color; though SO very minute it
may be easily recognized by the Pc
culiar bluish-white cottony matter
which it exudes from its body, and
which is never met with in the case
of the common apple tree plant
louise that inhabits the leaves and the
tips of the twigs. The easiest mode of
getting rid of it is to drench the infest-
ed roots with hot water. which, though
hot enough to destroy the life of the in
sect is not injurious to the vegetable
organization. In the case of young
trees that are being transplanted. these
insects may be destroyed by dipping
the roots in strong soap suds or to-
bacco water.-Western Rural
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-11-20
TiLE-LAYING HINTS.

San Must Be Kept Out of the Drains
and Weak Points Looked After.
Tiles are in general most economical
to begin with and satisfactory in the
long run. 1t costs less to dig a narrow
ditch for two-inch tile and pay for the
tile and lay it. than to dig and lay a
stone drain; and when done the chances
of durability are in favor of the tile.
Some points must be observed carefully
in laying them, however. says Massa-
chusetts Ploughman. They must be
laid with uniform downward grade; any
deviation from this rule makes stag
nant water in the tile, which will soon
fill with sand or mud and cause stop
page; carelessness in this particular
causes most of the stoppages- In laying
the tiles put them as closely at the
joints as possible, and cover the joints
with a piece of tin, or of oiled or tarred
roofing paper.
You need not fear that the water
will not find it's way in, you can not
keep it out if you try; but you must try
to filter out the sand and mud which
may enter with a rapid stream of sur
face water washing down through a
muskrat's hole. If the bottom is sandy
+ soft mud, it is often necessary to lay
strips of boards under the tiles to pre-
vent them from settling and getting
out of grade, and also to wedge them
sidewise with stones to hold them in
line; for like chain, the usefulness of
a drain is measured by its weakest
point, and we must avoid weak points
carefully. Whenever surface water
must be taken into the drains. and also
whenever long reach of nearly level
drains makes settling of mud and sand
likely to occur, the catch basin must be
introduced. This is simply a man-hole
or sand pump-hole dug foot or more
lower than the drain, and walled in
with brick or with large tile set up
right; these catch-basins need examin-
ing frequently to see that they do not
fill up with sand and clog the tile.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-11-20
wHEA1 xPER,MENIs
Listed Better than Drilled Seed-The {
and the New Way.

Listed Better than Drilled Seed-The Old
and the New Way.
The Kansas Experiment Station has
been making some experiments in list
ing wheat A long narrow plat, meas
uring trif1e more than one-half acre
1854 of an acre), was listed with wheat
of the Zimmerman variety, for COMPARE
SON with an adjoining plat of drilled
wheat In his last annual report Direc-
tor E NJ. Shelton described the method
and results as follows: Three small
double shovels, = miniature listing
plows-were secured to the frame of a
Buckeye one-horse drill in such man
ner as to make six-inch deep burrows
in advance of the three discharge spouts
of the drill The implement put the
seed wheat in burrows eight to ten
inches deep and about fourteen inches
apart
During the growing season there
was but little apparent difference be-
tween this listed wheat and that which
was drilled. with the exception of
slightly darker green color of the for
mer, and that it attained the same de-
gree of maturity about three days later
than the drilled wheat The previous
year it was noticed that a similarly
listed plat grew much more vigorously
than drilled wheat, and that it had q
decided tendency to lodge
This year it showed no tendency to
lodge, nor was the straw taller to any
noticeable degree. It was cut June %
with the following result:
listed Drilled Gain by
Bushels per acre..-.....35.34 22S 5.51
Straw per acre, Ibs-----S,SO 2340 --.-
Straw per hushel. lbs $50 1120
W'g't per struck bu- lbs IS S 49,
1t will be seen that while the wheat
sown in the ordinary fashion falls a
little below thirty bushels. the listed
| wheat yielded thirty-five and one-third
bushels to the acre. This is gain of
five and one-half bushels in favor of
| listing. Should further experience
| bear out this result. it will be a distinct
step in advance in our method of Guilt
waiting wheat. 1t is a question if the
listed plat would have done equally
| we'll had this been a wet year with con-
| sequently a heavier growth of straw.
We might then expect it to lodge more
| or less, with the inevitable result of a
light crop of grain. 1t would lodge
more readily for the reason that having
| more space in which to spread, a large
portion of the straw starts out at the
base at an inclined angle. and if heavy
| it will the more easily break down.
When we have an even stand of broad
| casted or drilled wheat the straw
grows almost perpendicularly upward.
and can thus better sustain its own
weight 1t is too early to expatiate on
| the benefits of this method of culture,
but it seems reasonable to suppose tn al
/ it will be a success in Kansas in or
binary seasons on all but very low
1and.-Orange Judd Farmer.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-11-20
a HANDY ROOT CUTTER

knife. The box can be made from one
and a quarter inch plank, twelve to
sixteen inches wide, and three feet
long. Fasten it to bench or platform
where it will be easy to work at Saw
cutting end square and attach knife
as indicated A piece of scythe blade,
or corn knife, may be used by placing a
hole in one end and shank for a handle
at the ether end Have the cutting
part long enough to reach across the
box. and hang the knife even with the
top edge of the bottom board, to be
held there with screw bolt, while the
handle end works up and down in a slot
of wood or iron. as shown by the dark
strip.-Orange Judd Farmer.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-11-20
SOME POULTRY MISTAKES.

To GIVE all the waste milk to pigs.
To KEEP food by laying hens all the
time.
To FEED one kind of food 365 days in
the year.
three or four years old.
To DOSE well fowls with all sorts of
stuff to keep them we'll"
To NEGLECT to supply green food regu-
larly throughout the winter.
To NEGLECT to provide comfortable
winter quarters for the poultry.
To BUY an incubator before you know
enough about poultry to set hen
To ALLOW the poultry droppings to
accumulate in the house for weeks at a
time.
To PUT off until tomorrow or next
day the things that ought to be done
to-day"
To MAKE no effort to improve the
fowl stock by selection of fitrest for
breeders.
To vENTILATE the poultry house by
cracks in the walls and floors and holes
in the roof.
To WASTE food by throwing it on the
=
some other vessel.
To TRY to keep one hundred fowls
through the winter in house that is
none too large for half that number.
To HATCH out a lot of chicks in m id
winter or very early spring unless you
have suita BILE place in which to raise
them. o
To CRAM fifty cents worth of drugs
down the throat of a sick chicken that
wouldn't be worth over quarter If it
were we'll
To IMAGINE that because fowls in
the wild state never have cooked food. /"
it is unnecessary to give our domestic
fowls cooked food
To THINK that any poultry powders"
or ''egg food in creation will make
your hens lay unless they have proper
food, comfortable quarters and good
care besides
To THINK that man who has never
been able 20 make living at any thing
else-who has failed in every thing
else-can 60 into the poultry business
and make grand success of it--Breed-
er'S Guide
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-11-20

It has been the means of recalling me
to myself, and showing me how foolish
and selfish and unprincipled 1 have
been," and flush of shame came over
his face as he thought of his follies.
Pulling out his watch, he scanned it's
face eagerly, and exclaimed: 81 can
catch the early morning train and get
home in time to eat dinner with the
folks, aud surprise them all. am go
ing home" 1t did not take very long
to write note excusing himself from
his engagement with his friend Morton
for the next day, nor to write to his en-
ployers of his intended trip and the
hour he would return on Friday, nor to
prepare for his journey.
In the midst of his preparations, how
ever, he thought of the eatables on the
table. The tender feelings that filed
his heart forbade his leaving them to
an uncertain fate. He hastily ran over
his list of acquaintance to see if he
could think of any one to whom they
would be- an acceptable gift. At length
he remembered two young medical stu
dents rooming a few squares away,
whose acquaintance he had made some
weeks since, ard as he recalled the ac-
counts they had given him with the in.
genuousness of youth. of their peregrin-
atoms from one cheap restaurant to an
other, until in despair they were at
tempting to do their own cooking, he
felt that there was the place to send his
mothers gift He repacked the box
carefully as possible, picturing to him
self the delight with which those poor
homesick boys would greet that turkey
and mince pie. A brief note of explain
alton to them replaced his mothers
note to him. He then hastily COM
pleted his preparations, left explicit
directions concerning the sending of the
box, and was soon on his way to the
depok
And the box went to narrow street
and up four flights of stairs to small
back room, and made two young fellows
so happy that they called in two other
student friends to enjoy their feast with
them, and the way they devoured the
turkey, pies, and other good things
would astonish any who looked on,
unless. indeed. like them, he had been
for two long months far away from
home. and struggling along with slen-
der means and eating at cheap eating
houses.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-11-20
VALUE OF REGULARITY.
1t Il Conservative of Health and Con
ducive to Comfort

1t Il Conservative of Hea1th and Con.
ducive to Comfort
By this term we mean, of course, a
mode of life that is characterized by
habits of order and respect for moral
obligation. In its effect regularity is
conservative of health and conducive
to comfort And resultantly, he who
practices it renders his vocation and
social connections efficient means of
personal advancement. Regularity is
of great Importance to the busy man,
for it enables him to accomplish a vast
amount of work. He may not have the
talent or brilliancy of his neighbor, but
if that neighbor is handicapped by the
disposition to irregular, spasmodic eff
fort, and works without method. the
formers regularity will enable him to
achieve much more of useful and pre-
cious service. Steady, systematic doing
in any line OF honorable labor is sure to
give man or woman creditable place
in the community. ''Seest thou man
that is diligent about his business, -
says the prophet, 'she shall stand before
kings" We are not told of the nature
OF the calling that is likely to lead to
the preferment implied. but left to in :
LII
man can honestly engage. We hear to-
day SO much of nervous overstrain; is
it not due mainly to the confusion that
men allow to creep into their employ
ments? Regularity relieves mental ten
sion; it is labor saver, and prevents
worry. It trains the brain and mind to
work with ease and efficiency. and even
in unexpected emergencies it reduces
the friction that occurs then, and keeps
the mental balance unbroken.
The young man or young woman
who early sets his mental house in order
by establishing the habit of regularity,
lays a good foundation for a successful
career. Wherever he may go, he or she
will be sure to obtain the notice and con-
fidence of others The irregular man or
woman. despite the gifts that may be
theirs, becomes an annoyance ultimately
in their circle, because they can not
be trusted Indeed, sit goes with
out saying" that this should be the case.
1t is great mistake for one to think
that regularity limits capacity by re.
stricting the exercise of the faculties
On the contrary, it is . mental discipline
that. like exercise to the muscles, ex-
pands and strengthens capacity through
the orderly exercise and control OF
faculty. Further. as time-saver it
conduces to diversity of occupation
and consequent rest and recreation OF
faculty. The mind that works accord
ing to physiological law is more efficient
than the mind that disregards law, and
regularity is q prime element in the
Observance ofnervous iaw.-Phrenologi-
cal Journal
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-11-20
Root-Cutting Box-It L. Much Better
than the Slow Hand Cutting Process.

In feeding beets, turnips, rutabagas,
etc, it is necessary to cut them more or
less, so they can be easily handled by
the animal and not produce choking.
To do this by hand knife process is too
slow and tedious However, where the
quantity fed will not warrant the
purch asing machine thoroughly
adapted to root cutting, a device like
that shown in our illustration Will be
found quite handy and far more speedy
in its working than the ordinary way of
cutting by hand with pocket or case
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-11-20
cALEB,s couRTsHIP.
, Biz Mistake and What Came Of It.

HADN'T no time
fer courtin' when
was young an
spry,
For " h at " ! { h
W kim an
savin', I let the
years go by:
Then / was buyin'
an buildin'-and
farm work never
gifts done
Till at last I count
ed my b ir t b :
days, and found !
was f1fty-one.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-11-20

dollars day by selling corn and buying
bran
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-11-20

PEOPLE turn up their noses at the
Wilson strawberry, but it still holds its
own, and will for many year to come.
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-11-20

Tor he had just come from little sup
per after the opera which he had shared
In company with lot of jolly acquaint-
ances and friends.
To his great surprise, as he opened
the door he stumbled over a large
wooden box that nearly blocked up the
doorway. Crowding past it through the
door ne made his way into the room,
III the gas and dragged in the box. His
name In plain black letters caught
nus eye at once, and, marveling greatly
as 20 Its contents, he looked about him
Tor means to open the box.
as he took of the cover pleasant
Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-11-20
HOME MEMORIES
What a Thanksgiving Box Did for
John Williams.

T WAS the nigh t
before Thanks
giving day, and
the clocks in the
n eigh b or hood
were striking the
hour of midnight
as John Williams
turned the key
in the lock of the
door Of his room
at a fashionable
h o tel in New
York City.
His hand was
a little unsteady,
The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1890-06-04

that is one crop OF beggars to beequal to
four crops of peas.
The seed can be sown at any time, but
few will come up until the wet season
say from the middle Of May to the mid
die of June. Seed sown any time in June
will mature a full crop.
AS to the value of this hay | will give
the opinion of others. | have never heard
any one estimate it's valuessto be less per
ton than timothy or any other Northern
hay. A neighbor from Indiana says it is
equal in every respect to red clover, and
much easier cured and saved AS past
ure it is not excelled by anything have
seen, as all kinds of stock-horses, cattle,
hogs, etc.-rapidly fatten on it. Chickens
become very fat on the seed when they
ripen and fall to the ground. To my own
certain knowledge horses turned into a
corn field well set in beggars will never
materially interfere with the corn. am
told that cattle will interfere with no
other crop when the beggars are abund
ant
The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1890-06-04
Fertilizing in Germany.

| have always taken a great interest in
what is said or written about the effect of
different kinds of manure, says J. G..
Metzger, of Wurtenburg, Germany. From
personal experience [ am led to think
that no commercial fertilizer is as good
for general use as the droppings OF farm
animals, the liquid part of which is, to
large extent, wasted in the United States.
In Germany it has always been cOnsid
cred the best of all fertilizers, for it gives
to plant-life the quickest and most effec-
tive food. Farmers, who spend yearly
large sums for commercial fertilizers,
would far better invest in a large, well
cemented pit, covered, with open seams
in the cover, large enough to admit the
DRAWINGS of the manurepi which should
always be kept over the pit. When the
heap becomes too dry, pump some of the
liquid over it., to keep from overheating.
The value of the liquid would in one year
pay for making the pit. Thereafter it
would be irregular income every year. In
w uIUOIIIOuIRJ We uCNCI vi uSIuS3
any other than liquid manure in the gar
den, on corn, or any hoed crop, and our
garden alway produces large and good
crops. In extra dry seasons we mix it
half water; in fact, it is strong enough to
admit some water at all times. On land
where clover is growing we drive through
with large barrel like a street watering
cart, and where we cannot drive we use
pals and sprinkling pots. We always
apply either in damp, rainy wealth
er, before sunrise or after shutdown.
Such manuring shows quicker and better
effects than any other. am also great
believer in top dressing, particularly
where the grounds level and well drained;
for it is natural that manure has ten
dency to work, or sink downward, andin
very loose or porous ground large per-