davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-07-09
The Laughing Plant.

The London Times made some pass
ing remarks the other day on the kola
nut and other vegetables Of magic
But, if possible, even more desirable
and delightful is this laughing plant ;"
Not that the vegetable itself laughs, it
does not even smile; but its seeds, if
eaten, incite to immoderate mirthful-
ness. 1t is described as bearing flowers
of q bright yellow, and soft and woolly
seed-pods, in which are inclosed small
black beans. The natives of "that part
of Arabia in which the plant grows"
dry and pulverize these beans, and if
this powder is administered cit makes
the soberest person behave like circus
clown, for he will laugh, dance, sing,
and cut the most fantastic capers. The
effect lasts about an hour, at the end of
which the patient RECEIVERS his normal
gravity, and is altogether oblivious of
his extraordinary conduct when under
the influence of the powder"
DR.. johnson had a laugh like rhinoc-
eros, supposing rhinoceroses to commit
themselves to mirth; and Liston, were
it not for his uncomfortable fits of con-
tagious hilarity, might have been i'm
mortal as tragedian. But he could no
more keep his face serious than little
boys in school when they are once "set
On COIucGuluS VI tl10 SdII1S
IDLE visibility would be the common
condition of society if the plant we are
referring to ever comes into general use.
1t would be an innocent sort of opium,
relieving the weary and the wretched
from their thoughts, and no one need
be dull. All alone, the hypochondriac
might make himself the best of
company, and without another
soul in the room might pass
his evenings as merrily as if he had got
Grimaldi with him or Theodore Hook
What fun it would be at small, desolate
railway stations to watch, the bright
faces of the passengers waiting for the
train" and how it would brighten a
country walk if every tramp who went
by looked as if he had just been told a
capital joke and could not get it out of
his head No school boy would creep
like snails unwillingly to school; on the
contrary, they would hop, skip and
jump all the way, and whistle as they
went. 1t is a delightful prospect, and
the sooner the Arabians begin export
ing the jovial beans the better, if only
for the use of parliament. We have had
enough of grumbling, obstruction and
i'll temper; let us try legislation by
lauphter
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-07-09
Wanted-A System of Morals.
From the Hochi shinbun Gapan).

From the Hochi Shinbun (Japan).
Various local governors and projects
have addressed memorial to the gov
eminent on the adoption of new basis
Of morality for Japan. The education
department. has long been perplexed on
the same subject, for it has long per-
ceiyed that Western religion which
forms the basis of Western morality,
and which might therefore seem nee
essary consequent of the Western civil
zation, is unsuited to the conditions of
the country and could not be introduced
without great confusion and peril. In
these circumstances the leaders of
Japanese thought would have been sup
posed to adopt the utilitarian system
had it not seemed of too subtle and rec
ondlte a character to be embodied in a
textbook of common morality On the
other, the experience Of centuries has
taught that the doctrines of Confucius
are suited to the dispositions of the
Japanese people, and although to re-
habilitate the Confucian classics side by
side with PHILOSOPHERS and sciences i'm
ported from the West would involve all
sorts OF anomalies and inconsistencies,
it has been decided that Confucius is to
be the sheet-anchor, and textbooks of
morality are to be compiled for schools
with his precepts as a basis
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-07-09

ure in the center that will be fatal TO
good keeping. It is 4also true ,thatehay
from grass which has stood too long be-
fore cutting, or which has been too much
dried in the sun, is not so easily
digested, and will not keep an animal in
as good flesh as that which is cut early
and cured in the heap, even if it shows
much Of the nutritive elements in the
adds the labor Of the digestive appa-
ratus, and must be compensated for by
an increase of digestible nutrition,
which, in the form of extra grain, is ex-
pensive.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-07-09
HIS DECORATION.
BY MADELINE S. BRIDGES.

BY MADELINE s. BRIDGES
He walked by her side as they strolled apart,
Throug the lonely, poisoning ways,
Afar from bugles and rolling drums,
The psalm of nations praise;
Affair from the crowds that fingered there,
Mid the sunlit graves and the headstones fair
They, too, with the reverent throng had Dent,
And in dear remembrance crowned.
With palms and laurels and garlands bright,
Full many a grass-grown mOund
And heard the voices of comrades tell
How nobly the heroes fought and fell.
But now in silence they turned away,
Through meadows with daisies spread
Her face was grave, but her eyes were sweet,
With languor of tears unshed
And she held a rose to her finger tips,
Red as her own soft rose-red lips,
ssYou were kind to the dead he said at last,
In pleading, injured tone,
"But what of the living soldier brave,
Who in daily fight alone
Must strive for duty nor dream of fame,
Dare he no token of honor claim? z"
She turned with smile half tears, and placed
Her rose on his bosom. There,
My one last flower! 1t was meant for you.
But, was not sure yOu-WOuld-care.
We give. unsought, to the noble dead,
But the noble living must ask" she said.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-07-09
Poisoning in India.
From Public Opinion.

The Bengal police have published the
following extraordinary warming to
passengers at all stations on the Eastern
Bengal Railway Passengers are here
by cautioned against taking anything to
eat or drink from unknown persons, as
there are many who live by poisoning
travellers. They first of all court ac-
quaintance with passengers in soroi or
some other place, and then gain their
confidence on the plea of being fellow
travellers going to the same place.
When they reach a place convenient
for the purpose they poison the water
insensible, and then they decamp with
all their property. They also at times
poison the passengers water when be-
ing drawn out of wells, or sweetmeats
brought from the bazaar, or food when
being cooked"
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-07-09

bunch until nearly all in the garden are
attacked. Wet seasons, of course, are
more favorable for the growth and
spread OF this disease than dry ones
No one has yet been able to stop or
prevent the disease effectually, but
many suggestions have been made to
this effect. The rot evidently comes
partly from the weather and partly
from the lack of some inorganic sub
stance in the soil, or perhaps to the use
of crude animal manure. Nearly all of
the grape wineries abroad are in locali-
ties where volcanic soils abounds, the
large constituents of which are lime and
sulphur. Gypsum likewise abounds,
and the foliage and shoots of the vine,
which are pruned off each year, make
good vegetable manure.
In treating number of my own vines,
which were trained on upright trellises.
all of these facts were taken into con-
sideration for the following experiment
At the time of the summer pruning all
of the side shoots of the vines were cut
off, and buried in shallow trenches at
the roots of the vines pruned. These
trenches were only four or five inches
deep. When the pruned vines and
stems were placed in the trenches they
were sprinkled with gypsum or plaster
until the foliage was white. The whole
was then trodden down and buried.
In the autumn similar process was
performed. All of the dead leaves and
branches were raked up, sprinkied in
the same way, and buried in trenches
around the roots of the living vines
For two summers this operation was
performed faithfully, and the soil sup
piled with sufficient lime and sulphur
AS result of this the vines so treated
have not been affected by the rot, al
though other vines in the same garden
have been nearly ruined by it. This
result might be partly due to pure acct
dent, and to the superior cultivation
which the vines received, but a large
part of it was certainly due to the treat
ment of the vines with the minerals
suggested 1t is well known that the
foliage and shoots of the vine afford the
most perfect food for the growth of the
grape vine, and one should not waste
them as they are pruned off every year,
but bury them around the roots of the
growing vines.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-07-09
Growing Seeds on Farms.

A recently issued bulletin of the Penn
sylvania State College Station answers
the question, "Should farmers raise
their own vegetable seeds2"
After abiding to the time when (many
years ago) the garden seeds offered for
sale were badly mixed, with wrong
names, and with the seeds of weeds,
the bulletin remarks, as the result of it's
own examinations, that the seeds now
found in country stores, bearing the
names of reputable firms, are quite as
good as seeds obtained direct from the
warehouses. In addition to this great
improvement in quality, the prices are
such that 81 will purchase enough for a
family of good clean seed. Those Of
fered for sale by reliable seedsmen
have been raised under continued and
special care, and farmers who raise their
own seeds find in few years that their
vegetables are not SO choice as they
once were, because they have not been
selected with the care norgrown with
the same skill as the purchased seeds
In the experiments made with seeds
raised at the station, and compared
with those made with purchased seed,
the following general results were OBJ
tanned: l. In majority of cases ear
lier marketable products were pro-
duced from purchased seeds, and with
but few exceptions greater yield was
obtained from them g. Lettuce from
purchased seed did not shoot up to
Hover as easily as plants from station
seed. 3. Radishes from purchased seed
were larger, more tender and more uni
form. 4. On the whole, seeds grown
on very rich soil proved the best. These
were the results of single season, and
the experiments will be repeated
Among the seedsmen Of whom pur-
chases were made for these expert
ments, such names as Wick, Landreth,
Dreer, Thorburn and Henderson are
mentioned. An extensive test was
made of the new garden vegetables, in
Guiding twenty-six new varieties Of po-
tatoes The fact that some of them,
which proved particularly valuable at
the station, have been nearly worthless
on our own grounds, and vice versa,
shows the Importance of the rule laid
down for selecting the best-"If posi-
BILE, choose one which has been success
fully cultivated in your immediate
vicinity, or in locality with similar soil
and climatic conditions" Of the varie-
ties raised at the station the following
yielded in the order named: White
Victor (heaviest, Early Puritan, College
White, Thorburn, Burpee's Superior,
Hampden Beauty, Munroe County
Prize, Polaris, Vanguard, Dakota Red.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-07-09
SCatteDiIlarS,o

The caterpillar is cralllng thing and
hears all over his back and fannie found
one down her back and it made me crall
like everything, birds eat catterpillars
and give them to their children to eat.
| don't see how they can eat them. l
know / could not eat them, they are
such horrid things, they look SO so offly
and feel don't know how Cattepillars
climb trees, the other day saw big,
big caterpillar and he was SO horrid that
took stick and kid him with it and
threw it away to let the swiil man pick
it up and take it home period cattepillars
have 900 or more legs, he may not have
SO many, and he may have more the big
ones have more than the little ones ]
CESS that but don't know.
Catterpillars eat flies and other insects
such as ants, micatos, and others like
that. Also they eat leaves, plum leaves,
and in short all kinds and some flowers
to, some have baby catterpillars, in
short all of them. Catterpillars drink
water, in short everything they can get
Catterpillars, i can not say much more
about catterpillars, but one good rool is
never throw caterpillar at a man or
anybody for it gives them such fright.
[ have told you all they eat, drink how
many legs it has and the rool. A cat
terpillar can climb, you can not. Ma be
some of you can, [ can't, but most of the
things that caterpillar can do we can
not, and most of the things we can do
they can not.-Q,toted by the Buffalo En-
press.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-07-09
He Doctored the Fools.
From the Brunswick. Me-, Telegraph

From the Brunswick. Me-, Telegraph.
Two young men graduated from
well known medical school, and both
went into practice in New York. One
was a bright fellow and hard worker
and modest man, the other man of
SNOWY parts and not given to overwork.
The latter soon secured a handsome
practice The other got little practice,
and when making call upon his class
mate remarked: How is it J. that you,
who never worked in school, who often
came to me for assistance over knotty
matters, which l rendered land j. adj
mitted all as stated, have a large
practice, while am not yet earning
Gving?' ''Come to the window and [
will explain to you the whole case. Of
every hundred persons you see passing
up street, eighty at least are fools. |
am doctoring the eighty while you are
attending to the twenty wise men.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-07-09
FOR THE FARMER.
We Olde Cheshire Cheese.

A home of antique ease and peace
There is, within the citys pale,
A spot wherein the spirit sees
Old London through thinner veil.
The modern world, SO stiff and stale,
You leave behind you, when you please,
For long clay pipes and great old ale
And beefsteaks in the Cheshire cheese.
Beneath this board Burkes, Goldsmiths knees
Were often thrust--so runs the tale
Twas here the doctor took his ease, 49,,
And welded speech that, like fail.
Threshed out the golden fruit All hail
Great souls, that sat on nights like these,
Till morning made the candles pale,
And jewellers left the Cheshire cheese!
By kindly sense and old DEGREES
Of England's use they set their sail
We press to never-furroWed SEAS
For vision worlds we breast the gale,
And still we seek and still we fail,
For still the GLORIOUS phantom fees
Alb we'll! no phantom are the ale
And beefsteaks of the Cheshire cheese.
Epuoi.
If doubts or debts thy soul assail-
If Fashions forms its current freeze
Try long pipe, glass of ale,
And supper in the Cheshire cheese!
II, ". Rolteston ie the academy.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-07-09
Bagging Grapes.

Promising that green bags have been
found best, we give the following from
Farm and Vineyard:
The principal enemies to the grape
are birds, insects, mildew and black rot.
That bagging the punches at the proper
period affords the most efficient protec-
ton known has been fully demonstrated
wherever tried, but many hesitate
about adopting the practice on account
of the supposed trouble and expense.
The punches should be covered as soon
as the berries are we'll set by slipping
an ordinary two-pound bag, such as is
used by.merchants, over the bunch, and
pinning the folded corners around the
stem. An opening should be made in
the bottom of each bag by driving a
sharp chisel through the ends of the
packages of fifties. The object of max
ing this opening is to allow the escape
of any water that may find it's way into
the bags, and by one stroke of mallet
the openings are thus made in fifty
bags.
At the Alabama station, where this
practice was thoroughly tried last year,
it was found that the protection was
complete if the bags were applied just
after the berries set on the punches.
If not applied until the berries are
against black rot, but they. do against
birds and insects. At the station the
bags used cost S1.20 per thousand, and
it is said a boy II years old can pin on
l 800 per day if the vines are properly
trained on the trellis. Fungicides pro-
tect against rot and mildew, but not
against birds and insects, while bags
protect against all Of forty varieties
experimental with, in a majority of
the cases rot was prevented by bagging,
but occurred without it. In some twelve
or more cases the varieties resisted rot
without bagging, but the general result
the berries, and in several a prolonging
of the season
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-07-09
An Unsupported Theory.
From an Exchange.

1t was widely stated, last winter, that
the grippe was first propagated by the
great floods in the fertile valley of the
Yellow River in China, which left de-
post of germladen aliuvial mud, parti-
cles of which were carried by mer-
chants to Europe In dealing with this
theory the Shanghai Mercury pitilessly
proves, Dthat there is no grippe in Chi
ma; (2) that there is no Yellow River
valley; (3) that the country is not fer
tile; IA that there is no alluvial deposit;
and l5l that no merchants trade between
this part of China and Europe.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-07-09
Portable Panel Fences.

The most suitable material for this
kind of a fence is boards one inch thick,
four inches wide and twelve feet long.
Take three solid pieces at least four feet
long and lay down on level place, par
allel with each other, the two outside
pieces Just eleven feet from outside to
outside and the others in the center.
Lay on four boards, spacing them six,
seven and eight inches apart. Take
three pieces of fencingabout forty inches
long for cross pieces, and lay on directly
over the bed pieces at right angles with
the boards, six inches from each end
and in the middle. Securely nail with
wire nails. Lay on more boards and
cross pieces directly over these, and
nail as before. Continue to lay on and
nail until too high to work. Then tip
off the panels and clinch the nails.
For the posts or stools to hang these
panels on take any piece of sound tim
Der about six feet long and large enough
to nail to. Nail a piece of fencing about
forty-two inches long securely to the
center of this, perpendicular to it. Take
another piece of fencing about four and
half feet long and lay across this per-
pendicular piece, the top edge of it
thirty-two inches from the bed piece
and projecting about six inches in front
of the perpendicular board and running
back on an angle to the bed piece. Put
5-16 bolt through the boards where
they cross and securely nail to the bed
piece. Try your panels on this stool be-
fore making more, and see if when two
are hung on they fit snugly and reach
the bed piece; then use this for pat
tern. | am using this kind of fence to
turn all kinds of stock.-Ndtiordt Stock
man.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-07-09
Black Rot in Grapes.

This disease is not very troublesome
in Western New York, but occasionally
occurs, and the following experience of
New England vineyardist may be of
value here.
The rot commences about the LIST
of July in the Isabella and Catawba
a few berries. The berries thus affect
ed are in time entirely destroyed, and
the rot extends rapidly from bunch to
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-07-09

SALEsMAN-'I suppose you will allow
me to sell Broke, Upp & Co. ?"
Principal-"I'm somewhat afraid of
their credit, Mr. Valisse."
Salesman-"But you know they failed
about year ago, and settled at 10
cents"
Principals that so? Then they
must have money. Sell them all you
can "-JeWeJers' Circular.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-07-09
Hints on Haying.

The American Cultivator gives the
following good advice, suitable to all
localities and kinds of soil and climate !:
Cut all fields of June grass and daisies
early for two reasons. The hay from
them is rough, woody, and so indigesti-
BILE as to have but little value if they
stand too long, and land which is SO run
down as to produce only these as a
grass crop would be much better if
plowed up Immediately after they are
cut, and devoted to some late crop. Or,
if this is not desired, SOW buckwheat
and pillow it in this fall to enrich the
soil, or SOW round turnips in August or
rye later on in the fall These can be
used as feed for additional stock to in
crease the manure heap, or they can
fit the land for growing some
thing more profitable. than now
grows there. Even good crops of ruta-
bagas or of sowed corn can be grown
with but little fertilizer upon land turned
over as soon as crop of daisies is taken
off. Commence the haying by moving
in the afternoon and evening while 1t is
cool enough to work comfortably. Do
all raking and all drawing into the barn
in the hottest part of the day, and make
the hay as much as possible by sweating
it in the heap, instead of drying it in the
sun. This preserves the bright color
and fragrant odor of new-mown hay,
and if it is not these which gives the
golden color and pleasant aroma to
good butter, they are at least SO con-
nected that the butter will not be first
class if made from over-ripe grass
scorched in the sun.
Again the hay cured in the heaps is
dryer than it seems, as the moisture is
all upon the outside Of the stalk, while
that cured in the sun may be almost
scorched, and yet have drop of moist
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-07-09
MODERN MATRlMONY,

81 prythee tell me- pretty maid
To marry Inc art thou afraid?
/ am no monster come to WOO,
And if were would not harm you"
'''Tis not Il ON fear 1 hang away,
Your income is not large, they say,
I'd like you very well, guess,
But business is business"
- WASHINGTON Post
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-07-09

THE Poultry Keeper says that all
claims Of any difference between chick
ems Matched in incubators or under
he nsare sheer nonsense.
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-07-09

A MONUMENT to Richard Jetfries, the
naturalist, is to be placed in Salisbury
Cathedral
Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-07-09
Silk Culture.

Farmers wives are frequently advised
by inexperienced agricultural writer's to
go into the production of silk cocoons
for the money there is in it. Expert
ence in most of the Northern states has
shown that the money received for CO.
coons does not near pay expenses. Hence
one or two trials in neighborhood ends
the business there. In the Southern
states there is more hope of pecuniary
success. The mulberry tree grows well
and rapidly there, and the warmer eli
mate is more like that of Italy and
Southern France.
The Department of Agriculture has
been fostering the silk industry and also
and ramie. A few days ago the Manu-
facturers' Record, Southern journal,
published the following item, showing
that there is possibility of making the
raising of ramie and silk jointly more
profitable than the production of either
alone:
A discovery has been made by lady
at Columbia, S. c., that may have d
marked effect upon two great industries.
For number of seasons this lady
amused herself by feeding silk-worms,
and sending few pounds of cocoons to
the Women's Society for the Encour-
agomont OF the Sllk INDUSTRY. III Iulld-
delphia The extraordinary warmth of
this winter caused the eggs to hatch far
in advance of the season, and, as the
young leaves of the mulberry and the
Usage orange had not put forth, our
amateur was at a loss what to do. See
ing that the foliage of the ramie in a
neighboring field was putting out, she
gathered some and put the worms upon
it. They fed ravenously, and she kept
up the supply until the Usage orange
leaves appeared. Then she divided her
worms equally, feeding one set with
ramie, the other with Usage orange.
She kept the cocoons separate, and
sent them to Philadelphia. The experts
there were astonished at the size of
those spun by the ramie-eaters, and
wrote to the lady to know what she had
done to secure them. They were not
only larger, but the silk was finer. If
further experiments should prove that
ramie leaves can be depended upon for
silk-worms' food, then a great impetus
will be given to the production OF this
valuable article in the South, while it
will add to the profits Of those who
raise the plant for it's fibre.