The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-07-10

the impression has gone abroad that
it only provides for an additional tax
of fifteen cents on the 500, to be ap-
pied to road and bridge purposes, and
that only after a direct vote of the
people has been taken on the question.
A closer acquaintance with it reveals
the fact that it allows the commits
sioners court to levy taxes for variety
OF other purposes without the sanction
of the tax payer. Now the commits
sioners court has too much power al
ready and its acts are not subject to
appeal. The action OF the past courts
has not been of such character as to
Ainspire confidence for the future, and
the power creating authority should
pause before increasing the power for
evil already possessed by the commits
sioners. l advocate constitutional
change, enabling each county to de-
eide whether it will tax itself for road
improvement, but even that great de-
sideratum may be too dearly acquired
If it can only be had by voting for the
amendment now before the people.
HOW TO TELL RIPE MELON.
Those engaged in melon growing as
business do not need to be instructed
on this subject, but it is a matter of
some interest to the amateur grower
and the buyer.
/ 1t is sometimes a difficult matter
for an expert to determine when a
melon is at the right stage for pulling.
Age is about the surest test. AS a
rule it takes about four weeks from
the shedding of the bloom till the
melon is ripe. The whitening of the
tendril next the melon is no gauge of
ripeness, nor is it possible to tell by
humping, as the sound varies with
the varying varieties, the thickness of
the rind and the time OF day, or rather
temperature, when the humping is
done.
When melons are ripening on the
vine the rind generally becomes hard
and if pressure is applied and you can
hear the inside creak, it may be taken
as sign that the melon is ripe. A
melon that has matured on the vine
will be found to have changed from
white to pale yellow on the side next
the ground, and if closely examined
small, white pimples will be seen on
the outer edge of the yellow. These
pimples are never seen on unripe
melons. This yellow color may be
produced by exposing the under side
of the melon to the sun for few days,
but the color so produced is deeper
than in the mature melon and the
absence Of pimples tell at once how
the color was produced. If the skin
peels off readily leaving hard, shelly
appearance that is an other indica-
ton of ripe melon.
HoRNLEss CATTLE.
The practice OF dehorning cattle is
increasing in favor every day. Prac-
teal and sensible men handling cattle
have discovered its advantages, and
these so far outweigh any objection on
the ground of cruelty that before
another quarter of century passes
there will probably not be horned
animal found in astate of domesticity.
This change will be mainly due to the
breeding of polled varieties instead of
horned ones. Where beef cattle are
concerned this can easily be done as
the polled Angus and Galloways are
equal if not superior to any other beef
breed, but the saw and gouge will still
be the means of removing horns from
dairy cattle.
1t has been estimated that over 800
lives are sacrificed every year by horns
and that they cost the lives of 200, 900
cattle and horses. They cost one
fourth of the winter feed of stock and
the loss of thousands of calves by
abortion, and nine-tenths of all the
losses in shipping. If only a small
proportion of these charges can be
proven they would be enough to de-
termine that the horns must be cut
off or bred off. *9