davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Fort Worth gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-189?, 1891-05-14
THE GREAT AMERICAN pr,rr,

How far IS Fort Worth from H.. a...s.-
line OF the great American CaS-r-. -5---
times called the StakeG Plains ] a..
Old man. and in the days OF III y1--- -,
Great American Desert was = p-.- --.,
feature on our school aliases. b.. .-. ~.
Of Texas generously sent ne . 81. o.
nor a. al define its location Hv,-.- ~
viii rot consider me 100 troubles a.
AmerjcuS, Ga. !. y. CoNov,y
The CT at American DcScT. t5s -,-.
with the things that were, or -.--.-- r...
the things that were not. cont. .5,,.
general supposition OF our tlrs...=-.,
There IS no Great American Dcsa-- --..s-s
never was. The area poia,ed OIL. ss;..
old maps as 4 desert j. now E..ya,. "a Id.
made UP Of the finest agriculture. .aaisa.
the world Il IS rapidly set;,.as -p ana
no distant day of the future WI. donates.
appear upon the maps IS the yag. ---ls-
spot OF the earth. The Old AMI e----s-...
impression of a desert grew or..uc '..e.
that the region appeared 10 ye w,..-
less, but modern science a., o..
tiraiv diSpe,,ed 'uar We. rs.
ural deIusion Nature ID be-.
great wisdom had placed III. w-.s-,
4 little beneath the sUrfa.n So --s-s-.
evaporation. They are there r--fs. s. jean
forth in sparkling purity anu IT. --....
abundance at the beheSJ Of Iual. /. -....,e,
upon the surface they would have l-,.
largely carried away b. the passing 5.-,-s-.
so nature canned" them as !. y--, %
prevent that unnecessary waste. lie
Great American Desert Of rf,y g,s,,
ago is now rapidly developing .a.J '..
great American oasis, covering q. ne sag-
posed-to-be desert Tel vo-r .5ars--
friends 10 come out this way and -as Z. .c-
themselves, and hint 10 them ,A.- H..
ore Of the cases in which delay s-r DANCE.
Gus. There are still fine op--iu.s I.s pr.
SONS DESTROYS of obtaining r'el-.t- ,c~--
and permanent prosperity. ~ ,..e l=,l.-
they are pouring in from all po.r'- a. ls
COMPASS
The Fort Worth gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-189?, 1891-05-14
THE BASKET WORM.

We have lately moved TO Z new home in
the city. There are some CedarS on our
yard, and iind hanging upon the branches
thereof humorous little Sllken pouches, =
specimen of which | inclose. If you can
afford to do SO without printing my real
name, please tell me through THE GAZETTE
what they are and what they mean. You
viii see that they have been constructed on
the tree where found, for adherlng to the
surface are many leaves of the cedar.
Fort Worth, Tex. Mrs. ---.
We would always prefer to print the real
names of our correspondents, but in case
where parties feel that they cannot afford
to grant US this favor, but viii give US the
name in private note for our own refer
ence, we are willing to attend to their let
tiers the same as if the name was ap-
pended.
The specimen sent is the work Of small
insect known BY various common names, Is
the hang worm. the bag worm and the
basket worm. The scientific name of the
insect is Thyridopteryx epremer9forinis.
It is quite L troublesome insect on our
shade trees, working upon almost any
species, but seeming to prefer the ever
greens, as cedar, arborvit;p and the like.
The male Of this species is 4 small brown
ish moth, which flies at night, but the fc-
male IS wiDgless and never leaves the basket
alive, but carries it about with her where
ever she goes, hanging downward from the
branch to which she clings with her feet
In the fall she fastens the top of the basket
10 twig and then retires within, closing
the opening. Thus the basket hangs
through winter. Her eg5s are deposited in
the interior Of the basket, and early on
spring those eggs hatch out minute worms
which come forth and enter upon the con-
struction of new baskets to cover them
through the summer and on to the next
spring. In this way the routine goes on
from y'ear to year.
But two remedies for this pest have been
proposed by entomologists as yet. One of
these is to pick off and burn the baskets in
winter, and the other is to spray the trees
early in summer with some arsenical poi
son, as Paris green, London purple, or di-
luted solution Of arsenic. Ii is now too late
10 do any good in Texas by burning the
baskets, as the young worms are already
out. The insects, where fairly started,
Will seriously injure the trees if not
promptly destroyed.
The Fort Worth gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-189?, 1891-05-14
OUR BEAUTIFUL wILDFLowERs.

Your talks on the wildfowers Of Texas
are getting up quite an interest. Nothing
so much rouses people to an appreciation
of what they have as intelligent references
to their possessions. There may be some
10 say that talks about fioras and flowers
are of no permanent value, but for myself
an happy to state that / do not belong TO
that particular class. The refined Of all the
world love flowers, and it is almost 4 thing
of certainty that a person Of refinement
thinking of changing location to a new
country, would find no small degree of at
traction in a knowledge Of the fact that the
land thought of for the new home was liter
ally land of flowers" Already you have
said more about our beautiful Texas flowers
than l have yet seen in print anywhere else,
and all together, but everybody seems
pleased, and all have talked with agree
that you have not said too much aud
indeed could not say too much in that
direction. The beautiful Texas flowers are
here, but the people at a distance who have
never visited Texas in the season of wild
flowers do not know it. Northern people
come here in winter and follow the wild
geese in their northward fight so soon as
spring begins to appear They know moth
ing of our delightful spring-time and sum
mer-tiIne beyond what they nave heard,
and much they have heard has sprung from
the Imagination of persons who never spent
a spring and summer in Texas. Let US tell
them something of what we stay-at-home
The Fort Worth gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-189?, 1891-05-14
THAT CONGO cHoKLAH AGAIN.

see ''Kaffir corn hobs up again under
another name, as it has done annually for
the last twenty years. l would advise no
one TO waste time and soil by its cultiva-
ton. The seed sharper" will continue to
get in his work. nevertheless, as heretofore
"Choklah" makes good chicken feed, but is
an especial favorite of that pest OF the
farmer, the ''chinch bug" It is a greater
breeder of this destructive insect than either
spring wheat or millet. Ny advice from
experience is TO let il severely alone.
Fort Worth, Tex. J. c.. MARTIN.
We have still another charge TO prefer
against the so called '.choklah" Some
years ago we gave it rather extended
trial in lower Alabama, where the chfnch
bug is not known. It grew well, seeded
well, and appeared to stand drouth better
than almost anything else, but about the
time the grain was coming into the milk
state a strange caterpillar appeared and
literally riddled the heads. This same
thing happened three years in succession,
which seemed to be enough Of that kind
in our'n,n so we then and there let up On
the cultivation Of Congo choklah," then
sailing under the name Of ''panpas rice
The Fort Worth gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-189?, 1891-05-14
NEW FOR SHEEP IN Try.s

Here { usually raise sheep FOR the sheep
alone, looking to the wool or the carcass for
our only profits. This comes of the fact
that we have all along been looking 10 the
wild range for the support of our sheep,
and there is no getting around the fact that
as a rule our wild range affords our sheep
a very fair support But Nh Galen Wilson
writes that even in the face of all this there
IS still a better way of managing sheep.
There IS in the sheep another prominent
source Of profit never much calculated
upon by the Texan, where lands are looked
upon as naturally rich enough for all prac-
tical purposes in agriculture. This matter
of rich lands may be all true enough, but
there is such a thing as vastly improving
the productive qualities of the richest
lands, naturally, by what one might
call tanning them. Mr. Wilson
says ne once called upon a rich
land farmer and was surprised to find his
crops looking much better than those of his
neighbors working lands OF precisely the
same natural character. Asking the farmer
for an explanation, that gentleman simply
pointed to flock of sheep quietly feeding
in an adjacent field.
The farm under consideration was some
what broken into ridges and knobs like
much OF the lands in Texas. There were
no really poor lands on the place, though
those topping the ridges were the thinnest.
Further inquiry brought out that the
The Fort Worth gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-189?, 1891-05-14

mercial Reporter says Irish potatoes make
better glucose than corn. a back issue of
the Chicago Prairie Farmer says one bushel
of Irish potatoes yields more glucose than
two bushels of corn. Scientific investiga-
tons have shown that the sweet potato is
richer in g!ucose-yielding elements than is
the Irish potato And this at once lifts
the curtain to q plain view of how Texas
might be contributing largely TO that mo
lasses sea" and doing it with great profit
to herself. 1t is well established fact
that under good culture and Intelligent
management, we can easily raise 400 bush
els of sweet potatoes TO the acre. If one
bushel Of sweet potatoes is worth as much
in the manufacture Of glucose as two bush
els of corn, you can see that our land cult
waited TO sweet potatoes for the manufacture
Of glucose would be yielding US an equiva-
lent OF eight hundred bushels Of corn to the
acre Then the culture and handling OF the
crop would be no more expensive than the
cultivating and handling OF 80 acre TO corn.
Why, there is millions in it, so TO speak.
This thing ought 10 be promptly looked
into by our people. There IS not one argu-
ment that could be brought TO bear against
i IS Offering for US one Of the biggest
things imaginable. The land Will produce
the potatoes-nC doubt Of that-and the
potatoes would undoubtedly yield the glu-
cose. The hardest and most productive
potatoes We now grow would be the kinds
most needed, for these are richest in starch,
and starch alone is the element converted
INTO glucose. With proper attention the
potatoes could be SO kept as would run the
factory through much longer season than
u sorghum, a beet or cane sugar factory is
evcrTun.
We do hope the people Of Texas viii take
this very important matter under consider
alton Nothing else IS needed, for there
are no tests 10 be made Everything is
bound 10 pan out precisely as named, hence
there Is nothing TO do other than working
up VIII 20 get at it. The processes Of con-
vc,tinc the sweet potato into starch are
exactly tho same as those employed in con-
vcrlmg the Irish potato into starch. In
time Of the late war starch WAS largely
made from sweet potatoes in both Georgia
ana South Carolina, so there is no guess
work about the matter. The yield of starch
was large Once we have starch the glu-
cose may he regarded as made, for the pro-
ccsscS 10 follow are few and simple.
The Fort Worth gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-189?, 1891-05-14

farmers sheep were Systematically
pastured on the lands he cultivated. 1t was
the nature of the sheep to rest on some
point of high ground in the field until that
particular point had grown 10 be more or
less Uttered. after which their peculiarities
of cleanliness led them TO move to fresh
fresh spot. Thus their work was continued
until all the thinnest lands were attended
10, ana from these high lands much Of the
leavings of the flock were washed by rains
TO the lands on lower levels. The effects
On the lands were marked, although
naturally they appeared 10 have been all
that crops need require, without any add
ton in this way
This farmer who, like many others, had in
closed more ground than he needed TO Guilt
vate continuously kept one field under
sheep treatment, devoting 4 year TO the
process. The growths on it pretty well
kept up the sheep while at the same time
the sheep contributed largely towards keep
ing up the growths. Each alternate year
the land was put to culture and superior
crops were the result. He told Mr.. Wilson
that his gain from this process was beyond
doubt, yet he was unprepared TO give the
exact per cent Of gain. But so marked Was
the gain, he said, that if his sheep yielded
no wool at all he would still keep them on
his lands; OF if they produced wool alone
and no lambs he would keep them; and he
was not at all sure but he would keep them
for the good they done TO his crops If they
gave him nothing save just lambs enough TO
keep up the flock.
1t was not contended that the sheep d.
rectly enriched the land, taking general
clements of plant food into consideration,
but they tanned it. For best results lands
must have something OF that kind. For
wild growths any good land may be all
well enough, but our crops are tame
growths, and therefore, some kind of tam
ing is necessary 10 make everything con-
genial
The Fort Worth gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-189?, 1891-05-14
FARMING AS A SCIENCE.


That noblest Roman among our agricul-
tural magazines, the Southern Cultivator
Atlanta, Ga, says the farming world has
been agitated for months on the impor-
tance of reducing the acreage in cotton.
But the essential point has been overlooked
and that is reducing the cost OF production.
1t makes no difference TO the farmer if it
costs him cents per pound to produce cotton
and he can only sell il for that sum, or if it
costs him cents per pound and can only
sell for six cents. But if he can make it ut
cost of cents per pound and sell it for
cents per pound it is different.
1t is difficult matter for the farmer to
arrive at>the cost of the production Of cot
ton per pound unless he starts out with the
determination Of so keeping accounts of
everything as will clearly show him at the
final footing up. Several years ago Hon.
W l. Peek undertook the keeping of such
accounts and the results showed him that
the cost of producing cotton by even
ordinary planters was not so great as has
been figured up by those persons who for
some reason or other are ever found swing
ing back on cotton culture. Mr.. Peek
found that half bale Of cotton to the acre
would cost the planter Is cents per pound,
or S3I TO the bale. He found that one bale
to three acres would cost the planter 40
cents per pound, or $40 to the bale.
This calculation is based upon what
might be averaged as entirely bad farming
one bale TO two acres is bad enough, in
all conscience, while one bale TO three acres
is simply fearful. The Cultivator further
states on the authority of Mr.. Peek, that
one acre made 10 yield "a pounds OF lint
cotton, as was the average of the result OBJ
tanned in 1854 by seventy-four cotton
planters, would reduce the cost of produc-
ton 10 $3.50 per bale, or less than four
cents a pound. One bale to the acre is
thing easy enough under proper culture
and management. On many occasions
very much larger yield has been made.
In 1884 Mr. D. ". Perdue of Pike county,
Ga, made 1915 pounds Of lint cotton to the
acre, which, all things considered, brought
down the cost of production to 5000 per
bale of five hundred pounds. According TO
this the farmer making such crop, and
selling his cotton at the unusually low price
of eight cents 4 pound, would have profit
of $50 90 on the bale, or more than 800 90 on
his acres operations.
So you see, as we stated in our article
last week, the thing for the planter to study
is not reducing of his production to force
prices up to figures that will pay him for
bad farming, but a reducing of the cost of
production. This, says the Cultivator,
should be the work of farm science, not
only in the production of cotton, but every
other product of the farm. The employ
ment of improved implements in the cul-
ture, the care and handling as well as mar
The Fort Worth gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-189?, 1891-05-14

''land plaster" of commerce, sold for a..
riching lands. Supposed to be hig..l- A.
vantageous to crops OF wheat and o,B.,
small grains.
There is probably not much in TO -,
owner of gypsum deposit IN To- , -,
present, owing to the fact that lard u4...,
is not much used by Southern farmers.
Yet. and to ship It = long dis:arae u5
too much cut or an ability to cor r.-- ID.
vantageously with the Northern r--.-
We are rot entirely sure of thu. i.-..--
and therefore the thing Is WORT. .
veStigation. No doubt the time 49, e-.-.
ually come that shall find the prep-.-. ~ r.,
land plaster big thing for Tev.-.
The Fort Worth gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-189?, 1891-05-14

keting OF products; the svstematizing of
labor and the products Of labor SO as TO
make the farm, in all its departments, self
sustaining: all these will be necessary to
achieve success. The study must extend
TO how 20 plant, what is the food for plants
and for soil how TO prevent waste on the
farm and in the soil, how to bring up every
part OF the farm work so as TO secure the
greatest possible results on sound econ
ouical basis: these are vital matters that
viii demand the attention of the farmer
who wishes to succeed. It IS clear that re-
ducing the acreage in cotton viii not result
in benefit to the farmer so long as it costs
him so much to raise il.
Raise cotton or any other marketable
crop that You would prefer TO raise as Your
surplus, but do it at the least possible cost
is the advice Of agricultural science. Don't
say you are raising It at the least possible
cost so long as others have raised II at a
cost still lower. That which has been done
once can be done again. Set your plans for
the cheapest possible production, and study
in 4 way that will enable you 20 work well
up 10 Your plans-the closer you work TO
those plans the more money you viii make,
and the more you produce in that work the
better off you viii be in the end. How is
1t possible for any man to make money of
a crop that costs him in production all he
gets for it, No crop for which there is
standing and regular demand need do this.
Somebody is making money of that crop,
and if YOU are not doing it the fault is
simply your own. Study to find out what
that fault is, and when found apply the
proper remedy.
The Fort Worth gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-189?, 1891-05-14
OUR CORRESPONDENTS.

This department is devoted 10 answering
such questions IS may be asked by our sub
scribers which may De Of general information
Inquiries CT personal character that require an
Swcr by mail should always have stamp III
closed. Please give full name and pOstOilive
address in addition to any such signature rs
subscriber, or a. 6. D.. not for publication
if against the viii OF the writer out TO adm it Of
direct communication should such II thing be
deemed necessary. Address ~ directed al head
0f this M
The Fort Worth gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-189?, 1891-05-14
Pecos CITY. Tex.

fecOS lily, lex
Gypsum is simply sulphate of lime.
The fine and transparent varieties are
called selenite, and the fine but more mas
sive varieties are called alabaster When
calcined the better grades of gypsum be-
come what we know as plaster of Paris, a
material largely employed in the arts, as
for making casts, etc, and also for putting
"hard f1nish'' on plastered walls. Gener-
ally speaking, the plaster Of Paris, SO
called, is imported, though is is highly
probable that our rich gypsum deposits
would enable Us to prepare as good plaster
of Paris in Texas as is prepared anywhere
else. The most extensive use of American
gypsum. yet made, is as fertilizing agent.
Finely ground it becomes the well known
The Fort Worth gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-189?, 1891-05-14


Bogus silks can DC detected D. A,t'--
chloric acid. This being an emerge -t So.
vent Of silk promptly destroys ary --'
fabric immersed in it, while !; leaves ethel
wool or cotton unaffected !. the So d"
pure it will all disappear under the pEo-@'-.
out if it carries adulteration7 ;te5- ".
remain. If anything remains from q b., o.
silk after it has been few minutes IN .i.'
acid you may depend upon i thu - SIZE
was not pure. -
A new artificial stone capable Of benz
melted by heat and moulded into any -s-
sired shape, is the latest Giso1ve-E oil
science. II is a compound OF iren- zl-p-.'
and silicon, and unless modified bg gs-
ments is of dark slate color. Works We.
with the usual stone-cuttirg tools, and IN
be readily turned il i1,-e'
The tcstle strength = i-'@
$50 to 1900 pounds 10 tie s9-.7
inch, and a compression Of from 500 =
12,oOO is withstood. Specific gravity ao' :
90, the melting point is 800 degrees. "Ne1
melted the material can be easily cas- II ,
mould the same as a metal. I. 5 c-.,e@
''ferroid,'' and many claim that on sc-o--'
Of its good qualities, associated VIE -
comparative cheapuess, 1t must so'n -
largely figuring in ornamental stone WIZ
for buildings and other purposes.
The Fort Worth gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-189?, 1891-05-14
USES OF GYPSUM.

Please inform me Of what uses gypsum Is
applied to, and also give me some idea OF
its value where found in large deposits.
las r E,pppS
The Fort Worth gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-189?, 1891-05-14
POPULAR SCIENCE.
TEXAS TO BECOME TAE GRAND
IRON STATE.
To Test Wines-BoSus SilllS-New AIt4dgi4
stone-Great Electric Discovery.
Sawdust CharcoaI-How
Drown-The Light
ming Horse.

In an article contributed 10 The Eu-..s
ing and Mining Journal of New Yors
Professor Theo. r. Comstocl; o. or s'4-s
geological survey says II is IS ,he sea-, Of
commanding iron Industry that Cen-ra.
Texas must look forward TO her g.0rr II -sa
main. With Ill tho wonderful arr4T o.
natural resource and artificial forcing which
has brought to light the great pos> t-l;.e'
OF the South in other districts. he dos no
hesitate TO report from actual E-Jw.etgs
that Texas may confidently expect 20
taks very high rank among them a.
whenever her dormant IRON feds be-Jms
fully known. In amount and quality. AZ
in facility OF mining, reducing and m-as
featuring, and distributing Of product, Ii
other state c4n equal tbs when The o-t'
nary forces Of civilization have bon psO9
erly applied 70 utilize what Ha;urA has pl,-
vided. Very extensive deposits Of Ds
finest iron ores occur all through the ar--
of Central Texas existing IN great q-Aa.'-
ties over wide belts, and many o. the-e
show to analysis that they are extremely
rich in metallic iron and free from uEt.--'
able contamination.
The Fort Worth gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-189?, 1891-05-14

Herr Gulcher, q German e-ec'i-'''--'
announces a new thermo-e!ectr.c o4'-e-'
giving electric power equiva,ent 70 LO' p
cent Of the heat employed, and a-s0 IL
provements under way that viii give . -
cent net effect. The scientists VINO -
examined his discovery are pretty We
agreed in the opinion that this new iaeF-l''
electric battery, when rendered more
feet in accordance with the plans Oh -
discoverer, will excel the best dynamo -
point Of efficiency.
The Fort Worth gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-189?, 1891-05-14

A prominent chemist gives us e'mp-
method for detecting fraud in req Har-
Mix fifty parts of the wine win SIX p-s'1
of nitric acid of 1O40 specific g-4'lty, ~.
pose the mixture to a heat Of 10 20 ~ c'{
Fab. If the coloring matter in The wing -
all right as from the grape no change W.
take place, but on the other hand. y af'.
fetal coloring has been rrsortod 70 ne ",h4
viii at once lose its color.
The Fort Worth gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-189?, 1891-05-14

Every now and then some ne" -
turns up that fills one with wonder ''s
why it should not have been sooner tAo-5-
of. Among such is new French discover!
for turning the sawdUss of mills NJ
The Fort Worth gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-189?, 1891-05-14
md hence but seldom climb the trunks OF

the trees.
Gathering and burning the fallen fruit is
simple remedy entirely within the reach
OF all 1t should be kept up as long as there
is any unripe fruit to fall.