The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1893-02-18

Britannica Mr.. D. Kinnear Clarke, c. Il.
of London admits that the American
eight-wheel locomotive, adopted in this
country many years ago, is the type that
English builders are approximating.
The Salt River Valley.
The Salt River Valley, in Arizona, is a
paradise in process of formation, says a
correspondent of the Denver News, writing
from Phenix. This country swarms with
song birds-never saw anything like it since
[ was born. Five or six nests in single
apricot tree is nothing that way
through whole forty-acre orchards. If there
is great curved swaying limb springing
from a cottonwood look up and you'll see
two or three nests of the golden oriole hang
ing from it. Many of the song birds are
absent at this season, but the meadow lark
remains and still pours his ravishing melody
upon the morning air as he sails and scars
over pasture and meadow and orchard.
The biggest bird in the territory is the os-
trich. Arizona knocks the socks off Africa
for ostriches. They multiply in this eli
mate like rabbits. visited farm the
other day near Phoenix where there were
thirty three in one field. Two years ago
that farmer started business with single
pair-a gentleman and lady ostrich. The
ostrich is cross between camel and
crane. He has no song, but to compensate
is endowded with the heayen-born gift Of
kicking. He kicks forward ike a bad
boy, not backward like horse. This en-
ables him to make an impression on souls
that music could not stir. He has horn
shaped hoof as hard as a steel wedge, and
he can drive it through plate of boiler
iron 1t would be just a mere joke for
him to dash the bowels out of a Sunday
school teacher with one blow of that terrific
hoof of his. This ostrich business tells the
story of the climate just as well as the sig
nal service register The ostrich cannot
live in cold or damp climate.
The weather here in December and Jan
uary is very like October weather along
the latitude of Denyer-crisp and fresh in
the morning, delightfully."- warm during the
sunshine and chilly as soon as night falls,
making bit Of fire feel very cozy in the
evening. | never saw such droves Of tur-
keys and chickens. They range over the
fields and take care of themselves. There
is no rain nor cold to kill off the little
chicks, and no disease among them because
they are not penned up in filthy eOops that
breed disease. never saw such healthy
looking fowls. 1t is a great country for
bees, too-a wonderful country--from ten
to hundred hives about every farm, and
a good many go into the business exch-
sively as an enterprise. They pool their
product and sell it through an agency.
The air is always melodious with the songs
of larks, orioles, Gnnets and mocking birds.
1t is truly lovely country for home,
They make the choicest Of beef here.
The reason is simple. The frost is never
heavy enough to kill the alfalfa, aud they
pasture it the whole year round. Think
what beef must be that is raised in luscious
pastures Of alfalfa.
They cut the alfalfa four times, harvest
ing eight tons to the acre from good stand,
and turn in range cattle and pasture it three
months, turning off beef that viii go in any
market. Land under ditch, however, is
getting too valuable for farm crops, and all,
is rapidly going to fruit. 1t is almost too
bad, from the sentimental point of view, for
her beauty of farm life here was all that
poets dream of rural loveliness and peace
and simplicity,
Nature is soft, soothing and restful in
all her ways. Bronchial affections, valvu-
lar diseases of the heart; catarrhal all
ments, kidney troubles, are all relieved to
greater or less degree, ndin many cases,
there is decided Improvement. Themost
sensitive invalid can enjoy the luxury of an
out-of-door climate the year round. 1t
gives all that any climate can. Here genial
skies are ever present. Here is winter,
warmth. Here is semi-tropical luxuriance.
In fruits, the Salt River valley produces
the following Oranges lemons, lines,
figs, almonds, dates, pomegrauates, olives,
pecan nuts. peanuts, apricots, peaches,
pears, ounces, nectariues, apples, prunes,
plums, cherries, persimmous, Strawberries,
blackberries, mulberries and other small
fruits, raisin, wine and table grapes Of every
variety.
OF cereals and grasses. it produces wheat
barley, OATS, corn, flax, hemp, suear-canes
cotton, tobacco. alfalfa, blue grass, Bermuda
grass, millet, clover.
OF vegetables and melons, It produces
every kind, giving most prolific yield for
twelve months in the year.