davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1895-06-05
For THE FLORAL DEPARTMENT.
A Wild Flower Hunt.

Today was so pleasant that MAUD" and
L took trip to the woods. The air was
filled with the fragrance of the pines, and
the woods were dotted here and there
with beautiful wild flowers. One in particu-
lar thought very beautiful, large, golden
yellow daisy with rich dark brown centre;
the ponds were full of them. saw great
many blooms of rosy, purple colored
flower that had fragrance like vanilla
Beautiful little white stars, pink cup-shaped
flowers, and hundreds of yucca filamentosa
which are so pretty now, such pretty
green, and the threads on the needles are
pure white curving over. Later on they
will send up their lovely, creamy, white
bells.
was surprised and pleased to see some
of the the wild tiger lily in bloom. | Sc
cured what bulbs I could. as my bed of
lilies were ruined by some hogs coming in
from the woods; they just rooted the whole
bed up, and the bed being off to one side
was not noticed until the sun had been
shining on it some time; a great many of
the bulbs we're ruined.
Well, after gathering pretty wild flower
bouquet MAUD" turned her head toward
home again, and with me on her back en-
joyed a nice little canter in an open spot
and were soon home, feeling we had de-
lightful trip for know that the dear horse
enjoyed it as we'll as I. GYPSY.
South Florida, Oct, 1894.
The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1895-06-05

of the purposes to which the trunk of the
palm is applied.
When the juice first exudes from the tree
it is remarkably sweet, but it soon ferments
and becomes vinous, with certain degree
of acidity. This juice may be distilled into
an ardent spirit; and, in fact, the genuine
arrack, or rack of the East, is obtained
from the juice of palms.
The stalks of the branches of dates, and
the kernels softened by boiling, are con-
verted into good food for cattle; the fbrous
parts of the tree are made into ropes, bas
kets, mats, etc. Of the inner bark is made
the cordage of all the vessels that navigate
the Red Sea; the trunk is work ed into posts
ratings and other rough timber; the pith
of it is farinaceous, resembling sage, which,
in fact. is the product of another species of
of palm; the leaves are manufactured into
coarse ropes, baskets, bags, fans, brooms,
panniers, and mats; the stem of the leaf is
wrought into bedsteads, couches, cages,
tables, and stools; while, on the Tigris and
Euphrates, the boats of the country are
made entirely of palm leaves and stems,
closely interviewer into a circular shape,
and made impervious to water by an ap-
plication of bitumen.
Such is the date palm tree in its relation
to the domestic economy of he Arabian
|
matter of the highest importance in all
those countries. But, in fact, it does not
need nor receive anything that can be called
cultivation, beyond that careful fertiliza
ton of the female germs, at the period Of
blooming, which we have mentioned. In
the Algerian Tell or Bledeldjerid, the palm
groves indeed are scratched around little
once year, and the stalks pruned of dead
growth; but all through the desert. the
benehcent tree is allowed to grow accord
ing to sits own sweet WE'LL" withal it is an
extraordinarily prolific fruit tree, and in
the amount of its yield in relation to sur
face planted ranks next to the plantain-
| do llAcIAy do IWO AOAOAON PoAAAA IAOOo OOAA1S
grown on an acre of ground.
No wonder the Arab should style the
palm tree his paternal aunt When he
would go upon a journey, he has but to
sling bag of dates upon the back of his
barb or dromedary, fill his water bottle,
mount and away When he returns the
women meet him at the opening Of his tent
with refreshments of dates and goats milk.
He sits under the palm tree at the entrance
of his tent, as Jacob did, receiving and
administering justice; he is taxed accord
ing to the numbers of his palm trees, and
pays the tribute in dates. They are his
wealth, his currency, and his sole means Of
commercial exchange. He speculates in
date trees as we used to speculate in the
morus multicaulis-except that his trees are
alive and in bearing-and when his daugh-
ter is married, she is rated as an heiress in
proportion to the number of palm trees
she brings in dowry to her husbands tent
CONTINUED next week.
The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1895-06-05
The Date Palm Tree.
CONTINUED from last week. }

CONTINUED from last week.
That the Arabs should have attached
even more sacredness to the palm tree than
the Christians did, is no matter of wonder.
It was their bread, meat, provender; with
out it they could not live; having it, the
desert was the finest spot on earth, in their
fancy. adam" so their tradition relates,
twas permitted to bring with him out of
Paradise three things-the myrtle, which
is the chief of sweet scented flowers in the
world; an ear of wheat, the chief of all
kinds of food and dates, the chief of all
the fruits Of this world" The dates were
somehow transplanted to Hejaz, which
thus became the parent land Of dates.
so that the price of dates at Mecca and
Medina is the standard of their value all
the world over; and Allah has ordained
that, wherever the date palm hourishes,
there the true believer shall reign.
There is little domestic story, howevese
which shows more wildly than any legend
can what a feeling the Arab has for his
''paternal aunt" the palm tree. An Arab
woman went to England as nurse and,
after remaining there four years, returned
to her home Of course, everybody was
anxious to know what sort of a country
England was, and the travelled woman
excited their envy and discomfort by de-
scribing what happy land it was, how fine,
and rich, and prosperous, But" she
added, England certainly wants one
thing"
"What is that?" asked her auditors
eagerly.
There is not single date tree in the
whole country!"
care you sure?"
positive; looked for nothing else all
the time was there. but looked in vain.
This information produced an lnstan-
taneous change of feeling among the Arabs;
it was pity. not envy, that now filled their
breasts, and they went away wondering
how men could live in a country where
there were no date trees
And when we consider that, from the
Atlantic to the confines of Persia an ex'
The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1895-06-05

intermissions stretches that mighty DESERT
the margins of which would not be habit
able but for the date tree. and that, through
out all this region it furnishes the one sole
and sufficient fruit, corn, provender. vege-
table, shade, covering, clothing, arms,
everything-we will not wonder that the
Arabs have made it their king.
Indeed, there are few productions of the
earth anywhere so multifarious in the uses
they may be put to, none so indispensable
to the people who use them, as the date
palm tree. In the first place, it furnishes
the food not only of man, but of beast also.
Dates are not only the principal growth
but the main subsistence of the inhabitants.
All live on dates; men. women, children,
horses asses, and camels, and sheep, fowls,
and dogs.
In the Heiaz, and all other date coun
tries, the date harvest is expected with as
much anxiety, and attended with as much
rejoicing. as the vintage Of the south of
Europe. Sometimes the locusts destroy
the crop, or it fails in other ways, and then
there is season of universal gloom. 1.-The
people do not depend upon their new fruit
alone; but during the ten months of the
year when no ripe dates can be procured,
their principal subsistence is the date paste
called adjone, which is prepared by press
ing the fruit when fully matured, into
large baskets"
So important are the dates to the Arab
economy that they have different names
for them according to the degree of their
maturity. The date is first called tala,
then khalal, next balah, then bosr, then
rotab, and finally tamr. But, indeed, the
naked form of the fruit is but one of the
many uses to which the date palm is put
| The adjone or date paste, mixed with the
flour of wheat or of the doura, is baked
into an exceedingly palatable and whole
some bread. The fully ripe fruit, upon
pressure, yields delicious syrup, excellent
for all kinds of preserves and jellies AS far
back as the days Of Heroditus we hear of
'bread wine and honey" manufactured
from the date trees of the plain of Babylon,
while Xenophon, in the Anabasis, speaks of
both wine and vinegar being produced by
fermentation of the fruit. Distilled, with
the addition of water, the dates yield a
pleasant, but very intoxicating spirit, like
arrack, which not having come within the
express prohibition of the Koran, is very
popular throughout the Arabian peninsula.
When the palm tree has grown old or
unfruitful, it still has its uses. The crown
of the leaves is first cut off, and what is
called the cabbage of the palm extracted
This, a conical tuft in the centre of the
crown, made up of undeveloped leaves, is
favorite edible, with the flavor of chest
nuts. 1t is, in fact that brain of the date,
which is celebrated in Athenaeus as find
ing such acceptance among gourmets.
There too, the soldiers first ate the brain
of the date or palm tree. and many OF them
marvelled at its appearance. and at the
popularity of its delicious flavor But it
was found to have great tendency to pro-
duce headache; but the date, when the
brain was taken out of it, entirely dried
up" (Xenophon Anabasis).
Arooro Tho rooderpc bo,ua1,or tho +~oo
The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1895-06-05

To whom all correspondence relating to
this Department should be addressed.
The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1895-06-05
FLORAL DEPARTMENT.

EDITED BY WALTER N. PIKE.
'AssAANE' FLORIDA
The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1895-06-05

EOHN l.. NUCKOLS, dealer In Improved and
- Unimproved Real Estate, DeLand Fla.
The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1895-07-06

shoot below by post shown in sketch.
1t is ''daubed" inside with lime mortar,
and makes an exceedingly comforta-
BILE stable for two horses, Or three
sometimes.
The curve in roof is given by having
main rafters end at plate, and short
rafters for caves projection are then
nailed on at less angle. A piece of
1x4 across the splice holds all solid,
and by cutting off the angle helps
round out the curve, which, after
sheeting and single are on, is as reg
ular as could be desired. Roof is half
pitch; caves and gables project "a
inches. Cost, about 500; 40 carpenter
was allowed on the ground.
Logs are not plentiful everywhere.
These were some from which the butts
had been sold, and were only valuable
for firewood. Bark is on and creepers
planted round. 1t stands in edge of a
wood. 1 send the idea, as an example
of making good use of common, cheap
materials at hand in producing harmo-
Nous results.
The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1895-07-06
A CORNER ON SCIENCE.

CUBA has twelve varieties of mus
quitoes and three hundred varieties of
butterflies.
ARGoN and helium have been ex-
tracted together from a meteorite, say
Prof. Ramsey and NJ. Berthelot, which
points to the existence of argon outside
of this earth. Prof. Hodgkinson has
found gases, which he believes to be
the two new elements, in minerals OF
the samarskite and euxenite group.
FOURTEEN cobras de capello from
Haiphong were recently received at the
Paris Jardin DIES Plantes. NJ. Bertrand
has analysed their poison and finds that
it contains three substances, two of
which affect the respiratory organs,
while the third brings on creeping par
alysis. Combined they cause instant
death.
A PIECE of jawbone measuring eigh-
teen inches in length and containing
five four-inch teeth on each side was
brought up from a depth of forty feet
in Chain lake, Me-, a few days ago.
The local savants say it belonged to a
prehistoric reindeer, and doubtless has
lain on the bottom of the lake for sew
eral thousand years.
The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1895-07-06
FRUIT
How to Prepare a Palatable Wa
Weather Repast.

How to Prepare a PaIatable Warm
Weather Repast.
As the fruit season comes again, all
good housekeepers who like to enter
tain are fond of making plans for
dainty little luncheons, to which they
may invite their very dearest friends.
An orange luncheon has already been
described, and a strawberry and banana
luncheon is well worth a few notes. 1t
may be said just here that a fruit salad
composed of Strawberries, bananas and
oranges is n of the most delicious
things imaginable. 1t is not difficult
to get up fruit luncheons, provided one
has some dainty china, fine ia BILE linen
and a small amount of cut glass and
silver. Oranges should be prepared in
the morning, cut into slices and
sprinkled with sugar and set in the
ice-boX. The bananas must be left
until the last moment, IS they turn
black when cut any time before using.
but they may be laid in the ice-box if
one likes them very cold. Strawber-
ries may be hulled Immediately on
their receipt. This is best done by
dropping them for a few moments into
cold water, whirling them gently
around, then lifting them out one by
one, picking off the hulls and placing
them carefully on n dish. These in
turn may be set into the ice-boX, but
under no circumstances should they
come in contact with the ice; straw
berries lose their most delicate flavor
once they are chilled. If kept per-
fectly cold until time to serve them,
they will be exceedingly fresh and
crisp. a few fresh strawberry leaves
may be placed around the edge of the
dish in which the berries are served.
A portion of them may be mixed with
be served into the same dish if the
guests prefer. Strawberry ice-cream
and strawberry short-cake are the
usual Accomplishments.
Among the most appropriate decora-
lions are hawthorn blossoms. if the
season admits. There are also many
wild flowers that closely resemble the
strawberry, quite enough so, at least,
to pass as a decoration. Roses are al
lowable, and there should be an
abundance of green, of which there is
no lack in straw berry time. Straw
berry leaves, properly handled. are
very effective in decorating the room
when mixed with other greens.
Sandwiches of boiled tongue are very
nice and delicate. The bread should
be cut very thin, and the butter must
be of the finest quality. Nothing is Sc
disappointing as a sandwich in which
the butter is not satisfactory.
iced tea and lemonade, with oranges
ard strawberries, or claret punch, will
e, found most satisfactory beverages
IN. Y. Ledger.
The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1895-07-06
CHAT FOR sPoRTsMEN.

A MOUNTAIN lion, measuring nine feet
from the tip of its tail to its nose, was
killed lear Hope, B. c., recently.
THE prince of Wales backed one of
Cookers horses at Newmarket, and re-
port SAYS that Croker. not to be outdone
in good feeling, backed the princes
horse at Epson.
twelve months old, standing SO
inches high and weighing 1S5 pounds,
as big as 4 good-sized calf, is owned by
l.. 7. Wilson, of Cattlesburg, Ky. It is
a German deerhound, of the same
species as Bisnarck's two favorites-
THERE will be good deer hunting in
Maine this year. In many districts re-
Gently numbers of the animals have
been seen on farms and in fields very
close to settlements and villages, which
the hunters take to indicate Il great
plenty of the game in the woods.
DR.. W. G. GRACE is playing extraor-
binary cricket this year. In the first
month of play in ter innings he has
scored 1,O1G runs, which is q good rec
ord for q whole season. His average
for completed innings is lis, and in
cludes four centuries, two of them
being over $50 each. At this rate he
will beat the record of his best year
1876, and English cricketers think he
ought to be knichted.
The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1895-07-06
How to Give Salt to Hogs.

Hogs need salt as regularly and as
fully as any other stock on the farm,
and as with other stock in nearly all
cases the better plan is to keep a sup
ply where they can help themselves
rather than to depend upon giving
them a small supply at stated inter-
walls. If they are obliged to go with
out for some time and then have access
to all they can eat at once, there is
always some danger of their eating too
much. A better plan than that of Civ.
ing salt alone, even when a supply is
kept where they a help themselves,
is to take ashes and salt and mix well
together, put in a box in a corner of
the feeding place and replenish before
the box is entirely empty. The hogs
will help themselves and will keep
healthier and thriftier than if the salt
ing is only done at intervals.-Prairie
Farmer.
The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1895-07-06
Cure for Outside Clustering Bees.

In hot weather. during a honey flow,
when bees ought to be at work in the
sections, but instead are loafng in
clusters at the entrance, ventilate
them a little by putting a tenpenny
nail under the cover, and see how
quickly they will go to work. 1t may
help to warp the cover a little, but
you'll get more honey. When it gets
too hot in the hive the bees have to
come out to get a breath of fresh air,
just like people. When the field bees
come in loaded and find the rest of the
family out on the veranda on account
of the suffocating heat in the inside
they don't go in and unload, but remain
with their sisters, and the cluster gets
larger and longer until it grows cooler
inside.-Prairie Farmer.
The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1895-07-06
FIG. VIEW.

A, glass slide for ventilation, ex12 inch. b,
top Of boiler. 7, tube running down through
boiler. c, cover over top of tube. D, hinged
trap door. TO vertilate and clean. +, G, glass
slides, 9xi2 E, entrance for chicks to brooder
chamber H. inclined platform for chicks to
reach brooder chamber. Dotted line shows
where floor OF brooder is
chimney under the mouth of the tube.
Fill the boiler about t~wo-thirds full of
hot water, light the lamp, shut up the
brooder, and in a few moments it will
be warm, ready for the little chicks.
Cut a hole in top, forward of the
boiler, cover nicely with a 9x12 glass,
also two in the side the same size.
These should be so they can slide back
and forth. The top n is for light
and ventilation; the side holes are for
light, and through them the brooder
can be easily cleaned. Another hole
should be cut in the side below the
floor, in order to place the lamp under
the boiler, and to remove it for filling
and trimming. We use glass here also,
as we can more readily see how the
lamp is burning.
In front is another glass door, so the
chickens can come out upon the plat
form to eat. Never feed in the cham
Der. Cover .he floor with sand or saw
The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1895-07-06
ABOUT HI M

Mrs. CoRNELIA PHILLIPS SPENCER, of
Cambridge, Mass, has been made a
LII. d. by the University of North
Carolina.
MARY ANDERSON Mrs. De Navarro),
having recovered from her illness, is
now said to be looking better than
ever.
TIE will of Mrs. Mary Jean Brad
ford, a South Boston lady, provides a
81 1000 trust for the care and mainten-
ance of her parrot-a bird which she
owned for twenty years.
Mrs. HARLAN%isa almost of as large and
generous build as her husband, Mr..
Justice Harlan, who is six feet two
inches tall. When e together they
attract much admiring but surprised
attention.
The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1895-07-06
The Quiet of Farm Life.

Many complain of the confinement
of farm life, and especially at night
they must be at home. Statistics
show that nine-tenths of the crimes
committed in the world are done be-
tween sunset and sunrise. Blessed
rather is the farmers family, safe
from the temptation and ecure in the
pure influence of home. Let us build
our homes, sending forth a moral and
religious influence, a spot that will be
remembered with pleasure by our
children il the years to come, a quiet
retreat in which to entertain our
friends, a rest for the weary traveller
and stranger and an honor to our COM
munity in which we live, and we can
say we have made the farm pay
Farmers Review.
The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1895-07-06
MULTUM IN PARVO.

THERE is no place like home.-J. H.
Payne.
PEOPLE do not lack strength; they
lack will.-Hugo.
THE weak have remedies, the wise
have jOys.-Young.
A MAN must become wise at his own
cxpense.-Montaigne.
He who seeks the truth should be of
no COMMUNICATIVE.
WHEN the stomach is satisfied the
food is bitter.-Swedish.
LIKE virgin parchment, capable of
any Observation-Disclosures.
UHGRATEFULNEss is the very poison
of 1nanhood.-Sir =. Sidney.
The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1895-07-06
FARM AND GARDEN.
HOMEMADE

aus designer Claims That 1t Is Practical
in Every Respect.
Some time ago l promised a de.
scrlptlon of my homemade brooder.
wish to say on the start that while not
costly it is thoroughly practical for all
ordinary purposes, for it has been
tested and does its work well.
The size shall give is large enough
to accommodate 95 or 100 chickens.
which Is as many as ought to be in
one flock. To warm the brooder, |
use a common tin wash-boiler with
cover. In the center Of the bottom
insert a 2h-inch pipe, open at the
lower end but closed at the top, and
long enough to reach within two
inches of top Of the boiler. The hot
air going into this tube from the lamp
underneath heats the water that sur
rounds it.
The brooder box should be Az feet
long and 2 feet S inches wide, and as
deep as the boiler is high, with room
under the floor for an ordinary hand
lamp with chimney; use lamp with
wide wick, and let it come within an
inch of the mouth of the tube. The
boiler a be placed ~lengthwise or
across the floor as one may wish, yet
there must be plenty of room to let the
chickens come around the boiler with
out being crowded.
The floor should be high enough to
allow the boiler to come to the top of
the brooder, so as not to let the steam
n the chamber where the chickens
are. Cut a hole in the floor one foot
square, over which set the boiler and
under it place the lamp, with the
The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1895-07-06
WORK FOR THE COLTS.
A Good Thing Provided the Young Ami
mails Arc Not Overtasked.

A Good Thing Provided the Young Ami.
mails Arc Not O~yertasked.
That violent and continuous hard
work would injure a colt or an imma-
ture horse will be clearly admitted.
That many farmer raisers of draft
colts have failed in many instances to
make some profitable use of strong,
well-grown colts, is equally true.
Visiting a farm recently we found it
had been thought necessary to hire an
extra horse for work a part of the day.
Standing idle in the stable, because it
was not convenient to have him on
pasture, was a sturdy grade draft colt
two years old, and weighing 1850
pounds or more. He had never had
harness on. Two colts a year older
were doing practically full work on
the farm. They were carefully
handled and, probably, were not being
injured, although required to do more
than one likes to see asked of colts at
their age. There IS no reason to be-
lieve that moderate, light work would
have been of the slightest injury to
the two-year-old-but it is not the Gus
tom to work colts at that age-at least
not in ordinary work. Many two
year-old trotting or running colts are
made to do excessive work in train
ing or in races. Many of these are in-
jured by their work, but it is the
opinion of very many good trainers
that reasonable work, even at high
speed, need not do harm to the colt, if
reasonable care be taken not to over
task them.
Many 4 boy of tender years is re-
quired to do hard work, even on farms
where it would be thought almost
monstrous to ask a ~two-year-old colt to
help in the light work of the farm.
Better leave the colts idle than to in
jure them by overwork, but neither
extreme Unnecessary. On farms where
considerable numbers of colts are
reared they may not be needed for
work, but on many, where n or two
are raised each year, moderate work
at Il busy time may be a decided help
and do no harm to the young animals.
Prairie Farmer.