davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-01-20
GYPSUM IN THE SOIL.
Experiments Demonstrate That the
Substance Is Not InlmicaI to
Plant Growth.

1t has generally been supposed that
gypsum, when used as a fertilizer, is
valuable largely because it attracts
moisture and furnishes some material
which nour.shes the plants in extreme
ly dry weather. AS a soil for producing
vegetation, it has never been consid
cred, indeed ii has not been supposed
that plants would grow in it, but some
experiments at agricultural stations
show that plants will flourish in pure
gypsum and make an almost phenom-
email growth. Grain and plants were
raised in this soil with most surprising
results, Experiments also have been
made in growing plants and grain IN
clean. white sand The results of these
efforts may, il is said. almost revolu
tionize the growing Of certain forms of
vegetation. AS a case in point: Some
years ago a family moved into new
house which was built upon an I'M
promising gypsum bed. The mistress
Of the house was extremely fond of
flowers and bewaied the fact that she
could have no flower garden, Finally
her house plants became so trouble
some that she turned them into the sand
bed, digging holes and dropping them
in regardless Of order or system. and
left them, as she supposed, to die. Her
establishment may be imagined when
she grew such yerbenas, petunas,
geraniums and other plants as she
never raised in her life The neighbors
insisted chat She must have used some
commercial fertilizer, but the fact was
that the roots found abundant nour-
ishment in what would usually be con-
sidered absolutely worthless SOIL
Journal Of Agriculture.
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-01-20
<e.st>~&-Aness,.4
tI0t|1HIIGG'JII..I[.y
"sfea'.2.-vx-rrg7<4-..
A NEST OF SIEVES.
Their Use Is called For Almost Every
Day in Every Variety of Farm
Work

The value OF set Of sleeves with
meshes OF varying degrees Of fineness
is too apparent to need argument.
Their use is called for almost every day
upon the farm They are useful in sep
araiing weed seed from grain that is to
be sown. In fact all seed grain ought
10 be sifted with mesh just fine
enough to hold the sound. plump, per-
feet grains, and to let all foreign seed
and shriveled grain pass through.
This is but one out OF the many i'm
portant uses to which sleeves may be
put. 1t is important, however. to have
a whole line Of these articles. els, just
the right mesh will always be lacking.
A very handy arrangement is shown in
the cut. A boxlike framework is made
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-01-20
COLOR BLIND ARTISTS.
Strange Instances of Successful
Painters Who Could Not Tell
Red from Green

TO speak Of color blind artist
sounds like joking. said London oc-
culist, but, strange as it may seem.
there are several persons so affected
"ho can nevertheless paint extremely
we'll Numbers Of coIor-blind people
there are. OF course, who draw perfect
~ in pencil, ink and crayons, but ! my
self know scene painter attached to
provincial theater who, though
color blind, paints all its scenery, and
has quite local name not only for bis
interiors" and OAK chambers, but even
Tor landscapes. | can tell sou also Of
two London ladies who have consulted
me for color blindness who paint renI-
~ beautiful pictures. One 5 the Gaugh-
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-01-20
FARM TELEPHONES.
How JOY and LA DIN ess Can BE brought
to Many Isolated Houses at
Small Cost.

The introduction of telephone sys-
TENS into isolated farming communi-
ties has proved to be q great conven-
fence wherever it has been tried.
have had occasion to notice the effect
in large number of communities in
northern New England, within the past
two years. Next to good roads, | con-
slider the establishment of telephone
communication between county and
village the most important advance
step that rural community can take.
The value of q mans farm is not de-
pendent so much on the distance from
town or railroad, as it is on the time re-
CURED to reach them. The value Of
good roads, both for business and pleas
ure, has been so clearly demonstrated,
and so much has been written on the
subject within recent years, that per-
manent road building is not only in
dorsed, but the work is actually being
done all over New England So, also,
is the telephone. Both have the same
object, quicker and better transporta-
ton. The, highway carries the farmer
and his produce. The telephone carries
information. One ounce of foresight
Is worth a pound of hindsight and The
telephone can safely be said to furnish
the foresight.
With the aid of the telephone the
farmer can keep posted on the market,
many times can bargain and sell his
produce before it leaves his premises.
He can save many useless trips to town
by practically bringing the town to
him lover the wire). tits truly wonder
full, the way that news can travel over
the telephone. Within an hour from
the time the Associated Press was tele-
graphing dispatches to the daily papers
in the large cities, announcing the great
naval victories in our conflict with
Spain, the telephones were whispering
the same thrilling news into the ears
of subscribers up in the back woods
from Maine to California. In fact, it
is said that the people in California
heard the news two hours, by the clock,
before it happened.
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-01-20
FOUR SERIOUS DEFECTS.
Why Hundreds OF Miles of Stone Roads
in This Country Are Injured by
Heavy Rains.

The best roads are sometimes severe
IL injured by very heavy storms, bu,
AS a rule they do not suffer nearly as
ruch as either roads which are neg.
lrcted or those which are worked" IN
The old-fashioned way. tits practically
impossible to prevent all injury in cast
OF storms of extraordinary severity but
proper precautions will reduce the dan
ger to a minimum.
There are, however, many miles Of
stone roads in this country winch are
not fitted to resist heavy ratnia.,s be-
cause () the surfaces are allowed to
get rusty and to retain GepressiouS
l,Lich will hold water; (2) they are left
Tat, or very nearly so, and have insult
.icient crowns TO shed water; CIV grass
and weeds are allowed to grow along
iheir edges until water cannot run of
freely, and the side bitches are not
kept clean and open, and () in places
The earth at the sides is higher than the
raadbcd and turns the water upon it.
These defects are mainly due to the
impression that a stone road once laid
reeds no attention for a year or two,
md after that only an annual ioollir q
over and perhaps a scrapiug and few
repairs. The result is that the roads
deteriorate very rapidly and are as good
as they could and should BE- only for a
few months when new.
This method is neither practical nor
economical; it does not keep roads IN
eood shape, and it costs much more in
the end. Proper road maintenance is as
important as correct construction; we
.annot do better than profit by he eN-
perience of European countries and fol
low in principle, if not in detail, the
thorough system Of constant care and
repair that has been so highly developed
III France.-L. \. W. Bulletin
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-01-20
PROGRESS IN THE SOUTH.
View of a Good Road in the Town of San
dersvile, Ga)

<VieW of Good Road In the Town OF San
dersville, Ga)
orator Of the grading machine should
have instructions to commence work
on clay roads as soon as the ground has
become sufficiently settled in spring
and not to leave this work until the
ground is hard and dry.
With the money which can be spent,
build permanent culverts, permanent
bridges, buy machinery, buy gravel
pits. prepare gravel for hauling, con-
etruct drains, operate the machinery.
Do not leave the gravel or broken
stone just as il drops from the wagon;
spread the metal.
Crown the road with u rise Of one
inch to the foot, from side to center, so
as to shed water from the roadway to
the drains
Give the open drain a good fall to
free outlet. Lay tile under drains
where needed
Drain thoroughly Keep the road sur
face dry. Keep the earth underneath
the surface dry.
Use road machinery.
Use graders, stone crushers and road
rollers.
Improved machinery is as necessary
for good and economical work as are
self binders and steam threshers.
Employ one man to take charge Of
the machine. He will become expert
enced and do better work.
L., l..
ployed to operate the graders. They
become accustomed to the work and
give better service.
DO not cover an old gravel road with
sod and earth from the sides OF the
road. Turn this earth and sod outward,
and raise the center with new gravel.
Adopt every means to secure hard,
smooth, waterproof surface.
Do not let stones roll loosely on the
road.
Do not let ruts remain; they make
travelling difficult, and spoil the road by
holding water.
Make repairs as soon as the defect
appears.
Use wide tires
Improve the drainage of the hills.
Make The crown Of the roadway higher
than on level ground.
Change the location of the road if
steep hill can be avoided.
Do not use wood for culverts. Use
concrete, vtrified pipe or stone
Do not use wooden bridges. Use
iron, stone or concrete
Ruill pood roads
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-01-20

The telephone business in all the
larecr cities and towns is controlled by
large corporations that make direct
personal communication possible be
tween points 500 to 1000 miles apart.
Local companies can be organized to
operate III country communities, at
comparatively small cost to the sub
scribers, and afford great deal of
profit and amusement as well. | have
had telephone in my house the past
year, and now think could hardly keep
house without it. A few weeks ago. the
whole family were entertained for an
hour listening to the soft, mellow
strains of music that came to US over
the wire from the band concert in the
city. four miles distant, Having had
two years experience in constructing
and operating telephone lines, | can say
frankly and freely that the telephone
has brought JOY and gladness TO many
an isolated home, and is an investment
that rays dividends every day in the
year.-C. W. Scarf, in Rural New
Yorker.
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-01-20
GLAMOUR OF THE STAGE.
IN Elderly Pcssimist Wants an Ex.
planatiOn of the Fascination
OF CkOruA Girls.

II wish some body would explain. =
said a portly old gentleman who says
the New Orleans Time -Democra.,
WAKES his mustachps and believes firm
ly that the country is going to The dogs,
Il wish somebody would kindly explain
the fascination which chorus girls eX-
ercise upon certain class of young
noodles, Take woman who is as home
~ as a Bingham umbrella and as dull
as a Congressional Record and put her
in the back row of chorus where she
hasn't thing to do except draw her
breath and her salary, and first thing
you know mob of half-b baked Johnnes
are sending her flowers and mash notes
and jewelry and begging her to come
out and sample hot birds and cold bot
ties. cant understand IT,
IF she was playing sonatas on a
typewriter or Warbling CASH. in dry
goods store she wouldn't get a smile in
a century, but the moment she lands
behind the footlights she becomes
transfgured invested with an irresist-
ibie, hypnotic charm-aud the gilded
youths who would pass her IN silent
scoru under any other circumstances
are proud as peacocks is she mods to
them on the street She's "A member Of
the profession yknow by Jove!' Pom
my word is a queer thing this
glamour Of stage lfe!"
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-01-20
ORCHARD AND GARDEN.

In transpanting cut off all broken or
mutilated roots.
Fumes from an oil stove are not good
for house plants.
If the lawn needs manuring, now is
the best time 10 give it.
In mulching, use material that is free
as possible from weed seeds.
Low-limbed trees are not so easily in
jured by hard winds as taller ones.
The best apples are grown in hilly
country and a somewhat rocky soil.
A good tree well taken up and we'll
planted will do equally well whether
transplanted in the spring or in the fall.
One decided advantage in fall plant
ing is that the tree is in place ready to
grow as soon as the season opens in the
spring.
While lilies and gladiolas are injured
by manuring, tulips, hyacinths and
crocuses are benefited by liberal al
lowance
Nearly or quite all kinds of fruits and
vegetables keep much better if the tenn
perature in the place where they are
stored can be kept even.--St Louis Re
public
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-01-20
DcGAlD' @ s7e
IMPROVEMENT.
ROAD BUILDING HINTS.
OonpiIed by Mr. A. w. Campbell, q. 70.
Canadian Provincial Instructor
In ReadIna king.

Roads that break up" are bad roads
Make road improvements in such a
way that they will be permanent.
Undertake road work Systematically.
Appoint a supervisor who will have
charge of all the road work.
Make road beats five miles in length;
choose the best men as pathmasters,
and keep them in office.
Classify roads according to the ma
ture and extent OF the traffic over them.
Specify the width of grade, amount
Of crown. plan Of drainage, kind, width
and depth Of material 10 be used, and
see that these specifications are car
ried out.
Use clean road material.
Do not scatter money in making
trifling repairs on temporary struc-
lures.
Roads, cuverts and bridges will al
ways be required; their construction in
the most durabl manner is most
economical.
The pathmaster should inspect the
roads under his charge after every
heavy rainstorm. \ few minutes work
in freeing drains from distractions, fill
ing holes, diverting a current Of water,
may save several days work if neg
lected.
1t is impossible to do satisfactory
work on clay roads which are very wet,
or which have become baked and hard
ened by heat and drought. The OPP
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-01-20
THREE-CENT MILK.
Produced ON the Average Farm
at II Profit.

Whether or not a farmer can pro
duce milk at three cents quart, de
ponds, first, on the sort of cows he has,
says Hoard's Dairyman. A cow that
produces 1925 quarts yields within a
fraction of 5000 pounds. \ good COW
should produce 5000 pounds Of 3.75 to
per cent, milk. At three cents quart
the cash value of 5000 pounds of milk
is S69.75. With good farm manage
ment such cows should be kept for $40;
we have then a profit above the cost Of
feed of $29.75. The labor cost should
not exceed one good man to IS cows.
There are several questions to con
slider when farmers say they cannot
afford to produce milk at three cents
a quart. Such as the following. for in
stance: "Why can | not afford it?'
rs 1t because my COWS are too poor
in quality? | certainly ought not to
expect to make any profit if will
not make a practical effort to have
COWS that average at least 5000 pounds
year of four per cent. milk" Am
making any real intelligent effort to
keep better cows?" "Ilave been study
ing this question as a business farmer
ought?" 'lIaye / taken pains to breed
and raise better COWS or have depend
ed on buying COWS bred by men who
know less about breeding good COW
than | do?'
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-01-20
RETARDING BERRIES.
Kew the Strawberry Season May Eas-
ny Be Prolonged from Three to
Fourteen Days.

The aim OF many of our northern
orlglnators is to secure a very late
strawberry, and yearly every season
our attention is called o new ones later
BY small fraction than those of year
ago. This effort is put forth largely
because the southern berry now makes
Its appearance in our markets long be-
fore our berries blossom.
The strawberry season may, however,
be prolonged from 3 TO IA days by
the following simple method which the
grower can completely control. Make
the bed upon northern slope, so as to
lessen the influence of the direct rays
OF the sun; plant the latest fruiting va
r1ety found to succeed in the neigh or-
hood, and treat he bed the first sea-
son In the usual manner, but in the
autumn withhold the usual winter
mulch. In February or early March,
when the ground is frozen hard and as
deep as it is likely to be, apply heavy
mulch Of coarse manure, and tread it
down between the rows. Manure that
Tails upon the plants must be raked
on, as it will injure and may even kill
them. Then cover the crowns with
thin coating of chaff. and top off with
SIX or eight inches of marsh hay, or
where this cannot be obtained, with
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-01-20

clean straw This triple mulch is to re-
main undisturbed until blossoms ap
pear upon unmulched plants near by.
II the covered leaves do not turn white
the mulch may be left even later.
Enough straw Immediately over the
rows should then be raked OF to ex-
pose the plants, which will flower and
fruit even two weeks after unmulched
berries OF the same variety. The mulch
must not he taken from the bed, but left
between the rows until after fruiting is
over
The advantages in this plan are that
the blossoms are protected from late
frosts that so often prove destructive
to the crop, and the fruit comes to mar
ket after the glut and commands higher
prices.-M. G. Kains. in Farm and FIRE
side.
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-01-20
winter-Grown Pie Plant.

Growing pie plant in winter has
passed the experimental stage and be,
come profitable industry. Thousands
of dollars are paid the gardeners each
winter for the product, which is bought
at high prices, both for home consump
ton and for shipment. Any cellar or
outbulding which can be made abso-
lutely frost proof and light proof will
answer the purpose. There is no OBJ
lection to the house cellar. as no ma.
nure and very little water are re-
CURED so no odor or dampneSs will
arise. The labor of growing is SO lit.
lie and the profits SO large that the
most greedy ought TO be satisfied WStb
The -RSults
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-01-20

putting an iron pin in one end, insert
ing this in a hole at one end of the
frame considerably larger than the pin,
taking hold of the handle at the other
end and using it as both lever and roll
ing pin Gig. q. The roller can be
round or six or eight-sidod, and it is
preferred to have it diminish in size
toward the end which is furthest from
the handle.
The butter worker Of this kind is
made triangular in shape, say about 90
to "a inches wide and SO inches long,
as shown by the cut. 1t can be placed
on the kitchen table when in use, the
point being over one side, and the other
end raised little so the drip will run
Off al the point. But it is much better
to make strong legs for it and brace
them, as shown in the cut. In using it,
move the lever right and left and press
down hard. 1t will take some practice
to do perfect work, but practice Will in
sure results beyond all criticism
Orange Judd Farmer.
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-01-20
FEMININE DAIRY WISDOM.

Much of the profit during the winter
depends upon the comfortable quar-
tiers given the COWS.
BE sure to let the sunshine in the
stable-it is sure death to many dis
ease germs, particularly germs of tu-
berculosis.
Regular habits, fixed places and
lines for milking and regular feeding
with an occasional change of diet, will
do great deal to keep your product
constant and even.
In every dairy barn there should be a
small room where the mixers can
wash their hands before milking and
with pail and sponge at hand the nd,
ders of the cows can be washed if
they have become soied Without per
feet cleanliness there can be nc good
butter.-Dorothy Tucker, in Farm
Journal.
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-01-20

fine wire, weave five to eight of the
pieces together, at the top and bottom,
as shown in Fig. /, the same as wire and
lath fence is woven. and set them
around the trees, as in Fig. 2, giving
the ends of the wires a twist about
each other to hold them firmly in posi-
ton. This makes very effective and
cheap guard, IS inches high, and one
that will last four or five years. II the
laths are dipped in crude petroleum,
they will last ten years, and prevent
pigs and sheep, ds well as rabbits and
mice, from injuring the trees.-G. Fred
erick. in Farm and Home.
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-01-20
How often to Feed Cows,

The COW is a ruminant animal. aud
this means that she takes time to digest
her food in the most thorough manner.
If fed literally night and morning and
In sufficient variety she will eat more
heartily than if three full meals are
offered to her per day. at noon q few
corn stalks or clover hay may be given.
In feeding grain to cows ii should be
ground and mixed with enough cut feed
to make it bulky. If cows eat whole
grain or meal not mixed with cut food
1t goes to their second stomach and
does not come up to be chewed in the
cud. -American CCltiyator.
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-01-20

having a slit in one side and groove
around the inside. Light frames are
made, strung with mesh of varying de-
grees of openness, and. as wanted, one
or another of these frames is slipped
into the groove and a sieve of the right
sort is at hand One excellent use for
set of sleeves at this season of the year
is in getting out of cracked corn just
the right sized particles for chicks
when first Matched, for those couple
OF weeks old. month, and Sc on.
Cracked corn is a splendid feed for
chickens, but it must be graded to Sc
cure the best results. In the same ex-
cellent way grit of proper size for
chicks of varying ages can be provided.
Once get full set Of these sleeves, and
you will be surprised at the great num-
Der of uses to which they can be put
N. Y. Tribune.
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-01-20
Cut His Name on Morro'. Cannon.

While the Yale was anchored of
Moro castle, after the surrender OF
Santiago, sailor by the name Of Me-
Lean, to illustrate his patriotism, rowcd
ashore, climbed to the top Of the grand
old structure, and filed his name good
ind deep in the topmost Of the an
rient guns which point out to the sea.
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-01-20
Iannnese Imifnfinn-

A japanese named Takuma has been
turning the skill in imitation, with
which his countrymen are gifted, to
nefarious ends. and has been convicted
at Sydney Of forging seven copies of
rare early New South Wales stamp
rated al $500 The imitation was so
perfect that the stamps were purchased
by dealers and sent to London, where
they passed the scrutiny of several ex.
perts.
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-01-20
SAFE TREE GUARD.
1t Prevents Injury to Trees by Rab-
bits and Mice and Saves Labor
and Anxiety.

1t is best to adopt effective measures
for preventing injury to trees by rab-
bits and mice and save labor and anx-
iety. 1t can be done easily and cheap
ly. as follows: Take common plaster
ing laths, cut them in halves, then, with
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-01-20

Fold it over and roll again, and repeat
until dohc. The reason this is not prac-
ticable in hand working of butter is
that more pressure is required with
butter than can be done by the unaided
hand. But one of the very best styles
of butter workers (llnown as the roller
butter makcr) is exactly on this prin-
ciple, the roller being on a sliding
frame which is pushed back and forth
over the butter the handles being ar
ranged to give leverage Gig. y. This
style is not easy for the average farmer
to make and for a small dairy simpler
style gives satisfaction. 1t consists in
making long and large rolling pin,
The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-01-20

\ strange custom is followed by Mex
lean farmers They use oxen of one
color in tie morning and another color
in The Afternoon They do not know
WAY. but they know il must be the right
thing to do because their forefathers
did il.