davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1903-08-29
Strawberry Beds.

1t is very good plan for the farm
er, or the farmers wife, to see that a
new strawberry bed is planted each
year. This is by all means the surest
way of getting good strawberry
crop each year. A number of beds
will then be in existence at the same
time, and from some of them at least
a good supply Of berries will be Sc
cured. The old beds can be kept pro-
ductive for several years, but the
farmer is very likely to let them go to
weeds, or, what is just as bad, get
too thick. When the old bed only is
to be retained, it should receive at
tention Immediately after fruiting
time. The hoe should be put into use
and the rows narrowed up to a foot,
and some advise six inches. The
space between the rows should be
turned over and pulverized. The
plants themselves should be thinned,
to permit the development of a COM
paratively few plants. 1t will also
pay to put on some manure each year
If the plants do not show an inclina-
ton to grow rank. OF course, too
much manure will produce great
plants at the expense of berries.
The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1903-08-29
CURING CANCER BY x.RAYs,
French Physicians Claim It Is Per- :.
fectiy Feasible, ~

French Physicians Claim 1t Is Per-
fectly Feasible. =
Two doctors of Lille have sent to
the Academy of Medicine, according !
to LIE Matin of Paris, a report on"
their experiments with X-rays for the
cure of cancer. They say that they
have relieved in this way several
women who had cancers in the
breasts. A woman of sixty-fve, who
was affected in the stomach, was
cured after seven applications, each
lasting three minutes, The expert
ments were made on the patients sew
en- months ago, and in none of the
cases has there been tendency to
relapse. It has now to be seen if the
rays will have an influence on deeply
seated cancers, as we'll as on those
which. are more or less of the sur
face order. The Lille doctors are still
continuing their investigations and ex-.
periments, and they are supposed to be
on the road to further successful re-
suits Time must elapse, however,
before they can be declared to have
achieved a complete triumph over one
Of the most fearful of the maladies'
which afaict humanity These state.
ments about cancer curing, published.
as already noted, in LIE Matin, have not
been corroborated at the Pasteur IR1,
stitute, where nothing Is known as.
yet about the experiments or the res
port Of the Lille hysicians. Paris
Correspond entso OF London Telegraph.
The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1903-08-29
A TERROR TO CATS.
British Inventor Seems to Have Filled
a Iono.feIt- wanf

British Inventor Seems to Have Filled
~ "A Lona-feIt Want. -
Probably nowhere is a peace-lovine
community more annoyed O. nights by
philandering cats on every roof and
back wall than is the population Of
London. Just now, for the first time,
a genius has risen with what appears
to be successful remedy for the
evil 1t consists of nothing less than
the Invention of fearsome automa-
ton tom cat made up of a tin frame
and covered with fur coat.
Tom" is as black as the darkest
night, with stiff black tail standing
up defantly in the air, and ghostly
look in it's sightless eyes. This bane-
full glare is produced by a four-volt
electric battery slowed away in that
PORTION of Toms anatomy generally
occupied by the digestive organs.
The general principle of construc-
ton, according to the British inventor,
is based upon powerful clockwork, re-
leased by a lever when the tail of
the animal is moved. The clock works
screening reeds, at the same time
forming contact to light the lamps in
the eyes and forcing outwards a dozen
long needle points which come up
through the skin of the back. The
tall also acts as trigger and releases
hammer formed of the lower jaw
of the cat, which explodes two per-
cussion caps in the mouth.
One night recently an experiment
was made. The clockwork was wound
up and the beast placed in the back
garden. In due course of time a f.
rociOus tom-cat, with chips off it's ears,
walked up to the stranger to give bat
tie, while a dozen of his lady friends
sat around to see the fun.
Without the slightest provocation,
he flew at the automatic cat, removed
a lump of loose hair from his back
and broke his tail in hall. That ended
the first round, but it was only the
signal for the tin tom-cat to get into
action.
The tail exploded the percussion
caps in that cats mouth with a sound
esembling that of a small cannon, the
electric eyes blazed out like search
lights, while heartrending shrieks rent
the air from the bellows inside, and
the needle points got their business
ends into the tom-cat.
Within few seconds the garden
was clear and pale-faced pussies were
tearing off through the quiet streets
in search of home comforts. 1t was
more than month before they ven.
tured to peep over the wall to see
if the ':black terror" was still in DOS
session of the place.
The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1903-08-29
Shade In Pastures.

From Farmers Review: My pas
lures are large and in both of them
there is plenty Of shade, and when the
sun is hot the cattle, horses and
sheep will keep close in the shade.
do not believe that If it was not good
for them they would keep in the shade
but would lie in the sun. When the
weather is very hot they keep close
under the shade, and when it get.
cooler they come forth and Craze. Il
my pastures had no shade would
erect posts and cover with boards tt
keep them from the burning sun
J. II. Beirne, Fond du Lac County
i Wisconsin 5..45.:.z .'=. ~ Il
The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1903-08-29
Types Of Hogs.

The desirable type of hog should
have good length showing sides in.
clined to be fiat. The ribs should be
sprung fairly well from the back, says
J. E. Brethour. You want a Slightly
arched back. If you have fiat back
you have a fat pig. If you get pig
hollow in the back, you surely get the
fat distributed away from the back
and filled In along the side. The idea is
to get the flesh evenly distributed all
the way along, so that when the car.
cass is dressed, it is not one-half fat
The flesh should be firm, not hard
and stringy. In the latter case you
are likely to get a pig that is an old
one held back and not in proper
bloom. You want good hair without
the bristles being coarse. A curly
coat is not generally desirable. You
usually get thicker, hair with a curly
coat than with straight one. The
desirable type Of hog is we'll covered
over the loins, with smooth even
shoulders not wider than the loins;
neck not long, but muscular, without
crest Of fat. The under line and up.
per line should be parallel, showing
eVenness OF depth through heart and
tanks. The hams should be nicely Ia
pered without bullying behind, indi.
eating a lean, f1eshy ham, well down
to the hooks. The flesh should show
no looseness or fabbiness about
TANKS, ham or belly, the latter show.
ing trim and straight underline. The
head should be smooth not carrying
any superfuous fat about the jowls.
The face should have an intelligent
expression with good breadth between
the eyes, showing we'll developed
The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1903-08-29
Get Ready to Cover Plants.

oCs nS00y " ~OV0T TIaUsos
In the summer is the time to get
ready to cover the plants in the fall
The Strawberries will need covering
in the more northerly of the ATTITUDES
in which they are grown. If the mat
ter is given no consideration till the
ground freezes; the culturist may not
be able to obtain the necessary COW
ering except at considerable expense.
There is much marsh grass growing
in localities where it is of no value,
which can be moved If. taken at the
right season for moving and curing.
After it is beaten down by the winds
and rain or the trampling Of cattle,
1t is practically out of the reach Of
the farmer. Straw is fairly good for
this purpose, but may as we'll be
placed where 1t will be easily avail
able at the time it is wanted. Be-
sides the strawberries there are many
other plants tina will need protec-
tion-the blackberry bushes, grape
vines, raspberry canes, rose bushes,
and so forth.
The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1903-08-29
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Humus and Moisture.

Decayed vegetable matter is humus.
10 nave good soil we must have a
supply of vegetable matter in it. The
cnler advantage of this is in enabling
the soil to hold water to a greater de.
gree than would be the case did it not
contain water. The eastern garden
ers have been surprised sometimes to
ind that their soils would not respond
to commercial fertilizers and that the
land was becoming apparently very
subject: to drouth. The trouble was
that the humus had been exhausted
by year after year growing crops upon
it by the help of commercial fertil-
izers without putting on a particle of
oarnyard manure or turning under
green crops. At the Minnesota ex-
pertinent station tests were made on
soils with a good supply of humus and
those with little, as to water content.
On one soil the humus was found to
he 1886 per cent of all. The water
content was 1913 per cent. The
other soil contained 2.5 per cent of
humus, and the water content was
12.14 per cent of the total. This diff
ference has been figured out as about
quart OF water per cubic foot of soil,
which would mean over 10000 gallons
to the acre. In a dry season this dig
terence would be very great factor
IN the maturing of the crop.
Plants do not eat; they drink. All
food is taken in a liquid condition.
II the water is absent the plant
starves. The humus supply is there
fore of prime Importance in the devel-
oping of our farm crops. There is
another great advantage in having a
soil rich in humus and that is that
the soil does not give off its water so
rapidly as do soils where the humus
is wanting. The roots go after the
food and moisture and get them, but
the water does not so rapidly pass to
the surface Of the ground. The hui
mus acts as a sub-earth mulch, if
such a term be allowable. It hinders
the pumps of the sun and wind from
taking moisture out of the soil, but
helps them to take the moisture from
the leaves of the plants, which meth
cd is serviceable to man.
At the station mentioned the two
soils were saturated with the same
amount of water and exposed to the
sun and wind for ten hours. At the
end of that time the soil with the
largest amount of humus contained
6.12 per cent of it's water, while the
other soil contained only S.94 per
cent.
The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1903-08-29
Grasshopper "Driftino."

The movements Of grasshoppers are
of considerable interest to farmers
that have fields likely to be devas.
tated by them. There seems to be q
difference as to causes In the East
and West determining direction. In
the West it has been observed that
these insects advance against the
wind, when it is only q light breeze.
The drifting is therefore in the oppo.
site direction from that taken by q
boat driven by the wind. The grass.
hopper evidently does not care in
what direction he jumps. His Jump
is decided by his Discrimination to
stand sideways to the wind. Like I
weather vane he presents his sharp.
est point to the wind. When he
jumps it is In the same direction,
Strange to say, In the East this same
custom has not been observed. The
insects do not seem to like the wind,
and Il they find depressed area, viii
accumulate In it In great swarms, de.
vouring every edible green thing.
IfEr
The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1903-08-29
Babcock and Gerber Tests-

In the United States and Canada,
and even in Australia and New Zea-
land. the Babcock test is considered
supreme a. a. determiner of the fat
in butter. But in Holland and Ger
many, the Gerber test is the favorite.
It IL also said to be making consider
able Roadway in England. Those that
use it claim that it is more accurate
than the Babcock test. We doubt il
this can be: substantiated. One thing
in favor Of 1t perhaps is that it does
not require the use Of sulphuric acid,
which some dislike. to handle or to
have around. The Babcock test, how
ever, has behind It the favorable opin-
ion Of the leading dairy scientists Of
the world. AS . ready and effective
test It Is probably superior to any
thing In existence, not excepting the
Gerber. y s<z ss 81 + .s.. Nh Y
The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1903-08-29
FEEDING Brood Sows.

For brood sows in winter and very
early spring, it is always advisable to
give them access to piece of early
sown wheat or rye, and to let them
have a limited amount of nicely cured
clover, alfalfa or cowpea hay by way
Of variety of feed. Sorghum stalks
grown as is customary for the produc.
ton of syrup, in limited quantity,
make an excellent addition to the "a:
ton. The main thing to be avoided
in carrying hogs of this sort through
the winter. is a straight corn diet.
The greater the variety Of cheap ma.
terials like these. the better the sows
will doc. w. Waters. -
The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1903-08-29
Raising Chicks In Breeders.

From Farmers Review: In our
management of brooders in raising
our young Orpington stock after we
have gotten the young chicks from
our incubators and hens to our brood
ers, we run them at uniform heat of
IS degrees, keeping it thus for the
first two or three days, gradually low
ering it degree a day until 80 de-
grees is reached, and then keeping
heat so the chicks will not crowd.
We feed nothing for first seventy two
hours, then we feed Chamberlain s
chick feed-fed exclusively every two
hours for the first week, then four
times daily until a month old, and
after that three times a day. After
the first few days we vary the feed
by giving rolled oats, cracked corn,
wheat and green ground bone, keep
ing cut clover to scratch in. Fresh
water is always before them. We get
an early growth of lettuce for the
little fellows, and, as soon as possible,
let them out of doors, keeping them
scratching and moving continually
We dust them frequently with lice
powdet. 1t goes without saying we
clean our brooders daily. At two
months of age we place our young.
sters in colony houses and leave them
free to run on the range, feeding
morning and night cracked corn
varied by, wheat and oats.-J. w.
tastes, Knox County, Illinois. =.
Only small portion of all the buds
formed on p, tree grow the second
year. The rest remain. dormant 81
latent Tor years. and are made to grow
and produce Shoots only when the
others are destroyed sI.87''
The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1903-08-29
Manipulating the Udder.

D. W. HOWE says: Some people are
opposed to so-called wet milking. I
can see no objection to this style, pro-
viding the mixer keeps his hands
clean. In fact, think that dry strip.
ping is one of the causes of warts in
the teats. My plan Is to milk dry and
strip wet Manipulation Of the udde1
comes under the head of milking. A
Danish veterinarian has devised a 50.
ries of squeezing of the udder which
are to take place after the mixer
thinks he has finished. The manipu.
lations are supposed to be the means
OF extracting every last particle of
milk, this OF course being the richest.
The operation takes two minutes and
the results gained are claimed to more
than pay for the extra time consumed.
This gentleman certainly cannot claim
to be the originator of manipulation
of the udder. You can all prove this
by bringing to your minds the mum.
erous times you have watched litter
of pigs taking their nourishment. II
is there you see true manipulation
The calf, and this is more to the point
also knows how to manipulate. II
simply gives its mother a bunt that
jars he: to the backbone and in this
way secured creamy milk. It may be
all right In tho old country, where
labor is only worth twenty dollars and
suit Of clothes per year, to spend
two minutes extra to the COW in get,
ting this surplus milk, but in this
country I do not think it. will become
very popular. Especially as you can
accomplish the same results by sim.
ply initiating the calf giving the sep
arate quarters of the udder several
chugs with the hand when you are
stripping.
The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1903-08-29
Drains In Orchards.

1t Is surprising to find so large a
rumber of orchards practically with
out drainage of any kind. Too often
holes are dug in the sod and trees
stuck into them, the planter hoping
that kind Nature will make up for his
shortcomings. Sometimes she does,
but often she does not The lack of
drainage at the time of setting out
the trees often results in the almost
complete failure of the orchard if it
be on heavy land, and such land is
preferable for orchards if it be we'll
drained. In the putting out of or
chards the drainage Of the land
should have the first consideration.
This will be all the more necessary
if the land be level and with small
fall. Water then will run off very
slowly even with good drains. With
out such drains water will remain
about the roots of the trees for days,
sometimes for weeks, preventing the
approach OF air to the roots.
There are thousands of fuH-grown
orchards that it would pay to drain
now, though the drains might have to
be put closer together than would
have been the case had they been
put in in the first place, for the rea-
son that it will be difficult to pulver-
ize the soil Immediately around and
under the trees. The orchard that is
drained gets to growing earlier in the
spring than otherwise, and this time
of growth counts for much when
dry season follows it. If a tree has
water logged roots it cannot grow till
that condition is changed. If that
change comes late in the spring, the
work of growth is shortened, espe-
cially if long dry time follows it.
The results may be very apparent in
both wood and fruit, though the
grower may not realize the cause.
The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1903-08-29
SMOKERS ARE EASILY FOOLED.
Vast Amount Of Perique Tobacco Sold,
but Only a Little Raised

vast Amount OF HerlQue obacco Sold,
but Only a Little Raised.
Speaking of tobacco consumption"
said diligent user of the weed who
knows few things about the bust
ness, If imitation is the sincerest fiat
terry in everything, then Louisiana
per1que tobacco occupies singularly
enviable position in the world of mild
narcotic pleasures. The annual pro-
duction of the famous brand of tobac-
co is between 10000 and $4,000
pounds, the total production of the
world-famous vacheries of St. James
parish. Yet it is of record, according
to the statement of drummer who
was recently in New Orleans, that his
house uses 100000 ponds of periquei
tobacco year as an ingredient of one
of the "perique mixtures" supplied to
the smoking public of America. Where
the perique comes from the drummer
does not know, but he knows that his
house last year sold perique mixture
in volume sufficient to account for the
disposal of four or five times the en-
tire production of the genuine perique
crop.
"The term 'perique CROP however,
is misnomer, for perique tobacco is
not a natural product, but manufac-
tured. A particular tobacco is grown,
and then treated especially, with the
result of what is commercially known
as perique. The many limitations with
which the public are supplied are, it
is said by experts, virtually the same
in quality and flavor, though not the
same as perique in either the original
natural leaf, nor in process of manipu-
lation into marketable ways, acetic
acid being used by some commercial
houses, whereas the genuine perique
is not subjected to the influence of
any foreign matter whatever."-New
Orleans Times-Democrat.
The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1903-08-29
Pruning Potato Tops.

That potato tops should not be
pruned seems to be clearly proved by
some experiments carried on at the
Vermont Experiment station last sea.
son. In the annual report the direc-
tor says:
The moist, cool weather Of July
and August, 1902, led to unusual lux
uriance In the development of potato
tops, especially where they had been
properly sprayed. This condition
brought to the experiment station in.
Quiries as to whether it was not de.
sirable to check this tendency to veg
etative vigor in some way, as for ex
ample, by breaking down the tops
with a roller. or by cutting them
back. We have always advised against
any such practice on theoretical
grounds. but decided to put it to test
this year, in the grounds of a local
gardener. He wished the tops cut
back in portion of the field. This
was done on August 18th. The stalks
were then about three feet long when
Strengthened out and arose about two
feet above the soil. They were cut
clean at a height Of one foot above
the soil, which removed the bulk of
the foliage. These stalks sent out
within a few days many new shoots,
but this new growth began to yellow
in about a week and the plants were
dead by September LIST. In striking
contrast the unclipped plants on
either side were in full and vigorous
foliage at this date and continued
green through September; indeed,
there were some green plants when
they were dug the second week in
October. Seven rows, each one hun.
dred feet long and three and one-half
feet apart, were handled experiment,
ally, five unclipped and two clipped.
The yields were as follows:
Row 1, not clipped, yield 22S lbs.
Row e.. not clipped, yield 221 lbs.
Row g.. clipped, yield $50 lbs.
): Row 4, NOT clipped, yield 223 lbs.
). Row; s, not. clipped, yield 224 lbs. -
4 Row 6,>1 clipped, yield 155 lbs.
!; Row Z, not clipped, yield I'll lbs.
AveFages-Not clipped, 221 pounds !;
clipped, 152 pounds.
1t is evident that practically one,
third Of the crop was sacrificed by the
clipping.
The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1903-08-29
Brown Leqhorns as Layers.

From Farmers Review: In my
opinion Brown Leghorns are the best
layers of all the hens and lay large
egg, as they are bred to-day larger
than Plymouth Rock hens. OF
course breed in my pullet line the
large sized s. G. Brown Leghorns and
not the small kind, as they did for
years back. They are easy to breed
and hatch we'll, and can get about
as many chicks from Is Brown Leg.
horn eggs as can from 100 Plymouth
Rocks, and Brown Leghorn lays well
for many years, while q Plymouth
Rock lessons it the second and third
year. I feed well cooked grain and
vegetables but this food does not fat
ten them, while the larger breeds get
fat and fat hen will not lay. My
experience is that can make more
money in raising eggs for market than
l can in raising poultry. To raise early
chicks for spring market is very ex.
pensive, and in the fall prices are toe
low for any profit. The S. G. Brown
Leghorn is very stylish bird. II
pays to produce eggs for market and
the Leghorns will do the Job. They
are called the egg machines, and SO
they are.-H. M. Meyer, Berkes Coun'
ty, Pennsylvania.