davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Grit-advocate., 1906-02-23
W.y Soils Fail.

An Impression is abroad to the ef-
rect that all man has to do to find
out about his soil is to send it to an ex-
pertinent station and have it analyzed.
1t IS thought that the chemist can put
1t into some kind of machine. pass it
through some kind OF a quick-acting
process and be at once able to read
the whole story of the soils fertility
This Is not possible. Soil analysis is
long process and also an expensive
one, as 1t takes the time OF high
priced men. Often these men are in
structors, who have many other du-
ties in addition to those relating to
soil analysis. A single experiment
station could analyze but few samples
In year, compared with the number
OF farms in the state. After the analy-
sis, the owner would know little more
about his soil than he did before.
The chemical analysis shows what
are the constituents of the soil, but
1t does not show the proportion avail
able for plant food. Much of the fer
tility shown by the analysis was
locked up in an insoluble form and
long periods of time. Moreover the
truth does not come out as to the
ability OF the soil under certain con-
ditions, nor the amount of humus pres
ent. Soils fail to produce crops even
when they have in them an abundant
supply of plant food. One crop may
be failure because the acidity Of the
soil is too great, while another crop
may fail because the land is too wet.
One soil may be unproductive because
the humus has been worked out of it
in half century's tillage, permitting
the ground to bake hard in the dry
time of summer
The farmer that would make living
off from land that is inclined not to
give him large crops, has many prob
lens TO study. If he solves the prob
lens Alright he may bring his land up
to state of great productiveness
The Grit-advocate., 1906-02-23
Cross Section.

sand and one part cement. For the
woodwork there will be required:
1 pieces, 2 inches by inches by 10
feat.
Is pieces, 2 inches by inches by II
feet.
so feet lineal, inch by inches sur
faced.
50 feet lineal 1 inch by inches sur
faced.
so feet lineal l inch by inches sur
faced.
ITS feet sheathing.
One door and frame feet by feet
6 inches.
Two men should put up the walls in
two days and do the carpenter work in
two days more.
The Grit-advocate., 1906-02-23
Water Too "Soft."

Birmingham, England, is having
trouble with its new water supply.
The water is soft The city's health
board las warned hardware dealers
and manufacturers that galvanized
kettles and utensils are dangerous, as
the zinc coating Is quickly dissolved
by the water. Birmingham plumbers
say that their business has increased
immensely since the new water ar
rived. 1t seems to have no great ef
fec; on brass taps. but lead pipes and
cisterns are eaten away much faster
than before. Mild as the wiutc, has
been. it already shows recorG far
b-.Gt pipes.
The Grit-advocate., 1906-02-23
Acts Automatically.

cages with the burner, being made
In the shape OF ring con-
nected to two horizontal bands.
When the gas is turned off and the at
tachment in it's normal position it is at
right angles to the burner. When the
lever Is operated to turn on the gas
the attachment closes up until the top
engages with the tip of the burner
AS long as the gas is burn
ing the ring and bar at the
top are caused to expand, but
should the gas become extinguished
by gust of wind or otherwise the
band Immediately contracts and as
sumes position which forces the at
tachment by its own weight and grav-
ity to quickly fall to its normal posi-
tion and shut off the gas.
The Grit-advocate., 1906-02-23
A Safety Attachment.

Even in this enlightened age acci-
dents due to a failure to turn off the
gas properly are still numerous enough
to command attention. A safety at
tachment for gas burners is the recent
invention of New Jersey man. and if
1t will fulfill the claims advanced 1t is
well worthy of attention. Instead OF
employing stopcock the attachment
regulates the flow of gas. and as long
as the gas is burning remains in that
posi- zion. but should there be any care
lessaess in turning off the gas the at
tachment does SO automatically.
Whether the gas is purposely extin-
guished or extinguished by accident,
due to high wind or when blown out
by an ignorant person, the attachment
acts by gravity to close the plug The
attachment is pivoted to one end OF
the. stopcock. and consists of an arm
which extends parallel with the burn
er, and controlled by lever. At the
top of the arm is the portion which en-
The Grit-advocate., 1906-02-23
HAN DoM,NGo@
Isle @Unrest
Especial Correspondence.)

The island Of Santo Domingo is,
next to Cuba, the largest of the An
TILES. its area being approximately
equal to that of the state Of Pennsyl-
vania. The island is 4 tropical Swift
efiand. cut by half dozen interesting
mountain ranges, whose peaks reach
10000 feet. It is the loveiiest land In
the world. Those whose idea Of the
possibility of natural beauty is found
edtonsknowledge of the Bay OF Naples,
the hords Of Norway or the soft Ital-
Tan lakes, would revise all their no.
dons after a view of the Gulf of Co
nave frem the Sierra de la Lelle. or OF
the Vega Real (the Royal Plain of Co
lumbus). from the Cibao. Nowhere
else has nature contrived such jubf-
liant and glorious panoramas or spread
such magic color. The island is a
paradise. Columbus esteemed it above
all lands he had seen in all his jour
neyings; founded his own city upon 1t.
The Grit-advocate., 1906-02-23

an international point Of view. II the
Bay of Samana, which Is one of the
most magnificent harbors In the world
and which is 80 situated as to be of
enormous strategic advantage. This
bay may be regarded as the key Of the
Caribbean sea. and especially consid.
ering the prospect Of the Panama ca
nal, its possession by any great power
would mean the mastery Of Central
American waters.
The Horrors Of War.
A republic" in theory, San Dornin.
go Is a military despotism so far as 1t
is under any government at all. So
ciety here Is. in fact. feudal. Every
valley harbors chief. with ragged
band of followers. owing allegiance to
provincial chief. who. in turn. SIP.
ports one or another presidential cun-
didate or becomes one himself.
1t is a mistake to suppose that d.
The Grit-advocate., 1906-02-23
Great snowslide on Noun, Shasta,

remarkably strange scene is Wis
ible from the streets Of Sisson, on one
of the northwest points out Noun
Shasta. While the grand old noun
tain Is covered with snow above the
timber line, at the place referred to
it looks as though an immense slide
OF snow had taken place from near the
summit, covering space of at least
half a mile wide, leaving the earth and
rocks perfectly bare.
In this particular locality there are
known to exist numerous hot sulphur
springs, and 1t Is stated by the noun
tain guides here that the springs have
become more numerous every year.
The bare spot appears to be a mile
long and no snow at all is to be seen
on the spot, while all around 1t is as
white as usual.-Sisson correspon.
dence Sacramento Bee.
The Grit-advocate., 1906-02-23
Nitrooen's Rays Stronu,

The latest fashions in rays are nj
trogen rays, and they are announced
by Prof. B. Walter in connection with
his experiments on the activity of
radiotellurium. The rays OF radiotel-
lurium produce a fiuorescence in the
air through which they pass. SO that
Il radiation is set up With pro-
nounced photochemical action and
similar properties to the ultra violet
Of the spectrum. The radiation is en-
tirely absorbed by aluminium foil. but
easily passes through glass plate.
In traversing vacuum the rays do
not radiate. and save In nftrogent,
whose effect is from thirty to fifty
times as great as with hydrogen or
oxygen, and 1t is expected to radiate
light in the mysteriously peculiar
properties of the nitrogen atom.
The Grit-advocate., 1906-02-23
AGRICULTURE
Fowl Meadow Grass.
(poa S<rotina.)

This grass Is also known rs False
Redtop. 1t is very common in the
United States and Is best adapted to
wet meadows and the banks OF
streams. 1t is q perennial grass and
had its origin In Germany This
grass has been grown in England for
at least $50 years. 1t makes . nice
hay and will stand for a long time
after being ripe without greatly deter
iorating. 1t never grows SO coarse
that the stalk is not tender and the
hay made from 1t is eaten withou,
waste. 1t thrives best when mixed
with other grasses. This grass is
The Grit-advocate., 1906-02-23
|IIVEi.
STOCK
Care Of Colts.

would say about raising
colts. not In winter alone. but
from the start, that after the colt u
six or nine days old We can put his
mother to work moderately hard. but
never should let the baby follow to
the field nor anywhere for that mat
ter except In the pasture and the barn.
At four to i've months old wean him.
II you intend to wean at four months
tie him up once In while at three
months old Give him . good halter
and make sure your rope is all right
as now is your time to make horse
OF him that will stay tied. Keep tied
during the day and turn him loose
at night to run with the dam In the
barn or out on the grass. At four
months you can cut him entirely from
the mare OF continue for another
month and he won't feel 1t and neither
Will the mare. followed that plan
last fall. We weaned at four months
to save the mare. The colt weighed
400 pounds. At fve months old he
had touch OF distemper that lasted
nearly month with quite loss Of
flesh. At seven months the colt
weighed 7C0 pounds. We followed the
same method all along Tied during
the day. turned loose at night, with
plenty of hay and grass. some oats and
little corn. Can anyone beat that
gain. half trying? Most farmers make
a mistake in letting the colt follow
the dam to work. Then they get hot
milk at all times and become wormy.
constipated and all out of order in
babyhood and at weaving time they
are cut off short at once. thine Is
money" some think, "and we cannot
monkey with you. You do not look
good anyway" The best grooming
on ear will not fetch such a colt out
under three or four years. The facts
about wintering colts are that II
man has, as he ought to. lot OF straw
for bedding. counting the manure he
hauls ont from under his colts into
his cOrnfield against what oats and
hay he has fed, he will be moro than
paid the first year for labor. hay ard
oats and still have good colts to run
around his cows IN the summer or to
chew up his brush !and.-Gcorcc
Glynn, Buena Vista Co.. Iowa
The Grit-advocate., 1906-02-23
Ships Eggs to New Zealand.

We ship eggs and birds all over the
world. We have shipped eggs
to New Zealand with fair
hatch. say about so per cent.
The bulk of our trade is in
this country. We find 1t is not hard
to hold trade in any part of this
country il we keep up our advertising
strongly. OF course when we let up
on space the good people think that
we are falling back, so you see 1t re-
quires constant advertising. From
what | have said and from our cata.
logue you can form some idea how our
trade is building up.-J. c. Fisnel.
Bartholomew Co., Ind.
The Grit-advocate., 1906-02-23
Lungs and the Atmosphere,

A physician writes of the effect OF
Londons smoky atmosphere upon the
human lungs: THE coal miners lung
is black. the lung of the Eskimo is a
pearly white, the lung of the I.ondoner
evolves beings adapjed to meet all
sorts of natural ircumstances-among
which carbon laden atmosphere is
not included. Such an atmosphere Is
a product of mans own stupidity api
nature has had no chance of protsas
ing him AGAINST its consequences.
The Grit-advocate., 1906-02-23
Potato Raising.

In Whiteside county good many
potatoes are raised, the area on each
farm devoted to potatoes being from
one to 20 acres. For early potatoes we
do our planting about the first to the
tenth of April. For late potatoes we
do our planting from the 25th of April
to the 10th of May We generally cut
our potatoes SO that each piece will!
have two eyes. The seeding is done
with planter and is in drills. do
not know of any being planted in hills
mere. l have tried using whole pota-
toes for seed, but the result seems to
be that there are too many tops and
the tubers grown are too small.
In the preparation of my land | usu.
ally plow the previous August ana
seed rye at the rate of one bushel per
acre. In the winter and early spring
cover the ground with manure. This
| plow in in early spring as soon as
the ground works well and continue to
harrow till the ground is well pulver.
lied and smooth.
consider the selection of the seed
very important, and for this purpose |
choose only nice smooth potatoes.
am certain that nice smooth tubers
cannot be grown from rough out-of-
shape seed. In my potato cellar |
have separate place for my seed po-
tatoes. pick out my seed potatoes as
carefully as do my seed corn or as |
do my bull. do this work in the win.
ter. In selecting make it point to
have the seed end of the potato the
largest and have all the eyes large but
not deep.
We plant with planter, which leaves
a ridge as it covers them. They
should be narrowed at least three
times before they come up, and usu-
ally harrow them at least once after.
Then they can be plowed with an or
binary corn plow until it is time to
lay them by or until the tops cover
the ground.
l have raised the Early O:lios for a
good many years, and by continually
selecting the best now am able to
produce some very good. smooth, fair
size potatoes.-J. II. Martin, White.
side Co., III.
The Grit-advocate., 1906-02-23
For wall built of concrete unde

For a wall built of concrete under
a house 20 feet by &c feet high and
l foot thick, with kitchen 10 fee.
by lS feet, feet high and foot
thick. there would be required the
following material: Portland cement,
12la barrels; gravel, l6 yards; stone
filters, four yards; labor. men s
days. or IL days in all. building the
stone wall. A wall one foot thick will
be sufficient to carry the size of a
house mentioned. and the cOncrete e
blocks can be laid on wall at any
level desired. Concrete for walls Is
usually mixed eight parts gravel to
one part Portland cement.
The Grit-advocate., 1906-02-23

The usual way is to build in the
bed joint on inside OF wall a three
eighths or half inch by three inch
wide strip of bond timber, allowing
1t to project out 81 least u OF an itch.
SO that the strapping will not touch
the blocks when being nailed on. The
strips are put in from 20 inches to 30
inches apart. according to the height
of the blocks. care being taken to
keep them plumb. and as nearly .wo
feet apart as the course will allow.
Lay them on blocks dry, and bed the
next course on top Of them, as they
will rot jar or pull out when done IN
this way. but if bedded in the mortar.
they are liable to be loosened when
mailing to them. Plugging a we'll for
strapping is all right but more ex-
pensive, as the joint has to be drilled
or dug out, and with the top of the
barrel or sink Slightly below the line
of the stream. This receptacle would
serve to catch the water. pipe
from the bottom of the receptacle.
with a good fall TO the house, ought
to carry practically all Of the water
which the spring furnishes.
The Grit-advocate., 1906-02-23
Oats as Horse Feed,

In this country, at least,
no feed has been found that
will take the place Of oats for
feed for horses. The scientists say
that there is in oats an element which
gives energy to the animals. More
over, oats are perfectly balanced as to
fat-forming elements and fiesh-forming
clements. Oats are more perfectly
balanced than any other grain and can
be fed without requiring any other
kind Of grain as a balancer. Every
horseman that has fed oats knows how
quickly the horse will respond to a
good feed of oats. "He Is feeling his
oats" Is a common expression.
The Grit-advocate., 1906-02-23
Takes Annual Pedestrian Tour.

Ernest Benecke, farmer who has
been a resident of Waukesha county,
Wisconsin,. since 1874. has made his
annual pedestrian tour of one week.
His trip took him to Milwaukee, Ced-
arburg. West Bend, Waucousta, Eden,
Fond du Lac, Oakfleld, South Byron,
Mayville and Iron Ridge. Mr.. Zen.
ecke on his trip follows a trail made
by him in 1s65.-Chicago Chronicle
The Grit-advocate., 1906-02-23
Foundation for House,

wish to build foundation under
a house. 2G feet by 90 feet, with a
kitchen IL feet by l3 feet adjoining.
The concrete is to be feet to the
level of the ground with blocks above.
What width should the walls be?
How much gravel and cement would
it require for the four foot wall?
The Grit-advocate., 1906-02-23

Wheat grown in warm countries is
soft and makes sticky bread. 1t is
milled chiefly with hard wheat from
:xlder countries.
The Grit-advocate., 1906-02-23
PLAN OF CEMENT SMOKE HOUSE.

Can Be Erectec at Little Cost for Ma
terisI and Labor.
Give directions for building a smoke
house large enough for smoking tw.n
ty Eitches OF bacon. What quantities
OF material would be required?
The accompanying plan is for q
smoke house 10 feet by 10 feet by Z
The Grit-advocate., 1906-02-23
Front Elevation.

fece high, and is to be built Of cen: eiit
concrete inches thick. 1t will re-
quiTe five barrels Portland cement, 2
yarls small stone. yards clGan
gravel and . yards clean sharp sand.
These should be mixed in the proper
tior of six parts gravel. four parts
The Grit-advocate., 1906-02-23
StrappinQ For Wall.

In strapping hollow cement blocks
must the wall be plugged. or can
strip be laid in? Could plugs be Griv-
en- in wall with the joints not ever
u to Is inches thick?
The Grit-advocate., 1906-02-23

most common in the Northern United
States. 1t is particularly good for
moist meadows. In some of the west
'ern states natural meadows of this
grass are now found and are highly
esteemed.
The Grit-advocate., 1906-02-23

quit his own nome there. named II Al
ter his father, and desired his bones to
rest there-as indeed they undoubted-
u do to this day in sealed chest in
the cathedral, whose time-stained
walls are still one of the chief slories
of the Western Hemisphere.
Natural Wealth Enormous.
The natural wealth of the island is
inestimably great. There are fortunes
for thousands in coffee, cacao, cotton,
tobacco. rubber, sugar, fruit. spices,
mahogany, dyewoods, gold, silver. cop
per. asphaltum sulphur salt, phos
pilates and guano. All these springs
of wealth lie untouched. Time was
when this island poured riches into
the laps of Spain and France; today 1t
lies in abject poverty, swept by the
fire and sword of intermittent civil
war.
San Domingo and Hayti.
The island is divided between two
aocalled nations--the republics" of
Ban Domingo and Hayti.
san Domingo occupies much the
larger and richer portion of the island.
Its people are whittier than the Hayti-
ans. They speak Spanish, the Ian
guage of Hayti being French. The
Haytian negro is simply an African
savage, his country beautiful but
completely degenerate land, aban-
doned to misery and barbarism; SER
pent worship and cannibalism are
hut or an inhabitant. The popula-
tfon of the capital city is given as 90
900. 1t would be hard work to find 12,-
900 people there.
The bulk of these 100000 or 100000
people live contentedly in the most
primitive fashion in palm-thatched
huts little different from those of cen.
tral Africa. The country people cul-
tiyate few yams and plantains, have
few pigs and chickens. The more
ambitious have little plantations of
cacao or tobacco.
The entire population is barefooted
and half of it naked. Naturally, the
The Grit-advocate., 1906-02-23

Some brands of cement win not
stand the use of salt to prevent frost
to any extent without fnjuring the
strength Of same A better way is
to heat the gravel. either with steam
pipes running through the pile. or with
an old boiler laid on the ground and
covered with the gravel. will heat It.
Then use hot water and by doing the
work in this way it will set very quick
ly, and will not have to be protected
from the frost except covering for
short time. A little salt used when
mixing would not be Objectionable.
The Grit-advocate., 1906-02-23
Street in Capital.

Dominican IL amiable and hospitable,
but he Is more than half savage, and is
capable of the blackest treachery and
the most utter cruelty. He is com.
monty not black man. but he is
never white His skin is always dark,
and his hair kinky, but the latter may
he yellow in color and his eyes may
be blue. There is no Dominican type.
The population is mongrel, and does
commonly practiced. But Hayti has
four or five times the population of
San Domingo.
The Grit-advocate., 1906-02-23
Mixing Concrete in Cold Weathc.. :.

Can concrete be built in cold
weather by putting salt in 1t to kee1 it
from freezing the same as is done
with lime and sande
The Grit-advocate., 1906-02-23

"Kecr, pegging away is the shos1
MAKER uotto
The Grit-advocate., 1906-02-23
San Domirao's Population.

The population Of San Domingo Is
glibly estimated. both at home and
abroad, at 100000. Half that number
would be nearer the fact. You may
travel fifty miles day through large
portions of the interior and hardly see
not constitute a race Now and then
the product of the amazing mixture Of
blood is a man of unique nobility Of
physique or a girl of interchangeable
beauty.
The chief asset of the ,untry. from
The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1906-04-21

judicious selection of seeds, makes
eighteen to twenty bushels per acre.
We have all witnessed such condi- .
tons. Then, why not profit by such
lessons?
In what way will good breeding
improve corn?
First, it reduces the number of bar
rem stalks.
Second, it increases the size and
uniformity of the ears.
Third, it increases the per centage
of grain on the ears
Fourth, it improves the quality of
the grain.
Fifth, 1t increases the yield in bush
Sixth, 1t is a great satisfaction to
have the best.
Prof Hartley, of the United States
| Department of Agriculture, who is
| in charge of corn breeding, says that
properly grown and selected seed
often produce fifteen bushels more
corn per acre than unsolicited seed
of the same kind. Every observing
farmer has noticed that a large per
cent of stalks in normal season
produce nubbins (small ears), and
a good per cent. of stalks produce
nothing. These worthless and poor
| stalks occupy as much room and
draw as much nourishment from the
soil as the perfect fruiting stalks
Therefore, to reduce the number OF
barren and poor fruiting stalks, it
| becomes necessary to select only the
I best ears from the best stalks; other
| wise the poor fruiting and barren
stalks will increase year after year.
| | have spent one month in the Mis-
sissippi Delta, between Vicksburg
| and Benoit, and | have not seen
/ foot or poor land. / have seen some
| which looks worn from continuous
| growing Of cotton for many years.
But that land can, in two or three
| years, be raised to high state of
fertility by planting corn and cow
| peas, clover and goober peas. And
while most of the farmers in the
Delta buy their corn, I believe if the
/ above suggestions are followed the
Delta will prove to be a frst-class
corn country. These ideas are not
new. They have been followed for
years by successful corn growers.