davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-11-30
Seed Improvement Association.

The work of increasing the per acre
yield of crops grown in Maine through
the careful selection, breeding and dis
semination of superior strains of seeds is
about to receive the attention which 1t
deserves. At the last session of the
legislature the commissioner Of agri-
culture was directed to assist the farm
ers of the state in this special work and
an appropriation was made for carrying
it on. 1t is proposed very soon to call q
| meeting of such farmers of the state as
may be interested in seed Improvement
work of any kind, at which time the ad-
visibility of organizing an association
for the purpose of directing this work
will be considered. 1t is believed at this
time that this work can best be taken up
in cooperative way, hence an associa-
ton will be formed along the lines of
those that have already been so success
full in other parts of the country. With
the cooperation of the department of
agriculture, the Maine Experiment Sta
tion and a representative Of the depart
ment of agriculture, Washington, D. c.,
who is located in this state, an associa-
tion of this kind ought to meet with
definite and profitable results. The i'm
mediate benefits coming to the members
can be classed under two heads, edu-
cational and financial. While the finan-
cial benefits would undoubtedly interest
the members more particularly at first,
yet the educational features of the work
are of great importance. Where asso-
bers have received great financial benefit
through the sale of the seed they have
raised. This seed having been carefully
bred and possessing large reproducing
qualities has met with ready market
for seed purposes. 1t can readily be
seen If experiments are carried on year
after year and an improvement in crop
yield is caused through these expert
ments that the seed raised by various
| members will carry an added selling
value for that purpose. The educational
value of the association will come
through the results of the experiments
conducted and the lessons learned in
this work. 1t is planned to hold an an
| nual meeting at which time exhibits of
seeds, grains and grasses will be made
and lectures upon subjects of impor-
tance to the men engaged in this par
L llCuidI iluC vi WOth VIII 10 kNOu.
The department OF agriculture is pre-
! pared to give assistance in the organ
ization and direction of an association so
far as is desired. 1t will also be pre-
pared to furnish to the members expert
| mental lots of different kinds OF seed to
test out in comparison with the seeds
they are already using. A meeting for
organizing this association will soon be
called at some central point in the state
which appears to be most easily reached
by those men who signify their intention
to be present. If you are interested in
this proposition kindly write at once to
the state dairy Instructor, Augusta,
Maine, stating tina. fact and giving your
address so that at the proper, time no.
tice of the call OF the meeting may be
sent you.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-11-30
CHAPTER XVI.
7 EANING against the combing. fee

Y EANING against the combing, zee
braced upon the slippery ant
treacherous deck, KirkwoOd clunt
IL to tiller and mainsheet and peer
I'd ahead with anxious eyes, q puckel
Of daring craven deep between hi'
brows.
A mile to westward, three or mor'
ahead. he could see the brigantin
standing close In under the Esse!
shore. At times she was invisible
Again he could catch merely the glin
Of her canvas, white against the darl
gloom Of the littoral. toned by a mis-
of flying sp'ndrift. He strained hi
eyes. watching for the chance whicl
would take place in the rake Of he
masts and sails when she should com
about.
For th. longer that maneuver was
deferred vle better was his chance OF
attaining his object. 1t was for
lorn hope. But In time the brigan
tine, to escape Maplin sands. would
be forced to tack and stand out past
the lightship, the wind of her port
bows. Then their courses would In
tersect 1t remained to be demon
strated whether the catbOat was
speedy enough to arrive at this point
Of contact in advance Of or stimuli
taneously with the larger vessel.
He watched the catb0at anXlously
quick to approve her merits as she
displayed them. He had sailed small
craft before-frail centerboard cat
boats, handy and swift, built to serve
In summer winds and protected wa
ters, never such a one as this. Yet ht
! liked her.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-11-30

CLEEPY Sheerness must have beer
scandalized that day and its gos
sips have acquired ground fol
~ many an uncharitable surmise
Kirkwood. however. was so fortu
nate as to gain the wicket before the
employee there uwoke to the situation
Otherwise. such Is the temper of Brit
ish petty 0tiicialdOm. he might have
detained the fugitive. AS 1t was
Kirkwood surrendered his ticket ant
ran out into the street with his llc'
still dominant factor in the race
for. looking back. he saw that Mrs Hal
lam had been held up at the gate. AZ
other victim OF British red tape. Hel
ticket read for Queensborough. sht
was attempting to allght one station
farther down the line. and. while un
doubtedly she was anxious to pay the
excess fare. heaven alone knew wbei
she would succeed In allaying the sus
pitions and resentment Of the ticke
taker
That's good for ten minutes start.
KirLwood crowed. "And II never CO
Cured to me!'
Before the station he found tw'
hacks In waiting. with little to choos'
between them Neither was Of typ
that did not seem to advertise Its pre-
Victorian fushioning, and to neithe
was lsarnessed an animal that deserved
anything but the epithet of screw
kirkwood took the nearest for no otil
er reason than because 1t was tn
nearest and all but startled the drive
or Ills box by Offering double fare TO
brisk pace and q simple service a
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-11-30
Notes on New England Fruit Show


IL every New England farmer could
have attended the Boston fruit show
recently and the big banquet of tue
chamber of commerce, catching the true
sp rit of enthusiasm and enterprise, it
would have been worth more than a
solid months work on the farm. 1t
would have helped to make the success
full farmer more successful, and the in-
dolent fellow rub his eyes and stretch a
bit. That is one unfortunate feature
about such enterprises as this fruit
show; there are not enough people to
see it and reap the benefit. Instead OF
there being 1000 farmers, there ought to
have been 100000. When big things
like this happen be sure to plan for
them and manage to get there somehow,
even If you have to walk.
| The Maine contingent Is very anxious
to have the next New England fruit
show held in the Pine Tree State, and
the interest and enthusiasm they display
ed at Boston. is likely to be strong
factor in the contamination Of that de-
sire. None of the states made better
showing in fruit and in men than did the
Pine Tree State and to Prof. Hitchings
| aud his loyal co-workers, backed by the
pomological society, goes much credit.
1t was an unusually enthusiastic
bunch of fruit grower neighbors tina,
came with President William Craig of
the Maine Pomological Society. Some
of these enthusiasts never displayed
fruit before and won prizes al Boston.
IL every member of the pomological So
Q ETY. had brought as many representa-
tives from their respective sections,
Maine would have cirried everything by
storm.
The keynote of the show was better
fruit, better packed. 1t was inspiring
to see the keen interest displayed In the
demonstrations of packing in boxes. Il
is pointer upon which the New Eng.
land orchardist Is weak and there is a
strong desire on the part of the grower
to correct that weakness. The editor
heard one enterprising Connecticut
grower say be has saved out IS bushels
of fruit for the express purpose of prac.
icing on this winter when he hasn'
much of anything else to do. he Is 60
ing to learn some of the combinations In
making the straight, diagonal and offset
packs.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-11-30

good deal like locking the stable door
after the horse had been stolen, so
worked out this method as substitute
reasoned that if pullet had the de-
velopment and the inherited vigor
whether she laid or not was largely q
question of food. Now had birds tina,
had the development, and the food, but
failed to lay So concluded they must
be short on vigor. l examined them
carefully, weighed them, and then look
ed up their ages, which l could tell from
the toe-marks. / found that compared
with the good layers, they were some
what small for their ages.
Then began to think, going back to
the single cell stage, of course the cell
with the most energy behind it would
divide and sub-divide the quickest
Then / remembered how the chicks that
were slow in Matching were nearly al
ways weak and poo ly "buttoned up"
So the following year toe-marked the
chicks again and then looked them over
carefully when they were about ten
weeks old. Mind had killed all the
weaklings when they first hatched so
one would naturally expect fairly uni,
form bunch.
Well, there were all sizes, even among
those of the same age. Those that were
large for their age | banded to keep
them identified. Carrying them through
to maturity l found that the birds show
ing high rate of growth while young
made good in every way, while the lag
CARDS were no use. Working in rough
way finally decided that the pullet that
failed to weigh at least pound and a
half when ten weeks old, was not worth
the raising.
Now the same thing will apply to the
dairy calf. Here we have gradations
running all the way from the runt on
one end to the thrifty specimen on the
other. Where is the line that divides
II we should weigh one or two hun
dred calves at birth and then each sue
ceeding month for two or three times,
then by carrying the heifers through
their first period of lactation, we could
tell very closely the time in which a
dairy heifer ought to double its initial
weight in order to be profitable. Know
ing that, no boarder need ever be raised
to maturity. No bull need ever be rails
ed that lacked constitutional vigor at
the start. No sire need be kept more
than one year if be failed to transmit
constitutional vigor to his get. Last,
but not least, the really great cow need
no longer be MIXED to destruction in
order to gain recognition in the dairy
world.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-11-30

| punlOn lCUS u tCOWQH-
daughter to chase will-o'-the-wisp o!
his credulous fancy Off Sheerness
shore?
Disturbing reflection. He scowled
over 1t, then considered the other side
Of the face. Presuming Mrs. Hallam
10 have had reasonably dependable as
surance that Calendar would stop ir
Queensborough, would she so readily
have abandoned her design to catch
him there on the mere supposition that
Kirkwood might be looking for him In
Sheerness? That did not seem likely
to one who esteemed Mrs. Hallam's
acumen rs highly as Kirkwood aid. he
frightened up, forgot that his was q
FOOLS errand and began again to pro
ject strategic plans into a problematic
future.
A sudden jolt interrupted this pas
time, and the warning screech Of The
brakes Informed him that he had no
time to scheme, but had best continue
on the plan of action that had brought
him thus far-that Is, trust to his star
and accept what should befall without
repining.
He rose, opened the door and. hold
Ing 1t so, turned.
81 regret. Mrs. Hallam." he an
nounced, smiling his crooked smile
"that pressing engagement Is about
to prohibit my squirting you through
the ticket gates. You understand. I'm
sure"
His irrepressible humOr proved III
fectious, and Mrs Hallam's spirit rar
Us high as his own. She was smiling
cheerfully when she, too, rose.
81 also am In some haste she
averred demurely. gathering up hel
hand bag and umbrella.
A raised platform shot In beside the
carriage. and the speed was so sensi
bly moderated that the train seemed
to be creeping rather than running
Kirkwood flung the door wide oper
and lowered himself to the running
board. The end of the track was II
sight, and a man who has been trained
to board San Francisco cable cars
fears to alight from no moving We
hicle. He swung of, got his balance
and ran swiftly down the platform.
A cry from a bystander caused hin
to glance over his shoulder. Mrs. Hal
lam was then in the act Of alighting
AS he looked the furry Of skirts sub
sided, and she fell into stride. pursu
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-11-30
He gracefully concealed yawn.
The wonian's plan Of attack took an


I'M :,. or my son to leave US In
igncrla g of thr place where you are
20 meet the thieves who stole our-my
sons jewcls?"
Mrs. IIallam," he said soberly, III
l am going to meet Mr. Calendar or
Mr.. Mulready. | have no assurance OF
that fact"
There was only the briefest OF
pauses, during which she analyzed
this. then quickly, But you hope tor
she snapped.
He felt that the only adequate retort
to this would be shrug of his Shout
ders, doubted his ability to carry one
of and again took refuge In silence.
The woman abandoned second plan
Of siege with q readiness that did cred
II TO her knowledge of mankind. She
thought out the next very carefully
before opening with masked battery
"Mr. Kirk wood, can't we be friendsT
Nothing could please me more, Mrs
Hallamv'
"Pm sorry II I've annoyed you
"And l. too, have been rude"
Last night, when you cut away sc
suddenly. you prevented my making
you a proposal. sort Of business prop
osition"-
"YesT
ITO come over to our side
II thought so. That was why
went"
"Yes; understood. But this morn
Ing, when you've had time to think i
| over
II have no choice In the matter. Mrs
Hallam."
The green eyes darkened ominously
"You mean-I am to understand, then
that you're against us, that you prefel
| to side with swindlers and scoundrels
all because Of a.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-11-30

She discovered him eying her with a
smile Of such inscrutable and sardOnlc
intelligence that the words died Oh her
lips, and she crimsoned reasonably to
herself, for he saw 1t, and the belief
he had conceived while attending to
her tissue of fabrication earlier that
morning was strengthened to the point
of conviction that If anything had been
stolen by anybody Mrs. Hallam and
her son owned 1t as little as Calendar.
AS for the woman. she felt she hac
steadily lost rather than gained ground.
$50" she said slowly after silen.
time. "you are not for Queensborough.
The corollary of that admission, Mr.
Kirkwood. Is that you are for Sheer
ness"
II believe" he replied wearily, "that
there are no other stations on this line
after Newington."
'Tt follows, then, that-that fol
low" And in answer to his perturbed
glance she added: "Oh. I'll grant that
intuition is sometimes a poor guide.
But If you meet George Calendar so
shall l. Nothing can prevent that
You can't hinder me-"
During the brief balance Of the jour
ney Mrs. Hallam presumably had food
for thought. She frowned. pursed hel
lips and with one daintfly gloved fore
finger followed seam Of her tailored
skirt, while Kirkwood sat watching
and wondering how to rid himself OF
her If she proved really as troublesome
rs she threatened to be; also he won.
dered continually what II was all
about. Why did Mrs. Hallam suspect
him of designing to meet Calendar al
Queensborough? Had she any tangible
ground for believing that Calendar
could be found In Queensborough!
Presumably she had, since she was
avowedly in pursuit of that gentleman
and, Kirkwood inferred, had booked
for Queensborough Was he, then
running away from Calendar and his
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-11-30
A Lofty Nest.

A queer story comes from city In
the west While some workmen a
few days ago were removing The con-
demned spire Of church. 10 feet
from the ground they found large
colony of mice comfortably nested In
the hollow part Of the WOODWORK ut
the base of the gilded cross that top
ped the steeple. What long journey
the little creatures had to make for
food and water!-Chicago News.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-11-30

It is not possible by any known method
to make dirty milk into clean butter
Farm Journal.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-11-30
AMONG THE FARMERS.
speed THE PLow."

on practical agricultural topit
is solicited. Address ali communications L.
tended for this department TO HENRY ID
HAMMOND, Agricultural Editor Oxford Dem
ocrat. Paris. Me.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-11-30
Measuring Constitutional Vigor.

ADDRESS BEFORE THE JERSEY BREED
ERs' ASSOCIATION By C. NJ. GALLUP
OF THE MAINE FARMER.
Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-11-30
CHAPTER Nv.

~LEEPY Sheerness must have beer
scandalized that day and its gos
sips have acquired ground fol
- many an uncharitable surmise
The Yale expositor., 1909-12-10

the first Lee. The change. mayhap, will not be
congenial to the invader. and so, possibly Vir-
ginia will not be sorry If this specific kind OF
northerner recrosses the Potomac.
Virginia. the District of Columbia and Mary
land have the holly habit. The holly has grown
here in profusion from the day that no man
knows but it will not continue to grow unless
there is a reform in habit and in law. The
negroes bring to Washington great branches of
the holly hacked from the parent stem with
darky disregard for saving anything. The hol-
ly trees are among the chief beauties of the
Potomac hills. They are going the way of 9TH
er trees of the Appalachian range and before
long 1t will be necessary for the lawmakers to
follow the lead of the Massachusetts, legisat-
ure which was compelled to intervene to save
the trailing arbutus, the mayflower, from the
hand of the vandal
No part of the country perhaps can claim
monopoly of the natural beauties of the sea-
son, but there is a glow about Christmas in
this semisouthern country that is not found
in the colder north. II may be the glow of
ternals only, but 1t appeals to the eye and to
the sympathy. Out-of-doors there are contrasts
in the Potomac regions that are not to be
found farther north except in sections where
the evergreens abound. The mountains are
white topped and below them in the valleys
are the dark green's of the holly, the laurel and
the wild honeysuckle, and the dark browns of
the oaks whose leaves do not fall before the
spring comes.
Scattered through the country south OF
Washington are old plantation homes still oc-
cupied by the families who have held them
since the days of the colonies There seems
to be a general belief in the north that most
of these old places forsaken and desoate,
but there are many more than the city dwell
er knows, still remaining prosperous and show
ing scarcely trace of change as the result of
age.
IL was said the other day by an old south
erner in Washington that no home-loving vir-
gilman ever would move until after the next
Christmas" The next Christmas comes and
goes, but there is still another to come, and
the moving is put off, and will be put OF until
the holiday spirit has gone from the south
a spirit that will go when the south goes.
Arlington, the old home Of the Custises and
of Robert E. lee, is standing as It has stood for
a century. It Is situated just across the Poto-
mac river from Washington, and II is typical
of the old mansion homes Of Virginia The
grounds of Arlington to-day are a national Gem
etery, but their beauty is characteristic of that
The Yale expositor., 1909-12-10
HIS OFFER NOT APPRECIATED
Elderly Gentleman May Have Meant
Well, But the Damset Was
Suspicious.

The plump waiter girl at the lunch
counter, having nothing to do at the
moment, was trying to reach with her
fingernafls place on her back well
up between the shoulders, but with
her short and chubby arms she was
unequal to the task In vain she
squfrmed and struggled, and twisted
her face. She failed to achieve the
desired connection.
The elderly man on the outside OF
the counter, who had been fighting a
piece OF overdone steak, leaned for
ward and spoke to her in low tone,
but with intense earnestness.
my dear young woman" he said,
pardon the freedom of man who
has grandchildren almost as old as
you are, but If you will come little
closer 1 shall take pleasure I'm scratch.
ing that spot for you, as see that you
can't quite"
Mind your own businessr" she
snapped.
How seldom-O, how seldom--fs a
good deed or generous impulse ap.
preciated in this ungrateful world!
The Yale expositor., 1909-12-10
FOR OLD PEOPLE.

After reaching the age OF forty the
human system gradually declines The
accumulated poisons In the blood
cause rheumatic pains in the joints.
muscles and back. These warnings
should be promptly relieved and seri-
GUS illness avoided by using the fol.
lowing prescription which shows won
derfuI results even after the first few
doses and IL will eventually restore
physical strength.
"One ounce compound syrup OF
Sarsaparilla; one ounce Toris COM
pound; half pint of high grade whis-
key. This TO be mixed and used in
tablespoonful doses before each meal
and at bedtime. The bottle to be we'll
shaken each time" Any druggist has
these ingredients or can get them
from his wholesale house.
The Yale expositor., 1909-12-10
SKIN ROUGH AS BARK.
Baby Boy Had Intense Itching HUmon
Scratched Till Blood Ran.
Found a cure'in cuticurs.

Our son, two years old. was afflicted
with a rash. After. he suffered with
the trouble several weeks I took him
TO the doctor but it. got worse. The
rash ran together and made large
Blisters. The little fellow didn't want
to- do anything butsscratch and we had
to wrap his hands up to keep him
from tearing the flesh open till the
blood would run. The itching was in.
tense The skin ON his back became
hard and rough like the bark of a
tree. He suffered intensely forabout
three months. But / found remedy
in Caticura Soap and Cudoura ONT
ment. The result was almost mag
ical. That was more than two years
ago and there has not been the slight
est symptom of III since he was cured.
j. w. Lauck, Yukon, Okla, Aug. %
and Sept. IT. 1905"
Potnsr Drug & Chem. Corp, Sole ProDs., Boston.
The Yale expositor., 1909-12-10
CHRISTIANS GIFT"
An ADci@Dt CUSTOM

When the universal Christmas hold-up con-
fronts you, don't explode
Refuse, IL you want to; but don't dwell In
your thoughts upon the increasing depravity
of the human race; don't exalt the rugged in
dependence of our forefathers.
You may not yield cheerfully to the spirit of
the season when the time comes to remember
the Office boy, the bootblack, the hotel wait
ers, the restaurant force, the ashman. the gar
bage man, the messenger service, the news
boys and others. Somehow you picture the
Christmas "hold-ups" of bygone days, when
daring hghwayman barred the progress of the
numbering stage coach and coolly took his toll
Christmas largesse is almost as old as
Christmas.
In the south, II you happen to be In any sec
ton that preserves even a modicum of the old
time atmosphere. you are liable to encounter
everywhere, on Christmas morning, from such
negroes as have some claim to knowing you
the familiar phrase:
Christmas gif'!"
1t means, as one of the class favored by for
tune. from you the less lucky are free to ask
Christmas largesse. and that with no sinking OF
independence. with no sacrifice of self-respect
The custom does assume the superiority OF
a giver-does. indeed. assume II not very far
The Yale expositor., 1909-12-10
There All the Time

It is told of DR.. Thorold that he was
once asked to, give away the prizes at
a school belonging to the London
school board.
In the course of his opening address
he gravely asked the children, Which
was the largest island in the world be-
for Australia, was discovered?"
When the youngsters gave it up, he
said in the same grave way, which
made them laugh all the more. why,
Australia, Of course; it was there all
the time!"