Middletown transcript., 1910-06-18
[ooNrrNUEp FRoM LAsr WEEK ]

spring opened, that voice wa:
heard again. It sounded strange
~ familiar and pleasant to Peter
and in his heart awoke a thous
and dear, responsive echoes.
Peter had become a different
man, and was looking hopefully
forward to the summer, when the
experiment would be tested. The
change in Henry and Ellen was
quite as apparent. Both become
excited to self-improvement, theil
father procured books, in which
they studied lessons daily, with
the regularity Of scholars al
school. Their hearts being in
what they were doing, they i'm
proved wonderfully. This fact
pleased their parents, and In
creased the cheerfulness into
which they were gradually rising.
During the winter their sheep
were attacked with the distemper
from which they had suffered SO
fatally the year before. Timely
communications in the Gazette
from large wool-growers in Ohio,
among whose hocks the disease
had appeared, enabled him to
apply remedies, till then unheard
ofin his neighborhood, and which
prevented the loss of q single
animal. When spring opened
Peter employed two extra hands
in hauling swamp muck, and in
preparing it for certain fields
that needed renovation. Had
this knowledge Of its valuable
fertilizing properties been OBJ
tained earlier than it was, he
could have used it to far greater
advantage in that years crop.
AS it was he made a saving of
nearly 800. In many things per-
tanning to agriculture and stock
raising was Peters mind en-.
lightened through the Gazette.
The value of lime he never fully
understood, until he saw it clearly
set for in an extract from the
American Farmer, that by a
proper application, at a small ex-
pense, he could keep his fields in
q productive condition, at an ex.
pense far less than usual. Here
Peter obtained a first glimpse
into the mysteries of agricultural
chemistry, without which no
farmer can work his ground to
the best advantage.
Harvest time came and Peter
had rather more than an average
Of crops. He had 800 bushels of
wheat, 500 of corn, and 200 of
potatoes to sell, besides hay, oats,
rye, &C., sufficient to winter his
stock. Moreover, whether from
the particular treatment of his
vineyard, as suggested by the
Gazette or not, we will not ven.
ture to say, his vintage brought
him $3.50. Since the harvest,
Peter had examined weekly, with
much interest, the prices in the
Gazette, and when at last he
called on Gray & Elder, he knew
The highest selling price to a cent.
Before Offering his produce, he
obtained his store bills, and found
hat they were nearly $490. The
act was, he started the year with
scarcely 0 dollar to live on, and
vas compelled to go on trust for {
everything until another crop
,0uld Be taken. This bill added {
Q hia mortgage, made a debt of s
800. AT the prices quoted in t
he Gazette, all his wheat, corn, {
nd potatoes would be absorbed, t
md still over 5000 of debt re. I
NAMED. Peter had started some 7
400 in debt, and now would owe a
My 500 after the sale of his
rops. And this more favorable I
tate of affairs was traced to the +
lew Years gift of Uncle Ben, /
Thich, when received, had SO :
eeply incensed him against the b
Id gentleman, that even yet he t
'as not fully forgiven. c
Whstare you paying for wheat9 9
sked Peter on calling at the p
iore. +,
90 cents. ia
Is that the highest9 fl
Yes. n
Peter shook his head, and re- W
led, wheat is quoted in Cincin. tC
til ut 70.
Indeed! Mr.. Gray looked sur n,
;ised. He did not feel SO, for 10
] knew the price. nj
Yes, said Peter, it is quoted at
to 30 in the Gazette. al
It costs something TO get the
heat to market. la
I know It does; but not 10 cents VIZ
oushel. What are you paying M
: corns
Mr.. Gray thought for some Be
=