davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-05

Fertilzing-Unless the soil Is sufficient ly fertile, stable manure, and in some cases commercial fertilizer should be added and thoroughly incorporated with the soil by the use of a harrow or other implement.
 On most garden soils. from eight to ten tons of thoroughly routed stable manure per acre can be advantageously applied. Various mixtures of commercial ferti- lizers are used. the formula depending largely upon the kind of vegetables to be grown and the condition of soil. Where the soil contains sufficient amount of humus tdecayed vegetable matter) or stable manure, commercial fertilizer analysing per cent phosphorlc acid, 4 per cent notrogen and 4 per cent potash is recommended for vegetables. As a rule this should be applied in the drill and thoroughly mixed before the seed are sown.
 From 500 to 1000 pounds of the above fertilizer can be applied per acre, de- pending largely upon the condition of the soil as regards fertility.
 Vegetables for Late Use-Snap beans for succession crop and sugar corn for late roasting ears can be planted during July. Collards, lettuce and early turnips can be advantageously sown this month. Late cabbage plants may be set out for winter use.
 Late potatoes may be planted this month from potatoes saved from the spring crop and the whole potato should be used for seed for the late crop and the whole potato should be planted not cut as is the case with the spring crop.
 During last of month and first of Au- gust, tomato plants may be set out for fall crop.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-05
Prevention of Plague

The prevention of plague divides into two parts:
 l. The destruction of rats and the rat fleas.
 2. The vaccination of the individual with plague vaccine.
 There are four kinds of rats that con- cern us in this discussion, to-wit: The mouse, the black rat the roof rat and the brown rat. In addition to these, there are other rodents that are host of the disease, to-wit: The marmot on the eastern coast of Siberia and in Manchu- ria, and the ground squirrel found in many places, and probably the prairie dog, which is closely related to the Si- berian marmot. In the marmot the dis ease is chronic and provides a perma- nent host for the bacillus. There are also other rodents of less importance nesting, food. etc, must all be taken a discussion of the extermination methods. The habits of the rat, his nesting, food, etc, must all be taken into consideration. When he is hungry he will go long distances and anywhere that he can find food. When well fed he is lazy and does not go far. The rat is careful, cunning, intelligent little beast and knows his enemies well. and it is almost impossible to exterminate him.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-05

a test of smoke consumers on five switch engines at Memphis and judg- Ing from results at Atlanta they will prove satisfactory. I hope, therefore, that the question of fuel on the switch engines at Birmingham can be held in abeyance until the test of consumers on engines at Memphis Is completed
 "I wish to assure you that we are desirous of meeting your wishes with respect to reducing the smoke on en- zines in our Birmingham yards. Yours very truly. I. SEWER
 General Agent Southern Railway"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-05

place to place by imported rat fleas, which are carried by people on their persons or in their baggage. The hu- man agent may himself escape infec- tion.
 tg) Insanitary conditions have no re- lation to the occurrence of plague, ex- eept in so far as they favor infestation by rats.
 (h) The non-epidemie season is bridged over by acute plague in the rat, accompanied by few cases among hu. man beings.
 "In the pneumonia form personal in- lection from one person to another in the common way as the bacilli are sprayed into the air by coughing. The possibility of the human flea as a carrier mustNbe considered" ."-osler.
 From the foregoing 1t appears:
 l. That plague Is primarily a rat disease. and secondarily a disease in man"
 ?. That the disease. bubonic type, spreads from rat to rat and from rat to man solely by means of the rat flea twith possibility by the human flea also).
 3. That in the pneumonia type the disease may be conveyed from person to person by the sputum.
 4. That there is danger in the dust of houses where the pneumonia type of the disease has occurred
 5. That the disease may be imported from an infected community into non infected community through the instru- mentality of an infected rat or an in fected rat flea. The former in ship ping on ships or freight on railways and the latter in these or upon the person or baggage.
 Just how the flea infects the rat is not quite settled. Experimentally, rats fed on plague infected food develop the disease. Also when plague bacillus cul- lures (groWn in the laboratory are rubbed on the skin or mucous mem- brane of the rat or inoculated the dis ease follows. The bowel discharges of infected rats contain the bacilli In large numbers. Infected fleas have also been examined. No bacilli are found in their mouths, but are found in their saliva and stonachs. F1eas have been starved for 45 days and still the bacilli were alive in their stomachs. It is prob able, therefore, that fleas infect the rat in two ways-by making a little wound with their jaws, which become infected from infected material on the rat and by directly injecting them with the bacilli in their saliva The last Is the way that fleas infect man.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-05
leaving the room tightly closed. W kill them.
 Prevention fo rthe Individual

This can be done for a short time by the infection of anti-plague serum; this is a passive immunity and lasts about a month.
 Haifkine's prophylactic. consisting of killed cultures when injected and re- peatsl produces a better and longer immunity. These vaccine methods are sad to reduce the liability to the dis ease to about one in five, and the lia- bility to death even greater. There fore, when living in plague districts they should be employed.
 F. M. CUNNINGHAM M. D. City Health Officer.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-05

The water company will not be in con tempt of Judge Crows decision because his decision has been appealed to the supreme court; they will be getting the same water rents they have been get tng for the past two years. 1t will save much hard feeling and will prevent a still more confused tangling of the waterworks controversy
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-05
Pleas

There are over 300 kinds of fleas
 The varieties that concern us in plague are the Indian rat flea, and the com mon rat flea of this country and Eu- rope. Plague may be also transmitted by the cat flea, squirrel flea and hu- man flea. In fact, all fleas are to be looked upon as dangerous In plague in fected districts. All fleas are bred and grown in practically the same way
 The mother flea lays her eggs in the hair or fur of animals; they hatch and have a larvael, pupal and adult stages
 Their real distinguishing characteristic is in their choice of a host. Thus we have the rat, cat, dog and human flea, etc. Each of these prefers the host but he will, before he will starve, fall exclusive. The rat flea prefers rats. but he will before he will starve, fall so low as to bite a human. The rat being the natural host of the plague bacillus, 1t follows that the rat flea is up all sorts of didos. The extermina- with cat, dog or rat flea and the hu- man flea Is quite different. Thus when a human flea gets on us he Is where he wants to be and bites. On the other hand. when one of the others gets on us, he tries his best to get off and cuts up all sorts of didos. The extermina- ton of fleas Is as difficult as rats. Tincture of green soap and kerosene kills them effectively. In houses the larvae live in cracks and a thin coat ing of flake nathelene on the floor,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-05
Endemic Foci

There are four historic endemic foci where plague has slumbered for ages The eastern and western slope of the Himalyas; a third is from about the center of Arabia to near Mesopotomia {; a fourth in the center of Africa near the source of the White Nile, also a fifth, at the present time, In California, in the ground squirrel. The plague is kept alive in the endemic foci in the rat, the ground squirrel, the marmot, the brush rat and other rodents"- ROsenau
Norwich bulletin., 1914-04-30
UNCLE JED'S TALK re WIDE
 AWAkES.

There is an old saving. April show CTS bring forth May flowers" and so we have no doubt that we shall be gathering the pretty bouquets of vio- lets and the Houstonia which dot the fields; and we should be gathering dan delions, too, were they not so common. The danlelon lends a shimmor of gold to the lawns and the pastures which we should sadly miss if they were not in their places by day as the stars are in theirs at night. In southern Rus sia they have a blue dandelion which we should be had to cul ivat,. in our gardens as curiosity if we could get it, and instead of blooming in the spring it blooms in the fall.
 Do you know the muIIein wfIck grows % common in our pastures is grown n European gardens as the velvet plant because of it's peculiar
 When we are out gathering the half dozen varieties of violets to De found in the pastures of eastern Connecticut we do not realize that there are 30 kinds of violets in this country, and in the whole world 100 varieties, and they grow in all countries and in all seasons of the year. They are of ev- cry shade of blue and yellow and white, with various marks upon them. Canada has a pretty white violet the
Norwich bulletin., 1914-04-30
WINNERS OF PRIZE BOOKS.

John O'NeI of Norwich, The Young Engineers tn Colorado.
 2-Marie Agnes Shea of Norwich, The Meadow Brook Girls Under Can vas.
 s-Janiee M. Grant Of Mt Hope. rhe Meadow Brook Girls Afluat.
 4-LiIIan Pollock Of f;urleyville, The Young Engineers in Nevs da.
 5-Josephine Burke of Versailles, The Automobile Girls at Washin 5ton.
 6-Rebecea Wax of Norwich, The Meadow Brook Girls Across Country,
 7-Miriarl Gr;swold of Norwich Town, Dotty Dimple's Flyaway.
 S-EtheI Abere of Taftville, The Young Engineers in Mexic1.
 9-Vera Gaeer Briggs of Saybrook, The Young Engineers in Color.
 Winners of books living in the city may call at The Bulletin business of fee for them at any hour after h a. m. on Thursday.
Norwich bulletin., 1914-04-30

nice to play outside in the yard, or on a stormy day in the house with some other children.
 First you take a bench and put 1t on one side of the yard, then take a chair and put it in front of the bench. Then someone will be the one to ask. The one who asks might cut this story out of the paper, so they will have the names of the flowers and their meanings to ask from.
 The person who asks must say What kind of flower do you like best ?"
 Then another person must call the name of a flower
 The one who asks must tell them the meaning lHere are the flowers names and their meanings:
 Camelia, White-Loveliness Carnation, White-Disdain China. Aster-Variety.
 Clover. Four Leaf-Be mine Clover, White-Think of me. Glover, Red-Industry.
 Columbine-Folly.
 Daisy-Innecence.
 Daisy, Colored-Beauty.
 Ferp--F'a scination.
 Forget Me Not-Forget me not Golden Rod-Be cautious. Lily. White-Sweetness
 Lily, Water-Elegance.
 Myrtle-Love.
 Pasy-Thoughts.
 ETHEL ABERG, Age 10. Taftyille
Norwich bulletin., 1914-04-30
Birds | Know Best.

One of the pleasures which enjoy every month of the year is watching the birds and learning their ways.
 The birds I have known ever since 1 was little girl are the robin and the bluebird They both come early in the spring and sing melodies which fill the air with music unsurpassed "Cheerily-che cheerily- -cheerup," and, purity, purity, puri-tee,' greet the rising and the setting sum-
 Nearly every year two robins build their nest either on the lattice work of our veranda or in tree nearby.
 One year after the eggs had hatch ed in one of these nests. both robins stood on the edge of the nest one on east side, and looking down on their newly matched family seemed to whis- per to each other:
 Have we not the incest babies in town 9?
 These little birds grew up and one by one flew off to make nests of their own
 Although many bluebirds live around our house, I have never seen one of their nests. I have read that they nest in boxes and barns or in a wood peckers abandoned hole-especially in orchards. The nest is lined with grasses to receive four or five pale bluish eggs.
 Both the robin and the bluebird are insectivorous birds. Insects form two
 
 ty-six per cent. of the bluebird's.
 Both of these birds remain late in the autumn, and a few of the blue birds all winter. When spring comes again everyone is eager to be the first to see them, because they are the her aids of spring.
 Another bird which arrives early in the spring is the phoebe. When any one mentions this bird I always think of him sitting on branch. joyfully telling his name.
 These birds, like the robins, usually build around our house. In one of our sheds they built their nest of mud and grass lined with feathers and for several years fl succession they raised their family there. In April or May three to six white eggs are laid.
 Phoebes nearly always catch their food while on the wing. Ninety three per cent of their food consists of in sects and spiders, and the rest, wild fruit There is hardly more useful species than the phoebe and it should receive every encouragement
 The meadoWlark is a feathered friend to us all the year round. On a warm winter day his Winters here, spring Is near can be easily heard
 One day this spring when it was raining, a meadowlark was sitting up in the top of a tree, singing as though the sun was shining brightly.
 A few days ago when I was hang ing pails on tree to catch some sap a meadowlark was calling out. to me- 'I see you! I see you!"
 didn't get much sap. and so may be after I had gone he came and help ed himself
 This little bird lays three to five white eggs in a "tussock" of grass in the meadow. The meadowlark's food consists of seventy-three per cent. an- imal food (insects) and twenty seven nn cyroi inc dG n6 nt ha hard seeds, so this bird is not only pretty, but useful.
 Although there are many other birds I know we'll, these four know best.
 JANICE M. GRANT. Age 13.
 Mt. Hope
Norwich bulletin., 1914-04-30

members of the court and diplomatic society, and in addition by twelve old men of the humber classes, each with one foot barred. These patriarchs are know as the Apostles whom, of course, they symbolize. With the as sistance of his attendants, the mon arch poured water out of a golden ewer on each of the naked feet, which he then wiped dry with a napkin. and which were afterwards kissed by & priest.
 The ceremony was closed by the king passing once more along the line of veterans and hanging round the neck Of each a purse in the Bavarian colors-blue and white containing & present of money.
Norwich bulletin., 1914-04-30
STORIES WRITTEN BY WIDE
 AWAkES.
An Old Mans Story.

It was d cold right. The farmer s children were sitting around a nice fire They were joking and cLattering. All at once tapping was heard out side. The farmer opened the GOT and saw an aged man clothed in 4ags who begged for shelter. The farmer let him in and gave him something to eat When his hunger had been satisfied, and he had rested himself little. he told his story while the children gsth :. cred around and iisteneI in silence.
 At first I lived with my parents in Massachusetts" be began. T went to school there until I was 15; then went to work with my father in a shop. I worked there about Is years. When the shop shut down I had . go cut into the world. Sometimes I hadn't any work, and soon I got into T,ed d ,m- pany and began to drink liqu IT, and so l have been travelling and crinking ever sirce.
 Now I have vowed not to drink any more, for it has been ths Caus., of these white hairs, and of all the un- happiness l have ever known. 1 don't know where to stay-I don't know
Norwich bulletin., 1914-04-30
The Work in LiIIian's School,

Dear Uncle Jed: I thought I would write and tell you about our work in school. I go to school in Guriey vile. We have twenty scholars, eight girls and twelve boys. My teachers name is Miss Bliss.
 We are taking lessons in language about George Washington, Lincoln and Henry Longfellow. We then put their pictures on our language papers. The pictures show Washington crossing the Delaware. Lincoln's youth and Henry W. Longfellow.
 We are taking lessons in agricu1- ture under Mir Brundage, the super visor of agriculture. The boys have a corn club and the girls had flower beds and canned tomatoes last sum- mer.
 For next year the girls are going to take up sewing instead of agriculture. l like sewing better than agriculture.
 The boys had a show Saturday, Feb ruary Fist. They had a fine time. They were also given prizes for the best ten ears of corn.
 1 hope all the boys and girls have nice times in school trying to win prizes
 LILLIAN POLLACK, Age 13.
 Gurleyville
Norwich bulletin., 1914-04-30
POETRY.
Mothers Almanac,

Mothers Almanac. I tell you when it comes to dates. My Mothers just the bossi" She tells me all I want to knew 'Thout ever gettin' cross. You'd think she'd get mixed up some At school I know l do Bout Washington, and Plymouth Rock, And 1492. But Mother says: The war with
 Spain
 Was fought in 'es-N The year you all had chickenpox. Exceptin' little Kate. That year, of course. the Spanish
 ships
 Were sunk in Cuba,s channels; Twas summer. for I'd put away You children's s winter fanneis. The Boer war in Africa That was a dreadful thing!- Began in '9e. I know, Jack broke his arm that sprlng. Twas nineteen-four, and winter, too, When Japs and Russians fought You almost had pneumonia then From that bad cold you caught There's six of us, and we're mixed up With hist'ry just that way. Sometimes it's measles, croup or
 humps, But there's no date that ever stumps My Mother. night or day.
 St Nicholas
Norwich bulletin., 1914-04-30

Queen spoke.
 T will not promise you anything" she said but meet me tomorrow night down by the river when the clock strikes the last stroke of 12 and if the moon is shining I may have something for you.'
 "Oh! you dear. good Queen" cried all the fairies at once, "it will be something nice. we know
 Perhaps" answered the Queen, smiling. Now scamper away every one of you, and do your work with smiling faces
 The next night the moon was shin- ing and the Queen could be seen Chat is, if one had fairy eyes) fitting along the banks of the river back and forth. back and forth. Flying in there and out here, and as busy as two little fairies could have been on their busiest night.
 ''There,'' she exclaimed. after a while. T think there will be enough for all to have one.'' Then she stepped into her chariot and waited. The last tone of the last stroke of the midnight was dying away when the fairies appeared by the river and looked about for their Queen.
 There she is. said one catching sight of the shining chariot under a bush.
 What is it you have for us?" they | Queen led them nearer the bank of the river; and showed them slender brown bushes with tiny gray tufts soft and slick looking.
 'But what are they?" asked the fairies
 Stroke them and see." said the Queen.
 Each little fairy touched a soft, gray tuft with her tiny finger. Meow, me ow,'' came softly from each tiny gray tuft and then the gray tuft stretched out and tiny head appeared, and a tail and four little paws could be seen "Ohl oh! the darlings.' cried all the fairies. they are our kittens, our dear little pussy eats we had wished for SC long,
 Each little gray pussy cat sat up and looked at her mistress and then one fairy rolled a grain of sand (of course they looked very large to a fairy kit ten), and all the little gray pussies scampered down from the bushes and did all the tricks for the fairies that | mortal kittens do for their little mis- tresses.
 When the first streak of light shew, ed in the sky ali the gray pussies scrambled back t6 the bushes eurle6 up and went to sleep, and there they sleep every night until the last tone e1 1 the last stroke of the midnight heul dies away, and then if yeu can see with fairy eyes you will see each little gra5 mite stretch euB and sit up and me eM for her little fairy mistress to come and play with her. We call them pussy willow bushes but the fairies call them their little gray kittens.-Bfookiyn Eagle.
Norwich bulletin., 1914-04-30
How the Pussy Willows Grew

One night the fairy queen had all her fairies gathered around her. She was telling them how thankful they should be that they were happy and that they had such a beautiful world to live in
 And that is the reason for your happiness she explained. You do good and bring happiness to others and are always busy. It you did not work and had nothing to do but look around for amusement you would soon long for things that others have.
 But, of course, fairies never long for things that mortals have, so all this talk is quite needless
 When the queen finished speaking she saw one little fairy looked very grave and did not smile and dance about with the others.
 This fairy was called Dewdrop, be- cause 1t was her duty every morning just before sunrise to gather drops from the river and put them on all the flowers, and she was usually the gay est of the fairies, so the queen called to her and asked, What makes you So sad, my Dewdrop? Is there not plenty of water in the riverbeds for your beautiful fiowers?"
 "Oh. yes, my queen," answered Dew drop, there is plenty of water for my flowers. but I am unhappy because of something I want and I know I cannot have"
 'rell me about it, said the wise queen. Perhaps I can help you,' and she drew Dewdrop close to her side and listened to her story.
 One morning when the south wind and gray cloud brought rain to my beautiful flowers Dewdrop began, T did not have any work to do, so I sat under a big leaf and watched the rain falling.
 T was in garden and a house stood near. By and by little girl came out and called kitty. kitty and the dearest little kitten came running up the path meowing and swinging it's tail. The little girl rolled a spool across the porch and the kitten chased 1t Then 1t jumped through her clasp ed hands and chased It's tail, and then it ran up the little girls dress to her shoulder and sat there with its head nestled in her neck
 ''But why should this make you SC sad, my Dewdrop,' said the Queen.
 Tell her, Dewdrop.' said one of the other fairies. for all of them had gath cred around while Dewdrop was talk ing.
 "Yes; tell the Queen said an- other.
 You see, dear Queen" we ali want . kitten to play with said Deydrop "and every time ore of us sees a little girl with kitten we are unhappy
 The Queen looked very grave for never bsfore had her fairies wanted anything mortal possessed, but she did not Sco1d
 After waiting few minutes the