smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1879

Our competitor, Russia, has, it seems,
problems to solve in wheat growing not un-
like our own. The following points are
gained from perusal of foreign article on
the subject: In the south, and in what par
e1cellenee may be called the granary Of Rus
sia, some corn spectators occasionally farm
as many rs 5000 and 10000 acres, renting
them at two-pence per acre. This grain is
entirely grown for export purposes. For
the last few years the Russian wheat has
not been in such demand as formerly, on
account Of its lessened size. Nor is this
difficult to account for. The land is not
nlanured; and, because Of this, it gradually
becomes so exhausted that in many parts it
must lie fallew fifteen years before it will
yield another crop. At present this pro-
duces no great practical Inconvenience, II we
except the diminished export trade, seeing
that when his allotment is exhausted the
peasant just removes his plow and farming
gear to patch of virgin soil but when the
population of Russia has grown, as it must
do, some sort of system, which the peasant
would now consider high-class farming,
must be introduced. The very manuring of
the soil, owing to the climate, would be no
small difficulty, and those who know the
country best are Of opinion that it could be
best done by parking sheep, but tor no
longer time in any one year than twenty
four hours. To do this for any longer
would make the land too hot; in drouthy
seasons the grain would be burned up, and
in wet seasons it would run all to straw.
These statements are almost Incredible, but
il they be accurate, indicate that Russia has
more difficult problems than ours. A flt-
teen-yeaf fallow on the one hand and a
twenty-tour hour run OF sheep on the other
are indeed striking extremes. The sheep
prescription is certainly the most homcpop-
athic dose of nlanuring we ever heard Of
Rural Press.
Year: 1879

The nature OF the wheat plant ID to make
roots and tiller in cool weather before send
ing up seed stems for this reason it becomes
essential that the seed be got into the ground
at the very earliest opportunity that it can
be suitably prepared to receive 1t. I'll for
the reason Of less tillering that it requires
more seed per acre for spring than tall sow
ing. When sown quite early, less seed Is
required than if sown later, tor the same
reason. Wheat has the faculty of adapting
itself to a variety of soils, and will produce
fairly, providing the soil contains sufficient
suitable plant food, and il thoroughly drain
ed, naturally or artificially. For some soils,
heavy, well-tilled clays for example, spring
wheat is better adapted than winter, Tor the
reason that such soils often in freezing and
thawing throw the wheat roots out, or by
other reason "winter kill" the grain. For
spring sowing. better results are had from
blowing the ground in fall, and in spring
nure or other fertilizer, and narrowing in as
soon as it can be we'll done after the frost is
out of the ground. Where plowing is nec-
essary in spring, give a dressing of coarse
manure and plow down quite shallow un-
less the soil is in high tith, when little
fertilizer spread with the seed is sufficient.
The quantity of seed to the acre will de-
pend upon filth, season and minor circuf,-
stanccs--from one and three-tourths to two
and one-half bushels-but be sure that the
seed is OF the best and clean. Prepare the
seed by pouring it into strong brine, in
which an ounce or two OF powdered blue
vitriol to the bushel of grain is dissolved
skimming off all light seed; drain and dry
off with dry slaked lime.-W. H. White, IN
Country Gentleman.
Year: 1879

The horse, although it looks straight for
ward much more than most animals, yet
does not do SO nearly as much as man, and
therefore requires in its habitation, an ar
range,nent of light quite different from that
in it's owners dwelling. Give the horse the
light from only one side, and 1t will direct
only one of its eyes toward It, but the other
eye will be in the shade; this inequality
weakens both eyes. Put it in such posi-
ton that it looks into the dark, which is
certainly unnatural, and when taken out OF
the stable the..abrupt change from dAfl,ess
to light will harm it. 70 place it straight
against the light, gives the latter : hlindiag
effect which is also injurious to the @~eA
The stable should therefore receive its light
from above, either through skylights or
through windows placed near the ceiling in
the wall to which the animals head Is turn
ed as he stands in the stall. Moreover, the
stable should be always bright, rs bright in
deed as daylight; for the horse is not a
night or twilight animal, and is in no need
of artificial darkness, like tattening Stock
R,tral Nea0 Yorker.


A contemporary says: "There is no rea-
son why farming may not be made to pay
much oftener than it does. Very few have
learned to regard 1t a. a business. 1t is 3
sort of chance work all round. Most men
look on it as sort of real estate transaction.
They hope one day to sell ont at q big tig-
ure, hence are afraid to Improve their farms
with view to agricultural operations, for
fear that whoever buys the land will not
care for these little things. We have often
heard some improving armer ridiculed for
his expenditures by some knowing ones,
who were very sure so-and-so would get no
more for his place than it he had thrown
the money in the dirt.
Year: 1879




with the necessity of writing chapter on
the culture of potatoes, and as spring is ap-
preaching, q more opportune moment cam
not be chosen. Montana, every farmer we'll
knows, has gained worldwide reputation
for the quality of her tubers. Go where
you will over the states, wherever you find
/. man who has visited our territory, yon
hear him compliment the potato which
graces the Montana table. Within the last
two or three years, however, we are sorry
to say, there has been material decline in
the quality OF the potatoes in general use at
hotels, restaurants and boarding-houses.
Instead of being white and solid, and break
ing up dry and mealy, they are either hard
and blush, or hollow, and many are soft
and watery, in fact, anything but palatable.
This cannot be attributed to any fault of
the country, as we find the tables OF those
who are careful in their purchases supplied
with potatoes even superior to those pro-
duced ten years ago.


The fault lies with our farmers. Since the
fall in prices there seems to be no effort to
produce first-class quality, but the reverse
should be the case, tor as the price declines
every effort should be made by the producer
to preserve and improve the quality in or
der to stimulate demand. just where the
principal fault lies we are unable to say.
In fact, there seem to be a number of causes
Many of our farmers have been using tue
same seed without any change or attempt
to improve; besides, they have been plant
ing the same ground without change for the
past ten years. In addition to this, shey
have become careless about planting. allow
ing other matters to crowd and put it off
until late in the spring. This. with their
reckless system of cultivation aud watering
late. has proved very disastrous.


In suggesting a remedy, it is necessary to
commence at the beginning. 1t is first nec-
essary to procure new variety Of seed
some Of the improved varieties of course
They should be planted in good season and
on good soil, and cultivated properly. The
watering after the season is we'll advanced
is most important, and q proper knowledge
can emily be attained by experience, as Diff
ferent soils require different degree of
moisture. Dry, sandy soil should be chosen
when it can be had, and it is not best to wa
te. after the potato has attained size enough
for use. We are satisfied, however. that the
large quantity Of inferior potatoes in our
markets is due to the inferiority of the seed
Those who take pride in potato culture have
fine varieties. Their potatoes are always OF
good size, aud never watery or poorly ma
tured.


A word to the wise is sufficient. Let our
farmers but pause and sec where their care
lessness and inattention is drifting them. A
little thought, 81 little study and ordinary
skill will be found highly profitable, and
will place the potato of general use again
on its proper standing.
Year: 1879

A letter from Olive Logan, to the Cincinnati Enquirer, gives the follow ing glimpse of the Empress Eugenie and the Prince:

 went to the Waterloo station, to see the last of young Louis Napoleon, who is of to the Cape to have look at the Zulus. He was accompanied by Flu genie as far as Southampton. It really gave me a pang to behold this once peerless beauty, to whom l was pre- sented in the days of her utmost splen- dor, both of fortune and of fame. Her appearance was so pathetic that 1t made the tears spring to my eyes. She was attired in a style which we ladies un- derstand as halfmourning, and car ried in her beautifully modelled hand a large bouquet of early spring violets, the chosen emblem of the Napoleonic dynasty, and the odorous hamburger for us all of lovely days to come anon. Her hair is still the beautiful blonde so inseparably connected with her name, and this is something that puzzles me, unless accept the explanation which has been given by some observers, that she wears a wig. Certainly there is not thread of gray visible. Other wise she has aged indeed. She looked positively haggard. pale as ghost, her dropping, fatigued eyes encircled with the blue rings of care and anxiety. Her faded appearance formed a great contrast with that of her son, rose bud of young fellow, in the first blush of joyous youth, up to anything you like, you know and evidently just bubbling over with pleasurable excite ment at the thought of going out to the seat of war with numbers of the greatest swells" in the British army. One has only to see these two relics of the imperial shipwreck to fully under stand what fearful sacrifice it must be to Eugenie to give up her boy, even for the short period of four months, which is supposed to be the length of his stay in Africa. She is the French mother to the very letter, quite diff ferent being from an English or an American maternal parent. She has no sanQtrOid with him her eyes are in- cessantly upon him idolatry is legible in every glance. Since his departure her condition, I hear has been really alarming. Tears, sobs and faiting fits have succeeded each other almost un- while cries of '' o, mon flS; mon .1its cheri!" have wrung the hearts of her listening attendants.
Year: 1879

The Boston Globe says: Among the

 cars injured in the accident at North

 Beverly was one used by the Eastern

 Express Company and owned by the

 Eastern Railroad. The night train

 from Bangor last Wednesday night

 contained this car, and in it, just be-

 fore the train reached Portsmouth,

 were the conductor, messenger and

 baggage Suddenly one of the

 gentlemen felt a jolt, as if the car was

 dropping from under him, and sprang

 to his feet and caught hold of some thing firm in the hope to save himself

 in the expected crash. The conductor,

 seeing the movement, seized the bell

 rope, but as he felt nothing strange

 did not ring, and the train passed on to Portsmouth. No examination was made here, as was formerly the uni

 versal custom, and the train proceeded toward Boston. It had hardly left the depot before the night watchman found on the track between the rails a lateral car spring, and thinking it could come from no other place but from under this and sent dispatch to Greenland, the nearest station, five miles away, to stop the train and see if & spring had been 4OoOs LAO SACCA Al M1o displayed and the train brought to a standstill, when it was found that the spring had come from under one corner of the express car. It was the falling of this spring upon the track which caused the jar. already spoken of. and which awakened the gentleman from his doze beyond Portsmouth. If it had fallen upon rail a wreck would have been inevitable. Had the car lurched badly upon the bridge at Kit tery the signal tower there would have been struck and disaster would have re- suited. Had the spring dropped else where than within the range of the watchman's vision the train would have sped on until 1t had reached some curve at speed, when the cars would probably have been torn from the road bed into ruin. Thus the benefit of running a road by telegraph is exemp- lified, and thus the tell tale click over the wires saved life and limb, and also the entailing of heavy financial loss upon the road But Providence ruled that there should be prompt dis covery of the danger, and not only the but the whole community should have feelings of profound thanks giving.
Year: 1879

Communication Is maintained be- tween every post in the vast territory and headquarters during the long months of winter by means of the Great Northern Packet, which leaves Fort Garry annually about the 10th of December. The appliances for the carriage of this important mail are snow-shoes and dog sledges. The lat

 ter are two in number, drawn by four

 dogs each. Upon each of these sledges there are bound pair of stoutly con structed boxes, measuring about three feet in length by eighteen inches deep and fourteen wide. These wooden mail-bags. when properly packed, con tain an astonishing amount of written and printed matter. The dogs run at a regular trot, the drivers accompany ing them on foot at the rate of about forty miles per day. The frozen chan nels of the rivers and lakes form the general roadway, and Lake Winnipeg is traversed to Fort Carlton, near the eastern end of the Saskatchewan Val ley, the chief center of the winter packet arrangements. Here the entire mail is overhauled and repacked, branch packets being sent of east and

 west, while the Great Northern Packet

 journeys on to the remote arctic regions to which it is con- signed. From the morning when the packet left the office at Fort Garry to the evening when the solitary dog train, last of many, drags the same packet into the inclosure of La Pierre s house, more than one hundred nights have been passed in the northern forests.
Year: 1879

ENcoURA GINa SUICIDE. the most extraordinary of the regulations of the Russian police is one which strictly forbids any one to touch dead or dying man without the sanction of the police. In consequence of this ar bitrary enactment, it is no uncommon thing to see a man lying bleeding and helpless from a severe fall in the streets of Moscow or St. Petersburg without any one daring to assist him. To what an extent this curious tyranny is carried may be judged from single instance. An English gentleman residing at Pe- terhof, a coast town about sixteen miles from St. Petersburg, one morning found his Russian groom hanging by the neck in the stable, and cut him down at once, just in time to save his life. The next day he received visit from the local Inspector of Police. who, far from commenting his prompt hu- manity, vehemently abused him for daring to transgress the law. The Eng lishman heard him to the end without a word, and then said quietly: Well. Mir. Inspector, I'm extremely sorry to have done anything, but I'll make all the amends in my power. If l find yoat hanging anywhere, pledge you my honor won't cut you down."
Year: 1879

AMERICAN MANNERS Wherever I went I found all classes of the Ameri- cans not only civil. but highly civilized, as compared class for class with the English ; not only amiable, but as a rule, kind and courteous, and, with rare exceptions, well-informed, we'll bred, and having more refinement of manner than any other people I have ever come among. What struck me es- pecially in New York was the invariable civility shown by all classes of men to women, whether the women rustled in silk or wore linsey-woolsey or home spun ; however crowded the car or the footway, room was at once made for the lady. Does not this somewhat contrast with the surly, grumpy incivility that is shown to the fair sex in our public carriages and streets If one entered aroom in club or hotel one was not met by those assembled with Q t Who the dash is this person whom none of us know, and what in the dash does he here?" sort of look nor, enter in con- versation with some one in 8 railway car or steamer, was one greeted with that truly British stare which, in this country of insults, prejudice and arro- gant assu mption, conveys as plainly as words, the question, "What the mis- chief do you mean by speaking to me without waiting for an introduction !? J

 Lord R0nGld Goaoer, i1a Vanity Fair.
Year: 1879

A Providence young man was in Bos- ton with friend the other day. They went to leading hotel for dinner. and after eating, the former called for two cigars. The waiter asked what kind of cigars he would have. This made the young man indignant, for he is high toned in dress and looks, and he said l: '' You heard my order, didn't you Now you be sure and bring ne the best" He got the best, and he had to pay three dollars for two of them.
Year: 1879

A subterranean forest has been dis covered in Germany, in a valley watered by the River Fulda. Doctor Maesta, Government geologist, who made the discovery during an official exploration, pronounces the trees to be of enormous size, and to date back in their orign to remote period. They are entirely buried beneath the surface of the valley but several hundred of the outermost trunks that border on the banks of the Fulda, have been laid bare by the gradually encroaching cur rent of the stream. The wood has ac- quired deep black color, and has be- come exceedingly hard. It is believed that it was excellent material for sculpture. One trunk that was found in the bed of the river, has been re- moved to Berlin, to be placed in the National Geological Museum. Whether these trees are of a species now in ex- istence, or one that is extinct, has not been determined.
Year: 1879

One of Houdin's most puzzling con- trivances was clock, consisting simply of brass hand and a glass dial, and which, ia spite of its complete trans parency and absolute lack of anything Corresponding to an inside pendulum or weights, kept accurate time, and what was more curious still, returned to cor rect time if purposely moved backward or forward. There were other per formances of this mysterious timepiece, but the chief source of interest was the veritable keeping of time by clock without any works, and the same kind of mechanical mystery has since been frequently exhibited, very much to the bewiIderment of people in general. if not to the moro ingenious of mechani- cians. The French Society for the En- couragement of National Industry has recently been Investigating and report ing on the subject. They have issued s bulletin" illustrated by engravings which lay bare the mystery in all its details. Without entering into the minutie of the matter, it may be ex- plained that the mechanism, 1t appears, lies coiled up in the ornamental knob in which the hand terminates behind the central pivot-at the end of the hand opposite 10 the pOlnb 1nulcAI1nS the time on the dial. This knob con tains the whole of the clock-work, con- sisting of handspring and system of wheels which carry round little plat mum weight once in twelve hours. The motion of this weight round the inside of the ornamental knob keeps altering the center of gravity of the delicately- balanced hand, which thus by its own weight moves in o circle round the dial once in twelve hours, or, by simple modification of the ma chinery, once every hour. It is easy to see that as any external inter ference with the hand or hands of such clock does not affect the motion of the little platinum weight, they must natur- ally revert to the position in which that weight will sustain them on being all lowed to move freely again.
Year: 1879

1t is known that ozone, when properly
applied, is a most effective and conven-
lent agent for restoring books or prints
which have become brown by age, or been
smeared OF soiled with coloring matter
only short time being required 10 rem
der them perfectly white, as if just from
the press, and this without injuring in the
least the blackness of the ink. An exam
pie given of the results produced in this
way is that of book of the sixteenth
century, upon a page of which several
sentences had been painted over by the
monks Of that day, with black, shining
coloring matter, in order to render them
illegible, and of which no trace of q line
could he detected. After thirty-six hours
treatment with ozone, the coloring matter
was entirely destroyed, the most careful
scrutiny of the page failing to disclose the
fact that any of the lines had once been
painted over. Writing ink may readily
be discharged by ozone, especially IL the
paper be subsequently treated with very
dilute chlorhydric acid to remove the OK
ide of iron.
Year: 1879

Prof. Travis, the world renowned
rope and wire walker, will be in Gray
ling, July 4th, when he will perform
the most wonderful and daring feats
ever witnessed. The Prof. will per-
form the most wonderful feats of ledg-
erdemain, jugglery, etc, and will al
low any person in the crowd to securely
bind him with ropes, when as by magic
he will instantly unloose himself, he
will also submit to being securely lock
ed in a trunk or box and at the signal
will Immediately come forth without
destroying the lock Come and see the
wonderful performances. Free to all.
Year: 1879

II is the duty of the district board to
prescribe a uniform list of text books to
be used in the school, and TO adopt
such rules and regulations as may be
necessary for the management of the
school.


The district board cannot purchase
school books for the pupils at the ex-
pense of the distric, except when par
ents are not able TO furnish the same


Neither a district meeting nor dis
trict board have right to vote to pur-
chase textbooks for other than INDECENT
pupils. The district board cannot
therefore legally contract to pay for
such books with money already raised
or TO be raised 10y taxation for such
purpose. Any note or order given in
payment for such books cannot be col
lected from the district.
Year: 1879

A few days ago the body of man
was found in the woods near Frederic.


and after careful examination by some
of the knowing ones, II was deemed
necessary TO summon the coroner, who
immediately impanneled a jury and
proceeded to set on that corpse, which
proved to be only little under the in
luence of Fredericville Hootchenoo,


and when IL realized the situation II
proceeded to disperse that jury in a
manner which will be caution to
those who act in that capacity hereaf-