smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1875




In the Farmer Of the 18th, under the head
Of agricultural Items" is "Cheap Black
ing" to be made of iron rust and vinegar and
recommending il to be applied to fred boots
is good for all kinds of leather and will
not iniure il in the least" think it would
be difficult to get more error in so short au
article upon this subject.


Almost all the upper leather Of boots and
shoes is blacked upon the flesh side-but a
small portion for this purpose being blacked
upon the grain side.


Backing for the flesh side is mostly lamp
black and neatsfoot oil, which would be the
best known application for leather you wish
to keep in a soft, pliable condition, whether
blacked upon the flesh or grain side. 1t
should always be applied when the leather
is damp or even soaking wet--the slower it
dries the better. Avoid the heat Of the fire
to dry in-freezing, rather, is desirable to
help soften and preserve. Blacking made
of iron rust and vinegar is more stain than
blacking. If put upon dry leather it might
not have any damaging effect because it
would not penetrate into the leather, but if
applied TO moist or wet leather, it would
penetrate, and the more it penetrated the
more damage it would do. Leather dress
ers only apply it sparingly on dry leather,
moistened to the least possible depth, with
4 stiff brush


Those who wish to preserve leather should
bear in mind that hide becomes leather by
the infusion of certain barks, and where
pliability is desired, neatsfoot oil and tallow
are added, which is also preservation; that
continued wetting and drying take out first
the oil and then the bark, and destroy the
life of the leather hence avoid wetting and
drying as much as possible. Renew the oil
and tallow (either or bothl as often as wet,
if practicable-dry in slowly-a the water
goes out the oil goes in. Fresh butter is
the next best application. Lamp black is
not essentially necessary, but helps fill up
the pores and adds to the appearance.
Avoid all waterproofs ;lthey are impracticable
and often damaging. If they were not, some
leather or shoe manufacturer would get the
monopoly and make fortune out OF them.


These instructions are applicable to upper
leather in shoes, harnesses, betting, &C., or
wherever pliability is desired in leather
f. G. Curtis, in Prairie Farmer.
Year: 1875

Your correspondent A. N. p, page l5l,
ia entitled to an answer about those rats.
Three or four pounds of copperas dissolved
in one gallon of water would have been
much more effective. If but one rat, put
two quarts Of corn and oat meal into peck
measure, or box near that size, and let him
eat all he wants for two nights; then bury
one or two steel rat-traps in the meal, and
set it in the same place; partly cover the
measure or box, 30 it cannot carry OH the
trap. In this way, he can catch one every
night for long time; but it will do no good
more will come to the funeral lie must
get old-fashioned potash that is soft, and put
in an earthen platter; thin it down to the
consistency of mud then place it iu posi-
ton that the rat will be obliged to stand in
it to eat his meat or bait, which should be
fastened so that he will stand in it a long
while for two or three days or nights, which
will be sufficient for the comfort Of their feet.
l once had a place in my cellar, behind
large bin, where | believe every rat in the
cellar made highway. placed in that
road two large pie platters, filled with soft
potash, near two holes which they had gnaw-
ed through the bin partitions, so that they
were obliged to 60 through the potash. In
one week every rat was missing, and not an
other rat was seen or heard in or about the
house for one year. The hard potash of
commerce will not answer it cannot be
made, like sticky mad, to adhere to their
feet. Il. +. ScoTT.


Let me tell A. N. p, through your col
ums, how I got rid of rats. l took a COM
mon sugar Kettle, and half filled it with wa
ter, then l sprinkled over the top a coating
of bran, and put it in corner Of the barn,
where the rats would have easy access to it.
l also laid narrow strip across the top OF
the kettle, so that the rats could run back
and forth over it, and observing the meal
below, they would jump down, and being
unable to climb up the sides Of the iron ket-
tie they would drown. The first night l
caught no less than nineteen rats; the next
night fourteen, and so on, decreasing each
night until could catch no more; and ever
since, when | see any signs of rats return
ing, have only to put out the kettle for
few times, and they are banished. The ket-
tie requires to be so set that they will have
no difficulty in getting on the top, and all
over it'll. LAVENDER, Ontario.


Several inquiries Prospecting the best
means of ridding cellars aud other places OF
rats have been made in your paper. These
animals have a great dislike to our common
field mullen, UerbaSeum hapus. | have
made it a practice for years to gather this
weed and scatter it about, either green or
dry, near the holes and haunts Of these rep
tiles, and they have invariably manifested
their dislike to its presence by leaving the
premises.-L. G. L., Bridge1cter, Mass.


Country Gentleman.
Year: 1875

A great many inquiries are made, why
Eastern Townships wool does not bring so
high price as Upper Canada wool. We
beg to offer few remarks in explanation.


In the first place, the wool in the latter
named province is, as . rule, long comb.
ing, which In itself would almost account for
the difference; however, the principal reason
is, the different manner in which it is
brought to the market.


In Ontario the farmers appear to vie with
each other in preparing it for sale in as care
full condition as possible, (by doing it up
neatly and ceanly in Aeeces,) while in the
Townships, the reverse, for each farmer evil
IDENTIFY endeavors to surpass his neighbor in
having it as filthy and slovenly as possible.
We therefore appeal to the ambition Of our
farmers, if they are willing to class them
selves as inferior to those Of Ontario, both
In intellect and cleanliness. In Ontario the
wool is carefully tagged whether washed or
unwashed) and neatly tied up in feeces,
while with US it is brought for sale in every
untidy shape imaginable; moreover in the
former place those that wash their wool do
it perfectly, while with us it is very often
done so badly as to class it as unwashed.


Tub-washing is rarely resortod to in Onta-
rio, as discount Of one-third is deducted
from it. With us only slight difference is
made, and We would strongly advise our
farmers to abolish the idea of tub-washing.
If they have not the conveniences Of fleece
washing, then shear it unwashed. If rea-
sonable view were taken of the matter farm
ers would find it to their interest to leave it
unwashed it is more profitable to them, as
the tub.washed shrinks more in washing
than the difference in the price amounts to.
Moreover, manufacturers consider fleece wool
OF more value, as it can be sorted inte differ
ent grades, while it is impossible to do so
with the tub-washed.


In our opinion, farmers would derive more
profit from their wool, by bringing it to the
market unwashed. The Eastern Townships
is not so well adapted to raising long wooled
sheep as Ontario, so the price cannot reach
so high figure with us. However, if our
farmers would endeavor to be more careful
in preparing their wool for market, by hav.
ing it tied up neatly and cleanly in heeces,
manufacturers would be willing to pay more
for it.


We make these remarks with the view of
bene6ting our Eastern Townships farmers,
and hope they will follow the adVice.-Ex-
change.
Year: 1875

The objects of good preaching on Sab
two chaps(we'l call them that for want of
q better name) set off on Sabbath morning to
20 to church. The road, which was a foot
path, led through farm, and as they had
fingered on the way, they were much too
late for the morning service and, moreover,
as was his custom, the farmer and all his
household with him were off at church.
While our two friends were passing through
the corn yard number of splendid fat ducks
attracted their attention. In q short con-
versatlon which ensued it was agreed to cap
ture the best they could lay their hands on.
Accordingly it was, after an exciting chase,
got, and duly bagged in the great-coat in
side the pocket OF one of them, and the jour-
ney resumed to church. The psalms were
over and the first prayer begun when they
entered to the afternoon service, so that at
the very outset they made themselves very
conspicuous. The minister's text was the
three words, 81 see it," and he expounded
on them 80 we'll, aud so often cast his head
in the direction of the two worthless, that the
one without the duck commenced Budging
the other in the side, and whispering every
now and then, white with fear "Shov't in,
man; shov't in ! He sees't, he seest Keep
It down, man for onysake keep it down !"
Aud 50 he went on for some time, until be


tween his neighbor's EXPLANATIONS to "keep
it down" aud the minister's continually re-
iteration 81 sec it" the one with the duck
got into such furry that he took hold of
the bird in his pocket by the legs, and draw
ing it out made it describe several circles
round his head, and then threw it off in the
direction of the good mans pate, exclaiming
as he did so "When ye're sac sure ye see I,
TAX it there and keep it." And, so saying,
he made ssifast as possible an exit to the
door, followed at the heels by his neighbor.
Year: 1875

account than where he bought q farm and
run iu debt for it. The hired man ought to
have some anxiety for good crops, for short
crops raise the prices OF articles that he has
to buy. The man that labors for hire works
for this man one season, and another man
the next. He has TO move from one place
to another, and the anxiety Of house hunting
aud working for this man and that, aud be-
ing out Of work, and forty and one things he
has to contend with, would overbalance the
anxiety Of the man in debt.


One VINO Has HAD EXPERIENCE.


I'VE print the foregoing, which comes
from new correspondent. with pleasure,
and hope to hear from him again, as well as
from many more who have, perhaps, never
written a word for the public. People with
ideas, and who come to the FARMER for the
purpose of expressing them, (and not simply
for the sake of seeing their name In print
though they have nothing to sayJ are ever
welcome. The question of going in debt is
one on which there will be many opinions.
In some cases it is plainly the best course,
but we believe such cases are rare. The
world,-and especially this country and one
or two others,-is cursed with debt. A.
owes b., b. owes c., aud so on until you get
to r., and z. is as likely as not suffering for
the want of what he might get if Y. would
only pay him. If A. would pay his debt
the money would be passed along from one
to the other until Us needs would be sup
piled. Any influence that will tend to les
sen this pressure of debt should be utilized,
and, so far as practicable, those who are now
free from debt should keep so. Poor people
complain of the high rates asked by banks
aud money lenders, but they may blame
themselves. The more people will accustom
themselves to economize and keep out of debt
the easier the times will be, the less demand
there will be for the lenders money, and
consequently the lower will be the rate of
interest. As for the policy of a young farm
er buying farm on credit, it would be prof
itless to discuss the question at length, as
there are instances where it has, as we'll as
where it has not, been successful. The
greater the debt, however, the more danger,
as the man who owes nothing can by misfor-
tune lose only his own, while he who is in
debt may lose more than his own, and thus
lose in reputation aud credit. St. Paul says,
"The borrower is servant to the lender, y
and it is as true to-day as ever.
Year: 1875

cred with lice. A good time to gather the
earth to be used as an absorbent either for
trench or platform, is during the drought
that is sure 10 come some time 10 the late
summer or in the fall, as it will then con-
tain so little moisture that the pile will not
freeze in the coolest weather, If properly
housed.-Granger, IN Neto England Home
efn0d
Year: 1875

Let me recommend my way ofroast-
ing meat, which is very easy, makes
luscious dinner, and costs much less
than the usual method. Buy piece
out of the shoulder of a beef creature,
which we get here for fourteen cents
per pound, when apiece of roast costs
thirty. Wash it in cold water; put
just enough hot water into the ''dish
kettle" to cover the rim; then lay in
an Old-fashiOned steamer, which Is q
round piece of tin, little smaller
than your kettle, full of holes. Upon
that lay your meat, keeping it entire
ly out of water.


Cook in this way piece that weighs
five or six pounds four hours. Then
take it out very carefully, as it is sup
posed to be exceedingly tender; thick
en- and salt the gravy to your taste;
put the meat back, down into the gra-
Wy; boil slowly twenty minutes; take
out upon a platter and serve as you
would roast meat. The gravy is very
rich and nice. Cook all the time very
slowly, taking care that the water
does not boil away and burn, as that
spoils your dinner. Better keep the
kettle on the back part of the stove.


IfyOu have steamed beef for dinner
Tuesday, there will, if you calculate
rightly, be enough for dinner We'd
nesday, when you must slice it thin
and warm 1t up in the gravy, in
which manner it Is delicious. Toma-
toes fried or stewed are nice with such
a dinner, as are squash and turnip,
Year: 1875

A PLEA FOR HoRsEs. The mar
who has considered enough in the
burning heat OF summer to protect
his horse in any manner from the
scorching rays Of the sun, or the tor.
menting stiugs OF insects is worthy OF
praise. The "sun bonnets" which are
becoming 30 common, are humane
invention and prevent much injury to
horse which is used in the heat OF
the day. Some add to this q wet
sponge, which is exceedingly COM
forting to the animals and enables
them TO do much more work. The
troublesome flies are easily kept off
by netting, which saves vast amount
of freting and stamping. 1t is a
shame to allow such willing, faithful
servants to be bitten to madness by
flies, and stand in the blist ring heat
unprotected, when a small expense
viii render them comparatively
comfortable, or at least insure them
from injury.
Year: 1875

The editor Of an up-country paper
is still lounging about Milwaukee.
afraid to 60 home. About q month
ago his wife met him at the door
With fiat iron in one hand and IN
the other copy Of his paper, with an
editorial beginning, Beautiful Jane,
how we have longed to feel your
balmy breath upon our brow Her
name is Maria, and she won't believe
that he wrote beautiful June.' which
the type-setter changed to Jane
Milwaukee Sentinel, tss4Sg
Year: 1875

A writer in the London Lancet says
that a great deal Of hacking and hem
ming and coughing in invalids is
purely nervous, or the result of mere
habit, as is shown by the frequency
with which il occurs while the patient
is thinking about it, and it's compare


tive rarity when he is so much engag-
ed that there Is no time to think, or
when the attention lie impellsd in an


other direction. ies,
Year: 1875

A shopkeeper purchased of an
Irishwoman a quantity of butter, the
Jumps Of which, intended for pounds,
lie weia he'd in the balance and found
wanting. 'Shure, Its your own fault
if they are light said Biddy, in reply
to the complaints Of the buyer, its
your own fault, sir, for wasn't it with
a pound OF your own soap bought
here myself that I weighed them
With The shopkeeper had nothing
more TO say on that subject.
Year: 1875

The West Point cadet laughs be-
cause the vassar girl ran screaming
from fright at the recent sham fight.
Let the cadet marry that timid vasssr
Girl. and iu six months be viii take
of bis boots In the hall when he
comes 10 nights, for fear she viii tear
the scalp of him.-hilwaukee Senti-
Year: 1875

be hinged on the comparative physical
condition of Congressional debaters, the
country has arrived at the verge OF
revolution. If that were to be the test
of successful legislation; the philoso-
pher then might be called from his labor
and the scholar from his study and they
might 60 into the country aud take the
brawny sons OF the soil for legislators
and send them to Congress, for they
would have the required muscle for the
office, brains being no longer needed. 1t
was said and generally believed that the
President was present at the Capitol
during the debate, and that he intima-
ted that those who wished to remain in
his favor must vote for the bill. This
the speaker could not vouch for, as he


was not in political agreement with the
President Qaughter)-bu as those who
did vote we're given handsome Offices af-


terwards, the report seemed to have


been well founded. The speaker then
referred to the Arkansas troubles, re-


viewing them at some length. He said


that the President not only claimed the
right to decide whether Brooks or Bax-


ter was elected. but the right to enter a
State and overthrow any government
that he thought unlawful. An Admin
istration organ in Washington openly
declared that the 1873 electoral votes of


the South belonged to the Republican


party, and that the latter had perfect


right to legislate so as to secure them.


All that stood between the American


people and his claim of power was the
Democratic organization in the two
Houses. He was proud to say that he
was one of that party, and he should
stand by that party while it was the


bulwark of the liberty of the whole
American people. The condition of the


South and the depression. of business


in the North were principally the result
Of Federal usurpation in the South.


The speaker closed by saying that IN the


mutual good will of the North and South


was the key to national prosperity.
Year: 1875

Mr.. BAYARD's speech in New Haven
ought 10 carry great deal of weight
in the Connecticut campaign, Nobody
knows better than Mr.. Bayard and
nobody can tell better what narrow
miss we have made of putting the gov
ernment of this country into the hands
of Mr.. Grant without any restraint. If
the Third Term bill had passed Con-
gress we should have had President
with power to choose his own success
sor. 1t did not pass, thanks to Mr..
Bayard and the resolute and patriotic
men with whom he acted. But it is
no thanks TO the Republican party,
which passed the Third Term bill
through the House, and which would
have passed it through the Senate if
Morton could have forced it to vote
in that body as Butler forced it to
vote in the House. The responsibility
of the Administration party for the
attempt to re-elect the President by
fraud and force, after it was made
plain that he could not fairly be re-
elected, is quite as clear as if the at
tempt had succeeded. To fasten this
responsibility upon that party should
be the business of Democratic speakers
and Democratic newspapers. Nothing
more can be needed to secure the active
cooperation of the men who have
heretofore acted with wha. has called
itself the Republican party than to
show that it has been turned into
monarchical party. This is what MIR.
Bayard did at New Haven last night.
-U0Tld
Year: 1875

A handkerchief of VIM. Penn is to be
on exhibition at the Centennial, and II
correspondent asks if it is the original
Z enn wiper.


There is a man in Manayunk who
has been snatched from d drunkard's
grave ninety times, and now he
Is training for the hundredth snatch
ing.


And now the loose brick, which
squirteth the mud into the eye, caus-
eth the bewildered passer temporarily
to forget tho testimony in the Beechcr
trial.
Year: 1875

A VExED QUEsTIoN.-Th great problem
is how to train and keep the physical sys-
tenn at the top Of its capacity for work and
enjoyment all the time. Those who do not
get an abundance of outdoor exercise in
their regular avocations must secure its
equivalent in some other way, or suffer the
consequences. The more exacting the work
of the brain, the more needful is vitality.
How to do this each must settle for himself
as best he can, with both an interest and
duty. There is a religion of the body as
well as of the spirit; indeed, true religion
includes both body and mind. 1t is not a
crusade on calisthenics and the other meth
ods of physical training that is wanted, but
wiser and more general use of them. We
have mastered the art of making perfect
tree, and persuading rose to bloom in any
color we may choose; we know exactly how
to rear just such horse or dog as we de-
sire; but who shall tell us how to develop
and train the human body to perfection
When we go back and study the old Greek
and Roman models, our pride oozes out,
and we are inclined to question whether we
have not lost in one way quite as much as
we have gained in another by this intangi
BILE something we call civilization.
Year: 1875

INFLUENCE OF DIET.-For the mental la
borer, fish every second day is requisite
Soup sets all the glands at work, and pre-
pares the stomach for the more important
function of digestion, and therefore should
be taken at dinner every day. Beef broth
is to the old what milk is to the young.
Cookery properly attended to, keeps man
in health. If the stomach is out of order,
the brain is affected. We should eat more
fruit, vegetable soup, and fish, and less
meat. Good and well prepared food beau
tifies the mind. Wrinkles are produced by
want of variety of food. The man who
does not use his brains to select and prepare
his food, is not above the brntes, which
take it in raw state.
Year: 1875

Character is not shaped by trifes any
more than marble is sculptured by puffs of
air. Only by hard struggles and stern con-
ficts with temptation, and resolute self
mastery, does the divine principle assert it's
supremacy and carve its immortal lowell
ness into every faculty and mood of the
mind. The sharpness of our trials and the
hardness of our lot show what we are COM
posed of.
Year: 1875

In the breeding of poultry, as in all other
pursuits, little care and forethought invari-
ably return an apparently disproportionate re-
suit. In the rearing of poultry, where the ex-
penditure on each fowl is small and the mate
rial provided comparatively inexpensive, we
are apt to overlook the small wastes which
occur in the transformation OF the different
grains into poultry, but which aggregate quite
a respectable sum. The opinion that corn is
very nourishing food for fowls is so universal
that no further thought is given to the matter.
Ii any one should suggest that corn would be
easier of digestion if soaked or boiled, he
would very likely receive the answer that corn
was nothing hard to digest for birds, which
swallow stones and other hard substances
without detriment. A moments thought.
however, will convince that the mill-stones
and the grist are very different things, and
feeding hard grain, although not exactly like


feeding the mill-stones with pebbles, bears a
certain likeness to it. The trouble attendant
on the preparation of food, if it is to be cook
ed, may indeed seem very dispreportionate to
the advantage to be derived from such treat
ment, but in reality little time need be spent
as. before going the rounds of the nests. a lit
tie hot water may be poured over the grain. q
tight cover may be put on the kettle, and the
whole placed over the stove, where, by the
time your rounds are completed, the corn will
have become steamed and mellow, and have
lost none of its good qualities. Remember
each hen has certain amount of animal
force to be expended every day in some diree-
tion, and the less she has to give to the di-
gesting her food, the more she will have to be
expended in reproducing. The advantages of
the warm food in Winter, when much food
goes toward producing animal heat to with
stand Che cold, are twofold-from the direct
n nf 4I,r- Al
OF the food itself, to say nothing of the fact
that the content produced by nourishimg
food will result in more eggs, for hen


thoroughly at home will lay many more eggs