smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1877

tie more, and in all cases il should be worked
deep into the ground and tho laOd cultivated
level 10 guard against drought. Theory sug-
gests thimbloiul Of formulated phosphate
10 the square yard Of earth, but practice re-
quired shovelful Of we'll rotted manure to
the hill. Again, we are told that every car
that brings load Of corn into the state
should be sent back loaded with our nice
Maine grown apples. This is beautiful the
ory on paper. but let us apply It to practice.
Not one busbel Of apples was raised in Frank
lin county the past season the cattrpilars
took every green leaf; the trees put out
second growth of leaves but no fruit or.
chards that formerly yielded thousand
bushels yearly, the proprietor was buying
western apples at one dollar per barrel, while
my apples are rOtting in the cellar for want
Of forty cents per bushel. Good orchard
land is worth more to cut down the trees and
put it in to grass.


And now wo are told that we must not
raise potatoes beyond our own use, as It im.
povorishes the land yet we are selling po-
tatoes at one dollar bushel and buying corn
for sixty-6ve cents, aud every farmer knows
the same labor, land and manure that it takes
to raise one bushel of corn will raise four
bushels of potatoes. Ono barrel salt per
acre should be applied broadcast to all corn
and wheat land. Soak seed corn in chloride
Of lime and copperas and no crows or worms
will touch it, besides Fastening its vegota-
tion several days. While would plant and
cultivate corn land to secure moisture, the
last hoeing it should receive good hilliug
up which causes it to throw out new set Of
roots which serve both as feeders aud to re-
gain an upright position when prostrated by
winds or rain but while We can raise corn
at ity cents per bushel in any part of Maine
undoubtedly around our cities there is more
money in market gardening and root crops
Sea-weed and marine manure is the best for
cabbages Where this cannot be obtained,
salt stould be worked into the manure. AL.
ways plant cabbages on green sward land !;
the object should be to get the manure deep
into the ground to secure moisture in dry
weather. To this end hole the land deep
manure in the hill and cover it deep
before planting the seed plant seed enough,
SO that several plants shall come, but in no
case ever leave but one plant in hill to
grow. Five thousand cabbagcs can easily be
grown to average ten pounds, which always
bring at least one cent per pound. But
stock and grass are and always must be our
main dependence. We have our Ayrshires
for our city milk farms aud cheese factories !;
cur Jerseys for our butter dairies; and our
Herefords and Devons for beef and labor
aud our different breeds Of sheep for our
lambs, mutton and WOOL As for horses We
send out few extra steppers, but our heavy
team horses are brought by the car load from
the west and Cauada.-Mai,le cor. German
tOiOa Telegraph.
Year: 1877

The Flow OF SAP IN MAPLE TREEs.-
Some time ago the Amherst Agricultural
College made up its mind that the maple
sap from which sugar was made in Che
spring was laid up in the tree the year be-
fore. In order to find out if this was true,
a maple tree, one December, having been
guyed 50 as to keep it upright, was sawed
off near the ground and the end of the trunk
hermetically sealed with wax. Thus the
tree stood until spring, when it was tapped
and yielded its average amount of sugar,
although the tree had been severed from its
roots upwards of three months. A young
maple was cut in the winter, brought into
the greenhouse and tapped. 1t soon began
to flow sap, aud continued to do SO for thirty
six hours, when the flow stopped. The tree
was then taken out of doors aud allowed to
freeze again. Upon being brought back to
the greenhouse, the sap resumed its flow,
and continued to do SO as long as the alter
nate freezing and thawiug processes were
kept up.
Year: 1877

So FAR as our observation goes We agree
with Mr.. Chamberlain of Wilmington, who
writes in another column, concerning the use
Of small potatoes for seed. We believe
that the use of small potatoes for one or two
seasons will be likely to have no perceptible
influence, one way or the other, with the
crop; but if it is kept up for q term Of
years, it will In most cases be to the detri.
ment of the crop, both in quantity, size, and
quality. II is probable that by a careful
selection Of the largest and best tubers for
seed, year after year, the crop may be more
nearly kept up to its pristine standard and
choice varieties kept FROM "runuing out" for
at least longer time than If the opposite
course is pursued. We shall be glad to hear
from others upon this subject.
Year: 1877

1t is fact that in nearly every instance
our agricultural societies are financially in
want, and most of them have abandoned their
spring exhibitions, which generally are of but
little consequence. These troubles arise al
together from the extravagant premiums
awarded generally, but especially in
the "trials of speed.' And the only remedy
for them is to abandon money premiums, and
adopt the system which prevailed at the
Centennial exhibition and which proved SO
successful. All exhibitors, whose feelings
are interested in the promotion Of agriculture
should be proud to exhibit their success, and
receive an award of recognition for merit.
If any shall withhold their contributions on
the ground that they will not be paid for
showing let them do SO, the society can well
do without them but if there should be not
enough whole.souled farmers in country or
district to sustain as it ought to be an annual
exhibition in their midst on these proper
principles, it will be high time to abandon
them altogether.
Year: 1877

GRAPES may still be set The first year
grow but single shoot, aud keep it tied up.
The caterpillar which folds the leaves Of the
developing shoot, can ouly be managed by
hand. picking, though it really does less dam
age than is supposed, as it stops the prolon-
cation of the shoot just where those who
follow close training would do it. The most
troublesome of the early insects on the vine
is the Rosebug, which appears at blOssoming
time, making sad havoc. There is no remedy
but catching and killing; in early morning
they may be shaken of and caught in pan
or cup in which is some water, to prevent
flying. Whenever the first signs of mildew
appear-grayish spots on the under side Of
the leai-use the sulphur-bellows. Each
shoot sets three, or two, branches market
growers claim that il pays in extra size aud
quality TO remove all but One.-AmericaR
AqricnlturiSt.
Year: 1877

Few of our domestic animals care more
for their liberty than sheep. They do not
thrive if closely confined and when shut up
in close pens seem to have little enjoyment
in life. But when, after being kept all win
ter, they are turned out in spring, their joy
knows no bounds. This fact is an indication
that in order to get as large return as possi-
bic from sheep we should give them more
liberty than they usually have in the winter.
For it is well known that animals do so much
better when they are comfortable and con-
tented than they do when they are dissatis-
fed with their surroundings. Not only
should sheep be allowed to run in the yard
every day, but early in the spring, when the
snow is gone, they should in fair weather be
turned into the field for few hours in the
middle Of the day. 1t will do them good tC
run on the ground and they will get little
grass to eat about as soon as it begins Il
grow. Both sheep aud lambs will enjoy il
and for this reason il for no other, will d.
much better than they will if kept at thu
barn until time to turn them out for the sum
mer. We do not, however, believe in allow
them to run in the moving lots but woulc
keep them in the pastures. They can ge
about as much benefit from the pastures anC
will do much less injury there than they will
in the mowing-N. e. Homestead.
Year: 1877

CAULIFLowERs.-In our climate early
caulhowers oftener fail than succeed. AL
lowing the seed to be of good strain, many
skillful eultivators find themselves unable to
produce anything like fair return for their
labor from the early variety, while they have
excellent results with the late crop. This
is because our climate is very unfavorable to
the one, and we'll suited to the other. At
the time late caulihowers are perfecting, the
heat of the sun is daily becoming less, there
are frequent fogs, and the nights are cool
with heavy dews. All these conditions,
which SO suit this plant, are exactly re-
versed when the spring crop is coming on ;
then the temperature OF both day and night
is increasing, and just before the plants have
reached their full size, and are ready to head
the weather is so hot that growth is checked
altogether, and the plants come to stand
still In order to succeed, the early plants
should have their growth pushed as rapidly
as possible abundant manure, Of course they
need, and they should be protected on chilly
nights. If hand-lights can not be afforded
then some screen or shelter, to be put over
at night, to prevent any check by chilling
should be provided. Then if there can be
easy methods of watering abuudantly when
dry weather comes on, all will have been done
that our climate aud condition will allow
and fair success may be looked for.
Year: 1877

WHEN To SEED Down TO GRAss.-I have
not doubt that August is the best time.
Grass sowed then looks we'll now, though it
hardly started perceptibly before frost, and it
appeared to grow but little after that Even
that sowed with late rye is starting now 6ue-
ly, and will stand drouth much better than
any spring sowD grass possibly can. Oats
seem to be so much a necessity to horses,
that have favored seeding down with that
crop, and raise generally only rye enough
for what straw we need. But last summers
experience is \ warning. l met Mr.. Bar
stowe OF Norwich, Ct, life-loug dealer in
implements and seeds for farmers, and he


appealed TO me to know what time Of the
year it was best to SOW grass. With the
manner of Sir Oracle l said August, aud,
it seems, confirmed some advice which he had
just been giving. For my part | was very
glad also to be confirmed in my view by so
experienced an observer. Rather than SOW
grass seed with oats, and take the chances Of
the summer, think it will pay to plow the
oat stubble, and SOW the grass aud clover to-
gether as early as the oats can be gotten of
the land.-COr. American AgricultHrist.
Year: 1877




The following, though not new we are as
sured is a sure way to thin out hawks, if not
to get rid Of them entirely ;-"As the sea-
son is approaching when hawks are most des-
tructiye to young poultry, method Of catch
ing and killing these marauders will be in
order. 1t is a well-known fact that hawk
will always light on some conspicuous place
close to the poultry yard, from which TO
sweep down upon his victim. Taking advau-
tage Of this, erect a pole with fat surface
at the top just large enough to hold strong
steel trap. Fasten this by chain to sta
pie in the pole, aud await results.-No bait
will be needed, for the hawk will be quite
certain to light on the trap and be caught;
A gentleman who has tried this method has
succeeded in killing all the hawks in his
neighborhood, and now can raise poultry
without loss except by accident"
Year: 1877

IT being busy time with farmers now,
our agricultural correspondence is much
smaller than we could wish, and We would
be pleased If those who have papers that have
been read at board meetings and other farm.
ers' gatherings this winter, would send some
Of them to us, for wo know that there are
many that have not been printed which are
we'll worth the perusal Of our readers. Aud
at this time when there isl dearth Of cur
rent correspondence, they win be dOubly ac-
certable.
Year: 1877

1t is good way after gratis have been set
q week or two to 60 over them with the wax
cup and fill up any opening or cracks the
wind have made in the waxing for unless
the air and rain are kept out OF the grated
parts, they will seldom grow and do we'll.
Year: 1877

PREPARING NESTS FOR SErrERs.-The best
manner in which to construct nests is to
place damp earth at the bottom, moulded in-
to concave shape. The dampuess in the
soil supplies the moisture to the eggs which
they lose by evaporation during incubation.
This is but initiating nature, for We know in
that state the nest is placed on damp ground.
Cover the nest thus formed with bruised
straw, broken short and fue Long straws
often entangle the hens toes, and broken
eggs are the result Do not cut the straw
in machine, as it will prick aud irritate
the hen and harm the chicks. The coneav-
ity of the nest must not be so great as to
huddlo the eggs together in the middle too
Deep nor must it be so fat as to allow them
to roll out Of the nest. A happy medium is
the thing to be aimed at, and little cxper-
ience 10 the matter will soon enable even q
new hand to form the nest just right.
Year: 1877

To KEEP LICE PROM SETTING HENs.-
Sprinkle SULPHUR handful to a hem
twice week on the hen, when on her nest.
Take the sulphur in your hand, commence
at the hens tail, let your little finger just
touch the feathers on her back and she will
raise them; move your hand toward her
head, letting the sulphur scatter among her
feathers. This will keep of the coop lice,
the bane Of the poultry house Don't put
on the sulphur within three days Of the hen
Matching, and it won't hurt the chicks.
Year: 1877

Hate not. 1t is not worth while
Your lite is not long enough to make
it pay to cherish i'll will or hard
thoughts toward any one. What if
that man has cheated you, or that wo-
man has played you false? What if
this friend has forsaken You In your
time Of need, Or that one having won
your utmost confidence, your warmest
love, has concluded that he prefers to
consider and treat you as stranger?
Let it all pass. What differ ence will
it make to you in a few ye*rs, when
you 90 hence to the undiscovered
country? ?" All who treat y ou wrong
now will be more sorry for it than you
even in your deepest disappointment
and grief can be. A few more smiles,
a few more tears, some pleasure, much
pain, little longer burryirg and wor-
rying in the world. some hasty greet
ings and abrupt farewelis, and life will
be over, and the injurer and injured
will be laid away and ere long for
gotten. Is it worth while to hate
each otter3
Year: 1877

The children of poverty! My heart
bieeds for them; the children simply
covered with a rag the children o.
famine and starvation; the children OF
drunkenndss and the children OF crime
flotsam and jetsam upon the wild, the
rude sea of life the children in alleys !:
the children who crouch in corners
when they hear the unsteady step Vi:
a drunken brute Of a father; the chill
dren, little babies with their drinkin.
mothers the children, too, of the rich.
they have no liberty these little
children that are crushed. that are
trampled upon, that are frightened, |
pity them all from the bottom of my
heart. What right hsve you to tyrai,
niZe over a child? l nave very little
respect for a man who cannot govern
a child without brute force. Think CT
whipping chiIdreni Why, they say,
children tell lics-tyranny is the faith
er of lies. Suppose man who is
much larger than five year old child
should come at you with pole in his
hands: Who brote that plate p
You would tremble; your knees
would knock together and you would
swear that you never saw the plate, or
that it was cracked when you got it.
Think of member of the Exchange
whipping one of his children for pre-
varicating. Think of lawyer beat
ing his own flesh and blood for evsd-
ing the truth. Think of dealer in
stock Furnishing his child for setting
afloat false reports. What an inco,.-
sistency! 1t you should hereafter
whip your child, 1 wish you could
have your picture taken while doing
it. with brows contracted with anger.
cheeks red with wrath, and the little
child shrinking. trembling, crouching,
begging! If this child should happen
to die, would it be sweet in the au-
tumn, when the maple leaves are turn
ing to gold, and when the scarlet vines
run like sad regret out of the earth
wouldn't it be delightful to go and
sit on the little mound that covered
the flesh you had beaten, and look at
the photograph of yourself in the act
of whipping that child Now think
of it; and it all l say to night will
save one blow from the tender flesh
of infancy, l am more than paid
[Ingersoil.
Year: 1877

A little steamboat without paddles,
wheels or screws, has been built in
Baltimore, and has made a successful
trip to New York through the Della
ware and Chesapeake and the Della
ware aud Raritan canals. The propel.
ling power is steam pump which
forces a stream of water from the boat
against the water in the stream. There
are four pipes, two emptying at the
stern and two at the bow, and the Ell


gineers can force stream in either
direction SO as TO drive the boat for
ward or backward. by shutting of
the stream on one side the boat may be
turned in her own length. The invcn-
ton is the result of many years of eX-
pertinent and study, and is said to be
a perfect SUCCESS. 1t il claimed that it
c,n be applied to ocean steamers. This
will not be greater change than was
the substitution of wheels for the pad


dies which were used by John Fitch
to propel his first steamboat. The
wheels then gave way to the screw.
and now the screw is likely to be sup.
planted by simpler contrivance.
Year: 1877

.


When Dan Rice was most popular
as clown 1t was one of his favOrite
jests to lament the fact that he was not
positive az to his own identity. lie
had reason, he said, 10 fear that he
was not himself. but somebody else;
that in infancy he had been removed
from his cradle, and carried away he
knew not where, while an ether baby
had been placed i'm the cradle i'm his
stead. 81 weep sometimes" he said,
s'to think what 1 may be enduring of
poverty and wretchedress without
knowing it, and 1 would give any
thing to know where am and how I
am."


1t appears that the clowns lament
was not altogether unreasonable. Two
cases have attracted attention lately
which show how difficult it Is for say
man to be certain that he is himael'.
II one Of them a man was found deaGs
and al the inquest held over the body
his SONS appeared and swo:c the corpse
was that of their father, After the
man had been buried, and the fact
published in the newspapers, he came
to New York from his home in New
Jersey, and insisted that he was not
dead at all. and thus the Coroner was
lett with two copies of the man, so to
speak, OH his hands. One of them he
had buried, ana the other was alive
aud well. s


The second case was still stranger.
A man was taken to Brooklyn hos
pital fOr treatment, and he there regis
tered his name as Robert Morton, of
No. 40 Beach street, New York. He
related also the rather singular story
of his life. After a while his friends
began to call upon him, but they agreed
in insisting that the mau who called
himself Robert Morton, and who gave
what they knew to be'a correct auto
biography Of Robert Morton, was not
Robert Morton at all, but some other
person, to them, as apparently to him.
self also, unknown. This leaves the
poor man without name or personal
identity, and his case is a hard one.
He believed himself to be Robert
Morton until otherwise informed, and
now he does not know who he is
Unless come friend shall appear who
can enlighten him on this point, he
must always remaia mystery to HIM
self.


In view of these facts it is worth
while to ask whether we shall not have
to tattoo trademarks upon our bodies
for our protection against :" base and
worthless limitations" with which
INSCRIPTIONS rivals" may at any
time s'flood the market" AS an addi-
tional precau,ion against fraud, it may
be well 10 continue the tattoofag pro-
cess, illustrating ourselves from time
to time with pictures OF the principal
scenes in our lives, fairly traced in In
dia ink upon our arms and chest.-lN.
Y. Evening Post.
Year: 1877

What will become of the last man
Various theories that have been seri-
ously entertained by scientific men are
described in the Scientific American,
and we summarize them:


l. The surface of the earth is stead
lily diminishing, elevated regions are
being lowered, and seas are filling up.
The land will at last be all submerged,
and the last man will be starved or
drowned.


.. The ice is gradually accumulating
at the North Pole and melting away at
the South Pole, the consequence of
which will be catastrophe when the
earth's center of gravity suddenly
changes. The last man will then be
drowned by the rush of wsters.


8. The earth cannot always escape
n collision with a comet, and when the
disaster comes there will be a mingling
of air and cometary gas, causing an
explosion. If the last man is not suf-
located, ne will be blown up.


4. There is a retarding medium in
spaces causing a gradual loss of veloci-
ty in the planets, and the earth, obey
ing the law of gravitation, will get
closer and closer to the sun. The last
man will be sunstruck.


5. The amount of water on the earth
is slowly diminishing. and simultane-
ously the air is losing in quantity. Fin
ally, the earth will be an arid waste
like the moon. The last man will be
suffOcated.


6. Other suns have disappeared, and
our must sooner or later, blaze up and
then disappear. The intense heat of
the confiagration will kill every living
thing on earth. The last man will be-
burned up.


Z. The SUMS fire will gradually burn
out and the temperature will cool. The
earth's glacial zones will enlarge, driv-
ing our race toward the equator, until
the habitable space will lessen to moth
ing. The last man will be frozen to
death.


s. A gradual cooling of the earth
will produce enOrmOue fissures, like
those seen i'll the moon. The surface
will become extremely unstable, until
the remnant of humanity will take
refuge in caves The last man will he
crushed in his subterranean retreat.


8. The earth will at last separate
into small fragments, leaving the peo-
pie without any foothold. The last
man will have dreadful fall through
space.


10. The tenth theory, proving that
there will be no last man at all, is thus
expressed: Evolution does not nee
essarily imply progress, and possibly
the race may have refrigerated until
the human being possesses the nature
of the plant louise such being the case,
this single inhabitant will spontaneous
ly produce posterity of both sexes.
Year: 1877

This poem, written by Stella" Mrs. Es telle
Anna Lewis. at the age of fourteen. Poe said.
is the most beautiful ballad of the kind ever
written We have Iead it, he remarked,
more than twenty times and always with in
,reasing admiration
IL hath been said. "For all who die


There is tear;
Some pining bleeding heart to sigh


O'er every bier
But in that hour OF pain and dread


Who will draw near
Around my humble couch and shed


One farewell :ear2
Who'd watch iife's last departing ray


In deep despair.
Aud soothe my spirit on its way


With holy prayer2
What monrnei uund m, biz r will come


In weeds OF woe.
MI follow me to my long home


solemn and slow?
When lyi lg on my clayey bed


In icy sleep,
Who there by pnrc affection led


viii come and weep;
By the pale moon inrIant the rose


Upon my breast,
nd bid it cheer my dark repose.


My lonely rest:
Could but know when am sleeping


Low in the ground,
One faithful heart would there be keeping


Watch all night round.
AS il some gem lay SIN incd beneath


That sod's cold gloom
'Twould mitigate the pangs of death


And light tie tomb.
Yes. in that hour if could feel


From halls of glee
And bcau:y's presence one would steal


In secrecy.
And come and sit and weep by me
- In nights deep noon,
oh! would ask of memory


No other boon.
But. ah lonciier fate is mine,


4 deeper Woe;
From all loved in youth's sweet time


soon must go,
Drawn round me my robes Of white


In II dark spot
To sleep thro' deaths long dreamless night


Lone and forgot.