smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1875

The wisdom of Congress in setting apart
public lands for the endowment Of agricul-
tural colleges is often questioned. And the
practical value to agriculture of the educa-
tion given in them to young men, as con.
Quoted. is more frequently the subject of
criticism. We are sensible of the Difficult.
ties which must inevitably be encountered
and look with charity as we'll as regret on
efforts made in good faith to carry out the
purpose OF the trainers Of the law, though
not always attended with success.


That fair percentage of young men edu.
Gated in some of these institutions do follow
agricultural pursuits is matter which is
beyond doubt. DR. I. G. Abbott, presi.
dent of the Michigan agricultural college, in
recent address on the subject Of liberal and
scientific education for farmers and mechan.
les, in reply to the oit.repeated question,
"Do agricultural colleges make farmers 2"
makes the following statement:


1t has been the desire of those who man.
age the agricultural college to create bias
towards, and not away from the farm; to
make the whole atmosphere of the place one
of respect for all kinds OF work, and feel.
ing of fellowship with farmers. To this end
manual labor is insisted on from all, if we
can speak of insisting on what students offer
in excess of our requirements. To this end
there is no furnishing of easier or more
tasteful work to the seniors than is given 10
other students; the habit of work aud taste
for it is kept up to the end. To this same
end the labor system and the instruction are
planned to match each other, to illustrate
each other, so that to the labor is given some
Of the dignity Of scientific instruction. La.
Dor serves as a kind of laboratory practice
for instruction. The results of thes5 efforts
to create a truly agricultural school appears
in the fact that in place Of per cent Of
graduates going TO farming, US from other
colleges, 3S per cent, or, not counting those
not living, and those who are still students,
AZ per cent have gone to farming, fruit rails.
ing, and the nursery business as their chief
or only business, In this respect the college
is doing what has never been done before
sending men with good education in fair pro-
portion back to work farms"
Year: 1875

A correspondent Of the Coun try G entIe-
man has the following novel method of sub
DUNG and exercising bulls:


All stock breeders know that large bulls
have perfect disregard for fences, and there
fore have to be kept in the stable, some-
times for years. Experience has shown in
most cases where bulls are kept so confined,
without air or exercise, that they become Ell
ther impotent, or very precarious stock get
ters, also headstrong and dangerous to ham
die. l kept Short Horn bull six years.
When he was year old, began handling
him with rope similar to one ordinarily used
to cast horse. He would make great re-
slstance, and after hard struggle would
have to come down. repeated this every
six months that l had him, and he never
knew that he had any strength. His lofty
head was levcled to the ground in manner
very humiliating to him he was always as
Kind as an OK, and any child could lead him
to water. Throwing him took the conceit
entirely out of him.


L then invented plan to exercise him.
set post in the ground about three feet
high, with cart wheel on top, then lashed
l6-foot ash pole across it, made frame for
his neck at the end, so that the pole would lie
against his breast with a rod running out in
front to tie his strap to. He very soon
learned to go round, describing circle thir.
ty-two feet ia diameter, with good track.
lie was put in this every day, and would
walk two hours. After few DAYS he need
ed no attention, as he seemed to eniov it.
and was so inpatient to start that we could
hardly hold him still long enough to tie him.


The result OF this, was that he was the
most active bull [ ever saw; and out of
eighty.seven COWS served the summer he was
four years old, only four missed. Some of
my stock breeding friends have tried these
experiments, and say that they have been
the means of prolOnging the usefulness of
their valuable bulls for years. We all know
that far too many Of our high priced and
choice bulls go prematurely to the shambles
in consequence of the above troubles.
Year: 1875

The New England Homestead has the fol.
lowing advice on the subject of muck


The farmer who owns good farm, and
included in that farm has a good bed OF
muck, should consider himself extremely for.
tuhate. lie has no excuse for allowing his
farm to run down. On the contrary, he
ought to increase its value every year. The
means are at hand for the production of
large crops; also for maintaining the fortil-
ity of the soil. The muck can be easily
converted into a valuable fertilizer, and it is
very much cheaper than any of the CONNER.
cal maDures. Indeed, its cost is so small
that it can almost be said to cost nothing.
Merely to use for bedding, without regard to
Its subsequent value, it is worth, to the far.
mer who has it on his own land, about all it
costs to get it. And after it has been used
Tor bedding it comes out an excellent ma.
nure. When not used for bedding, but
merely obtained to use as a compost, it is
very valuable. Properly used it not only
largely increases the quantity. but also i'm
proves the quality of the manure To those
who have never used it themselves, or OBJ.
served its effect upon the land of others, this
may seem like an absurd statement. Still,
1t is susceptible Of direct proof, as those who
have used it will readily testify. But it is
sometimes the case that it does not prove as
useful as it ought to be. This is generally
owing to the fact that it has not been prop.
erly handled. Sometimes it is drawn from
the held directly to the place where it is to
be used for manure. We have seen men
digging muck, and teams drawing it to the
moving lots as fast as it was loaded. In
some cases it is dug and drawn directly to
the stables to be used as bedding, or to the
yards in order to 60 into the compost heap.
But In neither Of these cases is it used to
the best advantage. When first dug, it is
very heavy indeed. 1t contains great deal
OF water, and is very likely to be impreg.
mated with acids which will injure rather
than benefit the plant to which the muck is
applied. 1t is much better to dig and throw
the muck into piles year before it is needed
for use. These piles should be shoveled over
two or three times in the course of the year.
In this way its acidity will be partially cor
rected, the water evaporated, and it will be
both lighter to draw and better to use.
Year: 1875




hear it said that farmers are saving
much hay this open weather. cat tie manage
to pick up much in the fields. Indeed, in nv
riding L see, sometimes, herds of cattle in
moving fields grazing the dry aftermath
For some days it is likely they may secure
third or half their support away from the
hay NOW. 1t seems to me, however, that for
every mouthfdl Of hay saved by this means,
four or five good mouthluls will be lost to
the barn the coming summer. IfOf this you
are doubtful, then consider the reasons in
support OF the assertion. 1t is assumed that
the soil of your farm is light, thin, and rests
upon a well drained subsoil.


The practice of manuring grass lands upon
the swaId, to keep the grass well, and TO
save the expense Of plowing aud hazard of
reseediDg, has become at least a Massachu.
setts custom. This custom finds its support
in the belief that grass roots lie near the
surface Of the ground-that the rains or
melting snow liquify, so to speak, the ma.
nure applied to the surface, and in the liquid
form 1t settles in the soil sufficiently for the
surface roots Of the grass to be thereby nour.
ished. We know that the most fertile LAYERS
OF our farm soils are the layers near the sur.
face. Surface-applied farm manure has its
greatest strength retained In these LAYERS. Go
down three or four inches and it is found for
every half inch deeper there is less fertility.
Examine the plowed furrow, aud the great
mass OF roots are not found below these few
inches. What lies below this depth is very
important In sustaining a growth of grass.
but the larger part OF the stuff of which
grass is made, withdrawn from the soil, is
found above. Different is it with clover,
perhaps, and other deep rooted plants and
different it may be, perhap ps, with grass in a
clay or deep SOIL


Careful experiments show that the greater
portion OF liquid manure applied upon the
surface, does not drop through it like lead
in water, TO the bottom, but that il is difEused
through the uppermost part of the soil. Tn.
less grass roots, then, are conceded TO be near
the surface, topdressing Of grass lands we
must regard as an Indifferent use of manure
But we know it produces results Of value.


Accepting, then, these two positions, the
one as TO the descent of manure in the SOIL
and the other, as to tho growth of the roots
of grass another position with respect to the
nature Of grass will be readily accepted.
That grass, unlike some species of plants,
the common English grasses, does not four
ish in dry soil, but requires water ia abun.
dance during the growing season, We think is
Year: 1875

A. l.. Fish, dairyman of Ilerkimer
county, N. Y, says of fodder corn;


II condition of pasture does not require il
to be fed while green, it is only second to
early.cut hay for fall and spring feed, il
matured and cut before it is killed by frost.


One COW was kept in stable two weeks
and fed only fodder corn and water. She
consumed 100 lbs per day of the green corn,
and averaged 30 lbs per day Of excellent
milk. The milk was equivalent to three lbs
of cheese from 100 lbs Of corn, or 1880 lbs
OF cheese from the acre of corn. An eoua
amount OF the same growth that was fed
green, was dried and kept to be fed in the
succeeding spring during the early flow of
milk after parturition Of the same COW. to
ascertain it an equal amount of corn dried
and fed would produce as much milk in the
early flow Of milk as green did in October
preceding. But the test failed by the COW
proving to be farrow. Feeding it to another
COW Of equal milking qualities convinced me
that IT dried at proper stage Of growth it
will make as much milk il fed before turn
ing to grass as when fed green 10 fall.
Year: 1875

The editor Of the New England Farmer
gives expression 70 sentiments which il would


be we'll for farmers TO have often repeated
and always needed, when be says:


The tendency Of American stock breeders
and dealers seems to be to obtain something
that is new, or that is supposed to be new,
something different from that which is al.
ready generally known by the farmers at
large. II does not satisfy their ambition to
take breed Of animals aud by careful breed.
ing keep them up to high standard, or even
to improve them by judicous crosses and by
intelligent systems Of breeding. There is
too much work about this; they want to
reach the desired end by some short cut.
Of course we mean those breeders and deal.
ers who class themselves as "faney" farmers,
and who expect to make their fortune by
selling stock at fancy prices 1t is little
amusing to watch the progress Of events in
this business Of breeding and selling fancy
animals. AT one time chicken with q pc
culiar arrangement of the comb, will shake
the country from the Atlantic to the Pacific,
aud after few years no chicken Of this Pc
culiar breed will be allowed in show coon
unless it comes up to the standard, as regards
this little matter of comb. The knowing
ones, seeing no chance to make money much
longer in this direction, start a new feather
OF a certain shape or color on some one of
the trio, and Immediately great sensation
follows, and lots of money is made by those
who, having been warned in season, are pre-
pared for the rush. One of the latest sensa.
tions in the poultry line is pea-comb on a
trio of partridge CochiDs, aud doubtless
there are already hundreds of anxious breed
ers ready to pay big price for the few eggs
the owner can be prevailed upon to spare of
this very desirable acquisition, next spring.
1t the new breed can boast Of foreign origin,
all the better. The word imported" has a
peculiar charm for the ear of the average
American, whether it refers to a breed of
cattle, sheep or poultry, or to the cloth of a
,oat or the shape of hat
Year: 1875

The editor of the Lancaster Farmer says
In recent conversation with an experienced
chicken raiser, he informed us that he had
boen very successful in cOuqueriDg that pre-
carious disease in his young fowls by the
application of air-slacked lime. As soon as
manifestation of gapes in his fowls appears,
he confines his chickens in box, one at
time, sufficiently large to contain the bird,
and places coarse piece of cotton OF linen
cloth over the top. Upon this he places the
pulverizsd lime, and taps the screen sufii-
GENTLY to cause the lime to fall through.
This lime dust the fowl inhales aud is made
10 sneeze, and in short time the cause of
the gapes is thrown out in tho form of
slimy mass or masses of worms, which had
accumulated in the windpipe and smaller air
vessels. This remedy he considers superior
to any he has ever tried, and he seldom fails
to effect perfect cure. He has abiured all
those mechanical means by which It is at.
tempted to dislodge the entozOa with instru.
ments made OF whalebone, hogs bristles, or
tine wire, alleging that people are quite as
certain to push the cape worms further down
the throat OF the fowls as to draw them up.
Year: 1875

Why is it, when growing wheat or rye is
being struck with rust, that little plot
here and there where stumps, logs or brush
have been burned to ashes, will be bright and
free from the attack of rust2 Because the
growing plants employ potash and silica not
only to give stiffness and rigidity to the straw,
but to form, as it were, CLASSY coat of mail
over the surface of every leaf, CLONE and
straw, to fortify the tender and delicate parts
against the attacks of spores that are floating
IN the atmosphere. We all know how read
lily substances in the atmosphere are turned
away when they come in contact with a
CLASSY surface. Potash and sand are the es-
sential elements Of glass. The roots of grow
log plants have the power to employ the
sharPest sand and potash to form a thin,
elastic, CLASSY covering which is spread over
the surface to exclude moisture and to repel
any attacks Of fungus.


Practical Farmer,
Year: 1875

1t is common thing for people driving
loose cattle or even horses and colts, to make
use Of stones as a means of persuading them
to move along faster, or in any direction
against their wills. In driving sheep, stones
are great help, and comparatively safe to
use, because if thrown so as to strike on the
ground near the flock they are sure to hurry
in the other direction But horses and cat.
tie possessing less timidity than sheep, have
a noble disdain of any such harmless atten-
tions, and it is necessary to take good aim
at them aud to put modicum Of force into
the projectlle to turn them from the error
of their ways. This may seem necessary at
times, when they are refractory, but to throw
stones in this way is to risk injury to the
animals. This is especially true in regard to
horses and colts. A slight blow with a stone
will put out an eye or cause a blemish that
spoils the selling value even if 1t does not
cause lameness.


If a missile must be used it had better be
stick and that should be thrown with sense
Of the danger Of injury that may cause a
pecuniarY loss.


We had lesson when a boy that will
last as long as memory. Driving the COWS
up at night, yearling bull did not move
along fast enough, aud stone scarcely more
than an inch in thickness and little more
than that in width was pitched lightly at
him to urge him to hurry up. The aim was
quite too true. As it struck we saw some-
thing that looked like piece of glass drop
from his eye. He shook his head and "hur-
ried up" to our entire satisfaction. The
crystalline lens which we picked up from
the grass, was the first, and decidedly un.
pleasant illustration of the formation Of the
eye, aud of light, then recently captivating
study in the school philosophy. The per.
iOrmance OF the duty Of giving father a
truthful account of the "interview" was
not the most interesting part of the affair
He did not say as much as was expected and
did not do anything, but the presence of a
Year: 1875

Mr. EDITOR Since you requested some of
us farmers to experiment on opening hay |,
like my friend King, have been trying the
different times for opening and noting tho
result, and | find hay put up one day, which
is partly dry, to open and dry next day and
then opened at from six to seven O'Clock in
the morning and then stirred up a little
about nine, is as we'll ready for the cart at
half-past ten or eleven a. N. as that opened
from ten to eleven, as praetiCed by most
farmers is at two or three p. m, and think
the hay full better not to have so much of
the hot afternoon sun upon it as it will 10
the last named time Of opening, as l think
so much hot sun on hay that has been in the
cock makes the hay more brittle and Of a
weedy nature and, therefore, not near as pal
atable.


Mr. King speaks Of the size of hay cocks.
My opinion is, it hay is to be put up green
Year: 1875

The barn-yard may be taken as the index
OF the character Of the farmer. As is the
barn.yard, SO is the farm and the farmer. 1t
is well that all of us should remember that
IN this case it is no figure of speech to sa
that "straws show which way the wind
blows" The arrangement of the barn yard
Is not for show altogether. The profits OF
the farm depend to great extent upon it,


Ii is in the yard and the barns that the pro-
duce of the farm that is not sold outright is
converted into beef, pork, mutton, wool or
milk and butter-articles that may be more
profitably sold. 1t is in the yard, also, that
the manure is made and kept. The barn
aud barn-yard are the mauutactory of the
farm, and if they are not arranged with a
view to economy, a large waste results that
reduces the farmers profit. The majority
oil farmers in this country, from necessity
begin business with small means, and do the
best they can with the materials they DOS.
sess. The excellence of farm buildings does
not consist so much in the materials Of which
they are built, as IN the use made Of those
materials. Useful buildings may be made
OF logs or prairie sods, or poles and coarse
hay and these. by skillful arrangement,
may be made to serve as useful purpose as
dressed lumber and paint or pressed brick
The main points are warmth, dryness and
ventilation; for food is wasted when an ami.
NAL shivers in its stable, or when its health
is injured by damp, filth, or bad air. A
farmer who is thoughtful about such small
things as this (although this is more impor-
tant than it appears) may be taken to be
careful, thrifty man who, by and by, will be
able to build barn with all the improve
ments' aud to build it properly, too. The
old proverb, stake care of small things, and
the large ones will take care of themselves"
is applicable to matters about farms, and
barn-yards especially. When the small
things are well watched, large ones are not
forgotten. American Agriculturist.
Year: 1875

Mr. j. Olin Ingalls,, of Wheelock, w., iu-
quires when is the best time to cut Canada
thistles in pastures to kill them.


We have had the best success by moving
them off close when in full bloom. At tn at
time the plant is in full vigOr of growth,
and cutting the stem below the lowest leaf
is an instant check to the circulation of sap
which operates as a shock (f such thing
as the Canada thistle is susceptible of a
shock. 1t is said that if rains fall soon
after, the stem is filed with water, which
tends to rot it.
Year: 1875

Many farmers are improving the time to
turn over the sod in the old mowings with
the intention of giving a light dressing Of
manure and seeding to grass. To such we
would say, work over the manure until it is
very fine, and spread as evenly as possible ;
harrow it in well and make the land very
smooth before sowing the seed. Seed lib
orally. Il is easy enough to compute the
number of seeds in peck of timothy and
reckon the number to the square inch, and to
draw therefrom the inference that peck is
too much. For some reason, a large per
cent Of grass seeds fail to germnate. Lib.
eral ceding gives the best results. Some
farmers SOW half a bushel Of timothy.
Year: 1875

The weather since the advent of August
has been, most Of the time, wet. Those who
have not finished haying are making little
progress, and the elements are most unfavor-
able for the grain harvest The pastures are
fresh and green as in june and rowen grows
finely. There will be at present little need
Of the use of fodder corn, and portion of
that sOwed for fall use can be saved for win
tar
Year: 1875

San Francisco id as much excited as she can
get over the matter of morals by the discovery
that there are eight opium smoking establish
ments in her midst, kept by Cinnamon for the e1-
elusive use of Americans.
Year: 1875

State. This IS one ninth of the
taxable property of the State. The
heaviest portion of this indebted
ness is upon our commercial cities,
Nashville and Memphis,particularly
Memphis. If our State was in
creasing in wealth and productive
ness every year, this debt might be
paid, but with decreasing wealth
and productiveness, the prospects
are not very fiattering. We must
use some means TO increase the
productions of our State, or we are
in danger of not meeting our obi
cations. The holders of our State,
county, and municipal bonds should
take an. intel lest in the improvement
of our State. We have twenty-five
million of acres of land, of which
only seven million are improved,
and much of this improved land is
not in high state Of cultivation.



There are eighteen millions of
acres of unimproyed land in the
State, much Of which abounds with
valuable timber, minerals and water
power. Ifthe holders of our bonds
would invest a portion of them in
the lands of the State, whether i'm
proved are unimproved, this would
afford great relief and increase the
value Of the bonds, because if the
tax payers and property owners of
the State become the owners of the
bonds. they viii be much more cas-
lily paid. If for instance a man
owns bonds sufficient for the inter
est on them to pay his State and
municipal taxes, he will not be so
much troubled about taxation, and
if they were generally owned
throughout-the State, there would
be no difficulty in paying them. If
however the tax payers and the
bond holders form different classes,
the tax payers being here and the
bond holders at a distance, the diff
Guilty of paying will be much in
creased. By investing a portion, if
not all of their bonds in the land
or other property of the State, they
would encourage immigration, in
crease the productions, and add to
the wealth of the State, and there
by enable her to meet her obliga-
tions without heavily burdening her
people. 1 throw out these sugges-
tions believing there is merit in
them and that they may be made
practicable. If not, no harm can
result from the proposition. Both
the people of the State, and the
holders of our bonds would, I think,
thus be benefited.
Year: 1875

The late Circuit Court at this
place did a great deal of business
during the session of two weeks
There were, when Court commenced,
1875 cases on the Docket, and SO of
them were disposed Of


The Circuit Court Clerk, H. Al.
Stanley, speaks in the highest terms
of the manner in which Judge
Wright dispatched business at the
late court. By the way, we would
not offend the modesty of our eff
fcient Circuit Clerk, but the Pulas-
XII bar are of the opinion that Mid
die Tenn. does not afford his equal
as a Clerk.
Year: 1875

Messrs Flautt, Martin d Co. have
superseded their spiral stairway by
the erection of a number one eleva-
tor. For whose accommodation
this change was made, is a mOoted
question. Some say that Capt An
drews was tired climbing to his roost
by this crooked ascent, while others
insist that Col. Rose and others were
weary of the daily ascent In any
event, it is a great improvement.