smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1875

The editor Of the New England Farmer
has visited parties who practice steaming
food for cattle, and gives description Of the
process as conducted by Bella j. Stone Of
Westboro, Wm 7. Merriield and l.. F. Ban.
croft Of Worcester, all in Massachusetts,, and
John Dimon of Pomfret, Conn.,, and thus
states the conclusions at which he arrives
after careful stndy of the question.


We have visited barns where steam was
used, and have found the floor flooded by
water from leaky steam pipes, or worse yet,
by hay tea from the steam box, and where
the covering boards aud rafters were all
coated with frost from the condensed steam
that leaked from some portions of the appara-
tus. And we have seen cows fed on steamed
food in stables SO loose and open to the
wintry weather that the feed would almost
freeze before the cattle bad time to eat it.
Feeding steamed food under such circum.
stances seems like beginning a job at the
wrong end, like saving at the spigot and
wasting at the bung.


The conclusion we are inclined to adopt,
after all our investigations of this subject, Is.
that if one has considerable quantities Of
coarse or inferior fodder to work up, and
wishes to make up for its inferiority by the
use of grain, aud if the principal object is
selling milk by measure, without special re-.
gard to quality, and if the number of cows
kept is large, say twenty or more, and one
expects these conditions to exist several
years, it will pay to purchase good steam
boiler and cook the feed for his COWS but if
the number Of animals is small, the quality of
hay the very best, as when good grass is cut
before it blossoms, aud the object of feeding
is anything but making milk for market, he
had better make his stables as warm aud COM
Portable as possible, and feed his hay whole
and raw, rather than incur the expense and
extra labor necessary for steaming food We
also believe that many who have adopted
steaming aud have, at the same time, made
their barns warm and comfortable by tighter
covering, or by FIRE from the furnace. or by
both, and have also warmed the water drunk
by the COWS. would fnd it not q little puz.
zling to decide just how much OF the inn
provement in the condition OF the animals,
the increase in the amount of milk, aud saw.
ing of fodder is due to steaming or cooking
the food, aud how much to the general i'm.
provement in the care aud management Of
the animals which usually accompanies the
introduction Of steamer on the farm.
Year: 1875

Many persons are deferred from keeping
bees from the fear of stings yet were it not
for their stings, the birds, ants, wasPs and
other enemies would prey upon them and
their stores until, doubtless, the race would
soon become extinct. But the command
given to man to "have dominion over the
fowl of the air, the fish Of the sea- etc,
applies not less 10 the industrious but vindict.
i've bee than to the beasts tf the field. The
will horse of the plains, by little skilliul
management becomes docile and tractable,
and the elephant, that mighty giant Of the
eastern junges, soon becomes the most obe-
dent servant of man. Aud so may that
instinct given to bees 10 defend their stores
be easily overcome and they become as
harmless as flies.


Bees, when filled with honey or thor
oughly frightened, seem to lose a II disposition
to sting, aud become harmless and tractable
Shutting the entrance Of the hive and rappipg
upon it for few moments, or blowing n
little smoke into the entrance before they
are disturbed. will fr'ghten them, when they
will at once Gil themselves with honey, AMI
any necessary operation with the hive can
be performed with very little danger. Of
course there are some colonies that it takes
more time and care to subdue. A child Of
ten years understanding these simple axioms
can, with little experience, handle bees
nearly or quite as well as one oil those pom.
pous, putting, professional bee tanners" who
are not unfrequently seen at our agricultural
fairs, in the midst Of crowd of gaping rus.
ties, expatiating upon the merits Of their new
"patent, double, compound, back acting, rever-
sible, house-warming, surplus.getting, nova
bic comb bee hive" EARN rights five
dollars" But | am DEPRESSING.


Different kinds of smoke affect bees differ
emily. There are none of us who do not
remember the effect Of the sulphur smoke
used by our fathers. Tobacco smoke seems
to affect bees as alcohol affects man, although
macy use it still. believe it is not near
as good as that from cotton rags, or rotten
wood or punk. No lover of bees loves to
see them staggering about from its effects
Puff ball smoke is sometimes used, affect.
ing the bees as chloroiorm does larger
creatures, They seem to recover from the
effect of it if sufficient air is given them.
This kind of smoke is useful in uniting colo.
nies in summer. They should be kept confined
for little time after they come to, as they
seem bewildered aud are apt to fly away
never to return. For ordinary use | find
wood decayed sufficiently to hold fire (maple
wood is best) the most desirable. 10 case q
colony is very hard to subiue or in the fall
Of the year or 10 cold weather few stalks
Of wormwood with the leaves on may be
preferable and more effective. One may al
ways know after little experience when il
is safe to handle bees by peculiar subdued
humming they make after being treated tC
smoke. j. Il. 9.
Year: 1875

A correspondent of the New York Tribune
says he has "waited for some one to invent
an easy way OF killing the apple tree borer
but the chisel, mallet, knife and wire are
only recommended, and in using them
have had to cut six inch apple tree until
could see daylight through it to kill single
borer. My way of getting at this miserable
worm Of tho dust is an easier one and
more effectual. l cut a sumAc or alder one
foot, more or less, long. punch out the pith,
cut one end with a slope, hunt the borer's
hole, clean it out at the entrance with wire,
place the bevellsd end Of my tube against it,
take some putty-like clay that get in our
spring branch, plaster il water'tight around
the end next the tree, Gil the tube with very
strong soap.suds, aud the thing is done. No
matter how crooked the hole is. or whether
it goes up or down. the suds in the tube will
force itself to the end. have trie it two
years and have not failed once. OF course
any kind of small hollow tube will do and
anything that will make it water tight will
do to plaster 1t with"
Year: 1875

In the FARMER Of December 3, "S." asks
some questions in regard to saving hay by
feeding meal. Having had some experience
in feeding meal, will give him, through
your columns, the results of part Of the same,
for am satisfied that it pays we'll to feed
little meal to stock, especially dairy stock.
The usual practice with farmers is to feed
all their coarse fodder to young aud growing
stock hence iu the spring they are not as
heavy as 10 the fall, having lost more in
flesh than they have gained 10 growth Of
frame. Thus We have lost half years
growth therefore We have but small return
for the fodder, as the straw does not cOAtAin
nutriment enough to sustain vitality and
promote growth. Therefore is it not better
Year: 1875




EpIroR VERMONT FARMER Have you
had experience with different cultivators,
horse hoes and Thomas Smoothing Harrow,
to know how they work on our rough lands
Can hard hand hoeing be dispersed with by
their use2 S.


Our correspondent asks for the result Of
our experience, and evidently does not care
to have what We have learned in that hard
school mixed with mere theories of our own
or others on the subject. We have not had
wide experience in the use of different cult.
vators aud harrows for supcrseding hand
hoeing, and can say but little upon the sub
ject from our own positive knowledge. To
start at the beginning in answering the
questions we must admit that we have never
used any machine or implement operated by
horse power which on the rough, stony land
of our farm did actually supersede the hand
hoe. We usei the Thomas harrow last sea-
sou, and where used according to directions
it operated just as recommended, Graduating
the weeds without apparent injury to the
corn. Where the corn was suffered to grow
up three or four inches high before it was
put in, it buried some of it out Of sight
The harrow is not responsible for our neglect
to begin its use soon enough, and we incline
to try it more thoroughly another season.
Other farmers 10 town, who used it on both
corn and potatoes, report to us that it did
almost all the work 10 the latter and all in
the former.


We have used the horse hoe made by f.
ID. 4 o. +. Reynolds, Brockton, Mass, for
hilling potatoes after running through a COM
mon cultivator, at great saving of hand
labor. But the use of the hoe was found to
be required to finish up the hills


We have never used or seen the Ross
horse hoe in operation.


When corn is planted in straight rows
both ways, and the cultivation is seasonable,
thorough and frequent, the hand la
Dor il greatly abridged 1t is our
opinion, however, that the labor
of hoeing is less if the corn is
planted with n planter, for the reason
that the seed is distributed in a line in the
hill, aud the cultivator may be run very
close to the rows. The yield of corn is in-
creased by planting with cultvator as it is
in some sense drilled, the seed being scat
tered along in the hills, each stock having
more room to grow and dcvelep than when
they are all in cluster as is common with
hand planted corn.


There is u great difference in cultivatOrs.
A long frame is preferable, as it runs more
steadily, aud can be guided up close to the
hills without uprootng the corn. A
short cultivator which is " wabbling " one
way and the other is a thing to try the pa.
thence Of man and tear up his corn.


When witch grass abounds it is necessary
to have something that will uproot it, run
ming deep, aud taking everything before it
In other cases We prefer a cultvator to run
shallow, to have larger number Of teeth
which reach and turn up every inch Of soil


We believe 10 the use of horse power il
hoeing as well as in other farm work, and
shall be glad to have our readers give &c
counts oi their own actual experience.
Year: 1875

In your issue Of December 3, l noticed
communication entitled "Saving Hay by
Feeding Meal" l would say that, last win
ter, being short of hay l tried the experiment
of feeding straw and bran. l commenced,
the middle of December, feeding seventeen
cows with oat straw, three times day, all
they would eat; and every night after feed
ing l put two quarts of hot water upon their
straw in the manger, the water being salted,
which was what the cows needed. then
sprinkled over three pounds of bran to each
COW, and kept them upon that feed six
weeks. l never had my cows do better
considered it equal to good hay.


Now, if any one is short of hay, and has
got straw, he can save his hay by feeding as
above. This winter L am feeding twenty
five cows the same feed except that give
two quarts OF corn and oats, ground. If l
had to buy my grain l should much prefer
bran, as the manure from bran is worth
more than that from any other kind of feed.


ANDREW j. HoLLIsTER.


North Montpelier, December 9.
Year: 1875

thing that is necessarily discreditable to
themselves or dangerous to the dairy inter-
ests Of the country.


The Grocer on learning all the facts in
regard to the manufacture of these goods at
the factory Of Capt Gardner at Mclean, has
the Caudor to say "from all The weight Of
testimony adiuccd we are fully prepared to
admit that Capt Gardners company make a
fair. honest aud palatable product, Of which
they need not be ashamed"
Year: 1875

While there is eight or ten inches Of snow
in southerly Windsor county, with good
sleighing, and thirty inches and all blocked
up in parts of Caledonia, in Chittenden the
wheeling is 6ue, and an occasional drift only
reminds the traveller that it is winter
The temperature at the time of our visit was
balmy and spring.hke.
Year: 1875

and VIC Cheorfully accept criticism upon the
subject so far as the same will hang together


Since writing the above we have com.
munication on the subject to be iOuod in
another column.
Year: 1875

We found many readers Of the FARMER at
Hinesburgh, and they spoke in terms of
praise Of all the departments of the paper,
and think it is little the best paper which
circulates there
Year: 1875

Rev Mr. Murray says it does not pay to
raise colts in New England, unless they are
worth at least $500 apiece when five years
old. He does not state what proportion of
those he raises pay for themselves at that
standard. 1t is little bad TO tell farmers
that nine hundred and ninety nine out of a
thousand of the colts they raise to five years
old are produced at dead loss of two or
three or even four hundred dollars each
Bu. so it is, according to this authority.
He imparts the valuable information that it
is very easy to raise them worth from $500
upwards, and make it dead sure thing
every time. How fortunate!
Year: 1875

should inform them if he were in
trouble and put them on the alert TO
help him. As soon, therefore, as he
started from his cousins the signal
fioated from the window to warn them.
And when they saw the pursuing party
dash madly down the road to the river
and recognized the British uniform of
the leader they pulled swiftly out to
sea. The horsemen reached the shore
only in season to see the boat with two
men IN it nearly out of sight; and sup
posing their destined prey had escaped
relinquished the pursuit.


Meanwhile the hunted victim lay safe
and quiet where the simple shrewdness
of the little cousin had hidden him,
until the time came for her TO return
for supper. Then he bade her go as
usual to her home, telling her TO ask
her mother to place the signal lamp, as
soon as it grew dark, in the window, for
the boatmen, and to send him there
some supper, with his valise, which, ia
the hurry of departure, he had left
behind.


The signal recalled the boat, which
after twilight had ventured in sight of
the shore and the farm house, and the
governor quietly made his way to the
river in safety. When he rejoined his
family in a secure home he named his
infant daughter, which had been born
in his absence, Hetty Marvin" that
he might be daily reminded of the
little cousin whose truth and shrewd-
ness saved his life.-MOT7ajrg Star.
Year: 1875

I'll Indianapolis correspondent OF
the Cincinnati Commercial says:


As we steamed out of Greenfield, Mr..
Hendricks took a seat beside me and
remarked: "Mr. Hackleman, who is
familiar with this part of the country,
has just been telling me an incident
connected with Henry Clay's visit to
Indiana many years ago. 1t was long
before there was railroad, and his
journey partOok of the character of a
triumphaI pilgrimage, swelled at every
point by the citizens who focked from
far and near to get look at him. Here
abouts, his retinue consisted of six car
riages and a mounted guard of honor of
forty men, augmented considerably at
Greenfield by delegation to escort him
to Indianapolis. As the cavalcade was
leisurely proceeding hlther, man and
woman were observed bringing a large
tub and gourd out of farm house to
the side of the road, where they stopped
and made signs for the procession to
halt. On closer view they we're found
TO be an old man and venerable woman.
The latter asked if ''Henry Clay" was
in the crowd, and said she and her hus-
band wanted to see him. Mr.. Clay,
who was in the first carriage, rose to his
feet and, lifting his hat as courteously
as if he had been in the presence of
ROYALTY, saluted them. The woman ex-
claimed that she and her "old man"
were from "Kaintuck," and they had
always said that if Henry Clay ever
passed that way they would offer him a
drink of their best cider. With this
she dipped the gourd into the tub, and
passing it to her husband, he handed it
to Mr.. Clay, who, with another courtly
bow, quaffed the delicious beverage
for it was as delicious as the rich, sweet
Juice of good apples could be made.
The gourd was then reflled and passed
from one to the other of the goodly
company, who, as they moved on, gave
three hearty cheers to their Kentucky
friends.


A writer in Appleton's Journal has
this pleasant allusion to the "Great
Commoner :"


Mr.. Clay had not his great rivals
(Mr. Webster's) knowledge and love of
literature. He was q natural genius,
with wonderful political learning, singu-
lar acuteness, and great sympathy. He
was always a charming talker, very
graceful IN his manners. In spite of
his remarkable plainness of feature he
was always admired aud courted by
women. To the last he knew how to
pay compliment to a lady with old
fashioned courtesy, and with some
southern warmth in it. To men he was
nresistibly fascinating; he had great
Year: 1875

Life is no commonplace matter it
may feel so when we are disappointed,
when we are wearied with labor, or are
disgusted with meanness, and then we
NAV say with the Jewish preacher,
" Vanity of vapities, all lie vanity :"
But myself, how often in my more
cheerful moments, and at those more
thoughtful seasons, when my awakened
faculties have made me most truly man,
have / been awe-struck and breathless,
whilst the great mystery of life has oc-
Cured to my mind in sudden vividnessl
In such moments what miracle have ]
felt myself Excepting God himself
what is there more wondrous than the
existence of the infinite; than this birth
of feeling, thinking, and active life,
in our bOsOms. which a short time since
~ere inanimate, insensate dust What
thought Is there more wOnGrOus than
this, that we are living souls, abroad
and active on the face of world which
Year: 1875

Constant practice is improving our
burglar and he really bids fair to make
his mark some time in the profession of
his choice. An odd job Of his recently,
was bit of fine art He called cas-
Poole, just north of the Hooker school
house, and after chatting pleasantly
with the inmates of the house and
rummaging around to his hearts con-
tent, took his departure without doing
any damage. He did tins because
there wasn't anything valuable enough
to lug off in the house. He entered by
a cellar window, and first went by the
second story, which was occupied by
three bOarders. He entered the room
of one of the men, who, thinking that
it was mate of his, said, els that
you, Bill ? " to which the fellow pleas
antly said, eyes" Then our burglar
went down stairs, and taking box of
letters, ETC., from the bureau in Mrs.
Poole's room, carried it into the kitchen
and looked it over leisurely by his dark
lantern. The lady heard him, and sup
posing it was one of the bOarders who
intended to start off early, asked what
time it was, and the man replied,
"Three o'clock" He continued to
stumble around the room adjoining her
chamber until Mrs. Poole's suspicious
were aroused, but he told her in answer
to her inquiries that he was "Bill." He
then coolly went up to the room which
he first entered, got a bunch of keys
from the pocket of some clothes on
chair, opened chest, and examined it
contents, looked in a valise and scru-
tinized a closet. The man in bed sug-
gested to him, when he was about half
through, still thinking it was one of
the other boarders, that the burglar
had better light the lamp, which the
visitant did, and continued his search.
Finally he went down stairs in disgust
at finding no booty, and out by the
cellar which he entered. And the
boarders know that it was our burglar,
for there are the tracks in the snow
,Sl1rin0feIH RP111fhIicHY
Year: 1875

HAVE A SPECIALITY. sooner peo-
pie begin to comprehend that practically
there is no business, calling, trade, or
profession which any one man can mas
ter in all its branches in lifetime, the
better will it be for every individuals s
prosperity. We believe that half the
failures in the great struggle for a
livelihood are due to the trying to do
too much-trying to fulfill all the re-
quirements indicated by a name, be-
cause their father did, but forgetting
that, in their fathers time, that name
included an aggregate of labor of very
different extent to that which it now
encompasses. Every day as it closes
leaves the world richer in knowledge,
and the aggregation of many days pro-
duces a store of learning which in
creases vastly the quantity which the
beginner must master ere he ap-
proaches proficiency. A couple of CEN
turies ago all that the world knew of
the healing art was within the easy
Year: 1875

The raising of Ostriches for the feath.
ers, which forms so important feature
of the stock in trade of the milliners
nowadays, appears to have become quite
an industry on the Cape of Good Hope,
whittier the business has recently been
attracted from up the country. A cor
respondent saw a flock of twenty of
them pasturipg in a meadow near the
observatory, and was surprised to learn
that they were valued at $3.50 each.
They feed on grass, like cattle, and re-
quire but little care. Usually they are
tolerabIy dociIe, but at certain seasons
they become irritable, and will some
times go as far as even to attack any
person who happens to approach their
vicinity. In such cases they do not
use their beaks, but kick forward at
their antagonist, and, as their legs are
very powerful, and the middle toe ter
inmates in sharp and massive claw, if
the blow strikes home it is sure to in
fiict a severe and not unfrequently a
fatal wound. When enraged they are
not very easily driven off, and one of
them is a dangerous adversary for an
unarmed man. Singularly enough,
notwithstanding their long legs, fallen
log or fence a foot high is to them an
impossible barrier-they will never try
to step over it. Each bird yields from
$3.50 to $3.50 worth of feathers per an
mum; those from the females being
gray, and those from the males all
black, except a single white plume
which grows under each wing, and
which is the most valuable of all. As
in addition to the feathers number of
young birds are reared each year, and
as the cost of keeping the flock is small,
it will readily be seen that successful
ostrich farming is a very lucrative oc-
cupation.
Year: 1875


I know not if moonlight or starlight


Be soft on the land and the sea-
l catch but the near light, the far light,


OF eyes that are burning for me;
The scent of the night of the roses,


May burden the air for thee, sweet
Ills only the breath of thy signing


know, as I lie at thy feet.
The winds may be sobbing or signing,


The touch may be fervent or cold,
The night-bells may toll or be ringing,


I care not, with thee in my hold!
The feast may go on. and the music


Be Scattered in ecstacy round,-
Thy whisper, " 1 love thee love thee!"
Hath flooded my soul with its sound
1 think not of time that is flying,


How short is the hour 1 have won,
How near is this living to dying,


How the shadow still follows the sun;
There is nsught upon earth, no desire,


Worth thought though t were had by a sign
love thee love thee Bring higher
Thy spirit, thy kisses, to mine!
Year: 1875

grasp of any average intellect. Now,
there is no physician living, however
eminent, who pretends to have mastered
or even to be moderately versed, in all
the details of medicine and surgery.
So it is with science, with law, with
mechanics, with journalism, until each
calling has reduced itself to an agglom-
Grafton OF specialties and without
doubt each speciality in the future will
be divided and subdivided as learning
and education advance.
Year: 1875

was once without form and void Well
might the sons of God shout for JOY,
when the first man of our race stood up
erect amid the trees of Eden. 1t was
the birth of mortal spirit, and tnat
paradisal wonder is repeated in the
growth of every infant and throughout
the life of every man !-Moat'aford