smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1875

We make the following extract from Mr..
Harris paper 10 the american AgricuLtur-
aliSt, headed "WaIks and Talks :"


yesterday" said the Deacon, ga farmer
took load of clover hay to Rochester, aud
all he could get for it was $40 per ton.
Another farmer took load Of wheat straw,
and sold it readily for Sl2 per ton. This does
not look as though farmers had much faith
in your chemical notion, that the manure
from ton of clover hay is worth three times
as much as from ton of straw. The facts
seem to be against you" 80 much the
worse for the facts" l replied. But am
not going to argue that matter with you.
There are some things so well established,
that it is no use listening to the objections of
those who do not understand what they are
talking about, A farmer who sells clover
hay at the above prices, and keeps his straw,
is not wise man. When he can exchange
ton of straw for half ton Of bran, he had
better do It,"


"You pretend to be able to tell" said the
Deacon, "what a ton of manure is worth but
l notice that the chemists differ very much
among themselves as to the value of the same
identical manure, and do not see how you
can tell with any certainty how much good
a ton Of manure will do" No one pretends
to do 50. What we say is this Here are
two samples Of barnyard manure in about
the same condition. One contains twice as
much nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash,
as the other, and We say, if the one is worth
81 per ton the other is worth so per ton.
We do not say that fyou put 20 tons OF the
former, or 10 tons of the latter upon an acre
of land, the difference of the crops will be
worth $50. This may or may not be the
case. The chemists estimate of the value of
dfferent manures Is based on their chemical
composition and on the condition of the iu-
gradients. The chemist does not undertake
to tell farmer whether he can afford TO buy
sulphate Of ammonia, or nitrate of soda, to
SOW on his wheat or barley crop. But if
you are going to SOW those manures, the
chemist can tell you to a certainty which of
two samples is the cheapest for YOU to buy.
For instance, he finds that one sample con.
tains 22 per cent. Of ammonia, and the other
Is per cent, If he tells you the latter is
worth s72 per ton aud the former S8S per
ton, he merely uses these figures in COM
paratiye sense. III he should say the one
was worth S36, and the other S44, he would
be equally correct. He has nothing to do
with the commercial value on the one hand,
or the fertilzing value on the other. The
latter must be determined by the experience
Year: 1875

Having been constant reader Of the
FARMER for some time, have been much
interested 10 your correspondence, though l
do not get quite enough OF my kind, so |
propose to pitch in for my own side little.


One OF my professions is Sovereign Of
Industry. This trade commenced about
six months ago and am growing stronger ev-
cry day, as are many friends around here.
We have good council and every week are
growing larger. We are class Of laboriug
men here. Our pay is not large but every
thing we buy is high. What must we do
Be chained down in bondage all the days of
our lives, or try and release ourselves 2
propose to unhltch from these middlemen
and runners aud let them go to work. l
have helped pay that class long enough
Why, brother labOrer, see what we have 10
meet. Hardly thing we eat, drink or
wear but has at least 25 or 80 per cent add
ed to it to support this class of men,
drummers,-whie they lounge their way
through the world with their samples, from
the smallest pin to tho largest piece of ma.
chinery, from the lightest feather or ribbon
to the coarse Overalls. Not only these
things, but thousands Of articles Of mere
sham and cheat to swiudlo every laboring
man with.


Now laboring men in every town should
take hold of this matter. Get together aud
study what we can do to save the most out
of our pay aud get what we have to buy the
cheapest way. Some say we are doing this
to injure trade. l say no we are only pro-
tecting our families interests and our homes,
and none other.


What are they doing? is not every run
ner aud middleman at work for the same
end. They have their large salaries, live
high at hotels, aud smoke the best cigars.
1t would be miracle If there were not from
one to five Of them in town every day. Look
at that healthy, robust man, with travelling
bag that may weigh ten pounds. He opens
it and displays a thimbleful of spices of diff
ferent kinds and wants your order for lot.
What does this amount to? To just this /;
Every consumer who buys a quarter of spice
has to pay his proportion of this mans $4,000
salary, and 50 it goes with everything that
is consumed


MIR. Editor do you think strange that l
am tired ? Readers of the FARMER, awake
aud arise to your feet, and let us blow Ga
briel's trumpet in the ear of every hard
working man that he may be aroused to his
own help, and We will help him.


We have just commenced TO distribute
Year: 1875

of farmers themselves, and on repeated e1.
periments. Where wheat is worth only 75c
per bushel, and other crops on the same scale,
ammonia is only worth half as much to q
farmer as in section where wheat is $50
per bushel. When an agent for some arti-
fetal fertilizer shows me whole string OF
testimonials as to the value of his fertilizer,
tell him that good analysis would be
more satisfactory to me than an actual trial
on my own land and under my own eye A
man need not swallow lot of Glauber salts
to tell if they arc pure. The chemist can
not tell him whether be needs a dose of the
salts, but he can tell him whether the salts
are genuine or not. Chemistry cannot tell
us whether our land needs this or that ma
nure, but IL can tell us whether the manure
is genuine or spurious. If farmers had
clearer views on this subject, the sale of in-
ferior or worthless fertilizers would soon
cease
Year: 1875

This variety Of oats is new in this section,
and therefore its character is not as well
known as ii should be to gain the confidence
of agricuturists. What know about these
oats will here give to your readers, so that
if any wish to engage in their culture, they
may do SO, not wholly uninformed in regard
to their merits, us your correspondent was
when he commenced their cultivation the
last season.


Quite late in the spring Of 1874, was
urged by one Of the operators in these oats
to purchase a bag of them for seed, he Civ
ing glowing account OF their productive
ness, and their value for food purposes to
those who have decided love for oat.meal
puddings; and that the great demand for
them as seed would make them more remuner.
rative than any grain could raise. But
when the modest sum of 90 per pound, or
$50 per bushel, was asked, naturally hesi-
tated especially when reverted to the fact
that the same parties plunged deeply into
the Norway or black oat humbug a few
years ago, which swindled so many of my
brother farmers OF their hard.carned money.
Not intending to bo a party to any such
scheme, or have my pockets 6ched by un-
scruplous speculators, declined purchasing
at that time But desiring to know more
concerning them, wrote to brother in one
Of the Western states, where they are raised
to some extent, for information, and at the
same time to have him forward me a bag,
provided they were not humbug.


In due course Of time L received line
from him, stating that no had seen the man
who raised the Bohemian oats, aud had pur-
chased u bag of them, which he had forward
ed to me. The oats arrived in season for
sowing. sowed exactly two bushels Of
seed on two acres Of fair upland, the soil be.
ing light, gravelly loan, they yielding six
ty-eight bushels, as they were measured from
the thrashiug machine. This consider a
good yield, VIII en- we take into account the
fact that there is no hull, which in the com-
mon oat constitutes at least three. e.fourths Of
its bulk.


have not ground any of them into meal,
but have no doubt they will prove excellent
for that purpose, as Mrs. 9. has cooked them
whole like rice, and they made very pala-
table food. The whole cost of my expert
mental seed was in the vicinity Of six dol
lars, but not over, per bushel. The value
Of the straw for fodder is much above other
kinds of oats it being finer and softer, and
cattle 60 for it quite as eagerly as they do
for hay. have frequently thrown my COWS
some of it after good feed of hay, and they
would lick it up clean. Others, with whom
l have conversed concerning it, have cOiucid-
ed with me in reference to the straw as fod.
der.


They stood up so remarkably we'll that l
was enabled to cradle the most of them.
This consider good item in their favor.
There was also the least waste 10 their har-
vesting Of any oat with which have become
acquainted, which certainly is another item
in their favor.


OF their value as feed for horses or cattle
cannot say, but have perfect confidence in
them from the observations made in my brief
experience in their cultivation. r. CHILD.


MoretoDn, w., March /.
Year: 1875

'Shes only farmers daughter"


A stylish lady said
With scornful glance Of her handsome eye,
And a toss Of her naughty head.
She was frilled and hounced and furbelowed
In the very latest style;
Her head q wonder OF crimps and curls,
And her train something less than mile
Her hands that sparkled with many . ring
Were shapely and fair 10 Wow
As they we'll might be, for no useful work
Were thoy ever allowed 10 do.
To hear her talk Of tho clover class"
OF their sins against proprioty,
of"her family" and Of ''eountry girls"
And her horror of mixed society,""
One would think that among her ancestry
She numbered at least an Earl;
(Ier father was once a carpenter,


And her mother a factory giri)
They say she is brilliant and beautiful;
will not their words deny
But ah the farmers daughter


Is fairer by far to my eye.
She is not in tho height of fashion,


But is very becomingly dressed
With hounces enough for comfort,
And they look as If made Of the best
Mrth aud innocent happiness


Out of her blue eyes shine;
Her hair is untortured by crimps and curls,
And she wears 1t by right divine.
No mother tolls in the kitchen for her,
While she on the sofa lolls,
Novel in hand, dressed in her best,
Receiving her morning calls.
A share in the heat and the burden Of life
She willingly, cheerfully takes,
And duty, and love, in that happy home,
A pleasure Of labor makes.
And though you may smile at this curious TACT
have seen her with hoe in hand,
While she planted the corn, or waged war on the


weeds,


When mans help was scarce in the land.
And her fowers-w0ll, next summer you'l sec


them yourself


As you ride past the farm on the prairie,
And mark the home, covered with roses and vines
The work Of this Martha or Mary.
And I'm sure you will say, spits the verdict oil


those
Who live out in fashions gay Whirl,
That "only a farmers daughter" means
OHiy a sensible girl.
Year: 1875

SMALL Is the sum that is required
to patronize a newspaper, amply re-
warded Is its patron, care not how
humble and unpretending the gazette
which he takes. 1t is next to lmpos-
sible 10 Eli a sheet with printed mat
ter without putting into it something
worth the subscription price. Every
parent whose son Is away from home
at school should supply him with a
newspaper. l well remember what a
marked difference there was between
nv schoolmates VINO had and had not
access to newspapers Other things
being equal, the first were always de
ciiediy superior to the .ast IN debate,
composition and genersi Intelligence.
DHtieL iVebstsr.
Year: 1875

IfGeorge Washington himself had only


been cfoss-examined by Judge Fullerton
before he died, we have no doubt it would
have turned out that he really lied about
the cherry tree after all, u
Year: 1875

Many man who has lost just suit ir1
court will talk in strong terms about the
uncertainty of law. But few have sucfa
good reason for their distrust rs Dr.
Lyman Beecher. He used to tell the
following incident with flashing eye
and strong emphasis, even i'll his old age =


He woke one night when n young
man in college, and saw his clothes
slowly disappearing through broken.
pane in his window. His room was on.
the ground floor. Without hesitation
he leaped from the bed, and opening the
window, sprang out of it in his night
dress and gave chase. The frightened
thief dropped the clothes, and thought
only of escaping. But Beecher's blood
was ND, and he held on in the chase tils
he grabbed the thief by the collar.
When the latter attempted to strike, he
knocked him down and choked him till
he begged for mercy. The thief then
tried to get knife out of his pocket, but
Beecher took it away, and marched him
back to college in triumph, and made
him quiet on the floor till morning.
Then he took him before Justice, told
the story with an honest pride at his own
prowess, and waited to see the law do
its duty. To his unspeallable disgust
the Justice released the culprit because,
in the chase, Beecher had lost sight of
him once round corner. Beecher was
disguised, and inclined to speak sar-
castically of the technicalities OF law after
that experience.
Year: 1875

Henry Bloodgood was young and inno
cent, and fresh from rural scenes when
he first came to Philadelphia and began
his career as a reporter on a morning
newspaper. And so one Wednesday
some of the reporters told Henry that
there was going to be an important meet
ing at q certain Friends meeting house,
and perhaps he had better go up anG
make full report of the proceedings
Henry Bloodgood was not ut all familiar
with the method of worship indulged liz
by Friends ; so he got three or foul-
quires of paper, and six lead pencils
sharpened at both ends, and he went up
to that meeting house, innocent as a
lamb, and spread his paper out over his
hat, and seized a lead pencil, and sat
there in guileless simplicity waiting for
the proceedings to proceed. 1t was 8.
silent meeting that day, and Henry
Bloodgood remained upon that bench for
two long hours, getting more and more
nervous every minute, and at last madder
and madder At the end of the second
hour Mr.. Bloodgood considered that he,
could stand it no longer so he arose ex-
citedly and went over to an aged Friend
who sat on bench with an exaggerated
hat. The exasperated reporter seized
him by the arm and exclaimed:


"See here, old man, when is this
blamed thing going to commence


Two energetic Friends arose and gently
led Henry to the portal, and he went
home in sadness. His soul fills with
gloom now whenever the Society OF
Friends is mentioned. MAJ Adeler in
Danbuy NeUs.
Year: 1875

THE STATURE OF PRIMITIVE MAN.
The indications are that the primeval
man of Europe and his nearer descend
ants were of short stature. The popular
notion that the present generation is
physically weaker and smaller than the
primitive or ancient is not only utterly
unfounded, but there is abundant evi-
dence that the reverse is true. Most of
us would be amazed if not shocked at n
true and life-sized portrait of the real
Eve, "mother of all living" We often
hear, indeed, of giants bones here and
there dug up, but intelligent examination
invariably proves them to have belonged
to the mammoth or other animal.
Year: 1875

The hanging of an elephant is a feaG
so very rare that it is worth mention
when it occurs. At Hamburg, the keep
ers of the Zoo thought that it would be
more economical to give the elephant q
stone floor as the wooden one had to be
replaced too often. One was laid, but
the elephant would not lie down upon it
to sleep. Something told him that if he
did he could not get up again. Hence
he slept standing, or leaning against the
wall. But the other night his feet slipped
when DOING and he came down. He
could not get up in fact, and twenty men
with ropes, pulleys, and ingenious con-
trivances, worked all day trying to get
him up. He was finally raised until his
feet were four inches above the floor
when the hinder ropes broke, leaving
the poor beast hanging by the neck.
He gave one piteous roar and was dead
elephant.
Year: 1875

A correspondent Of the 7urf, Field
and Farm tells how he trained an
old cavalry horse to trot. He was
accustomed to slope" and could not
be made to understand what was re.
quired of him, until space of some
400 yards was measured off in field,
and he was ridden across this. When
ever he broke he was scolded, and
at once turned about and again start.
ed from the starting point. Ii he
trotted across without breaking he
was petted, fed Jumps of sugar, ap-
Piles, or some other pleasant food. In
this way he soon learned what was
wanted, and made every effort to
trot this distance in the shortest time,
becoming horse Of unusual speed
A somewhat singular plan was some
years sinceDset forth in circular and
sold at one dollar.


We refer to this now, not SO much
because of the desirability of know
ing how to teach horse to trot, as
because the lesson taught can be ap.
piled in very many ways. Tesching
any domestic animals what is expect.
ed of them is of the greatest i,npor.
tance. II an animal knows that 9
specific duty is required, to be follow
ed BY rest or reward, it will much
more readily do what is expected
than if it has no definite conception
Of what is before it.
Year: 1875

Some one who has tried it, says:
81 discovered many years ago that
wood could be made to last longer
than iron in the ground, but thought
the process so simple and inexpen-
sive that it was not worth while max
ing any stir about it. / would as
soon have poplar, Eastwood, or quak-
ing ash, IS any other kind of timber
for fence posts. After having been
set seven years they were as sound
when they were taken out As when
they were 6rst put in the ground.
Time and weather seem to have NO
effect on them. The posts can be
prepared for less than two. cents
apiece. This 10 the recipe: Take
boiled linseed oil and stir in it pull.
vsrized charcoal to the consistency of
paint. Put coat of this over the
timber, and there is not = man who
win live to see 1. rot"
Year: 1875

The presence in the Democratic
State Convention of prominent rail
road attorneys like John F. Duncomb
ss delegate, the appointment Of
the Committee on Resolutions with.
out a farmer upon it, the making of
one of the shrewd and ablest law.
yers and railroad attorneys of the
State for permanent President of the
Convention, all meant something. The
platform Of the party shows what that
something was. 1t is as silent as the
grave on the questions of railroad con-
troll and cheap transportation. The
nomination for Supreme Judge Of an
attorney Of the most powerful rail-
road corporation in the West shows
still more plainly the purpose Of the
managers Of the Convention, and the
honesty or rather the dishonesty of
the party as a farmers party.


Last year the platform of that par
ty had several planks for the farmer
and his cause. This year it hasn't a
word Of recognition or sympathy for
his cause. The party proposes to go
ahead and elect candidates for the
Legislature on this platform, begging
the support of the farmers to that
end. And yet the platform contains
no promise, direct or indirect, that
the Legislators elected on its ticket
will support the principle of railway
control or at all oppose the railways in
securing the repeal of the tariff law
now among our statutes. 1t is silent
on the subject of State control, while
the doctrine Of governmental control,
so popular with Iowa farmers,i is struck
straight between the eyes by the
dogma of State Rights.-Register.
Year: 1875

Oliver Wendell Holmes, has some
thing to say about the filthy and dis,
gusting fashion of long skirts for out
door wear which may be read with
profit by other than Boston women
If one could lift the skirts of one of
our fashionable promenaders after
she has gone one of her rounds Of
shopping and calling, dragging her
yard long trail through the dust and
mud, and all the unspeskable filth of
public street, she would probably
be found in a condition to turn the
stomach of n pig. But this is what
DIR. Holmes says:


"But confound the make believe
women we have turned loose in our
streets. Where do they come from?
Not out of our Boston parlors,T trust.
Why there isn'ta beast or bird that
would drag it's tail through the dirt
in the way these creatures do their
dresses. Because queen or a dutch
ess wear long robes on great occa-
sions maid Of all work, or factory
girl, thinks she must make herself q
nuisance by trailing about with her
pah! that's what call getting vul
garity into yosr bones and marrow
Making believe what you are not, is
the essence Of vulgarity. Show over
dirt is the one attribute of vulgar
people. If any man can walk behind
one of those women and see where she
goes, and not feel squeamish he has
got tough stomach. l wouldn't let
one of them into my room without
serving them as David did Saul at
the cave in the wilderness-cut off
his skirts, sir, cut off his skirts. DO
not tell me that true lady ever sac
riices the duty of keeping all about
her sweet and clean to the wish Of
making vulgar show. l won't be-
lieve it of lady. There are some
things that no fashion has q right to
touch, and cleanliness is one of those
things. If woman wishes to show
that her husband or father has got
money, which wants and means to
spend, but doesn't know how, let her
buy q yard or two of silk and pin it
to her dress when she goes out to
walk, but let her unpin it before she
into the house."
Year: 1875

Near the city Of St. Joseph, Mo-, a
few years since, the rite of baptism
was performed on several women BY
immersion in the river. AS it was
winter, it was necessary to cut hole
in the ice, and the novelty of the
scene attracted q large crowd, among
whom were several Indians, who
looked on in wondering silence. They
retired without understanding the
nature of the ceremony they had
seen; but observing that al the SUBJ
jects of immersion were females, and
. vague idea that it was to make
them good, the Indians came back
few days afterward, bringing their
squaws with them. Cutting another
hole in the ice, near the same place,
they immersed each and al of them
in spite Of their rremonstrances.
Year: 1875

The Creator might have made 4
more magnificent country than lies
between this city and the Cedar
river, along the line Of the Chicago.
Clinton & Western railroad, but He
didn't do it.


This week we went over the line
as far as Cedar county. Four years
ago we had familiarized ourselves
with the territory through which
this road runs, and at that time we
thought it was unsurpassed and
could not be bettered. But we were
mistaken. Four years have trans
formed . splendid belt of country
into one grand magnificent garden.
Hardly rod for sixty miles but is
under cultivation and producing
something to give business to this
road.


1t looks to us as though there
would be surplus produce enough in
q strip Eve miles wide on either side
this line, to keep the road busy for
st least six months in the year.
This belt of ten miles is naturally
tributary to this road, and no part Of
it can hardly be expected to go else
where.


Wo found the people, too, enthu-
siastic in their praise Of Clinton and
Clinton enterprises. Though few Of
them had ever visited this city, they
had oil heard Of it and they all knew
something about our method Of do
ing things. Invariably in converse
ton with them they expressed .
preference to trade at Clinton to
any other town within their reach.
They are anxious to have . chance
At our saw mills, and many Of them
have postponed lasge improvements
until this line was completed into
their neighborhood.


That the road will be crowded
right along we have not the shadow
Of doubt. That there is room for it
and that it is needed even for local
business, q person has only to travel
along the line and put himself in
communication with the people, to
admit. Then add the connections
proposed, and the road when com
plete can hardly be otherwise than
equally as good and as profitable as
the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy
which will be good enoush.-C2nton
Age.
Year: 1875

When the first formal ballot pro-
gressed as far IS Page county, the
Chairman of that delegation said that,
as it had just occurred to that delega.
tion that Governor kirkwood might
60 to the United States Senate, the
party ought to have some one who
would make governor, and therefore
they cast their vote for General Ed.
Wright, which vote was cheered
loudly. The vote resulted: