smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1876

Apples that are designed to be preserved
till spring must be hand picked, as every
farmer probably knows. But the question
then comes up, how shall they be packed
1t has been found that apples packed in
barrels in ground charcoal can be shipped
to England in excellent condition, and
keep long time after arriving there, while
those sent otherwisespacke decay badly on
the passage. Buckwheat chaff is the best
thing for farmers to pack apples in that are
designed for long keeping, as ground char
coal is not SO easily obtained. Saw dust, if
perfectly dry is as good as buckwheat chaff.
First put in a layer Of chaff or sawdust, then
pack in a layer of apples, then put in an
other layer of sawdust, and SO on until the
barrel is full; then cover and head it up.
Year: 1876

Cheap farms, unreasonably cheap, when
their past outlay and real advantages are
considered are advertised by the score, and
yet remain drug in the market, because of
the unreason of the multitudes who howl
that the world owes them a living within
city limits 1t is no such thing. The liv-
ing is ready and waiting for them, if they
will scatter themselves on the soil.


The fact that the cultivator of the soil
gets his living off the land, is very seldom
thought Of in calculating the profits that
have been made. There has been no house
rent to pay; no vegetables to buy; no meat
but such as might be desired by way Of a
change.


We know Of any number of young men
who the past year have not earned the wages
Of common laboring man, who had to de-
pend on parents or friends for the means to
maintain "decent appearance in society"
Do you, know that the snow is ten times
lighter than the same bulk Of water, contain
ing ten times the amount Of air2 1t IS this
which renders it partial non-conductor of
heat, and SO, when the farmer sees his fields
covered with the snow, shelterlng them from
the intense cold, ne knows that the ground
is forty degrees warmer than the outer sur
face of the snow.


Boys, have you got your skates in good
condition, the stu5.shod runners clean and
bright, and the skate blades ground up
sharp?


One reason why heavy fall of snow is
beneficial to the fields is because there is the
fertilizing principle Of ammonia 10 these iu-
initessmal particles, which aggregated 10
such mass, melts with the breath Of spring
and thus penetrates and oDriches tho soil.


Cream becomes bitter by long keeping al
three days it will begin to tell after the
fourth day it is unfit to be used in coffee OF
made into butter, spelling both.


Old Mother Earth is waiting for you
gentlemen and inviting you with a smiling
countenance. If you will sickle her with 9
hoe" as Sydney Smith once said, "she viii
laugh with a harvest" Aud the strife be-
tween labor and capital will cease when bott
are confined in little farm well titled
which may be added to by broader acres
as you please.


BY what simple means can balky hors,
be persuaded to start2 In nine cases out O.
ten by dstracting his attention from hi
own stubbornness; piece OF twine tieC
about ono ear will give him something els
to think of, or placing bit of aloes or othe
bitter substance back on the tongue an,
such device. OF course, after he is wei
started, il the trick resorted to is one tina
continues to annoy, as for instance the twin
about the ear, it should be removed.
= A German chemist tried COWS on raw an,
cooked food with the following results
Year: 1876

The Prairie Farmer is happy. The Gen.
tennial commission has awarded the highest
prize for butter to Illinois, therefore the
West can beat the Union If that is not
credulity what is? Centennial award Is it
not patent fact that everything from Blk
by's boot-blackiug to the COrliss engine took
the "highest award ?" Now, as to the facts.
There are certain sections of Vermont even,
where gilt-edgcd butter can't be made. Ger
tain conditions Of the pasture produce such
feed as takes the gliding off the butter, and
no patent pans, or churns, or care can put it
on. Gilt-edged butter can be made only
where the pastures are the sweetest, the wa
ter pure, the run of the COWS to and from
the pasture short, shade sufficient for shelter
from midday heat. Now, they can make
good butter in lllinois-Chicago people who
never taste that from the green hills Of our
own state think it gilt-edge, ignorance is
bliss-but the highest grades Of butter cannot
be produced on western prairies. They may
get good, sweet, succuent grasses, but the
water from streams almost staguant cannot
put on the delicate gliding that comes from
our mountain streams purified by constant
agitation in the air and sunlight. Then there
is something in the white, sweet clover on .
rocky hillside which gives to butter favor
which that made from the feed Of low,
marshy pasture can never possess.


Such are the facts and stubborn they are,
but with some favorite creed is held with
unyieldiug tenacity in spite of things as sim
pie as facts. We yield the palm cheerfdly
to the West in many things, but the purpose
Of the Creator of Vermon's rugged hills and
green valleys can never be thwartsd BY
awards OF centennial commissioners, moi
though all the grain fields Of the great Wes
be turned into pastures and meadows for but
ter dairies. We will take your corn to ado
to the quantity of our product, but the gild
ing is all our own and by no centennial edictl
can it be taken from US.
Year: 1876

The consumption of eggs Is so universal
and large that few farmers or villagers who
have space for few fowls are found desti-
tute of these useful and profitable animals
Eggs are very nutritious and tOOthSome, aud
can be manipulated by the skillful housewife
into many varieties Of food, or used now and
then in place Of, and as diversion from, a
flesh diet with excellent relish.


Hence, in selecting breed Of fowls, it Is
for the interest Of the purchaser to procure
the best, If there is one having a superiority
over all others 10 the number Of eggs pro-
duced annually, in the quality Of the flesh
aud the amount thereof which should also
enter into the computation, taking into con-
sideration the amount of food required to
produce them. The writer has no desire or
interest to disparage any of the fancy breeds,
Nor does he take the untonable ground that
Improvement in fowls is impossible by select
ing and breeding from the best individuals,
and by judiCious crossing if the production
Of eggs, delicacy of flesh, or size be held
steadily 10 view. II the fancy breeder in hb
enthusiasm for color has produced from thl
gallinaoeOus fowl breed that will furnish
two eggs as often as others furnish one Ol
more or better flesh with an equal numbe
of eggs-lor fowls are valuable for genera
keeping iu proportion to their production 0
eggs-and all without an increase Of food
Year: 1876

Many probably suppose that there is verv
little difference in the various kinds of cur
rants that they see mentioned from time to
time, and yet the fruit grower who
allows himself to be guided by such
belief, will fnd himself coming out second
in the race. An amateur or expert will
probably tell you that the difference is al
most as marked as it is in the case Of other
fruits. There are twenty or thirty kinds
recognized by authorities, but | will only at
this time refer TO few of the most desir-
able.


La VeTSGillaise.-This is probably the
most popular Of all, if the demand for plants
can be taken as a guide. The berries are
among the largest in size, Of red color
and pleasant acid favor. The plants are
more vigorous and productive than the next
kind l will mention, and the fruit selll
equally as high. 1t is being largely planted
out for market purposes, and is probably the
most profitable Of any that shall name.


Cherry.--This is perhaps better known
than the preceding, as all large ourrantS ar,
called by this name in the markets but this
does not prove, however, that it is the best
The berries are of the same size as the Yer
saillaise, little more acid and punches some.
what shorter. The fruit is OF dark, red
dish color when fully ripe, and always com
mands good price. have given them tn
second place on this list, and that l think il
the position that they should properly Oc
cupy.


White Grdpe.-This is a very desirabl
addition to every garden, and as it become
better known it is receiving very genera
favor The berries are Of large size, an
make very pretty contrast when intermr
gled with the other varieties. Being LEI
acid than the others they mako many friendI
even among those to whom the amount {
sugar saved is q matter Of no Importance.


VietOria.-ThiS is latO red variety thu
has the valuable property Of remaining o
the bushes for some time after the othel
have disappeared, thus PrOlongiug the Sensc
into the hot days Of summer, when lit
acid fruit is very acceptable. If the ma
/ ting from an old tea chest, or piece Of Ol
tow cloth is placed over the fruit while it
Year: 1876

am in favor Of abstaining from this
practice, but not from the reason geserally
urged--to protect the grass roots from freez-
ing winters, for the ground is sure to freeze
and when frozen, nothing can harm them
Bot the manner in which they are thawed
is where the danger lies, and here the after
growth is Of vital Importance, making the
process Of thawing more gradual, as well as
less frequent than when the ground is bare.
| claim the benefit is in preventing thawiug
instead Of freezing. There is another bene.
it from the thick coat Of grass left at the
roots in the fall, and that is to provide an
absorbent to retain the spring showers and
heavy dews as long as possible to mulch the
roots and keep them moist In the most try.
ing time in the year, May and June, cspo.
cially in case Of dry weather, when if there
is nothing TO shade or mulch the grass roots,
the sun and winds dry them of at once.
But when there is a mat Of old grass filed
with moisture the suns rays warm and con.
wort it into hot.bed, Fastening rather than
robbing them of the moisture so necessary
to their growth. Let US hear from more
farmers on the subject Of growing grass
successfully, it being one of the most i'm.
portant branches of Vermont farming.


WiIhston ~ ...
Year: 1876




have been frequently surprised to see
bow many well-to-do farmers neglect or re-
fuse to take some good newspaper for the
benefit Of themselves aud families. They
seem TO think they have no interest iu the
outside world; that thcy have to deal With
nothing except the land they pillow, the stock
they feed, the children they are raising in
ignorance. They forget that they are a part
Of the great human family, placed upon this
orb 10 work out the plans Of the Creator
and as such have no right to dam up the
stream of progress. The laws ofprogrsssion
are as unaterable as are any others in nature,
aud that man who impedes these laws with
an offspring Of uneducated children, commits
sin which reacts not only on himself, but
on his descendants for long years in the fu-
ture. Newspapers are made TO spread in
telligence and improve morals. To the far.
Iner above all men, they should be neces.
sity, from the fact that they afford him in
his isolated condition the only means of mix
ing in the busy scenes of life. Man in a
hermit state becomes a personi6cation of sell.
6shness-caring for nobody and nobody car
ing for him. Development comes along
from associatng with our fellow men, appro.
priating to ourselves the advancement which
they make. No farmer should be without
this social schooling, both for his own good
and that of the children. ln no other way
can he obtain it SO fully and so cheaply as
through the periodical literature; and he
who neglects to receive these advantages
deprives himself of light, and lives out his
days in worse than heather darkness.-Cor.
Country Gentlemen.
Year: 1876

A New York farmer gives the following
as his rule Instead of the old way of sailing
them down:


For preserving hams and beef my recipe
is six gallons Of water, nine pounds Of salt,
three pounds Of sugar, one gallon Of moasses,
three ounces saltpetre and one ounce Of sal.
eratus. mix these Ingredients aud heat to
boiling point, skimming off all tho impuri-
ties. When cold pour it on the meat. |
do not rate the amount Of materials accord :
ing to the amount Of meat bat mix in the
proportions given and use enough of the mix.
ture to cover the meat | wish to preserve.
fnd that this method cures the hams and
leaves them tender and juicy They never
get hard. leave the hams 10 the pickle
from four to ak weeks according to their
size. 1t takes longer to cure large hams
than il does small ones. l always move the
hams after they have been in the pickle
three days. Take them out and pack them
over. This is necessary, for when they are
closely packed together some parts of the
hams do not have chance to be penetrated
by the pickle. keep beef in the same way
except that would boil over the pickle be.
fore warm weather in the spring


Tho finest hams we ever used were Of o
pig frozen with the other fresh meat and SC
kept till spring, and then put into a pickle
just long enough to ''corn through" say ten
or twelve days, when 1t was smoked and eat
en-. 1t was as sweet and tender as q chicken.
Year: 1876

EGGs IN WINTER.-Wo never had any
difficulty in getting a supply of eggs during
the winter from chickens that were hatched
very early in the spring. We gave them a
tolerably warm building fairly lighted by
means of glass windows. We furnished
them with all the corn and grain they wanted,
giving preference to wheat screenings. Ev-
cry day they had feed of fresh meat in
some form. When there was not refuse
meat about the house we bought scraps or
liver from butcher. The cost was very
small compared with the worth of the eggs
obtained. When the weather was tolerably
warm, they had raw cabbage every day, and
when 1t was very cold cooked potatoes OF
other vegetables Once or twice a week
they had warm hash made OF meat, pota
toes and cabbage highly seasoned with pep.
per, In making egg.shels we provided
burned bones powdered tolerably fine. Far
mers can have eggs the present winter from
!, their young fowls if they will follow the
course imperfectly skotched above.-Chica
90 Times.
Year: 1876

To DISTINGUISH CoTToN FROM Wool
Ravel out the suspected cotton fiber from
the wool and apply fame. The cotton will
burn with fash, the wool will curl mp, car
bonize, and emit burst, disagTeeable smell.
Even to the naked eye the cotton is noticea-
bly, different from the flaments of wool, and
under the magnifer this difference comes
out strongly. The cotton is aattened,
more or less twisted band, having very
striking resemblance to hair, which, in real
ity, it is since in the condition Of elongated
cells, it lines the inner surface Of the pod.
The wool may be recognized at once by the
zigzag transverse markings on its fibers
The surface of wool is covered with these
furrowed aud twisted foe cross lines, Of
which there are 1000 te 1000 IN an inch.
On this structure depends its felting property.
Finally, a simple and very striking chemi-
cal test may be applied, The mixed goods
are unraveed, and little of the cotton fiber
put into one dish and the wooden in another,
and drop Of strong nitric acid added. The
cotton will be little or not at all affected
the wool, on the contrary, will be changed
to bright yellow. The color is due to the
development of picrate.
Year: 1876

From the above it will DO seen that the
cooked potatoes greatly Increased the butter
without adding so much to the volume Of
milk as the raw ones, which made the milk
of a thin and watery appearance.-Agricut'
tural Gazette.
Year: 1876

from anxiety and want where ten have perished by
violence at tho South turn their eyes away from the
distress which nds them and talk OF wrongs else
whore, which will 0e punished II they Will do their
dutyf will show you VIII. Did you ever when you
walk down broadway on moonlight night notice a
man with telescope inviting the psssers by TO look at
the moonS You heard him talk eloquenty OF the earth
quskes that have convused its surface and made II
sad and desolate; you soon notice that those who
yielded to his solicitations while their minds and eyes
were occupied with that distant orb, had their
pockets picked here earth. II our republican
friends can amuse the people by hghtng
over tho battles Of the rebellion, or can ex-
cite their passions by events real ic-
tous, in distant States, they may hold their follow
ers On the other hand, n they forced TO discuss
the state oil affairs now about the homes OF their hear
ers, where the truth and felt, they are lost


cannot think that the American people will put every
cannot give vote ior reform economy without self
condemnation. believe the best and most
thoughtful OF the republican party wish TO
get out OF this dilemma; ,ha, they will be
glad 10 have political distributed that needed
reforms can be brought about They can get their
party into shape where II will be more serviceablc TO
the public welfare With democratic President and
House on the ono hand and republican Senate and
array of officials upon the other, there will BE- dis
cussion with regard to public affairs which would
pei both organizations to elevate their standards Of
patriotism and public virtue with view OF gaming the
confidence OF the American people.
Year: 1876

NEW YORK, Sept. IA Bismarck I'd. IT,
dispatch says: when Captain Johnson took
charge Of the Standing Rock agency, after
the suspension OF the agent by General Car
lin, he had a council with the chiefs and
leading men, In all numbering about one
hundred. The council was a stormy one,
and much loud and impatient talk was in
dulsed In on the part OF the Indians, and
eacn strong expression made against the
whites or In


DEFIANCE OF THE TROOPS
was received with loud grunts OF approval
ard "How, how" the Indian expression OF
unqualifed endorsement. This was psrtIc-
nlsrIy me case with Grass Chief, OF the
Blackfeet, who has ever been considered
friendly TO the whites.


WHAT CAPT. JOHNSON SAID.


Capt johnson In short address informed
the lhdlans that the great father had ap-
pointed him their agent TO look after them
and take care Of them. He hoped they wolld
get along well together and have no trouble.
de would see that they received all that the
great father sent them, but that he should
issue rations or goods only 10 those Indians
actually at the agency To receive them, and
mat, In order 10 do so correctly, he should In
a few days send some one into their camps
TO count them. They would be required TO
give up all Indians that came In from the
hostiles, who must give up their arms aud
become prisoners He desired that all those
Indians on the west side of the river should
move up near the post, where they could be
properly looked after.


THE INDIANS WANT TO DO AS THEY


PLEASE.


Grass insinuated that the agent had been
IN the haoit OF letting them 60 about as tney
pleased. But now they were obliged TO give
up and be treated as slaves, and intimsted
pretty plainly that they should continue
doing as they had in the past-that is, as
they pleased.


Whether they viii continue TO assume this
attitude the future will decide.


THERE Is SUFFICIENT FORCE
10 Quell any outbreak the indians may
MAKE, with the pros pect OF three additios al
companies The only trouble would Arise
from lack OF mounted force. Three COM
panies OF the Tito Infantry are now en- route
10 the agency, making the garrison moe
companies. One great cause OF trouble al
Standing Rock is the fact that the Indians
nave been snort or supplies every winter
and appropriations were SO delayed this
summer that they became absolutely destI-
tute, and an Indian, to be good, must have q
full stomach.
Year: 1876

THE LATEST CASE OF CONSCIENCE IL that
OF a young mau OF Troy, who confesses that
he has all Summer been drinking wine
bought for communion purposes. He was
person to whom It was intrusted; but when
the precious liquor was all gone, he went to
the sexton ofthe church and made 0 clean
breast of IL.
Year: 1876

THE REDUCTION in the clerical force In
the Office of the Controller of the Currency
has seriously interfered with the work. Toe
Controller Is unable to remit promptly to
the national banks new notes In exchange
for the old ones forwarded for redemption
and the banks should understand that the
delay in not receiving their returns Is not
due TO any fault In the Controllers office.
Year: 1876

SIR: In reading the brilliant letter on West


rninster Abbey in Saturdays TRIBUNE reminded Of
o blunder the Original responsibility for winch belongs
to the compiler OF the guide book to that venerable pile.
Year: 1876

The desire that Mr.. Green shall issue his
letter Of acceptance before he is nominated
increases on all hands. A morning contem-
porary now wants to know what he thinks
about the dirty and ill-paved streets. BY all
means. For our own part we should like
to see what Mr.. Green thinks of the wharves !;
of the Harlem improvement, which does not
get improved of Mr.. John Kelly as q politi-
cal leader and great statesman of the con-
tractors of the organ grinders and the other
"deputations. This is a good time to speak
out. We do not want to buy Mayor in
poke, SO to speak. Mr.. Green's letter of
acceptance will be interesting reading. We
and that it will soon be issued. He ought
not to lose any time in finging his banner
to the breeze and announcing the condi-
tions upon which he will accept the
Mayoralty.


Mr.. Green is a kind Of modern Moses He
has aimed to lead New York about in the
wilderness for some years with vague
promise that some day he may, if we are
good, lead us out of it. If he shows some in
frmities of temper with us sometimes, that
is probably because he thinks many Of us are
given to the worship of strange gods, like
Boss Kelly. But he ought to come down out
of his eminence and set US right. Let him
spread abroad his letter of acceptance and
show rs the way out of our wilderness; or at
least show that he knows the way out. De-
lays are dangerous.
Year: 1876

One of the noteworthy things in the Otto
man government is the respect for what may
be called constitutional forms. In sway
really arbitrary and influenced only by cor
rupt means there is Puritan and Presby-
terian horror of corrupt practices and the
strictest regard in appearance for rule
that is supposed to render the arbi-
trary impossible-the rule Of the sacred
law. AS with us every problem Of
law and government eventually goes to
the Supreme Court, SO in Turkey it goes
to those learned in the law of Islam, and the
'.fetva' of the Turkish law and the judg-
ment of our courts of last appeal differ only
in the fact that our judgments are given on
cases while the fetva is given on a PROPOSE
ton stated in the abstract, but SO as to cover
o case. They are, therefore, more precisely
analogous to the answers of the learned"
in the Roman law. If an intrigue is on foot
in Constantinople to remove Sultan, and
the Shiek-ul-Islam is in sympathy with
it, the law of Islam is far more
readily twisted to their purpose than
even our city ordinances to the small job
berries Of Aldermen and their confederates !;
for no case can be conceived which cannot
be so stated as to violate the law of Islam if
those who state it are ingenious and the
guardian Of the law is somewhat fanatical.
The fetva for the dethronement of Mourad
is an illustration Of the form in which this
process operates. His case of insanity was
stated in abstract terms and the demand
made if the removal of such Sultan was
lawful, and the answer was in the affirma-
tive. BY such simple jugglsry the nominal
head Of nation is removed and another put
in his place, by which it may be seen that
is not more sure of his place than the Grand
Turk of his.