smithclay/nortonstories huggingface dataset:
Year: 1876

pouring over the head and down the
back of the lucklpss tramp.


All grew still, and the conductor or.
deiPd his train on his way. convinced
that he had drowned the tramp, or at
least Hooded him so far away that he
could never ges back again.


But when that conductor drove int
the depot In the early morning there
was surprise In store for him.


g BE you the conductor ?" inquired
n shivering voice at his elbow, as lie
stepped on the platform.


Yes" said hp, looking around and
gazing upon bedraggled and cinder.
covered man.


Then want ter ask yer why yer
don't run around the end OF the lake ip
comm inter town p


do" said the conductor.


Yer do ?" exclaimed the msn.


Certainly" was the reply.


Wal, gosh r. muttefed the
stranger in = bewildered tone, blest
u didn't think that yer swum through
ther lake r.


Then the conductor knew that his
tramp still lived and was water proof.
Year: 1876

The FARMER has often referred to the
economy Of using horse power to save hand
labor and urged the expediency Of farmers
owning all machinery that can bo economic
ally employed, clubbing together in the own
ership and use Of threshers, saws, and some
other machines, where there is not work
enough or capital enough to have one on
each farm. A writer in the New York
Times says


The greatest evil to which farmers are
exposed by patronizing travelling threshers,
is the carrying of foul seeds from one farm
to another, II one farmer raises red root or
Canada thistle, the seeds are sure to be car
ried all through the neighborhood by these
threshers and clover bullers. The remedy
suggested is for good, tidy farmers to club
together and buy thresher-not the large
six or eight horse powers, but good tread
power as now made, with a level tread, that
will thresh two hundred bushels day, with
one team and three men. at is far safer,"
he says, "more profitable because less expen
sive, costing not more than one.half, some
say not more than one-third as much per
bushel TO thresh grain as with the travelling
machines, and it relieves the house of a
small army of men. As long as travelling
machines are used from farm to farm, they
should be brushed and swept from top to
bottom before moving from each station
This is the only precautiOn that can be taken
to guard against the dissemination of foul
seeds, except the plan above suggested"
Year: 1876

We should Judge that there would be a
good crop Of hay this year, but as there are
always exceptions to the general rule there
will doubtless be many farmers in all who
will not obtain their usual quantity. In
these cases it will be well to sow some fod.
der corn or Hungarian grass, or perhaps, as
a matter Of experiment, a small piece Of
each. BY growing both crops the same
year the farmer could very readily deter
mine which he would grow in the future.
If properly grown, both crops are very good
indeed. Both may be fed green, or be
cured aud used for winter food. And the
fact that many intelligent farmers prefer one
while many others who are just as intelli-
gent prefer the other renders it probable
that there is but very little difference in
their real value. Under some circumstances
corn may be grown to better advantage than
the grass. while under other conditions the
reverse may be true. But as both are good
crops, the farmer will not 60 far out Of the
way in growing either OF them. The CON-
mon grass has not got so nearly matured
that pretty correct opinion concerning Its
yield can be given. The farmer should there
fore examine his fields and see whether hil
hay crop is coming up to the average or not
If he finds that his crop will be light, il
will certainly pay him to NOW piece at
once, plow and harrow it we'll, and SOW either
corn or Hungarian grass, They may not Dc
quite as we'll on the turf as they would OIL
land that had been cultivated, but they viii
prove great deal better than nothing, aud
If properly managed fair crop may be sc
cured. Although it is later than We usual.
put in fodder corn, it is not too late to get


crop to feed dry in the winter. The cor
should be sown in drills in which a quantit
Of manure has been placed, or, if plante
without manure, liberal applications of ashe
and plaster, or Of some Of the Commercial
manures, should be made to the crop wheI
it is hoed. If Hungarian grass is grown il
stead of corn, there is no special haste abou
sowing the seed, though We should rather
it before long than to wait until the hurr
of haying While the majority OF farmer
may not need anything of the kind, we thin
that many, in all, may be benefited by th
suggestions we have made.-Nelo Englatl
Homestead.
Year: 1876

endure so strong a dose Of potash. The
mixture is applied by means Of an old broom
and person can 60 over hundred medium.
sized trees in one day, washing the trunks
and limbs Of the trees thoroughly. The
smaller twigs il is almost impossible to get
at with broom, but they can be dosed by
means Of large garden syringe. The MKT
ure for the twgs should be made weaker, as
recommended for young trees, or the leaves
and buds will be damaged.


We have never known strong soap-suds to
fail in killing the lice, and it also scales off
the old dead bark and gives new lease of
life to the tree. The effect is not fully man.
ifest the FIRST day or the first week, but it
certainly keeps tho lice in check, 80 that the
tree thrives and is productive. The best
time for doing this work, as we have already
iutmated, is in June, when the young lice
are Matching out. They are most easily
killed in their infancy, and no one need
dread the quulms Of conscience for slaugh.
tering young innocents, for young lice are
not innocent--they go to sucking the trees
as soon as they are born. The females
and these do the mischief-apparently move
about only to find the best place to pitch
their tent, and that is on the bark that furn-
ishes the most forage. Once squatted they
are squatted forever. No bark-louse ever
changes his camping-ground.--Ne,c York
Times
Year: 1876




Nothing is more essential to the highest


success in raising crops than thorough prep


aration and cultivation Of the soil. Much is
lost for want of having the soil in good tilth
before the seed is deposited in il. When a
plant is compelled to struggle for life during
its earlier existence, il receives shock that


it can never fully recover from. If the soil
is we'll pulVerized 1t places within reach Of
the roots OF the young plant larger amount
of available plant food, and it starts off in
life with more yigor, aud, like an animal
that has been we'll fed during its infancy, it
is more capable OF taking care of itself in
after life, than if stinted and half starved


in its earlier life. Within reasonable limits,
an additional plOwing or narrowing will often
add many times its cost to the value of the
crop. Many farmers seem to think that all
extra work in deep plowing and thorough
narrowing In preparing for crop is so much
Year: 1876

labor thrown away but this extra labor is
Just what often determines the difference be-
tween success aud failure in farming.


Thorough culture of growing crops is the
sine qua non Of their profitable development
The necessity Of cultivatng corn, potatoes
aud similar crops in order to procure profit
able returns is conceded by ALL but this ne.
cessity is understood by many to 90 no fur.
ther than the subduing of weeds that would,
by their presence, damage the growing crop.
But this necessity would exist if no weeds
we're present. Nor is this benefit confined
to what are generally called hocd crops
Our winter grains would be very largely
benefited by this process. Ii some man
would invent some means by which we might
readily and successfully cultivate our winter
wheat, rye, etc., he would open up the way
for larger increase of our crops than was
,lone by the invention of the drill.-L. j.
Templin iR Ohio Farmer.
Year: 1876




Potato bugs are here and hand picking is
now in order. A neighbor said he picked
two quarts yesterday. Less acreageis plant
ed with potatoes than for the past few years.
Low prices and the beetle have caused many
Of our farmers to turn their attention to corn
this season. Good change to make too. Less
potato and more corn will GIL the pocket
better. Too much potato has run the land
hard in this section.


In corn cultivation poor seed caused one
and two replantings, consequently corn stands
very uneven. Cutworms are doing more
than their usual amount of damage | hear
Of some pieces that will be replauted to fod-
der corn, or sown to buckwheat. Corn that
came up from FIRST planting is large, stOcky
and growing finely. OF the seventeen acres
put in with a Billings planter, but very
little failed to come. dared not risk seed
of my last years crop, but sent to New
Hampshire aud Canada for my seed corn.
In that made hit in the right place.


Buckwheat is quite largely grown here
and it is crop that | am pleased with ;
sown at any time between this and July 4th,
it proves paying crop with me. The prac-
tice here is to save the poorest land for this
crop. l find it better to put it on good land
and to manure for the crop. A fair dressing
of yard manure, or liberal quantity Of
good fertilizer will improve the crop. To-
day have had calls from three farmers in-
quiring, "What kind of fertilizer is best for
buckwheatf" Best ground bone, sown at the
rate of 300 pounds per acre gives me good
returns, aud in trials side by side proved
best Of any kind tried.


Haying is near. Undoubtedly the best
time to cut clover and grass for hay making
is when it is irst blossomed. 1t then con
tains the most nutritious matter. BY neglect
ing to cut grass when in full bloom, the
growth of aftermath is greatly diminished
aud all practical farmers are aware that a
heavy "fog" or aftermath, is of great valu'
to the future crops of grass. Too late cut
ting is injurious to the quality of the hay
also the weight, and if late cutting is followed
the quantity will decrease. June grass will
make the most and best milk, butter an'
beef Will not june hay Tor hay made frOu
grass in blossom) make the best feed in win





ter? With such hay and liberal quantit.
of roots daily, nearly as much milk, butte
and beef or growth can be made as in Jun
feed. Why Nor.
Year: 1876

Mr. II. Z. Root says in the American
Rural that the idea prevails with farmers
that lands can be wholly restored TO their
original fertility by the plowing in Of clover
or other green crops, but it is an error in
theory and also in practice That lands can
be greatly benefited by this operation there
is no doubt; but the benefit is more in
the mechanical condition than in quality
Of the soil. There are lands in some
localities that are SO strong in the mineral
element that to supply the organic to keep
it loose and mellow will produce good crops
for many years with no other manures
But they will ultimately fail to produce good
grain. The grain grown on soils deficient
in mineral matter will be of poor quality
and will make poor quality OF -four. The
wheat now grown in western New York, viii
make no such quality Of -four as that grown
thirty or forty years ago, nor will it MAKE
any such quantity per bushe. Then, bar
rel OF extra flour was male from four and I
quarter bushels Of wheat. Now, it take
nearly FIVE bushels to make barrel o
poorer quality. Our wheat is deficient il
the phosphates, because those elements ar
deficient in soil on which il is grown. GraiI
Of all kinds when grown on soils rich in th
mineral elements, is much more valuAbl
than that on lands deficient, for the reaso
that the soil cannot produce that which
does not contain. 1t is not in this seCtiOl
Of the country alone that the quality o
grain is decining, but wherever lands hav
grown grain, exclusively for term Of year
the same results are seen.


The grain lands of the West are becom
ing exhausted Of the mineral matter, SO tina
their grain is Of poorer quality than fol
merly, 1t is believed by intelligent farmer
Of the West that the hog cholera, so preva
lent and fatal, is caused by the want Of thi
Year: 1876

a subscriber has a compost heap of old
bones, the carcasses of sheep and cattle that
have died Of disease, ashes, muck, etc., and
wants to know how to pulverize it so as
to prepare the whole for the soil.


The question with our correspondent
would appear to be whether to try to dis
solve the bones with ashes or to buy sulphu-
ric acid and make superphosphate Of them.


We have seen statement purporting To
come from chemist, that the phospboric
acid in bones dissolved in ashes is mainly
iusoluble, and so Of no value as plant food
The results attained by those who have used
this process would seem to indicate that the
chemist is at least not wholly correct.


If the bones be broken as ine as may be
with an axe and then packed in barrels OIL
hogsheads with alternate layers Of hard
wood ashes, say one part Of bones to three
of ashes, being wet down with hot water
and allowed to stand out doors where thu
falling rains will keep the whole mass in I

state of moisture, or if it is kept wet will
slops from the house, in a year the bone
will be dissolved and ready for use. Th
whole may then be composted with muck
using three or four parts of muck to one o
the mixture, and being shoveled over severa
times it is ready for application to the soil
Farmers who have treated bones by this pre-
cess speak in the highest terms of the gOo'
results.


The making Of superphosphate, on tn
other hand, is said to require the bones +
be reduced finer than in the other process
otherwise the action of the acid hardens th
surface of small pieces of bone so as to pr
vent its own action to dissolve them. Pral
tical skill is believed to be necessary to maj
ufacture superphosphates.


Will readers who have manufactured Il
/ refuse bones Of the farm into a fertilizer 4
crops favor the readers Of the FARMER wi
an account Of their experience.
Year: 1876




We have had the pleasure of testing in
the field the "IIaymaker" mower, made by
Messrs. Otis Brothers X Co., New York
This mower was formerly called the New
Clipper. The device for communicating
motion to the knives is entirely novel. Its
operation is extremely good, draft very
light, and is almost noiseless. 1t is handled
very easily, is comfortable to ride upon and
appears to be very thoroughly aud strongly
built. Either end or the whole length Of
the bar can be raised to clear obstructions
and it can be brought to a perpendicular
position and fixed there while the driver
retains his seat. No fault could be found
with it in any respect. We predict for thC
IIaymaker career of success.
Year: 1876

1t is becoming more and more common for
farmers, who are able, to build one large
barn in place Of the three or four small ones,
which with their lean.tos and little addi-
tons have been built as the increasing size
and fertility Of the farm made them neces.
sary.


OF course the aim Of all in making the
change from small barns to one large one il
the same, namely economy, convenience
comfort and appearance. Unless these point
Year: 1876

1t is said that birds are skinned while still
living and in full possession of the sense of
feeling-because the plumage sticks better
to secure pretty ornaments for ladies bon
nets; and that every pretty bird we sec
poised on the jauuty head-gear of lady fair,
has submitted to this cruel torture.
Year: 1876

FARM GARDENs.-A correspondent of the
Scientific Farmer says, "Whether or no the
garden gives us pleasure, depends upon the
place it occupies in the farm economy, as
likewise whether or no it gives profit. So
long as held the garden at arms length,
as something apart from the farm, and the
manure and labor put into it as so much
stolen from the farm itself aud to be almost
apologized for, the garden and l were not
friends and found friendliness with our
labor here, as elsewhere is essential to the
highest success But when come round to
the household point of view, and took coun.
sci of the family, and adopted the garden
Into my care as something worthy Of it, the
kitchen farm and the big farm go on well
together. Charity, they say, should begin at
home Methinks our farming should begin
in the garden, and get out of it only when
the household has ample provision made for
its own table. The garden, too is the best
of schools, and l 6nd it rare that the farmer
steps from the good garden to the poor farm
II cannot get out of the garden, had bet.
ter not try the farm; but in practice one
should not bar the other, but assist. The
order should be, not from the farm to the
garden, but rather from the garden to The
| farm"
Year: 1876

CIV. Riley writes to the New York Trib-
une that great deal of nonsense is written
in reference to the cause of smut in wheat
and it is well to bear in mind that there is
in reality no question at all about it. The
fact that it is parasitic fungus (Ustilago
SegetuRa) is as well established in botany as
that mistletoe is parasite on apple, oak
etc., and not an outgrowth of the trees.
That it propagates by dust-like spores,
when the conditions are favorable, Is also
well established. Every particle of the
brown.black dust is spore or germ, each SO
minute that 100000 could be placed side
by side on a square inch of surface. These
float through the air, attach themselves to
the ripening grain, aud are sown with the
seed, when they germinate and after going
through the various stages of development
in the tissue of the growing plant-imbuing
them with its poisonous qualities-repro


duce fungus like the parent, i. e., cause the
ear to "smut" Hence the philosophy oi
the various washes with which the seed is
treated to prevent smut, the object being to
destroy the vitality Of the spores. The fact
of finding insects in such smut is no more
evidence of its being caused by them than
the finding of them in black knot is; or, to
put it more strongly, than the finding Of


mistletOe on tree is proof that the tree was
produced from mistetoe. A little light.
brown beetle, not quite one-tenth of an inch
long, with four quadrangularly arranged
blaCkish spots on the back (BrachytarSu,
oariegatus, Say), is fond of breeding in diff


erent smuts, aud can almost always be found
in them, either in the larva or beetle state
Year: 1876

TnE USE OF MAcmNERY.-The use of
machinery upon the farm is dOubly benef-
cial 1t not only reduces the labor,
lessons tho cost of products, saves time, and
enables a larger surface to be cultivated,
but it actually necessitatos better and more
careful work To plant corn with a drill
successfully, 1t is necessary that the sod be
we'll turned over and covered, and no trash
left upon the surface to interfere with the
regular dropping of the seed 1; nor must loose
stones be left in the way. 1t is the same
with all other machinery, and this indirect
benefit is not the least by any means of those
that we gain by the use of farm machines.
Year: 1876

DOSE FOR MELON BUGs-ThO N. Y.
Times gives the following; Take few
Jumps Of fresh burned lime and break them
up into small pieces. Then dissolve one
ounce of carbolic acid in one pint of water
and sprinkle this upon the lime, Stacking it
into a fine dry powder. This is carboate Of
lime, which, If sprinkled around the stems Of
melons and cucumbers or upon the leaves or
blossoms, will drive off both the squash
beetle, which eats the stalk, and the striped
bug, which destroys the blossoms. 1t will
also save the cabbage from the flea which
eats the young plants, and from the cater
pillar. 1t should be kept in dry place,
closely corked in wide-mouthed bottles, until
wanted for use. The water must be used
cautiously lest the lime be made too wet
and pasty
Year: 1876

THE Democratic House is a consistent
body truly. 1t denounces President Grant
for stationing score or two of soldiers in
Petersburg on election day and talks in very
doletul strains about the danger to our lber-
ties from such an act, and then permits
one of its committees to call upon the tele-
graph Offices for private correspondence,
because some one suspects that some
thing derogatory to the reputation of some
member of the Republican party may be
found therein. 1t could just as we'll break
into every post office in the land, break the
seals of every letter and publish their contents
to the world. Private correspondence is held
invlolate in every country which makes the
smallest pretence to being land of freedom
and this attempt of the Democrats to violate
it is an assault upon one of the fundamental
rights of a free people. 1t looks now as if
the House, reckless though it be, will hardly
dare to defy public opinion to the extent OF
enforcing its committees demand.
Year: 1876

THE prospect of a peaceful result of the
Eastern conference is greatly enhanced by
the discovery on the part of Russia of serious
deficiencies in her military stores and conse.
quent decrease of the war enthusiasm. Rus
sia is beginning to find out that Turkey is no
mean foe and that march into the Turkish
provinces is not to be accomplished without a
struggle which it is feared the force already
modified by her is unequal to.
Year: 1876

IT is gratifying to know that the sea SER
pent which used to disport himself up at the
Portland bridge has gone TO the straits Of
Malacca. An animal 500 feet in length, so feet
across the back and that carries its head so or
10 of water might, ii he got hungry,
swallow steamboat Or two passengers and
all or even make meal off an Allan steam
ship.
Year: 1876

ACCORDING to the Democratic testimony
before the House investigating committee
in session at New Orleans the 'cRegulators~
were sort of vigilance committee designed
to suppress petty pilfering. Their code of
punishment was more savage than Draco's.
He imposed simple death. The Regulators
added torture. midnight arson, outrage upon
females, mayhem and the murder of inno-
cent children. Religious fanaticism never
devised so cruel barbarlties as these Regula-
tors employed in the suppression OF petty
larceny.