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to agricultural and horticultural subjects.
. if addressed to Agri- Editor. Drawer N,
Milled geville, Ga., will receive immediate
attention.
Irish Potato Culture.
A$ to the methdds of culture, potato
growing is pretty much the same thing
every where. The principal difference con
sists in the time of planting and to some
extent in the manner of manuring.
In Middle Georgia the first planting Is
made th February, from the 10th to the
20th. Sometimes March plantings tdrn
■but aa Well as those made earlier. This
t» the ease when spring is backward.
•Plantings after April 5 are not desirable,
as a rule, Unless It is the second crop
jpianted In July or August from seeds made
from the first nlanting.
When the seed potatoes are cut to one
eye It Is not safe to plant as early as
whan the cuts are left with two or more
eyes. Should a severe frost in March nip
the vine that starts from one eye the
crop is sure to be greatly diminished.
'Where two eyes are left a more vigorous
growth is renewed after a frost and the
crop is rarely affected to any marked
extend. ' ' ;
Longagp, after repeated trials with one,
two dr thfee eyes we decided that it was
more economical to use two eyes, though
it mgy add two or three dollars to the
,-cbst at seeding an acre.
preparation for planting should begin
■six to eight weeks before planting, unless
ono has soil naturally fertle and needs
no further fertility.
• But there Is very little of this kind of
land In this section. The very best land
that we have is improved for potatoes by
♦he addition of manure of some kind. It
may be that only a mineral element or
two ttt&y be called for in some Instances,
but Uxh> should be applied in advance of
1-lan ting. .
• Any' vegetable matter that may be on
the 'surface should be turned under in
■Decs.Aber And furrows laid off at three*
feetjigart (fwu and one-half feet may be a
■desirable sometimes). If it be land that
nce’ds that kind of manure proceed at
TfrhOa to haul out any stable or other lot
mftnufe and .spread In the furrows. Os
ordinary manure a shovelful to every
feet .of row will be a fair applica
tion. Afterward spread over this manure
IXini-poumliß or more if necessary and clr
ottinvances allow of the following mix-
We;-. J '
. I part «i«jid phosphate.
|a I part cotton seed hull ashes.
■ 2 parts bone meal (fine).
_ i jtnrt etton see meal.
¥egat<' this hs ad ideal manure for
VWtAtoeft, but of course there are other
9 (substances that can be substituted for
♦ '*acU and all of these materials. A north
ern, grower would probably find it Imprac
ticable to use hull ashes. In that case, if
he did not; use wood ashes, he could resort
tp potato salts—ls Icainlt, using two parts
instead of one. If muriate of potash, one
.hal/.part. ’
In lieu Os poison seed,’meal dried blood
or niit nt«s| of Soda could bo used.
.Any complete fertilizer can be used to
the amount ot a thousand or two thous
and pounds per acre, but when such a
Quantity la used it is better not to apply
it. all hi the one furrow. Apply one-third
in the first furrow and after “listing”—
throwing two furrows on the first—put the
other two-thirds In these two furrows;
Leaving the land in this furrowed con
dition allows the frosts and freezes to do
some good work in the way of pulverizing
the surface, and in a manner far superior
to what could bo done by plowing at its
best. ‘
The time arrived to plant and the seed
♦cut, or ready to be cut, prepare thor
oughly by reopening the ridges, running
the plow through at least twice; plow on
each side and, then reopen again. If the
planting la done by hand drop the cuts
Avqry twelve or fifteen inches, and press
them firmly inja the soft earth; soft, but
not from water. Plant only when the soil
ifi properly dry. Do not throw more than
two. Inches of soil upon the seed.
; Plantefi in February, ordinarily It re
ndires twenty-one days to bring the pota
toes ap. The first work should be a har
rdwlng "The sweep does the work gener
ally th the south. If the soil is light and
loamy ifi Uxture. all cultivation should be
shallow from start to finish; but when
the soil la stiff, at all inclined to “tun to
gftthar,”. Jt is advisable to break the soil
deeply between the roWa about two weeks
after the plants are all well up, but all fur
ther cultivation should ba shallow—using
a harrow or sweep, or light-running culti
vator.
Os -the hundreds of names of sorts, it is
Impossible to say which, three or four, are
the vary beat. We have the Ohio, White
Elephant and St. Patrick, most excellent
and a'-good strain of the old well known
Goodrich, is a potato to be prised. The
"Chicago Market” generally elicits com
mendation.
But there are so many new and good
sorts it is only- a very unintelligent ama
teur who does not have his or two kinds
that he prefers to all others. There is a
vast difference in potatoes, in their pro
ductive and edible qualities, and when one
gets hold ot a kind that gives satisfaction
h® ought to stick to it and even improve
U by proper selection.
* *•“"•*”* —• 1 *»■ —■ MW—IIBi I i ,
The Southern Poultry Yard.
Poultry, keeping is a delightful occupa
tion carried on whatever It may be. It is
true some localities ere more favored and
make It more successful than others, but
I can not eonertva, of any place where it is
not pleasing and profitable.
Managed properly 1 do not see how it
can be otherwise. A broiled chicken or a
dosap eas t served one way or another, Is
a luxury that Is to be esteemed usually- far
beyond its ordinary cost. I du not regard
either as a mere ’TSi-oent commodity,”
but as something to be enjoyed as worth
a real dollar.
Os course, there is a practical side to
the question, and if w<s broil our dozen of
eggs command’only such k price. 20 to
SO or 40 cents aa the case may be, why we
mart accept It as It stands. and take i
for what it is worth. But there is an in
tense pleasure tn poultry keeping outside
of iu practical bearings, that will always
have Its ijuluscica upon man, woman and
vhilu. that is bound to insure a supply of
the product. If a broiler went down to five
«‘f its. aijd a duxen eg«u to the sama there
would M no diminution tn the interest
manifested in t’>e matter of poultry keep
ing. J«B’ltM»«rt Jvdrtn# ethers by my
oelt I would say unheal t a tingly this is>
Uua.
I love gardening and I love poultry
raising. Life would be robbed of much of
its pleasure and its zest if I could not have
at least a. half dozen hens and a rooster.
Rather than have none I would have one
hen and a rooster. Yes! I would have the
rooster by himself or the hen by herself,
rather than have none. The crow of the
cock and the cackle of the hen is almost
Indlspensible to our existence, it seems.
But, thank the giver of all things good,
it is rarely necessary that we should have
such a slim dependence for our pleasure
and well-being. If we can keep One we
can generally keep a dozen or a hundred,
and if we manage it properly we can make
the keeping therof a matter of actual
gain pecuniarily instead of a mere matter
of pleasure and luxury.
A hen is worth so much we can feed
so much food and get so- much returns.
It Is a mere matter of good judgment
It is only an idiot that will feed a hen a
dollar’s worth of food and get in return
only 50 cents or 75 cents worth of food. We
keep poultry ordinarily for the purpose
of getting food in one shape or another.
It may be fried chicken, or Implied or
baked, or eggs, but it Is one or the other
that we are after. It is very few that
keep them for mere ornament. If we are
eißtheicaliy inclined, there are other
things we can keep to somewhat better
advantage, such as pea fowls, swans
and birds of paradise and the like. We
may raise a beautiful specimen of Polish
Java and even Langshau that we just
cannot consign to slaughter, but this
must be the exception always rather than
the rule. The pot must be its fate, ulti
mately.
In the matter of food, now what is
better than a 4-months old chicken, fried
or broiled, a 12 months-old hen or roost
er baked? Do not all speak at once. It
is certainly not beef or mutton or kid, or
duck, or goose or turkey. All these things
may be are good, but certainly no bet
ter.
As long as time lasts civilized man will
have broiled chicken, and “ham and eggs”
and poached eggs and omelette, and eggs
in the other 499 ways that Prof. Delmonico
claims that they can be served.
The millionaire does not care how they
are raised they come to his table, but the
practical men of the farm take another
view of the matter. He must make the
question one of dollars and cents.
Let us discuss the matter of poultry
keeping from this practical standpoint.
Say we take the average price of eggs
for food to be 20 cents, what should be
the produce of eggs be valued at. Shall It
be 25 oents or 50 cents? That depends. A
hen’s life of value is put down at 3 years.
Beyond that she is not worth keeping for
her eggs. A hen that lays 200 eggs a year
(for two years) ought to be worth twice
as much as one that lays only 100 eggs
in a year, ought she not? How many eggs
will a hen lay in her life time? It is
claimed that a hen that can be Induced to
do all her laying in three years is worth
more than one that takes 6 years to pass
out this number. In theory it requires so
much food daily to sustain her life,
whether she is given it or not.
Wo keep hehs for one of two purposes,
either to lay eggs or to reproduce her kind.
In the former purpose we want what is
termed layers,, non-sitters. For the latter
purpose we want moderate layers only,
and a disposition to set. The age has wfell
developed these two features in hens.
Some are steady layers and rarely want
to set. Others again after laying their
clutch of 13 to 20 eggs, must set, or be un
happy if denied the privilege.
Which do you want? Do you want to
raise eggs chiefly or exclusively? If you do
choose the Leghorns—white, brown or
black—Black Spanish Minorcas, Wy
andotttes, Hamburgs.
If you want medium layers and good set
ters choose some of the other breeds such
as Brahmas, Plymouth Games,
Dunghills. A hen that will lay 150 eggs in
a year is above the average fowl. It is
said a hen has laid 280 eggs in a year.
We can hardly believe it. There are very
few that will lay 200. Os the good layers,
we doubt if 150 has been averaged from a '
coup of dfty fowm. ■ One hundred and fifty
yearly is an egg a day for five months,
and this must be esteemed as good work.
We would be glad to get a pen of 200 hens
that would average 144 twelve dozen.
It is well known that there is a vast dif
ference tn poultry keeping tn the extreme
south and that in the northern - part of
this country. In the former very little
food is required, compared to what is
necessary in the latter. In Georgia and
Florida the expense of feeding poultry is
hardly one-half of what is required in New
Y ork, Vermont or Maine. It is not near so
easy in the latter states to provide green
food in the winter and early spring as it
Is in the south. In the south the food ob
tained "In the range” is shut off but a
little while—a few weeks—when it may be
so many months In New York and New
England. A bushel of wheat, or its equi
valent in value will keep a hen, without
question, in the south when two bushels
will be required north of the fortieth de
gree of latitude. The practical poultry
keeper soon finds out what is necessary
for his fowls, as much so as to cartman
what his horse needs. As a rule, every
where, fowls are over-fed—are given double
what is really best for them. I have satis
fied myself fully on this point and would
be glad to satisfy others, where it would
be of any benefit to them. A bushel of
wheat contains 960 ounces. Divided by 365
days, It will give fsbout two and two-thirds
ounces for a diilly ration.
Weigh out this quantity and compare it
with the weight of tho fowl. Watch an
average fowl, hen or rooster, eat this
quantity in two meals. Add to this the
possible and probable supply on insects
and, other food obtained on the range, and
you can readily see how amply fed a sin
gib hen will be on the Allowance of 60
pounds of wheat grain or its equivalent.
In the south this may be regarded as ex
travagant feeding.
If fed on a single grain, wheat, of course,
is much the best, and probably cannot be
improved upon, so far as the supply of
Over Thirty Years
Without Sickness.
Mr. H. Wettstein, a well-known,
enterprising citizen of Byron, 111.,
writes: “Before I paid much atten
tion to regulating the bowels, I
hardly knew a well day; but since I
t learned the evil re-
sults of constipation,
and the efficacy of
AYER’S
Pills, I have not had
one day’s sickness
for over thirty years
not one attack
that did not readily yield to this
remedy. My wife had been, previ
ous to our marriage, an invalid for
years, bhe bad a prejudice against
cathartics, but as soon as she began
to use Ayer’s Pills her health was
restored.’*
AYERS
Srw Cathartic Pills
and Diploma at World’* Fair.
To Reston Strength, take Ajer’s Sarsspanlh,
THE WEEKLY NEWS (TWO-TIMES-A-WEEK). THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21. 1895.
Better Crops
result from use of fertilizers rich in potash. I Most fertilizers sold
do not contain
Sufficient Potash
to insure the best results. The results of the latest investigations
of the use and abuse of potash are told in our books. <
They are sent free. It will cost you nothing to read them, and they will save you
doll3rs - GERMAN KALI WORKS, 03 Nassau Street, New York.
dry food is concerned, but poultry like
nilk cows, must have some green or succu
lent food if you would have them yield
their best returns. In this respect it is
easier to supply this in the south than in
the north. Even as high up as Middle
Georgia there are but a few days, prob
ably not two dozen altogether, when
hens cannot get their pluckings of col
lards or barley or oats or wheat, and fur
thermore, their grit and gravel all dur
ing the winter.
Other things being equal, it does seem
to us that the South Georgia poultry
keeper ought to produce eggs at 12 cents
per dozen, when it would cost his New-
York competitor 20 cents or very nearly
so.
Give hens a clean, healthy place to lodge
in, pure vrater in an iron vessel, access to
grit sufficient tor their needs, more or less
green food of some kind along with their
wheat or oats and barley, and you will
soon be able to determine their egg qual
ifications.
The feeding place should be separate
from the roosting place, and a good layer
of straw or clean litter of some kind
should cover the surface of the feeding
place, so that the hens will be required to
do more or less scratching around in se
curing their food. This in an important
item in the winter time w-ith any fowls,
especially so with all those that are con
fined to small enclosures much of the
time. Plenty of exercise is essential.
You will never find ! a healthy, first-class
layer spending much time on the roost or
moping about. Good layers will be active
every moment allowed them. In bad wea
ther, when fowls cajnnot obtain any
thing at all from the range, it is much
better to keep them within their houses,
but inciting them to the necessary ex
ercise by providing a strawed floor where
in to scratch for their grain rations, w-hich
in severe weather should be given in three
meals, but in mild weather two will suf
fice.
Besides clean water and the ration of
grain and green food, hens that are ex
pected to Jay should have a box of bone
meal placed in reach of them; also a box
of gravel, and if convenient, a supply of
oyster sheH grits, either in a box or scat
tered amongst the straw. In the south
clean pine straw is the litter used; at the
north straw of grain is the handiest.
The hen house should be kept as warm
as possible, no cold daughts to flow
through it. Rarely is artificial beat re
quired in any section.
During the very severe weather of win
ter, it is desirable that the early morning
meal be given to them slightly warmed,
and the water supplied them heated to a
temperature of at least 60 degrees, some
what warmer if convenient. During such
weather a “warm mash” once a day is
very helpful to the egg producers. A mix
ture of one part corn meal and two parts
wheat bran with* a small handful of
parched corn, being unsurpassed. Any
simple arrangement by which the water
is kept to a temperature above 60 will be
a good investment. A. B. C.
Georgia.
Some Questions and Answers.
Exterminating Snakes on an Island.—
■ ( Can you or any of your readers sug
gest any pracw rL* plan “for extermina
ting the snakes and other vermin from
a 2,500 acre island. I want to stock the
island with something more valuable in
the way of live stock? X. Y.
Jacksonville, Fla.
We submit X. Y.’s question to those
of our readers who have had any ex
perience in sdeh a case. The only sug
gestion that we can make Is that hogs are
very, destructive to snakes, and even 100
hogs of the ordinary southern breed,
would in a year or two almost completely
rid such a place of the snakes. X. Y.
does not state the nature of the other
vermin. Possibly these might be pois
oned.
• • •
To Pickle Beef—The Melon Worm.—
Will you be so kind as to give a recipe
for pickling beef, and also state what
will prevent worms from destroying cu
cumbers in the fall? B. S. Q.
Elmwood, Fla.
The following is*a good recipe for pick
ling beef:' Cut the beef into proper-sized
pieces and prepare brine. For every 100
pounds of beef take six gallons of water,
9 pounds of salt, 3 pounds of brown sugar,
1 quart of molasses, 3 ounqes saltpeter,
3 ounces of red pepper and 1 ounce of
potash. Boil well and skim the brine.
Let it get cold. When the beef Is cold,
pack the pieces in a keg or barrel and
then pour the brine over it, having
the beef well covered. In the course of
five or six weeks it is well to rebo4l the
brine and repack if it is desired to pre
serve the beef any further length of
time. .
Beef can be kept with brine of mere
water, salt, saltpeter, and molasses, but
If possible add the other ingredients, and
thus make it nicer.
• • *
The melon worm is so abundant in the
fall it is almost impossible to protect the
cucumbers from its ravages at that sea
son. If tho vines are kept off the ground
by putting brush under them and sprigs
of cedar laid about the young cucum
bers the damage usually is not near so
great.
Sacallne.
I see In the News of a recent date men
tion made of a new plant and I wish to
know if it can be grown in this section?
When can I procure seeds and at what
price per peck or bushel. R. W. L. D.
Douglas, Go.
Saealine, the plant to which you refer,
probably (you do not say), is an untried
plant in the south as yet, and we cannot
say positively whether it will prove de
sirable or not. It is well to give it a small
trial, but you will hardly want a peck of
the seed, as it is very costly, selling for
320 a bushel. All the leading seedsmen
are offering the seeds for sale in small
quantities. If your seed merchant has not
the seeds you can enclose us a postal card
and we will give you the address of parties
who do sell it. We are quite sure saealine
will not prove the wonderful thing that
interested parties claim it to be. Try only
a short row this year.
Flnuting Plum Trees.
I ask your advice about the planting of
an acre of plum trees the coming spring.
Land slopes to the west, heavy clay soil,
with good natural drainage. It was a
heavy orchard grass sod plowed
last spring and sown in Won
derful peas. Had a good stand
of vines, but no peas, and left the
crop on the field. I want to know (1) what
i are the most profitable of the varieties to
, plant In this latitude? (2) How far apart
, to plant, and something about cultiva
j tion? t3),WUI stable manure be sufficient
I for fertilising purposes. (4) Would, it pay
me to dig the holes during the winter, or
wait till spring, after it is plowed? (5)
What size and age of trees to plant.
(Reply by.Prof. W. F. Massey.)
1. Some of the varieties of our native
plums and some of the Japanese will us
ually be found to be the most profitable,
generally, though where care is given to
protect from the curcullo, the fine Euro
pean sorts are quite profitable. Some of
the Japan species may not be hardy with
you, but most of them will be. The best
paying plums here are the Wild Goose,
and the Abundance or Botan, the last a
Japan sort that will do well with you. I
found long ago in Maryland that the Ger
man Prune was a very certain and abun
dant bearer, though not so showy as some
crthers. The following Japan plums will
doubtless do well in yottr latitude: Abun
dance, Burbank, Satsuma, OgQn, Willard
and Berger. You should also plant some
of the Wild Goose. This variety and some
others do not fertilize their own flowers
well, and I would always plant a plum
orchard in alternate raws of a number of
varieties, so as to insure the setting of the
fruit. 2. Plums should be planted about
eighteen feet apart, and like all of the
stone fruits, should be headed low, so
that the trunk may be protected from the
sun. They may be cultivated while youpg
tn garden crops and should have careful,
clean culture all their lives. 3. On soil
such as you have described, and which
has been In sod and peas, I would not use
any stable manure. You have already
enough nitrogenous motter in the
soil to give a good start to the
trees. If Crimson clover will suc
ceed with you, the best treat
ment you can give the orchard will be to
sow it every summer after cultivating
carefully all the early part of the season,
and plow it under in the spring. Your clay
soil, if it is like Mr. Terry's Ohio clay,
has a store of mineral matters in it that
clover will reach, and in this way keep
your soil fertile. 4. I would not only have
dug the holes this fall, but I would have
had the trees planted. But as you did not
plant in the fall, and I suppose the ground
you have cannot be plowed now, the best
you can do is to wait until you can prepare
the land in good order. Then plow as
deeply as possible and sub-soil so as to
break the land fifteen inches deep, and do
not dig any hole deeper than the land
was plowed. In planting work the soil
well about roots and ram the soil as
though setting a fenc* post if the soil is
in a fairly dry condition. 5. For my own
use I would not buy. any tree older than
one year from the bud graft, as I can
then form the head to suit myself. The
Japan plums as. a rule are of a very good
planting size at a year old. A fair sized
tree grown on moderately fertile soil,
Is far better than an overgrown one that
has been forced to an unnatural growth
by heavy manuring. If my friend, Mr. : J.
W. Kerr, of Maryland, could be induced
to give the readers of the P. F. his views
on plums, it would be useful to us all, for
I suppose there is no man who has grown
more varieties than he has, and no nurse
ryman that I know will give as unvarnish
ed accounts of the different sorts as he
will.
Maßaglng and Feeding Hogs.
in & recent address Prof. J W. Rob
erts, who was once a large feeder of swine,
said that the man who feels a real in
terest in the swine industry and feeds
well will succeed, and that the hog him
self has a preference for being clean if
given a chance: Last year in a great many
pens one side of which was kept clean
for a week; afterward the pigs themsleves
kept that clean for their bed.
One week’s education did it, and if the
hog gets a good chance and a good ex
ample, he is all right. Every farmer with
100 acres ought to feed twenty to 100
hogs. The common way of constructing
the floors is unsuitable. If they slope
backward from the trough they will be
kept wet. This means sickly hogs that
do not thrive well. I prefer to make the
floor slant toward the trough. Twice the
profit can be made when the animals lie
dry all the while, and besides that their
health is much better.
Their the feeding trough should have
its holding capacity in length and not in
depth. It pays to have them fed with
good, clean food, which means the differ
ence between profit and loss. They will
take the waste from the table. It does
not do, as is usually the case, to have it
put into a tub or a barrel which is never
emptied or cleaned. That becomes poison.
It ferments and sours and makes bad
blood. With the sow and young pigs
taking it, the consequence is’ they die be
fore they are ten days old. Every ani
mal should get clean food, and even
little pigs have the right to be well born.
Hogs fed on clean food should gain at
least one pound for every four and one
half pounds of grain used; a man can*tell
whether it is paying to keep them or put
his labor to other sources of profit. If any
man feeds his hogs too long, it costs more
than he can make out of them.
Warm Quarters for Fowl**
The expense of making comfortable the
poultry on the average farm neea not be
very great, and as there are no serious
obstacles in the way every family keep
ing fowls should see to it that pleasant
quarters be provided. A correspondent
says: As it has become necessary to have
warmer quarters for our fowls, and as
it was close times for money, we con
cluded to forego the expense of a new
hen house by substituting in its place an
old building. Accordingly, a partition was
run through the center on the ground
floor, di vidng it into two rooms, the first
room to be used as a feeding room and
for exercise; the other for roosting and
laying. To make this room warm, odd
pieces of boards were picked up and nailed
to the studding, and then compactly filled
in with straw.
In addition to this two windows were
put in, one on the east side, the other
on the south, which makes the room light
and pleasant, even on a stormy day. For
warmth and a general utility hen house
it cannot be surpassed by those costing
from $25 to S3O. The cost of the above
quarters was a few pounds of nails, one
pound putty, and a dozen panek of glass
set in some old disued window sash; the
work being done at odd spells by mem
bers of our family. Our fowls are begin
ning to show the appreciation of their
warm quarters by an increase of eggs.
As a rule, if some part of the flock begin
laying before extreme cold weather sets
in, under favorable curcumstances we
may expect eggs from them the entire
winter; while from the backward and tar
dy ones it is useless to expect them to lay
until toward spring.
The expense of keeping fowls on a farm
oan be materially lessened if one has the
time to attend to their needs. There is
scarcely a product grown on the farm
but can be utilised to good advantage by
toqkins it, and stirring in meal or bran,
thus saving at least one ration dally of
grain. If one has refuse beans after as
sorting a crop for market, they can be
added, two quarts at a time, to the ket
tle containing the refuse of the table and
kitchen, and if well cooked, can be used
with excellent results. Water or milk
given as drink in cold weather should al
ways be warmed.
Clii]»H From Adjacent Piles
Prof. J. H. McConnell, of the Texas ex
periment station, reports after ten months
cultivation, that saealine, as grown by
him at that station, is a very much over
rated forage plant, and while he proposes
to continue experiments with it, he gives
the caution Vhat it should be treated for
the present as a botanical curiosity, which
may or may not prove valuable from an
economic standpoint.
* « «
A bushel of corn is worth 50 cents. If
made into whisky it makes four gallons,
which, sold over the bar, brings $24. The
government gets $4.40 of this, the railroads
40 cents, the distiller $4, and, the saloon
keeper all that remains but the 50 cents
the farmer got when he sold the corn.
This is not the only transaction in which
the price received by the farmer, and that
paid by the consumer is a long way apart,
but there is no other transaction that call
result in less good to the country, and no
worse use that corn can be put to.
* * «
The successful -fawner is not necessarily
the man who raises a large crop of sta
ples and hustles into the market imme
diately after harvest. It is the man who
always, at all seasons of the year, has
something to sell who is the winner. A
few pounds of butter and eggs, a fat calf,
a good steer, a lot of well kept vegetables,
a jay of hay or a fat hog are handsome
additions to the income of the average
farmer that are entirely possible without
materially added expense.
• « *
How much can be raised on one acre
depends on how much work can be be
stowed. It would not be an easy matter
for one man to cultivate art acre with a
view of having it produce to its utmost ca
pacity. In fact, .the possibilities of what
an acre will do cannot be known. With
labor unstinted and the free use of fertil
izers and irrigation the yield can be made
enormous.
• • *
Regularity in feeding is of more im
portance than quantity. Many poultry
disorders are caused by alternate gorging
and starving. Feed adult fowls morning
and evening, and if their appetites are not
fully satisfied, they will rustle between
meals for what is lacking, and this exer
cise will do them good. Idleness is the
bane of the poultry yard.
*♦ • ,
There is no land too poor to raise good
crops of poultry on. A sand bank, a shell
bank, a graveled yard—even where a pea
will not sprout, poultry of various kinds
will grow, flourish, mature and lay. The
poorer the land the better for chickens.
The healthiest flock, and the most of them
this writer ever saw, were raised on a
city lot covered two feet deep with shells.
If your land is too poor for anything, plant
poultry.
• • *
Every lot of seeds procured should be
tested before the sowing of it. This is most
important to farmers. It should be care
fully examined by a magnifying glass to
test its freedom from weeds, and a sample
should be sown on moist flannel in a shal
low box and kept moist and covered from
the light by another piece of flannel to test
the germinative vitality. The seeds sown
should be counted, 100 being sufficient for
a fair test, those failing to grow after the
fourth or fifth day being counted, and
the time of germination of the growing
seeds also should be taken note of. The
quantity sown may then be taken note of.
The quantity sown may then be propor
tioned to the number germinating. This
may save a crop from loss, often occur
ring through bad seed sown haphazard.
JOHN L. SULLIVAN INTERVIEWED
By a Woman Reporter for a St. Val
entine’s Day Edition.
From the Woman’s Atlanta Journal.
Mr. Sullivan stepped into the portal of
the Kimball house parlors with a worried
look, and demanded in his famous fog
baritone:
“Where’s de young woman whut wanted
ter see me?”
"Here she is,” replied the reporter,
faintly, but as sweetly as she knew how.
“Well, whutter you got to say?”
The reporter at this juncture paused for
reply, because the possibility of reply was
absent at this time by reason of fright.
Finally she mustered up enough repor
torial to venture in tremulous
tones:
“You know, Mr. Sullivan, the women
of the exposition ”
“Whut exposition?”
“The women of the Cotton States and
International Exposition—”
“Say, no man in the biz,” he said, "is
will’ to do more fur de female sex dan
me, and I am tickled to death, on the ded
now, Miss Blank, wid dis interview, but
I’m not unto your point yet.”
“Well, you know,” ths reporter began
with this sally on the part of the pugi
list, for there was really much kindness,
of brusque fashion in his tones, "the
women connected with the expositon
have charge of the Atlanta Journal to
day, and they have sent me down here to
interview you.” •
Mr. Sullivan shook the flooring timbers
of the parlors with several hearty guf
faws, and, when he had recovered himself,
said:
"On the dead, now, this is rich. Well,
jess tell ’em that I’ve been the vlctm of
misfortune, an’ am still willin’ to knock
out any man in America inside of twenty
rounds.”
“Yes, sir," said the reporter, smiling
sweetly.
The reporter thanked Mr. Sullivan for
the exhaustive talk, and the last words
she heard, stepping on the elevator was;
“Now, ain’t she a peach?”
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HIGH LIFE AT WASHINGTON.
SCENES AND INCIDENTS OF A
WHITE HOUSE RECEPTION.
Politeness ns Illustrated by a Chi
nese Gentleman—The Chafing Dish
Causing Trouble in Washington
Households—Curd Parties at the
N:\tioanl Capitol.
Washington, Feb. 17.—A white house re
ception presents a broad field for an ap
preciator of the ridiculous to revel in for
nothing in the world can be more absurd
than the great American public when
turned loose in the executive mansion.
By 9 o’clock on the evening of a function
there, the broad corridor is densely pack
ed with a crowding, Jostling throng, who
elbow each other and make discourteous
remarks about “that woman behind, who
is shoving so,” and shoves meanwhile
with full force against the unfortunates
in front, and this opening excitement is
“to see them come down, for the corridor
commands a view of the staircase
down which the receiving party descends.
This first sparring match Is rewarded by
hearing a buzz around one, “there they
come,” and the man or woman directly
in front stretches out a preternaturally
long neck and effectually cuts off what
little chance one ever had for seeing first
act of the drama and the band plays “Hail
to the Chief.’-
The second act introduces a few more
specialties in the line of torn gowns, dis
hevelled locks and loud rather than
high kicks and the plot or the crowd
thickens. By the aid of ones own doughty
elbow and continuous pressure from the
rear, a place in the advance column is
attained. Flushed with success in this
achievement America’s elite is apt to
grow forgetful of the rights of others and
exhibit too much energy in pressing for
ward, which tendency is brought to a
decided standstill by a dagger in the
lady’s hair who stands a pace nearer the
goal, which Inflicts a beauty mark in the
shape.of a scratch on the very side of the
face destined to be scanned by the critical
eye of the President and Mrs. Cleveland.
By this time, unless one has became TtTs
couraged and dropped out of line, the
entrance to the red parlor is reached and
as the portal is passed the strains of the
“Intermezzo” fall on the ear.
The third act opens very quietly
for the 'red room is kept com
paratively cleared In order that
the performers may in a degree
compose themselves for the climax of the
tragic farce. Here the Individual murmurs
his or her name to a functionary at the
door, who repeats it more or less garbled
to Cel. Wison, who makes the presenta
tions. Before the victim has time to more
than gasp, the President, with a cordiallty
born of long practice slezes his hand and
passes him on to Mrs. Cleveland, whose
desire to make his acquaintance is evinced
by the eagerness with which she leans for
ward to greet him, and he thinks, “now
this is somethink like,” when he feels
himself-being handed on to the next hand
outstretched, which he is too confused to
grasp, and so he falters along the line
until he passes between two guards, who
keep up a perpetual duet of "ladies, please
keep this passageway open,” into the
green room, and the great third act of the
society play is over while the marine band
discourses one of Fanciulli’s latest efforts.
Here, if one cares to linger, the comedy
may be witnessed for everybody passes
through this way into the east room, and
the funny man and the serio-comic dam
sel have full sway. These are some of the
choice bits of dialogue overheard at the
Army and Navy Reception last Thursday.
“That was a nice little conversation I had
with the President, Just now,” says the
gentleman from Wisconsin, who was
rushed through with more than the usual
degree of speed to his wife, who grum
bles, “I never even saw Mrs. Cleveland.”
'‘Didn’t she look too lovely,” says the en
thusiastic young woman, "Yes, but that
man at the door called me Mrs. Hamp
ton, and he ought to know I am Miss
Norman.” “We could have gone behind
the receiving line If it had not been so
crowded,” flutters the social struggler,
pluming herself .meanwhile, at having
shaken hands with everyone in the line.
“I didn’t see a single thing but those side
combs the President gave her Christmas,”
chirps Miss Curlylocks. “Mrs. Cleveland
doesn’t wear gloves, that’s funny,” criti
cises another. "Did you see Helen Carter
standing back of the line? I wonder how
she got there,” Is the envious comment of
the new woman who had a long and ex
cited interview with Mr. Thurber, In or
der to convince him of the right she had
to get into that sacred precinct. “I’m los
ing my skirt,” walls forlorn damsel clutch
ing the truant article with dismay. “Well,
I think we are lucky to get through alive,”
is her father’s unsympathetic reply. “I
think out town can give them some points
on beauty,” ungallantly comments the
villager. And so the stream of talk and
peojlle passes on till one wonders if that
receiving party is composed of flesh and
blood or of some unknown substance war
ranted never to wear out.
Out in the East room, where the whole
company mingles and chats, there is
some semblance of good manners, but
even that resemblance takes flight when
the hour of 11 approaches and the re
port spreads, “they will make a tour
of the East room,” and then the pushing
and shoving sets Its current toward the
door from which the presidential party
shall emerge, and while the guests are
blocking the very path to be followed,
the host and hostess, with their coterie
of friends make their escape the other
way up the staircase, and the gaping
crowd, as was the case on Thursday
night, has to solace Itself with “The Star
Spangled Banner.”
to the frequently
charged American rudeness, Mr. Dennis
of Boston, a man of wide travel, who is
making a visit to this city, tells of the
beautiful courtesy of the Chinese. “There
is in all the world nothing more perfectly
refined and cultivated than the Chinese
gentleman," he says, “and in your inter
course with him be seems constantly on
the alert to show you by numberless little
graculul acta box much, ha appreciates
your friendship.” “A few years ago,” he.
remarked, while talking on this subject*
“I had occasion to visit China, and while*
at Pekin -went to call upon a Chinese*
gentleman whom I had formerly know™
in Boston. When my card was taken in tc»
him, instead of rushing out with protes
tations of delight at' seeing me, as we
would do under the same circumstances*
with more or less sincerity, he kept ma
waiting a. little while, so that he mighti
procure from among his household ef
fects a huge Boston apple, which he had
presented to- pie on a silver tray as a*
sign of welcome, before he greeted me
himself. It was a small thing, hut it>
demonstrates a characteristic regard few
the amenities of life.”
The chatting dish fever which is raging
in Washington threatens to cause tha
disruption of many heretofore happy;
families for the culinary art since it hag
been scientifically reduced to a playing
instead of a working basis finds its most:
eager votaries among the men. Numerous
and long are the dissertations the wearyf
housewife -is obliged to listen to. while*
her leige lord discourses oh the triumphs
he has attained at the club where he holds
the position of "Great Sublime Chef,” buts
more tiresome still and fraught with/
greater danger are the moments when he*
presumes to dictate as to how she shall
have their family table served. “Now*
there’s coffee,” says his sublimity. “wg
never have a bit in this house fit tot
drink. Why don’t you tell th‘e cook how)
to make good coffee?
“Because,” replies his meek consort, “1
don’t know how to make It myself.’"’
“What! don’t know 'how to make cof-*
fee? Well, I’ll enlighten you. First, you*
grind the coffee,” this with emphasis*
“then you mix it with sortie water and sei
it on the stove to boil. When it begins
to boil, Just throw -in an egg.”
“Must the egg be hard or soft-boiled?’*
interrupts the other end of the table, and
at this point the cooking lesson coined
to an end, because the- teacher has for
gotten which it is, hard or soft.
“A great deal of sympathy is wasted
upon the poor of the district,” said the
hard hearted young woman, recently*
“and I had an illustration of that very;
thing myself Just yesterday. I had got
ten out of a herdlc to transfer, when I
was accosted by a shabby little urchin
to give m a penny for sweeping ths
cross!. It happened that there was
one drj ,pot in the sea of slush on which:
I could l ep, and out of gratitude I opened
my purse to give the desired penny. I
had nothing less than a dime and reallyf
did not feel like giving so much for such*
small service, and so I said: T have noth
ing less than a dime, little boy,' showing
him my purse to prove my words, “ph, X
can change it for you,” replied the nine
teenth century Raleigh, and opening hi»
coat he produced from some cavernous*
recess a hag about eight Inches square
Just crammed full of money and made th®
requested change with the air of doing
me a favor. I would not have minded s®
much, but when I came back later over
the same route, he attacked me again, and
do you know the little wretch had not
swept another Inch of surface since I
left him.
Owing to the dearth of men or the de
veloping of the gaming instinct in the
gentler sex, afternoon card parties are on*
crest of success this season, and demure*
damsels meet and play progressive euchra
for prizes and drink claret
punch with the abandon of mere
when out a-pleasuring. In fact*
Washington girls have about come to tha
conclusion that while they are enter
taining they hud better spend their money
on each other than on a mixed gathering
where the men dance perfunctorily or*
play cards as though they were bored t<i
death, and were doing the hostess thre
greatest favor in the world by accepting
her hospitality.
This is the verdict that has been passed
on the Washington man by his independ
ent sisters, and it has received the publid
approval, as is evidenced by the popu
larity of afternoon affairs, “where,” afl
one of the Jury recently explained, “w#
can get along without men.” “Os course.’*
she continued, “nice men are very nic«
indeed, but they are few and far between*
while ail the girls you meet are agreeable
and willing to be entertained by the ef
forts you make to please them.” From
this, it would seem that the blase young
man had better give this matter his care
ful consideration.
Why is it that the word “damn” is such
a popular mlrth-provofcer? On the stage
it is just enough to utter the word once
in the most casual manner to be greeted
by rounds of laughter and ap
plause. The actor-ln-general seeing
to understand this to its full
est extent, and when his efforts to create
a laugh have met with the most dismal
failure, and his choicest bits of comicality,
have passed unheeded, he makes an ef
fective use of this expletive, and the housg
is with him.
BIDDY* OF THE RED HAND. •
One ot the Atlanta Prisoners a Notre*
rious New York Crook.
Atlanta, Ga., Feb. 17.—The man calling
himself Smith, arrested along with several
others of a suspected gang of crooks sev
eral days ago, was identified to-day as a
notorious New York crook, known a*
“Billy of the Red Hand.” Chief of Police
Connelly to-day received a telegram
from Amsterdam, N. Y., identifying th®
man. Smith’s right hand is blood red from
scalding. He says he got the scar by
stealing a ham out of a boiling pot. He is*
well know-n to the police of New York
city, where he operated for years, and
it is likely that he will be taken back
there. Smith saya he spent some time ire
Savannah up to a week or ten days ago.
Didn’t Ask the Blessing.
When Joe Jefferson was here not long
ago, says the Washington correspondent
of the New York Advertiser, as was his
custom, he added to his fund of good
stories one .that he picked up from ex-
Speaker Tom Reed, who tells it with in
imitable humor. Reed’s story is about an
old farmer, who had some neighbors to
dinner with him. Among them was a
stranger, who looked like a Baptist
preacher. As is the custom in the rural
districts when tlmre is a preacher at tha
table, the farmer looked at him and said}
"Brother, will you ask a blessing?” Tha
stranger leaned forward, put his hand to
his ear and assumed an inquiring expres
sion of countenance. The farmer renewed
the invitation. The stranger said: “I sea
that you're talking to me, but the fact is.
I’m so d—d deaf, that I can’t hear a word
you say.’! -
3