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THE WASHINGTON GAZETTE. JAS. A. WRIGHT, AGENT. THE WASHINGTON GAZETTE. Tiim—Three Dollar* a year, in advance LITTLE BT LITTLE. Spring has come around again and with it the time for the general bright etiing and cleaning np of the house. The gentlemen may complain as they will of honse-cleaning times. It would be a sorry house for them, as well as every one else, if there was no house-cleaning. Still a good thing may be abused by doing it in a bad way. It is not wise or comfortable to have the whole house under water at the same time. Better take the storm by instalments. There is noth ing gained by this hurry and rush, and bustle, this determination to have the whole thing finished up at onco. It is no mark of a superior housekeeper either, though many imagine that such energy and resolution are unmis takable proofs of their superiority over their more comfortable neighbors. The highest style of housekeeping is that which makes the wheels movo on smoothly and evenly without a sud 'den jar like an earthquake every few months. . The cellar should receive early at tention in the spring. All vegetables left over from the winter’s store should be carefully assorted and no particle of decaying vegetable matter should be permitted to remain there. Terri ble fevers often afflicting a whole fam ily, and frequently ending in death, have resulted from a neglect of theso precautions. Throw open tho outer cellar door, and let the sunshine pour into it if possible. Let the walls bo thoroughly white-washed, every shell and cupboard be neatly scrubbed, and then yon will have the satisfaction of feeling that the foundation of your house is all right. Then take whatever order seems most convenient for the rest of the house, only preserving the precaution not to overwork yourself, and lay the foundation for coughs, colds and rhue matism for the next six weeks. There is nothing gained by it. Better tako a fortnight more for the process. It don’t pay to hurry house-cleaning, as too many housewives have found to their sorrow. Hurrying and worry ing kills more people than bard work. Don’t be sparing of whitewash. — Whether lime is high or low it costs but a trifle at the most, and saves fur more than its price on the doctor’s bill. If your chambers are papered it is a pity, but even then you can give them a good, white coat overhead. Now if the old paper on the family room has grown dingy and smoky take it off and put on fresh. It will cost but a few dollars for some good, cheap, light paper, and oh, how it will bright-, en up the room, even if you have tho plai neat-furniture in it. Don’t look at the dingy old paper and say “may be it will do for another year,” and go off and buy an expensive spring bonnet. Better far the plainest bonnet and make the family room clean and neat. If farmers families would ouly save more where it could easily be dono, and devote the sum to making home cheerful and attractive, they would be great gainers. When eggs are forty oents a dozen, it wouldj be wiser to send a few dozen to market than to place a half dollar’s worth on the breakfast table every morning. Yonr family could better afford to wait a week or two for the luxury, than to live in dismal looking apartments the whole year. A careful attention to the poultry yard, in the early spring, and a little self denial in the use of eggs, would add many permanent com forts and luxuries to the house, which would give far more real satisfaction than the momentary indnlgence of a table Inxnry. By the way, farmer’s wives often use double the quantity of the ingre dients they have, than is at all need ful, under the miataken idea that the eggs or the more cream and batter they put in the finer the dish is.— Nothing could be farther from the truth. The finest rice padding I ever tast ed was made by boiling a cup of rice pay rapidly, in a pan of new milk, adding only a cap of raisins and a iittle nutmeg. There was not an egg or a spoonful of cream in it, but it tasted like pure cream nnd rice and rasins The addition of so many eggs to what ever is made only renders it thoroughly indigestablo and is no im provement to the taste. By a little economy and calculation a farmer’s wife may add little by lit tle to the substantial comforts of her household without ever feeling the ex pense. “Little by little” must be her motto. If she cannot affjrd the ex pense of a full set of oishes which she feels she needs, she can gather it up piece by piece, as she can afford it. It is easy now-a-days to match plain, white queen’s-ware, or so nearly that no one but a closo observer can de tect any difference. There is a satis faction in theso little acquisitions which no one knows, who can afford to spend money lavisly. Every new pitcher, or vegetable dish, or cream cup, gives anew pleasure, often great er than that which another feels in adding a whole set of six dozen pieces to the china closet. Begin fair with the opening year, and use a wiso economy in little things , for it is on these the money goes the fastest, and see how much you can cheer and brighten your home in a single summer. It ie not worth while to expend a great deal on what is merely for the “eyes of other people." Not an ex pensive pair of vases to be shut up in the parlor, orgildod wall paper which the children are seldom allowed to peep at, but real substantial comforts for tho goneral good, and worth some thought and effort to obtain. Os course there is an extreme to which a few miserly souls have a ten dency. The . ■ . ■■ mm ' fl i *..... < m 1 to ya : M B and they are to have sit dow fIM ■ W SOMETHING WOETH KNOWING ABOUT GEAFES. John H. Jenkins, of East Bethle hem, Pennsylvania, gives to the Hor ticulturist some observations on grapes, which, if correct, are important to every grape growor:—“Let mo tell you how a neighbor of mine keeps Ca tawba grapes until tho first of April, as nice and fresh as the day tlioy were gathered from tbo vine, so that you may go and do like wiso with your surplus. First, he gathers his grapes, when fully ripe, on a clear, dry day, ar.d lays them on the floor ol his attic, there to remain eight or ten days. They are then carefully looked over, taking out all decayed berries, (these will be few in number,) and placed in boxes or barrels, in layers of one bunch in depth, with alternate layers of finely cut wheat straw, perfectly dry. When full, the boxes and bar rels are nailed up and placed in a cool room, whore they are left until in dan ger of freezing. (Usually about the middle of Decomber.) When cold weather comes on, he places them in his pantry, (connected with the kitch en,) where they remain until used or sold. The atmosphere in tho pantry is always dry and cool, and the tem perature gradual, ranging from forty five to fifty degress; and hero is the secret of his success. I have eaten Catawba grapos at his home in March, having ar. appearance as fresh as the day when they werere gathered, and I know they were lucious. And now, I have told you how he keeps them, would you like to know how he grows them ? His vine is the oldest in our neighborhood of that variety; stands on clay soil, with a subsoil as reten tive of water as a wet sponge. It is trained to the east and side walls of bis bouse, and covers an area of at least twelve hundred square feet. It has never been manured except once. Three years ago one bushel of unbro ken bones were placed around it. He prunes gently, and receives yearly enormous crops of the most handsome Catawbas 1 ever witnessed. I never knew this vine to miss fruiting. For the last three or four years its yield has been from twelve to fifteen bush els,” WASHINGTON, WILKES COUNTY, GW,SWAY MORNING, MAY 3, 1867. BOBBIE'S MOTTO. “Those letters went down in time for the morning mail, Bobbie, I sup pose ?” said lather, as ho took his place at the dinner table. “Yes, sir,” said Bobbie, promptly and cheerfully. “That is right; I can always de pend upon any thing I entrust to Bob bie’s care, and give no further thought to it.” His father’s good opinion was very precious to Bobbie, and he determined to try harder than ever to deserve it. Promptness was one of the leading traits of his character. When be went to learn his trade he was just as noted for it in the workshop as be had boon by the homo fireside. His employer soon learned that ho was a boy to be depended on, and so he took him more and more into his confi dence and favour. After a while he began business for himself, and when ever he gave his word his customers always felt they could depend upon it. He was very cautious and prudent about making promises; but when once they were made, he would put himself to a groat deal of extra la bour and trouble boforo he would broak ono. It is not surprising that pooplo like to deal with Bobert El wood. It was’tho groat strife who should engage bis sorvices, and so his business rapidly increased, and many workmen wore employed by him. He had throe words printed in large, black letters upon the walls of his workroom, which, he told his men, had made his fortune They wore those words : —“Promptness, Energy, and Dispatch;” and they will, with the blessing of Ood, mako any one’s who will practice them as as Bobbie did down to the took Iris first lessons, which wealth and honour, when ho Ms boy. 110 did not stop when to do any thing, to cpmplttln _ H it snowed, or wus too hot, or he tired, or any such thing. He work and did it right away, often back again beforo a Her would have got through his What is your custom, roader, in this respect? If you would secure Bobbie’s success, you must put in practice his motto. THE BOY’S BEBOLVE. I would like to have ruddy choeks, and bright eyes, and strong limbs. But they, say that strong drink dims tho eye, and whitens tho cheek, and enfeebles the frame—therefore, I will not drink at all. I would like to have a clear mind, so that I may able to think on great things, aud serve God, and do good to others, and prepare to die. But they say that strong drink clouds tho mind and often destroys it—therefore, I will not drink at all. I would like to have a peaceful heart, and a quiet conscience, so that I may bo happy while I am hero. But they say, that strong drink fills many a hoart with misery and im plants in many a conscience a sting —therefore, I will not drink at all. I would like to have a quiet home, and happy fireside, where I could re joice with loving brotbors, and sisters, and parents. But they say, that strong drink makes ton thousand ho homes wretched and miserable thore lore, 1 will not drink at all. I would like to go to heaven when I die, thatl may dwell with Jesus in glory for over. But they say that strong drink keeps many from enter ing into heaven, and casts them down to hell—therefore, I will not drink at all. —English paper. '* ml a * “Education.— Education is a com panion which no misfortune can de press, no climate destroy, no enemy alienate, no despotism enslave. At home a friend, abroad an introduction ; in solitude a solace, in society an or nament. It lessens vice, guides vir tue, and gives at once grace and gov ernment to the genius. Without it, what is man ? A splendid slave 1 a reasoning savage 1 vascillating be tween the dignity of an intelligence derived from God, and the degrada tion of brutal passion*” CUtTmilON OF COEN. The Southron Cultivator, a recogni zed authority bn Southern agriculture, makes some Important suggestions in the following article, which we com mend to the serious attention of our planting friends : AS the corff'orop ol the past season was so great s failure, it is expedient to get anew Crop as soon as possible. The gourd seed variety, though the most valuable for this climate, is very late, requiring six months before it is ready for the mill; whilo some smal ler varieties, as the King Philip’s, may be ready for use in lour months, and in favorable seasons, in nine ty days. The past soason somo King Phillip’s oofn was planted as an ex periment by threo different persons, April 1. On the 13th of July this corn was dry enough to grind, while the largo varieties were only in silk. This variety can be planted much closer, and thus makos ns great a yield as the largo variety. As it ri pens before the July or August droughts, we may hope to have a crop when the gourd seed is a failure. While wo would not abandon the large varieties for tho main crop, would it not be well tor each farmer to try a feW acres of some small va riety. I ; The corn crop is too important to be abandoned, and we must enquire what are the causes of failure of late years; for the averago fall of rain is not less new than formerly. ThU, we think, ban be shown to be the absence of vegetable matter [Aumt/t] in the soil. By observation, it has been found that in contiguous fields of corn, culti vated alike, tho results during a drought five very different; Wishing to mako a crop bushels toillio aero, I ly four at'ics. In them wus row that hud grown up with AH' It was fullof mould and now ]!H "About balnm acre was half one-quarter of an aero had ■ - very rich with stable ton years previous. The ' ' lions were very much cured nearly all the field with unfermented portion, however, unmanured. It was cultivated twelve inches doep— in somo places turning up the clay, which had but little fertility and no mold. Soon after the soed came up a drought set in, and tho corn ceased to grow. It began to bo affected by tho drought in the following ordor. 1. Tho poor, unmarmred portion; 2. Tho re cently manured; 3. The old manu red ; 4. The half-wern, unmanured ; 5. The fence row, also unmanured.— Tho lust appeared to bo little affected by the drought. When the rain sot in, the corn comraoncod to grow in reverse order to the above. A second and more severe drought sot in, du ring which the corn tasseled. Ou No. 1 the stalks were vory small; No. 2, much larger; No. 3, but most of the tassels uninjured ; No. 5, stalks good, and no tassels destroyed. No corn was raised in Nos. 1,2, and 3; on 4 a poor crop ; on five tho crop was good.” From this experiment, os from re peated observation, we draw our con clusion that the remote cause of failure in this case was vegetable mold, almost as much as the want of moisturo.— The corn crop is one of clean culture, and, therefore, lequires repeated plow ing during Summer, thus constantly exposing anew surface to tho sun, by which much mold is decomposed into its elements, and thus wasted. Mold is one form of Gabon. When this is consumed, the land is exhausted. The inorganic elements of grain may be plentiful in the soil, yet partial bar renness may be the consequence, for want of the organic to form the glu ten, starch, sugar, oil, etc., to the grain. Tho first indication of the wearing out of a soil is its liability to bake, and its inability to withstand drought. We frequently hear it said the cli mate is changing and the droughts are greater. The fact is, enr old lands will not produce corn as they used to do, while the new lands do well, and stand the heat of Sommer. All new soils are full of mold in a state of par tial decay. By repeated cultivation and exposure to the sun, much of it is decomposed and formed into carbonic acid gas, a part of which is consumed by the plant, and much wasted in the air. It is not possible to estimate how much the crop consumes, but it is thought that moro damago is caused by the repeated cultivation than by the removal of the crop, stalks and and grain. The productive action of mold is three fold—its change by decay into gas, its power of absorbing gas by the air, and by holding moisture. Mold sustains vegetation; for it is the remains of a previous living vege tation. All earths do not possess this power of absorption. Clays and sands do not. They may be cultivated and watered by tho most genial of sea sons; but no profitable produce can be yielded until mold, in some form, is applied. Mold is also valuable as a non-con ductor of heat—thus keoping the roots cool, while the plant has tho advantage of the light and boat of the sun. Thiß might load to tho inquiry : From whence do plants draw moist rue, other thau from rain? But time forbids. FBINTEBS, AUTHOBS, AMD NEWSPAFEBS. Willis thinks that all authors should servo a year in a newspaper office. Thero is no such effectual analysis of style as tho process of type-sotting. As he takoß up lettes by letter, of a long or complex soutence, the compos itor becomes most critically aware of where the sentence might havo been shortened to save his labor. Ho becomes impatient ifi!for | ’,rif i /.ch .'l c.uvris ■ Bill l of putting ■ HP ■ ~ . ifcl ('four very ■ : i.- : HF’l'v right, to have ■ l the < (iin; - Hr'. ! nothiug of the art punctuation, which is also acquired in a printing office, and by which a style is made as much more tasteful as champagne by effervescing. Journeymen priritors aro, neces sarily, well-insrucled and intelligent men. It is part of a proof-roader’s duty to mark a “query" against every passage in anew book which he does not clearly comprohend. Au thors who know what is valuable, profit by these quiet estimates of their meaning; and many a weak point, that would havo ruined a litorary reputation if left uncorrccted for tho reviowors to handle, has been noise lessly put right by a proof reader’s unobtrusivo “qn ? ” Os most books indeed, we would rather have the criticism of the workmen in the office where it was printed, than of the reviewers who skim and pronounce upon it. Mr. Bryant, in speaking of news papers, said : Books are the precious metals in masses—newspapers coined them for general use, put them into the most convenient forms, and passed them from hand to hand. Newspa pers, he said, are the ushers of books; who would know when a book was published but for the friendly infor mation of the newspaper ? lie added, that ho bad been sometimes tempted to regret that the wise, witty, or elo quent things which appeared in these “folios of four pages," as they are called by Cowper, should not be in scribed on more durable tablets, instead of going the next morning to wrap parcels, or 4 light kitchen fires; but he was fully satisfied with their fate, when he reflected that they had first been read by thousands, and that whatever was good in them had pas sed into the general mind. - - - Mexico. —Mexican advices, via Ha vana, represent that the Liberal forces, 18,000 or 20,000 strong, have formed a junction, and are besieging Maximilian at Queretaro with 8000 : that guerrillas are cutting off provis ions from the capital, eto. Yera Cruz and Puebla are besieged. VOL. 11-NO. 2. ALWAYS BEHIND. When Farmer Milton’s boy went after the cows, there was one, whe was called“ Old White Fact” that al waps stayed behind. No sooner were the bars lot down, and the call made Cos ! Cos ! Cos I than “ Brindle” and Bright eyes" and“ .Broken Horn" would stir their stumps at once, and make their way to the road homo. But “ Old White Face” would keep cropping and nipping a bit more as if no nobody had called for her, and nobody wanted her milk. Sometimes it was needful to go to the very futher part of the pasture and crack the whip pretty smartly, before sho would stir a peg. “Lazy old brute 1” muttored the farmer’sboy, “ why can’t you come when you are called for, as others cows do ? 1 have to go after you almost every day. Why can’t you come when you’re call ed ? “So I say,” said Farmer Milton, who was just on the other side of the fence, and hoard what be said “I often call you in the morning,and you snooze till 1 come up closo to your bed and bawl out as loud I can. You used to hear at first, and start at the first call, but you thought you would lie still a minute longer one day, and two minu tes the next, the habit is very hard to break. “ And;there is another call, Tom, that you have heard many a time. It is a moro important call than mine. It is God’s call 1 Have you not heard it from yonr Sabbath-school teacher, and from the minister, and from the good books you got from the library. Oh, my boy, if the poor dumb beasts could speak as the ass in the Bible story, she might say,‘ Obey your Ma ker's call, my lad, before you beat a poor old cow for not obeying yours.” Tom drove the cows borne without saying another word, and I hope be re membered what Farmer Milton said to him. Whose Fault is it.— -“No use in going to Sabbath-school; it don’t do me any good," said a" boy making this excuse for not being in his seat in his class. No good 1 Whose fault is it t Not God’s for he has given you time—the Sabbath day; he has given you a place to go to—the Sabbath ohooll; he has furnished you with two teach ers, to instruct and persuade you to do right, and the other, which is the Holy Spirit, to help you to obey God and keep his commandments. No use! Whose fault is it ? Not your conscience, for that still small voice which God has put within you often speaks to you; not your thoughts, for you cannot help think ing ; not your attention, for that goes wherever you give it; not your mem ory for that can never forget. Whose fault is it ? Ah, my child, if the Sabbath-scbool is not making you a better boy or a better girl, there is a terrible fault somewhere. God gives you precious opportunities for learning His will and walking in his way, and if you lose these opportuni ties, you will find out by-and-by it is a heavy loss. Rowland Hill, a sow years before his death, made a visit to an old friend, who said to him, “Mr. Hill, it is just sixty-five years since I first heard you preach, and I remember your text and a part of the sermon. You told us that many people were very squeamish about bearing minis ters who preached the same Gospel, You said, “Suppose you were hearing a will read where you expected a leg acy to be left you, would you employ the time of its reading in criticising the manner in which the lawyer read it? No, you would not; you would be all ears to hear whether anythihg was left you, aod how much. That iB the way I would advise you to hear the Gospel." This was advioe worth remembering three-score and five years. Because they have not learned the lesson thus taught by Rowland Hill, there are multitudes who hoar the Gospel very much in vam Experience to most men is like the stern lights of a ship; they illuminate the space gone over.