Newspaper Page Text
| 'Talks LDith farmers
Conducted By C. H. Jordan
The Sugar Cane Industry.
With the price ot corn, meet, lard, oats
and other provision* needed on the farm
higher than for the past quarter of a
century, and the cotton crop eelUnc at 7
cent* per pound or the ooet of production,
the question naturally arise*: How li the
producer of cotton to successfully meet
thia condition of afflairs? The answer can
be quickly given. It cannot be done un
der the present system of farming.
It tateoa no expert mathematician to
figure the position which men must In
evitably occupy from a business or finan
cial standpoint when the necessaries of
life that trust be purchased are high in
price and the money products to bo sold
with which to pay for au necessaries are
ssiling at or below the cost of produc
tion.
The conditions which confront our peo
ple on the farms at the present time are
Mrtoua. and are devoid of ail theoretical
significance They must be met, as ail
serious affairs which confront us must be
faced, with courage and firmness char
acteristic of the southerner's wen earned
reputation of an Indomitable determina
tion to overcome obstacles which imperii
the future of his home and country.
If we today stand on the brink of ruin,
bv adhering to existing systems, it is
time that we should seriously consider
the “parting of the trays."
Revolutions in political or Industrial life
must bo evolved slowly If the generations
tn which they occur expect to reap what
ever rewards follow in the wake of chang
es such as are Imperative.
No sane man advocating the best meth
/» eds of developing successful agriculture
In the south by any quickening process
would suggest the general abandonment
of growing cotton on any southern farm
where the staple is at preeent being ex
tensively produced. Neither can any sane
man looking to the ultimate and general
prosperity of the farmer continue to ad
vocate a policy which at P r *** nt
.nd which is alone responsible for all
the ills and the evils which conftwit us
that of raising cotton to the 1 Q ‘ l 2
all other crops. The well balanced J»raln
which must solve the present problems
will bo found earnestly endeavoring to
hit the happy me<uum. which can only
be found tn diversified Mficu.ture Wo
must grow other crops which will »bow
a profit and which can be converted Into
cash as readily as cotton.
• A Good Money Crop.
A crop which ranks second to none in
twporte nee and demand tn the south and
one which ranks pre-eminently above all
others in profit on output per acre, is that
of nigr cane. Incontrovertible fncts &nd
figures can be gathered by the thousand
to sustain the assertion made. While the
culture of sugar cane cannot cover *c
wide and extended a territory as that of
cdtton. owing to climate conditions, it
can. nevertheless, be successfully planted
over a large proportion of territory
throughout the middle and southern por
tions of the present cotton belt. Hun
dreds of thousands of acres of land at
present planted each year in cotton to
the detriment of landlord and tenant
alike could be made to yield an immense
net revenue if converted into sugar cane
plantation*.
Note the striking illustration of an inci
dent which recently occurred in Muscogee
county, over in the western part of the
state, and on the bank* Os the Chattahoo
chee river. A farmer living a few miles
out from Columbus, engaged in the busi
ness of diversified agriculture, had plant
ed this year nine acres in sugar cane. A
vepeuuentative from one of the syrup re
fineries in that section of the state, after
personal inspection of this particular nine
acre field, offered its owner 88® for the
cane as it stood, spot cash—that is. 81®
per acre before it was gathered. The
owner, knowing the value of his cane and
the demand for syrup, refused to accept
less than MfiO per acre. This field of cane,
it was asserted, had been plowed but three
times since It was planted, placing the
cost of production at a minimum figure.
On the same farm and under the same
management cotton was also grown which
produced one bale per acre this season
and sold in the open markets for 135 Now,
figure out the comparative net value of
each crop, based upon the relative sei Hr g
price of the product per acre. The cane,
with three plowings, worth standing in
the field 8150 per acre, and cotton, after
all the expense of cultivation, harvesting,
ginning and hauling to market, bringing
in gross only 135. and it is doubtful
whether this cottcn. although averaging
a bale per acre, turned out to the owner
any net profit. Certainly not. unless pro
duced as a money crop, and not be'ng
forced to bear the burdens of the usual
expenses of the farm. Who could ques
tion or doubt the advantage which the
cane crop in this instance had over that
of the fleecy staple to the producer.
The Cultivation of Cane.
Since ISI4 fbgar cane has been culti
vated tn south Georgia, and nearly every
farmer in that section of the state is fa
miliar with the methods employed in its
planting, fertilisation, culture and har
vesting. Just why the farmers, who must
know the high value of this crop to the
grower, do not annually extend its acre
age is a question which has not yet been
fully answered unless It be from indiffer
ence. There can be presented no other
good reason. But the money value of our
cotton crop is getting down so close to the
cost of production that necessity will
force the rightful recognition of the high
value of sugar cane and an Interest in its
growth will be forced upon the attention
of middle and south Georgia farmers, as
indifference cannot longer control their
wishes in the matter. One subject, as
food for thought may be found In the
RESTORES EYESIGHT.
* ■■ II! ■— ■ ■ ■.!
••Actin*,” a Wonderful Discovery
Which Cure* Diseased Eye*, No
Hatter W het her Chronic or
Acute, Without Cut
ting or Drugging.
There is no disease of the eye but what
may. under proper stimulation and electrical
eadtatlcn. ba restored to Its normal condi
tion
■This can bo done as cortalnly as the sun
shines and fire burns.” say the officers of
New York and
London Electric Auo
elation, sole dtstrtbvt
era of the now famous
w Invention ter the treat
meet of diseases of
the *r* ,a<l e<T > c<u '
ed "Actlna—the treat
*t »>- restorer and a-
larrh cure. ' The effect
tn the application of "Acting” to diseased
grgans la Uke the actinic rays of the sun.
wnien live life and motion to all forms of
human and vegetable Ufe—lts action absorbs
the impurities which create disease and puri
fies and stimulates the aetlon,of any diseased
nerve and organ. It tea wonderful Electro-
CT'.emico Invention, and. üben used as di
rected. It will absolutely bring back a nor
mal condition of the eye, none or throat.
Cataracts have been removed. Astigma
tism. Myopia. Amarausts cured and eye
sight restored so that spectacles could bo
abandoned, and this without cutting or drug
ging
A hock of IM pages—a complete diction
ary of disease, which t*Us about "‘Ac
ting. ” the diseases It will cure, what others
think of it. what marvellous cures It has
effected and all about the responsibility of
Its owners, will be sent absolutely free upon
yeduest A postal card will bring It. This
should be In the library of every family.
Address NEW YORK AND LONDON ELEC
THJC ASSOCIATION. Dept, tt, M> Walnut
it.. Kansas City, Mo.
following conditions which confront us;
five years ago Texas produced only about
800.000 bales of cotton. Last year her
farmers raised one-third of the entire
American crop. It Is openly asserted that
Texas can produce easily 18.000.000 bales
of cotton, nearly twice the demand for
American cotton by the world for con
sumption. If the same ratio of produc
tion is kept up by Texas for the next ten
years, there will be left to the farmers
oast of the Mississippi but one of two
proposition*, one to engage in diversified
agriculture, growing cotton solely as a
money crop, the other to quit farming and
go at something else.
As a matter of fact, the farmers east
of the Mississippi will simply change
present methods and forge ahead along
the lines of progress and introduce up-to
date systems of diversified agriculture as
they are now gradually preparing to do.
The culture of sugar cane is one of the
best money making crops which can be
grown on the farm, in those sections
where soil and climatic conditions are
suitable to its successful growth. Thor
ough preparation of the land by deep
'plowing, fertilising with a high grade
compleu fertiliser and shallow cultiva
tion are some of the important essentials
in successful cane culture. Nitrate of
soda applied as a top dressing to the
growing crop has been proven highly de
sirable. Cane requires a high percentage
of moisture during all stages of its
growth, hence the question of moisture
should be considered in selecting the land
for the cane field.
With the extension of the cane indus
try will come the erection, not only of
syrup refineries, but also of sugar refiner
ies. which will give an increased value to
the product of the cane fields. Farmers
will make no mistake to embark more
largely in this comparative new field of
agriculture and particularly those who
are already tired of struggling with the
cotton industry wil lhave every Induce
ment to change from a bad to a decided
ly more attractive and profitable system.
Georgia farmers should not only supply
the material for clothing of the people
of our state, but should also furnish the
food supplies as well. Extensive sugar
cane culture canont come too quickly.
HARVIE JORDAN.
Culture of Sugar Cane.
H. H. Harrington, Chemist to Texas Ex
periment Station.
When the cane is planted, its lowest
depth should be above the level of the
center furrow in the middle dividing the
rows; this insures drainage from the
cane, and protects it against wet rot. On
the other hand, dry rot is apt to occur
if the land Is cloddy with little moisture in
It. Under these conditions, the cane rap
idly evaporates its moisture. In Louisi
ana, it is customary to plant two run
ning stalks, if the cane is planted in
spring. This is to Insure a perfect stand
on the sugar plantations, where so much
depends upon a good stand. But tn plant
ing a few acres for syrup, if the ground Is
properly prepared, and the season suft
able, this extreme care is unnecessary.
When the cane first starts to coming up,
the planter may feel very much disap
pointed at the absence of a stand. But do
not become toO soon discouraged. One
shoot to every root may be considered a
good stand, since the stalk has great
power for suckering, and will soon add to
a stand that was at first very unpromis
ing. There is likely to be an ultimate
stand of three to six canes to the foot,
from planting oniy one running stalk.
Many of these canes, suckers especially,
are likely to die down in the struggle for
existence, before the season is over. But
if we can harvest three good canes to the
lineal foot, the crop may be considered as
a very satisfactory one. Os course the
width of the rows will have some bear
ing upon this. If the cane comes up thick
from the start. It is likely to sucker ex
cessively and become too thick; so that it
is well to get what suckers are wanted,
early in the season—that Is started from
the parent stalk as soon as possible—and
then cultivate to suppress additional suck
ers. In Louisiana, they attempt to pre
vent excessive suckering by close culti
vation; but not close enough to cut the
roots of the cane. Sucker* appearing af
ter about the middle of June are not like
ly to mature in this latitude; although
season and soil will work some influence.
It is quite likely that the locality, north
or south, from which the seed cane Is ob
tained. will exert some influence upon
the date of its maturity, just as It does
with other crops. But have had no op
portunity of determining definitely the ex
tent of this influence.
There are three principal varieties of
cane grown In Texas and Louisiana. The
red or purple cane, the ribbon cane and
the green cane. The red cane is the
hardiest variety; will resist cold and
drouth better, and Is perhaps a little rich
er in saccharine matter at time of cutting,
because it matures earlier, though there
is little difference In saccharine matter
between it and ribbon cane. The green
cane contains, or appears to contain, more
juice than either of these, but is not so
sweet until late in the season, since It is
rather late tn maturing. It is, however, a
softer cane—easier to crush—and this Is a
property worth considering when horse
power mills are to be used. Dr. Stubbs
has shown at the Louisiana experiment
station that the upper one-third of the
stalk may be used for planting, and the
lower two-thirds reserved for grinding.
Whether the whole stalk, or only tho up
per part of it lb planted, it is well to re
member that cutting the stalk should be
done only when necessary to give a
straight row and uniform covering. "Some
people have an idea that cutting the cane
into short pieces at the time of planting,
stimulates subsequent sprouting and pro
pagation. The reverse is true.
In early spring the cane should be
"barred off" and the top of the ridge re
moved with hoes to allow the young
shoots to come out. Care should be exer
cised at this time, in order that a good
stand may be obtained. When the cane
is large enough, the middles may be brok
en out. throwing a good be<L to the cano
and leaving a clean, clear middle furrow
to facilitate drainage during the spring
rains.
While the cane needs a large amount of
water for full development, it cannot en
dure standing sub-soil water in actual
contact with the roots. It is the practice
with many farmers to use the turning
plow for cultivation from this time on to
"laylng-by." Dr. Stubbs strongly con
demns this practice and believes that af
ter the first bed is made with the turning
plow it should then be discarded and culti
vators used entirely, using the disc culti
vator to throw dirt to the cane, and the
middle or diamond cultivator for break
ing out the middles. Sweeps may be used
Instead of cultivators, if these are not on
the farm. The season will have some In
fluence In deciding the kind of cultivation.
Only two facts are necessary to keep in
mind, and then use judgment suited to
the conditions. Ist. A good bed to the
cane should be maintained until the lat
ter part of the season at least. 2d. Fre
quent and shallow cultivation conserves
moisture. The ground should be kept in
good tilth or “heart” from the time the
cane is planted until it is laid by.
A Colorado lawyer deliberately blew
himself up with dynamite while smoking
a cigar. Colorado doos have some fear
fully bad cigars.—Kansas City Journal.
Now that we have free trade with the
Philippines, why would it not be well to
let it go as that a while and see how it
would work?—lndianapolis News.
THE SEMI-WEEKLY JOURNAL, ATLANTA, GEORGIA, MONDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1901.
HOW TO MAKE A CATAPULT GUN.
f. ■
rrwtf MM
JK /// p '
at —- —u
-exAZur
Perhaps a number of our reader* who
live Ih the country have guns that fire real
powder and shot, but of course, guns of
this kind are of no use to tho “city boys,"
and to thoee of our country readers whose
parent* will not allow them to us* fire
arm*, so we wtll tell you how to make a
gun that will shoot very well Indeed, and
with which you can make some very fair
scores, whether you use it for sparrow’s
or just for target shooting.
Take a piece of hard board about three
feet long, three Inches wide and one and
a half Inches thick. Commencing at one
end of this, smooth one edge with your
jack-knife until it is curved like the under
side of a gun barrel to within four inches
of the other end. Leave it square here.
Now cut a groove half an inch deep tho
whole width of the upper edge. Scrape
this groove with the edge of a small piece
of glass until It Is as smooth inside as
you can get it this way. Now take a piece
of sandpaper and rub the inside of the
groove until it is perfectly smooth, with
no bumps or splinters whatever in it, a*
in figure 1.
Bore a hole about the sise of an ordinary
lead pencil half way between the firoove
and the curved under side of the stick and
one foot from the end. Take a piece of lead
pencil four inches long and smear It with
glue. Now stick it through this hole, so
The Plaint of the Pink Candle.
By F. Strothmann.
At last it was all over! Christmas, so
long in coming, was past and the tired
children were already In Dreamland, living
over again all the day’s pleasures and
surprises and excitements.
In a corner of th* room stood the Christ
mas tree, dim and desolate In the falling
light of the last expiring candles, a gaunt
skeleton of what It had been egrller in
the day. Save for the glittering strands, of
tinsel, some Inedible pasteboard ornaments
and a few candle* in various stages of dis
solution, there remained nothing of all Its
splendor. That Is to say, nothing except
one more thing—a solitary Gingerbread
Rabbit, which dangled forlornly on his
pink string and wondered what was going
to happen n» <t.
The Gingerbread Rabbit cast his eye (he
had but one and it was made of purple
candy) over this scene of desolation and
he heaved a great sigh—a sigh In which
regret and relief were strangely com
mingled. He had enjoyed the day as much
as anybody. All that brightness and glit
ter and the noise from tin trumpets and
toy drums were so new and interesting to
him that he bad been kept In one continual
thrill of exoitement,- twisting and turning
on his pink string all day In his anxiety
not to miss a single thing. It was much
like trying to follow the three rings in the
circus at once, and besides the rabbit had
but one eye.
But, oh, when it came to the stripping
of the tree* In the evening how the poor
little fellow trembled for hl* life! One
by one he had seen all his friends and
relatives pulled from tho branches and
actually devoured before his very eye.
The Gingerbread Man and his Gingerbread
Wife were the first victims, and then
came the candy elephant and all the rest
of that bright throng that had started
out together so gaily In the morning. He
had seen the Gingerbread Man’s head dis
appear at a single bite, two more bites
had taken off hl* legs, and then—but, no,
it was too horrible even to contemplate.
They were all gone, all except himself
and even he had been in eminent danger
several time* when Bobby "boosted” up
bis younger brother, but the Rabbit hung
on a higher branch, just out of reach, and
to this alone he owed his salvation.
Again he sighed, this time with a sigh
of unadulterated relief, for he felt that
fl Christmas Nonsense Verse-
o 'aw Ws
fl srtxM r*
A LETTER TO SANTA.
BY JOE CONE.
"Dear Mr. Santa Claus, I want
A warship painted white;
I want a cannon an* a sword,
All polished up eo bright.
I want a lot of soldiers, too.
With horses, flags an' guns.
An’ I would like a train of cars
'At whistles when it run».
I want the biggest rockin’ horse,
'At gallops all alone;
An’ I would like a tooter horn
’At makes the loudest tone.
I want a drum ’at’s bigger'n mine,
A pair of skates, I guess;
An’ I would like some candy, too.
The awf’lest. biggest mess.
I want an ax. a box of tools
To build a house an' shed;
A kite, a wheel, a phonograph,
A reindeer an' a sled.
I want a niagi; lantern, too,
A houseboat painted red;
A jumpin’ jack 'at goes hisse'f,
’N a piggle in hla bed.
.1 want a top, a bat an' ball.
An’ war books full of fights;
An’ I would like a Christmas tree
Al! full of candle lights.
O, dear! I want a lot of things.
But I’m too 'tired to write;
•At’s all ’at I can fink of now.
So. Santy Claus, good night."
CJ-A-SITOK-XA.
th> The Kind You Have Always Bought
that It extends an equal distance on each
side. Take two empty spools and put one
on each end of the piece of lead pencil,
first pouring a little glue inside the spools.
Now the barrel of your gun is complete,
as In figure 2. .
Take a triangular piece of wood one and
one-half Inches thick, with its sides about
two feet by one and one-half feet by one
foot, as In figure 3. Cut away the top of
this at the sharpest end for about two
Inches deep and four inches long. Now
shape the one-foot long side with your
knife until It is hollowed out like the butt
of a gun. Then shave off the sharp edges
all around and the stock of your gun is
complete as in figure 4.
Now measure off four inches on the top
of the front of the stock and then fasten
It by three strong screws to the under
part of the four-inch spare end of the
barrel. Now drill a hole one-quarter of
an Inch In diameter through the stock
from top to bottom just behind the barrel
and as close to It as you can. Get a strong
stick and smooth it perfectly—a cheap
lead pencil will be just the thing. Fit it
to tho hole so that it will slide in and out
easily. Place this in the hole so the top
comes just below the top of the barrel,
as in figure 6.
Get a strong piece of round elastic,
about a quarter of an inch In diameter
and three feet long. This you can buy
at a dry goods store for about 15 cents.
for now at least b« was safe, and a* he
sighed he seemed to bear behind him a
sort of plaintive snivel, as If in response
to his own mournful brooding. Turning
quickly he beheld—nothing mor* than an
ordinary pink Christmas Candle, or rath
er, half a one.
Now, he had never given the Candles
credit for having any feelings or senti
ments of their own. but regarded them
merely as so many sticks of wax, destined
only to give light for others and to burn
up In doing so. He was not a little sur
prised, therefore, to hear the Candle re
mark the next moment In a soft, low lit
tle voice: “Yes, It’s terrible; Isn’t it?” And
at this a great pink tear rolled slowly
down the Candle’s cheek and congealed
at his feet.
"Why er—” exclaimed the Rabbit, when
he had in a measure recovered from his
surprise, "what’s the matter, little chap?"
“Oh, I am so unhappy,” sobbed ths Can
dle.
"Come, come, don’t cry, but tell me all
about it,” said the Rabbit, who, finding
somebody more unhappy than himself,
Immediately forgot all about his own
troubles, like the tender hearted little fel
low that he was, and,.thus encouraged, the
Candle stopped crying and spoke:
"You see, it’s this way, I feel that my
end Is approaching and that I have lived
In vain!”
“Is that all?” asked the Rabbit.
“Yes, that’s all, and Isn’t it enough?"
returned the Candle. "And I was so am
bitious; wanted to shine in the world, you
know, and do something.”
“As for the shining,” put In the Rabbit,
“it seems to me you have done your share
of that.”
"Yes, yes,” replied the Candle, disconso
lately, "that’s all right as far as it goes,
only It doesn’t go very far. It has all
turned out so different than I expected.
Why, when I was put on the tree with the
rest of my brothers and sisters we looked
so fine In our pink dresses that the other
candles turned green with envy; yes, some
of them even turned blue and purple. And
then when I was lighted I felt quite sure
tnat I was destined for great deeds, but
what did It amount to? I soon found that
the longer and brighter I burned the
shorter I grew. Look at what Is left of
me now!”
"Wejl, you have grown rather short,"
Russia and Locomotive*.
It is widely known that since Nicolas
1., on a map of Russia, ruled a straight
line from St. Petersburg to Moscow and
ordered the Nlcolaiev railroad built along
that line, American locomotives have run
over all the Russian and Siberian rail
roads—on Pennsylvania rails, too, laid on
Oregon ties; it Is less well known that
there are not so many of these locomo
tives as there might have been, says The
World’s Work. Some dozen years ago the
agent of an American firm made a bid in
St. Petersburg on over 50 locomotives.
This was the brief history of his bld: “By
the directors, officers and engineers of
the railroad, recommended; by th* minis
ter of ways and communications, in
dorsed; by the financial committee of the
cabinet, rejected, with this comment:
•American locomotives cheaper and bet
ter—but order in Austria.’ Russia wished
to secure an Austrian alliance in a quar
rel with Germany. The next order went
to Germany; the quarrel had been patched
up. Later the program was repeated, but
as Russia was trying now to induce
France to be joint guarantor of a Chi
nese loan, the final blue pencil comment
of the committee read: ‘Order In France.’
The prjee was not considered.
Ethan Allen Hitchcocx. secretary ot the in
terior. had a grocery and provision store In
St Joseph, Mo., when a young man, and sold
provisions mostly to pioneers passing through
that city for the far west. He went to China
after selling out and returned to St. Louis *
wealthy man.
Take a block of wood three Inches long
and one Inch square, and bore a hole a
quarter of an inch In diameter through
the center. Now shave the block with
your knife until it Is perfectly round,
leaving a small, square projection on one
end. Smooth it with sandpaper so that
it fits th* groove in the top of your gun
barrel. Paas your elastic cord through
the hole and then fasten both ends of
your gun securely to the end of your gun
barrel by a strong staple, as shown in
figure «. Now your gun is complete. Pass
each side of the elastic cord under the
spools on the side of the gun, draw back
the block, or carriage, as it is called, until
the square projection on the rear end
catches on the square rear end of the gun
barrel. Place a stick, marble, buckshot
or bullet in front of th* carriage in the
grooved barrel, and your gun is loaded.
Th* six Inch stick that Is just behind th*
barrel is the trigger.
When you have aimed at the object-you
want to hit, press upward on the lower
end of the trigger. The top of th* trig
ger will shove up the carriage until it is
free, then It will fly forward and the gun
is discharged.
The beauty of this gun is that you cafi
shoot small, round stones, bullets, darts,
arrows and many other things with it out
of doors, and if you want to practice in
the house you can shoot at a target, using
little balls of putty as missiles.
admitted th* Rabbit.
“On* after the other,” continued th*
Candle, “I have seen my brothers and
slaters parish about me, miserable—there!
Hear that stzzl*! That's th* last of them,
and now I am alon* in the world. I sup
pose when I di* there will never be any
Candles any more!”
This was too much for th* Rabbit, and
he snickered outright, but not wishing to
hurt the Candle’s feelings h* recovered
his seriousness and said: “Now, listen to
m*. my friend, I want to give you a little
advice. I hav* had mor* experience than
you; I’ve been on thia tree all day and
hav* seen something of the world. You
hav* said that you were ambitious; now,
that's just your trouble. Why, I heard
of a candle once who felt that fame de
sire to ’do things,’ and who succeeded so
well that he burned up the whole tree and
himself, and there’s no telling where the
destruction would have stopped if it had
not been for th* timely arrival of tho fir*
engines.”
“You don’t say so!” ejaculated th*
Candle.
“Y*s, I do," retorted the Rabbit. “Now.
if you had only been Contented to shine
your little shine to th* best of your ability
and to make the best of things generally,
you would have gotten a great deal more
pleasure out of life.”
"Well, I guess there Is something in
that.” admitted the Candle.
“Os course there I*. Why, man, that’s
the whole secret of happiness! And as for
dying—your end will be easy compared to
mine. Your are in no danger of being
eaten up alive, 'though, come to think of
it, I have heard of Candles being eaten;
but that was In Siberia or Greenland, or
some such place. When your time comes
you will simply melt away Into nothing
without knowing it, and then—well, there
will he lots of Candles after you, just as
there will be Gingerbread Rabbits after
me. But, as I said before, ’shine your lit
tle shine, and make the best of things,
and you will be happy!’ ”
The Candle was impressed with this and
after a little silence he brightened up and
said:
“Say, old fellow, I’m going to reform.”
“I’m glad to hear It,” replied the Rab
bit, fervently, “and I must say it’s high
tine.”
“Yes, I realize now,” began the Candle,
but even as he spoke his end had over
taken him, and the rest of his words
dwindled away In a feeble sputter, and
the Rabbit was left alone In darkness.
“Well, well, poor little chap,” mused
the Rabbit, “he reformed too late!”
TO A CROW.
Thy breast triumphant 'gainst th* wintry blast.
Or the snow, following fast.
Thou che*rily dost sound thy trump forlorn
From the dead field of corn.
Naught daunted by the rough and frozen
ground,
Thou takest thy way around:
Grotesquely wslddllng, loudly triumphing!
Descanting on the spring.
Distinctly sound thine Inventory rode
Os certain future food;
Predictions where will rise from iron plain
The aisled and murmuring grain;
Clamorous forecasts from thy prophet beak.
Os plenteous store to seek
When thy smug sentinel form shall follow,
black,
The patient reapers’ track.
What solemn conclave of thy kind shall stand,
That day, on the arable land!
Cocking wise eyes where once the scarecrow
stood.
Sentry on the hardihood!
What comic copies of thyself shall wait
On the creaking pasture gate!
What a watchful eye, alert On them and thee,
Thy mate In the sycamore tree!
But now thou standest, only of thy kind,
In the rough winter's wind;
Proprietor unchallenged of tho field,
Lord, of its future yield;
Boaster of plenty, harbinger ot ease,
’Mid the lorn, shivering trees;
Boisterously jocular and well content,
Though naught thy nourishment.
O, bird Indomitable, of raucous note
From winter-hoarsened throat!
Teach me thy courage, thy bold, common skill
Against all threatening ill.
Teach me thy eong derided, tho refrain
Os polllty in thy strain;
Teach me thy note Insistent, it* full scop*
Os quaint and strenuous hope. .
—EVELYN PHINNEY, In Tho Atlantic.
THE WIDOW.
How near me came the hand of Death,
When at my side he struck my Dear,
And took away the precious breath
What quickened my beloved peer!
How helpless am I thereby made!
By day how grieved, by night how sad!
And now my life’s delight is gone,
Alas, how I am left alone!
The voice which I did more esteem
Than music in her sweetest key.
Those eyes which unto me did seem
More comfortable than the day:
Those now by me. as they have been
Shall never more be heard or seen;
But what I once enjoyed in them
Shall seem hereafter as a dream.
Lord! keep me faithful to the trust
Which my dsar spouse reposed In me;
To him now dead preserve me just
In all that should performed be!
For though our being man and wife
Extendeth only to this life.
Yet neither life nor death shall end
The being of a faithful friend.
—George Wither.
Find Bostrom's Improved Farm Level
advertisement, and see what you got free.
STAR PEA HULLER
10 to 15 bushels per hour. Write for circulars
and prices to the Star Pea Machine Co., Chatta
nooga, Tenn.
Horticultural Topics
Conducted By P. J. Berckmans
Plant Breeding.
This subject while not unknown to many
scientific horticulturists of two past gen
erations, has until recently not received
the attention which its importance and
influence upon the improving of our
fruits, grains and plants deserve*. Few
persons really understand that plant
breeding Is in fact evolving a new growth
of old ones. Our domestic animals as
horses, cattle, and poultry have from time
immemorial been gradually improved by
Intelligent breeding or crossing th* best
type* until the perfection of most of
these animals, as demonstrated at our
agricultural fairs, has been seemingly
reached. Still, there is yet a vast field
for experiments, and the greater improve
ment of the present high standard of
these animals. It is only a very short
time since th* wild hare has received the
attention of breeders of domestic animals
and by th* careful selection of the best
tjpes, some remarkably fine specimens
have been produced. These command
such a high money value as would have
been considered fabulous a few year* ago,
and through this systematic breeding the
hitherto considered untamable hare ha*
become one of the most docile, prolific and
valuable food producers.
The old proverb, “the survival of the fit
test,” had heretofore been the source
from which sprung our improved plants,
by constant cultivation and selecting the
best and most vigorous plants or seeds
as stock for propagating have our best
cereals and food plants gradually lost
their original inferior or ev*n deleterious
characteristics unfitting them for human
food until they have reached their pres
ent conditions of superiority. Nature
had in these instances been but little
aided by man, accident of more robust
and productive points having usually
caused their retention, for centuries many
of our horticultural and agricultural pro
ducts had remained almost stationary
and Improvement was slow. Even today
some of our fruits are little better than
they were when Pliny and other ancient
writers described them 2,000 years ago.
The first Instances on record where a
systematic plan was conceived for Im
proving fruit* was less than a century
ago when Mr. Thomas Knight, of Eng
land, began experimenting by cross breed
ing pear* and other fruits. He took the
pollen of a highly flavored pear and
secondated the flower of another variety
of larger sise or peculiar habit of growth
and thus produced a fruit combining the
best points of both parents.
There are very few of the fruits pro
duced by Mr. Knight in cultivation at this
day, but he Inaugurated what is called
“Knight's theory or system,” which
forms the basis of the present methods
of plant breeding by cross pollenation.
The other system was followed by Pro
fessor Van Mons, of Belgium, who early
In th* last century began the improvement
of fruits by what is Known as the "Natu
ral system,” or by selection. The seed
lings of the first sowing of seeds which
showed the most vigor and best foliage
and the fewest thorns were selected for
fruit bearing, from these the most prom
ising offsprings were again selected and so
on for several generations, the results as
he prophesied, were fruits of either the
highest quality or almost barren trees as
well as atavism or the Immediate rever
sion to the original starting point. From
the experiment* of Professor Van Mon*
we owe today scores of our beat pears as
well as several apples and other varieties
of fruits, but the process of gradual im
provement by that system is too slow, as
it required from eight to twelve years
for some of the professor's seedling trees
to bear fruit. Other experimenters trust
ed to chance seedling* rfnd while many of
our excellent fruits owe their origin to
that plan, we cannot class this as being
scientific.
In the Improvement of our native grapes
many men have achieved good results.
Mr. Ricketts, of New York state, origin
ated numerous varieties by cross pollena
tion, but as he used mainly the pollen of
foreign varieties, the cross breed off
springs showed too much foreign blood
and few have been retained. Dr. A. P.
Wylie, of Chester, South Carolina, was
more successful, as he experimented with
cross breeding native sorts. One of the
most remarkable of these was a hybrid
scuppernong, being produced by crossing
the Delaware with the scuppernong. The
plant, instead of producing from six to
eight berries together, yielded at each
point a bunch of pink colored grapes re
sembling the Delaware both In appear
ance and quality. This true hybrid was
never desseminated by Dr. Wylie and is
now supposed to be lost, which is unfor
tunate, as it was unquestionably the most
valuable cross bred grape ever produced
for the south.
While plant breeding not only gives us
new forms in fruits and vegetables. It also
offers an opportunity in testing their re
sistance to diseases. It Is well known to
all horticulturist* that some fruits or
plants which a generation ago were con
sidered a* nearest to perfection, can no
longer be successfully grown, either owing
to a gradual decline In their constitution
or liability to fungous diseases which did
not then exist. Newer and more robust
forms must therefore take the place of our
former favorites and here is sys
tematic plant breeding comes to our aid.
To the amateur experimenter this offers
a most Interesting and absorbing interest,
because there is no limit to its possibili
ties, and wonderful surprises ar* in store
for him who discriminates in the hybridi
zation of plants. But let it be understood
that while the term hybridization is com
monly used there is a vast difference be
tween a plant produced by crossing close
ly allied species where natural affinity
exists and which is termed a cross and
susceptible of reproducing itself from
seed and a true hybrid which cannot be
perpetuated from seeds, but only from
cuttings or grafts. For Instance. Dr.
Wylie’s hybrid scuppernong never yielded
fertile seeds, or did Luther Burbank's
strawberry-raspberry hybrid, which he
states "that out of seven or eight hundred
of these curious hybrids not one ha* ever
produced a berry, though blooming with
the greatest profusion,” there being in
both instances an absence of pollen to fer
tilize the ovaries.
The commercial plant breeder, aside
from the gratification in producing new
creations, finds his pursuit often exceed
ingly remunerative. To Luther Burbank,
of Santa Rosa, Cal., belongs the credit
of having created more new forms of
fruits and flowers than any other experi
menter either in America or Europe. Hi*
cross bred Japanese plum* have made
plum growing possible over the largest
area of the eastern section* of the United
States, where the European varieties
usually failed. He ha* now In course of
creating a cross between a plum and an
apricot which he appropriately terms
“plumcot.” Another is a stonelee* prune,
of which in many tree* only the kernel of
the stone remains, the stone having entire
ly disappeared, and ere long he antici
pates also the complete disappearance of
the kernel. In the cross-breeding of lilies
he has obtained remarkable results, but
his ‘ shasta daisy.” with a flower 4 inches
in diameter standing upon a stem like
that of a sunflower, will become the fa
vorite of the cut flower market and makes
the white Paris daisy look like a pigmy
alongside of the new giant.
The importance of plant breeding ha* re
ceived the support and attention of the
United States commissioner of agricul
ture under whose auspices a series of ex
periments in various lines ar*
being conducted by specialists. Among
these is the production of Hardy orange*
by crossing the best sorts with the Hardy
Chinese lemon In order to make orange'
growing available further north than in
the present orange zone. Another is the
crossing of Egyptian with other varietl**
of cotton, so as to make the offspring
more resistant to cold. Experiment* ar* 1
being made at the New Jersey agricultural f
college toward producing a rose tinted;
sweet corn. While this variation In color
ha* little value from the agriculturist's
standpoint, such a new product would be
a taking novelty in the market and be
come a profitable commodity.
All plant breeders do not work upon th*
same plan, but nearly all recognize that It *
1* easier to produce new forms when us- •
ing plants in which variation has occur
red, rather than begin with thoee show-!
ing no typical change*. The variation ‘
which ha* already been accidentally pro-i
duced being the basis for further trans-;
formation by systematic crossing. What
the future wtll bring forth in strange and •
curious products cannot be estimated, but
judging from what has already been don* |
we may reasonably look for new forms of
fruits and plants that will supersede moat'
of our up to date material.
The United States 1? recognized by th*
leading European agricultural and horti- I
cultural authorities as in advance In the** ‘
experiments and an international congress
on plant breeding will convene in New i
York city in 1802 under the auspice* of the i
N«w York Horticultural Society, where |
delegates from various foreign countries
will be present. This is the first inttanc* i
of the coming together of the most prom-I
inent scientists for the purpose of promot- '
ing the new science of plant breeding, and |
great results are expected in the Improv-1
ing of our fruit and field crop products.
P. J. B.
Pear Blight.
O. Savannah is desirous to be informed
as to the best method to prevent pear
trees from being blighted and also to re
store to health those that have been af-|
fected from that cause.
Pear growers have for years past sought
a remedy for this scourge, but without
avail A tree once affected cannot at
once be brought back to it* former sound
condition, neither is there a preventlva
that would cause trees to become im-1
mune. All affected branches should bo |
cut off so soon as the contamination is
apparent and immediately burned. Cut
off the unhealthy looking branches at a
point several Inches below where the bark
shows discoloration, and as the disease Is'
virulently contagious It is prudent to
sterilize the knives or shears that ar*
used by plunging them in carbolic acid
after cutting off a limb. Do not allow
any blighted branches to remain upon
the trees during any length of time, a* |
surrounding trees will be affected. W*
frequently see pear orchards where only
a few trees were affected in the fall and
the blighted parts left to hold over until
th* following year, when an increased
number of affected tree* were the conse
quence.
Spraying with Bordeaux mixture both In
early spring before' the leaves appear and
also every four weeks during summer
has in many Instances been beneficial, less
blight veing visible in sprayed trees than
those left unsprayed. By following these
suggestions the trees may be kept in good 1
condition, but with every precaution some j
cases of blight will occur. Constant ,
watching the trees and cutting off all as- 1
fected limbs Is the only course to pur*u*» I
P. J. B. ’
FOUR & O 4 E
QUARTS.,
ASSORTMENT NO. 3.
One Quart 8- year Rye Whiskey- '
One Quart Jamaica Rum.
Oae Quart Rack and Rye.
One Quart Peach and Honey
Guaranteed absolutely pure. Sent prepaid 1
in plain case If not thoroughly satisfactory .
your money will be refunded. Address 1
MOUMTSIN DELL OONPIRV, Itlutt. ti
When ordering specify Assortment No. 1
’•".5 100-PAGfBOOK7REE S ||
reSertrt from Primary,Secondary orTertkryßypMHa IK
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CAPITAL, SBOO.OOO M r
Ton san be treakd at km under suae gnirzaty. If fI ;
you have taken mercury, iodideycUsh, andetiUksW If t
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hmpies. Copper Colored Spete. Ulcers en any part of the I1 (
C<T“ U?
Do You Want a Faria??
Where there are no rocky hllle, no terrac
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raise good ctops with little labor* Thea, :
communicate with W. L. GLESBNER, j
Commissioner of Immigration. Macon, Ga. •
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This watch is Hanttnr Jeweler,
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BOSTROM’S IMPROVED FARM LEVEL
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J. M. ALEXANDER A CO-
N A 58 S. Pryor St., Atlanta, Ga. f
5