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THE SOUTHERN WORLD. JULY 15,1884,
sleep and to dream sweet and soothing
dreams, through which floated the won
drous melody of that Siren voice.
Late in the afternoon of the next day
Mr. Feaster returned from his hunt for
a home. The look of weary disappoint
ment on his face told his anxious wife at
a glance that something untoward had
disturbed him.
"You look troubled, has anything
happened?" she asked.
"I have failed in getting the house.
It is rented to a Mr. Carwile and he is
absent in the army. Of course I could
not think of disturbing the family. I
am somewhat troubled to find a vacant
place at this season of the year."
"You must not bo troubled. Both
Mary and I have places in reservation.
Mrs. DeSaussure has offered this cottage
as long as we wish it*"
"You surprise me."
"Yes, as she surprised me; but it is
true. And Mary has made friends with
the Colemans, of Rio Vista, and they
have a vacant cottage for rent."
"Then I shall go up and see," he in
terrupted. "I should dislike to leave
you here."
" No, not on my account. I think her
offer made in good faith. She seems
greatly changed towards us and was
really kind. I am almost persuaded to
stay."
"You must decide for yourself, Helen.
It is for you and Mary," he answered.
"But Mary is inclined to Thornhill,
and as I have simply a preference to
overcome, perhaps I had better defer to
her. She objects bitterly to remaining
here."
" Then suppose I ride up and see Col.
Coleman?"
And so it was decided in favor of
Thornhill and the next day the removal
was effected, Mrs. DeSaussure graciously
tendering a dozen wagons for the pur
pose.
And then the next day Mr. Feaster
held wife and daughter in a parting em
brace, and mounting Lily, rode off to
join his command.
(to be continued.)
»»•■»«
Agricultural Department
Tlie Study of PlantH.
Among the great number of studies
taught in our schools and colleges, less
attention, perhaps, is given to natural
history—in its several branches—than
to almost any of the sciences. Latin
and Greek, the history of dead nations,
and many of the ologies taught have
consumed much of the valuable, time
and money of young men pursuing a
general course that should be devoted
to studies which will fit them for the
discharge of the practical duties of life.
Of these neglected branches botany, or
the study of plants, is of no little im
portance to a young man who expects
to follow the business of farming. At
the same time a knowledge of the phys
iology of plants and systematic botany
is a delightful resource of pleasure to
anyone who enjoys the beauties of na
ture and the investigation of the won
derful designs of Providence in the crea
tion of plant life. But we aim only to
hint at the advantage to a farmer of
some knowledge of botany. It is espe
cially true in the South that there are a
large number of grasses and other for
age plants, many of them indigenous
and others introduced, whose character
and qualities may be known by ascer
taining their botanical names. A mere
inspection of a plant, in either or all of
its stages of growth, can give no reliable
and certain indication of its economic
value. The process of testing an un
known grass by collecting the seeds or
roots and planting them in a supposed
favorable situation, is very slow and un
certain. Many years of experiment are
sometimes required to establish the
worth or worthlessness of a plant.
Some of our plants now universally
esteemed of value for pasture or mead
ow, long hung in the scale of doubt and
uncertainty. We cannot, with certain
ty, determine before experiment, the
circumstances under which an untried
plant will develop its best qualities. In
experimenting on this line without a
knowledge of the name of the plant we
are liable to tread in the same path that
bus been already explored. A large
number of the indigenous grasses of
this section as well as many introduced
from elsewhere, have already been fully
tried and some of them have proven to
be valuable. Moreover, quite a number
have never been tested—so far as known
—in the South.
It would be very desirable to be able,
by the exercise of a knowledge of sys
tematic botany, to analyze any ordinary
plant of unknown value and refer it to
its proper name and class. We may
then learn from any good botanical text
book or from other sources, the economic
history of such a plant, or if not known,
we can then determine whether to ex
periment with such a plant and develop
its dormant or unknown qualities.
There are peculiarities of habit, dispo
sition and nutritive quality of plants—
especially grasses—that cause a very
wide difference in value of plants that
can hardly be distinguished from each
by an ordinary observer, when seen in
a state of nature. Two species of grasses
may so resemble each other in appear
ance, as to be undistinguishable, one
from the other, by the eye of the ordi
nary observer, and not be altogether un
like in the qualities that go to make up
a practicable estimate of their value.
A botanist will quickly tell you the dif
ference. Ha will ascertain the botani
cal name of each and by reference to
the book will generally be able to de
termine which is the valuable and which
the worthless, or whether either is val
uable.
We wish our schools generally would
give more attention to this delightful
study. We imagine that little difficulty
will be found by anyone who will sup
ply himself with the requisites, in ac
quiring a reasonable knowledge of the
science. It requires but a few days’
study before it begins at once to prove
its usefulness. The study and analysis
of the plants themselves may be begun
with the study of the text book and
knowledge gained can be verified and
often utilized as soon as acquired.
R.
Vail Oats \h. Hprlujg Oats.
The crop of oats in Georgia and other
Southern States has suffered great in-
; ury from the dry weather of May. It
is well known that the fall sown crop
was pretty generally destroyed by the
severe freeze in January and thereby
necessitated spring sowing. In the cul
tivation of this most valuable crop the
problem is presented for solution—how
to prevent "winterkilling" of the fall
sown oats on the one hand, and on the
other how to fortify the spring sown
against the disastrous effects of a spring
drouth. If wecould solve the first there
would be little need of answering the
second part of the question, since it is
well known that oats sown in the fall if
they escape serious injury by cold will
far exceed in yield a spring sown crop
on the same land. We are loth to yield
the conviction that it is far wiser as a
practice to sow early in the fall and take
the chances of the winter, than to defer
sowing until January or February and
risk the recurrence of a "dry May."
We think it will be generally admitted
that a fall sown field of oats, if it escapes
winter killing, will yield, on an average,
not less than 50 per cent, more than the
same field would produce if sown in the
spring—all other circumstances being
equal. Moreover, it is a matter of com
mon observation that the spring sown
crop is oftener cut off by drouth than
the fall sown is damaged seriously by
freezes. So it would seem that counting
all the chances of loss the fall sown is
considerably in the lead. But there are
other considerations that ought to be
taken into account in determining the
comparative meriis of the two systems,
viz., the effect of the two crops on the
soil itself. A fall sown crop of oats so
far from seriously exhausting the soil
may be considered an ameliorating crop.
It is well known that the longer the pe
riod required for the maturity of a crop
on a given soil the less exhaustive will
be the effects of such crop on that soil,
and vice versa. Not to enter into a dis
cussion of the reasons why it is so, it is
sufficient to invoke the testimony of
every experienced farmer in support of
the proposition that a crop of spring
oats leaves the land in an unusually ex
hausted or, at least, tired condition.
But the object of this article is not so
much to argue the superior policy of fall
sowing, as to inquire if there may not
be some available means whereby the
disastrous "freezing out" of the fall
sown may be prevented, and also if some
precaution in the way of preparation or
treatment may not be effectual to guard
against dry weather. To this end we
would bq glad to draw forth the expe
rience of readers of the Soutuebn
Would on these points. Some farmers
have harvested heavy yields of fall sown
oats, while others in the same neighbor
hood failed utterly on account of winter
killing. The same is true in regard to
spring oats. Some fields have made
fairly good crops while others have been
greatly injured by drouth. Let us have
the facts and the circumstances.
R.
• * • ■»»
The Crop Outlook.
The writer has just returned from an
extended trip through Southern, South
eastern and Southwestern Georgia, and
rejoices that there " will be bread and
to spare " in our glorious old Common
wealth next year.
Until quite recently the rains have
been continuous and very heavy all over
the State, and the early planting of corn
is very nearly made in the middle and
lower tier of counties.
Of wheat also there has been a full
average yield, but the rains began while
the grain was still exposed in the fields,
and a considerable portion of this valu
able cereal has sprouted in the shock.
It is hoped, however, that enough will
be saved for domestic use.
The spring oats too have fared badly
from the wet weather, the standing crop
falling down or "lodging," and being
difficult to cut, while the portion har
vested but not housed has turned dark,
and is materially damaged. It is said
in some districts the planters kept the
threshing machines in motion all of one
Sabbath to save their grain. Surely
over an offense like this the recording
angel will blot the entry " with a tear."
If a man’s house takes fire on Sunday
must he wait until Monday before at
tempting to subdue the flames? Or if
his ox or horse falls into a well must
the poor creature perish because it is
the Sabbath? Not so. Whilst rever
ently striving to observe God’s com
mands, let us not forget that the Sab
bath was made for man, and not man
for the Sabbath. Query: Would it not
have been sinful to allow large quanti
ties of food for man and beast to rot in
the fields because it required Sunday
work to save it ? The writer thinks so.
The stands of cotton are exceptionally
fine throughout the South, and until the
June rains set in, were in admirable or
der. These rains were much needed to
give the backward weed a good start and
sufficient size to sustain a full crop of
bolls. But they have fallen in such ex
cess and so continuously, that the grass
has begun to assume the mastery, and
quick work and dry weather will be
needed to overcome it. Some fields we
&aw are hopelessly ruined, and others
have been abandoned, because, owing
to the stringency in the money market,
the owners were not able even with
crops and farms hypothecated, to pro
cure the necessary cash to pay off the
hoe hands.
This is the unhappy result of the New
York failures and the collapse of other
speculating banks and firms at the South.
If there be one postulate in business
which ought to be held sacred and in
violate above all others, it is that the
earnings of the hard working people,
scraped together after long years of toil
and patient self-denial, and deposited
for safe keeping in any public institu
tion for the inevitable "rainy day,"
should be hedged about and protected
in every possible way by the strong arm
of the law. To use or appropriate one
dollar of such a trust deposit for the
personal aggrandizement of the holder,
is a crime of the deepest magnitude
which should be adequately punished.
. The highwayman who bids you "stand
and deliver," if captured, is summarily
dealt with. In this case the courage
and manhood of the traveler may save
his property. But there is no recourse
when he is victimized by the individual
or corporation that invites his confidence
and then betrays it. •
See the effect at this juncture upon
the innocent and unwary husbandman.
With his broad acres spread out all
around him and teeming with luxuriant
crops, he is yet unable to run the cur
rent expenses of the farm, while may
hap all the savings for past years have
been gobbled up by the speculator who
sought to turn them to his own account.
The above is a sad but o’er true pic
ture of the condition of some of the
farmers of the* country.
Truck farming has proved quite profit
able the present season, save in the par
tial failure of the melon crop from the
heavy rains which greatly damaged the
vines and caused the youDg fruit to drop.
But the shipments command fine prices.
Last week E.D. Hendry, of Blackshear,
sold a car load in New York that netted
$275, and another prominent firm in the
same town, B. T. Brantley & Son, had
account sales from 1,200 melons (the
contents of a single car) which averaged
28 cents apiece or about $330 in the
Eastern markets. This is a profitable
business.
At Ousely, on the Savannah, Florida
and Western Railroad, one farmer from
an old garden spot not exceeding one-
fourth of an acre, sold 126 bushels of
cucumbers at $1.75 per bushel. This is
better than a California gold mine.
Of peaches there will be a phenome
nal crop, and evaporating machines have
been ordered in many parts of the State
to save the surplus.
On the whole the advices from the
growing crop in every portion of the
South are satisfactory. Of provisions,
including potatoes, peas, rice and vege
tables, the yield will be enormous and
a late fall and the absence of caterpil
lars, must also result in a heavy cotton
crop. For all these mercies give God
the praUe. H. H. J.
—» »»♦•»«
Preserving; Fruits, Vegetables,
Etc.
The following from Commissioner W.
H. Kebring, to the Florida Dispatch,
supplies a question just now generally
propounded:
For preserving strawberries, raspber
ries, blackberries, gooseberries,currants,
plums and cherries, when thoroughly
ripe, use proof alcohol.
For peaches, apples, pears, plums,
currants and gooseberries, when not
thoroughly ripe, use one part water and
two parts proof alcohol.
After the fruit stands in the alcohol
three or four days, pour off and add
fresh alcohol, as above directed, until
all the coloring matter has been extract
ed ; then put the specimens for perma
nent use in one part alcohol and one
part water (pure clear water).
The proportions for peaches, apples,
and pears will answer for all kinds of
vegetables.
Alcohol once used and discolored can
be filtered and used on other fruits am'.
vegetables, or for permanent specimens.
The yield of honey this year has beei
exceptionally large. The illustrate
article on Bees on another page wil*
be found interesting. Bee culture * 1
be profitable and pleasant for QW
readers.