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fHE SOUTHERN WORLD, JANUARY j5, ,**5
ns^
is Mary? She need not to mind about
tea (or me. I wish ti know if you can
spare her to me to-night? It has been
so long since I had her all to myself.”
" I will see. I will be lonely without
her, but if she wishes I will let her go
Please excuse me and I will see her
"Mary, darling, may I come in? I
have news for you,” she softly said as
she knocked upon the door.
"Yes, mamma, come in,” rising
hastily and wiping the telltale eyes.
"It was Colonel Lawson who married
Miss Coleman,” whispered the mother.
"Oh, mother 1” ana a little laugh al
most hysterical with its tears, burst
from the surcharged heart.
" Yes; it was quite a surprise. I see
Mrs. DeSaussure feels it.”
“Oh, how could she?—I mean Miss
Drucie. I could not believe her so
cruel,” said the girl.
" There are strange inconsistencies in
life, my child. But come, lave your
face and come in. Mrs. DeSaussure
wishes you to stay with her to-night.
"Oh, does she? I fear that! shall
prove a poor comforter, mamma,
smiled the girl, looking all the brighter
for the recent little storm.
" 8he will trust you for that, darling.”
" Will you go with me, Mary?” asked
Mrs. DeSaussure as she came in.
"If mamma will not mind the lonell
ness too much,” she answered.
" I will not mind it, dear,” pleasantly
said the mother.
" Then I will go ”
“ Yes, and we will drive by and con
gratulate Drucie,” amended Mrs. De-
Haussure.
" She has sent me no cards,” protest
ed Miss Feaster.'
“ Nor me, but I cannot let such a for
mality stand between us. I do not sus
pect she had any. The marriage was
very sudden.”
" Yes, quite a surprise to us.”
"And no less a one to us. But we
have abundant time. You and your
mother must give me some music. My
heart is dry for song,” asked the lady.
"lam so glad you asked mamma,”
whispered the girl. " It does her good
to sing and yet she seems to avoid it.
Come, mamma, we will sing, please ”
The mother complied, and all hearts
were moistened by the music.
After a few simple songs they arose
to go.
_ “ You have done me good,” said Mrs.
ttrofting the lady.
1 am glacTT Will you Mary
home, or shall I send for her?”
"She will come with me, mamma,
and Bpend the day,” smilingly answered
her daughter.
" Yes, that will be nice. I shall look
for you.”
"I will come.”
Mrs. Coleman received them both with
a friendly politeness. Mrs. Lawson had
run up to ner room to compose the wife
ly blushes.
" We came by to congratulate Drucie
We have no cards, but could not resist
the friendly impulse,” apologized Mrs
DeSaussure.
"Iam glad you waived formality and
came. Drucie will be down in a mb
ment. She sent out no cards,” explain
ed Mrs. Coleman. "Ah, here she comes
now,” as the young bride of a day came
in looking bewitchingly charming in
her pretty blushes.
" Drucie, darling, I came to congratu
late you,” said the lady, kissing her.
"Thank you, Mrs. DeSaussure, and
ou, Mary, dear,” turning to the young
ady.
" Yes, Miss Drucie, I had just heard
of your happiness and came to tell you
how much I rejoice with you."
“ You are very good.”
" Drucie afforded us quite a pleasant
surprise,” said Mrs. DeSaussure.
" Yes, I was surprised beyond ex
pression,” said Mrs. Coleman.
"And I was surprised myself,” with
a sheepish blush.
" I hope your happiness will prove as
lasting as it was surprising,” said Mrs.
DeSaussure.
" Yes, it almost seems like a dream.”
A few more compliments and the la
dies took their leave.
(TO Bl CONTINUED.)
Agricultural Department.
Crop Formula.
X
A CARD.—To all who are suffering from er
ror* and Indiscretion! of youth, nervous weak
ness, early decay, lost of manhood, 4c., 1 wtt:
tend a recipe that will cure you, FRKB OF
CHARGE. This neat remedy was discovered
by a missionary In South
addressed envelope to Bi
remedy
ith America. Send self
lope to Ruv. Joseph T. Inman
Station D, New York. Mention Sonthern World
CATARRH CURED,
A clergyman, aftersuffbringannmberof years
from that loathsome disease. Catarrh, after try
lng every known remedy without success, at
last found a prescription which completely
cured and saved him from death. Any sufferer
from this dresdfnl disease sending a self ad
dressed stsmped envelope to Dr. J. A. law
reace. 199 Dean 31. Brooklyn. New York, W’l
receive the recelpe free of chaste.
Ashes are a good thing on icy walks.
When a physician desires to produce
certain constitutional or functional ef<
fectson the human system be prescribes
and the apothecary compounds, certain
medicinal agents in certain definite pro
portions, which agents in such propor
tions are known, from experience,
produce the desired effects. So when
a stock feeder desires to develop fat
one animal, muscle and bone in another
butter or milk in a third, he administers
such foods, and in such proportions,
experience, taught by science, has shown
to be calculated to produce such devel
opments.
More recently still, the agricultural
chemist endeavors to prescribe the ele
ments of plant food, in proportion and
amount, that should be applied to the
soil in order to produce a given yield
a particular crop. But little progress
has yet been made in prescribing sped
fic doses for special crops or for special
soils; but enough has been done to in
dicate that the agricultural doctors are
on the right line. At one time it was
thought most important to ascertain by
accurate chemical analysis the chemical
composition of the soil. It would seem
that such a knowledge of the chemical
composition of the soil to be treated
indispensable. Such a revelation would
certainly be of great value; but so far
the chemist has not been able to find
out the exact chemical combinations
that exist in the soil, and therefore he
cannot decide to what extent certain
elements of plant food are directly avail
able to a growing crop.
He may find that there is enough
phosphoric acid, or potash, in a given
soil to produce average crops of cotton
or grain for a hundred or even five hun'
dred years, if it could be made available
in installments just as the sucdbssive
crops might require. As a general rule
the greater the content of any element
in the soil the larger the proportion that
is immediately and successively avail
able. But the chemist cannot tell how
much of either element is available to
the crop. Hence we are compelled to
resort to another method of finding out.
The chemist can analyze the crop to be
grown on the land, and from a know!
edge—easily obtained by measurement—
of the relative proportions of the dif
ferent parts of the plants, and the ag
gregate weight of the whole, he is en
abled to prescribe a formula for a fertil
zer that will, when applied to such a
crop, produce, approximately, a definite
yield. In doing this he eliminates, or
leaves ont of the formula, such elements
as are either so generally abundant in
soils, are but little required by the par
ticniar crop to be grown, or which are
supplied from the air. Such a fertilizer,
when so compounded, is called a com
plete fertilizer, and may be varied for
particular crops according to the indi
cations of plant analysis. Such com'
pleteness of adaptation to a particular
crop both in composition and proportion,
is particularly important if not abso
lately indispensable to the production
of very large yields, and therefore all
important to a system of intensive farm
ing. It is quite evident that an acre of
land that contains only pota<h sufli
ciently available to produce one hundred
pounds of lint cotton cannot he reason
ably expected to yield five hundred
pounds by the addition of "ever so
mnch ” fertilizer that contains no pot
ash. It is true that the application of a
large amount of fertilizer, complete iu
every element excepting potash, would
result in a very considerable increase of
the yie'd; it might even reach the
amount of five hundred pounds of lint.
This would be due to the chemical ac
tion o f some of the elments present in
he feitil'zer by which the insoluble
potash would be ren’ered available.
Indeed, this process is relied on to a
considerable extent in scientific formula
It is found to be cheaper, sometimes, to
add lime, which costs but little, with
the view to make something else already
in the soil, so'uble and available to the
crop.
But with all the science of the chem
ist he cannot so successfully prescribe
for a given plant until he has actually
tested his prescription on the subject—
the crop and the land. Soil test is the
proof or the refutation of his theory, or
it furnishes the guide to its amendment.
Whatever a physician may theorize in
regard to the effect of a supposed rem
edy, he must try it and prove it, before
he ran introduce it with confidence into
the materia niedica So in formulating
a treatment for soils and crops it is nec
ecssary that soil experiments bo con
ducted under scientific direction Hence,
the need of Experiment Stations—a need
which is being appreciated and supplied
in all progressive StateB.
But in the meantime, farmers them
selves ought to be experimenters. It is
not a difficult matter to determine with
some degree of certainty, whether with a
given soil and a particular crop, ammo
nia should form a part of the fertilizer
to be used. If needed, he may also find
by experiment w’ at proportion gives
most profitable results. So with the
other elements of fertilizers.
It has already been found by direct
experiment, that ammonia is not requir
ed for a crop of peas or adult clover, and
that it is very necessary to an oat crop.
In this way it was proven that potash
is a specific manure for tobacco,
potatoes, and all vinos, and that salt is
necessary for an asparagus bed.
The field for experiment is literally as
wide as our broad domain and has, as
yet, been barely entered, and affords
opportunity for the exercise of the skill,
energy aid investigating spit it of every
intelligent worker, both in the labora
tory and on the farm. R.
Kconotity In Feedlnx.
The virtue of economy is highly ex
tolled and its practice especially recom
mended to those who are pinched with
want or scarcity. But economy is the
part of wisdom and duty under all
circumstances, whether apparently nec
essary or not. He who wastes when
he has plenty, will hardly know how to
practice a judicious economy when in
want. Hearty and liberal generosity
b not necessarily wastefulness. If we
give to our friendn or to the needy, there
is no Iobs ; but how is it when we feed
our animals more than is necessary to
keep them in good, sleek, working con
dition. We presume most farmers, at
this time, have a bountiful store of pro
visons for stock. The last year’s corn
crop was above an average. But if not
thoughtful and careful there is danger
that much of the store of food will be
wasted in riotous living,” so to speak.
But the chief danger and the great source
of loss in this respect is due to the poor
protection afforded to stock in the way
oi shelter and improvident methods and
appliances for feeding animals.
Many a pound of sweet fodder or hay,
is trampled under foot of the horses
and mules, because not cut up with a
feed cutter, o r so disposed that the ani
mal can separate a mouthful from the
mass put before him without having to
rub it against the most conveniently
near object, and trampling much of it
into the mud.
Cutting up with a good machine cut
ter is the best, but an ordinary old style
cutting knife does very well to cut up
all straight forage, like corn blades,
stalkB and small grain. The finer the
cut the better; but it is better to cut up
with an old broad-axe than to feed un
cut.
Most mange s, or troughs, are entirely
too small. The old typical " dug-out ”
the old time, was originally, a make
shift, and is now an abomination in this !
day of sawmills and lumbt-r.
Each animal should have his own st
and a deep, wide, low manger, with a
grain box in one end, so that he cannot
possibly be disturbed by the others.
When at hard, daily work, let the feed
be full in quantity, and duly proportion
ed between grain and long forage, or
rovyhness, as the Georgia farmer calls it.
The harder and more continuous the
labor the more important that there be
a good ration of muscle producing food.
Corn is fattening and heating—excellent
for horses and mules doing hard work
in cold windy weather, but inferior to
oats in spring and summer.
Salt is important—indispensable—to
animals, and should be placed so that
each can partake of it at will every day.
An iron-bound box nailed or securely
fastened in some sheltered place easy of
access to all, is the best way, unless it
be better to supply each stall with such
a box. Salting once a week—every Sun
day morning—is a relic of the past. Sup
pose we had to take all the salt required
for a whole week, at one time? R.
AVIiiit we Bleed.
It is a very common belief,—if one 1
may judge by the practice of many
farmers—that the business of tilling the
soil needs not to conform to the princi
ples which underlie success in other
callings. Because the farmer must rely
largely upon circumstances and condi
tions which at best he can only modify,
or palliate, but never prevent,—the sea
sons, with their accidents of undue
heats, untimely frosts, consuming
drouths, and destructive storms—the in
sect depredations and diseases of ani
mals and plants; he is apt to conclude
that, after all, success is so much a
question of sunshine and rain—of Prov
idence—that he has but to plow well,
plant well, keep out of the grass, and
gather the resulting crop, complacently
charging up his failures to Providence
or to bad luck. Not all farmers are so;
to: many feel assured that there is a
skill in planning,—which may be at
tained,—a science (sound common sense
mixed with the knowledge which cometf
from reading and reflection),—to which
they aspire,—which, joined to industry,
economy, and a proper use of the les
sons of experience, will, in the long run,
command success in spite of occasional
unfavorable seasons and unforeseen and
unavoidable accidents.
Men in other professions as well as
many farmers too, steer clear of failure
and are successful in accumulating the
means which minister to health, happi
ness and contentment. Those who fail
and continue failing throughout life are
generally—if not always—‘o blame. It
is due to mistakes,—which have been
repeated, over and over again,—bad
judgment,—which might have boen im
proved by observation,—and ignorance,
—which might have been relieved by
reading. " This is an age of progress,”
has been repeated thousands of times,
but often without a realization of its
truth, in its application to farming.
The resources of science, the aid of edu
cational institutes, merchants’ ex
changes and colleges, are brought to
bear with more effect on the business of
all other professions titan upon that of
farming. While there has been un
doubted progress in agricultural scien
tific knowledge, the great wautis a more
general diffu<>ion of such knowledge and
its practical application to the business
of farming.
Our teachers need to understand more
perfectly the sciences tributary to agri
culture and their relation to the busi
ness of farming. We need Experiment
Stations where the multitude of old
questions and the constancy increasing
new ones, whose solution <b vital to
agricultural progress, may be investi
gated and answered. We need a broad*
er, more comprehensive, and more lib
eral legislation in order to develop our
agr!cu!tu r e by *he support of
and vite inauguration ol agencies espe
cially devoted to the purpose, R.