Rensselaer Republican, Volume 21, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 July 1889 — Page 6

FARM AND HOME.

Rotation of-Crop*. No system of farming 1 Is said. U> bo complete that does nbt include grass as one of the crops iu rotation. Green grass makes more beef, more milk. n»nr» wnnl iinrl, young stock than any other food that is allowed, in proportion to cost, as i t is most plentiful at a season of the year when the demand of the animals for supplying warmth and repair of waste is its lowest degree, and also because the animals harvest it themselves by grazing. It is the grazing.. of the grass by the animals that reduces its cost, compared with grain and hay, that aldds to it s value, and . for this reason the farmer can afford to grow grass for his stock alone. But grass performs another function. It adds to the fertility of the soil. A crop of clover sends its rootS’deen —down into the subsoil and appropriates food that is far beyond the reach of surface-feeding plants. This stored fertility, which is just as much beyond, the reach of the farmer as though on a neighboring farm, is transmitted to every portion of the plants, and the substances in time find their way back to the field in the shape of manure. | The farmer, therefore, enriches hi.-, field through the agency of clover by bringing, from below the fertility of the subsoil a:id transferring it to the soil. But there are other sources of fertility to which clover plants apply, ■which is the nitrogen of the soil brought down hv the rains as ammonia or nitric acid, and a large proportion of the nitrogen is stored in the roots, which, when the land is plowed, leaves a large amount of available plant-food grain ~er6p-timtrm:iy follow. Clover, however, draws very little nitrogen from the soil itself, as it prefers potash, but it leaves for the next crop a certain food not necessary for itself, but highly important for grain If a piece of land is kept continually in clover the land becomes ‘clover sick.” , thus ..indicating that- though plantfood exists that is more suitable for grainy- there Is no longer anrnhtnidStice" of that preferred by clover. Hence we find large yields of grain on land formerly occupied by clover, the land, in the course of a few years, by judicious rotation of crops, adapting itself to clover again. By properly rotating crops, making clover, wheat, corn, oats and potatoes follow each other, or by any other preferred system of rotation, the land is given better cultivation, fewer weeds spring up and the soil is not* exhausted ot certain elements at the expense of diminishing its fertility, though plentifully provided with other elements. By rotation of crops the loss of the ingredients of plant food is more evenly balanced, and each crop will yield more than when the land is devoted exclusively to one crop for several successive seasons,--Philadelphia Record.

Depth to Cultivate. There - is a wide difference of opinion as to how deep it is necessary or best to stir the soil in cultivating' the growing crops. There are three items to be secured nt least—the destruction of the weeds, avoiJipg the unnecessary robbing of the soil of available plant food that will be taken up and used by the weeds; mellowing and loosening up the soil so that the roots can penetrate readily: and rendering available plant food that is - already in the soil, but needs the action of the light and air to make it available. If the cultivation is commenced in good season, the weeds are very easily destroyed without the necessity for disturbing the soil more than 2 or 3 inches. If the soil has been properlybrought into a good tilth, as should be done before the crop is planted, it should be sufficiently loose and mellow for the roots to penetrate, without the tuesssa&jf, alter vbe plants hare commenced to grow, of loosening up so that the roots can permeate. To a greater or less extent the natural course of all manure is downward, and, ■ if applied on the surface and thorough cultivationis given? it will incorporate , well with the soil, and the rains will j usually carry the soluble portions suf- ! ficiently deep, so that the roots will jbe able to secure the necessary supply to keep up a vigorous growth. There is another point that should also be considered and that is if the soil is stirred deep there must of necessity be more or less disturbance of the roots. The roots furnish a good ,‘j4er pent, of the food that enables the plant to grow, and if these are disturbed or broken there must of necessity be a lessening of the supply. | It is true that plants, like animals, as a rule, heal all cuts or wounds naturally, and if in cultivating, the root.are cut or bruised the damage will be repaired. There is in addition, an outlay of strength that is unnecessary and could be avoided. Fully as good a growth and yield can be secured by stirring the suildeooand thoroughly in plowing, then working into agood tilth and planting the seed, and then as far as possible, commencing the cultivation In good season, so that only the surface is stirred. This will be sufficient to keep down the weeds, and this is one principal point in cultivation. The work, too, can be done easier and more economically than to stir the soil deep at every cultivation. There may, indeed, be’ times when It Is necessary to stir the soil deep, but

it ;*B the. exteption rather than the rule—Prairie Parmer.

.. —**= — Haymaking and-Care of Meadows. In making *hay. farmers are apt to become too much hurried with drawing in, so that they do not give the htfy time enough to cure, and sweat; honop it beeome» -m , e>wbwfwfer--mmgty~ and discolored. It has been my observation that the best way to harvest hay is to cut ‘barly, so as to secure a good green color. 1 Let the hay lie and have plenty of time to dry; use the tedder, and then rake and cock it. Loading from the windrow is a bad practice. The hay may appear dry after the hot rays of the sun have poured on it five or six hours, but it is so only on the outside, ft should be' cocked up and have time to sweat before it in larger masses. The market,demand hay of good color, and it pays well to use extra efforts to secure such. Hay that is cut early wil 1 bring $2 per ton more-than that cut later and allowed to become yellowish. Though haymaking is important, the care of the meadow is equally if not .more so. It is best to seed with fall crops, at the time of sowing or in ihe s pring. Do not pasture much, and if the meadow is seeded to timothy don't pasture at all, or the meadow will soon- “run out,- Pasturing will cause June grass to start, and there will soon be no timothy. I know of meadows tea to twelve years old that yielded from one and a half to two tons per acre last year. They were never pastured, lasi spring were harrowed, and, where thin, new seed was sown. Every two or three years a quantity of phosphate was sown, at the rate of a lew dollars’ worth,per acre. This enriches the land and gi vesmesroed- gTOWth ofrerr;Tss. - If thefall is wet there will be quite a growth.., after cutting. In spring, where this autumn growth dried, it is burnt overt This warms the ground and gets rid of the old dead grass, which would otherwise bo raked up and spoil the sale of the hay.—American Agriculturist.

Farm Notes. Cow peas may be grown bet ween the hills of corn, as tire same cultivation--for one crop is suitable for the other. Sell the young geese in preference to the old ones. Old geese make the best breeders, are more careful with their young and give a large supply of feathers when plucked. The blackberry is a persistent weed ancFa nuisance if all owedto secure a stand on a piece of ground whore it is not wanted. Every pieo*i of root that is cut off makes a new plant. Keep the burdocks down. —They delight in plenty of food, and a plant of burdock will rob the soil for yat'ds around its base. As fast a* they show their shoots above the ground they should be chopped off. Dig a trench and fill it nearly full, cover with earth, and leave it for your next setting down of asparagus roots. It will have time to decompose, especially if occasionally moistened with soap suds. A dead limb on a tree should never be allowed to remain. The -sooner all limbs and branches that show signs of decay are cut off .the better. The tree will thrive better and the new wood on the oth*F- i> w lions of the tree make more growth. When tha second crop of clover is cut place it aside for. the use of the pigs and poultry next winter. It is chopped fine, scalded, sprinkled with ground grain inrl fnfi HI-.,,,. Hlj— It will save food, and both pigs and poultry will thrive on it. Beets, cirrots and parsnips must be well cultivated at this time, as the warm days will hasten the growth of grass and weeds to such an extent as to crowd out the young plants if the ground is not clean. They should be cultivated after each rain. Give the early sweet corn a thorough hoeing as soon as it is high enough. The first working is the most important as it loosens the soil, keeps the weeds back and gives the plants an opportunity to push ahead before the next crop of weeds can interfere with them. Melons \vilt'^gwnwmapidly-now, and ashes are excellent for them. Scatter the ashes on the surface of the ground, not too close to the hills, and thin out the plants so as to leave only two on the hill. Do not grow melons or pumpkins near each other, as they will hybridize. The Household. Cold tea is the best thing with which to clean grained wood. Never use ammonia for this work. When making frosting in warm weather set the whites of the eggs on ice for a short time before using. To have poached eggs look very nice cook each egg in a muffin-ring placed . in the bottom of boiling water. Carpets should be thoroughly beaten on the wrong side first, and then on the right side, sous to leave it fresh. It is said that the repeated applies tion of oil of cinnamon will cause those ugly excrescences—warts—to disappear. A strawberry omelet for breakfast is a delicious June novelty. The berries are sprinkled with sugar before being laid in the omelet, which is folded , over on" thorn proolaoly as over jelly used in the omelet aui. conjilures. ! Wheat BkEad.—Sift two quarts of flour and four teaspoons of baking powder and a teaspoon of salt; stir up to a soft dough, with cold sweet milk or water; knead but little, mold and

bake Immediately. This bread is said' to be easily digested. Baked Squash.-—Cut the . squash info halves or quarters, according a to size. Remove the seeds, place in a baking pan, the skin side down, and bake until thoroughly done, then re--dmovoTrom the 11 ptmr j T§PnnSle~mEE'"sa'rr and pepper, and spread sweet butter over it. Okra. —A very nice way tq cook it while young and tender is to put the pods into boiling water in which you have put enough salt to give it a' decidedly salty taste. Let it boil for twenty minutes, drain from the water, season with cream, butter, pepper and salt. After taking it from the fire cut the pods into several slices.

On the Death of a Pet Bird. The song is hushed, .and the singer Silent forevermore; Thb stillness steals upon you. As you near the well-known (].<•*_ The gilded cage in the window Swings high in the morning air; But the tiny house is empty— There is no birJiing there, —— No yellow-throated birdling, Whose life was a gush ot song, That pealed like joy-bells ringinc The busy days along. Scarce sadder iTould our hearts be, Scarce heavier with care. Were there an empty cradle, Or a tiny vacant, chair. What wonder if the hot tears Rise fast and overflow, When we think the song was ended — By a sudden cruel -blow. is there no heaven for birdlings? — No land of blooming flowers, Where they may sing forever. Through happy golden hours 1 Surely their lives and sorrows Are to the Father known, Without wftom not one suarrotv Falls to the ground alone. So fair and pure our birdlings, I think it well may be The strain so rudely broken Shall reach eternity. —New Orleans Picayune.

Be Good.

Pretty Marie Jansen hasn’t very much to do in Francis Wilson’s new opera at the Broadway Theatre, New York, but she has certainly created a sensation with her new song entitled Be Good, and a controversy is th reatened over the question whether or not the song may not be too suggestive for the -kind of audiences, which Mr. Wilson in The Oolah has attracted since the opening night. One of the verses in the-song describes how a young man carresses his sweetheart and dallies with her tresses, the tresses rhyming with caresses, of course, and the-young girl thus tenderly treated remonstrates with him and insists that he must “be good.” And Miss Jansen utters the phrase with subtle and humorous suggestiveness thqt gives to it its fullest possible significance.;—Ex.

Obliteration of Poland.

The woes of Poland are not so entirely a matter of ancient history as people are apt to imagine. Persecution, of a certain modern kind, still goes on in that unhappy country, the more cruel that it is not of the sort that can be met as a general issue. In Russian Poland people of all classes are forbidden to speak Polish. Servants, coachmen, and artisans are Urged by the Russian officials to wateh for and report any case in which their employers use tha. forbidden . tongue.

even in private, and in every case the offender is fined and the in former-is.-.re-warded. So rigid is the rule that a poor old woman who knelt -on the pavement before, a chapel in Wilna and said her prayers aloud in Polish was “rim in’’ to the guard-house and only discharged after as evere reprimand. Old men who are in the habit of saying their prayers daily in the churches ordered to say their prayers in Russian in future. A boy has been expelled from school for writing his name in Polish in one of his books. Tim sounds almost incredible, but it is hardly worse than the persecution carried on over the border under the rule of Prussia—that country which professes to monopolize most of the liberality, enlightment, and progress of the preset) t day. An innkeeper, Stanislaus Flaum, was fined £7 because he would not spell his name “Pfiuutn.” He was condemned for trying to “Polish’ 1 a German name. The sentence was so absurd that it was afterward reversed. Another man, a bookseller in Gneisen, who had to give evidence in a local court, declined to testify in "German, on the ground that he did not understand the language well enough. For this he was sentenced to a day’s imprisonment, with the threat of a longer term. Thereupon he tried to testify in German, but with such ill success that the counsel begged that he might be allowed to repeat it all in Polish! But he had'to do his twtjntyifOOT hours in prison just the same. Prayer books in Polish have been suppressed as “hostile to the empire, antiGerman, and favoring the Polish Propaganda. —Boston Courier.

A Contradictory Woman.

She (after quarrel)—“You I brute! I hover want to see your faco ! again. I’m going home to my mother, I and I hope you will never have any : luck as long as you live.” | He—‘Ah! Then you have already ! changed your mind and will not go home.”—The Tide.

THE CONEMAUGH DAM.

Report of in Engl-jearlng Expert as to the Cause# of the Jdhnstown Catastrophe. H. W. Brinckerhoff, C. E., of the editorial staff Of the Engineering and Building Record has imfle a thr ‘ t - rm g K "Investigation of the broken Conemaugh dam and thus reports to his paper the results of his observations: “Arriving at the scene of the break we found an earthen embankment stretching a distance of about 901) feet on its crfe3t across the valley of the Conemaugh. Its central portion had been completely washed out, and even below, the original bed of the stream, the rush of the released water having scooped out quite a basin just below the dam.

“The width of the break at the crest was about odO feet, narrowing to perhaps less than one-fourth of that amount at the bottom. The structure of the remaining portion thus exposed in section showed a .tolerably homogeneous mass of stiff, gravelly clay, well-covered with rip-rap oiq both slopes, the lower slope having quite a growth of trees and bushes on it. My first Look was for the heart wall of puddle or masonry that is usual in large earthen dams, but a closer examination of the material left no doubt in my mind that the omission was due to the fact that the dam was practically all puddle of very good quality, “This had apparently been deposited in pretty uniform horizontal layers and the exposed portions showed a high resistance to the erosion of the flood, standing with very steep, and in somo cases perpendicular, slopes. •Around the north end of the dam a spillway or waste weir had been cut through the solid rock, of which both sides of the valley at this point appear to be composed, more or less covered, however, with soil. This waste weir was sixty-five feet wide at its narrow*" est point before it commenced to descend materially. It was somewhat wider at its upper end, enough probably to amply offset_the obstruction pc-_ easloned by a fish-screen three feet high or so, attached to the postsroflT'

carriage bridge which crossed at that point. The bottom of the waste weir at its inlet is about ten feet below the crest of the dam at its nearest pal nl. The crest of the dam, some ffOU feet long between the weir end and the break, sloped uniformly from the former to the latter point, as could be seen by sighting along it a line from the weir end over the edge at the break falling several feet below the edge of the crest on the opposite side

of the break. As near as could be estimated by measuring up from the water-mark on_.the rip-rap. and by sightiiig across from the bottom of the waste weir to the water-mark on the other side of the reservoir the crest of the dam at the side of the break next to the weir was about seven feet above the bottom of the weir. “At the bottom of the break, the line of the inner toe, were the remains of a foundation of a gate-house, from which some large iron pipes had originally extended through the dam for the purpose of drawing off the water

when the reservoir was used for its original purpose of supplying the state canal. According to the statement of an old resident of the vicinity some time after its use for this purpose had • been discontinued a leak along these pipes or the tunnel in which they were laid oaujod.the tral portion of the dam; the break, iFowover, does not apjiear to be w extensive as the present one, and caused no serious damage. Wheiilts breaeh was closed to form a lake for its recent use of boating and fishing, the pipes for drawing offetvere no longer needed, and were therefore omitted. “What sort of work was done and what material was used in repairing the break, there is nothing now loft to show, as far as can be judged from the general appearance of things, and the fact that both leaks occurred at the same point. It will therefore be understood that all that has been said so far probably applies exclusively to tfye original work. “The depression of the crest of the remaining portions of the dam toward the center is most likely due to the settlement of the embankment, which would naturally be greater where the dam was highest. If, as is possible, the crest of the new work was made fair with tho old at the start, it would in course of time settle to even a lower point, perhaps four or five feet below the elevation of the dam at the ends. This would, in a measure at least, account for the rapid destruction of tho dam. The: old resident before mentioned, whd isaVv the dam go, observed no leakage through the dam, but said that the water commenced to flow over the crest of the dam at its center. This continued a couple of hours or so before the flow becamo serious; then tho lower slope began to cut away rapidly under the increased flow, the sides of the breach falling la mm time iio time, until In about half an hour the breach was complete. • - “The overflow was due to a combination of two causes; first, the inadequacyjof the waste weir, which, however ample It may seem to tfiave been, was, plainly unable to carry off the' vast volume of water that poured into the reservoir, and second, to the .depression reduced not only the effective discharge area of the weir but also the velocity of the discharged water, thus

very greatly reducing the weir’s capacity for relief. ‘“The position as well as the amount of this depression wa,s a serious matter. Being in the center, the overflowing water could wash the widest portion of .Jtllfi outer slope imeHnit the dam to the bottom in the shortest possible time, both sides of the breach caving in once; while, had the overflow occured at either end, nearly two thirds of the dam weald h ive had to have been washed before the resevoir could have been emptied; and, as in addition to this the water could only act on one part of the dam at once, the time requiredto empty the reservoir would have been increased in a proportion even greater than that of the material to be washed away.

“An effort was made in this direction when the water began flowing over the dam by cutting through at or near the end o f the darn farthest from the waste . weir, but rock was soon met with and a sufficient outlet could not be made in season to prevent the overflow. “Though the section of the dam appeal’s to have been ample to resist overturning or sliding even with the reservoir full to overflowing it is easy now to see that an increase in the length of the lower or outer slope, while it would not have prevented th.e destruction of the dam, would have materially retarded its progress, and thus not only have reduced the volume of the ensuing flood by letting the water out more slowly, but have given more time for those below to escape its coming- , “To sum up, it may be said that the dam as originally designed seems to have had sufficient stability and to have been well built. I-n grading the crest, however, not enough allowance appears to have been made for subsequent settlement, and this defect was probably increased when the dam was repaired, even supposing that no other elements of weakness may not have been introduced. This concentrated the destructive effect of the overflow at the worst possible point and the disaster followed.

—“As-cumpareJ to the TbTumeTlFtEe" stream when observed, the waste weir appeared to be of ample dimensions, especially if the crest of the dam had been everywhere' ten feet above the bottom of the weir. “Whether the size of the weir bore any reasonable proportion to the area of the water-shed of the South fork, especially if denuded of trees, or to any observed flood flow of the stream itself, it is of course impossible to determine it present.”

Luminous Numbers Wanted.

Anyone who has been forced to se t reh for a house number after dark will appreciate the words of a Western newspaper man who is at present visiting this city. “A fortune and the gratitude of his fellow men,” said he, “await that person who shall discover some practical method of applying phosphorus to the manufacture of luminous street numbers. Comparatively few of the houses of this or any other large cities have the street numbers so placed as to take advantage of the light from the hall gas jet, and there are many houses and buildings where no light is kept burning during the evening. Many of the numbers are on outside doors, and as it seems to be 'fherfule to leaye them open, the number is lost to view from the sidewalk.

•Their,-if' a man happens to Beta search of a particular number after the regulation bedtime, his chances for prowling around for an hour or more, not to mention mcTde filial annoying experiences, are excellent. -At such times how much unnecessary profanity might be prevented by some simple illuminative device. It seems strange that some inventive genius don’t turn his mind to this subject.”—New York Times.

A Pretty Suggestion.

They lingered at her father’s door, . The hour was shining bright, Aud to the maiden ore and ore , The youth had said good night. But still reluctant to depart Her tiny hand he pressed, While all the love that filled his heart His ardent looks confessed. At length the maiden blushed and sighed. And said in accents low: f‘l hope, dear John, you will not try To kiss mo ere you go.” —Boston Courier.

A Nickel That Nobody Wants.

About a year ago some wag polished off a nickel till it only resembled the coin of the realm in size and color. After it had dropped into the bottom of the bobtail-car box the driver eyed it suspiciously, and evidently thinking that the other side of the coin might be all right he gave the decisive pull and let it pass. From that time to this the company has been endeavoring to get that nickel back on the rascally public. But strange to say, every man who tears opeh the little envelope containing it and its companion pieces always chucks the smooth nickel back into the box. Of course no driver can now complain, because the coin always comes out of the company’s package. During its first year of service it has taken about 2.190 trios, and as it is getting thinner and smoother all the timo there is now no hope of its ever escaping street-car service except through the rdfhantic charity of some kind deliverer, or through the final dissolution of the company corporation. Baltimore American.

SOCIETY IN CITIES.

A Huge Collection of v Rich Poor Folks and Poor Rich Folks. A student-of society in a pity tike this, if he circulates among all classes ■ and wandeis upTtatl dOWh an tne t&oroughfaresT will be impressed with two special features of its life, writes the Chicago Journal side-walk stroller, , namely, the great number of its rich poor folks and the great number of its poor rich folks. Now I mean to explain this declaration. I know it needs explanation, and I can best do so by dividing the masses of society into two general classes—capitalists and laborers. Then I will assume to call the former “the rich,’’ and the latter “the poor.” Having done this, I will call the student’s attention to the many hard-working people who own 1 their homes in the city—homes seemingly humble, but worth all along from two or three thousand to six or seven thousand dollars apiece; and also to many other laborers who have deposits of sums of money in savings banks, varying from a few hundred to several thousand dollars each. We will now turn away from these poor folks (?) and their homes in the unaristocratic streets of the metropolis and visit the fashionable avenues, and here we shall find—what? Thousands who pass as “capitalists”—people who “put on style,” but who have no proper wh o have to scrimp and worry along “by their wits” to get,together the means to live and to pay their rents. I have discovered in this way that many who think they are less fortunate than Others have to struggle for the necessities of life very much less than many of those of whom they afle jealous. Why, I have myself more than once envied dashing and apparently prosperous men, who have failed within a fortnight with heavy liabilities and no assets.

A Cool Th[?]ef.

A boarder in a fashionable up-town house, who hud been delayed one -night- last weeki -arrircd -htmTC' as ar~ seedy-looking individual came down the front steps with an armful of spring overcoats. The boarder recognized some of these as the property of friends in the house and stopped the man. “Where did you get those?" he demanded. A light smile flashed over the man’s face as he replied: “I’m a tailor around the corner, and the gentlemen sent for me to press anti—fix their coats.” The boarder suddenly remembered that his own coat needed repairing, so g .ve it to the man, with instructions to fix it with the others and return it. When he got down to the table he said to one of the boarders: “Jones I met the tailor with your coat as I was coming in, and I gave him mine, too.” Jones, looked up wonderingly. “What are you talking about?” he asked. The boarder explained, and in a moment there was a panic. Several of the coats were afterward recovered in a pawn-shop, but the thiol is slil! at large. —New York Sun.

He Fooled His Bishop.

A good story is told of one of the most popular clergymen in a city not 2QO miles' irom Brooklyn. He is a pleasant, genial man, and on a certain evening in every week a few of his brother priests meet at the rectory and they spend an hour or two together in a social way. Some curmudgeon in the neighborhood, happened to get a glimpse through the blinds at a bottle and glasses and the smoke of cigars, and to hear tho sound of cheerful laughter, though it behooved him to let the bishop know what was going on. Thereupon he wrote to that distinguished functionary, of course greatly exagerating what he had seen and heard. The worthy priest got wind of this in some mysterious way and was on his guard. One night while he and his friends were enjoying themselves a ring came to the door. Going upstairs to the second floor, the good father saw a brougham of familiar build standing outside. Raising the window he looked down and discovered the bishop on the stoop. “Who’s there?" he asked. “It’s I, the bishop,” was tho reply. “Oh, go along! You’re an iinpasto said the priest. The bishop is a decent gentleman, and would never be roaming around the streets at this time of night. Be off with you at once, or I’ll call the police and have you taken in as a suspicious character.” With that he banged down the window and went back to his friends. The bishop paid no more lata visits to the rectory, and tho pleasant weekly symposium is continued. —Brooklyn Citizen.

She Would Go.

Miss Gotham—“ You’ll join our theater party to-night, of course, Miss Wabash?" ; -r-i Miss Wabash (of Chicago) —“What is the play?” Miss Gotham—Pygmalion.” Miss Wabash—“ Yes, indood, with pleasure! You know papa is in tho pork business.”—Epoch. It Is fly time with the dishonest rash or „ when he thinks his peculations are on the eve of being discovered.—Boston Courier