The Fairfield news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1881-1900, March 17, 1883, Image 4
F«opl« Who Doctor Tbein*elvoi.
“The extensive use of patent medicines
and the enormous quant'ty of druKS sold
without prescriptions indicate how wide
spread is the habit of self-doctoring," said
a popular physician to our reporter. “To
those who know how carelesely and ignor
antly these drugs are used, the thought <<
the barm they do is absolutely appalli: g.
There is no telling how long a prescription
once given will be used, or with what
foolish risk it will be applied in a case
where it will not only not do good, but is
certain to work harm.”
“Which do you think do tho most self-
doctoring, women or men ? *
“Women, decidedly, especially mothers
and old women. The reckless temerity of
some women in this respect is wonderful.
They rush in where angels fear to tread.
Hastily judging from n few symptoms that
a case resembles one rfhich the family doc
tor has treated, they will hunt up an old
prescription and administer the dose to
some confiding husband or helpless child.
I could tell you some amusing stories of
the mistakes that are made m this way, as
well as some instances where more serious
consequences resulted. Take for illustra
tion, a headache. It may come from a
docen different causes—from hunger, from
indigestion, from over-excitement of the
brain, from eating too much, from inhaling
foul eir. The remedy for headache varies
with its cause. Yet you will find women
who have a universal panacea for head
ache, regardless of its cause. Beware of
such women.”
“With what medicines is the mqpt harm
doner*
“Opiates and aperients. The heedless
ness with which morphine in various forms
is now administered in families is alarming.
The doctor comes to attend a patient who
is in pain. He prescribes morphia and
directs Us use, and the patient is relieved.
This is enough to start the average matron
on a course of full destruction with mor
phia. The next patient may be ef a dif
ferent temperament, or sex, or age, re
quiring either a different kind or quantity
of the opiate, but the prescription will be
used, or, worse than all, will be revived
from memory. Some drug stores watch
carefully and refuse to dispense such drugs
without a prescription in each case, but
there are many too eager to make money
to care much whether the patient is being
treated by a doctor. The same is true of
the use of bromide, of chloroform and of
ether. The bottle that is left partly filled
in a family after one patient has been
treated is pretty sure to be used for another
without the doctor’s knowledge. As for
paregoric and laudanum, the amount of
stupefaction that is practiced upon children
by their use is so common, as almost to
cease to attract attention. Perhaps the child
is naturally peevish, or is cutting teeth, or
has some infantile ailment; out comes the
paregoric or soothing syrup bottle, and be
fore long the small dose ceases to have
effect. Then larger doses are given, until
the unfortunate youngster's system is sa-
urated with the drug and totally deranged.
Sometimes the lazy and dishonest muse,
to relive herselt from trouble, administers
the anodyne on her own responsibility, and
the hapless child shows a dullness and
stupidity for which nobody can account.
*T met a man once who*was doctoring
himself for dyspepsia and indigestion.
He told me he wondered why he had not
cured himself. He was apparently of
muscular development and good constitu
tion, hut he had somehow got the idea in
to bis beau that he must exercise vigorously
after every meal in order to promote di
gestion, He took long and rapid walks
after his meals. Of course his indigestion
got worse. He was apparently a man of
ordinary intelligence, yet he was ignorant
of the simplest law of health. 1 told him
rhat if a cow could talk she would teach
him more sense than to take any vigorous
exercise, either physical or mental, im
mediately after a hearty meal. Most
horses are treated more intelligently than
this man was treating himself.
“What puzzles me is the fact that people
are not afraid to meddle with such a deli
cate organism as the human body. Few
persons who have watches would attempt
to repair them if they should get out of
order; yet they tackle the delicate mech
anism of their own bodies with the reck
lessness of a blacksmith attempting to ad
just a chronometer. The evil is wide
spread, f nd reaches not only the cases 1
have alluded to, but many others more
difficult and dangerous than these. 1 have
known of women erperimenting with drugs
m cases where a simple surgical operation
of a minute’s duration was all that was
necessary. The evil is msidioun, and one
that it would be difficult to reach by legis
lation. It is especially common among
those who have little learning which is a
very dangerous thing. It is a question
who are most to be pitied, those who
know nothing whatever of their own
bodies, or those who, having the presump
tion to act on very slight au3 insignificient
knowledge, are perpetually dosing them
selves with nostrums, and, with a blind
faith equal to the most abject superstition,
putting confidence in panaceas.”
tfagunty ot a Pointer.
Mr. Cox, who resides near Drapersville,
Va., is the owner of a dog ot the pointer
species, which recently exhibited wonder
ful sagacity. A day or two after the snow
atorm, while Mr. C. was sitting with his
family by the fire, he remarked to his wife
that it was a splendid time for catching
hares, and said that he would like to have
some, but did not like to go out m the
snow for them. The dog, which was ly
ing near the fire, got up and went ou'.
.Nothing was tbought of the matter until
shortly afterward it returned, bringing a
rabbit which it had caught, and laid iP at
his feet; it then went off again and caught
another which it brought in, and combi
ned to go and return until four had been
taken. The next morning Mr. Cox thought
he would try the experiment again, so he
ordered the dog to go out and bring him a
rabbit. Tbe animal went off immediately
and soon returned with the game, giving
it to its master, and then went off again
and again, each trip bringing in one, until
it had captured and brought in three rab
bits. Mr. Cox tells us this and vouchee
lor the truth of it.
How Ktw Urleana war Captured
The late Admiial Bally, who was dined
at the Astor House after the capture of
Hew Orleans, “explained’’ tnat battle as
follows: “Mr. President and gentlemen—
hem, thank ye.” And then, after a long
pause : “Well, 1 suppose you want to
hear about that New Orleans affair?” “Ycsl
yesl” echoed through the hall. “Well,
d'ye see; this was the way of it,’ lesumed
the orator, hitching up his trousers “We
were lying down the river below the forte,
and Farragut, he—he signaled us to go in
and take ’em. Being as we were already
hove short, It didn’t take much time to get
under way ; so that wasn't s« much of a
Job as you seem to think; and then the
engineers they run the ships; so all we
had to do was u> blaxe away when we got
up to the forts, and take ’em according to
orders. That’s just ail there was about
it!” And the concise narrator, feeling
that be had accomplished everything de
manded of him, sat down in the midst of
thunders of applause.
Lierlce* of Perjury.
Of all cases tried iu Lomlou iu recent
years, the “ccnspiracy case" of last
week, otherwise the indictment of Ed
ward Lawrence Levy for subornation of
peijury, is, we think, the most depress
ing, That a quondam solicitor of indif
ferent repute, long since stiuck ofl the
rolls, should live by “getting up” unreal
cases, edneatiug witnesses, or improving
affidavits, is, no doubt, nothing new.
Old habitues of the courts tell stories of
uumbers of such men—a whole clasp of
them once hung about tbe old Palace
Court—and satirists like Dickens were
never tired of hoUind them up to public
contempt, or endeavoring, as he did in
his portait of daggers, to account for
their impunity. Old lawyers are very
slow to believe in affidavits, and there
once was, if there is not now, a regular
trade in evidence of alibi. N or was the
accused, Levy, exceptionally clever.
His agents had risen to the conception
of teaching witnesses from an imaginary
plan, so that they should not contradict
each other as to localities; but Hindoo
lawyers have for ages adopted much
subtler devices than that. An English
Judge in Bengal, who suspected fraud
in a murder case, once fancied that he
had a chance of playing the part of Solo
mon. Four eye-witnesses were examined
apart, and one of them swore to a deep
shadow thrown by a neighboring tree
across the victim’s face, so rendering
recognition at a certain distance difficult.
The Judge, who was convinced that the
case had been got up, thought he saw
his way, and asked each witness sepa
rately the direction of the shadow and
the name of the tree. They all, how
ever, told him precisely the same story,
with faint differences, due to the posi
tions at which they had been standing,
till he was hopelessly puazled. That
they should all agree was natural, but
that they shonld all differ slightly, and
differ as they ought to have differed,
was, on the theory of fraud, inexplic
able, It turned out subsequently, in
time to save tbe life of the accused, that
the prosecuting attorney had had the
whole scene acted iu the place selected,
and the witnesses had nothing to do but
to keep their eyes open and desciibe the
pseudo-truth, and contradiction became
impossible.
The Levy device was gross compared
with that, and the horrible feature of
the case does not, to our minds, lie
there, but iu the case with which the
conspirators suborned witnesses. Ap*
pareutly Levy’s agents picked up casual
acquaintances, promised them a sover
eign if the case were won and ten sh 1-
hugs if they lost, and without the
smallest trouble induced them to sw'ear
that they had seen a cart accident for
which damages were claimed. They
themselves all confessed the ficts, and
declared iu so many words that their
evidence was “a pack of lies,” while one
of them, who had signed his “proofs”
but shrank from the witness box, ad
mitted by silence, when questioned by
Mr. Justice Hawkins, that his reluctance
arose entirely from fear of an indictment
for perjury. Another, who also failed to
appear at the trial, said in cross-exami
nation, iu the coolest way, “he did not
know at the time what the men to whom
he had referred were wanted for, but if
he had known at the time that they
were wanted to commit perjury he
should have done it. Ho did not think
about wbat they were wanted for, or
whether what they said was true or
false. If he had not found out before
very likely he should have gone down to
Guildford and committed perjury, as
the others did.” These latter were, of
course, perjurers only in intention; but
there were others who did perjure them
selves, and but for accidental circum
stances they might never have been de
tected.
Dliuuoutl* in Afrl*!!.
The soil of the diamond country of
Africa when brought to the summit, is
carted away and strewn on the ground,
where it is left for a fortnight or three
weeks to pulverize in the sun At the
expiration of this time gangs of Kafirs,
superintended by a white overseer,
break the large, dry lumps into powder,
and this in turn is carted away to bo
placed in the washing-maohiiie. It is
during the process of first breaking
that some ot tho largest diamonds are
discovered, and the overseer has to keep
a sharp lookout on the workers in con
sequence. In spite of the terrible
penalty incurred by any one detected
iu the act of secreting a good find,
thefts are very rife, and many a dia-
mend finds its way into Kafir posses
sion iu spite of the sharpest vigilance.
During the process of wasbing, the
gravelly substance, which is full of
garnets as well *s the diamonds, sinks
to tho bottom of the machine, while
the earthen substance disappears in
another channel. When it has been
thoroughly washed through two or three
times, this gravel is collected and
strewm ou tables, where searchers,
with steel instruments somewhat re
sembling very broad knives, carefully
turn it over in minute search. Then
is it that the precious jewel is discov
ered iu all manner of sizes aud shapes,
when it is placed in a small tray, ou
which another overseer keeps his watch
ful eye. I was given several little heaps
of gravel to dissect, and in half on hour
had succeeded in discovering 20 or 30
diamonds of very fair size, aud son..* so
perfectly shaped that they had every
appearance of haviug just left tbe cut
ter's hands.
Goats,
Goats are said to be the best laud
cleaners known. A herd of one thou
sand entirely cleared a piece of bnuh
land in Minnesota, consisting of five
hundred acres, in three years. So
complete was the work that not a ves
tige of undergrowth was left,
mmmrn
Mr GIoAsfono’a XitDntrx. 'j
“ WitLln tbe house, In every room, you
seem to be surrounded by books ; books,
quantities of them, in the breakfast room ;
and in the sreat and noble library, the
lofty room surrounded with books, Here
a noble heirloom of the G'ynn family, a
portrait by Vandyke of Sir Ketelui Digby,
bangs over the fireplace. Other interest
ing pictures light the way, conspicuously
an engraving of Millais’s portrait of Mr.
Gladstone, which, however noble as an
imitation of the style of Vela>q let, fails
to give any suggestion of the light and
play of life which glows and gleams from
tho face of the original in every moment
ot convtravtion. You step from the
library into th? study—it is the anteroom
of the library. At the door of the study
Mr. Gladstone graciously received us, and
made us at home at once in thia great
workshop of the mind—this scene ot so
many studies and cares. Here, in order or
disorder, were still books, and books, aid
books, papers, busts, portraits, and every
variety ef furniture of culture an! taste.
We saw very few indications of any care,
for costly or elegant bindings. Clearly the
volumes were there, not as the furniture of
the house, but the furniture of the
incessantly acquisitive mind. It is a ven
erable apartment At different tables r
there are several in the room reserved
and set apart for various occupations
—the visitor is instantly impressed as
by the memories of a variety of labor.
Mr. Gladstone, 'll is a long time since I
aat there 1’ This ts the political table;
here the Irish bills and the budgets were
shaped and fashioned. And here is Mrs.
Gladstone’s table; here she probably
planned her erphanage, and the hospital
she first called into existence. This is the
room where the scholar and the statesman
spends the chief port.on of his time; there
is the theological portion of the library—
an ample collection; separate compart
ments receive the works of Homer, and
Shakespeare, and Dante; and the busts of
Sidney Herbert, and Mr. Gladstone’s old
college friend, the duke of Newcastle, and
Canning, and Cobden. and Homer bend
from the book-cases, and Tennyson looks
out from a large bronze medallion.”
Palming Iron surfaces.
Of the varieties of lacquers and paints
used it is needless to speak at length, as
the all-important point is the setusd state
of the iron surface when the first coat is
laid on. If that is not m proper condition,
no subsequent application, however good
in itselt, has any chance of being perma
nently preservative, and I think that that
proper stale is found when there has been
formed upon the whole first or black oxide,
which has been, while hot, thoroughly
permeated by and incorporated with a
resinous or tarry covering. Once firmed,
,everything goes well. Additional coats
of paint may be applied from time to time
to renew the thickness of the original cov
ering, but the iron underneath remains un
attacked. If, on the contrary; a film of
hydrate oxide (ordinary rust from expo
sure,) be once allowed to form, the success
ive coats of paints are thrown off sooner
or later, and, in the meantime, the rust
has spread under the paint. A striking
instance of this may be generally seen
after out-door nveted-work has been in
place for some time. As a rule, all the
riveting is done before the final painting is
commenced, and each rivit head has in the
meantime been exposed to a damp atmos
phere; the paint invariably commences
to peel off the rivet-heads long before it
leaves the adjacent plates, aud when this
has once taken place nothing but a thorough
scraping off of the surface will give l he
paint any chance of adhering. So slight
are the differences of manipulation which
determine whether a given piece ot work
shall or shall not rust away, that I think
they may all be found in the different me
thods of manufacture pursued now and
formerly. Taking tbe case of a piece of
ornamental iron work, which in so many
instances has come down to us in unim
paired beamy and condition, it would be
now probably forged in detail in one pari
of a factory, drilled, tiled and fitted in
another, and when completely finished be
painted “in three coats of best oil paint.”
Formerly the smith who forged the work
punched the necessary holes at the same
time, fitted his various pieces together as
he went on, completing each piece as he
proceeded, doing all the work with bis
hammer, and, to quote an old book of di
rections to good smiths, “brushing his
work over with linseed oil and suspending
it for some time over a strongly-smoking
wood tire.’’ This will give at once a sort
of elastic enamel coat, perfectly adherent,
and calculated to preserve the iron to the
utmost.
State Foreit.
In Prussia there are about seven milhon
acres of State forest, about eleven million
acres of woodland owned by private per
sons, and about two million acres managed
by the local corporations. Very little of
this is planted with anything except pine,
fir or beech, and almost the whole extent
is cropped according to the strictest rules
with a view to profit. The net return per
acre, taking the State forest and private
properties together, amounts to about nine
ty cents, which is made up by deducting
the cost of culture, cutting and carrying
from the gross return produced by tbe
sales of timber. In Bavaria the State
forests cover considerably more than two
million acres, and tbe gross return is rather
uuder $23,000,00. marks, or almost exactly
$2 50 per acre. Tbe expenses come to
15,000,000 marks. In France the forests
form an important part of the public do
main, yielding more than two thirds of the
total revenue derived from it The net
annual profits may be set down at an
average of £1,500,000 s erhng; but then
a large part ot this sum, eepacially since
the fall ol the empire, has been made by
letting out the forests by auction for sport
ing purposes.
Usatmemtol Plants.
Watering of the plants should not be
too profuse. Plants of all kinds require
moisture, but it is not necessary to saturate
them every time this is dons, nor should
they be watered too often. The beds
should face the south, in ordir to get the
full benefit from the warm exposure, and
*o protect at the same time from cola
storms. The heat in the beds may be
quickened by adding lime (flue and un
slacked) to tbe manure when it is put in
them. But this sometimes causes too much
heat To lower the heat cold water is aaf-
bcient, but, care must be used not to lower
it too much on cold days. Iu mild
weather the sash should always bs raised
a little for ventilation, and at night au old
rug, piece of carpet or a few boards should
be placed over the sasli for retention of
warmth. The young plants need no ap
plications of liquid manure or solnttons, as
tbe roots soon reach to tho source of
uourisnment below. Should they appear
sickly a tearpoonful of ammonia to each
quart of water will assist in reviving them
out sometimes the sickly appearanoe is a
sign that more ventilation is needed- To
grow early plants under glass the operator
must conclude, in the beginning, that they
are to be well attended to and carefully
watched, for a sudden change m the
weather—either of heat or cold—often
damages them before the injury can be
noticed.
"Am A—<— of Kauar Wllbeln.
/ *
An old soldier tells au interesting
story’In which present Enajperor of
Gel many jJays a prominent part. * ‘On
August 3, 1830—1 had been in the
Gardes du Dorps for five months—we
ail rode to E-osseu for tho maueuvers,
and were informed, to our intense dis-*
appointment, that we did net ride wall
enough to take an active part iu the
sham battle and must keep aside out‘of
all danger in a quiet part of the valley.
We were so out of sorts that we ceased
talking Altogether, and had sat for some
time iu silence when we saw un'forms
at no great distance. I recognized
Prince Wilhelm, the commander of the
enemy’s forces, with two ai les-de-cam^
who was. passing by our hiding place at
a gallop. I conceived an idea and had
no sooner whispered it to my comrades
than we all mounted our horses and
suddenly surrounded the Prince, sum-
-mouing him to give himself up as a
prisoner. He oned indignantly; “Don’t
you know me, you fellows?” But I only
replied that he was the Commanding
General of the enemy and my prisoner!
I knew that Lo wad too much of % sol
dier to be offended at our practical joke,
and so we made him turn his horse and
escorted 'him to headquarters. My
Colonel was furious at first, but when
he saw how good-humoredly ihe Prince
helped to carry out the joke he com
manded me to deliver the prisoner to
the highest commander, King Frede
rick William III, who in his turn
ordered him up to the chief of his
regiment, Princess, afterward Queen,
Elizabeth. The Princess laughed out
right aud cried: “What a shame to be
taken prisoner!” A few weeks later I
was advanced to a sub-lieutenant for my
cheeky behavior during the maneuvres.
in ny Dragjpft*.
An action was brought against a
druggist to recover $10,000 damages
for causing the death of a pregnant
wife and the child that was born. These
deaths, it was alleged, were caused by
a dose of sulphate of zinc, a deadly
poison, given by the druggist in mis
take for Epsom salts, A judgment was
recovered for $1000, and the defendant
appealed the sase—Walton vs. Dootb—
to tire Supreme Court of Louisiana,
which affirmed the judgment. The
Chief Justice (Bermudez), in the opin
ion, said: Though the death of tho
mother and child resulted from erysipe
las, aud not from the poison, from tak
ing that ihe mother endured continued
and great pain and suffering, for which
she would have been entitled to recover.
The defendant was greatly negligent.
Druggists in the discharge of their
functions should be required not only
to be skillful but also exceedingly cau
tious and prudent, in view of the terrific
consequence which may attend, as they
have not infrequently in the past, the
least inattention on their part All
pei sons who. deal with deadly poisons
are held to a strict responsibility for
their nse, and a druggist is undoubtedly
held to a special degree of responsibility
for tbe erroneous use of poisons corre
sponding with his superior knowledge
of their dispensation.
Hard Flnlati In Walls.
A German paper contains a formula
for a wash that oan be applied to lime
walls a’ d afterwards become waterproof
so as to bear washing. Kesenchek, of
Munich, mixes together the powder
from three parts siiicious rock (quartz),
three pirts broken marble aud sand
stone, also two parts of burned porce-
b in-clay, with two parts freshly slacked
lime, still warm. * ln this way a wash
is ipade which forms a silicate if often
wetted, and becomes, after a time,
almost like stone. Tbe four constitu
ents mixed together give the ground
color to which any pigment that con
be used with lime is added. It is ap
plied quite thickly to the wall or other
surface; let dry one. day, and the next
day frequently cover with water; this
makes it water-proof. This wash can
be cleansed with water without losing
any of its color; on the contrary, each
time it gets harder, so that it can even
be bruised, while its porosity makes it
look soft. The wash on kalsomiue can
b* used for ordinary purposes as well
as for the finest painting. A so-called
fresco surface can be prepared with it
in the dry way.”
Steel Pens In Germany.
• There is only one steel-pen manufac-
twrp in Germany, that being in Berlin.
There are many firms who describe
themselves as ateei-peu makers, bat they
do not actually manufacture, simply
getting pens mode to order. The Ger
mans seem inclined to be jealons of the
pre-eminence England has obtained in
this line of business, especially as their
requirements are continually increasing.
Next to steel pens, gold pens haye
obtained a considerable importance as a
merchantable commodity. This is owing
to their non-liability to rnst, and as they
may be used for years. In consequence
of their softness and elasticity they do
not tire the hand as mnoh as steel pens.
The German markets are supplied from
America, and consequently tbe imported
pens are very dear. To a clever gold
smith an extensive and profitable field
of enterprise is open in Germany in the
prodnetion of theee instruments. The
difficulty in the manufactn-c lies in
finishing the points with iridium, which
metal has proved itself beyond compa
rison the best for the purpose on account
of its great hardness.
■rtM* • -
Protestor p r Jeniimt remarks that it
is generally supposed that electricity will
sapersude steam, but what has thus fas
happened is that tbe work of the engines
is employed to produce electricity, while
electricity affords us the best means yet
discovered for distributing power.
AGRICULTURE,
lx is time to Degiu preparations for tbe
hot beds, for not only are the frames and
sashes to be made ready and put in place
but the manure should be carefully pre
pared. The object of a hot bed is to pro
tect the seeds aid plants from exposure
from cold, and also to retain sufficient heat
for their germination and growth. H hot
beds could be so arranged us to permit of
the use of a regulator attachment., where
by a uniform temi erature might ’ <j main
tained at the will of the garuener, the
plan would save much valuabie time and
loss. The manure for hot beds should be
as fresh as possible, for it is used for pur
poses of beating more than for the nutri
tion afforded, and any previous fermenta
tion or decomposition is the loss of heat
that may be needed. It should also be
free from coarse material, in order that
the contents of the hot bed may be in as
fine condition as the objects demand, and
it should be kept under cover and apart
from that wbich is to be hauled to the
fields until needed for use. After the
frame is made and put in position place
the manure in, pressing it down firmly un
til it is high enough to permit sufficient
space between It and the sash for growth
of the particular plant required. The up
per part of the manure—about two inches
of it—should consist of well-rotted mater
ial, thoroughly mixed into a fine condition,
with twice its bulk ot dry earth. Then
sprinkle half an inch of pure, dry, rich
earth over this and sow the seed, covering
lightly. If sweet potatoes are planted put
a layer 01 one inch of sand between tbe
seed and the manure, filling the spaces
and covering with an inch more of sand.
The seed potatoes should be placed In the
beds whole, and it is best that they should
not touch each otner.
It requires careful attention on the part
of the grower to get the plants in a proper
condition for transplanting, for keeping
up the heat to a proper temperature is not
all. The plants should be watered sys
tematically and also ventilated at certain
tunes. If by the gradual exposure of the
plants to the influences of the outer atmos
phere they can be made accustomed to a
lower temperature they will be hardier
and better enabled to endure transplanting,
If they grow up very thickly in the bed
the surplus plants sbould be transplanted
to another frame, and by ts’ong advantage
of the warmer days dining r .e cold season
the plants can be so managed as to suffer
but very little from change of location.
But Shall Trees. —The average Amer
ican is in a great burry to realize on his
investments. If he orders a few seeds in
January, he is anxious to have them sent
immediately, and if he forwards six cents
for a copy of some paper which contains a
story of which he has read or heard he does
not forget to request the publisher to send
it “by return mail.” Fatience, which
takes the form of quiet waiting, is a virtue
of which he seems to be totally ignorant.
He cannot wait the progress of events, but
must constantly hurry and fret in order to
make nature move a little fastei than her
wonted pace.
This tendency crops out very plainly
when he purchases trees. He finds them
described in the catalogue as “second
class,” “medium,” “first-class” and “ex
tra.” These diff *rence in these classes is
principally, if not wholly; in the siz' and
height of the trees. The larger the tree
the higher the price; but the farmer “don’t
care anything about that.” He wants
good trees or none, and gives order for
those of extra size, and which are four or
five years old. In doing this ho thinks
he is acting wisely, but the nurseryman
knows and the farmer will find before kmg
that, with equtd care, the small tree will
grow faster and (It a fruit tree) come
into bearing condition sooner than the
large one.
In half a dozen years the tree that was
small when planted will be larger and fin
er than the other. The reason for this is
obvious. The larger the tree the' larger
the roots wbich it has, and the larger the
roots the less fibres there will be upon
them, A tree that has plenty of fibrous
roots will grow reaoily if proper care is
used in transplanting; but no amount of
skill can coax a tree to live and flourish
which is destitute of these little fibres.
The roots of large trees are always more
or less mutilated in the process ot taking
up, while the small trees sustain little in
jury from this source. Dealers in treee
assert that experienced men buy small
thrifty trees, while those who are just
starting are anxious fer the largest to be
had. Those who are to set trees the com-
mg season ’will do well to learn irom the
experience of those who, at considerable
loss to themselves, have demonstrated that
small trees are the ones to buy.
Colonel F. D. Curtis writes that the
White Belgian carrots yield twice as much
as the Long Orange, and he regards them
as equally nutritK us. Tms is doubtful,as
iu numerous experiments larger roots of
the same variety contain proportionately
less sugar and nutriment than small ones.
The White Belgian carrot is not salable in
the market, while the Long Orange will
nearly every year sell for more than its
feeding value, except to be used as an
appetizer. When carrots can be sold by
the wagon load at 40 to 50 cents per bush
el and retail at 80 cents per half bushel
the price goes far beyond their feeding
value At these prices no crop can be more
profitably grown near a good market.
It is well knowd that roots absorb large
quantities of water from the soil, and that
this absorbed water carries with it in solu
tion into the plant the various substances
which it collects and dissolves from the
soil, upon which tbe plant feeds and by
which it grows, but it is not so well kuown
how ever, that the roots of plants ere pos-
ees'«d of a sort of instinctive ability to se
Ihct from the soil such substances as are
host adapted for the nutriment of the
plant, one that they have the power of re
jecting substances that they do not need
or which might be injurious, and that they
are capable of imbibing certain substances
j which are used as solvents tor the prepar
ation of nutritive matter.
Tbs composition of cow’s milk is affec
ted by various ciicuinstances; under ex
treme conditions it may contain from 10
to 16 per cent, of dry matter. The milk
is poorer when the quantity produced is
large or the diet insufficient, and richer
when those conditions are reversed, A
cow is generally in full milk frout the sec
ond to tbe seventh week alter caiving;alter
this period the milk gradually diminishes
in quantity, but increases m richness. A
separation of cream takes place m the ud
der; the milk first drawn is poor m fat,the
richness iccressing as milking proceeds, the
last drawn milk containing two or three
times as much fat as the first drawn. Tbe
milk of old cows is commonly poorer than
that of young cows.
The latest cheap and effectual cabbage
and currant worm killer is a pound of
common aium dissolved in three gallons
of ram water.
One of the test methods of keeping
manure is to have It under a leaky roof,
which keeps it Jioial, hut prevents warh
ing and drenching by rains.
iIrun Bull*. .
We do not now. allude to tbe stoek-
broking financier or the farmyard steer,
but to the ‘ ‘apparent oongruity and real
incongruity” of ideas popularly sup
posed to be characteristic of the Irish
mind. In 1802 there was published,
by Richard and Maria Edgeworth, an
“Essay on Irish Balls,” which was
handled by Sydney Smith in the Edin
burgh lievieu’. The object of this re
markable work was to prove that the
practice of “making bolls” is net more
imputcblo to the Irish than to any other
people ; and the manner in which the
authors set about it was to quote ex
amples of bolls produced in other coun
tries. A singular way of reasoning the
question I For, as the racy reviewer re-
marks, “there are goitres out of the
Valois, extortioners who do not worship
Moses, oatcakes south of the Tweed,
and balm beyond the ^recincts of Gi
lead. If notbi ig can be said to exist
pre-eminently and emphatically in onr
country which exists at all in another,
then Frenchmen are not gay nor Span
iards grave ; or the gentlemen of the
Milesian race remarkable for their dis
interested contempt of wealth in their
connubial relations.” We have said
that to accredit the Irish with this pe
culiarly embarrasing talent Is the re
sult of nothing more than popular sup
position ; but it is, of coarse, probable
that there is some foundation for a
character so u ationaliy maintained, how
ever much it may be enlarged by fame.
Sydney Smith is the author ot the above
definition of a “ball,” and he points
out, with some sbow of reason, that a
bull is the very reveise of wit. For as
wit discovers real relations that are not
apparent, the bull admits apparent re
lations that are not real. Tbe pleasure
arising irom wit proceeds from onr sur
prise at suddenly discovering two things
to be similar in which we suspected no
similarity. The pleasure arming Irom
a bull proceeds from our discovering
two things to be dissimilar in which a
resemblance might have been suspected.
Louis XIV, being extremely harassed
by the repeated solicitations of a vet
eran officer for promotion, said, one
day, loud enough to be heard by tbe
subject of his unintentional compliment
—“That gentleman is the most trouble
some officer I have in my service."
“That is precisely the charge,” said the
veteran, “which yonr Majesty’s enemies
bring against me." An English gentle
man, says Mr. Edgeworth in a story
cited from Joe Miller, was writing a let
ter in a coffee-honse, and perceiving
that an Irishman, stationed behind him,
was taking that liberty which Parmemo
Esed with his friend Alexander, in
stead of putting his seal upon the lips
of the carious impertinent, the English
gentleman thought proper to reprove
the Hibernian, if not with delicacy, at
least with justice. He concluded writ
ing his letter with these words :—“I
would say more, but a blackguard Irish
man is reading over my shoulder every
word that I am writing.” “You he, you
'icoundrei 1” roared the self-convicted
culprit. Now, with some force of logi
cal acumen, Sydney Smith points out
that the pleasure derived from the first
of these stories proceeds from the dis
covery of the relation that subsists be
tween the object he bad in view and the
assent of the officer to an observation
so unfriendly to that end. In the first
rapid glance which the mind throws
upon bis words, he appears, by his ac
quiescence, to be pleading against him
self. There seems to be no relation be
tween what he says and what he wishes
to effect by sjpeaking.
In the second story the pleasure is
directly the reverse. The lie given was
apparently the readiest means of prov
ing his innocence and really the most
effectual way of establishing his guilt.
There seems for a moment to be a strong
relation between the means and the ob
ject ; while, in point of fact, no irrela-
tion can be so complete. What connec
tion is there between pelting monkeys
with stones and gathering oocoanuts
from lofty trees ? Apparently, none.
But monkeys sit upon lofty cocoa-nut
trees, and monkeys are imitative ani
mals. Wherefore, if you shy up peb
bles at the monkey, the observant mon
key will heave the cocoanuU at you.
This scheme of gathering cocoauuts is
as witty as the method of procuring
Australian parrots by slowely walking
round and round the base of the trees
in which they are perched till they top
ple down with sheer giddiness in trying
to keep you in their eye. Both these
would be stiQ more witty if they did
not also appear very useful ; for, as
Sydney Smith observes very truly, “the
idea of utility is ever inimical to the
idea of wit. There appears, on the
contrary, to be some relation between
the revenge of the Irish Rebels against
a banker, and the means which they
took to gratify it—by burning all the
notes of his bank which they could lay
hands on; whereas, of coarse, they
could hardly have rendered him a more
signal service, In these eases of bulls,
practical aud verbal, there is uu uppar-
rent congruity aud a real incongruity of
ideas. In these cases of wit there is an
apparent incongruity and areal rela
tion.
Woudei ful Ice Cavea,
One of the greatest natural wonders
of Europe is the Hungarian ice cave.
At the foot of the highest group of the
Carpathian chain lies the Oomitar of
Gomar, a district of singular beauty
and variety, in which are mountains on
whose summit grows the Arctic lichen
and the pine, while at their base tobac
co, Indian corn and melons flourish, It
is m this copntry, within a few miles of
the town of D&bsham—that the newly-
discovered ioe caverns are situated. The
existence of these extraordinary caves
was well known, but although situated
at the low elevation of three
five hundred feet, where snow rests on
ly in winter, it was left to a youth
named Ruffiny to explore theee seort re
cesses of the earth. Having provided
himself with everything that could be
imagined necessary for such an expedi
tion, he entered the chasm, and work
ing his way over blocks of ioe and a
chaos of debris, which in the course or
ages had accumulated there, he became
lost for a time in the darkness of a new
world. With infinite diffiooity he reach
ed what appearea to him a frozen lake,
and returned to his point of departure.
His companions now joined him, and
penetrated still further into these icy
solitudes. Not alone do these caves
contain piilare and wutorfallp ef ice,
but three walls are studded “with thous
ands of ioe structures, hexangular in
form, from a half to one inch in diame
ter, which, clustered together, resem
bled anemones and pther flowers scin
tillating like diamonds in the magne
sium light,”
One or tho other: It, is , always “put
up or shift up” with the umbrella.
Astrological Predictions for 1*83.
In i883 Mars will be tbe ruling planet.
The influence of this heavenly body
upon the irascible humor in man «ud
otiimals is well known. Particular care
should be taken by persons of a natu
rally impatient disposition to avoid out
breaks of temper, especially daring the
opppositions of Mars to the xsccii, which
occur on or about Januaty 22d, February
21st, March 22d, April 19th, May 17th,
June 15th, July 14th, August 12th,
September 10th, October 8th, Novem
ber 6th, and December 3d and 31st.
At such times, also, bolls shonld be
restrained from running at large, and
water should be frequently thrown upon
dogs to see if they manifest any symp
toms of hydrophobia. On New Year’s
day Mars is trine with Saturn and
Uranus, these planets occupying re
spectively tbe terrestrial signs of Gapri-
oornus, Taurus and Virgo. This is a
peculiarly unfortunate aspect, and the
events that accompany it will cast a
gloom over the usual New Year felicita
tions. The aspect will continue until
Mars enters Aquarius on the 31st of
January. All acts of even necessary
violence Gionld lie abstained from or
deferred until this date. The corporal
punishment of children even shonld not
be indulged in. Better allow their
misdeeds to accumulate and punish
them in the aggregate after all danger
has passed away. Jupiter at this time
is retrograding in Gemini, and can offer
no alleviation to the evil aspect already
mentioned. Jupiter is stationary on
St. Valentine's Day, and engagements
made then may be fatal The col junc
tion of Mars and Mercury, on St.
Patrick’s Day, indicates that large
amounts of money will be collected for
the liberation of Ireland. The first
days of May will be lovely, with a little
rain at night. Poetry of some merit
may now be written, and a thorough
revolution in dress and cookery expected.
On the 9th, events fatal to domestic
happiness will be extremely liable to
occor. Startling developments in aris
tocratic families will now be made. No
destructive frosts will happen in this
month, and corn-planting will be early.
From the 2d ol June to the I3th of
July a severe drontli will take place.
On the 19th a European sovereign will
die. On the 26 an ocean steamship will
take fire, with great destruction of life.
The 4th of July will be again signalized
this year by an event of great national
importance. On the 7th, however, an
instance of serious official misconduct
will come to light. Much-needed rainy
weather will begin on tbe 13th, and
t. eneeforih ihe summer will be intense
ly hot. The aspect of the asteroid Mel
pomene new indicates special disaster
to members of college faculties, a rail
road accident being the probable danger
threatened. The 19th will be a day of
peculiar horror. August will be fine
till the 24th. Escaped lunatics should
be very careful of their behavior during
the whole month. Fits and the falling
sickness will be quite general after the
14th. On the 3d of October avoid trif
ling, as it is one of the dangerons days.
November fine and frosty.
Florid* Mouudx.
The material and preparation of the
Florida shell heap vessels differ from
that of other mounds, as those along
the coast region of that same State and
others found throughout the United
States; the clay elsewhere is mingled
largely with broke* shells and sand,
though at times vegetable fibre is pre.-
sent, which produces a cellular and
porous structure, which the original
makers have in part overcome by the
use of an outside film of slip clay. In
ornamentation the specimens are mark
edly inferior to those from other locali
ties, less elaborately adorned, and
display only a rude and primitive con
ception of artistic design. They indicate
in this respect an earlier origin than
the fictile wares from the coait mounds
or those found in later burial places.
Stone implements were found in inoon-
siderable numbers, though numerous
enough to prove the acquaintance of
the shell heap makers with flint chip
ping, and though bat seldom buried
deep in the piles, were incontestably
coeval with their formation. They
consist of rudely cut cells, stone chisels,
knives or scrapers, arrow heads, chips
and fragments, all clearly the work of
men’s hands. Implements of bone were
more frequent, but apparently HmitoA
to awls and piercers, an office for which
bone, then and since, seems very gener
ally reserved. Implements of shells, as
might have been anticipated, were
common, though very slightly, if it at
all, varied in form, consisting of rec-
taugular bits, ground down to edges on
one side, forming an efficient scraper,
cleaner or bone wedge. Perforated
shells, possibly used for ornament, are
found near the upper surface of the
mounds, and drinking oups made from
the large univalve, Busyoon perversa'
are similarly fonnd near the snrfaoe.
These last objects are recent, and may
have been known to the Indians who
succeeded, at a long remove, the abori
ginal inhabitants. Pipes and medals
are both absent. Human bones were
fonnd from top to bottom of these heaps
—skulls, legs, arms and bodies—and
while some were unbroken and entire,
the condition of others suggested the
unwelcome thought of their having
formed a part of a cannibal's repast, a
conclusion which some recent examina
tions by Lieutenant Yogdea strengthen.
He found large bones, wh'TSc marrow
might justly form an attract!/e feature
in an aboriginal dinner, opened length
wise and bearing evidence of a designed
cleavage. Cannibalism was really so
Common among our Indiana at the
arrival of the white men that it would
scarcely seem surprising to find its
antecedents hidden in these early works*