The Sumter banner. (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, April 19, 1853, Image 1
IF - *
DEvD TO SOUTHEf-RN RIGHTTS, DEMOCRACY NEWS, LITERA TUESINEADT
J. .MICHARDSON LOGAN,
w . s AnN ells, Proprietors- 4 a-alo out'att. not".
VODLOiDU SURTE RVILLE S. APRITL 19, 18D
C0lture of Corn and Peas.
Of old friend and correspondent,
Dr. Philips, of Mississippi, gives us
ohe foowing directions for the culti
vatioti of Corn and Peas, on pages
886-=8 of Patent Office Report
for '1851:
Corn.=-The mode of culture I
prefer, and therefore deem 'best' is
to break up land deep-6 inches
and thorodgh, in large beds, say
of 32 feet; run off rows with a shovel
plow, 4 feet distant; this is invariable
with me, giving fewer or more stalks
in the row, aooording to poverty or
richness of land. Drill corn at rate
of about half a bushel per acre; cov
er with an iron-tooth harrow, When
corn is fully up, tun round with a
nayrow shovel-plow, (the bull-tongue,
also called scootet-plow,) clean with
the hoe very nicely, leaving no grass
.or weeds; thin out either at this work
ing, or wait for a 0rt spell of weath
er. Jn a few days,~run round again
xvith a 6-inch shovel-plow. I prefer
these plowings to be deep and near
to corn. The latter plowing should
mould the plant well. If-, by this
time,-grass has begun to appear in
the tniddles, I would use an iron-tooth
harrow to tear up clods and destroy
411-grass, if it required running the
barro* twice. In the coutse of
9ome two weeks after last plowing,
if time permitted, I would hoe the
corn, levelling the ridge, cutting up
grass, and cleansing around stumps
and trees; and two weeks, or near it,
after second plowing, I would run
another furrow with the largest shov
el, or use the sweep, which breaks
out the row, if not broken out. I
would do so early enough to keep
the rows clean. When my corn is
inbpuch,- I sow peas, and. either
use the harrow, or sweep, or shovel
plow, to cover, which cleans the row
and 'lays by' the corn; though if not
hoed previously, I now give a hoe
ing, so as to leave the corn-field
clean for peas and corn.
Peas-I use the cow-pea of the
long'- variety upon all corn land,
principally as a renovator, using 10
to 15 quarts per acre, being scatter
ed as regularly as possible over the
entire surface, before the last plow
ing. This has been a practice of
some 15 to 18 years' standing; and
so thoroughly am I convinced of the
value of this pea as a renovator, that
I intend to average hereafter one
bushel per acre, even if I have to
plant and cultivate peas merely for
seed. I am not satisfied that I sow
now enough.
I find that where the shade is most
dense, and earliest, the land has im.
proved most. I have corn now on
land cleared and cultivated in corn
in 1880, which will this year give me
40 bushels per acr, to which there
never has been applied any manure;
no other aid used, save a rotation
of two years in cotton, and one in
corn and peas. The land being
~good, I did not deem it needful to
jake any greater change this year
4 corn; and to give a bettor growth
of vine, &c., to turn under, I shall
next year continue in corn, and thus
bring it under my usual rotation
two years in corn and peas, and one
in cotton, for all ordinary land.
I hope this corn and pea story will
not be too tedious. I thus dwell on
it because I am thought as discard
ing the pea; whereas, I knowv of not
a solitary planter anywhcro who be
stows more'labor to secure a growth
of the pea-vine. I have 20 acres
planted in peas, 8 feet apart, which
have been plowed three times and
howed twice; but I do it as a reno
vating crop. Fifty head of hogs
will feed my family abundantly; I
have almost two acres per head.
[Southern Cultivator.
[From the. Newberry Sentinel.]
Guano as a Fertilizer.
We have been kindly permitted to
publish the following extract from a
letter written to the Hon. Chancel
lor J~ohnston, by the Hon. D. J. Mc
Cord. Its publication is especially
intended for those to whom Col. Mc
Cord promised to detail his experi
m rents and success in the use of gu
a ono as a fertilirger, It will however,
prove interestintg and useful to
all who desire iriformation respecting
this valnable nture.
LANGSYNE, Marcht 22, 1858.
My Dear Sir:- In the winter I .re
side entirely on the plantation hero,
Your letter, being directed to Co
lumbia, was not forwarded to me un
til yesterday. I fear now that my
answer will reach you too late, es
pecially if you wish to apply guano
to your corn. For many hereabouts
have planted or nearly done; I am
not half done. But to begin with
my answer.
For two years I mixed four bush
els of dry sand with one bushel of gu
ano: This year to save tiouble, I
will mix two bushels of sand to one of
guano. Fine charcoal taken from
the rail road, a blacksmith shop, or
coal kiln is excellent, because, like
Gypsum, it will retain the ammon
ia-any dry fine dirt will do as well
as sand. My object for mixing is to
increase the quantity to be put into
each row of cotton, so that it can
be pat down more accurately by
dull and careless hands.
My mode of mixing is this. I take
for the purpose some dry shed-free
from the wind is better, for it may
mix and blow away much of it. I
then take a coarse iron seive and
sift a layer of sand, and, on that,
a layer of guano, until I get it
all mixed for the field. If the sand
or earth is damp it will cause evapo
ration and loss.-z-When thus pre
pared you may put it into the
ground just before you plant, or a
month before-if put under the seed
of corn or cotton, it should be cover
ed by the plough or hoe two, three
or four inches, so that when you
put the seed in the ground over it,
there may be two or four inches be
tween the seed and guano; for if
they come in contact it will kill the
seed, but by the time the roots reach
it, it will be diffused in the soil and
nourish, and not destroy it.
I have only once tried it on
an' acre of corn-it was a very unfa
vorable year for corn, being dry-I
put a tablespoonful (not heaping) of
guano in each hill, and covered it
with fresh earth, and the corn was
then covered about two inches. The
adjoining acre was manured as usual
with stable manure and cotton seed
mixed.
Tho acre manured with stable ma
nure and cotton seed was 7 or
8 inches high, while that manured
with guano was so small, and so
wretched that I had some idea of
cutting it up and replanting them.
It rained, and in one week after
wards the guanoed corn was as
large as the other, and soon be
came larger, and with much stout
er stalks; and continued much the
largest, yielding much better fod
derf--but the produce of corn was
about the same, each acre producing
between 16 and 17 bushels. I plan
ted in 5 feet rows, the stalks two
feet apart. A tablespoonful a hill
will take from 180 to 200 lbs. But
if I were intending to use guano
on corn I would not put the guano to
it until it was up, and at the first
ploughing run a bull torgue near the
corn, and sprinkle the guano op
posite the corn-a tablespoonful on
each side might do, or half a tab~le
spoonful on each side. It must be
followed by another plough and cov
ered immediately. I have heard of
much less doing. I have never
made any other- experiment with corn.
A bushel of guano weighs 88 lbs.
Now for Cotton.
On Cotton I have used guano
for 3 years.
The first year my experiment was
a small one, hut clearly showed the
importance of guano.
In 1851, I manured twenty acres
old worn out red lands with two hun
dred pounds guano to the acre. It
yielded.
Ist Picking 000 lbs.
2Jd "~ 1700
3d " 4995
4th "~ 4q53
5th " 76
12,315 lbs.
Average per acre 616 1-2 lbs.
Oneencre adjoining, same quality exactly, un.
1st Paeking 00 lbE.
2d " 00
3d1 " 60
4th " 108
5th " 76
2414 lbs.
Difference per acre, in faivor gu
ano 372 1-2.
In 1852. I manured acres with
180, lbs. per acre. It produced 31,
54~0. lbs. seed cotton, or 876 lbs. to
the acre. More than half of the
land was very old, sandy land, nev
er mannjred-vthe rest inferior old
i-ed land. Of the adjoining acres uin
manured :ny . overseer, by mistako,
not believe that it averaged 450 lbs.
At that rate, the difference was
426 lbs per acre.
For 1853 I intend to manure 84
acres with 174 lbs. which is 3 bush
els of guano, and 10 acres with 100
lbs. to the acre. I am told that
quantity produces well, and per
haps pays best, costing so much
less. One of my neighbors last year
used 1 bushel (58 lbs.) per acre.
He kept no account of weights, his
overseer told me that lie thought it
produced more than twice as much
as that not manured.
Now for my mode of putting down.
My acres are forty-two compas
ses square-60 rows to the acre.
To put down 174 lbs. to the acre
requires 8 bushels guano, and if
two bushels of sand or dirt is put to
each bushel of guano, it will take of
the mixture 4 quarts, I pint and
1 gill to each row.
To put. down 100 lbs. to the acre
of the same mixture requires 2 bush
els of guano (less 1 gallon,) and
takes 3 quarts of the mixture to
the row.
If you mix 4 bushels of sand to
to 1 of guano,
17 1-2 bushels of mixture will
give 200 lbs. to the acre,
15 1-2 " " 180 "
15 " " 174 "
13 1-2 " " 150 "
So you must make your calcula
tion in proportion to the material you
mix with the guano, and divide by the
number of rows in your acre.
Let each hand have a'small box to
hold the quantity out of the bags for
each row, and take care that it
hold out as even it can be put. They
soon learn; after trying one or
two rows,
You must not attempt to put it
down in windy weather, or it will
be blown away. Take out what you
want for the day only in bags to
keep from wind, and covered if
rain should come, for it would be in
jured by getting wet, before covered
in the ground. I forgot to say why
you should sift it. In the first
place you mix it better by so doing
and besides, the guano has many
lumpg,-and by sifting you get them
out, and should break them in a mor
tar or trough, so as to mix it with
the earth, other wise these large
lumps would burn up every thing.
I believe I have told you all I
know. Gypsum is said to be excel
lent for mixing with the guano, and
no doubt it would be so, as it would
retaiu the -ammonia.
This year I bought gnano in New
York. It cost me delivered here at
Fort Mott, $50 for, 2000 lbs. If
many planters would unite and take
a largo quantity it can be got still
cheaper. By the new charter to the
Rail Road to Columbia they can on
ly charge 12 1-2 cents per 106 lbs.
The fullest account that I have
seen of the methods of using guano is
an "Essay on Guano," by J. E.
Teschcniacher, Boston, 1845. It
was distributcd some years since to
those who bought guano gratis. It
was published by A. D. Phelps, 124
Washington-street, Boston, from
whom it perhaps it can be had; and
and by Sexton & Iluntingdeni, 29
Broadway, N. Y.
I have been amused with some of
the modes I have seen recommended
by kncwing ones in the newspapers,
viz: rubbing the cotton seed with it,
&c. It killed the seeds wvherever
they touched it the first year I used
it-and in my regarding my cau
tions hurnt up every thing.
Let me know how you succeed with
ycur guano, hope you will receive
this in time.
Truly yours as of old,
D). J. McCORID.
CURIE FOIR A FOUND)ERED) I IasE.--A
correspondent of thle L ouisville J1ourn
al says, that ifa hiorse is fouinderedl ov
er night, he may be cur-ed in three.
hours if it is attended to in the morn
ing. Take a pint of hog's lard and
beat it boiling hot, and after cleaning
his hoof well, and taking elf'his shoe,
put his foot in the lard, and1 with a
sp)oon apply it to all parts of the
hoof, as near the hair as possible. This,
he says, lie has tried more than
fifty year~s, and never knew it to
feil. The application. should be to
the foot of each foundered limb.
To TAKS MEL.DFw OUT OF LINEN.
R~ub it well with soap; then scrapo
some fine ehalk, and rub that also in
the linen; hay it on the grass; as it
driea, wet it a little, and it wilI
FgulT TREzs.-Wise Tn'en some
times advance strange .-6pinions, the
legitimate results of carelessness and
inattention. Heresies are of daily oceur
rence, in every departuient, and in
all societies. The organization of
our thinking powers is such that we
may embrace errors, and, believe in
them, merely for the inconsiderate sug
gestion of others. When men think
calmly, and reason dispassigpately, un
der the full influence of knowledge,
they rarely err in judgrnent. Prac
tice accords with the views we enter
tain, and if our views be erroneous, the
results are a proof of the facts. But
what has this to do with fruit trees? I
will tell you. k
I had an Irishman whoserngme was
Michael, and a black man, called
Tim. Decent fellows of the sort, and
each conscious of superior skill. Mi
chael told me that Octo was the
time to transolant apple 'es. Tini
and I thought the springeason was
the best period of the ye4b for this
purpose, but Michael kne better. Mi
chael's argument was thus:
"Pll go to the nursery, Suire, and
dig up two dozen trees in be-month of
October, and I will set theni out in
the home lot. I will dig thei careful
ly, make great holes to put them
in, feed the root with rqtteri chips,
and set them out nicely aid when
spring comes they will* be: ready
to grow. The fall is the tino to trans
plant trees." '
Tim says to me: "Mastii, don't let
Michael do it, for you wili.be-old be
fore the trees will begin to-bear. Now,
Master, let mne talk a mJnute. When
wo dig up trees we always tear and
bruise sonic of the shoots, and if
we set them out in the fall the bruis
ed roots will die before spring. I
lived with the Doctor six years, and
he always said that a fresh wound heals
a great sight quicker thaui an old sore.
So it is in trees. If we transplant
trees in the fall, it is six tmonths be
tre the bruised shoots e*n begin to
heal, and the frosts ofdhit niakbN
little bruisc a big one before spring. But
if we vet out trees in April, they be
gin to grow in a week, the wounds and
bruises heal up very quick, and they
have nothing to do but to grow."
Tim was a negro, but lie had the
power of thinking, and knew more than
some Yankees. I thought Tim's reas
oning was good, though his head was
covered with long wool. Bitt I con
trived to please Michael and Tim. In
the month of October these fellows
went to the nursery and dug .up and
transplanted twenty-fbur trees, setting
them four rods apart. They did
the job nieely, and both of them
saw that I was gratified. During
the winter they worked together like
brothers, and were faithful. In the
next April Tim and Michael dug out of
the same nursery twenty-four trees, and
set out between those that were plan
ted the fhil before. After the job was
done, Tim told ine that the trees that
were set out in the spring would
grow as much in six years as the oth
CrS would in tein. "Bedad," says Micha
el, "may you live to see me a fool,
and live on clans."
Now fur the faet. Eight years
ago this orchard of forty-eight trees
were planted. Those planted in
the fill, with the exception ot three,
lived through the ensuing summer. The
greatest growth of anty those trees was
three inches upon the tijs of the
limibs, and the least one-half inch. Tlheir
growth is now aninally but little. Last
year I. dug lip one o'f them, of medi
uon size; the ends of the bruised
roots were dreayed, and in places
where the bark was started at the
time of planting the roots were much
rotten. TIhieir b od ies were covered
with p'atches of mioss, and ther- were
unhity Aly nteiglhbors 'saida
cen was withbering t hem . ut 'Timi's
treces grew fat The t rutth was, the
wouinds began to heal sooni after the
I ranisphtinug, antd thir removal from
the nursery to the (orhatrd did niot ap
parently, delay their growth ex
etn Otte week. Tim's trees are thrice
as large as Alichael's, at d begini to
b~ear fruit, aind Tim, feels p~roudt of
his lutck. Ailichael says, "'Bedad, you
have beiat mue, andl I'll neCver p~iniat'O
ter tre'e ini the fall."
Now, whait we want is kntowledge.
Wec wvant genuine expJ'ein) ats our
guide. Beside this, inmy of' us want
Zommon 1(1 Sense, or' rather we want to
know how to use it. We haive cont
sellors in abuniidiance, but they dhither
widely in opiniion. Baron 12arry, Sur
gcon-G(eneratl ini Blonapa rt c's armny, said
that "wounds occuirrintg towar'ds~ even
ing, after the toils and umarches of the
daty, were slow to assume the heoaling
process. Such patients frequtently died
with the lock-jaw. and itf not, they got
well slowly. But if wvouds occurred
iii the miornting, when the fi-amie was
vigor'iousM, they usually healed rapllidly,
unattetided with constituttionail disease.'
Vegettable anid animial l ife agree ini
many paricuilars. li the fhil Ithe lifeb
of'a tree is dortnettt-.-in :t stae '' r.t
tigue. In the spring, aiter the sleep
of winter, it is renovated, it is ready
to expand and grow; and if a tree has..
been wounded, it heals quickly, without
rot or decav. This is common sense;
it isjust what we shlould expect. Let
the fruit-raiser take heed to these facts,
and, before he sets out a tree in the
autumn, think of Tim.
AOTION oF LIME.-As to the ques
tion of how lime acts?-there is some
diversity of opinion: but there seems
to be a concurrence of sentiment
among scientific men as to certain offi
ces which it performs, and these are
borne out by the observation of prac
tical falrmers. Amog the oflices said
to be performed by lime and marl, are
these: when appied in full quantity
upon stiff clays, it serves to disinte
grate the particles of clay and lightees
the texture of the soil, while on sands
it tends to give tenacity to them. It
desoves hard inert fibrous substances
in the soil and prepares them to be
come the food of plants. It neutrali
zes the asids' of the soil, unites with
them, and ultimately deals them out
as the food of plants, thus rendering
noxious bodies tributary to their
healthful growth. Lime is found, by
analysis, to form a part of the vege
table structure of most plants, and
hence the inference is, that it is indis
pensable to their healthful existence.
Lime, too, is said to possess the pow
er of electricity: if such be the case, it
must act as a stimulus, and like other
stimulants, if not used to express,
may exert hgihly faiendly influence
upon the constitution of plants. Shese
are but a few of the properties assign
ed to lime; and experience teaches all
sensible agriculturalists, that whenev
er judiciouslo applied to lands need
ing it, has produced the most amelio
rating effects, that lands, chiefly
through its means, aided by grass and
clover cottage, which were worn out,
have been brought to a state of fertili
ty; seeing these things, 1lt no longer
a nmtter ofsupprise that liming, Ai.t1
marling, which is virtually the same
thing, has become the fashion ; and as
fashion gives tone to public and pri
vate sentiment, no one can longer
doubt, that in a few years more most
of the old friends which now so grate
upon the feelings of the patriot will be
covered with luxuriant crops. But
we wish our agriculturial readers to
bear these truths in mind-that with
out one-fourh or one.fifth of the arable
lands being kept in clover and grass,
no progressive or permanent improve
ment can be effected-that though ex
hausted lands require lime, yet they
require animal and vegetable manure
also-that no systemn of culture can be
either intelligent or profitable, that
does not conline the culture of clover
and the grasses in its elements-that
it is useless to lime or marl wet lands
before they are drained; and that when
drained, deep and exact ploughing, and
thorough pulverization, are indispensa
ble'to full and perfect success.
Anericrm Farm er.
Origin of MaIles 11k tle United
States.
Mr. George Washington P. Curtis,
in his last paper, under the title of Re
collections aid Private Memoirs of the
Life and character of Washington,
gives the following acconnt of the. in.
troductio~n of mules into this country,
which will be Iound very interesting :
U~pon Washington's first retirement
in 173 he became convinced of the
defective r.ature of the working ani
mals employed in the agriculture of
the southern States, and set about
remedying the evil by the introduction
of mules instead of horses, the mules
being found to live longer, be less lia
ble to dliseases, requiring less food, amnd
in every respect to be more serviceable
and ecoinmical than the horse iri the
agricultural labor oft the southern
States. Up to 1783 scarcely any
mules were to be fonnd in the A meri
can confederation : a fihw had been im
ported from the Wecst Indies, but they
were of diminutive size and of little
value. So soon as the views on this
subject of the illustrious fhrmer of
Mount Vernn were known nbroai1,
he received a present from the Kinig of
Spain of a jack anid two jennies, select
edh from thea loyal stud at Madrid.
Tlhe jaec, called the Royal Gift, was
sixteen hmands high, of a gray color,
heavily made, and of a slnggish dispo.
sition.
At thme same time the Marquis do
Lalhyette sent out a jack anid jennies
from the island of Malta. This jack,
caulled the Knight oif Malta, wvas a su
perb animal, black color, with the form
of a stag and the feroeity of a tiger.
Washington availed himiselfof the best
qualities of the two jacks by crossing
the breeds, and hence obtained a fa
vorite jack, called Cmnpound, wvhich
anmiuma united the size and strength of
the Gift with the high courage and ac
tivity of the Knight. The jacks ar
rived at Mount Vernon, if we mistake
not, early in 1788. The General bred
59mi( veryu sunerior mnl from his
)oach mares, sending them from Phila.
lelphia for the purpose. In a few years
he estate of Mount Vernon -became
itocked with mules of a very superior
)rder, rising to the height of sixteen
uands, and of great power and useful
less; one wagon-team of four mules
lelling, at the sale of the General's ef
cots, for eight hundred dollars.
In no. part of- Washington's various
abors and improvements in agriculture.
was lie so particularly entitled to be
iailed as a public benefactor,:as in the
ntroduction of mules in farming labor,
hose ahimals being at. this time almost
xclusively used for farming- purposes
n the Southern States.
ScOURs IN HORsEs.-A neighbor has
given us the following statement of
uis treatment of this disease. Having
i valuable animal badly effected, he
irst parched to a brown color a
luart of corn meal, to which he added
i sufficient -quantity of water and
in ounce of laudanum, and drenched
rith the mixture.-This gave relief for
iome hours, but the disease return
ng, he boiled about a pound he
hinks, of blackberry roots with half
he quantity of sweet gum twigs, in
hree pints of water and added
in ounce phial of paregoric: when
,ool enough, gave as drench, which ef
ected a cure. In ordinary cases, he
hinks the first tried remedy would
ae sufficient.
To TAKE OUT SPOTs OF INK.-As
loon as the accident happens, wet the
lace with juice of sorrel or lemon, on
ith vinegar, and the best hard
i'hite soap.
To TAKE OUT STAINS OF CLOTR OR
3iL..-Pound French chalk fine, mix
vith lavenderwater to the thickness
)f mustard. Put on the stain; rub
t soft with the finger or palm of the
land. Put a sheet of blotting and
arown paper on tie top, an4 smooth it
witha Iron milk-warm.
Do As I Do.-This morning a
elebrated fast man from the South
End entered a refreshment saloon,
where some fifteen or twenty of his
riends are in the habit of congregat.
ng about 11 o'clock. He, with his
isual heartiness and generosity, 'ask
,d the crowd.'
They, nothing loth, stepped
3romptly up. You must all do as I
1o, said the liberal friend. Oh cer
ainly, certainly, was the universal
-esponse, 'what is yours going to be?'
I shall take brandy and water in
nine.
'Very well, we'll all take brandy
md water, they cried.'
The party drank, and the waggish
nviter laid down his fourpence upon
he counter,.and immediately retired,
vhispering in his softest tones, 'Do
Is I do, gentlemen.'
The party looked at each other
:or a moment with a most comic ex
3ression of face, when one who felt
h full force of the idea creeping
powerfully through his hair, exclaim
d, 'Sold, by!' 'Here,' he added,
.urning to the bar-keeper, 'take my
purse and treat freely for the next
len minutes?'
'I CAN'T.-Apollo! what a face!
loleful as a hearse; folded hands;
iollow chest,; whining voice; the very
picture of cowardly irr~solution.
Spring to your feet, hold up your
ecad, set your teeth together, draw
hat fine form of yours up to the
ceight that God made it; draw a
ong breath,,.and look about you.
What do you see? Why, all crea
ion taking care of number one
pushing ahead like the car of Jugger
uaut, over live victims. There it
;oes; and you can't stop it. Are
you going to lay down and be crush
.By all that's manly, no! dash
ihead! You've as good a right ~to
nount the triumphal car as your
icighbor. Snap your fingers at
:roakers; if you can't got r-ound a
itump, leaip ovedit, high and dry.
[-Iave nerves of steel, a will of iron;
uever mind sideaches, or heartaches;
work away without stopping to repine,
r to notice envy or malice. Set
your target in the clouds and aim at
t. If your arrow falls short of the
mark, what of that? Pick it up and
ire again If you should nev'er
reach it, you'll shoot higher than if
you only aim at a bush. Don't
whine, if your friends fall off. A t
~he first stroke of good luck, by
Nammon! they'll swarm around you
iea hive of beces
'IJcan't.' Oh, pahaw!I ro
gloves in your face, if I anaw
you arc a disgrace to- cordurofsa...
What! a mma -lack courage A
man want inde
to be discouraged at 0i
man afraid to face 4t f
Maker!-Whyl I'e the ti i
igated contemptfor you.
lanimous little pussy cat!
nothing manly about you
your whiskers. -
Ax UNEAsY PBDrmA
were the witness of,a Iudierolla
dent which occurred in V
few days since, for relatieg hth
crave the indulgence of the ger
directly concerned-deemisig IitoV
good a joke to be lost.
While sitting at our 4sk
boring assiduously, with pen,
and paste, to make out a,read
per for our patrons, we weryesu
"frightened from our propre y
the hasty entrance of a geL ms 4
exclaiming, "For G94's sake li 4
to see what's the snatter!r.,gotsq e
dreadful thing-scorpion or trTn'
-in the leg ofmy pantaloo
-quick-quick-help ;ne '
e instantly rose from our a ,
half tightened ourselves., "Our ifrl
had broken in so suddenly aD 6
pectedly upon us, and was so won
fully agitated that we knew nothe.
er he was indeed in his senses or a1t
We looked at him with a sort of sr
prise mixed with dread, aid'har y
knew. whether to speak wit
seize and confine hirm for a R.
The latter we came near att ),ft
There he stood, quiveringf An -RS'
with one hand, tightly graspedupon a
part of his pantaloons just in the hol -
low of the knee..
"What's the matter?" asked
at last.
"The matter!" he exlaipaed;o,
help rue! 'e 'got somethig
which justran up my -leg. me. p
fernal scorpion or lizard,-I expect! 'o'
these pants without. s'Aps;
or wear, other pair open a
bottom -long as .
feel it again."
"Feel what?" we inquired, standin
at the same time, at-a respetfulgdis
tance from the gentleman; fof we had
just been reading our Corpus Christi
correspondent's letter about shkes, lfi.
ards, and tarantulas, and began.tin
agine some deadly insect or repile In.
the leg of our fuiend's unmentionables
as they are sometimes called.
"I don't know what it is,s. sft
the gentleman; "help me to see V
is. I was just passing that pile
rubbish there, in front ~of for?"i
flee, and felt it dart up my; 6ea
quick as lightning"-and he tledeld
his fist more tightly. If it ha
the neck of an anaconda, h' w
have squeezed it to a jelly'
By this time two or threeo t
newsboy had coma in; the, lerk 4
packing boys hearing the outcy,
ped working, and. editors all
stood around the sufferer ithodh
minigled sympathy and alarmr
"Bring a chair, Frita,'f sai'd
"and let the gentleman be sei6d'- z
';Oh I can't sit," said thegedl14
"I can't bend my kneel
will bite or sting me; no, I d nA'
"Certainly you ean sitO' 4s146
"keep your leg straight obt, :a'd
we'll see what it is you have got "~
"Well, let me give it one ntde hard
squeeze; I'll erush it to deethv,". said
he, and ngain he put the force. ofa
iron vice uprn the thing, If it ha
any life left, by this last eff'ort m Y
have killed it." He then cautroiaJ
seated himself, holding out his Ilsgas
stiff and straight as a poker. NAshari
knife was produred; the, pants wer
cut open carefully, making a hole larg
enough to ad mit a hand; the gentleman
put on a thick glove, and slowly. in.
sorted his hand, 'but haeidiscovertd
nothing. We wvere all looking on hn
almost breathless silence to' see t1e
monstrous thing-whatever It nib
be; each ready to scamper. ~out
harm's way should it bei 'alive; wbpn
euddenly the gentknm becamen if
possible, more agitated than evei.
"By heavens!' he eaclaimed; sit's
inide my drawers; ' s alive, -tooI
feecl it!-quick!-give me the knife a
gain!" Another incisioni was made.
in went the gentleman's gloved, ban
once more, and lor est eamu.~
Hlow the steeking ever go tlIh
are unable to say;s het tl~r ori
tairrly was; anid such a lauh
lowed, we haven't fseair P.
a day. Ouir fiend, we
told the joke himnself Pn~
don us for do i
is all abo a ah
e spotodtli
Fo~i rau . ot to disapp~t~