The people. (Camden, S.C.) 1904-1911, March 31, 1904, Image 1
?1.50 PER YEAR.
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
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HHWMAL xom AMS? mm.
Ailniilil fcjr Dm OiImiIIm O^jrHght
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Lieut. Totten now predicts that the
worM will oome to end la 1919.
There are wan members of Congress
-who have a Mspieton that the end wil1
come next November.
Japan has declined to take the apace
mm< by Be? la at the St. Looie Ex
position. Her ambition Is centered on
aecapjln;? the space whioh she expects
Russia to vacate in Korea.
There are indications that the Mor
mon apostles are locking to the Senate
Committee on Privileges and Elections
for their next revelations.
It la necessary for the French Canal
Company to turn over a lot of material
and things to the ITrited States. There
Will be no objection if the Frenchmen
hold out the Chagree fever and the
mosquitoes.
There is no longer any queatlon
about the presence of spring. North
Carolina la sending her first shipments
of Vermont maple sugar syrup to mar
net.
Booker Washington wants to see the
negro elevated, but doea not approve
the Ohio way of doing it.
"Who are benefitted by warf'aaks
. the peace-loving Savannah News. Well,
there are the map makers for a starter.
While he ostensibly opposes tbe im
portunities of his friends who want
him to ran for the Prealdency, Mr.
Cleveland Is too good a fisherman to
miss the sport of rising to the best bait
?very time It Is thrown to him.
? Congressmen msy be pardoned if
he Inquires what is the use of having a
pull If he is not allowed to use It.
Many a man la or jdited with having
"sporting blood in bis veins*' when an
analyaia would ahow that it was no
thing but booze in his blood.
The Birds Our Friends.
Every meadowlark that visits
jour farm should be encouraged
to stay and make its abode on
your premises. It is the friend
that will help you destroy cut
worms and grasshoppers iu the.
The meadowlark is distinctive
ly a ground bird. It nests on
the ground, and feeds on the
ground. Occasionally'^ may be,
seen setting on a telegraph post j
or tree for a few minutes, but it 1
prefers to get no farther from
the earth than a fence top. From
careful examination, by authen
tic authority, it has been found
that the food of the meadowlark
is made up largely of insects. Its
vegetable diet consists of a few
jgrains of cultivated plants and
the seeds of noxious weeds, but
?chiefly of the latter. The in
sects it eats are mostly beetles,
caterpillars and grasshoppers,
fiome of these beetles are inju
rious to cultivated crops, and
some ane not. The caterpillars
are those popularly known as
cut worms, which are hard to
destroy by artificial means, from
the fact that they spend a great
deal of their time beneath the
surface of the soil. They come
up only long enough to cut off
stalks of young grasses which
they drag back into their holes.
But the meadowlark knows their
liabit and picks them up while
they are doing the mischief.
Nearly all birds are beneficial,
rather than detrimental, to the
farmer. They eat some grain,
to be sure, but mostly that which
shatters off in the fields and
would never be utilised. Even if
all -the grata they use was a
direct loss it would not be so
great as the loss incurred bjr the
insects which they kill.
Don't.
Don't give young turkeys when
taken off nests <a round pod of
black pepper. It matters not
if your mother, grand-mother,
and grand maternal ancestors
back to Kve so peppered young
turkeys. Don't do it. If you
pepper, give it ground, and
than it will not grind to death
the little turkeys.
Don't cut off the tails of young
dtfoks, geese, etc. We don'tcare
If the geese that saved Rome had
their tails cut off, don't do it.
God kndws best what tails the
young ducks and "geese need,
and has given the tail for some
purpose, among others a sort of
balancing rod. >
Don't pull off the pip of sick
chicks. It matters not who cries
"sick chicken wid de pip," and
what old cold mammy advises to
Mpull off de pip or de chicken will
die, *' don't you do it. God pro
vided the pip on the tongue of
chicks, and it is not needful for
you to know what the purpose
is, only don't pull it off.
* To Make The Town Grow.
Mr. 8. A. Fishburn, secretary
of the Commercial Club, of Dal
las, Texas, has prepared a set of
rules for making a town grow.
He guarantees their efficacy.
Here tney go:
1. Join no organizations look
ing to the upbuilding of your
town. This will prove an
encouragement to those who
give their time and money to
sustain such organizations.
2. Impugn the motives of
those who join and charge them
with a desire to advertise them
selves. This inspires patriotic
men to work all the haider for
the public good.
8. Pour cold water on every
new home enterprise, predict its
early failure, and contribute to
that end by patronizing its rivals
in other towns. This will
encourage others to put their
money in home enterprises.
4. When a committee calls on
you for a contribution to any
good cause, act like a sore-head
ed bear, and yield up what you
do give as begrudgingly as
possible. This lightens the burd
ens of the committee mem and
sends them on their way rejoic
ing in their work of love.
5. When strangers visit your
town let then wander around
alone and enlighten themselves
by reading the signs and pump
ing the professional loafer. They
will carry away a delightful re
membrance of their visit and ad
vertise the town wherever they
go.
0. "Cuss out" your public
officials (to their backs, of course)
and accuse them of everything
from petty larceny to high
treason, no matter whether you
can substantiate your charge or
not. This will prove a keen in
centive to the complete fulfiill
ment of their official obligations.
7. Whenever your town papers
differ in the slightest with your
ideas of public policy, declare
that it has been bought up and
promptly cutoff your patronage.
The editor will turn the other
oheek and redouble his efforts in
behalf of thetown and its "good
people."
8 . Oppose any enterprise which
is not in exact accordance with
your own ideas. This will be con
ductive to that spirit of conces
sion and unity which is necessary
to progress.
*. Give sparingly, if at all, to
movements for the general good
of the town, even if you are the
largest property owner in it.
This will spur on to greater
exertions the public spirited
citizens your town now has and
induoe the coming of others.
10. Observe these rules close
ly and there can be no doubt
about the growth of your town.
It will grow and continue to
grow? up in weeds? until it shall,
ultimately become fit habitation
alone for bats and owls.
We believe that some of our 1
people already understand and
employ the principles here for
mulated but they are not enough;
to make the system completely j
effective. A wider employment'
of the rules will accomplish;
something definite. Now is the
timo to organize.
?
Chicken Column.
Poultry an Essential Part of
Farm Work.
Chickens form an essential
part of the stock upon farms.
The twelfth census shows (that
there were 5,739,656 farms in
tne United States in 1900, and it
is safe to say that those which
did not have chickens anion# the
stock were few indeed. The
census also shows that there
were 250,681,593 fowls (chickens,
turkeys, geese and ducks) in the
United States. This gives an
average of 42 to every farm.
Poultry not on farms is omit
ted from the census bulletins,
hence that on farms only is here
considered. The raising ot poul
try in the villages of the country
M a matter of no small import
ance, and the totals would no
doubt greatly augment the farm
totals.
The value of all fowls on
farms In 1900 was, $85,794,996.
It is difficult to estimate bow
much should ' be deducted from
this sum to represent the fowls
under the age of three months,
but evidently the amount would
be considerable. Whatever re
mains over such deduction repre
sents quite accurately the poul
try stock, that is, that which is
kept for breeding and laying.
Let us assume that this reduced
amount is $70,000,000, which is
certainly not too low. Now we
have 250,681,593 fowls, worth
$70,000,000, producing for mar
ket in one year poultry worth
$186,891,877 and eggs worth
$144,286,870 ? a total value of
$281,178,247. In seeking for the
causes of this startling situation
one must not overlook the great
amount of work done by the me
chanical incubator, which is not
only fully as successful as the
hen but does its work on a very
large scale. oThe use of the in
cubator has made- it the duty of
the hen to devote her whole time
to the production of egg g.
In 83 of the states and territo
ries the value of the egg exceeds
the value of the poultry product,
while in the remaining 19 the re
verse is true. In the production
of eggs, Iowa Jeads, with 99,
621,920 dozens, worth $10,016,
707. Ohio comes next as to
amount, with 91,766,630 dozens,
worth $10,280,769. Although Io
wa has about 8,000,000 dozens of
eggs more than Ohio, the value
of the product of the lattor state
was considerably higher. Illi
nois takes the third place for
eggs, with 86,402,670 dozens,
worth $8,942,401, and Missouri
comes next with 85,203,290 doz
ens, worth $8,815,871.
There were produced on farms
in 1899 1,298,618,144 dozens of
eggs. This amounts to 48,127,
272 crates of 80 dozens each. An
ordinary refrigerator car, which
has an average length of about
48.5 feet, holds 400 crates. AU
this means, then, that a train of
these cars sufficient to carry the
product of 1899 would be 868
miles long, or long enough to.
reach from Chicago to Washing-,
ton and have several miles of
cars to spare.
Another statement that will no
doubt come as a surprise, is that
the egg product of 1899 valued
at a higher figure than the com*
bined gold and silver product of
ithe United States during any
ye ar since 1850, except for the
one year of 1900.
? The poultry and egg product
of 1899 exoeeded in value the
wheat crop of 28 states and ter
ritories, as folio ws: Alabama,
Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut,
District of Columbia, Florida,
Georgia, Illinois, Indian territo
ry, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Mas
sachusetts, Mississipi, Missouri,
New Hampshire, New Jersey,
New York, North Carolina,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island,
South Carolina, Texas, Vermont,
Virginia, West Virginia, Wis
consin and Wyoming.
While the very large majority
6t the fowls on farms were chick
ens, there were enough turkeys,
geese and ducks to demand at
tention. In 1900 there were 6,
599,367 turkeys, 5,676,863 geese
and 4,808,355 ducks, not inclu
ding any under three months
old. Texas leads in the number
of turkeys, with 648,671; Ken
tucky in the number of geese,
having reported 541,475. As to
ducks, Iowa takes the lead with
487,752. ? United States Depart
ment of Agriculture.
Don't Coddle Chicks.
It is a great mistake to coddle
chicks; too close confinement,
too much feeding and in a word
over-care kills more chicks than
neglect.
Would you learn a lesson in
sensible practical poultry, then
go to the negro tenant's country
cabin. You will find bens with
broods of 12 to 20 chicks, never
cooped, ranging freely in sun
shine and ' shade, wandering in
woods, fields and* meadows,
chigpitig Cheerily in morning
fall chill, and healthy, happy
and fat and plump and hardy.
The negro feeds little, and
that scraps, dry dough, or corn
bread crumbs, and trusts old hen
to find food and shelter.
As broilers or frying size as
you prefer, the negroes' chickens
are fat, plump, juicy and abund
ant about his cabin,
His hens lay constantly, and
cackle merrily, and the old co.k
struts and crows, and voices
health and happiness among his.
family of fowls.
An Early Error.
A few years ago a great Texas
daily, in calling attention to ar
tificial hatchers, then on exhibi
tion in its city, said that the
main advantage the artificial
over the natural method of hatch
ing was the saving of time;
that whereas it took twenty-one
days ordinarily to hatch hens'
eggs thy old way, these ma
chines operated by steam would
hatch in less than half that time.
A Few Hogs.
A hog is a person who sits
sideways in a car where other
passengers are standing.
A hog is a person who jams
his suit case in front of you at
the railway station so as to get
your place in the line to the
gate. |
A hog is a person who "breaks
in" while you are negotiating in
a store and takes the attention
of the saleswoman away from
you.
A hog is person*who opens his
window in the railway car and
allows dust and cinders to fly in
the face ot the passengers be
hind, though he would not tole
rate an open window at the seat
next in front.
A hog is a person who insists
on discussing *'the mutability of
human affairs" with the ticket
?eller at the theater whon there
is a long "Indian file" in his
rear ana the curtain is about to
be rung up on the performance.
? Cincinnati Commercial.
j FARM CLIPPINGS.
The Bent Seed Corn the Cheapest
John H. Ver Steeg is the name
of an Iowa farmer who has come,
through actual experience, to
recognize the value of the best
seed corn. He told the Iowa
Homestead that, as a result of
reading so much about the im
portance of giving attention to
the matter of improving crops,
he last spring decided to pur
chase some highly bred seed
oorn. "I paid $5 for two bush
els of corn in the ear. From
that corn I am sure the crop av
eraged ten bushels per acre more
than the crop from my own seed.
You can see, therefore, from
this that the $2. 50 corn was, af
ter all, much cheaper than my
own <seed, which would posibly
be worth little more than what
it would bring for feeding pur
poses.
When asked what were his
^>lans for the selection of seed
for the next year's crop, Mr. Ver
Stceg said:
"I have already picked out
fifteen or twenty bushels of the
best corn grown on the fourteen
acres which I had planted w\th
this improved seed. This has
been placed in a well ventilated
room, being spread out in a thin
layer over the floor. When I fin
ish my fall work it is my inten
tion to spend considerable tide
in selecting from this lot the few
bushels that I shall require for
seed next year. I would not take
$10 per bushel and permit an ex
pert corn man to take the best
three bushels from that seed, al
though there is no question in
my mind but what I could get
the price for the asking." ^
This is but one case in many,
but it points the way for all
growers of corn. Good seed is
the essentia 1 first step to large
crops of first-class corn. The
better the seed the better the
crop, and the bigger the yield.
Curbing Balky Monies.
A horse may refuse to start
just from "pure cussedness," or
there may be some other cause
which a skilled driver may find
out. First ot all, look to the bit,
se9 that it does not hurt the
gums, inspect it, advises a well
posted writer on the equine.
Then look to tfee shoulders un
der the collar, and feel if the
animal flinches from pressure,
for there may be injury there,
even without the presence of a
wound, or the collar may press
on the windpipe. This would
make a horse in harness balk.
If no manifest reason for not
starting can be discovered, pro
.ceed as follows: While speaking
to the animal, pass the hand
down the front leg to the coro
net, lift the hoof up pretty high,
and then, with anything, as a
as a stone, strike each nail in
the shoe, with a final tap on the
frog of the hoof, thon say some
thing to the horse as you suddenl y
let the foot drop to tho ground,
and the driver gathers up the
reins sufficient for tho animal to
feel tho bit. Tho horse's attention
will have been diverted by what
has been done, and he will often
start off at once, if it has been a
matter of ill temper. Tnis de
vice has been rarely known to
fail, if the horse feels that he is
master of the load behind him.
Vho Gait of Walking.
The walk of a young horse is
largely influenced by the driver.
If you put a horse into the care
of a slow, idle man, or if a young
horse is driven by a slow, care
less man, the animal will acquire
a habit of slow motion that will
be difficult to overcome. In a
.majority of cases a slow, trailing
gait makes really harder work
for the horse. A moderate quick
walk, with at least all ordinary
farm work, exhausts the animal
less that a slow gait.
Another point that should al
ways be considered is, that when
a horse is allowed to get into the
habit of moving slowly, he be
comes aged and incapacitated be
fore his natural time; his joints
and sinews becomes stiff and con
tracted, and he is less valuable,
not only to his owner for use,
but must be sold at a much lower
price if placed upon the market.
So far as conditions will preuvit,
a young horse that is being train
ed for work should be worked
with an older animal that has
been trained to move fairly quick,
as he will not only bo a more
valuable animal, but prove more
profitable to all concerned.
Johnny's IS s nay on the Hog.
The hog is called a hog b'cuz
he makes a hog of himself. It
runs in the family. All hogs are
hogs.
The hog has two sides to bis
character, one of which is good
to eat, and the other we can't so'
cordully admire. As an article
of diet the hog is one of the
warmest friends to the human
race that I know of. Most ot him
is gpod for food, and the rest is
useful for making sausages,
bristle brushes and other uten
sils. Nearly everything about
him is palatable but his voice.,
The latter always seems to mo
to sound as if it had kind o*
soured. It is said that you can't
make a silk purse out of a ? er ? .
h'm! ? lady hog's ear. I have
never heard vof any fool big
enough to try it.
As a citizen, tho hog is not so
warm. His manners and instincts
are gross in tho extreme, and
his sola ambition 'pears to be to
eat from early morn till far into
the night. When a man dies ho
becomes the late Mr. So-and-so,
and we say nice things about
him. When a hog is dead ho is
pork, and pa often says, "Con
found this pork!'* When I eat
too much pa calls me a pig. A
pig is a hog's little boy. This is
all I know about tho hog.
Items.
Occasionally women make fools
of men, but they are not respon
sible for all the fools.
A light corn crop never had
any effect on the crop of corn
whisky. This is ono form of
corn, the use of which is not
commended. Corn whisky is a
robber, and robs the brain as the
soil robber does the pocketbook.
If a person desires to bocomo
rich ho will will find wisdom pos
sesses better staying qualities
than wealth. The pleasure of
to-day which leaves a bitter taste
to-morrow is not pleasure; it is
all vexation of spirit and a do
stroyer of all moral principles.
Whether white, red 01* black,
tho hogs should be profitable.
Get none but the best of the
breed. It is not a good plan to
sell otf all the young sows after
the first litter. Old sows provo
to be tho best breeders, and they
rear tho strongest pigs.
Somo men have troublo be
cause they do not appreciate
their wives Becauso AdamQsin
ned many mon excuse their ac
tions by laying a great many ills
on the wife. The man who con
siders his wife as hedoes himself
will be devoted to her instead of
making trouble for her.
Are we doing our best? We
may not even be ablo to do as
well as our neighbor does. But
wo are able to do as well as wq
can do. No man will te held r/k
sponsible for what he cannot Aq>,
but he should be held responsi
ble for what he can d/G>, We
ought to he doing our feest just
now.