Corvallis Gazette.
PUBLISHED
EVERY FRIDAY M0RNIK8
BY
W. JEJ. CARTER,
Editor and Proprietor.
TERMS:
(coin.)
Per Tear,
MX Xontba.
I tore Months,
63 ft
1 Ii9
I 04
INVARIABLY IN ADVANCE.
CITY ADVERTISEMENTS.
ML 8. WOODCfCK,
Attorney and Counselor at Law,
COBVALLIN
IIKKUD.V
OFFICE ON FIRST STREET, OPP. WOOD
COCK & BALDWIN'S Hardware store.,
Special attention given to Collections, Fore
closure of Mortgages, Real Estate cases, Probate
and Road matters.
Will also buy and sell City Property and Farm
Lands, on reasonable terms.
March 20, 1879. 16-12yl
F. A. CHENOWCTH,
ATTORNEY AT LAW,
C'VRVALLIS,
i OKI .
J-OFFICE, Corner of Monroe and Second
treet. I6-Jtf
J. W. RAYBUf ,
ATTORNEY AT LAW,
(WBTALL1H, t : ORIOOX. .
OFFICE On Monroe street, between Second and
Third.
Special attention given Co the Collection
otes and Accounts. 16-ltf
JAMES A. YANTIS,
Attorney and Counselor at Law,
fORVALLIN,
ORKOON.
tyiLL PRACTICE IN ALL THE COURTS
of the State. Special attention given to
Blatters in Probate. Collections will receive
t-ompt and careful attention. Office in the Court
(oum. 16:ltf.
DR. F. A. ViNCENT,
I J2 NTIST.
CORVALLIS
REfiON,
(OFFICE IX FISHER'S BRICK OVER
Max. Friendlev's New Store. All the atest
improvements. Everything new and complete.
All work warranted. Plea-e give me a call.
15:3tr
G. R. FARRA, M. D,
PHYSICIAN AND KVRGEOA,
QFFICE OVER GRAHAM A HAMILTON'S
v Drugstore, Corvallis, Oregon. 14-2ttf
j. R. BRYSON,
ATTORNEY AT LAW.
All business will receive prompt
attention.
COLLECTIONS A SPECIALTY
Corvallis, July 14, 1879. 16:29tf
NEW TIN SHOP.
J. K. Webber, Pro.,
CAisr mt,.
COHVALL18.
STOVES AND TINWARE
All KimN.
Jl&f All work warranted and at reduced rates.
12:13tf.
W. C. CRAWFORD,
DEALER IN
WATCHES,
CLOCKS,
JEWELRY, J3PECTACLES, SILVER WAIIE,
' etc. Also,
Musical Instruments 3fco
SS-Repairing done at the most reasonable
rates, and all work warranted.
Corvallis, Dec 13, 1877. U:50tf
GRAHAM, HAHILTiU & CO.,
CORVALLIN ... tiRGUOS
DEALERS IN
Drugs, Paints,
MEDICINES,
CHEMICALS, DYE STUm,
out,
CLASS
AKD
PUTTY.
PURE WINES AKD LQiUBS
FOR MEDICINAL USE.
And also the the very best assortment of
Lamps and Wall Paprr
ever brought to this place.
son
VOL. XVI.
CORVALLIS, OREGON, FRIDAY. AUGUST 8, 1879.
NO. 32.
The Breakwater at
Cape Foulweather,
Is a necessity and owing: to an increased
demand for
OOOIS ITV OUR LINE,
W
E HAVE THE PLEASURE OF STATING THAT WE HAVE THE LARGEST AND
best selected stock of
GENERAL MERCHANDISE
Ever brought to this market, and our motto, in the future, as it has been in the past, shall be
SMALL PROFITS AND QUICK SALES," thus enabling the Farmers of Benton County to buy
Goods 25 per cent, less than ever before.
We also have in connection a large stock of
Soots and Shoes, Hats and Caps,
Privately by our Mr. Sheppard, at a Large Bankrupt Sale in San Francisco, at 50 cents on the
dollar, which will be kept separate from our regular stock, and will extend the same bargains to
customers who will give us a call. As a sample of our psices, we will cell
Shoes from QOc to
Boots from 1 to S3 SO.
Hats from 55 to SI
Back Gloves, SO cents.
Silk Handkerchiefs 3o.
Grass Cloth S cents.
Kid Gloves, 75 cents to Si.
Don't forget the place, one deor south of the post office.
Corvallis, May 7, 1879.
Sheppard, Jayeox & Co.
17:19m3
CORVALLIS
Livery, Feed
...AND...
SALE STABLE,
oi-VHlIi Lodge He 14, r. A. M.
Holds stated Communications on Wednesday on
or preceding each full moon. Brethren in good
standing cordially invited to attend. By order
W.M.
Barnnm Lodge He. 7, I. O. O. Y .
Meets on Tuesday evening of each week, in
their hall, in Fisher's brick, second story. Mem
bers of the order in good standing invited to at
tend. "By order of if. G.
Jkftln Mt Cotval Is, Orcson,
SOL. KING, - Porpr.
QWNING BOTH BARNS I AM PREPARED
to offer superior accommodations in the Liv
ery line. Always ready for a drive,
GOOD TEAMS
At Low Bates.
My stables are first-class in every respect, and
competent and obliging hostlers always
ready to serve the public.
SEASONABLE CHARGE FOB HIRE.
rarUealar attention Pal 4 to Boat rd lag
Morses.
ELEGANT HEARSE, CARRIAGES AND
HACKS FOR FUNERALS
Corvallis, Jan: 3, 1879.
l:lyl
AGENTS FOR THE
ftVCtllL CHEKICU P;lT,
SUPERIOR TO ANY OTHER.
ar Physicians P e.crlptions i
(MlW CSBipoayded.
18-2tf
LANDS ! FARMS! HOMES!
f HAVE FARMS, (Improved and unim-
proved,) STORES and MILL PROPERTY,
very desirable,
FOR SALE.
These lands are cheap.
Also claims in unsurveyed tracts for sale.
Soldiers of the late rebellion who have, under
he Soldiers' Homestead Act, located and made
final proof on less than 169 acres, can dispose of
the balance to me.
Write (with stamps to prepay postage).
R. A. BENSELL,
Newport, Benton county, Oregon.
16:2tf
Woodcock & Baldwin
(Successors to J. R Bayley & Co,)
XTEEP CONSTANTLY ON HAND AT THE
old stand a large and complete stock of
Heavy and Shelf Hardware,
IRON, STEEL.
TOOLS, STOVES,
RANGES, ETC
Manufactured and Home Made
Tin and Copper Ware,
Pumps, Pipe, Etc.
A good Tinner constantly on hand, and all
Job Work neatly and quickly done.
Also agents for Knapp, Burrell & Co.,
for the sale of the best and latest im
proved FARM MACHINERY,
of all kinds, together with a fall assort
ment of Agricultural Implements.
Sole Agents for the celebrated
ST. LOUIS CHARTER OAK STOVES
the BEST IN THE WORLD. Also the
Norman Range, and many other patterns,
in all sizes and styles.
t Particular attention paid to Farmers'
wants, and the supplying extras for Farm
Machinery, and all information as to such
articles, tarnished cheerfully, on applica
tion. No pains will be spared to furnish oar
customers with the best goods in market,
in our line, and at the lowest prices.
Our motto shall be, prompt and lair
dealing with all. Call and examine our
stock, before going elsewhere. Satisfac
tion guaranteed.
WOOKCOCK & BALDWIN.
Corvallis, May, 12, 1879. 14:4tf
JOHN 8. BAKER, PRO.
CORVALLIS, . OBK60N.
JJAVING BOUGHT THE ABOVE MAR
ket and fixtures, and permanently located
in Corvallis, I will keep constantly on hand the
choicest cuts of
BEEF, PORK, MUTTON AND VEAL.
Especial attention to making extra Bologna
Sausage.
Being a practical butcher, with large experi
ence in business, I flatter myself that I can give
satisfaction to customers. Please call and give
me a trial. - JOHN S. BAKER.
Dec. 6th, 1878. 15:49tf.
ROBERT N. BAKER.
Fashionable Tailor,
"FORMERLY OF ALBANY, WHERE HE
has determined to locate in Corvallis, where he
hopes to be favored with a share of the public
patronage. All work warranted, when made
unuer nus supervision, xv.-pa.inug anu Cleaning
promptly attended to.
Corvallis, Nov. 28, 1878. 15:48ft.
Grain Storage t
A Word to Farmers.
TTAVING PURCHASED THE COMMODI
ous warehouse of Messrs. King and Bell,
and thoroughly overhauled the same, I am now
ready to receive grain for storage at the reduced
Bate of -A- cts. per Bushel
I am also prepared to keep Extra, White
Wheat, separate from other lots, thereby enabling
me to SELL AT A PREMIUM. Also prepared
to pay the
Higliest Market Price.
for wheat, and would most respectfully solicit a
share of public patronage. T. 3. BLAIR.
Uorvallis, Aug. 1, 1878. i:3ZU
ALLE9 & WOODWARD,
Druggists
and
Apothecaries,
P. O. BUILDING. CORVALLIS, OREGON.
Have a complete stock of
DRUQS, MEDICINES, PAINTS, OIL,
GLASS, ITC, ETC
Bobool I'ooks "tatloneny, fco.
We bay for Cash, and have choice of the
FRESHEST and PUREST Drugs and Medicines
the market affords.
Prescriptions accurately prepared at half
the usual rates. 2Mayl6:18tf
FRESH GOODS
AT THE
BAZAR FASHIONS
Mrs. E. A.. KNIGHT.
COBTAUU, ... OBEOOar.
Has just received from San Francisco, the larg
est and Best Stock of
Millinery tiootis,
Dress Trimmings, flte
Ever brought to Corvallis, which I will sell at
prices that defy competition.
Amrnmr r M iaorl'i reliable
Patterns.
25aprl:17tf
Melancholy and High Spirits.
San Francisco Bulletin.
Since the days of the melancholy
Dane there has been a great prepon
derance of low-spirited men in tho
world. Hypocondria is a disease of
civilization, it cannot be said to be
a feature of savage life. It is true
the May lay runs a muck. Sut he is
half civilized. Moreover, his craze
is not so much from depression of
spirits as from a desperate exalta
tion. It is not easy to understand all
the phases of savage lite. The more
familiar phases indicate a joyous peo
ple. The savage of the tropics has few
cares. Nothing seems to him more
ridiculous than the thoughtfulness
and earnestness of civilized people.
In his estimation they are slaves to
conventional usages. Why should
they be forever at work? Why
should they go through life carrying
tremendous burdens all their days,
when it is easy enough to recline un
der a cocoanut tree and let the fruit
drop down as from an opening
heaven? What is all this enigma of
store clothes, laces, broadcloth and
gloomy houses from which the sun is
shut as if it were an enemy? Is
there to be no freedom from care in
the world? Just as these men have
accumulated their millions, they die.
They could have lived happily with
out their millions; lived lives of
dreamy indolence without a thought
for the morrow, and lived longer by
many years than the average dura
tion of civilized life. Then as to
the food of civilized races. There
are no dyspeptics among savages.
The sun and the free air of heaven
work wonders upon him. He can
eat food which would kill a white
man, and that without inconvenience.
At the same time his roast pig in
plantain leaves, cooked by means of
hot stones in the bottom of a hole in
the ground, may be a dish fit to feast
the gods.
Melancholy is the disease of civili
zation. In its mildest form it is sim
ply low spirits, depression, undue
anxiety touching trivial matters.
There is the harassing desire to sup
ply the long list of artificial wants
which civilization has created. - And
the worst phase of all is that civili
zation goes on creating these wants.
It cheapens many commodities, but
it inserts new desires and creates new
articles which a long time only the
wealthy few can attain. The ideal
standard of living for thousands is to
attain as many luxuries as the rich
possess. In nine cases out of ten the
attainment of great wealth has been
made at too great cost. It has in
volved loss of health, and the utter
capacity to enjoy it. What is chiefly
to be noted is the absence of high
spirits among the mass of the people.
Civilization ought to bring morejoy
ousness of life. The trouble, per
haps, is that the very manner of liv
ing is too complex. There are too
many secrets, too many burdens, and
consequently too many anxieties.
The insane asylums fill rapidly. Too
many die at just that period when
they have got ready to live. They
break down just past the period of
middle life, when the faculties are all
ripened and the individual ought to
be at his best.
This absence of high spirits is also
fatal to wit. It is not likely that
there will be an utter extinction of
witty people. But they at times be
come so scarce that the poorest apol
ogy for wit is accepted in default of
something better. A writer quoted
in the Nineteenth Century holds the
following opinion:
There is now no fun in the world.
Wit we have, and an abundance of
grim humor, which evokes anything
but mirth. Nothing would astonish
us in the Midway Inn so much as a
peal of laughter. A great writer
(though it must be confessed scarcely
an amusing one), who has recently
reached his journey's end, used to
describe his animal spirits depre
ciatingly, as being at the best but
vegetable spirits. And that is now
the way with us all. When Charles
Dickens died, it was confidently
stated in a great literary journal that
his loss, so far from affecting "the
gaiety of nations," would scarcely be
felt at all ; the power of rousing tears
and laughter being (I suppose the
writer thought) so very common.
That prophecy has by no means been
fulfilled. . But what is far worse than
there being no humorous writers
amongst us, the faculty of . appre
ciating even the old ones is dying
out. There is no such thing as high
spirits anywhere.
The melancholy of the educated
English is the topic of a leading
article in the same publication.
There are hints of over-education.
It is said that when an Indian comes
in contact with our civilization he is
a sadder man. This may be the re
sult of a contact with the vices of
civilization. The wits of the world
have been men and women of high
spirits. Dickens, Thackeray, and the
circle of English wits who flourished
a few years ago, were notably men
of great buoyancy of spirit. They
had found the secret zest of life.
People will go night after night to a
negro minstrel performance, not so
much for the music, which is gen
erally good, as for the jokes and
repartees of the end men. They take
the medicine of laughter as a hearts
ease. The apostle of laughter is now
wanted in the world tho witty man
who can drive away the first symp
toms of insanity, and who can keep
a multitude of overburdened hearts
from breaking. No doubt he will be
considered an irreverent fellow, and
one to be lightly esteemed by stolid
people. Just now one may count up
all the English-speaking wits of the
world on his fingers. The best of
them have the world at their beck
and call. A witty dramatization in
the hands of a good actor will run at
a single theater a hundred nights. It
will be just as fresh for the next
place, as so keep its place on the
stage for years. The actor makes a
fortune more certainly than he would
as an owner of the best gold mine.
The writer of a dozen witty stanzas
becomes famous all over the world.
The fever patient does not more cer
tainly need quinine than does a joy
less people need the medicine of the
man of wit. Therefore, let him come
and not stand on the order of his
coming.
New Burial of Sir John Moore.
Not a dram was heard, because the
drummer was not feeling very well and
asked to be excused, nor a funeral note
of any kind, as his corpse to the ram
parts we hurried; not a single, solitary
son-of-a-gun of a soldier discharged ms
farewell shot o'er the grave where the
remains of the late Mr. Moore were de
posited. The farewell-shot business
was omitted on account of the scarcity of
ammunition. We buried him darkly at
dead of night, and did the best job we
could for him under the circumstances.
We could not borrow, beg, or steal a
pick or shovel in the entire neighbor
hood, and were obliged to turn the
sod with our bayonets, which by
the way, was the first thing that
had been turned by said bayonets since
we had been drafted. We did all this
by the struggling moonbeams' misty
light, and the lantern dimly burning,
with just about half enough oil in it,
and a strip of an old flannel undershirt
for a wick. J?ew and short were the
prayers we said, the chaplain being home
on a furlough, and no one within forty
miles to take his place. We spoke not a
word of sorrow, our time being some
what limited, as the enemy was not far
distant, and advancing with gigantic
strides. We thought, as we hollowed his
narrow bed, and smoothed down his lone
ly pillow with a canteen, that the foe and
the stranger would tread o'er his head,
and we far away on the billow ; but not
too far, however, as the enemy outnum
bered us about seven to one. Lightly
they'll talk of the spirit that's gone, and
wonder where they can get another flask
filled with the same, and o'er his cold
ashes upbraid him, knowing of course,
that he is in no condition to defend him
self; but he'll little reck if they let him
sleep on in a grave where a Briton has
laid him, and not bother him to get up
and take out a burial permit, or ask him
to pay ground rent. We wish here to
correct the impression that slowly and
sadly we laid him down from the field of
his fame fresh and gory. We did no such
thing. The corpse was washed and put
in good shape, and we defy any man to
show that there was a drop of gore about
him. It is true that we carved not a line
and we raised not a stone, because there
was no stone-mason handy to do the job
at reasonable figures. About this time
we heard the distant and random gun
that the foe was sullenly firing, so we
adjourned the funeral, left the deceased
alone in his glory, and made ourselves
scarce in that vicinity.
Ihe Days of Jackson.
Zulu Preparations for Fight.
When a chief is about to fight with an
other, he calls his army doctor, who
brings intelzi, which be bruises, places in
a pot, pours water on it, and then squeezes
it with bis nana, and mixes it witn water.
The long tail of a large animal, which is
well known, called the gnu, is placed in
the vessel, and is used to sprinkle with.
The army forms a semi-circle, and no one
speaks ; there is perfect silence ; for, in
deed, when an army is being led out to
war, no one speaks, even a little ; it is
an evil day, for men are going to die,
and they eat nothing. The doctor
sprinkles the whole army, going
round the whole circle. When an army
has had this done to it, no one among
them may associate with his family at
home ; if a man breaks this rule, he "kills
himself, making his eyes dark ;" that is,
he has made himself stupid, he has lost
his sense, so that when he goes into bat
tle he must surely be killed. On the day
when troops are summoned, and assem
ble at the chiefs headquarters, cattie are
always slaughtered. The meat first eaten
is black, being smeered with a powder
made of dried flesh of various animals
leopard, lion, elephant, etc. The Zulus
believe by these medicines to impart
the fierce and powerful qualities
of the different beasts. The whole force par
takes of this wonderful meat before going
into battle, that they may be brave and
not fearful. When the doctor has finished
sprinkling the army, the chief comes into
the midst of it, and addresses the soldiers,
praising the "Amatongo," or spirits of his
ancestors. He ends with an admonition
to fight as becomes a brave nation ; he
says "Troops of our people who con
quered so-and-so. I shall hear of
your doings. The sun is in the
sky ; I have this day given the enemy
into the hands of such-and-such a
regiment, and I direct you to follow it.
If yon do not conquer, you will disgrace
yourselves. My father was a brave ; he
was never known to be a coward. Let
the assegais wound you in front, let there
be no wound in the back. If I see you
coming back conquered, I will kill you ;
you will find no place for you here at
home. I, too, am an enemy if you are
cowards." Then there would begin leap
ing and rattling of spears against their
shields ; some shooting and making vows,
and then the chief dismisses the army.
old hickory's last night in the white
HOUSE.
When Senator Allen arrived in Wash
ington he found the city filled with
strangers who came from all parts of the
country to be present at the inaugura
tion of President-elect Van Buren.
Among them were a number of leading
men from Ohio, and they occupied so
much of their newly-elected Senator's
time, that it was not until late on the
night of the 3d of March that he had an
opportunity of speaking informally and
freely with his life-long friend, President
Jackson. On that night, however, he
went to the White House, a Senator of
the nation, to see the man who, little
more than twenty years before, in the
Lynchburg tavern, and laughed over his
boyish curiosity, and wondered at his
ready tongue. Without ceremony, be
ing well known to the attendants, he
was shown into the President s bed
chamber, Chief Justice Taney and Sena
tor For sy the of Georgia, afterward Minis
ter to Spain and Secretary of State, were
already in the room, and Jackson him
self active, and to a certain -extent rest
less, as usual, stood in the middle of the
floor smoking a short corn-cob pipe. He
congratulated Allen warmly upon his
election to the Senate, and then calling
to a young Irishman who acted as his
Dody-servant and waiter, turned to his
visitors and said:
" Gentlemen, I think the occasion will
warrant me in breaking over one of my
own rules. Let us drink a little Madeira."
The wine was brought. Jackson took
a small glassful it was the first liquor
he had been known to touch for seven
months and then, asking his friends to
excuse him for a few moments, he fin
ished writing a letter upon which he was
engaged, sealed, directed it, and light
ing his cob pipe again, took a whiff or
two, and stood watching the face of a
great, tall, old-fashioned clock, which
stood in the corner. It was five minutes
before midnight, five minutes before the
beginning of the day upon which An
drew Jackson would cease to be Presi
dent of the United States. Slowly the
minute hand moved round the dial. The
silence in the room became almost pain
ful. It was broken by the clear, sharp
bell of the clock striking the last hour of
a day which had gone forever. Then
Jackson, starting suddenly and looking
towards ms friends, said, with a quick,
nervous laugh:
" Gentlemen, I am no longer Presi
dent of the United States, but as good a
citizen as any of yousjBs
Subsequently ne exprcssed tRk them a
feeling of great relief at the prospect of
escaping from the official cares which
had begun to weigh most heavily upon
him, saving to Allen, among other
things of the same sort, " I am very glad
to get away from all this excitement and
bother."
That day Van Buren was inaugurated
President of the United States, and Jack
son, at the end of his second term, left
the White House left it so poor that he
was obliged to borrow from his friends
$5000 with which to re-build " Hermit
age," his old family mansion, which
some time before had been burned to
the ground.
After the short executive session of the
Senate which followed the inauguration
of the newly elected President, Senator
Allen returned to his home. Of his ser
vice in the Senate, which is a matter of
public record, nothing need be said here.
Just before the expiration of his first
term he went behind the Legislature, if
I may be allowed the expression, and for
the first time announcing the doctrine
that a United States Senator was a popu
lar representative, went directly to the
people as a candidate for re-election.
The result was that the Democrats had a
handsome majority in the Legislature,
and he was re-elected without any oppo
sition. In the meantime, Harrison had
been elected to the Presidency and had
died. Tyler had gone into the White
House, and, with the help of Allen and
two or three others, had broken up the
Whig party. From a Sketch of Wm.
Allen, in the New York Times.
The French Trade Dollar. I in
formed you recently of the intention of
the French Government to authorize the
Paris mint to coin a trade dollar for cir
culation in Cochin, China, whence it was
expected soon to make its way into other
countries of the extreme East. The
original idea was that this new coinage
should be left to private individuals,
who would have first to obtain authoriza
tion from the Minister of the Colonies or
the Governor of Cochin, China, but that
the Government should not coin for
itself. That intention has apparently
been modified, for I now learn that the
new coinage has commenced, but for the
Government, which recently purchased
silver for a sum of one million of francs,
and sent it to the mint to be con
verted into the new trade dollars.
This coin is of the exact weight and
fineness of the American trade dollar,
and therefore a small fraction heavier
than the Mexican piastre. Although of
the same fineness as the French 5-franc
piece, it does not correspond to any
French coin in vidue, the 5-franc piece
weighing 25 grammes and the new trade
dollar 27.2. The value in French legal
tender silver coin would therefore be
about 5f.44c. The French Government
is just now paying particular attention
to the circulation in its colonies of the
East. Hitherto the English rupee had
circulated Reunion Island at the rate of
2f.5c., or 2s., concurrently with French
coin and other moneys, but an order of
the Governor was recently issued pro
hibiting the rupee as a legal tender and
announcing that it would cease to be re
ceived in the public offices. London
Economist. June 26th.
Corvallis Gazette.
KATKS OK ADVERTIalNQ.
I 1 W 111 3 M. 8 M. 1 1YB.
1 InuU i 100 S 00 j 600 8 00 13 00
2" 2 00 6 00 7 00 12 00 18 00
3 " I 3 00 6 00 I 10 00 ( 16 00 230
4 " 4 00 7 00 18 00 18 00 HQ 00
X Col. I 6 CO 0 00 IS 00 1 20 00 I 85 0
" I 7f0 1300 . 18 (0 85Q0 48 00
5 " I 10 00 I IB 0a I 25 00 I 40 00 60 00
1 " I 15 00 20 00 j 48 OQ j 60 00 If 0 Of
i"''Vv-M "aii uommn, au cents per line,
each insertion.
Transient advertisements, per square of. 12
lines. Nonpareil measure. 82 50 for first, and $1
inseqttent Insertion in ADVANCE"
for fiflrr h ml
......... .uovaw'U i;i Al T Alllfn
Lj-gal advertisen.enta charged as transient,
and must be paid for upon expiration. No
charge for publisher's affidavit of publication.
Yearly advertisements on liberal terms.
Professional Cards, (1 square) $12 per annum.
Ail notices and advertisements intended for
publication should be handed In by noon on
Wednesday.
AGRICULTURAL MATTERS.
Culture of Wheat.
Does Not. The man who makes wheels
is a wheel-wright, but that doesn't prove
that the man who makes anchors is an
anchorite, by any means.
In an essay before the Lancaster. Pa.
Oounty Agricultural Society, Mr. j. C.
Linville read a very interesting article
on the culture of wheat, in which he
told some plain truths. He begins with
the idea that forkfuls of manure flung
around loosely in chunks is wrong. Of
course, if a very heavy coat is applied it
does not require so nice spreading to
make it cover the ground. If your soil
is rich it is better to apply a light coat
and make it reach further. Four loads
to the acre, well spread, irill benefit the
crop as much as five or six loads thrown
around in forkfuls, as is too often done.
Having your manure out, the next thing
is to plough it under. It makes little
difference whether it is ploughed in as
soon as spread, or left on the surface a
month or more. Much has been written
by theorists about the escape of am
monia. The fact is, there is, as a general
rule, but little free ammonia in barnyard
manure when hauled to the field, and if
there was it would take flight immediate
ly when spread, even before it could be
ploughed down. A good way to prevent
the loss of ammonia (carbonate of am
monia) is to have a quantity of land plas
ter (sulphate of lime) on hand, and ap
ply some of it to the floors of your
stables every time you clean them out.
This is said to " fix the ammonia. That
is, the sulphuric acid leaves its hold of
the lime and seizes the ammonia, form
ing carbonate of ammonia, which is non
volatile. To prove that this is not mere
theory get some pulverized plaster, and
when you clean your horse stable on a
hot day, and the air is so redolent of
hartshorn that yon are almost strangled,
sow a quart of plaster in each stall, and
in five minutes the pungent Odor will
have gone. I once ploughed a field cov
ered with manure in the early part of
August, with the exception of about an
acre. This lay bleaching and roasting
in the sun for about a month ; a plenti
ful crop of weeds grew up through it,
and it was turned down in the beginning
of September and produced by far the
best wheat in the field. It may be truly
said that one experiment does not prove
anything, but there can be no question
but strawy manure is benefited by ex
posure to the sun. At the same time the
soil is improved by the mulch. As a
general rule, early ploughing is the best;
but there are so many exceptions to the
rule that it cannot be insisted on. When
you are ready and the ground in a proper
state of moisture go to work and plough,
and pay no regard to the signs. The first
thing in the preparation of the soil for
wheat or any other crop is to have it well
ploughed. If this is not thoroughly done
no amount of after cultivation will rem
edy the evil. Bad and careless ploughing
is at the root of more slovenly farming
than anything else. In order to break
the ground thoroughly we must have
good ploughs. There are not any better
adapted to our soils and suited to our
wants than are made near home. I have
long tried to get a steel plough that
would "fill the bill," but am now con
vinced that a chilled cast iron mould will
clean as well and last much longer than
a steel one. Li regarl to the" much
vexed question of deep or shallow
ploughing I think the almost unanimous
voice of practical farmers is in favor of
shallow or medium ploughing. When I
say shallow ploughing I do not mean the
skinning process practiced in some parts
of the South. The Commissioner of
Agriculture of the State of Georgia re
ports the average depth of ploughing in
that state to be one inch. Farmers in
the sunny South must trust to Provi
dence more than we. It has not yet been
proven that a foot in depth is better than
six or eight inches, and as long as the
matter remains in doubt we will plough
shallow or medium and save our teams.
Having come to grief two or three times
by cultivating the ground too much when
in a dusty condition, I hardly know what
to say about its final preparation. I
think there is not much danger of culti
vating too much when the ground is
moist. A safe rule is, when the ground
is dry roll much and harrow little ; when
the ground is moist and solid, harrow
much and roll little. The soil ought not
to be disturbed when very wet or very
dry, but we-have no control of the weath
er and must shape our work accordingly.
When the ground is not hard there is no
better cultivator than the common tooth
or spike harrow. The Thomas smooth
ing harrow is an excellent implement for
finishing, but will not supersede the com
mon harrow in hard, stubborn ground.
If the soil is very hard it will require
something of the shovel harrow or hoe
harrow species to prepare the seed bed.
A field in good order for sowing presents
a firm bottom, a mellow surface to the
depth of two or three inches, and a nice
even face. Have the ground properly
prepared between the 15th of September
and the 5th of October (don't wait on
the moon) , take your drill the " Farm
er's Friend" and "Buckeye" are good
machines and drill in your wheat to the
depth of one and a half inches, and at
the rate of one and a half to two bushels
per acre. If the fall is favorable and the
winter not too severe, and the spring
neither too wet nor too dry ; if tornado,
nor hail, nor mildew, nor rust destroy it ;
if midge, nor Hessian fly, nor other of
insects that prey upon wheat molest not
the crop, you may harvest a crop of from
fifteen to forty bushels per acre. One
or more of these calamities will proba
bly come, and the balance will be on the
wrong side of the account.
Postmaster-General Key, accompanied
by his wife and two daughters, will leave
Washington to-day for New York city,
where they will remain a few days, and
thence proceed to various points in New
England on a tour of pleasure. They
intend to make a short stay in Rhode Is
land, and will probably spend a week in
the White Mountains.
Robert G. Pillow, son of the late Gen
eral Gideon J. Pillow, while working on
his plantation, in Arkansas, was bitten bv
a cotton-mouth snake. Heat once drank
a quart of raw whisky and escaped
death.