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About The Springfield news. (Springfield, Lane County, Or.) 1916-2006 | View Entire Issue (May 12, 1921)
PACK SIX Till: SPIUNOFHXI) NEWS 1 , i ; if : i v 1 Homesteader By Robert J. C. Stead Amtftor of - The Cow Punchir." Etc Htrtrottom H IRWIN MYERS CeprrtfM. AO Riffht Reeerf a i CHAPTER VIII Continued. 12 The dinner waa late that day. and Harris was In worse humor than usunL He had Just broken a plow beacu, which meant an afternoon's de ly and some dollars of expense. When he had started his meal his wife laid the full envelope before him. "A letter from Beulah." she said. Without a word he rose frtm the table, took the letter tn his hand, and thrust It Into the kitchen rcnge. A blue flame slowly cut round the en velope ; the pages began to curl like dry leaves In autumn, and presently the withered ghost of the mliwlve shrank away tn the dull glare of the coal fire behind. At Inst the plowing was finished, and. although the rich smell of wheat In the milk filled the elf. It still would be almost a month before the ripen big crops were ready for the binder. Hams felt that he could now allow himself a breathing spell, and that the opportunity to Investigate ihe rich lands of the Farther West was at hand. Many a night, while Mary milk ed the cows, be had walked over to IUles'. and the two had discussed their forthcoming venture until they had grown almost enthusiastic over It A quarter of a century having elapsed since his former homesteadlng. Har ris was now eligible again to file on free government land; Allan could do the same, and, by also taking advan tage of the purchase of script. It was possible to still further Increase their holdings. Harris found the task of disclosing his Intentions to bis wife more un pleasant than he would have sup posed, and it took him some days to make up tits mind to broach the sub ject. He felt that be was doing what was for the best, and that Ms busi ness Judgment In the matter could hardly be challenged ; and yet he had an uncomfortable feeling that bis wife would not fall In with his plans. That, of course, would net be allowed to af fect his plans; since Beuluh's depar ture nothing but the most formal con versation bad taken place In their household; yet It would certainly be easier for him If Mary should give her encouragement to his undertaking. He felt that he was entitled to this, for was it not for br that he was making the sacrifice? Was not all he had hers? ind were not all his labors di rected toward increasing her reserve against the rainy day? And yet In stinctively he felt that she would op pose ll'IC. It was the evening of a long day U. July when, very much to Mary's sur prise, ber husband took the handle of the cream separator from ber. To the sad-hearted woman It seemed that the breach was at length beginning to heal, and that happiness would short ly return to their hearthslde. Below the din of the separator she actually found herself jummlng an old love song of the 'eighties. But her happiness was of short duration. When the milk bad been run through, and the noise of the whirling bowl no longer prevented conversation, narris Immediately got down to business. "Allan and me will be leavin for the West in a day or two." he said. "I suppose you can get along all right for a few weeks until harvest Bill (the hired man) will be here." In an Instant she saw the motive behind his apparent kindness, and the hopes she had Just entertained only deepened the flood of resentment which swept over them. But she an swered quietly and without apparent emotion: "That's unfortunate, as I was planning for a little trip myself." "Your he exclaimed. "You plannln' a trip I Where In the world do you want to go?" Such a thing as Mary going on a trip, and, above all, unac companied by himself, was unheard of and unthlnkahle. "Yes I thought I would take a lit tle trip." she continued. "I've been working here pretty hard lor some thing over twenty-five years, and yoa mav say I ve never Deen orr tne place. A bit of a holiday shouldn't do me anv harm." "Where do you think of gain'?'' he demanded, a sudden suspicion arising in his mind. "Coin to visit Jim and Beulah?" "I think you might at least be fair to Beulah," she retorted. "If you bed read her letter, Instead of putting It In the stove, you would have known better." . "1 ain't Interested In anythln' Be lah may have to say. and any other letters that fall Into my hands will go In the same direction. And what's more, she's not goto' to have a visit from any member of this family at the present time. I'm goln' out west to take up land, and Allan's going with me. It ain't fair or reasonable for you to try to upset our plana by a notion of this Kind." "It Isnt notion, John. It's a re solve. If you are bound to take up more land, with more work and more worry, why go ahead, but remember It's your own undertaking. I helped to make one home tn the wilderness. nd one home's enough for me. "Don't be unreasonable." he an swered. "There's a great piriunlty right now to get land for not Lin' that In a few years will be worth aa men or more than this here. I m ready to go through the hardship and the work for the sake of what It will do for us. We can be Independently rtcb tn five years. If we Ju : Hand together. "Independent or what?" she aKea. "Why. Independent of of every thing. Nothln' more to worry about and plenty laid op for old age. Alnt that worth a sacrifice?" , "John." she said, turning and raising her eyes to bis face. "Answer n;e a straight question. What waa the hap plest time In your life? Wasn't It when we lived In the one-roomed sod shunt , wltb scarcely a cent to bless oarwlvea? We worked bard then, too, but we had time for long walka together across the prairies time to alt In the dusk by the water and plan our Uvea together. We have done well; e have land, horses, machinery, money. But have we the happiness we knew when we had none of these? On the contrary. are yon not worried morning, noon and night over your work and your property? Don't you complain about the kind of help the farmers have to hire nowadays, and the wages they have to pay? And If you get more land won't all your troubles be Increased In proportion? John, alt dovn and think this thing over. We don t need more property: what we need Is a chance to enjoy the property we already have. We bave all the chance to choose now between life and Innd; von't yon think It all over again and let us seek that which ts really worth while?" "Now I know where Beulah got ber nonsense, he retorted. "Ail this tatx about real life Is very One. but yoa don't get much life, real or any other "You I" He Exclaimed, a Trip!" "You Plannln' kind, unless you bave the cash to pay down for It We've done pretty well here, as you say, but it's only a begin nin' to what we can do, If we set about It and don't wait until the cheap land Is all gone. 1 don't see why you should go back on me at this time o life, Mary. We've stood together for a long while, and 1 klnda figured 1 could count on you." "So you can, John; so yoa can to the very last, for anything that Is for your own good, but when you set your heart on something that means more trouble and hardship and won't add one iota to your happiness, I think It Is my duty to persuude you If I can. We've been drifting apart lately; why not let us both go back to the begin ning and start over again, and by kind nesff, and fairness, and liberality, and and symptithy, try to recover some thing of what we have lost?" "I have always thought I had been liberal enough." he suld. "Didn't I build you a good house and buy furni ture 'for It and do I stint you in whut you spend, cither on the table or your self? More than that, didn't I put the title to the homestead In your name? And ain't I ready to do the same with the new homestead, If that's the stick er?" "I never thought of such a tnlng," she protested. "And you shouldn't claim too much credit for putting the homestead quarter In my name. You know when you bought the first rail road land you were none too sure how things would come out, and you thought It might be a wise precaution to hnve the old farm stand In your wife's name." "Thnt'a all the thank I get." he said bitterly. "Well. I'll lake Ihe new one In my own name, but I'll take It Just the some. If yon don't want to eliare In It you won't have to. But for the present It'a your duty o stay hen and run things till we got back." "What are you polng to do after yon get your new farm? You can't work two farm a thousand miles apart can your "Oh, I guess that won't worry as long. The American are romln' tn now with lota o' good money. I waa flgurln' up that this place, as goto' concern, ought to bring aixut fort) thousand dollars, and I'll let I could aell It Inside of week." "Sell It?" she exclaimed. Tou don't mean that you Intend to sell this farm?" "Why not? If somebody else wants It worse'n we do. and has the money to pay for It why ahouldu't I sell It?" The tears stood In her eyes as she answered: "In all these years while we have been building up this home 1 never once thought of It as some thing to sell It was too near for that a part of ourselves, of our very life. It seemed more like like one of the children, than a mere possession. And now yoa ould sell It Just as you might sell a load of wheat or a fnt steer. Is this place this Lome where - 4 bare grown old and gray nothing to you? Have you no sentiment that will save It from the highest bidder?" "Sentiment Is a poor affair In tusl ness," he answered. "Property was made f sell ; money waa made t buy It with. The successful man la the one wbo baa bis price for everythln', and knows bow t' get It As for grow In' old and gray on this farm. why. that's a grudge I have agnlnst It though I don't think I'm very gray and I don't feel very old. And If get my price, why shouldn't I sell? "Very well." she answered. "I've nothing more to say. Sell It If you must,-but remember one thing! won't be here to see It pass Into the hands of strangers." She straightened her self up. and there was a fire in her eye that reminded him of the day when she had elected to share with til n the hardships of the wilderness, and In spite of himself some of his old pride In her returned. "I leave tomorr w for a visit and I may be gone some time. Yoa reminded me of your liberality a few minutes ago; prove It now by writing me a check lor my expenses. Remember, Z will expect to travel like the wife of a prosperous forme' a man whose holdings are worth forty thou sand dollars cash." "So that's your decision. Is It? Yoa set me at defiance; yoc try ' wreck my plans by your own stubbornness. You break op my 'amlly piece by piece, until all I have left Is Allan. Thank God. the boy, at least. Is sound. Well, yoj shnlt have your check, and I'll make It a big one that It may carry you farther." Even In the teeth of his bitterness the mention of Allan's name strained the mother's heart beyond her power of resistance, and she turned with out stretched arms towards her husband. For a moment he wavered, the flume of love, still smouldering In his breast, leaping up before the breath of her re sponse. But It was for a moment only. Weakness would huve tneunt surren der, and surrender was the one thing of which Harris was Incapable. So he checked the Impulse to take her In his arms, and walked stolidly to his desk In the parlor. He returned shortly and placed a check In her bonds. She looked at It through misty eyes, and read that It was for Jl'lX). It represented a two hundredth port of their Joint earnings, and yet he thought he was dealing lib erally with her; he half expected, In fact that his magnanimity would break her down where his firmness had fulled. But she only whispered a faint "Thank you," and slowly folded the paper In her fingers. Ho waited for a minute, suspecting thnt she was over come, but as she said nothing more he at length turned and left the house, saying gruffly as he went out "When that's done I'll send you more If yoa write for it" It was now 10 at night, and almost dark, but Harris' footsteps Instinctive ly turned down the road toward lilies'. At the gate he met Allan, returning home from spending a soda! hour with the Grant boys. "Where going, Dad?" the younger man demanded. "Oh, I thought I'd take a walk over f Riles. There's a lot o' things f talk about" "What's the matter, Dod?" The strained composure of his father's voice had not escaped him. ' "Nothln" I might's well tell you now; you'll know It In a little while anyway. Your mother Is goln' away on a visit" "IJke Beuluh's visit I suppose. Ho it's come to this. I've seen It for some time, Dud, und you must 've seen it too. But you're not really goln' to let ber go? Come back to the house with me-surely you two can get together on this thing. If you try." (TO ISU CONTINUED.) Half Asleep. Compared with whut we ought to be, we are only half a wake.- William James. CORN ROOT ROTS CAUSE BIG LOSS Specialists Advise Germinating Kernels From Every Ear to Bo Used (or Seed. RAG-DOLL TEST IS FAVORED Cstlmattd Damage by Disease In 1v1t Placed at 1?9.000,000 Bushels De stroy er Plow Undtr All 8tubble Possible. rrrd br tlis United put t"irt nint of Agriculture.) Corn, of one oricty or another, Is our most widely distributed cereal crop. Therefore, any single disease that lukes a loll of, 4 mt cent is a mutter for M-rlous consideration. The I'ultcd .si a leu Ivpnrtiuciit of Agricul ture mites I lie dumngo done by coin r mi In Itlllt at over VJ3.1MMJ,. UK) hu. ,1k. .Multiplied by tho aver age pilif of corn for that year, we have bviore us the unpleasunt fAft tlut thi-w rots ekactcd a tax of over $'.1 MUMS 1,1 NX I, When it considered that one of the same organism which causes corn root rot also causes wheat scrub ami (hat these' organisms carried over on corn stubble may Infect a field of wheat the next year, the scrlousucss Increases. Works Insldueusty. Corn root rots are among the most deceptive diseases known to agrleul- Preparing Rag Dolls According to the Improved Method. ture, sny specialists of the United States Department of Agriculture. They affect the kernels of corn In such a way thnt while they may germi nate they often will produce sickly, iIIm-umhI plants which limy die In enrly stages or produce Infected corn. Theno dlticuxc weaken the plants nt the low er Joints, and If they come to maturity the dmunge Is perpetuated. It Is necessiiry for fanners wishing to avoid corn root rot to germinate kernels from every ear of corn to be used for seed. The simplest method of making a test Is by means of an Improved rag-doll germlnator. This, In Its essential features, consists of nothing more thun a broad atrip of muslin backed by rnolstureproof fiber paper. Hows of seed kernels are placed on the cloth which is rolled up and left In a warm box. The re sults are, of course, checked against the ears from which the kernels were taken, and only perfect, or nearly per fect, ears aro kept for seed. This germlnator Is very simple and fur nishes a practically complete test. Bleached or unbleached muslin can be used for the rag doll. The cloth, which usually comes In a 64-Inch width, Is torn across Into 12-inch strips, 64 Inches long. Before being STRETCHER IS QUITE HANDY Particularly Convenient In Repairing Wire Fences and Is Easy to Put Together. - For a common wire stretcher which is especially handy In repulrlng fence take a piece of bnrdwood cut as Stretcher for Repairs. shown In the drawing. Then drive small nails into the ed;;e at the large end, and cut off the heuds, filing them to a point. This keeps the stretcher from slipping on the post while In use Then muke a hook from a heavy P U . f i A jr u , - jfr'fimrt .u.enKjrijivafc. i 1, i f mt,, , -ft njj Hir msvi i m jl J . .i .i..ih la boiled, and It should be dump v. hen Ihe seeds are placed on It. This rlolh U laid on rip of 'glased pnx r, a llltl longer than the cloth, to allow folding over at the ends, fresh newspapers being place.? on tin litblo under the paper to avoid Infection. About 8 kernels are then taken from rnc r and. beginning at the butt, aro laid In rows across the muslin strip, so that when Ihe strip Is rolled up and placed In a germinating bs the tips of the seed will I down ward. The rag dolls are sprinkled twice dully, and ''N'1 of 7 dnJr' are taken out, unrolled, and In-sHH-tcd. The appearance of the sprouts Is a guide to the quality of the seed. If more than one seed shows signs of Infection. Ihe Infected ear la thrown out If the farmer hna enough corn It Is best to throw out an ear for a single bad kernel. Destroying the Stubble. Boot rot Is carried over In stubble, and every effort should b made to de stroy or plow under as much stubble n possible. Increasing the fertility of tho soil and crop rotation have also tieeii found beneficial. One dlfllculty about rotation as a remedy Is that not rot effects corn and wheat and In inuny localities la always present on the fnrm. Tor this reason the de partment Is anxious that rag-doll germ Inntors be put Into general and Intelll gent um, and the season started vltu clean seed. WIDESPREAD WAR ON NATIVEJARM WEEDS Survey Set on Foot by Depart ment of Agriculture. ' New Varieties Constantly Arriving In Foreign Seed and Through Other . Sources Entire Farms Aban doned to Pests. Ir(r4 br the L'nlud tue Pprt niant of Agriculture.) The United Suites Deportmrnt of Agriculture bus set ou foot what Is Intended to be the mott comprehen sive weed survey ever undertaken. L'J to date comparatively little Is known of Amcrlcun form weeds. They are classified In boiunle and herbariums, but there ere no definite data In re gard to their spread; the prevalence of any particular weed In any local ity; tho amount of annual dumage; new weeds. Increase of old species; or local methods of eradication. To supply the need for such data the section of weed Investigations has sent a questionnaire to all the more than 2,imju county agents of tko de partment. Thin questionnaire bhUs the tames of five worst weeds In each county, In order of their Importance; the methods, If any. used by farmers to combat these weeds; and what weed problems nr eseclally serious In any particular county. Comparatively few native American weeds have given formers serious trouble, but new varieties are con stantly arriving In foreign seed and through other sources. Some of these have become such pests that entire farms huve been abandoned to thetn. A canvass of tX) representative east ern farmers showed that an average of 22 days a year Is spent at the busi est season In trying to get rid of weeds. Investigations by the bureau of plant Industry over a number of years aro tuken to Indicate I tint cul tivation after the seedbed Is prepared bus no other use than to destroy weeds. If this theory proves correct. It will add more heavily still to the annual expense chargeable to weeds. It Is the piirj of the department to use tho projected survey as a basis of operation In directing a widespread war on the weeds now here, or tho Im portation of any new ones, and to seek any local eradication methods whirl) tuny be worth general dissem ination. piece of strap Iron as shown tn the drawing and bolt to the stick with small bolts. WORMS OF DIFFERENT KINDS Fowls Affected Aro Likely to Be Ex tremely Thin In Cases of Long Standing. Borne chickens have worms of vari ous kinds. The Intestines should.be slit to find this out. Chickens having worms are likely to be unduly thin, and this loss of weight Is extreino in cases of long standing. Egg Mash Is Essential. Without a good egg mush a hen can not lay the maximum of eggs. She requires dally n largo amount of pro tein In the most available form to moke the white or albumen of the egg. Indications of Vigor. Tho apieurunce of a bird Is not al ways a suro Indication of Its .vigor, but aciirunco und action taken to gether ure u fulrly rolluble guide.