Middletown transcript. [volume], March 21, 1868, Image 1

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NO. 12.
MIDDLETOWN, NEW CASTLE COUNTY, DELAWARE, SATURDAY MORNING, MARCH 21, 1868.
VOL. I.
for
low
dogs
to
rus
door
door
"
me.
the
a
and
and
ing
the
giriert {Jortry.
MARCH.
Ah ! passing few are they who apeak.
Wild, stormy njonlh, in praise of thee;
Yitf, though thy winds arc loud and bleuk,
Thou art a welcome month to me.
* *
For thou to northern lands again
The glad and glorious sun dost bring,
And thou hast joined the gentle train;
And wear'st the gentle name of »Spring.
And in thy reign of blast and storm,
many a long, bright, sunny day,
When the changed winds are soft and W'arin,
And Heaven puis on the blue of May.
b
^popular <§alrs.
GETTING IN AT NIGHT.
My door was locked when I got home,
said Tom, an i how to get in without wak
ing the governor was the difficulty. 1
knew he would give me particular tits if
he knew 1 was out after ten and the clock
had just struck one. The backyard
an impossibility, and but one chance re
mained. There was n porch over the front
door, the roof of which was a few feet be
low two windows. One of them I knew
Co be fastened down, and the other opened
from a bedroom, which might or might
not be occupied. An old maiden sister of
tho governor's wife came on the same day
and it was very probable that she was in
that room ; but I knew the bed was in the
furthermost from the window, and
was
at
the
.
if
for
a
ed
ic
corner
I hoped to be able to get in and through
the room without awakening her, and then
1 had comparatively an easy time of it.
Bo getting a plank from the neighboring
board pile, I raised it against the eaves of
the shed, pulled off my shoes put them in
my pocket and 44 cooned." All right so
far, but I thought it necessary, in order not
to rouse suspicion in tho morning to re
move the plank ; so dragging it up I threw
U off the end, and down it went with an
aw ul clutter on a stray dog that had fol
lowed me two or three squares, and who
immediately set up the most awful whines
a hound ever gave tongue to. That star
ted half a dozen dogs in the neighborhood
barking ; a mocking bird in the window
commenced as if he intended to split his
throat at it, and a woman in her anight
clothes appeared at the window across the
1 knew I was safe so far as she
street
was concerned, but if any one came to our
window the candle gave light enough to
have discovered me. Nobody came how
ever, and the Indy after peeping up and
«down the street for. a minute or two pop
ped in her head and retired. The mock
ing bird still kept, up his eternal' whistle,
«nd.it was full half an hour before he and
the dog settled down and gave me a chance
to move. Creeping slowly along the wall
till l reached the window. I put my hands
on the sill, sprang in and with my legs
.dangling out, stopped to listen. Yes, she
was in the. room for I was sure I heard her
breathing. After waiting for a minute I
cautiously drew up one leg, and then the
other, drew them around and put them
down on the floor, was just conscious that
I had stepped on something soft and yield
ing nnd was withdrawing them when ano
ther yell broke forth at my feet ; the old
auaid jumped from her bed crying 41 mur
der! and the mocking bird started again.
A little darkey was lying on her back
under the wihdow, and J had stepped on
her face, and of course woke her up.
decided in a moment what to do. The
house would be aroused, and I would be
caught to a certainty unless I could get to
my room befote the governor was up ; but
1 hadn't a moment to lose, for the little
nigger was screaming ; so I started for the
door in three steps, struck a chair, stum
bled over it of course, making theawfulcst
racket you ever heard in tho hours of night
in a peaceful house. The nigger and the
old maid screamed louder than, ever; the
mocking bird whistled louder than a steam
whistle, and they fairly made a chorus as
loud as Julian's.
I- reached the door however, and quietly
and swiftly opened it, and just got into the
hall in time to see the old gentleman open
the door with a candle in his hand, and
• came hurrying up stairs. There was a
wardrobe near where I stood and I sprang
behind it. Up came the governor, reachec
ihe door, opened if, nnd went in, and in
the meantime there were all sorts of confu
sion and inquiry down stairs as to what
was the matter. Nobody else came up,
though from where J stood I heard every
word of inquiry and explanation in the
room. Of course they couldn't make much
darky
frightened and too sound asleep to tell
fhê ifùth, and the upshot of the business
that they concluded that she'had been
dreaming, and the governor, after giving
Itef a sound shaking and explaining the
ter io the Aroused neighbors from the
window, went back to his own room again.
44 So far so good." I had now to go
down stairs, reach the back door unbar it,
** into tho yard, make for my room which
in the second story of the brick build
ing that stood unconnected witb, nnd
shout a dozen yards from tho main one.
After giving everybody another half hour
té settle down again, Ï started.
Boys did you ever try to get up or down
a pair of stairs at midnight without mak
ing a noise? You may try it all sorts of
•ways, but every step !b sure to creak,
each with a peculiar noise of its own, and
loud enough you aio sure to wake up
every body. I had got nearly to the bot
tom when a little dog came trotting up the
entry towards me yelling furiously. A
suppress'd " enme here Zip !" silenced him
was too much
of it. Tho little
for he recognized me. But tho little fel
low started the mocking bird, and all the
dogs in the neighborhood, having learned
to take the cue, of course, joiued the cho
rus for a third time.
I ran along the passage reached the
door and unlocked it just as' the governor
aroused for the soeond time opened his
door gpd seeing a man coining from the
house by the back way of course cried
" Thieves I thieves I and made a rush after
me. I was too quick for him though ; l
opened the door, sprang out, and made for
the door that oponed into a room below
mine, and had just reached it, when crash !
within a foot of my head went a l.riek, and
a v 'ce that I knew belonged to the next
door neighbor, Tompkins, joined with the
governor in the cry of " thieves! jliievcs!
murder!" I was safe though.
llunning up stairs, I." shelled" myself
uicker than I ever did before or since,
and was in bed sound asleep iu half a
minute.
Wasn't there a row, though ? I never
heard so many dogs before—the mocking
bird of course, was outdoing all previous
etforts—the chickens began to crow—Tom
kins, next door, was hallooing " Thieves !"
and calling the governor. I could hear
screams and all sorts of noises, and talk
ing among the neighbors, until, at length
the old gentleman's voice was heard iu the
yard calling "Tom! Tom!"
Tom fortunately was sound asleep,
no
a
a
morning.
Jumping from my bed I raised the win
dow, rubbed my eyes and looked partially
frightened (which I wasn't) and asked :
44 Why father, what in the world is the
matter ?"
44 There's thieves in the house,'^was the
reply ; get your gun and come down—be
quick." 9
44 He's in the room below you," hallooed
Tompkins; 44 I'm certain of it; I saw
him as he ran down, and tlircW a fire-brick
at him. I know he didn't pass the door
Mr. Jones."
I was directed to look out for myself ;
the governor stood sentinel at the door be
low armed with a club, while Tomkins had
five minutes to collect aid from the neigh
bors, and in less than half that time, so
thoroughly was every house alarmed, there
were a dozen or more men in the yard
armed with guns pistols and sticks.
The governor fed tho attack : opening
the door he called :
. 44 Come out here, you house-breaking
scoundrel. If you attempt to resist, i'll
blow your brains out."
Nobody came, however.
44 Watch the door while I go in ;" and I
was told to look sharp and shoot the rascal
if he came up stairs. A momentary search
was sufficient to satisfy everybody that the
thief was not in tho room.
44 He's up stairs then ! cried Tomkins,
for I'll take mv bibfc oath that he didn't
pass the door."
So up stairs they trooped, but I had lit
a candle by that time, and there was no
burglar there. Tho strictest search, even
looking under a boot, di In't show the
faintest trace of him.
The yard was examined, then the house
and every body was tolerably well satisfied
that he had escaped ; bgt 1 was appointed
sentinel for the rest of the night, and or
dered not to go to sleep on my post (but 1
did) under the penalty of flogging.
The articles missing on a thorough in
vestigation the next day, were two pies and
the old lady's silver thimble. The thimble
turned up in a day or two, being discover
ed under the carpet, but the pies have not
been accounted for even to this day. On
oath I could have given very material tes
timony as to the deposit of the stolen pro
perty, but the case didn't come before any
court, and it remained quiet.
Didn't the local editors loom though ?
One of them elongated himself through a
half column, and headed the article, 44 A
Diabolical and Attrocious attempt at Bur
glary and Murder !" describing with graph
ic particulars the fiendish attempt to throt
tle Miss L
mented the coolness of 11. Tomkins, Esq.
perorating with a withering anuthema on
the want of vigilance displayed by the po
liecemen.
It was fun for me to see with what wide
the watchman used to stop
and her servant, oimpli
awake sagacity
at our front uoor and listen during his
rounds for a month after! The excitement
died away though after a while. But I'll
never forget the night I tried to get iu
without making a noise.
A Little Sermon. —Some times I com
pare the trouble wo have to undergo in the
course of a year to a great bundle of fag:
gets, far too large for us to lift. But God
does not require us to carry the whole at
ouoe. He meroifully unties the bundles,
and gives us one stick, which we are able
to carry to-day, and then another which
we are able to earry to-morrow, and bo on.
ThiB we might ossily manage if we would
only take the burden appointed for us
each day ; but we choose to iucrcase our
trouble by currying yesterday's stick over
again to-day, ana adding to-morrow's
burden to our load before we are required
to bear it.
A Man was brought before Lord Mans
field, charged with stealing a silver ladle,
and the counsel for the crown was rather
severe upon the prisoner for being an attor
ney. "Come, come," said his lordship,
" don't exaggerate matters ; if the fellow
had been an attorney he wonld have stolen
tho ladle.
the bowl as well as
True goodness is like the glow worm ; it
shines most when no eyes, except those of
heaven are upon it.
The ScV«-litern Year Locuntil.
The Seventeen Year Locusts, Cicada
Septendecem, may be expected to appear
above ground this spring. Their first ap
pearance here was chronicled in 1749. and
they returned regularly in 17(36, 1783,
I860, 1817, 1834, and 1851. We have
no doubt that they will again keep their
appointed time, and that in a few months
their cry will indicate that a generation is
ready to die, and another to begin its sev
enteen years of subterranean life.
These " locusts" are not locusts at all.
The formidable insect that devours the
herbage in Eastern lands, and its destruc
tive cousin of our own Western plains, is
a large, strong-jointed, winged grasshop
per, no more like our Cicada Septendecem
than a butterfly. \)\ir locus!« eat noth
ing, while the true locusts eat every green
thing. '
The Seventeen Year, Cicadas are easily
distinguished by their broad heads, large
and very convex eyes, three eyelets on the
crown, the transparent and veined wing
covers and wings ; and by the elevation on
the back part of the thorax in the form of
the letter X. Some read W on the wings
and interpret it to mean War ; and it is a
fact that wars have always come, sooner
or later, after locusts, as wars have come
after grasshoppers and flies and foolish
prophecies of uninspired foretellers of
events. The female locust, if we must
call her so, is provided with a complicated
mechanism for perforating twigs of trees
and depositing her eggs in them,
is the one purpose "for which she comes
above ground ; and after that has been
accomplished she dies. The rntte, in the
meantime, amuses her by keeping up an
excessively loud noise, peculiar to himself.
He does not sing, however ; he only plays
a drum or tambourine; but it is such an
one as no instrument-maker but God, can
make, and no musician play on, but the
locust himself. There are two of these
drums, one on each side behind the wings.
These are formed of convex pieces of
parchment gathered into numerous fine
plaits. They are not played upon with
sticks, after the awkward fashion of hu
man imitators, but by muscles or cords
fastened to the inside of the drum. When
these muscles contract and relax—which
the)' do with great rapidity, the drum
heads arc alternately tightened and loos
ened, recovering their natural convexity
by their own elasticity. The sound is in
creased by a reverberating apparatus fixed
beneath. The female piercer is a remark
able instrument. Its consists of three parts
in close contact with each other. The
This
two outer are grooved on the inside and
enlarged on the tips, which externally are
armed with small teeth like n
, und a
central spear-pointed borer, which plays
between the other two. This instrument
has tho power and does the work of an awl
and of a double-edged saw—rather of two
keyhole saws cutting opposite each other.
The Seventeen Years Locusts spend their
time among the roots of the grasses and
trees, near where they were hatched, seek
ing their subsistence from (liem after tbe
manner of bug*, to whoso family they be
long. The females select twigs of trees,
which they clasp with their legs, and,
bending down the piercer to an angle of
forty-five, degrees,
it obliquely into t
saws detached little splinters so us to form
a kind of cover or lid to the perforation.
Having made a fissure long enough for
some twenty eggs, they are deposited iu
pairs, side by side, yet separated by woody
fibre. She goes on with this operation,
from twig to twig, until she bus deposited
severul hundred eggs, and then dies from
exhaustion. The twigs thus perforated,
die, and are broken Off by winds, and thus
convey the eggs to the ground if the young
locusts do not get there before. In six or
seven weeks, or, as some say, in two
weeks, tbe young insects burBt their shell
and begin the quiet life of
locust. If hutched beforo the twigs arc
detached which is very often the case, the
little insects deliberately crawl out to
limb and let go ; exhibiting
one of tho most extraordinary wonders of
instinct noticed in the creatures of God.
On reaching the ground the locusts bur
row into the soil with thdr broad and
strong fore feet, and attach themselves
closely to tho roots of plants, especially
the most tender and succulent, from which
they suck their only nourishment. The
only change tlioy undergo, is the growth
in size and the development of wings. As
the time of transformation approaches, the
locust begins to come up the cylindrical
passages, carefully made, and, according
to Dr. Potter, varnished and water-tight.
Finally filling up behind it as itudvances,
it has a hole of five or six inches in which
it lives for several days, waiting, if the
weather be not suitable—peeping out and
reoonuoitcriug, and getting accustomed to
air and light. When ready it comes out
in the nighty takes hold of some firm sup
port witlrits claws, nnd sets to work to get
its skin off. At length it splits its back,
and crawls out, living the old shell stick
ing fast; and after drying itself thorough
ly, is ap accomplished Seventeen Year old.
Immense numbers are eaten by birds and
domestic fowls, and hogs and ants ; but
locusts themselves are not known to eat
anything after their exodus "to the upper
world.
The return of these remarkable insects
is fraught with suggestions of the deepest
interest and importance. ' How they tell
of tho amazing power of Göd 1 What
vague ideas, are our highest conceptions
of Him, contrasted with the truth ! How
sure is his providence ! How oertainly
lie brings Hie purpose to years ; In the
case of an apparently worthless insect, one
they repeatedly thrust
the wood, and with their
subterranean
the end of the
of many thousand kinds, how infallible is
the accomplish ment of the promise, worked
into their organization, that their seed
shall not perish. Left exposed and help
less, their young are guided to their hid
den homes and led to their proper food and
covered over from harm until their day is
accomplished, and then are brought back,
not in winter, to find the earth wrapped
%ith snow, but in the spring, when the
sun awaits and tender vegetation is ready
to receive the deposit of the young life
within them.
Shall we not trust God ? Shall human
parents fear to leave their young to His
care? Will not He, who cares for locusts
care for the children of His people ? Shall
we fear to go down into the earth when
our time shall come ? * Cannot He who
brings out the locusts after seventeen
years burial, bring us forth when our time
shall be accomplished ? Why do. we dread
that we shall emerge into gloom and sad
ness? Are we not better than many lo
custs ?—Episcopal Methodist.
The Origin of Dixie.
A writer- in the New Orleans Delta
says :—I do not wish to spoil a
sion, but the real truth is that Dixie is an
indigenous Nothcrn negro refrain, ns com
mon to the writer us the lamp posts in New
York City, seventy or seventy-five years
ago. It was one of the every-day allusions
of boys at that time in all their out-door
sports. And no one ever heard of Dixie's
laud being more than Manhattan island,
until recently, wlffcn it was erroneously
supposed to refer to the »South, from its
connection with a pathetic allegory. When
slavery existed in New York, one Dixy
had a large tract on Manhattan island, and
a large number of slaves. The increase
of slaves and the increase of abolition senti
ment, caused an emigration of the slaves
to move to more secure slaves sections
and the negroes who were thus sent off na
turally looked back to their old homes,
where they had lived in clover, with feel
ings of regret, as they could not imag
ine any place like Dixie's. Hence it be
came synonymous with an ideal locality,
combining case, comfort and material hap
piness of every description. In those days
negro singing and minstrelsy were in their
infancy, and any subject that could be
brought into a ballad was eagerly picked
up. Tiffs was the case with Dixie. It
originated in New York, and assumed the
proportions of a song there. In its travels
it has been enlarged, and has gathered
moss. It has picked lip a note here and a
note there. A chorus has been added to
it, and from an indistinct chant of two or
three notes it has become an elaborate
melody. But the fact that it is not a
Southern song cannot be rubbed out. The
fallacy is ho popular to the contrary, that
I have thus been at pains to state the real
origin of it.
r illu
A Beautiful lucldeut
William the IV. King of England, ex
pired about midnight, at Windsor l'alacc.
The archbishop of Canterbury, with other
peers and functionaries of the kingdom,
was in attendance. As soon as the "scep
tre had departed" with the last breatli of
the king, the archbishop quitted Windsor
Castle and made his .way with all pos
sible speed to Kensington Palace, the
residence at that time of the princess—al
ready by the law of succession Qu.ea—
Victoria. He arrived long before day
light, announced himself and requested an
immediate interview with the Princess.
She hastily attired herself, nnd met her
venerable prelate in the ante room. He
informed her of the deuth of William, and
formally announced to her that she was,
in law and right, successor to tho deceased
monarch. " The sovereignty of tho most
powerful nat ion at the'feet of a girl of
eighteen. She was dr. jure, Queen of the
only realm in fact or history, on which the
sun never sets."
She was deeply agitated at the formida
ble words, so fraught with blessing or ca
lamity, and the first words she w as able to
utter wore these
"I ask your prayers in my behalf."
They kneeled together, and Victoria in
augurated her reign, like the young king of
Israel in olden time, by asking from the
' Highest who rulcth in the kingdoms of
men, "an understanding heart to judge so
great a people, who could not be numbered
nor counted for multitude."
The sequel of hor reign has been worthy
of such beginning. Every throne in Eu
rope has tottered since that day. Most of
them have been for a time overturned.
That of England was never so firmly seated
in the loyalty and love of the people as at
this hour. Queen Victoria enjoys person
al influence, too; the henrt-fclt homage
paid her ns a Christian woman—incompar
ably wider and greutor than that of any
monarch now reiguing. 1
John tells a story of Thompson and
Rogers, two married bucks of New York,
who wandering home late one night, stop
ped at what Thompson supposed was his
residence, but which his companion insist
ted was his own house. Thompson rang
the bell lustily, when a window was opened
and a lady inquired what was wanted.
" Madam," inquired Mr. T. " isn't this
Mr. John Thompson's house."
"No," replied the lady,
residence of Mr Hogers."
" Well," exclaimed Thompson, "Mrs.
T—T—Thompson—-beg your pardon—
Mrs. Rogers, wont you just step down to
the door and pick out Rogers, for Thompson
wants to go home ?"
"this is the
* ' Brevity" is usod by a new lecturer as
the opposite of longevity.
triumphs of j&rienre.
WONDERS OF MODERN SURGERY
The progress of modern surgery is most
iuterestingly elucidated in an article in
the March number of the Atlantic Monthly.
Tho first great step in modern progress
was the introduction of what the doctors
call anesthetic agents. Ether was brought
into use on the 30th of March, 1846, by
Dr. Morton, of Boston, who extracted a
tooth from a man without pain, by first
putting him under the influence of ether.
Dr. C. Jackson, the geologist, claims to
have made the first suggestion of ether,
aud did, unquestionably, suggest great
caution in the use of it. Chloroform was
discovered by »Sir J. Y. Simpson, a sur
geon of Edinburgh, Scotland, on the 4th
of November, 1847. Now no operation
of magnitude is performed without the aid
of insensibility of pain produced cither by
ethcr.chloroform.or other anesthetic agent.
It seems as far back as the 13th century
the idea of painless operations was careful
ly considered, but tho' treated of by Theo
dorie, was apparently laid aside as practi
cally useless. The chief effort of the old
surgeons was apparently to produce insen
sibility in the operator in inflicting suffer
ing. By the local application of a suffi
cient degree of cold, insensibility* can be
produced in any desired part, so that a
man with a most exquisitely painful wound
on his arm, or felon on his finger, can
now r look quietly down in his perfect sen
ses, upon tho keen knife as it enters his
owu body and performs the most difficult
operations without giving him the least
Modern science has constructed an
pain.
instrument by which a vapor of ether, or
other volatile substance, is thrown out in
the form of spray, which so rapidly absorbs
the natural heat of the parts of the body
exposed to its operations as. to produce
perfect insensibility to pain, without the
This
loss of volition or consciousness,
evaporation is so potent that the great Fa
rad y was able to produce ice in a red hot
crucible. Dr. II. J. Biglow, of Bostou,
has introduced the use of rhigolene, a pro
duct of petroleum, which is ex rnntly vol
atile, and will freeze up the skin and tex
ture beneath in a few seconds, fifteen de
grees of cold below zero being easily pro
duced in a few minutes.
Artificial legs and arms are now manu
factured which are light and have all the
movements of natural joints, by means of
springs, cords and wheels, and are so per
fectly adapted to use that it is by no
means easy to discover which is the natu
ral and which is the artificial limb, when
the wearer is* once used to wearing the
work of art. One man boasts, " I can
carry an armful of wood quite handily,"
or 44 carry a pail of water with case;" and
another says: 44 1 was - fitted with a pair
of artificial hands, and can feed myself
very well with them, also can write so as
to be read.
driven a horse " twenty miles on the
coldest day, without calling on his other
hand for assistance." This is a great im
provement on the iron hook, which was
the best substitute that old surgery could
affix to the stump. These artificial limbs,
however, arc triumphs of mechanical in
genuity rather than of surgery.
A French surgeon has invented ait in
strument he calls the ecraseur , or crusher,
to perform operations dangerous in surge
ry, on account of tàe loss of blood from
the smaller vessels, if performed with a
knife. It is formed of a tine chain gath
ered into a loop, which encloses the part
to be removed, and by turning a screw
the cliaiu is tightened till the parts arc
separated. The blunt chain so turds up
or twists the euds of the blood-vessels that
hemorrhage is prevented. A child was
born with a tongue so much too long that
it protruded three or four inches from her
mouth, so that she could not masticate
food, or shut her mouth, or speak. Yet,
when about fifteen years-old, under the
influence of chloroform, the ecraseur was
applied, the superfluous portion of the
tongue removed, and now she talks, sings
and cats with case.
The eye is now examined by an instru
ment called the ophthalmoscope, by which
the t enths of the globe of the eye can be
readily and fully explored, and through its
aid a great deal of what has beeu written
and conjectured about diseases of the eye
has been found to be wrong. The intricate
passages of the ear, the nose, the whole of
tho "w'indpipe" and passages to the lungs,
are now r carefully
of the best results
been through what is called conservative
surgery, the rule of which is to save all
that can possibly be saved from the ampu
tating knife. Many of our brave soldiers
complained of the reckless haste with which,
in the late war, some surgeons would cut
off arms and legs on account of trifling
wounds. The complaint was often just.
But one of the moat distinguished surgeons
in the world has lately w ritten : 44 At
King's College it is rare to see an amputa
tion ; iu nine cases out of ten excision (or
the cutting out of the diseased portion
the limb) should be performed in its stead.
A poor boy at the West was caught under
a falling log, and his leg broken, crushed,
and twisted upon itself at right angles with
his thigh, the bones protruding through
the flesh, and no doctor.near. He lived,
and was, after weeks of suffering, taken to
a hospital. Modern conservative surgery
sawed off the protruding bones, turned the
leg back again to its place, nnd pot on an
instrument to keep it of equal length with
the other, and now that boy stands, runs
and jumps with two sound legs, instead of
hobbling around with an amputated litnb
as old surgeon« would have had hiua.
Another declares he has
explored. Perhaps one
of modern science has
of
^(jritultural department.
Plowing np Old Orchard«.
A question frequently arises as to the
best course to be pursued with an old neg
lected orchard, which has become covered
with a dense sod of grass, and this often
of an inferior character, and full of disa
greeable weeds. Orchards that have been
widely planted, and which have gaps from
the decay of trees, especially when these
have been trimed up with high stems and
long naked branches, do not cast suffirent
shade upon the ground to prevent the
growth of grass and weeds. These intru
ders occupy the surface soil to the disad
vantage of the root-s of the fruit trees, and
we may wonderfully improve the health
of such orchard by plowing the ground,
and at the same time severely pruning the
branches aud cleansing the bark of these
old trees. These good results may be
continued by shallow culture of the soil
with suitable applications of manure w here
needed. By giving a dose of lime,
marl and ashes, we shall infuse new life
and growth and productiveness that will
astonish and delights us, and reward us for
our labors aud outlay.
It may be urged as an objection to break
ing up the sod that the most careful plow
man will unavoidably damage some of the
roots that approach the surface, but this
is an injury that must be submitted to :
and after all is not such a serious affair,
and is overbalanced by the advantages of
renewing the productiveness of the ex
hausted orchard.—America» Pomology.
01
A Proiprrona Apple Ore Marti.
A correspondent of ihe Boston Cultiva
tor describes a well-managed orchard be
longing to George Pierce, of the town of
Arlington, Mass. It consists of two hun
dred apple trees, which bear abundantly
One tree measures 256 feet
every year,
around its branches, and the trunk is near
ly six feet in circumference. Fruit men,
on the ground, estimated tbe quantity on
the tree as high as 25 barrels. On being
asked how he manged to raise apples while
others around him failed, Mr. Pierce said
he prepares and tills the ground well,
prunes the trees himself, keeps off aud des
troys canker-worms, web-worms, apple
worms, borers, &e. No matter what he is
doing, if he sees any signs of caterpillars,
etc., on his trees, he makes haste to re
move them. He complies with all the
conditions necessary for obtaining a good
crop, and he succeeds in getting one auuu
ally, while his neighbors, failing to do so,
have become discouraged, aud have been
digging up their trees. Farmers who
have unfruitful orchards might derive a
useful and fruitful lesson from Mr. Pierce's
management.
A thrifty farmer, who " believes in mak
ing old things last in these times," says :
"There is one thing that nearly everybody
knows and hardly anybody attends to, that
is, to sprinkle slacked lime on their roofs
once a year, either in fall or spring. If
the shingles are covered ever so thick with
moss, the lime soon clears it off, leaving
the roof clean and white, and for a dozen
years long st. It ought to be put oil pret
day is best for tjie
ashes will answer ul
ty thick, and a rainy
work. Strong wood
most os well to keep old roofs in repair
hut they will not look as nice. To make
new shinglss last three or four times the
usual period, they need only to be soaked
a few days iu a tank half full of thick lime
water, which-niust b? stirred up well before
the shingles are put iu.
Benefitof Plowixo. —'' Fanner" writes
to tho Maine Farmer :—" After living on
a farm for half a century practising aud
experimenting, observation (hid experience
teach me that plowing, instead of being an
injury, is a great beließt to any land. My
method of treating waste or pasture land
is to first plow it und sow with grain.
The next scasou I lay it down, and turn it
to,pasture for about four years, observing
to keep stock on the land night ns well as
day for the summer season. Then I plow
again and take off another crop 'of grain,
after which turn to pasture as before. My
land managed in this way fifteen or twenty
years, is in as high a state of cultivation
the best manured land I have."
Heaves.—T here have been various views
expressed by veterinaries in relation to the
heaves, but we belive it has become a set
tled question it is a disease, however which
cannot be completely cured. The severity
of th'e disease, however, can be materially
mitigated, and the following will be wortn
trying : Mix equal parts of pulverised bo
rax and saltpeter and give the diseased
horse a table spoonful twice a day : and
every other day, a spoouful of sulpher.
Give also half a spoonful of oopperas twice
a week. ContinueThis mode of treatment
five or six weeks.
Wounds on Hobses. —Uno of the best
washes that wc know, of for ordinary
wounds on horses is Ip take one quarter of
a pound of saltpetre, half pint ot turpen
tine, and put them into a tattle ; shake up
well before Using; apply to tho wound
three timCs a day with a feather. This we
hav» heard highly reoommended from reli
able sources.
Women have a much nioer sense Of the
They are, by far,
safer Empires in tbe matters of proprio
nd grace. A mere school-girl will be
inking and writing staut the beauty of
birds and flowers, while her brother is rob
bing the nests and destroying the flowers
heautiftii
n men.
the
■
I
Fur the hHMtUnn T
Delaware College.
Mkhhks. Editors : — Being at Newark, a
few days since, I made use of the oppor
tunity to vitiit the old building once known
as Delaware College. My heart was pain
ed at the sight of the wretohed date of
this onee uoble and honored institution.
Kuiu stares us iu the face from every side,
and in the buildings and throu
grouuds, everywhere is presented the same
want of care and attention. The rooms,
which were once the "College homes,''
of the students, are now filled with dirt
and debris ; the plaster is fulling from the
ceilings ; the paper hangs in strips from
the walls ; the doors are broken from their
hinges, and but few of the windows can'
boast of glass. Within the Ko e ^ Halls,
the spectacle is even more saddening, for
these " hulls" were once the pride and de
light of the students, and 'the subjects of
great emulation and rivalry between the
members of the two societies. Now the
pets sre covered with dirt, the desks
anti shelves of the libraries are broken,
and the books are tumbled in a kind of
chaotic mass upon the floors.
Is there a justifiable reason why then,
things should be so? Is it because the
State of Delaware is not able to support a
college, or do Delawareans lack interest in
institutions of learning? We do not be
lieve that either of these is the true cause
of the present neglected condition of our
college. Our Legislature, at its last ses
sion, accepted " the grant of land for edu
cational purposes" from Congress, and pas
sed an act to establish a State " Agricul
tural College," accepting, as its location,
ihc old Deluwure College grounds and
buildings, as a free gift, from the bands
of tbe former Board of Trustees, provi
ding at the same time, fbr the completion
of the Hoard by appointments by the Gov
ernor of the State. These appointments
his Excellency hastened to make, and
those who were interested had a right to
suppose that the college would soon bo.
re-opened, and rc-eommenccd, on a surer
foundation. Thus far our hopes and ex
pectations have all been disappointed ;
there has been absolutely nothing dont ,
The Trustees have not even thought it
necessary to call a meeting, and to all ap
pearances the college is us far from resu
scitation as ever. The
ware have a ri
the
people of Dela
ight to expect better things
from those gentlemen. They accepted tne
trust, and wc have a right to expect them
to execute it, and to put forth their strong*
est efforts to vindicate and maintain the
honor of our State in this respect, and if
they cannot give the required time and
attention to this'subject that is necessary,
they should resign and give place to men
who can. A Delawarean.
Middletown , March 12 th, 1868.
The Tntr Story or ClhdrrUUu
Thc story of Cinderillu is familliar to
every one, and yet there arc few that trea
sure it up as in any respect true. But it
has a foundation and a reality that really
need no fairy god-mother, with her pumj
kin and ruts, to make an entertaining tale.
It is as follows ;
In about the year 1740, a French actor
by the Dame of Thévenard lived iu Baris,
lie was rich aud talented, hut he hod uo
wife, and we may believe he had never
loved any one, hut gave all his affection
to those ideal characters that he could
represent so finely oil the stage. One day
as he was walking leisurely along tho
streets of l'aris he came upon a cobbler's
stall, and his eye was attracted by à dainty
little shoe which lay there waiting for re
pairs. His imagination began immedi
ately to form the little foot that must fit
such a little shoe. He exnmaned it well,
hut only to admire it more and more.
On going to his owu house he seemed
haunted by the little shoe. He fancied it
tripping over his floors ; lie could bear tho
musie of its tread—in fact, there wu
nothing among all his rich, elegant treas
ures that seemed to him half so beautitul.
He went to the stall of the cobbler
again, but could learn nothing iu regard
to the owner of the shoe. 1'his ouly in
creased his
determined
Day by day he was disappointed, hut he
was not discouraged.
At last the little foot needed the littln
shoe, and Thévenard met the owner, a poor
girl whose parents belonged to the hum
blest sins.*. But the ardent actor tho
of caste or family. His heart Und nireany
pronnunced the little one wife He
married the girl, with np^uestion of what
people would say, aqd felt enough in joy
hearing the treatj^of the light, nimble feet
through his sjkfrt rooms, to pay him for
the sacritipebf people's approval. This is
the trist story of Oiuderilla, nnd from
wb»«ti the ohild romance sprang.
eagerness, and made him more
to Know to whom it belonged.
t
Four hundred years huve elapsod since
the invention of printing, yet books aye
Dot in circulation all over the globe ; while
the use of tobacco became universal within
fifty years of its discovery.
A shrewd landlord in England I
out a sign with the inscription: "6eëà
1 ère, but don't take my word fqf
beer sol
it."
Why is love like a cabal boat ? Because
it is sn internal transport.
Vico stings us even in our pleasures,
but virtue coDsoles us even in our pains.
Human foresight often leaves its proud
est jx>sse«*>r oitly a choiec of evils,