The Belton Independent. (Belton, Tex.), Vol. 3, No. 19, Ed. 1 Saturday, September 11, 1858 Page: 1 of 4
four pages : ill. ; page 21 x 17 in. Digitized from 35 mm. microfilm.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
6) ■ « '.I <1 '••
family paper
VOL.3.
,. . ' H I' 11 I l'' '
-devoted to the advancement o THE AGRICULTURAL, MECHANICAL AND OTHER INTERESTS OP THE DISTRICT GENERALLY, BELL
, j „ ' 1 -1" T.'"'1 r>
BELTON, BELL COUNTY, TEXAS, SEPTEMBER 11,1853.
agkultdkal department.
from th« "Southeru Cultivator."
*he Lifts of a Farmer-Heath-
•■ , Pleasant, Profitable
and Honorable.
Thtttthe 3ife of a farmer is health-
ful, has frequently been snown by
ttolbles of comparative longevity,
"and one of these for Massachusetts
•slbow that their lives exceed the gene-
ral ¡average by twelve years, and go
ncariy niaeteen years above that of'
common laborer, and eighteen above
the average death of those engaged
in mechanical pursuits. There
seems to exist a sanative influence
in the varied employments of the
agriculturists—in its fresh and sug-
gestive surroundings. So the young
man to whom a long life seems de-
sirable, may choose the occupation
of a farmer with the greatest likeli-
hood of seeing in t|^gir fullnes the
allotted years of man. For when-
ever and wherever such statistics
have been gathered, they bring
.facts to confirm the licalthfulness
¡and longevity of the tillers of the
¡soil.
That the life of a farmer is pleas-
ant, seems, at least, the opinion of
the great mass outside the employ-
ment, if their professions be relied
on. A city writer, speaking upon
the subject, remarks: " The man in
active business in other depart-
ments, pictures for himself, in his
iretiremcnt a rural home—a little
Ifarm well tilled—and on that he
!hopes to end his days. Ambitious
men, who have drunk deeply of fame,
are at a stand when the tide of their
.affairs are at a turn, whether to make
•new and earnest efforts to struggle
¡upward, or to buy a farm and in the
•peaceful labors it requires, to enjoy
a tranquil close of life." Merchants,
lawyers, and physicians, we may
add, when most rapidly accumula-
ting fortunes, often stop to consider
whether a competence and n. snug
farm arc not inore desirable than
wealth, amid the turmoils and cares
of the city, and the vicissitudes of
fortune to which its dwellers are ex-j
posed. Rural life and employment
have the elements of the beautiful
and the agreeable, or they would
not possess so many .charms to the
occupant of all other departments of
human enterprise and industry.
Wiliy then do so many young men,
turning from agriculture as unwor-
thy their attention,seek other employ-
ments, or crowd the mercantile or
professional ranks? There may be
various reasons for this. Some may
desire a more speedy return for their
labor, and think it, found in the dai-
ly or weekly wages, not considering
the uncertainty of constant employ-
ment, or comparing their actual
profits with those of the working
farmer. Others may be led away
by t&e attractive and fashionable
appearance of acquaintances who
have found employment in the city;
or by the hope of rivaling the one
out of twenty who succeeded in
making a fortune as a merchant, for-
getting, meanwhile,the confinement
ifind drudgery of the everyday life of
(their gentlemanly friend, and the
inineteen failures which have taken
¡place while the latter has suddenly
¡risen to wealth and notoriety. A
large class are impressed with the
idea that in cities exist greater fa-
cilities for finding a comfortable liv-
ing without much active labor; and
this thought has charms for the in-
dolent which they cannot resist.—
How bitterly they will bo disap-
pointed, miserable multitudes, who
are waiting with Mr. Micawber for
m something to turn up," can sorow-
fully relate.
That the young man who has been
¡liberally educated must study a pro-
fession—that in law, medicine, or
theology, alone, can be found use for
bis learning—is an idea too preva-
lent even now. It will be a better
£ay for all when it is discovered that
,fhe highest honors of the college do
not uufit a man for the practical du-
ties of agriculture—that it is not
burying one's knowledge to gradu-
ate from tho university to the farm.
Some of our most successful agri-
culturists have reached farming
through law, finance, politics, liter-
ature, or merchandize; going by
way of the professions to their pres-
ent field of labor. When such men
take the direct route, as they are
beginning to do, farming will rank
not only us heathful and pleasant,
but as profitable and honorable in
the esteem of men. Increase in po-
sition will give increase in knowl-
edge and refinement, and make the
life of a farmer always and every-
where, what it Bhould be—the truest
and manliest of all life on earth.
Genesee Farmer.
• • .
Differences In Soils.
Soil is the earth wherein crops of
every kind are produced. The com-
ponent parts are argill, sand, water
abd air/. Argill is the soft and unc-
tious part of clay. Argill and sand,
contains each, in nearly equal de-
grees, the food of plants. There are
different kinds of soil, which may be
divided into four classes, namely:
Clay, Sand, Gravel and what is term-
ed Peat Earth. There is, however, an-
other kind of soil called garden
mold, but, as it is mainly an ar-
tificial creation, it can hardly be
ranked with natural or original
soils. Loam, too, has been consid*
ered by some as an original earth,
but in reality it is an artificial
soil, produced by calcareous mat-
ters, and animal and vegetable ma-
nures. In process of time the
strongest clay may be. converted in-
to a loam, by repeated applications
of the substance just mentioned.—
Sandy soils may also be converted
into light loams, by the application
of lime,' chalk, marl and clay
And even poat may be turne-
a black, soft loam, and rendered
fertile and productice.
A .clay soil differs from all others
and is tough, wet and cold, and re-
quires a good deal of labor to ren-
der it fit for bearing artificial crops
of corn or grass. When once wetted
it does not soon dry, aud when thor-
oughly dry it is not easily wetted.
When it is plowed in a wet state it
sticks to tho plow like mortar, and
in a dry summer the clods can
scarcely toe broken or seperated by
the heaviest roller.
Sandy soils arc managed with
much less trouble and atan expense
greatly inferior to what clay soils re-
quire; but the crops which are pro-
duced from them are generally of
smaller value. There are several
varieties oí sandy soils, and in some
artificial plants will not thrive un-
less a portion of good carta is pre-
viously mixed. A true sandy loam
resting upon a sound subsoil, is cal-
led tho most valuable of all soils
upon which all kinds of grain may
be raised with advantage, and no
soil is better adapted for turnips or
grass. Sandy soils thoroughly in-
vigorated with clay and marl, by
judicious management, may be made,
to produce the largest crops.
Gravelly soils freely imbibe mois-
ture, and part with it with great
facility. From theliglitnees of their
texture, they are neither expensive
nor difficult in the means of cultiva-
tion. They are usually barren, and
by frequent application of manure
and by frequent returns of grass
they may bo made fertilo and
prolific. Deep plowing is essential-
ly necessary, so that the surface soil
may be augmented, and greater
room given to the growth of the
plants cultivated on them. If shal-
iow-plowed it is either burned up in
a day or two of drouth, or equally
injured by an excessive fall of rain.
Peat earth, probably, is an artifi-
cial soil made and produced by cer-
tain substauces upon the surface
of the earth. Philosophers, how.ev-
er, disagree on this point. By one
it is called a primitive earth; by
another a vegetable which grows
and inoreases, and continues to in-
crease until «it destroys all other
soils; and by a third, that it con-
sists of ligneous and aquatic plants.
It has been said that one-fourth of
the habitable globe is peat, or moss
earth, and it is, perhaps, surprising
that so little is known on a subject
of so much importance. This soil
is friendly to the growth of oats, if
previously it has been summer-fal-
lowed and enriched with manure.—
A heavy crop of wheat, if tho sea-
son is favorable, may also be ob-
tained.
As to the uses to which Boils may
be most advantageously applied, it
is requisite that clay soil be kept
rich and full of manure, which qual-
ifies it for carrying crops of wheat,
oats, beans, and clover. Usually,
clay Boils require great industry
and care, and a thorough knowl-
edge in the dressing, to keep them
in a proper condition. No soil is
so ungrateful as this one, if allowed
to get into a sterile condition; but
if manure is profusely appropriated
with an occasional summer fallow-
ing, it will yield the heaviest and
most abundant crop.
Upon light soils tho case is some-
what different. The facility with
which they are cultivated, furnishes
encouragement to keep them under
the plow. Grasses flourish the best
and summer-fallow is rarely rcqtii-
ed. The best method, perhaps, of
procuring wheat, is to sow upon a
clover stubble, which gives an arti-
ficial solidity to the soil, and is the
thereby rendered capable of sustain-
ing this grain until it arrives at
maturity. W. R. P.
[iM Country Gen/lcman,
Elizabeth, N. J., 18S8.
^ m
The Virtues of Borax.
The Washerwomen of Holland
and Belgium, so proverbially clean,
and who get up their linen so beau-
tifully white, use refined borax as
washing powder, instead of soda,
in the proportion of a large hand-
ful of borax powder to ten gallons
of boiling water; they save in soap
neaily half. All the large washing
establishments adopt the saine
mode For laces, cambrics, etc.,
an extra quantity of the powder is
used, and for crinolines (required to
be made stiff) a strong solution is
necessary. Borax being a neutral
salt does not in the slightest degree
injure tho texture of the linen; its
effect is to soften the hardest water,
and therefore it should be kept on
every toilette table. To the taste
it is rather sweet, is used for clean-
ing the hair, is an excellent denti-
frice, and in hot countries is used
in combination with tartaric acid
and bicarbonate of soda, as a cool-
ing beverage. Good tea cannot be
made with hard water; all water
may be made soft by adding a tea-
spoonful of borax powder to an
ordnary sized kettle of water, in
which it should boil. The saving
in tho quantity of tea used will be
t least one-fourth.
{iweas
Cleansing Cotton Seej).—a
tent correspondent, residing at Ant-
werp, writes to the Washington
Union that a machine for cleansing
cotton seed has lately been invented
and operated in that city. From two
to three tons of seed can be cleaned
per day by a machine of four horsé
power, with the assistance of three
persons. The cotton surrounding
the seed is taken clean off, ai d can
be sold to carpet manufacturers and
paper makers at from thirty to fifty
francs the one hundred kilogrammes
—about $10 the two hundred and
twenty lbs. After the oil is extract-
ed, the cakcs remaining can be sold
for the same price as other cakes of
oleaginous Beeds. The cost of the
machinery is said not to be expensive.
This is an important invention, and
promises to be of great advantago to
cotton growers.
Does Chinese Bngnr Cane Kill
cattle.
Mr. Editor:—I have fed this plant
to all kinds of stock for the four
past seasons, in every Btage of its
growth—green, ripe and cured—as
fodder. I have found it the best
soiling plant I ever raised—horses
inuleB, sheep, swine, goats and cat-
tle, rapidly fattening when fed on
iV. I fed two hundred and fifty bush-
els of Beed during tho past winter
to sheep, goats and poultry, and I
attach the rolative value of oats to
it as winter food for these animals.
In April last I sowed twenty acres
broad-cast in sugar millet, intending
it as a pasture for calves and milch
cows. On the first of July I turnod
the milch cows, sheep, goats, calves,
gcesc, and swine, upon it, and have
not lost a single animal. They have
all improved rapidly, and although I
have large numbers on the field, the
herbage bids fair to keep ahead' of
all demands made on it. I made it
a point to take my animals from
good pastures, and fed them well
before turning them in, allowing
them plenty of salt. If a half star-
ved cow is turned 011 wheat, peas,
or Indian corn, she is just as likely
to die from over-eating these crops
as she is from Chinese sugar cane.
The disease which kills cattle when
over-fed on green food in a hungry
state, is termed Ho&ve, the best cure
for which is a drench of a pint of
salt dissolved in a gallon of water.
This will relieve an animal some-
times in a minuto. Peas, of all
green food, is the most dangerous,
from the flatulent natuie of tho plant.
I have frequently seen half a dozen
cows die in a few hours after they
were turned into a luxuriant pea
field in the fall, and as frequently
-have seen others relieved by the
alible dose. A cow which, like the
asBes of Ephrajm, had been feeding
on the east wind duting tho winter,
aud grazed upon the road sides and
bushes, might be expected to die
from joy after an over-feed of sugar
millet. I have sowed broad-cast at
the rate of one and a half bushels
of sugar cane seed to the acre, a
meadow which 1 intend to convert
into good nutritious hay for winter
food". I think more cows will die for
tho want of this food in our State,
than from being over-fed on it. I
do not think with tho proper precau-
tions, it is in anywise more danger-
ous than any other green food we
are accustomed to leed, and would
advise its extended use as a soiling
and hay crop in tho South.
Pomária, S. C. AG SUMMER,
s s 4 '
To Prevent Flies from Teasing
Horses.—Take two or three small
handsful of walnut leaves, upon
which pour two or three more quarts
of soft cold water; let it infuse one
night, and pour the whole next mor-
ning into a kettle, and let it boil for
a quarter of an hour. When cold it
will be fit for use. No more is re-
quired than to moisten a sponge,
and before the horse goes out of the
stable,' let those parts which are
the most irritable be smeared over
ie liquor, viz: between and
upon the ears, tho neck, the flank,
etc. Not <^nly the lady or gentle-
man who rides out for pleasure will
derive a benefit from the leavoB thus
prepared,but the coachman, the wa-
goner, and all othera who UBe horses
during hot months.
. i i
A Proi-hbcy Fulfilled.—Fifteen
years ago, says the Charleston Mer-
cury, Prof. Morse, in a letter to the
Secretary of tiie Treasury, the Hon.
John C. Spencer, gave utterance toi
a prophecy which has been fulfilled
in the complete success of the At-
lantic telegraph;
" The practical inference from this
law is that a telegraphic communi-
cation on the electro-magnetic plan
may, with certainly, be established
across the Atlantic Ocean. Start-
ling as this may seem, I am confi-
dent the time will come when this
project will be realized."
"Slavery" Agitation In France.
The question is being seriously
discussed in France, ^hPth?* tho
colony of Algeria will not be betfé-
Ütted by the introduction of asgro
laborers. The President of the Sen-
ate, Count de Morney, Marshal Can-
robert, sundry generala, and some
of the highest Marine officials, have
expressed themselves approvingly
on the subjoct, and M. Thiers, it is
said,, considers the subject an impor-
tant one, and deserving of the atten-
tion of careful thinkers. • ,
Tho Archbishop of Algeria, too, is
anxious, for the introduction of ne-
gro " slavery " into his diocese. In-
deed, all the prominent statesmen of
France are of the same mind, and
the papers are discussing the ques-
tion with
involved
is to raise cotton in the colony, and
as the native# are unfit for the kind
of labor necessary, it is urged that
the genuine Congo and Ashantee
Bhould be imported for the purpose.
The agitation of "slavery" in France
is one of the signs of the times. A
few years ago only the bare mention
of it would have filled France with
horror. That powerful loveler, ne-
cessity, is now forcing' tho minds of
statesman to the conclusion that the
day fot abstractions ia past, and
that the material welfare of the
colonies must be tho governing foroe.
This is but the beginning of the great
revolution, whvjh is to overturn the
maudlin, false philanthropy of the
day, and reconstruct society on the
basis of common eeuBe.
iV. Y. Day Book.
The cable ijews
following remin
Worcester*
It ia worthy of
Franklin,<tke
investigations of the
properties of electric*..
attempted to, reduce it to
and who proved the
lightning Witt' oléfctricity, and pro-
fessor Morse, the inven
telegraph, were both of
setts, and, what ismoi i
they were born within
a half of each otber-^oaa in Boston
and the other over' the river in
Charles town. Cyrus W. Field, the
Agent of| the Trans-Atlantio, Tele-
graph Company, the cfibient meM
of the conoern, Who hasdoitetiMhi
..... than any other matt jo bring
ith much interest. The idea the connection of tíie continents by
ed in this movement, of course, telegraph wires, is also a Masischu-
setts man, native, we believe, of
Athol, in this county. "It1 Is not
*■*«• ",°h
found in connection with a matter
of so groat moment* tte interests
of civilization and humanity,
An Interesting
We are indebted tp the Boston dai-
ly Advertiser, for the foHowidgii
teresting reminiscence, and iéqua
interesting notice of an abft'i
ry celebration:
"On the 4th oi August, 1499,
Christopher Columbus lost 'light of
the most western highlands of Eu-
rojtfi—wiiich he
m
Garbling tbe Scriptures.
Horace Grecly, in a looture on the
sin of coveting Cuba, says:
"If any of our readers are infect-
ed with the Cuba fever, or are ih
danger cf catching it, we will thank
them to take down their Bibles, and
read, thoughtfully, from Exodus xx,
11, that commandment which runs
thus:—"thou bhalt not covet thy
neighbor's house nor Iiíb wife, nor
his ox, nor anything that is their
neighbor's.1'
Our sharp cotemporary of the Pe-
tersburg Express takes up him of
the white hat for his ignorance of tho
Bible, and saysthero must have been
poor Sunday schools Where he was
brought bp. Let us, sayB the Ex-
press, enlighten bis benighted mind
by informing him how 'this divine
law doos run, (Exodus xx, IT,) plac-
ing in italics some of his remarka-
ble omissions from it:
" Thon shalt not «ovet thy neigh-
bor's house, thou shalt not cofét thy
neighboi's wife, nor his iHh.li seriiiint,
nor hit maid, setvont, nor his ox, nor
his ass, nor anything that is thy
neighbor's."
Horace remembers or respects on-
ly what suits hi& creed.
While the Express had its hand
in, it might also have reminded
Grecly of the other cornmandmont,
which says: "Thou sbaltnofcsteal."
Alex. Sentinel.
Three hundred and
m
The New York Times says the
principal duty of Mr. Nugent, re-
cently appointed agent to the Gra-
zer river gold mines, is to inform
the Americans there that they will
not bo protected by their own Gov-
ernment in violation of the laws Of
Great Britain—a fact of which they
are well informed already. The
Times wickedly adds that oftr Gov-
ernment is not in the habit oflatfe
of protecting her citizens, whether
they obey or defy the laws;
1 r;
> •
The Brenham Enqurer says ihey
have not a single barrel of flour, a
pound of brown sugar, or baron in
that town. Rather a bad account
to give of the county seat/of the
of the wealthy county of Washing
ton .—Ntwt.
pass away, and on
the noblest vessel in
World's navys comes in i
the most eastern of the big'
North America; and as
American shores, pe thread wi
gives Europe aid Aniérie* to each
others A majsstio cetetírirtloh of
the great hero's fMthfol <talv«t£i',
at the end of year of years'«flét
it was mads."
—!' i A SiH S" ."iftlvtm úí
No soonpr has the Rsry horse 4*r
ming fever cooled down* tfcMour
youug country-man, P§*1 Monbfc,
walks, into the club roocfts end aé-
tonishes the London world wiftt#
wonderful and unexampled skiU in
the ganie of chéss. £t tlie lat<
accounts he had nbt tried .Ms bi
with a single playefy thai he did c
win four games out óf flvje. ; Má
of those he has placed agaitist a^
considered among thé very jBrsl
players in Eqnjpp. By the last
steamer we learn that, he ffasplay
ing á match gams with tWodsbaa
ted Hungarian player, Lowenthal-t-
tKe victor to score 0 games* asdtfe
stakes, £100. The score then stood
Morpby, 6; I^owenthal,' If "
1. His rnaicb with Stanton,
the English ehampiopi hap nofcj
come off. In a short time the re||^
of these games will be known, ai^jl
we should not be surprieed to hear
Paul Morphy proclaimed
pion of the worl<?.. , s i
« M
Hioi.t Important.—Some I
tibie tóafl suggests, throi
columns of thfc New York <
cial Advertiser, "tbat, On ther
of flrét mcSSage froto heir
thó Qucoti of Great 1
President of the United
the ocean télegrat
of our Whole cent
of a telegraphic aispáfe* ittfcth
their hat si* ' 1 '
The Advertiser^
titat on the f
sage from the Presided ¡
' $§***; ¡thft;.
IN
ted ft
British Ifljti
*ha*#« the
boots.
¡fjP
hi:
passed
antine laws in force
the 19th day of fast
| --
M
y
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Marschalk, Andrew, Sr. The Belton Independent. (Belton, Tex.), Vol. 3, No. 19, Ed. 1 Saturday, September 11, 1858, newspaper, September 11, 1858; Belton, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth180582/m1/1/: accessed May 5, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.