Our Song Bird Returns. Years ago, every reader of the Ohio Cultivator learned to love CULTIVATOR MARY, the girl who kept our mail books and wrote such charming things for our readers. She dropped out of our circle for a time, and went abroad into other labors. Last Spring she became a happy little wife, as she deserved to be, occupies a cozy little nook in our city, and here treats our readers to one of her good-hearted utterances as of old; but under a new name she has adopted. -ED. For the Ohio Cultivator. BY FANNY TRUE. I thought he passed me coldly, And I vainly wondered why; He walked as one whose soul was wrapped I went my way adown the street, When tempted next to harshly judge- The faults of others, let me pause, For the, Ohio Cultivator. Patch-work Bedquilts. "Amanda" seems to invite a little discussion on the beauty, utility and economy of patch-work bedquilts, and by the way, she arrives at some strange conclusions as to the cost of such articles. I know not by what process of mental arithmetic she sums up the total expense at the low figure of $1 75. Surely her time must be of no value, or her fingers must be far more nimble and expert than most of the sisterhood; for to manufacture any thing worthy of the name of a patch-work quilt, must require the constant labor of one pair of hands for more than two weeks, in piecing and quilting, to say nothing of the cost of batting and lining; and surely woman's Kind words were heard, and answering smiles labor is worth more than seventy-five cents Lit up each friendly eye. And then I judged him wrongly, And believed the genial glow Was, perhaps, affected show. I took it eagerly, to read The news of strife and fray. And then I turned to read the "Deaths," And that was his, his eldest child, Then conscience with accusing voice I saw no anguish in that face, Oh, gentle pity, wert thou blind, per week. She must surely set down the odd bits of calico as of no value in her estimate. But those housekeepers and maidens who are possessed of the bedquilt mania, do not content themselves with the setting together of odd bits of cloth that accumulate in the "calico bag," but a large portion of their labor is devoted to cutting up yards of new cloth into almost inch pieces, for the And pleasure of sewing it together again. very seldom is beauty the result of their labors, economy, never. A woman who has anything to do,-a mission in life, will find very little time for patch-work quilts, unless it is at the expense of her intellect. Where is the economy of spending months of weary, monotonous toil in the production of a single bed quilt, when one could be made just as warm, just as pretty in a quarter of the time? All that is required for a bedquilt is good taste in the selection of suitable print, not the old fashioned "curtain calico" with its monstrous figures and glaring combination of colors, but simple and durable, run the breadths together, stuff it well with good batting, say four pounds, if intended for winter use, or two for summer, and quilt or tie just enough to keep the batting in its place, and all that is desirable in a bedquilt both for comfort and beauty is secured at a trifling outlay of time and labor. But one of these closely quilted, infinitesimal patch-work quilts is enough to give a sensible woman "the blues" as she thinks of the time and labor misapplied in its creation. And the worst of it is the torture and life-long injury inflicted upon helpless girlhood by half crazy mothers who feel that woman's mission in life is to make bedquilts. No wonder the world is full of weakly women. Said a mother to me the other day-"My little girl (only seven years old) has pieced two bedquilts. She pieced one before she was four years old!" And she spoke of this as if it was a praiseworthy industry. Now when a woman is past forty, and can find no more useful or profitable employment for her heart and hands than patchwork, we feel no inclination to try to "convert them from the error of their ways." But in the name of humanity we do most earnestly protest against the premature "slaughter of the innocents" at the altar of this folly. And when we see maidens and young wives and mothers wronging their own intellects by such useless toil, we feel like gently whispering to them-'there is a better way.' Would our fairs offer premiums for common sense bedquilts, instead of rewarding with the "first premium" the greatest folly on exhibition, we might hope for a reform in this matter. And if "time is money," (it is more than money to the wife and mother,) surely there is need of reform here. CELESTIA R. COLBY. Cherry Valley, Nov. 1861. A Cure for Sore Lips.-Take glycerine, one ounce; pulverized golden-seal, one teaspoonful; sweet cream, one tablespoonful; pulverized blood-root, one half teaspoonful; simmer gently fifteen minutes, and strain. This ointment is almost a specific for sore lips. Apply four or five times a day. If a man could have his wishes, he would double his trouble. For the Ohio Cultivator. NOT LOST. It was long and long ago, In the latest flush of the summer, That my soul was heavy with woe, For a mystical, fair new-comer Came down to the beautiful world, And claimed for the angels a sisterCame down and darkened my world, While she gained for the angels a sister. I knew that the angels had sent her, And two pairs of heavenly wings Would go up in the morning and enter The City, and silvery strings Would welcome her coming, and lead her Away to a throne of the Kings. But she is not lost to me, For, a thousand times and over, Her lips on the blossoming clover; And with hope and trust infer The king with a wondrous mien hath spoken'Tis the end of the evil days. The bands of a fiery fate are broken While smiling they looked in thy face! Tread firmly. The air is all fresh and bracing, To twine round thy forehead the same Those hands with a sacred power are vested Sore Tongue among Cattle................... market have there ever been offered so many To Kill Bots in Horses; Inflammation of Bowels...... 10 splendid fat bullocks as were in the yards to Care of Hens in Winter; Benzole for Spirits of Turpentine; Grape Culture-Opposite Systems Morgan Co. Beets; Soil for Grapes... Care of Fruit Trees; Late Strawberries.. 11 12 day. There were whole droves of cattle, 20 or more in number, which would compete for premiums at the agricultural shows. The prices, Agriculture and the Government; Annual Meeting.... 17 too, favored the buyers, as compared with preRetrospect of the Year: Sugar Growers' Convention; Swapping Papers ..... Mrs. Gage's Lectures; Grubs in Grass Fields. Sugar Cane and Sugar Beet.. 18 19 20 21 Nails, Nuts, Screws and Bolts; Feeding Oats to Horses. 22 23 Topping Sugar Cane; Switzerland Co., Ind.; Cuttings Rabbits among Fruit Trees; Late Frosts and Fruit Tribulations of an Amateur; Raw-Hide. HOME DEPARTMENT. A Word to the Girls.... Popular Lectures and Lecturers.. 25 26 27 Judge Not-Poetry; Patchwork Quilts .................... 30 Not Lost. (Poetry); The End of the Evil Days, (Poetry); Cure for Sore Lips..... Markets, &c........ vious years. While the best went at prices equivalent to 9 to 10c for the dressed carcasses to-day, the same grades readily sold for 114 to to 124c last year, and in former years at 13c to 16. The beeves on hand to-day numbered only 4091, but the beef was equivalent to near 5000 of such cattle as are usually offered. The sales were brisk, and before night the yards were cleared from the last animal, Taking the average of all sales this week, and adding for comparison the rates of the previous market, we have the following prices per lb. for the esmated dressed weight: This Week. 31 32 Medium to good.. .8@9c. Poor quality .04@6%/c. Poorest quality. 5 @bc. .7% @8c. Last Week. 9 @9%c. 8@8%c. 7 @ 8c. MARKETS. 6 @6% c. 5 @5kc. 6%@ 8c. 74@7Xc. General selling prices...7 @8c. No series of quotations of prices for the last week will be a safe dependence for future markets. The holidays have brought into the meat market the best qualities of beef and mutton, as also an avalanche of the best of poultry.tucky, 347; Michigan, 244; Canada, 100; Iowa, This unsettles the trade in ordinary meats. Af-90; Connecticut, 80; New Jersey, 15. ter next week, we presume the markets will take shape for winter. Up to this writing the weather is warm, with very little freezing at nights, which operates against pork packing. Below we give the mail reports of the N. Y. Markets for last week. This week's market coming upon Christmas day, the report will be of no service as an index of prospective prices. SHEEP are scarce, and 50c to 75c higher than last week. There has been a good show of fat meat for Christmas. One pen of 16 sold at $16 each. They weighed 227 lbs. when started from Duchess Co. Some others brought $18 to $20 each, but these were fancy prices for fancy stock. A lot of good sheep is worth 4c to 44c. per lb., live weight; extra, 5 to 6c. Stock all sold. HOGS have come in faster than ever before. The enormous receipts of 38,200 for a single The Grain Markets are reported dull. The liveliest feature of trade at this time, is the advance in some staple groceries, such as sugar and coffee. These articles are getting out-week, is without precedent. With a heavy rageously high. and many people will contrive trade and lighter receipts for a day or two past, to dispense with them, and fall back upon home- the pens have nearly been emptied, and a slight made coffee, from rye, sweetened with Sorghum. improvement is noted. Corn-fed hogs are worth 31c to 34c, and still-hogs 3c per lb.-Methodist, New York Live Stock Market: BEEF CATTLE-This has been a high day in the cattle-yards. "Christmas Beef" is an insti- Jo tution in New York as well as in London. Hitherto a few enterprising butchers have laid Leicester Hogs. OHN M. JOLLEY, BREEDER OF LEI-CESTERSHIRE Hogs Mansfield, Ohio. Size and early maturity. Pigs boxed and shipped to all points by Railroad. f29-c8.6m. VOL. XVIII. COLUMBUS, FEBRUARY 1, 1862. Issued on the First of every Month - Terms, Fifty Cents a Year. HARRIS & HURD, Proprietors. Farm and Five Stock. For the Ohio Cultivator Agricultural Productions of Ohio. BY JOHN H. KLIPPART. No. 2. SULLIVAN D. HARRIS, Editor. been made on a small scale, and preparations are now being made to manufacture it on a larger scale. In all probability cotton can as successfully be grown in Ohio as tobacco.Should the tree cotton prove all that is claimed for it by those who advocate the introduction of it, Ohio will offer an ample field for its culture. The Agriculture of a State or nation is its surest pledge of peace and of prosperity. In proportion as the agricultural resources of a nation become developed, and agriculture itself diligently and prudently pursued, it becomes the source of all wealth, progress, enlightenment and refinement. Whatever arrests the progress of this branch of industry, arrests equally the progress of the nation. So completely is this the teaching of history that sage political economists have said that there can be no successful agriculture without Liberty.terials to be used in the arts. There is no pursuit the encouragement of which contributes so largely, forcibly and permanently to the advancement, prosperity and independence of a nation as agriculture, therefore every proper encouragement and aid should be cheerfully and liberally rendered to it. Every appropriate facility for acquiring and disseminating knowledge upon subjects connected with agriculture, should be extended in such a manner that those directly interested could derive all the advantages intended to be conferred by a wise and liberal government. Having been accustomed to almost uninter, rupted peace since the organization of the State, there has been no stimulus other than that of gain, to develop the agricultural resources of Ohio-an actual famine has never visited our broad and fertile country. Ever since the completion of the canals, Ohio has been justly regarded as one of the supply granaries of the world; hence all the agricultural energies of the State have been exerted in the production of food, rather than for the production of raw ma Although the actual amounts of the various agricultural productions of Ohio are yet far short of the possible, they will nevertheless compare very favorably with those of other countries. The variety of soil, and genial climate render it possible to cultivate almost all of the plants of the temperate zone. It is now generally conceded that the Sorgho is a plant adapted to our soil and climate, and will undoubtedly prove a valuable acquisition. During the year 1860, about 24 millions of gallons of good syrup was made from it in this State, and during the year 1861, about 3 millions of gallons of a superior quality were made. An excellent quality of sugar from the beet has The best political writers of Germany, after a careful examination of all available statistics, agree that a failure of 20 per cent of the average crops would, in that country, produce a famine. The years 1845, 1854 and 1859, exhibit a failure of crops in Ohio of nearly 50 per cent; but these failures have not only produced no famine, but scarcely augmented the prices. From this it is safe to infer that at least 50 per cent of the crops may be exported without reducing us to absolute want for food. In older countries, where population is more dense, and where there is no security against frequent devastations by war and where the constant drafts upon the tillers of the soil to fill the ranks of the army are reduducing the ranks of the field laborers, it becomes necessary to adopt every art and device which may be substituted for manual labor, or which will increase the productiveness of the soil. In Ohio, there never has been an excess of farm laborers, but on the other hand, if laborers had been abundant and at fair rates, the agriculture of Ohio would have occupied a much prouder position than it does at present. Machines have been introduced as substitutes for laborers, and as these machines become more and more complete, the less necessity will there be for manual From this it will be observed that we have about three times as many cattle, in proportion to the inhabitants, as an average of the above named European nations. France has an area equal to about five times that of Ohio, but at the same time has an area larger than our whole State, which is not culti She produces 8,00,000,000 bushels of cereals, or about 7 bushels per capita; maintains a standing army of 570,000 men, but seldom imports breadstuffs. Her gross agricultural products, including cattle, silk, wines and poultry, amount to $680,000,000. Taking this as a basis of calculation, Ohio should produce according to her population, $42,500,000 of agricultural products annually. Fortunately for us, we produce fully three times that amount, but according to area our productions are in the same proportion with those of France-hence we always have a surplus for exportation, whilst France rarely exports cereals, but exports largely silks and wines. labor. To the introduction of machinery, we There is in Ohio more live stock, in proportion to the number of inhabitants, than in any nation of Europe. If we reduce sheep and swine to equivalents of cattle or horses, the following exhibit is obtained, according to the most recent accessible European authorities. No. of Cattle for every No. of Cattle for every 100 acres cultivated land. 1000 inhabitants. 556 France. Prussia... 32 32 528 England proper has an area one-fourth larger than that of Ohio. Her cereal production is estimated at 175,750,000 bushels, or about 10% bushels per capita. She maintains a standing army of 127,977 men, but imports annually from 15,000,000 to 20,000,000 bushels of wheat and flour. Her gross agricultural products amount to $520,000,000. Taking the population of England as a basis of calculation, Ohio should produce about $75,000,000 of agricultural products annually, but according to area we should produce $416,000,000. There is no doubt that when the agriculture of Ohio is as completely developed as that of England is at present, that our productions will compare very favorably, to say the least, with those of hers. So far as a comparison with Belgium, Prussia, Bavaria and other continental European nations is concerned, the result is on general principles the same as that with France and England, viz: we produce much more in proportion to the inhabitants than they do, and less upon equal areas. These comparisons serve to demonstrate the fact that notwithstanding whilst we produce sufficient in one year to subsist us during a period of three years, if European nations did not produce much more per acre than we do, there would be a continued famine throughout the continent. Cattle Painting.-Daniel McMillan, Jr., has just received a splendid painting portrait of one of his thoroughbred cows, painted by Page, the best delineator of animals in America. This painting is a fine one-a rare work of art.-Xenia Torchlight. |