Norwich Bulletin Newspaper, January 31, 1914, Page 12

§Written Specially For The ‘Bulletin.) lectricity:—that's the word of the -xf.gcwbalyused to be the technical phrases of an abstruse science are getting to be common terms of speech. We talk about amperes and volts as We used to talk about steam and water-power. Such ideas as those of “positive” and “negative”’ electricity are in the A-B-C class. But did you ever hear of “positive” and “negative” farming? A breezy western farmer used the terms, the other day, in an off-hand fashion that jolted me outi of my lol- ling posture and made me sit up straight for a minute and listen. It turned out that he meant by the phrases something quite common. His jdea of “positive farming” was that sort of farming quite common. His idea of “positive farming” was that sort of farming which tends to make crops grow; while “negative farming” to him was the seasonal combat we all have to wage to prevent our natur- al enemies of drought and freshet and frost and weeds and worms and bugs and law-protected animals from destroying crops before they mature. There’s something, sometimes, in the use of new terms or the new use of old terms which seems to set familiar truths in a new light. ‘When you come to think about it, evidently here are two entirely separate flelds of farm work. They involve unlike questions and are for quite diverse purposes. The problems of produc- ing big crops demands that we etudy the character of our soils; that we take pains with out seeds; that we use just the right sorts of fertilizer in just the right amounts: that we cultivate according to the needs of the crops for mulching, aeration, etc. But it won't make much difference how careful we are in these respects, if the frosts kill the crops, or & drought burns them off, or bugs and worms riddle them, or beasts and birds eat them up. A farmer may know as much about the way to raise big crops as a whole agriocultural college; but, if the blight and the bugs and the other gobbleuns Zet 'em before he can, how much good will they do him? He must also know how to keep a whole lot of undesirable citizens from other orders of existence away from his flelds. He has got to be able to invite his crops with one hand and shoo the bad weather and the bacieria and similar things away with the oth- er hand. He has to be a ministering of peace and plenty on one side of his face and a fighting man on the other side. He must not only plant his garden right but he must also keep the devil out of ft. An that's something which, = ac~ cording to history, Adam and Eye, who are called “the first gardeners,” ‘weren't abledo do. Lazily turning over a pile of ac- cumulated farm publications, the oth- er day, I noticed that just about half of them were devoted to discussions of how best to fight our enemies, Not more than an even half told of plans for betteming our crops. There you :mve ity Positive and Negative farm- ng. I've sometimes wondered how it im that so many people who are not ac- tual working farmers comse to have sueh absotutely mpossible ideas about farming, Perhaps it is because they think only of the positive side of it,— the growing phase, They assume that farming consists merely in getiing thg right seeds and the right soil togeth- er and then cleaning up the products, POSITIVE. AND NEGATIVE FARMING—MOSTLY NEGATIVE Cesseting two very unlike precesses. Yet, really, that is only one-half of farming. Having got his seeds into his soil and furnished them with just the right proportions of nitrogen and Pphosphorus and potash and lime, etc., Which they need, the real farmer's work has but begun. He must then sit up nights and work to keep the forty-eleven kinds of enemies with which thoughtful Nature has filled the air and the woods and the water and the subsoil from devouring his vege- table babies while they are still a-born- ing. He must fight cut-worms and wire- worms and a dozen other sorts of worms in the dirt: he must fight crows and blackbirds and rabpits and woodchucks and a dozen other sorts of vertebrate thieves: he must fight po- tato_bugs and cabbage-butterfiles and onion maggots and cucum! and stinking squash bugs and root borers: he must fight the early and the late blight on his potatoes, and the rust on his oats and asparagus, and anthracnose on his berries, and black knot on his plums, and greedy robins on his cherries, and yellows on his peaches, and tent caterpillars and codling moths on his apples, and grubs in his meadows and moles under his lJawns and muskrats in his brooks, —and about nine or nineteen or nine- ty-nine other antagonists who will eat g::a up alive if he doesm't kill them t. And at the same time and all the time, weeds, weeds and still more weeds. They don’t need sowing or planting: they dom’t need cultivation or fertilizing: they are always on hand, ready to come up thickest where wanted the least, and able to take for themseives away from the honest plants all the food you've provided for the latter. Moreover, if you've killed the weeds and bettered the bugs and the beasts and the blight, over the late spring and the early fall hangs always the chance of untimely frost to nip in bud or ear the cosseted crops: and all through the hot summer the danger of drought to stunt and wither them. It’s these things which the theoreti- cal farmer doesn’t appreciate. He may give them some consideration, but he pretty nearly always fails to reckon them up at their true value. He as- sents to them when they’re suggested, and dismisses them with an “Oh, of course, a fellow’'s got to do some spraying and hoeing.” “Some spray- ing and hoeing!” Well, I should guess 80. “Some” and then some: and then some more. Early and late; in sea- son and out of season; day in and day out;—and never any certainty, at the best, whether the effort is to be suc- cessful or not. Why, if | should have ten acres of decently level land, without any weeds, and immune from blights, and protect- ed from all forms of bugdom, and in- accessible to four-legged or winged robbers, 1 wouldn't ask for a radium mine. T'd get rich simply sitting on ty back steps watching things grow! It's this pe:ky “Neganve farming” which keeps us poor and puts cricks in our backs and wrinkles on our faces. As T've been thinking it over, I've ‘wondered if it wouldn't be possible to draw a sharp line between the two kinds of agricuiture: have one set of farmers devote themselves wholly to raising good things, and another set devote themselves wholly to fighting the bad things, It's asking a gooed deal of a man that he shall be at once a successful angel of peace and a thoreugh-going demon of destruction, It requires two different sorts of skill to raise steers and to butcher them, ‘water. Ilmpiom!ugfifl.’ffilg MILK Made from pure, full-cream milk ‘theextract of select malted lram, to powder form, soluble in .The Bml-dnnk for Al Ages. % dlmurflw Globe mwmmmwm Do As, Others Do, Take andbendium thebest BEECH ome remedy which suits Tried for three generations, and preventive of the numerons ddncfive limina action of the proved to be 'S PILLS h‘regu dh&ifluh&. Weorld} l!mlnnm wlut}tmuh clesrer the s} of same TheiTrie T SR d:e{na, yw de net knew ighter eyes, {h hwa cleare Altga of the is are rusted Remedy IS, things and killing things are It's the ex_ man who always does in field. ned to fl at‘ Wun fighting would do a better At wAlf uy Movste wud. iap 15 my theug e to entirely dm:zvnt functien, that of creps: And I'm also sure that I could raise bigger ereps if 1 didn't have to waste half the fime whieh might be spent en them in fighting eir enemies. Puh-bly this suggestion is.just an- other dream. I own up that it doesn’t seem as practical to me as 1 wish it But it-surely would be a good thing if some plant could be developed ‘whereby We might be enabled to put some of the work and zeal we now have to use in fighting bugs into rais- ing potatoes and hay. As I'm sure I've said before,—per- haps to your tiring—the farmer, as things are, has to keep too many irons in the fire. We'll agree that we all have massive intellects. But even the most massive intellect has its lim- itations. Most men can do some one thing well: a few men can do two or three things well: but its a mighty rare genius who can do several dozen things, all at_the same time and all fairly well. Yet that's just what is expected of us farmers. We are kept hopping all the time, from one thing to another:—from one special work to another utterly unlike special work. The jobs are there; they’ve got to be done; we've got to do them. So we go at them, with as much courage and intelligence as we happen to have on hand. We get through them, som how. Some we have to skimp for lack of time; some we !».va el fin! of proper tools or ~some wé do fairly well and um» 'o ’ make aw- It's a good deal of a load to put on any one man's shoulders. Perhaps, when that new day .dawns with um kind of light in it vhmn wiil_enable farmers to see g- value of organiza- tion and ation,—perhaps on that day some method will be found to let us do our proper work of ralsing crops and to relleve us from ne- cessity of fighting the world, the feah end the old scratch while raising them, For one | own up to a good deal of sure In that sort of ‘Positive ming,” which consists in growing things. 1 never was so brash as to think I could “mks" things Erow. But I can help 'em and encourage ’'em a lot, if I'm not called away too much of the time to fight our mutual ene- mies, That last form of “Negative Farming” I don’t take to, and not ex- pert at, and not highly successful with. I do enjoy “bugging” potatoes. Not that I have any special sympathy with the blamed bugs, but 1 would rather put in the time training and pinch- ing my tomatoes, top-dressing the thin spots in tHe clover patch, cultivating and “suckering” my corn, etc, etc. I have to do both—after a fashion. The result is that neither is done per- fectly. IU's a sort of half-way Job in both cases. When you get right down to hard- pan, that's about what's the matter with altogether too much of our farm- ing. THE FARMER. NEW LONDON'S SMALLPOX BILL Same Old Controversy Over Question of Authority—Indi- cations of a Favorable Report For Donohue—H. M. Lester an Old-time Merchant. Before that little matter of a bill of in $1000 from Health Officer Black connection with the small pox ‘which was presented at the last r ular meeting of the New court of common council and refer- red to the committee on contestéd claims, is settled it is Hable to result in an open conflict between the may- or and the health officer. While the goneral opinion prevails that the bill is perfectly legitimate and not in_the least extravagant and should have been paid in the regular order and without reference to the claims com- mittee, still there are many who be- lieve that Dr. Black went a step too far when he rushed into print and made declaration that if the bill was not paid by the next meeting that he would resign. He virtually that as health officer he has the legal right to incur bills to any amount, at his discretion and without obtaining the consent of the mayor, the court of common council or any committee thereof. The doctor cast his lid into the ring, so to speak, and Mayor Mahan accept- ed the challenge. The mayor stated that he would find out whether the health officer had the authority to plunge the city into debt to any limit that the health officer of himself might determine. Then Health Officer Black comes back with a letter in the public press in which he states that in deference to the satisfactory treatment he has heretofore received from the members of the court of common council that he has decided not to resign if that bill is not paid at the next meeting, being willing to wait until the com- mittee on claims decides to make re- port. In his letter he makes several friendly references to the membe the court of common council, but man- ages to ignore any mention of the mayor. He winds up with what he probably intended as a blow on the point of the chin of the mayor, when he explains that money sufficient has been borrowed to pay the bllls pend- ing the action of the council, which he adds Is not in the 1 for a city as progressive don. That intended knock-out may prove a boomerang, for Mahan when attacked even by and insinuation is not like unto the duck from whose back the water slides t creditable ew Lon- blow off as if greased. He accepted the first challenge and now doetor will probably find the mayor in the ring and awaiting the call of time. Doctor Blaek has served the city weli as health officer, the best the city ever had. There nev been as gressive a mayer as Brvan F. M an. Both are pre-eminent pul of- fieials, Both are natural fighter is a pity the difference cannot satisfacterily and amicably adjusted and the best intere of the city served thereby. this instance T PBlack seems to be the ageressor and it to him to call for ti - %ake - B e I for time or Rake ! g vy "inis week in Unionville. the count. After haggling for thres months ov- er the action of the Nameaug Engine company in the expulsien of Themas ®, Donohue from membership in the organization, it reaily dees now appear that the eourt of commen council will take definite action at the next meet- ing. On the last election Gay when Mr. Donvhue was defeated for alder- man of the First ward, his office having expired as a city r the Nameaug company of which he was a short time before foreman, ad- ded to his discomfiture by passing a vote of expulsion. The surface cause was the violation of an ancient blue law of the company loaning a key to the fire house to a person who was not a member of the company, but the real cause was Alderman Donohue’s in- ability to land a new fire apparatus for the Nameaugs or to get adequate ap- propriation for proposed improvements in the fire house, and perha thing or two on the side. It is evident that the real cause was concealed and that the key was @ subterfuge. When the action of the company came to the court of common council, it was dlsapproved and sent back with the recommenda- tion that the vote of expulsion be re- scinded. term of Subsequently Attorney Richard P. Freeman who had been on Mr. Dono- hue's trail and helped defeat him on election day was elected foreman of Nameaug Engine company. He took the matter up with the cormcil and reference was made to the fire com- mittee. There was a hearing on Mon- day evening at which Mr. Donohue was represenied by Attorney Tracy Waller and the cempany was rep- résented by Atterney and Foreman Freeman, The commiittee gave no- tice that report would be made to the regular meeting of the court of com- meR couneil next Monday evening. 1t is butten to wrenches that the report of the commijtise and the action of the conneil will be faverable to Jon ohus, The fire committee com- posed of Aldermgn Richard M, Broek- ett, Bugens T, Eirkland and James F, ©'Leary, Ha-a; D Ludias, ‘5 vebeish of Ahe Givil War and an _old-time merchant of New London, died Wednesday in his seventv-fifth v e was years ago the proprietor of a shoe store in Main streel succeeding his father in the business. Subsequently he cngag- ed ia the fish business-with the Hamil- declared | i ton and Powers company and remain- ing with that concern until its final dissolution. Since then he has not been actively engaged in business and | for several years has been an invalid. Mr. Lester was an expert bookkeeper and thorough business man. For years he was adjutant of the local post of the Grand Army of the Republic and also has been post commander. He took extremely active interest in the affairs of the post in the years that have gone and was in his time perhaps the most active member of the post in advancing its best interests. But his later years infirmities have kept him so closely confiped that Henry M. Lester, once one of the most widely known citizens of New London, was perhaps unknown to half the residents. Hence it is that his demise receives local newspapers. passing notice in Dr. John G. Stantgn, president of the board of school visitors and well posted on public affairs, lauds Dr. Black as a most efficient health officer and emphasizes the importance of prompt and proper action when the ¢city was threatened with smallpox or ‘any other contagious disease. He says the people are indebted to Dr. Black for checking the spread of the disease and that public opinion favor- ed the payment of the bills for fight- ing the se and caring for the pa- tients without farther question. Get- ting rid of an epidemic of small pox for $1,000 and without loss of life is getting off very b Dr. Stan- ton says: “As a citizen, physician and member of the school board, hav- ing the health and welfare of our little ones in peculiar regard, I cannot help feeling that our represe s in the court of common council will simply echo the sentiments of the community by a prompt disposition of this mat- ter harmonlously between the council Tolland County GILEAD Mrs. A. W. Hutchinson Injured By Fall On The lce—Mrs. Warner To Leave Hospital, on A. W, Hutchinson the ice last week Friday, slipped and sus- Her da of Suffield w days with her par- Post was in Hartford ia. W, J, Warner, who underwent ien at the Hartford hospital s to be moved from the hospital of Hebron s Flutehinson and iliness, Mrs. D. WILLKVG ON Grangs Discusses Compensation Aot— An Ambitious Groundhog. Miss Mercereau is in New York and New Jersey for a week's visit. herd of beautiful and graceful deer was about the Hill Monday look- ing none the worse for their experience of zero weather in the open. The discussion of the workmen's compens: act at the grange was well sustained and instructive. The Lord’s Supper will be observed at_the church Sunday, Feb. 1st Monday is Candlemas and winter half gone. A weodchuck that antici- pated looking at his shadow by a week was caught the 20th by W. D. Ruby's fine colile, Shep. EAST W ILLNGTON The Homers, on the Lyons place, ars arawing wood to Elmer Squires with a good matched yoke of oxen. Mrs. John DeYoung is very ill Washington County, R. 1. WEEKAPAUG Mesting of Ocean View W. C. T. U— Road Repairs Belng Made. The Ocean View W, O, T, U, met at the home of Mrs, Louise Peckham Wednesday afterneon with nine mem- bers and nine visiters present, After the business meeting the topic on s weve read. the o Afr hum and her twp daughters. Rayumpnd Barker who las been is galniug slowly, J. E. Champliu. of T iers at the w. Gatitt, One new number, ffee and Peck- wnd " Mrs and s fternoon. land West and daughter, ited pne day last week with her sister, Mrs, Partlow, wha 1s in poor health. George Noves has been working on the road in the v filling in the waskouts caused by the heavy ralns. Blmer L. Macember wi Westerly y the program | lack was here. uSquxrAucu Good Attendanve at Oyster Suppeninl, ‘Grange Hall. I K er a week's visit with parents, Mr. and .Mrs. J.. A. W. Kenyon spent } ence. Mr, Sullivan of his daughter, Mrs. Mr. and Rich Bristow spent ggmxfl?ynni:ht and nuflm ‘with rela- ves at Narragansett Randolph Carpenter of New York: spent Bund-y at J. 8. Lamond's. The oyster su, h;.\l Tuesday ev e Grafton Palmer of Bradford spent Sunday with his parents, Mr, and Mrs. Gldeon Palmer. D. K.nl‘ht visited Provideance on T\le!d&y Mrs. Erwin Boss of Hope Valley was a caller in this village Tuesday. Mrs. Craig of Carolina is worklnl at J. C. Webster's: HOPKINTON Audience Pleased With Illustrated Lecture and Incidental Music. Mrs. E. R. Allen was a caller at the home of George H. Spicer in Ashaway last Friday. Harold W. Lewis is employed in the Ashaway Line and Twine company’s linewalk. Stewart G. Rogers has finished his labors as chauffeur for ex-Lieut. Gov. E. R. Allen for the season. Miss Jennie L. Blake of High street, Ashaway, sang at the supper and en- tertainment given by Calvary Baptist chureh, Westerly, Tuesday evening. The ‘illustrated lecture given in the chapel at Potter Hill Tuesday evening by Dr. Horton, pastor of the Methodist church_in Westerly, on The Yellow- stone Park, greatly pleased a large audience,who also appreciated the two soprano solos sung by his daughter, Mrs. Potter, of Providenc ROCKVILLE Mrs, A, C. Crandall, who has been 1l], is thought to be gaining. Miss Lottie Burdick spent Thursday with Mrs. B. H, Pendleton at Pleas- ant Orchards. Mrs. Henry was a recent Crandall of Hope Valley guest of Mrs. Benjamin Kenyon. Miss Ro: Rathbun and_ brother, Master Elmer, of Potter Hill, are guests of their uncles, Wayland and Ernest Boss, at vergreen cottage. Miss Florence Barber was a caller at Stoneholm Monday. Erlo G. Barber has been laid up from work for a couple of days with a lame shoulder. ‘Wilfred Barber made a business trip to_Voluntown Tuesday. Samuel O. Barber, formerly of this place, recently moved his family from Hope Valley to Westerly, where he is employed. Experiments in the use of aspen for shingles show that the shingles do not check in seasoning, and that they turn water satisfactorily, but that they are too easily broken in handling. PLUMBING AND STEAM FITTING SUPPLIES for Plumbers, Steam Fit~ ters and Mills Ths Norwich Plumbing Supply House Phone 13, Central Wharf bo IT vow Plumbing as it should be done is the kind we do. Open, every joimt tight, sanitary and latest style plumb- ing. est of bath tubs, latest devices in water closets, sinks, and everything you can thiak of in the plumbing line Call us_up on the 'phone, write or gee us. We will fix you up ia good shape at a moderate price. A. J. WHOLEY & CO., Telephone 734 12 Ferry Street PLUMBING Why not atttend to it now? It will be tully as easy amd couvenient for you to bave the work dondy now as later when it may be freeziug weather. Estimates cheerfully furnished on any work you need done. J. F. TOMPKINS 67 West Main St. C. E. WHITAKER Snceessor to v, F. GIBSON, Tin and Shest Metal Work: Asphalt and Gravel Roofs, Wllkl ‘M Driveways. pred T. F. BURNS Heating and Plumbing 92 Fran!''n Street ROBERT J.COCHRANE GAS FiTTING, PLUMBING, STEAM FITTING 10 West Main Street, Norwviich, Conn. Agent for N.. B, ©. PBheet Packing &5 West Main St. 1914 Wall Papers A full line of the above Wwith new additions coming along, inciuding those with cut out borders. Moldings and Bands te match. Mixed Paints, Muresco and Wnts; also Art Glass imitations. We are in the market for Painting, Paper Hanging and Decorating all the “** P, F, MURTAGH 82 and 94 West Main Street ORBER IT NOW .quhnl & Co's Light Dinner Aly 16g per”dosen. er’s Pu-:et. $0c per'dozen. mer's” Ivem T6c pcr ou.. ma delivery " to ‘all parts I'I. JACKEL & CO.Teltphone 136-& WESLEY AND WHI alANT AN Dfl EENE AND JO TODAY Mon., Tues., 2.30, 7, 8.45 Wei. " AUDITORIUM 55wy THE FLYING RUSSELS s ional Flying T Artist LUCKY AND YOST CHAS. GIBBS The Jealous Lovers I The Human Phonograph THE GOVERNOR'S VETO NR:RFSk Sorns MR. AND MRS. INNOCENCE ABROAD A POLITICAL DRAMA Imp Comedy with King Baggott and Leah Baird : Colonial Theatre MATINEE 56 CHARLES McNULTY, Mgr. EVENINGS 10c 3000 Feet—*“Partners in Crime,” Three Reels 3000 Feet Harry Myers in Sensational Burglar Feature “Bunny’s Mistake” .- ..~ ...x Vitagraph Funniest Comedy ““On the Breast of the Tide”. .Marvelous Sea Story Monday and Tuesday, “FROM THE MANGER TO THE CROSS,” Life of Christ in Six Reels, Accompanied by Plaut-Cadden’s Photo-player Orchestra. 5 THE - NORWICH ELECTRIC (0. 100 Franklin Street HY-LO ELECTRIC NIGHT LAMPS 16 Candle Power—Pull the String, 1 Candle Powu [HE LYHNE LAMP It you work or read by artificial light you will never know PERFECT EYE COMFORT until you get a LYHNE LAMP. A perfect light withe out any reflection. Ask your Electrician to show yow his stock of Lyhne Lamps. The C. S. Mersick & Co. Distributors for Connecticut New Haven, Connecticut Schwartz Brothers CAN'T KEEP FURNITURE »F THEY SELL IT BECAUSE THE STOCK IS MODERN THE PRICES THE LOWEST THE CREDIT TERMS THE MOST LIBERAL 9-11 WATER STREET OUR BUSINESS HEADQUARTERS WE FURNISH THE HOME COMPLETE MOE'S SANITARY BROODER FOUNTAIN POULTRY —")\ | SUPPLIES Na/afik Leg Bands, Grit and Shell Boxes, Fountains, Round Feed Saving Hopper, Etc. If in want of Peultry Supplies call and see us. If we haven't just what you want we may be able to get it for you, While talking ef Peultry Supplies let us advise you te plan ahead and buy yeur Pouliry Netiing early as we can prebably give you bstter prices new on Diamend Mesh Poultry and Chicken Wire than you can get later in the season. We are agents for the Pittsburg Welded Steel Farm and Peultry Fence. If you have not seem this eame in and let us shew it, It is a heavy wire, square mesh, with electrically welded joints. Will net break at the joints, will not slip at the jeints, and does met eollect water and rust, While much heavler than crdimary femcing it cests yeu but little mere, as we have bought this in large quantities and can sell it right. Will loan stretcher for reasonable lemgth of time, THE HOUSEHOLD ALBERT BOARBDMAN, Prep | Bulletin Building, 74 Franklin St.