California Agriculturist and Live Stock Journal. 



you are writing "The Trials and Tribu- 

 lations of Timothy Toodles, Esq.," with 

 your hair dishevelled, slippers down at 

 the heel, and fingers stained with ink. 

 But if they happen in at meal time (as 

 they generally do), and find you presid- 

 ing at a well-laid table, with no signs of 

 ink about you, they say sweetlj-, "What 

 au admirable house-keeper you are, my 

 dear; your husband ought to be proud of 



}'0U." 



A good neighbor, in whom you can 

 confide and trust, is a jewel of imtold 

 value; but from people who are inquisi- 

 tive, deceitful, and fond of slander and 

 gossip, may the Lord deliver us! 



Santa Cruz, Feb. 1876. 



THAT LETTER FROM ITALY. 



"Who is the European correspondent? 

 His 'Letter from Italy,' in March num- 

 ber, is certainly most interesting and 

 entertaining." This question asks a 

 contributor. We gave his name with 

 the letter. Mr. James S. Lippincott was 

 one of the editors of the American edition 

 of Chambers' Encyclopredia, and has at- 

 tained a high standing for literary ability. 

 Now, a ripe scholar, he is spending 

 his time in scientilic pursuits and recre- 

 ation, in traveling. While in California, 

 he made extensive collections of plants, 

 and his good wife, who always accom- 

 panies him in his travels, jiainta all the 

 most beautiful and strange fiowers and 

 plants in a most natural style. What he 

 designs to finally accomplish in this di- 

 rection, we know not. But this we do 

 know — while in California, we found 

 him and his wife, personall)', to be very 

 modest and unassuming, yet companion- 

 able and warm friends. 



We will add to this a portion of a pri- 

 vate note which came with his excellent 

 letter ; 



"Naples, January '21st, 187G. 



' ' We have been in Europe about eight 

 months, and purpose to pass eight or 

 nine more, and have greatly enjoyed it, 

 though it is my second visit. Switzer- 

 land is a glorious country, rivaling Colo- 

 rado and California in scenery, and Italy 

 is fall of interest. A month at Florence 

 and a mouth at Rome were filled with 

 pleasure. I sidjmitted the paper on 

 crossing animals in j'our paper to our 

 best zoologist, who pronounced it a can- 

 ard, as several of the animals employed 

 had not been imported into Europe. 

 The copies of the AoEicuLTtntisT sent me 

 have been read with interest by some of 

 our fruit growers." 



We will state that the article refen-ed 

 to in the above, "crossing cattle," is the 

 one that appeared in March, 1875, under 

 the heading "Cattle Hybridization," 

 giving the experiments of Mr. Adraan- 

 zoou Van Koppenael, near Leyden, Hol- 

 land. We credited the article to the 

 Mural Xew Yorker, and it to the World 

 as furnished by a Brussels correspond- 

 ent. It the experiment is a canard, the 

 writer certainly shows ability for inge- * 

 nious originality and cogent reasoning 

 that would deceive the wisest and most 

 experienced cattle breeders. We regret 

 the article was not really true. 



One such I was acquainted with, and 

 one day she told me how she managed. 

 All her work was done before breakfast. 

 The washing must bo done on Monday, 

 rain or shine. She got up at half-past 

 three or four o'clock, soon as possible 

 got to washing, and not iintil it was all 

 done did she get breakfast. The next 

 day she was up at five and did the iron- 

 ing before getting breakfast, and so with 

 all her work. I did not wonder that she 

 was delicate. The strain ujjon one's 

 system by such a course cannot be small. 

 For in the morning the stomach is 

 empty, and the system needs sustenance 

 before any very hard work is undertaken. 

 Dr. Hall, one of our great sanitarians, 

 writes very strongly against exercising 

 much before food has been taken into 

 the stomach in the morning. To return 

 to the wash-tub: I prefer to do my wash- 

 ing on Tuesday, in pleasant weather; at 

 other times, just when the weather per- 

 mits. By washing on Tuesday, I can 

 put the clothes to soak on Monday eve- 

 ning. I heat water and make a good 

 suds, and the clothes wash much easier 

 than if they had not been soaked. The 

 most of the people rush into the washing 

 as soon as the breakfast table is cleared, 

 and after bending over the wash-tub two- 

 thirds of a day, have to sweep, make 

 beds, and wash the dishes. I used to 

 follow that plan, but for more than two 

 years past have taken the opposite course 

 — do all my housework first; then, when 

 the washing is done, I can rest at once. 

 To be sure, I am a little late getting my 

 clothes out, but I never care for that, for 

 I know that as soon as the washing is 

 done, I shall beat liberty to rest, read or 

 write as I may wish. 



I hope "Grandfather" has not deserted 

 us, without telling us what became of 

 Inglewood and his love-making. If 

 "Grandfather's Letters" are a true recit- 

 al of love-making a century ago, I think 

 it must have been a queer aft'air. But 

 few gentlemen now would receive a fav- 

 orable answer to their suit if they were 

 afraid to tell who they were. Neither 

 would many girls put the matter into 

 Aunt Mary's hands. Perhaps it would 

 be better for a good many of them if they 

 would, for so many do not attach half 

 the importance to marriage that they 

 should, but seem to regard marriage as 

 the great desideridiim of woman's life; 

 never stopping to think of the years to 

 follow, with more trouble and sorrow 

 than they dreamed of during their girl- 

 hood. But what use of talking to them 

 and telling them not to be in a hurry to 

 get married? They only think that 

 those who talk so are old fogies. 



FAMILIAR TALKS— No. 9. 



B V SNIP. 



The author of " Up-Country Letters" 

 tells of a woman who is always at work, 

 and the majority of those who live on 

 farms seem to belong to that class whose 

 work is never done. But there are some 

 liousekeepers who, apparently, always 

 have their work done. No matter what 

 time of day it may be, yon will not find 

 them at work, except just at meal time. 



FRIENDLY letters-No 2. 



BY 3IKS. M. K. T. 



A remakkableJmbntal condition. 



Alone, with not a sound to break the 

 stillness of a quiet Sunday evening, save 

 the regular tick, tick, measuring time's 

 unceasing march, I find my thoughts 

 wandering hero and there, in a strange 

 sort of waj', at mystifying whys and 

 wherefores. 



There is so much to worry us ; so much 

 that we mortals cannot understand, that 

 no wonder the mind grows bewildered, 

 and is lost in the vain endeavor to solve 

 some perplexing theory. 



It was this peculiar mental condition, 

 "a mind diseased," of which I was last 

 thinking, when the desire came over me 

 to relate to others the strange freaks of 

 one I well knew while laboring under 

 this mysterious malady. The story is 

 quite true, and may prove interesting to 

 the readers of The Califoenia Agki- 



CDLTUKIST. 



My first recollection is of a pale, sad- 

 looking woman, whose daik, mournful 

 eyes deeply touched my childish sympa- 

 thy. Ever in the same little corner I 

 saw her. Day after day, year after year, 

 she sat there, quietly spinning. Her 

 little wheel seemed a thing of life to her 

 — the recipient of all her silent affection. 

 She never smiled, never spoke, save un- 

 der rare provocation, and then only to 

 utter the same simple sentence, "We 

 don't be to know." We called her Aunt 

 Polly; she was related to our grandfather, 

 and for years his house had been her 

 home. 'To my anxious inquiry about 

 her, my mother said, "She is crazy." 



As I grew older, and years passed on, 

 I saw and heard much of this woman's 

 remarkable madness. During a period 

 of seven years she played this quiet role. 

 She used only signs to express her de- 

 sires, often displaying an ingenuity that 

 was truly amusing. If sometimes, with 

 a view to provoke her to speak, one 

 made a feint of not understanding her 

 sign, she would, after much ijatient try- 

 ing, repeat her chosen expression, "Me 

 don't be to know." 



After seven years of quiet industry 

 came a change of programme. Seven 

 years jubilee followed instead. The 

 idolized wheel was set aside. Silence no 

 longer reigned supreme. Overflowing 

 with life and spirit, .Vunt Polly was a 

 new person, made up of new material. 

 She talked almost incessantly, day and 

 night, her imagination supplying won- 

 derful topics, to which her eloquence 

 added a peculiar charm. 



She was fond of visiting, and often 

 made toiirs through the country calling 

 on all and exhibiting a friendly interest 

 in every one's affairs. At one place she 

 found a rich old widower with two grown 

 up daughters. Her sympathetic htart 

 was at once enlisted in behalf of this 

 comjjanionless man aud- his motherless 

 girls. A wife and mother were needed, 

 and she resolved to fill the jilace, and 

 jjersisted in entering upon her duties 

 with all the dignity of a high-bred lady. 

 The old gentleman absented himself from 

 home for a few days, thinking she would 

 soon tire of the new jjosition. But she 

 did not. She willingly stayed at home, 

 giving orders on the big farm and care- 

 fullj' tending her children, just as an\' 

 true wife and mother should h.ave done, 

 and much tact was called into exercise 

 before she could be induced to leave. 

 For a long time after, she called herself 

 Mrs. K., and spoke of her daughters 

 with much concern and affection. 



Uidike many, I was glad to have her 

 visit me. She exercised over mc a kind 

 of mesmeric influence that was tridy en- 

 joyable. I could sit for hours listening 

 to her impossible stories; and to have 

 her stroke my hair and pity my poor 

 head, would send through my body a 

 thrill of inexpressible delight. 



Considered harmless, she was seldom 

 depi-ived of her liberty, but came and 

 went at will, keeping up a perfect round 

 of pleasure and excitement throughout 

 the seven years. And then, as naturally 

 as the sun sets, she would step into her 

 quiet self again, bring out the long- 

 neglected wheel, and st doM'u for a seven 

 years' rest — her countenance resuming 

 the old sad look, and her tongue refus- 

 ing to speak save only the old expres- 

 sion, "Me don't be to know." Thus, 

 every seven years, this wonderful woman 

 changed back and forth her manner of 

 Ufe. 



She was, perhaps, about thirty years 

 of age when, through some matrimonial 

 trouble, her mind first became disturbed. 

 She lived to the very old age of ninety 

 years, her periodical changes continuing 



through sixty years with a regularity 

 that passes comprehension. Surely no 

 madness was ever more mysterious. 



We cannot contemplate a diseased 

 mind without a strange feeling of pity 

 for the unfortunate possessor; and I oft- 

 en think there are more in this world 

 deserving our pity than we are aware of. 

 In fact, are we not all, more or less, in 

 and out of our natural selves, according 

 to circumstances? 



A CHEERFUL LETTER. 



BV BCSV bee. 



The .\grici7ltcbist comes to us 

 freighted with interest, and with prom- 

 ise of even better things in the future. 

 I placed the last year's Agkicdltuei.sts 

 on tile before me, and read over the ar- 

 ticles from the several correspondents, 

 and found much both entertaining and 

 instructive, and how much more may we 

 look forward to during the present year? 



"Snijo" speaks of a farmer's wife who 

 gets dinner in the middle oi the day, and 

 has a light tea about five o'clock. I 

 have been doing so since last summer, 

 and find it in every way more satisfac- 

 tory. 



I sometimes make what we call "min- 

 ute pudding." I take a quart of milk — 

 more or less, according to the size of my 

 family — put in a little salt, and let it 

 come to a boil; then set it off of the stove 

 and stir in flour (I like Graham best) 

 very fast until it is thick. I then make a 

 sauce of butter, sugar, and an egg, all 

 beaten up together, with a little flavoring 

 of any kind preferred. We like it very 

 much once in a while, and it is easily 

 made. 



" .\.uut Polly" sends au invitation to 

 the children. I wonder If she would not 

 extend it to grown children, and tell us 

 how to make jn-etty and useful house- 

 hold articles. Will she not invite per- 

 sons to send descriptions of such things 

 to her department, if the editor can give 

 us the room? I suppose we should not ex- 

 pect everything in one paper, but I think 

 this woiUd be very nice. Just think how 

 many prerty and useful things we could 

 learii to make by next Christmas for our 

 children and friends. I lately saw some 

 little articles that pleased me very much. 

 They were little brackets, made of per- 

 forated card board, hanging on the Avail 

 each side of the bureau. They were 

 made in the shape of a horn of plenty, 

 with lids fasteuded on the top to keep 

 the dust out and hide that which was in- 

 side, and were to put the combings of 

 hair and soiled ruHles, laces and colars 

 in. I thought them very pretty and use- 

 ful. 



TO "Nl. E. T." 



Eu. AGBicm-TUTBisT: I hope you will 

 pardon a few remarks in answer to your 

 correspondent " M. E. T." whose 

 "Friendly Letters" are indeed what they 

 purport to be, I feel to thank her for 

 her words of sympathy, which iuvaUds 

 so well appreciate. But I would ask her 

 if she is satisfied to endure p.iin and suf- 

 fering without questioning the cause, or 

 tr.ying to regain health? While my eyes 

 are now being opened to the new life — 

 a life in accordance with God's (nature's) 

 laws — in which there is health and 

 strength if we obey, my soul yearns to 

 spread the glad tidings, that others who 

 are treading the path which leads to ill 

 health, pain and miser}', may take warn- 

 ing and retrace their steps ere it be too 

 late. My hostess, teacher and guide 

 encourages me in investigating and 

 thinking upon these questions. 



I wish "M. E. T." would tell us some 



