middle Georgia. Truck farming has sud¬ 
denly become a sensation. In the country 
and small towns you hear nothing else. 
There is hardly time for local politics, 
and as to presidential candidates, they are 
myths of the future. Truck farming is far 
ahead of politics. Associations have been 
organized, conventions are being held, 
books and periodicals are being circulated, 
and railroads are bidding for the transpor¬ 
tation of the truck. For the first time in 
about twenty years the light is breaking 
on the path of the southern planter.”— 
Farmer's Review. 
NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 
The English Sparrow.— It was strong¬ 
ly argued before the West Chester Micro- 
scopial Society, that the English sparrow 
is a very great nuisance, and a resolution 
was passed asking that the members of our 
Legislature urge the repeal of all laws that 
prevents the destruction of these birds. 
We recognize this move as one in the right 
direction and hope our next Legislature 
will remove the blot which protects these 
villainous enemies of the farmer, fruit 
grower and gardener, and of our beautiful 
singing birds and the house wrens. We 
literally hate the English sparrows and 
would like to see “the small boy” legally 
let loose upon them .—Maryland Farmer. 
[“Them’s our sentiments too.”—E d.] 
Did you ever see a toad eat? It is the 
most absurd performance. First, a re¬ 
flective look at the animated victual (it must 
be alive) over one shoulder, as it were—sug¬ 
gestive of being suddenly struck by an 
idea that the subject might be worth con¬ 
sideration. Secondly, conviction that there 
is something interesting about it, and a 
closer and prolonged inspection. Thirdly, 
hesitation, obvious depreciation, and doubt; 
now sitting bolt upright, to ponder over 
the matter, and alternately raising and de¬ 
pressing the head in examination of the 
wriggling theme, with an action that re¬ 
minds one irresistibly of an old gentleman 
looking over and under his spectacles in 
order to get a better view of some object. 
Lastly, smack! the tongue is shot out with 
a loud click, the meal-worm vigorously 
swept into the mouth with the fore-feet, 
a visible throb of deglutition, a Dover-to- 
Calais sort of movement of the shoulders 
which seems to presage the immediate ren- 
tree of the victim into society once more 
(it does sometines, but only as a temporary 
respite), a solemn ten-second wink and the 
thing is done. Half a dozen more then 
satisfy Jack’s appetite, as a rule; occasion¬ 
ally, when about to shed his skin, he re¬ 
fuses them altogether. I do not supply 
him with any food when he is at home, 
but I regret to say he abused my confi¬ 
dence the other day by wantonly devour¬ 
ing a litter of slow-worms which unfortu¬ 
nately introduced themselves to his notice 
in the cage—a fact which makes me now 
suspect that he knows something about the 
unaccountable disappearance of a tiny but 
rare, and beautiful African ampliisoena 
some time ago. 
EARLY RISING. 
Somebody who has no respect for the 
wise saws and modern instances thus sat¬ 
irizes the early-rising craze: 
He who would thrive 
Must rise at five; 
He who’d thrive more 
Should rise at four; 
He who would most thriving be 
Should leave his bed at stroke of three; 
He who the others would outdo 
Should be already dressed at two; 
He who would never be outdone 
Should rise before the clock strikes one; 
And he who would thrive best of all 
Should never go to bed at all. 
The convenience of this argument to a 
great many men—if they can only get its 
sequence logically through their heads and 
off their tongues after having been out all 
night—will be universally appreciated.— 
Judge. 
Tomato Plants bought of those who 
grow them for sale are apt to be quite tall, 
and spindling, from having been crowded 
in the seed-bed or cold-frame. If only the 
root is set in the ground, the wind will often 
whip the life out of them. The better plan 
is to lay the stalk down nearly horizontal 
and cover it with earth to within three or 
four inches of the top, which should be giv¬ 
en an upright position. Roots will put out 
all along that portion of the stem buried,, 
and it will make a much stronger growth 
than if the roots alone were placed in the 
ground. 
