382 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[September. 
Rules for Right Living. 
BY MRS. E. H. I.ELAND, AUTHOR OP “ PARM HOMES, IN¬ 
DOORS AND OUT-DOORS.” 
1. Keep the body clean. The countless pores of 
the skin are so many little drain-tiles for the refuse 
of the system. If they become clogged and so 
deadened in their action, we must expect to become 
the prey of ill-health in some one of its countless 
forms. Let us not be afraid of a wet sponge and 
five minutes brisk exercise with a crash towel every 
night or morning. 
5. Devote eight hours out of the twenty-four to 
sleep. If a mother is robbed of sleep by a wake¬ 
ful baby, she must take a nap sometime during the 
day. Even ten minutes of repose strenghtens and 
refreshes, and does good “like a medicine.” Chil¬ 
dren should be allowed to sleep until they awake of 
their own free will. 
3. Never go out to work in early morning in any 
locality subject to damps, fogs, and miasms, with an 
empty stomach. If there is not time to wait for a 
cup of coffee, pour two-thirds of a cup of boiling 
water on two teaspoonfuls of cream, or a beaten 
egg, season it with salt and pepper and drink it 
while hot before going out. This # will stimulate and 
comfort the stomach, and aid the system in resist¬ 
ing a poisonous or debilitating atmosphere. 
4. Avoid over-eating. To rise from the table able 
to eat a little more is a proverbially good rule for 
every one. There is nothing more idiotic than forc¬ 
ing down a few mouthfuls, because they happen 
to remain on one’s plate, after hunger is satisfied, 
and because they may be “ wasted” if left! It is 
the most serious waste to over-tax the stomach with 
even half an ounce more than it can take care of. 
5. Avoid foods and drinks that plainly “disagree” 
with the system. Vigorous out-door workers should 
beware of heavy indigestible suppers. Suppers 
should always consist of light easily-digested foods 
—being, in the country, so soon followed by sleep, 
and the stomach being as much entitled as the head 
to profound rest. The moral pluck and firmness 
to take such food and no other for this last meal of 
the day can be easily acquired, and the reward of 
such virtue is sound sleep, a clear head, a strong 
hand, and a capital appetite for breakfast. 
6. Never wear at night the undergarments that 
are worn through the day. 
7. Cultivate sunlight and fresh air. Farmers’ 
wives “ fade” sooner than city women, not alone 
because they work harder and take no care of them¬ 
selves, but because they stay so closely in-doors, and 
have no work or recreation that takes them out into 
the open sunlight. It is a singular fact that women 
in crowded cities generally get more sunshine and 
pure air than their hived-up country sisters. 
8. Have something for the mind to feed upon— 
something to look forward to and live for, beside 
the round of daily labor or the counting of profit 
and loss. If we have not any talent for writing 
splendid works on political economy or social 
science, or the genius for creating a good story or 
a fine poem, the next best thing—and in fact almost 
as good a thing—is to possess an appreciation of 
these things! So have good books and good news¬ 
papers, and read them—if only in snatches—and 
talk about them at dinner-time or by the evening 
fire. Cultivate choice flowers and fruits, and help 
some poor neighbor to seeds and cuttings, or take 
an interest in bees, or fine poultry, or trout-culture. 
And study always farm and household science, and 
take advantage of the new and helpful things that 
are every little while coming to light. 
9. Live in Peace ! Fretting, worrying, fault¬ 
finding, borrowing trouble, giving away to temper 
and holding, long, bitter grudges—all these things 
affect the liver, poison the blood, enlarge the spleen, 
carve ugly lines on the face, and shorten life ! Try 
to be half as wise as that little creature, the bee, 
who takes all the honey she can find, and leaves 
the poisons to themselves. 
I,ive-Forevcr as a Weed.— “A. J. S.,”Sand 
Lake, N.T., writes that Live-forever (Sedum Telephi- 
um) has established itself in his meadow and is 
PREMIUM: 
spreading, and asks what can be done to stop it. The 
first thing to do is to prevent its spreading by seed, 
hence the tops should be cut as soon as they run 
up to flower. With us it is not yet in flower, but it 
usually blooms in July. If no seeds are yet formed, 
cut off the tops, and gather and throw them on a 
brush fire. Stopping the ripening and scattering of 
seeds will be a great point. The plant is so tena¬ 
cious of life that every piece of stem and bit of 
root will grow. If the clumps are not too numer¬ 
ous they may be smothered. Cover each clump 
with a heap of something that will completely shut 
it out from light and air. Straw, swale hay, saw¬ 
dust, small stones, or whatever else may be at hand 
that will completely smother it. If the weed has 
already multiplied to an extent to make this im¬ 
practicable, then the meadow must be taken up. 
We would suggest growing successive crops of 
buckwheat upon it; we do not know that this will 
smother out the plant, but think it worth trying. 
We are quite sure that a few crops of the Southern 
cow pea will kill it. Will any who have succeeded 
with this tenacious pest, tell our friend and others 
of some better plan ? 
Sleep Raising in Mexico. 
[The following letter from “ W,” an English gen¬ 
tleman who has resided for a number of years in 
the State of Zacatecas, Mexico, is interesting as 
showing the condition of sheep husbandry in that 
country. It also illustrates the manner in which 
the people of Mexico, whether natives or foreign 
residents, look towards the United States for any 
expected improvement.—E d.] 
Some of the Middle and Northern States of Mex¬ 
ico are admirably adapted to sheep husbandry. 
Many haciendas (farms) here, have a stock of 80 to 
100,000 head of sheep—and several even a greater 
number. One hacienda, Sicora Hermosa, clipped 
about 250,000 head last year. But what is most sin¬ 
gular, they are all common Mexican scrub sheep, 
giving about 28 ounces wool all round yearly—or 
about 14 ounces at each clip. They clip here in 
March, and again in September. Some few owners 
only clip once, in September, as sometimes we have 
heavv hail storms in March and April, which, if com¬ 
ing down upon a newly clipped flock—generally 
kills about the half—often the whole flock. 
I made inquiry regarding if they never thought of 
improving their flocks, crossing them with Merinos 
—but I found a great prejudice against Merino sheep. 
Some few had used some grade bucks, sent down 
from Texas (in general coated with scab), had been 
pleased with the first cross, but attempting to breed 
from that, the sheep had gone back to just where 
they were again. 
One gentleman I met near Zacatecas, a foreigner, 
told me he had a small flock of grade Merinos, and 
he does not see why they should not do as well in 
this country as any other, only that they require 
more care than the common Mexican sheep, and as 
the natives are dead against anything new, he was 
beset with difficulties at first. He tells me Ilia 
bucks clip about 10 to 12 lbs., ewes 5 to 7, but he 
never wishes to have anything to do with common 
sheep again, of which he has had some ten years’ 
experience on a comparatively large scale, running 
from 12,000 to 15,000 head. He told me he would 
gladly pay $100 for a ram could he obtain “ thor¬ 
oughbreds,” and hoped before long to make impor¬ 
tations by rail so soon as our Republic and Mexico 
would be joined by the railroads now in process of 
construction all over this Republic. 
I found this gentleman had quite a number of 
books upon sheep husbandry, amongst others the 
“Vermont Breeder’s Register” for 1879, which he 
greatly prized. He assured me that so soon as these 
thoroughbred rams were introduced into Mexico 
and fairly tried, there would be a tremendous de¬ 
mand for that stock. 
A few years since he could not sell a pound of his 
Merino wool at any price, now he is getting $1 more 
for it an arroba (25 lbs.) than for common wool, 
and there is quite a demand for it amongst woollen 
mills, which, as a rule, are owned by foreigners. 
The climate in this country is superb—the ther¬ 
mometer seems to stick at 02° all the year round. 
BUT A FINE ONE. 
It was intended to withdraw, on September 1, all pre¬ 
miums hitherto offered. But the New STRAWBERRY 
(Bidwell), has proved so valuable; its multiplication 
has continued so favorably ; and it is so desirable for all 
our readers to get plants out and growing this year, that 
the Publishers have arranged to continue the offer of 
plants during September, as they can be put out during 
all this month. But it is desirable to get them into the 
ground as early as possible, to secure much fruit next 
season. The pot-grown plants, which are sent with their 
hall of earth unbroken, carefully packed in baskets, 
while a litte more costly for packing and transportation, 
are preferable, as they can be set in the ground with un¬ 
disturbed roots, and go right on growing and multiply¬ 
ing, and be ready for pretty full fruit next year. Layers 
sent by mail, if set early in good soil, will generally mul¬ 
tiply somewhat now, and fruit somewhat next year—de¬ 
pending upon the location, and the autumn weather. The 
plants can be sent safely to any part of the United States 
or Territories; but the expense of expressage will in 
most cases make it expedient to send plants by mail to- 
very distant points, as on the Pacific Coast. Every one 
can best learn at the nearest express office, as to the cost 
of expressage for a basket-parcel of the plants, one easily 
handled, and then choose the kind of plants accordingly. 
(sfc The regular price of the plants, when not sent as- 
premiums, is $1 per dozen. The plants sent by mail are 
prepaid; the pot-grown plants arc sent by express, the- 
carriage to be paid by the receiver.) 
SPECIAL PREMIUM. 
A-For SI .50, The American Agriculturist will be- 
mailed 12 months to any address, and the sender- 
will be presented with One Bozen BID- 
WELL STRAWBERRY PLANTS, to be sent by 
mail, or (the pot grown) by express, as desired (see 
sN above). N. B.—By adding 20 cents extra on each 
subscription, the paper will be sent from October 
1881 to December 1882 (or 15 months). 
B. —For tbree subscriptions sent as above (A) by one 
person, 9 extra plants will be added (making 45 in. 
all); all plants must go in one parcel to one address. 
C. —For five subscriptions sent as above, by one per¬ 
son, 20 extra plants will be added (80 in all) to go 
in one parcel to one address.—Any additional 
names over five, plants in the same proportion (at 
the rate of 80 plants for five subscriptions.) 
* * The offers B. and C. are based on less cost for 
*' plants and packing, when sent in parcels of 50,. 
or 100 and upwards. The plants are packed and 
forwarded for ns, by Mr. E. P. Roc, whose success¬ 
ful care and skill in this are everywhere known. 
American Forestry Abroad.— That great 
interest is felt abroad in all that relates to Ameri¬ 
can Forestry is shown by the publication in a recent 
printing of “The Gardener’s Chronicle” (London) 
of the portraits of three of those most actively en¬ 
gaged in gathering statistics on our forestry for the 
census. The picture occupies a full page of the 
“ Chronicle,” and includes, besides the Chief of the 
Forestry Department of the Census, Prof. Chas. S. 
Sargent, of Harvard; Dr. George Engelmann, of 
St. Louis, the great authority on the Coniferae, or 
Bine FamUy, and Mr. Frank Skinner, Secretary. 
It may be stated that these gentleman have 6pent 
