45o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
July 14 
ANOTHER IRRIGATION TALK. 
On page 84 of The R. N.-Y. the follow¬ 
ing question was asked : 
I have a pond of about acre In lire, water five 
feet deep. The elevation from the pond to the top 
of the Kround 1b 25 feet. What Is the best and 
cheapest device to get the water up to the ground to 
be used for Irrigating garden truck? If a windmill, 
what klr.d and size Of wheel Is best? The pond Is In 
an open Held. Have any of Thk K. N.-Y. readers 
ever had any experience with a Safety Vapor engine? 
1 want to Irrigate 10 acres, besides hot-beds of 160 
sashes. J*- 
Creston, Iowa. 
A. M. does not give sufficient data to 
enable one to answer his questions with 
any great degree of accuracy, there being 
many possible conditions that might in¬ 
fluence a decision. Still I believe he will 
do best to use a windmill, provided he 
can arrange for sufficient storage of 
water. To do this by means of tanks, 
would be very expensive, and in all 
probability, not satisfactory; but if there 
be a rise of ground conveuiently near 
the land he wishes to irrigate, he can 
build a reservoir at small expense, 
and be practically independent of the 
weather. He does not need any great 
height of ground on which to place his 
reservoir ; if it he 20 to 30 feet above the 
level of the land to be irrigated, it will 
give sufficient pressure to overcome the 
friction in the pipes and enable him to 
distribute the water over his 10 acres. 
For his hot-beds he might need a greater 
head of water, and for this a small tank 
would answer. He could flll this tank 
by a pipe leading from a T on his main 
pipe. He would better get as big a wind¬ 
mill as he can afford ; a large one costs 
no more to run than a small one, and it 
will do a given amount of work on less 
wind than the small one. 
The reservoir can be made by making 
a shallow excavation and using the re¬ 
moved soil to form an embankment or 
retaining wall. The material from an ex¬ 
cavation 20 feet square and four feet deep 
would make an embankment sufficiently 
strong and high to admit of a depth of 
water of six feet, and give a capacity of 
18,000 gallons, or about 450 barrels, and 
would probably be sufficiently large. 
The inside of the reservoir may be lined 
with clay, concrete, or brick. If of clay 
or concrete, the walls should be made on 
a slope of one foot to one in height. The 
clay should be well beaten down to form 
a lining not less than three inches thick. 
If of concrete, the walls and bottom 
should flrst be lined with cobble stones 
set by hand closely together. Over this 
pour a mortar made of one part cement 
—Rosendale or Portland—to four parts 
of sand, mixed well together when dry, 
and wet up with water so as to pour out 
of a pail. Level this off with the back 
of a shovel, pressing it into all the spaces 
between the stones. Be careful not to 
crack this. Of course, inlet, outlet and 
overflow pipes should be provided and 
set before the concrete is put in. 
Should brick be used as a lining, the 
sides may be made perpendicular, and if 
the earth be reasonably solid, a wall 
four inches wide will answer, the bottom 
being covered with bricks laid flat; 4,500 
bricks will be sufficient, and an eight- 
inch wall will require about 3,000 more. 
Use equal parts of cement and sand for 
laying the brick wall. The bottom should 
be covered with bricks laid flat, about 
one-quarter of an linch apart, and the 
mortar—one to four—poured over and 
spread as on the cobble stones. 
If A. M. has any “ Yankee ” in him, he 
can lay this wall himself and save fancy 
bricklayers’ wages. A trowel plenty 
good enough for this work may be made 
by flattening out a common garden 
trowel, and no other special tools are 
needed. Let A. M. keep his windmill 
always at work during dry weather, and 
let the overflow of water form a little 
brook passing through the chicken and 
duck yards and emptying into suitable 
ditches’in a field of water cress. From 
this brooklet he may conduct small irri¬ 
gating streams, by using the little plow 
that goes with the Planet Jr. wheel hoe, 
which will form a channel for the stream 
as fast as a man can walk. 
Beauty may be added to utility by 
bringing the inlet or supply pipe above 
the water in the center of the tack, and 
forming a fountain. Aquatic plants may 
be placed around the edge, and the water 
stocked with gold fish, etc I have never 
been able to think of a way of making 
the wooden tanks beautiful. 
N. H. EGLESTON, JK. 
“HONEST COMMISSION MERCHANTS.” 
Some years ago while living in the 
country and about to start on a trip to a 
large city, I was banded by two of my 
neighbors statements of accounts of sales 
as rendered by a commission merchant 
in the city. Within a few days I called 
at the place of business of the commission 
merchant designated in the statements 
and found a small room in a basement, 
containiug a woman, a desk and a few 
eggs, these constituting the entire equip¬ 
ment of the retiary. In answer to my 
inquiries, the woman professed to be 
ignorant of the business, stating that 
Mr.-, the commission merchant 
would be absent for a number of days. 
I then made inquiry of nearby business¬ 
men concerning a commission merchant 
in whom I could place reliance, and was 
by a number of them directed to a man 
who seemed to be all business, and doing 
about all the business within quite a 
radius. I approached the busy man and 
inquired about Mr. - - (the com¬ 
mission merchant against whom I held 
the claims). And now for the answer, 
the old, old answer ; the answer of devils 
and leper rogues; it was: “What do 
you people send your stuff to such a man 
for? You ought to lose all of it.” The 
answer was spoken roughly and sharply, 
and immediately turningraway from me 
he walked away contemptuously. 
Some weeks afterwards, I, in different 
garb and address, again called on the 
same busy, reliable commission mer¬ 
chant, stating that I had certain goods 
to ship, and had come to him for advice. 
I was treated extremely pleasant. He 
took quite an interest in me, taking 
great pains to find out where I was from 
and—well—he found out how green I 
was, politely telling me that he was 
overstocked with consignments, but 
would name a good party, following 
with the name and address of the same 
party from whom I had been trying to 
collect the claims represented by the 
papers then in my pocket. I again called 
at the place of the rogue’s henchman or 
bench woman, and found the same wo¬ 
man who very politely stated that Mr. 
-, the commission merchant, was 
out of the city for an indefinite period. 
After accumulating additional evidence 
I left the location, wondering about its 
standard of honesty and who that wo¬ 
man was. c. w. G. 
Waynesborough, Pa. 
STRAWBERRIES IN KENTUCKY. 
I took first premium on Bubach No. 5 
at the Louisville Strawberry Show, and 
it was conceded to be the finest variety 
on exhibition. After the show was over, 
the plates of the different varieties were 
sold to the highest bidders, and my plate 
of Bubach brought SI 25. The highest 
price paid for any other plate was 45 
cents. Of course, I was delighted, as this 
was my first exhibit at any meeting. I 
have sold a little over S300 worth of ber¬ 
ries this season from half an acre, or at 
the rate of over S600 an acre ; about half 
were Bubach No. 5. Timbrell is show¬ 
ing up well, and is the latest variety in 
cultivation. I use no stable manure 
whatever in the cultivation of the straw¬ 
berry. First, on account of the weed 
seeds it contains, and secondly, while it 
is a complete manure, it is not a well- 
balanced manure for fruit, on account of 
its excess of nitrogen and insufficient 
quantity of potash and phosphoric acid ; 
it makes foliage at the expense of fruit 
buds. 
My mode of cultivating is as follows • 
I select a clover sod cultivated in some 
hoed crop one season (the watermelon. 
for instance, as it'is not an exhaustive 
crop), then I apply 1,500 pounds of pure 
raw bone meal per acre and ICO bushels 
of unleached hard-wood ashes, or in¬ 
stead, 500 pounds of muriate of potash, 
all to be applied early in the spring and 
harrowed thoroughly into the surface 
soil. I then set plants in rows three feet 
apart and 18 inches distant in the rows, 
and cultivate thoroughly throughout the 
season, mulching tbe3plants with clean 
wheat straw about December 1, which is 
all the work necessary until fruitiiig 
time the following season. By this mode 
of cultivation and fertilization, I have 
succeeded in raising 250 bushels per acre 
of very choice strawberries. j. j. p. 
Warsaw, Ky. 
A MIRACLE IN MISSOURI. 
THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF MEDICAL SCIENCE 
FAB MORE WONDERFUL THAN THE 
MAGIC OF THE EAST. 
T/ie Remarhnhle Experience of Postmaster 
Woodson, of Panama, Mo. For Ten 
Years a Cripple. To day a Well and 
Hearty Man 
[From the Kansas City Times.] 
The people of Rich Hill, Mo., and vi¬ 
cinity, have recently been startled by a 
seeming miracle of healing. For years 
one of the best known men in Bates and 
Vernon Counties has been Mark M. 
Woodson, now postmaster at Panama, 
and brother of ex-State Inspector of 
Mines, C C. Woodson, of this city. The 
people of Rich Hill, where he formerly 
resided, and of his present home, re¬ 
member well the bent form, misshapen 
almost from the semblance of man, 
which has painfully bowed its head half 
to earth and labored snail-like across the 
walks season after season, and when one 
day last month it straightened to its full 
height, threw away the heavy butt of 
cane which for years had been its only 
support from total helplee:sness, and 
walked erect, firmly, unhesitatingly 
about the two cities, people looked and 
wondered. The story of the remarkable 
case has become the marvel of the two 
counties. Exactly as Mr. Woodson told 
it to a Times reporter, it is here pub¬ 
lished : 
“ For 10 years I have suffered the tor¬ 
ments of the damned, and have been a 
useless invalid ; to-day I am a well and 
hearty man, free from almost every 
touch of pain. I don’t think man ever 
suffered more acute and constant agony 
than I have since 1884. The rheumatism 
started then in my right knee, and after 
weeks of suffering in bed, I was at last 
relieved sufficiently to arise, but it was 
only to get about on crutches for five 
years, the ailment having settled in the 
joint. Despite constant treatment of the 
most eminent physicians, the rheuma¬ 
tism grew worse, and for the last four 
years I have been compelled to go about 
bent half toward the ground. In the 
winter of 1890—91, after the rheumatism 
had settled into its most chronic form, I 
went to Kansas City upon the advice of 
my brother, and for six weeks I was 
treated in one of the largest and best- 
known dispensaries of that city, but 
without the slightest improvement. Be¬ 
fore I came home I secured a strong gal¬ 
vanic battery; this I used for months 
with the same result. In August, 1892, 
I went to St. Louis, and there conferred 
with the widely-known Dr. Mudd, of 
hospital practice fame, and Dr. Kale, of 
the city hospital. None of them would 
take my case with any hope of affording 
me more than temporary relief, and so I 
came home, weak, doubled with pain, 
helpless and despondent. 
“ About this time my attention was 
called to the account of a remarkable 
cure by Dr. Williams’ Pink Pills for Pale 
People for locomotor ataxia, rheumatism 
and paralysis. I ordered some of the 
pills as an experiment. When I began 
to take them, the rheumatism had de¬ 
veloped into a phase of paralysis; my leg 
from the thigh down was cold all the 
time and could not be kept warm. In a 
short time the pills were gone, and so 
was the cane. I was able to attend to 
the duties of my office, to get about as a 
well and strong man. I was free from 
pain, and I could enjoy a sound and rest¬ 
ful night’s sleep, something I had not 
known for 10 years. To-day am prac¬ 
tically, and, I firmly believe, permanent¬ 
ly cured of my terrible and agonizing 
ailment. No magician of the Far East 
ever wrought the miracle with his wand 
that Dr. Williams’Pink Pills did for me.” 
To vei ify the story beyond all question 
of doubt, Mr. Woodson made the follow¬ 
ing affidavit: 
State of Missouri, ) gg 
County of Bates, ) 
I, M. M. Woodson, being duly sworn 
on my oath, state that the following 
statements are true and correct as I 
verily believe. M. M. Woodson. 
Subscribed and sworn to before- me 
this 3d day of March, 1894. 
John D. Moore, Notary PahUc. 
Dr. Williams’ Pink Pills for Pale People 
are manufactured by the Dr. Williams’ 
Medicine Company, Schenectady, N. Y., 
and are sold only in boxes bearing the 
firm’s trademark and wrapner, at 50 
cents a box or six boxes for 82.50. Bear 
in mind that Dr. Williams’ Pink Pills are 
never sold in bulk or by the dezen or 
hundred, and any dealer who offers sub¬ 
stitutes in this form is trying to defraud 
you, and should be avoided. Dr. Wil¬ 
liams’ Pink Pills may be had of all drug¬ 
gists, or direct by mail from Dr Wil¬ 
liams’ Medicine Co.— Adv. 
A 14 TS.A.TIA.T I" 
hoLD PLATE 
CBT THIS OUT and send it to ns 
with your name and address,and 
we will send you this watch by 
expressforexamination. A GUAR- 
AKTKKfor 5 YEARS and Chain and 
Charm free with every watch. 
You examine it and if you think 
it a bargain pay our sample price 
*2.75 and it ia yours. Itisbeauti- 
fuily enfrraved and equal in ap¬ 
pearance to a genuine soiid gold 
watch. Write to-day and men¬ 
tion in you letter whether you 
want Ladies’ or Gent’s size. 
Address, 
THE NATIONAL M'F’Q 
& IMPORTING CO., 
331 BeatborB St., Cticaeo, IUIboU. 
CANCER CURED. 
POSITIVELY NO PAIN. Knife or Plaster.^ 
A purely vegetable treatment which removes cancer. 
tumor, and scrofula. For nartlciilars and circulars, 
address U. H. MMon, Al. L>., Uhatham, N. Y. 
BIG FOUR ROUTE 
CLEVELAND, CINCINNATI. CHICAGO 
AND ST. LOUIS RAILWAY 
TO 
Western and Southern Points. 
THROUGH SLEEPING CARS FROM 
New York to Cincinnati, Indianapolis 
and St. Louis 
VIA 
NewYork Central to Buffalo, L. S. & M. S. 
Railway to Cleveland, Big Four 
Route to Destination. 
Elegant Connections 
With all Trunk Lines In New York State 
Ask for Tickets via RIG FOUR ROUTE. 
E.O.McCORMiCK, 0. B. MARTIN, 
Pass. Traffic Manager. Gen'l Pass. & Tkt. Agt. 
BIG FOUK KOUTE, CINCINNATI, O. 
Liittle Detective Scale. 
This scale weighs from one-quartei: of 
a pound to 25 pounds. Every family 
should have one. Nothing could be 
nicer for weighing small articles. Price, 
with a year’s subscription, 83 25 ; with 
a new subscription, 83. Or given out¬ 
right for a club of seven new subscrip¬ 
tions. 
Dodge’s Milk Strainer. 
This is one of the best utensils we ever 
had in our dairy. We would pay 85 
for it rather than go without it. The 
strainer is made in three 
layers, which are easily 
taken apart, and are 
readily put in place 
again after being clean¬ 
ed. They are as easily 
washed when apart as a 
tea saucer. Price, with 
renewal, 82.25. With one new name 82, 
or as a premium for a club of six new 
names. 
The Swift Coffee- Mill. 
You can have the best cup of coffee 
with all its delicious flavor only when 
the coffee is fresh¬ 
ly ground just be¬ 
fore making. To 
do this, you need a 
Swift No. 12 coffee 
mill. Every fam¬ 
ily should have 
one. This mill has 
a closed drawer to 
hold the coffee, 
and will grind nearly one-half pound in 
a minute. Price with renewal 83 or 
given for a clubtof,6 new^names. 
