THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
AUG 23 
550 
to the student. They found that it is not. as 
many seem to think, a business in which the 
stupid blunderer may equal the success of the 
thinker. The journal with the results of their 
experiments was faithfully kept, and haslieen 
of no little value to us all. Presently the boys 
began to interest their young friends in the 
neighborhood in their small attempts at farm¬ 
ing. There is not a boy within miles of us 
who has not persuaded his father to let him 
have a little corner to work for himself, and 
the boys have organized a Young Farmers 
Club, with meetings every two weeks, whose 
interest and profit might put many older 
organizations of the kind to shame. Why! 
among them they take every agricultural 
journal and stock journal in the country, and 
they have a circulating library containing a 
large number of valuable works on farming 
and stock raising. They have gone further: 
last, year the club offered prizes for the best 
yields of potatoes, corn, onions, and strawber¬ 
ries; also for the best essay on the breeding 
and care of sheep, uud on poultry. It seems 
to me that we older farmers are beginning to 
feel the effect of the boys' enthusiasm in our 
midst. 
On making this remark to a neighbor: 
“That's so,” said he. “My boy, George, last 
year raised more potatoes on an eighth of an 
acre thun I did on an acre uud a bug, and the 
poor boy did all the work on them noou spells 
and after we quit work at night. I thought 
there wasn’t any use of his puttering around 
with a little patch of potatoes, so I didn’t do 
anything to encourage him; but, I tell you, it 
made me feci pretty cheap when his patch 
turned out over 40 bushels of fine potatoes, 
while I got only 38 that were fit for market.” 
“Well, my boys have taught me a lesson in 
farmiug that 1 won’t forgot right, away,” said 
another. “They wanted me to let, them clear 
off about half an acre of new ground that bad 
never been plowed, and raise onions on it, I 
refused at first to let them have it: but final¬ 
ly, to take the uonsense out of them, 1 agreed 
to let them have the land for $5, and they 
were to pay mo for all the time they lost in 
working on it. They figured a little and took 
my offer. They didn’t, lose much time, for 
they did most of their work after chores were 
done at night, and when they sold their 
crop and hud paid me, they had $80 clear profit 
left, and they took the $10 prize the club of¬ 
fered besides. I didn’t get that much clear 
gain off from my If) acres of wheat last year.” 
Yes, our boys are teaching us valuable les¬ 
sons, as well as learning some themselves. 
My boys are working about throe acres for 
themselves now, and last year they showed 
their faith iu a wise expenditure of money by 
putting more than a hundred dollars into fer¬ 
tilizers and seed. For some years 1 have been 
accustomed to allow my sons u vacation for 
visiting State Fuirs and the farms of noted 
agriculturists In this and oilier States, and I 
think it is a most excellent, practice. The boys 
are incited by what they see and hear to try 
for better results in their work, and the asso¬ 
ciation with prominent meu gives them great¬ 
er respect for their business and its impor¬ 
tance. Iu each visit they have learned some¬ 
thing that has more than repaid the expense 
of the trip, besides the pleasure it gave them. 
They are heginniug to write a little for some 
of the f arm journals, giving their experiences 
on different subjects 
I have been surprised, too, at the ingenuity 
the Isiys are beginning to develop in contriv¬ 
ing labor-saving appliances in their work, and 
those little conveniences about the place that 
add so much to one’s comfort. They are busy 
and happy every minute, and work far more 
wit-h their heads than their hands. The boys 
have learned that farming is a business which 
affords delightful uud profitable employment 
for both brain aud muscle. There need be no 
hours wasted, yet the intelligent farmer is 
always able to command his own time. Tnere 
is no business which offers such advantages 
for reading, traveling, health, comforts, even 
luxuries, and a certain competency. 
If we parents will only take a little pains to 
interest our children in this work, aud help 
them to discover for themselves its ad vantages, 
our homes will not be left vacant, nor our 
children fall victims to the overwork or temp¬ 
tations of the city. 
KEW-YORK? 
EYE 
I OPENER 
Numerous inquirers ask whether the Stand¬ 
ard Jewelry Company, OH!', Broadway, this 
city, is reliable. Of all those of our friends 
who have dealt with this firm, only two have 
eompluined to Us that they have not received 
what they had ordered. In both cases we 
protested to the firm that their advertisement 
was admitted to our columns ouly on the 
understanding that ail orders should be 
promptly filled, and in both cases the goods 
had been sent before our complaints had 
reached them. The people always send some¬ 
thing when orders come iu; but it would be 
foolish for anybody to expect to get more 
than the worth of his money, and cheap 
jewelry is always poor jewelry. 
In answer to Inquiries from various parts of 
the country, we do not recommend our friends 
tohaseany dealings with the United Btn'e* 
Medicine Company, or the Clvldile Remedial 
Agency, or with K. Mason & Co., all of this 
city. W. A. Kelsey & Co., of Meriden, Conn., 
is trustworthy. The Reliable Manufacturing 
Company, Philadelphia, is by no meaus reli¬ 
able, as we have explained here three times 
already. It is a photographic humbug con¬ 
cern. We do not, by any means, recommend 
the Argosy Publishing Company, of this city, 
or the Crown Printing Company, of North- 
ford. Conn. The Monarch Potato Bigger, 
made in Chicago, Ills., likethe Monarch Light¬ 
ning Haw, made by the same concern, does not 
give satisfaction We have received letters 
emphatically denouncing both, and the firm 
that palms them off ou the public. 
Agents tu’e going through Michigan, and 
doubtless through other States also, selling 
patent rights for a bee-hive patented by a Mr. 
Pickerel, of Tennessee. The glib-tongued can¬ 
vassers guarantee that the hive will winter 
bees safely, and enable the bee keeper to get 
far more honey than can be got by the use of 
any other hive. They say that oar contribu¬ 
tor, Prof. A. J. Cook, of Luusing, Michigan, 
probably the best, authority iu the eouutrv on 
bee keeping, uses the hive, and that hundreds 
have been sold around Lansing. Prof. Cook, 
however, emphatically denies that he uses the 
hive, and declares that he doe* not know a 
single one in use about. Lansing, nor Is one 
used by any prominent bee keeper in the 
United States. Moreover, he says that the 
patented feature has nothing to do with any 
valuable feature of the hive, aud that every 
bee-keeper in Michigan has a perfect right to 
use its valuable feature*, Indeed, all that any 
experienced bee-keeper would retain should 
he use the hive. The Laugstroth hive, with 
its different form of frames, Is fiee to all, and 
would be preferred by every beekeeper of 
experience to this so-called patented hive. The 
Professor is indignant at the fulse claims that 
it will safety winter bees, uud asks what re 
dress can the bee-keeper obtain on finding his 
bees all dead after a severe winter t The claim 
that it secures more honey, is absurd. Bees 
gather all they can in any hive, if given room. 
The difference oi hives is mostly in conve¬ 
nience in handling and style for comb honey. 
Every hive of this kind, sold in any part, of 
the country, is a damage to the buyer and to 
the fraternity. Bee-keepers are constantly 
wishing to buy aud sell bees of and to each 
other. They cannot afford to have different 
styles of hives iu their bee-yards, as every 
good bee keeper knows. Now by introducing 
a new form of frame, this freedom of ex¬ 
change is greatly obstructed. Ho were the 
hives free, uud as good as those now iu use, 
their introduction would be a great Injury, 
vet the agents got over $400 from farmers 
around Lapeer, Mich. 
We deem it only fair to such as have ordered 
Dio Lewis' Monthly, in connection with the 
Rural, to make the following statement: It 
seems that there has been an unfortunate state 
of affairs between the editor aud the publish¬ 
er, which has not yet been settled; and in our 
opinion the publisher has not been to blame. 
As the case now stands, Mr. Bclden R. Hop¬ 
kins has bought the subscription list of Dio 
Lewis’s Magazine, and proposes tilliug the 
time of subscription with his own magazine— 
Home Science. We have forwarded to him a 
list of the -persons for whom we ordered the 
magazine, and there is no doubt that each will 
be well served by him. The Dio Lewis Maga¬ 
zine has not been issued since May or June. 
to r XI) omen, 
CONDUCTED BY MISC RAY CLARK. 
TO-DAY. 
■ * 
Do we know the priceless value 
Of the moments, ns they haste. 
Which To-duy Is evei Bivins 
Unto us. to use or waste? 
In thU fleeting life, To-morrow 
Never may be ours to hold. 
Kor of this we ba* e no promise, 
Aud the past is dead and cold. 
Dal To day—Ood-gtven treasure! 
May It ever be our Joy. 
While its precious moments linger, 
Its bright hours to well employ. 
Days well-spent are drops all sparkling, 
Iu the waters, deepand broad, 
Of Eternity’* great oeeau- 
Every drop Is held by Clod. 
Time flies swiftly-days are passing. 
And our years are few Indeed; 
With God’s loving banner o’er us, 
What wtll bring the Christian’s meed? 
Love to God. and love to neighbor— 
Purer flres were never stirred— 
In the waves of this affection, 
Drown each harsh and unkind word. 
Soothe the suffering, cheer the grieving, 
Lift the erring from his fall; 
Ever warming In thy bosom. 
Charity—the best of all. 
Then Improve the present moment. 
Make each day a Jewel bright. 
God will take them—He will bind them 
In thine angel crown of light. 
Julie Reynolds Beers. 
MOUNDS AND MOUND BUILDERS. 
I told Joe this morning that I was going 
to write something for the Rural and tell its 
readers all about his search for relics of the 
pre-historic race in what are commonly known 
as Indian mounds, Ha thought ita queer dish 
to serve to an agricultural paper, and pre¬ 
dicted that its agricultural readers would look 
with little favor upon such an article. 
But Joe is a farmer himself, and if he is 
interested enough in these antiquities to spend 
bis hard earned dollars employing men for 
days to dig for these buried relic*, I take it 
for granted that, there are other farmer* who 
will be equally eager to know the results, 
especially when they were such as to com¬ 
pletely turn the heads of our borne scientists 
and geologists, and cause a young enthusiast 
from the State of New York to resume the 
pick and shovel and continue the investiga¬ 
tion, in hopes of finding something more of 
the vanished race. 
Ohio abounds in these ancient earthworks, 
and the Scioto Valley, where we live, is a rich 
field for investigation; every mile of its terri¬ 
tory has its own peculiar forts, mounds, 
squares or circles, the erection of which are 
credited to these ancient people. Most of 
these mounds have been examined, many com¬ 
pletely destroyed, and very few are left un¬ 
disturbed. The one to which we shall pay our 
particular attention in the present article, 
was one of unusual beauty, and one of the 
best preserved in the country; an obloug 
structure, with a base of 80x50 feet, perpen¬ 
dicular bight 18 feet, with a flattened top 
40x35 feet. The top is covered with a sod of 
blue grass, the base and sides are thickly stud 
ded with timbers of several varieties, making 
a delightfully shady nook, where parties often 
resort, to while away a pleasant hour. The 
only thing singular about it was, that no trees 
or shrubs were ever known to grow upon the 
crown, and the excavation failed to produce 
any evidence that they ever had. This beau¬ 
tiful monument of the mound-builders had 
, been jealously guarded for two generations; 
and the numerous appeal* of antiquarians 
from different parts of the State for privilege 
to tunnel its hidden depths, was refused alike 
by father and son. But public opinion has 
become too strong and humau curiosity will 
never rest. Science must advance; State and 
country organizations have sprung up to assist 
it, and it would seem ungenerous to longer 
refuse the aid which au advancing civilization 
demands. 
But Joe said that if there was any honor in 
it he would have it by doing the work himself, 
and as the men were not busy, he set them to 
work with picks aud shovels to mar the beauty 
of the structure that has given to our home 
the name of “ Mound Cottage.” But they did 
not work with interest—said “it was foolishness 
—nothing but a wild goose-chase; that the 
weather was too hot for such work, and they 
would much rather go fishing.” But Joe en¬ 
couraged them with accounts of what had 
been found in others; specimen* of pottery, 
copper ornumeuts, stone axes, pipes, beads, 
etc.: that there was every probability that 
they should meet with like success. Iu this re¬ 
spect they were disappointed, but at the base 
of the mound t here was fouud that which will 
be of infinitely more benefit to science than all 
of these combined. Alter excavating to the 
depth of 16 feet, they discovered an altar. It 
was constructed of sun-dried bricks, or per¬ 
haps of a solid bed of mortar, made a* smooth 
as a billiard-table. Upon this an immense 
fire had been kindled, and upon the whole a 
sacrifice—humau or other—had been wrapped 
in three distinct kinds of cloth, and cremated 
perhaps to appease their god, or to commemo¬ 
rate some great event. The immense quan¬ 
tity of charcoal, as pure and perfect as can be 
found—specimens from four to six inches in 
diameter, and the whole mass from 13 to 15 
inches thick, almost free from ashes—can be 
accounted for ouly on the theory that while 
the coals w-ere all aglow with heat, the sacri¬ 
fice was laid ou, and during some religious 
ceremony the whole covered quickly with 
earth. 
The body, which w'as inclosed in this ample 
sheet, has almost entirely disappeared; only a 
few charred remains can be found clinging 
to the cloth. But the winding sheet itself, 
strange to say, escajied the ravages of the fire. 
Burnt aud charred as it is, every seam aud 
thread can be distinctly traced. Each thread 
is double-twisted and woven by a stitch I 
suppose peculiar to this people. It is claimed 
by some that this is the only specimen of cloth¬ 
ing ever found in these mounds. Whether 
this be true or not I cannot say; but Joe ap¬ 
pear* satisfied with his treasure, and the de¬ 
mand for a part of the relic has been so great, 
that he has put bis best specimens under lock 
and key. However, he says he will send the 
Editor of the Rural enough to patch the 
knees of bis pants, for he thinks that a man 
who works so faithfully in his exjierimental 
ground must need a patch sometime. Besides, 
it would seem odd to say, through the Rural, 
“my pauts are patched with cloth made and 
buried—well—say. about the time Moses was 
in the wilderness.” 
Joe is full of the subject at present, and he 
says that the evidence is sufficient to warrant 
us in saying that this valley was once as 
thickly populated a* it is now, and that na¬ 
ture unaided could not support such a popu¬ 
lation; therefore they must have been an ag¬ 
ricultural people, and that the editor’s love 
for agriculture, both ancient and modern, is 
the only hope of salvation for this article. 
GRETCHEN. 
- ■ - 
Please accept our thanks for the piece 
of goods sent us, that has been buried so 
long from human sight, yet has been wonder¬ 
fully preserved by Mother Earth. It is a 
curiosity, indeed.—E ds. 
“RAISING A TOBACCO BARN IN 
KENTUCKY.” 
“We had better have our barn raising to¬ 
morrow', the day promises to be fair. Tom, 
you can go this evening and get the hands.” 
This announcement came from the “head 
of the household,” and was addressed to one 
of the three white hands who sat at diuner 
with us, for lu Kentucky it matters not how 
lowly If white, they are given a seat at your 
tuble, while the colored, however aspiring, 
eat in the kitchen. 
1 heard the announcement with trepidation, 
a« I had only a few months before left the 
rich “ blue grass” region, and come to dwell 
in the Green River region of Kentucky, where 
tobacco is the principal crop, The people are 
poor, the farms small, each family raises a 
patch of from two to fifteen acres, seldom ex¬ 
ceeding the last figure. They clear the 
ground during the Winter, as new ground 
tobacco iH the best aud easiest cultivated. 
Whilst cutting the timber they save all the 
straight, bodied trees of suitable size, cut them 
21 feet long, so as to make a room about 20 
feet square, often having more than 100 logs. 
It is generally “raised” in the clearing, to be 
convenient to the tobacco crop. Though I 
was ignorant of the “ ways” of our new life, I 
felt a bravo determination to do my best, 
being fortunate iu having as cook “ Aunt 
Mary,” a real “old time” negro, that had been 
raised a slave, and lived among the "best 
families,” her ambition to own a home had led 
her to this country of cheap lauds, and find¬ 
ing more distinction in cooking for “qual¬ 
ity,” than living in lonely insignificance, 
became a household treasure to uh; her advice 
was often a valuable assistance in helping me 
through the “sloughs of despond” that every 
youug housekeeper is calksl upon to wade, 
especially one who leaves the luxuriance of 
civilization for a new life in the woods. The 
life was not a hard one; my inexperience was 
so great, that I did not anticipate. Each day 
simply unfolded a new phase in life, aud the 
constant revelation kept me bewildered at 
what 1 saw. 
Tom started off soon after dinner to deliver 
the “invites, - and with directions to get some¬ 
thing in the way of fowls aud vegetables to 
help out the big dinner that is expected on 
such occasions. The invitation is not very 
ceremonious. It was only necessary for hirn 
to halloo at the rail fence until some one ap¬ 
peared in the doorway w'hen, without waiting 
for greeting, he would announce: “We’re 
goin’ to have a barn raisin’ to-morrer; tell the 
meu folks to come;” theu ride away to the 
next cabin, until 30 or 40 hands were promised. 
Tom came home about sundown, having se¬ 
cured three hens of various ages aud a few’ 
potatoes. My heart was lighter, for it was in 
early Spring, when everything was scarce. 
Aunt Mary dressed the fowls that night, tell¬ 
ing me they were “mighty tough,” adding 
dubiously, “T specs they’ll git done if I put 
them ou to bile by daylight.” 
We were up with the sun, busy with prepa¬ 
rations for the coming feast. A ham was put 
on iu a kettle out-doors to boil, their hensbips 
simmered in pots, while Aunt Mary made her 
pies. I w r as trying to devise some way of 
lengthening the table, and found the box iu 
which our organ was packed did the thing 
beautifully. 
In moving about, busy unpacking dishes 
and washing them, I could see first one, then 
groups of two or three of the uatives, with 
axes on their shoulders, moving in a "go- 
easy” gait towards the clearing, where the 
