We have a man in town who believes an application of the “rod” to be beneficial in all things. He avers there is no more efficacious remedy for stunted swine than to get into their pen with a foo dag and five them a sound whipping. He says if they won’t grow after that heroic exercise, the owner had best cut off their heads. Some time ago he gave an Ellendale man some wholesome advice about doctoring barren fruit trees, and related his experience with one of that class. Said he “I had a tree that had not borne any fruit for several years. I washed it[i], and did everything to it that my mind could suggest, without avail. The tree appeared to be incorrigible, so to speak; at last, I concluded to try the merits of a good thrashing on it. I procured me several gads and went to the tree, Before proceeding to whip it, I thought it proper to explain my motives in so doing; said I, ‘Mr. Tree, you have been standing here for a long time idle, doing nothing, what do you mean by your laziness? Ain’t goin’ to answer me, ha! Well, I’ll give you a good licking.’ And I pitched into that tree with all my vim and beat it until I was tired and my gad worn out. After resting myself I spoke to the tree again, in this wise: ‘Now what do you think of yourself, anyhow? Why do you cumber the ground? I’m going to give you another licking, and leave you here another year, and if you don’t bear fruit then, I’ll cut you down and burn you up.’ And I pitched into that tree again and actually cut part of the bark from it. Then I left it. And the next tear that tree was full of fruit. Fact!” The above is not exactly in the language the man used in relating this notable occurrence to his hearer, but he firmly believes that in thrashing the tree he forced it to yield a crop of fruit.
An engine from an Eastern firm has been in town this week showing off its capabilities. The Milton people do not want this engine. There is not enough capacity in it for our town. “Too much unloading and not enough loading,” is the expression of the people. The capacity if the engine is not enough for our town. Milton does not need it, and assuredly will not buy it.
Postmaster Manship is in Philadelphia for medical treatment.
W. Wilson, assistant postmaster, has been nursing a sore arm, the result of vaccination. It was thought on Saturday it would be necessary to telegraph to Wilmington for a man to take charge of the post office, but Mr. Wilson’s constitution is good and he survived that day, and on Sunday kept himself within doors. He is now better and rapidly improving.
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[i] Since the 19th century, when Professor Pierre-Marie-Alexis Millardet discovered that copper can be used to destroy fungal spores on plants, fruit trees are “washed” in the winter with a fungicide solution.