Centre Farmer. “PROGRESSIVE AGRICULTURE." VOL. 2. BELLEFONTE. CENTRE CO., PA., NOVERBER, 1816. NO. 6. CENTRE FARMER. PUBLISHED BY THE CENTRE COUNTY AGRICULTURAL BOCIETY, JOHN A. WOODWARD, Howard, Prof, JNO. HAMILTON, State College, B. F. SHAFFER, Walker, Publishing Committee. Officers of the Society for 1876 : President—Jonx A. Woopwarp, Howard. Vice Presidents—GEN. Gro. BUCHANAN, of Gregg, Geo. L. Pxrers, of Union, A. 8. Tipron, of Curtin, SAMUEL GrLLiLAND, of College. Secretary & Treasurer—J. WESLEY GEPHART, of Bellefonte. Librarian—Jonn T. JouNsTON, of Bellefonte. Executive Com.—Jas. A. BEAVER, of Bellefonte, JouN Risner, of Benner, JoHN A. HUNTER, of Halfmoon, LeoNARD Ruong, of Potter, JouN Hamirron, of College, B. F. Suarrer, of Walker. DR. E. GREENE'S Iniver Pills. BEWARE OF COUNTERFEITS. Dr. E. Greene's Liver Pills are always and only put up in OVAL boxes, not round—and have on the bottom of each and every box— the name of the Sole: Agents and Manufactu- rers. J. ZELLER & SON, No. 6 Brockerhoff Row. A@F-Bee other advertisement in this paper<eg W. 8. WOLF & SON, BELLEFONTE, PA. MANUFACTURERS and Dealers in all kinds of STOVES TINWARE, &C,, &C., &C. Roofing & Spouting a Specialty. ALL WORK GUARANTEED. —— SAVE YOUR MONEY AND FUEL? If you want the best, cheapest, and most durable stove out, buy the RADIANT HOME. Cheapest, because of saving fuel. CALL AND SEE THE ONLY PERFECT STOVE! iJAOLS SSYID LsdIld AINO HHL HHS ANV TIVO The largest stock of Stoves, Tinware housefurnishing goods, &c., Spouting and Roofing promptly attended to hy Ww. T. TWITMIRE, No. 4 Bush's Arcade. UMBRELLAS & PARASOLS neatly Repaired, one door north of Post Oftice, Humes block, up-stairs, Bellefonte, Penn’a. THE BALLOON SIONS. ASCEN- In compliance with the expressed | wish of many of our best citizens and warmest friends of the Society, and in the hope of affording a pleasing scien- tific entertainment for the visitors to the fair grounds, our Executive Com- mittee determined on having a balloon ascension on both Wednesday and Thursday of Fair week ; and believing that “what is worth doing at all is worth doing well,” secured the ser- vices of the veteran air-sailor, Prof. JouN Wise and his couragedus niece and pupil Miss Lizzis Inning. Prof. Wise is, perhaps,the most experienced | and successful aeronaut in the world, and Miss InLiNe, though lacking the experience of her uncle, to be attained only by along life of service in the art, has been his companion in his aerial voyages since she was but eight years of age, and has had the benefit of his experience and teaching in the voyages which she has of late years been making alone. The wisdom of our Executive committee in selecting these eminent persons from among the several who tendered their services was plainly proven by the very suc- cessful ascensions made on both Wed- nesday and Thursday. Miss Inring's balloon, the “Amazon,” was a new one built by her for the occasion, and had never been inflated until it arrived at the Bellefonte gas works, in charge of Mr. McKn~ieut, who was the recipient of flattering compliments from Prof, Wisk for his kind attention and skill in making balloon gas. The details of both the ascensions have been given in our county papers, and we do not need to repeat them here. Itis due to Miss ImLiNg, how- ever, to say that we have never seen more pleasing or graceful ascensions, and that those who witnessed them were unanimous in their expressions of the pleasure received and their admi- ration of her coolness and courage. Just before the ascent on Wednes- day it was suggested to Miss ImLING that it would gratify a great many of her spectators to see a balloon alight, when she kindly and promptly prom- ised to descend within sight if ‘possible. In fulfillment of this promise she opened the valve immediately after passing clear of the town, and alighted on the farm of ex-Sheriff KruiNe. As an evidence of Miss InvLiNg’s skill both in building and sailing her air ships it may be stated that although her balloon when fully inflated contained but 10,000 feet of gas, it was found on Thursday morn- ing to contain some 6,500 feet—but 3,500 feet having been consumed by the voyage, and lost by leakage during the night, As expressions of the art or science of ballooning, both ascensions were simply perfect, and we are commission- ed to tender to Prof. Wise and his ac- complished pupil the thanks of our so- ciety in behalf of all who witnessed them. Miss ImLiNG. kindly furnished us with pleasant little sketches of both her trips. The first was published in both the Watchman and Republican of last week, and thesecond will be found below : Joun A. Woopwarp, Esq.—Dear Sir: My second aeronautic experiment made from your Society’s Fair ground on the 5th instant, as you are aware, was made under a lower- ing atmosphere—the balloon and net work saturated with the ten hours rain it endured though the night and Jay receding the occasion. I started at 3 o'c A five minutes, thermometer 60 degrees. Five minutes it took me to get in the thick clouds that over- hung the earth like a pall, I heard shouting all round below—clear down to Milesburg— the balloon moving in that direction as it entered the cloud.” My baromoter marked 2500 feet. Oh, what a solemn thing it is to be involved in these dense meteors! I got upon my knees with note book in hand to describe the scene. The attitude of kneeling .was ap- propriate, as well as comfortable, while de- scribing the Zysterions majesty of nature. I had a moment before viewed the handiwork of God's beautifal creation of mountain and valley, rivulets and velvet green fields, with towns and Villages of men,—now I was bask- ing in a milk-white vapor. How strange the contrast: these clouds looked sulky black from below, but milky white within them. I could see nothing around me—above nor below, but this vapor, and as soon as I was completly buried in it all the shouting ceased; a death-like silence prevaded this solemn chamber. Presently I heard quite de- stinctly the tinkling of a cow-bell, and sup- posing I had crossed over to Bald Eagle Val- ey I came down gradually. When I came out of the cloud I found myself right above the mountain top, and again the shouting of the people reached my ears. I sailed along the line of the back for nearly half an hour, hoping to drift on one side or the other, but the “ Amazon” plodded her weary way right along this high-way, and again I went up into and above the layer of clouds until I reached the sunshine at a heighth of 4000 feet. Here was anew scene; there was a mountain and a valley in the cloud surface, and presently the “ Amazon,’ drifted to the cloud-valley and I opened the. valve to come down again be- low the clouds to look for a clear spot to light on. I found myseli moving for Curtin’s works and at 4 oclock and five minutes, I landed on Mr. Austin Curtin’s farm, where I was surrounded by many people. I was sur- prised to see Mr. Curtin, as I had seen him near me at the start, and then again I saw Mr. E. Foster and Prof. Wise coming up, who started with a coach from the Fair ground when I did, but when I found that I was not more than five miles from Bellefonte, my surprise was over. Five miles an hour is a slow gait for an air-ship, but then when it is considered that I i) such formidable ob- stacles in the way, if hoy were but water vapor, and I had to travel, as it were, blind- folded, so far as the earth was concerned, it was getting along well enough. Just before I landed I crossed a grave-yard in which I saw a man, and I called on him to take Irold of my trail-rope, but he answered’ *it is too high, I cannot reach it,” but he fol- lowed me briskly, and when he came up he said “I knew there was a woman in it when I heard your voice and I ran as fast as I could.” Immediately after entering the cloud upon my start I heard the Band of music playing It was like an enchantment, and how I wished all my friends below could be up with mein the cloud-heaven to llsten to its gsymphonious strains, My aeronautic display may have been Inicresting to my audience on account of its variety, but to me it was truly novel and sublime, as it was my first experience in in the art on a rainy day. I feel under great obligations for the kind- ness tendered me by all my friends, and par- ticularly to the members and officers of the Agricultural Society, and to Messrs. Grice and Foster, and also to Mr. McKnight for replen- ishing the “Amazon” with several thousand feet of gas and bringing her over to the Fair ground, Lizzie Invixa. LINES SUGGESTED DURING MY ERTAL VOYAGES FROM BELLEFONTE. When ¢’er I mount on ether's wing To seek the heavenly air, To hear the zephyr angels sing It fills my soul with prayer. When fleecy clouds around me play Like gpirits of the air, And fan me with their ambient spray I feel like staying there. The world sinks down in ethers sea, Nor stops to rest in space While my frail bark is sailing free To seek a resting place. How beauteous now the realms around, Spread out with bounteous hand ; The great blue vault now clasps the ground, And forms a circling band. The world looks like a fairy green With plants of various hue, And silvery streamlets in the scene To beautify the view. ' All nature sings the song of love In one accord of praise ; The lamp of God swung far above Sends down its quick’ning rays. Oh! must I soon depart from hence, To join that rugge shore, To dream of heavenly recompense In Nature's bounteous store ! No! no! I will not down to earth— I'd rather stay up here Amid the scenes of joy and mirth That greet my eye and ear. Ne'er can the earth such pleasure give, Nor move the soul to raise, As does the upper world of life In sailing on ita ways. But now, alas, my fairy bark Is swooping for the strand ; And down I come like meadow lark, Again to grope on land. END OF VOLUME TWO. With this number the second vol- ume of the CeNTrE FARMER closes, and for this season, at least, our mod- est little monthly disappears from the public eye; and will, doubtless, soon drop from the memory of most of those to whom it has made its regular visits. That it has accomplished all that could have been wished for it by its friends, we do not claim, but that it has proven itself an incentive and aid to “Progressive Agriculture” in our county, to such a degree as to justify its publication, we hope and believe. We claim no originality for any of its teachings, nor merit for any advice offered, or suggestion made; but in- dulge the hope that in gleaning from the sources of acknowledged agricul- tural wisdom to which we have had access, we may have chanced here and there to gather a handful of suf ficient merit to redeem our little bun- dle from utter condemnation. TuaNks—Chief Marshal Gilliland desires us to tender his thanks to the citizens, who, as volunteer police aided him in keeping the crowd of boys and others who followed the balloon on Thursday, from breaking over the fence. The thanks of the Society are due to the Salona Brass Band for the pleas- ing music which they voluntarily fur- nished. The Executive Committee hereby express their obligations to the ladies and gentlemen who kindly consented to act as judges in place of some of those who had been regularly appoint- ed, but who failed to put in an ap- pearance. SC — No 1NsEcT, 80 far has troubled the sweet potatoes to damage them to any extent in this section of the country, and if the bugs continue to destroy the Irish potatoes as they have done in years past, we will have to turn our at- tention more to the growing of the sweet potato to fill its place, also to the best methods of storing and keeping them for Winter and Spring use. Every one that tills the soil should plant enough for his own use and a few to sell. They will pay if you plant the kind adapted to the soil you plant them in, AN ACRE contains 43,000 square feet, a tract 209 feet square contains 121 square feet over an acre. A lot 200 feet wide and 217.8 feet long, or 100 by 436.6 feet contains exactly an acre. A plow, turning a furrow one foot wide, would go nearly 8} miles in plowing av acre, WE LIKE to have our friends try saving seeds. In no other way wil} they so well learn how difficult it is to grow pure seeds, and how prone every- thing to degenerate,—[Vick's Flora! Guide.
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