21)8 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE:. 



of seed, which in a donnant state remained in the soil for the reseeding 

 of the garden for another crop of weeds. After plowing the garden, the 

 farmer turns it over to his wife to plant and cultivate. Not long ago, a 

 premium article in the Indiana Farnior, written by a farmer's wife, 

 told how she managed her worlc to tlie best advantage. In it she told 

 how she got up at 4 o'clock in the morning and commenced her day's 

 work and with what Vegularity she did it each week. She told how she 

 cooked for her family and Abashed tlie dishes; how she milked the cows, 

 cared for the millv and cliurned the butter; how she washed and ironed 

 the clothes; how she did the family sewing and mending, and how she 

 managed and worked the garden. After doing all this, she managed, if 

 I remember correctly, to got one half day's rest in each week, and strange 

 to say she seemed to be thankful for this. No wonder so many farmer's 

 wives are sent to our insane asylums. The only wonder is that more of 

 them do not go thei'e and to an early grave. But this is a digression. 

 The wife, as we have seen, tackles the job, and to her credit does her best 

 with such vegetables as can be produced in the open from seed, with a 

 hoe and rake. The farmer gives no attention to, and as a rule, knows 

 but little about making a hot bed and taking care of it. One with glass 

 to cover it to him is an unknown quantity. His plants are bought for 

 a price and after being planted are turned over to the wife to be hoed 

 and cared for. When the hot summer days come, the wife finds the job 

 too mucli for her and then the weeds grow. This manner of gardening 

 should be remedied. How is it to be done? 



Prof. Liberty H. Bailey of Cornell University, the most distinguished 

 writer upon "The Nature Study Idea" in the United States says, "If 

 one is to be happy, he must be in sympatliy with common things. He 

 must live in harmony witli his environment. One can not be happy 

 yonder nor tomorrow; lie is happy here and now or never. Our knowl- 

 edge of common things sliould be great. Few of us can travel. We 

 must know things at home." To "know the things at home" and have 

 a knowledge of the "common things" about us should be the keynotes 

 of the farmer and his' family in the conduct of the farm, orchard and 

 garden. 



Have you never noticed how much children are interested in the 

 "common things," the plants and their homes? And how much there 

 is in these to interest not only the children, but all of us! How does 

 a plant grow? Of what place is the plant a native? What is its name, 

 and why? What is its history? What are its uses? Has it been im- 

 proved, and if so, how? Is it susceptible of further improvement? 

 How is it fertilized? What kind of soil is required for it? How is it 

 cultivated and harvested? Is it harmful or harmless? If good for 

 food or adornment, how is it prepared for these uses? Indeed the 

 things that relate to it are almost of infinite variety. But I am told 

 that to answer all these questions requires a botanist and an expert 



