12 



THE FARM AISTD GARDEN. 



AT^OL. IV., IsTo. IV. 



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Page 10. 



CONTENTS OF THIS NUMBER. 



—Golden Opportunities in the Soulli, by Josepb. 



—How to Raise lieets. bv W. V. Boynton. To- 

 bacco Culture, bv Thos. D. Baird. No Excel- 

 lence Without Labor. Rice or ESj-ypllan 

 Corn. Gathering Corn. 



.—Nuts tor Winter Evenines, by Carya. Notes 

 on Farm and Garden for November. 



—A Miserable Pest. Bone Dust for Melons. Se- 

 lecting Varieties of Fruit. Fruit Notes. 



—Fruit Notes (continued). 



—Our Flower Garden. 



-Our Flower Garden (continued). 



—Scrubs, bv E. E. Rexford. Holsteins and Ayr- 

 shires. Hog Killing. Stock Notes. 



—Fatten the Fowls for Market. Water-proof 

 Runs for Chicks. 



—Great Gift Day. Home Made. Ventilation in 

 Winter. 



Page 11.— Odds and Ends. 

 Page 12.— Editorial Comment. 

 Page 1.?.- Clippings. 

 Page 14.— Correspondence. 

 Page 1.5.— Inducements to Renew, 

 Page 16.— A Collection. 



GdITOI^IAL (sOMMENm. 



These papers are eNp(>riall> reroiiiiiiended to 

 ftui- reacfers, and nciiI each one >4*ni'. ^vilb Farm 

 and (iardeii. for the tblli»\«'iii|{ itrires:— 

 Rural New Yorker and Seed DIttrlbutlon, S'i.'H 



Americna Asrieultnrist nn<l encyclopedia, . l.H^ 

 Farmer's Review. , . . . , l.H^ 



Home and Farm. ..... .73 



Oirinq to thr unsuitahUnegs the huifiling noir 

 occt&pied bi/ us we intend removing Deeember I5th 

 to a larger office, at »Vo. 723 Filbert Street. 1(V 

 were already crowded in our old f/narterjt bi/ our 

 increasing business. Our new ojfiee will he on 

 second floor, within two sguareg of Philadelphia 

 Post-office, and we hope all our friends will 

 visit us. 



OUR JANIARY NllMBKR AM> ANM AL, 

 PRE.>Iir.M LIST, 3,10.000 t'OPIE.S. 



In order to increase the subscription list of the 

 Ji'AR.V .■lyD Garden it has been the custom of 

 the publishers to send out in iJeeembrr each i/ear 

 a sprei^tl nuuiher containing premium ojf'ers to 

 those who will get up clubs. The premium list 

 now in preparation has occupied the labor and 

 thought of the editor of thisipaper, the artists, 

 contributors, and the compositors who set it, for 

 some months, and it is our hope that it will excel 

 ant/thing of like nature ever published. Among 

 the vahi'ible and interesting articles to be offered, 

 are: — Complete collections of Vegetable Seeds, 

 Niagara Grapes, Seed Corn, Pansy Seed. Roses, 

 Marlboro Raspberry, Seed Potatoes, Meeeh's yew 

 Prolific Quince, and other iririeties of value anil 

 intereiit. This number icill be mailed you on or 

 before December UUh. It will pay you to wait 

 and send a club with your renewal. 



Show him the latest numbers of The Farm 

 AND Garden. It miiy help him, and will be a 

 kindness to us, whicii we always apj^reciate. 



Talk with your children about their studies, 

 and look over their lessons with them as often as 

 practicable. They will take greaer interest in 

 them and learn them faster. 



Christmas is drawing near, the time when we 

 hear again the happy tidings of the reileinjition, 

 and of "peace and" good will to man." May 

 every farmer be freed from whatever bondage is 

 pressing upon hiia ; be it the bondage of preju- 

 dice, or of old foggyism, of mortgages, or ot the 

 nni-elenting grip of note-shavers, swindlers, and 

 demagogues. Often he can throw off tlie chains 

 of his own might, by dint of hard work and great 

 efforts ; oftener he needs the assistance and good 

 will of his tellowmen. Let us do to others what 

 we would wish to have them do hyiis. This, 

 then, is our Christmas greeting to our readers: — 

 " Deliverance from bondage ! Peace and good 

 will to men 1 " 



It is hardly in season to talk about orchard 

 culture. There is but one tree which appears to 

 the fullest advantage in the month of December, 

 the Christmas tree. Outside of its load of sweet 

 and glittering' flitter, it liears tlie most wonderful 

 and valuable fruit, the happinessof your children, 

 and cultivates the tenderest emotions in their 

 young liearts, love and gratitude. Plant a Christ- 

 mas tree on your table on the 25tb. It is wortli 

 all the trouble and ctpense. 



Important Questions. Are your cattle and 

 horses in the proper condition to face the rigors 

 of winter? 



Are yotir stables and sheds comfortable and 

 warm? 



Does your hen house keep out chilling wind ? 



Do you feed a warm meal to your poultry once 

 a day ? 



Do you provide them with good drinking 

 water ? 



Is your corn and grain well secured ? Your 

 stacks protected ? 



Is your cellar frost proof ? Are your potatoes 

 stored in the dark ? 



We hope that you can answer a cheerful "yes" 

 to all these questions. 



December. The year's end is near. All nature 

 rests. This gives us tlie needed opportunity to 

 relax nur effcu-ts, physically ; yet, to increjse 

 them mentally. Let the wearied limbs cease 

 their excessive activity. The farmer's work dur- 

 ing the winter should be |>riiicipally brain work. 

 Though the sn.iw-tlakes mav fall thick and 

 iast, enveloping the landscape in one vttst eluud. 

 we know that a kind Providence intended them 

 as a protection for the temler wheat and rye 

 plant?, and as a fertilizer for our fields; though 

 the 'quicksilver in the thermoineier may sink 

 down to zero, we cannot forget tlnit we need ice 

 to cool the fiery breath of the summer to come; 

 though a cidd north-wester may sweep through 

 the leafless tree tops, we can feel comftn-table sind 

 secure in our cozy homes, where a bright fire in 

 the stove and the happy faces of wife and ehil- 

 (iren greet us at the very Ilireshold and spread 

 warmth and sunshine. 



The days are short; feeding and cariiiL' for the 

 stock in the stables is the most iinport;iiif work, 

 and a duty, which the good farmer discharges 

 with the regularity so essential to the best results. 

 These " chores," on most farms, will occupy the 

 farmer's attention during the best ]iart of the day 

 and leave only time for ehoppin^' ami sawiui; 

 wood just enougii to keeji your muscles in jirac- 

 tice and to sharpen your appetite. 



Many an hour of these long evenings will be 

 spent in harmless gossip. Beware of the vene- 

 mous kind. 



Give the back numbers of your aericultural 

 periodical a tln)rough over hauling and review- 

 ing, not to forget Farm and Garden. 



Spend an hour or two occasionally with your 

 neighbor, and talk over the problems of agricul- 

 ture and the |)rospect.s for the future. Two heads 

 know more than one. 



On many farms in the extreme North, it tjikes 

 nearly everything produced durint; the summer, 

 to keeji the family and the stock through the 

 winter. Now, at the time of consuinption, it is 

 advisable to stutiy how we can economize, that is, 

 how we can avoid all wa.ste and make the most 

 judicious use of all our stores. 



The ))rfcvailing habit of feeding stock much 

 more than they can eat at one time, is a frequent 

 source of waste. The animal is tempted to eat 

 more than it can digest. Feed and strength is 

 lost at tlie same time. A horse should not have 

 more than he will eat up clean, and not be fed 

 oftener than three times a day. Avoid excess as 

 well as irregularity in feeding. Knough is a 

 fea-st. That sentence tells you tlie secret, how to 

 obtain the best result*, as far as liesh and general 

 health of your stock is concerned, with the least 

 amount of feed. 



Half an hour spent in drawing (he file across 

 vour saw teeth, often saves a half day drawing 

 "the saw through a big log. 



And the grindstone must help you chop wood. 

 Sharp axes, sharp saws, and sharp appetite, 

 should be the order of the day. 



Seeds, and nursery men are now at work about 

 their spring catalogues. We, the farmers, who 

 are their customers, ask and expect from them, 

 now ;ind forever, fair and truthful statements in 

 rcijard to the goods they want iis to buy from 

 them. Iteform in this novelty business is needed, 

 ami we will have it. 



The Granger's pic-nic, in William's Grove, 

 Pennsylvania, certainly was a great success. Yet, 

 perhaiis even the Grangers, an organization 

 formed for the purpose of self-defense against 

 nnmopolies, etc., allow themselves to be used as 

 tools bv their leaders. 



" I want every farmer to have his fowl in th& 

 kettle each Sunday," was the favorite expression 

 of the Monarch ot France who was called " le bon. 

 7-oi, (the good king). 



There is nothing to hinder a realization of such 

 a wish in this blessed country. Chickens are a 

 great delicacy, and yet, every farmer is able to 

 enjoy it. Make it a rule to raise plenty of poul- 

 try and to have a chicken or duck or turkey for 

 your Sunday dinner. 



In buying nursery stock, farmers cannot be too 

 careful. In 1882 we planted fifty Delaware 

 grapes, on good land, and gave them the very 

 best of care and cultivation ever since. The 

 plants, however, when planted, were only second 

 or third class, and in spite of all favorable condi- 

 tions otherwise, they have made but a weak 

 growth, and will continue to be inferior and 

 undersized for their age for all time to come. 

 Stock once stunted, does not seem to recuperate 

 very easily. It also shows, that vigorous one- 

 year old vines are better than two year olds, 

 which are generally grown from the second and 

 third grades of the previous year. 



The individual vigor is destroyed and irrepara- 

 bly lost. " 



We shall welcome all our old subscribers, and 

 as many new. ones as possible for the new year. 

 The small price at which we issue this journal 

 brings it within the reach of every one. If in 

 getting up a club vou do not have names enough, 

 take a copy for some one else : it would make a 

 good Christmas present, whose coming, twelve 

 times a vear, would be a reminder for the whole 

 vear, of your friendshii) for them. We believe 

 vou could make no present more appropriate 

 than a subscription to The Farm and Garden. 



The price of farm products, such as wool and 

 grain, is very low, and there is a general stagna- 

 tion ill business, and an unsettled state of the 

 markets. The foreign production of wheat ha» 

 been verv large as well as the home production. 

 Should the prospects of winter wheat continue as 

 good as thev are, there can be but little change 

 in prices for the better. Good crops, as a rule, 

 have been grown all over the grain producing 

 parts of the woi-ld. The year of 1885 has been 

 one of a bounteous harvest", and with the present 

 price of grain, stock feeding offers a good home 

 market for grain. 



Poor labor maybe cheap, but it is not ))rofit- 

 able. We have seen the rii'ects of careless stack- 

 in;.' of wheat durins the last harvest. .K crop of 

 17(10 bushels of wheat was greatly damaged by 

 the rains leaking through the stacks. The u'rain 

 had to be spreail in tliin layers on boai'd floors, 

 repeatedly shoveled over and run thrinigh the 

 farming liiill. Afler nil tliis trouble it was difti- 

 ciilt tr) find a market for it at several cents per 

 bushel below market price. The stacking was 

 i the work of a Virginia negro. 



We know a pe.ach archard in th" city of Rich- 

 mond, which bears heavy crojis every year. But 

 we are uncertain whether the fact that it descends 

 towai'ds north-west, its elevation, or good culti- 

 vation, is the real cause of its productiveness. 



The wool market shows that the jirice of wool 

 is not likelv to again reach the former high 

 prices, "The population of the world has not 

 increased as fast as sheep husbandry, or in other 

 words, the consumption has not kept pace with 

 production. Before Australia, Texas, Colorado, 

 California, and the plains began to be wool pro- 

 ducers, thesujjply of wool was grown on dearer 

 land and on small flocks, as a branch of farm 

 husbandrv, not as a business. Now the business 

 of wool growing has assumed vast pro)iortions, 

 and has become a regular busiuess, and flocks 

 that usually were counted as hundreds, are now 

 numbered bv thousands. The wool grower will 

 be compelled to look for larger breeds of sheep, 

 and breed more for mutton than for wool, and 

 the price of mutton will pay for the loss of price 

 in wool, 



When partaking of your Christmas dinner, 

 whicli no one deserves better than the farmer, 

 and while your tables are loaded with jdenty, 

 and prosperity htis crowned your labors, we hope 

 a feeling may" go out for the less t.irtunate around 

 yon. That some new, good act of youi-s may 

 inake hapjiv some other less fortunate home. A 

 load of wotitl now Iving ])erhaps useless to you, 

 if delivered at tlie tloor of some deserving pijor 

 family, will make you, as it always has, happier 

 for the good and deserving deed. 



We feel that we have done nur duty by t^ur 

 subscribers, and that we have given you the full 

 value ot the price jiaid f.u- The F.\hm AND Gar- 

 DH.'i. Have we not? It will not lie more than 

 fair, that vou .should exert your influenae and 

 work a little in our behalf "We are entitled to 

 your favor, vet, we ask nothing without compen- 

 satioii. See our liberal special offers every 

 month. Wa have trieil to please and assist you. 

 Do the same by us. We deserve a much larger 

 snbseri)>tion list. 



Xow roll up a rousing majority for The Fann 

 and Garden. 



