t 



THE FARM AND GARDEN 



often the onlv practicable way. In many parts 

 of Ibe country It is desirable, ami often necessary, 

 to use cistern water for drinkin-; and cooking. 

 In all such cases it should be liltcrcd. The best 

 (and on the whole the cheypcst in the end) is 

 made of brick. Build up a well of bric-k two feet 

 square in the niiilille of the cistern, setting' thrni 

 on edge, and takinj; ^'ood care that rill I In' si;itiis 

 are well closed Willi cement. Use only soil brick 

 for this tilter. Tlie water can be pumped from 

 this well iis fa.st as needed. If the cistern is built 

 squivre it is often divided by a well In this way, 

 the water allowed to flow into one side, and Is 

 pumped out from the other. In this case it is 

 better to dig the half from which you pump a 

 httle deeper than the other. 



I think that many people wcxild be healthier if 

 they used cistern water for driukiug instead of 

 ■well water. Many ca*es of fever and bilious 

 attacks are caused by impurities in the well 

 water. Cistern water, if properly Altered, is 

 always wliolesomi-,, and thouijh often unpalata- 

 ble at flrst, is soon rilislicd lienerthan any other. 

 I know this hist statement to be true from perso- 

 nal experience. 



r 



EMPLOYERS AND EMPLOYES. 



ifi/ John M. Staid, Qitinrn. III. 



There are, and doubtless always will be, em- 

 ployers and employes, and out of the relations 

 and feeling existing between these two classes 

 grow many of the things which vex and perplex 

 both. It might be better, as some iussert, if we 

 had no employes m agriculture, if every man 

 were a land owner; but we must accept things a« 

 they are, not as they might be, and a better un- 

 derstanding of the rights and duties of the farm 

 hands and of their employers, would be to the 

 advantagi- of both. 



The employer is apt to complain of or to com- 

 mend only, the quantity and quulity oMhe work 

 performed by employes. The nujral iharacter or 

 intelligeMce of the employe is rarely inquired 

 after when he is liired, or condemned or coiu- 

 mended afterward. This ignoring of everything 

 above muscular capacity, is an injury to the em- 



loyer and a wrong uixin the laborer. For aught 



know, there was a time— the time of wooden 

 moldboards, scythes, sickles and flails— when 

 ngthing of inteiligence was absolutely essential 

 to the value of the farm laborer, and when the 

 name of "hand" was not a libel upon liim ; but 

 it takes a thoughtlul man, and one possessing 

 that good judgment which is the outgrowth of 

 intelligence alone, to manage the farm machin- 

 ery now ; and who will say in tliese days « if sharp 

 competition and narrow margins tin- larni lai)'>rer 

 Bhould not have a knowledge of the besl nielliods 

 and the ability and disposition to cmx)loy theiu ? 

 Hence, he should have not only a good general 

 education, such ji.s can be acquired at our public 

 schools, but he should be a n^ad^,M■, yes, more, a 

 «(u<i«n< of agricultural books ami papers. Not to 

 recognize this fact, is to put all farm laboivrs 

 upon the same U-vel, and thai level the plane of 

 the brute. It puts tlie good, intelligent laliorerat 

 a great disadvantage, and there is not the leiust 

 advantage accruing thereby to the ignorant, 

 thoughtless employe. It is as when all the pota- 

 toes, large and small, are otlVred for sale togcliier ; 

 the lot hrimrs only the price the smaller ones 

 would if ottered se]>arat4'ly. Ho, under present 

 conditions, all classes of farm laborers are brought 

 to the level of the poorest; the latter are not 

 raised ti> the plaue tnose who aie l)ettcr s)n)uid 

 occupy. It is true that some laborers command 

 higher wages than others, and this may be in 

 part owing to greater intelligonce, but there is no 

 eont^erted action annjng farmers to grade farm 

 laljorers. and the first, and generally the last re- 

 commemlation is brute force. 



In a large majority of cases tlie laborer becomes 

 one of his employers family, eating with them at 

 the same table and oe<'upying the same room 

 with them during the evening. It is one of our 

 country notions which I shall be sorry to sec go, 

 and whicli is not likely to depart soon, that tiie 

 employe is none the less a man becau.se he is an 

 employe; and the farmer who i-onsiders himself 

 above his laborer, and excludes the latter from 

 his table and fireside, is very unpopular. But, 

 though such may be the case, the family will 

 associate with the laljorer at times, and if he is 

 obscene and hlaspln'inous in his language, <-on- 

 taminati(m is certain. The farmer cannot rightly 

 blame his sons for swearing, when In- keeps in 

 his employ a man who uses oaths; and he must 

 blame himself if his daught^-r has a mind be- 

 smirched when he takes a libertine into his 

 family. Farm hands are as moral as any claiis of 

 men; but there arc black sheep among them, 

 and therefore, all should be required lo present 

 evidences of decency and morality l)elore they 

 are employed. At present, morality in the farm 

 laborer counts nothing for him, as immorality 

 weighs not against him ; some employers may 

 refuse t^> hire an intlecent man, but too often we 

 prize a big muscle above a pure heart. We thus 

 wrong our children, endanger our homes and our 

 peace of mind, and are unjust to those laborers 

 who order their lives aright. There should be 

 concerted action among employers to grade 

 laborers according to intelligence and morality; 

 and this would be to the advantage of the labor- 

 ing ehuss, elevating many and det^rading none. 



The employe is apt to complain of overwork 

 and harsh treatment. Too often he ha« Just 

 grounds for this complaint; and this is because 

 his intelligence and morality are not considered. 

 He is put on the same level as the brute, and too 

 often treated as a Itrute. It is not supposed that 

 he has any fi-elitigs above the brute; tnat he has 

 any pride or aspiialions. Hence, he is offended, 

 wounded in his pride, abused ana driven. Fon^c 

 Ls sought to be employed when kindness should 

 be exercised and would accomplish the desired 

 result The object is to get out of him the most 



work possible ; no weatlier is too severe for him ; 

 and if lie is tired or sufiers from exposure, he is 

 given less thought and receives less pity than if 

 he were a valuable horse. Not all farm laborers 

 are so treated, but many are; and it all proceeds 

 from the notion that the labore]:isonly a "hand," 

 withcnit a head or heart. Require more of him, 

 and more will be given. So long as he is as the 

 brute, he is apt to suffer from overwork and 

 harsh treatment; but let him be a man, and his 

 rights and feelings will be considered. 



Change, in this way, the rehitions existing 

 between employers and empl<iyes, ;ind you will 

 also change the feeling existim; belweu them. 

 At present, that feeling is too <ilten aiilngonistic; 

 the employer determines to see how much work 

 he can iiet fnuii the laborer, and the latter deter- 

 mines to give as little as possible. There are 

 complaints from both parties, and good cause for 

 them. This unhappy relation engenders bad 

 feeling. The employer takes no interest in the 

 welfare of the employe, and vice versa. On one 

 hand rights are disregarded, and on tlie other 

 hand work is shirked." Fstablish akiiidiy feeling 

 between the parties and the laborer will do his 

 work diligently and well. He will do what he 

 can to advance his emi)loyer's interests. The 

 employer will treat him more considerately. 

 Both parties will be benefitted. 



But h iw can this relation and feeling be 

 changed? First, re<iuire more ot the laborer. 

 ( 'ompi'l him to jiresent testimonials as to his in- 

 telligence and morality fnnu former employers. 

 This will at once elevate the farm laborer to the 

 same plane as th" clerk, accountant or other 

 skilled laborer. T.'iis will accomplish much. 

 Yet, more will be accomplished by reducing the 

 contract of hiring to writing, and in it embody- 

 ing all the rights and duties of both parties. It 

 will be poor economy to be saving of ink and 

 paper. Everj poilit should be mentioned. When 

 this is done, both parties will be more careful tt> 

 give to each liisdn4's; and the mutual respect- 

 that respect tliat a man feels for a ;*(f//i— existing 

 between employers and employes will precludi" 

 ill feelings and quarrels. 



INTENSIVE FARMING. 



lij/ John E. li/wt. 



The tendency of wide-awake, energetic? farmers, 

 especially of those who live in a comparatively 

 new country, where land is abundant, productive, 

 and not very costly, is to adopt an extensive 

 rather than an intensive method in the manage- 

 ment of their business. They, want to keep a 

 gri'at deal of land undir the plow, grow large 

 aii'-as of wliout ami tx>rn, and conduct all their 

 oi)erations on an extended and an everdncreas- 

 in-i scale. 



Within certain limits, this is a laudable ambi- 

 ticm- It is well for a man to try to do something 

 worthy of his powers, to take a deep interest in 

 his business, and to endeavor to extend and 

 make it profitable. But, unfortunately, in prac- 

 ti<'e, an extensive business does not always mean 

 an increase in the profit which it will yield when 

 conducted on a more mfxlerate basis. It is possi- 

 ble to attemi^t loo much. The manufacturer 

 finds it necessary to gauge the volume of business 

 which he carries on, by the amount of capital at 

 his command. Jf he neglects this precaution, 

 and attempts to do more than he is able toper- 

 form," he is soon brought into financial difficul- 

 ties. If he can only obtain sufficient mateiial 

 for a certain quantity of goods, it is worse than 

 useless for him X<> attempt to make a larger 

 amount. In all commercial lines, as well as in 

 manufacturing, the moans at command, the caji- 

 ital with which to prosecute the work, is the one 

 safe guide in determining the scale upon which 

 business is to be i)ursued. 



The same principle ought to guide In the work 

 of the farm. The aim should not be to extend to 

 the utmost limit that can possibly be reached, 

 but to do just what can be done with the highest 

 degree of profit. The eliort should not be made 

 to see how large a business can be carried on, but 

 to find how to make what is attempted yield the 

 largest return. If a farmer has sufficient fertili- 

 zers, teams and help to properly cultivat-e only 

 fifteen acres of corn, the eflort to grow twenty 



acres will surely diminish the profit which could 

 be secured from the smaller area. It is not the 

 quantity of food tliat is eaten, but the q.uantity 

 that is digested and assimilated, that makes a 

 man strong. So it is with the farni crops. It is 

 not the extent of the field that is tilled, but the 

 quantity and value of the crop thatds secured, 

 which determines whether the crop has or has 

 not been ]irofitablc. \ five-acre field sometimes 

 yields more real profit than one four times as 

 large. Large crops on sniali areas invariably pay 

 better than small crops on large areiis.' 



In many cases the fertilizers applied to a ten- 

 acre field of corn would have given a Uirger crop, 

 with mueh less expense for labor, if they had 

 been put on only eight acres. Cleaner culture 

 could have been given to the smaller area, the 

 land would have been left in much better condi- 

 tion for the succeeding crop, and the other two 

 acres could have been ilevoted to some other 

 crop, or allowed to produce their natural yield 

 of grass. 



In revising the plans for the work of the coming 

 season, it will be much iM'tter to consider how 

 much manure and labor it will be best to devote 

 to a limited area, than it will be to endeavor to 

 find how large a field can possible be cultivated. 

 It will pay better to grow lour hundred bushels 

 of corn on six acres of land, thanit will to go over 

 ten acres for that quantity. To secure it from 

 the smaller aren, will recpiin* much labor and a 

 liberal use i)ij:iertilizers. In other word?., itwill 

 necessitate the adoption of an intensive system 

 of farming. The extensive system would require 

 a wider field. It would api>ear to oe alarger busi- 

 ness. The farmer who adopted it would appear 

 to be doing much more than one who followed 

 the intensive plan; but the latter would make 

 the most money and be far better satisfied with 

 the result of the season's wtn'k. 



This plan is not recommended either as a 

 theory or as an experiment Its practical value 

 has been demonstrated by a large number ol the 

 most successful farmers in this country and in 

 Great Britian. We have no doubt that many 

 readers of this article will admit that their exper- 

 ience is similar to that of the writer, which has 

 been that the best paying crops he has ever pro- 

 duced has been grown on moderate areasof land, 

 which were heavily manured and thoi'oughly 

 cultivated. Thes(^ readers will need no recom- 

 mendation to follow the same cour.se in the 

 luture. Those who have never testeil it will, we 

 arc confident, consult their own interests by 

 giving intensive farming a fair trial during the 

 seast)n which is near at hand. 



UV art' 'jaiiiiiifj m<iny urw siibfiei'lbrrs, and 

 want to keep a// our old ones too. Wc like a large 

 J'amily of rcadcra. IIV can talk so much better to 

 t/oic when you are altogether. 



O. IT. Marston, Stoneliam, Mjuss. : " I vsihie Ihe paper, 

 au(.f do lait wuni tu lose a inimber." 



A. T. WJiite. St. Paul. Howard County, Neh. ; " I taUe 

 eiKlit pujifi's. ijiU I think more of Thk Farm anu Gau- 

 DEN, than all llie rest pnMogether." 



Duvid Fiinn'\-, illytliedale, Pa: "T am very unich 

 pl'-ased wiUi yum' paper. I enclose an order l'i»r it and 

 Meech's Prolflic Quuice, which I wish sent in spring. 



C. W. Griggs, WilliamAport, Pa. writes of The Farm 

 AN'i> Gakdkn. " r would renew at ad events, for it 

 comes the liandsuniest and cleanest of a ball dozeu 

 agricultural papers." 



Riilierlson Bros., 87 Queen Street, Toronto, Oanada : 

 "We send twelve subserihors to The Fakm and Gau- 

 DKN'. 1 liui sure they will lie pleased wiili it, fui* il is the 

 ' daisiest' paper 1 ever saw *' 



S. II, Waftman, Millville, Mass., sends a'rlub of seven 

 subscribers, and says : " I hke your pai)er for its seaaoti- 

 able practicable bints. It does not lell us wluii cau and 

 ought to be done ; f>ul tioiv to do it." 



I Henry C. riiajunaii, Ijoiiisville, Ky.. wrili-s: " A friend 

 I Kave nie tlie January i.iuiibei ; I took h buine nud read 

 il carefully ilni ti'/ii, and nui'^i say it eont.-iins more 

 nmnriion setisf' and n^iclul iiifornialion tu the square 

 I iueh than any oiber jiaper I ever read." 



I 



INI AGARA WHITE GRAPE. KAKLBOBO Kljpberry. 

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post-paid of rJS E! 



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