'4 



THE FARM AND GARDEN. 



^OI^I^ESPONDBNGE. 



LIVING OUT. 



£v a Working Mother. 



I fully agree with "Olive" in the April number 

 of the Farm and Garden concerning help. To 

 me the question has often arisen why American 

 girls, in needy circumstances, will prefer stand- 

 ing in stores, working in over-crowded factories, 

 In fact, do almost anything in preference to 

 house-work. If we need money and are obliged 

 to earn it, what matter whether we gain it by 

 cooking a dinner or elaborately trimming a hat. 



True, in large cities where servants are easily 

 secured, it may make a difference, and the oc- 

 cupation of house-work, in its fullest sense, is apt 

 to be looked upon as degrading. But in the 

 country there are plenty of desirable places for 

 good girls where they are well treated and placed 

 on the same footing as other members of the 

 family ; where the word servant is ignored and 

 the kindlier term of help is always used. 



There are many overworked mothers who 

 would be glad to have help whom they could 

 treat as a companion, whom they could trust 

 with their children. This is Just what Is needed— 

 a better educated and more refined class of girls; 

 those who are qualified to be the daily compan- 

 ions of our little ones. There is many a mother 

 living In a retired country home who would 

 gladly share in the work of the household for 

 the privilege of having some one with her who 

 could aid and instruct her children, for often 

 there is no school near and no way of securing 

 an instructress. Let me give you an Instance in 

 my experience: 



A young friend of mine, well educated, who 

 had studied for the purpose of becoming a 

 teacher, failed in securing a position in a school. 

 She wrote me the circumstances, saying she did 

 not like to ask her father to support her, but 

 wanted to do for herself, and knowing that I had 

 no help, would I take her at the ordinary rate of 

 wages. I agreed, and she came and staid with 

 me a year, only leaving because she succeeded in 

 obtaining a lucrative position as teacher in an 

 academy. Need I add that we both regretted 

 the parting, and both felt we had been mutually 

 benefitted? Neither do I imagine she felt de- 

 graded, because when she takes charge of a 

 borne of her own, she will have added to her 

 other accomplishments a practical knowledge of 

 housekeeping. 



And this l)rlngs out another thought. Our 

 bright American girls. Just on the threshold of 

 womanhood, are all looking forward to some 

 day in the future when they can really have 

 homes of their own. Tell me, will you, how 

 many of them who, in early life, have been 

 obliged to work in some one of the over-crowded 

 occupations of a large city for the means of sup- 

 port, would be capable of taking charge of homes 

 of their own? Could they cook a wholesome 

 meal or bake a loaf of good bread, to say noth- 

 ing of preparing those dainty desserts that give 

 the finC'Ort touchings to a meal ? 



Girls, there is plenty to do for those who wish 

 to do it, and if these remarks will lead you to do 

 away with that foolish idea of degradarion, so 

 that If your work is growing dull, you may seek 

 homes where you may be gaining strength and 

 knowledge that will be of good service to you in 

 this everyday-working world, we will be coming 

 very near to the solution of one social problem. 



A HOT-HOUSE AND PORCUPINES. 



Although it Is late In the season, perhaps a 

 description of my impromptu hot-bod might be 

 interesting to some of the readers of the Farm 

 AifD Garden. This spring I sowed tomato seed, 

 as usual, In a large box In the house, but wa« 

 somewhat disappointed to see the plants growing 

 tall and slender. Noticing one day that the 

 manure heap was steaming, I asked Alonzo (I 

 am Philomela) to carry the box down there. I 

 then covered It with a window, and behold, my 

 plants are stubbed and nice. Every day, unless 

 the weather is freezing, the glass is taken off to 

 keep them hardy. The tomatoes started out so 

 nicely that I fixed boxes with cabbage and flower 

 seeds. The plants are doing so well that I take 

 Qvery caller to see them. 



The other day a stranger, noticing the cabbage 

 plants, said that his cabbage was very nice last 

 year, but was entirely destroyed by the green 

 worm. I gave him my remedy, which may be 

 new to some of your readers. Sprinkle wheat 

 bran liberally through the plants, renewing after 

 every rain. It saved my plants two years ago, 

 with very little searching and killing of the pest, 

 and last j-ear I was not troubled. 



Last week the dogs came in with their noses 

 fairly bristling with porcupine quills. How the 

 poor creatures did roll and claw their heads! 



Curly had evidently been there before, as she 

 went up to Alonzo and whined, showing him 

 her nose. He told her to lie down, and called for 

 the pincers. He held her while I pulled out as 

 many quills as 1 could, and then he filled her 

 mouth with dry ashes, holding it shut for a few 

 moments. I said " how cruel you are," and got a 

 knowing look for an answer. 



Polka would not hold still to have the quills 

 pulled out, and was only treated to a dose of 

 ashes. The quills have all dropped out without 

 any serious consequences, and Alonza sftys that 

 it was the ashes. 



"Humph!" somebody says, " who does not 

 know that ashes will kill porcupine quills; but 

 what has that to do with farms and gardens? " 



But the Farm and G.\RDEN has a great many 

 readers, and some of them will not know any 

 better what to do than I did when the farm dog 

 gets quills in his mouth. Philomela. 



WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE INCUBATOR? 



Will somebody please tell mc quickly, through 

 the Farm and Garden, what is wron^ with our 

 incubator? We have a Savidge Hydro-Incuba- 

 tor, made after specifications sent by Farm and 

 Garden last summer. We have set it four times, 

 and have never had more than a very small per- 

 centage of live chickens from the number of 

 eggs set. The first time it was very cold weather, 

 and we had hard work to keep up the required 

 degree of heat. On the twenty-second day, no 

 chickens appearing, we began breaking the eggs, 

 and soon found a live chicken that would not 

 have hatched for several days more. We put 

 them back for another week, and at the end of 

 that time helped out the only two chickens that 

 pipped the shell. They only lived a short time. 

 Examination of the eggs showed only fifteen 

 per cent, of them fertile, only two of which 

 hatched. Next time we put in three dozen eggs, 

 kept the heat 101°, \IXV, and W2P degrees per week 

 and hatched out fifty per cent, of the fertile eggs. 

 In the rest of the fertile eggs were chickens dead 

 at all stages. Tried the next time with eighty 

 eggs, following the same plan as before. Hatched 

 seventeen chicks. A very large percentage dead, 

 as before. Fourth time, seventy-flve eggs; result, 

 twelve chicks. 



We have followed Instructions given In the 

 Farm and Garden as closely as we could, never 

 allowing the heat to go below 9S° nor above 108° 

 for niore than a very short time, sprinkle and 

 turn carefully twice a day, and cool once. Hens 

 set the same day or one or two days later, with 

 eggs taken at random from the same basket, will 

 bring out ninety per cent, of the eggs. The eggs 

 that we set are seldom over five days old. 



I wish somel>ody would give his experience 

 with this Incubator, whether successful or un- 

 successful, and the probable cause of failure. 

 The chicks hatched are very nice, and seem to 

 do bettor than those hatched by hens. The first 

 hatched are now large enough to fry, and are not 

 yet eight weeks old. If some of a nestful hatch, 

 I cannot see why others of the same lot, under- 

 going the same treatment, must die in the shell. 



F. Thatche, Marinette, Wis., asks " what is the 

 matter with the teats of his cow, a .sore forms on 

 the end of the teat and is very painful?" Answer: 

 -The teats have been probably frost bitten. 

 + 



H. E. Birtch, West Brooklyn, asks "what is 

 good to give a cow after eating poison laurel?" 

 Answer :-Glve a purgative of some kind, say 

 Glauber salts; dose from four to eight ounces 

 dissolved in water, or a half pint of castor oil. 

 Then feed on nutritious feed. 



Reader, Hinsdale, N. H., asks why the yolks of 

 eggs are sometimes so white. Answer: The yel- 

 low color of the yolk is in the oil that in part 

 composes the yolk. Corn (yellow), will add a yel- 

 low color to the oil. Close confinement or long- 

 continued cold weather will sometimes make the 

 yolks white. ' w 



Mrs. L. Zuver, Woodhull, 111.: Do any of the 

 readers of the F.arm and Garden know of a 

 breed of chickens called Chittigoongs? Can any 

 one give the names of some of the-most desirable 

 roses to plant in door-yard, also the best hardy 

 climbers, vines, and shrubs, with names and 

 descriptions of the same. 



W. Hickox : In April number we notice you 

 say of Poison Ivy: — Tills deadly foe to many la 

 the three-fingered variety. The following we be- 

 lieve to be a sure cure for Ivy poisoning : Aleum 

 Olivfe, 1 ounce; Bromine, 1.5 drops; mix. Apply 

 with camel's hair brush three or four times per 

 day. Cures in twelve to thirty-six hours. 



Many ask us the proportions of cement, sand, 

 lime, tS:c., to be used to make the cisterns as fig- 

 ured in the February number. We say you will 

 find the whole art and proper proportions of 

 materials in that number. We can give ne fuller 

 details than the article contains, or, in fact, 

 there can be none. Read the article carefully. 



Interested Reader asks " how often should 

 cocks be changed to keep a fiock from degenera- 

 ting?" Answer:-Much depends upon the health 

 and vigor of the old stock. If very vigorous, 

 once in two or three years. If only the best birds 

 are kept over, as should be done. If the old 

 stock is not vigorous we should change every 

 year, and keep only the best, most active, and 

 healthy. . 



B. Burland, Port Kent, Essex Co., N. Y., com- 

 plains that we did not answer "How to grow 

 pea-nuts ? " We got the letter in January, too late 

 for last year's planting, and rather early for this, 

 so we waited for its proper season,— May. We 

 try to please our readers, but we always wish to 

 give all topics In due season. We believe Mr, 

 iJurland will see the propriety of the plan of 

 being always in season. 



T. E. Bondornot, 2114 Farnania street, Daren- 

 port, Iowa, asks " if grubs or worms in the back 

 of a cow will injure her milk, and how to pre- 

 vent and cure them?" Answer :-The grubs are 

 the larva of a large fly that lays the egg in the 

 skin of cattle late In summer, and the egg 

 hatches a worm which, when grown, changes 

 again Into a fly. They can be prevented by 

 bathing the back of the animal with anything 

 repulsive to the fly which lays the egg. But the 

 cures are as bad as the grubs. The milk, unless 

 the cow is fevered, will be good. 



4- 

 A Reader, Fowler, 111., asks at what age should 

 a colt be weaned. Answer:-That depends upon 

 the vigor and growth of the colt, and how good a 

 milker the dam is. From four to seven months- 

 is the usual extreme. The best rule to follow is 

 to allow the colt to continue on the dam as long 

 as both do well. As soon as the colt will eat, al- 

 low it some fine, sweet hay, or if possible, to run 

 on pasture. If extra growth Is desired, feed on 

 crushed oats, one or two quarts at a time. The 

 aim must be to keep up the growth of the colt 

 and to teach it to eat food so that too much 

 change of diet will not be felt by the colt in 

 weaning. When the colt is weakly, feed on oat- 

 meal gruel. 



mimm house power, 



With either retrular incline or level tread track, has 

 the simplest ami mast pffiripiit EMVOiK.r made. The 

 OOYLESTOWN JUNIOR THRESHER AND CLEANER ha.<< no 

 superior. For TUustratpd ) 'alaloi^n,.. addn-ss soie mann- 

 fscturer, DANIEL HULSHIZER, Ooylttlown, Bucki Co., Pi. 



ROBINSON &CO. RICHMOND, IND. 

 BUILD TRACTION and PORTABLE 

 ENGINES, THRESHERS, SAW MILLS, 

 ice. CIRCULAR FREE. AGENTS WANTED. 



17 



cludinga full setof extra J 

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 •il and usual outfit of la plecCS with 

 eich. fidftraBlred Perfect. WuruiUd S 

 /ear*. Hu4»«m« ftnd Dmrftbl*. D«a1 

 pK7 $40 or SSO for nkchlBM ■• Wttcrw 

 We will »«nd them anywhere on 15 da^ 

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£. C. HOWE A CO., 



US Mortli «th St.. rUlLA^ rAa 

 LMk »QJL 1087. 



Fo'^Se€Dsm6nFLORisTS«?nuRseRYMen 



I nnnn ELECTROS IN STOCK. ^.BLANC 

 I U.UUU 5;END FOR CATALOGUES PHILADi-. 



j^. BLANC 

 PH/LADi-. 



ONE MILE SIGNAL WHISTLE, ^^l^^^^^^ 



this. Invnlunble a.s a signnl on the farm or over the 



■water. Exart sir.e of a 50-<'alibre centre-tire cartridge; 



trass, with nickel bullet. Farmers, sportHmen, and 



lensore-seekprs should have it. The loudest and 



ost piercin«lT shrill whistle made. tSent by 



ail post-paid, with our catalocue nf guns, for only 25c. 



Stamps- Address, ftCNNIE. ALLtON 4 CO.. Phllad'i, Pa. 



