THE FARM AND GARDEN. 



endeavored to get Into the sunshine, but their 

 tiny heads soon drooped; they lost color as well 

 ma courage, and finally yielded to the choking 

 weeds around them. The tomatoes never reached 

 the flowering state, and between the weeds and 

 the worms, the turnips were soon lost from view. 

 I said that Sloboots' garden is improving. So 

 It la. The soil was not very good when Sloboots 

 selected It for his garden-spot. He might have 

 done much better for the same money. This 

 fieason he Is practicing one of the best methods 

 of recuperating land, namely: green manuring. 

 He h€w already plowed under one green crop, 

 and If be continues In this good way, he can turn 

 under two or three more living dressings, so that 

 at the end of the year the amount of vegetable 

 matter In the soil will be largely increased. There 

 may be an accidental accumulation of weed 

 seeds, but these are needed If the soil Is to be 

 continuously built up In future years. Some one 

 may say there is a loss of a crop. But under the 

 most favorable conditions and best of care, crops 

 are lost. The loss Is less when the care is less. 

 He might have hoed and raked the whole season 

 through, and a blight or a bug, a hail storm or a 

 band of inquisitive boys or hogs or hens might 

 have swept the whole away in a single night. 

 Giirdening Is uncertain. Is the land not more 

 than the crop? 



SAWDUST AND POTATOES.' 



By N. J. Shepherd, Etdon, Mo, 



How easy it Is to make statements and start 

 them on their way through the newspapers. 

 Plans for planting and cultivating, which are to 

 prove of great benefit, are often brought to my 

 notice only to be condemned, after trial. I have 

 read the statement a number of times that if 

 sawdust was applied In the potato hill and the 

 seed potatoes laid upon it and then covered with 

 soil, it wovild considerably increase the yield. 

 Trial was said to have prnvrd this of vahie. 



My experience has sliowii me that instead ol 

 being of the least value, it Is an actunl loss. 1 

 planted two rows, one of Bninnells Beauty and 

 one of Early rose, cutting one pound of poiatoei^ 

 to single eyes and dropi>:ng two eyes in each 

 hilL .The hills were eightef n Inches apart, and 1 

 applied half a gallon of good, clean, fine sawdust, 

 after running the furrow. This was put in each 

 hill, and the seed deposited on It and carefully 

 covered with soil At the same time I set out 

 four other rows, which I maniired as follows:— 

 One with ashes, one with night soil, one with a 

 manufactured fertilizer, and one with stable 

 manure. All rows were of same varieties so 

 that tliere could be no difference in the seed or 

 soil. They were planted all on the same day, 

 and my idea was to give each row a fair chance. 

 Of the potatoes planted In sawdust hardly fifty 

 per cent, came up, and Investigation showed 

 that much of the seed had rotted in the ground. 

 In the other four rows nearly every eye sprouted. 

 and at this day they are making a splen<lid 

 growth. As there were two kinds of seed, and 

 so many dilTerent plantings side by side, there 

 can be little doubt that the sawdust caused the 

 rot. What the outcome will he this season has 

 yet to show, but it will take an extraordinary 

 yield on the hills which lived to make up an 

 average equal to the other rows. Indications 

 are that it will fall far behind. 



BONES DISSOLVED WITH ASHES. 



bones In a large kettle; the ashes in the hopper i 

 are leached and the lye put on the bones and 

 ashes, and the whole mass boiled until the bones ' 

 are entirely consumed. The mass is now in a , 

 doughy state; this is mixed with loam enough 

 to make it dry as wanted. It is now ready for 

 use. 



When lye is not to be had, this mass Is boiled 

 with water, but it is not so good and takes longer 

 to dissolve the bones. 



I have heard it said that caustic lime would 

 dissolve bones as well as wood-ashes, but I have 

 not tried it, and cannot speak from experience. 



CONTINGENCIES. 

 By John E. Bead, 



When Lord Byron declared that " the best of 

 all prophets of the future is the past,'* he con- 

 cisely stated a great principle. The truth thus 

 expressed applies to a!! men and all times. It is 

 a safe and should be a constant guide in all the 

 work In which men are engaged. 



As we look back and see the difficulties that 

 have been encountered In the past, we may be 

 confident that some, if not all, of the same 

 troubles will beset us In the future ; and It should 

 be our special care to provide for these contin- 

 gencies which are so liable to occur. A chain Is 

 no stronger than its weakest link, and no greater 

 strain can safely be put upon it than that link 

 will bear. So, the degree of success that will 

 attend the farmer will not be measured by his 

 efforts to adapt himself and his work to the most 

 favorable conditions which may possibly prevail, 

 but by the degree of skill with which he provides 

 for the untoward events which may occur. 



This principle applies to all the various depart- 

 ments of farm labor. If a very moist field is to 

 be planted with corn, It will be wise to plow It 

 in such a manner, and leave such large open fur- 

 rows, as to Insure the speedy removal of the 

 surplus water, which, if the season should be wet, 

 would seriously injure the crop. If the plowing 

 has already been done without regard to this 

 matter, it will certainly pay to plow some furrows 



for drains before the planting is performed. In 

 the use of fertilizers it will be best not merely to 

 provide a sufficient quantity to carry out the 

 crops in case everything else is favorable, but to 

 furnish enough plant food, in a condition In 

 which It can be easily assimilated by the crop, to 

 Insure a large yield even if the season should not 

 be adapted to promote its rapid growth and de- 

 velopment. In the line of winter food for cattle, 

 it is important, as many a farmer found last 

 year when it was too late to remedy the evil, to 

 provide for tlie contingency of short pastures 

 and a liglit crop of liay. A quantity of millet, 

 corn, or some other crop that can be used for 

 feeding in either a green or a dry state, as it may 

 be required, should always be provided as a safe- 

 guard against a partial failure of the grass crop. 



Again, the wise farmer will guard against very 

 seriuus loss (rom the failure of any particular 

 crop, by giving part of his attention to the culti- 

 vation of otlier plants. In seasons wliich have 

 been favorable to the production and sale of 

 wheat, farmers who have grown this to the ex- 

 clusion of other crops, have done very well, 

 although such a course could not long be contin- 

 ued without Involving a heavy expense for fertil- 

 izers, or seriously injuring tlie land. But when 

 the seasons have been bad, the prices very low, or 

 sales could not be effected, these exclusive grow- 

 ers have been put to serious inconvenience and 

 have often sustained serious loss. To a still 

 greater extent this is true of farmers who have 

 grown tobacco as their sole crop. Now, the 

 present season may be remarkably favorable for 

 tobacco, or some other particular crop which the 

 farmer would like to grow, but if he Is wise he 

 will remember that there have been many years 

 in which the exclusive production of that crop 

 has proved disastrous, and, also keeping in mind 

 the fact that there will be many siu-li years in the 

 future, he would not assume the risk which such 

 a course would involve. 



In planning and preparing for the future, it la 

 always a sensible and profitable course to give 

 careful consideration to the contingencies wliich 

 may arise, and to make suitable provision for the 

 difficulties which may be encountered. By so 

 doing, great losses can be prevented, If the 

 course which has been advised, is adopted as a 

 permanent policy, the probability of success for 

 any given season will be greatly increased, while 

 the results during a term of years will be far 

 more satisfactory than can be secured if provi- 

 sion for contingencies is neglected. 



Pletvte mmtion THE FARM AND GARDEN. 



CRYSTAL CREAMER. 



LATEST! B£ST! 



Glass Ciitis. Cast Iron Wator Tank-*. 

 Paient Ii'e B<)X. requires hiile \\ 

 anv Ice. no riisi.nocorr(KluiK- \5'<*-*\ 

 hv'hest dairymen. Large or sin«tl 

 flairjps anvslze. Send2-oeni siamp 

 tor rirculars and special otTers u> 

 flrat piirchaserloinlroducp.atonce. 



C. r.KneclnntKUnadilla^N.Y. 



«^,?>S^ STRAWBERRIES. 



\V e will have our u^uat fine supply reaily about July 15th. — 

 Catalogue coiitaminy; current descriptions of the best Old aod 

 Ktw v^ncties. wlUi fall cultural dIrortloDtt. mailed free. 



CLLWAKQSR A BARRT, 

 Mount Hop« Narierlea. Boehcitter, H. T* 



Mention this paper. 



SCOTCH COLLIE SHEPHERD DOGS. 

 A luimber oi' ch«>i.-e, wt-ll-i.t K,i pups now ready in 

 ship: some of them nirefl bi hnporled Bobbie, reg- 

 slered Nu. 2205. W. ATLEE BURPEE K CO.. Pbllad'a, Pa. 



New Scrap Pictures and 12 Hidden Name Cards. 10 

 CIS. Sample Book 3c. L. JONES & CO.. Haiiai, N. Y. 



70 



By Thomaa D. Baird, Qrecnville, Ky. 



I have been requested by a subscriber of Thk. 

 Farm and Garden, living at Suffolk, Virginia, 

 to give my method of dissolving bones with 

 ashes. 



In dissolving bones with ashes, there are sev- 

 eral things to be considered to prove successful. 

 The ashes must be good ; those of oak and hick- 

 ory I And the best. Some say that wood grown 

 on low land will not make soap, consequently, 

 will not dissolve bones. As I have always burned 

 wood from off ridge land, I cannot answer for 

 this. The ashes must be kept moist. Just so they 

 will not drain. They should be kept from freez- 

 ing. If suffered to freeze, the process ceases. The 

 smaller the bones, the quicker they will dissolve. 



This is the way I have managed my bones for 

 the last two years. As fast as ashes can be had, 

 they are put in barrels, the bottom is covered 

 with about six inches deep in ashes, then a layer 

 of bones, then a; layer of ashes, then a layer of 

 V)ones, and so on, until nearly full, and then fin- 

 ished with a layer of ashes. I use two-thirds 

 ashes to one of bone. The ashes are kept wet all 

 the time with soap-suds or chamber lye. When 

 one vessel is filled, I then put in another until I 

 liave all the bones used. If I still have ashes, 

 they are barrelled away until near spring, tlien 

 they are put In a hopper as If used in making 

 soap.JJWhen I wish to use the bones, and I find 

 them not sufficiently dissolved, I put ashes and 



IMDROVCD VIRGINIA FARMS for sale on enny terniN. 

 imr vv. B. FENOhKTON. Box 300, CUCKOO, Vn. 



BURPEE'S MANUAL S^'.-^'ep'; p'iSl^";! 



frtnc^ ToiiUry w-.ij h^ mailf.l frre mi iiV)p!;.;aion {n 

 VV. ATLEE BIKPEE Ac CO.. I'hilailelpliin, Pa. 



Headquarters for all articles used by 

 horsemen, works on the Horse, horse pic- 

 tures, road, track, and racine pictures; 

 celehrated horses. aOOsubjects: Veterinary 

 medicines and horse (foods of every de- 

 scription. Price iiht of 5iO articles needed 



by harsemen mailed free. 



jr. H. TUTTLE,7S Naaaaa •t.,K.X 



DIP DAV For Introdnoine BUCKEYE CHURN. 

 Dlb rHT Address. BUCKEYE CHURN CO.. Dundee. Mich 



$39 



PER WEEK SELLING my Watches. Nnlions. 

 Jewelry, etc. 4S-page t'atalncue free. Address 

 G. M. HANr»<>.N. Cliieaeo. III. 



rIE WONBCRrUL CAMERA LUCIDA, Equal to an eyp in 

 the hack ol' vonr head. Wiih it vou can see person^ 

 behind vou without hpiiiitseen bv them. Price, I'i els. 

 STAR MANUrACTURING COMPANY, Manayunk. Penna. 



50 



Entirely new. Golden Moito. Hidden Name Car(K 

 nolwo alike. 10c NASSAU CARD CO.. Nassau, N. V 



GRAND AND ROYAL r"^^'-"'''^'^" 



SunAiiu Hnu nuiHLc-inv!*. A J c. I 

 l-'olt «..\I,K fllK.M' Voiin:: Rich. (Jrani! 

 llailtUonie. anil <>ooil. Choice bllttei' bloixl 

 Quiet aud sealle. Kxli-aoows. Abariciin. 



Dr. T. A. CLOUD, KENNETT SQUARE, PA. 



m;'MONTHS\JREE! 

 T»K Cricket on thc HiibtOIs % large and 

 handsome 16-paKe,64-colnmQ iUuatrattd literary 

 1 and familT p.Tner. It coniaios cootinued and 



abort stories by tbe best authors, beautiful poems, reading for tb« 

 TouDC. wit and humor, etc., etc. /( tt-t(/ ht tent Free for Six 

 Months toanyone who viH etnd v^ Twenty-tlve C'entH (» 

 fay postage and help pay the coat of this advertitemnU. This 

 great offer 1* made nolelr to iutroduce our paper into lionies where 

 ICiiDottnhen. FiTC subscriptions will he »enl Tor $1.00. Addresi: 

 8. H. MOOKE ^ CO., 27 Park Place. Mew Tork. 



:17 



ESin^CFchines. Onlyti 



'ncludinfrafuU setofextra J 



lAttachments. needles, 



oil and usual outfit of 12 oieces with 



each. (JDarantecd rcrfc-L Warranted 6 



yeara. HantUoaie aod Durable. Dont 



10 or $&0 for machlnea no better. 



11 send them any^rhcreonlSday** 



trisi txrforfr paying. CirruUrs and tuU 



pamrulara lirec by addressing 



E. C. HOW£ A €0^ 



Its Hwth 6th BU. PHUaA^ PA. 

 L Look Box 1087, 



In i T)T\aanperfamed,New deslg^ii. Ilttlv beaotlea, Gold 

 llnllllliJCbromo, Veri«s, Mottoei and Hidden Nams, 

 le^nlpnie, lOc Ivory Card Co., Cllnton\HHe,Ct. 



k'2.!.^.'^. GUERNSEYS AND JERSEYS. 



Also THO K tl I I. II 11 R i:l).S .\M) tiR.VI)E.S. 

 Voiina; St€»ck lor sali-. feend stamp for t'ntnlocue. 

 T. WALTK R & SONS, WEST CHESTER. Pa. 



Scrap Plclurei, no 2 alike, and set of 4 larae Gem 

 Chroinos for 10c. C. OePUY, SYRACUSE, N. Y. 



100 



FARMS 



on James River, Vs., in a Northern 



settlement. llliiHtrntetl circular FREE. 



J. F. niANCHA.CIaremonu Va. 



14 for St. on ^^%OFO 1»' QunhtTODly. 

 fi •■ ..■iOKl 1^^^100.000 Plant, at 



:l " .'i^ ■ ■ ^^ ^^ ^*» equollv low price 



THOMAS 6. HAROLD, Kingston, Somertet Co., MarYlaad. 



(NIAGARA WHITE GRAPE. MARLBORO Risplierry. 

 H. S. Anderson, Union .Springs. N.Y. Catalogue/ 



100 



e/J*« 



Fine Pi iiited Knvelnpes white orassorted col- 

 ors, with name, business, and address on all 

 for 40 cts.. 50 for 25cts. Card«;and Letterheads 

 at i^anie price. C. E C. DkPV Y.Sijranise,N. Y. 



inn I'ARfiE Fancy AdvertisiiieCnrd-a. all differ- 



lUU p,u, tnr 3(1 rts. CARD WORKS, M.ml i.elier, Vt. 



ARTIFICIAL STONE. 



Our artificial sione in especiallv adapted t.> niaD> use> on the tarm 

 - "'- made by any person of averace intclU- 



I 



FENCE POSTS AS CHEAP AS WOOD. 



County, 'r.'wiiship. iuni Tn.lividiiai Rlerhts for sale 

 reasoTiabli-. S^-ri'i for lircular or call and seesaniples. 



PENN ARTIFICIAL STONE AND FIRE PROOF CO., 



^ (Limited). rfC, 



134 South Sevenlh Streel. Philadelphia. Pa.^ 



Gmo. PiisT, Su|ur.iii' n'liut, A. E. Si»vk?(8.i>, .Secretary. 



