(^aler^der |Jec. to JVTarcI] 



J. S. HARRIS. 



The horticulturist who has worked hard from early spring- through 

 the summer and autumn is entitled to some rest and recreation in 

 winter. Not the kind of rest that is obtained by spending several 

 hours each day sitting with muddy boots and dirty clothes around 

 the hot stove in the close room of the corner grocery, oi the recrea- 

 tion that comes through listening to country gossip, which is often 

 of a character neither elevating- nor refiuing,but the kind of rest that 

 comes by a chang-e of work, or work that will give rest and recrea- 

 tion. In our average Minnesota seasons the out of door horticultu- 

 ral work should be well finished up by the first of this month, and 

 everything on the place put into good condition for winter; and yet 

 every day there can be found enough to do to give necessary exer- 

 cise. The horse, cow and pig must be attended to, and this had 

 better be done by the proprietor than turned over to the tender 

 mercies of the hired man, or thrown upon the hired girl or the pa- 

 tient wife. He should not be slow about these things but do them 

 with his might. We do not approve of spending whole days in win- 

 ter at hard labor, like chopping- or sawing- wood, even if there is a 

 little money in it; but would divide the work up between the hard 

 and easy. Do not tolerate a disposition towards indolence. The in- 

 dolent man never has time to do what ought to be done, and the 

 busiest man has the most leisure. Early rising is good for the man 

 who gets a move on him after he is up. Energy and forethought 

 are qualities which are most needed by horticulturists of the pres- 

 ent. Thinking is often harder than chopping-, but it comes easier 

 after a little lively work and is more remunerative. 



If advantag-e is taken of pleasant days that will allow out of door 

 work to be well and profitably done, it will lighten the labors and 

 often prevent the rush of the coming- season. First, all unfinished 

 work laid out for last month should be finished up. The labels on 

 the fruit trees ought to be looked over and those that are becoming- 

 illegible re-written or replaced with new ones, better yet, where it 

 has not been done, is to make a j)lat of the orchard and fruit garden, 

 which may well be done on some pleasant day. The map may not 

 be large. It may occupy a pag^e or two of the account book or upon 

 card board. For the orchard a dot, "o" or star "*" may note the loca- 

 tion of each tree or plant, and either the name of the variety be writ, 

 ten out in full, as * Duchess, * Wealthy, * Hibernal, * Longfield, etc., 

 or numbers used to designate each variety; according as it is kept in 

 a list or catalogue: thus, 1 for Duchess, 2 for Wealthy, etc. But one 



