THEN AND NOW ON THE FARM. 



when they think of that time without getting a stitch 

 in the side. Why those gardens were always made 

 square and surrounded with Rubus villosiis and 

 Primus Ajnericana, no one was then able to explain ; 

 the modern political economist has discovered that 

 it was for the purpose of saving the horse and giv- 

 ing an abundance of pleasant and cheap recreation 

 for the entire family. Now the garden of the think- 

 ing man is long and narrow, and every thing is 

 planted in straight long rows, and the trees and 

 bushes are placed at one side by themselves, and 

 "Dobbin" and one lad devotes two hours a week 

 to it. 



Then April was selected as the most suitable 



ameliorating clay land. It has dawned upon us in 

 these modern days that manures are just as good 

 without baptizing, and that in most cases best 

 results are secured by following nature's hints ; so 

 they are spread, or should be, in the fall on the 

 surface where there is a plant growing. Then 

 apple trees were long-waisted and carried their 

 heads high, ten feet to the first limb and thirty-five 

 to the topmost branch ; this, it is now supposed, 

 was to keep the worms and the boys from getting at 

 those leathery Pennocks ; but more likely it was for 

 the purpose of having on hand, free of cost, all 

 styles of trapesia for family use. It is no wonder 

 that Uncle Sam has won every war in which he has 



" Horse Power and Steel are more effective Instruments of Culture than Bent Knees and Finger Nails." 



month in which to haul out the farm manures and 

 water — there was usually more of the latter than of 

 the former. Why this month of all others was 

 chosen we did dimly surmise, as we had learned 

 that the first day of the month was all fools day ! 

 But modern science has declared this notion apocry- 

 phal and has classified it with Washington's hatchet, 

 marked it " N. G." and pigeon-holed it. After 

 careful research it has been decided that the time 

 was chosen in order to economize wagon tii"e and 

 furnish an acre or two of clods around the bars in 

 order that the boys could learn what a valuable 

 implement a maul is for setting free plant food and 



engaged ; the eye and hand of his boys had yearly 

 training in throwing those guinea-egg apples which 

 nobody ever ate and which defied the rot for two 

 years after they were picked I 



Now that the trees have been better trained, they 

 are more modest and the insects sing the old " saw," 

 paraphrased, "the early worm catches the apple." 

 Then, apples were dear at fifty cents per barrel in 

 " shin plasters." Now, three to five dollars can be 

 realized for the best kinds of perfi'ct fruit ; but in 

 order to secure it you will need to have constantly 

 on hand a supply of Paris green, London purple 

 and Bordeaux mixture, a patent pump, a half dozen 



