LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE. 
Grand Centre, Kan., Jan. 1884. 
Mr. I. F. Tillinghast: Sir, Do wou think it 
would pay to advertise cactus ? You know how 
the taste and fashion for plants run at the east, I 
do not. We have two varieties of cactus which 
are very fine; one the prickly pear and the other 
the bulbous; the first has a b) oad body and a 
beautiful yellow wax-like flower, the other has 
a beautiful red flower, and after the flower is 
gone it has red berries about the size and color 
of wintergreen berries. I will send you some 
seed of the sensitive rose. It is a running vine, 
the top dies down in the fall when exposed to 
frost, but the root lives through the winter. It 
has a small but fragrant flower, the plant itself 
is a curiosity as the leaves fold together upon 
the touch of any person. I wish you would try 
them, I am sure you would find them not only 
a fine flower but a curiosity. 
Yours Respectfully, Stephen Teipp. 
Tunkhanncek, Pa., Feb. 26, 1884. 
I. F. Tillinghast: Dear Sir,—Your Catalogue 
dropped in and I was just looking it over. My 
experience with your seed was good last year. 
I found the Lackawanna Cauliflower better than 
Snowball, earlier, larger heads and more dwarf. 
American Wonder Pea your man got wrong. 
They only grew 5 feet high. I wondered when 
they would stop going up and finally pulled 
them. I had a packet of Favorite Tomato from 
Mr. Livingston himself. They can’t touch Per¬ 
fection. I am more interested in Tomatoes than 
any other vegetable, and if there is any best I 
must have it. I sent to Livingston last year for 
plants in order to try hisjstrain and mine side by 
side. Mine had been carefully selected for years 
and were finer than his every way. Dreer’s 
Trophy was as early as any, and Mayflower from 
you was its rival. I have tried Essex Hybrid 
twice and Climax once. They would ruin my 
trade in one season if I should send out plants of 
them. Wall’s Orange Potato I take no stock iD, 
but the packet of seeds produced a “museum,” 
some of them had potatoes on when I transplant¬ 
ed them into the gaulen. New Champion is a 
good cropper, one pound brought two bushels, 
one bushel of waich I sold for a dollar. I only 
raise new potatoes for the novelty of the thing 
just to see them grow. I like the habit of the 
Early Sunrise, it gave one bushel to the pound. 
Last fall I sowed Early Wakefield and Winig- 
stadt Cabbage for plants to winter. They grew 
so tender, on account of the warm fall, that the 
frost killed them all. 
I have a plant-house for starting seed and 
holding my tender plants; 16 feet long, 12 feet 
wide, neatly painted and glazed, cost 85 dollars. 
It beats all hot beds and is such a pleasant place 
to work; then one can make their own weather, 
all but sunshine. The greatest advantage is 
economy, no handling, no breaking of glass, no 
covering up nights. I would quit the business 
rather than do without it. The first season’s 
sale of plants paid the bill. I heat with a com¬ 
mon coal stove. In winter I use it for flowering 
plants and forcing lettuce for the table. It makes 
a luxury within easy reach of a mechanic who 
boards at home. I have 20 varieties of straw¬ 
berries on the ground. Crescent and Mt. Ver¬ 
non ahead with those that fruited. Jas. Yick 
and Iron-clad ahead on plants. Among new va¬ 
rieties Manchester about a failure. 
Yours Ever, F. P. Avery. 
SPUING. 
Spring, gentle spring, has come again. 
With all its pleasant ways— 
Its suushine and its showers of rain, 
And mild etlierial days. 
The fields are fresh and green once more, 
And flowers are in their bloom. 
And as we view the landscape o'er 
Bright scenes dispel our gloom. 
The farmer plows the fertile soil, 
And sows the tiny grain; 
The harvest will reward his toil, 
And much will be his gain. 
Seed-Time and Harvest never fail; 
But man must do his part 
That peace and plenty may prevail 
And blessings cheer the heart. 
— W. B. Derrick. 
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liiterai-y Mention. 
Farm and Home, published at Springfield Mass., 
at 50 cents a year, is well-filled with choice reading 
each month. Among its special features is a page 
devoted to the considerations of questions relating to 
farm laivs. Answers are given to almost any ques¬ 
tions that may arise, on which a legal opinion may 
be required, and if heeded, they might save many a 
law r suit. 
American Elevator and Grain Trade is the title 
of a monthly magazine, published at Chicago, Ill., at 
$1.00 per year. It is devoted to the interests of Mill¬ 
ers, Mill-Wrights, Grain-Dealers and Shippers, Crop 
Statistics, &c. Very nicely printed, and we should 
consider it a valuable aid to those in any way en¬ 
gaged in the manufacture of grain products or in 
handling the same. 
The Country Gentleman published at Albany. 
N. Y, stands very high among the agricultural 
weeklies. The appreciation with which it is held by 
