Staff, h 
$cnl if sitatc 
maiuing 50 acres being in woodland. The 
farm is three miles from Cambridge, the 
County seat, where we have a good market 
for all our farm produce, and especially, but¬ 
ter and eggs. We get 30 cents a pound for 
butter the year round, and from 15 to 30 cents a 
dozen for eggs in Summer and ‘35 cents a doz¬ 
en in Winter. Papa has a poach orchard of 
1700 young trees, which he has set out since 
he came to Maryland. 
I am a native of Wisconsin, and have out¬ 
lived in Maryland five years. We like it here a 
great deal better than in Wisconsin, and 
expect to remain here. I do not think that it is 
right for the cousins to ask your name; I think 
they ought to bo satisfied with knowing that 
your norm dc plume is Uncle Mark. What has 
become of Uncle Elm? I have not seeu his 
name in the paper for a long time. 1 guess 
the Cousins will think, by the way l am writ¬ 
ing about the farm, that I am a hoy, but l ui 
a girl, 11 years old, and take a great interest 
in the farm, and like to live on it very much. 
Your niece, kate c jackson. 
Dorchester Co., Maryland. 
[I am afraid Uncle Elm has got lost, or is 
too busy to read all of the Rural, and so neg¬ 
lects his young relatives. If Uncle Elm reads 
this, will he please report himself. 
Uncle Mark.] 
2ss£iSS«K!!'J*sSr' 
A BEGINNER’S EXPERIENCE, 
FARM ANNUALEU4 
The largest. RUST and most complete Catalogue 
of tbe kind published. Tt contains 120 pages, 
hundreds of beautiful illustrations. and .1 
superb colored plates. It tolls *dl •‘bmrt jhe 
nrc —Garden, Item, and Plover tefcKDM 
BEST including i niporraitt no v ell its of 
mrc m*rit, Summer Flowering Bullm. T 
Fruits, Thoroughbred lave Stock nail t0 
vmir address atonoe,fi«"*f«j/ (h ft paper,to 
W, ATLEE BURPEE & CO. 
SKF.DSailXt PIllUDEhPHIA, PA. 
uinvi mn riDUO For Fruit, Grain, and Grass, on 
MAKYLANU rAnlTlo salt water, *20 to *50 per acre. 
Catalogue free. ISLER .V MEFK1NS. Cambridge, Md. 
FIDIIO on Janies River, Ya., In a Northern set- 
rAKIfla tlemeut Illustrated circular free. 
r Hlimn u> -J* F MA ncHA, Claremont, va. 
guage used by agricultural 
'*■' y writers in aualyses of soils. 
fei'tilizars, grain etc., who 
seem to take it for granted that their readers 
all have an agricultural education, which of 
course they should, and could have. But some 
of us have not, and must go to the A. B. C. class 
for our knowledge, where it is also taken for 
granted that we are babes in learning, and 
nothing is given us, that we cannot digest. 
Some of us, while not beiug able to assimilate 
that stronger food, are undoubtedly getting so 
large that we begin to feel ashamed of this 
diet of milk and gruel, therefore we have a 
desire to get out of this infant class, into one 
more advanced, where we may take up the 
higher branches, and get au education com¬ 
plete enough at least, so that we may be able 
to understand all that is written for our bene¬ 
fit in the Rural New Yorker. But this change 
of classes involves study, and although I think 
most of us are willing to do this, some may 
not know what books to procure, or their cost. 
I will give a little experience of my own. 
I had a few Concord Grape-vines. I pur¬ 
chased Fuller’s Grape Culturist at a second¬ 
hand book store for 50 cents. I got up a club 
among tbe neighbors, to buy small fruits, 
and for my labor got about a dozen different 
varieties of grape vines, one dozen each of 10 
or 12 different varieties of strawberries, and 
about 40 raspberry plants. I soon had the 
vines growing upon the Fuller System, and 
learned to tell the varieties without lookiug at 
the labels. How 1 nursed them! I closely exam¬ 
ined every agricultural paper I could get hold 
of to see what was said about grapes, straw¬ 
berries and raspberries, and I got. consider¬ 
able information. I got Thomas’s American 
Fruit Culturist, a wonderfully complete book, 
full of instructive illustrations covering the 
entire field of fruit growing. I set out a few 
peaches, plums, pears, cherries, etc., and 
grafted some Kieffer wood into a standard 
pear-tree, and it made a good growth. I also 
raised some seedlings of the peach and grape. 
I continued to add to my small fruits till now 
I have a wery interesting collection. A friend 
loaned me Loring’s Elements of Agriculture, 
a work especially adapted to beginners, and I 
began to understand something about alkalies, 
acids, gases, constituents of plants, and even 
the analysis upon a bag of fertilizer appeared 
to have a meaning. I got Harris’s Talks on 
Manure, Henderson’s Gardening for Profit, 
and The American Fruit Culturist, as a pre¬ 
mium for a Club to au agricultural paper. I 
triad raising cabbage, tomato and celery 
plants last season, and sold about $20.00 worth. 
A friend in the West last December sent me a 
copy of the Bushberg Grape Manual, tbe most 
complete treatise upon the cultivation of the 
grape that I have ever seen. It costs 25 cents, 
and cau be obtained of Bush & Sou & Meiss¬ 
ner, Bushberg, Mo. 
1 cannot say that 1 have stopped purchasing 
books, but l thiuk I have given a list of the 
best ones for beginners, the coutents of which 
are indispensable to every youthful farmer and 
horticulturist who wishes to enjoy his calling. 
I would advise drooping Fuller’s Grape Cultur¬ 
ist from the list, as the method is fully illus¬ 
trated and described in the American Fruit 
Culturist. RUFUS w. SMITH. 
Salem Co., N. J. 
No. 1. Guaranteed Genuine nnd Cheap. 
To responsible parties who doubt, I will wait 
until the fruit shall prove itself. Mr. Purdy 
may blow, but I have the plants nevertheless. 
E. J. HOT.MA N, I .raven wort li. Ivans. 
JOHN SAUL’S 
CATALOGUE OF 
the Inventor of the Wisnkr Tiger Hay Rake, 
1 ,'Olt 1SS I. will he rendyTn February with a 
COLORED PLATE. 
It Ik full lu really good and beautiful plants, as well 
n« all i lie Novelties nf Merit. 
Tin- rich collection of Flue Foliage and other Green- 
bonse and Hothouse Plants, are well growu and at 
low prices. Free to all try customers: to nthers li)c., 
or a plain copy gratis. CatelnRuea of beeds. Roses, 
Orchids, Fruits, &c , gratia JOHN hAI h. 
\\ uahmston. I). C. 
Title, and will take pny therefore in Wheat raised 
from the land, at not less than *l per bushel! delivered 
lit his mill, if the market Is over At per bushel, he 
will pay market price, and will bind himself to pay 
not less than $1 per bushel. 
For further particular - address 
.1. E. WINNER, Lisbon. Dak ota. 
WESTERN LANDS. 
WESTERN LOANS. 
Those wanting to BUY DAM) FOR SETTLE¬ 
MENT > n 11 good locality West, or to M AN AlO- 
NEY there with perfect unfedy. at 7 to 10 per 
cent interest* write, with letter stamp inclosed, to 
M ttt a T) T>T' 1VT I.nnd and Loan Agent* 
, WARKxipI , Fuirhury, .Nebraska. 
«rr n NORTHERN GROWN, VERY EARLY. 
Sr til Abo Flower Vegetable and Field 
W Seeds. 44 New Verities o( Pota- 
G « n || toes. Order earlv. Catalogue Free. 
0 K N FRED. N. LANG, Baraboo.Wis. 
jk a mm Bynmll, post-paid. 4 fot 
1^ llPrC 1 ob'„ 1 3 Jor * I . .Safe 
11 K 19 \ li \ arrival and full sntuduc- 
fll tl 1 il tion cruaruuteod. tnree- 
ITfe lions for culture w>Uiall 
I ■ orders. Outaloirnc Fit EE. Order now. 
I ■ WM. U. RUBIK < linmbersbnra. Pa. 
I F Y. 0 UJWA NX 1 0-K N LVL i t J ra s-. N 
semi toHEADQUARTERS for Pamphlet. Address 
HERBERT FOST, 
Fostburtth, Dnllas Co., Alabama. 
S LAS l» OFFICE, Waldo,Florida, 
A/i r (J WANT HI w tr*>«l tud tell to <lr».Yr«. $85 • month 
N«r ji»ibilinF. Ifotai Am? tiv.rcUncTxivn«t-» paid, 
Monarch Novt'lty 1 *4 W* 4th Sl. t Ctnctniintl, O 
along th 
KANSAS LANDS KANSAS DIVISION U. P. R’WAY 
STOCK RAISING WOOL CROWING 
Buffalo Grass Pasture Summer and Winter. Unsurpassed for Climate, Grasses, Water. 
•CORN and WHEAT FRUIT 
200,000,000 Bus. Corn. 30,000.000 Wheat. The best in the Eastern Market. 
Pamphlets and Maps free. B. McALLASTER, Land Conrmiis'r, Kansas City,Mo 
implement.*'' and Pachinny 
IMPROVED FARM IMPLEMENTS. 
Non Kxploslvo Steam Engines, best Railway & Lever 
norse-Powcrx.Thnshtnic Machines,Mruw Preserving 
Threshers, i.uDmw s Disc and Steel SpringToothHtir- 
re-ws. Eagle Sulky Horse Rakes,t'ulUvatOrs,Feedi Mills, 
Fc« (i Striunet%ote.cto. WHEKMcitAtftU.LicKj o •Albany, 
N. V. Established 1830. Send for Iltustruled C atalogue. 
_ KING’S HAY CARRIER 
VJ w - -- v aa ? SpeaVs lor Itself. 
The many Farmers 
that use them are enthusiastic in 
If 1 their praise. I sell direct to tho 
farmers nnd rnufce tlio price very 
low .Send at once for circular ana 
O price-list. Gko AV. Kino, Marion.a 
THE COLD WATER DIP 
IS NOT POISONOUS OR CORROSIVE. 
Mixes perfectly with <’<>I,1> WATER- Sft f<• *< 
use la fcoLIIWST WEATHER. It U a sur 
euro for ull Skin Di*r.uM*H. Insect I «•*>*, am 
Worms of doinehtle animals. For hlieep,leavi *th 
wool like silk. Every fawner should kre« IL In tb 
Household, destroys nil had smells. NolftTectJou 
malady win exist where this 1 Up Is employed ns 
Disinfectant. For lt< various uses In detail am 
prices, send portage stamp to 
T. W. LAW FORI). Gen'l Agent, 
•2{Mi E. Clmse (it.. Baltimore, Did. 
Deak Uncle Mark:— I raised 40 bushels 
of potatoes last Summer. The soasou was a 
very poor one for crops. Some of :he Perfec¬ 
tion Water-melon seeds sent our folks by the 
Rural, were given to me to plant, in my gar¬ 
den. Only two plants came up; they were 
very slow about growing, and but one melon 
ripened, but that will give me plenty of seed 
for another year. I also had a share of tho 
Garden Treasures. I carried some rich dirt 
iuto the flower garden, and raised the flower 
beds about four inches, and then sowed my 
seeds; they came up pretty well. Xight aud 
mornings I help take care of the stock, lam 
10 years old, and I think I shall be a farmer. 
Manistee Co , Mich. henry JOUNBON. 
[Don't change your mind, but stick to it, 
aud become a firstrdass farmer. You will 
never regret it, and neither will U ncle Mark.] 
SCALES. 
v> 
. For Illustrated 
Binghamton. N. Y 
Satisfactory references given 
Book address. Osgood tfe Co.. 
Datriea bo wall over the I 
no re Rutter than any other pro 
r Testimonials In dreulurs are 
We furnish Churns. Butter " ork 
First order at wholesale where w< 
igents.—Agents wanted. Send loi 
WM. K, LINCOLN CO., 
Warren. Muss. 
The Cheapest Force Pump 
IN THE WORLD. 
ESPECIALLY ADAPTED FOE 
SP2AYIH0 FEUIT TEBES. 
Can be nppiled to any service 
i that a Cistern or Force l’ump enti 
be used for. Send for catalogue. 
EIEliD FORCE PURI 1* CO.. 
Lock box 481, 
Lock port, N. Y, 
LETTERS FROM THE COUSINS 
WHITMAN’S 
MAGIC FEED MILL 
Dear Uncle Mark and Rural Cousins:— 
Papa has just finished building a poultry 
house, that is 10x1(3 feet In the inside, on each 
side, there are four tiers of eight foot roosts. 
The Other eight feet are occupied by two rows 
of nests, on each side. Tho floor is of ashes 
aud 1 think very good. We keep 75 hens. 
Every morning papa feeds them milk, bran 
and potatoes, and we have been getting from 
25 to 30 eggs every day since last Fall. 
Though it is ouly March, we have over 200 
young chickens that we keep under a shed, 32 
feet long. We raised 000 chickens last year, 
and are going to try for 800 this year. We 
keep 22 sheep, and have seven little lambs. 
Our farm contains 150 acres of laud, 100 of 
which are under cultivation, and the re- 
Dear Uncle Mark;— I would like to be a 
member of tho Youths’ Horticultural Club. 
We have just moved on to a farm, and as 
there is a nice place for a garden, 1 will have 
one all to myself. We take the Rural, and 
like it very much. I am going to plant a lot of 
pop-corn this year, and take it to the btii. I 
am 16 years old. There are a lot of straw¬ 
berries’ blackberries and raspberries here. 
Yours truly, omar ronhdkn. 
[You forgot to give your town and State, 
so where shall I put your name? Among the 
list of Cousins in the moon! I hope you will 
ho cnnr'pasfiil with vout Dop-eora, and take 
WITH STEEL GRINDERS. 
Tho inoKtporfeot MtU tor grlOdllUf 
■auill itnitn, lor food or family meal, 
now made. Wiirrofttud to grind 
cao-tblrd more with same power 
ld-n any other. __ _ 
Manufacturer* of Hny Presses, 
nurse Powers. Corn Shollors, Feed 
S Hand-Book FREE. 
/?. S. & A P. LACEY, 
Patent Att’ye, Waehlngton, D. 0. 
ou a Handsome 
ct. stamp to pay postage 
ibwl RAZOR, Jo__ .... 
THU CLINTON R1FG. CO.. 
‘AD Vi'Mey Htreet, New V ork. 
White Gold Edge cards with Name, 10c. 10 
*brmnlmn.Sl. SHAW&OO..NewYork,N.Y. 
or heirs send stamp for e 
BbowinK who is entitled 
soon, b(>unty. etc. I * • t. ^ 
Hox 3*, WushtiAgton, u. l 
UNIQUE, CURIOUS 
and useful things that you «i‘“«? 1 t J% 1 e Vy O maU W 10 
town. Ill us. eat a logue and price (HU. fi>< b> man, iu 
ct». in RtmnpR* A* li.SMIlH,BoXtW90 t Ne^ xorKt t. 
