DEC 22 
0 
“t 
for t!)c Bomvg. 
CHRISTMAS GREETING. 
HE days have passed swiftly 
by. Christmas is once more 
at hand, and again Uncle 
Mark has received his annual 
call at the back door from 
His Royal Highness Santa 
Claus, who wished to know 
if the Cousins of the Rural 
New-Yorker had been industrious and good 
enough to merit a visit from the Old Man 
from the North Pole, who, besides having a 
magical load of strange and wonderful things, 
had a list of the Cousins that had written 
twice or more since he has visited them last. 
After a jolly chat with H. R. H,, the old gen¬ 
tleman disappeared in a gust of snow-flakes, 
carrying along with him a sample copy of the 
Rural—I imagine he wanted to read the 
Youths’ Departmeut—aud a merry Christmas 
from Uncle Mark for all the Cousins. 
North, South, East and West, a Mem 
Christmas to the many members of the 
Youths’ Club of the Rural New-Yorker. 
I trust that the Old Man from the North Pole 
will visit you all, and deposit a goodly bit in 
the mauy stockings of all sizes and colors 
hung for the reception of Noah’s arks, jump¬ 
ing-jacks, Mother Goose Melodies, candies, 
etc., all to came from the magical sleigh of 
this wonderful old man. 
But, amid the pleasures of Christmas, I 
hope mj young friends will not forget to eu- 
deavor to make this a happy day for others, 
and especially so for those who are suffering 
from want aud adverse circumstances, such 
as sometimes, yes, very frequently, drive the 
sunshlue out of the soul aud home. 
Christmas comes but once a year, so youug 
friends make merry. As says Sir Walter 
Scott: 
“Heap ou more wood: the wind is chill, 
But let it whistle as it will. 
We’ll keep our Christmas merry still.” 
UNCLE MARK. 
NOTES BY UNCLE MARK. 
Merry Christmas! 
During the Winter season I get many let¬ 
ters from the Cousins, the majority of which, 
owing to our limited space, I am unable to 
publish. Ot course I can only print the best 
written and most interesting ones; but still I 
hope uoue of the. members of the club will be 
discouraged from writing, if their first or 
second letter does find its way into the waste 
basket. The Cousins must aid me in making 
their department interesting and profitable. 
Will you do it? 
You read the letters of the Cousins. Can’t 
you write something different from anybody 
else—something the members of the club 
never heard of before? 
Which are you the most interested in, his¬ 
tory or agriculture ? 
Shortly after the discussion prizes were 
awarded, I received an article upon the 
potato, from O. F. Fuller, the winner of the 
first prize, which I have already published. 
To my surprise, a few day’s after the receipt 
of Cousin Fuller’s article I received another 
upon the potato, this time from Blanchie C. 
Buxton, the winuer of the second prize. As 
one lives in Wisconsin and the other in Mas¬ 
sachusetts. it cannot be that either knew of 
the other’s article. Strange, was it not? 
Is IT right to finish your letter with, “If this 
letter is printed, I will write again”? 
How about the seed reports ? 
Don’t forget to write to Uncle Mark this 
Winter. Write a good essay ou some agricul¬ 
tural subject for the Youths’ Page. 
Helen Bergen says: “My first letter went 
to the waste basket, but I am not discouraged, 
as I guess that was the proper place for it.’ 1 
That is the right kind of spirit, 
CHAUTAUQUA AND ITS HISTORY. 
I have read many’ of the lettei-s of the 
Cousins, and am much interested in them. 
They are of great benefit to the young There 
are but few, if any, finer accomplishments 
than that of a good letter writer. One who 
can make a letter interesting and instructive 
has indeed acquired a great accomplishment. 
In your issue of October ‘20. a Cousin, from 
Clinton, Wis., speaks of having read one of 
Pansy’s books, and is so enraptured by her de. 
scription of objects and places, that she has a 
great desire to visit Chautauqua. There are 
many, both young and old, who hear Chau¬ 
tauqua talked about, aud I venture to say, 
could not tell the meaning of the word, or even 
where this so much talked ot place is located. 
Chautauqua is an English word, which, if 
translated into the Indiau language would be 
Ju-du-gua, which means “ The place of easy 
death.” Indian tradition tells us that when 
the Senecas inhabited the country surround¬ 
ing this beautiful sheet of water, “There was 
a beautiful Indian girl by the name of Owana. 
Oue da.y she went whortleberrying. and some¬ 
where found aud ate of a root which was 
very honeyed to the taste. Afterwards she 
was seized with au unquenchable thirst, so go¬ 
ing to the bank of the lake, she, stooping 
dovvu to drink, disappeared beneath its waters, 
and was never afterwards seen.” 
Chautauqua Lake is situated in the southern 
part of Chautauqua Co., N. Y. It is about 18 
miles long, though the steamboats run four 
miles down the outlet to Jamestown. At the 
head of the lake is May ville, the county seat, 
and at the foot Jamestown, which is a business 
and manufacturing place of about 12,000 in¬ 
habitants. This body of water is only nine 
miles from Lake Erie, and lies in a basin, on 
a hill 728 feet above it, and 1,303 feet above 
tide water. The water from Chautauqua 
Lake, flows through the Alleghauy, Ohio, and 
Mississippi Rivers into the Gulf of Mexico. 
Up to the year 1849 very little was kuown to 
tourists of Chautauqua Lake. Duriug that 
year, a few persons who were frightened from 
Buffalo on account of the cholera which 
scourged that city, took refuge at- the Flu¬ 
vanna House, situated on the eastern side of the 
lake, where it joins the outlet, four miles from 
Jamestown. Since then the town has grown 
slowly’ in uotoriety, until the Methodist Epis¬ 
copal Church bought what was known as 
“Maple Point," and instituted the present As¬ 
sembly Grounds, known as Chautauqua. 
These grounds have been laid off in plots, lots, 
squares, etc., with roads, or alley's, or more 
“tony” streets, running in all directions. Of 
late more system has been adopted so that 
now the place has a very elegant hotel, and 
some very respectable cottages. The Audi¬ 
torium aud Children’s Temple are structures 
of some met it. 
During the Assembly’ sessions in July and 
August many people visit Chautauqua, some 
for educational purposes, but more for pleas¬ 
ure and to see the masses who are there. 
Opposite Chautauqua is Chautauqua Point, 
formerly Leets Point, which is the home of 
the Baptist Association, and is much more 
picturesque and beautiful, considering its 
natural surroundings. There are also situ¬ 
ated here an immense auditorium or taber- 
uacle aud a grand hotel. The country sur¬ 
rounding the lake is beautiful and productive. 
Fine farm houses are dotted here and there, 
and everywhere can be seen evidences of 
thrift and wealth. In the waters of the lake 
are found the mosconcracue, black and yellow 
bass, catfish, rock bass, perch and sunlish. 
There are very many opportunities for im¬ 
provement duriug the meeting of the assem¬ 
blies; excellent lectures, tine music, etc. 
Many, and I may say all of the Cousins, cou.d 
while away a few days or a month here, and go 
back to their country or city homes refreshed 
and benefited. The air aud climate are all 
that can be desired: there are no malaria, 
chills aud fever, but much to cause people to 
love to speud a Summer at Chautauqua, 
MIGGS. 
Chautauqua Lake, N Y. 
LETTERS FROM THE COUSINS. 
Dear Uncle Mark:— Eight years ago, last 
April, I got some seed out of some sweet 
apples that were grown on healthy’ trees, and 
planted them in rich soil. After the trees 
appeared I thiuned them to one foot apart in 
the row. I was three years old then, and 
mother budded them, two years later, in the 
Fall. I helped set them in the orchard 82 feet 
apart each way. The holes were dug wide 
enough to admit the roots, which were covered 
with soil taken from the pig pen. The ground 
lias been manured, and kept iu hoed crops 
every year since. We budded for Summer 
apples, Red Astrachan and Early Harvest; for 
Fall, Graveustein and Porter; for Wiuter, 
nine out of ten Baldwins. Some of the trees 
bore this Summer for the first time. 
Every Fall, in killing the borer I use a liar" 
row chisel and mallet. Last Spring, about 
the first- of June, I soft-soaped the trees near 
the ground, and not a borer has been seen 
since. To destroy the teut caterpilier nest, I 
touched it with a swab dipped in coal tar. The 
aphides had better be left to their natural 
enemy, the Lady-bug. The Codling Moth 
cau bo kept iu check by r wrapping a fine wire 
around the tree. The wire should be wrapped 
in a narrow piece of cloth; raise the fold 
occasionally aud kill the moths that may he 
found under it. If the scale louse appeal’s, 
rub the bark with soft-soap. J. c. 
Wilton, Conn. 
$av ££ubUratian$i. 
A Year’s Subscription to 
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Such au array of brilliant features la included in 
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Dkar Uncle Mark: — 1 raised some pop¬ 
corn and turnips this year, and a few onions- 
I was to have the land if I would keep out the 
weeds, which I did, so I will have it next year 
too. I shall plant onions, because Papa thinks 
they will pay best, as they sell here for a dol¬ 
lar a bushel most of the time. I set out a bed 
of wild strawberry plants this Fall, to see 
how they will grow under cultivation; they 
produce very nice berries when growing wild. 
I think of setting out some wild apple trees 
next Spring, which I wish to try. 
Dodge Co., Wis. clarence nutting. 
gjteiv guliUraticms’. 
A BARGAIN! 
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Address, OHIO FARMER, Cleveland, O. 
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THE 
SINGER’S WELCOME. 
L. O. Emerson’S new book for Singing Classes and 
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Those who fail to CaVf advai Uogc of th* a hove off<t V?U\ mif0 a chance of a ixjcumr* 
