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NOTES FROM THE COUSINS. 
ROM a farm where 35 cows 
are keptLilie Wilson writes; 
she helps milk the cows and 
thinks it is nice work. Her 
Pa also has 34 yearling Hol- 
steius and five little calves, 
six little pigs and two colts. 
Morris Truck and his 
little adopted sister, Daisy, 
have formed a partnership in their garden 
work; they have the Rural seeds to plant in 
their garden, and they will receive some of 
the Lima beans. 
From Oregon Hattie Marsh writes that she 
gathered wild flowers in January. Her 
father has an orchard of apples, pears, 
grapes, plums and a few peaches. Hattie has 
a pair of gray squirrels and 11 ducks. 
Warren P. Lowe lives in Minnesota, one 
mile from the head of Osakis Lake. Three 
years ago this Spring be helped a man fish 
through the ice for 50 ciuts a day and board. 
With the money he saved he bought a calf; it 
is now a cow three years old. That money 
was well spent. Warren’s sister, Winnie, 
goes to school aud studies readiug, spelling, 
history, arithmetic, geography, grammer aud 
writing. She writes that she expects to raise 
beans to sell this season. 
Geo. A. Rider planted a half bushel of peas 
and gathered sixty-four bushels, that he sold for 
$40; some of bis neighors in Maryland plant 
150 bushels of peas iu one season; his father is 
a fruit and vegetable grower. 
Albert Kruger is eight years old. He 
writes of his dogs Dowdy, James and Jack,and 
of a pet calf that will lick salt from bis band. 
Last Summer be helped bis mamma hoe cab¬ 
bage and his pa pa stack clover, but be forgot to 
give the name of his post office and State. 
A yield of one-half bushel of potatoes from 
one Blush potato is reported by Mary Ward, 
and from the half bushel 20 bushels were 
raised the Dext seasou. She writes from a 
farm where 400 or 500 chickens are raised 
every year; she tells of a calf six weeks old 
that weighed 140 pounds; and of raising sheep, 
horses, cattle, geese, aud turkeys. 
Virgil E. Walker's uncle gave him a calf, 
he raised it and sold it for enough money to buy 
ten head of sheep. V irgil likes to care for the 
sheep he writes. 
LETTERS FROM THE COUSINS. 
Dear Uncle Mark:—I have never seen 
any of my uncles or my aunts either, and I 
think I like you just as well as any of the 
others. I like to read the Cousins’ letters so 
much. 
I have always lived in Mecosta County, 
Mich. I am nine years old and go to school. 
I study all the common branches. Pa takes 
the Rural, and we think it is just grand. Pa 
plauted the seeds you sent us last year; the 
tomatoes were splendid, the peas ripened 
early aud were nice, the corn was rather late; 
we have about a bushel of ears that will do 
for seed. We bad lots of flowers aud nice 
ones, too. We have a farm and lots of stock, 
and I will tell you about it next time, for I 
would like to joiu the Club if you will accept 
of my letter. 
Will you please send me some seeds for my 
garden? i like to work out of-doors. but I 
hate to wash dishes worse than 1 hate stick- 
tight burs. Your niece, 
MAUD BENNETT. 
Mecosta Co., Mich. 
[I know a good many little girls who hate 
to wash dishes, but when they do the dis¬ 
tasteful work cheerfully it doesn’t seem so 
bad after awhile .—uncle mark ] 
Dear Uncle Mark:—I have been think¬ 
ing of joining the club if you will admit me: 
I think you will, for I have noticed you good- 
naturedly admit all who ask to join. 
I helped papa make a list of the vines re¬ 
commended for the different states, and here 
is the list: 
BLACK. BED. WRITE. 
Worden.39 Brighton .38 Niagara.40 
Concord.30 Delaware.37 Duchess.15 
Moore's Early. .28 Jefferson.13 Pockllngton. ..Hi 
Wilder. 8 Llndley.S Lady.14 
Early Victor ... 7 Catawba.0 Martha.II 
Herbert .fi Vergeunes.8 Brent Is.1! 
Lady Wasb’n.. 7 
I have ten Catawba grape vines; I like the 
culture of all kiuds of fruit the same as papa. 
My brother and sister and I have one Missouri 
Pippin apple tree. We have one Keiffer’s Hy¬ 
brid pear tree in bloom, and it was set out only 
last year, and a Wild Goose plum tree is in 
bloom, that was set out at the same time. I 
would like to know if any of your readers in 
Kansas can tell what kinds of grapes are best 
suited to this climate. Papa has set out 25 
kinds of grapes this Spring as an experiment. 
From your nephew, chas h. MANLEY. 
Davis Co,, Kan?. 
[Accept our thanks for your list of the 
grapes. All boys and girls are cordially wel¬ 
come to our Club, who are interested in farm 
or garden work of any sort.— uncle mark.] 
DEAR UNCLE MARK:—I WANT TO 
JOIN THE CLUB. I AM ONLY SEVEN 
YEARS OLD I AM FOND OF FLOWERS. 
I HAD A PRETTY GARDEN LAST SUM¬ 
MER; I WILL HAVE A LARGER ONE 
THIS SUMMER. I WILL PLANT THE 
“GARDEN TREASURES.” PAPA HAS 
ALSO GIVEN ME A PIECE OF GROUND 
FOR A VEGETABLE GARDEN. AND 
WON’T YOU PLEASE SEND ME THE 
NEW LIMA BEANS? I SHALL TRY FOR 
THE PRIZES. YOUR NIECE. 
MARGIE BAKER. 
[Your letter is so nicely printed I have had 
it printed in large letters for you, Margie, and 
I hope you can easily read it. Have the beans 
reached you yet?— uncle mark.] 
Dear Uncle Mark and Cousins:—Do 
you want any Jersey girls in your Youths 
Horticultural Club, if so, I would like to join 
you very mu :h. I have searched among the 
letters for a Jersey Cousin and have begun to 
to think that many of our farmers do not 
take the good old Rural, but if they don’t 
I hope they will soon find out their mistake. 
1 live in the pretty little village of Mont¬ 
clair, near E. & J. C. Williams, the nursery¬ 
men, and under the shadow of the Orange 
Mountain. We have a farm of 35 acres, and 
keep 11 cows, four horses, about 150 chickens, 
two dogs and three cats. 
I go to school and my principal studies are 
geography, philosophy, grammer, arithmetic 
have been taking music lessons this Winter. 
We have quite a number of house plants 
which are now in blossom. The best winter 
blooming plants that we have are the Chinese 
Primroses. Your niece, mina wild. 
Ottawa Co., Mich. 
[From so many seedling strawberries I hope 
you will obtain some extra good varieties. 
We are glad to hear from another Cousin who 
is interested in seedlings, uncle mark.] 
Dear Uncle Mark:— You want each of us 
to write a letter different from any body else; 
so I guess I will write about frogs. I have 
been trying to make some money by catching 
frogs. I caught 32 dozen frogs and took them 
to Grand Rapids, but it was late in the Fall, so 
I could only get 15 cents per dozen. They told 
me that there was not much demand for them 
then. I had to dress those that I took to the 
Rapids. Now, Cousius, I will tell you how I 
dress frogs. I cut off the hind legs and take 
hold of the skin and give it a jerk, and you 
have your frog dressed you can dress a dozen 
in this way in five minutes. 
Before harvest last Summer I sold eight 
dozen, for 10 cents per dozen, to a man living 
about, three miles from here; he shipped them 
without dressing them. They were selling at 
40 cents per dozen at Chicago, but I did not 
ship any. Now, Cousins, next Summer you 
must try to make some money by catching 
frogs, and then you must write wliat. kind of 
luck you have. If I had found out early in the 
Spring that they were buying frogs I could 
have made twice as much money as I did. If 
there is no one buying them near you write 
to some commission merchant in any of the 
large cities, and he will tell you the price and 
how to ship them. Sometimes one person can 
catch 20 dozen iu one day. I heard a man say 
he caught 15 dozen in a half day; but some 
days there are a good many more frogs thaD 
others, and in some places there are a good 
Strange Visitors in last Year’s Nest. 
and spelling. I am in the second grammar 
department. Last Summer I did not have 
any garden or any flowers as I was away 
from home; but this Summer I am going to 
have a small strawberry patch and some 
flowers and a brood of chickens. Will you 
please teLl me whether to plant pansies in a 
shady or sunny place? 
I will tell you something of the place I was 
in last Summer. I was visiting my uncle who 
kept a livery stable and is a butcher as well. 
His boy would sometimes have to go three 
or four miles after a oow; be would hitch up 
to the buggy and I would drive him over and 
come home alone One day I went over twenty 
miles on the meat w agon with him; we started 
at eight o’clock in the morning and did not 
get home until four in the afternoon. I have 
two sisters at home and a brother in Kansas; 
most all the Jersey boys who go West stop at 
that State. Hoping you will not get tired of 
this long letter 1 will bring it to a close. 
Your true niece, endeavor. 
[Pansies need a partly shaded, rich, moist 
bed; the blooms will be very small if they do 
not have moisture enough. We are pleased 
to welcome another Jersey Cousin to our 
number. We have several, but their letters 
have not appeared lately.— UNCLE mark.] 
Dear Uncle Mark:—I wish to join your 
Horticultural Club, I have always lived on 
the farm. I think it is so much nicer in the 
country than it is in town, where there is 
nothing but houses and people to look at. My 
father grows a great many berries. We have 
hundreds of new seedling strawberries, raised 
by crossing the blossoms under cover: this 
can be done by removing the anthers. Some 
of them are beauties. Our dahlia seed sown 
in May blossomed in September. They are 
red, white and yellow, double and single. I 
many more than in other places. In hot weath¬ 
er, standing water or wet springy ground will 
be full of frogs. You need not lose a day’s 
work in catching them, but can go in the even¬ 
ing?, or after a nice warm Summer raiu. The 
evening is a good time. I have gone in the 
evening and caught quite a lot in one eveuiug. 
EARNEST M. WOLGAU. 
[Please send me yonr full address, Earnest. 
Did you know that a frog's tongue is attached 
to its mouth at the front? The loose end of 
the tongue points toward the throat. 
UNCLE MARK.] 
Care for the Children 
Children frrl the debility of the changing sea¬ 
sons, even more than adults, and they become 
cross, peevish and uncontrollable. The blood 
should be cleansed and the system Invigorated 
by the use of Hood's Sarsaparilla. Give It a trial. 
" bast spring my rwo children were vaccinated. 
Soon after, they broke all out. with running sores, 
so dreadful I thought 1 should lose them. Hood's 
Sarsaparilla cured them completely: and they 
have been healthy ever since. I do feel that 
Hood’s Sarsaparilla saved my children to me.” 
M it*. C, L. THOMPSON. West Warren. Mass. 
Hood’s Sarsaparilla 
Sold by all druggists. $1; six for $r>. Mado 
only by C, 1. HOOD & CO., Lowell, Mass. 
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