CATALOGUES, ETC., RECEIVED. 
Bowker Fertilizer Co., 43 Chatham 
Street, Boston, Mass.—A pamphlet which 
discusses fertilizers in general and the Stock- 
bridge fertilizers in particular, with testimo¬ 
nials from many farmers. Also a pamphlet 
entitled, “Record of 1887,” which speaks of 
the various fertilizers manufactured by the 
company. They will be mailed free on ap¬ 
plication. 
Williams, Clark & Co., Cotton Exchange 
BuildiDg, New York.—A fertilizer manual* 
and farmers’ almanac, describing the various 
fertilizers manufactured by this well-known 
firm. “The Best Materials;” “Why Some 
Fertilzers Vary,” “Chemical Action upon the 
Soil,” “Mechanical Condition,” “General and 
Special Fertilizers,” “Advantages,” “An Old 
Point Newly Proven,” and many other topics 
are considered m brief. The manual ends 
•with an essay by Mr. Hale of Connecticut, on 
the “Value of Commercial Fertilizers in Fruit 
Growing.” The pamphlet will be sent to all 
of our readers who apply as above. 
The Mapes Pamphlet for Florida and 
on Fruit Growing. —Mr. Charles V. Mapes 
was the first to lay stress upon the import¬ 
ance in fruit culture, of using manures spec¬ 
ially adapted to promoting fruiting power in 
contradistinction to wood-growth. He in¬ 
sisted that the essential elements of plant food 
should be supplied not cnly in varied forms so 
as to insure the greatest certainty of action 
possible in meeting the demands of the trees 
or vines at their successive stages of growth and 
ever changing conditions, but also that there 
should be present those forms that have been 
found by practical experience and scientific 
research to be the best adapted for promoting 
the highest quality of fruit as well as 
quantity. He claimed that merely to make a 
fruit tree or grape-vine grow vigorously was a 
very small part of real success; that rapid 
wood growth was often made at the expense 
of both quantity and quality of fruit together 
with impaired stamina and disease-resisting 
strength of the trees and vines, thereby caus¬ 
ing them to fall an easy prey to attacks and 
strains put upon them by adverse seasons, 
fungi, insects, etc. This injudicious forcing 
manuring he claimed to be especially injuri¬ 
ous to the orange aud grape (for vine or mar¬ 
ket) and but little less so to apples, peaches, 
pears, strawberries, etc. So far as we can 
learn and can gather from the pamphlet, the 
reports of practical fruit and orange growers 
who have used the Mapes's Fruit Manures.f ully 
verify the correctness of Mr. Mapes’s views. 
Orange groves tnat gave promise, under the 
usual stimulating manuring, of good yields, 
have been found to have succumbed to the 
frost, scale insects, fungi, etc.; while those 
that were manured with the Mapes's Manures 
have “weathered the storm,” as it were, and 
have brought their owners large returns 
in abundant crops and high prices. These 
groves that have turned out so well have in 
many cases been grown exclusively with the 
Mapes’s Manures (no farm manure used) since 
setting out, and on the lightest sandy poor 
lands. 
We note that the Mapes’s Company state 
in plain terms that the basis of their manure 
is bone and that they use no .South Carolina 
rock, phosphate rock of any.kind, or any in¬ 
ferior materials. They offer to forfeit $10,000 
to any one who will prove that they have ever 
used any phosphate rock in any of their 
manures. They claim that the demand in 
Florida this season has so largely and unex¬ 
pectedly excet ded their expectations that 
they have been unable to ship an adequate 
supply, and that this largely increased de¬ 
mand is due to the wonderful results obtained 
with their manures on orange groves in sec¬ 
tions where other grcfves that had been fer¬ 
tilized with fish, cotton seed, acid phosphates, 
muriate of potash, kainit, superphosphates, 
etc., have failed to recover from the set-back 
given to them by the “ freeze ” of two years 
ago or otherwise have been put into poor con¬ 
dition. We advise those interested in fruit or 
orange culture to send for the pamphlet to The 
Mapes Co., 158 Front St., New York. 
John M. Pearson, Steamboat Dock, Hud¬ 
son, N. Y.—This is a little book of 50 pages, 
giving directions for ordering and for the use 
of Pearson’s fertilizers on various crops. The 
firm deals directly with consumers, sells for 
cash and is thus enabled to offer fertilizers at 
the lowest price. A conversation, as reported 
in the pamphlet, between an agent and a far¬ 
mer sets forth the advantages of using high- 
grade fertilizers and aptly shows up several 
common mistaken beliefs in regard to fertil¬ 
izers and their effects. 
Peter Henderson & Co., 35 and 37 Court- 
landt St.N.Y.-A very large and beautiful cata¬ 
logue of everything_for the_farm and garden 
in the way of seeds, etc., with colored plates 
and many engravings. Among the many 
novelties are Succession Cabbage, Early Puri¬ 
tan Potato (tried at the Rural Grounds last 
season) Green and Gold Watermelon, St. Mar¬ 
tin’s Rhubarb, Palmetto Asparagus, Japan 
Clover, Bermuda Grass (cuttings), Japan 
Buckwheat, with many other novelties among 
flower seeds, roses and other greenhouse and 
bedding plants. Henderson’s strain of Mam¬ 
moth verbenas is very fine as judged by our 
own trials two years ago. The Green and 
Gold Watermelon was also tried at the Rural 
Grounds three years ago, and also last year. 
The flesh is of a golden color, seed very small. 
The flesh is of good quality and the melons 
ripen early. The catalogue states that Ber¬ 
muda Grass “seeds freely enough, but it is 
rarely that a seed on a pistillate bloom can be 
found, but the flowers are almost literally 
sterile.” It is no doubt intended to say that 
it “flowers freely enoughetc. The fact is, 
however, that Bermuda Grass does mature 
seeds in certain regions. The Rural raised 
it from seeds as long as eight years ago, and 
seeds have been offered for sale in New York 
for about that length of time. All should ap¬ 
ply for this well-arranged, handsome and 
comprehensive catalogue. It will be sent by 
mail for 25 cents (about half its cost) ;but those 
sending for it are also entitled to novelties in 
seed to that value by stating in what paper 
they saw it advertised. 
W. W. Rawson & Co., 34 South Market 
Street, Boston, Mass.-—This is a large and 
beautiful catalogue of real merit issued by 
the above firm, the successors of B. K. Bliss 
& Sons, of New York, and Everett & Gleason, 
of Boston. Mr. Rawson has grown seeds for 
28 years, and he is to-day the most extensive 
and successful market gardener in New Eng¬ 
land. It is a strong, enterprising firm, aud 
our readers will examine the catalogue with 
satisfaction. 
J. M. McCullough’s Sons, Cincinnati, O. 
—A neat, handsome catalogue of 100 pages of 
garden, field and flower seeds, plants, vinps, 
bulbs, roots, garden and farm implements, 
etc. Five pages are given to the “Language 
of Flowers.” A very excellent steel engraving 
of Mr. McCullough the elder appears as a 
frontispiece. Fourteen pages are devoted to 
novelties and kinds of special merit. Spray¬ 
ing bellows, force pumps, insecticides, etc.; a 
list of grass seeds, Johnson Grass, Teosinte, 
Millet, Alfalfa, Sainfoin, oats, field-peas, sor¬ 
ghums, etc., are presented in this catalogue 
which well merits a careful going over. 
Samuel Wilson, Mechanicsville, Pa.—This 
catalogue presents an unusual number of 
novelties and specialties among grains, vege¬ 
tables, melons, potatoes, flowers, and poultry. 
A breed new to us is announced as Scotch 
Brahmas, a cross between Plymouth Rocks 
and Light Brahmas, resembling the latter, but 
without leg feathers. A new potato called 
Boley’s Northern Spy is praised unqualifiedly. 
George W. P. Jerrard, Caribou, Me.—All 
who are interested in potato-growing should 
see this catalogue, which makes potatoes a 
specialty. The Dandy and Queen are repre¬ 
sented as new kinds of great merit. The Ohio, 
Jr., Sunlit Star, Pedigree Beauty of Hebron, 
Early Maine, Morning Star, Empire State, 
Stray Beauty, Pearl of Savoy, Belle, etc., are 
among those of the regular list. Mr. Jerrard 
offers potato seeds; that is, true seeds from the 
“seed ball.” We hope our readers will take 
the Rural’s advice and try raising seedling 
potatoes. The seeds may be sown now in the 
house in pots or boxes, and the young plants 
set out in the garden in late May. 
Price & Reed (Successors of Price & 
Knickerbocker), Albany, JS.Y.—A large-sized 
illustrated catalogue of flower, field and gar¬ 
den seeds as well as plants and vines. In the 
potato list may be found the Rural Blush, 
Empire State, Early Sunrise, Early Ohio, etc. 
Catalogue free on application. 
I. V. Faust, 64 and 66 N. Front St., and 100 
Arch St., Philadelphia Pa.—The Philadelphia 
seedsmen seem to vie with each other as to 
which firm shall offer the longest lists of strik¬ 
ing varieties. The present catalogue is not an 
exception. 
Wm. H. Smith, 1018 Market St., Philadel¬ 
phia, Pa.—An illustrated catalogue of 100 
pages, which offers all the usual seeds for the 
garden and farm, with full lists of the leading 
kinds of novelties. 
Economy Cash Book.—A copy of this 
volume is sent by the publishers, Smith Bros., 
Rochester, N. Y. This book is designed to 
aid those who find ordinary account-keeping 
irksome because of the labor required to keep 
an elaborate set of books. It is a very in¬ 
geniously-arranged affair, and so simple that 
the dullest can understand it. Economy is 
wealib. No economy is possible without a 
strict account of all financial operations. The 
book is sold for 85 cents. 
Alfred Bridgeman, 37 East Nineteenth 
Street, New York.—A plain, comprehensive, 
well-printed catalogue, issued by an old house 
of the first standing. Vegetable, grass, flower 
seeds, etc. 
F. Barteldes & Co., 804 Massachusetts 
Street, Lawrence, Kansas.—Illustrated des¬ 
criptive catalogue of seeds for the garden and 
farm. The Improved Learning Corn is com¬ 
mended. 
R. H. Shumway, Rockford, Ill.—An illus¬ 
trated catalogue (70 pages) and Garden Guide. 
This is crowded with illustrations of the va¬ 
rieties presented. 
William Bull, 536 Kings Road, Chelsea, 
London, S. W.—An illustrated catalogue of 
seeds of all kinds, lily bulbs, gladioli and rare 
plants. 
Little & Ballantyne, Carlisle, England. 
—An illustrated catalogue of seeds of all 
kinds. 
VUOman’s IVork. 
CONDUCTED BY EMILY LOUISE TAPLIN. 
CHAT BY THE WAY. 
HOME COURTESY. 
Edmond Henderson, the Chief Commissioner 
of the London police force, “it is the great 
and necessary characteristic of the metropol¬ 
itan police force ” If more of this admirable 
characteristic of civility were applied to the 
petty details of family life, there would be 
fewer unhappy homes. There is nothing that 
costs so little, or is worth so much, as good 
manners, gentleness of action aud kindness of 
speech. Many men, aye and women too, 
would not dream of meeting an ordinary ac¬ 
quaintance without a courteous “Good-morn¬ 
ing!” or “Good-evening!” who will yet enter 
their own homes, and hang up their hats with¬ 
out ever a word to the partners of their joys 
and sorrows. “Harry never kisses me good¬ 
bye any more.” sobbed a wife of a year. 
That was only the beginning of the end. Five 
(Continued on page 98.) 
D id you ever try any shadow pantomines? 
They are a source of endless fun for a win¬ 
ter’s evening. A big curtain of sheeting and 
some well-arranged lamps are all the proper¬ 
ties necessary. Some little rehearsal is needed, 
until the stage manager gets the “bang” of 
the arrangements, but a little practice soon 
obviates any difficulty. Of course, the audi¬ 
ence is in semi-darkness in front of the cur¬ 
tain; the lamps are behind the performers. 
Some comic poem may be illustrated by the 
shadow pictures. One very funny thing is 
the Adventures of Susan Jane; the characters 
are the heroine, her sweetheart, her stern 
father, the villain, the lark and the sun. The 
lark and the sun are cut out in paper, and 
soar upwards by means of a string. 
A duel between a giant and a dwarf is an¬ 
other funny thing; the person who plays the 
giant stands very near the lamps, which in¬ 
creases his apparent hight. Long swords are 
used, and the giant falls, shedding huge drops 
of gore, produced by squeezing water out of a 
sponge. A little ingenuity will vary the ef¬ 
fects to an unlimited extent. 
* * * 
It is*a very encouraging thing to see some¬ 
thing in vogue so sensible as some of the hoods 
worn this winter. Women are beginning to 
think that a comfortable head covering is 
more becoming than a fashionable hat, with 
the added prospect of neuralgia and frozen 
ears. One of the prettiest things in this line 
is the Puritan hood. It is exactly the 
style worn by old time Puritan maidens—just 
such a covering as John Alden’s Priscilla 
might have worn. It consists of three pieces, 
center and two side forms. It is worn by 
women and children alike, little and big. 
BARGAINS 
IN 
DRESS GOODS. 
JAMES McCKEERY A CO. 
are offering Special Inducements in Wool 
Dress Goods : 
‘2500 yards Tricotine in a variety ot Plain 
colors at 50 cents a yard; good value at 
$ 1 . 00 . 
1800 yards T.adies’ Clotli in sell colored 
checks, all wool, 54 inches wide, at 75 cents 
per yard; worth $1.25 
2200 yards Cheviot Checks, lor tailor- 
made suits all new designs, 54 inches wide, 
$1.00 per yard. 
1750 yards Plaid Suiting, all wool, 44 
inches wide, at 75 cents per yard; former 
price $1.25 
2400 yards all-wool Pencil Stripe, 54 
inches wide, 50 cents per yard; well worth 
$ 1 . 00 . 
Many of the above are suitable lor Spring 
wear, they are remarkable value, and 
should interest every purchaser of wool 
Dress Goods. 
ORDERS BY MAIL 
Iroin any part ol the country will receive 
careful anil prompt attention. 
Broadway and lltli St., 
5iew York. 
W e do not as a nation give sufficient at¬ 
tention to the cultivation of good man¬ 
ners. T hold it as an axiom that where the 
heart is right the actions will be also. But this 
is one of the occasions where people should be 
taught to assume a virtue if they have it not. 
London Queen says: “the want of good man¬ 
ners—indeed of any manners at all—has its 
root in the way children are left almost 
entirely to governesses and servants.” So 
perhaps, it is true of the world at large, that 
good manners are at a discount. Here in 
America children are not so universally left 
to the mercies of servants as they are in Eng¬ 
land, and the fault must lie more at the door 
of parents. You can not begin to teach a 
child refinement of manners too soon. 
The other day dining with a friend at one of 
the fashionable family hotels of San Fran¬ 
cisco, her son, a lovely little lad of four, with 
golden hair worn in the fashion of a courtier 
of the time of King Charles II, with the man¬ 
ners too of a little courtier, gravely preceded 
us to the door of the dining-room, held it 
open, and waited for us to pass out first. He 
takes off his hat with the grace of a prince, 
which little courtesies do not spoil in the least 
his more childish graces. But with children 
it is of no use to preach what we do not 
practice, and how many patre-fainiliasesdo we 
find especially among people of the middle 
classes, who will practice these little every-day 
acts of courtesy. When I said I held it to be 
an axiom that the actions would be right 
where the heart was, I did not mean that a 
great, and good-hearted, but otherwise uncul¬ 
tivated person would never fail in the little 
untaught rules of etiquette, but that he would 
never grossly offend. It is more often thought¬ 
lessness than ignorance that leads to a want 
of good manners. 
“I lay great stress upon civility,” said Sir 
JOHN SAUL’S 
WASHINGTON NURSERIES. 
OUR catalogue of 
NEW, RAKE AND BEAUTIFUL 
PLANTS 
For 1888 will be really in February It contains list of 
all the most beautiful and'Rare Greenhouse and Hot¬ 
house plants in cultivation, as well as all novelties of 
merit well Rrown and at very low prices. Every 
plant lover should have a copy. 
ORC HIDS.—A very large stock of choice East In¬ 
dian. American, etc. Also Catalogue of Roses. Or¬ 
chids, Trees, etc. All free to applicants. 
JOHN SAUL, Washington, D. C. 
A BIG OFFER."W 
How to Invest 25 Cents. 
Men of brains often work for years to invent a 
si n pie article, and when completed, for the wantof 
capital to place it before the public, it is lost in the 
crowd, and is never heard of. The accompanying 
illustration is an in¬ 
vention of RARE 
interest to every 
FEMALE in the 
land. The inventor 
and ow r ner, (a very 
poor man), came to 
us with the follow¬ 
ing ASTONISHING 
very liberal offer, 
said: “I have an 
article here known as the 
FAST K N I T TING 
MACHINE, and know¬ 
ing that you have a very 
large circulation, and I 
being very anxious to place 
It In the hands of every lady, I would be willing to 
give away to the subscribers of your paper, 
absolutely free, Fifty Thousand, merely to in¬ 
troduce them; or. in other words, as an adver¬ 
tisement; for,’’ he continued, “it is an article that 
every woman who ever sees it will want. It is very 
fascinating, useful and instructive. It will 
charm the girls, and promote the industry of ALL. 
The Knitter being made of a variety of colored 
wood and bright wire work, is handsome in appear¬ 
ance. Over one hundred different articles ot beau¬ 
tiful designs can be made with this machine. ( om- 
plete directions for using sent with each R nit ter. 
We immediately accepted his proposition, and have 
decided to give away FREE, one of the above 
described machines to every person who will agree 
to show it to their acquaintances, and send only 
25 cents, (stamps), for ONE YEAR'S subscription 
to THE METROPOLITAN, themost complete 
family periodical of its class in America. It is hand¬ 
somely printed and illustrated; it is a mammoth 
journal of 48 long columns, and contains a splendid 
variety of serial and short stories, sketches, poems, 
romances, household, fashion and fancy work notes, 
amusing articles, condensed notes on art, religion, 
politics, news, mechanics, literature, agriculture and 
kindred topics. This is certainly one of the grand¬ 
est offers ever made by any Publisher in America, 
as a premium, and every one should take advan¬ 
tage of it. RARE bargains are very scarce, I his 
offer will not be made again, so wriie at once, and 
enclose 25 cents (stamps), and address plainly, 
Pubs. METROPOLITAN, 44 Broadway, N.Y V 
