Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1855-01-26

in cultivating gardens; or, instead OF lolter-
ing away the evening at the store. smoking
or hearing or telling deal of nothing or
worse, to spend the evening at home, read.
ing such nonsense" as the Farmer and
Horticulturist affords.
Years pass, and Mr.. Briggs zone acre
farm" shows that he and his boys have not
read "the papers" in vain They have lear
ned how to "set out tree" and how to
stake care" of it after it was set out Ev
erything showed it received the right kind
of food and care. and straightway began to
bring forth fruit meet for good cultivation.
In short time the wants OF the family
were more than supplied. and the surplus
found ready marke: with the ueighbors
at good prices.
Those early apples, so rich and tempting
when all other apples were SO green and
hard and then such pears; they went as
fast as the sun and house could ripeu them,
at three. four, and FIVE cents piece Then
such rich, ripe grspes-too tempting for
the coldest to pass without watering
mouth. Mr.. Chapman's family were among
their best customers for the tempting fruit
first having learned their excellence by
the liberality Of Mr. Briggs, who never fail
ed tosend specimen of his best 10 his
neighbor.
The Gftb season came 1t was fruitful
year. Apple, pear. peach. plum, and all
other trees were loaded with fruit Keep
ing in mind his conversation with Mr.. Chap
man. Mr. Briggs had directed his family
TO set down every cents worth of fruit sold
to Mr.. Chapman or his family. This year
as it happened, was year ofextreme "hard
times The boot business was at its low
est ebb; little work and very low wages
and yet the price of every kind of provis-
ions was up to the highest notch. and mon
ey extremely tight.
But there was one family that did not
seem to be in the least affected by the hard
times low prices of labor, high prices of
provisions or the scarcity of money; Mr..
Briggs and bis two eldest sons, all Of them
had little spare change" TO let on short
time with interest" to their needy neigh
bors.
One day Mr. Chapman, who was short,
applied to afr. Briggs for half" for a
quarter" meaning Fifty dollars for three
months.
"Yes," said Mr.. Briggs, 81 have half
or WHOLE just as you like"
"What. . hundred dollars by you, these
times? l don't see how it comes You
and your boys don't work any harder than
| and my boys do and we can hardly get
along; we are as saving and pinchiug as
can be. too; times are SO dreadful hard, and
everything a family has to buy is so dread
tul high, and wages so low; potatoes dol
lar a bushel, beef, fifteen cents a pound.
pork, sixteen cents, eggs, twenty-five cents
dozen, and flour, ten or twelve dollars a
barrel How can man live 2"
at won: be hardly fair for me to ask
YOU for that twenty-five dollars now, will
In?"
"Twenty FIVE dollars! What do you
mean? l don't understand you!'
Don't you recollect we have bet be-
tween us about the price of some fruit
trees bought FIVE years ago next spring" I"
"Ah! | do remember something about
it You were TO give me twenty-five dol
lars if you didn't get your twenty-five dol
lars back from me for the products of those
trees and things? 1t viii come very han
dy just now"
Don't be too fest, nighbor. l am afraid
i won't come very handy just row. That
was what l was dunning you for, that twen-
ty-ive dollarsl"
-,'Wnat! you don't pretend to say we
have had twenty five dollars worth Of stuff
from your garden"
"More than that from that very twenty
FIVE dollars worth of trees and thingsl-
Here is an account of everything you have
bought aud paid for; of course it don't in
clude what have given you gratis F"
"And you have certainly not been s!in-
gy. Why, this bill amounts to !hirty-seVen
dollars! 1t is not possibe!"
at is just SO; you have had over twenty
bushels of apples, and three bushels Of
pears, and those alone amount to twenty
i've dollars.
al own up the corn; draw the note fol
seventy five
"No, guess we will let the twenty FIVE
90 only mention it to show you thai
there may be good sense in new thing
; sometimes Now viii bet the twenty five
dollars over again that my store bill ha
not been, the past season, half as large a
yours though have had one more in my
family.
"If l had not been so badly taken in be
fore, would stand you; but | guess it vii
not be safe"
"We have raised our own potatoes, corn
peas. beans, and all other garden vegeta
bles. Our eggs are always fresh and yer,
abundant from the nest and for more thai
two years we have not been without ripe
fresh fruit"
"How can that be ?"
, "Well, l declare that is something nev
er thought Of; but it takes so much tim
: and bother to get these things started
: then it is an everlasting job to take care
them.
at needs no more time and money tha
i you throw away on things that amount t
! nothing at all; aud with abundance Of frui
you save the expense of heavy meat bill
: which is not healthy in hot weather. N
: doctor has been called to step foot With
: my door for over four years past! Fresl
ripe fruits are sure remedies for all al
4 ments, and they are not bad to take"
Mr. Chairman NM the 0Iiftv - into hi