San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-11-30
The Living OF Farmers.

Ouefeu III lhfIn-nouoe' ~
BILE as that found on tables IN villages
and cities. There is no good reason
why as excellent food can not DC
afforded ON farms as in large cities
Most farmers might live well and be
at no more expense than they are at
present. Most of the articles that
pertain to good living are or can be
produced on farms with very niue
trouble or expense. The water afford
ed by spring and deep wells is supe'
rior to that supplied by the service,
pipes in cities. Fresh butter, pure
milk and newly laid eggs can at al
times be obtained, andthese deserved
" rank among Injuries. They are
articles generally hard to obtain IN
large towns, even bypersonsof wealth.
At most times of the year there are
fowls fit to be killed as occasion may
require. During the spring there Is is
veal, and during the summer the fall
lamb, for fresh meat. If a farmer
has an ice-house it is comparatively
easy to have a supply of fresh meat
of home production large proportion
of the time. Fresh fish are, OF course
difficult to obtain unless a farmer has
a fish poud or lives near a lake Oh
river. He can, however, have salt OF
smoked fish as often as they may be
desire to form a change in the ordln,
ary bill of fare. AS tofour and meal
and all kinds of prepared grain, they
are as easely and cheaply obtained IN
the country as in the city. The like
is true in relation to tea, coffee, sugar
and all other kinds of groceries. The
articles above enumerated constitute
nearly all the substantial things that
pertain to good living. :,
Fine fruit, fresh from the tree, bush
or vine, is one of the most essential
elements of good living. This can be
had in abundance by all farmers who
live in most of the States of the Union.
1t can be produced as cheap as any
kind of food, and is vastly more nu-
tntious, as well as more palatable,
than most of the articles found on
farmers tables. A small plot OF land
will produce all the strawberries,
gooseberries, red, white and black
currants, that any family can consume
during the season of their rpenlng,
and enough to supply them with
canned fruit during the balance OF
the year. AS to grapes, they are as
easily and cheaply raised as potatoes,
and are adapted to large number OF
purposes. Duringat least three months
they will supply the table with a most
delicious and wholesome article for
all ages. AS breakfast dish grapes
are unsurpassed. AS table ornaments
they are the equals of flowers. They
are excellent when canned or when
made into pies and jelly. Wine can
be made of those that are not quite
fair enough to supply the table or
market, and vinegar can be made OF
those that are quite inferior. BY
taking pains with their preservation,
they may be kept in fresh state till
the winter holidays. In some lati-
tudes no kind of fruit is more easily
produced than the early Richmond
cherry. The trees come into bearing
quite early and are very productive.
The trees are ornamental as well as
useful. In nearly every State in the
Union some variety of peach, plum
and pear does exceedingly well. As to
apples, they will grow anywhere that
corn Miniature, and in many sections
beside. In all the Northern States
and Territories cranberries and blue
berries can be raised with very little
trouble and expense. With all these
fruits at his command no farmer
can afford to set poor table.
Next to fine fruits, fine vegetables
add as much as anything to the essen
tial part of good living. 1t is singu-
lar, however, that while they are al
WAYS found on tables in towns and
cities, they are seldom seen on the
tables of well-to-do farmers in the
West. Nearly all farmers raise COM
mon potatoes, cabbages, beets and
onions, but the list of vegetables ex-
tends little further than these. They
have no asparagus, lettuce, radishes,
elephants, celery cress or pie-plant.
They have mess" or two of green
peas and a few string beans, but no
attempt is made to have Succession
of them during several months. They
have no Lima beans, and few or no
good bush beans, Ordinarily they
have no sweet com, no sweet potatoes,
and very poor tomatoes and cucum-
nj