The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-07-12
The Living Of Farmers.

Many men and more women object tG
living ON farms because the food offered
in farm-houses is not as desirable as that
found on tables in villages and cities.
There is no good reason why as excel.
lent food cannot be Afforded on farms as
in large towns. 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
little trouble or expense. The water
afforded by springs and deep wells is
superior to that supplied by the service
pipes in cities. Fresh butter, pure milk,
and newly-laid eggs can at all times be
obtained, and these deseryedly rank
among Injuries. They are articles gen.
orally hard to obtain in large towns,
even by persons of wealth. AT most
times in the year there are fowls fit to
be killed as occasion may require. Dur
ing the spring there is veal, and during
the summer and fall lamb, for fresh
meat. If farmer has an ice house it
is comparatively easy to have supply
of fresh meat of home production q
large proportion of the time. Fresh fish
are, of course, difficult to obtain unless
a farmer has a fish-pond or lives near a
lake or river. He can, however, have
salt and smoked fish as often as they
may be desired to form change in the
ordinary bill of fare. As to flour and
meal and all kinds of prepared grain,
they are as easily 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 ele-
ments 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 cheaply as any kind of,
food and is vastly more wholesome and
nutritious as well s.s more palatable
than most of the articles found on farm
ers' tables. A small plot of land will
produce all the strawberries, gooseber-
ries, red, white and black currants that
any family can consume during the sea-
son of their ripening, 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 a large num-
Der of purposes. During at least three
months they will supply the table with
most delicious and wholesome article
of food which is relished by persons of
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
o fresh state till the winter holidays. In
this latitude no kind of fruit is more
easily produced than the early Rich
mond cherry. The trees come into
bearing quite early and are very pro-
ductive. 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 win grow anywhere
that corn will mature. and in many Sec
tons beside. In all the Northern States
and Territories cranberries and blue
berries can be raised with very little
trouble or expense. With all these
fruits at his command no farmer can af.
ford 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 singular,
however, that. while they are always
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 common potatoes, cab
bages, beets and onions, but the list OF
vegetables extends little farther than
these. They have no asparagus, let
tuce, radishes, egg plant, celery, cress,
or pie-plant. They have s'mess" OF
two of green peas and few string
beans, but no attempt is made to have
q succession of them during several
months. They have no Lima beans,
and few or no good bush-beans. Or
dinarily they have no sweet corn, nc
sweet potatoes, and very poor tomatoes
and cucumbers. Many farmers raise
no pumpkins. and are at no pains to
raise squashes for use during the win.
ter and spring. If they raise turnips,
they are of the varieties that are only
fit for stock food. No water cress ID
found in any of the springs or streams
on the farm, and no grape-vines flourish
on the high places shat are valuable fol
the production of little else. Compare,
lively few farmers raise melons, though
they viii grow with very little trouble.
In short. farmers deny themselves mos
of the cheap luxuries of life that they
might enjoy to an extent that no Other