The record-union., 1891-10-14
FARM And ORCHARD.
Strong Argument in Favor of GEN
eral Farming.
Apples as Medicine : New Straw
berry Planting-That s'Nutty'' Fla
vor-High Roosts = General Farm
Notes.

One sure and certain remedy for hard
times is always having something to sell,
and this something, whatever it may be,
OF such quality as to readily command a
fair price. 1t is a fact worthy of serious
consideration that the most persistent
croakers about hard times are those who
lack in industry, good management, good
breeding, and in many cases, sound in
tegrity. They make no special effort to
obtain the best results, make few intelli-
gent experiments, take no ''stock" in the
experiments of others, no difference how
favorable the results, but continue in the
old ruts to satisfy their vanity. 1t is well
to be on the watch when purchasing of
such person, for the largest apples are
sure to be on top and the best grain used
as sample. Because merchants deal in
inferior goods is no excuse for farmers
doing the same.
While using care in marketing, it is
also we'll to provide variety. 1t is true,
special farming has many advocates and
many good arguments can be presented
IN It's behalf, but the most successful adj
yocates of special farming are those who
enjoy special markets for the articles
they produce. As a rule, those who are
not so situated as to avail themselves of
special marketing advantages viii find it
to their advantage to engage in general
farming, thus being enabled to meet a
demand in any line of their production.
BY general farming is meant not only
the production of the various grains and
vegetables, but in the raising of several
kinds of stock and in the culture of va
rious kinds of fruits and berries. The
general farmer will thus have at any sea-
son of the year some article of his pro-
duction that may be placed upon the
market. Having an income during each
month in the year, he is ever ready to
meet his obligations and can govern him
self accordingly. The old-time cotton
planter was a specialist. All his lands
were devoted to the culture of this useful
plant, the hbrouS productions of which
found ready purchase at q fair price.
The income was large, but, coming in a
bulk, money appeared plentiful TO the
planter and was freely spent, and quite
frequently the supply was exhausted and
credit system adopted long before an
other harvest would bring a fresh supply
of money.
In personal experience it has been
found very satisfactory to begin the year
by having occasionally horse to place
on the spring market. Later on va
rlety of plants for the accommodation of
neighbors is placed on the market. Next
In order is the crop of wool, just in sea-
son to pay the June taxes. Then follows
variety OF fruits, vegetables and berries,
some Of which find ready sale at fair
prices. The wheat crop, which on a
small farm does not look large, cuts no
small figure in making the accounts show
up on the right side of the ledger. Next
follows a market for a few good stock
sheep, at good time to meet the Deem
Der taxes: and finally few fattened hogs
are ready for market in time to make a
few purchases for Christmas.
But this is not all for the good house,
wife has been busy all the while in the
production of gilt-edged butter, and the
industrious hens have prepared many
eggs Tor the grocery counters, and num-
erous hocks of yellow and White-legged
chickens, which will escape the visits of
the preacher, Will grace the table Of some
of the city cousins. By this means many
of the household expenses are made and
the Improvement of the home.
Farm life is full of toll. but yet there
are times when reasonable share of en-
Joyment may be obtained, and it is the
duty OF the farmer to seek out such 0D-
portunities for himself and his family.
Do not permit yourself TO think you are
too old to seek recreation and OCCASION
ally join in the sports and pastimes of
your children. JOHN l.. SHAVER.
APPLES AS A MEDICINE"
Upon the much-overlooked subject of
Apples as a Medicine" the London
Hospital says:
Chemically the apple is composed of
vegetable fiber, albumen, sugar, gum
chlorophyll, malic acid, gallic acid, lime
and much water. Furthermore. the
German analysts say that the apple con-
talns larger percentage of phosphorus
than any other fruit or vegetable This
phosphorus is admirably adapted for re-
newlng the essential nervous matter
lethicin, of the brain and spinal cord. 1t
is, perhaps, for the same reason. rudeIy
understood, that old Scandinavian tradi-
tions represented the apple as the food of
the gods, who, when they felt themselves
10 be growing feeble and infirm, resorted
10 this fruit for renewing their powers of
mind and body. Also the acids of the
apple are Of signal use for men of
sedentary habits whose lives are slug
gish in action, these acids serving to
eliminate from the body noxious matters.
Which, II retained, would make the brain
heavy and dull, and bring about iaundice
or skin eruptions and other allied
troubles. Some such an experience must
have led TO our custom of eating apple
sauce with roast pork, rich goose, and
like dishes. The malic acid of ripe
apples, either raw or cooked, will
neutralize any excess of chalky matter
generated by eating too much meat.
1T is also the fact that such fresh fruits
as the apple, the pear and the plum, when
ripe and without sugar, diminish the
acidity in the stomach rather than pro-
woke it. Their vegetable salts and Juices
are converted into alkaline carbopates
which tend TO counteract acidity. A GOOD
, raw ripe apple is one of the easiest of
vegetable substances for the stomach to
deal with, the whole process of the diges-
ton being completed in eighty-five min
utes.
Gerard found that the pulpe ofroasted
mn x-kaI
water, and laboured together until it
comes TO be as apples and ale-which we
call lambswool-never faileth in certain
diseases of the raines, which myself hath
often proved, and gained thereby both
crownes and credit The pairing of an
apple cut somewhat thick, and the inside
whereof is laid TO hot, burning or run
ming eyes at night, when the party goes
TO bed, and is tied or bound to the same
doth help the trouble very speedily. and
contrary to eXpectation-an excellent
secret
"a pouItice made of rotten apples is of
common use in Lincolnshire for the cure
of weak and rheumatic eyes, Likewise.
In the Hotel deS InvalideS at Paris an
apple poultice is used commonly for in
famed eyes, the apple being roasted and
its pulp applied over the eyes without an
intervening substance. A modern maxim
teaches that to eat an apple going to bed,
the doctor then will beg his bread"
NEW STRAWBERRY PLANTING.
A contemporary publishes a method
for raising strawberries by shutting out
weeds and keeping the ripening berries
clean without labor. He places a broad
board over the row of plants, which come
up through auger holes bored at regular
distances. The board prevents the weeds
from growing in the strawberry row, and
allows the plants TO spread their stems
on every side, and prevents the berries
1rnn hnnn,rnitncr coilnd rrrith En