The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-07-21
OUR RURAL TOPICS
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
SPOTS OF HAPPINESS.

will add my mite, hoping that it will do some
good. think that it should be the motto Of
everyone who has . farm, or a spot to call
home, to improve and beautify it. How often
do we see the Identifying part left out, while
the improvement part is carried out to the
letter. Go over some farms and see how nice
everything looks-barns and stables, sheds
all in good repair, even the hog-pen clean, and
almost nice enough to live in; orchard neat and
trim. and everything in good shape. No, not
everything. for when you go in the direction Of
the house, you have to wade through mud and
hog wallows before entering. Not flower or
q bit of shrubbery is visible-only chickens and
pigs running around, which look very nice in
their proper places, but certainly the yard
around the house is not the place for them TO
roam.
Now, know from experience that chickens
and hogs and flowers. will not thrive in the
same door-yard. The chickens and pigs may.
but the flowers will be an entire failure every
time; and what an aggrovation it is when your
wife or daughter has raised few plants or
flowers, by the skin of their teeth, as the say
ing goes watching and chasing the pigs and
the chickens dozen times day, and going to
the garden one day, expecting to find them in
bloom, only to discover that they are killed by
these animals. No wonder they get discour-
aged and quit trying to raise flowers. and live
without these beautiful gifts. which God in
tended for all his children, so that we should
have something to please our eyes as we'll as
something to eat.
! think that this little piece of ground could
be made to produce more profit in the way Of
happiness than any other part of the farm.
Just try it. those who have never given this
thought. Just fix up the fence around the
yard so that it will keep out the pigs, if
nothing else, and make few flower beds for
that patient wife, whose heart is hungering
for those beautiful gifts Of nature, which cost
but little, and grow as we'll for the poor as for
the rich. Don't think this too little a thing
for you to think Of or give it your attention.
Do not our lives consist of little things? May
not bed of flowers, tended by loving hands to
please the dear little ones, bring more happi-
ness than some greater costly gift, that took
much work and mouths of time to get? Will
flowers not only add pleasure to yourself and
family, but improve the looks of your own
farm and home?
every one who has neglected this pleasurable
work, will pay some attention to it. My word
is, with THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE, that it will
give you more pleasure TO the square inch than
any other part of the farm, and / would advise
all those who have spot to call homo to plant
some fowers.-NANCY CARLE Carson, Iowa.
FARM NOTES FROM THE PECos VALLEY.
A comrade in Eddy, N. NJ, writes: "Mr. Ed.
Scroggings. Of this place. cut his first crop of
alfalfa eight acres, on the 2Sth of May, and his
second crop on the 3Oth of June. The yield of
the first cutting was a ton and quarter to the
acre, and of the second cutting ton and half.
He sold it readily at s18 ton. without baling.
the total output netting him $161 for the first
crop and $216 for the second. He will get three
more cuttings before the end of the season, and
the later cuttings will give larger yields than
the first. Several other farmers have made
their first and second cuttings with equally
good results.
"Small grain harvest was finished three
weeks ago. All the eariy-sown grain is good,
but many fields that were planted in April or
May have not yielded satisfactorily. 1t has
been demonstrated that Spring wheat, oats and
barley must be planted in February, or not
later than the first week in March. The reason
that so much grain was sown late this year is
that many settlers came in here in December,
January and February, and having NIL their
improvements to make, their seeding was neces-
sarily delayed. Those already here will, how
ever, be in good time for next year, and those
to come will profit by the experience of the
past year. 1t has also been found that oats
sown in the Fall do even better than those
sown in February. Some fields that were sown
in September and October last have made fne
yields this year.
Fruit is doing we'll. George Blankenship,
w. 4. Anderson, Henry Paddleford. and Witt
Bros, OF Eddy, have peach, apple, apricot, plum,
aud other trees, as well as grapevines. that are
bending under their loads Of fruit The early
peaches are ripe, are large and OF delicious
flavor. Mr. c. w. Green has, in his 600 acre
vineyard nearly 100 vines that have one or
two punches of grapes on each. When it is
remembered that these vines were planted last
Sprng-rooted cuttings. less than a foot long
this fact will 20 long way in proving the
wonderful fertility of Pecos Valley soil, the
efficacy Of Peeos River water. and the adapt
ability of our sunshine. soil, and water to
the growth of fruits.
James Hartigan, of Eddy, has in his orchard
some fve.year old olive and almond trees that
are loaded with fruit His peach trees are also |
we'll filed. Many farmers about Roosevelt re- |
port their orchards as doing we'll, and their
trees bearing all the fruit that their branches |
can support
"Some wonderful growths of fruit trees, |
vines, ETC., have been noted. i measured q |
raisin grapevine in Witt Bros. vineyard, that |
had already grown seven feet and two inches |
this Spring; an apricot tree in Mr.. c. b. Eddy's |
orchard that has grown four feet and seven
inches and peach tree in Mr. Maynard Sharps /
orchard, that has grown two feet and eight
inches.
1--WE are still having orr regular brand of
sunshine. Have not had cloudy day in six
months, and only two showers Of rain this year.
We have no need of rain here, for we have
water on tap and turn it on the fields when
ever needed"
An Appeal for Mercy.