Year: 1879




colored and wine colored satin ribbon, and
fastened at the neck, with rufIie of lace above
1t; cover the shoppers (they should be Hat,
and print or iasten ''pasters" on them and
on the front of the bottle.


TREE SURGERY.


Kansas Farmer, Isl
Pruning is tree surgery and should no
more be undertaken without knowledge of
the anatomy and physiology OF trees, than
should human surgery without a knowledge
Of their sciences as they re.ate TO the human
system. Every man in putting kuife to a
tree to prune it, should be able to give good,
intelligent reason for the operation he is
about to perform.
A fruit tree is a real living being, and should
no more be hacked and cut without real ne
cessity for it, than is the human body to be
SO treated. A great diversity of opinion ex-
lists among horticulturists as to the benefit of
pruning some believing in quite severe prun-
ing and others in none at all. That this
operation, when performed with intelligence
and skill, is beneficial, does not admit OF
question. 1t is said that to be an intelligent
pruner a man should know when to prune,
what to prune, and how to prune.


IGGs IN WINTER.


Tkansas Farmer, ISL
Every cold winter eggs run up to fabulous
price, and If poulterers, had them tor sale at
this season they would reap handsome
profits. At least i've winters out of six the
weather is cold enough TO prodace q dearth
In the egg market and an advance in the ar.
ticle which makes it very profitable for those
who have fresh eggs to sell. Eggs in the sum.
mer are hardly worth the trouble of Carrying
to market in many places. In all town
throughout the country where the winters
are severe, eggs are in demand at high prices
The difficulty of having layers in the cold
season has been successfully overcome by
providing warm houses Tor the fowls. There
Is no farmer who cannot, If he wi J., provide
such place, at little cost, that will accommo-
date fifty 10 hundred fowls. A &C ,thern
slope Is preferable, or site with the greatest
possible protection from the north and north.
west winds.


AGRICULTURAL LITERATURE.


ICor. ST. Louis Farmer. l6l


No one can now pass for an intelligent far
mer who does not study agricultural litera.
lure. The last few years have brought out a
good amount and variety of literature. bear
ing upon every phase and branch of farm
ing. But II is no. creditable TO farmers as
class, that hardly any class OF literature is
more dull of sale than works of farming.
This is not because books on farming are not
of a character to make them worthy the pa
tronage of farmers. As class agricultural
books will compare favorably with those of
other branches of literatur.. II books of this
class are not sold as cheaply as those treating
on other subjects, IL is because the meager
support their publishers receive. Farmers
are generally too ready to buy any kind OF a
book 20 the neglect of those that treat those
subjects in which he Is the most interested.


Golden Rule


"well, what are ou going TO do with your
farm help this winter II he's hired by the
year, he won't stop eating or drawing pay II
you do stop keeping him at work. Around
how many kitchen fires are the 'old man
and his help smoking and doing, loafing
and growing, or swapping jokes and stories,
a. the cold weather comes on? One would
think that farming was fair weather work,
and confined 10 six or seven months In the
year. Are there no bitches TO dig before the
ice blockade set in no muck TO get out? no
holes TO prepare for the hundred fruit
trees you ought TO set next spring, which you
can dig now as welt as them? No ice-house
TO build No VI ood to get in snug and nice,
convenient to the kitchen" No gates or bars
to fix up? No broken machine to repair
No cellars, No corn cribs, or pens, or sheds,
To get ready for winter? If not, suppose you
and the hired man take a winters vacation
somewhere, and relieve the housewife of the
troubled of taking care of you"


PERsIMMoNs.


lCor. ST. Louis Farmer, IS.


For a number OF years this fruit has inter-
ested Us considerably, and we have endeav-
ored to obtain of the largest and best varie-
ties. One year there was successful grating
done here, but since then a succession of
failures; while others, to whom the gratis
were sent were successful, and to whom We
will resort for gratis TO try again. Just now,
wnere there are no apples. this fruit is doub-
ly acceptable. To my notion the persim-
mon deserves more attention than 1t has re-
ceived thus far. To help my efforts in this
line few days ago one of my boys told me
he had discovered little tree Of the largest
persimmons he ever saw, and although the
mercury stood at zero, lie started with a half
gallon measure and brought II back nearly
full of the finest ever saw, except one, sent
me from a distance. Very large, excellent
quality, with a few more seeds than are de-
sirable. The tree Is small yet, but still too
large to transplant, as they are difficult to
move successfully.


THIS PICTURE, AND THIS"


ICor. Chicago Tribune IS


There certainly can be no excuse for loneli-
ness In the city, as the streets are at all times
thronged with passers-by. each bent on max
ing the most of the time allotted him, wheth
er in benedting the world or in 70 flowing the
sinuous course of the ways that are dark
After all, the country is the place for luxuri-
Gus living, for, no matter what scarcity there
may be in the yield of products, farmers will
never sell themselves short, and If there Is
suffering in consequen e ofa failure. the con-
sumer must bear the burden instead of the
producer. And vet how the poor, hungry,
foodless, and freless populace cling to the
city, as If there was nothing outside OF its Sc
ductive glitter. Rather a crust of bread and
few rags to cover their benumbed limbs, so
that they belong to the vast city, than plenty
of Wholesome food and a cozy home in the
country. How the bony hands clutch at the
discarded poultry lying lying IN front of the
commission houses. Smothertd, frozen, or
dead from some other cause, 1t matters not
TO them. They must wrestie with starva-
ton. And yet those in the country are long
ing to swell the tide of human misery that
sways TO and fro in our busy mart.


THE TINE FOR INTELLIGENT DISCUSSION.


kansas Cor. st. Louis Farmer, 16.I


The winter Is a time of comparative leisure
for farmers but IL is by no means time for
idleness. To thrifty, industrious farmer,
no idle time ever comes. II Is during this
leisure time that plans are to be matured, for
the ensuing seasons work. During severe
cold weather, such as has recently prevailed
a common farmer cannot expect TO do much
beyond feeding his stock and keeping sup
ply Of fuel, as it will seldom pay for man TO
go out in such severe weather to engage in or
dlnary work. The wear of the system and
injury to the constitution will be greater
than any compensating benefit that can lie
derived from the amount Of labor
performed. II Is better to rest on these
stormy days and recuperate strength and
vigor for the spring work. But this rest
should be improved in laying in good stock
of inform alton for future use. There is often
q strong tend ncy or temptation to spend
stormy nights at the village store or cross
road grocery, in lounging and idle gossip or
proftless conversation II on hese occasions
when farmers thus meet to spend an hour to-
gether they would spend the time in the in
teIligent discussion Of questions relating to
their calling q, farmers. the time thus spent
might be made conductive TO the interest Of
all 70 engaged bat 1t is too frequently the
case that the conversation IS carried on at