VOL. XXXII.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND.. JAN. 23, 1897.
NO. 4
EXPERIENCE DEPARTMENT
Winter Evenings.
1st Premium.—Winter evenings maybe used to a much better advantage than
they have been in the past in many com
muni ties.
Determination to economize time and a
plan to accomplish this end will solve
the problem. First we must decide how
to improve our wlnser evenings, and
then we must lay onr plans and determine to follow this plan to the letter if
possible.
The "how" will depend a great deal
upon the community in which our lot is
cast. If we are in a neighborhood where
there is any amount of literary talent I
would suggest a "Farmers' Reading Circle." Meet at the home of one of your
neighbors and talk over the matter in a
neighborly way, and if a few can be persuaded to take a part procede to organize.
Draw up a constitution and by-laws, elect
officers, and adopt a good book for reading. Try to interest the school teacher if
possible and appoint him, or her, as
teacher of the circle, prepared to recite
on the lesson previously assigned by the
teacher. Appoint some member of the
circle as a leader who is apt at asking
questions, and able to enlist the interest
ot'the timid members. Do not attempt to
confine your work merely to the study of
the book in hand, but have an intermission of ample duration to allow the neighbors to engage in a social chat, and the
children to enjoy a few lively games,
After the intermission] have a literary
program and occasionally an "experience
meeting," in which all the members
should be invited to participate. The
topics for consideration at these meetings should be general in their character
rand of such a nature as to interest farmers and their families.
If, however, organization is impractical,
"we need not waste the precious winter
evenings bnt we can make a selection of
good books and plan a course of systematic reading that will be beneficial ln more
ways than one. Great care should be taken In the selection of books for your
winter reading. Books are cheap and the
"very best are the cheapest. Lay in a supply of agricultural papers and magazines,
and with the addition of some musical instruments and games for the children
the question of "how to spend winter
evenings" will be solved.
Noble county.    Joseph C. Kimmell,
2d Premium —
"O Winter I   •      *      • '   Thou holdst the sun
A prisoner in the yet undawning east,
Shortening his journey between morn anl noon,
And hurrying him—impatient of his stay-
Sown to the rosy west; but kindly still,
Compensating his loss with added hours
-Of social converse and Instructive ease.
And gathering, at short notice, in one group,
The family dispersed, and fixing thought,
2Tot less dispersed by daylight and its cares."
-While it seems a great loss to be deprived of the glad sunshine for so many
hours each day, the loss is indeed compensated for by the long pleasant winter
evenings, which are so useful, and which
can be made stepping-stones to higher
places, if used for profit and with a definite purpose in view.
Oh, no, they are not wasted unless we
spend the precious hours loafing around
the village store, engaged in discnssing
petty neighborhood gossip. What is
more pleasing to the eye than the sight
of a happy family, seated in a circle
around the cosy sitting-room fire discussing the problems of the day, or each reading a favorite book or magazine? Or is it
not pleating to the ear to hear the daughter's voice leading the singing at the
piano, mingled with the voices of the
younger children as they sing the songs
of praise and thanksgiving?
These evenings are just what we make
them, and we can make them just what
we will.
The school children shonld spend a
part of the evening ln preparing their
lessons for the next day, and the elders
shonld read, study and plan. They
should keep informed as to what the rest
of the world is doing; study their business, and plan the future season's work.
Jefferson was correct when he said that
"the bulk of mankind are schoolboys
through life."
And last, but not least, do not forget the
dear "Old Bible." Brush the dust from
its covers and read from its sacred pages
to the children. Dear reader, be not one
of those:
Who see the right and approve it, too;
Condemn the wrong—and yet the wrong pursue.
Jeff. Co. B. Shaw.
3d Premium.—Winter evenings on the
farm are often wasted. When they are
spent in idle gossip or dozing, or sitting
with folded hands, there is a sad waste of
good time that ought to be used to profit.
When they are spent" as they may be
there is opportunity for much good to be
accomplished.
The little ones soon learn how to adjust
themselves to their conditions, and the
older ones to occupy themselves profitable.
Let the very little ones ot the family, if
there are such, be amused and interested
with some simple, quiet games, until
their early bad time.^_
The older children should be busy-with
their school work or reading. Then may
some member of the family read aloud
when it does not disturb others. If some
need quiot lt may seem difficult to do all
in one room, but it is far from impossible.
In a large family I have often seen
this: The father read aloud in his grand
voice, the mother at her knitting, often
witha child inarms. Other members of
the family occupied with some simple
work that did not J interfer with tbe
listening.
This mother at other times held her
baby on her lap, had a book set on a table
in front, and knit on some stockings,
little or big, carrying on all their enterprises at once with a success not often
equalled by those who would do only one
of these things at a time.
Would the baby tear the book or paper?
By no means. From its earliest knowledge the little hands were not to be put
on the paper mother was reading.
A teacher of long experience once said;
'•No noise in the school disturbs me if I
know it Is not wrong," and so in these
family managements. Some one reads
aloud to one whose eyes will not allow
him ta read by artificial lights, another
is reading to his own taste—silently,
another is interesting two little ones
with their book, by reading with them
and for them, or helping them to read,
hoping soon to enable them to be "self
supporting in the line of amusement. A
small child plays with blocks, or cuts
pictures, etc. And no one is disturbed or
annoyed.
These are all evenings at home. Meetings social, religious, literay—all have
their places—but my present purposes
had in view the family at home. C.
As to the winter evenings; whether
they are wasted or not depends on how
they are spent. If they are spent in the
right direction they are a great improvement for the mind. A great part of an
education can be gained by Just improving the long winter evenings. But they
can b9 badly wasted if spent sitting on
the goods boxes at the little towns with
the everyday loafers. At our house they
are generally spent by all sitting around
the fire, talking about what has happened
and the experiences they have had dnring the day. The.glrls piecing quilts and
doing fancy work it-d the boys reading
the papers and good bboks, accompanied
by the girls very often. Once in a while
all get around the table and write letters
to friends, for papers, etc. They all have
their own papers, ladies' papers of several
kinds and they are all perused; the table
is covered with them every night. But I
believe they all enjoy the Indiana
Famiek more than any one of the collection that they have. They often speak of
the ladies department, the poultry column, the general news and in fact the
whole paper, with many others, are discussed around our fireside of winter evenings. J. D. L.
A few of our winter evening are spent
at church In the service of our Lord, but
this is not all; some of our family are
piecing qulltp, some are knitting lace ;one
is reading a newspader; one is reading
the Indiana Farmer, and all are trying
to gain more of such knowledge as may
be of use to them in after life. We are
striving each night to learn something
new and store in our minds that which
may be of importance to us and others in
afterlife. For a change we pop a little
corn, and we have a few peanuts of our
own raising to eat with the corn, while
we talk of what we have read aud seen
during the day. I have "Reveries of a
Bachelor" I just received from a friend
as a Christmas gift to read. That will occupy a few hours of my time in the beginning of the new year. I also get my
accordeon or violin from the box and
maJiC*UiiU8,.Jlo1f"«>, wiiilnjh.e rest of the
folks make chin music. B  W.
Hariison Co.
This is true both in general and special.
This will lend new life to physical undertakings which in the meantime should
suffer no neglect. Summer is but a summary of days of action. Winter of nights
of thought and repose. X. Y.
Tnere are too many persons who spend
the good old winter evenings in idleness;
such as going to town every evening,
when there is no need of it. I think a
nice and profitable way of spending the
long evenings is to take a daily newpaper
and keep posted on all happening events.
Or the reading of good books such as history, science, etc. Another way of spending the evenings is in the way of music.
Such as learning to play the piano.organ,
violin, mandlin or guitar. With any one
of these instruments a home can be made
cheerful and happy. II. I.
Boone Co.
The dormant period of winter is an
equal friend with the active season of
summer. With winter comes repose to
living things, both animal and vegetable
lt Is a period for the garnering of vigor
and strength for the activity to follow.
This is true of plants and animals, under
favorable conditions, and doubly so of
humanity if it but so wills. With it comes
and increased quantity of oxygen to invigorate and strengthen all that breathe.
It tears down and disintegrates earth,
liberating Its fertility and Improving its
physical texture. It destroys germs of
contagion and banishes malaria. Still
other benefits accompany it,directly concerned in the spiritual betterment of the
race. Is it wasted? It may be, and even
squandered on unprofitable thiags. Narrowing neighborhood and village gossip
are not only valueless, but degenerating.
The same Is true of over much street corner and store loafing and the frequenting
of questionable places. Recreation is not
only good and well but necessary and
should be free from all that is degrading
and permiscious. To mankind winter is
not only a period of repose, but of reflection. He has an opportunity to survey
the past in its relation to the more distant
past; its bearing upon the future and
especially upon his life and temporal affairs. General and special reading, alternating with physical activity, will serve
to season and stimulate thought and repose. Merely current literature is not to
play the most important part. Only
sound works, written for all timeK and
that will endure with language itself, are
of real permanent benefit. Only in this
way can underlying principles be rea"hed.
If those long winter evenings were
spent in reading some good agricultural
paper, or in studying and planning for
the next season's work, they might be
made stepping stones of value to ns in
many ways. They give us rest from the
hard summer's work, and time to look
back over the mistakes of the past year.
They give time to study whatwould likely be the most paying crops to plant in
the future, to study many ways to better ourselves in life. We can spend them
in social gatherings, such as reading circles and social visits, etc. Their are so
many ways to spend them usefully that
it would take too much space to give
them all. Let us make the most of them
we can, the coming year, and see how
much value they are to us. J C.
Hamilton Co.
By no means are the winter even'ngs
wasted. Just as well waste the whole
day as to idle away those long evenings;
they are the life of the homeland can be
made very beneficial by the use of good
books and papers, which are becoming
more numerous In our country homes.
We spend our evenings in reading and
writing. If we want to use a word that
we do not understand the meaning of,
each one makes a pass on it, and then the
dictionary is consulted. In this way lt
is not so easily forgotten. We like the
fireside chat and indulge in it a great
deal. L. L.
Corydon.
Are the winter evenings wasted? In
many instances they are. When they
are given up to idleness, todissapation, or
to light and frivolous amusements, they
are really wasted.
How may we make them stepping-
stones? By employing them in some
work for our intellectual and social improvement. A part of the time can be
spent to excellent advantage in careful
and systematic reading. It does not mat-
tor so much what line of duty is taken up
if itis only pursued with earnestness and
enthusiasm. There is a wide field from
which to choose, and everybody's taste
can be satisfied. The natural sciences,
history, literature, each one offers an opportunity for intellectual discipline,
which is the chief end of study. The
study of tlfose subjects which interest us
directly as farmers should not be omitted
either, for they are essential to our success, and they, too, can be made the
means for acquiring mental discipline.
But it ought not to be necessary to mention this kind of study here, for that should
be considered a part of farmers' business
all the year round. These are only a few
hints as to how the winter evenings may
be made stepping stones. B.
Our winter evenings are the quiet and
restful time of the year to us. Reading is
our one greatest privilege and pleasure.
We take nine political and agricultural
periodicals, and thus we have something
new to read each evening. The chores
and a light supper are finished by six
o'clock, and we spend about two hours
with our papers. We take turns reading
aloud, and when an article is finished we
comment upon it and thus bed time
comes ere we are aware. Sometimes for
a change we take a couple of papers and
go out to some of our neighbors, and they
frequently come in to spend an evening
with us, which we pass very pleasantly
in reading and conversing upon the
topics of the times. I often hear people
speak of what they shall do to kill time.
We never have any time to kill, it flics
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