VOL. XXXII
CZLgt
INDIANAPOLIS. IND., JAN. 30. 1897.
NO. 5
T??
EXPERIENCE DEPARTMENT
«\Ve are receiving many assurances by letter and
otherwise thst this department is greatly appreciated by the readers of the Fabmkr. The piac-
ticsl things published here from the beat practical fsrmers, msny write us are very acceptable
snd beneficial to the reader. We refer to these
Blatters for the gratification of the contributors to
onr Kiperience Department. Three cssh premising of $1,75 cents and 50cents are paid forthe
uiiee best articles in each issue. The department
is limited to one page snd the article must be brief.
Ii Is not always the longeBt that winB by any
means.
I The following letters came too late to
compete for prizes, but are too good to be
left out of the department.—Ed
p.	
est In the reading, and talk over what is
read. Then there would be no desire for
any of the family to get away, not even
the children. What would many a farmer think if his wife spent her evenings, as
he spends his, at the village store, or
some place else unknown to the family ?
She ought to have the same,'privileges he
has. It is a poor ruie that will not work
both ways. Every farmer should take
one or two good farm papers. One paper
at least for the family and children,'aud
then belong to the farmers' reading circle, and his evenings will not likely be
wasted. Let him try it a year or two and
what were long dreary winter days and
evenings will be short and pleasant.
J. H.O.
■A To the majority of the rural residents
their evenings are not spent with profit
to themselves or the community in which
thoy live. We lack sociability, and I
may add, we as a people are becoming
niore narrow and selfish. To counteract
this growing evil, we should form and
encourage a literary society composed
mostly of young people, to meet at least
once a week, and their program should
be purely of a literary character, including the biography of great men and
women and a line of literature that is
elevating in the highest degree. Also a
social club for the elder people in which
all could take part. Their program including topics on "The advancement ot
civilization," beginning with ancient history and ending with the history of our
own country. (This should be assigned
to one person, to get the best results and
it shonld be arranged in short talks.)
Also talks upon plant life (botany) which
I: consider of great interest and value to
tiie agricultural interest of our country
Also discussions of the different topics of
farm-work, including talks and putting
mto practice the talk's, by trying to secure better laws for the uplifting of the
agricultural classes, and by the discussion of these topics it may be the means
of instilling into the minds of the children the necessity of a closer union,
thereby gaining that which the agricultural classes mo3t need. The manner in
which you conduct the social club, or
tome other name if you please, will have
Its effect upon the success of the young
peoples' society, as the young especially
(as well as all of us) acquire a certain
amount;of knowledge by precept. Oh,
fathers,mothers! do you realize that the
uestiny of our great commonwealth lies
-Sn your hands? The silent teacher—Dur
jown actions have a greater influence
fupon the minds of our loved ones in our
;homes than we can ever realize. Oh!
fthat I had the power to burn it in letters
jof fire upon your hearts and minds, the
,sublime necessity of teaching at home,
ithat in the heart, not in wealth or attrac
;tive clothing is the man or woman.
jWealth cannot buy true love. That
(alone comes from the heart. That being
(true, my dear readers, would it not be a
(good idea to try to cultivate and instill
■ into the minds of our children these long
.winter evenings by example and good
literature, that which would live on
through generations to come?
DeKalb Co. Will H. Zioler,
;
winter  evenings  of   many
are   practically    wasted,   and
The long
farmers
those of some, who live near villages and
towns, worse than wasted by the farmer
passing his time at the village store,
"swapping yarns" with his neighbor or
talking politics. Some at the drink
shops wasting the food and sustenance of
his family.
Every farmer should make it a rule to
be at home even'ngs and nights with his
family, as much as possible. The even-
ingB should be spent in reading good
books or papers, and reading aloud to the
household. Then all would take an inter-
Our winter evenings are theharvest time
of last year's work, the seed time of the
next. We are enjoying our full vegetable bins, our larder and fruit cellar are
overflowing, furnishing many biskets
and barrows full to the less fortunate
The tender plants are housed and responding in beauty and fragrance to our
timely care.
The children are clad to secure comfort
and economize washing and sewing. We
teach them to rely on their own efforts
in their studies, yet lend a helping hand
when necessary. Our entertainment,
aside from visitors is in reading new
books, magazines on heilth, agriculture
and the natural science?, in addition to
onr local papers, gleaning from each
all the good we can. There is no estimating their value to the family, nor putting into words the enjoyment derived
therefrom. In fact we could be fairly
content and happy with our daily mail, if
otherwise cut off from the outside world
for the winter. The least little tot has
its magazlneor picture paper, suited to its
understanding, which is read to it, until
able to read.for itself. When the older
ones'are too busy with their school work
and the chores to read their own papers,
we impart the cream of all to them during
meal  time and indoor work.-
We plan for the summer's campaign in
doors and out; what is to be planted, tho
filling in of missing fruits, vines and
shrubs, make notes of such as need
transplanting and dividing, also what
is to buy in plants and seeds. We look
over the notes taken during the past
season and make fresh memoranda.
The • busy house-wife is apt to do
the family sewing en winter evenings. This Is not always good
economy. The mind needs keeping
in repair as well as the wardrobe. There
is no better time for this. There are unfortunate women in every town and city
who are unable to find remunerative employment, and it will be a mutual benefit
if the overworked housewife would take
to such the washing and plain sewing,
and in return give from her abundant
store of provisions each week.
Last, but not least, we write business
letters, securing sales for whatever we
may have to offer, small fruit plants,
herbaceous perennials,seeds,etcetera We
have examined the advertisements in
our many publications and catalogues,
and know who are in need, and what is
in demand, and have thus many times
found a cash market for from $50 to a few
$100 worth of stuff that has no market
value at home. This may seem a little
matter, but to one with a very slim purse
lt i8 not to be ignored. Subscirer.
During the long evenings of the winter
season the farmer and his family have
more leisure than at any other time of
the year. These evenings certainly should
not be wasted, and it becomes a matter
for thought how to spend them to best
advantage. Perhaps for the farmer himself, as good a plan as any would be to secure some good books pertaining to the
subject of agriculture. Bead them, remember them  and  practice  what  thoy
teach. Procure if possible copies of addresses to farmers' institutes, and other
agricultural gatherings by prominent
specialists in tbe different departments
of agriculture. Head them, they will do
you good. Also read while you have the
time, the bulletins from the experiment
stations. They are experimenting for
your benefit and you help to pay for it
Now is the time to do the planning for
the work of the coming year. Why not
draw on a fair-sized sheet of paper an
outline of the farm with its fields, wood-
lots, creek or railroad? Then In each
field write the number of acres contained
in it and name of crop you propose to
raise there this season. Date the sketch
1897 and lay it away, or better still frame
and hang it up and when the crops are
harvested insert the number of bushels
produced in each field. This will make a
convenient and comprehensive record for
reference in after years. These long
evenings too, would be a good time to organize a "farmers' club" with your neighbors. Select good books, read papers on
farming, discuss farm toplc3 and invite
the young people to assist with music,
declamations and dialogues. But of all
things on these evenings don't forget or
neglect the children at home. Get them
good, interesting and instructive books
and papers. Furnish them music, games
and amusements. Make the fireside attractive for them, and when they become
older they will show their appreciation
by remaining on the dear old farm and
not turning from it to the seeming gaye-
tles of the city. A. F. S
E khart Co.
To a great extent and by a great many
the winter evenings are wasted. By
those who spend their evenings
over cheap yellow-backed literature
or spinning low vulgar yarns, and
listening to the same from others,
they are wasted. And there are other
ways in which they are wasted, or worse
than wasted. How may they be made
stepping-stones? I think of three ways
just now. They are: First, by social
intercourse; secondly, by reading good
books and papers, and thirdly, by plan
ning for next season's work. In the first
place, if we take two pieces of old, rusty
Iron and rub them together they soon become bright and polished; just so with
our intellects when they come ia contact
with those of our neighbors, they brighten and polish one another if trained in
the proper direction.
No two persons do things alike, and by
comparing notes we may obtain many
new ideas snd methods and give them as
many in return. The same Is true of
good books and papers, except that in
tbem we expect to come ia contact with
intellects brighter than our own, and get
more wisdom in less time. Experience
is a first-rate school teacher, but knowledge gained through the experience of
others generally comes to us more easily
and quickly than we are obliged to acquire it for ourselves without their aid, if
we are careful to retain and utilize it
after we get it.
On the third proposition we can.take a
bird's eye view of what we expect to do
next summer. We can study it carefully
in all its bearings so that we may be better prepared to meet all possible contingencies which may arise. Each of these
propositions might be enlarged upon,
but in the last Farmer you suggested
brevity. J. W. English.
Wabash Co.
REVIEW.
Allow me to state a few of the more
common failings and mistakes of our
correspondents We often feel disap'
po'-'tvi? on receiving real good copy on
Sa of the week before publication.
Our epi J rust go in on Friday evening
the weeTf before." Sometimes copy comes
tripping  along  nearly a week too late,
Writers must not be offended at us if
such copy appears In some other department or even fails to be printed. Why
not write soon after the topics appear?
1st. One mistake ln method often made
is in writing an exhaustive "paper" on a
subject. Our department is intended to
be composed of varied points of experience, not exhaustive essays.
2d. A few writers endeavor to embellish their copy with rhetorical expression, flowery centences, etc , or to begin
with an apology or a preamble. Allow
us to suggest that in public speakicg or
writing these prefaces only repel publio
sympathy, and that the sharper one can
begin his copy the more people will read
it. You can't afford a preamble, and we
don't have space for it.
3d. Let illustrations be short and
stories brief and pointed, or else don't
use them. Short quotations of poetry are
sometimes helpful. One of our friends
covered two pages with flowery expressions on corn growing and we condensed
both pages to two sentences and made
the thought much more clear and terse,
4th. Where one is not much accustomed to writing he may either think his
copy is much better than It really is, or
he may have too little confidence in himself. We have noticed that onr more experienced writers are less likely to take
offence at corrections or even careful
condensing than new writers.
5th. We often do not have quite as
much copy as we would like while s-ain
we occasionally are flooded, as it was
with "winter evenings." We could have
filled half of the paper with it. Nearly
half of this copy came too late. The descriptive topics, like sowing clover seed,
bring the most copy; while the abstract
subjects like "That sweet little daughter," etc ,■ usually bring least copy.
6tb. Finally, those unaccustomed to
writiDg will help themselves and us by
rewriting at least once and improving it.
Divide the subject into headings and
speak definitely of each in succession.
One need not treat all of these headings.
A few write on both sides of the paper
and a few write close and jumbled, instead of open and plain. Each copy
shonld be made a lesson to the writer in
spelling, punctuation and capitals. Close
attention to these things will give you
lots of drill. But if you are not handy at
writing we are glad to correct copy and
we look to see if the writing contains an
important fact much more than we look
at the language. Those who do not become discouraged but keep trying will
get much good in a year's writing on those
topics which you are experts with, and
will be better known by the public outside of your private life. May all of our
friends continue to write and others join
with us in writing.
No. 48. That sweet little daughter. Her
opportunity, her danger, her destiny.
No. 49. Butter making, saving cream
ripening, churning, salting. '
No. 50 Our schools. Their shortcomings; suggestions for Improvement.
No. 51. Fertilizers. Where can commercial fertilizers be economically used
and how?
No, 52.   Name mistakes of recent years.
No. 5a   Renovating an old orchard.
No. 51. Best material for roofing. Your
experience in painting roofs.
No. 55. The best fence post and how to
preserve it.
Let our subscribers write their experience. The purpose of the department is
not exaustlve articles but brief, pithy,
practical experiences. A sort of heart to
heart talk, suoh as you enjoy with a
neighbor. Premiums of $1, 75 and 50 cents
will be given as usual.
E H. Collins.
A lioness is said to be at large In the
woods near Washington, an escape from
a menagerie.