,,ten ,,acres ,,enough3 ,a ,,practical ,,experience1 ,,showing ,,how ,a ,,very ,,small ,,farm ,,may ,,be ,,made ,,to ,,keep ,a ,,very ,,large ,,family4 ,,with ,extensive and ,profitable ,experience ,,in ,,the ,,cultivation ,,of ,,the ,,smaller ,,fruits4 ,,eighth ,,edition4 ,,new ,,york3 ,,published ,,by ,,james ,,miller1 7,,successor ,,to ,c4 ,s4 ,,francis ,,co417 #ebb ,,broadway4 ,,mdccclxvi4 ,entered according to ,act of ,congress1 in the year #ahfd1 ,,by ,,james ,,miller1 ,in the ,clerk's ,office of the ,district ,court of the ,united ,states for the ,southern ,district of ,new ,york4 ,,preface4 ,the man who feeds his cattle on a thousand hills may possibly see the title of this little volume paraded through the newspapers2 but the chances are that he will never think it worth while to look into the volume itself4 ,the owner of a hundred acres will scarcely step out of his way to purchase or to borrow it1 while the lord of every smaller farm will be sure it is not intended for him4 ,few persons belonging to these several classes have been educated to believe ,ten ,acres ,enough4 ,born to greater ambition1 they have aimed higher and grasped at more1 sometimes wisely1 sometimes not4 ,many of these are now owning or cultivating more land than their heads or purses enable them to manage properly4 ,had their ambition been moderate1 and their ideas more practical1 their labor would be better rewarded1 and this book1 without doubt1 would have found more readers4 ,the mistaken ambition for owning twice as much land as one can thoroughly manure or profitably cultivate1 is the great agricultural sin of this country4 ,those who commit it1 by beginning wrong1 too frequently continue wrong4 ,owning many acres is the sole idea4 ,high cultivation of a small tract1 is one of which they have little knowledge4 ,too many in these several classes think they know enough4 ,they measure a man's knowledge by the number of his acres4 ,hence1 in their eyes the owner of a plot so humble as mine must know so little as to be unable to teach them any thing new4 ,happily1 it is not for these that ,i write1 and hence it would be unreasonable to expect them to become readers4 ,i write more particularly for those who have not been brought up as farmers--for that numerous body of patient toilers in city1 town1 and village1 who1 like myself1 have struggled on from year to year1 anxious to break away from the bondage of the desk1 the counter1 or the workshop1 to realize in the country even a moderate income1 so that it be a sure one4 ,many such are constantly looking round in this direction for something which1 with less mental toil and anxiety1 will provide a maintenance for a growing family1 and afford a refuge for advancing age--some safe and quiet harbor1 sheltered from the constantly recurring monetary and political convulsions which in this country so suddenly reduce men to poverty4 ,but these inquirers find no experienced pioneers to lead the way1 and they turn back upon themselves1 too fearful to go forward alone4 ,books of personal experience like this are rare4 ,this is written for the information of the class referred to1 for men not only willing1 but anxious to learn4 ,once in the same predicament myself1 ,i know their longings1 their deficiencies1 and the steps they ought to take4 ,hence1 in seeking to make myself fully understood1 some may think that ,i have been unnecessarily minute4 ,but in setting forth my own crudities1 ,i do but save others from repeating them4 ,yet with all this amplification1 my little contribution will occasion no crowding even upon a book-shelf which may be already filled4 ,i am too new a farmer to be the originator of all the ideas which are here set forth4 ,some1 which seemed to be appropriate to the topic in hand1 have been incorporated with the argument as it progressed2 while in some instances1 even the language of writers1 whose names were unknown to me1 has also been adopted4 ,,contents4 ,,page ,chapter ,i4--,city ,experiences--,moderate ,expectations #i ,,chapter ,,ii4--,practical ,views--,safety of ,investments in ,land #ae ,,chapter ,,iii4--,resolved to go--,escape from ,business--,choosing a ,location #bb ,,chapter ,,iv4--,buying a ,farm--,anxiety to sell--,forced to quit #bi ,,chapter ,v4--,making a ,purchase--,first ,impressions #cg ,,chapter ,,vi4--,planting a ,peach-orchard--,how to preserve ,peach-trees #db ,,chapter ,,vii4--,planting ,raspberries and ,strawberries--,tricks of the ,nursery #ec ,,chapter ,,viii4--,blackberries--,a ,remarkable ,coincidence #fj ,,chapter ,,ix4--,the ,garden--,female ,management--,comforts and ,profits #fi ,,chapter ,x4--,cheated in a ,cow--,a ,good and a ,bad ,one--,the ,saint of the ,barnyard #gf ,,chapter ,,xi4--,a ,cloud of ,weeds--,great ,sales of ,plants #hf ,,chapter ,,xii4--,pigs and ,poultry--,luck and ,ill ,luck #ih ,,chapter ,,xiii4--,city and ,country ,life contrasted #aaj ,,chapter ,,xiv4--,two ,acres in ,truck--,revolution in ,agriculture #aah ,,chapter ,,xv4--,birds1 and the ,services they ,render #aca ,,chapter ,,xvi4--,close of my ,first ,year--,its ,loss and ,gain #ada ,,chapter ,,xvii4--,my ,second ,year--,trenching the ,garden--,strawberry ,profits #adh ,,chapter ,,xviii4--,raspberries--,the ,lawtons #afg ,,chapter ,,xix4--,liquid ,manures--,an ,illustration #agg ,,chapter ,,xx4--,my ,third ,year--,liquid ,manure--,three ,years' ,results #ahh ,,chapter ,,xxi4--,a ,barnyard ,manufactory--,land ,enough--,faith in ,manure #bjj ,,chapter ,,xxii4--,profits of ,fruit-growing--,the ,trade in ,berries #bab ,,chapter ,,xxiii4--,gentleman-farming--,establish ing a ,home #bcj ,,chapter ,,xxiv4--,unsuccessful ,men--,rebellion not ,ruinous to ,northern ,agriculture #bch ,,chapter ,,xxv4--,where to ,locate--,east or ,west #bdh ,,ten ,,acres ,,enough4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,city ,,experiences--,,moderate ,,expectations4 ,my life1 up to the age of forty1 had been spent in my native city of ,philadelphia4 ,like thousands of others before me1 ,i began the world without a dollar1 and with a very few friends in a condition to assist me4 ,having saved a few hundred dollars by dint of close application to business1 and avoiding taverns1 oyster-houses1 theatres1 and fashionable tailors1 ,i married and went into business the same year4 ,these two contemporaneous drafts upon my little capital proving heavier than ,i expected1 they soon used it up1 leaving me thereafter greatly straitened for means4 ,it is true my business kept me1 but as it was constantly expanding1 and was of such a nature that a large proportion of my annual gain was necessarily invested in tools1 fixtures1 and machinery1 ,i was nearly always short of ready cash to carry on my operations with comfort4 ,at certain times1 also1 it ceased to be profitable4 ,the crisis of #ahcg nearly ruined me1 and ,i was kept struggling along during the five succeeding years of hard times1 until the revival of #ahdb came round4 ,previous to this crisis1 necessity had driven me to the banks for discounts1 one of the sore evils of doing business upon insufficient capital4 ,as is always the case with these institutions1 they compelled me to return the borrowed money at the very time it was least convenient for me to do so--they needed it as urgently as myself4 ,but to refund them ,i was compelled to borrow elsewhere1 and that too at excessive rates of interest1 thus increasing the burden while laboring to shake it off4 ,thousands have gone through the same unhappy experience1 and been crushed by the load4 ,such can anticipate my trials and privations4 ,yet ,i was not insolvent4 ,my property had cost me far more than ,i owed1 yet if offered for sale at a time when the whole community seemed to want money only1 no one could have been found to give cost4 ,i could not use it as the basis of a loan1 neither could ,i part with it without abandoning my business4 ,hence ,i struggled on through that exhausting crisis1 haunted by perpetual fears of being dishonored at bank1--lying down at night1 not to peaceful slumber1 but to dream of fresh expedients to preserve my credit for to-morrow4 ,i have sometimes thought that the pecuniary cares of that struggle were severe enough to have shortened my life1 had they been much longer protracted4 ,besides the mental anxieties they occasioned1 they compelled a pinching economy in my family4 ,but in this latter effort ,i discovered my wife to be a jewel of priceless value1 coming up heroically to the task1 and relieving me of a world of care4 ,without her aid1 her skill1 her management1 her uncomplaining cheerfulness1 her sympathy in struggles so inadequately rewarded as mine were1 ,i should have sunk into utter bankruptcy4 ,her economy was not the mean1 penny-wise1 pound foolish policy which many mistake for true economy4 ,it was the art of calculation joined to the habit of order1 and the power of proportioning our wishes to the means of gratifying them4 ,the little pilfering temper of a wife is despicable and odious to every man of sense2 but there is a judicious1 graceful economy1 which has no connection with an avaricious temper1 and which1 as it depends upon the understanding1 can be expected only from cultivated minds4 ,women who have been well educated1 far from despising domestic duties1 will hold them in high respect1 because they will see that the whole happiness of life is made up of the happiness of each particular day and hour1 and that much of the enjoyment of these must depend upon the punctual practice of virtues which are more valuable than splendid4 ,if ,i survived that crisis1 it was owing to my wife's admirable management of my household expenses4 ,she saw that our embarrassment was due to no imprudence or neglect of mine4 ,she thus consented to severe privations1 uttering no complaint1 hinting no reproach1 never disheartened1 and so rarely out of humor that she never failed to welcome my return with a smile4 ,but in this country one convulsion follows another with disheartening frequency4 ,i lived through that of #ahcg1 paid my debts1 and had managed to save some money4 ,my wife's system of economy had been so long adhered to1 that in the end it became to some extent habitual to her1 and she still continued to practise great frugality4 ,i became insensibly accustomed to it myself4 ,children were multiplying around us1 and we thought the skies had brightened for all future time4 ,when in difficulty1 we had often debated the propriety of quitting the city and its terrible business trials1 and settling on a few acres in the country1 where we could raise our own food1 and spend the remainder of our days in cultivating ground which would be sure to yield us at least a respectable subsistence4 ,we had no longing for excessive wealth3 a mere competency1 though earned by daily toil1 so that it was reasonably sure1 and free from the drag of continued indebtedness to others1 was all we coveted4 ,i had always loved the country1 but my wife preferred the city4 ,i could take no step but such as would be likely to promote her happiness4 ,so long as times continued fair1 we ceased to canvass the propriety of a removal4 ,we had children to educate1 and to her the city seemed the best and most convenient place for qualifying them for future usefulness4 ,then1 most of our relations resided near us4 ,our habits were eminently social4 ,we had made numerous friends1 and among our neighbors there had turned up many valuable families4 ,we felt even the thought of breaking away from all these cordial ties to be a trying one4 ,but the refuge of a removal to the country had taken strong hold of my mind4 ,indeed1 it may be said that ,i was born with a passion for living on a farm4 ,it was fixed and strengthened by my long experience of the business vicissitudes of city life4 ,for many years ,i had been a constant subscriber for several agricultural journals1 whose contents ,i read as carefully as ,i did those of the daily papers4 ,my wife also1 being a great reader1 came in time to study them almost as attentively4 ,every thing ,i saw in them only tended to confirm my longing for the country1 while they gave definite views of what kind of farming ,i was fit for4 ,in fact they educated me for the position before ,i assumed it4 ,i am sure they exercised a powerful influence in removing most of my wife's objections to living in the country4 ,i studied their contents as carefully as did the writers who prepared them4 ,i watched the reports of crops1 of experiments1 and of profits4 ,the leading idea in my mind was this--that a man of ordinary industry and intelligence1 by choosing a proper location within hourly reach of a great city market1 could so cultivate a few acres as to insure a maintenance for his family1 free from the ruinous vibrations of trade or commerce in the metropolis4 ,all my reading served to convince me of its soundness4 ,i did not assume that he could get rich on the few acres which ,i ever expected to own2 but ,i felt assured that he could place himself above want4 ,i knew that his peace of mind would be sure4 ,with me this was dearer than all4 ,my reading had satisfied me that such a man would find ,ten ,acres ,enough1 and these ,i could certainly command4 ,as ,i did not contemplate undertaking the management of a large grain farm1 so my studies did not run in that direction4 ,yet ,i read every thing that came before me in relation to such1 and not without profit4 ,but ,i graduated my views to my means1 and so noted with the utmost care the experiences of the small cultivators who farmed five to ten acres thoroughly4 ,i noted their failures as watchfully as their successes1 knowing that the former were to be avoided1 as the latter were to be imitated4 ,as opportunity offered1 ,i made repeated excursions1 year after year1 in every direction around ,philadelphia1 visiting the small farmers or truckers who supplied the city market with fruit and vegetables1 examining1 inquiring1 and treasuring up all that ,i saw and heard4 ,the fund of knowledge thus acquired was not only prodigious1 but it has been of lasting value to me in my subsequent operations4 ,i found multitudes of truckers who were raising large families on five acres of ground1 while others1 owning only thirty acres1 had become rich4 ,on most of these numerous excursions ,i was careful to have my wife with me4 ,i wanted her to see and hear for herself1 and by convincing her judgment1 to overcome her evidently diminishing reluctance to leaving the city4 ,my uniform consideration for her comfort at last secured the object ,i had in view4 ,she saw so many homes in which a quiet abundance was found1 so many contented men and women1 so many robust and bouncing children1 that long before ,i was ready to leave the city1 she was quite impatient to be gone4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,practical ,,views--,,safety ,,of ,,investments ,,in ,,land4 ,there was not a particle of romance in my aspirations for a farm1 neither had ,i formed a single visionary theory which was there to be tested4 ,my notions were all sober and prosaic4 ,i had struggled all my life for dollars1 because abundance of them produces pecuniary comfort3 and the change to country life was to be1 in reality1 a mere continuation of the struggle1 but lightened by the assurance that if the dollars thus to be acquired were fewer in number1 the certainty of earning enough of them was likely to be greater4 ,crops might fail under skies at one time too watery1 at another too brassy1 but no such disaster could equal those to which commercial pursuits are uninterruptedly exposed4 ,they have brassy skies above them as well as farmers4 ,for nearly twenty years ,i had been hampered with having notes of my own or of other parties to pay2 but of all the farmers ,i had visited1 only one had ever given a note1 and he had made a vow never to give another4 ,my wife was shrewd enough to observe and remark on this fact at the time1 it was so different from my own experience4 ,she admitted there must be some satisfaction in carrying on a business which did not require the giving of notes4 ,looking at the matter of removal to the country in a practical light1 ,i found that in the city ,i was paying three hundred dollars per annum rent for a dwelling-house4 ,it was the interest of five thousand dollars2 yet it afforded nothing but a shelter for my family4 ,i might continue to pay that rent for fifty years1 without1 at the end of that time1 having acquired the ownership of either a stone upon the chimney1 or a shingle in the roof4 ,if the house rose in value1 the rise would be to the owner's benefit1 not to mine4 ,it would really be injurious to me1 as the rise would lead him to demand an increase of his rent4 ,but put the value of the house into a farm1 or even the half of it--the farm would have a dwelling-house upon it1 in which my family would find as good a shelter1 while the land1 if cultivated as industriously as ,i had always cultivated business1 would belie the flood of evidence ,i had been studying for many years1 if it failed to yield to my efforts the returns which it was manifestly returning to others4 ,we could live contentedly on a thousand dollars a year1 and here we should have no landlord to pay4 ,my wife1 in pinching times1 has financiered us through the year on several hundred less4 ,i confess to having lived as well on the diminished rations as ,i wanted to4 ,indeed1 until one tries it for himself1 it is incredible what dignity there is in an old hat1 what virtue in a time-worn coat1 and how savory the dinner-table can be made without sirloin steaks or cranberry tarts4 ,thus1 let it be remembered1 my views and aspirations had no tinge of extravagance4 ,my rule was moderation4 ,the tortures of a city struggle without capital1 had sobered me down to being contented with a bare competency4 ,i might fail in some particulars at the outset1 from ignorance1 but ,i was in the prime of life1 strong1 active1 industrious1 and tractable1 and what ,i did not know ,i could soon learn from others1 for farmers have no secrets4 ,then ,i had seen too much of the uncertainty of banks and stocks1 and ledger accounts1 and promissory notes1 to be willing to invest any thing in either as a permanency4 ,at best they are fluctuating and uncertain1 up to-day and down to-morrow4 ,my great preference had always been for land4 ,in looking around among my wide circle of city acquaintances1 especially among the older families1 ,i could not fail to notice that most of them had grown rich by the ownership of land4 ,more than once had ,i seen the values of all city property1 improved and unimproved1 apparently disappear2--lots without purchasers1 and houses without tenants1 the community so poor and panic-stricken that real estate became the merest drug4 ,yesterday the collapse was caused by the destruction of the ,national ,bank2 to-day it is the ,tariff4 ,sheriffs played havoc with houses and lands incumbered by mortgages1 and lawyers fattened on the rich harvest of fees inaugurated by a ,bankrupt ,law4 ,but those who1 undismayed by the wreck around them1 courageously held on to land1 came through in safety4 ,the storm1 having run its course and exhausted its wrath1 gave place to skies commercially serene1 and real estate swung back with an irrepressible momentum to its former value1 only to keep on advancing to one even greater4 ,i became convinced that safety lay in the ownership of land4 ,in all my inquiries both before leaving the city1 as well as since1 ,i rarely heard of a farmer becoming insolvent4 ,when ,i did1 and was careful to ascertain the cause1 it turned out that he had either begun in debt1 and was thus hampered at the beginning1 or had made bad bargains in speculations outside of his calling1 or wasted his means in riotous living1 or had in some way utterly neglected his business4 ,if not made rich by heavy crops1 ,i could find none who had been made poor by bad ones4 ,the reader may look back over every monetary convulsion he may be able to remember1 and he will find that in all of them the agricultural community came through with less disaster than any other interest4 ,wheat grows and corn ripens though all the banks in the world may break1 for seed-time and harvest is one of the divine promises to man1 never to be broken1 because of its divine origin4 ,they grew and ripened before banks were invented1 and will continue to do so when banks and railroad bonds shall have become obsolete4 ,moreover1 the earthly fund for whose acquisition we are all striving1 we naturally desire to make a permanent one4 ,as we have worked for it1 so we trust that it will work for us and our children4 ,its value1 whatever that may be1 depends on its perpetuity--the continuance of its existence4 ,a man seeks to earn what will support and serve not only himself1 but his posterity4 ,he would naturally desire to have the estate descend to children and grandchildren4 ,this is one great object of his toil4 ,what1 then1 is the safest fund in which to invest1 in this country8 ,what is the only fund which the experience of the last fifty years has shown1 with very few exceptions1 would be absolutely safe as a provision for heirs8 ,how many men1 within that period1 assuming to act as trustees for estates1 have kept the trust fund invested in stocks1 and when distributing the principal among the heirs1 have found that most of it had vanished6 ,under corporate insolvency it had melted into air4 ,no prudent man1 accepting such a trust1 and guaranteeing its integrity1 would invest the fund in stocks4 ,our country is filled with pecuniary wrecks from causes like this4 ,thousands trust themselves during their lifetime1 to manage this description of property1 confident of their caution and sagacity4 ,with close watching and good luck1 they may be equal to the task2 but the question still occurs as to the probable duration of such a fund in families4 ,what is its safety when invested in the current stocks of the country8 and next1 what is its safety in the hands of heirs8 ,there are no statistics showing the probable continuance of estates in land in families1 and of estates composed of personal property1 such as stocks4 ,but every bank cashier will testify to one remarkable fact--that an heir no sooner inherits stock in the bank than the first thing he generally does is to sell and transfer it1 and that such sale is most frequently the first notice given of the holder's death4 ,this preference for investment in real estate will doubtless be objected to by the young and dashing business man4 ,but lands1 or a fund secured by real estate1 is unquestionably not only the highest security1 but in the hands of heirs it is the only one likely to survive a single generation4 ,hence the wisdom of the common law1 which neither permits the guardian to sell the lands of his ward1 nor even the court1 in its discretion1 to grant authority for their sale1 except upon sufficient grounds shown1--as a necessity for raising a fund for the support and education of the ward4 ,even a lord chancellor can only touch so sacred a fund for this or similar reasons4 ,the common law is wise on this subject1 as on most others4 ,it is thus the experience and observation of mankind that such a fund is the safest1 and hence the provisions of the law4 ,those1 therefore1 who acquire personal property1 acquire only what will last about a generation1 longer or shorter4 ,such property is quickly converted into money--it perishes and is gone4 ,but land is hedged round with numerous guards which protect it from hasty spoliation4 ,it is not so easily transferred2 it is not so secretly transferred2 the law enjoins deliberate formalities before it can be alienated1 and often the consent of various parties is necessary4 ,when all other guards give way1 early memories of parental attachment to these ancestral acres1 or tender reminiscences of childhood1 will come in to stay the spoliation of the homestead1 and make even the prodigal pause before giving up this portion of his inheritance4 ,throughout ,europe a passion to become the owner of land is universal1 while the difficulty of gratifying it is infinitely greater than with us4 ,it is there enormously dear2 here it is absurdly cheap4 ,it is from this universal passion that the vast annual immigration to this country derives its mighty impulse4 ,as it reaches our shores it spreads itself over the country in search of cheap land4 ,many of the most flourishing ,western ,states have been built up by the astonishing influx of immigrants4 ,in ,england1 every landowner is prompt to secure every freehold near him1 be it large or small1 as it comes into market4 ,hence the number of freeholders in that country is annually diminishing by this process of absorption4 ,this ,european passion for acquiring land is strangely contrasted with the ,american passion for parting with it4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,resolved ,,to ,,go--,,escape ,,from ,,business--,,choosing ,a ,,location4 ,the last thirty years have been prolific of great pecuniary convulsions4 ,i need not recapitulate them here1 as too many of them are yet dark spots on the memory of some who will read this4 ,their frequency1 as well as their recurrence at shorter intervals than at the beginning of the century1 are among their most remarkable features1 baffling the calculations of older heads1 and confounding those of younger ones4 ,as the century advanced1 these convulsions increased in number and violence4 ,the whole business horizon seemed full of coming storms1 which burst successively with desolating severity1 not only on merchants and manufacturers1 but on others who had long before retired from business4 ,no one could foresee this state of things4 ,i will not stop to argue causes1 but confine myself to facts which none will care to contradict4 ,these disasters made beggars of thousands in every branch of business1 and spread discouragement over every community4 ,i passed through several of them1 striving and struggling1 and oppressed beyond all power of description4 ,how many more the community was to encounter ,i did not know2 but ,i conceived it the part of prudence to place myself beyond the circle of their influence before ,i also had been prostrated4 ,in spite of the losses thus encountered1 ,i had been saving something annually for several years1 when the stricture of #ahed came on1 premonitory of the tremendous crash of #aheg4 ,most unfortunately for my comfort1 that stricture seemed to fall with peculiar severity on a class of dealers largely indebted to me4 ,many of them became embarrassed1 and failed to pay me at the time1 while to this day some of them are still my debtors4 ,my old experiences of raising money revived1 and to some extent ,i was compelled to go through the humiliations of similar periods4 ,but the stricture was of brief duration1 and ,i closed the year in far better condition than ,i had anticipated4 ,but the trials of that incipient crisis determined me to abandon the city4 ,i found that by realizing all ,i then possessed1 ,i could command means enough to purchase ten to twenty acres1 and ,i had grown nervous and apprehensive of the future4 ,while possessed of a little1 ,i resolved to make that little sure by investing it in land4 ,i had worked for the landlord long enough4 ,my excellent wife was now entirely willing to make the change1 and our six children clapped their hands with joy when they heard that 8father was going to live in the country40 ,i had long determined in my mind what sort of farming was likely to prove profitable enough to keep us with comfort1 and that was the raising of small fruits for the city markets4 ,my attention had always been particularly directed to the berries4 ,some strawberries ,i had raised in my city garden with prodigious success4 ,my friends1 when they heard of my project1 expressed fears that the market would soon be glutted1 not exactly by the crops which ,i was to raise1 but they could not exactly answer how4 ,they confessed that they were extremely fond of berries1 and that at no time in the season could they afford to eat enough2 a confession which seemed to explode all apprehension of the market being overstocked4 ,but my wife and myself had both examined the hucksters who called at the door with small fruits1 as to the monstrous prices they demanded1 and had begged them1 if ever a glut occurred1 that they would call and let us know4 ,but none had ever called with such information4 ,it was the same thing with those who occupied stalls in the various city markets4 ,they rarely had a surplus left unsold1 and their prices were always high4 ,a glut of fruit was a thing almost unknown to them4 ,it was a safe presumption that the market would not be depressed by the quantity that ,i might raise4 ,but here let me say something by way of parenthesis1 touching this common idea of the danger of overstocking the fruit-market of the great cities4 ,it is a curious fact that this idea is entertained only by those who are not fruit-growers4 ,the latter never harbored it4 ,their whole experience runs the other way1 they know it to be a gross absurdity4 ,yet somehow1 the question of a glut has always been debated4 ,twenty years ago the nurserymen were advised to close up their sales and abandon the business1 as they would soon have no customers for trees--everybody was supplied4 ,but trees have continued to be planted from that day to this1 and where hundreds were sold twenty years ago1 thousands are disposed of now4 ,old-established nurseries have been trebled in size1 while countless new ones have been planted4 ,the nursery business has grown to a magnitude truly gigantic1 because the market for fruit has been annually growing larger1 and no business enlarges itself unless it is proved to be profitable4 ,the market cannot be glutted with good fruit4 ,the multiplication of mouths to consume it is far more rapid than the increase of any supply that growers can effect4 ,within ten years the masses have had a slight taste of choice fruits1 and but little more4 ,indulgence has only served to whet their appetites4 ,the more of them there is offered in the market1 the more will there be consumed4 ,every huckster in her shamble1 every vender of peanuts in the street1 will testify to this4 ,the modern art of semi-cookery for fruit1 and of preserving it in cans and jars1 has made sale for enormous quantities of those choicer kinds which return the highest profit to the grower4 ,it is in the grain-market that panic often rages1 but never in the fruit-market4 ,if it ever enters the latter1 the struggle is to obtain the fruit1 not to get rid of it4 ,the proper choice of a location was now to be the great question of my future success4 ,i had determined on giving my attention to the raising of the smaller fruits for the great markets of ,new ,york and ,philadelphia4 ,i must therefore be somewhere on or near the railroad between those cities1 and as near as possible to a station4 ,the soil of ,pennsylvania1 near ,philadelphia1 was too heavy for some of the lighter fruits4 ,new ,jersey1 with its admirable sandy loam light1 warm1 and of surprisingly easy tillage1 was proverbially adapted for the growth of all market produce1 whether fruit or vegetable1 and was at the same time a week or two earlier4 ,land was far cheaper1 there was no ,state debt1 taxes were merely nominal1 and an acre that could be bought for thirty dollars could be made four times as productive as an acre of the best wheat land in ,pennsylvania4 ,such results are regularly realized by hundreds of ,jerseymen from year to year4 ,it was also of easy access from the city for manure-boats4 ,every town within the range of my wants was well supplied with churches1 schools1 and stores1 together with an intelligent and moral population4 ,i should be surrounded by desirable neighbors1 while an hour's ride by steamboat or railroad would place me1 many times daily1 among all my ancient friends in the city4 ,we should by no means become hermits4 ,i knew the country so well from my numerous visits among the fruit-growers1 when in search of information1 as to anticipate but little difficulty in finding the proper location4 ,by the mere accident of a slight revival in business in the early part of #ahee1 a party came along who was thus induced to purchase my stock and machinery4 ,luckily1 he was able to pay down the whole amount in cash4 ,i received what ,i considered at the time an excellent price2 but when ,i came to settle up my accounts and pay what ,i owed1 ,i found1 to my extreme disappointment1 that but a little over two thousand dollars remained4 ,this sum was the net gain of many years of most laborious toil4 ,was it possible for farming to be a worse business than this8 ,i had made ten times as much1 but my losses had been terrible4 ,this1 with my personal credit1 was all the surplus ,i had saved4 ,i remember now1 that when thus discovering myself to be worth so little1 ,i half regretted having given up my business for what then appeared to me so inadequate a sum4 ,when selling1 ,i was jubilant and thankful--when settled up1 ,i was full of regrets4 ,i ought to have had more4 ,so difficult is it for the human mind to be satisfied with that which is really best4 ,but ,i little knew what the future was to bring forth1 and how soon my want of thankfulness was to be changed into the profoundest conviction that ,i had providentially escaped from total ruin1 and come out comparatively rich4 ,i had made myself snug upon my little farm when the tornado of #aheg toppled my former establishment into utter ruin4 ,my successor was made a bankrupt1 and his business was destroyed1 leaving him overwhelmed with debt4 ,he had lost all1 while ,i had saved all4 ,had ,i not sold when ,i did1 and secured what the sale yielded me1 ,i too should have been among the wrecks of that terrific visitation4 ,but ,i heard its warring in the quiet of my little farm-house1 where it brought me neither anxiety nor loss4 ,my position was like that of one sitting peacefully by his wintry fireside1 gazing on the thick storm without1 and listening to the patter of the snow-flakes as the tempest drove them angrily against the window-pane1 while all within was calm and genial4 ,instead of regrets for what ,i had failed to grasp1 my heart overflowed with thankfulness for the comparative abundance that remained to me4 ,my peace of mind was perfect4 ,the unspeakable satisfaction was felt of being out of business1 out of debt1 out of danger--not rich1 but possessed of enough4 ,the thoughtful reader may well believe that subsequent disturbances1 rebellion1 war1 and even a more wide-spread bankruptcy--from all which my humble position made me secure--have only served to intensify my gratitude to that ,divine ,providence which so mercifully shaped my ways4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,buying ,a ,,farm--,a ,,long ,,search--,,anxiety ,,to ,,sell--,,forced ,,to ,,quit4 ,as already stated1 ,i had in round numbers a clear two thousand dollars1 with which to buy and stock a farm1 and keep my family while my first crops were growing4 ,as ,i was entirely free from debt1 so ,i determined to avoid it in the future4 ,debt had been the bitter portion of my life1 not from choice1 but of necessity4 ,my wife took strong ground in support of this resolution--what we had she wanted us to keep4 ,i had too long been aided by her admirable counsel to reject it now4 ,she had a singular longing for seeing me my own landlord4 ,her resolution was a powerful strengthener of my own convictions4 ,thus resolved1 we set out in the early part of ,march to seek a home4 ,i was particular to take my wife with me--,i wanted her to aid in choosing it4 ,she was to occupy it as well as myself4 ,she knew exactly what we wanted as regarded the dwelling-house1--the land department she left entirely to my judgment4 ,i was determined that she should be made comfortable from the start1 not only because she deserved to be made so1 but to make sure that no cause for future discontent should arise4 ,indeed1 she was really the best judge in this matter4 ,she knew what the six children needed2 she was the model of a housekeeper2 there were certain little conveniences indispensable to domestic comfort to be secured1 of which she knew more than ,i did1 while her judgment on most things was so correct1 that ,i felt confident if she were fully satisfied1 the whole enterprise would be a successful one4 ,i loved her with the fervor of early married life--she had consented to my plans--she was willing to share whatever inconveniences might belong to our new position--was able to lighten them by her unflagging cheerfulness and thrift--and ,i was unwilling to take a single step in opposition either to her wishes or her judgment4 ,indeed1 ,i had long since made up my mind1 from observation of the good or bad luck of other men1 that he who happens to be blessed with a wife possessing good sense and good judgment1 succeeds or fails in life according as he is accustomed to consult her in his business enterprises4 ,there is a world of caution1 shrewdness1 and latent wisdom in such women1 which their husbands too frequently disregard to their ruin4 ,i am thus particular as to all my experiences2 for this is really a domestic story1 intended for the multitudes who have suffered half a lifetime from trials similar to mine1 and who yet feel ungratified longings for some avenue of escape4 ,my object being to point out that through which ,i emerged from such a life to one of certainty and comfort1 the detail ought to be valuable1 even if it fail to be interesting4 ,it is possible that ,i may sink the practical in the enthusiastic1 and prove myself to be unduly enamored of my choice4 ,but as it is success that makes the hero1 so let my experience be accepted as the test4 ,i had settled it in my mind that ,i would use thousand dollars in the purchase of land1 and that ,i could make ,ten ,acres ,enough4 ,this ,i was determined to pay for at once1 and have it covered by no man's parchment4 ,but when we set out on our search1 we found some difficulties4 ,every county in ,new ,jersey contained a hundred farms that were for sale4 ,most of them were too large for my slender purse1 though otherwise most eligibly situated4 ,then we must have a decent house1 even if we were forced to put up with less land4 ,numerous locations of this kind were offered4 ,the trouble was--keeping my slender purse in view--that the farms were either too large or too small4 ,my wife was not fastidious about having a fine house4 ,on the contrary1 ,i was often surprised to find her pleased with such as to me looked small and mean4 ,indeed1 it seemed1 after ten days' search1 that the tables had been turned--she was more easily suited than myself4 ,but the same deference which ,i paid to her wishes1 she uniformly paid to mine4 ,it was curious to note the anxiety of so many landowners to sell1 and to hear the discordant reasons which they gave for desiring to do so4 ,the quantity in market was enormous4 ,all the real-estate agents had large books filled with descriptions of farms and fancy country-seats for sale1 some to be had by paying one-fourth of the purchase-money down1 and some which the owners would exchange for merchandise1 or traps1 or houses in the city4 ,many of them appeared simply to want something else for what they already had4 ,they were tired of holding1 and desired a change of some kind1 better if they could make it1 and worse if they could not4 ,city merchants1 or thriving mechanics1 had built country cottages1 and then wearied of them--it was found inconvenient to be going to and fro--in fact1 they had soon discovered that the city alone was their place4 ,many such told us that their wives did not like the country4 ,others had bought farms and spent great sums in improving them1 only to sell at a loss4 ,farming did not pay an owner who lived away off in the city4 ,another class had taken land for debt1 and wanted to realize4 ,they expected to lose anyhow1 and would sell cheap4 ,then there was another body of owners who1 though born and raised upon the land1 were tired of country life1 and wanted to sell and embark in business in the city4 ,some few were desirous of going to the ,west4 ,change of some kind seemed to be the general craving4 ,as ,i discovered that much of all this land was covered with mortgages of greater or less amount1 it was natural to suppose the sheriff would occasionally turn up1 and so it really was4 ,there were columns in some of the county papers filled with his advertisements4 ,i sometimes thought the whole country was for sale4 ,but yet there was a vast body of owners1 many of them descendants of the early settlers1 whom no consideration of price could tempt to abandon their inheritances4 ,they seemed to know and understand the value of their ancestral acres4 ,we met with other parties1 recent purchasers1 who had bought for a permanency1 and who could not be induced to sell4 ,in short1 there seemed to be two constantly flowing streams of people--one tending from city to country1 the other from country to city4 ,doubtless it is the same way with all our large cities4 ,i think the latter stream was the larger4 ,if it were not so1 our cities could not grow in population at a rate so much more rapid than the country4 ,at numerous farm-houses inquiries were made if we knew of any openings in the city in which boys and young men could be placed4 ,the city was evidently the coveted goal with too large a number4 ,this glut of the land-market did not discourage us4 ,we could not be induced to believe that land had no value because so many were anxious to dispose of it4 ,we saw that it did not suit those who held it1 and knew that it would suit us4 ,but we could not but lament over the infatuation of many owners1 who we felt certain would be ruined by turning their wide acres into money1 and exposing it to the hazards of an untried business in the city4 ,i doubt not that many of the very parties we then encountered have1 long before this1 realized the sad fate we feared1 and learned too late that lands are better than merchandise4 ,one morning1 about the middle of ,march1 we found the very spot we had been seeking4 ,it lay upon the ,amboy ,railroad1 within a few miles of ,philadelphia1 within gunshot of a railroad station1 and on the outskirts of a town containing churches1 schools1 and stores1 with quite an educated society4 ,the grounds comprised eleven acres1 and the dwelling-house was quite large enough for my family4 ,it struck the fancy of my wife the moment we came up to it2 and when she had gone over the house1 looked into the kitchen1 explored the cellar1 and walked round the garden1 she expressed the strongest desire to make it our home4 ,there was barn enough to accommodate a horse and cow1 with a ton or two of hay1 quite an extensive shed1 and ,i noticed that the barnyard contained a good pile of manure which was to go with the property4 ,the buildings were of modern date1 the fences were good1 and there was evidence that a former occupant had exercised a taste for fruit and ornamental trees1 while the garden was in very fair condition4 ,but the land had been wholly neglected4 ,all outside of the garden was a perfect scarecrow of tall weeds1 thousands of which stood clear up to the fence top1 making sure that they had scattered seeds enough for twenty future crops4 ,but ,i noticed that the land directly opposite was in the most admirable condition1 and ,i saw at a glance that the soil must be adapted to the very purpose to which it was to be applied4 ,the opposite ground was matted with a luxuriant growth of strawberries1 while rows of stalwart raspberries held up their vigorous canes in testimony of the goodness of the soil4 ,a fine peach-orchard on the same neighboring property1 seemed impatient to put forth and blossom unto harvest4 ,the eleven acres could be no worse land than this1 and though ,i had a horror of weeds1 yet ,i was not to be frightened by them4 ,i knew that weeds were more indigenous to ,new ,jersey than even watermelons4 ,this miniature plantation of eleven acres belonged to a merchant in the city4 ,he had taken it to secure a debt of eleven hundred dollars1 but had pledged himself to pay the former owner whatever excess over that sum he might obtain for it4 ,but pledges of that loose character seldom amount to much--the creditor consults his own interest1 not that of the debtor4 ,the latter had long been trying to sell1 but in vain2 and now the former had become equally embarrassed1 and needed money even more urgently than the debtor had done4 ,the whole property had cost the debtor eighteen hundred dollars4 ,his views in founding it were similar to mine4 ,he meant to establish for himself a home1 to which at some future period he might retire4 ,but he made the sad mistake of continuing in business in the city1 and one disaster succeeding another1 he had been compelled to abandon his anticipated refuge nearly a year before we came along4 ,all these facts ,i learned before beginning to negotiate for the purchase4 ,as the banished man related them to me1 going largely into the history of his hopes1 his trials1 his disappointments1 ,i found cause for renewed thankfulness over my superior condition4 ,with a single exception1 his experience had been the counterpart of my own--he had lost all and was loaded with debt1 while ,i had saved something and owed no man4 ,but when1 in language of the tenderest feeling1 he spoke of his wife1 whose highest passion had been gratified by the possession of a home so humble as even this--when he described how happy she had been in her garden1 and how grief-stricken at being compelled to leave it--his eloquence fairly made my heart ache4 ,i am sure my wife felt the full force of all he said4 ,her own attachment to the spot had already begun to take root1 and she could sympathize with this rude sundering of a long-established tie4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,making ,a ,,purchase--,,first ,,impressions4 ,the owner of these eleven acres had been for some months in the furnace of pecuniary affliction4 ,he was going the way of nine-tenths of all the business flesh within the circle of my acquaintance4 ,as a purchaser ,i did not seek him1 nor to his representative did myself or my wife let fall a single word indicating that we were pleased with the property4 ,when fifteen hundred dollars were named as the price1 ,i did indulge in some expression of surprise1 thinking it was quite enough4 ,discovering subsequently that the owner was an old city acquaintance1 ,i dropped in one morning to see him1 and for an hour we talked over the times1 the markets1 the savage rates demanded for money1 and how the spring business was likely to turn out4 ,on real estate ,i was mute as a mouse1 except giving it as my decided opinion that some holders were asking greater prices than they would be likely to realize4 ,this side-thrust brought my friend out4 ,he mentioned his house and eleven acres1 and eagerly inquired if ,i did not know of some one who would buy4 ,with as much indifference as ,i could assume1 ,i asked his terms4 ,he told me with great frankness that he was compelled to sell1 and that his need of money was so great1 that he might possibly do so whether the debtor got any thing or not4 ,he urged me to find him a purchaser1 and finally gave me the refusal of the place for a few days4 ,now1 the plain truth was1 that my anxiety to buy was quite as great as his was to sell4 ,during the next week we met several times1 when he invariably inquired as to the prospect of a purchaser4 ,but ,i had no encouragement to offer4 ,when ,i thought ,i had fought shy long enough1 ,i surprised him by saying that ,i knew of a purchaser who was ready to take the property at a thousand dollars4 ,he sat down and indulged in some figuring1 then for a few moments was silent1 then inquired if the offer was a cash one1 and when the money could be had4 ,i replied1 the moment his deed was ready for delivery4 ,it was evident that the offer of instant payment determined him to sell at so low a price--cash was every thing4 ,opening his desk1 he took out a deed for the property1 ready to execute whenever the grantee's name1 the date and the consideration should have been inserted1 handed it to me1 and said he accepted the offer1 only let him have the money as quickly as possible4 ,i confess to both exultation and surprise4 ,i had secured an unmistakable bargain4 ,the ready-made deed surprised me1 but it showed the owner's necessities1 and that he had been prepared to let the property go at the first decent offer4 ,the natural selfishness of human nature has since induced me to believe that ,i could have bought for even less1 had ,i not been so precipitate4 ,his searches and brief of title were also ready3 a single day or two was enough to bring them up--he had been determined to sell4 ,the transaction seemed to involve a succession of surprises4 ,his turn for a new one came when he found that ,i had inserted my wife's name in the deed4 ,so1 paying him his thousand dollars1 ,i returned with the deed to my wife1 telling her that she had now a home of her own2 that1 come what might1 the property was hers2 that the laws of ,new ,jersey secured it to her1 and that no subsequent destitution of mine could wrest it from her4 ,this little act of consideration was as gratifying a surprise to her as any that either buyer or seller had experienced4 ,if rejoiced at my having secured the place1 it gave to it a new interest in her estimation1 and fixed and made permanent the attachment she had spontaneously acquired for it4 ,her gratification only served to increase my own4 ,it is thus that small acts of kindness make life pleasant and desirable4 ,every dark object is made light by them1 and many scalding tears of sorrow are thus easily brushed away4 ,when the heart is sad1 and despondency sits at the entrance of the soul1 a little kindness drives despair away1 and makes the path cheerful and pleasant4 ,who then will refuse a kind act8 ,it costs the giver nothing--just as this did2 but it is invaluable to the receiver4 ,no broader acres1 no more stately mansion1 whether in town or country1 could now tempt my wife to leave this humble refuge4 ,here she has been ever happy1 and here1 ,i doubt not1 she will end her earthly career4 ,in a week the house was vacated and cleansed1 and we were in full possession4 ,my wife was satisfied1 my children were delighted1 and ,i had realized the dream of twenty years6 ,one strong fact forced itself on my attention the first night ,i passed under my new roof4 ,the drain of three hundred dollars per annum into the pocket of my city landlord had been stopped4 ,my family received as safe a shelter for the interest of a thousand dollars1 as he had given them for the interest of five thousand6 ,the feeling of relief from this unappeasable demand was indescribable4 ,curiously enough1 my wife voluntarily suggested that the same feeling of relief had been presented to her4 ,but in addition to this huge equivalent for the investment of a thousand dollars1 there was that which might be hereafter realized from the cultivation of eleven acres of land4 ,this lodgment was effected on the first of ,april1 #ahee4 ,when all our household fixings had been snugly arranged1 and ,i took my first walk over my little plantation1 on a soft and balmy morning1 my feeling of contentment seemed to be perfect4 ,i knew that ,i was not rich1 but it was certain that ,i was not poor4 ,in contrasting my condition with that of others1 both higher and lower upon fortune's ladder1 ,i found a thousand causes for congratulation1 but none for regret4 ,with all his wealth1 ,rothschild must be satisfied with the same sky that was spread over me4 ,he cannot order a private sunrise1 that he may enjoy it with a select circle of friends1 nor add a single glory to the gorgeous spectacle of the setting sun4 ,the millionaire could not have more than his share of the pure atmosphere that ,i was breathing1 while the poorest of all men could have as much4 ,god only can give all these1 and to many of the poor he has thus given4 ,all that is most valuable can be had for nothing4 ,they come as presents from the hand of an indulgent ,father1 and neither air nor sky1 nor beauty1 genius1 health1 or strength1 can be bought or sold4 ,whatever may be one's condition in life1 the great art is to learn to be content and happy1 indulging in no feverish longings for what we have not1 but satisfied and thankful for what we have4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,planting ,a ,,peach ,,orchard--,,how ,,to ,,preserve ,,peach-,,trees4 ,it was now the season for me to bustle about1 fix up my land1 and get in my crops4 ,i examined it more carefully1 walked over it daily1 and made myself thoroughly acquainted with it4 ,as before mentioned1 it had been utterly neglected for a whole season1 and was grown up with enormous weeds4 ,these1 after a day or two of drizzling rain1 when the seed-vessels were so wet as not to allow their contents to shatter out1 ,i mowed off1 gathered into several large heaps1 and burned--thus getting rid of millions of pestiferous seeds4 ,then ,i purchased ploughs1 including a subsoiler1 a harrow1 cultivator1 and other tools4 ,one acre of the whole was in clover1 another was set aside as being occupied by the dwelling-house1 garden1 stable1 and barnyard2 but much the larger half of that acre was allowed for garden purposes4 ,this left me just nine acres for general fruit and vegetable culture4 ,i hired a man to plough them up1 he finding his own team1 and another to follow him in the furrow with my subsoiler4 ,the first went down ten inches1 and the latter ten more4 ,my neighbors were extremely kind with their suggestions4 ,they had never seen such deep ploughing1 and warned me not to turn up the old subsoil1 and thus bring it to the surface4 ,but they were not book-farmers4 ,now1 this business of deep subsoil ploughing is a matter of indispensable value in all agriculture1 but especially so in the planting of an orchard4 ,no tree can thrive as it ought to1 unless the earth is thoroughly and deeply loosened for the free expansion of the roots4 ,if ,i could have ploughed two feet deep1 it would have been all the better4 ,in fact1 the art of ploughing is in its mere infancy in this country4 ,too many of us follow blindly in the beaten track4 ,the first plough was a tough1 forked stick1 of which one prong served as a beam1 while the other dug the earth as a coulter4 ,of course the ploughing was only scratching4 ,it would have been preposterous to expect the ploughman of ,hesiod's or of ,virgil's time to turn up and mellow the soil to a depth of fifteen or sixteen inches4 ,down to the present age1 ploughing was inevitably a shallow affair4 ,but iron ploughs1 steel ploughs1 subsoil ploughs1 have changed all this4 ,it is as easy to-day to mellow the earth to the depth of two feet1 as it was a century ago to turn over a sward to the depth of six inches4 ,besides1 our fierce1 trying climate1 so different from the moist1 milder one of ,england1 ,ireland1 or even ,holland1 whence our ancestors emigrated1 absolutely requires of us deep ploughing4 ,drought is our perpetual danger4 ,most crops are twenty to sixty per cent4 short of what they would have been with adequate and seasonable moisture4 ,that moisture exists not only in the skies above1 but in the earth beneath our plants4 ,though the skies may capriciously withhold it1 the earth never will1 if we provide a rich1 mellow subsoil through which the roots can descend for moisture4 ,the hotter and dryer the weather1 the better our plants will grow1 if they have rich1 warm earth beneath them1 reaching down to and including moisture4 ,we cannot1 and we need not plough so very deep each year to assure this1 if the subsoil is so underdrained that the superabundant moisture of the wet season does not pack it4 ,underdraining as the foundation1 and deep ploughing as the superstructure1 with ample manuring and generous tillage1 will secure us ample crops1 such as any section of our country has rarely seen4 ,our corn should average seventy bushels per acre4 ,every field should be ready to grow wheat1 if required4 ,every grass-lot should be good for three tons of hay per acre4 ,abundant fruits should gladden our fields and enrich our farmers' tables4 ,so should our children no longer seek1 in flight to crowded cities or the remote ,west1 an escape from the ill-paid drudgery and intellectual barrenness of their fathers' lives1 but find abundance and happiness in and around their childhood's happy homes4 ,i laid out two hundred dollars in the purchase of old1 well-rotted stable manure from the city1 spread it over the ten acres1 and ploughed up nine of them4 ,i then set out my peach-trees on six acres1 planting them in rows eighteen feet apart1 and eighteen feet asunder in the rows4 ,this accommodated a hundred and thirty-four to the acre1 or eight hundred and four in all4 ,these would not be in the way of any other crop1 and in three years would be likely to yield a good return4 ,the roots of every tree underwent a searching scrutiny before it was planted1 to see that they harbored no members of that worm family which is so surely destructive of the peach4 ,as trees are often delivered from the nursery with worms in them1 so many of these were infected4 ,the enemy was killed1 and the butt of each tree was then swabbed with common tar1 extending from where the roots begin to branch out1 about twelve inches up4 ,it is just about there1 say between wind and water1 at the surface of the ground1 where the bark is soft1 that in ,june and ,september the peach-moth deposits her eggs4 ,from these is hatched the worm which kills the tree1 unless picked out and destroyed4 ,to perform this searching operation on a thousand trees every year1 would be laborious and expensive4 ,there would also be great danger of its being imperfectly done1 as many worms might escape the search1 while the vital power of the tree would be seriously impaired by permitting them to prey upon its bark and juices even for a few months4 ,prevention would be far cheaper than curing4 ,the offensive odor of the tar will cause the moth to shun the tree and to make her deposits somewhere else2 while if any chance to light upon it1 they will stick to the tar and there perish1 like flies upon a sheet of fly paper4 ,the tar was occasionally examined during the season1 to see that it kept soft and sticky2 and where any hardening was discovered1 a fresh swabbing was applied4 ,the whole operation was really one of very little trouble1 while the result was highly remunerative4 ,thoughtfulness1 industry1 and a little tar1 did the business effectually4 ,i believe no nostrum of putting ashes round the butt of a peach-tree to kill the worms1 or any other nostrum of the kind is worth a copper4 ,the only sure remedy is prevention4 ,do not let the worms get in1 and there will be no effort needed to get them out4 ,i planted none but the rarest and choicest kinds4 ,economy of a few cents in the price of a tree is no economy at all4 ,it is the best fruit that sells the quickest and pays the highest profit4 ,yet there are still large quantities of fruit produced which is not worth taking to market4 ,the best is cheaper for both buyer and seller4 ,hundreds of bushels of apples and peaches are annually made into execrable pies in all the large cities1 merely because they can be purchased at less cost than those of a better quality4 ,but it is a mistaken economy with the buyer1 as a mild1 good-flavored peach or apple requires less sugar1 and will then make a better pie4 ,many persons have a pride in1 and attach too much consequence to a tree which sprung up spontaneously on their own farm1 or perhaps which they have cultivated with some care2 and then numbers of comparatively worthless seedlings occupy the places that should be improved by finer varieties1 and which1 if cultivated1 would afford a greater profit4 ,it is as easy to grow the choicest as the meanest fruit4 ,i have a relative in ,ohio who has a peach orchard of eleven acres1 which has yielded him five thousand dollars in a single season1 during which peaches were selling in ,cincinnati at twenty-five cents a bushel4 ,it is easy to understand that his orchard would not have produced him that sum at that price4 ,no1 it did not4 ,he received two dollars a bushel more readily than his neighbors got twenty-five cents for the same variety of peaches1 and this is how he did it4 ,when the peaches had grown as large as a hickory nut1 he employed a large force and put on one hundred and eighty-five days' work in picking off the excess of fruit4 ,more than one-half of the fruit then upon the trees was carefully removed4 ,each limb was taken by hand1 and where1 within a space of eighteen inches1 there would be probably twenty peaches1 but six or seven of the fairest would be left to ripen4 ,thus1 by carefully removing all but the strongest specimens1 and throwing all the vigor of the tree into them1 the peaches ripen early1 and are remarkable for size and excellence of quality4 ,but this was labor6 ,seven months' labor of one man in a small peach orchard6 ,but be it so--the net profit was between three and four thousand dollars4 ,if he had neglected his trees1 the owner's profits would have been a crop of peaches hardly fit to feed the pigs4 ,i have profited largely by following his example1 and will relate my own experience when the returns of my orchard come in4 ,i intend to be particular touching my peach orchard1 as well for the gratification of my own pride1 as an incentive to those who cannot be made to believe ,ten ,acres ,enough4 ,my success with it has far outstripped my expectations2 and ,i pronounce a peach orchard of this size1 planted and cultivated as it can be1 and will be1 by an intelligent man not essentially lazy1 as the sheet anchor of his safety4 ,i was careful to plant none but small trees1 because such can be removed from the nursery with greater safety than large ones1 while the roots are less multiplied1 and thus receive fewer injuries2 neither are they liable to be displaced by high winds before acquiring a firm foothold in the ground4 ,many persons suppose that newly planted trees should be large enough to be out of danger from cattle running among them2 but all cattle should be excluded from a young orchard4 ,moreover1 small trees make a better growth1 and are more easily trimmed into proper shape4 ,all experienced horticulturists testify to the superior eligibility of small trees4 ,they cost less at the nursery1 less in transportation1 and very few fail to grow4 ,one year old from the bud is old enough1 and the same1 generally1 may be said of apples and pears4 ,i dug holes for each tree three feet square and two feet deep1 and filled in with a mixture of the surrounding top-soil and leached ashes1 a half bushel of the latter to each tree4 ,knowing that the peach-tree delights in ashes1 ,i obtained four hundred bushels from a city soap-works1 and am satisfied they were exactly the manure my orchard needed4 ,every root which had been wounded by the spade in removing the tree from the nursery1 was cut off just back of the wound1 paring it smooth with a sharp knife4 ,the fine earth was settled around the roots by pouring in water2 after which the mixture of earth and ashes was thrown on until the hole was filled1 leaving a slight depression round the tree1 to catch the rain1 and the tree at about the same level it had maintained when standing in the nursery4 ,i did not stake up the trees4 ,they were too small to need it2 besides1 ,i should be all the time on hand to keep them in position4 ,being a new-comer1 ,i had no straw with which to mulch them1 to retain the proper moisture about the roots1 or it would have been applied4 ,but the season turned out to be abundantly showery1 and they went on growing from the start4 ,not a tree was upset by storm or wind1 nor did one of them die4 ,i do not think the oldest nurseryman in the country could have been more successful4 ,this operation made a heavy draft on the small cash capital which ,i possessed4 ,but small as it was1 it was large enough to show that capital is indispensable to successful farming4 ,had ,i been without it1 my orchard would have been a mere hope1 instead of a reality1 and ,i might have been compelled to wait for years before feeling rich enough to establish it4 ,but when the work of planting was over1 my satisfaction was extreme2 and when ,i saw the trees in full leaf1 giving token that the work had been well done1 ,i felt that ,i had not only learned but accomplished much4 ,i had been constantly on the ground while the planting was progressing--had seen for myself that every tree was cleared of worms--had held them up while the water and the earth and ashes had been thrown in and gently packed about the roots--and had given so much attention in other ways1 as to feel sure that no part of the whole operation had been neglected2 and hence ,i had a clear right to regard it as my own job4 ,the cost of planting this orchard was as follows3 #hjd trees at #g cents #ef4bh ,planting them #b cents #af4jh ,ploughing and harrowing #bj4jj #djj bushels of ashes #dh4jj ,manure #bjj4jj ------ #cdj4cf ,i have unfairly saddled on the orchard the whole charge of two hundred dollars for manure1 because it went to nourish other crops which the same ground produced4 ,but let that go--the land was quite poor1 needed all it got1 and ,i had no faith in farming without manure4 ,had my purse been heavy enough1 the quantity should have been trebled4 ,as ,i am writing for the benefit of others1 who1 ,i hope1 are not yet tired of peaches1 let me add that this fruit will not succeed on ground where a previous orchard has been recently grown2 neither can one be sure of getting healthy trees from any nurseryman who grows his on land from which he had recently produced a similar crop4 ,the seed must be from healthy trees1 and the buds from others equally free from disease4 ,the peach1 unless carefully watched and attended1 is a short-lived tree4 ,but it returns a generous income to a careful and generous grower4 ,of latter years the worm is its most formidable enemy4 ,but with those who think a good tree is as much worth being taken care of as a good horse1 there will be neither doubt nor difficulty in keeping the destroyer out4 ,ten well-grown1 bearing trees1 which ,i found in the garden1 were harboring a hundred and ninety worms among them when ,i undertook the work of extermination4 ,i bared the collar and roots of each tree as far as ,i could track a worm1 and cut him out4 ,i then scrubbed the whole exposed part with soap-suds and a regular scrubbing-brush2 after which ,i let them remain exposed for a week4 ,if any worms had been overlooked1 the chips thrown out by their operations would be plainly visible on the clean surface at the week's end4 ,having tracked and cut out them also1 ,i felt sure the enemy was exterminated1 and covered up the roots1 but first using the swab of common tar1 applying it all round the collar1 and some distance up4 ,these garden-trees were terribly scarified by the worms4 ,but the cleaning out ,i gave them was effectual4 ,the soap-suds purged the injured parts of the unhealthy virus deposited by the worms1 leaving them so nice and clean that the new bark began immediately to close over the cavities1 and soon covered them entirely4 ,i thus saved ten valuable bearing trees4 ,then ,i shortened in the long1 straggling branches1 for the peach will certainly grow sprawling out on every side1 forming long branches which break down under the weight of a full crop at their extremities1 unless the pruning-knife is freely used every season4 ,all this was the work of less than a day1 and shows that if peach-orchards perish after bearing only two or three crops1 it may be attributed solely to mere neglect and laziness on the part of their owners4 ,they plant trees1 refuse to take care of them1 and then complain if they die early4 ,the world would soon be without pork1 if all the pigs were as much neglected4 ,these ten trees have never failed to produce me generous crops of luscious fruit4 ,i cannot think of any investment which has paid me better than the slight labor annually required to keep them in good condition4 ,i have tried with entire success two other methods of protecting peach-trees from the ravages of the worm4 ,i have found gas-tar equally effectual with the common tar1 and much more easily obtained4 ,but care must be taken not to cover a height of more than four to six inches of the butt of the tree4 ,if the whole stem from root to branch be covered1 the tree will surely die4 ,another method is to inclose the butt in a jacket of pasteboard1 or even thick hardware paper1 keeping it in place with a string1 and lowering it an inch or two below the ground1 so as to prevent the fly having access to the soft part of the bark4 ,these jackets will last two or three years1 as they should be taken off at the approach of winter1 to prevent them from becoming a harbor for insects4 ,but they are an infallible preventive4 ,i have recently procured a supply of the thick tarred felt which is used for making paper roofs1 to be cut up and turned into jackets4 ,this material will last for years1 being water-proof1 while the odor of the gas-tar in which it has been steeped is peculiarly offensive to the whole tribe of insects4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,planting ,,raspberries ,,and ,,strawberries--,,tricks ,,of ,,the ,,nursery4 ,my peach-orchard was no sooner finished than ,i filled each row with raspberries1 setting the roots two feet apart in the rows4 ,this enabled me to get seven roots in between every two trees1 or five thousand six hundred and fifty-six in all4 ,this was equivalent to nearly two acres wholly planted with raspberries according to the usual plan4 ,they would go on growing without injuring the peach-trees1 or being injured by them2 and when the latter should reach their full growth1 their shade would be highly beneficial to the raspberries1 as they thrive better and bear more freely when half protected from the burning sun4 ,the tops were cut off within a few inches of the ground1 thus preventing any excessive draft upon the newly planted roots4 ,no staking up was needed4 ,these roots cost me six dollars per thousand1 or thirty-four dollars for the lot1 and were the ordinary ,red ,antwerp4 ,the season proving showery1 they grew finely4 ,some few died1 but my general luck was very satisfactory4 ,i planted the whole lot in three days with my own hands4 ,i am sure the growth of my raspberries was owing1 in a great degree1 to the deep ploughing the land had received4 ,the soil they delight in is one combining richness1 depth1 and moisture4 ,it is only from such that a full crop may be expected every season4 ,the roots must have abundance of elbow-room to run down and suck up moisture from the abundant reservoir which exists below4 ,deep ploughing will save them from the effects of dry weather1 which otherwise will blast the grower's hopes1 giving him a small berry1 shrivelled up from want of moisture1 instead of one of ample size1 rich1 and juicy4 ,hence irrigation has been known to double the size of raspberries1 as well as doubling the growth of the canes in a single season4 ,mulching also is a capital thing4 ,one row so treated1 by way of experiment1 showed a marked improvement over all the others1 besides keeping down the weeds4 ,as a market fruit the raspberry stands on the same list with the best1 and ,i am satisfied that one cannot produce too much4 ,for this purpose ,i consider the ,red ,antwerp most admirably adapted4 ,there are twenty other varieties1 some of which are probably quite as valuable1 but ,i was unwilling to have my attention divided among many sorts4 ,one really good berry was enough for me4 ,some of my neighbors have as much as ten acres in this fruit1 from which they realize prodigious profits4 ,like all the smaller fruits1 it yields a quick return to an industrious and pains-taking cultivator4 ,immediately on getting my raspberries in1 ,i went twice over the six acres with the cultivator1 stirring up the ground some four inches deep1 as it had been a good deal trampled down by our planting operations4 ,this ,i did myself1 with a thirty-dollar horse which ,i had recently bought4 ,having eighteen feet between two rows of peach-trees1 ,i divided this space into five rows for strawberries1 giving me very nearly three feet between each row4 ,in these rows ,i set the strawberry plants1 one foot apart1 making about #aj1jjj plants per acre1 allowing for the headlands4 ,i bought the whole #fj1jjj required for #b per thousand1 making #abj4 ,this was below the market price4 ,in planting these ,i got three of the children to help me1 and though it was more tiresome work than they had ever been accustomed to1 yet they stood bravely up to it4 ,every noon we four went home with raging appetites for dinner1 where the plain but well-cooked fare provided by my wife and eldest daughter--for she kept no servant--was devoured with genuine country relish4 ,the exercise in the open air for the whole week which it took us to get through this job did us all a vast amount of good4 ,roses came into the cheeks of my daughters1 to which the cheeks aforesaid had been strangers in the city2 and it was the general remark among us at breakfast1 that it had never felt so good to get to bed the night before4 ,thus honest labor brought wholesome appetites and sound repose4 ,most of us complained of joints a little stiffened by so much stooping1 but an hour's exercise at more stooping made us limber for the remainder of the day4 ,it occupied us a whole week to set out these plants1 for we were all new hands at the business4 ,but the work was carefully done1 and a shower coming on just as we had finished1 it settled the earth nicely to the roots1 and ,i do not think more than two hundred of them died4 ,i intended to put a pinch of guano compost or a handful of poudrette into each hill1 but thought ,i could not afford it1 and so let them go1 trusting to being able to give them a dressing of some kind of manure the following spring4 ,i much regretted this omission1 as ,i was fully aware of the great value of the best strawberries1 and plenty of them4 ,my wife thought at first that six acres was an enormous quantity to have--inquired if ,i expected to feed the family on strawberries1 and whether it was not worth while to set about raising some sugar to go with them1 feeling certain that a great deal of that would be wanted4 ,i forgot to say that ,i had planted ,wilson's ,albany ,seedling4 ,this was the berry for which we had been compelled to pay such high prices while living in the city4 ,everybody testified to its being the most profuse bearer1 while its great size and handsome shape made it eagerly sought after in the market4 ,it was admitted1 all things considered1 to be the best market berry then known4 ,my experience has confirmed this4 ,true1 it is a little tarter than most other varieties1 and therefore requires more sugar to make it palatable2 but this objection is more theoretical than practical1 as ,i always noticed that when the berries came upon the table1 while living in the city1 we continued to pile on the sugar1 no matter what the price or quantity4 ,the berries were there1 and must be eaten4 ,on one occasion1 on repeating this observation to my wife1 she admitted having noticed the same remarkable fact1 and added that she believed strawberries would continue to be eaten1 even if each quart required a pound of sugar to sweeten it4 ,she declared that for her part1 she and the children intended to do so in future4 ,now1 although she was extravagantly fond of strawberries1 and had brought up our children in the same faith1 this threat did not alarm me1 for ,i knew that hereafter our berries would cost me nothing1 and that if they devoured them too freely1 sugar included1 a slight pain under the apron of some of them would be likely to moderate their infatuation4 ,i then suggested to her1 how would it do--whether it would not make our establishment immensely popular--if in selling my berries1 when the crop came in next year1 to announce to the public that we would throw the sugar in8 ,she looked at me a moment1 and must have suspected that ,i was quizzing her2 for she got up and left the room1 saying she must go into the kitchen1 as she heard the tea-kettle boiling over4 ,but though ,i waited a full half hour1 yet she did not return4 ,the reader may have been all this time watching the condition of my purse4 ,but he has not been so observant as myself4 ,these plants did not cost me cash4 ,i had intended to plant an acre or two to begin with4 ,but after buying my peach-trees and raspberries1 the nurseryman inquired if ,i did not intend to plant strawberries also1 as he had a very large quantity which he would sell cheap4 ,his saying that he had a very large lot1 and that he would sell them cheap1 seemed to imply that he found a difficulty in disposing of them4 ,besides1 the selling season was pretty nearly over4 ,i therefore fought shy1 and merely inquired his terms4 ,this led to a long colloquy between us1 in the course of which ,i held off just in proportion as he became urgent4 ,at last1 believing that ,i was not disposed to buy1 although ,i went there for that very purpose1 he offered to sell me #fj1jjj plants for #abj1 and to take his money out of the proceeds of my first crop4 ,this offer ,i considered fair enough1 much better than ,i expected2 and after having distinctly agreed that he should depend upon the crop1 and not on me1 for payment1 and that if the coming season yielded nothing he should wait for the following one1 ,i confessed to him that his persuasions had overcome me1 and consented to the bargain4 ,in other words1 ,i did not run in debt--,i saved just that much of my capital1 and could make a magnificent beginning with our favorite fruit4 ,as ,i was leaving this liberal man1 he observed to me3 8,well1 ,i am glad you have taken this lot1 as ,i was intending to plough them in to-morrow40 8,how is that80 ,i inquired1 not exactly understanding his meaning4 8,oh10 said he1 8,i have so many now that ,i must have the ground for other purposes1 and so meant to plough them under if you had not bought them40 ,this was an entirely new wrinkle to me1 and fully explained why he could afford to farm them out on the conditions referred to4 ,though a capital bargain for me1 yet it was a still better one for him4 ,what he was to receive was absolutely so much clear gain4 ,but then1 after all that has been said and written1 is it not a truth that cannot be disputed1 that no bargain can be pronounced a good one unless all the parties to it are in some way benefited8 ,here1 now1 were six acres of ground pretty well crowded up1 at least on paper4 ,but the strawberries would never grow higher than six inches2 the raspberries would be kept down to three or four feet1 while the peaches would overtop all4 ,each would be certain to keep out of the other's way4 ,then look at the succession4 ,the strawberries would be in market first1 the raspberries would follow1 and then the peaches1 for of the latter ,i had planted the earliest sorts2 so that1 unlike a farm devoted wholly to the raising of grain1 which comes into market only once a year1 ,i should have one cash-producing crop succeeding to another during most of the summer4 ,on the remaining three acres ,i meant to raise something which would bring money in the autumn1 so as to keep me flush all the time4 ,you may say that this was reckoning my chickens before they were hatched2 but you will please remember that thus far ,i have not even mentioned chickens1 and ,i pray that you will be equally considerate4 ,i know1 at least ,i have some indistinct recollection of having heard that the proof of the pudding lay in the eating4 ,but pray be patient1 even credulous1 until the aforesaid mythical pudding is served up4 ,i am now cooking it1 and you ought all to know that cooks must not be hurried4 ,in good time it will come smoking on the table4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,blackberries--,a ,,remarkable ,,coincidence4 ,in the course of my agricultural reading for some years previous to coming into the country1 ,i had noticed great things said of a new blackberry which had been discovered in the ,state of ,new ,york4 ,the stories printed in relation to it were almost fabulous4 ,it was represented as growing twenty feet high1 and as bearing berries nearly as large as a walnut1 which melted on the tongue with a lusciousness to which the softest ice-cream was a mere circumstance1 while the fruit was said to be strung upon its branches like onions on a rope4 ,a single bush would supply a large family with fruit6 ,i was amazed at the extravagant accounts given of its unexampled productiveness and matchless flavor4 ,i had supposed that ,i knew all about blackberries1 but here was a great marvel in a department which had been proverbially free from eccentricities of that kind4 ,but ,i followed it--in the papers--for a long time4 ,at last ,i saw it stated that the rare plant could not be propagated from the seed1 but only from suckers1 and therefore very slowly4 ,of course it could not be afforded for less than a dollar apiece6 ,it would be unreasonable to look for blackberries for less6 ,it struck me that the superior flavor claimed for it must be a little of the silvery order--that in berries bought at that price1 a touch might be detected even of the most auriferous fragrance4 ,still1 ,i was an amateur--in a small way4 ,i rejoiced in a city garden which would readily accommodate a hundred of this extraordinary berry1 especially as it was said to do better and bear more fruit1 when cut down to four feet1 instead of being allowed to grow to a height of twenty4 ,it thus seemed to be made for such miniature gardeners as myself4 ,one generous advertiser offered to send six roots by mail for five dollars1 provided ten red stamps were inclosed with the money4 ,i had never before heard of blackberries being sent by mail2 but the whole thing was recommended by men in whose standing all confidence could be placed1 and who1 as far as could be discovered1 had no plants to sell4 ,under such circumstances1 doubt seemed to be absurd4 ,i sent five dollars and the stamps4 ,but this was one of the secrets ,i never told my wife until she had eaten the first bowlful of the fully ripened fruit1 eighteen months afterwards4 ,well1 the plants came in a letter--mere fibres of a greater root--certainly not thicker than a thin quill1 not one of them having a top4 ,they looked like long white worms1 with here and there a bud or eye4 ,i never saw1 until then1 what ,i considered the meanest five dollars' worth of any thing ,i had ever bought2 and when my wife inquired what those things were ,i was planting1 ,i replied that they were little vegetable wonders which a distant correspondent had sent me4 ,not dreaming that they cost me near a dollar apiece1 at the very time ,i owed a quarter's rent1 she dropped the subject4 ,but ,i planted them in a deeply spaded and rich sunny border1 deluged them every week with suds from the family wash1 and by the close of the season they had sent up more than a dozen strong canes which stood six feet high4 ,the next summer they bore a crop of fruit which astonished me4 ,from the group of bushes ,i picked fifteen quarts of berries superior to any thing of the kind we had ever eaten4 ,i then confided the secret to my wife3 she considered the plants cheap at five dollars1 and pronounced my venture a good one4 ,i think we had more than five dollars' worth of satisfaction in showing them to our friends and neighbors4 ,we gave away some pints of the fruit1 and such was its fame and popularity1 that ,i feel convinced we could have readily disposed of it all in the same way4 ,one of the reporters for a penny-paper hearing of the matter1 called in my absence to see them4 ,my wife politely acted as showman1 and being very eloquent of speech on any matter which happens to strike her fancy1 she was quite as communicative as he desired4 ,she did not know that the fellow was a penny-a-liner1 whose vocation it was to magnify an ant-hill into a mountain4 ,to her extreme consternation1 as well as to mine1 the next morning's paper contained a half-column article describing my blackberries1 even giving my name and the number of the house4 ,by ten o'clock that day the latter was run down with strangers1 who had thus been publicly invited to call and see the new blackberry4 ,our opposite neighbors laughed heartily over my wife's vexation1 and for the first time in my life ,i saw her almost immovable good temper give way4 ,the nuisance continued for weeks1 as the vile article had been copied into some of the neighboring country papers1 and thus new swarms of bores were inflamed with curiosity4 ,this little vexatious circumstance afforded unmistakable evidence of the great interest taken by the public in the discovery of a new and valuable fruit4 ,i could have disposed of thousands of plants if ,i had had them for sale4 ,this was the ,new ,rochelle or ,lawton ,blackberry4 ,the numerous suckers which came up around each root ,i transplanted along my border1 until ,i had more than two hundred of them4 ,this was long before a single berry had been offered for sale in the ,philadelphia market1 though the papers told me that the fruit was selling in ,new ,york at half a dollar per quart1 and that the great consuming public of that city1 having once tasted of it1 was clamorous for more4 ,i am constrained to say that the nurserymen who had these plants to sell did not over praise them4 ,this berry has fully realized all they promised in relation to it2 and a debt of thankfulness is owing to the men who first discovered and caused it to be propagated4 ,it has taken its place in public estimation beside the strawberry and raspberry1 and will henceforth continue to be a favorite in every market where it may become known4 ,this extraordinary fruit was first noticed in #ahcd1 by ,mr4 ,lewis ,a4 ,secor1 of ,new ,rochelle1 ,new ,york1 who observed a single bush growing wild in an open field1 but loaded with astonishing clusters of larger berries than he had ever seen1 and of superior richness of flavor4 ,at the proper season he removed the plant to his garden1 where he continued to propagate it for several years1 during which time it won the unqualified admiration of all who had an opportunity of either seeing or tasting the fruit4 ,numerous plants were distributed1 and its propagation in private gardens and nurseries began4 ,a quantity of the fruit being exhibited at the ,farmers' ,club1 by ,mr4 ,william ,lawton1 the club named it after him1 leaving the discoverer unrecognized4 ,great sums of money have been made by propagators of this berry4 ,it possesses peculiar merits in the estimation of market gardeners4 ,it ripens just as the supply of strawberries and raspberries has been exhausted1 and before peaches and grapes have made their appearance1 filling with delicious fruit a horticultural vacuum which had long existed4 ,its mammoth size and luscious qualities insure for it the highest prices1 and it has steadily maintained its original character4 ,it pays the grower enormously1 is a sure bearer1 is never touched by frost or attacked by insect enemies1 and when well manured and staked up from the wind1 and cut down to four feet high1 with the limbs shortened to a foot1 will readily produce two thousand quarts to the acre4 ,some growers have greatly exceeded this quantity4 ,i have known a single plant to yield eighteen hundred berries1 and three plants to produce sixteen quarts4 ,its flavor is entirely different from that of the common wild blackberry1 while it abounds in juice1 and contains no core4 ,it is evidently a distinct variety4 ,it has also long been famous for yielding a most superior wine4 ,when ,i went into the country ,i had two hundred of the ,lawton blackberry to plant1 all which were the product of my five-dollar venture4 ,in digging them up from my city garden1 every inch of root that could be found was carefully hunted out4 ,they had multiplied under ground to a surprising extent--some of them being as much as twenty feet in length4 ,these roots were full of buds from which new canes would spring4 ,their vitality is almost unconquerable--everybody knows a blackberry is the hardest thing in the world to kill4 ,i cut off the canes six inches above the root1 then divided each stool into separate roots1 and then cutting up the long roots into slips containing one to two eyes each1 ,i found my number of sets to exceed a thousand1 quite enough to plant an acre4 ,these ,i put out in rows eight feet apart1 and eight feet asunder in the rows4 ,not ten of them died1 as they came fresh out of the ground in one place1 only to be immediately covered up some three inches deep in another4 ,thus this whole five-dollar speculation was one of the luckiest hits ,i ever made2 because ,i began early1 before the plant had passed into everybody's hands2 and when it came into general demand1 ,i was the only grower near the city who had more than a dozen plants4 ,very soon everybody wanted the fruit1 and the whole neighborhood wanted the plants4 ,how ,i condescended to supply both classes of customers will appear hereafter4 ,yet1 while setting out these roots1 several of my neighbors1 as usual when ,i was doing any thing1 came to oversee me4 ,on former occasions they had expressed considerable incredulity as to my operations2 and it was easy to see from their remarks and inquiries now1 that they thought ,i didn't know much1 and would have nothing for my labor but my pains4 ,i always listened good-humoredly to their remarks1 because ,i discovered that now and then they let fall something which was of real value to me4 ,when they discovered it was blackberries ,i was planting1 some of them laughed outright4 ,but ,i replied that this ,lawton berry was a new variety1 superior to any thing known1 and an incredible bearer4 ,they answered me they could find better ones in any fence corner in the township1 and that if ,i once got them into my ground ,i could never get them out4 ,it struck me the last remark would also apply as justly to my peach-trees4 ,but ,i contented myself with saying that ,i should never want to get them out1 and that the time would come when they would all want the same thing in their own ground4 ,thus it is that pioneers in any thing are generally ridiculed and discouraged by the general multitude4 ,of all my visitors1 only two appeared to have any correct knowledge of the new plant4 ,they offered to buy part of my stock2 but on refusing to sell1 they engaged to take some in the autumn4 ,i have been thus particular in writing of the ,lawton1 because of my singular success with it from the start4 ,i thus occupied my seventh acre2 but the rows being eight feet apart1 abundant room was left to raise a crop of some kind between them4 ,even in the rows1 between the roots1 ,i planted corn1 which grew well1 and afforded a most beneficial shade to the young blackberries as they grew up4 ,i am satisfied they flourished1 better for being thus protected the first season from the hot sun4 ,when in full maturity1 they need all the sun they can get4 ,they will grow and flourish in almost any soil in which they once become well rooted1 though they are rank feeders on manure4 ,like a young pig1 feed them well and they will grow to an astonishing size3 starve them1 and your crops will be mere runts4 ,it is from the same skinning practice that so many corn-cribs are seen to abound in nubbins4 ,i had thus two acres left unoccupied2 one acre1 as previously stated1 was most fortunately in clover4 ,on this ,i put four bushels of ground plaster mixed with a sprinkling of guano1 the two costing me only five dollars4 ,i afterwards devoted an acre to tomatoes1 and the last to parsnips1 cabbages1 turnips1 and sweet corn4 ,this latter was scattered in rows or drills three feet apart1 intending it for green fodder for the horse and cow when the clover gave out4 ,the turnips were sowed between the corn-rows1 and were intended for winter feeding for horse and cow4 ,on the acre of blackberries1 between the rows1 ,i planted cabbage1 putting into each hill a spoonful of mixed plaster and guano1 and wherever ,i could find vacant spots about the place1 there also a cabbage plant was set out4 ,a few pumpkin hills were started in suitable places4 ,in fact1 my effort was to occupy every inch of ground with something4 ,the cabbage and tomato plants cost me thirty dollars4 ,these several crops were put in as the season for each one came round4 ,the green-corn crop was not all put in at one time1 but at intervals about two weeks apart1 so that ,i should have a succession of succulent food during the summer4 ,the horse and cow were to be kept in the barnyard1 as ,i had no faith in turning cattle out to pasture1 thus requiring three times as much land as was necessary1 besides losing half the manure4 ,the latter was a sort of hobby with me4 ,i was determined to give my crops all they could profitably appropriate1 and so soil my little stock2 that is1 keep them in the barnyard in summer1 and in the stable in winter1 while their food was to be brought to them1 instead of their being forced to go after it4 ,i knew it would cost time and trouble2 but ,i have long since discovered that most things of value in this world come to us only as the result of diligent1 unremitted labor4 ,the man1 even upon ten acres1 who is content to see around him only barren fields1 scanty crops1 and lean1 starving animals1 does not deserve the name of farmer4 ,unless he can devise ways and means for changing such a condition of things1 and cease ridiculing all propositions of amendment that may be pointed out to him1 he had better be up and off1 and give place to a live man4 ,such skinning and exhausting tillage is one cause of the annual relative decline of the wheat-crop all over the ,union1 and of the frequent changes in the ownership of lands4 ,the fragrance of a fat and ample manure heap is as grateful to the nostrils of a good farmer1 as the fumes of the tavern are notoriously attractive to those of a poor one4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,the ,,garden--,,female ,,management--,,comforts ,,and ,,profits4 ,i mentioned some time ago that the wife of the former owner of this place had left it with a world of regrets4 ,she had been passionately fond of the garden which now fell to us4 ,as daylight can be seen through very small holes1 so little things will illustrate a person's character4 ,indeed1 character consists in little acts1 and honorably performed2 daily life being the quarry from which we build it up and rough-hew the habits that form it4 ,the garden she had prepared1 and cultivated for several years1 doing much of the work of planting1 watching1 watering1 and training with her own hands1 bore honorable testimony to the goodness of hers4 ,she had filled it with the choicest fruit-trees1 most of which were now in full bearing4 ,there was abundance of all the usual garden fruits1 currants1 gooseberries1 grapes1 and an ample asparagus bed4 ,it was laid out with taste1 convenience1 and liberality4 ,flowers1 of course1 had not been omitted by such a woman4 ,her vocation had evidently been something beyond that of merely cooking her husband's dinners4 ,but her garden bore marks of long abandonment4 ,great weeds were rioting in the borders1 grass had taken foothold in the alleys1 and it stood in need of a new mistress to work up into profitable use the store of riches it contained4 ,it struck me that if one woman could establish a garden like this1 ,i could find another on my own premises to manage it4 ,after ,i had got through with the various plantings of my standard fruits--indeed1 while much of it was going on--,i took resolute hold of the garden4 ,it was large enough to provide vegetables for three families4 ,i meant to make it sure for one4 ,with all the lights and improvements of modern times1 and they are many1 three-fourths of the farm gardens in our country are still a disgrace to our husbandry4 ,as a rule1 the most easily raised vegetables are not to be found in them2 and the small fruits1 with the exception of currants and gooseberries1 are universally neglected4 ,many of our farmers have never tasted an early ,york cabbage4 ,if they get cabbages or potatoes by ,august1 they think they are doing pretty well4 ,they do not understand the simple mysteries of a hotbed1 and so force nothing4 ,now1 with this article1 which need not cost five dollars1 and which a boy of ten years can manage1 you can have cabbages and potatoes in ,june1 and beans1 tomatoes1 cucumbers1 and squashes1 and a host of other delicious vegetables1 a little later4 ,by selecting your seed1 you can have salad1 green peas1 onions1 and beets by the last of ,june1 or before without any forcing4 ,a good asparagus bed1 covering two square rods of ground1 is a luxury that no farmer should be without4 ,it will give him a palatable dish1 green and succulent from the bosom of the earth every day1 from ,may to ,july4 ,a good variety of vegetables is within the reach of every farmer the year round4 ,they are not only an important means of supporting the family1 paying at least one-half the table expenses1 but they are greatly conducive to health4 ,they relieve the terrible monotony of salt junk1 and in the warm season prevent the fevers and bowel complaints so often induced by too much animal food4 ,neglect is thus too much the rule4 ,a row of currants1 for example1 is planted in a garden4 ,it will indeed bear well with neglect2 but an annual manuring and thinning out of old wood1 would at least triple the size of the fruit1 and improve its quality4 ,the row of currants will furnish a daily supply of refreshing fruit to the table for months together4 ,why should its culture then be totally neglected1 when a row of corn by its side of equal length1 which will supply only a single feeding to a pen of hogs1 is most carefully manured1 watched1 ploughed1 and hoed8 ,i have sometimes seen farmers who1 after expending large sums in establishing a young orchard of trees1 would destroy one-half by choking them with a crop of oats or clover1 because they could not afford to lose the use of the small strip of land a few feet wide in the row1 which ought to have been kept clean and cultivated4 ,i began by deepening the garden soil wherever a spade could be put in4 ,i hired a man for this purpose1 and paid him ten dollars for the job1 including the hauling and digging in of the great pile of manure ,i had found in the barnyard1 and the clearing up of things generally4 ,i would have laid out fifty dollars in manure1 if the money could have been spared2 but what ,i did afforded an excellent return4 ,my wife and eldest daughter1 ,kate1 then in her eighteenth year1 did all the planting4 ,i spent five dollars in buying for them a complete outfit of hoes1 rakes1 and trowels for garden use1 lightly made on purpose for female handling1 with a neat little wheelbarrow to hold the weeds and litter which ,i felt pretty sure would have to be hoed up and trundled away before the season was over4 ,they took to the garden manfully4 ,i kept their hoes constantly sharpened with a file1 and they declared it was only pastime to wage warfare on the weeds with weapons so keen4 ,now and then one of the boys went in to give them a lift2 and when a new vegetable bed was to be planted1 it was dug up and made ready for them4 ,but the great bulk of all other work was done by themselves4 ,never has either of them enjoyed health so robust1 or appetites so wholesome4 ,as a whole year's crop of weeds had gone to seed1 they had millions of the enemy to contend with1 just as ,i had anticipated4 ,i did not volunteer discouragements by repeating to them the old ,english formula1 that 8,one year's seeding ,makes seven years' weeding10 but commended their industry1 exhorted them to persevere1 and was lavish in my admiration of the handsome style in which they kept the grounds4 ,i infused into their minds a perfect hatred of the whole tribe of weeds1 enjoined it upon them not to let a single one escape and go to seed1 and promised them that if they thus exterminated all1 the next year's weeding would be mere recreation4 ,i will say for them1 that all our visitors from the city were surprised at seeing the garden so free from weeds1 while they did not fail to notice that most of the vegetables were extremely thrifty4 ,they did not know that in gardens where the weeds thrive undisturbed1 the vegetables never do4 ,as to the neighbors1 they came in occasionally to see what the women were doing1 but shook their heads when they saw they were merely hoeing up weeds--said that weeds did no harm1 and they might as well attempt to kill all the flies--they had been brought up among weeds1 knew all about them1 and 8it was no use trying to get rid of them40 ,but the work of weeding kept on through the whole season1 and as a consequence1 the ground about the vegetables was kept constantly stirred4 ,the result of this thorough culture was1 that nearly every thing seemed to feel it1 and the growth was prodigious1 far exceeding what the family could consume4 ,we had every thing we needed1 and in far greater abundance than we ever had in the city4 ,i am satisfied this profusion of vegetables lessened the consumption of meat in the family one-half4 ,indeed1 it was such1 that my wife suggested that the garden had so much more in it than we required1 that perhaps it would be as well to send the surplus to the store where we usually bought our groceries1 to be there sold for our benefit4 ,the town within half a mile of us contained some five thousand inhabitants1 among whom there was a daily demand for vegetables4 ,i took my wife's advice1 and from time to time gathered such as she directed1 for she and ,kate were sole mistresses of the garden1 and sent them to the store4 ,they kept a regular book-account of these consignments1 and when we came to settle up with the storekeeper at the year's end1 were surprised to find that he had eighty dollars to our credit4 ,but this was not all from vegetables--a good deal of it came from the fruit-trees4 ,after using in the family great quantities of fine peaches from the ten garden-trees1 certainly three times as many as we could ever afford to buy when in the city1 the rest went to the store4 ,the trees had been so hackled by the worms that they did not bear full crops1 yet the yield was considerable4 ,then there were quantities of spare currants1 gooseberries1 and several bushels of common blue plums1 which the curculio does not sting4 ,when my wife discovered there was so ready a market at our own door1 she suffered nothing to go to waste4 ,it was a new feature in her experience--every thing seemed to sell4 ,whenever she needed a new dress for herself or any of the children1 all she had to do was to go to the store1 get it1 and have it charged against her garden fund4 ,i confess that her success greatly exceeded my expectations4 ,let me now put in a word as to the cause of this success with our garden4 ,it was not owing to our knowledge of gardening1 for we made many blunders not here recorded1 and lost crops of two or three different things in consequence4 ,neither was it owing to excessive richness of the ground4 ,but ,i lay it to the unsparing warfare kept up upon the weeds1 which thus prevented their running away with the nourishment intended for the plants1 and kept the ground constantly stirred up and thoroughly pulverized4 ,i have sometimes thought one good stirring up1 whether with the hoe1 the rake1 or the cultivator1 was as beneficial as a good shower4 ,when vegetables begin to look parched and the ground becomes dry1 some gardeners think they must commence the use of the watering-pot4 ,this practice1 to a certain extent1 and under some circumstances1 may perhaps be proper1 but as a general rule it is incorrect4 ,the same time spent in hoeing1 frequently stirring the earth about vegetables1 is far preferable4 ,when watering has once commenced it must be continued1 must be followed up1 else you have done mischief instead of good2 as1 after watering a few times1 and then omitting it1 the ground will bake harder than if nothing had been done to it4 ,not so with hoeing or raking4 ,the more you stir the ground about vegetables1 the better they are off2 and whenever you stop hoeing1 no damage is done1 as in watering4 ,vegetables will improve more rapidly1 be more healthy1 and in better condition at maturity1 by frequent hoeing than by frequent watering4 ,this result is very easily shown by experiment4 ,just notice1 after a dewy night1 the difference between ground lately and often stirred1 and that which has lain unmoved for a long time4 ,or take two cabbage plants under similar circumstances2 water one and stir the other just as often1 stirring the earth about it carefully and thoroughly1 and see which will distance the other in growth4 ,there are secrets about this stirring of the earth which chemists and horticulturists would do well to study with the utmost scrutiny and care4 ,soil cultivated in the spring1 and then neglected1 soon settles together4 ,the surface becomes hard1 the particles cohere1 they attract little or no moisture1 and from such a surface even the rain slides off1 apparently doing little good4 ,but let this surface be thoroughly pulverized1 though it be done merely with an iron rake1 and only a few inches in depth1 and a new life is infused into it4 ,the surface becomes friable and soft1 the moisture of the particles again becomes active1 attracting and being attracted1 each seeming to be crying to his neighbor1 8,hand over1 hand over--more drink1 more drink40 ,why this elaboration should grow less and less1 till in a comparatively short time it should seem almost to cease1 is a question of very difficult solution2 though the varying compositions of soils has doubtless something to do with the matter4 ,but let the stirring be carefully repeated1 and all is life again4 ,particles attract moisture from the atmosphere1 hand it to each other1 down it goes to the roots of vegetables1 the little suction fibres drink it in2 and though we cannot see these busy operations1 yet we perceive their healthy effects in the pushing up of vegetables above the surface4 ,the hoe is better than the water-pot4 ,my garden is a signal illustration of the fact4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,cheated ,,in ,a ,,cow--,a ,,good ,,and ,a ,,bad ,,one--,,the ,,saint ,,of ,,the ,,barnyard4 ,both myself and wife had always coveted a cow4 ,all of the family were extravagantly fond of milk4 ,where so many children were about1 it seemed indispensable to have one2 besides1 were we not upon a farm8 and what would a farm be without having upon it at least one saint of the barnyard8 ,as soon as we came on the place1 ,i made inquiries of two or three persons for a cow4 ,the news flew round the neighborhood with amazing rapidity1 and in the course of two weeks ,i was besieged with offers4 ,they haunted me in the street1 as ,i went daily to the post-office2 even in the evening1 as we sat in our parlor4 ,it seemed as if everybody in the township had a cow to sell4 ,indeed1 the annoyance continued long after we had been supplied4 ,now1 though ,i knew a great deal of milk1 having learned to like it the very day ,i was born1 yet ,i was utterly ignorant of how to choose a cow1 and at that time had no friend to advise with4 ,but ,i suspected that no one who had a first-rate animal would voluntarily part with it1 and so expected to be cheated4 ,i hinted as much to my wife1 whereupon she begged that the choice might be left to her2 to which ,i partially consented1 thinking that if we should be imposed on1 ,i should feel better if the imposition could be made chargeable somewhere else than to my own ignorance4 ,besides1 ,i knew that she could hardly be worse cheated than myself4 ,one morning a very respectable-looking old man drove a cow up to the door1 and called us out to look at her4 ,my wife was pleased with her looks the moment she set eyes on her1 while the children were delighted with the calf1 some two weeks old4 ,i did not like her movements--she seemed restless and ill-tempered2 but the old man said that was always the way with cows at their first calving4 ,still1 ,i should not have bought her4 ,but somehow my wife seemed bewitched in her favor1 and was determined to have her4 ,this the old man could not fail to notice1 and was loud in extolling her good qualities1 declaring that she would give twenty quarts of milk a day4 ,after some further parley1 he inadvertently admitted that she had never been milked4 ,my wife did not notice this striking discrepancy of a cow giving twenty quarts daily1 when as yet no one had ever milked her2 but the lie was too bouncing a one to escape my notice4 ,as ,i saw my wife had set her heart upon the cow1 ,i said nothing1 and finally bought cow and calf for thirty dollars1 though quite certain they could have been had for five dollars less1 if my wife had not so plainly shown to the old sinner that she was determined to have them4 ,i do not think she will ever be up to me in making a bargain4 ,but as it had been agreed that she should choose a cow1 so she was permitted to have her own way4 ,at the end of the week the calf was sold for three dollars--a low price2 but then my wife wanted the milk1 and she and ,kate were anxious to begin the milking4 ,i am sure ,i was quite willing they should have all they could get4 ,when they did begin1 there was a great time4 ,now1 most women profess to understand precisely how a cow should be milked1 and yet comparatively few know any thing about it4 ,they remind me of the ,irish girls who are hunting places4 ,these are all first-rate cooks1 if you take their word for it1 and yet not one in a hundred knows any thing of even the first principles of cooking4 ,the first process in the operation of milking is to fondle with the cow1 make her acquaintance1 and thus give her to understand that the man or maid with the milking pail approaches her with friendly intentions1 in order to relieve her of the usual lacteal secretion4 ,it will never do to approach the animal with combative feelings and intentions4 ,should the milker be too impetuous2 should he swear1 speak loud and sharp1 scold or kick1 or otherwise abuse or frighten the cow1 she will probably prove refractory as a mule1 and may give the uncouth and unfeeling milker the benefit of her heels1--a very pertinent reward1 to which he1 the uncouth milker1 is justly entitled4 ,especially in the case of a new milker1 who may be a perfect stranger to the cow1 the utmost kindness and deliberation are necessary4 ,before commencing to milk1 a cow should be fed1 or have some kind of fodder offered her1 in view of diverting her attention from the operation of milking4 ,by this means the milk is not held up1 as the saying is1 but is yielded freely4 ,all these precautions are more indispensable when the cow has just been deprived of her calf4 ,she is then uneasy1 fretful1 and irritable1 and generally so disconsolate as to need the kindest treatment and the utmost soothing4 ,the milker should be in close contact with the cow's body1 for in this position1 if she attempt to kick him1 he gets nothing more than a push1 whereas if he sits off at a distance1 the cow has an opportunity to inflict a severe blow whenever she feels disposed to do so4 ,all milkers of cows should understand that the udder and teats are highly organized1 and consequently very sensitive2 and these facts should be taken into consideration by amateur milkers1 especially when their first essay is made on a young animal after the advent of her first calf1 and that one just taken from her4 ,at this period1 the hard tugging and squeezing to which many poor dumb brutes have to submit in consequence of the application of hard-fisted1 callous1 or inexperienced fingers1 is a barbarity of the very worst kind2 for it often converts a docile creature into a vicious one1 from which condition it is extremely difficult1 if not impossible1 to wean her4 ,of every one of these requisites both wife and daughter were utterly ignorant4 ,they went talking and laughing into the barn1 one with a bright tin pail in her hand1 an object which the cow had never before seen1 and both made at her1 forgetting that they were utter strangers to her4 ,besides1 she was thinking of her absent calf1 and did not want to see any thing else4 ,their appearance and clamor of course frightened her1 and as they approached her1 so she avoided them4 ,they followed1 but she continued to avoid1 and once or twice put down her head shook it menacingly1 and even made an incipient lunge at them with her sharply pointed horns4 ,these decided demonstrations of anger frightened them in turn1 and they forthwith gave up the pursuit of milk in the face of difficulties so unexpected4 ,we got none that night4 ,in the morning we sent for an experienced milker1 but she had the utmost difficulty in getting the cow to stand quiet even for a moment4 ,my wife was quite subdued about the matter4 ,it would never do to keep a cow that nobody could milk4 ,she said but little1 however--it was her cow4 ,longer trial produced no more encouraging result1 as she seemed untamable1 and my wife was glad to have me sell her for twenty dollars1 at the same time resolving never again to buy a cow with her first calf4 ,it was voted unanimously that another should be procured1 and that this time the choice should be left to me4 ,now1 ,i never had any idea of buying poor things of any kind merely because they were cheap4 ,when purchasing or making tools or machinery1 ,i never bought or made any but the very best1 as ,i found that even a good workman could never do a good job with poor tools4 ,so with all my farm implements--,i bought the best of their kind that could be had4 ,if my female gardeners had been furnished with heavy and clumsy hoes and rakes1 because such were cheap1 their mere weight would have disgusted them with the business of hoeing and weeding4 ,so with a cow4 ,it is true1 ,i had become the owner of a magnificent thirty-dollar horse2 but it was the only beast ,i could get hold of at the moment when a horse must be had4 ,besides1 he turned out to be like a singed cat1 a vast deal better than he looked4 ,i had repeatedly heard of a cow in the neighboring town1 which was said to yield so much milk as to be the principal support of a small family whose head was a hopeless drunkard4 ,she had cost seventy-five dollars1 and had been a present to the drunkard's wife from one of her relatives4 ,by careful inquiry1 ,i satisfied myself that this cow gave twenty quarts daily1 and that five months after calving1 and on very indifferent pasture4 ,i went to see her1 and then her owner told me she was going to leave the place1 and would sell the cow for fifty dollars4 ,i did not hesitate a moment1 but paid the money and had the cow brought home the same evening4 ,my wife and daughter had not the least difficulty in learning to milk her4 ,under their treatment and my improved feeding1 we kept her in full flow for a long time4 ,she gave quite as much milk as two ordinary cows1 while we had the expense of keeping only one4 ,this ,i consider genuine good management3 the best is always the cheapest4 ,the cow was never permitted to go out of the barnyard4 ,a trough of water enabled her to drink as often as she needed1 but her green food was brought to her regularly three times daily1 with double allowance at night4 ,i began by mowing all the little grass-plots about the house and lanes1 for in these sheltered nooks the sod sends up a heavy growth far in advance of field or meadow4 ,but this supply was soon exhausted1 though it lasted more than a week3 besides1 these usually neglected nooks afforded several mowings during the season1 and the repeated cuttings produced the additional advantage of maintaining the sod in beautiful condition1 as well as getting rid of numberless weeds4 ,when the grass had all been once mowed over1 we resorted to the clover4 ,this also was mowed and taken to her2 and by this treatment my little clover-field held out astonishingly4 ,long before ,i had gone over it once1 the portion first mowed was up high enough to be mowed again4 ,indeed1 we did secure some hay in addition4 ,in this way both horse and cow were soiled4 ,when the clover gave out1 the green corn which ,i had sowed in rows was eighteen inches to two feet high1 and in capital condition to cut and feed4 ,it then took the place of clover4 ,both horse and cow devoured it with high relish4 ,it was the extra sweet corn now so extensively cultivated in ,new ,jersey for market1 and contained an excess of saccharine matter1 which made it not only very palatable1 but which sensibly stimulated the flow of milk4 ,the yield of green food which this description of corn gives to the acre1 when thus sowed1 is enormous4 ,not having weighed it1 ,i cannot speak as to the exact quantity1 but should judge it to be at least seven times that of the best grass or clover4 ,even without cutting up with a straw-knife1 the pigs ate it with equal avidity4 ,in addition to this1 the cow was fed morning and night with a little bran4 ,the unconsumed corn1 after being dried where it grew1 was cut and gathered for winter fodder1 and when cut fine and mixed with turnips which had been passed through a slicer1 kept the cow in excellent condition4 ,she of course got many an armful of cabbage-leaves during the autumn and all through the winter1 with now and then a sprinkling of sliced pumpkins1 from which the seeds had first been taken1 as they are sure to diminish the flow of milk4 ,thus ,i was obliged to lay out no money for either horse or cow1 except the few dollars expended for bran4 ,by this treatment ,i secured all the manure they made4 ,by feeding the barnyard itself1 as well as the hog-pen1 with green weeds and whatever litter and trash could be gathered up1 the end of the season found me with a huge manure pile1 all nicely collected under a rough shed1 out of reach of drenching rain1 hot sun1 and wasting winds4 ,i certainly secured thrice as much in one season as had ever been made on that place in three4 ,in addition to this1 the family had had more milk than they could use1 fresh1 rich1 and buttery4 ,even the pigs fell heir to an occasional bucket of skim-milk4 ,when our city friends came to spend a day or two with us1 we were able to astonish them with a tumbler of thick cream1 instead of the usual staple beverages of the tea-table4 ,my wife evidently felt a sort of pride in making a display of this kind1 and ,kate invariably spread herself by taking our visitors to the barnyard1 to let them see how expert she had become at milking4 ,when they remarked1 at table1 on the surpassing richness of the cream1 as well as the milk1 my wife was very apt to reply-- 8,yes1 but when your turn comes to go in the country1 be particular not to buy a cheap cow40 ,this remark generally led to inquiry1 and then ,kate was brought out with the whole story of our first and second cow1 which she accordingly gave with illustrations infinitely more amusing than any ,i have been able to introduce4 ,indeed1 her power of amplification sometimes astonished me4 ,she told the story of our having been cheated by the old sinner1 with such graphic liveliness1 my wife now and then interposing a parenthesis1 that the company invariably concluded it was by far the better policy to give a wide berth to cheap cows4 ,i am not certain whether the fun occasioned by ,kate's narratives was not really very cheaply purchased by the small loss we suffered on that occasion4 ,this abundance of milk wrought quite a change in our habits as to tea and coffee4 ,at supper1 during the summer1 we drank milk only2 but insensibly we ran on in the same way into cold weather4 ,in the end1 we found that we liked coffee in the morning only4 ,this was a clear saving1 besides being quite as wholesome4 ,our city milk bill had usually been a dollar a week4 ,i am quite sure it did not cost over sixty cents a week to keep the cow4 ,then we had puddings and other dishes1 which milk alone makes palatable1 whenever we wanted them2 and at any time of a hot summer's day a full draught of cold milk was always within reach4 ,then the quality was much superior1 exceeding any thing to be found in city milk4 ,i must admit that keeping a cow1 like most other good things1 involves some trouble2 but my family would cheerfully undertake twice as much as they have ever had with ours1 rather than dispense with this yet uncanonized saint of the barnyard4 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,a ,,cloud ,,of ,,weeds--,,great ,,sales ,,of ,,plants4 ,june came without my being obliged to hire any thing but occasional help on the farm4 ,but when the month was fairly set in1 ,i found every inch of my ploughed land in a fair way of being smothered by the weeds4 ,i was amazed at the countless numbers which sprang up1 as well as at the rapidity with which they grew4 ,there was almost every variety of these pests4 ,it seemed as if the whole township had concentrated its wealth of weeds upon my premises4 ,in the quick1 warm soil of ,new ,jersey1 they appear to have found a most congenial home1 as they abound on every farm that ,i have seen4 ,cultivators appear to have abandoned all hope of eradicating them4 ,knowing that the last year's crop had gone to seed1 ,i confess to looking for something of the kind1 but ,i was wholly unprepared for the thick haze which everywhere covered the ground4 ,i can bear any quantity of snakes1 but for weeds ,i have a sort of religious aversion4 ,i tried one week to overcome them with the cultivator1 but ,i made discouraging headway4 ,i then bought a regular horse-weeder1 which cut them down rapidly and effectually4 ,but meantime others were growing up in the rows1 and corners1 and by-places1 where nothing but the hoe could reach them1 and robbing the crops of their support4 ,it would never do to cultivate weeds--they must be got rid of at any cost1 or my crops would be worthless4 ,several neighboring farmers1 who had doubtless counted on this state of things1 came along about the time they supposed my hands would be full1 looked over the fence at my courageous onslaught1 laughed1 and called out1 8,it's no use--you can't kill the weeds60 ,such was the sympathy they afforded4 ,if my house had been on fire1 every one of them would have promptly hurried to the rescue2 but to assist a man in killing his weeds was what no one dreamed of doing4 ,he didn't kill his own4 ,in this dilemma ,i was forced to hire a young man to help me1 contracting to give him twelve dollars a month and board him4 ,he turned out sober and industrious4 ,we went to work courageously on the weeds4 ,i will admit that my man ,dick was quite as certain as my neighbors that we could never get permanently ahead of them1 and that thus lacking faith he took hold of the cultivator and weeder1 while ,i attacked the enemy in the rows and by-places4 ,i kept him constantly at it1 and worked steadily myself4 ,a week's labor left a most encouraging mark upon the ground4 ,the hot sun wilted and dried up the weeds as we cut them off4 ,two weeks enabled us to get over the whole lot1 making it look clean and nice4 ,i congratulated myself on our success1 and inquired of ,dick if he didn't think we had got ahead of the enemy now4 ,this was on a ,saturday evening4 ,dick looked up at the sky1 which was then black and showery1 with a warm south wind blowing1 and a broad laugh came over his features as he replied1 8,this will do till next time40 ,the fellow was evidently unwilling either to encourage or to disappoint me4 ,that night a powerful rain fell1 with a warm sultry wind1 being what farmers call 8growing weather40 ,i found it to be even so1 good for weeds at least4 ,monday morning came with a hot1 clear sun1 and1 under the combined stimulating power of sun1 rain1 and temperature1 ,i found that in two nights a new generation had started into life1 quite as numerous as that we had just overcome4 ,as ,i walked over the ground in company with ,dick1 ,i was confounded at the sight4 ,but ,i noticed that he expressed no astonishment whatever--it was just what he knew was to come--and so he declared it would be if we made the ground as clean as a parlor every week4 ,he said he never knew the weeds to be got out of ,jersey ground1 and protested that it couldn't be done4 ,he admitted that they were nuisances1 but so were mosquitoes4 ,but as neither1 in his opinion1 did any great harm1 so he thought it not worth while to spend much time or money in endeavoring to get rid of them4 ,in either case he considered the attempt a vain one1 and this was the whole extent of his philosophy4 ,he had in fact been educated to believe in weeds4 ,i was mortified at his indifference1 for ,i had labored to infuse into his mind the same hatred of the tribe with which my wife and ,kate had been so happily inoculated4 ,but ,dick was proof against inoculation--his system repudiated it4 ,but it set me to thinking4 ,as to defining what a weed was1 ,i did not undertake that1 beyond pronouncing it to be a plant growing out of its proper place4 ,neither did ,i undertake to settle the question as to the endless variety there seemed to be of these pests1 nor by what unaccountable agency they had become so thoroughly diffused over the earth4 ,i could not fail to admit1 however1 that it seemed1 in the providence of ,god1 that whenever man ceased to till the ground and cover it with cultivated crops1 at his almighty command there sprung up a profuse vegetation with which to clothe its nakedness4 ,while man might be idle1 it was impossible for nature to be so--the earth could not lie barren of every thing4 ,but it seemed to me impossible that these ten acres of mine could contain an absolutely indefinite number of seeds of these unwelcome plants4 ,there must be some limitation of the number4 ,at what figure did it stop8 ,was it one million1 or a hundred millions8 ,neither ,dick nor myself could answer this question4 ,yet ,i came resolutely to the conclusion that there must be a limitation1 and that if we could induce all the seeds contained in the soil to vegetate1 and then destroy the plants before they matured a new crop1 we should ever afterwards be excused from such constant labor as we had gone through1 and as was likely to be our experience in the future4 ,i submitted this proposition to ,dick--that if we killed all the weeds as they grew1 the time would come when there would be no weeds to kill4 ,it struck me as being so simple that even ,dick1 with all his doggedness1 could neither fail to comprehend nor acknowledge it4 ,he did manage to comprehend it1 but as to acknowledging its force1 one might have argued with him for a month4 ,he utterly denied the premises--he had no faith in our ,jersey weeds ever being killed1 no matter how much luck we had thus far had with them1 and ,i would see that he was right4 ,but having originated the dogma1 ,i fully believed in it1 and felt bound to maintain it2 so ,dick and ,i went resolutely to work a second time1 as soon as the new crop was well out of the ground4 ,the labor was certainly not as great as on the first crop1 but it was hot work4 ,i carried a file in my pocket1 and kept my hoe as sharp as ,i have always kept my carving knife1 and taught ,dick to put his horse-weeder in prime order every evening when we had quit work4 ,the perspiration ran in a stream from me in the hot sun1 and a few blisters rose on my hands1 but my appetite was rampant1 and never have my slumbers been so undisturbed and peaceful4 ,about the third week in ,june we got through the second cleaning1 and then rested4 ,from that time to the end of the first week in ,july there had been no rain1 with a powerfully hot sun4 ,during this interval the weeds grew again1 and entirely new generations1 some few of the first varieties1 but the remainder being new sorts4 ,thus there were wet-weather weeds and dry-weather weeds2 and as ,i afterwards found1 there was a regular succession of varieties from spring to winter1 and even into ,december--cold-weather weeds as well as hot-weather weeds4 ,against each new army as it showed itself an onslaught was to be made4 ,i was persuaded in my mind that the same army which we killed this year could not show itself the next1 and that therefore there ought to be that number less4 ,but ,dick could not see this4 ,i observed1 moreover1 that each variety had its particular period when it vegetated1 so that it might have time to get ahead and keep out of the way of its successor4 ,it was evident that the seeds of any one kind did not all vegetate the same season4 ,herein was a wonderful provision of ,providence to insure the perpetuity of all2 for if all the rag-weed1 for instance1 had vegetated the first season of my experience1 they would assuredly have been killed4 ,but multitudes remained dormant in the earth1 as if thus stored up for the purpose of repairing1 another year1 the casualties which their forerunners had encountered during the present one4 ,thus no one weed can be extirpated in a single season2 neither do we have the whole catalogue to attack at the same time4 ,my warfare against the enemy continued unabated4 ,as the time came for each new variety to show itself1 so we took it in hand with hoe and weeder4 ,dick and his horse made such admirable progress1 that ,i cannot refrain from recommending this most efficient tool to the notice of every cultivator4 ,with one man and a horse it will do the work of six men1 cutting off the weeds just below the ground and leaving them to wilt on the surface4 ,it costs but six dollars1 and can be had in all the cities4 ,it would have cost me a hundred dollars to do the same amount of work with the hoe1 which this implement did within four weeks4 ,thus aided1 our labors extended clear into ,november4 ,in the intervals between the different growths of weeds1 we looked after the other crops4 ,but when the winter closed in upon us1 the whole ground was so thoroughly cleaned of them as to be the admiration of the jeerers and croakers who1 early in the season1 had pitied my enthusiasm or ridiculed my anticipations4 ,even ,dick was somewhat subdued and doubtful4 ,i do not think a single weed escaped our notice1 and went to seed that season4 ,i saw this year a beautiful illustration of the idea that there are specific manures for certain plants4 ,i can hardly doubt that each has its specific favorite1 and that if cultivators could discover what that favorite is1 our crops might be indefinitely increased4 ,on a piece of ground which had been sowed with turnips1 on which guano had previously been sprinkled during a gentle rain1 there sprang up the most marvellous growth of purslane that ever met one's eyes4 ,the whole ground was covered with the rankest growth of this weed that could be imagined4 ,every turnip was smothered out4 ,it seemed as if the dormant purslane-seed had been instantly called into life by the touch of the guano4 ,it was singular1 too1 that we had noticed no purslane growing on that particular spot previous to the application of this rapidly-acting fertilizer4 ,i confess the sight of a dense carpet of purslane instead of a crop of turnips1 almost staggered me as to the correctness of my theory that the number of seeds in the ground1 yet to vegetate1 must somewhere have a limit4 ,here were evidently millions of a kind which1 up to this time1 had not even showed themselves4 ,after allowing the purslane to grow two weeks1 ,dick cut it off with his horse-weeder1 raked it up1 and carried it to the pigs1 who consumed it with avidity4 ,we then recultivated the ground and sowed again with turnips2 but the yield was very poor4 ,either the purslane had appropriated the whole energy of the guano1 or the sowing was too late in the season4 ,but this little incident will illustrate the value of observation to a farmer4 ,book-farming is a good thing in its place1 but observation is equally instructive4 ,the former is not sufficient1 of itself1 to make good tillers of the soil4 ,it will not answer in place of attentive observation4 ,it forms1 indeed1 but the poorest kind of a substitute for that habit which every farmer should cultivate1 of going all over his premises daily during the growing season1 and noticing the peculiarities of particular plants2 the habits of destructive animals or insects2 the depredations as well as the services of birds2 the when1 the how1 and the apparent wherefore of the germination of seeds2 the growth of the stem1 the vine1 or the stalk that proceeds from them1 and the formation1 growth1 and ripening of the fruit which they bear4 ,let no farmer1 fruit-grower1 or gardener1 neglect observation for an exclusive reliance on book-farming4 ,it would be a most erroneous conclusion for the reader to suppose that all this long-continued labor in keeping the ground clear of weeds was so much labor thrown away4 ,on the contrary1 even apart from ridding the soil of so many nuisances1 so many robbers of the nourishment provided for useful plants1 it kept the land in the most admirable condition4 ,the good conferred upon the garden by hoeing and raking1 was re-enacted here4 ,every thing ,i had planted grew with surprising luxuriance4 ,i do think it was an illustration of the value of thorough culture1 made so manifest that no one could fail to observe it4 ,it abundantly repaid me for all my watchfulness and care4 ,dick was forced to acknowledge that he had seen no such clean work done in that part of ,new ,jersey4 ,my nurseryman came along at the end of the season1 to see how ,i had fared1 and walked deliberately over the ground with me1 examining the peach-trees4 ,he said he had never seen young trees grow more vigorously4 ,not one of them had died4 ,the raspberries had not grown so much as he expected1 but the strawberry-rows were now filled with plants4 ,as runners were thrown out1 ,i had carefully trained them in line with the parent stools1 not permitting them to sprawl right and left over a great surface1 forming a mass that could not be weeded1 even by hand4 ,this he did not approve of4 ,he said by letting them spread out right and left the crop of fruit would be much greater1 but admitted that the size of the berries would be much smaller4 ,but he contended that quantity was what the public wanted1 and that they did not care so much for quality4 ,yet he could not explain the damaging fact that the largest sized fruit was always the most eagerly sought after1 and invariably commanded the highest price4 ,though he did not approve of my mode of cultivation1 yet he could not convince me that ,i had made a mistake4 ,from these we walked over to the blackberries4 ,they1 too1 had grown finely under my thorough culture of the ground4 ,besides sending up good canes which promised a fair crop the next season1 each root had sent up several suckers1 some of them several feet away1 and out of the line of the row4 ,these ,i had intended to sell1 and had preserved as many as possible1 knowing there would be a demand for all4 ,the interest in the new berry had rapidly extended all round among my neighbors1 and ,i very soon discovered that my nurseryman wanted to buy4 ,in fact1 ,i believe he came more for that purpose than to see how ,i was doing4 ,but ,i talked offish--spoke of having engaged two or three lots1 and could hardly speak with certainty4 ,finally1 he offered to give me a receipt for the #abj he was to receive out of the strawberries he had sold me1 and pay me #ajj down1 for a thousand blackberry plants4 ,though ,i felt pretty sure ,i could do better1 yet ,i closed with him4 ,as he had evidently come prepared with money to clinch some sort of bargain1 he produced it and paid me on the spot4 ,he afterwards retailed nearly all of the plants for a much larger sum4 ,but it was a good bargain for both of us4 ,it paid me well1 and was all clear profit4 ,i may add that these blackberry roots came into more active demand from that time until the next spring2 and when spring opened1 more suckers came up1 as if knowing they were wanted4 ,these1 with my previous stock1 amounted to a large number4 ,a seed-man in the city advertised them for sale1 and took retail orders for me4 ,his sales1 with my own1 absorbed every root ,i could spare4 ,when they had all been disposed of1 and my receipts were footed up1 ,i found that they amounted to four hundred and sixty dollars1 leaving me three hundred and forty dollars clear1 after paying for my strawberry plants4 ,this was far better than ,i had anticipated4 ,it may sound curiously now1 when the plants can be had so cheaply1 but it is a true picture of the market at the time of which ,i write4 ,it is the great profit to be realized from the sale of new plants that stimulates their cultivation4 ,many men have made fortunes from the sale of a new fruit or flower1 and others are repeating the operation now4 ,in fact1 it is the hope of this great gain that has given to the world so many new and valuable plants1 some originated from seed1 some by hybridization1 some from solitary hiding-places in the woods and mountains1 and some by importation from distant countries4 ,success in one thing stimulates to exertion for another1 and thus the race of a vast and intelligent competition is maintained4 ,but the public is the greatest gainer after all4 ,my profits from this source1 the first year1 may by some be regarded as an exceptional thing1 to be realized only by the fortunate few1 and not to be regularly counted on4 ,but this is not the case4 ,there are thousands of cultivators who are constantly in the market as purchasers4 ,if it were not so1 the vast nursery establishments which exist all over the country could not be maintained4 ,every fruit-grower1 like myself1 has been compelled to buy in the beginning of his operations2 but his turn for selling has invariably come round4 ,as a general rule1 whatever outlay a beginner makes in supplying himself with the smaller fruits1 is afterwards reimbursed from the sale of surplus plants he does not need4 ,this sale occurs annually1 and in time will far exceed his original outlay4 ,if the plants be rare in the market1 and if he should have gone into the propagation at a very early day1 before prices have found their lowest level1 his profits will be the larger4 ,hence the utmost watchfulness of the market should be maintained4 ,new plants1 better breeds of animals1 and in fact every improvement connected with agriculture1 if judiciously adopted at the earliest moment1 will generally be found to pay1 even after allowing for losses on the numerous cheats which are continually turning up4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,pigs ,,and ,,poultry--,,luck ,,and ,,ill ,,luck4 ,very early after taking possession1 ,i invested twelve dollars in the purchase of seven pigs of the ordinary country breed4 ,they were wanted to eat the many odds and ends which are yielded by ten acres1 a good garden1 and the kitchen4 ,i did not look for much money profit from them1 but ,i knew they were great as architects in building up a manure heap4 ,yet they were capital things with which to pack a meat-tub at ,christmas1 saving money from the butcher1 as well as much running abroad to market4 ,they shared with the cow in the abundant trimmings and surplus from the garden1 eating many things which she rejected1 and appropriating all the slop from the kitchen4 ,in addition to this1 we fed them twice a day with boiled bran1 sometimes with a handful of corn meal1 but never upon whole corn4 ,this cooking of the food was no great trouble in the kitchen1 but its effect on the pigs was most beneficial4 ,they grew finely1 except one which died after four months' feeding1 but from what cause could not be ascertained4 ,the consequence was1 that when ,october came round1 the six remaining ones were estimated by ,dick to average at least one hundred and fifty pounds each1 and were in prime condition for fattening4 ,in the early part of that month their supply of cooked mush was increased4 ,i am of opinion that farmers leave the fattening of their hogs too late1 and that a month on corn1 before ,december1 is worth three months after it4 ,by the tenth of ,december they were ready for the butcher1 and on being killed1 were found to average two hundred and twenty-four pounds1 or nine hundred and forty-four in all4 ,this being three times as much as we needed for home use1 the remainder was sent to the store1 where it netted me forty-nine dollars4 ,i am quite certain there was a profit on these pigs4 ,they consumed quantities of refuse tomatoes1 and devoured parsnips with the greatest eagerness4 ,one day ,i directed ,dick to cut up some stalks of our green sweet corn1 by means of the fodder-cutter1 which delivers them in pieces half an inch long1 and mix them with bran for the pigs4 ,i found they consumed it with great avidity4 ,ever after that they were served twice daily with the same mess4 ,it seemed to take the place of stronger food1 as well as of grass1 and was an acceptable variety4 ,in this way the money cost of food was kept at a low figure1 and the labor we spent on the pigs showed itself in the fine yield of prime pork1 which brought the highest price in the market4 ,the yield of rich manure was also very satisfactory1 all which1 at intervals through the season1 was removed from the pen and put under cover1 for manure thus housed from the sun and rain is worth about double that which is exposed all the year round4 ,this was another item of profit3 if the pigs had not manufactured it1 money would have been required to pay for its equivalent4 ,after these six had been killed1 ,i purchased seven others1 some two months old1 having abundance of roots1 offal cabbages1 and a stack of the sweet-corn fodder on hand4 ,these seven cost the same as the others1 twelve dollars4 ,as ,dick was found to be a good1 trustworthy fellow1 he was to be kept all the year round2 and as he would be hanging about the barnyard during the winter1 when the ground was wet and sloppy1 looking after the horse and cow1 the pigs would help to fill up his time4 ,the cooking of food for both cow and pigs was a great novelty to him4 ,at first he could not be made to believe in it4 ,when ,i ventured to insinuate to him that it would be any thing but agreeable to him to eat his dinners raw1 the force of the idea did not strike him4 ,so much is there in the power of long-established habit4 ,yet he did condescend to admit that he knew all pigs throve better on plenty of common kitchen-swill than on almost any thing else4 ,i told him there was but one reason for this1 and that was because all such swill had been cooked4 ,when the improvement made by the first lot of pigs became too manifest for even him to dispute1 he1 together with the pigs1 acknowledged the corn and gave in4 ,when out-door operations for the season were over1 ,dick undertook the whole business of cooking for the pigs and cow himself4 ,in fact1 on one occasion ,i succeeded in getting him to curry down both cow and pigs4 ,they all looked and showed so much better for near a week thereafter1 that coming on him unexpectedly one day1 ,i found him repeating the operation of his own motion1 and so he voluntarily continued the practice during the whole winter4 ,the pigs seemed delighted with the process1 and had very little scratching of their own to do4 ,their backs and sides were kept continually smooth1 while their whole appearance was changed for the better4 ,as to the cow1 she took to being curried with the best possible grace1 and improved under it as much as the pigs2 but whether it increased the flow of milk ,i cannot say1 as no means were taken to solve that question4 ,but as ,dick's devotion to the currycomb excited my admiration1 so there was abundant evidence that both pigs and cow were equally captivated4 ,this business of raising and carefully attending to only half a dozen hogs1 is worthy of every small farmer's serious study and attention4 ,the hog and his food1 with what is cheapest and best for him1 is really one of the sciences1 not an exact one1 it is true1 but still a science4 ,one must look at and study many things1 and they can all be made to pay4 ,the propensity to acquire fat in many animals seems to have been implanted by nature4 ,the hog fattens most rapidly in such a condition of the atmosphere as is most congenial to his comfort--not too hot1 nor too cold4 ,hence the months of ,september1 ,october1 and ,november are the best for making pork4 ,the more agreeable the weather1 the less is the amount of food required to supply the waste of life4 ,it has been found by some persons that a clover-field is the best and cheapest place to keep hogs in during the spring and summer months1 where they have a plenty of water1 the slop from the house1 and the sour milk from the dairy4 ,all sour feed contains more nitrogen than when fed in a sweet state4 ,the first green herbage of the spring works off the impurities of the blood1 cleanses the system1 renovates the constitution1 and enables the animal to accumulate a store of strength to carry it forward to its destined course4 ,many object to beginning the fattening process so early in the season1 as the corn relied on for that purpose is not then fully matured4 ,but1 taking all things into consideration1 it is perhaps better to feed corn before it is ripe1 as in that state it possesses more sweetness4 ,most varieties are in milk in ,september1 when the hogs will chew it1 swallow the juice1 and eject the dry1 fibrous matter4 ,during the growing season of the year1 swine can be fed on articles not readily marketable1 as imperfect fruit1 vegetables1 c4 ,when such articles are used1 cooking them is always economical4 ,most vegetables1 when boiled or steamed1 and mixed with only an eighth of their bulk of mill-feed or meal1 whey1 and milk left to sour1 will fatten hogs fast4 ,in this state they will eat it with avidity1 and derive more benefit from it than when fed in an unfermented state4 ,articles of a perishable nature should be used first1 to prevent waste1 as it is desirable to turn all the products of the farm to the best account4 ,another quite important advantage of early feeding is the less trouble in cooking the food4 ,convenience of feeding is promoted1 as there is no cost nor trouble to guard against freezing4 ,the more you can mix the food1 the better1 as they will thrive faster on mixed food than when fed separately4 ,in feeding1 no more should be given at a time than is eaten up clean1 and the feeding should be regular as to time4 ,it is of the greatest importance to get the best varieties1 those that are well formed1 and have an aptitude for taking on fat readily1 and consume the least food4 ,as to which is the best kind1 there seems to be a great diversity of opinion1 some preferring one kind and some another4 ,the ,suffolks come to maturity earliest1 and probably are the most profitable to kill at from seven to ten months2 but others prefer the ,berkshires4 ,the pork of both is excellent3 they will usually weigh from #bej to #cjj pounds at the age of eight or ten months4 ,the better way is to have the pigs dropped about the first of ,april1 and feed well until ,december1 and then butcher4 ,from a variety of experiments1 ,i am satisfied it is wrong to let a hog remain poor twelve months of his life1 when he could be made as large in nine months as he generally is in fifteen2 and ,i conceive it a great error to feed corn to hogs without grinding4 ,it has been proved by the ,shakers1 after thirty years' trial1 that ground corn is one-third better for hogs and cattle-feed than if unground4 ,in the case of another feeder1 he ascertained the ratio of gain to be even greater than that of the ,shakers4 ,others assert that cooking corn-meal nearly doubles its value4 ,a distinguished agriculturist in ,ohio proved that nineteen pounds of cooked meal were equal in value to fifty pounds raw4 ,if pigs are well kept for three months after being dropped1 they cannot be stunted after that1 even if the supply of food is less than it should be4 ,it is desirable that hogs should be provided with a dry floor for eating and sleeping only1 and the whole pen completely sheltered1 to prevent any washing or waste of the manure4 ,the commonwealth of the piggery should be furnished with plenty of straw1 potato-vines1 leaves1 sawdust1 and the like1 with an occasional load of muck1 and almost any quantity of weeds1 all of which will be converted into the most efficient supports of vegetable life4 ,hogs are the best composters known1 as they delight in upturning any such article as the farmer wishes to convert into manure for the coming year4 ,there can be no question as to its paying to make pork1 though men differ on this as widely as their pork differs when brought to market4 ,the poorer the pork1 the more the owner complains of his profits1 or rather of his losses2 and the better the pork1 the more is the owner satisfied4 ,there can be no profit in raising a poor breed of hogs1 that have no fattening qualities2 nor even a good breed1 without conveniences or proper care4 ,a good hog cannot be fatted to any profit in mud or filth1 nor where he suffers from cold4 ,his comfort should be consulted as much as that of any other animal4 ,it is a great error to assume that he is naturally fond of living among filth4 ,on the contrary1 hogs are remarkably neat1 and those which fatten the best always keep themselves the cleanest4 ,one farmer assured me that he had made his corn bring #a4be per bushel by passing it through the bowels of his hogs1 besides having the manure clear4 ,another did much better by cooking his meal4 ,as no farm is pronounced complete without poultry1 and as both my wife and daughters were especially fond of looking after chickens1--at least they thought they would be1--so1 to make their new home attractive1 ,i invested #g in the purchase of a cock and ten hens4 ,they were warranted to be powerful layers1 and would hatch fifteen eggs apiece4 ,it struck me that this sounded very large1 but on my wife observing it would be only a hundred and fifty chickens the first season1 ,i gave in without a word4 ,the fact is that chickens were not my hobby4 ,i did not think they would pay1 even after hearing my wife dilate on the luxury it would be to have fresh eggs every morning for breakfast1 for pies and puddings1 and various other things which she enumerated1 and1 as she expressed it1 8eggs of our own laying40 ,i could not see how this circle of wonders was to be accomplished by only ten hens1 and insinuated that it would be a good thing if she could make a bargain with each of her hens to lay two eggs a day4 ,in reply to this1 she astonished me by saying that ,americans did not know how to make the most of things1 but that the ,french did4 ,she said that a certain ,frenchman1 mentioning his name--he was either a marquis or count1 of course--had recently discovered the art of making hens lay every day by feeding them on horse-flesh1 and that he feeds out twenty-five horses a day1 which he obtains among the used-up hacks of ,paris4 ,she said he had a hennery which furnishes forty thousand dozens of eggs a week1 and that it yields the proprietor a clear profit of five thousand dollars every seven days4 ,after hearing this ,i felt certain she had been reading some modern poultry-book4 ,but as she did not speak of requiring me to furnish horse-flesh for her pets1 nor contemplate the establishment of a fresh-laid egg company1 but only suggested the consumption of a little raw meat now and then1 ,i volunteered no objections4 ,her enthusiasm was such as to make it unsafe to do so4 ,why should not she and the children be gratified8 ,the hens came home1 and were put into a cage in the barnyard1 to familiarize them with their new home4 ,but they did not lay so freely as she had expected1 while some did not lay at all4 ,worse than that1 as soon as let out of their cage1 they got over the fence into the garden1 where they scratched as violently as if each one had a brood of fifteen to scratch for4 ,they made terrible havoc among the young flowers and vegetables1 and tore up the beds which had been so nicely raked4 ,one of the girls was employed half her time in driving them out4 ,i thought it too great an expense to raise the barnyard fence high enough to keep them in1 and so they were marched back into the cage4 ,it happened to be too small for so many fowls1 which my wife did not suspect1 until one day1 putting her hand in to draw forth a sick hen1 she discovered her whole arm and sleeve to be swarming with lice4 ,here was something she did not remember to have been treated of in her poultry-book4 ,but the nuisance was so great1 as well as so active1 soon extending itself all over her person1 as to compel her to strip and change her entire dress1 and to plunge the lousy one in a tub of water4 ,i confess the difficulty was a new one to me4 ,my experience in poultry had been limited4 ,my knowledge of them was exclusively anatomical1 obtained by frequent dissections with the carving-knife4 ,on calling ,dick1 however1 it appeared that he knew more about this trouble than the whole family together4 ,when my wife described her condition to him1 and how she had swarmed with the vermin1 the fellow laughed outright1 but said they wouldn't hurt--he knew all about them1 for he had been full of lice more than once6 ,he said he expected this1 as the fowls had been kept up too close3 they would neither lay1 thrive1 nor keep clear of vermin1 unless allowed to run about4 ,but he took the case in hand1 clipped their wings1 saturated their heads with lamp oil1 provided abundance of ashes for them to roll in1 and then turned them loose in the barnyard4 ,he then obtained poles of sassafras wood for them to roost on1 as he said the peculiar odor of that tree would drive the enemy away4 ,i presume his prescriptions answered the purpose2 at all events1 we discovered no more hen-lice1 because the whole family were careful never to touch a fowl again4 ,i think this little catastrophe took all the romance out of my wife touching chickens4 ,i rarely heard her mention eggs afterwards1 except when some of us were going to the store for other things1 and she was careful never to purchase chickens with the feathers on4 ,she never referred to the hundred and fifty she was to hatch out that season2 nor have ,i ever heard her even mention horse-flesh as a sure thing for making hens lay all the year round4 ,that winter ,dick fattened and killed the whole lot4 ,my wife did not seem to have much stomach for them when they came upon the table4 ,i was not sorry for it1 except that she had been disappointed4 ,her knowledge of keeping poultry had been purely theoretical1 and her first disappointment had completely weaned her of her fondness for the art4 ,but this brief and unlucky experience of ours should by no means operate to discourage others4 ,money is undoubtedly made by skilful men at raising poultry4 ,it cannot be a losing business1 or so many thousand tons would not be annually produced4 ,volumes have been written on the subject1 which all who contemplate embarking in the business may consult with profit4 ,as an incident of farm life it will always be interesting1 and with those who understand the art it ought to be profitable4 ,foreigners must be more experienced in the business of raising poultry than ,americans1 judging by the vast quantities they annually produce for market4 ,the quantity imported into ,england is so enormous1 that it is impossible to determine its amount4 ,into only two of the principal ,london markets there is annually brought from ,france and ,belgium1 #ge1jjj1jjj eggs1 #b1jjj1jjj fowls1 #djj1jjj pigeons1 #bjj1jjj geese and turkeys1 and #cjj1jjj ducks4 ,in addition to these1 the large amount sent to poulterers and private houses must be considered4 ,the ,brighton railroad alone carries yearly #b1fjj tons of eggs which come from ,france and ,belgium4 ,yet1 with all these immense supplies1 the ,london markets are frequently very meagrely supplied with butter and eggs4 ,the trade is shown by these figures to be one of great national value4 ,americans have strangely neglected its cultivation with the method and precision of foreigners4 ,we can raise food more cheaply than they1 while none of them can boast of possessing our incomparable ,indian corn4 ,there are several of my neighbors who are highly skilled in the art of raising poultry4 ,one of them is quite a poultry-fancier1 and1 by keeping only choice breeds1 he realizes fancy prices for them4 ,another confines his fowls in a plum-orchard1 and thus secures an annual crop of plums without being stung by the curculio4 ,in general1 the female portion of the family attend to this branch of domestic business1 and realize a snug sum from it annually4 ,a brood of young chickens turned into a garden1 the hen confined in her coop1 will soon clear it of destructive insects4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,city ,,and ,,country ,,life ,,contrasted4 ,the pensive reader must not take it for granted that in going into the country we escaped all the annoyances of domestic life peculiar to the city1 or that we fell heir to no new ones1 such as we had never before experienced4 ,he must remember that this is a world of compensations1 and that nowhere will he be likely to find either an unmixed good or an unmixed evil4 ,such was exactly our experience4 ,but on summing up the two1 the balance was decidedly in our favor4 ,it is true that though the town close by us had well-paved streets1 yet the walk of half a mile to reach them was a mere gravel path1 which was sometimes muddy in summer1 and sloppy with unshovelled snow in winter4 ,but ,i walked over it almost daily to the post-office1 not even imagining that it was worse than a city pavement4 ,the tramp of the children to school was not longer than they had been used to1 and my wife and daughters thought it no hardship to go shopping among the well-supplied stores quite as frequently as when living in the city4 ,indeed1 ,i sometimes thought they went a little oftener4 ,they were certainly as well posted up as to the new fashions as they had ever been1 while the fresh country air1 united with constant exercise1 kept them in good appetite1 even to the rounding of their cheeks1 and the maintenance of a better color in them than ever4 ,as to society1 they very soon made acquaintances quite as agreeable as could be desired4 ,visiting became a very frequent thing2 and after a few months ,i let in a suspicion that the girls found twice as many beaux as in the city1 though there the average number is always larger than in the country4 ,on throwing out an insinuation of this kind to ,kate1 one summer evening1 after a large party of young folks had concluded their visit1 she made open confession that it was so1 and volunteered her conviction that they were decidedly more agreeable4 ,i admit this confession did not surprise me1 as there was one young man among the party who had become especially attentive to ,kate--bringing her the new magazines as soon as they were out1 sundry books and pictorials1 and always having a deal to say to her1 with a singular genius for getting her away from the rest of the company1 so that most of their mysterious small-talk could be heard by none but themselves4 ,another remark which ,i made to ,kate on a subsequent occasion1 touching this subject1 covered her bright face with so many blushes that ,i ventured to mention the whole matter to my wife2 but she made so light of the thing that ,i said no more at the time1 thinking1 perhaps1 that the women were most likely the best judges in such cases4 ,but ,i have since discovered that my prognostications were much more to be depended on than hers4 ,then the walks for miles around us were excellent1 and we all became great walkers1 for walking we found to be good4 ,not merely stepping from shop to shop1 or from neighbor to neighbor1 but stretching away out into the country1 to the freshest fields1 the shadiest woods1 the highest ridges1 and the greenest lawns4 ,we found that however sullen the imagination may have been among its griefs at home1 here it cheered up and smiled4 ,however listless the limbs may have been by steady toil1 here they were braced up1 and the lagging gait became buoyant again4 ,however stubborn the memory may be in presenting that only which was agonizing1 and insisting on that which cannot be retrieved1 on walking among the glowing fields it ceases to regard the former1 and forgets the latter4 ,indeed1 we all came to esteem the mere breathing of the fresh wind upon the commonest highway to be rest and comfort1 which must be felt to be believed4 ,but then we had neither gas nor hydrant water1 those two prime luxuries of city life4 ,yet there was a pump in a deep well under a shed at the kitchen door1 from which we drew water so cold as not at any time to need that other city luxury1 ice4 ,it was gratifying to see how expertly even the small children operated with the pump-handle4 ,in a month we ceased to regret the hydrants4 ,as to gas1 we had the modern lamps1 which give so clear a light not so convenient1 it must be confessed1 but then they did not cost us over half as much1 neither did we sit up near so long at night4 ,there were two mails from the city daily1 and the newsboy threw the morning paper into the front door while we sat at breakfast4 ,the evening paper came up from the city before we had supped4 ,we had two daily mails from ,new ,york1 besides a telegraph station4 ,the baker served us twice a day with bread1 when we needed it2 the oysterman became a bore1 he rang the bell so often2 and the fish-wagon1 with sea-fish packed in ice1 directly from the shore1 was within call as often as we desired1 with fish as cheap and sound as any to be purchased in the city4 ,groceries and provisions from the stores cost no more than they did there1 but they were no cheaper4 ,but in the item of rent the saving was enormous1--really half enough1 in my case1 to keep a moderate family4 ,many's the time1 when sweating over the weeds1 have ,i thought of this last heavy drain on the purse of the city toiler1 and thanked ,heaven that ,i had ceased to work for the landlord4 ,we had books as abundantly as aforetime1 as we retained our share in the city library1 and became subscribers to that in the adjoining town4 ,it is true that the road in front of us was never thronged like ,chestnut-street1 but we neither sighed after the crowd nor missed its presence4 ,we saw no flash of jewelry1 nor heard the rustling of expensive silks1 except the few which on particular occasions were sported within our own unostentatious domicil4 ,our entire wardrobes were manifestly on a scale less costly than ever4 ,our old city friends were apparently a great way off1 but as they could reach us in an hour either by steamboat or rail1 they quickly found us out4 ,the relish of their society was heightened by distance and separation4 ,in short1 while far from being hermits1 we were happy in ourselves4 ,i think my wife became a perfectly happy woman--what it had been the great study of my wedded life to make her--the very sparkle and sunshine of the house4 ,she possessed the magic secret of being contented under any circumstances4 ,the current of my life had never been so dark and unpropitious1 that the sunshine of her happy face1 falling across its turbid course1 failed to awake an answering gleam4 ,speaking of visitors from abroad1 ,i noticed that our city friends came to make their visits on the very hottest summer days1 when1 of all others1 we were ourselves sufficiently exhausted by the heat1 and were disposed to put up with as little cooking and in-door work as possible4 ,but as such visitations were not exactly comfortable to the visited1 so we could not see how they could be any more agreeable to the visitors4 ,yet they generally remarked1 even when the mercury was up to ninety-five1 8,how much cooler it is in the country60 ,they did really enjoy either themselves or the heat4 ,but my wife told them it was only the change of scene that made the weather tolerable1 and that if they lived in the country they would soon discover it to be quite as hot as in the city4 ,for my part1 ,i bore the heat admirably1 though tanned by the sun to the color of an aborigine2 but ,i enjoyed the inexpressible luxury of going constantly in my shirt sleeves4 ,i can hardly find words to describe the feeling of comfort which ,i enjoyed for full seven months out of the twelve from this little piece of latitudinarianism1 the privilege of country life1 but an unknown luxury in the city4 ,i saw that this press of company in the very hottest weather imposed an unpleasant burden on my wife1 for she and my two oldest daughters were the sole caterers2 and ,i intended to say something to her concerning it1 as soon as a large party1 then staying several days with us1 should have concluded their visit4 ,but on going into our chamber that very evening1 she surprised me by asking if ,i could tell her why1 when ,eve was made from one of ,adam's ribs1 there was not a hired girl made at the same time1 for to her mind it took three to make a pair--he1 she1 and a hired girl4 ,i replied that ,i had not given much time to the study of navigation1 but that ,i quite understood her meaning1 and that it was exactly what ,i had myself been thinking of4 ,if ,adam's rib1 after producing ,eve1 had not held out to produce a hired girl also1 ,i told her there was a much quicker way of getting what she wanted1 and that the first morning paper she might pick up would produce her twenty hired girls4 ,in this way1 before the summer was over1 ,i procured her a servant1 thus making her little establishment complete4 ,for this luxury we paid city wages4 ,but this was a small item1 when ,i saw how much her presence relieved my wife4 ,after that1 ,i do not think she complained quite as much of the hot weather1 nor was she inclined so frequently to repeat her former observation1 that the sultry days always brought the most company4 ,indeed1 ,i am certain that on one or two occasions1 when the dog-days were terribly oppressive1 she prevailed on different parties to prolong their stay for nearly a week4 ,now1 this taking on of ,betty did not imply that my daughters were to be brought up to do nothing--or to do every thing that is fashionable imperfectly4 ,my wife had already educated them in domestic duties--not merely to marry1 to go off with husbands in a hurry1 and afterwards from them4 ,to the two eldest she had taught a trade1 and they were both able to earn their salt4 ,they could not only dress themselves1 but knew how to make their dresses and bonnets1 and all the clothing for the younger children4 ,she cultivated in them all that was necessary in the position in which they were born1 one thing at a time1 but that thing in perfection2 so that if parents were impoverished1 or if in after-life reverses should overtake themselves1 they might feel independent in the ability to earn their own support4 ,she frowned upon the senseless rivalries of social life1 as destructive of morals1 mind1 and health1 and imbued their spirits with a devout veneration for holy things4 ,she taught them no worship of the almighty dollar1 but sound1 practical economy1 the art of saving the pieces4 ,surely it must be education alone which fills the world with two kinds of girls--one kind which appears best abroad1 good for parties1 rides1 and visits1 and whose chief delight is in such things--good1 in fact1 for little else4 ,the other is the kind that appears best at home1 graceful in the parlor1 captivating in social intercourse1 useful in the sick chamber as in the dining-room1 and cheerful in all the precincts of home4 ,they differ widely in character4 ,one is often the family torment2 the other the family blessing3 one a moth consuming every thing about her2 the other a sunbeam1 inspiring life and gladness all along her pathway4 ,as my wife embodied in herself all that to me appeared desirable in woman1 so she possessed the faculty of transfusing her own virtues into the constitution of her daughters4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,two ,,acres ,,in ,,truck--,,revolution ,,in ,,agriculture4 ,i had one acre in tomatoes1 a vegetable for whose production the soil of ,new ,jersey is perhaps without a rival4 ,the plants are started in hot-beds1 where they flourish until all danger from frost disappears1 when they are set out in the open air1 with a generous shovel-full of well-rotted stable manure deposited under each plant4 ,a moist day is preferred for this operation2 but even without it this plant generally goes on growing4 ,it has been observed that the oftener it is transplanted1 the more quickly it matures2 and as the great effort among growers is to be first in market1 so some of them take pains to give it two transplantings4 ,having no hot-bed on my premises1 and my time being fully occupied with other things1 ,i was compelled to purchase plants from those who had them to spare1 the cost of which is elsewhere stated4 ,but the operation paid well4 ,the quantity produced by an acre of well-manured tomatoes is almost incredible4 ,when in full bearing1 the field seems to be perfectly red with them4 ,those which come first into market1 even without being perfectly ripe1 sell for sixpence apiece4 ,so popular has this vegetable become1 and so great is the profit realized by cultivating it1 that for nearly twenty years it has been grown in large quantities by ,jerseymen who emigrated to ,virginia for the purpose of taking advantage of the earlier climate of that genial region4 ,there they bought farms1 improved them by using freely the unappropriated and unvalued stores of manure to be found in the vicinity1 and produced whole cargoes of the choicest early vegetables required by the great consuming public of the northern cities4 ,they shipped them hither two weeks ahead of all the ,jersey truckers1 and were rewarded by fabulous prices1 from the receipt of which large fortunes resulted4 ,this mutually advantageous traffic had become a very important one1 when rebellion broke it up4 ,intercourse was stopped1 cultivation was abandoned1 and the ,virginia truckers were ruined4 ,although this competition seriously interfered with the profits of ,new ,jersey farmers1 yet it did not destroy them4 ,the cultivation of early truck and fruit continued to pay1 though not so well as formerly4 ,when prices fell1 the ,southern growers could not afford the cost of delivery here1 and thus left us in undisputed possession of the market4 ,but1 as a general rule1 the ,virginia competitors invariably obtained the highest prices4 ,a great portion of their several crops1 however1 perished on their hands2 because1 as they had no market here when prices fell1 so the scanty population around them afforded none at home4 ,for the first few baskets of early tomatoes ,i sent to market1 ,i obtained two dollars per basket of three pecks each4 ,other growers coming in competition with me1 the price rapidly diminished as the supply increased1 until it fell to twenty-five cents a bushel4 ,at less than this the growers refused to pick them2 and seasons have been repeatedly known when tens of thousands of bushels were left to perish on the vines4 ,when this low price could be no longer obtained1 they were gathered and thrown to the pigs1 who consumed them freely4 ,but as the season advanced the supply diminished1 and the price again rose to a dollar a basket1 the demand continuing as long as any could be procured4 ,the tomatoes are at this season picked green from the vines1 and placed under glass1 where they are imperfectly ripened2 but such is the public appreciation of this wholesome vegetable1 that when thus only half reddened1 they are eagerly sought after by hotels and boarding-houses4 ,but of latter years measures have been taken to prevent1 to some extent1 the enormous waste of tomatoes during the height of the season1 by preserving them in cans4 ,establishments have been started1 at which any quantity that may be offered is purchased at twenty-five cents a bushel2 and now they can be kept through the whole year1 and be preserved for winter consumption1 the same as potatoes or turnips4 ,by hermetically sealing them in cans from which the air has been expelled by heat1 they are not only preserved1 but made to retain their full flavor2 and may be enjoyed1 at a very moderate cost1 in the winter as well as the summer4 ,the demand for them is constant1 large1 and increasing1 and putting up canned tomatoes has become an extensive business4 ,one person1 who commenced the business two years ago1 is literally up to the eyes in tomatoes once a year4 ,he provides for a single year's trade over fifty thousand cans1 all of which are manufactured by himself2 and he employs over thirty persons1 most of them women4 ,he engages tomatoes at twenty-five cents a bushel1 a price at which the cultivator clears about a hundred dollars an acre1 and they come in at the rate of a hundred and fifty bushels a day1 requiring the constant labor of all-hands into the night to dispose of them4 ,the building in which the business is carried on was constructed expressly for it4 ,at one end of the room in which the canning is done is a range of brick-work supporting three large boilers2 and adjoining is another large boiler1 in which the scalding is done4 ,the tomatoes are first thrown into this scalder1 and after remaining there a sufficient time1 are thrown upon a long table1 on each side of which are ten or twelve young women1 who rapidly divest them of their leathery hides4 ,the peeled tomatoes are then thrown into the boilers1 where they remain until they are raised to a boiling heat1 when they are rapidly poured into the cans1 and these are carried to the tinmen1 who1 with a dexterity truly marvellous1 place the caps upon them1 and solder them down1 when they are piled up to cool1 after which they are labelled1 and are ready for market4 ,the rapidity and the system with which all this is done is most remarkable1 one of the tinmen soldering nearly a hundred cans in an hour4 ,the tomatoes thus preserved are readily salable in all the great cities1 both for home consumption and for use at sea4 ,thus1 few vegetables have gained so rapid and wide-spread a popularity as this4 ,until lately1 but few persons would even taste them2 and they were raised1 when cultivated at all1 more from curiosity than any thing else4 ,now scarcely a person can be found who is not fond of them1 and they occupy a prominent place on almost every table4 ,my single acre of tomatoes produced me a clear profit of #abj4 ,i am aware that others have realized more than double this amount1 but they were experienced hands at the business4 ,my gains were quite as much as ,i had anticipated4 ,from all the remainder of the three acres but little money was produced4 ,it gave me parsnips1 turnips1 and pumpkins4 ,between the rows of sweet corn a fine crop of cabbages was raised1 of which my sales amounted to #hb4 ,thus1 an abundant supply of succulent food was provided for horse1 cow1 and pigs during the winter1 all which saved the outlay of so much cash4 ,i admit that a few of my vegetables did not yield equal to the grounds of some of my neighbors1 thus disappointing some of my calculations4 ,but ,i was inexperienced1 had much to learn1 and was not discouraged4 ,on the other hand1 ,i had gone far ahead of them in the growth of my standard fruits2 and the evident hit ,i had made with the new blackberry had the effect of impressing them with considerable respect for my courage and sagacity4 ,this business of raising vegetables for the great city markets1 8trucking10 as it is popularly called1 is now the great staple of ,new ,jersey agriculture4 ,all the region of country stretching from ,camden some forty miles towards ,new ,york1 once enjoyed the reputation of being either all sand or all pine4 ,it is traversed by the old highway between ,philadelphia and ,new ,york1 laid out by direction of royalty in colonial days1 and protected at various points by barracks1 in which troops were garrisoned4 ,some of the barracks remain to this day2 though in chambers where high military revel once was held1 devout congregations now worship4 ,along this royal highway passed all the early travel between the colonies2 and after they had been severed from their parent stem1 up to the advent of steamboats and railroads1 it was the only thoroughfare between the two cities of ,new ,york and ,philadelphia4 ,stages occupied five weary days between them1 the horses exhausted by wading through a deep1 laborious sand in summer1 or the still deeper mud through which they floundered in winter4 ,on miles of this road the sand was frightful4 ,no local authorities worked it1 no merciful builder of turnpikes ever thought of reclaiming it4 ,it lay from generation to generation1 as waste and wild as when the native pines were first cleared away4 ,access was so laborious1 that few strangers visited the region through which it passed2 and the land was held in large tracts1 whereon but few settlers had made clearings4 ,all judged the soil as worthless as the deep sand in the highway4 ,where some settler did clear up a farm1 his labors presented no inviting spectacle to the passing traveller4 ,if manure was known in those days1 the farmer did not appear to value it1 for he neither manufactured nor used it4 ,phosphates and fertilizers had not been dreamed of4 ,if he spread any fertilizer over his fields1 it was but a starveling ration2 hence his corn crop was a harvest of nubbins4 ,wheat he never thought of raising2 rye was the sole winter grain1 and rye bread1 rye mush1 and rye pie-crust1 held uncontested dominion1 squalid condiments as they all are1 in each equally squalid farm-house4 ,ragweed and pigweed took alternate possession of the fields2 cultivation was at its last point of attenuation2 none grew rich1 while all became poor2 and as autumn came on1 even the ordinarily thoughtless grasshopper climbed feebly up to the abounding mullein top1 and with tears in his eyes surveyed the melancholy desolation around him4 ,such is a true picture of the king's highway up to the building of the ,camden and ,amboy ,railroad4 ,no wonder that the great public who traversed it through this part of ,new ,jersey should think it1 and speak of it everywhere1 as being all sand1 seeing that in their passage through it they beheld but little else4 ,hence1 the reputation thus early established continues to the present day1 and the tradition has been incorporated into the public vernacular4 ,the sandy road alone was seen1 while the green and fertile tracts that lay beyond and around it were unknown1 because unseen4 ,like the traveller from ,dan to ,beersheba1 the cry was that all was barren4 ,but time1 improvement1 education1 railroads1 and the marvellous growth of ,philadelphia1 ,new ,york1 and fifty intermediate towns1 have changed all this as by enchantment4 ,every mile of the old highway is now a splendid gravel turnpike1 intersected by a dozen similar roads1 which stretch away up into the country4 ,as good roads invite settlement1 so population1 the great promoter of the value of land1 has come in rapidly1 and changed the aspect of every farm-house4 ,good fences line the roadside1 rank hedge-rows have disappeared1 new farm-houses have been everywhere built1 low lands have been drained1 manures have been imported from the cities1 wheat is now the staple winter-grain1 rye has ceased to be cultivated1 and rye bread is now a mere reminiscence of the old dispensation4 ,but chief1 perhaps1 of all1 the whole agricultural world of ,new ,jersey has been educated by the agricultural press to a high standard of intelligence and enterprise4 ,its labors have led to the establishment of numerous extensive nurseries1 by the pressure of a general demand for trees and smaller fruits1 whose wilderness of blossoms now annually blush and brighten upon every farm4 ,it has taught them to cultivate new vegetables and fruits for city consumption alone1 salable for cash in each successive month2 in doing which1 they have changed from a poverty-stricken to a money-making generation4 ,it has taught them1 what none previously believed1 that no good farming can be done without high manuring1 and banished the ignorance and meanness that prevented them from spending money to secure it4 ,it has introduced to their notice new and portable manures1 improved tools1 better breeds of stock of all kinds1 and sharpened their perceptions1 until they have now become men of business as well as farmers1 and so proved its value to them1 that he upon whose table no agricultural journal can be found1 may be written down as the laggard of a progressive age4 ,but in addition to all these stimulants to progress the ,camden and ,amboy ,railroad came in1 giving it a vast momentum4 ,terminating at ,philadelphia and ,new ,york1 it opened up a cash market among thousands asking for daily bread4 ,when this road was first opened1 its annual way-freight yielded less than one hundred dollars a year4 ,but its managers wisely built station-houses at every cross-road1 as the farmers called for them4 ,to these nuclei the produce of entire townships quickly gathered in astonishing quantities4 ,agents from the great cities traversed the country1 and bought every thing that was for sale4 ,a cash market being brought to their very doors1 where none had previously existed1 an immense stimulus to production followed1 and a new spirit was infused into the whole region4 ,hundreds of farms were renovated1 cleared of foul weeds1 drained1 and liberally manured4 ,new vegetables were cultivated4 ,tomatoes1 peas1 rhubarb1 and early potatoes rose into prime staples4 ,green corn has been taken from a single county to the extent of two thousand tons daily4 ,other products go to market by thousands of baskets at a time4 ,way-trains are run for the sole accommodation of this truck business1 stopping every few miles to take in the waiting contributions collected at the stations4 ,to both railroad and farmer it has proved a highly remunerating traffic4 ,these way-freights1 thus wisely cultivated by the railroad1 now amount to many thousands annually1 and are steadily growing larger4 ,meantime1 steamboats on the ,delaware stop several times daily at new wharves on the river1 sometimes taking at one trip two thousand baskets of truck1 from a point where1 twelve years ago1 the same number could not be gathered during an entire season4 ,the grower thus has the choice of the two richest markets in the country4 ,he reaches ,philadelphia in one hour1 and ,new ,york in three4 ,it must be manifest that crops of such magnitude cannot be produced on mere sand4 ,hence the traditional notion that ,new ,jersey is a sand heap1 desolate and barren at that1 has long been proved to be a fallacy4 ,men do not grow rich upon a burning desert1 such as this region has been described4 ,yet the farmers who occupy it are notoriously becoming so4 ,they lend money annually on mortgage1 after spending thousands in manure1 while farms have advanced from #cj to #ajj and #bjj per acre4 ,the last ten years have added thirty per cent4 to the population4 ,schools1 churches1 and towns have proportionately increased in number4 ,the soil of this truck region contains a large proportion of sand with loam1 on which manure acts with an energetic quickness that brings all early truck into the great markets in advance of the neighboring country4 ,this secures high prices4 ,southern competition has only stimulated the growers to increased exertion4 ,though from this cause losing some of the high rewards of former years1 yet the aggregate of profit does not seem to diminish4 ,better cultivation1 higher manuring1 changing one product for another1 with more land brought into tillage1 enable them to foot up as large an amount of sales at the end of the season as aforetime4 ,they see that the world cannot be overfed1 and that any thing they can produce will command a ready market4 ,consumers increase annually1 and the public appetite loses none of its rampant fierceness4 ,hence1 competition stimulates instead of discouraging4 ,a vast area is planted with tomatoes4 ,though thousands of bushels perish every season1 yet two hundred1 and even four hundred dollars an acre is frequently the clear profit4 ,thirty years ago1 three bunches of rhubarb were brought to the ,london market for sale1 but as no one could be found to buy them1 they were given away2 yet ,london now consumes seven thousand tons annually4 ,so1 in ,new ,jersey--the planter of the first half acre was pitied for his temerity4 ,now1 there are hundreds of acres of rhubarb4 ,the production of peas1 pickles1 cucumbers1 melons1 and cabbages is immense4 ,early corn is raised in vast quantities4 ,all these various products command cash on delivery4 ,the soil of this region has long been famous for its growth of melons4 ,formerly they were raised by ship-loads1 but ,southern competition has checked their production4 ,yet ,new ,jersey citrons possess a flavor so exquisite1 that they cannot be driven from the market4 ,peaches have long since become almost obsolete1 the yellows and the worm having been great discouragements4 ,but within three years1 hundreds of acres of them have been planted in ,new ,jersey1 and the nurseries find ready sale1 in seasons of average prosperity1 for all they can produce4 ,numerous orchards will annually come into bearing2 and the chances are that this once famous staple will again be domesticated in its ancient stronghold4 ,among the smaller fruits1 strawberries occupy an important place in ,new ,jersey1 whose soil seems peculiarly adapted to them4 ,the yield per acre is enormous4 ,one grower has gathered #djj bushels from three acres of the ,albany seedling4 ,he began his plantation with a single dozen plants1 at #b4ej per dozen4 ,new ,york and ,philadelphia took them all at an average of eighteen cents a quart4 ,this patch was a marvel to look at4 ,the ground appeared fairly red with berries of great size1 and were so abundant that pickers abandoned other fields at two cents a quart1 and volunteered to pick this at one and a half4 ,other neighboring growers realized large returns4 ,the two counties of ,burlington and ,monmouth are believed to yield more berries of all kinds than any district of equal area in the ,union1 and the cultivation is rapidly extending4 ,a year or two ago1 somebody invented and patented a new box for taking them to market1 lighter1 neater1 cheaper than the old one1 and securing thorough ventilation to the fruit4 ,a club of ,connecticut men forthwith organized a company with a capital of #aj1jjj for manufacturing them2 built a factory1 started an engine1 and now have forty hands at work4 ,an agent of the company went through the ,state last fall1 from ,middletown to ,camden1 showing samples1 and taking orders4 ,he sold three hundred thousand boxes1 many to those who had the old ones1 but more to others just wanting them4 ,as he travelled on foot1 with samples in his hand1 he inquired his way over the country1 from farm to farm1 and probably discovered every grower of an acre of berries4 ,of course he could not fail to visit and supply me4 ,he gave me many curious items of information touching the extent of the berry business4 ,there are parties in this country who have fifty acres of strawberries on a single farm1 with a thousand dollars invested merely in the small boxes in which they are taken to market4 ,he reports that the two counties of ,burlington and ,monmouth produce more berries than all the remainder of the ,state4 ,strawberries and raspberries are now the staples1 to which the blackberry has recently been added4 ,the great consuming stomach of the large cities1 having long been fed on these delicious fruits1 must continue to buy4 ,growers seem to know that after thirty years' propagation of the strawberry1 this devouring stomach has never been surfeited1--that the more it is fed the more it consumes4 ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,birds1 ,,and ,,the ,,services ,,they ,,render4 ,one morning in ,september1 hearing shots fired repeatedly at the further end of my grounds1 and proceeding thither to ascertain the cause1 ,i discovered three great1 overgrown boobies1 with guns in their hands1 trampling down my strawberries1 and shooting bluebirds and robins4 ,on inquiring where they belonged1 they answered in the next township4 ,i suggested to them that ,i thought their own township was quite large enough to keep its own loafers1 without sending them to depredate on me1 warned them never to show themselves on my premises again1 and then drove them out4 ,this happened to be the only occasion on which ,i was invaded by any of the worthless1 loafing tribe of gunners1 who roam over some neighborhoods1 engaged in the manly occupation of killing tomtits and catbirds4 ,for all such my aversion was as decided as my partiality for the birds was strong4 ,one of the little amusements ,i indulged in immediately on taking possession of my farm1 was to put up at least twenty little rough contrivances about the premises1 in which the birds might build4 ,knowing their value as destroyers of insects1 ,i was determined to protect them2 and thus1 around the dwelling-house1 in the garden-trees1 and upon the sides of the barn1 as well as in other places which promised to be popular1 ,i placed boxes1 calabashes1 and squashes for them to occupy4 ,the wrens and bluebirds took to them with gratifying readiness1 built1 and reared their families4 ,but ,i observed that the wren quickly took possession of every one in which the hole was just large enough to admit himself1 and too small to allow the bluebird to enter2 while in those large enough to admit a bluebird no wren would build4 ,this was because the bluebird has a standing spite against the wrens1 which leads him to enter the nests of the latter1 whenever possible1 and destroy their eggs4 ,almost any number of wrens may thus be attracted round the house and garden1 where they act as vigilant destroyers of insects4 ,these interesting creatures soon hatched out large broods of young1 to provide food for which they were incessantly on the wing4 ,they became surprisingly tame and familiar1 those especially which were nearest the house1 and in trees beneath which the family were constantly passing4 ,we watched their movements through the season with increasing interest4 ,no cat was permitted even to approach their nests1 no tree on which a family was domiciled was ever jarred or shaken2 and the young children1 instead of regarding them as game to be frightened off1 or hunted1 caught1 and killed1 were educated to admire and love them4 ,indeed1 so carefully did we observe their looks and motions1 that many times ,i felt almost sure that ,i could identify and recognize the tenants of particular boxes4 ,they ranged over the whole extent of my ten acres1 clearing the bushes and vegetables of insects and worms2 while the garden1 in which they sang and chattered from daybreak until sunset1 was kept entirely clear of the destroyers4 ,i encountered them at the furthest extremity of my domain1 peering under the peach-leaves1 flitting from one tomato-vine to another1 almost as tame as those at home4 ,they must have known me1 and felt safe from harm4 ,i am persuaded that ,i recognized them4 ,yet it was at this class of useful birds that the boobies calling themselves sportsmen were aiming their weapons1 when ,i routed them from the premises1 and forbid the murderous foray4 ,insects are1 occasionally1 one of the farmer's greatest pests4 ,but high1 thorough farming is a potent destroyer4 ,it is claimed by ,british writers to be a sure one4 ,when the average produce of wheat in ,england was only twenty bushels per acre1 the ravages of the insect tribe were far more general and destructive than they have been since the average has risen to forty bushels per acre4 ,why may not the cultivation of domestic birds like these1 that nestle round the house and garden1 where insects mostly congregate1 be considered an important feature in any system of thorough farming8 ,besides the wrens and bluebirds1 the robins built under the eaves of the wood-shed1 and became exceedingly tame4 ,the more social swallow took possession of every convenient nestling-place about the barn1 while troops of little sparrows came confidingly to the kitchen door to pick up the crumbs of bread which the children scattered on the pavement as soon as they discovered that these innocent little creatures were fond of them4 ,thus my premises became a sort of open aviary1 in which a multitude of birds were cultivated with assiduous care1 and where they shall be even more assiduously domesticated1 as long as ,i continue to be lord of the manor4 ,i pity the man who can look on these things1 who can listen to the song of wrens1 the loud1 inspiring carol of the robin on the tree-top1 as the setting sun gilds its utmost extremities1 listening to these vocal evidences of animal comfort and enjoyment1 without feeling any augmentation of his own pleasures1 and that the lonesome blank which sometimes hangs around a rural residence is thus gratefully filled4 ,one morning1 hearing a great clamor and turmoil in a thicket in the garden1 where a nest of orioles had been filled with young birds1 ,i cautiously approached to discover the cause4 ,a dozen orioles were hovering about in great excitement1 and for some time it was impossible to discover the meaning of the trouble4 ,but remaining perfectly quiet1 so as not to increase the disturbance1 ,i at length discovered an oriole1 whose wing had become so entangled in one end of a long string which formed part of the nest that she could not escape4 ,the other birds had also discovered her condition1 and hence their lamentation over a misfortune they were unable to remedy4 ,but they did all they could1 and were assiduously bringing food to a nest full of voracious young ones1 as well as feeding the imprisoned parent4 ,i was so struck with the interesting spectacle that my family were called out to witness it2 then1 having gazed upon it a few moments1 ,i cautiously approached the prisoner1 took her in my hands1 carefully untied and then cut away the treacherous string1 and let the frightened warbler go free4 ,she instantly flew up into her nest1 as if to see that all her callow brood were safe1 gave us a song of thanks1 and immediately the crowd of sympathizing birds1 as if conscious that the difficulty no longer existed1 flew away to their respective nests4 ,it takes mankind a great while to learn the ways of ,providence1 and to understand that things are better contrived for him than he can contrive them for himself4 ,of late1 the people are beginning to learn that they have mistaken the character of most of the little birds1 and have not understood the object of the ,almighty in creating them4 ,they are the friends of those who plant1 and sow1 and reap4 ,it has been seen that they live mostly on insects1 which are among the worst enemies of the agriculturist2 and that if they take now and then a grain of wheat1 a grape1 a cherry1 or a strawberry1 they levy but a small tax for the immense services rendered4 ,in this altered state of things1 legislatures are passing laws for the protection of little birds1 and increasing the penalties to be enforced upon the bird-killers4 ,a farmer in my neighborhood came one day to borrow a gun for the purpose of killing some yellow-birds in his field of wheat1 which he said were eating up the grain4 ,i declined to loan the gun4 ,in order1 however1 to gratify his curiosity1 ,i shot one of them1 opened its crop1 and found in it two hundred weevils1 and but four grains of wheat1 and in these four grains the weevil had burrowed6 ,this was a most instructive lesson1 and worth the life of the poor bird1 valuable as it was4 ,this bird resembles the canary1 and sings finely4 ,one fact like this affords an eloquent text for sermonizing1 for the benefit of the farmers and others who may look upon little birds as inimical to their interests4 ,every hunter and farmer ought to know that there is hardly a bird that flies that is not a friend of the farmer and gardener4 ,some genial spirits have given the most elaborate attention to the question of the value of birds4 ,one gentleman took his position some fifteen feet from the nest of an oriole1 in the top of a peach-tree1 to observe his habits4 ,the nest contained four young ones1 well fledged1 which every now and then would stand upon the edge of the nest to try their wings4 ,they were1 therefore1 at an age which required the largest supply of food4 ,this the parents furnished at intervals of two to six minutes1 throughout the day4 ,they lighted on the trees1 the vines1 the grass1 and other shrubbery1 clinging at times to the most extreme and delicate points of the leaves1 in search of insects4 ,nothing seemed to come amiss to these sharp-eyed foragers--grasshoppers1 caterpillars1 worms1 and the smaller flies4 ,sometimes one1 and sometimes as many as six1 were plainly fed to the young ones at once4 ,they would also carry away the refuse litter from the nest1 and drop it many yards off4 ,a little figuring gives the result of this incessant warfare against the insects4 ,for only eight working hours it will be #ajjj worms destroyed by a single pair of birds4 ,but if a hundred pairs be domesticated on the premises1 the destruction will amount to #ajj1jjj daily1 or #c1jjj1jjj a month6 ,this may seem to be a mere paper calculation1 but the annals of ornithology are crowded with confirmatory facts4 ,the robin is accused of appropriating the fruit which he has protected during the growing season from a cloud of enemies4 ,but his principal food is spiders1 beetles1 caterpillars1 worms1 and larv4 ,nearly #bjj larv have been taken from the gizzard of a single bird4 ,he feeds voraciously on those of the destructive worm4 ,in ,july he takes a few strawberries1 cherries1 and pulpy fruits generally1 more as a dessert than any thing else1 because it is invariably found to be largely intermixed with insects4 ,robins killed in the country1 at a distance from gardens and fruit-trees1 are found to contain less stone-fruit than those near villages2 showing that this bird is not an extensive forager4 ,if our choicest fruits are near at hand1 he takes a small toll of them1 but a small one only4 ,in reality1 a very considerable part of every crop of grain and fruit is planted1 not for the mouths of our children1 but for the fly1 the curculio1 and the canker-worm1 or some other of these pests of husbandry4 ,science has done something1 and will no doubt do more1 to alleviate the plague4 ,it has already taught us not to wage equal war on the wheat-fly and the parasite which preys upon it2 and it will1 perhaps1 eventually persuade those who need the lesson1 that a few peas and cherries are well bestowed by way of dessert on the cheerful little warblers1 who turn our gardens into concert-rooms1 and do so much to aid us in the warfare against the grubs and caterpillars1 which form their principal meal4 ,but if the subject of the value of insect-destroying birds has been so much overlooked in this country1 it is not so in ,europe4 ,it has been brought formally before the ,french ,senate1 and is now before the ,french government4 ,learned commissioners have reported upon it1 and it is by no means improbable that special legislation will presently follow4 ,the inquiry has been conducted with an elaborate accuracy characteristic of ,french legislation4 ,insects and birds have been carefully classified according to their several species2 their habits of feeding have been closely observed1 and the results ascertained and computed4 ,it has been concluded that by no agency1 save that of little birds1 can the ravages of insects be kept down4 ,there are some birds which live exclusively upon insects and grubs1 and the quantity which they destroy is enormous4 ,there are others which live partly on grubs1 and partly on grain1 doing some damage1 but providing an abundant compensation4 ,a third class--the ,birds of ,prey--are excepted from the category of benefactors1 and are pronounced1 too precipitately we think1 to be noxious1 inasmuch as they live mostly upon the smaller birds4 ,one class is a match for the other4 ,a certain insect was found to lay #b1jjj eggs1 but a single tom-tit was found to eat #bjj1jjj eggs a year4 ,a swallow devours about #edc insects a day1 eggs and all4 ,a sparrow's nest1 in the city of ,paris1 was found to contain #gjj pair of the upper wings of cockchafers1 though1 of course1 in such a place food of other kinds was procurable in abundance4 ,it will easily be seen1 therefore1 what an excess of insect life is produced when a counterpoise like this is withdrawn2 and the statistics before us show clearly to what an extent the balance of nature has been disturbed4 ,a third1 and wholly artificial class of destroyers has been introduced4 ,every chasseur1 during the season1 kills1 it is said1 from #ajj to #bjj birds daily4 ,a single child has been known to come home at night with #ajj birds' eggs1 and it has been calculated and reported that the number of birds' eggs destroyed annually in ,france is between #hj1jjj1jjj and #ajj1jjj1jjj4 ,the result is1 that little birds in that country are actually dying out2 some species have already disappeared1 and others are rapidly diminishing4 ,but there is another consequence4 ,the ,french crops have suffered terribly from the superabundance of insect vermin4 ,not only the various kinds of grain1 but the vines1 the olives1 and even forest trees1 tell the same tale of mischief1 till at length the alarm has become serious4 ,birds are now likely to be protected2 indeed their rise in public estimation has been signally rapid4 ,some philosopher has declared1 and the report quotes the saying as a profound one1 that 8the birds can live without man1 but man cannot live without the birds40 ,the same results are being experienced in this country1 and our whole agricultural press1 as well as the experience of every fruit-grower and gardener1 testifies to the fact that our fruit is disappearing as the birds upon our premises are permitted to perish4 ,every humane and prudent man will therefore do his utmost to preserve them4 ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,close ,,of ,,my ,,first ,,year--,,its ,,loss ,,and ,,gain4 ,it was now the dead of winter4 ,every thing was frozen up2 but though cheerless without1 it was far from being so within4 ,my little library1 well supplied with books and the literature of the day1 afforded me an intellectual banquet which never palled upon the appetite4 ,here my desk was ever open2 here pen1 and ink1 and diary were constantly at hand1 for entering down my expenditures and receipts1 with facts and observations for future use4 ,thus conveniently provided1 and all my life accustomed to accounts1 ,i found no difficulty at the year's end in ascertaining to a dollar whether my first season's experience had been one of loss or gain4 ,i give the particulars in full-- ,cost of stable manure and ashes #bdh4jj ,plaster and guano1 not all used #bj4jj ,ploughing1 harrowing1 and digging up the garden #cj4jj ,cabbage and tomato plants #cj4jj ,loss on my first cow #g4jj ,garden seeds #h4jj ,cost of six pigs #ab4jj ,corn-meal and bran #bh4jj ,dick's wages for six months #gb4jj ------ #dee4jj ,here was an outlay of #dee1 all of which was likely to occur every year1 except the two items of loss on cow1 and cost of buying cabbages and tomato-plants1 which have subsequently been raised in a hotbed at home1 without costing a dollar4 ,the great item is in manure1 amounting to #bfh2 and this must be kept at the same figure1 if not increased1 unless an equal quantity can1 by some process1 be manufactured at home4 ,then there was the following permanent outlay made in stocking the farm with fruit3 ,strawberries for six acres #abj4jj ,raspberries for two acres #cd4jj #hjd ,peach-trees1 and planting them #gb4cf ------ #bbf4cf ,this constituted a permanent investment of capital1 and would not have to be repeated1 so that the actual cost the first year was1 as stated1 #dee4 ,my own time and labor are not charged1 because that item is adjusted in the grand result of whether the farm supported me or not4 ,there was also the cost of horse and cow1 ploughs1 and other tools2 but these1 too1 were investments1 not expenses4 ,they could be resold for money1 no doubt1 at some loss4 ,a portion of that capital could therefore be recovered4 ,so1 also1 with the large item of #bbf4cf invested in standard fruits2 as1 if the farm were sold its being stocked with them would insure its bringing a higher price in consequence1 probably enough to refund the capital thus invested4 ,it is fair1 therefore1 to charge the current expenses only against the current receipts4 ,the latter were as follows3 ,sales of blackberry plants #dfj4jj 8 cabbages #hb4jj 8 tomatoes #abj4jj 8 garden products #hj4jj 8 pork #di4jj ------ #gia4jj ,current expenses1 as stated #dee4jj ------ ,profit #ccf4jj ,this was about #a4be per day for the two hundred and seventy-five days we had been in the country1 from ,april #ast to ,january #ast1 and1 when added to our copious supplies of vegetables1 fruit1 pork1 and milk1 it kept the family in abundance4 ,i proved this by a very simple formula4 ,i knew exactly how much cash ,i had on hand when ,i began in ,april1 and from that amount deducted the cost of all my permanent investments in standard fruits1 stock1 and implements1 and found that the remainder came within a few cents of the balance on hand in ,january4 ,i did not owe a dollar1 and had food enough to keep my stock till spring4 ,the season had been a good one for me1 and we felt the greatest encouragement to persevere1 as the first difficulties had been overcome1 and the second season promised to be much more profitable4 ,i considered the problem as very nearly solved4 ,it will be noted that no cash was received for strawberries1 and herein is involved a fact important to be known and acted on by the growers of this fruit4 ,most men1 when planting them1 say in ,march or ,april1 are impatient for a crop in ,june4 ,but this should never be allowed4 ,as soon as the blossoms appear1 they should be removed4 ,the newly transplanted vine has work enough thrown upon its roots in repairing the damage it has suffered in being removed from one location to another1 without being compelled1 in addition1 to mature a crop of fruit4 ,to require it to do both is imposing on the roots a task they are many times unable to perform4 ,the draft upon them by the ripening fruit is more than they can bear4 ,i have known large fields of newly-planted vines perish in a dry season from this cause alone4 ,the writers on strawberry culture sometimes recommend removing the blossoms the first year1 but not with sufficient urgency4 ,i lay it down as absolutely indispensable to the establishment of a robust growth4 ,thus believing1 my blossoms were all clipped off with scissors2 and hence1 though stronger plants were thus produced1 yet there was no fruit to sell4 ,it must also be remembered that my entire profit consisted of the single item of sales of plants2 hence1 if there had been no demand for ,lawtons1 or if ,i had happened to have none for sale1 there would have been an actual loss4 ,my having them was a mere accident1 and my luck in this respect was quite exceptional4 ,unless others happen to be equally lucky1 they may set down their first year as very certain to yield no profit4 ,with persons as inexperienced as ,i was when beginning1 no other result should be expected4 ,winter is proverbially the farmer's holiday4 ,but it was no idle time with me4 ,i had too long been trained to habits of industry1 to lounge about the house simply because no weeds could be found to kill4 ,the careful man will find a world of fixing up to do for winter4 ,as it came on slowly through a gorgeous ,indian summer1 ,i set myself to cleaning up the litter round the premises1 and put the garden into the best condition for the coming season4 ,the verbenas had gone from the borders2 the petunias had withered on the little mound whereon their red and white had flashed so gayly in captivating contrast during the summer2 the delicate cypress-vine had blackened at the touch of a single frosty night2 the lady-slipper hung her flowery head2 all the family of roses had faded2 the morning-glory had withered2 even the hardy honeysuckle had been frozen crisp4 ,from the fruit-trees a cloud of leaves had fallen upon every garden-walk4 ,plants that needed housing were carefully potted1 and taken under cover4 ,the walks were cleared of leaves by transferring them to the barnyard4 ,bushes1 trees1 and vines were trimmed4 ,every remnant of decay was removed4 ,the ,december sunshine fell upon a garden so trim and neat1 that even in the bleakest day it was not unpleasant to wander through its alleys1 and observe those wintry visitants1 the snow-birds1 gathering from the bushes their scanty store of favorite seeds4 ,the asparagus was covered deeply with its favorite manure1 and heavily salted4 ,tender roses were banked up with barnyard scrapings1 and every delicate plant protected for its long season of hybernation4 ,dick had his share of exemption from excessive labor4 ,but ,i kept him tolerably busy for weeks in gathering up the cloud of leaves which fell throughout the neighborhood from roadsides lined with trees4 ,no manure is so well worth saving in ,october and ,november as the falling leaves4 ,they contain nearly three times as much nitrogen as ordinary barnyard manure2 and every gardener who has strewn and covered them in his trenches late in the fall or in ,december1 must have noticed the next season how black and moist the soil is that adheres to the thrifty young beets he pulls4 ,no vegetable substance yields its woody fibre and becomes soluble quicker than leaves2 and1 from this very cause1 they are soon dried up1 scattered to the winds1 and wasted1 if not now gathered and trenched in1 or composted1 before the advent of severe winter4 ,my horse1 and cow1 and pigs1 all slept in leaves4 ,their beds were warm and easy1 and the saving of straw for litter was an item4 ,as they were abundant1 and very convenient1 ,dick carted to the barnyard an enormous quantity4 ,placing enough of them under cover1 he littered all the stock with them until spring4 ,the remainder was composted with the contents of the barnyard1 and thus made a very important addition to my stock of manure4 ,thus the leaf-harvest is one of importance to the farmer1 if he will but avail himself of it4 ,a calm day or two spent in this business will enable him to get together a large pile of these fallen leaves2 and if stowed in a dry place1 he will experience the good effects of them in the improved condition of his stock1 compared with those which are suffered to lie down1 and perhaps be frozen down1 in their own filth4 ,the fertilizing material of leaves also adds essentially to the enriching qualities of the manure-heap4 ,gardeners prize highly a compost made in part of decomposed leaves4 ,the leaf-harvest is the last harvest of the year1 and should be thoroughly attended to at the proper time4 ,the leisure of the season gave us greater opportunity for intercourse1 both at home and abroad4 ,the city was comparatively at our door1 as accessible as ever--we were really mere suburbans4 ,we ran down in an hour to be spectators of any unusual sight1 and frequently attended the evening lectures of distinguished men4 ,it was impossible for the world to sweep on1 leaving us to stagnate4 ,how different this winter seemed to me from any preceding one6 ,formerly1 this long season had been one of constant toiling2 now1 it was one of almost uninterrupted recreation4 ,how different the path ,i travelled from that in which ambition hurries forward--too narrow for friendship1 too crooked for love1 too rugged for honesty1 and too dark for science6 ,thus1 if we choose1 we may sandwich in the poetry with the prose of life4 ,thus1 many a dainty happiness and relishing enjoyment may come between the slices of every-day work1 if we only so determine4 ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,,my ,,second ,,year--,,trenching ,,the ,,garden--,,strawberry ,,profits4 ,winter having passed away1 the time for labor and the singing of birds again returned4 ,long before the land in ,pennsylvania was fit to plough1 the admirable soil of ,new ,jersey had been turned over1 and planted with early peas4 ,one of its most valuable peculiarities is that of being at all times fit for ploughing1 except when actually frozen hard4 ,even after heavy rains1 when denser soils require a fortnight's drying before getting into condition for the plough1 this is ready in a day or two4 ,its sandy character1 instead of being a disadvantage1 is one of its highest recommendations4 ,it is thus two to three weeks earlier in yielding up its ripened products for market4 ,peas are the first things planted in the open fields4 ,the traveller coming from the north1 when passing by rail to ,philadelphia through this genial region1 has been frequently surprised at seeing the young pea-vines peeping up above a thin covering of snow1 their long rows of delicate green stretching across extensive fields1 and presenting a singular contrast with the fleecy covering around them4 ,naturally hardy1 they survive the cold1 and as the snow rapidly disappears they immediately renew their growth4 ,having been much surprised by the profit yielded last year from the garden1 ,i was determined to give it a better chance than ever1 and to try the effect of thorough farming on a limited scale4 ,i accordingly set ,dick to covering it fully three inches deep with well-rotted stable-manure1 of which ,i had purchased in the city my usual quantity1 #bjj worth1 though hoping that ,i could so contrive it hereafter as not to be obliged to make so heavy a cash outlay for this material4 ,i then procured him a spade fifteen inches long in the blade1 and set him to trenching every inch of it not occupied by standard fruits4 ,these had luckily been arranged in rows in borders by themselves1 thus leaving large1 open beds1 in which the operation of trenching could be thoroughly practised4 ,i estimated the open ground to be very nearly half an acre4 ,i began by digging a trench from one end of the open space to the other1 three feet wide and two deep1 removing the earth to the further side of the open space4 ,then the bottom of the trench was dug up with the fifteen-inch spade1 and then covered lightly with manure4 ,the adjoining ground was then thrown in1 mixing the top soil as we went along1 and also abundance of manure1 until the trench was filled4 ,as the earth thus used was all taken from the adjoining strip of three feet wide1 of course1 when the trench was full1 another of corresponding size appeared beside it4 ,with this the operation was repeated until all the garden had been thoroughly gone over4 ,the earth which had been removed from the first trench1 went into the last one4 ,but ,i was careful not to place the top soil in a body at the bottom1 but scattered it well through the whole of the filling4 ,if rich1 the roots of every plant would find some portion of it1 let them travel where they might4 ,on the whole job we bestowed a great amount of care1 but it was such a job as would not require repeating for years1 and would be permanently beneficial4 ,i thus deposited #ej worth of manure1 as a fund of nourishment on which my vegetables could for a long time draw with certainty of profit4 ,now1 a surface soil of a few inches only1 will not answer for a good garden4 ,the roots of succulent vegetables must extend into a deeper bed of fertility2 and a greater depth of pulverization is required to absorb surplus rains1 and to give off the accumulated moisture in dry weather4 ,a shallow soil will become deluged by a single shower1 because the hard subsoil will not allow it to pass downward2 and again1 in the heat and drought of midsummer1 a thin stratum is made dry and parched in a week1 while one of greater depth becomes scarcely affected4 ,i might cite numerous instances1 besides my own1 where trenched gardens remained in the finest state of luxuriance during the most severe droughts1 when others under ordinary management were nearly burnt up with the heat1 growth having quite ceased1 and leaves curled and withering for want of moisture4 ,the mode of trenching must vary with circumstances4 ,in small1 circumscribed pieces of ground1 necessity requires it to be done by hand1 as has been just described4 ,in large spaces the subsoil plough may be used1 but not to equal benefit4 ,there are many reasons why the soils of gardens should be made better than for ordinary farm-crops4 ,most of the products of gardens are of a succulent nature1 or will otherwise bear high feeding1 such as garden roots in general1 plants whose leaves furnish food1 as salad1 cabbages1 c41 or those which produce large and succulent fruits1 as cucumbers1 melons1 squashes1 c4 ,as nearly all garden crops are the immediate food of man1 while many farm-crops are only the coarser food of animals1 greater care and skill may properly be applied in bringing the former forward to a high degree of perfection4 ,the great amount of family supplies which may be obtained from a half-acre garden1 provided the best soil is prepared for their growth1 renders it a matter of equal importance and economy to give the soil the very best preparation4 ,it rarely happens that there is much selection to be made in soils as we find them in nature1 for gardening purposes1 unless particular attention is given to the subject in choosing a site for a new dwelling4 ,generally1 we have to take the land as we find it4 ,unless1 therefore1 we happen to find it just right1 we should endeavor to improve it in the best manner4 ,the principal means for making a perfect garden soil1 are draining1 trenching1 and manuring4 ,now1 let none be startled at the outset with the fear of cost1 in thus preparing the soil4 ,the entire expense of preparing half an acre would not1 in general1 amount to more than the amount saved in a single year in the purchase of food for family supplies1 by the fine and abundant vegetables afforded4 ,if the owner cannot possibly prepare his half or quarter acre of land properly1 then let him occupy the ground with something else than garden crops1 and take only a single square rod 7if he cannot attend to more71 and give this the most perfect preparation4 ,a square rod of rich1 luxuriant vegetables1 will be found more valuable than eighty rods1 or half an acre of scant1 dwarfed1 and stringy growth1 which no one will wish to eat2 while the extra cost and labor spent on the eighty rods in seeds1 digging1 and hoeing1 would have been more than sufficient to prepare the smaller plot in the most complete manner4 ,let the determination be made1 therefore1 at the commencement1 to take no more land than can be properly prepared1 and in the most thorough manner4 ,the ten peach-trees in the garden were thoroughly manured by digging in around them all the coal ashes made during the winter1 first sifting them well4 ,no stable manure was added1 as it promotes too rank and watery a growth in the peach1 while ashes of any kind are what this fruit most delights in4 ,then the butts were examined for worms1 but the last year's application of tar had kept off the fly1 and the old ravages of the enemy were found to be nearly healed over by the growth of new bark4 ,a fresh coating of tar was applied1 and thus every thing was made safe4 ,as the season advanced1 my wife and daughter took charge of the garden1 as usual1 and with high hopes of greater success than ever4 ,they had had one year's experience1 while now the ground was in far better condition4 ,moreover1 they seemed to have forgotten all about the weeds1 as in calculating their prospective profits they did not mention them even once4 ,i was careful not to do so1 though ,i had my own suspicions on the subject4 ,when the planting had been done1 and things went on growing finely as the season advanced1 they were suddenly reminded of their ancient enemy4 ,the trenching and manuring had done as much for the weeds as for the vegetables4 ,why should they not8 ,in her innocency1 ,kate thought the weeds should all have been buried in the trenches1 as if their seeds had been deposited exclusively on the surface4 ,but they grew more rampantly than ever during the entire season1 and to my mind they seemed to be in greater quantity4 ,but the fact worked no discouragement to either wife or daughter4 ,they waged against them the same resolute warfare1 early1 late1 and in the noonday sun1 until ,kate1 in spite of a capacious sun-bonnet1 became a nut-brown maid4 ,not a weed was permitted to flourish to maturity4 ,the careful culture of the garden this year gave them even a better reward than it had done the year before4 ,the failures of the last season were all avoided4 ,several kinds of seeds were soaked before being planted1 which prevented failure and secured a quicker growth4 ,in addition to this1 they raised a greater variety of vegetables expressly for the store2 and with some1 such as radishes and beets1 they were particularly lucky1 and realized high prices for all they had to dispose of4 ,then the high manuring and extra care bestowed upon the asparagus were apparent in the quick and vigorous shooting up of thick and tender roots1 far more than we could consume1 and so superior to any others that were taken to the store1 that they sold rapidly at city prices4 ,thus they began to make sales earlier in the season1 while their crops were far more abundant4 ,the trenching and manuring was evidently a paying investment4 ,in addition to all this1 the season proved to be a good one for fruit4 ,the garden trees bore abundantly4 ,my ten peach-trees had by this time been rejuvenated1 and were loaded with fruit4 ,when as large as hickory nuts1 ,i began the operation of removing all the smallest1 and of thinning out unsparingly wherever they were excessively crowded4 ,after going over five trees1 ,i brought a bucketful of the expurgated peaches to my wife for exhibition4 ,she seemed panic-stricken at the sight--protested that we should have no peaches that season1 if ,i went on at that rate--besought me to remember my peculiar weakness for pies--and pleaded so eloquently that the other trees should not be stripped1 as to induce me1 much against my judgment1 to suspend my ravages4 ,thus five had been thinned and five left untouched4 ,at the moment1 ,i regretted her interference1 but as compliance with her wishes always brought to me its own gratification1 if not in one way1 then in some other1 so it did in this instance4 ,in the first place1 the peaches on the five denuded trees grew prodigiously larger and finer than those on the other five4 ,i gathered them carefully and sent them to the city1 where they brought me #da clear of expenses1 while the fruit from the other trees1 sent to market with similar care1 netted only #ag1 and those used in the family from the same trees1 estimated at the same rates1 were worth #i1 making1 on those five1 a difference of #ae in favor of thinning4 ,thus1 the ten produced #eh2 but if all had been thinned1 the product would have been #hb4 ,this unexpected result satisfied my wife ever afterwards that it was quality1 and not mere quantity1 that the market wanted4 ,her own garden sales would have convinced her of this1 had she observed them closely2 but having overlooked results there1 it required an illustration too striking to be gainsayed1 and this the peach-trees furnished4 ,all these figures appear in ,kate's account-book4 ,i had provided her with one expressly for the garden operations1 a nice gold pen1 and every other possible convenience for making entries at the moment any transaction occurred4 ,i had also taught her the simplest form for keeping her accounts1 and caused her to keep a pass-book with the store1 in which every consignment should be entered1 so that her book and the storekeeper's should be a check on errors that might be found in either4 ,she thus became extremely expert at her accounts1 and as she took especial interest in the matter1 could tell from memory1 at the week's end1 how many dollars' worth of produce she had sold4 ,i found the amount running up quite hopefully as the season advanced1 and when it had closed1 she announced the total to be #fc without the peaches1 or #aba by including them4 ,but she had paid some money for seeds2 as an offset to which1 no cash had been expended in digging1 as ,dick and myself had done it all4 ,so much for the garden this year4 ,on my nine acres of ploughed land there was plenty of work to be done4 ,our old enemy1 the weeds1 did not seem to have diminished in number1 notwithstanding our slaughter the previous year4 ,they came up as thick and vigorous as ever1 and required quite as much labor to master them1 as the hoe was oftener required among the rows of raspberries and strawberries4 ,my dogged fellow1 ,dick1 took this matter with perfect unconcern--said he knew it would be so1 and that ,i would find the weeds could not be killed--but he might as well work among them as at any thing else4 ,i ceased to argue with him on the subject1 and as ,i had full faith in coming out right in the end1 was content to silently bide my time4 ,this year ,i planted an acre with tomatoes1 having raised abundance of fine plants in a hotbed1 as well as egg-plants for the garden4 ,i set them out in rows1 three and one-half feet apart each way1 and manured them well1 twice as heavily as many of my neighbors did4 ,this gave me #c1gfj plants to the acre4 ,the product was almost incredible1 and amounted to #eja bushels1 or about five quarts a hill1 a far better yield than ,i had had the first year4 ,from some hills as many as ten quarts each were gathered4 ,i managed to get twenty baskets into ,new ,york market among the very first of the season1 where they netted me #fj4 ,the next twenty netted #be1 the next twenty only #ae1 as numerous competitors came in1 and the next thirty cleared no more4 ,after that the usual glut came on1 and down went the price to twenty and even fifteen cents4 ,but at twenty and twenty-five ,i continued to forward to ,philadelphia1 where they paid better than to let them rot on the ground4 ,from #bjj baskets at these low prices ,i netted #ce4 ,then1 in the height of the season1 all picking was suspended1 except for the pigs1 who thus had any quantity they could consume4 ,but the glut gradually subsided as tomatoes perished on the vines1 and the price again rose in market to twenty-five cents1 then to fifty1 then to a dollar1 and upwards4 ,but my single acre afforded me but few at the close of the season4 ,i did not manage to realize #dj from the fag-end of the year1 making a total net yield of #aij4 ,others near me1 older hands at the business1 did much better1 but ,i thought this well enough4 ,i would prefer raising tomatoes at #cg cents a bushel to potatoes at #ge4 ,the amount realized from an acre far exceeds that of potatoes4 ,a smart man will gather from sixty to seventy bushels a day4 ,the expense of cultivating1 using plenty of manure1 is about #fj per acre1 and the gross yield may be safely calculated #bej1 leaving about #bjj sure surplus4 ,if it were not for the sudden and tremendous fall in prices to which tomatoes are subject soon after they come into market1 growers might become rich in a few years4 ,the other acre was occupied with corn1 roots1 and cabbage1 for winter feeding1 with potatoes for family use4 ,turnips were sowed wherever room could be found for them1 and no spot about the farm was permitted to remain idle4 ,a hill of corn1 a cabbage1 a pumpkin-vine1 or whatever else was suited to it1 was planted4 ,but of potatoes we did sell enough to amount to #bd4 ,on the acre occupied with blackberries1 early cabbages were planted to the number of #d1jjj4 ,many of these1 of course1 were small and not marketable1 though well manured and carefully attended4 ,but all such were very acceptable in the barnyard and pig-pen4 ,of sound cabbages ,i sold #c1abj1 at an average of two and one-quarter cents1 amounting to #gj4bj4 ,i cannot tell how it was1 but other persons close to me raised larger and better heads1 and of course realized better prices4 ,but ,i had no reason to complain4 ,the strawberries came first into market4 ,i had labored to allow no runners to grow and take root except such as were necessary to fill up the line of each row4 ,most of the others had been clipped off as fast as they showed themselves4 ,thus the whole strength of the plant was concentrated into the fruit4 ,in other words1 ,i set out to raise fruit1 not plants2 and my rows were1 therefore1 composed of single stools1 standing about four to six inches apart in the row4 ,the ground between the rows was consequently clear for the passage of the horse-weeder1 which kept it nice and clean throughout the season1 while there was no sort of difficulty in getting between the stools with either the hand1 or a small hoe1 to keep out grass and weeds4 ,the stools were consequently strong and healthy1 and stood up higher from the ground than plants which grow in matted beds1 thus measurably keeping clear of the sand and grit which heavy rains throw up on berries that lie very near the ground4 ,the truth is1 the ground for a foot all round each stool ought to have had a covering of cut straw1 leaves1 or something else for the fruit to rest upon1 thus to keep them clean1 as well as to preserve them from drought4 ,but ,i did not so well understand the question at that time as ,i do now4 ,the fruit ripened beautifully1 and grew to prodigious size1 larger than most we had ever seen4 ,the several pickings of the first week yielded #fjj quart boxes of the choicest fruit1 which ,i dispatched by railroad to an agent in ,new ,york1 with whom ,i had previously made arrangements to receive them4 ,the greatest care was used in preparing them for market4 ,when taken from the vines they were put directly into the small boxes1 and these carried to the house1 where1 under a large shed adjoining the kitchen1 my wife and daughters had made preparations to receive them4 ,here they were spread out on a large pine table1 and all the larger berries separated from the smaller ones1 each kind being put into boxes which were kept separate from the other4 ,the show made by fruit thus assorted was truly magnificent1 and to the pleasure my wife experienced in handling and arranging it1 she was constantly testifying4 ,thus #fjj quarts of the finest fruit we had ever beheld1 were sent the first week to ,new ,york4 ,it was1 of course1 nearly ten days ahead of the season in that region--there could be no ,new ,york grown berries in market4 ,at the week's end the agent remitted me #cjj clear of freight and commission6 ,they had netted me half a dollar a quart4 ,i confess to having been greatly astonished and delighted--it was certainly twice as much as we had expected4 ,when ,i showed the agent's letter to my wife1 she was quite amazed4 ,kate1 who had heard a good deal of complaint about high prices1 while we lived in the city1 after reading the letter1 laid it down1 observing-- 8,i think it will not do to complain of high prices now60 8,no10 replied my wife1 8the tables are turned4 ,half a dollar a quart6 ,how much ,i pity those poor people40 ,and as she said this1 ,i handed her a quart bowl of the luscious fruit1 which ,i had been sugaring heavily while she was studying out the figures in the agent's letter1 and ,i feel persuaded no lover of strawberries ever consumed them with a more smacking relish4 ,the agent spoke in his letter of the admirable manner in which our berries were forwarded--all alike1 all uniformly prime large fruit--not merely big ones on top of the box as decoys1 and as the prelude to finding none but little runts at bottom4 ,this established for us a reputation2 our boxes could be guaranteed to contain prime fruit all through4 ,hence the agent could sell any quantity we could send4 ,indeed1 it was impossible to send him too much4 ,thus we continued to pick over our vines from three to four times weekly4 ,as the ripening of the fruit went on1 the sight was truly marvellous to look at4 ,when the season was at its height1 the ground seemed almost red with berries4 ,then the famous doctrine of squatter sovereignty was effectually carried out on my premises1 for there were twenty girls and boys upon their knees or hams1 engaged in picking berries at two cents a quart4 ,industrious little toilers they were1 many of them earning from one to two dollars daily4 ,some pickers were women grown1 some widows1 some even aged women4 ,it was a harvest to them also4 ,the small boxes were packed in chests each holding from twenty-four to sixty1 just nicely filling the chest1 so that there should be no rattling or shaking about1 or spilling over of the fruit4 ,the lid1 when shut down and fastened1 held all snug4 ,these chests were taken to the railroad station close by1 the same afternoon the berries were picked1 and reached ,new ,york the same night4 ,the agents knowing they were coming1 had them all sold before they arrived1 and immediately delivering them to the purchasers1 they in turn delivered to their customers1 and thus in less than twenty-four hours from the time of leaving my ground1 they were in the hands of the consumers4 ,this whole business of conveying fruit to distant markets by steamboat and rail1 is thoroughly systematized4 ,it is an immense item in the general freight-list of the great seaboard railroads1 constantly growing1 and as surely enriching both grower and carrier4 ,for the former it insures a sale of all his products in the highest markets1 and in fact brings them to his very door4 ,before the building of the ,camden and ,amboy ,railroad no such facilities existed1 and consequently not a tenth of the fruit and truck now raised in ,new ,jersey was then produced4 ,but an outlet being thus established1 production commenced4 ,farms were manured1 their yield increased1 and stations for the receipt of freight were built at every few miles along the railroad4 ,they continue to increase in number up to this day4 ,lands rose in value1 better fences were supplied1 new houses built1 and the whole system of county roads was revolutionized4 ,as every thing that could be raised now found a cash market1 so every convenience for getting it there was attended to4 ,hence1 gravel turnpikes were built1 which1 stretching back into the country1 enabled growers at all seasons to transport their products over smooth roads to the nearest station4 ,these numerous feeders to the great railroad caused the income from way-traffic to increase enormously4 ,all interests were signally benefited1 and a new career of improvement for ,new ,jersey was inaugurated4 ,the farmers became rich on lands which for generations had kept their former owners poor4 ,my agents were punctual in advising me by the first mail1 and sometimes by telegraph1 of the sale and price of each consignment1 thus keeping me constantly posted up as to the condition of the market4 ,they paid the freight on each consignment1 deducted it from the proceeds1 and returned the chests1 though sometimes with a few small boxes missing1 a loss to which growers seem to be regularly subjected1 so long as they use a box which they cannot afford to give away with the fruit4 ,i thus fed the northern cities as long as the price was maintained4 ,but1 as is the case with all market produce1 prices gradually declined as other growers came in1 for all hands sought to sell in the best market4 ,as the end of the season is generally a period of very low prices1 it must be counteracted by every effort to secure high ones at the beginning1 in this way maintaining a remunerative average during the whole4 ,thus1 the half dollar per quart which ,i obtained for the first and best1 by equalization with lower prices through the remainder of the season1 was unable to raise the average of the whole crop above sixteen cents net4 ,but this abundantly satisfied me1 as ,i sent to market #e1cfj quarts1 thus producing #heg4fj4 ,besides these1 we had the satisfaction of making generous presents to some particular friends in the city1 while at home we rioted upon them daily1 and laid by an extraordinary quantity in the shape of preserves for winter use1 a luxury which we had never indulged in during our residence in the city4 ,i may add that during the whole strawberry season it was observed that our city friends seemed to take an extraordinary interest in our proceedings and success4 ,they came up to see us even more numerously than during the dog-days1 and no great effort was required1 no second invitation necessary1 to induce them to prolong their visits4 ,but we considered them entirely excusable1 as the strawberries and cream were not only unexceptionable1 but abundant4 ,however1 ,i must confess1 that in the busiest part of the season our female visitors rolled up their sleeves1 and fell to with my wife and daughters for hours at a time1 aiding them in assorting and boxing the huge quantities of noble fruit as it came in from the field4 ,in order to send this fruit to market1 ,i was obliged to purchase #c1jjj quart boxes1 and #ej chests to contain them4 ,these cost me #bjj4 ,i could not fill all the boxes at each picking1 but as one set of boxes was away off in market1 it was necessary for me to have duplicates on hand1 in which to pick other berries as they ripened1 without being compelled to wait until the first lot of boxes came back4 ,sometimes it was a week or ten days before they were returned to me1 according as the agent was prompt or dilatory4 ,thus1 one supply of boxes filled with fruit was constantly going forward1 while another of empty ones was on the way back4 ,so extensive has this berry business become1 that ,i could name parties who have as much as #ejj to #a1ejj invested in chests and boxes for the transportation of fruit to market4 ,but their profits are in proportion to the extent of their investment4 ,while on this subject of boxes for the transportation of fruit to distant markets1 a suggestion occurs to me which some ingenious man may be able to work up into profitable use4 ,it is sometimes quite a trouble for the grower to get his chests returned at the proper time4 ,sometimes the agent is careless and inattentive1 keeps them twice as many days as he ought to1 when the owner really needs them4 ,sometimes an accident on the railroad delays their return for a week or ten days4 ,in either case1 the grower is subjected to great inconvenience2 and if his chests fail to return at all1 his ripened fruit will perish on his hands for want of boxes in which to send them off4 ,it is to be always safe from these contingencies that he finds it necessary to keep so large a quantity on hand4 ,then1 many of the boxes are never returned1 the chests coming back only half or quarter filled4 ,all this is very unjustly made the grower's loss4 ,but a remedy for this evil can and ought to be provided4 ,the trade needs for its use a box so cheap that it can afford to give it away4 ,then1 being packed in rough1 open crates1 cheaply put together of common lath1 with latticed sides1 neither crates nor boxes need be returned4 ,the grower will save the return-freight1 and be in no danger of ever being short of boxes by the negligence of others4 ,this is really a very urgent want of the trade4 ,the agent sells by wholesale to the retailer1 who takes the chest to his stand or store1 where he sells the contents1 one or more boxes to each customer4 ,these sometimes have no baskets with them in which to empty the berries1 and so the retailer1 to insure a sale1 permits the buyer to carry off the boxes1 and the latter neglects to return them4 ,in the same way they are sent to hotels and boarding-houses1 where they are lost by hundreds4 ,again1 the obligation imposed on a buyer to return the boxes to a retailer1 is constantly preventing hundreds of chance purchasers of rare fruit from taking it2 but if the seller could say to him that the box goes with the fruit1 and need not be returned1 the mere convenience of the thing would be sufficient to determine the sale of large quantities1--the purchaser would carry it home in his hand4 ,the maker of a cheap box like this would find the sale almost indefinite4 ,it would be constant1 and annually increasing4 ,the same buyers would require fresh supplies every season4 ,a mere chip box1 rounded out of a single shaving1 and just stiff enough to prevent the sides from collapsing1 would answer every purpose4 ,the pill-boxes which are made from shavings may serve as the model4 ,here is a great and growing want1 which our countrymen are abundantly able to supply1 and to which some of them cannot too soon direct their attention4 ,if the cost of transmitting the boxes to the buyers be too great for so cheap a contrivance1 then let the shavings be manufactured of the exact size required1 and delivered in a flat state to the buyer1 with the circular bottom1 by him to be put together during the leisure days of winter4 ,a single touch of glue will hold the shaving in position1 and a couple of tacks will keep the bottom in its place4 ,the whole affair being for temporary use1 need be nothing more than temporary itself4 ,a portion of the labor of manufacturing being done by the grower1 will reduce the cost4 ,if constructed as suggested1 such boxes would be quite as neat as the majority now in use1 while they would possess the charm of always being clean and sweet4 ,our country is at this moment full of machinery exactly fitted to produce them1 much of it located in regions where timber and power are obtainable at the minimum cost4 ,the suggestion should be appropriated by its owners at the earliest possible moment4 ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,,raspberries--,,the ,,lawtons4 ,to strawberries succeeded raspberries4 ,my stock of boxes was thus useful a second time4 ,but raspberries are not always reliable for a full crop the first season after planting1 and so it turned out with mine4 ,they bore only moderately2 but by exercising the same care in rejecting all inferior specimens1 the first commanded twenty-five cents a quart in market2 gradually declining to twelve1 below which none were sold4 ,i marketed only #bdb quarts from the whole1 netting an average of #af cents a quart1 or #ch4gb4 ,in price they were thus equal to strawberries4 ,in addition to this1 we consumed in the family as much as all desired1 and that was not small4 ,i had heard of others doing considerably better than this1 but had no disposition to be dissatisfied4 ,the trade in raspberries is increasing rapidly in the neighborhood of all our large cities1 stimulated by the establishment of steamboats and railroads1 on which they go so quickly and cheaply to market4 ,it is probably greater in ,new ,york ,state than elsewhere4 ,the citizens of ,marlborough1 in ,ulster county1 have a steamboat regularly employed for almost the sole business of transporting their raspberries to ,new ,york4 ,in a single season their sales of this fruit amount to nearly #ij1jjj4 ,the demand is inexhaustible1 and the cultivation consequently increases4 ,in the immediate vicinity of ,milton1 in the same county1 there are over #ajj acres of them1 and new plantations are being annually established4 ,the pickers are on the ground as soon as the dew is off1 as the berries do not keep so well when gathered wet4 ,i have there seen fifty pickers at work at the same time1 men1 women1 and children1 some of them astonishingly expert1 earning as much as #b in a day4 ,several persons were constantly employed in packing the neat little baskets into crates1 the baskets holding nearly a pint4 ,by six o'clock the crates were put on board the steamboat1 and by sunrise next morning they were in ,washington market4 ,as many as #hj1jjj baskets are carried at a single trip4 ,the retail price averages ten cents a basket1 one boat thus carrying #hjj worth in a single day4 ,all this cultivation being conducted in a large way1 the yield per acre is consequently less than from small patches thoroughly attended to4 ,there are repeated instances of #djj and even #fjj being made clear from a single acre of raspberries4 ,the culture in ,ulster county1 though at first view appearing small1 yet gives employment to1 and distributes its gains among thousands of persons4 ,the mere culture requires the services of a large number of people4 ,the pickers there1 as well as in ,new ,jersey1 constitute a small army1 there being five or more required for each acre1 and the moneys thus earned by these industrious people go far towards making entire families comfortable during some months of the year4 ,the season for raspberries continues about six weeks4 ,many of the baskets which are used about ,new ,york are imported from ,france4 ,frequently the supply is unequal to the demand4 ,if the chip boxes were introduced1 as suggested in the last chapter1 the whole of this outlay to foreign countries could be stopped4 ,it is strange1 indeed1 that any portion of our people should be compelled to depend on ,france for baskets in which to convey their berries to market4 ,as my raspberries disappeared1 so in regular succession came the ,lawton blackberries4 ,i had cut off the tip of every cane the preceding ,july4 ,this1 by stopping the upward growth1 drove the whole energy of the plant into the formation of branches4 ,these had in turn been shortened to a foot in length at the close of last season4 ,this process1 by limiting the quantity of fruit to be produced1 increased the size of the berries4 ,i am certain of this fact1 by long experience with this plant4 ,it also prevented the ends of the branches resting on the ground1 when all fruit there produced would otherwise be ruined by being covered with dust or mud4 ,besides1 this was their first bearing year1 and as they had not had time to acquire a full supply of roots1 it would be unwise to let them overbear themselves4 ,some few which had grown to a great height were staked up with pickets four and a half feet long1 and tied1 the pickets costing #aa per thousand at the lumber-yard4 ,but the majority did not need this staking up the first season2 but many of the canes sent up this year1 for bearers the next1 it was necessary to support with stakes4 ,the crop was excellent in quality1 but not large4 ,i began picking ,july #bj1 and thus had the third use of my stock of boxes4 ,i practised the same care in assorting these berries for market which had been observed with the others1 keeping the larger ones separate from the smaller ones4 ,thus a chest of the selected berries1 when exposed to view1 presented a truly magnificent sight4 ,up to this time they had never been seen by fifty frequenters of the ,philadelphia markets4 ,but when this rare display was first opened in two of the principal markets1 it produced a great sensation4 ,none had been picked until perfectly ripe1 hence the rare and melting flavor peculiar to the ,lawton pervaded every berry4 ,they sold rapidly and netted me thirty cents a quart1 the smaller ones twenty-five cents4 ,there appeared to be no limit to the demand at these prices4 ,buyers cheerfully gave them1 though they could get the common wild blackberry in the same market at ten cents4 ,now1 it cost me no more to raise the ,lawtons than it would have done to raise the common article4 ,but this is merely another illustration of the folly of raising the poorest fruit to sell at the lowest prices1 instead of the best to sell at the highest4 ,the crop of ,lawtons amounted to five hundred and ninety-two quarts1 and netted me #aei4hd1 an average of twenty-seven cents a quart4 ,my family did not fail to eat even more than a usual allowance4 ,as soon as the picking was done1 while the plants were yet covered with leaves1 ,dick cut off at the ground all the canes which had just fruited1 using a strong pair of snip-shears1 which cut them through without any labor4 ,these canes having done their duty would die in the autumn1 could now be more easily cut than when grown hard after death1 and if removed at once1 would be out of the way of the new canes of this year's growth4 ,the latter could then be trimmed and staked up for the coming year1 the removal of all which superfluous foliage would let in the sun and air more freely to the cabbages between the rows4 ,the old wood being thus cut out1 was gathered in a heap1 and when dry enough was burned1 the ashes being collected and scattered around the peach-trees4 ,after this the limbs were all shortened in to a foot4 ,they were very strong and vigorous1 as in ,july the tops of the canes had all been taken off1 leaving no cane more than four feet high4 ,the branches were consequently very strong1 giving promise of a fine crop another season4 ,after this1 such as needed it were staked up and tied1 as the autumn and winter winds so blow and twist them about that otherwise they would be broken off4 ,but subsequent practice has induced me to cut down to only three feet high2 and this being done in ,july1 when the plant is in full growth1 the cane becomes so stiff and stocky before losing its leaves as to require no staking1 and will support itself under any ordinary storm4 ,i have seen growers of this fruit who neglected for two or three years1 either from laziness or carelessness1 to remove the old wood2 but it made terrible work for the pickers1 as in order to get at one year's fruit they were compelled to contend with three years' briers4 ,only a sloven will thus fail to remove the old wood annually4 ,i prefer removing it in the autumn1 as soon as picking is over1 for reasons above given1 and also because at that time there is less to do than in the spring4 ,in the mean time the fame of the ,lawton blackberry had greatly extended and the demand increased1 but the propagation had also been stimulated4 ,a class of growers had omitted tilling their grounds1 so as to promote the growth of suckers1 caring more for the sale of plants than for that of fruit4 ,hence the quantity to meet the demand was so large as to reduce the price1 but ,i sold of this year's growth enough plants to produce me #bac4ej4 ,of this ,i laid out #ed in marl1 which ,i devoted exclusively to the blackberries4 ,i had been advised by a friend that marl was the specific manure for this plant1 as of his own knowledge he knew it to be so4 ,a half-peck was spread round each hill1 and the remainder scattered over the ground4 ,a single row was left unmarled4 ,it showed the power of this fertilizer the next season1 as the rows thus manured were surprisingly better filled with fruit than that which received none4 ,since that ,i have continued to use this fertilizer on my blackberries1 and can from experience recommend its use to all who may cultivate them4 ,with the sale of pork1 amounting to #eh1 the receipts of my second year terminated4 ,my cash-book showed the following as the total of receipts and expenditures3 ,paid for stable manure #bjj4jj ,ashes1 and ,baugh's rawbone superphosphate #ib4jj ,marl #ed4jj ,dick's wages #add4jj ,occasional help #id4jj ,feed for stock #gi4cj ,pigs bought #ab4jj ,garden and other seeds #ac4jj ,lumber1 nails1 and sundries #ad4ej ,stakes and twine #g4jj ------ #gji4hj ,the credit side of the account was much better than last year1 and was as follows3 ,from strawberries1 #f acres #heg4fj 8 ,lawton blackberries1 #a acre #aei4hd 8 ,lawton plants #bac4ej 8 raspberries1 #b acres #ch4gb 8 tomatoes1 #a acre #aij4jj 8 cabbages #gj4bj 8 garden #fc4jj 8 peaches1 #aj trees in garden #eh4jj 8 potatoes #bd4jj 8 pork #eh4jj 8 calf #b4jj --------- #a1gcd4hf ,the reader will not fail to bear in mind that in addition to this cash receipt towards the support of a family1 we had not laid out a dollar for fruits or vegetables during the entire year4 ,having all of them in unstinted abundance1 with a most noble cow1 the cash outlay for the family was necessarily very small2 for no one knows1 until he has all these things without paying for them in money1 how very far they go towards making up the sum total of the cost of keeping a family of ten persons4 ,in addition to this1 we had a full six months' supply of pork on hand4 ,the reader will also be struck with the enormous difference in favor of the second year4 ,but on dissecting the two accounts he will see good reason for this difference4 ,in the first place1 some improvement was natural1 as the result of my increase of knowledge1--,i was expected to be all the time growing wiser in my new calling4 ,in the second place1 some expenses incident to the initiatory year were lopped off2 and third1 three of my standard fruits had come into bearing4 ,the increase of receipts was apparently sudden1 but it was exactly what was to be expected4 ,i used manure more freely1 and on my acre of clover was particular to spread a good dressing of solid or liquid manure immediately after each mowing1 so as to thus restore to it a full equivalent for the food taken away4 ,this dressing was sometimes ashes1 sometimes plaster1 or bone-phosphate1 or liquid1 and in the fall a good topping from the barnyard4 ,in return for this1 the yield of clover was probably four times what it would have been had the lot been pastured and left unmanured4 ,in fact1 it became evident to me that the more manure ,i was able to apply on any crop1 the more satisfactory were my returns4 ,hence1 the soiling system was persevered in1 and we had now become so accustomed to it that we considered it as no extra trouble4 ,the result of this year's operations was apparently conclusive4 ,my expenses for the farm had been #gji4hj1 while my receipts had been #a1gcd4hf1 leaving a surplus of #a1jbe4jf for the support of my family4 ,but more than half of their support had been drawn from the products of the farm2 and1 at the year's end1 when every account had been settled up1 and every bill at the stores paid off1 ,i found that of this #a1jbe4jf ,i had #efg in cash on hand1--proving that it had required only #deh4jf in money1 in addition to what we consumed from the farm1 to keep us all with far more comfort than we had ever known in the city4 ,thus1 after setting aside #cef4jf for the purchase of manure1 there was a clear surplus of #bjj for investment4 ,i had never done better than this in the city4 ,there1 the year's end never found me with accounts squared up1 and a clear cash balance on hand4 ,few occupations can be carried on in the city after so snug a fashion4 ,credit is there the rule1 and cash the exception1--at least it was ten years ago4 ,but in the apparently humbler trade of trucking and fruit-growing every thing is cash4 ,manure1 the great staple article to be bought1 can be had on credit2 but all you grow from it is cash4 ,food must be paid for on delivery1 and he who produces it will have no bad debts at the year's end but such as may exist from his own carelessness or neglect4 ,thus1 what a farmer earns he gets4 ,he loses none of his gains1 if he attends to his business4 ,they may be smaller1 on paper1 than those realized by dashing operators in the city1 but they are infinitely more tangible2 and if1 as in my case1 they should prove to be enough1 what matters it as to the amount8 ,the producers of food1 therefore1 possess this preponderating advantage over all other classes of business men3 they go into a market where cash without limit is always ready to be paid down for whatever they bring to it4 ,a business which is notoriously profitable1 thus kept up at the cash level1 and consequently free from the hazard of bad debts1 cannot fail to enrich those who pursue it extensively1 and with proper intelligence and industry4 ,i could name various men who1 beginning on less than a hundred dollars1 and on rented land1 have in a few years become its owners1 and in the end arrived at great wealth1 solely from the business of raising fruit and truck4 ,,chapter ,,xix4 ,,liquid ,,manures--,,an ,,illustration4 ,no sooner had the autumn of my second year fairly set in1 and the leaves fallen1 than ,i turned my attention more closely than ever to the subject of providing an abundant supply of manure1 in hopes of being able to devise some plan by which to lessen the large cash outlay necessary to be annually made for it4 ,i did not grudge the money for manure1 any more than the sugar on my strawberries4 ,both were absolutely necessary2 but economy in providing manure was as legitimate a method of increasing my profits as that of purchasing it4 ,i knew it must be had in abundance3 the point was1 to increase the quantity while diminishing the outlay4 ,thus resolved1 ,i kept ,dick more actively at work than ever in gathering leaves all over the neighborhood1 and when he had cleaned up the public roads1 ,i then sent him into every piece of woods to which the owner would grant me access4 ,in these he gathered the mould and half-rotted leaves which thickly covered the ground4 ,i knew that he would thus bring home a quantity of pestiferous seeds1 to plague us in the shape of weeds1 but by this time we had learned to have no fear of them4 ,by steadily pursuing this plan when no snow lay on the ground1 he piled up in the barnyard a most astonishing quantity of leaves4 ,there happened to be but little competition in the search for them1 so that he had the ground clear for himself4 ,all this addition to the manure heap cost me nothing4 ,to this ,i added many hogsheads of bones1 which the small boys of the neighborhood gathered up from pig-pens1 slaughter-houses1 and other places1 and considered themselves well paid at ten cents a bushel for their labor4 ,these were laid aside until the best and cheapest method could be devised for reducing them to powder1 and so fitting them for use4 ,in the mean time1 ,i frequently walked for miles away into the country1 making acquaintance with the farmers1 observing their different modes of cultivation1 what crops they produced1 and especially their methods of obtaining manures4 ,as before observed1 farmers have no secrets4 ,hence many valuable hints were obtained and treasured up1 from which ,i have subsequently derived the greatest advantage4 ,some of these farmers were living on land which they had skinned into the most squalid poverty1 and were on the high-road to being turned off by the sheriff4 ,others were manured at a money cost which astonished me1 exceeding any outlay that ,i had made1 but confirming to the letter all my preconceived opinions on the subject1 that one acre thoroughly manured is worth ten that are starved4 ,of one farmer ,i learned particulars as to the history of his neighbor1 which ,i felt a delicacy in asking of the latter himself4 ,some instances of success from the humblest beginnings were truly remarkable2 but in all these ,i found that faith in manure lay at the bottom4 ,one case is too striking to be omitted4 ,a ,german1 with his wife1 and two children just large enough to pull weeds and drive a cow1 had settled1 seven years before1 on eight acres1 from which the owner had been driven by running deeply in debt at the grog-shop4 ,the drunkard's acres had of course become starved and desolate2 the fences were half down1 there was no garden1 and the hovel1 in which his unhappy family was once snugly housed1 appeared ready to take its departure on the wings of the wind4 ,every fruit-tree had died4 ,in this squalid condition the newly arrived ,german took possession1 with the privilege of purchasing for #fjj4 ,his whole capital was three dollars4 ,he began with four pigs1 which he paid for in work4 ,the manure from these was daily emptied into an empty butter-firkin1 which also served as a family water-closet1 and the whole was converted into liquid manure1 which was supplied to cabbages and onions4 ,a gentleman who lived near1 and who noted the progress of this industrious man1 assured me that even in the exhausted soil where the crops were planted1 the growth was almost incredible4 ,on turnips and ruta-bagas the effect was equally great4 ,long before winter set in1 this hero had bought a cow1 for while his own crops were growing he had earned money by working around the neighborhood4 ,he readily obtained credit at the store1 for he was soon discovered to be deserving4 ,when away at work1 his wife plied the hoe1 and acted as mistress of the aforesaid butter-tub1 while the children pulled weeds4 ,his cabbages and roots exceeded any in the township2 they discharged his little store-bills1 and kept his cow during the winter1 while the living cow and the dead pigs kept the entire family1 for they lived about as close to the wind as possible4 ,this man's passion was for liquid manure4 ,if he had done so much with a tub1 he was of course comparatively rich with a cow4 ,then he sunk a hogshead in the ground1 conducted the wash of the kitchen into it1 and there also emptied the droppings from the cow4 ,it was water-closet for her as well as for the family4 ,it is true that few of us would fancy such a smelling-bottle at the kitchen door2 but it never became a nuisance1 for he kept it innoxious by frequent applications of plaster1 which improved as well as purified the whole contents4 ,it was laborious to transport the fluid to his crops1 but a wheelbarrow came the second year to lessen the labor4 ,there happened1 by the merest accident1 to be a quarter of an acre of raspberries surviving on the place4 ,he dug all round these to the depth of eighteen inches1 trimmed them up1 kept out the weeds1 and gave them enormous quantities of liquid manure4 ,the yield was most extraordinary1 for the second year of his location there he sold #hd worth of fruit4 ,this encouraged him to plant more1 until at the end of four years he had made enough1 from his raspberries alone1 not only to pay for his eight acres1 but to accumulate a multitude of comforts around him4 ,in all this application of liquid manure his wife had aided him with unflagging industry4 ,it was natural for me to feel great interest in a case like this1 so ,i called repeatedly to see the grounds and converse with the ,german owner4 ,as it was seven years from his beginning when ,i first became acquainted with him1 his little farm bore no resemblance to its condition when he took possession4 ,there were signs of thrift all over it4 ,his fences were new1 and clear of hedge-rows2 his house had been completely renovated2 he had built a large barn and cattle-sheds1 while his garden was immeasurably better than mine4 ,every thing was in a condition exceeding all that ,i had seen elsewhere4 ,his two girls had grown up into handsome young women1 and had been for years at school4 ,all this time he had continued to enlarge his means of manufacturing and applying liquid manure1 as upon its use he placed his main dependence4 ,he had sunk a large brick cistern in the barnyard1 into which all the liquor from six cows and two horses was conducted1 as well as the wash from the pig-pen and the barnyard4 ,a fine pump in the cistern enabled him to keep his manure heap constantly saturated1 the heap being always under cover1 and to fill a hogshead mounted on wheels1 from which he discharged the contents over his ground4 ,the tub and underground hogshead with which he commenced were of course obsolete4 ,if it be possible to build a monument out of liquid manure1 here was one on this farm of eight acres4 ,its owner developed another peculiarity--he had no desire to buy more land4 ,this man's great success in a small way could not have been achieved without the most assiduous husbanding of manure1 and this husbanding was accomplished by soiling his cow4 ,as he increased his herd he continued the soiling system2 but as it required more help1 so he abandoned working for others and hired whatever help was necessary4 ,the increase of his manure heap was so great that his little farm was soon brought into the highest possible condition4 ,in favorable seasons he could grow huge crops of whatever he planted4 ,but his progress was no greater than has repeatedly been made by others1 who thoroughly prosecute the soiling system4 ,a frequent study of this remarkable instance of successful industry1 led me to conclude that high farming must consist in the abundant use of manure in a liquid state4 ,a fresh reading of forgotten pages shed abundance of new light upon the subject4 ,the fluid excretia of every animal is worth more than the solid portion2 but some are not contented with losing the fluid portions voided by the animals themselves1 but they suffer the solid portions of their manure to undergo destructive fermentation in their barnyards1 and thus to become soluble1 and part1 by washing1 with the more valuable portions4 ,now it is well known that the inorganic matter in barnyard manure is always of a superior character1 therefore valuable as well as soluble2 and this is regularly parted with from the soil by those who permit the washings to be wasted by running off to other fields or to the roadside4 ,i have seen whole townships where every barnyard on the roadside may be found discharging a broad stream of this life-blood of the farm into the public highway4 ,the manure heap must be liquefied before the roots of plants can be benefited by the food it contains4 ,no portion of a straw decomposed in the soil can feed a new plant until it is capable of being dissolved in water2 and this solution cannot occur without chemical changes1 whose conditions are supplied by the surroundings4 ,such changes can be made to occur in the barnyard by saturating the compost heap with barnyard liquor4 ,all that nature's laws would in ten years effect in manures in an ordinary state1 when ploughed into the ground1 are ready1 and occur in a single season1 when the manures are presented to the roots of plants in a liquid form4 ,a suggestion appropriate to this matter may be made for the consideration of ingenious minds4 ,every farmer knows that a manure heap1 when first composted1 abounds in clods of matted ingredients so compact1 that time alone will thoroughly reduce them to that state of pulverization in which manure becomes an available stimulant to the roots of plants4 ,fermentation1 the result of composting or turning over a manure heap1 does measurably destroy their cohesion1 but not sufficiently4 ,few can afford to let their compost heaps remain long enough for the process of pulverization to become as perfect as it should be4 ,hence it is taken to the field still composed of hard clods1 around which the roots may instinctively cluster1 but into which they vainly seek to penetrate4 ,some careful farmers endeavor to remedy this defect by laboriously spading down the heap as it is carted away4 ,the operation is a slow one1 and does not half prepare the manure for distribution4 ,a year or two is thus required for these clods to become properly pulverized1 for they remain in the soil inert and useless until subsequent ploughings and harrowing reduce them to powder4 ,as farmers cannot wait for time to perform this office in the manure heap1 they should have machinery to do the work4 ,a wooden cylinder1 armed with long iron teeth1 and revolving rapidly in a horizontal position1 with the manure fed in at the top through a capacious hopper1 would tear up the clods into tatters1 and deliver the whole in the exact condition of fine powder1 which the roots of all plants require4 ,to do this would require less time and labor than the present custom of cutting down with either spade or drag4 ,better still1 if the manure could be so broken up as it is taken from the barnyard to the compost heap2 the process of disintegration thus begun would go on through the entire mass1 until1 when carted away1 it would be found almost as friable as an ash heap4 ,it is by contact of the countless mouths of the roots with minute particles of manure that they suck up nutriment1 not by contact with a dense clod4 ,hence the astonishing and immediate efficacy of liquid manure4 ,in that the nutriment has been reduced to its utmost condition of divisibility1 and when the liquid is applied to the soil1 saturation reaches the entire root1 embracing its marvellous network of minute fibres1 and affording to each the food which it may be seeking4 ,we cannot use liquid manures on a large scale1 but thorough pulverization of that which is solid is a very near approach to the former4 ,immerse a compact clod in water1 and the latter will require time to become discolored4 ,but plunge an equal bulk of finely pulverized manure into water1 and discoloration almost instantly occurs4 ,diffusion is inevitable from contact with the water4 ,now as rain is water1 so a heavy shower falling on ground beneath which great clods of manure have been buried1 produces in them no more liquefaction than it does on that which has been dropped in a bucket4 ,on the other hand1 if the ground be charged with finely pulverized manure1 a soaking rain will immediately penetrate all its comminuted particles1 extract the nutriment1 and deliver it1 properly diluted1 into the open mouths of the millions of little rootlets which are waiting for it4 ,practically1 this is liquid manure on the grandest scale4 ,but no one can quickly realize its superior benefits from a newly buried compost heap1 unless the latter has been effectually pulverized before being deposited either in or upon the ground4 ,i was so impressed by the example of the thriving ,german referred to1 that ,i resolved to imitate him4 ,he had given me a rich lesson in the art of manufacturing manures cheaply1 though ,i thought it did not go far enough4 ,yet ,i made an immediate beginning by building a tank in the barnyard1 into which the wash from stable1 pig-pen1 and yard was conducted4 ,this was pumped up and distributed over the top of the manure heap under the shed1 once or twice weekly4 ,a huge compost heap was made of leaves1 each layer being saturated with the liquor as the heap accumulated1 so that the whole mass was moist with fluid manure4 ,it was never suffered to become dry4 ,now1 as in the centre of a manure heap there is no winter1 decomposition went on at a rapid rate1 especially among the leaves1 stimulated by the peculiar solvents contained in the liquor4 ,thus1 when taken out for use in the spring1 both heaps had become reduced to a half fluid mass of highly concentrated manure1 in a condition to be converted1 under the first heavy rain1 into immediate food for plants4 ,though my money-cost for manure for next season would be greater than before1 yet my home manufacture was immense4 ,as ,i was sure that high manuring was the key to heavy crops and high profits1 so my studies1 this winter1 were as diligently pursued in the barnyard as in the library1 and ,i flattered myself that ,i had gathered hints enough among my neighbors to enable me1 after next year1 to dispense entirely with the purchasing of manure4 ,but ,i had other reasons for avoiding the purchase of manure--none can be purchased clear of seeds1 such as grass and weeds4 ,i have already suffered severely from the foul trash that has been sold to me4 ,one strong warning of the magnitude of the nuisance was given by the condition of my strawberries4 ,a small portion of them was covered1 at the approach of winter1 with litter from the barnyard1 and another portion with cornstalks4 ,the object was protection from the cold2 and it may be added that the result1 so far as protection goes1 was very gratifying4 ,but when the covering was removed in ,april1 the ground protected by the barnyard litter was found to be seeded with grass and other seeds1 while that protected by the cornstalks was entirely clean4 ,during a whole year ,i had the utmost difficulty to get the first piece of ground clear of these newly planted pests1 and am sure that the labor thus exerted cost more than the strawberries were worth4 ,from this sore experience ,i have learned never to cover this fruit with barnyard litter4 ,when they are covered1 cornstalks alone are used4 ,they are drawn back into the balks in ,april1 where they serve as a mulch to keep down the weeds1 and ultimately decay into manure4 ,though not so neat to look at1 nor so convenient to handle as straw1 yet they answer quite as well1 and at the same time cost a great deal less4 ,,chapter ,,xx4 ,,my ,,third ,,year--,,liquid ,,manure--,,three ,,years' ,,results4 ,as usual with me at the opening of spring1 the garden received our first attention4 ,dick covered it heavily with manure1 cleared it up and made all ready for wife and daughter4 ,this year we had no seeds to purchase1 having carefully laid them aside from the last4 ,in order to try for myself the value of liquid manuring1 ,i mounted a barrel on a wheelbarrow1 so that it could be turned in any direction1 and the liquor be discharged through a sprinkler with the greatest convenience4 ,dick attended faithfully to this department4 ,as early as ,january he had begun to sprinkle the asparagus2 indeed he deluged it1 putting on not less than twenty barrels of liquor before it was forked up4 ,it had received its full share of rich manure in the autumn3 the result of both applications being a more luxuriant growth of this delightful vegetable than perhaps even the ,philadelphia market had ever exhibited4 ,the shoots came up more numerously than before1 were whiter1 thicker1 and tenderer1 and commanded five cents a bunch more than any other4 ,as the bed was a large one1 and the yield great1 we sold to the amount of #ba4 ,i certainly never tasted so luscious and tender an article4 ,its superiority was justly traceable1 to some extent1 to the liquid manure4 ,the same stimulant was freely administered all over the garden1 and with marked results4 ,it was never used in dry weather1 nor when a hot sun was shining4 ,we contrived to get it on at the beginning of a rain1 or during drizzly weather1 so that it should be immediately diluted and then carried down to the roots4 ,i have no doubt it promoted the growth of weeds1 as there was certainly more of them to kill this season than ever before4 ,but we had all become reconciled to the sight of weeds--expected them as a matter of course--and my wife and ,kate became thorough converts to ,dick's heresy as to the impossibility of ever getting rid of them4 ,i was pained to hear of this declension from what ,i regarded as the only true faith2 but when ,i saw the terrible armies which came up in the garden just as regularly as ,dick distributed his liquor1 ,i confess they had abundant reason for the faith that was in them4 ,but the barnyard fluid was a good thing1 notwithstanding4 ,it brought the early beets into market ten days ahead of all competitors1 thus securing the best prices4 ,it was the same with radishes and salad4 ,the latter is scarcely ever to be had in small country towns1 and then only at high rates4 ,but whether it was owing to the liquor or not1 ,i will not say1 but it came early into market in the best possible condition2 and as there happened to be plenty of it1 we sold to the amount of #ai of the very early1 and then1 as prices lowered1 continued to send it to the store as long as it commanded two cents a head1 after which the cow and pigs became exclusive customers4 ,the fall vegetables1 such as white onions1 carrots and parsnips1 having had more of the liquor1 did even better1 for they grew to very large size4 ,it was the same thing with currants and gooseberries4 ,the whole together produced #hc2 to which must be added the ten peach-trees1 all which ,i had thinned out when the fruit was the size of hickory nuts1 and with the same success as the previous year4 ,this was in #aheg1 that time of panic1 suspension1 and insolvency4 ,that year had been noted1 even from its opening1 as one of great scarcity of money in the cities1 when all unlucky enough to need it were compelled to pay the highest rates for its use4 ,but we in the country1 being out of the ring1 gave way to no panic1 felt no scarcity1 experienced no insolvency4 ,peaches brought as high a price as ever2 as1 let times in the city be black as they may1 there is always money enough in somebody's hands to exchange for all the choice fruit that goes to market4 ,the fruit from the ten trees produced me #fi1 making the whole product of the garden #aeb4 ,i thought this was not doing well enough1 and resolved to do better another year4 ,at the usual season for the weeds to show themselves on the nine acres1 it very soon became evident that two years' warfare had resulted in a comparative conquest4 ,it may be safely said that there was not half the usual number1 and so it continued throughout the season4 ,but no exertion was spared to keep them under1 none being allowed to go to seed4 ,this watchfulness being continued from that day to this1 the mastery has been complete4 ,we still have weeds1 but are no longer troubled with them as at the beginning4 ,the secret lies in a nutshell--let none go to seed4 ,nor let any cultivator be discouraged1 no matter how formidable the host he may have to attack at the beginning4 ,but if he will procure the proper labor-saving tools1 and drive them with a determined perseverance1 success is sure4 ,as usual1 the strawberries came first into market1 and were prepared and sent off with even more care than formerly4 ,the money pressure in the cities caused no reduction in price1 and my net receipts were #ijc4 ,an experienced grower near me1 with only four acres1 cleared #a1bjj the same season4 ,his crop was much heavier than mine4 ,if he had practised the same care in assorting his fruit for market1 he would have realized several hundred dollars more4 ,but his effort was for quantity1 not quality4 ,a portion of the raspberries had been thoroughly watered with the liquid manure1 all through the colder spring months4 ,it was too great a labor1 with a single wheelbarrow1 to supply the whole two acres1 or it would have been similarly treated4 ,but the portion thus supplied was certainly three times as productive as the portion not supplied4 ,my whole net receipts from raspberries amounted to #bfg4 ,the plants were now well rooted1 and were in prime bearing condition4 ,since this1 ,i have quadrupled my facilities for applying the liquid manure4 ,a large hogshead has been mounted on low wheels1 the rims of which are four inches wide1 so as to prevent them sinking into the ground1 the whole being constructed to weigh as little as possible4 ,the sprinkling apparatus will drench one or two rows at a time1 as may be desired4 ,the driver rides on the cart1 and by raising or lowering a valve1 lets on or shuts off the flow of liquor at his pleasure4 ,having been used on the raspberries for several years1 ,i can testify to the extraordinary value of this mode of applying manure4 ,it stimulates an astonishing growth of canes1 increases the quantity of fruit1 while it secures the grand desideratum1 a prodigious enlargement in the size of the berries4 ,i find by inquiry among my neighbors that none of them get so high prices as myself4 ,every crop has been growing more profitable than the preceding one2 and it may be set down that an acre of raspberries1 treated and attended to as they ought to be1 will realize a net profit of #bjj annually4 ,the ,lawtons were this year to come into stronger bearing4 ,parties in ,new ,york and ,philadelphia had agreed to take all my crop1 and guarantee me twenty-five cents a quart4 ,one speculator came to my house and offered #bjj for the crop1 before the berries were ripe4 ,i should have accepted the offer1 thinking that was money enough to make from one acre1 had not my obligation to send the fruit to other parties interfered with a sale4 ,but ,i made out a trifle better1 as the quantity marketed amounted to #hif quarts1 which netted me #bjf4jh4 ,in addition to this1 the sales of plants amounted to #aja4 ,as the market price for plants was falling1 ,i was not anxious to multiply them to the injury of the fruit2 hence many suckers were cut down outside of the rows1 so as to throw the whole energy of the roots into the berries2 and ,i think the result justified this course4 ,the demand for the fruit was so great1 that ,i could have readily sold four times as much at the same price4 ,as the season for the blackberries closed1 all the stray fruit was gathered and converted into an admirable wine4 ,some seventy bottles were made for home use2 and when a year old1 ,i discovered that it was of ready sale at half a dollar per bottle4 ,since then we have made a barrel of wine annually2 and when old enough1 all not needed for domestic purposes is sold at #b per gallon4 ,it is a small item of our general income1 but quite sufficient to show that vast profit may be made by any person going largely into the business of manufacturing blackberry-wine4 ,we raised nothing of value among the blackberries this year4 ,the growth of new wood had been so luxuriant1 that the ground between the rows was too much shaded to permit other plants to mature4 ,in some places1 the huge canes1 throwing out branches six to seven feet long1 had interlocked with each other from row to row1 and were cut away1 to enable the cultivator and weeder to pass along between them1 and thenceforward this acre was given up entirely to the blackberries4 ,as the roots wandered away for twenty or thirty feet in search of nourishment1 they acquired new power to force up stronger and more numerous canes4 ,many of these came up profusely in a direct line with the original plants4 ,when not standing too close together1 they were carefully preserved1 when of vigorous growth2 but the feeble ones were taken up and sold4 ,thus1 in a few years1 a row which had been originally set with plants eight feet apart became a compact hedge1 and an acre supporting full six times as many bearing canes as when first planted4 ,hence the crop of fruit should increase annually4 ,it will continue to do so1 if not more than three vigorous canes are allowed to grow in one cluster2 if the canes are cut down in ,july to three or four feet high2 if the branches are cut back to a foot in length2 if the growth of all suckers between the rows is thoroughly stopped by treating them the same as weeds2 if the old-bearing wood is nicely taken out at the close of every season2 and1 finally1 if the plants are bountifully supplied with manure4 ,from long experience with this admirable fruit1 ,i lay it down as a rule that every single condition above stated must be complied with1 if the grower expects abundant crops of the very finest fruit4 ,observe them1 and the result is certain2 neglect them1 and the reward will be inferior fruit1 to sell at inferior prices4 ,to the ,lawtons succeeded the peaches1 now their first bearing year4 ,we had protected them for three seasons from the fly by keeping the butts well tarred1 and they were now about to give some return for this careful but unexpensive oversight4 ,some few of them produced no fruit whatever1 but the majority made a respectable show4 ,i went over the orchard myself1 examining each tree with the utmost care1 and removed every peach of inferior size1 as well as thinning out even good ones which happened to be too much crowded together4 ,being of the earlier sorts1 they came into market in advance of a glut2 and though the money-pressure in the cities was now about culminating in the memorable explosion of ,september1 yet there was still money enough left in the pockets of the multitude to pay good prices for peaches4 ,it is with fruit as it is with rum--men are never too poor to buy both4 ,my #hjd trees produced me #bjh clear of expenses1 with a pretty sure prospect of doing much better hereafter4 ,i had learned from experience that a shrewd grower need not be apprehensive of a glut2 and that if panics palsied1 or a general insolvency desolated the cities they still contrived to hold as much money as before4 ,credit might disappear1 but the money remained2 and the industrious tiller of the soil was sure to get his full share of the general fund which survives even the worst convulsion4 ,my acre of tomatoes netted me this year #aib1 my pork #fa1 my potatoes #dj1 and the calf #c4 ,thus1 as my grounds became charged with manure1--as ,i restored to it the waste occasioned by the crops that were removed from it1 and even more than that waste1--so my crops increased in value4 ,it was thus demonstrable that manuring would pay4 ,on the clover-field the most signal evidence of this was apparent4 ,after each cutting of clover had been taken to the barnyard1 the liquor-cart distributed over the newly mown sod a copious supply of liquid manure1 thus regularly restoring to the earth an equivalent for the crop removed4 ,it was most instructive to see how immediately after each application the well-rooted clover shot up into luxuriant growth4 ,i have thus mowed it three times in a season1 and can readily believe that in the moister climate of ,england and ,flanders as many as six crops are annually taken from grass lands thus treated with liquid manure4 ,indeed1 ,i am inclined to believe that there is no reasonable limit to the yield of an acre of ground which is constantly and heavily manured1 and cultivated by one who thoroughly understands his art4 ,three years' experience of profit and loss is quite sufficient for the purposes of this volume4 ,it has satisfied me1 as it should satisfy others1 that ,ten ,acres are ,enough4 ,i give the following recapitulation for convenience of reference3 ,expenses for three years4 #ahee4 #ahef4 #aheg4 ,manures of various kinds #bfh4jj #cdf4jj #ceh4jf ,wages and labor #ajb4jj #bch4jj #bdd4jj ,feed for stock #bh4jj #gi4cj #ajc4jj ,stakes and twine for ,lawtons #g4jj #h4jj ,garden and other seeds #h4jj #ac4jj ,cabbage and tomato plants #cj4jj ,lumber1 nails1 and sundries #ad4ej #ha4jj ,loss on cow #g4jj ,cost of pigs #ab4jj #ab4jj #ab4jj ------ ------ ------ #dee4jj #gji4hj #hjf4jf ------ ------ ------ ,receipts for three years4 ,strawberries1 #f acres #heg4fj #ijc4jj ,lawton plants sold #dfj4jj #bac4ej #aja4jj ,tomatoes1 #a acre #abj4jj #aij4jj #aib4jj ,garden1 including ten peach-trees #hj4jj #aba4jj #aeb4jj ,cabbages #hb4jj #gj4bj ,raspberries1 #b acres #ch4gb #bfg4jj ,lawtons1 #a acre #aei4hd #bjf4jh ,pork #di4jj #eh4jj #fa4jj ,potatoes #bd4jj #dj4jj ,calf #b4jj #c4jj ,peaches1 #hjd trees1 first bearing year4 #bjh4jj ------ -------- -------- #gia4jj #a1gcd4hf #b1acc4jh ,expenses as above stated #dee4jj #gji4hj #hjf4jf ------- -------- -------- ,annual profit #ccf4jj #a1jbe4jf #a1cbg4jb ------- -------- -------- ,this result may surprise many not conversant with the profits which are constantly being realized from small farms4 ,but rejecting the income from the sale of plants1 the pigs1 and the calf1 as exceptional things1 and the profit of the nine acres for the first year will be found to be nothing per acre1 for the second year1 #hc4ej1 and for the third1 #abi4aj4 ,but there are obvious reasons why this should be so4 ,the ground was crowded to its utmost capacity with those plants only which yielded the very highest rate of profit1 and for which there was an unfailing demand4 ,in addition to this1 it was cultivated with the most unflagging industry and care4 ,besides using the contents of more than one barnyard upon it1 ,i literally manured it with brains4 ,my whole mind and energies were devoted to improving and attending to it4 ,no city business was ever more industriously or intelligently supervised than this4 ,but if the reward was ample1 it was no greater than others all around me were annually realizing1 the only difference being that they cultivated more ground4 ,while they diffused their labor over twenty acres1 ,i concentrated mine on ten4 ,yet1 having only half as much ground to work over1 ,i realized as large a profit as the average of them all4 ,concentrated labor and manuring thus brought the return which is always realized from them when intelligently combined4 ,for six years since #aheg ,i have continued to cultivate this little farm4 ,sometimes an unpropitious season has cut down my profits to a low figure1 but ,i have never lost money on the year's business4 ,now and then a crop or two has utterly failed1 as some seasons are too dry1 and others are too wet4 ,but among the variety cultivated some are sure to succeed4 ,only once or twice have ,i failed to invest a few hundred dollars at the year's end4 ,all other business has been studiously avoided4 ,i have spent considerable money in adding to the convenience of my dwelling1 and the extent of my outbuildings2 among the latter is a little shop furnished with more tools than are generally to be found upon a farm1 which save me many dollars in a year1 and many errands to the carpenter and wheelwright4 ,the marriage of my daughter ,kate called for a genteel outfit1 which she received without occasioning me any inconvenience4 ,i buy nothing on credit1 and for more than ten years have had no occasion to give a note4 ,if at the year's end we are found to owe any thing at the stores1 it is promptly paid4 ,as means increased1 my family has lived more expensively1 though ,i think not any more comfortably4 ,i lie down peacefully at night1 thinking that ,i do not deserve more than others1 but thankful that ,god has given me more4 ,i rise in the morning with an appetite for labor as keen as that for breakfast4 ,but others can succeed as well as myself4 ,capital or no capital1 the proper industry and determination will certainly be rewarded by success4 ,,chapter ,,xxi4 ,a ,,barnyard ,,manufactory--,,land ,,enough--,,faith ,,in ,,manure4 ,as previously stated1 there is no successful farming without a liberal expenditure for manure4 ,i had proved that high manuring would pay1 and while anxious to increase the quantity1 was desirous of reducing the money-cost4 ,i continued every season to scour the neighborhood for leaves1 and to gather up every available material for the barnyard4 ,but in addition to all this1 in ,october and ,november of my fourth year ,i purchased twenty heifers which would calve in the spring1 intending to feed them through the winter1 and then sell as soon as they had calved4 ,my idea was1 that they could be sold for a profit large enough to cover the cost of keeping them1 thus having the manure all clear4 ,i consulted many persons versed in this business1 farmers1 butchers1 and others1 before venturing on it1 as it was a good deal out of my usual line of operations4 ,i also consulted all my files of agricultural papers1 where ,i found set forth a multitude of experiences on the subject1 the most of which led me to conclude that it would be safe to try the experiment4 ,there seemed to be but little danger of loss1 even if nothing were made1 while it was quite certain a good deal of knowledge would be gained4 ,i accordingly had a rough shed built1 large enough to contain twenty cows1 with an entry in front of them and a large feed-room at one end4 ,then mangers were provided1 and a plank gutter laid just back of where the cows would stand1 into which all the droppings would fall1 and down which the water would run into a wide earthen pipe which emptied into the cistern in the barnyard4 ,here the cows stood in a row1 never being allowed to go out1 except an hour or two at noon when the weather was fine4 ,i agreed with ,dick to take entire charge of the feeding and watering them1 for the consideration of #cj extra4 ,i bought the cornstalks from some twenty acres near me1 at #c an acre1 and these were delivered from time to time as they were needed1 there not being room on the premises for so large a quantity at once4 ,i had provided a superior cutter1 with which ,dick cut up the stalks and blades1 reducing them to pieces a half-inch long1 and he then put them into a hogshead of water1 where they remained a day and night to soak4 ,thence they were transferred to a steaming apparatus1 constructed expressly for this purpose1 where they were made perfectly soft4 ,corn meal1 bran1 and various kinds of ground feed were mixed in and steamed with the cut stalks1 a sprinkling of salt being added4 ,a day's feed for the whole twenty was cooked at one operation4 ,this preparation came out soft and palatable1 and the cows took to it greedily4 ,the ground feed was varied during the season1 and occasionally a few turnips1 parsnips1 and cabbages were cooked up to increase the variety4 ,i had no hay to give them1 and they got none4 ,but on the other hand1 ,dick gave them four good strong messes every day1 that at night being a very heavy one4 ,he said they throve as well as any cattle he had ever seen4 ,the gutter behind them was cleaned out twice a day and sprinkled with plaster1 thus keeping the place always clean and sweet4 ,in fact1 ,i made cleanliness the order of the day throughout the entire barnyard4 ,the manure was thrown directly from the gutter into a wheelbarrow having a thick layer of leaves spread over its bottom1 and then emptied in a heap under the manure shed4 ,as the cows were also littered with leaves1 these1 when too foul for longer use1 were taken to the same heap4 ,others were added1 with cornstalks in occasional layers2 and as each layer was deposited1 the whole heap was saturated with liquor from the cistern4 ,i do not think a better lot of common barnyard manure has ever been manufactured4 ,dick entered into the spirit of the experiment1 and carried it through without once faltering4 ,as soon as the cows began dropping their calves in the spring1 ,i advertised them1 and plenty of purchasers appeared1 as a choice out of twenty was of some value4 ,they had cost me #bb each4 ,i had kept them an average of one hundred and forty days for each cow1 at a cost of six cents per day for each1 or #h4dj1 making with the first cost #cj4dj per cow1 or #fjh for the whole4 ,to this was added #fj for cornstalks and #dj for ,dick1 making a grand total of #gjh4 ,i sold them at an average of #ce4ej1 and thus realized #gaj1 or a cash profit of #b4 ,instead of paying ,dick #cj for his trouble1 ,i told the fellow that as he had performed his duty so satisfactorily1 he should have #dj4 ,this little voluntary contribution so gratified him1 that ,i feel assured its value has been refunded to me fourfold1 by his subsequent attention as a professor of the art and mystery of manufacturing manure4 ,thus ,i made #b in cash by the operation1 besides having a great quantity of cornstalks left over1 and a pile of manure certainly as ample as any for which ,i had paid #bej4 ,moreover1 it was on my own premises2 it had been most carefully attended to during the whole process of manufacture2 ,i knew what it was composed of1 and that the seeds of noxious weeds could not have been added to it4 ,all these facts gave it value over the chance lots which farmers are often compelled to purchase1 and from which their fields are many times sowed with thousands of weeds4 ,here was a clear saving of #bej added to my profits4 ,the result was so encouraging1 that ,i have continued the practice of thus feeding cattle during the winter from that day to this1 increasing the number1 however1 to twenty-five4 ,i find no difficulty in making sales in the spring4 ,sometimes ,i have lost a few dollars on a winter's operations1 sometimes made a little profit1 and sometimes come out just even4 ,on the run of four years there has been no profit beyond the manure2 but that much is all clear4 ,thus the winter1 instead of being a season of suspended profits as formerly1 is now one of positive gain4 ,the operation of thus feeding cattle is certainly attended with trouble4 ,but once provided with all the conveniences for carrying it on1 it is not only simple and easy1 but becomes even interesting4 ,no one who has not tried it in a careful1 methodical way1 can have any idea of the rapidity with which the manure heaps grow1 nor the size to which they ultimately attain4 ,my neighbors having long since ceased to be amused at what they facetiously called the novelty of my operations1 did not venture to ridicule even this4 ,on the contrary1 they rather approved of it1 though not one of them could tell how much it cost to keep a cow per week4 ,but ,i impute no part of my success to their approval4 ,the practice is intrinsically a good one1 and only needs being carried on properly to make it pay4 ,let me add1 that there is a very cheap and convenient mode of covering manure from the weather1 which ,i have constantly practised1 thus avoiding the cost of building sheds4 ,i took inch boards which were sixteen feet long1 and sawed them in half1 making two lengths1 each eight feet4 ,the boards were as wide as could be had1 say twenty inches4 ,battens were then nailed across each end and the centre1 to prevent warping4 ,then to each end a board of equal width1 and five feet long1 was secured by strap hinges4 ,the manure heap was then built up1 say five feet high1 and eight wide at the top4 ,when thus finished1 one of the boards was placed across the top2 the ends being hinged1 fell down1 over the sides of the heap1 and touched the ground4 ,beginning at one end of the heap1 the hinged boards were laid on until they reached to the other end4 ,thus the entire heap1 except the ends1 was completely protected from the weather4 ,the ends were covered with loose boards4 ,whenever rain was coming on1 and it was thought the heap needed water to prevent fire-fanging1 this portable shed was lifted off in five minutes4 ,after receiving a good soaking1 the shed was in five more minutes replaced on the heap2 and when no composting was going on1 the boards were simply stowed away in some by-place until again wanted4 ,to those who believe in the value of housing manure1 but who cannot afford to erect buildings for the purpose1 these portable sheds will be found1 for #aj1 to be as effectual as a building costing #fj1 while at the same time they do not occupy any useful ground4 ,i will not say that ten acres in ,new ,jersey can be made to produce more money than ten acres located elsewhere1 within reach of the great city markets4 ,without doubt1 the productiveness of either tract will be in exact proportion to the care and skill of cultivation1 and the thoroughness of manuring4 ,in either case1 it is utter folly for a man to attempt the cultivation of more land than he can manage thoroughly4 ,the chances are then invariably against him4 ,i consider the real office of the ground to be merely that of holding a plant in an erect position1 while you feed the roots4 ,but it is nevertheless remarkable that the census tables show that the product of ,new ,jersey per acre1 when the whole area of the ,state is taken into account1 is considerably greater than in any of the adjoining ,states4 ,the product per acre1 in some of the fruit-growing counties nearest the two great cities1 is even more remarkable4 ,the average cash value of the products of all our market gardens is #bj annually1 while that of the gardens in ,new ,york and ,pennsylvania is only #e each4 ,of our orchards it is #be1 while in ,new ,york it is only #aj1 and in ,pennsylvania only #e4 ,the value of agricultural implements and machinery is relatively far greater than in either of these empire ,states4 ,nothing short of a superior productiveness for truck and fruit1 in the soil of ,new ,jersey1 can account for such results4 ,a farmer in my neighborhood sold from forty early apple-trees1 occupying about one acre of land1 #djj baskets of fruit1 which yielded1 after deducting expenses1 and ten per cent4 commission for selling1 #bda4ej4 ,i have known pears to be sold at from #c to #e per basket1 and in smaller quantities at #b a half-peck2 and three cherry-trees1 of the early ,richmond variety1 yielded #cj worth of fruit4 ,peach-trees1 when protected from the worm1 will bear luxuriantly for twenty years4 ,i know a small farmer1 with six acres of rhubarb1 who has realized #fjj dollars annually from it4 ,another has twenty acres of asparagus1 from which he realizes #fjj per week during the season for cutting4 ,besides1 it grows an acre of common gooseberries1 from which his annual profit is #bjj4 ,i have known another to sell #ejj worth of tomatoes from a single acre1 besides having many bushels for the hog-pen4 ,i could name owners of very small tracts who are doing well in the same business4 ,asparagus1 strawberries1 raspberries1 blackberries1 currants1 grapes1 and gooseberries1 grow to perfection1 and yield enormous returns when properly attended to1 far surpassing any thing ever obtained from the heavier staple crops1 such as grain1 grass and stock4 ,but it is to be noticed that the greatest profit per acre is almost invariably realized by those who have very small farms4 ,the less they have1 the more thoroughly is it cultivated2 while the few who have sufficient faith in manure1 and who thus convert their entire holding into a garden1 realize twice or thrice as much per annum as they had paid for the land4 ,i knew a striking illustration of the value of this faith in manure4 ,it is in the person of a ,jerseyman who began1 twenty-five years ago1 upon a single acre of rented land1 with a capital of only #ej1 borrowed from a sister who had saved it from her earnings as a dairymaid4 ,this man regarded the earth as of no practical use except to receive and hold manure2 and his idea was1 that if he crowded it full enough1 every rain would extract from it1 and convey directly to the roots of the plants1 the liquid nutriment which gives to all vegetation such amazing vigor4 ,thus1 the solids1 if in sufficient supply1 would be sure to furnish the liquids1 on which he knew he could rely4 ,though full of original and practical ideas1 this was his absorbing one2 and he pursued it with an energy of purpose and a liberality of expenditure that surprised the population of an entire township4 ,in spite of the disadvantages attendant on a neglected education1 the force of this man's strong natural sense carried him forward with astonishing rapidity4 ,true to his faith in manure1 he bought and manufactured to an extent far exceeding all his neighbors4 ,he soon obtained possession of a small farm1 with ample time allowed for payment2 for his industry and skill established a character1 and character served for capital4 ,in a few years he monopolized the contents of all the pig-pens in the city near which he resided1 all that was produced by the slaughter-houses1 all the lime from the gas-works1 all the spent bark from the tanneries1 and every tub of night-soil which came from the water-closets of a large population4 ,he created a demand for manure so general1 that the streets were traversed by men and boys with carts and handbarrows1 who daily picked up the droppings from the numerous livestock which passed over the roads1 and piled them snugly in fence-corners1 composting them with leaves and rubbish1 knowing that the great manure king would take them all4 ,the quantity thus collected by these industrious scavengers was very large4 ,in addition to all this1 he purchased cargoes of marl1 charcoal cinders from the pines1 guano1 and sloop-loads of manures from the city4 ,the world within his reach seemed unable to supply his vast demand4 ,his cash outlay for these fertilizers was of course enormous1 and has amounted to thousands of dollars per annum4 ,it has been constantly increasing1 and grows even as ,i write4 ,but his faith in manure was accompanied by works4 ,what he thus collected at so great a cost1 was applied with singular shrewdness to the production of fruits and vegetables for the great city markets4 ,his fields rewarded him in proportion as he enriched them4 ,his neighbors1 who1 for miles around1 had been astonished and incredulous at his unprecedented outlay for manure1 were in turn astonished at the extraordinary quantities of fruit and truck which he dispatched to market4 ,as he went early and largely into the growing of rhubarb1 when all others were too timid even to touch it1 so for years he was the only man who sent tons of it to market during a long period in which it paid extravagant profits4 ,by skilfully regulating his crops1 he secured an uninterrupted succession during the entire season2 so that from the earliest to the latest period of the year he was constantly receiving large cash returns4 ,his wagons have sometimes loaded an entire steamboat1 sometimes an entire train upon the railroad4 ,by growing asparagus1 he has realized great profits4 ,for years he commanded the ,baltimore markets with his strawberries1 while various other large towns depended on him for their supplies4 ,i have been upon his thirty acres of this fruit during the height of the season1 when fifty pickers were at work on ground which wore a tinge of luscious scarlet under the astonishing profusion of the crop2 while thousands of quarts1 under adjacent sheds1 were in process of being boxed for market4 ,of this fruit he has sent ninety bushels to market in a single day1 distributed #cjj in a week among his pickers1 while in the boxes to contain them his investment is #a1ejj4 ,on strawberries alone this man could have grown rich4 ,but they are scarcely a tithe of what he has produced4 ,raspberries1 blackberries1 and all the smaller fruits have been cultivated quite as extensively4 ,the same courageous intelligence which led him to out-strip all competitors in the application of manure1 kept him awake to every improvement in fruit or vegetable as it came before the public4 ,he not only procured the best of every kind1 but bought them early1 no matter how extravagant the price4 ,thus keeping in advance of all others1 so his profits have exceeded theirs4 ,more than once he has been cheated by the purchase of novelties of this kind1 besides losing time and money in cultivating them long enough to prove the cheat2 but these losses have been but as dust in the great balance of his profit4 ,as may be supposed1 such a man could not fail to become rich4 ,from his humble beginning of a single acre he has gone on adding farm to farm1 house to house1 and lot to lot1 and is ever on hand to purchase more4 ,his passion is to own land4 ,but even so thorough a farmer as he may in the end acquire too much to be profitable4 ,the example thus set has had a marked influence on the population of entire townships4 ,men who at first1 and who even for years1 were incredulous of the propriety of using such vast quantities of manure1 at length became converts to the example4 ,high farming thus came extensively into vogue4 ,meantime the facilities for getting to market were being constantly multiplied4 ,new fertilizers were introduced and kept for sale in all the country towns1 the facility for obtaining them thus inducing a general consumption4 ,as crops increased1 so the great cities grew in size1 the number of mouths to be fed enlarging with the supply of food4 ,under the pressure of all these several inducements1 fruit and truck have been produced in quantities that cannot be estimated4 ,the first great impulse to its enlarged production in the neighborhood where the enterprising consumer of manure resided1 to whom reference has been made1 was the result of his example4 ,his great success removed all doubt and disarmed all opposition4 ,but even his was not achieved without unremitting industry and intelligent application of the mind4 ,neither his hands nor the manure did every thing4 ,but manure lay at the foundation of the edifice3 without it he would have toiled in vain to build up an ample fortune from the humblest of beginnings4 ,as he succeeded1 so let others take counsel1 and have faith in manure4 ,,chapter ,,xxii4 ,,profits ,,of ,,fruit-,,growing--,,the ,,trade ,,in ,,berries4 ,it cannot be supposed that agriculture is always a successful pursuit4 ,on the contrary1 we know it many times to be the reverse4 ,but when one looks carefully into that branch of it which embraces fruits1 especially the smaller kinds1 the evidences in its favor as a money-making business multiply as we proceed4 ,the reader must have some knowledge of the prodigious profits realized a few years since by the peach-growers in ,delaware1 where #hjj acres were cultivated in that fruit by a single individual4 ,at one time he was compelled to charter several steamboats during the entire season1 to convey his thousands of baskets to market4 ,from only #gj acres the owner has realized a net profit of #ab1jjj1 in one season4 ,the instance of my relative in ,ohio1 mentioned in an earlier chapter1 affords another illustration of what a very small orchard can be made to yield4 ,i have known single peach-trees in gardens1 in seasons when the general crop was short1 producing as much as #bj each4 ,those who buy single peaches at the street corners in our cities1 one or two for a dime1 can readily understand these figures4 ,i could point out a garden belonging to a widow1 containing twelve plum-trees1 from which she regularly receives #fj every year1 and sometimes even more4 ,grapes are never so abundant in market as to reduce the price below the point of profit4 ,the prices paid for pears are such as to seem absurdly high4 ,but even when rebellion had most depressed the market1 ,i knew a single tree to net #bc to the owner4 ,another grower1 from three trees1 annually receives #fj4 ,a citizen of ,new ,york is the owner of three pear-trees which have yielded eleven barrels1 and produced #acg4 ,there is another tree in that ,state1 seventy years old1 from which1 in that period1 #c1gej worth of pears have been sold--enough to pay for a farm4 ,a young orchard of four hundred trees1 some eight years after planting1 at two years' crops yielded the owner #a1dej4 ,an acre of the best pear-trees1 well managed1 will produce more profit than a five-hundred-acre farm1 without a twentieth of the care or capital4 ,but examples almost without number may be given1 where apple-trees also have yielded from five to ten dollars a year in fruit1 and many instances in which twenty or thirty dollars have been obtained4 ,if one tree of the ,rhode ,island ,greening will afford forty bushels of fruit1 at a quarter of a dollar per bushel1 which has often occurred1 forty such trees on an acre would yield a crop worth four hundred dollars4 ,but taking one quarter of this amount as a low average for all seasons1 and with imperfect cultivation1 one hundred dollars will still be equal to the interest on fifteen hundred per acre4 ,now1 this estimate is based upon the price of good winter apples for the past thirty years1 in one of our most productive districts2 let a similar estimate be made with fruits rarer and of a more delicate character4 ,apricots and the finer varieties of the plum are often sold for three to six dollars per bushel1 and the best early peaches from one to three dollars4 ,an acquaintance received eight dollars for a crop grown on two fine young cherry-trees1 and twenty-four dollars from four young peach-trees of only four years' growth from the bud4 ,in ,western ,new ,york1 single trees of the ,doyenne or ,virgalieu pear have often afforded a return of twenty dollars or more1 after being sent hundreds of miles to market4 ,these standard fruits1 requiring several years to come into bearing1 are too slow for the majority of cultivators1 who1 like myself1 need something which will pay in a year or two4 ,the whole berry family is pre-eminently adapted to meet this demand for immediate profit4 ,happily for the multitude engaged in its propagation1 the business cannot be overdone4 ,could an exact calculation be made of the money expended in the city of ,new ,york merely for the small fruits1 the amount would be so enormous as to be scarcely credible1 and would go far to prove the immense wealth which actually exists1 in spite of the fact that thousands are suffering all the stings of poverty4 ,take the strawberry as a faint index of the large sums of money that are annually laid out in the different varieties of fruit4 ,one of the most ephemeral of all fruits1 only lasting its brief month1 the strawberry nevertheless plays no insignificant part in the rle of our early summer business4 ,in fact1 this little berry may be said to be the prime favorite of the season4 ,of a delicious flavor1 with just sufficient of tartness to render it agreeable1 it commends itself to the taste of young and old2 while its cooling properties render it highly beneficial1 in a hygienic point of view1 during the early heats of the dog-days4 ,then its cheapness places it within the reach of the poorest4 ,it is alike welcome to the schoolboy who has a few cents of pocket money to invest in such delicacies as schoolboys are wont to indulge in2 to the laboring man1 after the burden and heat of the day are over2 and to the wealthy1 who has at his command the means of enjoyment of the most expensive kind4 ,the first strawberries during the season generally appear at the ,broadway saloons about the middle of ,may1 and are sold at the very modest price of fifty cents per pint basket4 ,a placard in the window announces that a plateful1 with cream1 may be had for a similar small consideration4 ,these early strawberries are from ,virginia2 but as they are small1 with immaturity stamped upon them1 it is to be presumed that there is not a very great rush for fifty cents' worth1 even by such as feel like boasting that they had eaten strawberries and cream ere the frosts of winter had well disappeared4 ,soon1 however1 ,new ,jersey begins to give up her stores of the delicious fruit1 and prices fall from fifty to fifteen1 from fifteen to six1 from six to five1 and finally from five to three cents per pint4 ,almost the entire early crop of the ,new ,york market is grown in ,new ,jersey1 and by far the largest quantity brought into the city by any one route reaches ,new ,york by the ,new ,york and ,erie ,railroad ,company4 ,the berries are conveyed in carts and wagons from the gardens where they are grown to the several railroad stations1 whence they find their way to the respective ferries4 ,great quantities1 however1 are conveyed in wagons direct to the ferries4 ,hence it is next to impossible to obtain exact information of the actual quantities brought into the city1 and consumed by the inhabitants4 ,all that can be done is to convey an approximate idea of the immense extent of the trade1 leaving the reader to imagine what must be the actual quantity1 since that of which authentic information can be obtained is so enormous4 ,the berries are largely shipped from ,burlington1 ,monmouth1 and ,middlesex counties in ,new ,jersey4 ,large quantities are also grown in ,bergen4 ,the ,bergen ,county ,journal says1 that from data furnished1 it considers #aj1jjj1jjj baskets a low estimate of the quantity sent to market in one season from that county alone4 ,this evidently is a mistake1 for1 after a very close inquiry into the matter1 it does not appear that any thing like that quantity has reached ,new ,york from all places where the berry is grown4 ,even supposing that other markets besides that of ,new ,york are indicated1 the quantity named seems too large for credibility1 as having been grown in a single county1 however favorable the soil may be to the production of the fruit1 and notwithstanding the utmost indefatigability of the growers2 and the more so when the ,journal adds1 8that thousands1 perhaps millions of baskets1 have rotted on the vines40 ,the opening of the ,northern ,railroad of ,new ,jersey to ,piermont1 is another circumstance which has given an impetus to the trade4 ,the opening took place just at the commencement of the season of #ahei1--not early enough for the growers to make their arrangements for a very large crop1 but just in time to enable them to take full advantage of the means of transit over the line1 of the then ripening crop4 ,accordingly1 as far as can be ascertained1 #djj1jjj baskets were brought over the new road4 ,this looks well for a commencement1 and holds out a good promise of an enormous trade in future seasons4 ,the section of country through which the line runs1 quietly undulating1 is well watered1 and admirably adapted to the growth of the strawberry2 and as the settlements are within easy distances of the stations1 the fruit can be sent into market fresh picked and sound1 retaining its full1 rich flavor4 ,the cultivation of the strawberry is very little attended to on ,long ,island4 ,on inquiry at the railroad station there1 it was found that so small is the quantity brought over by it1 that it was not deemed worth while to charge freight for the few parcels carried by travellers4 ,the quantity may be safely set down at #be1jjj baskets4 ,no business is done in this fruit over the ,hudson or the ,harlem and ,new ,haven ,railroads4 ,besides the railroads1 the steamboats bring to market large quantities of the fruit4 ,it is impossible to obtain correct statistical information of the trade from this source4 ,the quantity brought from ,keyport1 ,n4 ,j41 alone1 by two vessels1 has been estimated at #a1gej1jjj baskets4 ,the following is an epitome of the business done1 as far as can be ascertained3-- ,baskets4 ,over the ,new ,york and ,erie ,railroad #c1bec1djg 8 8 ,railroad of ,northern ,new ,jersey #djj1jjj 8 8 ,long ,island ,railroad #be1jjj 8 8 ,camden and ,amboy ,railroad #a1ajj1jjj ,from ,keyport1 in vessels #a1gej1jjj 8 ,hoboken and other places1 in wagons #ejj1jjj --------- #g1jbh1djg ,say seven millions of baskets1 in round numbers4 ,of the three and a quarter millions brought over the ,new ,york and ,erie ,railroad1 somewhat more than one-half are from ,ramsey's and ,allendale station1 and the remainder from the stations on the ,union ,railroad and the ,piermont branch4 ,of those brought by the ,camden and ,amboy ,railroad1 the great bulk is from ,burlington county4 ,it is difficult to form a correct estimate of the average price at which strawberries sell2 but by carefully collating the statements of the principal wholesale dealers1 and taking the mean of the several prices1 throughout the season1 #c per hundred baskets1 by wholesale1 seems to be pretty near the mark4 ,from the wholesale dealers the article sometimes changes hands twice1 before reaching the consumer1 who1 taking the average1 may be said to have paid #c cents per basket1 or #c4ej per hundred4 ,consequently1 it will be seen that the retailer makes but a small profit1 especially in cases where the strawberries reach him through the hands of the middle-man1 who of course manages to make his share of gain in the transfer4 ,the wholesale dealers generally sell on commission1 accounting to the growers for their sales1 and reserving ten per cent4 for their trouble4 ,the largest quantity sold by any one dealer is about #cjj1jjj baskets4 ,the freight charge over the railroads is #ab cents per hundred baskets4 ,the following figures will show what a conspicuous part this apparently insignificant berry plays in our social economics3 #gjj1jjj baskets1 at #c4ge per hundred #bf1bej ,profit to the retailers1 at #ge cents per hundred #e1bej ,commission to wholesale dealers1 at #aj per cent4 #b1fbe ,freight1 at #ab cents per hundred1 all round #hge ,this is only as far as can be ascertained1 but there is reason to believe that thousands of baskets of strawberries find their way into the ,new ,york markets1 of which no account can be obtained1 thus tending to swell the enormous expenditure on this almost the smallest of summer fruits4 ,it is equally difficult to ascertain the quantity of this fruit which pours into ,philadelphia also1 during the season1 but it is probably two-thirds as great as that which goes to ,new ,york4 ,there are numerous growers near the former city1 who dispatch to it from twenty to sixty bushels each1 daily4 ,an experienced writer on this subject estimates the consumption of strawberries in the four great cities as follows-- ,new ,york #ed1jjj bushels4 ,philadelphia #ad1jjj 8 ,boston #aa1jjj 8 ,cincinnati #ad1jjj 8 ,this estimate of the consumption of ,philadelphia is a very erroneous one1 as the consumption must fully equal that of ,new ,york4 ,in #ahfj1 no less than #agc1ejj quarts of strawberries passed through the gate of only one of the numerous gravel turnpikes in ,new ,jersey1 on their way to ,philadelphia4 ,this is equal to #e1ddb bushels1 more than one-third of the quantity estimated as above4 ,he says that #h1jjj1jjj baskets 7five to the quart7 have been received in ,new ,york in a season4 ,he adds1 that the crop around these four cities does not exceed #be to #ej bushels per acre1 although instances are reported where #ajj1 and even #acj to #adj bushels have been produced on an acre1 or in that proportion4 ,the returns1 therefore1 vary from #ajj to #hjj per acre1 and the prices range from #a4ej down to #ab cents a quart4 ,the former price is readily obtained in ,washington at the opening of the season4 ,he thence argues that in order to supply ,new ,york and vicinity with strawberries1 about #a1ejj acres1 of the choicest land is required1 and #ejj for the other cities named4 ,this he alleges to be at least four times as much land as is either appropriate or necessary for the object1 if the nature and cultivation of the strawberry were only as well understood as the raising of corn4 ,he contends that a crop of thirty bushels of strawberries to the acre1 is only about proportionate to a corn crop of ten bushels on the same ground4 ,he says that a strawberry plantation is seldom seen without having1 after the first year1 many more plants upon the ground than can obtain air or light sufficient to fruit well4 ,the consequence is1 that all our city markets are mainly supplied with inferior fruit1 simply because some of the commonest kinds continue to produce a little stunted1 sour fruit1 even under the worst treatment4 ,superior1 well-grown fruit will easily produce twice and four times as much to the acre1 and will command prices from two to four times larger in the city markets3 making the avails and the difference from the same land to be #be bushels at #ab cents a quart1 or at least #abe bushels at #be cents a quart1 or #a1jjj or #ajj an acre4 ,he lays it down that an acre ought to be made to yield #abe bushels1 and that no grower should be satisfied with less4 ,that this yield and these profits can be realized1 there are numerous evidences4 ,small plots of ground1 thoroughly cultivated1 have yielded even a double ratio4 ,one grower in ,connecticut realized #bae from strawberries raised on twenty-five rods of ground1 or at the rate of #a1cjj per acre4 ,a citizen of ,maine has raised them1 on a small lot1 at the rate of #cjj bushels an acre4 ,another in ,new ,jersey cleared #a1ajj from three acres1 and one of the agricultural societies in that ,state awarded the strawberry premium to a gentleman whose ground produced them at the rate of #a1bbb an acre1 clear profit4 ,i have seen a crop ripening on three acres for which the owner was offered #hjj as it stood1 the buyer to pick and take it away at his own expense4 ,the offer was declined1 and the owner realized #a1cjj clear4 ,mr4 ,fuller1 of ,brooklyn1 has grown at the rate of #fjj bushels per acre1 on a small plot of the ,bartlett2 and by the same mode of treatment1 #djj of the ,triomphe de ,gand4 ,all these returns are unquestionably the effects of high culture4 ,those who fail to practise it1 also fail to realize such returns4 ,the slovenly cultivator complains that his strawberries run out4 ,but this is because he permits the weeds and grass to run in and occupy the ground4 ,the plant has no inherent tendency to degenerate4 ,for the last few years1 immense demand has existed for ,wilson's ,albany ,seedling4 ,those at all conversant with the subject1 know that plenty of room is requisite to get the greatest quantity of runners from a given number of plants--the sale being perfectly sure1 all dealers give this room2 the consequence is1 while the plants are worth say #aj per #ajjj1 all are fine large plants1 and give a fair crop1 even the first year after planting4 ,such plants tell their own story1 and the demand continues4 ,in a short time1 prices come down2 and the supply increasing beyond demand1 the dealer no longer thinks it worth while to give this room expressly for the growth of plants3 the beds take care of themselves1 hence bear but little1 and the plants furnished are always weak and spindling4 ,these require the second year to fruit2 perhaps1 in the interim1 new kinds are pressed into notice1 and from the old beds it becomes more and more difficult to obtain strong plants1 until the cry is raised that the once celebrated strawberry has run its race4 ,now1 the question is1 whether the same kinds under the same circumstances1 that is1 strong runners from strong old plants1 in good soil and plenty of room1 will not continue to be productive4 ,as this is not designed to be a treatise on the art of raising strawberries1 so ,i shall not enlarge upon the subject4 ,every grower seems to have a method of his own1 which he prefers over all others4 ,there are works upon the subject1 containing numerous facts with which every careful beginner should make himself familiar4 ,but even in these are to be discovered the most extraordinary collisions of opinion1--one1 for instance1 recommending generous manuring1 another insisting that poor ground only should be used1 while a third declares that frequent stirring of the soil will of itself insure abundant crops4 ,amid all these antagonisms one great fact stands prominently forth1 that the strawberry plant will continue to live and produce fruit under every possible variety of treatment2 while another is equally conspicuous1 that the better the treatment the better the return4 ,it would be presumptuous in a novice like me to undertake to reconcile these unaccountable discrepancies of the great strawberry doctors of the country4 ,but ,i have learned enough to be satisfied that soil has much to do in the successful cultivation of this fruit4 ,a variety which flourishes in one soil will be almost barren in another4 ,hence1 in the hands of one grower it proves a great prize1 but in those of another it is comparatively worthless4 ,without doubt it is to this cause that much of the diversity of opinion as to certain varieties1 as well as to the mode of culture1 is to be attributed4 ,neither will ,i undertake to decide what sorts1 among the cloud of new aspirants for public patronage which are annually coming into notice1 are to be adopted as the best4 ,one is in danger of being confused by going largely into the cultivation of a multitude of varieties4 ,having secured a supply of a few which he has proved to be congenial with his particular soil1 he should adhere to them4 ,small trials of the new varieties may be safely made1 but wholesale substitutions are many times disastrous undertakings4 ,having found out such as suit my soil1 ,i am content to keep them4 ,the ,albany seedling grows upon it with unsurpassed luxuriance1 and ,i shall probably never abandon it4 ,meantime ,i have tried the ,bartlett1 and found it a rampant and hardy grower1 bearing the most abundant crops of luscious fruit4 ,so ,i find ,mc,avoy's ,superior to be a beautiful berry1 and a vigorous runner4 ,in my soil the ,triomphe de ,gand does not realize the extravagant promise of fruitfulness which heralded its introduction to public notice4 ,my neighbors also complain of it in the same way4 ,but for my own family consumption1 ,i prefer it to any strawberry ,i have ever eaten4 ,the flavor is rich and luscious beyond description1 while the crisp seeds crackle between your impatient grinders with reverberations loud enough to penetrate the utmost depths of a hungry stomach4 ,so long as my vines continue to produce only one-fourth as much as others1 ,i shall continue to grow this unsurpassable variety4 ,it sends off runners in amazing abundance4 ,when grown in stools1 with the runners clipped off weekly1 it bears profusely of enormous fruit2 and this method1 ,i am inclined to believe1 is the true corrective of all unfriendly elements in the soil4 ,in addition to these1 ,i have1 in common with 8all the world and the rest of mankind10 the ,tribune strawberries1 now growing finely in pots1 and carefully housed for crop next summer4 ,having seen them in fruit1 and having also entire confidence that the association by whom they are distributed would no more spread abroad a worthless article than they would circulate a vicious sheet1 so ,i regard the propagation of these three plants as the beginning of a new era in the history of strawberry culture4 ,i have very little doubt that there are specific manures for the strawberry1 and one of them will probably be found in ,baugh's ,rawbone ,superphosphate of ,lime4 ,this article is manufactured in ,philadelphia1 and is made of raw1 unburnt bones1 which in their raw state contain one-third of animal matter1 and combines ammonia and phosphoric acid in the proper proportions for stimulating and nourishing vegetable growth4 ,i have used it as freely as ,i could afford to1 on turnips1 celery1 and strawberries4 ,on the two former its effect was very decidedly favorable4 ,my celery uniformly exceeds that of my neighbors1 both in size1 crispness1 and flavor1 and consequently commands a higher price4 ,but its effect on strawberries has been perfectly marvellous4 ,on some of them the superphosphate was scattered on both sides of the row1 whence1 by repeated hoeing and raking1 with the aid of sundry rains1 its finer particles found their way to the roots4 ,the result has been a robust growth of the plants1 such as cannot be seen on any other part of my ground4 ,they hold up their heads1 their leaves and fruit-stalks some inches higher than any others1 while their whole appearance indicates that they have been fed with a more congenial fertilizer than usual4 ,many of them have put forth double crowns1 showing that they are prepared to furnish twice the ordinary quantity of fruit4 ,so impressed am ,i with the superior value of this fertilizer1 that ,i have1 this autumn of #ahfc1 manured as many rows as ,i could1 and shall hereafter substitute it wholly for all barnyard manure4 ,it is applied with the utmost facility1 it contains the seeds of no pestiferous weeds1 and its virtues are so highly concentrated that a small amount manures a large surface4 ,it is quite possible that it may not do so well on some soils as others1 but no farmer can be sure of this until he has made the trial4 ,hence1 as that can be made with a single bag1 the sooner it is undertaken the better it will be for those to whose soil it may be found congenial4 ,thousands of dollars' worth of the common wild blackberry are annually taken to the cities and sold4 ,for these berries the price has1 within a few years1 actually risen one-half4 ,the traffic in them on some railroads is immense1 especially on those leading into ,philadelphia from ,delaware4 ,millions of quarts are annually sold in ,new ,york and ,cincinnati4 ,a single township in ,new ,jersey sells to the amount of #b1jjj and one county in ,indiana to that of #aj1jjj4 ,the huckleberry trade of ,new ,jersey is also very large4 ,a single buyer in ,monmouth county purchases sixty bushels daily during the picking season4 ,all these wild berries are gathered by women and children who1 without these crops1 would find no other employment4 ,but they grow in every wood and swamp1 in every neglected headland1 while upon the old fields they enter into full possession4 ,as they cost nothing but the labor of gathering them1 so they are the bountiful means of drawing thousands of dollars into the pockets of the industrious poor4 ,the cranberry swamps of ,new ,jersey are as celebrated for the abundance of their products as their owners have been for permitting them to become the prey of all who choose to strip them of their fruit4 ,thus the demand for even the wild berries continues to enlarge4 ,hence there must be sure sale for those of a superior quality4 ,in fact1 the cultivation of fruit is yet in a state of infancy2 it is just beginning to assume the character its merits deserve4 ,probably more trees have been raised1 more orchards planted1 within the past ten or twelve years than in all previous time4 ,within a few years past it has received an unusual degree of attention4 ,plantations of all sorts1 orchards1 gardens1 and nurseries1 have increased in number and extent to a degree quite unprecedented2 not in one section or locality1 but from the extreme north to the southern limits of the fruit-growing region4 ,horticultural societies have been organized in all parts2 while exhibitions1 and ,national1 ,state1 and local ,conventions of fruit-growers have been held to discuss the merits of fruits1 and other kindred topics1 until it has become the desire of almost every man1 whether he live in town or country1 to enjoy fine fruits1 to provide them for his family1 and1 if possible1 to cultivate the trees in his own garden with his own hands4 ,there are now single nurseries in this country where a million fruit-trees are advertised for sale4 ,if every hundred-acre farm were to receive fifty trees1 all the nurseries would be swept bare in a single year4 ,the ,states east of1 and contiguous to1 the ,mississippi river1 would require ten thousand acres of land for three hundred years1 to plant ten acres of fruit-trees on every hundred-acre farm in this portion of the ,union3 and this estimate is based on the supposition that all the trees planted do well1 and flourish4 ,if only a fifth of them perish1 then two thousand years would be required1 at the present rate of supply1 to furnish the above-named quantity of orchard for every farm4 ,some nurseries already cover #cjj to #ejj acres1 but even these go but a short way in supplying the immense demand for fruit-trees4 ,how absurd1 then1 in the face of such an array of facts as this1 the idea that our markets are to be surfeited with fruit6 ,thousands of acres of peach-trees1 bending under their heavy crops1 are still needed for the consumption of but one city2 and broad fifty-acre fields reddened with enormous products1 may yet send with profit hundreds of bushels of strawberries daily into the other4 ,if1 instead of keeping three days1 sorts were now added that would keep three months1 many times the amount would be needed4 ,but the market would not be confined to large cities4 ,railroads and steamboats would open new channels of distribution throughout the country for increased supplies4 ,nor would the business stop here4 ,large portions of the ,eastern ,continent would gladly become purchasers as soon as sufficient quantities should create facilities for a reasonable supply4 ,our best apples are eagerly bought in ,london and ,liverpool1 where #i per barrel is not an unusual price for the best ,newtown pippins4 ,and1 by being packed in ice1 pears gathered early in autumn have been safely sent to ,jamaica1 and strawberries to ,barbadoes4 ,the ,baldwin apple has been furnished in good condition in the ,east ,indies two months after it is entirely gone in ,boston4 ,the world has never yet been surfeited with fruit4 ,,chapter ,,xxiii4 ,,gentleman-,,farming--,,establishing ,a ,,home4 ,from all these industrial antecedents1 few would set me down as belonging to the class of gentlemen farmers4 ,generally they are men of leisure1 and are always presumed to be independent2 for most of us have inherited the strange idea that one must be wealthy in order to be gentlemanly4 ,they go into the country because they are rich4 ,i went because ,i was poor4 ,notwithstanding this antagonism between their condition and mine1 it was practically1 and for all purposes of human comfort1 so insignificant as to disappear entirely when brought to the test4 ,there were neighbors within a mile of me1 wealthy citizens who had purchased lands1 erected splendid houses1 established lawns that were gorgeous with fruits1 and evergreens and flowers1 while costly graperies were made to yield a winter harvest of extraordinary fruit4 ,they sported elegant carriages1 and had professional experts to look after the hot-beds in winter1 and the garden in summer4 ,my riding was done a-foot1 and ,i was the professional genius of my own garden4 ,every avenue of theirs was nicely gravelled and rolled2 every hedge of evergreen was trimmed into the most artistic shape4 ,not a day in winter but the vegetables of early spring were spread in abundance on their tables2 yet many times they have overflowed with generous attention on my own4 ,i could boast of but few of these ever-present luxuries2 yet with these men1 some of whom were the life and charm of the neighborhood1 ,i mingled with the most cordial association4 ,though there was no community of wealth1 yet there was one of feeling1 such as springs from education1 character1 and kindred aspirations after whatever is captivating in the intellectual1 or good in the moral world4 ,our families became cemented by cordial friendships1 and intercourse was enjoyed and regulated1 not on the assumption that it was money that made the country gentleman1 but that mind1 and heart1 and education were the true ingredients4 ,thus1 with no pretensions to a position so widely coveted1 ,i enjoyed all its advantages4 ,there is no such leveller as politics1 short of the great leveller himself4 ,some of my neighbors were prodigious politicians4 ,as most of them were sensible men1 all such agreed with me2 and having myself a good deal of zeal in the cause1 we had at times a world of caucussing2 on which occasions the most luminous discussions occurred4 ,i have sometimes been astonished at the depth of political and financial wisdom developed on these occasions4 ,there was little doubt1 in my mind1 that a cabinet of the strongest character could have been made up from among us4 ,when ,i hinted this idea to one of us1 he expressed his decided opinion that there was material enough for two or three4 ,as to finance--for most of these had been successful and become rich--they talked of hundreds of millions as if they were every-day trifles4 ,these caucusses occupied many long evenings just before election-day1 when funds were to raise1 candidates to be selected1 tickets to print1 and other equally weighty matters were to be engineered to a crisis4 ,sometimes1 even after election1 they were held1 especially when it was discovered that the funds had been used up without expenses having been paid4 ,on such occasions it was evident we had much less talk and fire1 and that the cash deficit was a considerable damper on the spirits of all present4 ,but ,i feel convinced that at these caucuses the nation has been repeatedly saved4 ,as we generally carried the day at the polls1 it was then unanimously agreed on 8our side0 that the country was safe--at least until it needed saving over again4 ,somehow--,i can hardly say exactly how--these gentlemen discovered that ,i was pretty good at writing resolutions1 getting up posters that made the town ring with sensation1 and that in a general way ,i was what one of the party--a retired grocer--called a 8good egg40 ,the result was that ,i was speedily promoted to a high position in their political and social confidence4 ,on one occasion they even did me the honor of making me secretary of a meeting which had been called to consider what had better be done with the town pump2 and ,i have good reason to believe that had ,i intimated a wish to that effect1 they would have honored me with the extremely responsible position of chairman4 ,if the country had been in any actual danger1 ,i think they would have turned to me by a sort of instinct1 so great was their admiration of my ability to get up a handbill at the shortest possible notice4 ,but having no political ambition1 the security in which ,i have been content to vegetate will not surprise the sympathetic reader4 ,thus village politics are a very agreeable pastime1 especially when you happen to be generally of the same mind4 ,some of these country gentlemen had purchased naked fields1 inclosed by decrepit fences1 over which the rank poison-vine and poke-bush struggled with the wild blackberry for ascendancy1 while the weather-beaten trunks of blasted apple-trees1 grown ghastly by age and decay1 threw up their leafless branches in the centre of the grounds4 ,there were stones and gulleys and barren knolls denuded of the soil4 ,there were ponds which stagnated in summer1 overgrown with spatter-docks and cat-tail1 and so densely populated by frogs1 that even when times were most flourishing and money most abundant1 the neighborhood was never without its congregation of croakers4 ,the buildings were in some cases the architectural residuum of the men who first squatted on the soil1 with low and unplastered ceilings1 blackened by the smoke from huge open fireplaces4 ,as every thing within was primitive and inconvenient1 so all without was rude and squalid4 ,it has everywhere been the mission of the gentleman farmer to reconstruct and regenerate all this4 ,i have seen him engaged in numberless undertakings of the kind4 ,no one begins improvement with such courageous zeal2 no one goes through with what he undertakes with such unflagging liberality of expenditure4 ,wherever he locates he leaves an almost imperishable mark4 ,whatever he lays his hand to he improves and beautifies4 ,all this is proverbial in the country1 though the zeal1 the efforts1 and the expenditures of such men are far from being properly appreciated4 ,i was one day standing near an old homestead1 which was thus crumbling into a heap of firewood1 by order of a wealthy citizen who had recently become the purchaser4 ,a group of idle neighbors were leaning1 like myself1 against the old rickety fence1 watching the progress of demolition1 when an ancient farmer1 who knew nothing beyond six per cent41 broke the silence by observing-- 8,so it is4 ,when a city man buys a farm and pays for it1 then he begins to spend money40 8,always so10 responded another1 who belonged to the same antediluvian class2 8,i've seed it many a time40 ,there was quite a general assent to this proposition among the group4 ,the idea of the first speaker was1 that because he possessed money1 his sole duty was to keep it1 and that gentlemen farmers were great simpletons for doing otherwise2 never for a moment imagining that if for himself it were a luxury to hoard1 it might be with the others a still greater luxury to spend4 ,in many neighborhoods1 the advent of a gentleman farmer is not hailed with genuine hospitality4 ,he is too often regarded as a foolish man1 because he spends his money freely1 even though it be scattered among the sneering crowd4 ,however thoroughly he pulls down1 however judiciously he builds up and improves1 the masses neither appreciate nor comprehend4 ,they see him exterminate the most impenetrable hedgerows with no other remark than as to what the job will cost4 ,he drains the immemorial marsh1 abolishes the spatter-docks1 squelches the frogs1 digs up the dead apple-trees1 and brings in a huge stand of clover4 ,the latter they can comprehend1 because they know what clover is4 ,they have been educated to believe in it2 but of most of the former operations they know nothing1 and having a vague idea that they cost great sums of money1 condemn them as useless and unprofitable fancies4 ,but among the gentlemen farmers of this country are to be found its loftiest minds1 its purest patriots1 its greatest public benefactors4 ,they have imported our celebrated breeds of domestic animals1 sometimes at enormous cost1 and in many cases have propagated them with no view to their own profit4 ,the farm-stock of entire neighborhoods has been regenerated by this infusion of new and better blood4 ,they build neater and more convenient barns and outhouses2 they patronize new plants and tools2 they ditch and under-drain the swamps and meadows2 they plant vast orchards of the choicest fruits2 they try costly experiments exclusively for the public good2 their labors enhance the value of the lands around them2 they are the animating spirits of half our agricultural societies1 and1 in a hundred ways1 by precept and example1 with a generous outlay of means1 have made themselves the models of improved processes which have acted powerfully in inducing others to imitate their management4 ,yet these men are sometimes pitied because their labors afford them no profit1 as if the whole duty of man lay in the acquisition of six per cent4 ,it is not important that their labor should result in profit2 and if of no consequence to themselves1 why should their failure to realize it be so distressing to others8 ,it would cost them quite as much to live if they had remained in the city4 ,the only real money difference is1 that what they spend is disbursed in one place instead of another4 ,there is the vast collateral gratification of living where the most comfort is to be obtained4 ,they have tramped and sweltered over the hot pavements of a city long enough4 ,now they have broad acres and health-inspiring breezes1 glorious lawns1 trees loaded with abundant crops of luscious fruit1 gardens whose contents would be coveted by the tenants of every city market1 society enough1 books1 and whatever they may order the daily mail to bring them4 ,it is perhaps the most valuable incident in the whole aim and practice of gentleman farming that profit is not the object4 ,but if these establish pleasant homes by restoring the waste places of the earth1 it is not accomplished by merely scattering at random the contents of a well-filled purse4 ,taste and inclination must combine to make the whole effort effective4 ,take these two last ingredients1 substitute industry and economy for the purse1 and then unite all in the person of a persevering man1 penniless though he be1 and a home may be established1 less pretentious1 it is true1 but within which ,love will gladly seek to fold his wings1 evermore to nestle round the heart1 while ,time1 sure in his approaches1 but lavish of his compensations1 will lift up the modest occupants into the sunshine of a grateful independence4 ,,chapter ,,xxiv4 ,,unsuccessful ,,men--,,rebellion ,,not ,,ruinous ,,to ,,northern ,,agriculture4 ,looking back upon the incidents of my city life1 ,i confess that increasing years bring with them an increasing respect for those who do not succeed in life1 as these words are commonly used4 ,heaven has been said to be a place for those who have not succeeded upon earth2 and it is surely true that celestial graces do not best thrive and bloom in the hot blaze of worldly prosperity4 ,ill success sometimes arises from superabundance of qualities in themselves good1 from a conscience too sensitive1 a taste too fastidious1 a self-forgetfulness too romantic1 a modesty too retiring4 ,i will not go so far as to say1 with a living poet1 that 8,the world knows nothing of its greatest men20 but there are forms of greatness1 or at least excellence1 that die and make no sign2 there are martyrs who miss the palm1 but not the stake2 there are heroes without the laurel1 and conquerors without the triumph4 ,it cannot be denied that there is a class of men who never succeed in business4 ,with a fair amount of earnest industry1 they are still unable to get on4 ,bad luck seems to be their fate1 and they are perpetually railing at fortune4 ,in this they are not without sympathy4 ,there are hundreds of simple1 good-hearted people1 who regard them as ill-starred mortals1 against whom an inscrutable destiny had set itself1 and who are always ready to pity their mischances and help them in their last extremity4 ,but is not that a very foolish philosophy which refers the misfortunes or the prosperity of individuals to preternatural causes1 or even natural causes entirely foreign to the persons8 ,some people1 it is true1 owe a great deal to accident4 ,much of their success is due to circumstances not of their own making4 ,so it is with others who suffer disappointment or disaster4 ,but in those cases in which failure or success is certainly dependent on no extraneous agencies1 but on one's own means and energies1 ,i am confident that no little of the complaint of our hard lot is misdirected1 and that the charity which helps us out of our successive difficulties is misplaced4 ,in plain words1 our failures in this or that thing are often attributable to the fact that we engage in enterprises beyond our power4 ,the world is filled with examples of this truth4 ,we see hundreds of men in all professions and callings who never achieve even a decent living4 ,the bar of every city is crowded with them4 ,they swell the ranks of our physicians and theologians1 and swarm in the walks of science and literature2 in short1 they run against and elbow you everywhere4 ,they are the unfortunate people who have mistaken their mission4 ,they are always attempting tasks which they have not the first qualification to perform4 ,their ambition is forever outrunning their capabilities4 ,they fancy that to call themselves lawyers1 doctors1 divines1 or the like1 is to be what they are styled4 ,their signs are stuck thickly on doors and shutters all over the city1 but they are without honor or employment4 ,of course they never prosper4 ,they have no fitness for their vocation1 no practical skill1 no natural talent1 and hence they fail4 ,but both they and society are losers by this4 ,there is so much real ability for something useful that is thus sunk and wasted4 ,the community is encumbered with a host of very incompetent barristers1 preachers1 physicians1 writers1 merchants1 and so forth1 and is deprived of as many good mechanics1 and farmers1 and laborers4 ,what a pity it is that men will not be content to choose their pursuits according to their abilities4 ,to encourage them to persist in any business for which they are not suited1 and in which they never can obtain fortune or credit1 is really unkind4 ,it would be much less cruel to let them early feel the inconveniences of following a calling for which they are unfit1 and go into one for which nature may have given them the requisite aptitude and powers4 ,but1 in the ordering of a good ,providence1 failure in one pursuit does not imply failure in the next4 ,i know and have proved this4 ,the motto should be to keep moving1 to try it again4 ,try it a hundred times1 if you do not earlier succeed1 and all the while be studying to see if you have not failed through some negligence and oversight of your own4 ,do not throw down your oars and drift stern foremost1 because the tide happens to be against you4 ,the tide does not always run the same way4 ,never anchor because the wind does not happen to be fair4 ,beat to windward1 and gain all you can until it changes4 ,if you get to the bottom of the wheel1 hold on--never think of letting go4 ,let it move which way it will1 you are sure to go up4 ,if in debt1 do not let time wear off the edge of the obligation4 ,economize1 work harder1 spend less1 and hurry out4 ,if misfortune should overtake you1 do not sit down and mope1 and let her walk over you4 ,put on more steam1 drive ahead1 and get out of the way4 ,if you meet obstacles in your path1 climb over1 dig under1 or go around them--never turn back4 ,if the day be stormy1 you cannot mend matters by whining and complaining4 ,be good-natured1 take it easy1 for assuredly the sun will shine to-morrow4 ,if you lose money on a promising speculation1 never think of collecting a coroner's inquest about your dead body4 ,do not put on a long face because money is not so plentiful as usual--it will not add a single dollar to the circulating medium4 ,preserve your good-humor1 for there is more health in a single hearty laugh than in a dozen glasses of rum4 ,be happy1 and impart happiness to others4 ,look aloft1 and trust in ,god4 ,be prudent as you please1 but do not bleach out your hair1 and pucker your face into wrinkles ten years ahead of time1 by a self-inflicted fit of the dismals4 ,i went into the country with a determination to succeed4 ,as others had there succeeded1 ,i could not be induced to believe that failure in so simple an enterprise could overtake me1 as ,i felt myself quite as competent as they4 ,a resolute will overcomes all difficulties4 ,it was one of the leading characteristics of ,napoleon to regard nothing as impossible4 ,his astonishing successes are to be attributed to his indomitable will1 scarcely less than to his vast military genius4 ,wellington was distinguished for a similar peculiarity4 ,the entire ,peninsular campaign was1 indeed1 but one long display of an iron will1 resolute to conquer difficulties by wearing them out4 ,alexander the ,great was quite as striking an example of what a powerful will can effect4 ,his stubborn determination to subdue the ,persians2 his perseverance in the crisis of battle1 and the emulation to which he thus stimulated his officers and men1 did more for his wonderful career of victory than even his great strategic abilities4 ,in the life and death struggle between ,england and ,france1 during the first fifteen years of this century1 it was the stubborn will of the former which carried the day2 for though ,napoleon defeated the ,british coalitions again and again1 yet new ones were as constantly formed1 until at last the ,french people1 if not their emperor1 were completely worn out4 ,the battle of ,waterloo1 which was the climax of this tremendous struggle1 was also an illustration of the sustained energy1 the superior will of the ,british4 ,in that awful struggle1 ,french impetuosity proved too weak for ,english resolution4 8,we will see who can pound the longest10 said ,wellington2 and as the ,british did1 they won the battle4 ,it is not only in military chieftains that a strong will is a jewel of great price4 ,nations and individuals experience the advantages of a resolute will2 and this alike in large and small undertakings4 ,it was the determined will of our forefathers to which1 with divine help1 we are principally indebted for our freedom4 ,for the first few years after the declaration of independence1 we lost most of the battles that were fought4 ,new ,york and ,philadelphia were successively captured by the foe2 ,south ,carolina fell2 ,new ,jersey was practically reannexed to ,england2 almost every thing went against us4 ,had the ,american people been feeble and hesitating1 all would have been lost4 ,but they resolved to conquer or die4 ,though their cities were taken1 their fields ravaged1 and their captured soldiers incarcerated in hideous prison-ships1 they still maintained the struggle1 making the pilgrimage of freedom with naked feet1 that bled at every step4 ,had our fathers been incapable of ,valley ,forge1 had they shrunk from the storm-beaten march on ,trenton1 we should never have been an independent nation4 ,there are people in the ,old ,world1 full of genius and enthusiasm for liberty1 who yet cannot achieve freedom1 principally1 perhaps1 because they lack the indomitable will to walk the bloody pilgrimage4 ,the outbreak of the slaveholders' rebellion covered the ,union armies with defeat at numerous points1 because rebellions are always successful at the beginning4 ,but the determined will to crush out treason will eventually overwhelm and master it4 ,a strong will is as necessary to the individual as to the nation4 ,even intellect is secondary in importance to will4 ,a vacillating man1 no matter what his abilities1 is invariably pushed aside1 in the race of life1 by the man of determination4 ,it is he who resolves to succeed1 who begins resolutely again at every fresh rebuff1 that reaches the goal4 ,the shores of fortune are covered with the stranded wrecks of business men who have wasted energy1 and therefore courage and faith1 and have perished in sight of more resolute but less capable adventurers1 who succeeded in making port4 ,in fact1 talent without will is like steam dissipating itself in the atmosphere2 while abilities controlled by energy are the same steam brought under subjection as a motive power4 ,or will is the rudder that steers the ship1 which1 whether a fast-sailing clipper or a slow river-barge1 is worthless without it4 ,talent1 again1 is but the sail2 will is what drives it4 ,the man without a will is the puppet and bubble of others by turns4 ,the man with a will is the one that pulls the strings and catches the dupes4 ,young man1 starting out in life1 have a will of your own4 ,if you do not1 you will drag along1 the victim of perpetual embarrassment1 only to end in utter ruin4 ,if you do1 you will succeed1 even though your abilities be moderate4 ,all this may be viewed as a digression4 ,but it is not so4 ,i do not write for the rich and prosperous1 but for those who have been unsuccessful4 ,they need encouragement and bracing up4 ,if their experience has been disastrous1 that of others1 who have succeeded1 should be set before them4 ,some fifty years ago there lived in this city an old man1 who by dint of tact1 with the aid of keen perceptive faculties1 had acquired much celebrity with a large class of his neighbors as something between a prophet and a fortune-teller4 ,he did not1 however1 assume the character either of a religious fanatic or of a crafty disciple of ,faustus4 ,but he was well read in the ,scriptures2 he had a good share of common sense1 and a voluble tongue1 and by degrees he attained a fame for wise sayings and for capability to advise1 which he owed more to his natural talents and a loquacious disposition than to any less worthy means4 ,being advanced in years1 and his lot humble1 he turned the good opinion formed of him to the account of his livelihood1 by discussing questions put to him by his visitors in a frank and manly spirit2 and without ever demanding recompense1 he was ready to receive any gratuity that was offered by them on their departure4 ,moreover1 his advice was always1 if not valuable1 at least good in kind2 and few quitted his humble dwelling without leaving their good wishes in a substantial shape1 or without having also formed a favorable opinion of their mentor4 ,at length1 so extensive did this good man's fame become1 that many from curiosity alone were induced to visit him1 and hear his wise sayings4 ,his counsel was usually couched in short and terse sentences1 frequently in proverbs1 and often in the language of the ,bible1 to which he would sometimes refer his inquirers for passages which he said would be found applicable to their case4 ,as these passages were usually selected from the ,proverbs1 and other books of somewhat similar description1 which contained some rule of morals1 or which advocated the ,christian duties1 he seldom failed to be right4 ,among others who were led by curiosity to this wise man1 was a young farmer1 then not long entered upon the threshold of life1 whom1 after some of the ,scripture references adverted to1 he dismissed with the parting advice1 8,to keep a smiling countenance1 and a good exertion40 ,the young farmer lived to become an old man1 and is now gathered to his fathers4 ,but for many years ,i heard him from time to time revert with pleasure to his visit1 and say that this simple aphorism had frequently cheered him in the hour of difficulty2 and that the thought of the old man's contented countenance and encouraging voice when he uttered it1 had gone far to make him place confidence in his counsel4 ,we are all too prone to brood over the clouds upon our atmosphere1 and too feebly do we keep the eye of hope fixed on the first sunbeam which breaks through as the symbol of their dispersion4 ,in reality1 most of them are merely passing clouds4 ,some glances at a blacker picture still1 will go far to clothe with brighter hues the less gloomy picture which may happen to be our own4 ,thus1 with 8a smiling countenance and a good exertion10 let every one of us whether his lot be cast with the plough1 the loom1 or the anvil1 put forth manfully his powers1 and1 thankful to a gracious ,god for the blessings yet spared1 be it our effort in our worldly duties to follow the example set us in higher things1 8forgetting those things that are behind1 and reaching forth unto those which are before1 let us press towards the mark for the prize20 and if we thus demean ourselves1 we shall not fail1 in earthly any more than in spiritual things1 to obtain our reward4 ,all know that one effect of the rebellion was to paralyze nearly every kind of business1 suddenly enriching the few1 but as suddenly impoverishing the many4 ,on my quiet little plantation ,i was entirely beyond the reach of its disastrous influence4 ,it lost me no money1 because my savings had been loaned on mortgage4 ,it is true that interest was not paid up as punctually as aforetime1 but the omission to pay occasioned me no distress2 hence ,i occasioned none by compulsory collection4 ,the summer of #ahfa1 however1 did reduce prices of most of my productions4 ,the masses had less money to spend1 and therefore consumed less4 ,yet my early consignments of blackberries sold for twenty-five cents a quart1 and the whole crop averaged fourteen4 ,my strawberries yielded abundantly1 escaping the frost which nipped the first bloom of all other growers1 no doubt protected by the well-grown peach-trees1 and netted me sixteen cents4 ,raspberries bore generously1 and netted quite as much2 while peaches1 though few in number1 brought the highest prices4 ,the total income that year was certainly less than usual1 by several hundred dollars--but what of that8 ,it was double what ,i needed to support my family4 ,thus no national disaster1 no matter how tremendous1 seems able to impoverish the farmer who is free from debt4 ,nothing short of the tramp of hostile armies over his green fields can impoverish such a man4 ,,chapter ,,xxv4 ,,where ,,to ,,locate--,,east ,,or ,,west4 ,every great national calamity has the effect of driving men from the cities to engage in agriculture4 ,such has been the result of the late war for the ,union4 ,i have been in a position to observe its operation on the minds of hundreds whom it covered with disaster4 ,there has been the usual desire to break away from the cities1 and settle in the country4 ,the life-long convictions of my own mind have taken possession of the minds of others4 ,property in the cities ceased1 for a time1 to be salable1 while farms have been in more general demand than for years past4 ,foreign immigration was measurably stopped1 because men fly from convulsions1 not to countries where they are to be encountered4 ,when war desolates the nations of ,europe1 the people migrate hither to avoid its horrors2 when it desolates ours1 they remain at home4 ,during the late disastrous experiences of city life1 many of my friends upon whom they fell with great severity were free in their congratulations on my happy change of life4 ,they had been as free in doubting the propriety of my experiment4 ,now1 however1 they looked up to me as possessing superior sagacity2 were desirous themselves of imitating my example1 and sought instruction and advice as to how they should proceed4 ,three of them are already located near me2 so that1 instead of cutting entirely loose from old associates by coming into the country1 ,i have attracted them into a closer intimacy than ever4 ,dear as my home was without them1 it is rendered doubly dearer by close association with long-tried friends4 ,location is perhaps the most important consideration4 ,a cash market all the year round for every variety of produce that a man can raise1 is of the utmost importance to secure4 ,such is invariably to be found in close proximity to the great cities2 and there1 singularly enough1 the wealthiest farmers in the ,union will generally be found4 ,when we go to the extreme ,north1 where their market is limited1 and where they produce only the heavy grains1 and grasses1 farming is so little an object that improved places can always be bought for less than their cost4 ,it is very frequently the same throughout the ,west1 where so much that is raised upon a farm is valueless2 and where1 for even the grains1 they have a market which barely pays the expense of living4 ,the expense incurred in farming can be regulated by the profit of the crops2 and where even no manure is required1 the labor has to be expended1 and crops in distant localities often fail to pay the expense of this labor4 ,where land will pay for a liberal cultivation1 as well as fertilizing1 it is much better1 as a farmer must work his stock1 and a certain amount of care is indispensable4 ,the difference in value existing between those farms near a market and those remote from it1 is enormous4 ,if the mind will consider the immense amount of produce in the way of fruits and vegetables which1 near a city1 will command the highest prices1 and which at a distance are an entire loss1 a conception can be readily formed of what they amount to in dollars and cents4 ,land in ,illinois and ,iowa can be purchased for a dollar an acre1 but corn is at times of so little value as to be consumed for fuel4 ,the wheat crop is annually decreasing in its acreable product1 because no one values or applies manure4 ,the ,west may be the paradise of the ,european immigrant1 who1 having abandoned friends and home1 may with propriety settle in one spot as well as in another2 because1 go where he will1 he will be sure to find none but strangers4 ,but for residents of our cities who go thither1 very few acquire property by legitimate farming1 even after sacrificing all the tender associations of relatives and friends whom they leave behind1 and enduring hardships and trials of double severity with those they need encounter if they would consent to suffer them on lands within thirty miles of their birthplace4 ,if they become rich1 it is by hazardous speculation1 or by the rise in value of their lands4 ,so far as real1 practical farming is concerned1 it will be found that the ,east is incomparably superior to the ,west2 but1 so far as small farmers like myself are concerned1 it would be folly to deny this superiority4 ,i say nothing as to the superior ease with which corn and wheat are produced in the two sections1 but refer only to the amount of money that can be realized from an acre there and an acre here4 ,beyond question1 there are certain crops that are produced with greater ease in the ,west than in the ,east2 but of what value is this superior facility if it does not pay8 ,i have cleared from a single acre of tomatoes more than enough to buy a hundred and sixty acres in ,iowa4 ,if ,i had located there1 who would have been ready to buy my abundant crop of berries8 ,the truth is1 that it is population that gives value to land1--population either on it or around it1--to convert it into lots covered with buildings1 or to consume whatever it may produce4 ,the ,west is a glorious region for the foreign immigrant1 or for him who was born upon the rugged hill-sides of the ,eastern ,states1 but it is not the proper location for the class for whose instruction these pages have been written4 ,few persons who have been nurtured and educated all their days in ,eastern cities1 and who have probably never been more than fifty miles from home1 have any correct idea of what this gigantic ,west really is until they reach the spot itself4 ,why leave the privileges of a long-established civilization1--the schools1 the churches of home1--the daily intercourse of acquaintances and friends1--merely because land producing twenty bushels of wheat per acre can be purchased for a dollar1 when that producing twenty times as much in fruit or vegetables can be had for fifty1 and often even for less8 ,i doubt not there must be many in that region who now wish themselves back in their old homes4 ,if my example be worth imitating1 land should be obtained within cheap and daily access to any one of the great cities4 ,if within reach of two1 as mine is1 all the better1 as the location thus secures the choice of two markets4 ,in ,pennsylvania1 all the land around ,philadelphia is held at high prices4 ,much of it is divided into small holdings1 many of which are rented to market gardeners at prices so high that none but market gardeners can afford to pay them4 ,others are worked by their owners1 who live well by feeding the great city4 ,gradually1 as the city extends in every direction1 these small holdings are given up to streets and buildings1 thus enriching their owners by the rise in value4 ,the truckers move further back1 where land is cheaper4 ,but the modern facilities for reaching the city by railroad have so greatly multiplied1 that they are practically as near to it as they were before4 ,the yield from some of these small holdings is very large4 ,but the cost of land thus situated was too great for my slender capital when ,i began4 ,hence ,i sought a location in ,new ,jersey4 ,there unimproved land1 within an hour of ,philadelphia1 can be purchased for the same money per acre which is paid in ,pennsylvania as annual rent4 ,for ten to twenty dollars more1 in clearing up and improving1 it can be made immediately productive1 as the soil of even this cheap land is far more fertile than is generally supposed4 ,thousands of acres of this description are always for sale1 and thousands are annually being bought and improved1 as railroads and turnpikes leading to the city are being established4 ,many ,germans have abandoned the ,west1 and opened farms on this cheap and admirably located land1 from which they raise prodigious quantities of fruit and truck for ,philadelphia and ,new ,york4 ,colonies of ,new ,englanders1 allured by the early season1 as compared with that of their own homes1 the productive soil and the ready access to market1 have settled upon and around the new railroad just opened1 which leads south from ,camden through the town of ,malaga1 where a large tract has recently been divided into farms of various sizes4 ,they bring with them all the surroundings of an advanced civilization4 ,to those with no capital but their own labor and a determination to conquer success1 these lands offer the highest inducements4 ,most of them can be had on credit1 by men who will settle and improve1 at twenty to thirty dollars per acre1 within a little over an hour's ride to ,philadelphia4 ,this tract is distant but a few miles from the ,delaware river1 and probably no better could be found4 ,any number of locations can be had4 ,many are already improved by buildings1 fencing1 and all the preliminary comforts which cluster round an established home4 ,the settler may choose between the improved and the unimproved4 ,but there is a better country north of ,camden1 lining the shore of the ,delaware1 where any number of locations may be found1 improved by buildings1 and at moderate prices1 as well as on favorable terms as to payment4 ,vast progress in improvement has been made through all this region within ten years4 ,new towns have been built1 new turnpikes constructed1 while the great railroad puts the cultivator in constant connection with the two overgrown cities at its termini4 ,land is increasing in value as population flows in4 ,the margin of the ,delaware1 from ,philadelphia upward1 is being lined with villages1 between which new farm-houses and cottages are annually erected2 and the young of this generation will live to see it a continuous settlement of substantial villas1 peopled by the swarms of educated families which a great human hive like ,philadelphia is annually throwing off4 ,a location within such an atmosphere of improvement must continually increase in value4 ,the owner will find himself growing richer from this cause1 just as the trucker on the ,pennsylvania side has done--not so rapidly1 but quite as surely4 ,an investment in such land1 properly managed1 and not permitted to deteriorate1 will assuredly pay4 ,my own little farm is an illustration2 for more than once have ,i been solicited to sell at double the price it cost me4 ,i am now looking at the future1 as well as at the present4 ,yet the apparent anomaly of there being always an abundance of land for sale in so desirable a district1 must not be overlooked4 ,but it is so throughout our country2 there are always and everywhere more sellers than buyers4 ,it is the same thing in the cities2 everywhere there is somebody anxious to sell4 ,it would seem that we either have too much land in this country1 or too small a population4 ,time alone can produce the proper equilibrium4 ,the land cannot be increased in quantity1 but it is evident that the population will be4 ,as this is not a treatise either upon land or farming1 but the experience of a single individual1 so each claimant for a similar experience must choose for himself4 ,but choose as he may1 locate as he will1 he must not1 as he hopes to succeed in growing the smaller fruits to profit1 locate himself out of reach of a daily cash market4 ,new ,york and ,philadelphia may be likened to two huge bags of gold1 always filled1 and ever standing open for him to thrust in his hand1 provided in the other he brings something to eat4 ,from this exhaustless fountain of wealth1 whole adjacent populations have become rich4 ,the appetite of the cities for horticultural luxuries has revolutionized the neighboring agriculture1 enhanced the value of thousands of acres1 infused a higher spirit into cultivators1 elevated fruit-growing into a science1 and started competition in a long rivalry after the best of every thing that the earth can be made to yield4 ,all this is no spasmodic movement4 ,it will go on for all future time2 but in this grand and humanizing march after perfection in producing food for man1 the careful tiller of the soil1 with moderate views and thankful heart1 will be sure to find ,,ten ,,acres ,,enough4 ,,the ,,end4 99 99 99 99 99 ,typographical errors corrected by the etext transcriber3 importation from distant countries importation form distant countries pg #if fifty cents' worths fifty cents' worth pg #bae worst treatmeut worst treatment pg #bba ,do not put on long a face ,do not put on a long face pg #bda