WOXHS. mnftftTr
Martin land it tonally rich, and atT
It needs to make It productive Is
drtdnage. The fall of the year Is the
best Mme to drain before the winter
rains set In. If the ground is not too
soft for the horses, one or more fur
rows may be run out with the two
horse plow. Hook three horses to
tho plow. An extra man should fol
low with Sharp ax to cut the roots.
Tho ditch may be deepened by the
use of the lifting subsoil plow. To do
good work a heavy match team In the
hands of a capable plowman Is neces
sary. After land is drained, turn the
sod over with the three-horse plow.
M.'. . t i. V - 1 J v-i' if- o rW v 1 ;,.;.. 1 ,v .V---;. jv
IV "V C EXT to a goodly supply of
I turkeys tho most lmpor-
I r? I tnn requisite for a sue-
11' N coRsful Thanksgiving Is a
berries of Just the proper
tart flavor. As well have
a Thanksgiving dinner
without turkey as without
the appetizing cranberry
sauce. However il. pcoplc?
of the United States have
scant cause to worry be
cause of this feature of
their holiday menu. It has
been years since a failure
of the cranberry crop was
eported and cranberry growers have been so
Increasing their productive areas that despite
the Increase In demand, due to the country's
Increase In population and other Influences,
here continues to be year by year a pretty
lavish supply of the crimson berries, and most
Seasons find them available at very reason
able prices.
Cranberries, like so many of the other good
things of life, are distinctively American deli
cacies. To be sure, cranberries grow wild in
Borne other quarters of the globe for Instance
In Europe, but it is only in the United States
khat they have been cultivated a3 an article of
food. Even here tho growing of cranberries is
confined largely to three states Massachu
setts, New Jersey and Wisconsin. How impor
tant an industry it Is may be surmised, however.
HE autumn of 1621
waned on a prosperous
community. Plymouth,
Mass., was both
healthy and wealthy.
Sickness, though it had
destroyed one-half the
company of pilgrims,
had ceased, and the
crops, as a whole, had been good, the
peas alone failing. All the houses in
the settlement had been put into con
dition and a goodly stock of furs and
prepared lumber had been made ready
tor export to England by the next
ship. The waters swarmed with fish
and sea fowl were abundant The call
of the wild turkey was heard In the
woods and tho patter of the fleeting
deer was nothing strange.
The summer was past; the harvest
ended. The pilgrims decided upon a
period of recreation. The governor
6ent out four huntsmen, who In one
flay secured game to last the colony
a week. Hospitality was extended to
Ma.ssasolt, of the neighboring sottie
jnent, who brought iiO people with
him. The guests remained 30 days.
The company engaged in rounds of
amusements, in which military drills
and religious services formed a part.
Thus, heartily and loyally, was inau
gurated the great New England festi
val of Thanksgiving. For two centu
ries it las continued to be observed,
at first 'mostly In the eastern states,
but It has now become national, Its
annual return finding a welcome from
boundary to boundary, both at top
an. I bottom and either extremity of
the nation.
Thanksgiving day is peculiarly an
Am' rican custom, though there aro
pome writers who claim that it is not
possible to determine the dale of the
first observance. John A. Citxidwln.
In hW historical review, -The I'llgrlm
H -public." is positive, however, that
tin- tirpt celebration occurred In the
fall i.r this heinK followed in 1C23
bv (he fir.-t Thanksgiving proclama
tion. Ijv t hi governor of Massachu
setts. In li'.'.O there arrived at Plym
outh 11 vfssels. bringing with them
ssii coloiii.-ts, making the number
nearly 1,'Jeii instead of a mere "ii'l. On
Jui.v N, ' 1 : !', aiioth.-r Thanksgiving
was held in acknowledgment lor this
! '-ion I i tl:r ranks of th colon-I.-1
Tin- I'e.tch governors of the New
Thanksgiving
Nowadays the Thanksgiving pmclu
matem of tho state ami national ex
c'ltivcs ar I rief compared to what
tney were tn the early days of our
republic. In the ease of the latter he
d'wm't fet cshadow Ids forthcoming
unnti .tl ti). .'age us was somewhat tho
vok'ue iii President Washington's time.
This is seen in the Thanksgiving
proclamations issued by our great and
good firm president In the early part
of the year 1 7H5. in which he appoint
fini& waned on a prosperous fr'-S'-
X&l ) community. Plymouth, '4gM "-- l
I Mass., was both x'wA'tit- ' ' (flVPgi ' 'T-';.-:--,.7-- .
$W healthy and wealthy. W$
Sickness, though it had V Xim'ihSV- W.'WtM -'kS S. '
W? destroyed one-half the WffjiZ WM tmfij'f
from the fuct that the
Cape Cod district in Mas
sachusetts, the greatest
cranberry region on the
globe, sends to market as
many as one-third of a
million barrels of cran
berries in a single season.
The average person Is
wont to term all berry
areas "patches," but cran
berries do not grow In
patches but in bogs
and, as may be sur
mised from the name, most of these tracts are
located adjacent to rivers or lakes or ponds,
so that they can be flooded In the late au
tumn and kept under water until spring. The
berries grow on a vino which nestles close
to the ground In a perfect tangle, and save for
keeping out the weeds and battling with tho
insect pests, which are numerous, tho cranber
ries do not require very much cultivation or
attention until harvest time approaches in the
autumn. Then the cranberry grower must look
forward to a period of anxiety, a careful, ser
ious scrutiny of the weather. He must
keep close watch on the weather, for if a frost
comes ere the crop la harvested It will work
sad havoc unless the grower has been fore
warned and flooded his bog or built great bon
fires to keep up the temperature.
In years gone by the harvesting of cranber
ries was done solely by the hand picking ineth-
Netherlands also appointed different
dates for public thanksgiving, from
time to time, and in some historical
works there is record of a dispute as
to which of these colonies deserved
the credit for having first Inaugurated
the day. Most of the best founded
historians, however, give the credit to
tho New England states.
The Hutch governors of New Neth
erlands uppointed occasional days of
thanksgiving In 104 1. 1C4:,, 1C5."i and
1 ; I . and the English governors fol
lowed their example in 17."." and 1700,
and the Protestant Episcopal church
in the United States In il prayer
hook, ratified in 17S9. recommends for
Thanksgiving day the first Thursday
in Novem'n. r, unless some other day
he appointed by the civil authorities.
There were also occasional recommen
dations by other religious bodies, but
no regular annual recommendation by
the governor of New York before 1817.
The struggle of the colonies for in
dependence marks the beginning of
in Year 1795
ed I'Yb. pj us "a day of public thanks
giving iuuI prayer." The "Father of
ills Country" was then 0 years of
age and was serving bin sixth year as
president. It was a long document
and covered quite a number of points.
Of these, I will advert very briefly to
only three or four which are peculiar
ly significant.
In the preamble he mentions, as the
first subject, "demanding the public
r
1
I
- J
in r tec-rffi rat? CtV
years, however, has witnessed a revolution.
Now almost all cranberries aro picked by the
aid of machines, and because it is tiresome
work manipulating these machines It has come
about that most of the women and children
have been forced out of tho industry and the
task is largely in the hands of men, tho more
skillful of whom receive from $3 to $5 per day.
The picking machine most extensively used
has the appearance of a huge wooden scoop,
the bottom of which is mado up of a row of
metal bars, tipped with sharp prong3 and BPt
closo together. In operation this scoop is
shoved with some considerable force Into the
tangle of cranberry vines and then is drawn up
ward and backward with the result that the
vines which have been caught slip between the
metal bars but leave tho berries, which are too
large to pass through the openings, as do tho
vines, and in consequence are stripped from
The aurTS
fJTMAIME-r Thlf?TY
general observances of days of thanks
giving in this country. The congress
of 1777, the one which prepared tho
articles of confederation for adoption
by the colonies, adopted a resolution
setting apart the eighteenth day of
December, 1777. to be observed as a
day of solemn thanksgiving and
praise throughout the T'nited States.
Washington, during his administra
tion, Issued two thanksgiving ;rot:hi
mations, one in 17X9 and the other in
17LC, Just after the suppression of
the Whisky rebellion," which had
threatened the peace of the country,
ami President Madison Issued one
upon Hie declaration of peace in
1Kir. However, ill the arly yeara
of the nation the rule was for the co
Ion ial cuMom to be followed and the
proclamation mude emanated from
the governors. The western blates,
largely people from New England or
New York, early followed the lend of
these portions of the country. As we
have set n, tho annual reeommenda-
attention on this lolenm occasion, our
(xcmption from a foreign war" and
next proposes, as "an object of grati
tude" tho "increasing prospect of Hm
continuance of our exemptions from a
foreign war." Which propositions evi
dently relate to the settlement,
through special envoy, John Jay, of
our serious troubles with Greut lirlt
ain, growing out of the continued oc
cupation by the British of the western
forts on Iko Erie, contrary to the
treaty of 17S3; and the seizure of
American vessel bound for French
od, much as raspberries
or Btrawborrles are
picked, and most of tho
cranberry picking was
done by women nnil chil
dren. The "Cratilwrry
King" used to hire ns
many as 1,100 pickers
on his great bogs on
Cape Cod and tho pick
ers, many of whom jour
neyed long distances,
"camped out" on tho
bogs during the picking
season. The past few
hauled
been sold
tlon by the governors of New York
began in 1817. From that time the
observance gradually crept southward
an.I westward, and in 1885 Governor
Johnson of Virginia adopted it, and
though in 1857 Governor Wise of Vir
ginia declined to make the proclama
tion on the ground that he was unau
thorized to Interfere In religious mat
ters, in 1858 a Thanksgiving day was
proclaimed In eight of the southern
states.
Decorative Conceits and Favors
For the Thanksgiving Festivities
The pious, hard-driven, worn-out, but
thankful Puritans who sat down at
their tables one November, a few cen
turies ago, and made tho first Thanks
giving Day, never knew to what
lengths they were to drive tho in
genuity of their poor descendants.
Hut it wasn't their fault after all, that
the preparer of tho Thanksgiving feast
today lias to attend Just as much to
the turkey's surroundings as to the
turkey Itself. It was good enough for
thoni to have a well-stocked larder
from which could como the turkey, the
celery, the pumpkin pie, the cranber
ries and all the other goodies which
history puts down to their credit.
Even tho comparatively recent New
Englanders were content with all
theso as long as they looked tempting
and tasted good. Hut today, even the
Important fowl Itself Is hardly more
Important than the ribbons, the can
dles, the favors, the adornments of
all kinds, which must appear on the
Thanksgiving table.
"Don't bother about having too
much to eat," an up-to-date daughter
was heard to say to her New England
mother the other day. "I want plenty
of room for the ribbons and the candy
boxes."
It's tho same way with other (laugh
ters of an esthetic turn of mind, rath
er than a practical one, and it looks
as if their ambitions to "make things
look pretty" may be realized this year,
for there Is a goodly array of Thanks
giving favors and table decorations of
all kinds.
Of course Hie turkey reigns su
preme, even if It. Is in paper, and Is
seen in all sizes, all kinds, roasted to
a beautiful dark brown as the cook
book says, or standing Important anil
majestic with its big fun-shaped feath
er tall high in the air. In most cases
the favor turkey Is meant for candy,
but certain new china turkeys are
mustard cups.
The pumpkin I.h next In Importance
uid Is seen in many of the novelties,
riiero aro large paper pumpkins for
centerpieces and all sorts of Muall
ports by British ships ami the Impris
onment of American seamen.
Another causa for thanksgiving, ac
ordlng to the same high authority, is
"tho great d gree of Internal tran
quillity v.e have enjoyed." To which
Is added "our cause for l hanki'iilncss
for tho recent confirmation of that
t runquilllty by the Puppresslon of an
insurrection whh-h so wantonly threat
cued It."
And in another place the president
repeats this Idea, asking his people
"to render s tribute of praise and grat
Stems and remain In the Hrnntv nhonrn
they are transferred to the tray which each pick
er has closo nt hand. An expert picker with a
machine will do tho work of from half a dozen
to a dozen hand pickers.
The cranberries as picked on the bogs are
placed in huge wooden boxes ami transferred
to a nenrby frame building, where they are
passed through a machine known an a "separa
tor," which takes out all the leaves, twigs and
other foreign matter. Then they are sorted for
the elimination of any bad or worm-eaten ber
ries and finally are placed in barrels, which are
away to railroad yards to be loaded into
cars to tho tune of from 220 to 240 barrels
to tho car, refrigerator cars being used exclu
sively. Up to the present time cranberries have
In bulk, but this year sees an innova
tion in the appearance of evaporated cranberries,
for which aro claimed all tho advantages of evap
orated peaches or apples, and In the introduction
of cranberries put up In pnsteboard enrtons.
Hearing cranberry bogs of the most desir
able kind cost from $G00 to $1,200 per acre,
but in a bumper year a grower may got his
money back the first year, and during the worst
year the Industry has known In a decade most of
tho growers made from 10 to IB per cent, on
their Investment, mid that, too, In spite of the
fact thnt cranberries were so plentiful that they
brought only $2 a barrel, whereas $5 to $7 a bar
rel Is accounted an average price, and there have
been years when a famine of cranberries sent
tho price up to $10 per barrel.
The day had thus naturally grown
to be a national institution of almost
universal observance, when the Civil
war brouglvt to sudden ripeness this
along with many other tendencies, and
President Lincoln put upon it tho seal
of his official proclamation. Presi
dent Lincoln's first proclamation was
in 1802, on account of the first impor
tant victory of the national arms. He
issued a similar recommendation in
18G.1.
ones in pnpier mache or tissue pape
which are candy boxes. Fruits and
vegetables of all kinds seem to be
suggeativo of tho season of feasting,
and many good imitations are found
among the candy box collections.
Goblinesque Iittlo men are made of
paper fruits and fixed up to have a
very grotesque appearance, and funny
little figures are made of peanuts, and
mounted on cards. Nuts are tied up
in ribbons and are found to bo prize
packages for the receiver, for in them
aro neatly packed little stick-pins,
whistles, etc., all carefully concealed
within the paper shells.
The place cards allow of a great
many new designs, and an eBpoclnlly
new feature among these is some
small mirrors. The chrysanthemum
is the leading flower among the paper
bowers, and those in yellow or orange
seem to be tho most desired shades.
Other Imitations which are especially
"Hfu-like" are the painted piece of the
pumpkin pie, the tin of Boston baked
beans, the plum pudding and tbe car
of corn.
LENT INSPIRATION.
"I am gratified," said the first prom
inent citizen, "to observe the under
current of Joy In tho Thanksgiving
proclamation of the governor. Hith
erto the proclamations have been ulong
the old cut and dried, stilted forms,
but In this instance there Is a certain
tone of joyousness.of thankfulness, of
pure gratefulness that Is really In
spiring." "Yes," agrees the second prominent
citizen, "but. it's no wonder the govern
or felt good when he wrote that proc
lamation." "No. lie has started on what seems
destined to be a good administration,
already there is talk of promoting
him to some higher office in the gift
of the peo "
"Ami besides," interrupts the second
man, "the governor owns one of the
largest turkey farms in the state.
itude to the Great Disposer of all
events, for tho seasonable control
which has been given in a spirit of
disorder In the suppression of the Into
insurrection." What the president
had In miml in this allusion was the
"great whh-ky Insurrection" In Penn
sylvania iu 171)1, caused by tho pas
sago by congress of acts imposing du
ties upon spirits distilled und upon
slillh. It was finally suppressed by
Goiernor I.ee of Maryland, with 15,000
troops, acting under orders of the
president.
-
The problem is not how much land
you have, but bow well you cultlvnto
It, Make tho bay land produce nlno
tons per acre, ami four or five acres
of hay will be enough. Make the corn
land produce C 00 bushels per acre, and
cut down tho area to one-fourth. Do
the same with the other crops, and
you will soon find that you have much
more land than you can possibly cul
tivate. The farmer raises cattle and hogs
with a view of rapid development of
fat, but tho l:orse is used for mechan
ical power and should develop great
bone and muscle. Muscular develop
ment cannot bo attained In close con
finement and tho young animal should
not bo tied in a stall and fed corn and
timothy hay to fatten him for the
shambles.
Unless there is an experienced and
successful com breeder in tho vicinity
who makes a specialty of growing first-
class seed corn, every farmer had bet
ted make his own selection from his
own field or from the best fields of
neighboring farms.
No kind of live stock cau thrive and
do well In ill lighted, poorly-aired
buildings. Ono of the first require
ments in a stable is that it should be
well provided with windows, and have
means for letting fresh nir in and foul
air out.
The Introduction of tho English
sparrow by its driving away the little
native birds has been responsible for
more damage by insects and weed
pests than all other causes combined,
including cats, and boys with guns.
If the hens aro protected against the
cold winds while tney aro enjoying the
sunshine of the yards, they will surely
lay more eggs than if not thus shield
ed, while tho reduced feed bill will
compensate for the expense Incurred.
Paint the staves on nil sides before
erecting the silo, rather than to paint
tho exterior later on, Btnco paint put
on the outside afterward holds water
In the cracks and causes the staves to
decay more rapidly.
If the cows aro stabled at night,
much fertilizer Is saved that would
otherwise be dropped In the pasture
and disintegrated by wind, rain and
sun loso its strength and be lost.
Nine tons is a large yield of hay
from a single acre, and few would ex
pect this yield from Bermuda graBS,
yet such Is the case, or at least from
an acre of vetch and Bermuda.
The largest beet sugar factory in
the United States is at Spreckles, Cali
fornia, which has a capacity of Blicing
3,000 tons of beets per day, equal to
100 carloads of 30 tons each.
The women folks oa the farm should
assert their rights and have the mod
ern and necessary equipments In the
dairy, and thus produce, with less la
bor, a good article of butter.
If there Is any doubt whether land
needs lime or not, teBt it. One meth
od Is to grow common garden beets.
This plant makes a very poor growth
on soli which needs lime.
Fashionable folks are taking up
horses again, the automobilo having
becomo too common for them. And
farmers are buying automobiles to Bave
their horses.
Tho dairy cow. If able to express
herself In a way which tho human
family would comprehend, might well
lay claim to being man's best friend.
For home use, the garden, the arbor,
the boundary fence ami even the
veranda are the locations generally
available for tho growth of the grape.
Tho succulent grasses ure rich In
muscle nnd bone-forming materials
and aro loosening and cooling to the
system.
Probably no one ttirng enters more
Into commercial fruit growing than
proper packing.
No other branch of farming pays
as well as a good orchard, if well
taken care of.
Once settled Indoors, tho house
plants must be sure of regular atten
tion if they are to be a success.
Horse manure is much better to be
mixed with other manure and worked
ver by swine.
A useful and ornamental plant Is
parsley. It may easily be kept for
u.so all winter.
Tho ewes Intended for breeding
purposes should bo sorted as early
us possible and put upon good pas
ture. Ewes for breeding purposes should
not be overly fat, but In a strong, vig
orous, thrifty condition.
A hog cun bo starved to eat almost
anything, but seldom does well ou
spoiled feec.
Cabbage growers should Insure fu
ture crops against club root.
It Is now time to be thinking seri
ously of winter protection for small
fruits. For strawberries, the usual
covering of straw Is good. In mild
locations a layer of straw not less
than four Inches thick should bo ap
plied. In more severe locations this
would be Increased to si., luehes, and
in the prairie sections It ' Jeslrf,tie
to use eight Inches of straw, or er"
more.
Tho prevailing fence of today la
the woven wire variety. No better
fence was ever devised, provided It 1
put up well, and no other fence Is so
poor, ugly and Inefficient if it Is erect
ed in a slipshod manner.
Pick tho fruit, empty It onto the sort
ing tables and pack it right In the or
chard. If this method Is practised
much labor Is saved, for the whole
work is completed as soon as the fruit
Is gathered from the trees.
It has been conclusively proven that
hens kept in a yard and fed right will
lay more eggs than hens that run at
largo all over creation. Tho feed bill
will not be so large cither, a fact that
Is worth considering.
If swine aro kept penned and are
given absorbents enough to keep them
fairly clean and dry, they will nearly
earn their keep In the amount of fer
tilizer they will make, and It Is the
best of Its kind.
Apples will not be over-produced un
til every man, woman and child in tho
land has all the apples he or she can
use, and gets them at a moderate
price.
If not done, plant, your gooseber
ries and currants this fall. Grape
vine should be laid down and covered
with straw. Even the old Concord
cannot stand our strenuous winters.
Start the trap nests so It can be
known which are the best winter lay
ers. Almost any old ben will lay In
spring and summer; It takes a good
hen to lay In late fall and winter.
Not all regions and all soils are suit
able for growing a good quality ot
onions, and only recently have onion
growers found out that peaty, swamp
lands made the best onion ground.
Nitrate of soda will force the growth.
of melons, tomatoes and other plants.
A tablespoonful scattered about each
tomato plant and slightly raked in will
produce good results.
There is a great region of country
where the blackberry may be called
the poor man's fruit. This la true be
cause ot the ease and certainty with.
which It Is produce..
Every foal at weaning age has tost
the breeder considerable money, and
the preservation and development of
the foal has much to do with the prof
Its of the farm.
In marketing onions the first essen
tial Is to properly grade and clean tho
bulbs, in order that they may present
an attractive appearance when offered
for sale.
Insignificant matters often do not at
tract attention, yet a little crack in the
poultry house, if near where the fowls
roost, wll cause suffering sooner or la
ter. The sow that has proven herself
extra valuable as a breeder and a
mother should bo one of the most
prized animals on the farm.
In mending a steep place In the
roadside, briers, brush and all fence,
row mowings make good material to
lay down to place the dirt upon.
In erecting a woven wire fence one
If the essential things to be consider
ed Is that of strong and well support
ed corner or end posts.
The great value of lime In the soil
Is Its power to correct soil acidity, or
sourness, and to improve its texture
or physical condition.
Well bred better calves may tea
be purchased cheaply of people who
live In town and keep but one cow for
family use.
The market for small fruits la great
er than ever, because the fruit ts now
bought up by the canning and preserv
ing houses.
To make a success of dairying yoa
can't know too much about your cows.
No two cows are Just alike.
The products of tho dairy are per
haps the most useful articles includ
ed in the human diet.
Fall rains are searching. IX there
is any doubt about the roofs get at
them now.
Location has much to do with the
profitable disposal of second-class ap-
ploB.
If there were no birds man could
not live on tho earth, and birds are
decreasing in this country.
The advice to rake up the fal'.en
leaves and uso for a mulch In tho
garden Is often given.
The spring is the time when aspara
gus roots are usually set, though the.
work may be done in the fall.
Tho Minnesota station heartily rec
ommends fall plowing ot the land for
corn.
