Prairie Farmer, Vol. 56: No. 1, January 5, 1884 | Page 6

our farming
country will become proud of their noble profession and of their homes.
They will gradually be, as every farmer should be, educated up to the
times. There are few farmers who can afford to let their sons study in
an agricultural university, but every one can surely afford to subscribe
for an agricultural paper, it being one of the most profitable
investments for himself and family.
The ground is covered with snow to a small extent, and the roads are in
a fine condition. The crops are all good here except corn, which is very
poor indeed, even the crop in most cases is small. Farmers are not at all
satisfied, and times are not at all encouraging.
H.A.P. WEISSBERGER. WILL CO., ILL.

[A] 355 Western Avenue (south), Chicago.

A FARMER'S LIBRARY.
As this is the season to make up our list of papers and magazines for
the ensuing year, I will take a glance around my own cosy room set
apart for a library.
It is here that I do the most of my reading, writing, and planning; and
although I pretend to be deeply engaged while ensconced in the large
willow rocker, strictly forbidding entrance to my farmer office, yet the
children and "Spot," my Gordon setter, will intrude, making things
lively for awhile, driving my thoughts wool-gathering and breaking
many a thread of thought that I had fondly hoped would place my name
high on the roll of scribblers. It is a good thing to have the little
innocent children and the dog to blame for these shortcomings, as they
can not take issue with us on the question.
But I started to talk about a farmer's library; and taking my own for a
small sample, let us see how it looks.
For the purpose of keeping my papers in order, I have prepared thin
laths of tough wood dressed with the draw knife to a thin edge, the
back being one fourth of an inch thick, leaving the lath one and a
quarter inch broad; these are cut in lengths to suit the paper they are
intended to hold. Take for instance THE PRAIRIE FARMER. I cut the
lath just two inches longer than the paper is long, then cut notches half
of an inch from each end, in which I tie the ends of a cord; this forms a
loop to hang up the file. In this I file each paper so soon as read, by
which means they are never lost or mislaid. When at the end of each
three months the papers are taken from off the file, the oldest number is
laid face down on a broad piece of plank and the number that follows
laid face down on the top of the first, then they are squared evenly and
a strong awl pierces three holes in the back edge through which a
strong twine string is laced and tied firmly; this finishes the job, and the
book thus simply and quickly made is placed on the shelf with its mates.

This done the file is returned to its hook to await the next number.
This is a simple plan for filing papers of any size, and any farmer can
do it, there being no expense or outlay for material. On glancing up
from the stand on which I am writing, the first objects that attract my
notice are my breach loader, cartridge belt, and game-bag hanging on
the wall; then by the side of the stove hangs the file of THE PRAIRIE
FARMER, within easy reach of my left hand; next it swings the
Country Gentleman, then comes the Forest and Stream, then Colman's
Rural World, then the Drainage Journal; next Harper's Weekly, then
Harper's Bazar. This is my wife's paper and she persists in hanging it
among mine. Then comes Harper's Monthly and the Century, not
forgetting the Sanitary Journal. On the other side of the room we find
the Inter Ocean, Democrat, and several other political papers fairly
representing both sides, also some standard books of valuable
information; and last but not least, the PRAIRIE FARMER Map which
you sent for my club.
Now, this may be considered a pretty large outlay for a common farmer
to make, but outside of life insurance, I consider it my best investment.
In this selection I get the cream of all matters of practical importance to
the farmer. From THE PRAIRIE FARMER I get the latest and most
reliable information of the great central ruling markets of the West
Chicago, which has saved me sundry times from three to five cents per
bushel on wheat, sometimes paying the price of the paper twenty times
over in one transaction. From the C.G. I get the Eastern markets, while
Colman gives the St.