﻿284 
  

  

  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  August, 
  1907 
  

  

  Monthly 
  Comment 
  

  

  F 
  GUIDES 
  to 
  country 
  living 
  there 
  is 
  an 
  

   ample 
  abundance. 
  People 
  who 
  have 
  moved 
  

   out 
  into 
  the 
  country 
  and 
  succeeded 
  in 
  win- 
  

   ning 
  a 
  livelihood 
  from 
  the 
  soil, 
  or 
  other- 
  

   wise 
  gratifying 
  their 
  ambitions, 
  have 
  re- 
  

   corded 
  their 
  experiences 
  in 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  de- 
  

   tail. 
  Those 
  who 
  have 
  failed 
  have 
  been 
  

   somewhat 
  more 
  coy 
  in 
  putting 
  their 
  adventures 
  into 
  print; 
  

   but 
  even 
  on 
  this 
  point 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  sufficiency 
  of 
  material. 
  Ap- 
  

   parently 
  one 
  has 
  but 
  to 
  buy 
  the 
  right 
  book, 
  or 
  subscribe 
  to 
  

   the 
  right 
  paper 
  to 
  find 
  out 
  all 
  that 
  one 
  need 
  to 
  know 
  on 
  

   country 
  life. 
  Knowledge 
  of 
  this 
  subject 
  is 
  before 
  the 
  pub- 
  

   lic 
  in 
  generous 
  form; 
  it 
  only 
  remains 
  to 
  properly 
  assimilate 
  

   it 
  and 
  adapt 
  it 
  to 
  personal 
  uses. 
  Yet 
  notwithstanding 
  the 
  

   abundance 
  of 
  material 
  and 
  of 
  information 
  there 
  are 
  many 
  

   subjects 
  of 
  vital 
  importance 
  to 
  the 
  newly 
  arrived 
  suburbanite 
  

   and 
  ruralite 
  on 
  which 
  barely 
  a 
  word 
  has 
  appeared 
  in 
  print. 
  

   Where, 
  for 
  example, 
  will 
  one 
  find 
  a 
  stimulating, 
  helpful, 
  

   cheering 
  and 
  comforting 
  chapter 
  on 
  the 
  vagaries 
  of 
  railroad 
  

   transportation 
  in 
  below-zero 
  weather? 
  Weather 
  of 
  this 
  de- 
  

   scription 
  is 
  the 
  commonest 
  sort 
  of 
  phenomenon 
  in 
  the 
  open 
  

   country, 
  even 
  close 
  to 
  the 
  great 
  cities; 
  yet 
  railroads 
  which 
  

   have 
  had 
  it 
  for 
  years 
  always 
  greet 
  it 
  with 
  the 
  utmost 
  astonish- 
  

   ment 
  and 
  surprise, 
  and 
  without 
  a 
  single 
  apparent 
  step 
  of 
  

   necessary 
  preparation. 
  A 
  book 
  that 
  would 
  help 
  the 
  unfor- 
  

   tunate 
  suburbanite 
  in 
  such 
  contingencies 
  would 
  not 
  only 
  find 
  

   a 
  ready 
  sale, 
  but, 
  and 
  this 
  is 
  much 
  more 
  important, 
  greatly 
  

   help 
  in 
  ameliorating 
  the 
  condition 
  of 
  a 
  considerable 
  body 
  of 
  

   the 
  human 
  race. 
  

  

  Many 
  parts 
  of 
  America 
  are 
  now 
  disturbed 
  over 
  the 
  in- 
  

   crease 
  in 
  commutation 
  rates 
  on 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  important 
  rail- 
  

   roads. 
  Here 
  is 
  a 
  spick-and-span 
  new 
  topic 
  that 
  no 
  one 
  has 
  

   yet 
  had 
  time 
  to 
  write 
  about 
  because 
  no 
  one 
  ever 
  thought 
  so 
  

   horrible 
  a 
  catastrophe 
  impending. 
  The 
  commuter 
  will 
  in- 
  

   form 
  you 
  that 
  there 
  is 
  but 
  one 
  point 
  of 
  view 
  in 
  this 
  matter, 
  

   and 
  that 
  is 
  his 
  own. 
  It 
  is 
  true 
  Governor 
  Hughes 
  gave 
  this 
  

   idea 
  somewhat 
  of 
  a 
  jolt 
  in 
  his 
  famous 
  veto 
  of 
  the 
  two- 
  

   cent-a-mile 
  law; 
  but 
  the 
  commuter 
  still 
  has 
  much 
  to 
  say 
  

   on 
  this 
  subject 
  that 
  can 
  never 
  find 
  its 
  way 
  into 
  print. 
  But 
  if 
  

   anything 
  of 
  value 
  could 
  be 
  said 
  from 
  that 
  standpoint, 
  it 
  

   would 
  not 
  only 
  be 
  stuff 
  editors 
  and 
  publishers 
  should 
  be 
  fall- 
  

   ing 
  over 
  each 
  other 
  to 
  obtain, 
  but 
  it 
  would 
  relieve 
  many 
  

   anxious 
  souls, 
  and 
  shed 
  a 
  flood 
  of 
  happiness 
  upon 
  their 
  lives. 
  

  

  And 
  this 
  makes 
  clear 
  the 
  point 
  that 
  what 
  may 
  be 
  termed 
  

   the 
  psychology 
  and 
  sociology 
  of 
  country 
  life 
  is 
  as 
  yet 
  almost 
  

   unwritten. 
  The 
  material 
  side 
  of 
  this 
  fortunate 
  form 
  of 
  ex- 
  

   istence 
  has 
  been 
  well 
  written 
  about. 
  There 
  are 
  countless 
  

   manuals 
  on 
  farm 
  and 
  suburban 
  life, 
  telling 
  you 
  how 
  to 
  do 
  

   almost 
  anything, 
  from 
  sinking 
  a 
  fortune 
  in 
  it 
  to 
  obtaining 
  a 
  

   fortune 
  from 
  it. 
  Of 
  course, 
  the 
  latter 
  books 
  have 
  the 
  largest 
  

   sales, 
  and 
  the 
  journals 
  devoted 
  to 
  that 
  aspect 
  of 
  life 
  have 
  the 
  

   largest 
  subscription 
  lists. 
  But 
  there 
  can 
  be 
  no 
  quarrel 
  on 
  this 
  

   point. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  fine 
  thing 
  to 
  succeed 
  in 
  life; 
  and 
  if 
  one 
  can 
  suc- 
  

   ceed 
  in 
  making 
  a 
  competency 
  and 
  more 
  in 
  raising 
  cats, 
  dogs, 
  

   chickens, 
  geese, 
  ducks, 
  goats, 
  calves, 
  sheep, 
  horses, 
  to 
  say 
  

   nothing 
  of 
  growing 
  bush 
  beans, 
  strawberries, 
  apples, 
  cab- 
  

   bages, 
  cauliflower, 
  kohl-rabi, 
  brussels 
  sprouts, 
  kale, 
  melons, 
  

   currants 
  and 
  all 
  the 
  various 
  fruits 
  and 
  vegetables 
  that 
  inhabit' 
  

   the 
  countryside, 
  either 
  naturally 
  or 
  by 
  importation 
  and 
  emi- 
  

   gration 
  — 
  if 
  one 
  can 
  make 
  a 
  success 
  — 
  a 
  financial 
  success 
  — 
  

   growing, 
  cultivating, 
  raising 
  and 
  marketing 
  these 
  products, 
  

   and 
  does 
  so 
  from 
  book 
  knowledge 
  only 
  and 
  without 
  any 
  

   previous 
  and 
  costly 
  experience, 
  such 
  a 
  person 
  is 
  entitled 
  to 
  

  

  more 
  credit 
  that 
  he 
  is 
  likely 
  to 
  receive 
  in 
  this 
  world, 
  and 
  

   should 
  rank 
  among 
  the 
  heroes 
  of 
  achievement 
  and 
  of 
  

   industry. 
  

  

  Quite 
  a 
  book 
  might 
  be 
  written 
  on 
  the 
  purchase 
  of 
  rural 
  

   real 
  estate. 
  Ordinary 
  advice 
  is, 
  of 
  course, 
  quite 
  available. 
  

   Thus, 
  even 
  commonplace 
  books 
  will 
  solemnly 
  tell 
  you 
  not 
  to 
  

   buy 
  wet 
  land, 
  but 
  to 
  seek 
  out 
  the 
  dry 
  spots; 
  you 
  will 
  be 
  told 
  

   to 
  examine 
  and 
  test 
  the 
  soil; 
  to 
  have 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  winds; 
  

   to 
  study 
  the 
  crops 
  of 
  neighboring 
  lands 
  and 
  other 
  matters 
  of 
  

   great 
  import, 
  it 
  is 
  true, 
  but 
  still 
  leaving 
  much 
  unsaid 
  on 
  such 
  

   permanently 
  abiding 
  questions 
  as 
  the 
  proximity 
  of 
  the 
  former 
  

   owner 
  to 
  the 
  new. 
  Or, 
  what 
  are 
  the 
  social 
  relations, 
  if 
  any, 
  

   between 
  the 
  old 
  settlers 
  and 
  the 
  new? 
  The 
  singular 
  thing 
  

   about 
  old 
  owners 
  is 
  that 
  they 
  are 
  dying 
  to 
  sell, 
  and 
  then, 
  

   having 
  sold, 
  wish 
  they 
  had 
  not, 
  or 
  at 
  least 
  demanded 
  more 
  

   for 
  the 
  acres 
  whose 
  value 
  has 
  really 
  been 
  determined 
  by 
  the 
  

   price 
  paid 
  by 
  the 
  purchaser. 
  A 
  very 
  profound 
  study 
  could 
  

   be 
  written 
  on 
  this 
  subject, 
  and 
  there 
  is 
  surely 
  much 
  interest- 
  

   ing 
  material 
  relating 
  to 
  it 
  abroad 
  in 
  the 
  land, 
  unknown, 
  un- 
  

   recorded 
  and 
  unrelieved. 
  A 
  book 
  that 
  would 
  show 
  how 
  each 
  

   party 
  could 
  be 
  completely 
  satisfied, 
  or 
  how 
  each 
  got 
  the 
  

   better 
  of 
  the 
  other, 
  would 
  be 
  a 
  genuine 
  "thriller." 
  

  

  Another 
  wholly 
  new 
  and 
  unchronicled 
  subject 
  is 
  the 
  re- 
  

   lations 
  the 
  newcomer 
  in 
  a 
  suburban 
  region 
  may 
  find 
  to 
  exist 
  

   between 
  himself 
  and 
  the 
  government 
  authority 
  of 
  the 
  district 
  

   he 
  has 
  been 
  rash 
  enough 
  to 
  venture 
  into. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  popular 
  be- 
  

   lief 
  that 
  the 
  Americans 
  are 
  a 
  free 
  and 
  untrammeled 
  race, 
  

   every 
  citizen 
  being 
  an 
  independent 
  sovereign 
  of 
  equal 
  rank. 
  

   As 
  a 
  matter 
  of 
  fact, 
  we 
  are 
  a 
  very 
  much 
  governed 
  lot, 
  with 
  an 
  

   assortment 
  of 
  styles, 
  manners, 
  modes 
  and 
  sorts 
  from 
  which 
  

   there 
  is 
  no 
  escape. 
  Quite 
  at 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  heap 
  is 
  the 
  

   government 
  that 
  is 
  nearest 
  the 
  people. 
  This 
  has 
  various 
  

   names 
  in 
  different 
  parts, 
  and 
  may 
  be 
  a 
  borough, 
  district, 
  town- 
  

   ship 
  or 
  village 
  government. 
  Whatever 
  the 
  name, 
  it 
  has 
  this 
  

   in 
  common 
  : 
  there 
  is 
  nothing 
  below 
  it 
  but 
  the 
  people. 
  

  

  The 
  poor 
  people! 
  The 
  lowest 
  government 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  

   obnoxious 
  because 
  it 
  is 
  closest 
  at 
  hand 
  and 
  is 
  concerned 
  with 
  

   the 
  things 
  that 
  most 
  affect 
  the 
  property 
  owner. 
  It 
  fixes 
  his 
  

   taxes; 
  it 
  determines 
  the 
  kind 
  and 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  roads; 
  it 
  de- 
  

   cides 
  what 
  part, 
  if 
  any, 
  of 
  his 
  property 
  shall 
  be 
  taken 
  for 
  

   public 
  uses; 
  it 
  places 
  the 
  fire 
  hydrants; 
  it 
  provides 
  the 
  schools; 
  

   and 
  it 
  attends 
  to 
  the 
  many 
  little 
  matters 
  that 
  are 
  necessary 
  or 
  

   unnecessary 
  to 
  existence. 
  And, 
  of 
  course, 
  such 
  a 
  govern- 
  

   ment 
  may 
  be 
  a 
  very 
  painful 
  government, 
  doing 
  all 
  sorts 
  of 
  

   things 
  in 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  the 
  public 
  which 
  the 
  public 
  may 
  not 
  

   desire, 
  and 
  inflicting 
  many 
  an 
  unexpected 
  hardship 
  and 
  injury 
  

   where 
  none 
  was 
  expected. 
  

  

  The 
  newcomer 
  stands 
  small 
  chance 
  before 
  the 
  awful 
  

   majesty 
  of 
  this 
  petty 
  government. 
  It 
  hovers 
  over 
  the 
  land 
  

   like 
  a 
  gigantic 
  bird 
  of 
  prey 
  seeking 
  the 
  innocent 
  and 
  the 
  

   unwary. 
  The 
  old 
  timers 
  have 
  either 
  been 
  plucked, 
  or, 
  for 
  

   reasons 
  of 
  policy, 
  if 
  not 
  of 
  state, 
  are 
  better 
  left 
  alone. 
  But 
  

   the 
  newcomer 
  is 
  grist 
  for 
  every 
  mill. 
  The 
  countryside 
  awaits 
  

   him 
  with 
  joy. 
  The 
  butcher 
  and 
  the 
  grocer 
  hoist 
  their 
  prices 
  

   because 
  he 
  is 
  new 
  or 
  because 
  he 
  does 
  not 
  buy 
  as 
  much 
  as 
  they 
  

   think 
  he 
  ought 
  to; 
  his 
  taxes 
  are 
  put 
  as 
  high 
  as 
  prudenceand 
  

   poor 
  guesswork 
  permits; 
  and 
  then 
  the 
  government, 
  right- 
  

   eously 
  clad 
  in 
  a 
  garment 
  of 
  law, 
  proceeds 
  to 
  administer 
  to 
  the 
  

   unfortunate 
  and 
  helpless 
  victim 
  a 
  variety 
  of 
  things 
  that, 
  at 
  

   least, 
  do 
  not 
  add 
  to 
  his 
  peace 
  of 
  mind, 
  nor 
  help 
  to 
  satisfy 
  him 
  

   with 
  the 
  state 
  he 
  has 
  rashly 
  committed 
  himself 
  to. 
  

  

  