i89i 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
559 
yet. In August, 1890, the G. A. R. Reunion gave another 
opportunity for cheap travel, and wife and I visited Bos¬ 
ton and New York, and on the return trip spent a delight¬ 
ful day on the mountains near Port Jervis, N. Y., and a 
day at Niagara Falls, and I see by consulting my account 
book that our cash expenses were but $55 for a 12 days’ 
trip; but it would have cost us $20 additional but for 
the fact that we spent several days with New England 
relatives. 
I did not intend to make this so personal, but have done 
so to show how cheaply one may travel, and yet have com¬ 
forts and conveniences, and to urge my readers to do the 
same whenever it is possible. We have but one journey 
through life, and it is our privilege and duty to take com¬ 
fort as we go, and there is no one educational influence 
which gives greater pleasure or broadens the horizon of 
life more than travel. waldo f. brown. 
Huron Co., O. 
Vacation at Home. 
Yes, we take a summer vacation. By July 20 our hay 
will all be in the barn and the wheat also, in all probabil¬ 
ity, and all work will be done on potatoes that we can do 
to make a crop. From that time until August 20 we in¬ 
tend to take it easy. We shall not probably take any long 
trip, as riding is too hot and dusty and unpleasant. We 
shall go to nearby pleasure resorts where we can go in the 
morning when the weather is cool and drive back in the 
evening. We may spend a day or two on Lake Erie. Wife 
and I found that a very pleasant rest last summer. But 
at night we prefer to return to our large, airy bed-room at 
home, with four large windows and a bed that—well, fits 
our backs completely. We do not see much use in going 
away from home during the heated term to put up with 
many discomforts when we could be perfectly comfortable 
at home, with a free horse and carriage, and cool, pure 
water and lemonade at cost. After sundown we can drive 
to town and get ice cream, made from pure, Jersey cream, 
such as I have never yet found at any public pleasure re¬ 
sort. We are going to have the vacation and rest, and a 
good time, but in our own quiet way. T. B. terry. 
Summit Co., O. 
A Talk About Summer Vacations. 
The farmers in this section, so far as I know, do not 
make a practice of taking summer vacations. Most of 
them go once a year, at least, to visit relatives or friends 
at a greater or less distance, and that 
does for a vacation. We live right 
among the mountains, and it is only 
a few miles’ drive to the top of Mount 
Mansfield, 4,400 feet above sea level. 
From the top is obtained one of the 
most comprehensive views in all New 
England. A day on this mountain is 
a great help in the way of a rest and 
change. 
It has been my own custom to get 
away for a rest—not every summer, 
but as often as I can. Mrs. Newton 
and myself have been to Montreal a 
few times, but we do not like Canada 
as well as we like the States, espe¬ 
cially since it has become the custom to have a saloon on 
every corner. We have always stopped with friends, so I 
cannot give any idea of an ordinary traveler’s expenses. 
Last summer I was obliged to take my vacation alone, 
and I went to Boston, Cape Cod, and places near Boston. 
This was a real vacation to me, but it was not a vacation 
in the sense the word is generally used, for it was a visit 
among friends, but it was far more enjoyable to me on 
that account. The best time for me to get away is in 
August, as there is a lull in our farm work then, and we 
have less milking to do. I think it is a good plan for a 
farmer to get away from his work a little while, and if he 
can go to a place where there will be a complete change it 
will be far better. If he is able to take a thorough rest 
for three or four weeks, it will do him a world of good. 
And the wives need vacations even more than the hus¬ 
bands. I am thankful every day that I do not have to be 
shut up in an office, longing for a look at the green hills 
and mountains and woods. I am thankful that I can 
breathe the pure air and see the sights and hear the sounds 
of the country without having to pay some grasping hotel 
keeper a big price for the privilege. But there is another 
side to this. The Rural has been talking about selling 
water, but a good many farmers are making money by 
selling air and sunshine. Would it not be well for The 
Rural to obtain information for its readers on this sub¬ 
ject from those who are experienced in caring for summer 
boarders ? This is going to be one of the farmer’s best 
branches of business—I mean of course for those farmers 
who are favorably situated for it. 
A few hints may be useful to farmers who visit or take 
vacations. First, beware of ice water. I have seen a 
visit spoiled by illness brought on by drinking ice water. 
Cool water is all right, but hot water is far better than ice 
water. Keep warm and dry. This is as necessary in 
August as in January. Cold nights often follow hot days, 
and a light overcoat may save you hours of pain. Aim to 
secure plenty of sleep each 24 hours. A farmer who is 
accustomed to go to bed at eight and get up at four will 
find it difficult to get sleep enough when with people who 
go to bed at 11 and get up at 7. If he sits up late, he will, 
as a rule, be awake at his usual hour. A good sleep after 
dinner will often more than make up for this. When you 
leave home for a vacation don’t take the farm with you. 
Arrange things before you leave so that you can throw off 
all care and worry and forget all your cares. Let your 
mind rest from its daily tasks as well as the body. If you 
live inland away from the ocean, a ride on the salt water 
will do you a deal of good. If you are sea sick, no matter. 
But you may not be. If you are going to a new place, 
learn all you can about it beforehand. When you travel, 
carry a map of your route, and look out every stage of 
your journey. j. w. newton. 
Lamoille Co., Vt. 
Seeking Comfort In The Woods. 
For the farmer who lives in the States bordering upon 
the Mississippi River, from central Illinois southward, I 
know of no better or cheaper summer vacation trip than 
the one up that stream to St. Paul, Minnesota. And 
there is no better time to take it than immediately after 
the wheat, oats and hay have been harvested and the corn 
“ laid by.” Then is the time when the broiling days and 
sultry nights are upon us, and all manner of insects that 
annoy man and beast are out seeking gore. The farmer is 
completely exhausted by the hard, continuous labors of 
harvesting the summer crops, and seeks high and low 
for a good rest but finds it not. The exasperating fly, the 
sanguinary mosquito and the festive flea scent him from 
afar, and all make haste to discover bis whereabouts that 
they may sample him, and he finds no peace day or night. 
At this particular time a trip up the Mississippi River to 
the regions of cool, fresh air and clear, bubbling spiings 
is something akin to a foretaste of heaven. 
Seventeen years ago I suffered during the greater part 
of the spring and early summer with a severe attack of an 
old enemy, fever and ague, and when harvest time arrived 
I looked like a sack of bones, and felt worse. However, I 
braced up as much as possible and helped through har¬ 
vest, then about the middle of July packed a valise and 
started north via St. Louis. It seemed to me that the sun 
had concentrated every one of his hottest rays on that 
city when I arrived there. I was in an exhausted ctndi- 
tion anyway, was broken out with “heat” and was wear¬ 
ing two or three dozen chigres (a minute insect that bur¬ 
rows under the skin causing intense itching; common 
from central Illinois southward in midsummer) in my 
back, and it see ned that I surely must expire before night. 
At 4 p. M. the boat started, and then the cool breeze that 
always blows up or down the Father of Waters began to 
fan my fevered brow. I retired early and slept like a 
brick until breakfast was announced. Then I was sui- 
prised to find I had an appetite, and I ate a good, square 
meal—the first in three months that I really enjoyed. 
The following four days I ate three full meals a day and 
slept 10 hours every night. At the end of that time 
every particle of surplus heat had left me, the chigres had 
expired, or backed out and fled, and I felt as frisky as a 
spring lamb. We landed at Hastings, Minnesota, took 
the train and ran out to the little town of Carver on the 
Minnesota River, in what is called the “ Big Woods.” 
Here we located with a farmer about five miles from town, 
and I went to sleep. I slept so much that I was actually 
ashamed of myself. I would go to sleep while trying to 
brace up and be lively. For about a week I slept at least 
15 hours out of every 24. Then harvest began and I joined 
in, helped all through it, got fat on it and felt like a Game 
cock. After harvest I fished, hunted, rambled through 
the woods and drank copiously from the clear, sparkling 
springs that flow out of the bluffs overlooking the Minne¬ 
sota River Valley. I remained in that locality until the 
fresh breezes and frosts of September made me hanker for 
an overcoat, and I came back to get it. Previous to that 
trip I had suffered more or less every year from fever and 
ague. The bracing breezes and pure spring waters blew 
and washed every particle of the “pizen” out of my 
system and I have never had a “shake” since. The trip 
cost me $47 and I made $21 of it back in the harvest field 
while I convalesced and fattened. 
I went up there again a few years ago with a party of 
nine. This time we went to Minnetonka, a few miles west 
of Minneapolis. We took a complete outfit along, and 
camped near the experimental farm of Bro. Gideon, of 
Wealthy Apple fame. We had a good time, lived on fish 
and the fat of the land about three weeks, and returned in 
good condition for finishing up the work of the season. 
The entire trip consumed nearly five weeks, and the cost 
was an average of $46 each. 
The only drawback to Lake Minnetonka was the lack of 
good, pure water. We were obliged to use the water of the 
lake, cooled with ice, and it was like slop compared with 
the sparkling fluid that flows from the springs in the 
Minnesota or Wisconsin River Valleys, and its effect was 
not altogether lovely. There are no springs about Minne¬ 
tonka that I could discover or hear of; it seems to be 
situated upon a ridge, too high for springs. It is a beauti¬ 
ful sheet of water, is a great summer resort and thousands 
go there every year. And that is the very reason I should 
avoid it if I were seeking rest. Those who care only to 
see vast crowds of people chasing after pleasure and 
catching a very small quantity of it would be delighted 
with Minnetonka, White Bear or any of those lakes. Tired 
people who are seeking rest, fresh air and pure water 
would dohetter to seek them on one of the smaller rivers 
that flow through the woods of Minnesota and Wisconsin. 
Many beautiful camping grounds can be found on the 
shores of Lake Pepin, and supplies of all kinds are easy of 
access, while fishing is extra good. 
A party of six to ten congenial spirits bent on leaving 
the farm and all of its cares behind, and having a good 
rest and a good time generally, can have a superlative pic¬ 
nic of about six weeks’ duration for but little more than 
It would cost to stay at home, and very much less than the 
necessary outlay during a spell of sickness brought on by 
depressing heat and unceasing hard work. A party of 10 
are a power unto themselves ; they have an importance 
that two or three do not possess, they can secure reduced 
rates almost everywhere, and for amusement they 
are practically independent of everybody. If they area 
jolly, good-natured lot, and stick together, they can almost 
run things wherever they go, and can have enough fun in 
six weeks to make every one of them feel 10 years 
younger. 
In starting on such a trip they should take two tents, a 
sheet-iron box stove filled with iron and tin cooking and 
table utensils, two thick quilts for each bed, some mos¬ 
quito netting, a heavy hatchet, some fishing tackle, etc. 
Many of the heavier articles needed occasionally, such as 
buckets, spades, etc., can be hired or borrowed from people 
in the vicinity of the camp. And I might mention right 
here that a quarter or half a dollar properly placed is a 
wonderful heart softener and friend maker everywhere. 
In selecting a camping ground people should look for 
plenty of pure water, dry ground, nice shade, and a con¬ 
venient place where such supplies as milk, butter, vege¬ 
tables, meat, etc. can be procured. If possible, the camp 
should command a good view of the river, lake, valley, or 
surrounding country. The beds should not be laid on the 
ground, but rahed one or two feet above it to avoid damp¬ 
ness. A canvas or board shelter should be provided for 
the stove in case of rainy weather. It is an easy matter 
to apportion the various camp duties among a lot of 
sensible, practical people, and there will be no trouble on 
that score. A day-book should be kept, and all expenses 
te duly and properly entered. It is a very gcod idea to 
place the entire outfit in charge of a committee of three, 
whose decision in all matters shall be final. Such a com¬ 
mittee will sometimes prove a great “settler.” A spirit 
of cheerfulness and jollity should be cultivated, and all 
petty annoyances laughed out of sight. 
Such an outing is worth more than double what it costs. 
To get the full benefit of It a person from this latitude 
should stay until September. There is no work to be done 
on the farm before that time that 
cannot be entrusted to good hired 
help. When the cool brei zes of Sep¬ 
tember come over the lakes and 
sweep up the valleys a person feels as 
if he wanted to go back. He is thor¬ 
oughly rested and cooled, he feels like 
a youDg colt and he wants to make 
something hum. He returns to his 
farm with a clearer brain, a stronger 
body, a new courage, and spirited as 
a race horse. 
In making the trip I have suggested 
I would advise everybody by all means 
to go up by boat, but to return by rail. 
The ride up the river is simply delight¬ 
ful. The boat has an easy, go as-you-please sort of a 
motion, nobody seems to be in a hurry to get anywhere, you 
are luxuriously housed and sumptuously fed, the officers 
are polite and attentive, and every day seems a glorious 
holiday. The river, the woods, the distant hills, and eftn 
the hazy sky seem to take on a dreamy, restful look, and 
you lean back in your easy chair and feel just lovely— 
amply compensated for all the hard work you have done, 
and delightfully satisfied with yourself. 
But when you get ready to return you have a different 
feeling. You would go by telegraph if you could. There 
is joy in the rush and roar of the lightning express, and 
the hurry and bustle to get along, and the faster you go 
the better you are pleased. You are going back to work, 
and you want to “git thar” Immediately 1 
Christian Co., Ill. fred. grundy. 
BUTTER-MAKING COMPETITIONS. 
The Mark Lane Express gives the picture shown at Fig. 
204, of the building in which dairy contests were held at 
the late Royal Show at Doncaster. It is open on three 
sides, with awnings under which the audience may stand 
or sit. The contestants work in a railed space at the 
center. At the Doncaster Show four classes were opened 
for contestants with over $300 in prizes. One class was 
open to all dairymaids in the United Kingdom; another to 
dairymaids in service, one to dairymaids in the County of 
York, and one to the female members of farmers’ families 
not in service or working for wages. There were in all 
23 entries. Each used her own churn and other appliances, 
and each was provided with seven quarts of cream and 16 
pounds of ice. The cream was as nearly alike as possible. 
Each dairymaid then went ahead and made butter in 
her own way. The judges graded the butter by the 
amount secured, the quality and texture, and the time 
required in churning. These contests drew good crowds, 
and were quite interesting and exciting. 
Why is England ahead of this country in such matters ? 
Why can we not have butter-making contests at our 
American fairs ? Our American girls are as smart and 
wholesome as any other girls under the sun. What we 
want is a public sentiment that will rate the girl who 
wins a dairy prize as high as the one who reads a senti¬ 
mental essay at graduation. Up with the dairymaid—rep¬ 
resentative of sweet, wholesome health ! What are the 
managers of our fairs and other similar gatherings doing 
for her ? There is no better place to start such contests 
than at the dairy schools that are now becoming so pop¬ 
ular. Who will be first to win fame in this line ? 
BUILDING FOR HOLDING AN ENGLISH DAIRY CONTEST. Fig. 204. 
