J57>e  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
Frank  of  Peach  Hill 
By  Geo.  B.  Fiske 
(Continued  from  page  777.) 
“O  well,”  he  replied,  “it  would  be 
about  like  plowing  my  own  land  as  the 
trade  stands  now.  I’ve  got  the  right  kind 
of  plow  aDd  team  for  such  a  piece  of 
land,  and  I'll  let  you  pay  for  the  work 
later.”  As  he  was  going  away  he  added  : 
“I’ve  got.  some,  seed  corn  and  potatoes  and 
such  things,  enough  to  spare  you  a  lit¬ 
tle.”  So  the  world  seemed  a  little  bright¬ 
er  to  me  as  I  crawled  into  my  nest  for 
the  night.  I  lay  there  for  hours  planning 
the  Summer  campaign  on  my  little  farm 
and  thinking  of  many  things  besides.  I 
had  written  to  Cousin  Lena,  the  sprightly, 
during  the  afternoon,  inviting  any  of 
them  to  come  out  to  my  housewarming  in 
a  couple  of  weeks  or  so.  Lena’s  letter 
was  full  of  city  life.  She  was  having  a 
“fine  time.”  was  the  burden  of  it  all. 
There  was  a  new  show  at  the  Pinky 
Theatre,  and  it  was  “great.”  The  Dime 
Diversion  had  a  splendid  lot  of  moving 
pictures,  all  in  color.  The  early  flowers 
in  the  park  were  in  full  bloom  already. 
She  had  been  learning  some  new,  some¬ 
what  idiotic  songs  of  the  day,  including 
“Whoop-te-doo”  and  “Robinson  Crusoe, 
doo-so,”  and  they  were  "great."  She  had 
a  new  Spring  dress  and  hat.  and  didn't  I 
wish  I  could  be  there?  Why  did  I  go 
out  in  the  woods  to  live  like  a  tramp? 
She  should  think  I  would  be  coming  back 
SOOIJ, 
I  lay  wondering  who  had  taken  her  to 
the  show  with  her  new  finery,  and  what 
would  she  think  of  life  in  Mapleton,  and 
what  a  fine  place  could  be  made  of  my 
sightly  hill,  with  the  half  of  some  of  the 
money  and  labor  commanded  so  lavishly 
by  the  owners  of  the  glistening  groups  of 
“farm”  buildings  round  about.  Some  day 
the  hill  should  be  topped  with  a  real 
house,  I  resolved  with  a  boy’s  easy  hope¬ 
fulness.  as  I  sleepily  watched  the  streaks 
of  moonlight  through  the  holes  iu  the  old 
boards  of  my  open-air  coop.  More  than 
hen  boy  was  I  in  those  days,  for  no  pru¬ 
dent  hen  would  sleep  securely  in  a  place 
so  exposed  to  night  marauders  of  all 
kinds.  But  I  was  not  unhappy  as  I  lay 
there  thinking  over  my  scanty  dollars, 
thinking  what  could  be  done  without,  and 
what  could  be  had  and  how  this  and  that 
could  be  done  at  little  or  less  cost.  Next 
day  I  would  go  to  the  auction  Mr.  Frost 
had  told  me  about.  “It  looks  like  rain,” 
he  remarked  shrewdly,  “and  stuff  goes 
cheap  when  rain  keeps  the  crowds 
away.” 
CHAPTER  V. 
The  Auction. 
Rain  was  pouring  down  like  fun  in  the 
morning,  but  I  put  on  my  thick  old  coat, 
and  with  my  pocket  full  of  money,  sallied 
off  whistling,  for  a  long,  muddy  walk. 
The  Purdy  farm  was  selling  out.  but  only 
a  few  people  were  there  at  first.  I 
looked  over  the  stuff  scattered  all  about 
the  place  and  found  most  of  the  things  I 
wanted,  or  thought  I  must  have.  The 
sale  began  with  the  small  stuff,  for  which 
I  was  one  of  the  star  bidders.  1  bought  a 
one-horse  plow  for  a  dollar,  a  cultivator 
for  about  the  same  money,  a  harrow,  a 
bunch  of  well-worn  lines,  shovels,  forks, 
rakes,  hush  hooks,  and  an  ax  or  two,  and 
some  small  tools  and  knick-knacks  of  va¬ 
rious  kinds.  All  such  things  went  at 
prices  which  brought  loud  complaint  from 
the  auctioneer. 
“Well,  we  are  paying  cash  for  them, 
ain't  we?”  rejoined  Bunee,  who  was  there 
picking  up  bargains  for  Landers,  the  farm 
agent.  The  custom  of  that  sharp  gentle¬ 
man  was  to  resell  such  purchases  at  good 
prices  to  buyers  of  his  farms. 
It  was  an  exciting  program  for  me 
with  my  trading  and  the  novelty  of  it  all. 
Later  in  the  day  the  rain  stopped,  and 
more  people  came,  including  the  Frosts, 
women  folks  and  all,  also  John  Joy  and 
Landin,  I  asked  John  .Toy  and  IUmee  to 
advise  me  about  my  larger  purchases.  I 
pointed  out  a  horse  I  thought  of  buying. 
“That's  old  Cockle-joint,”  said  Bunce 
with  a  gnu,  “See  that  beauty  curve  in 
the  off  hind  leg.  The  other  leg  is  stocked 
up  some.  Don’t  you  see  that  leg  is  larger 
thau  its  mate?  And  see  how  the  hair  is 
off  his  knee  joints  in  front  where  he  has 
slipped  on  them.  He’s  a  bad  stumbler. 
How  old  is  he,  do  I  think?  Well,  lie’s  no 
young  colt,  I  can  tell  you  that.” 
“He’ll  go  cheap,”  commented  Lander. 
"Farmers  around  here  like  to  drive  a  good 
horse.  lie  might  do  for  light  jobbing,  an 
honest  old  plug  and  a  fair  traveller.” 
Old  "Cockle- joint”  went  for  $30  amid 
the  jokes  of  the  crowd,  and  I  became  his 
owner.  I  bought  a  quiet  old  Jersey  cow, 
due  soon  to  calve,  for  about  the  same 
amount.  Then  I  bid  for  a  lot  of  about  40 
hens,  and  a  bunch  of  badly  damaged 
chicken  fencing.  Then  an  express  wagon 
for  $20,  an  old  express  harness,  and  parts 
of  a  heavy  harness,  also  chains  and  hal¬ 
ters,  a  keg  of  paint,  a  ladder  and  a  few 
old  boxes  and  barrels  which  cost  next  to 
nothing  and  ought  to  come  handy.  When 
the  household  goods  were  selling  I  took  a 
few  bits  of  furniture  and  fixings  for  my 
home.  , 
(To  be  continued.) 
Cover  Crop  With  Oats 
Can  I  seed  Alsike  and  Dwarf  Essex  rape 
in  Spring  with  oats  without  interfering 
with  harvesting  the  oats,  and  leave  a  good 
green  crop  to  plow  down  for  wheat?  If 
so,  how  much  uer  acre?  If'  not  what 
would  he  gOqd?  A.  S. 
Bucks  Co.,  Pa. 
The  rape  seeded  in  this  way  would 
make  too  much  growth  and  interfere  with 
cutting  the  oats.  Alsike  clover  alone 
will  make  a  fair  growth  and  provide 
some  pasture.  We  should  use  about  five 
pounds  per  acre.  You  will  have  more 
to  plow  under  if  you  plow  or  disk  after 
the  oats  and  seed  to  buckwheat  and 
turnios. 
Want  to  Know 
Stone  Stlo. — Has  any  reader  of  The 
R.  N.-Y.  ever  built  a  stone  silo,  18  or  20 
inches  thick  and  plastered  on  inside?  I 
would  like  to  hear  it  discussed,  p.  r.  m. 
Albion.  N.  Y. 
Steel  Traces. — Have  you  had  any  ex¬ 
perience  with  leather-covered  steel  traces? 
I  would  like  information  in  regard  to 
their  durability,  if  anyone  has  ever  tried 
them.  j,  h.  K. 
Williamsvillo,  N.  Y. 
Spraying  Alfalfa  With  Weed-kil¬ 
ler. — Who  knows  anything  concerning 
the  effect  on  young  Alfalfa  and  clover  of 
the  spray  for  killing  kale  and  mustard, 
also  charlock?  We  know  it  won’t  hurt 
Timothy  seeding  but  nothing  definite  con¬ 
cerning  Alfalfa.  D.  m. 
Does  any  reader  know  the  Red  Mira- 
belle  plum  ?  There  used  to  be  some  iu  the 
vicinity  of  La  Porte.  Iud.  I  wont  last  Fall 
to  get  buds  and  failed  to  find  them.  I 
would  like  very  much  to  get  some. 
F.  if.  B. 
The  Rest  of  Your  Farm  Is  Up-to-Date 
— What  About  Your  Home? 
You  modem  business  farmer — with  your  up-to-date  machinery,  labor  saving 
equipment  and  improved  methods  of  farming — what  about  your  home  ? 
Have  the  improvements  in  your  home  kept  up  with  the  improvements  you 
have  purchased  to  save  your  labor  on  the  outside? 
Or,  in  your  efforts  to  succeed  have  you  been  too  busy  to  think  of  and  provide 
the  modern  comforts  and  conveniences  for  your  wife  and  children? 
Chief  among  the  modern  improvements  for  the  farm  home  is  good  light. 
Times  have  changed.  The  dirty,  dangerous  oil  lamps  and  lanterns  have 
long  ago  gone  out  of  fashion — where  progressive  farmers  are  concerned. 
Pilot-Outdoor 
Lighting  and  Cooking  Plants 
have  totally  changed  the  old-fashioned 
methods  of  house  and  bam  lighting  and 
cooking  in  the  country  home. 
Hundreds  of  thousands  of  farmers — men 
like  yourself — in  all  parts  of  the  country — 
have  already  equipped  their  homes  with 
this  permanent  improvement. 
Some  are  friends  and  neighbors  of  yours. 
Their  families  are  now  enjoying  this  com¬ 
fort,  safety  and  convenience  —  without 
which  your  home  will  never  be  complete. 
They  have  chosen  the  PILOT  not  only 
because  it  gives  them  all  the  bright,  safe, 
clean  light  they  can  use— but  cooking  fuel 
as  well. 
Because  they  can  light  their  houses  and 
bams  without  matches.  Because  the  PILOT 
entirely  eliminates  all  the  dirty,  disagree¬ 
able  daily  labor  of  caring  for  lamps.  Be¬ 
cause  they  have  an  abundance  of  brilliant 
light  always  on  tap  whenever  they  need  it. 
Because  the  PILOT  takes  up  no  room  in 
the  house,  but  stands  out  of  doors  —  on 
top  of  the  ground— anywhere.  It  is  simple, 
automatic,  dependable.  Needs  but  a  few 
minutes’  attention  once  a  month  or  so. 
Write  for  our  illustrated  catalogs  and  de¬ 
scriptive  booklets  giving  all  the  facts.  Find 
out  today  about  the  PILOT, 
Oxweld  Acetylene  Company 
Newai-k,  N.  J. 
Chicago 
Los  Angles 
Largest  Makers  s>f  Private  Lighting  and 
Cooking  Plants  in  the  World 
