1290 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
October 28, 1922 
Who Whipsaws the Farmer? 
Practically every farmer who is 
doing business in America today 
is up against a situation which is 
taking a large part of his legiti¬ 
mate profits. 
Whatever you raise—hogs, 
wheat, corn, eggs, beef, dairy 
products, garden stuff—you’re 
fighting against disorganized mar¬ 
ket conditions, erratic public taste, 
manipulation, and the lack of the 
effective cooperation which might 
whip the business of farming into 
line for real profit. 
No wonder the farmer works 
long hours every day only to find 
a slim bank balance (if any) at the 
end of the year—even this year 
with bumper crops! 
BIGGER PROFITS ARE 
POSSIBLE 
In a new series, starting at once, 
The Country Gentleman 
takes up this problem. Fifty 
trained investigators are going over 
the whole business of farming, 
point by point, crop by crop, and 
the result of their investigation 
will be published in the next thir¬ 
teen issues. 
This is no muck-raking cam¬ 
paign that makes a lot of noise 
and gets nowhere. No rehash of 
the old stuff—no mere theorizing, 
but a straightforward, thorough 
analysis of what is happening to¬ 
day in farm markets, and the 
remedies that are being devised by 
practical and successful farmers. 
Dollars in Your Pocket 
You can’t afford to miss these 
thirteen issues. They will tell you 
concretely what you can do; they 
will put dollars into your pocket. 
If you act promptly, we will 
send you thirteen issues of The 
Country Gentleman, start¬ 
ing with next week’s copy, and 
including this helpful market¬ 
ing series, for only 25c. 
You know The Country 
Gentleman. If not, ask your 
county agent or your banker what 
he thinks of it. It’s a real “dirt” 
farmer’s weekly. Its contributors 
include the men who know most 
about farm problems today. You 
get 40 pages in each issue, packed 
full with meaty, practical ideas. 
Farming as a Business 
It’s the business end of farming 
that The Country Gentle¬ 
man keeps pounding away at, 
issue after issue. It presents a 
big, nation-wide view of the prob¬ 
lems of the farmer as our biggest 
business man. It finds out what 
practical farmers everywhere are 
doing to make mere profit, and 
gives you their big range of ideas 
and experience. Week by week 
you get the sound, rock-bottom 
practice that fits your farm. 
Good, live, readable stories. 
Practical pages for the “Missis.” 
Interesting educational stories 
that your boy and girl will eat up. 
13 ISSUES 
FOR ONLY 
25 CENTS 
Mail this coupon today, with 
25 cents—coin, check, money 
order or stamps. We take the risk. 
r-—- 
THE COUNTRY GEN¬ 
TLEMAN I 
3132 Independence Square, I 
Philadelphia, Pa. 
Here's my 25 cents. 
Send me THE COUNTRY 
GENTLEMAN forthirtcen 
issues beginning at once. 
Name 
R. F. D. 
Town 
I State 
I 
L---- 
TRe COUNTRY 
GENTLEMAN 
3132 Independence Square, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 
Notes from a Sagebrush Farmer’s Wife 
This is being written on the 14th day, 
I of September. We are having delight¬ 
fully warm weather, but on the lift 1j of 
this month we had a frost that blackened' 
the tomato and squash vines, and ruined 
n great ninny tomatoes, also. It did not 
hurt the corn, fortunately. Our season 
has been the shortest we have yet ex¬ 
perienced, with a late Spring and an 
early frost. The only ripe tomatoes that 
the gardens can boast are those from 
plants bought from the seed bouses, and 
set out when almost in blossom. My 
neighbor has just canned 10 quarts from 
such plants, but 1 have as yet but three 
ripe tomatoes, though I raised my plants 
in cigar box flats, and had some big 
plants given to me. 
The children are all in school, or were, 
until today, when the two little ones 
stayed at home with headaches and sore 
throats. Every year it is the same. The 
children go through a perfectly well Sum¬ 
mer, hut the opening of school means an 
epidemic of sickness. 
My neighbor cooked for thrashers to¬ 
day. I do not have them for 10 days, as 
we are irrigating the sugar beets, and our 
other neighbor fins just turned his waste 
water down on the other side of our 
farm. A machine cannot get on the place 
until the water dries. Wheat is selling 
at 75 cents a hundred and potatoes at IS 
cents a hundred, and furnish your own 
sacks. We cannot dig them for that, so 
unless they go up, they will remain un- 
dug. A friend of ours is going to turn his 
hogs into his potato patch. As we have 
five acres of potatoes and only 11 hogs, 
we are not planning to follow suit. 
There are no hogs for sale anywhere 
around here. 
We have 25 acres of the finest of sugar 
beets. It is not as paying a crop as 
clover seed, but it is most certain. The 
sugar company contracts to provide labor 
and ttike the beets. So we are sure of 
that much. We contract at a certain 
price, and if the price of sugar rises, we 
receive a bonus. Personally. I prefer a 
seed cron, hut it is a gamble, and we 
cannot afford to gamble more than we are 
already forced to do. 1 have never re¬ 
covered from the shock 1 received when 
our rural teacher received a check for 
$28,000 for his crop of Alsike clover seed. 
Speaking of teachers reminds me that 
we have only two this year to our almost 
100 pupils. Farmers are poor business 
men. Our community went wild over 
building a fine new schoolhousc for which 
we were to bond ourselves. We had to 
have it—because we had to have it. 
Some of us who are weighed down with 
taxes investigated and found that our 
list riot was already deeply in debt, that 
vc not only could nor afford a new Hchool 
house, even by bonding, hut that w*> 
could not have the customary number of 
these teachers, for wo could not even pay 
the teachers then employed. We felt badly 
\bout cutting down the number of tcach- 
•rs. hut it is a fool who will wear a 
irondeloth suit which he has purchased 
m credit when by wearing overalls he 
an eventually wear the broadcloth and 
ay for it. But we arc not rejoicing over 
lie situation. Country children, at least 
nit here, do not always get the best of 
each era, even a l good salaries, ami we 
cel disposed to light for their rights 
long this line. We have had a number 
i teachers here who actually said. "I 
lone it" and “Me seen it,” and who never 
new the correct way (of course). 
In a current periodical a farm woman 
vriles in protest against (lie high wages 
slid teachers who work "only seven hours 
i day. five days a week," I am a farm¬ 
er's wife, and I have been a rural school 
cacher, so I believe T am qualified to 
ice both sides id' the subject. If you pay 
i very low wage to a teacher you are apt 
o get the kind who works at her pro- 
'cssion only five days a week, seven hours 
■ i the day, and she will nut be worth the 
ow wage you pay her. You cannot get 
ood teachers unless you pay good wages, 
nd even the "good wages" of teachers 
• re exceedingly low when you consider 
hat the money has to stretch over 12 
muitlis, and that a teacher must always 
ie dressed "like a lady" -or a “gentle- 
uan.” as the case may be And a good 
cacher lives, thinks, and has her being 
'll her profession every day of tin* whole 
ear. She does not take up her work 
•nd lay it down in periods id' seven hours 
or five days a week. 
We have a farmer here who says he 
rot all Jiis education in a on»-room 
ehoolhoitse with one teacher to 00 pupils, 
nd therefore our school of nearly 100 
it tic folks should do with no more. If 
mi had experienced the misfortune of 
living three of your fingers cut off in 
hildhood, and were still able to get about 
■ ml earn a living, would you advocate 
I In 1 cutting ‘oil’ of three lingers on the 
amis of all young children? Why, then. 
Ivocalc the crippling of the education 
f the present generation because you 
•anaged to make your way In the world 
I hough badly crippled yourself? By the 
vny. this farmer has no child in our 
■school. 
It is the wrong thing for us farm folks 
to try to tear down the wages of other 
classes. Bet us rejoice if they are able 
to gel a good living. Why is it thut^wc 
Five not a good living ourselves? Sim¬ 
ply because we are so busy working that 
we let other folks do our thinking for us, 
toll us how to vote, take our crops and 
market them; in fact, do everything for 
us but our own hard work. It is true 
that we have no time to market our crops 
ourselves, and some of us have allowed 
our brains to become dormant through 
excessive labor, so that we have neither 
the time nor the wit, hut we should take 
our place among the governing classes of 
the United Slates and say, “Look here, 
is this government for tin* benefit of the 
farmers as well as for the business man? 
Then market my crops! Turn the coun¬ 
ty agents into crop handling men. Store 
my cron* until needed, and distribute 
them where they will do the must good. 
Wlmt is the government for if not to 
look after the food supply of the country 
and see that it does not go to waste? 
If TUB Rt hal Nkw-Yokkeh had done 
nothing else than invent the slogan "H e 
must <lo it ourscli'cs," it would deserve 
lusting fame and eternal gratitude from 
the farmers. You farm women, wear 
your flour sack underwear with pride if 
you are able to apply the money so saved 
to a better purpose, hut if you are wear¬ 
ing the (lour sacks because someone 
cheated you out of the profits of your 
labor, be content and preach economy at 
your peril! Yoil are paving tin* way for 
want and penury for your children. 
■ANNIE 1*1 K E Cl KEEN'WOOD. 
From the Country Mouse 
Distinctive eatable (lifts that the city 
mouse will appreciate 
1. A dozen little white-frosted cakes 
in a white box tied with green ribbons; 
a tiny design of mistletoe done in pale 
green icing on each, and on the accom¬ 
panying Criristoiua card a hit of verse: 
A blossom, a bee, and a butternut tree - 
A country treat, with a kiss from me! 
Merry Vhris t mas! 
Of course, the cakes are something un¬ 
usual. Here they are: 
Nut Thimble Cakes.—Two eggs beaten 
light, one cup of brown sugar, one table¬ 
spoon of honey, one teaspoon of lemon 
juice, Va teaspoon of salt, > , teaspoon of 
soda, 1% cups of Hour, one cup of broken 
hickory or butternut meats. Combine in 
the order given and bake in very small 
patty pans. For the icing use either fon¬ 
dant or the following: White of one 
eggs, % of a cup of granulated sugar, 
three tablespoons of cold water. But in 
double boiler over hot water, and heat 
with an egg heater until it is thick and 
creamy. This makes a spongy icing with 
glossy surface. Ms a green vegetable 
paste to color the mistletoe leaves. 
Part of these cakes may be dropped 
on a baking sheet and baked as wafers. 
Put together in pairH, w’th nut-icing or 
crystallized honey. 
2. A tall, tapering glass with a coiled 
basket-work cover. This may he of corn- 
msks, beach grass or pine needles, 
either with or without a handle. Tied to 
it with green raffia is a birchbark card 
bearing the following greeting: 
Just a little jam pot 
That never saw the stores! 
I always think of you, dear, 
In the yreat out doors, 
When the glass is empty, it will be 
charming for flowers; at present it is 
filled with a rich red preserve called 
Currant Wonder.- One pound of red 
•urrants (stemmed). 1 lh. of sugar. lb. 
if chopped raisins, juice and grated rind 
of a small orange. Boil until it "sheets” 
from a spoon-^-about 25 minutes. The 
orthodox paraffin on this glass is replaced 
by a layer of white fondant, candy. 
No. is a small, straight jar with 
screw lop. such as hard candies are sold 
in. Gummed to the glass on one side is 
a little paper lady in hoopskirts. while 
the opposite side carries a message, as 
follows: 
Emets are these of Grandma’s day; 
Grandpa loved them, so they say; 
Timex hare scarcely changed, I vow; 
Teaches then are pearlies now. 
The jar iR filled with fawn-colored rolls 
of that delectable dainty, peach leather, 
made after this formula : 
Scald, skin and stone ripe peaches, 
and cook gently for 10 minutes, adding 
no water. Pass through a vegetable 
press, weigh, and add Vu lb. of sugar t<> 
each pound of fruit. Cook slowly over 
an asbestos mat until very thick, tlnn 
spread in a thin layer on oiled platters 
and set in the warming oven t<» dry. When 
the produet is "leathery." dust it with 
powdered sugar, roll it up and cut in 
finger-size rolls. Plums and quinces may 
he used also, proportioning the sugar to 
the acidity of the fruit. 
The next is for your old playmate’s 
birthday a round, covered basket, with 
a card cut in the shape of a maple leaf, 
and on the card this verse: 
Yes, birthdays and parties are grand, it 
is true, 
Hut I’d like lo be little again, wouldn’t 
you f 
With a cubby house under the old maple 
tree. 
And a UIG cake of sugar for company 
tea. 
Inside is what appears to he a minia¬ 
ture birthday loaf, wrapped in white or 
silver paper, and sporting one tiny can* 
(Continued on Page 1292) 
