1908 
325 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
Hope Farm Notes 
Farm Note.s.—I spoke of our early plow¬ 
ing, but find that I spoke too soon. True, 
Charlie did plow part of the garden late in 
March, but then came the cold wet weather 
jK) that for nearly three weeks not a fur¬ 
row could be turned. What is the use of 
turning up lumps and clods? You gain 
little by doing it. We waited until the 
ground was fit. In spite of the great prom¬ 
ise of March our planting season is. if any¬ 
thing, behind the average.The 
onions in the hotbed have grown well and 
we have thousands of stocky plants. Philip 
cut off the tops April 11, as they were likely 
to spindle up too high. 'I'his trimming wiil 
make them stocky and strong. We now 
expect to transplant about the first of May. 
The soil will be plowed and well raked. 
'I'hen the manure which has been stewing 
ill the compost heap all Winter will be 
siu-cad and with it 400 pounds of iron slag. 
Then will come another plowing and har¬ 
rowing, enough to make the Acme harrow 
ache. I also hope to pack the soil with a 
heavy plank drag. I want to put more 
actual work into the preparation of this 
onion patch than we have ever before put 
into live times its area when planted to 
corn or potatoes. That is part of my farm 
plan—the most intensive culture for the 
few strong acres at the lower part of the 
farm and the Stringfellow method with 
fruit trees on the hills.If you 
were to see a part of our Marshall straw¬ 
berry patch this Spring you w'ould not call 
(iiir intensive culture very intense. The 
grass has come into it like a perfect mea¬ 
dow. It looks as though this grass would 
put the strawberries under tlie sod, but we 
will not give up without a struggle. We 
made the mistake of planting this part of 
the field before tlie grass was fully killed 
out, and now it has nine lives for every 
one we tried to kill. 1 s])eak of our farm 
plans but I know very well that a man 
may make plans all day and yet, while he 
is asleep at night, the grass and weeds will 
grow up and send them to seed. 
Tlie freeze did not do as much damage as 
1 expected. Some of the tender varieties 
of poaches were killed, but from present 
appearances we shall liav<; a fair crop. The 
Japan plums suffered most, but even 
Abundance refuses to give up entirely. 
This cold snap makes clearer than ev’er to 
me tlie advantage of tlie steep hills for 
peach culture. There can be no doubt that 
during tliis still cold there was a difference 
in temperature of at least six degrees as 
between the hilltops and the valley. I 
never spent so much time before in oosorv- 
ing the difference in the bloom of different 
varieties of peaches. Some of them are 
certainly provided with Winter overcoats, 
while otliers shiver in a thin dress. 
Easter Sunday was a glorious day with us. 
The air was mild and balmy with just 
enough liaze in it to soften the outlines of 
the distant hills. The green of the grass 
was creeping up from the low places to 
mingle with the rye. The maples wez-e red; 
there was a shimmering of green on the 
apple orchards, and the first pink blush on 
the peaches. It did my heart good to stand 
on the hill in my young orchard and think 
over the full signiliczince of the day and 
what it has meant to man and to country. 
Surely a fruit grower can have no better 
surroundings than his hopeful and vigorous 
young trees while ho is trying to under¬ 
stand why the things wliich are most 
worthy must come tlirough loss or death of 
the things we imagine we prize. 1 feel 
sorry for the poor fellows who cannot seem 
to touch the life and spirit of their trees. 
Think of regarding these good friends as 
80 many shapeless sticks of senseless wood! 
The Hope Farm House.— At Fig. 116 is a 
picture of our farmhouse, looking from the 
lawn to the north. The two big cherry 
trees must be more than 100 years old. You 
may be sure that we would never build 
such a house as this. It was made to fit 
the days before the Revolution—at least the 
old stone part was. Various people seem 
to have tried their hand at making it over. 
If we ever touch it we shall raise the flat 
roof at the back. The house is jammed up 
close to the road. The big grapevine gives 
U3 an outside room which the women folks 
greatly enjoy. This is where Grandmother 
used to sit with the little girls. At least 
four and probably five generations have 
been born and raised in the old stone part. 
It was here when Washington’s army 
camped at Paramus, only tw'o miles away. 
Do we claim that Washington has slept in 
our front room? We merely say that no 
one is now alive who can deny it! While I 
should never build such a looking house I 
should be sorry to have the old stone part 
changed. I have no doubt that all the 
strings of life from high tragedy to low 
comedy have been struck by hands now 
dead—within its walls. Ghosts never come 
back to haunt us—only pleasant memories 
come when night closes in. 
A Horse Trade.— Our barn family has 
been broken up at last, for Dan has been 
sold. I paid $150 for Dan four years ago. 
He never was large enough to hold his own 
with big Frank but he did his best. He 
fell a victim to “moon blindness” and lost 
the sight of one eye. He was also troubled 
with rheumatism and I considered that his 
value had been cut in half for our work. 
I told the boys to sell him if they could 
find some one who would give him a good 
home and who understood all his fallings 
before buying. They took me right at my 
word. Just as Spring work was opening a 
customer appeared in a great hurry and 
paid $100 for Dan—blind eye and all. It 
was a good sale and the horse will have a 
good home, but it left us in a corner with 
some heavy work on hand. Old Major Is 
willing, but it takes more than willingness 
to crawl up our steep hills with a heavy 
load. There was nothing to do but call 
Nellie Illy into the traces and to her credit 
be it said that she came without a trace of 
fault finding. Charlie forced old Frank to 
play the gentleman by giving him the short 
end of the evoner so that he pulled 60 per 
cent of the load, but Nellie did bravely. I 
never realized before how nerve and spirit 
can really take the place of beef. I do not 
like to use the mare at this heavy work, 
and now I expect to get a heavy horse to 
work through the Summer. In the Fall I 
can sell him and then attempt to get a full 
mate for Frank. I think we can* match 
him for the least money in December or 
January. _________ 
Where to Put the Load.—I agree with 
K. K. Stoddard, page 211, that the load 
will draw easier on the hind wheels. The 
higher the wheels the more leverage we 
get, or in other words, the leverage is 
from the center of the wheel to the ground 
or obstruction. That is why we are en¬ 
abled to draw more on wheels than we can 
carry. c. s. 
Elmira, N. Y. 
Engi.ish Butter Laws. —The Mark Lane 
Express reviews the various measures 
adopted or brought before the English Par¬ 
liament to do away with fraudulent prac¬ 
tices in the butter business. The latest 
measure under consideration is sweeping. 
One of the most difficult matters which the 
English Board of Agriculture hjis to deal 
with is the so-called “blended” butter, 
made by working in large quantities of 
moisture, which of course the consumer 
pays for at butter rates. The new bill makes 
it unlawful to make, sell or import any 
butter or butter mixture containing more 
than 20 per cent of moisture, under pen¬ 
alties of $100 for first offense; $250 for sec¬ 
ond; $500 for third. Anything but pure but¬ 
ter must be marked plainly on every pack¬ 
age, in letters at least half an inch long 
the words “margarine” or “adulterated 
butter,” as the case may be. None of the 
marks previously used, such as “milk- 
blended butter,” will be allowed. This is 
a hard blow, as it is not likely that many 
buyers will care to use a product plainly 
marked “adulterated.” 
THE FARMHOUSE AT HOPE FARM. Fio. 116. 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you will get a quick reply and 
“a square deal.” See guarantee, 14tn page. 
Two Million Tons of 
BASIC SLAG FERTILIZER 
Sold in 1902. 
Send all Orders to 
400 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Fa. 
A Golden Rule 
of Agriculture: 
Be good to your land and your crop 
will be good. Plenty of 
Potash 
in the fertilizer spells quality 
and quantity in the har- v 
vest. Write us and ^ 
we will send you, 
free, by next mail, 
our money winning 
books. 
GERMAN KALI WORKS, 
93 Nassau Street, 
New York. 
Hubbard’s Fertilizers do not rest until the work is done; when the ground 
freezes, they rest, hut only then. In connection with this statement, kindly read 
the following from the Past Master of the Massachusetts State Grange: 
The Rogers & Hubbard Co., Middletown Conn. Marboro, Mass., Oct. 6,1902. 
Gentlemen—1 used about nine tons of Hubbard’ Fertilizer this season and am satisfied that It paid. This 
was particularly true of the Hubbard’s Oats and Top Dressing. Its use enabled us to out the first crop before 
July 1st, after which date there came on a long spell of wet weather, and while most farmers wore com¬ 
plaining because their hay was spoiling or getting over-ripe, we wore growing a fine rowen crop which cut 
over a ton per acre by the middle of August, and at this writing there Is a third crop almost heavy enough 
to cut. Tours truly, K. D. HOWE, Past Master, Massachusetts State Grange. 
The letter speaks for itself—comment seems unnecessary. We hope you will 
decide to use the Hubbard Fertilizers. Our book, “ Hubbard’s Fertilizers for 1903,” 
giving full description of our different brands, sent free to any address. Apply 
to our “ Local Agents” or direct to 
THE ROGERS & HUBBARD CO., 
or 
MIDDLETOWM, CONN. 
IT’S IN THE WHEELS 
that our 
Farmers’ Handy Wa^on 
Kct.s its advantage over any otUcr farm wagon. The 
metal wheels have the spoke.s forged in—not cast In— 
so tliey never come loose, lioware of cast in siiokes. Our 
wooden wheelshaveconvex facesand tiresare slirunk on. 
\\ arranted for ,5 years. Ourwaeonscan lie used for any 
f.’iini work — turns shorter 
thiin nny other. Big, aide, 
low loads. I.ight draught, 
strong, durable, bandy jinu 
cheiq.. Dealers sell them. 
Send for lllnstrated Look 
containing full description 
It is free. Write at onee. 
FARMERS’ HANOT WAGON CO. 
Saginaw, Michigan 
f 
The Mietz & Weiss 
Korottse G&glaet. Sizes, 1 to 60 E P. 
Cb«ftp«et AHd BikfesI Power Kdowb 
for pumping and el«ctrlo Ugbtlng, 
gtiuding corn, leparailng orcaa, 
•awiog wood and all power 
purpoiee. Hlgheat Award for 
Direct Coupled Eoglne and Uener- 
ator, Parle Ezpoiltion. 19(H); awarded 
Gold Medal Fan^Am. Expoeltlon, 
Buffalo,19ul;Quid Medal, Charlea- 
ton, 8. C., Expoeltlen; 19^. Send 
for oatalegtte. 
A. MllTZ, 128 Morr 8v„ Miw Tons 
ARROW BRAND 
Ready Kuoilng 
can be laid on 
top of old 
shingles with¬ 
out tearing off 
the old roof. 
ASPHALT READY ROOFING CO, 8.n<i lor 
8 !J I’lne St., Now York. samples. 
