1003 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
57i 
iK^en known to shake and come to life 
luifler the influence of green tree<3, bees, 
butterflies and lily pads. A few good 
books of reference are of advantage. 
We should bear in mind in using them 
that our object is not science teaching. 
The best authorities emphasize this 
statement. Prof. Bailey says: “The ob¬ 
ject is to broaden the child’s horizon, 
not primarily to teach him to widen the 
boundaries of human knowledge.” 
Perhaps our cares are heavy already. 
The children will do most of the work 
with a little oversight. Soon you will 
find that they, and not you, are in the 
lead. Once arouse their interest, and 
they will come rushing in half a dozen 
times a day with wonderful discoveries. 
Their eyes are much quicker than 
the grown-up to spy out strange traits 
in plant and bird. Now and then we 
may eat bread and milk for supper on 
Saturday night and spend the afternoon 
afield. The jumping from crows to but¬ 
tercups, then to ants and minnows, in 
the course of a two hours’ walk, may 
seem haphazard in effect, but this 
should give us little concern. Much will 
go over the youthful heads, but much 
will sink into their hearts. 
The leaflets published by the State 
Bureau of Nature Study at Cornell Uni¬ 
versity are helpful. The authorities are 
generous in their distribution. I be¬ 
lieve that anyone interested in the work, 
within the limits of the State, may ob- 
lain them upon application. If we 
choose our own subjects, they should 
be taken from those familiar to the 
iearner. In Summer, we naturally study 
bird and insect life and the growth of 
plants; in Winter, the buds, bark and 
habit of growth of deciduous trees, the 
preparations of plants and animals for 
the cold weather, the effect of frost and 
freezing upon plants, and like subjects, 
liow interested the children become in 
feeding the birds! Even the wee tots 
scon learn to know each visitor, and 
hail his coming with delight. 
Perhaps some one will object: “Why 
all this fuss about a few bugs and cater¬ 
pillars? I want my boy and girl taught 
something useful.” There is a use if 
we look below the surface. Nature 
study teaches the child to observe and 
think for himself. The boy who ex¬ 
periments with two rows of corn, plant¬ 
ing one in rich, and the other in poor 
soil, and watching their growth, has 
learned a practical lesson about soil fer¬ 
tility. He studies bugs and caterpillars; 
by and by his mind, disciplined and 
alert, will be ready to attack larger 
problems. Farming by routine is a 
thing of the past. It must be intensive 
and specialized. He whose training best 
helps him to make two blades of grass 
grow where only one grew before, will 
be the successful farmer of the future. 
If we interest our young folks in their 
surroundings, and help them to realize 
that the country life is the best life for 
them, because they can make it the 
fullest and richest, they will be less 
anxious to leave the farm for the stores 
and offices of the city. 
M. E. COLBGROVE. 
Pot-Roast.— Referring to the article 
about meat on page 522, I may say to 
those who have more uses for the oven 
in a given time than it is equal to, that 
a roast of beef of choice quality can be 
well cooked in a kettle, though it is 
more care to do it perfectly than it is 
to use the oven. Either put the fat side 
down first or else put a bit of suet in 
the kettle first, and let it try out a little 
l)efore putting in the roast. Turn the 
meat often until every side is seared, 
then add just enough boiling water to 
keep it from sticking, and keep turning, 
avoiding piercing the meat with a fork 
as much as possible. Forty minutes be¬ 
fore it is done add salt and pepper and 
a trifle more water may then be kept 
about it. ]<;_ 
MOTHERS.—Be sure to use“Mrs.Wins- 
low’s Soothing Syrup” for your children 
While Teething. It is the Best.—Ady. 
The Rural Patterus. 
The house gown shown is brought in 
line with newer modes by the stole 
bertha and Hungarian sleeves. The 
gown consists of the lining, the fronts, 
back, under-arm gores, yoke, bertha and 
sleeves. The lining is fitted, but the 
gown is gathered to the yoke and falls 
in long unbroken lines to the floor. The 
bertha is shaped to form extensions over 
the shoulders and to give the fashion¬ 
able stole effect at the front. The 
sleeves are made to fit snugly at their 
upper portions, but form full puffs at 
the wrists. The quantity of material 
required for the medium size is 11 yards 
27 inches wide, 9% yards 32 inches wide 
o." 5% yards 44 inches wide, with % 
yard for yoke and bertha. The pattern 
No. 4478 is cut in sizes for a 32, 34, 36, 
38, 40 and 42-inch bust measure; price 
10 cents from this office. 
The misses’ skirt shown is cut in 
seven gores that are shaped to fit with 
perfect smoothness about the hips but 
flare freely below the knees. At the 
back are inverted pleats which can be 
stitched as shown in the back view, or 
simply pressed flat as may be preferred. 
The upper edge can be finished with a 
belt or cut in dip outline and under¬ 
faced or bound. The quantity of ma- 
44G9 Misses’ Seven Gored Skirt, 
12 to 16 yrs. 
terial required for the medium size is 
five yards 27 inches wide, 2% yards 44 
inches wide, or 2V^ yards 52 inches wide 
when material has figure or nap, four 
yards 27 inches wide, two yards 44 
inches wide or 52 inches wide when ma¬ 
terial has neither figure nor nap. The 
skirt pattern No. 4469 is cut in sizes for 
girls of 12, 14 and 16 years of age; price 
10 cents from this office. 
The avalanche that has slidden a mile 
does not stop for trifles. And the soul 
of any man who has gathered momen¬ 
tum by years of consistent living shall 
not stop at a trifle like dying.—Thomas 
K. Beecher. 
Homemade Straw Hats. 
An old farmer of the Middle West, 
just turned 88, was leaning meditatively 
over his little red gate, says the Youth’s 
Companion, when a barefooted boy, in 
blue jeans clothes and a big rough 
straw hat, ran whooping down the lane 
toward the creek. “When I was a boy, 
over 75 years ago,” the old farmer said, 
“we had to make our own straw hats. 
Little boys had to do a lot of work in 
those days. When I was 10 years old 1 
could put a splint-bottom in a chair 
just as well as my grandmother could 
do it. 
“To make our hats,” he continued, 
“we first had to plait the straw. It was 
oat-straw, and we sat out on the porch 
of our log cabin, by a pail of water, so 
we could wet the straw and keep it 
damp; otherwise it would break. I was 
left-handed—‘south-paw’ they used to 
call me,—but I could plait as fast as any 
of the other boys. 
“After we had plaited or braided 
about 30 yards, we tied it up with a 
string, as you would tie up hoop-iron. 
Then, some rainy day, when we couldn’t 
work out of doors, my mother or grand¬ 
mother would sit by and watch us make 
the hats. Every boy had a big needle 
and a coarse homemade linen thread. 
Sometimes, but not always, we could 
borrow our mother’s big, open-ended 
iron thimble. 
“We began by making a little circle 
of the straw plait, sewing it through on 
the wrong side with long stitches. Then 
we kept on, going round and round, 
shaping it as best we could, like a deep 
cup or basket, to make the crown of the 
hat. 
“When the crown was made, then we 
had plain sailing, and our mother didn’t 
have to watch us. Every boy’s hat was 
then left to his own devices. He just 
sewed the braid together, slightly over¬ 
lapping, round and round, until his hat 
was as big as he wanted it. Then we 
called mother or grandmother to show 
us how to finish it off and tuck in the 
end of the plait neatly. 
“No two hats, of course, were just 
alike. Some of them had quite a com¬ 
ical expression—crooked crowns, or 
brims out of proportion. Nevertheless, 
each boy was a happy boy when he had 
finished a new straw hat for himself. 
If the crown was higher than usual oth¬ 
er boys would ridicule him, and say, 
‘Look at the bee-gum! look at the bee- 
gum!’ A bee-gum, perhaps you don’t 
know, was an old-fashioned hive for 
bees, sometimes made out of twisted 
straw, sometimes made of wood. 
“To make our straw hats extra nice, 
sometimes we would wet the crown, af¬ 
ter the hat was made, and mold it over 
a round block or log of wood.” 
When you write advertisers ineution The 
R. N.-y. and you will get a quick reply and 
“a square deal.” See our guarantee 8th page. 
Proper Cau> 
5 % 
tion is Com. 
patible with 
Earnings of 
T his company is well established and well 
known. Its patrons are conservative,cautious 
men. They know the Company’s record of 10 
years’ growth,Its present 8trength,indlcated by 
Capital and Surplus of, SI,100,000 
Assets.600,000 
They know that, operating under State Bank¬ 
ing Dept, supervision, we pay promptly (quar¬ 
terly, by check) 6 per cent, on all sums, for 
every day we have the money; and It is with¬ 
drawable at pleasure. Let us give you full 
particulars. Write its. 
INDUSTRIAL SAVINGS & LOAN CO., 
1134 Broadway. New York. 
Clothes Repaired 
WITHOUT NEEDLE OR THREAD BY 
“Yankee” Mending Tissue 
Needed In every house; easy to use; satisfactory re¬ 
sults. Sample package, 15 cents Agents wanted. 
CONNECTICUT RUBBER CO., Hartford, Conn. 
$100. to $300. MONTHLY. 
Men and women. Salesmen, Managers and General 
Agents. Delightful busineas year round. Hustlers 
getting rich. Write today for brand*iiew 
plan and Special Offer this month. 
100 per cent profits* Mo risk* Goods 
well advertised. National reputation. Fully 
guaranteed. Customers delighted. We're mu 
old firm, capital HOOrOOO.OO, Cataloi^ue 
FRKK* Any energetic man or woman can 
get good position,pay tnff bl^ waives* 
WORLD MFG. CO., 
81 World Rld|r*, Cincinnati, Oblo. 
“ A Sublime Spectacle.” 
NIAGARA 
FALLS 
One of the natural wonders of 
the world. A charming place at 
any season of the year, reached 
from every direction by the 
NEW YORK CENTRAL LINES 
A visit to the Falls is an object 
lesson in geography; an exhibition 
of landscapes that no painter can 
equal, and a glimpse of the latest 
developments of the industrial 
world. 
A copy of “ America’s Summer Resorts ” 
will be sent free, postpaid, on receipt of a 
postage stamp, by George H. Daniels, Gen¬ 
eral Passenger Agent, New York Central & 
Hudson River Railroad, Grand Central Sta¬ 
tion, New York. 
DON’T PAY 
FANCY PRICES FOR 
SEWING MACHINES 
We have made a contract with a large manufacturer hy which we can supply 
subscribers with machines at prices ranging from one-half to one-third of those 
asked by the retail trade. These machines are up-to-date in every respect. There 
is no handsomer or more servicable machine made. The “Drop Head” is the latest 
thing in the line of sewing machine work. It is extremely popular. When the 
machine is in use the head is in the same position as on ordinary machines, and the 
leaf shown on top is turned hack to the 
left forming an extension table. When 
through using, it requires but one motion 
of the hand to drop the head down com¬ 
pletely out of sight. It is then protected 
from the dust and the machine makes a 
handsome table with polished top. It has 
all the attachments: ruffler, tucker, hinder, 
braider, foot-shirring side plate, four 
hemmers of assorted widths, quilters, 
thread cutter, hemmer and feller. It is also 
accompanied with all the accessories needed 
to operate the machine, and an elaborately 
illustrated guide book. We can ship you, 
freight prepaid, any place in the United States east of the Rockies, No. 1 for $19.50; 
No. 2 for $20, and No. 3 for $21. These machines areal! alike except the woodwork. 
No. 2 is an exceptionally handsome design, and we feel will do credit to the The 
Rural New-Yorker in any home where it is used. These machines have a written 
guarantee for five years, and if not entirely satisfactory money will be refunded. 
The freight we pay in advance. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 409 Pearl Street, New York. 
Best of all BLOOD PURIFIERS is 
JAYNE’S ALTERATIVE. It cumes Scrofulsu 
