1904 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
887 
Hope Farm Notes 
End of the Year.— This will be the last 
Issue of The R. N.-Y. for lt)03. It's won- 
lerful how fast the years go when one is 
busy. The faster they go the lighter they 
are. The Hope Farm man does not say 
“Good-bye” to any of you. Next year will 
find you all with us, and we shall go over 
many a familiar topic together. I wish it 
were possible for me to print some of the 
personal letters I receive from readers. I 
could not do it without breaking confi¬ 
dence, but it would surely shame some of 
the weak-fibered and discouraged people 
who sit down and grieve if they could 
know' what some brave people are doing. 
One old man of S3 is planting a young or¬ 
chard as hopefully as a boy. A woman of 
75, left alone with nothing but a poor farm, 
is to try draining a swamp to make her 
best soil available. Women left face to 
face with troubles are trimming the lamps 
of courage to throw a light out ahead. 
Men past their best years are rallying in 
the face of defeat, and making a good 
stand on the farm. Younger men and wo¬ 
men are giving up cherished ambitions in 
order to save the home for the old folks! 
I get many of these pathetic stories—told 
bravely and simply. At night, when the 
slorm is shaking the windows and doors, 
and I can just see the lights from neigh¬ 
bors’ houses I think of these things, and 
am glad that I know and understand. 
There are some good folks who miss the 
true significance of Christmas—the some¬ 
thing that gets in the air so that the very 
act of breathing seems to lighten and 
hearten the weary and sad. Taxes and bills 
come at Christmas time, drive us up a tree 
and make us empty the stocking we h.ave 
worked so hard to line. I am alw'ays glad 
to know that the children have more faith 
in the tree and the stocking than I have, 
because they think Father and Mother will 
provide. We would be pretty folks to fear 
that just because we are gi'own-up chil¬ 
dren with a greater need of care and guid¬ 
ance there is no one to provide for us! The 
Hope Farm man wishes everyone the 
merriest sort of a Christmas. May those 
to whom salt pork and cabbage is a lux¬ 
ury have a happier time over it than those 
who look with indifference at Canvasback 
duck. If you empty your stocking to pay 
just debts and provide for ethers may 
Santa Claus stuff it to the full with coui- 
age and contentment, so that every day 
of 1904 may be a second edition of Christ¬ 
mas. 
Rabbits and Peach Trees.— From north¬ 
ern Michigan comes the following; 
“I have just read in The R. N.-Y., jiage 
839, an account of damage to your peach 
trees. About 15 years ago I had a young 
orchard of peach and plum -trees near the 
house. I noticed one day in the Fall, before 
snow came, that some one had cut a large 
number of the pew branches off, .some of 
tiiem two feet or more from the ground. 
The work appeared to have been done with 
a dull knife. I knew a small boy who had 
just such a knife, and I got the sprouts 
ready to whip him, but on his earnest de¬ 
nial of the deed and a closer examination 
of the trees I discovered that it was all 
the work of rabbits. They had reached up 
feet into some of the trees and cut off 
the new growth. Examine your trees 
again. I am almost positive it is the work 
of rabbits.” 
It Is possible that Bunny did the trim¬ 
ming, but it looks just like the work of a 
knife. I thought of rabbits when I first 
saw the danger, but it hardly seemed that 
they could reach up .so high. I reflect, 
however, that all animals, men included, 
have a tremendous reach for mischief. 
Since studying the thing closer I am more 
Inclined to acquit my human neighbors. I 
am glad that boy didn’t get the whipping. 
1 have h.ad experience with a combination 
of boy and knife or hatchet, but I should 
want to catch him “with the goods on” be¬ 
fore trying to switch him away from bad 
habits. It seems strange to me that a rab¬ 
bit's ideas of trimming should be exactly 
like those of men who claim to know all 
about a. peach tree! 
Speaking of tho proper punishment for 
men or rabbits who would mutil.ate a tree 
here is a note from an Illinois friend. The 
Hope Farm man is a peaceable citizen, but 
if I caught the rogue at it—one of us would 
get his clothes dusted at least: 
“I can understand your feelings in the 
matter of the mutilation of the peach trees 
you were experimenting with. I am and 
have been also the victim of like depreda¬ 
tions, and you may hear of me yet in the 
penitentiary, for I keep the repeating Win¬ 
chester shotgun loaded—first charge No. 12 
shot, the next two No. 5, and l.a.st three still 
larger shot, and if my first is answered 
w'ith a revolver I shall use the larger shot 
if 1 come across the fellows who steal my 
rare varieties of apples, inill eff labels and 
spring and break my rabbit traps. The 
fruit grower is considered fair game for 
all the good-for-nothing runabouts of the 
country, and the law gives but vory in¬ 
adequate punishment. We should have 
drastic laws on the subject.” 
A New Apple.— I make room for this let¬ 
ter because Mr. Dugger really has a fine 
"I rnail you a new seedling apple which 
completely flays all Late Fall and early 
Winter apples now extant. One of your 
correspondents says that we alieady have 
too many varieties listed. I agree with 
him but ‘there is room at the top.’ In 
quality this apple is equal if not superior 
to Virginia Beauty or Jonathan. It has a 
very small core, it is fine grained, subacid, 
juicy and perfectly melting. The color is 
red with darker red stripes, covering it 
with a beautiful interlacing of the two 
shades, 'i’he eight-year-old tree is low, 
spreading, strong, healthy and unexcelled 
in vigoi-ous growth. Throughout the last 
four years it has not failed a full crop of 
large, smooth, delicious fruit. 'Phis apple, 
where it may do well, is obliged to lay 
completely in the shade all apples of its 
season now in nurseries; and as I have 
nothing named for me, except a few 
babies I propose to call it the Dugger, and 
trade-mark the name. The sample sent is 
medium size. The best specimens weigh 
about one pound.” s. M. ducger. 
Watauga Co., N. C. 
There can be no question about the qual¬ 
ity of this apple. It is no soft ride from 
North Carolina to New Jersey, yet the ap¬ 
ple came in good condition. What it will 
do when taken away from home will de¬ 
termine the future of Dugger. Some ap¬ 
ples and some men will put up a good face 
at home, but barely scrape into “aver.age” 
when taken out into new conditions. Our 
friend says he has nothing named for him 
“except a few babies.” What more does a 
man want I should like to know for a 
name-bearer than .a good child? I wish I 
could give Mr. Dugger some encourage¬ 
ment for his “trade-mark” scheme, but he 
will find there is little in it. You might 
trade-mark a new brand of cigars but not 
a fine new apple like this. The man with 
the new fruit must take for his pay a small 
amount of cash and a large amount of de¬ 
sire to benefit humanity—and the nursery¬ 
men! 
Killing a Horse.— This information 
comes from a New York man: 
“To kill any farm animal quickly and 
humanely without any appearance of mur¬ 
der by shooting or otherwise, just give the 
animal a small lump of cyanide of potas¬ 
sium. A piece half the size of a hickory- 
nut is plenty for a horse, smaller lump for 
a dog. Take a pair of house tongs or long- 
handled pincers and put the lump of medi¬ 
cine in back of mouth so the patient has 
to swallow it. ’The end will be a few min¬ 
utes afterwards. This is experience, not 
theory.” 
I tried this once, but couldn’t make it 
work. I tried to give the poison in bran. 
I also tried to chloroform an old mare. 
She came out of her sleep and looked at 
me in a way that haunts me yet. I con¬ 
sider shooting, if properly done, th'^ most 
humane way of ending our old friends, 
though there Isn’t a man on the farm who 
would shoot old Major. I should be a lit¬ 
tle suspicious of one who had lived for 
years with the old horse and was now 
ready to shoot his old friend. 
Charity For All.— The Hope Farm man 
w’as brought up on the theory that all 
things are created for good, and that all 
things, even insects, are capable of doing 
some useful service. That is a pleasant 
theory and. on the whole, more satisfactory 
than to believe that the iower forms of life 
are put on the earth to curse us and stir 
us up! 
“But w'hat good do mosquitoes do?” 
Needless to say it was a Jerseyman 
who asked that question. When 1 was a 
boy the answer was that mosquitoes "eat 
bad air,” but I reafize that science has 
traveled a long distance since then. Prof. 
J. B. Smith tells me that the grown-up 
mosquito is of no use. Put he says: 
“The larva, however, has a distinct func¬ 
tion, that is on the whole beneficial. It 
feeds very largely on those micro-organ¬ 
isms that render water putrid and unfit for 
human consumption. In localities where 
cisterns or rain-water barrels are depend¬ 
ed upon, the mosquito larvae have a verv 
decided importance in keeping the water 
clean. I think they will tell you at New 
Orleans that their stored water is no good 
until it is filled with wrigglers. Where 
you have got to have stagnant water the 
mosquito larva is an important factor; but 
my claim is that in New Jersey at least 
there is no need for having stagnant water. 
When you dispose of the reason for mos¬ 
quitoes there will be no more mosquitoes. 
The whole thing is just as simple as a, b, 
c, when once you know it.” 
So the mosquito is not unlike some men. 
In his younger days he tries to benefit 
mankind, but as he grows older he devotes 
himself to the job of filling himself at the 
expense of others! All the ^more reason 
why we should fight the old fellows! We 
have few mosquitoes at Hope Farm, as 
there is little if any stagnant water near. 
I think those we get are blown from other 
places. Learning a b c was once the most 
serious job of my life. We may know how 
to banish the Jersey humming bird, but 
can we do it? At any rate, he lets us al ne 
at Christmas. h. w. c. 
SCOTT’S EMULSION 
is foe. babies, and children 
who are thin and pale when 
they ought to be fat and 
ruddy; for men and women 
who are weak and delicate 
when they ought to be strong 
and hearty—for all who are 
not getting proper nourish¬ 
ment from their food. 
Poor blood, thin body, open 
the door for disease. Scott’s 
Emulsion bars the way. 
Makes the blood richer, pro¬ 
duces healthy flesh and above 
all provides nourishment. 
We’ll send you a sample free upon request. 
SCOTT & I50WNE, 409 Pearl Street, New York, 
iPAVIN 
TRAOC MARK. 
When you see the above trade mark on a label you are sure that you are eettintr the eenuine 
KENDALL'S SPAVIN CURE. 
That means that you are ^ettinff the only absolutely time tested and reliable remedy for Spavin* Ring Bone. Curb, 
Splint nnd all forms of lameness in horses. A single bottle may save your horse. It has worked that way In 
tnousands of cases. Note this man’s experience: 
Wausau. Neb.. March 13.1902. P. O. Box Si7. 
Dr. B. J. Kendall Co., Enosburg Falls, Vt. , . 
Gentlemen:—You may remember I sentforyourbook,‘‘A Treatise on the Horse and His Dis¬ 
eases,*’ about a year ago. At that time I was using your Kendall's Spavin Cure on a Bone Spavin of 
about eighteen montlis standing. I used two and one*half bottles ond now there is ne spavini ^ 
not even a bunch. You may use my name among your testimonials if you wish. 
Yours truly. D. E. SEGKR. 
Forsaleby all druggists. Price, six for $5. As a liniment for family 
use it has no equal. Ask your druggist for Kendall’s 
Spavin Cure, also **A Treatise on 
the H orse, ’* the book free for the ask- _ 
iag* or address 
Or. B.'J. Kendall 
Company. 
I Enosburg Falls, Vermont. 
animal meal 
mmis HENS LAt; 
animal Meal- 
^AKES HENS LAX^ 
animal meal 
WKES HENS 
Eggs in the egg-basket, 
and plenty of them, come 
with the ludicious use of 
Bowker’s Animal Meal. 
Not a drug, but a pure, 
sweet meat and bone 
food, thoroughly cooked 
and easily digested. 
Our book, “ THE EGG,” is worth 
sending for. We mail it free. 
BOWKER GO., Boston and New York. 
EXCEL GRINDING MILLS. 
The Mill that excela them all. Best 
for the farmer. Grinda 6 to 2r» btiKheU 
per hour of ear corn or grain of any 
kind, lM>ne,8helL etc., with from 1 to 8 
horse-power. Makes bent feeti and Rood 
meal. Purnlshed with or without 
crusher. We have larger mills for 
every p^^po^e. Write for Catalot^ue K. 
We pay the freight. 
Excel Manufacturing Co., 
116 Liberty Street, New York 
MEAL OR FEED 
Fine meal for family use. Kar com crusher and grioder, com oraoker, 
idl round feed maker for every farm need. 
Monarch Mills 
attrition or genuine Imported Preooh burr ttylec. 
Thousands in use. Meet every house or bam purpose. 
Sold on 15 days free trial. 
Get Monarch catalog before buylog. 
Sprout Wxldron Si. Co 
Box 214, Muncy, Pa. 
FEED SAVED 
by its grinding (some say lt*s a 
half) will shortly buy you 
THE BEST AND FASTEST 
mill made for crushing ear corn 
and mixing and grinding all kinds 
of grai n i n righ t proportions. 
Ball bearings make the 
QUAKER CITY 
^ GRINDING MILL 
the easicstrunning millia the world. Its double hopper 
gives you an even mixture of chop, ground coarse or fine, 
j ust as wanted. It dues these things to your satisfaction 
under our guarantee, AND YOU HAVE TIME TO 
PROVE IT. IF IT FAILS, RETURN AT OUR EX¬ 
PENSE, Amillthat’s made to serve and last. Don’t 
buy till you send for our free 37th Annual Catalog. We sell 
gas and gasoline engines carrying a five year guarantee. 
8737ynhertSt.,PhlUdelphlA, Pa. 
Caua! ic RandolphSU., (Ihieago,111. 
Tnefl.W Snout) Go. i 
WELL 
- DRILLING 
MACHINES 
SAWS 
- -aKi 
horse powers, silos, cutters, engines. 
HarderMfgCo.,Coble,klll,N. Y. 
A HOT PROPOSITION! 
To introduce our Ball-Bearing Steal Forgee, 
Malleable Iron Vlaes and Blackamlth Toola 
for farmers’ use we will make special prices. 
Ship on approval. Prepay the freight. Write 
today for special offer. We’ll save you 
money. Diplomas from Iowa, Nebraska and i 
Kansas State Fairs. * 
C.R. Harper Mfg.Co., Box 123. Marshalltown, Iowa. 
Over 70 sizes and styles, for drilling deep or 
shallow wells In any kind of soil or rock. Mount^ 
on wheels or on sills. 'With engines or horee Powers 
Strong, simple and durable. Any mechanic can 
operate them easily Sendfor catalog. 
WILLIAMS B BOSm Ithaca, N. X. 
No Cold Corners 
In Iowa Round Incubators 
No half warmed eggs. By 
“round" system every egg 
gets same heat—bigger per 
cent of eggs hatched. Spec¬ 
ial regulator overcomes at¬ 
mospheric changes. Free 
catalog tells the whole story. 
IOWA INCUBATOR COMPANY, BOX 227. DES MOINES. IOWA 
The Bantam 
bewta'emMlL Otieoustomerwrtteiheob. 
tftlned &l ohioks from 60 •gga- The 
B»uum hateboe every fertile eni every 
time. Catalogue proveelt—eeDtftee. 
Buckeye Incubator Co. 
Box, 88, 8prln|gfleld, O* 
D 
ANDY Bean Picker. 
Hand-picked beans bring double 
price. Make 52 to $3 a day 
picking them over at home in 
winter months with the Dandy 
Picker. A special tool for a 
special purpose—best of kind 
in the world. Description free. 
LUTHER BROS. CO., 
11) must. N. Bllwautee, WIs, 
TELEPHONES 
For Farmers’ Lines. 
Organize an exchange in your 
community. Full particulars fur¬ 
nished. Catalogue free. 
THE NORTH ELECTRIC CO., 
152 St, Clair Street, 
C N. 301. CLEVELAND, O. 
AGENTS WANTED 
‘‘MEND-A-RIP.” 
iDOES AI,L KINDS OP UQHT AND HEAVY 
8TITCUINO. DOES ALL KINDS OP 
LIGHT AND HEAVY RIVETING. 
A PERFECT HAND SEWING 
AND RIVETER 
—1 COMBINEO 
WILL SAVE THE PRICE 
OK ITSELF MANY TIMES A YEAR. 
To tbov it meant a Bala. Agenta make from 
13 to 116 a day. One agent made 120 the 
first day, and writes uato hurry more ma¬ 
chine* to him. Write for term* to avent*. 
d. C, Foote Foundry Co*, Frederlektowa, Ohio. 
12 
.80 For 
200 Egg 
.INCUBATOR 
Perfeoi in oonstmctioo and 
action. Hatches every fertile 
egg. Write for catalog to-day. 
CEO. H. STAHL, Quincy. III. 
The Cyphers 
is made to you personally and Is backed by every dollar wa 
have in the world. It says the 
Cyphers inoubator^ 
‘will ^ive you better satisfaction, hatching 
* * .. ' ' ■ oil 
more and healthier chicks, with less 
and attention than any other or your money 
back. Used by more successful poultrymen 
than all other makes oomblned. Catalogue ttf If 
you name this paper. Address nearest oflice- 
CYPHERS INCUBATOR CO. 
'Buffalo, Chicago, Now York, Boaion, 
A Free Book About 
Incubators 
"We issue the best book ever written on 
incubators—written by a man wlio has 
spent 2*2 years in perfecting them—by the 
man who made the Racine. It tells facts 
that you must know to get the right incu¬ 
bator. Don’t buy without reading it, for 
the book is free. Warehouses: Buffalo, 
N. Y., Kansas City, Mo. and St, Paul, Minn. 
Racine Hatcher Co., Box 87. Racine, Wis. 
