1900 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
755 
HOPE FARM NOTES. 
Tax Time. —The receipt of my tax 
bill just before election caused me to do 
some figuring. Here are the items of 
tax assessment for $100: 
County tax .35 
Bounty and interest.039 
County poor .019 
State school .28 
Borough purposes.27 
Deficiency and interest in tax cases... .026 
Special school .40 
Total .$1,384 
That looks like a big tax on farm 
property. Hope Farm is assessed at 
$1,000 more than I paid for it. The as¬ 
sessor said he aimed to put it at the 
true value. He said that I paid less than 
the farm was really worth, and that the 
windmill and water fixtures have in¬ 
creased the selling or real value. We 
have no State tax in New Jersey, but 
our local taxes generally bring the total 
up high enough. The total assessed 
valuation in our borough is $207,000 in 
real estate and $25,450 personal prop¬ 
erty, and we have 109 polls. Our old 
township has been cut up into a num¬ 
ber of small divisions. It will be seen 
that nearly half our tax is for school 
purposes. I don’t complain, although we 
get no direct benefit, since the Madame 
teaches our little ones at home. Our 
poor people don’t seem to be richly pro¬ 
vided for. It takes a great man to pay 
his taxes without a murmur, and say 
that he got more than his money’s worth 
out of it. 
Warm Places. —As I came home 
through the low places I noticed the 
damage done by frost. The groups of 
Gannas in particular show old Jack’s 
work quickly. The big, thick leaves are 
ci.i?p and dead in all the valley gardens, 
yet at Hope Farm the Cannas were in 
bloom up to November 1. On the top of 
our hill there were potato plants nearly 
a foot high, and untouched by the frost. 
These plants are a volunteer crop, which 
grew from a few tubers left in the 
ground at digging. The frost certainly 
keeps away from the hills. We can 
raise late sweet corn at the top of the 
ridge that ought to bring two cents an 
ear. Strange to say these ridges are 
also late for Spring planting. 
The Potato Crop. —The last digging 
was done on October 26. That is late 
digging for our country. The ground 
was wet and soggy, but the Hoover dig¬ 
ger shook it up in great shape. For 
last digging we had about 75 rows of 
Rural Blush. The bugs got at them 
early in the season and bit them down 
to bare stems. Later, the grass took 
possession of the rows. In an ordinary 
year I doubt whether I should have dug 
them, but this season every tuber 
counts. So we ran the Hoover through 
them. To my surprise one end of each 
row gave a fair crop of salable potatoes, 
while the other end gave tubers about 
the size of a walnut. Why was this? 
The seed, the fertilizer and the soil were 
all the same. The end where the good 
potatoes were found runs up to a thick 
wood, which throws quite a dense shade, 
I noticed that the plants were better 
near this shade, and I think it is due to 
the fact that bugs prefer sunshine. I 
think that most of them made for the 
open field. I would like to know what 
others have observed about this. There 
are other potato bugs. One of them is 
failure. Some of our neighbors have 
now had three bad crops in succession. 
It is three strikes and out with them, 
and they will quit planting potatoes. 
We shall keep right on. 
Tools in Winter. —The Hoover dig¬ 
ger is the most complicated machine we 
have. When it came out of the battle 
with the rocks it was badly plastered 
with mud. I feel sure that 15 per cent 
of its value would be eaten up by rust 
if it were left as it came from the field. 
It will be washed clean, the hind shaker 
taken off, and every inch of metal thick¬ 
ly smeared with melted tallow. I mean 
to coat all our working iron and steel 
with paint or grease. This will fix it so 
that rust cannot corrupt it—that is, 
when we get it safely under cover. We 
take the tongues out of the larger tools 
so that they may be packed in closer. 1 
tell the Madame that something of tne 
same thing must be done with humans 
when they get ready for a Winter on the 
farm. We have 14 people at Hope Farm 
and in order to pack in closely and com¬ 
fortably we must take out all the tongue 
we can spare. There are no bones in 
the tongue,yet it will fill contention with 
bones until it rivals a shad. I am afraid 
the Madame doesn’t agree with me when 
I say that the most helpful self-denial 
in the world is in not saying the things 
to others that it “would do us good” to 
say. Coming back to that layer of fat 
on the ribs of the Hoover—I would like 
a fat streak on the ribs of every mem 
ber of the Hope Farm family in house, 
barn, yard or pen—except old Jersey, the' 
cow. 
All Sorts. —We fail to see the beau¬ 
tiful Autumn tints on the leaves this 
Fall. The frost held off so long that the 
leaves seemed to mature naturally, and 
did not go through the usual beautiful 
changes Now that frost has come they 
seem to fall all together, fairly covering 
the ground before they are blown away. 
. . . Our rye seeding is late. One 
large field near the house was fitted so 
as to sow the rye the first week in No¬ 
vember. This is late, but if we have as 
favorable a season as last year it will 
go through. . . . We have about the 
usual proportion of small and soft cab¬ 
bage heads. We feed them to all stock 
except the cow, but they are best for the 
pigs. In fact, I am buying more pigs to 
eat up this cabbage. It will make cheap 
pork, and we are well supplied this year 
with corn to “finish” the pigs. Pork is 
good property. There is a good demand 
from local butchers, but our 1,800 pounds 
of humanity will care for a large quan¬ 
tity. . . . One trouble with our flint 
corn is the grip it has on the cob. It 
hangs on for dear life and is hard tc 
shell. The younger horses can get it 
off, but old Franko has a job with it. 
Charlie Chester and Billy Berkshire, 
Jr., quit their stuffing all at once. I 
thought perhaps old Major had read 
them what I wrote recently, but it 
turned out to be a case of sore gums 
from eating the hard corn. We began 
boiling ear corn for them, and they are 
O. K. once more. We shall have to 
grind or soak this corn as it gets harder. 
. . . The wise men tell us that it 
doesn’t pay to reseed a field with grass 
when the first seeding is uneven. There 
were bare streaks and spots in our fields 
and we went in just before a rain and 
sowed more Timothy seed. The bare 
places have now just about disap¬ 
peared. This late-sown seed may not 
live through the Winter, but it has 
started well. ... I have never 
known a Fall with so many dull melan¬ 
choly days as we have had this year. 
Unhappily most of our Sundays have 
been of this character. I say unhappily 
because Sunday means more to the Hope 
Farm folks than it does to many coun¬ 
try families. When people get to the 
middle years of life they can hold up 
both hands with the fingers and thumbs 
spread out and realize that they cannot 
hope to match each one with a year of 
work equal to what they have done in 
the past. You see people sometimes get 
so busy on six days that they crowd all 
such thoughts as this into Sunday— 
where, by the way, they don’t belong. 
Thus when Sunday turns up a dull, gray 
day, it just wrings the sap all out of 
your backbone. What a blessing it is 
that Steep and sunshine will bring it back 
again. ... I am sorry to have to 
confess that our wood pile didn’t hold 
out. Aunt Jennie consumed it and now 
calls for more. We have nad to let 
pressing work go unpressed while the 
men cut wood. That’s bad, when every 
farmer who reads this still has a fine 
dry supply of fuel for his wife! h. w. c. 
Keep Your House Warmer at one-half the cost 
for fuel by using the Rochester Radiator.— Adv. 
A FEW GRAPE NOTES. 
The Eaton grape has borne some very 
large clusters, as well as berries an inch 
in diameter. When fully ripe it loses 
its acidity, while its superabundance of 
juice is most refreshing. A visitor said 
his first impression on tasting it was, 
that his mouth was drowned. Its qual¬ 
ity, however, is not lasting and though 
worthy of a place in all collections, it 
can have littie value as a market grape. 
White Mountain grape I found ripe, in 
the neighboring town of Agawam, on 
August 26. I shall try to find a place 
for a vine oi this variety, and displace 
the Moore’s Early, which has a reputa¬ 
tion and is in demand far beyond any 
merits I have been able to find in all 
the years I have fruited it. Unless a 
family wishes to have more than a 
dozen vines the number of better va¬ 
rieties will not have been exhausted. 
Campbell’s Early improves with age. 
We have fruited it three or four yeais, 
and until this season, it nas not im¬ 
pressed ine favorably. It ought not to 
be called, or classed, as an early grape, 
though it begins to color the first part of 
August. Becoming black -in September, 
our neighbor’s children were encouraged 
in their helpful way, to assist in dispos¬ 
ing of them. Such as remained high out 
of reach, continued to improve in flavor, 
until the most fastidious of our family 
admitted it nad characteristics peculiar¬ 
ly its own, which have advanced it sev¬ 
eral points as a promising new grape. 
We question the size and fullness of its 
clusters being at their best when grow¬ 
ing alone. J. w. a. 
pno GET MORE EGGS 
^ Your Hens MustBe 
Kept Warm and Dry 
use 
NEPONSET 
RED 
ROPE ROOFING 
To keep out wind, frost, rain and snow 
from Fowl-Houses there’s no better 
low-cost roofing and siding than 
“Neponset.” Contains no tar. Given 
ati occasional coat of paint it will last 
for years. Costs about a cent per square 
foot. Sold by dealers in rolls of ioo, 250 
atid 500 square feet respectively, each 
roll containing necessary tin caps and 
nails. For a permanent roofing and 
siding use 
Paroid Ready Roofing. 
Postal hrimis Booklet, samples of “Neponset ” 
and "Paroid,” also name of nearest dealer. 
F. W. Bird4Son, East Walpole, Mass.;Chicago,111. 
The IMPROVED 
VICTOR Incubator 
hatches all the fertile eggs; is 
simple, durable and easily oper¬ 
ated; 168 pagecatalogue contain- 
i ng in formation and testimonial 
Bent free. CEO. ERTEL CO., QUINCY, III. 
Webster’s Dictionary. —We have re¬ 
ceived from the G. & C. Merriam Com¬ 
pany, Springfield, Mass., a copy of the 
new edition of Webster’s International 
Dictionary. This is printed from new 
plates throughout, and contains 25,000 
new words. Several new and excellent 
dictionaries have been issued of late 
years, but The R. N.-Y. has always held 
to Webster as its authority, and we wel¬ 
come this new edition, which brings our 
old friend up to date. Great care has 
been taken in the revision of pronuncia¬ 
tion, and of scientific or uncommon 
words. 
T 
|| ITAU with the perfect,eelf- 
n A I Ull regulating, lowest 
priced first class hatcher—the 
EXCELSIOR Incubator 
Hatches the largest per cent, of 
fertile eggs at the lowest coat. 
GEO. II. BTAIIL, Quincy, III. 
I NO BETTER INCUBATORS 
I and none that hatch a greater percentage 
I of good eggs with less attention or at leas 
expense. Our catalogue PRINTED IN 5 
LANGUAGES tells all about it —illustra- 1 
] tions, descriptions and prices. Sent for fie. 
I DKS 9101NES INCUBATOR CO. f 
Box 90* _ Des Moines, la. | 
NURSING MOTHERS 
want Scott’s emulsion of cod- 
liver oil, almost without ex¬ 
ception. So before they get 
to be mothers, eating for two 
is no small tax, continued for 
months. 
The emulsion not only is 
food itself; it gives strength 
for digesting usual food. 
If the milk is scanty or poor, 
the emulsion increases supply 
and enriches quality. 
We’ll send you a little to try if you like. 
SCOTT & BOWNE, 409 Pearl street, New York. 
1 
USE IT EVERYWHERE. 
A Farmer’s Paint 
1 
Best for the farm because it is the most 
lasting and costs the least. 
..ASBESTINE.. 
Any one can apply it. Suited to anything 
that you can put a brush to. Costs one- 
fourth as much as oil paint. It protects 
and preserves; destroys all germs. Ask 
your dealer or send for Color Card 16. 
(white and 1(5 tints). 
The Alden Speare's Sons Co., 369 Atlantic Av. Boston. 
100 William St., New York. 9 Milwaukee Av. Chicago^ 
The BEST REGULATOR 
la the original pattern we use on lhe 
P INELAND 
INCUBATOR. 
In connection with It we hare the 
most scientific method of venti¬ 
lation. Catalog free. Send for it. 
Pineland Incb. & Brooder Co., Box P, 
BJB Before Buying a Mew 
Harness 
you wilt insure the best re¬ 
sults iu quality and price by 
sending 4 cents in stamps for 
descriptive catalogue of 100 
styles of single and flouble 
Oak-Tanned Lenther Harne.it. 
Sold direct to the consumer 
at wholesale prices. 
THE KING HARNESS CO., Mfrs« 
312 Church St. s OWEGO. N. Y. 
REE 
ululogue 
any New 
yies. ^ 
Guaranty 
with every 
Cutter. 
Money back 
if not as 
represented 
Cutters are 
ready to 
ship 
Special Prices 
on Robes and 
Blankets. 
Consumers Carriage and Mfg. Co. 
233 S. Desplaines St., CHICAGO, ILL. 
New Feed Mill. 
Special Introductory Price. 
SUNDRIES MEG. CO., South Bend, Ind 
350 BU. A DAY 
with the Wolverine No. 805 31 111. Griuds 
ear corn and all other gruln line or coarse. 
Has ahake feed, burrs oi>eu and let nails or 
hard substance through. FurnlMhed with 
or without car corn crunher and 
elevator*. Made in 3 sizes for 2 to 15 h. p. 
Can he run with power wind mill. 
CAPACITY £ uarante d greater than any mill 
- made, becausa crusher and grinder run on sep¬ 
arate shafts, relieving all friction. 
cuippcn ON TRIM If it don’t do more and better grinding and 
- isn’t the most complete mill and the biggest 
barg dn you ever saw, return It at our expense. GO kind* of 
Grinders for all knda of work. 
A! SO I tars* Powers, tread and sweep, Gasoline Engines, Wind 
u Mills, Tanks, Pumps, Feed Cookers, Scales of aU kinds. Send 
for Free latest and largest implement catalogue ever printed. 
Marvin Smith Co., 53-59 N. Jefferson St., Chicago, Ills. 
LOTS OFECGSMMSLOISOFJML 
If you can double the eggs you double the money. Green Cut Bone is the only thing which 
will double the egg product. It is tssily secured, easy to prepare and feed and is cheap. 
MANN’S NEW BONE CUTTERS 
are the difference between profit and loss in the poultry business. Cut One, fast and easy* 
Mttnn’H Clover Cutters, Granite Crystal Grit and Swingingr Feed Trays make the 
business profitable. Catalogue free. F. W. MANN CO., Box iS MILFOKD, MASS. 
