1899 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
HOPE FARM NOTES. 
Hens Getting Bust. —Our hens laid 
148 egg s during the first seven days in 
January. During the first week of 1898, 
we had only 24 eggs from nearly twice 
as many hens. At present prices, this 
week’s eggs were worth $4.62. They 
cost, for grain, $2.06. During the cold 
weather, we feed a little heavier. We 
expect to start the 100-egg incubator 
about January 15, with eggs from the best 
pen of Minorcas and White Leghorns. 
We have culled and picked the Black 
Birds until we have the best of three 
generations in one pen with a well- 
marked Minorca rooster. The Plymouth 
Rock pullets are doing very well. They 
are steadier layers in this cold weather 
than either the Blacks or the Whites, 
but they eat more food. The Brahmas 
bave not yet started. The boys claim 
that the old Brahma rooster eats as much 
as the calf. 
Wabm Food. —Early in December, we 
cut up a tree that had blown down. 
It was full of water. When split up, 
this wood froze solid. It was almost im¬ 
possible to heat the house with it or use 
it for boiling water. Why ? There was 
so much water in it that a great share of 
its heat was needed to evaporate this 
water and drive it off. It had to dry it¬ 
self before it could heat the water or 
send heat out through the stove. Let 
that wood stand for a few weeks out in 
the bright sun and hot wind, and it 
would “dry out” so that all its heat 
-would be utilized in the stove. I thought 
of this same thing one cold night while 
feeding whole corn to the hens. The 
corn was cold enough to blister one’s 
tongue, and the hens shook their heads 
every time they swallowed a kernel. Now 
before that corn could benefit the hen, 
it must be raised to the temperature of 
her body. That means that a part of 
the fuel value of the corn must be spent 
in warming itself just as the wet and 
frozen wood must dry itself before it can 
heat our water. By drying the wood, 
we save its heating value, and by taking 
•the frost out of the corn by heating it in 
the oven, we save part of its value for 
the hen. It is the same with hogs or 
other stock. We like our cooker because 
it enables us to feed roots, cabbage and 
small potatoes hot. Otherwise, they 
would be fed cold, and we would need to 
feed more of them, besides giving less 
<comfort to the animal. 
The Cheapest Heat. —This warming 
water or food for stock might be carried 
itoo far if the heat cost too much. At 
Hope Farm, we use old rails or veteran 
apple trees that succeed only with a 
crop of suckers. We ripped up all the 
old fences on the farm. They were 
nothing but eye-sores and weed nurseries. 
They do much better to warm the stock, 
and fertilize the strawberries. A good 
feed cooker lets us utilize not only the 
odds and ends of food, but the odds and 
ends of fuel. We shall need some new 
fences next Spring for the hog pastures, 
but by ringing the hogs and using a 
light frame of wire, with a baseboard, 
we can make a cheap and strong sub¬ 
stitute for the old rails. 
SCABLET FEVEB OUTCASTS. —The two 
Scions are getting on reasonably well 
with the fever. There is a red flag wav¬ 
ing over Hope Farm, and people shun us 
as they used to shun the old lepers. I 
have ventured home once or twice, but 
before I left the house, the Madame kept 
my clothes in sulphur fumes over night. 
I can tell you that, when a man has 
been thus fumigated, he gets a whole 
seat in a car or the greater part of a 
room all to himself ! People are desper¬ 
ately afraid of scarlet fever, and I don’t 
blame them. I have known men and 
women who actually exposed their chil¬ 
dren to the mild type of the disease in 
order to “get them over it”. We don’t 
believe in doing this, and we have fought 
hard to keep it away from our children. 
For my part, I think I can understand 
how the old lepers in Bible times felt 
39 
when people shunned them. Those who 
have been through the disease, or older 
people, do not mind it; but those who 
have children at home rightly want to 
keep you off at arm’s length—especially 
when your clothes have been fumigated ! 
Scarlet Fever “Shut-Ins”. —At the 
first “peeling” of the youngest Scion, I 
got away, but the rest of the Hope Farm 
folks stuck close to the house. We got 
a nurse and put her in an up-stairs room 
with the patient. That nurse hasn’t 
left the room since. A sheet dipped in 
carbolic acid is hung over the door, and 
nothing is passed out of the room with¬ 
out first being dipped or sprayed in the 
acid. The other children were kept 
down stairs from the first outbreak. 
The only way in which we can account 
for the second case is that, by accident, 
the elder Scion used the same handker¬ 
chief that the little one had used. The 
doctor tells us that it is possible for the 
disease to be carried in the mucus from 
nose or throat, even in the early stage. 
Our folks had a siege, I can tell you. 
The grippe cared nothing for the red 
flag, but came right in and stayed by 
them. At one time, there were five peo¬ 
ple in bed, including the Madame who, 
of course, was general manager. It 
means a good deal to cook and serve 
meals to five people who can’t get out of 
bed. In a case of this sort, too, you can’t 
get help, for women with children oi 
their own are afraid to come into the 
house. The woman who helps us wash 
had a case of the fever at home. We 
never believed much in washing ma¬ 
chines, but when this situation arose, 1 
got out and hustled for a wooden wash¬ 
erwoman. I looked over six or eight 
different machines, and at last found 
one that turns with a crank, and works 
two curved washboards against each 
other with the clothes between them 
This machine works well, and will be a 
permanent fixture at our house. Rela¬ 
tives in Florida sent us a box of oranges, 
the hens shelled out the eggs, we killed 
and dressed one of those famous shotes, 
and the cellar is well filled with vegeta¬ 
bles and canned fruit, so our folks stood 
the siege pretty well. It was a nuis¬ 
ance, though, at times, and it is not yet 
over by any means. I think it would go 
hard with some families to be “ shut in ” 
this way. There are lots of people who 
seem to have nothing within themselves 
that can satisfy them. Shut those peo¬ 
ple up, or put them on a lonely island 
alone or with a few companions, and 
they will go crazy. I tell you that a 
person to be happy on the farm must 
have that within him which finds satis¬ 
faction in humble duties and quiet liv¬ 
ing. Town and village people sometimes 
dream of what they would like to do on 
the farm, but when they get there, they 
fail because they miss the small talk 
and petty gossip of the village. They 
can’t find a substitute in good books and 
healthy thoughts. Such folks would be 
likely to change the color of scarlet 
fever to a blue. h. w. c. 
An unusual occurrence for holidaj 
times is reported from Wayne County, 
N. Y. A field of buckwheat was thought 
to be too green at harvest time to pay 
for cutting. But just before Christmas 
it was found to be fully ripe and in good 
condition, so the reaper was put in. The 
snowbanks are said to have interfered 
with the work somewhat, but otherwise 
it was successful. We wonder how care¬ 
fully the man who pronounced it too 
green last Fall, examined the field. 
A wonderful Improvement in Friction Feed! and 
Gig-Back. Back motion of Carriages times as fast 
as any other in the market. Friction Clutch Feed, 
causing all the feed gearing to stand still while back¬ 
ing; srent saving in power and wear. Cata¬ 
logue and prices free. Also Spring Harrow*, 
Cultivators, Corn Planters, Shelters, etc. 
Mention this paper. 
BENCH «fc DROMCOLD, Mfrs., York, Pa. 
AGood Farm Engine 
pays for itself In many ways. The con¬ 
venience of an ever-readv power for 
tins and grinding feed, 
threshing, shelling corn, 
separating cream, pumping 
water, sawing wood, etc., lsl 
appreciated by all. Then, too, 
if yon have the power you may 
make a great deal of money 
by grinding feed for your 
neighbors. We make 
eut- 
UPRIGHTand 
HORIZONTAL with STEEL BOILERS 
ENGINES from 3 H - p - op. both sta- 
UTUfnco tionary and portable. We 
believe them to be the best all-around farm engines 
made. Yon will agree with us when you read onr Book 
on Engines and Rollers, sent FREE to Intending 
buyers. Brices reasonable. 
JAMES LEFFEL& CO. Box 39. Springfield. O. 
WOOD 
SAWS 
SMALLEY MFC. CO., 
Our .Smalley and Bat¬ 
tle Creek self-ieed 
Drag Saws are the 
standard of the world. 
Also all sizes of Circular 
Saws, and the celebrated 
II. C. Picket Mill 
Horse Powers for oper¬ 
ating. Silo Machinery, 
Feed Mills, Root Cut¬ 
ters, Corn Shellers. 
SoU Makers, Manitowoc, Wls. 
Cider Machinery.—Send for catalogue to Boomer A 
Boschert Press Co., 118 West WaterSt., Syracuse, N. Y 
The Spangler Gorn Planter. 
LIGHTNING WELL MACHY 
IS THE STANDA_R D 
STEAM PUMPS AIR LIFTS*.! 
GASOLINE ENGINES • ^ 
WRITE FOR CIRCULAR EH £ SCA¬ 
THE AMERICAN WELL WORKS r t - 
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DRILLING 
Machines 
Over 70 sizes and styles, for drilling either deep or 
shallow wells In any kind of soil or rock. Mounted 
on wheels or on sills. With engines or horse power*. 
Strong, simple and durable. Any mechanic can 
operate them easily. Send for catalog. 
WILLIAMS BROS.. Ithaca. N. Y. 
WATER 
and how to get it is a 
PROBLEM EASILY SOLVED. 
The solution of the problem Is a 
STAR 
DRILLING 
MACHINE. 
The waterls down there and 
the only way to got a supply 
absolutely free from surface 
drainage Is to go deep with 
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the fastest, strongest and most complete machine on the 
market. Made in ten sizes. We have a fuU line of 
supplies. Get our Illustrated catalogue. Sent Free. 
Star Drilling Machine Go, Akron, 0. 
FARMERS. 
FEEDERS. 
RANCHERS, 
; And All Other Men 
are appreciating the 
Charter Gasoline Engine, 
Statlouarles, Portables. Engines and Pumps. 
Proof, by addressing 
Charter Gas Engine Co., Box 26, Sterling, III. 
FRAZER «««. 
BEST IN THE WORLD. 
Its wearing qualities are unsurpassed, actually 
outlasting three boxes of any other brand. Not 
affected by heat. 83F” GET THE GENUINE. 
FOR SALK BY DEALERS GENERALLY. 
With or Without Fertilizer Attachment. Write for 
circulars and prices of Planters and Grain Drills. 
We can SAVE YOU MONEY. Ardress 
SPANGLER MFG. CO , York, Pa. 
D ADMC °f Plank save timber and cash. Best, 
DAlUtO cheapest, most desirable. Book for stamp. 
JOHN L. 8HAWVER & BROS., Bellefontaine, Ohio. 
Make an Early Season 
onr AGRICULTURAL DRAIN 
own that 
_ivery man of experience knows 
land that Is tile drained may be worked weeks 
in advance of that which is undrained. We make all kinds of tile and 
f ewer Pipe, Red Pressed Brick, Fire Brick, Chimney 
ops. Flues, Encaustic Side Walks, etc. Write for what 
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ZWMffiwwf.WfffWfffffWfffffrryfyrrfff 
The same high merit that made Iron 
Age implements famous is found in the 
Improved-Bobbins £ Potato Planter. 
Plants as Spaces 
surely as _ exactly, 
hand. 
The Iinprovetl-Robbina 
Potato Planter will plant 
from four to seven acres a 
day in the best possible way. 
Combines light draft, great 
strength, simple construction 
and utmost efficiency. First 
order in new territory secures 
Bpeclal price. The Iron Age, 
Book for 1899 describes new | 
and helpful farm and garden 1 
Implements. Sent free. 
BATEMAN MFG. CO., 
Box 102, Grenloch, M. J. 
LIVER CHILLED PLOW 
The Reason Why 
more Oliver Chilled Plows are used than those of any other make 
is that they are the best plows that can be made under any cir¬ 
cumstances. They are capable of doing better work under a greater 
variety of conditions. They are the result of Ion" years of experience 
and study in plow art, aided by the largest and most complete plow 
factory in the world. _ ,.. 
J Sold by every Oliver 
THE OLIVER Agent everywhere. 
CHILLED PLO W WORKS, 
'South Bend, Indiana, 
U. S. A. 
f0* 
(ftefo 
A Rents 
Wanted 
izing Harrow, Clod Crusher and Leveler 
For all soils, all work-crushes, cuts, lifts, pulverizes, turns 
and levels. Cast steel and wrought iron-therefore 
indestructible. Cheapest riding harrow and best pul¬ 
verizer on earth. Sizes 3 to 13^ feet. Catalogue free. 
SENT ON TRIAL to be returned at my expense if not Entirely Satisfactory. 
I deliver free on board at New York, Chicago, Columbus, O., Louisville, Ky„ Minneapolis, San Francisco and other points. 
Address DUANE H. NASH, Sole Mfr., MILLINGTON, N. J., or CHICAGO- ILL. 
PLEASE MENTION THIS PAPER. 
