1899 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
9o3 
HOPE FARM NOTES. 
Children and Sticks. —At tlie risk of 
being considered tiresome, I will print 
one more letter on the spanking ques¬ 
tion. Here it is, from Kansas: 
“Pride Goeth Before a Fall.” 
I had begun to think the writer of Hope 
Farm Notes was a rural divine. His 
many excellent moral articles and bold 
strokes against trusts, shams and all other 
cankerlike concerns that sap the true blood 
of the Nation, had so fired my admiration 
that it was nigh unto fever heat. When 
lo! and behold he shows a very decided hu¬ 
man element in his nature when dealing 
with the future George Washingtons. I 
tried to smother down my contempt, and 
always make great allowances for the first 
offense. But to-day I am further taxed 
and tortured by his bold declaration that 
the whipping post will be the moral hitch- 
rack for the offender caught seemingly 
loafing around the country store, by mem¬ 
bers of his family. If the loafing room is 
more attractive than the home, perhaps 
the older members of the household could 
be benefited by being haltered to that post 
of moral suasion! But, my word for it, 
every “brutal lick” is so much poison vac¬ 
cinated into the body, mind and soul of the 
youthful victims. I am aware that seem¬ 
ingly good men advocate the whipping 
post, capital punishment, tobacco and 
whisky in moderation, but if my position 
is doubted, just give the bone and sinew 
of the Nation a chance to express their 
feelings, and I will abide the result. 
Fearing that some narrow minds might 
mistake.my position on child training, I 
will add that the worst legacy that can be 
left to a child is an uncontrolled, disobe¬ 
dient selfishness. And that obedience is 
better than sacrifice, and to hearken than 
the fat of the land. But he that offendeth 
one of these little ones (brutally uses the 
goad for hacking a 10-cent tree, when 
hundreds of nurserymen would have will¬ 
ingly replaced it to save those orphans), 
it were better for that editor that he had 
used a little more discretion. j. e. h. 
Emporia, Kansas. 
I will not take time for any long reply, 
nor will I quote from the many who are 
coming in on the other side. That is not 
“a 10-cent tree.” It is probably over 30 
years old, and 10 feet in diameter. If 
nurserymen have trees like it, I want 
them. I will further say frankly that I 
do favor the whipping-post for grown¬ 
up people who commit certain crimes. 
This post is in use in Delaware, with 
good resul .s. As for the use of rum and 
tobacco, I am opposed to them every 
minute of the year. 
Home Comfort. —Several months ago 
the Madame visited a churchyard where 
an old acquaintance is buried. She 
found an elegant monument, but it 
brought to minu some incidents in the 
life of the monumentee—if I may use 
the term. She came home and made 
this remark: 
“I would rather have my monument 
erected before I die!” 
When asked what her choice of a 
monument would be, she said at once: 
“A good range and hot and cold water in 
my kitchen.” Now there is some sense 
in the thought that we should be permit¬ 
ted to enjoy our gravestone. Many of us 
wait too long for the things we desire, 
even after we are able to obtain them. 
The habit of saving may be carried so 
far that it becomes a vice. I have ex¬ 
plained how, when our well was drilled, 
we had one pipe run to a tank in the 
barn, while a spur from the main pipe 
runs to the house. This house pipe en¬ 
ters in the cellar. We put a range in the 
kitchen and brought pipes up through 
the floor into a boiler and on to a sink, 
so that we have hot and cold water on 
tap, just as they have in the city houses. 
What a great convenience this is for the 
women folks. I expect that Grand¬ 
mother, the Madame, the Cutting and 
the Sprout will all begin to grow young¬ 
er. There is lively life in a “gravestone” 
of this sort. I expect that the food will 
be so tempting that the “gravestone ’ 
may safely bear this inscription: “It led 
to quick consumption!” 
Pump and Pipes. —We have but one 
pipe running to the tank. The spur that 
goes to the house leaves the main pipe 
about three feet from the pump, with a 
check valve between. When the mill is 
running the pipes inside the house jar 
somewhat from the pressure or lift from 
the pump. This can be prevented by 
shutting off the inflow at the cellar. 
With two pipes—one to pump water at 
the top of the tank and the other draw¬ 
ing off at the bottom, this pressure, 
would be removed, but we would have 
nothing but tank water to drink. As it 
is, whenever the mill is running, fresh 
water from the well is sent direct to the 
house. The arrangement works well 
thus far. Next year I would like to raise 
apples enough to pay for a bathtub, and 
carry those pipes still farther on in their 
good work. We expect some wonderful 
meals to come from the Madame’s monu¬ 
ment! 
Apple Trees. —If we are to get apples 
for this purpose we must certainly get 
our trees in better shape. Most of our 
old trees are quite thrifty, but have had 
no care in recent years. They are full of 
suckers, and some limbs are dead. We 
have the sod plowed, and have put phos¬ 
phoric acid and potash on part of the 
ground. About January 15 we shall be¬ 
gin to cut off the suckers. These will 
be trimmed down close. Then the dead 
and dying limbs will be cut off, and the 
large stubs painted. Then we shall trim 
and prune carefully for the purpose of 
opening the tops of the trees, so as to 
let in the air and sun. Of course we 
can’t hope to get the trees just as we 
want them this year. That would take 
too much cutting, but we shall try ,o 
shape them, and cut out most of the 
cross branches. I did intend to cut 
down a lot of old trees, but have finally 
decided to give them one more chance, 
and see what feeding and cultivation 
will do for them. 
All Sorts. —We were still plowing 
during the week before Christmas. This 
has certainly been an ideal Fall for 
work, though most wells and springs are 
still dry. . . . Our farmers’ insti¬ 
tute is to be held at Park Ridge, N. J., 
this Winter. Farmers are talking about 
a canning factory. Agents want to put 
up a $10,000 plant. This is far too large 
for our local needs. A small creamery 
would pay us better.Eggs in 
our local market sell “eight for a quar¬ 
ter” at present. We are wintering only 
about 60 hens this year, having sold the 
others at fair prices. They lay 12 or 
more per day—which makes a good prof¬ 
it. Have we “gone back on the hen?” 
No, but other work this Winter seems 
more important.Uncle Ed and 
Aunt Patience have gone to Florida, 
where they have a small farm. They 
are what they call “Freeze-outs,” as the 
frost killed their oranges last year. 
Uncle Ed took five barrels of our June 
Eating potatoes, which he will plant 
early in January. You may say, there¬ 
fore, that the Hope Farm people “raise” 
potatoes every month in the year ex¬ 
cept December.Christmas will 
be very quiet at Hope Farm this year. 
We have much to be thankful for, I can 
tell you. Last year at this time old Scar¬ 
let Fever was waving his red flag. We 
have a good home, and we are all full of 
hope for the future. Old Santa Claus 
will find four pretty good little folks, 
who are able to get a ton of fun out of 
an ounce of present. We all hope Santa 
Claus will warm his hands at Mother’s 
new range, and if he wants to put a pud¬ 
ding or a mince pie in the oven, there 
won’t be a word of protest from the 
Hope Farm folks.The three 
big Berkshires, Sarah, Mary, and Baby, 
have gone up higher into pork and sau¬ 
sage. Thus their lazy lives will con¬ 
tribute part of the energy required to 
get Hope Farm into fighting trim for 
next season.We are glad to 
see December 21 pass. The shortest day 
is over. Now to chop off a little of the 
nights. _ h. w. c. 
The season here has been generally 
favorable to farmers, if we count the aver¬ 
age season as favorable. The most serious 
drawback is a light hay crop, making it 
necessary for farmers to sell more or less 
cattle and horses. The wise and prudent 
have turned every available thing into 
forage, some cutting barley and oats before 
the grain matured, and drying it for hay. 
As a consequence of this condition, cows 
are usually low in price, except new milch 
cows. Dairying is an important industry 
here, especially butter making, and many 
private dairymen are putting in cream sep¬ 
arators. C. A. WEBB. 
Unity, Me. 
THE OHIO STATE HORTICULTURAL 
SOCIETY'S MEETING. 
Part I. 
The Ohio State Horticultural Society, 
under the auspices of the Pomona Grange 
of Licking County, held its thirty-third an¬ 
nual meeting at Newark, December 6-S. 
The meeting was a pronounced success, so 
far as a fair attendance of the member¬ 
ship could make it, although the local hor¬ 
ticulturists and citizens of Newark were 
notably conspicuous for their absence. The 
excellent address of President Cushman 
abounded in kindly-submitted suggestions 
and sound advice. He regretted that the 
regular annual meetings of the Society 
came at a time when Nature was not at 
her best. He recommended the hearty co¬ 
operation of members and officers to have 
a proper representation of horticulture at 
the coming Ohio Centennial at Toledo, in 
1902. He reported many complaints of the 
people against the abominable practices of 
fruit-tree agents, who have been getting 
in their usual work, and declared the im¬ 
portance of the Society stamping its con¬ 
demnation upon such practices. He as¬ 
sured the members that never before had 
there been greater effort or more earnest 
desire closely to study the question of in¬ 
sects and plant diseases; and that nothing 
should be left undone to render the or¬ 
ganization of real service to the people. 
San Jos6 scale was reported by a few of 
the ad interim members from different 
parts of the State, and it was deplored 
that Ohio, for lack of proper legislation, 
was made the dumping ground for all sorts 
of pests in which some nurserymen seem 
to deal. The discussion upon spraying the 
apple was lively and interesting. A mem¬ 
ber from southern Ohio said that for every 
dollar expended in spraying, it gained him 
$10; as there was not a trace of scab to be 
found. It was generally agreed, however, 
that spraying did not prevent the de¬ 
structive work of the Codling-worm this 
year in Ohio. Mr. F. E. Carr reported that 
although his apples were thoroughly 
sprayed, every one seemed to be wormy. In 
speaking of grapes, Mr. Carr said that he 
was disappointed in Campbell’s Early so 
far, as it was not just what he had ex¬ 
pected to find it. He named Moore’s Dia¬ 
mond as one of the best grapes grown. 
Another member named Worden, Woodruff 
and Niagara as the best black, red and 
white grapes. 
Prof. A. D. Selby, of the Ohio Experi¬ 
ment Station, gave a very instructive re¬ 
port of the committee on vegetable pa¬ 
thology. His discourse was Illustrated by 
the stereopticon, and was well calculated 
to impress upon the minds of even the 
most careless grower of fruits and vege¬ 
tables, the growing necessity of intelligent¬ 
ly fighting the many forms of fungous dis¬ 
eases so prevalent in our orchards and 
gardens. Peach yellows, Peach leaf-curl, 
black-knot of plum and cherry, crown-gall 
of the peach and apple, black and bird’s- 
eye rot of the grape and root-gall of the 
red raspberry were shown upon the screen. 
The latter he declared to be one of the 
most serious diseases with which the small- 
fruit grower has to deal. Plants from an 
infected plantation, even though selected 
with the greatest care, and seemingly free 
from disease, are almost sure to carry the 
trouble to the new plantation. Prof. W. J. 
Green, of the Experiment Station, in his 
Fruit Notes for 1899, spoke of the results 
of the very severe Winter of 1898 and 1899. 
Comparisons as to hardiness of trees and 
plants, he says, are really better deter¬ 
mined in a milder Winter. Many trees, 
he reported, went upon the brush-heap— 
especially those of the peach. Trees, how¬ 
ever, were burned that might have been 
saved by courageous pruning; and those 
who failed to cut them back severely and 
await developments failed to embrace an 
opportunity, as a goodly number of these 
so treated would undoubtedly have thrown 
out new shoots and formed a new head. 
Mr. Green spoke of the large apple or¬ 
chard of Mr. Vergon, of Delaware, O., as 
being a revelation to him. The trees had 
been planted in a stiff Blue-grass sod. No 
plowing was done—the trees being set in 
ample holes, and no cultivation has ever 
been given. The trees have been mulched 
with cinders, and with the grass cut from 
between the rows. He was forced to ad¬ 
mit that these trees had thrived as well 
or better than cultivated ones. The trees 
bear abundantly, and the hot, dry weather 
does not seem to affect them. The fruit 
shows very little tendency to drop. It Is 
a decided success all around, and is a 
method that is encouraging in the greatest 
degree to those -who wish to plant upon 
steep hillsides where cultivation means de¬ 
struction by washing. The orchard re¬ 
ferred to, however, is by no means neglect¬ 
ed. It is cared for by this method of cul¬ 
ture as devotedly as it could be by any 
other. The grass is kept down at all 
times. Prof. Green says that the apple 
crop belongs to those who care for it, and 
that neglected orchards bear just about 
enough to be a trouble. 
In speaking of the Missouri Pippin, Mr. 
Green says it is disappointing to him— 
rather small and of poor quality. Bis¬ 
marck is also quite disappointing and, so 
far as he can see, is no more precocious 
than some of our other and better apples. 
Yellow Transparent and Wealthy were 
spoken of in this connection, and were de¬ 
clared to be among the finest of their sea¬ 
son. Mr. Green mentioned the Willow 
Twig as a reliable apple and a good keeper, 
and said that he was forced to admit that 
Ben Davis is still growing in popularity, 
and that nothing said of it seems to have 
any effect, as it is such a sure and heavy 
cropper. His advice was not to discard 
it, but quietly to look for something that 
will, “in part,” take its place. 
As to strawberries, Prof. Green says 
that the Sample is one of the best. Clyde 
sets too many plants; but if kept thinned 
is unrivaled for general market. Superb 
is highly colored and of excellent quality. 
Brownie is promising. Hunn, the new late 
berry, he found to be unprolific—the usual 
defect in late varieties. He named the 
Granville, Marshall, Brunette and Nick 
Ohmer as a splendid quartette l’or home use 
and near market. McKinley is rather un¬ 
prolific; Ruby well-colored and a good ship¬ 
per. Haymaker was praised as a good 
purple raspberry while Cumberland was 
said to be a promising blackcap. The 
Rathbun blackberry proved disappointing 
here—seeming to be a sort of cross between 
the blackberry and dewberry. Prof. 
Green says that he cannot get up very 
much enthusiasm in behalf of Japan plums. 
The natives are the only ones that can 
really be depended upon. Among these he 
named Prairie Flower as one of the very 
best—fine for home use and canning. He 
said that some of our very best fruits had 
been held back from the public, or at least 
in part, because some of these were not 
the best growers in the nursery. The 
Jonathan apple was cited as an instance. 
Nurserymen like to grow those varieties 
that are readily propagated and of strong 
smooth growth. 
In reply to the question as to why apples 
rotted so badly this Autumn, Prof. Selby 
explained that it was undoubtedly due to 
the excessively high temperature, which 
caused premature ripening, and to the 
prevalence of the larvae of the Codling- 
moth, whose perforations allowed the rot 
fungus easy access. When an apple be¬ 
comes ripe its next stage will be decay, 
unless prevented by a low temperature, 
which retards, in a great measure, the 
“breaking down” of the cellular tissues of 
the fruit. Hence, the continued warm 
Autumn has been very favorable for rot. 
Ohio. F. H. BALLOU. 
Until recently, not a pound of Canadian 
fleece wool had been sold to American deal¬ 
ers since the Dingley tariff shut out that 
product. Owing to the advance in prices 
and reduction in supplies, 1,000,000 pounds 
of Canadian wool were sold to New Eng¬ 
land mills during the last week in No¬ 
vember, the prices being 18 to 20 cents. It 
is said that this only leaves about 250,000 
pounds of fleece wool suitable for export 
in Ontario. 
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