6i 4 
THE RURAL 
NEW-YORKER 
August 13, 
Live Stock and Dairy 
BUYING AN ABANDONED FARM. 
The Hen Lays the Home. 
Fakt I. 
A City Farmer. —Readers of three years 
ago will remember a series of short articles 
by Geo. A. Cosgrove, of Connecticut, in which 
lie told the story of his change from city to 
country. At 57 years of age Mr. Cosgrove 
left the city and put his savings into an aban¬ 
doned New England farm. The story of his 
experience interested many of our readers, 
and in order to learn more about his opera¬ 
tions I visited (he place in June. They are 
all there—the farm, the rocks, the Wyandotte 
hens and the family. There are thousands of 
men and women in our large cities who are 
discouraged and worried at what the future 
offers them. Past the prime of life, they can 
no longer compete with the young and strong 
generation that is crowding upon the scene. 
The next pinch of hard times, or the next 
change of business methods, will reduce their 
wages or leave them stranded. They count 
their small savings again and again, and real¬ 
ize how few months of rent, fuel and food the 
small sum represents. I wish that such peo¬ 
ple could see the home which Mr. Cosgrove 
and his family have built on that Connecticut 
hill. I would have them see it, and also real¬ 
ize just what it means to make such a home; 
but in order to realize this it would be neces¬ 
sary for them to go through the experience, 
and that means a struggle which tests every 
power of body and mind. For, in spite of 
what we read and hear, the making of a home 
on an old farm after one has acquired fixed 
habits of living in town has little romance 
about it. The first Summer is .pleasant. 
There is a novelty about the work and the 
growth of the season is always hopeful. The 
freedom of the farm and the change from the 
cramped feeling of town life are inspiring. 
The first thought of independence which comes 
to a man who realizes that he is at last 
working for himself is one of the happiest 
things that enters a man's life. The situa¬ 
tion is full of hope also. Plans are untried, 
experiments have not been worked out and 
the sling of failure lias not been felt. 
The First Winter. —Then come Fall and 
Winter. Frost nips the crops. We measure 
them and find them all below our expecta¬ 
tions, and yet we cannot tell the cause or 
remove it. The leaves change their color and 
fall with a rustle that seems like the useless 
stirring of dead hopes. Then Winter comes 
with cold and snow, and the family are shut 
in on a lonely hillside. Such things come 
naturally in a family born and reared on the 
farm, but in a family from town the silence 
and lonely feeling of the first Winter come 
like a terror to many women. That is the 
crisis with many a family that has tried to 
settle in the country. The wife and daugh¬ 
ters cannot endure the solitude. It is hard 
for them, but doubly hard for husband and 
father. He has cut off the old connections 
and invested his savings in the farm. lie 
knows that there must be the most pinching 
economy, and that he cannot hope to work 
out his plans under two or three years. Ilis 
best labor and courage are needed for the work 
at its best, and one can imagine how the 
heart of such a man grows faint, and how 
the strength seems to go from his arm when 
he sees how wife and daughters feel. This is 
the sad side of the picture, but one that 
should be studied with care by all who plan 
for a farm home. It is where failure is most 
likely to enter. Rome live through it and 
grow into happiness and a fair degree of pros¬ 
perity, but a man should be very sure of the 
quality of his town-bred wife before he takes 
her to an abandoned farm—with his last 
dollar. 
A Contented Family. —That is one side of 
the picture. Mr. Cosgrove and his family 
show another. They have been on the farm 
11 years. They have not been lonely, though 
neighbors are a mile away. The road runs 
directly in front of the house, but is so little 
used that it makes a good lawn. During 
Winter there is no travel. Yet the family 
have been and are happy. This is their home, 
and it represents the labor of their hands. 
Mr. Cosgrove has not been in good health for 
years, and has not been able to do hard work 
since he came to the farm. lie has not even 
had a horse to plow with, and yet the farm 
has been paid for and improved, so that it 
would, I am sure, sell for three times what 
it cost, and has given, through these years, a 
better living fhan nine out of 10 first-class 
mechanics obtain in town. 
Hillside Farming. —A western farmer on 
a rich level farm would be dumbfounded at 
the way farming is done on these hills. 
There are 80 acres in Mr. Cosgrove’s farm, 
but barely two acres are plowed. I have had 
western men argue that the trouble with New 
England farmers is that they do not plow 
enough land and thus buy too much grain. I 
would like to see one of them demonstrate his 
theory on this stony hillside. The soil is 
natural grass land, and will yield heavy 
crops of hay when smoothed and fertilized, 
but it would cost nearly the price of a farm 
to take the rocks out of five acres. A young, 
active man, patient enough to work with cat¬ 
tle, could take such a farm and clear it of 
stones so as to make it give a good imitation 
of Clark's grass field, but a man in Mr. Cos¬ 
grove’s position cannot farm in that way. 
When a man does not possess the brawn that 
is needed to handle the heavier work of farm 
ing he must find partners to work with his 
brain. Mr. Cosgrove keeps two good cows 
which utilize a pasture field, and has several 
cleared fields in meadow. He has also a good 
peach orchard, now kept in sod; some good 
apple trees, and a garden for home vegetables. 
He hires all plowing done and all hay cut. 
Rome years, when the hens have done extra 
well, he says that he lets them get the hay In 
—that is, the egg money pays for it. He has 
figured carefully on the cost of keeping oxen 
or horses, and buying machinery, and con¬ 
cludes Aiat he is better off to let some one else 
pay for these things and pay cash for labor 
and grain. This plan cannot be laid down 
as a settled rule for other farmers, but it 
suits Mr. Cosgrove best, and even those who 
argue against such a plan in general wil 1 
admit that each man must study out ills own 
course. h. w. c. 
Cleaning Eggs. —An inquiry was made 
about cleaning eggs some time ago. An egg 
stained put in strong cider vinegar a little 
while and then rinsed off with water will be 
as nice as a fresh-laid egg. a. m. d. 
Atwood, Ind. 
Cow for New York. —As to the kind oi 
cow New York State farmers should keep, that 
is a question the farmers themselves will set¬ 
tle. Those who think they can combine heel 
and milk will best settle the question by try¬ 
ing it, and likely would not be satisfied with¬ 
out the experiment. I am satisfied to concen¬ 
trate my efforts to produce butter and buy 
what heef I need. w. c. l. 
Homer, N. Y. 
Autos and Horses. Your first prize clip¬ 
ping of July voices (lie sentiments of the 
entire rural population of this vicinity. An 
automobile is a terror to every man, woman 
or child who ventures upon the highway with 
a horse. We can take neither interest nor 
pleasure in “good roads” until we have a law 
that prevents (not prohibits) automobilists 
from monopolizing them. e. b. 
Auburn, N. Y. 
A It. N.-Y. Door. —I have used the money 
for the recent prize clipping in a way whereby 
to be often reminded of The It. N.-Y. We 
have a door opening from the hall into the 
parlor, the door turning info the parlor and 
taking space that would otherwise be pleas¬ 
ant. We have had the door changed so that 
it opens into the hall. The material and the 
carpenter’s work cost just $1.01. I call it our 
It. N.-Y. door. The change is a pleasant im¬ 
provement in the room. 
Vermont. mbs. william weeks. 
Killing Quack Grass. —Ask that farmer 
who told of spending so much work 
digging out Quack roots, a short time 
ago, to try covering the worst patches 
with straw or anything to smother it out, 
and let it lie part or all of a season. It 
works well for me. I would like to know the 
result of sowing rye very thick in the Fait 
and then roll it down the following June, and 
where not thick enough to keep down the 
Quack put on swale grass, straw or some¬ 
thing to finisn which would leave the soil in 
tine condition for corn, cabbage or potatoes 
the following season when plowed under. 
Corfu, N. Y. f. d. r. 
Potato Beetles. —I see from reading your 
paper and otuers that the Potato beetle is the 
under dog in many localities this year. It is 
so here, and was also last season. I think 
Mr. Parrott, of the Geneva Experiment Sta¬ 
tion, is correct when he says, page 557, that 
the cannibal and parasitic enemies of the 
beetle are more important factors than the 
Winter conditions. Various lady bugs have 
been remarkably numerous here in our potato 
patches and seem to be ever on the hunt for 
the eggs laid by the Colorado Potato beetle. 
Continued wet weather works strongly against 
the hatching of the eggs, and it is probably 
safe to say that none can hatch out under a 
two days’ rain. What causes the few adult 
beetles to disappear I am unable to say. 
Illinois. b. buckman. 
Hey diddle, diddle. 
The butcher did fiddle, 
And prices jumped over the moon ; 
The Big Trust laughed 
To see such sport, 
And the public paid for the tune! 
—Philadelphia Telegraph. 
BROOKSIDE-MOYERDALE HERD. 
Having just purchased the entire MOYERDALE HERD OF llDLSTElxs, we offer a 
selection from over 200 head of the highest class animals ever collected together. To reduce our 
stock at once we offer special inducements through August. 
STEVENS BROTHERS, LA.CONA., N. Y. 
“BE GOOD” 
TO YOUR HORSES 
USE FRAZER’S AXLE GREASE 
AND MAKE IT EASY FOR THEM. 
Recognized as the STANDARD 
Axle Grease of the United States. 
Many Thousand Tubs of this Grease are sold 
weekly to theTruckmen ofNewYorkCity.thetr 
Trucks are loaded heavy and a saving of both 
time and money is made, one greasing lasting 
two weeks or longer. 
Ask your dealer for FRAZER’S with Label on 
It saves your horse Jabor and you too. 
SOLI) EVERYWHERE. y 
Lazer Lubricator Co., 83 Murray St., N .Y 
BRILL FARM. 
HOLSTEIN CATTLE. 
Home of Lord Netherland DeKol. Great sire 
of high testing butter cows Stock and prices right. 
E. C. KKILL, Pougliepmg, N. Y. 
STAR FARM HOLSTEINS 
THIRD MID-SUMMER OFFERING. 
SO Registered Holstein Cows, due to freshen within 
60 days 20 Registered two-year-old Heifers, bred to 
Aagg e Cornucopia Pauline Count, No 20042, the 
Champion Bull of the World. 10 Registered Holsteifi- 
Friosian Service Bulls ready for immediate use. 2 
Hegistered Holstein-Friesian male calves from Mer¬ 
cedes Julip's Pietertje Paul, No. 29830. 
HORACE L. BRONSON. Dept. D , Cortland, N. Y. 
SPECIAL BARGAINS 
IN RICHLY-BRED 
HOLSTEINS. 
Lcadingfamilies. Write me, describing what you wish. 
Will quote lowest possible prices to quick buyers 
N. F. SHOLES.128 Bastable Block. Syracuse, N Y. 
FOR HOLSTEIN CATTLE 
Sood one*, and all ages. Fine Yearling Bulls 
. ready for service. 
RAMBOUILLET SHEEP. 
BERKSHIRE SWINE. 
Write D JELL HURST FARMS, Mentor, Ohio. 
HOLSTEIN - FRIESIANS. 
’ Choice young stock of the best breeding .for sale. 
Prices reasonable. Every animal registered. 
WOODCRE8T FARM. Rlfton. Ulster Co., N. Y. 
LOUDEN 
STANCHIONS. 
Made of Tubular Steel. 
Best Malleable Coup.ings. 
Perfect comfort and con¬ 
venience secured. 
EMPHATICALLY 
THE BEST £3 
at a reasonable price 
Louden Machinery Co., 
39 Broadway, Fairfield, Iowa 
pUREBKfJD HULSTK1N BULL CALVES, 
^Chester Whites, all ages: best of breeding, For sale 
treasonable prices. Chas. K. Record, Peteiboro.N.Y 
ANGUS & HOLSTEIN CATTLE 
Registered and grades all ages and sexes, 
and of champion blood for the beef and milk 
strains and at moderate prices. Also Nursery 
stock of all descriptions. 
MYER tfc 803\T 
Bridgeville, Delaware. 
Im E. ORTIZ, General Manager 
HIGHEST CUSS JERSEYS 
t 
GOLDEN STREAMER 6500G 
Son of Forfarshire out of Golden Streak 8th, 
born Feb. 22,1901, and considered the best Jersey hull 
thatever crossed the Atlantic as a two-year old. 
Specialty— Young Bulls and Heifers, all ages 
Also Imp. CHESTER WHITES and BERKSHIRE 
PIGS. Standard-Bred BLACK MINOKCA8 and 
WHITE WYANDOTTKS. 
Pf Correspondence solicited. 
GEBNEY FARM. White Plains. N. Y. 
EXILE OF ST. LAMBERT 
JERSEYS. 
The Herd of JERSEYS established at Staatsburgh, 
N Y., by the late W B. D1NSMOKE in 18410. >uid now 
largely made up of the blood of Exile of St. Lam¬ 
bert, has a few surplus animals of both sexes and 
various ages to dispose of. 
Representatives of the Herd are In every State 
and Territory in the country. Apply to 
TIMOTHY HERRICK, Supt., Staatsburgh, N. Y. 
Combination and 
Golden Lad. For 
sale 12 cows, (i heif¬ 
ers, and 21 bulls. 
S. E. NIVIN, LANDENBEItG, PA. 
JERSEYS! 
Jersey Bulls, Berkshire Boars 
*Good Ones—Registered—Cheap. 
R. S'. SHANNON, 907 Liberty Street, Pittsburg, Pa. 
For Sale.—Scotch Collies, magnificent ly 
bred. A. J. BENEDICT. Bristol. Wls . R. F. D. No. 2. 
Send for circular. 
Now is the time to purchase the BEST, and the 
BEST can be found at 
ALTAMONT STOCK FARM, 
Millbrook. N. Y. 
Property of G. HOWARD DAVISON. 
N O MORE BLINJ» HORSES.—For Specific Oph¬ 
thalmia, Moon Blindness, and other Sore Eyes. 
BARRY CO., Iowa City, Iowa, have a sure cure. 
EMPIRE STATE S. C. WHITE LEGHORNS. 
Cockerels and Pullets, five months old, $1.00 each; 
heavy Winter laying strain. Catalogue free. 
ZIMMER BROS., R. D. 41, Weedsport, N. Y. 
WANTED 
50 Pullets. Leghorns or Cross, 
one to two pounds. I J. 
STKlNGHAM, Glen Cove, L. 1. 
Var’s Poultry. Pigeons, Parrots, Dogs, Cats. 
1111 Ferrets, etc. lOtnrs a Snecialty. 00 n. book. 10c- 
SQUABS PAY_«!£I 
Euler, need attention only part of 
time, bring big prices. Raised in one 
month. Money-makers for poultry- 
men, farmers,women. Send for FREE 
BOOKLET and learn this rich home 
industry. PLYMOUTH ROCK SQUAB 
CO , Atlantic A ve., Boston, Mass 
ooooooooo 
We keep ev-J 
)PO 
I bators, 
rything 
ig, Peed, 
in the} 
Incu-J 
“RY LINE— Fencing, 
Live Stock, Brooders—anything— 
jit’s our business. Call or let us send you 
>our Illustrated Catalogue—it's free for the 
^asking—it's worth having. 
(Excelsior Wire & Poultry Supply Co., 
I Dept.. H G. 26 & 28 Vesey Street. New York City. 
OOOOOOOOOOOC500000QOOOOOOC 
O. I. c. 
("IQ QAI E —Ten wee ^ B °' d Pi gs A5-00 each. 
Un oALL Pedigree furnished with each nig. 
IT 1 1 i*7 A U n TJT nnH orenn IT v 
O T 
DEATH TO LICE 
on HENS and CHICKS, 
_ ___ 64-page book FREE. 
D. J. LAMBERT, Box 307, Apponaug. It. L 
HESTER WHITES 
th O. I. C. and Toed strains, 
mdard bred pigs for sale, 
mest dealing my motto. M L. 
PURITAN HERD OF CHESTER WHITES— 
*Tbepeerof any In America. Write your wants to 
WILL W. FISHER, It. 2. Watervliet, M.ch 
LARGE YORKSHIRES; 
all ages, from imported stock, 
at modest prices. W.H. Fisher, 
Spahr Building, Columbus, O. 
IMPROVED LARGE YORKSHIRES 
-tog. Pigs of all ages from imported stock for sale. 
Meadow brook stock FARM, Rochester, Mich 
SPIIINGBANK BIMSlilRES “SSftSK; 
10 Fall farrowed sows, 2 yearling Boars, and Boar 2 
years old next Sept; 6 Sows bred to farrow in May 
and June for sale at prices that no man in need of 
Berkshlres can disregard. Fi-sP-class Individuals in 
all resnects. J. E. WATSON. Marbledale. Ct. 
Large English Berkshlres of choicest breeding 
for sale, males and females. Write for prices, etc. to 
NUTWOOD FARMS, It. F. D., No. 4, Syracuse, N Y. 
Reg. P Chinas, Berkshires and C. Whites. 
8 wrb. to 6 mos.. mated not akin. 
Service Boars, Bred Sows. W rite foi 
prices and description. Return if not 
satisfactory: wo refund the money. 
HAMILTON & CO.. Erclldoun, Chester Co., Pa. 
