1904 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
289 
Hope Farm Notes 
A Prodigal in Fur.— I have often re¬ 
ferred to Shep, the collie dog. Shep is a 
purebred with a fine pedigree, both on 
paper and in fact. Shep leads Hope Farm 
when it comes to published record of an¬ 
cestors. Personally, the pedigree question 
doesn’t bother me a bit. It doesn’t hurt 
my feelings in the least to have it known 
that my father was a fisherman before he 
went to war. I’ll guarantee that he never 
ran any dishonest fish upon his customers, 
and that he never ran away from his duty. 
My mother was a little orphan girl given 
away for others to bring up. I call that a 
thing to be proud of in view of the strong, 
helpful life she led. So the matter of hu¬ 
man pedigree doesn’t bother me much. If 
pedigree were all there is to it some of us 
who have mighty little besides perform¬ 
ance to help us out would have hard dig¬ 
gings! So Shep can represent the Hope 
Farm aristocracy if he wants to. He is a 
gentleman in fur, and has turned me from 
a dog hater into a dog admirer. I came 
home one night to find the little girls in 
great trouble. 
“Ain’t it awful?’’’ 
“Old Shep has gone!” 
“Ain’t it awful!" 
True as you live, Shep had disappeared. 
. He slept on guard in his usual place, and 
came for his breakfast and lay on the 
porch as he always does. Then he sudden¬ 
ly vanished. The little girl made this 
record in her diary that night: 
“Shep was stolen—you know he never 
would run away from home!’’ 
Some of us are over the ridgepole of life, 
and have begun to climb or slide down the 
other side. What wouldn’t we give if those 
who have always known us could write that 
of us—and fully believe it. “He never 
would run away!”—from duty or friends 
or home. It was worth while for Shep to 
be stolen in order to find out what the fam¬ 
ily thought of him. For stolen he must 
have been, as he came home one day with 
a string around his neck which he had evi¬ 
dently broken. The children were so glad 
to learn that he had returned that I be¬ 
lieve they would have killed the Light 
Brahma chicken and roasted it for Shep- 
if need be. I have heard of a man who 
had a fine lot of chickens with a big dog 
to guard them. He felt that these birds 
were safe, since the dog was large enough 
to chew up a good-sized thief. One day 
the dog disappeared A few nights later 
the henhouse was raided and some of the 
best hens stolen. Of course that man felt 
that if his dog had only been there the 
thief would have failed. Later, back came 
the dog. It is a fair inference that the 
thieves stole him, marie Ms acquaintance, 
and then sent him back. Now they prob- 
ablv know his name and he knows them, 
so 'that if they see fit to come again he 
will welcome them with his tail instead of 
with his teeth. As I heard this story I 
could not help thinking that some men act 
like this dog. They gain the confidence of 
their families or friends, or of the people 
of a large district, and are sent away as 
servants or agents to do public work. We 
have confidence in them, and call them 
good watch dogs—but the forces that op¬ 
pose us get acquainted with the dog and in¬ 
stead of protection we have silent partner¬ 
ship with crime! You can’t make our lit¬ 
tle folks believe that Shep will have any¬ 
thing but teeth for those who stole him. 
I think they are right, for the collie dogs 
have been bred for many years to form 
strong friendships and give silent, faithful 
service. Some mongrel cur might be won 
with a piece of meat and a little flattery, 
but not old Shep, with the centuries of 
faithfulness behind him. Then there is 
something in pedigree after all? Of course 
there is. Habits are handed along from 
parent to child, but the trouble is that 
humans do not value the habit as they do 
some great performance. A poor man who 
never did a thing which the world thought 
worth preserving in ink may give to his 
son habits of industry and honor and faith¬ 
fulness that would never permit the rascal 
to get acquainted with the dog, while the son 
of some man with a record a yard long 
might help rob the henroost. Pedigree is 
strong and worthv when it is based on 
habit. That puts the soul in the dog which 
the thief cannot corrupt. 
Farm Notes. —Sunday, March 20, was a 
day to remember. The wind was keen and 
the mud several inches deep, but the sun 
v/as actually shining, so that on the south 
side of the barn one could take a comfort¬ 
able sun bath. I will not say how many 
hired men and farmers I saw doing this 
very thing Sunday afternoon. It was a 
great thing to let the sun soak in. I count¬ 
ed over 20 robins that day. A robin in a 
cherry tree in June is a thief, but in the 
same tree in March with snowdrifts still 
on the north side of the stone walls he is 
a benefactor. Spring is surely on the way, 
but she takes her time. While the upper 
surface of the soil is thawed out it is still 
solid as a flint underneath. If we could sow 
oats in the mud and have them well cow¬ 
ered before the frost is out of the lower 
soil the grain would receive a great start. 
It will be weeks vet before we can do any 
plowing at Hope Farm, for our soil is nat¬ 
urally cold and late. We do not care for 
this, since our plans are all laid for late 
crops. . . . The horses were glad to 
greet the sun. They were pretty well 
housed last Winter, and the smooth ice 
made it dangerous for them to be out. 
When they finally went out. Beauty, the 
filly, kicked up her heels and started on 
the run, every muscle in her beautiful body 
tingling with life. Old Bird and Kate got 
right down in the mud and “wallered,’ so 
glad were they to find the soil open once 
more. . . . Tree and vine trimming is 
going on rapidly now. We do not care for 
early trimming. This year the Winter has 
been so fierce that some of those who cut 
in February now find it necessary to cut 
again, as the wood has been killed back 
below their former cut. In our mulch cul¬ 
ture we do not get as large a growth of 
wood as the cultivators do, and thus most 
of our pruning can be done with the 
shears. It requires nice judgment to de¬ 
termine just how the little branches are to 
behave when they grow larger, yet it is 
possible to look ahead and nip off the 
wrong ones in time. We expect to plant 
something over 1,000 peach trees this Spring 
with pear, plum and cherry. I expect to 
put in quite a number of Chairs Choice, 
although some good growers consider that 
it is little if any different from Late Craw¬ 
ford. Sal way is another variety that 
ought to do well on our hills. I am after 
the late ones—the later the better. . . . 
The children have been staying by their 
new hens, but the results that they expect¬ 
ed are not yet in sight. The Light Brahma 
is evidently a fraud, and the Wy:indottes 
want to give great thought to their work 
before they begin. Five eggs from the 11 
hens is their best record yet. The three 
faithful old birds quit laying when their 
new sisters came. Did anyone ever hear 
of a good housekeeper stopping her work 
to entertain her guests? We still have 
faith that our balanced ration will start 
even old Brahma on the path of duty. 
Strength in Old Land.— A friend in 
Massachusetts asks the following ques¬ 
tions. He thinks there is something in the 
idea that where land has long been idle it 
can be made to produce larger crops than 
land long in cultivation with similar cul¬ 
ture and feeding: 
“What difference, if any, is there in the 
growth and health of those trees grown on 
long-cultivated ground, and those grown on 
ground long idle? If there is any differ¬ 
ence, do you consider it owing to the com¬ 
parative length of time since the ground 
was last cultivated? If there is any dif¬ 
ference, what do you consider the cause?’’ 
w. H. H. 
I have no land on the farm that can be 
said to have been long in cultivation. 
When I bought the farm four years ago 
it was all in sod or weeds, except a small 
garden. Several fields had been left to 
grow to weeds without grass seeding. Oth¬ 
ers had been seeded fairly well. Others, 
naturally poor, had been left until they 
had grown up to sweet fern, birches and 
cedars. I did a great deal of plowing the 
first two years, and raised corn and pota¬ 
toes. I now feel sure that if I had never 
turned a furrow on the hills, but put in 
trees as we are now doing, I should be 
much better off, for the farm is not well 
adapted to culture. I have obtained with 
apples a little better growth on the parts 
of the farm where I plowed and cultivated 
for two years. This, however, is naturally 
much stronger soil, and I used heavy dress¬ 
ings of fertilizer. With peaches and Kief- 
fer pears the growth on the wild unplowed 
land has been quite equal to that on the 
stronger land which was formerly culti¬ 
vated, using the same fertilizer in each 
case. My belief is that if I were to double 
the fertilizer in both fields the wild land 
would give larger trees than the other, but 
it is not a part of my plan to force the 
trees in any way. I hope to demonstrate 
among other things that we may take 
abandoned land, and by reasonable feed¬ 
ing and care, such as is within the reach 
of most farmers, produce good, business¬ 
like trees and high quality fruit. 
I know that Nature knows how to im¬ 
prove a so-called worn-out soil. Work a 
field until it fails to respond and then 
abandon it, what happens? Weeds and 
coarse grass grow, fall down and decay. 
Briers and vines come in and later bushes 
and little trees. Year after year the leaves 
and the stems go back to the soil and de¬ 
cay. The chief reason why the soil failed 
was because the humus or vegetable mat¬ 
ter was all worked out of it. Nature cor¬ 
rects this by giving back to the soil the 
vegetable matter that grows upon it, and 
if after 20 years or so we plow the land 
and plant it we are astonished to see how 
it has gained—not in actual fertility, but 
in its power to make plant food available. 
I fully believe that this is true, and it is 
one reason why I plant my orchards as I 
dc—contrary to the practice of many of 
our best fruit growers. I feel very sure 
that many hillside fields abandoned by old 
methods of culture, have through their 
long idleness, renewed much of their 
strength, and may now be put to useful 
service. H. w. c. 
Extra Fine Imported 
56-Piece China 
TEA SET 
FREE 
with an order for 25 lbs. of 
New Crop 60c , 70c. or 80c. 
Tea, or25 lbs. Great Ameri¬ 
can Baking Powder,45c alb. 
or an assorted order Teas 
and Baking Powder, or 60 
lbs. Bomosa Coffee, 33c. a lb. 
or 502-oz. bottles of pure ex¬ 
tracts, Vanilla. Lemon, etc-, 
25c a bottle or 25 1-lb. cansof 
Spice, any kind, absolutely 
pure,50c a can. 
For prompt attention, 
address Mr. J. J.D., care of 
Great American Tea Co. 
Box 289, 
31-33 Vesey St., New York 
GLEN ROCK'WOOLEN MILLS 
From the sheep direct to the consumer 
SPRING STYLES 1904 
Men’s 
All Wool Suits 
MEW’S AND BOYS’ TROUSERS 
Ready made and made to order. 
Handsomely made and trimjied. 
Boys’ and Children’s Suits -- 1 Knee Pants 
LADIES' DRESS GOODS by the yard, Ker- 
seys, Meltons, 
Broadcloths, Serges, Scotch Mixed Suitings, Ac., 
the latest shades. 
Write for Spring Catalogue and Samples 
You can Save 50% by Buying 
Direct from the Mill. 
Kvery garment, every yard of cloth guaranteed 
Thousands of testimonials from customers in all 
parts of the United States. 
From the raw material to the finished garment 
all under one roof. 
Remember we pay express to all parts of the 
United States. 
GLEN ROCK WOOLEN MILLS, Somerville, N. J. 
Oub 1904 Calendar. Write direct to the mills. 
The Model Incubator 
(not “Cyphers” by name) outhatches my older invention, which is manufactured 
by another house. Do not get the two machines confused. The Model Colony 
Brooder is an entirely new invention. It is double walled, has diffusive ventila¬ 
tion under the hover and can be used as a colony house after the brooding sea¬ 
son is over. The Double Indoor Brooder replaces the Sectional. It is cheaper, 
has two compartments in each end —a hover and warm nursery — is light and 
cheerful, is easily cleaned and one lamp heats it. If you are interested look this 
one over. A simple request brings free catalogue. Don’t forget the street address. 
CHAS. A. CYPHERS. 39-47 HENRY STREET. BUFFALO,'NEW YORK 
THE 
55 
LOU DILLON 
TANDEM GARDEN CULTIVATOR. 
The greatest “Time-saving” garden tocl 
ever invented. Built for MORE SPEED with 
BETTER WORK. Teeth changed from 8 in¬ 
ches to 12 inches or 18 inches IN AN INSTANT 
Shallow, medium or deep c> ltivation obtained 
from A SI3IPLE MOVEMENT of the foot. 
Works the soil at an EVFN DEPTH all down 
the row.—No hit and miss, and KEEPS GOING- 
At least ONE-THIRD quicker than any other 
garden cultivator on earth. Easier to handle 
than a lawn mower. A WOMAN can push it 
SIMPLE. Built for the BIG GARDENER, the 
LITTLE GARDENER and the SUBURBAN¬ 
ITE. The Strawberry grower’s best friend. 
Used for any garden crop. NO 
WRENCH NEEDED. Ask for 
descriptive catalogue and terms. 
Cope-Schaible Mf>. Co., 
Dept. C, Elyria, Ohio 
A Savings Bank on Wheels . 
THE YORK 
Improved Weeder 
The flexibility of the teeth ia the important point in a j 
weeder. The York Improved W eeder has teeth of | 
KQiiure spring steel with rouud points. These teeth 
have great flexibility, and being narrow in the body they 
do not whip or bruise the growing plants as Hat teeth do. 
This stylo also allows more clearance and prevents clog- 
— ging. Our square teeth 
do not break. The frame 
is made of strong flexi¬ 
ble angle steel, aud han¬ 
dles and shafts are adjust¬ 
able. Send for free circular. 
The Spangler Corn Planters I 
and Grain Drills arc the best | 
for jou to use. 
SPANGLER 
MFG. CO., 
601 Queen St., 
York, Pa. 
DiimaI Bl-til Many new routes will go in this year. We 
nUral Ivl all want name and address of every man who 
sends in a petition, nny CDCC to first one sendin e 
We will send a DU A lltEX us full information. 
BOND STEEL POST CO., ADRIAN, MICH. 
Implement Prices 
Hay 
Tools 
All 
Kinds. 
Guaranteed tools—the kind you like to 
Don’t pay double prices, when 
a postal will bring you our free 
Implement Catalogue No. 
145, just off the press, 
completely illustrating 
and describing all the 
new and approved m 1iaW _ we n 
tools for 1904. I 7® 
We sell only re- ■ tested im- 
- -'’ements, 
one de¬ 
signed for a 
certain use 
and guaran- 
teed to do 
what it is in¬ 
tended for, as well or 
better than any other 
similar make. Every 
implemen 4 selected 
and approved by Mr. 
F. L. Shaw, for eleven 
years Manager of D. 
M. Osborn Implement Com- 
„ pany, now Supt. of ever¬ 
growing Implement and 
Vehicle Division. Mr. Shaw 
believes that quality is more 
important than price and in pre¬ 
paring catalogue No. 145. has 
been careful to select only the 
finest and best tool of each kind. 
The leading manufacturers of the United States 
make our goods: some we make ourselves. Our 
implements are in use everywhere, satisfying 
others, and we know they 
will sat- 
i s f y 
you. 
Write 
at once 
for our 
free cat¬ 
alogue No. 145, it 
illustrates, describes 
and prices almost every 
kind of a farm tool or 
implement known, from the Midget 60c. corn 
sheller to the well-known Banner Disc Harrow. 
We have steel beam plows as low as $8.30, culti¬ 
vators for $9.25, corn sheller for 
$4.10, harrows at $8.75, gas en- 
Metal 
Wheels. 
Write ^1117 H glnes $74.50, all 
f or Tgsflk Mk honestly made, cor- 
P • rect in design and 
Brice. guaranteed to please. 
Let us send you a 
catalogue and you can see for yourself. You can 
look over the entire lines, compare our prices and 
see for yourself that we can save you anywhere 
from 15 to 40 per cent.: catalogue also gives 
freight rates, explains our ship on approval plan, 
contains order blanks and gives much desirable 
information. The spring edition is now ready. 
Ask for Implement catalogue No. 145. Address 
Montgomery Ward ^ Co. 
32 years World's Headquarters for Everything. 
Michigan Ave., Madison and Washington Sts. 
- -: Ghicagn 
S CIENTIFIC GRINDING MILLS grind Corn 
In the ear, or Grain In any form. Strong, exact, 
reliable. Catalogue D mailed free. 
FOOS MFG. CO., 8prlngfleld, Ohio. 
Seeds 
Dropped 
In plain 
sight. 
HAND GARDEN TOOLS 
For seeding, furrowing, covering, rolling, 
hoeing, cultivating, raking, etc. 
Matthews’ 
New Universal 
Hand Seeders and Cultivators. 
Best adapted li ne for all work, 1 arge 
or small gardeners. Tool for every 
purpoee. Combination tools, 6 in 1. Wide¬ 
ly adjustable. Full details in tree 1004 
catalogue. Writs for It* 
AMES PLOW COMPANY, S'* MARKET 
Plants and Fertilizes. 
Drop, twelve distance. apart.. 
Marker and Trip Attach¬ 
ments If de.ired. 
One .peration for 
jorn, beans, peas, 
beets, etc with the 
Stir Pattern Billings 
Planter and Fertilizer 
Write for latest catalogue 
oflfarm speciarties. 
STREET, BOSTON, MASS. 
ACME 
’ ing Harrow 
Clod Crusher and Leveler. 
The best pulverizer—cheapest Riding Harrow 
on earth. We also make walking ACMES. 
The Acme crushes, cuts, pulverizes, turns 
and levels all soils for all purposes. Made 
entirely of cast steel and 
wrought iron— indestructible. 
on Trial 
To be returned at my ex* 
pense if not satisfactory. 
Catalogue and Booklet 
“An Ideal Harrow” 
by Henry Stewart, sent free. 
I deliver f.o.b. at New York, Chicago, Columbus, Louisville, Kansas City, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Portland, etc. 
SIZES 
3 to 13/4 feet 
Agents 
Wanted. 
DUANE H. NASH, Sole Manufacturer, Millington, New Jersey. 
Br.nchHou.es: I 10 Washington St., CHICACO. 240 7th Ave. So. MINNEAPOLIS. 1316 W. 8th St. KAN¬ 
SAS CITY, MO. 218 E. Jefferson St., LOUISVILLE, KY. Cor. Water and W. Cay St.., COLUMBUS, OHIO. 
PLEASE MENTION T11K4 PAPER. 
