1904. 
927 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
Hope Farm Notes 
Home Notes. —I thought the storm last 
week was about the limit, but I made the mis¬ 
take of supposing there is any limit to the 
weather. A week later we had the last of 
three storms, each one harder than the one 
before it. I went out late Saturday night 
to get a log of wood and the storm fairly 
drove me into the house. On Sunday morn¬ 
ing the snow lay in great drifts. While our 
folks were getting ready for church Philip 
and I dug out. Nellie Bly started off with 
the Madame and the children, and she had 
her hands and feet full to break out the 
track. Of course in the afternoon I took my 
usual walk over to the peach orchard on the 
hill. You may think it strange that a man 
should go tramping through snowdrifts to 
look at a peach orchard, but it would take 
the worst blizzard that could roar down our 
valley to keep me from looking at my trees 
at least once a week. ... By the time 
this is in print the Hope Farm folks will he 
on the ocean or in Florida. I shall he back 
early in January, while the rest will stay 
down. Old Bird, the white mare, started by 
boat in great style, evidently proud to imagine 
that she is to loaf away the Winter under the 
orange trees. When she strikes Florida her 
dream will be over, for Charlie has a tough 
old field for her to break up. She will wish 
herself back in the Hope Farm barn, but she 
will never see it again. . . . We have 
things in good shape for the Winter. The 
last of the pigs have gone into pork; we have 
sold all but two cows, and one of these will 
be rented to a neighbor for the Winter. Uncle 
George will, give old Kate a painless death, 
sell her hide, feed the meat to his hens and 
divide the bones with us for planting near 
apple trees. Old Kate's days are numbered, 
and she has good deeds enough to her credit 
to put something besides O on her life. Exit 
Kate, with thanks for her good deeds and no 
mention of her faults. . . . Old Major is 
probably ripe to follow Kate, but the Madame 
and the children cannot bear to see the old 
fellow go, so we shall make him comfortable 
in a box stall and give him another lease of 
life. Frank will do our Winter's work, and 
Nellie and her colts will be made comfortable. 
Peter, the pony, will stay at a neighbor's, 
where there are children to care for him. 
Emma will care for the flock of poultry. 
This gets our live stock down to a small com¬ 
pany. This is a part of our definite plan. 
I never expect to winter any stock except one 
cow, the horses we need, and hens. After 
careful figuring I am certain that it pays us 
better to buy pigs or sheep for Summer feed¬ 
ing than it would to breed them here. When 
our trees come in bearing it may pay to 
winter a few hogs to eat the cull apples, but 
except for this I will sell hay rather than 
feed it. . . . To show that this is only 
my opinion I should add that my neighbor 
has a small milk dairy and also boards horses, 
lie buys baled hay to feed the cows and fig¬ 
ures a fair profit on it all told. The fact 
that he can do this while I prefer to sell hay 
and winter as little stock as possible simply 
shows what I have always claimed, that no 
cast-iron rule can be laid down for farmers 
to follow. It will depend upon the man and 
the plans he has made for the future. . . . 
How far our Florida plans will work into this 
scheme remains to be seen. Another freeze 
this year might change the entire outlook. 
We shall see how opr potatoes turn out before 
talking decidedly about a permanent location. 
IIay Farming.—T o show further how local 
plans may differ, here is a note from a New 
York man who has bought a farm on our 
ridge some half mile south of us : 
“I have become interested in reading about 
the so-called ‘Clark' method of raising grass. 
Can I make my farm pay its way by raising 
hay on this ‘intensive’ management? With 
this locality and soil will it pay to specialize 
on hay?" 
When I first came to this farm Uncle Ed 
•advised me to get it all into good grass and 
sell nothing but hay, keeping only such help 
as haying would require. There were other 
things to be considered, so I plowed most of 
the farm and tried potatoes, cabbage and sim¬ 
ilar crops. I hated to look at my figures, but 
I had to admit they demonstrated that our 
hills are not well adapted to these crops. It 
costs too much to keep natural grass land 
clean. Having proved this, my first idea was 
to imitate Clark, clean up the fields, and put 
them in grass. The attempt to clean up one 
acre as he advises frightened me. The cost 
is too great on our steep rocky land. I then 
became interested in our present plan of 
planting fruit trees on rough land, and decid 
ed to seed the land as best we could, without 
pulling out the rocks, get the best grass we 
could in this way, and plant trees in the sod. 
For us this seems to be the best disposition 
to make of the hillsides. 
Few men realize what it would mean to 
carry out the details of the “Clark” plan in 
our country. The fields must be made per¬ 
fectly smooth and graded exactly true. The 
drainage must be thorough and all the foul 
stuff of weeds, grass or brush killed out. 
Imagine what this means on fields covered 
with small stones and frequent large rocks, 
some of the soil sour and poorly drained, and 
many grown up to briers and small trees. It 
would be possible to clean them up as Mr. 
Clark advises, but with our present high- 
priced labor the cost would he tremendous. 
It would be doubly so for a man who could 
not be on the spot all the time and superin¬ 
tend the job. We are within 25 miles of New 
York, on a hill which was designed for apple 
trees and scenery. It can be but a question 
of time before this location will be demanded 
for building purposes. When that time comes 
the money spent in smoothing the ground for 
grass growing will not add to the value of the 
hills, while orchards will do so. I think all 
these things must be considered, and in view 
of the evident destiny of these hillsides I 
would not. spend money in pulling rocks and 
grading. The “Clark” method is special 
farming. It is suited to special soils and lo¬ 
cations, and most of all for places where farm¬ 
ing is to be followed for many years—a per¬ 
manent investment. The fact is that this 
Clark grass method is to ordinary farming 
about what violet growing is to gardening. 
At the same time this Clark method is surely 
the way to grow large yields of grass. A 
modification of it, spending all the money that 
one can well afford, will pay. After fitting 
ing the ground as well as we can afford we 
should use double the quantity of seed that 
farmers usually sow, and double the amount 
of fertilizer. On this soil we should use lime 
also. I consider it. quite possible to average 
2>4 tons per acre on our hills. At our prices 
this means $50 per acre, with an average cost 
of about $20. 
Alt. Sorts. —This same neighbor also asks 
this one : 
“The stone fences on our place are overrun 
with poison ivy. How can I get rid of it?" 
You have a job before you. The best way 
is to cut the vines out in February or March 
and burn them. Of course the man who does 
it should wear leather gloves, and be careful 
where he puts them. Some people are less 
likely to be poisoned than others. If you can 
get at the root, grub it out and burn it. If 
not, put a good handful of salt on it and 
watch the new sprouts, keeping them cut off 
through the Summer. 
Here is a good friend all ready for an argu¬ 
ment : 
“The R. N.-Y. is one of the best papers in 
its chosen field that we receive, but I do not 
agree with all it says, and intend to do some 
criticising the coming year, and in particular 
give the mulching orchard business some hard 
licks.” n. c. e. 
Nothing will do us so much good as to have 
an honest man come forward and give “mulch¬ 
ing" the hardest kind of licks! If I agreed 
with everybody I should begin to be fright¬ 
ened. “Mulching” will stand lots of pound¬ 
ing. I have been talking with .T. II. Hale 
lately about an orchard of apple and peach 
which he started on a rough hillside without' 
plowing or fitting. The trees were cut back, 
top and root, and planted right among the 
stumps after the whole thing was burned 
over. Instead of plowing and cultivating, six 
Italians went at the orchard with hoe and 
brush scythe, working around the trees and 
cutting sprouts to be used as mulch. I un¬ 
derstood Mr. Ilale to say that these six Ital¬ 
ians practically took care of nearly 75 acres 
of young trees. These trees have made a 
better growth than similar trees planted on 
land which it cost Mr. Ilale over $S0 per acre 
to clear! As for the expense the interest on 
the cost of clearing an acre of rocks and 
stumps would about pay for hand-working an 
acre of this rough land. This corresponds 
with my own experience, but Mr.'Ilale says he 
will not mulch the trees, and that he still 
objects to the sod method. He expects to 
hand-work the ground so that with spring- 
tooth or Cutaway he can give fair culture. I 
make the prophecy, however, that those trees 
will prove to Mr. Ilale what humans have 
failed to do—that fine fruit can be grown on 
rough land without cultivation. 
Ax Open Fire. —Do we enjoy our open fire 
as we did before the bottom got too hot? Yes, 
but it is not unlike an old fellow playing 
baseball or some other game, or a child that 
has been forced to look into the backyard 
of things that seemed about perfect in front. 
I am sure the fireplace is safe now, but when 
a suggestion has grown to be a part of your 
mind how do you pull it out? I suppose I 
ought not to have said a word about that fire. 
A good friend in Connecticut writes how her 
husband has opposed an open fire, while she 
loves to have one. This is what she writes: 
“Our home has only one thing lacking, the 
aforesaid open fire. No amount of persuasion 
could compass that. Sometimes as I read 
about you, sitting before your chimney, 1 
would reproach him, that we had none, and 
remark how much comfort you took with it. 
lie said on the last occasion : ‘Let. him take 
comfort; it will burn his house up some day.’ 
How he will crow over me when he reads that 
it nearly came true. No chance for an open 
fire for me now.” 
That’s too bad. Nobody knows how near 
we had him going. No doubt he intended to 
put in a fireplace as a Christmas present! 
By telling about our danger I seem to have 
put my foot right into the stocking and 
crowded the present out. I want the open 
fire. It will be great company to me this 
Winter while the storms are roaring outside 
to sit by the fire of an evening and think 
that the Madame and the children have no 
need of a blaze. At the same time I shall 
surely keep an eye on the timbers around the 
fireplace! What are these warnings for, if 
not to make us careful? A failure to take 
a hint is the starting point of a kick. 
it. w. c. 
When yon write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you'll get a quick reply and 
“a square deal." See guarantee, page 8. 
SHIP 
YOUR 
FURS 
McMillan Fur & Wool Co. 
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. 
WRITE FOR CIRCULARS 
Ha rness 
We sell custom made, oak- 
tanned harness by mail. Alt 
styles.Guaranteed to give sat¬ 
isfaction or goods returned 
at our expense and money 
hack. Illustrated catalogue 
F and price list free. 
The KIN G IIA RN ESS CO. 
ti I.tike St. 
Owcgo, Tioga Co., Ji. Y. 
ICE 
CUTTING is easy 
Hade 
In Three 
Sizes. 
with 
OORSC1I All Steel, Rouble- 
Row ICE PLOWS. Marks and 
cuts two rows at a time ; cuts any size cake 
and any depth, and does it with ease and economy. 
Does the work of twenty men sawing by hand. Pays Tor itself la 
two days. No farmer, dairyman, hotel man or other can aflord to 
be without it. Ask for catalogue and introductory prices. 
John OorttchA Sons. a«G Wcll»St..Mllwaukee,WI«. 
ICE CUTTING 
must be done quickly and cheaply to be profitable. 
Dairymen, hotels, butchers, farmers and others need 
RED, WHITE |hr [)| HWC 
AND BLUE Hit rLUVTOl 
Strong, keen and fast 
cutters. Have Patent 
Clearing Tooth* 
Low 
Prices. 
Illustrated 
Catalogue 
FREE. 
Made in all sizes. 
Regular or Adjust* 
_ able Swing Guide on 
TK and 9 inch* Will more than save their cost on first crop 
put up. We make Ice Tools of every description. 
AMES PLOW CO. a 54 Markot Stroot, Boston, Mass* 
BUZZARD & HORSE ICE CALKS 
Sharpen your own horse. No waiting at the smith’s 
Liberal prices to agents. S. W- Kent, Cazenovia.N.V 
Lei Us Send You 
Our Book. 
abont good wheels and prood wagons that will save 
you a lot o£ work and make you a lot of money—the 
ELECTRIC STEEL WHEELS 
-and the- * 
ELECTRIC HANDY WAGON. 
By every test, they are the best. More than one and 
a quarter millions sold. Spokes united to the 
hub. Can’t work looso. A set of our wheels will 
make your old wagon new. Catalogue free. 
ELECTRIC WHEEL CO., Box 88, Quincy, Hie. 
WE LEAD THE WORLD 
We are the largeit manufac¬ 
turers of Grooved and Plain 
Tire Steel Farm Wagon 
"Wheels in America. We 
guarantee our patent 
Grooved Tire Wheels to 
be the best made by anybody 
anywhere. Write us. 
HAVANA METAL WHEEL CO. 
BOX 1 7 HAVANA, ILL 
Use the Wina 
judiciously by makiug it do your 
pumping, grinding, sawing, etc 
with a 
FREEMAN 
Steel 
Windmill 
The one evenly balanced, strong 
and durable windmill that re¬ 
sponds to the lightest wind. Its four- 
post angle steel tower stands the storms. 
We also make Feed Cutters, Wood Saws. 
Corn Shelters, etc, Send for Free catalog 102 
S. FREEMAN & SONS MFG. CO., 
Racine, Wisconsin. 
PISOS CURE FOR 
CURES WHERE ALL ELSE FAILS 
Best Cough Syrup. Tastes Good. 
Use in time. Sold by druggists. 
CONSUMPTION 
The Fearless lallway 
Horse Powers 
run eaeiet and yield moro power than any other. 
Suited to Cutting, tfauring,Pumping, Thresh¬ 
ing —all farm uacs. Alao Threahew, Engine#, 
Cutters, Saw Machines, Round Sllofl, ©to. Cafr- 
^myJaloguo free. 
UFO. CO., Coble.hlll, If. T. 
R^ed Chief 
Corn Sheller 
(Patented.) 
Guaranteed to do better work than any 
other hand sheller made. Closed hop¬ 
per. Can’t pinch fingers, adjusts itself 
to any size ear. 
Gels All The Corn 
Shells every grain without 
cracking any of them; always 
throws cob outside the vessel. 
Clamps to barrel or keg same 
as straight edge box. An 
easy runner and lasts indefi- 
nitely. We furnish all re- 
pairs free. Clrcularsentfree. 
Sendforspecial farmcrs'offer. 
BRINLY-HARDY CO. 
253Main St. Louisville, Ky. 
p/»TEb 
DITTO'S CEARED 
Ball Bearing 
FEED GRINDER. 
^ Sold on trial. We ask no 
money in adyance. Try 
on your own farm, if not of 
largest capacity, easiest 
running and most durable, 
don’t keep it. Circulars free. 
G. M. DITTO, BOX56, JOLIET, ILL. 
This Is ihe 
Quaker City 
Grinding Mill. 
For Corn and Cobs, Feed 
and Table Meal. 
Send for all mills advertised; 
« i keep the best and re ' 
oem Oil I IICUb turn all others. Built 
in 8 sizes. I to 20 horse power. Ball bearing, 
easy running. Freight paid. Send for our 
38th Annual Catalogue. It’s free. 
tl. 1 Ul O+vniihPn 3737 Filbert St., Philadelphia, Pa. 
I IIB A.W .otrsilu UO. 47-l» Canid St., Chicago, Ilia. 
For 15Days 
<][ No like, no 
keep; no keep, 
no pay—that’s 
the “Mon¬ 
arch” way. 
<J Enables you 
to know what 
you will get. 
|J VV e make 
French Burr, 
Attrition , 
Feed, Meal and 
Grist Mills, 
Corn Shellers, 
Crushers, all kinds of milling machinery and sup¬ 
plies. fl "Mon- arch” Machinery 
costs a little f.-gT TA 1 1. r ife) more,pet haps, 
hut it does more t. lier ® 
no “extras” or “repairs.’; Get 
our Catalogand^f Ret mill-wise, 
s P r O t%m£MjPWaldroi\ 
P.O.BOX 263 MUNCY. PA. 
BOWSHER MILLSA 
(Sold with or without Elevator.) 
For Every Variety of Work. 
Have conical shaped grinders. Different 
from all others. Handiest to operate and 
LIGHTEST RUNNING. 
7 *lze*—to 25 hors© power. On© stylo for 
windwheel use. ( Also nmLe Sweep 
Grinders—Geared and Plain.) 
P. N. BOWSHER, South Bend, Ind. 
SAW 
Wood 
and say nothing. You’ll 
save labor and yet 
accomplish something 
with the last cutting 
New Holland 
Saws 
With ripping table and adjustable gauge for ri p- 
ping boards, pales, lath, etc. Made in 8 sizes, 1 to 12 
h. p. New Holland Feed Mills in 3 styles and4sizes 
are best grinders made. Write for free booklets. 
Now Holland Moh. Co., Box I IS.Now Holland,Pa. 
VICTORY FEED MILL. 
Oldest and Best Grinding Mill 
Made. Will crush and grind 
corn and cob and all kinds of 
grain, mixed or separate 
Grinds faster, finer and with 
less power than other mills. 
Are built strong, well made of 
good material, and will last 
a lifetime. Small size adapt¬ 
ed for windand tread power. 
Made in four sizes for 1.4,8 
and 10 H. P. Free Catalogue, 
Til OS. ROBERTS, 
Box 92. Springfield. O, 
With an Appleton Wood 
SAW you can rapidly and with 
ease and safety 
your own wood 
and Save Coal, 
time, labor and 
money; or saw 
your neighbor’s 
wood and make 
$5to$l5aDay 
Strong, rigid 
frame, adjustable 
dust-proof oil boxes, etc. .We make five styles. 
Also the famous “Hero” Friction-Feed Drag Saw, 
Feed Grinders, Ensilage and Fodder Cutters, Husk- 
ers, Shellers, Sweep Horse Powers, Tread Powers, 
Wind Mills, etc. Write to-day for free catalogue. 
Appleton Mfg. Co. 27 Fargo St.,Batavia,Ill | 
