1901 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
211 
HOPE FARM ROTES. 
The Woman’s Hoksb.— Back on page 147 
a farmer got after me about keeping old 
Major when the food he eats would pro¬ 
vide for a heifer. One of the things I have 
learned during my career as a married 
man is the fact that there are times when 
man should preserve a dark silence, which 
will bring out woman’s flaming words in 
strong relief. So I just turned this woman’s 
horse question right over to the women 
folks—and here you have one from the 
original horse woman; 
“I wonder whether the man who has no 
use for a woman’s horse has any room in 
his heart for a woman’s love? Or hasn’t 
he any heart, and his liver keeps his blood 
in circulation? If that man isn’t careful 
he will spend more in cigars, tobacco, etc., 
than it would cost to winter a woman’s 
horse, which need not be an old one, good 
tor nothing else. In this section the farmer 
often sends his wife to town on business 
or to the blacksmith’s shop when his time 
is worth money to him at home. Also, 
many times on the farm a woman can drive 
the team or in other ways save the wages 
of one of those important beings called 
m-a-n. I would like to hear what the farm¬ 
ers and their wives think about the money 
question. Shouid the husband keep his 
pocketbook locked up or deep in his pants 
pocket, or let his wife have free access to 
it? Many women would save dimes, if they 
had the chance, where the men spend 
quarters. I believe when a woman marries 
she should share all the joys and sorrows 
of her husband; also the pocketbook, be it 
ever so lean or fat.” only a woman. 
Now, I don’t know of anything I can say 
that will add any italics to that. Do I in¬ 
dorse every word of it? Well, now, I pre¬ 
fer to act as judge in this case, and not 
add any arguments. Of course, there are 
cases where a man is struggling under such 
a heavy load that the feed for an extra 
horse would hurt him. But suppose such a 
man spent more for tobacco and beer than 
the horse would cost? Well, when I ran 
for office last Fall I was told by some ex¬ 
cellent people that the public has nothing 
to do with a man’s personal habits. I im¬ 
agine therefore that the laws of polite so¬ 
ciety enable a man to be as seliish as his 
wife permits him to be. In many cases, 
though not all, when the woman does not 
get all that she deserves, it is because she 
has lowered her standard of high living, 
played with her just rights, and lost them! 
The Pocketbook. —Am I going on to air 
my views regarding money matters between 
man and wife? No; because one can no 
more lay down cast-iron rules about such 
matters than he can say just exactly how 
corn should be grown on all soils. X think 
every woman should have some money of 
her own. The Madame has kept a small 
bank account for several years, and draws 
her own checks. I believe that it does any 
woman good to handle some little money 
of her own, with power to spend it just 
as she likes—without consulting anyone 
about it. One good thing for a man to do 
is to make his wile a birthday present each 
year of one dollar for each year of her 
age. She ought to increase in value a little 
each year! I do not like to see a man and 
woman stand off and say luy house, rny 
money, my farm. It is our property, or else 
that man and woman are not properly 
married. Many a man will give nis wile 
lOO per cent of his advice and conlidence, 
and yet feel frightened if he gives her one 
per cent of his money, it is true that we 
hear of women who ruin their husbands 
llnancially by extravagance and foolish ad¬ 
vice. I have known of such cases, but I 
think I can match every one of them with 
a case whei’e the husband has dwarfed the 
real development of his wife by pinching 
cents out of her self-respect. It a woman 
finds all the wires cut between her needs 
and the farm pocketbook it will, in rnpst 
cases, be her own fault, for either starting 
wrong or running away from her rights 
later. The trouble is that lots of men and 
plenty of women, too, think man confers 
the greatest possible boon upon woman 
when he makes her his wife. The obliga¬ 
tion is really on the other side, but that 
is not the view taken by many young 
women. But the time has come for me to 
stop, or the Madame will remark in her 
incisive way—‘‘Or fat men just gray enough 
to think they are smart!” 
Farm Outlook.— I have tried to do some 
hard thinking lately about the best thing 
to do with this farm. The old farm was 
light and warm, quick and easily worked, 
and within a short distance of a little town. 
The present farm is two miles from town, 
with high hills between. The soil is heavy 
—the lower part inclined to be damp. The 
high hill is of lighter soil, yet there is 
considerable clay in it. Last year’s ex¬ 
perience has about convinced me that this 
soil Is better adapted for growing grass, 
grain and tree fruits than for truck, pota¬ 
toes or small fruits. It seems to me that 
I cannot bring the methods suitable for the 
light soils of the valley up on to those 
high and hard hillsides, but that other 
crops and methods are needed. It would 
probably be about as sensible to put big 
Frank on the race track as to try to use 
our natural grass lands for truck and 
quick-growing garden crops. It could be 
done, but it would mean unnatural meth¬ 
ods. I am obliged to confess that Nature 
seems to have wrinkled up our ridge for the 
express purpose of producing trees and 
grass. Why should man, with his puny 
arm, undertake to fight against natural 
tendencies? Better get In line with these 
^ndencles, and develop them usefully, 
lhat is the way I feel about it, and I am 
disposed to switch about and change my 
farm plans. 
■ All Sorts.— The Scion came through his 
attack of pneumonia nicely. He was a 
pretty sick boy for several days, but there 
was a watchful eye on him all the time, 
and quick hands to keep him covered when 
he twisted any part of his hot little body 
out from under the covers. It is fortunate 
we took him in time. It is never safe to 
take any risk with children. Get after 
them at once if they begin to droop. 
. . . . A reader asks whether Orchard 
grass will make good pasture. From the 
little experience I have had with it I 
should say that it will stand pasturing 
better than any grass we have, except 
Blue grass. I shall sow it in an orchard 
with Red clover, and expect good pasture 
from it.This has been the most 
disagreeable March I have known since the 
year of the great blizzard—1888. It has I 
been cold, raw and windy. At times the 
wind has blown a small hurricane. It 
seems as though Jack Frost, having im¬ 
portant business elsewhere, had hired a 
dwarf blizzard to come and rub it in. Our 
folks were never so weary of Winter. My, 
but won’t they welcome the sun and grass 
once more! .... We have begun feed¬ 
ing the oat hay to the horses. The shred¬ 
ded fodder lasted until March 1, and we 
have nearly five tons more to shred. This 
will keep the cows when they first get out 
to grass.I have had several let¬ 
ters like the inclosed: 
‘‘In your article on the treatment of oats 
for smut in Hope Farm Notes you did not 
say how many oats were treated with the 
half pint of formaldehyde. Will you tell 
us whether formaldehyde will do for us on 
oats what Bordeaux does for potatoes? I 
think it will increase the yield one-third 
here.” o. d. n. 
Maine. 
We gave 12 bushels of oats a good wet¬ 
ting with this amount of water and could 
have provided for eight more. With us this 
formaldehyde treatment for oats proved 
more effective than Bordeaux on potatoes. 
The germs of the oat disease were in the 
grain. When they were killed the plants 
had a far better chance to grow and de¬ 
velop. Most rusty oats are cursed from 
the start, for they never have a fair chance 
to grow. The case is different with pota¬ 
toes and Bordeaux. Bear in mind, how¬ 
ever, that I do not guarantee the oat treat¬ 
ment. I simply tell what it did for us. 
H. w. c. 
»¥ininmninmnmninininmni^^ 
INCHES TER 
REPEATING SHOT GUNS 
are cheap in price, but in price only. “ Take Down ” 
guns list at $27.00 and Solid Frame guns at $25.00, but 
they will outshoot and outlast the highest priced 
double barreled guns, and they are as safe, reliable 
and handy besides. Winchester Shot Guns are made 
of the very best materials that can be procured, a 
thoroughly modern system of manufacture permitting 
them to be sold at buyable prices. ^ ^ /R 
FREE—Send name and address on a postal card for 164 page illustrated catalogue. 
WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS CO.. NEW HAVEN. CT. 
Excellent for 
“brushing” In 
clover and 
grass seeds. 
Eclipse Weeder 
Adopts an Entirely New PHncIple In Weeders. 
The teeth are adjustable so that those coming Imme¬ 
diately over the plants in the row may Gradually be 
raised as the plants increase in size. I means that 
this weeder may be used long«fter the utility of all 
other Weeders has ceased, fltis 39 c il tempered 
spring teeth, all adjustable to be raised or lowered, 
-to stand straight, or slant to or from the plants. 
Stirs, fines and pulverizes all the top soli and kills all 
weeds, quack grass, etc. Adjustable Shafts—fit any horse. Send at once for special weeder circvlcrs, Ac .. 
THE BELCHER & TAYLOR A. T. CO.. Box 76 • CHICOPEE FALLS, MASS. V 
Peaches and Japan Plums 
to name, and low in price. Order now Special offers of Boses a: 
are our Specialties. A full line 
of Fruit Trees, Plants and Or¬ 
namentals. Our trees are hardy, 
healihy, carefully graded, true 
name, and low in price. Order now” Special offers of Boses and Shrubs. Postal card request 
brings catalogue. No agents. You deal direct. We also sell the best SPEAY PUMPS. 
THE CHESHIBE NUESEBY CO., F. M. Frost, Manager, Lock Box A, West Cheshire, Conn. 
