1901 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
231 
HOPE PARK NOTES. 
AT Our Worst.— If you wish to see the 
country in northern New Jersey at its 
worst you should put on your rubber boots 
and walk abroad during the last days of 
March. You will need boots, for the frost 
has crawled at least 18 inches into the 
ground, and the officious Winter sun has 
tried to crawl in and pull him out. The 
result is four or five inches of soft slimy 
mud, into which the foot of man and beast 
plows great ragged holes and furrows. 
Every rain and thaw on the hills sends the 
water coursing down. It cannot sink in 
past the frost, and so it gouges on down 
the hillsides, leaving the very bones bare 
in some places. While the sun may be 
shining brightly the air comes over the 
hills with a dagger in one hand and salt in 
the other to stab and rub the pain in! As 
you look across the valley you see cold 
corners on the north sides of the hills 
where snow lingers and pneumonia waits 
for its victims. The cattle, rough-haired 
after their long Winter in the barn, stand 
in dumb unhappiness around the buildings 
or track their muddy way over the fields. 
1 he hill roads are deep tracks of mud, over 
vliich few horses are driven for pleasure. 
The big apple trees have mostly been 
trimmed with a liberal hand, and each one 
has a ring of brush around it, as though 
it were caught partly undressed in this 
desolate season. 
Looking Things Over.— Yes, it is the 
hardest season of the year. The women 
folks are closely housebound and the men 
are sick and tired of the mud. This is the 
season that breaks the heart of the city 
family who thought to make a happy home 
on the farm. Hope Farm has been pretty 
well battered, but is still in the ring. The 
rain washed down the hill and made some 
bad gashes just where we least expected 
them. We thought we were ready for a 
Hood, but this one got in a blow in a new 
place. It jumped out of the ditch we made 
for it, and rushed over one of the meadows 
we had seeded to grass on the famous 
Clark method. It looks now like a bad 
wreck, but grass is tough, and we may 
get something from it yet. The other 
grass field looks better, but the frost has 
pulled out a good share of the plants. That 
Hood made a raid through the field where 
we sowed Crimson clover, rye and Winter 
oats all together. They don’t look happy 
at present, but they may find that March 
tears have watered them for June smiling! 
Some of the Winter oats seeded alone are 
greening up, but it will be a poor stand at 
best. Yes, the farm looks sick enough 
just now. What a hopeless thing it would 
be if we were forced to conclude that the 
year is to contain 365 days of March 
weather! No—we are starting pansy seeds, 
tomatoes and cabbage—getting the seed 
potatoes ready, and going right ahead, sure 
that June will show up at the regular time 
all ready for business. As I look at that 
grass field I am reminded that the best of 
us are likely to let our enthusiasm slop 
over in June. Yet, if we did all our truth¬ 
ful talking in March painting things only 
as they are then—who would try to im¬ 
prove? Another thing that I now realize 
is why Mr. Clark lays so much stress on 
grading and leveling the field. Had 1 
spent more time on this field making a 
level, gentle slope this flood would have 
done far less damage. March rubs things 
into us, but June is apt to heal the sting 
and make us forget it. 
What to Raise.— We have something 
over six acres of rye and Winter oats 
growing. Last Fall we seeded about four 
acres to grass. I now plan to cut all the 
rye early for fodder. In the orchard near 
the barn we expect to sow beardless barley, 
seeding to Orchard grass and Red clover 
at the same time. The barley will probably 
be cut for hay. Over the hill where I 
thought to put a large crop of potatoes we 
shall sow oats to be followed in part by 
sweet corn or grass seeding. On the high 
hill the frost holds off until late in the Fall, 
and there is a good chance that the sweet 
corn will ear out. If it does it will bring 
good money. If it does not it will make 
fine fodder. I shall plant a fair acreage of 
potatoes in the best soil of the farm, a 
fair lot of sugar beets and all the corn 1 
can get In. I shall also start a peach or¬ 
chard this Spring and a young apple or¬ 
chard next Fall. But what are you to do 
with all this fodder? Well, it means live 
stock of some sort—cows, hogs and hens. 
1 now have five head of horned cattle, four 
of which will be giving milk by next Pall. 
We have four brood sows now. I also hope 
to carry a flock of at least 300 hens. I hope 
to see the time when I can sell Timothy 
hay enough to pay for all the bran and 
middlings we need. Our own stock can 
live on oat hay and shredded fodder for 
roughage. 
Winter Jobs.— Since I stated that some 
paying Winter job would be acceptable at 
Hope Farm 1 have been well supplied with 
suggestions. Witch-hazel growing was ex¬ 
ploded when the price for the twigs was 
quoted. Broom making is very doubtful. 
A friend in Michigan sends a full raft of 
ideas. Here are some of them: 
1. A mail order business! Invent some 
toy or get hold of some little thing and 
advertise it for sale! The trouble about 
this is that I am no inventor. Charlie 
might get up something of the sort, but 
I doubt the profit in it unless one has some¬ 
thing entirely new. 
2. Sell botanical specimens to city pupils 
and others. Our friend says that thou¬ 
sands of city children do not know the 
silky covering on the milkweed, corn silk, 
grass, etc., yet they often have to study 
botany. There might be something in this 
—I am not sure. 
3. Why not work up your old stone walls 
into marbles or paper weights? “Let your 
Windmill do the work!” Marbles are put 
together the other way—pressed and baked. 
[ have some stone much the same as the 
famous Plymouth Rock. If I believed in 
the oleo business as at present conducted 
I might pound up our stone walls and sell 
the pieces for weights from the famous 
stepping stone. 
4. Our friend thinks that we have so 
many women folks that they might go into 
the rug-making business or carve out new 
designs from wood for Noah’s arks, or put 
a turning lathe on the windmill and turn 
out chestnut timber into woodenware or 
set out Japan chestnuts on our back fields 
and sell big crops from them! 
I mention these suggestions as they 
come. Some of them seem to me impracti¬ 
cal as we are situated. I find it easier to 
make 100 plans than it is to execute one 
plan well. 
Seasonable Notes.— Our seed potatoes 
have been kept in the cellar. Some of them 
have sprouted quite badly. Our second- 
crop June Eatiag, grown from seed dug 
in Florida in May, have hardly started a, 
sprout. The cellar is no place for seed po¬ 
tatoes. I must have a better place next 
Fall. We are looking the seed over al¬ 
ready and shall bring several barrels for 
earliest planting out into a sunny place. 
This will make the sprouts thick and 
strong.The hens are doing better. 
They laid 238 eggs in the first 15 days of 
March. We have the 220-egg Incubator 
under way and one old hen has been grati¬ 
fied in her desire to add to the chicken 
population of Bergen County. This old 
hen hatched three broods last year! 
. . . , I am asked how we handle and 
feed our purebred Berkshire sow. At pres¬ 
ent she occupies a box stall in the corner 
of the small barn. There Is a pen con¬ 
nected with it and on fine days she runs 
out and in at will. We have fed her boiled 
turnips and small potatoes mixed with 
wheat bran and middlings. I don’t believe 
in. starving a brood sow. Possibly we have 
made this one too fat in our first attempt, 
but I do not think so. She has had plenty 
of green cabbage and now and then a 
handful of oil meal In her mess. She has 
also had wood ashes in plenty. The hog^ 
house will soon be ready and then she will 
be moved into a good-sized pen in that 
building. I have been criticised by some 
good hog breeders for ever building a large 
hoghouse. They say that the small port¬ 
able houses are much better. . . . The 
little Scion is out of danger, but cannot 
go out doors yet, for the wind is too 
fierce. He has to play out doors by proxy 
—running from one window to another to 
watch the other children. We bought hlmr', 
a little bucksaw and frame and Aunt Jen¬ 
nie lets him work with it in the kitchen. 
The Graft brings in the smaller sticks 
from the pile, and between them the little 
fellows really provide a fair supply of fuel. 
Farm Partners.— One “new thing” that 
is in great demand Is a breed or variety of 
farm hand or manager. The position of 
a good many farmers is stated in the in¬ 
closed letter: 
The R. N.-Y. prints a statement in re¬ 
gard to men leaving the city in search 
of country employment; also those wish¬ 
ing to buy farms, etc. Can you tell 
us of a worthy man and wife who would 
come to the country for that purpose, 
whom you can personally recommend (or 
through others?) We are much in need of 
help on our farm; would like a married 
couple—honest, industrious and ambitious. 
Our farm is a small but good one, in Alle¬ 
gany Co.; good fruit, a sugar bush with 
evaporator, Jersey stock with a cream 
separator, well watered, etc. Any man 
who has $1,000 or $1,500 to Invest, and wants 
a farm, could not do better than to come 
here. They could have the opportunity 
of coming for one year at proper wages, 
and learn how to do farm work, eventually 
to buy the farm if they liked. If you 
could send the right man both parties 
could be benefited, farmer. 
Rushford, N. Y. 
I regret to say that I do not know of 
any such person. There ought to be lots 
of them, but they are not in view. One would 
think this a good chance for some indus¬ 
trious couple, and I have no doubt that there 
are hundreds more like It. The man who 
can find the true connecting like between 
such people and the farm will do good 
service for his country. h. w. c. 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you will get a quick reply and 
“a square deal.” See our guarantee 
Why Stay in a Rut? 
Why will you continue the old method of cultivation when so many 
farmers are saving dollars in time and making gold eagles 
in increased yields by using 
HALLOCK’S “Success 
SURFACE 
CULTIVATOR 
Get Out of the Write for what 
farmers say about it, and introductory 
price. 
HallockWeeder and Cultivator Co., 
Box 805, York, Pa. 
p 
1 
1 
1 
p 
Buckeye Cultivators 
This is our new hillside or pivot axle Riding Cul- 
No. 72. Buckeye Pivot Axle 
Wheel Guide Cultivator. 
tivator, equipped with six pin shovels on straight 
standards. The wheels on this Cultivator are 
pivoted to the frame and it is what is termed a 
wheel guide Cultivator. The beams are so con¬ 
nected that they shift in unison with the wheels, 
thereby enabling the operator to guide the plow 
entirely independent of the team. In addition to 
convenient levers for raising the beams, it is pro¬ 
vided with a spacing lever by means of which the 
beams can be spaced to any desired width while the 
machine is in operation. Our No. ":Hs the same as 
above, with the exception that it has our new 
Buckeye spring trip. No. 74 is also similar to the 
above, with the e.xception that it has eight pin 
shovels, the two additional shovels being clamped 
in the rear to the outside of the beam and is only 
furnished in pin shovel. We make a full line of 
riding and walking Cultivators. Send for new 
Catalogue No. 40. 
P. P. MAST & CO., No. 9 Canal Street, Springfield, Ohio. 
^'''’BELLEVUE AnMriction Disc Ha 
The Bellevue Disc Harrow is con¬ 
structed with Anti-Friction bear¬ 
ings and boxes and Anti-Friction 
heads on the inside of each gang, 
relieving strain and wear on 
parts and lightening the draft 
on horses. Separate levers govern 
each gang of dhscs. Built and bal¬ 
anced to overcome any side draft 
or neck weight on the horses. 
Send for catalogue describing full line of 
farm implements. 
The Ohio 
Cultivator Company. 
Bellevue, 
Ohio. 
Twelve 16 in. Round 
Discs and 3 Horse At¬ 
tachments. Adjustable 
Heavy Steel Frame. 
Built in all .sizes and 
furnished with either 2, 
3 or 4 horse eveners. 
Awarded first prize 
at World’s Fair. 
Discs made in 
all sizes, both 
solid and 
cutaway. 
For Level Land and 
Foot Latch. 
SHIFTING CLEVIS 
PATENT Chilled Centennial Swivel Plow. 
Mo Dead 
Furrows. 
Lightest 
Draft. 
Best Quality Work. 
MADE ONLY BY 
AMES PLOW CO, 
BOSTON and 
NEW YORK. 
Send for circulars and our 1901 Catalogue of 
Agricultural Implements. 
STAR PATTERN 
BILLINGS 
Is the latest, and it drops 
at twelve different dis 
Planter and Fertilizer t 
For CORN, 
BEANS, PEAS 
and 
BEET SEED. 
If you want them, we fur¬ 
nish M.arker and Trip At¬ 
tachment for rowing both 
ways. Send for Circulars. 
♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ 
K. Potato 
DIGGER 
{Patent Apjilied for.) 
Guaranteed 
to do as good work in 
the same field as any 
four-horse elevator 
digger on the market Price one-half. Draft one-half. Cost per year for repairs, one- 
fifth. Guaranteed to dig as clean as a man can with a fork. Will make digging potatoes 
as easy, simple and inexpensive as cutting grass. Would such a digger please you ? Will 
you buy such a digger ? WE TAKE ALL THE RISK— unsatisfactory work in your field 
means no sale. Every farmer who grows five acres or more of potatoes is interested. We 
wish to hear from all such. q_ y. HALLOCK & SONS, BOX D 805, York, Pa. 
(Please mention box number.) 
