1906. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
459 
Hope Farm Notes 
I want to jump from New Jersey across 
the Atlantic to Egypt this week. Not be¬ 
cause I am trying to run away, but I think 
the following letter from an old friend 
will prove interesting to our people. 
Some of us at times feel as if we might 
do better if we could get off somewhere 
else. Nine cases out of 10 that is a 
dream. The place for us to put in our 
best licks is at home. The condition of 
affairs in Egypt is a melancholy example 
of what happens when men or nations try 
to stand still and live on old warmed-over 
glory. 
My dear Mr. Hope Farm Man :—The atmos¬ 
phere was very much the color of Plymouth 
Rock, and as cold too, one day last Decem¬ 
ber when we left the shore guarded over 
by Miles Standish, and the same weather 
followed us across the Atlantic, which made 
our trip as far as Gibraltar not of the pleas¬ 
antest. But the sight of land, which to my 
mind, is the finest feature of a sea voyage, 
and the appearance of oranges and lemons 
on the evergreen trees made us forget the 
tribulations of the previous days as we en¬ 
tered the Mediterranean Sea. The Hamburg 
did not seem like the same boat, the sun was 
bright, the air clear and dry, and the sky 
and water the same color. I had often heard 
without paying much attention to it that the 
water there was more salty than in the At¬ 
lantic, and I know now that it is so; the 
reason for it, so a fellow passenger, professor 
at some Connecticut college, told me, was 
that the evaporation of that great sheet of 
water was probably greater than the supply 
from the rivers emptying into it, so that it 
depended on the Atlantic for its deficiency— 
that sounds logical; as for the color of it, 
he could not advance any theory. The fact Is 
that it was so blue that even In my morn^ 
ing salt water bath it seemed as if artificially 
colored 
The Land of Pharaoh.—W hen after a 
week more of a navigation which made every¬ 
one well who had not shown up on the At¬ 
lantic, we suddenly came upon Alexandria. I 
say suddenly, because that country is flat, 
and cannot be seen at a great distance. It 
took the pilot just two hours before landing, 
but such a difference between the pilots of 
that part of the world and our own ! It is 
hard to imagine a man dressed in skirts 
down to his ankles, something like a Mother 
Hubbard, climbing the swinging rope ladder 
of a steamer without being the least impeded 
by it. A pilot is always a welcome visitor; 
everyone is much interested in his safe land¬ 
ing, and there seems to be a feeling of se¬ 
curity when the captain has surrendered the 
guidance of the big ship to a man who knows 
the roads to the port as well as the fishes 
in it. The Alexandria of to-day is a modern 
city with very little left of the time preceding 
Cleopatra and Anthony, so we made for the 
Nile, which really only begins at Cairo. Be¬ 
tween the two cities it makes the deltas and 
the canals so essential to agriculture in that 
section of very little rain. I am sorry to 
have to say that I can tell you nothing of 
interest to your readers concerning farming 
in Egypt; these few lines are only intended 
for your eyes, as I promised you to let you 
know what I could learn on going about. Of 
course I will not attempt to tell you about 
the Rameses and the pyramids; you can find 
all the literature you want about ancient his¬ 
tory. but I could not help thinking of you 
on facing the great pyramid, the pyramid of 
Cheops, who built this great pile of stones 
for his own tomb, and who was not burled in 
it because he was considered a very bad man, 
and his body was left to be disposed of by the 
vultures and the jackals, the greatest punish¬ 
ment it was thought in those days for a man 
who had not conducted himself to the lik¬ 
ing of tlie gods and of his countrymen. I 
need not say that the thought of you just 
then referred not to the connection of the bail 
man. but to the pile of stones and what a 
good place for a diversion to the stone-wall 
meditations of which you are so guilty. There 
at the top, you would in fancy, have seen the 
coming of the hordes of pagans, their con¬ 
quest. their pillage, the destruction, and the 
rebuilding for their own gods and in their 
own fashion. Even the early Christians 
were as much iconoclasts as any of the fol¬ 
lowers of the Rameses, they left their trace 
almost everywhere in their endeavor to do 
away with the material deities, but so strong 
and massive and substantial were they and 
the temples connected with them, that after 
a while they gave up razing these edifices 
and contented themselves with simply de¬ 
stroying their faces and hands. One must 
indeed see the ruins of Ivarnae and Thebes 
and Memphis to have an idea of the magni¬ 
tude and splendor of the works of these re¬ 
mote epochs, and all the work was got out 
by slaves, captives and prisoners of war. 
The story goes that Cheops of the pyramid 
fame oniy fed his people on onions. What 
a field of them he must have had to supply 
this army of men. the many years it took 
to build it, for it was once, not only of lime¬ 
stone as we see it to-day. but covered over 
with fine, hard and polished granite, brought 
several hundred miles from the quarries ,at 
Assouan. This same granite was afterwards 
removed and taken away by invading tribes 
who built their own temples and cities with 
it. This propensity of the conquerors all 
over the world, and at all times to rob, pil¬ 
lage, and burn what they could not carry 
away can be witnessed in many places: it is 
impossible to go far without seeing some 
treasure of some kind brought many hundred 
miles, even across the seas: and no small 
art ides either, granite columns, obelisks, etc. 
Man seems always to have been a destroyer 
and at the same time a builder: he has no 
respect for anything made in previous ages. 
The Tourists. —Egypt is really an inter¬ 
esting counttv. for the tourist, the man who 
travels for his pleasure and the man who 
thinks he travels for his health; the very 
one who is told bv his physician that he is 
run down by too much application to business 
and must go awav, darts at once across the 
ocean and gets to Cairo, for instance. All 
the way he sees other passengers gulp down 
French. German or Italian wines, everything 
goes: he smokes more than at home, for he 
has more time: drinks more coffee—the poor 
constitution stands that pretty well; then 
after landing goes to some first class hotel 
like Shephard’s in Cairo. There, more excite¬ 
ment. more champagne, more cigarettes, more 
Turkish coffee, more late or early hours, but 
this run-down individual thinks he is re¬ 
cuperating, and declares he is recovering fast. 
I see you smile, but it is so. The truth about 
it is ' that human nature, particularly the 
kind that comes from the Land of the Free 
and the Home of the Brave, needs a change 
more than a rest, and if it could be persuaded 
to be moderate in all things, good or bad. 
there would be no need to look far away for 
health lost at home. All this may be amus¬ 
ing for a would-be observer of human nature, 
but there is also a pathetic side to it. Too 
many people who at home live comfortably, 
even luxuriously, but not in a way to make 
their ancestors blush should they suddenly 
come in the world again, think it is just the 
thing while traveling to do as some of the 
titled foreigners do—they have more money 
of course, and they can afford it. I admit 
also that they have as much brains, or more, 
but they have no manners, and know it, so 
they try to ape people who are supposed to 
have them, and so thev have manners of some 
kind. Their wives smoke and drink: thus 
you see habits of oriental origin are brought 
home, and like weeds, grow where not wanted 
and needed. 
The Egyptian Peasant. —Speaking of 
weeds brings me back where I belong. I 
started to tell you about the country agricul¬ 
turally. I have taken a few pictures as I 
went by; there is nothing there that would 
teach our people anything except their simple 
life, their good nature and happy disposition, 
they seem to smile under all circumstances. 
Is it the bright sun ever shining, the dry, 
healthy atmosphere that influences them? 
Is it the impossibility for them ever to get. 
rich, and the consequent resignation to ex¬ 
isting conditions? Resignation is not exact¬ 
ly the word I should use, but rather sub¬ 
mission to their fate: they are mostly fatal¬ 
ists. Whatever it may be they are happy; 
they have no dreams of building new houses 
as at Hope Farm, and bringing running 
water into them, or heating them, for the 
very good reason that they do not need 
houses, consequently no water, cold or hot; 
and a good thing it is. They have no wood, 
nor coal : they cultivate only the land that 
can be irrigated, and the valley along the 
Nile was green and verdant In January. 
Clover was over two feet high, as you will 
see in some of the photos I sent you. beans 
were ripe and fed to their beasts and to their 
children. They also raise a sort of coarse 
grass (which I was told was only eaten by 
donkeys and buffalo cattle), some wheat, rice, 
corn; sugar cane they plant later; weeds 
there are none. In their attempts at plow¬ 
ing they only break up the soil, and then 
as they have no crushing roller or pulverizers, 
they break it finer than the plow leaves it 
by hammering the baked lumps with the back 
of a heavy sort of a hoe. I have seen some 
where through the car window, on going to 
Luxor, a steam machine rotating a large, im¬ 
mense roller fitted with knives or large sharp 
spikes, cutting up and loosening the baked 
ground about in the same way that a hay 
tedder acts on hay. That was done without 
previous plowing, and judging from the crowd 
looking at it working, it must; have been a 
machine new to them. I could not find a 
guide who would know English or French and 
at the same time bo conversant with farm¬ 
ing life to give me much information. All 
they know is what they have learned of an¬ 
cient history of their country, and that seems 
much distorted. I cannot conceive what 
made the Egyptians so rich and powerful 
thousands of years ago if their country then 
did not have any more land under cultivation 
than at present. What little the fellahees or 
farmers are able to produce to-day is taxed 
so highly that they have nothing left, but 
they need nothing, sleep on the ground, no 
roof over their heads except cornstalks to 
keep away the sun. and in manv places roost¬ 
ing perches for their hens. The prevailing 
breed seems to be a mixture of Red Game 
Talk about the color of eggs outside—hum ! 
The Madame at Hone Farm would never make 
you an omelet if she had to handle that kind. 
Ins-ide the yolk is dark colored, in size ratlier 
under the medium. I must tell you that 
country people live between mud walls with 
the roofs as mentioned above, perhaps a 
dozen families more or less, and all mixed 
up with and among them are goats, donkeys, 
camels, buffalo cows, dogs—no. curs—-children, 
sheep, pigeons, flat-hammed razorback pigs 
(these they raise for Christians only), more 
children, and chickens : these last taking more 
privileges than the rest of the creatures in 
the settlements. I leave you to imagine 
what the eggs look like after thev have been 
collected by the young ones. That is like 
going back to simple life and leaning far back 
the other way. Well, with it all they are 
happy, young and old. and it is rather a 
pleasant sight to see them coming to Cairo 
in the morning with loaded camels and don¬ 
keys, and driving milch goats to be milked 
in the city, flocks of turkeys and sheep to the 
slaughter houses, crates of live chickens, etc., 
for Cairo is a big city, and their people must 
eat. Their meats are always consumed the 
dav the animals are killed or the very next 
day: that is their custom. 
Oi.d Cairo. —To take a stroll through old 
Cairo is quite instructive, traders and arti¬ 
sans take life very easily. One wonders they 
turn out so much work when so many are 
seen in coffee houses and right in the streets 
imbibing tea or coffee, smoking cigarettes and 
playing dominos. They do these three things 
at the same time. No sidewalks, everything 
on feet goes in the middle of the streets. 
Their shopping is done there, as the stores are 
seldom large enough to contain more than 
their shelves and the proprietors. Tailors, 
jewelers, engravers, shoemakers, all work In 
the open on the street line: they have got to, 
I sunnose, for the streets are very narrow 
and this excludes daylight. But the sun never 
sees the pavements, for they are seldom 
swept: just imagine all the domestic animals 
that ever left the Ark daily go through the 
streets of Cairo. No wonder Mohamed made 
It a law preventing their entering their 
places of worship without taking off their 
shoes and washing their feet. A fountain for 
such purpose is a fixture in the yard of all 
the mosques. But these people must have 
at least one end of their body covered up, 
and a Mohammedan never takes off his fez, 
It seems as grafted on his skull. 
L. H. DAI.OZ, 
Have Your Own 
Water Works System. 
A CALDWELL OUTFIT 
like the illustration, will cost but 
little and always be ready for use. 
Kverything about them is constructed 
for hard and lasting seivice. 
Write for Special Waterworks 
Catalogue. 
W. E. CALDWELL CO., Louisville, Ky 
JIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMII 
SIDE DELIVERY 
HAY AND 
BEAN RAKE 
The only rake that will 
successfully handle — 
the bean crop and work equally well both in 
hay and beans. It delivers the hav or 
Vines in loose continuous windrows where 
the sun and wind can penetrate and cure 
the crop evenly. Only one simple adjust¬ 
ment to change from one crop to the 
other— done in two minutes. 
THE DAIN HAY AND BEAN RAKE 
has three sets of slowly revolving teeth— 
does not whip nor thresh the hay or shell 
the beans. Gears are protected from trash 
insuring long life. Rake can be adjusted 
do more work than ten men with forks— 
will pay for Itself in one season and last a 
life-time. Sold by dealers everywhere. 
Write for circular describing in full. Don’t 
buy a rake until you get it. 
DAIN MANUFACTURING CO., 
Ottumwa, Iowa. 
HORSE POWERS 
THRASHERS 
and CLEANERS 
One & two-horse Thrashing Outfits. Level PUTTERS 
Tread, Perfect Governor, Feed & Ensilage UU I I CDO 
Write for catalogue 
ELLIS KEYSTONE AGR'L WORKS, Pottstown, Pa. 
WE’LL PAY THE FREIGHT 
aid send 4 Uui;i;y H heels. Steel Tire on . #?. 75. 
With Rubber Tires, «$1 8.50. I mfc. wheels to 4 in. 
treed. Top Buggies, 128.76: Heruess $4.26. Write for 
catalog. Learn how to buydirect. Repair Wheels (3.76. 
Wagon Umbrella FREE. W.B. ROOB, Cincinnati,0. 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R. N.-Y. and you’ll get a quick reply and 
“a square deal.” See guarantee, page 8. 
an B ■ | Save and bind the 
UlfA I nVCChfiCC straw in neat buu- 
|§VC I III Wvllwl W dies and clean the 
3 grain perfectly. 
400 bu. a day. Small power required. Also Manure 
Spreaders, Silos, Horseand Dog Powers, Cutters. Catalogfree 
HARDER MFC. CO., Box 11, COBLESKILL, N. Y.- 
WE LEAD THE WORLD 
We are the largest manufac¬ 
turers of Grooved and Plain 
Tire Steel Farm Wagon 
Wheels in America. Wa 
guarantee our patent 
Grooved Tire Wheels to 
be the best made by anybody 
anywhere. Write us. 
HAVANA METAL WHEEL CO. 
BOX 17 HAVANA. ILL. 
No. 6291Y. Combination Top Buggy with Bike 
Gear. Price complete with extra stick seat, $58.50. 
As good as sells for $25. more. 
33 Years Selling Direct 
Our vehicles and harness have been sold 
direct from our factory to user for a third of 
a century. We ship for examination and ap¬ 
proval and guarantee safe delivery. You 
are out nothing If not satisfied as to style, 
quality and price. Wo are tho largest manu- 
facturora In the world selling to the con¬ 
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Vehicles, 65 styles of Harness. Send for 
large free catalog. 
ELKHART CARRIAGE & HARNESS MFG. 
Elkhart. Indiana. 
CO.. 
No. 689. Banner Spring Concord Style Wagon. 
Price complete, $40. As good os sells for $25. more. 
s 
AVE YOUR BACK 
Save time, horses, work 
and money by using an 
| Electric Handy Wagon 
Low wheels, broad tires. No 
I living man can build a better. 
" Book on “WheelSense”free. 
I Electric Whaa* Co. Bx 88. Quincy, Ilf. 
The WAGON to BUY. 
Properly con¬ 
structed. Saves labor, annoy¬ 
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TO FIT ALL 
WAGONS. 
Your address on a postal will bring you free catalog. 
The Geneva Metal Wheel Co., 
Box 17, Geneva, Ohio. 
STEEL WHEELS 
Two 
Years 
Test 
You don’t want 
to make a mistake 
when you buy a buggy We arrange matters 
so you can be sure you are right. We have 
our own factory and make what we sell. 
We will ship you this buggy or any other 
vehicle you may select from our catalog on 
30 Days Free Trial 
Freight Prepaid 
Then if you can find any flaw in it within 
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The Apex Mfg. Co., Bloomington, III. 
L ! 
BE SURE IT’S MADE IN 
SAGINAW 
“Is it 
buy a bet- 
When your dealer shows you a low-down farm wagon ask him the question: 
made in Saginaw?’ ’ If it is—buy it, you can’t make a mistake—you can’t bu 
ter one—there’s no other that is really as well made and serviceable as the 
FARMERS HANDY WAGON 
made in Saginaw. All good things are imitated and that’s why we lay so much 
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Branches, Kansas City and Des Moines. 
Also makers of Farmer’s Hay and Stock Racks and All-Steel Frame Silos. Catalog free. 
THE 
CHAMPION 
BREAKING 
DRIVING 
SPEEDING 
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costs. Champion Cart Co., Box 109. Ugonier, Ind, 
W\\ 
