1906. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
539 
Hope Farm Notes 
Farm Notes. —We are still wet. The 
rain poured down upon our strawberries 
for four days just when they needed sun¬ 
shine. As a result a good share of the 
crop was lost, in spite of all we could do; 
berries were soft and watery, and without 
much taste—not at all a credit to the 
farm. The boy learned something. He 
started with a crate of these soft berries 
to fill his orders one night, but after driv¬ 
ing a mile he found most of them a soft 
mass. He did the right thing—told his 
customers just what the trouble was and 
got them sounder fruit free of charge. 
It hurts to see beautiful fruit go in this 
way, but we did our share at least. We 
shall have more than ever next year. The 
rain ruined the cherry crop also. Even 
the birds were bunkoed this year, for 
the rot swept from tree to tree like wild 
fire. . . . The potatoes, however, tell 
a better story. We never had a finer- 
looking crop— and yet alas! I have said 
that before in June. We never gave bet¬ 
ter culture though, and there have been 
surprisingly few bugs thus far. How 
about those potatoes started in boxes and 
transplanted—did it pay? I think so—by 
July 4 there were tubers of the earliest 
varieties large enough to eat—consider¬ 
ably ahead of those planted outdoors. The 
transplants were hurt by a late frost 
too. , . . Tomatoes with us have not 
made a vigorous growth outdoors dur¬ 
ing this cold, wet season. When they 
were transplanted a few plants were left 
in the hotbed. You should see the differ¬ 
ence. Those in the hotbed are 30 per 
cent larger and finer. You see that while 
both sets of plants have their tops in the 
same sort of air the soil which surrounds 
their roots differs. The soil in the hotbed 
has “bottom heat,” and the tomatoes ap¬ 
preciate it. Those outside are in cold, 
sogey soil and of course they cannot 
thrive. You might take two men, both 
working hard to support their families 
and do their duty. One has a home in 
which love abounds, and where patient 
service is a duty and hopeful faith a part 
of life. Another has a home of discord, 
disappointment, selfishness and shirking of 
duty. Can you not see that the growth 
of these two men will be not unlike 
that of my tomato plants? I always 
feel sorry for a man who has no 
“bottom heat” in his life. 
Our hay crop is very heavy, and later 
than usual. The constant rains seem to 
have delayed ripening. That suits us, as 
we hone to get our cultivated crops well 
cleaned up before haying begins. We are 
putting a horse fork and carrier into the 
barn, and expect to transfer many a back¬ 
ache to Bob and Nellie. When we see it 
work we can tell better about it. I am 
quite willing to let a horse lift all my 
burdens that I can hitch to him. The 
Japanese millet looks well just now, and 
promises a great crop of forage. This is 
by far the best variety of millet that I 
have ever tried. The cow peas do not 
care for this wet weather, Still they are 
making progress and entered the last 
week in June nearly a foot high. People 
look at this crop and smile at the folly 
of giving up a field to such an insignifi¬ 
cant looking thing. But I have great faith 
in my friend the cow pea. I have seen 
it bring life to dead soil, and restore 
wasted fields. Down in the soil on those 
roots a miracle of fertility is working 
out and I look ahead to the Alfalfa that 
is to follow. 
Black Alfalfa. —We cut the Alfalfa 
on Thursday. There was every indica¬ 
tion of clear weather, and on Friday af¬ 
ternoon, when we bunched up the wind¬ 
rows, it looked safe for hauling in a lot 
of fragrant green fodder on Saturday. 
But the day come with a deluge of rain. 
Sunday, Monday and Tuesday all voted 
the Prohibition ticket, and there was that 
Alfalfa getting every vote and every drop. 
“As black as your shoe,” reported Merrill 
when he came from the hill, but T remem¬ 
bered that there are light-colored shoes, 
and did not give up. Wednesday blew clear 
and warm and I shook up that Alfalfa 
myself early in the day. It was a tough¬ 
looking sight—black, musty and sour, but 
I have great faith in the sun and air, 
and I wouldn’t give it up. I shook it 
up where it was beaten down close to the 
ground. There were thousands of cheer¬ 
ful little friends in that field. The young 
Alfalfa plants had made a growth of six 
inches since the field was cut. They 
seemed to stretch out and say: 
“Cheer up, old man, it’s all right. Every 
drop that soaks the hay braces us along 
to a new crop. Keep at it and we will 
see you through anyway!” 
Merrill and Philip drove by on their 
way to the hill. They were driving Jerry 
and Bob. That wise little Bob ran his 
eye over the field and turned to Jerry as 
much as to say: 
“What do you think of that, old man? 
Talk about these meat packers—did any¬ 
one ever see a worse mess than that of¬ 
fered to an honest horse? They expect us 
to eat that filthy stuff, do they? Not much 
for me!” 
“Oh, I don’t know!” said Jerry. “In 
my younger days I lived out West, and 
the Alfalfa hay there was fine. To be 
sure, this looks pretty musty, but I don’t 
believe that man wants to hurt us. I 
shall try it anyway.” 
“You’re an old poke! Look at the 
work we do on this farm. We deserve 
the finest Timothy and oats, and if you 
had the spunk of a mouse we would get 
it. You do as I say. When this man 
gets behind us to fix these traces I’ll give 
him both heels and knock him down. 
Then you trample him, and before we 
get done with him he will be glad to 
beg!” 
“You’re a fool!” said Jerry. “You try 
that and I’ll let you have both heels in 
the ribs. You don’t know when you are 
well off!” 
So it happened that when I went be¬ 
hind to fasten a trace Bob did nothing, 
but set his ears back—at the word he 
pulled his share. I shook that hay again 
after dinner, and bunched it up at night. 
Tt made a goodly sight. On Thursday it 
was hauled in. Philip fed it to all the 
horses. While it lacked color the wind had 
blown the musty smell out of it. What 
do you suppose happened? Bob sniffed 
at it, took a taste, rolled his tongue a 
little and then stole what he could away 
from Madge, pushing his own share 
back where she couldn’t get it. I am 
more and more in favor of Alfalfa. No 
rest on Hope Farm till we get acres of it. 
Home Notes. —“I think I must surely 
be a regular Jonah!” It was Mother who 
made this dismal statement. She stood at 
the window early Sunday morning watch¬ 
ing the pouring rain. Here it was Chil¬ 
dren’s Day—Mother had worked hard to 
get up a good programme—and here was 
the rain. “Not half the children will be 
there, and no one will come!” I am 
something of a Jonah myself—a political 
meeting of my party generally brings an 
appropriate rain—so I knew how one feels 
when the conviction begins to grow 
strong. Anyway, I imagine Jonah got to 
be something of a philosopher and said 
little. Breakfast was unusually good, and 
the rain stopped about nine o’clock. Nine 
Hope Farmers drove off to help swell the 
audience—the little girls very brave in 
white stockings and shoes. I volunteered 
to stay at home and start dinner. The 
meat was cooked and ready. I picked peas 
and strawberries between showers, cleared 
off the table, shelled the peas, chased out 
the flies and had the water boiling when 
our folks came driving home all smiles. 
It seems that the children came, and went 
through their programme well. There 
wasn’t a large crowd of grown-ups—but 
that was the worse for them. Of course 
I couldn’t mention it ri<Tit then, but it 
made me think of one of the rare occa¬ 
sions when, as a boy, I went to a dance. 
There were very few dancers present, and 
one cheerful man, wanting to make us 
all good-natured, went around saying: 
“We may be few, but we are very select!” 
Anyway, my peas and strawberries were 
voted fine. 
Various Questions. —The following 
question from New York has been asked 
before: 
“I do not care to hear how to raise Tim¬ 
othy and Red-top at a cost of $5 a ton, but I 
should like to know why G. M. Clark scrapes 
his meadows clean in the Fall.” 
Mr. Clark is careful to rake off all the 
dead trash before Winter. He says that 
field mice nest in the trash and destroy 
many grass roots. Mr. Clark is very anx¬ 
ious to keep the seeding perfect. Another 
objection is that the old grass, if left, 
gets in the way of the mower and clogs 
the teeth. This objection can be over¬ 
come by burning off the meadow in Spring. 
For my part I like to leave the dead 
grass. T think it protects the field, holds 
snow and moisture and acts like a mulch 
on the ground. 
Here is another New York man after 
information: 
Canadian hardwood ashes are sold here for 
$13 per ton. would it pay to use them at that 
price? I know nothing about them but I un¬ 
derstand they are not guaranteed. Would lime 
be required where ashes are used, as my 
ground is in need of lime? How much ashes 
would be required per acre? f. e. k. 
You can figure it for yourself. A ton 
of average ashes will give you 100 pounds 
of potash, 40 of phosphoric acid and 600 
of lime. See what sulphate of potash will 
cost you. By buying 200 pounds of it 
you will have all the potash in the ton 
of ashes. In 300 pounds of acid phos¬ 
phate you will have your 400 pounds. 
Thus by getting figures on potash, acid 
phosphate and lime you can tell whether 
$13 is high or low. It is more than I 
would pay for unguaranteed goods. The 
ashes will take the place of lime just 
as far as the lime they contain goes. You 
ought to use at least 1,500 pounds of lime 
if the land is sour, and this would mean 
2 l / 2 tons of ashes. 
I receive from time to time a good 
many letters like this one from a worthy 
woman in Florida who has met with some 
misfortune: 
You are in want of a steady boy or man 
to help on your place. I have been think¬ 
ing maybe it would be of mutual benefit if 
we could make an arrangement for you to 
take my eldest son onto your farm to help 
you. lie needs the training badly, in order 
to be a help to me in a few years, maybe 
my only maintenance. He is in his eleventh 
year, and large as most boys at fourteen. 
I often find it hard to explain why we 
cannot take such boys. We have had a 
number of them at various times, mostly 
relatives or friends. I appreciate the con 
fidence which prompts a woman to write 
in such a way about her boy. As we are 
situated now he would be of little use to 
us and just at this time we have about 
our fill of responsibility. I know just 
how this woman feels about her boy, and 
I have no doubt the little fellow would 
appreciate his mother’s efforts to find him 
a good home where he could be* trained 
and taught to help her later on. I would 
like to find a good home for him, and if 
anv . reader childless or without a big 
family would like to find out about this 
boy, I will give the needed address. 
Here is a man who speaks up for sev¬ 
eral others: 
I wish that the Hope Farm man would 
be a little more careful about pasting labels 
on Tub R. N.-Y. Recently the writer’s 
name appeared on the shoulder of a pretty 
good-looking Poland China. Of course we 
can stand it as long as it is an $850 hog, 
but suppose, for instance, the hog should not 
bring over $16 or $18. Then, too. we fear 
that some readers might l>e offended, even 
though the hog did sell for a good price, and 
are too modest to write the Hope Farm man 
about it. 
I have many sins to answer for, but 
this is not one of them. Some 20 years 
ago I worked in a printing office where 
I set type, wrote poetry, fed the press, 
folded the papers, wrote the wrappers, 
swept out the office and was also fighting 
editor. That was in the South, and if 
I had written a man’s name on the picture 
of a hog in carrying out my duty as 
mailer I should have had a large con¬ 
tract in my capacity as fighting editor. I 
have graduated from both jobs. Address¬ 
ing is now done with a machine, and the 
mailer doesn’t stop to look at the name 
or what he hits with it. It may be a 
picture of a hog or of some fine-looking 
man in an_ advertisement. There is no 
malice in his act, and when he hits a hog 
the victim may well say:: “Well, sir, I 
have given some character to an undig¬ 
nified animal!” 
Fire Extinguishers. —There seem to be 
a good many people who are thinking what 
this man asks: 
“Can you give me any information regard¬ 
ing the effectiveness of chemical fire extin¬ 
guishers? Such I mean as are offered for 
private use, costing $12 to $15. If as ef¬ 
fective as claimed they are well worth hav¬ 
ing around. g. w. b. 
Pana, Ill. 
I think these “extinguishers” are useful. 
I notice they are now hung up on all ferry 
boats and in railroad stations. That may 
not amount to much when we consider the 
quality of so-called “life-preservers,” but 
I have seen these things quench a hot fire 
when used in time. The principle upon 
which they work is easy to understand. Cer 
tain gases like chlorine and carbonic acid 
will “put out” a flame. Sometimes when 
the chimney is on fire people throw salt into 
the stove or fireplace and the chimney stops 
burning. Salt is a combination of chlorine 
and sodium. We all know that if we lower 
a candle or lantern into a silo or into a well 
where carbonic acid gas has formed the light 
goes out. “The object of the “extinguisher" 
is to form and throw these gases rapidly 
upon the fire, thus putting it out. Most 
of them contain salt and bicarbonate of 
soda so combined that the gases will be quick¬ 
ly set free. Salt water is good to throw 
bn a fire. The liquid extinguishers throw out 
their contents somewhat after the fashion of 
a soda water fountain or by mixing chem¬ 
icals like a baking powder. 
What is a baking powder and what does it 
do? 
It contains a carbonate which is a pow¬ 
der containing carbonic acid gas in con¬ 
densed form. Bicarbonate of soda or ordi¬ 
nary cooking soda is generally used. Then 
the baking powder contains some actd like 
cream of tartar, tartaric acid or acid phos¬ 
phate, thoroughly mixed with the carbonate. 
When this combination is moistened and 
heated a chemical change takes place. The 
carbonic acid gas is set free and it is this 
swelling and bursting through the dough 
which makes it “rise” or swell. So long as 
it is kept drv the mixed powder will remain 
for years safely holding the imprisoned gas. 
Appiy moisture and heat and the gas es¬ 
capes, to raise the bread or in larger volume, 
to put out a fire or destroy life. H. w. c. 
KEEBNER’S ENSILAGE CUTTER. 
The best cutter on the market for green or dry corn. 
Leading ensilage cutter made. It not only cuts but crushes 
the stalks, rendering them palatable. Stock greatly relish 
and thrive on it. A $5.00 attachment turns tho machine into a perfect 
shredder. Runs with least power. Used for cutting all kinds of stock foods. 
Power can be applied to pumping, churning, grinding, etc. Catalogue freo. 
HEEBNER «fe SONS,22 Broad St.. Lansdale, Pa. 
LOW DOWN - 
_WAGONS 
and wood wheels to lit any wagon of the sort you want. Made 
right and sold the way you like to buv. Our catalog give 9 par¬ 
ticulars. HILLSDALE WHEEL COMPANY. Hillsdale, Mich. 
BUILDING MATERIAL 
for bouses, barns and farm 
buildings of every description. 
Stands greater 
weight, and is 
cheaper than 
brick, stone or 
cement. Send 
for estimates. 
Samples sent 
free. Freight 
prepaid. 
Sold only in 
ear loads. 
Write 
H. B. Camp Co. 
Bessemer Bldg. 
PITTSBUKO, PENN. 
No. 3 Multi- 
pie Conduit. 
BALL TUUfl HAT. 
A Reliable 
Hand Hay Press 
12 Sizes. 
Manufactured only by 
HOBSON & CO., 17 State Street, New York. 
WSCH' 
SELF 
FEED 
Full 
Circle 
HAY PRESS 
The Baler for speed. Bales 12 to 18 tons a day. 
Has 40 inch feed hole. Adapted to bank barn 
work. Stands up to its work—no digging holes 
for wheels. Self-feed Attachment increases 
capacity, lessens labor, makes better bales and 
does not increase draft. Send for catalogue.' 
Sandwich Mfg. Co., 157 Main St„ Sandwich, Ills, 
HAY presses 
1 1 n 1 THE HENDRICKS 
Press will Earn its Cost in One 
Season. A postal with your name and 
address on the back 
will bring you our 
Free Catalog:. 
D. B. Hendricks & Co. 
Cornell St. 
KINGSTON, N. Y. 
GET DEDERICK’S BOOK 
Sent Free 
It’s worth money to you. It shows a 
way to turn a poor Hay crop into a 
good profit. If there is a surplus of 
Hay, Straw or any other balable 
product in your vicinity,you need 
this book. There is 
MORB1 
MONEY,! 
IN. HAY 
' j n | i I l 1 
baled by Dederick’s Raling Presses, 
because they alwayB make the bale that 
commands the highest price in any market. 
These presses are made by the man who 
created the hay-shipping industry of tho 
world. 
Dederick’s Rook and Annual Report on 
the Hay Crop answer every question of why 
and how. They are free to you. 
P. K. DEDERICK’S SONS, 
29 Tivoli St., Albany, N. Y. 
' WE’LL PAY THE FREIGHT 
ai*d send 4 Buggy Wheel,. Steel Tire on . ?5. 
With Rubber Tires, $ 18.50. I mfg. wheels ^ to 4 in. 
tread. Top Buggies, $28-76: Harness $4 26. Write for 
catalog. Learn how to buy direct. Repair Wheels 83.76. 
Wagon Umbrella FURS. W.R. BOOlt, Cincinnati, O. 
WE LEAD THE WORLD 
We are the largest 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 II HAVANA. ILL. 
