NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 2, 1907 
WKICKTA'. -J1.00 PER YEAR 
A CONNECTICUT HEN MAN, 
Who Made a Hill Farm Profitable. 
For some time past readers have been asking for 
pictures of some of our contributors. They want to 
see what the men who talk to them look like. We 
have secured a number of such pictures, and begin this 
week with Cosgrove, whose poultry articles have been 
read for some years. Mr. Cosgrove is a Jerscyman 
by birth, having been born in Newark February (5, 
I'S.w. In fact all his family are Jersey people, one of 
his progenitors being Joseph Cosgrove, a Monmouth 
County farmer, who was a commissioned officer in 
Washington’s army. City born and bred, without any 
knowledge of farm work, 57 years old and in poor 
health, Mr. Cosgrove bought a rundown 
farm 14 years ago, in Willington, Conn., 
which, under his efforts, has trebled in value. 
Poultry keeping has been the mainstay all 
these years. Mr. Cosgrove has held some 
town or county office nearly every year, and 
last year was sent to the Legislature. At the 
State temperance meeting at Compounce 
Lake, Conn., his work in the Legislature 
was specially commended, speakers stating 
that his voice and vote could always he de¬ 
pended upon in support of any righteous 
measure, or against any evil one. In these 
days when there is so much rascality or in¬ 
difference to public needs among public men 
it is a pleasure to call attention to a man 
like Mr. Cosgrove, who in his walk of life 
has done his duty as a good citizen. 
City Man in the Country. 
In connection with Mr. Cosgrove’s experi¬ 
ence we reply to a dozen or more people 
now in the city who want homes in the 
country. There have been more than the 
usual number of them this year. The fol¬ 
lowing letter from Ohio is typical of many: 
A city mnn, country bred, 40, with a fondness 
for the free nlr of the out-Of-ctoors, worn down 
will) office duties nnd the care of an Important 
business, nnd feeling unable longer to keep up 
the high tension necessary to success In the 
business which lie has followed for 28 consecu¬ 
tive years, Is to turn from It to seek some form 
of agricultural pursuit. He will probably have 
a couple of thousand dollars to Invest, which 
constitutes his financial means, that, of course, 
must he husbanded and added to, taking no lib¬ 
erties with It that will give opportunity for 
loss. City life with all Its conveniences and en¬ 
joyments does not lenve the man on a salary 
much to put aside even though he spend noth¬ 
ing frivolously. If the family Is to live ns others 
In the same class. 
The tirst thought Is of the new lands In the 
Far West, which through Government or pri¬ 
vate enterprise Is to be brought under Irrigation 
works. This land Is purchasable at low cost 
compared with older sections of tin* same gen¬ 
eral character, and therefore seems to assure the GFORGF 
buyer of a certain profit on the land Itself, and 
a more likely and safe annual earning power 
than the same capital would produce invested In any kind 
of land In the Fast, considering that one Is not expert at 
producing any of the fancy crops that we read of In the 
Illustrated Journals of the day. Neither Is lie prepared to 
face the kind of farmer's life that means slaving from 4 
a. m. till 8 p. m„ year In and year out for the entire family. 
Do not think this man expects to farm by proxy and do 
his tilling with his wits; lie Intends to use all Ills energy 
and strength, but these will not admit of the slavery of tin* 
average eastern man on the small farm. It occurred to me 
that this would hi* Just the kind of a problem you would 
delight In solving and I am writing for your candid opinion 
as to what this man should do. The bleu In going West 
would be to secure land fitted for tree fruits, working Into 
them as fast ns possible, growing other crops meantime. 
Present preferences In order named: Colorado, TTtnli, 
Oregon, California. Now punch holes In (Ills scheme If you 
can. if you know of anything anywhere that Is better, 
please suggest it. 
It is not till a dream, ibis going to the country 
after a life in flic town, expecting to build up a home 
as the result of your own toil. It may be done when 
the conditions are right, but it takes an immense 
amount of nerve and labor and self-denial. We punch 
the first hole in the vital part of your theory. Our 
experience has been that this leaving town and going 
into the country comes hardest on the women folks. 
I he average wife and daughter will be willing to make 
personal sacrifices when they are face to face with a 
hard situation, but nine times out of lo they don't 
know what they arc doing when they go to a farm in 
middle life and attempt to begin all over. The income 
is irregular. A city man and his family get into the 
habit of drawing a certain amount of money every 
A. COSGROVE, THE CONNIXT1CUT HEN MAN. 
week or every month, and they lay their plans for 
spending accordingly. On the farm all this is changed. 
\ on get an income simply when you raise something 
to sell. There is nothing regular about it, at first at 
least; while the expenses go right on. You eat more 
and more into your little capital. Through the grow¬ 
ing season people are hopeful, especially during the 
first year, and they go to laying plans of what they 
will produce and what it will bring. As a result the 
first frost comes like a killing blast upon many of 
their hopes; the crops do not pan out as they ought 
to, and the question of selling to advantage is a hard 
one. Sometimes there isn’t much left when the cold 
\\ inter comes on, and when one is shut in away from 
neighbors and friends with those expenses still going 
on it is hard for all. The majority of people who 
leave town for country lose courage during the first 
Winter. A man must realize how hard it is for his 
women to go into such a situation. Do not think we 
are trying to throw cold water on your plan. We 
merely try to show you that it isn’t all a dream, and 
that making a living in the country, unless you were 
brought up to it and know how to handle circum¬ 
stances, is a tough job. First of all find out surely 
what your women folks think of the situation. Do 
not take them into the country without clearly under¬ 
standing what they are up against, because if you get 
them there and the discouragement comes upon them 
without warning it will he a source of grief to all of 
you. I he capital you mention is small for such an 
cntciprise. I hink of starling in any other line of busi¬ 
ness with $2,000 expecting to make a living 
on it I 
On the other hand, we can show dozens 
or hundreds of people in your circumstances 
who have succeeded in the country. We 
mean that they have paid for a home and are 
able to live simply and comfortably upon 
their income from the farm. They will all 
tell the same story of the hard work and 
bulldog courage required before they could 
get on their feet. It means getting up in 
the morning before daylight and hanging to 
it as long as you can sec, at least for the 
first year or two. As a rule, the city man 
<loes best in some specialty where careful 
work is required rather than in general 
farming. > 
As to location, we think the West, at 
least the desirable parts of it, is rapidly be¬ 
coming a land of high prices. The best way 
for one with your capital to locate in the 
Far West would be to get track of where 
the irrigating reservoirs are going to he. 
I hen get land below them that has not been 
improved, get on it and wait until the water 
comes. You will find it tedious, however, on 
those deserts waiting for water. Our own 
opinion is that there arc better opportuni¬ 
ties in the East for a man with your capi¬ 
tal. Some place in New England, New 
York or on the Delaware peninsula would 
ofTer you fair opportunities. Land is rea¬ 
sonably cheap in those places, and the mar¬ 
kets are good, and if a man is a good sales¬ 
man the market is even as desirable as the 
land or the crops. Your plan is a good one, 
provided your family is agreeable to the 
change and would not find fault with hard 
conditions, and provided you yourself know 
something of farm life and feel able and 
willing to work out your salvation on a 
small place. Lacking any of these require¬ 
ments we would not advise you to try it. 
Fig 394 ^ * ,erc ? nc * s sa ^ s ^ e( ^ with a comfortable 
home which represents the labor of his 
hands, the country offers about the only 
place in which lie may fully gratify that worthy and 
modest ambition. 
BULBS FOR THE WINDOW GARDEN. 
In a recent issue of the Canadian Horticulturist Win. 
Hunt of the Ontario Agricultural College discusses 
tins subject, the information being made very plain by 
the illustrations, reproduced herewith. Bulbs can be 
potted from September until the end of November, but 
early potted bulbs give best results. Bulbs of Roman 
hyacinths and early Paper White Narcissi potted at once 
can be had in flower by Christmas and New Year’s 
SELECTION OF BULBS.-To insure success in the 
pot culture of bulbs especially, not only must the species 
and varieties be carefully selected, but good, sound, 
firm bulbs of the best quality should be obtained. A 
