1900. 
THE) RURAL, NEW-YORKER 
27S 
Hope Farm Notes 
The Farm Woman. —When I printed 
that remark from the Vermont man on 
page 171, I knew it would be answered., 
but I was not prepared for the broad¬ 
side which has followed. The com¬ 
ments thus far would, I think, fill an 
issue of The R. N.-Y. They are of 
all sorts and sizes. Some women feel 
discouraged—and with reason. Some 
are hopeful, but the great majority 
feel that there is more or less injustice 
about tbe way many farm women are 
treated. Out of the many letters I 
select extracts from a well-informed and 
clear-headed women in Central New 
York. 
I Lave reason to think a great deal on 
this subject. I am obliged to spend so 
much of my time doing work which the 
men should do and don't do that my time 
for doing woman's work is greatly re¬ 
stricted. From experience I have learned 
that much that women do is not essential ; 
many women accomplish little that is of 
real worth. Many overexert themselves to 
little purpose. 
Now then, let’s see about this, first 
of all. What is the truth about it? 
Are your women folks doing work that 
you “should do and don’t do?’’ Suppose 
we drop the broad question of woman’s 
work and woman’s rights, and narrow 
it down to this one point in your house¬ 
hold? Let us ask the women, too, if 
the charge that they trifle with un¬ 
essential things is true? My own opin¬ 
ion is that there is truth in both charges! 
Having thought that over let us take 
up the next one: 
The man from Vermont says, “I don't 
know but we men are 1o blame that we 
don’t give them (the women) a better liv¬ 
ing.” That many women are dissatisfied 
with the men is certain. The question is, 
have they reasonable grounds for their dis¬ 
satisfaction? Our men have plenty of 
brute courage ; in case of war they will de¬ 
fend us, but they do not seem to have 
enough moral courage to fight the battles of 
peace. 
Now then, what about that? Did you 
ever think of it before? If a robber 
came to kidnap your child or rob your 
wife we should expect you to fight for 
them with hand, club or gun. Will you 
get up and fight * with equal courage 
against the harder wrongs which “the 
interests,” through the politicians, have 
been crowding upon tbe farm and the 
average farmer? Have you got to the 
point of being willing to stand up and 
be called “a political crank” when you 
know your party and its politicians are 
wrong? The smaller “the farmer’s 
share ” becomes, the harder the farm 
woman’s lot grows. Do you really 
blame an intelligent woman for being 
dissatisfied with men who lack what they 
call “the moral courage to fight the bat¬ 
tles of peace?” If you are inclined 
to resent such talk, I ask you, as man 
to man, if you and your kind could 
not kill two-thirds of the evil in public 
life if you really wanted to do so. 
Here is another center shot from this 
sensible woman: 
I expect tbe man behind the gun to shoot 
right, and the man behind the ballot to 
vote right. If he does not do so, I have 
a right to be dissatisfied. A great deal is 
being said about the prosperity of the coun¬ 
try. Let us see if we are justified in being 
satisfied with the brand of prosperity we 
hear so much about. Prosperity is defined 
as advance or gain in anything good or 
desirable. It seems, to me that that desir¬ 
able thing which we should strive for is 
the greatest good to the greatest number. 
Ruskin repeats the thought of some 
of the wisest men who ever lived when 
he says that the ruling force which has 
driven men in all ages on to progress 
and noble deeds is the love for good 
women. The man will drop much of 
the love for sister or mother and bestow 
it upon his wife. The woman will usu¬ 
ally do more for brother or father than 
for husband. Who ever heard of a 
man going to war to defend a board¬ 
ing house? He fights, if at all, for the 
women of his home. The chances are 
that you would shut your teeth and 
run up a hill right against a line of 
bayonets with a flag ahead and a brass 
band behind. Yet when your women 
beg you to fight at caucus or ballot 
box are you there? 
You, as a man, know something of 
the dishonesty and injustice which has 
grown into modern business. Perhaps 
you have been weak enough to reason 
that because the big ones pack dis¬ 
honestly, tamper with scales, and take 
“graft,” you might as well have your 
share of it, too. Did you ever stop to 
think that your women folks feel the 
pinch of the money loss more than you 
do, and the moral pinch of it also? 
This is the way our friend sums it up: 
I am dissatisfied with the man behind the 
ballot, because the responsibility for this 
state of things rests upon him. I consider 
that he is already morally enfeebled. In 
the words of Rienzi in his address to the 
Romans, “Are ye brave men and suffer such 
dishonor?” It is well understood that the 
primaries in this town are carried by tbe 
use of money or influence. “You can't prove 
it,” say the men, when asked why they do 
not put a stop to it. I have never known 
them to try. 
Now, gentlemen, are you going to 
deny it? Yqjj have known me long 
enough to realize that when we start a 
discussion of this sort we want the core 
of it uncovered. You will take no of¬ 
fense at these statements. If they are 
not true you have no cause to com¬ 
plain. If they are true it is up to you 
to correct the conditions. 
Five years ago Senator-elect Root 
argued against woman's suffrage before 
the constitutional convention. Here is 
part of his speech : 
Mr. President, in the divine distribution 
of powers the duty and the right of pro¬ 
tection rests with the male. It is so 
throughout nature. It is so with men, and 
I for one will never consent to part with 
the divine right of protecting my wife, my 
daughter, the woman whom I love and the 
woman whom I respect, exercising the 
birthright of man, and place that high duty 
in the weak and nerveless hands of those 
designed by God to be protected rather than 
to engage in the stern warfare of govern¬ 
ment. 
That is a noble sentiment. After 
thrilling over it let’s go back and read 
tbe second extract we have printed 
from our friend, the farm woman’s let¬ 
ter. Most of the women I know do 
not care to vote, but very few of them 
feel that tbe men are willing to defend 
them with the ballot as they would with 
a club! 
Farm Notes. —I suppose you have 
made your plans for the farm,- and know 
what you are to put in each . field. I 
have tried to study out such a plan, 
and have drawn a sort of map. Last 
Fall we sowed some Alfalfa in drills 
—about wide enough apart to permit 
horse cultivation. On March 1 this Al¬ 
falfa looked well—that is, it was . green 
and • firmly rooted in the :soil. I shall 
lime, and fertilize it this Spring, and 
give it fair culture. If we cannot make 
a success of the crop broadcast it is 
well worth trying in drills. I think we 
can get more actual food from this 
drilled Alfalfa than we can from drilled 
corn fodder. Mr. Wing, of Ohio, ad¬ 
vises Spring seeding of Alfalfa, with 
beardless barley. We tried this some 
years ago and failed. I think it was 
our own fault in not using lime. I 
found the barley a better crop for grass 
seeding than oats. It did not tiller and 
mat down as the oats often do. One 
objection against Spring Alfalfa seed¬ 
ing is that weeds come in and smother 
the crop before it can get a fair chance. 
The barley seems to correct this from 
its peculiar habit of growth—giving the 
young Alfalfa a chance, but smothering 
the weeds. . . . The warm, mild 
weather is bringing up the Crimson 
clover. The ground is bare, and if we 
had the usual weather most of the 
clover would have been killed. As it is 
all cover crops seem to be gaining 
and are firmly rooted to resist the heave 
of the March frosts. I am inclined to 
sow the clover seed earlier than usual 
this year. Our farmers predict a cold 
March and a late Spring yet, but at 
this writing there are no indications of 
it. If I had the soil ready I would set 
out strawberry plants at any time now. 
If would, however, be impossible to fit 
the ground properly, for our heavy land 
cakes when plowed too early. I appre¬ 
ciate the following note from the West: 
I was sorry to hear that the bottom of 
the Baldwin barrel was staring the Hope 
Farm man in tlie face. Please tell him to 
come to Kansas, tell him our cellars will 
he running over until next June with Ben 
Davis, Arkansas Black and Missouri Pip¬ 
pins. p. a. v. 
Kansas. 
I have come to the point where a 
good baked Ren Davis would prove a 
very strong temptation. Another friend in 
Montana send a picture of a McIn¬ 
tosh Red and says: 
If the cut of the Red McTntosh as grown 
in its true home does not make your mouth 
water and your eye turn from your Bald¬ 
wins in disgust, your natural feelings must 
be as corky as Ben Davis. 
That is easy since our Baldwins are 
all gone! If it were true that my “nat¬ 
ural feelings” were running so dry I 
should try artificial ones at once. 
H. w. c. 
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Uncle Sam is now sending nearly a million square feet __ 
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If interested in plans for farm and poultry build- 
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sample of Paroid Roofing, paroid is sold by dealers, 
if not for sale in your town write us and we will supply you. 
F. W. BIRD & SON, MAKERS, 
92 MILL ST., EAST WALPOLE, 
mass. 
RUBBERHIDE BOOTS 
Outwear two Bars ofOrdinary Rubber Boots 
For this reason alone it is good economy to buy them 
But there are also many other reasons. They keep your feet dry all the time. That 
means better health, and so more earning power. They are comfortable — a smooth leather 
insole prevents your foot sweating and chafing. 
A heavy ROCK OAK leather outsole takes all the hard wear, protects your feet from 
stones, glass, splinters; and saves you from stone bruises. When this sole is finally 
worn off, which takes long, hard wear, simply have your cobbler tap or resole the 
boots and they are as good as new. 
Bear in mind, too, that the RUBBERHIDE BOOT is absolutely water-tight, made 
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you can walk, dig, or spade with comfort. 
No other boot is or can be made 
like RUBBERHIDE 
Now note this. If with ordinary care they 
do not outwear two pairs of regular rub¬ 
ber boots, we will make good any differ¬ 
ence in wear in money. What fairer 
offer can we make? 
Ask your dealer for them. If he 
cannot supply you send to us direct, 
giving his name. Write to-day 
for booklet and prices. 
This Is why 
Rabbet-hides wear longer 
Next to the foot is a smooth 
leather insole, then a rubber insole, 
then a filling sole of rubber, then * heavy ' 
reinforced rubber welt sole vulcanized to 
the upper. And a sewed Rock Oak leather 
outsole to take the hard wear. 
RUBBERHIDE COMPANY 
456 Essex Building, • Boston, Matt. 
. . ....... . 
:N0 OMR SOLE HEMS 
INSIDE 
- and ► 
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Comes 
On the outside all rubber boots look very much alike—the 
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unusual satisfaction? There is rot one ounce of shoddy and no re¬ 
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Buffalo Brand boots don’t flop about, because they are made over 
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Insist on your dealer telling you all he knows about 
these boots— INSIST. 
WM. H. WALKER & CO. 
77-83 So. 
Pearl St., 
BUFFALO, 
^ N - ¥ - 
HUBBARD’S FERTILIZERS 
Made By THE ROGERS & HUBBARD CO., 
MIDDLETOWN, COINUXT. 
SEND FOR 1909 ALMANAC TELLING ALL ABOUT THEM. 
SENT FREE TO ANY ADDRESS. 
