1909. 
THE RURAL/ NEW-YORKER 
632 
THAT “ONE-HORSE JERSEY FARM.” 
Figures Questioned and Restated. 
as he does? Some years ago he found a boy, or 
young man, in rags. He was a foreigner, withoui 
home or friends, who asked for work. Mr. John¬ 
son took him home and against his wife’s advice 
gave him a job. You can imagine that such a boy 
had to work to prove himself, buf he stayed four¬ 
teen years on the farm, and left to take charge of 
a large place only when Mr. Johnson gave up active 
work. 
FIGHTING FROST IN ORCHARDS. 
Coal and Oil Burners in Colorado. 
A year ago this Spring, three or four orchard 
men in the vicinity of Grand Junction, Col., equipped 
HEATER FOR BURNING COAL. Fig. 220. 
My Dear Mr. Hope Farmer : 
In a recent paper you say the first week in April was 
a hard one. Here in Franconia, N. II., the last week has 
been the same, with cold north winds and only the cat¬ 
kins on the trees have started. The mercury has been 
down to 20 degrees at night, and April 30 the snow has 
not gone from the mountains. Now the hills are white 
with snow and rain, yet we old farmers manage to live 
and get along some way, and there cannot any one of 
us equal that man .Johnson, of whom you tell. Great 
Scott! What a jaw that man must have to raise .$2,500 
to $4,300 worth of produce on 20 acres of land! That 
return means $175 to $215 per acre. Fretty good. If 
down to hay he must get nine to 11 tons an acre to bring 
that money at $20 per ton. Potatoes about 500 or 600 
bushels at 60 cents per bushel. I shouldn't like to be 
his hired man. but I should rather be that than to be his 
horse, for if things came my way too fast I could get 
out before breakfast, hut the poor horse couldn't. Only 
think how he must have to work to mow that hay, cure 
it and rake it, and then haul it into the barn at night, 
poor old horse, when he dies he must lie happy. Father 
Adam, when he lived in the garden, if he had had a 
shirt, boots and trousers, with a good team, would have 
found it hard to beat that record. The snake and the 
woman couldn't have tempted him, for he would have 
said, “Get along, I'm busy !” l. f. noble. 
R. N.-Y.—Mr. Noble sends us the picture of “The 
Great Stone Face” shown at Fig. 229. This is a fa¬ 
miliar sight to people who live in that section. Haw¬ 
thorne has a story about it—how the country boy 
sought in vain for a human face which carried the 
grandeur of this profile. We hope thi long con¬ 
templation of this face has not made Mr. Noble 
distrust the statements of such men as Mr. Johnson. 
We never said that any man grew $2,500 worth of 
hay on 20 acres. We said, and repeat it here, that 
the soil of this farm was made so rich that if well 
seeded to grass it would yield enough in hay to 
keep the man in comfort! 
We first saw Mr. Johnson in 1890. We then re¬ 
ported his crop for the previous year. His total 
receipts were $2,360. The largest item 
strawberries—gross sales from two 
acres being $1,350. Other items were 
eggs and chickens, potatoes, cabbage, 
etc. It was an unfavorable season for 
most farmers. In 1890 Mr. Johnson 
increased his strawberry field to four 
acres—two of which had been picked 
the previous year. We reported total 
sales for that year as follows: 
was 
for 
their orchards with the so-called California oil or¬ 
chard heaters. It so happened that our season was 
abnormal, as it was in most sections of the United 
States, and in many sections a large per cent of the 
crop of fruit was lost. One man who tried the 
pots bought enough equipment to protect ten acres. 
He was new at the work, and did not have proper 
oil, so a portion of the time he was obliged to burn 
kerosene; but in spite of the fact that the ther¬ 
mometer fell to 23 for three or four nights in suc¬ 
cession, he was able to save the entire crop of apples 
on the protected area, while the fruit on the rest 
Eggs ... 
Potatoes . 
Strawberries . 
Chickens ...., 
Onion . 
Fruits . 
Milk . 
Rye and Straw 
One cow. 
$776.65 
314.15 
2,601.22 
25. 
90. 
99.96 
107.24 
76.40 
47. 
-A v/ 
$4,137.62 
We have looked over the figures and 
accounts, and believe they are correct. 
Practically none of this produce was 
peddled; it was sold to wholesale 
dealers. For some years the gross re¬ 
turns from this farm ran close to 
$4,000—as we have stated, Mr. Johnson 
stopped hard work. 
We know of a number of men who 
have done about as well as this. We 
do not like to print their figures, be¬ 
cause we cannot possibly print with them any idea 
of the patience, courage and skill required to do 
such things on the soil. As a rule, we think the 
boasting stories of great success do more harm 
than good. Mr. Johnson’s story is true. We know 
the man and the farm. We printed the account 
mainly to point out a wise and pleasant way of 
spending the evening of a farmer’s life. 
Our friend says: “What a jaw that man must 
NEW HYBRID AMARYLLIS. Fig. 227. See Ruralisms, Page 536 
reason that when the oil and pots become hot the 
oil boils over, causing much waste and loss of heat. 
They do find, however, that what is known as gas 
oil is fairly free from this trouble, and it is the 
form they are now using. It has also been demon¬ 
strated that coal pots will answer the purpose just 
as well as oil, but whether they will be as efficient 
in practice remains as yet to be seen. You must 
know that our coal is semi-hard, lights almost as 
easily as wood, and is, therefore, quite different from 
anything that is found in the East. I do not sup¬ 
pose, therefore, that coal pots would be of use there. 
Of course, the conditions of climate here are very 
different from those found in the East, and it may 
be that our methods must be modified, but there 
would seem to be no reason why something of this 
kind might not be devised which would be practical 
in protecting truck crops, small fruits and even 
large orchards if it were thought advisable. Any 
of our readers can secure circulars in regard to 
oil pots by addressing the Troutman Orchard Heater 
Company, Canon City, Col., and Plank & Fulgram, 
Grand Junction, Col. Figs. 225, 226 and 228 show 
both oil and coal heaters. Their simple construction 
is shown quite clearly in the picture. 
Colo. Agr. College. [Prof.] w. paddock. 
PUREBRED AND GRADE CATTLE. 
Lessons from the Fairs. 
I here was much criticism of the live stock ex¬ 
hibit at the New York State Fair last year. People 
who went to study the cattle found long lines of 
blanketed animals. The study of a cow blanket may 
be interesting in its way, but most dairymen prefer 
to examine the hide and shape of the cow. It is 
safe to say that comparatively few visitors were per¬ 
mitted to do this last year. W hen asked why these 
cows were kept blanketed the exhibitor usually gave 
two reasons. The cattle might take cold in the 
draught or their coats might get rough so that they 
would not be scored so high. Neither 
answer appealed to the bread^md-but- 
ter dairyman who keeps cows to hold 
the home together. We begin to talk 
about these things early this year, for 
the early bird has the best chance of at¬ 
tracting attention. We also bring up 
the old question of offering prizes for 
grade females. Most breeders of pure¬ 
bred stock oppose making any show 
of grades. We agree with them as 
to the grade male, but they stand in 
their own light when they shut out the 
grade cow. She is the business farm 
animal and the best walking advertise¬ 
ment they could have of the value of 
their pure blood. The world’s supply 
of milk, butter and cheese is not made 
by purebred stock and never will be. 
.No doubt but that many natives or 
“scrubs” are barely paying their way. 
Yet their daughters, with a dash of 
improved blood, might become very 
profitable cows. The average dairy¬ 
man is not to be converted by a pedi¬ 
gree, even though it were a mile 
long. Pie wants performance and 
the evidence of it packed where he can see it in a live 
hide. The long line's of beautiful cows taken 
from one fair to another like strings of race horses, 
please his eyes, but cannot move his pocket. His 
standby is the grade cow, and he knows it. If he 
could see, side by side, a purebred bull and three of 
his daughters by common cows, he would have an 
object lesson that he would not forget. Just such 
groups should be exhibited at the State Fair. Are 
COAL HEATER FOR ORCHARD WORK. Fig. 225. 
have!” Look at that picture of the “great stone 
face ! 1 hat powerful, firm-set jaw rising above 
the clouds. By “jaw” we mean the 'iron will, hard, 
unyielding determination to master natural forces. 
We have ever claimed that in the middle class of 
farmers, who have earned their farms and defended 
their homes by honest labor, will be found the 
strongest character and the safest conservatism. But 
Mr. Johnson has been no slave driver or tyrant. 
If he had, could he now enjoy reading and travel 
of his orchard, which was not so protected, was en¬ 
tirely lost. The expense for equipment and labor 
in this case was about $1,000, but it resulted in an 
$8,ooo crop. This was certainly cheap insurance, and 
the pots are ready for future use. In another or¬ 
chard the owner succeeded in saving an enormous 
crop of fruit, while just across a barbed wire 
fence in adjoining orchards the crop was an entire 
loss. We now know that under our conditions or¬ 
chard heating is a' success. 
Since then a number of forms of heaters, both 
coal and oil, have been invented, and a great many 
of our people have equipped themselves with these 
appliances. The oil heaters, which were first used, 
are about the size and form of a 10-pound lard 
pail made of light sheet iron. If the burning sur¬ 
face is much larger the heat produced is too great 
and the beneficial results are lost. These heaters 
will burn from three to five hours without refilling. 
In planning to protect the orchard in this way our 
growers are using 100 of the oil pots per acre. It 
probably will not be necessary to use this entire 
number except in exceptional cases, but should that 
occasion arise they think it is a better plan to be 
ready. But for light frosts perhaps half of this 
number will be lighted at first; then as they burn 
out the other portion may be used. In this way the 
work of refilling can be accomplished without diffi¬ 
culty. 
Our growers have found that the common forms 
of crude petroleum are not satisfactory, for the 
THREE FORMS OF OIL HEATER. Fig. 22S. 
the breeders blind that they cannot see that people 
want the evidence of performance to prove the value 
of pure blood? _ 
Sales of rat skins brought $200,000 in England last 
year. These skins are used for making gloves. It is a 
“new industry” and has been a great help in getting rat 
catchers at work. 
Fkom Southern Europe laborers have come to this 
country by the thousand. Most of them were peasants, 
but few, apparently, are on American farms. Yet there 
is such a scarcity of farm labor in Roumania that farm¬ 
ers have asked permission to introduce foreign laborers! 
