100.9. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
211 
Recreation on the Farm. 
The conviction has grown with ob¬ 
servation that the great majority of 
farmers do not have nearly enough 
recreation, not merely fun, but refresh¬ 
ment of body and mind after toil. To 
my mind a literary club is one of the 
best and most easily managed and at the 
same time most enjoyable of rural 
means of recreation. Choose a good 
leader, meet at different homes at stated 
intervals, have music and refreshments, 
but let there be at least one-half hour 
spent in study—biography, history, art— 
the subject is of less moment than the 
method of treatment. Have short 
papers, quotations, readings, anything 
pertaining to the topic. Such a club is 
easily organized and carried on, and 
every rural community has the requisite 
material right at hand, if they only think 
so. But you may say this is work, not 
recreation. The mental stimulus, the 
meeting with one’s friends and neigh¬ 
bors, and more than all else, the uplift 
gained by studying the characters which 
have made history, or the places visited 
which we may never hope to see with 
our mortal eyes; all these enlarge our 
outlook, making us forget the dull 
routine and daily toil, and therefore it 
is recreation in the best and truest sense 
of the word. 
Surely none will gainsay the fact that 
reading is recreation. With the advent 
of the rural free delivery, which has 
brought to our doors the .daily paper and 
other publications fresh from the press, 
and with the great variety of cheap and 
excellent literature, I pity the farmer 
whose tables are bare of reading matter 
and whose bookshelves are conspicuous 
by their absence. We may not all be 
able to visit our friends, belong to clubs, 
etc., and possibly ill-health may pre¬ 
clude any outside diversion, but for us 
all there is the priceless boon of good 
reading. 
But if we desire something in a lighter 
vein, for no one cares or ought to read 
and study all his leisure .time, there can 
be organized, in large variety, the clubs 
of a purely social nature, where games 
can be played, with music for variety 
and refreshments for the inner man. 
Many people have a strong prejudice 
against cards, but there are many other 
games which can be played for a part of 
an evening with much pleasure. Flinch 
is one and crokinole another. One of 
the most enjoyable evenings we ever 
spent was at a large gathering where 
progressive flinch was played. Seven 
tables seated the 35 guests, who played 
for 10 minutes, after which the sound¬ 
ing of the bell bade the winners move 
up a table and the losers remain where 
they were. Score cards were punched 
each time, and at the end of 50 minutes 
a small prize was awarded the one hav¬ 
ing the most games to her credit. Many 
knew nothing of the game, but we helped 
one another, and everybody got acquain¬ 
ted with everybody else. The strong 
point about all progressive games is 
that each one has to meet all the others, 
and the heart-to-heart gossips of mutual 
friends in one corner of the room and 
the lonely wallflower in another, is an 
impossibility. Crokinole, pit and even 
the old-fashioned dominoes may serve 
the purpose equally well, and this does 
not exhaust the list. We like the forma¬ 
tion of clubs in rural communities be¬ 
cause wc have found that desultory 
gatherings of anv kind soon languish and 
die, while regular meetings bearing the 
name “club” have a fascination few 
people can resist, be they literary or so¬ 
cial. With a membership of about a 
score of congenial friends, meeting at 
stated intervals at each home in rota¬ 
tion, with games played progressively 
and refreshments at the close, we have a 
method of wholesome and innocent di¬ 
version hard to beat for successfully 
drawing together the scattered friends 
and neighbors of a rural community 
during the Winter months, especially 
when the long evenings give ample time 
for such pleasures. 
I have spoken at some length on the 
last topic, which may seem a trivial 
form of recreation, but many neighbor¬ 
hoods will not support the literary club 
and we must do something to keep the 
social instinct alive, keep the fathers and 
mothers from growing old and keep our 
young men and women on the farm. 
Entertain them at home and the tide of 
rural emigration cityward will not take 
from us our brightest and best, as it is 
now so frequently doing. The social in¬ 
stinct demands gratification like any 
other instinct of our nature, but we 
must look to it that the demand is met 
by refreshing, legitimate gratification 
and not by that which dwarfs alike both 
soul and body. 
At this point let us pay our tribute of 
deepest respect and admiration to the 
Grange, a scientific, literary and social 
club of the highest order when properly 
conducted. Yet to my mind the Grange 
is not patronized largely enough by our 
young men and women, and I wonder 
if the social element is made quite prom¬ 
inent enough? In our own Grange, 
during the coming year, we shall try to 
devote more time to them than in the 
past, and have outlined something like 
the following: Bi-monthly meetings in 
which they shall have entire charge of 
the lecturer’s hour, or a social hour 
given up to guessing contests, games, 
spelling matches, etc. We need all the 
knowledge we can get relative to crops, 
feeding, soils, etc., but we also need 
enough diversion to promote good fel¬ 
lowship, and we need to furnish such at¬ 
tractive programmes that a stormy night 
will not keep everybody at home, nor an 
oyster supper be the only bait to insure 
a good attendance. Not that I depreci¬ 
ate the oyster supper, however, for it is 
most certainly a great promoter of so¬ 
ciability, but we need weekly as well as 
annual means of bringing out a full at¬ 
tendance, and of sandwiching instruc¬ 
tion and diversion in such a manner 
that both shall be palatable, for after 
all what is better than a sandwich ? 
The forms of recreation spoken of 
thus far are best suited to the Winter 
months, but the greatest delights of rural 
life are only to be enjoyed when we can 
get out of doors, under the trees and on 
the green grass. Yet to how many 
farmers Summer simply means long, hot 
days spent in the hardest kind of toil. 
For myself, I believe in picnics, and we 
have many of them. Ottr pocketbooks 
may be somewhat leaner, but we know it 
will all be made up to us in increased 
vigor of body and rested nerves. Yet if 
a picnic means a whole day’s prepara¬ 
tion of pies, cakes, raised biscuit, etc., 
till we are too tired to enjoy anything 
the next day, it would be almost better 
not to have them. If wc have any guests 
or can get word to a neighbor or two 
we say, “Let’s take our supper to the 
lake to-night,” or any spot we may 
choose. We start about 4 p. m. and 
return at seven in time to do the chores. 
Wc always keep a supply of salad dress¬ 
ing on hand, so can make a vegetable 
salad very quickly. This with bread and 
butter, canned meat or boiled eggs, cake 
or cookies with materials for a pot of 
coffee, makes a hearty supper, and can 
all be prepared in less than an hour for 
a large number. Then, too, there are 
the larger, all-day affairs, Sunday 
school, Grange or family reunions. 
These are well worth a little more effort, 
and amply repay us in the delightful 
social intercourse' wc enjoy, and the rest 
gained by a day spent in the open air. 
Nothing; however, has brought us 
more pleasure with the minimum of 
effort than meals served out of doors. 
From the first of July till late Septem¬ 
ber, an old drop-leaf table capable of 
seating 10 people does duty on our front 
lawn. It is not in the least ornamental, 
but if passers-by laugh at it we can 
afford to let them, such good times has 
it given us. Here nearly every warm 
day that we have guests we serve dinner 
and tea and sometimes breakfast also. 
We keep no hired help, but save for 
carrying the food from the kitchen to 
the lawn, no extra labor is involved. 
And how city guests, especially, do en¬ 
joy it—the country friends also, for that 
matter, like the novelty of the affair 
and the freedom from restraint which is 
the _ great fascination of all outdoor 
affairs. 
An indoor picnic was held one cold 
day when we had expected to eat on the 
lawn and had invited a larger number 
than our dining-room would seat. The 
living-room was large and all found 
seats on couches, chairs or cushions on 
the floor. 'I he eatables and coffee were 
served from the dining-room; everyone 
laughed and joked and had far more 
fun than if it had been served in the 
dining-room in the ordinary fashion. In 
these and many other ways we may en¬ 
joy the glorious Summer months. Keep 
in the open air all you can, not merely 
to hoe corn and pick berries, but to cat 
and drink and stretch oneself out on the 
green grass or in a comfortable ham¬ 
mock with a good book at hand. In 
the Winter, take a trip to New York or 
some other place of interest, join a club 
or reading circle and visit your friends 
and neighbors. We hear much of late 
about the balanced ration for'cattle and 
liens, but what about man? To my 
mind he, too, needs the balanced ration 
of work and play, toil and recreation. 
I have in mind a man and wife who 
started out 30 years ago to get rich. 
They were honest and hard-working, but 
their end and aim was to make money. 
There was no time in their schedule for 
church, reading or recreation. Summer 
and Winter, the only road they traveled 
was to mill, to market and to the bank. 
Their only child, a son, left them 10 
years ago hating farm life and everything 
pertaining to it. They have succeeded 
in their purpose—they have made money, 
but nothing else. Old before their time, 
they arc leading a dwarfed, isolated life, 
the logical result of such a course. Has 
it paid? A thousand times no! We 
shall pass this way but once, so let us 
get all we can from life as we go along. 
Let us work much, but play some, for 
“All work and no play, makes Jack a 
dull boy.” MRS. G. M. c. 
Winter Meat Dishes. 
Russian Hash.—Chop fine two pounds 
of round steak (underdone roast beef 
may be used), two small slices of onion 
and a sprig or two of parsley. Add 
one-half cupful of fine bread crumbs, 
one-half cupful of broth, or a beaten 
egg (both may be used), a teaspoonful 
and a half of salt and a dash of pepper. 
Mix together thoroughly and shape in 
a loaf. Turn into an agate pan on 
which a slice of pork has been laid. 
Sprinkle the top with fine crumbs and 
bake about 40 minutes, basting four or 
five times with fat taken from the top 
of the soup kettle. Remove to a serv¬ 
ing dish; place hot mashed potato, sea¬ 
soned with salt, pepper, butter and 
cream and beaten very light, around 
the meat. Brush the edges of the po¬ 
tato with beaten egg and set the dish 
into the oven (over a dish of hot 
water to protect the plate), to brown 
the edges of the potato. 
Jellied Veal.—This is delicious to 
slice cold. Buy a small piece of meat 
from hind leg — one and one-half 
pounds will be ample for one meal— 
three pounds makes a nice sized dish if 
desired to serve it for more than one 
meal, as it keeps well. Boil down until 
there is enough liquid left to cover 
the tenderly cooked meat, seasoning 
with salt and pepper toward the last. 
Cut into tiny squares and arrange in a 
mold mixed with slices of hard boiled 
eggs and bits of parsley. Cover with 
liquid. Stand in a cold place until 
hard; turn out of mold and slice for 
serving. 
Smothered Roast.—This is an excel¬ 
lent way to cook the cheaper cuts of 
beef, such as cross-ribs or round. Wipe 
the meat with a wet cloth. Put two 
yery thin slices of salt pork into a large 
frying pan, and when they are cooked 
to scraps, put in the beef and sear one 
side, then the other. If you have a cov¬ 
ered casserole or a large bean pot, or 
even an iron spider or frying pan with 
a tin pan that fits closely for a cover, 
put the meat in, rinse out the frying 
pan, pour the contents over the meat 
and add enough boiling water to' come 
half the depth of the meat. Cover and 
set in the oven or on the back part of 
the range for four hours, or until the 
meat is very tender. The main point 
is to cook the meat slowly. Take up 
the meat and thicken the gravy; season 
with salt and pepper. Boil small 
onions, changing the water twice, salt 
them and serve with the beef as a 
garnish. 
The old Reliable” 
LANTERNS A 
there are none “JUST AS GOOD” 
WHEN YOU BUY A LANTERN INSIST ON A “ D I ETZ ” 
made by R . E. D I ETZ COM PA N Y new york 
Largest Makers of Lanterns in the World 
Esta bi.ishkd 1840 
PIONEERS AND LEADERS 
IDEAL! WASHER 
Try this machine THIRTY DAYS? if It doei 
not run lighter, wash cleaner and quickei 
than any other washer return at on i 
expense, lias Cedar Tub that wil 
last a life-time. Sample machine solt 
at Special Price to introduce quick 
ly. Write l’or circular and prices 
Bluffton Cream Separator Co 
box M, BLUFFTON, OHIO 
STEVENS 
FIREARMS 
<>• 
>-• although low in 
price, give you ab¬ 
solute up-to-date features 
and insure results equal 
to guns of much higher price. 
Stevens Single or Double 
Barreled 
Shotguns 
are equally desir¬ 
able for field or trap 
shooting. Made with 
the celebrated Stevens 
check-hook, and new 
cross-bolt, through ex¬ 
tension rib, permitting 
heaviest charges of 
powder. 
Send for 160 * page 
catalog giving details of 
costruction of Stevens 
shotguns and rifles for 
men and boys. Full of 
information every gun¬ 
man should have. Sent 
free for 5c. postage. 
If your dealer can’t 
supply you with genu¬ 
ine Stevens, notify us, 
and we will ship direct, 
express prepaid, on re¬ 
ceipt of catalog price. 
J. Stevens Arms & Tool Co. 
200 Front Street 
Chic ogee Falls,Mass..U.S.A. 
TELEPHONES specially 
adapted to farm lines. Sold 
direct from factory. 
Book of instructions 
how to organize 
farmers and build 
lino free. Write for 
Bulletin No. 319 . The North 
Electric Co., Cleveland, O. 
Kansas City, Mo, Dallas, Tex. 
HAVE YOU HEARD of the won¬ 
derful price offerings we are now 
making in lace curtains? You can 
now curtain your windows beautifully 
at a mere fraction of what It formerly 
cost you. Look for lace curtains In 
one of our late Big Catalogues. If you 
haven’t the big book, borrow your 
neighbor’s; otherwise. If you would 
like togetsome beautiful curtains ata 
ridiculously low price, then on a postal 
card to us simply say, "Mall me your 
great lace curtain ofTer." Address, 
SEARS, ROEBUCK & CO., CHICAGO 
DO YOU KNOW 
THE WET WEATHER 
COMFORT AND 
PROTECTION 
afforded by a 
Slicker? 
Clean - Light 
\ Durable 
Guaranteed 
Waterproof 
$300 
Everywhere 
A J TOWER CO- BOSTON USA. 
TOWC» CANADIAN CO LIMITLD. TORONTO CAM. 
S*WE SHIP ON APPROVAL 
■without a cent deposit, prepay the freight 
and allow 10 DAYS FREE TRIAL. 
IT ONLY COSTS one cent to learn our 
unheard of prices and marvelous offers 
on highest grade 1908 model bicycles. 
FACTORY PRICES abicycleor 
.a pair of tires from anyone at any price 
until you write for our large Art Catalog 
and learn our wonderful proposition on lirst 
sample bicycle going to your town. 
RIDER AGENTS & 
money exhibiting and selling our bicycles. 
W 0 S 0 II cheaper than any other factory. 
Tiros, Coaster-Brakes, single wheels, 
parts, repairs and sundries at half usual prices. 
Do Not Wait; write today for our special offer. 
MEAD CYCLE CO.. Dept. B80, CHICAGO 
Gold Coin Ranges 
are sold under an 
ironclad guarantee— 
one year’s trial and 
return if not satisfac¬ 
tory; besides you buy 
Direct from Factory 
Freight Paid 
and you save $5 to $ 20 . 
The range will last 
a lifetime. Send 
for Free Illustrated 
Catalogue of com¬ 
plete lino of styles. 
GOLD COIN STOVE CO. 
3 Oak St., Troy, N. Y. 
. — — || _ 
^ COUNT £//£ DOHA/is sav£d ov£N cost 
_ A A/D £Y£/?Y T/M£ ///£ 
Sjei^unot Range 
Proves - A pood srovt /s A/or cnpap at any p/?/C£. 
ask YOUR DEALER AND WRITE FOR OUR BOOKLET TO 
gin. Stove Works, Rochester, n.y. u.s.a. 
i 
