1008. 
THE RURAL NKW'-VOKKEK 
57 1 
Hope Farm Notes 
New Hampshire. —I spent June 25 
with the New Hampshire Horticultural 
Society. The meeting was held at a 
hotel on the top of a high hill over¬ 
looking Manchester. I think Lowell 
must have written his “June Day’’ some¬ 
where in the Granite State, for it would 
he hard to imagine a more beautiful 
combination of sun and sky, air and 
scenery, than was served up to us. It 
was a whole sermon for a man to look 
across that wide valley and see the 
cloud shadows creeping slowly along 
the hills, the sun sparkling on the dark 
water and the brown of the farms con¬ 
trasting with the dark patches of pine 
and hemlock on the hillsides. I would 
like to take a Western man right off 
the prairie and stand him on that hill 
and see what he would give if he 
could have that view from his door. 
The meeting was just like a large 
gathering of old friends. It seemed to 
me as if I had known them all for years. 
I never was prepared to defend the 
Yankee at his worst, but when you 
strike him at his best you have about 
the best type of American this country 
has yet produced. Some of the farming 
in New Hampshire is still as crude as 
the work we used to do when [ was 
a boy. From the car windows I saw 
operations which jumped me back 40 
years. They apparently still go out into 
a corner of an old pasture and plow up 
a little piece for potatoes or corn. It 
appears to take two men to cultivate— 
one to hold the cultivator and another 
to lead the horse. I actually saw in 
several places big strong men leading 
the horse to cultivate perhaps half an 
acre of potatoes. I could give them an 
object lesson with Nellie, for I have her 
trained so she will go straight ahead 
and turn of her own accord so it is 
hardly necessary to lift the cultivator at 
all. Those Yankee horses are not such 
lunkheads that they cannot be trusted 
to walk straight! 1 do not see how 
such farmers can make a living at farm¬ 
ing, though the soil is productive and 
prices are high, while living is simple. 
I was told that many of them have prop¬ 
erty left by their parents and wisely in¬ 
vested so as to bring good interest. It 
seems to be true that these outside earn¬ 
ings often make poor farming. I have 
seen cases in Pennsylvania where land 
was leased for the coal, or in Ohio 
where there was an oil lease. With these 
sources of income farmers rarely de¬ 
velop their farms as they might—in fact, 
you will find some very poor farming 
where the land yields an income from 
other products. I should consider it a 
misfortune for my children if some one 
were discover a gold mine or a vein of 
coal on my farm. 
Fhe farmers who attended that hor¬ 
ticultural meeting were of a very dif¬ 
ferent character. It makes much dif¬ 
ference whether you live in the past or 
live in the future. These men realize 
that southern New Hampshire will grow 
the Baldwin apple and some other va¬ 
rieties to perfection. The location seems 
admirably adapted to the mulch method 
of culture. The apples are of fair size, 
brilliant in color and of a firmness and 
quality that would astonish the average 
buyer. On June 25 they had Roxbury 
Russets firm and solid without a wrinkle 
on the skin. They had been kept in 
ordinary cellar storage, and were good 
for two months more. Long before they 
were gone the earlier varieties would 
be ready, so that these farmers have a 
supply of fruit] the year around. I 
could easily make up boxes of apples, 
higher in color and finer every way than 
the famous fruit from the Pacific coast. 
In fact I think this section offers to 
fruit growers about what the Klondike 
offered to gold hunters. It has been 
known for years that fine apples could 
be grown there, but only recently I 
think have the possibilities of commer¬ 
cial apple growing been thoroughly con¬ 
sidered. Tt is to be a great industry. 
lie rough land will be utilized, and I 
think these growers have the best 
thance 1 have seen in the Fast to make 
much of the box trade. T think we can 
safely trust these New Hampshire Yan¬ 
kees to develop the business. The State 
has much to offer an immigrant. It is a 
strange thought that after sending away 
the best of its blood and bone to con¬ 
quer and build up the West the strip 
of land along the Atlantic has now be¬ 
come a competitor for settlers with the 
section it made rich! New Hampshire 
has never done much boasting about its 
wealth, yet farm conditions are good. 
I here are neither the very rich class 
nor the very poor, but all who are will¬ 
ing to work seem able to gain a home 
and competence. I asked a man who 
knows New England well why there are 
now no great men in public life hailing 
from that section. Up to 25 years ago 
the history of this nation was pretty 
well bound with New England character, 
and when great things were done there 
were always great Yankees in public life 
to do them. Where are these men now? 
My friend said that the great New Eng¬ 
land men of the past were either farm 
boys or were influenced and directed by 
the old-time farm sentiment. With the 
decay of New England farming which 
took place with the rush of immigrants 
to the West, other classes began to 
control New England, and a different 
class of men, less dependent upon the 
farmer, came into power. It was the 
character of the old-time farm and 
farmer that gave New England power 
and force. The soil of the northeast 
was stubborn, and stubborn men were 
required to conquer it, and through 
fighting it they learned to dominate pub¬ 
lic affairs. 
The indications now are that with the 
improvement in farm conditions and the 
increased value of farm lands some of 
the old public strength and political 
power is coming back to the farm. I 
presume many of our readers have read 
“Coniston,”’ by Winston Churchill. It 
is the story of a political boss who ruled 
New Hampshire through his ability to 
handle members of the Legislature. The 
story is real, and I have often wondered 
if there ever was such a man. Prof. 
Sanborn tells me that without doubt 
“Jethro Bass” was a real character. 
When he was in the Legislature years 
ago there was a silent, odd character 
who was undoubtedly the original 
"Jethro.” 1 his man seldom spoke, but 
he studied men, knew their strength and 
weakness and played upon either as 
best served his purpose. There is much 
in the book that is true. It has been 
largely read in New Hampshire, and 
has made a deep impression. Slowly 
but surely country people are coming to 
see that learning how to grow larger 
and better crops is only one small side 
of their problem. They must have 
greater control of those crops before 
they are consumed, and in some way 
obtain a fair share of what they sell for. 
In order to do this they must run their 
fist right into public questions, and that 
is just what they are going to do. I 
was told that there never was a time 
when thinking country people were so 
discontented with public conditions, so 
hungry for the truth and so eager to do 
something —they hardly know what! 
Those New Hampshire men that I saw 
are going to find out what to do, and I 
feel sorry for any politician who tries 
to head them off with promises. 
Farm Notes. —Everything is early 
this year. Last year we hardly began 
haying until after July 4. I hauled in 
the Alfalfa on that day. This year the 
hay was nearly all in the barn at that 
date. Last year the oats and peas were 
barely ready to cut by July 10. This 
year we cut them July 2. It has been 
the same with strawberries, currants and 
early potatoes—they all came with a 
rush after what promised to be a very 
backward Spring. We replanted the 
corn, where the crows did so much dam¬ 
age—coating it heavily with tar. The 
crows pulled a little in spite of the tar, 
but the replanting delayed cultivating 
somewhat, and with the rush of other 
work the corn got grassy. During hay¬ 
ing I tried to keep one horse in the 
corn and potatoes, but that was not al¬ 
ways possible, and there are more weeds 
than 1 like to be chopped out with the 
hoe. We are now waiting for a good 
soaking rain before planting cabbage. 
. . One week the Alfalfa hay 
stood in cocks in the field. The next 
the hay was in the barn, and the next 
cutting nearly a foot high. I thought 
young clover could grow, but the Al¬ 
falfa will give it a start and then grow 
all around it. And how the animals do 
like it! I he pigs will chew down Al¬ 
falfa hay like the cows. Surely no 
farmer can be said to live up to his 
privilege until he tries hard to get this 
crop growing. '1 he man with a small 
farm needs it even more than the large 
farmer, for every acre ought to produce 
a large crop. ... I reported a fail¬ 
ure of the vetch, which was seeded with 
rye hist Fall. When we cut the rye for 
hay there was hardly a plant of vetch 
to be found. Now a second crop of rye 
has sprung up—enough of it for a fair 
cutting, and here and there among it. I 
notice the flowers of vetch. There is 
not enough to do us much good. The 
clover in the rye looks well, and by cut¬ 
ting it early before any seed is formed, 
I hope to keep it growing for some 
years. . . It almost startles us to 
think it is getting time to seed the 
Crimson clover and turnips in the corn. 
1 here is no question with us about the 
value of this practice. I will not, if I 
can help it, let the ground lie bare 
through the Fall. At this season the soil 
is well filled with nitrates, which are 
the soluble forms of nitrogen. During 
the latter part of Summer these nitrates 
are rapidly formed from the decay of 
organic matter in the soil. So long as 
a. living crop occupies the ground these 
nitrates are taken by that crop. If, on 
the other hand, after corn or potatoes 
stop growing no living crop is left a 
good share of these nitrates will be 
washed out of the soil and lost. When 
we sow Crimson clover and Cow-horn 
turnips we fill the soil with vigorous 
young plants, so that after the corn is 
cut they can use the nitrates and thus 
save them. The clover not only saves 
these nitrates but, as it grows, obtains 
more nitrogen from the air—giving the 
whole thing back to the following crop. 
The Cow-horn turnips make a long tap 
root far into the ground. In this way 
thev break up the soil, and no doubt 
make use of some plant food far down 
in the subsoil. I am sure that turnips 
can use some forms of phosphoric acid 
which many other plants could not 
touch. By growing the turnips and let¬ 
ting them decay in the soil we get these 
phosphates for the following crops. Any¬ 
one who could see the way our soil 
looks after plowing under clover and 
turnips would need no further argu¬ 
ment. But are there no objections to 
it? Yes; I wi’l try to give the whole 
argument next week. 
I have a fellow feeling for those men 
who keep coming after information and 
stick to it until they get what they want. 
Here comes our Indiana friend once 
more: 
Are the roosters weatherwlse or other¬ 
wise? I asked the question in The It 
N.-Y. a year ago If any of your readers 
had noticed that the crowing of the roost- 
ers In the early part of the night Indi¬ 
cated rain or snow, fiut no one took notice 
of the question. I hope some one who 
has observed will answer, and those who 
have not observed please do so and re¬ 
port. K . w 
Indiana. 
On page 141 Prof. King gave us an 
able discussion of weather signs and 
the origin of storms. The question re¬ 
ferred to an anero ; d barometer—that is, 
one containing no fluid, but acting as 
the result of pressure on a sensitive 
metah There is no question about the 
sensitive character of a rooster's throat. 
What do the observers have to say? I 
should think that the entrance of ver¬ 
min—either four legged or two-legged, 
might start a storm signal. h. w. c. 
'Tile and Catai.pa.— Cement tile are 
made in this neighborhood, but as yet do 
not take the place of clay tile to any 
great extent. The greatest difference be¬ 
tween them Is that the cement tile are 
very porous. You can pour water on one 
lying down and the water disappears like 
pouring it on sawdust, without its run¬ 
ning off the sides. To me it seems the 
best use to make of cement tile would run 
in sizes larger than 30 inches made on the 
ditch bank. Machines are made for laying 
the tile and digging the ditch at the same 
time, but they require too solid a founda¬ 
tion to run on to make them of any value 
in ordinary farm drainage. (See a cut 
of an excavator in the May number of the 
Engineering Magazine.) To repair fences 
or bridges after one on an ordinary ditch 
would cost more than to dig the ditch by 
hand. Farmers in this neighborhood who 
have Catalpa groves and have used them 
for posts, do not say much in their favor, 
one man comparing their durability to 
Jack oak. This confirms my own observa¬ 
tion of them; that a good one will last 
seven or eight years and no longer. 
Clarks IIlll, ind. c. w. it. 
CUTAWAY TOOLS FOR LARGE HAY CROPS 
Clark’s Reversible 
Bush & Bog Plow 
Cuts a track 5 ft. wide, 
1 ft. deep. Will plow 
a now cut forest. His 
double action Cntawa.' 
Harrow keeps land trin . 
moves 1800 tons of earth, 
_ cuts 30 acres per day. 
DOUBLE ACTION^/ JOINTED POLE CUTA 
COT ill Send for - -- 
r % Ill a CIRCULASSTOTW 
N0 ‘1^ 4 * CUTAWAY 
MORE HARROW 
USE co.. ' 
FOR ,=£=1 ° C V HICCANUMl — 
PLOW. ■S^iiffiTcONN.u.s. 
Jointed 1’ole takes all tlie weight off Horses 
and keeps their heels away from the Disks. 
His Rev. Disk Plow cuts a 
furrow 5 to 10 in. doep, li 
in. wide. All Clark’s ma¬ 
chines will kill witch-grass, 
wild mustard, charlock, 
hardhack, sunflower, milk 
weed, thistle or any foul 
plant. 
A WONDERFUL INVENTION 
CLARK’S DOUBLE ACTION COM¬ 
BINED CULTIVATOR 8, HARROW. 
Can lie used to culti¬ 
vate rowed crops, as 
a listing harrow, also 
when closed together 
is a harrow cutting 4*tj 
feet wide. 
CUTAWAY HARROW CO., 
39 Main St., Hlggamim,Conn. 
3&nS BALER 
Our Cyclone” three stroke self feed hay press 
Is tlio latest, most powerful and most efficient 
press on the market. Each circle of tho team 
presses in three charges. Tho seif feed auto¬ 
matically puts the hay down to tho bottom 
of the halo chamber. These two Improvements 
wonderfully ^ ^f|l n proa.so capacity of 
our presses. 1, 1 ,T>fWri to today for circular 
p r 1 c o s.n,.JlFivo days’ fr,,„ trial 
land 
Eli 
Hay Press. 
NORSE and BELT 
POWER. 
38 stylos and slzos of 
Pressos. 
For many years the stand¬ 
ard. Lead in character 
of work, speed, easy 
and safe operating.. 
Don’t buy until you 
see the lili catalogue.' 
Mailed free. Write 
for it today. 
COLLINS PLOW CO., 1111 Hampshire St., Quincy, 1IH. 
Havana Low Wagons 
All nteel, made to last; wood gears alao. Save high 
lifting, hard pulling, avoid cutting up Helds. Tires any 
width up to 8 Inches. STEEL WHEELS furnished TO FIT 
OLD o EARS. Write for free booklet. 
HAVANA METAL WHEEL C0., Box 17, HAVANA, ILL 
The WAGON to BUY 
Properly con¬ 
structed. Saves labor, annoy¬ 
ance and expense of repairs 
STEEL WHEELS ^ A Yo A N L k 
Your uddr.M on a pound will bring you free eatnlog. 
The Geneva Metal Wheel Co. 
Box 17 Geneva, Ohio. 
Have RunningWater 
In house, stable and anywhere else, If 
there's a brook, spring or pond near you. 
Power Specialty Co.’s 
Fr*« Book About Rif* »n<l Vo*tmr 
Hydraulic Rama will tall you how 
aaay, simple and loaxpanilva It la. Rama 
pump watar to any height Thay pump 
watar by watar powar. No troubla or ax- 
pause to maintain. Write Today f<* 
FRKE BOOK of suggestions 
ROWER SPECIALTY COMPANY, 111 Broadwiy, N.. York City 
Champion 
with Condensing Hopper, 
Friction Clutches,Double Steel 
Gears: only Self-feeder that 
is independent of plunger 
and many other exclusive foa- 
. . _ _ _ tures. 3 to O tons per hour. 
Chamnion Monn . te d Power Hav Press, 6 strokes of plunger to I 
undinpiun round of horses. Side and End Hitch. Self-feed, Au- 
tomatic Mock-dropper, or can be used with small Gasoliue Engine. 
4 to d tons per hour. Write for Special Prices. 
FAMOUS MK1, CO., 50 Chicago Av„ East Chicago, Ind. 
Belt Powei* 
Hay Press 
‘ANDWICH BELT POWER PRESS 
Capacity 2 to 4 Tons Per Hour. x 
Eight home gasoline or steam power runs largest size to full capacity, while many 
customers are using smaller power. Equipped with Klock 
Drftppor which Is safe and sure In operation. Simple 
und effective Self Feeder, easy and fast to serve 
and one which handles large or small charges. A 
Simple, Solid, Bualnee.llke Outfit. A Monoy-Maker. 
It is not made up of a maze of gears, tangle of shal ts 
and friction clutches. Uses no balance wheel, does 
not need any. Motions slow and powerful, no rapid 
or jerky movements. Wood or Steel Mountings. 
We make Lever Iirake. Lined throughout with heavy sheet 
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pres.es loo. logue, mulled free on application. Address, 
SANDWICH MANUFACTURING CO„ 157 Main Street. SANDWICH, ILLINOIS. 
