1913. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
sai 
Just Between Ourselves. 
Sometimes we must confess country- 
life is not altogether as rosy as it is 
painted by those who know the least 
about it. It is not a place where success 
always follows honest effortthe farmer 
has more to contend with each year in 
the way of diseases, pests and bugs than 
ever before. Father seemed quite jubilant 
the other evening when he discovered a 
new disease for the potato, and he has 
washed and soaked and scraped and cut 
and sprayed until it does seem there is 
not another thing that can be done to 
save the crop. And in spite of his 
efforts the blight took part of the crop 
last year, but the remainder was splen¬ 
did and brought a good price. The 
old orchard was out in all its glory this 
Spring, and we spent considerable valu¬ 
able time enjoying its beauty. When the 
wind shifted to the north there was a 
chilliness in the air that caused us to 
cover our geraniums that were set out 
too early. In the morning there was 
ice, and as the sun rose the white trees 
took on a brown withered look. There 
were no comments, but we knew. Since 
then the winds have shaken the dead buds 
to the ground, and in most cases there 
is nothing but leaves. The pears suf¬ 
fered the same fate. But there have 
likely been frosts and contrary seasons 
among the apples since sin entered the 
Garden of Eden, and man was thereby 
compelled to earn his bread by toil, and 
the weeds have contended with the wheat, 
the tares with the corn. Yet it does 
not take much of a philosopher to see 
that weeds have their place in the world 
after all. Along the old stone fences 
where they have multiplied and waxed 
luxurious year after year the soil is 
much richer with decayed vegetable mat- 
ten than where, close by, it has been 
cropped year after year, the good taken 
out and nothing returned- It will take 
some time to bring that up to the same 
state of production as that along the 
walls, which is dark and loamy. 
There are many new laws being enact¬ 
ed and put into force in regard to pen¬ 
sions—the mothers’ pension, the teacher, 
the clergy. That is all well and good, 
but sometimes it has occurred to me that 
should Uncle Sam have any extra change 
in his pockets to distribute among his 
worthy family he might not find any more 
deserving than the sons and daughters 
who feed the nation. There are hun¬ 
dreds, yes thousands, of successful inde¬ 
pendent ones, and there are many who 
are not and never can be; farms that 
change hands every few years, run-down, 
abandoned farms, that will take more 
than a "mess” of chickens in the hands 
of some visionary back-to-the-lauder to 
reclaim, or some city man with a little 
money and no knowledge of farming to 
lose his all on. There are acres of run¬ 
down, worn-out land, from which some 
are trying to eke out a living, while 
close by, perhaps, are acres of swamp 
land rich and fertile, only useless be¬ 
cause they are not drained. It is more 
of a problem every year , 1 and one that 
cannot be overlooked, because upon the 
success or failure of the common agri¬ 
culture of the country stands the success 
or failure of the nation. Washington 
said something about its being one of 
the noblest pursuits of man. It is also 
oue of the hardest. Time was when to 
till the soil and sow the seed meant 
abundant harvest; but that time in this 
country is about over. The virgin soil 
has in general lost its fertility, and the 
question of fertilizer, and the bill for it is 
a big one. The sprays required to com¬ 
bat the foes of almost everything raised 
are no small item, and help to diminish 
the net profit also. The parasites on land 
and the parasites of trade all help to 
diminish farmers’ returns.. 
And I am not going to finish without 
banding out a little bouquet to the farmers’ 
wives, 1{. Ithamar said a splendid thing 
ia her Memorial L>ay reflections—that 
the times of national peace have their 
beioes and heroines no less than times 
war, and the bravery of the forgotten, 
neglected farmer’s wife who fights against 
discouragement, monotony, hard work 
and all that goes with it, is none the less 
Lieat because it is so common. 
I here are rest homes for this and that 
class of people, which are all well and 
b<>°d, but or she will be a true philan- 
thiopist who, amid new scenes, builds 
rest homes for the tired, overworked 
farmers’ wives. Some way I thought of 
that the other day in the cemetery, when 
taps had sounded and the roll of drums 
was an echo. We walked through the 
quiet streets of that city of the dead, 
bright with flowers and flags; handsome 
monuments to mark the final resting place 
of this and that wife and mother. Brave 
soldiers, many of them, who had gone 
down in the battle of life. Beautiful 
ent flowers were there, and I wondered 
as many have wondered, if there had been 
flowers for them along the way of life; 
if there had been a word of cheer for 
their bravery, a word of thanks in their 
patient waiting lives, for all the kindness 
and bravery, the labor and denial that 
had been so freely given. There is a 
picture in our room; it is to us the 
most beautiful picture in the world. It 
has not the beauty of youth, but the 
glory of old age; the crown is not of 
gold; but of silver. There was a flag 
draped above it on Memorial Day, and 
the children brought their flowers and 
put ou the table beneath it, and we read 
the roll call, but there could be no 
answer here. Brave soldiers they were, 
fighting to the last; Old Glory and the 
Banner of the Cross they marched 
under, and we are glad that during the 
long years of our sojourn from the old 
home, there was never a birthday, an 
anniversary or gala day we did not re¬ 
member by letter especially. 
THP COUNTRY GENTLEWOMAN. 
Of Feathers or Hair. 
Since we no longer depend upon the 
bountifully clad goose to provide us with 
beds the buying of really good ones is an 
item of consequence to most of us. We 
remember that we shall, if we want to 
last well, spend a third of every 24 
hours in whatever comfort, or discom¬ 
fort, our bed offers, and we perhaps de¬ 
cide that the best we can afford is none 
too good. Maybe we go without a new 
suit and buy a curled hair mattress. We 
do not want to do this again very soon, 
and so resolve to give our bed the best 
of care. Some day it will need remak¬ 
ing, and must go to a man who knows 
how and be cleaned and picked light, re¬ 
made and brought home as good as new. 
But that day is many years off for we 
mean to keep the ticking clean and the 
bed even by frequent turnings. 
Someone tells us to make a slip cover. 
So we buy heavy unbleached sheeting 
and stitch up a ease with boxed corners 
like the mattress and just large enough 
to button neatly at one end of each sec¬ 
tion. The same friend tells us we must 
turn the square part of the mattress 
every day and we decide to be syste¬ 
matic. The buttoned side is next the 
head-board; next morning we swing it 
around to be in front. The following 
morning the buttons are put against the 
narrow section at foot and the fourth 
morning sees them at back. When they 
arrive next the head-board again we 
know it is time to turn the mattress 
over. Then we go on for four or five 
days as before, and turn over again. 
But the little girls are not strong 
enough to turn their beds nor do we 
find time to make the slip covers. So 
we make a pad the size of the bed and 
all in one piece, using heavy sheeting and 
padding thick with cotton as a comfort¬ 
able is made. But we content ourselves 
■with second quality cotton and tack with 
coarse thread. This protects from spots 
and soil and keeps the restless feet from 
pushing the narrow section out of place. 
Maybe we cannot afford curled hair for 
the youngsters. Some one tells us we 
can have an old feather bed from the at¬ 
tic made into a mattress. It comes home 
stitched across with folds of the ticking 
to separate it in niue-l.icn compartments, 
but whole on one side. It rolls up easily 
and is, we know, not filled with shop 
waste or any other questionable stuff. 
Wheu used upon a woven wire spring the 
Little people pronounce it ‘“fine,” but we 
who sleep less easily think it best suited 
to those who like a very flat bed and 
merely own that we have slept ou worse 
ones. As an ordinary and rather worn 
feather bed makes, for a three-quarter 
width bedstead, a mattress only about 
three inches thick, we send two old beds 
to make the one full-sized mattress. It 
is really a very good way for disposing 
of the beds in the attic which one does 
not care to make up Into pillows. 
AUGUSTA ROSE. 
Some Tested Friends. 
Potato Gumbo.—Brown two slices of 
bacon in the bottom of the soup pot, 
add one heaping tablespoon ful of butter 
and one of Hour, stir well, but do not 
scorch it. Pour into this three pints of 
boiling water, then add one quart of 
potatoes, cut rather small, one cup of 
tomatoes with salt and pepper to suit 
the taste. Boil until the potatoes are 
tender, then add one pint of cream. Boil 
up and serve hot with brown toast. 
Tomato Salad Jelly.—Add one-fourth 
of a box of gelatine to a pint of strained 
tomatoes, season, pour into cups and 
when cold turn out on to lettuce leaves 
and serve with salad dressing. 
Bran Gems.—Two cups of bran, oue 
cup of flour, oue cup of sour milk, one- 
fourth cup of molasses, one teaspoonful 
each of soda and salt, and a handful of 
raisins. 
Vanilla Snow.—Cook one cup of rice 
in a covered dish to keep it white. When 
it is nearly done add one cup of 
cream, a level spoon of salt, one teaspoon¬ 
ful of vanilla, one-half cup of sugar, and 
the whites of two eggs. Pile the rice in 
a high glass dish, dot with jelly and 
serve with cream and sugar. 
Sugar Cookies.—Two cups of sugar, 
two eggs, oue cup of sour cream, a large 
half-cup of shortening, salt and flavoring 
to taste, a level teaspoonful of soda and 
a heaping one of baking powder. 
Steamed Graham Bread.—One cup of 
buttermilk, one cup of sweet milk, one- 
half a cup of molasses, one egg, a level 
teaspoonful of salt, one-half a cup of 
cornmeal, one and one-half cups of gra¬ 
ham flour, one cup of white flour. Steam 
two hours and bake about half an hour. 
Tea Cake.—One and one-half cups 
sugar, four tablespoonfuls of butter, one 
cup of sweet milk, whites of three eggs, 
salt, and two teaspoonfuls of baking 
powder. Beat well and add two cups of 
well-sifted flour, with flavoring to suit 
the taste. TKis makes a delieions layer 
cake, and it also makes a fine loaf cake, 
adding nuts or raisins if desired. 
MRS. c. s. H. 
Peanut Puree. —Here is something 
very nice I have never seen in print, fine 
for sandwiches or childrens’ bread in 
place of butter, or can be eaten in place 
of meat. Take a pint of shelled peanuts, 
put in the oven and warm, break and 
blow off the brown skins, then grind as 
fine as you can. Put in a double boiler, 
put in a saltspoon of salt, then pour on 
boiling water till as thick as cream by 
stirring it. Set in the boiler and boil 
not less than eight hours (10 is better). 
Set away till next day and turn out. 
Can be eaten hot or cold, can be sliced 
and fried on a hot griddle to take the 
place of meat. I have a peanut butter 
machine that gx-inds them like meal. 
_ MRS. L. S. LEACH. 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R. N'.-Y. and you’ll get a quick reply and a 
“square deal.” See guarantee editorial page. 
BANISHED 
Coffee Finally Had to Go. 
The way some persons cling to coffee, 
even after they know it is doing them 
harm, is a puzzler. But it is an easy 
matter to give it up for good, when Pos- 
tum is properly made and used instead. 
A girl writes: 
"Mother had been suffering with ner¬ 
vous headaches for seven weary years, 
but kept on drinking coffee. 
"One day I asked her why she did not 
give up coffee, as a cousin of mine bad 
done who had taken to Postum. But 
Mother was such a slave to coffee she 
thought it would be terrible to give it up. 
"Finally, one day, she made the change 
to Postum. and quickly her headaches 
disappeared. One morning while she was 
drinking Postum so freely and with such 
relish. I asked for a taste. 
“That started me ou Postum and I now 
drink it more freely than I did coffee, 
which never comes into our house now.” 
Name given by Postum Co., Battle 
Creek, Mich. Write for booklet, "The 
Road to Wellville.” 
Postum comes in two forms. 
Regular Postum (must be boiled.) 
Instant Postum doesn’t require boil¬ 
ing, but is prepared instantly by stirring 
a level teaspoouful in an ordinary cup 
of hot water, which makes it right for 
most persons. 
A big cup requires more and some 
people who like strong things put in a 
heaping spoonful and temper it with a 
large supply of cream. 
Experiment until you know the amount 
that pleases your palate and have it 
servtnl that way in the future. 
“There a Reason” for Postum. 
Mrs. Countrywoman — “Well, 
people talk about the beauties 
of farm-life, but I can’t see 
’em. It’s work all the time 
and no rest! I hate the coun¬ 
try!” 
Anty Drudge —“No rest indeed! 
Just let me show you how 
to do your work with 
Fels-Naptha Soap and you’ll 
sing a different tune.” 
Fels-N aptha 
helps every wom¬ 
an to d o her work 
quickly, easily 
and better than 
it was ever done 
before. 
Fels-Na pth a 
Soap dissolves 
grease. Makes 
dirt disappear in 
cool or lukewarm 
water. 
If you don’t use a 
washing machine you 
know how hard it is 
to rub, rub, rub your 
clothes up and down 
on the washboard l 
With Fels-Naptha you 
just use your hands to 
give the clothes an 
easy rub or two. Don’t 
boil I They’re ready 
for the line in a jiffy. 
Easy directions are on the Red 
and Green Wrapper. 
Fels & Co., Philadelphia. 
’AH ffi 
_ii n j 
FEL5-NAPTHA 
DAISY FLY KILLER 
placed anywhere, art* 
tracts and hills aU 
flies. Neat, dean, or¬ 
namental , convenient, 
cheap. Lasts all 
season. Made oi 
metal, can't spill or tip 
over; will not soil or 
injure anything. 
Guaranteed effective. 
Sold by dealers, or 
6 sent prepaid ior Jl. 
HAROLD SOMERS, 160 DeKalb Are., Brooklyn, B. Y, 
I ABIC C—TRY OUR ** SELF-HEATING 
FLAT IRON.” Price and 
transportation charges refunded, if not suited. 
STANffdUD SUPPLY CO.. Chatham, N. Y. 
