1913. 
A SENSIBLE WOMAN’S LETTER. 
The following letter was written by a 
mother living alone in Michigan and 
who owns 80 acres of land, 10 acres of 
muck and the rest sand, grown up to 
oak grubs, to her son, whose term in 
the II. S. Navy has nearly expired and 
who wishes to locate in California and 
learn the carpenter’s trade: 
“My dear Son: I have studied a good 
deal over your last letter. It seems to 
me you are starting at the bottom of the 
ladder, and either you cannot see plainly 
what is at the top, or you are not con¬ 
sidering that so much as whether you 
will find it pleasant climbing. I wish 
I understood more fully what you expect 
to win and call it success. I have known 
a number of real good carpenters end 
just where they began—at the foot of 
the ladder. It is so easy to spend every 
cent when it comes in clean cash. On 
the farm there is always need of equip¬ 
ment or improvements, and money spent 
in that way is an investment rather than 
going to the expense account. If your 
ambition is to make a home for me that 
is fine, but do you expect anything more 
than that? If I go West I must have 
some interest beyond washing pots and 
pans, and scrubbing windows and floors, 
or I would never be happy and contented. 
“I cannot endure the thought of giv¬ 
ing these dreams all over, and settling 
down to gossip with the neighbor over 
the backyard fence, or riding to the city 
on the street car, and looking at goods 
in the store that I have neither the 
money nor the desire to purchase. And 
as for calling and leaving cards with peo¬ 
ple not at home, and who have no more 
wish to see me that I have to visit them, 
why, I’ll have none of it. Life should 
mean something. If I could raise flow¬ 
ers, chickens and bees I might be more 
contented, but not in Los Angeles. I 
want to be where God's gifts are as free 
as He made them. You say the prospect 
of having the water shut off because of 
unpaid rent is too remote to be consid¬ 
ered. When slack times come the best 
of carpenters are liable to be laid off, 
and no one can tell how soon they will 
be with us. As to selling out here, the 
place needs some improvements. If you 
would come here next Spring and help 
me, then we could sell, and have money 
to help ourselves with. You don’t like 
Alfalfa, but the man we want to sell to 
would just tumble over himself to hand 
out his money if we had 20 or 30 acres 
in a good stand of Alfalfa. You’ve no 
idea how much it is talked of among 
farmers and written of in farmers’ pa¬ 
pers. Just now because of the drought 
the lowest price mentioned for hay is 
.$25 per ton. A good catch of Alfalfa 
ought to go three tons to the acre even 
in such a_season. What do you think 
of that, $75 to the acre and your land 
and seeding right there ready to turn the 
same trick another year, and then the 
next? Perhaps hay would not always 
bring $25 per ton, but there will always 
be a ready sale at profitable prices. With 
30 acres at $25. we have $2,250; deduct¬ 
ing expenses, etc., call it $2,000. There 
is a good-sized farm left—50 acres—for 
corn, potatoes, or what you will. The 
man with the right idea of farming can 
make money enough to go around the 
world while you are trying to climb the 
first few rungs of the ladder, at carpenter- 
mg. Nevertheless, if you really dislike 
farming you are not likely to succeed, if 
your mind is on something else. Your 
uncle used to say he never liked farming, 
but as he was brought up to it and it 
was the thing he could do, he gave his 
mind to it, and has been very successful. 
To compute his bank account, or look 
over his broad acres you would never sus¬ 
pect lie had chosen the wrong vocation. 
"We have looked somewhat at what 
may be found at the top of the ladder, 
and I want to add right here that on this 
fa rm the climbing of the ladder to suc¬ 
cess will be most arduous, and often ex¬ 
tremely discouraging. There are stumps 
to be pulled; green crops must be plowed 
under. You’ll be put to your wits’ end 
to know where the money is coming from 
to buy seed, lime or other fertilizers, to 
say. nothing of needed buildings and 
equipment. The 10 acres of muck ought 
to pay well at once for needed ditching 
and clearing. If you possess the real 
pioneer spirit all these difficulties will 
be but stepping stones to success. But 
. Mm cannot call such a spirit to your 
aid you would better seek your vocation 
elsewhere. I own this property, and I 
expect to see it improved, so count me 
out of your plans for California. I shall 
be most happy indeed to see you here 
next Spring. No need to decide till vou 
have thought it over.” 
Fertility from Grass Roots. 
IIow can I best utilize or treat grass, 
or particularly the roots of a rank crop 
i - g i a l s turue d under with the sod, and 
winch has been worked to the surface by 
numerous borrowings? Does it contain 
more or less of a complete fertilizer in 
nitrate of soda, bone meal and potash? 
How can I best treat it so as to destroy 
ine fibre quickly, and can I use the com- 
]>ost as a top-dressing for grass, and how, 
1 * or what other purposes to best ad- 
a * ? ge ; , C. s. n. 
Allentown, Pa. 
, We ^ do not know how much sod you 
iave, but if we understand your question 
e would put on lime at the rate of one 
mi per acre and keep up the harrowing. 
e doubt if it would pay to dig up this 
• * d and scatter it over grass land. Bet- 
' 1 * S o W . r ye in October, plow it under 
lext Spring and plant corn. 
1 HE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
CLOTHCRAFT 
Why 4130 is the Most 
Popular Fall Suit 
It is all-wool Blue Serge, guaranteed. 
It is absolutely fast color, also guaranteed. 
It is stylish—ten styles to choose from. 
It is well made. It represents 67 years of ex¬ 
perience in making good clothes. 
It is priced at $18.50. 
It carries a stronger guarantee than any other 
manufacturer ever put back of a suit of clothes. 
Why 4130 is All Wool 
Because it is a ClothcraftSuit and all Clothcraft Suits are 
always all wool—guaranteed. Wool makes up best, keeps 
its shape best and longest, holds its color best, looks best, 
feels best and IS best, in every sense. Everybody knows this. 
Why You Need 4130 
Because every man needs a good Blue Serge Suit. 4130 
is special for Fall. Scientific tailoring raises the quality 
but not the price. You buy it on a guarantee—not on a 
guess. If 4130, or any other Clothcraft Suit, isn’t 
absolutely right you need not keep it. 
CLOTHCRAFT 
Blue Ser&e Special 
N ? 4130 C "SMT“cOtOR°“ 5 18- 
REG. U S 
Where You Can Buy Clothcraft 
No. 4130 is sold in Clothcraft 
Stores. Write for the address 
of the nearest one if you don’t 
know it. 
PAT. OFF. 
Send for the New Style Book 
We will mail to any address the 
new Style Book and a sample of 
4130 Blue Serge fabric, of which 
the suit is made. 
The Photograph 
Why We Show Two 
The Drawing 
THE JOSEPH & FEISS COMPANY 
Established 1846. Oldest American 
Manufacturers of Men's Clothes 
635 St. Clair Avenue, N. W. 
(IkW 
Any of the styles below can be obtained in Clothcraft Blue Serge Special No. 4130 or any other Clothcraft Fabric 
There are only two ways to show Clothcraft Clothes on 
paper—the artist's drawing from life, and the actual photo¬ 
graph. We show you both here. We can give you no better 
demonstration in this advertisement. But you can go to the 
Clothcraft Store and see the real Clothcraft Clothes—see 4130 
Blue Serge Special at $18.50, tryiton, wear it home, and at 
once begin to appreciate the value of an all-wool suit that has 
all the other qualities that ought to be in a good suit at the 
same time—style, fit, looks, durability, fast colors, fine trim¬ 
mings and excellent workmanship, at a moderate price. 
I 
I 
fivStA Sr ,y 3s St.a 
jS • i xi 5 
An Apollo Farm— 
Barns, silos, tanks, implement sheds, stock shelters, 
wind mills, garage, poultry houses, corn cribs, cul- 
jf- verts—all constructed from 
VP01/0 
w Galvanized 
Roofing and Siding 
Sold by weight. Look for the trade mark. 
These products are full weight, strong, rigid, durable — and have the addi- 
tional advantage hying fireproof. Upwards of 450,000 tons of Apollo Sheets 
used during 1*41—, which proves quality and growing favor. Accept no substi¬ 
tute. Apollo Best Bloom Galvanized Sheets are also unexcelled for Tanks, 
Culverts, Cisterns and underground uses, as well as for Roofing, Siding, and 
all forms of sheet metal work. Sold by leading dealers everywhere. 
American Sheet and Tin Plate Company 
General Offices: Frick Building, Pittsburgh, Pa. 
Ourelxty-page booklet “Better IWiLTmtcis" contains plans, data and infer- 
matiou valuable to every farmer and property owner. Send for free copy to-day. 
AND SAV E 
BIG MONEY ■ 
We take the goods 
directly oft’ the 
looms—cut to your 
measure according 
to latest New York 
style patterns, 
hand-tailor them 
here in our own 
shops, and guaran¬ 
tee fit, material, 
workmanship, or 
your money back. 
Made-to-Measure Suits 
and Overcoats $ 10 to $22 
the kind for which you’d pay $18 to $30 
anywhere else. You save two dealers’ 
profits and we deliver free anywhere. 
bend postcard today for our new free 
style book with samples attached, rules 
for measurement, etc. 
GLEN ROCK WOOLEN CO. 
203 Main Street, Somerville, N. J; 
When you write advertisers mention The R. N.-Y. and you’ll get a quick reply 
and a square deal.” See guarantee editorial page. 
FUR-LINED OVERCOAT 
Manufacturers’ samples. Gentlemen's Black Broa 
cloth Overcoats, lined with finest Australian Mir 
large handsome Persian Lamb collar, all sizes Sii 
liar coats, not used as samples, retail at $90 H 
price, winie they last. $35. First come first serve 
\ ou take no risk. Examine and try on before payin 
u rite today stating size, ami coat will be sent C < 
1>. with Examination privilege. E. KOBERT! 
Koorn 17. 160 \V. 119tli Street, New Yoi 
BARGAIN 
- - Fcnce - ISO styles 
Id cents per rod up. We pa 
_ -„ni. Send (or bargain lenc 
book and sample to test—ALL FREt 
THfc BROWN FENCE a W IRE COMPAN 
DEPT. o9 CLEVELAND, OHb 
