12c)8 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
October 
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Farm Women As Earners 
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Holly or Mistletoe for Market. 
E VERY year a great business is done at 
Christmas in handling holly and ever¬ 
greens for decorations. Some of our 
readers are engaged in the work of gather¬ 
ing the holly and one of them tells about 
it as follows: 
As I have been working with holly 
since a boy I am quite familiar with its 
gathering and marketing, which is as fol¬ 
lows: A man climbs and starts cutting 
a well-berried holly tree at the top. and 
chops the branches as he comes down 
until all are cut. then the small branches 
are broken by men called breakers. They 
are broken in pieces from eight to 24 
inches in length according to the amount 
of foliage and berries. Branches are held 
in the left hand, green side up until all 
that can be held are broken with the 
right. Then the handful is passed to the 
packer. He places the holly in layers 
until the case is filled. The case is made 
of seasoned pine lumber, surfaced one 
side, %-inch thick, and is two feet 
wide and two feet deep by four feet long. 
The top is then nailed on, and the case is 
carried to the road or transported by 
team. The cost of gathering and ship¬ 
ping is as follows: The holly. 50 cents 
the case, empty case, 40 cents; breaking 
S3 cents; hauling to station, 10 cents; 
freight prepaid to Philadelphia, 38 cents; 
totalling .81.71, and a case usually sells 
for from $2.50 to $3. The transportation 
charge is for hauling to station within 
radius of two miles, and labor is reck¬ 
oned at $1 a day. Holly cut in North 
Carolina and Virginia costs less, in view 
of lower priced labor and cheaper cases. 
The holly wreaths are made mostly by 
women, almost all classes work at them. 
A switch or stick is cut 33 inches long. 
This is bent, allowing three inches for 
sp’ice. and is fastened with wire, making 
a 10-inch hoop. Choice green holly is 
used, twigs with about three leaves are 
put on and wrapped with special wire 
made for that purpose, about every six 
inches. A nice bunch of berries is in¬ 
cluded. making a total of four or five on 
each wreath. These wreaths are taken 
up by teams supplied by dealers who pay 
from five to eight cents each for them, 
according to market prices. These are 
carried to the packing house and are 
packed in cases lined with paper, making 
the case as airtight as possible; air or 
light will soon fade them. They are 
packed 225 in a case, and lid nailed on 
ready for shipment. 
Mistletoe is very scarce, and but very 
little is shipped. In cutting it, the 
branch on which it grows, the trees being 
maple and gum. are sawed off and low¬ 
ered to the ground by a rope. In placing 
the mistletoe in case, care should be used 
to see that stick is as long as case is 
wide. A nail is then driven in each side 
of the case and in the end of the stick. 
This holds the bunch firmly. Six bunches 
usually fill a case, and sells for $4.50 to 
$5. Much care is needed not to break off 
the pearl-colored berries. 
Delaware. p. L. HUDSON. 
A Supply of Donkey’s Milk. 
O NE of my neighbors is very sick and 
would like to get donkey’s milk, about 
two quarts, lie thinks the milk will 
give him a new start. If you know where 
it would be bought would you let me 
know? j. A. F. 
We have all kinds of questions and 
generally obtain answers to them, but 
this is a hard one. We find that don¬ 
key's milk is considered by some persons 
as superior to any other kind except per¬ 
haps goat’s milk as a food for invalids. 
In Europe this milk is frequently fed as 
a last resort to weak children or persons 
who are wasted away with some linger¬ 
ing disease. After writing some dozen 
letters we have found several persons who 
have at this time jennets that are giving 
milk. It. II. Walter of Pennsylvania, has 
a five-year-old donkey, apparently flush 
in milk, and he knows of several others. 
This stock is used to produce breeding 
jacks and, of course, they are very valu¬ 
able. Just how to supply the milk is a 
problem, too much for Mr. Walter and 
the other parties who tel 1 us they have it. 
The patient might buy the donkey, which 
would cost him $300, or he could come 
and board near the farm where the don¬ 
key is kept, and thus obtain it. A few 
quarts of milk might be sent by mail, but, 
of course, there would be no profit in tak¬ 
ing such milk treatment unless it were 
kept up for a reasonable time with steady 
supplies of the milk. This question will 
give an idea of the way our readers rely 
upon our help. Among other information 
on this subject we have the following: 
I can sure furnish donkey’s milk, but 
never heard of its being used in sickness, 
nor in any other way only to feed young 
donkeys. Your reader can have it at $5 
per quart. In order to secure it for him 
I will have to rob a valuable young male 
donkey ! w. h. wiiittenberg. 
Illinois. 
Shipping Butter by Mail. 
T HERE have been many questions 
from our readers about the practical 
wisdom of shipping butter by parcel post. 
Butter Mailing Package Closed. 
Many people seem to think that all forms 
of farm produce, from strawberries to 
cabbage, ought to be sent by mail, and 
many dairymen can see the great advan¬ 
tage which would come to them if it were 
possible to send butter in this way. Our 
advice has been not to attempt to ship 
butter by mail during the warmer weath¬ 
er in any event. We know of several 
Butter Mailing Package Open. 
cases where such shipments have failed, 
and naturally so, since an article like 
butter cannot stand up and endure the 
heat of a crowded mail car. During the 
past month we have spent much time in 
investigating this matter of butter ship¬ 
ment. The conclusion seems to be that 
in cold weather such shipments can be 
made where the distance is not over 50 or 
The Beginning of Parcel Post. 
00 miles, and where there would he a sure 
and prompt delivery. Long shipments of 
butter by mail have not proved satisfac¬ 
tory. The butter melts, loses its shape 
and form, and in many cases leaks from 
the package and does not come in good 
condition. If provision could be made 
for avoiding warm storage rooms, or for 
leaving the mail packages close to stoves 
or steam pipes, the butter would go in 
better shape, but in the ordinary post 
office and mail car such precautions are 
not to be expected at present. The best 
package seems to be the one shown 
in the pictures. It is made of 
heavy cardboard, and as seen is a 
double package, giving the butter a double 
protection when fully packed. The five- 
pound package has usually gone through 
in the best condition. For shipment in 
this way the butter is made in the oblong 
pound blocks, thoroughly chilled on ice, 
then packed in parchment paper, and well 
sealed. These blocks are then put to¬ 
gether and wrapped securely in heavy 
paper. This is then put inside the upper 
wrapper, shown in the picture, and this is 
pushed into the box with open ends, mak¬ 
ing the package as finally shown in closed 
package. This is then wrapped in heavy 
paper and properly tied up. Packages 
of this size and description have been 
sent successfully in cooler weather, and 
with care on the part of the mail car¬ 
riers, Winter shipment of this sort would 
prove satisfactory. Iu the Summer, how¬ 
ever, we could not advise shipments of 
this sort, and in the Winter with careless 
handling there would be serious trouble 
in many cases where the bags of mail are 
left in a warm place. The parcel post 
has not proved very satisfactory thus far 
for the shipment of these perishable pro¬ 
ducts, largely because no provisions are 
made for handling them in special cars 
or hampers, where they can be kept cool. 
As the system develops, which it will do 
slowly, many of these objections will be 
overcome, but we must not expect at once 
to be able to ship strawberries, butter, or 
similar things in the same mail bags or 
cars with more enduring products. 
Does Honesty Pay ? 
F OLLOWING our plan of printing new 
or singular business propositions we 
give the following this month. The ordi¬ 
nary college man who applies for a posi¬ 
tion of “manager” has a very good opin¬ 
ion of his own powers. Now the ques¬ 
tion is, will the “bluffer” really do better 
than the man who tries to tell a fair story 
about himself? The poet Whittier never 
married. It is said that he proposed to 
one young wor-’n by mail and made the 
mistake of admitting his faults and leav¬ 
ing her to see his virtues. It should have 
been the other way—perhaps! 
I am in a small dilemma. I have had 
two years’ agricultural college training; 
have worked out successfully some of the 
theoretical laws learned in the classroom 
upon my uncle’s farm. I had intended, 
when leaving college last Spring, to teach 
in a “prep” school this Fall. I have se¬ 
cured no teaching work, cannot return to 
college, and desire to go into managerial 
work. I have advertised in two promi¬ 
nent agricultural papers, have corre¬ 
sponded with several persons, but 
with unsatisfactory results. It seems 
to me that I must have told too 
much the truth; I wrote both of my 
failings and of my abilities, and tried 
to make plain just what I was not. so 
that I would disappoint no one should he 
employ me. Is it possible that I have said 
too much against myself? I know that 
the fellow who bluffs out a thing with the 
chesty “I-me-myself” stuff does get there 
often when the other fellow doesn’t; but I 
do not wish to be that sort. 
I wonder whether you can assist me. I 
am specializing in poultry husbandry; 
have successfully raised and cared for 33(5 
chicks and 130 hens here; got highest 
prices for eggs and poultry, etc., and 
shown a good profit, as a side line exper- 
i:\ent. Of course, I can do most other 
fa -n work decently, but poultry is my 
main post. I am also deeply interested in 
the run-down farm, and believe I would 
like to take the job of renovating an 1 put¬ 
ting into profits some * oor looking place. 
I can do it, too. I am careful, clean and 
systematic; do not smoke, chew or drink. 
Do these qualities command a good sal¬ 
ary? I am no Sandow in strength, how¬ 
ever. and though in good health. I am 
not extra robust. I have, as you see, no 
long record of work to recommend me, 
only what I feel sure I can do. I like to 
study best, but I am sincerely desirous to 
see the studied things worked out by my 
own hands iu practice. P. 
Maine. 
A Public Refrigerator 
NE of the literary papers recently 
printed a picture of a large building 
at Cleveland, Ohio, part of which is a 
public cold storage. Iu theory the city 
offers to store perishable goods for all— 
dealers or housekeepers—-for a reasonable 
sum. The plan is for a housekeeper to 
buy a crate of eggs, half a carcass of 
meat, a tub of butter or any other per¬ 
ishable stock when prices are low and 
store it in this “public ice box” until the 
prices rise. A number of Cleveland 
housekeepers express their views on the 
“ice box.” 
Auntie Cleveland goes to market, 
Just to show that she is wise, 
Saving money for her pocket. 
Buys ahead a year’s supplies. 
I'ses Mose’s refrigerator 
Luts them in when they are cheap, 
Takes them out a few months later, 
When snow makes the prices leap. 
“Here is just how I can save for my 
Spring suit and Easter hat,” one Cleve¬ 
land woman may tell her friends. “I 
bought my Winter eggs, butter, apples 
and potatoes when the prices were way 
down. I placed them in the West Side 
Community Ice Box. I bought eggs for 
only 20 cents last April and May. and 
when eggs are 40 or 50 cents I’ll be 
shocking my guests with expensive jiving, 
costing only Summer prices. Here again 
is where the ice box benefits us West 
Side people. We can put in nice fresh 
butter in June when it is the cheapest, 
and take it out a parcel at a time. We 
have just put in two barrels of apples, 
the 1st of October, we can keep those 
until May, have nice apple pies, when 
our neighbor across the street has to 
pay 50 cents a peck for them. Now, 
some of us people on the West Side don’t 
have much to spare each week to buy 
ahead, and here is a plan some ladies 
have worked out. The woman clubs 
with friends, they buy a case of eggs, a 
quantity of butter, and produce and place 
it in the ice box. It doesn’t cost much. 
A case of eggs is stored from May until 
January for 40 cents, a barrel of apples 
from October until June for the same 
amount, and the goods all come out fresh. 
Of course we are restricted in making too 
frequent visits to the storage, yet we are 
finding it so convenient and economical 
that women in other cities are taking up 
the matter. It was a little hard for us 
to understand the proposition but now 
every available space is occupied.” Such 
a proposition ought’ to benefit direct 
trade from the country. City women can 
order in large quantities and store what 
they do not use at once. 
High-priced Turkey Feathers, 
N the “Needlecraft” I saw an articL 
stating that certain turkey feathers 
were used in millinery at $16 per 
pound, but did not find where they could 
be sold. I would be willing to send the 
editor enough for his hat if I can find a 
sale at that price. Mrs. ciias. e. blair. 
Yermont. 
The feathers of turkeys and other barn¬ 
yard fowls have for a long time been used 
in millinery, but the crude feathers are 
usually cheap. The high price men 
tioned evidently refers to the fluff at the 
base of some turkey feathers, which is 
manufactured into some forms of hat 
trimming and imitation marabou scarfs. 
The only manufacturers we know about 
who would be likely to buy the feathers 
direct from the farm have so little capital 
and poor business standing that it does 
not seem safe for outsiders to send them 
goods. Many poultrymen send the feath¬ 
ers to the same concern that handles their 
dressed poultry, the quills and wing fea¬ 
thers being kept separate from the others. 
Feather buyers come around the commis¬ 
sion houses and take what suits their 
purpose, but no fancy prices are paid. 
That is the result of manufacture. 
Fig Preserves.— In making fig pre¬ 
serves. our way is not just like all peo¬ 
ple do, but will state it, as some folks 
might be interested: Use good ripe and 
perfectly sound figs, stems on. Soak in 
strong lime water for about two hours to 
harden. Take from lime water and wipe 
each fig with a soft cloth to clean and 
remove surplus lime water. Put in pre¬ 
serving kettle and add sugar, three-quar¬ 
ter pound, to each pound of figs, and slice 
about one lemon very thin to the gallon 
and put in. Cook until the syrup is as 
thick as desired, skimming all scum that 
rises, and by the way tin* trace of lim ■ 
left on the figs clarifies the syrup more 
thoroughly than one would suppose. 
M. A. P. 
