1298 
THE RURA.E NEW-YORKER 
WOMAN AND HOME 
From Day to Day. 
The Corn. 
Air Tennyson’s “The Brook.” 
With many a flaunt of green and gold, 
And many a glint of yellow, 
My banners beautiful unfold, 
In bright September mellow; 
I nod beneath the Hunter's Moon, 
In camps whose tires are buried, 
I waken with a million spears 
In brown ranks, staunch and serried; 
A whisper follows on the wind, 
An echo on the river, 
Come rain, or drought, or sun, or snow, 
Let Corn be king forever—ever— 
Ilail ! King Corn, forever—ever— 
Hail! King Corn forever! 
I brave the frosts of northern lands, 
I challenge broad savannas. 
While wheat and rice together bow 
Before my valiant banners; 
Nor golden West, nor teeming East 
Such wealth as mine can borrow, 
The States are sentineled by Corn,— 
A fortress in each furrow. 
A call is borne upon the wind, 
An echo on the river. 
Come rain or drought, or sun, or snow, 
Let Maize be king forever—ever— 
Maize be king forever ever— 
Crown King Maize forever! 
In May, I sprout; then daily grow, 
The sun my willing vassal; 
My silken gown by August moon 
Is hung with golden tassel. 
I reign, yet servant am to all, 
I live in song and story, 
For long the Indian maize shall bo 
The Nation’s pride and glory. 
Then list the ripple in the corn, 
The echo on the river; 
No famine fear, nor blight be near 
Our sovereign Maize forever—ever— 
Hail ! O, Maize, forever—ever— 
Ilail! O, Maize, forever! 
—O. P. Kinsey. 
* 
Tiie French government gives a medal, 
greatly valued, to those who excel in 
agriculture. It has now been decided to 
give this honor to a number of women 
who, during the present war, have done 
more than man’s work in keeping the 
home and farm going. A worthy plan, 
and the honor well deserved. We can 
name women in this country as well de¬ 
serving of such honor as any of the scien¬ 
tists or “successful farmers” in the land. 
# 
The papers tell of a woman who asks 
the Supreme Court to annul her mar¬ 
riage because her husband stutters. She 
claims that not being able to understand 
English at the time of her mariago she 
did not realize what stuttering really is! 
It seems that this man knew enough to 
“keep quiet and look wise” before he 
was married. When the knot was se¬ 
curely tied he revealed the fact that his 
tongue was tied also. 
* 
President IT. ,T. Waters of the Kan¬ 
sas Agricultural College recently told the 
students what he thought about dancing: 
Those who are the best dancers are 
usually not good for anything else. The 
best dancers are either limited in their 
mental capacity, or they have given so 
much time to this form of pleasure that 
they can’t do anything else. 
No doubt there are dancers who will 
come forward with the proof that they 
con do “something else,” but it never did 
strike us that dancing is really a man’s 
job. 
“Light foot, light head,” is an old say¬ 
ing. The New England girl whose beau 
praised his own dancing and pointed to 
his patent leather shoes said she pre¬ 
ferred a man who was polished at the 
other end. 
This seems to be part of what they 
teach at the Kansas Agricultural Col¬ 
lege : 
To be fit to marry, one must be able to 
meet his generally recognized responsi¬ 
bilities as a citizen, to support himself or 
herself in a legitimate way, and to sup¬ 
port bis or her own family when neces¬ 
sary. 
This is supposed to be “an economic 
test.” Whenever a young man goes 
through the form of asking “father” the 
old gentleman usually says bis daughter 
ought to have as good a home as she 
leaves. On its face this demand is rea¬ 
sonable, and yet it is hardly fair to the 
young man. It can hardly be expected 
that the young fellow can give his bride 
as many comforts as the matured and 
seasoned father. The older man is often 
fond of telling how he started under very 
humble conditions and how the girl’s 
mother helped him! Why should the 
daughter be expected to have an easier 
time than mother? 
* 
Now comes a man on page 1304 who 
confesses to being a bachelor who does 
both outdoor and indoor work on his 
farm. A great friend of a fireless cooker 
this—which stamps him as a sensible 
and “handy” man. Read those recipes 
of bis. They make an imaginative mouth 
water. As something of an expert on 
baked beans, we would vote for his meth¬ 
od of cooking. There may be women 
who can harness a horse as well as this 
man can make potato dumplings. If so 
the harness would fit in every particular. 
* 
During the past season several people 
have written us about stray carrier pig¬ 
eons. These birds, tired or wounded, 
came down in some farm yard and re¬ 
mained among the home stock. When 
rested or recovered they failed to resume 
their flight—like some humans who fall 
by the wayside and find a “soft job” bet¬ 
ter than the thorny path of duty. Rome 
of these Ilomer pigeons are banded and 
carry messages which they have appar¬ 
ently forgotten. Our friends want to 
know how they can find owners for these 
wandering birds. Mr. John Fisher of 
Westfield, N. .T., seems to act as a clear¬ 
ing house for such matters and with the 
leg band he can probably identify the 
bird. There are so many of these calls 
that we make this public announcement. 
* 
In Kansas there are debates between 
young women from the larger colleges. 
Recently girl students from the agricul¬ 
tural college debated with a team from 
Kansas Wesleyan University on the ques¬ 
tion of increasing the armament for this 
country. Some 30 years ago the writer 
taught in a Southern school, and organ¬ 
ized a debate among some of the girl 
students. We forget now what the sub¬ 
ject was, but some of the “first citizens” 
objected, because they said a woman 
should never be trained to argue or talk 
back! We realize how times have 
changed when we stop to think of this 
woman’s question. 
* 
Last Summer one of our readers asked 
us to tell how to can chicken. It was 
during the hot season, when few would 
think of doing such work, and we prom¬ 
ised to print full particulars in time for 
her use. Shortly after she wrote again 
and again, in great trouble, calling for 
the recipe. We finally found that she 
had been keeping a small flock of birds, 
and that some of them had been stolen in 
the night. She did not feel like eating 
the remaining birds at once, and rather 
than run the risk of having the rest of 
them stolen she bad been catching them 
every afternoon and bringing them into 
the house, where they would be close to 
her, and out of the reach of thieves, while 
she was waiting to obtain information 
about having them canned for her Winter 
use. We did not know of this urgency 
for the information, but as soon as we 
knew’ about it she was promptly told 
how to can the chicken, and they have 
now gone into those glass houses where 
they are free from thieves, where they 
eat no feed, and yet provide a dinner 
during the Winter. 
* 
The University of Wisconsin has or¬ 
ganized a Bureau of Community Music. 
The object of this bureau is to develop 
more and better community singing and 
choral work. The State 1 will be divided 
into various districts, and competent in¬ 
structors will go from place to place 
teaching music and organizing commun¬ 
ity music clubs. In addition to this 
the bureau will help in selecting music, 
and also aid in arranging for dramatic 
entertainments. This seems to be the 
old-fashioned singing school gone to the 
university. It is a great thing to have 
a singing class or singing organization 
in any community. There ought to be a 
good one in every country district, for 
there are beautiful voices to be found in 
many of our country towns. Developing 
and organizing this talent is a very legit¬ 
imate work for the university. 
* 
As you read that apple orchard story 
by Miss Mary Deyo you are impressed 
with the simple sincerity of the school 
teacher who has taught the world a les¬ 
son. She does not think she has done a 
single thing that can be taken up by others 
as an example! Imagine what one of 
those literary ladies, well equipped with 
strong fingers, a typewriter, a lively im¬ 
agination and a fine self opinion would 
have to say if she had really accomplished 
half of Miss Deyo’s task! 
* 
The most striking method of cam¬ 
paigning for “\otes for women” that we 
have yet heard of is a baseball game. A 
nine composed of business men played 
against another composed of the wives, 
sisters and daughters of the men players. 
The men were compelled to wear skirts, 
as the women insisted that otherwise 
they would put on men’s clothes! The 
women won the game—eight to four. And 
the men at once agreed to vote uanimously 
for the suffrage amendment on Nov. 2. 
* 
A Woman Farmer’s Feat. 
Miss Rosy Brockert’s great Holstein 
bull captured first prize at the county 
fair. Miss Brockert is to be congratu¬ 
lated upon securing the award, and we 
are to be congratulated upon possessing 
such an up-to-date and enthusiastic 
farmer in our .community. Miss Brockert 
is a young woman, who a few years 
ago, picked up one of our so-called 
abandoned farms, and without assistance 
or financial backing, but by sheer hard 
work and good management, has built up 
what certainly, animal for animal, is the 
best dairy herd in this section. 
Rhe recently caused the local farmers 
to stand aghast by paying $200 for a 
weanling calf. Miss Brockert .superin¬ 
tends all the work of the farm and per¬ 
sonally does the greater part of it, and 
October 30, 1915. 
how enthusiastic she is in her work, is 
shown by the fact that she led the bull 
herself to the fair, walking a distance 
of 25 miles, and making a part of the trip 
during the night. It certainly was an 
inspiring sight to see Miss Brockert, who 
is of rather slight build, leading this 
gigantic and ferocious-looking animal 
through the streets of Poughkeepsie, 
while a small sister, who was her only 
companion on the trip, followed on be¬ 
hind with a hickory switch, touching 
up now and then the mighty beast, when¬ 
ever he stopped over long to gaze at show 
windows or other urban sights. For 
sheer pluck and enthusiasm we will 
match Miss Rosy against anyone that 
does farm work or city work either. 
Dutchess Co., N. Y. h. l. 
* 
Making a Boy Happy. 
One morning I went with my husband 
on a trip back in the hills to buy a cow. 
The owner said, “I will take so much 
for the cow and calf, or will allow you 
two dollars and keep the calf.” We de¬ 
cided to take the calf. Just as we were 
leaving a boy about 11 years old came out 
and said, “Papa, that’s my calf, you 
can’t sell it.” The father said, “Boy, 
the calf is already sold, and I have the 
money.” The child turned and ran out 
with the tears running down his face. 
Next morning early he drove into our 
yard and asked for my hiuband, and told 
him he had come to buy the calf. My 
husband said he did not know that he 
cared to sell. The boy said, “It was n<v 
calf and I’ve brought two dollars of my 
own money to buy it back.” Poor little 
fellow, his heart was nearly broken for 
fear he could not have it. Ro my hus¬ 
band said, “I won’t keep the calf, boy, 
if it was yours.” So he put the calf in 
the wagon for him and the boy drove 
away with his arm around the calf’s neck 
and the happiest look you ever saw on 
a boy’s face. c. n. 
* 
The “Book Worm” in the Kitchen 
We imagine that a good many of our 
women readers will sympathize with the 
farmer’s wife who writes the following. 
We all have a favorite occupation, and 
not all the women on farms prefer cook¬ 
ing and housework. The woman who 
writes the following keeps Summer 
borders to provide capital, and does it 
so well that the boarders come back 
year after year: 
I “loved” to attend school—(liked is 
not emphatic enough), and if my mother 
wished to “bring me up to the mark” in 
any deficiency, a threat to take me from 
school was amply sufficient. I look back 
and think what an aggravation I must 
have been to an over-worked mother, 
with two children, seven and nine year.j 
younger than I, and “mountains” of 
work to do; for I was a “bookworm”— 
one of the most bookish ones I ever ran 
across. This is one of my youthful per¬ 
formances—when wiping dishes I would 
stop and read from the papers on the 
shelves. Reading now is my recreation— 
if I have something interesting I 
forget all my weariness, all my troubles, 
trials and annoyances. I am not fond of 
any outdoor work, such as gardening, 
poultry raising, etc., though I like to be 
out in the fresh air, especially in hot 
weather, and then is when I must be 
“cooped up” in a boiling hot kitchen, if I 
have Summer boarders! I never liked 
cooking very well, either. Last Summer, 
with boarder money I.purchased a three- 
burner oil stove, with oven, which was 
a great comfort and saver of nervous 
energy, as I like it so well, I even use 
it in Winter for certain baking. The 
year before I bought a large range and 
made it a point to have it set on the 
floor, as I was tired of sweeping under 
the stove. Our kitchen is very hot in 
Summer, and cold in Winter—needs re¬ 
pairs, which cannot be done until the ell 
is leveled up. My husband can do 
carpenter work, but farm work keeps 
him pretty busy, as he practically never 
has any hired help except at silage time. 
Cherry And Pineapple Marmalade. 
—Two parts cherry to one of pineapple 
gives a good pineapple flavor. Seed and 
drain the cherries, run through the food 
grinder and drain again. Grind the pine¬ 
apple. Mix the two, add two-thirds as 
much sugar, cook slowly until thick. 
E. M. s. 
* 
Raisin Catsup.—Three pints sugar, one 
pound seeded raisins, one good-sized cab¬ 
bage, 12 apples, one quart vinegar, six 
large tomatoes, six onions, one five-cent 
box white mustard seed, one tablespoon 
salt, one teaspoon each of spices, ground 
fine. Boil 10 minutes. 
“ Farm Girl’s Sunshine Fund ” 
We have received the following letter from a well-known 
and responsible man who, we are convinced, writes in perfectly 
good faith: 
Editor of THE RURAL NEW-YORKER: I am ready to establish a trust 
fund, which, when conservatively invested, will produce an income of $100 a 
year, that income to he used perpetually for the exclusive benefit of the farm, 
girls in one only of the New England States. Through your columns I hope to 
reach and get suggestions from a largo number of New England farm folks, indi¬ 
vidually, and collective opinon of whole neighborhoods through medium of votes 
taken in the Granges. The question is solely how best to use so small a sum as 
$100 each year. Shall it be used for prizes, or as a loan, or as a gift? If 
loaned, all repayments would go to swell the principal fund until it reaches (how 
many) dollars; and then what? An hundred years is only a little while in such 
a matter as this, but the increase in the fund would be very large in that time. 
T. J. D. 
We shall be glad to have suggestions regarding the use of 
this money. It should be limited to farm or country girls. Our 
suggestion would be a loan for education or for some business, 
the money to be paid back without interest. How should the 
girls who use this money be selected? There are possibilities in 
matters of this sort which become of general interest. Who 
will help organize this matter? 
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