648 
TShe RURAL N E W-Y O R K E « 
Kaj 5* 1917. 
HOPE FARM NOTES 
A Livki.y Day. —Just as wo wcro eat¬ 
ing supper on “Fai-inors’ Day” a fiei’ce 
thunderstorm eanio roaring up out of the 
south. The electric light went out at 
a very convenient time, for my daugh¬ 
ter had .just hi ought in a big birthday 
cake and jdaced it before me. It was a 
fine cal:<;—there l>eing only one possible 
criticism. It was covered with a white 
"icing” and traced in red on this white 
background were the figures showing my 
age! As I feel about 15 years younger 
than this record (taken from the family 
Bible) would indicate it was a good 
thing that darkness came on so I could 
get rid of the rmn-d by slicing np the 
cake. Of course. s<mie of the slices, cut 
in this way, might be a little large, but 
(hat was no serious objection to the 
children at least. When the light came 
back one of the figures had disappeared 
and the other was going. There was a 
fi(K)d of rain outside, and as we drew up 
before our fire we felt that we had come 
to the end of a lively day. 
"Farmers’ Day.”—S o would you if 
you had dug, sorted. i)acked and shipped 
something over Bi.OOO asparagus mots, 
es|)ecially if you were back at 10 to 14 
years! Gov. Edge of New Jersey had 
appointed this day as a time for farmers 
to get together and consider plans for 
increasing the, food suppl.y. Some peo- 
I)le think this means getting together in 
some comfortable jdace to talk it over. 
You might call that taking a day off. 
Others think they can do itiore by get¬ 
ting out into tbe field and doing a little 
extra work. You may call that ))utling 
a day on. It seems to me that hot airing 
will never ecpial hoeing for increa.sing 
the food supply—so we <'eb*bi'ated far¬ 
mers’ day very largely with our fingers. 
The ARpARAors Btt.sivess.—T here 
was much to do. Merrill had two acres 
of good clover all fitted i-muly for pota¬ 
toes. Tbe seed and the sulidiur were all 
ready—one to be cut and the other to be 
dusted. Then there were about 7.000 
of those asi)ariigus roots to be sent off 
before night! Now I do not know how 
much experience you have had in the 
asparagus business, but by the time you 
have dug and liandbHl that many you 
will know you are something of a far¬ 
mer. You remember that when 1 offered 
the plants I said there might be 0,000 or 
7.0(K),' and I thought that perhaps 100 
of our i)eople would send for them. To 
my amazement the c.alls came in a per¬ 
fect flood—there will be at least 2,500 of 
them. AVhen we saw what was coming 
to us we decided to send 00 roots to eacli 
person, as far as they would go, and 
take the names in the order of their 
coming. It was easy to see that some 
of these friends needed the roots more 
than others, and we would gladly have 
selected these, but in order to give a 
"square deal” as well as we could, we 
took the first names to reach us. They 
came from everywhere—from Florida to 
Canada and from Maine to Washi gton 
—^a great flood of good-natured under¬ 
standing of the case. As soon as our 
supply of roots gave out we began send¬ 
ing back the money, and we must have 
returned close to $r)(X) in this way. As 
we dug into the roots we found more 
and more of them, and the total ship¬ 
ments ran something over lO.fXK). After 
we started we had a chance to sell the 
entire lot to .a nurseryman, while several 
people want('d 1.000 each at one cent 
apiece. Our boys felt that they were 
losing money, but they never thought of 
quitting, but kept right on sorting and 
packing, only sen-ry that they could not 
supply evei-yone. 
Efficiency. —We were at it before 
breakfast. I'bere was a g<K)d pile of 
roots on the barn floor to b<!gin with. 
We bad our bags and paper and twine 
all at haTid. One of the boys and T 
counted the roots out into lots of fiO 
each. When we came to one particu¬ 
larly large we broke or cut the crown so 
as to make two good ones. While we 
were doing this Cherry-top and Tow- 
head wrapped. They put each lot into 
a paper bag and tucked up the end. 
Then this was wrapped in heavy paper 
and tied up v/ith a good string. Motlier 
had come to the rescue, and she wrote 
the labels on her typewriter, and as the 
packages were all alike we had only to 
stick a label on each package. After 
breakfast we found Joe on hand. He 
was busy cutting potato seed. Now I 
have come to an age when I am very 
glad to admit that men like .Toe can 
be.at me at digging a.sp.aragus roots. I 
can cut potato seed as well as he can—■ 
and perhaps with greater satisfaction 
when the seed costs about .$11 a sack. 
So as a matter of efficiency we arranged 
for .Toe to dig roots v,hile I cut and 
droi)ped seed. The boys were to keep on 
sorting and wrapping and, as Mother 
was to have an eye on them we all knew 
(and the boys in particular) that there 
would not be so many idle moments. So 
Merrill hitched T'om and Broker to the 
wagon loaded up with seed potatoes and 
suli)hur, and we climbed the hill. The 
smallest little girl went along with us 
to “help.” As we went over the brow 
of the hill I glancwl back and saw the 
army at work. .Toe was throwing 'out 
the roots in gre.iit shai)e. Philip was 
planting iwms in the garden, the Aire¬ 
dale was on guard, and Mother^ was 
walking to the barn—sufficient evidence 
that the i)arcel post busines.s in aspar¬ 
agus rrmts would boom. 
Potato Pi.antino. — We are doing a 
little extra in potatoes this year to help 
out humanity—and Hope Farm also. In 
part of our apple orchard the dover' 
stands thick as fur. This was i)lowed and 
W'ell harrowed down, and it looked right 
as we drove up with our seed. Merrill 
took Broker, hitched him to a small 
plow and begm breaking out furrows for 
the seed. T'hese furrows are wide apart 
and we leave wide strips of clover along 
the tree rows, for this is first of all an 
apple orchard, and anything el.se grown 
here is an incident and not a main '*rop. 
When it comes to cutting $11 potatoes 
for seed you feel that you handle money 
instead of potatoes. We cut with Ciire 
trying to g<'t ftrong. one-eyed pieces with 
all the "meat” i>osRible. You cjinnot de- 
scrilre how j'ou do it, for each Irish Cob¬ 
bler tuber is a law unto itself. The 
little girl tried to help by picking the 
potatoes out of the bag and handing to 
me as I cut. Finally we began drop- 
l)ing seeci. We used metal palls for car¬ 
rying it. ’I'lu' plan w'as to fill the pail 
about one-third full and then scatter on 
a small handful of sulphur. The pail 
was well shalo'u up, more seed put in, 
more sulphur and so on. You will be 
surprised to see how quickly this coats 
the seed pieces with the sulphur. We 
dropped these pieces almut 1.5 inches 
apart in the row. They wamt right down 
into the buried clover and a little dirt 
was kicked or scnii)ed over them with 
the foot. Bator the fertilizer will be scat¬ 
tered in and the rows ridged ujt a little 
with the cultiv.atoi- or small plow. It 
was .a hot, “muggy” day—just right for 
potato planting, and by noon the fur¬ 
rowing was all done and dropjfing well 
started as we wemt down for dinner. 
Afternoon. —We did not tarry long 
over this meal of baked hamburger 
steak, potatoes and gi'avy, boiled rice 
and bread and butler. The iiotatoes 
were small—boiled in their jackets. I 
think the women folks had an eye on 
our seed potatoes, but we will use the 
small ones first. I find if, no use to tell 
people that rice and cornmeal are both 
better than pc.tatoes. They are not dis- 
])osed to quarrel with you about that— 
but they want the potatoes—having 
formed the hnlnt of eating them. After 
dinner .Toe and Merrill w’ent to the hill 
to keep on with potato planting. I will 
confess that my legs, were beginning to 
get a little weary at dropping seed and 
covering with my foot. Ho I went to 
counting out roots while the boys 
wrapi)ed. We had about 00 packages 
ready, so one boy packed them into the 
wagon and took them to tbe local post 
office. These roots did not hold out as 
well as the others—they were larger and 
so the packages became fewer and 
heavier as we came nearer the end. By 
three o’clock we had packed all that 
were dug, and there were .3,000 or more 
in the ground. I confess that both the 
leader and the army of two boys were 
a little reluctant as I led them into the 
field. It looked as if a number of ma¬ 
chine guns were pointing down those 
long rows at us. Ilowever, we plunged 
in with our foi-ks, and I just want to 
say that every one who gets a package 
of those roots must realize that they 
have ’een watered by tbe sweat of the 
Hope Farm niiui and his boys. You see 
we struck a part of the field where the 
grass had worked in and formed a sod 
around those roots. 'riiere was some 
quack grass there, and its roots had 
clinched and riveted tbe asparagus i-oots 
to the soil. I am sure the boys would 
have quit if I had not been there and it 
is a surer thing that I should have quit 
if they had not been there, but we hung 
to it until there were only two rows left. 
They will come out Monday morning, 
when we are fresh. You see the boys 
will follow this asparagus place with 
strawberries. Next week they will put 
on two good loads of manui-e and plow 
it under—then luirrow and harrow until 
it is fine. This, following tbe digging, 
ought to make this place like an ash heai). 
’I'hen we will set out strawberry plants 
18 inches apart each way, give them the 
best cai-e 'W’e can, and sell potted plants 
this Summer. All other ininners will be 
kept off and we shall see what follows! 
Geosing Tip.—I thought* the boys were 
tired enough to quit. I was—though I 
went up on the hill to see the potato 
planting. InsB'ad of quitting the boys 
hitched old Bob to tbe small plow and 
started work between the rows of bear¬ 
ing asparagus. Tlu'se rows are six feet 
apart, and this gives ample room for a 
row of potatoes hetw«H'n each two as¬ 
paragus rows. I give tbe boys seed 
fertilizer and the use of the land if they 
will do the Avork. ’I’liis will heli) tbe 
fcxxl supply a little. Then they Avill | 
put in some more asparagus seed this j 
sc'asou. Ho take it all through we are ; 
busy and Hope Farm falls in line to i 
help feed the nation. We have our flag | 
out every day, and Ave shall try .and live i 
up to Avhiit it stands for. Ho here at the 
end of the day, just iu-ound the corner 
of a new year of life, I think it over. I 
realize that you A\'ould not be in any Avay 
interested in wliat I make of it. The 
two little girls have been laboriously 
Avriting at my table. Now they come 
and ])resent a “bill” Avith the folloAving: 
“What do you think you ought to pay 
us for our work to-day?" 
Now the price at which we finally set¬ 
tled is nobody’s business but our own. 
Speed Up the Haying 
W HEN the mower has once started its 
work, every hour of good haying weather 
is precious. That is why it is good business to use 
International Harvester hay tools, which, in good 
curing weather, will put the hay under cover, well cured and 
in prime condition, in four to five hours after cutting. 
With an International, Keystone, or Osborne left-hand side- 
delivery steel rake you can follow closely after the mower, 
piling up two swaths at a time on the raked stubble, into a 
light fluffy windrow that allows free circulation of air through 
the hay, curing it completely and quickly. 
Now the hay is ready for the barn. The final step in 
speeding up is made with an International, Keystone, or Os¬ 
borne mechanical loader—the quick, easy way to rake the 
field clean Avithout threshing leaves and blossoms off the hay. 
These loaders are made in types and sizes for all different 
haying conditions, and can be obtained from local dealers. 
We will gladly send full descriptions of any of these good 
International Harvester hay tools on request. The lines in¬ 
clude side-delivery rakes, loaders, tedders, sweep rakes, stack¬ 
ers, and combined sweeiD rakes and stackers. 
International Harvester Company of America 
(Incorporated) 
CHICAGO V USA 
Cbampioa Dcering McCormick Milwaukee Osborne Plano 
CANVAS COVERS 
WATERPROOF COVERS 
for hay stacka, cnictnen. etc. 
SMALL IJAY CAPS, 40c and 
upwards. 8-oz. canvuft watron 
covers 7 ft. by 12 ft. wiUt braH» 
nrrommetH, $4.00 froitfht pre¬ 
paid. State Size requiroo. 
AV, W. STANI.EY 
fiO Cliurcli St.. New York 
A Powerful Fungicide for 
Fruits, Vegetables and Flowers 
Peach Leaf Curl, Rrown Rot, Apple Seab, Grape 
Mildew, Potato Blight, Cucumber Wilt, Beau Blight, 
Rose Mildew, etc. _____ 
Most inexpensive. 1 gal. makes 200 gals, spray. $1 
to $2 per gal. according to size package. 
Booklet free. 
B. G. Pratt Co. Dept, N . 50 Churcli St.,N. T. City 
Grow Better Fruit 
Are you prepared to fight Aphids, Bed 
Bug and other similar posts that are rcdmdng 
apiilo prortts? Black Leaf 10 (Nicotine Sulphate) Is 
usedby leading growers. Uecomip ended by Experi¬ 
ment Stations. 
THESE BOOKLETS WILL HELP YOU 
Just what you need to know to control Aphids—which 
are very destructive In many districts—and other 
sucking Insects. Vuluablospray 
chart included. Iiiformutioii 
^ VW wn jf worth many dollars FREE., 
A* m AVrite today. 
M 'w w jlThe Kentucky Tobacco Product Co. 
Incorporated 
WfOeplM Louisville, Ky. / 11 ^' 
Btsek Leaf 4-0 
.4-0% Nicotine 
HAY CAPS 
Stack, wagon .and implement covers: 
Avateiproot or plain c:invu». Plant bed 
cloth, tents, etc. Circulars, samples. 
HENRY DERBY 
453 Y St. Paul’s Ave., Jersey City, N, J. 
SECOND-HAND PIPES,TANKS AND BOILERS 
Fluea for culverts— FIiiiiioh and I’oiistoekH. Pipe 
threaded and eoiipled ready for connection or cut to 
length suitable for lieating, appoi tsaml fence purj)oses. 
Guaranteed capable of reasonahle pressures. Meet 
beams nnd rails cut to length. Tanks of all sizes, 
opeit. cloned, suitable for storage of water, gjisoline. 
AGENTS FOR THE SKINNER IRRIGATION SYSTEM. 
Wi'itc for circulura anti prieee, 
PERRY, BUXTON, DOANE CO., BOSTON. MASS. 
SELF-OILING WINDMILL 
With INCLOSED MOTOR 
DOUBLE GEARS — Each Carrying Half the Load 
Every feature desirable in a windmill in the 
AUTO-OILED AERMOTOR 
Gasoline Engines — Pumps—lanks 
Water Supply Goods — Steel Frame Saws 
WiiiTt AERMOTOR CO. 2500 I 2 tii St, Chicago' 
Keeping OUT DUST 
SPLASH OILING 
SATSTEM 
OIL SUPPLY 
REPLENISHED 
ONLY ONCE A YEAR 
RAIN — Keeping.IN OIL 
Constantly Flooding 
Every Bearing With 
Oil.MakesItPumph 
The Ughtest Breeze 
And Prevents Wear, 
:ORE 
for tenant more 
money for OAvner, in our 
Active Fertilizers. 
Just ask neare.st office for 
booklet. Agenta wanted. 
The AMERICAN AGRICULTURAL 
CHEMICAL COMPANY 
New York, Baltimore, Buffalo, 
Philadelphia, Boston, Detroit, 
Cincinnati, Cleveland, etc. 
Ask a Grower Who Uses One 
what he thinks of “ Ospraymo’ ’ Sprayers 
_ Leader_ 
OSPRAYMo" 
take our “say-.so. 
tiNc or 
SPRAYtR^ 
Don’t 
Write or see an 
“Osijraymo” user in your vicinity. 
We Avill gladly rest our case Avith him. 
A mass of letters and hundreds of intcr- 
vicAVS make us confident that this is safe. 
Again Ave say: Ask a Grower who uses one. 
Send for onr handsome "Schedule of Spray¬ 
ing.” It’s a text-book on tlie.subjecL 
Free for the asking, 
FIELD FORCE PUMP CO. 
DepL 2 Elmira.N.Y. 
