1268 
HoTember i>, 1918 
“Che R U RAL N EW.YO R K E R 
HOPE FARM NOTES 
No killing frost on our hills yet. On 
October 28 we were still picking Lima 
beans and tomatoes, green and un¬ 
wrinkled. In the valley 100 feet below 
ns everything is dead. This year is a 
record, I think, for a late frost killing. 
Our country is very dry. The springs 
are i-unning low and the ponds and brooks 
are nearly dried iip. We need soaking 
rains badly. It seems strange to us to 
learn that in Northern- New England 
there has been almost constant rain since 
the middle of September. . This country 
is so la/ge and so variously made up that 
it is hard for a man in one corner of it 
to realize the condition "to be found in 
another. People often write.asking.us to- 
describe the climate of Florida. A look 
at the map would show that Florida cov¬ 
ers a stretch of country running down the 
coast as far as from New York to South* 
Carolina. One thing about this dry, mild 
Fall must be remembered. It will be bad 
for apples stored in the ordinary cellar. 
Such fruit will not keep well. There will 
be heavy loss, and that is one reason why 
we have ru-shed our fruit right to market. 
***** 
On October 27 we stopped our clocks 
for one hour, and now they are ticking 
away at the old time. Looking back over 
the season, it seems evident that the new 
time was popular with most city work¬ 
ers and unpopular with most farmers. 
The great majority of us fell in with the 
plan largely because we were asked to. 
Most people want to obey orders in war 
time, even though the orders may not 
seem sensible. A good ai-my does what 
it is told. In some cases I know of 
farmers have arranged with the hired help 
so that necessary work could be done, 
but in many cases the new time worked 
to the advantage of the hired man. He 
had it easier in the morning when crops 
were too wet to work, and he quit earlier 
in the afteimoon. In some cases the 
clocks were not changed at all, but the 
farmers were at a disadvantage in this 
since everyone doing business Avith them 
worked on the new time. An effort was 
made in Congress to change the law so 
that the clocks would remain as they were 
last Summer. This was defeated and the 
law will stand until the end of the war. 
I have been looking up this fuel wood 
proposition. The wood yards in New 
York want nothing to do with dead chest¬ 
nut. They will not even consider a price. 
They want dry hickory and oak, and large 
quantities of this wood come from Maine 
and upper New England. It seems to me 
close to a crime to cut good hickory for 
fuel. As for dead chestnut, we use many 
cords of it every year. It is good as fire¬ 
place wood, though it melts up rapidly 
and will not “keep” a fire. For the kitch¬ 
en stove, when a hot, quick fire is wanted, 
the chestnut, well dried, is satisfactory. 
The public has been taught to believe that 
such wood is useless as fuel, and you can¬ 
not sell it at profitable figures. A friend 
advises us to get out our dead chestnut 
and saw it up into fruit or potato crate 
stuff. We might invest in a small saw¬ 
ing outfit and try that this Winter. I 
have letters from several people who say 
they own or control a farm with consider^ 
able wood—mostly chestnut. They think 
it would pay to give up their jobs and go 
out and cut that Avood for fuel. I doubt 
it, if one may judge from our experience. 
If I am not mistaken, many people will be 
glad to use dead chestnut or any other 
fuel' before this Winter is over. I think 
fuel will be scarce in many localities, and 
I shall not be surprised if, when the pinch 
comes, the^ places where _^wood can be 
obtained will be asked to give up; coal. 
If we have a severe Winter there aauII be 
great suffering in many of the smaller 
towns. I think we should begin noAV to 
plan for keeping the cold air out of the 
house, as well as warming it up inside. 
A vast amount of cold, comes in around 
the doors and Avindows when they shrink 
or warp. It will be hard enough to heat 
the house this Winter, Avithout warming 
“all outdoors.” I wish someone Avho has 
had practical experience in fitting Avindow 
strips and door cracks would tell us how 
to do it. 
***** 
I never had so many letters from Avould- 
be “back-to-the-landers” as are coming 
right now. A number of middle-aged peo¬ 
ple without much if any capital seem to 
think they can find someone wbo will 
gladly turn a farm right over to them 
without serious obligations. Then these 
people have an idea that prices are high 
and small farming must be very prosper¬ 
ous. They know little or nothing about 
actual farm work, but they have read 
books and papers, or perhaps taken some 
“correspondence course,” .so they think 
they could run a farm. I confess that it 
is hard to know what to say to such peo¬ 
ple. Having been all through the battle 
myself, I know ju.st how they feel, and it 
comes hard at times to tell them the cold 
truth—which is that they are not fitted 
for the life and would most certainly fail. 
I suppose we may learn from this how, 
in a Republic like ours, the strongest law, 
after all, is public opinion and popular 
thought. No man could be punished for 
not changing his clock. Yet it was gen¬ 
erally understood that all would do it. 
So all fell in. It was like the “gasless” 
Sunday. There was no law to compel 
people to keep their care idle. Had the 
government put it that way there would 
have been a terrible storm of protest. 
The American public was simply asked 
to help save the gasoline—^as a bit of per¬ 
sonal sacrifice—and without a complaint 
thousands of people cheerfully gave up 
their Sunday outings! That is a part of 
what I call the true spirit of a republic. 
In a way it is an expression of love for 
the Fatherland A\mrked out in the Amer¬ 
ican w.^ay. Of course, there are selfish 
people and “grouches” who always com¬ 
plain whenever any sacrifice or incon¬ 
venience is demanded of them, but the 
great mass of the people will fall in with 
what I call “popular thought” when they 
can be made to think it is fair and neces- 
sary. As you know, my own idea is that 
the wrongs and social troubles of farmers 
can only be remedied by making the truth 
about their injustice a part of popular 
thought. 
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ 
I never saw a human being who did not 
like sugar. Thus the Avorld shortage of 
the present time has soured some natur¬ 
ally sAveet dispositions. Many farmers 
are studying some plan for increasing 
home supplies. Here is one report from 
Long Island: 
“I am sending you sample of syrup 
made from cornstalks. I put 30 stalks 
(Evergreen) through a wringer, obtaining 
two quarts of juice. This Avas boiled 
doAvn to about six ounces, about as thick 
as good Ncav Orleans molasses. It would 
take, I should judge, about eight gallons 
to make one gallon of syrup like maple 
syrup. With a suitable crusher I think 
an acre of stalks might produce 100 gal¬ 
lons. Whether the labor and fuel cost 
would be prohibitive, I do not know.” 
New York. J. ii. osborne. 
That is bitter medicine, for some of these 
people know in their hearts that they are 
failures as they stand. They have lookeel 
upon farming as a Avay of making good. 
They do not like to admit, with Shakes¬ 
peare : 
“The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our’ 
stars. 
But in ourselves that we are underlings.” 
I 
The man who goes onto a farm Avithout 
experience or capital Avill certainly see 
many stars, but they will not be of the 
enlightening kind. You will find a good 
many farmers who have lived in the coun¬ 
try all their lives, and worked hard, Avbo 
barely make a living, and are not satisfied 
with their lot. The average city man 
may say that he will live differently and 
bring “neAV ideas” to the farm. He will 
find that just because an idea is “new” it 
does not follow that it must'be superior. 
After many years’ experience on an old 
and worn-out farm I can hardly advise 
people of middle age_ to try back-to-the- 
landing unless theres.is, some spiritual or 
unselfish motive involved. What I mean 
by that is a desire to make a home for 
children or dependent relatives or friends. 
The country offers the greatest chance in 
the world for work of that sort. 
My understanding ie that the ears and 
leaves were picked from the «weet corn 
and then the stalks Avere run through the 
Avringer. The sample sent us Avas ex¬ 
cellent. It looked and tasted like mo¬ 
lasses. I called it better than the sorghum 
syrup I had in the South. It was far 
better than any homemade beet syrup I 
haA’e yet tasted. It is, of course, too late 
this year to try this on the sweet corn, 
but it is AA'orth remembering. We expect 
to try our hand at the beet syrup next 
week. 
I know some men and women of mid¬ 
dle age who go through life carrying a 
great sorrow or some great di.ssatisfaction. 
Off on a. lonely farm, with ju.st them¬ 
selves, trying to make a money profit 
such people would only be stung and 
wounded by their sorrow. The loneliness 
AA'ould make the farm seem like a prison. 
They might succeed as farmers, but tbeir 
very success would in time seem hateful 
to them, for there would be no one to 
share or inherit it. Let these same people 
go to the country and take into their 
home one or more little children, or .some 
lonely and homele.ss person, and they 
might make a Avonderful success. There 
might be no money profit at all. but the 
investment ’n love and personal sacrifice 
Avould be the gr,''atest asset in the world. 
I rather think to.’t herein lies a great op¬ 
portunity for n.any middle-aged peo])le 
Avho have fair capital and kindly disposi¬ 
tion. I should consider the chances for 
them to make a money profit on a farm 
very remote. The chances for a family 
profit Avould be good. We may say Avhat 
Ave will about back-to-the-landiug, both the 
city people and the country need this 
family profit more than anything else. 
Through that, and what it stands for, lies 
our best hope of getting the truth about 
the farmer’s condition into popular 
thought. It has got to get these before 
we can hope to make farming Avhat it 
ought to be. II. Av. c. 
Pershing’s 
Message to Farmers 
In a letter to Carl Vrooman, Assistant Secretary of 
Agriculture, General Pershing says: 
“Food Is of vital necessity, and from the day of 
our entry into the war America’s army of food pro¬ 
ducers has rendered invaluable service to the 
allied cause by supporting the soldiers at the 
front through their devoted and splendidly suc¬ 
cessful work in the fields and furrows at home.” 
He adds that the farmers have splendidly supported 
the soldiers in every way. Not only have they furnished 
their quota of fighting men and bought their share of 
Liberty Bonds, but in the face of great difficulties have 
increased the crop production. 
This message of appreciation from our great leader of 
the boys “over there” will bring a thrill of pride to every 
true American Farmer. He will resolve to be worthy 
of the high compliment. 
In this Victory Year, a great production of food will 
be doubly rewarded. The close of hostilities will add 
millions to those who are now begging us for food; 
also the herds and flocks of Europe must be fed. Many 
months will be required to return our armies and those 
of our allies to productive pursuits. Labor will continue 
to be scarce. The American Farmer will have the 
satisfaction of supplying a starving world with our food 
products at profitable prices. 
With the terrible labor shortage there is but one way 
to meet this emergency. We must produce “a greater 
yield from every field.” 
E. Frank Coe’s Fertilizers 
1857: The Business Farmers’ Standard for Over 60 Years 1919 
If you will tell us the crops which you expect to raise next season 
we will send you our practical farm books cbntaining many new 
suggestions. They will help you increase your crops and your profits. 
The fertilizer factories are unable to get enough labor so all ship¬ 
ments will be delayed. Make sure of your supplies by ordering full 
carloads now. Ask for prices and the name of our nearest local 
agent. We want agents in unoccupied territory. 
Address Crop Book Department 
THE COE-MORTIMER COMPANY 
Subsidiary of The American Agricultural Chemical Company 
51 Chambers Street, New York City 
USE NATCO DRAIN TILE 
Farm drainage demands durable tile. Our drain tile are madeofth*' 
Ibest Ohio clay, thoroughly hard burned —everlasting. You don’t 
I have to dig ’em up to be replaced every few years. Write for prices. 
Sold in carload lots. We are also manufacturers of the famous 
NATCO Silo, NATCO Corn Crib. NATCO Building Tile and NATCO 
SewerPipe, Send for thenewedition ofourbook,“Natcoon theFarm". 
National Fire Proofing Company, 1121 Fulton Building, Pittsburgh, Pa. 
^«di^|GET MY 
I^BARGAIN 
PRICES ON 
^ ROOFING NOW 
k# I PAY the FREIGHT 
i 0 Write today for my free Ready 
Roofing Bargain Book and see 
1 ^ how my Direct-From-Factory 
^Freight-Prepaid plan of deaf- 
^ ing saves you big money on 
M roofing. Don’t buy roofing un- 
^ til you see my Money-Saving 
M Bargain Offers. 
$ BUY ROOFING N 0 W^$ 
^ before prices advance. The same guar- M 
JP antee, the same high quality, the same ♦ 
y D» 8 values that have made Brown Fence M 
f^ous are also characteristic of ♦ 
Brown’s Ready Roofing. I can save ^ 
you money—my book will conAdnee ft 
" today. 
lie Brown Fence & Wire Co. m 
Roofing Dept. P 
Cleveland - Ohio 
LET US TAN 
YOUR HIDE. 
Horse or Cow hide. Calf or other skins 
with hair or fur on, and make them 
Into coats (for men and women), robes, 
rugs or gloves when so ordered. Your 
lur goods will cost you loss than to buy 
them and be worth more. 
Our llluslralod catalog gives a lot of 
Information. It tells how to take off 
and care for hides ; how and when we 
pay the freight both waj-s; about our 
sate dyeing process on cow and horse 
hide, calf and other skins; about the 
fur goods and game trophies we sell, 
taxidermy, etc. 
Then we have recently got out an¬ 
other we call our Fashion book, wholly 
devoted to fashion plates of muffs, 
neckwear and other fine fur garments. 
With prices ; also lur garments remod- 
sled and repaired. 
You can have either book by sending* 
your correct address naming which, or 
both books if you need both. Address 
The Crosby Frisian Fur Company. 
671 Lyell Ave., Rochester, N..Y. 
150 FARMS FOR SALE Delaware River 
Valley, Bucks Co., Penn., from 6 to 200 acres; now is the 
time to buy. New catalogue. HORACE 8. REEDER, Mewlswn, Pi. 
**WlMa bruth me«ta it*s Wluciag-AdRmf Vulcaa Rubber C«mented tbat wins’* 
All Brush Users Find WHITING-ADAMS 
TRADE VULCAN MARK 
RUBBER CEMENTED. 
Perfect la ConstracUo&p Sope* 
rior in OtMtlaty, ETeHesUng ia 
we«r. AlwejrsSuit^Never Fail 
Send for illustrated literature telling ebout Whitinf-Adams Brusbef 
Manufactured by 
JOHN L. WHITING-I. J. ADAMS CO. 
.BOSTON, U.S. A. 
Brush Menufectureri for Over One Hundred Year* 
VhlUaf'idstti* tfruauM swarUrU MrCsl. Uit bifiicrt swsxe sll%osuiS*P»cific Cxpotiiloa. Itifi 
BRUSHES 
