Tne RURAL NEW-YORKER 
305 
Harris’ Pedigree Seeds 
Harris’Seeds are different from olners. They are raised on ou 
own farms and are bred with as much care as thoroughbre< 
i .'I sioek. Every lot is tested and the percent that germinates i 
marked on the label so the purchaser can tell just how many will grow 
Harris’ Seed Corn is becoming famous for strong vitality andbi 
yields. Seed Potatoes selected by the “hill-unit" system. Gardei 
Seeds that grow and produce crops that are of the highest type 
Don’t use inferior seedsat _ 
lowprices.orpaymorethan 
the wholesale price we ask 
for Harris' Seedsforthere are 
no better seeds at any price. 
Our new catalogue is full of 
good things. A card will bring it. 
JOSEPH HARRIS CO.^ 
Box 22 Coldwater, N. Y. 
Harris See 
Label on every L 
Tell s how m an) 
will 
Grow 
According to our tes 
98 percent 
[of this seed germinat 
Garden and Farm Notes 
The 3ird House Man 
I fool greatly interested in an article 
• •a page eight, written by .1. T.. GralT, the 
subject. “A Free Tenement.” The pic¬ 
ture of the. tree, with so many bird houses, 
is interesting, but if you could only send 
us a picture of the wonderful bachelor 
who is doing so much for the children in 
his locality, I am sure you would lx* giv¬ 
ing great pleasure to the old, as well as 
the young readers of your paper. 1 have 
been a reader of your paper nearly 50 
years. Trusting that, in time, we may 
see tin; picture of the kind city bachelor, 
1 will wish you a prosperous year. 
MBS. HENRY IRWIN. 
Chautauqua Co., N. Y. 
Percy \V. Beane is the “kind-hearted 
bachelor” referred to by The R. X.-Y'. 
correspondent. By nature he is a lover 
of children and birds. Before there were 
any buildings ou liis lot, and before the 
gables that show in the picture were there, 
he maintained on the then vacant lot a big 
tent in which youngsters were entertained, 
and where they were taught to love even 
the sparrow. 
When a Chicago street was being cut 
through a large number of saplings of 
different varieties were cut down. Mr. 
to be found in the land. lie is employed 
as a timekeeper for an extensive manu¬ 
facturing plant. j. L. GRAFF. 
Plowing Wet Land 
Shall I ruin my ground and make it un¬ 
fit to grow crops by plowing it when it is 
a trifle wet? The “natives” of this com¬ 
munity tell mo that when the furrows 
turn “slick” and glistening from the plow¬ 
share “it h'aint fittin’ to plow.” Now, 
if this is true, why is it that I have seen 
pictures of tractors plowing when the 
snow was still on the ground? Further¬ 
more, how do New Jersey truck farmers, 
who often work black muck, swampy land, 
manage to plow? Of course you have 
guessed that I am “green” at farming, 
hut I have made a success, and if there 
is any way that I can beat the old-timers 
at their own game I want to know it and 
it* J. A. N. 
Princess Anne, Md. 
If you plow your clay land when wet in 
Spring after freezing is past it will bake 
hard and bo difficult to pulverize, and will 
be less productive. Plowing in Winter 
Write today for 
Hoffman’s 
Seed Book 
f > X 
and Samples 
Both are Free 
T HIS BOOK offers you highest grades 
of field seeds—proven strains only— 
’Sv cleaned clean — reasonably priced. If 
you will select your spring seeds from 
this catalog, you will be buying from a 
dependable seedhouse — near home — 
handling field seeds only—a firm of prac¬ 
tical farmers who know the seed 
needs of other farmers. 
Every bag of seed guaranteed —You can 
have your money back if your own tests of it 
don’t please you. 
Bags are free—freight allowed—write to¬ 
day-, and get acquainted with this firm—its 
seeds and business methods will please you 
and pay you! 
Hoffman’s Clover Seed is thoroughly 
cleaned—free from weeds—grown in the 
north—the hardiest seed—you can depend 
Oi. it for better hay and more of it 
“ Northwest ” brand of Alfalfa seed — 
grown in Idaho—tests 99.85% pure—will 
live through severest winters. 
Hoffman’s Seed Oats —6 kinds—“tree” 
and “side” types—all heavy yielders. 
Seed Corn— grown in Lancaster County 
—strongest germination. 
Ask for the Seed Book today—it offers seed for 
every farm crop —tells how to grow them. Spring 
Grains—Maine-grown Seed Potatoes—Canada 
Peas—Soy Beans—Cowpeas-r-all the Pasture 
Grasses, etc. When you write, be sure to ask 
for any samples you’d like to see- 
they’re all free. Mention this paper. 
A. H. Hoffman, Inc., 
Landisville, Pa. 
Lancaster County 
SEEDS 
GOOD AS CAN BE GROWN 
Prices Below All Others 
I will give a lot of new 
sorts free with every order 
I fill. Buy and test. Return 
If not O. K.— money refunded. 
Big Catalog FREE 
Over 700 illustrations of vege¬ 
tables and flowers. Send yours 
and your neighbors’ addresses. 
R. H. SHUM WAY, Rockford, 111. 
The Bird House Man and His City Calm 
Bv.me acquired them, tied them together 
in bundles ,and rafted them down the 
Nui th Branch of the Chicago River three 
miles to the place where he built the 
one-room home shown in the picture. This 
cabin i* built in the rear, while the whole 
of the front is given up to a children's 
playground, lie lives alone in the house, 
the interior of which is furnished in a 
meet unique manner. The logs are cov¬ 
ered with tar paper and then sheets of 
heaver board, the ceiling being done in 
the same fashion. The windows are all 
provided with sash that swing on hinges, 
inward. Over the windows and doors there 
are eight different kinds of rifles used by 
Tnele gam in our different wars; there 
is a flag exhibit on the walks that takes 
<>ne hack 1 k> the Revolution, and a large 
picture that shows all tin* different uni¬ 
forms of soldiery used in the Uuited 
States, several different kinds of hats 
worn by Japanese, Chinese. Filipinos, 
and the cowboys of the West. There are 
pictures of Washington, Lincoln and 
Roosevelt, and there are many curious 
swords used in wars of several countries. 
Much of the furniture is made of the tiny 
trees that lie got from the street open¬ 
ing, and even tin* bird houses are built of 
the same kind of material. There is an 
attic for storage, a substantial coal and 
wood house in the yard, and a well-ar¬ 
ranged water supply. Really it would 
require a page of space in which to de¬ 
scribe all the details of tin* place, most 
of which is given up freely and without 
charge for the pleasure of little people 
and their bird friends. 
Mr. Beane was horn in Philadelphia. 
For many years he was a dining-car con¬ 
ductor on the Southern Pacific, running 
from ’Frisco to New Orleans. It was 
while he was this kind of a traveler that 
he found occasion to make many collec¬ 
tions with which lie has decorated one 
of the most interesting one-room homes 
when somewhat wet will not do as much 
damage, as the later freezing will tend to 
mellow it. Here we can plow our land at 
any time, because it is sandy and high 
and will not bake, while most of the land 
in your section is heavy and low, and 
much of it in need of better drainage. 
The Jersey truckers, too. have light, sandy 
soil, which can be plowed at any time. 
During the mild weather now prevailing 
plowing can be done, for there will surely 
be some freezing in February. But after 
freezing is over you should never plow 
laud unless it is dry enough to crumble 
and the furrows do not shine. Now. while 
I am familiar with the Somerset lands in 
general. I cannot speak for your particu¬ 
lar farm unless 1 know where it is. 
There is some black gum swamp land in 
your county that will not bake hard 
even when plowed somewhat wet. Much 
of this is “push” land that will not turn 
well from the plow, and generally needs 
better drainage. w. F. massey. 
Training Vines for Fruitfulness 
On page 1<>8 I note ease of “Non-bear¬ 
ing Grapevine.” Once T bought a place 
on which were several A’gawam (Rogers 
No. 15) and also one Delaware. The 
seller said lie could get no grapes from the 
Delaware. All had good care and were 
thrifty; Agawam did well. I reduced the 
canes of smaller parts of vines early 
in Spring; did not shorten the main 
canes, but trained them at angles of about 
4o deg., and bent the ends down as much 
as 1 could and not break them, and fast¬ 
ened these ends down. My theory was to 
put all the strength of growth into the 
new growths instead of letting all the sap 
go to extremity and produce wood. Dela¬ 
ware under this treatment produced 
plenty of fruit. This may not work in all 
oases but it happened to do well for me. 
Oswego, N. Y. j. p. 
F 
III 
WITH 
ggfflK 
And you’ll do bettor with your farm 
and garden. Page-Philipps Yege. 
table. Flower and Field Seeds A HE 
reliable. Always tested for purity 
and vitality. Samples of grass 
and clover seeds sent free for 
your own test. 
Special Offer 
A full-sifted packet each of 25 Vege¬ 
table feeds — regular price $1.80 
—all sent for only SI, postpaid. 
Whether or not you accept the above bar¬ 
gain we will gladly send free our 
Farm and Cardan Guide for 1919. n 
Write today. 
THE PAGE-PHILIPPS SEED CO. 
Dept. E. Toledo. Ohio 
Established tSSS 
VICK’S 
JHfc. GUIDE 
. For 70 years the leading authority — 
Now on Vegetable. Flower and Farm For 
p j Seeds, Plants and Bulbs. Belter 
rveaay thsax ever. Send for free copy todau- 1919 
Rochester, N. V 
The Flower City 
JAMES VICK’S SONS 
39 Stone Street 
2— CROP SEED POTATOES 
Cobbler—Mills Pride—Giants (Late 
SUPERBA (White! and Red Skins 
SEED CORN —Yellow and White 
Ai* Circular Free 
MINCH BROS., Bridgeton. N. J. 
