532 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
March 22. HUH 
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WOMAN AND HOME 
.Tack Junior wanted a gun. In fact lie 
could not talk or think of anything else, 
lie wanted a gun that would kill coyotes. 
He had owned a 22-calibre riile since he 
was weight years old, but that was not 
powerful enough, lie had shot two coyotes 
with it, but failed to kill them, owing to 
the light weight of the bullet and the 
lack of force in the gun. He knew he 
had hit them, because one had turned and 
bitten at its side, and the other had gone 
off limping. This convinced him that it 
was not only useless but cruel to attempt 
to kill them with the small gnu. 
Tie studied catalogues, haunted stores 
that kept guns for sale, talked with every¬ 
one who would listen to him and obtained 
all the information he could on the sub¬ 
ject of guns. He subscribed for a maga¬ 
zine devoted to hunting and trapping, and 
read every article on guns and the com¬ 
parative virtues of each, and after all 
this study and research and inquiry lie 
decided upon the kind of gun he wanted. 
It was to be a .25-.20 repeating rifle. 
He knew exactly why he wanted that 
particular gun. It carried a larger bullet 
than the .22. but no so large as to make 
it much more expensive to shoot. It was 
a nice size to carry and operate; not too 
heavy, but possessing enough power to 
carry accurately several hundred yards, 
and force enough to kill coyotes or larger 
game. Ilis father and mother were heart¬ 
ily in sympathy with his absorbing desire 
for a new gun. His father could remem¬ 
ber how intense had been his longing for 
that very tiling when he was a boy but, 
like his father before him, lie could not 
afford to grant his son’s wish outright. 
However, he at last told Jack that he 
might have a piece of ground to plant t<> 
anything he chose, and that if he could 
earn enough from it to buy a gun, he 
could have the money for that purpose. 
Jack accepted the offer eagerly, selected 
his plot of ground and decided upon the 
crop, lie would raise squashes. He did 
most of the plowing and harrowing him¬ 
self with the big gray team and more or 
less picturesque language al the way they 
snapped him around at the end of the 
plow handles. He was so eager to get 
the seed in early that he wanted to plant 
in February; but his father explained 
that it would not he safe to plant before 
the latter part of April or the flrst of 
May. The Spring was wet and cold, and 
it was May before it was warm enough 
for planting. Then the weather turned 
hot and dry, as Colorado climate has a 
way of doing, and every day found Jack 
laboring and perspiring in the squash 
patch, hilling up the ground and putthig 
in the seed. The work of preparing the 
soil was particularly laborious, owing to 
the fact that the win 1 blew almost every 
day, drying and baking the ground so that 
it was necessary to break the crust and 
pulverize the earth before anything could 
be planted. It took until the flrst of 
June to finish the planting, with school 
and other interruptions, but he kept at it. 
staying out until he had to be made to 
come in to his meals, lie was anxious 
about the delay, fearing that the last 
planting would not have time to mature 
squashes. The ground was so dry and 
hard that it had to he irrigated to supply 
moisture for the seed to sprout. Then it 
baked again, and he was obliged to go 
over every hill with hoe and spading fork 
to break up the crust. 
At last the plants began to appear, 
thrifty and sturdy. But in less than a 
week after they were up they began to 
droop and die at an alarming rate. Hun¬ 
dreds of little yellow and blaek striped 
beetles were attacking the leaves and 
stems. After all the labor of getting the 
Crop to this stage this new difficulty 
seemed almost overwhelming. Jack spent 
hours of work in the hot sun. and killed 
thousands of the marauders by hand. The 
next morning others had come thicker 
than ever. 
“I see where my gun doesn’t ma¬ 
terialize,” he groaned, sitting down wear¬ 
ily in a chair. “The bugs have cleaned 
A Ton oi Squashes 
How a Boy Made His Wish Come True 
) 
up every hill as tar as they have gone. 
By tomorrow night there won’t be a 
squash vine left, and it’s too late to 
plant any more.” 
The family held a council of war. They 
telephoned to six different people who. 
they thought, might be able to give ad¬ 
vice—two market gardeners, a nursery¬ 
man. two practical fanners and a drug¬ 
gist. None of them even knew what the 
insects were, and having had no experi¬ 
ence could not suggest a remedy. There 
was no time to write to the Agricultural 
College. The squashes would be gone be¬ 
fore their inquiry could reach its desti¬ 
nation. to say nothing of a reply. Kero¬ 
sene emulsion was tried cautiously. That 
cooked the leaves. The family council 
next suggested Baris green mixed in 
water. It wouldn't run through the 
sprinkler. They tried it mixed with ashes 
and soot. It checked the bugs to some 
extent, but blew away. Jack worked with 
the interests of the county by advertising 
its resources. The big squash, placed on 
exhibition, was conspicuous among the 
agricultural products. 
There had been some apprehension on 
the part of the family concerning the 
selling end of the enterprise. Jack had 
spoken of “peddling out” his squashes 
as if he dreaded the undertaking. To the 
surprise of everyone therefore, he an¬ 
nounced, quite casually, one night after 
school, that he had been down town tak¬ 
ing orders for squashes, lie had sold 190 
pounds, to he delivered the no - l time any¬ 
body should go in with the team. After 
that he went among the grocery stores 
and meat markets every night after 
school, and was so successful that he 
secured orders for all he had within two 
or three weeks. Before he sold them all. 
however, he discovered that the guns of 
the model which lie had chosen had all 
been sold hut one. His flrst intention 
“He ktieir exactly irhy he wanted that, particular nan." 
this for several days, but soon saw that 
it would not save the crop. Then a friend 
who heard of his trouble gave him a bottle 
of nicotine. This remedy applied with 
water through the sprinkler solved the 
problem with the insects that work above 
ground. It was necessary to make sev¬ 
eral applications, but when it was found 
to be effective repeated applications 
seemed simple. The family breathed a 
sigh of relief. It appeared, however, that 
there was to be “no rest for the wicked,” 
whoever they might he, as Jack put it, 
for the squash vines were next attacked 
by root-borers. These work at the root 
and stem of the vine, and the lirst hint 
of their devastating operations is dis¬ 
covered when one finds the vines, which 
the day before looked thrifty, wilted and 
dying. t’nrbon bisulphide was applied 
with good success. Observing great cau¬ 
tion with this deadly poison and high ex¬ 
plosive, Jack punched holes in the ground 
about three inches from the plants, and 
into each hole poured a teaspoonful of 
the poison, covering it so that the con¬ 
fined fumes would work through the soil. 
In addition to fighting insects the 
ground was twice cultivated, and irri¬ 
gated four or five times. Much of the 
weeding was done by hand. In this the 
boy was assisted by the family; but for 
•the most part he carried on the war 
against weeds, insects, wind and drought 
alone. With the gun for his goal he 
squared his jaw and fought on when ,t 
looked as if the odds were overwhelming, 
and in spite of every misfortune known 
to the process of squash culture enough 
squashes matured so that when they were 
gathered there were more than a ton h.v 
actual weight. Some were very large, 
one specimen weighing 30 pounds. This 
was sold to a man engaged in promoting 
had been to solid away for his gnu ; but 
by comparing prices !••• had found that 
he could actually make a small saving 
by buying from the local dealer. He ha-I 
not yet collected enough to pay for the 
gun, and he feared that before he could 
be sure of the amount needed the last 
one would be gone. To add to his con¬ 
cern, the dealer had said that with the 
next lot the price would be increased 35 
per cent, which meant that the same gttn 
which had been selling for $14.50 would 
cost $10.57. lie was at a loss to kno.v 
what to do. That night another family 
council was held. He must not go in debt, 
and he must not have to pay $5.07 more 
for his gun. It was mother who found a 
way out of the difficulty. 
She suggested that he go to the dealer, 
who was an acquaintance of the family, 
buy the gnu and pay down what money 
he had: have the gun tagged with his 
name and the information that it was 
sold; get a receipt for his money and pay 
the balance as it came in; leaving the 
gun at the 'tore until paid for. Tn this 
way the dealer took no risks; the hoy 
was not asking for credit, and everybody 
was satisfied. Jack had five dollars for 
the first payment. In a week lit' made 
another payment of five dollars and the 
last money due was paid in about four 
days from the second installment, and a 
receipt taken for every payment so there 
should be no possible misunderstanding 
about the transaction. 
With the last payment be brought borne 
bis gun. His gun! A perfect model in 
every detail. The satisfaction and pleas¬ 
ure of it have been all that be anticipated, 
and worth till the effort it cost him to 
make bis wish come true. And he has 
killed his coyote, too. 
JESSIE I. CARPENTER. 
The Girl Scout Movement 
Details of the Organization 
How They Started. —The Girl Scout 
movement has developed because of the 
eager demand of American girls between 
the ages of 10 and is Tor organized worn 
and play That fits them for the duties 
devolving niton them when they have 
homes and children of their own. Sir 
Hubert Baden-1’owell was not thinking of 
the little girls of England when he in¬ 
vited the English boys to become scouts. 
However, about six thousand little girls 
didn’t understand, and because they liked 
the scout idea, they applied for enroll¬ 
ment along with tile boys. It was im¬ 
possible to refuse them, and therefore the 
Girl Guides wore formed as a sister or¬ 
ganization of the Boy Scouts. Miss 
Baden-1 ’owell. under Sir Robert’s gnid- 
ance and direction, took charge of the 
Girl Guides. Mrs. Juliette how, of Sa¬ 
vannah. Georgia, was so interested in th*' 
development of Iho Girl Guides that in 
1912 she started a similar organization 
in tlu> T’nited States, with the advice ami 
encouragement of Sir Robert Badeu- 
I’owell. The first patrols were formed in 
Savannah. The movement grew in amaz¬ 
ing proportions. Girl Scouts were in¬ 
corporated in 1915. and a year later, na¬ 
tional headquarters were moved to New 
York. 
The American Movement. —There 
are forty thousand Girl Scouts in tlm 
1'nited States, where there were less than 
ten thousand a year ago. The numlrn- 
continues to swell at the rate of about 
one hundred a day. Any girl between 
the ages of 10 and IS may become a Girl 
Scout by passing the required tests for 
enrollment as a tenderfoot scout. She m 
then entitled to wear the khaki uniform 
of the scouts and to compete for scout 
honors and badges. - The flower crest neat¬ 
ly sewn over her left breast pocket in¬ 
dicates the troop to which she belongs. 
The Girl Scout motto is “Be Prepared.’’ 
When a Girl Scout pledges allegiance t<> 
the flag, she follows up her pledge with 
practical service, not only in times of 
war but in times of pence. As a Girl 
Scout she must know how to build a 
proper tire in a stove or out of doors to 
cook tt meal for hungry girls or for tin 
invalid; to set the table; to sew. which 
includes cutting and making garments; 
to bathe babies anti care for young chil¬ 
dren: to keep house with attention to tlm 
laws of hygiene; to make and tend it 
garden; to swim; to tlike over strange 
roads and fields and to make an intel¬ 
ligible map to show where she has been : 
to use the Morse code of telegraphy ; to 
signal; to administer first aid: to know 
the birds and trees and flowers; to play 
games that test her powers of observation 
and train her senses and exercise her 
imagination; to dance: to sing; to guard 
her camp or home against tire; to be a 
wholesome American girl endowed with 
both fun and common sense. With prepa¬ 
ration like this, the Girl Scout is capable 
of helping herself, her neighbor, or her 
country. Just now. her sympathy turns 
toward the program of reconstruction 
being developed throughout the world. 
Girl Scouts find among other things, a 
chance to help the interpretation of Amer¬ 
ica to foreign-born people in our country. 
IIki.ptnu the Eorkuin Born. —\Ya* 
made us realize liow many people are 
living and working in the Fnited States 
without even a knowledge' of the English 
language. Not onl.\ in the big cities, hut 
wherever there is a factory or a mill, 
there are groups of foreign people who 
live apart, mingling only with their own 
kind, speaking their own language, form¬ 
ing a large part of the nation’s industrial 
life, but knowing the life of the com¬ 
munity around them only through their 
children who attend the public schools. 
Girl Scouts bring the ideals of America 
to these people through their children. 
In co-operation with the America First 
Committee, Girl Scouts first gained of¬ 
ficial recognition for their work in teach¬ 
ing English to foreign women. More im- 
(Continued on page 531) 
