The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
1641 
The Truth About Farming 
Under this heading we intend to print 
a series of short articles from farmers* 
wives. We do not want advice or guesses 
at facts. These are to be from women 
who know the life and can tell about it. 
•\Ve will use the light and the shadow as 
it comes from our readers. This hrst one 
is taken from the Boston Globe: 
Lately because of the H. C. of L. the 
housewives and town dwellers generally 
have come to believe that the farmer is 
making money “hand over fist/’ and 
they are eager to go and do likewise, and 
sonie, no doubt, will succeed. .Tust about 
the same proportion that would succeed 
in getting ahead if they continued in 
shops or other city industries, while oth¬ 
ers will lose money, health and ambition, 
and will have embittered their own and 
their children’s lives, arid will, perhaps, 
have set the children back a year or 
more in their school work for country 
children are seldom perfect in attend¬ 
ance at school. If they keep up with 
their classes it is because mother is 
teacher as well. 
My little granchildren were out of 
school over six weeks last Winter, 
though they live within three miles of 
town, and five minutes from the car 
tracks. But the snow was so deep the 
cars did not run. The children were 
too small to walk, and their father was 
away working with the team. Mean¬ 
time' his wife, a small, delicate woman, 
with four small children—one a nursing 
baby—had to carry wood, water and 
pails of feed, and do much other work, 
far beyond her strength, because the 
chores had to be done, and there was no 
one else to do them. 
The argument is often used that “the 
life is so much freer, and the things you 
raise are so much better and cheaper.’’ 
Well. I was born on a farm, and have 
lived close to farming people all my life, 
and I notice that “milking time” calls 
just as insistently, and many hours 
earlier than the factory whistle, and 
while a man can lose a day out of the 
shop and only lose a day’s pay. he must 
be on the job every day, holidays, Sun¬ 
days and all, on the farm. 
Homegrown, freshly picked vegetables 
have an incomparable flavor, it is true, 
but after you have picked, prepared and 
eaten peas, beans, corn, beets and cab¬ 
bage from June to October, you will sigh 
for a nice juicy steak, or maybe cry for 
it. as I did once when I was sick. You 
must eat what you cannot sell. 
You will usually have your own fuel, 
but you can easily burn 20 cords of 
wood in a draughty old farmhouse, and 
then not be particularly warm, and how 
many town men have ever sawed and 
split 20 cords of wood, and how many of 
their wives have carried in wood, and 
carried out ashes for one, two or three 
stoves? 
A farmer and his wife seldom have 
time over sunrise and sunset, for milk 
must be skimmed, butter made, vege¬ 
tables and berries picked, poultry killed 
and drawn, all in the “cool of the day.’’ 
and there is little beauty or pure air in 
between two hot, sweating cows, or over 
the family wash tub. 
Another thing, if you are a child¬ 
bearing woman, you will find it almost 
impossible to get anyone to care for you. 
and be your husband ever so thoughtful 
of you. you will have to stand upon your 
feet and work when you should be in 
bed. Practically every farmer’s wife is 
“up and around” when her baby is a 
week old. My son’s wife goes to the 
hospital and considers the two weeks 
there a “vacation”: meantime her hus¬ 
band does the work indoors and out, 
while the children go to their grand¬ 
mothers. 
Farming is surely “a great life if you 
don’t weaken,” but it requires sound 
bodies, strong minds, courage and ambi¬ 
tion. as well as good business methods, 
in order to receive a fair return for the 
money invested. 
Questions About Peach Kernels 
Where is the germ of a peach kernel 
located? I will wager that half of your 
readers cannot tell this. Will these ker¬ 
nels germinate if carefully removed from 
the shell ? w. H. n. 
Leipsic, O. 
The germ is located at the lower end 
of the pit. or the apex, of the peach. In 
the case of squash and melons and many 
other plants the germ end of the fruit 
is the end which is nearest to its attach¬ 
ment to the flesh of the squash, and oue 
quite readily thinks that the germ end 
of the peach kernel would be at the stem 
end of the peach, but as a matter of fact 
it is at the opposite end of the pit. He 
is correct in saying that only a few of 
your readers would know of this 
Where nurserymen stratify their seed 
to get a large percentage to grow they 
are obliged to crack many of the pits in 
{he Spring, because they have not been 
broken open by the frost, so it is gener¬ 
ally known among nurserymen that crack¬ 
ing the pits with a hammer is satisfactory 
d Pits have been exposed to cold. How¬ 
ever, this is an expensive proposition, 
and so nurserymen plant them thickly in 
‘he ball and take a chance that a good 
number of them will be split and grow. 
peach pits are kept dry all Winter and 
then cracked many of them will fail to 
m. A. B. 
Don’t hide your walls 
Beautify them with S- W Flat-Tone 
NOTHING is more artistic than walls and ceilings painted 
with Flat-Tone. The colors are soft, rich and non-fading. 
Being an oil paint, Flat-Tone binds with the plaster, giving 
a surface that will not flake or chip. 
Flat-Tone comes in many beautiful shades, harmonizing with 
any color scheme. When soiled the walls can be easily cleaned. 
Our Decorative Department will furnish decorative plans free. 
Sherwin - William * Floor lac 
a combined all-around varnish-stain. 
At one painting it gives a long-wearing, 
water-proof surface and permanent 
stain colors. Reproduces fine hardwood 
effects on floors, furniture, woodwork. 
S- W Inside Floor Paint 
Quick drying, attractive colors, with¬ 
stand heavy walking, wear of furniture, 
scrubbing, etc. Protects new, soft 
wood and gives old unsightly floors a 
fine, sanitary surface easy to clean. 
S-W ENAMELOID 
A beautiful, high gloss finish for enam* 
cling walls, ceilings, woodwork and 
furniture. Easy to brush on, washable 
long wearing. Fine for kitchens, bath¬ 
rooms, and to lighten dark interior 
Sherwin-Williams Products 
Go to the Sherwin-Williams Dealer 
in your town. If he cannot supply 
all your needs with S-W Products, 
write us for booklets, etc., on your 
requirements. Address— 
The Sherwin-Williams Co., 613 
Canal Road, N. W., Cleveland, O. 
F-Z8 
Paints and Varnishes 
Wood Preservatives 
Insecticides, Disinfectants 
and Cattle Dips 
S-W Fly Spray protects cattle and horses 
from flies. Apply with spray or sponge. 
Buy Paint- 
DIRECT of MANUFACTURER 
$1.25 
per gallon in 5 gal. cans 
Red, Brown and Yellow 
«ni T /"' 1 Roof. Barn 
KUbULU and Build¬ 
ing Paint. Green, Gray and Maroon 
15c extra. Durable, Elastic and Pre¬ 
servative. Established over 30 years. 
Reference; Lincoln Trust Co., Jersey Gty, N. J. 
NEW JERSEY PAINT WORKS 
JERSEY CITY, N. J. 
INDOOR 
TOILET 
REAL COMFORT FOR EVERY HOME' 
Sanitary, odorless, convenient. Installed In - 
16 minutes In any part of house. No plumb¬ 
ing, drainage, sewerage. Yon owe it to 
>oor family, old folks and children to In¬ 
stall one before winter. 
30 day*'a trial on a money-back goaran- 
tee. Write for direct-from-factory 
prices. Address 
IDEAL OHEMIOAL CLOSET CO, 
Box 120 Sonooa Fails, N. Y. 
r-ftr 2 H-P. PULLS 2| 
Direct from Factory to You 
ALL SIZES AND STYLES 
2,3, 4, 6. 8,12, 16, 22 and 30 H-P. 
at proportionately Low Prices. Above price 
for 2 H-P. is for engine complete on skids ready 
to ose. From Pittsburgh add $5. Quick shipment. 
Wnteor wire for Big New Engine Catalog FREE. 
Witte Engine Works 
1894 Oakland Ave. 
KANSAS CITY, MO. 
PITTSBURGH. PA. 
WILSON 
CELEBRATED MILLS. 
No. 1 Mill for grinding Dry 
Bones, Oyster Shells, Grit and 
Grain for poultry. 
Phosphato Mills, Green Bone 
and Clover Cutters, Feed 
Mixers for Poultry Feeding, 
Mills of all sizes for all pur¬ 
poses. Band and power. 
Write for illustrated Cata¬ 
logue aind prices. 
WILSON BROS. 
Box 15 Easton, Pa. 
*rrs 
MR. FARMER 
IT’S WORTH YOUR WHILE TO GET 
SOME INFORMATION ABOUT 
SULPHU 
“BROOKLYN 
BRAND” 
COMMERCIAL FLOUR SULPHUR, 99/4% pure, for making Lime-Sul¬ 
phur solution. 
SUPERFINE C OMMERCIAL SULPHUR, 99/4% pure for dusting purposes. 
FLOWERS OF SULPHUR, 100% pure. Also Crude Nitrate Soda, Saltpetre 
and Muriate Potash. 
BATTELLE & RENWICK 
80 Maiden Lane, New York 
Write for price list « 
;et ^ 
BARIUM- I 
PHOSPHATE 
AN ALKALINE FERTILIZER 
Containing 
23% PHOSPHORIC ACID 
7% BARIUM SULPHIDE 
and 
SULPHUR IN A WATER SO LUBLE FORM 
Headquarters also (or all 
FERTILIZER MATERIALS 
For “HOME MIXING” 
Nitrate of Soda, Potash Salta 
GROUND PHOSPHATE ROCK 
Witherbee, Sherman & Company 
W 2 Rector Street, New York City 
$ 10.000 00 
BACKS THIS SAW 
HERTZLER & ZOOK 
Portable C All/ 
Wood OnXl 
is easy to operate. Our 
No. L is the best and 
cheapest saw made to which 
a ripping table may be at¬ 
tached. Guaranteed 1 year. 
Money refunded if not satis¬ 
factory. Write for catalog. 
HERTZLER & ZOOK CO. 
Box 3 Belleville, Pa. 
As low as 
$10 
For HertxlerA 
Zook Portable 
Wood Saw 
Frame 
[ When you write advertisers mention 
The Rural New-Yorker and you’ll get 
a quick reply and a “square deal. ” See 
guarantee editorial page. : 
