The RURAL. NEW-YORKER 
1803 
which they have not money to buy. Who 
will write and tell us of some others? 
I am very fond of the letters in The 
Rubai. New-Yorker. I am 11 years old. 
I am in the fifth grade at school. 
One day in the early Winter I was 
outdoors. I heard a bird, and I looked 
and it was a chickadee. I put a piece 
of fat meat in a plum tree near the 
house. The next day the chickadees 
came and ate the meat. After a while 
the bluejays found the fat meat and ate 
it up. 
Then I began putting the meat on a 
post near the house. The bluejays have 
not found the meat on the post, but the 
chickadees have found it. beta k. 
New York. 
Reta wrote her letter last Spring, and 
I kept it to print this Fall. Who will 
send us a picture of a feeding station for 
the Winter birds? Such a station or 
shelf is a simple thing to make for the 
school or home. I am sure that some of 
you boys and girls do not know the joy 
and pleasure to be had from watching the 
wild birds come to your window during 
(he Winter. Try it. Keep some seeds or 
cracked corn or bread crumbs on the 
shelf. .Tuncos and tree sparrows will 
come every day after they once find the 
food and learn to know it will always 
be there for them. Tack pieces of suet 
to poets or trees or window frames. Chick¬ 
adees and nuthatches and woodpeckers 
will visit these. Perhaps other rarer 
birds will come. A white-throated spar¬ 
row with a crippled wing came regularly 
to my shelf last Winter. It had not been 
strong enough to go South with the rest, 
and might have starved but for my help. 
You have a treat in store if you begin to 
feed the Winter birds. Don’t put it off. 
Start now ! 
I have just finished reading The Rural 
New-Yorker, and I enjoyed Our Page 
very much. Vacation time is over, and 
we must now settle down to our studies. 
I have not been to school during the last 
few days, but will go during the Winter. 
I will not have to go, as I shall be 16. 
However, this will not stop me, as I be¬ 
lieve that a good education is a valuable 
acquirement. I have been cutting corn 
for a few days, and like it very much. 
Last week (this letter was written Sep- 
All it needs is the interest, sharp eyes and 
ears, and a good deal of patience in fol¬ 
lowing the wild things. Every one of you 
growing up on a farm should know by 
name the common birds, the wild animals, 
the familiar trees and wild flowers and 
weeds, and many of the insects, both 
harmful and helpful. This is knowledge 
that you will always be glad to have, and 
that you never will forget. It is worth 
having, whether you live most of your 
later life in the country or in the city. 
Now is the time to learn these things. 
Our Page is to help you learn them. Take 
hold, and tell us what you find out. 
What It Was 
I am afraid that the October What is 
it? was too much for most of you. The 
tree is not common everywhere, though 
the chances are that if you set out to find 
one in your neighborhood many of you 
will succeed. 
Pearl F., another New Jersey girl, sent 
the only correct answer I have received so 
far. The tree is the sour gum. Other 
names are pepperidge and tupelo. Several 
of you sent names of other trees, and I 
am glad you tried. That is better than 
not to try at all. 
We have pepperidge trees here on this 
farm along a stream on the west side. I 
love to look at them in October. They 
are among the first trees to change color, 
and are a beautiful sight when the flat 
branches are all full of bright red leaves. 
Try to find one of these trees and add 
it to the list of trees you know by sight. 
I wonder how many you do know. Won’t 
you send me a list of every kind of tree 
you pass from the time you leave your 
home door until you enter your school 
door, and tell how far that is? 
This month 1 am going to give you a 
Wluit is it? written by an older person. 
All of you will know the answer to this 
one. Send it in and tell some experience 
that you have had with a- Dear me, 
I nearly told you its name. 
What Is It? 
A minute ago it ran like a gray streak- 
up the tree by my window, carrying a 
mouthful of leaves. Looking up, I saw 
a great ball of dry leaves resting in a 
fork of the tree about 30 feet from the 
up to the farmhouse door. In she went 
and up to the sink where stood- a pail of 
chicken feed. 
Mrs. Evens, hearing the noise, ran in 
to see what the trouble was. There stood 
Dolly with her head buried in the pail. 
“Dolly!” cried Mrs. Evens in asonish- 
ment, looking first at the dirty Summer 
kitchen floor and then at the fast disap¬ 
pearing chicken feed. 
One day about a year later, Mr. Evens 
bought a beautiful black buggy with red 
running gears. The girls ran to see Dolly 
and her buggy. Mr. Evens drove her 
around some. She was quite frisky, but 
in a few days he said that the girls might 
drive her. Of course, the girls wanted to 
drive her to town right away, but Mr. 
Evens would not allow them to for several 
days. 
One day Mrs. Evens discovered that she 
was out of groceries, and Mr. Evens could 
not go to town. The girls teased to be 
allowed to take the pony and go. Mr. 
Evens consented, so the girls started off 
in high glee. 
A ladv was walking along the side¬ 
walk. wheeling a baby buggy. Dolly was 
so frightened she sat down like a dog. In 
doing this she got her back underneath 
the shaft where she stayed until a man, 
seeing her plight, helped her up. 
After purchasing their groceries, the 
girls started for home. As they approached 
the bridge, the girls noticed that a load of 
small white stones had been unloaded on 
the road by the bridge. Dolly also no¬ 
ticed it. and stood still until a neighbor 
put his arm around her and walked across 
the bridge beside her. 
They arrived home safely. Their broth¬ 
ers told them where there were lots of 
nuts in the old woods pasture, so they de¬ 
cided to go. The baby sister wanted to 
go, too, so they took her along. Just as 
they were ready to go away their mother 
snapped their picture. So here they are, 
a happy band. evalena c. 
Washington. 
That is such a good story ! It might 
all have happened just as Evalena tells it. 
You have a fine chance to write stories 
about 
This Month's.Story Picture 
All you have to go by is the picture. 
First use your eyes to see everything in 
the picture. Then use your imagination 
to tell wha: has been going on before the 
picture was taken. I think I can promise 
you the true story of this picture along 
with the ones that you make up. That 
will be interesting, too. Let’s have a good 
bunch of stories this time, and send them 
to me as soon as you can. 
Notes 
Page so well. A number of you have sent 
lines for the box, and I hope for more. 
The things we need most are nature puz¬ 
zles and pictures. Perhaps you will send 
some soon. 
THE PICTURES 
A friend from New Jersey sent the 
picture of the little girl and the turkeys. 
It is just right for our Thanksgiving page. 
The pumpkin picture came from Massa¬ 
chusetts, with the statement that they 
were grown in two hills. I ask you, how 
many pies do you think they would make? 
This is a chance for some of you cooks to 
do a little figuring. 
The picture of the school exhibits was 
taken up in Central New York several 
years ago. I am still hoping to hear from 
some of you about your school fairs this 
year. It is one of the very best kinds of 
work you can do. The whole district can 
share in it. Send pictures if you can. 
Raymond and his pet bull were photo¬ 
graphed by a neighbor and sent to me. 
The scene is in New York State. The bull 
is a purebred Holstein, three years old. 
and has been trained to the bridle and 
harness. He will cultivate, or draw a 
wagon, or be ridden astride. This is an 
example of what care and kindness will 
do with animals. 
The “Three Farm Youngsters” live in 
Pennsylvania. They seem to belong on 
Our Page more than out among the 
grown-ups. Let’s make them feel at 
home. 
CHARTS 
Some of you were interested in the 
weather record described and pictured on 
Our Page last month. One letter asked 
where patterns for the children’s figures 
can be obtained. I do not know where 
this particular school found them, but I 
think that if the boys and girls in any 
school set to work looking through maga¬ 
zines, fashion catalogs and such things 
they will find plenty of figures to use as 
outlines. There is no one best way to do 
such work as this. Think out ways for 
yourselves. 
Another letter asks for suggestions ‘for 
a Health Chart. Many schools in New 
York State and in some other States have 
health clubs, and keep daily records of 
such things as brushing teeth, washing 
face and hands, combing hair, hours of 
sleep, and so on. If you have a plan for 
making an attractive chart of these rec¬ 
ords. send it in. It will help others. 
BOOKS AND BRICKS 
Ruth S., Pennsylvania, -writes: “We 
are saving money to buy a bird book. The 
price of it is $1.25.” This is fine! I wish 
there were more books in country homes 
and country schools on birds and flowers 
and trees and insects and animals. Then 
you would find it easier to name the 
things you discover, and the ‘books would 
lead you to find new- things. Plan to save 
for at least one book this Fall. 
I happen to know also that Ruth and 
her family sent some money to the “Brick 
Man” for the Labrador orphans mentioned 
on Our Page of June 5. Have you sent 
some, too? The “Brick Man” is Mr. S. 
B. Strong, Setauket, N. Y., and 2oe buys 
-a brick. 
Write a Story About This Picture 
Raymond and His Trained Bull 
tember 23).I picked apples for a little 
over three days, and received $10, which 
1 consider pretty good pay. There are a 
good many apples in this section, and help 
is very scarce. I do not think there is 
much profit in apples this year, as wages, 
barrels and freight rates are very high. 
Though I am working on a farm, I 
have never ceased to wish to become a 
naturalist. This is the only subject that 
will ever satisfy me, and I believe that I 
have as good a chance as any farm boy. 
I prefer to be a naturalist who writ's. 
Now a few words about the Farm Bu¬ 
reau. 1 believe that this organization is 
of the greatest help to farmers of any or¬ 
ganization ever founded. It helps secure 
tested seed at low prices, and also to se¬ 
cure help for the farmers without charge. 
But the greatest help of all is that it 
gives farmers more interest and faith in 
their work. 
This letter is growing long, and f had 
better close it. As eve-. 
Afriend to The Rural New-Yorker, 
New York. VERNON a. , 
We have heard from Vernon before, 
but lie has written an interesting letter, 
and T think you will enjoy reading it, es¬ 
pecially you older ones. , 
It seems to me that a farm is the very ' 
place to gain a knowledge of nature. 
Every day you may learn something new. W 
ground. Can that be its home? It has 
just come down again, perhaps in search 
of more leaves. No, this time it has an 
acorn. There it is on the ground, digging 
a hole with its front paws. See, it has 
buried the acorn! Do you suppose it 
will ever find that nut again? llow will 
it know where to look? Now it is sitting 
on a low limb looking at me. I am sure 
it must see very well with its great, large 
eyes. And I know that its back is never 
cold because its tail—well, it has a very 
useful tail. 
Another Pony Cart Story 
The story given below reached me the 
day after I sent last month’s page to the 
printer. Evalena wrote it as soon as any 
of the others, but you see it bad to come 
’way across the country, and that made it 
late. So I decided to give it to you this 
month. 
DOLLY 
Dolly was a little Shetland pony. Mr. 
.Evens bought her when she was five 
months old for his two little girls, Mary 
and Dorothy The girls spent most of 
itheir time with Dolly. They fed her; they 
brushed and curried her. Two happier 
I lgirls never lived. 
One day when the girls were helping 
their mother, Dolly got loose. She decided 
<o go and find the girls. So she walked 
Following are a number of things that 
you will want to know- about and keep iu 
touch with: 
THE BOX 
We have a very good Box this mouth, 
sent by Dorothy B., a Maryland girl. She 
also sent the poem. I want to thank 
Marjory Z., X„nv Jersey, and Gladys F., 
New York, for sending poems for Novem¬ 
ber, too. It pleases me very much to 
have you boys and girls take hold of Qur 
GOOD-BY 
If you will look back again over these 
two pages you will be surprised to see 
how many boys and girls have taken part 
iu making them. That is just what I 
want to have happen more and more. 
Our Page is fast becoming a real part of 
our lives. Send in your letters to Ed¬ 
ward M. Tuttle, 333 West 30tb St., New 
York City, in care of The Rural New- 
Yorker. 
Whree %Farm Youngsters 
