778 
7ht  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
] 
Boys  and  Girls 
By  Edward  M.  Tuttle 
Girls,  hurry  up  your  dishes!  Boys,  hurry  up  your  chores! 
Then  get  your  pen  and  paper.  I’ve  sent  my  best — send  yours. 
Circus  Tricks  on  the  Farm.  Picture  Kent  by  George  Ruff,  New  York 
Memory  Verse 
MAY 
Starting,  starting  from  the  earth. 
See  the  pretty  flowers ! 
Wakened  from  their  Winter’s  sleep 
Hy  the  Springtime  showers. 
Now  we  know  that  May  hath  come 
O’er  the  meadows  danci  g. 
Robin  lilts  his  sweetest  song, 
Sunbeams  round  him  glancing. 
Bluebird’s  knocking  at  the  door, 
Swallow’s  hither  coming, 
And  o’er  all  the  sunny  mead 
Springtime  bees  arc  humming. 
Golden  sunshine,  silver  rain, 
Each  its  work  is  doing. 
Birds  and  bees  and  blossoms  fair, 
Now  the  world  renewing. 
O,  thou  merry  mouth  o’  May ! 
We  have  come  to  meet  you. 
Little  lads  and  lassies  gay, 
Happily  we  greet  you. 
From  your  pretty  flowers,  dear, 
We  will  take  a  warning ; 
And  we  will  try  our  work  to  do 
In  life’s  fair  May  morning. 
— By  HELEN  B.  CURTIS. 
1  wish  that  every  boy  and  girl  who 
reads  Our  Page  could  sit  here  with  me  on 
my  doorstep  this  sunshiny  morning  in 
early  May.  The  Spring  is  late,  and  now 
is  making  great  haste  to  catch  up  with 
itself.  Everything  seems  fairly  humming 
with  life.  The  birds  are  busy  and  happy. 
Plainest  of  all  today  is  the  song  of  the 
chipping  sparrows.  A  half  dozen  are 
“chipping”  away  at  once.  But  as  I  wait 
other  songs  come  to  me — the  cackling  of 
my  hens,  the  carol  of  a  robin  flying  to 
(he  lawn,  where  he  stands  with  head 
cocked  listening  for  a  worm ;  the  icick- 
wick- wick-wick  of  a  flicker;  the  whistled 
One  of  Our  Busy  Headers 
Picture  Sent  by  Lillian  Bckoe  (10  Years) 
New  Jersey 
“phoebe”  call  of  the  chickadee,  and  the 
scolding  note  of  the  true  phoebe  bird ; 
the  distant  call  of  some  crows ;  the  sud¬ 
den  songburst  of  the  slim  gray  catbird 
in  a  nearby  thicket,  mixed  with  its  curi¬ 
ous  cat  calls;  the  harsh  note  of  a  starling. 
not  altogether  welcome,  as  might  also 
be  said  of  the  yell  of  the  gorgeous  blue- 
jay  that  dashes  past ;  the  teacher-teacher- 
teacher  of  the  ovenbird  in  neighboring 
woods ;  and  overhead  the  twitter  of 
circling  barn  swallows,  a  half  dozen  pairs 
of  which  have  already  taken  possession 
of  my  barn.  Any  day  now  I  am  expect¬ 
ing  to  hear  the  rich,  ringing  song  of  the 
Drawn  by  Charlotte  Booth  (11/  Years) 
New  York 
Baltimore  oriole  and  the  beautiful  notes 
of  the  wood  thrush. 
There  is  much  to  see  as  well  as  listen 
to  as  I  sit  here.  At  my  hand  shrubs 
are  coming  into  leaf.  They  have  grown 
well  in  the  two  years  since  I  set  them. 
The  lawn  is  green  and  smooth  after  its 
first  cutting  yesterday.  Violets  are  bloom¬ 
ing  in  a  bed  a  few  feet  away.  Soon  there 
will  be  thousands  of  the  graceful  blos¬ 
soms.  A  bit  farther  on  are  the  orchard 
and  garden.  The  peach  trees  are  in 
bloom,  great  pink  bouquets,  visited  by 
countless  humming-bees.  The  rhubarb 
rows  are  plain  to  see  (we  had  the  first 
sauce  some  days  ago)  and  I  know  that 
next  to  them  asparagus  tips  are  pushing 
up  from  the  roots  I  set  so  carefully. 
There  is  more,  much  more,  to  see  and 
hear  and  smell  and  feel  in  this  May 
morning  on  the  farm.  Many  of  you  boys 
and  girls  have  all  these  experiences,  and 
love  them  just  as  I  do.  They  mean  more 
to  us  in  proportion  as  we  understand 
what  is  going  on,  with  and  without  our 
help,  in  the  great  world  of  Nature.  To 
call  each  bird,  each  flower,  each  tree  and 
crop  by  name  adds  much  to  our  interest 
and  enjoyment.  We  cannot  begin  too 
soon  to  make  acquaintance  with  them  all. 
In  boyhood  and  girlhood,  in  manhood  and 
womanhood,  and  in  the  ripeness  of  old 
age,  we  are  glad  to  have  much  knowledge, 
and  it  steadily  increases  if  we  are  alive 
to  what  goes  on  around  us. 
Some  Interesting  Things  About  This  Page 
Beginning  at  the  very  beginning,  the 
couplet  in  the  box  came  from  Pauline 
Miller,  a  14-year-old  Ohio  reader. 
Wouldn't  it  be  great  for  Our  Page  if 
every  reader,  after  dishes  and  chores  are 
done  tonight,  would  sit  down  and  send 
his  or  her  best  contribution?  This  is  the 
second  time  Pauline  has  succeeded  in  hav¬ 
ing  a  box  accepted  and  printed.  She  is 
the  only  one  to  whom  that  has  happened. 
The  box  is  for  the  purpose  of  giving  the 
spirit  of  Our  Page,  setting  forth  its 
ideals,  encouraging  its  readers.  The  two 
lines  need  not  always  rhyme  unless  you 
wish.  A  direct,  clear  sentence  of  25 
words  or  less  is  just  as  good. 
George’s  picture  makes  a  fine  heading. 
Boys  certainly  know  how  to  have  a  good 
time,  and  there  is  no  place  like  the  coun¬ 
try  to  have  it  in.  George  wrote :  “The 
horse  is  20  years  old.  My  brother  is 
holding  him  and  I  am  on  his  back.”  Now 
unless  you  saw  the  picture  you  would 
think  from  his  words  that  George  was  sit¬ 
ting  upright  in  the  saddle,  just  like  any 
other  person,  whereas  he  is  quite  the  re¬ 
verse.  Ha  !  ha  !  Ten  pins  admission  to 
see  the  show  ! 
Coming  next  to  the  Memory  Verse,  four 
readers  sent  this  particular  poem  on 
May.  It  is  evidently  a  favorite,  and  we 
can  easily  see  why.  Every  reader  would 
find  it  worth  while  to  learn  these  six 
little  verses  by  heart,  and  to  recall  them 
each  time  the  month  of  May  comes  round. 
Those  who  thought  this  would  be  appro¬ 
priate  for  Our  Page  Avere  George  Metz 
(13),  of  Delaware,  and  Ann  Willeox 
(10).  Madge  Lynch  (14)  and  Helen 
Truesdale  (15)  of  New  York. 
You  see,  I  have  begun  to  mix  photo¬ 
graphs  in  with  the  drawings  again.  It  is 
always  interesting  to  see  the  actual  pic¬ 
tures  of  some  of  our  readers.  So  here 
is  Lillian,  with  her  apron  on  and  her 
arms  akimbo.  Probably  she  has  just 
finished  washing  those  dishes  the  box 
speaks  about.  She  sent  this  picture  last 
Summer  with  a  letter  Avhich  you  will  en¬ 
joy  reading. 
I  have  decided  for  the  first  time  to 
write  you  a  letter  for  Our  tage.  I  have 
been  a  reader  of  thu  Boys’  and  Girls’ 
Page,  and  indeed  find  it  very  interesting 
for  us  little  folks.  I  am  10  years  old.  I 
have  ahvays  lived  in  the  country.  I  have 
a  few  pets.  I  have  three  little  hound 
dogs,  one  calf,  two  rabbits,  one  pig,  12 
chickens  and  one  kitten.  They  are  all 
so  tame  that  they  follow  me  all  over, 
now  that  school  is  closed.  I  am  going  to 
tell  you  what  I  do  in  my  vacation  time. 
I  have  a  little  garden.  The  peppers  are 
ripe,  also  the  sweet  corn  and  tomatoes. 
I  have  eight  rows  of  potatoes. 
Noav  my  father  gives  me  all  thig  for 
myself.  Up  to  this  year  I  have  sold  .$185 
already,  including  two  small  pigs.  I  ex¬ 
pect  to  sell  my  hound  dogs,  too,  for  $15 
apiece.  I  Avork  hard  for  myself,  and  all 
the  money  I  get  for  my  crops  or  my  pigs 
or  rabbits  I  put  in  the  bank  for  my  high 
school  education  later  on.  I  love  school. 
I  am  in  the  seventh  grade.  I  study  hard 
at  my  lessons  and  my  teacher  is  delighted. 
I  believe  all  girls  and  boys  should  go  to 
school  and  get  from  their  school  as  much 
as  they  can,  for  life  is  dead  Avithout  an 
education,  and  people  avIio  have  got  it 
kuoAV  it  is  a  very  hard  thing  to  get.  I 
am  enclosing  photo  of  myself,  also  one 
of  my  mother  and  hound  doggies.  I  beg 
to  remain. 
A  Country  Friend, 
NeAv  Jersey.  lillian  bekoe. 
Hoav  many  readers  have  ever  seen  a 
snapping  turtle?  Anna  lives  on  Long 
Island,  Avhere  we  certainly  have  plenty 
of  them.  She  says  that  is  her  brother 
looking  on  Avhile  her  uncle  holds  the 
turtle  by  the  tail.  Avhich  is  the  approved 
Avay  to  hold  it.  These  creatures  have 
terribly  strong,  sharp  beaks,  and  it  is 
ahvays  Avise  to  keep  out  of  their  reach. 
Turtles  are  interesting  animals,  and  none 
of  them  is  at  all  dangerous  except  this 
kind.  Who  can  write  us  an  original  essay 
on  the  different  kinds  of  turtle  commonly 
found,  and  who  will  send  a  set  of  draAv- 
ings  to  go  Avith  the  essay? 
The  drawing  of  the  bird’s  nest  is  very 
neat.  Of  course,  there  is  really  no  such 
bird  as  the  “ground  bird,”  though  this 
name  is  often  given  to  seAreral  of  the  spar- 
roAvs — small,  streaked,  brown  birds  that 
nest  on  or  near  the  ground.  Really  they 
are  not  alike,  either  in  looks  or  habits, 
and  it  is  good  practice  to  learn  to  tell 
them  apart  and  to  call  them  by  name — 
song  sparroAv.  vesper  sparroAV,  field  spar- 
May  26,  1923 
roAV,  chipping  sparroAv,  white-throated 
sparroAAr,  etc.,  Avhichever  it  may  be.  Char¬ 
lotte  has  probably  drawn  a  vesper  spar¬ 
row’s  nest  for  us. 
Our  little  readers  will  enjoy  Elizabeth’s 
draAving  of  herself  and  her  farm  friends. 
This  is  just  exactly  as  she  sent  it  in,  all 
drawn  in  ink,  Avhich  is  very  good  Avork 
for  a  nine-year-old.  There  seems  to  be 
an  overabundance  of  cats,  but  perhaps 
this  is  a  “cat  farm.”  I  Avonder  Avhat 
The  Tail  of  the  Turtle 
Picture  Bent  by  Anna  Fessenden 
New  Yok 
breed  of  dog  that  is,  not  to  mention  the 
coav.  Elizabeth’s  hair  ribbon  makes  her 
look  as  though  she  had  Avings  on  her  head. 
There  she  stands,  “monarch  of  all  she 
surveys.” 
The  Signs  of  Spring,  1923 
March  20 — Several  spots  of  bare  ground. 
March  21 — A  little  green  grass. 
March  23 — Lilac  leaf  buds. 
March  24 — Pussy  Avillows. 
April  2 — Chipmunk. 
April  3 — Heard  a  robin.  Rhubarb  com¬ 
ing  up. 
April  4 — Bluebird.  Heard  a  phoebe. 
Garden  lilies  coming  up. 
April  5 — Thunder  shoAver. 
April  7 — Black  ants.  Fly. 
April  12 — 'Horseradish  is  up. 
April  16 — Heard  frog  singing.  SaAV 
some  maple  trees  that  Avere  tapped. 
April  17 — Tulip  and  peony  plants  com¬ 
ing  up. 
April  18 — Live-forever  coming  up. 
April  19— CaraAvay  coming  up. 
April  20 — Columbine  leaves.  Bleeding 
heart  plant  coming  up. 
April  21 — Red  and  black  raspberry 
leaf  buds  have  started  to  gi’ow. 
April  22 — Phlox  plants  are  up.  Rose 
leaf  buds  starting  to  grow.  Golden  GIoav 
is  up.  Hepatica  buds.  Bluets.  Trailing 
arbutus  blossoms.  White  maple  blossoms. 
Buttercup  and  thistle  plants. 
April  24 — Brakes  coming  up.  Red 
raspberry  leaves. 
April  25 — Hepatica  buds  opening. 
April  26 — Hepatica  blossom. 
April  29 — Apple  and  blackberry  leaf 
buds  opening.  Yarrow  plants.  Black 
raspberry  leaves.  Lilac  leaves.  Wild 
parsnip  blossoms.  Heard  chewink. 
April  30 — Lily-of-the-valley  plants  are 
up.  Hyacinths.  Dandelion  and  false 
strawberry  blossoms.  White  violet.  Blue 
violets.  Hardback  leaf  buds  starting  to 
groAV.  Heard  Avhippoorwill.  Many  maple 
blossoms  have  dropped. 
Vermont  avarren  bkoavn  (14  years). 
Warren’s  list  shoAvs  good  observation 
and  a  knoAvledge  of  many  plants,  both 
Avild  and  cultivated.  Several  other  read¬ 
ers  sent  lists  of  the  signs  of  Spring,  and 
one  rural  school  in  Connecticut  sent  a 
calendar  of  the  Avild  flowers  discovered 
