878 
The  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
June  23,  1923 
Hope  Farm  Notes 
Not  long  ago  this  Hope  Farm  man  said 
he  knew  just  what  he  would  do  with  one 
million  dollars  if  he  had  it.  It  would,  no 
doubt,  interest  many  of  us  to  know  what 
disposition  he  would  make  of  this  sum  of 
money.  b.  s.  j. 
I  am  not  sure  that  any  discussion  of 
dreams  will  interest  many  of  our  people, 
and  it  would  seem  very  much  of  a  dream 
to  me  to  feel  that  I  actually  had  one  mil¬ 
lion  dollars  to  handle  just  as  I  pleased.  I 
have  known  the  time  when  I  found  it 
necessary  to  count  the  pennies  several 
1  imes  before  spending  one.  Thus  the  idea 
of  acting  as  master  of  100,000,000  pen¬ 
nies  looms  rather  large  to  me.  I  do  know, 
however,  just  what  I  should  try  to  do 
with  the  money,  though  it  is  doubtful  if 
many  millionaires  will  take  the  sugges¬ 
tion.  Not  long  ago  our  folks  were  dis¬ 
cussing  what  they  would  do  if  they  had 
one  full  year  in  which  they  could  do  just 
exactly  as  they  pleased,  without  worry 
from  financial,  business  or  social  matters. 
"  e  had  some  remarkable  statements — 
several  of  them,  it  seemed  to  me,  burnt  or 
half-baked  by  the  eager  fires  of  youth.  As 
for  me,  I  would  take  about  four  acres  of 
strawberries,  planted  on  good,  suitable 
land,  and  start  in  early  to  hoe  them. 
When  I  got  over  the  field  I  would  start 
and  hoe  them  again — then  again,  and  still 
again.  Alongside  of  this  field  I  would 
grow  a  patch  of  millet  or  Sudan  grass 
for  'Winter  mulch.  I  would  keep  the 
weeds  down  and  the  runners  cut  off  with 
my  own  hands.  In  the  Fall  I  would 
cover  the  plants  with  my  mulch  and  then 
go  to  Southern  Florida  and  try  to  repeat 
the  same  operation  through  the  Winter! 
Of  course  I  would  take  time  off  to  travel 
here  and  there  to  see  how  others  were  do¬ 
ing,  it,  but  my  vacation  job  would  be  mas¬ 
tering  the  weeds  and  the  insects  in  that 
berry  field ! 
*  *  *  *  its 
My  folks  seem  to  think  that  there 
would  be  something  wrong  with  one  who 
would  deliberately  choose  such  a  dusty 
and  “menial”  job  for  a  vacation.  He 
might  well^  be  examined  for  mental 
troubles.  Yet,  as  ^  ,see  it>  there  would 
be  both  profit  and  power  in  such  an  enter¬ 
prise.  What  berries  a  man  could  pro¬ 
duce  in  that  way !  Properly  picked  and 
sold,  they  would  bring  a  small  fortune. 
And  can  you  think  of  any  greater  sense 
of  power  than  for  a  man  to  view  this 
beautiful  crop  and  realize  that  he  has 
fought  off  weeds  and  drought  and  insects 
and  pests  with  his  own  good  arm,  con¬ 
quered  the  forces  of  nature,  and  forced 
her  to  produce  what  is  probably  the  finest 
product  of  the  soil?  That  sort  of  power 
suits  me,  and  I  feel  sorry  for  those  un¬ 
fortunates  who  would  rather  loaf  or  idly 
play  without  feeling  the  joy  of  accom¬ 
plishment.  As  between  the  golf  stick  and 
the  hoe,  I  am  for  the  hoe.  My  idea  of  a 
suitable  vacation  will,  no  doubt,  amuse  or 
shock  many  of  our  people,  and  I  have  no 
doubt  my  plan  of  handling  a  million  dol¬ 
lars  will  seem  all  wrong  to  most  of  our 
married  men.  We  have  in  this  country  a 
class  of  people  who  say  that  ordinary 
folks  do  not  know  how  to  play,  and  these 
people  are  entirely  willing,  for  a  good 
price,  to  tell  us  how  to  do  it !  In  like 
manner  most  financial  experts  tell  us  we 
do  not  know  how  to’  invest  our  money 
properly.  Better  turn  it  over  to  them. 
Let  them  handle  it,  while  we  remain  con¬ 
tent  to  work  and  earn  what  they  very 
kindly  leave  for  us.  But  at  any  rate, 
here’s  an  amateur’s  idea  of  investing  a 
million  : 
***** 
Let  me  tell  briefly  two  stories  which 
are  typical  and  true.  A  few  years  ago  a 
town  man  went  to  the  country  and  bought 
a  farm,  all  stocked  with  implements  and 
cows.  This  man  paid  more  than  the  farm 
was  worth,  but  he  didn’t  know.  He  paid 
down  all  the  cash  he  had  and  gave  a  chat¬ 
tel  mortgage  on  the  stock  and  tools,  and 
signed  a  jug-handled  contract  to  pay  a 
sum  of  money  each  month.  He  could 
have  no  deed  until  over  half  of  the  prin¬ 
cipal  is  paid,  and  his  contract  reads  that 
in  case  he  fails  to  pay  on  time  he  must 
forfeit  everything.  He  cannot  sell  a  cow 
or  improve  a  tool  or  plant  a  new  crop 
without  the  consent  of  the  owner.  Mis¬ 
fortune.  sickness,  poor  crops,  make  it  im¬ 
possible  for  this  man  to  make  a  payment. 
There  is  no  one  to  advance  the  money, 
and  he  will  lose  all  he  has  put  into  the 
farm.  The  owner  will  pocket  what  this 
poor  slave  has  paid  in,  and  then  repeat 
the  process  by  selling  to  another  “suck¬ 
er.”  I  have  reason  to  believe  that  if  this 
buyer  could  have  raised  a  little  capital 
he  could  have  earned  enough  to  pay  on 
until  he  secured  a  deed.  Then,  with  a 
long-term  mortgage  he  could  have  secured 
his  home.  He  has  learned  enough  about 
farming  to  do  that.  The  other  story  re¬ 
fers  to  a  hired  man  of  good  character  and 
ability.  lie  has  a  good  wife;  they  are 
workers,  and  ambitious  to  own  their  own 
home.  Unfortunately,  for  them,  they 
have  a  family  of  sturdy  children.  Is  it 
unfortunate  to  have  a  family  of  little 
ones  growing  up  in  the  country  ?  It 
seems  to  be.  for  in  many  cases  a  man 
with  tuberculosis  or  some  lazy  shirk  will 
be  preferred  as  a  farm  hand  to  a  man 
and  woman  with  the  fearful  encumbrance 
of  a  family.  This  man  would  make  an 
ideal  farmer  for  any  community.  He  is 
just  the  type  of  man  we  -want  in  the 
country.  5lost  farmers  do  not  want  his 
children,  and  as  he  has  little  capital  he 
cannot  obtain  a  farm  except  on  some 
ruinous  contract  which  would  amount  to 
legalized  robbery.  The  result  is  that  this 
man  goes  to  town  with  his  family.  A 
born  farmer  is  lost  to  the  country. 
***** 
Now  these  cases  are  typical  of  thou¬ 
sands  of  others.  The  present  disposition 
of  them  is  doing  as  much  as  anything  to 
depopulate  the  hill  country  and  many 
farm  districts.  If  I  had  a  million  dollars 
I  would  try  to  invest  it  so  that  some  of 
these  men  could  turn  character  into  cash 
or  credit.  Under  our  present  banking 
system  this  can  rarely  be  done.  One  in¬ 
stitution  in  New  York  State  has  done 
much  of  this,  but  I  would  go  further.  I 
would  select  several  interior  counties 
where  land  is  cheap,  and  make  a  search 
for  men  of  character  who  need  timely 
help.  I  would  work  through  the  local 
banks  or  otherwise  as  seemed  best,  and 
use  my  money  chiefly  to  enable  the  better 
class  of  hired  men  and  tenants  to  gain 
ownership  of  good  farms.  Of  course  there 
would  be  a  rush  of  the  financial  lame, 
halt  and  blind,  and  those  who  are  infirm 
of  credit,  and  fine  judgment  would  be 
required  to  sort  out  the  worthy  ones.  I 
think  it  could  be  done  so  as  to  people 
many  unoccupied  or  half-worked  farms 
with  the  best  sort  of  farmers.  I  believe  it 
would  be  possible,  in  the  course  of  a  few 
a  section  of  interior  New  York,  and  plant 
colonies  of  contented  and  happy  people  in 
many  a  farming  section.  There  seems  to 
be  money  enough  in  the  country,  but  it 
has  been  concentrated  in  town  and  city, 
so  that  a  deserving  farmer  cannot  ex¬ 
change  character  for  credit  or  cash.  As 
far  as  my  million  dollars  would  go  I 
would  give  this  financial  value  to  genuine 
farm  character.  “Only  a  drop  in  the 
bucket,”  you  will  say,  but  there  must  be 
a  drop  before  there  is  a  bucketful.  I  have 
figured  is  out  with  some  care,  and  con¬ 
clude  that  the  million  dollars,  in  a  sort  of 
revolving  fund,  would  finance  and  free 
500  or  more  farms  and  pay  at  least  4  per 
cent  on  the  investment.  If  I  had  a  mil¬ 
lion  dollars  I  should  feel  that  was  about 
all  I  was  entitled  to  for  the  privilege  of 
holding  that  wealth. 
***** 
Now,  you  asked  me  a  fair  question,  and 
I  have  answered  it  fairly.  I  know  that 
to  many  of  our  financial  friends  this  will 
seem  as  foolish  as  my  idea  of  a  vacation. 
Why  should  a  man  be  content  with  4  per 
cent  invested  in  a  lot  of  farmers  when  he 
can  get  10  per  cent  or  more  by  investing 
in  some  big  commercial  interprise  or  in 
city  real  estate?  My  answer  is  another 
question.  What  of  happiness  or  real 
worth  could  you  buy  with  the  extra  6 
per  cent?  As  for  me,  the  survey  of  sev¬ 
eral  hundred  farms  repopulated  with 
hopeful  and  deserving  people  would  be 
much  like  looking  at  that  beautiful  straw¬ 
berry  crop  I  told  about.  To  see  the  wor¬ 
ry  and  terror  come  out  of  the  eves  of  men 
and  women,  and  the  melancholy  leave  the 
faces  of  children  as  they  drew  out  of  the 
slavery  of  those  wretched  contracts, 
would  be  investment  enough  for  me.  For 
I  feel  that  the  smoke  arising  from  tlie 
home  of  a  group  of  prosperous  farmers  is 
more  important  to  the  country  than  the 
black  cloud  vomited  from  the  top  of  a 
factory  chimney.  Of  course  this  plan,  if 
fully  carried  out,  would  gain  the  eternal 
enmity  of  the  sharks  and  note  shavers 
who  play  the  part  of  Shylock  in  many 
country  towns.  We  should  have  to  stand 
that.  Not  long  ago  one  of  these  men 
found  great  fault  because  we  did  not  fea¬ 
ture  a  great  attack  upon  the  “white  slave 
traffic”  in  the  big  cities.  Just  when  he 
wrote  this  man  was  responsible  for  sev¬ 
eral  of  the  most  pitiful  “white  slaves”  I 
ever  heard  of.  He  was  compelling  sev¬ 
eral  tenants  to  live  up  to  a  harsh  con¬ 
tract  under  conditions  which  made  the 
women  nothing  but  slaves. 
♦  Jfc  sfc  £  :J: 
It  may  be  urged  that  the  Federal  Land 
Banks  are  fully  able  to  provide  money 
for  such  cases.  They  cannot  do  it.  It  is 
true  that  they  consider  character  in  mak¬ 
ing  loans,  but  they  cannot  take  character 
chances  with  Federal  money.  There 
seems  to  be  no  way  under  the  Land  Bank 
methods  by  means  of  which  a  hired  man 
without  capital  can  obtain  a  farm  unless 
some  private  individual  will  take  at  least 
half  the  farm  value  as  security  for  a  sec¬ 
ond  mortgage.  That  is  to  say,  this  plan 
of  financing  worthy  people  who  lack  good 
collateral  is  one  of  the  ways  in  which 
"we  must  do  it  ourselves.”  My  dream  of 
a  million-dollar  investment-  is  only  a  sug¬ 
gestion  after  all — an  idea  of  what  others 
may  do  with  much  smaller  sums.  And 
right  there  seems  to  enter  the  trouble  of 
all  these  things.  We  all  like  to  receive  full 
credit  or  accommodation,  but  we  are  not 
quite  so  willing  to  pass  it  on  to  the  neigh¬ 
bors.  Perhaps  I  can  do  no  better  than 
quote  right  here  from  the  Gospel  of  St. 
Matthew,  18:23. 
“Therefore  is  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven 
likened  to  a  certain  king  which  would 
take  account  of  his  servants. 
“And  when  he  began  to  reckon  one  was 
brought  unto  him  which  owed  him  ten 
thousand  talents. 
“But  forasmuch  as  he  had  not  to  pay. 
his  lord  commanded  him  to  be  sold,  and 
his  wife,  and  children,  and  all  that  he 
had,  and  payment  to  be  made. 
“The  servant  therefore  fell  down,  and 
worshipped  him,  saying,  Lord,  have  pa¬ 
tience  with  me,  and  I  will  pay  thee  all. 
“Then  the  lord  of  that  servant  was 
moved  with  compassion,  and  loosed  him, 
and  forgave  him  the  debt. 
“But  the  same  servant  went  out  and 
found  one  of  his  fellow  servants  which 
owed  him  a  hundred  pence ;  and  he  laid 
hands  on  him  and  took  him  by  the  throat, 
saying,  ‘Pay  me  that  thou  owest !” 
***** 
I  think  it  will  be  more  to  your  edifica¬ 
tion  if  you  read  the  remainder  of  this 
parable  yourself : 
‘‘So  likewise  shall  my  heavenly  Father 
do  also  unto  you  if  ye  from  your  hearts 
forgive  not  every  one  his  brother  their 
trespasses /”  •  h.  w.  c. 
A  Farm  Woman  and  the  Radio 
Do  we  farm  women  get  any  good  out 
of  radio?  Well,  I’ll  say  we  do;  if  I  had 
to  decide  between  a  piano  or  a  radio  I 
would  say  radio,  not  owing  to  value  in 
cash,  but  value  in  oleasure  to  be  derived 
therefrom,  and  yet  I  have  played  many  an 
hour  and  taught  many  a  music  lesson.  It 
is  hard  to  begin  telling  about  what  is 
best,  but  if  I  had  time  I  would  “listen 
in”  to  every  bit  of  entertainment,  and  we 
have  had  our  set  long  enough  for  the  nov¬ 
elty  to  wear  off.  True,  I  have  heard 
several  say  they  were  tired  of  theirs  in  a 
few  weeks’  time,  but  they  were  people 
who  cared  little  for  music,  and  not  a 
great  deal  for  current  events. 
At  the  last  meeting  of  our  Home  Bu¬ 
reau,  where  we  had  met  for  our  nutrition 
lesson,  every  woman,  with  but  one  excep¬ 
tion,  discussed  the  “helps”  received  over 
our  radios,  and  it  was  surprising  how 
many  valuable  hints  had  been  learned. 
Perhaps  we  women  folks  are  not  very 
much  interested  in  the  market  reports, 
but  with  our  plentiful  supply  of  eggs  and 
potatoes  to  market,  we  are  aware  of  the 
ups  and  downs  before  we  get  to  the  city. 
The  correct  time,  too,  is  quite  a  helpful 
item,  take  it  day  by  day.  I  never  knew 
our  clocks  did  vary  so  before. 
The  weather  reports  have  decided  sev¬ 
eral  wash  days,  as  well  as  out  of  town 
plans.  So  far  for  the  real  helps.  Now 
every  afternoon  we  get  a  nice  little  con¬ 
cert.  intended  for  a  rest  period  for  the 
housewife.  I  certainly  enjoy  sitting  down 
with  a  bit  of  hand  work  and  hearing 
music  and  home  helps,  interspersed  with 
a  bit  of  humor.  If  you  have  a  streak  of 
blues  or  nerves  you  will  soon  forget  them. 
Just  such  afternoons  I  have  picked  up 
some  valuable  helps  about  furniture  buy¬ 
ing;  also  garden  hints  well  worth  trying 
out.  We  have  also  got  instructive  infor¬ 
mation  regarding  banking  and  business 
methods,  that  every  woman  doing  any 
business  at  all  should  know. 
We  take  a  number  of  the  best  papers 
and  magazines,  and  no  doubt  skip  many 
a  valuable  article.  Y'et,  when  wTe  are 
listening  in  we  are  pleased  to  hear  the 
lectures,  some  of  which  tell  us  the  habits 
and  customs  of  foreign  countries.  The 
word  pictures  are  so  vivid  that  one  can 
almost  see  the  buildings,  scenery,  etc. 
The  health  talks  should  make  a  vast  dif¬ 
ference  in  the  health  of  the  masses  if 
only  heeded. 
I  haven’t  said  a  word  about  music  yet ; 
must  be  because  I’m  listening  to  the 
dreamiest  waltz  right  now,  and  you  who 
are  hearing  the  very  same  at  this  minute 
can  realize  how  perfect  the  harmony  of 
the  15  orchestra  instruments  comes 
through  this  delicate  little  machine  by  the 
head  of  my  couch,  which  has  been  moved 
so  recreation  is  truly  restful  when  I’m 
getting  radioism.  The  music  is  surely  of 
the  best,  and  refinement  and  culture  are 
part  of  the  programs.  Many  of  the  old 
classics  come  back  to  us,  and  mention  of 
the  composers  and  the  lives  they  led 
freshen  up  the  knowledge  we  thought  was 
ours  for  keeps  just  a  few  years  ago.  Then, 
too,  we  have  the  opportunity  of  hearing 
all  sorts  of  instruments,  from  the  harps, 
all  through  the  stringed  instruments,  and 
all  kinds  of  band  instruments  as  well. 
M  ere  we  to  go  to  an  opera  house  it  might 
be  some  time  before  we  heard  such  a  large 
variety  of  music.  I  do  enjoy  the  plays; 
have  heard  some  fine  ones. 
And  last,  but  by  no  means  least,  comes 
the  Sabbath,  with  its  two  or  three  ser¬ 
vices.  We  have  received  services  from 
four  cities  and  several  churches.  Isolated 
as  we  have  been  the  past  Winter,  this 
was  all  the  church  we  could  have,  and  it 
has  been  very  acceptable  indeed.  So  I 
think  that  we  farm  women  (judging  by 
me)  surely  get  our  share  of  benefit,  both 
profitable  and  pleasurable,  from  the  mes¬ 
sages  through  the  air. 
That  is  not  all ;  a  large  number  of  our 
neighbors  and  rural  families  all  about 
this  vicinity,  judging  by  the  many  aerials 
in  evidence,  must  enjoy  the  same  priv¬ 
ileges,  and  it  hasn’t  seemed  to  matter  a 
great  deal  where  the  antennae  were  erect¬ 
ed  ;  from  a  trees  or  a  henhouse,  and 
whether  the  “ground”  was  in  the  cellar 
or  cistern  ;  they  all  get  it.  These  are  all 
crystal  sets,  however.  I  know  nothing 
about  the  others,  but  I  can  imagine  with 
one  of  them  installed  one  would  desire 
recreation  all  hours  of  the  24  in  order  to 
have  the  opportunity  to  listen  in  for  all 
that  would  be  wished  for. 
patsy’s  wife. 
“Just  what  are  the  women  on  the  farm 
getting  out  of  the  radio?”  Permit  me  to 
answer  what  I  am  getting:  Two  months 
ago  we  installed  a  set.  The  pleasure,  ed¬ 
ucational  and  cultural,  we  already  have 
derived  from  it  we  could  not  get  in  two 
years,  because  there  would  be  no  time  to 
go  and  hear  it  all. 
The  radio  brings  daily  such  diversified 
program  to  suit  all  tastes.  Often  in  the 
quietude  of  the  afternoon  I  slip  in  the 
living  room,  put  over  the  receiver,  and 
Jo !  a  lovely  voice  would  sing  for  me ! 
These  few  minutes  snatched  away  from  a 
very  busy  work  day  would  rest  me  more 
than  to  listen  in  a  hall  to  music  for  an 
hour  or  more.  Why?  Because  I  can 
have  the  little  recreation  the  very  min¬ 
ute  I  am  ready  for  it,  and  that  is  the 
great  advantage  of  radio.  I  may  hear 
music,  lecture,  or  a  talk  on  some  infor¬ 
mative  subject,  without  dressing  up,  with¬ 
out  “hitching  up,”  nor  need  I  subject  my¬ 
self  to  inclement  weather — a  turn  on  the 
dial  brings  the  world’s  entertainment  to 
me.  Always  when  we  listen  to  the  beau¬ 
tiful  church  service  I  feel  so  sorry  that 
not  all  my  farmer  neighbors  have  heard 
what  we  have  just  heard,  out  of  the  air. 
However,  the  radioless  house  will  only  be 
a  matter  of  time.  Like  the  telephone  and 
the  cheap  car,  so  the  radio  will  find  its 
way  in  most  farmhouses.  mrs.  l.  f.  s. 
Partnership  in  Thrashing  Machine 
If  a  man  owns  one-seventh  of  a  thrash¬ 
ing  machine,  in  company  with  six  other 
men.  and  this  man  wants  to  sell  his  share, 
in  what  way  can  lie  make  a  sale  of  it? 
Some  of  the  other  men  are  drawbacks,  be¬ 
cause  they  will  neither  buy  nor  sell.  Can 
he  force  a  sale  of  the  machine,  or  can  he 
make  the  other  shareholders  buy  him  out 
at  a  fair  and  reasonable  price,  or  can 
he  make  them  pay  him  for  the  use  of  the 
machine  at  the  rate  of  interest  of  what  he 
has  invested?  Can  he  stop  the  use  of 
the  machine  for  any  of  the  company 
thrashing  until  it  is  settled?  I  have 
been  told  he  could.  Can  it  be  done? 
New  York.  l.  ir. 
A  partnership  may  be  dissolved  by  the 
court  where  there  appear  to  be  irre¬ 
concilable  differences  between  the  part¬ 
ners.  Probably  you  had  no  partnership 
agreement  providing  the  way  in  which 
one  might  withdraw.  Many  people  enter 
into  a  partnership,  which  is  one  of  the 
most  dangerous  enterprises  known,  with¬ 
out  any  form  of  partnership  agreement 
being  drawn  up  between  them.  If  you 
cannot  get  a  satisfactory  settlement  you 
can  bring  an  action  against  your  part¬ 
ners  for  an  accounting,  or  perhaps  you 
can  find  another  person  to  buy  your  in¬ 
terest  in  the  machine.  N,  T. 
Two  Vermont  Farm  Youngsters 
years,  to  greatly  change  the  character  of 
