HOUSE AND GARDEN 
September, 
1914 
123 
How to Find the Dream Farm 
N EVER believe all you hear about 
any place, either for or against it. 
The man who has it for sale will naturally 
tell all the good qualities. You can trust 
the neighbors, former tenants and the vil¬ 
lage loungers to describe in detail the bad 
features. Look for yourself and strike a 
happy medium between the two. If you 
are not competent to decide, get some one 
of your friends who is a good judge of 
real estate to look at the place and give you 
an expert opinion. Whenever possible, 
buy your farm in a locality with which 
you are well acquainted, where you know 
the people, the rural conditions, the soil, 
climate, etc. It is best to locate near your 
old home and acquaintances. If you are 
city born and bred, purchase near your 
own city — the nearer the better — so that 
you can run in now and then to see your 
friends and to seek such amusement as 
appeals to you and your family. 
You will be surprised to see the really 
fine places which can be picked up in the 
country by searching carefully. Folk get 
old in the country, just as in the city. 
Very often such old people desire to go 
and live with their children. Then the 
homestead can be purchased for a very 
reasonable cash offer, generally with the 
stock and implements. In the case of the 
death of the owner the farm is appraised 
by two or three competent judges, selected 
from the neighbors, and sold by the ex¬ 
ecutor for its true value. This is always 
a good time to buy a place. The executor 
can usually give a good title and the price 
is generally right. Do not try to buy out 
a prosperous farmer who is well satisfied 
with his farm. It will cost a handsome 
premium. Those with plenty of money 
can afford to do this—but they seldom do. 
There are enough good farms for sale — 
keep on looking. 
There are many ways of searching for 
a farm. Obviously a working man and 
his wife cannot go walking aimlessly 
through the country looking for the 
Dream Place. When one is working six 
days a week, Sunday is all too short for 
visits to the country. Looking for a farm 
is a good way to spend a vacation. Visit 
the locality in which you desire to pur¬ 
chase. You can stop at the hotel in the 
village over Sunday for a small sum. Or 
you can usually board there, and board 
well, for a week or two during vacation. 
In the city when a place is for sale a 
neatly lettered sign is hung out announc¬ 
ing the fact. In the country this is seldom 
done. Look over the country papers first. 
Examine all “for sale” advertisements. 
Then look for the legal notices to see 
v. hat estates are being closed. Make a list 
of all the places for sale and pay each one 
a visit. 
(Continued on page 18x) 
“The cigarette is the perfect 
type of a perfect pleasure. It 
is exquisite, and it leaves one 
unsatisfied. What more can 
you want ? ” 
—Dorian Grey. 
Statement of the Ownership, Management, Etc. 
of HOUSE & GARDEN, published monthly at New York, N. Y., required by the Act of August 24, 1912. 
The Managing Editor is Wm. A. Vollmer; Post-office Address, 31 East 17th St., New York. 
Publisher: McBride, Nast & Company; Post-office Address, 31 East 17th St., New York. 
Owners: McBride, Nast & Company, a corporation. 
Names and addresses of stockholders holding one per cent, or more of total amount of stock: 
Robert M. McBride, 31 East 17th St., New York. 
Conde Nast, 449 Fourth Avenue, New York. 
Known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders, holding one per cent, or more of total amount of bonds 
mortgages, or other securities: 
Harris-Dibble Company, 71 West 23rd St., New York. 
Architectural Publishing Company, Philadelphia, Pa. 
This statement is signed by William A. Vollmer, managing editor, for McBride, Nast & Co. 
Sworn to and subscribed before John T. Eesroad, 
Notary Public New York County, No. 8, 
April 14th, 1914. 
Select Your Peonies this Fall 
from Farr’s Great Collection 
Everyone loves the Peony; in every garden it may be found, from the single clump be¬ 
side the doorway of the humblest cottage or the prized collection in the amateur’s garden, 
to the broad vistas of the millionaire's estate. Rich with the warmth of its glowing colors, 
intoxicating in its delicious fragrance, its great, big, flowers make a universal appeal to 
human interest. 
Farr’s Collection of Peonies 
Consists of over five hundred distinct varieties and includes all the rare novelties of England, 
France and Japan. I have spared neither effort nor expense to make this collection the finest in 
the world, and the many years’study I have given to the Peony enables me to describe accurately 
in my catalogue both form and color and guarantee my plants true to name and description. 
My Book “Farr’s Hardy Plants 
is an inspiration to the grower and lover of Peonies, Irises, Phloxes and other hardy plants. I have 
an abridged edition ready for immediate use. A copy of the new edition will be mailed as soon as 
it is off the press; write me, so that one may be reserved for you. 
B. H. FARR, Wyomissing Nursery 
106 Garfield Avenue WYOMISSING, PA. 
In writing to advertisers please mention House & Garden. 
