Norwich Bulletin Newspaper, July 12, 1918, Page 10

(Written Especially for The Bulletin.) Once in a while some city news- paper man actually writes with in- telligence about the country and farming. As witness the following editorial which I clip, verbatim and ‘entire, from The Toledo Blade: “A city dweller who had responded to the appeal to return to the soil summed up results in the statement: “T went back to the land and the land proceeded to go back on me.” “The land is a wonderful mother to those who serve her as dutiful chil- dren. It gives life and comfort and jov a sweetness that is like the morn- ing’s breath, a contentment whose price is above rubies. But to those who do not know the land. who struggle with its- laws blindly, who accept it simply as something with which to do battle, it is the harshest of mistresses. It will give neither of its abundance nor its little. It can break men's hearts as swiftly as death. “No city dweller can expect the rth to respond to his demands un- ss he attempts to understand it. SMany of us think of the farmer’s ade as unskilled, a mere form of nthinking drudgery. It is anvthing ut that. It is backed by a schooling %t experience and intelligence. Who- Tever will not wait on experience, has tno business on a farm. He will do Thest if he dream of going back to the Sand, and let it go at that” 5 b e I know two or three hard-werking Marmers who have had experience with Zcity help” and who will chuckle a ittle as they read the above. But, Seally it isn’'t so much for the interest ®f my fellow farmers that I reprint t as for the behoof of some city riends who think they could “do better” or, at least, “be better off” in Sthe country than in the city. I trust that some of them will. read it and Eive prayerful thought of its sug- Igestions. > Z Why is it that so many otherwise Teasonable city people assume that “going back to the land is about equi- Jalent to returning to Eden? ** As a rule, the man who has never had any experience or- technical in- struction in carpentry would hesitate to take over a carpenter's shop and set out to conduct it. He would hard- ly feel willing to mount the cab of a fast express and run the train a hun- ‘dred miles, if he knew nothing of en- gineering. He would sink into his own boots if set down at the linotype and asked to hurry up a late cable- gram in time for the next edition, due on our streets in fifteen minutes.’ But— = He too often thinks that all he has #0'do is to buy an abandoned farm, @bandoned usually because the pre $bus occupant didn't moke a a living ®ff it, and promptly, almost automati- #&ally, become a thriving farmer. - di **1T have indeed heard and read stories of its being donme. Just as I have Reard tales of the pot of gold at the rainbow’s end, and read the adventures of the Swiss Family Robinson. And I believe one about as much as the other. Every single claim to anything of the sort which T have ever heen able to rest, when subjected to the simplest cross-examination has turned out to be about half se¢ eceit, three-quarters accounts—jugsling, seven-eighths brag, and the rest plain lying. Brethren and sisteren, it can't be d! I know of one citv man. summering in the country and playing with an old farm, who has. this very season £ot on one of his fields the very best | acre of potatoes T have seen, thus fa The top growth is unusually even the vines have a satisfying solid color: no weeds are visible: the rows are as straight as if ruled on an architects’s drawing: the hills, when dug, show al- ready a highly promising crop of young tubers: thera is no trace of bug-work or blisht. He is proud of his potatoes and doesn't fail to brag about them to every old hayseed like myself to whom he gets the chance to exhibit them. Well. there’s many a slip between the cup and the lip and an old say- ing warns us against counting our chickens before they're hatched. Those potatoes aren't dug, yet, and I have usually found it wise not to boast of any erop till it is harvested. He may run into several different sorts of hard luck. before fall. Rut that isn’t all there is to be said about this potato patch From chance remarks of his and from what his emnloyees have told me, I have gathered a fairly adequate idea of what is the cause for that acre’s phenomenal promise. To begin with, he took the advise of a practical potato-grower and began zetting the land ready three vears ago. He plowed and harrowed it. one year. He seeded it down with clover the next vear, using on that clover seeding forty-five big two-horse loads of rotted stable manure. He never drew off a pound of the clover hay last sum- mer, but left.the first cutting as a mulch and finally plowed it all under with the next growth of green stuff late in the fall. This spring he added, as a top-dressing, about three thousand pounds of a high-priced snecial fertilizer and disked it.in. He bought some of the extra fanciest seed he could of, payine $2.50 a bushel Tor itIlt was no small task to plow forty-five j0ads of manure in, covering it well. Tt was an even more difficult task to turn under the green clover aftermath, matted in as it was with the earlier cutting of dried. stuff. His foreman told me that it took two men and a team a full week for the two nlowings. and they had to have the help of a'third man part of the time. own The estimated value of the clover he turned under, including seed was $90: his forty-five loads of manure were worth $90 more: his fertilizer cost him something over $100: the potato seed $35: labor for plowing, harrowing, planting, cultivating, spray- ing, etc, at least $60: small inci- dentals, such as Bordeaux, Paris Green, formalin, etc. perhaps $10 rent of the acre for three years at six per cent. $18. You may add what you Children Ory FOR FLETCHER'S CASTORIA Schooling and Experience Necessary For Farming think wise for “overhead,” but these jexpenses noted alrcady figure up $403 for that acre, all money paid out or blown in before a ’tater has been dus. He has got to secure a yield of 403 bushels and sell them at a dollar a bushel before he even gets his money back. As a matter of fact, I have never heard of a yield as high as that or even at that rate on selected gar- den plats, in this vicinity. What price |he may get, later, is, of course, highly uncertain. He couldn’t get a dollar a bushel for them, now, uniess he peddled them out in peck or single bushel lots. The point his acre is that it is “fancy farming” and not commercial farm- ing. He is blowing in much money to make a show and win tke chance to brag. The practical farmer has neither the money to do this, nor would it be “business” for him to try it. He— the practical farmer,—must plan his cropping campaign with an eye first farming to raise two hundred bushels of potatoes with a profit of $25 on them than to raise four hundred busheds on the same land at a loss of §257 To the rich man who merely plays at farming and cares nothing for the farm’s income, it is a matter of small moment whether his potatoes cost him { more than he can sell them for or fnot. To the real farmer. however, that question of cost-ver: price is the very heart and soul of the whole problem. It isn't how much he can raise but what he can earn by raising it which concerns him. 1 don't wonder that the average city he can surely do as well impressive person, : casionally, on ci ness of speech, his slower mental processes, his awkwardness verging sometimes on uncouthness. h bination of credulous simplicit; Hi. about some things and shrewd cunning about 1 su- if od- others paturally en perficial city observer not with contempt natured disparag do editor, the him come to regard unskilled. a rinking drudgery. Nothing can be Whatever farming once, it is now trade or craft it is just plowing dir —and sowing seeds,— —has another think coming. at farming in New England and und New ‘England conditions requires a degree of experience and practice and technical skill quite equal to that de- have been specialized handicrafts. There are lots of farmers, you'll s who haven't these requirements; a: way, who show no indication of pos sessing them. True for you. That is just exactly the reason why there are so many unsuccessful farmers. Do you or does ity man wants to join their ranks? the sense of jumping out of the frying-pan into the fire? The farm is to its owner ally and servant, or enemy and Boche accord- chemical action in the soil;the mystery of germination in the seed; tery of life in the growing plant; all-enveloping. all-developing. mastering mystery that we call ture—it is only rarely that the most experienced and best-trained special- i peer even a little way H shadows. Yet all his life in their umbrage. Failure foredoomed and certain awaits any man who assumes to ig- nore them, or who presumes upon his ability to coerce them. find himself between the upper the nether millstones, and his end shall be solely to make grist for the earth-gods. all- There are too many men now farm- ing who are unfit to be farmers make the irruption into the calling of other unfit men either desirable tolerable. THE FARMER. WARRENVILLE Who Do Club Gives Lawn So len James Catches Two I—Al- and One- Grace Davoil of Willimantic is visiting Mrs. Jessie Durkee Judge O. D. Baker has purchased a new touring ca Earl E. James is spending the week end in Boston. Mr. and Mrs. a and two children, Ju Upton and Miss Small tomobile trip to Roskv Charles Lawton of has been visiting his Mrs. Marshall Lawton. At Laurel Lodge. O. D. Baker and E. L. family spent some time 1 Laurel Lodge, Eastford. Mrs. Georze O. Balch entertained her sister Sunday. Mrs. E. L. James and two sons vis- ited friends at Clark's Corner, Sun- day. 0. Baker Lawn Social. The Who Do club gave a lawn so- cial Tuesday evening. Miss Caroline Lawton has been v iting in Southbridge and East Brom- field. Caught Big Bass. Allen James is still the champion bass fisherman in this place. Last Tuesday he caught a bass which weighed two and one-half pounds, Mr. and Mrs. W. L. Durkee, Mr. and Mrs. Milton Durkee and daughter, spent a day last week at Ocean Beach. WOODSTOCK VALLEY Miss Lillian Christensen and Miss Ethel Wood, who have been staying at Maplewood farm, returned to Hartford, Sunday Mrs, J: B. Tatem of Putnam is the guest of Mrs. H. P. Leonard. Mrs. Josephine Bartlett, who has been visiting her brother, Winfielq S. Kenyon, returned Sunday to her home in_Putnam. Mrs, R. O. Briggs has returned from a visit in Pomfret. com- | manded by any of the so-called skilled | |ing ‘as'he knows it and is able to | work it. It is a good servant but a i brutal master. The mystery of eternally - working | the farmer lives ! to | or | Holiday Guests at Mill Valley Bung: low—George Moore to Enlist in the Marine Corps. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Tisdale enter- tained at Mill Valley bungalow the Fourth Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Getehell, M:r. and Mrs. Harry Tisdale, Miss Maud Tisdale, Walter Woodstock of the naval reserves, Miss Marjory Giles and Miss Edith Tisdale, all of New London. . Ora Sterry Waterman of Ha- vana, Cuba, is spending the summer at the Red cottage. James Beebe and Harold Darling of Orange were recent callers in town. Miss Harriet Lane, a student at W. M. I, New London, is spending the vacation at her home here, Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Leffingwell spent the Fourth with relatives in Hamburg. Entertained Hanover Relatives. Mr, and Mrs. Abram Siminowitz en- tertained relatives from Hanover on Sunday. The Y. P. S. C. E. meeting: Sunday evening was led by Miss Phebe Rob- inson of Bozrah. Several from this place attended the dance at Gardner Lake last Thursday evening. Hods To Enlist in Marine Corps. George Moore went to Boston Mon- day to take examinations for enlist- ment in the marine corps. Mr. and Mrs. G, J. Murray, Mrs. S. A. Tibbetts, Mrs. Phebe E. Robinson, Ruth ang Ronald Murray were callers in East Lyme the Fourt] ASHFORD Guests at The Oaks—School Children Entertained on the Fourth by Mrs.! Frank Greene. ! M Mr, and Mrs. Burt Fitts visited at! | Mr. Fitts' father's Sunday. Mr. and Mrs. Courtland Darrow. | ses Jane and Patricia Cassidy and nna Green, visited at The Oaks, Sun- | da rs. Susan Miller is visiting in Wil- limantic for a few days. Mrs.- Pearl Adams returned to her home in Phoenixville Sunday. Netted $18. The entertainment at the church last i Tuesday evening for the benefit of the | Red Cross proved a success and net- ted $18. Tiss Susic Chebra was home from limantic over Sunday. ry Bartok has gone to Williman- where she is employed in the Thread mill. | Entertained Children. Frank Greene entertained the children of District No. 5 at me on the Fourth. Tucy E. Green arrived at her | son's on Sunday to spend the remaind- jer of the summer ! ¥ people of this | Bastford the Fourth | tion. W | | M Mrs. schoo! i vicinity were in for the celebra- and Mrs. William Holdredge of pent Thursday with the lat- Mr. and Mrs. Denison i Paul who has been stay- B John rtok’s, has gone to rd to work. te Ralph S. Poole was home week for 4 a - furlough. EAST KILLINGLY | Drum Corps Plavs in the Valley to] Celebrate Chester Saunders’ Birth- day. | rs 1nh Smith celebrated her| i | day, Tuesda Twogood has returned work ‘n the office of the Aseptic | Prgducts Co. Mr. and Mrs. Rufus R. Chase of { Putnam are at the Chase homestead | 1 ¥ few weeks, Drum Corps Sernades Chester Saund- ers. he drum corps went down fo the Valley the Fourth to help Chester Saunders celebrate Lis sixteenth birth- day. Refreshments were served and | » social time enjoved. Although ill for | several months, Mr. Saunders lis not forgotten many friends. Re-enters Harold Brooks returned to the Day Zimball hospital in Putnam last week - treatment. Misses Ada Shippee nt the Fourth i | with relatives nd Ethel Roth | Mrs. Oli ildren ot | | Killingl . Credie’s f: oseph Duman and family on Minnie Cole and sister, Laura called on thelr aunt | | de Batte; ROCKVILLE Local People Attend Red Cross Benefit H Supper—Personal Items. day. Erlo G. Florence 3yron L. Kenyon, Mr: Wickford, Wakefield, ansett Pier and Kingston. They the trip in Claude Hopkins' car. George F. Barber of Woody Hill was | a caller at the Kenyon farm Monday. An aeroplane going west passed ove: to the north of this village Monday. i Jane Clarke and Florence !Bdr'uer attended the Odd Fellows' me- | morial services at Hope Valley Sunday evening. At Benefit Supper. Some from this place attended the supper ziven at the home of John H. | Gardiner at Woody Hil last week for | the benefit of the Red Cross. | Arthur Burdick was home from New | | | Shore Outing. | Mrs, Osmas Edwards and daughter. | Miss Gladys FEdwards, have been| spending a few days at Quonocontaug | Beach. { Elmer Baton and Orrin Woodmansee | went to Providence on business Mon- | day. State Guard Men Attend Dance in the Pavilion—The Week’s. Visitors. dance in the pavilion Tneeday evening. Several memberz of the State gu |came over and i6ined in the dancing | Clarence Pear! of Camp Devens| spent a few heurs’ furlongh with his| r, Mrs. FL. A, Bckwerdtle, in the! grove Sunday. Guests at Farm. Mrs. Mary B, Flaks of New London, i.\frsv William Farrow of Stoning and Mre. Harold Dodge of South- bridge, Mass., were guests Tuesday of Mrs. Biake’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. | James Metcalf, at Pine Grove farm. Mr. Goodrich of Stonington spent t Sunday it his place here. | Robert_Theriault of New York, who ! is a guest at The Farm, is assisting! Monroe Blake with his garden Mr. and Mrs. Leroy Whiting return ed to Hartford Sunday after a week in the grove. Henry E. Smith of East Haver and Albert Brown of New Haven spent a week at Whip-poor-will, H. Newton Lee of Grassy Hill was in the grove Wednesday. An aeroplane passed over this place late Saturday afternoon, and another " Monday afternoon. Providence | London for the week end. Mrs, leg Anderson from her cous- Flisha C. Burdick and family of| n, an officer of the Westerly were callers here Sunday. |7 in For almost a century the name IPSWICH has stood for highest quality in popular-price hosiery. It took the entire output of five mills—over 50,000,000 pairs —to satisfy the demand for IPSWICH HOSIERY for men, women, and children last year, You can buy Ipswich Series Hosiery at from 25c to i) displays the ‘ Witch.” REID & HUGHES WHITE STAR CLOTHING HOUSE B. LAZEROFF 239 CENTRAL AVE [IPSWICH MILLS (Founded 1322) IPSWICH. MASSACHUSETTS Oldest and one of the Largest Hosiery Mills in America HE first stocking-macfiine in this country arrived in Ipswich, Mass, 1822. 75c, of any dealer who sign of the “Good for it Lock 147 MAIN ST. Otdest and one of the Largest Hosiery Mills ifi tho U. S. VOLUNTOWN Local Team Wins Both Ball Games Sunday—Mrs. Charles Anderson Re- ceives Letter From English Officer. and Mrs. John and motored to Der’ Dorothy end with 1 ing me Mr. nton the | partict drop me a line soon. have anything more you The her to ask of me with ne: 202 slings, 14 T es, 11 abdominal bandages, 1 p oand- are 1n the pink, at present Your cous rejurned e spending twe itage visited Social and Personal. e G C'rombie left H., where Monday “HANOVER local Red Cross when boasting ends arold Herbert U. S at his home here on a recent Mr Scranton and Royal guests at the e at Hope ther Lewis and el Lewis, have re it at T daughter, irned, after 1 Pond. I.. Herbert Herbert and a few davs! Mr. and Mrs. ] and Mrs. John Edna recently. Miss Agnes McDor et, R. spent the Mr. and Mrs. J Herbert motored to Providence parents, E. Lewis days at ; Dawley has purchased tomobile. Foiends of George Boardman were grieved fp ath at his home in G Mr. an callad on Won Both Games. Voluntown nine s in fine form on Sunday and right h the S throughout the double head were victorious in both games, T first same ‘bei ken from Jewett City by the score of 2 to 1 and the second from the Scalpers of Norwich, 12 to3. The home team expects to play the Riverside Nine of Moosup <t Satur s Alice Clarke of New York is ing her sister, Mrs. Marshall Rus- Letter From English Soldier. The enclosed letter wes received by ttesfield Fark, Salop, England June 9, 1918. Tt seems years and ard from you. Anyhow ! and T went to see sake. v ou will have wondered Dbacome of me during the . in Neovember, 1914, T re- my old Brigade Royal Field richt of the line and the Pritish army). I have 1 am sorry to say. 1 times, but no. T ;o e pride of not been out vet tried several nave riding. anti-air craft and in the gas instruction at t T have a nice one worries me. work and I get on the .whole, 1 Victardav—had 14 days and petted for 14 (Whe would not be met several American on. T go to London v do the American sol- come in toueh with s seem all right, a lot of cake The two I had a nigat out ndon were very nice. I am going to write to Dewight Dimock. He is in France wounded. So if he ever gets sent to England I will go and see him. Do you know his mother’s address? if so drop her 2 the War— The big determining factor in the war is—The American Housewife. Our country’s orders are—“Avoid Waste.” It is her duty to conserve our national resources. And our most precious national possession is —Health. Safeguard the health of your home and you will be helping to guard the health of the nation. E R 0 0 o . o X MULE TEAM BORAX is the oldest, safest and most effective household disinfectant. A solution of warm water and Borax will keep the ice box—one of the favorite breeding places for the myriads of disease germs— hygienically clean. Make the disinfecting of toilet bowls, garbage cans, kitchen sinks, refrigerator and all damp places as much a of your household duties as washing the dishes. You will ke E:Jflping to save the health of your home and helping to win the war. 20 Mule Team Borax has one hundred household uscs.