{ title: 'The Otsego farmer. (Cooperstown, N.Y.) 1885-1910, October 09, 1886, Page 1, Image 1', download_links: [ { link: 'http://www.loc.gov/rss/ndnp/ndnp.xml', label: 'application/rss+xml', meta: 'News about NYS Historic Newspapers - RSS Feed', }, { link: '/lccn/sn87070110/1886-10-09/ed-1/seq-1/png/', label: 'image/png', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn87070110/1886-10-09/ed-1/seq-1.pdf', label: 'application/pdf', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn87070110/1886-10-09/ed-1/seq-1/ocr.xml', label: 'application/xml', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn87070110/1886-10-09/ed-1/seq-1/ocr.txt', label: 'text/plain', meta: '', }, ] }
Image provided by: Fenimore Art Museum
_ H. 1. RUSSELL, Publisher. A FARM AND FI RESIDE JOURNAL. nas as TERMS, $1.50 A Y VOL, IX. COOPERSTOWN, N. Y., SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1886. EAR. NO. 39. Farm HSopics. - Reminiscences of Farm Life of Olden Fimes, Stories, &c.«--No. 37. ~ Written expressly for Tuk Orszoo sy m Baxk® ' ores-or TRAVEL Our first trip into northern Pennsylvania was made f- 1838. To compare the chan- ' ges that those forty-eight years have made, is the main object of this paper, Wehave *~ mentioned that trip in a former paper, and related some stories connected therewith. Atithat time the country was mostly wil 'dérness, and all the privations and hard- ships of pioweer life were being combatted by the early settlers, which contrasts wide- ly with the present condition of their suc- ceeding generations. 'The chinge in everything pertaining to support of life, and means of translst of persons ard things, and the annihilation of me in communication, bad we not lived through and experienced it, would in de- scription sound more like '\Mauncheusen's stories\ than a real truth. 'Then we per- formed the journey outward im six days, and almost entirely on foot, for want of amy public means of transportation. True, stago* Magma“ part of the distance, fat they were at the time so crowded with western emigration that myself and com- panfon could not get a chance to ride, even In the '\boot so of necessity we were com- pelled to forego the journey or make it on oot. Our elder brother was at the time build- ing mills on the Genesee river, just over the boundary line in the State of Pennsy] wania. We had sent our clothes and tools) home with him during his winter's visit, and ourself now sought his, and as we in- tended then, our own home in that wilder- ness country. Broome county, our birth- place, was comparatively an old county when'contrasted with this just then seitling vegion. The new inhabitants were con- tending for-neastery with wild bensts and dense forests, their before undisputed home for all past time. It was the month of March, We spent a few days at the place where the Cown:- meeque, the Alleghany and the Genesee rivers all have their rise, cach running in different directions to their mouths. The Cownnesgue finding its way through the Tioga and Chemung into the Susquebanna and the occan at Chesapenke Bay. The Alleghany through the Ohlo nod Mississip- pi into the gulf of Mexico, 110 miles below the city of New Orleans. The Genesce emptying into Lake Ontario after north- wardly crossing the State of New York. All was then new and rude. The set- thers were just overcoming the first hard efforts of subduing the dense forests and forcing from earth her meagre supplies for their wants. The houses ind barns were composed of logs. Theil? fare was of the piainest kind. They were far from mark- et and had but little to soll, and for want of means their purchases were equally meagre and insignificant. They made the cloth, the sugar, the meat and grain they used, and what they could not produce they schooled themselves to exclude from the list of their wants. Thay, though poor in worldly goods, were rich in love and regard for each other, and the gew- gaws and finery of one did not arouse feel tags of jealousy or avarice or undue am- bitton in other®. Rural simplicity and happiness then to that far off region reigned After leaving the headwaters of the stréams above named, we aloue and on foot proceeded in a snow path through an mimost unbroken forest of immense pine ghd hemlock, down, the Genesee to the place where our brother was crecting mills. He had some months before set a saw mill in operation aud was now putting the in- side work futo a grist mill, which was fin- fated ready to receive the necessary ma- chinery, all the work of his own hands. We were gladly welcomed as only brother can grees\ brother, between whom m‘éifiingénsikrz'éfiofi exist. -We found him engaged In-finishing a coffin for a young person who had recently died a few witfes up the river. Before we had been there an tour, a messarecame for s like one;fora buriakabout the same distance down the river. Wae with him worked un- til Iste In the night.to complete ft for the morrow's use. Aboutitén 6'clock the ensu- ay; he with the first and ourself with t i, started in opposite di- rarcaad colts, reetions to perform theo us, new duties Myriam, fm a reglon of perfect (Ba far as signal success in our new avo. gatfon was concerned, we have no recollec- tlois to the contrary, batour memory utter- ly. refuses to allow us to forget the home- Bélere making up mind Kord we had folly Arid th @iTistind in 6 uy tis \It t . nt | bar 6f beesess, mictey of pies ure, Bot eves In this rapld mease of travel we are yet far from telng at Hs our brother of our determination to start af! daybreak for the home we had left behind us. A tract of two or three hundred acres of the nicest pine timber land lay only a few reds off, which we could have for. about: two and one-half dollars per acre, and we together had the money for its 'purchese, and the land when denuded of its timber would be fine farming land, but all had no charms for us. Our brother's arguments and entreaties: were in vain. Before the morning sun had obscured the reddening horizon in the east, with our knapsack on our shoulder we were making long tracks toward our birth-place and home. He secompanied usa mile or two,-to the 'top of the first high hill over which our route lay, where with saddened countenances and stlll sad- der hearts we bade good by to each other, and both walked rapidly in opposite di- rections and were soon lost to cach other's view. f Having good walking implements, and being goaded on by all the home-sickness necessary for perfect success, the night of the-fourth diy found us at our own fire- side, greeting our parents who we had left only about five weeks before, with an af- fection which we never before knew was encased in our make-up. They course' astonished and surprised at our speedy return, as they bad fully anticipat- ed that wa would make that now region our permanent home, As soon as the ground had sufficiently settled in the spring we paid a man seventy-five dollars to go and bring us our tools and clothes, and thus ended out first experience of \settling and growing up with a new country.\ On our home trip, we saw jot the first time a *'Johnson water wheel,\ and as we soon after made the ncequaintance of its inventor, and engaged successfully in its Introduction, this our first failure, muy be set down as the starting point of all the financial success we have met in life, worthy of note. » We have told this long story of little or no interest to any reader for the purpose of illustrating the condition of our country and the hardships of its inhabitants, when contrasted with those who ure starting in life to-day. The [Erie railroad, the great pioncer of the development of those regions, was then projected, but scarcely commenc- ed, and inany years elapsed before it reach- ed the valley of the Genesee at) Wellsville. In its wake has grown hamlets, villages and cities, civilization, prosperity, develop- ment and wealth. | Where stood the forests are now splendid furms. The log house und barn have years since given place to commodious - residences, - and - splendid baras. Orchards laden with fruit and fields of golden grain, everywhere greet the eye. - But even here ns elsewhere the eagerness to obtain improved lund has over- reached its proper bounds. - Too much of the forest has been cleared way. The rivers of a few years ago are now dwindled to mere crecks, running not one-fourth of the water of even twonty years ago. | The springs are diminishing, or entirely disap- pearing. | Drouths and frosts are both much increased in their frequency and in- tensity. | The winter snows are much less sure and relinble. From | these - lessons, - improvements should all over our country be at once in- augurated. - Waste hillsides should be re- timbered. | Many worthless places should be set with valuable kinds of trees. | Every farm of any considerable size, should have Its augat orchard. - Buch improvements would add vastly to the climatic influence aud water supply, as well as wealth of our entire country, Where forests still remain the timber should when matured be cut with care, and the younger portion kept In growth, and thus a future supply be en- sured. =_. To rob the future generation for the purposes of present benefit is a sort of robbery of posterity in advance. Progress, not destruction, should be our aim. In no way can we confer a greater boon upon coming generations than by leaving them | the clements of wealth and Whatawill it avail our sof Edog' sons land their posterity, if we \Tham. the best form of governm o &. the same time m exhdusted, sterile sud desslsta?! The changes which the pest forty-cight years have produced cannot be estimated of epprecisted by these who Have not seen them, At the time named the city of El mira was more widely known as Newton, bagging. borough, coming fust in its infancy, places. Note the change and its causes a country thriving and prosperous in all | and only a hamlet. | Binghainton a«imple with little but its tame. So of all other Means of traosit and communication are the nssistant developing powers of all civil- izatiou and progress. Before the era of We are now annoyed on our journeys, with cinders, smoke and dust, -all of which is entirely unnecessary, and will soon be everywhere avoided.\ It is very easy to overcome all these evils, and render a Journey as clean as though in an easy chair in our own parlor. Either of two things would remove the smoké and cinders of all passenger trains, . The one would be to attach the enging to the rear, Instead of the head of the train and push the cars ahead of the engine. It could just as well be done and with equal anfety and speed: Another plan would be to. put sheet matal tubes on the top of all pafienger cars in such a manner that all smoke and cin- ders and dust from the fuel shall pass thro' them and escape at the rear of the train. Buch a plan is perfectly practicable, and would greatly reduce the danger by fire as well as the comfort of the patrons of any railroad. We here present this idea and its consideration to the various railroads of our country for their benefit, and also the comfort of the traveling public, Another thing would be still wanting in dry times. to assure safety from dust aris ing from the track, but that too, is easy to accomplish. Each passenger train wants a water car attached in dry times as an advance car, with an apparatus to spray the track, in advance of its péssingtrain, A very small amount of water would thus for a moment lay all dust, and render the air created by a moviog train pure, Invig- orating' and delightful. When these im- provements shall have been made, in addi- tlon to another universally demanded, and that is careful handling of baggage, journey- ing will really become a time of pure rec- reation and pleasure, as fell as a source of health-sceking, in no other way so easily and surely attainable. Only a short time hence we may expect to see railroad travel pursued all over our country purely for its sanitary ond pleasure giving qualities, We ourself, however, expect no favors for thus gratuitously telling the railroad com- panies how to secure so desirable and prof- itable improvements scott free. Judging from what we observe of travel and the life of business at stations and vil- lages, and even country plices, we are confident our Btates are not suffering a tithe of the depression that ls-stated to af- filet all the other countries of the world. There is no need of the United States suf- fering by hard times, unless' from causes beyoud and outside of her own control. When our government sees fit to cut loose from free trade notions and fully protect American industry by both tariff and prop- er emigration laws, our country will in- crease in wealth and in bettering the con dition of all our producing clusses beyond the hopes and expectations of the most sanguine, __ No stronger proof that such will be the case need be stated thin is given by the Increase in wealth of the laborihg classes since 1861, under the tariff then enncted. In the six New England States, and New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, in oll their savings banks they lind in 1861 less than $180,000,000. In 1886, at the commencement of the present year, the sum in those banks in the States named had increased to $1,020,000,000, an increaso' of eight hundred per cent, while the in- crease in population In those States is only twenty-five por cent. Fully seventy-six per cent of this deposited sum of money belongs to the Inboring, wages enrning classes of our people. These figures are significant. - When we contrast these sav- ngs with those possible for the wage carn- Ing classes to save, during our distinct memory, from 1880 to 1861, we then can begin to recognize the benefits of s protect- ive policy for the good of our laboring as well as our producing classes, nnd also of our whole country. \We are so much fmpressed with the im- portance of increasing, fustesd of lessen ing dutles en imports, that it is difficult for us to withhold expressing our views upon the subject at every favorable occe. mion. - And sa we have no axe to grind, except the public good, we, by thore who know us, will not be accused of laboring in that direction for selfish personal ends, Our trip west was for the purpose of at- tending the centennial anniversary of our time friends of whom we have so ofterf spoken. They reared a family of eight children, four sons and four daughters. One son, who for the past half centary has resided in Ontario, (Upper Canada,) and one davighter still survive. | The forin- more than forty years ield a commission under Queen Victoria as Judge of ons of the eftminal courts in herCanadian domtn- #4 Brose Co., if bur\ Tage, that all may so continue to- live moral, up- grandfather shd grandmother-those old : eris sgid eighty-five years. He fis for |peosrally 3 'The descendants of our grandfather now number considerable over two hundred and are represented in the sixth generation. 'They are residents of twelve of the States, besides those in the Canadas. . About one hundred of them were pres ent at the reunion, although only two States were: represented, New York and Pennsylvania. 'There were ~present atthe reunion sixteen of the grand children, nong of- which we are told uso any intoxicating liquors, and but one tobacco, We can tru- ly boast that the children of our grand- futher, and their children so far as we know, were like -the \sons of Rechab.\ We can boast of none. who possess great weslth, neither have we any dependent poor. Several were wounded and some \escaped without a scratch\ in the great war of the Rebellion, but noue were killed er taken. prisoner. Bo far as we can learn no blood relative of ours has been guilty of any act which would bring the blush of shame to any face. God grant right, useful lives, We have here told enough of our family history to satisfy the most curious. 22s Dry weather is said to have prevailed in all north western Pennsylvania and south- western N. Y., and yet crops of all, kinds are very goods. Fruit of various kinds also seems abundant. Corn promises fair. Onts heavy. Buckwhent good. Potatoes ave fine so far as we observed. 'That the rainfall had been limited, the streams were everywhere ample proof, That no rain had fallen recently was fully demonstrated by the extreme depth of dust in the public roads, but notwithstanding vegetation look- ed green and vigorous, The heavy dews no doubt being the principal cause. Wellsville, the Erie station, in the valley of the Genesee, is an important and thriv- Ing town. | Itis a receiving point for ofl for the pipe lines, and some three hundred ofl tanks, we were told, are in Its vicinity, scattered over a large territory so as to be at safe distances from each other in case of fire, | 'This immense interest has grown to its present colossal dimenstons since our last visit to this region of the country. The postal telegraph line, which reaches from New York city to Chicago, with its nine copper wires, some of them still glist- ening in the sun with the brillfancy of burnished gokh1, passes up the valley of the Cownnesque, and the summit at the head- waters of that and the Geneseo river, and for n number of miles down that valley, and fhhally leaves it a few miles from Wolls- ville and passes on to Olean, and thence onward west to-its destination. 'The hand of railroad improvement is strotching out her fingers In this as well as older and more densely settled districts. Two roads already are in operation as far as Westfleld on the Cownnesque, one of them extending six or eight miles farther towards its source to Harrison valley. . An- othor extends from Olean to Coudersport, We think more new Industries, which were before unknown, have sprung up among American mechanics stace our first trip to this region, than was known previ- ous to that date.' Railroad, telegraph, [telephone, roller grain mills, circular saw mills, machines for lumber dressing of va- tious kinds, sewing machines, mowing and reaping machines, the coal interest in all its branches, the ofl Interest, may be named na a fow of them. - We might contisue the list. Yet with the many changes of the half century past we are doubtless for from half-way to the summit of improve: ments. One cannot conceive what a few years will develop in the future. | But we know of the past. 'The Horse's Feet, It will soon be time to t hard frost, and horses that bave gone barcfooted dur- ing the summer will, as s rule, be shod for lato fall and winter uso. Feet that have grown somewhat long forward should be examined variemnflxfly. that the right estimate may made mas to the proper shortening in of the toe. Rightly viewed, but very few hoofs should be cut off at all at the toe, yet not more than one black- smith in ten can the temptation to set the shoe back upon the hoof, cutting off the projecting portion. orses lbxfgve been driven barefooted for atime invariably wear the foot off in froat,all it will bear, hence the smith fshoauld be told to set the shoe forward,. flush with the toe. The average smith does not like to be told snything about shoeing, but the personal friterest of the wher should take precedence over, the - Ifgbould besdopted &s a role, aod all smiths should be: to observe it. That to fasping of the 'wurface of the boof eclminstion of success iL tete hat af the deceds }, my young stock whatever held on to green suddenly changed to dry winter rations, is bad policy. In September and October, when the com. and fodder are julcy_and, engaging, feed some of both, < It. will pre- pare themh for the changed dict of winter,, and will give them stamina to maintain them during that trying perfod, They will eat less by having mixed dict, and what they eat will do-them much more good. The teeth, gums and jaws of young anfmals are often sorely tried by waiting till winter weather to \begin to feed.\ The grain of the corn is hard, the fodder dry and comparatively unpalatable, the. hay very different from the moist, juicy grass, Thus fed 'Before the winter, their habits will hardly sustain any change, and the system receives but little shock.. The young stock that came late in the season should receive special attention in this re- spect. ing should be early put in practice, and corn meal, oil meal, bran or shipstuffs come profitably into play. More than half of the loss and suffering of stock during the winter may be prevented\ by early and judicious feeding during the fall months. Fat is an equivalent of heat.-[Practical Farmer. sound, ripe, dry onions. < The great point ea it edgewise overthe trench in such apo- Young “edgier Winter. It now becomes an important part of the work of the farm to get the young stock in condition for wintering over. To have feed till the last moment possible and then A special system of dictetic train- ---&+@--- Keeping Onions Through the Winter, There are many ways of keeping good, is to keep them dry. But you must recol- lect that even a ripe, dry onion contains at least 80 per cent. of water and when a large mass of them are kept together they are liable to \sweat and the skins ond tops become damp; and if the temperature is above freezing they will throw out roots and.commence to grow, just as they would in the damp soil. If it is necessary to keep them ina large mass, put them in a dry place, such,as n shed or barn; then they will freeze solid, and stay frozen till want- ed in Spring. They must be well covered to keep them from thawing, and you should avold putting them in a barn with a basement underneath-where horses, cat- tle, sheep or hogs nre kept, as the warmth from the animals might thaw them out. 'They can be placed three or four inches deep on shelves in a dry cellar, or in slat- boxes holding about a bushel each. 'The lower boxes should be placed on boards, and not on the cellar floor. 'The boxes may be pfled up one above another, but in such a way as to \break joints\ and admit of a circulation of air round. and through every box. In other words, do not place the ends and sides of the boxes close to ench other, Leave a space of two or three inches between the boxes. A little inge nuity may be required tostack them up, and It is well to think out the method be fore you commence, so as to know ex- actly what you are going to do. At any rate, seo that the onions are dry before storing them in the cellar or house, and do not pack the boxes too close, and give fre- quent ventilation and change of air by opening the doors and windows. Keep as near the freezing point as possible, and seo that the cellar Is clean and that there is no dumpawrgnnlc matter anywhere, -{Amer- fcan Agriculturist.. ----#+@--- Bext Way of Keeping Cabbage. 'The conditions for keeping cabbages are a cool, but not freezing temperature and slight moisture. Let them rest upon the ground and not upon the floor. Select a flat plece of ground and place the cabbage In an foverted position. Pack closely. Before the ground freezes, enver about six loches deep with earth. 'The bottom of the roots may be left above ground. 'The earth that is placed upon them should be fine and mellow. An Ilinois cabbage grower selects a plece of ground quite dry, and at the same time mellow and easy to trench with spade, or, if alarge mamber are to be preserved, uses a plow first, and then thespade, er round pointed shovel, to spade the bottom and sides, and of suf- ficient wiith and depth to receive the heads so they will not touch either bottgm of sides of the trench. He then takesa piece of two by four fuch scantling and places under the seantling, roots ap. by potting a suitable nail through thestump of the The Mickel Farm Papers, Written expressly for the Ozezco Famses, All communications on farming, gardening or poultry raising, promptly answered fmthis columu, raum work, | / The old saying is that it is a wise man who knows what to do next, and this ap- plies very forcibly to the closing labors of- ° the year. 'The latter part of August and the fore part of September is the farmer's vacation, 'but during September and Octo- - ber there are many thiigs which present; themselves that need the farmer's early and - promptattentiqn, for if the corn is left un- cut one day too long, it may be almost spoiled by a-night's frost. ~ The threshing machine generally makes its rounds at about this time. 'The best machine possible sHould be procured, you should have plenty of belp and not have it done in the usual burry and scurry man- ner; but keep all varieties of grain: sepa- rate, and see to it yourself that there is plenty of help in the hard places. Com should be cut as soon as possible after it is glazed. for by so doing you will have & much beiter quality of fodder, and you will escape the early frosts. Sixteen hills are usually put in a shock, and rye straw Is the best material for binding which .L have found. Most farmers do not bind it only once, but I thisk it pays to bend down the tops and put a band over the top. Potatoes should be dug as soon as the weather is a little cool and stored in 'the cellar or-in-pits on- a dry- knoll. We-usu- ally dig in the forencon and pick them up in the afternoon, this gives them a chance to dry, which is very essential. Potato diggers have been invented without num- ~ ber, but few if any have given satisfaction; those shaped some like a horse hoe with tines on the back part 'of the implement have given the best results. Apples should be left on trees as long as practicable. They should be picked, if the trees will admit of it, and stored in barrels and left in the orchard until cold weather, or stored in a very cool cellar, for the main secret in keeping apples is in keeping them cool. 'The apple crop thoughout New York is generally light, and for this rea- son extra pains should be taken with the crop. There are many things which arp usually left until spring that can be done io the fall to a much better advantage;.one of these things is plowing, it is an authentl- cated fact, that land plowed in the fall is in much better condition for spding plant ing thon spring plowing, and ft actually increnses in fertility, and in the mesnidme time don't skim the surface but go to the bottom of things. Any building, repafring or painting which needs doing about the farm, should be done now, and there are many other things which the wideawake farmer will find to de, while his more neg- ligent nefghbor-fs-wasting time around the village hotels or stores, BEEs In octomen. The surplus boxes should all be removed. now if they have not been before, and the entrance to the hives contracted. Avoid leaving any boney or bits of comb about the apiary, for if you do robbing will re sult. Watch the werk colonfes, for if the robbers get after them they will clean them out in a short time. A bee tentto put over hives when exataining them is very handy at this season and sometimes are absolutely essential. Tho bees aro usually very crass now, and if you are not extra courageous you should bozarmed with a good smoker and vell. 'This is a good season to intro- duce Italian queens which can now be purchased very cheaply. Full diré¢tions for introducing always. secompany each queen. Aff werk colontesshould .be fed to prepare them for winter. Supplies for the apiary can usually be purchssd at this neason cheaper than in thespring. All } boney to be 'sold sbould be put updo at- tractive ahape, and those boxes not.capéd up should be put away until another sea- son. R ao RURAL sortrnga _ If you have not sowed anyywinte; whest |__ yet It is not too late, plow and barrow the , ground thoroughly and manure besvily 'or drill (a four hundred pounds of phos: phate to the acre, and sow two 'bigiizle of seed to the sete. x - Give the hens and early pulletsa. little extra care, for the price of eggs is, com- lng up. wo Coverup the tips utmmufig‘foé. ©