The sun., 1900-06-10
BOARDING IN THE COUNTRY.
CITY RESIDENTS ABOUT TO GO
THROUGH The USUAL EXPERIENCE.
Funny Papers May Have Exaggerated the
Matter 70 Some Extent. bot There Are Or.
Deals to Re Faced-sslc Of Canned Good,
for Cosntry Use-rhe Food and COOKING.


Matter 70 Some Extent. bot There Are Or.
Deals to Re Faced-saic Of Canned Good,
for Country Use-rhe Food and Cooking.
A look through the advertising columns of
city papers, and through the advertising leaf.
let's that litter information bureau tables Il,
a revelation In regard to the charms Of the East
ern States for summer bcnrders There ara
at lowest calculate on, COO places between
Manhattan and the Canada lire where one
can have all the joys OF Paradise for from S
to si2 a week. The average summer hotel Ia
bad enough, but there are hotels where You
can obtain positive comfort and, by consult
ing Trustworthy information bureau or ex.
perienced friends one may find host OF hotels
where the discomfort has adequate compen-
sations; but, when It comes to boarding houses,
and life in comfortable farmhouse, let him
that standeth take heed lest he fall.
when one finds the right thing in that line.
the farmh ouse OF the summer novel tie er-
perience IL ideal. An honest, blufY genuine
farmer, bustling capable motherly house.
wife, fine scenery. splendid trees, hammocka
verandas fresh vegetables. country butter
eggs, milk and poultry, brook trout, white sheets
smelling Of lavender beautiful drives, exccl-
lent wheeling, cool weather-theres the deal
summer on farm. II sounds we'll There are
mortals who assert that they have known tho
Already. Then there are Others.
The comic papers have exaggerated the
summer boarding -house joke, unduly perhaps.
but in the last month the demand for canned
goods. from the country trade, has been enor-
NOUS Carload after carload OF canned vege.
tables has been shipped to the country towns
where summer boarders most do congregats.
The wholesale men say that the same thing Ia
true each year. and that the country boarding
houses and hotels buy more canned vegetables
during the summer than are sold in the cities.
The city markets are full of fresh vegetables
OF every kind from early spring until late fall
and all through the winter. II one cares 10
pay the price; but the best OF the country prod
uce comes to town. The ordinary farmes
doesn't take boarders unless he is thrifty
soul with hunger for shekels; and that sort Of
man knows better than TO waste his fresh
vegetables on his boarders. when he can sell
them at remarkably good price, Hence The
carloads Of timed things, and the woe Of the
urbanite who dreamed dreams OF rural joys.
The same thing Is true in regard to butter.
eggs and cream. Naturally. there are eIcep-
tiops 10 the rule but in this average country
household those articles OF diet are used moro
sparinsly than by the average city family.
If the farmers wife doesn't make butter for
town trade, there's chance that the boarders
may revel In rich milk and cream but, ordn-
arily. butter making monopolizes the cream,
and even the milk Is not as good in quality a.
that sold by the city milkmen. In Berkshire
Hills farmhouse. last summer, the boarders.
including a number Of little children. had milk
SO thin that in tipping elassful of it. the ebb-
ing milk left not the slightest mark upon the
glass. Such case is not by. any means rare
TACT that New York family spent last August
on farm In Vermont. and that poultry APP
peared on the table only once. during that time
the unusual celebration being due TO the fact
cidsntally killed Q hen with hk rifle. Yet,
every week, young chickens were taken from
the farm TO the nearest village and shipped
II fishing is good In the neighborhood. ono
does have fresh fish. but n not, beef and NUT
ton. pork and veal are the diet, and all OF
quality that would rslss Ss ~ rot In city house.
butcher shop with murder in hi. eye. Tbs
country meat problem isn't as bad as II was
years ago. when the farmers depended alto
or neishborhood slaughter isn't. an obsolete
custom. II Is no unusual thing for mutton or
beef to appear upon the farmhouse table ths
the condition Of the meat may be left TO the
imagination Even when the packed and
shipped meat is used by the farmer i ia poor
In large quantities and hangs II in his big re-
frigerators until II Is Gt to be eaten. The farmer
buys his meat directly fiom the village butcher
or from the packer, and as he has little or no
refrigerator room the meat u never properly
hung and is tough.
Fruit Is another thing that is rare upon the
farmhouse menu. The city markets draw from
all parts of the country and fruit is cheap in the
city long before IL is In season in, for example.
New England. The city man who has been eating
delicious berries and fruit Of all kinds goes 70
the special variety Of fruit peculiar to the To-
cality is In full season. Salads one might e1.
pect to have, and usually there is plenty oi
head lettuce Of the city market But vinegar
and sugar or milk and sugar are the rural ideas
Of lettuce salad dressns and II the concession
the oil is usually Of quality that ruins It's utl-
ity save for machine and harness ,lse. As ff
q mayonnaise. it,s not to be considered for an
instant. Then there's the bread, surely.
Of the farmers wife, Often she does mako
good hot bread. but IN fully Ave cases out OF
ten her raised bread" is calculated TO ruin tho
dersr think sadly Of the bakery on his block.
The farmhouse breakfast Is bad enough.
and the, midday dinner Is depressing, but ihs
meat, potatoes, preserves and cake There
you have II: Sometimes there are three kind,
OF cake. all equally heavy, and three klnds
Of preserves, all equally sticky. but not a relish
IN sight, and there are times when the boarder
would barter his soul for a gried sardlne.
or a scatch woodcock or a doquette. or even
q, scrambled egg. Any one who has LIVED
come out with disposition and digestion In.
tact Is proof against all culinary assault ana
battery.
The poor coffee and tea, the ubiquitous
pie and the unfailing beans are Part Of ihs
home comfort so recklessly advertised, -
are the cotton top mattresses There was
q time when the farmhouse mattress was
husk one. into which the chambrudd of
young lady who helped the housewife. dI'ap.
peared each morning, through st ~ tne
cover. The making Of n husk bed had rs
nothing to be said for the cotton top mattress
whose cotton wads into ron-like hardness
where II doesn't collect in cobblr-ton" Dall,;
IL the climate H. cool enough. one may pun
out the feather bed and put II on ton ol tnS
mattress, but In ordinary warm weather tho
choice between hardness and -ufo'a anon
trying one and perplexes the boaideI mlkiuS.
or course there are no bathrooms ana, u ohs
has provided ones rubber or tin tub. Retunx
warm water for II Is an affair OF magnl,hde.
On cold. raw days, the kitchen stove ana tho
place OF refuge. The house IL probably poorly
screened and the flies and mosquitoes maks
life burden. The barn II too near the honss
and Its odors interfere with the new mown
hay and sweet clover fragrance OF pastoral
poetry, The parior smells ike tomb and
looks like a natural history museum limited:
and stormy day that drives one In from Nogos
and fields ls a visitation that calls fer christian
fortitude and resignation The air may De