The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-03-07
II. wrNsr.ow rEcr.Ev.


Where an average crop of $50
bushels of wheat, so busheIs of rye,
800 bushels of oats, 500 bushels of
corn, 500 bushels of potatoes, SO
bushels of grapes, 1875 bushels of tur-
nips, 25 bushels of beets, 100 bush
els of string beans, so tons of hay.
1000 head of cabbage, 1000 stalks of
celery, $500 bushels of apples. so
bushels of cherries and lots of other
fruits is raised annually, there is am
pie evidence that orphan children can
irun farm.
At Bethany Orphans Home the
larger boys and girls of the 1876 in
mates run a farm of about ninety
acres successfully. From the fruits
of their toll they live and at the
same time receive that physical exer-
else which has kept them the health
Test boys and girls in the State A
broad assertion, but for the last TWEEN
ty-five years there has been practi-
cally no illness at this place. and the
slight attacks were such as whoop-
ing cough or heavy colds. Epidemics
are kept away by that watchword
cleanliness" and by the exercise they
get on the farm in the open air.
Their farming experience starts
early. The little boys begin with
gardening when they are six, when
they learn how to grow flowers in a
garden of their own. When they get
a year older and a little stronger
they accompany an elder boy-who
has charge of one of the farm teams
Ito one of the fields, and they begin
to pick stones, learning that to raise
good crops the ground on the surface
at least must be free of stones
Another group at this stage begin
to learn the ins and outs of the poul-
try business. Here they are allowed
to construct miniature poultry plants
of their own. and the profits they de-
rive they are allowed to keep. They
have poultry houses of every descrip-
tion imaginable. Some of them are
not larger than a large dry goods
box, others are from six to eight feet
in diameter, with height of ten feet
Usually two of the boys club together
and form a partnership and raise
chickens and pigeons. 1t is surprising
what success they make out of it.
They pay close attention to their
stock, and by the end of the year
they are always on the credit side of
the ledger account. This teaches
them to be careful business poultry
men, and not few have gone from
Womelsdorf, Pa, and have become
practical poultry farmers. and have
not been afraid nor ashamed to ac-
knowledge that they obtained the
first principles at Bethany Orphan
Home Farm.
Where 135 orphans are at home
there Is always plenty of work, and
the space required for their welfare
has to be commodious. The trustees
Of the institution lately decided that
it was necessary to erect another
building for the welfare OF the little
folk, from the ages of five to eight
years. This means work for the
little farmer boys. In the first place,
1t gave them a way to clear a large
tract of land they had long contem-
plated clearing. The land was lately
forest land and was full of roots and
stumps. They, however. saw the
practical end of the matter and fig
ured ii they cleared the land of the
stumps everything removed from the
tract would be useful. They went to
work with vim. One of the elder
boys was put in charge of several
dozen younger boys with stump
puller. Yep" he cried. and all
hands were at the stump-puller,
carrying 1t over big stump. An
other command, and dozens of hands
were outstretched and, with another
yell of ''Yep!" the levers came down
with a mighty pull and the stump
slowly but surely ascended. In this
nanner those industrious farmer boys
.teared a large tract of land. The
stumps they hauled of and formed a
stump fence. They say this fence
will last twenty-five years, and then
The stumps can still be used for fuel
purposes. The stones they dug out
Sf this tract were used for the foun-
1ation walls of the new cottage to be
used by the little ones. Finally the
reward was apparent; they would
aave clear piece of land upon which
they could raise good crops; and how
delighted those boys were that their
farm was increased by at least four
or five acres In the same manner
.L&T cut down the giant trees stand
ing ON the other side OF the present
buildings upon which the new build
ing is to be erected The larger logs
they hauled to the sawmill. or they
made beams out of them to be used
In the construction of the new build
Ing.
They are fearless little toilers, and
never seem to get tired Of their work.
They love gardening, and the large
garden they keep in a systematic
order. where each one of the boys has
certain duty assigned. One does
this and the other something else.
Three little boys are known as chick
en- minders. They do nothing except
watch that none of the chickens get
into the garden. Another trio are
the weeders, and they keep the weeds
out OF the respective parts of the gar
den assigned to them. Another group
does the planting. Another attends
to the drainage and watering of the
plants. Others do the hoeing. and
. 4. A. a.. n L..