1891 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
5i3 
chanic., etc., are left to pay six per cent or any other rate 
which circumstances may force upon them; or, if unable 
to procure it even on these terms, they must become en¬ 
vious witnesses of the farmers’ good fortune. This is in¬ 
defensible and discreditable to us as a class. 
The Sub Treasury scheme proposes to erect costly ware¬ 
houses, provide for a retinue of officers, and to multiply 
opportunities for jobbery to an amazing extent, and all by 
seizing the machinery of government erected by all and 
using it for special ends and before the longing eyes of 
those without the walls. 
Of the question of the currency, and of the dangers in¬ 
volved in the scheme for its use ; of the historic ground 
covered, nothing will be said, as it is a mere incident of 
the fundamental wrong involved in the privilege itself, 
further than to observe that everybody’s welfare is in¬ 
volved in the attempt to serve a special interest. 
The fundamental purpose of the members of the Alliance 
is that of procuring money cheap, and to accomplish this 
they would convert everybody’s government into a broker¬ 
age in their own interest. The government is asked to 
destroy the reDtil value of money, or, in other words, to 
destroy the incomes and hopes of those living on the in¬ 
come of money—widows, orphans, the aged, the sick and 
infirm, but such a measure is no worse in principle when 
it relates to these than when applied to the strong. 
Destroy interest and the motive for circulation is largely 
destroyed and money will be harder to obtain than before. 
Destroy interest and the motive of barter is largely with¬ 
drawn and the world retrograded. Will logic, will com¬ 
mon sense, affirm that money rental is not as legitimate 
as land rental—it is practically the same in effect. A owns 
a farm for which he receives a rental of $300, and none 
denies its propriety, for not even Henry George denies the 
right of land rental or house rentil. Bat A sells the place 
to B for $5,000 and takes B's note. B denies the propriety 
of Interest and so refuses to pay any; should he accom¬ 
plish such an end he would simply rob A of the rent value 
of his land. Now what matters it to B, whether he pays 
rent on the land of A or interest on his note for it ? In the 
abstract none, but in practice much. If he owns the place 
his ambition for improvement is aroused and he betters 
the farm and the neighborhood thereby. Again, if A 
has money that he can invest in productive property that 
will pay him income, why should he make it over to B 
free to so invest it ? No one hires money except as he 
supposes to his advantage, and no one forces the first loan 
on a citiz a n. 
I hope my fellow-farmers will not pursue this “delirium” 
of folly, at least not in the name of justice; but if they are 
bent upon it, like bold men, let them proclaim it confis¬ 
cation of the rental value of money. It matters not 
whether it be confiscation of a part of the rental of money 
or of the whole rental value—the principle remains the 
same. There will be many who will feel that the word 
confiscation is an intemperate expression; but will they 
stand up and say to me that the forcing of our common 
government to make loans to a class at one-third the mar¬ 
ket rates is not confiscation of the other two-thirds from 
those now holding money and loaning it at six per cent. 
But the scheme is the child of fancy and not the out¬ 
growth of reason or of history. Should it be inaugurated 
a shameful and sorrowful failure treads close upon the 
heels of its birth. What do the proposers of the Sub-Treas¬ 
ury scheme hope to accomplish if they succeed ? Among 
other things, they state that farmers will be enabled to 
hold their crops from the hands of operators until they— 
the farmers—are ready to sell, while some hope to corner 
the nation’s crops in the iaterest of the producers. What! 
use the people’s money to force said people to pay dearer 
for their purchases ? Few, I believe, are so infamous as to 
really mean such a thing. 
Regarding the former purpose we may well ask if cheap 
money will be a boon to those who are always behind 
—those who buy more property than they can handle and 
deliberately load up, knowing that they must sell at the 
wrong time ; and who, seeing that their best policy is to 
take on that only which they had better carry at current 
rates of interest than to sell too soon, still lack the balance 
of mind to pursue the right practice We may as well 
legislate against the action of gravity as against the errors 
of the improvident and short-sighted. 
Can I suggest any other plan ? 
No, nor can any one else suggest one that will or can 
accomplish that for which the Alliance is striving in the 
“Sub-Treasury” scheme. There is, however, a grand 
work that it can and ought to do, to wit; Use all its power 
to hold our government to its true functions, crushing to 
death any special legislation, holding all legislation as 
nearly to ab-olute equality as possible, and wiping out all 
legislation not of this order. Its second great work is that 
of education. The character of this education I cannot 
now discuss. 
In conclusion, I point to the fact that money grows 
cheaper with the advance of wealth and knowledge: while 
labor grows dearer. This process will go on until money 
will have small value for rentals. Were it not for vast 
areas yet to be civilized and developed, money in the old 
civilizations would now bring very little—indeed, as it is, 
interest is often below three per cent per annum in Lon¬ 
don ; even nearer, we all observe that government loans 
are made at rates that bring the holder less than three 
percent. Patience! The revolution that universal educa¬ 
tion is making and will consummate, will develop all of the 
“equality of condition ” that man is capable of and as 
fast as he is capable of it, and no other power can do this 
work. I do not deprecate agitation, but favor it. it is a 
part of the educating process, and should in this age save 
us from the false steps man has so often made. We cannot 
hope that it will save him from minor mistakes in travel¬ 
ing new ground. 
Utah Experiment Station. 
The Farmers Club. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
| Every query must be accompanied by the name and address of the 
wrltpr to Insure attention. Before asSina; a question please see If It Is 
not answered In our advertising columns. Ask only a few questions at 
one time. Put questions on a separate piece of paper.] 
Corn Husks In a Silo. 
~H. A. C., Batavia, N. Y.—l live within a quarter of a 
mile of one of the largest canning factories in this State, 
and can have all the husks I can draw away at 25 cents per 
load. Can they be put away for winter use without going 
to the expense of a fully equipped silo ? I have been told 
that an ordinary bin bui't of boards or planks well filled, 
would answer the purpose ; but do not rely on tbe state¬ 
ment without hearing from some one who has had ex¬ 
perience. 
Ans.—W ith the present short crops of fodder and dried 
pastures, it might pay better to feed the husks out at once 
as fast as drawn from the factory. There is no doubt that 
they can be kept in a silo. Many of the cheaper siloes are 
nothing but bins anyway—only board p irtitlons put up in 
a corner of the barn. We tell this week how Mr. J. M 
Smith, the famous market gardener, utilizes the wastes 
from vegetables in the silo Others who have had experi 
ence in this line are requested to tell us about it. 
" Tap Roots” on Apple Sprouts. 
G. G. G., Blairstown, N. J —Oa the farm which I re¬ 
cently bought are a number of apple tree stumps (the trees 
having been cut about 12 or 15 years ago) around which 
sprouts came up freely. They had been cut up ouce or 
more, but by last fall mmy were higher than a man’s 
head and a cluster 10 feit in diameter formed around some 
of the stumps. In April I grubbed out most of them ; 
but left from one to a doz°n of the straightest and nicest 
at each stump, part of which I had grafted exoecting to 
transplant next spring. I am now told that because they 
have no “tap” roots they will not make trees. Is this 
true ? 
Ans.—T he tap-root theory amounts to nothing. If the 
sprouts have sufficient fibrous roots to support them 
when transplanted they will live and thrive—otherwise 
not. 
Country Chances for City Men. 
E G B., Brooklyn, N. Y .—l write the following sup¬ 
posititious question, which, I hope, The Rural will answer 
from its general knowledge of the subject. Suppose a 
young man of good general intelligence, fair practical, 
inventive and literary talent; capable of earning $15 a 
week in the city, and having a few hundred dollars in 
pocket, should for various reasons—more healthful con¬ 
ditions, more general employment of his facult es, and 
more leisure time in which to pursue those studies 
that interest him—desire to employ himself in the 
country, say, in New York State, in some light form of 
stock raising or in poultry farming, what would be his 
chances for supporting himself at once and building up, in 
time, a profitable business in sheep raising or poultry 
farming, or, in fact, in anything of a somewhat similar 
nature that would pay as well or better. Is he better off 
in the city, in spite of keen competition and overcrowding ? 
or could he be successful in the country ? 
Ans.—D uring the past year we have had many ques¬ 
tions like this. It is impossible to answer them sitLfac- 
torily, because a general answer is impos ible—too much 
depends upon the man. There are many city workers 
who ought to be in the country. They are better adapted 
to farm life and work and their health would be greatly 
improved. There is a serious drain of the better class of 
young farmers to the city. The foreigners and others who 
are going out to take their places will not make the sort 
of farmers we need as a nation After const ierable experi¬ 
ence in both town and country work, we conclude that, on 
the average, chances are better in tbe country than in the 
city. By this we mean that a greater proportion of coun¬ 
try workers have it in their power to secure the three 
great essentials of life—health, happiness and home—by 
their own labor. Where one city man makes a fortune, 50 
make a living. There ara city people who are satisfied 
with the bare “living” if they can stay near the great 
churches, libraries, papers and theaters, and take advan¬ 
tage of all the free entertainments provided for the public. 
The desire “to be somebody ” is stronger with these peo¬ 
ple than the desire to own a home of their own and feel 
real independence. There is no use advising them to go to 
the country; they would only be unhappy there. If our 
friend has the true country feeling, a love for nature and 
the ability and will to seek comp>nionsbip and pleasure 
from flowers, trees,books, animals, etc., we would advise 
him to gp by all means. Our advice would be to hire out 
for a year with some good farmer and learn the business, 
or at least the rudiments of it before farming on his own 
account. There is no fair “ measure ” that can be applied 
to succtss on the farm, chiefly because it is not possible 
to estimate the value of health and contentment on a 
“ money ” basis. 
Fertilizer For Onions. 
B. F., Day tor ia, Fla. —I have raised this year and sold 
nearly $100 worth of onions from one-sixth of an acre, or 
about 50 bushels. I used hen manure and ashes for fertil¬ 
izer. The laud is called low hummock and is a dark, 
rather sticky soil underlaid with white marl. I wish to 
try it on a larger scale this fall and would like to know 
what kind of fertilizer The Rural would recommend. I 
will have to depend on commercial fertilizer. What would 
fine ground bone need to make a complete fertilizer for 
onions ? 
Ans.—F or onions use a fertilizer that contains about six 
per cent of ammonia, eight per cent of phosphoric acid and 
about the same of potash. Fine ground bone will need at 
least two per cent of nitrogen ad ied to it in a soluble form, 
as nitrate of soda, and six to eight per cent of potash, of 
which bone is destitute. 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
Blackberry insect — T. W . Eaglishtown, N. J.—The in¬ 
sect which, on your acre of Wilson Blackberries, stings the 
canes, and forms a bunch where it stings, all above the 
sting dying, so that half the crop is lost, is probably the 
pithy gall insect. This is not generally plentiful enough 
to be troublesome. It has many parasitic enemies, and 
birds also prey upon it freely, which tends to keep it in 
check. Dusting the bushes with lime is recommended. 
The infested branches should all be destroyed as soon as 
noticed. 
Rattlesnake Oil. —J. B , Fort Asslnaboine, Montana.— 
The oil of the rattlesnake is used In making liniments and 
ointments for the u^e of contortionists and athletes. It 
is sometimes used alone for rubbing the limbs and joints. 
The demand is quite limited, and It would b3 difficult to 
dispose of any large quantity. The manufacturers of the 
patent liniments might buy it, or wholesale druggists in 
the large cities. 
Sun Umbrella for Binder. —C. H. Whitcomb, (no ad¬ 
dress.)—You can probably buy a sun umbrella for your 
binder of James Field, Rochester, N. Y., or of auy dealer 
in umbrellas. Your question would have been answered 
by mail, as you requested, had you given your post-office 
address. 
Bee Hives. —J. R. S., No Address.—A. I. Root, Medina, 
Ohio, sells all sorts of bee-keeper’s supplies. The Bee¬ 
keeper’s Guide by Prof. A. J. Cook, is the best book on 
Bee keeping. Supplied by The Rural Publishing Company 
for $1. 
Losses In The Silo.—J. S. H., Berrien County, Mich — 
Prof. Armsby of the Pennsylvania Experiment Station 
has made a number of experiments to determine the loss of 
feeding value of corn put into the silo. This Is his report: 
“ 1. The loss in ensilage is likely to be, on the average, 
practically the same as that suffered in field-curing under 
favorable conditions. We have no sufficient data for es¬ 
timating what the loss in field curing would be in an un¬ 
favorable season. 2. It appears that, on the average, we 
must count on losing about one-fifth of the dry matter 
of the corn crop in the silo and about the same amount 
if it is field-cured in a favorable season. 3. The losses, 
both in ensilage and field-curing, vary greatly according 
to the conditions under which the process is carried out.” 
This loss is almost entirely starchy matter—but little pro¬ 
tein being lost. 
Nitrate for Asparagus —H. G , Himburgh, Conn.—On 
your asparagus bed (10 x 00) feet 40 pounds of nitrate of 
soda would be a liberal dressing ; or at the rate of a little 
less than 200 pounds to the acre. The R. N.-Y. is trying 
the strawberry mentioned, but will not be able to report 
before another year. 
Orange Rust —J. J., Toronto, Canada.—The disease that 
has attacked the underside of the leaves of your black¬ 
berries is the orange rust. It has its preferences, though 
one year it may choose one kind another the next. The 
Ktttatlnny is its especial favorite. There is no known 
remedy at present. Very likely the Bordeaux Mixture 
would kill the fungus. 
Yield of Pasture Grass — F. E. B., Bergen County, 
N. J —The Pennsylvania Experiment Station has been 
figuring the total amount of grass that will grow on an 
acre of B.ue Grass and Waite Clover pasture kept well 
eaten down by stock. The plot was average pasture land. 
The grass was cut at intervals with a lawn mower and 
collected, weighed and analyzed. The total yield from 
May 1st to October 15tfi was 5,719% pounds, or nearly 1,613 
pounds of dry matter, with 375 pounds of protein, 706 
pounds of carbohydrates and 94 pounds of fat. This grass 
contained only about 70 per cent of water. Its growth 
through the season showed that when the pasture was 
overstocked not only was the growth shortened but the 
roots of the griss were injured. 
Dishorning Dairy Cows—A. H. H., Gllbertville, N. Y. 
—A good many dairymen in Orange and adjoining coun¬ 
ties, New York, have dishorned their bulls and ugly cows 
and are continuing the process. They claim no ill effects 
and quieter cattle. The law passed by the last New York 
Legislature was mainly due to the efforts of these Orange 
County dairymen. Mr. M. H. C. Gardener, of Johnson’s, 
Orange County, is perhaps the first man in this part of the 
State to make a business of dishorning. He has been very 
successful. 
Gypsum on Pastures —J. A. A., Medfleld, Mass—A 
trial alone will determine whether it will pay to spread 
gypsum upon light pastures. Try 300 to 500 pounds on one 
part of a field and muriate of potash, 150 pounds, on an¬ 
other. 
Riding Cultivator.—J. C., Southborough, Mass.—The 
cultivator used by Mr. D C. Lewis was made by P. P. 
Mast & Co , SprlDgfield Ohio. 
Acres in Cultivation.—J. S K.. Bucks County, Pa.—Of 
that New Jersey farm of Mr. D. C. Lewis, described under 
“ Chemicals and Clover,” about 20 acres are in woodland 
buildings, lanes, etc. There are about 80 acres of culti¬ 
vated land. The farm is level and of naturally good soil 
with a fair proportion of naturally good potato ground. 
The hay on this ground, especially the clover, is certainly 
the best we have seen this year. The R N.-Y. is not 
urging the farmers everywhere to follow these Cranbury 
farmers In every operation. It is simply telling a true 
story with, we hope, a good moral. 
