118 
The  Rural  New-Yorker 
7  HE  BUSINESS  FARMER'S  TAPER 
A  Xlitloual  M  ccfely  Jonriml  for  Country  und  Suburban  Home* 
EatnbUxhed  JtlfiO 
Published  iwklj  t'j  tbf:  Rural  r.ihlbhlng  Co,n|»ii,o.  333  30tii  Slrert.  \>w  Vork 
JitKi  tOT  W,  t'ottts<5W00T>.  rr.  -iil.u.t  ami  Editor. 
.’otiv  .T  Pllioy,  TruaMiroi'  iimi  (it  iu  ral  Manaew. 
Wn  F.  I  •  t -V Its.  J-.  T  ROTLE,  lesocl&tc  Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION  :  ONE  DOLLAR  A  YEAR 
To  foreign  fotuitritt-  in  tin?  rniversa!  Postal  I’ulon.  equal  to  8s.  6d.,  or 
81,.  minks,  >>r  lOtg  francs.  Remit  in  money  order,  r>!B‘ess 
order,  personal  check  or  bank  draft. 
Entered  at  New  York  Post  Office  as  Second  Class  Matter. 
Advertising  rales.  7 5  cents  per  agate  line — 7  words.  References  required  for 
advertisers  unknown  to  us  ;  arid  cash  must  accompany  transient  orders. 
"A  RQt  ARE  DEAL" 
MY  believe  rjjat  every  advert bement  in  till-  paper  is  bucked  by  n  respon- 
siide  pei-on.  ">  ti-e every  povdlile  tireeii  utlfla  and  admit  the  advertiaiog  of 
reliable  lleu-e*  only.  But  to  make  doubly  sure,  we  will  make  good  any  be. 
to  paid  subscribers  sustained  by  tinstlne  nnv  deliberate  rtw  imfii  r.  irre.pon- 
Bibfe  advert istYS  or  misleading  ndvcHis.’iueiip-  in  (nir  columns  and  Anv 
sueti  -windier  will  bo  publicly  exposed.  We  ate  also  olden  called  upon 
to  adjust  differences  or  mistakes  between  ovi r  snlwerlbers  and  honest, 
responsible  bouse-,  whether  advertirerss  or  nor,  We  willingjv  use  onr  good 
offices  to  this  end  bur  such  . •«-»•»  Mhould  not  ?»■  eoofn-ed  with  dishonest 
transactions.  We  protect  subscribers  against  rogues,  but  we  will  not.  be 
responsible  for  the  debts  of  honest  bankrupts  sanetioned  by  the  courts. 
Notice  of  the  complaint  rni.-t  ho  sent  to  us  within  one  month  of  tile  time  of 
tin  transaction,  and  to  identify  it.  you  should  mention  Tilt:  Rcral  N e\v- 
Yoiuti  a  « lie  n  writing  the  advertiser. 
FOR  many  years  farmers  have  been  broadcasting 
clover  seed  in  the  mud  or  on  the  snow  early  in 
Spring.  This  left  the  freezing  and  thawing  to  work 
the  seed  into  the  soil  and  give  it  a  start.  The  meth¬ 
od  has  become  more  and  more  unsatisfactory  aid 
many  seedings  have  failed.  Now  we  have  a  new 
type  of  seed  drills  which  enable  ns  to  put  the  clover 
sect!  on  the  grainflehls  in  April.  The  grain  is  not 
injured,  and  we  are  far  surer  of  a  “catch”  of  clover. 
These  seed  drills  with  disk  attachments  give  a  great 
improvement  over  the  old  plan  of  broadcasting  on 
frozen  ground. 
* 
.1 1  an  I  pan  you  this  compliment :  Texas  is  sorely 
m  need  of  a  fair  men  and  women  like  those  hack  of 
Tin  Rural  New-Yorker.  o.  A.  walker. 
Texas. 
ERTAINLY,  you  have  our  willing  permission. 
As  one  bouquet  deserves  another  we  hasten  to 
say  this  is  as  line  a  bud  as  we  have  had  in  years — 
because,  having  lived  in  the  Gulf  States  we  know 
wliat  Texans  think  of  Texas  and  what  Texas  means 
te  Texans.  The  men  and  women  back  of  The  E. 
N.-Y.  are  plain  people  who  live  in  country  homes 
and  sustain  The  R.  N.-Y.  because  it  tries  to  express 
their  thoughts  and  to  fight,  if  need  be.  for  their 
rights.  Texas  is  full  of  just  such  people  now! 
* 
‘7  take  off  my  hat  to  New  Jersey!'’ 
L  have  that  from  our  old  friend  .T.  A.  Hep- 
worth.  and  he  had  a  head  full  of  apples 
and  a  hat  full  of  prizes  when  he  said  it.  lie  was 
just  back  from  the  big  fruit  meeting  at  Rochester, 
and  had  won  medals  enough  to  justify  any  man  in 
keeping  his  hat  oil.  Why  take  it  off  to  New  Jer¬ 
sey?  Because  John  II.  Barclay,  a  plain  Jersey  man, 
walked  off  with  the  $50  sweepstakes  prize  at  Ro¬ 
chester.  Those  Jersey  apples  were  wonders — and 
they  had  to  be  in  order  to  beat  the  world  beaters 
from  New  York.  How  do  you  figure  this  out?  New 
York,  under  the  hardest  handicap,  beats  tlie  world 
at  San  Francisco!  Then  comes  New  Jersey  and 
beats  New  York!  “Hats  off  to  New  Jersey!”  by 
all  means.  And  now.  gentlemen,  let's  till  put  our 
hats  mi  again,  eat  a  few  of  those  famous  apples, 
forget  this  friendly  competition  between  sister 
States,  and  remember  that  the  big  market  battle  is 
between  the  upper  Atlantic  Const  and  the  upper 
Pacific  Coast !  The  Atlantic  Coast  is  now  on  top. 
Let's  keep  ft  there  by  honest  packing  and  effective 
advertising. 
WHEN  put  to  a  test  on  a  fair  issue,  the  produc¬ 
ing  farmers  of  New  York  State  as  a  body 
have  never  failed  to  register  themselves  on  the 
right  side  of  an  economic  or  moral  question,  and 
never  in  our  experience  have  they  done  this  more 
emphatically  than  at  the  recent  New  York  State 
Fruit  C rowers’  Association  at  Rochester.  The  spe¬ 
cial  interests  which  oppose  fair  markets  made  their 
boasts  throughout  the  early  part  of  the  convention 
that  (lie  1  department  of  Foods  and  Markets  would 
fare  badly  on  Wednesday  night,  when  the  subject 
of  the  Department's  work  was  to  be  discuss, ed.  Some 
GOO  to  700  members  were  present  at  the  discussion. 
Mr.  H.  A.  Emerson,  representing  the  Department,  told 
a  clear,  logical  and  forcible  story  of  the  work  of 
the  Department.  President  F.  N.  Bradley  gave  the 
records  of  bit-  experience  with  the  Department.  lie 
stated  that  his  apples  were  under  contract,  and 
none  was  sent  to  the  auction  market.  He,  however, 
shipped  four  carloads  of  peaches  to  the  auction  mar¬ 
ket  in  New  York  City,  and  about,  50  carloads  of 
peaches  to  New  York  commission  merchants.  He 
had  tlie  records  checked  up  before  leaving  home, 
and  they  showed  that  the  returns  from  the  auc¬ 
tion  netted  him  from  six  cents  to  eight  cents  a  bas¬ 
ket  more  than  the  average  returns  from  the  com¬ 
CAc  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
mission  dealers.  The  growers  present  were  quick  to 
see  that  if  the  auction  markets  had  had  the  50  car¬ 
loads,  and  the  commission  men  only  four,  the  re¬ 
turns  would  have  shown  much  greater  results  in 
favor  of  the  auction  system. 
Senator  S.  L.  Lupton  of  Winchester,  Virginia, 
spoke  from  the  floor  and  expressed  tlie  fear  that 
New  York  state  growers  did  not  as  yet  appreciate 
the  great  service  that  they  enjoyed  in  the  work  of 
their  Department  of  Foods  and  Markets.  In  Vir¬ 
ginia  last  Fall  he  said  the  growers  had  a  large  crop 
of  apples.  They  did  not  know  what  to  ask  for 
them.  The  top  price  offered  was  $2.50  a  barrel, 
and  no  information  as  to  their  value  except  the 
word  of  the  buyers.  Then  came  the  report  of  the 
auction  orchard  sales  by  the  New  York  State  De¬ 
partment  of  Foods  and  Markets  in  the  Hudson  Riv¬ 
er  Valley,  and  within  a  week  after  tlie  first  sale  at 
Red  TIook.  growers  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley  were 
selling  their  crop  of  apples  to  buyers  at  $0  per  bar¬ 
rel  f.o.b.  After  the  discussion  a  resolution  was  of¬ 
fered  by  tlie  growers  pledging  the  support  of  the 
fruit  growers  of  the  State  to  the  Department  of 
Foods  and  Markets,  and  to  Commissioner  Dillon; 
and  also  pledged  the  growers  to  ship  apples  To  the 
Department's  auction  sales.  The  resolution  called 
upon  Governor  Whitman  and  all  members  of  the 
State  Legislature  not  only  to  continue  the  Depart¬ 
ment,  but  to  give  it:  an  adequate  appropriation  for 
the  coming  year,  and  to  support  Commissioner  Dil¬ 
lon  in  bis  work.  The  resolution  was  unanimously 
approved  by  a  rising  vote.  After  all  the  bluster 
and  loose  talk  and  cheap  paper  abuse,  there  was 
not  a  man  present  who  dared  stand  up  before  the 
farmers  of  that  convention  and  say  a  word  in  oppo¬ 
sition  to  the  Department,  or  its  work.  To  do  so 
would  be  to  compete  for  an  idiot’s  cap  and  bells 
and  lie  would  have  won  the  prize. 
* 
MOST  men  are  rather  tender  on  the  subject  of 
their  wife’s  relatives,  and  there  is  a  general 
desire  to  keep  them  good-natured.  How  would  you 
like  to  send  the  wife’s  relatives  a  barrel  of  apples 
as  a  Christmas  present  and  have  them  turn  up 
“stove-piped”  and  full  of  culls  and  worms?  Your 
own  folks  might  realize  that  you  personally  never 
put  such  fruit  as  is  shown  at  Fig.  30  in  tlie  barrel, 
but  how  about  Mary’s  or  Emma’s  folks!  Perhaps 
they  have  had  an  eye  on  you,  and  have  already  given 
the  wife  a  few  words  of  warning.  Now  here  you 
come  putting  cider  apples  in  their  stocking!  Ser¬ 
iously,  tlie  man  who  will  pack  such  fruit  and  mark 
it  "No.  1”  is  guilty  of  a  fraud.  If  he  alone  were 
injured  we  might  overlook  it,  because  such  things 
usually  bring  self  punishment.  The  trouble  is  that 
the  cull  in  the  package  hurts  the  reputation  of  the 
State  at  a  time  when  our  leading  growers  are  doing 
so  much  to  call  national  attention  to  our  fruit.  It 
will  need  a  thorough  spi-aying  with  publicity  to  de¬ 
stroy  tlie  worm  of  cull  packing. 
* 
“ That’s  what  neighbors  are  for!” 
HAT  is  the  message  which  Ezra  Barlow  sent 
by  Jimmie  when  the  neighbor  went  down  with 
the  grip.  You  can  read  all  about  it  on  page  120. 
“Who  is  my  neighbor?”  asked  tlie  lawyer  who  was 
trying  to  tempt  the  Master.  For  answer  lie  had 
the  story  of  the  man  who  went  out  of  his  way  to 
relieve,  a  stranger  in  trouble  and  distress.  It  is  our 
privilege  to  be  able  to  say  tilings  to  our  people  which 
perhaps  they  would  not  take  kindly  from  others. 
Now  we  say  that  the  great  hope  for  our  farmers 
and  for  their  business  does  not  lie  so  much  in  the 
college  or  in  the  State  Legislature  or  at  Washing- 
ton  as  much  its  right  in  the  home  district.  The 
college  and  the  Legislature  and  Congress  can  help 
us  in  their  way.  but  the  power  they  give  us  will  be 
no  stronger  than  a  rope  of  sand  unless  we  can  de¬ 
velop  that  neighborly  feeling  which  prompted  Ezra 
Barlow's  message  to  bis  neighbor.. 
Who  is  my  neighbor? 
That’s  what  neighbors  are  for! 
On  those  two  things  must  be  built  the  foundation 
of  the  better  things  which  are  to  come  through  co¬ 
operation!  In  their  way  these  pimple  things  are 
bard  really  to  work  out  in  practice. 
UNDER  ordinary  circumstances  there  would  be 
no  more  use  in  again  referring  to  the  Luther 
Burbank  Society  than  in  firing  birdshot  at  a  scare¬ 
crow.  We  print  Mr.  Underwood’s  excellent  letter 
in  page  11-1  because  it  ought  to  put  our  readers  wise 
to  other  games  of  this  nature.  But  what  sort  of  a 
figure  does  Luther  Burbank  cut  in  this  foolish  and 
deceptive  scheme?  He  has  been  represented  to  us 
as  a  poet  and  a  dreamer  who  fell  an  unfortunate 
victim  to  the  wiles  of  designing  men!  It  looks  as 
if  he  was  very  wideawake,  and  had  a  sharp  eye  on 
the  prosaic  side  of  life.  Mr.  Burbank  has  now  sued 
January  22,  1910. 
the  company  hearing  bis  name  for  the  collection  of 
two  notes.  It  seems  that  Burbank  was  to  receive 
$300,000  for  his  name  and  his  "introductions.”  lie 
got  $30,000  all  right,  but  the  $15,000  which  was  to 
come  each  year  lias  not  shown  up.  Hence  lie  sues 
to  get  his  money,  to  prohibit  the  use  of  bis  name 
and  to  cancel  the  right  to  sell  his  products!  It  is 
said  that  tlie  Luther  Burbank  Society  took  in  $875.- 
000,  largely  on  the  strength  of  Burbank's  name. 
Apparently  it  has  now  been  blown  away.  We  have 
been  asking  tlie  public  to  tell  us  what  Burbank  has 
ever  done.  Now  we  know.  He  sold  his  name  and 
reputation  to  the  Luther  Burbank  Society  to  be 
used  as  sucker  bait.  lie  made  a  good  catch,  and  be 
it  welcome  to  the  $30,000  made  in  that  way! 
* 
SPEAKING  about  New  York  State  apples  a  friend 
who  lives  on  tlie  upper  Pacific  Coast  writes 
this : 
I  notice  in  last  week's  issue  an  item  about  New  York 
State  apples  ranking  high  at  the  San  Francisco  Fair. 
Well,  that  is  a  just  recognition  of  merit.  Often  I  have 
wished  for  a  bite  of  Jonathan,  Spy,  Baldwin  or  some 
other  good  old  Eastern  apples,  but  they  are  not  to  be 
had  in  onr  markets.  I  appreciate  what  is  beneath  the 
skin  in  apples  as  well  as  in  man. 
There  he  is  sn moulded  by  those  famous  Western 
apples,  yet  longing  for  some  New  York  fruit.  Why. 
if  our  Eastern  growers  would  grade  and  pack  as 
eii refill ly  as  the  Oregon  and  Washington  people  do. 
we  could  even  go  into  those  Western  markets  and 
sell  thousands  of  barrels.  Imagine  what  would 
have  happened  if  all  those  gold  medals  had  gone  to 
Hie  Pacific  Coast.  Every  corner  of  the  apple-eating 
world  would  have  learned  about  it,  and  it  would 
have  meant  millions  of  dollars  worth  of  advertising 
to  the  Pacific  growers.  It  should  be  worth  more 
than  that  to  our  Eastern  growers,  for  they  have  tlie 
quality  to  back  the  reputation.  Our  friend  says  he 
appreciates  what  is  beneath  the  skin  of  a  man.  The 
man  is  like  his  apples.  If  he  be  ripe  and  mellow  lie 
keeps  the  culls  but  of  the  package. 
* 
NOTHING  printed  in  The  R.  N.-Y.  for  years  has 
called  out  so  much  comment  as  the  recent  re¬ 
marks  about  the  minister  who  is  preaching  the  “two 
blades  of  grass”  theory.  Among  other  comments  we 
have  this  one: 
Why  not  put  this  up  to  that  minister?  Let  him  put 
tiro  ministers  in  the  field,  and  see  how  many  will  soon 
be  looking  for  another  job.  I  mean  two — to  where  then* 
is  now  one.  Then  talk  about  “two  blades  of  grass!” 
.K. 
Now  The  R.  N.-Y.  has  the  deepest  respect  for 
clergymen  who  sincerely  try  to  preach  and  practice 
the  Christian  religion.  Most  of  those  who  occupy  coun¬ 
try  pnljiifs  are  forced  to  lead  lives  of  self  sacrifice- 
and  close  economy.  This  very  fact  will  make  the  ap¬ 
plication  of  Hit*  two  blades  of  grass  theory  .-ill  tlie 
more  forcible.  If  the  young  minister  who  advises 
bis  hearers  to  double  production  regardless  of  mar¬ 
kets  is  consistent,  lie  will  of  course,  invite  another 
minister  t<>  come  and  share  bis  pulpit,  bis  parsonage 
and  his  perquisites.  By  till  means  have  two  where 
one  preached  before,  and  the  new  one  may  well  be 
a  man  with  a  large  and  hungry  family!  Go  out  and 
find  the  men  who  talk  this  “two  blades  of  grass 
theory”  to  farmers  and  put  the  theory  up  to  their 
nwn  business  or  profession.  Suggest  that  the  law¬ 
yers  and  doctors  and  merchants  and  all  the  rest  lie 
doubled  at  mice  so  that  two  will  struggle  for  pa¬ 
tronage  where  one  did  before,  and  they  hasten  to 
explain  that  they  are  talking  about  farmers — not 
about  their  own  line  of  work!  They  all  want  the 
farmer  to  produce  that  extra  blade  and  then  let 
them  carve  it  up  between  themselves.  Tlie  farmer 
will  produce  that  extra  blade  when  he  sees  a  fail 
chance  of  being  paid  for  his  labor! 
Brevities 
If  Job  had  had  a  steady  job  ho  would  have  felt  bet¬ 
tor.  He  seems  to  have  boon  a  sort  of  retired  farmer. 
“He  who  runs  may  read,”  but  he  should  not  try  to 
lead  while  he  is  running. 
Try  to  keep  out  of  the  rut.  That  is  where  most  of 
the  wheels  run,  and  where  you  are  most  likely  to  be 
ground  to  death. 
The  Legislature  of  Newfoundland  has  made  a  law 
prohibiting  any  one  from  picking,  selling  or  having 
partridge  berries  between  Aug.  1  and  Sept.  15,  under 
penalty  of  $20. 
The  world  is  looking  to  South  America  for  markets 
for  all  sorts  of  goods.  Among  the  rest  apples  are 
wanted.  New  Zealand  sends  150,000  cases  each  year 
ami  is  working  for  50.000  more.  New  York  should 
have  part  of  that  trade.  The  South  Americans  will 
not  buy  on  the  strength  of  our  gold  medals.  They  must 
have  sound  and  uniform  fruit. 
We  have  several  cases  where  readers  have  attempted 
to  act  as  their  own  lawyers  with  very  little  knowledge 
0f  ]Uw.  They  have  worked  into  positions  where  they 
are  likely  to  lose  some  money  unless  a  good  lawyer 
comes  in  to  help.  These  men  would  doubtless  laugh 
tit  a  lawyer’s  attempts  to  farm  but  they  are  about  as 
awkward  in  their  own  attempts  to  “law.”  Every  man 
to  his  own  job. 
