720 
The  Rural  New-Yorker 
THE  BUSINESS  FARMER'S  PAPER 
A  National  Weekly  Journal  for  Country  and  Suburban  Homes 
Established  ittSO 
rublbhrd  ivcnklj  bj  the  Rural  Pnbiithlng  Company.  233  Wesl  30lh  Street,  Sen  York 
Herbert  W.  COLLEfOwooe,  1’rcsirient.  and  Editor, 
John  J.  1  >! lu >s ,  ipeasmel’  and  (’.mural  Manager. 
Wm.  F.  Dillon.  Secrelnry.  Situs.  E.  T.  Royle,  Associate  Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION :  ONE  DOLLAR  A  YEAR 
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advertisers  unknown  to  us  :  aiid  cash  must  accompany  transient  orders. 
“  A  SQUARE  DEAL" 
We  believe  that  every  advertisement  in  this  paper  is  backed  by  a  respon- 
•Ible  person.  We  use  every  possible  pnecitutlon  and  admit  the  advertising  of 
reliable  houses  only.  But  to  make  doubly  mho.  we  will  make  good  any  loss 
to  paid  subscriber*  sustained  by  trusting  any  deliberate  swindler,  irrespon¬ 
sible  advertisers  or  misleading  advert i«eiue*tf  <  in  our  column*,  and  any 
such  swindler  will  lie  imhliely  e*]»»od  We  are  also  often  called  upon 
to  adjust  difference*  or  mistakes  between  our  subscribers  ami  honest, 
responsible  houses,  whet  her  ndveifiseis  or  not,  W«.  willingly  use  our  good 
offices  to  this  end,  but.  such  eases  should  n<  ■  he  cOnTused  with  dishonest 
transactions.  We  protect  subscribers  ngno  -r  rogues,  hut.  we  will  not  bo 
responsible  (or  the  debts  of  honest  bank  runts  sanctioned  by  the  courts. 
Notice  of  the  complaint  must  be  sent  to  us  within  one  month  or  the  time  of 
the  transaction,  and  to  identify  it.  you  should  mention  The  Kcral  New- 
Yorker  when  writing  the  advertiser. 
OF  course  you  realize  that  no  man  ever  made  any 
real  growth  while  doing  just  what  others  do. 
That  course  means  the  "beaten  path”  or  “rut.”  In  it 
the  strong  run  along  easily,  while  the  others  are 
mostly  run  over.  Growth  is  made  outside  the  rut, 
where  the  going  may  be  harder  at  first,  yet  it  is 
where  the  truth  has  not  been  fully  trodden  down 
into  the  ground. 
*  * 
IT  seems  to  be  settled  that  in  about  the  latitude 
of  southern  New  York  late  Summer  seeding  is 
best  for  Alfalfa.  A  young  Alfalfa  plant  in  August 
has  a  better  chance  to  dodge  the  weeds  than  it  would 
have  in  May.  and  on  most  of  our  farms  weeds  are 
i he  wolves  which  eat  up  the  Alfalfa  lambs.  As  a 
fodder  crop  to  occupy  the  land  before  this  late- 
seeded  Alfalfa  few  things  are  better  than  oats  and 
Canada  pens.  Handled  well  on  good  soil  the  oats 
and  peas  will  give  two  tons  or  more  of  good  hay 
per  acre,  and  the  ground  is  left  in  good  shape  for 
making  a  seed  bed  for  Alfalfa.  The  fact  is  that 
many  farmers  do  not  make  half  enough  use  of  oats 
and  peas.  We  do  not  find  it  a  very  good  crop  to 
use  for  seeding  grass  or  clover,  but  it  is  fine  to 
work  in  ahead  of  Alfalfa,  small  grain  or  grass 
seeding. 
* 
WE  have  waited  patiently  for  some  well-to-do 
farmer  who  asks  for  and  uses  the  "free 
seeds"  from  Washington  to  justify,  by  sound  argu¬ 
ment,  acceptance  of  this  petty  graft.  Thus  far  only 
one  man  has  come  forward,  lie  says  these  free 
seeds  break  up  the  monopoly  which  the  big  seeds¬ 
men  would  like  to  maintain.  The  truth  is  that  in¬ 
stead  of  hurting  the  business  of  those  big  seeds¬ 
men  this  seed  distribution  has  practically  killed  off 
the  good  little  trade  which  hundreds  of  farmers 
and  growers  were  at  one  time  developing.  These 
men  sold  a  few  choice  seeds,  and  were  doing  a  use¬ 
ful  business.  You  seldom  hear  of  them  now,  for 
the  “free  seeds”  drove  them  out  of  business.  Thus 
instead  of  working  against  the  large  houses  the  men 
who  accept  these  seeds  help  the  U.  S.  government  to 
ruin  men  of  their  own  class  who  could  do  a  small 
and  choice  business! 
* 
» 
THERE  are  all  sorts  of  farmers  in  this  country, 
and  they  all  seem  to  be  represented  in  our  big 
family.  One  man  thus  describes  himself:  “1  am  not 
a  full-blooded  farmer,  although  to  be  that  lias  been 
my  ambition.”  Full-blooded  farmer  is  very  good. 
In  any  event  this  mau  is  not  a  scrub,  but  a  high 
grade.  Then  comes  another  friend  who  says: 
“/  am  a  journalist  bit  training  and  a  farmer  by 
the  grace  of  God.’" 
Are  not  all  fanners  journalists?  They  write  the 
story  of  their  lives  upon  the  soil.  They  go  to  press 
with  the  seasons,  and  Nature  provides  the  ink, 
green,  white,  grey  and  brown,  with  her  changes  or 
moods.  Perhaps  not  all  our  friends  can  say  with 
this  one  that  they  are  farmers  “by  the  grace  of 
God.”  yet  be  who  can  realize  that  is  the  happy  man; 
worthy  to  he  envied  by  his  fellows.  lTes  indeed, 
The  R.  N.-Y.  has  in  its  big  family  all  sorts  and  con¬ 
ditions  of  farmers.  P.y  reason  of  their  common 
standing  in  the  soil  they  have  common  ground  as 
men.  Just  as  soou  they  can  find  a  way  to  meet 
on  that  common  ground  of  brotherhood  they  will 
not  only  feed  and  clothe  the  nation,  but  direct  its 
affairs  as  well. 
* 
THE  success  of  the  dairymen  who  supply  Chi¬ 
cago  with  milk  iu  forcing  the  dealers  to  give 
thorn  an  increased  price  will  have  a  great  effect 
upon  the  future  of  the  milk  business.  Whenever 
dairymen  start  a  movement  to  obtain  what  they 
consider  fair  treatment  they  are  told  that  if  they 
can  keep  milk  away  from  the  city  for  a  few  days 
O he  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
they  can  surely  win.  City  people  must  have  milk, 
and  when  the  case  is  put  clearly  before  them  they 
will  usually  sympathize  with  tlie  farmers.  In  Chi¬ 
cago  the  dairymen  carried  out  the  plan  of  holding 
up  milk  shipments  and  succeeded.  They  were  well 
organized  and  it  was  impossible  for  the  dealers  to 
go  far  hack  and  obtain  new  supplies  as  would  be 
the  case  in  New  York,  Boston  or  Philadelphia.  They 
wore  offered  $1,3$  for  100  pounds  of  3.5  per  cent, 
milk.  They  held  out.  for  $1,55  and  won.  That  is 
all  there  was  to  it,  but  their  action  shows  what 
strong  and  thorough  organization  can  do,  and  tlieir 
methods  will  ,  probably  be  followed  elsewhere  in 
future  milk  troubles.  Let  us  therefore  see  just 
what  these  methods  were.  In  order  to  find  out  we 
have  gone  to  farmers  and  country  people  who  live  in 
those  western  milk  districts,  and  the  first,  report  will 
be  found  on  the  next  page.  These  men  tvill  get 
something  above  the  35-cent  dollar.  Let  us  see  how 
they  obtained  it. 
* 
SOUTH  DAKOTA  celebrated  the  last  week  in 
April  as  “appreciation  week.”  The  newspapers 
generally  observed  it  by  issuing  special  numbers 
advertising  State  and  local  resources.  The  Experi¬ 
ment  Station  gave  this  advice  to  farmers: 
Farmers  may  help  the  editors  materially  in  getting 
out  good  local  booster  sheets  by  advertising  that  week. 
A  local  paper  which  carries  country  as  well  as  town 
advertising  matter  is  an  effective  booster  for  country 
and  town.  Any  farmer  who  lias  products  for  side  or 
exchange  would  really  profit  by  advertising  in  all  edi¬ 
tions  of  his  town  paper. 
That  is  sound  advice.  The  farmers  ought  to  he 
on  the  best  of  terms  with  their  local  papers.  Through 
them  they  can  sell  some  of  their  produce  and  what 
is  better,  give  public  expression  to  the  needs  of 
farming.  We  know  from  experience  that  the  local 
paper  can  sell  goods  for  the  advertisers,  and  we 
know  the  editors  are  glad  to  have  letters  from 
farmers.  One  good  turn  deserves  another  and  farm- 
(  rs  ought  to  stand  by  thoir  local  paper.  That  is  a 
good  way  to  help  make  them  truly  independent  and 
realize  that  they  must  work  for  the  people  rather 
than  for  the  politicians.  Whether  these  papers  rep¬ 
resent  or  misrepresent  country  people  will  be  de¬ 
cided  very  largely  by  the  people  themselves. 
* 
SOUTH  CAROLINA  has  a  Department  of  Agri¬ 
culture,  Commerce  and  Industries.  Among  other 
activities  the  Bureau  of  Marketing  at  Columbia 
tries  to  bring  buyer  and  seller  together  for  direct 
trade.  In  a  recent  bulletin  it  prints  names  of  more 
than  SO  people  in  South  Carolina  who  wish  to  buy 
or  sell  country  produce.  The  following  note  ex¬ 
plains  what  this  Rureau  will  do: 
All  patrons  of  tlu>  Bureau  of  Marketing  must  bear 
in  mind  that  the  Bureau  does  not  handle  any  cash 
transaction  and  no  checks  or  remittances  should  be 
sent  to  the  Bureau.  The  Bureau’s  function  is  simply 
to  get  the  buyer  and  seller  together,  and  they  effeet 
their  own  transaction.  It  must  be  distinctly  under¬ 
stood  that  the  Bureau,  under  no  circumstances,  as¬ 
sumes  any  responsibility  whatever  in  any  transaction 
that  may  be  perfected  through  information  furnished 
by  the  Bureau. 
The  produce  offered  includes  hay,  grain,  row  ilea's, 
seeds  and  plants  and  live  stock.  Prices  are  given 
and  quantities  are  named  and  buyer  and  seller  are 
left  to  do  their  own  business.  The  Department 
merely  tries  to  introduce  people,  tell  what  they  have 
to  sell  and  then  let  them  trade  if  they  care  to  do 
so.  By  correspondence  with  many  of  these  people 
we  find  that  they  have  done  a  good  business  and 
saved  considerable  money. 
* 
What  7  want  is  an  agricultural  payer  which  icill 
do  my  thinking  for  me!  j.  e.  g. 
I1E  R.  N.-Y.  cannot  qualify  for  the  position.  It 
seems  to  us  that  one  great  trouble  with  many 
farmers  is  the  fact  that  they  have  permitted  other 
classes  to  do  their  thinking  for  them.  For  many 
centuries  society  was  divided  broadly  into  three 
classes.  One  comprising  about  90  per  ceut.  of  the 
population  was  expected  to  work  and  endure  blindly 
and  hopelessly  in  order  to  feed  and  clothe  and  fin¬ 
ance  the  “ruling  classes,”  and  provide  flesh  and 
blood  for  tlieir  power  and  pleasure.  One  small  and 
lazy  class  did  the  fighting.  That  is.  they  provided 
personal  quarrels  among  themselves  and  then  un¬ 
der  pretense  of  “protecting”  the  people  forced  the 
latter  to  pay  their  debts,  feed  them  and  fill  the 
ranks  of  their  armies.  The  other  small  class  did  the 
thinking  and  scheming — guarding  education  as  men 
hoard  money  and  power.  They  were  able  to  do  this 
because  the  plain  common  people  would  not  or  could 
not  think  for  themselves.  All  progress  in  the  world 
lias  been  along  the  lines  of  sound,  individual 
thought.  He  who  delegates  his  thinking  to  some 
one  else  remains  a  mental  cripple,  and  will  always 
he  a  servant.  We  make  no  effort  to  think  for  our 
readers.  We  try  to  present  the  truth  in  a  forcible 
May  0,  191b. 
way  and  then  attempt  to  induce  our  people  to  think 
out  the  full  justification  of  that  truth.  This  per¬ 
sonal  thinking  is  hard  and  uncomfortable  work,  yet 
it  is  only  through  such  work  that  our  farmers  can 
ever  gain  the  rights  which  belong  to  them. 
I  am  n  fanner  and  dairyman,  I  try  to  keep  abreast 
of  the  times,  weigh  every  mess  of  each  eow  and  take 
four  samples  each  month  from  each  cow  to  test  with 
Babcock  test;  feed  a  well  balanced  ration,  but  find  very 
little  profit  in  the  dairy  business  as  compared  with 
other  products  of  the  farm,  such  as  beans,  potatoes, 
buckwheat,  bay  and  wheat.  I  pay  50%  more  in  taxes 
than  I  did  five  years  ago  though  I  have  made  no  im¬ 
provements.  The  State  is  burdened  with  debt  and  I 
judge  taxes  will  be  higher  rather  than  lower.  s. 
HAT  is  from  a  good,  careful  farmer  in  New 
York  State.  He  is  considering  a  change  to  a 
more  southern  locality  largely  because  of  the  very 
small  margin  on  dairy  products  aud  increase  of 
taxation.  This  man  is  intelligent,  a  good  student 
and  a  thorough  reader.  Few,  if  any,  of  the  speak¬ 
ers  at  farmers’  institutes  could  take  liis  farm  and 
make  a  better  showing  Ills  trouble  is  the  35-cent 
dollar — simply  that  and  nothing  more.  It  is  not 
likely  Unit  a  middle-aged  man  could  pull  up  stakes 
iu  New  York  and  drive  them  down  more  securely 
at  the  South,  but  it  is  not  encouraging  to  find  the 
State  pulling  more  and  more  out  of  your  pocket 
while  the  middlemen  take  the  lion's  share,  and  then 
some,  out  of  tlie  milk  can.  Such  a  man  may  well 
ask  what  the  State  is  doing  for  him  as  a  farmer. 
He  needs  something  more  than  education  or  the  ad¬ 
vice  to  increase  his  crops.  Let  him  see  40  cents 
grow  where  35  grow  before,  and  lie  will  soon  take 
care  of  that  extra  blade  of  grass!  Marketing  re¬ 
form  is  the  great  question  in  New  York  farming. 
Reform  our  present  system  and  there  can  be  no 
more  favorable  location  for  farming  on  earth. 
* 
THE  UNITED  STATES  Supreme  Court  has 
taken  up  the  question  of  dishonest  advertising. 
This  came  in  the  form  of  an  opinion  regarding  the 
New  South  Farm  and  Home  Company.  Our  remem¬ 
brance  is  that  this  company  at  one  time  used  Luther 
Burbank's  picture  and  some  of  his  productions  to 
boom  their  business.  They  were  sued  for  unlawful 
use  of  the  mails  in  selling  10-acre  farms  in  Florida. 
The  Florida  courts  held  that  there  was  no  fraud  if 
the  purchaser  obtained  his  money's  worth.  The 
United  States  court  now  holds  that  if  the  article  sold 
does  not  serve  the  purpose  represented  it  is  a  fraud 
no  matter  what  its  value.  A  10-acre  tract  might 
be  valued  at  $500,  but  if  the  seller  claimed  it  would 
make  a  fine  Winter  home  and  the  buyer  found  it 
so  damp  that  lie  could  not  live  on  it  there  would  be 
a  fraud. 
“Mere  ‘puffing’  might  not  be  within  its  meaning  (of 
this,  however,  no  opinion  need  be  expressed),  that  is, 
the  mere  exaggeration  of  the  qualities  which  the  arti¬ 
cle  lias.  but  when  a  proposed  seller  goes  beyond  that, 
assigns  to  the  article  qualities  which  it-does  not  pos¬ 
sess,  does  not  simply  magnify  in  opinion  the  advantages 
which  it  has.  hut  invents  advantages  and  falsely  asserts 
their  existence,  he  transcends  the.  limits  of  “puffing” 
and  engages  in  false  representations  and  pretences. 
"When  the  pretences  or  representations  or  promises 
which  execute  the  deception  and  fraud  are  false  they 
become  the  scheme  or  artifice  .which  tlie  statute  de¬ 
nounces.  Especially  is  this  true  in  the  purchase  of 
small  tracts  for  homes.” 
This  case  will  open  the  way  for  dozens  of  others 
where  real  estate  speculators  have  sold  “homes”  to 
poor  people  and  thereby  soured  aud  ruined  them 
for  life.  It  is  one  of  the  finest  things  about  modern 
business  that  the  courts  have  taken  up  this  bogus 
advertising  fraud.  It  ought  to  cut  out  the  printer's 
ink  liars,  and  with  them  will  go  a  lot  of  aceessories- 
to-the-crime  publishers ! 
Brevities 
A  GROUCH  is  like  a  spavin  on  the  leg  of  progress. 
The  latest  report  is  of  a  hen  20  years  old,  laying  an 
egg  last  week. 
Watch  the  soil  now  growing  cover  crops  dry  out  fast¬ 
er  than  the  bare  ground! 
WE  are  living  up  to  our  agreement  to  have  a  full 
discussion  of  potato  culture. 
A  new  and  simple  plan  for  making  home-cooked  lime- 
sulphur  will  be  given  next  week. 
A  good  article  on  “the  farm  baby”  next  Magazine 
Number.  Surely  the  best  live  stock  should  be  well  dis¬ 
cussed. 
Feed  the  cat!  If  you  want  her  to  keep  from  hunt¬ 
ing  the  birds.  Yret  that  would  also  stop  her  hunting 
rats  and  mice.  What  would  she  he  kept  for? 
There  is  no  doubt  that  little  chicks  are  killed  by 
eating  rose  chafers.  The  poisoning  effect  is  seen  in  24 
hours.  From  15  to  20  of  the  beetles  will  kill  a  chick. 
I.ET  us  not  spend  too  much  time  growling  at  this  wet 
weather.  A  few  weeks  hence  we  shall  doubtless  he 
complaining  about  drought.  As  soon  as  the  ground  is 
fit  let  us  work  it  and  try  to  hold  some  of  this  moisture. 
