750 
S he  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
The  Rural  New-Yorker 
T1TK  TtrST.VEf. ?.<?  FA  EMEU'S  PAPER 
A  National  Weekly  Journal  for  Country  uiui  Suburban  Iloinea 
Established  >»*0 
ritblithrd  weekly  b*  l In'  Rural  Ptiblislilne  Company.  833  Weal  SOtlr  Street.  New  York 
HEiiiriir  W.  Coi.t.tyo'vn.in,  Vre.'ident  ami  ErtiOir. 
John  J.  Dillox,  Treasurer  and  Oem  ral  Manager. 
War.  F.  Dillon,  Secrctniy  Sluts  E.  T.  Korns,  Associate  Editor. 
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“A  SQUARE  DEAL" 
We  believe  that  every  advertisement  in  this  paper  is  barked  by  a  respon¬ 
sible  person.  We  u.-e  every  possible  preenutlon  and  admit  the  advertising  of 
reliable  houses  only.  Bui  to  make  doubly  sure,  we  will  make  good  any  loss 
to  paid  subscriber'  sustained  by  trusting  any  deliberate  sw  indler,  irrespon¬ 
sible  advertisers  or  misleading  advertisement*  in  our  Columns,  and  any 
sueb  swindler  Will  be  pnbliefy  exposed.  We  are  a  1  •  o  often  called  upon 
to  adjust  differences  or  mistakes  between  bur  subscriber-  and  bobcat, 
responsible  houses,  whether  ndverrisrrx  or  net.  We  w  ill luirl v  use  our  good 
offices  io  thin  eml,  but  sueli  cases  should  not  be  cenfuseil  with  dishonest 
transactions  We  protect  subscribers  Against  rogues  but  we  will  not-  he 
responsible  for  the  debts  of  honest  bankrupts  sanctioned  bv  the  courts. 
Notice  of  the  complaint  must  be  sent  to  us  within  one  mouth  of  the  time  of 
the  transact  Ion.  and  to  identify  it.  you  should  mention  Tits:  RikalNew- 
YojtKKlt  when  w  riting  the  advertiser. 
ALT.  over  the  country  farmers  demand  represen¬ 
tation  in  the  directing  of  farming  activities. 
The  Alumni  of  tlm  Minnesota  School  of  Agriculture 
recently  adopted  the  following: 
Resolved,  that  in  view  of  the  increasing  importance 
of  rhe  agricultural  interests  of  the  State  and  of  the 
University  wo  recommend  that  the  Alumni  Association 
of  the  School  of  Agriculture  urge  upon  Gov.  J.  A.  A. 
Bimupiist  the  importance  of  the  appointment  to  the 
Hoard  of  Regents  of  one  or  more  men  who  are  actively 
and  personally  engaged  in  the  business  of  farming,  and 
who  derive  their  income  therefrom. 
When  you  think  of  if  for  a  moment  nothing  could 
he  more  natural  than  the  suggestion  that  a  few  actual 
farmers  should  have  a  chance  to  say  something 
about  teaching  agriculture.  Yet  go  over  the  direct¬ 
ing  hoards  of  the  various  farm  institutions  and  how 
many  real  farmers  do  you  find?  Some  States  are 
well  represented.  In  others  most  of  the  directors  are 
cheek-hook  farmers  if  they  have  any  connection  with 
the  farm  at  all. 
* 
WE  have  all  heard  of  the  retired  farmers  who 
move  to  town,  stop  working  and  then  slowly 
fade  away.  We  have  also  heard  of  the  wonderful 
soil  in  tin?  Mississippi  Valley  which  enables  these 
farmers  to  "retire”  rich  after  some  years  of  hard 
work.  Here  is  a  little  human  life  story  which  cov¬ 
ers  both  sides  of  it  : 
Last  Fall  SO  acres  in  good  condition,  no  buildings 
at  all.  about  two  miles  from  town,  sold  for  $306.25  per 
acre.  Recently  a  farm  about  the  same  distance  west, 
well  improved,  sold  for  $312  per  acre.  The  fact  is  our 
people  have  made  so  much  money  on  corn.  etc.,  that 
the}  are  rich  and  all  have  autos.  200  or  more  farmers’ 
autos  in  town  every  Saturday,  I  now  cite  a  case  not 
a  week  old.  A  German,  52  years  old.  spaded  my  gar¬ 
den.  cleaned  up.  etc.,  doing  a  tremendous  amount  of 
work.  I  am  too  old  and  have  been  shot  too  often  to 
depend  on  myself  for  tbe  heavy  work.  I  paid  him  25 
cents  per  hour  and  he  worked  bully.  Me  has  a  farm 
two  miles  away,  new  $2,000  barn  and  farm  is  worth 
over  $30,000.  lie  owns  good  home  in  town  and  has  an 
auto;  has  moved  to  town,  routing  farm:  is  worth  easy 
$40,000.  Twenty  years  ago  he  bought  this  farm  at  $93 
an  acre  and  started  with  his  share  of  corn  from  a  rent¬ 
ed  farm.  He  says  he  should  die  if  lie  could  not  work. 
Memlotil.  III.  L.  B.  c. 
It  is  doubtful  if  you  can  find  any  other  section 
in  the  world  where  such  things  work  out.  That 
farmer  is  wise,  hut  where  else  may  he  found  men 
who  have  earned  their  competence  and  yet  see  the 
necessity  for  working  as  they  did  during  the  days 
of  their  hard  struggles?  Surely  it  may  he  said  that 
»»ue  of  the  most  dangerous  elements  in  American 
society  today  is  the  effect  of  money  to  destroy  the 
inclination  for  work  iu  him  who  earns  the  money 
or  those  who  follow  him. 
* 
ONE  of  the  excellent  features  at  the  coming  New 
York  State  Fair  will  be  the  big  spelling  bee 
for  the  State  championship.  The  country  spelling 
bees  of  30  years  and  more  ago  were  among  the 
best  features  of  rural  life  and  education,  and  we 
have  often  wondered  why  this  fine  old  educational 
feature  was  ever  permitted  to  pass  out  of  fashion. 
Commissioner  of  Agriculture  Charles  S.  Wilson, 
with  the  cooperation  of  State  Superintendent  John 
IT.  Finley,  will  revive  this  old-time  word  festival  at 
the  State  Fair.  County  spelling  champions  are  to 
be  selected  in  eac-h  county — any  boy  or  girl  16  years 
or  under  being  eligible  for  trial.  These  county 
champions  are  to  meet  at  the  State  Fair  and  have  it 
out,  with  Dr.  Finley  holding  the  book  and  giving  out 
the  words.  These  prize  spellers  are  to  he  the 
guests  of  the  State — with  all  expenses  paid,  and  cash 
prizes  amounting  to  $60  will  be  awarded  to  the  four 
best  spellers.  We  think  Commissioner  Wilson  has 
struck  a  wise  and  popular  thing  in  this  and  we  hope 
every  reader  of  The  R.  N.-Y.  in  this  State  will  help 
make  this  spelling  bee  a  great  success.  Those  of 
us  who  can  remember  the  excitement  of  old  Winter 
nights  in  the  hot,  poorly-lighted  country  school- 
houses  when  the  district  champion  went  up  against 
the  prize  spellers  from  the  next  township,  know 
the  thrill  of  human  interest  which  these  “bees”  can 
stir  up.  They  are  needed  too — at  least  something  is 
reeded  to  improve  the  spelling  of  this  generation. 
Iu  these  days  of  careless  or  hasty  writing,  of  sten¬ 
ographers  and  clerks,  too  many  people  are  delegating 
the  spelling  book — as  they  do  the  Bible — into  other 
hands.  This  generation  cannot  spell  ordinary  words 
as  well  as  the  past  one  could.  They  may  be  stung 
back  into  line  by  these  spelling  “bees.” 
MANY  of  our  readers  have  been  writing  their 
Senators  about  parcel  post  An  effort  is  be¬ 
ing  made  to  limit  the  weight,  of  post  packages  to 
50  pounds — which  would  cripple  the  service.  So 
our  friends  are  urging  their  Senators  to  rote  against 
any  such  proposition.  Tt  seems  like  old  times  to  see 
these  Senators  coming  back  with  a  promise  to  give 
“careful  consideration"  or  “prompt  attention.” 
This  “careful  consideration”  business  is  played  out 
as  the  excuse  of  a  dodger.  When  a  man  writes  that 
way  it  is  time  (o  give  him  prayerful  consideration 
and  make  the  prayer  outspoken  and  strong! 
* 
T1IL  R.  N.-Y.  has  been  criticized  for  not  “boom¬ 
ing"  the  Fall  or  “everbearing”  strawberries. 
Most  of  this  criticism  has  come  from  nurserymen 
who  have  tin*  plants  for  sale.  In  order  to  he  fair 
about  it  we  have  invited  growers  who  raise  these 
everhearers  commercially  to  give  us  their  figures. 
Thus  far  two  men  have  come  forward — one  has  one- 
fourth  of  an  acre,  the  other  half  an  acre.  They 
have  made  fair  success  with  these  berries  but  noth¬ 
ing  remarkable.  We  still  stand  by  our  call  for  prac¬ 
tical  figures  from  commercial  growers.  This  is  not 
for  the  plant  sellers,  but  for  those  who  will  discuss 
t he  crop  as  they  would  one  from  Gandy.  Marshall, 
Sample  or  other  standard  varieties.  These  ever 
bearers  have  now  been  long  enough  out  of  the  “nov¬ 
elty”  class  to  prove  tlieir  practical  value.  We  are 
increasing  our  own  planting  but  cannot  see  the  great 
future  in  these  everhearers  which  some  of  the  cata¬ 
logues  proclaim.'  The  truth  sometimes  ranks  as 
medicine  in  its  taste  and  effect,  but  it  is  worth  while. 
* 
"Thai  child  is  mine!’’ 
“I  have ,  as  gou  know,  met  with  success  in  mg 
liner’ 
" Therefore  mg  child  is  superior  and  mast  he  sent 
io  college .” 
HAT  is  what  they  call  a  syllogism  or  a  “logical 
presentment  of  a  proposition."  It  is  about  the 
way  some  of  the  parents  we  know  talk  about  theft* 
children.  Some  of  the  neighbors,  or  cynical  old  Uncle 
John  or  practical  Aunt  Alary  could  explode  that 
argument  in  the  middle,  but  what^  chance  would 
they  have  when  that  wonderful  child  is  under  dis¬ 
cussion?  It  is  evidence  of  greatness  in  n  man  when 
he  can  view  his  own  children  with  judgment  and 
know  them  as  they  are.  Do  not  get  the  Idea  that, 
we  are  opposed  to  a  college  education  or  unmindful 
of  its  value  and  power.  The  living  genu  of  its 
value  and  power  is  the  spirit  of  (he  student.  If  he 
will  not  seek  and  struggle  for  his  education  it  will 
he  of  little  use  to  him.  This  idea  of  sending  boys 
to  college  on  general  principles  will  usually  injure 
the  boy  and  always  injure  tlip  college.  The  fact  that 
he  is  gour  boy  does  not  prove  him  a  Daniel  Web¬ 
ster  or  an  Edison.  Very  likely  his  saving  qualities 
will  come  from  his  mother.  If  he  has  the  thirst 
for  knowledge  which  comes  to  men  out  of  the  very 
soul  let  him  go  to  college  if  you  have  to  toil  like 
a  slave  to  do  it.  No  institution  will  injure  a  boy 
like  that.  Do  not  send  him.  however.  Far  better 
put  him  at  work. 
* 
“The,  35-Cent  Dollar l” 
F  course  we  realize  that  whenever  we  mention 
this  fragment  of  the  consumer’s  price  a  num¬ 
ber  of  intelligent  gentlemen  start  up  to  say  it  is  a 
myth — there  is  no  such  thing.  All  right,  let  them 
show  wherein  the  following  figures  are  wrong.  The 
milk  strike  in  Chicago,  mentioned  last  week,  did 
more  than  settle  prices  for  a  time-  it  opened  up  the 
contrast  between  consumers’  price  and  producers* 
share.  The  dealers  charged  eight  cents  a  quart  to 
consumers  and  proposed  paying  the  farmers  $1.33 
for  100  pounds  or  4S  quarts.  This  means  2.77  cents 
per  quart,  or  a  little  less  than  35  per  cent,  of  what 
the  consumers  paid.  That  is  what  we  call  a  35-oent 
dollar!  As  a  result  of  the  strike  the  consumers  are 
to  pay  nine  cents,  while  the  farmers  are  to  receive 
$1.55  for  100  pounds.  This  means  3.23  cents  a 
quart  or  36  per  cent.,  or  a  30-eent  dollar!  As  a  re¬ 
sult  of  the  strike  therefore  the  farmers  obtain  one 
cent  more  of  the  consumer’s  dollar!  Here  we  have 
a  concrete  case  about  the  35-cent  dollar,  and  this  is 
not  all.  Prof.  Duncan  of  the  Chicago  University 
shows  that  the  farmers  gain  about  one-half  cent  per 
quart,  while  the  consumers  pay  one  cent  more.  On 
May  13,  1916. 
1.000,000  quarts  per  day,  this  means  about  $4,000 
a  day  more  to  the  combined  producers.  On  the  other 
hand  the  distributors  gain  $8,000  per  day  for  the 
same  amount  of  milk  as  formerly  handled,  and  with 
no  additional  cost  whatever.  Someone  will  say  that 
the  dealers  sell  some  of  this  milk  at  wholesale 
prices.  So  much  the  worse  for  the  consumer,  for 
this  milk  has  half  a  dozen  more  prices  tacked  to 
it.  Thousands  of  people  in  New  York  every  day 
buy  this  milk  by  the  bowl  or  glass,  and  pay  15 
cents  a  quart  for  it  that  way!  We  have  been  told 
that  this  talk  about  the  35-cent  dollar  is  “vain 
repetition  of  an  economic  fallacy.”  Will  some  one 
step  lip  to  the  blackboard  and  disprove  these  milk 
figures? 
-  * 
THE  U.  S.  Senate  has  for  many  weeks  discussed 
a  plan  for  appropriating  $15,000,000  to  estab¬ 
lish  a  government  plant  for  taking  nitrogen  out  of 
the  air!  This  has  led  to  one  of  the  most  remark¬ 
able  debates  ever  known  in  Congress.  The  original 
proposition  was  started  as  a  war  or  "preparedness" 
measure.  As  is  well  known,  the  "kick”  or  power  in 
most  explosives  is  caused  by  the  efforts  of  nitrogen 
to  break  away  from  its  combinations  with  other 
substances.  If  we  are  to  kill  our  fellow  men  in  bat¬ 
tle  or  blow  up  their  homes  or  fortifications  we  must 
have  an  abundance  of  nitrogen  in  such  form  that 
the  chemists  can  combine  it  as  they  need.  The  air 
all  about  us  is  the  world's  great  storehouse  of  ni¬ 
trogen,  and  it  has  now  l>e.6n  found  possible  to  extract 
ibis  element  from  the  air  and  hold  it  in  solid  form. 
In  order  to  do  this  vast  power  is  required  to  develop 
l  he  electrical  force  needed  to  produce  the  awful 
heat  of  an  artificial  thunderbolt.  It  was  proposed 
that  the  government  build  a  largo  plant  at  a  point 
where  great  water  power  could  be  obtained  and  pro¬ 
duce  nitrogen  for  war  material.  The  scheme  is  prac¬ 
tical.  and  as  a  war  necessity  such  a  plant  would  be 
as  legitimate  as  a  government  arsenal.  But  nitrogen 
is  even  more  necessary  to  the  farmer  than  to  the 
soldier.  Tt  is  the  plant  food  element  in  the  soil 
which  lias  most  to  do  with  providing  the  human  race 
with  bread  and  meat.  If  the  government  is  to  manu¬ 
facture  nitrogen  for  the  avowed  purpose  of  killing 
men  why  not  produce  it  in  order  to  keep  men  alive? 
Fertilizer  is  as  important,  as  gunpowder!  Let  the 
world  run  out  of  gunpowder  and  explosives  and 
there  would  be  world-wide  peace  since  men  could 
not  adequately  express  their  hatred.  Let  there  he  an 
end  of  nitrogenous  fertilizers  and  famine  would 
stalk  through  the  world.  Thus  the  question  is  put 
up  to  Congress.  If  the  government  is  to  prepare  ni¬ 
trogen  for  explosives  why  not  also  prepare  it  for  fer¬ 
tilizers,  and  thus  make  this  nation  independent  of 
the  world?  It  is  a  fair  question,  but  it  seems  likely 
to  hold  up  the  entire  project.  Congress  seems  to 
think  that  securing  nitrogen  for  explosives  would 
he  “wise  statesmanship,"  while  using  the  same  plant 
to  produce  fertilizer  would  be  "a  step  toward  social¬ 
ism."  There  are  millions  of  people  in  this  country 
who  will  not  admit  that  they  are  socialists,  yet  they 
are  seriously  considering  this  question.  If  the  gov¬ 
ernment.  which  is  supposed  to  mean  the  concentrated 
thought  of  the  Republic,  will  permit  monopolies  to 
grow  up  and  exploit  the  people — why  should  it  not 
step  in  and  make  these  monopolies  serve  rather 
than  exploit? 
Brevities 
Who’s  who  iu  your  house? 
Sure — a  scrub  hen  is  a  fowl  weed. 
With  a  late  Spring  like  this  one  the  Spring  poets 
must  get  out  of  the  way  when  the  sun  finally  shines. 
Look  for  warbles  and  grubs  on  the  cow’s  hack.  We 
may  not  agree  as  to  the  way  they  got  there,  but  if  you 
can  feel  them,  squeeze  them  out! 
In  recent  articles  we  have  shown  how  blue  ointment 
will  destroy  body  lice  on  the  hen.  As  we  have  often 
explained,  this  ointment  should  not  be  used  on  setting 
hens  or  little  chicks! 
English  farmers  are  importing  farm  laborers  from 
Denmark  to  take  the  places  of  soldiers.  They  are  also 
able  to  "borrow”  horses  ami  .soldiers  from  training 
camps  for  farm  purposes. 
Now  there  is  a  “shortage”  of  refrigerator  cars  just 
when  shipments  of  perishable  products  are  starting 
heavily.  The  cars  are  scattered  all  over  the  country. 
The  interstate  Commerce  Commission  has  been  ap¬ 
pealed  to  for  help! 
The  grain  mill  at  the  Kansas  Agricultural  College 
is  to  try  experiments  with  potato  flour.  It  is  now 
clear  that  in  the  future  many  of  our  people  must  eat 
bread  made  from  other  than  exclusive  wheat  flour.  We 
can  easily  remember  the  Winter  of  1915,  when  potatoes 
were  a  drug  on  the  market.  Let  us  learn  to  utilize  them 
in  as  many  ways  as  possible. 
Trees  growing  on  the  boundary  line.  They  belong 
to.  the  owner  of  the  land  from  which  the  trunk  leaves 
tile  ground  even  though  that  be  only  six  inches  over  the 
line.  The  fruit  <»  tin*  tree  belongs  to  this  owner  even 
though  the  limbs  extend  over  the  other  man’s  land.  The 
owner  cannot  go  on  the  neighbor’s  property  to  pick  this 
fruit  without  permission,  nor  can  the  neighbor  legally 
pick  the  fruit  on  the  tree. 
