196 
February 11, 11)22 
The Rural New-Yorker 
TIIIC BUSINESS FARMER’S PAVER 
A. Nnllonnl Weekly Journal «‘<>r Country and Huburlmn Home* 
Kutabliiihfit ikso 
i'utn.U.d urctly l>> Oie Hu ml FltblldMtur OompHi!?, 811* Tul 8 OII 1 Street, «»w l'ork 
II KutiKUT W. C'fiM.tsdwooDi T'rfuidriit ftml F.dllor. 
John .1 Oil,i.<iN, Tiviwurer mid (inn ml Miuin^rr. 
W’M. F. Diu.nN, Seri Hun . Mm*. E. T. UoYJ.I , AM<oclaU< Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION j ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreiarn countrtw In this tJWvei'Mil T'ortal Union, $ 1101 , equal to (to. 6 d., or 
inat-lu, or low, friuien. Ki-inlt In money order, oi|>rin*H 
order. [ii'mnuU oh to It or bank draft. 
Entered at Now York I ’out nfllca iu Second Clime Mutter. 
Advertising ml ox. M.00 per agate lino—’ word*. Hrforenoon required for 
iidvtrtiHoris unknown to ti« ; null eiudi numt accompany triuihlont ordmu. 
"A SQUARE PEAL" 
We believe thnl every advertisement In thin paper W backed by a rospon- 
vllilo perron. Wo 11x0 nvory por-ddc prooiiuMon iind admit the £ulvertl*ln|r of 
1,.liable hmirer only. Hut to innlte cfoubl.v mi re, wo will mnkc irood liny low* 
to 1 in Id Mibwribt 1 ■ imntnllH-d by mi ml rig any dnltberatr. nwlinjie.r, ti-rexpon- 
,11,1 lulvtrl/xerr or mlidewllng Ndvortixonionio 111 our eolurniui, and any 
1 noli HWiudler will bo publicly 1 xponod, Wo mo nhuj ofl* n cidli’d U|H>n 
t<, adjust dlirerciiCcH or inoinkix between our mibwilbor- ami liunmt 
itsiioiixlble limits- whether advertiieia or not. Wo willingly ui*o our ifood 
(i(heox to ttri» olid, but kiioIi oiikiw Kliimld not, be eonftwd with dlxlmnnrt, 
tniiiKiiotloiu We protect MibMit-llwirn Hguinm rogue* but WI will not. bo 
rou|H.ii<ubb- for the debt* of bole; t lunik runt* on not lotted by the eolirt*. 
Entire ,,r till* complaint. mint bo Held, to in* wdtiin one month or the time of 
the trail unction, mid to Identify it, you ttbodlil mo.ntion Tlilt lttriiAl. Nltw- 
YoitKKtt when writing the advertlner. 
T HE following sentiment from Adelaide Anne 
Proctor is :i line thing to remember when some¬ 
thing about your neighbor Inclines you to tight or 
make fun of him: 
What lotiks to tliy dim eyes a stain 
In God’s pure light may only be 
A sear brought, from some well-won field, 
Where thou wouldst: only faint and yield. 
* 
NEW YORK woman wants lo know if there is 
any law prohibiting her from taking out a 
license as auctioneer. We know of nothing, except 
the law of habit. The occupation figures for the 
last census arc not yd complete, hut. in 1910 there 
were in the country five women auctioneers and fit 
women blacksmiths. In 1920 there were S,549,399 
American women engaged in “gainful occupations,” 
with almost every known industry represented. This 
meant over 21 per cent of all females over 10 years 
of age, and about half a million more than in 1910. 
Judging from the persuasive powers of some women 
we have noticed, we think they could easily induce 
their audiences to pay full value for auctioned goods. 
* 
NE of our readers, who calls himself “a friend 
of Ihe little red schoolhou.se,” sends the fol¬ 
lowing clipping: 
Bueyrus, O., Jan. 10.—The little red school house 
von a unique victory over the modern school during 
an old-fashioned spelling bee here, Mrs. E. B. Finley, 
si years old, defeating 25 graduates of high schools and 
colleges. 
Five of Mrs. Finley’s opponents were eliminated when 
the word "renaissance” was readied, "Vertiginous 
caused seven more to quit. The word “rendezvous” left, 
only three. “Fortissimo" eliminating two, Mrs. Finley 
became so excited dial she missed the next word, “tuber¬ 
culosis.” 
We have no doubt of it. Surely in the old days 
"Ihe little red schoollumse” did turn out sonic well- 
trained men and women. Even tin* consolidators 
will admit that. One thing about it: in those old 
days they taught a few things well. The pupils 
were thoroughly drilled iu the fundamentals, and 
the teacher had supreme power in the school —if 
lie was big enough to serve as policeman. They did 
not try to teach so many things in those days as 
they do now, hut the things that were considered 
essential were well taught. If the pupils of our 
modern schools, with all their expensive advantages, 
succeed in influencing the world as graduates of the 
"little red schoolhouse” have done, they have their 
job cut out. for them. 
* 
G REAT efforts are being made to obtain a high 
tariff on potash. During the war several large 
companies were formed to secure potash from Ameri¬ 
can deposits. These are chiefly alkaline bikes 
in tiie West, mineral deposits and clay soils rich in 
potash. A tariff would greatly benefit a few large 
companies now engaged in working these deposits, 
Put it would promptly raise tin* price of potash to 
every farmer who uses fertilizers. It is a clear case 
of helping an “infant industry" at the direct ex¬ 
pense of millions of farmers. In years past our 
people have watched the career of many of these 
industrial Infants. They pledged themselves lo give 
these cradle dwellers all they needed to eat. Under 
this arrangement they saw those infants grow to 
gigantic size and take possession of the entire house. 
11,ere is an old story of the Arab who took pity on 
H,e camel and permitted Ihe beast to put his head 
under the tent for shelter. Having once got ills 
l ead in. the camel kept on crowding until at last 
li< occupied the entire lent, and crowded the man 
out. Potash is now cheap. It can be bought in 
carload lots at a reasonable figure. We can see no 
wav in which farmers can derive any benefit from a 
tariff. 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
N page 110 we spoke of a plan for financing 
students during the last years of their college 
course. Tin* need is often great; a few hundred 
dollars at just the right time will make much of 
the difference between success and failure with a 
student. It appears that the Massachusetts State 
Grange has an educational aid fund, which is used 
for this purpose. Members of the Grange arc per¬ 
mitted to borrow $200 per year at two per cent in¬ 
terest. They give tliolr notes, endorsed tiy reputable 
citizens, and they are expected to pay as soon an 
employment provides the means. During the past. 
10 years 193 hoys and girls have borrowed $31,145 
from this fuirl. They have attended the Agricul¬ 
tural College, Harvard, Brown, Mount Holyoke, and 
olher great institutions. In some cases, at least, we 
arc sure that this education would have been impos¬ 
sible without, this help. The fund accumulates in 
the form of gifts from individuals and Granges. It 
is fine work. There should be more of it. 
* 
WO weeks ago we printed a letter from a New 
York farmer who was prohibited from sending 
the carcass of a hog to New York City. If appears 
that the New York City Board of Health adopted 
this section of the sanitary code: 
Roc. 172. Bringing into the City of New York of the 
carcasses of certain animals restricted. No carcasses or 
parts of the carcasses of cows, bulls, steers or swine 
shall be brought, into the City of New York until they 
shall respectively have been inspected and passed ns til 
for human food by a duly authorized inspector of the 
Failed States Government, or of any State or munici¬ 
pality, and shall have been marked, stamped, branded, 
tagged or labeled ns haviug been so inspected and passed. 
Provided, however, the provisions of this section shall 
not apply to the carcasses of cows, hulls, steers: or swine 
to which are attached, by their natural connections, the 
head, Including the tongue, the lungs, the liver, the 
heart, the pleura, the peritoneum anil all body lymph 
glands. (As adopted by the Board of Health, June 2H, 
1917.) 
It seems Impossible to obtain any satisfactory ex¬ 
planation for this order, which is unnecessary and 
unjust to farmers. It has practically killed the 
market in this city for country-dressed hogs, os- 
pccially those weighing over 25 fits. There seems 
to he no need for any such regulation, from the 
standpoint of health protection. The result is that 
the packers are aide to force the farmers to sell 
their meat in the country tit low prices. 
* 
IIIS week tlie Hope Farm man speaks of the old- 
fashioned practice of paring and burning sod 
land. The farmers noticed that a tough, old clay 
sod rarely gave profitable results under cultivation. 
The soil was too hard and compact, sod was full of 
insects, and the roots ami old grass were slow to 
decay. In many places it was impossible to obtain 
lime. Ro tlit* plan was to cut. or pare off the sod 
about three inches thick and burn It in piles, much 
as peat has been burned for coal. The effect upon 
the tough soil was good; insects were destroyed and 
great piles of ashes were made. In some cases, we 
Ore told, 2.000 bushels of ashes were left as the re¬ 
sult of tills burning. No one would think today of 
spending 10 days to pare and burn an acre of sod, 
yet the old process was based mi scientific principles 
suited to its day. The burning made tin* lime and 
potash Iu the elay soil available as plant food. Only 
a few years ago it was found that the dust, blown 
away from cement works contained potash suitable 
for fertilizing. The high heat to which clay was 
subjected in making cement made this potash avail- 
aide. The process was only a few steps in advance 
of Ihe old paring and burning. And so, year by 
year we are learning more and more about utilizing 
wastes. The trouble is that most of us have grown 
•i way from the old-fashioned plan of doing it our¬ 
selves. That homely old plan of self-help has be¬ 
come unfashionable. 
* 
N page 1N4 Mr. W. W. Christman challenges us 
to print his article on school conditions in ins 
locality. The challenge is met! We think this dis¬ 
poses of the charge that The R. N.-Y. will not per¬ 
mit fair discussion. During the past few years Mr. 
Christman has printed many articles in the local 
papers in which The R. N.-Y. lias been bitterly at¬ 
tacked. Most of these articles have been unfair, if 
not untruthful. It is, of course, Ills privilege to 
write whatever these papers will print and become 
responsible for. He now 1ms bis say in Tint It. N.-Y. 
We have said repeatedly that we are not absolutely 
opposed to consolidation of schools. There are evi 
dently cases where lids policy would pay. For all 
we know to the contrary, the district cited by Mr. 
Christ man may be one of these cases. ’I bat, how¬ 
ever, does not prove that consolidation is always 
practical or desirable. One can probably living local 
cases which would prove almost, anything. We will 
agree to find dozens of country districts where con¬ 
solidation would not be the best policy. We would 
prefer to have the discussion conducted on broader 
grounds than Mr. Christman sees tit to follow. 
* 
IIE injunction granted by Judge Alverson last 
December on application of the Lowvllle Milk 
find Cream Company against, the Dairymen's League 
and the Bocal Milk and Cream Company of New 
York, to prevent the fixing of a lesser price for milk 
of non-poolers than for that of poolers, lias been 
vacated by Justice Cheney, nt Syracuse, on the 
ground that a contract between the Dairymen’s 
Longue and the dealer would not. affect, a separate 
contract between the Lowville company and the 
dealer; and on tin* further ground that in ease of 
a breach of duty between the League and its stock¬ 
holder, the individual stockholder has his remedy in 
U separate suit in his own name. The final decision 
now rests with the trial of the suit on its merits In 
the coming April. It was stated by the plaintiff's 
attorney 1 lint a case would be started by an indi¬ 
vidual dairyman along the permissible lines sug¬ 
gested by Judge Cheney. But now that the League 
has decided to discontinue the sale of milk for non- 
poo! members, the decision can have only an 
academic interest after April 1st next. 
* 
IIATEVER else may he said about the agri¬ 
cultural conference at Washington, It “started 
something." We never had before a clearer state¬ 
ment of what agriculture needs and what farmers 
want. The convention hit. the nerve center of the 
whole economic farm structure in the dispute with 
Mr. Gompers, without fully realizing its importance, 
li Is not a question, as some assumed, of pulling 
labor down to lift farmers up. The farmer is not 
concerned whether the reward for Ills labor is raised 
to the standard of other labor, or whether tin* re¬ 
ward for other effort Is reduced to a level of his 
wages. He simply wants the products of an hour's 
skilled labor on Ihe farm to exchange for the pro¬ 
duct. of equal time and skill on the railroad, in the 
factory and in the shop. In so far as the machinery 
of government lias yet been employed to standardize 
wages, It has used cost of living In tin* city as a 
basis. In other words, it has attempted to stand¬ 
ardize wages in terms of itself, which is economically 
impossible, and which resulted in the “vicious cycle” 
of alternating high wages and high prices. Since the 
hulk of trade is always between the country on one 
side and the city on the other side, and agricul¬ 
ture being a basic industry, the standard of railroad 
and Industrial wages should lie expressed in terms 
of agricultural values. The relative value of two 
articles in exchange is fairly determined by the 
amount, of labor, skill and energy considered neces¬ 
sary to produce each of them. When the products of 
the farm are exchanged on Ibis fair basis for the 
products of the factory and simp, either in direct 
barter or through the medium of money, there will 
then lie no wage dispute between union labor and 
farmers. 
* 
HE terrible cold of the past 10 days has un¬ 
doubtedly killed many poach buds In Western 
New York and in New England. Thus far little dam¬ 
age seems lo have been done up to the latitude of 
New York City. Those of us who were looking for a 
mild Winter know better now. Tlio lee crop is safe, 
at least. 
* 
E asked Mr. Herbert G. Reed, a practical 
farmer and member of the Committee of 
Twenty-one, to give us a fair synopsis of that com¬ 
mittee's report on the rural school question. This 
note will lie found on page 1*2. The full report will 
he printed in book form and distributed to all who 
are interested. Il opens up one of the most impor¬ 
tant questions which New York fanners must face. 
There will be a year in which to discuss this matter, 
ami before il is over we want to give such publicity 
Hint no Intelligent, man or woman can ever say they 
did not understand. We suggest that those who 
criticize the report first, get. a complete copy and 
study it. We cannot use articles unless they are 
signed by the writer’s name, free from personal at¬ 
tack, and reasonably brief. They should discuss 
the matter iu a broad way, for this is not u mattoi 
for any narrow or selfish opinion. 
Brevities 
With sheep men using shoddy and cow men oleo, 
we have two fellows out to give their life a body blow. 
A CASK is reported from Detroit where u man bought, 
liquor from a bootlegger. He found the liquor 
Worthless and then refused payment of the check, lie 
was sued for the money. The judge dismissed the case 
on tin* thoory that undor tin* present laws liquor us ft 
Commodity has no standing in court without u ccrtinctttc 
or license. It is not legal property. 
