282 
February 25, 1922 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER?S PAPER 
A. National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes 
Established tsso 
published neetlj by the Rnr»l riibliuhlnc t'<imv»ny. 333 West 80Ch Street,Ncw fork 
Hrrucrt W. COLLixinvoou, President and Editor. 
John .1. Dillon, Treasurer and General M.-tnoger. 
Wm. F. Dillon Secretary. Mk 8. E, T. ROYLE, Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION : ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union. $2.01, equal to 8s. 6d., or 
8)a marks, or 101... francs. Remit in money order, express 
order, pei’sonal check or bank draft. 
Entered at New York Post. Office os Second Class Matter. 
Advertising rates, »1 00 per agate line—7 words. References required for 
advertisers unknown to us ; and cash must accompany transient orders. 
“A SQUARE DEAL” 
We believe that every advertisement in this paper is hacked by a respon¬ 
sible person. We use. t-Verv possible precaution and admit the advertising of 
reliable houses only. But'to make doubly sure, we will make good my loss 
to paid subscribers sustained by trusting any deliberate swindler, irivspon- 
sibla advertisers or misleading advertisements in our columns, and any 
such swindler will he publicly exposed. We are also often called upon 
to adjust differences or mistakes between our sub-cribers and honest, 
responsible houses, a bother advertiser? or not. We willingly use our good 
others to this end. but such eases should not be confused with dishonest 
transactions. We protect subscriber* against roguca. but we will not he 
responsible for the debts of honest bankrupt* sanctioned by the courts. 
Notice of the complaint must be sent to us within oue month <>t the time of 
the transaction, and to identify it, you should mention Thk Rural New- 
Yorker when writing the advertiser. 
W E may as well admit that the Dutchess County 
(N. Y.) plan of handling auto thieves and 
rogue hunters (see page 2S3) is better than the way 
we have suggested. Yet. as all can quickly see, this 
Dutchess County plan will he successful only where 
there is a live farm organization, and where farmers 
will stick together through thick and thin. This is 
l.ut another illustration of the truth that, the farmers 
of any community can do almost anything and get 
about what they want if they will only organize and 
work together. 
* 
T HE other day Secretary of Agriculture Wallace 
talked by wireless to a group of farmers over 
1.000 miles away. We can easily remember the time 
when a National Commissioner of Agriculture came 
to speak before a gathering of farmers and found 
only 35 men assembled. Women were not in “agri¬ 
culture” at that time. Those were the days when 
the head of the Agricultural Department received an 
annual appropriation of $200,000 and asked “What 
can I do with all this money?” This year the ap¬ 
propriations for the department are well over $40,- 
000,000! From an audience of a little roomful of peo¬ 
ple to a talk by wireless to a great company 1,000 
miles away is a contrast typical of what is working 
out in agriculture. A new generation has come upon 
the scene. Forty years ago. when some of those who 
are still left started the work of farm education, 
there was no background of experience or accom¬ 
plishment. It required 80 years to lay the founda¬ 
tions. Now younger men and women, with new and 
worldwide tools, will build securely and well. We 
have great faith in the future, and believe that final¬ 
ly “agriculture" will pull off its frills and furbelows 
and get down to shirt-sleeve farming. That’s the 
only kind tliat-will feed the world. 
* 
E are told that some of the educators have 
tried to push a new school law through the 
New York Legislature this year. They evidently had 
it ready, but the Assemblymen from the rural coun¬ 
ties called off this attempt. These men are close to 
the people, and they know that any effort to force 
tilings now would result in sure defeat—not only for 
the bill itself, but for any party that ever got back 
of it. Politicians have long memories, and they will 
remember what happened to the township school law. 
There should be a full year permitted for considera¬ 
tion of the report of the Committee of Twenty-one. 
We have already received many comments, and they 
are not encouraging for the report. We advise our 
people to study the report and understand it before 
they go on record. 
* 
HE Supreme Court of New Jersey has before it 
a case which involves the legality of “daylight 
saving.” The city council of Bridgeton passed an 
ordinance providing for daylight saving time from 
June S to September 25. U> 21 . The local court judges 
while not convinced of the legality of this ordinance, 
finally decided to order their courts by I he new time. 
The local firm of Minch Brothers does a large business 
in growing and shipping fruit and vegetables. The 
sealer of weights and measures found a few of their 
packages not fully marked and finally brought suit. 
The local justice called the case for 10 o’clock in the 
forenoon. At 9 o’clock (daylight saving time) the 
justice opened the case, but Mr. Minch did not ap¬ 
pear. The ease went by default, and Mr. Minch was 
fined $25 and costs. Then at 10 o’clock, standard 
time (11 o’clock daylight saving), Mr. Minch ap¬ 
peared with his attorney, prepared for trial. They 
were informed that the case was closed. Now Mr. 
Minch has brought suit against the local justice and 
the sealer, on the theory that he did not have a fair 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
trial, since daylight saving time is illegal, and the 
city ordinance violates the statutes of New Jersey. 
A group of influential farmers and the State societies 
combined to fight this case. Tt is now before the 
Supreme Court. This is an echo of the old daylight 
saving battle, and shows the steady opposition which 
farmers have to the now time. Tt would not be pos¬ 
sible to re-enact the old daylight saving time in New 
York or New Jersey this year. 
* 
At our place, which is a typical country or suburban 
home, we have just installed a complete radio apparatus. 
I get the news of the day before the newspapers are out; 
though located five miles from the village, a mile from 
the station and 40 miles from New York, I am in inti¬ 
mate touch with the outside world; our children hear 
bedtime stories: I listen to opera, while some of the 
family prefers jazz; but. at least, the radio ’phono offers 
all the family interest, amusement and instruction. I 
think this development has a special significance for 
the country woman and country home. Can we ever 
say “lonely” country again? C. F. 
E have a number of reports like the above. 
Many farmers are studying the radio ’phone 
with a view to installing one. The air all about us 
is filled with sound waves. The marvel of it is that 
these “wireless” instruments can pick these waves 
out of the atmosphere and translate them into con¬ 
versation or music! There are those who think that 
the development, of this "wireless” will do more for 
country people than the car has ever done. Cer¬ 
tainly it will do much to relieve the feeling of lone¬ 
liness when the farm family can feel that it is within 
hearing of the entire country or State. Tt ought to 
act to develop the country home. We understand 
that inventors are at work upon small devices for 
bringing moving pictures right into the home. The 
machine will he much the same size as those used 
for talking, or for “canned” music. There will be 
rolls of films, so that all the great moving pictures 
may lie seen right in your own parlor or sitting room. 
All this will mean bringing entertainment right to 
the farm home. There will he less need of chasing 
after it to the town or city. Events are moving with 
lightning speed, and no one can safely forecast the 
future, but it seems to us that we are at the begin¬ 
ning of a swing back to the country and the simple 
li p e of the farm home. We hope so, at any rate. 
* 
T HE newspapers announced last week that the 
New York Supreme Court had declared the so- 
called Donnelly law unconstitutional. It is under 
this law that the Dairymen’s League and other 
State farm organizations derive much of their 
power. We have not been able yet to obtain a full 
copy of the decision so as to learn just what the 
court actually decided. We shall have a study of it 
later. Personally, we do not believe the higher 
courts will sustain this opinion. The National Con¬ 
gress has just passed a law giving in a national way 
much the same rights to form farm organizations. 
We found the leaders at the Cornell Farmers’ Week 
very hopeful that the State law would finally he 
sustained. 
* 
I N spite of the storm a great crowd of farmers 
attended “Farmers* Week" at Cornell. It was 
om* of the most interesting and useful of all the long 
series of meetings. The managers rather expected 
a light attendance. Many of the roads are not in 
good condition, and it was hard for people to get 
about. There was a general feeling, too, that farmers 
were quite a little depressed over the farm situation, 
and not in a mood for attending meetings. Both 
guesses were wrong. There was a great crowd of 
fine, earnest folks—a typical gathering of the more 
intelligent class of country people. And they were 
far more hopeful than one would he led to expect 
from the usual reports. Plans are in hand for an 
active season, and on the whole farmers expect a 
better year than the last one. There was no dis¬ 
guising the truth about farming and its conditions, 
but at the same lime the feeling, both in the lectures 
and in private talk all through the buildings and 
grounds, was hopeful and encouraging. The vast 
majority of these farmers commend the “agricultural 
bloc” in Congress, and are opposed to paying the 
soldiers’ bonus at this time. 
* 
ARMERS who are interested in free imports of 
potash must act quickly or a heavy tariff will 
be put on this product. It is said that the Senate 
Agricultural Committee will report a tariff hill with 
a tax of $25 per ton on agricultural potash. This 
is intended to benefit a few corporations which have 
invested in American potash deposits, Tt is an 
extortionate and needless tax. Eastern farmers in 
particular need potash on practically all soils, except 
the heavy clays. There is no good reason for such 
a tax if we consider for a moment the needs and 
rights of the majority—both farmers and consumers. 
The only way to stop it is to get. right after your 
Senator and Congressman, and demand that he vote 
for free potash. Do it at once. 
HE “agricultural bloc” at Washington has done 
one thing at least—it has made Congress far 
more responsive to popular opinion than it ever was 
before. In the old days the average Congressman 
felt that lie could easily bluff off complaints or sug¬ 
gestions with “careful consideration,” “earnest at¬ 
tention," or some other meaningless phrase. That 
usually worked, for the average voter, while he 
might growl and talk, could usually be expected to 
stand by the party. Now that pleasant dream is 
being upset People see a body of strong and capable 
men ignoring party lines and acting together for a 
certain definite and honest purpose. Furthermore, 
they see this body actually getting results such as 
never before were dreamed of! The result is that 
all over the country men and women are beginning 
to understand the political secret of independence. 
And Washington begins to understand as well. There 
has not been a time in years when Congress was so 
eager to learn popular opinion and to be guided by 
it as right now. The “feeling out” of opinion on the 
bonus taxes is a good illustration. Of course the 
“stand-pat” orators will bemoan this and say it leads 
to “mob rule,” Well, we have had all kinds of “job 
rule” for many years. 
5k 
I T would seem as if there might be found in every 
county or large community a man like Mr. Col¬ 
well. whose story is told on page 203. No one can 
measure the good which this man lias done through 
his system of loaning rnouey for buying farms. Nor 
can anyone estimate the solid character and full 
Americanism which this man has given to his coun¬ 
try by enabling men to obtain farms and homes. His 
plan is so simple that it seems almost childlike. The 
buyer is permitted to pay for the farm about as he 
pleases. lie keeps up the interest and makes such 
•annual payments as he can. With an industrious 
man who has sound character and is aided by a good 
wife such a contract is entirely safe. The investor 
is sure to get his money back with fair intei’est, and 
the buyer is sure to own the farm in time. There 
have been numerous cases where Mr. Colwell could 
have foreclosed and forced the buyer to give the 
farm back. But that was not a part of the plan— 
which was not only to sell a farm, but to create a 
farm home and family. So, in time of discourage¬ 
ment, Mr, Colwell, instead of pushing his clients, 
boosted them along the way. One think which aided 
this man was his keen judgment of human character. 
It is not likely that lie would back a lazy, shiftless 
or careless spender, and he knew how to cull all such 
out. The whole thing seems very simple, yet that is 
the great beauty of it, as it is of every successful 
application of business to common things. If there 
were more men like Mr. Colwell there would be more 
home builders and fewer abandoned farms. 
Brevities 
The New York State Experiment Station finds that 
most grape vineyard soils are deficient in lime and 
phosphorus. These are the greatest fertilizing needs. 
When we startl'd this talk about the “tailless rooster” 
we liiul no idea wluit was coming. The country seems 
full of such birds, though just what advantage this de¬ 
tailing is we cannot see. 
A Farmer in Lancaster Co., Pa., heard a noise in his 
henhouse, fired at random and killed a chicken thief. 
The coroner’s jury promptly exonerated him. It is a 
fearful thing to take a human life. 
Where heavy clay garden soil bakes hard, so that 
beans and other crops find it hard to break through, the 
need is for manure and lime. The latter will break up 
the soil, as it would spoil brick making. 
\Vb have a report of a deaf and dumb couple who 
applied to the court for separation because the woman 
said “hard things about her husband.” It seems that 
one can talk harder with the lingers than with the 
tongue. 
One happy bnck-to-the-lauder writes us that lie is on 
a nice quiet place at the end of a lonely lane, “where the 
children are in no danger of being ruq over. In almost 
the same mail comes a letter from a woman who grieves 
because she must live in such a lonely place! 
A few weeks ago we had a picture of a stout-picking 
machine made in Czechoslovakia. The Agricultural 
Department want to arrange a machine on Something of 
the same principle for picking up the “drops” iu 
Southern peach orchards, That seems to be about the 
only way to control the curculio. 
“Keep right after the free seed fakes. It seems to me 
any man with brains enough to get to be a Senator or 
Congressman would have brains enough not to try to 
fool the people with a few packets of seeds to get their 
vote,” says II. J. Britton, Pennsylvania. Thev came 
near to killing this free-seed graft last year -nearer 
than ever before. Keen after them and it will finally 
be killed. 
