380 
March 11. 1922 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER 
A National Weekly Journal for Country nnd Suburban Homes 
EstablMMii »wa 
TublUhed nccklj by the Rural Publishing Company. S.’1S «>st StOth Street, New York 
HkrsbkT W. Coluno'vood, President and Editor. 
Jo,tv J Treasurer and OenenU Manager. 
WtL F. Diixos. Secretary._ _ M'ts. K T. Hoyle, Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION s ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign oountrieB in the Universal Tostal Fnion, $2.0*. equal to 8a Od., or 
1 Bta marks, or ID<<, francs. Remit in money order, express 
order, persona! cheek or hanJc ar&it. 
Entered at New York Post Office as Second Class Matter. 
Advertising rates, *1.00 per agate line—7 words. References required for 
advertisers unknown to U8 ; and cash must, accompany transient orders. 
“A SQUARE DEAL" 
We believe that every advertisement in this paper is backed by a respon¬ 
sible person We use every possible precaution and admit the advertising of 
reliable boils,only. Rut to make doubly sum, will make good any loss 
to snlwcrlbers sustain,si by trusting any deliberate swindler, irrespon¬ 
sible tulveitlsors or iiiirif.nl luff advertisements In our columns, and any 
such swindler will be publicly exposed. Wo arc also often called upon 
to adjust illtlcn/liCes or mistakes between our subscribers and honest, 
reaponslblc houses, who,hat advertiser!, or not. We willingly use our good 
offices to this end, but such case- should not, bo contused with dishonest 
transactions. Wr protect, snbwtrihers against rogues, but wc will not be 
rennonriblc for the debts of honest bankrupts sanctioned by the courts. 
Notice of the complaint, must be sent to us within one month of the time of 
the transaction, and to identify it. you should mention Thk Rural New- 
Yorker when writing the advertiser. _ 
7 want to c.vpresx my appreciation of The R. N.-Y. 
7 Kant you to know that I appreciate it as the tiring 
thing you leant it to be. R - B - E - 
M iehigan. 
«t TYING thing!” You have said in two words 
J— f what we try to make of The R. N.-Y. There 
are too many men and too much of their material 
walking through life in an aimless perfunctory wav. 
Let’s try to be alive. 
* 
S ENATOR WILLIAM S. KENYON of Iowa has 
been called the leader of the “agricultural bloc” 
in the Senate. He is an able man—clean and pro¬ 
gressive; a real champion for farmers. He has now 
resigned from the Senate to accept a Federal judge- 
ship, and there is much speculation as to what the 
effect will be upon the “bloc,” Rome of the daily 
papers are quick to conclude that the retirement of 
Senator Kenyon means the end of the “bloc. r l hey 
should spend no time fooling themselves over that 
proposition. The present movement among farmers 
is stronger than any individual or any group. Def¬ 
inite and organized work in Congress is a part of the 
agricultural program, and it will be developed still 
further. There is no reasonable criticism for Sen¬ 
ator Kenyon’s retirement. He is well fitted to serve 
as a judge, and he prefers that service. We think 
one great reason for his retirement was his disgust 
at the action of the Senate in seating Newberry of 
Michigan. Iowa is an agricultural State, with the 
progressive element in power. There should be a 
strong and fearless man to follow Senator Kenyon. 
* 
W E have many letters asking us about kudzu. 
We have tried to tell fairly all we know 
about this plant. There is no question about its 
value at the South. There it is a wonderful plant 
for either pasture or hay. Its value at the Noith 
has yet to be determined. We know it will grow 
during our Northern Summers; some of our vines 
grew over 50 feet last Summer, and the stock like it. 
Will it live through the Winter? It has done so as 
far north as Albany when used as an ornamental 
vine. What it will do as a forage crop remains to be 
seen. We have never advised our readers to plunge 
on it, and we hope the dealers in roots will refuse 
to sell over 150 roots to any Northern buyer. That 
is enough to experiment with, and we think such an 
investment would pay. We are told that kudzu 
planted at. the Ohio Experiment Station was all win¬ 
ter-killed. Even that would not prevent our trying 
it in a small way. As a matter of fact, our crop 
last year gave forage enough to more than pay a 
profit on roots and labor, even if every root is found 
dead this Spring. Our own patch is having a severe 
test, there being a crust of ice all over it. Even if 
every root is killed we shall try it again. But let 
no man or woman or child ever say that we hate 
advised anything more than an inexpensive experi¬ 
ment with kudzu. 
* 
Resolved, that the Ohio Wool Growers’ Association 
recommend to the buying public the jj atron f ^ 1 
tai’ors and clothiers who specialize in vtrgin wool tex 
tiles, and who advertise in public journals to that enecl. 
O CR friend, W. W. Reynolds, sends the above as 
a suitable resolution for all wool growers’ 
associations. What is the matter with it? If it is 
right for a dairyman to refuse to buy butter substi¬ 
tutes, it is doubly right for a sheepman to refuse to 
buy shoddy. Strange as it may seem, there are 
dairymen and sheepmen who prefer to sell the pure 
prod Jet and buy the bogus. We have no sympathy 
with such a policy, and cannot possibly see how any 
farmer can expect to follow it and be loyal to his 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
business. Tt requires courage for any manufacturer 
or dealer to come out and offer pure virgin wool 
cloth. One who does so should receive the support 
of the men who produce wool. Such support is part 
of the power which lies in our hands, and which 
enables us to do it ourselves. 
* 
T HE bill before the Albany Legislature making a 
legal standard of butterfat for ice cream ought 
to become a law. The trade in ice cream is growing 
wonderfully. It provides one of the best possible 
outlets for Surplus milk and cream. It lias now be¬ 
come a habit to mix sugar, skim-milk, cocoa nut oil 
and a little cream, freeze it and call it “ice cream.” 
It is an awful libel on a cow to call it cream, and an 
outrage upon human beings to demand a grea f price 
for it. The proposed law will call for a standard 
composition. This will cut out the oil and substi¬ 
tute cream—a blessing not only to the dairymen but 
to the public. 
* 
A FEW years ago The R. N.-Y. began to talk about 
dried apple pomace as a cattle food. “Impos¬ 
sible,” "nonsense,” “impracticable,” were a few of 
the comments. Now, under a more fashionable name, 
the stuff has come into use. “Dried apple pectin 
pulp” is the fashionable title. The pomace is soaked 
and pressed to take out tin 1 pectin for jelly making, 
then dried and ground. When soaked in water it has 
proved quite equal to good silage. We expect to 
see the time when every pound of pomace will be 
fed—either fresh or as “dried pulp.” This product 
is following much the same track as that of cotton¬ 
seed. At one time this seed was burned or dumped 
into rivers to get rid of it. Now it is put to so many 
uses that it brings about as much money as the lint. 
* 
W E commend the article on page 376 regarding 
forestry and the rural schools. What tli.s 
school district did might well be done by hundreds 
of others. These little groves near the schoolhouse 
will not only serve as windbreaks and snow shelters, 
but they beautify the place and add to its value. 
Most of us desire to hold and improve the district 
school. We cannot expect to do this successfully 
unless we are willing to contribute in money, time 
and thought. That is the only way to make the 
school worth more. This forestry plan is a good one. 
* 
CORRESPONDENT on page 376 says that chil¬ 
dren in rural schools should he taught a few 
fundamentals well. He is right. Only a few out of 
the usual rural school will go on to high school and 
college. The aim of education should be to attempt 
to give the masses of plain people a solid ground¬ 
work in English and a few essentials As it is now, 
the chief idea of public education seems to he to 
push a very small minority on through college, ar¬ 
ranging the grades so as to help these few along the 
way. Thus there comes to be hut a small place left, 
for “finishing” the hoys and girls who must go to 
work before starting at high school. These pupils 
go out to take their places in the world with a 
smattering of many studies, but no real foundation 
in anything. The great power of education in the 
rural school should he directed at the many who 
stop and go to work, rather than at. the few who go 
on toward college. Granting that the highly edu¬ 
cated man is needed ns a leader, how can he lead 
unless he has an army of intelligent privates in the 
ranks? 
* 
M ANY readers say they will be short of hay this 
year. The seeding has failed and they must 
have some quick-growing substitute. That is our 
own case, and we shall use oats and Canada peas 
seeded together. A combination of three bushels 
Canada peas and one bushel of oats to the acre 
usually gives us a good crop of fodder nearly equal 
to clover hay. All kinds of stock like it. The crop 
eau he seeded early and you can get it off in lime to 
seed buckwheat or millet for a late crop. We know 
of nothing equal to this combination for a quick hay 
substitute. But do not make the mistake of seeding 
coir peas, as some have done. The cow pea is a hot 
weather crop and will fade away if you seed it in 
late March or April, while the Canada pea will just 
shake itself in the cold soil. The crop of oats and 
peas is cured much like clover hay. Seeded alone, 
the peas would run on the ground. The oats alone 
would give only a small crop of rather inferior fod¬ 
der. Seeded together, the oats hold the peas off the 
ground, and the combination is as good as a ham 
sandwich for the stock. 
We have a . parent-teachers’ association at the local 
high school, hut our activities seem to be confined to a 
pretty small circle. I have jlist been elected president 
nf the association, and would like to stir up a little more 
interest, if possible. Without doubt, many of your great 
family are members of flourishing associations of this 
sort, and could tell some of the things they do to stir 
the parents and others interested up to a greater de¬ 
gree of interest. It seems to me that tills is a matter 
which is worth while. The more interest people take 
in school matters, and the better they get acquainted 
with the teachers, with the work of the school, and with 
each other as patrons of the school, the better they are 
going to support the schools, and it seetns to me there 
is no sub eot in which we ought to be more vitnlly in¬ 
terested than in our rural schools, If any of Till? R. 
N.-Y. people have some good ideas along this subject 
they might do a lot of good if they could only be given 
such publicity as would result from a discussion in The 
R. N.-Y. CHESTER L. MILLS. 
HIS is one of the most important things con¬ 
nected with our public school system. These 
home and school associations give us personal con¬ 
trol over the school. They open the way through 
which i re must do it ourselves. In many parts of 
New Jersey these school associations are very useful. 
In every community there may be found old-time 
school teachers who have left the schoolroom to pre¬ 
side over homes and families of their own. Through 
the local home and school association they are able 
to influence the local school and greatly increase its 
efficiency. They can and will give us the most valu¬ 
able help in getting our rural schools back under 
rural control and rural influences. In many cases 
these schools have worked away from us because we 
have neglected them. We cannot win them back by 
passing new laws or appointing committees. We 
must got right at the job ourselves, and the way to 
get at it is through the home or parent association. 
It is through such an association that the district 
must dominate the school. Mr. Mills has started a 
good thing. Let’s all go and push it along. We find 
a good many people who are hot for consolidation. 
When we come to question them we usually find that 
' they have not been near the local school for years 
and have talceu no interest in it. It would he far 
better for them to sh.rt a home association and 
really work for the local school before they try to 
scrap it. 
* 
URING the past few years the scientists hav'e 
learned much about foods and nutrition. The 
study of the vita mines has given us new values for 
milk, eggs, leafy vegetables and fruits. This is now 
working out so that its effect is being felt in the 
markets. Without any question people are using 
more milk, vegetables nnd fruits. As a rule they are 
eating less in bulk, but using a better ration. We see 
people who formerly thought they must begin the 
day with sausage and steak now breakfasting on 
fruit, oatmeal or toast and some vegetable like sliced 
tomatoes, with perhaps an egg. They find them¬ 
selves doing more and better work than ever before. 
We expect to see this habit grow, with less and less 
demand for meat and more and more for vegetables, 
eggs and fruit. The people will be better for it, and 
it will change the market demands. 
Brevities 
Remember, oh, remember, that a contract for the sale 
of real estate must be in writing. 
It will pay many of us to substitute barley for oats 
this Spring. 
Sunflowers for silage. They do well in some places, 
but are not equal to corn where that crop does well. 
Painted sausages—that is, sausages colored with coal 
tnr dves—are coming into market. This dye is used to 
deceive the buyer. It is unlawful. 
After long trial we n gard Toulouse geese as superior 
poultry to turkeys. We prefer the meat, and the birds 
are much easier to raise—and easier keepers. 
Several readers write that they ran buy soda ash. 
Is it valuable as a fertilizer? No. It contains no real 
plant food, hut may help somewhat to sweeten the soil. 
Pennsylvania reports 121,547 automobiles, 17,617 
trucks, ami K.500 tractors. The driving horse has nearly 
disappeared from the roads, yet there are still in the 
State 486,607 horses, valued at $47,477,953. 
“Many lmc4c-to-the-landers going cityward.” That is 
the report we get from many sections near large towns. 
Many of these people went at the wrong time and had too 
little capital. Yet city labor does not seem to offer them 
much at this time. 
Several readers have asked the cost of New York 
schools, outside of teachers’ salaries. The latest report 
we have states that these salaries make at least 60 per 
pc nt of the cost in cities and 80 per cent in rural com¬ 
munities. 
WE are having no end of questions about using sul¬ 
phur on strawberries. Will it pay? Wp do not know! 
No one neems to be sure about it. W by not ask the 
strawberries by using a little sulphur on a few rows? 
If many of us could do that, and compare notes, we 
might, know. 
As usual at this season, we have many questions like 
the following: Mv potatoes seem to have been caught by 
the frost. Will they be good for seed? There is only 
one way to find out—ask the potatoes! Take a few 
sample tubers, cut them as you would for planting and 
plant them in pots or boxes in a warm room. The 
growth will tell the story. 
