490 
April 1, 1922 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER 
A. National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Monies 
Established tSSO 
Published weekly by the Rural Publishing Compuny, 3XH West Slllli Street, New Vork 
Herbert W, Colunuwood, rresident and Editor. 
John J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wm. F. Dim.on. Secretary. MRS. E. T. Hoyle, AasociatO Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries in the Universal Festal Union, §S.0t. equal to 8s. Cd., or 
8K marks, or lots francs Remit, in money order, express 
order, personal check or bank draft. 
Entered at Sew York Post Office as Second Class Matter. 
Advertising rates, MOO per agate line—7 words. References required for 
advertisers unknown to us ; Bud cash must accompany transient orders. 
“A SQUARE DEAL” 
TVe believe that every advertisement in this paper is backed by a respon¬ 
sible pei-son. We use e'verv possible precaution and admit the advertising of 
reliable houses only. But to make doubly sure, we w ill make good any loss 
to paid Bubwcribcis sustained by trusting any deliberate swlndlftr, Irrespon¬ 
sible advertor misleading advcrtiM-menls In our columns, and any 
such swindler will be publicly exposed. We are also often culled upon 
to adjust differences or mistakes between our subecrihers nnd honest, 
responsible Jinuw-s, whether advertisers or not. W« willingly u.-c our good 
offices Cs* Ibis did, but such eases should not. he. confused with dishonest 
trsunwiinna We protect subscribers iigaim-f rogues-, but we will not be 
responsible Tor the debts of holiest bankrupts sanctioned bv the courts. 
N,nir-e ,,f rlie complaint most be sent to ns within one month ol the time of 
the transaction, and to identify it, you should mention'T he Rural .New- 
Yorker when writing the advertiser. 
Did you know The It. N.-Y. acted as a detective last 
Winter? A house was entered, and the thief picked 
up a copy of the house owner's "R. N.-Y.” among other 
things. The thief was arrested after the authorities 
had discovered that paper with the owner's name and 
address on it. Isaac l. kip. 
New Jersey. 
E seem to have done nearly everything that 
a paper can do. Suppose we say that this 
man was a very wise and discriminating thief! 
With opportunity to take all sorts of valuables, he 
chose the most valuable tiling of all. even though it 
led to Ills arrest. We would like to know what ar¬ 
ticle had special attractions for him. 
* 
HERE is no doubt that great changes are work¬ 
ing out in the dairy business. For the past 
few years it has been generally predicted that cows 
would lie sold, farmers would abandon dairying, and 
that the supply of milk would run short. It is true 
that many cows have been sold, and that some farm¬ 
ers have quit the business. Yet the supply of milk 
has been kept up until there is usually more than 
can lie sold at a profit. Dairying is going through 
a process of change much like that followed by other 
lines of industry. Years ago New England was full 
of little mills and factories. Every little water 
power had its manufacturing plant. Now they have 
mostly disappeared. Only those survive which could 
do a large business or obtain the capital necessary 
to put in all modern labor necessities. The little 
enterprises run at a waste of human labor were the 
ones to be crushed out. We can remember that 
when tltis change was well under way the older 
people grieved, because they said there would be a 
lack of shoes, watches, cloth or jackknives. Yet 
today, under the new conditions, there are more than 
ever of these things. Dairying is working out in 
much the same way. The smaller dairies of common 
cows, where milk-making is about the only source of 
income, are passing away. Cows are being improved 
by breeding, and there is also improvement in feed¬ 
ing. Farmers with capital or credit are improving 
their outfits and keeping a few more good cows. Many 
fruit growers who formerly kept no stock now have 
small but choice herds, and follow Winter dairying. 
This gives Winter work for the help, and manure 
for the orchards. All these things are working out 
slowly, but as sure as fate. lake all other industrial 
developments, it means death to the smaller dairy¬ 
men who are without capital or sound ci'edit. and 
who have little other source of income. The cruel 
truth seems to be that there is hut little hope for 
them in dairying alone. Some of them have stayed 
with the cows too long already. They would do 
better to work into other crops or stock, and either 
give up the cows or keep fewer good ones as a side 
line. We know how hard it will be for some of our 
readers to realize this, but these great industrial 
changes come upon us like a steam roller. It is 
better to prepare for it rather than wait and be run 
over. 
# 
I N regard to a dog census mentioned last week, one 
rural county in Ohio reports one dog for each 
seven people. Is that a fair statement for your lo¬ 
cality? Probably our best method will be to obtain 
the accurate figures for a number of county units, 
and estimate the number of dogs to total popula¬ 
tion. Readers insist that our figures of 7.000.(1(10 
dogs for tlie eountry are too small. Yet in New York 
City there seems to be only one dog for 50 humans. 
PK 
One of the best things about The R. N.-¥. is that it 
gives us all a chance to talk things over, to compare our 
experiences, to read what others are doing, to see how 
they differ from us. In your paper we common people, 
who do the actual digging, can have a voice. These 
questions are to us most momentous. Farmers have 
qbt RURAL. NEW-YORKER 
nlwavs worked to get the best. They have perhaps not 
tabulated the facts, but have kept the results in their 
heads, to he made use of the next year. f. w. c. 
OW and then some one makes a little complaint 
because we permit what he calls “Tom, Dick 
and Ilarry" to express their views. There are far 
more of these characters in the world than there 
ever were of Thomas. Richard, and Henry, and their 
lives represent the typical struggles of the real 
American citizen. It is well enough to try to in¬ 
struct them. but. they probably need, as much as any¬ 
thing, a chance to get. together and discuss their 
differences reasonably. We like to provide this op¬ 
portunity. Theve are two widely separated methods 
of imparting instruction. One is for the teacher to 
dominate the entire situation, force Ms own views 
upon the school, and treat any discussion as lie 
would a rebellion. The other is to encourage discus¬ 
sion, bring out original thought, and, if need be, 
abandon old and moth-eaten ideas when it becomes 
e\ blent that time has made them untrue or uncouth. 
We prefer tlie latter method. We cannot always 
print all the communications which readers send us. 
but we will try to give a fair place to all sides of 
the discussion. 
* 
HERE is no question about the sincerity of many 
of the soldiers in their demand for what has 
come to be called the bonus. These young men feel 
that they deserve substantial recognition from the 
Government; that they were promised substantial 
reward, and that the nation may well show the grati¬ 
tude which it so profusely expressed in words. They 
think these words should he made good. We know 
enough about youth to feel sympathy for these young 
men. This republic must never seem ungrateful, or 
it may not remain a republic. At the same time it 
is fair to ask where the money required to pay this 
bonus is to come from. We think the hoys' mistake 
is in assuming that the opposition to this bonus by 
older men represents ingratitude, or a desire to be 
small and mean. That is not true. The opposition 
comes mostly from older men, who from long experi¬ 
ence in financial matters, do not see how the money 
can be raised. “Take it from Wall Street,” writes 
one indignant youth; but how under our present 
laws can that he done without injury to many small 
business enterprises already staggering under the 
burden of taxation? If there is any more taxing to 
be done, we think it should be levied directly upon 
the things which are of least necessity. A national 
tax on dogs, rifles and shotguns, diamonds, cigar¬ 
ettes, pianos, perfumes, and similar things which 
minister to pleasure rather than to necessity is now 
being proposed. It is true that such taxes would 
come largely out of those who made no personal sac¬ 
rifice whatever during the war, and they could be 
made large enough to provide for the bonus. The 
R. N.-Y. recognizes to the full the services which our 
soldiers rendered daring tlie war. We favor giving 
them all they deserve, and more, but having had 
long experience in trying to finance our own affairs, 
we want to know where the money is to come from 
before this nation assumes new debts. 
* 
It is high time that the Farm Bureau Federation and 
other agricultural agencies operate an intensive bureau 
to expose any poultrymen or otherwise who practices 
methods which are questionable, to say the least. This 
work should not, of course, aim to supplant, but merely 
supplement. The It. N.-Y.’s splendid efforts. If the 
farmer does not set his own house in order, who can he 
expect to do it for him? L. B. 
I1Y. he can find innumerable people who crave 
the job of doing it for him; hut they will 
charge him more than the house is worth. Then, 
when once established, they will bring in their uncles 
and cousins and aunts until the farmer will be driven 
to the woodshed or the barn. That is the usual re¬ 
sult when office-holders start out to “help the good, 
old farmer” do the things he formerly did himself. 
He did them, and did them well in other days, and 
he will not get what is coming to him until he does 
them once more. U’c haw (jot to do it ourselves. 
8 = 
Nothing gives me more pleasure than the realization 
of the fact that I am living in a period when the rural 
folks are coming into their own—politically, socially, 
commercially, yes, intellectually, artistically, and every 
way educationally. "You don’t have to play down to 
the rural mind,” and I’m glad of it! c. 
HAT is from a bright young man who hopes to 
use his education in some line of agricultural 
work. He is certainly living in a glorious age. and 
he will see many wonderful things in fhe future. 
Yet it is doubtful if he can ever have quite the thrill 
which entered the hearts of the fine "old guard"— 
the men who started the old farmers' institute and 
who stood by the cradle of agricultural education. 
Such men as T. B. Terry. Col. F. D. Curtis, J. S. 
Woodward and J. H. Hale were the pioneers who 
cleared the forest and opened the land. We recall 
several of these okl-timevs still living—George T. 
Powell, Franklin Dye and John Gould. These men 
had hut poor equipment and small backing, but they 
started the flame which has grown like a prairie 
fire until it sweeps the country. And these men 
probably did their greatest work by “playing down 
to the rural mind.” By that we mean that they 
knew more about human nature than they did about 
science, and that, is why they are remembered. Our 
young friend will be disappointed if lie imagines that 
tlie “rural” mind is all ready for his science. He 
should read the letters which come to us from people 
who know that their confidence will be fully re¬ 
spected. When he gets out into the world he will 
realize that, after all. the great bulk of common peo¬ 
ple are moving very slowly up from “plain horse 
sense"! He must learn to speak as the common 
people—think as the wise! 
Will you toll me about the chicken laws of New York 
State? We live in the country, hut directly across the 
road lives another family. I raise a number of ehickeus, 
and, of course, they go across the road into this neigh¬ 
bor's yard. What I want to know is can they raise any 
trouble or compel ns to park them? Remember, this is 
in the country, and not in a village. H.r. L. 
New York. 
ES, they certainly can raise trouble, and we can¬ 
not blame them for doing it. City, country or 
suburbs, the facts are the same; a hen on land be¬ 
longing to another is a trespasser and a nuisance, 
the same as a horse or a cow would be. The truth 
is that your hens have no business to leave your 
premises. It is a hard truth to realize in some 
cases, but none the less it is true. Our neighbors’ 
hens come swarming over our farm. We do not ob¬ 
ject. to them in the orchards or grass or corn. In 
such places they probably do more good than harm. 
When they come into the garden we fight—not phys¬ 
ically, hut in other ways. As we believe no one has 
any right to tell his neighbor to "do as I say! not as 
I do,” we have put a fence around an old orchard 
and keep the hens inside—selecting a breed that is 
content to walk and not fly. There is no greater 
nuisance on the farm than a wandering hen in the 
garden or berry patch. Get right on this subject and 
admit it. Your hens have no legal or moral right to 
go on land belonging to your neighbor without his 
permission. When they do go they must take the 
consequences. 
* 
UIi reports indicate quite heavy planting of 
fruit trees on the Atlantic slope. The census 
figures show a heavy loss in numbers of bearing 
apple trees, and this led many to conclude that fruit 
growing had joined the "decaying industries." That 
is not true. A census of non-hearing trees shows a 
heavy loss in the West and a slight gain in the East. 
Thousands or millions of old trees have been de¬ 
stroyed. They have been slowly dying for years, 
and their loss will not affect the total apple crop. 
The industry is now being grouped more into com¬ 
mercial orchards, with better care for individual 
trees. The stock of nursery trees this year is short 
and will be well cleaned up. From New England 
comes the report of a heavy planting of Wealthy 
apples. Nothing quite like it has been known be¬ 
fore. Many of Ihese Wealtbies are used as fillers— 
to he removed later, in permanent orchards of Mc¬ 
Intosh or Baldwin. It will be easy to overdo this 
planting of Wealthy. The variety ripens at the 
wrong time for the market to take care of a large 
crop. McIntosh, with the aid of good storage, is 
likely to be the standard apple for this section. 
Fruit growers show their faith by their works in 
planting apple trees. There are sure to be seasons 
of heavy crops or low prices, when the business will 
not return a profit. That is more or less true of 
every business, and is particularly true of fruit 
growing, for that is the business of averages, cover¬ 
ing both good and bad seasons. We are all prone to 
growl at conditions in a had year, and carefully con¬ 
ceal the evidence of fortune in the good years. There 
is no question about our ability to produce superior 
fruit in this section, but we are falling down over 
tlie selling proposition. 
Brevities 
Acid phosphate will not cause scab on potatoes. It 
is more likely to prevent it. 
In Massachusetts children are obliged to support 
their needy parents, provided the parents supported 
them during their minority. 
THERE is quite a little complaint about damage to 
fruit buds from partridges. In some cases these birds 
have well-nigh stripped the buds from young trees. We 
like to encourage apple-eating, but not in the bud. 
East week a reader remonstrated against the senti¬ 
mental habit of carving initials upon trees. In New 
England the men who go scouting for gypsy and brown- 
tail moth mark each tree they inspect with an X or a V. 
