616 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
The Rural New-Yorker 
the ms is ess farmers paver 
A. National Weekly Journal for Country nnd Suburban Home* 
Established mo 
Published neelclj by tho Rnrnl Pnlilithlnf Company, 8S8 W ont *Olh Street. New York 
Herbkrt W. CoU.iXawoop, 1'iesUlcnt nml Editor. 
John’ J. Dooms, Treasurer And General Manager. 
Wm. F. Dillon, Secretary. Mrs. E. T. Korn.. Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION : ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union $2.01. equal to 8s. Cd., or 
8>4 marks, or 104, franca Itrrnit in money order, express 
order, i>ersotial check or bank draft. 
Entered at New York Post Office ns Second Class Matter. 
Advertising rates, tl.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 tills paper is backed by a respon¬ 
sible person. We use every powriblc precaution and admit the advertising of 
reliable houses only. But to make, doubly sure, wo will make good any loss 
to paid subscribers tmnbonod by trusting any deliberate swindler, irrespon¬ 
sible advertisers or misleading advertisements In our columns and any 
such swindler will lm publicly exposed. Wc arc also often called ui>on 
to adjust. dilTerenecH <u- mistakes between our subscribers and honest, 
responsible lions,-S, whether advertise!* or not. Wo willingly use our good 
offices to this end, but such coses should not be confurrd with dishonest 
transactions We protect subscribers; against rogues, but wo will not bo 
responsible for the debts or honest bankrupt-: sanctioned bv the courts. 
Notice nf the complaint linift be rent to u.t within otic tnonlli or the time of 
the transaction, and to identify it, you should mention The Rural New- 
Yorker when writing the advertiser. 
A SPEAKER in tile Canadian House of Commons 
—from the Pacific country—is interested in 
producing salmon. This is part of what he said: 
Ii serins that when the woe salmon come into the 
world at 1 lie fish hatchery they are guarded against all 
enemies and lose their protective instinct. So when the 
salmon has come of age and is sent out in the cold 
world he is as “tame as a eat.'' to use Mr. Neill's ex¬ 
pression, and when he meets an enemy he “stands with 
his mouth open and accepts murder ns if such a thing 
was foreordained.” 
Most men would object to being called a fish, but 
there is no human being on earth wlio cannot get 
wisdom from the experiene of these salmon. Tt is a 
full endorsement of our old slogan "We have.got to 
do if ourselves /” It is quite possible for the gov¬ 
ernment. the colleges and the great army of public 
servants, to do too much for a fanner. lie may be 
petted and carried anil provided for until lie loses 
the rugged self-reliance and initiative of bis ances¬ 
tors, and, like the salmon, “accepts murder as if 
such a thing was foreordained.” It is murder of 
character, self-reliance and moral power. “We have 
got to do it ourselves.'’' 
* 
RS. DOROTHY CANFIELD FISHER is the 
author of “The Brimming Cup,” "The Bent 
Twig,” and several other excellent books. Her books 
are notable for their Common sense, shrewd study of 
human nature and an appeal to the best that can be 
found in man and woman. Mrs. Fisher lives in Ver¬ 
mont. and was recently appointed on the State 
Board of Education. A woman of remarkable en¬ 
ergy and resource, she looked about for some way 
in which she might he particularly useful. So she 
turned her training as a writer into the work of 
“selling better schools to the Vermont public.” At 
least that is the way she puts it—and it is a good 
way. So Mrs. Fisher will write a series of sketches 
oi stories for the Vermont papers. She has invented 
a character who was suggested by a valiant old 
woman in a country district who has always fought 
for better schools. For Mrs. Fisher knows that "ice 
must do it ourselves ” if the schools are to he made 
what they should he. No use waiting for “head¬ 
quarters” to do tilings. As a rule they are slower 
than fate, and not by any means as sure. Some man 
or woman (and a woman is best suited for the job) 
right in the homo district must get into the game and 
play it through with courage and patience, and with 
untiring zeal and sublime faith. Here is the way 
Mrs. Fisher puts it: 
I am more and more convinced that there is no other 
way in which a democracy can be made to work. And 
if a democracy ran't be made to work, we might as well 
.‘hut up shop and quit. 
That is eternally right, not only in Vermont but 
even more so in New York and New Jersey. And 
yet we cannot "shut up shop and quit.” therefore 
we have got to make democracy work. The R. N.-Y. 
will print some of Mrs. Fisher’s sketches of country 
school life. They are great. 
* 
“/ can hear with it!” 
NE of the boys rushed in the other day with that 
announcement. It was a great occasion. He 
had put scraps of wire and metal together into a 
form of “wireless.” and it actually took waves from 
the air and translated them into effective sound. We 
have promised the hoys that if they could work out 
the principle in this way we would get them a rea¬ 
sonable set of instruments. For we believe that the 
radiophone will soon become more of a necessity to 
country dwellers than the telephone or the telegraph. 
It will do more than Hie ear to bring people together 
and group them in feeling and thought. Many of us 
who date back far beyond the car can remember the 
days when a farmers’ meeting was limited to the 
distance a farm horse could comfortably travel. 
Possibly 10 miles.was about the radius from which 
such a meeting could he fed. Now 40 or 50 miles is 
not too far for such a trip. And many of ns can 
also remember the days when there were no tele¬ 
phones. People depended on tlic mails or the slow 
process of sending messengers for communication. 
Now the average home can quickly reach any point 
within 150 miles and talk as freely as if the distant 
speaker were in the next room. We can all under¬ 
stand how the car and the telephone have changed 
the habits of society. On the whole, the world is 
better for their use. in spite of the undoubted abuse 
to which they are sometimes put. We think the 
“wireless" is to have a far greater effect upon human 
society. It will change even more of our old-time 
habits. The hoy who has rigged up a crude con¬ 
trivance of wires and “receives” lias at his command 
a power which the wisest and greatest men of our 
boyhood days hardly dreamed of. So great is the 
growth of thought and so rapid the march of inven¬ 
tion that youth of today may use as-a plaything that 
which a century ago would have been regarded as a 
marvel too mysterious for the ordinary mind to con¬ 
sider. Already this toy is being put to great prac¬ 
tical use. The daily papers are actually printing 
programs of concerts and lectures which are taken 
out of the air into thousands of homes. The little 
folks listen to a “bedtime story" told by some 
speaker hundreds of miles away. The older folks 
may choose between a scientific lecture, a sermon, a 
musical concert or the daily news. Political candi¬ 
dates will present their appeal by “wireless”; mar¬ 
ket prices and news are now given. There seems no 
limit lo the uses to which this new system may be 
put. Wheu fully developed, we think it will have a 
profound influence upon country life. It will bring 
more of the desirable things of the world to the 
farmer and make many young people more content 
to remain in the country. On the other hand, we 
fear that it will interfere somewhat with the habit 
of solid reading and study. It. may help to substi¬ 
tute what we call '•canned thought” for independent 
thinking. It is a device which may be used for good 
or for evil, depending on the motive of those who 
prepare and send out the message. It is sure to 
come, however, and will in time find a place in more 
farm homes than are now supplied with telephones. 
* 
T HOSE who thought the "farm bloc” in Congress 
would break up when Senator Kenyon retired 
must revise their opinion. This group of farm rep¬ 
resentatives seems stronger than ever in its power 
to secure legislation. It was chiefly responsible for 
the high duties on farm products in the tariff bill, 
and is now working for a system of farm credits 
which has been demanded by Western farmers. 
Those who criticize the operations of this “farm 
bloc” and the legislation it is working for, must re¬ 
member that practically every farm organization 
has endorsed it. There has never before been any 
group of public men with such strong and solid hack¬ 
ing from farmers. So far as it is possible for the 
various farm organizations to delegate their power 
and specify their demands, this “farm bloc” repre¬ 
sents organized agriculture. It is trying successfully 
to do what farmers want done on great economic 
questions. In former years there have been secret 
“blocs” in Congress working out legislation in the 
interests of bankers, manufacturers, importers and 
other groups. These “blocs" are still to be found in 
Congress, but they work secretly and silently—not in 
the open interest of a great body of citizens, but 
usually for unfair advantage to limited combinations 
of powerful men. The “farm bloc” has the open and 
expressed sanction of a class of people representing 
about one-half of all the people in this country, and 
this class is responsible for the labor and output 
which gives all there is of fundamental stability to 
the nation’s business. The truth is that the farmers 
have at last learned how to gain recognition at 
Washington. They are learning how to take care of 
their own interests, and they will never forget how 
it is done. 
* 
W E can well remember a small boy who crawled 
under the fence at the county fair in order 
to see Dexter trot a«mile. It must have been close 
to 50 years ago, and about all the boy could see 
through the excited legs of a group of farmers was 
a whirl of black and white as the fine horse came 
down the homestretch! The recorded time was 2:24, 
and we all thought wc had witnessed a speed miracle 
—the limit of flesh and blood. Yet the other day 
Norwich, a running colt, ran a dean half mile in 40 
seconds. That means over 57 feet at each tick of 
the clock. It is. as the hoys say. “going some.” Sev- 
April 20, 1922 
oral trotters have covered a mile in two minutes or a 
little better. So that in spite of the car and the 
bicycle, our old friend the horse has gained in 
speed. Personally, we think the trotting horse is 
to have his day once more. There will be thousands 
of wealthy men to whom the car will seem common, 
and they will go hack to the horse as a novelty in 
speed. And we have always liked a dash of the 
warm blood of the trotter in work animals. It gives 
the nerve and intelligence which most men like to 
have in their farm companions. 
* 
N OW comes the season for trying to estimate the 
size of the apple crop. While of course we can¬ 
not toll exactly from the bloom, that is the host indi¬ 
cation we have just now. Our own crop promises 
well, except for the Baldwins, of late years this 
standard old variety seems to have grown “freaky.” 
This should he the hearing year, and the trees have 
been well fed. The bloom, however, is very light; 
on some trees there is none fit all. and we arc some¬ 
what at a loss to account for it. It may be that the 
succession of hard Winters during the war weak¬ 
ened the trees, though they look strong. We would 
like to have reports from readers regarding Bald¬ 
win bloom this year. 
* 
O UR old friend Senator Elon R. Brown comes 
into the limelight once more in something of a 
new capacity. The other day a policeman on a busy 
corner in this city held up a car containing various 
suspicious looking packages. Investigation revealed 
a cargo of 336 quart bottles of Scotch whisky, con¬ 
signed to Senator Brown at a popular city club. This 
shipment was legal, under a clause of the Volstead 
law which permits the transportation of privately 
owned liquor from one residence to another. Sena¬ 
tor Brown has explained that the whisky really be¬ 
longs to his son-in-law, though he expects to use a 
reasonable share of it—"as a medicine.” There is 
little reason for printing this record here, except to 
make the point that men like Senator Brown and 
his son-in-law are chiefly responsible for the dis¬ 
respect for law which is developing into a "crime 
wave.” When such men can and do make sure of 
their own "booze" through some legal loophole, it is 
not surprising that poor men without their “stand¬ 
ing” in society come to have contempt, for all re¬ 
strictive laws. That is what is troubling the city to¬ 
day. 
* 
O UR opinion is that seed of Hubam clover must 
be greatly reduced in price next year and in 
years to follow. No one can afford to pay high 
prices for this seed except to get a start with it or 
to begin a seed business. A crop for hay or green 
manure must not cost too much for the seeding, and 
we have never advised any extensive purchase of 
Hubam seed for producing a crop of hay. When the 
price falls to 25 cents a pound, or less, as it must do 
in the near future, Hubam will find its place among 
the best of the legumes. Some of the experts seem 
determined to give Hubam a poor reputation and 
drive it out of use. They will be unable to do that. 
“You can’t keep a good man down.” nor can you 
drive a good legume out of use. Hubam will fully 
demonstrate its value in time, but do not hank on 
any great fortune in producing seed. Figure it just 
as you would any other useful forage or manurial 
crop. 
Brevities 
“Filled milk!” It will fill the dairyman’s grave if 
it is not killed. 
The Black Jersey Giants are now recognized as a 
standard breed of poultry. See page 627. 
“Candy is as necessary as milk to children !” That 
is a candy-maker’s sign. Could business impudence go 
further thnu that? 
The man who has no garden on his farm and cannot 
lunch on rhubarb, lettuce, leeks, asparagus and other 
garden sass, is fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils. 
We find some farmers who seed to grass by scattering 
the grass seed over the manure nnd then spreading 
evenly. The seed starts well, but it. is hard to get an 
even stand. 
There is a great temptation this year to turn cattle 
out to pasture too early. The rains have started the 
grnsR, but the land is too wet, and the cattle will do 
great damage if they wade into the mud. 
We find that it pays to mix a little seed of Alsike 
clover with the red whenever seeding for hay. The 
Alsike will do better in the spots where the soil is 
damp or acid, and there are always such spots in every 
field. 
The Massachusetts Supreme Court has decided that 
women arp eligible to hold any office in the State, from 
Governor down. But how many of them would really 
want to resign the office of head of a good home, to be 
Governor? 
