C74 
‘Jhe RURAL NEW-YORKER 
May 13, 1022 
The Rural New-Yorker 
Tin-: J 3 U 81 XE 8 B FARMER ,'8 FA PER 
A National Wci'tlj Journal for Country nnd Suburban Homes 
Established ittso 
Published weekly by Hie llnral Pnhlixliing Company, >83 lies* HOth Street, New Vork 
Hkkukkt W. Collisc wood, rrcEtdmt and Editor, 
JfiiN J. Dillon, Treawurer and tienrml Manager. 
Wm. F. Dillon. Secretary. Mas. E. T. Rovli;. Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION : ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, ?i.OI. Remit in money 
tutler, express order. pei'somU check or bank draft. 
Entered at New York Post Ollico as Second Class Matter. 
Advertising rates, fl.no per atrn.tr line—V words. References required for 
advertisers unknown to us ; and cash must, accompany transient orders. 
‘•A SQUARE DEAL" 
AVe 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 houses only, tint to make doubly sure, we will make good any loss 
to paid subscribers sustained by trusting any deliberate swindler, irrespon¬ 
sible advertisers or misleading advertisements in our columns, and any 
such swindler will be pttbliely exposed. We are also often called upon 
to adjust ilitfcrenci'S or mistakes between our Subscribers anil honest, 
responsible bouses, whether advertisers or not, We willingly use our good 
offices to this end, but such caws should not bn confused with dishonest 
transactions. We protect subscribers against rogues, but we will not be 
responsible for the debts of honest bankrupts sanctioned by the courts. 
Notice of the complaint must be sent to us within one month or the time of 
the transacthm, and to identify It, you should mention Tin; KlUai. Nkw- 
YoiiKS.fi when writing the advertiser. 
I have lit’ou asked to join an organization which pro¬ 
poses to repeal the Prohibition amendment to the Unit¬ 
ed States Constitution. It will cost $5 to join. Is 
there really any chailce to repeal this eighteenth amend¬ 
ment V s. K. L. 
1ST about as much chance as there would he to 
repeal the amendment granting trial hy jury, 
protection of citizenship, or the income tax. The 
eighteenth amendment, being now a part of the con¬ 
stitution. it cannot lie repealed except hy a vote of 
three-fourths of the States. Thus. i:s States oppos¬ 
ing such repeal can prevent it. There is no prob¬ 
ability that more than live States would vote in 
favor of repeal. If you want to spend $5 we can find 
organizations formed for the purpose of stopping the 
ocean waves, halting the earth, or making old men 
young. All these things would he just about as sen¬ 
sible as proposing to change the United States Con¬ 
stitution. The men who are promoting this scheme 
know perfectly well that they cannot repeal the 
amendment. Most of the money is supplied hy the 
brewing interests. Under cover of this movement 
for repeal they are really trying to break down the 
enforcement of the Volstead law anti bring about the 
legal sale of beer and wine. They are able to enlist 
some well-known people who do not seem to realize 
that they are acting as figureheads and stool pigeons 
for a bunch of booze pushers. They would get much 
further along the way if their campaign was more 
open and honest. There are many who would not 
seriously object to the sale of beer and light wine if 
they did not know that back of this demand are 
grouped some of the worst elements of political and 
business life. The advocates of the scheme are too 
eager. They have shown their hand too soon. These 
questions will never be decided hy the city vote, not 
so long as Congress is elected as at present. The 
rural vote will settle it. At present that vote is 
“dry.” 
W E confess that ve have in years past ex¬ 
pressed our opinion of ex-Senator Chauncey 
M. Depew of New York. We said some things about 
him. in bis prime, which we would not care to repeat 
now in what we may call his super-prime. At 88 
Mr. Depew is giving the world a beautiful example 
of what it means to grow old gracefully and cheer¬ 
fully. There are a lot of old men of MO and 35 years 
who should go to this young old-timer and be wise. 
Due of the best things Mr. Depew has said in all his 
8s years is the following observation, made at his 
birthday party: 
Health and longevity come from the easy rules of 
moderation and temperance in all things, but there are 
mental and temperamental experiences more important. 
I found, as everybody does, many years ago that every 
member of the family brought back in file excursions of 
the day. in business or shopping or society, sorrowful 
news or irritating experiences. I had a rule adopted 
that, all disagreeable matters should go over until the 
next day. and every one as far as possible contribute 
something out of the day’s adventures which would 
help, for that cirele at least, the gaiety of nations. The 
universal ob ? ection I hear when slating this rule is that 
it is impossible, and yet if you get into the habit it is 
the easiest of accomplishments. 
There are too many people in this country who 
take themselves too seriously. They think the fate 
of the world is to he settled around the big table at 
(,’enoa or Paris or Washington. They are wrong. 
The future of human society will lie determined at 
your supper table and at mine. The family makes 
history when it comes together after a busy day. 
Family life is cemented through breaking bread, and 
unless family life is sound and sweet the nat'on can¬ 
not endure. We know men and women who seize 
upon the family assembly at supper as a time for 
scolding or preaching, or for retailing all the discon¬ 
tent and ill news of the neighborhood. It is no won¬ 
der that such families separate, and that the old 
folks are left alone. Mr. Depew’s plan is the finest 
home rule we can suggest for a farmer’s family. 
Too many of us are in the habit of viewing onr 
troubles through the magnifying end of a telescope 
and pointing the small end at our blessings. Let's 
reverse the process, especially at the supper table! 
<!* 
F OREIGN trade is necessary. for this country. 
We need an outlet for our surplus food and 
oilier products. There are some things which other 
nations may produce to better advantage than we 
can. We are now a creditor nation, and there is 
need of an exchange of money and goods. This is 
not only good from a business standpoint, but the 
morals and habits of the world may be improved 
and developed through trading. America cannot 
safely stand off alone. We represent an important 
and necessary part of the world. While all this is 
true, we must also remember that the best market 
and the best place for investing American money is 
here at home. Our foreign trade at best represents 
but a small fraction of our total business. Many 
reasons can be given for loaning money in Europe 
and developing foreign business, blit, first of all, we 
think our home enterprises should be developed. We 
are rapidly increasing in population, and the time is 
now in sight when it will tax our resources to feed 
and make comfortable our own people. If every one 
of our people could today have all that they need of 
food, clothing and necessary comforts, it is doubtful 
it' our present crops could supply the need. As it is, 
thousands of town people go hungry, while thou¬ 
sands of farmers obtain barely the cost of growing 
their crops. There is waste on every farm caused 
by the inability, under our present business system, 
to obtain fair prices. We think these great ques¬ 
tions of marketing and distributing our farm prod¬ 
ucts should he settled before Ave spend much time 
over ship subsidies and schemes for foreign trade. 
Develop the home market first. 
* 
E have had a number of questions from peo¬ 
ple who ask how to mend a harness. The 
coining of tractors and cars has spelled ruin to many 
of the old-time harness-makers avIio formerly had 
their little shops along the road. When tDo harness 
breaks, the farmer must mend it himself or send it 
far away for repair. Some of our people have told 
about it, lint still the questions come. Now Ave find 
a bulletin on “Harness Repairing,” printed as part 
of the Cornell reading course. If is part of the rural 
engineering series, and one of the most practical 
farm pamphlets AA’e have ever seen. It fully de¬ 
scribes and illustrates the process of harness mend¬ 
ing. You could hardly help doing a good job after 
studying ibis little hook. It is Lesson 100 of the 
reading course, and can he obtained hy writing to 
the Extension .Service. Cornell University. Ithaca, 
N. Y. 
* 
HOUSANDS of our farmers are interested in 
Hubani clover. Many have tried it in a small 
way, and some have invested heavily. Several of 
the experiment stations have reported adversely: 
that is, they say that Hubani is inferior to the old 
Sweet clover. On the other hand, the Iowa Station 
lias issued a circular Avitli photographic illustrations 
which certainly indicate value. We have never ad¬ 
vised our readers to "plunge” on any novelty. We 
never suav one yet Avhich was not a gamble until the 
price fell to a level Avitli its practical power to pro¬ 
duce, That will he true of a peach, a potato, a new 
"breed" of chickens or a new forage crop. Its real 
test must finally come when a 11 the gambling senti¬ 
ment is squeezed out of it. and it gets down to a 
fair contest with old varieties. When this test 
comes Ave have no fear about IIuL-am clover. It Avill 
find its place, and all the legumes will be benefited 
by the advertising Avhich Ilubani has received. 
* 
You recently stated that the so-called "farm bloc” in 
Congress has the support of farmers, and is doing Avhat 
farmers want done, llow do you make that out? s. j. 
E make it out by the following process of rea¬ 
soning. There are in Ibis country thousands 
of farm organizations. From tbe great societies like 
the Farm Bureau and the Grange, they range in 
size down to the small county organizations. Most 
of them are federated: that is. they form part, of a 
group or chain of similar organizations. During tlie 
past year the great majority of these organizations 
have definitely endorsed this “farm bloc." Many of 
them have gone further and specifically endorsed 
certain parts of the open program which the “bloc'* 
has outlined. In New York Stale practically every 
farm organization has done this. In addition, thou¬ 
sands of farmers have written individually to en¬ 
dorse this plan of legislation. Therefore avo claim 
that never before has there been any individual or 
combination in (’engross which so completely repre¬ 
sents tbe legislative desires of American farmers. 
When the critics of the "bloc” get this truth through 
their heads the situation will he made clearer. 
* 
You certainly hit the truth about Senator Brown’s 
"booze.” It is just that kind of men—they should not 
be called men—who cause our laws to ho broken. They 
arc a menace to our country. We have them here, even 
in the church. If our periodicals would expose this 
class of men it would do a lot of good. But The R. 
X.-Y. is the only one that I ever knew to publish them. 
Pennsylvania. e. B. 
HERE was nothing personal in the remark:; 
about Senator Brown. lie just represents a 
type of men Avho are doing what they can to make 
law and its enforcement ridiculous. Senator Brown 
conducted an investigation in this city and claimed 
to discover cases of “graft" and theft When such 
men are able to evade a law or take advantage of a 
knothole in it there can lie no wonder that common 
men. who lack the legal skill or the money re¬ 
quired for such evasion feel that the law is a joke 
and an injustice. Perhaps the meanest criminals to¬ 
day are those who set the example, rather than those 
who perform the act! 
* 
N OW Ave come to the open season for auto hogs 
and gasoline thieves. These gentry cause our 
farmers much annoyance and loss, and avo must get 
ready for them. A law which would have helped to 
handle them Avas killed in the New York Legisla¬ 
ture. 1IV must tlo it ourselves! We can organize, 
catch them when we can, and Avlien they are caught 
in the act give them the limit of legal penalty. Del- 
aAvare has a hiAV Avhich, if enforced, would make 
the auto hog keep in his pen. For stealing on the 
the highway or in the house, it prescribes a punish¬ 
ment of jail imprisonment and 40 lashes Avitli a 
whip. Jail and 40 lashes! The hide of the auto 
hog is usually tough enough, but a shingle or a 
switch would bring sole leather closer to soul than 
it ever was before. The thin man avIio stole those 
melons and the fat woman avIio climbed the cherry 
tree and broke it. down—40 good lashes would do 
them good like a medicine. And that is Avhat some 
of them Avill get if they keep on. 
* 
UTHENTIU reports of damage done by the 
recent cold Aveatlier are hard to obtain. In 
many eases such damage cannot he estimated for 
several weeks. It often happens that fruit may 
“set" and remain on the tree for some time. It Avill 
fall later—having been weakened hy the cold. It 
is clear that the straAvherry crop from lower Dela¬ 
ware up to Trenton, N. ,L, has been badly injured. 
This crop is usually planted in the loAver places, and 
on still, cold nights such places are perfect frost 
traps. We fear tli.it Hit* promised big peach crop 
iii New Jersey has fallen hy the wayside. There 
Avill he some peaches, as the frost Avas more severe 
iii some places than in others, hut the loss has cer¬ 
tainly been severe. Early apples have been injured, 
hut the usual late crop seems safe thus far. Nature 
seems to have concluded that a “bumper crop” of 
fruit would he about the worst thing that could 
happen to fruit growers. So she reached out a fin¬ 
ger and cut down the yield. Prices ought to run 
high. 
Brevities 
It was hard to stand by and see the fruit buds killed 
by the cold. 
There is an endless run of questions about killing 
moles. We have never found anything better than good 
traps. 
Wk have on onr farm in New Jersey cotton plants 
five inches high. The seed was started in flats and 
transplanted to pots. Can we make them produce lint? 
TltE New York Experiment Station continues to 
claim that chemical fertilizers have not paid in New 
Y ork apple orchards. We are certain (lint acid phos¬ 
phate and potash have paid us. 
No use talking, nil this discussion of vitamines in the 
food has greatly increased the use of tomatoes, lettuce 
and raw cabbage in city restaurants. The so-called 
“vegetable luncheons" are now as popular as anything 
on 1 be card. 
WE still get many questions about defective chim¬ 
neys; there is a drip of thick, tarry matter from the 
stovepipe. If you will use dry Wood there cannot be 
trouble of this sort unless somewhere between the stove 
and the chimney top there is some place where cool air 
collects and condenses the smoke. The remedy always 
is a better draft. 
We have had dozens of letters from women who ask 
if a second wife has rights in her husband’s property 
equal to those of the first wife. Some of them have 
been told that the second wife can have no dower rights. 
If a woman is legally married to a man. it makes no 
difference whether she is his first or his twentieth wife. 
At his death, even without any will, she will have her 
dower rights in the estate, and cannot be deprived of 
them. 
