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The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
The Rural New-Yorker 
Tin: BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER 
A National Wci'Lly Journal for Country and (suburban Home* 
Kntablifihcd ihSO 
Published weekly by the Kurul I'liMlshlue Company. 3X3 West 30lh Street, New Kork 
HkkukicI W. C'ou.iNG'voori, Prtskiont and Editor. 
John J. Hii.LON, Treasurer and General N:nn; r. 
Wil F. Billon. Secretary, Mrs. E. T. Hotle, Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION : ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries in tho Universal Postal Union, Jt.Ot. Remit in money 
order, express order, personal check, or bank draft. 
Entered at New York Post Office as Second Class Matter. 
/ ' erf isintr rates, $1.00 per agate line—7 words. References required for 
Mu',erlisers unknown to us ; and cash must accompany transient ordc-ra. 
“A SQUARE DEAL" 
We believe that every advertisement in tin's paper is backed by a respon- 
e , person. We liSO OVory possible i*nra lltioll and admit the ad vert miner of 
i. liable bouses only. But to make doubly sure, we will make good any loss 
to iarid subscribers sustained by trusting any deliberate swindler, irrespon- 
11 . if advertisers or misleading advertisement* in our columns, and any 
t-urii swindler will be publicly exposed. We mo Also often called upon 
t> nil just diifercneer or mistakes between our stibreclbcm mid honest, 
i i nouKiliJe bouses, whether advertiser* or not. We willingly u.-e our good 
e.'i.ees to this end, but *ueh ease* should not be confused with dishonest 
i ansactiona. We protect.subscriber* against rogue*, but we will not be 
responsible for the debts of honest bankrupts sanctioned by the courts. 
Notice of the complaint must be rent to us wit hin One month of the time of 
the tnoisnotioq, and to identify it, you should mention Tiiv Rural Nbw- 
Vi rkkr wheu writing the advertiser. 
The new subscriber sent herewith is the third son of 
a Polish family in this school district whose parents do 
not read the English language, but are very good neigh- 
1 ore, and I thought that your excellent paper would be 
a help to the whole family. Howard n. house. 
New York. 
I N the same mail came a letter from New Jersey 
telling liow one of our people went to call on an 
Austrian. The parents were unable to read Eng¬ 
lish, but the boys are in school. They saw a copy 
of The R. N.-Y. in our friend’s ear. and became in¬ 
terested at once. These boys, with their knowledge 
of the language, will become interpreters for their 
pa rents. We have many instances of this sort. They 
indicate something of the great responsibility which 
rests upon our public schools and the press. These 
aliens must have the elements of what we call Amer¬ 
icanism filtered into them through their children. 
Therefore it should be simple and true. 
* 
C ONSIDER a district in which farming is the 
chief industry. There are no large cities. 
Every town has been built up and maintained by 
men and money from the country. Should such a 
district be represented in Congress by an intelligent 
farmer? Suppose the district contains a man who 
has been successful on a farm, who has intelligence 
and experience and the ability and power to com¬ 
mand respect. Would not such a man be a fairer 
representative of the people and business of that dis¬ 
trict than someone who was never identified with 
farming, either by business instinct or sentiment? 
That seems like a fair question, and about the only 
people who can answer it fairly are those who live 
in such a district. We ought 1o hear the answer 
this year. The Thirty-ninth Congressional District 
of New York covers the counties of Orleans, Gcn- 
esee. Wyoming, Livingston and the western part of 
Monroe. It is an agricultural district, with no large 
cities. Therefore it would seem to afford a good 
opportunity for answering the question. Mr. Clark 
Allis is a candidate for the Republican nomination 
at the primary. Mr. Allis is a farmer, fully iden¬ 
tified with farming interests, and well qualified to 
represent the district. Now, will the farmers of this 
agricultural district support a farmer for Congress? 
The question is thus put squarely up to them. Do 
they want a farmer in Congress? U’e have [lot to do 
it ourselves! 
* 
T HE long and unexplained delay of the Commit¬ 
tee of Twenty-one in printing and distributing 
its report is having a very bad effect. That report 
should have been put into every rural home where 
there are children to be educated long before this. 
There should not be any limited distribution of such 
a document. It ought fo go everywhere, -with a dis¬ 
tinct challenge for criticism and discussion. Our 
people are anxious to discuss it, but we have ad¬ 
vised them not to do so until they can first read and 
digest this report. Yet. thus far we have not been 
able to see a copy of it. Country people are becom¬ 
ing suspicious :it this long delay, and the committee 
should he made to understand that unless this report 
is put out freely at once they will have double work 
in their efforts to gain the support and confidence of 
the rural public. 
* 
I T is still too early to forecast the season’s output. 
but at this moment there seems little chance for 
any “bumper crop.” The late frosts did much dam¬ 
age to the fruit south of New York, and in scatter¬ 
ing localities north of this point. This will surely 
reduce the output of small fruits, and affect the 
peach and apple crop to some extent. The season 
thus far has been cold and wet; planting is late, and 
there has been a general tendency to restrict acre¬ 
age. We are speaking now particularly of the upper 
Atlantic slope. By that we mean the section of 
country north of Washington, where the water nat¬ 
urally drains into the Atlantic Ocean. In this terri¬ 
tory there is nothing in sight to indicate any abnor¬ 
mally large crop, unless it may possibly be late ap¬ 
ples. If we look at it fairly, this is not a calamity, 
but rather a good thing for farmers. Nature seems 
to he doing for them what manufacturers and busi¬ 
ness men do for themselves: that is, restrict the out¬ 
put so as to maintain fair prices. The egg producers 
were unable t<> do this, A combination of open Win¬ 
ter. lower feed prices and general adoption of Win¬ 
ter lighting combined to increase the egg production 
beyond active demand. The weather thus far seems 
to be restricting production of general crops, and 
the result should he higher prices. This will be, on 
Ghe whole, more satisfactory, for no one ever knew a 
"bumper crop" at low prices to make farmers pros¬ 
perous. We think this year will he, on the whole, 
better than last season for our farmers. 
* 
HE conference at Genoa seems to have broken 
down—with little accomplishment. The failure 
seems to he due to the action of France and the 
attitude of Russia. There can he no question that 
the French are both nervous and suspicious. They 
fear the military recovery of Germany, and they 
suspect the English of trying to take a trade advan¬ 
tage of them. As for Russia, that country has evi¬ 
dently gone back in civilization, and cannot yet give 
the evidence which would entitle her to the world’s 
confidence. The truth is that all Europe wants 
America to come in and take a chance on a Russian 
loan. There would be little or no security for such 
a loan as conditions are at present, yet Europe 
would benefit from the investment. Ixff Russia first 
give the guarantees which any civilized nation 
should give before America invests money in her 
credit. This nation has already done more to aid 
the starving and destitute Russians than all of 
Europe combined. Americans would like their share 
of Russian trade, and they are willing to help 
finance the recovery of Russian business, but first 
of all the Russian people must learn that there are 
some things in international dealings which then 
must do themselves. Let them stop quibbling and 
get down to business if they want to borrow Amer¬ 
ican money. 
* 
We have, for the first time, a good acreage of rye to 
to be turned under as green manure. Tell us the best 
way to use it for that purpose. j. c. 
HE very best way to use such rye is to start 
when about IS inches high and chop it up with 
a disk or cutaway harrow. Then plow after this 
chopping. This green rye. well cut up, is thoroughly 
mixed with the soil and will decay rapidly. This 
plan requires extra work, but is the best, we know 
of. Most farmers let such rye stand too long. It 
is often 5 feet high, and hard and woody. By using 
a chain on the plow this mass can he plowed under, 
but rye is the toughest of small grains, and unless 
it is handled right it will do the soil more harm 
than good. The proper treatment is to use a roller 
and pack or crush the soil down hard—then harrow 
the surface and plant. Where the soil is not packed 
the rye is left loose under the furrow. The air 
works in through the hollow stems, dries out the 
soil and causes a fermentation which sours or 
“poisons” the soil for at least one season. The yel¬ 
low, sickly corn crop which sometimes follows plow¬ 
ing under a full crop of rye results from this trou¬ 
ble. The use of lime will help correct it, hut the 
proper treatment is to roll or pack the ground when¬ 
ever a full crop of rye is plowed under. 
* 
It is impossible to take lip a copy of The R. N.-Y. 
without noting something most interesting and in the 
line of a better world, right here and now. a. w. l. 
E hope that is true. It is what we are trying 
to make true. We are not content simply to 
interest people or even to instruct them. We want 
to make them think honestly and sanely. Uncon¬ 
scious thought is probably the most useful. Some¬ 
times a man does not really understand that he is 
thinking or reasoning. He reads a statement which 
he cannot drive out of mind. It haunts him, and in 
spite of himself, he is forced to reason it out and find 
a full answer to it. or admit that he cannot refute it. 
That is what we call unconscious thought, though 
perhaps that is not the best name for it. It is the 
most useful kind of thinking, because it is a part of 
the most useful human program, “TFe must do it 
ourselves." Our ambition is to put into every issue 
of The It. N.-Y. something that will cause you to 
make a mental struggle in an effort to disprove it. 
May 27, 19-2 
I N this age of progress, when everything seems 
stirred into movement, what part of the United 
States would you consider least likely to "come 
hack"? After reasonable thought, the average citi¬ 
zen would probably say ‘‘Cape Cod.” This spit of 
land, thrust out into the ocean like the arm of a 
prizefighter, was discovered three centuries ago and 
then forgotten, except, as a good place to “go away 
from." You may find it hard to believe the state¬ 
ment, but (’ape Cod has now been rediscovered, and 
the new discoverers find that parts of it offer as 
good opportunities for gardening or farming as are 
to be found in any of the Eastern States. The ocean 
modifies the climate, and most of the soil responds 
remarkably to good culture. Peaches, potatoes, as¬ 
paragus, strawberries, grow well, and there is an 
abundant market. Poultry and dairying give Winter 
occupation. We shall all have to revise our opinion 
of Cape Cod. It is not a mere heap of sand. It 
offers good opportunity for about 10.000 families 
who are able and willing to work. 
M ANY hard questions about agricultural educa¬ 
tion come up to us. Usually a single opinion 
will not prove of much value; there should be a full 
discussion to settle it. One of the great questions 
asked by farmers relates to the value of agricultural 
college students as farm helpers or hired men. Here 
is the opinion of an experienced farmer: 
The war seems to have spoiled most of our young 
men, and they have no idea of earning the wages they 
ask. My experience in hiring college men has been very 
discouraging; so much so that I will not hire a short- 
course man if I can get anyone else. 
That puts the situation up boldly and squarely. 
We realize that we are stepping in upon ground 
where an angel might, well fear to tread, but we 
invite a discussion of this subject. We have em¬ 
ployed several college men. If they have made good 
we feel sure their friends will rally to their support. 
College education, at least in theory, ought to make 
an improved hired man. Does it? 
* 
A S we go to press the news reports indicate that 
Gifford Pinchot has been nominated as the 
Republican candidate for Governor of Pennsylvania. 
Such nomination is usually equivalent, to an election. 
There are two significant things about this unex¬ 
pected outcome. Mr. Pinchot represented the pro¬ 
gressive or critical element of the party. He was 
opposed by the "machine” or stand-pat, "good- 
enough-for-me” element. It was also essentially a 
contest between the farms and smaller places against 
the big cities. The country vote won—as it always 
does. This primary election and the recent one in 
Indiana show that our people are dissatisfied with 
the leaderless and dawdling policy of Congress. 
They also show what New York farmers could do 
if they could organize behind some strong leader. 
Brevities 
This year’s reports seem, to show that casein used in 
liquid spray mixtures as a "spreader” has given good 
results. 
Wiiat has happened to the woodchucks this year? 
We never had so many questions about killing them. A 
good marksman with a rifle is the best “killer” we have 
found. 
The spray for killing dandelions is made by dissolv¬ 
ing one-half pound of sulphate of iron in one gallon of 
water and spraying over the lawn. This amount ought 
to cover 1175 feet. 
Several readers ask if it is safe to put paris green 
or arsenic with the tar in treating seed corn. We 
should not do it. There would be some danger of 
injuring the seed. 
For ants in the pantry or closets a sponge wet in 
sweetened water and left on a shelf will make a good 
trap. The ants will work into it and they may be killed 
by throwing the sponge into boiling Water. 
We have never known the apple bloom to develop so 
unevenly as it. has this year. The margin in lime of 
blooming between McIntosh and Northern Spy was 
very wide. 'When McIntosh was ready to dust, Spy 
was in full flower. 
Most of us know the peculiar odor of red cedar, and 
we have wondered how it can retain this fragrance for 
years. There are cases where cedar chests have held this 
peculiar odor for 100 years or more. It is due to a 
peculiar oil which in some cases represents two to four 
per cent of the wood. This oil will kill many moths 
and other insects. 
Under the joint direction of the State College and the 
State Experiment Station at Geneva, there is being 
established on Long Island a branch experiment station 
for the special purpose of studying the insects, diseases 
and fertility problems of Ixmg Island. This new sta¬ 
tion has been made possible by the signing of the bill 
passed at the last session of the Legislature. 
Here is an old fashioned report by a New Hampshire 
reader: ”1 have seen many discussions of beating in 
The R. N.-Y., so I thought T would add my mite. East 
(■’nil we moved into my wife’s old homestead, and opened 
u,. the old fireplace (it takes -1-ft. wood) and wintered 
on that as the main heating plant. We were not 
troubled by having the house too hot when it was 30 
below outside, but the whole family have come through 
with better health than ever before in a stove-heated 
house. We used au awful amount of wood, though.” 
