Tfx RURAL NEW-YORKER 
Things To Think About 
The object of thi* department is to give readers a chance to express themselve* on farm 
matters. Not long articles can be used—just short, pointed opinions or suggestions. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER does not always endorse what is printed here. You might 
call this a mental safety valve 
How to Raise Prices came very near farmhouse, ' wVnml Vdiffeivi7snrt Vhcip! 
I have been a reader of The R. X.-Y. w «H g8 JUSr Jnst l)sy fo, ‘ ,I ]° *> 1 ' the farmer’s 
for many years, and I have never yet ' . m ,i /, 1 n .lr, an i? * . r honest brow will give iir all we a«k. Will 
seen some of the farmers’ problems dis- j 7, . 0 a " around bouse | oan . s do that? If it’s something else we 
missed as I see them. [ hold that the ?? dt1 } . i,n<1 .*- , !' dpn *. * S,n J* e want, let’s make it known, 
farmers’ problems are easy of solution. . t,es/ «f Vnv V." ilt'!The farm bloc will work for us if*it 
but somehow art* not approached properly. n " / . ' ' ' ' If ) a . ni knows what we went. Does your Rep- 
We speak of the market problem and the 5 ' ° w m'i^S Vhl' T h!'* recitative know your real needs? Is 
labor prohlem. These are not farm prob- , i ’ n ° 111 ‘ st °’ 10 your Senator aware of the real solution 
lpyiik ft I fill I .of fli4* fiirtTii'rv: nf ! lin ttfiHnn . ^ *V - of tliA ? 
money. Let us make mir interests known 
now. instead of keeping silent and kick¬ 
ing afterwards. We do not desire a 
means of acipiiriug greater indebtedness, 
but wo do need a means of paying what 
we already owe. Any farmer who is not 
on the verge of insolvem-y can gel neces¬ 
sary credit. I do not mean to say that 
better rural credits are useless. It would 
but somehow are not approached properly. 
We speak of the market prohlem and the 
labor prohlem. These are not farm prob¬ 
lems at all. Let the farmers of the nation 
decrease their colligated crop '-Ci per cent, 
and use 50 per 'emit less commercial fer¬ 
tilizer. and 1 .assure you all that the labor 
question would become easy and the mar¬ 
ket question solved. To illustrate my 
point, let me use the following: Last 
year, with a potato crop of about .*>40,- 
(MKMKM) bushels at car price they were 
worth here about $.°>75.(l00,000 This 
year, with a crop of about 140,000.000 
bushels, at car price here, it is worth 
$220.000,0110. In other words, the farmer 
is fined $155,000,000 for raising 100,000,- 
000 more imshels. besides doing all that 
extra handling for nothing. Rig crops are 
good for the railroads, good for the mid¬ 
dlemen. hut disastrous to the producer. 
Pennsylvania. K. \r. ii wdwekk. 
,,n,INT r r! ,ni r t0 ™r'° , i honest brow will give „s all we ask. Will 
r n T', a 1 n fi 1,,t eba , H( ‘ a 1 ar ". u,ul h , . ,US( ' loans do that? If it’s something else we 
fhel, L , f un<1 ,??‘ den ‘ Sm r e want, let's make it known. 
” tbt ! V"; f property The frtrni „i <K . vvi n work for us if . it 
te. SJL'-l ™.r. ‘.TAM!? Jknow* wlmt w, wont. I loos you,. He,.- 
Last Sunday morning, between 1 2 m. 
and - :30 a. in., I went scouting to see if 
I could find any of the hunters. I found 
one. whom I know. I warned him to 
keep his dogs off our property, when he 
of the problem? 
We know it is not a loau we want. 
Taxes and the cost of material and sup¬ 
plies must come down, and the value of 
farm products -must go up. The truth 
stated he had no intention of trying to * n fabric hill, requiring fabric to be sold 
keep them off. I haw heard the same for what they are. is worth a dozen loan 
negro man blowing his horn for the past measures-. Should it lie of secondary 
hour, uud from sound of horn, he is imw importance to the bloc? We hav* the 
working around to the position that will driving force in Congress. Now let us 
allow liis hounds further to annoy us. keep them driving on the right nail. 
Wa.- there a law passed at last assembly Tbureau said: “If you have built e«s- 
of State Legislature at Annapolis pro- ties in the air. your work need not bo 
bibiting fox hunting? We saw notice of lost ; there is where they should he. Now 
same in county paper, hut are told by one put foundations under them." Yes. let 
of these hunters that tile Governor was us build foundations by needed legislation 
induced not to sign it. Ts there any rou- at once nr something more material, or 
tine of warning I could pursue that would our air castles will surely fall. V. II. B. 
protect us against prosecution for shoot- , • •, 
ing said dogs while on our property and l * 1" man .'- perhaps a majority 
while so disturbimr us? We wish to of cases, loans from the Federal Land 
be of secondary 
? We havt the 
November 4, l!tii2 
than small s;might sticks, because there 
is less space taken up by bark. 
The shorter the slicks the closer they 
will pile. A cord < f wood cut into ttj-in. 
lengths will pile into a space of about 105 
Cli. ft., while .i cord of wood cut into 12- 
in. lengths will occupy only 05 eu. ft. A 
cord of wood, thrown loosely into a box. 
will occupy 140 eu. ft. In other words, 
a cortl of wood is not always what it 
seems. 
Wood is made up chemically as fol¬ 
lows: Carbon, 40 per cent; oxygen, 44 
per cent; hydrogen, >4 per cent: ash, 1 
per cent. Wood that has been aft-dried 
contains about 15 to 20 per cent of water. 
A pound of absolutely dry wood will give 
7,000 to 0.000 British thermal units, 
while a pound of coal will give 111,000 to 
15,000 British iheriinl units. Addition 
of moisture, resins, gums, etc., in wood 
changes its heat values. For best results 
wood should lie air dried for one year be¬ 
fore used as fuel. Wood dries more rap¬ 
idly when -plit. 
Comparative value of air-dried fuel 
wood, based upon hickory as 100 per cent, 
is as follows: Hickory, 100; white oak. 
93; black lurch. 93; sugar maple, SO; 
white a^h. !*<>; red maple, 75; elm, 70: 
gray birch. 70: chestnut, 00: hemlock, GO. 
1 .. .. ' protect us against prosecution for shoot- n . . . . .. 
R. X. Y.—Granting the truth of this, ing said dogs while on our property and “ * *''•**• *•’ n, an.\. perhaps a majority 
will Mr. Ilandwerk go on and tell just while so disturbing us? We wish to of cases, loans from the Federal Land 
how he proposes to carry out his plan? avoid punishing the dogs if possible. Banks have been made to pay off old 
How will he induce all farmers to agree This matter is not the fault of the dumb nmi , t|r „ m i ., s . snm „ ,,,,,,, nn „ s at 
to it? As a rule, the application of such brutes. e. w. moitgages atm assume riew ones at a 
plans is very much harder than the for- Maryland. lower rate. The Laud Bank enables a 
plans is very much harder than the for¬ 
mulation. 
This .statement comes from a group of 
women who live on a farm in Maryland. 
lower rate. The Land Bank enables a 
farmer to save oue per cent or more iu 
interest on his loan, and to prevent fore- 
An Experiment in Co-operative Living 
I have been reading with interest “The 
End of the Shakers." on page 1-05. and -— 
would like to put in a word for these lit- o /x 
lie efforts toward the millenium. In 1840 1 Jill 
Emerson wrote to Carlyle. "We are all a 
little wild with numberless projects of - - - - - - - 
social reform; not a reading mau but has 
i draft of a new community in his waist- Irviu 8. Cohb tells the story of an old 
coat pocket.*’ Many projects failed for (;olored mun who aeted as ui g ht watch 
the simple reason that it takes better . * 
It was referred to au attorney in that closure through a system of amortization. 
Sense Out of Nonsense 
brains to make a Utopia function than it. at a railroad crossing. A man was 
does to dream of what might be. The killed at this place by a train, and his 
Irviu 8. Cobb tells the story of an old “Y’es, boss, I was. I was wonderin’ all 
colored mau who acted as night watch- de time what I could say if dat white 
man at a railroad crossing. A man was man had ax me i/rts iJnl lantern Ivjhted!" 
experiment of the Shakers was. how ever, relatives sued the railroad for damages, 
primarily of a religious nature—the com- , , 
muuism cauie later. (if course there is The chief witness for the railroad was toe 
killed at this place by a train, and his He had signaled iu the dark with au 
relatives sued the railroad for damages, unliglited lantern! 
no connection between celibacy and in- olil man. He swore that be stood in 
legral co-operation. I read "Socially the from thp gat<1 am! waved his lantern 
. . W ... , , . . 1 I II T ... I A .. . ....... i .....II. ..II .. A 
The chief witness for the railroad was the It often seems to us that some of our 
old man. He swore that lie stood ill agricultural leaders are not unlike that 
front of the gate and waved his lantern watchman. They go through most of the 
many times. T nder cross-examination signals of danger and throw their lnn- 
experimem failed, as practically all SO- * T “ .V . wa.cumx.. go .mougu ui U.c 
cialistic enterprises have done, because railu > limes. l nder cross-examination s jgnals of danger and throw their lan- 
s.ich a community life; cannot satisfy the he described iu detail just how he held t about in preat vig01 ., b , lt t he trouble 
inherent deHic ,p th,> hiimnii heart for au the lantern and how he swung it. They ...... . , .. ...... ..... 
individual home aud independent owner- ,, , , , ‘ , 
ship of land." But communism need not Co " ,d not fihuk( ‘ hniu an(I th,? result was 
ah'dish individual home- any more than that the jury gave the relatives only a 
c, S tl "- r‘* Mi .. «■' •«'»>*»• 
•ill> I do not see that i. mat- and asked him if he was not nervous dur- Job and the other on y 
iug cross-examination. 
individual tooth brushes, and when every- small sum of moup\. The attorney for 
J 5 r,Js r (SHt £8 «*^«**«« tu, »M 
it. ]>ersmially I do not see that i. mat- nt, d asked him if he was not nervous dar¬ 
ters whether they own it or not. ing cross-examination. 
The movement toward complete volun¬ 
tary co-operation is not yet over in this _ 
country. Probably the most interesting 
modern experiment is the Llano Co-oper- State, who says that since the fox limit¬ 
ative Colony at Xewllano. in Western ers have ceased to come directly on the 
Louisiana. This effort marks a decided property, theeir liability for trespassing 
step forward in that the sentimentalism removed, as these dogs are hunting 
and fanaticism which wrecked many sim- tinder the charge of an attendant. They 
ilar effort- has been discarded in favor of are not liable to be killed, as they wonld 
a truly scientific management by known be if found on the place without an at- 
fae.'s. Here is a group of 300 people who tendani in charge, i,r while injuring any 
are making a demonstration of wliat can kind of live slock. There stems to be no 
is that the lantern is not lighted with the 
courage of conviction ami the fire of true 
sincerity. There is too much of one- 
handed service; one hand on the public 
job and the other on your own job. The 
world needs two-fisted fighters. 
Indian Summer 
"'N ill you set tle the following argument 
absence of rain, occurring in the Autumn. 
Leeds, X. Y. j. L . 
lip done under free conditions. Some 30 provision in the Maryland laws prohib- Indian Summer is a period of warm 
industries, together with farms, land. Ring the hunting of foxes on Sunday or or weather late in \iitumn nr Iu 
tools, etc., are owned collectively. There at night. a> provided for in eases where early Winter, usnallv characterized bv a 
i-.. naturally, no unemployment, as every- other game is being hunted. The best <-leai* and cloudless skv with a Icizv* or 
one owns their job, and as they are con- suggestion that the attorney can make is SIUokv appearance >>f ’ the atmosphere 
-tantly expanding there is plenty of work to make a complaint to the State’s at- especially near the horizon The* term 
to be done. Should work become scarce toruey of the county in which his trouble j a applied to such a season occurring 
after rhe ambitions and refinements have occurred. lie may he found at the county a ft,. r hard frost in October or more 
been realized, the result would merely b<; seat, and will give advice as to any pos- commonly in November. The name is of 
a shorter work day. Men. women and sible violation of the law. It seems to us Ynieriean origin • the w.a^,,n f,,,- ;» „„ 
children are paid an equal wage, the the- a most remarkable thing when a gang.of known Tl.e siune ten.l is now used ?n 
ory being that each owes the best that is limiters or ruffians of this kind can give England. The old English name for this 
in him to the community, and in return so much annoyance to women, and abso- i„-i.j m i [. t,..,, v I1Vi ; m i 1 „ 1 . 
receives the best that each other can lately ,s, a Illegal liability, s, Mart ’s Sunnier ! a & 
after rhe arnbiiions and refinements have 
been realized, the result would merely be 
a shorter work day. Men. women and 
especially near the horizon. The term 
is applied to such a season occurring 
after hard frost in October, or more 
commonly in Xoveinber. The name is of 
American origin; the reason for it is un- 
in him t<• the community, and in return 
receives the best that each other can 
offer. Along with equal ownership and 
compensation is equal opportunity. Spe¬ 
cial attention is given to the young folks, 
both in and out of school. Each child is 
treated as an individual, and in the work¬ 
shop. at outside play-work and at music, 
each child is given what he most wants, 
tin aim being to draw out the best that in 
in him. The social life is ideal, with en¬ 
tertainments. dances, movies and all sorts 
of good times. There is a community 
kitchen, cafeteria and hotel. Those hav¬ 
ing families have individual homes, as 
elsewhere. Affairs ran smoothly, with¬ 
out the aid of a jail or policemen. One 
visiting this group can hardly fail to no¬ 
tice the lively enthusiasm and natural 
my that comes from living a life outside 
of the competitive system, where all labor 
is spent in creative work, and where 
brotherhood is practiced rather than 
merely ji reached, floyd c. la hue. 
Connecticut. 
so much annoyance to women, ana aoso- period, when it occurs in November, is 
Intelv escape III! legal liability. Martin’s Summer, as St, Martin’s 
__ day falls on Xoveinber 11. When it oc¬ 
curs in October it is called St. I,tike’s 
What Does the Farmer Need? Summer, or the little Summer of St Luke, 
as this saints day is it.toiler IS. In 
All farmers and most other people some parts of England it used to be 
realize that the farmers’ dire need is called All Hallows' Summer. All Hal- 
moiipy. It being a recognized fact that lows- or All Saints being Xoveinber 1. 
his services are indispensable, legislation The threadlike haze floating through the 
has condescended to consider his deplor- atmosphere timing this season is known 
able plight by enacting tin Federal Loan in France ns the Virgin’s thread. 
System in the past, which in irs begin¬ 
ning pleased the misused farmer as much 
as a bright penny Would a little child. . _ . , ... 
But as: well as taking care of liis material ” Cord of Wood 
wants for the present the use of this Many are interested in wood this yea: 1 . 
bright penny demands interest, which . ■■ ’ ,, 
must be paid by the produ.. hard , S .“ C w,mt to M ‘ n : 
labor suld mi a low market. Some one a *'0 boy. A ton o( coal is quite a 
I !**••• 1” nuum •! 1.1 lit- t mill. m n ^ , ... . 
wt*l] a* Hiking ean k of his material ^ Cord of Wood 
for the present the use of this Many arc interested in wood this yetU'. 
pciliiy demands interest, which nf . ,, 
,C paid by the produce of hard 1,s nt to M ‘" : u,h “ rs 'y o,,1d 
.old mi a low market. Some one 'ke to buy. A ton ol coal is quite a 
A knocker <>f tic Federal Loan definite proposition, though ii i>» possible 
system.’’ Xot at all. It is good as far 
as it helps, hut it wasn't the help most 
needed. 
to work off several hui-ilred pounds of 
water in the ton. It is different with a 
Today the farmers’ bloc comes forward cord of wood. A. E. Moss, forester of 
the ConilOflicut Agricultural College, 
gives these facts about wood; 
- expressing its intention of urging a the Connecticut Agricultural College 
A Fox-hunting Nuisance ^nTu^.K .. '*«« »'•»'•* ... . 
We would he very thankful to have at banks, and it time remains working While a cord of wood is accepted as a 
.nil advise us sufficiently to enable us to on the truth iu fabric bill. l>o we wish pile of wood I ft. high. 1 ft. wide, S ft. 
Attain relief from tin- following case of to borrow more money? What a helping long, ntnl coulaining 1’JS eu, ft., it seems 
respass: We are being trespassed upon hand to offer us an Opportunity to in- that cords of the . mav 
, • i /* 1 . • i . . . l . .1_.,1 ..1. I_ * i . • »». i a a • .... * 
We would he very thankful to have at banks, and if time remains working 
you advise us sufficiently to enable us to on the truth iu fabric bill. l)o we wish 
obtain relief from the following case of to borrow more money? What a helping 
trespass: We are being trespassed upon hand to offer us au opportunity to in- 
vvhat we thought of them for continuing natrons to many farmer- wlm are already least wood and the most air or waste 
-o to disturb us after asking them to paying interest on too much borrowed space, Big, straight stick.- are better 
No Longer an Alien 
i 
■ A few weeks ago y ou published a letter 
from Ben .T, Se.itt, giving his reasons why 
an alien would not become a citizen in 
many case-. My experience has been just 
I the reverse, The examiner was just its 
[ courteous as anyone could wish, and 
seemed anxious to have everyone pass, 
and helped the applicant all lie possibly 
could. The county clerk also was a very 
courteous mat., and Indped us all he could. 
As to the witnesses. I am sure they never 
■ nice thought of ttie time; they seemd 
pleased to act for us. I have a good 
many reasons for wanting to take out pa¬ 
pers of citizenship. There are six ver.v 
gond ones, namely, livp sons and one 
daughter. I kipt delaying my duty till 
the oldest l»oy had to take out one set of 
papers aud go through the same form as 
1 did. I would not miss this duty if it 
took 100 days : I ,,nly regret I put it off 
so long. It would, have out my family 
to a lot of inconvenience in years 0- come. 
Two reasons for remaining an alien might, 
be a man’- Jove for his native land, in¬ 
going through a lot of red tape and facing 
a judge and jury, am] a courthouse full 
ol people: hut it has to be done, and 
when once over, you fee] more repaid for 
a little time and expense. I doubt not 
but once i ti a while some officer does get 
a little peeved, hut I do not blame him 
one mite. I wonder if Mr. Scott has con- 
sideml what it costs I’nelc Sam an¬ 
nually to run this branch of his business. 
W. A. T. 
Tourists in Connecticut 
I drove my car from Pawling, X. i 
to .Norwalk. < onr»„ and on mv return 
the same day, it became dark just before 
I 'eft: Connecticut, and I turned „ n mv 
dun lights. The State police stopped m'e 
and took rm- before rhe justice, and 1 
was fined $12 for driving with a lens not 
legal jii < onnoeti. Tit, but legal i n Xew 
lork. A n an from Stamford. X Y 
was also fined M- | the same lime, same 
offense. I here were al M „,t 50 other cars 
stopped and waiting to plead before the 
Jtistiee. I hey were on their way from 
the Danbury 1 air btnk into Xew York 
Stale. Sane- offense. If this is law, then 
a tourist Would have to know the laws 
of every State and carry mam different 
lenses, changing at the border of each 
.'-tale. <’itii you inform me if the fine 
was legal, when I had a legal lens for 
New York and was in Connecticut onlv 
for a few hours? RAYMOND c. HOUSE. 
f I here has been sume little complaint 
about the local auto laws In Xew Eng¬ 
land States. Such fines seem to he justi¬ 
fied. 1 here should lie general and uni¬ 
form laws covering the entire country so 
ns to avoid all such annoyance. 
Crops and Prices in Texas 
4our low prices' often given on fruits 
and vegetables are a nuzzle to us here 
where everything is selling out of sight! 
White potatoes I,* per ib. now; a while 
hack tJle£ -old tit dm Tomatoes (sorry 
stuff), La* per lb.; cabbage, 7c per lb 
Of course, with this oil field so close, 
things are somewhat, abnormal, W> had 
almost to say ft "bonanza’ selling mu- 
peaches this past. Sommer. Otir crop was 
a fine nm-, while strange to say, the State 
over there wa- more or less a general 
failure. East I exns, f am told, with her 
millions ,ff Llbertii trees, uot even ship 
ping a -high car. Prices, nf course, 
ranged high: .*t per htislud in orchartl 
and Sti per bushel when retailed in half 
pei j: baskets Many nf the "Teua." 
which rijiens with the Elberta. were sell¬ 
ing readily ur 5«- apiece. While most of 
the Elberta buds W - re killed by a cold 
wave on March 1 and ‘J, the Teua. bloom¬ 
ing later, about the time of Carman, 
escaped injury, heneff gave a fiue crop. 
This hs by far a better peach than 
Elberta or the ,T. If. Hale, cither. 
J. W. Sl'UJtENRAUCH. 
Limestone Co.. Tex. 
Tub first cargo of guano received at 
Baltimore for several years carnc in re¬ 
cently, the steamship Miueola having 
brought a consignment of that material 
tor fertilizer msmufacture from Guam* 
Islaml. on th« coast of Peru. 
