344 
May 2 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARUEB'S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850. 
Hkkbert W. Collinqwood, Editor. 
Dk. Walter vax Fleet, i , , . 
Mrs. E. T. ROYLE, ’ f Associates. 
JoHX J. Dillon, Business ManaRer. 
STJBSCEIPTION: ONE DOLIiAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries In the Universal Postal Union, 
equal to Ss. 6d., or marks, or WA francs. 
$2.04, 
“A SQUARE DEAL.” 
We believe that every advertisement In this paper Is 
backed by a responsible person. But to make doubly 
sure we will make good any loss to paid subscribers 
sustained by trusting any deliberate swindler advertising 
in our columns, and any such swindler will be publicly 
exposed. We protect subscribers agaimst rogues, but we 
do not guarantee to adjust trilling differences between 
subscribers and honest responsible advertisers. Neither 
will we be re.sponslble for the debts of honest bankrupts 
sanctioned by the courts. Notice of the complaint must 
be sent to us within one month of the time of the trans¬ 
action, and you must have mentioned The Rural New- 
Yorker when writing the advertiser. 
Name and address of sender, and what the remittance 
Is for, should appear in every letter. 
Remittances may be made in money order, express 
order, personal check or bank draft 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
409 Pearl Street. New York. 
SATURDAY, MAY 2, 1903. 
Ten years ago, when a few of us were advising 
northern farmers to try cow peas, most of the “wise 
men” shook their heads sadly or sneered at the ad¬ 
vice. Now they have rushed far up on the front seat 
and are shouting COW PEAS! just as though they 
thought the extra noise will wipe out the memory of 
their former lack of faith. However, the cow pea is 
a good crop for many northern farms, and though our 
friends are a little late they are still very useful! 
* 
No doubt about it! That decision of the United 
States Circuit Court against the railroad “merger” is 
the hardest blow that the illegal trusts have yet re¬ 
ceived. Of course the lawyers put up a long story of 
what they will do before the Supreme Court, but no 
one doubts that Congress has supreme control over 
interstate traffic, and that Congress meant to prevent 
monopoly from freezing out competition. The first 
principle here laid down is admitted. If there be any 
doubt about the second the people will take care that 
Congress speaks the next time in italics. There are 
those who fear that the Government will now pro¬ 
ceed against the trusts in such a way as to injure 
business and “upset values.” We have no fear of 
that. The people seem willing to give these great 
monopolies a chance to cover themselves—which is 
more than the monopolies ever gave the people. 
« 
About two years ago a colony of beavers was dis¬ 
covered in a remote fastness of New Jersey, a State 
from which this interesting animal was supposed to 
be exterminated generations ago, and at the instance 
of some sportsmen and powder manufacturers the 
New Jersey Legislature was induced to pass a bill for 
the protection of beavers. The animals have since 
built dams and overfiowed nearby farm lands, caus¬ 
ing much damage. The farmers are tired of tearing 
down these dams only to have them rebuilt, and want 
the privilege of permanently abating the nuisance, 
but are restrained by this fool law. The beaver Is 
chiefly valuable now as a synonym for industry, as his 
fur is replaced by many substitutes in manufacturing 
arts, and sentiment should not preserve such destruc¬ 
tive animals unless the State is willing to purchase 
the injured lands at a fair valuation for a game pres- 
serve. 
The average city man of the middle class lives 
within gunshot of great schools and libraries and 
other possibilities for gaining knowledge and culture. 
Instead of taking advantage of these opportunities 
he contents himself with half-reading a single daily 
paper. A good illustration of the way such a man 
reads was given the other day in the selection of a 
jury to try an important case. The facts in this case 
had been well discussed in the papers, yet while many 
admitted that they had read all about it no one had 
“formed an opinion.” They had simply read for 
amusement, with so many things to distract the mind 
that they retained nothing to form the foundation for 
a fixed opinion. One cannot imagine an intelligent 
farmer who could read the account of such a case in 
his county paper without forming a definite opinion. 
The fact is, as we have often pointed out, that the 
best thinking is done on the farm and in the farm 
homes, for there are to be found the best chances 
for steady and healthy thinking. Were it not for the 
opportunities for study which the country affords 
real thinking would in a few years be given up almost 
entirely to professional classes. It will be a sorry 
day for this country if that ever happens. 
* 
One of the strong old patriots who signed the 
Declaration of Independence said that Americans 
must hang together or else they would surely hang 
separately! We have seen this sentiment attributed 
to John Adams, Ben. Franklin, Jefferson and several 
others, it makes littie difference now who said it. It 
is one of those truths which grow greater than their 
author. The New York creamery men and produce 
growers, the Ohio market gardeners, the Nebraska 
grain shippers who are trying to organize, may well 
learn that old statement by heart. Having started to 
“get together” in defense of their rights they must 
stick or be worse off than they were before. Dealers 
are already saying that they will kill the creamery 
association. There was a time when words would kill 
an organization of this sort, but that day has gone. 
The very failures of the past have given the farmers 
a clearer grasp of the situation. Stick together, gen¬ 
tlemen, your only salvation lies in organization. 
• 
Not a week passes without an application from 
some wealthy man for a farm manager. Throughout 
the Central West men of means are investing in farm 
property expecting to cultivate large blocks of land 
as a business investment. Such men find it easier to 
obtain gangs of farm labor than the smaller farmer 
does to secure a single hired man. The difiiculty is 
to find a capable manager. Such a man must pos¬ 
sess a bettor combination of skill, tact and knowledge 
than the manager of a factory or large business and 
he is not easily found. Such employers naturally ap¬ 
ply to our agricultural colleges for help. They find 
that the demand is four times the size of the supply. 
There was a time when practical farmers sneered at 
the college graduate, and had little use for him. Per¬ 
haps they were justified in doing so at that time, but 
now the whole aspect of affairs has changed. The 
colleges are turning out trained and sensible men 
who, with fair experience, wiil make excellent man¬ 
agers. Western men have, during the past few years, 
invested quite extensively in farm lands. Their plan 
is to throw several farms together and conduct the 
whole under one management in a business-like way. 
This has given opportunity for trained men, so that 
to-day a capable graduate of an agricultural college 
has a far better business opportunity than the aver¬ 
age graduate at a professional school. This, we 
think, is only an indication of what is coming in the 
future. 
• 
A ViRGiNLv reader recently asked advice about in¬ 
vesting money. He has a Government bond which 
pays 3^4 per cent interest. Parties assure him that 
they can take this money and make it earn 10 per 
cent or more. Shall he sell his bond with its sure 
value but small earning capacity, and invest the 
money in the schemes which promise three times the 
interest? We advised this man to keep his bond. 
The particular investment which he had in mind in¬ 
volved too much risk. Yet this will not do for gen¬ 
eral advice. Many legitimate business chances offer 
good opportunities—but every man who takes his 
money out of a safe place and hands it over to strang¬ 
ers must understand that he takes a risk. As you in¬ 
crease the possible income from your money the fur¬ 
ther you get away from a “sure thing.” Take the 
familiar offer of a company that seeks to promote a 
town or build up a suburb of some city. They buy 
or obtain options on farm property and offer town 
lots or stock for sale. They expect in this way to ob¬ 
tain money enough to grade, pave streets, build 
houses and do other things which must be done in 
order to attract residents. If this money can be ob¬ 
tained, and if honest men control the business, the 
chances are in favor of a great success, and those who 
invest may more than double their money in a short 
time. It is easy to see that in a scheme of this sort 
strangers w'ould be more likely to take the risk than 
local moneyed men. If, however, the necessary money 
cannot be raised, if rascals obtain control of the busi¬ 
ness or death or misfortune befall those who head it, 
of course it will fail and most of the money put into 
it will be lost. Thus a business honestly planned and 
with every chance of success may fail through no fault 
of the promoters and carry down the small invest¬ 
ments of the multitude. Money is made most rapidly 
by increasing the value of low-priced property. Capi¬ 
tal wisely invested may make a farm that would bare¬ 
ly sell for the face of the mortgage bring $1,000 per 
acre. Cash used at just the right time in a growing 
business may save credit, and thus double profits In 
a single year. When a man lends his money in a 
lump he can control the business and usually protect 
himself. When 1,000 men each put up one-tenth of 
one per cent of the amount they have no protection 
save the honesty and skill of those who handle the 
funds. The man who lends it all really takes less risk 
than one of the 1,000. It does not follow, however, 
that when a business man wishes to raise capital in 
small amounts he could not obtain it in a lump. There 
may be excellent reasons why it is better to have 1,000 
creditors rather than one. The idea of cooperation 
and the good will of many small partners in a busi¬ 
ness is very useful. It will be seen from this that 
no definite advice can be given except in cases of evi¬ 
dent fraud, or where the plans are manifestly im¬ 
possible. In the cases where, with honest manage¬ 
ment, there is fair chance of success the investor must 
understand that he risks his money upon the honor 
and skill of the man who handles it. You do that 
with every dollar you invest in a business enterprise 
or institution of any kind. You must decide for your¬ 
self whether the prospects of increased income from 
the dollar offset the increased risk. 
• 
Another endless chain scheme for getting money 
from farmers has appeared. This time the gentle hen 
is made the agent! A certain “poultry ranch” in 
Virginia has kindly consented to sell White Wyan¬ 
dotte eggs at $3 for 15. Here is what you are ex¬ 
pected to do: 
Fill out the enclosed blank and return to the company 
with $3 for a setting of eggs, and the company will send 
you contracts, needed instructions, etc. All you have to 
do is to write about eight letters each day (about one 
hour a day) to friends or to addresses furnished by the 
company. You can readily see that a large number will 
purchase eggs as they will wish to earn money as you are 
doing. If you wmrk faithfully you can earn from $5 to 
$8 per week. I have always found the company strictly 
honorable in every respect, they pay weekly. 
You are to receive $1 for each order received as the 
result of your letters! The letter which is sent us 
closes as follows: 
My commission the past week was $9, and I And that 
the company takes great pains to send me names that 
are prospective purchasers, as it is to their advantage 
as well as yours, and I think if you give this plan a trial 
you will agree with me that it is in a class by itself, and 
far ahead cf any other plan you may have worked for. 
We rather think this man is right when he says 
this scheme is “in a class by itself.” It is also at the 
head of the class! A “ranch” could be started in any 
large town. You can buy brown eggs in the market 
at 15 cents for 15 and make great profit at selling 
them in baskets for $3. That is probably just what 
these scamps are up to, and any man, woman or child 
who aids them by writing these letters is guilty of a 
mean fraud at least. We do wish such fellows would 
keep their hands off the hen. She tries to be honest. 
Even when she steals her nest she does it to benefit 
mankind and save the cost of an incubator! 
• 
BREVITIES. 
One inch Is deep enough for oat seeding. 
Is there any silver lining to the farm labor cloud? 
Few people recognize a mistake at the time it is made. 
Grub in the head is a bad disease in sheep. So it is in 
the hired man who thinks of nothing but his dinner. 
Be patient, you cannot hurry the development of char¬ 
acter any more than you can hasten the true develop¬ 
ment of a plant. 
The ginseng growers are organizing. It seems that 
seeds of Japanese ginseng, a worthless plant, are being 
sold to would-be growers. 
Bran 50 pounds, one quart of molasses, one pound of 
Paris-green and water enough to make a damp dough 
will make a fatal bait for cutworms. Put it in lumps 
about the field. 
A FRIEND who is trying to perfect a new hybrid corn 
tells us that the first year he got one ear which the rats 
ata up. The next year he got three ears and put them In 
a rat-trap and nailed it up. 
This is sensible talk from a Pennsylvania reader: “As 
I am advanced in years I would like to turn my atten¬ 
tion more than heretofore to rearing of poultry and pro¬ 
duction of eggs for market.” 
Strawberries have a way of rallying after a freeze 
that knocks out more prophets than profits. First re¬ 
ports of damage are generally blue. At the same time 
the crop in Delaware and south Jersey will be short. 
We receive seme remarkable stories of success with 
“dust spraying”—that is blowing a dry fungicide upon 
plants instead of using a liquid. Is this a case of “Hob¬ 
son’s choice” for dry sections where water is hard to 
obtain ? 
The best time for spraying peaches and plums to de¬ 
stroy germs of rot would seem to be when the fruit has 
nearly reached full size. Yet the ordinary Bordeaux will 
not answer for such spraying. Has anyone used a milder 
spray—say carbonate of copper—for this purpose? How 
does it work? 
Some years ago a Jerseyman started a novel experi¬ 
ment with eggs. He hunted the New York market for 
the darkest colored eggs he could find without regard to 
where they came from. Of course a large proportion of 
these eggs never hatched, but after a good deal of culling 
this man has a fiock of tremendous birds that resemble 
a cross between Light Brahmas and Cochins. 
