5o4 
July 11 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS EAR MEN’S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Establisfied 1850. 
Herbert W. Collingwood, Editor. 
Dr. Walter van Fleet, I . , ^ 
Mrs. K. T. Koylk, ’ Associates. 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
SUBSCmPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Univer.sal Postal Union. $2.04, 
equal to Ss. 6d., or 8*4 marks, or 10*^ francs. 
“A SQUARE DEAL.” 
We believe that every advertisement in this paper is 
backed by a responsible person. But to make doubly 
suie we will make good any loss to paid subscribers 
sustained by trusting any deliberate swindler advertising 
in our column.s, and any such swindler will be publicly 
exposed. We protect subscribers against rogues, but we 
do not guarantee to adjust trifling differences between 
subscribers and honest responsible advertisers. Neither 
will we be responsible 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, JULY 11, 1903. 
We expect to use 200 pounds of nitrate of soda per 
acre on well-seeded grass as soon as the first cutting 
is off. It seems clear from the results of many experi¬ 
ments that this will pay wherever hay brings $12 or 
more per ton. With an average amount of rainfall we 
expect to cut a heavy second crop of superior quality. 
• 
The call for harvest hands to help save the western 
grain crops is louder than ever this year. At the same 
time more immigrants are coming to this country 
than ever before! This seems to mean that the new¬ 
comers are crowding into town and city and ignoring 
the farm. There could not be a worse distribution of 
this “raw material.” 
On page 609 will be found a copy of the agreement 
made between the People’s Pure Milk Company and 
representatives of the Five States Milk Producers’ As¬ 
sociation. This proposition has been accepted by the 
oificers of the Association, but must be ratified by the 
local unions. While there are some things about this 
agreement which might be improved, the general sen¬ 
timent at the Binghamton meeting was in favor of 
accepting it. 
The R. N.-Y. was largely responsible for the discus¬ 
sion of the so-called “Clark” method of seeding grass 
without grain. The writer visited Mr. Clark’s farm 
several times, and made a careful study of the method. 
iNothing that we have ever done has called out so 
much correspondence and discussion. We have retold 
the stcry six different times, and now there are more 
demands for it than ever before! There seems noth¬ 
ing to do but to try it again, and so we shall endeavor 
to make clear the essential points of Mr. Clark’s plan. 
• 
Ten years ago The R. N.-Y. told how Delaware 
farmers were making use of Crimson clover. As one 
result of these articles many northern farmers bought 
seed and gave the new clover a trial. We would like 
to know how many of them continue to sow it. We 
have seeded from two to five acres each year, and 
have always felt well repaid; still we conclude that 
the Crimson is best adapted to southern farms. We 
want to hear from northern farmers who have tried 
the Crimson long enough to enable them to form a 
clear judgment as to its value. Tell us how you use 
it and what you think about it 
• 
As IS pretty well known by this time the writer has 
pronounced ideas on the temperance question. We be¬ 
lieve in total abstinence as the only consistent posi¬ 
tion for temperance people to occupy. As we go out 
among the people we are pleased and surprised to see 
how many farmers there are who never touch intoxi¬ 
cating liquor. This is surprising, because we are told 
from time to time that the drink habit is gaining, and 
that many who formerly abstained are now slowly be¬ 
coming moderate drinkers. We were recently offered 
a large sum of money for a whisky advertisement on 
the plea that “most farmers drink anyway.” We men¬ 
tion this in order to brand the statement as false, for 
personal investigation will convince any man that the 
drink evil is not increasing among the better class of 
farmers. Among our own acquaintances we know of 
several cases where the spread of the drink habit has 
driven peopie to total abstinence. These people w'ere 
inclined to laugh at the idea of letting the stuff entire¬ 
ly alone until the horror of it came into their own 
home and laid its mark on a member of their own 
family. One would think that such an argument 
would be likely to convince any sensible person that 
St. Paul was right when he said: “If meat make my 
brother to offend, I will eat no fiesh!” It would not 
take many years to settle the ‘‘rum evil” if those who 
know that their own moderate drinking influences 
others who have not the will power to be “moderate” 
would stop short! 
The drought baked the soil into brick and now the 
floods have sent it back to sticky mud. There can be 
no doubt about the serious disaster that has fallen 
upon many of our friends. Just at present the way 
seems dark for some of them, but they will not sit 
idly down to grieve their remaining chances away. 
The chances favor a long, open Fall, and even now 
we can make up some of our losses if we keep our 
heads and our courage. No man can deny the serious 
nature of the trouble which this season has brought, 
and yet every man must know that opportunity has 
not been taken from us entirely! Keep at it! 
Mb. Wright, who won the first prize for picture of 
a Grange hall, donated the money to the Grange. He 
writes: 
Please accept the thanks o£ that body, not so much for 
the $5 as for the knowledge of owning the best Grange 
hall in New York State, if not in the United States. 
Since the pictures were printed we have heard from 
others who wish they had entered the contest, since 
their Granges own handsomer halls than the ones pic¬ 
tured! If that is so we want to see them. We will 
duplicate the prize to anyone who can send us picture 
and plans of a better hall than the one described by 
Mr. Wright. 
• 
Thousands of new silos will be built this year. 
Farmers are driven to it. The hay crop having failed 
there is no hope for them save in corn fodder and the 
silo is the place for that. In some cases farmers who 
have been selling milk for condensing will build silos. 
Under the rules this will compel them to find a new 
customer for the milk, for the condenseries will not 
accept milk from cows fed on silage. After figuring 
closely these men conclude that it will pay them to 
sell for less if need be and cheapen the production by 
feeding silage. The Borden Condensed Milk Company 
still objects to silage as cow food. They have no fair 
argument against well-made silage, and we think in 
time they will be obliged to modify their rules in this 
respect. 
As FARMING is conductcd in our part of the country 
the plan of following oats with wheat is seldom prac¬ 
ticed. It would not pay. We know, however, that 
many farmers follow this rotation, and are able to 
give good reasons for doing so. We wish that all of 
such farmers who can would try the experiment of 
drilling cow peas on a part of the field after the oats 
are harvested. There will be between 50 and 60 days 
for the cow peas to grow, and they are likely to do 
wonderful work in that time. We would drill them 30 
inches apart and give good cultivation. We advise a 
wide strip through the field this season, leaving part 
of the field bare, so as to give a fair chance to judge 
results. We know the cow pea well enough to predict 
that where it comes in between oats and wheat its 
footsteps can be traced for at least two years. Try it. 
• 
Either some practical joker is trying to have fun, 
or else there are many people who will chase a dollar 
into strange places. We continue to receive letters 
asking for advice about skunk farming! Now, we do 
not pretend to be experts on skunks, but we know 
“farming” with these animals is less profitable than 
handling a red-hot poker. There is absolutely noth¬ 
ing in It, despite the great stories we often read in the 
papers. It is possible that we are partly responsible 
for the fact that some men express a willingness to 
try to get a dollar out of a skunk. About 12 years 
ago we printed an article about a skunk farm. We 
have been trying to get away from that article ever 
since, and now as a form of penance, we cheerfully 
answer all questions with— don’t, DON’T make a 
skunk of yourself! 
« 
It is hardly fair for the Hope Farm man to compare 
the agricultural student of to-day with what he calls 
the “old timers,” It is not likely that he did work on 
the college farm because he wanted to, but rather be¬ 
cause he had to. The chances are that most of these 
boys already know how to hoe or plow. With the 
improved facilities for study they can get more out of 
the course in the class room or laboratory. We must 
remember, too, that great improvements in farm ma¬ 
chinery have been made during the past 20 years. 
There would now be little sense in having students 
plant corn with a hoe in order to find work for them 
to do. When they get through college they will not 
plant corn that way on their own farms. We must 
all understand that as we crawl forward toward the 
large end of the horn we cannot get a true idea of 
those who are crawling into the little end by looking 
back over our shoulder. Sometimes we may think 
that these new comers are trying to crowd past us 
with some unfair advantage. It is usually only the 
shadow that we see. The youngsters will have to fol¬ 
low in the same old way and grow into worthy or de¬ 
sirable things. Their lots are cast in softer places— 
the pioneers smoothed the edges for them—but we are 
hopeful that they will do their part and fit into the 
truer agricultural development that is coming. 
• 
During the Fall and Winter, while the subscription 
season is lively, some of the agricultural papers have 
a way of patting themselves on the back in public. 
They dust up and comb their hair, use a little better 
paper and a few extra engravings, and then say in 
effect: “Look at us! Compare this paper with any 
other and see how you like it,” During the Summer, 
when little effort is made to obtain new subscribers, 
such papers often “go dry” both in ideas and in gen¬ 
eral make-up. We are seldom asked to make any 
comparison then, yet that is just the time to judge 
their real value. The R. N.-Y, is ready for compari¬ 
son any week in the year. We would rather have it 
made now if there be any choice at all, for we work 
hardest in Summer to obtain reliable information. 
The R. N.-Y. has no show season—no time of the year 
when we try to put on a little extra style. Bach is¬ 
sue represents the best work we are capable of doing. 
Our readers know it and do not need to be told. 
* 
The seedsmen, at their recent convention, again put 
themselves on record in opposition to the present 
Government distribution of seeds. From every fair 
ipoint of view the seedsmen are justified in fighting 
this abuse. For it is not only an abuse of a Govern¬ 
ment function but an unfair attack upon reputable 
private business. It is possible that the plan of giv¬ 
ing away new or desirable seeds for testing may be 
justified, but to send out common seeds as has been 
done to the direct injury of the seedsmen’s business 
is a practice which cannot possibly be defended. The 
worst feature of this disreputable business is the pre¬ 
cedent it establishes. Just now the seedsmen suffer, 
but how long will it be before men in other lines of 
trade or even farmers will find the Government com¬ 
peting with them by giving away what they have to 
sell? It is a great mistake for a farmer to permit 
himself to be placed in the position of a “dead head,” 
demanding seeds and books for nothing in the name 
of “agriculture.” We believe in making a vigorous 
fight against this Government seed shop business. 
There has never yet been a full-hearted battle waged 
against it, and it is time now to begin. 
* 
BREVITIES. 
“Prat heaven for a thankful heart.” 
Think of June and blankets every night! 
Lime is said to hasten the maturity of corn. 
“And the rains descended and the floods came.” 
No, you can’t stop the rain by telling others to “dry 
up.” 
EVen the ducks have had all the ducking they can 
stand. 
No—it wouldn’t do any good to kill the weather 
prophets. 
All sorts of stock food will be needed this year. Sow 
turnips at the last working of the corn. 
What shall it profit a man if corn goes to a dollar when 
his own cornfield is under water? 
We want to know about the homemade paints of lime 
and skim-mlik. Do they stick or do they peel? 
Will readers who are using hand cream separators tell 
us how the machines run and whether they give satis¬ 
faction? 
Only a few years ago Nebraska farmers were using 
icdrn for fuel. Oh if they had only held it against this 
lean year! 
Seweral parties ask if it will pay to plant potatoes 
now in New York. The chances are against success. We 
would try the early varieties if at all. 
Is it desirable to hold meetings of agricultural societies 
at St. Louis next year? This makes a lively discussion 
at many gatherings. The chief argument against it is 
that while many will come there are so many outside 
attractions that few really attend the meetings. 
A Michigan farmer recently wrote to Postmaster Gen¬ 
eral Payne, asking for an inspector to come and remove 
a polecat that had taken possession of his mail box. Mr. 
Payne has a good deal of cleaning up to do in his depart¬ 
ment these days. 
The eleventh census gives the number of nurseries in 
operation in 1900 as 4,610, comprising 172,806 acres, with a 
valuation of $41,978,835.80, and $52,000,000 capital invested. 
These nurseries employ 45,657 men, 2,279 women, and use 
14,200 animals. At the time of the taking of the census, 
there were growing in these nurseries 3,386,858,778 plants 
and trees. Of these, 618,016,612 were fruit trees. 
