888 
December 26 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FAR MENS PAPER. 
K National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Hoinea, 
Estdblisfied 1850. 
Herbert W. Collinowood, Editor. 
Dr. Walter Vax Fleet, ( 
Mrs. K. T. Boyle, ^Associates. 
JORX J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
SUBSCBIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries In the Unlvers.al Postal Union, $2.04, 
equal to 8s. 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 
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 against rogues, but we 
do not guarantee to adjust trilling 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, DECEMBER 26, 1903. 
The apple exporters who give the facts printed on 
the next page knock out another claim for Ben Davis. 
As Mr. White says: “If the exportation of Ben Davis 
apples were to increase (to England) it would cause a 
falling off in the apple business.” That is what we 
have claimed, and we are glad to have this backing. 
During, the 10 months ending October we sent abroad 
from this country ?3,429,723 worth apples, against SU¬ 
SS?,340 worth during the same months last year! 
* 
The oleomargarine cases are at last before the 
United States Supreme Court. Pour cases were carried 
up from the courts of Ohio and Illinois, where the 
decisions were against the oleo makers or sellers. 
Naturally the burden of proving the case for honest 
butter fell upon the Government and Solicitor General 
Hoyt is said to have made a very able argument. The 
cases at issue cover the use of palm oil, a commercial 
butter color, and colored creamery butter for the pur¬ 
pose of coloring oleo. Dairymen feel quite confident 
that the final decision will be in their favor. 
* 
The meeting of the New York Fruit Growers at 
Geneva January 6-7 promises to be a notable one 
Secretary of Agricultuye Wilson expects to be present, 
also Prof. Bailey, J. H. Hale arid F. P. Vergon of Ohio. 
It is also planned to have one morning session at the 
experiment station. At this session the audience will 
be divided up into groups, each member of the sta¬ 
tion staff discussing some topic within his line of 
work. For example, those who want to learn about 
fertilizers will attend one meeting, those who are in¬ 
terested in spraying another, and so on. This is a 
good plan and will add to the value of the meeting. 
* 
Reports sometimes reach us of western towns 
where farmers are trying to solve the transportation 
problem by building cooperative elevators. We have 
no use for the promoters who go about trying to or¬ 
ganize the farmers—for a consideration. We refer to 
Granges or other organizations that have combined 
to store and ship a large quantity of grain indepen¬ 
dent of local elevators or dealers. There seems to be 
no reason why farmers should not combine in this way 
except the sad one that many of them have become 
discouraged and see no hope in such efforts. There is 
hope—at least there are possibilities in this organiz¬ 
ing. It cannot be done in a day or a year, but' farnl- 
ers should never sit down and admit that the middle- ' 
men are to eat up both ends. Who can tell us of any 
case where farmers are doing their own selling and 
shipping? We want facts to work on', 
* 
A Massachusetts farmer is having trouble with a 
“hunting club.” The “hunters” delight in letting 
loose a pack of hounds on the track of a fox or the 
trail of a bag of aniseed and then riding after. Of 
course these parties could obtain more healthful ex¬ 
ercise at sawing wood or beating a carpet, but they 
like to take their exercise in their own way. So long 
as they are willing to pay the price, and do not inter¬ 
fere with the rights of others, we are not disposed to 
find fault. In this case, the farmer did not want the 
“hunt” on his land. He posted trespass notices all 
over the farm. In spite of these warnings both 
hounds and hunters range over the farm, frightening 
stock and breaking down fences in utter defiance of 
law. The trouble with these “sportsmen” seems to be 
that they think their presence in any community gives 
them the right to do as they please. They think that 
they confer such great value upon the community by 
living a part of the year in it that farmers ought to 
surrender all personal rights to them. That is just 
what farmers ought not to do. The farm belongs to 
the farmer, and he not only helps himself, but benefits 
society when he makes a fight for his rights. 
* 
A BIEL appropriating the stupendops sum of $2,750,- 
000,000 for the enlargement of our already overgrown 
navy has been introduced in the National House of 
Representatives. The programme of expenditure 
provided for is as follows: An appropriation of $50,- 
000,000 is asked for the building of ships for the pres¬ 
ent year. The appropriation for the next fiscal year 
is $60,000,000. An increase of $10,000,000 is made each 
year until 1909, when an appropriation of $150,000,000 
is made available. This amount la to be expended 
every year thereafter until 1925. This amazing propo¬ 
sition is fathered by one of the naval “heroes” of the 
late w'ar with Spain, and the bill offered, apparently 
in earnest, by an Alabama Congressman. Of course 
it will be lelegated in committee to the limbo of 
legislative monstrosities, but it is, in a way, sadden- 
ng evidence of the development of a National spirit 
of aggression. 
• 
Some of our readers are still receiving letters from 
a so-called publishing house in this city. These letters 
inform them that they have won a prize in a contest. 
Therefore: 
We shall distribute rewards on hand, and you will 
receive your choice of either a gold finished watch (fully 
guaranteed) or a genuine diamond ring (warranted) upon 
the receipt by us of the enclosed memorandum accom¬ 
panied by remittance for the subscription, boxing and 
packing charges. As we desire to close this transaction 
without delay, please act promptly. 
You are asked to send $1.37 for “boxing and pack¬ 
ing.” Of course no reader of The R. N.-Y. will be 
silly enough to send a penny to such “fakes.” These 
people work on the principle that by sending these 
letters out by the thousand they are likely to strike 
some greedy souls who will think that a mistake has 
been made and that they have a chance to get a watch 
that belongs to some one else. There is no watch— 
only a rascal who is watching for your money! 
4c 
We have a letter from a young man who is work¬ 
ing on a farm. He likes farm life, but wants to do 
something better than “hired man’s work.” He has a 
fair common school education, and has saved several 
hundred dollars. Shall he take this money and go to 
a “business college” and learn to be a bookkeeper, or 
shall he go to an agricultural college? We would not 
undertake to answer such a question for another man, 
because no one can really understand the feelings of 
another. On general principles we are sorry to see a 
farm boy go behind a desk as bookkeeper. The busi¬ 
ness of makiqg figures and keeping accounts is honor¬ 
able and necessary, but from its very nature it is lim¬ 
ited, and does not give great chances for development. 
The educated farmer, on the other hand, has a profes¬ 
sion not only the most independent of any, but the one 
with the greatest chance for growth. We feel sure 
that American agriculture is entering the most won¬ 
derful era of Its history. Rich men are preparing to 
invest money in farm land as they would in manufac¬ 
turing enterprises, provided they can secure trained 
and competent managers. Are our agricultural col¬ 
leges capable of training men for such work? Yes— 
they are already doing it. If a boy likes farm work 
and farm life we should be rather sorry to see him 
top-work such stock with a “business” graft. Scien¬ 
tific agriculture will make a better unioa. 
« 
A REMARKABi.E article in the World’s Work shows 
that while the property in this country is owned by 
a great many people it is controlled by a very few. 
For example, 20 large railroad and industrial com¬ 
panies have a total capital of $2,417,173,590. There 
were 199,090 stockholders, but less than 20 persons 
controlled the business of all these vast enterprises. It 
is the same In all great operations. The Pennsylvania 
Railroad has 34,500 owners, yet two or three men con¬ 
trol it. Thus while the American people have been in¬ 
vesting their money in railroad and industrial stocks ' 
until they own a large share of them, the control, 
which is far more important, concentrates more and 
more into the hands of a few men. Another startling 
thing is the fact that the same groups of men are 
coming into control of railroads, manufacturing trusts 
and banking. There is eoncentration everywhere, 
with the common people owning and the few strong 
men controlling. The farm property in this country 
is valued at $20,000,000. While the farmer controls 
his land, others control the distribution and handling 
of farm products, and thus control the price which the 
farmer receives. The farmer may own a few shares 
in the railroad which carries his crops, and possibly 
draw a few dollars as dividends, but the control of 
the road is beyond him, and prices are regulated for 
him. As tilings are now going it will not be many 
years before 100 men will practically control rail¬ 
roads, banks and industrial corporations, and thus 
regulate freight rates, interest and prices. 
A Word to Readers. 
Whenever we come to the last issue of a volume of 
The R. N.-Y. we feel like saying a few personal 
words to readers. We like to talk at such times with¬ 
out any reference to business, or any matters besides 
those of kindly friendship. There are many happy 
and holy associations which cluster about the end of 
the year. We try to make every issue of The R. N.-Y. 
an expression of good feeling and honest friendship, 
yet it is no more than natural that Christmas time 
should bring with it a desire to give more force to 
this expression. We have seen The R. N.-Y. grow in 
circulation and power. At first this growth was slow, 
but of late years the increase has been far beyond our 
expectations. A tree sometimes appears to stand still, 
or to make but feeble growth above ground—and then, 
all of a sudden bursts into size and beauty. At the 
time when we thought the tree was standing still'it 
was growing below ground —sending out Its roots and 
firmly bracing itself in the soil so that the final 
growth above ground was the result of this solid root¬ 
ing. We like to believe that much of the present pros¬ 
perity of The R. N.-Y, is due to the hard, quiet drudg¬ 
ery of the past years. At times it seemed as if some 
of our hardest work was not appreciated, but now we 
know better, for we have learned that this hard work 
rooted the paper firmly in the confidence and respect 
of its readers. We are frank to say that with this in¬ 
crease of power comes a deeper feeling of responsibil¬ 
ity tor we have some peculiar ideas concerning the 
1 elations that should exist between an agricultural 
paper and its readers. It might be possible for a man 
to conduct an agricultural journal as he would a 
butcher’s shop, but we do not like to think of it. We 
are well aware that some of our readers differ with 
us regarding matters of policy. Some would like to 
have us print a class of articles which we do not 
think desirable. Others would have us omit certain 
articles or opinions or even advertisements which do 
not interest them. Such people well know from ex¬ 
perience with their own business that whila It is easy 
to criticise things from the outside the man on the 
inside may have true reasons for his action which 
never occurred to the other. We do not pretend to be 
infallible. It might be possible for a rogue to deceive 
us or abuse our confidence for a time, but it is our 
ambition to have readers believe that we would be 
burned at the stake before we would knowingly de¬ 
ceive our readers or sell them out. If you ask us 
what The R. N;-Y. is to be during 1904 we shall have 
to ask you to “take it and see!” It will be to a large 
extent what its readers make it. We regret to see 
many agricultural papers trying to stretch their short 
legs in an effort to keep pace with the scientific men 
turning now and then to call back to the farmers. 
We believe in staying back with the farmers and 
calling the scientific men back before we lose sighi 
of them in the promised land of scientific agriculture 
The why man must pick up the chips for the how man! 
Vith hope and faith in the future we are going ahead 
to try to make each coming issue of The R. N.-Y. an 
honest, helpful record of farm progress. Good luck 
to all of you! 
A SHORTAGE of Certain seeds—see Ruralisms page 8 
bother plants are not their enemies b 
JtoERE Is more money In It-for a farmer to buy fl 
middlings than fine cut. 
What do you say about the comparative merits 
steam or water for heating? 
•Every year makes new champions for the Sutt( 
Beauty apple in New Eng’land. 
Will kerosene kill the eggs of chicken mites as w< 
as the Insects? We understand so. 
It Is not the amount of lime in a sell that keeps 
sweet; it Is the character or form of the lime. 
It Is likely that burning clay will fit it for road bull 
ing. Thus country roads through clay soils may be bui 
at small cost. 
The Massachusetts State Grange wants to give tl 
gray squirrel a chance for its life by prohibiting its kil 
ing- for five years. 
Prepared blood meal is proving a great food for young 
calves. With good blood from ancestors running In Its 
veins and soluble blood in Its stomach the calf ought to 
make Quite a cow. 
for the purpose of using them against the San Jos6 scale 
have increased to thousands, and are giving encouraging 
results—especially at the South. 
A SIX-POUND flatiron was recently found In the stomach 
of an 80-pound codfish brought ashore at Klttery Point 
Me. It seems undecided whether the fish had swallowed 
a laundress, or whether it was merely carrying the flat¬ 
iron as a sinker. 
During the period before the building of the great 
Drainage Canal, one of the Chicago daily papers always 
displayed a conspicuous warning reading as follows* 
“In the meantime boll your drinking water.” In view 
of the serious epidemics of typhoid fever now prevailing 
in both rural and urban localities, it might be well to 
carry out that warning, if there is the slightest risk of 
a contaminated water .supply. 
