4o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
January 20 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Home*. 
Established 1850. 
Herbert W. Collingwood, Editor. 
Dr. Walter Van Fleet, j 
H. E. Van Deman, V Associate!. 
Mrs. E. T. Rotle, j 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
* SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, 82.04, equal to 
8s. 6d., or 8 Yt marks, or 10*4 francs. 
ADVERTISING RATES. 
Thirty cents per agate line (14 lines to the inch). Yearly orders 
of 10 or more lines, and 1,000-line orders, 25 cents per line. 
Reading Notices, ending with “ Adv .,” 75 cents per 
count line. Absolutely One Price Only. 
Advertisements inserted only for responsible and honorable houses 
We must have copy one week before the date of issue. 
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. 
induce others to do so. If they are members of any 
organization, they should induce it to take prompt 
action. The Grange, as an organization, can exert a 
mighty influence, and the officers of the subordinate 
Granges, as well as those of the State bodies, should 
see to it that each individual member is brought into 
line, 'iiie time for action has come. 
• 
The Connecticut tobacco growers are protesting 
vigorously against the annexation of Cuba or Porto 
Rico. Their argument is that these Islands, under 
American control, will greatly increase their output 
of tobacco. This would be sent to this country free 
of duty, and in the end would drive the Connecti¬ 
cut grower out of business. These hard headed 
Yankees do not see why they should take a back seat 
for the benefit of importers and capitalists who are 
investing money in these Spanish Islands. It may be 
said that the beet-sugar growers and the would-be 
growers of hemp and flax can see the ruin of their 
business in the control and annexation of the Philip¬ 
pines. 
SATURDAY, JANUARY 20, 1900. 
Every club raiser or person interested in subscrip¬ 
tion work should read Publisher’s Desk this week. 
Liberal cash prizes are being offered for nine days' 
subscription work during the last days of this month. 
• 
The programme of the Eastern New York Horti¬ 
cultural Society’s meeting is printed on page 45. This 
young Society is full of vigor. The meeting promises 
to be a notable one—right in the heart of the greatest 
of American markets. Let’s all turn out and make it 
a great success. 
$ 
Gov. Roosevelt favors laws which will compel the 
big corporations to publish their financial statements. 
Printers’ ink can be made a good sterilizer to destroy 
the microbe of fraud. We would make the financial 
as well as the food frauds come out into the light. 
The Governor is also concerned about institutions 
which handle the savings of the poor and humble. 
Such being the case, we are surprised that he does not 
go on and indorse the plan to establish Government 
postal savings banks! 
* 
Congress never came together with so many un¬ 
settled and conflicting problems as the present one is 
forced to face. It is safe to say that dozens of mem¬ 
bers will be forced to support party measures which 
they consider all wrong as individuals. The average 
Congressman’s mind is, just now, not unlike an egg 
that has not settled after a long journey. It will 
not hatch until it can stand quietly, so that the layers 
may settle into place. A strong letter from a con¬ 
stituent will often settle a Congressman’s mind so 
that it will hatch. 
* 
We are responsible for many a northern cow-pea 
field. Right now is the season for cow-pea discour¬ 
agement. The vines look like little sticks—you can 
hardly see the leaves. If the owners of some of these 
fields could get hold of us, they would make a tongue 
graft of a piece of their mina. You wouldn’t shake 
our faith a bit. We know Brother Cow Pea too well. 
Our day is coming yet. We can afford to wait until 
the crop that is to follow gets its feet weh into the 
soil. Then it will be all our way. The footprints of 
the cow pea are always plainly seen. 
* 
We have referred several times to the two bills 
now before Congress, which seek properly to re¬ 
strain and tax the sale and manufacture of oleo. In¬ 
dividual sentiment among farmers is very emphatic 
that the measures which we seek to have incorporated 
into National laws are just and right, and if the ques¬ 
tion could be settled by the simple act of voting, there 
would be an overwhelming majority in favor of their 
adoption. The people as individuals are ready to fight 
for their rights in these matters. But as individuals, 
they can hope to accomplish but little against a foe 
disciplined in all the arts of legislative warfare, and 
supported by untold millions of wealth. The indi¬ 
vidual strength of the people must be unified so as 
to move it as a mighty army, thoroughly equipped, 
upon the National Legislature at Washington, and 
demand from that body what is justly theirs. Public 
sentiment is a mighty force, and if letters and postal 
cards will carry to Washington the murmurings of the 
people, the Members of Congress will heed them, for 
in them they will recognize the seriousness of the 
discontent among their constitutents. The battle can¬ 
not be fought by proxy. Not only should our farmer 
friends write to their Members of Congress, and the 
Senators from their respective States, but they should 
For years we have used the verb “broadcasted,” 
thinking that, like everything else, it had a past. 
One of our readers evidently thinks that there is 
something wrong in the past of broadcast. He quotes 
the editor of the Century Dictionary to the effect that 
the form broadcasted “is not allowable.” We lack 
the time, space, and brains to argue with dictionary 
makers. Let us, therefore, hide the past of broad¬ 
cast It also appears that the agricultural scientists 
have decided that silage is a better noun than 
ensilage. It is our business to use words, not to make 
them, or to tinker them. We, therefore, cheerfully 
write O. K. on the proposition to chop off the head 
of ensilage. 
• 
Many people have been asking of late whether there 
is any immediate prospect of the repeal of the vexa¬ 
tious internal revenue taxes, originally levied for the 
current expenses of the Spanish War. It appears, 
however, that there is no likelihood of such repeal, 
particularly as a falling off in revenue is likely to re¬ 
sult from the admission of free sugar from our trop¬ 
ical dependencies. One authority observes that, if the 
people of the United States can secure cheaper sugar 
by admitting it duty free from the West Indian Isl¬ 
ands, they can very well afford to continue to pay 
the stamp tax on express receipts, telegrams and 
checks. We think, however, that most of our agri¬ 
cultural friends would prefer to get their cheap sugar 
from American-grown beets. 
0 
It would be hard to find a brighter, cleaner and 
more prosperous-looking class of farm folks than 
those who attended the Connecticut State Grange 
meeting last week. There was no basswood in 
the mental nutmegs they brought in from the 
farm. The writer talked to this gathering, and 
suggested that those who had questions to ask 
write them out. When the hat was passed, 
over 60 questions were put in—all of them as keen 
and sharp as a New England briar. Surely there 
are two things that have never yet been measured. 
One is the possible production of an acre of ground. 
No one can yet say he has produced all that is pos¬ 
sible from an acre. In like manner, no one has yet 
measured the possibilities of the true New England 
Yankee. The Connecticut Grange is putting these 
two thoughts together. 
* 
The time has come for nurserymen and tree planters 
to face the question of fumigating nursery stock. The 
San Jos6 scale has been widely scattered, it is in 
many nurseries. We do not believe in trying to 
frighten fruit growers unnecessarily, but we do be¬ 
lieve in facing the matter like grown-up men, and 
looking the danger fairly in the face. If a boy came 
into our orchard and cut down trees with an ax, we 
would not stand still and say that there was no dan¬ 
ger. We would go where that boy came from and 
see to it that moral suasion, shingle or jail kept him 
away from that orchard in the future. The San Josd 
scale is more dangerous than the boy, and more easily 
kept at home. There is no question about the value 
of hydrocyanic acid gas as a fumigator. We think 
nurserymen will make a mistake if they attempt to 
oppose a law compelling such fumigation at the nur¬ 
sery. It will cause them some trouble and expense 
it is true, but in the end they will gain business by 
doing it. That has been the story 'in Maryland, where 
fumigation is compulsory. We think that it would be 
better for nurserymen to recognize the justice and 
value of such fumigation, rather than to wait until 
they are forced to practice it. 
The farmers’ institutes this Winter have developed 
a new and interesting feature. Lectures on domestic 
science are given. A skilled lecturer comes on the 
stage with on stove and various kitchen, tools, and 
prepares some dainty dish, explaining the why and 
how as she goes along. Now what do the women 
folks think of this? Is it helpful to them? Do they 
learn something useful from ix.' Does it really help 
in the preparation of the farm dinner? We men folks 
think it a good thing, but we are dinner eaters rather 
than dinner manufacturers. Will the women folks 
please stand right up in meeting and tell us what they 
think about domestic science? 
9 
We have in this country an exclusive Government 
coin. There should also be exclusive Government 
paper money, issued directly by the Government, as 
much of its paper money now is. The bill now before 
Congress provides, among other things, that the Na¬ 
tional banks be paid for doing something which the 
Government itself can do just as well. The banks are 
to deposit bonds as security for the payment of the 
notes or paper money which they issue. The Govern¬ 
ment is to pay them two per cent per annum on these 
bonds, and take back one-half of one per cent in taxes 
on the notes. Thus the Government assumes respon¬ 
sibility for the redemption of L*e notes, and yet pays 
the banks iy 2 per cent for issuing them. It would be 
cheaper and just as safe for the Government to issue 
all its paper money direct. What would we say of a 
farmer who paid a neighbor to deliver nis goods, 
while the wagon and horses stood still in the barn? 
We would call him sick, lazy or foolish. Uncle Sam 
is well, and there isn’t a lazy bone in his body! 
• 
BREVITIES. 
My name is cow—I seldom talk—I’ve something else to do, 
But now, with your permission, I would have a word 
with you; 
My ancestors, 'way back to scrub, have helped to run 
the farm. 
Their butter paid the father’s debts—they kept the child 
from harm. 
They did their duty straight and fair, without a hitch or 
balk. 
While you were separating milk with mouth too full to 
talk. 
My ancestors were honest folks, and now I call it hard 
When we are driven to the wall by painted grease and 
lard. 
Rise up! Rise up! Ye dairymen, rise up and strike a blow 
With all the force at your command at painted oleo; 
A painted humbug and a fraud, he sneaks about the 
town; 
Up! Up! And urge your Congressman to shoot the rascal 
down! 
“Humble pie” is made of squashed hopes. 
The kicking cow believes in the missile-toe. 
The cackling hen is either a layer or a liar. 
The heart is a good specimen of “breast meat.” 
The tongue has the only blunt edge that cuts best. 
Enforcing the blew laws—shutting off a windy man. 
You can’t handle your cow as your grandfather did. 
Cold storage of hops is being tried in several places in 
England. 
A Minorca’s comb comes out badly in a brush with 
Jack Frost. 
The farmers’ vote is an atom. We would like to make 
it an at ’em. 
The shoemaker no longer "sticks to his last.” He now 
tends his machine. 
Don’t be satisfied by doing as well as your neighbor. 
Have a standard of your own. 
Why, yes, a “smart” youngster that has been well “sat 
upon” is a case of compressed heir. 
Vast stores of hay are being shipped from this country 
to Africa to feed the English horses. 
One of the “dead sure” things of life is the fact that 
whisky and profit cannot hold the same job. 
Bear this in mind—you can’t make fruit buds on the 
strawberry plant next Spring if they are not there now. 
If you set out for “Get There,” I’ll tell you as a friend- 
don’t ever give your ticket up; you’ll need it till the end. 
We are glad to see that old Father Time is editing his 
years. Last year was MDCCCXCIX. This year is MCM. 
Many animals are poisoned by laurel. Some men win 
“laurels” by such means that their lives are poisoned 
thereby. 
A good many of the men who feel capable of directing 
the Transvaal war couldn’t bound the counties of the 
State they live in without exciting the schoolma’am’s de¬ 
rision. 
"Mother did that better.” The wife who is compelled 
to listen to that, with variations, should pluck up spirit 
enough to say: “And father gave me more privileges than 
you do!” 
Your wife is probably a better cook than your mother 
was. Why don’t you go and tell her so? While you are 
about it train your boys so that they won’t use "Mother’s 
cooking” as a club on their own wives. 
A New York man bought a horse warranted sound and 
kind. The horse kicked a buggy into pieces. After that 
he kicked a heavy wagon. The courts decide that the 
seller should pay for the buggy, but not for the wagon, 
because the buyer knew after the first kicking that the 
horse was not “kind.” 
