2t4 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER: 
March 24 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Hornet. 
Established 1850. 
Herbert W. Collingwood, Editor. 
Dr. Walter Van Fleet, 1 
H. E. Van Deman, >■ Associates. 
Mrs. E. T. Hoyle, ) 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries In the Universal Postal Union, 82.04, equal to 
8 s. 6d., or Sy t marks, or 10*4 francs. 
Farmers near Milford, Del., are said to have re¬ 
ceived a large order for birds. A Philadelphia mil¬ 
liner wants these birds for Easter Donnets. Friends 
of the birds have raised a fund, and threaten to prose¬ 
cute anyone taking part in their proposed slaughter. 
Why in the world cannot our fashionable people be 
satisfied with the feathers of our domesticated birds? 
From the sober garb of the Plymouth Rock to the 
brilliant plumage of the Rhode Island Red there is 
range enough to satisfy anyone—but the feeble-mind¬ 
ed person thinks it is unfashionable to utilize the 
useful. 
* 
ic a small way for some time. It is now being used 
in this country in a limited way in the preparation of 
a special tonic remedy. There is no reason to sup¬ 
pose that the demand will be met for many years, nor 
until it is quite extensively cultivated. It requires 
special care, as it is a native of sbady woodlands, and 
will not thrive unless its wild conditions are closely 
imitated by careful shading by lath screens or some¬ 
thing equally effective, and the soil kept moist and 
loose by applications of leaf mold and heavy mulch¬ 
ing. It takes the seeds two years to germinate, and 
three or four years to grow the roots to marketable 
size. It is not likely that very many will succeed in 
growing ginseng profitably at the first trial, and it 
may offer a good opportunity for the occasional care¬ 
ful cultivator, who has a liking for new crops, and 
is willing to devote much time and intelligent care in 
studying the needs of the plant, to say nothing of the 
long wait until ready to market. 
* 
It is claimed that the cost of canning and handling 
fruits and vegetables will soon be increased from 10 
to 15 per cent over the season of 1899. There is a de¬ 
cided increase in the cost of the metals used, such / 
as tin plate, cans and solder. The labels, wrappers 
and paper stock come in for their share of the raise, 
which is also true of packing cases, machinery, etc. 
The new “classifications” of the railroads will also 
result in higher freight rates for canned goods. In 
every case this increase in price is due directly to, 
the exactions of a trust or combine of some kind. 
The truck gardener and farmer is expected to pay 
the difference in the way of a lowering of his contract 
prices for growing the stock, although it would seem 
that he had been squeezed to the last limit in pre¬ 
vious seasons. The canned goods trade has lately 
been fairly active, and there is no good reason why 
the actual producer should bear the burdens of an 
artificial increase in price of the commodity he 
creates. 
* 
BREVITIES. 
The agricultural writer—let us see— 
According to our standard he should be 
True, timely, terse, thoughtful—without alarm, 
In touch with real troubles of the farm. 
He must, if he would dodge the pencil blue, 
Tell what he knows; in other words be true! 
And also timely, for he must remember 
That clover seed is not sown in December. 
He must be terse, and by his conscience spurred 
To pay a fine for every useless word. 
Let him not go half-cocked, for he will find 
His thoughts improved by mellowing in mind. 
Let him not mount some hobby horse and then 
Go talking “through his hat” to other men. 
Let him recall the beam his own eye holds 
Before he rants about and cuts and scolds. 
Don’t tell big stories eloquent and hard, 
For there are failures buried in your yard; 
Far better dig these failures for your theme 
Than have them come to shame your happy dream. 
Get off your stilts—get .’way down to the soil, 
With simple thoughts that will ennoble toil. 
There are 124,234 Coolie laborers in Hawaii. 
The Beach borer knows enough to let tobacco alone. 
Better not say "1 know!” Say “ I am quite sure!” 
We have known a man to save 50 cents in order to 
lose $50. 
Be sure to read Odd Notes from the Rural Grounds 
this week. 
Yes! Yes! Your hopes for a crop recede when you 
find it necessary to reseed. 
Before you act upon a new suggestion, be sure and 
run it through your mind’s digestion. 
Wanted! A condition powder that will make the lazy 
man lay up something for his family. 
If a goat swallows a rabbit, what would the X-rays re¬ 
veal? Of course, the hare in the butter! 
Flesh is a good indication of constitution in the hog 
or steer, but not in the sow or dairy cow. 
The Federal authorities decide that soap is a medicine. 
That probably explains why some folks seem afraid 
of it. 
"Don’t talk about your western winds,” says an Iowa 
man, “until you have counted the recent wrecks along 
your eastern coast.” 
"We find that beans planted late escape the weevil, 
while the early planted are usually badly infested.” That 
is the evidence from many readers. 
There were 25,435 patents granted last year. Connecti¬ 
cut led with one iiatent to every 945 inhabitants. Ala¬ 
bama was last with one to every 25,024. 
The oleo men go so far as to say that the real farmers 
of the country care nothing about the bills before Con¬ 
gress! We will guarantee that many Congressmen know 
better. 
A paper read at the National Pure Food and Drug Con¬ 
gress at Washington defended the sale of butter substi¬ 
tutes, on the ground that they are purer than the direct 
products of the cow. Would any politician permit this 
libel if the good old cow had a vote? 
Mr. A. R. Phillips, of Ohio, says: “I have just called 
by telephone for the weather predictions for to-morrow, 
and find that we, here in northern Ohio, may expect a 
fair day, and warmer weather. That means a good flow 
of sap.” That’s business—when a man can tap trees by 
telephone. ft shows what these modern conveniences 
will do for farming. 
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. 
SATURDAY , MARCH 24, 1900. 
The R. N.-Y. is prepared to do its old-time work 
at testing new varieties and methods. At the Rural 
Grounds are to be found ample facilities for such 
testing, and we shall be glad to receive seeds, tubers 
or plants of any new candidates for horticultural 
honors. Send all specimens direct to Dr. Walter Van 
Fleet, Little Silver. N. J. 
ak 
A few weeks ago we spoke of the good work that 
retired farmers can do by giving part of their time 
to the public service. When such men can retire from 
active work with a reasonable competency, they can 
often pick up some special line of public work, and 
give it close study and attention. Such a man is 
our old friend Wm. D. Barns, of Orange Co., N. Y. 
Mr. Barns makes a feature of studying legislation as 
it affects the interests of the farmer. He has secured 
the passage of several State laws, and is doing valu¬ 
able service to fruit growers in particular. Such men 
are needed. They serve their fellows well. 
* 
Indiana seems to have a Governor who is worth 
having. Governor Mount is a practical farmer, who 
appears to understand that farmers want something 
besides “taffy” when their State officials talk to 
them. In some States these officials seem to take the 
farmers for a lot of doughheads, for they talk very 
soft trash. Governor Mount talks at farmers’ insti¬ 
tutes, and talks solid sense, too. Not long ago he 
was booked for an institute, but was too sick to ap¬ 
pear. His wife came and spoke for him, giving sen¬ 
sible advice and inspiring suggestion. We repeat— 
that is a Governor worth having, and his wife would 
seem to be well worth having also. 
People sometimes say that the agricultural papers 
are not “practical.” They will not be likely to say 
that after reading this issue of The R. N.-Y. The 
paper this week is really a great question box. Never 
before in the history of The R. N.-Y. have we had 
so many good questions. We are glad to say that we 
were never before so well prepared to secure prompt 
and practical answers. Bear in mind, however, that 
an answer is at best but a good suggestion. A queer 
illustration of the hunt sometimes made for informa¬ 
tion 'is given on page 203. What will keep mice away 
from harness? Tw n professors and a harnessmaker 
did their best, but their combined “best ’ ranked be¬ 
hind a plain, every-day -.at. “Might have known 
that!” some cynic will say. Yes, but our business is 
to try to make sure. 
* 
Attorney-General Davis, of New York, has sent 
to the Legislature a statement of the litigation against 
Armour & Co. for selling oleo. This is quite an old 
story. Armour & Co. claimed the right to sell oleo 
in the original packages, and did so. The Agricul¬ 
tural Department undertook to stop this sale, and 
brought suit to collect $1,500,000 in penalties. Ar¬ 
mour & Co. offered to settle by paying $20,000, but 
the State refused. The railroad companies were or¬ 
dered to produce way bills and shipping receipts, so 
as to show how much oleo they carried for the 
Armours. The New York Central reported that all 
such bills have been destroyed. It would thus be im¬ 
possible to secure legal evidence as to the amount of 
oleo brought to the State. There is no money left 
to carry on the suit, and Mr. Davis wishes to know 
What he shall do further. This is about the biggest 
legal farce on record. The question has been like a 
hot poker for both political parties. Both wanted to 
abandon 'it, and both wanted a> make political capital 
out of it, and thus it has hung fire. 
The Supreme Court has yet to pass judgment on 
one side of the Philippine question. Some lawyers 
claim that when the Senate ratified the Peace treaty 
the United States Constitution and statutes were ex¬ 
tended over the Islands. In that case the Filipinos 
are under American laws and should enjoy free trade 
in their products. On the other hand it is claimed 
that the Supreme Court will decide that the new ter¬ 
ritory is not yet American, but that Congress'must 
settle such questions as tan- and government. In 
that case the tariff question will come into politics as 
it never has before. It. is not likely that American 
farmers who produce tobacco, fruit, wool, sugar, ricey 
or hemp will sit quietly by and see these products 
brought into the country free of duty, while manu¬ 
facturers are protected by a high tariff. 
Uc 
\/ Of course every time a bunch of farmers attempt 
to combine for business purposes, so as to secure 
their rights, people start up and accuse them of being 
inconsistent. “Why should a farmer denounce trusts, 
and then proceed to combine for the purpose of secur¬ 
ing better prices?” It would, of course, suit certain 
people very well ii farmers would simply sit still and 
be satisfied with their lot, but the modern farmer 
doesn’t seem to be satisfied with that sort of satisfac¬ 
tion. He knows what his produce brings, and what 
the consumers pay for it. In some cases he does well 
if he obtains 25 per cent of the consumer’s price. 
When he combines he doesn’t aim to make a higher 
price to the consumer, but to make the middlemeu 
and handlers piay fair. The farmer combines to ob¬ 
tain his rights from the handler, and he .s justified in 
doing it. 
*i 
Prof. Cottrell’s Alfalfa figures on page 211 are 
startling. Alfalfa hay richer in protein than wheat 
bran! The crop from seven acres equal in feeding 
value to 52 tons of bran! Just think whai. that means 
to an eastern farmer largely dependent on the West 
for his grain! If we can apply such lessons from 
the West we may well thank the western farmers 
for showing the way to vast crop possibilities. The 
ease with which they produced stock food used to 
grieve us, for it seemed to advertise the ruin of east¬ 
ern stock growing. If we can modify and use some of 
their methods, and take a hand in this Alfalfa grow¬ 
ing, we may ue better off than ever. Prof. Cottrell 
says he wishes that The R. N.-Y. could get the Al¬ 
falfa fever, “because that would prove a blessing to 
the farmers of the United States.” One at a time— 
just now the cow-pea microbe is having its innings. 
ik 
A few weeks ago we mentioned the possibilities of 
compressed air as a force for turning machinery. 
This “pop-gun’ principle is now used to drive heavy 
street cars, force wagons, or turn machinery. In 
France the air is piped, under pressure, all about the 
country, and used as desired. Thus far this force has 
only been practical on a large scale—where very pow¬ 
erful air pumps and large tanks can be used. We 
hope to see the day when smaller fixtures will be 
possible. Then the farmer with a fair-sized wind¬ 
mill can use wind power to force air into a steel 
tank of moderate size, and then let it out, at will, 
through a motor that will turn a wheel for ordinary 
work. We hope to live to see this thing made possi¬ 
ble, for it would be a great convenience to the farm¬ 
ers. We have traced down many rumors of small 
air pumps ana motors, only to find that they do 
most of their real work in theory. 
& 
a 
A Michigan reader takes exceptions to the prom¬ 
ises of great profits to be made in growing ginseng 
by a New York seedsman, who has outfits of plants 
and seeds for sale. He thinks the present high price 
of $6 to $8 a pound will rapidly fall if many farmers 
engage in ginseng cultivation, as it is only a medi¬ 
cine used in China, and neither food nor raiment. 
He asks Tiie R. N.-Y. to look the matter up. We 
find that the export demand has been steadily in¬ 
creasing and the price rising for over 20 years, while 
the natural supply has declined -until it is practically 
exhausted throughout the greater part of the high¬ 
lands of eastern North America. The Chinese use it 
extensively in medicine, and have been cultivating it 
