420 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER: 
June 16 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
• Established 1850. 
— * * 
1 
Herbert W. Coli.i no wood, Editor. 
Dr. "Walter Van Fleet, j 
H. E. Van Deman, >■ Associates. 
Mrs. E. T. Hoyle, ) 
i John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.0-1, equal to 
8s. Cd., or H'/i marks, or 10'/j francs. 
\ _ 
ADVERTISINGS RATES. 
Thirty cents per agate line (14 lines to the inch). Yearly orders 
of 10 or more lines, and 1,000-liue orders, 25 cents per line. 
Heading 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. 
Hemittances may be made in money order, express order, 
personal check or bank draft. 
THE HUH AT. NEW-YORKER, 
409 Pearl Street, New York. 
SATURDAY , JUNE 16, 1900. 
That is a curious thing brought out in Prof. San¬ 
derson’s article on the Pea louse. This destructive 
insect seems to have come from the Crimson clover. 
This clover was hailed as a royal friend by farmers 
on the Peninsula when it first appeared. It promised 
to catch nitrogen for them, and then to give its body 
to build up their soils. It did both, and yet it has 
been nursing this Pea louse, which now swoops down 
upon the crop. So Crimson clover must take its place 
with the other characters, human, brute and plant, 
which permit some degrading tendency to sprout up 
among their ennobling virtues like a foul weed in a 
beautiful garden. After all, who knows a friend with¬ 
out some such blur on his character? 
* 
The efforts made to bring the Grout oleo bill before 
Congress before the Summer adjournment were not 
successful, other matters being allowed to crowd it 
out at the last minute. Mr. Dalzell, of the Committee 
on Rules, sa'id that the early adjournment for recess 
made it impossible to consider the measure at the 
present session; but, as it was desired that some 
definite date be fixed, the Committee reported in favor 
of setting aside December 6 for this purpose. The 
friends of the bill have strong hopes of getting it 
through without delay when it comes up, and Mr. 
Grout is quoted as saying: “I look upon this as good 
as passed on December 6.” The so-called “leaders'" 
in Congress have worked against this bill, but in spite 
Of their efforts it has been kept at the front, and will 
be passed. 
* 
We observe that some of the agricultural papers 
are having a pleasant controversy over their age. 
Really, it seems to us a matter of small importance as 
to which one can show the greater number of white 
hairs or the larger eald spot. The present issue of 
The R. N.-Y. is No. 2,629. These issues are now in 
cold type, and we are powerless to change them. 
There are probably things in each one which, were 
we able to do so, would be Changed or cut out. We 
used to say that the past of The R. N.-Y. is the fair¬ 
est indication of the future. That is not quite true 
after all. Experience and age should give one fairer 
judgment and a more critical taste, so that past mis¬ 
takes may be turned to future successes. No; we 
have no time to stop and count the gray hairs on the 
head of The R. N.-Y. Our thoughts are more with 
the coming years—with living actions, rather than 
with shadows. 
* 
A bill has been passed by the House, and favor¬ 
ably reported by the Senate, forever excluding the 
mongoose from the privileges of American citizen¬ 
ship. Hereafter, a mongoose arriving at any Amer¬ 
ican port may be turned back and deported, like the 
Chinaman. Some may ask why this little weasel¬ 
like creature, the Hindoo’s special policeman against 
venomous snakes, should be forbidden entry here. 
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi is a valuable friend in India, as 
described in Kipling’s story, but it appears that, like 
some humans, he suffers moral deterioration when 
transported to distant lands. About 40 years ago the 
mongoose (we hesitate to speak of this animal in 
the plural, because we are uncertain whether to say 
mongooses or mongeese) was introduced into Ja¬ 
maica, to destroy rats in the canefields. The climate 
suited him; he multiplied rapidly, and he killed rats 
and snakes, but be also acquired a habit of killing 
wild birds and domestic fowls. With the destruction 
of wild birds insects increased, and it is said that in 
Jamaica poultry is only secure when kept in a coop 
like a burglar-proof safe. Anti-mongoose legislation 
has tried all sorts of remedies, but Mr. Ichneumon 
still flourishes, and is as great a plague as the rab¬ 
bits in Australia. Secretary Wilson has decided that 
the southern section of the United States doesn’t 
need the mongoose, and the little vermin-killer is to 
be excluded before some short-sighted enthusiast gets 
the chance to naturalize him. 
* 
It is reported that many negroes are leaving what 
is known as the black belt in Alabama. The reason 
given is that the stories told of Lie in the new manu¬ 
facturing towns have drawn negroes from the coun¬ 
try until there is, in some places, a scarcity of farm 
hands. Years ago the manufacturing towns of New 
England sucked the farm laborers out of the hills, 
until now an American farm hand is rare indeed. In 
fact, this has been one almost invariable effect of 
manufacturing towns—it has forced the farm proprie¬ 
tor to pay higher wages than he could afford, or fall 
back upon cheaper foreign labor. In Kansas, farmers 
are calling for help in hay and harvest fields—in fact, 
tne farm labor problem becomes harder every year. 
* 
N Oub correspondent on page 426 says that milk 
farmers generally believe that milk sells at eight 
cents or more per quart in this city, and that it is 
watered. Milk sells all the way from 3% to 15 cents 
per quart. Some restaurants buy large quantities at 
a low figure, and then sell by the glass or bowl at 12 
cents or more. Bakers use skim-milk largely—sell¬ 
ing the cream for about as much as tbey paid for the 
whole milk. It is fair to say that the milk for which 
the farmer receives me present low figure sells on 
the average for a little over six cents per quart. With 
regard to watering, Prof. J. D. Quackenbos, of Colum¬ 
bia University, says that 40,000,000 quarts of water 
are intentionally added each year to New York’s milk 
supply. This is done after the milk leaves the farm. 
It becomes more and more evident that this milk 
question will never down until the farmers can con¬ 
trol both production and sale. 
* 
Before the days of coal and western beef, working 
cattle were common on the hill farms of New Eng¬ 
land. Wood brougnt a good price as fuel, and the 
cattle were invaluable for hauling it out of the 
rough wood lots. After serving their purpose at the 
yoke, the cattle brought a good price as beef. Even 
when the price of wood fell, and western beef found 
its way 1i every butcher shop within easy distance of 
a railroad, there was a place on the farm for the 
working ox. He was not fast enough for the new 
generation, but as with other slow old things, it was 
a mistake to try to get rid of him entirely. There are 
many jobs on a hilly farm which the ox can do better 
than any other working partner. We would like to 
have a yoke right now to work among the roots and 
stumps at the back of the farm. It does not cost 
much to feed such cattle, and whenever the land is 
rough and stony they will more than pay their way. 
* 
A mean and dangerous little fraud is the adul¬ 
teration of fruit syrups used in soda water. It isn’t 
so little, either, when we think of the oceans of soda 
water swallowed by the American people every year. 
If pure syrups were used a market would be pro¬ 
vided which would make a great difference in the 
prices for small fruits. In many cases cheap and 
nasty chemicals are used. We have seen the marble 
of soda water fountains fairly eaten away by the 
strong acids used to “flavor” these deadly drinks. 
Thus this adulteration injures both stomach and 
purse. It is all well enough to talk about laws 
against such adulteration, but we believe in taking 
the law into our own hands. The way to do this is 
to refuse to drink soda water unless you know that 
the real fruit syrups are used. Make a demand for 
such syrups, and you will get them—not much before. 
* 
A few months ago we heard a great deal about the 
wonderful spasm of prosperity the Nation was in¬ 
dulging in. Prices of almost evex*y manufactured 
commodity and necessity of life advanced by leaps 
and bounds. We were told that the unprecedented 
“demand” for these products warranted the increase 
in price which, in some instances, amounted to nearly 
150 per cent, but it begins to appear that the unusual 
demand existed ehiefly in the desires of the trust 
managers, whose greed reckoned on forcing from the 
pockets of the consumers these extraordinary profits. 
Dealers are now known to be heavily stocked up with 
goods of all kinds which the aforesaid consumers 
quite generally decline to buy at these advanced 
prices, except in the most limited and carefully-con¬ 
sidered quantities. This is very natural, as the pur¬ 
chasing powers of the general public have not been 
advanced in proportion to the general rise in prices. 
The country, as a whole, is busily at work in all 
lines of production, and doubtless the aggregate 
wealth of the Nation is gaining immensely, but there 
has been so little increase in the earnings of labor 
anu the prices of agricultural products that the ac¬ 
tual consumption of manufactured commodities is 
lagging behind, and will continue to do so until prices 
are lowered within reasonable bounds. It will pay 
any farmer to make his purchases of such supplies as 
are known to be controlled by trusts or combines 
with great caution, as many products will undoubt¬ 
edly soon be offered at lower prices. 
* 
Some men are naturally humble, others humble 
themselves, while others have humility forced upon 
them. Congress practiced this forcing process when 
the “leaders” were turned down on the oleo question. 
These men found that they were leading an army 
which would not be led in a wrong cause. This 
story is told of Napoleon, the Emperor of Germany, 
and the Czar of Russia. They sat together in an 
upper room in the palace discussing the bravery of 
their solciiers. They each called a common soldier 
to them and said, “If I order you to march to that 
window and throw yourself to the pavement below— 
will you do it?” The Frenchman and the Russian 
merely saluted and answered, “Yes sire!” The Ger¬ 
man asked—“Is it for the Fatherland?” He was 
ready to die for his country, but not merely to satisfy 
a bet or a personal whim. He was the best soldier 
of the lot, and the best public men are those who 
ask—“Is it for my country?” before they obey the or 
ders of their leaders. 
* 
BREVITIES. 
There is nothing that sounds better, 
When I lie in bed at night, 
Than to hear the rain a-pelting 
When I know the farm is right; 
Than to hear the lukewarm splashes 
That would fairly sprout a stone. 
And I get up in the morning 
Just to see how things have grown. 
I don’t go much for thunderstorms, 
They’re apt to lodge the grain, 
My taste is for the steady, 
Pouring, downright, all-day rain 
That spoils the small potatoes, 
Because it makes them grow 
Till they nudge and say “Roll over” 
And bulge out of the row. 
I own I like to idle 
When I do it for a shower 
That earns more in a second 
Than I can in an hour; 
For it’s good to sit and listen 
To the seed a-pushing through 
And beside, there’s always choring 
For the hired man to do. 
_ -N. Y. Sun. 
Get the hay tools ready. 
Will crows eat Potato beetles? 
A coat of clay helps the dirt road. 
The paper farmer—the man with the ballot. 
The prize fighter contributes his might box. 
The pastured cow wastes more than she eats. 
Do you owe the world, or does the world owe you? 
Which grinds the feelings finer in the end—the smooth 
or the rough tongue? 
A crop of deviltry will take the nitrogen and about 
everything else out of the heir. 
What’s in a name? Susan Dewey, of New York, has 
been fined $100 and costs for selling oleo! 
Do we get our bread from stones? This question is 
answered by Prof. Van Deman on page 416. 
“Yes,” said the country road to the road machine, 
“You done me dirt”— though I regret to be obliged to use 
slang. 
We sometimes think the heels are ahead of conscience, 
for the best way to be delivered from evil is to run away 
from temptation. 
Crimson clover seems to be getting into bad company 
since it affords hospitality to that Green pea-louse, whose 
habits are described on the first page. 
A Brooklyn (N. Y.) grocer recently paid $100 fine for 
his second offence in selling oleo as butter—a sort of in¬ 
come tax that he does not exactly appreciate. 
He had the money for his wife’s new dress; she needed 
i:—likewise a decent cloak. He held the purse and so 1 
must confess he bought tobacco—all went up in smoke. 
No doubt of it. Find a person who has tried the plan 
of eating less meat and more fruit, fairly and honestly, 
and you will find one who is forced to admit that he is 
better for it. 
Recently 60 tubs of oleo were found hidden away in 
an undertaker’s shop in Connecticut. That is where 
most fraudulent oleo will be when the Grout bill becomes 
a law. 
A reader in Oregon recently captured a new subscrip¬ 
tion for us. Now he says: “I suppose you enjoy com¬ 
plaints, so I write you in regard to it. I met him to-day, 
and he said he ‘felt like paying me another dollar, as he 
had already got a dollar’s worth from it.’ ” 
An official inquiry is being made into the fitting up of 
the transport Sumner, which cost $625,218.89, or nearly 
four times as much as the original price paid for the 
vessel. Among the necessities Uncle Sam provided for 
this vessel are $200 porcelain bathtubs and a charcoal 
broiler that cost $198. That broiler doesn’t seem to har¬ 
monize with the rations provided for enlisted men. 
