692 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
Octob er 13 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850 . 
Herbert W. Collingwood, Editor. 
Hr. Walter Van Fleet, 1 
H. E. Van Deman, >-Associates. 
Mrs. E. T. Roylk, ) 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
!To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.04, equal to 
8s. 6d., or 8 Yi marks, or 10 V % francs. 
ADVERTISING RATES. 
Thirty cents per agate line (14 1 nes 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. 
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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, OCTOBER 13, 1900. 
Automobile races have been a feature at some of 
the agricultural fairs. These races attracted atten¬ 
tion, and in some cases were close enough to be ex¬ 
citing. The horseless carriage appears to De gaining 
ground in the city, though few are yet to be seen on 
the ordinary farm roads. They will come, however. 
When the price comes down to about $250 thousands 
of farmers will want them. Every one will be a road 
agent demanding less mud and a better track. 
• 
In another column a wholesale egg man states that 
he has adopted the plan of making all sales “at mark,” 
doing away with the ‘Toss off” entirely, and says that 
the results are more satisfactory to his shippers. The 
trouble with the “loss-off” method is that it gives 
rascally dealers a chance to claim a much greater 
amount of damaged eggs in a lot than there really 
are. If three or four eggs are broken they will claim 
a dozen or two, and in some instances they actually 
take out good eggs, put in rotten ones, and send the 
cases back in that way. Unless the wholesaler has 
some one to watch the buyer emptying the cases, 
which in most instances would be entirely impractic¬ 
able, he has no redress, as the buyer will swear that 
he found such an amount of damaged stock. In buy¬ 
ing “at mark” at so much a case, the buyer runs but 
little risk in dealing with a reputable wholesaler, who 
in many cases would be willing to bear part of the 
loss himself, if the stock proved to be damaged to any 
unusual extent beyond what outward appearances in¬ 
dicated. 
* 
The articles by Mr. Boggs on apple growing in 
North Carolina call attention to the possibilities of 
a section of country that will produce no small share 
of our future fruit crop. Few Americans realize 
the great possibilities of the Allegheny ridge running 
southwest from Pennsylvania. Here is a great tract 
of mountain land wrinkled up by Nature—thrown 
into vast and irregular heaps far above the level of 
the sea. The novelists have pictured the ideal side 
of life among these mountains, and the newspapers 
faithfully report the bloody stories of family feuds 
and political strife. That is all most of us know 
of this region. The writer recently visited several 
localities along the Baltimore & Ohio railroad, and 
was astonished to see what is being done there in 
peach culture. Far up on these mountainsides, only 
a few years from the wilderness, are thrifty orchards 
from which are being sent firm, high-colored peaches 
of rare and fine quality. We doubt whether there is 
* 
any place in this country wnere peaches of this class 
can be produced cheaper or with less risk. This wil¬ 
derness, at present almost unknown, is destined to 
be the home of the peach for the everyday family. By 
that we mean the peach of fair size and fine flavor 
that can be sold at a price within the reach of the 
average citizen. 
* 
When J. H. Hale began to ship peaches from Geor¬ 
gia in large quantities he devised his famous Red 
Label. Tnis flaming brand was pasted on every pack¬ 
age and boldly proclaimed that the peaches were the 
best to be found, and were all alike from top to bot¬ 
tom. We remember that when these peaches first 
began to come to market some dealers shook their 
heads and said the label was a mistake. The peaches 
were packed so that the labels turned out to be true, 
and before long buyers understood it, so that the 
“red label” proved a great success. It advertised the 
peaches and created a demand for tnem. Now comes 
a new wrinkle. A demand has grown for the empty 
boxes. Packers fill these boxes the second or third 
time and sell the peaches on the strength of the red 
label. For a time most of them used their best 
peaches for this packing, but finally poor, miserable 
stuff was used—a disgrace to any grower. Now an 
advertisement is made or unmade by the goods which 
back it up. So much poor trash has been put into 
these baskets that Mr. Hale may actually be forced 
to give up the red label to protect his reputation. 
Even should he do so far years to come the scamps 
will fill the old boxes with fruit that would only drive 
trade away. Thus a man’s good reputation may be 
turned ic his injury. 
* 
The Legislature of Michigan, in its last session, 
enacted a law requiring commission merchants to 
take out licenses and give bonds in the sum of $5,000, 
before doing business in that State. This law was 
much criticised, for while it appears to have been 
enacted in good faith, with the idea of protecting 
farmers and fruit-growers from irresponsible and un¬ 
scrupulous dealers, it worked as a distinct injustice 
to honest commission men. Many of them doing busi¬ 
ness in Michigan are established in other States, and 
to them the new law was especially distasteful. In a 
test case recently decided, the Supreme Court of 
Michigan held the law void as unconstitutional, de¬ 
claring it to be class legislation, and an unjustifiable 
interference with the right of citizens to carry on 
legitimate business. 
* 
The R. N.-Y. is writing the Congressional candi¬ 
dates of both parties in New York State, asking them 
where they stand on the oleo question. Do they favor 
the Grout bill, or will they oppose it? We have re¬ 
ceived the following replies; there will doubtless 
be more to follow: 
I am for the Grout bill. a. v. s. cochrane. 
Hudson, N. Y. 
I am for it—shall support it most heartily and 
earnestly. j. s. sherman. 
Utica, N. Y. 
1 am in favor of the passage of the bill known as the 
Grout bill, which levies a tax on colored oleomargarine. 
Addison, N. Y. chas. w. gillet. 
You can count me heartily for the bill to which you 
refer. j. h. ketchum. 
Dover Plains, N. Y. 
I am in favor of the Grout bill, and think now that it 
will pass the House on December 6. 
Warrensburg, N. Y. l. w. Emerson. 
As I understand its provisions, I am strongly in favor 
of the Grout bill, and should do all in my power to 
effect its passage when it comes before the next Con¬ 
gress if I am elected thereto. wm. l. pert. 
Potsdam, N. Y. 
I live in a dairy and farming section, and certainly 
should vote as would best serve our people. If the 
farmers in my district were for this bill, I should vote 
for it. LUKE MCHENRY. 
Chittenango, N. Y. 
I would do all I could in session and out of session of 
Congress to further such a bill through Congress, being 
opposed in every way not only to the imitation, manu¬ 
facture and selling of oleomargarine for butter, but the 
adulteration and imitation of food and clothing of the 
people. DR. STILLMAN E. LEWIS. 
Olean, N. Y. 
I am and constantly have been earnestly in favor of 
the so-called Grout bill, which proposes to tax and other¬ 
wise regulate the sale of oleomargarine. In my judg¬ 
ment such a measure is necessary for the protection of 
our great dairy interests, and cannot injure any legi¬ 
timate industry or business. geo. w. ray. 
Norwich, N. Y. 
That’s the way to talk! Such men will look after 
the needs of farmers. “Cannot injure any legitimate 
industry or business,” says Mr. Ray. Of course not, 
but it will put a stop to dishonest and fraudulent 
trade. There is no defence for S. E. Payne and J. 
W. Wadsworth! Both of these men deserve to be 
beaten. In any event we hope that their majority 
will be cut down to the mst vote. 
* 
It is time to reorganize the American Apple Con¬ 
sumers’ League. People neeu education along fruit¬ 
eating lines. C. E. Chapman recently took a trip 
through central New York, and met with the fol¬ 
lowing experience: 
At the hotel table the man next to me called for 
apples, and thinking of the Apple Consumers’ League I 
did the same. The waiter said, “We have no apples,” 
but after a repeated request said, “I will try to get 
some,” and after a long absence brought one green, 
hard-looking apple with a worm hole in the side. Cut¬ 
ting It open a big fat white worm rolled out, and my 
companion in apples, with a partially smothered oath, 
hastily left the table. As I do not swear I was grate¬ 
ful to him for doing it for me. 
The American Apple Consumers’ League is com¬ 
posed of people who pledge themselves to call for 
apples in some form whenever they eat a meal at 
a public table. They particularly encourage the 
use of ripe apples eaten out of hand. The League 
does not encourage profanity under any circum¬ 
stances, but the officers and members would prob¬ 
ably have charity for one who found a fat worm 
in a lean apple. 
On page 689 we give a plain statement of the milk 
situation. We hear of people who think of going to 
this meeting to denounce and demand and kick up 
a general row. We hope that they will think better 
of it. Many a battle has Deen turned into defeat at 
the very moment of victory because the soldiers lost 
confidence in the general. If the milk producers 
really want new leaders they can elect them, but go 
at the business in plain man-fashion with the under¬ 
standing that this Association must stand until fairer 
prices are securen. To smash t~e Association now, 
or to refuse to support it would be folly. The R. 
N.-Y. is satisfied that the only reasonable thin 0 - to do 
is for the farr ? themselves to come right to the 
city and contivl tin distribution of the milk. That 
plan ougnt to be the keynote of the milk producer’s 
campaign. 
The R. N.-Y. is receiving its usual crop of letters 
from city-bred men who want a home in the country. 
Many of these men are of middle age, with families 
and fair savings. They see that it is only a question 
of a few years before they will lose their job at the 
clerk’s desk or salesman’s counter. What then? They 
have seen men of middle life hunting a new job in 
this great city, and they realize how hopeless the hunt 
is. The farm seems to offer a haven for old age. They 
turn to it with their savings. Are they wise to do 
so? We always hesitate to advise these men directly. 
It is impossible to make them see all sides of the mat¬ 
ter. The business of running a farm seems to them 
like a simple thing. They seem to have an idea that 
the crops grow and the stock lives without much care. 
They deal with dead things which have simply to be 
put in place, where they will remain unchanged until 
wanted. On the farm they deal with live things and 
they cannot measure, estimate or control the restless 
and resistless life that will not let them rest. The city 
man who thinks that the farm is a great benevolent 
friend ready to feed and clothe him without much ef¬ 
fort on nis part will be woefully disappointed. If he 
puts it down as a strong, sturdy giant to be conquered 
and harnessed by sheer strength of muscle and will 
he may make a success of it. 
BREVITIES . 
There are two kinds of criticism—each 
Bossed by the brothers Structive —one named Dc 
Seems to sweep everything within his reach, 
While Con has fewer friends, as we shall see. 
De Structive criticism aims to pull 
Your faults out by the roots with brutal hand; 
Then, when the wounds are raw he rubs them full 
With stinging salt of failure—his command 
Is “Tear apart” and never build again. 
Dig out the fault so that the whole will fall, 
Hang out the flag of bitterness and pain, 
And turn your back if penitence should call. 
Con Structive works upon a better plan; 
He points the error in a kindly way. 
Yet firmly, too, but leaves the heart of man 
Stronger to rise and face another day. 
Con rubs the fault away —De rubs it in; 
Con builds men up, while De would pull them down, 
So thus they go through life and Master Sin 
Rejoices when De Structive moves to town. 
Better be a leach than a leech. 
The New York apple growers are calling for help to 
pick apples. 
Has the strike made any difference in the price of 
wood for fuel? 
Note what Prof. Smith says about the variability of 
crude oil on page 686. 
Was the high wind a warning to head the trees lower? 
Some growers think so. 
Quoth Dobbin, looking at the bulging cribs: “I’d rather 
have that fat upon my ribs.” 
Limed lands are likely to suffer from drought. Lime 
seems to decrease the capillary action. 
Why certainly; some folks by trying to be dignified 
throw away their last shred of dignity. 
The fact that you have thus far been unable to do a 
thing, is not sure evidence that one who claims to have 
done it is a liar. 
The “corn oysters” mentioned in Hope Farm Notes are 
shell fish—that is, sweet corn is shelled from the cob 
and fried in batter. 
Salicylic acid, used as a food preservative, directly 
affects the teeth, for it is injurious to the enamel, while 
its action on the digestion causes further harm. 
What is a fair price to charge for grafting? Is it 
right to pay only for scions that are alive in the Fall, 
when the owner will not care for them properly? 
Experiments with sterilized air to take the place of 
cold storage on meat steamers failed. The meat was 
kept in the sterilized air at 52 degrees, but it spoiled. 
Hens that can’t stand more oats than those mentioned 
on page 698 will never make trotting stock. Some 
poultrymen keep oats before their fowls all of the time 
with good results. Possibly those oats contained some 
bitter weed that was poisonous to the hens. 
A law in New York State declares that no license is 
required to peddle farm products. A milkman at Fish- 
kill, who has paid a license fee for the past four years 
demanded its return. The authorities refused because 
"milk is not farm produce.” What is it then? 
