724 
October 27 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850. 
Herbert W. Collinowood, Editor. 
Dr. Walter Van Fleet, 1 
H. E. Van Deman, >■ Associates. 
Mrs. E. T. Roylk, j 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, * *2.04, equal to 
8 s. 6d., or 8% marks, or 10*^ 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. 
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, OCTOBER 27, 1900. 
Last year we mailed thousands of little brown 
packages which seemed dull and commonplace 
enough to the ordinary observer. Each contained a 
little plant of the Ruby Queen rose, and most of them 
have been found to be condensed sunshine and beauty. 
These little plants were well cared for, and they have 
stretched out their arms and climbed into the affec¬ 
tions of the family. We are glad of this. There may 
be a bit of selfishness in our glee, for these beautiful 
plants will stand for years as living advertisements 
of Tiie R. N.-Y. We have sent out grains and pota¬ 
toes that were very successful, but they appealed to 
the pocket—a necessary but man-made and selfish 
part of the family outfit. The Ruby Queen appeals to 
the heart, and brings us closer to readers than any 
other present could nave done. As will be seen on 
page 729 we renew the offer this year. What a chance 
this affords to secure the subscription of your neigh¬ 
bor who has admired this rose all Summer! 
• 
The article by Mr. Loop on the first page will sur¬ 
prise many fruit growers. The tanks he uses are 
really large pop-guns. It is easy to see how much 
better work can be done with this continuous pressure 
than with the ordinary pump. It is, of course, much 
easier to get about under the trees without the pump 
and barrel. We have great faith in the future of com¬ 
pressed air for light farm use. These tanks which Mr. 
Loop has in use, or larger ones, can be charged with 
air and used to turn motors which will operate grind¬ 
stones, saw wood, or, in fact, do any light work which 
requires a turning wheel. This power is bound to 
come some day. 
* 
TnE opposition candidate to Sereno E. Payne in 
the Twenty-eighth Congressional district is Robert L. 
Drummond, of Auburn, N. Y. In reply to our ques¬ 
tions Mr. Drummond writes: 
“I am a farmer, and keep 30 cows. Of course I am 
in favor of the Grout bill. How could I be otherwise?” 
We wish to say most emphatically that we have 
no personal or political reasons for urging farmers 
to vote against Mr. Payne. He is a strong, forcible 
man of large experience. These very qualities make 
him dangerous so long as he opposes bills that are in 
the interest of farmers. We oppose him simply be¬ 
cause he is on the wrong side of the oleo question, 
and because his defeat would, under the circum¬ 
stances, prove a powerful influence against the oleo 
lobbyists at Washington. 
* 
The delegates to the Milk Producers’ meeting at 
Binghamton were inclined to talk politics. This was 
natural on the eve of election, but there is a new 
issue this year. You hear less about party politics 
and more about the chances for passing the Grout 
anti-oleo bill. The milkmen now see that colored 
oleo is a more dangerous menace to their business 
than any other proposed or suggested legislation. 
Every pound of oleo fraudulently sold as butter less¬ 
ens the demand for milk, and makes it harder to dis¬ 
pose of the surplus which must be handled in order 
to control the city’s supply. Hence the milk produ¬ 
cers agree that any man who opposes the Grout bill 
is unfriendly to their interests. There are some who 
think that the oleo men have too much money, and 
that they will kill the Grout bill anyway. The an¬ 
swer to that is easy. The milkmen may not have 
money, but they have votes. The way to make sure 
of the Grout bill is to make a good showing against 
S. E. Payne and J. W. Wadsworth, the New York 
Congressmen who oppose it. Does anyone suppose 
that the Grout bill could be beaten if these men were 
defeated? Their defeat or the reduction of their ma¬ 
jority will take the heart out of the oleo men. It will 
show that the farmers are in earnest, and if a politi¬ 
cian fears any one thing more than another it is an 
earnest farmer. On the other hand, if the farmers 
permit these men to go back to Washington with 
their usual majority they will strengthen the hands 
of the oleo men, and deserve to be called too weak 
and faint-hearted to stand up for their rights. There 
is the issue, gentlemen, as clearly as it can be put. 
* 
“What do the quotation figures mean anyway?” 
That question is often asked by farmers who have 
produce co ship. They receive a “price current” from 
a commission man, or they read the figures in their 
paper. Who prepares these figures, and what is the 
basis for them? These questions are answered on 
the next page. It will probably surprise many farm- 
j ers to learn that the “price currents” are mostly pub- 
1 lished by one concern, each commission man having 
his name printed on a certain number of copies. 
Farmers sometimes place too much reliance on these 
figures. They do not understand that they are the 
average of many transactions and are liable to be 
upset by a single day’s receipts. It would be folly 
for a farmer to expect that his apples, potatoes or 
poultry will surely bring tne printed prices. By the 
time they reach the market the prices may be com¬ 
pletely changed, or half a dozen other things may 
affect their sale. 
* 
The annual cost of crime in this country is $600,- 
000,000. Of this vast sum $200,000,000 are spent for 
police, criminal courts and jails—that is simply to 
catch and jail criminals. In New York City alone 
$20,000,000 are spent each year for these purposes. 
This means $6 for each man, woman and child in the 
city. The destruction of property and the waste of 
money due to crime comes to $400,000,000 per year. 
By means of the “pocket-book nerve” the most vir¬ 
tuous people in America are brought close to the 
criminals. The farmers are vitally interested in the 
cost of crime in large cities and towns. In the end 
the farmers pay most of this cost, either directly or 
indirectly. The money wasted in crime also curtails 
the market for food, fuel and clothing. It will require 
about all ot the cotton crop and the wheat crop to 
pay the year’s cost of crime. Probably no man whose 
opinions are worth considering will deny that the 
breeding place for most of this crime is in the rum- 
shop. 
* 
Newspaper reports state that in all agricultural 
sections where crops have been good the country is 
now overrun with sharpers, frauds and thieves of all 
classes, who look to find easy victims among farmers 
who have just marketed their crops. New schemes 
of fraud are invented, and old ones made over. It 
appears time to renew the perpetual warning 
against agreeable strangers who take orders for 
the future delivery of a $5 box of soap, with a $15 
carpet thrown in; casual wanderers who ask in¬ 
formation of the business standing of your 
neighbors, and desire a written signature attached 
to the memorandum; prepossessing wanderers who 
desire the farmer to witness a marriage ceremony, 
and then sign his name on their certificate; sellers 
of weird and unknown panaceas, and vendors of 
agents’ rights. Give them all a frosty reception. The 
R. N.-Y. has described the wiles of the powers that 
prey upon the unsuspicious from time to time, yet 
we continue to hear pathetic cases wherein the hon¬ 
est and industrious have fallen victims to old and 
time-worn tricks. Once more, don’t sign your name 
to any paper to oblige a stranger. 
* 
About this time of the year the agricultural papers 
seem to think that the safety of the country demands 
that they talk about themselves, and tell how strong 
and good they are. This seems to be a habit which 
breaks out at certain seasons, much like the marble¬ 
playing habit in boys or the house-cleaning habit of 
the women folks. The R. N.-Y. doesn’t like to be left 
behind, and so we let one of our friends tell this little 
story: 
Just one little incident at the Ohio State Fair this Fall. 
Your agent had been distributing sample copies of The 
R. N.-Y. Some one had carelessly dropped a copy con¬ 
taining the article on the Hessian fly. A wideawake 
young farmer picked up this paper and, being somewhat 
tired, sat down to look it over. This particular article 
at once claimed his attention. He no sooner read it 
than he started on a systematic hunt for The R. N.-Y. 
man. He was successful, and no sooner had he cornered 
his man than he produced the price of a year’s subscrip¬ 
tion, declaring that single article was worth many dollars 
to him. 
Considering the fact that we try to make The R. 
N.-Y. speak for itself there isn’t much that we can add 
to the story. The “only” papers may sit in lront and 
sing their own praises. We will sit on a back seat 
and mildly say that The R. N.-Y. seems to be the only 
paper with subscribers that know a good thing at 
sight. 
* 
The R. N.-Y. hasn’t much time to deal with the 
issues which require the word “if.” We like to get 
that word out of a proposition. There is more thought 
than action in an if, yet sometimes one stimulates the 
other. For example, have you ever stopped to think 
how the world’s history would be changed if Europe 
could grow Indian corn as America does? If such a 
thing were possible, the commerce of the world would 
be changed. Europe would be nearly self-supporting 
America would lose two-thirds of her market for 
bread and meat and a large share of ocean commerce 
would be wiped out. Let us remember that the search 
for food is the first duty and business of every nation, 
as of every individual. America has many natural ad¬ 
vantages in her race with the nations, but none so 
great or so far-reaching as her monopoly of corn pro¬ 
duction. 
* 
It is years since The R. N.-Y. began to talk about 
the Abundance and Burbank plums. The experts test¬ 
ed these varieties, told what they knew about them, 
and then went on to discuss newer varieties or novel¬ 
ties. Now these two varieties have become the plums 
for the million. The few experts who test everything 
say that there are better plums, and some of them 
do not understand why the great public has been so 
long in finding out what the wise men saw years ago. 
They don’t understand the difference between the man 
who rides a hobby and the man who carries a hod. 
The common people have many other things to think 
of. They lack the time, and what is more, the en¬ 
thusiasm of the expert. They do not hunt after the 
new things, but on the other hand, are pushed up to 
them by the slow growth of public opinion or ex¬ 
ample. The expert horticulturist ought to realize 
this, and understand that he is expected to live at 
least five years ahead of the common people, and still 
keep in touch with them. 
* 
BREVITIES. 
I didn’t think! I didn’t know! 
How many tell that tale of woe. 
When failure reaches out a hand, 
And stops them with her stern command, 
And with her pointed finger asks 
Why have you weakened at your tasks? 
“I didn't thinkl ” Inside your head 
God set the think-works, but Instead 
Of winding them with honest thought 
You let them rust—the clock struck naught! 
"1 didn't know!” Yet you have eyes, 
And ears and tongue, but you despise 
The simple things that wise men take 
For tools to win success, and shake 
The grasp of failure from their arm 
In shop or factory, or farm; 
You fail and mutter as you go, 
I didn’t think! I didn't know! 
Misslaid— the pullet’s first egg. 
What is a fair price to pay for grafting? 
Yes! Yes! A “kick” is usually sole inspired. 
The most industrious baker Is a great loafer. 
One must have downright honesty in order to be up¬ 
right. 
Don't try to catch the bird by making an assault on 
her tail. 
A good way to round out your life is to get square 
with the Lord. 
Too bad, but the farmer's wife is often compelled to 
be a pie-wright. 
Rural free delivery of mail Is O. K.—only there’s not 
half enough of it. 
Mrs. Worry is an expert grafter of disturbing 
thoughts. She carries a large stock of sighuns. 
What do you think of drying refuse apples to feed to 
the hens, as our Ohio correspondent mentions on 
page 731? 
Is our West Virginia correspondent, page 731, correct 
in thinking that his hens would lay better in the Win¬ 
ter if kept in a house with artificial heat? 
Milk is called a soft food, but it looks now as though 
the milk vote will harden like iron around some of the 
Congressional candidates, and keep them at home. 
Wanted! A sprayer that will mix kerosene or 
petroleum and water thoroughly and uniformly. Some 
sprayers send out pure kerosene at times, and injure the 
trees. 
An Ohio reader says: “Am looking for a club to hit 
those members of the Apple Consumers’ League who 
recommend apple growers to plant such trash as Ben 
Davis!” ,, 4 ) 
One of the latest victims of the old, familiar gold- 
brick scheme was an Iowa farmer who parted with 
$7,000. It seems as though no reiterated advice is of any 
use in such cases. 
Old farmers used to say that rye meal will cause milch 
cows to dry up, and injure the butter. Rye meal was 
fed at the Pennsylvania Station. It made good butter 
and did not dry up the cows. There goes another notion. 
In looking over a crop report for Louisiana we find the 
condition of cow peas given as regularly as that of corn, 
potatoes or cotton. Why not? Cow peas hold the ribs 
of southern agriculture close to the backbone. We shall 
live to see them find their place at the North. 
