8 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
January 4 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homea. 
Established ISM. 
Herbert W. Collingwood, Editor. 
OH. Walter Van Fleet, ( Alte 
MBS. K. T. Hovlk, ( Associates. 
Joun J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $ 2 . 04 , 
equal to Ss. 6d., or 1% marks, or hJ% francs. 
“A SQUARE DEAL.” 
We believe that every advertisement in this paper is 
backed by a responsible person. But to make doubly 
sure we will make good any loss to paid subscribers 
sustained by trusting any deliberate swindler advertising 
in our columns, and any such swindler will be publicly 
exposed. We protect subscribers against rogues, but we 
do not guarantee to adjust trifling differences between 
subscribers and honest responsible advertisers. Neither 
will we be responsible for the debts of honest bankrupts 
sanctioned by the courts. Notice of the complaint must 
be sent us within one month of the time of the trans¬ 
action, and you must have mentioned The Rural, New- 
Yorker. when writing the advertiser. 
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, JANUARY 4, 1902. 
What does it cost to market your fruit and other 
produce through commission men? What per cent of 
the selling price goes to pay transportation, cartage 
or commission? We want 10,000 separate returns, so 
as to make a fair average. We can use them to good 
advantage. Will you please send us some of your 
returns? We want fair and accurate figures so as to 
make an honest average. 
* 
What shall be done about feeding wheat bran to 
horses? This week a veterinarian says bran is un¬ 
safe as a horse feed. On the other hand, Prof. Bur¬ 
kett, who has had long experience, advises its use! 
What is the man who is neither a vet nor a professor 
to do in such a case? We expect to keep on feeding 
bran which, in connection with shredded fodder, has 
proved quite acceptable for several years. 
* 
Everything points to a rousing meeting of the New 
York State Fruit Growers at Syracuse, January 8-9. 
The programme is made up of strong, bright forcible 
talks. The long essay feature will be left out and 
dozens of the brightest men in the State will come 
prepared to talk on living topics! This ought to be 
made the greatest fruit grower’s meeting ever held 
in the country. You and you and YOU should attend 
and help swell the crowd. Notify all railroad agents 
that they should provide blank certificates for those 
who attend the meeting! 
* 
We have an excellent series of articles on hand 
from Rev. I. H. Thayer, of Pennsylvania. He dis¬ 
cusses the hard problem of how to change from town 
to farm. There are thousands of middle-aged men 
who, while now working in town, see that their day 
is ending at the shop, desk or counter. Having saved 
a little money they look to the‘country for a home. 
This change is a hard and violent one, and such men 
need sound advice. Mr. Thayer gives it, and those 
who have heard of his own history and experience 
know that he is well qualified to do so. 
* 
It is announced that Secretary of the Treasury 
Gage is to retire, and that Gov. Shaw, of Iowa, is to 
take his place. The latter accepts the position on 
the condition that Secretary of Agriculture Wilson, 
who is also from Iowa, shall remain in the Cabinet. 
That will be good news to farmers. We may say 
without disrespect that Uncle Sam’s farmer is of 
more importance to country people than his financial 
manager. Mr. Wilson is the man for the place. It 
would be a vital mistake to let any question of lo¬ 
cality or “politics” force changes in the Agriculture 
Department. 
* 
A friend who had been instrumental in starting a 
movement which bettered conditions for the passen¬ 
gers on a certain big railroad, remarked that one of 
our National characteristics is a tendency to bear 
abuses on the part of great corporations, through the 
mistaken idea that it is useless to fight them. Her¬ 
bert Spencer once asserted that Americans are the 
most patient people in the world, but we may as well 
remember that there are cases where patience ceases 
to be a virtue. Farmers and fruit growers often com¬ 
plain, as individuals, of the exactions of transporta¬ 
tion companies, without apparent hope of redress. 
The fact that it is one man against a powerful body 
is dwelt upon as an added grievance, when the proper 
course is to enlist the active cooperation of other 
producers, and make a proper showing as one or¬ 
ganized body arbitrating or adjusting with another. 
Let men of allied interests get together—and pull 
together—and we shall hear less of the impossibility 
of influencing large corporations. 
* 
It will be seen that the great majority of State 
Grange Masters are in favor of excluding the Chi¬ 
nese. The letter from California (page 9) is interest¬ 
ing, for in that State the Chinese question is a vital 
one. It is not likely that the Chinese will ever go 
to small farms as laborers. They prefer to work in 
gangs. They will never be of service to the eastern 
farmer who needs one or two hired men. They would 
be more likely to hurt him, as they would increase 
the competition from large farms. The moral ques¬ 
tion as to our right to exclude the Chinese and then 
expect to send our own people and products to China 
does not come into this discussion. 
* 
At the present high prices for feed many farmers 
are discussing whether or not they can afford to feed 
grain. We heard a shrewd old farmer who furnishes 
cream to a creamery say the other day that he ex¬ 
pected to come out $100 behind for the Winter’s work 
April 1, but his cows will have the best of care, and 
will not be Spring poor. As soon as pasturage comes 
his cows will be ready to respond to the cheaper feed, 
and will make him some money next Summer. The 
man who tries to make milk this Winter on short 
rations may find his cows in a depleted condition in 
Spring, and it may take the whole Summer to get 
back to normal conditions. It is well sometimes to 
study the probable future as well as the present. 
* 
A well-known literary man recently made the 
statement that there is no longer any Christmas 
known in this country. The old-time Christmas 
spirit of love and charity has died out, he said, and 
therefore the sweet, wholesome Christmas feeling has 
passed away. The trouble with this man is that he 
thinks the hurried, selfish life of city and town em¬ 
braces all there is worth considering of American 
character. We can assure him that the Christmas 
spirit is still kept pure and undefiJed, in thousands 
of humble farm homes back on the hills and in lonely 
places. Santa Claus still makes his rounds in the 
old-fashioned way, and the dear old Christmas story 
still stirs true and loving hearts to a more hopeful 
view of the future. Our cynical friend need not be 
afraid. He and his kind may let Christmas slip 
through their fingers and out of their hearts, but we 
are thankful that farm folk are not in such a hurry 
to get rid of the old-time virtues and loving senti¬ 
ments. It is a good thing for this country that these 
qualities may be kept alive in the farm homes, for 
in this way the quiet and lonely places may con¬ 
tribute to society the sterling depth of character and 
calm hopefulness which are the true foundation of 
American citizenship. A thoughtful farmer ought 
to consider it a privilege to serve his country by help¬ 
ing these things along. 
* 
The R. N.-Y. wishes one and all, old and young, a 
happy New Year. The more happiness we can crowd 
into the coming year, the better for business, for 
country, for home. We take pleasure in including the 
Hon. J. W. Wadsworth in this pleasant wish. True, 
we have expressed our opinion about his attitude on 
the oleo question in season and out, and we have in¬ 
cited thousands of farmers to stick postage stamps 
all over him. We did this without any ill-feeling, 
and we will do it again if need be. The happy new 
year is in sight for Mr. Wadsworth because he has 
at last recognized the inevitable, and has agreed not 
to delay or obstruct the anti-oleo bill. He says that 
he now knows that farmers demand it, and he will 
stand aside and bow to the will of the majority. We 
are assured that Mr. Wadsworth is sincere in making 
this promise. That is all we could hope for, under 
the circumstances. Let us all understand, however, 
just what this means. During the Summer The R. 
N.-Y. worked almost alone in an effort to arouse 
the farmers to vote with the postage stamp against Mr. 
Wadsworth’s reappointment. It seemed at times al¬ 
most a hopeless task, and we are now ashamed to 
say that we came near losing faith in the outcome. 
We were unable to measure accurately the 'tremen¬ 
dous power of the postage stamp on the tongue of a 
determined farmer. These postage stamps acted like 
a plaster to draw all the fight out of the hearts of 
oleo champions who have farmer constituents. We 
congratulate Mr. Wadsworth, not on his change of 
heart, for we do not know that his heart has changed, 
but on the fact that at last he understands the politi¬ 
cal size and power of the cow and her friends. To 
the thousands of our readers who rubbed this infor¬ 
mation in we return thanks and say ihat this is the 
strongest evidence yet that the farmer can defend 
his rights if he will only mink so. 
* 
Prof. Waugh, on our first page, says he would 
rather have the advice and influence of a first-class 
farmer than a subscription to a farm paper. We have 
no argument to make against that. Who would not 
rather see the story of a farm success printed on the 
soil than on paper? Nature’s ink is always best. 
There is, however, another side to this. Comparative¬ 
ly few can enjoy the personal influence of the first- 
class farmer, while thousands may read of his opera¬ 
tions in the farm paper. .Some of the stories told of 
successful farmers are, in our opinion, more harmful 
than helpful, because no effort is made to put in the 
shade and show why the man succeeded. A fair an¬ 
alysis of successful farm operations with a candid 
discussion of the principles that underly them may 
be just as helpful as the story of the man who actual¬ 
ly did the work. The R. N.-Y. attempts to introduce 
people, and thus extend the influence of the men who 
make farming pay. Uncle Sam will not carry these 
men in his mail bags from Mace to place, but he will 
carry a printed record of their methods. 
* 
Thomas A. Edison has invented a new storage bat¬ 
tery which promises to revolutionize electrical ma¬ 
chinery. He briefly describes this battery as follows: 
What is the Edison cell? It is a steel case, 11 % x 5 x 2 
inches, holding a solution of potash, in which are im¬ 
mersed steel plates containing oxide of iron and oxide 
of nickel. When the battery is charged, the oxide of 
iron is reduced to metallic iron, the oxide of nickel ab¬ 
sorbs the freed oxygen, and is thus raised to a higher 
oxide. When the battery is discharged the oxygen ab¬ 
sorbed by the nickel goes through the liquid over to the 
metallic iron and so oxidizes the iron back to its original 
state. That is to say, the oxygen burns the iron, but 
instead of getting heat, we get electricity as a substitute. 
It is a species of internal combustion in which the oxygen 
is stored up in the nickel' to burn the iron. There is no 
other reaction. 
Tt may be rapidly charged, is easily carried about 
and is quickly utilized. It seems, in truth, to be 
“canned power,” and will be of especial value in driv¬ 
ing automobiles and other vehicles, besides reducing 
the cost at which they can be made. With these 
storage cells it is likely that wind power may at last 
be utilized for generating electricity. Thus far this 
has been pronounced impracticable because no storage 
battery was available. If Edison’s opinion is correct 
these cells may be charged by means of any power 
that will turn a wheel, and carried about from place 
to place to work machinery. The development of 
this wonderful invention will surely mean great 
things for the farmer. Edison also expects, by means 
of a new process, so to reduce the cost of Portland 
cement that it can be sold at $1 a barrel. This would 
prove the greatest boon ever known to builders. 
* 
BREVITIES. 
Save, the first years of your married life. 
Then you can buy a new dress for wife; 
Build up a balance and you shall find. 
Happiness tagging along behind. 
Love will eat air through the honeymoon 
But he will call for beef all too soon. 
Eat up your income as on you go, 
Giving your balance no chance to grow; 
Put all your earnings to mouth and back, 
Little by little your home will crack; 
Love will go edging toward the door; 
Out he will pop to be seen no more. 
He cheerful. 
Shake up the dead Grange. 
Give the local dealer a fair show. 
A comfortable, tenant house is a well-baited trap for 
a useful hired man. 
We wish that drawing conclusions could be made as 
painful as drawing teeth! 
Don’t try letting the baby balance its own ration— you 
can’t make it take paregoric naturally! 
It augurs well for man’s kindness to see him water 
the horse’s bits before putting them on the tongue. 
The questions regarding bran as horse feed are re¬ 
markable for the diversity of opinion they bring out. 
A Texas paper says that sweet potatoes are growing 
so large in that State that one man cannot raise them. 
We are obliged to admire the man, no matter what his 
game, who can put up a good bluff of cheerfulness to 
cover a sad heart! 
Every year we are asked by some belated reader to 
tell how to make a hotbed. We start early this year, 
and on page 5 is the story of a hotbed in cold print. 
A Pacific coast reader says that while he is a poor 
man he knows the value of The R. N.-Y. There is a 
poor man who pores over his paper. 
Horace Plunkett, vice-president of the Department 
of Agriculture of Ireland, is in the United States look¬ 
ing for a competent person to accept an official position 
in his home country as instructor in dairy management. 
He will give a salary of $ 5,000 per annum to the one 
whom he selects for the place. This is indeed a novel 
state of affairs, when experts are being sought in America 
lo go over to Great Britain to teach their people how 
to make good butter and cheese. 
