4o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
January 18 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PARER. 
K National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Home*. 
Established 1850. 
Herbert W. Collingwood, Editor. 
Du. Walter Van Fleet, (. Associates 
MUS. K. T. HOYLE, ( ASSOCl»I»S. 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.04, 
equal to Us. (id., or SV 2 marks, or W/ 2 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 Tiie 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 18, 1902. 
Eatery reputable and honest meeting called in the 
interests of agriculture should be well attended. A 
farmer should go even though he cannot expect to 
learn much about his business. Why? So as to make 
the meeting as large and respectable as possible. 
This will help give character and dignity to the busi¬ 
ness of farming. Do not let strangers come into your 
section and meet a mere corporal’s guard at a farm¬ 
ers’ meeting, 'but crowd the hall for them. That is 
one easy and sure way to make farming respected and 
profitable. 
* 
Ip a man could live up to the principles of the 
Grange, or come reasonably near to doing so, he 
would be pretty close to an ideal citizen. This ex¬ 
cellent organization has made progress in a quiet, 
unassuming way without bluster or bluff. It has 
more to do with the development of American char¬ 
acter than most people imagine. We often hear of 
the work done by various city clubs and societies. In 
our opinion the Grange has done more to develop 
American manhood and womanhood than any other 
social organization in the country. 
* 
We realize the fact that many western readers favor 
the scheme for National irrigation. From their point 
of view this plan of giving great value to a desert is 
an important and necessary part of the development 
of their country. While this irrigation may be a 
necessity for them, it is not at all so for the rest of 
the Union. In fact, if we are to judge the future by 
the past, the opening of new land in the Far West 
will destroy far more of farm values in the East than 
it will create in the West. It is our opinion,too, that 
the farmers in the Mississippi Valley will suffer more 
from this competition than will those on the Atlantic 
coast! We do not wish to discuss this matter in any 
narrow or petty spirit—at the same time the facts 
must be stated. 
* 
'Still another signature swindle is reported from 
Indiana. Sharpers from Chicago went through coun¬ 
try districts, representing themselves as hunters. 
They would approach some farmer, tell him that they 
wished to hunt on his land, and cheerfully pay $5 for 
a permit to do so. The farmer would sign a receipt 
for the money, and this turned up later as a promis¬ 
sory note for $500. It is said that the swindlers se¬ 
cured $5,000 in one county by this process. It is 
noticeable that most of the swindling schemes now 
worked to the detriment of farmers begin with the 
payment of a small sum, which disarms the suspi¬ 
cions of the victim. 
* 
Not long since a reader in Maine asked us to name 
the best variety of corn for his section. He wanted 
slielied corn—not stalks for a silo. Investigation 
shows that dozens of farmers have developed excel¬ 
lent local varieties of corn. By careful selection 
through many years they have obtained corn that will 
ripen in northern latitudes and yield heavily. While 
these varieties are known locally they have never 
been widely scattered, and hence many farmers in 
northern New England will hardly believe that corn 
will ripen even a fair crop with them. One reason 
why that section is so dependent on the West for its 
grain supply is the fact that these local varieties are 
not known. This incident shows how valuable infor¬ 
mation and useful material may be held back from 
the public through lack of advertising or cooperation. 
Z. A. Gilbert, of Maine, advocates a “corn show” in 
connection with future dairy conventions. We second 
the motion! If “corn breeders” are needed in the 
West, where corn grows to perfection, they are still 
more useful in northern latitudes where wings must 
be bred on the corn plant if it would win the race 
with Jack Frost. Farmers in northern New England 
have been told for years that corn should be raised 
only for the silo. This is not always sound advice. 
We would try for the grain also. 
* 
I r appears that Cuba is preparing to take some of 
our American apples. Shipments are being made 
from New Orleans, and it is hoped that this trade will 
slowly but surely increase. Oranges and lemons are 
well enough, but the acid which Nature has packed 
away in a good apple is, after all, the best. This Cu¬ 
ban trade seems to have been started by members 
of the American Apple Consumers’ League. These 
Americans went to the Island with a small spot 
marked apple on the map of their tongue. You can’t 
wipe such a spot off a well-trained tongue with any 
other fruit acid, and these men began to call “apple! 
apple!” even in their Cuban homes. Trade follows 
their call! If they keep at it they will educate half 
the Island population into apple eaters! That merely 
shows what others can do right here at home by call¬ 
ing for apple! 
* 
A farmer will sometimes use a fertilizer of low 
grade and say that it does not begin to give the same 
results that he obtains from stable manure. We call 
a fertilizer “low grade” when it contains only one 
form of nitrogen, and that one not very soluble. This 
is one form of a low grade fertilizer. The farmer 
does not always stop to consider why it is that well- 
rotted manure feeds a crop to perfection. One chief 
reason is that the manure contains three forms of 
nitrogen—the nitrates which are immediately soluble, 
the ammonia more slowly available, and the organic 
nitrogen which becomes available in the later part 
of the season. We easily see the folly of saying that 
the low-grade fertilizer is equal to the manure. There 
is no fair comparison between them, as there would 
be with a mixture containing nitrate of soda, sul¬ 
phate of ammonia and tankage. Here we would have 
the three forms that are found in the manure, and 
we call such a mixture “high grade.” Success with 
manure is the strongest argument in favor of high- 
grade fertilizers provided we are to use any at all. 
* 
What an inspiring thing it is to talk with an old 
farmer who in spite of his years has increased his 
mental and moral vigor. Hope leads him onward 
still. He realizes that his days of hard bodily labor 
are over, but he has no vain regrets. He has learned 
the secret of making the last years of life the noblest 
part of it. One comes away from his presence think¬ 
ing of Goldsmith’s picture: 
As some tall cliff that lifts its awful form, 
Swells from the vale and midway leaves the storm, 
Though round its breast the rolling clouds are spread, 
Eternal sunshine settles on its head. 
What a contrast is presented by the bitter, hopeless 
old farmer who sees no good in anything—to whom 
the few remaining years of life are black and dis¬ 
couraging. He may be far beyond the reach of want 
or poverty, yet his heart is fearful. He may be sur¬ 
rounded by the evidences of hard and patient toil, yet 
the sting of regret is in his soul. Instead of rising 
above his hard and doubtful years, where the sun¬ 
shine may crown him, he stoops 'back into the storm 
without his old powers of resistance. What a bless¬ 
ing it is to know how to grow old hopefully. 
* 
Correspondents tell us of the extravagant claims 
made by tree agents for apples grafted on “French 
crab” stocks, which they claim are imported for the 
purpose by the nurseries they represent. They say 
that the French crab is a tree reaching great size, 
very long-lived and singularly free from disease, 
while it naturally bears Winter apples. Stocks of 
this kind, they claim, when grafted with scions from 
late varieties, produce trees with a tendency to bear 
very long-keeping apples free from rot and other 
diseases. According to these agents the trees offered 
by their competitors are grafted on stocks grown 
from seeds saved from cider presses where most of 
the apples pressed are early varieties, windfalls and 
culls of all sorts, thus giving an inherited tendency 
of disease. The trees on French crab stocks are of 
course, held at a much higher price, commensurate 
with their supposed virtues. It is safe to say that 
these claims are misleading and exaggerated. French 
crab is a name applied to several old European apples 
of little value, and now seldom grown. It is not like¬ 
ly that many seeds are saved for the purpose of grow¬ 
ing stocks. We have been under the impression that 
apple stocks are grown in France from seeds secured 
from the cider orchards of Normandy in much the 
same manner as our native seeds. Few stocks seem 
to be imported; and those mostly of the Paradise and 
Doucin varieties for the production of dwarf apple 
trees, for which there is always a limited demand. 
Such extravagant claims should always be discounted, 
unless rigid investigation proves them to 'be true. 
The standing of the nursery supplying the trees is of 
more importance than windy statements made by 
irresponsible agents, who depend on selling an ordi¬ 
nary article at a high price in order to inflate their 
commissions. 
* 
A reader in Otsego Co., N. Y., wrote an excellent 
and well-worded petition asking Senators and Con¬ 
gressmen to vote for the Tawney bill. He then hitched 
up his horse and started after his neighbors. In a 
comparatively short time he secured 58 signatures. 
That is a fair illustration of what a wideawake man 
can do if he tries. That is a sort of dairying on paper 
that pays. Our friend sends us the petition and asks 
us to put it where it will do the most good. After some 
thought we decided to send it to Hon. Chauncey M. 
Depew. He is now on the ocean, bringing home his 
young bride. It will please our worthy Senator and 
his wife to realize that 58 of their sturdy constituents 
wish them well and have also a good job to be per¬ 
formed. The Senator’s pleasant vacation is over— 
now for the important business of steering the ene¬ 
mies of the cow off the track. Senator Depew has 
already promised his vote—now we want his voice as 
well. He has exhausted more subjects for eloquence 
than most men—here is a new one—a defence of the 
great farm mother—the cow. 
* 
What a big volume of suggestion and hope is pack¬ 
ed into that short article on page 34. The milk farm¬ 
ers put up a cooperative factory, and were ready to 
handle and work up their own milk. As soon as they 
were ready to start the milk dealers came with this 
inspiring question: 
“Wliat mil you take for your milkf" 
We call that an inspiring question because it re¬ 
verses the usual business situation which only en¬ 
ables the farmer to ask: “What will you give?” 
Agriculture is the great giver of human benefits, and 
it is fitting that farmers should name the price rather 
than give their life work away. The keynote to this 
whole thing is the fact that cooperation enabled these 
farmers to win recognition. So long as they stood off 
at arm’s length and let their milk flow into market 
in little dribbles they were obliged to take what was 
offered. When they pooled their issues—and their 
milk—the whole thing was changed. No wonder their 
breath was taken away, but it quickly came back 
again! What a lesson this is for the faint hearts who 
are afraid to touch shoulders with their neighbors! 
* 
No man says anything as well as it might be said, 
or does anything as well as it ought to be done. The 
mechanic, teacher, public speaker or writer who im¬ 
agines that his work needs no improvement is in a 
bad way. In instructing children in school or older 
people from the platform the greatest variety in 
words and methods is necessary. Many of the better 
lecturers write and rewrite again and again in order 
to make their talks fresh, forcible and to the point. 
But with some there appears to be a mistaken idea 
that almost anything will do for an audience of farm¬ 
ers, and well-informed men make the mistake of giv¬ 
ing year after year the same old moldy and moss- 
covered talks. If they are changed, it is not by the 
addition of anything new, but by merely stirring up 
the old into another form of hash. The institute in¬ 
structor who thinks that his lectures are good enough 
would better shake himself until he is sure that he 
is really awake, and then do a lot of severe surgical 
operating on them. There is no danger of saying any¬ 
thing too wise or brilliant or sharp-pointed or full 
of life and common sense for an audience of farmers. 
There are no people in the world who appreciate 
good things more, or who have greater need of them 
in their business. 
* 
BREVITIES. 
The soar I is a bad disease. 
Don't let the cows get out of the habit of giving milk. 
The western drought will improve next year's eastern 
corn crop! 
It may pay to feed beet pulp close to the factory, but 
it doesn’t pay the freight. 
On page 34 is an account of a successful codperative 
milk station. Farmers were fearful at first, but now 
they see what it means to get together. 
If the vet says that bran will kill a horse, and the 
animal itself persists in giving the livest sort of evidence 
to the contrary, we shall have to believe the horse. 
Some apple growers in northern New Jersey believe 
that they should grow the Fall or early Winter varieties 
for profit. They believe that the heavy western plant¬ 
ings of late Winter varieties will, in a few years, de¬ 
moralize the markets. 
