February 8 
94 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
* 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S RARER. 
K National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homea. 
Established 1850. 
Hekbkht W. Collingwood, Editor. 
OR. Walter Van Fleet, I. . _ 
Mrs. K. T. Hoy le, £ Associates. 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.94, 
equal to 3s. 6d., or tP/fc marks, or lOVis 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 trilling 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 Y"ork. 
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1902. 
Readers who wish to subscribe for other papers 
and magazines for the coming year in connection 
with The R. N.-Y. may save money by consulting our 
clubbing list on page 92 this week. If you do not find 
all the papers you want there send us a list and we 
will quote you prices by return mail. We can also 
furnish you agricultural hooks. 
* 
When we printed the question from the man who 
knew there was a charge of dynamite under one of 
his stumps, but could not locate the stump, we 
thought we had “stumped” our readers. Surely such 
incidents are not common, yet we promptly receive a 
note from a reader who had a similar experience— 
and found the dynamite! If the combined experience 
of R. N.-Y. readers could be put together—there 
wouldn’t be much left to print! 
* 
Mr. Pieters makes a good showing for the work 
of the National Seed Laboratory on page 82. There 
is no getting around his figures. They lie heavily on 
a farmer’s memory. If a man buy clover seed he 
doesn’t try to see how much bulk he can get for a 
dollar, or how many weed seeds he can get for a cent, 
but how much actual clover seed he can get in a 
bushel. The farmers of the country should make use 
of this Seed Laboratory. It is for their benefit, but 
thus far the seedsmen have largely monopolized it. 
* 
Some of our readers do not agree with the State 
Masters of the Grange in desiring to exclude the Chi¬ 
nese! Those men think that Chinamen would partly 
solve the farm help problem by providing fair help¬ 
ers for the smaller eastern farms. Some of them 
have probably barely seen a Chinaman except in a 
laundry. We do not understand that the Chinese 
have shown a disposition to work alone after the 
manner of the average “hired man.” They will work 
in gangs under supervision, but, as with most Italians, 
they will not help at solitary labor! 
* 
A farmers’ institute in Delaware was held up last 
week by the snowstorm. The deep snow was such an 
unusual thing in that part of the country that no one 
cared to leave home. The roads were unbroken— 
business stood still. It was a great disappointment 
to the institute people, for they had planned for a 
good meeting, yet it may be possible that the snow 
did about as much good as the speakers could have 
done. It certainly washed more nitrogen out of the 
air than the institute ever did, and in this respect it 
benefited all—those who go to the meeting and those 
who stay at home. Now, if the institute men can fol¬ 
low and tell how best to utilize this nitrogen they 
will work more in harmony with Nature’s plans than 
Nature, in this case, did with theirs. 
* 
A western newspaper has a startling write-up of a 
phenomenally successful farm where all sorts of odd 
enterprises are carried on with scientific precision 
and extraordinary profit, but probably the most novel 
feature thus confided to a wondering public is the 
growing of high-class mushrooms on loaves of stale 
rye bread under the greenhouse benches. The lucky 
discoverer of this unique process has been getting 75 
cents to $1.25 a pound from Chicago hotels for this 
exclusive commodity on account of its superior qual¬ 
ity! We are all acquainted, at least by hearsay, with 
the festive qualities of certain rye products, but this 
is the first time it has been claimed that rye bread is 
the proper medium on which to grow the succulent 
mushroom. The manager of this extraordinary farm 
may or may not be a successful mushroom grower, 
but he at least has a talent for effectively “stringing” 
the over-credulous reporter. 
* 
The Ohio State Board of Health, in annual session, 
adopted a resolution declaring against the continued 
use of paper money after it has become soiled from 
constant handling. It is asserted that such filthy 
lucre is a prolific source of disease, and one of the 
most dangerous carriers of bacilli in existence. Ac¬ 
cording to this, money itself, and not the love of it, 
is the root of all evil, as far as germ diseases are 
concerned. It is recommended that the Treasury De¬ 
partment recall soiled bills, and reissue new ones in 
their stead. We often receive paper money that looks 
as though it ought to be tried as by fire or pickled in 
vinegar, according to the custom in old times during 
an epidemic of the plague. Some of us believe that 
too much money exposes the possessor to more seri¬ 
ous dangers than germ infection, which cannot be 
cured by the issuing of new bills. 
* 
In former years city people bought flour by the 
barrel, crackers by the half barrel, sugar by the large 
package, a whole ham, and other things in propor¬ 
tion. These things now come in small packages— 
bags or boxes. This is the modern spirit of trade. 
The consumer no longer keeps a large supply of food 
on hand, but expects the grocer and the butcher to 
do it for him. The fruit grower must follow in this 
line, and cut down the size of his package or have 
some one do it for him. The barrel as a retail pack¬ 
age is disappearing in the city and large town; in fact, 
apples are about the only product now offered in this 
way. Very few apples are now sold to the consumer 
in this large package. It is emptied by the dealer 
and either measured out or repacked. Of course res¬ 
taurant and hotel keepers buy barrels, but the family 
trade is in the smaller packages. The growers must 
soon decide whether tney will try to obtain the price 
paid for packing in small lots, or turn this share of 
profit over to the dealer. 
* 
In buying a farm in a neighborhood or locality with 
which one had no acquaintance, one should make 
some diligent inquiries and take careful observations 
as to the character of the people who are to be our 
neighbors, as our moral and financial success de¬ 
pends quite a little upon the character of the peo¬ 
ple with whom we come in daily touch. We have 
in mind two neighborhoods not over four or five 
miles apart. In one there are constant quarrels and 
strife. About every other man doesn’t speak or have 
anything to do with his neighbor. One man takes 
keen delight in demoralizing his neighbor’s hired 
men, furnishing them hard cider and making them 
discontented in every way possible. It’s impossible 
to have a good school in the district, and the chil¬ 
dren go a few years and then the school is given up 
in disgust. If a decent man moves into this neigh¬ 
borhood he finds it up-hill work, or sells out and 
moves away. In the other neighborhood the church 
and school are highly prized and encouraged. A suc¬ 
cessful Grange is a source of pleasure and profit. The 
boys grow up sober and industrious, seek higher edu¬ 
cation, and fill good places in the world. A creamery 
is run in the neighborhood, and all seem to be fairly 
prosperous and contented. There is a moral uplift 
about the whole neighborhood. If a man gets into 
trouble or has hard luck he has sympathy and help. 
In fact, it is about a model farming community. We 
should rather pay a fair extra price for a farm in the 
latter neighborhood. 
* 
We give space on the next page to a western view 
of the irrigation problem. This is written by a Colo¬ 
rado man, and is perhaps the clearest statement of 
the far western view of many that we have received. 
The R. N.-Y. fully recognizes the fact that western 
people have rights that all are bound to respect. We 
desire above all things to avoid narrow or prejudiced 
views in discussing public questions. A paper like 
The R. N.-Y. cannot afford under any circumstances 
to ignore the honest opinion of any class of farmers. 
Of course no one will accuse us of any political mo¬ 
tive in questioning the public necessity for this irri¬ 
gation scheme. We repeat that the chief opposition 
to the idea comes from eastern farmers who honestly 
believe that they will suffer a loss of market should 
this desert land be watered. As an illustration of the 
way such land can compete with eastern farms we 
call attention to the growing of muskmelons. This 
industry has been largely abandoned in large sec¬ 
tions around New York since the Rocky Ford melons 
entered the market! There are a number of cases 
where large corporations have gone into farming— 
for instance the Oxnard Sugar Company. The Louisi¬ 
ana Purchase does not present a parallel case at all. 
We call attention to the fact that our correspondent 
ignores our chief contention—viz., that the scheme is 
not necessary, since farm lands are now so cheap 
that anyone who could buy an irrigated farm can 
now buy one in the older sections of the country. 
We also contend that it is not good National policy 
to advocate measures that will depopulate the older 
part of the country at the expense of newer ones. 
The letter from Illinois is conservative, and gives a 
fair idea of public opinion among farmers in that 
section. We firmly believe that if any severe compe¬ 
tition were to follow as the result of this National 
irrigation it will fall heaviest upon the farms in the 
Middle West. 
Wherever we go at horticultural meetings we find 
a lively discussion as to the wisdom of planting apples 
like the Ben Davis. The arguments against it are 
clear and strong. No one claims that it is of more 
than fair quality. In some sections of the East, while 
it makes a fine looking apple, the flesh is dry and 
tough with but little higher quality than a good sweet 
potato. 'Everywhere we find men who say that their 
customers are learning more and more about varieties, 
and are constantly calling for fruit of fine flavor. No 
one claims that he can develop and increase a high 
class trade with the Ben Davis. Those who defend 
the variety seem to have planted their trees several 
years ago. The apple keeps and ships well and brings 
good prices, though it is admitted that within the 
past three or four years the price of Ben Davis as 
compared with other varieties has fallen. In the East 
the belief is gaining that Ben Davis grows as near 
perfection as Nature ever intended it should in parts 
of the Mississippi Valley. Any eastern-grown Ben 
Davis will be only a more or less dried-out imitation 
of the western fruit. This fact, and the belief that 
millions of trees of this variety are being planted in 
its home, is having an effect upon eastern growers. 
We think that fewer Ben Davis trees will be planted 
east of the Alleghenys during the next five years, but 
that growers will turn more and more to high-quality 
apples. 
* 
Several weeks ago we gave an account of a cele¬ 
brated seed case in which a jury in Niagara Go., N. Y., 
awarded $900 damages to a farmer who bought seed 
oats which were foul with mustard seed. The Appel¬ 
late Division has reversed the judgment and ordered 
a new trial, which will soon be held. The chief rea¬ 
sons for reversing the jury’s verdict are that the seed 
contract did not imply any warranty that the oats 
were clean. The judges do not think the farmer gave 
the seed a fair test when he took the oats in his hand 
and examined them. They also think the damages 
were excessive. The judges argue that when the 
farmer kept on sowing the oats after he knew other 
seeds were there he accepted the consequences, even 
though he did not know what the seeds were. We 
do not see that this has anything to do with the case. 
The judges ignore the fact that testimony was of¬ 
fered to show that during their long journey the bags 
would be so shaken that the weed seed would fall 
to the bottom, so that an examination of the top of 
the bags would not show it. The fact is that the oats 
were full of weed seed, which was complete evidence 
that the seedsman did not “exercise the greatest care” 
to have them clean, pure and true to name. The 
case will soon be tried again, and we expect that new 
evidence will be introduced that will make the value 
of a seedsman’s warrant clearer. After all there is 
no machine that will clean the weeds out of useful 
seeds equal to a clear conscience or a true regard for 
personal reputation. 
BREVITIES. 
A revival of chicken interest. 
Rum is “the devil’s kindling wood.” 
We find it hard to hide anything in The R. N.-Y. 
Even the smallest items of smallest print are read. 
It looks now as though the “exercise” theory of lay¬ 
ing hens must go. Who knows much about a hen, any¬ 
way? 
Who is the meanest hired man? We give high rank 
on the list to the man who will work for a woman who 
is trying to pay a mortgage—and loaf! 
It seems as though the theory is all with the plan of 
carrying children to the centralized school, but the facts 
presented to us thus far are mostly the other way. 
An error was made on page 53 in the report of the 
New York State Fruit Growers. It was stated that ferro- 
cyanide of potash was used in generating the gas. The 
pl/ai,n cyanide should have been mentioned—the ferro- 
cyanide being quite another substance. It should not be 
confused with the deadly cyanide. 
A new fuel is formed of pulverized coal and refined pe¬ 
troleum, pressed into cakes which look like tar soap. 
These cakes are called briquettes, and are being made 
at Stockton, Cal. Coal is usually high-priced In Califor¬ 
nia, and the compressed fuel is expected to prove a valu¬ 
able substitute. 
