134 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
February 22 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE B US1NES8 FARMER'S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850. 
Hekbekt W. Colling wood, Editor. 
Dr. Walter Van Fleet,) ._. . 
Mrs. E. T. Hoyle, \ Associates. 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.04, 
equal to 5>s. 6d., or 8^ marks, or IUV 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, ana 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, FEBRUARY 22, 1902. 
At the recent meeting of the Eastern New York 
Horticultural Society the question of consolidating 
that Society with the New York State Fruit Growers 
was broached. A committee headed by John R. Cor¬ 
nell met representatives of the Fruit Growers and 
finally, after some debate, it was decided to combine. 
Meetings will still be held in the Hudson River Val¬ 
ley and the Eastern Society will be fully represented 
in the Fruit Growers’ councils. 
* 
It is hut a short time since a few men began sug¬ 
gesting that the southern cow pea would make a use¬ 
ful manurial plant for the North. They merely sug¬ 
gested at first, but experiment made them bold enough 
to advocate and then strongly advise. How the ma¬ 
jority of the farm writei’S did laugh at this advice! 
They called it absurd, “clover was good enough” for 
them. We heard one man say that northern farmers 
might as well expect to grow cotton as to make cow 
peas grow! Now all is changed. Cow peas are in 
successful use as far north as Canada. On poor, light 
soil, too poor for clover, it is admitted that they stand 
at the head of manurial plants! It is amusing to see 
some of the papers that formerly laughed at cow peas 
now rushing in with advice and wise remarks about 
their manurial value! 
* 
We are asked to print the resolutions adopted by 
the Colorado Horticultural Society in reply to the New 
York State Fruit Growers. They are found on the 
next page. We are very willing to give our western 
friends a chance to present their views. We must say 
frankly that our eastern farmers really believe that 
the opening of this desert land for settlement will 
surely mean increased competition and a fall in farm 
values. We suggest that our western friends, to make 
their arguments most effective, show that this belief 
is not well founded. What was it that gave power 
and civilization to the West, anyway? The money 
that was dug out of the eastern farms and the fish 
balls and baked beans eaten in the New England 
kitchen a century ago! 
* 
A recent “snap shot” reproduction in a responsible 
newspaper showed a team of fine carriage horses with 
the heads drawn back in a cruel way by the detestable 
check-rein. The photograph was said to have been 
taken of horses owned and driven by one of our high¬ 
est officials—no less a personage than a member of 
the Presidential Cabinet. One prefers to think a mis¬ 
take has been made, and that no individual so care¬ 
less or cruel has been honored by an important public 
trust. The main essentials of true manliness are 
kindness and consideration for helpless dependents, 
and one so lacking in gentleness or perception is mani¬ 
festly unfit for responsible office, as the lowly and ob¬ 
scure can have but little surety of obtaining justice 
from such a source. It is strange that conspicuous and 
influential persons so often fail to realize the utter 
snobbishness of an attempt by mutilation or painful 
device to force horses to display a spirit they do not 
naturally possess. Some reference was lately made 
in these columns to the torturing devices known as 
“burrs,” which forced sharp bristles or nails in the 
tender lips of carriage horses, causing them to toss 
their heads in a manner considered stylish by the 
owners. The danger of criminal prosecution hy the 
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has 
rendered this particular offence less conspicuous, but 
the practice of tight checking does not seem to de¬ 
crease, and there is little diminution in the number 
of dock-tailed horses offered in the market. We ad¬ 
vance slowly in these matters, but there seems to be 
an increasing ground swell of public sentiment against 
such inhuman practices, which in time must make it¬ 
self vigorously felt. Every reader of The R. N.-Y. 
may contribute a share in this essential movement by 
refraining from these practices personally and reprov¬ 
ing those who do so when possible. Care well for your 
horses, treat them kindly and get reasonable service 
out of them, but do not yank, twist, mutilate nor irri¬ 
tate them into a wholly artificial display of spirit. 
Think how keenly you would dislike it yourself. 
* 
Prof. W. A. Henry, in his excellent work on “Feeds 
and Feeding,” says of Indian corn: 
Were a reliable seedsman to advertise Indian corn by 
a new name, recounting only its actual merits while 
ingeniously concealing its identity, his words would 
either be discredited, or he would have an unlimited 
number of purchasers for this seed novelty at almost 
any figure he could name. 
Two points are suggested by this; the value of 
plants already familiar to us, in their best develop¬ 
ment. and the possibilities of novelties as yet un¬ 
tried. There is no greater difference between the 
glowing account of some untried novelty, and the re¬ 
sults secured from it under unfamiliar conditions, 
than between ordinary varieties of Indian corn in dif¬ 
fering localities. Few farmers can afford to neglect 
some study of the new, especially among forage, soil¬ 
ing and manurial crops. If, however, the novelty is 
expected to offset careless cultivation or unsuitable 
soil and location, the only result is certain disappoint¬ 
ment. We can only compare the old and the new 
fairly when we give them both the very best condi¬ 
tions in our power. Frequently such a test will bring 
out unsuspected possibilities in familiar crops. Novel¬ 
ties are well worth studying; even in cases where 
they develop no special value of themselves, they may 
act as pacemakers, and give a needed stimulus. 
* 
The recent severe illness of President Roosevelt’s 
oldest son has wakened a desire to know more about 
the dangerous disease from which he suffered. Pneu¬ 
monia, lung fever, or Winter fever, is now considered 
an infectious and slightly contagious germ disease 
caused hy the invasion of the tissues about the air 
cells in the lungs by a germ technically called Pneu¬ 
mococcus. It is very small and freely floats in the 
air, drifting about in the slightest breeze, and enters 
the lungs with the breath. If the circulation of the 
blood is normal at the time no injury is likely to fol¬ 
low, as the germ, in common with dust and other 
solid matter inhaled, is washed out by the healthy 
secretions, or if it succeeds in penetrating the walls 
of a capillary, it is at once pounced upon and destroyed 
by white blood corpuscles; one of their important 
duties being to destroy foreign organic matter find¬ 
ing its way into the tissues. When, however, the cir¬ 
culation is depressed by cold, exposure or other debili¬ 
tating causes the germs find secure lodgment and at 
once begin to multiply, secreting an irritating poison 
which causes the violent local inflammation and high 
fever so characteristic of pneumonia. It is probable 
that one may inhale myriads of pneumonia germs, 
which are especially abundant in cities, without harm 
when in fair health, and succumb to the next exposure 
if it comes when depressed. Pneumonia belongs to a 
class of diseases running an acute and self-limited 
course. The acute symptoms commonly last from 
eight to 15 days, but the damage to lung tissue and 
pleural membranes is often so great that recovery is 
very slow, and many complications may ensue. The 
disease is most prevalent in late Winter and Spring, 
especially when the weather is changeable, and sharp 
cold is followed by milder humid weather. It is al¬ 
ways aggravated by exposure, particularly to chilly 
winds when overheated. It attacks all ages, but is 
most fatal to old and weakly persons. Males are 
much more subject than females, probably because of 
their greater habitual exposure to weather changes. 
The first symptom marking the onset of pneumonia 
is usually a severe chill, only exceeded in intensity by 
that caused by malaria, followed soon by high fever, 
short difficult breathing, pains in the chest and jerky 
cough. In the case of infants the chill may not be 
noticeable, or be replaced by convulsions, but the 
other symptoms remain essentially the same. In re¬ 
gard to treatment one can only say: “Put the patient 
at once in bed in a comfortable but well ventilated 
room, remove all hangings and surplus furniture, give 
cooling orinks sparingly and send promptly for a 
doctor.” He may be a very ordinary doctor, but he 
probably knows much more about disease than your¬ 
self, unless you should happen to be of that profession. 
There is one remedy that may be given with advan¬ 
tage if there is any delay in getting competent medical 
assistance. Tincture of aconite, live to eight drops in 
half a tumbler of tresh water, may be given every 
hour or half hour in teaspoonful doses. Aconite in 
even such minute doses has a prompt and favorable in¬ 
fluence in congestive fevers if given at the outset, and 
is particularly beneficial in pneumonia and pleurisy 
by regulating the circulation and reducing the local 
congestion. It is a remedy found in most households, 
and though a violent poison in large doses, little harm 
has ever resulted from its administration in the above 
manner. It is of slight benefit after the first 24 hours, 
however, and its use should be discontinued unless 
recommended by a physician for special symptoms. 
Pneumonia generally starts on one side, and when it 
extends to the other lung it is called double pneu¬ 
monia, and is correspondingly dangerous. The sever¬ 
ity of the attack depends much on the age and condi¬ 
tion of the patient. It is always exceedingly danger¬ 
ous to persons who have previously used much alco¬ 
holic liquor. The disease is not actively contagious 
in the earlier stages, but when free expectoration be¬ 
gins in the stage of resolution of the congested lung 
areas there is more or less danger, and all unneces¬ 
sary attendance on the sick person should be avoided. 
It is out of place to mention here the many possible 
complications and the details of treatment of severe 
cases, but a word of warning to watch closely ail 
sharp “colds” beginning with a severe chill, and 
promptly to administer aconite in default of imme¬ 
diate medical help may be useful. It has proven a 
legitimate and very useful remedy when properly used. 
* 
The anti-oleo bill passed the House on February 12, 
and now goes to the Senate. There was a long debate, 
and the bill was attacked from about every point of 
view, yet it secured a good majority. It imposes a 
tax of 10 cents a pound on all oleo made in imitation 
of butter of “any shade of yellow.” When not made 
in such imitation the tax is one-foui’th cent a pound. 
In order to prevent dealers and restaurant keepers 
from coloring the oleo after they buy it the law de¬ 
fines such persons as manufacturers, and provides 
heavy penalties as punishment. A new section of the 
law authorized the Secretary of Agriculture to inspect 
the places where butter is renovated, or more properly 
“deviled.” The law makes both oleo and deviled but¬ 
ter subject to the laws of the State or Territory into 
which it is carried in original packages. It would 
seem that this law will fence oleo into its own stall. 
Now for the Senate! 
* 
The oleo men conduct such an honest and open 
business that they will be shocked to learn what one 
of their number has recently been up to. Assistant 
Commissioner Kracke, of this city, learned that so- 
called “sweet butter” was being sold at small gro¬ 
cery stores conducted by Hebrews. Investigation 
showed that this stuff was a mixture of half butter 
and half oleo. They finally traced this “sweet” pro¬ 
duct to the store of a man named Wesoky, and caught 
him right in the act of mixing some of his stuff. The 
brother-in-law of this rascal, a Brooklyn man named 
Goodman, was smeared with the same grease. Last 
year he was fined $200 l'or selling oleo, and his syna¬ 
gogue excommunicated him for selling “butter” con¬ 
taining hog fat. In Michigan the State Dairy Com¬ 
missioner has caught the agent of a big oleo company 
in a trap. This rascal offered to pay the Commis¬ 
sioner one-half cent a pound on all oleo sold in the 
State if the Commissioner would “let up” on persecu¬ 
tion! He came forward with the first cash payment, 
and was properly caught “with the goods on.” Oh 
dear! what a pure, benevolent business this oleo sell¬ 
ing is! 
BREVITIES. 
Who ever got soil too rich for rhubarb? 
Call a halt on the Elberta peach. It is being over¬ 
planted. 
He who looks through hindsight at oversight will never 
hit the target. 
Don’t build the Summer silo too large. Make, it deep 
rather than broad. 
No man can make good butter from poor milk, but 
many make poor butter from good milk. 
Whenever a statement is made about raising mother¬ 
less pigs the women folks rush in with the most practical 
and helpful advice. 
Could the California apples beat the New York fruit 
in this market if the latter were packed and graded like, 
the former? If so, why? 
You say “oats will put ginger into a horse!” Suppose 
we admit it, but what business has the average farm 
horse to store up ginger during the Winter? 
J. L. Shawver hung to the plan of his plank frame 
barn against the ridicule of many builders. Men who 
stick to a worthy thing in that manner deserve well of 
their country. 
