39o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
May 20 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Home*. 
Established 1850. 
Elbert S. Carman, Editor-In-Chief. 
Herbert W. Collinowood, Managing Editor. 
Frank H. Valentine, ( Ait EditorB 
Mrs. E. T. Roylk, ( Associate EUitois. 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, 12.04, equal to 
8s- 6d., or 854 marks, or 1054 francs. 
ADVERTISING RATES. 
Thirty cents per agate line (14 lines to the inch). Yearly ordera 
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, postal order, express 
order, personal check or bank draft. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
409 Pearl Street, New York. 
SATURDAY, MAY 20, 1899. 
Yankee Doodle is a tune 
Uncle Sam finds handy, 
He will have to change it soon 
To Yankee Dewey Dandy ! 
• 
Reference is made, on page 380, to the virtues of 
the old Vicar of Winkfield pear. As a pear for the 
home orchard, this is rendered valuable by its pro¬ 
longed period of ripening. The flavor is not high, 
and is sometimes astringent, when eaten uncooked ; 
but the fruit is excellent for cooking, and especially 
so when baked in the English fashion—peeled, placed 
in an earthen jar, with water and a little sugar, cov¬ 
ered with a lid, and then slowly cooked in the oven. 
The Vicar is very productive and certain in bearing. 
Sometimes very small straws show the direction of 
the wind. Last year, a great many people were 
frightened away from the seashore by the fear of 
Spanish invasion. Large numbers of people went to 
the country inland instead, and tlfe Summer-boarder 
crop was increased. This Spring, the wholesale deal¬ 
ers in bathing suits report that they have already 
done more business than during both 1897 and 1898 
together. This straw shows which way the crowd 
expects to go this Summer. Of course, not all people 
go to the seashore, but the larger part appears headed 
that way, and the number for the mountains and the 
farmhouse seems likely to be proportionately lighter. 
• 
Laws regulating the sale of “ Deviled” butter have 
been passed in many States. The stuff is politely 
called “ Process ”or “ Renovated ” by the legislatures. 
Dealers are grieved at those harsh names, and prefer 
“ Sterilized.” Now, we think the law is far too con¬ 
siderate toward the rascals who make up fraudulent 
stuff of this sort, and attempt to sell it for a 
pure article. We would make it “ Deviled But¬ 
ter,” “ Poisoned Butter,” “ Liar Cheese ” or “ Fraud 
Coffee.” How you would manufacture honesty by 
making such titles compulsory ! Manufactured hon¬ 
esty is not genuine, you say ? Perhaps not, but it’s 
as near to the real article as some people can be made 
to go. 
• • 
Many of the larger life insurance companies are sup¬ 
posed to be stock companies conducted on the mutual 
or cooperative principle. Holders of certain kinds of 
policies are really partners, and entitled to a share of 
tbe profits, which are often enormous. Most policies 
state that the holder is entitled to a share of these 
profits, but it has become the custom of the large com¬ 
panies to lay aside each year a large share of the sur¬ 
plus as a sinking fund, and to consider what is left as 
“profit”. This has been carried so far that three of 
the la-gest insurance companies in this City have re¬ 
served $139,006,567. A suit was brought against the 
Equitable Life Assurance Company to recover a share 
of the $56,731,703 which that company claims to have 
laid aside out of its earnings. The suit was first de¬ 
cided in favor of the company, but Judge Woodward 
has now reversed this decision, lie says that mutual 
life insurance companies that offer a share of profits 
to a policy holder must divide their entire surplus. 
He claims that the directors have no power to keep 
back part of their profits, for the agreement covers 
all. This decision will, of course, be disputed, but if 
the higher courts sustain it, there will, probably, bj 
a great change in the business methods of these co n- 
panies, and all endowment policies will be consider¬ 
ably increased in value. The great profits are made 
possible by the high premiums demanded for these 
policies. They belong to the policy holders on any 
fair basis of figuring. It is well to keep a fair sum of 
money laid aside for safety, but there seems no good 
reason for piling up such vast amounts at the expense 
of people who can ill afford to pay for it. These great 
companies should now reduce their rates or turn over 
a larger share of their profits—that is, if they con¬ 
tinue to claim that they are doing a cooperative busi¬ 
ness. The three large companies in this city have in¬ 
surance in force amounting to $2,933,000,000 ! They 
have nearly a million policy holders, and took in 
$117,000,000 last year in premiums. In many cas3S, 
the insurance policy is the only provision made for 
the wife and children. It is estimated that 4,000,000 
persons depend for their future financial support on 
the honesty and ability of the few men who control 
these three companies. It seems no more than right 
that the people, through the State, should have a bet¬ 
ter .supervision over the insurance business. 
• • 
About 30 manufacturers of farm implements have 
been holding a meeting in Chicago with a view to 
forming a combination or entering into an agreement 
to raise prices. The plea is that prices have been 
ruinously low. The advance in prices desired ranged 
from 10 to 25 per cent; but one favored less than a 15- 
per cent advance, and this last seems to be most pop¬ 
ular. The thrashing machine manufacturers, includ¬ 
ing 28 of the largest plants in the country, are said to 
have combined with a capital of $75,000,000 or more. 
One peculiar feature of their organization is the set¬ 
ting aside of $10,000,000 for the establishment of a 
plant in the midst of the great wheat belt of Russia. 
We are in the midst of great and wondrous changes. 
• 
• • 
The great development of electricity in its applica¬ 
tion to innumerable lines of industry, adds interest to 
the electrical show now in progress at Madison Square 
Garden, this City. These developments have been 
largely within the past 25 years, and marvelous as 
many of them are, we look for still greater advance¬ 
ment in the future. In lighting, in motive power, 
and in the sending of messages by telephone and 
telegraph, have been the most noted achievements. 
But along innumerable other lines will this mysteri¬ 
ous force be applied, and to the country dweller no 
less than to the city man will many of the advantages 
come. The importance of this new force in its various 
applications is well attested by the enormous outlay in 
this exhibition, which covers every line of industrial 
work. 
The Connecticut Experiment Station is doing great 
work in the investigation of adulterated foods, All 
sorts of harmless and harmful stuff are found in the 
foods and condiments put up in packages for sale. 
There are peanut shells in coffee, red ink in “ sauces ”, 
while sausage contains salicylic acid to preserve it 
and starch to make it weigh ! There is sawdust in 
ginger, coal tar in jelly, copper in canned goods, and 
boric acid in pies ! The Connecticut plan is to adver¬ 
tise the frauds, and drive them out of the market. 
The names of the people who manufacture and sell 
this stuff are printed regularly in the Station’s re¬ 
ports. This is the way the fertilizer frauds were 
whipped out of Connecticut, and it is a good way. 
When a man is caught putting poison or peanut shells 
into honest food—brand him 1 Put a ring of shame 
around his name! 
• • 
A large proportion of the late potato crop is yet to 
be planted, especially in the districts where large 
acreages are grown. All reports indicate that im¬ 
mense areas are being planted. There is every chance 
now that if the season prove a good one there will be 
a tremendous crop with prices too low to be satisfac¬ 
tory. It is, of course, hard to change plans at this 
late date, but it would be better for all if the area in 
late potatoes could be cut down. In a case of this 
sort, the trouble is that every farmer would like his 
neighbor to plant only half the usual area, and let 
him put in a little more than he first intended. That 
is what is called “ human nature ”. One of the strong 
principles of the modern trust is that such things are 
absolutely controlled, so that the production of an 
article is regulated. Men must get together, either 
for greed or in self-defense, before they can control 
the output of any product—be it potatoes or money. 
• • 
A friend connected with a business house, which 
ha 3 dealings with farmers and gardeners all over the 
country, tells us that they are continually in receipt 
of applications for men to work on stcck and dairy 
farm 3 . They have made a business for several years 
of furnishing head gardeners, farm superintendents, 
etc., to their customers, and always have a number of 
these available. But when it comes to plain, every¬ 
day hired men, there is a shortage. This firm could 
place a dozen men any day, on good farms, where $18 
per month, at least, would be paid the year around, 
besides board and all the extras that go to the month 
hand There is a shortage of these, but a surplus of 
the kind that wish to superintend or boss the job. Still 
we hear of thousands of unemployed men, and other 
thousands who profess to be looking for work, that's 
the trouble? In a single word, Incompetence. Most 
of these cannot do anything well, and are a curse to 
any one who employs them. The cities, especially, 
are full of these incompetents, and the country has its 
share. The capable, industrious young man of to day 
can find no more welcome place, and one that will 
give him better net returns, all things considered, 
than the farm. Some farmers look to the immigrant 
labor bureau for help, but the larger part of this labor 
is unsatisfactory. The better class go directly to the 
West. 
Whitewash ! 
That has been called “ the devil’s paint! ” The so- 
called Beef Inquiry Board have used it liberally. They 
report, in substance, that the best thing to do is to 
hu6h the matter up so that our foreign trade may not 
be injured ! They seem to forget that the whole 
country read that testimony carefully. The American 
people make a good jury. Nine out of ten honest men 
believe that the management of the army food sup¬ 
plies was incompetent or rascally ! Word has been 
passed along by the politicians to “bluff it out,” and 
a good many men are talking against their own honest 
conviction for fear that their party may be hurt. The 
Board seems to have decided that our foreign trade in 
meat, and the business of the great packers, are the 
most important of American public considerations. 
The average man knows that it costs 75 per cent of 
his earnings to provide food, fuel and clothing for his 
family. The handlers who stand between him and 
the producer may adulterate or poison his food, or sell 
him worthless stuff at a high price—but we must 
“ hush it up ” or our export trade will be injured. The 
people are slowly coming to understand the awful 
rascality of those who adulterate and “embalm” 
human food. The Board has applied its coat of white¬ 
wash, but there is carbolic acid in it in the shape of 
public opinion. You will hear from it later. 
All communications intended for E. S. Carman 
should, until next October, be addressed to River 
Edge, Bergen County, N. J. 
• • 
BREVITIES. 
There are some folks who live upon their wits, 
Some, like ball players, live on good base hits; 
Your old grandmother simply sits and knits, 
And finds great pleasure when the stocking fits. 
The trotting horse finds comfort in his bits, 
Peaches and Game cocks both excel in pits; 
The Klondike miner, like the cat, has kits, 
And often roasts his scanty meat on spits. 
The lazy man is satisfied with “ sits ”. 
And his lifework is told by writing “ nits ”. 
While strong men grind their obstacles with grits, 
And handle all their troubles without mlts, 
And thus are recognized as solid “ cits”, 
For “luck” but represents successive “gits”. 
Name your farm if you haven’t done so. 
Should be in every farmer’s mouth—rhubarb. 
Yesterday has gone—to-morrow’s yet unborn! 
Speech is free, but it’s a mistake to turn it loose. 
Your country doctor is likely to be a strong plll-er. 
A barnful of fast horses is likely to be “ the livery of 8atan ” 
The son of the self-made man is more likely to be shelf-made. 
The New Jersey liquor law is a good example of inn breeding! 
Nature enforces her own laws. A little slow, perhaps, but 
mighty sure. 
“ The sun never sets on an American machine.” Yet they 
hatch out sunshine. 
There was a time when the college graduate felt that he must 
“ teach, preach or leech ” to make a living. Not now, however. 
The Connecticut Experiment Station found in a bottle of “Chili 
sauce” a substance known as eosin, “a dye much used in red 
ink ”! 
According to a New York State law, no preservative except 
salt can be used in market butter. This does not prohibit the 
use of brains. 
9 
This has been a boom season for the glass gardeners. The 
southern freeze gave the glass houses a monopoly on tomatoes. 
Customers like big ones! 
It’s too bad that a photograph can never do justice to a field 
of Alfalfa. One must see it to appreciate its possibilities It’s 
wonderful stuff—wonderful ! 
Singing is good for catarrhal deafness in its early stages. 
Public singers are rarely deaf. The theory is that singing is 
good exercise for the throat. It keeps the Eustachian tubes open. 
How firm a foundation that corn kernel needs to push out its 
roots and keep up with the weeds. Make solid its foothold, don’t 
let it be torn—so step on the hill when you’re planting the corn! 
It will be a mistake to set cabbage on a field where turnips or 
rape rotted last year. Who would put a little child in a room 
where scarlet fever had raged, and which had not been fumi¬ 
gated ? 
In Oklahoma, the judge decided that any fluid containing two 
per cent of alcohol is an intoxicant. This has shut out hard cider 
and various “ extracts ” and medicines. It wouldn’t be safe to 
let our United States Attorney-General get a chance at that 
decision ! 
