October 28 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
756 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850. 
Herbert W. Collingwood, Editor. 
Dr. Walter Van Fleet, j 
H. E. Van Deman, > Associates. 
Mrs. E. T. Royle, ) 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
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personal check or bank draft. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
409 Pearl Street, New York. 
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1899. 
Mr. P. E. Dawley, the efficient director of the New 
York Farmers’ Institutes, will start off his workers in 
a new way this year. Just before the institutes open 
they will all spend a day at Cornell, talking with the 
station workers and studying the farm and its fix¬ 
tures. Then they will go to Geneva for a like 
purpose, after which the newer speakers will read 
their papers and take part in a general discussion. 
This will make an excellent.“wind-up,” for it will 
wind up the speakers for their educational campaign, 
and send them out with new power. A wind-up is 
better than a round-up. 
* 
A rich New York man was not satisfied with the 
teaching of Markham’s poem, The Man with the Hoe. 
He thinks there is more danger in the man without 
the hoe—that is, the man who has received no indus¬ 
trial training. He offered $1,000 for the best poems 
advancing his idea, and about 1,000 poems were sent. 
Now we notice that the Minnesota Horticultural So¬ 
ciety has offered $1,000 for a seedling apple tree that 
shall be as hardy as Oldenburg and as large and 
well-flavored as Wealthy. There are some people who 
rank literature above agriculture, and yet the man 
who wins the poem prize has had but child’s play 
compared with the patience, thought, toil and skill of 
the man who gives a worthy new apple to the cold 
Northwest. Think what that will mean *to the fruit¬ 
less thousands who inhabit that country! The poet 
may inspire the world, but the pomologist does it far 
more lasting service. 
* 
The question of securing expert judges at fairs, as 
referred to in The R. N.-Y. last week, is a very im¬ 
portant matter. It is the custom, with the managers 
of many flower shows, to secure as judges known ex¬ 
perts from a distance, whose expenses are paid, and 
who sometimes receive a fee in addition. The Chicago 
Horticultural Society has often sent to New York 
State for its judges, and it is not uncommon for Can¬ 
adian flower shows to secure some of their judges 
from this side of the line. This removes any remote 
suspicion of personal bias, and, known experts being 
selected, general satisfaction results. A careful scale 
of points is adhered to in judging flowers, and surely 
a similar scale could be formulated for the judging of 
vegetables. In judging live stock, the standard 
adopted by breeders’ and fanciers’ associations, when 
combined with common sense and practical knowl¬ 
edge on the part of the judge, should amply cover 
every possible contingency. 
* 
The price of farm implements is to be increased. 
There can be no doubt about this, after reading the 
letters from manufacturers on the next page. We 
have received many other letters—all of the same 
character. There is no doubt that the manufacturers 
are correct when they say that iron and steel are 
much higher than last year. In some cases this in¬ 
creased cost to the manufacturer is so great that the 
tools could not be sold at a profit at last year’s prices. 
In fact, most manufacturers will sell on a closer mar¬ 
gin next year than ever before. With regard to the 
increased price of iron and steel, most persons at¬ 
tribute it to natural causes, viz., a demand greater 
than the supply. There are two things about this 
supply and demand that ought to be stated. The sup¬ 
ply has been restricted. It has been a part of the 
policy of the trust or syndicate that controls the iron 
and steel trade to curtail production so as to avoid 
any surplus. One chief reason why the demand ex¬ 
ceeds supplies is that our manufacturers have been 
catering to the foreign trade. Our exports in metals 
have been wonderfully increased. We are told that 
there has been little profit in this export trade, be¬ 
cause prices were shaved down to the lowest notch, in 
order to underbid foreign competitors. These exports 
have, however, helped to drain the country of metals, 
and this is one cause of the tremendous increase in 
price. It is a question whether this foreign trade is 
desirable, when it means higher prices and trouble to 
Americans. 
* 
Frequent failures of private Italian and other 
foreign banks in our large cities emphasize the need 
of postal savings banks. Small depositors are not 
made welcome in the National and larger State banks, 
and there is too much red tape and delay in the vari¬ 
ous savings banks and institutions to suit the ideas 
of the distrustful foreigners. The Italians and Chi¬ 
nese, who patronize these obscure foreign banks, are 
not desirable additions to our population, it is true, 
and their money is saved but to send abroad, but it is 
gathered cent by cent by the most disagreeable toil, 
and it is too bad that it should be so often appro¬ 
priated by the rascally “banker.” A postal savings 
bank would go far to remedy this, as the most ignor¬ 
ant foreigner would have confidence in it. Its accessi¬ 
bility would bring it within the reach of every one. 
Why does this great Nation lag so in the march of 
real improvement? Every other country worthy of 
being called half-civilized has long had this conveni¬ 
ence. Even little Hawaii had her postal savings bank 
before her absorption. We have not heard of it since. 
* 
The officers of the Five States Milk Producers’ As¬ 
sociation feel sure that they are at last near to a 
solution of their problem. They do not give the whole 
story to the public, but they seem confident that 
higher prices are to be obtained. Feed is so short and 
grain so high that better figures were inevitable this 
Winter, but the officers of the Association have un¬ 
doubtedly brought the producers together and laid the 
foundation for a successful movement. We hope the 
promised contract will prove all that the most san¬ 
guine expect. It is no child’s play to deal with New 
York capitalists so as to secure justice to the pro¬ 
ducers. It will be a great triumph if, by means of 
this organization, the milk business may be taken, 
even in part, out of the hands of the middlemen who 
have so long oppressed the farmers. We wish to 
make the point clear that if this is ever to be done, it 
must be through some compact and powerful organi¬ 
zation. The officers of the Five States Milk Producers’ 
Association may be over-confident, and may not com¬ 
plete their contract at this time, but that will be no 
reason for abandoning the organization. On the other 
hand, it will be a reason for working harder still to 
perfect an organization that will win. Let the milk 
producers hang together, and present a firm, bold 
front. They have the power to enforce fairer prices if 
they will stick together with patience and determina¬ 
tion. 
* 
An energetic protest is being made by the clergy 
and various women’s associations against the seating 
in the National House of Representatives of Brigham 
H. Roberts, of Utah, who was recently elected a Rep¬ 
resentative to Congress from the district including 
Salt Lake City. It is claimed that he is, and has 
been, living in polygamous marriage with several 
wives, against the laws of the present State of Utah, 
and against the provision, forever prohibiting polyg¬ 
amous or plural marriages, that was included in the 
bill admitting Utah to Statehood in the Union. It is 
self-evident that a law-breaker is not a fit person to 
sit in any legislature and make laws to control the 
conduct of others. The supporters of Roberts say that, 
having been legally elected by his constituency, he 
cannot be expelled from Congress on any moral 
charge. There seems ample proof of his polygamous 
practices, and it is certain that the House of Repre¬ 
sentatives can unseat him if they should see fit. The 
question is, will they do so or not? Congress, with 
all its shortcomings, generally stands ready to do 
the will of the people, if they will only make an em¬ 
phatic demand that it be done. If the moral sense of 
the people, as a whole, is so dull that they do not care 
to voice the protest that is now being made, it is pos¬ 
sible that Congress may not act vigorously. There 
are at all times men in our State and National Legis¬ 
latures with unclean records in their private lives; 
United States Senators have been seated, and served 
their terms, with grave charges of dishonesty hang¬ 
ing over them, but there is no previous instance of 
such an impudent attempt to force unlawful prac¬ 
tices into the highest law-making body of the Nation. 
If we had the Swiss system of referendum in force, by 
which all laws, except those of extraordinary emer¬ 
gency, were submitted to the people for ratification 
before becoming operative, we would undoubtedly se¬ 
cure a much better class of Congressional representa¬ 
tives. There would be little chance for corruption, as 
lobbies would not care to spend much money in se¬ 
curing action, which would be likely to be reversed 
by the people. There would then be real honor and 
satisfaction in worthy Congressional service. 
* 
The Post Office Department recently issued a fraud 
order against the P. P. Company, of La Grange, Ind. 
This company inserted the following advertisement 
in a number of daily papers: 
We have a scheme that brings us $50 weekly; will do 
the same for you; either sex; send 25 cents to P. P. Com¬ 
pany, Lock box 26, La Grange, Indiana. 
The victims who bit at this tempting bait, and sent 
their 25 cents, received in reply the following letter: 
Dear Sir: Our scheme is easily explained and very 
simple, and if you will follow our advice you will be 
pleased and impressed at the returns. Place an adver¬ 
tisement similar in form to ours in a few of the leading 
mail order papers, and send to each reply a similar letter 
to this. If your advertisement is well worded and well 
placed you will secure handsome returns. 
The brazen effrontery of these swindlers is, per¬ 
haps, no greater than that of those who advertise 
“easy work at home.” All alike prey upon the needy, 
and are, without doubt, the meanest and most de¬ 
spicable of all sharpers. We can only reiterate once 
more, our old advice: do not communicate with any 
such advertisers. It should be remembered that 
merely to write to such people, through curiosity, 
makes one a target for a variety of undesirable and 
often disgusting matter, in the shape of circulars. 
* 
BREVITIES. 
"Ah, there!” Sir Thomas Lipton, you’ll excuse the slang 
I know; 
No doubt you’ll add the words "Stay there!” as home¬ 
ward bound you go! 
Hard luck, Sir Thomas Lipton, for your boat is staunch 
and true, 
The very highest type of craft your English builders 
knew. 
1 was British brain and oak and sail and rope and metal, 
too, 
Against the best we can produce on this side of the blue. 
Your Shamrock is a tidy craft; she showed a lively heel, 
Hut there was something livelier along Columbia’s keel. 
1 he lion is a solid chap, but when it comes to speed 
1 he eagle beats him out of sight—I’ll tell you what you 
need: 
Some longer head to plan your craft—go hire a Yankee 
brain 
To cut new curves upon your boat before you come again. 
Good luck, Sir Thomas Lipton, you’re a sportsman any 
way; 
Ah, there! ’ “Stay there!" No! no! Come back, we’ll 
greet you any day. 
Whine not and wine not! Why not? 
The average man has plenty of means. 
Corn meal is about the cheapest feed just now. 
Tiie broom and the plow handles give palm culture. 
Antivack is the latest name for those who oppose 
vaccination. 
Pack some sand around your heart—then go out and 
do your part! 
The weigh of this world seems likely to be found want¬ 
ing in the next. 
A man may be quite sure of securing a fine stand when 
he sows wild oats. 
Don’t try to go back and patch up a lost day—go ahead 
and make a better one. 
Are any of our friends making unfermented grape 
juice from the Catawba? 
Even soap will increase in price. If cleanliness comes 
high, Godliness should be cheaper. 
According to the Supreme Court of Illinois, the glucose 
octopus will have to drop some of its illegally-acquired 
sugar. 
How doth the busy little bee make fruit both safe and 
sound? He gathers pollen on his legs and carts it all 
around. 
Is it not tiue that many^people look upon a rigid ob¬ 
servance of Sunday as a sponge to wipe out all the sins 
of the week? 
We never had so many letters from the South asking 
how to build icehouses. This seems to mean greater 
interest in dairying. 
Which would you prefer in your school—"an average 
teacher, but a good man, ’ or “a good teacher, but an 
average man?” 
Bees can fight as well as work. The bottom dropped 
out of a hive on an English railroad train, and the bees 
held up the train for 20 minutes. 
It is said to be harder than ever this year to sell fancy 
farm products at fancy prices. What does that mean? 
Are average products coming in better condition? 
The Attorney General of Ohio decides that irregular 
Pieces of railway lands must be taxed as roadbed. This- 
will increase the taxation of railroads in that State. 
Tulare County, California, has in the last two years 
paid bounty on 535,000 squirrel tails. Add those poisoned 
in their holes, and 1,000,000 squirrels have been destroyed. 
There are melon growers who plant occasional squash 
vines in their melon fields, because they think that this 
gives a tougher melon rind, and thus makes a better 
shipper. 
A New York State potato grower says that he has 
two bushels of potatoes which won $85 in premiums at 
five fairs. Now the question is—what did the State get 
out of it? 
