February 12 
io6 
The Rural New=Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMERS' PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850. 
Elbert S. Carman, Editor-in-Chief. 
Herbert W. Collingwood, Managing Editor. 
Mr A s N !. H T. K A otle,‘ NE ’ \ Associate Editors. 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
SUBSCRIPTIONS. 
PRICE, ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, 82.04, equal to 
8s. Sd., or 8*4 marks, or 10*4 francs. 
ADVERTISING RATES. 
Thirty cents per agate line (14 lines to the inch). Yearly orders 
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. 
Be sure that the name and address of sender, with name of 
Post-office and State, and what the remittance is for, appear in 
every letter. Money orders and bank drafts on New York are the 
safest means of transmitting money. 
Address all business communications and make all orders pay¬ 
able to THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
Corner Chambers and Pearl Streets, New York. 
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1898. 
A college biologist is reported as experimenting 
with composite insects, formed by grafting while in 
the pupa stage. One of the monstrosities reported was 
three-headed mosquitoes, and a Jerseyman rises to pro¬ 
test, because he finds the single-headed variety more 
than he can cope with and, if the biting capacity be 
increased, an impenetrable skin will be an immediate 
necessity. 
A resident of a good-sized New Jersey town about 
20 miles from New York, told the writer that they 
were paying their grocer for cold-storage eggs for 
family use, a price that ought to give an excellent 
profit to any one producing strictly fresh eggs. This 
man expressed the opinion that it ought to pay some 
one well to start a poultry business for the purpose of 
supplying fresh eggs either direct to the families, or 
through some grocer. Plenty of people are willing to 
pay good prices for a first-class article, and the fur¬ 
nishing of such an article generally leads to an in¬ 
creased consumption. Such a business is a growing 
one, and a growing business should be profitable. 
O 
The eastern horticulturists, who depend upon 
natural rain for the irrigation of their orchards, seem 
to be at a disadvantage when compared with the 
artificial irrigation described by Mr. Coffey on page 
99. Water is given when needed, and only the 
amount required; there is no interference with orchard 
work, and the fruit may continue to color under the 
bright Colorado sun while the roots absorb the needed 
supply of water. The orehardist there has all the 
advantages of the gardener who forces fruit under 
glass, with the added benefit of almost continual sun¬ 
shine, and this last blessing is one for which we can 
provide no substitute, in spite of our improvements 
in greenhouse building. 
O 
A recent sale of California wine is reported from 
San Francisco, in which 240,000 gallons brought only 
eight cents a gallon, while 10,000 gallons of a choice 
brand sold for nine cents per gallon. This price was 
in the city for goods all ready for shipment. The net 
price on the farm was not, probably, more than half 
this. The wine growers are in something the same 
situation as the milk producers in some localities in 
the East; there is a tremendous leakage somewhere 
between the producer and the consumer, for the latter 
has to pay a good price in both cases. The wine grow¬ 
ers are under the impression that the men who do the 
fancy labeling business for market are getting all the 
profit, and that there is more money in the manufac¬ 
ture of labels than in the manufacture of wine. 
O 
The New Jersey Legislature is considering a bill to 
prevent the spread of injurious insects in that State. 
This bill provides that all trees and plants shipped 
into the State, must be certified to be free from all 
injurious insects, and all nurserymen and fruitgrowers 
must, likewise, keep their stock free. The State En¬ 
tomologist is to have charge of inspection and testing. 
The executive committee of the State Board of Agri¬ 
culture is to appoint a commission of three persons in 
each county who are to have power to condemn trees 
or plants, or to direct that they shall be cleaned. If 
the judgment of the county commissioners is not 
acceptable, the State Entomologist will decide. Appeal 
from his decision may be taken before a committee, 
consisting of the Director of the Experiment Station 
and the President of the State Board of Agriculture. 
Where they agree, their decision shall be final; where 
they disagree, the decision of the State Entomologist 
will stand. No provision is made thus far for com¬ 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
pensating any person whose trees or plants are de¬ 
stroyed. When first introduced, this bill included 
Peach yellows among the subjects to be investigated, 
but that part of the bill has been dropped, as it was 
not thought possible to legislate successfully against 
the yellows. The bill is aimed chiefly against the San 
Jos6 scale, and it is hoped to control this insect and 
keep it within restricted bounds. 
O 
There is great complaint about bad flour amoug 
bakers and poor people. New flour is said to be dark 
colored. It will not “ rise ” when baked. Two causes 
are given for it. One is that Leiter, the Chicago wheat 
speculator, has bought and is holding all the best 
milling wheat in the Northwest, so that millers are 
obliged to use second-grade wheat. If this be true, 
what has become of the great stocks of flour usually 
carried in store? It is, also, said that millers are 
grinding corn with the wheat, and thus mixing corn 
meal with the flour rather than increase the price of 
flour in proportion with the prices of wheat. This 
corn-mixed flour is dark in color, and will not bake 
well. It is healthful and nourishing, but it is not 
pure wheat flour, and is worth less because it costs 
less. To that extent, it is a fraud, and should be sold 
for just what it is. 
O 
The daily papers report that Germany has prohibited 
the importation of American fruit. During the last 
two years, large quantities of American apples have 
been sent to Germany, and have been eagerly bought 
by the German people. The German apple crop is not 
usually sufficient to supply German needs, and the 
American fruit has been a welcome addition to the 
home supply. Now, the German fruit growers are 
frightened over the spread of the San Jos£ scale, and 
fear that it may be introduced on apples from America. 
Therefore, they propose entirely to prohibit tke intro¬ 
duction of American fruit—at least this is the reason 
given in public reports. Behind all this is the fact 
that the agrarian or agricultural party in German 
politics, has a fixed policy of curtailing or prohibiting 
imports of food from outside nations. They believe 
that in this watf they can give German farmers a 
higher price for their products, by reducing supplies 
from abroad. Probably this has as much to do with 
prohibiting apple imports as the dread of the San 
Jos6 scale. 
O 
Mr. Woodward, on page 102, advises a settlement 
of the oleomargarine case against Armour & Co. on 
the basis of a compromise for about one per cent of 
the amount sued for. It seems that Agricultural Com¬ 
missioner Weiting came to New York last week and 
talked the whole matter over with representative 
produce merchants. After hearing what he had to 
say, the New York Produce Review says of the flimsy 
case against Armour & Co. : 
It is a house of straw that will go up in smoke when subjected 
to the searching fire of our higher courts. Is it strange that the 
Agricultural Department, and all the attorneys who are now em¬ 
ployed on the case, advise a settlement of the matter as quickly 
and satisfactorily as possible ? They seem to have no hope of 
securing competent evidence that would give reasonable expecta¬ 
tion of successful prosecution, and fob that reason, it is deemed 
unwise to prolong the struggle. 
The case seems to have been mismanaged from the 
first, and the Agricultural Department has made a 
huge botch of it. Armour & Co. offer § 20,000 and an 
agreement to quit the business of selling and manu¬ 
facturing oleomargarine. There seems no doubt that 
Armour & Co. will beat the State out of breath if the 
Agricultural Department is to manage the case 
against them. 
We are informed that, at the last meeting of the 
American Association of Agricultural Colleges and 
Experiment Stations, Director Emery of the Montana 
Station “ called attention to the existence of a feeling 
of antagonism between the agricultural papers and 
the experiment stations.” We do not attempt to speak 
for the other agricultural papers, but The R. N.-Y has 
the most friendly feelings toward the honest station 
officials. We take pleasure in advertising the good 
they do, and we try to support them in every effort 
they make to aid the farmer. The lazy scientific drone 
who wants to do nothing on a big salary deserves 
“ antagonism”, and he will get a broadside of it. The 
political scientist who is afraid to speak out like a 
man tor fear he might hurt some politician and thus 
lose an appropriation should be “ antagonized ” out of 
office at once. The director who forgets that the 
people are paying his salary and have a right to the 
best work of his brain should be inoculated with 
“ antagonism ” until he comes to his senses. The R. 
N.-Y. has great respect for the honest and capable 
men who have really done valuable work for American 
agriculture. The drone, the big head and the politi¬ 
cian are still drawing money from Uncle Sam’s till, and 
they should be “ antagonized ” out of their soft jobs ! 
An exchange asks, “Do cows think?” We don't 
know. We wonder, however, provided they do think, 
what are the thoughts of the cows whose owners turn 
them out to wade through snow and slush to some 
distant pond, creek, or spring for all the water they 
get; or whose only protection from the winter's 
storms is the lee side of a straw stack or barn, or 
which stand in stables through whose cracks the 
breezes have free circulation. A few thoughts from 
such cows, if put in print, would make mighty inter¬ 
esting reading. 
O 
Thousands of young men in various parts of the 
country are foolishly preparing to go to Alaska in the 
Spring, to dig for gold. Under the circumstances, a 
more foolish move for the average young man can 
hardly be imagined. Some thoughtless people com¬ 
pare the chances in Alaska with those in California 50 
years ago. A moment’s consideration ought to show 
how foolish the comparison is. California was, at 
least, self-supporting. Food could be easily produced. 
If a man failed at digging gold, he could secure other 
work, such as farming, stock-growing or transporting. 
Alaska is not, and never can be, self-supporting. 
There is nothing for a man to do there but to dig gold 
or help carry in the food intended for others. To go 
to the Klondike, under these circumstances, is a fool¬ 
ish and risky undertaking, and we would never ad¬ 
vise a young man to attempt it. 
O 
BREVITIES. 
“ COLORADO BEN.” 
Ben Davis was a handsome youth, but dry as any chip, 
For Nature gave him gaudy clothes, but let the flavor slip; 
And underneath his brilliant coat, he wore a pumpkin heart, 
A painted turnip, dry as bran, he went into the mart— 
A hypocrite—a Pharisee—a fraud in royal guise. 
Without a single drop of juice—a liar of great size. 
And those who bit his bloodless flesh were prompt with gibe and 
curse, 
They came with solid chunks of prose—the poets threw their verse. 
Ben Davis heard their stinging words, they rankled in his mind. 
They cut him to his mealy heart; they forced him on to find 
Some place where better quality might grow beneath his vest; 
He followed Greeley’s old advice, and took himself" out West”. 
On Colorado’s sunny plains, where clouds are seldom seen, 
Beside an irrigating ditch, he donned his coat of green. 
The blood grew redder in his cheek, and, in the warm sunshine 
Of mountain air, his flesh absorbed the flavor of the vine. 
Ben Davis! Colorado Ben—apologies are due 
From one who has, in former days, hurled ragged verse at you! 
Wise hogs would hardly eat you for the second time back East, 
But westward ho! With Baldwin you are reckoned at the least, 
You “ grew up with the country ” where are mellow fruits—and 
men. 
Now go up head ! Good luck, old boy. Oh, Colorado Ben! 
Frost allays the layer. 
Hang On, is a good partner. 
Always due—the dues of duty. 
Very little veering in persevering. 
Soft jobs are hard to And just now! 
Swallow your trouble and bolt it down. 
Feed ink to your thoughts and pen them up. 
Germany is afraid of the germ of the San Jos£ scale. 
The chances are that Germany will put higher duties on grain. 
A hand separator—not letting your right hand know what your 
left is doing! 
How to dissolve bones—feed the children on corn meal, fat meat, 
pie and cake. 
How many petitions have you signed without knowing what 
they were all about ? 
Sacque religious—the young woman who uses the church to 
advertise her new' clothes. 
A good many members of the “ rising generation ” would serve 
their country well by sitting down. 
“A word to the w’ise is sufficient!” Possibly—but the man 
must be miglitywise and the w-ord mighty sharp. 
A bill before the New York Legislature would make it unlaw¬ 
ful to spray fruit trees with poison while they are in bloom. 
Talking of weather signs, it is fair to suppose that, when all¬ 
spice is adulterated with cocoanut shells, the season will be 
mild. • 
The engineer of a storm-beaten English steamer loaded with 
grain w r as obliged to imitate the Nebraska farmers and use corn 
for fuel. 
“ How am I to tell w'hether a nurseryman is honest or not ? ” 
asks a Maine reader! There’s a question that would puzzle a 
scientist. 
Over 17,000,000 pounds of foreign wool dodged Diugley in De¬ 
cember alone, and got into the country. Is Mr. American Sheep 
on a strike ? 
A New Jersey woman, Miss Mary M. Steele, is the first woman 
Commissioner of Deeds and the second woman lawyer in Jersey. 
If she is to remain a lawyer, one of her first deeds should be to 
change that suggestive name. 
When low prices and over-production depress his market, the 
manufacturer shuts down the mill, and allows his operatives to 
care for themselves. What would the hired man think if the 
farmer followed the same plan ? 
The latest scheme for revenue is to tax kerosene oil at two cents 
a gallon. This would give the Government 820,000,000. Instead 
of being paid by the Standard Oil Company, this tax would be 
paid by those who use kerosene for light and fuel—farmers and 
working people. The rich would escape it. 
A silly habit that has come down from past generations is 
that of breaking a bottle of liquor over the prow of a war ship at 
the launching. Gov. Bradley’s daughter will use a bottle of water 
in christening the new war ship, Kentucky. Good for Miss Brad¬ 
ley! There is too much rum in the navy now. 
