7o8 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
October 15 
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. Colmngwood, Managing Editor. 
Frank H. Valentine, t AKKO „j., tP Editors 
Mrs. E. T. Royle, f Associate Editors. 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
SUBSCRIPTIONS. 
Price, One Dollar A Year. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, 12.04, equal to 
8s. 6d., or 8J4 marks, or 1014 francs. 
ADVERTISING RATES. 
Thirty cents per agate line (14 lines to the inch). Y T early orders 
of 10 or more lines, and 1,000-line orders, 25 cents per line. 
Reading Notices, ending with “ Adi ).,” 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-oilice 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, OCTOBER 15, 1898. 
ONLY 10 CENTS. 
A Michigan farmer called at The R. N.-Y. office last 
week, and told us about his experience with farm 
papers, lie and his neighbors had been changing 
from one to another for several years, without find¬ 
ing j'ust what they wanted in any of them. He finally 
sent 25 cents for a trial subscription to The R. N.-Y. 
When the time was up, he sent $1 for the succeeding 
year. Then he sent trial orders for his neighbors, 
with the result that we now have a good-sized club at 
his post office. Instances of this kind are multiplied 
from year to year. Most publishers claim that short¬ 
term trial subscriptions do not pay. They say—and 
truly—that it costs more to send the paper than the 
price charged, to say nothing of the cost of getting 
the subscription. So far we agree ; but they go on 
to say that the renewals do not justify this expense. 
Just here is where our experience differs from theirs. 
Not only do we get the renewals of these trials, but 
our new friends become quite as enthusiastic as the 
old ones, and send in new subscriptions for their 
neighbors. In short, we are becoming more and more 
convinced that there are thousands of farmers who do 
not now see it, but who want just such a paper as 
Tbe R. N.-Y. when they get an opportunity to be¬ 
come fully acquainted with it. This conviction 
influences us to send the paper every week now for 
the rest of the year for only 10 cents. Every reader 
must know some one who needs the paper. If more 
than one, so much the better. We make inducements 
on page 712 for clubs. We are depending on every 
old friend to send one name or more. Ten subscrip¬ 
tions cost only one dollar. 
© 
We often find R. N.-Y. subscribers who have kept 
nearly a complete file of the paper. Now and then a 
chance comes for them to dispose of one or more 
volumes. Here is one. A full set of The R. N.-Y. is 
needed for the Cornell University library. There 
have been 2,542 issues of the paper, each one good 
enough to go on file in that great library. The Uni¬ 
versity must go to old subscribers for these back 
numbers, and if any of our readers have copies to 
dispose of, they may write to Prof. M. V. Slingerland, 
Ithaca, N. Y., for particulars. Tell him just what 
you have and what they are worth. 
© 
What are the facts about Cuban competition in 
fruits and vegetables ? Already our farmers begin to 
fear this new rival. It is known that all sorts of 
vegetables grow to perfection in Cuba. There is no 
frost there. How easy it will be (in theory) to grow 
tomatoes, sweet corn, potatoes, etc., and send them on 
swift steamers to our northern ports. It will not do 
to get frightened over this matter. There are two 
sides to it. Next week, Prof. P. H. Rolfs, of Florida, 
will give us the facts. Apparently the Spaniards are 
about as nearly ready to fill our markets with vege¬ 
tables as they were to fill our gunboats with shot. 
O 
The recent extensive forest fires in Wisconsin and 
Colorado, which have caused suffering and loss to 
farmers as well as lumbermen, illustrate afresh our 
need for protection from this danger. Every year, 
the United States suffers great loss from these fires, 
which are generally traced to careless campers or to 
railway sparks. We now recognize the damage 
caused by denuding the mountain ranges of their 
forests, and discuss the question of afforesting them ; 
but work in this line will be useless unless measures be 
taken to guard against fire. We have often considered 
that, in the sparsely settled regions of the United 
States, a system of mounted police, similar to that 
maintained in British North America, Au. tralia, and 
other colonies, would be of great value. These men 
would be able, in many cases, to locate forest fires 
before they become uncontrollable, in addition to the 
supervision they could exercise over lawless charac¬ 
ters, and their service would be a safeguard in any 
scattered community. 
© 
Score one in favor of the Klondike. According to 
reports, while all may not find a fortune in gold, some 
have found that for which vast sums of the coin of the 
realm have been squandered. Some California men 
who went there with heads as bare and smooth as a 
pumpkin, are said to have returned with heads of hair 
that even Samson might have envied. They report 
that the cold is so intense that it kills all the germs 
and microbes, stimulates the scalp, and Nature does 
the rest. The California papers are responsible for 
this story, and no affidavits are furnished with it. It 
may be that jealousy of the new gold fields is at the 
bottom of this hairy tale, but it furnishes a new wisp 
for the hairless to grasp at in their search for a new 
thatch. 
© 
Mb. Powell’s statements about Crimson clover, 
printed in this issue, are of great interest to farmers 
generally. This is about the first time that we have 
been able to measure accurately the effect of this 
wonderful plant upon the soil. It will be observed 
that the soil is benefited chiefly in two ways. By 
reason of the “ bulk ” or humus of the plant, the soil 
is able to hold more water. This increase amounts to 
46 tons of water per acre, and this would make a great 
difference in a fruit crop during a dry season. The 
three crops of Crimson clover leave the soil richer by 
over 1,300 pounds of nitrogen than similar soil that 
was not clovered. This should be remembered in con¬ 
nection with the article in last week’s issue, on the 
artificial formation of nitrates in the air. With such 
results as Mr. Powell has obtained, our farmers do not 
need to wait until the scientists and inventors have 
harnessed Niagara. The possibilities of a clover seed 
are too great to be neglected. The R. N.-Y. is happy 
to think that it stuck to Crimson clover in the face of 
some opposition. It now seems strange to us that 
good farmers who have seen the plant growing should 
fail to take advantage of its services. 
© 
Paragraphs have been floating around through the 
papers lately to the effect that young Mr. Leiter’s 
debts had all been paid—except those he owes his 
father. He has received numerous congratulations on 
his honesty and ability to get out of a tight place. 
The long and short of it is that this young man, who 
already had enough to satisfy any reasonable man, 
undertook to pile up more millions by speculating in 
and cornering the grain that furnishes millions of 
people their daily bread. Great suffering resulted 
from his unholy act, and his own punishment came 
through his losing everything he had, and involving 
his father to the extent of many millions of dollars. 
These he prates about making it the effort of his life 
to repay, and many men are found who commend 
him for his ability and honesty. Stuff and nonsense ! 
The forger and the bank breaker have ability, and it 
is a common proverb that there is honor among thieves. 
When this young man’s venture seemed likely to suc¬ 
ceed, he was lauded to the skies. Thus do men worship 
money and the men who acquire it by fair means or 
foul. Meanwhile the price of wheat is back again about 
where it was, millions of people have been made to 
suffer, the markets of the world were demoralized, 
honest tradesmen have failed or seen their business 
decline. Mills were shut down and employees thrown 
out of work because the price of the grain was, for the 
time, prohibitive. Ought such things to be possible ? 
© 
During the past few years, the scientists have paid 
much attention to the forms of life which exist in the 
soil. For a long time, most of us were taught to con¬ 
sider the soil merely as a collection of dead, inert 
particles—a mere place for the roots to secure a firm 
hold and take in their food. The truth is that the 
soil is full of life. Millions of bacteria are at work 
there, and their busy lives are responsible for much of 
the fertility which good soils contain. They are par¬ 
ticularly active in preparing the nitrogen into suitable 
forms for plant food. Without these busy little forms 
of life, soils would be well-nigh sterile, and it is a 
part of good farming to encourage their growth and 
development. A study of this soil life explains why 
good stable manure in which rot or fermentation has 
well started, often shows returns in crop value in ex¬ 
cess of what might be expected from the actual plant 
food contained in it. The manure did for the soil 
something of what the “ starter ” does in cream. It 
brought nitrifying bacteria into the soil, and these 
multiplied and developed, carrying on their work so 
that extra fertility was set free for the crops. Thus 
the manure helped the soil directly by the actual 
plant food it added, and indirectly by adding to the 
helpful life in the soil. 
9 
The R. N.-Y. has several times alluded to the de¬ 
linquency of Mr. Hamilton Busbey in collecting the 
special tax from the trotting associations of the State. 
Mr. Durkee, the president of the Association of Agri¬ 
cultural Societies, after repeated futile calls on Gov. 
Black, finally secured his promise to give a hearing 
“ at once ” if specific charges were preferred. Charges 
were promptly preferred. Four weeks passed before, 
after much more prodding, Gov. Black gave the hear¬ 
ing ; this was noticed in The R. N.-Y. three weeks 
ago. Every charge made was proved, and not one 
was disproved ; in fact, Mr. Durkee charged that there 
are 100 trotting associations in the State, while Mr. 
Busbey admitted that there are 128. The man charged 
with the duty of collecting from the running associa¬ 
tions, has secured a bond from every association, as 
provided by law, has collected the tax from every 
association, and has increased his collections more 
than 30 per cent over previous years. The books of 
the associations have all been examined, and every¬ 
thing is all straight. Mr. Hamilton Busbey’s collec¬ 
tions have decreased over 90 per cent from previous 
years; up to October 4, not one book had been ex¬ 
amined, and only four bonds were on file. The agri¬ 
cultural societies have lost $15,000 to $20,000. On the 
other hand, the advertising in Mr. Hamilton Busbey’s 
sporting paper has about doubled, this increase being 
largely from the associations which have escaped 
their tax through his criminal inactivity. Yet, seven 
weeks after these charges are preferred, he is still in 
office. Every charge made to Gov. Black against him 
has been sustained. He is an appointee of tie latter, 
and the Governor alone is responsible for him. Why 
doesn’t he drop this incubus ? Political considerations 
should have little weight with the Governor, for he 
has failed to secure a renomination. He now has a 
chance partially to square himself with the better 
element. Will he do it ? 
© 
BREVITIES. 
Put a wet sponge beneath a dried-out brick, 
Aud what will happen ? Will the sponge retain 
Its water ? No, as silent and as quick 
As fate, the brick sucks up the wet. Again, 
Put a dry sponge beside a brick that’s wet, 
What happens then ? the sponge absorbs 7—oh, no! 
The sponge keeps dry—this rule has Nature set, 
That moisture to firm surfaces will go. 
There is a sermon here that one might preach, 
But let that go—the farmer ought to see 
The lesson that this simple thing will teach. 
If he would set his good soil-moisture free, 
Of course, he’ll leave the surface like a brick, 
Uncultivated, hard and firm, for then, 
Of course it sucks the subsoil water quick— 
For air to steal away, but thoughtful men 
Will cultivate the surface till it stands 
As open as a sponge, without the power 
To steal his moisture, then, with open hands, 
Dame Nature comes and shovels out his dower. 
Get the stove ready. 
Lime in cream—page 702. 
Bose pears are ripe again. 
The toad’s tool is his tongue. 
Borrow rhymes with sorrow. 
The beau is usually miss-led. 
“ Pruning the top ’’—having your hair cut. 
Better have people swear by you than at you. 
The Hon. Crim. Clover, N. C. (nitrogen catcher). 
How the Canadian farmers did sit down on the rumshop. 
The food producer is engaged in the propagation of grub. 
Never ! Never ! Not at all ! plow Crimson clover in the Fall. 
“ Nitrogen is a foeman worthy of my steal,” says Mr. Legume. 
Mother says that a patch is the badge of the hard wear trade. 
When Doubt cancels a man’s courage, she fills it full of can’t 
cells. 
Deserves success—the man who would rather lose trade than 
reputation. 
The successful man produces his crop of success from this 
year’s would. 
Ben Davis apple and California peach, they’re the sort of people 
to keep out of reach. 
When the boy sits down on the whole family, it’s a case of 
“ everything under the son.” 
“ It’s never too late to mend,” said mother at 10 p. m., as she 
took up the boy’s stockings. 
The apple tree manufactures a good sample of liver pills. They 
make indigestion quite saucy. 
“ The farmer feeds the world.” Correct, but the world doesn’t 
owe the farmer or any one else a living. 
It is now reported that rubber is being made from corn by 
glucose refiners. Better that than to make it into whisky. 
Good! The National Farmers’ Congress which meets in Texas 
during November, has invited Booker T. Washington, the colored 
orator, to speak before it. It is right that the southern farm 
laborer should have a representative at this Congress. 
