THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
February ‘<20 
146 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FAB MEN'S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Home* *. 
Established 1850. 
Herbert W. Collingwood, Editor. 
DR. WALTER VAN Fleet, (.Associates 
MRS. K. T. BOYLE, ^Associates. 
Johx J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries In the Universal Postal Union, $2.04, 
equal to 8s. 6d., or 8% marks, or 10*4 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, and any such swindler will be publicly 
exposed. We protect subscribers against rogues, but we 
do not guarantee to adjust trilling 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 to 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 20, 1904. 
We are askerl if the German government still pro¬ 
hibits the introduction of nursery stock from this 
country on account of the San Jos6 scale. Yes, the 
same law prevails. The Germans permit fruit to en¬ 
ter under severe inspection, though it is not likely 
that the scale is spread in this way. Germany puts 
a tax of $1 a barrel on apples and yet in spite of this 
high tariff $3,322,100 worth of our fruits were taken 
by the Germans last year. 
* 
The demand for sulphate of copper increases rap¬ 
idly each year. It has now become a standard article 
in needed farm supplies, while a few years ago it was 
rarely heard of in farm practice. There are plenty of 
farmers in New York who use tons of this material 
every year. We fear that some of the vitriol offered 
for sale is more or less adulterated. The "stuff 
which it contains not only lowers the per cent of cop¬ 
per but clogs the nozzles when spraying. Buyers 
should be protected by law against such frauds as 
they are in the case of fertilizers or Paris-green. A 
fair standard should be adopted for copper sulphate 
and manufacturers and dealers should be held to it. 
* 
The Senate Finance Committee gave a hearing at 
Albany on February 9 on the bill providing for the 
new Agricultural College building. Assemblyman 
Geo. Monroe made a strong and clear argument for 
the building. He was followed by H. E. Cook, of the 
New York Dairymen; E. B. Norris, of the New York 
State Grange; G. M. Tucker, editor of the Country 
Gentleman; Hon. D. P. Witter, T. B. Wilson, of the 
New York Fruit Growers, and F. E. Dawley. The 
hearing was skillfully arranged and well conducted. 
The obligation of the State was shown, the necessity 
for the building, the value of the college and the de¬ 
mand for it—all were clearly demonstrated. It is, of 
course, never safe to predict just what a Legislature 
will do, but from all that we can learn the bill is 
likely to pass provided the pressure is kept up. The 
thing that will push it along is strong and earnest 
demand from farmers. Keep up the letters therefore. 
* 
Farmers and fruit growers surely have the right to 
expect accurate information as to the economical 
value of the wild birds likely to be encountered on 
the farm, from the many official investigators em¬ 
ployed by colleges and experiment stations, but the 
actual status of certain species, according to common 
observation, is widely at variance with that assigned 
by writers and teachers of ornithology. Long ago 
bee-keepers maintained that, the kingbird occasional¬ 
ly fed on honey bees. Natural history writers denied 
the charge, claiming kingbirds destroyed only injuri¬ 
ous insects or those of no value to the farmer. Close 
observation has since proved that some individual 
kingbirds acquire the bee-eating habit, and are tei- 
ribly destructive, but that the species as a whole is 
very beneficial. Farmers well know that, and have 
long protected the species, but would like the right to 
remove the destructive individual. It has always 
been contended that “sapsuckers” (a term for sev¬ 
eral small woodpeckers and nuthatches), actually 
drank the sap of forest and orchard trees, drilling 
numerous holes in the bark for the purpose. This was 
vehemently denied by naturalists, who claimed the 
woodpeckers were wholly intent on the capture of in¬ 
sects when drilling trees. It is now acknowledged 
that the farmers and woodsmen were correct in re¬ 
gard to the sapsucking habits of one or two species at 
least, though woodpeckers are in the main very use¬ 
ful birds, and are never likely to be numerous enough 
to cause special harm. Now there is a conflict be¬ 
tween the fruit grower and the “professors” about 
the migratory thrush, commonly called robin. Those 
who have been robbed of their fruit crop claim the 
robin is almost wholly destructive, and is now in¬ 
creasing so fast as to be a great menace to the indus¬ 
try. Official zoologists generally oppose this idea, 
saying in effect that the robin is a nice bird to have 
around, and that it does not matter if they do eat all 
the cherries and berries in some localities—there will 
be plenty of fruit elsewhere. All robins are not de¬ 
structive to cultivated fruits, but there is much evi¬ 
dence to show that in some places the local birds dis¬ 
cover that ravaging fruit gardens is an easier mode of 
gaining a living than searching the fields and hedge 
rows for wild products, and have become an intoler¬ 
able nuisance. Ornithologists will doubtless in time 
get around to this point of view, but meanwhile the 
fruit grower demands legislation permitting him to 
defend his crop, and it is to be hoped he will get it. 
The habits of birds are not obscure, like those of min¬ 
ute insects. The gardener has opportunities of ob¬ 
servation seldom achieved by the official investigator, 
and the conclusions of those who live in the country 
must in the end be accepted. 
* 
When saddened by the stern realities of life, we 
can always lighten the gloom by turning to that foun¬ 
tain head of unconscious humor, the rulings of the 
Secretary of the Treasury and his customs experts 
upon dutiable products. We are gladdened by learn¬ 
ing from these authorities that frogs’ legs are dressed 
poultry, and as such are dutiable al the rate of five 
cents a pound. This seems an official recognition of 
those scoffers who refer to the agile bullfrog as the 
New Jersey nightingale. Of course the Canadian 
frogs’ legs, against which this ruling is directed, must 
not be permitted to trample upon our home indus¬ 
tries, but the Secretary of the Treasury seems to rea¬ 
son in the same lucid manner as an English railway 
guard when appealed to by a lady who wished to take 
a pet tortoise into a railway carriage where dogs were 
prohibited. The guard admitted the tortoise, with 
this explanation as to prohibited pets: “Cats is dogs, 
and rabbits is dogs, but a tortus is a hinseck!” 
* 
Every year we have letters like the following: 
A man claiming to be an agent of the New York Ex¬ 
periment Farm is around here selling seed wheat, oats, 
corn and potatoes, claiming it is from the Experiment 
Station of New York. Is the New York Experiment Sta¬ 
tion on its last legs, that it has to send out agents to 
sell its seed at a big price, to farmers, to keep It going? 
He sold a neighbor a bushel of oats for $2.50. He is a 
stranger; is he not a fraud? Is not the Experiment 
Farm at Geneva. N. Y.? He did not sell me anything 
Shiloh, O. J- P- v - 
Of course this agent is a fraud if he pretends to 
represent the New York Experiment Station. In¬ 
stead of being on “its last legs” that Station is like¬ 
ly to get a few new legs that will last a long time to 
stamp on such rogues. The claim is so absurd that 
no farmer who takes an agricultural paper ought to 
listen to any such talk for a moment. The New York 
Station has no seeds for sale, and has nothing to do 
with any such game. This agent is a first-rate sub¬ 
ject for the dog. 
* 
The newspapers print what purports to be an ad¬ 
dress by Dr. H. J. Webber, of the United States De¬ 
partment of Agriculture. We have had some experi¬ 
ence with reporters, and therefore doubt whether Dr. 
Webber ever said this: 
Americans think they're it, but they are not it in every¬ 
thing. They are miserable farmers. They are so ignor¬ 
ant of agriculture that American products are being enor¬ 
mously decreased. As a result of the ignorance of the 
farmers we will have to hustle in order that the United 
States may keep its place among the nations. The Uni¬ 
versity of Chicago and many other large universities are 
responsible for these conditions, because they do not 
teach practical agriculture. 
If he did say that he ought to be ashamed of him¬ 
self, and should quit drawing a salary for working in 
the name of agriculture. If such men want to know 
what “ignorance” is they should go out to some back 
country hill farm, without capital, credit or connec¬ 
tion, and attempt to make a living as many farmers 
do. The reported speech goes on to state that soils 
are decreasing in fertility and products are decreas¬ 
ing in price: 
The only way to remedy this and secure the United 
States a place among the nations is for the universities 
to take in the farmers. They are too ignorant to be 
trusted with the welfare of the country. 
The universities have “taken in” the farmers too 
long already by trying to demonstrate that a classical 
education is the best thing to train a man for practical 
farm work. The agricultural colleges are quite able 
to give the necessary education needed by farmers. 
We think it is true that the universities do not lead 
as they once did—chiefly because most of them are 
standing hat in hand before some wealthy man beg¬ 
ging ‘for an endowment. So farmers are “too ignor¬ 
ant to be trusted with the welfare of the country,” 
are they? They are not likely to be educated very 
rapidly by the person who made this speech. Some 
people mistake patience for “ignorance.” The great¬ 
est example of patience that the farmers of this coun¬ 
try have recently shown is that they permit such a 
man to go about making these idiotic statements in 
the name of “agriculture.” 
* 
Last year we gave some facts about silk culture as 
carried on in parts of the South. Prof. Gerald Mc¬ 
Carthy, of the North Carolina Experiment Station, 
has done much to interest people in silk culture. In 
a recent statement he says: 
Silk culture in America has come to stay. When car¬ 
ried on as we have recommended, as a household indus¬ 
try to occupy spare time of the women, children and aged 
or feeble members of the family, silk growing cannot fail 
to fill an important place in our social economy. It wall 
furnish useful and remunerated employment for labor 
otherwise unproductive. It will add to the comforts and 
happiness of the aged and young and poorer classes of 
our population. It will make country life more bearable 
to the young of both sexes who now look even to life in 
the factory towns as a relief from the hardships of the 
farm. 
He says that conducted in this way the industry 
could add $6,000,000 to the wealth of North Carolina 
without hurting any other business. We think he is 
right, and this plan of producing silk in small quan¬ 
tities is the proper way to operate in this country. 
We hope the rogues who promise great fortunes for 
nothing will not try to “boom” silk growing. 
* 
We are glad to say that the effort to destroy the 
usefulness of the Geneva Station by punishing Dr. 
Jordan for trying to do his duty is likely to fail. 
Friends of the Station are rallying to its defense, 
and the outcome will, we think, be satisfactory. It. 
is a mistake to imagine that either Gov. Odell or the 
officials of the State Department of Agriculture favor 
the plan of deposing Dr. Jordan. They appear to be 
willing and anxious to consult the wishes of the peo¬ 
ple as to how the Station is to be conducted. Mem¬ 
bers of the Legislature have been surprised to learn 
how much the farmers think of the Station and its 
recent work. It does them good to be told such 
things, for their respect for a public institution is 
sure to increase when they learn that it has warm¬ 
blooded and hearty friends. Plans are now on foot 
which will, we believe, leave the Station in a strong¬ 
er position than ever. It is to be regretted that those 
who attacked the Station saw fit to make a personal 
battle against Dr. Jordan. Their motive is well un¬ 
derstood and we can, if need be, print some inter¬ 
esting facts about this! Farmers have been quick 
to understand that Dr. Jordan needs no personal de¬ 
fense but that he represents a policy or principle, 
which must be defended at any cost. We are glad 
to find that the best men at Albany understand both 
the nature of this attack and the necessities of the 
situation. In the meantime keep at your represen¬ 
tatives at Albany: 
BREVITIES. 
How to figure the cost of nitrogen—on page 120. 
Keep cheerful—Jack Frost will have to let go some day! 
It is hard to have a warm heart while you have cold 
feet. 
Dr. Jenkins makes the chemistry of the Bordeaux 
Mixture clear. 
Under the ice, under the snow—the grain’s all right, 
the grass will grow. 
Satan’s hands are seldom idle, but he likes to catch 
yours out of a job! 
Don’t fail to drink plenty of pure water. Many of the 
ills of life result from underdrinking. 
Notice Mr. Hartman’s system of hen feeding on page 
144. His egg yield is a strong endorsement. 
If you have to wring success from hard conditions 
don’t try to make people think that you merely “ring 
it up.” 
The medium-sized firm apple is better than the big one. 
The rose garden may show a few ugly gaps after this 
Winter. Zero on February 10 makes a Jerseyman think 
this is a cold world. 
What shall we do with the frozen peach trees? There 
are thousands of them in the country. Are they to be 
cut back or pulled out? 
We are a little bit tired of hearing so much about being 
"up to date”—when the “date” is fixed by a lot of green 
fry who never were fully seasoned. 
The sod method of starting melons under glass is con¬ 
stantly advocated by horticultural writers. See what a 
practical grower says about it on page 135. 
Apples recently sold in Kansas at 50 cents a peck 
against oranges at 40 cents. Why not? Who will claim 
that an orange is more nutritious or healthful than an 
appie? 
I. D. Cook starts the discussion about methods of heat¬ 
ing farmhouses on first page. Hot water suits him , 
surely Jack Frost gets into hot water whenever he comes 
near that house. What have the hot air and steam ad¬ 
vocates to say? 
