4i6 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
May 21 . 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUM NESS FARMER'S RARER . 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850. 
Herbert w. Collingwood, Editor. 
I)R. Walter Van Fleet, i . 
Mrs. K. T. Boyle, ( Associates 
John J. Pix.lon, Business Manager. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Fostal Union, $2.04, 
equal to 8s. 0d., or 8% marks, or 10% 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 auy loss to paid subscribers sustained 
by trusting any deliberate swindler advertising in our col¬ 
umns, and auy such swindler will be publicly exposed. We 
protect subscribers against rogues, but we do not guarantee 
to adjust trifling 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 transaction, and you must have 
mentioned The Rural New-Yorker when writing the adver¬ 
tiser. 
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, MAY 21, 1904. 
What have farmers to say about sugar beet culture in 
New York? Does the crop pay? If so why do the 
sugar factories have trouble in contracting for beets? 
We are told that the total production of beet sugar in 
this country last year was 240,604 tons against 218,405 
tons the year before. The increase seems to be in the 
West—Colorado, Utah and California. The R. N. Y. 
has been accused of being lukewarm in booming sugar 
beet culture for the Eastern States. Who can furnish 
the facts to enable one to get up steam? 
* 
When hot weather comes there is a temptation to 
drink from springs or running streams wherever found. 
The water looks clear and tastes all right, but the prac¬ 
tice is dangerous unless one can be certain that there is 
no contamination up the stream. Many cases of typhoid 
have been caused thus. Springs, streams and wells near 
towns are especially dangerous, as there are numerous 
cesspools, and no one knows how far filth or disease 
germs may be carried through seams in rocks or hard 
earth. It is easier to be careful and even go thirsty 
sometimes than to have a fight with typhoid or some 
other mean disease. 
* 
The Government crop report states that on May 1 
there were over 6,000,000 acres less in Winter wheat 
than were one year ago. In the month of April about 
5,000,000 acres of wheat were plowed up to be planted 
in other crops because the grain was badly winterkilled. 
The heaviest loss was in Indiana and nearby States. 
This gives some idea of the fearful damage done by the 
hard Winter. The indications now are for a short crop 
of wheat. The plowed wheat land will mostly go into 
oats and corn. There is no use estimating a crop before 
it is even planted, but we look for a heavy qprn crop 
this year and a good crop of hay. 
* 
Why do some people say that the public money spent 
on good roads should all be charged against the far¬ 
mers? We notice that in trying to make a great show¬ 
ing of the public money which has gone to benefit far¬ 
mers all the funds spent for good roads are counted in. 
Even if all this money were spent in localities where 
none but farmers live it cannot be said that it benefits 
them alone. The food that feeds the city, the commerce 
that enables the railroads to pay wages and dividends 
is hauled over these country roads, and all are benefited 
when the haul is made easier and cheaper. You cannot 
build good roads so as to benefit the farmer only, for 
every citizen is helped directly or indirectly by anything 
that makes the farm easier to reach. 
* 
Last Fall it was well known that the potato crop was 
short. An early drought and a late deluge cut the crop 
down until it was known that there would not be enough 
potatoes to go around. We had letters from farmers 
who argued that supply and demand were so unjointed 
that potatoes would bring $6 a barrel. Their estimate 
of demand was right enough, but they had little idea of 
the possible supply. We stated then that as soon as 
potatoes reached a certain figure supplies would rush in 
from Europe where millions of bushels are used for 
making starch and alcohol. Right now. six foreign 
countries are sending potatoes here. Last week cargoes 
were received from Egypt, France, Germany, Belgium, 
Scotland, Ireland, Nova Scotia and Bermuda, as well as 
from Florida, Texas and Cuba. But for this foreign 
supply there would be a potato famine. When a country 
thought to be as dead as Egypt sends potatoes to 
America, we can understand how modern commerce 
has been developed. The farmer of to-day faces com¬ 
petition that his father never dreamed of. Improved 
transportation has brought it about. In the face of 
such competition how can he hope to make his farm 
pay with the old methods. 
* 
We have had an opportunity to see cows recently 
from a good many farms, and could not but notice in 
what poor condition many of them are this Spring. 
“Spring poor” is a common term, but it is surely true 
on many farms this year. The Winter has been unusu¬ 
ally severe and long. Grain has been high, while butter 
and milk have not advanced to correspond, and the 
cows have not been fed what would have been most 
profitable. Much of the hay put up last year was poor, 
being late cut and weather conditions not good. Many 
cows have been turned out too early, and one can expect 
droughts of early Fall before they get in good shape. 
Lots of them will hardly save a dollar in profits this 
year. 
* 
A man now dead invented a steel harness. It was 
a useful device, but one criticism was that it was too 
heavy and brought too much weight upon the horse’s 
back. We asked the inventor about it: this was his 
reply: “I must make the harness several 'times as 
strong as would ever be needed in actual farm work. 
If I made it only strong enough to plow or haul an 
ordinary load, some one would fasten it to a big tree, 
hitch four horses to it, tear it all to pieces, and then 
claim they broke it on a light load!” It is true that 
the successful machine or man must carry a reserve 
of power. Take a man who works within an inch of 
his capacity all the time, without taking ordinary pre¬ 
cautions to improve his body or his mind! Sooner or 
later he must fail, for he cannot grow into the larger 
things which life demands. Some men become discour¬ 
aged, for they feel that affliction or lack of early training 
have unfitted them for superior work. Yet it often 
happens that if they struggle bravely and hopefully on, 
they will master things which give them greater than 
physical power. 
* 
Our dear old friend, the man who cures trees through 
the bark, has kept in the shade this year, but here he 
comes again from Mass.: 
A gentleman has been in town with a preparation which 
he claims if used as directed will put the spray pump on the 
shelf. It is called R. R. Ilite's Great Discovery. Direc¬ 
tions for operation are to remove a spot of earth about two 
inches deep from trunk of the tree or large root, bore with 
one-fourth inch bit one-half to three-fourth inch deep ana 
with dropper put in from 2 to SO drops of the poison fluid 
according to size and age of tree. Then place a piece of 
wax over the hole, rake the dirt up snug and the operation 
is complete and sure death to borers, scales and all foliage 
eating insects. What do you think of it? 
We think that this gentleman has a great discovery 
for relieving a class of people, well named suckers, of 
their money. It is “great,” but not by any means new. 
There is nothing in this so-called “remedy,” and the 
man who lays his spray pump on the shelf would bet¬ 
ter lay his trees along with it. This humbug has been 
exploded time after time. You might far better expect 
to cure a corn on your foot by washing your face in 
salt water. 
* 
A few weeks ago we spoke of the proposed method 
of fighting the cotton boll weevil by sowing cow 
peas after the cotton. Many cotton growers do not 
believe this plan will have much effect in keeping off 
the insect. No doubt the cow peas will improve the 
soil, but it seems that the majority of growers are not 
prepared to make such a change in their methods of 
farming. Thus while the cowpea remedy is sound 
theory it will not be practiced by many. Prof. Harring¬ 
ton of the Texas station has a plan for fighting the in¬ 
sect which may yet be found necessary. He proposes 
to spray the crop with petroleum in September—after 
the cotton has been made. This of course will kill the 
plants and will also destroy most of the insects. After 
the lint is picked, Prof. Harrington would burn over the 
entire field. If this could be kept up year after year 
over large areas he thinks the insect could be held at 
bay. This method is expensive and it would be neces¬ 
sary to compel all growers in certain districts to spray 
and burn. We would like to see this remedy tried under 
State control on some of the “quarantine strips” which 
the States of Mississippi and Louisiana are providing 
to keep back the insect. 
* 
Governor Odell, of New York, signed the Agricul¬ 
tural College bill on May 9, and thus ended a long and 
earnest battle. It was hard to see how the Governor 
could do anything but sign the bill after listening to 
the speeches which were made at the recent hearing. It 
was not so much what was said as the evident power 
that lay behind the speakers. No delegation ever before 
came to Albany representing just what these 50 men 
who filed before the Governor stood for. The farmers 
were right in holding their heaviest guns for the Gov- ' 
ernor. They had fought the bill through both houses 
of the Legislature, and then, instead of breaking ranks, 
gathered new recruits and put up a better fight than 
ever. Governor Odell saw just what this demand for 
a college building meant. It did not come from Cor¬ 
nell University, but from intelligent farmers who intend 
to use Cornell and not be used by it. The first bat¬ 
tle has been won, and those who won it are brought 
face to face with grave responsibilities. They have 
written their names on the back of Cornell's promise to 
give New York State the best and most practical agri¬ 
cultural college in the world. They must now see to it 
that the obligation is fully satisfied—and they will do 
it! In winning this college building the farmers have 
won a greater victory than they expected. They have 
shown themselves what thorough organization can do. 
They have overcome prejudices, wakened sleepy ambi¬ 
tions and given character and power to their business. 
Now let us be worthy of the victory! 
* 
We still receive questions about using the lime and 
sulphur wash for peach trees. It is too late to use 
this powerful wash after the leaves are well out. We 
think more harm than good will be done by its use now. 
We tried to make it clear that the time to use this wash 
is when the tree is dormant. The scale is then pro¬ 
tected by a shell, and anything that will kill the insect 
through this shell must be strong enough to injure the 
leaves. What then can be done? We shall wait until 
the young insects emerge from under the shell and crawl 
about, which, with us, will be during the first half of 
June. At this time the young insects are tender and 
can be killed by spraying with a weak solution of whale 
oil soap, which will not injure the foliage. Why not use 
the whale oil soap now*? Because the scale is still pro¬ 
tected by its shell, so that the soap will not reach it. It 
is unfortunate that this is so, because many farmers find 
it most convenient to spray just after planting potatoes 
and corn. We expect to use the whale oil soap on our 
young trees in June and to follow with the lime and 
sulphur in early December, after the trees have matured 
for Winter. We usually have bright, clear weather at 
this season, so that the wash is likely to stick long 
enough to do its work. 
* 
Governor Herrick, of Ohio, tossed a bombshell on the 
point of his pen into the ranks of the organized far¬ 
mers of that State. The last Legislature made liberal 
appropriations for agriculture, including $75,000 for 
buildings, stock and land at the agricultural college. 
There was no serious opposition to the appropriation, 
for Ohio was supposed to be one of the States which 
recognize the right of the farmer to a trade education. 
It seems that the Legislature appropriated in excess of 
the State’s revenues, and Governor Herrick proceeded 
to even things up by pruning with the veto knife. This 
is the extent of the stab he gave agriculture: 
College of Agriculture. $75,000 
State Exp. Station (for sub-station). 15.000 
State Hort. Society, for expenses. 1.000 
State Dairy Association, for expenses. 4.000 
Total vetoed. $95,000 
We are not at this moment prepared to say whether 
appropriations for other interests were cut in the same 
proportion, but it does not seem likely. The farmers of 
Ohio seem to have made the mistake of trusting the 
Governor. They should learn a lesson from the recent 
agricultural campaign in New York and put in the best 
of their fight in showing the Governor that every item 
of that appropriation was a straight business proposition. 
We have heard much about the organization of Ohio 
farmers, but Governor Herrick does not seem to have 
much of an idea of their power! He is decidedly in 
need of political advice as well as instruction in the 
value of agricultural education. Ohio farmers will learn, 
if they do not know it now, that no one is going to 
do their work for them, and that they must make their 
just needs the paramount issue. 
BREVITIES. 
Guard the garden. 
Give the hens a chance! 
Misapplied grit will grind the owner of it. 
Plant in the soil rather than in the moon. 
To put your shoulder to the wheel, get a firm brace upon 
your heel. 
Leave a little cathole in the truth and see it grow to a 
barn door 
Ip you do not get the credit you think you deserve don’t 
growl, but be worthier of it! 
What about the people who advise you to put pieces of 
old iron in the holes when planting trees? 
Dwarf Essex rape! Does it ever live over Winter and 
prove a weed pest? We have had a few plants live over, but 
they never became troublesome. 
We hear it stated that no workman should wear “a boiled 
shirt.” Every shirt should be boiled after it is soiled, but 
the starch may be left out for a sweaty job. 
Tuberose bulbs are reported as selling in London auc¬ 
tions as low as $1 a barrel this season, which hardly pays 
freight and handling. This fragrant flower, once so pop¬ 
ular, has lost its hold on public taste, and now seems a 
horticultural has-been. 
Ohio has passed a dog bill providing that the assessors 
shall collect the tax on dogs when they are making theii 
inventory of taxable property. All taxes not collected are 
reported to the township trustees, who shall cause the de¬ 
struction of dogs whose taxes are not paid. This should be 
good news for Ohio sheep men. 
