784 
October 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
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, I 
Mrs. E. T. Koyle, J-Associates. 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign count ties in the Universal Postal Union, $2 04, 
equal to 8s. 0d., or 8Vi marks, or 10Vi francs. 
“A SQUARE DEAL.” 
We believe that every advertisement in this paper is 
backed by a responsible person. But to make doublv sure 
we will make good any loss to paid subscribers sustained 
by trusting any deliberate swindler advertising in our col¬ 
umns, 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 transaction, and voti must have 
mentioned Tiif. 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. 
TIIE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
409 Pearl Street, New York. 
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1904. 
TEN WEEKS FOR 10 CENTS. 
In order to introduce 1 he R. N.-Y. to progressive, 
intelligent farmers who do not now take it, we send it 
10 weeks for 10 cents for strictly introductory purposes. 
We depend on our old friends to make this known to 
neighbors and friends. 
* 
Wm. D. Barns, well known to fruit growers and 
farmers in the Hudson Valley, died at his home in 
Middle Hope on October 18. Mr. Barns was a man 
of strong character, greatly respected by all who knew 
him. He was one of our best authorities on practical 
fruit culture, and during his last years paid much at¬ 
tention to legislative matters affecting fruit growers. 
* 
The apple situation in western New York seems 
to be easing somewhat. For a long time the buyers 
refused to pay more than 75 to 90 cents a barrel, 
'file growers held off for more, and seem to have gained 
their point. Greenings bring $1 or a little more in 
large lots, with Baldwins from $1.25 up. At these fig¬ 
ures for good stock we believe buyers will make some 
money. The demand will be greater than ever. 
* 
The interview with Mr. Halsey points the way for 
those who want to make or sell high-class milk. Once 
a luxury, milk is now regarded by many as a necessity. 
The most perfect single food when pure, it is also the 
most fatal carrier of dirt and disease when impure or 
foul. People are coming to understand both sides of 
this proposition. This education is the best part of the 
milkman’s trade. The keynote of Mr. Halsey’s suc¬ 
cess is first be sure of your goods and then interest the 
doctors and the housekeepers. 
* 
The magazines and daily papers are printing ac 
counts of “soil inoculation” as though no one had ever 
heard of it before. It is probably new to most readers 
of such publications, but the farm papers have been 
talking about it for years. Thousands of farmers have 
tried this inoculation, either by bringing soil from a 
field in which the special crop has been grown, or by us¬ 
ing the prepared cultures on the seed. This remark¬ 
able discovery of the needs of crops like clover, beans 
and Alfalfa, is to be of incalculable value to farmers. 
We are glad that townspeople are learning about it. 
I he knowledge that farmers can direct such wonder¬ 
ful forces as well as handle plow and hoe will give 
consumers more respect for agriculture. 
* 
We have told readers of The R. N.-Y. that if they 
will keep at the wire fence humbug they can in time 
bring the agricultural papers and the experiment sta¬ 
tions into line. Two papers, Wallace's Farmer, and 
The Ohio Farmer have already entered the campaign. 
The former makes no reference to The R. N.-Y.’s pio¬ 
neer work, while the latter refers to “a contemporary.” 
Now which experiment station will be first to tell us why 
modern fence wire is so inferior? Have we not heard 
that, it is one function of the experiment station to act as 
“watch dog” for the farmer? We want the same dog 
that is at the throat of the bogus fertilizers, the hum¬ 
bug feed or the other rogues that get after the farmer 
to try his teeth on this fence wire quesion. As we have 
remarked before, farmers think more of a volunteer than 
of a drafted man. They are paying a fearful tribute to 
the wire trust—far greater we believe than was ever paid 
for bogus fertilizers or stock foods. Come, gentlemen of 
the experiment stations—tell us why modern wire is so 
inferior! As we have said again and again, The R. 
N.-Y. has no power in these matters except such force as 
is given by its readers. The earnest men who read 
I he R. N.-Y. and think over the great problems of 
human living can, if they will work together, change 
history in the right way. 
* 
Recently we crossed a newly seeded piece over 
which cows had been allowed to roam, and found it 
covered with dead bunches of grass. The cows in eat¬ 
ing had pulled up many of the new roots, which had not 
had time to get a firm hold. It would have been better 
to keep the cows off the new seeded pieces, and in fact 
all other mowing land. Every Fall we see meadows 
which are cropped right down to hardpan, and are 
practically bare all Winter, and the owners wonder why 
their land runs out so quickly and why they do not 
have better hay crops. When the ground is soft after 
heavy rains cows running over the fields punch them full 
of holes, and kill out much good grass. If the feed 
must be used it is much better to mow and feed the 
rowen in the barn, and carry back a good covering of 
stable manure. Stable manure, besides enriching the 
ground, acts as a mulch through the Winter, and if 
cows are turned on the fields will prevent them from 
gnawing too closely. 
* 
“John works so hard through the day that when he 
comes in at night he is so tired he isn’t much com¬ 
fort to the family. He reads a few minutes after sup¬ 
per, but falls asleep in his chair, and soon waking up 
goes to bed. I wish he wouldn’t work so hard, and we 
could enjoy life a little more. There are lots of things 
I should be willing to go without if he wouldn’t work 
so hard, and spent a little more time with the family. 
Before we were married T looked forward to the long 
evenings when one or the other should read aloud, and 
we should have music and a little singing every night, 
and we could enjoy our life together. The children see 
little of the better side of their father, as he is too 
busy to stop through the day, and at night too tired 
to show much interest in their plans, studies or amuse¬ 
ments. Some day, when perhaps it’s too late he will 
wake up to the fact that earning money, even if it is spent 
upon the family, is not all of life, and there is a side 
to our nature that needs cultivating as much as any 
other work we do.” Does your wife call you John? 
* 
We have frequently expressed our opinion about gin¬ 
seng growing. We can see nothing in sight to warrant 
the belief that the foreign demand can be kept up. We 
find that some growers go so far as to claim that the 
home demand will increase. Tt is intimated that chem¬ 
ists are finding new virtues in ginseng that will create 
a large demand for it for American druggists. Here 
is a letter from McKesson & Robbins, druggists and 
chemists:— 
There is a steady but very small consumption of ginseng 
in this country by others than Chinese. Its use is es¬ 
sentially for its aromatic flavoring, as its recognized 
medicinal virtues are weak, and can be obtained better and 
cheaper from other products. We think that nearly all 
the ginseng that is gathered eventually finds its way to China 
or to Chinese in this country. Very small quantities are 
occasionally sent to Europe, but it is mostly for the 
Chinese living there. 
There is no “great American demand” except in the 
imagination of the people who have seeds and plants 
for sale. Those who grow the root must depend upon 
the Chinese demand for sales. There are no sound rea¬ 
sons for supposing that the Chinese will call for more 
ginseng. The trade in it is based upon a superstition. 
What an absurd commentary upon Christian civilization 
to argue that superstition will grow now that China is 
being opened to the world! 
* 
The so-called “army canteen” or Government rum- 
shop comes up for discussion frequently. Congress 
abolished the canteen several years ago, not because 
the army authorities or Congressmen generally wanted 
to, but pressure from temperance people became too great 
to be resisted. Now there is an effort to compel Con 
gress to change front and re-establish the “canteen.” The 
New York Times puts the case as follows: 
If one asks why, then, does not Congress authorize what 
all the experts agree to be so desirable, the only answer is 
that Congress goes in fear of a number of misguided per¬ 
sons who know nothing about the matter, and who have 
no right to an opinion upon it. If these people would 
kindly mind their own business, and refrain from trying to 
impose their ignorant views of the subject upon the law¬ 
making body, the canteen would be restored without op¬ 
position. 
We are not arguing about the canteen now. We 
do not need to. It is surrounded by the worst col¬ 
lection of human hornets’ nests that ever waited for a 
stirring up. Whoever touches it will need the longest 
pole that a politician ever tried to handle. The way 
Congress was forced into its action on the “canteen” 
question is a good object lesson to farmers. When 
farmers were fighting against the oleo fraud they were 
told in much the same way to mind their own business, 
and not “impose their ignorant views upon the law¬ 
making body.” Somehow these “misguided persons” 
kept at it, and the “lawmaking body” found that it 
must listen or be cut up and put together again. It 
listened and acted! So it was with rural free delivery 
of the mail, and so it will be with a parcels post and 
the exposure of the wire fence humbug. What a 
world this would be if the common “misguided peo¬ 
ple’ would only mind their own business, and let the 
politicians run things to suit themselves. Somehow the 
people are coming to see that among other “ignorant 
views” of public matters, one worth thinking about 
is the fact that this lawmaking” body is the servant, 
not the master of the people! I he postage stamp is 
the weapon of freedom in this country. 
* 
In a number of States there are laws which prohibit 
farmers from killing various birds or animals when 
found destroying crops. Robins and other birds, deer, 
rabbits and other animals are thus protected. Are such 
laws constitutional? Will the higher courts sustain 
them, or will they take the ground that a farmer has a 
constitutional right to protect his property? We’have 
written the Attorney Generals of most of the States for 
information regarding this matter. Most of them 
merely reply that it is not their duty to answer ques¬ 
tions. The New Jersey attorney has a printed form ex¬ 
plaining his duties which he sends to those who ask his 
opinion. Some of them, however, are willing to give 
information. Here is a statement from the Attorney 
General of New Hampshire: 
The law of New Hampshire in regard to the killing of 
birds, in order to protect crops, has never been contested 
in this State, so far as I am aware, but a case, involving 
the same principle in regard to a law which prohibited 
the destruction of certain fur-bearing animals, during cer¬ 
tain seasons of the year, has been passed upon by the 
court, in the case of Aldrich v. Wright, 53 N. II. 398 . 
The head note of that case is as follows: ‘-The natural, 
essential and inherent right of protecting property declared 
in article 2 of the bill of rights, is the right to do what¬ 
ever, under the circumstances of each case, apparently is 
reasonably necessary to be done in defense. A statute which 
prohibits the destruction of certain fur-bearing animals 
between May 1 and October 1 is not applicable to the cases 
in which such destruction is an exercise of the constitu¬ 
tional right of protecting property. The killing of wild 
\ermin in defense of property, may be apparently reason¬ 
ably necessary in apparent danger not actual." This is the 
law of New Hampshire and. in my opinion, this case will 
not be reconsidered, or overruled, as it appears in accord 
with the well-established principle that every man has a 
light to defend his person and property under proper con¬ 
ditions. EDWIN G. EASTMAN. 
While there is no record that laws prohibiting the kill¬ 
ing of birds which destroy property have ever been 
carried to the higher courts, we believe this New Hamp¬ 
shire case is a good precedent. We do not believe that 
the Supreme Court will hold that a man cannot defend 
his property against theft or destruction. We shall have 
more facts to give about these laws. For example, the 
State of Delaware practically gives farmers the right 
to kill birds which destroy their crops. 
BREVITIES. 
Happy the man who has within himself 
The quality which makes him truly wise, 
So that when praise is laid upon his shelf, 
His head grows clear, but will not gain in size. 
The Alfalfa farmer certainly lays up treasure in the 
earth. 
“The land of opportunity!'’ The chances are that you 
live in it now. 
Read Mr. Van Aistyne's account of the cow with milk 
fever, page 790. 
Does ash make good grit? Well, it takes good grit to 
build up from the ashes. 
Here is a good one from an earnest reader. “This plan 
is supported by both scientific and sensible men.’’ 
See directions for planting and protecting the field-grown 
l’hiladelpliia Rambler roses in Ruralisms, page 782. 
Other plans make it impossible for us to print the prize 
photographs this week. They will appear in good time. 
This is what a New York farmer writes: “Father has 
taken your paper for past 24 years; he says he would 
rather lose a cow than to lose The Rural New-Yorker.” 
Those wonderful reports of the seedless and coreless 
apple of Colorado needn’t worry the man who keeps right 
on raising wormless and scabless apples in eastern orchards. 
When a man comes and tells you that he can cure 
cancer where all others have failed, you have, our au¬ 
thority to say “You can’t, sir!” as forcibly as you like. 
In Massachusetts the Supreme Court must give opinion on 
the constitutionality of new laws at the request of the Gov¬ 
ernor. In this way a defective law can be killed before it 
operates to the damage of anyone. 
According to statistics published by the New York World 
the number of passengers carried by American railways 
only increased 25 per cent between 1895 and 1902, but the 
number of passengers killed increased 103 per cent in the 
same time, and the present year shows a further increase 
in fatalities. Human life doesn't count when cheapening 
the operating expenses of an over-capitalized corporation. 
We were lately introduced to the Cranberry Pippin apple 
which with its glowing red cheek, made a much hand¬ 
somer showing on a fruit stand than the rusty red and 
yellow of an average Gravenstein. When we ate the Pip¬ 
pin, however, we decided that it was a younger brother to 
Ben Davis, which shows the unwisdom of judging by ap¬ 
pearances. 
