8t6 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
Novemher 12, 
The Rural New-Yorker 
TUE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850. 
satisfy the Chinese in their imaginary transfer of char¬ 
acter. It is natural that such people should distinguish 
between the root which grows wild and that which is 
tamely cultivated in a garden. 
* 
Herbert w. Collingwood, Editor. 
I)R. WAI.TER VAN FLEBT.I. , 
Mrs. E. T. Kovlk, j Associates. 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.04, 
equal to 8s. tid., or 8% marks, or 10V& 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 col¬ 
umns, and any’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, NOVEMBER 12, 1904. 
TEN WEEKS FOR 10 CENTS. 
In order to introduce The 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. 
* 
Thousands of people are receiving circulars offering 
mushroom spawn for sale. The writers of the circulars 
figure great profits in mushroom culture and offer to buy 
all the crop you can grow. The statement is plausible, 
and some of the figures given are in a way possible. We 
would not advise any reader to send money or sign any 
contract with these mushroom dealers. If you do that 
they will have the only sure thing about the deal. 
* 
We have come to believe that some one of our readers 
can find r;n answer to any sensible question. As a rule 
we have merely to ask in order to receive the desired 
information. Here is one, however, whfch may stump 
the wisest. When one agricultural paper wishes to 
refer to another for praise, blame or mere comment, 
why does it refer to “a contemporary,” “a certain paper,” 
etc? Why not give the true name? Perhaps this is not 
a sensible question. 
* 
The explanation of the famous “Wiley lie” printed 
on page 810 ought to end the matter. It will hardly 
do so, for we must expect to see the old story coming 
up from time to time. It is a shame that writers 
should repeat this old joke about adulterated honey. It 
injures the sale of a wholesome and useful product. 
The so-called experts who write about food and cooking 
do damage enough to those who follow their advice 
without injuring the market for pure honey. 
* 
Last week’s story of the creamery shark has a double 
moral. This company stated on their stationery that 
they were “incorporated.” Investigation showed that 
they were not, and for this reason they were not able 
to force the signers to pay. Some of these sharks take 
pains to incorporate and thus have a legal hold on their 
victims. The only safe way is resolutely to decline to 
sign any paper presented by a stranger. If after fair 
warning you do sign and are caught—do you honestly 
think you have any right to complain? 
* 
The bill appropriating money for that new dairy 
building at the Vermont Agricultural* College passed the 
State House of Representatives 170 to 54. The Senate 
is nearly unanimous in its favor, and of course Governor 
Bell will sign it. Naturally the building will be called 
Morrill Agricultural Hall, after Vermont’s great Senator, 
who laid the foundation of agricultural education. The 
building will not stand as a monument to Senator Mor¬ 
rill—he needs none. It is rather the expression of high 
regard for him which the hearts of the people will 
ever hold. 
* 
The ginseng growers are up against another trouble. 
Insects and fungus disease have appeared to destroy 
the cultivated plants. Now it is said that the Chinese 
do not want the cultivated root and are instructing their 
agents to buy only the wild roots. This Is about what 
one would expect from the nature of the Chinese. They 
will eat a piece of the heart of a tiger or wolf and expect 
to acquire some of the qualities of these animals by 
doing so. The cat is a partly tamed tiger and the 
dog is related to the wolf, but these animals would not 
The first list of farmers’ institutes for New York 
State will be found on the next page. The campaign 
will start with two “normal institutes,” one at the 
Geneva Experiment Station, November 21-22; the other 
at Cornell, November 24-26. The object of the§e pre¬ 
liminary meetings is to have the institute workers meet 
the scientific men and go over the latest developments 
in scientific agriculture. It will be wise for all hands 
to study the question of fence wire. We warn the 
workers that at the institutes this year the question as 
to why modern fence wire is inferior will be a lively one. 
* 
A New Jersey man lost two fine shade trees through 
leakage of gas from street main. He asked the gas com¬ 
pany for $200 damages, the matter being submitted to 
arbitration, and the Michigan case described on page 778 
being used to establish a precedent. The gas company 
sought to assert that gas at the roots would not kill 
trees, whereat the complainant offered to pay for gas 
used if an official of the company would prove this con¬ 
tention by permitting a flow of gas at the roots of shade 
trees in front of his own residence. Of course there 
was no desire to try this experiment. The case, which 
was friendly throughout, was promptly compromised 
for $50. 
• * 
In a recent address before an English agricultural 
society, the Duke of Devonshire said that he attributed 
much of the migration of country-born boys and girls 
to the larger towns, and the consequent shortage of 
labor in farming districts, to wrong methods of educa¬ 
tion in the country schools. It is now intended to make 
alterations in the rural schools, which will bring the 
pupils in closer touch with country life. We are reach¬ 
ing the same conclusion in this country; hence the 
extension of nature study, school gardens, and the like. 
It will be interesting to note the change in ideals of 
living that we may expect, within the next decade, as a 
result of such instruction. 
* 
We are often asked if fruit planting is not being over¬ 
done. Will the market absorb the vast quantities of 
fruit which the orchards now planted may be expected 
to bear? If every tree now growing came to full bear¬ 
ing and the markets remained as they are now there 
would be too much fruit. We must remember that mar¬ 
kets are constantly increasing while the scale and other 
enemies of trees will surely thin out the orchards. The 
following note from a fruit grower of long experience 
is, we believe, a fair statement of the situation: 
I feel that it will tax the very best of us to our utmost 
to grow fruit in the future, and that fruit-growing will cer¬ 
tainly drift into the hands of the specialists, the rest must 
stop, as many (nearly all) in this vicinity have already 
done; the few will grow fruit, and will get well paid for it. 
In my judgment there never was a time so favorable to set 
trees or the prospect so bright for good prices as the imme¬ 
diate future. With 80 acres covered with trees I propose to 
plant quite largely next Spring. This alone tells you what 
I think of future prospects, and that I have confidence in 
my ability to master the scale. 
There can be no question about the serious menace 
of the scale. It means a constant and perpetual fight. 
Yet this very situation rouses the best powers in a fruit 
grower who is determined to win, while, at the same 
time, it reduces competition which might otherwise 
swamp him. 
* 
The opening of the great subway in New York is of 
no direct interest to farmers. Many of them will doubt¬ 
less ride through it on a visit to the city, but it will 
neither add to the value of their farms nor bring them 
nearer markets. Yet this wonderful enterprise sug¬ 
gests something of what is coming before this century 
is ended. New York was driven under ground because 
there is no room left above ground for travel. Both 
surface and elevated cars were crowded cud their speed 
was limited. In this huge tunnel high speed is possible 
because there is less danger of accidents and no inter¬ 
ference with other forms of traffic. The time is com¬ 
ing when even through the open country all railroad 
traffic will be forced under ground. The terror of the 
grade crossing will then be removed and both freight 
and passenger trains can be run with far greater speed 
and safety. At present the tendency is to make the 
public highways as dangerous and uncomfortable as 
possible for horse traffic. In the future the highway 
will be given back to horse and footman and the car 
will be put off in the fields or underground. We have 
little faith in the claims that airships will enable us to fly, 
but flying below ground is not impossible. We expect 
to see the time when long tunnels will be used as gigan¬ 
tic pneumatic tubes. Passengers will enter a steel case 
or car and will be blown on their journey with nearly the 
speed of thought on much the same principle that a boy 
employs when he blows a pea through a pea shooter. 
The new subway has shown how such things are pos¬ 
sible. For example, it has shown how the use of cement 
is changing the character of building. The subway was 
constructed largely by unskilled labor, who simply mixed 
the cement and concrete, put it in place and let it harden. 
* 
Retorts from the Texas Panhandle say that tree 
planting is doing much for that country. More than 
15,000 trees were planted there in 1903, mainly Black 
locusts. One farmer is reported as getting fence posts 
for three years past from seedlings planted seven years 
ago; during that time he has had enough posts to keep 
old fences in repair, and to build 14 miles of new fence. 
There are many sections in the East, formerly well- 
wooded, where judicious tree planting would pay. In 
spite of the increasing use of concrete as a building 
material, there are many needs for timber on the farm, 
and in planting a tree, or thinning out those already 
standing, value as lumber should be considered. The 
wood lot should not be depleted recklessly; a bulletin or 
text book on forestry may prove a profitable feature in 
the Winter reading. 
“GOOD ROADS ” 
We are asked to give the substance of the various 
laws in force or suggested which aim to improve country 
highways. In New York the most important laws are 
the following: The Fuller law is intended to change the 
system of “working out” taxes to a cash tax. A town 
may by popular vote change from labor to a cash tax. 
If it will raise in cash at least 50 cents for each day’s 
work under the labor system the State will add 50 per 
cent of such money up to one-tenth of one per cent of 
the assessed valuation of the town. Thus when the 
town raises one dollar in cash for road work the State 
adds 50 cents. Under this arrangement the State now 
pays about $400,000 per year. The Higbic-Armstrong 
law aims to secure State aid in building the main high¬ 
ways of the State. There are about 7,500 miles of such 
roads. The State is to pay 50 per cent of the cost of 
building these main roads, the county 35 per cent and 
the town or community 15 per cent. The object is to 
construct a network of highways covering the State. 
The demand for improved roads under this law was so 
great that the State could not furnish its share of the 
money fast enough. It was therefore proposed to bond 
the State for $50,000,000, which is to be used for build¬ 
ing roads. This means that the State is to sell bonds for 
$50,000,000, use the money to build the roads and pay 
the debt with interest. The exact standing of this bond¬ 
ing scheme is as follows: The last Legislature voted 
in favor of the plan. The next Legislature must do the 
same, and then it will be submitted to the people, who 
willl vote on it as they did on the question of bonding 
to enlarge the canal. Another question that is likely 
to come before the next Legislature is State control or 
manufacture of road material. In Rockland County is 
a deposit of trap rock admirably suited for "road metal” 
or broken stone. It is suggested that the convicts in the 
State’s prison could be put at work crushing and pre¬ 
paring this rock so as to save millions of dollars. The 
next Legislature will be asked to provide for a State 
quarry. In addition to these State laws or suggestions, 
what is known as the Brownlow bill is before Congress. 
This provides National aid in road building. It creates 
at Washington a Department of Roads. It appropriates 
$24,000,000, payable in three annual Installments of 
$8,000,000 each and divided among the States according 
to population. Of this sum New York would receive 
$2,108,000. We do not argue for or against these bills 
or laws at this time. The principle running through 
them all is that the improvement of country highways 
should not be left entirely to those who live beside them. 
It is held that all highways are more or less national 
in character, that town and city benefit from them and 
are dependent upon them, and should therefore help 
improve them. As is well known, The R. N.-Y. agrees 
with this principle and we shall do our best to help carry 
it out in the wisest manner. 
BREVITIES. 
Time’s up for the old hens. 
What is a season's growth on a young apple tree worth? 
We would like to give you a pronounced case of hay fever 
—for Alfalfa hay. 
When a farm boy keeps a prize cat it is an indication 
that some day hh will have a prize cow or horse. Encourage 
the cat. 
Will those who have used ditching plows give their expe¬ 
rience? We want to know how much labor can really he 
saved by the use of these plows. 
“Full many a flower is born to blush unseen and waste 
Its sweetness on the desert air" because its nature never 
knew the keen, strong and unconquered yearning to “get 
there!” 
Hundreds of readers will admit that they have used the 
mouth of dog or cat as a milking pail as the first page 
picture shows. We have seen two men engage in a milk 
duel. They sat down to two cows about 10 feet apart and 
milked at each other until one quit. A strong stream of 
milk playing in your eye or ear or down your neck is no 
feeble weapon. 
