68o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
October 16 
The Rural New-Yorker. 
THE BUSINESS FARM EES' PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Home*. 
Established 1850. 
Elbert S. Cabman. Editor-In-Chief. 
Herbert W. Colli no wood, Managing Editor. 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1897. 
Many of our readers have, doubtless, wondered 
where the many “ new ” breeds of poultry come from. 
Almost every season, some new color or supposed 
new breed is brought out. Of late, the fad has been 
in the direction of a buff color for most of the old- 
time standard breeds. We are usually informed that 
this buff color results from “ sporting”, but it seems 
a little singular that these “sports” conveniently 
occur just when there is a demand for them. Next 
week, some of our poultry authorities will tell how 
these “new” breeds are developed. We feel sure 
that the discussion of colors in poultry will prove 
very interesting. 
© 
It is with sincere regret that we chronicle the 
death of Mr. W. A. Stiles, the editor of Garden and 
Forest, and a Park Commissioner of this city. Mr. 
Stiles was born in New Jersey, 60 years ago, and has 
been, at times, farmer, teacher, engineer and journal¬ 
ist. He was one of those bright and energetic men 
who have fixed convictions of right, and the courage 
to stand by them. In a quiet and modest way, he ex¬ 
erted more than the ordinary man’s influence upon 
public questions, and his best energies were given to 
the uplifting of those who cultivate the soil. In 
private life, Mr. Stiles was loved by all who knew 
him intimately. He was one of the men who will be 
missed by all who touched lives with him. 
© 
Is it any wonder that Mr. Manchester, in his article 
on page 674, after the experience there narrated, asks 
the question, “What is the matter with the farmers ?” 
It seems almost incredible that, in these days of gen¬ 
eral intelligence, of papers and books, any one could 
be so short-sighted as to sell produce in the way 
those New York farmers are doing. A simple sum 
in arithmetic will show how much per bushel they 
are losing on their potatoes, and this, of course, would 
show each individual farmer what he is losing. What 
these farmers need is efficient organization. They 
should have had a good Grange there at least a score 
of years ago, and it is not now too late for a movement 
in this direction. They simply cannot afford to con¬ 
tinue doing business in this losing manner. There 
are hundreds of parallel cases in the country where 
the speculators and middlemen practically own the 
farmers, and profit by their hard labor. How much 
longer are the farmers willing to put up with this sort 
of business ? 
© 
A few years ago, a Baltimore inventor devised a 
new scheme for baling cotton, in which the fiber is 
wound upon a large cylinder with such powerful 
force and pressure that much less space would be 
occupied for a given weight than if it were in the 
old-fasnioned bale. Few northern men realize how 
the general adoption of this invention would revolu¬ 
tionize the South. Under the present system of baling, 
thousands of small local compressors are at work. 
These give employment to an army of local buyers 
and handlers, as well as to thousands of mechanics 
who make the needed small machinery. The use of 
the new machines would enable compressors to do 
this work quicker, better and very much cheaper 
than the smaller operators now do it. -As a result, the 
latter and his helpers would, in time, be driven out 
of business just as the New England small mill 
owner, the western miller and the local eastern 
butcher have been driven out of business by larger 
concerns. No wonder cotton growers and handlers 
look with little favor upon this new machine. It is 
doubtful, however, if they will be able to keep it out 
of the cotton fields. Like the milking machine, it is 
one of those inventions that enable the capable and 
the shrewd among men to obtain an extra share of 
the fruits of production. 
© 
The Department of Agriculture at Washington is 
investigating the matter of food adulterations. It is 
generally believed that foods, drugs and liquors are 
frequently adulterated or misbranded, but actual 
facts are wanted. All who know or believe that cer¬ 
tain food articles are not what they should be are re¬ 
quested to communicate with A. J. Wedderburn, De¬ 
partment of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. Actual 
information is wanted. The outcome of such in¬ 
vestigation will, probably, be a pure food law which 
both farmers and consumers need. Here is a chance 
for all to cdoperate in securing useful facts. 
© 
In 1896, 93,998,372 pounds of tea were brought 
into this country. On an average, every man, wo¬ 
man and child in the country consumed 1.31 pound 
of tea, during the year. The Japanese grow tea of 
fine quality, and they naturally have an eye on the 
tea trade of America. It is reported that the Japanese 
government will spend a large sum of money in ad¬ 
vertising Japan tea and the best methods of prepar¬ 
ing it, so as to secure a larger share of the American 
trade. This is entirely legitimate—in fact, it is what 
our own Government has attempted on a small scale 
in trying to induce Europeans to eat more of our corn 
meal and fruit. Business men and business nations 
recognize the value of advertising. Money must be 
spent to bring money in the form of trade. Try to 
sell some new product in your market, and you will 
find that you must give away part of the crop in 
order to secure customers for the rest. The Japanese 
government shows enterprise in this matter, and sets 
a good example to all business-like farmers who pro¬ 
duce some crop that is worth talking about. 
© 
From all over the country, come reports of drought 
and dry, hot weather. Nature seems determined to 
dry her clothes thoroughly after the deluge of July 
and August. This drought is injuring the fall seed¬ 
ing of grain and grass. Wheat sown at the usual 
time, has made a slow and feeble growth, and many 
fields of rye are not yet sown. Reports from the 
West generally agree that the present acreage of 
wheat is much less than was expected. Unless there 
be favorable weather before October 15, there will 
be a heavy loss of winter wheat acreage as compared 
with last year. The later seedings of Crimson clover, 
with us, have suffered severely, and on poor, light 
ground, this crop will go into winter quarters in poor 
condition. The clover sown in July among sweet 
corn has made a strong growth, but, during early 
September, seemed to retard the growth of the corn, 
as there did not seem to be moisture enough in the 
soil for both crops. On our own farm, in places where 
the drought has killed the clover, we expect to har¬ 
row the ground and sow rye as a cover crop. 
© 
Many persons will be surprised to learn that wooden 
shoes, which are looked upon as the prerogative of 
old-world peasants only, ar e sold by the thousand in 
New York. Some of them are made in Maine, but 
most of them come from Holland. They are made of 
birch, ash, or boxwood, and cost from 50 cents to $1.25 
a pair. In cold weather, they are worn by car drivers 
and teamsters, some of the;m blackening the wood, 
and tacking old leather or rubber bootlegs to the tops. 
They are much warmer than any other footwear. 
They are also worn by dairymen, brewers, dyers, 
chicken-cleaners and men employed around slaughter 
houses, or in any place where heat or dampness is de¬ 
structive to shoe leather. In some parts of Canada, 
the farmers wear these sabots when working about 
barnyard or stables, removing them before going into 
the house. Dyers very often use pattens or clogs, 
consisting of a wooden block held up by a heavy iron 
ring, very similar to those worn by the Japanese, and 
both wooden shoes and pattens fill a useful place 
when a man or women is compelled to stand on a 
damp floor. 
0 
The recent special election in New Jersey furnishes 
some wholesome food for reflection. The people of 
the State voted upon a proposition to add three 
amendments to the State constitution. The most 
important one absolutely prohibited lotteries and 
other gambling devices. If the amendment were 
carried, it would be impossible to legalize gambling 
without changing the constitution. One would hardly 
suppose that any civilized State would reject such a 
proposition, yet the day after election the earliest re¬ 
turns seemed to show that the gamblers had captured 
New Jersey. The farmers, however, came to the 
rescue and, as the vote of the rural districts came in, 
the gamblers’ majority was slowly cut down and finally 
wiped out. In a total vote of about 140,000, New 
Jersey gave a majority of only 700 for this important 
amendment! The lazy and indifferent “good citi¬ 
zens ” (so-called) certainly daubed themselves with 
shame that day. It was a fortunate thing for New 
Jersey that, back on the farms and in the little vil¬ 
lages, there were men ready to vote for the honor and 
good name of their State. It is not the first time that 
farmers have faced duty when townspeople dodged it. 
© 
During the past few years, street fairs have come 
into prominence and have been a source of great 
benefit, both to farmers exhibiting at them and to the 
towns where they have been held. The R. N.-Y. has 
strongly advocated these fairs, because they have 
seemed to embrace the good features of agricultural 
exhibitions, while eliminating the objectionable feat¬ 
ures. We are sorry to note this fall, however, that 
one of the leading street fairs of the past, has branched 
off into some of the very lines that have brought dis¬ 
credit upon the older fair organizations. In a triple 
column display advertisement, as well as in a lengthy 
reading notice, the officers set forth the great attrac¬ 
tions that are to be the feature of the coming exhibi¬ 
tion. Balloon ascensions, slack-wire walkers, with 
all the sensational performances with which it is pos¬ 
sible to invest them, museums, etc., are heralded as 
reasons why the farmers should come to this fair and 
bring their families. The purely agricultural feat¬ 
ures which have made this fair what it was in the 
past, are barely mentioned. This is a great mistake, 
and we hope that the farmers of the country at large 
will see that this sort of thing is not encouraged, and 
that the fair which educates, uplifts and ennobles the 
farmer and his calling, is patronized and sustained. 
Do not befoul the street fair. 
© 
BREVITIES. 
THE BO SC PEAR. 
Dame Nature, in a happy mood, with care laid on the shelf, 
Essayed to make a wondrous fruit, and quite outdo herself. 
She caught a wandering bee, and stole its sweetened store, and 
shook 
The dewdrops from the violet that grew beside the brook; 
The sugar of the maple tree, the fragrance of the pine, 
And from the heart of purple grapes, she pressed the drops of wine. 
The sunny summer isles gave up their spices for her cup, 
And with the petals of the rose, at last she filled it up. 
A modest suit of russet brown—and Nature viewed with pride 
Her royal work, divinely fair, and yet unsatisfied 
That man should share her mixture rare, her envious fingers 
gripped 
The slender stem—to-day it shows ho w through her hand it slipped 
But not outdone, Dame Nature said the Bose should ever be 
Of all perverse and cranky plants, the most outrageous tree; 
And so, until this day, it grows—a feeble, crooked thing, 
Like some weak body holding up the spirit of a king; 
And Nature’s great monopoly is rarely broken down, 
For only skillful hands may dare to work against her frown. 
Watch the collar line on the horse. 
Yes, the dirt box makes the hen a feather duster. 
A lean against a post may be a lien on your profit. 
“ He hauled in his horns.’” Yes, a case of haul low horn. 
There never will be a dearth of men who want the earth. 
“ Knowing what to do first! ” That is 15 per cent of the battle. 
We hope that the bread-maker of your family is a good loaf-er 
Eggs $17 a dozen in Alaska. Yet it is a bad country for a man 
with a laze. 
‘‘Op course, J understand that I am an in grate," said the 
wooden nutmeg. 
Hard to “beat.” The farmer who takes The R. N.-Y. He knows 
the tricks of dead beats. 
A tariff of two cents a pound on tapioca flour. Chinese laun 
drymen used it for starch. 
We are happy to state that our children prefer good ripe fruit 
to candy, nine times out of ten. 
Read what Mr. Manchester says on page 674. Why not pay the 
middleman’s share into your own pocket? 
Give him a dose of his own medicine! Who? The quack who 
weuld cut the cow’s tail for “ hollow horn.” 
Do you want to see a living mental and moral picture of a 
man? Go and look at the dog he has trained! 
Tomatoes retailed in London this past season at eight cents a 
pound. Here’s a chance for cold storage shipment. 
Just as soon think of letting the baby winter in a calico dress 
as to let the soil winter without some covering. Not too late for 
rye. 
Young farmer, don’t buy a silk hat just because the city cousin 
has one. With such imitation, you class yourself only as a crude 
dude. 
Middleman’s share! Middleman’s share! Long as you pay it, 
the good wife will wear calico dresses and you’ll lie awake feeling 
the mortgage your home rudely shake. 
Thousands of southern mules commit suicide. How? The 
harness is on wrong. A large part of the force that should move 
the plow simply hauls down on their spine and kidneys. 
Tar the roost! Tar the roost! Thus give cleanliness a boost. 
“We’ve no license to be here,” say the lice when tar is near. 
Farmer says, “lice hence! ha! ha!” while the tar remarks, 
“ ta ! ta ! ” 
Read Chapman’s sow article, page 675. “ Now, then”, the 
theory farmer will say, “ why can’t I keep 20 such sows and have 
an income of $1,800 a year from them ?” Even if he tried it, he 
probably could not find the true answer. 
The “ get ” of Mr. Get There will be seen all o’er his place. In 
stock and tools and methods you will find their cheering trace. 
They’re mothered by good judgment, and they’re sired by strong 
desires and fed and nursed by energy that never, never tires. 
