824 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
The Rural New-Yorker. 
THE BUSINESS FARMERS PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes 
Established, i860. 
Elbebt s. Cabman, EdItor-in-Chief. 
Hebbkut W. Collingwood, Managing Editor. 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
SUUSCRIl’TIONS. 
PRICE, ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries In the Universal Postal Union, $2.04, equal to 
8s. 6d., or 8)4 marks, or 10)4 francs. 
ADVERTISING KATES. 
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of 10 or more lines, and 1,000-line orders, 25 cents per line. 
Reading Notices, ending with “Adv.," 75 cents per 
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Advertisements Inserted only for responsible and honorable houses 
We must have copy one week before the date cf Issue. 
Be sure that the name and address of sender, with name of Post- 
office and State, and what the remittance Is for, appear In every 
letter. Money orders and bank drafts on New York are the safest 
means of transmitting money. 
Address all business communications and make all orders pay- 
able 10 THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
Corner Chambers and Pearl Streets, New York. 
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18, 189 7 . 
Thebe was once a certain nurseryman who had 
25,000 peach trees which he considered good enough to 
sell, though green buyers could not seethe “yellows” 
in them. He did sell them, but wanting 5,000 trees 
for his own planting, he sent off to buy them in a 
locality where “yellows ” were unknown. Notone of 
his own trees would do. They were grown for sale. 
Now, is Wise Scoundrel a good name for this man ? 
© 
When considering the utility of demonstrations in 
domestic science at the farmers’ institutes, it is well 
to remember that education in this line is of benefit, 
both direct and indirect, to the producer of food. The 
mere fact that any food product is cheap and nutri¬ 
tious, will never make it popular; it must be pala¬ 
table, also. Here the cook’s art comes into requisi¬ 
tion, and the diffusion of knowledge concerning the 
varied cooking of common foods cannot fail to benefit 
all producers. 
Formerly, the Englishman’s criticism on American 
mutton was that it wasn’t fit to eat. It tasted too 
strongly of wool. Perhaps this criticism was merited, 
for the American shepherd had been breeding for 
wool and not for mutton. But with the depression 
in wool came a change, and those breeders who were 
not frightened out of the business entirely, paid more 
attention to mutton breeds, so that a great improve¬ 
ment in this direction has been manifest. It is to be 
hoped that the improved outlook for wool will not 
cause the neglect of the mutton breeds, for there 
will always be a good home demand for good mutton, 
while there is likely, at almost any time, to be a 
period of depression in the wool market, Don’t 
give up the mutton sheep. 
© 
December 4 was a great day in the history of the 
Tuskegee College in Alabama. A new agricultural 
building was dedicated, with speeches by Secretary of 
Agriculture Wilson, Governor Johnson of Alabama, 
and other prominent men. In “ The New Black Man” 
articles, we told something of the hopes and purposes 
of this college. It is making an effort to instruct and 
inspire the negro so that he may rise above the 
hopes and ambitions that belong only to the unedu¬ 
cated farm laborer. This college is trying to graft 
skill upon the tough stock of slave labor seedlings, 
and wise and honest words of advice and cheer from 
those in high places will serve as grafting wax to help 
make the scions stick. As Secretary Wilson said at 
Tuskegee, we believe that there will be a demand 
for clean and honest graduates of that college on the 
farm and in the creamery, where they will show the 
world what their race is capable of doing. The de¬ 
velopment of “ The New Black Man ” is one of the 
most hopeful signs of the South. All modern scientific 
progress is along the line of developing wastes, and the 
best powers of the negro have been wasted too long. 
9 
One of the questions to be considered by the 
National Live Stock Exchange at its convention, held 
in Sioux City, la., December 3, was the return-pass 
system, by which the railroads issue return passes to 
shippers who come to market with live stock. In 
consequence of the abuse of this privilege by the sale 
of such passes to ticket-scalpers, the Western Pas¬ 
senger Association has notified shippers that the 
issuing of such passes would be discontinued after a 
certain date. The Live Stock Exchange purposes 
averting this action by endeavoring to remove the 
cause of complaint. Another reason urged by the 
Passenger Association for the revocation of the pass 
privilege is the application of the law, in Kansas and 
Nebraska which, it is said, compels the railroads to 
accept overloaded cars of live stock without reference 
to weight, thus necessitating extra care to protect 
the companies against damage claims for losses by 
death of animals. The railroads will, it is asserted, 
carry experienced live stock attendants on every 
cattle train, under the direction of live stock agents 
familiar with the business. There is no doubt that 
the present pass system is very often abused. 
© 
In writing about the business of apple growing on 
the Lake Champlain islands, we struck a blow at the 
Ben Davis apple. Some of the Vermont growers think 
that we did not give quite the best expression to their 
attitude toward Ben Davis. A considerable number 
of these trees are going into young Vermont orchards, 
and a good many Ben Davis are already shipped from 
there. But in our opinion, it is a mistake to plant 
that variety. Vermont cannot grow such large and 
highly-colored Ben Davis as they raise in Kansas, 
Oklahoma, Missouri and Arkansas, and that’s the 
goods they have to compete with. But Vermont can 
grow Northern Spy and Greenings, Fameuse and 
Arctics as fine as anything in the world, and that is 
what Vermont growers ought to stick to. With the 
competition which now exists in the apple business, 
and which is bound to grow sharper and sharper every 
year, no one should dare go to the market with any 
fruit which is not the best of its kind. The best Ben 
Davis always bring a good price—more’s the pity— 
but we can’t understand what use could be made of 
a second-class Ben Davis. Of course. Vermonters pack 
first-class Ben Davis, but they are second-class 
compared with the Ozark pack. 
9 
The “ creamery shark ” is again at work in New 
York State. What is a creamery shark? He looks 
like a man on the outside, and he can talk like a 
phonograph. He goes about tryiDg to interest farm¬ 
ers in building cooperative creameries. His favorite 
plan is to interest some “ prominent citizen ” by offer¬ 
ing him a number of shares of the stock. Then the 
two worthies go about getting farmers to sign a con¬ 
tract agreeing to buy a certain number of shares. 
The contract usually calls for an expensive plant, 
and in the end, the farmers find themselves saddled 
with an outfit costing from 25 to 40 percent more than 
reputable dealers would charge for it. The creamery 
shark thrives on deception and fraud. His chief argu¬ 
ment is that, by saving advertising and other ex¬ 
penses, he is able to give farmers cheaper rates for 
goods handled by old-established firms. We learn of 
one such contract just signed in New York State for 
$4,700. The whole outfit could, probably, be supplied 
at a profit for $2,500. The “creamery shark” is 
abroad. He is telling farmers that there is a boom 
coming in the dairy business. We think that he is 
right about that, but that is no reason why farmers 
should pay 40 per cent more than they need to do for 
their supplies. Our advice is never to buy without 
first corresponding with manufacturers of long 
standing. 
© 
In California, the Red scale insect, among others, 
has caused great damage in orchards. The legisla¬ 
ture finally passed a law intended to give county 
horticultural commissioners the power to compel 
orchardists to destroy the insects on their trees. In 
California, this work is usually done by fumigation— 
putting a tent over the tree and forcing poisonous 
gases under it. A grower in southern California re¬ 
fused to fumigate his trees. The commissioner then 
did-the work and brought suit in the name of the 
county for the cost—$197.87—which was claimed as a 
lien against the property. A judge has now decided 
that the commissioners have no power, under the 
present law, to fumigate orchards and then compel 
owners to pay for the work. In his decision, the 
judge says: 
In the brief on behalf of the plaintiff, it is urged that it is to the 
interest of the fruit growers of the State to have hatching beds of 
insect pests destroyed. This is very true, and it might be added, 
it is to the interests of all as well as fruit growers. But such 
considerations cannot or should not justify courts in upholding 
an enactment which is so palpably contrary to fundamental law 
as the one under consideration. 
By “fundamental law ”, we understand him to mean 
the law of personal rights and control over one’s own 
property. The California commissioners have fumi¬ 
gated over 35 orchards in this way at a cost of over 
$7,000, all of which will be lost to the State under this 
decision. An appeal will be taken, and if that fail, a 
new law will be passed as soon as possible. Michigan 
has a somewhat similar law, but there has been little 
if any trouble over it. While the California law may 
be wrong in some technical points, the point that the 
State cannot protect its citizens from insects and 
plant diseases seems to us to be opposed to common 
sense and justice. An orchard may become a perfect 
December2l8 
breeding place for insects or diseases, and if the 
owner refuse to care for it, he might rum the busi¬ 
ness of his neighbors if they are to be denied any ap¬ 
peal to the State for protection. 
© 
In February, 1895, a Pennsylvania florist shipped 
certain palms which were to be carried by freight to 
Jersey City by the Pennsylvania Railroad. They were 
frozen when received, and suit was brought for 
damages. The bill of ladiDg exempted the company 
from damage by freezing while in transit, therefore 
the plaintiff or buyer of the plants undertook to prove 
that the railroad committed negligence or breach of 
duty. It was proved that the plants were packed 
when shipped so as to resist freezing for 24 hours. 
They also proved that the average time of a freight 
train over the route mentioned to Jersey City was 
from 8 to 12 hours. This would have brought the 
palms ready for delivery at 2 a. m. They did not 
arrive until 5 p. m At about that time the freight 
agents telephoned the buyer that the palms would 
not come until five o’clock the next morning. At 
that time he came for them and found them frozen. 
The railroad company tried to show that the plants 
may have been frozen before they reached Jersey 
City, or before the train would have arrived had it 
been on time. The jury decided against them, and 
the Supreme Court upholds the decision. The com¬ 
pany must pay for the plants, as the judge decides 
that the risk of freezing was on the company after 
the usual time for transportation had expired. In 
this case the company was guilty of negligence when 
it held its freight cars back and made the trip longer 
than the average. 
© 
BREVITIES. 
The luckless fisherman, well soaked with fisher’s luck, comes 
back; 
He sneaks around behind the barn, he halts within his track. 
He hears his wife upbraid him with her biting jeer and scoff, 
His highest aspiration is to get his wet clothes off, 
He brings no fish for supper—he has wasted half a day. 
No one believes his stories of the “fish that got away! ” 
The lucky fisherman comes home right through the big front door; 
His wife looks on admiringly, he takes and holds the floor; 
The children take his hat and coat, and speed his every wish; 
He roasts his feet beside the stove, the while his catch of fish 
Are browning in the frying pan, he tells in strong array, 
Great stories of the fish he lost, and no one says him nay. 
Well, well, the world’s a funny place—it may be dark or light 
For you or me according to the way our fish may bite! 
Be full of faithfulness. 
CARitoTs save grain bills. 
Don’t outlaw your mother-in-law. 
Operation & Co. make a good firm. 
The colt needs a halterative treatment. 
Reports from Sir Walter Raleigh on page 828. 
Keep oats from the idle horse—bran is better. 
Tue fat man is most likely to lean against a chair. 
You can’t play a fiddle by turning on a grindstone. 
A stony face on the road pleases the spirit of old McAdam. 
Fungus on the liver may be cured by a gust of fun—a laugh. 
Why do troubles steel one man’s heart and steal another’s ? 
Whatsoever thy hand flndeth to do—do it without ifs or ands 1 
Tub boy who pumps the organ can tell you when air is organic 
matter. 
Who by taking thought can add to his social stature ? The 
farmer. 
Nature always has a tiff with him who starts things with 
an “ if.” 
That’s all very well—but-. Such a but end makes an object¬ 
ive point. 
The man who knows not how to “ kick ”, of life’s fat places, 
never takes his pick. 
A bill before the Georgia legislature alms to tax life insur¬ 
ance policies as personal property. 
There were 58 entries in the farmhouse plan contest. The 
judges are now struggling with them. 
The report of the New York State dairymen’s meeting, to be 
given next week, will be of more than usual interest. 
An infertile egg will keep without lime or salt. The best “ pre¬ 
serving fluid ” is the rooster’s blood let out through the neck. 
Mu. Garrahan stuck to cow peas until he got them where he 
wanted them. Good for Garrahan. This was book farming 
brought to book. 
More bacteria! Prof. Bangs of Denmark is said to have 
separated the germ that causes certain forms of abortion in 
cattle. Another chance for the inoculators. 
An apple train, consisting of 25 car-loads of choice apples, was 
recently sent from Durango, Col., to Chicago. The fruit was 
grown at altitudes varying from 4,800 to 6,700 feet above sea level. 
In the Indian Territory, in spite of the Government’s efforts to 
protect the Indians, certain redskins have captured more than 
their share of land and, as elsewhere, a landed aristocracy rules 
the nation. 
□ In northern Arizona, the wild horses have become a nuisance 
to stockmen. They not only eat the food that should go to the 
cattle, but also, chase the cattle off the range. It is estimated 
that there are fully 20,000 of these animals at large. 
Well, sir, there may be tubercles in your cow’s lungs, but 
they are not the kind that take nitrogen out of the air. Who said 
they were? Nobody, but you are so anxious to nave your cows 
breathe the frost half the time and “ thick ” air the other half— 
that we just thought- 
