i78 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
March 'i 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Hornet. 
Established 1850. 
Hekbkkt W. Collikowood, Editor. 
Dr. Walter Van Fleet, j 
H. E. Van Deman, }• Associates. 
Mrs. E. T. Rotle, ) 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, 12.04, equal to 
Ss. 6d., or 8H marks, or 10% francs. 
“ A SaUARE DEAL.” 
We believe that every advertisement in this paper U 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 columns, and any such swindler will be publicly 
exposed. We protect subscribers against rogues, but we do not guar¬ 
antee 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 us within one month of the time of the transaction, and 
you must have mentioned The Kckal New-Yorker when writing 
the advertiser. 
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, MARCH 9, 1901. 
We begin an interesting series of articles this week 
in which a former city clerk will tell how he changed 
his base from desk to ditch. These articles will be 
peculiarly interesting to that large body of men who 
feel that their city job is narrowing down to the 
squeezing-off place. Many of our readers have doubt¬ 
less heard a comic recitation in so-called German dia¬ 
lect entitled “The Old Blue Hen!” Most of those who 
“speak pieces” have memorized this laughable sketch. 
We are glad to introduce our modest contributor “G. 
A. C.” as the author of the “Blue Hen!” 
* 
In testifying before the Industrial Commission at 
Boston, Mass., recently, Secretary J. W. Stockwell, of 
the State Board of Agriculture, said that the reason 
why Massachusetts farmers do not raise more sheep 
is because of the losses caused by dogs, and the in¬ 
ability of the farmers to secure a law thai will keep 
piedatory dogs away from their flocks. He thought 
that the sheep-raising industry would be large enough 
to bring millions of dollars into the farmers’ pockets 
if dogs could be kept from the flocks. Thei’e are many 
localities in the East of which the same thing may 
be said. Friends of the Horned Dorset say that this 
breed will be an aid in reforming such conditions. 
It looks as though Mr. Underhill, in attempting to 
rejuvenate the failing energies of the Newtown apple, 
has been instrumental in creating varieties of even 
more extended usefulness than that famous standard 
of dessert quality. The lesson taught is that we have, 
as a fruit-producing people, been neglecting our best 
opportunities, and running after the false gods of 
exotic varieties, when at our very hands lay the key 
to unlock the highest possibilities of American apple 
culture. We may now expect to hear of extended 
efforts to improve native apples by growing seedlings 
of our most useful varieties, from both selected and 
cross-pollinated specimens, though the length of time 
required by apple trees to come into bearing will dis¬ 
courage many impatient breeders. In this kind of 
work where the waits are long and the prizes few, 
only the most hopeful and zealous may be expected to 
continue the quest. 
* 
The calling of a fruit growers’ meeting at Syracuse, 
N, Y., was not a new thing, as many people seem to 
believe. For several years past fruit growers have 
known that the time was coming when such a meet¬ 
ing would be necessary. The spark that finally kindled 
the fire was the recent arbitrary action of the presi¬ 
dent of the Western New York Horticultural Society. 
As he is also president of the Eastern Nurserymen’s 
Association, fruit growers felt that the time had come 
for action. It must be understood that these fruit 
growers do not desire to ruin the old Horticultural 
Society, for they love it still. They do not desire to 
ruin or injure the legitimate business of the nursery¬ 
men, for they recognize the fact that the man who 
grows the tree and the man who grows the fruit have 
much in common. What then do they want? A 
chance to voice their own sentiments and demands 
without hindrance or dictation, and also a society 
that shall make a special feature of the market side 
of their business. It is true that the discussion of the 
San Josd scale question has brought the fruit grow¬ 
ers together. As one man said at Syracuse, the fruit 
growers of the State may live to bless the scale if it 
brings them together, shoulder to shoulder, in a per¬ 
manent organization! Contrary to the expectation of 
some persons the new society took no radical action 
regarding legislation again.st the scale. A telegram 
from the Slate Agricultural Depiirtnieut was lead, iii 
which the statement was made that 5d New York 
State nurseries wei'e found infested with scale last 
year, but that all had been thoroughly cleaned! That 
properly roused the ire of some fruit growers who well 
know that a nursery cannot be safely guaranteed 
clean in one year. One result of this meeting will be 
that more nurserymen will guarantee fumigation, 
while many more fruit growers will refuse to buy un¬ 
fumigated trees. 
* 
Canxeus and grocers are united in opposing a bill 
introduced in the New York Legislature, which would 
compel manufacturers of canned goods to label their 
tins with the date of packing. The introducer of the 
bill points out the fact that many persons are poison¬ 
ed by eating canned goods, possibly because the goods 
have been packed a long time before being opened. 
The goods, he declares, are often several years old be¬ 
fore they reach the customer. On the other hand, the 
manufacturers assert that the goods, once canned, re¬ 
main fresh until opened, except where a flaw exists, 
and this would be shown by swelling cans. This con¬ 
tention seems fairiy sound. Naturally, long-packed 
goods would be likely to deteriorate rapidly when 
once opened, but we should always consider it wise 
to open canned food only when needed for prompt 
consumption, removing it from the can to an earthen 
dish at once. Care is needed in buying or using 
canned goods; whether the proposed bill would be 
advantageous or not seems uncertain. 
it 
When The R. N.-Y. was named. New York stood at 
the front as an agricultural section. It stands pretty 
well up now, but the great prairie States with their 
vast areas of rich land, natural pastures and corn¬ 
fields, have secured a good share of the dairy and 
meat business. Many eastern men went out there. 
Among other things they took with them was the old 
R. N.-Y., and they or their sons have kept it coming 
ever since. Here is a letter from one of them who 
writes from Iowa: 
The R. N.-Y. has been a member of our family since 
1869. Other papers have come and gone, but The R. N.-Y. 
stays with .us. We do things different from the way you 
do there, but there is not so much difference as there was 
20 or 25 years ago. Our principal productions are meat 
and butter. Corn fodder, of which we have an unlimited 
quantity, is being utilized more and more each year, and 
when we get to our limit, (if we ever do), Iowa can feed 
a small world. 
The western people have been inclined to laugh at 
some of the thrifty ways of the Yankees, but they are 
slowly coming to it. The small eastern farmer has 
to move lively to compete with the natural feilility of 
western land. He will have to more faster yet when 
more of his methods move out West. Most eastern 
men dropped their close methods into the Mi.ssissippi 
River. Their sons are fishing them up. 
We have often referred to city men who at middle 
age look to the farm as a place for old age. Here is 
a letter we received from a man in a city of medium 
size: 
1 veniure to ask advice in regard to a man who has 
not followed farming for 25 years, now aged 43. He was 
raised on a farm and worked on same until 18; since that 
time has lived in city, engaged in rough work, mostly 
ducking. He has a fair amount of health. He has al¬ 
ways thought that when the time came he would buy 
a small farm and spend the remnant of life there. The 
lime has seemingly come, friends, wife included, seem 
to think it such a mistake that he finds himself hesi¬ 
tating. It has been said, and perhaps well said, that 
ihe man who hesitates is lost. 1 don’t think this is al¬ 
ways the case, however, but do not feel that at this time 
of life one can afford to make any mistake. 
We must repeat what we have said before: “The 
first requisite to success in farming is the abiiity to 
be happy on the farm.” It is hard to think of a more 
unhappy lot than that of a family bred to city ways, 
finding after their life’s savings are invested in a farm 
that they do not like country life. If a man’s wife 
and daughter dread the country and feel that they 
cannot be happy there we would never advise the 
purchase of a farm. The only way to try such an ex¬ 
periment would be to rent a farm with the option of 
buying, and give the life a fair trial. It takes a nat¬ 
ural farmer to make a living on the farm. There are 
some unnatural farmers now on the land. No more 
are needed. 
:k 
A FARMER is sometimes brought face to face with 
serious troubles. Certain conditions of soil, seasons 
or society have mastered him. He is their slave for 
the time, and he goes about his work with a chain 
fastened to his best ambitions. Some men make a 
feeble effort and then give up—remaining slaves all 
their lives. Others buckle down to the work before 
them, and slowly and patiently acquire strength and 
knowledge, until the slave becomes a master, and 
God gives him dominion over the forces that formerly 
held him dowm. Strange it is that when these strong 
men are askeil to give advice and help to others who 
are still under the lash, they are apt to forget the 
most necessary things, because they seem small and 
trivial. It is hard to go back in life and look over 
the road accurately. Most of us forget some of the 
most important things, because we have studied and 
brooded over them until they have become a part of 
us—and no man sees himself perfectly. It would seem 
as though the self-made master of conditions ought 
to be able to show the slave how to follow him, yet 
too many articles and speeches by such men fail to 
strike the key-note. It looks as though the mastery 
of a farm problem sends a man on to attack othei s, 
rather than back to organize and explain his success 
to others. That is not the case with all, but it is 
with many. 
it 
For several years past The R. N.-Y. has issued its 
annual catalogue review, until it has come to be a 
regular feature of the year’s work. The catalogues 
issued by seedsmen and nurserymen are really stand¬ 
ard publications, most of them showing decided im¬ 
provement from year to year. Our plan is to group 
brief reviews of these catalogues, calling attention 
chiefly to the novelties or new varieties offered for 
sale. This issue may well be kept for refei’ence by 
those who desire to buy seeds or plants. We certainly 
advise our readers to spend a reasonable sum for 
postage in writing for these catalogues. It must be 
remembered that sound judgment is needed when we 
come to invest money in new plants. The praises of 
such “novelties” are often sung in strong words and 
glowing colors, but the wise buyer will learn to dis¬ 
count a good deal of the introducer’s language. Where 
one can afford to do so it usually pays to buy the new 
seeds or plants in a small way for experiment. Buy¬ 
ing in a large way without fair testing is always a 
speculation, and he who loses money by doing so 
should not complain. We are glad to observe that 
most of the catalogues are fair and dignified in their 
manner of presenting their novelties to the public. 
Here and there we find one with loud and extrava¬ 
gant statements, which any man of ordinary common 
sense should know are built on mere wind. It is hard 
to work up much sympathy for the farmer who per¬ 
mits himself to be deceived by statements which his 
entire experience on the farm must brand as ridicu¬ 
lous. The R. N.-Y.’s original plan was to fill the en¬ 
tire paper with these catalogue reviews. It has since 
been thought better to shorten these reviews and fill 
the paper with matter of general interest. 
it 
BREVITIES. 
“FROM OUR LOVING FRIENDS” 
The R. N.-Y. is not responsible for the following verse, 
e.xcept that its weekly visits seem to have inspired oiir 
friend to put his thoughts on paper. “May his tribe in- 
erease!” 
A progressive farmer (may his tribe increase). 
Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace. 
And saw within the moonlight in his room. 
Making it rich and like a lily in bloom, 
An angel writing in a book of gold. 
Success in farming had made the good man bold, 
And to the presence in his room he said: 
“What writest thou?” The vision raised its head 
And answered: “The name of the agricultural paper.s 
That are the greatest money makers.” 
And is The R. N.-Y. there? “Nay, not so,” replied Ihe 
angel. 
The honest farmer spoke more low, but cheerily still. 
And said, I pray thee do ' 
Write The R. N.-Y. as one which to its patrons is most 
true. 
The angel wrote and vanished. 
The next night it came again, with a great wakening light. 
And showed the names of those the agriculturist had 
blessed, 
And lo! The R. N.-Y. led all the rest! 
S. R. WAI.KEK. 
Now for the garden. 
Concrete silos are coming! 
The brooder raises troubles. 
Soluble science to dishorn the greenhorn. 
He is indeed a rara avis who finds high flavor in Hot) 
Davis. 
No man ever pulled himself down by trying to lift an¬ 
other up. 
Farm organizations come an<l go, but the Crange lives 
and prospers. 
He must be broiled in sauce of sweat who full of ganlen 
sass would get. 
What is a good fertilizei’ ilrill for cotlon-sced niealV 
The cow’s mouth! 
Under the ice—under the snow—the wheat’s all right, 
the rye will grow. 
Some folks who call themselves well-bred—leave lives 
that.are more than half a loaf! 
He wears out his chances lo evei- get there who wears 
out a patch on a hard tavern chair. 
The Golden Rule is hammered into brass by the peoi)le 
who try to do humanity rather than do something for it. 
The fruit growers at Syracuse took The R. N.-Y.’s ad¬ 
vice and elected officers by ballot. Wipe out the nominat¬ 
ing committee. ( 
