258 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
April 6 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homaa. 
Ettablished 1850. 
Hkbbbbt W. Collingwood, Editor. 
Db. Waltkb Van Fleet, j 
H. E. Van Deman, V Associates. 
Mbs. E. T. Boyle, ) 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, 12.04, equal to 
8b. 6d., or 8^ marks, or 10% 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 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 Bubal New-Yobkkb when writing 
the advertiser. 
Name and address of sender, and what the remittance is for, 
should appear in every letter. 
Remittances may he made in money order, express order, 
personal check or bank draft. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
409 Pearl Street, New York. 
SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 1901. 
As you pass out at the door of a large store in this 
city you come face to face with this little sign: 
HAVE YOU 
FORGOTTEN ANYTHING? 
We put it here, thinking that it might suggest 
something in connection with your own subscription, 
or that of some neighbor who is not now a subscriber. 
* 
When you put a few No. 1 apples in a package 
marked No. 2 you do a good thing—it is business life. 
When you put a few of No. 2 into a package marked 
No. 1 you give your reputation a kick—it is business 
death. In one case the buyer looks up the brand to 
order another package. In the other he makes sure 
so as to avoid it. 
« 
A Kansas paper unkindly asserts that in conse¬ 
quence of the Minnesota wolf bounty ($3 for cubs and 
$7 for full-grown wolves) farmers in that State have 
started raising the animals. There is an annual ap¬ 
propriation of $6,000 to pay the bounty, and the State 
is already $17,000 in arrears. So far the wolf raisers 
have not held a bench show or breeders’ convention, 
but there appears a fair amount of profit in raising 
the stock. 
* 
Shipping fruits and vegetables in refrigerator cars 
is a part of the modern fruit-grower’s business. It 
has been wonderfully developed during the past few 
years—there will be still further developments in the 
near future. The shipper should have the privilege 
of hiring the car alone and providing his own ice if 
he cares to do so. At present the company that fur¬ 
nishes the car insists upon furnishing the ice and 
loading it. It does not require skilled labor to put 
ice into a car—why should not the shipper do this 
work himself if he is willing to take the risk? 
* 
Those “Polar creamery” sharks have their teeth 
drawn now and then. Here is a spicy account of their 
doings in Pennsylvania from one of our readers: 
After they had told their story and sung their song, I 
told them I had no use for them or their so-called re¬ 
frigerator. It took them two hours to tell their side <>t 
the tale; it took me about two minutes to tell my story, 
and then it was about three minutes’ work for them to 
load up and go. 
Five minutes of that time were certainly gloriously 
spent. That two-minute story must have been elo¬ 
quent. That’s the way to treat a rogue. Be your own 
policeman and read your own riot act. 
A 
The agricultural division of the new census shows 
that, during the past 20 years the number of farms 
operated by tenants has largely increased all over the 
United States, except in the Par West. In the last 10 
years the percentage of tenant farms has increased 
twice as fast as that of farms operated by their own¬ 
ers. The chief statistician of the agricultural census 
considers that this does not show any degradation 
of the rural population, but rather an uplifting, as 
these tenant farmers must consist largely of southern 
negroes and other laborers who have started farming 
on their own account. In the Middle West, however, 
many middle-aged farmers rent their farms and move 
into the small towns, thus imposing upon the land 
the support of two families, and country merchants 
complain that their trade suffers by this. The tenant 
farmers do not always pay their bills as promptly as 
the men farming their own land; they do not improve 
their places with the same energy, nor do they con¬ 
serve the value of the land so carefully. There seems 
no reason to doubt that the man who cultivates his 
own farm or he who rents with the idea of future 
ownership, adds more to the permanent wealth of 
the Nation than one content to be a tenant only. 
* 
A MAN is selling ice cream. There is a demand for 
chocolate and strawberry. The maker colors them, 
and is obliged to have uniform and standard colors, 
for his customers demand uniformity. Another man 
is selling butter fat obtained from cream and churned 
into butter. The natural color of this fat will vary 
from a bright yellow, the standard, to a pale tint. 
This difference will depend upon the season, the food 
and the condition of the cow. Just as in the case of 
the ice cream, customers demand a uniform color, and 
the dairyman adds enough color to give the desired 
tint. A rival of the ice cream man starts to mixing 
a little cream, a little milk and a quantity of corn¬ 
starch and other materials. He does it skillfully, 
colors it red, and sells it for “strawberry ice cream.” 
Another man mixes lard, suet, cotton oil and a little 
milk, colors it yellow and sells it for “butter.” In 
one case the object of the color is to keep up a stand¬ 
ard, and is legitimate use. In the other it is an effort 
to imitate the standard with a cheaper and inferior 
article. Yet there are good men who cannot or will 
not see the distinction. 
* 
We have spoken of the awe and false respect some 
country people have for a high hat. A “stove-pipe” 
hat is hollow. It contains nothing but air, and adds 
nothing of brains or character to a head. Yet the 
empty head of the know-nothing or the cunning, 
rascally brain of the fraud seem to be twice armed 
for evil when decked with this polished headpiece. 
Truly, as one of our readers writes: 
Farmers by reason of their isolation and consequent 
lack of Information and cohesion, are far too backward 
In enforcing their claims. They stand too much in awe 
of the man from the city, even though it may be lately 
one of themselves. His surface polish and assumption- of 
knowing it carries too much weight in their estima¬ 
tion of him, and they just let him impose on them, while 
he takes all as his natural right by virtue of his su¬ 
periority. 
Not all farmers believe that brains and character 
are inoculated into a man’s head through a “stove¬ 
pipe” hat. There are still some who seem to think 
so, but their numbers grow less. Rural mail delivery, 
telephones, good litei’ature and similar things are 
bringing farm homes closer together, and teaching 
lessons in character building that few of us are able 
to estimate. 
«> 
More than a year ago we printed an interview with 
Dr. S. M. Babcock, in which he intimated that time 
would bring an important discovery in cheese mak¬ 
ing. Dr. Babcock’s work in perfecting a simple 
method of testing milk has added millions to the 
value of our dairy products, and made it possible for 
the individual to draw a premium on his skill and 
care. It seems hardly possible that the same man 
should discover a principle that is likely to revolu¬ 
tionize cheese making, yet it would appear as though 
this had been done. We are informed that Dr. Bab¬ 
cock has discovered in milk a digestive ferment 
known as galactose. This substance acts like the se¬ 
cretions of the stomach to render the casein in the 
curd thoroughly digestible. Dr. Babcock’s studies 
w’ith this galactose show that cheese ripening is not 
the work of bacteria. At the freezing point the bac¬ 
terial action in cheese stops, and in time the bacteria 
die, while this degree of cold does not stop the action 
of the galactose. When cheese is held at a low tem¬ 
perature this digestion goes on until the cheese is 
well-nigh perfectly digestible. It is claimed by those 
who ought to know that this discovery will bring 
about great changes in the business of curing cheese, 
and greatly increase the use of that article as food. 
It is certainly evidence of the great value of the work 
done by our scientific men. 
* 
We hear much of the unfortunate farmer who is 
under the heel of a mortgage. There are sad and 
gloomy days in the life of such a man. Disease or 
disaster holds the whip over him. The loss of an eye 
or a foot may cripple him so that the long struggle 
for his home may end in failure. This man will envy 
the lot of his neighbor who, after years of toil and 
self-denial, has paid his mortgage; yet the latter has 
troubles as well. Not until that mortgage was paid 
did he realize how much of his life and his best ener¬ 
gies were grafted into it. When at last the supposed 
burden was lifted, something that gave force and 
character to life went with it. It sometimes happens 
that a man’s best love and ambition become absorbed 
in the honest desire to pay for his home. It becomes, 
without his meaning that it should, the one great ob¬ 
ject of living, and when the last dollar has been paid 
the man may stand for a time as one dazed—for the 
great ideal of his life has been gratified. Then the 
true character of the farmer shines out. Relieved of 
the load that so long bent his shoulders, he will find 
that he cannot stand still. He will take up some other 
load—either a cross for the uplifting of his family or 
humanity or a knapsack to gratify his own selfish 
ends. It will be a high ideal or a commonplace idea. 
It would be interesting if we could look into the heart 
of every mortgaged farmer, and know just what they 
would do if their debt were wiped out to-morrow. 
* 
The end of Winter finds many farmers in a blue 
and discouraged frame of mind. The world has gone 
v/rong with them. Age is creeping on, and they rea¬ 
lize that their powers are failing. Spring, which 
means so much of hope tp the young and buoyant, 
brings to such men gloomy forebodings, for it opens 
a new round of their hard struggle for existence. We 
can well understand how such farmers dread to face 
the future. The haunting shadow of disappointment 
is ever with them. And yet, could they but realize it, 
the shadow falls from their own mind, and could be 
lifted by obtaining a clearer view of the real blessings 
which life has left them. Could we only learn to 
magnify our blessings as we do our crosses, how life 
would bloom, and how society would be uplifted! We 
thought of this in connection with the following let¬ 
ter from one who must carry that hardest cross to 
the ambitious man—loss of hearing: 
I have made up my mind that there is no help for it, 
so I am not going to be discontented, but enjoy all the 
other blessings of this life so far as I can. I saw in 
The R. N.-Y. some time ago that some persons said 
they would rather be blind than deaf. Well, I would not, 
for as it is, I can work and make a living for my children, 
and if I cannot hear what is going on, thank God 1 have a 
pair of good eyes, and as my parents gave me a good 
education, I can read—while others talk. 
We have often said that the first requisite of suc¬ 
cessful farming is the ability to be happy on the farm. 
Hope is moral humus for the home. It is needed in 
both soul and soil on the farm. 
* 
BREVITIES. 
RUB A LETTER. 
The proof of the pudding is not in the eating. 
Never mind what the old sayings state; 
The compliment setting the cook’s heart a-beating 
Is the call for a big second plate! 
* • * * 
Do not sow Crimson clover in the Spring, 
’Tis a cold weather plant and will not stand 
Hot sunshine—which most certainly will bring 
The plant to head untimely—hold your hand. 
And keep the Crimson safely in the bag 
Until at least July—then, in the corn. 
Sow it and cultivate, but do not brag. 
For of all willful crops that e’er were born 
Crimson is most Inconstant—at her best— 
She cloaks the whole farm with a cloth of green. 
While if she will she takes a lazy rest— 
The keenest disappointment ever seen. 
• * • 
All experience was once experiment. 
'I’HE cannery shark grows a crop of “greens.” 
Yes, we believe it pays to put sulphur on potato .seed. 
How much a man can really do when he has to! 
Put a good name on poor apples and the apples absorb 
the name. 
When is the best time for the first spraying with Bor¬ 
deaux Mixture? 
Mr. Pease makes a good showing for lime and sulphur 
for pear blight. 
What Is the object of a law? To protect the weak or 
help the strong? 
A MUTUAL admiration society is about the limit of some 
efforts at cooperation. 
The fruit growers are rising up to criticise Mr. Hoyt’s 
scheme of crowding apple trees. 
Money may be the root of all evil! That explains why 
some of the suddenly rich show root gall. 
It’s a good plan, in road making, to screen the gravel 
when it can be done and use the coarse by Itself. 
At 45 begin to prepare for the time when some younger 
hand must take the reins. Don’t hang on too long. 
Is there any nitrogen in a hoe? Yes, Indirectly—when 
you scratch up the soil you admit air, which hastens 
nitrification. 
Experiment station people tell us that the bulletins 
on the use of clover and other legumes for fertilizing are 
about the most popular of any. 
We assume that questions sent us are asked soberly 
and in good faith, and we try to answer them fairly, no 
matter how simple they may be. 
It is said that Westmoreland Co., Va., has a dog tax 
law which provides so much revenue that it will pay for 
a new court house in three years. 
Is it not somewhat of a crime for a man to be made 
rich unless he has in mind and heart some wise and true 
plan for giving his wealth away? 
Freeze out the freezoids and- freezines, and all the 
other food preservatives by letting them alone. They 
contain borax, which no sensible man wishes to put into 
his stomach; or formaldehyde, an active principle in em¬ 
balming fluid, and a poison used to kill the germs of 
smut in seed grain. Leave embalming to the under- 
taKer, and don’t try to help him out by starting at th4 
job while you are alive. 
