376 
May 25 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE B U81NES8 FABUEB'8 PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Hornet. 
Established 1350. 
HEKBEKT W. COLLINGWOOD, Editor. 
Db. Wabteb Van Fleet, J 
H. B. Van Deman. >-Associates. 
Mbs. E. t. Boyle, ^ 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
SUBSCBIPTION: ONE DOLEAB A YEAB. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, 12.04, equal to 
8s. 6d., or 8^ marks, or francs. 
“ A SaUABE 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. W 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-Vobkeb 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 RUBAIi NEW-YOBKBB, 
409 Pearl Street, New York. 
SATURDAY, MAY 25, 1901. 
As will be noticed on page 377 six more of the oleo 
rogues who try to sell their stuff as butter have met 
with their deserts. These rascals pretend to be ex¬ 
pressmen. The only “express” business they do is to 
try to squeeze bogus butter through the meshes of 
the law. A period for reflection in jail, or a flne of 
?150, will do them good. Among the last batch was 
a man named Satanstein. Surely any man who will 
engage in this fraudulent business is a flt stone to 
carry Satan’s mark. 
* 
We learn from the papers that Hon. D. B. Hender¬ 
son, speaker of the House of Representatives, Is go¬ 
ing to Europe for a brief visit. Mr. Henderson ap¬ 
pointed J. W. Wadsworth, the friend of oleo, chairman 
of the committee on agriculture. Let us anticipate 
Mr. Henderson’s home-coming. After being away 
from America for several weeks his flrst desire will 
be to know the sentiments of the people. Why not 
make things easy of comprehension by having thou¬ 
sands of letters on file at Washington telling him that 
the farmers want at the head of that important com¬ 
mittee—a friend of the farm rather than a friend of 
the oleo factory. That sort of a home greeting would 
impress the Speaker, and oil the bearings of his duty! 
m 
Prof. Stedman’s story of the way his name was 
used in connection with that “moth trap” last week 
is a good illustration of the impudence or "cheek” of 
some men. Prof. Stedman wrote out his experience 
with one insect only. The trap man put him through 
several stages, and finally had him endorsing the trap 
for the most impossible things. This man reasoned 
that Prof. Stedman would not bother about a small 
thing, but would let the statement go rather than take 
the trouble of making clear what he did say. If more 
of our public men would make a serious business of 
exposing these white lies and whitewashed facts, mod¬ 
ern business would be put on a higher plane. Why is 
it that men who have goods to sell think they must 
tell big stories in order to attract attention? Cannot 
honest goods be sold honestly? 
m 
The export trade of this country has reached enor¬ 
mous proportions. During the last fiscal year $1,- 
370,763,571 worth of American goods were sent abroad, 
61 per cent of them being products of the farm. Only 
seven per cent of these exports and 13 per cent of the 
imports were carried in American ships, vessels under 
the flags of Germany and England taking the greater 
share. During the past few months American capital¬ 
ists have been securing control of steamships now 
sailing under the English flag. They have already 
bought the Leyland Line and have probably secured 
the fleet of the Atlantic Transport Company. It is 
said that these ships already land on the London 
docks over 5,000,000 tons of freight per year. If a new 
system of docks can be built in London the cost of 
handling can be considerably reduced, so that these 
ships will carry even more of American exports than 
they now do. It would seem as though England had 
seen her best days as a shipping or sea-carrying na¬ 
tion, giving way to this country. We seem destined 
not only to feed the world, but to carry the food to 
our customers as well. Vast changes and develop¬ 
ments of industrial life are now going on, and old 
traditions and world-wide habits are being carried 
away by the ebb and flow of the tide of international 
trade. We must remember that the rock foundation 
upon which all these vast enterprises rests is the wel¬ 
fare and comfort of the American farmer. Tne money 
that is buying ships, building docks and changing the 
world’s industry came originally out of the soil! 
Something like 250,000 boxes of apples were sent to 
New York from the far western States last year. 
These apples gave good satisfaction, and there will be 
more of them this season. The Colorado apple grow¬ 
ers in particular have their eye on this box trade. 
Experiments will be made next Fall with eastern 
apples packed in boxes. Dealers here feel sure that 
in time a good trade can be developed for these 
smaller packages. 'Phere is no room in the average 
New York flat for a whole barrel of apples. The fruit 
costs too much when bought by the measure or 
dozen, but a box of fair size can be kept on the fire- 
escape. Since the various crackers and hard biscuits 
were put up in small, convenient packages the trade 
has been greatly increased. So it will be with apples. 
Will eastern growers let the western men secure all 
the advantages of this trade? 
* 
Two years ago a committee consisting of two men 
called at the office of a transportation company to 
ask for better rates and service. There were other 
members of this committee, but they failed to come. 
The transportation people listened politely, but it was 
easy to see that they reasoned in about this way: 
“Here are only two men. If the farmers of this sec¬ 
tion cared much about this more of them would be 
here—at least they would make their interests known. 
We need not lose any sleep over this!” This year the 
same two men came back with seven others—all men 
of substance and business. They filled the room, and 
as the same transportation people sized them up they 
concluded that there was no play or bluff aoout their 
demands. When will farmers wake up to the fact 
that in dealing with those who handle their goods 
they are individually weak but collectively strong? 
Get together for business! That is the agricultural 
watchword to-day! 
« 
We sometimes hear young men grieve because they 
cannot borrow money on their personal note. Could 
they but know it, the ability to borrow money easily 
would most likely prove a curse rather than a bles¬ 
sing to them. We believe that five young men have 
been hurt by easy credits where one has been per¬ 
manently held back by the necessity of keeping within 
his means. Borrowing comes easy when one is young 
and hopeful. We assume an ooligation as we put on 
a new coat. We think we can pull it off as easily, but 
all too often we wake up to find that it has fastened 
to one’s life like a cancerous growth and cannot be 
shaken off. After many years of experience and ob¬ 
servation we are convinced that in most cases it is a 
sad mistake to lend money to young men who can 
give nothing but a personal note without security. 
The boy who is capable of handling borrowed money 
to advantage will be able to make security for it. He 
will probably never make such security until he is 
obliged to do so. 
* 
Several months ago the papers reported a German 
chemist who gave advice about shipping American 
apples. He said that such apples should be sprayed 
about the stem end with a two-per-cent solution of 
peroxide of hydrogen, and then carefully wrapped in 
paper. A weak solution might possibly retard decay 
somewhat, but too much would bleach the red varie¬ 
ties and hurt their sale. Once let foreign consumers 
learn that our fruits are “treated with chemicals” and 
we should lose trade immediately, even though noth¬ 
ing but sugar and water were used. For this reason 
alone all such schemes should be discouraged. There 
are some varieties of apples peculiarly adapted to the 
export trade. They grow better in some localities 
than in others. If they are picked at the proper time 
without bruising, and held at a low temperature while 
in storage and during shipment, they will reach the 
other side in good condition. No other apples should 
be sent, and no spraying or “dipping” will help them. 
• 
We do not always realize just why we do this or 
that. There is a slow process of evolution in our 
agricultural practice as well as in the development 
in nature. The corners are cut here and there, until 
finally, almost unconsciously, we have a practice or 
custom evolved that may be the very best for a com¬ 
munity. The hard, stern, immutable law of the sur¬ 
vival of the fittest deals with us unmercifully some¬ 
times. While there is much danger of getting into 
ruts when one stays at home continually, yet there 
may be danger in seeing too much. We are not al¬ 
ways able to see the causes that have led up to suc¬ 
cess, and are thus misled, and find later that our en¬ 
vironments and abilities are not equal to the emer¬ 
gency, and failure follows. It takes good judgment 
to hear of large experiences of others, to read of 
great results, take it, digest it, and not become dys¬ 
peptic. If one talks or writes of his failures the 
listener or reader at once forms an opinion that he 
can get nothing from such a source, he turns the page 
over and reads of a cow that has just made 28 pounds 
of butter in a week, and is delighted with a possi¬ 
bility. His own cows, however, are not making seven 
pounds. How long do you suppose it will take this 
man to get to his momentary ideal? We are most 
benefited by contact with those who are doing just a 
little better than we are, an occasional sight of the 
game gives the hunter and dog courage to pursue. 
• 
While airing their differences before the Industrial 
Commission the great tobacco manufacturers let out 
some information as to the business methods of a 
trust. The tobacco trust undertook to “freeze out” a 
rival concern. Its agents went to jobbers and retail¬ 
ers, and offered five per cent better terms if they would 
handle only trust-made goods. If they refused they 
were told that they could not handle any of the brands 
made by the trust. As a result the trade in indepen¬ 
dent goods was described as follows: 
When a customer asked for an Independent brand, such 
dealers would look around fearfully, as if they were about 
to commit a crime, and then sneak out the desired brand 
from under the counter, or from such other out-of-the 
way place. To these retailers the United States com¬ 
pany was obliged to ship its goods in plain cases, with¬ 
out any marks which would serve to Identify the contents 
as the product of an Independent concern. When things 
had come to such a pass that a dealer sold a non-trust 
brand of tobacco with precisely the same guilty air with 
which he would pick a lock or commit a theft, and with 
just as much fear for the consequences, it was certainly 
time for remedial legislation. 
We agree with that last statement. It wouldn’t 
hurt our feelings if every man who sells any sort of 
tobacco could be made to feel like a thief. What hurts 
us is the fact that these same trust methods may be 
applied to the sale of food or other necessary articles. 
* 
BREVITIES. 
Uncle Daniel used to pray. 
In a humble, shambling way. 
Half ashamed of what he said. 
I can see his old, white head. 
Bending o’er the table yet. 
“Lord,” he said, “make us forget 
Them things that we want ourselves; 
Help us reach up on the shelves. 
Where we’ve tucked away the things 
That a godly living beings. 
Give us strength to hand a share 
Of them treasures laid up there 
To the poor and weak and sick 
Use our hands to take your pick. 
So we won’t make fight or fuss. 
For you give it all to us!” 
Uncle Daniel at his best 
Gave his nouns and verbs no rest; 
Strangers tittered at his prayer. 
But he had the essence there 
Of the truth which wise men preach. 
Pray all round, but never reach. 
Business hours belong to the boss. 
Read the “kicking” cures on page 382. 
Great stunts are seldom performed by runts. 
The baby In the cradle Is down to bed rock! 
My son, work flrst, and talk about it afterwards. 
Who can reach contentment without a small amount 
of cash? 
Have plenty of faith, but don’t try to manufacture it 
into “cheek.” 
Call your fellow man brother with the heart rather 
than with the mouth. 
Plants must take their food in the form of soup—as 
Prof. Craig says on page 373. 
Be sure to read Mr. Cook’s talk on milking—page 383. 
Always hold part of your energy in reserve. 
Some people never do their best until they are crowded 
into a corner where they must exert themselves. 
Why does the so-called “business” man drop most of 
his ideas of successful business when he goes to farming? 
We wish the patient horse could come and tell you 
how it feels when you neglect the wagon wheel until it 
loudly squeals. 
Suppose everybody leveled up or down to your own 
standard of duty-performance! Would the world be 
better or worse? 
There has been so much questioning about the use of 
Cowhorn turnips as green manure that we hope to print 
the whole story soon. 
Can anyone name a case where stock of any kind 
has been injured by the drippings from sprayed trees? 
Were they poisoned by eating the gp:ass? 
Mr. Cook tells us truly that some men hustle most 
when their muscles are moving least. We cannot see the 
brain work—we only see the results of mental hustling. 
No, we would not soak cut potato seed In either for¬ 
malin or corrosive sublimate. That soaking should be 
done before the seed is cut. Dust sulphur over the cut 
seed. 
Readers will regret to learn that our Mr. Van Deman 
recently threw his shoulder out of Joint. He is still pre¬ 
pared to put a shoulder to the wheel on all hard fruit 
problems. 
On page 371 Mr. Keesling tells how Ineffectual moth 
traps were made useful by a dose of printer’s ink. A 
good many other traps lose their danger when treated 
with the same speciflc. 
Tennyson truly tells of people who climb “from their 
dead selves” to reach higher things. The trouble with 
some people is that they have so much self-esteem that 
they kill their best selves with kindness and then carry 
the corpse around with them. 
