6oo 
August 31 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850, 
Hekbert W. Coluitgwood, Kditoc 
Dk. Walter Van Fleet, / 
H. K. Van Deman. >■ Associates. 
Mrs. E. T. itoYLE, \ 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
next season, when the surprising manurial effect will 
be evident. We believe now, more than ever before, 
that the cow pea, when its strong and weak points 
are well underetood, is destined to change the plan 
of fertilizing and cultivating many orchards. By 
planting it in dz’ills or hills it will permit the neces¬ 
sary surface cultivation, and still give a heavy yield 
of vegetable matter for pasturing or plowing under. 
* 
A FEW weeks ago we printed a discouraging letter 
from Virginia in which the writer told of the great 
depression in farm values and the general discontent 
of farmers. It was probably a true picture of condi¬ 
tions which prevail in that neighborhood. Yet, this 
week, we have a letter from a place about 25 miles 
distant which describes an entirely different state of 
affairs. Instead of depression and discontent we hear 
of prosperity and good feeling—a hopeful outlook and 
fair values for farm land. What makes the differ¬ 
ence? We believe that the thing most responsible for 
it is the fact that in one place a live and progressive 
farmers’ club has been maintained. It is next to im¬ 
possible to measure the good which may result from 
the friendly intercourse and rivalry which spring up 
in such a club. Such organizations make better 
neighborly feeling, lead farmers to take more pride 
in their calling, and lighten the burden of life in a 
dozen ways. We think that Virginia farmers’ club' 
is chiefly responsible for the hopeful conditions named 
in the letter on the first page. 
* 
At the Pan-American Exposition a company of 
United States regular soldiers gave a startling exhi¬ 
bition of battle drill. Advancing from one side of the 
great plaza they threw out skirmishers and slowly ad¬ 
vanced upon an imaginary enemy. Part of them 
would run forward a few steps and then kneel or lie 
flat and deliver their volley, while another body of 
troops ran to their support. Thus slowly but surely, 
perhaps a rod at a time, they fought their way across 
the open field in open order, and presenting as small 
a target as possible to the enemy. It was a thrilling 
and interesting spectacle. One old soldier who stood 
watching it said : “If the British soldiers had known 
how to do that at Bunker Hill our Republic would 
have been set back half a century.’’ There is much 
truth in what he said. The blind, stupid obstinacy 
of the British prompted them to march against the 
American sharpshootei’s in solid ranks, presenting a 
target which a blind man could hit! Had they spread 
out and employed modern tactics the rifleman would 
have lost half his power and Bunker Hill would have 
gone into history as a mere skirmish. There is a 
lesson here for farmers. Most farm organizations 
must spend their first years in learning to mass or 
act in concert. For a time they can only show a solid 
unbroken front, but sooner or later they must learn 
to work in open order, carrying the work of the 
Grange or farmers’ club to the home and farm, and 
working in full sympathy with their brothers, though 
separated from them. 
* 
BREVITIES. 
Ah there, Sir Thomas Lipton! 
You have come across the blue 
To "elevate the saucer” 
With your Shamrock No. II. 
Before you came Dunraven, 
There are others yet to come 
We’ve naturalized the cup, sir. 
And America’s its home. 
Your boat’s all right. Sir Thomas, 
She is trim from mast to keel. 
But our own Constitution 
Has a very lively heel. 
For Uncle Sam’s her builder. 
And his jack knife whittles close; 
We’re much afraid. Sir Thomas, 
That you’ll get another dose. 
Yet win or lose, old fellow, 
Here’s a hand across the sea, 
Let English-speaking sailors 
Ever keep the ocean free. 
Save every apple. 
The corn crop is gaining. 
Oh, what a season this is for flies! 
Potatoes bring more than peaches in some markets. 
The vegetarian says that both fish and flesh are foul. 
Some folks are always “in hot water,” and still never 
clean. 
"Aye, there’s the rub!” says the housekeeper on wash 
day morning! 
Clover and turnips are popular this year for fertiliz¬ 
ing orchards. 
Those who shout loudest against sinners appear to be 
those who are without temptation. 
God help the man whose hair becomes so gray that 
he’s ashamed to drop his care and play. 
We hear on good authority of dealers buying apples 
which will cost, with cold storage, $5 per barrel by 
Christmas. 
We have been advised not to sow Alfalfa in the or¬ 
chard, yet western New York fruit growers are putting 
it there. Are they right? 
A New Hampshire reader writes: “Say, that article 
on plowing, page 563, is about as good an exposition of 
fool writing as I have seen.” 
What a struggle the early Patrons had in trying to 
organize the Grange! It was years before results were 
visible. Then they came with a rush. 
Some large vineyardists in western New York have 
bagged grapes this year. One man alone used 48,000 
bags. This is one of the seasons when it may pay. 
The old question comes up again this year. Is the 
shredded or torn silage equal to that cut squarely off 
with a cutter? We should say that the shredded corn 
is gaining in favor. 
ST7BSCBIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the TTnIversal Postal Union, $2.04, equal to 
8s. Cd., or 8hi marks, or lOjjj 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 adveiUsers. 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 Rural 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 
^beck or bank draft. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
409 .Pearl Street, New York. 
SAT OKU AY, AUGUST 31. 1901 
Next week we expect to begin a series of articles 
on nature study by Prof. P. W. Card. By “nature 
study” we mean an intelligent interest in some of tbe 
simple and common things in nature. Too many of 
us simply take these things as a matter of course, and 
never try really to understand them. We believe that 
Prof. Card’s articles will prove a feature of The R. 
N.-Y.—but they will speak for themselves. 
* 
As usual. The R. N.-Y. will open headquarters at 
the New York iState Fair. During the entire week 
our tent will be open, and we shall be glad to greet 
old friends and make new ones. The tent will be 
located in one of the most conspicuous corners on 
tlie Fair Grounds. It will be a good place to sit and 
eat your dinner, or to rest and observe the crowd. 
Come right in and make yourself at home. You will 
be welcome. 
* 
The papers are well filled now with accounts of 
“epidemics of malaria” which are traced to mosqui¬ 
toes. There is no more malaria than there ever was, 
and mosquitoes are no more dangerous than they 
used to be. We know more about them—that’s all. 
Knowledge plunges down below the surface, and 
drives all sorts of disagreeable things into view. It 
is a good thing, for then we can fight them better. 
All this talk about mosquitoes will result in a sure 
thing—fewer of them! 
* 
A reader in Kansas sends us a list of 10 new sub¬ 
scribers and adds the following pithy postscript: 
These names, except one, were secured in a few min¬ 
utes by telephone. Blessed is the rural telephone! 
We feel like saying amen to that! There is no 
doubt as to the value of the rural telephone. Some 
people think that they have good grounds for com¬ 
plaint at the way the free rural mail service is ad¬ 
ministered, but the rural telephone is always a bless¬ 
ing except perhaps when some creditor or unpleasant 
truth-teller gets on the other end. We welcome sub¬ 
scribers whether they come by telephone or ox team. 
Now that farmers are getting closer together in club 
or Grange we find that they are discussing and criti¬ 
cising the agricultural papers as never before. That 
suits The R. N.-Y. exactly. 
* 
A PEW years ago we began to talk about the south¬ 
ern cow pea as a valuable manurial plant for north¬ 
ern farmers. Many people were at first prejudiced 
against this plant which, they said, is useful at the 
South but not suited for the North. On our own farm 
the cow pea continued to work like an inspired hired 
man, and we have kept on talking about it. Now, 
all of a sudden, we begin to receive good words for 
the cow pea. Here is a sample letter from Con¬ 
necticut: 
I do not wonder that you are a cow-pea crank if the 
plant will always get up and hustle as it has for me on 
this, my first trial of It. I rather think it will make me 
cranky, too. On July 10 we sowed a part of our lower 
orchard, with Early Black. At this time (August 19) they 
stand about knee high, and look as though they -were 
well fed and enjoying life. The soil is very deficient in 
nitrogen, the poorest spot on the farm, but fairly well 
supplied with potash and phosphoric acid. I feel sure 
that they could be plowed in in 45 days from sowing, and 
equal a good coat of manure, as every plant has on its 
roots from 16 to 40 of the little globules of nitrogen from 
the size of fine shot to that of a medium-sized pea. 
A. C. I. 
In Wayne County, N. Y., we found apple orchards, 
and vineyards sowed to cow peas, and in every case 
farmers were high in their praise of the crop. The 
true value of these crops will not be realized until 
In the end the short corn crop will not be such a 
calamity after all. Through many parts of the West 
the stalks and fodder will be carefully saved as never 
before. On some farms where, in former years, not 
a stalk of corn was cut for feeding, 40 acres or more 
of fodder will be bound and cured. If this is done 
once it will be done again, for the stalk, properly 
handled, will go a long way towards providing a sub¬ 
stitute for the grain. In the East we feel safe in pre¬ 
dicting that more corn than ever before will be 
planted next year. Hundreds of back fields and old 
pastures will be broken up and planted to corn with 
fertilizers. We have always believed that most east¬ 
ern farmers should raise more corn than they now 
do, and if the present high prices for the grain drive 
them to an increase in their acreage they will be 
better off in the end. 
* 
It hardly seems possible that there can be any 
apple grower in the country who does not now un¬ 
derstand something of the situation. There is a de¬ 
mand even for the wild or natural fruit when made 
into “chops.” Let no man give his apples away this 
year. In the East a good share of the credit for 
spreading this knowledge of the situation belongs to 
the New York State Fruit Growers’ Association. It 
has made several accurate and thorough investiga¬ 
tions, and has kept its members well informed. This 
has interested and benefited thousands of farmers 
who are not now members, but who ought to be. 
This Association has made a wonderful growth. It 
has already nearly 400 members, representing over 
20,000 acres of bearing orchards, and new members 
are constantly joining. These members are live, 
working fruit growers who are close to the farm. The 
Association is organized for business, and it will make 
a vigorous effort to win the first prize offerea for best 
collection of fruit at the New York State Fair. 
« 
A New York bee keeper kept 15 Hives oi bees in 
his yard adjoining the highway. They had been kept 
in the same situation for eight or nine years without 
injury to passers-by. One day they attacked and 
stung a team of horses which were passing. One 
horse died, and the other was greatly injured. A 
justice’s court awarded damages for ?70.25, but the 
county court reversed this decision. The case was 
carried to the supreme court, which has just upheld 
the county court. In a long and able decision the 
judge reviews the law covering such matters, and de¬ 
cides that the owner of bees is not necessarily liable 
for an occasional injury done by them to others. Such 
liability, he says, depends upon the propensity of the 
animal to do mischief. The bee, he says, has become 
almost as completely domesticated as the ox or the 
cow. It does not cause serious injury to persons or 
property from its attacks in a ratio more frequent 
certainly than injuries arising from the kick of a 
horse or the bite of a dog.” This decision and others 
along the same line show that the bee has to-day 
fuller rights before the law than any other domestic 
animal in common use. 
* 
The last Congress voted $20,000 to be used by the 
Secretary of Agriculture in promoting the interests 
of American fruit growers. The Secretary is a busi¬ 
ness man, and his idea is to increase the export trade 
in American fruits. As is the case with butter and 
cheese, he wants agents of the Agricultural Depart¬ 
ment to inspect fruit and send it abroad under a Gov¬ 
ernment certificate. This certificate, he says, and we 
think rightly, will give a character to the fruit which 
it could not obtain in any other way. In order to ob¬ 
tain such fruit for shipment the Secretary guarantees 
to protect the shipper against loss. If the shipment 
fail to bring in the foreign market, what it would 
have brought here, the Department agrees to make 
up the difference. Some of the New York papers con¬ 
demn this plan, because they say it amounts to an 
export bounty on fruit paid by the Government. This 
strikes us as a petty objection that will not stand. 
Naturally such shipments are more or less of an ex¬ 
periment. If successful in increasing our export trade 
it will be a National benefit. No one can expect a 
private shipper to stand the loss in an experiment to 
determine whether the Government stamp of merit 
on the barrel has any value. It seems to us that the 
Secretary is justified in offering the guarantee, and 
we hope that he will obtain the fruit needed to test 
the plan. 
I 
