7I2 
October 19 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARM Eli'S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850. 
Heubeht W. Collixgwoou, Editor. 
Dk. Walter Va.n Fleet, I 
H. E. Van De.man. ;-A.ssoclates. 
Mrs. E. t. Kovle, ( 
John J. Billo.S', Business ManaKer, 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries In the Universal Postal Union, J2.0L equal to 
8s. «d., or 8H murks, or lU>s francs. 
“A SQUARE DEAL.” 
We believe that every advertisement In this paper Is backed bv a 
responsible person. But to make doubly sure wo will make g^d any 
loss to paid subscribers sustained by trusting any deliberate “windier 
advertising in our columns, and any such swindler will bo nublielv 
exposed. Wo protect subscribers against rogues, but we do not guar¬ 
antee to adjust trifling differences between subscribers i nd honest 
resjKmslble advertisers. Neither will we bo responsible for the debts 
of honest bankrupts sanctioned by the courts. Not Ice of the Complaint 
must be sent us within one month of the time of tac transact on and 
you must have mentioned TuE Bubal New-Yorker when writing 
me advertiser. ® 
Name and address of sender, and what the remittance Is for, should 
L. oear in every letter. 
chec™o?banTdraft money order, exjiress order, persona! 
THE KUBAU NEW-YOBKER, 
4Uy Pearl Street, New York. 
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19. 1901. 
One reason for printing the answers to the ques¬ 
tions about the spring on the first page is the fact 
that they show what comes from studying our home 
resources. Suppose our friend had not examined the 
second spring, but had carried out his first plan of 
pumping w'ater to the top of the hill. It would have 
meant a useless expense—money that should be used 
for some other purpose. It always paj's to hunt out 
all the natural ways of doing a thing before we spend 
money for artificial methods. 
There are dozens of good arguments in favor of a 
cooperative laundry. Mr. Frost gives some of them 
on page 707. Why, then, is it so hard to find such a 
laundry in actual operation? One reason is that it 
means a slight expense. The creamery means an in¬ 
come to the farm. The laundry takes work away 
from the wife or daughter, and means a cash payment. 
If it is to ue established it must be done by the wo¬ 
men folks. I hey will have to push it along. If these 
laundries were to save the labor of men rather than 
that of women there would be one in every neighbor¬ 
hood within a short time! 
4c 
A PI.AN is now on fo„t to attempt to raise the level 
of Moosehead Lake in Maine by two feet. By means 
of a series of dams and embankments the w^ater of 
the lake may be piled up higher, so as to hold back a 
larger volume for use when the natural supply would 
run dry. This is becoming necessary, since greater 
use than ever before is being made of water power on 
the Maine rivers. It was once thought that steam 
had displaced the water power in New England, but 
with the coming of electricity these powers go into 
use again. Better develop the waters where people 
now live before going to “Arid America.” 
4c 
A FAK.MEK of Chenango Co., N. Y., was on trial last 
week for selling “bob veax.” His lawyer claimed that 
the law prohibiting the sale of such veal was repealed 
by the Legislature of 1901. The judge decided that 
in any event the case before him referred to a viola¬ 
tion before the laws of 1901 were enacted. The farmer 
was found guilty and fined $25, with $25 more as costs. 
That made pretty expensive veal. There was never 
any intention on the part of the Legislature to repeal 
the “bob veal” law. Through a clerical error one sec¬ 
tion of the law was omitted, but those who feel in¬ 
clined to ship the “bob” article will find it a very ex¬ 
pensive business. 
From the numerous trolley accidents which are re¬ 
ported it is evident that many who are employed as 
motormen are incompetent for this work. On lines 
running through country districts cars often make 
high speed—20 miles an hour is not unusual—and 
there are steep hills and sharp curves. No man is 
allowed to run a steam engine, either locomotive or 
stationary, without examination to test his knowledge 
of its construction and skill in handling it. Yet a 
trolley car containing 40 or 50 passengers is often put 
in charge of a man who has only a vague idea of what 
he is handling, and who gets his first points on hills 
and curves when the car runs away and upsets. Loco¬ 
motive engineers go through a long schooling as fire¬ 
men. They learn thus the momentum that a heavy 
train acquires at various rates of speed, and are able 
to run it safely around curves and down grades. A 
motorman certainly ought to have a fair knowledge 
of forces, speed and curves, as applied to his special 
work, and should have sufficient education and me¬ 
chanical gumption to command twice as much salary 
as the man who collects the fares. Trolley companies 
would naturally object ;o being compelled to hire 
high-jiriced men, but we do not know any reason why 
they should be permitted to put the lives of passen- 
gei's in danger, as is the case at present. 
* 
The State of Mississippi owns and operates, with 
convict labor, the largest cotton plantation in the 
country. The object is to provide work for the con¬ 
victs and raise money to defray State expenses. In 
other States c nvict labor is either leased or directly 
employed in manufacturing. Reports from Kansas 
indicate that that State wixi also enter into competi¬ 
tion with farmers. A large creamery will be started 
at the Agricultural College, and the pixaducts are to be 
sold to help pay the expenses of the dairy school. 
While a single creamery or a single farm thus op¬ 
erated may not hurt the business of the private farm¬ 
er, there is danger in any extension of this principle 
of public competition with private enterprise! 
« 
We sometimes meet people who find fault because 
certain wealthy men are spending a good deal of 
money in buying and testing automobiles. There are 
two sides to mis matter. The automobile is a new 
thing—with great possibilities both for country and 
town use. Before it can be put to a practical use in 
the counti’y much time and money must be spent by 
some one in experimenting with different forms of 
power and different types of vehicles. This ought to 
be evident to all, for it is the history of most new and 
revolutionizing machinery. If the rich care to give 
their time and money to this work, we think it a good 
thing, even though they do it for their own pleasure. 
They will nelp make the automobile popular and pro¬ 
fitable, and that will benefit all. 
* 
The exhibit of apples made at the Pan-American 
Exposition by the Maine Bornological Society made a 
very effective display. The Society tried to show the 
commercial apples of Maine, and made no effort to 
collect abnormal specimens. This business-like ex¬ 
hibit showed all the color and beauty of the fruit from 
the Far West, with far superior flavor and keeping 
quality. Specimens of the crop of 1900 were in excel¬ 
lent condition—one barrel of last year’s Baldwins 
opened Septemoer 18 snowing 8V per cent perfect 
fruit! We nave never been able to understand why 
the people of Alaine are so modest about showing their 
magnificent appies. The aisplay at Buffalo attracted 
much attention, out the Bornological Society ought to 
have had oo limes as much money as they did have 
for showing their fruit. As it was, there was noth¬ 
ing finer in Horticultural Hall. 
« 
The Legislative Assembly of Victoria, Australia, is 
considering some sweeping amendments of a former 
law, concerning plants infected with insects or dis¬ 
ease. Under these amendments no person may sell or 
expose for sale any tree, plant or vegetable in any 
way diseased, or affected by insect attacks. The law 
covers fungus, whether dead or alive, and insects, 
whether dead or in any stage of living existence. In¬ 
spectors are empowered to examine stock exposed in 
markets, and to advise tne eradication of disease 
noted, but may not destroy the things condemned 
without higher authority. The Australian attitude to¬ 
wards diseases and insects affecting fruit and vege¬ 
tables is similar to that of the Pacific coast. As an 
Oregon correspondent recently stated, these statutes 
do much to keep infected fruit out of the markets. 
They are certainly a great safeguard against careless¬ 
ness in the orchard. 
A READER of The R. N.-Y. sends us the following 
clipping from a Syracuse paper. As printed the note 
had a big double head: 
Cortland, Sept. 26.—Farmers In the village and town 
of Scott have become aroused over the great amount 
of intoxication among laborers in that vicinity, and 
as the men employed on the farms have not visited places 
where liquor is sold, the cause has been a mystery. One 
enterprising farmer has at last solved the mystery. At 
this season of the year the farmers are busily engaged 
in lining their silos, and in doing this the corn is cut 
up, saturated with water and packed in tight buildings 
erected for this purpose. This corn, uniting with the 
watei-, causes a fermentation, and the juice settles to 
the bottom of the silos. It appears that laborers en¬ 
gaged in filling the silos have found that this juice, after 
it has fermented, was good to drink. They accordingly 
bored holes in the sides of the silos, near the ground, 
and by attaching a spout to the hole drew out the juice 
into pails. 
We have had experience with these “fake” stories, 
and know how they grow. Several years ago we had 
a cow that ate too many apples. The newspaper men 
solemnly stated that she gave a good quality of milk 
punch, and one man in Kentucky actually wrote of¬ 
fering any price for a calf from this cow in case the 
punch story was true! There is just about as much 
truth in this story of the silo juice. We doubt whether 
there is any more alcohol in silage than there is in 
new bread. There is not enough in it to enable any 
man to get drunk on the expressed juice. We know 
that men will sometimes crawl through very small 
holes, and pull their character after them, in order to 
gratify their thirst for intoxicating liquor. The silo 
is not a distillery or a brewery. It is far too useful 
ever to be saddled with such a reputation, even in 
sport. Is it not a shame that the papers will print 
such idle and foolish tales in their largest type, while 
a report of some worthy though humble effort to im¬ 
prove or dignify labor may go into the waste basket— 
or the smallest type in the office? 
4c 
The Hope Farm man said recently that he nearly 
starved to death while unlearning some of the things 
picked up at an agricultural college. Now a reader 
born with an interrogation point in his mouth wants 
to know what these things were! The most important 
one was the idea which some students get that just 
because they have finished a college course the world 
Should rush and offer them a light job well ballasted 
with heavy pay. A college course gives many hoys 
and men a bad case of what is well called the big 
head. Instead of rushing to load honors and cash 
upon the college graduate, the busy, practical world 
is inclined to distrust him, and will surely make him 
work for his place. Knowledge is power—but it is not 
machinery. It is more like a mighty waterfall—grand 
and inspiring, but of little real service to the world 
until it is harnessed so that its force may be applied 
to some useful machinei-y -with a point to u. A man 
may obtain power and foi’ce from books or from 
spoken words. Others may fit and tighten the belt 
that connects that power, but the man himself must 
build and place tne machinery that will enable him 
to bore into the world and fasten a handle there. 
B RE 1^/TIES. 
“Man’s life means 
Tender ’teens. 
Teachable twenties. 
Tireless thirties. 
Fiery forties. 
Forcible fifties. 
Serious sixties. 
Sacred sev’enties. 
Aching eighties. 
Shortening breath. 
Death, 
The sod, 
God.” 
-Joseph Cook in Christian Endeavor World. 
Turn your Oh, dears! into ideas! 
The bee uses a sweet-toothed comb. 
A “soft snap” means a hard pull for somebody. 
Maine apple growers are enjoying a “boom” just now. 
liiERE are six Chinese voters registered in New York. 
No, sir! It is not likely that Corn smut will kill a 
cow. 
We have some chickens which we wish would act like 
bad debts—go home to rest! 
A WESTERN man says that a horse's idea of Heaven 
is to be owned by a woman. 
iHE French are now said to be making a new butter 
substitute known as “vegetaline” from dried cocoanut. 
It is said that the Genesee River water is being stored 
so carefully that Rochester will be second only to Buf¬ 
falo in water power. 
“I DISLIKE the law as much as you do rum and to¬ 
bacco,” writes a Vermont reader. What would lawyers 
do if that idea were universal? 
American shingles are being ordered for South Africa. 
Dame Britannia has worn out several shingles over the 
Boers, and still they make faces at her. 
The ladybird beetle was brought to California to kill 
the destructive scale insects. It did the job well, but 
now a parasite has begun to kill the ladybirds. 
Chinch bugs did considerable damage in Maine iast 
Summer. The experiment station recommends burning 
ovei infested places, spraying with kerosene or plowing. 
It is said that there are practically no pumpkins in 
western New York this year. The season has been bad 
for them, and they Interfere with the work of the corn 
harvesters. 
A Grand Army post has “resolved” never to mention 
the name of the President’s murderer. After one or 
two efforts to pronounce this name we think most people 
will make a similar resolve. 
Gov. Odell has been asked to have the President’s 
murderer buried at sea, so that not even his bones 
■may rest in American soil!” Better bury him and 
plant some useful tree by his grave! 
Amateur photographers have a chance to get out their 
tools and see what interesting and attractive pictures 
they can make for the benefit of the women folks. Note 
the prize offer in the Woman and Home Department. 
M E care little who first advised northern farmers to 
sow cow peas for green manuring. The R. N.-Y. has 
tried to do its share of such advising. The more nitro¬ 
gen traps we set in otherwise wasted fields the better. 
Wasps have caused enormous damage to the English 
fruit crop, and it is advised that local horticultural 
shows offer prizes for wasp nests. This was done at a 
recent show in Esse.x, the boys of the district collecting 
a large number of the nests. 
During the year WOO no case of rabies was found in 
England or Scotland, and it is believed that the disease 
is entirely eradicated there. A stringent muzzling law 
exists, and no dog can be taken into the country with¬ 
out a .satisfactory health certificate. 
