THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
December 14 
84 o 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FABMElt'S FAPEli. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Establuked 1850. 
Ububkut W. Colling wooij, Editor. 
1)H. WALTEK VAN Fj.tET, (.Associates 
Mus. K. T. ItoYLE, I Associates. 
JouN J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOL.LAE A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.04, 
etiuui to Ss. Oti., or marks, or 10‘/j francs. 
“A SQUARE DEAL.” 
We believe that every advertisement in this paper is 
backed by a responsible person. But to make doubly 
Lure 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 guarantee 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 
he sent us within one month of the time of the trans¬ 
action, 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 check or b.ank draft. 
THE RURAU NEW-YORKER. 
409 Pearl Street, New York. 
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1901. 
In theory the plan of a centralized school is about 
perfect. In practice there are several sides to it. For 
instance, before we would let a little child make daily 
trips in such a “kid wagon” as is described on page 
835, we would surely keep him at home! 
We advise farmers to attend every institute they 
possibly can this year. Make these meetings as large 
as possible. There is every reaso*n for it. Even if 
you think you cannot learn a thing from the speakers 
you can add one to the crowd, and help give import¬ 
ance to the meeting. It pays to have every meeting 
that is called in the interest of agriculture well at¬ 
tended. That gives power and dignity to the busi¬ 
ness, for whenever people see a room full of farmers 
they realize that a strong and steady foixje has start¬ 
ed, and that it will pay them to notice it. By all 
means go to the institute and help show that farmers 
are taking more interest in their business. 
As stated last week, the New York Milk Exchange 
raised the price of milk twice in one week. There was 
no benevolence about this—or about anything else 
the Exchange may do. They were forced to increase 
the price in order to obtain milk. Owing to the high 
cost of grain many farmers were unable to make milk 
at a profit. They sold cows or quit feeding grain, and 
this created a shortage. The Milk Exchange hopes 
by increasing the price to induce farmers to feed more 
grain or buy cows. This will increase the milk sup¬ 
ply, and when it reaches a certain point they can cut 
the price again! The facts are that the Exchange 
can well afford to pay more than it is now doing. 
The margin between its price and the price paid by 
the consumer is too wide, and the dealers are still 
making an unfair profit. The expenses of the handler 
have not increased, for the increased price which he 
pays for milk is more than offset by the inci’ease of 
his price to the consumer. On the other hand, the 
expenses of the farmer have increased out of all pro¬ 
portion to the increase in his price. 
The results of the recent boom in improved chest¬ 
nuts seem slow in materializing. The markets are 
not yet flooded with the big, handsome nuts we were 
led to expect, but the opinions of experts given on 
page 834 show that the outl(X)k is still hopeful. Chest¬ 
nuts are more difficult and expensive to propagate 
than most nursery trees, and planting has gone on in 
a gradual way. It takes several years to grow a tree 
large enough to bear paying crops, though such va¬ 
rieties as Paragon begin to bear a few nuts as soon 
as fairly established. The Chestnut weevil has been 
very destructive among plantings in brush or wood¬ 
lands, but less so under orchard conditions, and will 
continue a serious menace until some practical means 
for its suppression is worked out. Mr. Hale’s experi¬ 
ence with sixiiled nuts makes it plain that some 
method of curing, such as is practiced in southern 
Europe, must be adopted for our use if we are to save 
the nuts for market after we raise them. It seems 
the nuts are eagerly consumed in the localities where 
grown, which makes still another factor in keeping 
the home product out of the city markets. Altogether 
no valid reason for discouraging further conserva¬ 
tive plantings has been given, though it is well not 
to entertain notions of extravagant profits. The im¬ 
proved chestnuts all make handsome and interesting 
trees, sure to increase the value of a country place. 
They are worth planting for their own sake, and 
when the great burrs begin to come much comment 
is certain to follow. 
* 
“With the sole exception of the fanniny interest, no 
one matter is of such vital moment to our whole people 
as the welfare of the waye-workers. If the farmer and 
the waye-worker are well off, it is absolutely certain 
that all others will be well off too.” — President 
Roosevelt. 
Ti’ue; and the President might well have said out¬ 
right what he implies, viz., that the prosperity of the 
farmer is the foundation of all National prosperity. 
We do not refer to the large landholders or those 
with abundant capital or superior powers of body 
and mind. They do not represent the truest type of 
the American farmer. We refer to the smaller free¬ 
holders—the men of middle class—^those who fight 
the battle of life with weapons which they have been 
forced to forge for themselves in the fire of hardship 
and self-denial. 
• 
It is often noticeable that educational movements 
especially designed for self-improvement take firm¬ 
est hold in the country. The same is true of great 
moral movements; the country is usually the keeper 
ot the city’s conscience. Writing to a trade paper of 
a recent trip through remote sections of the Adiron- 
aacks, William Scott, who was chief of the depart¬ 
ment of floriculture at the Pan-American Exposition, 
remarks: 
1 have frequently noticed that people living in the 
rural districts of our State, and doubtless other States, 
though lacking the flippant manners of our city boys and 
girls and perhaps considered hayseeds by them, are in¬ 
variably better read and informed. They have the long 
Winter evenings to read and they get the weekly papers 
and “read, mark, and inwardly digest,” while the aver¬ 
age city boys or girls read the red letter headlines of 
the yellow journals and think they have absorbed it all. 
Don’t make fun of the log school houses, they have 
produced Presidents of the United States, and the lead¬ 
ing men of our great cities have nearly all been country 
born boys. 
Those who are best informed as to rural conditions 
will agree heartily with what Mr. Scott says. A 
weekly paper well digested is better mental food than 
seven consecutive dailies swallowed whole. Reading 
without reflection soon becomes a disease—a form of 
mental dyspepsia. The city man who devours morn¬ 
ing aiwi, evening papers, with several shrieking extras 
hot off the press between meals, is less able to form 
sound habits of thought than the farmer whose paper 
is not only read, but reflected upon afterwards. 
« 
Tile new anti-oleo bill to be fathered by Mr. Taw- 
ney, of Minnesota, will be the first introduced at this 
session of Congress., That honor was awarded at a 
party caucus. This proves what we have repeatedly 
claimed—that the demand for this bill is stronger 
than ever among farmers. During the Summer the 
friends of honest butter were not idle, but they forced 
the fighting at every possible point. As a result the 
public has a better knowledge of the subject, and 
with this clearer view has come a greater respect for 
the farmer’s iiosition. It is understood tnat colored 
oleo is a counterfeit, and all men who are engaged in 
selling an honest product realize the importance of 
restricting a fraud. Many of those who formerly 
wondered why the farmers demanded this form of 
legislation now recognize its justice and importance. 
This gain in public sentiment gives the bill a much 
better chance than it had at the last session of Con¬ 
gress. Some public men are learning that the smear 
of oleo cannot be easily wiped out. For example, a 
correspondent sends us the following from a local 
Illinois paper: 
An Elgin correspondent says that "a cyclone of public 
sentiment” is developing among the dairymen in the 
northern part of the State which is likely to play havoc 
with the political prospects of Congressman Hopkins. 
The cause of the cyclone is the Congressman’s alleged 
affiliation with ex-Congressman Borimer and the oleomar¬ 
garine interests. The butter and milk men say that 
they have evidence against Hopkins sufficient to defeat 
his return to Congress. If they are against him he 
would have no show in a contest for the Senate. 
Of course the politicians bewail any effort on the 
part of farmers to carry such matters “into politics.” 
For many years the farmers came, hat in hand, and 
asked these same politicians for favors. Now, they 
have learned their power—when they can get to¬ 
gether in a just and fair demand. It will be a sad 
day for the oleo Congressman who gets in the way 
of their boots this year. 
President Roosevelt discusses the “trusts” ques¬ 
tion at some length in his message to Congress. He 
says rightly that the American people are convinced 
that certain features and tendencies of the great cor¬ 
porations are harmful to the general welfai’e. The 
remedy he suggests is publicity. He would make 
these vast concerns show the people what they are 
doing and what becomes of the money they acquire. 
If Congress at present lack the power to enforce such 
publicity, then the President favors a constitutional 
amendment which shall confer such power. We feel 
sure that a majority of Americans will regret on first 
thought that the President did not go further than 
this in suggesting restrictive measures. On second 
thought, however, it is probable that most conserva¬ 
tive people will conclude that the suggestions are 
wise. Perhaps they go as far as we may wisely go at 
this time. The trusts are here. They form a part of 
American industrial life, and a violent warfare 
against them might cause a calamity. Personally, 
we are opposed to the plan of giving these great cor¬ 
porations any benefit of a high tariff, because they 
restrict or kill home competition, while the tariff was 
supposed to stimulate it! There is great merit in 
publicity. Sunshine kills filth and foul disease germs, 
and clean printer’s ink will drive both big and little 
rascals from cover. The people of this country are 
just aching to get a chance to vote on a constitutional 
amendment giving Congress power to regulate and 
control the trusts. Turn on the light—^^then we can 
tell better what to do! 
* 
Last week we made some general remarks about 
the value of a postaye stamp vote. Now for more defi¬ 
nite suggestions. Here is a list of the Congressmen 
from New York State who are most likely to* be in¬ 
fluenced by a postage stamp. Address them at Wash¬ 
ington. 
Hon. Cornelius A. Pugsley. 
Hon. Arthur S. Tompkins. 
Hon. John H. Ketcham. 
Hon. William H. Draper. 
Hon. George N. Southwick. 
Hon. John K. Stewart. 
Hon. Lucius N. Littauer. 
Hon. Lewis W. Emerson. 
Hon. Albert D. Shaw. 
Hon. James S. Sherman. 
Hon. George W. Ray. 
Hon. Michael E. Driscoil. 
Hon. Sereno E. Payne. 
Hon. Charles W. Gillet. 
Hon. James W. Wadsworth. 
Hon. James B. I’erkins. 
Hon. William H. Ryan. 
Hon. De Alva S. Alexander. 
Hon. Edward B. Vreeland. 
We suggest that our New York readers write all 
these men if possible, or at least some of them, and 
request them respectfully to do all in their power to 
push the Tawney bill through the House. Most of 
these men need little urging, but a letter will do 
them no harm. The two men most in need of the 
stamps are J. W. W’^adsworth and Sereno E. Payne. 
They should be plastered an inch thick. That is the 
way to brand and round them up. Come, gentlemen 
—lick a stamp for bossy and the baby. 
BREVITIES. 
It’s an awful disease. 
And its symptoms are these: 
Your hat gets four sizes too small; 
You see a big 1 
On land, sea and sky. 
And think that you hear people call: 
“Here he comes! Clear the way! 
Speak in whispers to-day; 
The great man of earth passes by. 
His words weigh a ton. 
And his wisdom’s the won- 
Der of millions of us poor small fry.” 
Sad delusion we fear; 
But a remedy’s near; 
A man whacks some sense in your brain. 
Give him thanks, suff’ring friend, 
With disease at an end, 
When the outcome for you is great gain. 
For it’s true as a try-square you’d better be dead, 
'Than to live on for ages, a case of large head. 
The nearsighted man is off on vision. 
“Every hen her own stove”—page 834. 
Few farmers are well supplied with fuel. 
Read “Shall "We Grow Wheat?”—page 841. 
The kicker engages in a sole stirring business. 
It’s a good plan to root-prune some pedigrees. 
A family tree is none the better for being shady. 
Yes, a brush with Jack Frost gives a hen a frozen 
comb. 
Awards in the photographic prize competition given 
on page 842. 
The idle horse would better eat his head off than to 
eat the fat all off his ribs. 
Show me the man and let me gaze my fill—the chap 
who really likes to pay a bill. 
How does that statement of the cost of an acre of 
wheat—page 841—compare with a page from your own 
books '! 
See that your young oi’chard trees go into Winter 
quarters in good condition. The trees carry their Sum¬ 
mer clothes in their trunks. 
In California, asparagus is packed loose in boxes, and 
then retailed to the consumer by the pound. This seems 
a very satisfactory plan, though the product may not 
look so attractive as in symmetrical bunches. 
