636 
August 26 , 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PARER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850. 
Herbert W. Collingwood, Editor. 
Du. Walter Van Fleet, i . , 
Mas. K. T. Hoyle, ^ Associates. 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries In the Universal Postal Union, $2.04, 
equal to 8s. tid., or 8»/ 2 marks, or HU/ 2 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 col¬ 
umns, and any such swindler will be publicly exposed. We 
Protect subscribers against rogues, but we do not guarantee 
to adjust trilling 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 to us within one 
month of (he time of the transaction, and you must have 
mentioned The Rural New-Yobkkr when writing the adver¬ 
tiser. 
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 RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
409 Pearl Street, New York. 
SATURDAY, AUGUST 26, 1905. 
TEN WEEKS FOR 10 CENTS. 
In order to introduce The R. N.-Y. to progressive 
intelligent fanners who do not now take it, we send it 
10 weeks for 10 cents for strictly introductory purposes. 
We depend on our old friends to make this known to 
neighbors and friends. 
* 
Will any readers who have had experience in ship¬ 
ping produce by trolley cars please tell us about it? We 
want to know how much it costs, whether the system 
is satisfactory, and what drawbacks to it have turned up. 
* 
Are there any insurance companies who consider 
lightning rods in writing a policy for country property? 
Most of the large companies seem to think that a well- 
placed rod is a protection, but they are not prepared to 
consider rodded buildings a better risk. At the same 
time we must remember that many of these larger com¬ 
panies are not insuring much farm property. We would 
like to hear from the mutual or Grange insurance com¬ 
panies, which now do most of the farm insurance busi¬ 
ness. 
* 
I he new Edison storage electric battery is now said to 
be ready for the market. Great things were expected 
from this device. It was claimed that a windmill or other 
power could be used to generate electricity, and that 
this light battery when stored could be picked up by two 
men and carried to any point on the farm where work 
was required. Thus it was hoped that the farm power 
problem would be solved, but the actual facts do not 
seem to give much body to these dreams. The battery 
seems to be designed for running automobiles at a high 
speed. It will weigh about 40 pounds per horse power, 
and can be charged only from a regular dynamo. It is 
quite likely that the principle will be in time applied so 
that most small machines can be operated, but the trou¬ 
ble on the farm will be to generate the electricity. The 
cost of a dynamo and fixtures is considerable, and wind 
power is out of the question. 
* 
I he references to weed growth in Ruralisms, page 
624. remind us that a weed is botanically merely a plant 
out of place. It may be a burden to the gardener in one 
place, and a beneficent ally in another. That optimistic 
reference to ragweed in Hope Farm Notes, however, 
would not be endorsed by any fruit grower inclined to 
hay fever! The pollen of this plant is intensely irritat¬ 
ing to sensitive nostrils. When at the scattering stage 
it shakes out very readily, and a trip through a ragweed 
plantation is punctuated by a chorus of pathetic sneezes. 
Common weeds are not without use, however; witness 
the plump and juicy purslane. We used to know a,place 
along shore where the pigs were fed all Summer on a 
diet composed chiefly of purslane, with horseshoe crabs 
to supply protein, and how fat and cheerful those pigs 
were! The fact is, weeds are weeds largely because we 
don’t fully understand their place in the economy of 
nature. 
* 
The great majority of the prize essays on garden 
f plans were written by women. It seems fair to say that 
on many American farms the vegetable supply would be 
limited pretty nearly to potatoes, turnips and cabbage if 
it were not for the work of women and children. In 
some cases an elderly man unable to do hard farm work, 
takes care of the garden, and thus helps the farm more 
than the strongest member of the family. One of the 
prizes was won by the wife of a western renter. On 
the small piece of land which is given the family rent 
free this woman and her boy raise an amount of food 
that is astonishing. It appears that most of those who 
wrote the essays have been obliged to work out most of 
their plans without much outside help. There seems to 
be little in print that will really help such gardens. Most 
books on gardening are aimed either at the expert mar¬ 
ket gardeners or at amateurs who have plenty of time, 
and they often miss the mark. The woman who steals 
time from her household duties to grow vegetables does 
not find great help in such books. Yet she hoes out 
results that would shame the authors. 
* 
We have paid little attention to the rumors that Sec¬ 
retary of Agriculture James Wilson is to retire from the 
Cabinet. Mr. Wilson is an honest man. The Agricul¬ 
tural Department has been made large under his man¬ 
agement. He should remain and make it strong and 
great. The Ohio Farmer takes half seriously the report 
that James W. Wadsworth of New York is to head the 
Department. We credit President Roosevelt with too 
much political sense to make such an appointment. By 
his course in opposing the legislation against fraudulent 
oleo Mr. Wadsworth incurred the hostility of farmers. 
To put him in the Cabinet would be just about as safe 
for the administration as it would be to put a hornet’s 
nest in a bedroom! Mr. Wadsworth’s name is often 
“suggested’’ for political office. Some years ago the 
papers stated that he was being “mentioned” as a 
candidate for Governor. That was only a feeler on the 
part of politicians to see how the people felt. They 
found out, for many farmers wrote at once to Mr. Odell, 
chairman of the Republican committee, telling him they 
would not vote for Mr. Wadsworth on account of his 
oleo record. Tp put such a man in the Cabinet now 
that the oleo men threaten to open the question once 
more would be about the biggest political blunder that 
has been made in recent years. 
* 
On page 604 we referred to the balance of trade be¬ 
tween this country and Europe. I he Government figures 
show that we sell nearly $400,000,000 worth more than 
we buy, but there are other accounts. We pay freight 
for carrying our goods to foreign ship owners, and our 
people spend many millions each year in European 
travel. J here is still another drain which we have not 
mentioned. Millions are sent to the old country each 
year by foreigners who earn money here, and send it to 
friends and relatives on the other side. A curious case 
of this is reported in the N. Y. Sun: 
Russian peasants are not deprived of land, for all received 
small holdings after the abolition of serfdom. The peasant 
families have divided and subdivided these holdings until 
they are undoubtedly too small. It is a fact, however, that 
there is a continual increase in the quantity of land owned 
by I he peasantry and the large estates are being correspond¬ 
ingly reduced. We have personal knowledge of peasants 
who went to America for no other purpose than to earn 
money to increase their land holdings at home. They know 
just, what land they wish to buy, and in two instances the 
writer knows that the necessary money has been sent from 
America, and tlie land lias been purchased by the wives of 
the immigrants, who intend to return and spend the rest of 
their days on their increased holdings. 
We think there is more of this than is generally sup¬ 
posed. If we add this money to that spent by Ameri¬ 
cans abroad we would soon wipe out our supposed bal¬ 
ance, and find that Uncle Sam is not only carrying his 
own farm, but a lot of strangers as well. 
* 
When we began to talk about fence wire faint hearts 
on every side begun to shake their heads and say that 
nothing could be done. We are happy to say that we 
got over worrying about people who cry “impossible” 
over 20 years ago. So we went ahead, confident that 
public sentiment can force any manufacturer or combi¬ 
nation to play fair. We were told that manufacturers 
would pay no attention to complaints about wire. The 
following letter is an answer to that, and also a record 
of progress: 
We have been aware for some time that galvanized wire 
does not stand’ as well as it used to, and as rar as this 
company is concerned we say to you frankly that we are 
sparing no pains nor money in our efforts to make a gal¬ 
vanized wire that will meet tlie requirements of the trade. 
We do not believe that the present deterioration of spelter 
is due to the composition of the steel, because the steel 
is just as good to-day as it was years ago, when the wire 
stood up better, but we think we have solved the problem, 
and feel quite conlid'ent that we have produced galvanized 
wire for some time past, and will continue to do so in 
future, which will give entire satisfaction. We assure you 
that we are just as much interested in this proposition as 
anyone can possibly he. and it is our aim and intention to 
furnish the farmer a wire that will stand as long as any 
fence can he expected to last. Of course climatic conditions 
in some sections will affect the fence quicker than in other 
sections, no matter how good it is. 
THE AMERICAN STEEL & WIRE CO. 
It is evident that the American farmer has been tak¬ 
ing a hand in the wire discussion. You might stick a 
postage stamp on a fence wire without much hope that 
it would prevent rusting. When you stick the postage 
stamp on an envelope with the right sort of a letter in¬ 
side you do a good job of galvanizing. The right sort 
of a letter contains a complaint about modern wire, a 
demand for better goods, and an offer to pay a fair price 
for guaranteed wire. That is the kind of galvanizing 
which farmers have been doing, and it is bearing fruit. 
We have always claimed as a general proposition that 
farmers will get what is fair if they will first think out 
what they need, and then go to work with their postage 
stamps patiently and fearlessly. If we will all work 
together we shall have in time a Government test for 
wire which will correspond to the present tests for feeds 
and fertilizers. Then we shall know what to order, and 
the manufacturers will be obliged to sell what we want. 
Keep at it! 
* 
There are farmers in this country who rise up once in a 
while and assert their rights. When they strike the blow 
comes like the kick of a steer. It isn’t graceful or accord¬ 
ing to fashionable rules, but there is a power in it that 
commands respect. A farmer in a New England State 
has some wild land on which grows a quantity of laurel. 
1 his plant has a commercial value, the same as apples, 
sugar or hardware. During the Summer a good many 
city people live or board in the neighborhood. As usual 
such people consider a farmer’s orchard or wild land as 
common property, and proceed to help themselves to 
what they want. The farmer posted his farm and 
warned people away, yet still they came. One day the 
farmer met a good-sized party of men and women, each 
with a good armful of laurel, which they had gathered 
on his farm. According to usage he ought to have 
smiled and addressed them about as follows: 
Good day, friends, I am glad to have you visit the 
farm. Make yourselves at home. Take some more of 
that laurel, help yourselves to apples—in the next field 
you will find some good raspberries. Go down to the 
house and have some milk, which you will find in the 
dairy. Take a few eggs along with you. and don’t for¬ 
get to eat a piece of cake which my wife will give you. 
As a farmer I am proud to have you come and help me 
dispose of my produce !” 
He might have talked that way, but he didn’t. He 
ordered all hands to throw down that laurel and get off 
the premises, or take the consequences! There wasn’t 
anything else to do, and it was a great thing to see vari¬ 
ous captains and privates of industry throw down their 
laurels at the farmer’s feet! That farmer ought to be 
publicly thanked. Suppose lie had gone into a store or 
factory and helped himself to 25 cents’ worth of goods! 
Yet why would he not have as much right to do so as 
people have to tramp over his farm and help themselves 
to what they see and fancy? Farmers will have more 
laurels thrown at their feet when they stand up for their 
rights. 
BREVITIES. 
Now the ben goes on a vacation. 
Watch the calf for mange and lice. 
Now begin paying attention to Miss Pullet. 
We do not need new fruits as we do better culture of the 
old ones. 
We are now getting a taste of the floods which soaked 
many sections earlier in the season. 
A big surplus of idle money Is a temptation. Better keep 
your money at work—if you get any. 
To brood over things which cannot be helped is worse 
than a setting lieu trying to hatch stones. 
Down in many a farm cellar are jars and casks contain¬ 
ing eggs in the water-glass solution. That means omelet 
and custard while the hens are resting. 
There seems to he a great development of the business of 
making blocks or stones of sand and cement. It looks like 
a simple operation, but care must be taken in mixing and 
packing. 
A Milwaukee factory was recently entirely tied' up for 
a day in consequence of a sudden and overwhelming inva¬ 
sion of fleas. This may bo regarded as a convincing example 
of the power of united action. 
Take care of the stegomyias and anopheles, and the culexes 
will take care of themselves; in other words, get rid of 
every mosquito you can, whether lie is suspected of yellow 
lever, malaria, or just plain thirst for gore. 
In the fiscal year for 1903 71,804,102 pounds of oleo 
were made in this country. Last year the figures were 
48,071,480 pounds—this year 49,880,982 pounds. The 
largest increase is in colored oleo—there being but 153,754 
pounds more of uncolored made this year. 
A C alifornia man says that electrified eggs constitute 
the true elixir of life. lie lays coils of wire around the 
nests, and turns on the current when the hens lay: the 
eggs when eaten form a tonic. We have met with restaurant 
eggs calculated to give the consumer a shock, but it was not 
of the electric variety. 
It is said that John I). Rockefeller is trying the “Kneipp” 
cure that is, walking through tlie wet grass every morn¬ 
ing with bare feet, it is said that this form of a dew 
bath makes a man regard trouble and ill health as Dewey 
regarded the Spaniaids at Manila. A surer way to health 
and happiness would l>e to get into the position of the 
workingman who goes barefoot, because he cannot raise the 
price of boots or shoes. 
Mr. Mead, of Massachusetts, told us how deer are pro¬ 
tected by the laws in that State. A farmer recently lost 
his entire cabbage crop. To shoot the deer would have cost 
him more than he could make in several years. lie sat 
down and made out his bill, and after some red tape the 
State officers gave him a warrant for $200. The old Massa¬ 
chusetts farmers enforced their rights with a bullet. Pen 
and ink seems to be safer and more profiatble in these days. 
