7i6 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
September 30, 
The Rural New-Yorker 
TEE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850. 
HERBERT W. Colli no wool), Editor. 
Du. Walter Van Fleet, i 
Mrs. k. T. Kovle, f' 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
• Associates. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, 52.04, 
equal to 8s. 0d., or 8V6 marks, or 10 V6 francs. 
“A SQUARE DEAL.” 
We believe that every ' advertisement in this paper Is 
hacked 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 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 to u’s within one 
month of the time of the transaction, and you must have 
mentioned The Rural New-Yorker 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. 
TIIE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
409 Pearl Street. New York. 
SATURDAY. SEPTEMBER 30, 1905. 
THE LITTLE ENVELOPE 
which you found in the paper last week may be in your 
keeping yet- Did you use it? Some readers have, be¬ 
cause they already begin to come back. But what did 
you do with yours ? I f you have not yet used it or 
handed it to a neighbor, please do so now. We are 
anxious that each and every one of these little envelopes 
comes back with a dime and the name and address of a 
new subscriber. The paper will be sent to such names 
for the remainder of the year. Please see that the one 
you received goes on its proper mission. 
* 
The contract for providing food for workers on the 
Panama Canal covers the spending of $50,000,000 in 
( 10 years. Contractors were required to make up a 
sample bill of fare. We notice that the arrangements 
for Sunday include baked apples for breakfast and 
baked beans for supper. From our own experience we 
might suggest that the baked beans would be better for 
breakfast (with the apples), but this idea of having the 
canal dug by members of the American Apple Con¬ 
sumers’ League is a great suggestion. 
» 
* 
English brewers are said to be quite alarmed by the 
steady decline in their returns, which indicates an in¬ 
crease in temperance. It is worth noting that some 
of the borough councils in England are issuing official 
placards on the dangers of alcoholism, signed by the 
mayor and health officer. Such a placard recently 
issued by the borough of Camberwell, states that alco¬ 
holics are especially liable to tuberculosis and all in¬ 
flammatory disorders, and concludes with these words: 
“Alcoholism is the most terrible enemy to personal 
health, to family happiness and to national prosperity.” 
* 
A photograph of a farm garden might show some¬ 
thing interesting if taken now. Such gardens are often 
started with great enthusiasm in Spring. They are put 
in good shape, but as other work crowds, they are 
neglected. Frost finds little besides weeds and neglect. 
This is too bad, for with a little better planning and a 
small amount of work done at the right time the 
neglected weed patch might have been made to supply 
a full succession of good vegetables. If farmers could 
only know once what it means to have half a dozen 
vegetables always on call they would neglect almost any¬ 
thing else on the farm rather than let the garden go. 
The garden is more useful than the henhouse for pro¬ 
viding food for the farm home. 
* 
Three weeks ago we told of a New Jersey farmer 
who lost his crops. Wild deer came out of the woods 
and cleaned up his farm. This man found that he had 
no protection for there is no law in New Jersey which 
will enable a farmer to recover damages in such a case. 
The loser must pocket the loss, which means burn a 
hole in his pocket! Such things are done better in 
Massachusetts. In that State, when damage is done 
by deer, a farmer can notify the town officers, who must 
estimate the damage. If it amount to more than $20 
two appraisers are appointed, who make a fair estimate, 
and the money is promptly paid by the State. This 
seems reasonable, but the deer really gets more protec¬ 
tion than the farmer. If a farmer kills a deer he is 
fined $100. He may drive the deer gently away from 
his farm, but if he sets his dog on them he may be 
fined $50, while the dog may be killed! The State of 
New Jersey protects the deer, but refuses to give the 
farmer any protection. This putting the deer above 
the man is a shame, and the next Jersey Legislature 
must be made to give the man a chance. 
* 
The most common mistake in buying a gasoline 
engine is to take one that is too small or too feeble to do 
the work required of it. That seems to be why many 
farmers change their engines. When they first buy they 
do not realize how important it is to have a reserve of 
power. They are sure to strike a job with cutter or 
saw or other machinery where the small engine cannot 
drive the work through. The result may be a broken 
machine or great loss of time. A larger engine with 
power to spare could have carried the work safely 
through. It is no uncommon thing to hear farmers say: 
“My first engine was too small, but now 1 have one 
that can do any job I have, with power to spare.” This 
reserve of power is the thing that makes labor of ma¬ 
chinery or man successful. 
* 
Very few things have developed more rapidly in this 
country than the business of making cement building 
blocks. A few years ago there was some talk about 
artificial stone, but now in nearly every large town the 
blocks are being used for building purposes. We under¬ 
stand that this use of cement block is hurting the trade 
in bricks. It could hardly be otherwise, for while brick 
requires tough clay and expensive fixtures and fuel 
the blocks ate made cheaply out of cement and sand. It 
seems to us that a genuine age of cement is beginning, 
but people must understand that making these cement 
blocks is not as simple an operation as making mud 
pies. Good judgment and skill are required. While 
a well-made block is safe and strong building mate¬ 
rial, it is possible to make them so that they will 
crumble, absorb water and prove a nuisance generally. 
Like everything else, the value lies in the making. 
* 
We frequently pass one of the fashionable family 
boarding houses, and almost every time with a feeling 
of gratitude that our lot has been cast among those who 
toil for daily bread. These people haven’t a single 
thing to do. from getting up to going back to bed—. 
that is, no real labor. They loll around on the veranda, 
read the morning papers, sit in the hammock, read 
novels, discuss the latest scandal and hatch one if there 
isn't a fresh one nearby; wonder what they will have 
for dinner and complain about what they had for break¬ 
fast. Nothing on earth will suit them; and they have 
a miserable time trying to get through life. They are 
really parasites, living generally on the result of some 
one's else labor, and apparently are of no use in the 
world except to keep the poor widow who runs the 
house in such condition that she is really a bundle of 
nerves, and all exposed. Most of us think we have to 
work a little too hard, or harder than somebody else, 
but let’s be glad about it. Tt certainly keeps us out of 
mischief, gives us healthy appetites and we may do a 
little good in the world. 
* 
The latest “consumption cure” is harmless at least. 
In addition to pure air and sunshine with moderate 
exercise and food that can be quickly digested, juices 
of vegetables are to be taken. Dr. Russel, who advo¬ 
cates the new “cure,” says that he considered bread, but¬ 
ter and milk about the nearest to an ideal ration for 
consumptives. An “unknown something” was lacking 
in this diet, and this is supplied in vegetable juices. 
Equal parts by weight of raw vegetables are thoroughly 
cleaned, then mixed together and chopped and crushed 
about as cider is made. The raw juice is taken as a 
medicine. The claims made for this “cure” are as mod¬ 
est as its preparation. At least five years will be needed 
to give it a fair test. During that time tens of thou¬ 
sands of farm families will take a good share of their 
food out of the garden. We may cal! this new medicine 
an uncooked vegetable soup. There may be some un¬ 
discovered principle in vegetables that will relieve con¬ 
sumption, as fresh vegetables relieve cases of scurvy. 
Whatever effect the products of a garden may have 
upon the lungs we know what the garden itself will 
do for a farm. It will save money, give the doctor 
time to get acquainted with his family, and point out 
the way to better farming. Every farmer should try 
the new “cure.” 
* 
At the North Dakota Fair James J. Hill told the 
farmers that their great yield of wheat would scarcely 
provide five biscuits apiece for the people of China. 
That was his way of showing several things. The pos¬ 
sibilities of the markets opening up in Asia are beyond 
calculation, for year by year the Chinese will demand 
better food and more manufactured articles. About 
40 years ago the present wheat crop of the Dakotas 
thrown into the world’s markets would have ruined wheat 
growers or made bread cheaper than ever known before. 
Now it will provide scarcely a day’s allowance for a 
single country. In this country there is comparatively 
little new land left suitable for wheat culture. Any 
great increase in the crop must be made bv taking bet¬ 
ter care of the land now in cultivation. That seems 
to be the outcome. But a few years ago western wheat 
growers smiled at the suggestion of hauling stable ma¬ 
nure, and hooted at the idea of using chemical fertilizers. 
The action of the soil has taught them what nothing 
else could. Manure is now saved carefully. Thousands 
of manure spreaders are sold every year where formerly 
farmers would move the barn rather than haul the 
manure pile away! Nearly $2,00(1,000 were spent last 
year in Missouri for fertilizer, and wood ashes now have 
a commercial value in many places where formerly 
they were thrown away. Instead of driving the eastern 
farmer out of business the West is learning the eastern 
idea of saving wastes for fertilizer. 
* 
• 
At the New York State Fair farmers from all over 
the State met and compared notes. It is evident that 
both apple and potato crops will be short. A number 
of buyers are claiming that there are apples enough for 
all, and that there is no reason for high prices. The 
best informed growers pay no attention to such state¬ 
ments, confident that there is less than 50 per cent of a 
crop in sight. We were told of cases where shrewd 
buyers have offered $5 a barrel for entire orchards. 
There is no question about the value of good apples. 
The potato crop has proved very disappointing. Blight 
and rot have cut the crop as never before. In some 
cases, even where growers have sprayed five times, the 
vines have died when the tubers were barely half 
grown. Our reports from the large potato sections of 
the West also indicate a short crop, and prices ought 
to rule high. We have never known a season when 
the potato market varied as it has this year. The 
southern crop barely paid expenses, as it met a large 
surplus from the old crop. At one time the price went 
down to barely the cost of the barrel and the freight. 
Then growers stopped digging, and the price went up. 
This induced them to dig again, and the price went 
down. The price is now about 50 per cent higher than 
one year ago at this time, and there is nothing in sight 
to indicate lower prices. 
* 
A few months ago President Roosevelt called atten¬ 
tion to the long letters and documents sent out from 
some of the Government departments, lie wanted short 
letters and short words. The best way to prune such 
essays is to take the stenographers away from the 
writers and make them use a pen. While the printed 
page holds out the large words will take the ink. In 
a recent Government bulletin we find the following 
choice extracts: 
The intercalation of the double celled structure does not 
change (lie order of nuclear events in cross-fertilization, but 
it may be said to change fundamentally their chronological 
and physiological relations. The true historical sequence 
of conjugation is plasmapsis. kar.vapsis, and synapsis, but 
the apparent and practical sequence in the higher plants 
and animals becomes synapsis, plasmapsis. and kar.vapsis, 
the synapsis which ends one conjugation being followed 
closely by the plasmapsis which begins another. The sus¬ 
pension of nuclear changes for vegetative growth no longer 
occurs between synapsis and plasmapsis. but between kary- 
apsis and synapsis, the double-celled, paragamic structure be. 
ing built, as already stated, on a new and highly sexual 
plane. 
Of course this information will cause a practical 
farmer to drop his work the instant he sees the rural 
carrier coming with the next chapter. In this bulletin 
a couple of new words were coined, which are of such 
thrilling interest that we sent them to the editor of 
Webster’s dictionary. This is what he says: 
Your remarks about the coining of now words arc certain¬ 
ly very apropos. As one reads modern scientific literature 
ii seems sometimes as if the craze of word-formation were 
becoming a real menace. The writer often wonders why some¬ 
one does not introduce the habit of substituting English 
compounds in place of the words derived from the Greek 
and Latin. This would seem to lie more in accord with the 
modern spirit which neglects the old-time studies of Greek 
and Latin. 
Some one ought to take these scientific word makers 
gently by the hand, lead them out behind the barn and 
tell them a thing or two. If they prefer to fly in the 
air with dead languages for an air ship we can spare 
them, but people who earn their living must live on 
earth and use a live language! 
BREVITIES. 
Now stuff the pigs. 
The wood pile often plays out in October! 
The worst danger in a mulched orchard is fire. 
Tine idler is the bacterium who scatters laziness, discontent 
and folly. 
Three helpful tilings in a garden—rich soil, straight 
rows and a steady horse. 
Do not leave any cultivated ground bare this Fall. Get 
rye into it if nothing else. 
Bottled whisky “shipped with no sign on Hit' package” 
is more dangerous than an open rumshop. 
It seems to us a good suggestion to labor unions that in 
case of voting to strike married men cast two votes. 
In an average season for a family of four, using vegeta¬ 
bles freely, the following have been found sufficient: Peas, 
CO feet of row: one-fourth dwarf, remainder tall. Beans, 
snap, 30 feet. Pole I.ima, 25 hills of three plants each. 
Sweet corn, early, 30 feet, of drill; medium, 70; late. 30. 
Beets and carrots, 10 feet: onions, 15; lettuce. 12: squashes, 
three hills Summer, fi Winter; cucumbers, 0 bills: 25 to¬ 
mato plants. 
