748 
TIIE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
October 14 , 
The Rural New-Yorker 
TUB BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850. 
Herbert W. Colling wood, Editor 
Dr. Walter Van Fleet, i * 
Mrs. 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. (id., or 8Mi marks, or 10*/ 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 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 us within one 
month of the time of the transaction, and you must hate 
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, OCTOBER 14, 1905. 
TEN WEEKS FOR 10 CENTS. 
In order to introduce The R. N.-Y. to progressive 
intelligent farmers 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 m^ke this known to 
neighbors and friends. 
* 
PRIZES FOR PHOTOGRAPHS. 
Prizes of $5, $3 and $2 will be paid for the best 
photographs, suitable for printing in The R. N.-Y. 
illustrating the subject: 
“THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME.” 
The picture may be a group of humans, a company of 
animals or a farm scene. The only condition is that it 
must in some way illustrate the home feeling. Here 
is a chance for an amateur photographer to show some 
original groupings and picture a subject as old as time 
and yet ever new. An illustration of the home feeling 
is an expression of the most beautiful and powerful 
force in the world. The pictures must be in our hands 
liy November 15. 
* 
T he big corn crop now seems to be safe, and many 
of us are waiting for a drop in prices for grain. The 
cost of feeding stock to those who are obliged to buy 
their grain has been excessive for the past few years. 
The size of the corn crop does more than anything else 
to regulate grain prices, and everything now points to 
a better chance for stock feeders. 
* 
You may have a hired man engaged for the Summer 
only. Some farmers hire a man in the Spring, work 
him until the crops are gathered and then let him go. 
The man has no home, and usually spends the Winter 
in idleness. Can you not find work for him this 
Winter, and thus keep him busy? He needs a home. 
The city does not need him. Try it! 
* 
We are often asked how it is that some inferior things 
are highly recommended by good farmers. Most of 
such testimonials are obtained before the things are 
fully tested. A man may buy a machine. It starts off 
well and he writes about it before any of its defects are 
manifest. Later he learns these defects, and finds fault 
hut his “testimonial” has already been written. It pays 
to wait for the “sober second thought” before praising 
goods—or condemning them. 
* 
The newspapers state that President Roosevelt is 
“working on his message to Congress,” which reminds 
us that this is a good time for a large number of other 
citizens to be working on messages of their own to this 
law-making body. Congress represents the people, and 
every Senator and Representative should he anxious to 
know the wishes of his constituents. Make your “mes¬ 
sage” strong, definite and short. Sensible letters of this 
type make Congressmen thoughtful. 
* 
The farmer who tries to sell a nervous, well-bred 
trotting horse will think there is some mistake about the 
great “boom” in horse flesh. It is harder to get value 
out of such horses than out of any other good type. 
The competition from autos and wheels comes hardest 
against the light trotter which is good for nothing except 
on a fine road before a light wagon. Heavier and 
quieter horses are demanded. The coach horses and 
Morgans and good colts of the draft breeds are in great 
demand, and there is money in raising them. Our 
advice to farmers is to let trotters alone. There is 
more money in sheep than for some years past. Wool 
is high and the number of sheep does not increase rap¬ 
idly. All over the world there seems to be a decline in 
the number of sheep. In this country on January 1 of 
this year there were 45,170,423 sheep against 63,964,876 
three years ago, and 50,360,243 20 years ago. Yet the 
sheep this year were worth $20,000,000 more than the 
larger flocks of 20 years ago. With some plan that will 
keep off the dogs there seems to be a good future for 
sheep on farms where there is pasture. 
* 
I he village of Glencoe, Ill., a suburb of Chicago, is 
getting even with the automobile road-hog by making 
him “hump the humps,” having arranged a series of 
elaborate “thank-you-ma’ams” in the road which, while 
entirely harmless to ordinary traffic, are warranted to 
throw anyone exceeding the speed limit out of his ma¬ 
chine. This practical object lesson has not been pop¬ 
ular with the record-breakers, hut a judicial court has 
decided that the village is entirely within its rights, since 
the now-famous bumps of Glencoe inflict no inconven¬ 
ience upon the law-abiding citizen, hut merely impress 
the majesty of the law, visibly and corporeally, upon 
the persons of those who defy its mandates. We com¬ 
mend the Glencoe form of retribution to those New 
Jersey farmers who are said to be handing together to 
send anti-automobile representatives to the State Leg¬ 
islature. 
* 
We recently mentioned a case where an express com¬ 
pany lost a package of live plants. We have written 
again and again only to he told that the matter “is being 
investigated.” Over 40 days ago we were told that the 
“wheels are grinding” and that in a few days the case 
would be settled. It is apparently further from settle¬ 
ment than ever. Usually people give up such things in 
disgust, and endure the loss and annoyance rather than 
keep after these express robbers. We shall not give 
this case up. hut shall make life a burden to this com¬ 
pany until it either pays or refuses to pay for the prop¬ 
erty it has destroyed! 
* 
Last year the Postoffice Department sold 7,704,983,165 
stamps, cards, etc., which were valued at $141,486,4S3. 
The earnings were greater than ever before, and leaving 
out the free rural delivery system the Department paid 
its own expenses. The rural delivery system will also 
pay when we have a parcels post. As we have often 
pointed out, the income from rural delivery can be 
greatly increased when country people are permitted to 
send and receive packages at a fair rate. The carriers 
can handle far more matter than they do now without 
much extra cost, and the parcels post will be of greatest 
value to farmers and rural people. Give us a parcels 
post and the deficit in the Postoffice Department will 
be wiped out. 
* 
Let everybody remember that the third Tuesday in 
October is National Apple Day! T he first general 
observation of this holiday should be a notable one. No 
general form of celebration has been worked out, hut 
each apple grower or apple eater should plan to do 
something for the apple. If the weather is favorable 
we intend to spray a block of apple trees, plant a few 
new ones and eat at least five good specimens on Apple 
Day. 1 here should be apple in some form at every meal 
in your home. In some places addresses on the apple 
will be made at public schools, and good fruit will be 
given to the pupils. Even the prisoners in jail shoul 
be remembered. We may give them a green Ben Davis 
and make them eat it as a punishment, or give them 
some high-flavored apple as an inducement to get out 
of jail and stay out. But celebrate the day, and talk 
about it. It is a day of good feeling—let Mother cook 
her best apple pie and Father call for three pieces! 
* 
Di ring the past month reading farmers have noticed 
articles in the newspapers crying against railroad legis¬ 
lation. Last year there was a strong demand for legis¬ 
lation that would give the Interstate Commerce Com¬ 
mission power to make and enforce fair rates for haul¬ 
ing freight. At present the Commission can only sug¬ 
gest rate changes it has no power to enforce its own 
rules. President Roosevelt favored this legislation, and 
the great majority of farmers supported him. The 
House of Representatives passed a bill which would 
have helped, but the Senate killed it. Friends of the 
railroads have now gone to work to try to show that 
public sentiment has changed. Among other things we 
are told that the National Farmers’ Congress failed to 
call for such legislation. Hence they say farmers do no 
want it. 1 his Congress does not and never did repre¬ 
sent the plain, working farmers. Whenever some gath¬ 
ering of agriculturists” is reported as against this 
legislation you can be very sure that few of them 
ever worked an Hour in the field. The real sentiment 
of the country has not changed on this question. The 
extortions of the railroads are grinding small producers, 
and rebates’ are giving unfair advantage and special 
privilege to some who least need help. The common 
people understand this, and they see clearly that the 
Government either through Congress or through a com¬ 
mission must have the power to correct the evil. This 
power belongs to Congress under the Constitution, and 
Congress has the right to delegate the power to a 
commission. This is the situation in a nutshell and 
President Roosevelt will find the country at his back 
when he tells the next Congress what is wanted. The 
present talk in the newspapers is largely for effect, and 
really indicates the strength of the demand for rate 
legislation. 
* 
Do nurserymen realize what it means to mix up the 
labels on the trees they send to customers? It does 
not seem so at times when the facts are put before 
them. The following letter from a New York farmer 
states the case: 
In the Spring of 1902 I bought of the — Nursery about 500 
trees. In the lot were a little over 100 peaches, mostly for 
commercial purposes, hut thinking we might as well have 
a good rotation for home use I ordered a few Mountain 
Rose and Oldmixon Free. We were greatly surprised this 
Summer when both of these supposed kinds bore late 
yellow cling peaches. These trees were properly labeled 
when they came. I took them myself and set in our home 
plot, so I know there was no mistake on my part. I do not 
wish to make any complaint, but you can imagine my feeling 
with something like 300 apple trees of this lot still to 
come into hearing, especially as they are in an experiment 
to determine what varieties do best in this locality under 
commercial conditions. 
We know just exactly how this man feels. The 
chances are that the apple trees are true to name, hut 
what can he expect after the peach experiment? He 
may be a man past middle life, to whom a few lost 
years will mean much. We realize the chance for mak¬ 
ing mistakes in the nursery, but the nurserymen should 
understand that it is no small matter to mix up his 
labels. It will he poor recompense to give other young 
trees in the place of these if fruitage shows them untrue 
to name. 
* 
A farmer in a nearby State kept a herd of cows, and 
sold milk at retail. He is an honest man and sold 
honest milk, just as it comes from the cow! There are 
always those who try to pull another down. Some one 
complained that this man was watering his milk. An 
inspector came to the farm, took one sample and gave 
another to the farmer. Not understanding the case, this 
farmer did not have his sample analyzed. He was tried 
before a justice and fined $50, the evidence against him 
being an analysis said to have been made by the inspec¬ 
tor. Analysis of the other sample would, we feel sure, 
have proved the farmer’s innocence. When we heard 
of the case we urged this farmer to refuse to pay the 
fine and demand a new trial before a jury. This was 
his privilege, but lie would not do it. We believe it to 
have been a clear case of injustice, but this farmer 
shrank from the publicity such a fight would give him. 
Now that is just exactly where farmers have lost some 
of their oldtime rights and permitted others to walk over 
them. In the first place, this farmer should have 
engaged a chemist to analyze that milk. He was up 
against a law which can be hard and cruel in the hands 
of those who want to make it so. Having failed in 
this, he should have demanded a new trial and fought to 
the last for his reputation and good name. We under¬ 
stand why farmers do not like to do such things. One 
will be called a crank and worse names and subjected 
to ridicule and abuse. It takes a brave man to face the 
situation sometimes, yet it is a duty that a farmer owes 
to himself and to his business to fight for his rights. 
It is just this very failure to assert ourselves and use 
the law for our protection that has made other classes 
bold and led them to change the laws more and more in 
their own favor. 
BREVITIES. 
Try the grape cure, even though you are not ailing. 
Why not cut out the barrel of harcl cider this year? 
Are the pullets roosting outdoors these chilly nights? 
Some people get so that they regard habit as a moral 
law. 
Cornstalks left in the field until the snow flies are poor 
fodder. 
Blackbirds are said to be damaging corn in Iowa, though 
the crop is unusually large. 
Ventilation is good for some things—barns for example 
—but bad for others—like certain ideas. 
The latest recorded “cure” for consumption Is diluted 
sea water, which is injected under the skin. 
PEon.E often refer to the baked bean habit of New Eng¬ 
land. It is no more pronounced than the fried chicken 
habit of the South. Both are good habits. 
Out of 56,000,000 acres in Great Britain 45,000,000 are 
used for farming and stock raising. The arable land 
equals 18,000,000 acres and the pasture 27,000,000. Only 
about one-tenth of the actual farm land is occupied by the 
owners. 
Several readers have asked about the manure spreader 
which moved about the New l'ork State Fair grounds driven 
by a gasoline engine. This spreader was not at work with 
a load on soft ground, hut kept on the hard roads. So far 
as wo know there is no farm machine yet that can be operated 
in plowed ground with gasoline power. 
