9i6 
TIIH RURAL NEW-YORKER 
December 23, 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS EARNER'S rAlER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 
nsRBERT W. Colling wood, Kditor. 
Du Walter Van Fleet, 
Mas. K. T. Hoyle, 
Associates. 
John J. Dillon, liusiuess Mananer. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.04, 
equal to 8s. 0d., or 8*4 marks, or 10Mi 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 trilling differences between subscribers and honest, 
responsible advertisers. Neither will we he 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 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 he made in money order, express order, 
personal check or bank draft. 
TIIE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
409 Pearl Street, New York. 
SATURDAY .DECEMBER 23, 1905. 
TEN WEEKS FOR 10 CENTS. 
In order to introduce The R. N.-Y. to progressive 
intelligent farmers who do not now tr.ke it, we send it 
10 weeks for 10 cents for strictly introductory purposes. 
YVe depend on our old friends to make this known to 
neighbors and friends. 
* 
The meeting of the N^w York Dairymen at Bing¬ 
hamton may justly be regarded as'the best meeting held 
in many years. It was a wise move to hold the con¬ 
vention in a locality where large quantities of commer¬ 
cial milk are produced. We should say that a larger 
proportion than usual of the audience was composed of 
people who actually milk cows. There was a fine dis¬ 
play of dairy implements and greater interest in them 
than we have observed before. A good programme 
was presented, a large share of it devoted to the pro¬ 
duction and sale of improved milk. Best of all, there 
was a hopeful feeling and a general belief that the cow 
is to have a good chance. 
* 
A reaper wants to know if he can use a cyclometer 
on farm machinery so as to measure a day's work. 
Most people are familiar with this little instrument, 
which records the revolutions of the wheel. Can one 
be used on a mower or a binder, and would the record 
he fair as measurement for a day’s work? The manu¬ 
facturers of machinery have never heard of such use, 
and we have not been able to find a dealer who has sold 
a cyclometer for this purpose. Prof. Zintheo of the 
Agricultural Department says he used an odometer 
for measuring distances. It would hardly be fair to 
measure a day’s work by the number of turns made by 
a wheel, still the record might show how long the hired 
man “rested.” 
* 
The story of an express prekage on page 855 has 
stirred up a great correspondence. Every mail brings 
letters from readers who have met with annoyance and 
loss. Here is a sample from Pennsylvania: 
The Adams Express Company have my bushel of corn 
meal and hominy. An interesting investigation !s on be¬ 
tween this express company and the United Slates Express 
Co., to whom the Adams people say they transferred my 
meal shipped from Washington. D. C.. November 10, 1905. 
The United States Express Co. deny receiving the same. 
In the meantime both companies insist upon an investiga¬ 
tion, while I look on hungrily. This may rival your noted 
“Plant” experience. j. w. l. 
This cornmeal is likely to become a meal for vermin 
before either express company will acknowledge the 
corn. Our only advice is to keep at them ard make 
life a burden until they do something. Tn connection 
with that lose no chance to talk and write for a parcels 
pc st. 
* 
The wild exploitation of Burbank and the general 
possibilities of plant breeding in recent periodicals has 
stirred up many correspondents to write commending 
The R. N.-Y. for its stand on the matter. While rec¬ 
ognizing Mr. Burbank as a most industrious and success¬ 
ful plant breeder, they know he is not the only one in 
the universe, and deplore the strained and sensational 
accounts of his work that he allows to go forth. Some 
fear that the whole important subject of plant breeding 
will be discredited when the public realizes the wide 
differences between the actual facts and the windy state¬ 
ments everywhere published. They sav this fulsome 
laudation of one prominent worker is really an injury 
to the hundreds of devoted and successful breeders who 
receive scant recognition. It appears also that there is 
prospect of an aval mche of “fake” novelties being 
launched by unscrupulous promoters while the boom in 
plant-breeding yarns lasts. It is time this towering 
bubble of horticultural exaggeration is pricked. The 
fireeding of plants is a most benign and important pur¬ 
suit, and has been harmed rather than helped by these 
misleading w T rite-ups. Let us have more good novelties 
and less talk from California. 
* 
The prize pictures printed this week give various ex¬ 
pressions of the home feeling. The first is founded on 
Trowbridge’s poem of “Farmer John.” 
Home from liis journey. Farmer John 
Arrived this morning safe and sound, 
Ills black coat off and liis old clothes on, 
“Now I'm myself,” says Farmer John, 
And he starts to look around. 
We have seen few more natural pictures of an old 
farmer and his faithful four-footed companion than this. 
The scene of the second picture is laid in the Far West. 
The man has gone to one of the great wheat ranches 
to work through harvest. With wife and baby he makes 
“home” in a sheep herder's wagon, the wheels of which 
have been removed. Many a rich man living in a 
palace with all the comforts that money can buy has 
no such home as this humble shelter provides. The 
snow scene in the third picture will bring back mem¬ 
ories to many of our older readers. Those in the South 
who never knew the sting of a northern Winter will 
wonder why people refuse to leave the land of snow¬ 
drifts and ice. They do not understand. A neighbor 
has just returned from a trip to Porto Rico, and the 
first comment was: “Northern farmers should thank 
God that they have several months of cold, bracing 
weather.” When the home feeling takes possession of 
a man or woman it makes little difference where the 
home is located. All that a farmer has is his home. It 
means more to him than to any other class of workman. 
* 
The Postmaster General’s report is a great disappoint¬ 
ment to friends of a parcels post. Last year a sugges¬ 
tion was made to give some improvement on rural routes 
but even that seems to be killed this year. 
To establish a domestic parcel post in this country where 
distances are so great and a uniform rate of postage is so 
firmly established as a sound principle of postal adminis¬ 
tration, would probably involve either a high rate of posiage 
or a temporary deficit in the effort to compete with the 
several express companies thoroughly organized for hand¬ 
ling parcels under the zone system, charging in proportion 
to distance carried. The parcels post would get all long¬ 
distance parcels, which would be carried at a loss and the 
express companies all short-distance parcels, because zone 
rates would be less than postage rates. An effective do¬ 
mestic parcel post should be organized on tlie same lines, 
substantially as the express companies. 
If this sort of reasoning had prevailed in the past we 
never should have had a uniform postal rate for letters. 
It was not until 1863 that such a rate was provided. 
Before that postage was three cents for carrying a letter 
under 3,000 miles and 10 cents for a longer distance. 
When the postal system was started the rates were 
based on distance. There is a precedent therefore for 
starting a parcels post with a rate varying with the 
distance if this is necessary to avoid great expense. We 
believe the Postmaster General is greatly mistaken in 
thinking that the express companies would carry “all 
short-distance parcels.” He cannot realize the hitter 
feeling against these companies for their extortion and 
carelessness. He makes one suggestion, however, that 
may he regarded as a little step ahead. That is to put 
what is called third and fourth class matter together. 
Third-class matter is transient newspapers and other 
printed matter which is carried at one cent for two 
ounces; fourth-class matter covers merchandise. The 
limit for one package is four pounds—the cost being one 
cent an ounce. Throwing these two classes together 
would cut the rate on merchandise in two and enable 
us to send a four pound package for 32 cents. Even 
this little concession will be fought by the express com¬ 
panies, and it would hardly he worth considering if it 
were not accepted as the beginning of a genuine parcels 
post. Let us spend no time in grieving over the situa¬ 
tion. hut get at work harder than ever. It ought to he 
entirely evident to any man with half a mind that we 
shall have no parcels post until we make Congress give 
us one. First of all we must get our own friends and 
neighbors interested, and thus increase the pressure upon 
Congressmen. Count it a day lost when you do not 
mention parcels post at least five times by letter or 
conversation. 
* 
Over a year ago, when we started a campaign for 
better fence wire, we could obtain little help from the 
agricultural papers. They were quite willing to demand 
better wire, hut they fought shy of the only reasonable 
method of obtaining it. We insisted from the first that 
the only practical plan was for the Government or the 
experiment stations to learn first why modern fence 
wire fails. Having learned this a standard should he 
adopted, and a fair test worked out. Then farmers 
could buy wire under a guarantee as they buv fertilizer 
or feed. We are glad to see that the work of the past 
year is bearing fruit. Here comes the Ohio Farmer. 
The test it refers to is the one we have given a dozen 
times, of dipping the wire in a solution of copper 
sulphate. 
Of course it is impracticable for farmers to apply this 
test, and if there is no fence wire on llie market that will 
stand the test, what good would it do? The farmer who 
must have the wire is compelled to take what he can get. 
But a State law requiring such a test would be both pine 
ticable and efficient. It could lie placed in the hands of the 
Slate department of agriculture, just as the testing of for 
tliizers and feed stuffs is. The above may not be tbe best 
test, hut science can easily furnish one that would protect 
the farmers from fraud in this matter. Under such a law 
no wire could be put upon the market unless it stood the 
test. If farmers will keep up the agitation and demand 
such a law, it will come. 
Very few of the railroads have demanded a test tints 
far. They are now considering it. The War Depart 
ment at Washington has informed ns that when it 1 >■ 
comes necessary to buy wire for the Panama Cana' a 
special test will he applied. The test with sulphate ot 
copper determines the character of the galvanizing. 
Most of the manufacturers have claimed that by usin j 
greater care in galvanizing the wire most of the trouble 
would be removed. The real trouble lies in the wira 
itself. Experiments at the Agricultural Department 
show that under the modern system of manufacture 
there is often an unequal distribution of manganese 
through the steel. When this occurs an electric action 
sets in which on a small scale is not unlike that when 
two metals are fastened together to form an electric 
battery. Just as in the battery this electric action re¬ 
sults in more or less decomposition of the metals, so in 
the wire the unequal distribution of manganese causes 
electrolysis or decomposition and this means rust. We 
have collected many samples of wire and nails which 
have stood for years and sent them to Washington. In 
practically every case it was found that these specimens 
contained little or no manganese. Enough has been 
done to show that at least part of the trouble lies in the 
wire itself. An improvement in galvanizing will help 
somewhat, hut we must have better wire. It is by no 
means easy for science to furnish a complete and fr ir 
test. In order to furnish the old style wire some processes 
of manufacture must he changed. The manufacture can 
hardly he expected to change their methods until the 
public demand a different wire. We have been aston¬ 
ished that farmers have been able to accomplish as much 
as they have during the past year. The trouble with 
the wire has been proved and pointed out. A test will 
he worked out in due time. Tin's improvement w’ll 
stand still until farmers do their part by demanding a 
fair guarantee for their wire. A law compelling such 
a test will help, but why wait for it? The law of 
demand enforced by 1.000.000 farmers will create a 
supply of better wire within a year. 
BREVITIES. 
After all, what lias a farmer got besides bis home? 
Slang in the English language makes it appear that it 
requires “sand” to acquire “rocks.” 
Why is the man who waters bis milk put in jail, while 
the man who “waters” trust stock is called a great “finan¬ 
cier?” 
Man may put his character Into his horse or his dog. but 
he must put the cow's character into himself to make her 
succeed. 
What a shape the State of Maryland has! When a man 
says he lives there and you do not know his county it is 
hard to tell whether he comes from sand or rock. 
In Pennsylvania a fertilizer manufacturer cannot recover 
damages from the Secretary of Agriculture for injury said 
to have been caused by the publication of official analyses. 
A poor man has one advantage over a rich one. His 
children may lx? brought up so that they do not wait for 
his death so that his estate may be cut up —like a piece of 
meat. 
Mr. Johnson says on page filfi that it was Luther Burbank 
who first Introduced the San Jose scale to the Eastern 
States. Well, we can truthfully say that no other horticul¬ 
tural novelty was ever more thoroughly disseminated. 
A city woman says she has given lip buying red apples, 
because she has had so many tasteless ones of woolly tex¬ 
ture, while green apples are always good. Isn't that an¬ 
other knock at our smiling but deceitful friend, Mr. B—n 
D—s? 
The President’s message was a bulky and comprehensive 
document, but among all the subjects corralled therein the 
reform of the free seed distribution somehow got away. We 
shall continue to lx? giaddened by the famous seeds that 
never grow. 
A Massachusetts court has decided that (lie cal is si ill 
a wild animaj, and is not entitled to tlie protection accorded 
to domesticated creatures. Probably tlie court has been try¬ 
ing to convince the family cat in some direction opposed by 
her feline judgment. 
According to the Department of Agriculture the noodle 
of commerce is a base libel upon tbe business lien. Instead 
of acquiring its yellow complexion from eggs it is colored 
with turmeric or coal tar dye. Turmeric is an innocent 
vegetable dye that belongs in the pickle jar. but deliver us 
from phenylamine noodles! 
If you want to get: the limit of legal advice write the 
Attorney General of New Jersey asking some important pub¬ 
lic question. You will promptly receive a printed circular 
informing you that this giant intellect is not authorized by 
law to answer cpiestions for ordinary peon'e. We venture to 
say that every other Stale Attorney in the country will see 
that important cpiestions are courteously answered! 
