318 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
April 
* 
h 
The Rural New-Yorker 
TEE BUSINESS FARMER’S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal Tor Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850. 
Herbert W. Collingwood, Editor. 
Dr. Walter Van’ Fleet, I A , 
Mrs. E. 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. 6d., or 8% marks, or lO'/j 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 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. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
409 Pearl Street, New York. 
SATURDAY, APRIL 7, 1906. 
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. 
* 
Our Illinois friend who takes the Hope Farm man to 
task about the parcels post says the roads are so bad 
that travelers must use life preservers! That too is out 
in the country where we have been reading about those 
“good roads trains.” Seriously, we would like to hear 
from readers where the roads are so bad that a parcels 
post would be impossible! We want to locate the places. 
* 
A New Jersey town suffering from the velocity of 
fractious automobilists has decided to follow the exam¬ 
ple of Illinois, and invite these comets of the road to 
“bump the bumps.” This form of discipline consists of 
raised crosswalks, constructed of flagstones and cobble¬ 
stones. They are so sloped that horses, carriages and 
automobiles traveling at a moderate rate are not dis¬ 
commoded, while the man exceeding the speed limit is 
expected to suffer broken springs and racked machinery, 
combined with corporeal discipline. Just how the 
drivers of heavily-loaded vehicles will view these “thank- 
you-ma’ams” is not recorded. The main point brought 
out in New Jersey, as elsewhere, is that the reckless 
motorist is a common nuisance, and the suffering public 
is quite ready to employ the most drastic forms of class 
legislation against him. if there is no other way in 
which he will recognize the rights of his fellows. 
* 
People often write asking how they shall invest sur¬ 
plus money. The land seems to be full of schemes for 
attracting capital. Building lots in “boom towns” near 
large cities, lands in the Far West, orange groves in the 
South—there seems no end of the plausible chances for 
investment. There appears to be a craze for taking 
money away from home and sending it to strangers to 
invest. In some cases such investment is just as much 
a gamble as it would be to buy stocks or bonds in Wall 
Street. We have long felt that one reason why farming 
is at a disadvantage as compared with other business is 
because so much of the cash which it represents is sent 
. away to feed other industries. Why not invest the sur¬ 
plus in the farm? Is the house as comfortable as it 
should be? Is the farm thoroughly drained and ferti¬ 
lized ? Invest the money at home ! 
* 
In “The Menace of Privilege” Ben Franklin is quoted 
as making use of the following article, from the con¬ 
stitution of Pennsylvania: 
As every freeman, to pursue his independence (If he has 
not a sufficient estate) ought to have some profession, call¬ 
ing, trade, or farm, whereby he may honestly subsist, there 
can be no necessity for, nor use in, establishing offices of 
profit, the usual effects of which are dependence and servility 
unbecoming freemen, in the possessors and expectants; fac¬ 
tion, combination, corruption and disorders among people. 
Wherefore, whenever an office through increase of fees or 
otherwise, becomes so profitable, as to occasion many to ap¬ 
ply for it, the profits ought to be lessened by the Legis¬ 
lature. 
That was in the early days of the Republic, but the 
point of it is sharper now than ever before. Under the 
fee system the income from certain offices has become 
so large that they are well worth buying, and thus the 
"graft” is spread all through society, until it touchec 
six families out of 10 in the country! 
The story of that Colorado rubber plant reminds one 
of the legend about the early discovery of coffee. That 
story goes that a monk in an eastern country observed 
that at certain times and seasons the goats came home 
feeling extra gay. He followed them and saw that they 
nibbled the berries and leaves from a certain shrub. 
He tried it—and was accused by his brothers of drink¬ 
ing the forbidden wine! When they experimented all 
was forgiven, and ever since then coffee has been used 
in various forms. Prof. Carpenter says there really is 
such a plant. It may fail in cultivation. No doubt we 
shall soon hear of companies formed to “boom” its 
culture—with stock for sale. Better put heat and water 
into your house than to invest in rubber stock. 
* 
There is a sentiment among some farmers that the 
Chinese should be freely admitted to this country, so as 
to provide farm laborers. We find this sentiment 
stronger than ever this Spring. The labor question is 
so hard that people are often ready to try almost any 
experiment rather than sell out or try new methods. 
We have in former years heard arguments on this 
Chinese question. A fair statement of such discussion 
seems to be that free entry of Chinese would not be 
of much service to the smaller farmers who need one or 
two hands. The Chinese are clannish, and prefer to go 
where they can be near their own countrymen. Some 
of their habits would prove offensive to the eastern 
farmer. If they came at all they would be most likely 
to find employment in large gangs on the big fruit and 
vegetable farms, which already compete seriously with 
farms of smaller size. We shall have the matter dis¬ 
cussed in The R. N.-Y., but the facts thus far brought 
out do not indicate much help for smaller farmers from 
Chinese labor. 
* 
Mr. S. H. Record, of Massachusetts, is over 80 years 
old, yet still more vigorous than many a man of 50. We 
are not surprised to have him write the following about 
a diet of vegetables and fruit: 
The older I grow the more importance T attach to daily 
eating of fruit and also vegetables. I can hardly believe 
that so many sudden and almost unexpected deaths would 
occur from Bright’s disease, diabetes, cancers, etc., if fruit 
in large variety was made a large part of the people’s gen¬ 
eral diet, and also of green and ripe vegetables. Each vari¬ 
ety seems to be adapted to prevent certain forms of disease 
that are almost sure to overtake those deprived, for a long 
while, of those fruits or vegetables which are believed to 
be specifics for that disease. By keeping up a constant 
use of a large variety of these fruits, we do, I believe, become 
more immune to these ailments. 
All this is true. Nature has given us in the garden 
just about all the drugs and pills that man needs if he 
will behave himself and make use of these gifts. It may 
be a job for some of us to walk the straight line of good 
behavior, but let us have the garden anyway, including 
the work required to make it. 
* 
Sometimes people wonder why we do not tell more 
“big stories” of great successes on the farm. Having a 
farm of our own, we know what these big stories mean, 
and how they look to practical farmers. If the writers 
of them knew—there wouldn’t be many of them written. 
An agricultural paper recently contained a remarkable 
story of a farmer in Alabama who on a poor, run-down 
farm grew over $8,000 worth of baled cow-pea vines. 
The story is told in a way to convey the idea that the 
average farmer ought to be ashamed of himself for not 
doing the same thing. The facts are, that in the Gulf 
States cow-pea vines are hard to cure, as there is much 
rain at the time they are fit to cut. If they are left too 
long in the sun to cure most of the leaves will be lost. 
The vines are hard to cut and rake, and in the Gulf 
States shelter would be needed to cure and shade the 
crop. We do not say that the story is exaggerated, but 
it is not safe advice to tell farmers in the Gulf States 
that they may generally expect such results. Properly 
handled the cow pea is a very useful farm crop, but 
when such great tales are recorded the practical appli¬ 
cation should be carefully made. 
* 
There are some good-hearted farmers who have given 
money for the city poor. Some of this money was “to 
provide breakfasts for men out of work,” and was 
doubtless used for that purpose. Now some of these 
same farmers are in need of help, and they come or send 
to the city hunting for these men who need the break¬ 
fast. It is a hard shock to them to find in some cases 
that the money which they gave has helped unsettle the 
labor problem. There are some men who lose their 
independence and energy the more they are cared for. 
No doubt the facilities for obtaining free food have 
made some workmen feel very indifferent regarding a 
job in the country. There are without doubt worthy 
men in the city who would really like to find homes in 
the country. At least they think so, though quite likely 
they would pine for their old city haunts when the nov¬ 
elty wore off. The recent articles in The R. N.-Y. 
give a fair statement of what a farmer may expect from 
such helpers. It will require a very patient and long¬ 
headed farmer to get much if any profit from such 
workmen. 
In old times Connecticut was noted for its corn crops. 
It is a fact that at one time Connecticut produced more 
corn than any other State in the Union—the Indians 
growing much of it. Many excellent varieties were de¬ 
veloped, and bred true for years. At the time when 
western corn became so cheap Connecticut corn-growing 
declined, and some of these valuable varieties were lost. 
Now that the price of corn has been permanently raised 
these varieties are needed more than ever before, be¬ 
cause they are adapted to New England conditions, and 
will outyield other varieties. The Connecticut Exper¬ 
iment Station has done a wise thing in making a special 
study of the seed question. Prof. E. M. East has come 
to New Haven from Illinois, where he had some years’ 
experience in plant breeding. As is well known, a good 
share of the great progress made by western farmers is 
due to the improvement in farm seeds. Farmers of Con¬ 
necticut will be greatly helped if they will study the 
principles of plant breeding and selection of improved 
seeds. All who are interested in such things should 
write to Prof. East at once. It is far better to organize 
and classify such investigation. 
* 
Here is what the conservative New York Evening 
Post says about the free seed distribution: 
If the free seed distribution served any legitimate end. 
either the’ advancement of science or the glorification of 
agriculture, Secretary Wilson, we are sure, would be enthusi¬ 
astic in its favor. But, as his letter to Representative 
Tawney shows, his Department regards it as merely dis¬ 
agreeable and absurd drudgery. Aside from the $20,000 for 
introducing new crops from abroad, which is valuable work, 
the substantial appropriation which Congress makes every 
year has been used simply to buy in the open market the 
ordinary commercial varieties of garden seeds, and dis¬ 
tribute them to private citizens. There would be exactly as 
much reason for an appropriation to buy neckties, good 
books, or soda-mint tablets. In fact, if we should suddenly 
attempt to apply with consistency the principle of the seed 
distribution, we should at once have to enact the M. P.’s 
famous bill “to give everybody everything.” 
No one can give a really sound argument in favor of 
this seed distribution as at present conducted. How 
can any man find fault with a large “grafter” while he 
supports a small “graft” himself? 
* 
It seems that Luther Burbank is in danger of being 
talked to death. The following is taken from a circular 
issued by his friends and relatives: 
Over 6,000 visitors were received on his grounds during 
the year 1904. All the important experimental work was 
delayed beyond recall, grounds overrun with crowds from 
daylight to 10 o’clock at night, no rest even on Sundays or 
holidays. Business destroyed, rare plants died from want 
of care. Attention constantly drawn from legitimate matters, 
letters neglected, telegrams delayed. Meals taken standing, 
sleep disturbed, health at the point of destruction, visitors 
calling at all hours without any regard to Mr. Burbank's 
convenience, each one being under the fixed and unalterable 
impression that he or she was the one particular one who 
should be admitted. This was too much. The question 
arose. Should he continue his valuable researches undis¬ 
turbed, or should he be murdered piecemeal as a showman? 
It is bad enough to kill a good man at one blow, but 
to destroy him piecemeal is certainly too much. So 
now would-be visitors find themselves confronted by a 
sign warning them to keep off the premises or be 
arrested. In view of this great annoyance it is all the 
more to be regretted that Mr. Burbank is to be deprived 
of the soothing and helpful influence of The R. N.-Y. 
BREVITIES. 
Beautiful snow ! 
Get at the roads this Spring. 
Be sure to fine the garden soil. 
If you think of taking a child to bring up—get it as young 
as you can ! 
The bill for free denaturized alcohol will be reported to 
Congress. It ought to pass. 
If the latter half of March went “out like a lamb,” it 
certainly was not a “Spring" lamb. 
The skunk farm stories are starting up again. The story 
tellers now say that skins bring $3.50! 
Is there any man in your county big enough to be elected 
to the Legislature against a dog? Let him make a canvass 
on the dog question and find out! 
All sorts of stories regarding the peach crop are afloat. 
This is what J. II. Hale writes us: “Georgia peach crop 
all right after great freeze; also fine prospects in Con¬ 
necticut.” 
Any drug store should sell strips of blue litmus paper for 
testing soils. We buy it in little bottles—enough to test 
50 samples—for 10 cents. Remember that an acid will turn 
the blue litmus paper red. 
A student at the London University has written a thesis 
on “The Condensation of Dimethyldiliydroresorcin and Chlo- 
roketodimethyltetrahydrobenzene.” While he was about it 
he ought to have gone a little further and condensed some 
of these names. 
Automobii.es should be absolutely denied access to some 
country roads. We have one in our neighborhood—a nar¬ 
row, winding way alongside a river. There is no chance 
for an auto and a nervous horse to pass, and the former 
should be kept off. 
A man with a 30-cow dairy and some additional use for 
cold storage thinks of putting in an artificial cooling plant. 
We would like to hear from readers who are successfully 
using refrigeration machinery of small capacity. Does it 
pay a fair interest rate on the investment? 
