428 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
May 19, 
' ‘*N « 01 y „ 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850. 
Entered at New York as Second Class Matter. 
Herbert w. Collingwood, Editor. 
Dr. Walter Van Fleet, t 
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. 0d„ or 8 Vi marks, or lOVi 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 the time of the transaction, and vou must have 
mentioned The Ritrai, 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 hank draft. 
TIIE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
409 Pearl Street, New York. 
SATURDAY, MAY 19, 1906. 
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 make this known to 
neighbors and friends. 
* 
Broom corn will be quite largely planted this year— 
in some new sections. When properly handled and 
grown in sections where a good supply can be obtained 
the crop pays quite well. Planting and cultivating is 
much the same as for other varieties of sorghum or 
corn, but great care and good judgment is needed in 
harvesting and handling the crop. It rarely pays to 
grow a small crop in a new neighborhood unless a 
number of farmers will all plant, so as to give a fair 
sized output. 
* 
A genuine and useful seed distribution is conducted 
by the New Jersey Experiment Station at New Bruns¬ 
wick. T his does not mean packets of turnip or beet 
seed—small graft for Congressmen—but really new 
things, many of them originated at the station. Among 
others this year, for example, are two varieties of sweet 
corn, one field corn grown by western Indians, a new 
bush Lima bean, a new tomato and so on. It is a use¬ 
ful and interesting feature of the station work. On a 
larger scale that is what the United States Government 
ought to do. 
* 
The various publications of the Orange Judd Co. 
enjoy the proud distinction of being the only farm 
papers thus far to help “boom” the Seedless apple. Cir¬ 
culars of the company come to us in which fruit growers 
are referred to these papers for endorsement. All 
things considered, this is certainly a distinction to be 
proud of. It is profitable at least. Among comments 
from well-known fruit growers we have the following: 
In regard to the Seedless apple, I think a paper that will 
advertise it doesn't know what it is about. I have seen the 
apple, and have sampled it, and would say it ought to he 
named, not coreless, but seedless and tasteless. 
albert wood. 
Mr. Wood is one of our most successful fruit grow¬ 
ers. Who will say that his opinion on both of these 
subjects is wrong? 
* 
We have paid our respects to the “rubber com¬ 
panies” organized to produce rubber in Mexico. Many 
of these concerns attempted to raise their needed capital 
by selling stock in small quantities. We never consid¬ 
ered such stock a safe investment for people with small 
capital, and have said so. One of our readers in Mexico 
states that rubber culture can be made a success in his 
country, and that six to eight years are required to bring 
the trees to the point of even small production. Thus, 
he says, it is not fair to expect these companies to pay 
dividends or to consider that they are not doing well. 
We desire to be fair to all and would not injure any 
legitimate business. We still think, however, that a 
small block of stock in a large rubber company is not 
as safe as an investment on your own farm. 
* 
We are to have “free seeds” after all. The Commit¬ 
tee on Agriculture cut out the appropriation for buying 
and distributing these seeds, but after a long debate, by 
a vote of nearly two to one, the House ordered it back 
again. Such things are discouraging. They do more 
than anything else to ridicule and belittle agriculture. 
Congressmen take the discussion as a big joke, and con¬ 
clude that a farmer must be a very small potato if he is 
satisfied with this little “graft.” During the debate one 
Congressman claimed that the seed trade is a big trust, 
and that this distribution was the only means of fighting 
it. What greater nonsense could be talked than this? 
This very Government distribution has driven out of 
business a host of smaller seedsmen who, but for it, 
could do a fair business by mail, and thus provide com¬ 
petition. 
* 
Coming through a street in this city the other day we 
saw a large pile of bags marked “Ground sheep ma¬ 
nure, from Topeka, Kansas.” This sheep manure is 
quite largely used in greenhouses. It has been found 
one of the best forms of organic nitrogen in growing 
the finer grades of tobacco, and often brings $30 or more 
per ton. Small packages are sold at six cents a pound. 
We were curious to know what this sheep manure 
brings to Kansas farmers. Secretary Coburn, of To¬ 
peka, tells us that there is no record that such manure 
has ever been shipped from the State. Investigation 
proved that the manure was picked up at the Chicago 
stock yards, the name “Kansas” being put on the bags to 
make it “sound large.” Kansas people ought to appre¬ 
ciate the fact that the name of their State carries the 
idea of something “big.” Another product offered for 
sale is “corncob ashes from Kansas,” when it is doubtful 
if a pound of such ashes was ever sent out of the State. 
* 
Many of us have read about the big insurance 
“grafters,” but the public knows little about the petty 
stealings that have helped make some of the great com¬ 
panies rich. It seems that helpless poor people have 
been treated in the most outrageous manner. A plan 
for taking out a small policy and paying 25 cents a 
week premium has proved a bonanza to the insurance 
companies. In one case a poor woman took out such an 
insurance for $134, and has already paid $220 at 25 
cents a week. She must keep on paying for over five 
years more before she can get the $134. When asked 
to settle the company had the face to offer $90 in cash, 
when this poor woman has already paid in $220. In 
another case a man has paid $217 at 25 cents a week 
on a policy of $165. The company, after getting his 
money, actually offered him a paid-up policy for $80 
to settle! Now these were not poor little “fake” com¬ 
panies, but two of the largest concerns in the land, doing 
millions of business each year! Wouldn’t you feel 
proud of yourself as an officer of an insurance company 
to feel that you had thus squeezed dollars out of sweat 
and tears because the helpless wretches who gave up 
were poor and without redress? 
* 
The newspapers report the failure of a western poul¬ 
try farm, managed by a “society” woman, who furnished 
eggs and poultry to the wealthy people of her own ex¬ 
clusive circle. The venture was not a success, and the 
lady’s creditors have agreed to a settlement at the rate 
of 60 cents on the dollar. One’s first thought is that 
this exhibits the usual case of misplaced confidence; the 
failure of an inexperienced person who thought anyone 
could succeed with poultry. Commission men assert, 
however, that the lady bought eggs in the open market, 
and then sold them as her exclusive product for as high 
as 75 cents a dozen, and that she also sold cold storage 
broilers as a new crop. Such conditions would result 
in the failure of any poultry business, whether under a 
society guarantee or not, and it recalls our experience, 
years ago, with a benevolent old lady in a slatted sun- 
bonnet, who made a round of the Chicago suburbs, offer¬ 
ing fresh farm eggs, which she carried, packed in oats, 
in a home-like market basket. Her whole appearance 
invited confidence, but subsequent experience proved 
that she came from the rural precincts of Packingtown, 
and her fresh farm eggs were gathered on South Water 
Street. Sound honesty is the foundation of every suc¬ 
cessful poultry business; we have yet to hear of such 
an enterprise succeeding upon any other basis, whether 
under society patronage or not. 
* 
President Roosevelt sent a notable message to Con¬ 
gress last week. The Senate has dawdled for weeks 
over several measures which the great majority of 
Americans consider desperately necessary. The Pres¬ 
ident shows how the Standard Oil Company has for 
years enjoyed special railroad rates and other privi¬ 
leges which have enabled it to crush out competition and 
rob the public. Americans have believed this for many 
years, and now it seems to have been demonstrated be¬ 
yond any doubt. The President calls upon the Senate 
to do several things—pass the free alcohol bill, pass a 
railroad rate bill giving the Interstate Commerce Com¬ 
mission increased powers and pass such measures as 
will prohibit the sale of public lands on which oil and 
coal are found. All these things are just and needful. As 
we have explained, free alcohol will, in time, provide a 
new source of heat, light and power, besides affording a 
new market for farm products. For more than a quarter 
of a century the people have demanded increased powers 
for the Interstate Cotnmisson. There seems no other 
practical way of stopping the fearful abuses that have 
killed off honest competition in shipping. As for the fuel 
on public lands, every pound and gallon of it should be 
held for the public, to whom it belongs. It looks now 
as if the Senate would heed the warning, but there is a 
fearful and wonderful combination in that body. A few 
rich and shrewd lawyers combine with a number of 
pompous and dignified “statesmen” who are terribly 
afraid the constitution will be sunburned if they do not 
fire off several thousand words over every petty sug¬ 
gestion. Between them the schemers and the “states¬ 
men” can hold up legislation, and no ordinary power can 
make them move. The strongest argument to put at 
the Senate this year is the bald fact that if these bills 
are killed the Republican party will lose the Congress 
elections this Fall. 
* 
Our discussion of the Seedless apple concerns the 
merit of the fruit. It is to be put on the market at a 
high price, great claims being made for it. It is our 
duty to see that readers of The R. N.-Y. know just 
what the apple is good for. John F. Spencer, of Colo¬ 
rado, has not yet come forward to state where he got 
the apple. The best authorities at Washington tell us 
that they can find no difference between the Seedless 
and apples growing in the South. At the same time this 
matter of the origin of the apple would amount to little 
if the claim had not been made that Mr. Spencer 
“evolved” the variety by some secret process. If Mr. 
Spencer has found a way of making our best varieties 
seedless he is a greater “wizard” than Burbank, but no 
evidence of it has yet been submitted. Among other 
merits claimed for the Seedless is the fact that worms 
will not or cannot enter it. We are told that the com¬ 
pany has now abandoned all printed claims that the 
apple is “coreless” and “wormless,” and this is a wise 
thing for them to do. We have read a circular in which 
the suggestion was cunningly made that since the worm 
cannot enter this apple, spraying with Paris-green would 
not be necessary. The experience of Mr. F. Walden, 
printed on page 424, puts an end to that. Mr. Walden 
is a large fruit grower with 100 acres in orchard, ship¬ 
ping some years 20,000 boxes of apples. The worm 
question may be considered settled. Everyone who cuts 
open one of these apples will easily see that it contains 
a core. The merits of the apple therefore seem to de¬ 
pend upon its seedless character, its quality both as to 
taste and keeping, and the vigor of the tree. We found 
a seed in an apple brought us by the manager of the 
company. The lack of seeds does not seem to us any 
particular advantage so long as the core is present. 
The quality of the apples we sampled was poor; we 
could not advise our readers to grow such fruit. We 
know nothing about the vigor of the tree. Our reports 
show that in at least one nursery where trees of the 
Seedless are being grown the growth is poor and infe¬ 
rior. We call for the facts from anyone who has ever 
sampled the fruit or seen the trees growing. What 
are the merits of the Seedless? 
BREVITIES. 
Don't block out too much work. 
Get some green fodder crop growing for the cows in dry 
weather. 
Try to keep seed out of the ground until it has been 
made fit. 
Why do peach growers object so to stable manure around 
their trees? 
Scratches, that troublesome disease in horses, seems to be 
the normal condition of a healthy lieu, especially at garden¬ 
making time. 
How can you expect your boy to inherit a love for farming 
unlesa you have it yourself? Breeders tell us a trait must 
be well “fixed” before it can be transmitted. 
In Europe a “trackless trolley” is in operation. A single 
overhead wire conveys the electric current, and the convey¬ 
ance is like a large omnibus runnihg over the road as 
required. 
Tiie Central Passenger Association is trying to decide 
whether an elephant should be shipped as baggage or live 
stock. Why not buy the elephant a ticket, aud then check 
his trunk? 
The Toronto Sun says that excellent progress is being 
made in women’s Institutes in Canada; 72 districts are now 
organized, with 275 branch institutions and 10,000 members. 
Canada is wise in recognizing the woman as a working half 
of the farm home. 
The nursery Inspection law passed by the last Oklahoma 
Legislature has been held unconstitutional by the Probate 
Judge of Greer County, T. P. Clay. The decision was the 
result of a demurrer filed by a nursery agent who was ar¬ 
rested for violating the nursery law. 
Be a little cautious about giving testimonials of any new 
machine, fertilizer, feed, buggy or whatever it may be. It 
will pay to summer and winter some of them before giving 
too much praise in their behalf, and many a man would 
give dollars to recall a testimonial that was given before 
a thorough seasonable trial of the article had been made. 
Cattle should never have access to fresh paint containing 
lead. Aside from marring the artistic effect, they may lick 
off enough to cause death. We have known several cases 
of this kind. In one Instance while the cows were being 
driven from pasture at night they pased a newly painted 
building. One sniffed at the white paint on the corner and 
before the driver could scare her away she had. lapped it 
several times. She died a few hours later. 
