668 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
September 1, 
The Rural New-Yorker 
T 1 IE 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. Collingwooii, Editor. 
Dr. Walter Van Fleet, i . „ 
Mrs. E. T. Kovlk, ^Associates. 
John J. Dillon. Business Manager. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.04, 
equal to 8s. Od., or 8*4 marks, or 10Mi francs. 
“A SQUARE DEAL.” 
We believe that every advertisement In this paper is 
backed by a responsible person. But to make doubly sure 
vve 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 tiie complaint must lie sent to us within one 
month of the time of the transaction, and voti must have 
mentioned The IU uai. 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 lie made in money order, express order, 
personal check or bank draft. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
409 Pearl Street, New York. 
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 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. 
\\ e depend on our old friends to make this known to 
neighbors and friends. 
* 
PRIZES FOR PHOTOGRAPHS. 
$5, $4, $3. 
M e offer these cash prizes for the best Thanksgiving 
photographs. They must be original, picture scenes of 
country life, and represent the spirit of Thanksgiving. 
1 he size does not matter. The pictures must be in our 
hands by November 1. 
What was the smallest silo you ever saw in opera¬ 
tion? We sometimes hear from people who keep two 
or three cows. They would like to put up (a few tons 
of silage, if they can keep it in a small space. What is 
the limit—at the small end? 
* 
As Holmes Bros, say on page 661 the question of 
Melon blight is a vital one to gardeners. Not long ago 
Mr. Holmes was so successful in using Bordeaux Mix¬ 
ture to overcome this trouble that experiment stations 
quoted him to show that this remedy was a sure one. 
Now we see what has happened. It all goes to show 
what a perplexing problem farming and gardening is 
coming to be. 
* 
That meeting of the New Jersey Board of Agricul¬ 
ture at the Experiment Station was a great success. 
There were 800 persons present and they saw about the 
heaviest crop of green forage that could be crowded 
upon an equal number of acres. With the crops in 
sight and the men to explain how it was done the soil¬ 
ing system was pretty well cleaned up. We have tried 
to tell about these great crops, yet they must be seen 
if one is to realize what they mean. 
* 
On the next page will be found our usual Fall offer 
for short term subscriptions. It is easily understood, 
and a word from you will be enough to induce half a 
dozen of your friends to try the paper. We owe much 
to the little bits of kindly help from readers. Never 
have we asked their assistance in vain, and we know 
that this year, with a better paper and a more liberal 
offer than ever before, we shall have many a quart of 
silver quarters. Your contributions will help makegood 
measure and we shall look for,them! 
* 
In order to realize what the Grange is doing for 
American civilization one should go to Maine. There 
the Grange is seen at its best, and it can safely be said 
that no other -American social organization is doing 
more for society. Conditions in Maine are very fa¬ 
vorable for Grange work. There are few large towns 
and cities, so that country people are thrown largely 
upon their own resources for entertainment and social 
intercourse. The Grange has risen to its opportunity 
and met the situation nobly. For example, Turner 
Grange has a membership of 560, and property valued 
at $7,200. Its members drive five to nine miles to meet¬ 
ings. Last Saturday we found an audience of over 
500, with a literary and musical programme that could 
be equaled in few large towns. It is an eye opener for 
one to go from a community where farmers distrust 
each other and have little in common to such a neigh¬ 
borhood as Turner, where there is true fraternal spirit, 
and where the best in human nature is brought out! 
At the close of the meeting the audience arose and 
sung “America”—and 75 per cent of the people seemed 
to have the song committed to memory. We have in 
this country a number of sour-minded “thinkers.” who 
imagine that there is no moral force left in American 
society. They ought to go to a Grange meeting in 
Maine and “sweeten up.” 
* 
We know of cases where the free Government seeds 
have been used for chicken feed, but it seems they 
make good fuel also: 
I went to Woodside, T,. I., recently. In one place there 
were at least 10,000 packages of Government free seeds 
burning. The proprietor was absent, and 1 couldn't find 
where they came from. Of course it is better to burn them 
than to give them away. 'Hie proprietor is a market gar¬ 
dener and he wouldn’t try one package. With the money 
that is used in free seeds we could establish a parcels post 
ail right. h. b. 
This is pretty costly fuel for the Government to give 
awavl When shall we be free from the free seeds? 
* 
The price of fruit packages is increasing and this 
may have considerable to do with fruit growing in sec¬ 
tions far from market. For example—peaches grown 
in the South must be shipped long distances to market. 
A strong crate is needed to carry them safely. In most 
seasons the margin between cost and selling price is 
very small, and a few cents added to the cost of a 
crate may mean loss. This may go so far that peach 
growing for a distant market will involve too much 
risk for the average grower. To -some extent the 
same thing is true of other fruits. The apple growers 
in the Northwest have still plenty of lumber for box 
making, and that is a great advantage. We have long 
felt that the most promising locations for fruit grow¬ 
ing are on the rough lands within easy reach of the 
large eastern cities. These lands ar© not expensive; 
they will produce good fruit, and the heaviest shipping 
packages are not needed. 
3fc 
Many farmers in Michigan are disgusted with the 
management of their State fair. It has been moved to 
Detroit, and under its present management seems to be 
degenerating into a big “midway” or cheap and vulgar 
show. Liquor is freely sold on the grounds, which are 
open on Sunday, and we are informed that drunkenness 
is common. The entire spirit of the exhibition is about 
as far removed from what we conceive to be the true 
spirit of farming as one can imagine. The object in 
locating the fair at Detroit seems to have been a desire 
to make it pay. The rum and the bawdy shows seem 
to have been added for the same purpose. The city of 
Detroit makes money by keeping up such a state of 
affairs, but it seems strange that rural people in Michi¬ 
gan are willing to foot the bills and think they are get¬ 
ting the worth of their money. We have not attended 
the fair, but if the most common reports are true it is 
a disgrace to agriculture. Farmers ought to stay away 
from such an exhibition, for by attending it they take 
on its character. 
* 
No excuse is attempted for giving so much space to 
the story of western boxed apples. The R. N.-Y. lias 
long advocated the box package. We use it for the best 
of our own fruit. It must be evident that those west¬ 
ern apple men could not obtain the prices they now do 
if their apples were packed and shipped in barrels. The 
commission men say they do not like the box, but they 
are glad to handle this boxed fruit from the Pacific 
coast. We have told the story of picking and packing 
the apples. Anyone can see that such a system involves 
the greatest care—in fact, it is care and reputation that 
bring the high price. These western men are forced 
by results to acknowledge that few people are qualified 
to pack the fruit they raise. They cannot see the worm- 
holes any more than they can see the beam in their own 
eye! The question is sure to arise—why—if these 
western growers can organize in this way and multiply 
the price of their apples three times in two years— 
cannot growers in Maine, New York or Connecticut do 
the same thing? Why not? The answer seems to lie 
with those who produce the apples. Who will say they 
cannot ? 
* 
Opponents of the Government free distribution are 
preparing for an active fight during the next session 
of Congress. In an open letter to the public, quoted in 
the Chicago Record-Herald, Henry W. Wood, of Rich¬ 
mond, Va., president of the American Seed Trade Asso¬ 
ciation, says that the seed dealers oppose the practice 
because it is an unjust interference with a legitimate 
industry as well as a waste of public money. Mr. Wood 
points, out that the total packet seed trade of the coun¬ 
try amounts to 120,000,000 packets, of which the gov¬ 
ernment gives away 40,000,000 and the dealers sell 
80,000,000. “What industry could survive if the Gov¬ 
ernment gave away free half as much as those engaged 
in the industry sold?” he asks. He suggests that it is 
time for Congress to change off and give away axes, 
saws, pocketknives and looking-glasses. The Whole¬ 
sale Seedsmen’s League is also out against free seeds. 
Between them they are in touch with about 10,000 per¬ 
sons engaged in growing and selling seeds, and with at 
least 50,000 storekeepers,, who carry seeds in stock, and 
hundreds of thousands of customers. It is quite possi¬ 
ble that this fight will follow party lines, which we shall 
greatly regret, but the National Grange, many State 
Granges and various farmers’ organizations will un¬ 
doubtedly unite with the seedsmen, nurserymen and 
florists in this matter. This is a case where the letter 
of the law is a complete travesty of its original spirit. 
* 
First we asked Mr. J. F. Spencer where he got the 
Seedless apple. No answer! Then, after many days, 
Mr. Van Deman gives evidence to show that the apple 
is the same as an old seedling known for many years. 
Then we try to make it easier for Mr. Spencer by ask¬ 
ing if this story is true. This is the only reply thus far: 
o 
We are told in a roundabout way that Mr. Spencer 
swears that Mr. Waters never gave him trees of the 
Seedless. Will Mr. Spencer send us his sworn state¬ 
ment to that effect? If so we will print it, and then 
print what Mr. Waters says! Nothing could be fairer 
than that. We never worked so hard to induce a man 
to accept free space in The R. N.-Y as we have to get 
Spencer to put himself right with the public. He seems 
to have bottled the truth up so tight that no cork¬ 
screw can bring it out. In the meantime it is his own 
fault if the public accept his silence as evidence that 
Van Deman is right. 
* 
Every mail now brings us letters like the following. 
This one is from Orleans Co., N. Y.: 
I rejoice in your position regarding the “Octopus” Wads¬ 
worth. though I am a Republican, who sat at the feet of 
Lincoln, as it were. There are hundreds, yea thousands, of 
Republicans in this district who are waiting and anxious to 
be rid of him. 
The last statement is without question entirely cor¬ 
rect. With an independent Republican in the field en¬ 
dorsed by the Democrats there could be no reason why 
such a man as our friend need vote for Wadsworth. 
Under such circumstances his defeat could do no pos¬ 
sible injury to the dominant party. As a matter of 
fact, Mr. Wadsworth opposed President Roosevelt, and 
could not be expected to work in harmony with him. 
From a political point of view also the Democrats 
would lose nothing and gain much by supporting a 
candidate who really had a chance for election. The 
R. N.-Y. seldom “talks politics” in this way, but here 
is a case where some new ticket should be made up in 
order to make men feel that they can carry out their 
party obligations and still vote for their own interests 
as men and farmers. There must be some man in the 
district patriotic enough to lead such a cause. We 
have the greatest confidence in the good sense and 
patriotism of the farmers in the Thirty-fourth District. 
They will find the way to fight Wadsworth at the polls. 
To the man who takes pride in his business there is 
every possible argument why Mr. Wadsworth should 
be left at home. Thus far we have had no help from 
the other farm papers in this battle, but we are not 
in the habit cif looking around for help when a blow 
at what we consider injustice and wrong is needed. 
BREVITIES. 
Never argue with a “know-it-all" man. 
It is good advice to keep your horses away from public 
watering troughs as much as possible. 
A verbal promise in selling property that the seller will 
build all line fences has no value in law. 
In Nebraska sulphate of copper was fed to hogs in the 
hope of preventing hog cholera. The hogs died. 
What has become of the fence machines for weaving wire 
around fence pickets, which flourished so 20 years ago? 
We are after information from those who have succeeded 
in grinding dry clover or Alfalfa into a meal for feeding. 
How was it done, and did it pay? 
A Louisiana correspondent says it will pay to plant Kief- 
fer pears for cattle and hogs, but he seems unenthusiastic 
as regards its quality for human consumption. We think it 
excellent for canning, hut we have never yet learned to feel 
thankful when eating it uncooked. 
According to a recent pure food investigation, a 20-eent 
portion of Omaha brandy contained “traces of ferrous sul¬ 
phate. sulphuric acid, colocyntli. colchicum, cocculus indicus, 
strychnine, tobacco, copper, and acetate of lead.” It sounds 
almost as cheerful a beverage as well-made Bordeaux Mix¬ 
ture. 
Kind words from readers are coming with every mail: 
“You have the right kind of pluck to show up and ventilate 
all humbugs and fakers that come across your way in a 
style that causes most of your readers to break a button 
or suspender.” 
This from a woman farmer: “We will say that we con¬ 
sider The R. N.-Y. quite as important a factor in our 
farming as the hired man.” 
“We are not much farmers, but think we would be even 
less without The R. N.-Y.” 
