432 
May 25, 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
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, I . . 
Mrs. K. T. Hoyle, ( Associates. 
Joux J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.04. 
equal to 8s. Cd., or 8% marks, or 10 y a 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. 
TIIE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
409 Pearl Street, New York. 
SATURDAY, MAY 25, 1907. 
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. 
\V e depend on our old friends to make this known to 
neighbors and friends. 
* 
A good proportion of the pictures sent for our prize 
contests are photographs of sheep. This indicates re¬ 
newed interest in sheep keeping. The same thing is 
indicated in other ways. I he woolly back is moving 
into some of those abandoned farms—and some that 
never were abandoned. But for the dogs he would 
come faster. 
* 
“Country Week’’ has become a great institution in 
many New England towns. A celebration is held to 
call back old friends and residents; premises are 
brushed up; city people come, and the old town gets 
new memories and new life. One of the happiest fea¬ 
tures of the celebration is inviting little children from 
the city to spend a week at the farm. Some of them 
stay permanently, and those who go back are made bet¬ 
ter all their lives for the bit of the farm they carry 
with them. 
* 
“Dollar wheat” has come. The price went to $1.03 
per bushel last week, and there is a general feeling that 
the crop prospects warrant high prices. The effect of 
higher prices for wheat and a shorter supply will be 
noticed in a dozen different ways. Bran and other feed 
will probably go above the present awful prices. Ex¬ 
ports of wheat and flour will fall off and there will 
be a larger consumption of corn. There will also be 
heavier seeding to grain on many Eastern farms that 
have done little with grain crops for the past few 
years. 
* 
One of the surprises of the season to us comes with 
facts about the business of goat raising. We confess 
that talk about “the poor man’s cow” did not seem 
very impressive, yet the truth is that in many places 
near large cities dealers in goats cannot begin to supply 
the demand for milk and young stock. Large prices 
are paid for the milk, and the male kids are greatly 
prized as food by Italians and Poles in such cities as 
Paterson, N. J. On the whole, goat raising seems to 
be a legitimate enterprise—far removed from such 
games as skunk farming, ginseng, Belgian hares or 
frog farming. 
* 
In its report of the annual meeting of the A. J. 
C. C. The Country Gentleman says that Prof. Redfield 
gave “a history of the case” and then: 
lie added that when the committee visited Mr. Rogers’s 
place to investigate his charges, he understood that the 
complainant not only did. not aid them, but obstructed as 
far as possible thoir search for ovidencc. 
This statement is not correct. Prof. Redfield and 
The Country Gentleman may settle the responsibility 
for it between them. As neither of them was at Dans- 
ville, while The R. N.-Y. was, they should not be too 
sure of their “hearsay” evidence. At first Air. Rogers 
asked that the committee’s veterinarian make an esti¬ 
mate of the ages of the cows before their names were 
given or the ear labels uncovered. This request was re¬ 
fused, and Rogers afterward named the animals and 
gave the committee all the information that he had re¬ 
garding the cows. What more could he do? The state¬ 
ment that he obstructed them as far as possible is untrue. 
All through our crop reports runs a note of seri¬ 
ous trouble. Rain and cold have done their worst, and 
when the supply of these afflictions ran short Nature 
seems to have substituted heat and drought. We start¬ 
ed to grow our onion plants in Florida this Spring. 
The entire crop was killed by drought, while the cold 
rains in New Jersey prevented outside planting! Many 
of us will be forced to make lightning changes in our 
plans. It looks now as if all farm crops would bring 
good prices. We hope the “Hon. John Frost” will take 
a vacation in the Fall to make up for his present visit. 
By the way, what a solid comfort it is to have the 
weather sharps gravely tell us that this thing is caused 
by a “severe depression in the Northwest!” 
* 
We continue to print the names of those New York 
Senators from rural districts who opposed Governor 
Hughes. The first defence of their action naturally 
comes from politicians. Here it is: 
These Senators represent their oven districts better 
than the Governor does. 
We deny that statement at once. An expression of 
popular representation in this country is based upon the 
ballot. Judged by that standard these Senators mis¬ 
represent their districts, for the Governor received a 
larger vote than any of them right in their own home 
districts. John Raines represents Wayne and Ontario 
Counties. He received 13,025 votes against 14,403 
for the Governor. In Chenango, Delaware and Sul¬ 
livan the vote was 14,511 for Jotham P. Allds and 
16,854 for Air. Hughes. Horace White represents Onon¬ 
daga County; 23,820 men voted for him, while 24,111 
put in a ballot for the Governor. Take Mr. Wads¬ 
worth’s old district. Tt is now represented in the Sen¬ 
ate by S. P. Franchot and S. Percy Hooker. Together 
they polled 26,234 votes, while in the same counties the 
governor received 27,376 ! These men claim to repre¬ 
sent their districts because they received more votes 
than those who were nominated against them. Air. 
Allds had a majority of 1,473, but the Governor led 
him by 2,343! Mr. Franchot’s majority was 750, or 
only 203 over all, while the Governor beat him by 728! 
Mr. Smith claims to represent Columbia, Dutchess and 
Putnam Counties because he polled 1,258 votes more 
than his opponent, yet the Governor polled 480 votes 
more than Smith didl No further argument is needed 
on that line. Gov. Hughes stands for a reform in the 
Insurance Department—these Senators stand against 
him. In the 11 country districts now misrepresented 
at Albany Gov. Hughes and what he stands for received 
nearly 25,000 votes more than these Senators. Had it 
been known before election how they would vote the 
Governor would have led them by 75,000 and not one of 
them could have been elected. If any of them doubt 
this let him resign and run this Fall on his record for 
an “endorsement.” If they think the farmers of New 
York do not understand them, and their motives as 
well, let them read this sample letter: 
“I see by the last paper that you are now after the 
old ring generals. Up goes my old hat. It’s the Ring 
or the Governor — which? The Governor for me every 
time. Please keep at them. The farmers will down 
the whole bunch.” h. s. 
Public sentiment has already driven these men into 
line. Do not let them stop until they march out of pub¬ 
lic service! This is a good time to find out whether the 
farmers of New York will stand for government by the 
people or government by politicians. 
* 
The executive committee of the A. J. C. C. might 
well read the old Magna Charta—the great statement 
of English liberties granted by King John June 15, 
1215. We commend article No. 40 to their consider¬ 
ation : 
To none will we self to none deny or delay, right ot 
justice. 
It is true that registry papers, Jersey cows and ex¬ 
press packages were not mentioned by name 692 years 
ago, but the underlying principle goes back for thou¬ 
sands of years beyond the great charter. We now 
learn that the famous express package had been found. 
Very likely onr little notice last week helped locate it. 
No doubt the Executive Committee will now pass an¬ 
other “resolution” on the subject of fitting the papers 
to the cows! 
* 
Here is an instance of the way discoveries in scien¬ 
tific agriculture develop business. A dozen years or so 
ago it was found that formaldehyde could be used to 
cure such plant diseases as scab in potatoes and smuts 
in wheat, oats or other grain. Before that time there was 
no demand from farmers for this chemical. Last year 
in six months, a single drug firm in Minneapolis, sold 
136,000 pounds of formaldehyde for use in Minnesota 
and the Dakotas. If we could have the figures for 
Paris-green, sulphate of copper and sulphur, we should 
find even greater trade as a result of the farmers use 
of these materials. Once let it be demonstrated that 
a certain article is needed on the farm and the market 
will soon be filled with demands for it. This is not 
only true of the things which are needed for farm 
work, but for house necessities and luxuries as well. 
The “home market” on our farms is worth far more 
than any foreign trade can be. 
* 
Now, then, as a sensible man, do you think you have 
any right to blame the road laws when you have not 
dragged the road in front of your own farm? Here 
we have an Ohio man on the near side of a bed of 
mud: 
I have never seen roads, as had in my life as this 
1\ inter. At this writing there are places in our road, the 
main thoroughfare, that are four feet deep clear across the 
road. I would not dare to drive to town with my team at 
present; it puts the farmer out of business at least six 
months of the year, and I am sorry to acknowledge that 
really the farmer is to blame for such a condition. We 
talk but we don’t work; at least, most of us; we blame the 
road law and everything but ourselves. 
Do we mean to say that “dragging the road” would 
have changed all this? It wouldn’t change the weather. 
I here would be just as much rain but less of it would 
stay in the road. Anyway, you could feel that you had 
done your duty. 
* 
A number of our readers are crop correspondents for 
the Department of Agriculture. 1 hese reports are sup¬ 
posed to be secret yet the Department sent some en¬ 
velopes so thin and flimsy that anyone could see 
through them and read the report. It would be worse 
than a farce to send “secret” reports in such packages. 
We wrote to Washington about it and received the fol¬ 
lowing : 
This is not the kind of envelope generally used in the 
correspondence with our assistants and correspondents. The 
particular envelope referred to we find to have been supplied 
to tin’s bureau by an envelope contractor, through an error. 
Its texture is of jute and, as you indicate, of an improper 
quality for the sending in of crop reports. Only a few 
of these have been used, and the reports are, and will be, 
forwarded in a better and heavier grade of manilla enve¬ 
lope which this bureau aims to use. I inclose a sample of 
the grades. c . c . CLARK> 
Acting Chief of Bureau. 
Two of the samples sent are fair. The other is so thin 
that ordinary writing can be easily seen through it. 
BREVITIES . 
Destructive criticism is soft soap well rubbed in with a 
wire brush. 
Y iiat a season this would be for a city man to make his 
first start in the country! 
The man who hunts for trouble generally ends by finding 
it in the wrong place—the neck for instance. 
It is reported that members of an Ohio church have 
decided to pay a salary to the pastor’s wife in addition to 
what he receives. 
Happy Is that experience in public life which sends a 
man back to his country home determined nevei* to leave 
it again. Happy, but rare. 
Among other workers put out by the wet weather is an 
old friend the Hon. Busy Bee. There are very few shining 
hours for him to Improve. 
Does any one ask for any more success that he really 
deserves? Perhaps not. but some people want to measure 
the size of their own success ! 
Where prepared foods are put up in one State and sent 
io another for a dealer to sell under his own name the 
label must state “Prepared for” or “Manufactured for.” 
Come, let's Cheer up, there have been worse seasons. Ac¬ 
cording (o an old Connecticut family record in 1812, on 
May 4, “it snowed all day and it drifted 2% or three feet 
and lay until the tenth.” 
Great complaint about gape worms in chicks this sea¬ 
son. The best remedy is prohibition. Keep the little 
chicks on a clean board floor—away from the ground. I)o 
not let them eat earth worms. 
We remember how hopefully our Ohio correspondent, Mr. 
Bollinger told of his plans to grow an Immense crop of 
onions? The soil was all right but the constant rains have 
held up the planting. On May 7 not a seed was in! 
The New York Senate has passed a bill making It a 
felony for a druggist to sell cocaine, except upon prescrip¬ 
tion of a physician. This drug, freely used, lias become a 
frightful factor in moral deterioration among the Ignorant 
and vicious. 
The pure food law will not permit the use of sugar in 
canning goods which are not naturally sweet to make them 
pass for sweet goods. For instance, it is against the law to 
add sugar to field or Indian corn in order to make it pass 
as sweet corn. 
While sweet corn growers are calling for some way of 
fighting the corn worm which bores into the ear, Southern 
gardeners are advised to use sweet corn as a “trap crop” 
to entice these worms away from tomatoes. Can we reverse 
the trap at the North? 
The I/Oil don Gardener’s Chronicle records the death of a 
gardener who had worked on one estate for 75 years. An¬ 
other gardener who attended his funeral had worked in the 
same garden 7G years, and is reported as still active and 
taking an interest in his work. 
Some farmers in a little Eastern town combined to buy 
their grain. They raised the money; sent a man to the 
city to buy carload lots. After a while they found he was 
taking a “rake off.” They lost confidence in human na¬ 
ture and quit. As one man put it, “I will pay $5 more 
before I will keep quiet while I know another man raked 
off $2.” He was right too. 
