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December 14, 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FA EMEU'S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country anil Suburban Homes. 
Established 18.W. 
Pnbllshril weekly by the llural ruhlisliiiie fiimpany, 409 Pearl Street, New lork. 
Hekbert W. Colling wood. President and Editor, 
.John J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wm. F. PiLr/)N, Secretary. . 
Da. Walter Van Fleet and Mrs. E. T. Royle, Associate Editors. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.04, equal to 
8s. 6d„ or 8 "a marks, or lOHi francs. Remit in money order, 
express order, personal check or bank draft. 
Entered at New York Post Office as Second Class Matter. 
“A SQUARE DEAL.” 
We believe that every advertisement in this paper is backed by a 
responsible person. Hut to make doubly sure we will make good any 
loss to paid subscribers sustained by trusting any deliberate swindler 
advertising in our columns, and any such swindler will be publicly ex¬ 
posed. We protect suberibers against rogues, but we do not guarantee 
to adjust trilling differences between subscribers and honest, respon¬ 
sible 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 advertiser. 
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 pur¬ 
poses. We depend on our old friends to make this 
known to neighbors and friends. 
* 
Motto for the fruit growers—individually and as 
an association: 
“Lime and sulphur for the scale and limelight for 
the grafter.” 
* 
If you are to use fertilizers next season will you 
tell us what nitrogen, potash and phosphoric acid will 
cost you per pound at your place? To figure this 
get prices in ton lots on nitrate of soda, muriate of 
potash and acid phosphate, freight included. As each 
of these chemicals carries only one fertilizing element 
we can get the price in this way. We want these facts 
for computing the comparative value of mixed goods. 
* 
The following note comes from a man to whom 
we applied for information: 
Your letter to hand, and In reply would say that the 
first thought which came was of the negro who was asked 
If he could change a $10 bill. He said in reply: “I can’t, 
but I appreciate the honor.” 
The average reader doesn’t realize what it means 
to have a well-informed man say, “I don’t know.” 
Most people think they must make some sort of a 
guess at it anyway. You might be surprised to see 
how many there arc who take the true label off 
the guess. 
* 
We are personally acquainted with several orchard 
and fruit inspectors in New York State. They are 
capable and conscientious, ever ready to do their 
work. They often get “false alarms.” Not long ago 
we were informed that apples brought to a certain 
cider mill in the Hudson Valley were alive with scale, 
indicating a dangerous spread of the insect. We noti¬ 
fied the inspector, who after a careful search could 
find no scale at all. The apples were Newtowns 
which bore the red fungus marks so often mistaken 
for scale. We are glad to give men their due and 
to report honest and faithful service. 
* 
Consider the little cartoon printed on the next page. 
Forty years ago E. P. Weston walked from Portland, 
Me., to Chicago, in record time. He was them 29 
years old. Now, at 69 years, he has gone over the 
same course in one day less time than he required 
when a young man! Father Time and “the record” 
lag behind. The artist pictures Dr. Osier on the run 
far in the rear. Dr. Osier, as will be remembered, 
said that few men originate anything of value after 
they are 40. That may be his opinion, but it is 
evident that many men do their most effective service 
after they are 55. If the value of a life work con¬ 
sisted in starting things or in exerting purely physical 
energy Osier might be right. At 50 a man should 
realize that it is time for him to finish what he has 
started, and few will say that this part of life is 
inferior to the other. Weston did not pick out a 
new course, but he did the old thing better than 
before. A man is “as old as his arteries,” and as 
young as he feels. Weston keeps cheerful, looks on 
the bright side of life—and eats his apple every day! 
Weston’s trip may do something to stimulate new 
interest in good roads. He found the roads over 
which he walked worse than they were 40 years ago. 
* 
' On page 915 a reader discusses the agricultural 
education problem. He thinks Canada is doing more 
at this work than is done on this side of the line. 
Results appear to prove this assertion. We hear 
more fair and open discussion of the work done 
by farmers’ institutes than ever before. It is gener¬ 
ally recognized that these meetings have been a useful 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
and important part in the work of free agricultural 
education. At the same time there is a growing feel¬ 
ing that they might be greatly improved. Now it 
will do no good to approach this subject with prejudice 
either way. Let us frankly admit that the institutes 
are not as useful as they might be, and sti’. remember 
that they have accomplished good, and that the thing 
to do is to improve them and not try to kill them 
off. To that end we invite constructive criticism from 
practical farmers in particular. By this we mean the 
sort of helpful criticism which upbuilds and suggests 
a better way when pointing out faults or defects. We 
would like particularly to have working farmers and 
old teachers in country districts tell us how the in¬ 
stitutes can be improved. The farmers can tell their, 
needs and what they would like to know and the 
teachers can tell how best to interest and help a 
country audience. We welcome fair criticism and 
helpful suggestion of this sort from all. 
* 
“What can I do to help along a parcels post?” 
That question is coming by every mail from 
Knights of the Postage Stamp who are anxious to 
spill some ink where it will do the most good. Now 
a drop of ink here and another there will do no good, 
in fact it will do harm by leaving a lot of untidy blots. 
We must put our drops all together if we expect them 
to eat in. The present Postmaster-General favors a 
beginning of a parcels post system. For general 
delivery he would increase the size of the merchan¬ 
dise package from four pounds to 11 and reduce the 
rate per pound from 16 cents to 12. But if a package 
is mailed by a patron of a certain delivery route to 
a customer on the same route lie would have the rate 
made five cents for the first pound and two cents for 
each additional pound up to 11, making a charge of 
only 25 cents to mail a package of the maximum 
weight allowed to be carried. This would overcome 
the argument advanced by country merchants that 
under a parcels post the great mail order houses 
would ruin them. They can mail a package to one 
of their town customers for 25 cents which from 
a distance would cost $1.32 ! Now we advise all 
friends of postal reform to get together hack of this 
simple plan. It is not all we need nor all we deserve, 
hut it is more than we can get by scattering our 
forces. ’ Get this and let us prove that a full parcels 
post will pay. Get right after your Congressman 
with that drop of ink. 
* 
It takes a crisis of some sort to prove what is 
so often said about the farmer. He not only feeds 
society, but he saves it from disaster. Is it necessary 
for a nation to fight? War cannot be long carried 
on without the strong blood and bone from the farm. 
Is the nation to rise above war and conquer by 
means of moral courage? The country home of the 
small freeholder is the place where the moral power 
needed to do this must come from. In like manner 
we can only have true business prosperity when 
farmers are selling and buying freely—keeping their 
products and their money in circulation. A “panic” 
in Wall Street would be a very small thing compared 
with a universal panic on the part of 5,000.000 farm¬ 
ers. Suppose each one of them concluded to keep 
$100 in his pocket rather than to leave it where it 
could enter circulation! A vast amount of money 
would be withdrawn, and thousands of people who 
are doing a legitimate credit business would be 
pinched. They would be obliged to cut down expenses 
and either discharge employees or reduce their wages. 
These people would he forced to give up certain arti¬ 
cles of clothing and food, so that a farmer would find 
his market more or less closed. In times like the 
present hoarding his money is the worst thing a 
farmer can do, because it not only becomes idle, but 
the lack of it in circulation makes idle consumers, so 
that farm products are not used. Put your money 
into some safe bank. That gets it into circulation 
where it can earn good interest. If all farmers will 
do that the country districts will control the situation 
instead of being controlled by the city. 
* 
A good friend of The R. N.-Y. has sent us the 
following note—which we highly appreciate: 
The annual meeting of the State Breeders’ Association is 
to be held in Rochester December 17 and 18. From an 
intimation received recently I think it probable that there 
may be some resolution or action proposed by the friends 
of Mr. Dawley at that meeting for the purpose of bolster¬ 
ing him up in his controversy with your paper. 1 don’t 
know what action is proposed—only that something is 
liable to come up. There are many members of the As¬ 
sociation who feel that it should not be used by Mr. Daw- 
ley or anyone else for any purpose—and that sentiment 
seems to be growing. I think if you would send a man to 
the meeting so as to be on the ground any such movement 
could lie prevented—if you deem it worth while. 
We have no desire to oppose any “resolution” which 
the political ring which has, in the past, dominated 
the State Breeders’ Association cares to present. Last 
week we suggested that they pass the old one, and 
sign their names to it. Any such “resolution” will 
never express the sentiment of the honest breeders 
of the Stale. If, however, Mr. Dawley is to carry 
the Association in his pocket it is well enough for 
his friends to try to fit the papers to him. We 
don’t believe he could get a corporal’s guard of real 
breeders, who are not in some way under obligations 
to him, to pass such a “resolution” and sign it. If 
the honest breeders of the Association do not want to 
stand for this sort of thing here is their chance to 
be free. They must remember that if this little gang 
of politicians is permitted to “resolve” in this way, 
all members of the Association will be put in the 
position of endorsing Mr. Dawley. They must see 
that their Association will never have any moral force 
if it puts the Dawley brand on its own back. Such 
a “resolution” can do T he R. N-Y. no harm—if actuat¬ 
ed by selfish motives we would welcome it. Such 
methods, however, will, if persisted in, kill the State 
Breeders’ Association deader than that prize-winning 
hull which Manchester beefed! Here is the chance 
for New York breeders who want an Association that 
is not a Dawley annex to assert themselves. 
* 
We are glad to see the National Grange endorse 
the demand for a tariff commission. For some years 
The R. N.-Y. has advocated this plan for settling 
the tariff question. At present tariff changes are made 
by Congress. It seems impossible to remove or reduce 
any tariff, no matter how unjust it may be, without 
going through the entire schedule with a long de¬ 
bate over the whole system. For instance, just now 
there are a number of articles unjustly taxed, which 
ought to be admitted free of duty. Take printing 
paper and iron or basic slag. The tariff on paper 
has enabled a monopoly to control the paper trade 
and thus compel publishers to pay an extortionate 
price. No sound argument can be given for retaining 
this tariff. As for basic slag, it is a useful fertilizer— 
the only fertilizing material upon which an import 
duty is paid. Again, no argument can be given for 
taxing basic slag. The tariff simply increases the 
price to farmers of this and other phosphates. Yet 
in spite of this it is doubtful if either tariff can be 
removed without overhauling the entire system. When 
this is done it simply comes down to a game of play¬ 
ing one item of the tariff bill against another. The 
great protected interests which no longer need a 
high tariff are able in this way to obtain just what 
they are after. Now what we want is a tariff com¬ 
mission something like the Interstate Commerce 
Commission ih its powers and duties. We would have 
agriculture, labor, commerce, manufacturing and 
transportation represented by the strongest men they 
could furnish. Go to these men with such questions 
as the tariff on paper and basic slag and let them 
hear the evidence on both sides and decide what 
tariff, if any, on these articles would be best for the 
country. If Congress can delegate powers to the 
commerce commission it can do the same to a tariff 
commission, with the final authority still resting in 
Congress. We believe it to be of the utmost import¬ 
ance to take the detailed discussion of the tariff 
question out of Congress and out of politics. 
BREVITIES. 
Money makes the hot air furnace go. 
The trotting mare makes the money go. 
The farmer feeds the world—and boards himself. 
In our experience the Irish Cobbler makes a good potato 
patch. 
The right kind of a manager is one who has both 
principle and also interest in your property. 
W. C. Brown, Of Oregon, 83 years old, celebrated 
Thanksgiving by handing a turkey to every widow in his 
town. 
Let some of the creameries which supply milk for the 
New York market send here and buy samples as it is sold, 
and test for fat! 
Secretary James Wilson mentions a new kind of Alfalfa 
which gave 12 cuttings in a year. We would like to be 
sure of one good one. 
The best legislation for breaking up the feed trust is 
to study the laws governing the growth of clover and 
Alfalfa, and enforce them on your own farm. 
Waste no sympathy over the man who growls because 
he has to work for a living. Keep it for the man who 
toils and is denied a fair share of the fruits of that 
toil. 
As to the man who can successfully run a farm by 
proxy a Maryland reader says: ‘ I say of the man who 
can make it pay, and say it without irreverance, ‘This kind 
cometli not forth save by prayer and fasting.’ ” 
A quantity of whisky was recently seized in Maryland 
by officers of the law. on tli? ground that it was dis¬ 
tilled from molasses and not from grain, thus offering a 
test case under the pure food law. The law does right 
to discourage the waste of good molasses. 
It is reported that a batch of Indiana bumble-bees have 
been sent from that State to the Philippines, to be used 
in the pollenization of clover. The bees are packed in 
small baskets, placed in cold storage as soon -as caught, 
and refrigerated until they reach their destination. 
