90 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
January 30, 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850. 
1’uUlished weekly by the Kural Publishing Company, 409 Pearl Street, New York. 
Herbert W. ('OLLINOWOOD, President and Editor, 
John J. Dillon. Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wm. F. Dillon, Secretary. 
Dr. Walter Van Fleet an d Mrs. E. T. Kotle, Associate Editors. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.04, equal to 
8s. Gd., or 8k> marks, or 10W francs. Remit in money order, 
express order, personal check or hank draft. 
Entered at New York Post Office as Second Class Matter. 
Advertising rates 50 cents per agate lino—7 words. Discount for time 
orders. References required for advertisers unknown to 
us; and cash must accompany transient orders. 
"A SQUARE DEAL." 
We believe that every advertisement in this paper is hacked by a 
responsible person. But to make doubly sure we will make good any 
los- to paid subscribers sustained by trusting any deliberate swindler 
advertising in ourcolumns, and any such swindler will be publicly ex¬ 
posed. We protect suberibers against rogues, but we do not guarantee 
11 > 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-Yohkbr when 
writing the advertiser. 
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 pur¬ 
poses. We depend on our old friends to make this 
known to neighbors and friends. 
* 
Many a sensible man has been fooled by a printed 
circular in the form of a typewritten letter. Such a 
man receives what he thinks is a long personal let- 
tei in very complimentary language, and offering 
;< ‘private business proposition of great value. It 
is a most tempting bait, and we do not like to say 
bow large a proportion of people rise to it. The 
fact is that this so-called “letter” is printed like any 
circular. Your name is added, but the rest is the 
same as that sent to thousands of others. Do not 
lie foolish enough to nibble at any such bait. It 
nay hurt your feelings to tell you so, but no stranger 
will single you out for special praise or confidence 
unless he expects to get his hand in your pocket! 
* 
We do not know w.hat answer the magazine pub¬ 
lishers could make to the following question: 
Why can’t some one give us a magazine with the spirit 
of The R. N.-Y. ? There are already many magazines that 
are excellent in many ways, but we tire of stories wherein 
the only people worth while are lords or millionaires, and 
where Dotli heroes and heroines drink, smoke and gamble. 
Also, we are not deeply interested in “How we support our 
family of four on $ 20,000 a year." 
We believe that a good magazine aimed directly at 
common people, living their lives and thinking along 
with them vould be made highly successful. Too 
much of our so-called “literature” is intended to sat¬ 
isfy town and city people, and the papers do not 
always fit the farm home. We would welcome a new 
sort of farm literature—that written by country peo¬ 
ple who can talk right out of their hearts and put 
their lives before us. The literary critics might be 
shocked at some of thfe work, but it would stimulate 
sound thought in places which these same critics 
cannot hope to touch. 
* 
T he hardware dealers throughout the countiy aie 
marching with the express companies to fight 
against parcels post. I he papers are full of then 
“resolutions” and advice. Just now they are weep¬ 
ing over the fate of the country merchant in case 
the farmers had a chance to knock down the high¬ 
waymen who hold them up with express rates. Next 
these hardware people will be weeping for the deal¬ 
ers who take 65 cents of the consumer’s dollar and 
icavg the farmer 35 cents. Once give us a fair 
parcels post and sales of farm produce will be made 
more and more direct between farmers and city fam¬ 
ilies. In England and Europe such articles as beef¬ 
steak, eggs, chicken, and fruit are sent by mail for 
little money. The same thing would follow in this 
country—at first near the larger cities, and extending 
in wider lines as people saw the advantage of the 
system. The result would be not only more money to 
nearby farmers, but education for city buyers, which 
would help every producer in the country. 1 hink 
tor a moment what would happen if instead of 35 
cents the producer could get 45 or even 40 cents of 
the consumer’s dollar! The result would be an “up¬ 
lift” which would startle the country. These very 
hardware dealers would be among the first to feel 
the effect of this money pouring into trade from the 
farmers. That is why we cannot understand how 
they can be so short-sighted as to take the position 
they do. They will be swept away finally, and they 
know it well enough. No power can prevent the final 
adoption of a fair parcels post. It may be delayed 
until farmers are fully roused, but it is sure to come 
in the end. 
No one could expect a fairer statement 'about the 
"unoccupied farms” in New York than Mr. Lyon 
gives us on the first page. Another article, later, 
will discuss some of the social features. The pic¬ 
tures show Mr. Lyon’s home—close to one of those 
very farms, and a view of Bainbridge, N. Y. This 
gives some idea of the character of that hilly section. 
While we believe that New York can offer good 
bargains in farm lands, we would nob .willingly, 
give our readers a wrong idea about them. 1 he 
facts will make a good enough story. Commis¬ 
sioner of Agriculture Pearson says there are only 
2,402 unoccupied farms in New York—about one 
per cent of the total number. Only 152 are actually 
r bandoned. We have had more than enough of the 
doleful tales about the ruin of New York State 
farming. Last year a “convention” was held at Syra¬ 
cuse to deplore the sad conditions. It appropriately 
adjourned sine die (without a date appointed). 
There is no date for the death of New York farm¬ 
ing. or for another such “convention.” If the gentle¬ 
men who seek to promote such things really desire 
to help agriculture, let them help farmers to obtain 
more than 35 cents of the consumer’s dollar. 
* 
A conference of Jewish farmers has just been held 
in New York. There are a number of communities 
in the Eastern States where Jews have been induced 
to settle upon the land. These communities sent 
delegates to talk things over. Among other sug¬ 
gestions was one entitled "Ten Commandments for 
rfuving a Farm.” We print what is said to be a 
free translation, and commend it to Gentile as well 
as Jew: 
1. Don’t think about buying a farm if your wife won’t 
live in the country. 
2. Don’t believe agents when they tell you gold brick 
stories. 
3. Don’t chase after big farms. 
4. Don’t buy a farm unless you have money enough left 
to buy a cow. 
5. Don’t settle far away from the markets. 
0. Don’t run too much in debt when you buy your 
farm. * 
7. Don’t pay a deposit on your farm until you have 
consulted a lawyer. 
8. Don’t forget to insure your farm buildings in a re¬ 
liable company. 
!). Don’t buy a farm unless you are al>le to meet the 
mortgages. 
10. Don’t buy a farm unless you have consulted those 
who know. 
* 
We contend that the officers of any society should 
fairly represent the spirit and aims of its mem¬ 
bers. That is particularly true of farmers’ societies, 
and it was why the writer insisted when the New 
York State Fruit Growers’ Association was formed 
that there should be no “nominating committee” to 
block out a cut and dried programme. For a year 
1 r so candidates for office were nominated from the 
floor and voted for by the convention—as they ought 
tr. be. Then this important business slipped back into 
that “nominating committee” again. Some men seem 
to believe that the rank and file of such a society are 
incapable of conducting its affairs. These "leaders ’ 
want such affairs administered by a close corporation 
of kindred spirits who can run things in their own 
way. We believe in the most open and public selec¬ 
tion of officers, and have no use whatever for any 
“nominating committee," because it seldom, if ever, 
represents fairly the wishes of the members. An¬ 
other thing that should be killed is “voting by proxy.” 
There may be 100 members of a society with barely 
20 able to come to a meeting. Some interested 
person starts out and gets “proxies" from 60 mem¬ 
bers. They sign a statement authorizing him to 
act or vote for them, since they cannot be present! 
Thus this man can vote a majority in a lump and 
often pass measures directly opposed to the interests 
of those who gave him authority. We understand 
that in this way Frank E. Dawley was enabled to 
reelect himself treasurer of the Cheviot Sheep 
Breeders’ Association! Proxy voting and nomina¬ 
ting by committee have no place in a farmers’ 
society. 
Give us the money that has been paid out for 
bogus fertilizers and we will finish building the 
Panama Canal. We could probably do it if we had 
the loss in humbug nitrogen alone. By “humbug” 
we mean the inert forms of “organic” nitrogen which 
are palmed off in mixed fertilizers. In most of the 
States, the fertilizer analyses given out by the sta¬ 
tions group all forms of “nitrogen’ together—all ap¬ 
parently valued at the price paid for “nitrates. ’ or 
the most valuable form. d bis seems to us just 
about as sensible as it would be to count a man s 
cash, bills good and bad, stock and real estate all 
together, and say he has that much money. The 
cash is available at once, but it may be years be¬ 
fore some of the property will be negotiable. It is 
about the same way with nitrogen. That in dried 
muck, leather, or very coarse tankage, may be in 
condition some day to feed crops for your grand- 
thildren, but it is doubtful if you will get much ben¬ 
efit from them. The form of nitrogen you want to 
feed your crops is “nitrates.” When that is valued 
at 18 cents a pound some of the organic forms are 
worth five cents or less by comparison. Yet, when 
you buy a low-grade fertilizer you are quite likely 
to buy them and pay the full price of "nitrate” 
nitrogen. The manufacturer should state plainly the 
sources of the nitrogen. In some States the law 
prohibits the use of ground leather, yet it is no 
doubt used in some fertilizers.. Under the pure food 
law the manufacturer of mixed preparations or 
remedies must state the composition or give the 
formula. In like manner the fertilizer manufacturer 
should state what he uses to obtain the nitrogen 
which his goods contain. It must also be clear to 
anyone who gives the subject any study that "or¬ 
ganic” nitrogen is not worth as much as either “ni- 
tiates” or "ammonia.” The difference in value be¬ 
tween them is often as great as that between the 
“available” and "insoluble” phosphoric acid. There¬ 
fore, in buying a fertilizer a farmer should demand 
an analysis giving the soluble and “organic nitro¬ 
gen separately, and refuse to pay as much for the 
latter as for the former. These suggestions may be 
considered radical, yet they show the way for farm¬ 
ers to save millions of dollars and we shall attempt 
to demonstrate them. 
* 
We farmers feel that there arc better times ahead 
of its as we now have State primaries. Now, if we 
could have a lau’ that a man could only spend so 
much for his nomination it would give a poor man 
the same chance it would a rich one. 
That is what a Michigan farmer writes us. and 
he has reason to feel hopeful. The direct primaries 
in that State will, in time, give country people a 
weapon of defense against the grafters and poli¬ 
ticians. We will guarantee that right in your county 
are men holding public office who never could be 
nominated by a fair open vote. They are often 
elected after they get on the ticket because long habit 
has taught your voters that they ought to "support 
tne convention.” You know these men do not 
represent what you want or what you need; yet you 
can’t get rid of them so long as the caucus and the 
old-style convention decide who shall be nominated. 
This Michigan man secs “better times ahead," be¬ 
cause the way ’has come through which this caucus 
plan will be broken up, and nominations made by 
direct vote. 
In New York, too, thousands of farmers see the 
same chance through a primary nomination law. 
Here is one of them from Tompkins County:" 
Practically all of the people, outside of the politicians, 
want direct nominations, and we all want to see The R. 
N. Y. fight hard for it. 'Pell ns who are opposed to it and 
who are not. I am a farmer, and I feel as if we ought 
to make a strong fight. H. D. c. 
You will see The R. N.-Y. do its best, but that best 
will amount to little unless the farmers themselves 
will come in and do their share. We doubt if you 
can put any large proportion of members of the Leg¬ 
islature on record at this time. They are banging off 
to see where the power is. The politicians will pre- 
\ent a trial of primary nominations if they can pos¬ 
sibly do so. They will play every trick of their 
Dade to kill the bill. Nothing but strong public senti¬ 
ment pricked in with pens and stuck on with postage 
stamps will convert the Legislature. Let us all g.et 
after them at once. Will you be one of 25,000 men 
in Nczv York to work for this bill? 
BREVITIES. 
New York is nmv Root-grafted in the Senate. It’s a 
strong plant—here is for sound fruit! 
The Government will “consider” farming just as soon 
as we compel it to do so—not much before. 
Don’t forget to start that “protein club” on your 
farm. Protein means protection from high grain bills. 
What about these men who are so very anxious 
to let their light shine before other men? They are 
merely after human moths. 
“The Ranch” claims that “the National Apple Show 
at Spokane brought out the most magnificent display 
of apples ever seen outside the Garden of Eden.” That’s 
the way to “talk apple.” 
The Grape Belt figures the production of grapes from 
the Chautauqua. N. Y„ district in 1908 at 4.232 ears, 
against 5.186 in 1907. This includes the grapes used 
for grape juice and wine. 
A new’ scheme for preserving eggs is reported from 
England. The eggs are disinfected and then put in 
a vacuum containing paraffin wax. The air is thus 
taken through the shell. Then air pressure is applied 
and the wax driven in to seal the shell completely. 
