240 
THE RURA.lv NEW-'yORKEH 
March 6, 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established, 1850. 
:\ 
Published weekly by the Rural Publishing Company, 409 Pearl Street, Mew York. 
Herbert W. Coixingwood, President and Editor, 
.John J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wm. F. Dillon, Secretary. 
Dr. 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 
8 s. 6d., or 8*2 marks, or IO’-j francs. Remit in money order, 
express order, personal check or bank draft. 
Entered at New York Post Office as Second Class Matter. 
Advertising rates 50 cents per agate line—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 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 columns, and any such swindler will be publicly ex¬ 
posed. We protect suberibers against rogues, but wedo 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 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. 
* 
We have been asked by a number of readers to 
state just what the proposed primary elections law 
is. We have waited until the bill for such a law 
is definitely before the New York Legislature. The 
laws in Western States vary somewhat to suit local 
conditions, and some features will be required in 
New York which would not be needed in other 
States. We will give an outline of the proposed 
bill as soon as we can tell definitely just what de¬ 
tails are to be discussed. 
* 
Here it comes, like the first bluebird or the open¬ 
ing of the pussy willows: 
The Government free distribution of seeds has begun. 
Isn’t there some way of stopping such a fraud? The 
seeds are for the most part worthless. What can we 
do with them? No use to plant them. M. r. 
Our advice is to send them right back to your 
Congressman with a polite letter telling him that you 
don’t want any more. If there is enough of them 
ship back by express. That will help make your 
Congressman a shouting advocate of parcels post. 
Congressmen seem to think farmers are hungry and 
thirsty for these seeds. Educate them! 
* 
The parcels post system of Great Britain is cer¬ 
tainly a comprehensive one, for recently two ladies 
of the suffragette persuasion were addressed, postage 
prepaid, to Premier Asquith, and delivered by the 
postal authorities. The premiers servants, however, 
refused to receive this human mail (perhaps on the 
ground that it was explosive or dangerous), and the 
ladies were removed by the police. This opens de¬ 
lightful possibilities for the reform of hardened pol¬ 
iticians. Once give us an effective parcels post, and 
when Congressman So-and-so refuses to obey the 
wishes of his constituents, they may stick a stamp on 
Farmer Smith and send him down to Washington to 
remonstrate with the recalcitrant representative in 
person. 
* 
Last year the New York Central Railroad Com¬ 
pany was found guilty of rebating and fined $134,- 
000. The railroad cut its published rates for the 
transportation of sugar and on barrel staves, thus 
giving an unfair trade advantage to the sugar trust. 
The railroad appealed the case, but the Supreme 
Court has upheld the decision. On the same day 
the court decided once more that the States have 
power to regulate business of corporations done 
within their limits. The Railroad Commissioner of 
Louisiana undertook to regulate telephone rates in 
the State, and the courts of Arkansas fined the 
Hammond Packing Company $10,000 for refusing to 
produce its books for examination. The Supreme 
Court decides in favor of the State in both cases. 
* 
The average American has no idea how much he 
pays for public privileges as compared with what a 
better service costs Europeans. We have shown re¬ 
peatedly how Americans are held up by the express 
companies, while a parcels post gives Europeans a 
transportation service at a small part of the price we 
pay. The telephone service is nearly as bad. Consul- 
General Nash tells of a news-telephone service in 
Budapest, Hungary: 
The service begins at 8.55 a. m., when a buzzing sound, 
loud enough to be heard across a large room and lasting 
for 15 seconds, announces the correct time. At 9.30 the 
day’s programme of important events is announced; that 
is to say, the ceremonies, lectures, plays, races, etc. At 
10 and 11 o’clock stock quotations and general news 
items are given. At noon comes a second announcement 
of tlio correct time, followed by parliamentary news and 
general items of interest. At 12.45 stock quotations from 
the local, Vienna and Berlin exchanges and general news. 
At 2 o’clock more parliamentary and general news, and at 
3 p. m. the closing prices of stocks, meteorological fore¬ 
cast, local personals and small Items, and in Winter the 
condition of the various skating places. At 4 p. m. 
court and miscellaneous news. From 4.30 to 6.30 military, 
music from one of the great cafes or gardens. In the even¬ 
ing the subscriber may choose between the royal opera or 
one of the theatres, and later music by one of the tzigane 
orchestras. 
The annual cost of all this for two receivers is $7.31 
a year—the patron also paying cost of installation 
of phones—about $8.50. The cost of ordinary serv¬ 
ice in this city is $90 a year. Suppose a service 
like that in Budapest or even a very simple one 
could he extended to country homes. What a won¬ 
derful change it would make in farm life. Why can 
it not be done? In the hands of some monopoly the 
price would he put far out of the reach of the aver¬ 
age farmer, who m.ust buy at retail prices and sell 
at wholesale. 
* 
Some of the failures to prevent blight in potatoes 
charged against Bordeaux Mixture do not belong on 
that side of the sheet. A poor soil which does not 
contain available plant food to nourish the potato 
plant may be responsible for it. So may weakened 
potato seed. If the plant is weak from the beginning 
and never has a fair start it is doomed if attacked, 
and Bordeaux Mixture cannot save it. Another thing 
which many fail to consider is injury from the Potato 
beetles. Whenever the beetles are numerous, unless 
thy are promptly killed, the plants are injured so 
that disease finds them an easy mark. Another thing 
is a poor spraying outfit which does not drive the 
spray so as to make it cover every part of the plant. 
In order to get a profit from spraying with Bordeaux 
these things must be attended to. 
* 
A non-political convention representing all lines 
of industry met at Indianapolis last week, and de¬ 
manded a tariff commission to settle rates of tariff. 
There never has, been a stronger presentment of the 
case. The demand is for a commission appointed for 
life, like the members of the Supreme Court. All 
the great industries, such as agriculture, manufactur¬ 
ing, commerce, and transportation are to be rep¬ 
resented by men who can he trusted to settle tariff 
rates on a business basis. Congress is to establish 
a high and low rate for each article or class. The 
commission is to have the power to fix the rate be¬ 
tween these two extremes after hearing evidence. 
This is the most business-like tariff proposition yet 
made, and nothing but a political argument can be 
made against it. We believe that when the people 
understand this proposition they will demand it. 
* 
The Connecticut Experiment Station has been ex¬ 
amining some of the so-called molasses feeds sold 
in that State. Some of them appear to be wheat 
screenings mixed with chaff and oat hulls, with a 
little cornmeal, and smeared with molasses. In one 
sample the Station found 86,000 weed seeds in one 
pound of tluc feed. Over 22,000 of these weed seeds 
were alive, and they were the meanest weeds a 
farmer is compelled to fight. In a sample of screen¬ 
ings only one-third was found to he flax and shrunken 
grain, with 38 per cent of weed seed and 21 per 
cent of dust, broken seed and sand. Such stuff is 
sold at about $16 in Connecticut, yet as “molasses 
feed” it often brings $30 or more. Here is a sure 
way to stock your farm with weeds and empty your 
pocketbook. Yet this form of feed is popular, and 
some manufacturer could do a good business if he 
would guarantee his feed free from live weed seeds, 
and put in something that has real value. 
* 
Twenty-five years ago the horticultural “novelties” 
were like nuggets dug out of a gqfd mine. The 
bigger the story and the more absurd the pictures the 
faster people chased after them. Untested and un¬ 
tried, most of these “novelties” failed and were dis¬ 
carded after a few years, or as soon as people got 
a chance to grow them. Millions of dollars- were 
taken from the public through this “novelty” craze. 
The crusade against it was started bv Mr. E. S. 
Carman in The R. N.-Y.. and it has spread until now 
the “novelty” must run the gauntlet and prove itself. 
The failure of the “Seedless apple” promoters is 
fresh in mind. That was about the slickest scheme 
to sell horticultural wind that ever happened, and 
its failure has made half a dozen other promoters 
hesitate. Small “novelties” may he boomed for a 
season with some loss to the public, but the day has 
gone when a large fraud of this sort can he system¬ 
atically boomed to success. The campaign against 
the “novelties” has helped the legitimate and respon¬ 
sible seedsmen, for they are the most conservative 
in their statements, and the public is tired of ex¬ 
travagant stories. 
Last week Herbert K. Smith, Commissioner of 
Corporations, made a report on “The Great Tobacco 
Corporation.” Starting 18 years ago with a capital 
of $25,000,000, the combination now has a net cap¬ 
italization of $316,346,821. In 1901 a few directors 
and stockholders had secret information that immense 
profits could be made within a few years. They 
organized a new company, and offered its bonds in 
exchange for common stock. They offered to guar¬ 
antee six per cent on these bonds, while they were 
permitting the stock to earn only four per cent. Not 
knowing what was up the stockholders accepted their 
offer, and turned their stock over to these few men. 
Within a few years the earnings increased rapidly 
so that the few owners received millions of dollars 
which should have gone to the original common 
stock holders. That was- one method of “high 
finance”—and the law cannot touch the robbers. All 
these profits and the millions which these sharpers 
put into their pockets—all came originally out of 
what the farmer produced. As in other cases, the 
“farmer’s share” is so small that it is lost sight of. 
* 
Our eastern farmers do not realize how coun¬ 
try people in some of the Western States have been 
driven to act together, since they were ahle to 
put business interests into politics. In Ohio, for ex¬ 
ample, the question of local option by counties has 
given country people a great opportunity. Already 
61 counties have voted saloons out of business, 
and practically all done by farmers’ votes. The 
liquor men know it, and they try to retaliate. A 
correspondent sends us one instance of the way it 
turns out: 
Their only possible weapon so far has been attempted 
boycott. But the farmers are the hardest fellows in the 
world to injure in this way —they have the eatin’sl We 
have a “wet” city council here. The council tried to get 
even with the country people by quadrupling the rental 
of the outdoor market stalls or spaces as measured along 
the curbstones on a certnin street. Did the farmers trot 
up and pay the exorbitant rates? Not much! They 
organized a “Marketmen’s Association, leased a brand-new 
building for five years, got in out of the wind, snow, sleet 
and mud. and are laying up money at the same rate of 
rental per stall that the city proposed to make these 
men pay for standing oat of doors. The city council 
has later tried to persuade the association to allow the city 
to “take over” the whole matter and .assume all the respon¬ 
sibilities of the lease, but the farmers said NO! 
You can put it down as a sure thing that just as 
soon as the farmers can break away from the old 
issues and the old bosses they will fight for their 
business interests in a way that will frighten the 
politicians. Give them a fair primary nominations 
law in New York and you will soon see the Leg¬ 
islature beginning to represent the people. We do 
not claim that all evil will immediately cease when 
we get such a law, hut it will give country people 
a political chance, and we have faith to believe 
they will take advantage of it. In Ohio the 
liquor men tried to amend the law so that “wet” 
towns in dry counties should remain “wet.” This 
amendment will not get out of the committee from 
present report. Our farmer correspondent adds, “Oh, 
lioiv we did plaster those fellows with stamps!” 
BREVITIES. 
Grafting wax for leaking tanks, page 211. 
There is no such thing as an absolutely blight-proof 
potato. * 
What is "Billion Dollar Grass?” We guess that it is 
an improved strain of millet. 
Put on your husking pegs when you tackle the poli¬ 
ticians. Velvet gloves are out of place on a farmer’s 
hands. 
When you read that article on soldering, page 211, 
remember this : Y’ou can't make the solder hold unless you 
have a clean surface. 
Now we are told of the millions to be made in growing 
Eucalyptus in California. The chances are that you will 
make more money in laying drain tile on your own 
farm. 
It hardly seems possible, yet we are told of single 
big trees in California which each contain as mueb lum¬ 
ber as is ordinarily grown on 20 acres of average timber 
land. 
“I note your remarks about automobiles aud oxen in 
this state,” says a Connecticut reader. “Not long ago I 
saw a big touring car being hauled into- town by a yoke of 
oxen. The owner had broken down near a farm. He did 
not look as happy as the driver of those oxen.”' 
Be sure to remember that you cannot expect the high¬ 
est quality potatoes unless the plant matures—that is 
finishes its growth in a natural way. A plant weakened 
by beetles or blight so that it dies prematurely will grow 
tubers “half baked” by nature. 
One of our good friends sent copies of Tiie R. N.-Y. as 
Christmas cards. With each one went this cheerful little 
verse. 
“An uninvited visitor, who plans to spend a year, 
Hath need to pause, 
And show good cause, 
Before intruding here, 
But place me in your living-room, I’m not at all alarming,, 
For if you read. 
And if you heed, 
I’ll help you do your farming.” 
