340 
THE R.UR.-A.L, N E W-YORKER 
March 27, 
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, 400 Pearl Street, New Pork, 
Herbert W. Collingwood, 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 
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express order, personal check or bank draft. 
Entered at New York Post Office as Second Class Matter. 
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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 oureolumns, and any such swindler will be publicly ex¬ 
posed. We protect suberibers against rogues, but we do not guarantee 
to adjust trifling 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, 
nnd 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. 
* 
An example of the way calamity breeds blessings 
is seen now in parts of Louisiana. For years cotton 
has been the money crop of that section, until 
fanners thought nothing else could be grown. Now 
the Mexican boll-weevil has come, and put an end 
to profitable cotton growing. The farmers are put 
to their wits’ end to find a substitute crop. Man 
does not know it but he does his best work at 
his wits’ end, and the thought and planning needed 
to readjust farming will prove a blessing to Louis¬ 
iana. Com and broom corn are being planted 
heavilv. 
* 
We give an opinion frankly regarding those west¬ 
ern apples pictured on the first page. They make 
good eating, but we have had better. They cannot 
compete with the best Virginia Pippins or the best 
Vermont Spys. It is a strange thing that right up 
in northern Vermont to-day these western apples 
are selling at a high figure. One result of the present 
discussion is that all over the East people are buying 
the western fruit and comparing it carefully with 
that grown in their own section. In practically 
every case they decide that while the western ap¬ 
ples are handsome the home fruit has better flavor. 
On page 277 we mentioned a bill before the New 
York Legislature which is intended to strengthen 
the anti-oleo law. Some attempted convictions have 
failed because the law did -not clearly state what 
“semblance” of butter is. An amendment would 
add the words “whether such imitations be of color, 
flavor or taste.” It is said that this bill is in danger 
of being killed in the assembly through the opposi¬ 
tion of Speaker James W. Wadsworth, Jr. Why 
should Mr. Wadsworth, representing a great dairy 
State, stand as the friend of oleo? We asked this 
question in good faith and received the following 
answer, “Because lie is the son of his father!” 
* 
Two weeks ago we spoke of the multitudes who 
are anxious to sell some “secret” of farming. A 
sample of what we mean is the offer to tell how 
to grow 25 to 35 tons of mangels from one pound 
of seed. You pay your money for this secret and 
are told to sow the seed on a small area and when 
the seedlings are large enough transplant them— 
some 5,000 on an acre. The author says that if 
you can make the mangels average 10 pounds each 
the acre will produce 25 tons! Now, thousands 
of people have transplanted roots in this way—but 
not one farmer in 500 could afford to transplant 
an entire acre. Think of the work involved. Larger 
yields have been grown by drilling in more seed 
and thinning the plants in the row. 1 he farm 
papers have told these “secrets” over and over again. 
5k 
Three years ago we did our best to stir up the 
fence wire question. There were thousands of 
wire fences hanging in strings of rotten wire after 
a few years’ service, and an important business was 
threatened with serious loss. The Government finally 
took up the question, and Prof. A. S. Cushman began 
a careful investigation. We felt sure that he would 
go to the bottom of the business, and have been 
waiting for his final report. Tests show that a 
better quality of wire is being made. One company, 
at least, is galvanizing a woven wire after construc¬ 
tion. Several of the mills are making a very pure 
iron in open-hearth furnaces. This metal has been 
used for wire and is very promising. Within a 
year we expect to see this pure metal wire on 
the market under a guarantee. Of course it will 
cost more than the old wire, but it will be worth 
more. We believe that Prof. Cushman has carried 
on some of the most useful scientific work ever 
attempted on behalf of farmers. 
5k 
We were talking with a man interested in man¬ 
ufacturing not long ago. This man is in a business 
which has been for years protected by a high tar¬ 
iff. He admits that he could make a fair profit 
with the tariff cut in half, yet he wants the whole 
thing continued. “Why,” he said, “fanners have had 
their share—millions of dollars have been spent to 
educate them at public expense!” 
We asked this man if, since he thought public 
education so valuable, he would be willing to give 
up all tariffs or other public privileges and accept 
in its place—education such as farmers were given. 
His scorn would have burned a hole through a barn 
door. Give him the money and he will furnish his 
own education. The same is true of the farmers. 
Give them opportunity to get a larger share of the 
dollar and they will agree to provide their educa¬ 
tion also. 
* 
The Hon. Timothy L. Woodruff is chairman of 
the New York Republican State Committee. He 
did his best to prevent the renomination of Gov. 
Hughes, and is now doing what is left of his best 
against direct primary nominations. The following 
sentiment is credited to him, 
“The farmer will neglect his duties on election 
day!” 
If Mr. Woodruff really thinks that we can suggest 
a sure way for him to learn better. Let him come 
forward as a candidate for an office, which can be 
reached directly by votes of farmers. The farmer “will 
neglect his duty.” Why, when the votes were counted 
Mr. Woodruff would hardly know he had been run¬ 
ning. When we made our canvass to learn whom the 
farmers favored for United States Senator one of 
the most common expressions was this: 
“Give us anybody except Timothy L. Woodruff.” 
The people appear to know Mr. Woodruff for just 
what he is and his size is not attractive. Men of 
his class know just what would happen to them 
with direct nominations. Even under the plan sug¬ 
gested by Gov. Hughes, where local political com¬ 
mittees are elected by the people, and higher com¬ 
mittees elected by the local ones. Mr. Woodruff would 
not be considered 10 minutes for his present position. 
“The farmer will neglect his duty.” Here is a letter 
from Indiana: 
From the interest you have taken in the farmer in 
polities, I think that you would be interested to know 
that the farmers in the State of Indiana are coming to 
their own in this respect In our Legislature, just ad¬ 
journed, we had three farmer Senators and 24 farmers in 
the House. Until this session we have usually had six or 
eight members in the House. These farmer members for 
mental caliber, business ability and good judgment ranked 
as high as the members from other callings. Some as good 
speeches as were made during the session were made by 
farmers, and on account of their numbers, ability and ag¬ 
gressiveness they were able to get pretty much what they 
wanted. The farmers constitute about one-half of our 
population and pay more than half the taxes, and I am 
glad to see them coming to their own in the matters of 
legislation. c. M. hobbs. 
Now the farmers of New York are just as intel¬ 
ligent and just as patriotic as those in Indiana or 
any other State—Mr. Woodruff to the contrary not¬ 
withstanding. It is just because they know that the 
farmers will do their duty and because they realize 
only too well just what that duty is that men like 
Mr. Woodruff fight against direct nominations! 
=k 
This discussion of the deer nuisance in New Eng¬ 
land has gone across the country, and is on its way 
to Asia. F. Walden, in The Ranch, published at 
Seattle, is much amused at Mr. Halladay’s recent 
article about deer. 
Shades of Yankee enterprise! Why don’t you build wire 
fences around these orchards? We raise apples here in 
Washington and ship them across the continent to the 
great Atlantic cities by the thousands of carloads and 
make good money at the business. Our apples, according 
to Bro. Halladay, can’t be quite as good as they can raise, 
and yet we pay nearly $1 per bushel in freight and still 
make money. Why, brother, the freight we pay on a 
carload above what you would have to pay, would put a 
wire fence around 10 acres of ground, “deer high, bull 
strong and pig tight,” and it would last 50 years with 
new posts now and then, and the whole cost of such a 
fence would not exceed one cent a bushel for the time 
mentioned. 
Mr. Walden is also amused at the statement that 
Vermont apples are better than those from the Pacific 
Coast. Wait a month or so. If we can perfect 
arrangements now in mind we will give growers in 
Vermont, Virginia and the Pacific States a chance 
to show their sporting blood in an apple contest! 
in the meantime read the note by Mr. Colvill on 
page 336. 
A Massachusetts farmer has a telephone in his 
house—the company agreeing to keep it in repair. 
It went out of order, yet the company charged the 
regular rental. This farmer wrote them a letter, 
of which the following is a part: 
We are producers of milk, butter and eggs. Now, if we 
were supplying you with these products daily, and on ac¬ 
count of the inclement weather did not “deliver the goods” 
for three and a fraction days, and should bring in our 
bill for the whole amount, just as though we had delivered 
them, would you not say, “Why, Mr. H. Seed, you are 
charging us for goods that you never brought us?” For 
three days and a part of one we could not use the tele¬ 
phone, and yet you make out the bill, just as though we 
could. We do not make much use of the telephone, but 
we did want to use it at that time, but could not. 
Our idea is that a great many of the charges against 
country people have grown and grown again be¬ 
cause farmers have not condemned them and fol¬ 
lowed them up on paper. 
5k 
Readers will recall the comments yre have made 
during the past year concerning the Smith Agri¬ 
cultural Chemical Co., of Ohio. This concern suc¬ 
ceeded in holding up the State Board of Agricul¬ 
ture by injunction, and silencing the individual mem¬ 
bers of the Board by contempt suits. The Smith 
Company has now quit and thrown up the sponge 
by discontinuing all its suits. The State of Ohio 
has brought suit to oust the Smith Company from 
doing business in the State and we hope these 
suits will be pressed to a finish. From the first 
we believed the Smith Company was playing a bluff 
game—banking on the timid policy of those who 
should have aroused public sentiment against their 
methods. If, from the first, there had been some 
one to come out boldly and strike the situation with 
a broadax the shame and expense of the past humil¬ 
iating year would have been avoided. 
* 
Our New York readers remember the episode of 
“John and I.” State Senator Owen Cassidy voted 
against the anti-gambling bills because he received 
a telegram stating that “John and I” thought he had 
better not support them. “John” proved to be Con¬ 
gressman John W. Dwight, while “I ’ was another 
Congressman—J. S. Fassett. This vote cost Mr. 
Cassidy his seat in the Senate. “John and 
I” managed to get back to Washington. There 
are many people in New York who do not like 
the rules which govern the National House of Rep¬ 
resentatives. They think these rules enable Speaker 
Cannon to hold up legislation and coerce a major¬ 
ity of the members. One of our readers wrote Mr. 
Dwight, asking whether he stood in front of Cannon 
or behind him. Here is what you might call an 
illuminating reply: 
I am in receipt of your favor of March 2 in which 
you express your opposition to the reelection of Speaker 
Cannon and your views on the proposition of changing 
the manner of procedure in the House, and beg to assure 
ybu that these matters will have my most careful attention 
when they came before the next Congress for consideration. 
Very sincerely yours, 
JOHN W. DWIGHT. 
We shall have to name Mr. Dwight the great 
non-committant. He is of less use than a non- 
combatant. Some people might call him a dodger, 
but he doesn’t move fast enough to dodge! He 
simply stands as if he were hitched to a post 
and gives “most careful consideration” until some¬ 
one up higher tells him what to do. It is 10 to 
one that “I” will take the same position. It is 100 
to one that both “John and I” oppose direct nomina¬ 
tions, for they know that under that system the 
“careful attention” would be aimed at them. 
BREVITIES. 
When the wonderberry is finally buried—no one will 
wonder why. 
No, do not use lime or wood ashes as a filler or drier in 
a phosphate or to mix with hen manure. 
One of the most practical bulletins on lime yet issued 
is that by the Connecticut Experiment Station. 
No farmer can hope to stand up for his rights effectively 
until his own living gives him solid ground to stand on. 
Mr. Stubenrauch, page 351, wants the railroads com¬ 
pelled to carry a shipper free with a carload of produce. 
That would prevent some of the fraud which* is well de¬ 
scribed in this article. 
Wb hear from men who say their handwriting has been 
nearly spoiled by the telephone. Formerly they kept in 
practice by writing out every little message. Now, the tele¬ 
phone enables them to write with their tongue, and the 
hand loses its cunning. 
The best evidence we know of that temperance senti¬ 
ment is making progress is the action of the liquor men. 
They are filling the mails with papers and pamphlets which 
argue that prohibition is a failure. We think these gentle¬ 
men have waked up too late. 
The Forestry Department at Washington claim that a 
profitable use can be made of the scrub or Jack pine 
which covers so much of the waste land in the East. 
Properly treated it can be used for paper making. It is 
said that there are 500,000 acres of this pine in Maryland 
and 150,000 in Virginia. 
