638 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Home*. 
Established 1850. 
Published weekly by the Uural Publishing Company, 409 Pearl Street, New York. 
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, Assoeiato Editors. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.04, equal to 
8s. 6d., or B'n marks, or 10*2 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 agato line—7 words. Discount for time 
orders. References required for advertisers unknown to 
us; and cash must accompany transient orders. 
“A SQUARE DEAL.” 
Wo 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 ourcolumns, and any such swindler will be publicly ex¬ 
posed. We protect suberibers against rogues, but wedo 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, 
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. 
* 
The American Poiyiological Society will meet this 
year at St. Catharines, Ontario, Sept. 14-16. Wc 
look to see the Canadians furnish the best audience 
the society has ever had, as good a fruit show, as 
tine a programme—and a big time generally. 
* 
Some of our readers are worried over statements 
made regarding injury to apple trees from the use of 
arsenic. This injury is reported from Colorado. We 
have the facts about it and will report next week. 
In the meantime our advice is to go right ahead 
and use the arsenic sprays to kill the Codling worm. 
* 
As for large stories—try that one on page 544 
about the champion Jersey cow! We accept it because 
we know Prof. Fraser gives a truthful record. Does 
it make you ambitious or discouraged to hear of a 
cow producing milk worth $653.50 in one year? We 
are not likely to be overburdened by such cows. The 
chances are that her milk cost more than it was worth. 
She is like other great characters in history that bob 
up from time to time to show us the possibilities of 
life. Our teachers point them out and tell us to 
emulate them—and some of us try to. 
* 
Last year Mr. Van Wagenen told us about his elec¬ 
tric light plant. Water from an old mill pond was 
used to drive a turbine wheel and dynamo, and the 
current was carried to the farm. This plant was first 
used for light—now it is spreading. It heats the 
family flatirons and runs the cream separators. We 
shall have another account of it soon. There are 
many brooks and streams which might be utilized in 
this way. There is power in the water now running 
to waste, and by building dams along the streams the 
water will be held back and prevent floods. 
* 
There is an enormous demand for “The Grapes of 
New York,” the beautiful volume issued by the State. 
Only 9.000 copies were printed, while without doubt 
25,000 could be placed to advantage. The Geneva 
Station received only 2,000 copies—members of the 
Legislature taking 5,000. The station has used great 
care in distributing its quota, but even with this many 
who could make good use of the volume cannot obtain 
it. It is the same with “The Apples of New York.” 
We have many calls from people who need the book, 
but we do not know where a single copy can be had. 
If any of our readers know where the books can be 
bought we wish they would tell us. 
* 
A good many members of the last New York Legis¬ 
lature got a cold reception when they went home. We 
hear reports from all over the State which show how 
voters feel. The “statesmen” who voted against direct 
nominations and several other measures are being 
cursed as they never were before. This cursing no 
longer comes from “a few cranks and soreheads,” 
for hundreds of the most respected farmers in the 
State have joined the ranks of critics. It is entirely 
safe to say that if the farmers could have a chance 
to select candidates for the Legislature 75 per cent 
of the present members from rural districts would be 
left at home. And why should not these farmers 
have such a chance? It is their right, since they pro¬ 
vide the votes which gave their party power in the 
State. They will never have that chance under our 
present system of selecting candidates. Under such 
a plan of direct nominations as is enforced in Iowa 
the farmers would have that chance. Our advice is 
to make life a burden to every candidate for the Leg¬ 
islature until he agrees to support a direct nomina¬ 
tions law. Don’t let him off on any such bill as was 
introduced this year. If he refuse to agree, cut his 
name off the ballot, no matter what ticket he is on! 
* 
We recently met a man from Indiana who has come 
cast to look at farm lands. Where he lives land costs 
$150 an acre. What strikes him is the statement that 
$50 land in New York will produce as much corn as 
the Indiana soil will—with a 30 per cent better mar¬ 
ket. There are several families near him who would 
consider it good business to change one acre for three 
if the above statement is true. Me says that the rail¬ 
roads running west are ail anxious to carry him and 
help him buy land. Those running east take little 
interest in any such business, and do not seem to 
care whether the land near their roads is sold or 
not. Thus it is that the tide goes west, while the 
eastern farm sections have better bargains to offer. 
* 
On page 199 we gave the case of a gardener in 
Michigan whose hotbed glass.was damaged by dust 
from cement works. We asked readers to tell us of 
similar cases which have been brought into court. 
At about the time our article appeared a case involv¬ 
ing similar damages was tried at Geneva, N. Y. An 
injunction was asked for restraining the owners of a 
brick kiln from using certain fuels on the ground that 
fumes therefrom injured crops. The court denied the 
injunction, but awarded $150 for damages done to 
five acres located near the kiln. The court also or¬ 
dered the owners of this kiln to pay an annual rental 
of $7 an acre for the five acres. It is important for 
us to have such decisions. We can print them and 
thus supply the facts needed by other farmers. 
* 
“Water glass for preserving eggs.” If you asked 
us to name the most popular question at present we 
should answer that the vote stands three to one in 
favor of water glass. Every day brings a demand for 
prompt information about how much “glass” to use 
and how to use it. We have printed this information 
at least 50 times, but cheerfully repeat it. Take one 
part of water glass to nine parts of water. They will 
readily mix. Take fresli eggs, clean them and put 
into the solution. Use a wooden or stone package and 
keep the eggs covered. That is all there is to it. We 
fear that some people are planning a little game so 
deep that they will get in over their heads. They will 
get hold of cheap eggs now, pack them quietly in 
glass, say nothing about it, and next Fall peddle those 
eggs as “fresh.” Now, gentlemen—or ladies—don’t 
do it. Take our advice and shun temptation. The 
“glass” eggs are all right for home eating, but your 
reputation will be smashed like a pane of glass if you 
try to sell them as fresh. We give you fair warning 
that your little scheme will fail. 
* 
We consider Mr. T. E. Martin’s article on spraying 
potatoes as the most practical one on this subject that 
we have yet printed. Mr. Martin knows what he 
is talking about. His potato sales for 1907 ran to 
$2800. Largely due to spraying? Yes—and yet 
Mr. Martin will tell you that the spraying is only 
one of the links in the chain. The sheet anchor of 
his potato growing work is drainage. Much of the 
natural soil in his section is not suited to potatoes, 
yet when drained so as to remove the surplus 
water, it becomes nearly ideal. Mr. Martin has 
3165 rods of tile under and through his farm. This 
drainage was started in 1894 and has cost $2000 
in cold cash. It has paid this cost several times 
over in increased crops. You might think from Mr. 
Martin’s article that he is a “Bordeaux crank.” You 
would be right, yet his belief in the need of spray¬ 
ing is mild beside his conviction that drainage is an 
absolute essential in New York farming. He says 
that constant hammering on this subject is more gen¬ 
erally needed than anything else except appeals for 
education. No man comes with a better argument 
for drainage than Mr. Martin when he gives the 
story of his own farm. 
* 
You will notice that the only real fight made for 
true tariff reduction in the Senate was made by Sena¬ 
tors from States where there are direct nominations. 
These men know that they are directly responsible 
to the people. In Iowa direct nominations changed the 
policy of the Senate delegation. Senator Cummins 
was elected on a reform platform, and Senator Dolli- 
ver saw what was expected of him. As a result Iowa 
is demanding a tariff which gives the people some ad¬ 
vantage. When finally passed, however, the tariff bill 
will be found, as usual, discriminating against the 
producers. This will be done by the votes of those 
who are secure because the people cannot hold them 
responsible through direct nominations. Suppose the 
people of New York State had a chance to express 
May 22, 
their preference for United States Senator. The man 
they would choose this year would stand right With 
Iowa in demanding a fair tariff. It ought to be as 
clear as daylight to any farmer that this idea of asking 
Congressmen to “be good” after they are safely elected 
is a slow way to get at them. The way to make the 
ideal citizen is to go back three generations before he 
is born. The way to get what we need from Congress 
or the Legislature is to begin before the members are 
nominated. Yet. even if we began now, with over a 
year to work on New York Congressmen, the poli¬ 
ticians, working through caucus and convention, would 
put 75 per cent of the old hacks back again. With 
direct nominations not 15 per cent of them could 
squeeze through. 
During the past six months we have distributed 
“Nell Beverly, Farmer.” The book went to perhaps 
the most truly critical audience in the country. We do 
not mean literary critics who feel in duty bound to 
tear a book apart and judge it by other books. We 
mean the country people who read slowly, compare 
the characters with their own experience, and judge 
the merits of the hook by its fidelity to the life they 
have lived and observed. Such people read many 
books merely for entertainment, while in others they 
live over their own hard lives. Judged by its recep¬ 
tion by this sort of an audience, “Nell Beverly, 
Farmer,” lias proved a success. It has stimulated 
thought, opened up discussion, and made the world 
better. Out of the hundreds of sincere and homely 
tributes we take the following: 
We have read and enjoyed “Nell Beverly.” It seems 
like a Godsend to us, as our hired man balked and our 
daughter of twelve goes to the condensed factory, gets the 
cows, milks two and does other light work. She thinks 
*her work is play compared with the hard time of Nell 
Beverly. 
Mrs. Howe, the author, wrote her heart out in this 
little story of farm life. She has done, with her own 
hands, all the work which Nell, in the story, carried 
through so gloriously. It is astonishing how many 
women have written to say that their lives have been 
told in this book, and with what appealing force it has 
been brought back to them. 
* 
A friend calls attention to the following extract 
from Spark’s “Life of Henry Clay”: 
It used to be accounted a merit in a man to rise to a 
high station from humble beginnings; but we now perceive 
that humble beginnings are favorable to the development of 
that force of character which wins the world’s greatest 
prizes. Let us never again commend anyone for rising 
from obscurity to eminence, but reserve rather our special 
homage for those who have become respectable human be¬ 
ings, in spite of having had every advantage procured for 
them by rich fathers. 
Our friend who is emerging from the hard struggle 
for a place in the world says this is true. He says 
that if you will take a census of the men who are 
doing great things you will find that a large per cent 
of them rise from the ranks! We think it likely. 
It is a privilege to have a “poor but honest” parent 
but we do not envy the job of proving that proposition 
to an ambitious young man. As a precept it is be¬ 
yond criticism. As a practice nobody respects it, ex¬ 
cept by force, until he is past the growing stage. We 
have heard dozens of rich men express regret that 
their children could not be brought up under the 
strain of poverty and hard conditions. Probably a 
dozen people could be found to remove the only ob¬ 
stacle in the way of this great chance for the boy— 
father’s pocketbook. The camel cannot make itself 
small enough to go through the eye of a needle, but 
what is to prevent the rich man from removing his 
burden if he finds it an obstacle? 
BREVITIES. 
Most men find it easier to he pious than to be honest. 
Little use spraying with Bordeaux after the plants are 
sick. 
One harrowing before the potatoes come up is equal to 
a cultivating later. 
What do we do when we get a “chain letter?” Break 
the chain right there. 
In 1908 207,414 pounds of human hair were imported 
from China. Now we know where some of these wonder¬ 
ful head creations come from. 
No—we do not claim that using sulphur on the potato 
seed prevents blight by getting the “sulphur into the sap.” 
The sulphur helps prevent scab and preserves the seed- 
piece. 
“Farmers’ week” at the New Hampshire College was 
voted a great success. The Mirror says that the only 
complaint was from a man six feet six inches long who 
found his bed a little too short. 
“If some one will make an Alfalfa plow and advertise 
it they will find big sale for it. Everybody is trying 
Alfalfa. I am a ten-eent subscriber, and like it so well 
I can’t get away.” There are two great truths in the 
above from Kentucky. 
The latest we hear of is a “burglar proof’ glass re¬ 
ported by Consul Bardcl, of Rlieims. This appears to be 
a plate glass nearly an inch thick which withstands a pis¬ 
tol shot. We may have to change the old adage about 
people who live in glass houses. 
