696 
THE: RURAL NEW-YORKER 
June 12, 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER’S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850. 
Published weekly by the Kura! Publishing Company, 403 Pearl Street, New York. 
Herbert W. Colling wood, 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. (id., or 8*2 marks, or lOVs 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 
advertisings ourcolumns, and any such swindlerwill be publicly ex¬ 
posed. We protect subcribers against rogues, but we do not guarantee 
to adjust trifling differences between subscribers and honest, respon¬ 
sible advertisers. Neither will wo 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 shall have free sash glass if gardeners will 
stay by their members of Congress. As we have 
pointed out, glass for hotbed sash is a necessity to 
gardeners and truckers. The manufacturers do not 
need protection for this quality of glass, and the 
Senate is disposed to put it on the free list. With 
the tariff removed the price ought to go back to the 
old rate of 90 cents a box, which would mean a snug 
saving for a gardener. By all means keep at this and 
you will get it. 
* 
We have known people to throw their money awav 
upon shares in a distant gold mine when right un¬ 
der their feet were clean dollar bills. Such people 
live near good market towns and have soil which is 
adapted to growing asparagus and fruit. If they 
would plant the money they send away to others in a 
good asparagus patch the investment would be sure. 
Xo one in town ever had enough asparagus, and 
there are thousands who never eat it who would buy 
it in quantity if they were educated to it. Every 
year we talk about the asparagus crop because there 
is money in it for those who will master the art of 
growing it. 
* 
Five dollars for a Baldwin or Greening apple, $3 
for a Northern Spy or King, and $2 for Spitzenburg 
and Jonathan. Mind you, we are no* talking of 
boxes or barrels, but of single ppples—nnd in New 
York. At the New York State Fair prizes of $25 
will be paid for the best plate of five specimens of 
Baldwin and Greening, with second prize of $10 and 
$5 for third. Many changes are made in the fruit 
prize list this year. The prizes are larger and there 
are more of them, with a fairer entrance fee. The 
six apples named above form the great New York 
apple battery. It is now recognized that both east 
and west of us the apple growers are alive and out 
for the market. New York must keep up with the 
procession and bring out the finest fruit. 
* 
The latest scientific ‘‘fake” is advice to let trees 
preserve their own timber. The plan is to bore holes 
in the tree and inject solutions of chloride of zinc or 
sulphate of copper. These are supposed to be car¬ 
ried through the sap so that all the wood is “.pre¬ 
served.” It might destroy the “germs,” but it would 
also kill the tree. We knew a nurse once who wanted 
to get a patent on a plan for killing germs in the 
human body. Her plan was to pack the patient’s 
head in ice and then raise the temperature of the 
rest of his body so high that the germs would be 
killed. She forgot that a cool head would be of lit¬ 
tle account on a parboiled body! Do not let anyone 
use these fake remedies on your tree. 
♦ 
Gov. Hughes finally vetoed the automobile law 
passed by the last Legislature. This bill levied heavy 
road taxes on autos, which money was to be used for 
road repairs. Since the autos tear up the roads it is 
no more than fair that their owners should pay the 
damage, and it was estimated that these taxes would 
amount to $500,000 per year. The bill abolished the 
“speed limit.” Instead of defining the rate of speed 
at which a car may be driven this new law required 
that an auto driver “Shall drive the same in a careful 
and prudent manner.” The idea was to let the driver 
go about as he pleased up to a speed of 30 miles an 
hour, but to make him responsible for any accidents 
caused by his car. The Governor’s veto was based 
upon this change. The new law took from local 
authorities the power to regulate the speed for au¬ 
tos passing through their localities. Thus a car 
could be run from Albany to Buffalo or from Bing¬ 
hamton to Oswego without regard to local ordi¬ 
nances or the wishes of localities. This was regarded 
as an invasion of local rights. In the larger cities 
and towns this would mean more reckless driving 
and greater danger to life and limb. The autos 
spoil the roads and their drivers should be willing 
to pay for the privilege. They did not seem willing 
to pay, but wanted special privileges and immunity 
thrown in. The result was—a veto. 
* 
The recent normal institute of farmers and insti¬ 
tute workers, held at York, Pa., was without doubt 
one of the strongest agricultural meetings ever held 
in this country. The attendance was large, many 
interests were represented and the delegates were gen¬ 
erally strong men. People who live outside the State 
do not realize that Pennsylvania farmers are steadily 
forming a thorough organization. It is being built 
solidly and upon right lines. The meeting referred 
to was like this organization—solid and strong, dom¬ 
inated by men who mean business and realize what 
Pennsylvania farmers need. We wish there could be 
such a gathering—representing, as it did, all farm 
interests—in every Eastern State. We need to get 
together where we can talk things over, harmonize 
our differences and agree definitely upon what we 
shall ask for. That is just what they are doing in 
Pennsylvania. 
* 
Last Fall the Sheriff of Harvey Co., Kan., seized 
seven barrels of liquid labelled as follows: 
“Kind, II. O. B.; No. A949 ; Fargo; CROWNS: CROCK¬ 
ERY for Rim Conrad, Newton, Kans., II. O. B. L. S.” (in 
pencil) “(1) (9), 9-26,” and filled with bottles labeled 
and branded “Ilop-On. HB. (No. 11) Heim Brewery, 
Branch of the Kansas City Breweries Co. A mild beer, 
conlaining 1.82 per cent of alcohol. Guaranteed to com¬ 
ply with the Pure Food & Drugs Act of June 30, 1906, 
and Kansas Pure Food Law.” 
This beer was analyzed and found to contain from 
4.41 to 4.78 per cent of alcohol. Under the pure food 
and drug law the Heim Brewing Co. was prosecuted 
and fined $100 with costs. The evident object was 
to sell an intoxicating beer under a label which 
stated that the liquor was harmless. Now if it were 
possible to catch some of the patent medicines which 
claim to be “non-alcoholic,” but which are about as 
strong as whisky, the world would be better off for it. 
* 
The New York Times prints the following table 
showing retail prices for meat in New York: 
May 26. 
May 1. 
Two Years 
Ago. 
Porterhouse . 
.28 
.21 
Sirloin steak . 
.20 
.14 
Round steak . 
.17 
.12 
Chuck steak . 
.11 
.06 Vi 
Soup meat . 
.OS 
.06 
.03% 
Leg of lamb . 
*>•) 
.20 
.14 
Leg of mutton . 
.US 
.16 
.11 
Pork loins . 
.12 
.OOfm.08 
Chickens . 
.22 
.18 
Where we live in the country prices run even 
higher. We are told that prospects are for even 
higher meat in the near future. Now we shall have 
a class of city people who blame all this upon the 
farmer. They say he must be getting rich! On the 
day this announcement was made the market report 
from Chicago stated: 
CHICAGO.—Cattle—Receipts estimated at 5,000; mar¬ 
ket steady to a shade lower; beeves, $5.10 a 7.20; Texas 
steers, $4.75 a 6.35 ; Western steers, $4.75 a 6.25; Stock¬ 
ers and feeders, $3.60 a 5.60; cows and heifers, $2.50 a 
6.40; calves, $5.00 a 7.00. Hogs—Receipts estimated at 
26,000; market barely steady; light, $6.00 a 7.35 ; mixed, 
$7.05 a 7.50; heavy, $7.10 a 7.55; rough, $7.10 a 7.25; 
good to choice heavy, $7.25 a 7.55; pigs, $5.90 a 6.85; 
bulk of sales, $7.25 a 7.45. Sheep—Receipts estimated 
at 10,000; market strong to 10c higher; native, $4.00 a 
6.60; Western, $4.25 a 6.75; yearlings, $6.25 a 7.40; 
lambs, native, $6.25 a 8.75 ; Western, $6.50 a 9.65. 
Out of these prices came freight, commission and 
other marketing expenses, and we may see what the 
farmers who feed the stock get out of the con¬ 
sumer’s dollar. Take the price of a loaf of bread at 
present prices and what farmers received for their 
wheat, and again see what part of the dollar gets 
to the wheat grower. No one expects that a stock 
man in Illinois can sell a steak direct to a family in 
New York; a Dakota wheat grower cannot sell fresh 
bread to a family in Maine! There must be handlers 
to stand between the two, but the system is wrong 
somewhere when the handlers get twice as much as 
the producer does! Not only that, but when the con¬ 
sumer is held up for an extra price on his meat and 
bread the producer ought to get some benefit from 
the rise. As it is he gets little, if any, for the raw 
materials are “cornered” or put out of reach of 
competition. The producer takes what he can ,get 
and then stands powerless to relieve the situation. 
Last week we told how those Texas shippers are 
trying to protect themselves against the dealers in 
distant markets who have been robbing them. These 
robberies are possible because the shipper lives many 
miles away, and cannot be sure when his goods ar¬ 
rive. The plan is to send a man with carload ship¬ 
ments and have the railroad give him free trans¬ 
portation. The Texas Railrpad Commission is will¬ 
ing to issue an order for railroads to do this if the 
shippers can show the necessity. Now this is not 
a matter which concerns Texas alone. All over the 
country, in every State, such carload shipments are 
made. Any shipper who has handled goods in this 
way well knows what an advantage it would be if 
some forcible man could go along with the car. If 
the goods a.rrived in good condition the frequent 
bluff of “poor condition” would not work, and a 
good business man could see that the goods were 
fairly sold at least. We have no doubt there are 
10,000 readers of The R. N.-Y. whose experience 
shows the need of sending a watcher with the car. 
Every one of them should take a hand in the Texas 
case and help prove the necessity. No matter where 
you live, send a statement of your facts to J. W. 
Stubenrauch, Mexia, Texas, and do it at once. The 
case will go to the Interstate Commerce Commission 
when it starts, and thus become a national question. 
It is so now, and therefore you are justified in help¬ 
ing start the reform. 
* 
A new law in Pennsylvania requires the chemists 
who analyze fertilizers to state the amount or pro¬ 
portion of “available” nitrogen. At present some 
States merely give the total amount of nitrogen. 
Others divide it into “nitrate,” “ammonia” and “or¬ 
ganic"—the latter including all forms both available 
and inert. It is under the head of “organic” nitrogen 
that the fertilizer manufacturer would find it easiest 
to palm off cheap and inferior stuff. We have for a 
long time argued that this “organic” nitrogen, ought 
to be classified and described. Simply to tell a 
farmer that a fertilizer contains so much nitrogen is 
to tell him little more than nothing, for what every 
farmer wants is available plant food, and we feel 
sure that the reliable fertilizer dealers will welcome 
any plan that puts a premium upon that form. We 
are told that a large number of samples this year 
show evidence that dried peat is used in them. It 
seems to be used as “filler” to dry out wet goods 
which are treated with acid. In this form such dried 
peat has little if any value, even though it contain 
three per cent of nitrogen. No valuation should be 
given for this peat. Such inert forms of nitrogen 
should be considered like the unavailable phosphoric 
acid, and not figured at all in estimating the value of 
fertilizer. 
BREVITIES. 
Airship transportation lines have actually been estab¬ 
lished in Germany. 
Don’t try to spray with a low-power pump. Squirting 
liquid will never answer. 
In France the courts have the power of compelling a 
man convicted of adulterating food to pay the cost of 
advertising his conviction in the papers ! 
At the time of the battle of Gettysburg there was a 
peach orchard on the battlefield. It i s now to be re¬ 
planted and used, among other things, for experiments 
with varieties and methods. 
One dollar’s worth of grain feeds a hen for one year. 
A rat will eat 60 cents’ worth of grain or $1.80 worth 
of oatmeal in the same time. Thus the Department of 
Agriculture figures that it would cost $100,000,000 a year 
to feed the nation's rat population 12 months. 
The weeder seems to have nearly passed out of use. 
A' dozen years ago thousands of them were operated on 
the young crops. Now you can hardly find one at work, 
and they are rarely offered for sale. What has become 
of them? Why are they not as useful now as they for¬ 
merly were? 
In many localities a good job of drainage would be the 
best farmers’ institute that could be held. Take the sur¬ 
plus water out oh some of the wet soils and the effect 
will be surprising. Western New York is surely a “gar¬ 
den spot” now, yet good judges assert that the productive 
power of much of the soil there could be doubled by 
thorough drainage. 
A California traveller sends us a clipping in which 
it is stated that some one in Europe ordered Vermont 
apples last year and paid $18 a barrel. We think this 
beats any story that our Pacific coast friends Lave yet 
produced, but the “Bashful State” doesn’t care to fly 
any false colors. An investigation shows that the report 
is not correct. Vermont can furnish $18 apples, if anyone 
has the price, but we do not understand they have yet 
been ordered. 
One after another the experiment stations are taking 
up seed examination and testing. Beginning with Alfalfa 
and grass seeds these stations are picking out weed seeds 
and testing for germination. The U. S. Department of 
Agriculture has for some years tested seeds and published 
the results. This thing, carefully kept up for some years, 
will pretty nearly settle the question of seed adulteration. 
After a while the public will, through this testing, learn 
to spot the people who sell the weed seed and the dead 
stock, and punish them in the right way—by letting them 
alone. 
