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THE RURAL, NEW-YORKER 
The Rural New-Yorker 
TEE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER. 
A Nations! Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Hornes. 
Established 1800. 
Pablbhed weekly by the Rural Pnhluhinr Company, 409 Pearl Street, New York, 
Hkrbjcrt W. CoiJjINGWOOI), 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. 6 d., or 8*2 marks, or 10*2 francs. Remit in money order, 
express order, personal cheek 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 onr columns, and any such swindler will 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 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 GENTS. 
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 notice many weedy grass fields this year—ap¬ 
parently more than ever. These coarse weeds are 
hard to cure. Sometimes when the grass is fit for 
the barn these weeds are still damp. Where there 
are many of them they may spoil the hay. In such 
cases and in bad hay weather the use of salt in the 
hay mow will often save the hay. A peck of coarse 
salt scattered over a load of this damp or weedy hay 
wiH help to keep down fermentation and dry out the 
hay. Air-slaked lime can be used, but stock like the 
salted hay better. 
* 
Last year a cargo of corn was brought to New 
York from Argentina. The high price for the grain 
induced the South Americans to try the experiment. 
Last week another record was made, nearly 10 loads 
of No. 2 red wheat being shipped from New York 
to the West for consumption. The time actually 
came when flour was so scarce in the West that 
wheat was sent back from New York to supply local 
demands. We can go to old records within 20 years 
and find that sound corn was used for fuel and fine 
wheat used as hog feed. Looking ahead 20 years 
there is a cheerful prospect for the grain grower. 
That is why we have been so persistent in urging 
our Eastern farmers to break up their waste ground 
and plant corn, followed by small grain. 
* 
\\*E commend the article by Fanny Morris Smith 
on page 601. It is a strong and sensible argument 
for exhibiting grade cows at fairs and dairy shows. 
It is strange that breeders of purebred cattle cannot 
see that anything that proves the value of blood must 
help the breed. The best way for their animals to 
prove their value for real business is to stamp that 
value upon the business dairy cow. That cow is 
and ever will be a grade. We have no doubt some 
of these high-grades will out-test the purebreds and 
out-score them on businesslike points. They are a 
credit to their sire’s breed, and deserve a place at 
our shows. The managers of the New York State 
Fair offer $400 in prizes for the four best grade 
dairy cows of any breed. This is more than twice as 
much as is offered for the four best cows of any of 
the established breeds. We hope dairymen will re¬ 
spond and make a great show of grade cows at Syra¬ 
cuse. That ought to be a great place to sell such 
cattle. 
* 
Why don’t we bear of the prosperity of Borden's Milk 
Co., or some commission dealer? The manner in which 
some speak of the prosperity of the farmers would imply 
That really they were almost committing a crime in daring 
(•Yen to attempt to follow the example of their city 
cousins. 
From Secretary Wilson down, many of the 
“friends” of agriculture in high places have been 
telling how exceedingly prosperous the American 
farmer has become. The papers are filled with stor¬ 
ies of high prices for farm products and the im¬ 
mense value of a year’s crop. It has got so that 
most city men believe farmers have money to throw 
away. In one case such a man made plans to send 
his wife and children to a relative on a farm. He 
thought he should not be expected to pay board be¬ 
cause farmers were getting rich anyway. Suppose 
the milk dealers, the commission men, the feed hand¬ 
lers and all the rest of the chain between the farmer 
and the consumer began to brag about the great pros¬ 
perity and high prices. The saloon keeper with beer 
at five cents a glass, compared with milk at three 
cents a quart, might make a fancy statement. These 
business men—all living on what the farm produces, 
know enough to keep quiet while they get 65 cents of 
the consumer’s dollar. When it comes to debating 
the new tariff, it is harder than pulling teeth to find 
what the manufacturing and transportation concerns 
are paying their stockholders. Yet some one is sure 
to get up on the housetops and shout the billions 
which farm crops bring. It would be a good thing 
if, along with it, they would shout the proportion 
which the middlemen control. By all means let us 
hear more about the handlers’ profits. 
* 
Ex-Senator Thomas C. Platt, president of the U. 
S. Express Company, is under fire. The majority 
of the stockholders want to call a meeting, but have 
been unable to have one called. Suit has been 
brought and various charges are made against the 
Platts. As part of his defence, the ex-Senator says: 
.My attendance as a Senator of the United Slates in 
Washington while President of the United States Express 
Company was in no way a disadvantage to the company, 
for while there I always continued to attend to the du¬ 
ties of my position as President of the company. 
It is ten to one that no will deny that. Mr. Platt 
was a far more valuable expressman in the Senate 
than he could possibly be anywhere else. As a 
Senator he was able to choke off the efforts to ob¬ 
tain a fair parcels post. As a result his company 
and others in the combination, were able to keep up 
their extortionate rates and continue to rob the pub¬ 
lic. Expressman Platt is right. His work as a 
Senator “was in no way a disadvantage to the com¬ 
pany.” The disadvantage was to the people of 
New York, and the country at large, but what do 
they amount to, anyway, by the side of an express 
company ? 
* 
Scientific papers seem to be making much of some 
experiments in tree planting conducted at the English 
Woburn experiment fruit farm. Part of the trees 
were planted in large holes with the roots spread out 
and the soil carefully worked in around them. The 
rest were set in small holes with the earth pounded 
hard about the roots. As a result 59 per cent gave 
a better tree with the small hole planting, while 27 
showed no particular difference and 14 were in favor 
of the large hole. Pictures show that the trees 
planted in small holes had a deeper root system. In¬ 
stead of being a “new discovery,” this is the old 
Stringfellow method of planting. For the past 10 
years we have been advocating small holes and close- 
pruned roots. Having planted about 4,000 trees 
this way on our own farm, and having dug many of 
them up for examination, we ought to know how the 
roots behave. Our experience shows that where the 
tree is closely root-pruned and planted in a small 
hole with the dirt pounded down around it we have 
a deep tap-rooted system better able naturally to 
endure drought than when the roots run close to the 
surface. We think this method of planting is a nec¬ 
essary part of full success with the mulch method of 
handling the trees. This Woburn experiment is 
simply an endorsement of Mr. Stringfellow’s claim 
for planting. 
* 
The New England Grain Dealers’ Association is 
sending out a letter and circular to retail grain 
dealers all over New England, in which the follow¬ 
ing statement is made: 
During the last few months there has been a very de¬ 
cided tendency toward carlot buying of grain by Grangers. 
This grain is retailed to the various Grange members at 
practically no margin over cost, and has assumed such 
proportions as to be worthy of your careful attention. 
This practice seems to be increasing, and the complaints 
to the Association have been quite numerous of late, 
and the matter lias been causing more or less concern 
among the grain dealers throughout New England. It is 
only by the action on the part of all the New England 
grain dealers that anything can lie done. 
We assume that the complaints are made by deal¬ 
ers who are losing business through such cooperative 
buying. One object for which the Grange was origin¬ 
ally organized was to attempt cooperation in buying 
and selling. Suppose there are 20 members of a 
local Grange all feeding cows and buying grain. Let 
us say that each one of the 20 goes as an individual 
to the local dealer and buys 500 pounds at a time. 
Then some one gets to figuring and finds that if they 
will all club together and buy in carload lots they 
can save 15 per cent of the price. That is like mak¬ 
ing each man a present of 300 pounds of grain out of 
each ton. The only argument against doing this is 
that the local dealer ought to have the 300 pounds 
rather than you. Ever since trade has divided soci¬ 
ety into classes the effort has been to compel the 
producers to sell what they produce at wholesale 
prices and buy at retail. These grain dealers intend 
to continue to compel, if possible, the farmers to pay 
retail prices for grain. They cannot complain if the 
farmers learn the trick of combining to obtain whole¬ 
sale prices. 
June 19, 
It is with great sorrow that we record the death 
of Mrs. Mary Squiers, wife of our good friend F. D. 
Squiers. Last year the only son of Mr. and Mrs. 
Squiers became ill and it was found necessary for 
him to go to Colorado and remain there. Rather 
than have their family broken up, Mr. and Mrs. 
Squiers gave up their home in Jefferson County, N. 
Y., sold the farm that had been for a celittiry in the 
family, and with their daughters, moved to a new and 
strange land that they might be with the boy. Mrs. 
Squiers died 10 days after reaching Colorado, while 
the family was making its new home. It i<? hard to 
go away from old scenes and old friends and live 
among strangers with a great sorow like this. The 
R. X.-Y. has grief for the dead and deep sympathy 
for the living. During the hard and desperate bat¬ 
tle over the celebrated cattle case, Mr. and Mrs. 
Squiers proved themselves strong and steadfast 
friends and we can never forget their loyal and un¬ 
selfish support. They went hopefully to a new coun¬ 
try with a motive that only father and mother can 
know. We pray that the dark shadow now resting 
upon the new home may be in a measure lifted. 
* 
Every day that the Senate keeps on discussing the 
tariff bill, adds to the conviction regarding two 
things. 
1. There should be direct nomination or selection 
of United States Senators. 
2. The tariff question should be taken from Con¬ 
gress and put in the hands of a tariff commission. 
The reason for the first proposition is that in no 
other way, apparently, can the people influence the 
Senate. In former years when a new tariff was ar¬ 
ranged the great discussion took place in the House 
of Representatives. All this is changed this year. 
The House gave a sort of perfunctory debate, passed 
a bill quickly and turned it over to the Senate for 
long debate and final change. The reason for this 
ought to be evident to anyone who can read. The 
members of the House are elected directly by the 
people. They well understand that if they do not 
do as their people demand they will have a hard fight 
for re-election. There is greater independence and 
greater sense of power among the people than ever 
before—far more than when other tariff bills were 
passed. Therefore these representatives find it safer 
to turn the bill over to the Senate for the great ma¬ 
jority of the Senators are in no way responsible to 
the people. You will notice that practically the only 
men who seem willing to fight for a tariff bill which 
will give the people fair protection are those from 
States which have direct nomination laws, or where 
the people assert their rights. The United States 
Senate will remain the stronghold of the great mon¬ 
ied interests until the people can actually make or 
unmake Senators. Under the Constitution they can¬ 
not exercise this influence until they take a hand in 
direct nominations. As for a tariff commission let 
any man compare the possibilities of such a system 
with our present methods. There was great opposi¬ 
tion at first to the Inter-State Commerce Commis¬ 
sion. Yet, after more than 20 years of its service 
who would think of giving it up and putting its work 
back upon Congress? There is a general desire to 
give it larger powers and greater authority. The 
idea of a tariff commission is for Congress to pro¬ 
vide a high and low tariff rate for each article. Ap¬ 
point a commission representing the various indus¬ 
tries, composed of the ablest men to be found. Let 
these men hear testimony, investigate conditions and 
arrange tariff rates as seems best, between the figures 
named by Congress. This would take the tariff out 
of politics and make it a business question, which it 
is and should be. After 10 years of such a commis¬ 
sion we believe the American people woufd be as¬ 
tonished that they ever kept up the present system so 
long. _ 
BREVITIES. 
We hate to see a man shy at opportunity. 
You will find many a hard struggle between patriotism 
and pocketbook. 
Big Jaw is a disease quite rare among horses; big head 
is another quite common to bosses. 
When in doubt as to whether your soil needs lime, put 
some on and try it. Ten to one if the soil has been 
under cultivation 40 years the iime will help. 
We have many questions this year about the little black 
insect which bores holes in the potato leaves. It is the 
flea beetle. If is not a leaf eater but a sucker, and there¬ 
fore not much injured by poisons. Tobacco water helps, 
also Bordeaux mixture. The chief point is to keep the 
potatoes growing fast by good feeding and culture. 
Ox page 575 was an article on basket willows in which 
we are told that the home demand is increasing. Investi¬ 
gation in the trade shows that this is true. Manufac¬ 
turers of baskets and willow goods tell us that there is a 
good demand for willows and that it will probably in¬ 
crease. Here may he a good chance for some one located 
on low land. 
