8DO 
THE EtURAl* NEW-YORKER 
October 9 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850. 
Published weekly by tbe Rural Publishing Cuiupuny, 409 Pearl Street, New Vork. 
Herbert W. Coujngwood, President and Editor, 
John J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wm. F. Dillon. Secretary. 
Dr. Walter Van Fleet and Mi;s. E. T. Royle, Associate Editors. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.04, equal to 
8s. (id., or S'a marks, or 10V 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 ourcolumns, and any such swiudlerwill 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 wo be responsible for the debts of 
lamest 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. 
* 
National Apple Day will he celebrated this year 
on the third Tuesday in October. Everyone is ex¬ 
pected to eat apple and talk apple to his full limit 
on that occasion. “Apple Day” is generally cele¬ 
brated in the Middle West. We want 10,000 Eastern 
apple growers to join us in this year’s observance. 
The best place to work is in the local schoolhouse. 
Get some one to give a short apple talk before the 
pupils—and open a barrel for their eating. They 
will applaud your apples more than they do your 
talk, but that may show wise discrimination. Try 
it this year. 
* 
A man in New Jersey sold a piece of land on 
which he had planted strawberries. When the ber¬ 
ries were ripe this man claimed the right to pick 
them ‘on the ground that they were personal prop¬ 
erty. The new owner denied the right and pre¬ 
vented the former owner from harvesting the crop. 
As a result, the former owner brought suit and a 
jury gave him $100 damages. On appeal, the judges 
upheld this decision on the ground that strawberries 
are not real estate, since they are not permanently 
rooted in the ground. Fruit trees being fixed and 
permanent and intended to be so, go with the land, 
but strawberries, being a short-lived crop and fre¬ 
quently renewed, are personal property like wheat, 
corn or potatoes. There are very few cases of this 
sort on record, but the above decision will probably 
stand the test. 
* 
One thing has yet to be said of Alfalfa. It im¬ 
proves the soil where it grows, improves the farm 
fodder supply and adds to the value of the farm. 
Any farmer who has been able to grow this crop 
successfully will agree with these statements. Al¬ 
falfa does more—it improves the farmer along with 
the farm. Outside of a natural limestone soil, it 
requires great skill and patience to make a success 
of Alfalfa growing. Keen study and observation, 
rare philosophy and some little expense are all neces¬ 
sary before Alfalfa hay can be put into the barn. 
These are the very qualities needed to make a suc¬ 
cessful farmer, and they are developed by Alfalfa 
as by no other crop. Thus the man who can make 
four tons of Alfalfa grow where one ton of Timothy 
grew before, will not only have more money in his 
pocket, but a training which fils him to take hold 
of other hard problems. It is doubtful if any farmer 
can develop an ordinary field into a profitable Al¬ 
falfa meadow without becoming at the same time a 
wiser And a better man. 
* 
It would seem as if some of the daily papers are 
growing wise. For a time they told the stories of 
vast wealth in the hands of farmers, and blamed the 
producers for the high prices which consumers are 
forced to pay. Now they actually begin to discuss 
the middleman and his- share of the dollar. One 
reason for this change is evident. Farmers now take 
daily papers as never before. When they saw these 
dailies printing the foolish stuff about farm wealth 
they went right to headquarters. These papers have 
learned how the consumer’s dollar is cut up in a way 
that brings it straight home. Thus far they have en¬ 
joyed picturing farmers as a shiftless, ignorant class, 
wasting the land and careless about business methods 
Now we shall see a change. We all appreciate the 
fact that most of us, as farmers, have much to learn 
about our business. If a man is to be a farmer at all 
he should try to be just as good a farmer as possible. 
That is a duty he owes to his family as well as to 
himself. We hold, however, that the “good farmer” 
does not merely try to double the number of blades 
of grass on his farm, but that he should also try to 
get hold of a fairer share of the consumer’s dollar. 
One sort of “farming” is as necessary as the other, 
yet thus far, practically all the public money spent on 
agricultural education has been put into showing how 
to produce crops. When the daily papers begin to see 
the point it is time the colleges and farm institutes 
sized up the situation. 
* 
We have reported several cases where crops were 
injured by smoke or fumes from factories. In 
some cases dust settled upon the plants, while in 
others sulphurous fumes in the smoke caused the 
trouble. Gardeners who undertake to collect dam¬ 
ages from such injuries should be careful to know 
what they are doing. A case is reported in Con¬ 
necticut where, it was claimed, an asparagus field 
was injured by the smoke from a brick kiln. The 
same injury was claimed the previous year, and the 
brick maker settled for it. The following year 
he refused to pay damages on the plea that the 
plants were injured by disease before the smoke 
was blown over the field. An investigation showed 
that this claim was largely true. While there was 
some slight injury from the smoke, the chief loss 
was due to disease. The injury from the smoke in 
the previous year, no doubt, weakened the plants, 
but legally this had been settled for. We give these 
facts without argument, so that farmers who have 
trouble of this sort may realize that all sides will 
be considered in a suit for damages. 
* 
“I am a great admirer of Mr. Burbank. I think he has 
done more than any other person for the advancement of 
agriculture. Therefore, he should not be criticized.” 
That is about the way some half-dozen people 
have written us since this Wonderberry discussion 
started. Assuming that those people mean what 
they say, we write them as follows: 
“From what you say, we assume that you are a 
botanist of some experience, that you have grown and 
tested all or most of Mr. Burbank's creations, and that 
you have made a full study of their behavior iu various 
parts of the country. Naturally you would not make 
the unqualified statement you do unless you can size up 
to these requirements. Now you are just the person 
we have been socking—that is, one who can tell us what 
things of permanently practical value Mr. Burbank lias 
given flic world. Will you kindly name a number of these 
things and show the public that he has done more than 
any other person, etc? We will gladly offer you the 
needed space for such an article.” 
Now does anyone think we really get any such 
“proof?” Not a word. • They usually thank us for 
the offer, but regret that they haven’t time at present. 
When pressed further, they admit that all they know 
about Burbank is what they have read in some book 
or magazine. We never worked harder over any 
proposition than we have to induce some one to 
come out with the facts and prove the great debt 
which Burbank claims the world owes him. One 
would think that the gentlemen who have introduced 
his novelties would be first to accept the invitation 
and come forward with the facts. 
* 
Many of us can well remember the time when 
the saloon-keeper regarded temperance agitation as 
a very good joke. The politicians backed him, and 
that was enough. A change has come over his 
dreams. Last week the Illinois State Liquor Deal¬ 
ers approved the following “code of ethics 
To prohibit the serving of drinks to any female to be 
drunk at a public bar. 
To prevent gambling for money in any and all forms 
upon the premises. 
To conduct a place of business so that neighbors will 
feel it is a necessity instead of a hindrance and to respect 
the wishes of neighbors in every possible way. 
To discontinue the promiscuous giving of Christmas 
presents iu any form whatever. 
To stop the sale of five-cent growlers* and to limit the 
sale of beer iu buckets to residents of (he immediate 
neighborhood. 
To exclude from all saloons and public bars' all inde¬ 
cent pictures and cards and to discourage the use of 
indecent pictures or labels for advertising purposes by 
the makers or dealers iu liquors, cigars, and cigarettes. 
When rum sellers begin to apply “the science of 
human duty” to their business we may well investi¬ 
gate the reasons for their action. Is the soul or 
the pocket-book troubled? We think the motive 
springs from the latter. In their sense of security 
the saloon-keepers went too far and outraged public 
sentiment. Had they passed these rules 20 years 
ago, and honestly lived up to them, it is doubtful if 
they would have been seriously disturbed in their 
business. Tlxv were too eager to make money in 
any decent or indecent way, and they forced the 
American people to realize that the rum shop is 
the enemy of manhood. They are now too late with 
their “ethics,” for the true fighting spirit of the 
people is against them. 
The Elope Farm man gives a sample of the old 
French Canadian laws designed to stop the rush of 
people from country to town. Parkman states that 
at one time the paternal Canadian Government 
thought the farmers of Montreal raised too many 
horses, neglecting sheep and cattle. So they issued 
an ordinance, of which the following is a sample: 
“Now, therefore, we command that each iahabitant 
shall hereafter own no more than two horses or 
mares and one foal; the same to take effect after (lie 
sowing season of the ensuing year, 1710, giving them 
time to rid themselves of their horses in excess of said 
number, after which they will lx? required to kill any of 
such excess that may remain in their possession.” 
At that time the colony was often at the point 
of starvation, since much of the food was brought 
from France. A class of so-called “nobles” and 
soldiers comprised a good share of the population, 
and they were non-producers. Therefore, the farm¬ 
ers were expected to produce something that could 
be eaten, and not gratify their* own tastes. Of 
course, the ordinance failed. It belonged to a time 
when the Government dared to proclaim boldly that 
a farmer should be satisfied to live and provide food 
for the soldier and the drone. We do too much of 
this still. Speed the day when we can make the 
loafers and fighters work for their food—as others 
do. 
• * 
President Taft, in his journey through the West, 
is certainly making some remarkable statements. 
He calls the tariff bill, recently passed by Congress, 
the best tariff we have ever had. We are sure that 
this statement will be opposed by 75 per cent of 
the people of this country who have ever given any 
thought to the subject. Let the President get off 
his train and talk as man tc .nan with the people 
who listen to him, and he would soon 'earn what 
they think about the tariff. They would tell him 
that they voted for him with the clear understanding 
that the tariff would be adjusted so that the cost of 
living would be cheapened. It seems strange that 
in a country where agriculture is the chief business 
President Taft should offer the following: 
Certainly no one will contend that protection has in¬ 
creased the cost of food in this country when the fact 
is that we have been the greatest exporters of food 
products in the world. 
If that is true, then the tariff on food products 
is no protection whatever. Everyone understands 
that we pay extra for our clothing or our steel goods 
because the tariff prevents competition from foreign- 
made goods. No one denies this, the theory being 
that this extra price goes as a sort of bonus to our 
American manufacturers. In fact, this extra price 
is the protection which the manufacturers claim 
and demand. Now, if the tariff on grain or potatoes 
or other food makes no difference in the price, it 
is no protection at all. Yet whenever a tariff bill 
is before Congress the farmers are expected to swap 
duties—that is, agree to a tariff on steel, lumber, 
clothing, etc., and in return receive the great benefit 
of a tariff on corn, cabbage, eggs, etc. We have 
always claimed that these agricultural tariffs were 
simply part of a bunco game played again and again 
on our farmers. Evidently, without meaning to 
do so, President Taft has exposed the whole thing, 
for if these food tariffs make no difference in prices 
they afford no protection, and they amount to little 
or nothing as revenue producers. 
BREVITIES. 
Now, then, for drainage plans. 
Spell ruin in three letters—R IT M. 
Happy the household that can sit' before an open fire. 
The Crimson clover has taken a great start with the 
Fall rains. 
Score another for “the poor man’s cow.” Some of 
the sheep men advise keeping a billy goat in the flock 
to fight off the dogs. 
We never saw the strawberry runners sprout out as 
they have during the past 10 days. They are making 
up for their laziness during the drought. 
Have any of our readers ever made jelly or oilier 
delicacies out of sumach berries? We have a reader 
who desires to know how this jelly can he made. 
What was probably the first temperance meeting ever 
held on the continent was at Canadian Mission iu HS4S. 
An Algonquin Indian chief was the principal speaker. 
Now while the hens are moulting, comes to pass, a 
poultry wonder—from the water-glass. The old laid egg 
steps proudly into view as fit for custard as when it was 
new. 
It appears that the apple-eating habit is growing in 
Germany. Imports of fruit have nearly doubled in two 
years, yet this country gets but a small share of the 
increase. It has gone to Belgium. France and Hungary. 
A few years ago there was a genuine craze for making 
concrete building blocks on the farm. They were used 
for houses, barns - and outbuildings of nil sorts. A good 
many farmers evidently bought “forms” or moulds and 
made these blocks for sale. Time enough has now passec 
to give a fair judgment of results. We would like to 
know whether these concrete block buildings have proved 
satisfactory, and whether the sale of farm-made blocks' 
is profitable._ _ 
