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THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
November 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 Tearl Street, New York. 
Herbert W. Oollingwood. President and Editor, 
John J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wm. E. Dillon, Secretary. Mrs. E. T. Kotll, Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.04, equal to 
8s. 6d., or 8*2 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 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 our columns, 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 bo sent to us within one month of the time of the transaction, 
and you must have mentioned The Rural New-Yorker whon 
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 
30 weeks for 10 cents for strictly introductory pur¬ 
poses. We depend on our old friends to make this 
known to neighbors and friends. 
* 
There is no doubt that New England farmers are 
using large quantities of lime. Sales are rapidly in¬ 
creasing. One great reason for this is the effort many 
farmers are making to start Alfalfa. It is one of the 
settled things of farming that Alfalfa soil must be 
limed. To a less degree this is also true of grass and 
clover seeding. Burned lime, which is airslaked so 
that it crumbles fine, is the most popular form. We 
believe that on the whole it will pay Eastern farmers 
better to buy -the burned lime than the ground lime¬ 
stone unburned. 
* 
Last year, N. H. Brewer, a young Connecticut 
farmer, won the world’s record yield of corn by 
growing 13354 bushels of shelled grain on one acre. 
This year, with a much poorer growing season, Mr. 
Brewer grew 127 bushels. There is no doubt about 
the yield, as the corn was husked and weighed in the 
presence" of reputable and well-known people. As 
wc have been stating for years, there are thousands 
of acres of $50 land in the East which can be made 
to grow more corn, acre for acre, than $150 land in 
the West—and the crop will sell for at least one- 
third more. 
* 
We are justified in saying that Mr. Taylor speaks, 
on our first page, for the great majority of Western 
farmers. They are satisfied with the principle of 
direct nominations. If there are to be any changes 
they are to be such as will give the people yet greater 
power. This is something for New York farmers to 
think over. Right after the election we estimated the 
numbers of members in the- New York Assembly 
pledged to direct nominations at 50. We now believe 
that 70 will be nearer the number. We do not see 
how Senator Raines and Speaker Wadsworth can 
stand out after what was done in their home coun¬ 
ties. Now is the time to begin a definite campaign 
against these two men in particular. 
* 
We are making history at a rapid rate these days. 
Fraud and stealing has been shown up at the New 
York Custom House. From the grefft sugar trust 
down to the small importer grafters and bribers have 
robbed the country of revenue to the extent of $100,- 
000,000 per year. The rottenness of the entire tariff 
system has been laid bare. In addition the public con¬ 
demnation of Speaker Cannon has now become so 
strong that he can no longer rule Congress as he has 
for the past four years. The effect of all this will 
be seen during the next session. -Congressmen will 
join the “insurgents” by the dozen now that they know 
the people are really aroused. The result will be 
proper handling of the grafters and rogues or—the 
most radical legislation we have yet known in this 
country. If the present Congress will not act the 
people will make one to do the work. 
♦ 
You have struck it in calling Maine the “Contented 
State.” We are contented, and why not? We have good 
soil, good climate, grand woods and lakes and streams; 
good steam and trolley lines, and no regular saloons. I 
Believe that 25 years from now Maine will he the leading 
farming State east of Ohio. Seems pretty big. I know, hut 
all we’ve lacked has been knowledge of what we did 
possess; but we are waking up. c. J. b. 
That is the spirit that makes “leading farming 
States.” There is no question about the possibilities 
of Maine farming. Even the frost and snow is an ad¬ 
vantage to the soil. We know of a Virginia man who 
was compelled by business to spend a Winter in 
Maine. His friends bade him farewell with great 
sympathy. They though he would be ‘imprisoned’-’ all 
Winter. To his surprise, this man found that the 
cold and snow which he dreaded gave a smooth hard 
track which made travelling easy. At home the soft 
roads made it impossible to get about, except on horse¬ 
back. Maine is the Contented State. If there are no 
regular saloons—get rid of the irregular ones. 
* 
We hear many people argue that the opening of 
China will give white men a glorious chance to teach 
the Chinese. One would think to hear them talk that 
this teaching would all be from one side. The fact 
is that the Chinese can tell us many things both from 
long experience and close observation. Prof. F. H. 
King has just returned from a visit to China and 
Japan, where he studied methods of soil and crop 
management. He tells us among other things; 
I think it is very doubtful if any other people have so 
thoroughly grasped the underlying principles of mainte¬ 
nance of soil fertility and of continued high lield product¬ 
ive capacity, and adapted them in practice to any set of 
conditions, as lias been the case in China, and nowhere in 
the world. I think, can we iind practical agriculturists 
devoting so much attention and energy to the preparation 
calf pen. The calf licks it and—limes himself! 
As compared with some of the Chinese methods the 
best of our farmers have hardly began to make the 
soil fully productive, and we may well learn from the 
people that we are so ready to teach. The Agricul¬ 
tural Department has received a new kind of corn 
from China, very different from anything now pro¬ 
duced in America. While perhaps of little value to 
us itself, it may, when crossbred with some of our 
native varieties, produce a variety well adapted to the 
Southwest. No one has yet reached the full limit 
of production on an acre of land. If the Chinese can 
“show us” let us go to them for information. 
* 
The last New York Legislature passed a seed in¬ 
spection bill. It would have been signed by Governor 
Hughes except for a clerical error which gave a 
wrong number to the bill. We expect the same bill 
to become a law at the next session. The Commis¬ 
sioner of Agriculture is authorized to collect samples 
of cereals, grass, clover and forage plant seeds for 
examination. All packages of such seeds, exceeding 
one pound in weight, must carry the seller’s name and 
address. The packages must all carry the name of any 
foreign" seeds or weed seeds present to the extent of 
five per cent by count. Also the name of the follow¬ 
ing adulterants; Yellow trefoil in Red clover; Yellow 
trefoil, Burr clover. Sweet clover or dodder, in Al¬ 
falfa; Canadian Blue grass in Kentucky Blue grass; 
Meadow fescue or Rye grass in Orchard grass; Yellow 
trefoil in Alsike clover. Apparently the punishment 
intended for violations of this law is publicity. No 
other penalty is given, but the Commissioner is re¬ 
quired to print the seedsmen’s names and the results 
of the seed examination. The law refers only to grass 
seeds. We do not see how any reliable seedsman can 
object to such a law. If he should put out a lot of 
seeds with five per cent or more of weed seeds he 
could hardly call himself “reliable.” If he really uses 
“all reasonable care” in selling clean seeds the publica¬ 
tion of the examination will prove a good advertise¬ 
ment for him. We think any farmer is justified in 
having his grass and clover seeds examined before he 
puts them in the ground. 
. * 
You wished to know how my experiment with the In¬ 
terstate Commerce Commission resulted. After enough cor¬ 
respondence enclosed herewith, to more than use up the 
15 cents, 1 got it. It was worth about $15 to me, how¬ 
ever, in satisfaction. w. G. N. 
Pennsylvania. 
How can this man get $15 worth of satisfaction 
out of collecting 15 cents at a loss? Last Spring 
he bought a few live plants from a nurseryman in 
New York. The package weighed six pounds, and 
the express company demanded 75 cents. This was 
an outrage, and on our advice this man complained 
to the Interstate Commerce Commission. He had 
five letters from the secretary of the commission in 
all. After investigating the express rates it was found 
that the legal charge on this package was 60 cents, 
and the express company refunded 15 cents. It was 
found that if the charges had been pfrepaid the cost 
would have been 46 cents. The point is that on com¬ 
plaint the commission compelled the express com¬ 
pany to refund the overcharge. Now, it may seem 
to some people like very small business to chase after 
15 cents in this way. The postage required to make 
the complaint cost more than the refund. It is just 
because people refuse to chase up these little public 
robberies that the big ones become possible. The 
policy of the express companies is to “tire out the 
kickers.” They will “look it up,” or your complaint 
“will receive attention,” until the average man gives up 
in disgust and lets his small claim go. The aggregate 
of these little stealings during the year is enormous, 
and the express companies grow bolder and bolder 
when, they find that their victims do not know how 
to enforce the law against them. /-This .man, who 
stayed by them until they returned his 15 cents, de¬ 
serves the thanks of the people. A few thousand of 
such cases would help us all. We began the articles 
on freight rates and the Interstate Commerce Com¬ 
mission in order to show our readers how to proceed 
in case of extortionate transportation charges. The 
Commission offers a remedy. Make sure of your case, 
know what you are talking about, save your receipts 
and bills of lading, and then make your complaint 
straight to the secretary of the Commission at Wash¬ 
ington. 
* 
Here is a city man’s express contribution. Wish¬ 
ing to send a trunk from a Brooklyn suburb to Phila¬ 
delphia, he first wrote to headquarters to learn 
whether his residence was within the company’s caW- 
ing radius. He received an official letter informing 
him that it was. He sent the trunk, prepaid, cost 
$1.25; when it reached its destination the receiver was 
somewhat disgusted to find $1.25 charges due, which 
had to be paid before the trunk could be delivered. 
The sender went to the head office, to which he had 
previously written, to ask the reason for these charges. 
He was curtly informed that the extra charge was 
due because the trunk was handled by another com¬ 
pany, his residence being out of their district. The 
inquirer then displayed the official letter stating that 
his residence was in their district, which induced the 
clerk to admit that there might be a mistake, and after 
much red tape and considerable delay, the express 
company kindly condescended to disgorge $1.25. Very 
few people in such a case would have had the docu¬ 
mentary evidence to prove the claim; how many dol¬ 
lars annually do the express companies gather in 
through such “mistakes”? 
* 
Last week we referred to the change of farming 
which is taking place in southwestern Iowa. After 
some years of stock feeding the soil has become 
very rich. The largest share of the profits from 
stock have gone to the railroads and meat packers. 
Grain has steadily risen in price, until now those 
Iowa farmers figure a greater profit in raising grain 
for sale in place of meat. Eastern farmers are inter¬ 
ested in this, because it promises cheaper grain and 
a better chance to make meat. Such changes are not 
local, but world-wide. In England very much the 
same thing is coming. During the past 30 years 
large tracts of English farm lands have been seeded 
to pastures. This was done because the price of 
wheat fell so low that tenant farmers could not afford 
to pay from $3 to $5 rent per acre and compete with 
new land in America. Those pastures have been kept 
in reasonably good condition by the use of chemical 
fertilizers, and have turned off cattle and sheep. 
Now they are failing as grass lairds, though very rich 
in accumulated plant food. The grain which must 
be used with them to fatten cattle has risen in price. 
Wheat has also gone up until $10 per quarter of eight 
bushels is in sight. Under such circumstances it will 
pay to pjow up these old pastures and sow wheat, 
either with chemicals or without them as experiment 
decides. Thus the same situation is found in England 
which confronts these Iowa farmers. It is much the 
same in New England. For the past few years we 
have urged Eastern farmers to plow up the old pas¬ 
tures and plant corn with chemicals. Many of them 
have done so with good results. The world’s output 
of grain has now reached a point where these old 
grass lands may be profitably worked once more. We 
must all realize that those old lands', though idle, 
have not been losing fertility but, on the whole, are 
stronger now than before they passed out of direct 
cultivation. They have accumulated plant food and 
humus, and when cultivated and limed will yield large 
crops of grain. __ 
BREVITIES. 
The hardest act of self-denial comes when we refrain 
from saying, “I told you so.” 
English calf feeders often keep a lump of chalk in the 
calf pen. The calf licks it and—limes himself! 
“I like to see the fakes exposed, and would also like 
to see the fakers put on the game list, with an open 
season the whole year,” says F. J. Take full care of the 
few we are able to expose and there will be a big gain. 
The Florida cabbage growers had their chance this year. 
The Northern crop is short, and if the Florida crop could 
be planted in November it would come on the market at 
the right time. But what’s the use? It’s too dry in 
Florida to set the plants. 
There is usually less plant disease in a well-limed 
garden. Many of these disease germs thrive best in an 
acid soil. The lime kills them off by making the soil 
alkaline. The reverse of this is true of potato scab, which 
thrives best in alkaline soil. 
In the contented State of Maine the women have gone 
out to help save crops. As Turf, Farm and Home says: 
“Mrs. Ornyindel Morse is said to have picked 11 barrels 
of apples in four hours, and Misses Judith Banton and 
Margie Poland, teachers, of the same place, closed their 
schools early and have been picking up potatoes. One 
night the two girls are said to have picked up 80 barrels.” 
