30 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
January 11, 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1800. 
Published weekly by the Kural Publishing Company, 409 Pearl Street, New York. 
Herbert W. Collingwood, President and Editor, 
John J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wm. F. Dilion, 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. Od., 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. 
"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 swindler will be publicly ex- 
posod. 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 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. 
* 
Young man—go out and get prices on lumber or on 
wood pulp for paper making. Then figure what it 
would mean to you if you had 50 acres of good pine 
and spruce timber. If these figures are true now think 
what they would be 40 years hence! If you can con¬ 
trol cheap land and want a good profession you will 
find practical forestry offering sure opportunities. 
* 
The series of articles on “Apple Culture” has proved 
one of the most popular we ever presented. It seems 
that people like this plan of thorough discussion where 
all sides are permitted to take a hand. We shall soon 
begin the publication of an exhaustive article on “A 
Bag of Fertilizer,” which will attempt to answer the 
hundreds of fertilizer questions which have been ac¬ 
cumulating. 
* 
The farm help question is a hard one on many 
farms, yet farmers should be careful what strangers 
they take into their homes. You might possibly enter¬ 
tain an angel unawares once in 1,000 times, but the 
chances of harboring a character of an opposite stripe 
would be much narrower. We have just heard of a 
case where such a rascal did far more damage in a 
quiet home than a dozen tigers could have done. 
* 
Here is a suggestion for fruit growers’ meetings. 
Buy a sample box of apples from the Pacific coast. 
Get an empty box and let the most expert packer in 
the society select fine fruit and see how near he can 
come to imitating the western apples. We believe 
there are a good many places at the East where fruit 
fully as good as that from the Pacific can be selected 
and packed. This would be a good way to prove it. 
* 
On page 918 we printed the name and a brief report 
of the doings of an apple buyer who took a fancy to 
Maine apples. Now we have the sequel: 
That fly-by-night apple man, Mr. Posey, has answered 
my letters now, and asked me to send him statements of 
apples shipped and not settled for. philo thurston. 
It usually takes longer to reach the ear of a “fly-by- 
night” character, but in time the cold typ e will batter 
them down. Printer’s ink is a great fuel for a search¬ 
light. 
* 
Have you written that letter to Hon. Chas. E. 
Hughes, Albany, N. Y.f You can help by ‘sending 
him a brief, respectful letter asking him to investigate 
that cattle case. We simply want to let the Governor 
know what country people think about the principle 
involved. We doubt if at present he gets his infor¬ 
mation straight from the soil. No matter where you 
live, write the letter, for this is a National question, 
and Gov. Hughes may be, if he is not now, a National 
character. It is within your right to tell him respect¬ 
fully what country people stand for. Write at once. 
* 
We are asked if the seed testing laboratory at 
Washington can help us on the mixed variety problem. 
For instance, suppose you buy onion seed of a par¬ 
ticular variety and want to be sure it is true. Can you 
send a sample of the seed to Washington and learn 
whether it is red, yellow or white? No; the seed of 
one variety cannot be told from another, neither can 
the little seedlings. You will still have to rely on 
(he honesty and care of the seedsman in such matters. 
The seed laboratory will tell you if weed seeds are 
mixed in what you buy, and also what per cent of 
the seeds may be expected to sprout under fair condi¬ 
tions. The most effective work is done with seeds 
of grass and clover, and it will pay any man who 
buys such seeds to have them tested. There has been 
a great complaint about these adulterated seeds. The 
best way to drive them out of the market is to let 
the seedsmen know you are going to a higher author¬ 
ity. Thus the more samples that are sent the better 
the chance to drive out the weeds and dirt 
* 
Here are some remarks from a Vermont dairyman 
well worthy of a place in the literature of this Jersey 
cattle case. Nothing we can add could strengthen 
them: 
The only way to be sure papers will fit cows is to have 
them handled by an honest man. There is absolutely noth¬ 
ing to prevent fraud. I own eight registered Jerseys and 
20 grades. I wish I knew if the registry is all right. I 
have twt> registered cows that lost their calves last Spring, 
and two grade calves 63-64 Jersey blood. No living man 
could have a suspicion they were not the purebred. I 
might Dawleyize them, only I would not lose my self respect, 
and dishonor an ancient and noble family name for all the 
cattle in Vermont. But there are mean men on earth, and 
nothing to keep them out of the cattle business. 
* 
“SIFTING OUT THE HEARTS OF MEN.” 
During the Civil War old soldiers remember how 
they went marching to the tune of Mrs. Howe’s 
“Battle Hymn of the Republic.” The most effective 
lines in that hymn were: 
“He is sifting out the hearts of men 
Before the judgment seat!” 
In every contest for principle or right men must 
face a supreme moral test. They must decide with¬ 
out compromise for one side or the other. 7 he way 
men meet this test will decide the future of every 
social organization—from the humblest home to the 
mightiest nation. It is saddening to see how through 
history the compromisers and moral cowards have lined 
up on the fence where they give comfort to the enemy. 
And this sifting of men’s hearts goes on to-day. 
Here in New York State we have an instance of it. 
This Jersey cattle case and what it stands for could 
have been settled long ago by the Institute workers. 
We venture to say that not one of them, unless he be 
under personal obligations to Mr. Dawley, will stand 
up and say he knows the charges cannot be true— 
though he could name half a dozen men of his 
acquaintance of whom such things could be said. 
These Institute workers are intelligent enough to know 
that it will mean ruin to the Institutes if any man at 
the head of them can, with the aid of his helpers, defy 
serious charges and refuse to meet. them. These men 
also know that Ti-ie R. N.-Y. has, for the past year, 
been ready to stop the discussion at any time a final 
settlement before an impartial tribunal was assured. 
During the State Fair the writer told Mr. Dawley 
personally that if he would clear himself of these seri¬ 
ous charges made by Rogers and Squiers all The R. 
N.-Y. has in power, ability and influence would be at 
his disposal for complete vindication. This was said 
in the presence of H. E. Cook and Mr. Dawley’s’ 
lawyer. 
Now the Institute workers knew all these things 
and when they were asked to take up their Winter’s 
work they met the test which sifts out the hearts of 
men and proves whether a man is built like a ramrod 
or like an angleworm. They should have stood up 
firmly and said as was their right: 
“We will not go until yon face these charges and 
disarm your critics as you say you can!” 
Had they done that this whole matter would have 
been settled long ago and settled right. Not only so, 
but these men would have gained a reputation for 
moral courage which is the highest badge of man¬ 
hood. We regret to say that at the test these men 
seem to have had contraction of the heart—and they 
went through the sieve! Not all; for a few men re¬ 
fused to bend the knee. Of the others, some with one 
excuse and some with another, all knowing what they 
were doing, these men fell in line with some half¬ 
hearted statement which meant nothing. They knew 
that by doing this they gave Mr. Dawley the char¬ 
acter he wanted, and enabled him to point the Gov¬ 
ernor and Legislature to eminently respectable men, 
who by their action endorse him and repudiate charges 
—which in their hearts they cannot do. When God 
goes sifting the hearts of men and offering them 
moral opportunity there is some definite purpose in it. 
The great need in farm education to-day, particularly 
in New York, is some fresh, strong element of moral 
force. Without it you may pour thousands of dollars 
and millions of well-sweetened words into the Insti¬ 
tutes without avail. These Institute workers have had 
their opportunity. 
* 
It is reported that thousands of tramps and other 
idle men are pouring into New York for the Winter. 
We see already many of them lounging about. On 
some days one can hardly walk two blocks without 
being held up with some long story about the need 
of a little money to buy food. The majority of such 
men would not work if they had the chance. They 
are drones and worse, and it is a public shame that 
kind-hearted people should be asked to feed them and 
keep them comfortable. We have known well-meaning 
people to come to the country and solicit money to buy 
“breakfasts for hungry” men. If this could lie used 
to help the really deserving men who have families 
to support country people might be justified in con¬ 
tributing their hard-earned money. It is worse than 
folly to give such money to feed the tough citizens 
who make their lazy lair in New York every Winter. 
The Charities Organization is likely to be swamped 
with calls for. help. They promise to apply the “work 
test”—that is, compel all healthy applicants to work be¬ 
fore they are fed. 
* 
This may be a good time to build that new house 
or fix up the old one. You can make a good bargain 
for labor and material now when cash is needed in 
circulation. If you have the money to spend you can 
make more out of what you will save on the price of 
the house than the hoarded money ever can earn for 
you. There may yet be some farmers who think a 
comfortable house and neat grounds will indicate a 
weakness of some sort. The pride in having a good 
home is the sort of “weakness” that means strength. 
The colored woman at the South, who out of her 
scanty savings fixed up her little cottage had the true 
idea when she said: 
“When Is in de field, I jes’ has every now and 
den to look up at dis house, and, when I see it, I don't 
know'dat I’m working.” 
What a blessed thing it will be when men cultivate 
the spirit and poetry of life so that they don’t know 
they are working! When toil acquires a soul of self- 
sacrifice and self-denial it is no longer drudgery. 
* 
In seeking to investigate the proportion of regis¬ 
tered bulls kept in dairy districts we went at random 
to a number of places where dairying is a chief in¬ 
dustry. The first reports are given on page 28. 
We want more of them, and would like to have the 
facts from your district. You will see that only a 
small proportion of the bulls in these districts are 
purebred. Of course in milk making sections where 
few calves are raised this might be expected, but we 
would like to know how these cows that are bought 
to fill these dairies rank in breeding. At any rate, it 
must be evident to breeders that there is a great har¬ 
vest awaiting them in these working herds if they can 
offer good bulls at a fair price and with the pedigree 
guaranteed. No one can blame a dairyman for em¬ 
ploying every possible means within his power to 
make sure that the papers fit his registered stock. 
During the past year many persons have asked us 
where to buy purebred animals that they can be sure 
of. We have been able to tell them, and we have 
found that there is a greater demand than ever before 
for good stock, and also more straightforward, honest 
breeders than ever. It is an excellent time right now 
to buy registered stock. 
BREVITIES. 
It’s a good biter who can take a bite himself. 
Out in Arizona they are now making Alfalfa hay! 
Even in Natal, South Africa, dairymen are talking about 
“certified milk.” 
In the West the live stock auctioneer’s business has come 
to he a profession—requiring schools of its own. 
The latest advice to those who wish to live long is—eat 
sour milk. Not while, we have plenty of sour apples. 
At the Connecticut Experiment Station an experiment is 
being made at keeping hens in small tents. 
If an experiment station start an exDeriment. and obtains 
results which indicate failure—should it issue the figures? 
A friend in Alberta, Northwest Canada, writes that 
apples cost $7 per barrel wholesale. Nearer the apple bin 
for us ! 
That Jersey cattle question recently appeared in an In¬ 
stitute question box. The director’s reply was that lie 
would answer in private. 
After all this man has a pretty sensible idea of the 
work of a water witch: “If I engaged a water witch to 
locate a place to dig a well I should dig just where he 
said dig, if it was where I wanted the well.” 
The great Roman Emperor Augustus was able to reign 
many years and end his days in comparative quiet. Out of 
eight emperors following him five met with violent deaths. 
We are told that Augustus ate an apple every night. 
A French chemist advocates the use of sugar in bread- 
making. This he says will make a lighter and better bread, 
and increase the demand for sugar. He would better work 
his scheme on the principle of the Apple Consumers' League. 
Mrs. Ann Hulsizer recently died in Ohio at the age of 
106. In late years she did much sewing, and until two 
years ago could see to thread her needle. She never wore 
glasses. She attributed her long life to the constant eating 
of apples and other fruit. 
To show the varied resources of Colorado a railroad has 
offered to deliver a carload of snow each day of the Demo¬ 
cratic Convention at Denver in July. The snow will he 
hauled from the mountains, and side by side with it will be 
Colorado’s fruits and flowers. 
