70 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER’S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850. 
Publishf‘ii arekly by thr Rural Publlkhine Company, 4(19 Prarl Street, New York, 
HkbbebtW. (Iolunowood, President and Editor, 
•Iohn J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wm. P. Diliain, Secretary. 
Dr. Walter Van Fleet and Mbs. E. T. Rovle, 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 lO^ 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 believo that every advertisement in this paper is backed by a 
responsible person, lint 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 swindlerwill 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 be sent to us within one month of the time of the transaction, 
and >on 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 are promised a brilliant battle—with ink—over 
this mulch-cultivation matter. Prof. Hedrick will re¬ 
view the case and draw conclusions from what has 
been printed, and F. H. Ballou is collecting figures on 
the mulch side. 
* 
Is there any stream on your farm that can be har¬ 
nessed as Mr. Van Wagenen describes? Perhaps the 
harness will cost too much. This is a great way to 
obtain light where it can be done. Do you want figures 
on the cost of harnessing your brook? 
* 
Tiie R. N.-Y. has surprised itself as an accurate 
prophet. We said the agricultural meetings would pass 
fewer “resolutions’’ than ever this year, but we did 
not anticipate the silence that has fallen upon most of 
them. This determination not to “resolve” too much 
is a wise one, for if it be lived up to a resolution 
when it does come will mean something. 
* 
You will remember that The R. N.-Y. said from 
the first that it would be years before farmers would 
receive any particular benefit from the removal of the 
tax on denatured alcohol. Some people seemed to 
think their heat, light and power troubles would all 
be solved by homemade alcohol. Thus far we under¬ 
stand only 10 stills have been set up. Alcohol costs 
too much to compete successfully with gasoline. Not 
being disappointed at the outcome, we are more hope¬ 
ful than ever that the time will yet come when de¬ 
natured alcohol will prove a great benefit to farmers. 
* 
Some of the institute workers do not seem to think 
their hearts have been sifted out. They say they argued 
with Mr. Dawley, but were overcome by his arguments 
and promises to settle the case at once. The Roman 
Emperor, Hadrian, died 1770 years ago. He took great 
delight in disputing with learned men, and always won 
the argument. A great philosopher once argued with 
him, but gave up after a time. His friends asked him 
why he did not push the argument through as he might 
have done. His answer is 1770 years old, but six 
months young: “How mould you have me contend with 
a man who is master of 30 legions ?” It takes a brave 
one argue to a finish with the man who carries the 
bag. Very few Carnegie medals for bravery will be 
distributed as a result of this cattle case! 
* 
We have spoken several times of the great interest 
in dwarf apples. Many readers want to know the 
facts. Are these little trees good as fillers in an 
orchard of standard trees? Are they really for the 
practical grower, or only for the amateur? Quite a 
number of elderly men are still planting orchards, and 
naturally they would like to see the fruit as soon as 
possible. The dwarfs are early bearers—why not plant 
them? At the New York State Fruit Growers’ meet¬ 
ing Mr. Albert Wood had a fine exhibit of fruit from 
these dwarf trees. The apples were remarkably hand¬ 
some. If some tree agent could take that outfit of 
apples through the country, or true pictures of them 
he could do a great trade in dwarf trees. Mr. Wood 
has no large story to tell. He says the dwarfs are not 
practical for a commercial orchard. A few slow- 
growing varieties like Bismarck or Lady will do fairly 
well on dwarf stock. The rank growing varieties de¬ 
velop too large a head for the dwarf root. The care 
given the average orchard would not answer for the 
dwarfs, which require the most'thorough tillage. While 
Mr. Wood has grown some beautiful fruit, and con¬ 
siders the dwarfs desirable for a few varieties, he 
would not advise them as a commercial proposition. 
. ■ / , . I i ■ 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
Some people may dread “hard times,” but certain 
fakers and swindlers appear to be having a harvest. 
Some country people have taken their money out of 
banks, or turned good securities into cash. The longer 
they keep this money the more fearful they become 
that it will be lost or stolen. Of course they know 
it is idle money. Some plausible fellow comes along 
with a glib tongue or an alluring circular, promises 
10 or 12 per cent and actually gets that money! It 
hardly seems possible that an intelligent man will take 
his money out of a perfectly safe thing through fear 
and put it into some wild-cat scheme that he knows 
nothing about—yet that appears to be done every 
week. If any man has money which he does not keep 
in bank he should pay his bills first of all and then 
invest in some needed thing for farm or home. There 
never was a better time to do that than right now. 
* 
Out in Colorado they can raise Ben Davis apples 
of good quality. That qualifies the State to put the 
top notch on any agricultural product. Farm educa¬ 
tion is no exception. The teachers at the Agricultural 
College want to bring that institution closer to the 
farmer. A number of short courses are given—not all 
at the college, but here and there in various parts 
of the State. Prof. Cottrell tells how one such course 
was worked out: 
Del Norte adopted a new plan for tlieir short course. 
The school board voted to adjourn (he high school for 
the week and to require all the boys to attend the agricul¬ 
tural short courses and all the girls to attend the domestic 
science short course. The teachers of the high school are 
also required to attend these short courses and at the close 
to give the pupils an examination on the work. 
That is one of the most sensible plans we have 
heard yet for a section where farming is one of the 
chief industries. It might be said that at the East, 
where other lines of business are very strong, such a 
plan would not work so well. We would like to see 
it tried. 
* • 
The Knights of the Postage Stamp are poking their 
pens at many a public man. One of our readers put 
a stamp on Hon. John W. Dwight, who represents the 
Thirtieth New York Congressional District. Mr. 
Dwight was asked to use his influence for a parcels 
post and postal savings banks, also where he stood on 
these questions. He returns this lucid and extended 
expression of his views on the subject: 
I am in receipt of your favor of December 20, regarding 
parcels post and postal savings banks. As it now looks, 
with decreasing revenue and increasing expenses, the pros¬ 
pects for passing either one of these bills is not very flat¬ 
tering. Thanking for your friendly expressions, I am, 
Very sincerely yours, john w. dwigiit. 
We judge that Air. Dwight belongs to that large class 
of statesmen who are well described by Alilton’s line: 
“He also serves who only stands and zvaits.” 
Does Air. Dwight think he is sent to Congress sim¬ 
ply to see how things look, or to wait until some one 
else has done the real fighting for the people? He 
might bestir himself and make the prospect a trifle 
more “flattering.” If he does not we predict that he 
will not receive many flattering letters from people 
who want the parcels post. Air. Dwight seems to be 
a good subject for the stamp act! 
The agricultural education of Governor Hughes! 
Have you contributed your mite toward it? The 
Governor can no doubt obtain a share of this desired 
education from the State Agricultural Department, 
but he also needs a correspondence course that he 
may realize the feelings of working farmers. Here 
is part of a letter sent him by an old soldier of New 
York last week: 
I am an old farmer, an old soldier, a strong Republican 
and a great admirer of our present Governor. I have no 
axes to grind. I just want to put a word in your ear. 
In my judgment you are keeping in office a very corrupt 
man, F. E. Dawley. I have admired him in the past, and 
had every confidence in him as an educator of the farmer, 
but my dear sir, “where there is so much smoke there 
must be some fire.” The stink of that smoke is in the nos¬ 
trils of every progressive farmer in the State. No one 
blames you yet, but you will be blamed if he is kept in 
office. Radical? Yes, I am radical, and have a right to be. 
There are plenty of good institute speakers without a 
stain on their escutcheon. o. t. p. 
Now the man with no ax to grind always cuts 
the most ice. This old soldier doesn’t use birdshot 
but one of the old rifle balls that went straight at 
the bull’s-eye. There are hundreds more just like 
him, and they are writing from every State in the 
Union. They look upon Governor Hughes as a fear¬ 
less, upright man, who, above all things, stands for 
honorable public life. Never before have these men 
had a chance to take up a public question which 
affects farmers and farming directly and before all 
else. It does not need a politician to realize what 
may grow out of this enforcement of the stamp 
act. Air. Wadsworth, Senator Dryden and several 
others can give full information about that. 
, January 25, 
On page 869 last year A. E. Price, of Illinois, gave 
the story of the Hereford steer, “Badlands Billy,” and 
his mates. He promised to tell how these steers finally 
sold. The following statement is now sent by Air. 
Price: 
I shipped Billy and 17 chums on Christmas night, and 
got into a crowd of 26,000. I never—at that time of the 
year—saw so many long-fed cattle; cattle fed a year or 
more, and were practically finished on good old 1906 corn. 
Y r ou see, feeders had too much confidence in markets and 
held on too long. Mine averaged 1,360 and sold at $5.55, 
while a big ripe load of prime 1.505 pound steers—picked 
from three loads and fed a year and over—from our town, 
sold at $5.60 and another lot, nearly all Angus and Here- 
fords weighing 1,420, that certainly looked good to me, 
could not be sold at all, and being held till the 30th brought 
$5.45. A year ago my best load weighed over 1,500 and 
brought $6.60. Now meat seems almost as high now as 
then. IIow do you explain that? a. e. price. 
We can’t explain it. We just have to put out the 
money or live on vegetables! Aleat prices all through 
the East are extortionately high to consumers, and the 
average buyer secures no benefit front the lower prices 
which farmers receive. There is a cut-off at one end 
and a hold-up at the other. Air. Price says the quality 
of western corn is very poor this year. On the best, 
well-drained ground the best farmers had a good yield, 
but not one ear in four is good, sound grain. Cattle 
cannot make a good gain on such corn. 
* 
It is the conviction of many well-informed west¬ 
ern men that there will begin before many years a 
movement of farmers from the Western States back 
to the cheaper lands of the East. One of the things 
that is attracting the attention of western farmers to 
New York is the belief that Alfalfa can be made to 
grow here. These men know what Alfalfa will do, 
and they rightly judge that they can use it to cut down 
the heavy fertilizer bills which eastern farmers pay. 
In a recent letter from Henry Wallace, of Iowa, we 
find the following: 
If your railroads would advertise lands and give rates 
as our western roads do, you would have a very large emi¬ 
gration from our Western States, particularly from Iowa, 
to the better sections of New York State, and possibly to 
some points in New England. I have been convinced for 
some time that there are better openings there than in the 
West, except in the irrigated sections especially adapted to 
sugar-beet growing and to fruit farming. If the conditions 
were properly put before the western people by the rail¬ 
roads, it would attract the sons of some of our best farmers. 
We have little doubt that such railroad advertising 
would prove effective, but we do not think the rail¬ 
roads should be left to do it. The State of New York, 
through its Agricultural Department, should let the 
world know what New York has to offer in farming 
possibilities. The State ought to do as Kansas has 
done, and use every legitimate means of advertising 
its soil. There are very few men in the world like 
F. D. Coburn, of Kansas, but New York wants the 
best imitation of him that can be found. Mr. Coburn 
has just been elected by the Kansas Board of Agri¬ 
culture for another term. One member expressed the 
sentiment of the meeting when he said: 
“No man. would dare to go home who proposed any¬ 
one else for the place, or voted otherwise than for the 
Secretary’s retention.” 
Now suppose you start out with a fine tooth comb 
and run through the Agricultural Department of your 
State. How many such men will you rake out? And 
yet that is the sort of men that agriculture needs! 
BREVITIES. 
Wiiat are you farming for? 
Is your farm a better place to live on than it was a 
year ago ? 
A man in Brooklyn, N. Y., has worked for one house for 
71 consecutive years. 
A legacy of the habit of raising legumes is one of the 
best you can leave your boy. 
The R. N.-Y.’s idea of the “big stick” is not cut from 
a tree, but copied from a bulldog. 
Mark Lane Express reports a case where a steer which 
broke its leg was fitted with a wooden substitute and lived 
to make beef. 
The great reason why most kicks fail to effect what is 
intended is that most people try to side-step away from the 
issue when they kick. 
lx Iowa good Alfalfa land is worth $100 an acre, as a 
business investment. In New York State, with higher prices 
for farm products, such value ought to be $150. 
We are told that ,8,000.000 colored people in America 
have accumulated more property since the Civil War than 
40,000,000 Russian peasants have in several centuries. 
The New Zealand Department of Agriculture has ap¬ 
pointed wQmen inspectors to visit dairies and cheese fac¬ 
tories, and to give instruction and advice to the wives and 
daughters of dairymen. New Zealand has 540,000 dairy 
cows. 
Club-rooted cabbage, smutty corn, scabby potatoes. Far 
better burn them than to throw on the manure pile. The 
germs af these diseases are just scattered and cultivated 
on the manure pile. 
A number of readers ask for information about soiling 
crops for cattle. We shall give it in time, but it would 
be well to send for bulletins to the New Jersey Experiment 
Station at New Brunswick. 
