128 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER’S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Home*. 
Established 1850. 
Published weekly by the llural Publishing Company, 409 Pearl Street, New York. 
Hkrbeet W. Collingwood, 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 
8s. 6 d., or SHj marks, or 10‘a 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 hacked 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 m ourcolumns, 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 be sent to us within one month of the time of the transaction, 
and you must have mentioned The Rural New-Yokkeb 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. 
* 
Following the article on “A Bag of Fertilizer” you 
will find on page 124 the next step—that is an attempt 
at figuring what crops take from the soil. Of course 
you will realize that all such figures are merely esti¬ 
mates, that clover will bring considerable nitrogen 
to the soil and that good tillage makes some plant 
food of the soil available. We shall be glad to have 
a good discussion of these figures. 
* 
Mr. Dawley, The Country Gentleman, the poli¬ 
ticians in the Agricultural Department and the A. J. 
C. C. might as well understand one sure thing. You 
can dodge and twist and delay and dawdle over this 
cattle case, and perhaps keep from doing your duty 
a week, a month, a year, or five years. Sooner or 
later you have got to face the truth where you can’t 
get away from it. The longer you wait and the more 
you twist and dodge the more this truth will finally 
hurt when it strikes. 
* 
For nearly a year we have printed the names of 
those New York Senators from rural districts who 
prevented Gov. Hughes from removing the State 
Insurance Commissioner, Mr. Kelsey. Had there 
been an election last year, at least six of the men 
would now be at home. A new report has now been 
made regarding Mr. Kelsey. We think it likely Gov. 
Hughes will again ask for his removal. In that case 
we shall see how much wisdom these Senators have 
absorbed from their constituents. 
* 
A number of people who control streams or ponds 
are writing for information about putting a harness 
on the water. If this water can be made to turn a 
water wheel and thus turn its force into light and 
power many a farm would be blessed thereby. Also 
if streams could be banked up so as to hold the water 
back in ponds the danger from freshets would be 
prevented and the terror of drought modified. We 
are obtaining answers to many practical questions 
about water powers. Is there any chance for one on 
your farm? 
* 
Eighteen years ago The R. N.-Y. printed an ac¬ 
count of the certified milk farm of Stephen Fran¬ 
cisco, near Caldwell, N. J. We believe Mr. Francisco 
was the pioneer in this line. He was the first to co¬ 
operate with doctors and voluntarily place his herd 
under inspection, so that he could absolutely guar¬ 
antee his milk. This idea has now spread all over 
the country. Last week at Wilkesbarre, Pa., a Na¬ 
tional Association of Producers of Certified Milk 
was organized! It will be a great satisfaction to Mr. 
Francisco to see the plan which he started in the face 
of great opposition developed in this way. 
* 
You will notice that breeders and farmers are be¬ 
ginning to suggest plans for making sure that the 
papers will fit the cows. Last week Mr. Richter made 
two suggestions for legislation. He would have all 
applications for certificates of breeding or perform¬ 
ance made under oath. He would also make it a stat¬ 
utory offense punishable by fine or imprisonment to 
issue false certificates of pedigree or performance. 
The first suggestion is a good one. The latter, with¬ 
out modification, seems too severe, and we doubt if 
any association could give any such implied guarantee 
without charging a very large fee. Where cattle are 
spotted or of broken color maps and photographs are 
useful in identifying them, and will now be demanded 
more than ever before. We want your views on this 
subject. There never was a better chance to discuss it. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
FARMERS WHO ARE NOT SATISFIED. 
We wish to thank readers and friends who wrote 
Governor Hughes asking him to investigate the cattle 
case. We appreciate their confidence and their will¬ 
ingness to help establish a principle—which they 
clearly understand. We felt that we had the right 
to expect the help of the teachers and agricultural 
“leaders” who are supposed to represent farmers. 
When the end finally comes these men will find that 
their army has marched past them and led itself. 
For the first time in this country a body of plain 
working farmers put themselves behind a straight and 
fair demand for clean, honest men and methods in 
agricultural public life. There have been many such 
movements in other lines, but never before we think 
have men in any numbers called for the investigation 
of a man’s record because it was felt that he used 
h.is reputation as a teacher of agriculture to deceive 
or defraud. We cannot believe that Governor Hughes 
realized this when he was satisfied to let his printed 
circular go out as a reply to the earnest personal let¬ 
ters from farmers. Our judgment is that the Gov¬ 
ernor, perhaps relying upon the advice of plausible 
and interested friends of Mr. Dawley, did not realize 
the difference between 1,000 letters from actual farmers 
and the same number from townspeople or professional 
“agriculturists.” A majority of the latter might be 
satisfied with this printed circular, and accept it as 
final. Had the Governor been fully advised he would 
have known that farmers are not willing to do so. 
The advisers of the Governor in this matter seem to 
have been men who farm the farmers rather than 
those who farm the soil. We are sorry that the 
Governor did not fully understand how a real farmer 
thinks things out with great care before he puts them 
on paper. Writing is not always an easy task for 
country people, but when they do sign their name to 
an opinion or a fair request it is with much the same 
feeling that they would sign an important document. 
Such men do not write letters until their minds are 
made up that the proposition they make is a fair one. 
Having once made it they will stick to it. 
These men have been studying Governor Hughes 
for the past year through his acts and speeches. 
With the deepest respect for him they have not one 
spark of fear, and it is safe to say they expect more 
of him than from any of his predecessors in office ex¬ 
cept Theodore Roosevelt. The Governor will have to 
admit upon reflection that he has given them reason 
for this feeling. We are therefore not in the least 
surprised to learn that farmers are replying to the 
Governor’s printed circular. Here is a copy of one 
letter sent him by a farmer in Herkimer Co.: 
Your letter of the 25th inst. is received, in which I note 
that you propose to take no action in the Dawley scandal, 
which has been brought to your attention, until such 
time as the accused person may see fit to prosecute his 
suits against the Rural Publishing Co. In case these suits 
are delayed until your term of office expires, what action 
can you take then? In the meantime the scandal will 
not die, but will assume possibly larger proportions from 
the fact that State officials have so little regard for the 
people who once had confidence in them as to continue 
in the public position of Director of Institutes, a man 
against whom charges of dishonesty have been made, by 
refusing an investigation until the accused sees fit to con¬ 
vict himself or otherwise by bringing the suits to trial. 
I feel that it is an insult to the farmers of this State who 
believe in honesty to permit present conditions to continue. 
I fail to see how an investigation of these charges can 
prejudice Mr. Dawley’s case against The Rural New 
Yorker. If the charges cannot be sustained an investi¬ 
gation would materially assist him, while if they are true, 
I imagine it will be some time before he tries those suits. 
This man in a personal letter to us also says: 
Gov. Hughes evidently doesn’t Intend to do anything 
whatever, although I venture to say that if his cook 
was accused of corrupt practice or embezzlement the fact 
that the cook had sued some one for libel would not stop 
a prompt investigation on the Governor’s part. 
Now we venture to say that 95 per cent of the 
farmers who receive the Governor’s circular take this 
same view, and he will hear from them in language 
which cannot be misunderstood. At any rate, Gov¬ 
ernor Hughes may rest assured that the farmers who 
have written him know that Mr. Dawley’s libel suits, 
even if they are pressed, cannot settle the principle 
for which we asked the investigation. Are farmers 
to have any influence at all in deciding whether men 
are fit to represent agriculture, or are they to sit still 
and have such things settled for them? 
To show how these suits cannot settle the question 
whether Dawley bought grades and sold them for 
purebreds we have only to see what the suits are. For 
example, one of them is based on the publication of a 
photographic copy of an application for registry made 
out by Rogers. Dawley claims that this application is 
a forgery, and that it has injured him to the extent 
of $50,000. Now that case would hinge upon the char¬ 
acter of that registry paper and the rules of the 
A. J. C. C. When the jury decided the merits of 
that proposition the question about buying those 
February 15, 
grade heifers from Squiers and selling them to Rogers 
would not be settled at all. On the decision in such 
a case Governor Hughes would be just where he is 
now, and no more justified in deciding Mr. Dawley’s 
fitness for his place than he is at present. The same 
thing is more or less true of the other cases. They 
do not and cannot settle the principle involved in this 
case, and we respectfully yet firmly insist that that 
principle has got to be settled. We know that in tak¬ 
ing this position we have the backing of every fair- 
minded farmer in the country, and we feel it our 
duty to stick to it until it is settled right. 
* 
An English paper “points with pride” to a harvest¬ 
ing record in which wheat was cut, thrashed and 
made into flour in four hours. The Pacific Rural 
Press thinks this is slow—and reports an American 
case where wheat went from the standing grain into 
cooked biscuit in one hour! The most important part 
of it all is which made the best bread. What shall it 
profit to hurry the flour-making if there be not a good 
cook ready for it? 
* 
A Jersey breeder tells us of the following sug¬ 
gestive incident. His herdsman reported the birth of 
a calf from one of the best cows. As the pedigree of 
this calf was excellent it was registered when a few 
weeks old, and would have been offered for sale. 
Something made the breeder suspicious, and upon in¬ 
vestigation he became convinced that two calves had 
been mixed by mistake. This mistake was reported 
and correction made in the registration. There are 
plenty of honest breeders who would do just the same 
under similar conditions, and they are the only men 
who should ever be patronized. 
* 
Do not throw away old letters where th y could 
come into the hands of strangers. The signature 
may turn up so as to do you damage. It is a fav¬ 
orite trick of some of the get-rich-quick rascals to 
send one their printed letters with a genuine signa¬ 
ture enclosed. They tell you it is cut from your 
“order” sent them some months before, and that it 
is now sent “as evidence of good faith.” Burn all 
the letters you do not care to keep—it might be well 
to burn some of the others. Another thing—keep the 
envelope in which your letter comes. The envelope 
is evidence that the letter was once in the hands of 
Uncle Sam. 
* 
Word comes to us that a man calling himself Jacob 
Shaffer is working in Pennsylvania trying to sell plum 
trees grafted on oak! He claims to represent a New 
York nursery firm, and also tries to help out his char¬ 
acter by claiming to be a farmers’ institute lecturer. 
It ought not to be necessary to tell any intelligent 
man that plum worked on oak stock will most likely 
produce acorns. Yet the chances are this fraud will 
sell many of his trees at a high figure. Oak is good 
for tanning, and the application of a stout stick to 
this fellow’s hide would toughen it. Dr. LI. A. Sur¬ 
face, Economic Zoologist of Pennsylvania, wants this 
Shaffer arrested if he can be found. Dr. Surface will 
appear against him for obtaining money under false 
pretenses. Hunt him down! 
BREVITIES. 
Can you help us on the drain tile question—page 124? 
Do you want your child to be better than yon are? 
If so, you will have to improve yourself. 
Most men who think they are “growing old’' are likely 
to do too little rather than .too much. 
Attempt to stir up a peck of good and see a cord of 
evil rise. But keep stirring and the evil may be skimmed 
off. 
Can a careful farmer or gardener select an extra lot of 
seed and sell it in competition with the seedsmen? IIow 
many would pay an extra price for such seed ? 
A new york man's comment: “The cook book came to¬ 
day. She’s all my fancy painted her, she’s lovely, she’s 
divine. Any farmer caa use those recipes No use to 
drive five miles to store.” 
Here you have about our idea of the squab business. 
It is good to have a few squabs for family use. For a 
sick person they are excellent As a business there seems 
to be little or nothing in it. 
A Nebraska man writes us that in his country a two- 
year-old steer can be raised for between $7 and $8 on $5 
to $10 land, and sold for $35 to $40. Now then what do 
some of you $100 per acre men say? 
Wb tell you one sure thing. If you have a stream on 
your farm which might turn a water wheel and thus de¬ 
velop power, and you once begin to study how to harness 
it your mind will have little rest until you get the harness 
on. 
Many fertilizer users now know what is meant by a 
2-5-6 formula. The order is always nitrogen, phosphoric 
acid and potash. Now in some localities concrete work is 
so common that a 1-3*5 formula is understood as to mean 
cement, sand, gravel. 
We have told, before now, of the .Terseymau who had 
tried an experiment in buying “brown eggs.” He came 
to New York day by day and bought the darkest eggs he 
could find without regard to the price. Very few of them 
hatched, but in time he had a fair flock of Buff Cochins. 
