808 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
October 17 
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 PuMishine Company, 409 Pearl Street, Hew York. 
Herbert W. Collingwood, President and Editor, 
John J. Dillos, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wm. F. Dillon, Secretary. 
Dr. Walter Van Fleet and Mrs. E. T. Rotlk, Associate Editors. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.04, equal to 
8 s. 6d., or 8% 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 
ns; 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 
advertisings 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 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. 
* 
It is settled on thousands of farms that lime must 
be regularly used hereafter. We believe this condi¬ 
tion will develop until lime is considered as necessary 
as nitrogen, potash and phosphoric acid over most of 
the area now in cultivation. We must not get the 
idea that the only use for lime is to sweeten a sour 
soil. Lime promotes the decay of humus or vegetable 
matter in the soil, and hastens nitrification. This 
means the formation of soluble nitrates from the 
organic forms, which cannot be used by plants until 
they are decayed. Thus when soil is limed the amount 
of soluble nitrogen is increased, and we have another 
argument in favor of a “catch” crop to occupy the 
soil through the Fall and Winter. 
* 
We have the following note from a reader in Louis¬ 
iana : 
Why not tel] the fellows who are continually looking 
for a hole to put their money in, and who after finding it, 
tell their troubles to Publisher’s Desk, to furnish farms 
to young farmers who are anxious and willing to get a 
start, but lack capital to get land? Their money would be 
safer, and if it paid no interest on the investment it would 
still be better than “wild cat securities.” 
They may consider themselves told! The worst of 
it is that some of these very people who invest in 
“wild cat schemes” have crying needs on their own 
farms. They do not seem to have faith in their land 
to drain it or plant trees or make the home more 
comfortable. While the great need of farming is 
working capital, it does seem like a shame to throw 
good money at rascals through impossible schemes. 
* 
One of the best comments on that Alaska wheat 
humbug is made by the Pacific Rural Press. Speaking 
of the way the story gained its headway, the Rural 
Press says: 
That journal was itself swindled out of its space by the 
unusually smart proprietors of the fake, and by its own 
ignorance and thirst for sensationalism. The paper simply 
gave itself away, and all its readers with itself. If this 
be true, then there is something else needed in the editor 
besides conscience. As this paragraph is a sermon, we can 
fitly say that, for an editor, “Wisdom is the principal 
thing; therefore get wisdom, and with all thy getting, get 
understanding also.” And for the second lesson : “Be ye 
therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” We 
have plenty of dove editors; we need more snakes. 
The dove is well enough in a season of perpetual 
peace, but it cuts a very poor figure in a combat 
against the evils which beset farming. 
* 
The Missouri Agricultural College will build a new 
$100,000 agricultural building, which it is hoped will 
stand for a century. As is usual with such buildings, 
there will be an impressive ceremony when the 
“cornerstone” is laid. Usually a box containing papers 
or historical documents is put under the stone, but in 
this case a model ear of corn will be used! Corn 
growers and breeders of Missouri will send their best 
corn, and judges will select the ear which comes near¬ 
est to the model. This, with the address of the grower 
and other documents, will be put in a sealed glass jar 
and left where those who in the next century tear 
down the building will find it. Farmers of that age 
will view what the present calls its best. In this plac¬ 
ing an ear of corn beneath the cornerstone there is 
something typical of the new idea in education. Let 
us hand down to those who follow us not only the 
theory and the written evidence, but a token of the 
actual labor of the hands as well. 
The last we heard of that “churnless butter” scheme 
The Farmers’ Voice offered to send a copy of the 
patent for $5. Now the Northwestern Agriculturist 
has the price down to $3 as a premium for three 
yearly subscriptions. Over six months ago, on page 
304, we printed what we believe to be the patent. 
The process consists in letting the cream rise on the 
milk set in pans. These pans are then put on the 
stove until the cream boils. It is then cooled and 
sugar is added—well stirred in. This produces fer¬ 
mentation, after which the cream is worked into “but¬ 
ter” with a wooden ladle. That is actually all there 
is to it. For many centuries English dairymaids 
have scalded “Devonshire cream” in the same way. 
Since we printed this patent southern readers have 
told us that this method of making butter is com¬ 
mon in their section, having been used for years. 
This is a great “secret” to offer for $3. 
* 
Most of the convictions under the pure food law 
appear to be for “misbranding.” If any promise or 
guarantee is stated on the package the goods must 
come up to it. A so-called “double extract of vanilla” 
contained a trace of the real extract, colored with coal- 
tar dye. The manufacturer was fined $100. A mix¬ 
ture marked “Blue Ribbon Apple cider containing 
one-tenth one per cent benzoate of soda” was judged 
misbranded—because the word apple was used. A firm 
in Washington sold eggs in pasteboard packages 
marked “fresh eggs.” The Government chemists ex¬ 
amined samples and found they were storage eggs 
and evidently stale. The dealer was fined $75. We 
have often heard poultry men claim that dealers buy 
eggs while they are cheap, keep them in storage and 
sell in packages marked “Fancy” or “strictly fresh.” 
This is clearly a violation of the pure food law, and 
if it can be proved such dealers can be prosecuted. 
We have seen signs in this city classifying eggs as 
follows: 
Strictly fresh eggs! 
Fresh eggs! 
Eggs! 
Probably all but a few of them came out of cold 
storage. As we understand it the law decides that 
when the storage comes in between the hen and the 
consumer they cannot legally be called “fresh.” This, 
if enforced, would be an advantage to the men who go 
to the great expense of providing Winter eggs. The 
consumer would be just as well off, if not better, for 
he will get the same kind of eggs whether marked 
“fresh” or not if they are out of storage. We have 
had farmers tell us that they made a contract to supply 
a certain number of fresh eggs every week. Having 
run short once or twice they decided to keep a few 
crates in storage to “help out” when needed. Under 
the present law’ that is a dangerous temptation to 
vield to. 
* 
The farmers of New York know how little under 
the present system they have to do with selecting their 
party candidates. This is done for them by a few’ 
politicians. Many of our readers have tried at dif¬ 
ferent times to break the evil system up by going to 
caucus or convention where they were obliged to 
fight the machine. They always got the worst of it 
in the end, and they always will, just as long as a 
few’ politicians here and there can pull the wires. 
There will be no improvement until the candidates 
are selected by popular vote. When that is done one 
voter will be as good as another, and you will quickly 
see not only a higher class of men put up as candidates, 
but a very different spirit show’ll toward the voters. 
No one claims that a primary election law in New 
York wfill cure all the ills from which farmers suffer. 
An ax left behind the door will never cut the year’s 
fuel—it gives the man a chance to do it if he w’ants 
to. So a primary election law’ will give farmers a 
chance to fight for what they need—and that is direct 
influence upon the Legislature. Such a law would add 
to the responsibility of the country voter, for if he 
failed to use his influence he could have no right to 
complain about his candidates. In Kansas, Iowa, 
Oregon and other States where this system has been 
tried, farmers have been glad to take this responsi¬ 
bility, and New York farmers would welcome it too. 
We have heard no objection except to the expense. 
In every county of New’ York any such expense 
w r ould be saved five times over to the people if busi¬ 
ness men could be elected in place of the politicians. 
Every man knows that the politicians will continue to 
elect themselves as long as wfires are worth more 
than votes. 
Now, the present candidates for the Legislature w’ere 
not selected by any popular vote. Postage stamps are 
cheap, however, and they are next in value to ballots 
at this time. We ask you again to put a stamp on 
each one of your candidates for the Legislature, and 
ask them if they will support a primary election law. 
Do this at once and send us the answers. We will 
put them all on record, if we can, before the elect on. 
Come now, don’t delay this, but do it now. You have 
no idea how much good 10,000 postage stamps on the 
backs of these candidates will do. We have written 
the candidates for Governor and their replies will be 
printed in time. 
* 
Many eastern farmers are sadly in need of capital 
with which to buy needed stock or tools. They have 
land to offer as security for cash, but somehow in¬ 
vestors are slow’ to accept it. Now this eastern farm 
land was and is productive. Two generations ago it 
produced money, and this very money has for the last 
40 years or more been seeking investment in farm 
land 1 At one time it was out at good interest in Illi¬ 
nois. Then it moved to Dakota, and is now being 
loaned in Montana at from eight to 12 per cent, with 
a “commission” to the agent. The security for this 
money has been good farm land. It w r as usually 
loaned when the land w f as cheap. As the land in¬ 
creased in value the mortgages were paid, rates of 
interest fell, and the money moved w’est to cheaper 
land once more. The West was capitalized or cashed 
very largely by the money made on eastern farms, 
and has doubled itself several times by investments on 
farm property. Now’ the very farms which made this 
money possible originally need the cash and are un¬ 
able to obtain it. In trying to learn why this is so we 
must understand that the owners of this money put 
it out as a matter of business. They did not want the 
land, but they did want a fixed income for their 
money. The land in the West was new’ and strong, 
it was rising in value, and farming was the main 
business of the section. It had all the elements of a 
safe investment, including the hope and enthusiasm 
of those who lived there. On the other hand, many 
of the eastern and southern farms are in sections 
where both population and enterprise have been de¬ 
clining and where other industries are stronger than 
fanning. The subject is so important that we shall 
analyze it further, and give some of the reasons which 
moneyed men offer for refusing to invest in ordinary 
farm land. 
* 
The fertilizer dealer and the seedsman in their 
trade relations with farmers get down to the founda¬ 
tions of his business. The seed determines the char¬ 
acter of the crop, and the fertilizer determines the 
size of it. If one or both are bogus or defective, the 
crop must be more or less of a failure. Some years 
ago fertilizers were sold on a haphazard method with¬ 
out guarantee, or even fair knowledge of what w r as 
needed. This resulted in so much loss and fraud that 
laws were passed compelling manufacturers to guar¬ 
antee their product. Those law’s have grown stricter 
with time, and popular knowledge of fertilizers has 
increased. Yet increased law’ and greater knowledge 
all lead to the fact that at the bottom of the business 
lies the character and reputation of the manufac¬ 
turer. Law and knowdedge do not make men honest, 
and it is as true to-day as it ever W’as that the only 
safe way to buy fertilizers is to deal with people who 
have won character by long, honorable business deal¬ 
ings. The seed business stands alone in the fact that 
no absolute guarantee is given by the dealers. If we 
buy seeds we know before w r e plant them that the 
dealer will not be responsible for the crop. In Mary¬ 
land, and we think in some other States, efforts have 
been made to pass a seeds law based on the principles 
of the fertilizer laws, but it is not likely that any court 
could compel the seedsmen to guarantee varieties. The 
character of the seedsmen therefore becomes of even 
greater importance than is the case of fertilizer manu¬ 
facturers. There are a number of seed houses which 
have for many years conducted an honorable trade. 
They do their best to secure strong and vital seed— 
true to name. Since, from the present nature of the 
seed trade, no positive guarantee will be given, the 
safest plan is to deal only with those firms who are 
most conservative in their statements and have a repu¬ 
tation for fair dealing. 
BREVITIES. 
Don't be a “don't care” man. 
It has been asked what value a dairyman's religion is 
to him unless his cows know’ he lias it. 
With patent fertilizers, “churnless butter” and nobody 
knows what else, we might all take a hand in getting a 
patent. 
It appears that sorrel is not a sure indication that soil 
is acid. Yet, no one has probably seen a field well filled 
with sorrel which lime would not help. 
Whenever you read oue of these glaring offers to tell 
you how to feed hens for about half the usual cost—for 
a consideration—it is pretty safe to say—sprouted oats ! 
By following the plan of draining all stagnant pools 
and emptying all vessels which would hold water we have 
practically eliminated mosquitoes at the farm. This Win¬ 
ter we shall fumigate the cellar as advised on page CTO. 
