878 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
November 14, 
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, 409 Pearl Street, New Pork. 
Herbert 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 Un'on, $2.04, equal to 
8s. (id., or 8‘a 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 wo 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 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. 
* 
We do not see how any man with fair intelligence 
can fail to see that a parcels post must come in time. 
There is every fair argument to show that such a 
postal service would benefit the people. Other nations 
have it and our people suffer without it. It has got 
to come eventually, and will come just as soon as the 
people understand their rights. Those who fight so to 
oppose it will get out of the way and prepare them¬ 
selves for the change or be run over. 
* 
Mr. Miller, who tells his experience in putting in 
a hot-water heater in a farmhouse (page 870), does 
not pretend to be an expert plumber. Nor could he 
afford to hire an expert—yet his house is well heated. 
You can see from the picture of the house that it is 
much like others in the country. We have arranged 
with Mr. Miller to answer any questions from those 
who want to know more about his work and its result. 
He can tell you how to have the heating plant even 
if you haven’t the price—of an expert’s job. 
* 
Who is your choice for United States Senator from 
New York? It is many years since the people have 
had even a chance to express a preference. The pol¬ 
iticians have “fixed things” until we have come to 
such a pass that the great State of New York has 
less influence in the Senate than Delaware, or Da¬ 
kota, or Vermont. New York in the Senate has done 
more than any other State to hold back parcels post. 
Speed the day when these Senators must be elected 
by popular vote. In the meantime, let’s get as near 
to it as we can; unite on some strong man and pre¬ 
sent his name to the Legislature. Who is your candi¬ 
date—and why? 
That article on page 817 discussing the settlement 
of a farm estate has called out many letters. Several 
cases are reported where the boy who stayed at home 
and cared for the old folks finally found himself 
hopelessly in debt for a farm which was not suited 
to bis needs. Another side of the matter, to be taken 
up later, is what should be done for the girls under 
like conditions. Suppose one or more of the girls 
remain unmarried and stay at home with their par¬ 
ents. The other children go away to larger oppor¬ 
tunities, but these women grow up at home. Now, 
when the estate is settled, what about the share and 
the future of these devoted daughters? 
* 
After carefully leading the Constitution of Okla¬ 
homa we are ready to expect startling things from 
the new State. We should expect many of them to 
be somewhat ahead of the age, but with strong ele¬ 
ments of justice. Now the authorities of the Okla¬ 
homa Agricultural College offer “education without 
money.” The college will accept students who are 
unable to pay their own board and give them work 
enough in a special course to pay their living ex¬ 
penses. That is one of the best things we have yet 
seen in connection with an agricultural education. 
The writer worked through the Michigan College on 
much the same plan—working on the College farm 
at an average of about 10 cents an hour. Now that 
he has a boy nearly old enough for college, he is 
told that times have changed and that the boy should 
not be expected to do as he did! This Oklahoma 
idea strikes us right, and we would like to see it 
established at every agricultural college in the land. 
No use talking—these colleges will make a vital mis¬ 
take if they try to pattern too much after the en¬ 
dowed colleges and universities. We would give poor 
boys a chance to work through college and cut down 
the requirements for entrance examinations. J he 
class which that would encourage is just the class 
which will give true strength to the colleges and help 
farming. 
* 
The following inquiring friend has us stumped. 
Will you kindly inform me as to the weight of the larg¬ 
est squash grown in the world? I mean the largest single 
specimen of vegetable that could properly be called a 
squash, regardless of variety or place grown, f. e. p. 
Massachusetts. 
We must call for the record. At the New Hamp¬ 
shire horticultural meeting we saw a squash said to 
weigh 99 pounds. Has anyone a huger story—and 
squash? We must bar the old tale of the man who 
cut off a squash vine and kept the cut end in a pan 
of milk! When he opened the squash it is said that 
he found five pounds of butter inside. Any other 
story will receive attention. 
* 
The Hope Farm man is starting an inquiry 
which ought to interest you. We want to know just 
what part of the dollar you are getting. The con¬ 
sumer pays a certain price for what you grow. We 
can tell you pretty close to what that price is. Now let 
us know what you get when the returns are made. 
This analysis of the dollar to compare the producer’s 
part with the middleman’s share is the most important 
thing now up for discussion. Unless the President’s 
commission can get down into it they may “uplift” 
the farmer and then leave him dangling in the air! 
Tell us what you get for your produce and, if pos¬ 
sible, send us commission house returns or state¬ 
ments. 
* 
There has been some complaint because there are 
no practical farmers on that Country Life Commis¬ 
sion. This may be remedied by the appointment of 
more members. If farmers are to he appointed, they 
should he strong men of the highest character—who 
know what actual farm work is. They should not 
be wealthy, or even of the class known as “highly suc¬ 
cessful farmers.” Far better have them come from 
the ranks of those who are most in need of this 
“uplift,” or who have suffered most from lack of 
capital and opportunity. They can dig to the bottom 
better than anyone else. Above all, they should have 
a clean record that will be a credit to farmers. When 
any man is put forward to represent farmers he 
should have not only a clear head, but clean Jiands. 
Whenever farmers have a chance to select or even 
recommend a man to represent them they cannot 
possibly be too careful in seeing that his record and 
character will stand the full sunlight. 
♦ 
Gov. Hughes was nominated and elected by the 
farmers. He never would have been put on the ticket 
if the country people had not demanded it. He ran 
behind in the towns and cities, but when he struck 
the rural districts he found his true supporters. They 
did not like his action in the Dawley case, and can 
never be induced to follow him blindly. They sup¬ 
ported him because they saw that such support gave 
them a chance to show their power over the poli¬ 
ticians, and because his election meant the shortest 
cut to a primary elections law. We think the Gover¬ 
nor has sized up the situation, and that he now 
knows who his friends are. His election means a 
primary elections law of some sort. Let us not be 
satisfied with anything short of the best. We con¬ 
gratulate the farmers of New York, not because they 
elected Mr. Hughes, but because they have marked 
out a new principle in indelible ink and stamped it 
upon the political history of New York. 
* 
We judge from clippings and printed slips that are 
sent to us that a worthy rival of that “Alaska” wheat 
scheme is being hatched. This time it is to be a 
“spineless” cactus originated by Luther Burbank. Al¬ 
ready the most remarkable stories have been printed 
about this plant. It has no spines or thorns, and is 
said to give a larger yield than the thorned varieties. 
On dry land it gives an immense crop per acre, and 
the cactus is so rich in food value that one acre of it 
will yield nearly as much as 10 acres of Alfalfa! It 
does this on the poorest soil without any manure or 
fertilizer! That is the sort of story to tell, and the 
promoters of the “new crop,” having paid $30,000 for 
the original stock, may be trusted to tell it all. What 
are the facts? Cactus does contain a fair amount of 
food. The United States Department of Agriculture 
and several of the States have proved that the or¬ 
dinary cactus, with the spines singed off, will keep 
stock in fair condition. Several devices for singeing 
have been invented. The spineless forms which Mr. 
Burbank claims to have “originated” are said to be 
no different from wild forms found growing naturally 
in the southwestern part of this country and in 
Mexico. These spineless forms are very tender, and 
would be absolutely useless in even the moderately 
cool regions. They were hurt by frost even at San 
Antonio, Texas. A stock of the plants is being propa¬ 
gated in Southern California and we understand the 
plan is to put them on the market at a fancy price. 
Very likely some large statements will be made— 
based on the growth on a small area in a warm cli¬ 
mate. Skillfully worded circulars will make it appear 
that these results can he obtained anywhere, and that 
good old corn, grass and clover must take a back seat 
for spineless cactus! Now we get this in ahead of 
the game so that no reader of The R. N.-Y. need be 
bitten by the financial thorns of “spineless” cactus.” Let 
it alone. The bigger the story they tell the smaller the 
thought you should give to it. 
* 
Not a day passes that we do not receive a ques¬ 
tion about one of the many “poultry systems” so 
widely advertised. Some secret connected with one 
or the other of these “systems” is offered at from 
one dollar to $10. The buyer is to sign a pledge not 
to reveal this great “secret” after he gets it. In one 
case a reader wrote for the “secret” and was informed 
that $5 would buy a book giving the whole story. 
Now the truth appears to be that all these “systems” 
contain more or less sensible information and sug¬ 
gestion. Most of it is old and probably 90 per cent 
of it has been printed in The R. N.-Y. For example, 
great stress is laid on a cheap feed that can be made 
for a few cents a bushel. After you pay your money 
you find that this is sprouted oats. The oats are 
soaked in warm water and then kept in a warm 
place until they start sprouts several inches long. Of 
course a few quarts of oats sprouted in this way 
would make a bushel in hulk! We have told this over 
and over—and it is about all you will get as your 
great feeding “secret.” Many a poultry keeper who 
reads this will think of the good dollars of which he 
relieved his financial system with hopes that were like 
sprouted oats. 
* 
New Zealand has a state insurance department. 
It has been in operation more than 25 years and has 
carried more insurance than all the private companies 
operating in that country put together. The money 
taken in as premiums is invested in national and city 
securities and also loaned on real estate. Citizens 
can borrow this money in sums of $500 to $50,000 
on security of first mortgages on desirable real estate 
up to 60 per cent of its value. Thus the money 
which the people pay for insurance is not idle—nor 
is it used for purposes which are against their inter¬ 
ests. It still works for the people while it makes 
provision for their women and children. New Zea¬ 
land is a small country. Very likely we are not yet 
ready for some of the laws and social methods 
which have made the government of New Zealand 
“the least bad” of any on earth. Yet imagine what 
would happen if we had a similar State insurance in 
this country. There are now several billion dollars 
of the people’s money tied up in life insurance com¬ 
panies. It has been used for political purposes, for 
gambling in stocks, to permit one railroad prince to 
fight a financial duel with another, and for other 
hidden purposes which were against the people’s in¬ 
terest ! Suppose instead of this the money could be 
held by the Government and loaned at low interest 
oil good real estate—including farm property! Think 
that over a moment. 
BREVITIES. 
Good luck and an orthodox Thanksgiving. 
How would you like such a family as that pictured on 
first page? 
The Island of Sicily handed this country lemons to tlie 
value of $457,941 last year. 
Ik your boy asks you for bread which he should earn him¬ 
self you would far better give him a stone than to give 
him taffy ! 
The Russian Duma is discussing a hill which requires 
manufacturers to insure their laborers against accidents 
or Injuries. 
The Hope Farm man is astonished to find how many 
people write saying: “Give my best regards to Shop and 
Tinker.” Truly the world loves a fighter. 
This is from New Hampshire.—“I saw in one of your 
copies some one inquiring liow to keep ground bonq 
sweet. I have found that if you will grind up with your 
bone or meat a few corncobs there is no odor and they 
will keep sweet.” 
Here is an idea from western New Y T ork: “When plow¬ 
ing tlie last furrow next to a fence hitch the outside horse 
with the outside trace as long as possible and the inside 
trace as short as possible and you can get much nearer 
without catching.” 
In Manchuria “wild silk” is grown, and a considerable 
export trade has been worked up—508,666 pounds being 
sent to America in 1906. First wo know some one will 
be offering a new and strong variety for American growers. 
