058 
'THE RURAL NEW YORKER 
Decor'.’ r>i* 12, 
The Rural IN ew- Yorker 
: / / BUSINESS FARMER'S paper. 
A Ni'.jU v-kly Journal for Country and Suburban Hornet. 
Established, 1850. 
“creat.'cr.s” which have really proved of superior 
and enduring merit! We would like to compare 
such a list with the work of other originators who 
passed their days in unrecognized poverty. 
Concrete has now become a necessity c:i many 
farms. In some sections where timber is scarce 
farmers would hardly know how to operate and add 
new buildings if it were not for cement. New uses 
for the material are constantly developing. Edison 
has invented a set of hollow tubes for making a con¬ 
crete house. Those tubes are set up where the house 
is to stand and liquid concrete poured in until all are 
filled. Then the tubes are unscrewed and taken away, 
leaving the house entire. Edison is reported as saying 
that he regards this as the greatest of all his services 
to humanity. The latest use for concrete is reported 
from Germany, where boats and barges are made from 
it. A framework of steel wire is first made, and then 
the concrete is put on it. These boats actually float. 
They have air chambers, so that they do not sink 
from an ordinary accident. With concrete holding 
rock work firmly under water, and also made into 
boats which float on the surface, it is surely the most 
remarkable building material yet discovered. And it is 
practical all the way from the small hogpen to the 
great dam across the Nile. 
* 
Postmaster-General Meyer says that during the 
last fiscal year the expenses of conducting the Post 
Office Department ran $16,910,278 above receipts. 
The financial disturbances cut down the receipts con¬ 
siderably. There was also an increase of $9,891,321 
in salaries authorized by Congress. With a normal 
increase in revenue and leaving out this increase 
of salaries there would have been a surplus of 
over $2,000,000. There is one thing about this report 
which is of peculiar interest to country people. The 
cost of rural free delivery has jumped in 10 years 
from $14,800 to $34,361,463. In fact it is this great 
expense of rural delivery which makes the deficit. 
The people who oppose a parcels post point to this- 
and say: “The Government has already assumed a 
large debt in doing for these farmers what they 
formerly did for themselves. The service does not 
pay—why ask for a parcels post which would only 
make a larger deficit?” 
The trouble with that argument is that it doesn’t 
argue. A fair parcels post would add little if any¬ 
thing to the cost of rural delivery, while it would 
double the revenue. Take a look at the rural delivery 
wagon when it next comes and see how much the 
mail bag weighs. The same wagon could easily carry 
many pounds of package mail without one cent 
of added cost, but with several dollars of added 
revenue. Start such a service in this country as they 
have in France or England, and in a short time the 
increased package mail on most rural routes would 
pay the salary of the carrier. In truth a fair par¬ 
cels post is the only way to make our postal system 
pay and enable the Government to give cheaper and 
better service. The farmers want a chance to fill up 
those empty mail wagons and prove the truth of the 
above assertions. As Postmaster-General Meyer 
says: 
Were the Post Office Department a modern business cor¬ 
poration, its board of directors would not hesitate forty- 
eight hours to utilize the present machinery and establish 
a limited local parcel post on rural routes. 
This applies to each one of the express companies 
that work so hard to hold up a parcels post. The 
plan suggested by Mr. Meyer of starting a parcels 
post on rural routes is not all we hoped for. It will, 
however, enable farmers to prove that such a service 
will not only be a great convenience, but a profit to 
the Government. Let us work for this as a starter. 
If we can once get a fair trial of it no power in the 
country can prevent its extension. 
BREVITIES. 
It is true that no man does a good job unless bis heart 
is in his work. Some folks need a new heart more than 
they do a new job. 
Here is the way one hard-headed man put it: “The 
Uplift Commission will result in a lot of fine magazine 
articles on farming—at least.” 
It is said that a motor boat is now running on the 
Dead Sea. This sea and the Jordan Valley are now the 
personal property of the Sultan. 
One reader says his mother-in-law takes Tub R. N.-Y., 
and he reads the paper at her house. We are glad to 
strengthen all the bonds of family feeling. 
It may surprise you to learn that: even China sends 
annually $2,235,000 worth of wool to this country. This 
is another tribute to the great American dog curse. 
Witen your boy begins to figure to show the cost of 
keeping a cow. don’t say that proves he ought to be a 
merchant! It proves that he should be a business farmer. 
Fjgures from the Texas State Fair show that the total 
receipts were $260,800, with a profit of $110,532. At 
the New York State Fair the total receipts were under 
$90,000—surplus, $23,000. 
Some 15 years ago there was a craze for chestnut 
culture—largely started by the experience of the late H. M. 
Engle, who introduced the Paragon. The damage done 
by weevils was so severe that many were discouraged 
and gave up. Judging from our questions there is now a 
revival of interest in chestnut culture. 
Fubll lied we, i.Jjr t ,y r.jA Rural Publishing; Company, 409 Pearl Street, New York. 
J! :::: r \V. COLMNGWOOD, President and Editor, 
Jo'tN .1. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
\V: i. I’ ; :I.I.ON, Secretary. 
Dr. Walt:.:: Van Fleet and Mrs. E. T. Rovle, Associate Editors. 
SURDCI11PTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign cm::.! Tier, in the Universal Postal Union, $2.04, equal to 
8s. (id., < r D marks, or 10Hi francs. Remit in money order, 
v order, personal check or bank draft. 
Lilt ; I ..! X .7 York Post Office as Second Class Matter. 
Advertising . cents per agate line—7 words. Discount for time 
ordoi LolVrunces required for advertisers unknown to 
i. ; and cash must accompany transient orders. 
“A SQUARE DEAL.” 
We belie. • Cia*. every advertisement in this paper is backed by a 
responsible > -it. .u. But to make doubly sure we will make good any 
loss to paid . > ;en ‘ rs sustained by trusting any deliberate swindler 
advertising n cm-columns, and any such swindlerwill be publicly ex¬ 
posed. Wo uberibers against rogues, but wedo not guarantee 
to adjust till:":: liilt'orencses between subscribers and honest, respon¬ 
sible adverti ei Neither will wo be responsible for the debts of 
honest ban n:;,. nctioned by the courts. Notice of the complaint 
must be sent i ■ us v .thin one mouth of the time of the transaction, 
and you m ist b.v,o mentioned The Rural Nkw-Yorkkr when 
writing the advertiser. 
TEN WEEKS FOR 10 CENTS. 
In order to introduce The R. N.-Y. to progressive, 
intelligent fanners who do not now take it, we send it 
10 weeks for 10 cents for strictly introductory pur¬ 
poses. Wc depend on our old friends to make this 
known to neighbors and friends. 
* 
Are you giving us fair returns in those figures 
showing the farmers’ share? Yes, we take them just 
as they come —submitted to us voluntarily. We 
have not printed the worst of them yet. The best 
returns arc made on high-class eggs and chickens 
sent to dealers who make a specialty of such goods. 
With this the margin is much closer and the pro¬ 
ducer gets more of the dollar. No doubt much stuff 
is shipped which never should leave the farm, and 
the packing is poor in some cases. We expect to 
bring out the truth of all these things. 
* 
The R. N.-Y. has been accused of saying mean 
things about the Ben Davis apple! Some western 
growers claim th:j is a case of envy—since old Ben 
is a true western product. Here is a clipping from 
the Chicago Tribune: 
A tree that provinces apples in which “there ain’t goin’ 
to be no core” ha' been discovered at Topeka, Kan. Next 
let the bide of L • Ben Davis apple be eliminated.—St. 
Louis Globe-Deuiot 1 at. 
Why elimiuat * the .bide? That is the only respectable 
part of ti e C a Lavis “apple.” 
It is doubtful if any eastern buyer could put a 
great truth more forcibly. 
* 
One morning last week two dead men were found 
on a country road in New York State. They had lain 
dead through tli night, and the frost covered their 
bodies. They were evidently knocked down and killed 
by an auto. One more and perhaps several others 
had gone crashin ; over these dead men during the 
night — net one stepping to investigate. One day in 
the citv a man was knocked down by an auto and 
killed. The next day a woman was thrown and 
crushed against the curb. In both cases the driver 
of the car put on all speed at once and dashed away. 
No one knows who killed or injured these four peo¬ 
ple. The auto lug or tiger has become a perfect 
curse on our pul lie roads. Many car drivers are 
most accommodating. We have had them stop and 
help hold a frightened horse. Some of them, how¬ 
ever, appear to I. • drunk. They rush along the road 
with little regard lor human life. A load of buck¬ 
shot fired into the tire of their wheel is about the 
only force they are willing to recognize. 
* 
A good friend, for whom we have great respect, 
feels bad because we “referred slightingly” to the 
so-called “spineless cactus” which Luther Burbank 
claims to have originated. What we did was to tell 
the truth about it. Experts of the Agricultural De¬ 
partment say this “new” cactus is practically the 
same as wild varieties which they have found in 
the southwestern deserts. It is true also that the 
cactus is tender and will not live above the frost line. 
We tell these truths because we understand that 
efforts will be made to “boom” this “spinel.ess” cactus 
and sell it at a high price in places where it is sure 
to die. The time for the cold truth is ahead of this 
game and not after it. We understand that Mr. 
Burbank sold the original stock for $30,000 to a 
company in California. We do not blame him nor 
do we call this “tainted money,” but we don’t intend 
to have our northern readers make it good if we can 
help it. Our friend thinks the “high character and 
reputation of Mr. Burbank and his wonderful work 
for the world should make him immune to criticism.” 
We do not criticise Mr. Burbank, but we ask our 
friend or anyone else to make a list of Burbank s 
No matter if you skip everything else in the paper 
—read the article on page 951 from the man who got 
the retail apple trade. He was spraying and work¬ 
ing hard to get good fruit with no reward. The 
buyers would pay him no more than they did for 
the second grade fruit. This man did the right 
thing. He had confidence in his apples, packed them 
honestly, and put his cards and circulars in the bar¬ 
rels. People who bought those apples wanted more 
of the same sort, and they followed the cards back 
to the orchard. You see what he says. He now 
sells all his aples direct at $3.50 per barrel. When 
the buyer took h[s fruit he got 28 cents of the dol¬ 
lar—now he gets 100! We admire this man for his 
patience and pluck. Many would have been discour¬ 
aged, but he knew his apples were right, and he was 
sharp enough to let the buyer help him advertise. 
We are analyzing this “farmer’s share” not so much 
to find fault as to open it up, so that a remedy may 
be found. This man has hit one. 
* 
It is said that the American Association of Farm¬ 
ers’ Institute Workers has “recognized the farm 
press”—whatever that may mean. This moves the 
Farmers’ Guide to say: 
We afrree in believing that the farm press is a powerful 
factor In advancing agricultural education and those hav¬ 
ing this matter in charge cannot afford to overlook the 
farm journal A good State farm paper has as much a 
place as the college and the institute, and it merits the 
confidence and support of the farmers fully as much 
as any other institution. 
The difference is that the college and institutes are 
supported by the public. People are obliged to pay 
for their support whether they want to or not. No 
one is obliged to take a farm paper, and it does not 
merit the confidence and support of farmers unless it 
proves worthy of it. It should not make much differ¬ 
ence to a farm paper whether the institute managers 
“overlook” it or not. They will be compelled to 
recognize it anyway just as soon as the farmers 
realize that it is faithfully working for them. Far 
better live so that the farmers will give you the right 
and power to criticise the colleges and institutes if 
they need it, rather than be obliged to cater to them 
for privileges. 
* 
Who was it said the tariff was a “local issue?” He 
knew what he was talking about. While the politi¬ 
cians have found it to their advantage to handle the 
tariff as a national question the fact remains that the 
direct effect of most of the different schedules reaches 
a comparatively few people. For example a tariff on 
wood pulp or on watches will affect directly people 
who are engaged in making or handling these prod¬ 
ucts. It affects indirectly those who use and buy 
them. We had a good illustration of this the other 
day in the conversation of three men. One was em¬ 
ployed by the “starch trust,” another by a steel cor¬ 
poration, while the other was a farmer. Both cf the 
former favored the present or even a higher tariff on 
anything which might permit foreign competition with 
starch foods or steel. They admitted that this tariff 
made it necessary for consumers to pay increased 
prices for the goods they bought. They went so far 
as to say that Americans should regard this as 
a patriotic duty in order that the manufacturers 
might be able to make “a reasonable profit” and keep 
their workmen employed. The farmer asked them 
what they were paying for potatoes. The price was 
40 to 50 cents a peck! “Now,” said the farmer, “our 
crop is short, but our prices will be no higher than 
last year because Europeans can send their cheap 
potatoes here. They can pay the present tariff of 
25 cents a bushel and land potatoes here at one cent 
a pound and this will determine the price paid us. 
Now suppose the tqjiff be raised at once to $1 per 
bushel. That holds our price steady, just as your 
tariff hold the prices of starch and steel. Will either 
of you gentlemen consider it a ‘patriotic duty’ to pay 
me 20 cents a peck more for potatoes?” 
They were both indignant. “No sir; we pay too 
much now. The cost of life is too high as it stands!” 
Strange to say neither one of them saw that he had 
exposed the selfish principle which lies at the founda¬ 
tion of our present methods of settling the tariff 
question. The “patriotic duty” is always intended for 
somebody else. When a tariff bill finally gets into 
Congress it is not only a selfish compromise, but a 
political dicker between a number of local interests. 
The way to overcome this is to put the matter in the 
hands of a tariff commission—with powers somewhat 
similar to those of the Interstate Commerce Com¬ 
mission which regulates railroad rates. 
