670 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
December 19, 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal tor Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850. 
Fobllihed weekly by the Rural Pnblluhlng Company, 409 Pearl Street, Now York. 
Herbert W. Collingwood, President and Editor, 
.John J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wm. F. Dillon, Secretary. 
Dr. Walter Van Fle et 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. 0d., or 8*^ 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. 
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 we 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 subcribers 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 
JO weeks for 10 cents for strictly introductory pur¬ 
poses. We depend on our old friends to make this 
known to neighbors and friends. 
* 
Gov. Hoard presents good evidence on page 970 
to show that the phosphoric acid in “floats” is made 
somewhat available in the manure pile. We have 
similar testimony from others. These “floats” cost 
more than they ought to, but they make a good ab¬ 
sorbent, and if we can obtain available phosphoric 
acid in this way it will pay to use them. We advise 
a fair trial of the “floats,” and by all meaps watch 
where they go and note the results. 
We will stay on record as saying that within 10 
years American exports of fruits and nuts will equal 
those of wheat. In the 10 months ending November 
1 this country sent abroad $18,753,807 worth of 
corn, $79,556,922 of wheat and $12,441,745 worth of 
fruit and nuts. Two years ago the total exports of 
wheat in similar months amounted to $36,945,327. 
We believe that within 10 years the American people 
will consume nearly all our wheat, while the foreign 
demand for fruit, particularly apples, will increase. 
* 
We are very glad that our story, “Nell Beverly, 
Farmer,” can be distributed right now when the Up¬ 
lift Commission is at work. Judging from reports 
which have been sent us, very few actual farmers 
have yet appeared before the commission. 1 here 
have been professorsy and teachers, clergymen, busi¬ 
ness men, some of whom own farms, but very few 
who really make a living on the soil. In other 
words the Commission seems to be getting the opin¬ 
ion of “thinkers” rather than workers. These 
“thinkers” are usually pretty well able to take care 
of themselves. What is needed more than anything 
else is the clear bold truth about the people who 
must work on the farm for their living. 1 he pictures 
of farm life in “Nell Beverly, Farmer,” are as true 
to fact as we have ever seen in print. We imag¬ 
ine that the country will soon be deluged with farm 
literature based on the hearings before this Commis¬ 
sion. Therefore we rejoice that we can give now 
a true and faithful picture of farm life and one 
of the noblest ambitions which grow out of it. Ex¬ 
tracts from the introduction to the story will be 
found on the next page. 
* 
We notice that the talk about a tariff commission 
has stirred up the Ways and Means Committee at 
Washington. They state that both Democrats and 
Republicans are opposed to any change since Con¬ 
gress should not surrender power to levy taxes! A 
report of the debate contains the following: 
Mr. Underwood said he realized that the present method 
of making a tariff bill is not scientific. He suggested 
that better results would be realized if a decade did not 
elapse between each revision. It was impossible for the 
committee to digest the testimony that had been offered 
in the last five weeks. He proposed that the committee 
take up from time to time schedules out of harmony 
with the general act and readjust them to meet new con¬ 
ditions, and not attempt at one time to rewrite an entire 
act. 
There you have just the argument in favor of a 
Commission. Under the present system the hearings 
are held before a political body. Let any fair- 
minded man study the hearings before this commit¬ 
tee and he will see that there is a constant strug¬ 
gle for political advantage between the parties. The 
tariff should be treated as a business proposition, but 
this will not be done so long as the present method 
is continued. 1 here was much the same talk about 
depriving Congress of its “rights” when the Inter¬ 
state Commerce Commission was proposed. It 
would not be possible to abolish the Commission now 
—in fact the popular desire is to give it larger 
powers. We believe the same thing would follow 
with a tariff commission. 
* 
Corn is still rising in price, and bids fair to make 
a record. This puts a serious problem up to east¬ 
ern farmers and feeders. Less than 20 years ago 
corn was being burned for fuel in western towns, 
and brought 45 cents or less in eastern markets. 
Now we are forced to pay $1.70 per hundred pounds. 
Other feed has also gone up in price so that, while 
formerly there was a profit in feeding stock there 
is now often a loss. There is no chance in sight 
for cheap corn again, and we can see only one way 
out—that is for eastern farmers to grow more corn. 
At present prices it is one of the most profitable 
of farm crops, as well as one of the easiest to 
raise on the average farm. On most of our farms 
there are old meadows or pastures which pay little 
or nothing in the grass crops they produce. Many 
of them have been so long in sod that it will hardly 
pay to top-dress them. The time has now come to 
plow them and plant corn, using a fair amount of 
fertilizer if there is no manure. The corn crop will 
conquer the old sod as no other crop will, and at 
present prices corn will pay as well as potatoes. In 
fact the present high prices for corn will prove a 
blessing if our eastern farmers are forced to grow 
more of the grain. 
* 
On page 970 will be found a sensible letter re¬ 
garding milk bottles. The injustice of the present 
situation is clearly brought out. Under the law it 
would be possible for the sealer to charge for test¬ 
ing more than new bottles would cost, and even if 
they were defective he could not change them, as 
he could weights. This thing is all wrong, and 
must be changed. Dr. Reichmann, the State Super¬ 
intendent of Weights and Measures, ‘fully realizes 
the situation. In reply to a letter asking his opin¬ 
ion he says: 
I have held that a milk bottle is a measure, and if 
tested as a measure under the present law, the fee that 
the sealer is entitled to is 10 cents for each measure 
under Sec. 16, Chap. 376, Laws of 1896. At the same 
time I have always held that this would he a grave in¬ 
justice to the milk dealers, and have not advised the 
sealers to make the charges. We had in the Legislature 
last year a hill providing for the abolition of the fees, 
and a similar hill will be introduced this year, as the 
fees are wrong in principle. Enclosed please find a cir¬ 
cular letter which has been sent to a number of Granges 
and to a number of commercial organizations, and I am 
pleased to say that we have received over a hundred 
replies, all of them favoring the proposed legislation, over 
half of the letters coming from Granges. 
f. reichman. 
Dr. Reichmann promises to put before the next 
Legislature bills covering the following points: 
No. 1. Placing all sealers on a salary basis, as the 
fees are an injustice to the dealers whose apparatus is 
tested. 
No. 2. Requiring that all weighing and measuring 
apparatus be tested and sealed before it can be used. 
No. 3. Requiring the State Superintendent to enforce 
a uniform system and method of inspection of weights 
and measures. 
Every farmer in the State should support these 
bills and help get them through the Legislature. 
* 
The Country Gentleman prints the following inter¬ 
esting news: 
CLOSE FIGURING.—The Farmers’ Club of the Sound 
Avenue District (Riverhead, L. I.), have at last suc¬ 
ceeded in getting their fertilizer formula bids satisfac¬ 
torily arranged and have awarded the contract for next 
year’s supply to the Buffalo Fertilizer Co. The bids were 
first opened three weeks ago. It was found that the Buffalo 
Company and the American Agricultural Chemical Co. 
were tied to a cent. Another bid was asked for. Both 
companies changed their figures, but again they were 
tied. On the third bid the Buffalo company was a few 
cents lower than the other. The club has two formulas— 
5-10-8 and 6-8-5. On the former the contract price is 
$29.85 per ton delivered, and on the latter, $31.35. The 
successful bidder will probably furnish 1,500 tons. 
The last report of the New York Experiment 
Station contains analyses of two brands of fertilizer 
made by the Buffalo Fertilizer Co. and named 
“Riverhead Town Agricultural Society.” The fol¬ 
lowing statement is made, G. standing for guar¬ 
anteed and F. for found. 
Nitrogen. Available Phos. Potash. De- 
Acid. ficiency 
G. 4.92 8. 5. 
Cauliflower Fertilizer F. 4.15 6.64 6.45 $2.67 
G. 4.10 8. 8. 
Potato .F. 3.59 6.59 9.46 1.88 
The figures showing deficiency are based upon the 
Buffalo Company’s statement that it would pay back 
$3 for each unit of ammonia and one dollar for 
each unit of potash and phosphoric acid found lack¬ 
ing. In the cauliflower fertilizer the Buffalo Com¬ 
pany guaranteed 98.4 pounds of nitrogen and gave 
83 pounds. It promised 160 pounds of phosphoric 
acid and gave 132.8—while it gave 29 pounds more 
potash than it agreed to. After the exposures of their 
record at the Station the Buffalo Fertilizer Com¬ 
pany had only one thing to do—make good at any 
cost. They did their best to show that the Station 
work was not reliable, but it looks as if they would 
give the best evidence yet to prove that the Station 
figures can be used to protect farmers! 
* 
One of the most significant statements regarding 
prohibition was recently made by Gen. F. D. Grant. 
He was speaking of the army canteen—in which 
liquor is sold to soldiers. A few years ago Con¬ 
gress passed a law prohibiting this canteen—that is, 
forbidding the sale of liquor in connection with any 
army post. Left to itself Congress never would 
have passed this bill, but a majority of Congress¬ 
men did not dare vote against it. The most active 
workers for it were women, who had no vote. Y et 
Congressmen knew these women represented the moral 
sentiment of their districts. There are few Congress¬ 
men representing rural communities who care to stand 
up against the expressed moral convictions of coun¬ 
try people. Ever since the bill passed efforts have 
been made to repeal it. Leading authorities have 
argued in favor of the canteen, but no one has really 
cared to try to force a repeal of the law through 
Congress. Gen. Grant expressed his belief in the 
army canteen, but when asked if he would join 
the movement to restore it, said: 
I think not. I have spent a lot of time and argument 
on it, but I believe the prohibition movement that is 
spreading over the country may perhaps make it unprofit¬ 
able to renew the fight. In the first place, we are get¬ 
ting more and more men into the army from sections 
where they have been trained in the idea that drinking 
is a bad thing, and then an increasing number of posts 
are in territory where the saloon is not allowed to exist. 
So the temptation to the men is not so great as it was. 
In the face of the prohibition wave I do not believe a 
new effort to revive the canteen would be successful. 
There, in a few words is the truth of the matter. 
Many of those who live in town or city do not realize 
the strength of the temperance wave which is spread¬ 
ing over the country. It is essentially a movement 
from the country—largely organized and directed 
among farmers. In those States which have adopted 
prohibition the cities and towns are last to give way. 
History shows that movements of this sort which 
originate in the country are permanent. We believe it 
will be so in this case, and that ere long the move¬ 
ment will spread through the North as it has through 
the South. Give the people of New York State an 
opportunity to vote on local option by counties— 
much the same as in Ohio—and the result will be 
quickly seen. It is doubtful if in two years there 
would be a legalized saloon in any rural county which 
does not contain a large city. The great wonder is 
that farmers did not see years ago that the saloon 
question is one of the greatest business issues now 
before the public. The most useful thing of all is 
the lesson which this teaches. If a band of women, 
non voters, and most of them in humble walks of 
life, can by their persistent efforts dominate Con¬ 
gress on a moral question, what cannot strong men 
do when they will show an equal courage? 
BREVITIES. 
Oil will spoil the squeal of the wheel. 
Is there any practical way of cleaning wild onions out 
of a pasture except by plowing and clean cultivation? 
A town in North Dakota is named “Concrete.” No 
town lots will be sold except on condition that concrete 
buildings are put on them. 
The value of the estimated American cut of lumber, 
lath and shingles for 1907 is $750,000,000. In the same 
year the value of the corn crop was $1,336,901,000 and 
of the wheat crop $554,437,000. 
Meat prices were never so high in Australia as now. 
The long drought cut off the cattle supply. While in 
former years cattle were driven into Melbourne about 40 
miles they are now carried 1500 miles or more! 
We notice that some of our readers have the old arti¬ 
choke fever—having 'planted the crop for hog feed. They 
want information about handling the artichokes. “Tell 
them the crop will prove a terrible nuisance,” says John 
M. Jamison, of Ohio! 
Solanum nigrum, a plant of the nightshade family, is 
used in parts of the Northwest as food. It is variously 
called “garden huckleberry” and “pie berry.” Prof. Pad- 
dock, of Colorado, feared it was poisonous, but found that 
it is quite freely eaten in Dakota. 
As we are after information we ask you if you know 
of any man who ever held a job under the general Gov¬ 
ernment who amounted to much in business when he got 
through? Doesn’t lie usually believe in the theory that 
two men should do the work that one man did before? 
