70ii 
THE RURAL M ttW-YOHKKK 
The Rural New-Yorker 
77/K ItV8INE88 FARMER'a l'APKit. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban liomca. 
Established 1fttO. 
I’ubllRtlrd weekly by the ltnrnl I*nliliwtifr*ft (!uni|t*ny, 4011 Tearl Htrert, New York. 
HkrbkrtW. Oou.inowoob, President and Editor, 
John J. Dii.i/in, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wm. F. JJlfjI/iN, Secretary. 
Dr. Wai/ikh Van Fleet and Mrs. lv t. k < > vlk, Associate Editors, 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.04, equal to 
8«. (Id., or 8Hi mark*, or 111*» franc*. Remit in money order, 
express order, personal check or liank draft. 
Entered at Now York Post Ofllco as Second ClaH* Matter. 
Advertising rate* W) cents por agate lino—7 word*. Discount for time 
orders. Reference* required for advertisers unknown to 
us; and cash must accompany transient ordor*. 
"A SQUARE DEAL.” 
We believe that overy advertisement in this paper in backed by a 
responsible person. But to make doubly suro wo will make good any 
loss to paid subscribers sustained by trusting any deliberate swindler 
advertising in our column*, and any such swindler will lie publicly op¬ 
posed. W« protect Rubcriber* against rogue*, but we do not guarantee 
to adjnnt trifling differences lie tween subscribers and honest, respon¬ 
sible advertisers. Neither will wo bo responsible for the debts of 
honest bankrupts sanctioned by the courts. Notico of the complaint 
must bo sent to us within one month of the time of the transaction, 
and y:>u 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. 
* 
Last week we gave a short account of the way 
cornfields may he “hogged off’ by turning hogs right 
into the corn to cat it down. This will seem a slov¬ 
enly way of farming to many, yet there are cases 
where it pays. The labor question is hard in most 
sections, and it is a matter of necessity for farmers 
to make their live stock care for themselves as far 
as possible. A man cannot afford to he a slave to 
cow, horse, hog or sheep, unless he is paid royal 
wages for the slavery. In the experiment reported 
last week it did not pay to cut the corn and carry 
it to the hogs. We can easily conceive of places in 
the East where sheep or hogs can handle the corn 
crop cheaper than humans ever could. 
* 
Go through the dairy districts now and you will 
hear the whir and scream of the silage cutter. The 
blower or the carrier will be found hard at work 
packing away the corn crop for Winter feeding. 
The writer helped fill one of the first silos ever put 
up in Michigan. As the cut corn went in few of 
those who watched it had confidence that it would 
ever he til to eat. It 7ms pretty poor stuff compared 
with the silage made nowadays. We did not know 
in those days how to plant or grow or cut the corn 
so as to make good quality. Long study and observa¬ 
tion has taught dairymen how. Thus a crude ex¬ 
periment has grown through practical education into 
a practice which represents the backbone of Winter 
dairying. 
* 
Wk realize every week how many sharp eyes are 
hunting through even the finest type for a chance 
to make the facts clearer. Mere is a good idea: 
In the Issue for September 12 an Item under the head 
of “Brevities," gives out. the report: that Atlantic City 
rumsellers “losl $150,000 In Hales” by the cloning of the 
grog shops. Another paper of earlier date says that $150,- 
000 vkim raved to visitors at Atlantic City. Can a rum- 
seller “lose” another person's money while tt is In pos¬ 
session of Its rightful owner? I. s. a. 
One definition of “lost” is “not gained or won.” 
That would certainly apply to the money so far as 
those rumsellers were concerned. However, we ac¬ 
cept the amendment. We are glad the rumsellers 
state the amount of their “loss” for that one day in 
that one city. Our farmers and gardeners can figure 
what the liquor business is doing to their trade, for 
everyone who ever went near a town knows what 
would happen if the liquor money went to buy food! 
* 
A reliable man has visited the farm of Abraham 
Adams, the “Alaska” wheat man. He found that the 
wheat is yielding from 10 to I!5 bushels per acre, and 
may average 25. Mr. Adams has about 700 acres! 
The thrashing machine was at work, and the grain 
coming from it was badly cracked and mixed with 
wild oats, other kinds of wheat and weed seeds! 
Those who buy it at $20 a bushel will surely get their 
money’s worth—of what they don’t want. Nearby 
farmers are not using this wheat, but consider the 
whole thing as a joke. Rot why not let the matter 
drop? Because it will not drop, being suspended in 
the air by the dollars of people who have been duped. 
In the 20 days following August 15 over $18,000 worth 
of this grain was sold, and orders are still pouring 
in by every mail! The most encouraging thing is 
that many arc telegraphing Adams to cancel their 
orders. It is said that a carload of the grain is 
moving to Minneapolis, where it is to be sold at $20 
a bushel! This transaction will go into 'Mry as 
about the cleverest “fake” ever played on American 
farmers. Not one single reader of The R. N.-Y. 
had any excuse for losing a dollar over it. 
* 
We find a lively interest in the discussion of that 
Commission to investigate farm life. Many reports 
have already come in, and many more are promised. 
Remember, this is what wc are after: 
“If you 7vcrc Contjrcss and had to be responsible 
for your actions, what would you do to make farm 
life happier and better, and (jive the fanner just zvhat 
he needs?” 
Keep that idea of responsibility in mind when you 
answer, and then tell us frankly just what the con¬ 
ditions arc in your section. Wc have already had 
reports all the way from Maine to Montana. They 
come from satisfied farmers, desperate farmers and 
those who perhaps for the first time begin to think 
out their real position. The chief benefit from this 
Commission may not come as President Roosevelt 
perhaps expected. We think it will start farmers 
into a fair and earnest study of their condition. From 
many of our reports it is evident that the writers 
have had crude ideas on the subject, hut have never 
before tried to put them into responsible words. In 
fact, the honest sentiments of these working farmers 
have never yet found fair expression. They are now 
to have a chance to tell their own story in their own 
words, and the eftect of this will, in time, astonish 
those who have been trying to speak for them. Send 
us your opinion! 
* 
The Ohio Experiment Station has done remarkably 
tine work investigating “the maintenance of fertility.” 
Through a long series of years experiments have been 
made with farm manures and clover, with the addition 
of chemicals and without them. It has been shown so 
that any farmer can comprehend the meaning that 
phosphoric acid is the element most needed at present 
on the majority of Ohio soils, and that clover and 
farm manures supply the cheapest sources of nitrogen! 
One of the most important facts made clear by these 
experiments is that manure and clover prove most 
effective when phosphate, and to a less extent, potasli 
are used with them. The most reasonable way for 
the general farmer in Ohio to maintain the fertility 
of his soil is to use clover in his rotation, save all 
the manure, and use acid phosphate with it. If experi¬ 
ments show that potash gives results he can use that 
also with the manure. If for any reason more nitro¬ 
gen than the manure supplies is needed nitrate of soda 
will give immediate results. This is the most rational 
method of using chemicals on a farm where most of 
the hay and grain arc fed to stock. 
* 
We are glad to learn that some one in Ohio has 
got up above a whisper in discussing that 'fertilizer 
mix-up. The farm papers went to the State Fair and 
learned what farmers think about the matter. Then 
they began to wake up. Dr. II. M. Brown, the presi¬ 
dent of the Ohio State Board, evidently got tired of 
seeing the Board gagged and tied up with injunctions. 
So he came out in a speech at a farmers’ picnic, and 
handled the Smith Company without gloves. The 
Hillsboro Gazette in a report of Dr. Brown’s re¬ 
marks says: 
The Hoard of Agriculture bad been Imposed upon by 
several companies all belonging to the same people, but 
operating under different names. A man In the employ 
of flie* board was bribed by the fertilizer people to switch 
samples so that their goods would grade up to the stand¬ 
ard. The dishonest employee died, and the size of his 
estate, which was much larger I ban he could possibly 
have saved from his legitimate salary, caused an Investi¬ 
gation. Another man was employed to 1111 the vacancy 
caused by the dishonest employee's death and he was ap¬ 
proached by the fertilizer people and offered $200 per 
month to continue “switching samples." He told the 
Hoard of Agriculture, and that hoard instituted suit 
against, the fertilizer manufacturers. 
For doing this Dr. Brown was charged with con¬ 
tempt of court, and ran the risk of fine and impris¬ 
onment, blit he can stand that better than to have it 
said that the Board knew it was right and yet lacked 
the courage to say so. Good for Dr. Brown; we 
hope he will perform a surgical operation on the 
situation and cut out the living point. In all the 
States arotin ! Ohio the Smith Company fertilizers 
were found to be inferior by the official chemists. 
It docs not rest upon the Ohio figures alone, for the 
Indiana results were just as had. The long suit of 
the Smith Company seems to he—an injunction. In 
Indiana one of their fertilizers which should have 
contained 10 pounds of nitrogen in a ton really 
showed four pounds. A farmer might use this fer¬ 
tilizer, and find that a clover sod gave him better 
results. The company might try to gel an injunction 
to prevent him from saying so—or to sow any more 
clover! They tried to hold up Ihc State Fair by 
injunction, hut failed. Tt is high time such injunc¬ 
tions were sent to the junk shop. 
Septumls r 20, 
t here was a great gathering of people at th. New 
York State Fair last week. It seemed as i the 
grounds had never been so crowded as they wi e on 
Thursday. People came from all over the State, and 
it would he hard to imagine a more orderly crowd. 
The exhibits overflowed the buildings, but tin best 
exhibit of all was made up of the people who came 
from the farms for their holiday. As usual, or.r re¬ 
port will he largely a study of the people and wliat 
they are thinking about. We never realized 1 fore 
how many warm friends The R. N.-Y. has in New 
York. Wc have met many of them in former years, 
hut there never was anything like the expression of 
kindly interest which greeted us this year. 
# 
The Post Office Department recently sent out the 
following order: 
I'arcel-post packages for destination in France will he 
admitted, on and after August 15, 190.S, to the mails for 
France made tip in and dispatched front this country. 
‘'Parcels” exchanged between the United Stalls and 
France must not weigh more than four pounds six ounces, 
nor measure more than three feet, six inches in length, 
and six feet in length and girth com Id tied. 
Postage must Im' paid In full at. the following rates, viz: 
In the United Stales, on parcels for France, 12 cents for 
each pound or fraction of a pound; In France, on parcels 
for the United States, 2 francs for every parcel not ex- 
feeding two kilograms (4.401) pounds). 
Thus a citizen in Illinois may mail a package of 
merchandise weighing four pounds to a friend in 
I'"ranee for 48 cents. If lie mailed it to some one in 
his own State or in Indiana, less than 100 miles 
away, he would be obliged to pay 61 cents postage. 
If he went to France he could mail a package weigh¬ 
ing over four pounds to Omaha or San Francisco for 
about 28 cents. That same package, over four pounds 
in weight, mailed back to France from this country 
would cost 60 cents. Why should a Frenchman have 
this advantage over an American in the mail service 
of this country? It is had enough to he held up by 
the express companies and forced to pay high rates for 
poor service. It is like adding insult to injury to 
learn that Europeans can mail goods to any part of 
this country at a cheaper rate than Americans arc 
forced to pay for mailing even short distances in their 
own land. 
* 
Most likely some of our readers have received cir¬ 
culars of the great “Lava” fertilizers. They arc 
offered by men who announce themselves as ‘ Pro¬ 
fessors of Divine Science, polaric nutrition, agricul¬ 
ture, horticulture and human and plant physiology.” 
That may be called a very large contract In this 
circular there is a thrilling picture of a volcano belch¬ 
ing forth lava like one of our literary friends pouring 
out uplifting words for the farmer. Among other 
great claims made for this fertilizer are the following: 
Mineral fertilization with lava for indoor plants, pre¬ 
vents add fermentation in the earth and doubles the 
beauty of the leaves and (lowers, while protecting them 
nt tho same time against the attacks of plant lice and 
other insects. 
Mineral fertilization with lava affords a solution of the 
vital problem of reducing the enormous death rate among 
infants, resulting from the use of milk detlelent in mineral 
salts. Hava fertilized pastures will prevent tuberculosis 
In our cattle and produce wholesome milk, abounding tn 
mineral Ingredients. This will tn turn relieve the pnln 
and suffering of millions of I ubenmlotis, amende, nervous 
children with weak, undeveloped bones, and save their 
parents from untold anxiety and care. 
Abraham Adams ought to have used some of this 
stuff on his "Alaska” wheat! But what is the truth 
about it ? The fertilizer really does consist of ground 
lava. It contains more or less phosphoric acid, lime 
and potash, but its effect upon crops would he very 
small. The fact that it was belched out of a volcano 
will not affect a plant or a cow. Very likely a mixture 
of coal and wood ashes taken from the kitchen stove 
would give a higher analysis. If any of our readers 
could be induced by the ridiculous statements in the 
circular to buy the stuff, nothing wc could say would 
stop them. _ 
BREVITIES. 
VVnAT do you think of planting the asparagus seed right 
where the plants are to stand? 
TnoHw who wonder how the post, card nuisance b kept 
alive should know that lu 1907 Germany sen I lo the 
United Slates $5,1 .'59,220 worth of these cards! 
That old saltpeter story Is going the rounds again That 
Is I lie yarn about boring a hole In a stump and poking lu 
saltpeter. Don't believe II. This yarn has been nlted 
down a dozen times, but ulwuyu lliuls printers' Ink to 
give It life. 
Tiim Mark l.iine Kxpress slates that the Uheshlr 
shire and North Wales Fanners' Supply Association n lite'u 
ts out' of the largest co-opera live bodies of farmers in the 
United Kingdom, did business last year ummiutii . to 
£111,000, or more than halt a million dollars 
Tun lalesl front protector is reported frot> Uiane. 
Rosin ami day are thoroughly mixed nut p es.-ed into 
cakes with a wick at the center. Oil I pm ed ov< the 
cake and the wick In lighted. / thick, i ack me .... t„ 
produced which settles over vineyard or hard. 
