72 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER’S PAPER. 
A National Weakly Journal for Country and Suburban Homea. 
Established 1850. 
FaUaM weekly by the Kara! Pobllihing Company, 409 Pearl Street, Heir York, 
Hkbbkbt W. Collingwood, President and Editor, 
John J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wm. P. Dillon, Secretary. Mbs. E. T. Roylb, Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.04, oqual to 
8s. 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 60 cents per agate line—7 words. Discount for timi 
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 ourcolumns, and any such swmdlerwill be publicly ex¬ 
posed. Wejprotect 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 Thu 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. 
* 
No—we cannot hear those western corn growers 
marching up to get into that corn contest. That is a 
very sensible statement about corn culture on page 64. 
* 
The New York State Fair Commission promises to 
select 100 New York boys who are to be sent free to 
the State Fair. These boys are to be selected by the 
various Granges and are to be the guests of the Com¬ 
missioners. The object is to give these boys the 
benefit of any agricultural education which the State 
Fair can furnish. The boys should be such as can 
appreciate such a trip. This is a good idea and should 
be fully developed. 
* 
The letter from the apple buyers on page 60 is the 
strongest compliment to a body of farmers or fruit 
growers we have read. Out of nearly half a million 
boxes of apples not one has been found defective by 
reason of bad packing or culls. That is probably the 
chief reason for the great success of this western 
fruit. Some of the eastern fruit is quite as good. 
Boxed apples from the Hudson Valley outsold Hood 
River fruit in the Liverpool market this season. 
There is no cull in the western package, and that is 
the great secret of success. 
* 
Since the recent article on pasturing hogs on rape 
was printed we have been overrun with questions about 
this crop. Full details will be given before Spring. 
Right now we will say that the rape plant is like a 
turnip all gone to top without any bulb or large root. 
It is a member of the turnip family and is seeded in 
all respects like turnips—either broadcast or in drills. 
It makes a large quantity of green forage for hogs, 
sheep or poultry, but is useless for hay. It will evi¬ 
dently be largely used this Spring. 
* 
Mr. W. J. Dougan is the Jerseyman who will put 
up 10 of his hens against two of his neighbors’ cows. 
It appears that Mr. Dougan is an ex-policeman from 
New York. We told him he probably arrested the 
hens for vagrancy and threatened to send them to the 
“Island.” Here is his reply: 
You are wrong about the liens being arrested for va¬ 
grancy. They were taken as “suspicious characters,” and 
had the “third degree” worked on them, and they 
“coughed up.” w. J. dougan. 
He will tell how they do it—beginning next week. 
* 
The experience with the cow outlined on page 81, 
shows one advantage of having a bank account and 
paying by check. If this man had paid cash for the 
cow and then found her milk record a fraud he 
would have been out the price of the cow. As it was 
he had a chance to try the cow before the check could 
be cashed. As she failed to make good he stopped 
payment on the check and held his money. Another 
thing to remember is that an endorsement on a check 
is evidence of payment, while there is no such evi¬ 
dence when cash is paid without witnesses. 
* 
A few years ago one heard little except Bordeaux 
Mixture at horticultural conventions when plant dis¬ 
eases were discussed. This mixture was once con¬ 
sidered the only hope for farmers. Then came com¬ 
plaints of “Bordeaux injury” and failure to do its 
work. There was a demand for a substitute. This 
year one rarely hears Bordeaux mentioned. The talk 
is now for lime and sulphur, which has given remark¬ 
able results as a fungicide. The lime-sulphur alone 
or in combination with arsenate of lead comes as near 
to being a plant cure-all as we are likely to get in 
many years. It is, without question, a substitute for 
I THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
Bordeaux. In working out this substitute and help¬ 
ing to make it practical, our scientific men will save 
to the fruit industry more than the entire cost of 
our experiment stations—and this is but one of many 
things they are doing. 
A 
Yes, gentlemen, the time has now come in this 
country when any farmer who wants to can learn how 
to produce a larger crop. Let him call for the infor¬ 
mation and a volume of it will be offered him. The 
truth is that the farmer does not need to raise larger 
crops half as much as he needs to raise his share of 
the consumer’s dollar. That is the greatest living 
question of the age—how to get our share of what is 
paid for the food we produce. At present the farmer 
averages 35 cents of the consumer's dollar. Give him 
50 and he will spend the difference in such a way 
that it will improve every line of honest business in 
the country. Come now and tell us how to raise the 
dollar. 
* 
It ia my belief that the work you are doing in stirring 
up the agricultural profession to a knowledge of the need 
of united, persevering action, if they are to get the po¬ 
litical reforms needed, is of great worth, because you are 
constantly at it, because you present facts logically, and 
because what we see continually repeated in “cold” print 
will at some time wear an impression in our minds, as 
the dropping water wears a hole in a stone. r. w. r. 
Sledge hammer blows are useful at times, but for 
breaking down the wall which surrounds human 
nature the steady rapping and pounding is what does 
the business. Prejudice and habit are often respon¬ 
sible for failure to take advantage of opportunity. 
The way to overcome this is to form new habits of 
thought. That is why we keep at a subject as cheer¬ 
fully as a bulldog until the facts and what they 
stand for get into mind. 
♦ 
“Railroads assisting the farmers.” We are asked 
to give “personal attention” to the following propo¬ 
sition : 
It is doubtful if the railroads have entered into any 
new departure in recent years that will result in more 
material good than the educational work they are now 
carrying on in promoting practical farming. The special 
interest taken in the science of intensive farming along 
their respective lines has assisted the farmers and given 
them new inspirations as well as new ideas. 
Our “personal opinion” is that the farmers of this 
country do not need that education which shows 
them how to produce more, half as much as that 
which will show them how to get a larger share of 
the consumer’s dollar. The model farms and free 
trains maintained by the railroads help the railroads 
and very likely, though incidentally, the farmers. 
Suppose a wise man saw an overloaded horse strug¬ 
gling to haul his load. This wise man stands still 
and proves by all his science that if the wheels were 
larger or well greased or if the horse had another 
collar he ought to haul the load. But that man does 
not put his shoulder to the wheel and help push the 
load. We think the railroads are much like that wise 
man. They are better qualified to analyze the con¬ 
sumer’s dollar than any other interest which takes a 
share of it. Let them trace 5,000 shipments of pro¬ 
duce from the country platform to the city table, and 
tell us exactly who gets the 65 cents which misses the 
farmer. This would be help just like pushing the 
wheel to help the horse. 
* 
Circulars against parcels post are being distributed 
by the million, and some farmers are thoughtlessly 
signing them. Do not under any circumstances sign 
these circulars or petitions. They will only put you 
on the wrong side. Just now we hear much talk 
about an experiment with parcels post on rural routes. 
It will be extended “if the revenue to the Department 
warrants it.” Here we have another little joker. The 
salaries of postmasters and assistants are based upon 
the receipts of their offices, and they would retain a 
portion of all increased revenue. Fourth class post¬ 
masters retain the first $50 collected in each quarter, 
60 per cent of the next hundred, and 50 per cent 
of the balance collected until his income reaches $250 
per quarter for four successive quarters, when he is 
placed in the Presidential class and paid a straight 
salary. What is left of this to the Department is 
supposed to be used for extending parcels post. How 
much do you think will be left of this revenue? They 
know the answer now, and that is why this plan is 
held out to you. Practically everything offered us 
thus far contains a “joker” which is intended to fool 
us. The express companies know that something must 
be done, and they will if possible give us something 
that is doomed to failure from the start. Here is 
our plan: Let Congress establish a parcels post law. 
On its passage and enforcement raise the maximum 
weight of a package one pound, or to five pounds. 
After two months more raise to six pounds and in two 
more to seven pounds. Then after four months raise 
the weight to eight pounds and to nine, 10 and 11 
pounds at intervals of six-month periods. This will 
January 21, 
take two years and two months until it will be in 
full force, and the increase in revenue will pay for 
any increase in expenditures, and there will be a sur¬ 
plus besides when it is in full force. This can be 
made to work in many ways by varying the time that 
must elapse between a pound raise. If there is any¬ 
thing wrong with that plan we want to know it. 
* 
You are certainly doing a grand good thing in urging 
your subscribers to write plain, straightforward letters 
to their Congressmen—not petition them. I was sitting 
in the Senate gallery when Penrose arose to read that 
monster petition of the women of the United States 
asking that Senator Smoot be senatorially chloroformed. 
I have forgotten how many thousand signers there were 
to that petition, but newspaper files will tell you if in¬ 
terested. However, that was certainly a case where a 
real live grown-up petition had a chance to show what it 
could do. If Senator Smoot even so much as blinked 
because of it the public was never the wiser. The peti¬ 
tion went on file. It is still on file—will probably be 
on file when Miss Liberty topples off the dome of the 
Capitol. About 10 days later, while chatting with a 
friend in one of the House corridors, I overheard a 
Southern Congressman remark to a man: “I shall not 
vote against it. I received a dozen letters today urging 
me to vote for it.” s. H. M. 
That note from an Ohio correspondent beats our 
ability to express what we have advocated so long. 
Do not bother with petitions. Get right out with the 
personal letter. Write it yourself, make it natural, 
and if you do not think it is strong enough wait until 
your wife feels strongly about some grievance and 
then ask her to “put a few thoughts on paper.” 
* 
The banquet given by the New York State Fruit 
Growers at Rochester was beyond question one of the 
most remarkable gatherings of farmers ever held in 
this country. There were about 800 men and women 
at the tables, and it would be hard to match that 
company in appearance and character. With Dr. L. 
H. Bailey as toastmaster the speeches were short, to 
the point and with high purpose and character. There 
was no session of the entire convention more produc¬ 
tive of good to the society than this banquet. Men 
brought their wives and children, all united with 
good spirit and social cheer and everyone went home 
with renewed pride and hope for the business of fruit 
growing. When a body of farmers can come forward 
and hire a great hall and fill it, order a dinner equal 
to the best and pay for it, organize their own meet¬ 
ing and carry it out with a strength and dignity equal 
to that displayed at any banquet in Rochester, they 
give solid benefit to the entire business of farming. 
Some of us who were there remembered that little 
meeting of earnest men in Syracuse nine years ago, 
when the fruit growers were organized. We could 
not half fill a small hall at that time, but those who 
did come were men of energy and faith, and they 
must have had strange thoughts while looking over 
the multitude at Rochester last week. One of the 
best features of that meeting was the large number 
of young men who were present. A special effort had 
been made to render this banquet attractive to young 
people, and they responded. No question about it, the 
banquet is a strong feature of any farmers’ meeting. 
Michigan, Connecticut and other States have adopted 
the plan, and all report it successful. 
BREVITIES. 
Eternal vigilance is the price you must pay for being 
liberal. 
It makes the imagination stretch to believe all they 
tell us about this vetch. 
We want all the facts possible about the use of lime- 
sulphur on potatoes to check blight. 
The States on the Pacific coast have made a remark¬ 
able increase of population in the past 10 years. In 
California at least this means the breaking up of the 
large ranches into smaller farms. 
The drought proved a bonanza to some farmers with 
deep wells, for they sold water—in some cases at or 
above milk prices. It is hard to charge for water. Air 
will have a price next. 
Talk about the revival of some of these worn-out farms 
—a reader in Massachusetts went back to the farm where 
he was raised. Three years ago it kept six cows and a 
horse. Now he has 47 head of cattle and three horses. 
Parts of Kansas will receive a full dose of chinch bugs 
this year. The insects are now present in multitudes 
in the bunch grass. The experiment stations advise 
farmers to hunt for the insects and when found to burn 
the grass over—running the fire close to the ground. 
We understand that in the Northwest millers dis¬ 
criminated against Velvet Chaff wheat to the extent of 
seven cents per bushel, as compared with No. 1 Northern. 
The North Dakota Agricultural College has proved the 
value of Velvet Chaff by baking tests so completely that 
this difference in price has been wiped out. 
It seems that the “Giant” berry, extravagantly adver¬ 
tised by Mills and a few other seedsmen, is a fairly 
useful berry for home gardens in California, and pos¬ 
sibly for the Gulf Coast, but the fruits are too soft for 
market, and it is not at all likely to be hardy north 
of the Carolinas. Our judgment is that it will prove a 
disappointment to the Eastern people. Latest reports 
show that it is probably a strain of the old Evergreen 
berry, tried and found worthless away from the Pacific 
coast. 
