240 
THE RURAL, NEW-YORKER 
February 25. 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850. 
PabUtbed weekly by the Rural Publishing Company, 409 Pearl Street, New York, 
Herbert W. Oollingwood, President and Editor, 
John J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wm. F. Dillon, Secretary. Mrs. E. T. Hoyle, Associate Editor. 
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To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.04, equal to 
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"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 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 v, ithin one month of the time of the transaction, 
and you must have mentioned Thl 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. 
* 
There is to be a rush into the hog business. The 
high price of pork and the scarcity of labor combine 
to make the hog a good farm partner. We have had 
hundreds of questions about suitable pastures for 
hogs which may be started this Spring. The facts 
will be given next week. Do not expect to make pork 
without feeding some grain and without giving the 
hog a fair chance. Do not turn the young orchard 
into a hog pasture. It is 10 to one you will regret it 
it you do. » 
* 
Mention has been made of a law in New York 
State which would give protection to lime buyers by 
compelling manufacturers to give a guaranteed analy¬ 
sis. Now we have the following: 
They have found a joker in this bill, as in many others 
that are at first supposed to be valuable. That is this 
law only applies to limes that sell for more than $5 per 
ton. As we have just ordered our lime, which is branded 
98 per cent c. o., for $5 f. o. b., this wonderful piece of 
legislation promises to be of but little value, except to 
make immune a class of people who want to put an in¬ 
ferior article on the market. w. H. 
They do this better in Rhode Island, where every 
sample of lime, no matter what the price, must be 
guaranteed. 
On page 238 the Hope Farm man extends sym¬ 
pathy and advice to Mr. Taylor, the owner of those 
Guernsey cows. That Florida cow put the milk in 
the pail, but the family will accept it as a fact—when 
they see the milk. When the fisherman loses the big 
fish off his hook—let him go and catch another. When 
a horse trots in two minutes and the watches dis¬ 
agree— let him go over the course again. There is 
no corroborative evidence equal to “coming back.” 
Clearly, that is the task for these Guernsey cows to 
tackle. They cannot be expected to have great value 
as breeding animals so long as they cannot stand un¬ 
challenged at their supreme test without help from 
the Supreme Court. Mr. Taylor must, of course, see 
that, and it is clearly his duty to give another test. 
* 
Yon often mention favorably our Oregon system of 
government. If you progressive Eastern people can see 
good in it as it is iun to-day, it must certainly be good. 
All the old-time politicians, ringleaders, bosses, liquor in¬ 
terests and strongest political papers of our State are 
united in an effort to down the new rule of things. And 
the people are so determined to sit down on these political 
grafters that they have been taken in sometimes by in¬ 
competent, shiftless or don’t-care men who have made 
their campaign on the new form of government against 
the old ring leaders whom the people never fail to hit 
when given the chance, preferring to trust the government 
to such men rather than vote for a better man who has 
joined the old guard. Time will, I believe, right this, and 
If the old guard continues to take water like they have 
lately, it will not be very long before they will give up 
the struggle. You know a lazy man will fight hard when 
he realizes that he has got to go to work. 
Oregon. chas. h. days. 
If we were to believe the politicians and “influential 
papers” we should conclude that the Oregon idea of 
direct primaries and rule of the plain people was a 
miserable failure. We do not believe them, but get 
our information from farmers like Mr. Hays. We 
have read big, elaborate volumes on political reforms 
which contained less truth and human nature than this 
short note. When the common people are earnestly 
feeling their way along in an experiment in self-gov¬ 
ernment how the politicians do like to point at them 
with scorn and ridicule! It will work out right. The 
thing to do first is to kill off every politician who is 
identified with the old system. Far better make some 
mistake in selecting inferior men at first rather than 
give a single inch to the methods of the old gang. 
Keep this up and time will bring things right. Oh, for 
such a system in New York State, where our people 
could smash the bosses and the crooks until they 
looked like the San Jose scale under a coat of lime- 
sulphur ! On the whole the present struggle of cor¬ 
poration lawyers and politicians at Albany is a good 
thing. It shows people what they must stand for 
under- the present system of indirect nominations. 
With the Oregon plan such a condition would be im¬ 
possible. 
* 
CANADIAN “ RECIPROCITY.” 
No. z. 
Who demands reciprocity with Canada, and who 
will benefit by it? In Canada the powerful demand 
comes from the Western Provinces. A few weeks 
ago we told of “a petition in boots,” consisting of 
1,000 or more farmers who came across the country 
demanding various things of the government. These 
Western Provinces are dominated by English emi¬ 
grants who demand free trade, and by Americans who 
have gone from this country. These Western 
Provinces are but loosely joined to Eastern Canada. 
Whatever may be said of the old Provinces, those 
western men could easily break away and apply for 
annexation. The Canadian Government realizes this, 
and also knows that her western country is to de¬ 
velop even more rapidly than our own Western States. 
This is why that section, although at present inferior 
in population, dominates Canadian political thought. 
There is fierce opposition to reciprocity in Ontario. 
Another “petition in boots” went to the Canadian capi¬ 
tal protesting against free trade in farm products. 
This was larger even than the other— 1,500 gardeners 
and fruit growers from Western Ontario. Those who 
think all Canadians favor this measure should read 
the following from The Weekly Fruit Grower: 
We make this bold and broad assertion that up until 
10 days ago every class of people in the Dominion of 
Canada, whether farmer, fruit grower, vegetable grower, 
manufacturer, artisan, railroad man, merchant, profes¬ 
sional man or day laborer, was in prosperous, happy, con¬ 
tented condition and there was absolutely and positively 
no excuse for interfering with a sane, logical and practi¬ 
cal business tariff. The very fact that the negotiations 
have been carried on and that the agreement has been 
drafted but not ratified, has done Canada untold harm. 
In this country the scheme is favored generally by 
two classes. The consumers in city and town believe 
or profess to believe that free trade in Canadian food 
products will greatly cheapen the cost of living. They 
will be disappointed, for the food supply is controlled 
by corporations who transport or handle goods, and 
who will use the scare of “free trade” to cut down 
prices to farmers, while holding up prices to con¬ 
sumers. For example, an argument in favor of free 
hides was the statement that in consequence shoes 
would be cheaper. Has anyone found them so? The 
greatest demand for “reciprocity,” however, comes 
from the great body of citizens who feel that our 
tariff laws are unjust and against the interests of the' 
common people. Such citizens see in this measure a 
chance to strike a hard blow at the tariff system. Free 
trade with Canada will be an entering wedge, and the 
people who favor it expect to hammer upon that 
wedge until the system is split in two. The opposi¬ 
tion comes from farmers in the Eastern States and 
along the border, who see in this “reciprocity” a 
death blow to the only direct benefit they ever re¬ 
ceived from “protection.” As we pointed out last 
week, these farmers are mainly responsible for the 
high tariffs, and have kept them in force even against 
their own interests. Now that their farms give promise 
of increased value and fair profit, they find them¬ 
selves abandoned by the very “interests” they have 
nourished and made strong. We want our people to 
think this all out and understand it clearly, for the 
consequences of this legislation will have a tremendous 
bearing upon the future of this country. We will next 
show just what “reciprocity” means and something 
of its political effect. 
* 
What is the agricultural law regulating the sale of 
dairy butter? The oleo agents are telling the dealers 
that they are liable to a heavy fine for selling dairy 
butter with an excess of moisture in it; in fact they are 
being fined all over the State, and the 'agents who handle 
dairy butter are agreeing with them, but say that all 
their butter is tested and will stand back of all butter 
sold by them. The result is that the small dealers are 
afraid to buy from the dairyman. A. G. 
New York. 
The law of New York has no standard for mois¬ 
ture. There have been no prosecutions. There is a 
Federal law which states that butter must not “con¬ 
tain abnormal quantities of water, milk or cream.” 
No definite statement of the amount of water per¬ 
mitted is made in this law, but the Internal Revenue 
Commissioner holds that butter containing 16 per cent 
or more of water is “abnormal,” and thus adulterated. 
This “adulterated butter” is subject to a tax. These 
oleo agents are trying to frighten dealers and butter 
makers. It is safe to go ahead and make butter by 
the customary and well-known process of skimming, 
churning and working. It will stand the test of the 
Federal Government. Do not be bluffed by the oleo 
men. 
* 
That case of the seed drills in Ohio and the 
sprayer case recently reported in The R. N.-Y. ought 
to make farmers think before they sign contracts or 
agreements. The lawyer for this drill company says 
they worked for 20 years over that contract before 
they got it right (for them). Many agents will offer 
a contract which seems to read properly, yet which 
turns out to be very unfair. It represents the work 
of shrewd lawyers to build a compact woodpile around 
a small but active colored gentleman! One common 
method is to ask a farmer to sign the printed contract 
and then make verbal agreement that certain things 
will be done. Some men will sign in that way, be- 
lieving that a man’s word is as good as his bond. 
They wake up to find that the court will hold them 
to their signature and pay no attention to verbal 
promises of an agent. Do not sign any contract unless 
there is written into it just what the agent promises, 
and see that it is written into the copy of the contract 
which the agent takes. 
* 
In April or May thousands of acres now in some 
“cover crop” will be plowed under. Rye, vetch, clover 
and other plants have occupied the land during Fall 
and Winter, and will start up in Spring. We put 
them under to supply organic matter and nitrogen. In 
doing this we should guard against two tilings. When 
a mass of bulky green stuff is plowed under and not 
packed down the soil is left in. bad shape. This open 
mass just beneath the surface lets in the air, which 
in a dry time would quickly dry the soil and injure 
crops planted in it. Most of the injury claimed as 
the result of plowing under rye is due to this cause. 
Always pack such soil firmly after plowing with roller 
or drag. Another trouble is caused by souring. When 
green material full of sap is plowed loosely into warm 
soil, fermentation starts and the soil becomes too 
sour. A good dressing of burned lime put on after 
plowing and well harrowed in will neutralize the acid, 
but the thing to remember first is to pack such soil 
firmly after plowing under green crops. 
* 
The next scheme for helping the good old farmer 
is a brilliant one. The “tailings” of the Lake Su¬ 
perior copper mines are to be sold as a fertilizer. The 
rock containing copper is taken from the mines, car¬ 
ried to the lake and crushed. The copper is taken out 
and the “tailings,” or what is left, dumped into the 
lake. This stuff contains about one per cent of potash 
and .10 of one per cent of phosphoric acid. Practi¬ 
cally none of this is available, but if all of it were this 
stuff would be worth about 90 cents a ton as we figure 
plant food in fertilizers. It seems like an easy game 
to charge $15 to $20 a ton for this stuff on the claim 
that it is much like the soil in the deserts—which 
when irrigated, gives good crops. Of course a crop 
growing on that irrigated land has 1,300 tons of soil 
in a one-foot depth on an acre to draw from, while 
these promoters advise one ton per acre of their stuff. 
At their own analysis 25 pounds of muriate of potash 
and 10 pounds of acid phosphate would give more avail¬ 
able plant food than a ton of these “tailings.” A load 
of “muck” out of a swamp, well dried and mixed with 
lime, will give four times as much plant food. Yet 
this stuff will no doubt be offered to farmers with 
some extravagant story attached to it. What would 
these “industries” do if the dear old farmer were not 
here to take their tailings and their “guff” as a bal¬ 
anced ration? 
BREVITIES. 
It is getting close to the garden once more. Make it 
give half of your living this year. 
How many farmers keep things in such orderly shape 
that they can find any tool in the dark? 
The Hope Farm folks spent Lincoln’s Birthday making 
root grafts and a hotbed for Prizetaker onion seedlings. 
You will naturally see what a purebred bull has be¬ 
hind him in order to estimate what he probably has in 
front of him. 
Briefly stated ground limestone is better for light 
soils not rich in humus, while burnt lime is better for 
sour, heavy soils. 
Kindly disposed? Not very! We allude to the parties 
who buy Himalaya berries and undertake to raise them 
on the strength of that glowing advertisement. 
We regret to make record of the death of W. J. 
Strickland, an old resident of Albion, N. Y. Mr. Strick¬ 
land had been a subscriber to The R. N.-Y. for 50 years 
and was one of the “old guard” who remain staunch 
friends of the paper through life and hand their esteem 
on to their children. 
