eio 
May 20, 
The Rural New-Yorker 
TOE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes 
Established tsco 
Published wcskly by the Rural Publishing Company, 409 Pearl St., New York 
Herbert W. Coltjngwood, President and Editor. 
John J. Dilloit, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wm. F. Ditxon, Secretary. Mrs. E. T. Koyi.e, Associate Editor. 
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* 
When President Taft fails of any other argument 
for reciprocity he advances this one: 
“Try it anyway. If it turns out badly Congress can 
repeal it.” ' 
If that is an argument what objection can there be 
to applying it to parcels post? Why not try that, 
President Taft? If it does not pay, or is unpopular, 
Congress might try to take it away from us! 
* 
I wish information in regard to teachers, where con¬ 
sumption has gone through the family; where the mother 
died with it and four or five children died with it; one 
died last Spring. Is it lawful in New York State for 
such a person to teach school? E. s. 
There have been several questions like the above. 
There is no law in New York which restricts the 
employment of such teachers. Such employment 
comes within the discretion of the school authorities. 
If the school board found that the teacher was con¬ 
sumptive it would be justified in refusing to hire him, 
and he should not teach. There is no reason how¬ 
ever, why a person should not be permitted to teach 
simply because his relatives died of tuberculosis. 
* 
We come back once more to Senator Page of Ver¬ 
mont. His scheme for learning public sentiment 
ought to be engraved. You remember that the local 
newspapers favored reciprocity because they were told 
to do so—and thought it would give them cheaper 
paper. Senator Page asked to he told, and he found 
that the people he represented were opposed. The 
newspapers did not represent them. Now the point 
is that whenever the people of a State see fit to 
take interest enough to make their representatives 
understand the thing they want will be done. The 
newspapers and the “interests” cannot drop them 
when they once mean business. We shall call this 
experience the “Senator Page act,” for it writes a 
new page in our history as a free people. Play the 
“Senator Page act” for parcels post. 
“Mr. Hill—I am a good deal interested in the question 
of revenue, and I want to know whether it is going to 
take these things in. 1 ask the gentleman the question in 
good faith, to get the gentleman’s understanding of it. 
“Mr. Sims—To give the gentleman an honest answer, 
I will say that I have not studied the bill. 
“Mr. Hill—But the gentleman is going to vote for it. 
“Mr. Sims—Yes. 
“Mr. Hill—The gentleman is going to vote for it any¬ 
way ? 
“Mr. Sims—Yes. 
“Mr. Hill—Whether it has any effect on the revenue or 
not? 
“Mr. Sims—Yes. 
“Mr. Hill—I would like to ask the gentleman whether 
this bill is a bill for a tariff for revenue or a tariff for 
protection or a tariff for free trade? 
“Mr. Sims—The present bill? Why, on its face it’s a 
free trade bill, as far as it goes.” 
The above illuminating dialogue is taken from the 
Congressional report. The so-called “farmer’s free 
list bill” was up for discussion. Congressman Sims 
spoke in favor of it, but admitted that he had not 
studied it, did not know how it would affect the 
nation’s revenue—in fact did not know much of any¬ 
thing about it except that his party favored it and he 
thought it was in the direction of free trade. It 
was a “farmer’s” bill, mind you, but probably two- 
thirds of the members in Congress had never studied 
it and did not know or care what real effect it would 
have upon the business of farming. One party 
favored it—the other opposed it. That was enough 
for the average member. “Farmer” is a good name 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
to play politics with, but what chance does the man 
on the farm have when Congress “settles” great 
public questions in this way? There will never be 
anything better until the farmer makes his influence 
felt by compelling Congress to separate farm interests 
from party politics. There is no way to do this 
except by forming a political group like the Ger¬ 
man agrarians. We do not intend to say that our 
farmers should stand for the same policy which these 
Germans have supported. Some of the German 
agricultural demands are not suited to this country 
but the general principle of banding together ,to 
secure farm legislation is one which our farmers must 
sooner or later adopt. 
* 
Over 500 of our farmer readers have expressed 
their opinion regarding the Canadian reciprocity bill. 
Of this number about 20 favor the bill j.ust as it 
stands without objection. Their argument is that it 
is a step toward lower tariff rates. About 98 per 
cent of those who have expressed an opinion oppose 
the bill. About 10 per cent of these will oppose any 
hill which interferes with the present tariff. Some 
of them want tariff duties higher than they are now. 
The remainder—about 85 per cent of all—argue that 
the proposed bill is unjust to farmers, that it robs 
them of the small share of protection which our tariff 
affords, that it will depress agriculture in the border 
States and that it begins a plan to develop this coun¬ 
try as a manufacturing nation at the expense of agri¬ 
culture. The great majority of those who write us 
state that the present tariff is too high. They would 
be willing to give up a fair share of their so-called 
protection if other interests were made to share pro¬ 
portionately in the reduction. We believe that this 
view expresses the conviction of a great majority of 
our intelligent and thinking farmers. * It must be 
said that they have lost confidence in the desire or 
the ability of either of the old parties to give agri¬ 
culture a fair deal on the tariff or other great public 
questions. 
The contest over reciprocity in the Senate has now 
assumed a character which will put many of the farm¬ 
ers who have written us in a false position. When 
the bill was first introduced the “protected interests” 
were disposed to let it go without much argument or 
protest “Reciprocity” might provide cheaper food 
for town workmen. That might stop the “high cost 
of living” cry so that these workmen would vote for 
high tariff on manufactures while retaining free trade 
in food. It was a great scheme—this holding up the 
price of manufactured goods and at the same time 
inviting free world’s competition in farm products. 
To the surprise of everyone the farmers made a stub¬ 
born and powerful fight for what they considered 
common rights. This seems to have given the high 
protectionists a new light. They are evidently back 
of the pressure now being brought to bear upon the 
Senate. “The farmer” may be put at the front, but 
behind him will be found, pulling the wires as of old, 
the “interests” which have for years fattened on their 
special tariffs by giving the farmer five cents of benefit 
while they took their dollar. For the’past 40 years 
the Northern farmers have fought the fight of high 
tariff and kept it alive, with little business benefit and 
great political injury. It will be a shame if they 
are now to be used like a stalking horse to benefit 
the “interests” which do not dare to come out in the 
open and argue for a special privilege. We can see 
how many a farmer can put up a strong and con¬ 
scientious argument against reciprocity, but they 
should not permit themselves to be misrepresented by 
other “interests.” 
* 
Montclair, New Jersey, probably takes the lead in 
local legislation to get rid of mosquitoes. Any citi¬ 
zen of that town permitting a pond or puddle of water 
to contain “wigglers” or young mosquitoes will he 
fined $10 per day 1 There must be evidence that the 
“wigglers” are found in this pond, and that the man is 
responsible for it. As we have often pointed out, the 
mosquito breeds only in stagnant water, and if pains 
are taken to prevent such water from standing the 
curse will be removed. One of the best things you 
can do is tec interest the children. Get them to recog¬ 
nize the “wigglers” in stagnant water and have them 
make it a business to empty all cans or bottles or any¬ 
thing that will hold water. The mosquitoes will live 
in the most unexpected places if they can find water— 
vases in cemeteries, tin cans, old bottles, water pipes, 
or the cup of a grindstone. Let us all remember that 
mosquitoes breed in stagnant water, while house flies 
breed in horse manure. If you think we talk too much 
about mosquitoes, remember that the scientific men 
now claim positively that the worst forms of malarial 
diseases get into the human system through the bites 
of mosquitoes 1 
The last Legislature of New Jersey passed a law 
compelling drivers of wagons to carry a light at night. 
The sense of it follows: 
Every vehicle drawn by horse, horses or other beasts 
shall carry during the period from 30 minutes after sunset 
and 30 minutes before sunrise, and whenever fog renders 
it impossible to see a long distance, at least one lighted 
lamp, which said light shall be of such nature and so. dis¬ 
played that it may be seen both from a point at least 200 
feet distant in the direction towards which the vehicle is 
proceeding and from a point at least 250 feet in the direc¬ 
tion from which the vehicle is proceeding. The penalty 
is from $2.50 to $5. 
We do not know whether this would apply to a 
hand cart or wheelbarrow, both of which have caused 
serious accidents in the night. The law is a good one 
and should he enforced. Last Fall a man was killed 
in our neighborhood by a carriage which did not show 
a light. 
* 
The Commercial Club of Norfolk, Neb., is work¬ 
ing on the right theory. Norfolk; is in a farming sec¬ 
tion. The wealth and business of the town must come 
directly out of the soil. Anything that helps the 
farmers must help the town. Make that section recog¬ 
nized as headquarters for superior live stock or farm 
products and new business will come to the town. So 
the Commercial Club is importing the finest Belgian 
horses it can find and selling them to fanners at cost. 
The result will be that in a few years Madison County 
will be noted for high class draft horses. Buyers will 
come, Norfolk will become a horse market, and the 
farmers will get more of the consumer’s dollar. This 
Commercial Club can import horses cheaper than an 
individual farmer could, and is surer of getting su¬ 
perior stock. Here is a form of cooperation which 
is sure to pay. Many a country town could well 
imitate this work and use its influence to help the 
farmers who support it. 
* 
You may think the Hope Farm man is paying a lot 
of attention to asparagus culture. There is more to 
this than you think. The production of asparagus is 
bound to become a great industry, for there are un¬ 
limited possibilities in the change of a luxury into a 
necessity. It means an increase in the demand by one 
hundred fold, and that is what is coming to asparagus. 
Better even than this is the work of that Asparagus 
Association. We do not know of any more striking 
results ever obtained by an organization of farmers. 
These men singled down their needs to one thing— 
a commercial variety of asparagus that would resist 
rust. They did not attempt anything else, but put 
their money and their time into that one tiling. 
Within a few years several varieties far more im¬ 
mune than any now on the market will be on sale 
by the trade. We can all get a good lesson out of 
this. Let us pick out one strong thing and put all 
our energies back of it. That is one reason why The 
R. N.-Y. has hammered away for parcels post for 
years. It is the great issue before the people to-day, 
both for what it means directly and the indirect re¬ 
sults as well. As the case now stands, parcels post is 
of greater importance to our farmers than Canadian 
reciprocity. 
BREVITIES. 
Mr. Prescott of Concord ought to know how to grow 
etsparagus. He says any soil that will grow corn will an¬ 
swer. 
A “pure olive oil” from Italy recently examined by the 
Agricultural Department was found to be almost entirely 
cottonseed oil. 
Danger to stock from poison sprays conies when thick 
drainings or too much liquid is poured in a puddle. 
Ordinary spraying is not dangerous. 
There are still some people who think Bordeaux mix¬ 
tures will kill the scale. Get over the idea. Bordeaux is 
intended to destroy or prevent plant diseases—not insects. 
In some sections land “blows away.” High winds drive 
the lighter soils off in dust and expose the grain roots. 
Straw or light manure will help. In some cases farmers 
actually plow light furrows at intervals of five rods or 
so. This is reported from North Dakota. 
West China is developing as a wheat growing section. 
One great thing is the fact that in one pro-vinee 1,000,000 
acres once given to growing poppies for opinm is now in 
wheat. Thousands of Chinese coolies carry loads of 200 
pounds for 500 miles or more with no food except wheat, 
beans and peas. 
The Immigration Department of the Canadian Pacific 
Railway states that since the opening of the immigrant 
season this Spring $6,000,000 in settlers’ belongings have 
entered Canada over their line. This does not include 
Manitoba and North Portal, where 3,548 settlers with 512 
cars of effects, valued at $750,000, are recorded. 
A pew years ago we told of a New York farmer who 
gets two crops a year from a low drained meadow- The 
Summer crop is corn. After this is. taken off the meadow 
is flooded and a big Winter crop of ice is harvested. The 
Germans beat this in carp growing. The carp ponds are 
emptied every year or so and grain crops grow on the 
pond bottom. Then the water is let back and carp fat¬ 
tened once more. 
