660 
June 3, 
The Rural New-Yorker 
TIIE BUSINESS FARMER’S PAPER 
A Notional Weekly Journnl for Country and Suburban Homes 
Established isso , 
Published weekly by the Rural Publishing Company, 409 Pearl St., New York 
Herbert W. Coluncwood, President and Editor. 
John J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wn. F. Dillon, Secretary. Mrs. E. T. Royle, Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union. $2.04. equal to 8s. 6d., or 
6)4 marks, or lOJ^ francs. Remit in money order, express 
order, personal chock or bank draft. 
Entered at New York Post Office as Second Class Matter. 
Advertisi ig rates Ml cents per agate line—7 words. Discount for time orders. 
References required for advertisers unknown to as j and 
cash must accompany transient orders. 
“A SQUARE DEAL” 
We believe that every advertisement in this paper is backed by a respon¬ 
sible person. Rut to make doubly sure we will make pood any loss to paid 
subscribers sustained by trusting any deliberate swindler advertising in our 
columns, and any such swindler will be publicly exposed. We protect sub¬ 
scribers against rogues, but we do not guarantee to adjust trifling differences 
1st ween subscribers and honest, responsible 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 i jentioned 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. 
* 
Talking of sticky fly paper for mice and weasels, 
has anyone tried it for cutworms? Would a disk of 
sticky fly paper, fitting closely about the stem flat 
on the ground, discourage the scoundrelly maraud¬ 
ers. They are worse than ever this year. 
* 
We have learned that the only way to make a point 
stick in the mind is to keep pounding at it. That is 
why we make much of that asparagus experiment. 
It will pay any asparagus grower to make a pilgrimage 
to Concord in the rust season and see for himself what 
that single male plant is doing. We also start early 
with this warning. Look out for the men who will 
advertise rust resistant asparagus. This will be a 
popular card to play, but keep away from them. 
These immune plants have not been given out yet 
and are not ready. 
* 
Several cases like the following are reported. A 
neighbor puts up a barbed wire fence on top of a 
stone wall. Both wall and wire are several feet on 
his side of the dividing line. Children pass over 
the few feet to play on the stone wall—attracted by 
flowers. They are wounded and their clothes are 
torn by the wire. Is there any remedy? There is no 
law to prevent a man from putting such a fence on 
his own land. One who crosses the land to get to 
the fence is probably a “trespasser.” Yet no one 
with real human feelings would let a little child get 
hurt in this way. 
* 
We have many letters from dairymen who are 
in trouble over their butter. Agents of oleo dealers 
and some local buyers are going about telling farmers 
that their butter is “adulterated,” as it contains over 
16 per cent of moisture. This talk is hurting the busi¬ 
ness of some who make dairy butter. There is a 
Federal law which states that butter with too much 
moisture is classed as “adulterated.” This law was 
made necessary to protect the public against certain 
large butter makers who were making fortunes by 
working in all the water their butter could be made 
to hold. A Federal law operates in interstate com¬ 
merce—that is, where an article passes from one State 
into another. There is no such butter law in New 
York State, and in any event no action could be 
taken when the butter is sold in its original package. 
We can assure our readers that if they continue to 
follow their usual methods of making good dairy 
butter they need have no fear. Go on in the usual 
way. Your butter is not “adulterated.” 
* 
During the year we have many questions about in¬ 
vestments in the so-called unit system of planting 
orchards. There are several different methods, but 
the general plan is about as follows. An organized 
company offers to plant an orchard of 10 or 15 acres 
and care for the trees for 10 years. You are to make 
monthly or yearly payments and at the end of the 10 
years a bearing orchard is to be turned over to you. 
Counting interest these orchards will cost you about 
$11 per acre. As a rule the contract is such that you 
have no personal control over the planting and care 
of the orchard and cannot recall your money if you 
find the scheme unsatisfactory. We find that this 
plan appeals to many city people. The plausible argu¬ 
ment is put up to them that they may retain their 
city jobs, invest their savings and in 10 years have 
a large income for life. That is an attractive bait, 
and it is no wonder that many jump at it. We have 
'THIS RURAL NEW-YORKER 
personal friends who are interested in such schemes, 
but our uniform advice is not to invest in these unit 
plans. The theory is all right, but the practice will 
prove all wrong. If anyone has even tried to argue 
with a friend against investing in mines or other 
wildcat schemes he will know how reasoning is thrown 
away. It is a safe rule to lay down that no man 
should ever buy a piece of property without seeing it. 
This is especially true of an orchard, and we would 
not, under any circumstances, advise a man to pay 
the price of bearing trees to some company that may 
not even own the bare ground. 
* 
We have advocated the passage by the New York 
Legislature of the Collin bill, which would compel 
commission men to open their books and tell shippers 
of farm produce who bought the goods. ‘ Well, the 
Assembly defeated it 58 to 35. There was an hour’s 
debate. The city members opposed the bill, claiming 
that it was a scheme to enable the farmers to sell 
direct, and that it was impossible for the commission 
men to comply. The city men had their own way. 
There are only 13 farmers out of 150 Assemblymen, 
and none who claim to be strong speakers or de¬ 
baters. We must do the work all over again and try 
to do it better. There must be more farmers in the 
next Legislature! 
* 
Japan is sending a new farm product to Europe 
which is likely to change several industries. This is 
the Soy bean. At one German port alone 4823 tons 
were imported in one shipment. The oil from these 
beans is one-third cheaper than linseed and can be 
used for soap making and many other products, in¬ 
cluding food. The bean meal is used for cattle feed¬ 
ing and also mixed with flour for human food. In 
fact, few agricultural products have made such 
changes in both farm and manufacturing industries as 
the Soy bean promises to do in Europe. In this coun¬ 
try a comparatively few farmers have grown the Soy 
bean and found it very useful. It is a great stock 
food and soil improver. 
* 
Not long ago two men met in the Capitol at 
Washington and began to compare notes. One was 
a New England farmer—the other a restaurant 
keeper. The Canadian reciprocity bill was up. The 
farmer opposed it because he felt sure that Canadian 
milk and cream would be largely imported, and thus 
put the local farmers still more under the control of 
city milk contractors. The restaurant man rejoiced 
that the bill seemed likely to pass because it would 
lower prices for his cream. He could charge just 
the same for his ice cream as before, and save 20 per 
cent or more in cost. The farmer could not control 
the price of his milk and cream and must take what 
is offered him. That is just about where the scheme 
for free trade in food products will lead to. 
* 
Several readers ask what the Guernsey Cattle Club 
did about that famous cow case. They passed the 
following resolution: 
Resolved, that the action of Mr. IT. A. C. Taylor, a 
member of this Club, in interfering by process of law 
with the performance by the executive committee of its 
duties and in obtaining an injunction against the officers, 
executive committee and members of this club, in order to 
compel publication of an advance register record for two 
of his cows, constitutes a grave breach of his obligations 
as a member of this club, and that Mr. Taylor be and 
hereby is called upon to apologize to the club and the 
executive committee for his conduct. 
We hope Mr. Taylor will “come back” and do what 
should be done—call off that injunction and leave 
the executive committee of the club free to settle the 
question of Missy’s record. This is the wisest plan 
to adopt. That committee may be trusted to do what 
is right. 
* 
It is reported to us that the famous Bellows milk 
case was decided on appeal against Mr. Bellows. 
This was a law case designed to find out what rights 
a milk farmer has when his milk is rejected in an 
arbitrary manner by inspectors of the New York City 
Board of Health. The court has apparently decided 
that the Board of Health has the right for a reason 
or without a reason to do anything they choose with 
the dairyman’s produce. When we receive the full 
text of the decision we shall discuss it fully. As it 
stands now there is apparently no appeal from the 
Board of Health’s orders. The injustice of such a 
situation is only in line with the way the other “in¬ 
terests” think they can ride over the farmers! Why 
do they think they can safely do such things? Be¬ 
cause they feel convinced that the farmers will growl 
a little but never go so far as to demand their rights 
outside of the two old parties. A letter from Mr. 
Bellows is found on page 657. We want to study 
the opinion before advising about a further appeal. 
We rejoice to see that our readers are still chasing 
up the local papers when occasion demands. Our 
friend D. FI. Ayers, of Tompkins Co., N. Y., re¬ 
cently did a fine job at this cornering and branding. 
The “Ithaca Journal” printed a “smart” editorial on 
reciprocity in which it spoke of “average citizens” 
who knew nothing about the subject. They should 
leave such important matters to Congressmen “with 
accurate knowledge to back their judgment.” Then 
Mr. Ayers came in with the following: 
Speaking of tbe supposed wisdom of our legislators, 
kindly allow me to digress a little. The proposed con¬ 
stitutional amendment providing for popular election of 
United States Senators was defeated in tbe Senate by tbe 
lack of four votes. Both of tbe Senators from this State 
voted in tbe negative. ITad they voted in the affirmative 
tbe result would have been a tie. In that event tbe Vice- 
Fresident also from this State, would have cast the de¬ 
ciding vote. In other words, the amendment with the 
extremely important provision for Federal supervision of 
such elections failed when it was within the power of 
the representatives from New York State to have started 
it on its journey toward becoming a part of the funda¬ 
mental law of the land. And this at a time when no 
doubt a large majority of the voters of the State were 
disgusted with the present method of electing a United 
States Senator. 
Did the “Ithaca Journal” have anything more to 
offer about the great wisdom of New York’s repre¬ 
sentatives? Not a word. What was there to say? 
It was fairly cornered and branded “G” for guff. Such 
men as Mr. Ayers do farmers good service when they 
makes these papers put up or shut up! 
* 
“You er.couragc a class of unreasonable kickers.” 
In the course of the year we receive a good many 
brickbats and some few bouquets. Some of the brick¬ 
bats have sharp edges and are hurled with a strong 
arm. We regard the above sentence as a bouquet—a 
regular lily of the valley. The gentleman who wrote 
it has received more free advertising than anyone else 
we recall at this time. He has things to sell. One 
of our readers sent him an order and had, we think, 
fair cause for complaint. You see most people who 
are fed large quantities of “taffy” and praise get it all 
in the head where it forms an enlargement. The 
gentleman quoted above seems to think he is a law 
unto himself. One who asks a fair question about his 
goods is a “leg-puller” and a “blackmailer,” and “un¬ 
reasonable kicker.” “Lese majesty” is the crime of be¬ 
littling the power or dignity of a ruler! We plead 
guilty of doing our best to train a body of kickers 
who will use their boots with full power whenever 
there is just cause for it. The Supreme Court has 
read “unreasonable” into the Sherman law, and our 
friend seems to assume that every question about his 
goods is an unreasonable kick. We would never en¬ 
courage a man to find fault over small or trivial 
things. Better forget them. When it comes to a 
plain case of injustice or hold-up our advice is to kick 
with all the power you can muster and we will help 
in the job. And we take particular pleasure in help¬ 
ing when some one thinks himself so large that he can 
wave fair criticism away like a quotation from the 
Scriptures: “Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and 
mine offering.’” 
BREVITIES. 
Point out the difference between special privilege and 
“graft!” 
This plan of catching mice and rats with sticky fly 
paper is worth trying. 
Thus far the season is a series of extremes of rain and 
drought—with too much of the latter. 
The Business Hen must work for small wages in China. 
Eggs bring from two to four cents per dozen. 
Yes, sir; you cut out a big job for yourself when you 
try to make a Baldwin orchard bear every year. 
You want to realize all the sides to this Hairy vetch 
proposition. The crop will seed itself so as to be a 
nuisance on a grain farm. 
In Europe even the steam of locomotives is being 
utilized. It is used for heating water in the storage 
tanks so that it is fed hot into the boilers. 
The cutworm bait which we have often mentioned is 
made by using one pound of Paris green to 50 pounds of 
wheat bran, sweetened with molasses. Remember that 
this will kill farm stock as well as cutworms. 
The U. S. Geological Survey among its “origin of 
names” has the following: Chicago; city and river in 
Illinois. The Ojibwa Indian form, she kap-onp, signifies 
“wild onion place,” from a root form implying a “bad 
smell.” 
A few weeks ago a New York reader told how he was 
charged $11 per ton for ground limestone. At the. South¬ 
ern Illinois Penitentiary this limestone is sold at 60 cents 
to one dollar per ton, and the railroads make special 
freight rates. 
Three familiar and superb Narcissi, which gave us 
great satisfaction this Spring, are Emperor, Horsfieldii 
and Sir Watkin, the first a yellow-flowered trumpet, the 
second a bi-color trumpet, and the third a chalice or 
medium crowned sort, golden yellow with darker crown. 
These three are moderate in price, robust and long-lived, 
and can be recommended especially to anyone making a 
start with the Narcissus. 
