760 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes 
Established i 860 
Published weekly by the Rural Publishing Company, 409 Pearl St., New York 
Herbert W. Collingwood, President and Editor. 
John- J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wm. P. Dillon, Secretary. Mrs. E. T. Royle, Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union. $2.M, equal to 8s. 6d., or 
8>£ marks, or 10>£ 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 time orders. 
References required for advertisers unknown tons ; and 
cash must accompany transient orders. 
“A SQUARE DEAL” 
We believe that every advertisement in this paper is backed by a respon¬ 
sible person. But to make doubly sure we will make good 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 
between subscribers and honest, responsible advertisers. Neither will we bo 
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 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. 
* 
Some of our readers are cursed by the cutworms, 
yet think birds are a blessing. The poisoned bait 
will kill many birds if left exposed. It will do little 
good to drill the poisoned bran into the ground. A 
better plan is to put the “bait” under shingles or 
leaves. Bordeaux mixture or tobacco will help to 
repel the cutworms. 
* 
That story of life on a Texas dairy farm will 
make some of our cow men thoughtful. Here is a 
place where the cows are fed on cactus, and milked 
by machinery, where the manure and waste are piped 
away without handling and the men sleep through 
the afternoon! That is possible in southern Texas, 
but let no back-to-the-lander figure to try it in New 
York! This farm diary department is showing us 
what a range of country and work The R. N.-Y. cov¬ 
ers. We do not believe there is a paper published that 
can quite match it in these respects. 
* 
Among the farmers’ organizations in this country 
that are making good is the Louisiana Lespedeza 
Growers’ Association. This organization of southern 
farmers aims to spread the culture of Lespedeza 
striata, or Japan clover. On the old cotton fields of 
Louisiana, where the boll weevil is ruining the cot¬ 
ton, Japan clover is coming in to build up the land 
and give greater profit than cotton ever did. Its 
culture is spreading all over the State. The plant 
is not a new one. Known for years, it was only after 
the boll weevil began its destructive work that farmers 
were driven to it. Thousands of acres are being 
seeded, and it is pronounced superior even to Alfalfa 
for many parts of the South. Such an organization 
can do great things for a State by constantly urging 
a trial of some useful crop. 
* 
In the rush of public events during the past year 
many people seem to have forgotten the “Ballinger 
incident.” Mr. Ballinger was Secretary of the In-> 
terior, and under his direction one of the most valu¬ 
able tracts of coal and mineral land was about to be 
handed over to a corporation. The scheme was ex¬ 
posed by Gifford Pinchot, at that time Chief Forester. 
He showed the crime of permitting the public re¬ 
sources to be handed out in this way. For this act 
he was driven out of office. After a partisan investi¬ 
gation Mr. Ballinger was exonerated, but he finally 
left the Cabinet. Now, the Interior Department has 
endorsed Mr. Pinchot’s position by refusing to let 
this private claim go through. Mr. Pinchot did a 
great service to his country when he stood up and 
exposed this attempt to steal public property. But 
what about President Taft? He held on to Bal¬ 
linger and let him finally go “with deep regret.” The 
public must never forget Ballinger. He represents 
the element of exploiters who would rob the coun¬ 
try of its water, coal, oil and minerals and turn them 
over to monopoly for development. 
THE) RURAL NEW-YORKER 
days! The farmer can do nothing. The commission 
house offers to bring half a dozen men to swear that 
the potatoes were dumped. We do not believe this 
lot went bad, but it would be hard if not impossible 
to make any case against the commission house. Our 
belief is that some lofcs probably were defective and 
the house settled with the men who were most likely 
to make trouble, or who followed their shipments. In 
such cases the distant shipper, especially the smaller 
one, has no show whatever. We have hundreds of 
such cases, many of them worse, every year. That 
is why we favor the principle in the Collin bill which 
the lawyers and dealers in the New York Legisla¬ 
ture defeated. That principle must be made a part 
of the law. It will do us more good than the tariff. 
* 
We understand you to say there are 13 farmers in the 
New York Assembly. Will you give us their names and 
tell where they come from? j. l. w. 
Here are the names taken from the legislative 
manual. These gentlemen give their occupation as 
“farmer.” Some of them we know are genuine 
farmers—others are more in the line of “agricul¬ 
turists.” 
Henry E. H. Brereton.Warren County 
Frank M. Collin.Yates County 
C. W. Cosad.Seneca County 
Benj. F. Gould.Niagara County 
Robt. E. Gregg.Lewis County 
John C. Myers.».Schenectady County 
J. S. Parker.Washington County 
Walter A. Shephardson.Chenango County 
Sam. C. Waring.Ulster County 
Frank A. Waters.Orleans County 
Edw. H. White. Monroe County 
Thomas II. Wilson.Ontario County 
Albert Yeomans..Wayne County 
We have also been asked to print the names of the 
representatives who voted for the Collin bill. Here 
they are with their stated occupations: 
A. S. Beach.Tioga.Pharmacist 
Richard A. Brace.Montgomery .Merchant 
Judson Bridenbecker.Herkimer .Insurance 
Clarence Bryant.Fulton & Hamilton . Treasurer 
Ellsworth J. Cheney.... Cattaraugus.Merchant 
J. M. Collin.Yates .Farmer 
Henry A. Constantine... .Niagara .Lawyer 
C. W. Cosad.Seneca .Farmer 
Kirk B. Delano.Madison .Banker 
Nelson W. Drummond.. .Cayuga .Lawyer 
J. K. Evans.Sullivan .Merchant 
Benj. F. Gould.Niagara .Farmer 
Robt. E. Gregg.Lewis .Farmer 
J. C. Hackett.New York.Real Estate 
HarolB .T. riinman.Albany .Lawyer 
Fred. A. Hoyt.Dutchess .Lawyer 
Wm. T. Keyes.Monroe .Merchant 
Oliver G. LaReau.Erie .Real Estate 
J. W. Manley.Oneida ... 
Chester A. Miller.Otsego .Publisher 
J. Lewis Patrie.Greene .Lawyer 
Randall R. Saunders.. .Columbia .Newspaper 
F. A. Waters.Orleans .Farmer 
John Seely .Steuben .Physician 
Geo. Washburn.Ulster. Manufacturer 
Thomas Shannon.Steuben .Lawyer 
S. C. Waring.Ulster .Farmer 
Fred Sheide .Suffolk .Manufacturer 
John L. Sullivan.Chautauqua.Lawyer 
D. C. Talmadge.Suffolk .Manufacturer 
R. B. Waters.Albany .Newspaper 
C. L. Wheeler.Delaware .Merchant 
T. B. Wilson.Ontario .Farmer 
J. C. Winters, Jr.Livingston .Manufacturer 
Other members of the Legislature voted against 
the bill or were absent. If the representative from 
your county voted against this bill get after him at 
once and find out why. We shall chase this thing 
up until the principle of that Collin hill is made a. 
part of the law and enforced. This thing of regu¬ 
lating commission men is of greater importance to 
farmers than the tariff. 
* 
The National Irrigation Congress is not only ad¬ 
vocating putting water on land, hut also taking water 
away. There are in the country 80,000,000 acres of 
swamp and overflowed land capable of drainage. 
Once drained this land would become very produc¬ 
tive, for the drainings from the hills have been 
for years gathered in these low places. In order to 
make a strong argument in favor of this swamp soil 
a statement is made about Jerry Moore, the South 
Carolina boy, who grew 228 bushels of corn on an 
acre: 
But how did this boy obtain his enormous yield? 
Simply by going into the swamps near his farm and tak¬ 
ing 200 wagon loads of the rich swamp dirt, which he 
scattered over his field the first Winter. This he did 
that Winter merely as a moans of fertilizing his land. 
The second Winter he made up his mind to go after the 
corn raising record, for which a good prize had been 
offered, so he took 300 wagon loads of swamp dirt the 
second winter and put it on his field. 
He also used 45 loads of manure. There is no 
J uiy ao, 
* question about the amount of plant food in swamp 
Last Fall a farmer in New Jersey made a shipment soil or muck, but most of those who imitate Jerry 
of sweet potatoes to a well-known commission house. 
These potatoes came out of a bin of sound stock. A 
basket of them selected at the same time remained 
in a shed six weeks and were firm and solid. This 
shipment was two days on the way. Three days 
later the farmer received notice that the potatoes 
rotted so badly that they were dumped. He was 
ordered to pay about $6.50 “freight and cartage.” It 
is a wonder they did not add commission on this 
amount! The potatoes in the bin were still sound 
and firm—but this fine shipment had “rotted” in five 
Moore and haul 500 loads of this raw muck on an 
acre will fail. Most of such muck is so sour that it 
will do more harm than good until it is well sweet¬ 
ened or fermented. We have seen this tried many 
times. Drainage and lime will fit the swamps for 
almost any crop, hut it is far better practice to com¬ 
post the swamp muck with lime, or mixed with 
manure six months before spreading it on the corn¬ 
field. We do not dispute the facts about Jerry 
Moore, but it is a 10 to one chance that 500 loads 
of sour swamp soil will spoil your acre. 
The Interstate Commerce Commission will now 
investigate the express companies in dead earnest. 
Such investigation was sure to come. The companies 
have acted the part of public robbers so long that 
common public decency demanded a show-down. We 
believe the commission will easily demonstrate what 
has been claimed about extortionate express charges. 
The companies see what is coming, for they have 
filed a set of new rates, which make reductions of 
about 15 per cent. Their charges might well be cut 
in half. On page 682 we printed the proposition of 
Congressman Lewis to buy out the express business 
and turn it over to the Post Office Department. A 
few years ago that proposition would have shocked 
the majority of our people. Now there are thousands 
so disgusted with the cowardly way in which the 
old political parties handle this express monopoly 
that they will favor anything which will get rid of the 
incubus. 
* 
Here we come again to talk “cover crop.” There 
are a few cases where it is best to let the land go 
through Winter bare. The most common one is where 
an old pasture or meadow is Fall-plowed. In that 
case the land is best left in rough furrows. Where 
land is cultivated through the Summer it should have 
some living crop through Fall and Winter. Nitrates 
are rapidly formed after July, and if the ground is 
bare there will be heavy loss until the soil freezes. If 
some hardy crops occupy the land these nitrates will 
be saved. Again, the greatest need of our soil is 
humus or vegetable matter. It is rare that a farm 
makes stable manure enough to supply this humus. 
The greatest loss is likely to occur after corn or 
potatoes, and we would always try to follow them 
with a “cover crop.” With corn this, crop can be 
seeded just before the last cultivation and cultivated 
in. After the corn is cut this crop comes on. With 
potatoes the cover crop can be seeded after digging 
and harrowed in." For some years we have advised 
a combination of Crimson clover and Cow-horn tur¬ 
nip seed. This makes a good Fall growth, but often 
kills out north of Philadelphia. This year we advise 
a trial of rye and Hairy vetch. In any event we would 
sow rye. This tough and hardy grain will grow al¬ 
most anywhere, and provide a large amount of mat¬ 
ter to plow under. It is the poor man’s humus, and 
one of the most valuable crops we know of for re¬ 
storing waste land. 
* 
The Florida Legislature passed a law regulating 
the business of selling pineapples on commission. 
Any commission merchant or broker in Florida who 
receives for sale pineapples in carload lots or less 
must give a return of account sales with cost and 
expenses and name and address of the purchaser 
within 10 days of such sale. Punishment for failure 
to do this is a fine not to exceed $500. In addition 
the Florida commission man who fails to report in 
10 days is liable in damages for any loss which such 
delayed returns cause: 
The loss a shipper or consignor may sustain on cars 
of pineapples consigned to the said person, firm or cor¬ 
poration over what he could have obtained in other market 
or by other agencies, shall be considered a proximate dam¬ 
age from the delayed account sales. The measure of dam¬ 
ages shall be the difference between the prevailing price 
in the general market at time of receipt by consignee and 
the price received for such cars, or less, of pineapples con¬ 
signed to said broker or commission merchant between the 
time the account sales were due and the time received. 
If the commission man does not make his report 
within 10 days after sale the shipper may bring suit 
for the full market price at the time the goods were 
received. All over the country there is a demand 
for regulation of commission sales. There is no more 
important matter for farmers who ship produce. 
This was the principle contained in the Collin hill, 
which was defeated in the New York Legislature. 
Such laws are just and necessary, for shippers are 
robbed again and again. If the States will not pro¬ 
tect the people it will be necessary to pass a strong 
Federal law for supervision of the commission busi¬ 
ness, much like that now given banks. 
BREVITIES. 
“Trackless” trolley cars are appearing in Europe. 
The electric power comes from an overhead wire with a 
flexible connection. The cars do not need a track, but 
turn aside when passing other vehicles. 
We think that many a chick which “dies in the shell” 
is killed by' the germs of white diarrhoea, which de¬ 
velop more rapidly than in other cases. For years we 
have been told that the parents of the egg are respon¬ 
sible for the premature death. This was true, but we 
have not been sure of the cause. 
A Long Island man sued the Commercial Construction 
Co. for damages done 60 trees. This company undertook 
to remove an old schoolhouse, and in doing so cut the trees 
down. The owner demanded $500 damages. On suit the 
jury gave him this amount and the judge tripled it. The 
higher court sustained the judgment. 
