72 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS EAR3IE1VS PAPER 
A. National Weekly Journal for Country anti Suburban Homes 
Established i860 
Published weekly by the Rural Publishing Company, 499 Pearl St., New York 
Herbert W. Collingwood, President and Editor. 
Jon; J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
W*. F. Dillon, Secretary. Mrs. E. T. Royle, Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union. equal to 8s. 6d.. or 
marks, or 1014 franca. 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 to us ; 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 sut»- 
senbers against rogues, but we do not guarantee to adjust trifling differences 
between 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 ns within one month of the time of 
the transaction, and you must have l 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. 
* 
That is a common-sense poultry article by Mr. 
Proctor. No doubt there is a fair chance for some 
farm boy to take one of tbe newer breeds, study his 
birds, and develop superior stock. Having done this 
and made a little reputation at the shows, it remains 
for him to be straight and he will have a clear road 
to fair success. Such things are encouraging, and 
we like to print them. The various “systems” have 
been run until people are tired and shy of them. 
There is still good promise in the poultry business 
along conservative lines, but the fakes have scared 
the business hen out of laying any golden eggs. 
* 
If there are any readers of The R. N.-Y. who have 
orchards and are tempted to give up spraying, we want 
a word with them. Spray that temptation with lime- 
sulphur or anything that will take the life out of it. 
Do not under any circumstances believe that the scale 
is dying out or that other insect pests or disease have 
taken a vacation. They will be right at the same old 
stand. We confess that we were tempted last Winter 
and neglected to spray the entire orchards. We paid 
the penalty in a lot of disgraceful looking fruit. Never 
again! Do not let anyone—including yourself—induce 
you to give up spraying. 
* 
“Farmers’ Week” is now a regular institution at 
most of the agricultural colleges. It is a good insti¬ 
tution, too. Some farmers of middle age seem to go 
the rounds, visiting several colleges during*the Win¬ 
ter and thus hearing a wide variety of lectures. The 
“week” brings out some strange contrasts, too. At 
New Jersey, for example, we understand that among 
the students was a banker, a teacher who is also a 
preacher and with them a stevedore. This man helped 
load a big ship in the city and then gave himself a 
Christmas present of “farmers’ week.” All these men 
.have their eye on a farm—for profit or for home. 
They got sound “back-to-the-land” ideas in New Jer¬ 
sey. 
* 
We have been asked by several readers to tell how 
practical fruit growers boil the lime-sulphur mixture. 
Several people have given their methods and more 
will follow. While it is possible to boil the mixture 
with home appliances it is not always most economical 
to do so. Several of the commercial brands are stan¬ 
dard and well made and it must be admitted that the 
job of boiling is not an agreeable one. Our policy is 
to put the facts fairly before our people. We want 
to save them money and worry in this important mat¬ 
ter of spraying, and we cannot take the position that 
all of them should try to make the mixture at home. 
This, like the theory of home-mixing fertilizers, works 
out perfectly with some, yet is abandoned by many. 
* 
Dr. Theron Aikin represents the Twenty-fifth Dis¬ 
trict of New York—embracing Fulton, Hamilton, 
Montgomery, Warren and Saratoga Counties. Dr. 
Aikin was elected as an independent and will come 
up for re-election this year. He is pledged to support 
parcels post, and seems to be one of the few Con¬ 
gressmen who is really working for it. He will also 
stand for honest butter as against oleo. We under¬ 
stand that the old political bosses promise to spend 
money freely this Fall to defeat Dr. Aikin. They ex¬ 
pect to trot out an old political war horse, and have 
ordered that Dr. Aikin be shelved if it costs a fortune 
lo put him away. We hope that Dr. Aikin will give 
them a battle that will make them spend their money 
to the full amount and then keep them at home. Now 
is the time to get ready for them. 
THE RURAL NEW-VORKER 
Last year when the Collin bill was before the Leg¬ 
islature, and this year when efforts are being made to 
frame a fair commission sales bill we are told that 
the law already covers this point. Let us see! Refer¬ 
ence is no doubt made to the following New York 
law: 
General Business Law. Chap. 25. Laws 1009. Sect. 
397. Sale of Agricultural products on commission. Any 
person doing business in this State as a commission mer¬ 
chant, or who receives from any person of this State agri¬ 
cultural products or farm produce raised in this State to 
sell on commission, shall, immediately on the receipt of 
such goods, send to the consignor a statement in writing, 
showing what property has been received. When any 
such person or commission merchant shall have sold 
twenty-five per centum of such property received by him, 
he shall, when requested, immediately render a true state¬ 
ment to the consignor, showing what portion of such con¬ 
signment has been sold and the price received therefor. 
One would think that a 10-year-old child would see 
how feeble that is. Where is there any provision for 
enforcing it? Supposing it to be enforced, what good 
would it do a shipper? There are a dozen methods 
for getting around any such childish “control” of com¬ 
mission men. They could “sell” the goods to them¬ 
selves or to a “dummy” and keep inside such a law. 
They should be made to give a bond and be prepared 
to show who bought the goods and what was paid for 
them. The hanker who takes $50 of your cash must 
do that—why not the man who takes $50 worth of 
your apples or butter? A new commission house bill 
is being prepared. It will be introduced at Albany and 
pushed hard. 
* 
That egg-laying contest at the Connecticut Agricul¬ 
tural College is doing more than permitting a com¬ 
parison of breeds. The results may have some little 
effect upon the history of New England. During the 
past few years the poultry industry has gained rapidly 
in that section. It makes a fine companion for fruit 
growing—especially orcharding. People who go from 
New' York to Connecticut have been surprised to find 
comparatively few Leghorn hens. The heavier and 
slower American breeds, like the Wyandottes and 
“Reds,” are in great majority, because they were 
thought to be better suited to the New England cli¬ 
mate and conditions. These heavier breeds are sup¬ 
posed to be nearer “frost-proof”—a needed condition 
for Winter laying. But in this poultry contest the 
Leghorns have thus far “laid all around” the other 
breeds, and at a season when this big-combed breed is 
supposed to run dry. This has been done in open- 
front houses with self-feeding very largely—just the 
conditions which the Yankees thought w'ould make 
frost-proof hens necessary. Of course this contest is 
not over, and those other breeds will come to the front 
yet, but without question the Leghorn hen has given 
them a surprise party. This little white-clad bunch of 
nerves will help change New England history. The 
future of this northeast corner of our country will be 
determined largely by its food supply—w'hether growm 
at home or imported. The volume of this food history 
will be bound in feathers, and this poultry contest will 
have much to do with settling the style of binding. 
* 
On page 70 is the story of a Pennsylvania man who 
moves from home to stay with the education of his 
children. A New York man intends to enter college 
with his son and take the course along with him. Now 
comes a West Virginia farmer who with his wife goes 
to the college town with five children who are to be 
educated. Now let us think what this all means. 
Those men realize that their children are all they have 
which can really touch the future in any hopeful way. 
Then again they know that solid character will ever 
be the best asset in the child’s life. He may excel in 
learning or he may gain great wealth, but if either 
should be obtained through the sacrifice of solid Chris¬ 
tian character these men could never be quite 
proud of their boys and girls. And these men knew 
well that the influences at many of our large schools 
and colleges are well calculated to weaken character 
and lead a country boy astray. The country home is 
the place for the child to acquire strong moral char¬ 
acter and clean habits, for in such a home his parents 
can control the influences which surround the child. 
So these men will carry the home to the college right 
along with the child. These three cases have come to 
us all at once. No doubt there are many others, and 
who will say it is not a fine thing for a farmer of 
moderate means? We can imagine this man of mid¬ 
dle years in the class-room with his boy, going over 
the studies with him and entering into the best part 
of student life. The father’s rich experience will be 
poured out for the boy, and as long as they live they 
will be companions and friends in the best sense. 
Here then is something to think about, you farmers 
who have made a fair competence and have hopes for 
your children. You have no doubt often said that 
education would help the hoy if it could only be graft¬ 
ed in his mind to your experience. 
January 20. 
‘‘How many countries have been ruined by. parcels 
post ?” 
That question is asked by a Florida reader. What 
could induce an intelligent man to ask such a ques¬ 
tion? He has received a letter from the “American 
League of Associations” in which he is told: 
Parcels post is a live, vital issue. Within this proposed 
legislation lurks a serious menace to every village, small 
town and city in the United States. It is generally con¬ 
ceded that such a law will reverse the entire commercial 
system, wipe out many small towns, and put thousands 
of retail merchants out of business. The diversion of the 
business of those centers of trade must of necessity drive 
employees and principals elsewhere. Then capital will he 
withdrawn, and banks, churches, and schools will corre¬ 
spondingly suffer. Property values in and around these 
centers of trade will decrease. Even the farmer in whose 
name and for whose benefit this legislation is proposed will 
be injured rather than benefited. 
In answer to his question we may state positively 
that in every country where parcels post has been 
fairly established country people and country towns 
have prospered. In these parcels post countries the 
great department stores as we know them here are 
hardly known. The country stores make great use of 
parcels post in transporting lighter articles and also 
in selling via free rural delivery. This service has 
cut down the express companies to fair rates or sent 
their business to the fast freight. Parcels post never 
ruined any country; it has proved a great blessing 
wherever established. Once in operation here and you 
could no more have it given up than you could any 
other part of the mail service. 
* 
There was a man behind the pen that wrote that 
editorial about Congressman Hill of Connecticut on 
page 12. The greatest thing in Washington is not 
the Capitol Building, the Congressional Library or the 
Washington Monument. It is the ease with which Senators 
and Representatives can forget that they are sent there to 
represent the people. In the bottom of their hearts they 
know—every one of them—that parcels post would be a 
boon to the nation. True representatives, honestly striv¬ 
ing for the greatest good to the greatest number, would 
have given- us parcels post 15 or 20 years ago. As for 
Mr. Ilill, if he is rich, his sensitive nature should betake 
itself to some Eden where the wishes of intelligent voters 
are unknown. Or if, like most of humanity, he has to 
work for a living, his actions would seem to indicate abili¬ 
ties not much beyond delivering groceries. 
Pennsylvania. . s. h. madden. 
We want it clearly understood that we have no 
personal grievance against Mr. Hill. We chase this 
matter right up because it started in this form, and 
we have learned that the only way to do anything is 
to hang to the job. We will follow up any other Con¬ 
gressman in the same way if it seems necessary. We 
want it settled beyond dispute that we do not care a 
snap what party a man belongs to when it comes to a 
purely business or moral question. Mr. Madden is 
right in saying that if our Congressmen had really 
represented the people we should have had parcels 
post 20 years ago. It is largely our own fault that 
they have held us from what belongs fo us, for we 
must all realize that we have lacked the nerve to use 
the only weapon that will get through their armor. 
That is a little quartette of letters—V-O-T-E—which 
should sing at the funeral of many a politician. Mr. 
Hill is considered a very able man, an expert on the 
tariff question and influential in Congress. He does 
not own the State of Connecticut, however, and if the 
people of his district want parcels post it is Mr. Hill's 
business to get it for them if he can—or get out of 
-the job. 
BREVITIES. 
Never question the voracity of a Florida land boomer. 
What can we raise to take the place of straw as a bed¬ 
ding crop? 
Reports seem to show that the Ben Davis apple is 
really passing. It is not being planted as formerly. 
There are plenty of times when it pays to “boost”— 
there are others when one should sit square ou the roost. 
Greenhouse spinach is reported from Chicago, this being 
a novelty ; the quality was excellent, and it was sold we!/ 
for 12 cents a pound. 
In 1911 this country produced $96,233,528 worth of 
gold; imported $56,250,000 and exported $40,800,000. The 
hay crop will average at least $750,000,000. 
Read the notes on waste fertilizing materials. There is 
a good note this week about tannery wastes. Thousands 
of dollars worth of plant food may be lost in these mate¬ 
rials. In some eases they are had for the asking. 
According to newspaper statistics the casualty list of 
this year’s hunting season in the United States was 100 
killed and 37 injured. Thirty persons killed themselveB 
while hunting, most of them through dragging a gun 
after them. 
What is said to he the largest range of carnation houses 
in the world is the establishment of Poehlmann Bros, near 
Chicago. Their carnation houses placed end to end, would 
extend two miles. This firm has 24 houses full of Ameri¬ 
can Beauty roses, including 72.000 plants, and 39 houses 
of Killarney rose. They have over 1.000.000 square feet of 
glass. 
