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THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER?S PAPER 
A Natloirtil Weekly Journal for Conntry anil Suburban Homes 
Established 1850 
Published weekly by the Rural Publishing Company, 409 Pearl St., New York 
Herbert W. Colungwood, President and Editor. 
Jontc J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wm. F. Dillon, Secretary. Mrs. E. T. Royle, Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union. $2.0 1 . equal to 8s. 6d., or 
marks, or 10*^ francs. Itemit in money order, express 
order, personal check or bank draft. 
Entered at New York Post Office as Second Class Matter. 
Advertising rates CO cents per agate line—7 words. Discount for time orders. 
References required for advertisers unknown to os ; and 
cash must accompany transient orders. 
“A SQUARE DEAL” 
We believe that every advertisement in this paper is backed by a respon- 
Bible 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 a/1 just trifling ditferences 
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 l>e sent to us within one month of the time of 
the transaction, and yon 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. 
* 
The use of lime for agricultural purposes is grow¬ 
ing like a snowball. For some years the State of 
Illinois has employed convicts in crushing limestone 
to be sold at cost. Virginia will now do the same. 
The Legislature has authorized such work and it 
wili begin soon. In New England the best lime de¬ 
posits are being selected and the N. Y., N. H. & H. 
railroad promises to give special freight rates for 
handling lime. This will be one of the best things 
the railroads have ever done for New England 
farmers. 
* 
On board the ill-fated Titanic were noted artists 
and literary men. It seems regrettable that they all 
went down with the ship. Could they have lived what 
pictures of pen or brush they could have put before 
us. How the great commanding world lesson of that 
awful disaster would have haunted and influenced the 
world. Eye witnesses have told their story, but they 
seem to lack the true power of description. If Millet 
could have lived to put the scene upon canvas or 
if W. T. Stead could have been spared to write out 
his experience, that fearful disaster and what it 
teaches would have lived vividly with other great 
events of history. 
* 
As you know, we have tried to put the Presidential 
candidates on record as regards parcels post. Mr. 
Taft, Mr. Wilson and Mr. La Follctte favor one kind 
or another. Mr. Roosevelt does not seem to consider 
it a large issue. Mr. Clark did not reply to our letters, 
but we now have a note written to one of his neigh¬ 
bors. Here it is: 
Answering your letter, I will say that no man at this 
writing can tell what will happen as to the parcels post 
matter. There were lots of bills introduced into the House 
on that subject. There are two general theories: One 
of them is in favor of the rural route parcels post, and 
the other is a universal parcels post. There are petitions 
in favor and petitions against all the bills, and it cannot 
be told just now what will be done, as the thing is all 
mixed up. champ clark. 
If anyone can tell from that where Mr. Clark 
stands we would like his translation. 
* 
Sec. 3. That is shall be the duty of the Director of the 
Bureau of Statistics to collect, by any expeditious method, 
as by telegraph, telephone, mail, or otherwise, compile 
and report to farmers, farmers’ organizations, and societies 
of consumers daily bulletins or telegraphic reports of such 
information and statistics as will enable them to adopt 
plans of marketing that may facilitate the handling of 
farm products at a minimum cost; Provided, That when 
such reports or statistics are requested to be furnished 
by telegraph or telephone, or methods other than the 
United States mail, the person or association making such 
request must deposit the fee for the cost of transmission. 
That is a section from Senate Bill 5294 introduced 
by Senator Smith, of Georgia. This bill appropriates 
$50,000 to establish a bureau of statistics in the Agri¬ 
cultural Department. This bureau is to collect all 
possible information about crops, prices, markets and 
handling of farm produce and distribute such infor¬ 
mation to farmers and consumers, both organized and 
as individuals. As shown above such information is 
to be given by telephone or telegraph as desired. For 
example, with this bureau in operation a farmer with 
a lot of fruit to offer could call up the Department 
and learn prices in different cities knd also how well 
markets are supplied. Naturally such a bureau would 
act to bring producer and consumer together for di¬ 
rect trade if the consumers would organize buying 
clubs. There are two other somewhat similar bills 
before Congress. It looks as if one of them would 
get through. This legislation is the result of the long 
discussion of that 35-cent dollar. Keep up the dis¬ 
cussion harder than ever and we shall have something 
besides legislation! 
* 
The spectacle of a President of the United States 
and the only living ex-President out on the stump 
abusing each other like third-class politicians is a sad 
one for the American people to contemplate. Nothing 
could be worse for the younger voters at this time 
when there is a peculiar unrest in the country. One 
of our correspondents puts it this way: 
“Mr. Roosevelt had to start it in order to attract 
attention and show a red light, and Mr. Taft had to 
reply or be ranked as ‘yellow.’ ” 
No possible good can come from such an undignified 
war of words except it be a demand for a single 
presidential term of six years. As we have stated 
several times, it seems as if the Republican party is 
likely to start on the road which leads to the place 
where the Whigs jumped off before the Civil War. 
* 
A smart man in Rochester, N. Y., advertised to 
“contract” barley growing at $40 per acre. This 
looked good to one of our people, and he wrote for 
the particulars. He got them. Here is the proposi¬ 
tion : 
I have your favor, and contents noted In reply to 
same would say, that I will contract your crop of barley 
at 8f> cents per bushel, for the entire crop, and will fur¬ 
nish the seed for $1.25 per bushel. You will need 20 
bushels of this seed barley for 10 acres. 
It simply amounts to a scheme for selling barley at 
$1.25 and buying back at 85 cents. Our friend is 
strong on both hindsights and foresights, and this is 
what he wrote back: 
I have your letter of March 20, relative to growing 
barley on contract. Allow me to suggest that you should 
consult a nerve specialist without delay. 
The only reply he got was a statement that the 85 
cent offer was withdrawn and only 65 cents would be 
paid. Some of these promoters and contractors will 
have to saw wood for a living yet. 
* 
One of the best friends of parcels post at Wash¬ 
ington is Senator Jonathan Bourne, of Oregon. He 
worked harder for this reform and others than per¬ 
haps any other member of Congress. If ever a man 
deserved the support of Oregon farmers it was Mr. 
Bourne. He did not go home and stump the State 
for a re-election, but put bis record up to the people 
and told them to decide whether they wanted him or 
not. He was beaten—apparently by the commercial 
anti-parcels-post interests of the cities. These were 
active and got out their vote. The farmers seem to 
have failed to vote, and Mr. Bourne was defeated! 
It is discouraging when men will not stand up loyally 
for their friends. The same thing happens with men 
who vote against oleo. By standing for honest butter 
such men antagonize strong and malignant forces 
which never forgive and never sleep. Farmers ought 
to realize this, for they make a fearful mistake when 
they fail to back up their friends to the limit. When¬ 
ever a public man who has stood out in the open for 
what farmers need comes forward for support every 
farmer should rally to his side. 
* 
The R. N.-Y. has some reputation for hanging onto 
a subject when we believe it is right. Now we have 
a new one to stick to. That is the oleo record of the 
Southern Congressmen. There are 25 or more dis¬ 
tricts in the South where dairying is beginning to 
make a good showing. The dairy cow is the best in¬ 
dustrial friend these districts could have. She will 
pay the mortgage and build a better home, and at the 
same time fatten the soil. Yet these districts are mis¬ 
represented by men who favor oleo and would cripple 
the dairy industry by voting to permit the sale of col¬ 
ored oleo as butter. You cannot think of a more 
suicidal policy for such men to follow. They do it 
for two reasons—the old mistaken idea that the South 
should throw away everything except cotton, and the 
fact that Southern dairymen do not stand up for their 
rights. We shall make it our business to see that 
these Congressmen understand the situation. They 
cannot have the excuse of saying that they did not 
know what they were doing when they voted to put 
the best industrial friend the South can have out of 
business. Sell a pound of oleo for 25 cents and the 
Southern farmer may get one cent for the cotton oil 
which the oleo carries. Sell a pound of Southern but¬ 
ter for 30 cents and the Southern dairyman may take 
it all if he will. These one-cent Congressmen must 
be made to understand what they are in Washington 
for. We want particularly to hear from Southern 
dairymen so that these dairy districts may be located. 
May 11, 
Again we urge our friends not to trust important 
matters to a verbal “understanding,” or loose agree¬ 
ment. Have a legal contract made if the transac¬ 
tion involves anything of real value. Day after day 
we have complaints about troubles between people 
who thought they were doing a safe business which 
all understood. When the privilege or property in 
question became valuable there was a misunderstand¬ 
ing, and one party who thought he was safe found he 
had no legal rights to what he considered his own. 
Do not trust to promises or understandings, but make 
a definite and legal contract. 
* 
You certainly are playing a good game in getting these 
expressions of the views and opinions of “our people.” 
You deserve their thanks; you have mine. F. M. p. 
In previous campaigns it has not been possible for 
farmers to give fair expression to their views. They 
have had no medium through which they could speak 
freely. We intend that they shall have such a medium 
this year. It is doubtful if the time has come for 
launching a special farmer’s party, yet there can be no 
argument against the plan of permitting the farmers 
to state just what and who they want. Where can you 
go to find opinions more clearly expressed or more 
sensible and sound in argument than those we are 
printing? Our plan is to be absolutely fair to all and 
merely tell the public just what country people want. 
One man writes that he knows by our attitude that 
we favor Mr. Bryan, another is sure it is Taft, still 
another accuses us of favoring the Socialists, and a 
fourth knows that we live and sleep with Roosevelt! 
That looks as if all were getting the square deal we 
intend giving them. It is now merely a discussion of 
men. When the men are selected and the “principles” 
are laid down, we shall have our say. 
* 
Reports show that much of last year’s seeding to 
clover and grass was ruined during- the past severe 
Winter. Some older meadows have also been injured. 
In spite of the wet Spring, therefore, the prospects 
are for a hay crop under the average. The old crop 
has been well cleaned up, and prospects, as far as can 
be seen now, are for high prices. It will pay to save 
every pound of hay and grow all possible coarse fod¬ 
der for home feeding. This is the season when a 
complete outfit of good haying tools will pay a double 
profit. We have had several dry seasons—the chances 
now are for a wet one. This will make curing diffi¬ 
cult, and we must be prepared to dry the grass, mount 
it upon the wagon and get it to the barn or stack with 
the least cost of labor and time. Grass is “cured” by 
the air and through its own leaves. Cut down two 
trees. From one strip all the leaves—let the other 
retain all its foliage. The former will remain wet and 
soggy, while the leaves on the other will, as they 
wither, draw much of the moisture from the trunk 
and thus cure it. The best way to get the moisture 
out of green clover or grass is to let the leaves suck 
it out, as they will if permitted to remain fresh. When 
hay is spread out so that the leaves quickly dry up 
the sap is much harder to dry out even with good 
weather. Thus hay, and especially clover, will make 
better hay if “cured” in the swath or cock. In such 
cases the leaves remain fresh, and they keep on draw¬ 
ing the moisture from the stems. Some farmers who 
use hay caps can make fine hay even in rainy weather 
by letting the grass dry itself in the cock and having 
such an outfit of machinery that they can hustle it into 
the barn in quick time. Hay is likely to be worth as 
much as grain at retail, and this is the year when 
haying tools may pay for themselves in one season. 
BREVITIES. 
Feed the grass. Hay will be high. 
This wet season gives the drainage men a fresh argu¬ 
ment. 
Cremation is growing rapidly in popular favor in 
Switzerland. There were 7750 cremations last year. 
Now we want all the facts we can get about the danger 
from poisoning when stock eat the grass or hay from 
sprayed orchards. 
That is a good one by Prof. Massey on page G01 about 
the man who wanted to buy “prematures,” or peach trees 
with the “yellows” disease. 
The Utah Experiment Station has started a good thing 
in its Boys’ Potato Clubs. Boys are to grow potatoes for 
a prize. 
A cure for “big head”? Find some small or foolish 
thing which the “big bead” lets out as wisdom, show the 
folly or falsity of it, and rub it in. 
The Agricultural Department has issued an excellent 
bulletin on tlie “Agricultural Possibilities of the Canal 
Zone.” The engineer in charge of the Panama Canal 
is said to advise leaving this zono as a wild jungle. 
The latest in agricultural education is a trip around 
the world which some agricultural students in Uruguay 
are making. The South American republics frankly realize 
that agriculture is to be their chief reliance. They mean 
that their farm teachers shall have all the world can offer. 
