fpHE RURAIi NEW-YORKER 
June 29, 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER’S PAPER 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban ITomes 
Established i850 
Published weekly by the Rural Publishing Company, 409 Pearl St., New York 
Herbert W. Collinowood, President and Editor. 
John' J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wm. F. Dillon, Secretary. Mrs. E. T. Hoyle, Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union. S2.04, equal to 8s. 6d., or 
8*4 marks, or 10)4 francs. Remit in money order, express 
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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 
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“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 lie 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 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 mentioned The Rural New-Yorker 
when writing the advertiser. 
TEN WEEKS FOR 10 CENTS. 
In order 1 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. 
* 
J::fferson Co., N. Y., has started a Farm Bureau. 
The whole thing is explained on page 742. As we 
see the New York law now permits the county super¬ 
visors to use public money in organizing such bureaus. 
Oswego Co. has organized a similar association, and 
others are following. Here is a thing for farmers to 
study out. Anything that will make people think out 
the benefit of getting together is worth while. 
* 
I like to see a man come here and make it a success, 
but the saddest sight is some misguided person who has 
perhaps sold a small home in the North and come here 
with great expectations only to find himself stranded with 
not even money enough to get back to home and friends. 
Let no man come here without either a trade or money, 
as all labor is performed by Mexicans and negroes, and 
even the man with a trade may have a mighty hard time 
at first, as I found out by experience. w. l. b. 
That is from our Texas correspondent who gives 
his experience on page 747. It is one of the most 
sensible! bits of advice we have ever read. Of course 
the land liar and the real estate boomer will object 
to it, but if every man who thinks of buying Southern 
land would commit it to memory and live up to it, 
the world would be far better off. 
* 
Long Island farmers have a lime problem different 
from the ordinary. It is admitted that on most Long 
Island soil lime is needed in order to grow good 
clover and Alfalfa. Yet much as those crops are 
needed, the potato crop is the most profitable for Long 
Island farmers. The use of lime may increase the 
potato scab. Thus the good effect upon clover may 
be overcome by the damage to potatoes. The Long 
Island farmers want some plan of using lime which 
will raise clover and not raise scab germs. Ground 
limestone in place of burnt lime is the most promis¬ 
ing solution of the problem. It has been claimed, 
though not yet demonstrated, that the ground lime¬ 
stone will take care of the clover situation, but not 
make the soil so alkaline that potatoes would suffer. 
* 
As we write this the politicians are still fighting for 
advantage at the Chicago convention. Whatever the 
outcome may be we think all who want to be 
fair will agree with us that some sort of a new 
political arrangement is necessary. The Repub¬ 
lican party appears to be hopelessly split into two 
different schools of political thought. We cannot 
see how these two antagonistic elements can be 
harmonized or brought honestly together. It does 
not seem right or wise to us that they should be, for 
the rock upon which they divide is the old question 
of government by the people or by a privileged class. 
Personally we welcome the issue, and hope it will 
be fought out rather than “harmonized.” We doubt 
if either of the old parties is capable of doing what 
the people demand. Too many moral nerves have 
become paralyzed or dead. We have felt for the past 
year that there should be a clean and free new move¬ 
ment—not for any man but for all men. What can 
any man, however clean and honest, do if elected by 
either old party—dominated as they are at present? 
He could merely sit in the White House and talk. Of 
course the Socialists, the Prohibitionists and others 
will say—join our party! They will undoubtedly at¬ 
tract some, but human nature is too strong and a new 
movement is needed to settle the great question—well 
put by one of our readers: 
Whether this country shall govern itself for the com¬ 
mon good, or be governed for such good as may fall to its 
lot after the governing class has been well provided for. 
The endorsing season seems to be opening earlier 
than usual this year. We are asked to endorse various 
gentlemen for public positions. These range from 
Secretary of Agriculture down and are usually for 
appointive offices. Sorry, gentleman, but The R. N.-Y. 
is not in the endorsing business. When the President 
needs a new man for his Cabinet we favor letting him 
make his own choice. If we were head of a depart¬ 
ment and responsible for it we should consider that 
it was our right to select the man we wanted without 
advice or perfwnctory endorsements. We do not 
know anything about some of the men who are after 
these public jobs, and it seems like the height of impu¬ 
dent folly for us to tell public men what they ought 
to do. The “endorsing season” will be a very dull one 
so far as The R. N.-Y is concerned. 
♦ 
THE GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK. 
We want to know your choice for Governor of New 
York. Letters have already begun to come from 
farmers. There is no question about the interest they 
display in public matters. The following is a fair 
sample of the feeling among farmers. This letter is 
from Tioga Co.: 
As to my choice for Governor, would say we have not 
suceedcd in finding our ideal. As you know, it is more or 
less of an accident when a good, fearless and progressive 
man is allowed to get where the public can see him, but 
you may be sure that when the right man makes his 
appearance he will receive the support of the largest part 
of the country people regardless of party. This is a Repub¬ 
lican county by a large majority, but the farmers are in an 
ugly mood. G. w. B. 
Unhappily New York has developed very few men 
of commanding size who can be said to represent agri¬ 
culture fairly. All the money, the time and the special 
education which has been so generously poured out 
during the past 10 years has failed to bring into pub¬ 
lic view even a handful of leaders such as our friend 
from Tioga Co. and thousands more like him have 
been waiting for. We need them, and they can be 
found. They will come to the front as naturally as 
cream rises to the top just as soon as our farmers 
show that they really mean business. The first thing 
should be to suggest a man who represents farming. 
For years we have all voted for men who were put 
forward as lawyers or “business men.” Now we are 
justified in advocating a farmer. We' suggest the fol¬ 
lowing as representing the type of man needed at 
Albany: 
Dr. Liberty H. Bailey, Ithaca. 
Wm. C. Barry, Rochester. 
Prof. Raymond A. Pearson, Albany. 
Wm. Church Osborne, New York. 
F. W. Sessions, Utica. 
W. W. Ware, Batavia. 
With the exception of Dr. Bailey and Prof. Pearson 
we are not sure what party these men belong to, and 
we do not care. They know what farmers need, and 
they would stand for certain fundamental things 
which are necessary to farming, and hence to the 
general welfare. A new type of man is needed in 
New York public life—one who represents something 
beside the ghost of some worn-out issue. Under our 
present conditions that man can only be made possible 
by the great middle class of working New York farm¬ 
ers. We merely suggest half a dozen names of men 
who would represent us honestly and well. There 
are others. Let us have their names, in order that 
farmers may look them over. There are 50,000 farm¬ 
ers in New York who can, if they will, determine the 
next Governor. Personally, we want a man for whom 
we can take off our coat and help make a campaign 
such as the State never saw before. 
* 
We are a little disappointed in our old friend E. W. 
Philo, of the National Poultry Asociation. A man 
who can invent a wonderful poultry system ought to 
be able to invent strong and original language. We 
have just read a letter in which Mr. Philo evidently 
does his best to throw oratorical brickbats at The 
R. N.-Y. This, carries evidence of being a supreme 
effort. Mr. Philo is very careful not to name The 
R. N.-Y., but a blind man can see that he had us in 
his heart. He means well, but the best he can do is 
to call “crooks, blackmailers and liars.” Why, bless 
your heart, Brother Philo, these are commonplace 
names which fall upon us like snowflakes. When you 
talk that way you do not get above hundreds of gold- 
brick gentlemen whose systems have been upset. We 
looked for strong and original language from you, 
and “crook and blackmailer” seems to be the best you 
can do. Well, sir, perhaps we shall find before we 
get done that your “system” is no more original than 
your language. At any rate we are going to find 
out how many American families are being supported 
by six hens in a back yard! 
Here we come again with that annual plea fpr the 
cover crop. Do not let your soil remain bare through 
the Fall and Winter. That is the season during which 
the soluble nitrates are rapidly formed in the soil. 
If there are no living crops to feed upon theffi these 
nitrates will be lost in the drainage water. To lose 
them in this way is just like throwing money into 
the river. If you cannot do more, scatter rye or 
turnips through the corn at the last cultivation, or 
after potatoes are dug. Cover the ground. Do not 
let it remain idle through the Fall. 
* 
So it seems that Western Kansas is to be saved 
by the “underflow.” While the State was burning up 
with crops and stock dying of thirst, an underground 
river was pouring its life-giving water through the 
soil. This water pumped and spread over the surface, 
is to save Western Kansas. On many of our Eastern 
farms the condition is reversed. Much of our richest 
farm land is unproductive in whole or in part be¬ 
cause the water level in the soil is too high. In 
Kansas it may be so low in the soil that only deep- 
rooted crops like Alfalfa can reach it. In New York 
the water level may be so high that Alfalfa cannot 
grow. In one case resort must be had to the pump, 
in the other to drain tile. We read of the magical 
effect of pouring water on the parched sands of the 
desert. They are no more wonderful than some of 
the results obtained from draining swamp land and 
making it fit for cultivation. As a matter of fact 
proper drainage on our smaller Eastern farms is as 
important a great national question as schemes for 
irrigating the Western wastes. 
* 
Your editorial of June 1 on tlie “two blades of grass” 
idea was so fine that I must write my appreciation. Your 
ideas on many subjects are so thoroughly right and so 
genuinely helpfwl to the many against the privileged few 
that I am afraid with every issue of the paper to see signs 
of the influence of the “interests.” Don’t let them bluff 
or buy you, and I am sure the people will become more 
and more appreciative. c. d. b. 
New York. 
If you see any such “signs” let us know at once. 
We have found it hard to convince some people that 
The R. N.-Y. is actually printed for the benefit of its 
subscribers first of all. Now and then a man assumes 
from this that we will support the argument of a sub¬ 
scriber whether he be right or wrong. We have had 
cases where as between subscriber and advertiser the 
latter was clearly right. Yet the subscriber expected us 
to enforce his claim ! We stand for a square deal—not 
for any one-sided proposition. As for this “two blades 
of grass” theory, we have been criticised by scientific 
men and teachers—also by railroad men and middle¬ 
men. The former have an opposite theory to sustain, 
the latter expect to get 65 per cent of the selling price 
of that extra blade of grass. We rather think the 
gentlemen who bluff and buy have a good idea of what 
they will get when they start their “signs.” 
* 
Now we have a letter from a good friend who says 
the present hay market rather upsets our advice about 
the “two blades of grass theory.” Seems to us it 
proves what we have been claiming. If nature had 
permitted two or three blades to grow where one 
grew before you could not give hay away, while the 
cost of getting a ton to market would be about the 
same as now. The high prices have taught farmers to 
save hay and grow hay substitutes as nothing else 
could. We have another friend who writes the fol¬ 
lowing : 
If butter were to go to 50 cents a pound there would 
be a fearful outcry of robbery against farmers. Yet rub¬ 
ber boots at ,$4.50 per pair represent a wider margin be¬ 
tween cost and price than 50-cent butter. Both are neces¬ 
sities and contribute to the high cost of living—yet prac¬ 
tically all the cursing is directed at these things which 
the farmer produces, and in which the smallest share of 
the consumer’s dollar goes to the producer. 
You might well spend a little time thinking that 
over. You notice how the entire force of this de¬ 
mand for cheaper living is aimed at carving down 
the prices of farm products. Anything that will ac¬ 
complish such reduction, be it free trade or double 
production, is advocated. But when it comes to manu¬ 
factured articles, and particularly trust-made goods, 
we hear a very different story. Yet these things are 
proportionately and comparatively higher than food. 
BREVITIES. 
Prof. Hansen, the explorer who searched Siberia for 
hardy varieties of Alfalfa, reports a successful machine 
for planting Alfalfa roots or seedlings. 
At a sale in South Africa pure white ostrich feathers 
sold at .$487 per pound. Here is a chance for some one 
to invent an ostrich “system” and feather his nest. 
Flying machines are stirring up a new point in Eng¬ 
lish law—damage caused to farmers when the machine 
comes down. This “drop” is often made in a grain field 
or barnyard with damage from the machine and the 
crowd. The English courts are rightly charging all such 
damage to the “air man.” 
