July 13, 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE IS V.HI NESS FAMBER’ 8 PAPER 
A National Weekly Journal for Country nnd Suburban lIoraCM 
Established mo 
Published weekly by the Rural !*ubllahinR Company. 109 Pearl St., New York 
nKRDKBT W. Colxjnowood, President and Kdltor. 
John J. 1)1 ijx>», Tre.-isurer ami (icneral Manager. 
Wm F. I>ii.i.on, Secretary. Wits. K. T. Koyi.R, Assoclato Kdltor. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign oountrlea In the Universal Pontal Union, 82.01, cqunl to 8s. 0<1., or 
V/i marks, or 10^ franca. Remit in money order, express 
order, personal check or hank draft. 
Entered at New York Post Office oa Second CDaaa Matter. 
Advertising rates AO cents per agate line—7 words. Discount for time orders. 
References required for advertisers unknown to us ; and 
cosh must accompany transient orders. 
“A SQUARE DEAL” 
Wo believe that every advertisement in tills paper is backed by a respon¬ 
sible pri son. But to make doubly sure we will make good any loi n to paid 
subscribers sustained by trusting any deliberate swindler advertising In our 
columns, and any such swindler will be publicly expoeed. We proU-et mil>- 
BcHbcrs against rogues, but we do not guarantee tondjust trifling diuei'ences 
between subscriber* and honest, responsible advertisers. Neither will wo be 
responsible for the debts of bon.-st bankrupts muictlonod by 
Notloe of the complaint mnst bo sent to u» within one month of the tlmo or 
tlm transaction, and you must have mentioned Tins ltUUAI, N«W-YOKKKlt 
when writing the ndvertlser. 
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. 
* 
There is said to be the largest crop of Alfalfa ever 
known in the section of country around Syracuse and 
Auburn, N. Y. Wherever Alfalfa sets its long roots 
into the soil, prosperity follows. Farm land in central 
New York has more than doubled as the result of 
Alfalfa growing. Why not, since this crop makes a 
new farm beneath the old one and makes the top 
farm doubly productive? 
* 
The Industrial Savings and Loan Co. was largely 
advertised in the magazines and religious papers. 
Several of the latter carried this advertisement the 
very week that this investment company was closed! 
These religious papers are probably responsible for a 
large share of the money sunk in this bank and real 
estate company. Much of it comes from people of 
moderate means, who assumed that the investment 
was safe because these papers advertised it. The as¬ 
sumption is that these religious papers did not know 
what this bank was doing with the money or did not 
care so long as the advertising was paid for. Which 
is it—inexcusable ignorance or cold-blooded business? 
* 
Tasmania is coming into the world’s market with 
fruit for sale. Last year this country of the South 
Seas exported 945,104 bushel cases of apples and 
pears, mostly to the United Kingdom. These fruit 
crops are sure to increase, and new markets are 
being sought in Germany, Denmark and Sweden. 
Thus this Tasmanian fruit will compete with our 
own in the world’s market, and may, later, even find 
a place in this country. There is also a heavy plant¬ 
ing of new American orchards. All these things go 
to make it clear that in order to meet competition 
our fruit growers must learn to pack and sort and 
handle as never before. As more fruit is poured 
into the markets of the world, it is evident that the 
business of selling it must be organized in order to 
meet increased competition. 
. * 
The Native Sons of Minnesota recently erected 
a tablet to the memory of Peter M. Gideon, the 
originator of the Wealthy apple. This monument 
stands on the old Gideon farm. The occasion was 
a memorable one, and many speakers paid just tribute 
to Mr. Gideon’s service to horticulture. The 
Wealthy, named after Mr. Gideon’s wife, was a 
seedling so well adapted to the climate of the North¬ 
west that it revolutionized fruit growing in that sec¬ 
tion. It is still one of the great standard varieties, 
which time with its newer children cannot drive 
from the front. Mr. Gideon was a peculiar and inde¬ 
pendent man. He came close to the door of poverty 
and want, and was poorly compensated for his work. 
Hundreds of so-called statesmen and “great men” of 
his age have already had their names wiped ofT the 
slate of time, hut Gideon’s name will he printed anew 
each year by the Wealthy apple. Some, years ago, 
when Mr. Gideon needed help, we tried to raise a 
fund for him. The suggestion was for all who were 
growing the Wealthy apple to contribute one cent 
for each tree. That would have been easy for the 
individual—but there were millions of the trees iir 
fruit. Only a faithful few responded. That is the 
way such things usually work out. Perhaps it is bet¬ 
ter so—better that men who do the great things for 
the world should go through life unrewarded, to 
leave a sweeter memory behind them. 
T'LIiC HU liAI> NEW-YORKKK 
After a fierce struggle which developed intense hat¬ 
red and passion, the Democratic Convention at Balti¬ 
more nominated Gov. Woodrow Wilson of New Jer¬ 
sey for President and Gov. Thos. R. Marshall of In¬ 
diana for Vice-President. The dominating figure at 
this convention was Wm. J. Bryan. But for his cour- 
-ageous work the nomination of a progressive like Wil¬ 
son would have been impossible—in fact, the conven¬ 
tion would have tied the Democratic party down as a 
conservative, hidebound organization. The best dem¬ 
onstration of all was the power of “the people at 
home.” Mr. Bryan forced a vote early in the conven¬ 
tion, and as soon as it was shown that the conserva¬ 
tive clement was in control thousands of telegrams 
and letters came pouring in ordering the delegates to 
do their duty. This sort of vote did the business- 
some of those delegates did not dare to go home and 
face public opinion after defying it. It was a mighty 
illustration of the power of “the folks at home” to 
control. Mr. Wilson will make a strong candidate- 
lie is an able man, clean and fearless. It will take a 
week or two to straighten out the political tangle of 
three candidates so that an honest progressive can tell 
where his vote will do the most good. Do not be in 
a hurry to decide. Study the situation all out. The 
right course will come to us all in time. 
♦ 
You talk about a fanner for Governor of New 
York! What do you want—a pair of cowhide boots 
at Albany? s. Y. t. 
That is one sneering comment on the proposition 
to nominate some man who is in sympathy with 
farming! We answer that wc do not care what kind 
of boots the Governor may wear. Cowhide would be 
useful in kicking out some of the drones and 
hangers-on, but wc would not object to slippers or 
bare feet in a man who would walk straight. It was 
once pointed out to a young woman that one of her 
lovers was “gentleman” enough to wear patent leather 
shoes. She said she would prefer one “with polish 
at the other end.” The cowhide boot is no longer 
the public badge of the farmer. He can work in 
his hoots, but he knows what to do when he gets out 
among men. Whether he wears boots, shoes or slip¬ 
pers we want a man at Albany who has sympathy 
with farmers and recognizes the power and possibili¬ 
ties of agriculture. We have had lawyers and “busi¬ 
ness men” put into the Slate House to do the special 
work of special interests. Most of these men have 
acted as if they regarded farmers as nice little chil¬ 
dren to be kept good and quiet by handing out little 
pieces of legislative candy. Now it is time this busi¬ 
ness was changed. Wc want a Governor who will not 
discredit or cripple any other legitimate business, but 
will put the true needs of agriculture first of all. 
Every Governor has had some pet object in legisla¬ 
tion. We want one now who puts agriculture ahead. 
With the present fearful mixup in politics there 
never was a better chance to elect such a Governor— 
since all sides wish to obtain the farmer’s vote. The 
first thing to do is to agree upon the man. Again 
we ask— who is your choice? 
* 
We think the Niagara County (N. Y.) Farmers’ 
Club is the strongest organization of its kind in the 
country. The club is 32 years old. Wc have seen 
many clubs start and prosper for a few years. Then 
they seem to stand still and linger along, kept alive 
by the extra work of a few faithful members. The 
Niagara Co. Club is stronger than ever. There arc 
about 500 members, and at the recent June meeting 
they crowded a large country church and remained 
through a hot afternoon. Think what it means for 
such an organization to maintain its power for 32 
years. The boy who attended the first meeting, hold¬ 
ing to his father’s finger, now has grey in his hair! 
A generation has grown up while this club has been 
growing into the social and business life of the com¬ 
munity. This club has done great things for the 
farmers of Western New York. They do not realize 
how much they have gained through this organization, 
because the growth has been as steady and as solid 
as that of a hand. The influence shows in the farms 
' and in the farmers. We doubt if there is another 
agricultural county in the United States with so many 
men and women trained to clear and forcible speak¬ 
ing, or so well qualified to take an active part in pub¬ 
lic meetings. As for fruit growing there are dozens 
of men who have worked up from hired men, or the 
ownership of a few acres to the command of great 
and profitable orchards. Their stories read like a 
romance—they have dug their fortunes out of the 
soil. The Niagara Club has prospered because its 
growth has been made upon a solid foundation. Its 
meetings are held in the local church. They are -al¬ 
ways opened with a heartfelt prayer, and the whole 
spirit of the organization is one of religious sincerity. 
You might lake the constitution of this club into an¬ 
other county, but you would have to take its spirit 
also—and half a dozen of its workers to graft it so it 
would stick. If there could be such a club in each 
one of the rural counties of New York within 10 
years agriculture would dominate the thought and the 
action of the State. 
* 
Let us understand this plan of using Winter rye 
as a nurse crop for Alfalfa outlined by Mr. Jamison 
on page 774. As we all know, young Alfalfa is a 
tender plant. It is less able to hustle with weeds 
and grass than its cousin Red clover. Whenever 
wc have seeded Alfalfa alone in Spring the Summer 
weeds have grown away from and threatened to 
smother it. These can be clipped, but too often the 
Alfalfa gives up the struggle, for much of our 
Eastern soil is not naturally adapted to the crop 
anyway. With us it has been much the same when 
oats or barley arc seeded with the Alfalfa. These 
grains grow very fast, and in a cold, dry season 
the young Alfalfa does not have a chance. For these 
reasons we have usually advised seeding to Alfalfa 
alone in August on well prepared land. Around 
Syracuse and other sections where the soil is natur¬ 
ally adapted to Alfalfa, and also cleaner of weeds, 
Spring seeding is successful. Mr. Jamison has used 
Winter rye in place of oats or barley. Winter rye 
is out of its element as a Spring crop. It made a 
thick, short growth, kept down the weeds, but did 
not grow large enough to hold the Alfalfa back. 
After performing its duty of keeping the weeds 
down, the rye will die while the Alfalfa will then 
be large enough to get past the weeds and make its 
full.growth. That is the plan in outline, and it 
looks right. Spring is the best time for clover seed¬ 
ing, and wc believe Alfalfa will do better seeded in 
Spring if it can get past the weeds and reach fair 
size. 
* 
Nearly every day brings some new scheme for sell¬ 
ing stock in a company formed to grow apples or 
Alfalfa or some other farm product. Nothing could 
be more plausible than the arguments put up for 
these things. It can be proved that some man has 
grown well-to-do at keeping 500 hens or keeping 20 
cows on an Alfalfa farm. Therefore 100 men can 
each put up $1,000 in a stock company and let a few 
directors make 100 times as much as that one man 
did. That is about the way they talk, and when they 
grapple their theory upon a 'man with a little money, 
large “enthusiasm” and no experience, you cannot 
pull him off. When you show that the scheme never 
has worked with farm production these promoters 
are ready for you. They cheerfully admit that former 
schemes may have failed, but they have a new plan 
which is sure to succeed. Few realize what bluffers 
some of these promoters are. They go to Washing¬ 
ton and undertake to tell the Department of Agricul¬ 
ture what to do and say! The thing has got so bad 
that the Department has been forced to take action. 
The best it can do now is to collect all possible in¬ 
formation about these schemes and give the facts to 
those who need them. The Department people know 
that there is no reasonable chance that these stock¬ 
jobbing schemes can pay out, yet, in most cases, the 
promoters cannot be denounced as frauds. Most of 
them are shrewd enough not to make themselves 
liable, though they are evidently liars. The Depart¬ 
ment will give information about these promotion 
schemes, and the poor victims nosing around the 
hook may perhaps swim away when the Government 
advises them. It will take a strong shock to head off 
some of them. 
BREVITIES. 
A standard labor oil elbow grease. 
Georgia college students Invaded the peach growing sec¬ 
tions In force at picking time this year, and made a good 
showing for student labor at about $1-50 a day. 
IF you like largo figures try to remember thnt there arc 
29,566,000 miles of telephone wire lu the world, with 
18,179,000 miles In this country. 
What are the facts about this proposition that barns 
full of new hay are most likely to lie struck by lightning? 
Are they better open or closed? We want all the actual 
observation we can get. / 
Tins British Government, which already owns all that 
country’s telephone and telegraph systems, lias now made 
an agreement with the Marconi Company by which it con¬ 
trols a wireless system girdling the globe. Fortified wire¬ 
less stations of high power will be established In Egypt, 
India, Hong Kong, Australia and South Africa. 
A rati i Kit new scheme for killing insects will bo tried 
In three large Kansas mills. This will he a beating sys¬ 
tem planned to raise the Summer temperature In these 
mills high enough to kill the grain insects. Wo once had 
a proposition for curing people affected with germ diseases. 
It was to pack the patient’s head In lee and raise the tem¬ 
perature of the rest of hla body to over ISO” ! 
