800 
July 20, 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER’S PAPER 
\ National Weekly Journal l’or Country and Suburban Homes 
Established isr,0 
Published weakly by the Rural Publishing Company, 409 Pearl St., New York 
Herbert W. Collingwood, President and Editor. 
Johm J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
IVm. F Dillon, Secretary- Mrs. e - t - Hoyle, Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, §2.04, equal to 8s. Cd., or 
8 y 2 marks, or 10J^ 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 to us ; and 
cash must accompany transient orders. 
“A SQUARE DEAL” 
We believe that every advertisement in this paper is hacked by a respon¬ 
sible person. But to make doubly sure we will make good any loss to paid 
subscribers sustained by tnisting 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 wo bo 
responsible for the debts of honest bankrupts sanctioned by the courts. 
Notice of the complaint must be sent to ns within one mouth of the time of 
the transaction, and you must have mentioned The Rural Aew-Youkkr 
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. 
* 
Mr. John J. Dillon is now in Europe to make a 
special study of farm cooperation and market condi¬ 
tions. These are to be the great questions of the 
future for farmers, and Europe is far ahead of us in 
developing them. As chairman of the New York 
State Committee on Cooperation Mr. Dillon has an 
important work to do. It cannot all be done at once, 
but a fair start is being made. We hope to print 
notes on what Mr. Dillon finds on the other side. 
* 
Many a farm this year has given newer and 
.stronger arguments for tile drainage. The early part 
of the season was wet, with nearly constant rains. Wet 
land could not be worked properly and planting was 
delayed. The drained soil discharged its water and 
was ready for the seed a week or 10 days before the 
other. Then when the drought came the wet soil 
baked hard, while the drained land was left open and 
porous. Thus the tile have helped at both ends— 
through wet and through drought. There should be 
more ditching than ever this Fall. 
* 
That hen contest by Mr. Dougan has started up 
various people who say they would like to match 
their stock for a year’s record. One man will back six 
pedigreed birds, which he calls worth $100—another 
has a good cow worth about the same. The proposi¬ 
tion is to put up $100 of a certain class of stock, feed 
them one year and keep an accurate account of ex¬ 
pense and income. Such a contest would be good if it 
could include all kinds of stock, and if some form of 
fair supervision can be worked out. We shall be 
glad to arrange such a contest if it can be conducted 
on the square and among honorable men who will 
make a straight and clean contest. We would like to 
hear from anyone who is willing to enter $100 worth 
of stock in such a contest and agree to submit to some 
fair method of supervision. 
* 
This past season we have not had quite so much 
complaint about inferior nursery trees as in past years. 
We think our readers are getting wiser about patron¬ 
izing the snides and fakes. Some of these rascals 
still find victims, but on the whole we think their job 
gets harder each year. It is evidently true that con¬ 
scientious nurserymen are taking greater pains with 
their stock. We feel that the buyers should be will¬ 
ing to pay fair prices for superior trees. All through 
the fruit-growing districts we find men who are learn¬ 
ing how to propagate and grow good fruit trees—and 
developing a local trade. By handling only one or 
two varieties they are able to give a strong guarantee, 
and thus they will get a share of the best trade. The 
nurserymen ought to have this trade, for it stands to 
reason that fruit tree growing is a business by itself 
_better done as a profession than as some side issue. 
If, however, the nurserymen will not satisfy their cus¬ 
tomers they cannot expect to hold the more discrim¬ 
inating trade. 
* 
“The German fanners have not, like their American 
prototype, voted with a whoop and a hurrah for a lot 
of politicians who misrepresent them,” 
That is taken from an article on the next page. It 
is of course correct, but let us tell it all. From the 
very nature of their government the German fanners 
have not been able to vote “with a whoop and a hur¬ 
rah.” Under a limited monarchy they are denied 
that privilege—which goes with a Republic. One of 
the fairest criticisms that can be made of a republi¬ 
TH IfC rural NEW-YORKER 
can form of government is that the average voter will 
not exercise his power unless driven to it by some 
unusual appeal. Then he often goes at it blindly 
and in anger and there can be no permanent results. 
We have come this year to one of the ‘‘cleaning up” 
periods in American history. There must be some¬ 
thing besides strong language and spasmodic voting 
for the job will be long and hard. That is why we 
advise our farmers to keep cool and go slow until we 
know just how to strike the hardest blow. Do not 
hurry. All sides need your vote more than you need 
them. There are nearly 120 days before election. Let 
us spend a share of this time in studying the exact 
situation, and then strike! 
* 
Two weeks ago we gave the “plank” in the Republi¬ 
can party platform favoring the principle of credits 
for farmers. The Democrats also took up the matter, 
their “plank” being the following: 
Of equal Importance with the question of currency re¬ 
form is the question of rural credits or agricultural finance. 
Therefore we recommend that an investigation of agricul¬ 
tural credit societies in foreign countries be made, so 
that it may be ascertained whether a system of rural 
credits may he devised suitable to conditions in the United 
States; and we also favor legislation permitting national 
banks to loan a reasonable proportion of their funds on 
real estate security. 
Both parties confine themselves to calling for an in¬ 
vestigation of European methods. If anything the 
Republican statement goes further. The point is that 
both of the old parties at last recognize the right and 
the need of rural credits based on farm property. 
Not only will such a system help farmers directly by 
giving them needed cash capital on easy terms, but it 
will help all people indirectly. By making land and its 
products a solid basis for public credits the govern¬ 
ment will go far to break up the present monopoly of 
credit enjoyed by the financial interests. It will also 
open up new lines of safe and solid investments for 
idle money. The more people borrow or lend on gov¬ 
ernment security the greater will be their patriotism 
and genuine interest in government affairs. 
* 
Canadian reciprocity went up like a rocket and 
came down like a stick. It was discussed at a special 
session of Congress through a long hot season. Both 
parties favored it—the Democrats nearly unanimously 
and the Republicans by a good majority. Yet neither 
party gives it a single word in its platform! It is 
doubtful if history records a recent case where an im¬ 
portant measure, receiving so much attention, was so 
completely dropped out of view! It is, of course, easy 
to say that since Canada rejected reciprocity it has 
become a dead issue. There are, however, some dead 
issues which parties are proud of. This does not seem 
to be one. When the movement for reciprocity started 
in Congress no one seemed to realize the fearful ob¬ 
jection made to it by the farmers who live within 200 
miles of the Canadian border. Both parties now real¬ 
ize it, but neither of them can take any political ad¬ 
vantage—since both favored it. Hence they ignore it. 
It is doubtful if the question will arise again in 20 
years unless the farmers in western Canada can force 
it to the front. Had it not been for the Canadian sys¬ 
tem of “appealing to the people” reciprocity would 
have become a fact. The Canadian Parliament was 
ready to pass the law, hut an election was demanded, 
and this proved that the Parliament did not represent 
the Canadian people accurately. It is a question 
whether a majority of our people would vote for 
reciprocity, hut no great business question of this sort 
should be sprung upon the country and decided with¬ 
out a popular vote! 
* \ 
The State of Kansas has what is called a “blue 
sky” law—very good and effective legislation. Under 
this law no one can offer “securities” for sale until 
the Banking Commissioner has given permission. The 
exceptions are U. S. bonds, Kansas State or municipal 
bonds and mortgages based on Kansas real estate. All 
others must “show” the commissioner that their con¬ 
cerns are solvent and that the bonds or stocks stand 
upon something stronger than wind and promise. 
They are doing great work with this law in Kansas. 
Plundreds of promoters have been driven out, and 
thousands of people have been saved from financial 
loss. There comes along a man with a half title to 
land in Mexico or in some distant State. He proposes 
to grow bananas or rubber or apples or Alfalfa with 
your money—if you will give it to him. It is mighty 
plausible; he has nothing and you have the money, 
and he would like to change with you if you will buy 
his stock. Kansas greets such promoters with a club. 
They cannot find shelter, but must live under the 
“blue sky” or go to some other State. This is fine 
work, and every other State should follow' Kansas. 
Even then the frauds would work—by mail. So long 
as they can get into the mailbag they will rob the peo¬ 
ple. The remedy is a Federal “blue sky” law that will 
shut the get-rich-quick men out of the mails. A big 
government agent should do at Washington what the 
Banking Commissioner of Kansas now does, and never 
permit the sale of securities unless there is actual 
value back of them. No one except those who have 
studied these swindles can realize what a blessing 
such a law would he to poor people, and how it would 
help legitimate business by choking off the wildcats. 
* 
What has become of parcels post? We fear it 
has been lost in the political shuffle. It is the old 
story of a fight between the different factions of an 
army when there should have been solid battle against 
the enemy. Unable to agree upon any bill, the parcels 
post “leaders” seem to have split into three factions. 
Now the political parties have “resolved” as follows. 
First came the Republican party: 
In the interest of the general public and particularly 
of the agricultural or rural communities, we favor legis¬ 
lation looking to the establishment, under proper regula¬ 
tions, of a parcels post, the postal rates to be graduated 
under a zone system in proportion to the length of car¬ 
riage. 
This is one principle of the Bourne bill. As it stands 
at present that hill would practically double the rate 
on all printed matter, and therefore should not be 
passed. A fair application of the zone system of 
charges would do. The Democrats were satisfied with 
the following: 
We favor the establishment of a parcel post or postal 
express and also the extension of the rural delivery system 
as rapidly as practicable. 
We do not see that this means anything at all un¬ 
less it is a half-hearted squint at the proposition for 
buying out the express companies and running the 
business as a branch of the Post Office Department. 
Elsewhere the Democratic platform favors the valua¬ 
tion of all public utilities by the Interstate Commerce 
Commission. But if they mean to back this postal 
express, why not say so openly and stand for it? 
Thus the sad truth is that poor old parcels post has 
become a political football. Neither party will permit 
any bill to pass that would give credit to the other 
side. 
* 
On the next page will be found the statement of a 
progressive voter, which we offer as the basis for a 
fair discussion. We spend no time denouncing the 
events of the late Republican convention. They were 
the legitimate outcome of American political education 
for the past 20 years. Let us be frank, and admit 
that many good citizens and worthy people will con¬ 
done such practice on the theory that all is fair in 
politics. Yet, this election is to be settled by those 
voters who do not believe in such practices, and who 
are willing to stand up and condemn them. Their posi¬ 
tion is fairly stated on the next page. How can they 
strike the most effective blow? Our advice to these 
voters is to stand squarely together and compel the 
various factions to come to them with honest argu¬ 
ment. They will thus hold the balance of power and 
can exert a stronger influence than if they went chas¬ 
ing after one of the candidates too early in the cam¬ 
paign. This is to he a bitter fight, and the supreme 
test will come when the progressives are asked to 
stand up to their profession regardless of party. The 
conservatives are taking out the old, sneering argu¬ 
ment of ridicule. Here is a sentence from the letter 
of a man who says a farm paper has no right to dis¬ 
cuss political matters: 
We have survived grecnbackism, Populism, 16-to-one- 
ism, and I presume we will ultimately survive the present 
craze, Rooseveltism, spectacular vaudeville and tommyrot. 
c. J. 
We have survived them all, and forced the old, hide¬ 
bound politicians to advocate at least a part of the 
truth of these “crazy” theories because time has 
proved they were right. You may call it “tommyrot” 
or dignify it as Thomas Decay, but the American 
people know what they want and will find a way to 
get it. 
BREVITIES. 
The hotter and drier the season—the greater the need 
of Alfalfa. 
Do not let the stock eat wilted foliage of peach or wild 
cherry—poison. 
With a combination of short hay crop and drought the 
thing to do is still plant fodder corn and keep the culti¬ 
vators going. 
The new National flag, displayed from Federal struc¬ 
tures and naval vessels July 4, has 48 stars; Arizona 
and New Mexico are the recently adopted States. 
The American Consul at Valparaiso, Chile, announced 
July 5 that traffic on the Trans-Andean Railway, between 
Valparaiso and Buenos Ayres, was blocked by an unusually 
heavy snowfall. It is not likely that traffic can be re¬ 
sumed before August or September and in the meantime 
mails and passengers from Peru and Chile must go to 
Buenos Ayres via the Straits of Magellan. 
