81© 
THE RUT?AL NEW-YORKER 
July 27, 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER 
A National Weekly Journal fop Country and Suburban Homes 
Established isso 
Published weekly by the Rural Publishing Company, 409 Pearl St, New York 
Hkrbkrt W. Colling wood, President and Editor. 
John J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wst. F. Dillon. Secretary. Mrs. K. T. Royle, Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union. #2.04, equal to 8s. Gd., or 
814 marks, or 10)4 francs. Remit in money order, express 
order, personal check or hank draft. 
Entered at New York Post Office as Second Class Matter. 
Advertisi-ig 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 goon 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 adjust trilling differences 
between subscribers and honest, responsible advertisers. Neither will we bo 
responsible for the debts of honest bankrupts sanctioned by the courts. 
Notice or the complaint must he 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. 
* 
Now look out for “free seed’’ circulars. Of course 
you do not plant these seeds now, but the Congress¬ 
man does—or wants to. You will soon get letters 
asking if you do not want some seeds next Spring. 
The object is to get “in touch’’ with you, and put 
you under some little obligation, so the Congressman 
can ask you for your vote. It is a small man who 
would either buy or be bought with “free seeds.” 
Take the letter and write on it that you do not want 
the seeds, and do not want the man if he keeps up 
this seeding. 
* 
No use shooting at dead ducks. We expressed our 
opinion of Senator Lorimer when he seemed safely 
fixed in the Senate. Now that he has been thrown 
out there is just one important thing to be said. Sen¬ 
ators did not do this good job of their own free will 
or desire. It was done by “the folks at home.” The 
people forced those Senators to do their duty. The 
average Senator will not admit, if he can help it, that 
the people have anything to do with him. He repre¬ 
sents the State —a very comfortable state of mind 
for a man who does not believe in popular govern¬ 
ment. It is a great thing when the people reach in 
past the State and shake their Senators. 
* 
A year or two ago a reader asked us about a land 
company doing business in the Southwest. We told 
him frankly that we knew little about this particular 
concern, but it had the earmarks of a fake. Our 
friend came back chiding us for saying such things 
about “honest and agreeable gentlemen.” There was 
nothing to do but let him alone. Now he writes a 
sad story—he has been robbed by land sharks and 
wants to get back to “God's country,” even to work 
as hired man. The hard old hills that he ran from 
so willingly take on a divine character since these 
“agreeable gentlemen” used the teeth which were 
ready behind their smile. There are dozens of agree¬ 
able rascals loaded up with worthless land in Florida 
and elsewhere out gunning for just such people. 
* 
Several bills before Congress call for millions of 
dollars to be used in a new form of farm education. 
We are now to have thousands of “farm experts" go¬ 
ing about from farm to farm studying farm problems 
and telling farmers what to do. This proposition in 
one form or another, seems to have the backing of 
most of our farm educators, but they do not seem to 
think it worth while to consult the farmers them¬ 
selves! As ever the working farmer is expected to 
keep at work and let others try experiments in the 
education of himself and his children. We intend 
to learn if we can what sort of education the farm¬ 
ers themselves prefer. It is strange, but whenever 
a new thing is suggested for a farmer—be it a new 
shirt or a new education—the theory is not to ask 
what he wants, but to tell him what he ought to have! 
* 
During the past few months at least six different 
medicines have been offered us for advertising. They 
were “guaranteed” to cure or control several danger¬ 
ous contagious diseases of live stock. At least two 
of such diseases are pronounced incurable by the best 
authorities. These “guarantees” read well, but upon 
careful study we found that almost impossible condi¬ 
tions were named. We obtained samples of these 
medicines and had them analyzed. One was composed 
chiefly of sugar and quinine. Another, as expected, 
was carbolic acid disguised by fragrant oil, and the 
other mostly turpentine. Not one of these things 
could rank as a “cure,” though each was backed by a 
long string of “testimonials.” We refused to print 
this advertising. Had the advertisers been willing to 
state fairly what they had and what their medicine 
could do if directions were plainly followed no fair 
objection could be made. But that would not answer. 
The object was to make the public think that certain 
remarkable things were “guaranteed” while the pro¬ 
prietors knew there was no legal claim upon them and 
that their medicine had no extra merit. The propri¬ 
etors tell us they have no trouble in selling what they 
want through the farm papers! One of them offers 
the following remarkable “proof”: 
1 have a herd of about 5,000 hogs, and every animal 
that is three months old or older I consider cholera proof, 
and have no hesitancy in offering this class of stock with 
my guarantee as to the correctness of the representation. 
Just read that over and see what there is to it! 
This gentleman is surprised that there should be any 
question about his advertising. This is a year of sur¬ 
prises anyway. We hope to contribute a few more to 
those who think they can advertise any proposition 
so long as they have the price. 
* 
A remarkable feature of the horticultural field 
meeting at Hope Farm was the automobile service. 
The modern car is eating up space and multiplying 
the zone which contributes to such gatherings. Sev¬ 
eral parties drove over 75 miles—able to attend the 
meeting and reach home for bed. A dozen years ago 
about eight miles would have been the limit with 
carriages over the rougher roads. Now, with smooth 
roads and powerful cars, a 50-mile trip is no more 
of a problem than a two-mile walk in other days. 
This ease and speed of traveling has greatly changed 
the character of these meetings and for the better. 
There can be no question about the advantage in 
bringing country people together where they may 
see their fellows and talk with them. In a way the 
motor car is changing country society by making it 
easier for people to assemble and form the habit of 
getting together. 
* 
You remember that two years ago great claims were 
made for lime-sulphur as a substitute for Bordeaux 
mixture. Some went so far as to predict that our 
good old friend Bordeaux would become a “back 
number.” Time tests all things. It is true that for 
many fruit diseases lime-sulphur has superseded Bor¬ 
deaux. With arsenic in some form added the lime- 
sulphur becomes about as near a “cure-all” for tree 
troubles as we have yet found. But what about pota¬ 
toes? That is the question now most commonly 
asked. Wherever potato blight prevails it is impos¬ 
sible to grow a full crop without spraying. Will lime- 
sulphur equal Bordeaux for this treatment? The 
best answer we have found is the report of the N. Y. 
Experiment Station : 
The results indicate plainly that neither lead benzoate 
nor lime-sulphur can be profitably substituted for Bor¬ 
deaux mixture in spraying potatoes. Both lack the stimu¬ 
lative influence possessed by Bordeaux while lime-sulphur 
also dwarfs the plants and lowers the yield. 
We believe that is a fair statement of the case. 
You may if you like call Bordeaux a back number for 
the orchard, but it sits on a front seat in the potato 
field. 
* 
It is further agreed that the rates on express traffic, 
and the rules and regulations applied thereto, established 
by the express company from time to time, shall be subject 
to the approval of the railway company, and that the 
express company shall furnish to the railway company, 
when requested, copies of tariffs in force on the line's of 
the railway company during the term of this agreemnt. it 
being understood that no express rate shall be made which 
shall be less than two and one-quarter times the freight 
tariff rates on such traffic, and that, unless compelled by 
law, no less rate shall be charged on any article carried by 
the express company without the approval of the freight 
traffic department of the railway company first having 
been obtained. 
That is given by the Interstate Commerce Commis¬ 
sion as part of a contract between the Philadelphia & 
Reading R. R. and the U. S. Express Co. The other 
railroads make somewhat similar contracts with the 
express companies—compelling them to charge from 
150 to 200 per cent of the usual freight rate and pay 
back to the railroad about half of their tolls. This 
is printed to show that those contracts give the rail¬ 
roads practical control of express rates. We want 
our readers to realize the size of the job of trying 
to obtain a fair parcels post. Not only the express 
companies but the railroads are opposed to it, for 
such a privilege as the people of England or Germany 
enjoy would compel these robbers to give back some 
of their spoils. Not only do the railroads and the 
express companies work together, but they are tied 
together by stocks and bonds. The directors of the 
Adams Express Co., seven men, own together less 
than one per cent, of the total .stock. No member of 
this directory can be removed without the vote of two- 
thirds of all the stock. One of these directors is also 
a director in 17 different railroads—another is di¬ 
rector in 25 railroad companies. This man is a di¬ 
rector of the C. B. & Q. R. R. and of the Colorado 
Southern. The Adams Express pays to those two 
railroads 5 7 l /z per cent of the business done on these 
lines! The stocks and bonds are so mixed up that the 
directors of express companies turn around and make 
contracts with themselves as railroad directors. This 
thing has gone on for years, but the shame and injury 
of it have been obscured by the shouting over small 
and worn-out issues. It has been as harmless as beat¬ 
ing a tin pan to shout about these other issues, but 
courage of the rarest sort has been required to attack 
the nest of “graft” which the Interstate Commerce 
Commission has revealed. Senator LaFollette, of 
Wisconsin, has been truly consistent in this conflict. 
The R. N.-Y. has seen for years what the fight for 
parcels post would ultimately lead to and the possibil¬ 
ities must now be clear to all. 
* 
When the famous seedless apple scheme was floated 
some years ago the promoters tried a familiar trick to 
obtain respectability. Officers of a number of banks 
were interested and when the “literature” was put 
out the names of these bankers gave a gold backing 
to the crazy scheme! These bankers had no money 
in the enterprise, hut had the stock been sold freely 
they would no doubt have accepted their share of the 
“profits.” When the scheme blew up of course these 
hankers were not responsible. They do things some¬ 
what differently in Germany. Stock in a manufac¬ 
turing company was offered and sold. This company 
failed, but shareholders sued a bank which had made 
a statement about the defunct company. These share¬ 
holders claimed they would not have bought the stock 
had the bank not issued such a statement or lent its 
name to the scheme. The German Supreme Court de¬ 
cided this against the bank and compelled it to pay 
the claim in full. It said: 
If the prospectus, on the strength of which the shares 
or bonds get the privilege of being pushed and quoted on 
the stock sheet of the Bourse, contains statements which 
are incorrect, then the parties from whom the prospectus 
emanated or they that circulated it are liable for the dam¬ 
ages incurred by the persons who purchased the securities 
(stocks and bonds), provided the parties knew of the in¬ 
correctness or might have known such if they had not 
been guilty of negligence. Their liability exists in an equal 
degree when the prospectus is incomplete in consequence 
of omitting to state important facts if this omission has 
been knowingly made with the fraudulent purpose to with¬ 
hold essential matters. 
This is not only “blue sky” but clear water. This 
scheme of lending so-called respectable names as a 
bait for suckers is a crime. Those who do it should 
have the respect wiped off their names and be made 
to pay the damage. 
BREVITIES. 
No filth, no flies. 
Keep the cover crop in mind. 
IIe gets up early and stays up late who makes the 
crooks and fakes walk straight. 
The consumption of meat in Germany last year was 
23 pounds per capita. Yet a German farm laborer expects 
meat three times a day. 
Abe Martin of Indiana wisely observes that “One way 
t’ reduce th’ cost o’ existin’ is t’ stand where you kin 
get a full, unobstructed view o’ th’ scales.” 
Try a little mulching. Cut the weeds and trash along 
the fence row's—or wherever found—and pile around a 
few trees. Watch them and you will become a mulcher. 
Fleabite is a most frequent form of inoculation with 
lubonie plague, which gives another reason, apart from 
comfort and cleanliness, for taking strenuous measures 
against any flea infestation. 
Where “the grasshopper is a burden poison them w'ith 
the “Criddle mixture.” This is made by mixing one pound 
of Paris green with one-half barrel of horse droppings, 
adding one pound of salt if the material is not fresh. 
The Indianapolis News says that Indiana fishermen hook 
carp with the pith of a young cornstalk for bait, fre¬ 
quently landing fish weighing 10 to 15 pounds. The corn 
pith, slipped on a hook, resembles a huge worm, and the 
unintellectual carp takes it readily, though other fish will 
have nothing to do with it. 
The Indiana Experiment Station finds that “large ap¬ 
plications of fertilizers show'ed a lasting effect comparable 
to that of manure.” The old western argument against 
fertilizers wms that they did not last more than one year! 
The villainous striped cucumber beetle is regarded as the 
distributor of cucumber wilt, a bacterial disease that clogs 
and destroys the sap tubes of the leaf and stem. The 
only methods of controlling the wilt are to gather and 
destroy the wilted leaves and plants, and to control the 
beetle. 
According to the newspapers, a motorist near St. Cath¬ 
erines. Out., recently struck a cow, injuring the animal so 
that it had to be killed. Then the motorist paid the 
farmer $75, the price demanded, asked for assistance in 
bleeding the carcass, and sold it to a local botcher for 
$S5. thus proving that careless driving is no proof of lack 
of business ability. 
