1062 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMERS PAPER 
A .national Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes 
Established iSSO 
Published weekly by the Rural Publishing Company, 499 Pearl St., New York 
Herbert W. Colunowood, President and Editor. 
John" J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wm. F. Dillon. Secretary. Mrs. E. T. Royer, Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.04, equal to 8s. 6d., or 
8>4 marks, or I0}£ franca Remit in money order, express 
order, personal check or hank 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 tons ; and 
cash must accompany transient orders. 
“A SQUARE DEAL” 
We belfcve that everv 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 trifling differences 
between subscribers and honest, responsible advertisers. Neither will we bo 
responsible for the debt? of honest bankrupts sanctioned by the courts. 
Notice of the complaint must lie 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. 
There have been a number of requests for advice 
about trapping game or fur animals. This is a popu¬ 
lar Winter business for many farm boys. We have 
arranged with an experienced trapper to tell how he 
does it, and the articles will begin at once. 
* 
It is amusing to see the old political parties in New 
York State come marching up with “reform” propo¬ 
sitions. The need of such reform is no greater now 
than at any time during the past 12 years, yet these 
old parties made no serious move to give the people 
what was needed. They now see that the new party 
and the nomination of Mr. Straus for Governor 
means the real thing at last—and they proceed to get 
busy. A boy or a man may perhaps put on a smiling 
mask when they walk up to take their medicine, but 
they do not fool those who hold the bottle and spoon. 
The new party has proved its right to live already 
by the effect its first convention has had upon the old 
politicians. Are the people prepared to trust these 
reforms to the bosses who have played with them be¬ 
fore? We read in the Scriptures "Neither do men 
put new wine into old bottles! >> 
* 
Three weeks ago, on page 946, we gave the state¬ 
ment of an outrageous case under the New York con¬ 
servation laws. By the way, that word “conserva¬ 
tion” is being stretched like a rubber blanket to cover 
a multitude of graft and folly. In the case noted a 
farmer was fined $25 for catching and holding for 
a few days two otters which, we believe, had been 
killing poultry. Since that publication we have re¬ 
ports of many similar cases. We believe the present 
system of enforcing the game laws is unjust and 
arbitrary. The time has come for farmers to make a 
battle for their rights. No time like the present for 
beginning. The most effective way to proceed iS 
suggested in the following: 
In. my mind the farmers should, one and all, combine 
and “post” all their land, every farmer, large and small, 
so that no chance is left open for the “sport” to hunt 
except upon the public domain. This is relatively so 
small and inaccessible tha* the sports would be put out 
of business both to hunt and fish, for the virgin forest 
is not good hunting gr and for birds and other small 
game. It is natural fr them to live in smaller covers 
of semi-cultivated field.'-, or near to such lands. Hence 
farmers’ swamp and woodlands make the best bunting 
ground. Post every farm and stream, and then enforce 
the posting, and in a very short time you will make the 
sport come to time and ask for terms. 
Here we have a chance to get together on a good 
issue. Will any New York farmers who-feel that 
they have been unjustly treated under these game 
laws write us at once and give the facts? 
■v 
* 
“Will it pay me to use raw ground phosphate 
rock?” That question ranks with half a dozen which 
cannot be put down. There is no question but that 
a pound of phosphoric acid in “floats” or ground rock 
costs about half as much as a pound in acid phos¬ 
phate. It is a very popular thing to tell a farmer that 
he may be his own manufacturer and make soluble 
phosphates in the barnyard. The plan is to buy the 
raw ground rock and mix it with the manure. The 
chemical actions in the manure pile are to work on 
this phosphate rock and make it available. This 
would save the cost of using the expensive acid 
needed to make acid phosphate, and this is a popular 
theory. But is it sound? At the Rhode Island Ex¬ 
periment Station “floats” were mixed with cow ma¬ 
nure and kept mixed for nine months under such 
.conditions that had there been any of this chemical 
action it would have been carried on. After elaborate 
experiments with growing crops the following con¬ 
clusion was reached: “The experiment indicates that, 
practically, no increase in the amount of available 
phosphorus results from mixing fresh cow dung and 
floats together for a number of months before apply¬ 
ing them to the land.” The same results have, wq 
believe, been reached elsewhere. Yet it is unques- 
THE HURAb NEW-YORKER 
tionably true that in Ohio, Illinois and some other 
sections farmers claim to have obtained good results 
from the use of “floats.” These results seem to be 
limited to grain, grass and clover, and to situations 
where manure or lime are used, or where a heavy sod 
is plowed under. The “floats” will not taker the place 
of acid phosphate on our Eastern farms. There are 
no doubt cases where the natural supply of phosphoric 
acid is very low, so that the continued use of the 
floats will help. It is quite likely, however, that the 
success from their use is partly due to some power 
they possess of holding ammonia in the manure. 
* 
In the State of Florida farmers are able to obtain a 
free analysis of fertilizing materials. The work is 
done by the State chemist. The farmer selects a 
fair sample, sends it to headquarters and the work is 
done. In Florida the law does not require the State 
chemist to do this work. It was done because the 
law did not prohibit it. The authorities saw the need 
of such work. Efforts are made to tell farmers some¬ 
thing about the chemistry of fertilizing. He becomes 
interested in the study of plant food, for he is told 
to be exact and use only what his soil requires. He 
cannot do that, nor can he profit by the instructions, 
unless he knows what his manure, ashes, muck, etc., 
contain. He may have a chance to buy wastes which 
contain plant food but how can he buy to advantage 
unless he has a fair analysis? The Florida chemists 
saw this point and will analyze such materials free 
of charge. Why not? Such work is done free for 
the fertilizer company. Why not for the farmer? 
During the year we receive 100 or more samples of 
soils, muck, ashes or other materials from farmers. 
They have either a chance to buy this matter or else 
have a deposit on their farms. To guess at its value 
would be like walking to the barn, with their eyes shut. 
Yet a private analysis would cost about $20, while the 
experiment station reports that it cannot do the work. 
Our proposition is that the ability to obtain a fair 
analysis of fertilizing materials is a definite part of 
a farmer’s scientific education. If Florida can do 
this work why not others? 
* 
Most of our readers remember the terrible struggle 
over the famous Jersey cattle case. We became con¬ 
vinced that a number of Jersey cows had been 'falsely 
and fraudulently registered. The papers did not lit 
the cows! We fought this fraud as best we could— 
alone except for the aid of our readers. The battle 
was made against great odds, but at last the American 
Jersey Cattle Club decided to investigate. It was 
difficult to find a man large enough and strong enough 
to do the work. The case involved strong politicians 
and powerful influences were invoked to keep it cov¬ 
ered. The club finally selected Mr. Fred B. Keeney 
of Warsaw, N. Y., to conduct the investigations, and 
it proved a most admirable choice. Unmoved by 
criticism or political influence Mr. Keeney did his 
work with rare judgment and courage. He did tha 
work of a strong man, did it well, and earned the 
gratitude of every honest breeder in this country. 
We thought then and we still think that Mr. Keeney 
proved himself the right type of man to stand squarely 
for honesty and the common rights of farmers. It 
is a great pleasure to realize that opportunity has 
come for putting him in a larger position of useful¬ 
ness. Mr. Keeney has been nominated for the State 
Senate in the 44th New York District. This includes 
Allegany, Wyoming and Genesee counties. The R. 
N.-Y.’s public policy is well known. We are for men 
tried and true—regardless of their party connections 
—and Fred B. Keeney has proved himself a strong 
man and a trusted friend of the farmer. There are 
a whole lot of “papers” at Albany that do not fit the 
people. We want Senator Keeney to make them fit, 
or fight them as he did in that celebrated cow case. 
* 
The new postal law contains the following: 
All editorial or other reading matter published in any 
such newspaper, magazine or periodical for the publica¬ 
tion of which money or other valuable consideration is 
paid, accepted, or promised shall be plainly mar'kod 
“advertisement.” Any editor or publisher printing edi¬ 
torial or other reading matter for which compensation is 
paid, accepted, or promised without so marking the same, 
shall upon conviction in any court having jurisdiction, 
be fined not less than fifty dollars ($50) nor more than 
five hundred dollars ($500). (Act of August 24, 1912.) 
We notice some of the newspapers are making 
violent efforts to prove that this regulation is uncon¬ 
stitutional and very unjust. We leave such discussion 
to those who think it worth while. We welcome 
this separation of the sheep from the goats. It is 
what we have advocated and practiced for years, until 
it is well known that no man can buy a concealed 
adverisement in The R. N.-Y. for $1,000,000 per line. 
Why should there be any objection to such regula¬ 
tion? Suppose a man gains your confidence until he 
believes every word you say. Then some one sends 
- October 12, 
you a shrewd and very plausible article advocating 
the use of certain goods or arguing for certain candi¬ 
dates or parties. You print it as if it were your own 
opinion, and the people whose confidence you have 
gained believe it is your personal advice. You have 
worked off a moral counterfeit, the same as if you 
tried to pass counterfeit money. The more your 
people think of you the higher the denomination of 
the damage you have done! If this logic is wrong 
tell us where you break through it. 
* 
It is a matter for congratulation that the banking 
interests of the country are gradually awakening to the 
fact that a better system of agricultural credit In this 
country would be helpful in solving the banking and 
currency problems as well as the economic problem of 
agricultural betterment. The bankers should be the allies, 
instead of the opponents, of the farmers of the United 
States in developing a system of agricultural credit com¬ 
mensurate with our needs.—Michigan Farmer. 
That is a fine large mouthful of words. We have 
seen the same thing with variation in hundreds of 
papers. There seems to be a concerted effort to push 
the “banking interests” ahead whenever there is any 
financial proposition on hand. We are not bursting 
with these congratulations yet. We have seen several 
efforts to improve the financial conditions of farmers 
and workmen captured by these hanking interests al¬ 
ready. The postal hanks afford an illustration. The 
bankers showed little interest in agricultural credits 
until the farmers themselves created a demand which 
has forced itself into all the political platforms. The 
financial -interests see that some form of improved 
farm credit must be given, and they are “awakening” 
to the business of obtaining control of any proposi¬ 
tion for loaning money. We agree that the bankers 
should be the allies of the farmers, but the chief ob¬ 
ject of the alliance is to help farmers and not to give 
the hankers a larger slice of public interest charges. 
Any system of agricultural credits to be of any great 
value to farmers must be free of the red tape and 
heavy charges which bankers would like to saddle 
upon it. The farmers want a chance to sell their 
credit on terms which are as fair as those given to 
other business men. Next week the essentials of such 
a credit will be outlined. 
* —■ 
If the Prohibitionists would make more of their in¬ 
dustrial argument they would go faster along the 
road. John S. Dawson, Attorney General of Kansas, 
is quoted as saying that the consumption of liquor 
in Kansas averaged $1.48 per head, while over the 
line in Missouri the figure is $24. Mr. Dawson says 
further: 
Almost a third of the entire population is enrolled in 
house or private schools. Illiteracy has been reduced 
from 49 per cent to less than two per cent, and that 
trifling amount is almost entirely among the foi’eign 
element. 
With 105 counties in the State, 87 of them have no 
insane; 54 have no feeble-minded; 90 have no inebriates, 
and the few we do have come from the Cities which defied 
the law to the, very last. Thirty-eight county poor farms 
have no inmates. There is only one pauper to every 3,000 
population. In July, 1911, 53 county jails were empty, G5, 
counties had no prisoners serving sentences. Some coun¬ 
ties have not called a jury to try a criminal case in 10 
years, and a grand jury is so uncommon that half of our 
people wouldn't know what it is. in my home county in 
Western Kansas there has been hut one grand jury, and 
that was 25 years ago. 
There are far greater possibilities in that argument 
than in the tariff or reciprocity. The trouble is that 
to apply such an argument practically several million 
people would be forced to stop drinking or give up 
what they call “personal liberty.” Such a connection 
with liberty always did seem to us absurd. The rail¬ 
roads and large manufacturers enforce prohibition 
among their employees. They are forced to do it. 
The United States Government will hereafter “dock” 
soldiers of the regular army for time lost through 
drinking. A good question for the “interests” and tl:e 
government to answer would be this: “If rum is a 
menace to your business when used directly, why is it 
not a menace when used indirectly?” 
BREVITIES. 
You cannot separate self respect from self help. 
Anything that can and will kill a rat deserves a pre¬ 
mium. The rat is one of the worst wastes now on earth. 
Among other farm institutions the agricultural college 
seems to he “booming.” There are over 1,000 students in 
Ohio and about 2,700 in Kansas! 
Why not go to extracting the metal palladium? It is 
worth over $50 per ounce and only 2,390 ounces were 
produced in this country last year. 
This is the season when the annual crop of questions 
about muck or peat begin. The first thing to remember 
about muck is that it is sour. It must be sweetened in 
a compost with lime. Then remember that it lacks potash 
and phosphoric acid. 
A Russian scientist predicts that a variety of nitro¬ 
genous foods will in future be made from air, and pre¬ 
dicts that chemists will be able to make eggs in the 
laboratory, with the atmosphere for a nitrogen base. 
This is not surprising, when we consider how many 
experts already offer poultry supplies with a hot air basis. 
