1142 
THE RURAb NEW-YORKER 
November f), 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER 
A national Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Ilomes 
Established isso 
Published weekly by the Rural Publishing Company, 409 Pearl St., New York 
Herbert W. Colmegwood, President and Editor. 
John J. Dh,lon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wm. F. Dillon. Secretary. Mbs. E. T. Hoyle, Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.04. equal to 8s. 6d., or 
&A marks, or 10X 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 tons ; and 
cash must accompany transient orders. 
“A SQUARE DEAL” 
We believe that every advertisement in this paper is backed by a respon¬ 
sible person. Rut 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 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 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 yon must have mentioned r IfiB Rural New-Yorker 
when writing the advertiser. 
We mean business on this matter of protecting 
farm property from “sports” and pot hunters. These 
characters do no end of damage as they roam over 
our fields. First thing in a legal way is to prove this 
damage. We ask our readers to send us any reports 
they can find of such things. Let us have experience 
that you know about or clippings from local papers. 
We want all the evidence possible, for there is a big 
battle coming. 
* 
A study of the millions of words in these farm 
stories leaves us in a quandary. Over 60 stories were 
submitted, and of these six or seven show considera¬ 
ble power and interest. Yet there is not one which 
seems quite suitable. Some deal with sections of the 
country which are unfamiliar to the great majority 
of our readers. Others discuss local problems which 
would be practically unknown in sections 100 miles 
away. Still others take up questions which, while 
true and strong, are we think, too radical to be dis¬ 
cussed in the book we wish to give our readers. 
Frankly we are obliged to state after spending a vast 
amount of time and study that there is not one of 
these stories which can be called exactly “suitable” 
for our purpose. 
* 
We hear of all sorts of contests being organized to 
attract and entertain young people at farm meetings. 
Most of them are good and useful, but no one seems 
to have thought of the following: Offer substantial 
prizes of $25, more or less, to young women and girls 
who will make the best apple pie at a horticultural 
meeting. Let these girls have flour, sugar, butter, 
spice and apples, the needed tools and a hot oven, and 
then let them alone. Older women who are good 
housekeepers may supervise the contest and a com¬ 
mittee of hungry men may act as judges. The New 
York State fruit growers had a contest in speaking 
between college students which was a success. With 
all respect for these young men, a first-class apple pie 
will heat any speech they can make. So far as we 
know, this suggestion is original with us. What so¬ 
ciety will be first to work it out? Let us give the girls 
a chance. The hand that makes the apple pie will 
save the apple market of the future. 
* 
It sounds unreasonable to assert that the Balkan 
war is affecting the market for violets in New York, 
but this appears to be the fact. Whenever there is 
a glut of violets, immense quantities are sold on the 
streets by Greek peddlers. Originally viewed rather 
contemptuously, the Greek florists are now recognized 
as a helpful outlet for heavy crops; they have their 
own florists’ association, and in addition to the street 
venders, they include owners of attractive stores. The 
trouble in the Balkans is now calling them home; it 
was recently estimated that at least 11,000 Greeks had 
left New York to fight for their country, and this 
has called away many of the regular flower sellers. 
The commission dealers feel their absence, as they 
could he depended on to move the extra stock hur¬ 
ried on by warm sunny days. The poorly clad Greek 
peddler, standing with his tray of violets on a 
crowded New York street, does not look a romantic 
figure; yet, in his country’s need, he throws aside the 
possibilities of the New World, and offers the sacri¬ 
fice of his hard-working life, just as his forbears did 
at Thermopylae. 
* 
Now comes the season when letters pour in from 
people who want to spend a Winter in the South. 
Most of them have an eye on Florida. Some of 
them think they can go to that State, run a farm 
through the Winter, make a nice profit and come 
back in April or May. As a rule these people get 
their ideas from real estate agents who have land 
to sell or rent, and we find it difficult to tell them 
much about the prospects. The fact is that this 
scheme of going to Florida in November to raise a 
crop and come away in May is a crazy project, 
doomed to absolute failure nine times in 10. The 
only way such a plan could be worked would be to 
have some one on the Florida farm for the entire 
year to keep the soil in good condition and see that 
crops are started. Even with that there is a good 
chance of failure seven times in 10. If the people 
who apply to us will take advice they will never 
start for Florida unless they have the price of a 
Winter's hoard and a return ticket tucked away 
somewhere in a safe place. They will never buy or 
rent land until they have been in the State during 
the hot and rainy season, and thus seen Florida at its 
worst. Every year we have an army of wrathy 
gentlemen marching up to accuse of us “knocking 
Florida.” The great majority of them have land for 
sale, and in most cases they could not possibly dis¬ 
pose of it if visitors knew the country thoroughly 
and would use as much judgment as they would 
about buying land in the North. We have no desire 
to “knock” Florida, but when it comes to the land 
sharks who tell their lying fairy tales to sick or 
credulous people, and bait their hooks with the word 
“home,” we regret that we cannot knock them with 
a three-ton trip-hammer. 
* 
Mr. John J. Dillon has just returned from Europe, 
where he spent considerable time studying the agricul¬ 
tural credit system of France, Germany and Switzer¬ 
land. Our readers may well read closely the articles 
which are now appearing as the result of this study. 
For some years now The R. N.-Y. has advocated 
such credits—for a time practically alone. Now all 
are discussing the subject. This is encouraging, for 
it shows that the idea has struck home at last, and 
cannot now be ignored or forgotten. The thing must 
be started right. In order to start it right we must 
first understand just what these European systems 
are, and the peculiar conditions under which they have 
been made successful. Our American conditions are 
different, and must remain so if our farmers are to 
remain what they should be. There are some features 
of the European systems which will serve as a foun¬ 
dation for the work in this country, but the details 
must be fitted to our own farm conditions. We hope 
to suggest a general plan which can he adapted to 
the needs of all classes of farmers. Nothing else will 
be fair or adequate. 
* 
Thousands of children, all the way from toddlers 
up to white-haired men and women, will grieve when 
they learn that John W. Spencer is dead. He was 
“Uncle John” to everyone who has anything of the 
faith and purity of childhood left in his heart. This 
earnest and kindly man did a work in farm educa¬ 
tion which was not confined to New York State— 
but was reflected wherever children live among the 
trees and flowers. We never felt that Uncle John 
Spencer’s work was appreciated as it should have 
been. In the rush and roar of this hustling age men 
are prone to regard only the gigantic forces of 
business or education—which smash a prominent place 
for themselves—as important. We forget the little 
operations—the smaller forces working at the root of 
things which are often just as essential/ “Uncle 
John” did his simple, kindly work among the chil¬ 
dren—did it without parade or flourish and did it 
well. We would like to be one of 10,000 children to 
help raise a monument to “Uncle John.” Let it be 
simple and plain, like the man. On its face let us 
put these words: 
Uncle John Spencer. 
He Loved a Child. 
* 
A law of New York State prohibits the manufac¬ 
ture or sale of “any product colored in imitation of 
butter.” The oleo manufacturers got by this law by 
skillfully combining various fats or products so as 
to give a yellow color without “artificial” coloring. 
In this way they were able to sell large quantities of 
colored oleo, much of it as butter. Most of the 
legal cases brought to test this matter were decided 
in the lower courts against the State and in favor 
of the oleo men. The Appellate Division of the Su¬ 
preme Court lias now decided that this law is consti¬ 
tutional and that the State has the right to prohibit 
the sale and manufacture of colored oleo: 
This prohibition, decides the learned judge writing the 
decision, is but a proper exercise by the Legislature of 
the police power of the State to render difficult, if not 
impossible, the sale of oleomargarine as butter—‘‘for it is 
unfair trade to sell oleomargarine to those who want 
butter and thus cheat them iu the product furnished.” 
Oleomargarine may be manufactured and sold as such 
and those desiring are free to purchase it, but the farmer 
manufacturing pure butter has a legal i*igbt to insist that 
oleomargarine shall not be sold as butter. 
The State of New York is not fighting oleo or any 
other butter substitutes when sold for just what they 
are. The law aims to protect the purchaser who 
desires pure butter from being served with the sub¬ 
stitute. 
I notice in a recent issue inquiries from Massachusetts 
relative to Fall grafting. I should judge from the de¬ 
scriptions that these were the same men who went through 
this section two years ago advocating Fall grafting. I 
had an orchard set for Sutton Beauty, which had just 
come into fruiting and proved to be Ben Davis, so I had 
the orchard Fall grafted, and it turned out a total failure. 
The men did a thriving business here for a few weeks, 
earning as much as $30 iu seven hours. They were to 
return in the Spring and do a large amount of spraying, 
but they have never put in an appearance. 
Massachusetts. s. R. walker. 
It seems that this Fall grafting fake is large enough 
to warrant attention. Some of these fakers claim 
they have a new kind of grafting wax which “gives 
life” to the scion and makes it live over Winter. In 
parts of New England these fellows have made more 
money in a week than many honest farmers make in 
six months. They called at one place and saw a copy 
of The R. N.-Y. “That paper is edited and printed 
by a lot of old ladies,” was their comment. The 
old ladies present their compliments to these gentle¬ 
men. If they will kindly call and have a cup of tea 
we will try to make the visit instructive and useful. 
* 
On page 1134 are two articles on game laws. The 
New Jersey case is a typical one in sections near the 
large towns. Mr. Geo. S. Sitzer, the prosecutor of 
Middlesex Co., refers us to the State game laws 
when asked what protection New Jersey offers a 
farmer. The law clearly outlines trespass' and game 
law violations and gives the penalty. The section 
which most interests Jersey farmers is the following: 
Any person guilty of violating any of the provisions of 
this act may be arrested without warrant by the owner, 
occupant, lessee or licensee, or any officer of the law, taken 
before any of the justices or courts mentioned in this act 
as having jurisdiction. Any person convicted of violating 
the provisions of this act, on failure to pay a fine imposed 
as provided in this act. the said justice or court before 
whom the convicition is had may commit such persons to 
the county jail until such fine is paid. 
In theory nothing could be finer than that. All 
you have to do is to collar the “sport” and drag him 
before a justice. But suppose he refuses to be col¬ 
lared? Imagine a farmer of small size alone at the 
back of his farm without weapons opposed to three 
or four half drunken “sports” with a motor car near 
at hand! He may not require a warrant, but it would 
require great nerve to tackle such a crowd. The only 
way we see is to form a sort of vigilance committee 
among the neighbors, with signals which all will obey 
when needed. A few meetings of that sort would 
advertise that section as a poor place for a “sport.” 
* 
You cannot fail to see the great value of Richard 
Haughton’s article on Alfalfa. It is so simple and 
clear that a child might make use of it. Two years 
ago Mr. Haughton started out to ask questions of 
his soil. Ordinarily you must wait until warm 
weather, when the soil is in a smiling or receptive 
mood, and then lose one season applying lime or 
various fertilizers and figuring out the results. No 
one cares to lose a season, and the cost of such ques¬ 
tioning is more than most of us care to assume. So 
Mr. Haughton, instead of going to the soil, made the 
soil come to him in small wire pots. The theory was 
that these small quantities of soil would fairly repre¬ 
sent entire fields in a sort of toy performance which 
would answer the questions. This proved to be true. 
Seeds planted in these pots and limed or fertilized in 
various ways told the story by their growth. From 
the picture we see what happened. The pots wherein 
lime and inoculated soil was used gave the seed their 
start and growth. As the field results proved, this 
answered the question as well as an acre experiment 
with costly fertilizers and time would have done, for 
by following out the answer made by that pot the 
Alfalfa which we see in the picture was obtained. 
Here then is a chance to introduce useful agricultural 
work in our rural schools. These wire pots can be 
easily and cheaply made. The scholars can collect 
samples of soil from the different farms in the dis¬ 
trict, and under the teacher’s direction plant seeds, 
use lime and chemicals and learn the crop needs of 
every farm or field. Can you think of any more 
interesting work for the scholars this Winter? Mr. 
Haughton deserves great credit for his work and the 
money and time he has spent in obtaining accurate 
records. He is willing to go out to schools and farm¬ 
ers’ gatherings to tell the story fully. 
BREVITIES. 
If your stock is run down it may be your own fault 
Keep them clean, feed them grain, charcoal, >alphur and 
6alt. 
An English apiarist is reported to have produced a race 
of stingless bees, a cross between Cyprian and Italian. 
They are said to be fine workers, with unusual resistance 
to disease. 
The American Association of Tanners, in conference at 
Chicago October 25, predicted another increase in the price 
of shoes unless American farmers produced more cattle, 
and thus produce more hides. 
