1136 
The Rural New-Yorker 
* THE BUSINESS FARMER’S PARER 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes 
Established tsso 
Published weekly by the Kurai Publishing Company, 338 West 30th Street, Xew York 
Herbert W. Collingwood, President and Editor. 
John J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wm. F. Dillon, Secretary. Mrs. E. T. Royle, Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union. 02.01. equal to 8s. 6d., or 
8H marks, or 10^ 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. 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 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 dilierences 
between subscribers and honest, responsible advertisers. Neither v ill we be 
responsible for the debts of honest bankrupts sanctioned by the courts. 
Notice or the complaint must lie sent to us within one month ot the time or 
the transaction, and you must have mentioned Tub Rural Nkw-iorker 
when writing the advertiser. 
Can any reader give us a practical combination 
of grains or other feeds that will make a good 
“milk substitute’’ for young calves? We have many 
requests for such a substitute, as the high price of 
cattle makes it appear a great waste to kill the 
young calves. Is there any real “milk substitute,” 
or anything that will partly take the place of milk? 
* 
We are glad to learn that Edward Gillette, of 
Yates County, N. Y., has been renominated as a 
member of the Legislature. Mr. Gillette has served 
two terms with credit. Of course he will go to Al¬ 
bany again—Yates County people know a good thing 
when they get one. Mr. Gillette is the man for 
Chairman of the Assembly Agricultural Committee. 
That committtee has come to mean much to our 
farmers, and it is their business to see that it is filled 
with strong men who know the difference between a 
hoe and a golf club. 
* 
Calvin J. Huson, New York Commissioner of 
Agriculture, has issued a very useful pamphlet on 
agricultural law. This gives the State laws cov¬ 
ering farm products, the commission men’s law and 
many others. In addition there is a good synopsis of 
county and town laws, and the general business law. 
We have during the year hundreds of questions 
about* line fences, strays, dog damage and similar 
tilings. They are all clearly explained in this ex¬ 
cellent pamphlet. It will be sent free upon applica¬ 
tion to the Agricultural Department at Albany. Ask 
for Bulletin No. 51. 
* 
Fob the past five years or more it has seemed 
strange to us that shredded corn fodder has not ap¬ 
peared on the hay and feed market. This fodder has 
proved very satisfactory to us—nearly a full sub¬ 
stitute for hay in horse feeding. Means could be 
found to dry” it so that it could be safely baled, aud 
in these days of high prices such fodder ought to be 
in demand. Yet most of the feed and hay dealers 
say they never saw a bale on the market. In a few 
cases it has been sold for packing and for making 
mattresses. In one reported case a carload sold at 
about $7 per ton, but was found to be partly mil¬ 
dewed. Someone should make a systematic cam¬ 
paign to market this fodder. Here is a good chance 
for some Western experiment station. 
* 
About 1,000 farmers recently organized at 
Kearney, Nebr., to sue the U. S. Government for 
stealing their water. Farmers in that section must 
depend on the “underflow” or underground water 
from the Platte River to raise crops. The Govern¬ 
ment built a dam in Wyoming which holds back 
this water and caused a drought which threatens to 
ruin these farmers. They will present claims 
against the Government and ask Congress to ap¬ 
propriate the money needed to pay. This land was 
bought under a Government patent. While this does 
not personally concern our Eastern farmers they 
might well understand that soil water troubles are 
among the worst that a farmer must face. 
There are many calls for a good trespass notice 
to put up on farms. The New York Conservation 
Commission has a printed notice suitable for parks 
but not for private farms. The following is a good 
form of sign : 
“Trespassing on this property for any purpose is 
forbidden under penalty of the Imv.” owner. 
A dozen of such signs posted on your farm will 
cover your legal rights. The local newspaper and 
printing oflice might well get out these notices and 
supply them to its subscribers and encourage every 
farmer to put them up. Remember, however, that 
merely posting these signs will not keep off the 
sports and strays. You must make an example of 
the first trespasser and carry him to the limit. 
THE HUKA L> NEW-YORKER 
Mr. Sweet’s article on Rhode Island Red poultry 
makes some of our Leghorn friends a little sour. 
It is sometimes hard to understand how this hen 
question will divide the human race. One man 
comes and tells us the article on Reds was exactly 
right. This man says he kept Leghorns, but he 
might as well try to fence in and feed a flock of 
hawks. He wants “a good-natured hen.” Another 
man writes that he discarded the Reds because they 
spent so much time sleeping and brooding. He. 
thinks “good nature” is closely related to laziness, 
and he wants a hen with some “go” in her. We 
conclude that a man’s favorite hen is his unconscious 
expression of his own personality. Without seem¬ 
ing to know it he sticks feathers into his own char¬ 
acter and calls it the best breed. A nervous, high- 
strung man, quick in thought and act, naturally is 
attracted by the Leghorn. A solid, slow-thinking, 
reasoning man would naturally take to the Reds or 
some other of the larger breeds. There may be 
ixception to the rule, but as a general thing a man, 
f free to do so, surrounds himself with the animals 
which have a temperament in harmony with his 
own. Somehow the hen seems to express her own¬ 
er's personality better than any other farm animal. 
You will not find a Leghorn man beating any world’s 
record with a Red hen! 
zt 
A milk war has started at Toronto, Canada. The 
farmers who supply wholesale milk met and de¬ 
cided to demand an increase of one cent per gallon 
from the dealers. The reasons for this are increased 
cost of production and the stringent regulation of 
the Board of Health. This increase would make 
the price $1.70 cents for an eight gallon can. The 
dealers promptly decided to increase the retail price 
by two cents a quart, which would mean 12 cents a 
quart for small purchasers. Then, as is usual, the 
plan was to tell the people that these wicked farmers 
were responsible for this “hold up.’ The fact is 
that the farmers get one-fourth of a cent out ot 
each two cents of increase, or 12% cents of the dol¬ 
lar. It is also claimed that in some cases the deal¬ 
ers have compelled farmers to give an extra quart 
of milk when filling a “can.” The farmers have 
formed a strong organization and will fight for their 
rights. 
♦ 
“PARASITE EATS ’EM ALIVE.” 
That startling heading has appeared in some of 
the Pennsylvania daily papers. It refers to an in¬ 
sect which has been found to destroy the San Jos6 
scale. No wonder we receive letters like this: 
Enclosed find clipping from the Philadelphia Record. 
If there is any truth in the discovery it will be a 
godsend to the fruit growers aud the farmers of this 
country. c. w. n. 
* This proposition of setting bug to eating bug has 
always been a fine theory, but we have gone a little 
shy of this scheme for destroying the scale. Some 
years ago the late Prof. John B. Smith imported a 
scale parasite from California and turned it loose 
in New Jersey. This insect did its duty through 
the season, but could not endure our Winters. The 
parasite in Pennsylvania is a new one apparently, 
and we believe there is genuine promise in its be¬ 
havior. Next week we shall print its picture and 
a statement from Prof. H. A Surface, who is con¬ 
fident that the parasite will clean out the scale. 
* 
We advocate direct primary nominations for all 
elective candidates. The R. N.-Y. has never claimed 
and does not for a single moment believe that the 
simple act of passing a direct primary raw would 
of itself settle the big questions which have got to 
be met in some way. All that direct primaries will 
ever do is to give farmers and working people a 
better opportunity to use their political power. It 
will make the plain voter more responsible than tie 
is now for the men who hold office. Unless the peo¬ 
ple will take advantage of the opportunity offered 
them through a direct primary they will be little 
better off than they are today. Just as long as 
they stand back and let the politicians dominate 
the people will be robbed and exploited no matter 
how candidates are selected. What we claim is that 
the direct primaries will enable the plain people 
actually to use their power. The main objection to 
direct primaries comes from two classes of people. 
One says the people will not take any interest in 
nominating candidates. The other knows well that 
as soon as the people understand they will use this 
primary like an ax to cut out graft and special 
privilege. One class seems to he actuated by pre¬ 
judice, the other by fear, yet they work together to 
prevent the adoption of primary election. We work 
on for the principle because we have faith iu the sense 
and fairness of the people. We know that direct 
primaries will enable them to help themselves and 
we have the faith to believe that they will use the 
weapon properly. 
October 11, 
• * * 
One of our readers relates an experience with a 
well-known manufacturer. This farmer used 
machinery made by the manufacturer, and at the 
fair went to look at other tools that he wanted. He 
received a very affectionate letter calling him a 
“farmer friend,” and saying what a pleasure it was 
to make his acquaintance. Now this farmer did not 
realize that all this was a fine sample of polite guff, 
lie took it in dead earnest. When his silo lacked a 
few loads of being full the knives of the cutter got 
out of order. The parts must be had at once, aud 
this farmer, perfectly honest and responsible, wrote 
the manufacturer to send the parts by parcel post 
C. O. D. Of course he reasoned that a dear “farmer 
friend” who was about to buy more tools ought to 
have prompt service. Judge his feelings when he 
gets a cold statement that when he sends a little 
over a dollar he will get the missing parts—not be¬ 
fore! The silo machinery stands waiting for that 
small repair! That manufacturer will lose business. 
He should either shut off the affectionate letters 
written after a sale, give a customer such little 
credits, or use the C. O. D. parcel post privilege! 
* 
The New York Milk Committee is working to de¬ 
vise some plan for legally regulating milk prices. 
To show the need of such regulation it furnishes 
the following item: 
When George Naylor, .Jr., traced his milk from his 
farm north of Staatsburg, where it netted him 2 1-10 
cents a quart, to the Hotel Waldorf Astoria in New 
York, where it brought 20 cents a glass, four glasses 
to the quart, he went home thoroughly disgusted, and his 
story added fuel to the fire already fanned between the 
milk producers of Staatsburg and the Clover Farms 
Company of No. 534 West Forty-eighth Street, New 
York. 
This is au extreme case and not typical of the 
general milk market. There are in New York City 
thousands of restaurants which sell this grade of 
milk at 15 cents a quart. This* means five cents 
a glass or three to the quart. That is had enough 
with 2.1 cents to the consumer. The 80 cent quart 
represents but a drop in the ocean of milk which 
pours into New York. It is said that this same 
company paid three cents a quart for the same 
grade of milk onlj a few miles from Staatsburg, 
and tlii- is a clinching argument for a uniform price 
for definite grades. 
* 
Mr. Beet (page 1126) bewails the loss of his corn 
crop on a clay soil in a drought. That soil needed 
the college degree of L. L. I).—lime, legumes and 
drainage. The clover gave one of the L’s, but that 
was not enough. Lime would have crumbled that 
brick-like soil and left it more open to air and water. 
The statement that drainage will increase the water 
supply, when the object of laying the drains is to 
take water out, may seem strange at first thought. 
The soil water which benefits plants is found in a 
thin sheet or film over the soil particles. Naturally 
the more these particles are separated by opening up 
the soil the more of this water will be held. Lime 
opens up and crumbles the clay soil—not enough 
to form what we call sand but enough to enable the 
water to work in all through the soil. Drainage 
removes the surplus water, and at the same time 
opens the soil so that the thin sheet of water may 
work in around the soil particles and be held there. 
This condition gives a far better chance for the 
clover or organic matter to decay and give up its 
plant food. Thus it is that the “L. L. D.” is a true 
doctor for the soil. 
BREVITIES. 
Children fill a hole in the household. 
Now there is a demand for a National Potato Grow¬ 
ers’ Association. 
Rye! Rye! Give it a try, seed it now, plow it in 
Spring shoulder high. 
One way to put your farm into the limelight is to 
use lime and sow clover or Alfalfa. 
Honest fun may be called the fungicide of care. 
Old folks need it even more than children. Where can 
they find it? 
Better let the children know something about the 
farm and its business. Some people have gray hair 
before they know that all real estate is recorded, or 
how mortgages are kept on record. 
A farmer may well imitate the city manufacturer by 
having a few buckets of water hanging on hooks iu 
house and barn ready for fires. The Department of 
Agriculture says that a little over two pounds of fused 
calcium chloride in each bucket of water will prevent 
freezing. 
One of the most convenient lighting systems we have 
seen lately iu an isolated country house was electricity 
from storage batteries. A gasoline engine operated a 
compressed air tank that forced water direct from the 
well ajl over the house, and the operation of the air 
compressor produced the stored electricity. 
Ohio and Pennsylvania now require licensees to wear 
a badge conspicuously exposed, bowring the number of 
his hunting license. In order to minimize shooting acci¬ 
dents Manitoba requires hunters to wear a white coat 
or sweater and cap. and Saskatchewan insists that those 
who hunt big game must wear a complete outer suit 
and cap of white. 
