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TkiEi RURAL NEW-VORKER 
November 22, 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER’S PAPER 
A Notional Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes 
Established i860 
Published weekly by the Rnral Publishing Company, 383 West 30th Street, New York 
Herbert W. Collingwood, President and Editor. 
John' J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
NVm. F. Dillon, Secretary. Mrs. E. T. Hoyle, Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreisrn countries in the Universal Postal Union, 02.01, equal to 8s. 6d., or 
8k' marks, or 104 francs. Remit in money order, express 
order, personal check or bank dralt. 
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 hacked 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- 
sci ibers against rogues, but we do not guarantee to adjust. * *r in ', ,lf ’. 
bet ween subscribers and honest, responsible advertisers. N el thei v ill we M 
responsible for the debts of honest bankrupts sanctioned by the courts. 
Notice of the complaint must lie sent to us within the time of 
the transaction, and you must have mentioned Tin. Rural New-Torkkr 
when writing the advertiser. _^_ 
That was a sensible article last week on raising 
liorses in New York State. Go out and try to buy 
a good work horse and see what you must pay. Also 
see that 90 per cent of the good ones come from the 
AVest or South. New York is well adapted to horse 
raising, and the market is right at hand. What Is 
the trouble? One trouble is a lack of big mares. 
Farmers too often try to breed a small trotter blood 
mare to a draft stallion. The result is a mongrel 
colt, big and awkward, but he never grows into a 
high-class work horse. The farmer often expects 
too much from the sire. The mares must be of the 
heavy draft type too, if we hope to raise high-class 
colts. 
* 
Twenty-five years ago it was an easy boast that 
this country had au unbreakable monopoly in the 
production of Indian corn. The grain was raised 
in the Danube Valley and in parts of South America, 
but so far as the world’s supply went this country 
had no rival. Now the use of corn as a food in 
the Far East threatens a complete economic change. 
In Indo-China and the Philippine Islands rice has 
been the staple food. It is now giving way to corn. 
Ten years ago in Indo-China this grain was hardly 
known. Last year, after supplying local needs, 80,- 
000 tons were exported. In the Philippines last 
year’s corn crop was worth about six and one-lialf 
million dollars. It is possible iu that country to 
grow two and three crops of corn annually. AVlien 
improved methods of agriculture are practiced in 
the Far East it will be possible for these countries 
to export immense quantities of corn, and compete 
in the world’s market with this food. In this coun¬ 
try the great work of conquering the wilderness and 
building the Nation was done by meat and corn 
Caters. 
* 
The sports and pot hunters got into business early 
this year in New Jersey. Here is a sample report: 
AA’illiam Hibler, a Cedar Lake farmer, ordered hunt¬ 
ers off his woodlot because they were too near his cows. 
One of the hunters knocked him unconscious with a 
stick. Hibler came to an hour later, crawled, a quarter 
of a mile to his home and gave a description of his 
assailant, which caused the arrest of a man who says 
he is Warren Smith and who is held in $500 bail. 
It will please Mr. Hibler to take a copy of the 
New Jersey game laws and read that he had full 
power to appoint himself a constable and arrest this 
rascal. He had the authority but tlie other man had 
the club. We hope “Smith” will be given tlie limit. 
Another case is reported to us from Alabama. A 
man living near Mobile found two men hi his pecan 
grove. The clearest thing about subsequent events 
is that tlie owner opened fire and shot one of these 
men in the head. The injured man is in a hospital, 
while his companion was arrested on a $50 penalty. 
The shooter was arrested but “if tlie man gets well 
nothing will be done about it.” Neither of these 
trespassers had any license, and under the Alabama 
law they should have had the written consent of 
the owner. In New York the law assumes that wild 
game belongs to the State! The farm land is not 
yet under State control, but it is likely to be if 
farmers do not stand for their rights. Post the farm 
and then unite for protection. 
❖ 
During the year we have many questions about 
forming a farm partnership. Usually these are ar¬ 
rangements between tlie owner of land and a work- 
t man or tenant. What is a fair basis of agreement 
for division of proceeds? Each case usually has its 
peculiar condition which we do not attempt to set¬ 
tle. In the first place there should always be a 
definite, signed, written contract—drawn up by a 
lawyer or by some fair person who knows liow to 
do it. We have seen families and long friendships 
broken up by the outcome of a business started with 
verbal contracts or “understandings.” A fair plan 
for division is to make three equal parts, real estate, 
labor and equipment and working capital. These 
may be considered of equal value in conducting a 
farm and tlie proceeds should be divided as the two 
parties furnish property, capital or labor. For in¬ 
stance if tlie owner furnish real estate and the ten¬ 
ant labor, each would take one-third—the other third 
being divided in proportion as each furnishes stock, 
tools, seeds, fertilizer or money to pay expenses. As 
a general rule most of such agreements will be made 
on tliis basis, with modifications to fit the condi¬ 
tions. One tenant may have a family wliich furn¬ 
ishes more labor than another, or one farm may be 
more productive than another. These tilings should 
be valued and considered, but this foundation prin¬ 
cipal is sound for figuring partnerships. 
* 
There will be a mighty effort this season to 
change the rules of tlie New York Assembly. They 
are now designed to give one mail as much power 
as possible. The candidate for Speaker is usually 
selected by a boss through a caucus. Under tlie 
rules of this caucus partymen are obliged to vote 
for the candidate, though they may know lie is unde¬ 
sirable. Then this speaker, again with the boss, se¬ 
lects the committees so that lie can pass the legis¬ 
lation the bosses want and bury what is not wanted. 
This usually gives the speaker or his friends the 
power to hold up bills appropriating money until tlie 
last few days of the session, when votes can be 
traded or “exchanged.” Some country member may 
be interested in a local bill which liis people want. 
It will be held to the end and then if lie will vote 
for some questionable appropriation his bill will go 
through. We could tell some lively stories about 
tlie way some bills have been traded through. Now 
an effort will be made to change this somewhat by 
adopting new rules. For example, take committee 
appointments out of the Speaker’s hands and let 
tlie Assembly elect the chairmen. Compel tlie pas¬ 
sage of financial bills reasonably early in the session. 
There are several other changes to be suggested— 
all designed to prevent one-man power or secret wire 
pulling. Farmers may have no vote on these 
changes, but they can use a postage stamp. 
* 
William Jennings Bryan is reported to have said 
that the farmer is a man who makes his money in the 
country and spends it in the city, while the agricul¬ 
turist makes his money in the city and spends it in the 
country. E. J. Preston gave this distinction a piquant 
twist by saying that the farmer works the land and the 
agriculturist works the farmer. But Prof. J. E. Spin- 
garn speaking before Sylvan Lake Grange of Poughquag, 
Dutchess Co., N. made the distinction even more 
pointed when he said that one tills the land and the 
other lands the till!—Harlem Valley Times. 
Yes, and one farms tlie farm while tlie other farms 
tlie farmer; one cultivates agriculture and the other 
aggravation ; one lives on what the other earns, while 
tlie other can hardly earn enough to live on. One 
milks the cow and the other bullies the milker; one 
raises horns on his hands handling tlie 35-cent dol¬ 
lar, tlie other gets them nearer liis hat manipulating 
the 65 cents; one fights burdocks, tlie other joins 
tlie Burbank Society. One rides in an auto and tlie 
other ought to; one 'takes in the dust and tlie 
other rakes in the “dust”; one puts liis hand to the 
plow and looks not back, and thus does not see 
the other picking up the main chance. But our 
good friend the agriculturist isn’t so bad. He puts 
money into circulation and is usually very much of a 
“game sport” Of course there is a time when he is 
“going to show those old farmers how to do it,” but 
lie gets bravely over that after a season or two. 
* 
That case of John Campman, tlie New Jersey 
youth who shot and killed a .night prowler, lias 
stirred up a lively interest. We have had many 
letters offering help in defending Campman. Some 
of these contained % money which was returned, as 
the case was in good hands and Campman was ac¬ 
quitted. This tiling of fighting off chicken thieves 
is a vital one with many hen men. It gives an¬ 
other instance of the need of cooperation for de¬ 
fense. For example farmers in three towns of Al¬ 
legany Co., N. Y\, have organized the Bethlehem 
Mutual Protective Association with the following 
stated objects; 
The objects of this association shall be to combine 
for the purpose of protecting its members against all 
violations of tlie law, and guarding them against theft, 
trespass and malicious mischief. 
Each member pays one dollar and deposits a pre¬ 
mium note for $10. All these notes are assessed 
proportionately to raise needed money. Tlie officers 
may hire detectives, lawyers, or do whatever is 
needed to catch and punish thieves, game law vio¬ 
lators and other rogues. There are 316 members, 
and all work together for protection. Anyone can 
see that the chances of catching a thief in this com¬ 
munity will be much greater than in one of 300 in¬ 
dividuals, each working alone. Thieves and scamps 
will give such a territory a very wide berth. This 
organization is better than unorganized shooting. 
I purchased an automobile with a delivery box, as 
horse transportation is altogether too slow for such 
highly perishable products as these. It has made it 
possible for me to add a village nine miles to tlie north, 
in the Mohawk Valley to my available markets. This 
is a busy manufacturing town of 3,000 population. 
W. K. 
This is tlie way one of our readers goes after a 
larger share of the consumer’s dollar. This man 
grows fruits and vegetables. Not situated near a 
large city, according to some of the old theories lie 
should not try market gardening. But the explosion 
of gasoline lias blown down tlie barriers of distance 
and he can multiply his former selling territory by 
10, because the auto gets about faster than tlie 
horses. This teaches two things—what farmers can 
do with outfits equal to those of other business men, 
and also tlie absolute need of working capital if a 
farmer is to obtain the outfit. 
* 
I thought you said we would all be better off and 
be in better shape when parcel post was started. It 
lias boon going nearly a year, and has not helped me 
that I can see. S. L. j. 
AVe would like to have our friend tell us when or 
where we ever said that tlie mere establishing of 
a parcel post would make a farmer or anyone else 
better off. In all talk about these reforms we have 
been careful to state that all we have a right to 
expect in a new law is a fairer chance to work or to 
defend ourselves. If history shows anything at all 
it is tlie folly and danger of having tlie government 
step directly in with charity or gifts to the people. 
Tlie trouble with society now is that we have made 
a few men rich by law, granting them special priv¬ 
ileges or giving them public land, or letting them 
evade taxation. Parcel post is one of tlie public 
privileges which will help to break up monopoly and 
give tlie common citizen a fairer chance to buy or 
sell. That is all we have ever claimed for it—that 
is all it can ever do. It gives men a fairer chance. 
Its success means more than a cheaper and more 
direct transportation, for when the public under¬ 
stand just what this reform means they will demand 
others, and they will know liow to obtain them. 
That is why there was such fierce opposition. 
* 
We have made several references to a plan of 
sending wool direct to a manufacturer to be made 
into yarn or knit goods. AA r e are interested in the 
experiment, as in all efforts to bring producer and 
consumer together. Most efforts thus far have been 
along the line of selling farm produce direct to tlie 
town consumer. This wool proposition means direct 
dealing with the manufacturer, who will turn tlie raw 
wool, as stated, into yarn or stockings. This is wliat 
he proposes to do: 
I am willing to accept as small a quantity as 25 
pounds of grease wool. This generally shrinks from 
50% to 75% when the grease is washed out. I will 
wash it and card it into woolen batting for them for 
20 cents a pound for grease wool: that is, I will charge 
them $4.50 for washing 25 pounds of grease wool, and 
carding it into batting, they paying the transportation. 
For 25 cents per grease pound I will spin it into the 
kind of yarn that “Grandma used to make,” that is, 
absolutely all wool, with no cotton or shoddy; or if 
they prefer I will allow them the highest market price 
for their grease wool, and knit the yarn into socks and 
stockings, and sell them to them for 50 cents per pair, 
delivered by parcel post, using their wool as far as 
needed for the number of goods they order. 
This man is a farmer as well as a manufacturer. 
The scheme he suggests will enable him to get at 
least part of his wool direct from the farmers and 
also give him a direct trade. It ought also to en 
courage farmers to keep a few more sheep to trim 
the weeds out of fence corners and provide fresh 
meat for the family. The sheep is said to have a 
“golden hoof” because grass and good farming 
follow it. Under this arrangement tnls "golden 
lioof” would give the farmer’s family warm feet. 
This is a new way of adding to the 35-cent dollar, 
and we would like to see the plan tried out fairly. 
BREVITIES. 
There is a honey shortage iu England. 
The people of this country drank, last year, 62,2SL- 
201 gallons of “mineral waters,” worth about 
$7,000,000. 
He who uses pump and spray may have liis fruit an¬ 
other day; he who will not spraying try will have no 
fruit unless he buy. 
Alaska, with probably the most wonderful coal re¬ 
sources iu the world, mined only 200 tons last year ami 
imported 16,405 tons. 
Rust will eat away part of the farm tools this AY in¬ 
ter if you let it. Before putting them away scour auu 
then smear with some thick oil or fat. 
Among the vegetable exhibits at a flower show near 
New York October 28 was asparagus. The roots had 
been ripened early, refrigerated for a time, and then 
forced for the show. 
The Treasury Department announces that a certifi¬ 
cate of registration of aigrettes and other plumage bj 
people going abroad cannot serve as permission to 
bring such articles back into the United States. Un 
der the new tariff law, aigrettes on or off hats are ah 
solutely prohibited from passage through a Unite; 
States custom house. 
