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THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
January 1, 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850. 
Published weekly by the Rural Publishing Company, 409 Pearl Street, New fork. 
Herbert W. Collingwood, President and Editor, 
John J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
IY.m. F. Dillon, Secretary. Mrs. E. T. Hoyle, Associate Editor 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union. $2.04, equal to 
8s. 0u., or SEj marks, or lOEa francs. Remit in money order, 
express order, personal cheek or bank draft. 
Entered at New York Post Office as Second Class Matter. 
Advertising rates 50 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 
responsible 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 lie publicly ex¬ 
posed. We protect suberibers against rogues, but we do not guarantee 
to adjust trifling differences between subscribers and honest, respon¬ 
sible advertisers. Neither will we be responsible for the debts of 
honest bankrupts sanctioned by the courts. Notice of the complaint 
must he sent to ns within one month of the time of the transaction, 
and you must have mentioned The Rural New-Yorker when 
wriling 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 30 cents for strictly introductory pur¬ 
poses. We depend on our old friends to make this 
known to neighbors and friends. 
* 
Let every New York fanner read the announcement 
of that educational convention on page 6. 
* 
No government can help the man who will not help 
himself. Self help is within reach of New York 
farmers who buy mixed feeds. The Geneva Station, 
in Bulletin 316, shows what these “compounded” feeds 
contain, and the names of the compounders. If, after 
studying this pamphlet, you are willing to buy oat 
hulls, corncobs and weed seeds, and pay grain prices 
for them, you certainly do it of your own free will, 
and with your eyes wide open. “Who would he free 
-‘-himself must strike the blow.” 
* 
The Consolidated Milk Exchange has decided to 
“quit"—that is, has “withdrawn from doing business 
iti New York.” This is called “a great victory” for 
the present investigation, but the “Exchange” can 
travel about one mile out of New York into New 
Jersey and continue to “discuss prices.” The “Ex¬ 
change" officers denied that they fixed prices saying 
that the matter was talked over at the Exchange and 
not by it. This organization or some other will twist 
around the law until the producers organize to control 
the milk supply. 
* 
The volunteer reports which come to us show that 
the New York farmers’ institutes this Winter are 
more useful and popular than ever before. The 
attendance is good. The new plan of organizing the 
work so as to divide the State into sections appears 
to work well thus far. The testimony is to the 
effect that the institutes are more than ever before 
like genuine farm schools. We are glad to hear this. 
It is good and encouraging news. We urge our 
readers to go to all genuine farmers’ meetings when¬ 
ever they can do so. 
* 
Since the recent picture of Mr. Kean’s “gasoline 
farm team” was printed letters have poured in from 
farmers who have been hunting for substitutes for 
horse power. There are many from the South, where 
the high prices for mules and awful cost of grain 
feed and the cost of shipping produce to market com¬ 
bine to frighten the planters. On fairly level land 
and in large fields the gasoline motor ought to work 
well with plow or harrow. We believe there are 
thousands of farmers just waking up to the possibili¬ 
ties of this traction idea. The next year is to see a 
great development of it. We want to help all we 
can, and any facts or suggestions from our readers 
will be appreciated. 
We experienced the driest season since coming on the 
farm, but do you know that I believe we can grow big 
crops with a great deal less rain than I used to think 
we could. I am slowly developing into a dry weather 
farmec. J ; B - H - 
This man, in spite of the drought, had the best 
financial year of all his farming. There is a whole 
volume in what he says. He is going through a 
process of evolution, and learning through hard ex¬ 
perience what to do with dry land. You see it’s in 
the man. Some lose their courage in the face of 
hard conditions and thus lose all. Others need just 
the bitterness of opposition to stir up their fighting 
blood and make them use their wits. We knew a 
man who met with an accident at the opening of the 
busy season. He had to sit and watch the others— 
yet this enforced idleness was the making of his 
success, for he saw for the first time how much labor 
he could save by taking time to plan his work. 
Last year we mentioned the “Long Island Potato 
Exchange,” a farmers’ cooperative company. The 
first year, like most new things, the Exchange had 
hard sledding. This increased the draft but also 
polished the runners. This year from June 1 to 
December 1 the Exchange did a business of $185,000 
—on a capital of $12,000. This meant handling 2S1,958 
bushels of potatoes—by January 1 this will be in¬ 
creased to 300,000. The Exchange also handled 1,600 
tons of fertilizer and large quantities of Paris green. 
It is estimated that on an average the farmers who 
sold through the Exchange have received 10 cents a 
bushel nearer New- York quotations than in years 
when middlemen handled the crop. For many reasons, 
geographical and social, Long Island is almost an 
ideal place for a farmers’ cooperative movement. We 
are glad that these farmers are showing us how to 
get a little more of the consumer’s dollar. 
* 
Last week we gave the facts in that “glandered 
horse case” on Long Island. There can be no doubt 
that various gangs of horse traders go.just as far as 
they dare to in working off those dangerous horses. 
Whenever a farmer tackles such a gang openly and 
starrds up to them in court he deserves the backing 
of all decent people. The first natural feeling of 
a farmer in such a case is to let it go rather than 
admit that these jockeys have caught him. He ought 
to realize, however, that a thorough showing up in 
court is the only thing that can stop the practice. 
There was no doubt from the testimony that the 
horse in question had suffered for months with the 
disease. The so-called veterinarians who examined 
the horse and let him pass are nice men to have on 
guard. Likewise the respectable citizens who pass 
such horses along “for a consideration” until they 
find some sucker on whom they can safely unload. 
It is a dirty business all through and any victim who 
will expose it deserves public thanks. 
* 
Having seen many times what is said to he the argu¬ 
ment of tradespeople in opposition to a parcels post, 
which is that people would send away to the large cities 
and mail order houses for many of their goods, I am 
writing this as it has occurred to me. When a farmer 
has produce of any kind to sell, he goes to the local 
store and tells the storekeeper what he wants for it. If 
the price seems high to the storekeeper, he says : “Can't 
do it,” and when asked why. he replies: “1 can buy that 
in New York. Chicago or San Francisco for so much; 
that is the price/’ In other words, the business man al¬ 
ways buys where he can buy the cheapest, whether it 
be this country or Europe. Now if anyone knows why 
the farmers should not have the same privilege, will they 
please let me know? wm. hotalixq. 
New York. 
And we all join with Mr. Hotaling in wanting 
to know! This idea that the farmer has no right to 
the business privileges which other classes enjoy has 
grown so musty that it is time to take it out for an 
airing. We do not know of anyone who can take it 
out except the farmer himself. His only way to take 
it out and air it is to use postage stamps and a ballot 
where they will do the most good. 
* 
The time for buying grass and clover seeds is 
almost upon us. Before you buy any this season 
suppose you study “A Deal in Alfalfa Seed" on page 
2. This is one of the worst cases we have ever had. 
After guaranteeing the seed the Moore Seed Company 
send a mixture which no self-respecting farmer wouM 
sow on his ground. When the adulterations were 
shown by the highest authorities this concern goes 
back on its guarantee and refuses to make good. That 
may be considered about the limit. Now there are in 
the American seed trade some of the most honorable 
business men on earth. They never would send you 
any such stuff by design and if by accident you got 
it from them every instinct of business and moral 
obligation would prompt them to treat you fairly. 
The experiment station and Department of Agricul¬ 
ture will test your seed. You should make use of 
their help just as you would of the reports on fertil¬ 
izers and feeds. It ought to be a part of the punish¬ 
ment of fakes and frauds for farmers to give their 
trade to the honorable concerns who have a reputation 
and try to live up to it. 
* 
The oleo people are playing a very shrewd game 
this year. The daily papers in nearly all the large 
cities are printing editorials and letters headed “The 
Poor Man’s Butter,” in which the most cunning argu¬ 
ments are made for the oleo makers. We know that 
in most cases these papers will not print fair replies 
to these oleo arguments. The object is to develop a 
sentiment among town people, and make them think 
that i-f the 10 cent oleo tax could be removed the price 
of butter would at once fall. These crafty fakers are 
not bothering about the “poor man” except to get his 
support for a counterfeit product. Later you will 
see great advertisements of “oleo” appearing in these 
daily papers as payment for the service they are now 
giving, The fact is that very little oleo is honestly 
sold. Only a very small proportion of the product is 
colored legitimately or paying the 10 cent tax. The 
greater part of it is uncolorcd, and thus pays only one- 
quarter of a cent tax. There is abundant evidence 
to prove that this uncolored oleo is fraudulently 
colored and worked off either as colored oleo or as 
butter. Owing to defects in the laws dealers have 
been able to defy the internal revenue officials and 
carry on this profitable game. The oleo men are 
making their bluff on the 10 cent tax. but really mak¬ 
ing a fight against efforts to strengthen the present 
law so as to enable the officers to stop this illicit 
cploring. As we shall show, the town people would 
gain nothing by supporting a fraud game and a 
gang of counterfeiters. The danger to the dairy in¬ 
dustry is great and close at hand. Every man who 
owns a cow has a direct interest in this fight. It is 
very necessary that you write your Congressman at 
once. New York farmers should pay particular at¬ 
tention to Hon. Sereno E. Payne of Auburn and 
Washington. 
* 
“Education well mixed with work at full pay is 
going to solve the problem of keeping the boys on 
the farm/’ 
No matter what you think of the plan for farm 
education advanced by Mr. Hitchings on page 2, 
you will agree with the above statement. We do not 
think there will be much discussion over that point, 
but we desire and invite a thorough discussion of the 
general plan advocated by Mr. Hitchings. He is 
right about the high schools. If you do not think so 
go to the high school nearest your farm and ask the 
principal what a boy can learn there to qualify him as 
a good farmer. If you do not find that those schools 
are engaged in training children for the universities 
and so-called learned professions we wish to be told 
about it. After the search we have made in our own 
locality we should regard such a school as a novelty 
well worth introducing to our readers. The advan¬ 
tages of the scholarship plan suggested by Mr. Hitch¬ 
ings are evident. We can readily understand how 
most men and women would prefer to have their 
children educated within reach of home rather than 
to send them out of personal reach. New York is 
so thickly dotted with colleges that if they could and 
would organize good courses in agriculture in con¬ 
nection with some first-class farm they could draw 
many country boys for the excellent plan of seven 
months’ labor and five months’ study. In another 
way too those courses would help, because they would 
influence more or less the spirit and policy of those 
colleges. Many teachers and clergymen go out from 
them—often to work in country neighborhoods. The 
agricultural course if well developed would influence 
such men. On the other hand we can readily see good 
arguments in favor of a strong central State uni¬ 
versity at Cornell. Our object in opening the dis¬ 
cussion is to afford farmers a fair chance to express 
their views. As the farmers are expected to provide 
the children, they should have the right to discuss 
the handling of this priceless contribution. We invite 
them to discuss what Mr. Hitchings says. 
BREVITIES. 
Pick off all the mummied fruit on the peach trees. 
The North Germans hardly know what a sweet potato 
looks or tastes like. 
The man who drains wet land and makes it productive 
does something for his country. 
That Pennsylvania farmer (first page) who is raising 
berry pickers has certainly made a good start. 
Oh for the honest power to pucker the mouth of every 
foolish sucker so that he would before too late, refuse to 
touch the shining bait. 
The Georgia Agricultural College is coming. Only a 
little over two years okl. and yet with 90 regular students; 
about 200 in all courses. 
A splendid New Year’s present for your wife will 
be a good washing machine and the power of your presence 
(and arm) on 52 washing days! 
Now report comes from Nova Scotia of a new process 
of preserving fresh fish. Each codfish is wrapped in a 
separate preserving paper and then packed in ice. Such 
fish keeps indefinitely. 
Talking about nut culture, 10 carloads of pecans have 
just been shipped from one district in Mexico. A pecan 
orchard of 1,000 acres is being planted over coal mines. 
Coal below—nuts above. 
One reader lias just sent us $40 for a list of papers 
to be given as Christmas presents. This includes a good 
list for The R. N.-Y. A good paper makes an ideal pres¬ 
ent, for it brings over 30 reminders of the giver during (lie 
year. 
“A couple of daughters of a truck farmer friend visited 
at our place. Among other things they told us how 
they bought a lot of packets- of Wondorberry seeds from 
Childs at 10 cents a packet and sold them at 20 cents, 
the retail price, and how they hate to meet those people 
now,’’ says j. h. b. 
Concerning the Hope Farm man’s suggestion of poison 
ivy as an ornamental plant, page 9. this Is sometimes used 
in Great Britain, on account of its brilliancy of Autumn 
coloring. It is not indigeneous there; aud we judge many 
people do not know it is poisonous, as occasionally there 
is a note in the English gardening papers advising care 
in handling it. 
