84 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
January 22, 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established, 1850. 
Published weekly by the Baral Pnblishin- Company, 409 Pearl Street, New York, 
Herbert W. Collingwood, President and Editor, 
John J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wm. 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. 6d., or 8H> marks, or lO'ia 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 swindlerwill be 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 be 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. 
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 10 cents for strictly introductory pur¬ 
poses. * We depend on our old friends to make this 
know» to neighbors and friends, 
* 
Some of these Congressmen say they are very 
anxious to know the ‘‘will of the people.” Good— 
but what they most need is the won’t of the people— 
that is, the solid fact that people won’t vote for them 
unless they do their duty. 
* 
If you live in New York State it is a part of your 
public duty to write a letter to Hon. Sereno E. Payne, 
Washington, D. C. Tell Mr. Payne that you are 
in favor of retaining the tax on colored oleo, and 
also in favor of strengthening the present law where 
it is weak. Mr. Pavne is one of the most influential 
men in Congress, and as the head of the New York 
delegation, of course he wishes to know the will of 
the people. This is a very important matter. Do 
not delay, but write Mr. Payne at once and ask him 
to stand on guard for dairymen. 
* 
A scientist has come forward to correct the Hope 
Farm man's chemistry. It is all about this ‘‘gall” 
in the “Wonderberry” ink mentioned on page 8 . The 
Hope Farm man said that if this plant were boomed 
again there would be so much “gall” in it that the 
juice would make an indelible ink. Our scientific 
friend does not deny that such a fluid would be likely 
to leave a fadeless stain on a man’s reputation, but 
he says that nitrate of silver and not “gall” colors the 
indelible ink. We cheerfully accept the correction. 
Nitrate and nightshade! The trait of going after 
black silver seems like one of the jobs best suited 
to the shades of night. 
* 
The New York State Fruit Growers’ Association, 
at the last meeting, started a most important cam¬ 
paign. It was proposed that a fund of 10 cents out 
of every membership fee paid in after Jan. 1, 1910, 
be set aside to push “substituted tree” cases. If any 
nurseryman or dealer delivers fruit trees reasonably 
untrue to name to a member of this association, he is 
to be pushed for damages. The fund mentioned is to 
be used for that purpose to protect the members. 
We believe the executive committee will approve this 
plan, and that it will go into effect. It is a good 
move, and if the power of the Association can be 
used wisely and fairly we shall all be helped by it 
Business co-operation has simply got to come. 
* 
“The measure of damages was the value that would 
have been added to the premises if the trees had 
been of the varieties ordered".” 
That was the rule laid down by Michigan courts 
in suits brought to recover damages for substituted 
trees. In one case a fruit grower bought 300 peach 
trees stated to be Smocks and Crawfords. They 
proved on fruiting to be a mixed lot of small, white 
clings. The jury gave a verdict for $300— the judge 
instructing the jury as above. In another case a 
fruit grower received substituted trees of both peach 
and apple and received a verdict and judgment of 
$975. Both cases were appealed, but the higher courts 
sustained those verdicts and declared that the rule 
stated above is correct. In both cases the substitu¬ 
tion was wholesale—that is, nearly all the trees failed 
to fit the labels. Under this rule if only a few trees 
were substituted the possible damages would hardly 
pay the cost of a suit. In the New York case which 
we have described, the upper court has decided that 
testimony which will show the damage to property due 
to substitution may go to the jury, and that the so- 
called disclaimer or warrant does not clear the 
nurseryman of responsibility except for the value of 
the original trees. 
Dr. Walter Van Fleet, for nearly 10 years associ¬ 
ate editor of The R. N.-Y., and formerly located at 
Little Silver, N. J., is now connected with the U. S. 
Department of Agriculture. After some months of 
travel and preparation, Dr. Van Fleet has perma¬ 
nently located at the National Experiment Gardens, 
Chico, California. There is no man in the country 
better equipped for the important and peculiar work 
planned for this garden, and we confidently expect 
that Dr. Van Fleet will make good with useful and 
permanent results. He is to give our readers the 
benefit of his experience and observation, and all 
will join with us in best wishes for comfort and 
success in this new location. We shall wait with in¬ 
terest for a promised report of a recent trip through 
the South and West. An idea of the different con¬ 
ditions under which Dr. Van Fleet will work may be 
gained from the following note written January 3 
while northern New Jersey was covered by a sheet 
of ice: 
This is proving a cold Winter here as well as in the 
East; nevertheless we started our garden Christmas Day 
with a planting of peas, radishes and hardy vegetables. 
Citrus and other semi-tropical trees have been injured 
to some extent by repeated freezes, but no great damage 
has yet been done. 
* 
We doubt if what people are pleased to call “na¬ 
tional politics” have been as badly mixed at any time 
since the Civil War as they are to-day. There is a 
serious revolt against the Administration for its 
action in passing the last tariff bill. This is fierce in 
the West, and is spreading everywhere. There is even 
hotter hatred against ‘“Cannonism”—which means 
Speaker Cannon and what he stands for, in Congress. 
You do not get the full truth about this in the 
daily papers, but it is a fact that the forces which 
produce a political earthquake are spreading and gain¬ 
ing power every day. The question of further regula¬ 
tion of the railroads and greater powers to the Inter¬ 
state Commerce Commission is another issue which 
will shake Congress to its foundation. Last and per¬ 
haps largest is the principle which stands back of 
the controversy between Secretary Ballinger and Gif¬ 
ford Pinchot—the latter recently removed by President 
Taft The case has reached a point where the Presi¬ 
dent was obliged to remove Mr. Pinchot, yet this very 
action will strengthen the latter’s case. He is now 
free to put all his facts before the public. Forty 
years ago this country, represented by its elected 
officers, was giving away its land, franchises and spe¬ 
cial privileges about as fast as they could be shoveled 
out. These gifts were made to railroads and shrewd 
and far-seeing men. While the plain working people 
were at the North exultant and at the South de¬ 
pressed over the result of the Civil War, the long¬ 
headed men who were fed from the public crib of 
wealth and privilege were “making good.” As a re¬ 
sult the money and power gained through these public 
gifts confront us with evil intent all through busi¬ 
ness and political life. The wealth, created from a 
popular gift, would now be used to destroy popular 
government and will destroy it unless there he a popu¬ 
lar uprising. Half a century ago our fathers- were 
willing to give away wealth and privileges which be¬ 
longed to'-the people. In their eagerness to “develop” 
the country, they have left us a problem as serious 
as the one they settled—human slavery. It can only 
be settled fairly by holding what is left of our nat¬ 
ural resources for the people, and properly regulating 
the vast wealth that has grown from special privi¬ 
lege. We believe that Gifford Pinchot stands for a 
fair and honest effort to do these things. Sooner or 
later the American people will be obliged to act or 
give up all power of action. 
* 
“Hozo about the farmer producers—what have 
they got to say about the price they receive for their 
milk?” 
“The farmers h'ave nothing to say.” 
That was part of the testimony of Webb Harrison, 
a milk buyer, before the “milk trust investigation” 
now on m New. York. Mr. Harrison had just testi¬ 
fied how the Milk Exchange settled prices after know¬ 
ing what the Bordens would pay. One thing can 
be said for Mr. Harrison—he told the blunt and 
brutal truth in six words. Think it over! The 
farmers own the farms, the barns and the cows. They 
work to raise the hay, they buy the grain, they milk 
the cows and care for the milk. After doing all this 
they “have nothing to say.” about what that milk 
shall sell for. All there is for them to do is to take 
what is offered or get out of the business. Right in 
the same daily paper from which this testimony is 
copied is a long article trying to prove that farmers 
are responsible for the present high prices of food! 
It is said that Congress will undertake to “investigate” 
the causes for the increased cost of living. Let them 
start right with this classic remark of Mr. Harrison’s 
and chase it down through all kinds of food from 
consumer to producer. 
Since the trial of that “glandered horse case” re¬ 
ported on page 1116, it has become more and more 
evident that the business of working off these poor 
creatures had become a large one. As brought out 
at this trial the method was and is to drug these 
horses and pass them off as cases of “distemper.” 
No one can tell how many cases of this dangerous 
disease have been scattered over Long Island and 
New Jersey. Many farmers know that it is a crime 
to handle or trade such horses, and so many a sick 
horse is quietly disposed of after infecting a farm or 
a neighborhood. When a farmer has a horse which 
he thinks is glandered it is his duty to report the case 
and do all he can to prevent the disease from spread¬ 
ing. He ought to act as he would in a case of 
typhoid fever. 
* 
There are many farmers who do not believe in the 
theory of a “balanced ration” for cattle. We ap¬ 
preciate that, and in answering questions about feed¬ 
ing we try to make it clear that the most we can do 
is to suggest and leave the feeder to make a fair 
experiment. The following note show’s how such 
suggestion has helped one man: 
I write to let you know how your ration worked on my 
cows. In short, I get about 25 pounds milk more per 
day, with no more cost for feed than usual, so you see 
I have reason to thank you for putting dollars in my 
pocket. Many thanks for your help and interest. 
Pennsylvania. i. z. m. 
We believe that the only business-like way to feed 
stock is to know just what you are feeding by learning 
the analysis and then to make the cheapest combina¬ 
tions that are satisfactory to the cow. 
* 
The Maryland horticultural law requires that all 
infestations of San Jose scale must be destroyed or 
treated. It has been found that the worst pest places 
for the scale are the Osage orange hedges so com¬ 
monly used in Maryland in place of farm fences. This 
■hedge is a nuisance in a half dozen ways. It sel¬ 
dom makes a proper fence, requires great expense for 
trimming, takes up space, while its roots rob the 
soil of a strip 20 feet wdde or more. It also provides 
an attractive place for the scale. Not one such hedge 
has been found free from the insect. The plant is 
so vigorous that the scale cannot kill it outright, so it 
remains from year to year a breeding place for the 
most dangerous fruit insect we have. Birds spend 
much time on these hedges and from them carry the 
scales to the tree. The State of Maryland does well 
to compel farmers and fruit growers to destroy these 
hedges or spray them every year. To fruit growers 
in other States we say: Beware of the Osage orange 
hedge—if you value your trees! 
* 
W.ill you publish the form of a petition in TnE R. N.-Y. 
to be copied and signed by the people of the different 
counties in the different States, for the benefit of a parcel 
post, and sent to every U. S. Senator and the Congressman 
from every district in the United States, with urgent 
request that everything in their power be done to pass a 
bill for the benefit of a parcel post. w. f. j . 
Kentucky. 
We are convinced that the petition or “resolution” 
is about useless as firing good powder to blow paper 
wads out of a gum Public men have learned to size 
up a petition, for they know that many people sign 
it without reading or understanding. It represents 
nothing but perfunctory opinion or “demand,” and 
does not carry direct individual responsibility. That 
is the only thing the public men are afraid of. When 
a man writes a plain, straightforward letter, without 
any twisting or dodging, and signs his name to it, 
he can get the attention of any public man in the 
country. That is the only way to approach Congress¬ 
men about the parcels post. The “petition” is a back 
number. Get right up to date with the personal 
letter. 
j - 
BREVITIES. 
It gives us a pain—when we have to pay out these big 
prices for grain. 
Ever know a dairyman to feed too much silage? You 
can easily feed too much cotton-seed meal. 
The chances are that you raise weed seeds enough now 
without buying more of them in ‘-mixed feeds.” 
It’s an even chance that your “worn-out” land needs 
drainage, lime and humus rather than plant food. 
Bubonic plague has appeared in California. It is carried 
by ground squirrels who get it from European rats. 
We seem to have a job to get actual experience with 
pomace as fertilizer or manure. Would you use it without 
liming? 
While the acreage of corn in the East may double the 
actual crop of grain may not increase much. That is 
because more and more of the corn crop is used in the 
silo. 
If yon can get a copy of Bulletin 316 of the Geneva 
Station do so by all means, and study it all through. 
Protect yourself. Don’t call for new laws while the law 
of common sense will give protection. 
We see on page 81 how Kansas is interested in poison¬ 
ing prairie dogs. It is estimated that these animals in 
the “pan handle” of Texas alone eat enough grass to 
support 800,000 cattle and 4,000,000 sheep. 
