140 
THE RUR-A.lv NEW-YORKER 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850. 
Pabllabed weekly by the Kara! PubiishinR Company, 400 Pearl Street, New Fork. 
Herbert W. Collingwood, President and Editor, 
John J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wm. F. Djllon, 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 8*2 marks, or 10*2 francs. Remit in money order, 
express order, personal check 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 ourcolumns, and any such swindler will be publicly ex¬ 
posed. We protect subcribers against rogues, but wedo not guarantee 
to adjust trifling differences between subscribers and honest, respon¬ 
sible advertisers. Neither will wo 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 
known to neighbors and friends. 
* 
“When are you going to stop talking about that 35 
cents of the consumer’s dollar?” 
If all questions were as easy as that life would be 
free from trouble. We shall stop when the farmer gets 
a larger share, or when some one proves that he gets 
it now! 
* 
We would like practical information about treating 
seed potatoes to prevent the scab disease. Will read¬ 
ers who have obtained results tell us what they used 
and how they did the work? 
* 
One of our readers 'sends a good report of his 
farm operations, and says, “Perhaps your readers will 
not care for a record of these modest achievements, 
since so many big stories of great success are being 
reported.” He ought not to feel that way. Our 
people see through the “big stories” and know them 
for what they are. The hope for real advance in 
farming lies along the line of safe methods and 
sensible reports. 
* 
For some years Edison has been at work upon an 
improved storage battery for electricity. Last week 
he gave a successful exhibition of it—driving a street 
car bolding 20 people. It is said that this battery 
will drive the car 150 miles with one charge. A 
cheap and easily handled battery would make a great 
change in many forms of industry. On farms the 
power from a windmill or running stream could be 
used to charge the battery, which could then be car¬ 
ried where work of a wheel was to be done. Thus 
far, we understand these batteries have not been 
practical for farm use. Give us one of moderate 
cost and reasonably easy to operate and we can put 
it to a dozen uses. 
* 
Be sure to read the article on parcels post in Great 
Britain, page 126 . You will see how country people 
are able to send produce direct at fair rates. Under 
these rates a 10-pound package would cost 24 cents 
by mail. The express companies have been obliged 
to come down to near this rate also. In this country 
the 10 -pound package would cost 80 cents by mail 
and 40 to 50 by express, for a short distance. Now 
suppose hereafter whenever you pay postage or ex- 
pressage you figure just what the price would have 
been in Europe or England. Let us have such figures. 
We can use them to good advantage. Let 11 s make 
our Congressmen tell us why in this “glorious Re¬ 
public” we must take dust from the “worn-out mon¬ 
archies.” If they will not tell let us get new ones 
who can tell! 
* 
I note you occasionally give instances of tbe charges 
that go to make up the express company’s “melon.” I re¬ 
ceived to-day an order for goods to be shipped by express 
to Texas. Before doing so I inquired the rate, and found 
that it would cost $20.71. The goods cost. $20 and 
weighed 325 pounds. I find it difficult to express in ex¬ 
purgated language my opinion of such things. p. b. c. 
Maryland. 
Of course you do, and it is a sign of progress 
rather than something to grieve over. You can now 
see what parcels post would do. Very likely you 
did not realize it before. The evidence of this rob¬ 
bery must come home to a man before he will get 
ready to fight. Of course, it is hard to realize that a 
man will fight over a dollar and merely shrug his 
shoulders over a principle, but we must take human 
nature as we find it, and keep hammering until more 
men feel the teeth of the express companies in the 
pocket book. 
North, East, South and West, the oleo men are 
working every game known to bluff and politics to 
repeal the present law and permit the untaxed sale of 
colored oleo. In the East they print letters about 
“the poor man’s butter” in the city papers. In the 
West they tell beef cattle men and hog men that 
oleo will give an increased value to beef and hog fat. 
In the South they talk cotton-seed oil. One of them 
recently said at Memphis: 
The South, as a section, should be especially interested 
in (he effort, which we are making to bring about the repeal 
of the Grout hill. The cotton-oil industry has grown to 
rank among the leading factors in the upbuilding of the 
South, and we should resent the protection of the dairy 
interests at the expense of those of our own people. 
For years it has been one of the greatest mysteries 
of American industry that the Southern members of 
Congress should support oleo. There is no part of 
the country so desperately in need of the things which 
dairying will bring to the farm and the farmer. With 
its long season and ability to grow the clovers and 
similar crops the South ought to produce its own 
supply of butter, with thousands of tons for export. 
The dairy cow would give new life to entire sec¬ 
tions—build up the soifand furnish what the Southern 
people so greatly need—a cash crop. With a herd of 
dairy cows properly fed a Southern farm could pro¬ 
duce more cotton and at a cheaper cost per pound, 
since the fertilizer bill could be cut in two. In view 
of these facts could anything be more stupid or ill- 
advised than this talk about “resenting” the protection 
of the dairy interests? There is the whole thing in a 
nutshell. The oleo men would if they could break 
down the dairy industry by coloring cotton oil, lard 
and beef fat and selling them as butter. 
* 
Interest in this “Wonderberry” discussion is grow¬ 
ing every day. We receive all sorts of communica¬ 
tions. One of our readers has just sent a copy of 
the “Transactions of the Homeopathic Medical So¬ 
ciety” for I860. In this volume of 40 years ago 
there is a picture of a black nightshade plant which 
might pass for a Wonderberry. In discussing its 
medical history this statement is made: 
“The berries of the black nightshade (Solanum nigrum) 
have caused extraordinary convulsions of the limbs, and 
also delirious raving. It is, therefore, probable that this 
plant will do good in what arc called ‘possessed persons’ 
(madness, with extraordinary, emphatic, often unintelli¬ 
gible talking, formerly considered prophesying and the 
gifts of unknown tongues, accompanied by convulsions of 
the limbs), especially when there are at the same time 
pains in the region of the stomach, which these berries 
also produce, in large doses. As this plant causes ery¬ 
sipelas of the face, it will be useful in that disease, as 
lias already been ascertained from its internal employ¬ 
ment.” 
The principle underlying homeopathy is “that a 
drug is capable of removing morbid conditions, nat¬ 
urally existing, which are similar to those it is capa¬ 
ble of producing.” On this theory it appeared that 
black nightshade should help those who talk too much, 
who have convulsions of the limbs—or “kick,” who 
are afllicted with pains or give them to others, and 
those who have an enlargement of the face or cheek. 
There are many who have followed this discussion 
who will now have a decided opinion as to why our 
friend, John Lewis Childs, is fond of eating Wonder- 
berries. In this same volume of “Transactions” are 
recorded a number of cases of nightshade poisoning. 
In the case of two boys these symptoms are given: 
“They stretched their hands during the spasms as if 
they would grasp something!” 
We might suggest a diet of Wonderberries for those 
papers which show such symptoms when they glance 
at Mr. Childs’ advertising appropriaton! 
* 
The daily papers have been crowded of late with 
scare heads and long articles on the “meat boycott.” 
If we were to believe these reports thousands of city 
people all over the country are signing pledges to 
give up eating meat. The object of this is to force the 
meat dealers to cut their prices. From our own in¬ 
vestigation we conclude that this “boycott” will not 
prove of any great benefit except to the meat packers. 
It is by no means as serious or widespread as the 
daily papers would have us believe. Sensational news 
is scarce, and these papers make as much as they can 
of the protest of consumers against the awful price 
of food. Most people would be better off if they 
would eat less meat, but if you want to know how 
hard it is to make the public “better” themselves in 
this way—try your arguments on your meat-eating 
friend or family! The great majority of people will 
eat meat so long as they can pay for it, and they will 
often buy it with money which ought to go for other 
things. As a result of this “boycott” there may be a 
slight reduction on some grades of meat, and if this 
is made there will be a much larger cut in the price 
paid to farmers for live stock. The packers and 
middlemen will see to it that under the present method 
of distribution the farmer holds his 35 cents of the 
dollar or a little less. There is a bill before Congress 
February 5. 
to prohibit the storage of perishable products for 
more than six months in the District of Columbia. 
Secretary Wilson went last week before the committee 
which is investigating the subject and said: 
I am gathering proof now which will demonstrate that 
the food products of the American farm are being sold in 
foreign countries cheaper than in the United States. This 
is not due, as some have said, to the excess of production 
over consumption and the necessity for‘getting rid of 
the surplus abroad. It is due to the trusts: just to the 
trusts. I cannot find out all I want to on this subject, 
for I cannot compel people to testify. But I will get 
the data to prove this statement I have just made. 
Market reports in London indicate that the English 
people can buy meat at least 30 per cent cheaper than 
the consumers in New York. The “Meat Trust” can 
actually ship meat across the ocean and retail it 
cheaper than the same grade of meat sells for in 
America! And under present conditions this trust 
can laugh at the “boycott.” They can cut down the 
price they pay to farmers, buy cheaper cattle and 
carry the meat in storage until the public come back 
and buy it. 1 he consumers are feeling the pinch of 
high-priced necessities, but how many of them realize 
that for years farmers have also faced high prices for 
what to them are necessities? Many of them have 
borne with patience and self-denial burdens of debt 
and expenditure far more serious than those which 
now confront the consumers. The great hope that we 
have is that the consumers will now see that they 
should combine with the producers and not blame 
them for high prices. Suppose there could be devel¬ 
oped a demand for parcels post as strong as that re¬ 
ported for the “meat boycott!” We should have that 
reform within six months! 
* 
We invite a careful study of Mr. Heaton’s figures 
on the first page. Many attempts have been made to 
give the value of a good apple tree as a commercial 
proposition. We have frequently been told that such 
a tree will “pay the interest on $100.” Such loose 
statements do far more harm than good, for they 
lead inexperienced people to go into the business of 
orcharding in the expectation of making “easy money.” 
Mr. Heaton’s estimate of $400 per acre or $10 per tree, 
and a profit of 10 per cent on this valuation is very 
conservative compared with some of the remarkable 
stories that are offered. Our own trees do not cost 
that much to bring to bearing age, as they are not 
highly cultivated, still we are not yet prepared to say 
that they will yield as many apples as the cultivated 
trees. We shall he glad to have Mr. Heaton’s figures 
analyzed and discussed, for it is surely a foundation 
necessity for us to know the cost. It is only fair to 
say that some of the shrewdest fruit growers in the 
country are beginning to feel that apple tree planting 
is being overdone. They argue that millions of 
young trees have been planted annually for the 
past few years—a large part of them by experienced 
and business men in large commercial orchards. 
1 hese trees will be well cared for, and in a 
few years will he in bearing—adding vast quantities 
of high-class fruit to the present supply. All this 
is true, and if it were the only side there would be 
danger of serious over-production. On the other hand 
the great majority of town and city people do not 
have anywhere near the apples they need and desire. 
With a better system of distribution and sale the 
market for fruit could be doubled. We believe there 
is danger of over-production with the present ex¬ 
pensive methods of distribution. Put small packages 
of apples within easy reach of the consumer and the 
orchards will not be able to supply the demand. 
BREVITIES. 
Why, yes! We favor handling or footing the rogues 
and rascals with felt boots. 
In stony parts of Great Britain the “waller” is in de¬ 
mand as a farm faborer. He builds stone walls. 
Phosphate lands in Idaho, Utah and Wyoming, to the 
extent of 2,551,399 acres, have been withheld from public 
entry. 
How long do you think it would take you to appreciate 
the difference between “ordinary cleanliness” and “bac¬ 
teriological sterilization” ? 
It is estimated that an acre of good soil supports as 
great a weight of earthworms and other insects as it 
will of animals which live above ground. 
The Government holds public coal lands valued at 
$149,772,443. Less than four years ago the value of these 
same lands had been placed at $48,240,971. 
BLionT has done so much damage in Montana orchards 
that one grower writes us : “I look to see it change our 
system of orcharding altogether, and eliminate our two 
leading market apples, Alexander and Transcendent crabs.” 
The papers report Burbank as saying that he is rather 
glad the Carnegie Institute took the $10,000 away from 
him ! There is a cheerful soul ! It would not annoy us 
to try Burbank’s $10,000 for proving the Wonderberry is 
a black nightshade. 
Speaking of parcels post, a man living in Scotland. 
England, or Ireland can send by mail one package weigh¬ 
ing 11 pounds to Montreal or elsewhere in Canada for 73 
cents. An American w T ithin five miles of the line would 
he obliged to pack the goods in three packages and pay 
$1.76. This is “the land of the free.” 
