4Gi2 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FA EM EES PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850. 
Published weekly by the Rural Publishing Company, 409 Pearl Street, Sew York. 
Herbert W. Coli-ingwood. President and Editor, 
John J. Dillon, Treasurer and General -Manager. 
Wm. F. Dillon, Secretary. Mrs. E. T. Koyll, 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 
ns; 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 bo publicly ex¬ 
posed. Weprotect 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 
known to neighbors and friends, 
* 
Several farmers who have good fields of Alfalfa 
ask if we advise them to offer inoculating soil for 
sab. There is a good demand for such soil, but we 
would not offer a pound of it unless we were abso¬ 
lutely sure that the bacteria are found in plenty. Do 
not be satisfied with the growth of the Alfalfa or even 
with the nodules on the roots. Send a sample of 
your soil to the experiment station and let the soil 
chemists examine. If they find bacteria, learn how to 
dry and ship the soil and then go ahead. 
* 
It appears that several thousand of our people, in 
writing their Congressmen about parcels post, took 
occasion to deliver a blow at “free seeds.” They hit 
hard, and the blow was felt, for Congressmen came 
back with elaborate arguments in reply. Many packets 
of these seeds were sent right back to Washington. 
The Grange at Lisbon, Me., sent a large package to 
Congressman Swasey, and told him to keep them and 
spend his time and energy working for a parcels post. 
We did not know our folks were after this seed 
proposition too, but if they can hit two birds with one 
stone it shows good aim! 
* 
We have now read a large number of letters from 
Congressmen who undertake to explain where they 
stand on parcels post. Some of them are purebred 
bluffers, others are oily enough to kill the San Jose 
scale, others are wiser than owls in saying nothing. 
The most encouraging sign of all is that a lot of 
them are anxious. They show it in every line of their 
letters. We have some written on March 14 that are 
quite spunky and independent. Three days later we 
find the same men with all the spunk pulled out of 
them, and ready to agree to vote for a parcels post 
bill. When the first letters came they felt as jaunty 
as a man hit by a small raindrop. He does not need 
any umbrella, but before he realizes what is up a 
deluge strikes him and he runs for cover. That is 
what has struck these Congressmen. We can safely 
say that many of them never were hit so hard before. 
Congressman Sereno E. Payne and Senator Depew, of 
New York, have been made especial targets: The 
former started off with a great bluff, but has now 
actually agreed to urge the committee on postal laws 
to report a bill! We never felt more hopeful. Keep 
at them! We have got them going. 
* 
Wherever we go we find people eager to talk about 
the recent battle in Congress between the “insurgents” 
and “regulars.” It is surprising how clearly the com¬ 
mon people recognize the real issue in this contest. 
It is evident that the great majority of Americans are 
discontented with conditions and angry at the politi¬ 
cians who are held responsible. There has been dis¬ 
content in former times, but never anything quite like 
the present, for in other years the people have felt 
at heart that however they might try to reform par¬ 
ties or conditions the politicians would in the end 
regain control. Now they see why the “insurgents” 
are able to make their fight. These men are re¬ 
sponsible directly to the people. Through a system 
of primary nominations the voters get their hands 
directly upon the condidates, and through them upon 
Congress. It has been a great object lesson in popu¬ 
lar government. No one expects that all evil would 
immediately be wiped out if New York could have 
such a primary law as Kansas enjoys. The people 
would first have to learn how to use their new 
weapon, but would learn in time, and no one except 
grafters or political fakers would regret it. 
A crop that is sure to have a great influence upon 
the development of American farming is the Soy 
bean. While it may not take the place of Red clover 
or interfere with the spread of Alfalfa seeding, the 
Soy bean is sure to find a useful place on many farms. 
The grain gives an analysis nearly as high as linseed 
meal, while the stalks make a fine forage. In the 
South and West some remarkable results have been 
obtained from feeding it. In Europe and Great 
Britain Soy bean meal from Japan has become a 
regular feed product in the markets, reducing the 
price of other grain. It is one of the crops which 
American farmers must learn how. to raise. There 
seems to be no other way to cut down the fearful 
grain bills than to grow more of our protein food 
at home. Soy beans will help us do this, and we 
shall begin at once a study of this crop. 
* 
“No money for nothing:'’ is the cry. We don't want to 
know how to grow bigger crops, but we do need to know 
how to get decent or fair prices. The very fact of a 
bigger crop is a lever in the buyer's hand to lower the 
price. Manure, fertilizer, extra labor, etc., all go for 
nothing. e. w. 
This report comes from a potato section in Michi¬ 
gan where the crop is selling at 12 cents for GO 
pounds. Yet in the large markets potatoes retail 
at high prices. Right here workmen pay 25 and 30 
cents a peck. How much of the consumer’s dollars 
do these 12-cent farmers get? The dealers seem 
to have made no effort whatever to increase tne 
consumption of potatoes. They have held up the 
retail price and thus curtailed the demand, while the 
country .was so full of potatoes that you can hardly 
give them away. With any sort of decent liberality 
the dealers could have retailed the potato crop so as 
to increase the demand by 50 per cent. Instead of 
that they have held up the retail price, nearly ruined 
potato farmers and then let the report go forth that 
these farmers are responsible for high prices. 
* 
Pharisee! 
Fraud! 
Villain! 
Buncombe! 
Yellow. Journalism! 
Playing to the Galleries! 
Posing Before tlie Grandstand! 
Disgrace to a Noble Profession ! 
We make up this choice bouquet from the flowers 
of speech offered by our good friends of the night¬ 
shade” family. Gentlemen, we thank you for your 
kind attention, and for the admirable service you 
have rendered horticulture and the American seed 
trade. You may not care to accept our suggestion, 
yet we take the liberty of making it. Come out openly 
and manfully; defend the Wonderberry proposition in 
all its details; tell your readers the plant is all right 
and advise them to plant it. Why not? We under¬ 
stand Mr. John Lewis Childs to say that he sold 
350,000 packets last year. He also claims that this 
great army of planters proved the great value of the 
berry, and fully vindicated the claims made for it. 
You will hardly do us the honor to claim that The 
R. N.-Y. and its Knights of the Postage Stamp could 
overcome the influence of 350.000 strong “vindicators.” 
You gentlemen of the nightshade family have adver¬ 
tised this plant as ‘ The greatest boon to the family 
garden ever known.” Now, at the supreme test, come 
out openly and stand for it. That would be a very 
pleasing close to the Wonderberry discussion, which 
can now, so far as we are concerned, come to an end. 
By a vote of 40 to 9 the New York Senate de¬ 
clared that Jotham P. Allds accepted a bribe of 
$1,000. The case is now familiar to most of our 
readers. We waste no time denouncing Allds as a 
man. For years we have held him before the people 
as a corrupt, low and dangerous politician. Yet, bad 
as he is, he was only a representative of political 
conditions which have blighted public life in New 
York. Allds was for sale; he bought and sold men 
and traded like a butcher in the confidence and power 
which the people of his district gave him. The lead¬ 
ers of his party knew him for what he was, and yet, 
knowing this, they selected him as leader of the 
Senate—in line for the Governorship. These so- 
called “statesmen” were even determined to “white¬ 
wash” Allds, and it is generally believed that they 
would have done so had it not been for public opin¬ 
ion. Ten years ago the politicians could have marked 
out a “programme” and carried it through. This 
year the Senators knew that the end of any such 
political “programme” was political death. Technically 
a trial by the Senate, the case became a trial before 
an outraged public who had lost confidence in the 
men who were supposed to represent them. The 
one great truth shining all through this case is the 
fact that the only: safety for American institutions 
lies in a return to popular government. The politi¬ 
cians with their conventions have had their chance 
April 9, 
and have failed. They have made Albany a slave 
pen where men are bought and sold. The .country 
districts must take their share of responsibility for 
this, for we see from the story of Allds that they 
have been sending men who have betrayed them at 
every point. Once on the party ticket these men 
felt secure. The only way to get rid of these rascals 
is to nominate candidates by some system of popular 
election. If the Allds case wiil make the need of 
such a system clear it will be worth all it has cost 
in money and shame. 
* 
Reports from Washington are that hearings on a 
parcels post bill will begin at once. Up to March 
14 probably not one member of Congress out of 50 
would admit that the matter stood any chance for 
discussion. The Knights of the Postage Stamp with 
their blizzard of letters turned the scale. Do not pay 
any attention to people who say “you cannot do any¬ 
thing.” Now is the time to work and write. Let 
right after your Congressman again and again. He 
will finally start, and then he will not dare to stop. 
We think a majority of the House of Representatives 
will support a parcels post bill. The Senate will be 
harder. Here is a list of members of the Sc iate 
Committee: Boies Penrose, Pennsylvania, Chairman; 
Jonathan P. Dolliver, Iowa; Julius C. Burrows, Michi¬ 
gan; Nathan B. Scott, West Virginia; W. Murray 
Crane, Massachusetts; Thomas H. Carter, Montana; 
Charles Dick, Ohio; Jonathan Bourne, Jr.. Oregon; 
Simon Guggenheim, Colorado; Alexander S. Clay, 
Georgia: James P. Taliaferro, Florida; Robert L. 
Owen, Oklahoma; John II. Bankhead, Alabama ;* Rob¬ 
ert L. Taylor, Tennessee. It will depend very largely 
upon these men whether we have a parcels post or 
not. Further, the action these Senators take may 
depend upon what you do. 
* 
We had no thought of disrespect when we invited 
President Brown, of the New York Central Railroad, 
to tell us how increased production and more intelli¬ 
gent farming alone will settle the troubles of agricul¬ 
ture. It seems to us that Mr. Brown is the best man 
in the country to take up this question of the 35-cent 
dollar and discuss it. One would get the idea from 
his speeches that he believes the farmers get the 
entire dollar, or a large part of it. We ask him to 
trace 5,000 or more shipments of farm r/oduce on 
his railroad. Find what the farmers are'paid for this 
produce when they put it on the cars, and then just 
what it costs when retailed to the city consumer. 
Then take the difference between the consumer’s dol¬ 
lar and the farmer’s iprice and see who gets it! By 
doing this Mr. Brown would do a great service to 
farmers of New York and other States. If he would 
then go with these figures before public meetings and 
analyze the consumer's dollar among the consumers 
he would become a true public benefactor. And Mr. 
Brown might do this, not alone because it is a good 
thing to do, but because he is under some obligation 
to do it. The Marquette Journal contains an inter¬ 
view with a railroad man who estimates the value 
of a farmer to a railroad:— 
Every settler and farmer is money in the pockets of 
the city and- the railroad nearest him. Railroad men 
who have given the development of farming lands careful 
study declare that a farmer is worth a minimum of .$100 
Per year to the business interests of the locality in which 
he may elect to settle. A thousand settlers are worth 
$100,000; ten thousand. $1,000,000. Settlers are worth 
more to the railroads than long haul freight. The battle 
for freight has to he renewed with almost every shipment, 
but once a settler is located, he attends to the rest. His 
business flows to the railroad year after year. 
We think Mr. Brown will agree with us that the 
average farm served by the New York Central Rail¬ 
road is worth more than $150 directly and indirectly 
to that corporation, and this average will extend to 
at least 100,000 farms in New York. If farming is 
providing this amount of business for the New York 
Central, its president might well analyze the con- 
rumer’s dollar for his patrons! 
BREVITIES. 
We began seeding clover March 23. 
HOW much private trust have you in the public office 
holder? 
55 hat are the facts about accidents from bursting of 
air pressure sprayers? 
In theory hickory timber ought to be very valuable in 
a few years. That was what they told us about chestnut, 
but it is cheaper than formerly. Concrete is responsible. 
It is reported from Wisconsin that there was little 
frost in the ground early in January and that on spading 
the ground under big snowdrifts angleworms were turned 
out. 
“General advice” may be all right for those who know 
enough to generalize. A woman in Brooklyn was told 
that whisky would cure a cold. Her baby had a cold 
and she gave a tablespoonful of whisky. The child nearly 
died. 
A party of Dutch immigrants recently landed in New 
Y’ork. They had bought land in Minnesota, and travelled 
out there in a train carrying a dining car to serve Dutch 
food. Compare that journey with the immigrants’ trip 
of two generations ago. 
