479 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FA EMEU'S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850. 
Published weekly by the Rnral Publishing Company, 409 Pearl Street, Itew York* 
Herbert W. Oollingwood, President and Editor, 
John J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wm. P. DlLION, Secretary. Mrs. K. T. Hoyle, Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.04, equal to 
8 s. 6 d., or 8*2 marks, or lOH: 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 we do not guarantee 
to adjust trilling 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. 
* 
Back to the farm! That seems to be the advice 
they are giving a lot of people who never were on 
the farm anyway. The advice is better for those 
who are on the farm now. Get your back right up 
against it, and put up a light for its interests. 
* 
You may remember the “glandered horse case” on 
Long Island. We gave the story of the trial. There 
was evidently a gang of rascals handling diseased city 
horses, “doctoring” them and selling to farmers. When 
these horses showed all the signs of glanders the 
farmers often killed and buried them quietly, believing 
that mere ownership subjected them to punishment. 
A bill at Albany this year includes an amendment to 
the law. Should this bill pass, not only the man 
who sells a glandered horse, but any other, “who being 
the owner offers for sale or causes or permits to be 
sold or offered for sale, any horse or other animal 
which by reason of incurable disease or lameness, or 
for other cause could not be worked or used without 
causing the animal pain or suffering, is guilty of a 
misdemeanor.” 
* 
A large number of Congressmen have now come to 
the point where they say they are “insulted.” The 
insult consists in asking them the four questions about 
their position on parcels post. We printed the ques¬ 
tions and will take the responsibility for them. Thou¬ 
sands of our readers copied them and had a perfect 
right to send them to the Congressmen. It is too bad 
these gentlemen have such tender feelings. They 
remind us of the man in “Hope Farm Notes” who 
wants to know how to prevent his hands from blister¬ 
ing. The advice is to keep on working and harden 
the blister. Our advice to readers is to keep right 
at the Congressmen until they say yes or no on parcels 
post. We told you to begin with that this was to be 
no children’s game, but a fight to the political death. 
If they fall back upon their dignity plaster the dignity 
with stamps. 
* 
On April 19 there will be a special election in the 
Thirty-second Congressional District of New York 
to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Congressman 
J. B. Perkins. This district covers the County of 
Monroe, including the city of Rochester. The op¬ 
posing candidates are Geo. W. Aldridge and James S. 
Havens. The R. N.-Y. does not care which political 
party a man belongs to. We got over the habit of 
caring year-s ago. In these days the question to ask is. 
What does the man represent by his personal character 
and his public associations? There is a moral issue 
involved in the contest between Mr. Aldridge and 
Mr. Havens which is far more important than any 
political question. Mr. Aldridge accepted money from 
the insurance companies. It was a political gift, and 
no one doubts that a political equivalent was given. 
The State has just been humiliated in the eyes of 
the world by the shameful story of “graft” and 
bribery at Albany, and we believe that all decent 
men are eager for a chance to strike a blow which 
will emnhasize their disgust. The men of Monroe 
County have their opportunity in this special election. 
A vote against Aldridge is a vote against “graft” and 
what it represents. Next Fall, with another candidate, 
they can take up other issues, but right now Is the 
time to strike at insurance bribery and the gang that 
has so long cursed New York. Two years ago the 
country towns in Monroe County, outside of Rochester, 
polled 14,916 votes, and gave a larger majority for 
Mr. Perkins than did Rochester, with 43,621. We 
appeal particularly to these country voters to meet 
the issue on the highest ground. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
Whenever an argument is made for parcels post 
or government control of telephones and telegraphs, 
we are told that this country is so large that it is 
impossible to copy the things which have proved 
successful in thickly settled Europe. No one will 
call Western Canada a thickly settled country, yet 
government owned telephone systems have proved 
very successful. In Alberta government control has 
reduced the yearly telephone cost from $25 and $20 
to $24 and $15. In Saskatchewan the reduction is 
from $24 and $35 to $18 and $25, and so on. The 
Alberta government owns all the telephone lines and 
operates them. The money needed to buy the lines 
from private corporations is obtained from the sale 
of provincial bonds. Under this system the number 
of telephone subscribers has grown from 14,000 to 
30,000. In many other ways Canada is securing public 
utilities for the people. On this side of the line our 
own “statesmen” seem to fear that the people cannot 
be trusted to run their own business. 
* 
The Lupton bill is peacefully sleeping in the law 
committee of the New York Assembly. That is a 
fine cradle in which to pass into the “sleep that knows 
no waking.” With a committee composed largely of 
city lawyers, this Lupton bill is more likely to receive 
laudanum than milk. And yet here is a bill which 
gives New York produce shippers genuine protection. 
Under it the commission men will be obliged to give 
bonds for $10,000, be subject to fair investigation, 
and compelled to give prompt returns. We have had 
many cases sent us for settlement where, under the 
provisions of the Lupton bill, collection could have 
been quickly made, whereas as the law now stands 
nothing could be done. We believe this bill would 
help the legitimate commission men also, but there 
seems little use arguing with them. The farmers can 
get that bill out of the law committee if they will 
work for it. Once before the Legislature we think 
it will pass. By all means get after your Assembly- 
man at once, and urge him into action. 
* 
The Hon. Henry F. Rainey, of the 20th District 
of Illinois, is particularly in need of postage stamps. 
In reply to one of our readers Mr. Rainey says 
you cannot copy European postal conditions in this 
country. There are no great mail-order houses across 
the water, he says, while here there are so many of 
these great concerns that parcels post would ruin the 
country merchants! Mr. Rainey must think he is 
talking to a lot of feeble-minded children. His own 
statement is the best argument yet for parcels post, 
for, if we believe him, we must conclude that it has 
driven out the mail-order houses and given an ad¬ 
vantage to the country merchant. We believe it 
would operate in that way, but Mr. Rainey’s stupid 
attempt to help (?) the country storekeeper proves 
too much. This Congressman goes on to say that 
only four or five people in his district have asked 
him to work for a parcels post, while thousands are 
against it. Mr. Rainey represents Brown, Calhoun, 
Cass, Greene, Jersey, Mason, Menard, Morgan, Scott 
and Pike counties. Farmers in these counties ought 
to shower letters upon Mr. Rainey until he thinks 
of his own name. 
* 
It is evident that thousands of city men will try 
their hand at farming this year—for the first time. 
Some of these gentlemen know it all, or at least a 
very large part of it, and they give loud evidence of 
their knowledge. Next Fall this knowledge will be 
somewhat trimmed, but, like a well-pruned tree, it 
will be better for the cutting. Gentlemen, if you 
feel a strong desire to “show these old farmers how 
to do it,” keep it to yourself until the “showing” is in 
sight. Follow the sign of “Brag” and you will travel 
to humiliation, if not disgust. Take it from us, 
those “old farmers” will most likely beat you at the 
game until you have learned by experience. Go slow 
and do not try to tear the whole farm up the first 
year. Do not start in with large flocks and herds. 
Far better make your mistakes on two cows and a 
dozen hens. After all is said and done, you will find 
the hay crop about as well suited to your capacity as 
any you can raise, and do not believe that it is abso¬ 
lutely necessary to feed all the hay on the farm. With 
chemicals and lime you can keep up the yield from 
your meadows after they are once well seeded. The 
city farmer may well become a true hayseed, and 
let fancy crop growing alone. 
* 
What can be said for Senator J. C. Burrows, of 
Michigan? When our readers began to write him 
about parcels post he thought it was child's play. 
Then he seemed to think it a joke, but step by step, 
as the letters came, he began to realize that this de¬ 
mand was the real thing. His excuse was that since 
he was on the committee to consider postal matters 
he could not in good taste give an opinion. When 
our folks heard that, they went after him harder 
than ever, for you can always make a better score 
April 16, 
when you can locate the bull’s eye. The letters came 
so fast that Senator Burrows decided to do something, 
so he introduced a bill for a trial of parcels post. You 
will find this bill on page 481. If a hungry man called 
for a full dinner which belonged to him and you 
offered him a tooth-pick, you would come just about 
as near satisfying him as Senator Burrows does the 
people in introducing this bill. He actually proposes 
trying an experiment in tivo counties. There are 
only 2,905 counties in the country, and he does not 
even say who is to select the counties. In wording 
his bill he has done just about all he can to kill the 
“experiment” before it starts. Do these public men 
really take the farmers for fools and children? It 
looks like it, and the time has come to make them 
learn better. 
* 
There are a great many kinds of trees that a nursery¬ 
man cannot substitute without knowing it. and such 
substitutions, I think, the nurseryman ought to suffer 
for. That is. on large orders. On such kinds I think 
the nurseryman will soon be willing to give an adequate 
guarantee, particularly on large orders. On small orders 
for a few trees of a kind, I do not think he can ever 
afford to give more than the usual guarantee. There 
arc too many chances for error, and the work is so heavy 
at that time, so much must be left to help. 
The above is written by a nurseryman who says 
that his mind is changing on this question of guar¬ 
anteeing trees. A few years ago. when one nursery¬ 
man bought trees of another, few questions were 
asked. We understand that now demands are made 
for information regarding vanieties, and also as to 
where the buds came from. Thus the nurserymen 
realize that buyers are waking up to the point where 
some form of guarantee will be required. We are 
told that already several firms are preparing to offer 
guaranteed stock, for which a special price will be 
charged. It is also suggested that •nurserymen might 
issue a form of insurance in some standard company, 
with a stated sum to be paid in case the trees prove 
untrue to name, and the premium expense to be 
divided between buyer and seller. The problem is 
developing—no doubt about that—and we believe it 
will be solved. 
* 
In the eight months ending March 1 there were 
imported into this country 199,065 bushels of potatoes, 
valued at $125,619. During the corresponding months 
of last year the imports were 2.796,950 bushels, valued 
at $1,146,368. A year ago native potatoes sold at 
$2.25 to $2.75 per barrel, with foreign at $2 to $2.25. 
The retail price was 25 to 30 cents a peck. This year 
the wholesale price is $1.25 to $1.50, with the retail 
price practically the same as last j-ear. One leading 
grocer makes what he calls a remarkable offer of 
100 pounds for $1.25! On the farms potatoes are 
slow of sale at 15 to 25 cents for 60 pounds! Now 
this has been a hard and expensive Winter for many 
city people. Cheap potatoes would have been a bless¬ 
ing to them, because this vegetable can be cooked in a 
dozen ways to provide nourishing food. Yet the 
dealers seem to have done nothing to increase the 
consumption of potatoes. They could have sold at 
15 cents a peck and made a good profit and increased 
sales by 50 per cent. This would have relieved the 
situation and made a market for thousands of bushels 
which will now be wasted or fed to stock. Instead 
of doing this, the dealers have arbitrarily held up 
the price, and thus spoiled the market. We wish 
to have President Brown, of the New York Central, 
tell us why, with such a condition in the city, farmers 
should grow more potatoes. 
BREVITIES. 
Tell us about homemade cement drain tile. 
Do not start a peach nursery in a peach orchard. Give 
the little fellows a chance. 
You, hen men, plan this year to turn the males into 
roasters before they become roosters. 
Well, gentlemen, will the center of your barrel of 
apples show up better than the nurseryman's packing 
case? 
Several States report laws prohibiting drunken men 
from entering mines. Why not also prohibit them from 
occupying the surface of the earth? 
It is reported that California will supply 52,000,000 or 
over one ton of ladybird beetles to melon growers and 
gardeners, who are fighting plant lice. 
If you think you can make good citizens out of your 
children by throwing them out with no self denial or 
labor on your part—“there’s where you make a mistake.’ 
We hear from a man on a rented place who is top¬ 
working a number of old trees. lie says he may not eat 
the fruit, but he has the fun of doing it, and the future 
tenant will be the better for it. That’s what wc call good 
spirit. 
Every Spring brings anew the question of what to do 
with trespassing hens. The law does not give you the 
right to shoot them, but if you should do so the owner 
can only sue you for their value. Your legal course is to 
sue for the damage they do. 
The R. I. Experiment Station reports a true hybrid 
between a ringneck pheasant and a bantam hen. Out of 
26 eggs of this cross only one was fertile. Three other 
alleged hybrids have been obtained from Ohio, but it 
seems probable that they represent merely a cross be¬ 
tween Brown Leghorn and a small P. Rock hen. 
