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THE KURAI> NEW-YORKER 
June 4, 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER’S TAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850. 
Published weekly by the Rural Publishing Company, 409 Pearl Street, New York. 
Herbert W. Gollingwood, President and Editor, 
John J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wm. F. Dillon, Secretary. Mrs. E. T. Harts, Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.04, equal to 
8 s. 6 a., or 8*2 marks, or 10*2 francs. Remit in money order, 
express order, personal check or hank draft. 
Entered at New York Post Office as Second Glass 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 hacked 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 be publicly ex¬ 
posed. We protect suberibors against rogues, but wedo 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. 
* 
We have heard of an old soldier who had a farm, 
lie received a fair lot of back pension money in a 
bunch. He buried that money in his farm—buying tile 
drains and putting them in right. In the scriptural 
story the man who hid his money in the earth was 
punished, but this tile drainage form of burial was 
rewarded. I-Iow much better to use the money for this 
purpose rather than invest in Florida swamps or 
rubber plantations. 
* 
Last week we learned how prickly pear or cactus is 
used for stock feeding in Texas. The New Mexico 
Station has been experimenting with tunas for making 
denatured alcohol. Tuna is the Spanish name for the 
fruit of prickly pear. In Mexico and the southwest 
part of this country these fruits are eaten by the natives 
and yield, under good conditions, nine tons or more per 
acre. They are rich in sugar, averaging 10 per cent. 
An acre of tunas will produce abotit the same quantity 
of alcohol as potatoes. There are thousands of acres 
in the Southwest where nothing but cactus will grow 
naturally, but where that plant gives heavy yields. 
Very likely the future may find these deserts con¬ 
tributing food and fuel and light to the nation. 
* 
I wrote Hon. J. C. Burrows about parcels post and 
he replied that there was such a deficit in the postal 
revenues that there probably would be no action taken 
during the present session. He hasn’t answered since 
I asked him why the Post Office Department was ad¬ 
vertising for parcels post business with foreign countries. 
So far I haven’t heard of a Congressman answering that 
question. Posters have been put up in all post offices about 
here soliciting such business. A. M. B. 
Lapeer, Mich. 
In another letter to one of our readers Mr. Burrows 
complains that even his great plan of trying parcels 
post in two counties is likely to be killed by the Post- 
Master General. The reason given is that old bugbear 
of a “deficit” in the postal revenues. One great ar¬ 
gument for establishing a parcels post on rural routes 
is that it will increase revenues without increasing 
expenses. Did you ever see anything to beat the way 
these people play with the subject and offer excuses? 
What is the matter with them anyway? 
* 
Let us all understand the real point in this cele¬ 
brated milk case. Mr. Bellows proved clearly that he 
had suffered damage because milk from his dairy was 
rejected, by order of the Chief of the Sanitary Bureau 
of the New York Board of Health. We think he 
could also have shown, had the judge permitted him 
to do so, that this official exceeded his authority. The 
reason given for the nonsuit was the assertion that 
the New York city charter provides that 
Any official, like this health officer, acting under rules 
and regulations provided for his guidance by a department, 
shall not be liable to prosecution unless it can be shown 
that he had exceeded his authority, gone beyond the 
regulations or acted maliciously and in bad faith. 
The inference was that a suit like this one should be 
brought against the city or the Health Department, 
and that an officer acting under rules is not legally 
responsible. In answer to this counsel for Mr. Bellows 
submitted that there was no evidence showing that the 
milk was unwholesome or that the barn was unsani¬ 
tary. Rejecting this milk was, therefore, an arbitrary 
and unjust proceeding, and an interference with a 
lawful business. He also stated that while the Health 
Board might have jurisdiction in New York city it 
was out of all reason that its agents should go outside 
its territory and act in this arbitrary manner. The 
judge granted the nonsuit and it is probably a good 
thing that he did so, for any settlement of this matter 
that does not get down to the root of it is not worth 
considering. Technically the judge was perhaps right, 
for it may be claimed that the New York charter does 
make it difficult or impossible to reach an officer of the 
city government through the courts. The theory, how¬ 
ever, that New York city can reach out into the dairy 
country and treat dairymen about as the Czar of 
Russia treats his subjects is monstrous, and must be 
exploded. Dairymen all over the State, if not the 
entire country, should join in fighting this case up to 
the highest courts and into the Legislature if need be 
until the rights of milk producers are clearly defined. 
Money will be needed to put the case through. It will 
be better to make it a general subscription of small 
amounts, so that all who keep cows may take a hand 
in the fight. 
* 
The Geneva Experiment Station now has a herd 
of milch goats. This herd was presented to the State 
by Mr. Herbert Spencer Greims, and will be used 
for experiment purposes. The station will study the 
economy of producing goat’s milk and its value as 
food, Especially for invalids and children. We are 
glad this thorough study can be made. The milch 
goat is a pocket edition of a cow. and the time has 
certainly come when this useful little animal has a 
place in American dairying. -We are sure that the 
Geneva Station will make a thorough and exhaustive 
study of the goats. But do not. bother Dr. Jordan 
of the Station, with questions about these goats or 
with offers to buy them. He lias none for sale, and 
there will be nothing to tell until the goats have 
put their story on record. When the facts are ready 
the story will be told, but please remember that the 
Station is not in the goat business. 
* 
We have been talking about these good bacteria 
which work on Alfalfa—now for a few bad ones. The 
Colorado Experiment Station has found a stem blight 
or bacterial disease which is doing considerable damage 
to Alfalfa in Colorado. It appeared in late May, attack¬ 
ing the stems and leaves of the first crop, causing great 
loss. This disease is said to be due to a germ carrying 
the cheerful name of pseudomonas medicaginis. It is 
supposed to live in the soil and enter the plant through 
cracks in the young stems. Alfalfa is grown on such a 
tremendbus scale in Colorado that of course no treat¬ 
ment of spraying or sterilizing the soil is possible. The 
only suggestion thus far made is to clip the Alfalfa 
after all danger from frost is over. The best remedy 
in sight is to use varieties which can resist the blight. 
There are such varieties, and the Colorado station has 
been testing them for three years. T«he loss of the 
Alfalfa crop or of any large part of it would be a 
calamity to the West. 
* 
One of the most complete records of the labor 
cost of a crop we have yet received comes from R. P. 
Lovett, of Bucks Co., Pa. These figures are taken 
from past years’ operations. 
Days 
Days 
One Man 
One Horse 
Value 
One acre wheat. 
5% 
?I 7.50 
One acre corn. 
8*4 
34.25 
One acre potatoes.. 
. 20.2 
8 ¥2 
48.90 
One acre clover. 
*> 
5.40 
}ne acre oats. 
3% 
7.25 
In this figuring we have counted a day’s work 
for a man at $2, and for one horse, one dollar. The 
above figures arc the average for fields of eight 
acres of wheat, 12 of corn, 10 o-f potatoes, and so on. 
The cost of fertilizer must be added, as well as rent 
or interest on land, taxes, etc. Now the Department 
of Agriculture for 1909 gave the average farm value 
per acre of Pennsylvania as follows: corn $22.40, wheat 
$18.53, oats $13 and potatoes $50.70. According to this 
Mr. Lovett will lose money on each one of those crops 
if he charges labor prices. But what are those Depart¬ 
ment figures based on? What do they call “average” 
crops? We find they have figured on 32 bushels of 
corn, with no value for the fodder, 17 bushels of wheat, 
26 of oats and 78 bushels of potatoes. These are called 
“average” yields, which means that some farmers must 
be producing even less than the figures here given. Of 
course, in the case of grain the fodder or straw will 
add to the value of the crop, but it is evident that 
these “average” crops will not pay a farmer the price 
even of unskilled labor. 
* 
A committee appointed by the Massachusetts Leg¬ 
islature to investigate the cause of high prices has 
made some great suggestions. It is claimed that the 
high prices are caused by “a withdrawal from the 
land of people who should be tilling it.” Now that 
demand is passing supply, it is found that the tariff 
on farm products may possibly offer some “pro¬ 
tection,” and affect prices as it does manufactured 
goods. This committee therefore think such tariff 
should be removed. You see the point. Thus far 
tariffs on wheat, corn, etc., have been largely a bluff. 
We produced a great surplus in this country and 
exported large quantities of food. No other nation 
could afford to compete with our farmers in our 
own market. Still there was a tariff on these farm 
products. The manufacturers of iron or wool or 
leather and all the rest could say to the farmers, 
“Give us a tariff on our goods and you may have 
one on corn or cabbage or rye!” For over 40 years 
the farmers have actually agreed to such a trade. 
Now demand is growing so that food brings a higher 
price, and Canada, South America and Australia can 
ship grain and meat here to compete with American 
products. But as soon as “protection” for the Amer¬ 
ican farmer really means anything the proposition is 
to destroy it and make food cheaper to city workmen. 
All through these years the farmer has been expected 
to pay great prices for manufactured goods without 
/complaint in order that manufacturers (might be 
“protected.” Now they want him to keep on paying 
the high prices and accept less for his own products. 
It is about the same spirit that is prompting this 
scheme for “educating the agriculturist.” We heard 
nothing about it while the supply of food was so 
much in advance of demand that living was cheap 
for workingmen. As food became scarcer these 
workmen found the cost of living increased and they 
demand higher wages. It is this demand which has 
stirred up the railroad men and manufacturers to 
“educate the agriculturist” and increase the supply of 
food. For years farmers have been forced to pay 
high prices for manufactured goods, but they have 
been powerless to remove the tariffs which caused 
the high prices and maintained the monopolies which 
kept them high. Yet these are the very things which 
the railroads and the manufacturers are trying to 
do as soon as prices of food promise to give the 
farmers something of a chance. 
* 
Still another proposition is put up to Mr. E. G. 
Lewis on page 631. This is a photo-reproduction of an 
“interim receipt”, which may be called Mr. Lewis’s pet 
recipe for changing negotiable paper for which he is 
responsible into a non-negot-iable document when the 
customer or victim expects cash. Study this document 
in connection with the letter from Mr. Loomis and 
you will see through the game. Mr. Loomis was led to 
believe that when he returned those certificates the 
cash would be promptly forwarded. If he had not 
thought so he would not have turned' therrr over. As 
it is now the right to dispose of or handle his property 
has passed to this Trust Company. Mr. Loomis cannot 
touch it or even transfer his right in it except with the 
consent of the Trust Company treasurer. Nor is there 
anything on the face of this receipt which shows that 
the money is to earn anything, or even be paid except 
when the directors get ready. We observe that the 
recorder of this receipt is Mr. “L. Wind.” It would be 
hard to 'select a more appropriate name for a dispenser 
of hot air. 
Now if Mr. Loomis had put his money into a na¬ 
tional bank or some institution protected by Federal 
laws there would have been a very different story. 
If that national bank had repudiated or refused to pay 
its notes or other obligations, schemed and twisted 
to cal] in real evidence of obligations and substituted 
papers like this “interim receipt,” and all the time 
kept on trying to attract new money by working simi¬ 
lar schemes it would have been liable to criminal prose¬ 
cution. Yet we have shown that this is what Mr. 
Lewis i-s doing. We have about 50 different unpaid 
claims aggregating $20,000. Among other defenses 
made by Mr. Lewis is the claim that not long ago he 
bought a church! It would seem to us very much 
more of a Christian duty to pay these bills rather than 
take “other people’s money” with which to buy 
churches. 
BREVITIES. 
This is the season when drainage pays for itself in 
a single year. 
You will see that these Massachusetts milkmen are still 
putting up their fight. 
On page 584 we located Mr. C. Q. Eldredge and his 
Catalpa trees on the Connecticut River. Ilis place is really 
on the Mystic River. 
This scheme of feeding nux vomica to chicks in order to 
kill hawks is a new one to the authorities. They should 
try the “cure” on a few chicks. 
Fight the flies. Do not wait to kill them with poison 
and fly paper, but prevent their breeding in horse 
manure. Keep them from the manure or plow it under 
frequently. 
Further evidence as to the value of self-boiled lime- 
sulphur as a substitute for Bordeaux comes from the 
Tennessee Experiment Station. For peach rot and scab 
the lime-sulphur proved superior. 
A florist who has just, finished setting 105,000 carna¬ 
tions in the field says that his four planters averaged 
setting 20,000 plants a day. How does this compare with 
the average day’s set of cabbage plants? 
We wish to thank the 40 or more persons who have 
sent 11 s clippings from the Boston Post and other papers, 
headed “Brands Burbank a Faker." It is the report of a 
lecture by Prof. E. M. East. We are unable to reply to 
them all personally. 
