700 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
July 30, 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850. 
Published weekly by the Rural Publishing Company, 409 Pearl Street, New Pork. 
Herbert W. Collingwood, President and Editor, 
John J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wm. F. Dillon, Secretary. Mrs. E. T. Koyle, 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 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 
usj 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 suberibers against rogues, but we do not guarantee 
to adjust trifling differences between subscribers and honest, respon¬ 
sible advertisers. Neither will wo bo 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. 
* 
Read “Parcels Post In Politics” on the next page 
and get ready for action at once. There is not a toxvn 
in the State that would not be interested in such a 
resolution. This is the way to make public sentiment 
which the politicians understand. 
* 
Mr. Crawford on page 756 tells us of a great crop 
of raspberries. We want the true figures showing 
what one acre has been made to produce. We are not 
after “big stories” so called, but actual and practical 
results of intensive culture. It makes no difference 
where the acre is located—tell us what come off it 
and how it was grown. We will take it out of the 
“big story” department. 
* 
And now what about Whiting the nurseryman? 
Our last report was that he had been indicted by the 
grand jury of Orleans Co., N. Y. On trial he was dis¬ 
charged—the papers against him having been loosely 
drawn. It will be remembered that Whiting took 
$20,000 or more in orders for nursery stock. The 
buyers claimed misrepresentation and organized in a 
refusal to pay. They seem to have held out, and we 
cannot learn that Whiting has been able to collect 
much. He will not work that county again. Look 
out for him this year in some new locality. 
♦ 
Vetch as a cover crop! It is surprising how the 
plan of sowing a crop to cover the ground in late Sum¬ 
mer and Fall has developed. 1 nc combination of Crim¬ 
son clover and turnips has given us satisfaction, yet 
clover seed is very high and without doubt Crimson 
is a failure in many places. Vetch and rye has been 
recommended as a good combination. We have seen 
good results from seeding vetch, but our own experi¬ 
ments with it were not successful, and we went back 
to Crimson clover and turnips. The evidence for 
vetch is too strong, however, to permit any one 
failure or a series of failures to condemn it. Our ad¬ 
vice is to give vetch a fair trial—alone, if desired, and 
with rye. 
* 
We know from experience that the plan of seeding 
clover and grass with turnips suggested on page 756 
will work well in many cases. This season we have 
watched a piece of grass seeded in this way which 
made a fine showing. As for the manurial value of 
turnips it is true that the chemist finds little beside 
water in them, but they should not be judged by their 
water, but by their works. Wherever a turnip crop rots 
in the ground you may be sure of a fine and mellow 
soil which will mark the crop that follows. It is 
probable that the turnips make potash and phosphoric 
acid available for other crops. At any rate they make 
a showing. 
* 
In your paper this week I see E. K. W., of Michigan, 
says he has had a ticket to the side show, and now 
wants to enter the main tent. I have had both, and 
want to remain for the “concert,” so find the price, $1. 
Pennsylvania. s. b. p. 
We can only say that “by a strict attention to busi¬ 
ness we hope to merit those favors which it will be 
our constant endeavor to deserve.” Among other 
“concert” attractions it is likely that we shall be able 
to promise a continuance of the unrivalled quartette 
consisting of Mr. Luther Burbank, tenor; Mr. J. L. 
Childs, bass; Mr. E. G. Lewis, soprano, and several 
well-known gentlemen to alternate in singing alto. 
There will also be the usual full chorus. While The 
R. N.-Y. has not enjoyed a course of music at the 
famous People’s University, we will try hard to pro¬ 
vide an instrumental accompaniment for the above- 
named gentlemen. 
Some months ago we replied to a question about 
the Standard Nitrogen Company. Agents of this concern 
were selling bacteria for inoculating soil, and offering 
stock in the company. Our advice was and is not to 
buy the stock. We received a long letter from the 
Standard Nitrogen Company in which they say: 
With regard to finance, we have pleasure in informing 
you that we never counted on your support for selling our 
securities : we think we are justified in asking other peo¬ 
ple to join us, considering the fact that it is our money 
principally which lias made nitrogen bacteria a subject for 
wide discussion and use in America. 
This concern was certainly wise in not counting on 
our support for selling its stock. Our constant advice 
to readers is to let such issues of stock alone. The 
world is full of people who try to obtain capital in 
this way. Some are honest but visionary people who 
really think they have a sure thing. Others are 
fakers pure and simple, but all are after the small 
investor and his money. When any concern is so 
anxious to sell stock as to use it like a premium 
or chromo to sell goods you may recognize earmarks 
of a scheme to be let alone. 
* 
Other People’s Money ! We have not been able to 
think of any better title for the financial operations 
of Mr. E. G. Lewis. He seems to consider it appro¬ 
priate, for in a recent issue of his paper he takes this 
title for a text. 
“When a captain is placed in charge of a great ship 
loaded with a valuable cargo he is given in trust 
other people’s money.” 
Very likely Captain Kidd, the noted pirate, made 
the same argument. As a boy the writer heard stories 
of hunts that were made along the New England 
coast for Captain Kidd’s buried treasure. It was never 
found, for the old pirate showed as great skill in 
hiding “other people’s money” as Lewis has shown in 
tying it up, so that the owners cannot touch it. Take 
some of the cases we have exposed. Five or six years 
ago people sent money to Lewis's bank. When this 
bank failed these people could have received 87 cents 
on the dollar in cash, but Lewis wanted the money, 
and offered to pay them one dollar if they would let 
him have the 87 cents. Now, if a depositor had taken 
the 87 cents and put it in a savings bank at four per 
cent, at the end of five years he would have had $1.04. 
With Lewis and his “interim receipts” and various 
stocks or bonds these same people have had practically 
nothing at a-11 except promises and a very cheap brand 
of taffy. In the case of Mr. Reed Verguson, page 729, 
money was sent for a short-term investment, but in¬ 
stead of sending the money back when demanded the 
Lewis people kept it and exchanged Mr. Verguson’s 
negotiable paper for a “receipt” which he cannot en¬ 
force! When a “captain,” who, by the way, was self- 
appointed, loads his great ship in that way he seems 
a worthy successor of Captain Kidd. It is “high 
finance” in this century to take “other people’s money” 
through a gilded bait and change it into a document 
which renders this great captain “not legally liable for 
one penny.” Two centuries ago it was piracy—and 
ended at the yardarm when the “captain” was caught. 
* 
The large milk dealers who supply New York City 
have increased the retail price to nine cents a quart. 
In some of tl.e suburbs the price is 10 cents, and 
probably this price will be made later in the city. Of 
this increase of one cent the dealers claim that they 
will offer the farmers half a cent and keep the other 
half themselves. Last Winter an investigation was 
made by the State Attorney-General. As a result the 
grand jury found indictments against several of the 
large dealers for conspiring to regulate prices. As a 
result most of the dealers cut the price to eight cents. 
Now they go back to nine cents, and this will be 
regarded by the public as plain defiance of the Legis¬ 
lature. It is a good thing to have it come in this way, 
for now there must he a clearing up like that in Bos¬ 
ton. The public must he made to understand just 
where the difference between the farmer’s price of 
three or 3]/ 2 cents and the retail price of nine cents 
goes to. In figuring cost of distribution the milk 
companies claim that a fair dividend should be paid 
on stock. John B. Coleman, who conducted the inves¬ 
tigation last Winter, states that the Borden Company 
has a total capital stock of $25,000,000. Of this 
$15,428,40S.26 was issued for “trade marks, patents 
and good will”—not representing any investment by 
the Bordens. Yet, in order to justify the high retail 
price and the low price to farmers it is claimed that 
dividends must be paid on this “water.” During the 
year ending September 30,*1909, net profits of $2,917,- 
029.40 were made by the Tordens. Squeeze out the 
“water” and this means 28 per cent. To make it look 
reasonable the company paid six and 10 per cent on all 
its stock, and during 10 years laid aside in addition 
$8,824,230.50 as a “surplus.” All this immense sum 
has come out of the difference between what the farmers 
receive and the consumers pay. Other dealers show 
very much the same profits, and they were earned 
with milk at eight cents. Now that this part of the 
business has been opened up it must remain open 
until we know what it actually costs to distribute a 
quart of milk. If those dealers are to figure in good 
dividends on watered stock as a part of their expenses 
there is no reason why the farmers should not demand 
fair profits on their invested capital and fair wages 
for themselves. The first thing for farmers to do is 
to get the figures of cost of production so clear that 
no one can disprove them. Then go to the consumers 
and prove that the price which farmers receive is 
not fair. 
* 
New York City now has an ordinance forbidding 
the sale of food stuffs except by true weight or meas¬ 
ure. Poultry may be sold in other manners, but must 
be weighed if the customer demands it. There is a 
penalty of $100 for each offense in using false weights 
or measures, and what is even better, a similar penalty 
for manufacturing false scales for weighing. The in¬ 
spectors recently seized and destroyed over a ton of 
bogus scales which had been used for cheating custo¬ 
mers. What with doctored scales and “loaded” pack¬ 
ages many retailers have for years been robbing the 
poor. This in part accounts for the great difference 
between retail prices and what farmers receive. The 
New York City government ought to follow this ordi¬ 
nance right up, and stop the disgraceful cheating from 
which the people have suffered. 
* 
The Interstate Commerce Commission has a great 
problem in hand. The railroads are sending in de¬ 
mands for increased freight rates—at an average of 
over 700 per day. It is of course impossible to inves¬ 
tigate and settle any such number off hand, and thus 
the Commission will suspend the proposed new rates 
and take time to investigate. The new rates all de¬ 
mand an increase—the average being about 20 per cent 
over present charges. Under the old law these new 
rates would have gone into effect at once, and the peo¬ 
ple would have been held up for months before the 
Commission could act. Probably some increase will 
eventually be allowed, but nothing like the demanded 
2t) per cent The real basis for deciding a reasonable 
rate is the “physical valuation” of the railroad. There 
was a clause in the new bill providing for this, ,but it 
was knocked out in the final struggle. As it is the 
new law is a great step in advance—one of the most 
important laws enacted during recent years. 
* 
Glorious news! A parcels post convention has 
j.ust been ratified between this country and Austria- 
Hungary. A resident of Budapest can now mail to 
his friend in San Francisco a package weighing 11 
pounds for $1.32. Do Americans have the same privi¬ 
lege as this foreigner enjoys? No. If a man in 
Trenton, N. J., wishes to mail 11 pounds of mer¬ 
chandise to Philadelphia or New York he must put 
it in three separate packages and pay $1.76 postage! 
There is not a member of Congress who has not had 
the shameful folly of this situation rubbed into him, 
and yet Congress adjourned without even considering 
a fair parcels post bill. The thing is so clear and 
plain that there is no use fooling or dallying with 
these Congressmen any longer. They are now looking 
for election, which means that you have them where 
they must stand up and say yes or no. This parcels 
post proposition, and what will grow out of it, is the 
most important thing which country people have to 
consider. We would not vote for any man who re¬ 
fuses to pledge himself to work for a parcels post bill. 
We urge our readers to take the same position, put 
the candidates on record and absolutely refuse to vote 
for any man who will not work for a parcels post. 
Don’t let them bluff or wheedle you into thinking 
this is an insignificant question. Stay right by them 
and act. 
BREVITIES. 
Some men will study science 
Till they have it all by heart. 
You ought to see them analyze 
And pick the world apart. 
And yet they never “get there,” 
Never help their fellow men, 
They know less of human nature 
Than the dullest setting hen. 
Lime and sheep for the old pastures. 
Try a little Alfalfa—even a garden patch. 
Better try a little vetch as an experiment at least. 
The many who ask about the “Clark” method of seed¬ 
ing grass are referred to the article on page 723. 
The arguments for more sheep in New England are 
unanswerable, and yet they remain mostly argument. 
“I have tested the Wonder berry, and think it is all that 
is claimed for it—by The R. N.-Y.,” says L. W. It., of Maine. 
An excellent bulletin from the Michigan Experiment 
fetation, by Dr. Beal, gives pictures and descriptions of 
seeds of Michigan weeds. 
Who? “This will make 50 times I have subscribed for 
this paper. Who has done better? I am now 82,” says 
P D. Yeofleld, Minneapolis, Minn. 
If the Mr. Pullen mentioned in Hope Farm Notes comes 
and offers to “treat” some of your trees a connection be¬ 
tween his nose and his name would be useful. 
