824 
THE RURAE NEW-YORKER 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Home*. 
Established 1850. 
Published weekly by the Rural Publishing Company, 409 Pearl Street, New York, 
Herbert W. Collingwood, President and Editor, 
John J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wsi. P. Dilion, Secretary. Mrs. E. 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 lO'n 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 our columns, and any such swindler will be 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 ns 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. 
* 
As this is the season for using lime we are all in¬ 
terested in lime reports. We see from the article on 
first page that lime showed itself in clover and oats, 
but hurt rather than helped the corn. This agrees 
with the general verdict. From choice we would use 
lime in the Fall when seeding to grass or grain or 
Alfalfa, and, of course, work it well into the soil. 
The oat crop appears to vary in its appreciation of 
lime. In the experiment at Cornell the oats were 
strong where the lime had been left. We have had 
much the same experience. On one field at the 
Rothamsted farm the land became quite sour. Barley 
failed in this soil, but oats grew well. There has been 
a rushing business in lime this Summer, and most 
people apparently have bought the ground limestone in 
preference to burned lime. The burned lime when put 
in the soil sooner or later returns- to its original form 
of limestone, and the argument is therefore—why pay 
for the burning? 
♦ 
We look for the greatest pack of tree agents this 
Fall that ever took the road. Interest in fruit growing 
is spreading, and every new insect or plant disease 
which troubles the growers will give the tree fakers a 
new chance to tell a big story. They are already at 
work. From North Carolina comes the following tale: 
One of the firm sold me the trees, and he claimed that 
as all their trees were grafted or budded on whole stock 
roots they were far superior to other nursery trees. He 
also claimed that as their pear trees were grafted on full 
stock roots they would be exempt from blight; and that a 
borer would never attack a healthy peach tree. lie said 
the borer was the same worm that attacked diseased forest 
trees. 
It would be a little discouraging to think that any 
old reader of The R. N.-Y. would actually believe such 
stuff. Such statements that blight and borers will not 
attack trees rooted in any peculiar way is nonsense so 
simple and childish that it is hard to find sympathy for 
grown-up people who believe it. When a man comes 
along with any such yarn stamp him as a fake at once 
and do not put your name to any paper he may offer. 
* 
Many of the great American daily papers make 
themselves ridiculous when they attempt to discuss 
farm matters, but for pure, unadulterated, mule stu¬ 
pidity we will back the New York Times when it takes 
up a farm problem. Here are a few extracts from a 
recent editorial: 
Three millions of farmers are about to imitate the bad 
example of some other large classes of citizens and organ¬ 
ize for action in politics according to their class interests. 
These farmers propose to establish a Domesday book to 
be ready for use in the approaching Congressional elec¬ 
tions. The object is to “defeat such members of Congress 
and other public officers as are deaf to the demands of 
agriculturists for laws advancing their interests.” This 
puts politics frankly on a basis of selfishness, instead of 
patriotism. There can he no such thing, rightly speaking, 
as a “law” to advance any interest except the public in¬ 
terest. When farmers or unionists or Socialists or any 
other class of citizens seek any other object than the uni¬ 
versal good they debase American citizenship. 
This is the old story which has been solemnly told 
all these years. The farmer ought to be satisfied to 
remain a patient beast of burden. The trusts, the big 
“interests,” the railroads and the labor unions use their 
ballots or their money to make politicians serve them, 
but the farmers, strongest of all, must go right on ac¬ 
cepting wllat the parties throw to them, satisfied with 
a bone when they deserve and can obtain the entire 
roast. If the 3,000,000 farmers mentioned will stick 
right to their good resolutions and knife every candi¬ 
date who will not listen to a fair demand, they will do 
this country the greatest service of the last 40 years. 
Take the single question of a parcels post. There is 
no more important question than this for country peo¬ 
ple, yet neither of the great parties will go on record 
as favoring it. Let a farmer step up as usual and vote 
for the candidate selected for him without exacting any 
pledge and we shall have another Congress just like 
the last one—with men neither hot nor cold. We are 
dead tired of these “careful consideration” fellows, yet 
we shall have nothing else so long as we take such 
advice as the New York Times throws in. The time 
and the election have met when we should carry out 
this Domesday plan to the letter and absolutely refuse 
to vote for any man who will not guarantee to vote 
for a fair parcels post. Let us begin at once and make 
the candidates go on record. Pin them down if you 
can, and send us the report. Before election we will, 
if possible, print their names and tell where they stand, 
and then we can all get at work where our work will 
count. 
* 
STATE REGULATED MILK PRICES. 
John B. Coleman, who conducted the New York 
milk investigation lasf Winter, advocates a milk com¬ 
mission which is to regulate milk prices, both the 
price to farmers and to consumers. In a series of brief 
articles we wish to take up and analyze Mr. Coleman’s 
argument, for this matter of fair prices of milk is one 
of the most important links between the city and the 
country. The present milk prices have become a public 
menace, because milk distribution in our large cities is 
controlled and dominated by corporate bodies which 
fix prices both to producer and consumer in the most 
arbitrary manner. While these middlemen are grow¬ 
ing rich the milk producers grow poorer, while the 
consumers are held up to their limit. Milk is properly 
called “the necessity of life.” It is more necessary 
than bread or meat. Adult people could if necessary 
exist without bread and meat, but society could not 
long exist without pure milk. Many young children 
cannot be properly nursed, and for them milk is ab¬ 
solutely essential. There are also many invalids so 
weakened that they cannot assimilate any food except 
pure milk. To deprive these persons of a milk supply 
would mean sure and prompt death. This cannot be 
said of any other single article of food, hence milk is 
the most necessary food article brought to the city for 
sale. Therefore anything which restricts its free sale 
or which interferes with its supply or fair distribution* 
and raises its prices, is of direct importance to the 
State. If a corporation formed for the purpose of 
carrying people from place to place or for providing 
water, fails to give fair service the State will step in 
and compel such corporation to attend to its business 
properly. The excessive railroad rates and unjust dis¬ 
crimination in favor of certain shippers forced the 
Government to regulate such traffic—which it does 
through the Interstate Commerce Commission. The 
principle is clear that when a common necessity is mon¬ 
opolized so that both producer and consumer are un¬ 
justly treated’ the State should interfere and compel 
the middlemen to be fair. The State is even more 
interested in having a good supply of pure milk 
handled at a fair price in the large cities than in regu¬ 
lating freight or passenger rates on the railroads. Un¬ 
less the producers can obtain a fairer price for their 
milk they will be justified in abandoning dairy farm¬ 
ing, as many have already done. The State cannot 
compel men to continue to produce milk at a loss, and 
unless these farmers can make a fair profit there will 
ultimately be a milk famine. A milk commission 
could prevent this by regulating milk prices in such a 
way that the “milk combine” now operating in this 
city could no more fix arbitrary rates than the rail¬ 
roads could now ignore the Interstate Commission. 
There can be no denial of the fact that milk is a neces¬ 
sity and that the State has power to protect its citizens 
from robbery. In future articles we shall follow the 
argument that farmers are producing milk at a loss, 
that the large milk dealers are making extortionate 
profits and that the State has legal authority to regu¬ 
late prices. 
* 
My subscription to The Rural New-1'orker soon ex¬ 
pires, but as yet I bave not made up my mind whether to 
renew or not. There is nothing the matter with The 
R. N.-Y., but I am so disgusted with the average farmer 
that instead of “back to the farm” it will be a case of 
my back to the farm and the city for me at the first 
opportunity. The rot about reform becomes sickening 
when you realize that the very people (the farmers) com¬ 
plaining about being down-trodden are the very ones 
ready at the least provocation to part with the principle, 
party and everything else for the measly dollar. 
Once in a while, not often, we get a letter like the 
above. We have traced back several of them and 
found the reason for this soured spirit. In one case 
it was a “know-it-all” man who found fault with his 
neighbors because they would not take his advice. In 
another case a city man went out to “show those old 
farmers how to do it.” Again a man started in to 
“reform” the entire neighborhood at once. He forgot 
that the habits of his new neighbors had been fixed by 
August 27, 
several generations. He became “disgusted” because 
these hard-headed men would not accept him and his 
theories at his own valuation. In still another case a 
politician tried to work himself into office and the 
farmers spotted him. These men are too impatient. 
They would take the crook out of an old apple tree or 
expect an oak tree to grow to full size in one year. 
No reasonable man expects a sudden revolution in 
country life. It would be foolish to deny that solid 
and substantial improvement is going on. Country 
people are reading and thinking more than ever be¬ 
fore. While these impatient people may become “dis¬ 
gusted” they cannot hold back the real growth of 
country life. If, instead of assuming this childish at¬ 
titude, they would live so that at least one young 
farmer would select their life as a model they would 
help their country. When men come talking this way 
we feel like reminding them of the man who was cured 
of the “unclean spirit.” This means that he was 
brought out of depression and doubt and evil thoughts 
to hope and clean ambition. He wanted to go out and 
tell the world about it, but this was the command: 
“Return to thy own house and show how great things 
God hath done for thee.” 
- * 
We invite a careful reading of the letter from Mrs. 
Robert W. Tener—printed on the next page. As in 
all previous cases, we print the address of Mrs. Tener, 
so that anyone may verify her statements. The strong 
featyre of this matter is the fact that in April Mrs. 
Tener criticized us vigorously for what we had said 
about Mr. Lewis. She did not spare words in telling 
us what she thought, and she repeated the old Lewis 
arguments which we now have by heart. Fully believ¬ 
ing the promises made by Lewis, Mrs. Tener began a 
fair and impartial investigation with the result that she 
now says: “I am now largely of your opinion of Mr. 
Lewis, though I have yielded unwillingly to this con¬ 
viction.” Here is a woman of ability with a keen, pene¬ 
trating mind who cannot be fooled by nonsense or 
plausible promises. We knew that sooner or later such 
women would see through the Lewis schemes and 
take care of them properly. Our object all through 
this controversy has been to collect the honest and 
legitimate claims which our readers have against 
Lewis. In a recent issue of the Woman’s National 
Journal he says that seven years ago he invested 
$12,000 in railroad stocks. Last week he tried to sell 
this stock, but was offered only $5,000. Then he says: 
If I were to demand of the president, of that railroad 
that he purchase my stock and make good my loss, I 
would be the laughing stock of the business world. Yet 
that is the demand made on me and the attack that is 
directed at me. 
That seems to be a characteristic Lewis argument. 
We hold claims which are based on notes given for 
money lent to Lewis on his various enterprises. If he 
had lent money to that railroad and it had positively 
agreed to pay it back on a certain date, he would have 
forced the payment when they tried to make him take 
“interim receipts” in place of his cash. He would have 
been a “laughing stock” if he had not done so. What 
we ask Mr. Lewis to do is to pay money which he has 
repeatedly promised to make good, but has failed to 
do so. Women like Mrs. Tener are well qualified to 
settle the League proposition. What we want is a 
settlement of those claims. 
BREVITIES. 
Eggs will go soaring in price this Winter. 
One of the first principles about nitrate of soda is not 
to use it in the Fall! 
The recent article on vetch has started up a flood of 
questions. Try the crop this Fall. 
It is still possible to get a fair crop of barley and peas 
this season. The Canada field pea is a cool weather plant. 
Our Eastern people can hardly realize how the business 
of grinding Alfalfa hay into meal has developed in Kansas 
and nearby States. 
The mushroom frauds are tuning up for their faking 
chorus. They want to sell you spawn and stock in a large 
company. We begin right now to say—let them alone. 
Ip you save your own potato seed take the best and 
most vigorous hills. Mark them before they die. In our 
own field five per cent or so of the vines are stronger than 
the rest. 
It is said that usually a comparatively few hills in a 
potato field produce most of the small potatoes. This 
means when the crop has had good care and has matured 
so that most of the tubers are well grown. 
This small seed indicates inherited traits and if used it 
will simply give more small potatoes. Therefore if you 
pick your seed from the bins and use little tubers that 
is what you will grow. By picking the best hills in the 
field you take advantage of inheritance instead of being 
the victim of it. 
Every farm report from Japan and China speaks of the 
great increase of the trade in Soy beans. The beans are 
crushed, oil extracted and the meal has become a standard 
stock feed. Why not get all this on your own farm? 
Do not get the idea that Crimson clover will do well on 
poor land. It needs good soil to make even a fair show¬ 
ing, a»d is a crop to be fed with potash and phosphoric 
acid. The cow pea is the best legume we know of for use 
on poor land. 
