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THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
November 12, 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established. 1860 . 
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. 
Wm. F. Dillon, Secretary. Mrs. E. T. Hoyle, Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.04, equal to 
8s. 6 d., or 8*2 marks, or 10*9 francs. Remit in money order, 
express order, personal check or bank draft. 
Entered at New York Post Office as Second Class Matter. 
Advertising rates 00 cents per agate line—7 words. Discount for timi 
orders. References required for advertisers unknown to 
us; and cash n ust 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 we be responsible for the debts of 
honest bankrupts sanctioned by the courts. Notice of the complaint 
must be sent to us v ithin 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. 
# 
* 
The Government has now taken up the question of 
making industrial alcohol from waste farm crops. A 
bulletin from the Agricultural Department discusses 
the use of cull potatoes for this purpose. There is no 
encouragement for the plan of using small stills on 
each farm. As The R. N.-Y. has claimed from the 
beginning, the only practical plan is to locate a fair- 
sized still at some central point, like a creamery or 
beet sugar factory. This bulletin gives figures to show 
that such an outfit would require an investment of 
about $12,000. It should handle 8,000 pounds of pota¬ 
toes each working day. The figures given show that 
a fair profit could be made out of cull potatoes at 25 
cents per 100 pounds or 15 cents a bushel, and this is 
apparently about all that could be paid for them. If 
enough alcohol were made to reduce the price even 
less than 15 cents could be paid for the potatoes. 
We believe they could be cooked or steamed, mixed 
with bran or oats and fed to stock so as to realize 
more than 15 cents a bushel. In some districts where 
potatoes are largely grown the distillery may furnish 
a profitable side line, but we have no great hope that 
it will become common in this country. We would 
not discourage experiment, but the capital required is 
large for farmers to raise. 
* 
The report of the legal case over “substituted trees,” 
printed last week, shows that in New York at least 
the probable value of an orchard will be considered 
by a jury. We have often stated our own position 
in this matter. If but a small proportion of the trees 
were untrue, we should not make serious trouble about 
it, for anyone who has ever seen work in a nursery 
knows the liability to make mistakes. If on the other 
hand a large number of such trees proved misfits we 
would make the nurseryman settle for it if possible. 
With every large order we should proceed so as to 
make a legal case if needed. We would write on the 
face of every order that we refused to accept any sub¬ 
stituted trees or plants. The order must be filled as 
written or not at all. When the trees came we would 
have the boxes identified by witnesses, and be able to 
prove that the identical trees of this order were the 
ones planted on a certain piece of ground. Some claims 
for damages have been lost because the fruit growers 
could not prove that the trees in question were actually 
the ones delivered by the nurseryman. Keep your 
freight bills, duplicate orders and all documents. We 
advise our people to keep out of court if possible, and 
one of the best ways of keeping out is to be ready in 
every particular to go in if necessary with a complete 
case. 
* 
The great farm prosperity which we all desire can¬ 
not be built upon a 35-cent dollar. Just as long as 
the handlers average 65 cents of every dollar which 
the consumers pay for food and clothing, prosperity 
will be lop-sided. That form of agricultural educa¬ 
tion which merely teaches the farmer to grow larger 
crops will fail unless that same farmer can obtain 
more of the consumers dollar. The great foundation 
question in American society to-day is how to bring 
producer and consumer closer together and get rid 
of useless middlemen. For these useless middlemen 
are being supported by both producer and consumer 
out of the earnings which ought to go to take care 
of their own families. Add 15 cents out of the con¬ 
sumer’s dollar to the farmer’s share and there would 
be the greatest development of the “home market” 
ever known in the world’s history. For in every 
American farmhouse there are crying wants which 
would be gratified if this increase could be made. 
The extra 15 cents would aggregate millions of dol¬ 
lars, and practically all of it would be spent for neces¬ 
sities and luxuries. This would provide business for 
manufacturers and labor for workingmen, because 
the money would be widely distributed. We have 
proved over and over again the facts of this 35-cent 
dollar. We shall now make it so clear that no one can 
dispute the figures. This is necessary in order to 
show producer and consumer where the real trouble 
is. You cannot do better than to help by supplying us 
with true figures and facts. We do not want ex¬ 
aggerated cases, but actual returns from commission 
sales and retail prices. 
* 
SAMUEL W. BOWNE. 
Mr. Samuel W. Bowne, the owner of the building 
which houses The Rural New-Yorker, and a man of 
important business connections, died at his home, 35 
West 57th street, New York City, on October 29. Mr. 
Bowne was a native of Orange County, New York, 
and a farmer's boy of New England ancestry, his par¬ 
ents having moved from Connecticut during his in¬ 
fancy. At his father’s death, the son assumed man¬ 
agement of the farm and the responsibility of the 
family. This was at an early age and the farm and 
the family were subjects of concern and care to him 
to his last days. He, however, left the farm in early 
manhood, and found employment in the city, but later 
became a member of the firm of Scott & Bowne, which 
he controlled personally for some years and amass id 
a large fortune. He was a success in the business 
world. But it is not of his fortune or his business 
that''I wish to speak. Samuel Bowne was a man, an 
honest man. He was a big man, and the biggest things 
about him were those attributes of sentiment, fellow¬ 
ship, devotion, loyalty and sympathy that we call heart. 
The man controlling millions in his city office, was as 
simple and affable as the boy in the farm barn. His 
wealth was freely used in helping others, and his pride 
in the success of those he assisted was scarcely less 
than in his own merited success. He was a devoted 
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and con¬ 
tributed liberally in both time and money to its mate¬ 
rial and spiritual advancement. If fault he had it was 
but the over-development of a virtue. Scrupulously 
honest himself, he had little patience with the rogue; 
tender to the misfortune of others, his charity was at 
times misplaced; it was sometimes said that his ready 
generosity made virtual pensioners of his beneficiaries; 
but his heart was too big to count the cost when mis¬ 
fortune or need had a claim on his sympathies. En¬ 
joying his confidence for many years, for want of a 
better name I called him a friend; but somehow he 
seemed nearer to me than the term friend would 
imply. He gave inspiration and encouragement to my 
first week’s work for The Rural New-Yorker. Later 
he encouraged and patronized the policies and enter¬ 
prises that have been responsible for its development 
and growth. He was a friend to this paper because 
of bis conviction that it shared his sympathies for the 
welfare of the farm. He was a friend to me, and out¬ 
side of my family ties there was no man whom I held 
in greater affection. john j. dillon. 
* 
During the coming season strong efforts will he 
made to boom the “everbearing” or Fall-hearing straw¬ 
berries. There are several varieties which give real 
promise. They do produce fair crops of fruit in late 
Summer and through the Fall. In skillful hands they 
can be made profitable for a limited market. We have 
corresponded with many growers—some of whom sell 
plants while others sell nothing but berries. We think 
the opinion of the latter class is most useful to the 
average grower. It is to the effect that the berries 
can without doubt be grown, but that the market for 
them will be limited. Some sales at 25 cents or more 
per quart are reported, but as everyone knows, that 
trade is limited, and the Fall strawberries will come 
in competition with grapes, apples, in fact five fruits 
where the Summer berry meets one. We take a con¬ 
servative view of this novelty. It would be as easy 
to plunge in it as to jump into ginseng, Belgian 
hares, mushrooms or the other high flyers that have 
laid the hopes of suckers low. Our advice is to buy a 
few plants from reliable dealers, and give them a 
fair trial. As is always the case, the plant fakers 
will attempt to sell a lot of trash at a high figure. 
For instance, we are told that F. B. Mills will offer 
seedlings of the old Alpine berry, while the Gardner 
Nursery Co. is reported to have a stock of seedlings 
of the Pan-American for sale. Do not buy seedlings 
of these varieties. If you cannot get the plants from 
true varieties do not touch the thing at all. Do not 
be induced to plunge into everbearing strawberries on 
a large scale at first. It is a fair proposition to try 
out, but do not get e,xcited over it. 
No matter which party obtains a majority in Con¬ 
gress the cause of parcels post has gained ground. 
Every candidate had the question put up to him so that 
he cannot plead ignorance. Every week some new 
robbery on the part of the express companies makes 
active workers for parcels post. Now is the time for 
the farm papers to begin a persistent fight for this 
privilege. The express companies will hang to their 
graft as long as they can, but a new force is coming 
to help us. That is the great development of auto 
trucks. These will enable many local express com¬ 
panies to start up once more. Thirty years ago there 
were hundreds of them, but the railroads had a monop¬ 
oly of transportation, and the little men were frozen 
out. The auto trucks using the public highways or, 
later, tracks made specially for them, will take more 
and more of the short haul business. There is now 
suggested an auto express between New York and 
Boston. It can make the run in about 30 hours, and 
carry parcels for less than half the present express 
rates. That is what is coming, and it will be welcome, 
for every step of competition with the express com¬ 
panies brings us nearer parcels post. 
* 
We have asked several times why the New-York 
farmer cannot make drainage loans from the Govern¬ 
ment. Canadians have that privilege. They borrow 
public money to he used in draining land, and the 
township becomes responsible for it and collects pay¬ 
ment as taxes. Why not the same privilege on this 
side of the line? We are answered by the New York 
Constitution, Section 9, Article 8: 
Neither the credit or money of the State shall be given 
or loaned to or in aid of any association, corporation or 
private undertaking. This section shall not, however, 
prevent the Legislature from making such provision for 
the education and support of the blind, deaf and dumb 
and juvenile delinquents as to it may seem proper. Nor 
shall it apply to any fund or property now held or which 
may hereafter be hold by the State for educational pur¬ 
poses. 
We are advised that it would also be unconstitu¬ 
tional for the town or country in New York to loan 
funds for such purposes. In our judgment the Cana¬ 
dian law is the wiser of the two. In no way could 
public money he used to promote the public welfare 
better than for increasing food production and increas¬ 
ing the value of farm property. These things are 
surely done by farm drainage, and that work abso¬ 
lutely requires cash capital. Since under our present 
laws the State and the town cannot handle this mat¬ 
ter, the banking laws might be changed so as to per¬ 
mit investments in drainage loans. Many banks now 
hid keenly for the chance to buy road bonds or school 
bonds issued by townships, yet such bonds are not 
surer than the drainage bonds issued by Canadian 
towns. There is no good reason why banks should 
not loan money for draining suitable Eastern farms. 
Farm values have now struck bottom, and are sure to 
rise as they have done in the West. The railroad 
managers and other gentlemen who are so anxious xo 
improve our agriculture cannot do better than develop 
some plan for farmers to obtain cash loans for drain¬ 
ing their wet lands. 
BREVITIES. 
The moment rum gets into a business—get out of the 
business. 
3 he North Dakota College has a six weeks’ course in 
managing gas engines. 
Save the bones left on your own farm and buy what 
you can to pack with wood ashes. 
We modify the old doctor’s advice to keep the head 
cool, the feet warm—and eat apples. 
If the ground is not frozen, you can still set a few 
Spring bulbs to beautify the dooryard. 
It is claimed that a spray of two pounds sulphate 
ot iron in one gallon of water will kill out chickweed. 
Has anyone proved this? 
The courts decide that a woman has no grounds for 
legal separation because her husband is an idle shirk. 
She should decide that in the original courting. 
A mulch around the young trees now may save them 
after this drought. It will hold off freezing for a time, 
and give the trees time to get hold of water enough for 
Winter. 
Is there a sound reason why a New Jersey or Long 
Island potato grower should always buy northern seed? 
Would 
of his 
he do better to try 
own ? 
to select 
“pedigreed” 
seed 
The 
London “Gardener’s 
Chronicle” 
says that 
the 
“Salwey peach'’ (not Salway, as we usually spell it> was 
raised by Col. Salwey in England from a peach stone 
brought from Italy. 
Put this down. There will be no successful eo-opera- 
tion among farmers unless two or three strong minds can 
master the business and fight it through. The best 
service that most of the members can do is to follow the 
leaders without complaint. 
For the next two months the poultry keeper needs all 
his courage and nerve. lie should feed his hens to the 
full, and yet he cannot expect them to pay him for GO 
days at least. The only way to make them pay later is 
to fill them now without hope of immediate gain. It 
takes courage. 
