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THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER 
A Notional Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes 
Established isso 
Published weekly by the liiiral Publishing fomiiiuiy, 383 West SOth Street, New Vork 
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. 6d., or 
8k. marks, or 10 k 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—? words. 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 respon¬ 
sible person. We use every possible precaution and admit the advertising of 
reliable houses only. But to make doubly sure, we will make good any loss 
to paid subscribers sustained by trusting any deliberate swindler, irrespon¬ 
sible advertisers or misleading advertisements in our columns, and any 
such swindler will be publicly exposed. We are also often called upon 
to adjust differences or mistakes between our subscribers and honest, 
responsible houses, whether advertisers or not. We willingly use our good 
offices to this end, but such cases should not be confused with dishonest 
transactions. We protect subscribers against rogues, but wo will not be 
responsible for the debts of honest bankrupts sanctioned bv the courts. 
Notice of the complaint must lie sent to us within one month of the time of 
the transaction, and to identify it. you should mention The Rural New- 
Yorker when writing the advertiser. 
“ THE FAVORITE HEN/’ 
0 more entries for the hen contest can possibly 
he accepted. IVe already have nearly four 
times as many hens offered as ice can utilize 
this year! We had no idea the suggestion icould 
prove so popular. Within 10 days after the an¬ 
nouncement we were fairly swamped with offers. 
Full particulars in the next magazine number of 
Woman and Home. 
* 
T HERE has been some little mix-up regarding 
the Summer field meeting of the N. J. State 
Horticultural Society. It is to be held on the 
farm of John II. Barclay, at Cranbury on August 5 
(Wednesday). It was first called for an earlier date 
but owing to a death in Mr. Barclay’s family a 
change was made necessary. Remember now that 
the meeting will he held on Wednesday, August 5. 
R USSIA seems to be the great vetch country— 
where this crop has performed its greatest 
miracles as a soil improver. Large quantities 
of the seed sold in this country come from Russia. 
Thus far one great drawback to seed production 
here has been the difficulty in separating the vetch 
seed from rye or other grain grown with it. Now, 
we understand, a little separating device used in 
Russia is made in this country—giving good satis¬ 
faction. Such a machine will enable the farmers of 
a community to separate their own vetch seed and 
the result will be a great increase in this wonder¬ 
ful manurial crop. 
* 
W E judge that the meeting of the Connecticut 
Poultry Association at Storrs, on July 29-31, 
will be a storm center. The utility men and 
the fanciers are likely to have it out. We think the 
sparks will fly—and that is the chief mission of a 
spark. And by the way to do you notice how that 
“sour milk” pen of American Leghorns is crawling 
up on those English Wyandottes? They have stead¬ 
ily cut down the big lead of the English birds. We 
expect to see them win or come so close to it that 
there will be little margin. It is as interesting as 
a yacht race or a polo match and 50 times as use¬ 
ful. Good luck and many eggs to the American 
Leghorns. 
* 
R EPORTS from France are that steam plowing 
is increasing quite rapidly in parts of that 
country. This will surprise many who have 
long been taught to understand that France is a 
nation of small farms on which hand labor is chiefly 
employed. It seems that even in France the labor 
problem and farm desertion are present and are 
changing the character of agriculture. In the old 
world thousands of boys and girls are bred to farm¬ 
ing—through long generations of peasants. One 
would think such people would be ‘‘born farmers” 
and as such be fully content to remain on the farm. 
Yet it seems that even among this class the world¬ 
wide restless spirit is driving the best and more ad¬ 
venturous to the city. Thus French agriculture must 
change to a system which requires less hand labor. 
It would be impossible for the individual farmer to 
own a steam plow. Cooperative societies have been 
organized which buy these plows and rent them to 
the members. These societies combine and raise the 
money, buy the plowing outfit, and charge a large 
enough rent to pay running expenses, a fair profit 
and a surplus large enough to pay for the plow in 
a few years. The charge for plowing six inches deep 
is about $3.50 per acre, while 10 inches or more 
deep costs $5.40. The fact that such rents will 
pay expenses, a profit and also pay for the plow is 
a mighty argument in farm cooperative work. 
U S. CONSUL WEIJDELL reports from Athens 
m a strange thing: “It is stated here that a 
committee representing a number of Greek 
families located at New York has addressed the 
Greek Ministry of Finance stating that they are 
prepared to return to their native land provided the 
Government will assist them and will also assign to 
each family a farming plot in Macedonia, say about 
17 acres for each family. The settlers would be 
prepared to pay five per cent, of the purchase price 
of the land in advance and the balance in install¬ 
ments. It is believed that the Government is con¬ 
sidering favorably the petition of the Greek com¬ 
mittee.” 
These people came to this country in the hope of 
obtaining homes. Instead of getting out upon the 
land they were induced to remain in New York City 
where there is no possibility for them to secure 
land. Under the circumstances they will bo better 
off to return to their own country. But what a 
singular outcome—going back to the old world to 
obtain land! 
♦ 
Y OU see we stay right by this bumper wheat 
crop and its effect upon society. If we were 
living under a scientific combination of the 
golden rule and the law of supply and demand the 
bumper crop would jar the millenium a little nearer. 
The consumers would have cheaper bread while the 
producers would have far more money to spend for 
necessities or even luxuries. All this would start 
the wheels of trade and there would be a great busi¬ 
ness boom. The Hon. Bumper Crop would be elected 
unanimously as permanent president. That is a 
pleasant dream but the facts seem to be all against 
it. First, the price of wheat! Dean Jardine of the 
Kansas Agricultural College urges farmers to hold 
all the wheat they can away from the market: 
The present price, which is from 60 to 65 cents, is 
low, and is brought about largely because farmers are 
rushing their wheat to market faster than it can be 
taken care of, thus causing congestion at terminal 
points. The world’s wheat crop is not unusually large, 
and there will bo more wheat exported from the United 
States than in several years past, which is not likely 
to result in a low price for the coming year. 
The price is expected to go even lower. Similar 
reports come to us from many wheat growing sec¬ 
tions. On the reports of a “bumper crop” prices 
have fallen and the farmers who are obliged to sell 
are in many cases, receiving less for their crops 
than they did last year for fewer bushels of wheat. 
But, on the other hand what consumer has found 
his grocers’ or bakers’ bill any smaller because flour 
has fallen “in sympathy” with wheat? “Sympathy" 
in this case is good. It is like the quality of mercy 
which is strained to the breaking point. We repeat 
our statement that under present conditions of dis¬ 
tribution and sale a “bumper crop” benefits every 
handler of the wheat except the farmer. We now 
see why the daily papers have been printing such 
wonderful crop stories. It was only a little of Presi¬ 
dent Wilson’s “psychological influence” to scare the 
farmers into dumping their grain upon the market. 
* 
A CERTAIN rich man, near New York, found that 
one of his boys wanted to become a farmer. 
So, very wisely, the young man was trained 
in practical farming. When it came to locating on 
the land the father expected to send the boy West, 
as that seemed to be the only land for large farm¬ 
ing enterprises. Some friend took him to a section 
East of the Hudson river and pointed out the pos¬ 
sibilities of the land for growing farm crops and 
the market possibilities as well. As a result a large 
tract of Eastern farmland was bought. It will be 
thrown together, smoothed, drained and organized— 
not as a gentleman’s estate, but as a business-like 
farm. There is no question about the fact that 
for a man with capital the East today offers far 
better farm prospects than what we call the West. 
For example Rhode Island would not be called an 
agricultural State. Yet a man with capital and 
knowledge can go back from the railroads in that 
State and on 500 acres, more or less, make more 
clear profit at growing wheat, rye, corn, hay or any 
of the staple farm crops than he could in Kansas, 
Dakota or any of the so-called grain States. At 
growing potatoes, at dairying, fruit growing or other 
intensive crops, he can make far more than in the 
Western States, but we would let the Western farm¬ 
ers select the crops to suit them and then beat their 
record in the State of Rhode Island. In some of 
the deep level valleys of Vermont the difference 
would be still more striking. This does not mean 
that a man without capital or knowledge can take a 
small, unimproved place and make a fortune. Such 
a proposition is merely a dream. The East, however, 
has come to a time in its history where farmland 
offers good opportunities to the man with capital 
July 18, 
and practical knowledge. The strip of land 150 
miles wide along the Atlantic is now, and will re¬ 
main, headquarters for the best group of food buy¬ 
ers in the world. 
* 
V ETCH growing for soil improvement is rapidly 
increasing on the thin, sandy soils of Western 
Michigan. This plant, when it can be made to 
grow, will solve the manurial problem in that sec¬ 
tion. It is often hard to get the vetch started on 
these thin soils but when once on the way it gives 
wonderful results. It seems as if each locality must 
develop its own plan of growing, and native or accli¬ 
mated seed must be used. In a few localities ma¬ 
chines for separating vetch from rye seed are being 
used and the seed crop is increasing. This is im¬ 
portant because many of the failures with vetch 
are unquestionably the result of using the poor qual¬ 
ity of foreign seed handled by most seedsmen. The 
outcome of the cover crop discussion seems to be 
for each section to find a particular crop which is 
best adapted to its condition. For example in some 
parts of the South nothing can be found superior 
to cow peas. In the upper South, Crimson clover 
gives superior results. North of Philadelphia those 
crops are uncertain and Soy beans, vetch, rape and 
turnips are better. On our own farm rye is the 
foundation of soil improvement In Northern Ver¬ 
mont barley and rape are satisfactory. We can¬ 
not put down any sure “rule” for any man to fol¬ 
low. He must study out the truth for himself. 
* 
L AST year we had much to say about Mr. Sham- 
el’s work in California in finding the drone 
trees in orange and lemon orchards. The re¬ 
sults showed a great difference in the producing 
power of trees growing side by side in the same or¬ 
chard. These drone trees were worse than robber 
cows in a dairy herd in cutting down profit. It was 
proven that in the average grove a fair proportion 
of the trees do not pay for the labor and fertilizer 
spent on them. The same thing is more or less true 
of apple and peach orchards. Growers may deny it, 
but dairymen have denied that they fed robber cows 
when a test showed half of their animals were kept 
at a loss. But we can kill or sell the robber cow and 
buy another of better breeding. If the drone tree 
does not pay we can dig it out, but how can we 
make sure of a better one? Mr. Shainel claims 
that his work with citrus fruits has now gone far 
enough to show that bud selection from certain su¬ 
perior trees will enable us to cut the drone trees out. 
Most other scientists deny this and claim this is 
nonsense, but it must be said that each year brings 
new argument in favor of the theory. The Michigan 
Experiment Station has started some cooperative 
work in orchards in the State much like the work 
now being done in California. This will include 
apple and peach. There will be a careful test of 
each tree in the orchards for productiveness and 
buds for propagation will be taken from the best 
trees as well as from the drones. What we call a 
“drone” tree does not mean one which produces 
a poor crop because some natural soil defect or 
some disease affects it. We think a careful search 
will find trees naturally superior and naturally in¬ 
ferior and we feel confident that these naturally 
good or poor trees will carry much of this ability to 
produce through their buds. 
BREVITIES. 
Honey production on the Bahama Islands is the 
latest scheme for organized farming. 
After a week of steady rain on the hay crop it be¬ 
comes hard for us to believe some of these stories of 
drought. 
Kindness means care. The milk of human kindness 
means cow’s milk produced through the highest of hu¬ 
man care and skill. 
If anyone tells you that the mulefoot liog is im¬ 
mune to cholera, tell him the mule 1ms more sense 
than to believe fancy tales. The disease has killed 
many of this breed. 
Some people work for a public market, and then 
because it does not immediately change all trading 
conditions claim it is a failure. Stay by it and prove 
its value. You cannot hope to do it' all at once. 
Please remember that sucking insects like plant lice 
cannot be killed by poisons. They do not eat like 
potato beetles or codling worms, but must be killed by 
some spray like oil or soap, which kills them by 
contact. 
Any Kansas farmer may have the name of his farm 
registered upon payment of one dollar to the county 
clerk. Farmers may then register a trade-mark name 
with the Federal Government, and this will protect 
the advertising of their products everywhere. 
It seems necessary to repeat again and again that 
the New York compensation law does not include lia¬ 
bility for accidents in farm or household service. The 
laws in Connecticut aud New Jersey do include these 
classes. Should a man live in New York, but con¬ 
duct a farm in either of these other States, he would 
be liable to these State laws. 
