1266 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BVSTEESS FARMER'S PAPER 
\ National Wcclly Journitl for Cowntry nmt Suburban Ilonirv 
Established fsito 
Published weekly by the Hnral Publisliine Company. 888 tVesi :10th Street. New Voro 
Hv;::t-.:::st W. Collixgwood, President and Editor. 
Jon:: .1. l>n,LON, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wn. F. Dillon, Secretory. Mbs. E. T. Roylk, Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION : ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign count ries in the Universal Postal Union. 82.0t. equal to 8s. fid., or 
marks, or 10W francs. Remit in money order, express 
order, personal check or bank draft. 
Entered at New York Post Office as Second Class Matter. 
Advertising rates, 75 cents per agate line—T words. References required for 
advertisers unknown to us ; and cash must accompany transient orders. 
“A SQUARE DEAL” 
Wo believe that every advertisement in this pajier 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 subscriber sustained by trusting any deliberate swindler, irrespon¬ 
sible advertisers or misleading advertisements in our columns, and any 
such swindler w ill lie publicly exposed. We are also often called upon 
to adjust differences or mistakes between our subscribers and honest, 
responsible bouses, 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 we will not be 
responsible for the debts of honest bankrupts sanctioned by 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 Thk Rural New- 
Yokkek w hen writing the advertiser. 
U I * and down through the Hudson Valley large 
quantities of rye are grown. Tears ago in the 
upper valley rye straw was a standard and 
profitable crop. It is now to a less extent. In late 
years green manures and cover crops have become 
popular and most of us come to believe that no 
matter what other seed we use it pays to put in 
some rye to make sure. This season a company of 
farmers organized to buy and sell produce and sup¬ 
plies. They had. combined, a large quantity of rye. 
On sending samples to a large milling concern they 
found that their rye contained garlic. Such 
rye (with garlic) was quoted at SO cents, while rye 
free from garlic brought 90 cents. Here was a 
difference of 10 cents a bushel, or 20 per cent, of 
the price lost through foul jrain. Here is some¬ 
thing for the Hudson Valley farmer far more im¬ 
portant than the European War. The farmer can¬ 
not influence the war, but he can clean up his seed! 
Much of this trouble is due to the common prac¬ 
tice of borrowing or changing seed with the neigh¬ 
bors, and not fanning or cleaning it in any way. 
In the company of farmers here mentioned this loss 
from unclean rye seed reached nearly $1,000! 
* 
D URING the past few weeks the inhabitants of 
Belgium have given the world an example of 
fierce, bulldog courage in defense of their coun¬ 
try. We are not discussing their motives or the 
justice of their cause, hut referring to the fighting 
quality of men whose ancestors made even the great 
Caesar turn hack, and this is why we refer to it, 
A few years ago we had a visit from a scientific 
gentleman who had spent some years studying con¬ 
ditions in Europe. This man said that the Belgians 
were becoming a weak, effeminate race—“a race 
of old women” was the way he put it. This was due 
to diet, he said. The average Belgian rarely ate 
“good red meat,” hut lived upon vegetables, bread, 
cheese and eggs or poultry. Such a diet would tame 
any nation, and take the fighting spirit out of them. 
Our friend claimed that only the large meat-eating 
nations would show any patriotism—“potatoes and 
pullets make a tame dog—not a fighter!” It looks 
as if the Belgians had eaten a few roast bantam 
roosters along with their potatoes and pullets! It 
does not make so much difference what a man eats. 
It is the spirit of the man that counts. Nine-tenths 
of the people who reach 40 years would be far bet¬ 
ter off if they cut half the meat out of their diet. 
* 
E VERY week we are asked to help settle a milk 
trouble which results from a dispute over test¬ 
ing. The milk in question is bought on the 
basis of its per cent, of fat-—the testing being done 
by the buyer. Sometimes the dairyman feels that 
he does not get a fair showing—that the test is not 
accurate. A fraction of one per cent, of fat in a 
month’s supply of milk will make a big difference 
to a farmer .and cutting down the multiplier in this 
way is a serious thing. In New York State, when a 
farmer is not satisfied that he is getting a square 
deal he can apply to the Department of Agriculture. 
An inspector will come and sample the milk, and it 
will be analyzed by the State’s chemist. Yet this 
is not always satisfactory, as in such a dispute it 
is a contest between two inspectors and two chem¬ 
ists. A better way is for the dairyman to obtain a 
Babcock tester and learn how to operate it accurate¬ 
ly. This will enable him to check off the record so 
that he may he sure of his ground. It is the same 
principle of having a good pair of scales at home 
and weighing feed or seed as it. is received, i r farm 
produce as it is sold. Without the milk tester and 
the scales the buyer or seller has all the advantage 
in dealing with a farmer. With these implements 
and a good knowledge of their use the farmer can 
protect himself. 
THE RURAL. NEW-YORKER 
I N an ordinary season this might he considered 
very early to talk about buying seeds for next 
year. It is no ordinary season, however, and our 
advice to careful gardeners and farmers is to start 
now in bargaining for a seed supply. The war in 
Europe has involved several countries which supply 
large quantities of seeds. In some cases these seeds 
will not he furnished at all—in others they cannot 
he as carefully selected or handled as would be 
the case in time of peace. Those who order first 
will have best chance at the true seed supply and 
run less risk of obtaining “misfits” or adulterated 
seeds. Again, in such a season as this one is to he, 
farmers should be careful to have samples of their 
seeds tested by the experiment stations or the 
Agricultural Department. There will be a rush of 
this work later. The stations can do careful work 
for you this Fall and early Winter. There never 
was a season when it paid to hunt for “cheap” 
seeds, but this year the folly of doing so is greater 
than ever. Our advice is to patronize a reliable 
seedsman of long standing reputation and to make 
out your order early. 
* 
T HE Land Bank of New York is now a reality. 
The Board of Directors held its first meeting 
at Albany on Friday, Oct. 1G. The Land 
Bank has the full $100,000 capital pledged—the 
subscribing associations representing total assets of 
$20,000,000. The bank will be open to do business 
as soon as the legal papers are executed. Money 
will then be available for loans on farms and homes 
in this State. The names of the first Board of 
Directors follow: 
John .1. Dillon, New York. 
Edwin F. Howell New York. 
Robert B. Van Cortlandt, Mount Ivisco. 
William H. .Tudson, New York. 
Charles S. Folsom, New York. 
George F. Flandereaux, New Rochelle. 
David B. Hutton, Brooklyn. 
James I*. Judge, Brooklyn. 
Benjamin Thompson, Brooklyn. 
Bernard G. Parker, Gouverneur. 
Edgar A. Newell, Ogdensburgh. 
Elmer E. Stanton, Troy. 
Frank D. Kingsbury, Corning. 
W. C. Cooper, Oswego. 
.T. C. Farnwell, Geneva. 
These directors will serve until the first annual 
meeting in January, when a new Board will he 
elected by the members. The first three are elected 
from the State at large, the others represent the 
four judicial districts of the State—three directors 
from each. The stupidity of politicians was revealed 
in an incident connected with this meeting. While 
the directors were arranging for the opening of the 
bank the city papers which fear that Governor 
Glynn will get credit for the Land Bank, were busy 
writing editorials to discredit it; and the directors 
on reaching the street after completing their ar¬ 
rangements. read in the Albany papers that the 
Land Bank would ’ ever he organized. Here is an 
institution to benefit all classes, purely cooperative, 
and generally demanded: yet these blind partisans 
think they can kill it with sneers. They would 
show more sense if they joined the Governor and 
other supporters of the Land Bank, and demanded 
credit for a share in it. 
* 
T HE business of growing liickorynuts in New 
England ought to he made as large and profit¬ 
able an enterprise as growing pecans in Louisi¬ 
ana or walnuts in California. No one questions the 
immense development of these last-named enter¬ 
prises. Without question somewhere off in the 
woods are to be found varieties of hickories far 
superior to those now picked and sold. Compare 
the present hickory situation with that of apple 
growers before such varieties as Baldwin, Grimes 
or Greening appeared. Farmers grew mostly a few 
inferior varieties, or had orchards of natural seed¬ 
ling fruit. Some one, wandering in the woods, dis¬ 
covered a tree with fine, superior red apples. It 
became known as Baldwin, and its wood used for 
propagation was carried far and wide, changing 
the entire character of New England apple growing. 
New England nut-growing will in time be changed 
and improved in much the same way. Superior 
hickory trees will he found and tested, and the com¬ 
ing nut grower will learn how to use the wood of 
the high class nuts for propagating trees. We have 
every confidence that this will he done until some 
day the New England hickory will rank with the 
California walnut and the Southern pecan as repre¬ 
senting a large industry. Every man who knows of 
any superior hickory tree should notify the North¬ 
ern Nut Growers’ Association. He will not obtain 
wealth by doing so, but he will do more—help a 
good cause. 
October 21, 
EST VIRGINIA has a law under which agents 
of the State Crop Test Commission are auth¬ 
orized to enter private property and out 
down cedar trees which carry their share of the 
cedar and apple rust disease. This plant disease, 
like some others, passes parts of its life on two 
different plants. Part of its development is made 
upon cedar trees—from which it is carried to the 
apple, where it often causes great damage. It is 
often difficult for farmers to realize this fact of 
the part played by cedar trees, and when the crop 
pest agents came to cut the diseased cedars down 
some of them were arrested and indicted for mali¬ 
cious trespass and conspiracy. Suit was also 
brought asking for an injunction to prevent further 
action of this sort by the Crop Pest Commission. 
The argument was that this law was unconstitu¬ 
tional, since it interfered with the rights of private 
property. At the trials of these cases it was ne¬ 
cessary for the scientific experts to demonstrate the 
true character of the rust disease. They were 
obliged to prove that the cedar was its “host plant,” 
and that it could not he developed and spread unless 
there were cedar trees reasonably near the apple 
orchards. This they succeeded in doing, and the 
cases were dismissed. The court has now decided 
that the law is constitutional, and that the State 
has a right to enter property and destroy the cedar 
trees on the theory that by harboring the rust dis¬ 
ease they are a menace to the apple growing in¬ 
dustry. 
* 
W HEN Tom Barron was at the egg contest las' 
July, he invited American breeders to enter 
an English. contest which starts at Burnley. 
Lancashire, on October 28. American hen men will 
be glad to know that Francis F. Lincoln has sen* 
a pen of his Leghorns to measure eggs with the 
English birds. Mr. Lincoln's hens are now ahead in 
the American contest, and seem likely to win out, 
though the Wyandott.es are after them and gaining. 
Every American will send good wishes along with 
the Lincoln Leghorns. They are American bred, 
and they carry a great American name. In this 
English contest six hens are entered. Three of 
them are to be kept in a small house—holding a 
dozen or so—while the other three are to he in a 
long house where half the birds in the contest are 
located. The object of this evidently is to test both 
systems of hen-keeping. Prizes are to he given on 
the basis of market values (weight considered) — 
not merely numbers of eggs. The R. N.-Y. will give 
the record of these American invaders from time 
to time. If other American breeders have entered 
we shall be glad to record their names. 
* 
T HE great problem is the marketing or reaching 
the market. We are much interested in the ac¬ 
counts in The R. N.-Y. about the public mar¬ 
kets. It is hard to be satisfied to take 80 cents 
per bushel for potatoes, the price now paid here by 
buyers. We hope to get a little nearer the consumer 
later and will hold ours. I. 
This report comes from Livingston Co., N. Y. 
The average consumer here in New York is paying 
close to $1.50 for potatoes right now. This is partly 
because purchases are made in small quantities— 
half a peck or even less, but the facts are beyond 
question. Yet even now we have people who say 
there is no such thing as a “35-cent dollar.” The 
new public markets are waking up the city people. 
That is about all they can hope to do for a time, 
but it is the most important thing of all. Just as 
soon as the city people realize that they are paying 
three prices for their food and that they can save 
one price by more direct dealing they will change 
their habits of buying. It is a matter of education 
first of all. Most of these city buyers read nothing 
but the daily paper, and their education will come 
largely through that. The daily paper follows 
whatever is popular. Popularity comes through 
discussion and thinking. Keep talking public mar¬ 
kets ! 
BREVITIES. 
“Killing the goose that lays the golden egg.” Some 
men would he better oil if this goose were killed and 
they had to get down to brass tacks. # 
The Kansas Agricultural College has gone to jail 
—about 130 inmates of the Leavenworth Federal Prison 
taking the correspondence study work from the college. 
Gov. Walsii of Massachusetts has called off the 
open season for hunting in that State as a measure of 
protection against forest fires. The drought has made 
the woods as dry as tinder. 
A WOMAN reader asks us the blunt question—“Do 
you believe the statements made in the advertisements 
about success in squab breeding?” We have not read 
such literature for same time. The last we read 
seemed to he a pure fake. The author surely took th • 
readers for the softest kind of squabs that ever craved 
pigeon milk. Some people tell us they make a profit 
from squab raising. For the untried beginner we 
think it a dream. 
