1398 
THE RUK-A.L, NEW-YORKER 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER 
\ National Weekly Journal lor Country and Suburban lloinru 
Established tsso 
Published weekly by the Rnral Publishing Company, 333 West SOlli Street, .Vew York 
Herbert W. Colling wood, President and Editor. 
John .1. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wm. F. Dillon, Secretary. Mrs. E. T. Royle, Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION : ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries In the Universal Postal Union, £8.01, equal to 8s. Cd., or 
Sij marks, or lots francs. Remit in money order, express 
order, personal check or bank draft. 
Entered at New York Post OITlcc as Second Class Matter. 
Advertising rates, 70 cents per agate lint—7 words. References required for 
advertisers unknown to us j 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. Rut to make doubly sure, we will make good any loss 
to paid subscribers sustained by trusting anv deliberate swindler, irrespon¬ 
sible advertisers or misleading advertisements in our columns, and any 
such swindler will lie publicly exposed. Wo 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 bo 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 be 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. 
I T is quite a common saying at farmers’ institutes 
and other Winter gatherings, that in some milk- 
producing districts the milk check equals the feed 
bill, and no more. What they mean is this: Milk 
farmers are paid once a month by check. Their ac¬ 
count at the feed store is charged up until their 
milk is paid for. When the milk check comes they 
turn it over to the feed dealer, who gives them the 
balance if there lie any. Now can anyone tell us 
of actual cases where the monthly milk check is no 
larger than the feed hill? Can such cases be shown, 
or is this largely figurative talk put out as an argu¬ 
ment against poor stock or poor feeding? If any¬ 
one can tell us of actual cases where the feed costs 
as much as the milk brings in we shall be glad to 
analyze them. 
❖ 
T HE farm owner and the farm manager! Should 
the latter take some of the financial risk and be 
prepared to make the farm pay or not draw 
full salary? This is a big question which has come 
up for discussion, and there are many sides to it. 
The problem will be of especial interest to young 
college men who offer their services as farm man¬ 
agers. Following our usual custom in such matters 
we print the first letter received from a college man 
endorsing the proposition. Is it fair? 
I have completed a four-year course in the agricul¬ 
tural college, following several years of working a small 
fruit, vegetable and poultry place on shares. My prop¬ 
osition is that acting as working foreman I shall receive 
the regular hired man’s wages, i. e., $300 a year and 
keep- and half the labor income from the farm, i. e., 
half the profit from the farm, after paying all cash ex¬ 
penses, and interest on the investment at 5 per cent. 
This is I think a fair proposition for both sides. I get 
only wages for manual labor, and then place my knowl¬ 
edge against the investment of the owner, and divide the 
results. FRANCIS W. WAEDLE. 
* 
A FEW weeks ago you stated that Eastern rye con¬ 
tains garlic and this sells for a low price. Arj 
you sure about this—and do you think it right to 
say so? S. B. K. 
Our authority comes from one of the largest and 
best milling companies in the East, as follows: 
We think, from a price point of view, every effort 
should he made to eliminate garlic from Eastern rye. 
For instance, Jersey rye sells here at 80 cents, New 
York delivered, as against 90 for Western rye, same 
terms, and only because the Jersey rye contains garlic. 
The berry is large, and in fact superior to the Western 
on account of color and weight, but our mills and other 
handlers cannot use it until such time as the garlic 
dries and can be blown or screened out. We will send 
you a sample of Jersey rye containing garlic in a day 
or so. 
So much for the fact. Now is it right to teH the 
truth about our rye? Let us ask our friend what we 
or lie would gain by silence or denial? He cannot 
sell his rye for more than the “Jersey” price, while 
it contains garlic. The only hope to obtain the 
extra 16 cents a bushel is to clean out this foul stuff. 
* 
A FEW years ago one of our readers ordered an 
outfit of apple trees from a New York nursery. 
He wanted certain high quality varieties and 
paid a high price for the trees. This year they be¬ 
gan to come into bearing, and he knew they were 
misfits—just what he did not want. So he sent 
samples of the fruit to this nursery. He received the 
following, which we do not hesitate to characterize 
as a fool letter: 
We are in receipt of your letter of recent date. In 
reply will state on account of there being so many varie¬ 
ties of apples, therefore it is as a rule guesswork on the 
part of most men who pretend to know the names of 
different varieties of fruit, but we discover it is a splen¬ 
did variety. 
The apple is P>en Davis—there is no question about 
it—the merest beginner at fruit culture would rec¬ 
ognize its shape, its stripes and its sawdust flavor. 
The ostrich with its head in the sand—kicking at 
the air—is a Solomon compared with this man who 
sees a plain Ben Davis and discovers it to be “a 
splendid variety.” 
S OME of the big New York stores are offering a 
good apple free to every purchaser of 10 cents 
worth of goods. They also sell boxed apples. 
This is a taking offer, and attracts a long string of 
customers. There are thousands of country towns 
where the same thing would work out. Some mer¬ 
chant might handle the crop for several fruit grow¬ 
ers, and it would pay to give away 20 per cent, of 
the apples in order to advertise the rest. And do not 
hand out the little wormy fruit as samples. Such 
advertising, right in your town, would dispose of the 
fruit and boom the merchant’s trade. We have no 
doubt the Western fruit growers are giving away 
thousands of boxes of apples just to advertise their 
goods. You must give something in order to take. 
The Bible tells us “There is that scattereth and yet 
inercaseth .” 
# 
T HE Percheron horse breeders and the gasoline 
tractor makers have been having a discussion 
regarding the merits of flesh and hone or gas 
power. They need not worry—there is more than 
room for both. This European war is wasting horse 
flesh like smoke. Not only are working horses being 
destroyed, but the famous breeding herds of Belgium 
and France are being scattered. The world must 
look to this country both for working horses and for 
draft breeding stock. It is doubtful if there are 
enough good horses and mules in the country to-day 
to supply the export demand. We think many a 
farmer will buy a tractor and sell his draft colts at 
the prices which the latter will bring. War wipes 
out business habits and prejudices. Up to the Civil 
War the Devon cattle were very popular in the Gulf 
States—particularly Georgia. When Sherman 
marched through the State these beautiful red cat¬ 
tle were slaughtered by the thousand, and the State 
never went back to beef production. Cotton monopo¬ 
lized farming and the Jersey finally came in as a 
dairy cow. In like manner war seems likely to in¬ 
jure the business of breeding draft horses in Eu¬ 
rope. It will not recover for years, and during that 
time this country must supply the world with heavy 
horses. 
* 
J UST now there is much being said, and no doubt with 
good cause, relative to the cattle disease that seems 
to be so prevalent throughout the country. What 
about deer? Are they not as liable to the disease 
as cattle, and will they not scatter it over the country 
pretty thoroughly? They roam at will over our fields 
and pastures. Massachusetts is one of the quarantined 
States. I live near the Massachusetts-Connecticut line. 
One can see from one to four deer almost any day graz¬ 
ing on my Alfalfa and rye. Is there not danger of their 
bringing the disease to my cattle? n. j. I. 
Connecticut- 
The disease attacks all cloven-footed animals so 
that deer are susceptible. If deer feed with affected 
cattle they will become diseased and spread the dis¬ 
ease; not otherwise. In any district where diseased 
cattle have run the deer would be likely to contract 
the disease and scatter it all over the country. The 
disease has been found in Massachusetts and Rhode 
Island, and this gives a new side to the deer nui¬ 
sance. There is considerable criticism of the De¬ 
partment of Agriculture for permitting this disease 
to gain headway. If it was suddenly discovered at 
Chicago during the National Dairy Show it must 
have been there or nearby before. Why was it not 
discovered, and why were the dairymen not notified 
until their high-priced and rare cattle were sent to 
be exposed to it? 
* 
T HERE is trouble in New York City over the em¬ 
ployment of aliens on public work at digging 
the new subways. This work is done by con¬ 
tractors who hire their labor as they can. There is 
a section of the State labor law which bars the em¬ 
ployment of men who are not American citizens on 
public works: 
Section 14 of the labor law requires that on public 
works “only citizens of the United States shall be em¬ 
ployed,” and that preference shall be given to citizens 
of this State. Moreover, each contractor is required to 
keep a list of his employees, in which it shall be shown 
whether they are native or naturalized, and, if natural¬ 
ized, when and where they were naturalized. Violations 
are punishable by fines of from $30 to $500 or from 
thirty to ninety days’ imprisonment, or both, and for¬ 
feiture of contract. 
This has been the law for IT years. It was de¬ 
signed evidently to protect American labor h.v re¬ 
serving all public work for men who are citizens of 
this country. Local courts are divided as to whether 
such a law is constitutional. It has been considered 
a dead letter for years, and contractors have em¬ 
ployed many aliens. There are said to he 18.000 of 
them now at work in this city. The labor unions 
now threaten to stop work if contractors do not 
comply with the law. The usual answer to such 
threats is that it will he impossible to find native 
Americans to do this rough work of digging sewers 
and subways. In the cities this work has gradually 
fallen to the lot of aliens. The law does not affect 
farmers. 
November Z8, * 
A T the egg-laying contests, just now starting, it. is 
the general remark that the birds are of a bet : 
ter laying type than in any previous contest. 
Greater care has been taken in selecting. The visit 
of Tom Barron and the discussion of utility type 
have set breeders to thinking and studying as never 
before, and they are coming nearer agreement re¬ 
garding the shape and appearance of the utility bird. 
The “standard” breeders have liad things pretty 
much their own way heretofore. Now “utility” is 
coming. 
O childless professors know more about rear¬ 
ing children than their parents? 
That is the hot and indignant question we get 
from a parent who finds the efficient local school 
broken up and “consolidated.” Why, bless your 
heart, the “childless professor” usually carries about 
with him all there is to know about children. It is, 
however, a case of quantity against quality. His 
vast store of wisdom is drier than a Ben Davis apple 
until it is flavored by the real love and experience of 
father and mother. The “childless professors” are, 
most of them, doing their best to give us a set of 
human cogwheels and nothing more for the next 
generation. 
* 
A YOUNG man whose home is in Mexico City has 
for two years conducted a private class in Span- 
ish. His work makes a neat addition to his in¬ 
come, as well as keeps him in constant practice in 
the Spanish language. 
This comes from the Kansas Agricultural College. 
We shall he asked at once what possible good can 
ever come from teaching Spanish at an agricultural 
college? As a matter of fact there are great trade 
opportunities for us in Mexico and South America 
which cannot he developed except by agents who are 
familiar with the Spanish language and character. 
Over 25 years ago efforts were made to prepare for 
this great trade. Our people were very willing to 
sell in their own way and at their own price, but 
they could not at that time appreciate the fact that 
the South Americans must he approached in their 
own language and through a study of their own 
peculiar habits and views. Americans would not 
understand these things, hut the English, Germans 
and French saw at once that trade is extended 
through “human nature.” The result was that 
Europe gained the trade which this country should 
have had. The Germans have been particularly ac¬ 
tive in gaining this trade, and their great success 
led to one of the causes for the present terrible war. 
If 25 years ago the people of this country had been 
wise enough to prepare systematically for this South 
American trade there would not have been an idle 
factory or an idle farm anywhere near the coast. 
Our opportunity has now come through the dread¬ 
ful losses of this war. It is only an opportunity, 
for our people must follow the business methods of 
Germany and England if they expect to gain this 
trade. We think therefore that the study of Spanish 
at an agricultural college is a wise and useful thing 
—certainly of equal value to the study of German 
and French and far more useful than the dead lan¬ 
guages. 
BREVITIES. 
Too much “boosting” leads to “busting.” 
The average bedroom is kept far too warm. It ought 
to be cold and fresh while you sleep. 
We are now told on good authority that continued 
feeding of ground wheat to horses will cause an irrita¬ 
tion of the skin almost equal to mange. 
The Kansas Agricultural College claims that State 
does not need potash. Well, the rest of the country 
needs the vast amount of potash in your corncobs if you 
do not. Cob ashes would bring good money. 
Now Louisiana is to have an “Orange Day”—Novem¬ 
ber 19. You would lmrdly think of oranges grafted on 
the boll weevil, yet the ruin wrought by that hideous 
insect drove Louisiana planters to oranges. 
The Russian government has placed an embargo on 
all kinds of lumber, to prevent its exportation ; walnut 
lumber, including Circassian walnut, much prized by 
American furniture makers, is specifically mentioned. 
This comes from the U. 8. Forest Service: “It is 
said that the German invaders of Belgium, whatever 
else they may have destroyed, have been careful not to 
injure park trees. The cavalrymen, so a report goes, 
are forbidden to tie their horses to trees for fear that 
the animals will gnaw the lx.rk. Germany was the first 
nation to apply forestry on a large scale.” 
Those of you who have struggled with quack grass 
will he interested in these figures from the North Da¬ 
kota Station. They were trying to see how much 
qnack root must be left in (he soil for growth: “Of 16 
one-inch pieces six grew: of 26 two-inch pieces 19 grew; 
of 13 three-inch pieces 12 grew; of 13 four-inch pieces 
all grew; of eight six-inch pieces all grew. 
There is often great neglect of the hen while she is 
molting. That’s the time she needs your best care. The 
New Jersey Station says: “Feathers require consider¬ 
able fat or oil in their formation; furthermore, the oil 
in the feed tends to make the new feathers slick and 
smooth, giving (hem a bright luster. Oil meal. Soy bean 
meal and sunflower seeds are among the best materials 
to supply this much-needed ingredient.” 
