12 
January 
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The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER 
A National Weekly Journal l'or Country a»i«l Suburban Homes 
Established fSso 
I’ulilished neekljr ».y (lie Rural Publishing Company, 3.13 West 301 h Street, New lortt 
Herbert W. Colling wood, President and Editor. 
Jons J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
\Vm. F. Dillon, Secretary. Mas. E. T. Royle, Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union. $ 2 . 0 ). equal to 8s. 6d., or 
»y a marks, or 10)4 francs. Remit in money order, express 
order i personal check or bank draft. 
Entered at New York Post Office as Second Class Matter. 
Advertising rates. 75 cents per agate line—7 words. References required for 
advertisers unknown to us ; and cash must accompany transient orders. 
“A SQUARE DEAL” 
We believe that every advertisement in this paiier 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 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 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. 
S OME of the county agents are asked to decide 
commercial transactions. For instance, a man 
wants to buy a farm, and is bargaining with 
several farmers or real estate agents. lie wants 
the county agent to tell him which farm to buy, 
or the owner of the farm may even ask the county 
agent to help him sell. We think the county agent 
should keep out of these commercial transactions, 
lie cannot touch them without being accused by 
cue side or the other of showing favoritism, and 
the one foundation hope for his success is the belief 
that he is acting for all the farmers and not for a 
few particular ones. Of course there are many 
baclc-to-the-landers who want to know the quality 
of land and its value before they buy it. There 
ought to be commercial experts to do this, but the 
county agent should avoid all situations which may 
put him in the position of favoring one business 
and dsicriminating against another. 
* 
M RS. GEO. S. LADD, Lecturer of the Massa¬ 
chusetts State Grange, in her annual report 
for 2914, makes the following suggestion: 
One of the most serious problems on the farm today 
seems to be that of help. I believe there are a great 
manv men in our State who with a reasonable train¬ 
ing would be valuable men in agricultural pursuits 
but, having bad no experience in the agricultural life, 
hesitate to go on to the farm. I believe it is as much 
the duty of the State to provide a short course training 
for agricultural laborers at our Agricultural C ollege 
as it is to provide technical, textile and trade schools to 
train men in other callings. If such a course could be 
added to our college, the farmers would not only have 
the benefit of the trained help but would also know ex¬ 
actly where to find them. 
Well gentlemen—“what’s the matter with that?” 
We have not seen such a suggestion before. Does 
New England need trained hired men as much as 
she needs managers or research workers? This is 
the best chance for a good discussion we have struck 
yet! 
* 
L AST week we gave the story of a New Hamp¬ 
shire field—brought back to prosperity by us¬ 
ing stable manure. “Where did he get this ma¬ 
nure?” is the question asked by several readers. 
Let the owner answer: 
This manure was produced on my own farm. It had 
been accumulating around the barnyard some years 
previous to my buying the place, as former ownoi had 
devoted the major portion of his time to the Summer 
hoarder end of the proposition. 
There was the manure lying idle on the farm. 
There were the fields sterile and lazy through lack 
of what the manure could give them. In conse¬ 
quence the farm was called “worn out” or worth¬ 
less, except for scenery, and was sold for a very 
low price. Had the manure been properly used 
those fields would have made such a showing that 
twice the sum could hardly have bought the farm. 
Perhaps something of the same thing ails your farm 
right now. Muck from that swamp composted and 
put on the upland fields; some of those old stone 
walls put as drains into that wet piece! Keeping 
them apart may give the farm a black eye. Getting 
them together propeily may make it seem more like 
the starry eye of liberty! 
* 
L AST year there was a mild scandal over the 
“Junior hop” or class dance at the Michigan 
Agricultural College. It was reported that 
nearly $0000 was spent on decorations and adorn¬ 
ments, while each young man received a cigarette 
case and each girl a “powder gun!” No doubt the 
affair was exaggerated, but the spectacle of young 
farmers or “agriculturists” blowing themselves in 
this way was not edifying to some of the “old boys.” 
The writer did his dancing down in a college ditch, 
and a coffin would have been a more desirable pres¬ 
ent than a cigarette case! We all realize that our 
student life belonged to happy old back-number 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
days—never to return. At that time there were 
not a dozen students in the entire college who even 
used tobacco, and all worked with their hands at 
farm employment. We do not expect our boys in 
their new environment to do exactly as we did, but 
we are galled to the soul to see the youngsters try 
to ape the .puppy-like manners of “university” or 
society life when they might give independence of 
character and power to farm education. This year 
the “Junior hop” promises to cut out some of the 
foolishness. It will be a “cotton party,” the girls 
wearing simple frocks “made at the college.” The 
M. A. C. Record prints the following: 
It seems that this is much more worthy than falling 
into the usual custom of making a better party by more 
costly decorations and more expensive dress. This 
move, coming at a time when the whole country is 
thoroughly aroused to the need of cooperation of the 
different sections of the country, of which the “buy a 
bale of cotton” movement is a tangible expression, 
proves that these students do take cognizance of what 
is going on in the outer world, and also realize that 
si. plieity will set off the natural beauties of face and 
figure better than do frills and furbelows. 
That is not all of it. There is so much sadness 
and actual want in the world at this time that it is 
a sin for people of moderate means to spend money 
for selfish foolishness. We know what it means for 
young people to break a college custom and these 
students have done well to come up to cotton! 
if 
T HE framers of the United States Constitution 
purposely made the process of amending that 
document, long, cumbersome and thorough. 
Such amendment must first be supported by a two- 
thirds vote iu both Houses of Congress and then 
be ratified by three-fourths of the States. The ob¬ 
ject of this evidently was to compel a thorough and 
exhaustive study of every proposed change, so as to 
be sure that a majority of the people demand it. 
All amendments thus far have been discussed for 
years before the} 7 became a part of the constitution. 
The idea which they represented slowly developed 
until it became a part of popular conviction—which, 
in a Republic, is law! The proposed amendment to 
prohibit the sale or manufacture of intoxicating 
liquors is going through the same process. We 
stated several months ago that such an amendment 
would receive a majority in Congress but fail of a 
two-thirds vote. This seemed absurd to many, yet 
last Tuesday the House voted 297 to 2S9 for such a 
constitutional amendment. This is the most signi¬ 
ficant thing Congress has done since the fierce old 
debates on the slavery question. We think the 
amendment is ultimately as sure to pass as that for 
the income tax or the popular election of Senators. 
We can easily remember when there seemed little 
hope for either of these. The fact is that the de¬ 
mand for Prohibition is no longer a wave. It is a 
rising, irresistible tide. The demand comes chiefly 
from farmers and country people, and is both moral 
and economic. Men and women see their boys aim 
girls in danger from saloon influences and they see 
millions spent worse than uselessly for liquor, which 
ought to be spent for food and clothing. On one 
side is the money of the liquor interests, with no 
moral element whatever. On the other side is the 
stern, religious determination of the plain people of 
moderate means. Any student of history will tell 
you there is but one final outcome of the struggle. 
We are glad it is coming slowly and in the methodi¬ 
cal method of all amendments. That means popu¬ 
lar education—evolution and not revolution. 
* 
A PROMINENT New York State farmer pre¬ 
sents this proposition: 
The Postal Savings Banks gather up millions of dol¬ 
lars of money from poor frugal people, and loan it to 
the National banks at two per cent. The banks loan 
it to the business interests at six per cent.; but they 
will not loan it on farms even at this rate. \\ hy can t 
the Government loan this money to farmers at a reason¬ 
able rate? 
Money deposited in a Postal Savings Bank may 
be withdrawn at any time. For this reason the 
government must put the money where it can recall 
it at any time when needed. No bank carrying de¬ 
posits payable on demand could safely tie up any 
large portion of its cash in long-term loans. The 
National banks qualify for these loans because they 
have a definite corporate organization and are in 
a position to respond to the Government demand for 
the money at any tim.e If the unorganized stock¬ 
holders of the bank should individually seek a 
loan of the Postal Savings Bank money, they could 
no more get it than unorganized farmers. It is 
their corporate organization with definite assets, 
that makes it possible for them to get the use of 
this money. This is the lesson farmers must learn. 
They may enjoy privileges and benefits conjointly 
that are denied them as individuals. 
Farmers of New York State now have the oppor¬ 
tunity of organizing local Land Banks under the 
title of Saving and Loan Associations. Through 
these organizations they would be in a position to 
demand a share of the cheap Postal Bank money. 
They would get it; but they would get a larger 
proportion of these savings direct from the frugal 
people who own them. A land bank investment is 
quite as safe as a Postal Savings Bank; and when 
the people find this out they will invest with the 
Land Bank, because their money will be equally 
safe, they can get it just as quickly, and it will pay 
them more interest. The point to remember is that 
individuals cannot enjoy the benefits severally that 
will come to them jointly through corporate or¬ 
ganization. 
* 
N OW comes the season for offering various “nov¬ 
elties” in seeds, fruits, fertilizers or what not. 
Our views on this subject are well known. 
All the popular and useful fruits and vegetables 
were once “novelties”—sold at a high figure. On 
the other hand, thousands of so-called novelties 
boomed extravagantly in their time are now forgot¬ 
ten. The money spent for them might far better 
have gone to the family for spending money. Every 
one of these novelties which finally blew up was 
highly and probably honestly praised by reputable 
men. What we learn from this is that buying these 
novelties is a. speculation. We usually buy a fair 
number and test them on our own soil, and we ad¬ 
vise all who are working for improvement to do 
the same. As for buying these novelties at a high 
figure and planting acres as a commercial venture— 
that is a mere speculation and nothing more. If 
you do it, with all the history of past experiences, 
you should be prepared to act like a good sport and 
make no complaint whatever if the “novelty” prove 
a failure! 
* 
I T looks like another boom for “humus” this year. 
This material, as we have often explained, is 
black soil or swamp muck dug up, dried, and 
sometimes mixed with lime. Some swamp soils are 
richer than others, but as a general proposition any 
farmer with a black swamp or a pond hole can pre¬ 
pare this “humus” at one quarter the cost of the 
commercial article. Let him haul the muck out 
into piles, mix lime with it, and in a few months he 
will have “humus.” We all know that this muck 
soil contains nitrogen, but it is in such a condition 
that plants cannot make use of it. All over the 
world manufacturers and chemists are hunting for 
methods of changing this tough organic nitrogen in 
the muck into the available nitrates. In one case 
pots containing coke are buried in the muck with 
iron electrodes for passing electricity through the 
coke and thus taking nitrates from the muck. In 
other cases, the muck is dried and limed, and then 
inoculated with bacteria which are said to bring in 
nitrogen from the air. It is said that some nitrates 
are obtained in this way, but it costs far more than 
the ordinary forms of commercial nitrogen, and 
what is the use of paying more than the market 
price? While electricity and bacteria may in time 
give us cheap muck nitrogen, they have not done it 
yet. and the compost heap beats them. Lime in the 
muck pile is the farmer’s substitute for electricity 
and back work in forking the muck substitutes for 
bacteria. Let us study these new things about 
“humus,” but put our money into the muck pile. 
BREVITIES. 
Try to have as bright a light for evening as you can 
afford. 
He who labors for his health will not roll down the 
hill in wealth. 
Can anyone tell us of cases where chicken manure 
has been sold and shipped away for fertilizer? 
A fresh radish growing outdoors at Thanksgiving is 
reported from South Dakota. Shall we have bananas 
there next? 
We understand several people are now prepared to 
come forward with a seedless apple! Whatever became 
of Spencer, the great original seedless? 
The Agricultural Department warns farmers who 
use Maine grown potato seed to buy only “certified 
sacks”—which hear the white label of potato inspection. 
There are a lot of men in this w rid who want to 
fold their arms and sit quietly on grandfather’s reputa¬ 
tion ! How the old gentleman would like to come back 
and stick pins in it now! 
When a black sticky liquid runs from the chimney 
and stove pipes there is evidence that the fuel is not 
dry and seasoned, and that flue and chimney are clogged 
with soot. Dry fuel usually stops it. 
Now some of the Indian Runner duck breeders seem 
to think we have not done full justice to their bird. 
That is because the egg dealers whom we consulted say 
there is no particular premium on these duck eggs. 
Let us have the facts. 
A reader tells us that he is able to buy elephant’s 
manure for market gardening! From the elephant 
down to the bat the manure is worth what the food 
contains—less what the animal takes out. After that 
you must take your chance with draining and fermen¬ 
tation. 
