72 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes 
Established 1850 
Piililbhcd u-eekij by the Itnral Publishing Company. 833 West 30th Street, New Yorft 
Herbert W. Collingwood, President and Editor. 
Jolts J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wit, F. Dillon, Secretary. Mas. E. T. Hoyle, Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.01. equal to 8s. 6d., or 
8|£ marks, or 104 francs. Remit in money order, express 
order, personal check or bank draft. 
Entered at New York Post Office as Second Class Matter. 
Advertising rates, 7« cents per agate line—7 words. Referenees required for 
advertisers unknown to us ; and cash must accompany transient orders. 
“A SQUARE DEAL” 
We believe that every advertisement in this patter 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 we will not bo 
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 Thk Rural New- 
Yorker when writing the advertiser. 
I NSTRUCT our colleges and experiment stations to 
work on the selling end for a while, and give the 
producing end a rest, as that has been worked over¬ 
time. GRANT G. HITCIIINGS. 
New York. 
Mr. Hitchings is referring to the new apple law in 
New York. It will probably be admitted by all that 
any man who will, can have the latest advice about 
spraying, cultivating and fertilizing promptly put 
before him. The producing end lias been “worked 
overtime” because a good share of that time should 
have been devoted to the marketing problem Ask 
any farmer today what he needs most—information 
about producing or bow to sell bis goods to better 
advantage. The 100 per cent, crop and the 35-cent 
dollar are mighty poor companions. 
* 
T HERE is sure to be a readjustment of the dairy 
and live stock business in the Eastern part of 
this country. As fruit growing and truck farm¬ 
ing increase dairying will be taken up on the smaller 
intensive farms. There are many wastes that may 
be fed to advantage. In some cases a few years 
of growing cover crops have so built up the land that 
there is a surplus of vetch, rye or clover that may 
be cut and fed. Alfalfa is coming in everywhere. 
Pea vines for a canning factory, the stalks of sweet 
corn, are often available, and they will carry a small, 
choice herd of cows. A fruit grower who knows the 
superiority of one variety over another will never be 
satisfied with scrub cattle. lie will soon have a 
herd of choice pureblood stock if he keeps any cows 
at all. We think this development is sure to come, 
and that in the future some of the best of our pure¬ 
bred dairy cattle will be found among these small 
herds on fruit or garden farms. 
* 
I HAVE no fault to find with those who are satisfied 
with a good egg yield and care nothing for type 
and beauty. If they care only for eggs and feel 
that handsome is that handsome does, their goal is 
easily attained. T. J. MC connell. 
We commend that sensible statement to those 
poultry fanciers who get up and paw the air when 
anyone speaks the word “utility” above a whisper. 
Mr. McConnell had five Wyandottes in the Thorn- 
dale contest that laid 106S eggs in one year. Instead 
of sulking, he acts like a sport, and will bring these 
birds to the big poultry show where all may look 
them over and see how close they are to the “dump¬ 
ling” type. The R. N.-Y. stands ready to give the 
“dumplings” their due—whether they lay chicken 
pies or 365 eggs in a year. If the fanciers were 
wise they would see that nine people out of 10 
would prefer a beautiful bird if she could combine 
eggs with beauty. Ten “dumplings” showing a high 
record at an egg-laying contest would do more for 
ideal Wyandottes than all the score cards in 
America. 
* 
A YOUNG man applied to the Division of Farm 
Management in the Agricultural Department 
for a responsible position. He was expected to 
show actual farmers how to manage their farms. 
This man was told that he must first go out and 
work as a farm manager and prove that he could 
run a farm economically. That is one of the most 
sensible things we have heard of yet, and it is a 
hopeful thing for farm education. No man should 
expect to step right out of college and go to teach¬ 
ing farm management. Let him show what he can 
do on a real farm before he tries to teach. A com¬ 
mittee appointed to look over the practical work 
done at the agricultural colleges suggests that such 
work as plowing, milking, harnessing a horse, etc., 
should be made a requirement for admission! A 
good suggestion. The college ought not to be ex¬ 
pected to teach such things, but the student should 
be expected to understand them. 
THE RURAL* NEW-YORKER 
T has become a habit to attribute any influence 
upon business, good or bad, to the European 
War. In some cases the war has no connection 
whatever with the result, but in the case of breeding 
heavy horses the connection is direct and clear. 
Breeding stock of these big horses cannot now be 
brought from Europe. It is clear that when the war 
is over Europe will be obliged to come to this 
country to replenish her supply. In fact European 
importers have already begun to study the Ameri¬ 
can horses, and are locating the districts where the 
best animals abound. Buyers who formerly went to 
Europe for horses are now hunting for good stock 
on this side of the water, and they are surprised 
to find the highest class animals here. Whatever 
may happen to other lines of farming as a result of 
the war, the draft horse business is secure for many 
years to come. 
. * 
A LL over the Eastern States farmers are coming 
more and more to the use of cover crops. This 
means any growing crop that will cover the soil 
while it would otherwise be idle and bare. For 
example, a crop of rye and vetch seeded in the corn 
would he a cover crop, and without cost except of 
seed and labor of seeding it would in the Spring 
give the soil as much organic matter as would be 
found in eight or 10 loads of manure. The great 
needs of most of our Eastern soils are organic mat¬ 
ter and lime. Many a poor, sterile soil has been 
made productive by stuffing it with these cover 
crops and adding lime to hasten decay. This prac¬ 
tice is sure to spread as fast as farmers realize its 
value, and on the larger farms it will mean a new 
argument for motor plows or tractors. In order to 
make the most of these cover crops they should be left 
until they have made good size so as to add as much 
organic matter as possible. With farm teams plowing 
an acre a day and busy later with spraying, manure 
hauling and other jobs, plowing must begin as soon 
as the ground is fit, or before the cover crop has 
really begun to grow in the Spring. If this plowing 
could be safely delayed there would be far more 
organic matter to turn under, and this is usually 
the greatest need of the soil. A strong steady motor 
truck working several times as fast as a team would 
enable us to let the cover crop grow two weeks or 
more later, and thus get far more out of it. That 
is one reason why there is sure to be a demand for 
a practical plowing outfit. 
* 
T HE New York Agricultural Society at its meet¬ 
ing in Albany, Jan. 20-21, will present the 
strongest programme ever offered to farmers 
and their friends. Big men with power and cour¬ 
age and vision will discuss vital questions. They 
will not play with these questions, but they will get 
down to the heart of them and start the blood into 
circulation. This fine old society has taken on new 
life, and from its nature and location is capable of 
doing more effective work for agriculture than any 
other similar organization in the country. In every 
war the climax is reached when the fine old veter¬ 
ans of long service, with their sons and grandsons, 
come out to serve in the ranks. That is just what 
happens in the mighty battle for common farm 
rights when this fine old society takes on new life 
and comes into the fight as it is now doing. But 
this Society cannot do it all. There must be a 
strong, compact army back of it—not a paper army, 
but one of flesh and blood—not scattered back at 
home but right at Albany where the Governor and 
the Legislature may look it over. That is why 
every farmer in New York State who can possibly 
do so should attend this meeting. If we crowd the 
streets of Albany with plain, determined farmers 
we would impress the Legislature and give our 
business a character and dignity which cannot be 
gained in any other way. No matter whether you 
own 1,000 acres or 1,000 rods, whether you are 
landlord or tenant, if your sympathies are rooted 
iu the land and you believe in New York State you 
will be welcome at this meeting. Furthermore, you 
will help yourself as well as your State by attending 
Come! 
* 
M R. Retired Farmer wanted to sell the old place 
just outside the city limits, and bad been looking 
for a buyer for five years. The place bad a run¬ 
down. dilapidated, no-good appearance, and final¬ 
ly Mr. Speculator bought it. He trimmed the trees, 
mowed the yard, painted the buildings and put a neat 
fence around it at the cost of about $100. and then 
sold it in less than two months at a raise of one thou¬ 
sand dollars to a city man who wanted a neat country 
home for bis family. D. R. M. 
We have seen several cases just like this, where 
the farmer sold his property at a low figure because 
it was run down. The buyer patched and painted 
it up, sold again and got nearly as much for his “im¬ 
provements” as the first owner did for the farm. 
January 10, 
There are people who go about buying old clothing 
discarded by careless wearers. This clothing is 
patched and steamed, or cleaned, and pressed and 
often sells at three times the cast-off price. The 
buyer gets a good bargain at that. Real estate 
agents tell us many cases where buyers take farms 
with run-down buildings. They paint and repair 
the premises, plant a few trees and shrubs, make a 
garden and sell out at a great profit. Let a man 
consider what would happen if he went after the 
girl of his choice unshaven and unshorn, and with¬ 
out any attempt to look neat. It is much the same 
thing with his farm. A neat, attractive appear¬ 
ance always increases the value. This is particular¬ 
ly true now that motor cars are so common, for they 
double the number of people who will see your farm. 
We have known cases where mother and the girls 
fixed up the house and premises and doubled its 
selling value. Did they get any of the increase? 
One of the wisest things a farmer can do is to give 
the women folks a fair chance to brighten up the 
house and its surroundings. They are naturally 
neat about such things, and it will add joy to their 
lives and value to the farm if they can have a fair 
chance to make home and house agreeable. 
* 
T HERE is to be another “back-to-the-land” move¬ 
ment this Spring. We never had so many let¬ 
ters from city people who want to buy a farm. 
The war has had much to do with this. Times are 
tight in some lines of business and manufacturers 
and merchants cannot yet see how the war will af¬ 
fect them. They all, however, seem to think that in 
some way this war is to prove a bonanza for farm¬ 
ing. They think every acre will be needed to supply 
food. They should consider how, right now, potatoes 
and fruit are too low to pay a profit What would 
happen if thousands of new acres were suddenly 
thrown into cultivation? Under our present sys¬ 
tem of distribution the crops could hardly be given 
away. The average back-to-the-lander will not add 
much to the total crop, but he is likely to add to 
the crowd of unhappy and bitter failures who dis¬ 
credit farming when they get back to town. Un¬ 
doubtedly some of these people have the stuff in 
them to succeed, but the great majority will only 
provide “stuff” for real estate agents and supply 
dealers. If a man is bent upon trying life on a 
farm let him take the women folks thei’e to spend a 
week in Winter before he decides. 
* 
S OME of the shaky commission men have started 
a new form of bait. You get a letter from them 
containing the following: 
“The express agent at your station has recom¬ 
mended you to ^ls as being a responsible and reliable 
shipper .” 
The average citizen feels his chest expand and his 
blood circulate freely to his head when some 
stranger fires “responsible and reliable” at him. 
Here is a man who can appreciate him—though his 
wife and neighbors fail to do so—so he makes a 
shipment. The express agent would probably tell 
him that though he might be called a worm he is 
not put on a hook for bait It is a clever appeal 
to human nature, for who has not seen the man who 
cannot be forced from his place by a lion enticed 
from it like a very small dog by a sweetened com¬ 
pliment? 
BREVITIES. 
Three necessities for Alfalfa—fine soil, sweet soil, 
inoculated soil. 
You are right—the man who talks about himself too 
much gets to be an 1-sore. 
There is said to be a great shortage of window 
glass iu China. Perhaps the people throw more stones! 
Now here’s a thing that I suggest to sweeten your 
home life. Stop telliug what your mother did, but 
brag about your wife! 
Now then, here. It is said that people like to be 
humbugged. Have you in your career given proof to 
show the justice of such a remark? 
Now and then we hear the old tale that manure from 
foediug silage will sour the land where it is spread. 
Nothing to it. Keep on feeding silage. 
In 1914 there were 510.000,000 tons of coal mined 
in this country. An enormous coal bin, yet it was 60 
million tons shy of the previous year. 
Here is a uew feature at the farmers’ short course 
at the Missouri Agricultural College. It will end with 
a banquet, and one of the big prize steers will be served 
to the diners. 
“Fair analysis.” That does not mean waiting until 
some one has finished his work and then tearing it 
apart to destroy it. It means showing in time how to 
put it together better. 
Let this be your maxim this happy new year, as the 
season for planting the garden draws near. I’ll be wise 
if I cannot be wealthy and more— I will live on my 
garden and not on the store. 
