u64 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BU81NESS FARMER S PAPER 
\ National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Home* * 
Established ISSO 
I’nblUhcd weekly by the Rural Publishing Company. 333 West 30th Street, New Fork 
Herbert W. Collingwood, President and Editor. 
John J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wm. F. Dillon, Secretary. Mrs. E. T. Royle, Assoc iate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union. $2.04, equal to 8s. 6d., or 
8 V 2 marks, or 10tA 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—7 words. References required for 
advertisers unknown to us ; and casli 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 tlie 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 advert isers 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 
die transaction, and to identify it. you should mention The Rural New- 
Yorker when writing the advertiser. 
S OME of these people who want to try “home¬ 
steading” so as to get a touch of “wild life” 
might well get the experience nearer home. 
Here is a report from Franklin Co., N. Y., on March 
29: 
We are confined six months a year by snow, always. 
At present time there are two feet of snow in many 
places. The only vegetable that could be raised and 
get fair crop is potatoes, other vegetables cannot be 
depended on, as some years we have frost in every 
month. We could raise stock, as cattle and sheep, but 
we live 45 miles from a station, and what is raised 
round here is not enough to supply what is needed 
around here, and lots of people could make ready money 
cash by raising cattle or sheep. 
Why go 3,000 miles for a “wild life” when you 
can surely get it within 300 miles? The R. N.-Y. 
lias prosperous and contented readers in that section. 
* 
N OVA SCOTIA apple growers are alive and show 
evidence of it. Last year when the war broke 
out transportation rates were jumped up to an 
almost prohibitive point. These apple growers 
through their organization went after the Minister 
of Agriculture, and while he was investigating they 
chartered steamships on their own responsibility. 
'Phe rate soon came back to the old figure. But for 
this organization these growers would have had no 
chance. They are now collecting pledges for 5,000 
barrels of apples to he used in an advertising cam¬ 
paign. This fruit and also money obtained for its 
sale will be used in showing the world what Nova 
Scotia fruit is. Suppose that right in this potato 
crisis growers had put up 5,000 barrels of good po¬ 
tatoes for advertising purposes. Bight in New York 
City alone these potatoes could he given away so as 
to create a demand for half a million bushels more 
than would he sold with the ordinary demand. 
Open any successful market plan and you find co¬ 
operation. 
* 
A FARMER wrote the member of the Legislature 
from the home district and asked him to sup¬ 
port a certain measure which was in no sense 
political. He received a very cool and perfunctory 
reply. A little later this farmer met the local po¬ 
litical leader on the road—who said: 
“7 think you have your nerve icith you when you 
ask favors of Henry. You did not vote for him and 
do not belong to his party!” 
Here we have “politics” in a nutshell. There 
were four candidates at the election. “Henry” re¬ 
ceived about 40 per cent, of the total vote, and was 
declared elected because he had a few votes more 
than the next man. A large majority voted against 
him and therefore it was “nerve” on their part to 
ask questions. Somehow these men appear to think 
that only those who voted for them have the right 
to tell what they want. The others pay taxes and 
help support all public burdens, but it is “nerve” 
for them to tell their representative what to do. 
What do you think about it? 
* 
T HE voters of New York and New Jersey are to 
express their conviction on the question of 
woman’s suffrage this year. This has become a 
\ital issue, and should not be decided on sentiment 
or half-formed opinions. Many women are unde¬ 
cided as they realize the responsibilities which the 
ballot will thrust upon them. It is true that many 
or most men do not regard the voting right to carry 
great responsibility, but women will take the matter 
more seriously, and most of them will vote conscien¬ 
tiously. The following letter from one of our 
readers in Wisconsin probably expresses a general 
point of view: 
Do we believe in woman suffrage? We hardly know! 
Sometimes we think so, then after reading of suffra¬ 
gette work, forced feeding, etc., we are disgusted. Our 
husbands would uot like to have us criticized, unpop¬ 
ular, or be classed with such women as Mrs. Pankhurst. 
We have no doubt that expresses the thought of 
thousands of intelligent and influential women. Now 
THE K U RAL NEW-YUKKEK 
here comes a letter from a different type. This is 
an actual letter to us—printed word for word. 
I regret to tell you that I cannot pay for your pa¬ 
per. I have eujoyed it very much indeed, and fully 
expected to renew, but times are very hard, and my 
husband has to have his booze regardless of anything 
else. That is not the worst of it; he came home last 
Saturday night with a pay envelope calling for $23 and 
some cents but instead of handing me the money, he 
handed me a terrible beating, broke a lot of dishes and 
then left me without a red cent. So you see where I am 
placed. 
Now The R. N.-Y. tries to get its readers to think. 
The thought here is this: Would the ballot give this 
woman a chance to help herself and relieve this 
situation? If it would is it the duty of the first 
woman to help her unfortunate sister by using the 
ballot? This is one of the responsibilities which 
must be faced! 
* 
I am enclosing a sample of a root cut from an Early 
Harvest apple tree, which I received today from a 
nursery company. I would like to know what it is 
called and should a tree like that be planted? j. 
T HIS is a case of crown-gall. In this season of 
abundant trees it may be called a crowning 
gall to send such trees to a customer. We 
would not plant trees afflicted in this way. We 
should sort them out, heel them in and notify the 
nurseryman that we refused to accept them. In 
some States the inspectors refuse to pass such trees. 
We understand, of course, that most nurserymen and 
some of the scientists claim there is no particular 
danger from galled trees. With all due respect for 
their opinion we repeat our advice never to plant 
a tree carrying these galls on its roots. Nursery¬ 
men should not send them out without definitely 
stating that the disease is present. We have seen 
cases where the galls had been cut off and the wounds 
smeared with mud to deceive the buyer. 
$ 
G OV. WHITMAN went to Cornell University to 
select a new Commissioner of Agriculture. 
There was genuine surprise when Prof. Charles 
S. Wilson was named, as it was not known that 
lie was being considered. There were many candi¬ 
dates, and we were asked to “endorse” several of 
them. We take the position that so long as this 
office is an appointive one the Governor should be 
left to make his own selection. We think such an 
office should be elective, as it is in some of the 
States. That would give the farmers a chance to 
select the type of candidate they preferred. Our 
judgment is that they would, if given such an op¬ 
portunity, select either an aggressive business man 
or a practical farmer of superior intelligence and 
ability. Prof. Wilson is a young man who will bring 
energy, character and ability to (lie office. He is the 
son of Senator Thomas B. Wilson, a farm-raised 
boy, a thorough student, and well known and very 
popular throughout Western New York. Ilis spe¬ 
cialty is fruit growing and its kindred lines, and his 
administration will probably be educational rather 
than radical or aggressive. He is a worker, and 
can give the State a good administration if he will 
keep away from “political agriculture.” 
* 
I T is pleasaut at this season to walk over the 
farm and find no bare or idle land—with cover 
crops starting in every field not occupied by sod 
or Winter grain. The rye and vetch or clover have 
held the land, prevented much washing, saved the 
loss of nitrates and will now add to the soil as 
much organic matter to the acre as would be found 
in 10 tons of stable manure! These cover crops 
not only save nitrates and add nitrogen, but to some 
extent at least, they help out the potash problem 
by making some of the potash in the soil available. 
And all this is such an easy thing to do. The seed 
is the only cash expense. Our own cover crops are 
put in roughly with harrow or cultivator, hut $15 
per acre seems a very small valuation for the ben¬ 
efit to the soil. Why did we not know about this 
last Fall? Thou canst not say I did it! Week after 
week, from June to December The It. N.-Y. urged 
its readers to sow cover crops. 
The majority of hired men do not like to milk and 
many are not gentle with cows. More farmers are try¬ 
ing to do their work alone. One practical farmer that 
I know has sold Ills cows and gone to keeping sheep, 
because he cannot get a good man at a reasonable price 
to help him do his milking. Another one has rented 
his large farm and hired out to his tenants. The aver¬ 
age price for a month hand is $25 or $20 and board. 
N gathering facts about the labor question we 
have the above report from Southern New York. 
While such cases are not common they can be 
located and go to show what a revolution is work¬ 
ing out in Eastern farming. As surely as fate, con¬ 
ditions of business outside of the farm are com¬ 
pelling the farmer to change his methods or his 
occupation. The 35-cent dollar and what it stands 
April 10, 1015. 
for is mainly responsible for what is going on. 
The 65 cents of the dollar which go to the handlers 
create conditions which not only drive the farmer 
into such changes, but pull the boys and the better 
hired man away to town, where they try to clip 
a nickel off the 35-cent dollar. 
* 
O UR advice is against sowing Spring wheat in 
the Atlantic States. If any Spring grain be¬ 
sides oats should be needed we think beardless 
barley will pay better than wheat. When it comes 
to corn, we advise a heavy planting, as we do each 
year. Corn is the great home grain—good for all 
kinds of stock, while the stalks, either in the silo 
or as dry fodder, will make a good substitute for 
hay. Corn is the best grain for a farmer to raise 
in order to save buying feed. The grain, in various 
combinations, can be fed to all kinds of stock, and 
is the best foundation of all feeding rations. Not 
only this, but most farmers know how to raise corn 
and the work comes at a good season. Corn is the 
best crop to make use of the manure, or of an old 
sod, either meadow or pasture. Manure a sod well, 
plant corn and follow with a cover crop, and the 
next year you have the soil in the best condition 
for potatoes or similar crops. We would, by all 
means, plant corn. Get good seed, fit the ground 
well and feed the crop. Plant corn! 
* 
T HE following statement is made by a New Eng¬ 
land bank in an argument to show that farm¬ 
ers should raise “two blades of grass” in place 
of one this season: 
These farm products are shipped and manufactured 
into many other products which means labor for the 
transportation employes and labor for the factory em¬ 
ployes. It is up to the farmers to give the idle labor 
of the country a chance to get busy, and in so doing 
they will benefit themselves directly and benefit them¬ 
selves indirectly by benefiting the country at large. 
Wc wonder how much money this bank will loan 
on the next potato crop in sections where the present 
crop brings 20 cents a bushel! Did you ever see 
anything like the way these people put it “up to the 
farmers” to employ labor and double their products? 
Most of this idle labor would he of no use whatever 
at farm work. It has been trained for factory work, 
and most of the men could not be induced to leave 
town for work on a farm. Why not tell the manu¬ 
facturers to get busy, start all their factories on 
double time and make two shovels or shoes or hats, 
coats or overalls grow where one grew before? 
Why not offset the extra bushel of potatoes with an 
extra pair of gloves or the extra ton of hay with 
a new suit of clothes? Why not ask the railroads 
to sell two tickets at the price of one? It will en¬ 
courage travel and make work for the trainmen. Of 
course the railroad man and the manufacturer will 
say this is nonsense, for they should uot be expected 
to increase production to the point so far beyond 
consumption that profit is wiped out and loss be¬ 
gins! Just so! Why then ask the farmers to do 
what you know would ruin your own business? 
Brevities. 
Now get the grubs out of the backs of the cattle! 
How many hired men that you know are “vocation¬ 
ally trained.” 
Alfalfa goes north; 20 carloads of seed will be 
used in Minnesota. 
The hardest enemy to fight is the one you see when 
you look in the glass. 
A poultry expert tells what to do when a hen has a 
“bilious look !” Most hens present their bill for food ! 
To make this world a better place in which a man 
may live, let’s not say “how much can I steal,” but 
“how much can I give?” 
We find some people who must go over the “star 
route” in order to see a joke. Their heads must be hit 
hard enough to make them see stars. 
If you expect to sow Japanese millet remember that 
it must bo well fed. It is a quick growing crop and de¬ 
mands an abundance of food and water. 
A reader asks if it is against any national law in 
this country for a foreigner to own a dog! So far as 
we know the dog is not any test of citizenship! 
There will be great quantities of lime used this year. 
Some one will use lime on a sour soil—obtain a good 
crop and then think it has taken the place of potash. 
A mistaken conclusion. 
You may not know it, but there are deposits of an¬ 
thracite coal in Rhode Island. It is hard to get out and 
of low heating value—cannot be mined successfully at 
present prices. 
The newspapers have reported great damage to 
peach buds by birds. It seems that certain birds do 
some of this damage, but a spraying with lime-sulphur 
drives them* away. 
Ferrets in the hay mow—page 571. Evidently fer¬ 
rets will not kill many rats unless they can be cornered. 
They can drive the large rats out of the loose hay and 
kill the young ones. 
Wiiat every farmer ought to know—the address of 
his experiment station and agricultural college, and also 
of his Congressman aud member of the State Legisla¬ 
ture. 
