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THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE RUSINESR FARMER'S FArER 
\ National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Home* * 
Established I8S0 
Publbbed weekly by the Rorml i’ubliihlne Oompnnr. *33 nl SOtb Street, New Vortt 
Hkrukrt W. Coijj.vowood, President and Editor. 
Jons J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
W«t F DlLLO*, Secretary. Miw. E. T. Royle. Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION : ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union. $2.01. equal to 8s. #d., or 
8 I 4 marks, or 101$ francs. Remit in money order, express 
order, personal check or bank draft. 
Entered at New York Post Office as Second Class Matter. 
Advertising rates, 7u cente 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 paper 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 pood any loss 
to paid subscribers sustained by t rusting any deliberate swindler, irrespon¬ 
sible advertisers or misleading advertisements in our columns, and any 
such swindler will be publicly exposed. We are also ofteu called upon 
lo adjust differences or mistakes between our subscribers and honest, 
responsible houses, whether advertisers or not. We willingly use our good 
offices to this end, hut such cases should not be confused with dishonest 
transactions. We protect subscribers against rogues, but we will not las 
responsible for tlie debts of honest bankrupts sanctioned by the courts. 
Notice of the complaint must Ik- 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. 
L ET us keep right, after this plan of sending our 
Atlantic coast potatoes to California. Oranges 
and other fruits from the Pacific coast make 
the long journey east and are bought by Eastern 
jieople. As we now know, California people want 
good potatoes, and do not produce enough to supply 
their market. Here is a chance for New England 
and New York growers to develop a good market. 
The experience of the past Winter shows that a new 
outlet is necessary. Let us not think about it, and 
then stop, but get busy and develop the trade. 
* 
W HAT shall lie said about Sweet clover in New 
York? There is the most contradictory evi¬ 
dence about the merits of this crop. The 
county agents, as we understand them, agree that 
there is no geueral interest in Sweet clover and but 
little if any seeding. A few farmers and institute 
speakers are extravagant in their praise of Sweet 
clover as a pasture and manurial plant, and fore¬ 
runner of Alfalfa. The seedsmen report heavy and 
increasing sales of seed, yet only here and there do 
we find an Eastern farmer who praises the crop and 
urges its general sowing. It is hard to make out 
just what all this means. We shall find out by seed¬ 
ing some of the Sweet clover. 
* 
B EFORE it is too late let us urge farmers and 
fruit growers in particular to grow a root crop 
this year. Carrots or mangels will work well 
in with your crops, and unless you have had them 
to feed during the Winter you cannot realize how 
useful they are for all stock. Most fruit farmers 
are short of hay, and a ton as you buy it eats up 
many a basket of peaches. Most of us have sown 
corn fodder, but alone it is not a good substitute for 
hay. Fed with carrots it makes a full substitute 
and will keep the work horses in fine condition. 
Carrots are easy to raise and on the farm of medi¬ 
um size they will save hay, make milk and act as 
a regular stock tonic. 
* 
O NE result of the European war will he a larger 
use of fertilizer nitrogen taken direct from the 
air. Germany, deprived of nitrates or other 
imported nitrogen, is developing processes of ob¬ 
taining this air nitrogen as never before. The ef¬ 
fect. of this will be felt throughout the world after 
the war is over. The quantity of niti-ogen blown 
into the atmosphere from explosives during this war 
is beyond calculation. Only a small part of it, at 
best, can be taken back for fertilizing purposes, but 
the process of taking it is developing new industries, 
and these will continue with peace and slowly 
change the farming of the entire world. 
* 
T HE sensation of the week was the resignation 
of William J. Bryan as Secretary of State. 
Mr. Bryan resigned rather than sign the new 
note which this Government has sent to Germany, 
lie has long been noted as an advocate of peace, 
and his reason for resigning is that President Wil¬ 
son’s new letter to Germany is too abrupt and stern 
in tone. Mr. Bryan takes the position that he could 
not consistently remain in the Cabinet and support 
methods or policies to which he is conscientiously 
opposed. It is too early to know just what effect 
this action will have upon the country. From the 
beginning Tiie R. N.-Y., in common with the great 
majority of our people, has believed in the ability 
of President Wilson to handle this delicate matter 
properly and well. His position is a hard one, in¬ 
volving great responsibility, and we believe it to 
he a patriotic duty to support him fully without 
offering advice or criticism. Good soldiers fall in 
behind their leader, especially when he carries their 
full confidence as President Wilson does in this 
crisis. Mr. Bryan, by his sudden and spectacular 
resignation and public criticism has made the case 
harder and more complicated for the President. We 
do not join those who denounce Mr. Bryan, as most 
of the leading papers are doing. If he is con¬ 
scientiously opposed to the way these negotiations 
are being conducted, he is justified in refusing to 
endorse them. We think, however, he has made a 
mistake in selecting this time and method for his 
action. This is no time to stop and argue. The 
American people should now, if ever, get together 
for a united and definite policy and stand firmly 
behind the President. 
* 
E STIMATING the grain crop in early June is 
something like counting chicks when the eggs 
have been under the hen 15 days. As compared 
with former years at this time, there is prospect of 
a wheat crop of 950,000,000 bushels against 891.000,- 
000 last year. The gain is chiefly in Spring wheat, 
Minnesota promising 25,000.000 more than last year 
and the Dakotas over 30.000.000. Some of the 
Southern States show a slight gain, hut through the 
East and through the Middle States there will be 
little if any more wheat than last year. There will 
be, however, a large increase in the crop of oats 
throughout the Eastern States. With good weather 
the wheat prospects will improve and we shall not 
be surprised if the crop reaches one billion bushels. 
In estimating future prices we must remember that 
all other wheat-producing countries have increased 
their acreage. France, England and Russia have 
all made heavier seedings of wheat. War prison¬ 
ers have been put at farming, and women are doing 
farm work. If it is possible for the Allies to force 
their way through the Dardanelles to the Black Sea 
millions of bushels of Russian wheat will at once be 
free for export. We must also remember that Austra¬ 
lia, Argentina, and all other wheat-producing coun¬ 
tries will naturally increase their wheat crops to the 
limit while the war demand creates high prices. 
As for New England, New York and New Jersey, a 
large proportion, if not a majority of the farmers 
in these States must buy their wheat and flour the 
same as city consumers. 
* 
The Value of a “ Misfit” Tree. 
N page 822 will he found a statement regarding 
a quite famous misfit tree case in Western New 
York. We have tried to give a fair present¬ 
ment of the facts. If it, is not fair we offer Brown 
Bros Co. the space to correct any misstatements. 
Our understanding is that Mr. Lunt set 5S apple 
trees, bought as Baldwins in the Fall of 1909, and 
104 more in the Spring of 1910. There seems to 
he no question that these trees were misfits and not 
Baldwins at all. They were budded iu August, 
1914. Mr. Lunt as we understand it claims that 
these misfit trees were not suitable for budding, and 
that, therefore, they are valueless. Brown Bros., if 
we are rightly informed, claim that these trees are 
as valuable as they would have been had they been 
“choice Baldwin trees” when they were planted.' 
After hearing the testimony the jury gave Mr. Lunt 
a verdict for $700. 
The vital point in all these misfit tree cases is 
the correct measure of damages—that is, how much 
is a good tree worth? In the present case the judge 
ruled that if Mr. Lunt was entitled to damages at 
all he was entitled to the difference between tlie 
value of the trees as they were and what they 
would have been worth if true from the beginning. 
In former New York cases the value of the laud be¬ 
fore and after planting a good orchard was consid¬ 
ered, hut the judge refused to permit this system 
of figuring. In seed cases the rule is well estab¬ 
lished. When seed proves to he not as warranted 
the buyer may recover the difference between the 
value of the crop from the defective seed and what 
it would have been worth had the seed been true. 
A tree is different from an annual seed crop, since 
when planted it becomes a part of the real estate, 
and the older the tree grows the more the real es¬ 
tate is worth. Mr. Lunt’s witnesses claimed that 
the 5S trees set in the Fall of 1909 should now be 
worth $10 each and that the others are worth $8 
each. As we see the jury awarded $700 for the 
162 trees! 
Brown Bros. Co. has appealed the case on the 
ground that this verdict is excessive. They will 
probably claim that these trees ax*e not now worth 
an average of $4.32, or else that these budded trees 
will come on and prove themselves equal to first- 
class Baldwins. The jury seems to have decided 
that point, but the appeal will help settle two im¬ 
portant things about misfit trees. Are nurserymen 
to be held accountable for their blunders or mis¬ 
haps? In no other line of merchandise could a man 
escape responsibility who delivered what are clearly 
and unmistakably “misfits.” We all recognize that 
June 19, 1915. 
the nursery business is a peculiar one, in which we 
are dealing with “futures,” and that mistakes are 
far more likely to occur than when goods are man¬ 
ufactured of wood and metal. At the same time 
there is uo earthly reason why all the loss which 
comes from planting misfits should fall upon the 
buyer. Again the question of damages and the 
fair measure of the value of a young tree must be 
settled definitely, and this case will help do it. We 
understand that efforts have been made to keep the 
facts of this case out of print. We think this policy 
is narrow and short-sighted. It will be far better 
for both nurserymen and buyer to meet the issue 
fairly and agree upon a fair measure for settlement. 
* 
F .OR some weeks past the “American Agricultur¬ 
ist” has been running its little smut machine 
in full blast. While its attacks have been made 
upon the Commissioner of Foods and Markets it 
has been easy for farmers to understand that the 
real point of attack was the Department itself. If 
this were not so the “American Agriculturist” would 
have defended the Department when the Kincaid 
bill was before the Legislature. It was as silent as 
the grave in the face of this danger, when the 
Grange and every organization of farmers iu the 
State were out in the open fighting the Kincaid bill. 
This action made it clear to the farmers of the 
State that Mr. Myrick and his paper were in reality 
fighting and seeking to destroy the first real effort 
to improve marketing conditions that New York 
State ever attempted. These farmers took the mat¬ 
ter right into their own hands and the way they 
licked postage stamps and pasted them on Mi - . My- 
rick’s back is probably without an equal in the his¬ 
tory of such stamping. The letter printed on the 
next page is a sample of the strong and dignified 
expression of opinion which farmers have sent. 
Some of them bum like a red hot poker. We have 
found that it is not necessary for us to reply to 
Mi\ Myrick’s smut machine. The farmei-s under¬ 
stand the situation with surpi’ising accuracy, and 
they are doing full justice to it. These fann¬ 
ers understand that all this pei’sonal abuse and 
misrepresentation is dust thrown into the air to 
obscure the real issue. The more there is of it 
the clearer the farmers of New York understand 
that there can he only two sides to this fight. The 
Department of Foods and Markets is under fire 
from every crook, every commission robber and 
evei’y man who is opposed to any reform in the pres¬ 
ent market system. The fact that all these interests 
are abusing the Department is the best evidence 
anyone could ask that tlie Oomissioner is really do¬ 
ing something. Every intelligent farmer in the coun¬ 
try knows that in this battle the “American Agricul¬ 
turist” in its present position has lined up with the 
crooks and the high-handed robbers who have so 
long fattened like parasites upon the farmer. He 
who is not with me is against me!" The farmers 
are in desperate earnest in their battle for fairer 
market rights, and they know what to do to those 
who get in their way. 
Brevities. 
The great London fur sales will be given up this 
year. 
Good points for the screech owl—he destroys mice 
and English sparrows. 
Give the poultry shade. A field of corn or sunflowers 
gives them what they need. 
Almost all the agricultural shows in England will 
be given up this year on account of the war. 
Tiie government of British India has prohibited the 
export of wheat and wheat flour for oue year. 
Try to save some of the Hairy vetch seed if you have 
the crop growing. The war in Europe shuts off the 
foreign supply and prices will be out of sight. 
The Swedes are working ut the problem of utilizing 
muck or peat to take the place of coal. They have a 
new process of watering and then baking the peat. 
The Filipinos are not only learning to play baseball 
but they eat apples. During 1914 nearly 2,500,000 
pounds of apples were sent to the Philippines and the 
demand has only begun. 
If there is any doubt about the gas in a silo try the 
lighted lantern test. Lower the lantern down into the 
silo. If the flame goes out, keep out of that silo until 
the air has been well stirred up. The same test is 
used for a deep well. 
Here is a true statement from Massachusetts: “The 
modern 42-centimeter gun may be some weapon of de¬ 
struction, but it has nothiug on a Massachusetts frost 
iu the latter part of May.” The man who sent it says 
the frost “killed everything except the woodpile.” W hat 
proportion of farmers had the woodpile? 
One of our readers tells us how iu former years he 
could obtain considerable stable manure for the haul¬ 
ing. It came from a factory stable. Now the manure 
is all burned under the factory boiler. This is to save 
a little fuel and also to prevent fly breeding. The one 
thing about this housefly nuisance which must, get into 
the public mind is that flies breed iu horse manure and 
rarely in other forms of filth. If the horse manure can 
be handled so that flies are kept away from it there will 
be but few young flies hatched out. 
