1488 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes 
Established is:,o 
I’ubllshrd weekly by the Rural Publishing Company, 333 West 80th Street, New Vorlt 
Herbert W. Colltnowood, President and Editor. 
Jons J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wm. F. Dillon, Secretary. Mrs. E. T. Hoyle, Associate Editor, 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union. $2.01, equal to 8a, 6d., or 
8 l£ marks, or 10J£ 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 fo:’ 
advertisers unknown to us ; and cash must accompany transient orders. 
“A SQUARE DEAL” 
We believe that every advertisement in this paper is haeked by a respon¬ 
sible pei-son. We use every possible precaution and admit the advertising of 
reliable bouses 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 advertiser's or not. We willingly use our good 
offices to this end, but such cases should not lie 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 The Rural New- 
Yorker when writing the advertiser. 
O N page 1393 we printed an article by a dairy¬ 
man with a small herd of good cows. This 
man sees a good future in the business. Some of 
the back-to-the-landers think this shows an easy 
way to money in dairying, and so we give some¬ 
thing of the other side in the present article by J. 
Grant Morse. See what you think of those figures. 
Can you start dairying for less money? 
* 
Mg wife and I are going into Winter in good 
shape, and shall stay here this Winter. 
HAT comes from an Ohio farmer who has tra¬ 
velled extensively and could easily spend the 
Winter in warmer parts. “No place like home,” 
when the home can be well fitted with comforts. We 
may not he able to have all the conveniences, but 
let us have every one we can provide. It pays, 
when the wind is at your door, to have warmth 
within. 
* 
W E have had no particular comment to make 
about the approaching marriage of President 
Wilson and Mrs. Galt. They are both of mature 
years, know their own minds and are very capable 
of getting on without advice from us. The affair 
has now reached the stage, however, when we feel 
justified in taking notice. Word comes that a fruit 
grower in Washington has sent Mrs. Galt a box of 
the "finest apples ever produced in this country.” 
She will have no better present than this “made 
in America” fruit. We think the Hudson Valley 
could have provided a box of finer apples, but the 
growers there were not quite quick enough in think¬ 
ing of this suitable present for the first, lady of the 
land. Far hack in history the first lady and the 
apple played an important and striking part, but 
that fruit would never have passed under our ap¬ 
ple laws. Success to the White House lady and her 
apples. Three of them, nicely baked, each day will 
make our President’s troubles seem lighter. 
* 
M UCH sympathy is expressed for the woman of 
middle age left alone upon a farm which rep¬ 
resents all, or nearly all, her inheritance. With 
husband gone, no brothers and sisters, and children 
dead or with crowded homes of their own, such a 
woman faces a hard situation. Yet it is not much 
worse than that of some men who, at past 50, are 
left alone in the country. Such men do not want to 
marry again, and they are quite sensible enough 
to know that few women would marry them except 
for a home and such property as they could leave. 
The middle-aged man, with habits well fixed and 
positive opinions, is not usually very welcome ex¬ 
cept as he pays for it. Such men cannot live on 
their farms alone with much comfort and they face 
a hard outlook in life. Yet there are places where 
such men are needed, and where their labor would 
yield them an income and a home. We have in mind 
just such a place now. Two women live alone on a 
small farm well equipped. These women are no 
longer able to do the work, yet they do not want 
to leave their home. A middle-aged man of good 
character and knowledge of farming could find a 
good home and employment at this place, and help 
both himself and the owners. No doubt there are 
other places where the middle-aged man, left alone 
in the country, could find a good home. 
* 
T HE State of California has gone directly into 
the commission business without any argu¬ 
ment, excuse or apology. By a law approved on 
June 10 a State commission market was created, 
with Col. Harris Weinstock, one of the ablest men 
in the State, at the head. The State appropriated 
$25,000 to start the work, which will he self-sup¬ 
porting through commissions. The director of this 
department may establish and maintain markets in 
any towns or cities of the State. All producers of 
food in California may send their produce to these 
markets for sale. The director may sell them in 
the name of the State and charge a fair commis¬ 
sion for doing so. The income from these com¬ 
missions will go to pay (he expenses of the markets. 
The director may rent, lease or occupy such land and 
buildings as he needs, and buy proper equipment for 
sale and delivery. There is no attempt to disguise 
the object of this legislation. It is designed to give 
the farmers and fishermen a fairer chance with the 
middlemen. Unable to remedy the 35-cent dollar 
problem in any other way, the State of California 
steps right in and handles the dollar and it will 
give the right change hack. Thus California gives 
the rest of the country a great Christmas present 
in this legislation. That “vain repetition of an 
economic fallacy” does not seem to have been in vain 
out in California. Now for just such legislation in 
New York and New Jersey. 
R EV. GEO. B. GILBERT brings out this idea of 
neighborly service well. He is right in saying 
that this pleasant neighborly feeling among our 
readers is something we bank on. It is the greatest 
l ank in the world—this kindly element of human 
nature which prompts people to go out of their way 
to help a friend in whom they have confidence. This 
helpful spirit among our readers comes to us with 
great power at this happy season. The paper which 
we print this week carries our best Christmas 
thought to our friends and subscribers. The world 
is going through a time of great trouble and doubt, 
when great sacrifices are demanded, and the way 
seems dark for many. At such times it is all the 
more necessary that those of us who are blessed 
with health and comfort and abundant hope should 
give out of our store of personal sunshine a full 
contribution of cheerfulness and good wishes. Our 
readers have been more than kind to us during 
the past year. They have overlooked errors and 
short comings, given greater praise than we deserve 
and acted the part of true neighbors with all that 
word means in the country. We know that this has 
been done because you have confidence in us, and 
believe that we are honestly trying to lie of service. 
It is a great thing to come to the Christmas season 
feeling that these things are true. The gift which 
we crave above all others is the power to lie true 
to such friendship and confidence. And so this is¬ 
sue goes out to our people as an expression of a 
heartfelt “Merry Christmas!” 
j. 
9 
T HIS world, or at least the North American end 
of it, is rapidly filling up with people who long 
to organize and uplift the farmer. We never knew 
anything like the rush to form big organizations for 
the benefit of agriculture. Those who attend these 
meetings usually find a gathering of well-dressed, 
pleasant gentlemen who are rather better at talking 
and thinking than (hey are at working on (lie farm. 
Our impression is that (he large majority of those 
who attend these meetings are in lines of business 
which depend on the handling rather than the pro¬ 
duction of farm products. They either expect to sell 
the farmer something, or take a share of his crop in 
exchange for transportation or financial service. If 
the leaders of this work object to this as unfair let 
them step up and tell us how many of those who at¬ 
tend these meetings make their living out of the 
farm. There are two ways of making a living from 
the farm—direct and indirect. The direct method 
is to dig it right out of the soil as a producer. The 
indirect method is to take a share of the final price 
of farm products for handling, transporting and 
financing the farm crop, or for supplying, educating 
or organizing the farmer. Now tell us whether the 
majority of those who make up these great gather¬ 
ings are direct or indirect farmers. If most of them 
are indirect, how much real show will the direct 
farmers have? This is a big, broad subject, and we 
will approach it in a broad way by asking these 
questions. Right in this connection as a little 
Christmas thought let us ask this question: lias the 
man who cannot thoroughly organize his own neigh¬ 
bors and friends into a strong local business organ¬ 
ization the right to expect that lie can organize the 
farmers of the entire country? 
I N Manitoba and Saskatchewan the State govern¬ 
ment will cooperate with farmers to sell poultry. 
Dressed poultry in the country districts has sold at 
very low prices. This was due to various causes; 
the buyers had all the advantage and the farmers 
did not know how to dress and grade the poultry to 
best advantage. So the government stepped in to 
help. In this country the “authorities” would have 
given “education” in killing and dressing and then 
walked off because selling is “not a function of of- 
December 18, 1015. 
fieial work.” Not so in Western Canada where, ap¬ 
parently, when they find a function missing they put 
one right in and start the machine. This is the way 
they are to do it in Saskatchewan: 
A baggage car is being fitted up as a poultry receiv¬ 
ing and killing station ; a six weeks’ itinerary, providing 
for one-day visits to 34 selected towns, has been ar¬ 
ranged. and farmers or others having poultry to dis¬ 
pose of are invited to bring the birds alive to the car 
when it visits their town. Experts from the poultry 
husbandry division accompany the car and will receive, 
grade, and kill the birds and assist the producers with 
(lie plucking. When the fowls have been properly 
killed and graded, a representative of the cooperative 
organization branch of the Department of Agriculture 
will take delivery and make advance payments at prices 
in accord with their quality. When the birds have 
been cooled, they will be packed in boxes holding 12 
birds each and placed in cold storage until conditions 
are favorable for marketing. When all of the birds 
have been disposed of, a final payment will be made 
to the producer, remitting every cent realized from the 
sale of his birds less the cost of boxes, transportation, 
and storage. 
“Every cent realized /” Are we dreaming? Is 
this to he done in fairyland or actually ou the soil 
of North America? If there are any “trade papers” 
up in that country they will he so hot that the North 
Pole will be in danger of melting! And yet—why 
not? Why is this not a legitimate work for the 
State? Suppose Cornell University, right here in 
New York, ran just such a train, killed and dressed 
poultry at 34 towns and gave producers “every cent 
realized?” Would the railroads stand for it? 
* 
I T is now 295 years since the little band of May¬ 
flower Pilgrims clambered from their boat and 
scrambled over Plymouth Rock. There could not 
have been anything very dignified or inspiring about 
the way they landed to anyone who has seen Ply¬ 
mouth Harbor in a December gale. These men and 
women thought they were doing quite an ordinary 
thing, and they were so glad to get on shore that 
they cared very little how they got there. What 
they said lias never been recorded, for the wind and 
waves made too much noise. Now, by way of con¬ 
trast, let us consider what is proposed five years 
hence, when the third century of Plymouth will he 
completed. Among other events it is proposed to 
have a worldwide oration. Some clear-voiced orator 
will speak into a telephone so arranged that the 
sound will he wired all over the Eastern part of 
this country and thousands at a distance will hear 
his voice. In addition it is suggested that the new 
wireless telephone can be used so that even in Eng¬ 
land and France the sound will be heard and un¬ 
derstood. By 1920 the wireless will be so far per¬ 
fected that this worldwide speaking will be quite 
possible. Can anyone imagine a wider contrast be¬ 
tween the hard and prosaic landing of the Pilgrims 
and this later celebration? Where can one find a 
more wonderful evidence of the mighty changes 
which have come to the world during the past 300 
years? And yet who shall say that we have more 
than begun to develop and grow? Our children and 
(hose who follow them will look back and smile at 
what they call the crudeness of this age, which 
seems to us so wonderful! 
Brevities 
Some heads are “cracked” by pouring cold water on 
“hot air.” 
A farmhouse without trees and shrubs around it is 
only a roosting place. 
Ix boring a well in Nevada the machine struck wood 
at 1,900 feet. It was redwood—well preserved. 
Solid” alcohol is the latest—a convenience for 
travellers or campers who need a concentrated fuel. 
The Christmas nest is most comfortable in which 
there is a nest egg. Make it too large and trouble may 
hatch from it! 
Sudan grass! We have fair reports from Western 
and Southwestern readers. How has it acted on the 
Atlantic Coast? 
Our country produced this year 6,462,000 tons of 
sugar beets—the heaviest yield yet. Colorado led with 
100,800 acres in beets. 
Cuba now has a national money of her own—on a 
parity with American money. The Cuban coins were 
minted in the United States. 
The soap-berry tree (Sapindus saponaria) grows in 
Ecuador. The pulp around the seeds is used as soap, 
while the seeds make good buttons. 
Retail prices of potatoes in Berlin, Germany, es¬ 
tablished by law, are one cent per pound. Why should 
the New York public be held up for higher prices? 
Many a good horse goes wrong and has to submit to 
all sorts of “doctoring” just because his teeth are bad. 
and he cannot chew properly. Give the horse a Christ¬ 
mas present of a little dentistry. 
It seems impossible to ask a question about country 
life which some of our readers cannot answer. The 
latest is how to can clams. We tried hard to get an 
answer and now comes a man who makes a business 
of it. 
This European war is forcing into use many pro¬ 
ducts formerly considered wastes. Now it is said that 
(he Austrians are using grape seed left from the vin¬ 
tage. They extract an oil from these seeds and crush 
and treat the remaining product into cattle feed. 
