240 
■Uhe RURAL NEW-YORKER 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE nrsiXF.SS farmer's paper 
A >'ntIoiiul Werkl}' .loiiriiHl I'or Coiintrj' niid i>iiburbnn IloincH 
E/ilablished /nJO 
Fiil)n*thi>d n**eLIy hr (h** Rural riibllfthlne Company, 333 Wost 30lh Sirort. .Now Vork 
Hkrbert W. Coi,i,inoitood, President and E<litor. 
Jons J. Dn,LOS’, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wm. K. rmj.os. Secretary. Mrs. E. T. Royle, A.s-sociate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION : ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries in the Unlvei'sal Postal Union. $2.04, equal to 8s. 6d., or 
Sl4 marks, or 10*4 francs. Remit in inone.v order, e.spress 
order, peraoiial cheek or bank draft. 
Entered at New York Poet Ortlee a.s Second Claes Matter. 
Advei-llsing rates. 75 cents per agate line—words. References required for 
a<lvertisers unknown to us ; and cash must accompany transient orders. 
“A SQUARE DEAL’ 
We believe that ovei’y advertisement in this paper is backed hy a respon¬ 
sible pci-son. We use evei-y ix)s.sible precaution and mlmit the advertising of 
reliable houses onl.v. But to make doubly sure, we will tnake good any loss 
to [Mild subscribei-s s[istaine<i by tinisting any deliberate swindler, irrrapon- 
sible advertisers or misleading adveitisemcnts in our columns, and any 
such swindler will be publicly exposed. We are also often called u|x)n 
to adjust differences or mistakes between our subscribers and iionest, 
responsible houses, whether advertisera or not. We willingly use our good 
offices to this end. but such ca-ses should not be confused with dishonest 
transactions. We protect subscribei's 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 ns within one month of the time of 
the transaction, and to identify it, you should mention The Rcral New- 
Yorker when writing the advertiser. 
In Good Company 
E .\('1I yeiir we have 50 oi- more letters like the 
followiiijr: 
1 feel that the Woiiiair.s Maiiazijie number.s are 
worth the jiriee of the paiier. We are economizing in 
all jios.sihle directions, hat we niii.st have The H. N.- 
V. as we would .sooner think of doing without the 
Itihle ill tlie iKiine. for it is, in its wtiy. the Fanner's 
'restanient, and :is such occupies a iilace beside the 
Word ui)on our reading table. mils, ara c. wii.sox. 
Ilelaware. 
We hardly know what to say to such letters. They 
ai’e evidently sincere in their effoi'ts to exjiress the 
writer’s high appreciation of The It. N.-Y. Some¬ 
times we get a little side light as in the following: 
On a table at the side of the room weie several 
cojdes of Tnr: It. X.-Y. which the farmer .said was just 
as imjiortant on his farm as the Bible. The jiapers 
certainly ait)icared to have been reiid. and while the 
Bible may have bemi very important I didn't see a 
cop.v of it in the room. c. n. o. 
We do not make light of such things—or take 
them too hi’avily. We .iu.st feel the resjionsihility 
of having .sucii friends. 
<t001) many New York readers have asked 
about the con.servatioii laws governing tires 
and forest lands. The h<‘.<t thing for them is to 
send to tlie Secretary of tiie Conservation Commi.s- 
sidn at Albany and ask for a little book on these 
laws. They are quite complicated and should he 
studied. One i>rovision not well understood is the 
following: 
Fires to clear land. Xo person shall set oi- cause to 
he set lire for purpo.se of clearing land or burning logs, 
brush st.umi)s. or dry grass, in any of the fire towns, 
without tirst having obtained from the commission a 
Avritteii permit .so to do. If such hurniiig is done near 
fore.st land.s and if there is danger of the fire s))reading, 
a ])erson designated to issue such pei-mits must be 
present. 
Many people have h(*(*n lined for starting these 
fires without ))ermit. It has not yet been (h*cided 
whether the.se fines can he collected without legal 
conviction, but many of them have been paid. 
>(c 
HE lengths to which some rich corporations 
will go to evade their resixnisihilities is illus¬ 
trated by the following. One of onr former con- 
trihntor.s, a vei-y valuable man. was recently killed 
hy the careless driver of an auto timck. It was a 
case of almo.st criminal carelessness, and the own¬ 
ers of the truck wei'e clearly respon.sihle. This 
man's family is not in good circumstances, yet in- 
.ste.-id of acting with any degree of liberality this 
rich cor]joration will tr.v to escajie payment by 
claiming the victim Avas too old to have real earn¬ 
ing capacity I If there is anything more galling 
than such conduct b.A the rich, it is the knowledge 
that such bloated rascals are able to dictate laws 
which permit them even to attempt such ci’uel rob¬ 
bery. 
* 
O X page 44 Ave noted the fact that the XeAV York 
apple laAA' has been found defective by the 
court. Readers ask if fines ]>reviously paid under 
this laAV Avill he remitted. In deciding the case of 
a fruit grower Avho refused to pay his fine Judge 
Hiidley of Lockport said: 
I think there is no provision here for a criminal 
action. ... it looks to me as though the statute 
Avere a.s helpless here as though there Avere no pro¬ 
vision at all for the i)ayment of a fine, if the State 
slioulcl succeed in a civil action, and unfortunate as 
it may be, the courts of this State cannot perform the 
action or acts of the Legislature. It appears that 
some one in draAving this act made .some mistake. It 
is not a question concerning the Attorney-General’s 
office or the representative of the Attorney-General’s 
office. The eiTor is in the act itself, in my opinion. I 
am of the opinion that tlie people cannot succeed ex¬ 
cept as is stated here, “after a conviction,” and fox* 
that reason they must fail in this action and the court 
Avill dismiss the action, and the same is (lismis.sed. 
If the ease were left in thi.s Avay, Ave think the 
fanners Avho have paid fines under threat of suit 
would bo able to recover their money. We undei'- 
stand tliat the -Vttorney-General Avill appeal the 
case and thi.s aitjieal Avill liold the matter AA'hex’e it 
is noAV. If the coiuds decide against thi.s appeal, 
as Ave think likely these fines should he 
liaiU hack. .Several ameudments and one ucav 
apple law are before the Legislature. There 
i.s also a resolution hy .‘'onator ^Mullen which calls 
for a joint committee to investigate tlie apple prob¬ 
lem—and speiio S20,000 doing it! The Xoaa' York 
public i.-i tired these “iiiA-estigating" committees. 
A XTTMBER of eases liave been sent to us lately 
AA’hich I’efer to money relations between mau 
ami Avife. The Avife receives a legac.v. large or 
small, and not being familiar Avith hnsiiiess matters 
turns it over to her husband, or hrothei", Avithout 
demanding any reeeijit or aeknoAvledgment. The 
man jiroceeds to invest it in his own name. Later 
the man dies without any Avill, or some trouble 
comes up, and the Avoman finds that the money has 
passed aAvay from her. There are many of the.se 
case.s—so many in fact that Ave feel like urging all 
such Avomen to retain control of their OAvn money, 
or to demand full legal jiroof that it belongs to 
tlN'iii before letting it go. 
1 .'’! there anything more contradictory than the 
feeling of the public loAvai-d tlie Ben Davis ap- 
ple? WhencA’cr Ave mention it we hear from people 
Avho Avant to try Ben. Avhili* in the same mail Avill 
come Ik'ree letrers from others aa'Iio think this A’a- 
riety is aliont as fit to eat as a s]>onge. A A’irginiau 
Avrites that the Virginia Bens are in a class h.v 
themselves. On the other hand here comes a X>av 
Y ork man: 
T have a onc-family .Terscy coav. Till now I have 
bi'cii feeding her mangels .and carrots, but since they 
are gone 1 am using Ben OiiA'is aiqiles, because they 
sell A'ery iioorly. I give about 10 quarts in tAvo 
meals. c. R. 
What a Jersey cow Avill do Avith Ben Davis ap- 
)»les can be ansAveia'd only in her milk. Our oavu 
cnstoniers do not Avjint this apple, and our trade 
AA'ould he hadl.v injured if Ave sold Ben DaA’is Avith¬ 
out distinctly stating that the fruit is inferior. We 
IniA'e no quarnd with those aa'Iio groAV tlie variid.v. 
Next to Baldwins there are more Bens groAvn tlian 
of any other sort, hut for a good orchard in this 
teriitory Ave advise our readers to cut Ben out. 
♦ 
S EXATOR WHGK.S has introduced a bill to con¬ 
tinue his iiiA’estigating committee for another 
year. La.st year he had an aiiiirojiriatiou of .$25,000. 
He a.sks a iieAA' appropriation of $.12,000 for next 
year, making $57,000 in all. Farmer.s, and particu¬ 
larly milk dealers, should jirotest against this ex- 
traA'agance and Avaste. To them it is Avmrse than 
Avaste. The committee developed nothing la.st year 
that was not already kiioAvn in the country, and its 
Avork in the city Avas comjJetely devoted to the in¬ 
terests of the large dealer. Its record is a com¬ 
plete attempt to justify the high cost of distribu¬ 
tion hy large deahu’s. and has culminated in a de¬ 
mand to give them a iminopoly of the city distribu¬ 
tion. Xothing could he more foreign to the inter- . 
ests of the jiroducers, and farmers should prote.st 
agaiii.'jt any further actiA'ities of the committee. 
The record of tlie committee is made, and the rec¬ 
ord is bad. 
* 
F KD^I the beginning of the Furopean Avar The 
H. X.-Y. has endeavored to take a strictly neu¬ 
tral po.sitlon. Personally none of us can he said 
to he neutral. We all have our prWate opinions, 
and some of us endorse strongly one side or the 
other in the horrible strug.gle noAv going on in En- 
rojie. The R. X.-Y. has a Avide-spread, cosmoiiol- 
itan circulation—embracing men and Avomen of all 
nationalities, and if, as Ave claim, our readers rep¬ 
resent a gi’eat family gathering, Ave have felt that 
the paper should he. as aat liaA’e tried to make it, 
absolutely neutral. The events of the past feAv 
Aveeks have made it necessary to take a ucav po.si- 
tion. This nation has been compelled to bi’eak diplo¬ 
matic relations Avith Germany, and Ave noAv IniA'e a 
suiireme test of Americanism presented to us. It 
Avill he granted by all that I’resident Wilson has 
been i)atient, honorable and fair in his handling of 
this matter. If any criticism Avere to be offered it 
is that he has been too patient in AA'hat aa’C believe 
to he a sincere effort to avoid Avai*. The time came 
Avhen thei'e Avas only one course for the American 
government to folloAA'. The conduct of Germany is 
to us absolutely incomprehensible. We cannot xhi- 
derstand Avhat po.ssil)le motive there can be for her 
conduct, and Ave do not uoaa' stop to inqnii’e. Tiiere 
is only just one thing for American citizens to do—■ 
that is get sqnarMy hack of President Wilson and 
give him undivided sniiiioid. T.et ns aA'oid all Avild 
February 17, 1917. 
talk or advice or political criticism, but unite as 
-Vmericans for America. We ho])e and pray that 
onr Country may not be brought into the Avar. We 
knoAv Avhat Avar meams—doAA’u to the third genera¬ 
tion. We knoAA' of the horrors it brings to helpless 
people. hOAv the rich use it to exploit the poor, and 
hoAv it destroys reforms and puts back pi-ogress in 
social conditions. Tliere are times, howevei’, Avhen 
in order to ijreserve their character, or honor, men 
or nations must fight and give tlieir labor or their 
lite to a cause. Should any such is.sne anse out 
of this sad Imsiness the nation Avill find onr far¬ 
mers still, as they eA'er haA'e been, loyal and tniq 
to the core. 
Excxosed is .a clipping fi-om the Mirror-Recorder, of 
Stiimford, X. Y., of Jan. .11, showing some of the 
methods of the milk “Big Four.’’ The jjublishiug of 
sueh sTuff in rural papers works harm to the fanner'.s 
interests. Thinking that knowing something more of 
the methods of the big distributor may interest yon. I 
enelos«‘ clijiijing. e. j. R. 
HIS is a so-called “iicavs item” headed “I>illon's 
Charges Refuted.’’ In it Ave are told, among 
other things. Iioaa', at the Albany meeting. .Tndge G. 
W. M'ard “jnm])ed to the his feef’ to defend the big 
milk distributors. Such articles and editorials are 
Miijiciiring in many country paper.s. They are evi¬ 
dently inspired and jiaid for hy the milk dealers 
and commission men. These .gentlemen first tried 
advertising Imt that failed to infltience the coun¬ 
try people. XoAv they seem to be trying the more 
dangei-ons g.-ime of AA'orkiug the uoavs and editorial 
column. They think farmers Avill helieA’e all they 
see in jirint, and so they are “loading" the country 
papers Avith this “noAA's.” ^t Avill kick hack and do 
them more harm than good, '’'e advi.so onr far¬ 
mers. AvheneA'er th<*y see tins stuff in tiieir local 
]»:iper. to rejily to it at once, and to demand Avherc 
rhe editoi- gut his infoianation. There are very few 
local jiai)ers that Avill ev(*r stand up against a dozen 
strong letters of this sort. Thi.s is a part of tin* 
Avork AAdiich the tanners must do for themselves. 
They unist make their local ])apers represent them 
fairly. 
* 
E i'ERY year at this season AA’e try to .shoAv the 
value of liquid manure a.s a potash fertiliz(*r. 
Jlost of ns Avill haA*e no potash this year exce]»t 
what Ave can save in the stable liquids. AVhen a 
COAV e.ats a ton of hay or grain about one quarter 
of the nitrogen is xised in sustaining her body or in 
making milk. Of what is left about tAvo-thirds of 
the nitrogen Avill go into the liquid manures. The 
liro])ortion of jtotash thus A'oided will he still larger. 
In a ton of wheat bran there are .12 jmnnds of pot- 
a.sh—in a ton of cloA-er hay 25 pounds. We cannot 
buy this ))otash for le.ss than 20 cents a i)onnd. 
When Ave feed the bran or the haj’ to coavs Ave have 
nearly all this ))otash returned to ns in the liqnid.s, 
hut like .some Avild bird, it Avill not stay and AA'ork 
for ns nnle.ss Ave trap and hold it. On many faians 
at least half of thi.s potash runs off into the brook 
and is lost. What Avonld you think of a man Avho 
in these times bought a ton of muriate of i)ota.<h 
and dumped it into the brook? Crazy? Xot a bit 
moi'e so than he Avho buys and feeds expensive grain 
and then lets all this potash run aAA’ay. AVe have 
seen a fai-mer boring holes in the barn floor so as to 
let the liquids drain out. and then buying potash 
to mix Avith the solid manure. Men have been sent 
to the insane asylum for less! 
Brevities 
The lien man's first duty is to keep his hens :il 
home. 
CoRNMEAL mush and milk makes a good supper tin s • 
cold nights. 
Tei.l us hoAv the peach bnd.s haA’e stood up against 
the recent blizzards. 
Xeav .Jersey Alfalfa groAvers have formed a State 
orgiuiization—so have the dairymen. 
The article on cooperatiA’e advertising opens a new 
way to eniicentrated effort. This plan is po.ssible in 
many farm lines. 
The Ohio Experiment Station finds it more econom¬ 
ical to plow clover under in the Fall rather than to 
cut and leave the crop on the ground. 
Mr. Geo T. POAViil.!. is noAV in California making a 
full study of the State and Avhat its farmers are do¬ 
ing. AYe are to print a series of articles from him. 
Something more about this thing of cleaning hogs 
AVlth gasoline. Most of the criticism comes from those 
who have nut tried it but cannot see hoAv it can Avork. 
X'OAv we are after you again to plant out that as¬ 
paragus bed thi.s Spring. This is the easiest vegetable 
to take care of and the best one to eat for it comes in 
early. Start that bed this year sure. 
The Avater-glass egg- cannot compete Avith the egg 
from cold stoi*age. It Avoiild be a mistake to put the 
“gias.s” eggs on the market. This process is for home 
comsunqition, and verj good for that. 
