336 
March 3, 1917. 
The Rural New-Yorker 
TltE BUSINESS FARMER'S TAPER 
a. Xotloiinl Wci-Lly .lournul for Country and Suburban llomr* * 
Established fSiO 
Pnbllihrd wrrkly by tbr Rural riibliiblng Company, 3S3 WmI SOIIi Strrpt, Vork 
Uebbkbt W. Ooixib'owooD, President and Editor. 
Jons .1. Unxos, Tre.'«urer and General Mamuirer. 
Wm. F. Dilix).s% Secretary. Mk.«. E. T. Royle, .\s.soci ate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION : ONE" DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.04, equal to 8a 6d., or 
84^ marks, or 10)4 francs. Remit in money order, express 
order, personal check or bank draft. 
Entered at New York Post Ofllce as Second Class Matter. 
Advertlslnpr rates, 7,1 cents per a<rate. line—7 worda References required for 
adverliwiTS unknown to us ; and cash must accomiwiny transient ordera 
“A SQUARE DEAL” 
We l>elieve that every advertisement in this paper is backed by a respon- 
aible iwrson. We use every possible precaution and admit the adveitisine of 
reliahle houses only. But to make doubly sure, we will make eood any loss 
to iiaid subscribers sustained by trusting any deliberate swindler, liTespon- 
sible advertisers or misleading advertisements in our columns, and any 
such swindler will be publicly exposed. We are also often called upon 
to a<lJUBt differences or mistakes between our subscribei-s and honesC 
responsible houses, whether advertisers or not. We willingly use our good 
oflicfs to this end, but such cases should not be confused with dishonest 
transactions. We protect subscribers against rogues, but we wdll not be 
responsible for the debts of honest banknipts sanctioned by the courts, 
Notice of the complaint must be sent to us within one month of the time of 
the tiansaetion, and to identify it, you should mention The Rluae Nkw- 
Yorker when writing the adverti.wr. 
O NE of our readers in tlie “North Country” wrote 
Senator Elon K. Itrown of Watertown, N. Y., 
asking where he stuiuLs on the foods and markets 
(juestion. He received the following illuminating 
rejily: 
]M.v niiiul is not matured sufficiently to give expres- 
sitin to my views in relation to the foods and markets 
Question. I am sorry that it is not. but you will un- 
der.'itaud that I have to study the question as you do. 
EIA)X R. BROWN. 
Can anyone heat that? It i.s original! The one 
hopeful thing about it is that Senator P.rown has 
quit .saying "careful consideration.” That having 
h(*en driven out of his system—now to mature his 
mind. He is .sorry for this lack of maturitj’, and 
needs help, but only a miracle can hurry him up. 
So let every man and woman with a mind capable 
of understanding what is needed write Senator 
lirown at once and jiut a little jihosphorus into that 
lagging brain. Uji and at him before it is too late, 
and he jia.sses otf into mental stagnation! 
* 
I T would be a thankless and u.seless task to try to 
“report" the great “Farmers' AVeek’’ at Cornell. 
It has passed bej’ond the size and .scope of a “meet¬ 
ing'’ or convention. It has become a great reunion 
and revival of New York farm interests. There is 
nothing quite like it anywhere in the East, and it 
covers .so much ground and attracts .such a crowd 
there is little use trying to describe it. The gath¬ 
ering is one of those fine great reunions around 
which the personal and educational spirit of farm¬ 
ing should be grouped. The meeting this year was 
a wonder in every way. 
♦ 
H alf the .“States will conduct oat smut com- 
paigns this year. This is good work, for pat 
smut i.s one of the nastiest and most extravagant 
things to have on the farm. It is one of the easie.st 
things to get rid of, because the germs of the smut 
are in the seed grain, and may be destroyed before 
seeding. One pint of formalin is di.s.solved in 00 
gallons of water. This solution is sprinkled over 
the oats—.spread on the barn fioor. Then the wet 
oats are shoveled into a heap and covered with a 
blanket. Keep them there over night and then 
sjiread out and dry. That is all there is to it. but 
it ends the smut. Try it! 
* 
T here have been so many questions about using 
lime in apple orchards that we must repeat the 
statement made so often before. The apple prefers 
a slightly acid soil, though varieties differ somewhat 
in this respect. When the primings are burned and 
the ashes left in-the orchard there is little loss of 
lime. Thus for the trees alone lime is not a neces¬ 
sity on mo.st soils. The cover crop, and especially 
clover, will not do its best without lime, and thus 
light dressings often give good results by stimulating 
the clover. Thus the fact is that lime is not usu¬ 
ally needed for the trees but is needed for the cover 
croii. and this 5s the important thing in most 
systems of culture. 
T he following little anecdote (it is true) is re¬ 
spectfully submitted to some of our friends 
who siiend a good share of their time raising what 
is known as a “grouch.” It needs no Burbank to 
tell us that when we cross a “grouch” with the sort 
of weather that has chased us through the Winter 
we raise a disposition like a cross-cut saw. 
I really must tell you a little anecdote about C. He 
came in one really terrible morning (as regards the 
ivealther) to sell me some canned fruits. I was 
grouchy. He opened up with the remark, “It’s a dis¬ 
agreeable morning Mr. .7.” I said to him, “God never 
made anything disagreeable Mr. C.” IIe_ came right 
back at me with this remark, “Yes He did. He made 
you.” Then I gave him an order. R. w. J. 
A good answer and a good sport who can tell it on 
himself. Go bury your “grouch.” The world has 
“Che RURAL NEW-YORKER 
a double supply. Buried in the ground the sun and 
rain of heaven may turn it into a smile of sympathy 
—and that is the great need of the world! 
♦ 
I .^M getting to the point where I am thinking that 
anything the iioliticians say is good for me as a farmer; 
that i.s a good thing for me to kick against. c. o. w. 
H.\T is a good point to come to. Of course the 
politicians and some very good people will con¬ 
sider this political treason, but it is just about right, 
and it will continue to be right ju.st as long as the 
farmers permit the politicians to do their thinking 
and talking for them. But who are respou.sible for 
these politicians? The people who permit them to 
control! What can be done about it? We offer you 
the first step in compelling these politicians to give 
the Foods and Markets Dejiartment fair support. 
The farmers of New York never had a better chance 
to show their power than they have i*ight now in 
this simple proposition. 
“.Ycucr Touched Third Base.'' 
R. HERBERT MYRICK is evidently spending 
large sums of money advertising the fact that 
he has brought suit against The R. N.-Y. Some of 
our readers tell of getting three, or even more, cir¬ 
culars about it—each costing two cents to mail! 
In another famous libel suit the plaintiff thought 
he had completely shut us up, and he made the 
mistake of ru.shing into the papers about it. The 
re.sult was that within a week we had hundreds of 
letters from people who offered us financial help, 
or came up with just the evidence needed to crush 
the plaintiff. History is repeating itself, and we 
ought to thank Mr. Alj’rick for all this publicity. 
It is bringing us a flood of letters. One of the first 
was from a Pennsylvania inan who said: “Draw 
on me for any part of .1:100 to defend the suit!” 
They are coming from everywhere and there will be 
brick after brick of testimony—enough to build the 
wall of a tower. And there is humor in it too—as 
in this letter from AA^ashington Co., N. Y.: 
A’ou will find here a copy of a letter I have just 
written The American Af/riculturist: 
“Inclo.sed please find 50 cents, which will pay for 
your once valued paper to date. AA'hen your agent 
called on me last May, I only told him I did not care 
to renew. * * * * I did tell him to stop my 
Iiaper in .Tune; this has not been done. Y"our offer of 
the paper for two years for one dollar does not appeal 
to me. If your paper survives two years will con¬ 
sider it a reflection on the judgment and intelligence 
of the men whose cause Air. .Tohn .1. Dillon has so ably, 
so con.sistently and so successfully championed. 
Alost farmers do not fake much stock in your version 
of the recent milk controversy. Alost of us think Air. 
.Tacob Brill was so anxious to score that he forgot to 
touch third base, and the brilliant work of Air. Dillon 
and his associates in the la.st inning saved the day for 
the milk producers.” 
I wish you luck with your libel suits, and* hope to 
enjoy good health until your cases are tried in the 
courts. AA'ashington County farmers “know their 
friends!” james ii. conway. 
Air. Conway is a good sport and a good judge of 
the National game. AVe have an idea that Air. 
Brill was badly coached. AVe think Dr. Bui’kett of 
The American Af/riculiurist and his university 
friend are partly responsible. They were coaching 
off third base and Dr. Burkett remarked, “We've 
got to settle this thingr So when Brill came lum¬ 
bering up from second base, when Loton Horton 
fell down on the ball. Dr. Burkett probably pushed 
the runner off third and .sent him home! Of course 
the umpire said “Out!” and it looked dark for the 
Dairymen’s nine. They were saved by “brilliant 
work.” The brilliancy of it consisted in firing Brill 
and walking Dr. Burkett and his college friend off 
the field, so that the Dairymen need not play 
against 1'2 men. AA"e have an idea that when Herbert 
Alyrick gets to the end of his run the umpire wdll 
decide that he missed both second and third. ANHio 
would care to touch these bases when one was 
peopled with witnesses who gave testimony w’hich 
led to indictment or conviction, while the other was 
crowded by men and women who were advised to 
buy stock which they cannot now dispose of? AA’e 
wonder if Air. Alyifick Avill sue Air. .lames H. Con¬ 
way and hundreds of others who are now coming 
forward! 
W i: feel a deep sorrow and great personal loss 
in the death of George B. Tallman of AVest 
Grove, Pa. AA’’e have known Air. Tallman for some 
years, and he pi’oved himself a tried and true friend. 
All*. Tallman formerly lived in Onondaga Co.. N. Y., 
but about 10 years ago he moved to Chester Co., 
Pa. He was a prominent breeder of Guernsey cat- 
tie—active in all farm enterprises, and highly es¬ 
teemed by all as a neighbor and friend. He was of 
that sound and loyal type of men who give genuine 
character and dignity to farming. He proved his 
friendship to The R. N.-Y. under peculiarly trying 
circumstances, and we can never forget the service 
he rendered and the kindly and courageous way in 
which he gave it. American farming needs more 
men like George B. Tallman. AA'hen they pass on 
it seems as if something strong, firm and comfort¬ 
ing has passed out of life. AA’hen they go unexpectedly, 
as Avas the case with Air. Tallman. there comes a 
feeling of regret that Ave did not tell the living 
what we so gladly say of the dead. 
* 
T he Syracuse, N. A*., Po.st-Standard prints an 
editorial in which the follOAving strange state¬ 
ments appear; 
Senator AA’icks'.s legislative committee, which spent 
the Summer investigating food prices and marketing 
methods, has presented a bill. -An investigating com¬ 
mittee is always expected to present a report, which is 
usually so long that no one reads it, and to offer a bill 
which shall create some neiv offices. The AA'icks com¬ 
mittee runs true to form. * * * * xhe cost of 
getting the farmer's products to the consumer is ex- 
tmvagantly high. The solution of that problem is 
clearly the improvement of marketing facilities. If the 
Htate is prepared to undertake the task of improving 
them it doesn't need a, large and well-paid commission 
to devise the means of doing it. The present market 
commission can do all that the proposed commission 
can do. 
This is .strange talk, because the Post-Standard is 
the mouthpiece of the political bosses in Central 
New York and ahvays “runs true to form.” AVhat 
has happened? The dairymen all through that .sec¬ 
tion have been pasting postage stamps on the man¬ 
agers of the Post-Standard—telling just Avhat they 
want, and that paper now realizes that it must fol¬ 
low the stronger pull. The Albany crowd are pull¬ 
ing Avires;' the men who Avrite to the paper are 
“pulling teats,” and they hav^e the stronger hand. 
AA'e have ahA-ays claimed that the farmers can. if 
they will, dominate eA’ery local paper in the State 
by going right into its columns Avith a fair state¬ 
ment of their needs and desires. Here is the finest 
proof we IniA'e yet had that this is so. Keep right 
at them! Spray them Avith ink! 
* 
“7/c is of age—ask him!” 
HAT is a favorite text of ours, and it comes up 
with great force as we read this letter from a 
A’ez’mont fai'iuer. He has heard of the final price of 
calf .skins: 
I recently had occa.sion to sell a calf hide to a buyer 
for Carroll S. Page of Hyde Park, which is about the 
only local market for hides in A’ermont. and received 
14c per lb., or ,$2.10 for the hide. Aly brother sent a 
cow hide direct to Carroll S. Page thinking to get a 
better price and received ISc per lb. As you knoAV. 
Carroll S. Page of Hyde Park. AT., who has a prac¬ 
tical monopoly of the hide business of this State, is 
our senior LL S. Senator. Is this the way he repays 
his constituents, who A’ote for him as regularly as 
clockwork, by soaking them for one-half the value of 
their hides? hermon a. hoave. 
AAHiy not ask Senator Page? He is of age, and 
i.s certainly under obligations to the farmers of 
A’ermont. Just Avhy tlio.se same A^’ermont farmers 
turn to a page of rather ancient history Ave never 
could under.stand, but as they continue to do it 
they have a right to knoAv Avhy they get 14 cents 
for a hide AAdtich sells here for 50 cents. 
* 
P ROP. GREEN'S remarks ■ about fertilizing .sod 
orchards, on page ,300 are good. AVe have had 
much the same experience. The acid phosphate 
supplies phosphorus and sulphur, both of Avhich the 
clover needs. The clover supplies nitrogen. Avhich 
is the chief need of the tree.s. The clover reseeds 
itself and, Avhen cut and left on the land, makes a 
good mulch. We expect good results from Sweet 
clOA^er when handled in this Avay. This may not be 
the best method of fertilizing an orchard—very 
likely better results may be obtained by cultivation 
and complete fertilizers—but on hillsides and rough 
land, AA'here labor is scarce, this method gives good 
crops of fine fruit. 
Brevities 
Hot air is not a good pasteurizer for the truth. It 
takes the life out of it. 
Tell us Avhy so many farmers have quit eating good 
old-fa.shioned cornmeal? 
A FARM bureau in Aladison Co.. N. A’., .starts Avith 
1071 farmers. A good start. 
• 
The “fool-proof” gasoline engine! Who Avants to 
advertise himself as needing one? 
It looks like quite a “boom” in goose raising this 
year. Too many people seem to think a goose can 
live on nothing and groAv fat! 
AIISSIS.SIPPI is coming as a beef-producing .State. 
Aluch of this progress is due to the work of Farm 
Bureaus in organizing cooperative selling and shipping. 
AYe have had many reports from farmers who giA’e 
facts about damage to apple biuks—done by partridges. 
This damage is real, and apparently there is no redress 
in New York at lea.st. 
There is a great demand for a machine that Avill 
pick cotton. Many .such machines have been tried, and 
some give fair results, though they all seem to leav’C 
more or less of the lint on the stalks. Is anyone Avork- 
ing on the same theory Avhich made machine harvest¬ 
ing possible? AVe mean cutting and tying the entire 
cotton plants by machinery and later pulling off the 
lint in a machine somcAvhat like a grain thrasher or 
husker. 
