420 
RURAL NEW-YORKER 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FABMER'8 PAPER 
A Niitlonal \Vcckly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes 
Enlablished iSCO 
PiiblUht^d orrkijr hj the Rnral Publixbtnf Company, 388 VTeat 80th Street, N'eir fork 
Herbert W. Cou-ingwood, I’resident and Editor. •« 
John J. Dillon, Tr&’aurer and General Manager. • 
Wm. F. Dillon, StKiretary. •* Mrs. E. T. Royle, Associate Editor., 
SUBSCRIPTION; ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.01, e<iual to 8 s. 6 d., or 
8)4 marks, or 10)4 francs. Remit in money order, expreas 
order, personal check or bank draft. 
Entered at New York Post Ofllce as Second Class Matter. 
Advertising rates, 75 cents per agate line—7 words. References required for 
advertisers unknown to us ; and cash must accomiiany tiansicnt ordera 
“A SQUARE DE.4L” 
We believe that every advertisement in this paper is backed by a respon¬ 
sible iierson. We use every iiossible precaution and admit the advertising of 
reliable houses only. But to make doubly sure, we will make good any loss 
to paid subseribei-s sustained by trusting any deliberate swindler, irre.spon- 
sible advertisers or misleading advertisements in our columns, and any 
such swindler will be imbllcly exposed. We are also often called upon 
to adjust differences or mistakes between our subscribers and honest, 
resjHmsible houses, whether advertisers or not. We willingly use our good 
offices to this end, but such cases should not be confused with dishonest 
tmnsactions. We protect subscribers against rogues, but we will not bo 
responsible for the debta 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. 
A Dialogue 
iiiy/TY gi-iiiulfatlier and niy father took The R. 
IVi N.-Y. and I read it as a boy. Now 1 read 
it carefully and it is stronger and better than ever.” 
s. A. E. 
■Glad to know The It. N.-Y. is still young and vig¬ 
orous. Dr. Osier said a man should be chloroformed 
at 60, and The It. N.-Y. is over 65 years old. 
‘•The chlorofoi'iu trejttment referred to might ap¬ 
ply to some, but certainly not in your own case.” 
s. A. L. 
T here are men who .seem to froth at the montli 
Avhenever we say anything aliout tlie .”5-ceut 
dollar. There is no such thing, they say, even when 
they give in service about 30 cents for the dollar 
they draw fi-om tlie public. This talk about tlie 35- 
cent dollar has done more to stir ii)) pre.><ent condi¬ 
tions than iiny other single factor! Now then, do 
present conditions offer a fairer future for the far¬ 
mer than those of 20 yi'ars ago? 
* 
Y OU never in yoni- life saw' a field which was 
unlfonnly sour or sweet. Even after it is 
limed there Avill he good-sized ))iitclies so- sour tliat 
Red clover and Timothy will not nnike full growth. 
That is why w(‘ iidvise mixing Alsike clover and 
Red-top gra.ss into llie sei'ding. Tlie Alsike and 
Red-to]> will tlii’ive on sour or wet spot.s, and tluis 
make out a tliick sod ainl a full stand of gras.s. 
* 
We have stopiied the <‘.\i)re.ss eompany from breaking 
eggs when shipped in siniill lots to private trade, by 
wi'iippiug each egg separately in jiaper before putting it in. 
the filler. \Ye have insed The Rukae New-Yorker for 
that purpose. We might put it to a better use, but thought 
you might like to know it imd stopped the express com¬ 
pany from breaking egg.s. j.vmes h. corwitii. 
New York. 
HAT looks as if The R. N.-Y. had performed a 
miracle! We do not care wlio prevents these 
express companies from breaking eggs, or Avhetlier 
it is done living or dead, a.sleep or aw'ake. We have 
tried to reach thorn mentally and morally, but it 
.seems we get to tlieni physically at least. And then, 
it may be that these egg wrappers may serve as 
.subscription agents! It is good to know that even 
after the paper has been read and laid aside it can 
still help to give a square deal to the farmer. 
* 
I N SPEAKING of the lienefits 'W'on by the dairy¬ 
men in the great milk war most people refer to 
tlie money gain—and stop there. It is true that the 
victory meant .sevci’al million dollars extra to pay 
debts, buy necessities and help the bank account, 
but this was the smallest part of the gain. Go 
through any of the dairy distidcts and you will 
find this is true. The greatest gain has been in 
moral power and courage. Hope and renewed spirit 
are coming back. Farmers feel that they are to 
have a chance once more, and they realize more 
and more the power of organization and leadershiii. 
That is why the situation is so hopeful. You can¬ 
not purchase freedom or character with money- 
necessary as that is—tliey must conie through the 
higher things of life. 
* 
W E have often jtoinied out wliat a great ad¬ 
vantage tlie Soutliorii States have in the 
climate—^^vhich enaliles fanners to grow Crimson 
clover, cow peas and < ther legumes as a manurial 
crop. By doing this and merely plowing under this 
crop many farmers have brought their farms from 
the poverty of the old .slave jilantations to the rich¬ 
ness of masterly soil. It is true that only a fraction 
of Southern farmers avail themselves of this great 
privilege from Nature, but the possibility of grow¬ 
ing these legumes is ininien.se. Now we think that 
Sweet clover, properly grown and used with good 
judgment, is to do the North much that cow peas 
have done for the South. Do not nish and tumble 
into .Sweet clover, but try it fairly on a reasonable 
scale and give it a fair chance. 
* 
O NE of our readers sent us a sample of the seeds 
received from a firm selling “collections” of 
grass seeds—all ready for seeding. We sent it to 
the seed tester at the experiment station and he 
found 12 different kinds of foul weed seeds. He 
says in his report: 
Thi.s .sample, although a bad one from many .stand¬ 
points, is a good one as compared witli some of the 
so-called grass mixtures which come to ns for analysis. 
These mixtures give the seed dealer.s an opportunity 
to pour in all the bad .seed, weed seeds and .screenings, 
and together with a little pure seed of fair quality sell 
it to farmers who are attracted by the appai-ent low 
price. They find, much to their sorrow, that the price 
jjuid for such goods is very high indeed, not only in 
dollars and cent.s, but in loss of crop and a good stand 
of weeds which is usually with them for years to come. 
The nine per cent, of clover found in the sample is 
of very poor quality, and I feel sure that but a very 
little of it would germinate. 
We do not believe all seed inixers take advantage 
of this opportunity to run off weed seeds on their 
cnstoiners, but Avlioii some one offers a mixture far 
bidow the regular price.s—let liim alone. In these 
days if a man has quality in the goods he sells—he 
they seeds or stockings—he can get full price, and 
does not need to cut under, 
♦ 
T here is nothing new in the issues lirouglit up 
in the discussion of the Wicks hill. They iuive 
come to the surface thousands of times in jiast liis- 
lory. New men may play the leading parts, but 
the principles at stake are always the same. It is 
the same old struggle to prevent the farmers and 
the ])lain workmen from taking a direct and ])ei*- 
sonal hold upon the legislation which affects them. 
-V. great French historian has said that the one 
thing Avhich tyrants or jiolitical bosses are afraid 
of is the human mind! What he means is that 
Avhenever the jdain jieople can be taught to think 
idearly, with their own brains and in their own 
language, they will always wipe off the slate, kick 
out the usele.ss drones and Avrite freeiloin in big 
letters. It has eviu' been the aim of so-called 
“jirivileged classe.s” to prevent the jdaiu peojile from 
doing thi.s. In order to prevent it politicians, “edu- 
catoi’s” and hidebound leaders have iilanned to reg¬ 
ulate the thought, the edneatiou and the jioliiical 
a<'fiou of the plain i>eople. Fp to this time ill Ni“W 
Y'ork State they have usually succeeded in doing 
it. Thus they have put a “joker” or a tragedy into 
practically every bit of important farm legislalion. 
In proposing this Wicks hill they *11 re trying to do 
the same thing. “!/7«ci/ ara afraid of iha human 
mind!'^ Tliey know that the fanners of New Yoi-k 
are at last aroused and doing their own thinking. 
If that is not restricted or killed it means the be¬ 
ginning of a revolution which Avill driv(‘ the iiolitieal 
rouiidors and the so-called “leaders” off tlie eartli. 
The same situation has come up hundreds of times 
since King .Tohn of England was forced to gi’ant 
tlie Groat Charter. It has ever been met by a 
“Wicks hill” wliich is a cunning attempt to ajqily 
the rules of the steel trust or some other great 
monopoly to the control of farm interests. The 
jiromoters know that this Avoiild cnisli out individ¬ 
ual spirit and independmice, and put the fanner be¬ 
yond the power of heliiing himself ])olitically. It 
would'Create an army of paid hirelings to do for 
him Avhat the farmer must do for himself. It is 
the .same old story—the Wicks hill represents the 
.same old policy of taking his natural weapons away 
from the farmer. We Mant to say to the farmers of 
New York, solemnly and with cold riNison, that if 
they permit this Wicks bill to hecoine a law they 
will restrict their liberties and lose half the ]iower 
of their strongest weapon —iho human mind! The 
final hearing comes at Albany on Marcli 20. Al¬ 
bany should he jammed witli farmers on that day, 
and tho,se who cannot go should write at once to 
Governor TSHiitmau and their representatives! 
* 
T he Wisconsin Expi'rinient Station at Madison 
has just issued a notable bulletin by G. .T. Gal- 
l)in. It is entitled “The Country Clinrcli—-Vn Eco¬ 
nomic and Social Force.” This bulletin should be 
read and studied in every American farm communi¬ 
ty—^for it tells how in many places the rural church 
has been bi’ought up from a dying condition to be¬ 
come the great, vital force in tlie community. We 
often hear from readers who criticize the local 
church and say it has lost its power. If you have 
made this • cidticism let ns ask if you have ever 
tried—patiently and in good faith—to make your 
church better? Y’’on should get this bulletin at once 
and learn what .Tohn Frederick Oberlin did in a 
March 17, 1917 
poor country parish in Germany. This bulletin is 
a notable addition to farm literature. We have had 
a flood of information about grain, live stock, fer¬ 
tilizer and fruit, and it has been of va.st service 
to onr farmers. Yet what can all the wealth which 
this scientific work brings to n-; ivail, in pei*manent 
blessings, unless the rnral chuic!) .ind what it 
stands for, can he made what it sh- uld be? 
* 
W E have gone over this matter cf ihe college 
hoy as a hired man many time.s. Every year 
a miinber of young men write saying that they want 
.‘Summer Avork on a farm. Quite often, not always, 
they give the impression that their society ought 
to he equal to labor—hour for hour. Others find 
they must have some record in farm work before 
they can graduate, and they want to get rid of an 
unpleasant duty. Here is a different sort of letter: 
I am thinking very sei-iously of taking up agricul¬ 
ture, in fact I hoj)e to take it up as a profe.ssion. I 
have had neither scientific nor prijcdical training along 
the.se line.s. I have had praetieally three years of col¬ 
lege, but have not .specialized in any course. My plan 
i.s to take up the practical side of agriculture first, and 
later follow it 'hy a scientific course. I am desirous of 
obtaining a position on an up-to-date scientific farm as 
a farm hand. I realize that my inexperience will make 
me of little value at first and I am willing to work for 
my board alone. I much prefer to locate on a small 
farm in the East rather than on one of the exten.sive 
farms of the West. j. f. m. 
A very sen.sible statement. Most practical far- 
mer.s do not like college boy labor and say so open¬ 
ly. Others seem to think the young man .should 
liay them—in addition to his work—for what he 
may learn. A young man who writes such a note 
as the above ought to make good anywhere! 
♦ 
N ot long ago we turned the spot-light on that 
scheme of raising hogs on a stock proposition. 
Now conjes a side light: 
Not long since I was in New York City, looking 
after the exportation of some swine to Brazil, and was 
I’eqnested to call on a man, who represented him.self to 
be a jirospective customer for a carload of brood sows. 
Soon as my work was out of the way I went to see 
him. He occiqjied very attractive offices, and said he 
was promoting a large hog farm in New .Jersey, selling 
shares at so much i>ei* share, each share entitling the 
purchaser to the profits from one brood sow, the sow 
to be cared for and fed by the company. The promoters 
ollcred to jnirchase a I’arload of sows from us at a 
very attractive price, i)ay_the ea.sb for them and in 
addition present me with .$.500 stock in the company, if 
1 would permit the u.se of the name of one of the 
members of our firm, as a director in the concern. It 
was very apparently a fraud and a fake, and of course, 
we turned the whole jiroposition down. Hog farms 
must be nin by hog men to be profitabb*. And the day 
hasn’t arrived yet when they can be jirotitably con¬ 
ducted from a roll-top de.sk on the tenth floor of a 
skyscraper. iiahky n. 11 arfe.xding. 
New Y’^ork. 
The idea is to get .some well-known person to act 
as suckerhait! .Some men will .sell them.selves for 
money knowing that their name is to he used to de¬ 
ceive their fellows. Tlie.se hog ranche.s, unit or¬ 
chards and .‘similar promotions never could live a 
month if all men turned the tempter outdoors as 
Mr. Hariiending did. 'I'liese hog ranches have one 
use at least. They make it clear that wlien a i»ro- 
inoter as.sociates Avith swine, the hog is the one that 
walks on two feet. 
* 
I IK auto-trnck is Avorking out some miracles of 
trade and values for farmers. 'There are many 
localities 12 miles or more from a market toAvn 
whore land values Avere very Ioaa^ They Avere kept 
loAV hecanso the farmers Avore too far from market 
to sell eggs or peri.shahle vegetables to advantage. 
Therefore they Avere forced to groAV the croiife Avhicli 
Avill keiq) longest, and these are bulky and low- 
liriced. Noav comes the rapid auto-trnck, Avhicli 
puts the farm in the .same delivi'ry class as tlie 
man clo.se to toAvn. 'Tims, by means of this li-nck, 
the mail 10 miles and more from town, and on .$.‘10 
land, is lait on equal terms Avith the man on .$150 
land clo.se to town. 'I'liere are many cases where 
this has Avorkisl out, and it is making Avouderfiil 
changes in the rnral districts. 
Brevities 
IViTH many people it is diet or die eating. 
< )UR friend on page 426 tells of eating .some strange 
food! Mo.st of us are .slaves to diet. 
At least a ibizen jieople have come telling us of ice 
saAvs run by gasoline power. No doubt about it—our 
people can find the answer to any .sensible farm 
question. 
Our opinion is that if all people lived in glass houses 
they Avould throw as many .stones as usual. Stone 
throwing is an inherited trait coming down from the 
stone age. 
You Avill remember the articles Ave have had about 
express companies and broken eggs. Hundreds of our 
readers wrote I’resident Wilson about it. Their let¬ 
ters Avere apparently not ansAvered, but turned over to 
the Adams Express Company, 
