944 
The Rural New-Yorker 
rilR BOHINRSS FARMERS 
h NittlonnI Wc<^kly Jouriiul for Country and Suburban Home* * 
ExtabKiOied iSSO 
Fu'if*iii«rd wcrklj by the Rural rublixhlnr Conipeny. 8SS Weit SOib Street^Neif fork 
Hkrbkrt W. Coujngwood, I'rosldpnt ann E<Iltor. 
John J. I>iT.iAN, I're.'burer and Uc-iioral Manaffor. 
Wm. F. OnxoN, Secreta.-v. Mrs. E. T. Roylb, Associate E^litor. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLL\R A YEAR 
lo forcltrn countries in tho Universal I’ostat Union, 82.04, equal to *s. 6d., or 
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order, personal cheek or hank draft. 
Entered at New York Post Ofllco as Second Class Matter. 
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“A SQUARE DEAL” 
We tiellcve that every advertisement in this paper is backed by a respon¬ 
sible jieiKon. We uso every jiosslble precaution and oilmit tho axivcrtlslnpr of 
reliable liouscs only. But to make doubly sure, wo will make stood any loss 
to iMiid subscribers sustained by trustlnp: any deliberate swindler. Irrespon¬ 
sible mlvcrtiscrs or misleading advertisements In our columns, and any 
such swindlor will bo publicly exposed. Wo are al.so often calleil upon 
to ailjust differences or mistakes between our suhscribers and honest, 
responsible houses, whether advertisers or not. We wilimRiy uso our go-'d 
offices to this end, but such cases should not be confused with dishonest 
transactions. We protect subscribers against rogues, hut wo will not bo 
resixuisihlo for the debts of honest bankrupts sanctioned hy tho courts. 
Notice of tho complaint must be sent to ns within one month of the time of 
the transaction, and to identify it, you should mention Thk IIural New- 
Yorkkr wlien writing the advertiser. 
B eginning next week we take lip a fail’, calm 
(liscu.ssloii of the wheat situation in New York 
and other Eastern States. It seems a little strange 
that the boomers and advisers luive not thought it 
worth while to consult the farmers who are to grow 
the grain! These fanners know better than any 
one el.se what their farms can produce and what 
their .soil ds good for. It will do little good lo try 
to stamjiede them into plowing up old, unused land 
or breaking into their rotation simply to increase 
the aroii in wheiit. A far better jilau will he to 
advise better care in fitting and seeding the wheat 
land. “Not how much, hut how iccll" should be the 
motto this year In seeding wheat. If any Fiill grain 
is to have a largely Increased acreage it may well 
be rye. The prospect is good for a profitable grain 
price for this next' crop. Onr advice is to lncrea.se 
the area of rye if possible, and take extra pains 
with the wheat seeding. 
* 
L et ns stand by onr old friends in season and 
out—especially in season. One of the best farm 
friends we have is Alsike clover. It is smaller than 
the Red (which genenilly takes the front when we 
say “clover”) hut Alsike has many fine qualities. 
It will grow fairly well on land too wet and sour 
for Red, it is hardy and quick-growing, iiiid make.s 
a very fine, tendei'* liay. In onr latitude we prefer 
It as a cover crfij) seeded with turnips, buckwheat 
or other grain. Gi-imsoii clover will be hotter South 
of Rhiladelphia, hut from onr latitude north—give 
ns onr old friend Alsike. And Sweet clover! We 
consider It now too late to se<>d this clover success¬ 
fully this sea.son. It is not snltiihle for seeding in 
the corn as a cover croji. Do not try it for that 
purpose, lint use Alsike instead. It is now nearly 
time to seed Alfalfa, and we hope there will be 
2.'>,000 new acro.s seeded in New York this year. 
That ought to mean at least 75,000 fewer tons of 
wheat iiran to import next year. 
* 
A t this writing it Is impossible to tell what Con¬ 
gress Avill fiuiilly do with the Food Control 
Rill. Roth mouse and Senate have passed a bill, 
but they differ .so in their provision tliat there will 
he a long fight over an agreement. The chief dif¬ 
ferences are over the adininistnition of tho law, 
lirohihition and a ininiimim jiriee for wheat. The 
Senate wants a committee of three men. 'Phe Rres- 
idoiit and the House want a single head. The latter 
plan is needed. No coniniittee on earth Ciin handle 
the sitiiJilion jiroperly. There must he a single head 
—some strong smd c-apahle man to hike full respon¬ 
sibility. The situation in Russia is the logical out¬ 
come of trying to rule through a committee. As to 
prohibition, the Senate would shut off whiskey 
niannfactnring and let beer iuid wine alone, except' 
for increased taxes. The House wants a “bone 
dry” law. The Senate propo.ses a minimum price of 
$2 per hnsliel for who:it during the Avar; the House 
would like to cut this price down! No one knows 
how long they Avill fight over it. The jiietures on 
the next page well express the situation and the 
disgust of the iieople. 
* 
T here .should he at least .‘1,000,000 acres of 
cover croi)s seeded in New York Stiite this 
Fiill. A hare cornfield should he looked upon as 
evidence of poor fiirmlng or some big misfortune, 
q'hiiik of the poor business management in manuring 
hciivily for corn and then, after the croj) 1ms been 
harvested, losing $12 to $15 Avorih of plant food out 
of Oil eh iicre through h'aving the soil bare. That 
is Avhat is done on many farms, and no one Ciin af¬ 
ford to do it in Avar tin’- v The worst lo.ss comes 
where manure is sjirea .ni a sod ami plowed under 
Oie RURAL NEW-YORKER 
for corn. In such a soil, m ordinarj’ sea.sons, nitri¬ 
fication (or the (hemioai changes Avhich make ni¬ 
trogen a'^nilable. does not get well started until late 
in the season. The .vork is in full swing Avhen the 
corn crop is cn'.. ai.i. u t.L.ere are no Aving plants 
growing in that soil, the nitrogen Aviil surely be 
Ava^hed out and lost. What would you think of a 
neighbor Avho paid $3(/ for half a ton of nitrate of 
soda and left the bags out in the rain until the 
nitrate was all Avashed into the brook? Are you 
any AA’iser as a farmer when yon let five or 10 acres 
of corn ground on a hillside stand bare and open 
through the Fall and Winter? It is about time lo 
act if you want to keep that land covered. Some 
advocate one cover crop and .some another, A sim¬ 
ple mixture Avhich gives ns good results is three 
jiocks of rye, five pounds Alsike clover and one 
pound of turnips to the acre. Scatter evenly through 
the field among the corn just before you cultivate 
for the last time. Cover the seed lightly and get 
ont of the field and be satisfied that you have done 
the best day’s Avork of Summer. We want 3,000,- 
000 acres of cover crops this Fall. 
* 
Wk had a synopsis of the proposed new food legis¬ 
lation program of Gov. Whitman, which looks hl.o 
virtual confiscation. Can you give us any information 
through your paper or otherwise, as it is a hard thing 
to dig up the actual facts? Our Grange and many 
others passed a resolution condemning State food legis¬ 
lation at this time, being in favor of leaving these 
matters to the government. As usual the thinking 
farmers are excited, and the mass sunk in apathy. 
It looks as if a Legislature which woidd pass that 
most iniquitous school law would pass anything, and 
there is little use kicking. B. L. ir. 
Schuyler Co., N. Y. 
OU Avill find onr opinion of thi.s special session 
on tlie next page. Wliile on the fiice of it Ave 
are told tliat uoav laws are needed, those on the in¬ 
side Avell understand that some political debts ai’e 
to he provided for, q^he drastic schcme.s called for 
are not needed. The Federal government should he 
left to handle these things. Instead of making the 
situation more coraplicitted the Legislature ought 
to simplify it, which can readily be done by folloAv- 
Ing the .suggestions on page 945. Every farmc' 
should understand this situation. I’lio farmers ve 
jiroperly killed the Wicks bill. Senator E. R. Rro' a 
saw that hill was dead and to save the face ot tho 
politicians, he put over a substitute wliich meant 
nothing and Avill do nothing. Then it Avas found 
that this did not give the politicians the “jiull” the.y 
wanted, and just before adjournment anotlier meas¬ 
ure carrying all the evil features of the Wicks bill, 
Avith more added, was introduced. This Avas killed. 
Now the Legislature is brought hack in an effort 
to compel the mornhers to make this n.seless and 
vicious proposal into hiAV. Briefly stated, that is 
the situation, 'riie country inemhei’s have no doubt 
been “reasoned Avith,” and it is hoped that the 
Avar excitement ha.s so absorbed tlie min 1 of our 
farmers that they Avill not protest. Even now the 
farmers can prevent this legislation if they care 
to uiiike the effort. In more than half the coun¬ 
ties members of the Assembly are afraid of the 
farmers and Avill do Avhat they are told to do hy 
one master or the other—the politicians or the peo¬ 
ple back home. I’lie next Legislature ought to con¬ 
tain at least 00 practical and patriotic farmers. If 
this special legislation goes through we may have 
the 00, for it Avill then he evident that Ave liaAm got 
to haA’e them, or take anything which the politicians 
K(>e fit to give us. 
* 
About every week I see something in your editorial 
(•oluinn that makes me want to say “good work” to you 
iind “liear, hear,” or “read, read,” to the “crowd.” 
’This time it is that little paragraph about putting a 
ciird in the window—page 878. I have two sons, 
ages 24 and 20, one at I’lattshurg training camp, an¬ 
other in camp in Wisconsin, where he is a member of 
the Stnte Militia. Why are they there instead of here 
lielping dad on the land? There is plenty of the latter 
about here growing Aveeds and brush. Answer, heeauso 
first, the tlie world has gone war mad, and United 
States nearly as had as the rest. Second, there is a 
pretty good prospect th:it the young men Avill receive 
around $100 per month while engaged in the military 
pursuit, while .the tilling of the soil guarantees noth¬ 
ing definitely and offers very little iirospectively. 
Which deserves the most praise and encouragement in 
these days, or Avhieh is of the more conseciuoneo, real 
value to tlieir country, the one who puts on the uni¬ 
form, takes gun or sword, and goes to fight another 
man or to learn to do so, or the one who says “1 will 
vot do that,” and puts on blue jeans, takes the hoe, 
shovel, plow, and grows something or learns to do so? 
F. c. n. 
HE statesmen and the orators seem to agree 
tliat the farmer is most importiint. Once re¬ 
move the dread of sliort crops and hunger and hOAV 
will the farmer stand then? Fanning ought to lie 
conducted in such a Avay tliiit a farmer could hid 
in tlie labor market Jigainst any other industry. 
.Suppose that had been true of Englisli farming ’at 
the outbreak of this Avar. Roth the feeding and the 
August 4, 1917. 
fighting strength of the nation would haim been in¬ 
creased by 50 per cent Armies travel on their 
stomach and they fight with their back Ui tlie land 
—not backed up against a factory or a bank. It 
is remarkable how all through history Avhat Ave 
call “civilization” has gone up or doivn as men 
forgot that the primal nece.s.sity of all humau life 
rests upon the land, and that true national progres.? 
is imposidhle without a square deal for tho fanner. 
This AA’ar will mean a terrible sacrifice of man¬ 
hood and money, but Ave believe L.et ani- ot it Avill 
come a better chance for country people to obtain 
their fair place in society. Many of our people can¬ 
not yet realize Av’aat this war means to us all. Tr.e 
meaning Avill burst upon them soon Avhen our sol¬ 
diers get into the actual fighting. It is going to he a 
fearful struggle, ai.a it must noAV be carried through 
to the end. 
* 
T he story comes from Washington that memhers 
of the Cabinet and other dignitaries are tak¬ 
ing Avhat is known as “w’ar exercises.” These gen¬ 
tlemen, through good living and much desk Avork, 
have developed what the boys call a “front” This 
presents too large a target for the enemy in war 
time, and so th?.se adoraers of “Who’s Who In 
America” are Irilling and putting themseh’es 
through various exercises. The-story goes that 
these dignitaries were on the march one hot day: 
At Nbav York Avenue there was a lone man Avith a 
hoe trying to do 'he work of several in a corner-lot 
potato patch. was evident that he did not know 
that he was mg liberties with several pages of 
Who’s Who dip itaries (how could he with those col¬ 
lars off?) for 1 • yelled, “Say, if you fellows want to 
exercise a*^'. gee rid of those fronts come in here and 
help me with these pot.itoes.” ’Phe jKitato patch Wiis 
at the ’.-It f.f the march.ng column. Not a man mjide 
the si) htest move toward the potato patch. 
He ^ Avos an opportunity to serA’e their country in 
a p ictic.a’ way, hut only one man even lookisl at 
till potJito patch. If they were to shed their fle.sh 
ai harden up they Intended to do it a gentlemanly 
v y, and not at real farm labor! Very likely we 
r. 0 in tills a good illu.stration of the way most 
invu jiml city men intend to “do their hit” in hrac- 
mg uj) for Will’. With all respect for these Cabinet 
.''‘iicers and otlieu* great men Ave should like to hu\’e 
them hoe in Imnd in the potatoes or berries a few 
hours each day. We should sweat them out Avell 
and keep them at it on pure spring water and air. 
q'hey Avould conu to know the difference between 
a potato plant and i Aveed, and after a week of it 
tho pclitical atmo: phero at Wii.shington Avould 
smell like noAV-mowa hay. Men absorb respect for 
farming through tlie blisters on their hands from a 
hoe or pitchfork. Prejudices against it are washed 
away through sweat. 
Brevities 
Give the horse a drink oetweeu mejiL«. 
Not 10 acres more but 10 acres better. 
Oats and peace iis tlie hoiAse remarked! 
The best antidote for “guff” is thought. 
Tirffl be.st you I’aise is none too good for your own 
‘family. 
Hot air has dried the living juice out of many a 
live project. 
PirospuoRUS is the great need of the wheat crop on 
most Eastern soils. 
Ip folks could oat advice and tiilk they’d get so f.it 
they couldn’t Avalk. 
“Tub declining years.” Start them early hy de¬ 
clining liquor and tobacco. 
Who can build a fire tinder Congress and get up a 
steam Avhich can drive off self-esteem? 
_ Rye is the poor man’s crop for poo7’ land. Has the 
rich man any right to have any poor land? 
To make a ton of manure do the work of two tons 
in growing wheat—add 40 pounds of acid phosphate 
to it. 
Mosquitof.s !ind fly-fighting jire community jolis. 
Unless there iiro stagnant Avater pools the mo.sipiitoes 
cannot breed. 
Oan old friend clover is the hoy to make your bond 
and hiiil. lie goes and steals you.’ nitrogen and .still 
keeps out of jail. 
Oil) rye when served in form of bread, hunger and 
want will throttle. H does the same to liumau.s when 
—it fills a whiskey bottle. 
I’-f Arizona they found that hi’ead dipped in vine¬ 
gar made a fine hiiit for flies. 'That seems to upset 
the old saying about molas.ses. 
j^IoKE clover will he pu: into silos this year than 
ever before. ’I’he wet we.ither makes the silo more 
appropriate than the haymow. 
ClKCULAU 152 of the New York Department of Agri¬ 
culture at Albany contains a list of the commisshm 
men bonded and licensed hy New Y'ork. Every ship¬ 
per should have this list on file. 
“Bloat” in cattle has been quite common this yciir, 
as the clover and Alfalfa has been hard*to cure. An 
old-fashioned and giiod re\ji(‘dy is cortimeal. A new 
treatment suggested hy the Kentucky Exiieriment Sta¬ 
tion is to give three tablespoon fills of formalin in a 
(piart of water as soon as signs of bloat appeara 
