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The Rural New-Yorker 
THE EU/UXESS FARMER'S PAPER 
K ^ntlonnl Wofkly ^fournnl i'or f'oiiiifry anii Suburban llomea 
Established isso 
Pnbibhrd wrrklf bj- Ihr Rural PnbliablnK Company, 8*3 Wont SOlh Streot. Saw fork 
Herbkrt W. CotuvowooD, President and Editor. 
.tOHK J. Dillon, Tre.’<=urer and General Mana«or. 
W\f. E. Dillo.v. Secretaiy. _ Mas. E . T. Royle, Awtociate Editor. 
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‘‘A SQUARE DEAL" 
We believe that every advertisement in this paper is backed by a respon- 
liible person, n e use every possible precaution and admit the advertisinar of 
ivliable houses only. But to make doubly sure, we will make trood any Toss 
^paid subTOribeiT? sustained by trusting any deliberate swlmfier, irrespon¬ 
sible advertisers or misleading advertisements in our columns, and any 
^ch ^"'Indler will be publicly exposed. We are also often called upon 
to adjurt differences or mistakes between our subscribers and honest, 
r^jionsible houses, whether advertisers or not. We wlllinglv use our good 
offices to this Md, but such cases should not be eonfused'with dishonest 
transactions. We protect subscribers against rogues, but we will not be 
^ponslble for the debts of honest bankrupts sanctioned by the courts, 
Notice of the complaint must be sent to us within one month or the time of 
the transaction, and to identify it, you should mention The Rural New- 
Yorker when writing the advertiser. 
W E want all the information we can get on 
keeping vegetable.^ and fruit in Winter stor¬ 
age. There lias been a flood of talk about canning 
and drying, liut many vegetables are post u.seful 
when kept in their natural condition. The old-fasli- 
ioned cellar did the work well, but too many cellai's 
are now wanned by the hou.se heater and therefore 
unsuitable. Some out.side iiit or cellar will be need¬ 
ed for storage, and we want all the experience we 
c;in get from readers. 
T he K. X.-Y. seems to be practically alone among 
farm ])a])ers in talking about the velvet bean 
for feeding X^orthern cattle. We have great confi¬ 
dence that thi.s new feed will help our Xorthern 
dairymen solve tlie awful feed Question. Every ex¬ 
periment station and hundred.s of dairymen should 
be at work testing thi.s mov feed in various com¬ 
binations. Here is work for the Dairymen's League. 
They might well bring several carloads o^ these 
i*eans from the South, have them crushed and dis- 
triluited for feeding. We go on record as saying 
that this bean wiU within a few years rank among 
the cheapest forms of protein. Why wait and let 
the feed men charge you twice what you can buy it 
for? 
RURAL N EW-YO R K E R 
Have ju.st fini.shed reading about the young farmer of 
Clermont Co., Ohio, and would like to say that there are 
many such ca.ses around here in Bucks Co., Pa. One of 
my neighbors is a^man past 70 years of age who has 
30 cows to milk, 50 acres of corn and eight acres of 
potatoes, with very little help. He does not expect to 
put out any wheat at all. Another neighbor Avho is a 
renter has no help. His boys all left just before har- 
A'est for the army, thinking that they would be put at 
the fi-ont at once if they did not enlist. Neighbors put 
his harvest away. Who w'ill do his Fall work? I my¬ 
self have a large crop of corn, with one man, w^ho will 
be taken shortly if he stands examination. My corn 
will not be put aw’ay. How are we going to pay for 
our farms and keep our families when things are going 
like this? My brother has been drafted, leaving my 
father with the farm, he being an old man. Will the 
Government get the increased crops tliey have been ask¬ 
ing for at this rate? f. m. m. 
Bucks Co., Pa. 
S UCH reports come from all over. Protest has 
thus far been of no use, as the President has 
evidently decided to take the advice of the army 
officers, who as a rule are simply after men—with¬ 
out much regard as to where they come from. 
There have been many great mistakes since the war 
was started, but the greatest of them all is this plan 
of taking farm workers when they are so situated 
that their removal means a farm thrown out of pro¬ 
duction. There are many such—made so by the loss 
of farm labor during the last 10 years. No patriotic 
pei’son wants to add to the troubles of the Govern¬ 
ment by criticizing or fault-finding. We all see 
things which Ave know ai'e not properly handled, but 
we feel that small and petty criticism will do more 
harm than good. In these Cases, Avhere needed farm 
labor is taken away, the policy is so clearly wrong 
and injurious that it should not be permitted to pass 
^vithout protest. 
September 22, 1917 
he has done to solidify farm political interests and 
put 60 farmers into the Legislature. 
^ITIS old question of acid phosphate or raw 
ground phosphate as a source of phosphorus 
has started up once more. The theory of using the 
raw phosphate is a very pretty one. We are to let 
the chemical changes in manure or decaying sod act 
on the phosphate in place of the expensive sulphuric 
acid. We Avish this would Avork out all right, for 
the price of acid phosphate is going out of reach. 
From the results obtainecl at the experiment station 
it seems clear that, for wdieat at least, the acid pho.s- 
phate, in spite of its high price, is the more econom¬ 
ical form. Wheat must have aAmilable phosphorus 
in the soil or in the bag. 
D URIN^G the past few years a number of men 
have come to us for advice about going back 
to the farm. It was easy to see that they could not 
succeed, but they raised the money somehow and 
went at it in spite of advice. They met hard years, 
paid out their capital and failed—most of them los¬ 
ing their farms. It gives one strange thoughts to 
see these men now coming fonvard to take Govern¬ 
ment positions for organizing or teaching farmers! 
Some of them say openly that while they admit 
their failure as practical farmers they have studied 
the “literature” of the subject and can teach that! 
Is there any other important industry on earth that; 
would stand for such things? 
I 
T he meeting of the Xortliern Nut Growers’ Asso¬ 
ciation last Aveek ouglit to interest anyone who 
c.'ires for organization or food production. If nut 
growers can form a strong organization and put 
their business up among the important farm indus¬ 
tries tliere is no reason Avhy any other producer 
should not do the same. How important is it? 
Last year exports of nuts ran to $1,741,037, AA'hile AA'e 
importetl $22,874,014 worth. This as the largest 
single food item among our imports. As for food, 
there is no question about the value of nuts. Al¬ 
most before Ave know it, in the future, men will be 
obliged to take beefsteaks and other strong food off 
the nut trees, or go Avirhout. The world will not 
produce the needed meat. .Vlready thousands of 
strong, energetic jieople are taking 75 per cent of 
their protein from nuts, and thousands more Avould 
be better off for doing it. Gf Course, It is popular 
to call one Avho talks this Avay a “nut,” but that is a 
high compliment. We believe that New England is 
to be one of the greatest nut-jiroducing sections in 
the Avorld, and that the industry Avill bring back 
something of the best of old-time country life. 
I 
T Avill be hard to put the case more concisely than 
is done in the following letter; 
Referring to your editorial on page 1058 on the effect 
of the draft on farm labor, what is happening is this: 
When a body of men are withdrawn from any class'of 
labor a poorer paid class moA'es up to fill their places. 
Only in times of great depression does a better paid 
class move dowm. The farm laborer is the poorest paid, 
and works the longest hours, of our laboi'ers. More¬ 
over, he is an intelligent and A’ersarile man—can do a 
little of carpenter, blacksmith, mason, painter and me¬ 
chanical work, clerk in the country store, good railroad 
hand—in fact, pretty much anything in the labor line 
you might mention. Many now are fairly good auto¬ 
mobile mechanics. M%at is the result? They are mov¬ 
ing in from the farms to take the places vacated by the 
better paid men called to the war. What remedy Avill 
or can be found for this condition I cannot say. To 
conscript farm labor, in this country, seems out "of the 
question. Can the farmer compete in the wage market 
and at the same time reduce Avorking hours? Can con¬ 
ditions on the farm be made as attractive as toAvn and 
city life? What can we do to keep our men on the 
farm? This Avar Avill be won, or lost, on the American 
farm. HATTON daats. 
Orange Co., X, Y. 
We are uoaa’ face to face with the results of 50 
years of mistaken policy of putting the town and 
city industries above farming. There is only one 
remedy. But farming on such a basis that the farmer 
can com])ete Avifb other industries in the labor mar¬ 
ket. 
X this unseemly contest betAA'een Gov. Whitman 
and X"eAv York Senators over the confirmation of 
Geo. W. Berkins it cannot be said that there is any 
great prineijfie at stake. It is understood that the 
Governor is trying to pay some political debts by 
appointing Mr. Berkins. There seems no other fair 
inference from his action in trying to croAvd Mr. 
Berkins in against the expressed Avi.shes of New 
York farmers. If there AA’ere no other man in New 
Y'ork capable of filling this position it AV'ould be dif¬ 
ferent, but it would be easy to find plenty of men 
who can do the Avork better than Mr. Berkins ever 
can—handicapped as he surely AA^ould be by the 
disapproval of the producers. There is no eleA’ating 
principle Avhatever in this elToi-t to force Mr. Ber¬ 
kins into oflioe. 
Nor are the motives of the Senators who oppose 
him any better. They are responsible for the law 
under which Mr. Berkins will act. They kneAA^ it 
Avas tied up to him, and that it Avas not needed. 
Why did they not kill the bill instead of acting 
as they are iioav doing? It is well understood that 
most of them would A’ote for Mr. Berkins if they 
dared to, but a new element has entei-ed the contest. 
That is the Avell-defined threat of organized farmers 
and a federation of farm interests Avith a definite 
programme. These Senators are afraid of that, and 
they Avant to see what it will come to. We could 
tell them, but they Avill not believe anything except 
a great bunch of ballots tied onto them like a can 
ti(Hl to a dog. If these Senators were sincere 'in 
fighting Mr. I’erkins they Avould oppose the other 
members of the proposed commission. With all they 
may .say about him, Mr. Berkins is a strong busi¬ 
ness man and a great organizei-. The trouble Avith 
him is that he does not understand farm conditions 
and has no sympathy Avith what Ave call plain farm¬ 
ers. If the Senators were sincere they would force 
Gov. Whitman to nominate two men who could dom¬ 
inate the commission and not make it a one-man 
affair. We shall not be surprised if seA’oral of them 
come back and vote to confirm Mr. Berkins after all. 
Gov. Whitman and Mr. Perkins,, without knowing it, 
are doing the greatest serAdee to New York farmers. 
They have given the finishing touch to the picture 
and the farmer noAV sees what he is and what he 
will always be just as long as he delegates his rights 
and his powers to a lot of politicians to gamble AAdth. 
That is what the New York farmers have been doing 
ever since the war. They have understood a little 
of it here and a little more there, but now there 
comes before them a complete picture of their posi¬ 
tion Avhen the men they have elected disregard their 
rights and u.se them to pay political debts or to 
bargain for patronage. The only principle involved 
in this fight is in the farmers’ opposition to the hiAv 
and to Mr. Perkins. The Senators are mere instru¬ 
ments, lending them.seh'es to the side Avhicli seems 
strongest for the moment. Mr. Perkins may be re¬ 
jected again, or perhaps confirmed by a combination 
with city Senators. The Governor may Avait until 
the Senate adjounis and then appoint him, or he 
may take himself out of the conte.st. Whatever hap¬ 
pens to him is a small matter coiniiansl witli Avliat 
II 
in 
T HIS dog law ]iropositiou is stirring up gre.- 
discussion all OA’er the country. A reader i 
Georgia seems to live in a dog .section. 
In this warm climate we use many dogs, and seldom 
do we hoar of a ‘sheop-killer/’ and never have I seen 
one suftermg from rabies. I oaa’u a small pack of 
beagles, two I^ostoii bulls, besides a bird dog and several 
cow dogs, as we call them, and my neighbors about 
the same. 
In New Y"ork that outfit Avould probably cost him 
at least $25 a year for licen.se.s, and the dogs must 
be kept at home. We IniA’e all sorts of opinions 
hero. One man says the dog “is the most faithful 
and loving companion God OA^er made.” Another 
man says “dogs are the Avorst pest and affliction ever 
piit on earth to pester man!” Y'ou may take yoAir 
choice. To those AA’ho accuse us of being “narrow¬ 
minded, ’ or “fahse to the dog,” let us explain once 
more that Ave keep a good dog on the farm, consider 
liim very useful, and cheerfully pay any fair license 
foe. This dog, hoAvever, stays at home, and Ave do 
not consider that he has any rights Avhatever when 
he goes off our farm alone. We think any dog for¬ 
feits bis rights Avlieii he goes roaming about the 
neighborhood Avithout restraint. 
Brevities 
STir.n time to seed rye as a cover crop. 
Read the article on feeding apple pomace—page llO-t. 
Too lunch food for the cat Avill make her “rat-proof.’’ 
What is the charge for a .silo-filling outfit jier day or 
hour ill your neighborhood? 
COAA s, cloA’er and coA'er crop.s ought to coax .aiiy soil 
The vetch is particularly good. 
No, it is now too late to seed Sivoet clover. Bye is 
about the only safe cover crop left. 
Me ncAer had such a trade in crab apple.s as come.s 
this year. There is an in.staut retail demand near the 
large cities for canning fruit. 
England uoav has a haw prohibiting the salo of farm 
horses except by .special license. The object is to keep 
such horses working on the farm. 
There is to be a civil service examination for throe 
inspectors who are to help enfoixie the now dog Ihav. 
Hundreds of men are evidently willing to serve. 
Many tons of weeds Avill go into the silo this year 
along Avith the corn. They Avill add some food and a 
little medicinal value to the silage and there is hardly 
one chance in Sa’C that the weed seeds Avill sprout and 
grow. 
A FKOPOSED cure for hay fever is to put the patient, 
well wrapped, into a cold storage room, with the tem¬ 
perature beloAv freezing. This is said to fool nature. 
She thinks M^iuter is coming, and that the hay fever is 
out of style. 
M"e have straAvherry shortcake the middle of Septem¬ 
ber, made from Superb berries. Every family should 
have a few of these Fall berries. They are very satis¬ 
factory for home use, but we still doubt their practical 
value for commercial purposes. 
It is .sometime.s stated that lime spread on old pa.s- 
tuies AA'ithout working the soil Avill kill out the moss. 
It i.s doubtful if such work will pay Avithout tearing up 
tlie sod to work the lime in. Manure or nitrate will pay 
!)i‘tter by starting up .a growth of good grass. 
