14 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE JiUSISESE FAEMER'S PAPER 
A NutiunnI Weekly Joiiriiiil for Country nnd Suburban IIomeK 
Exiablished /SM 
Hiihlbhrd orrklj by thr Rnml I'nhliiihlnfr Company, 883 Wr»( 80(h Slrrof, X»w fork 
Herbert W. Coij.incwood, President and Editor. 
.Ions' .1. Dii.lo.v, Tre,'.surer and Genenil Manager. 
t\’M. F. nii,i,<).s', Seeretaiy. .XIrs. E. T. Koyle. .\ssociatc Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION : ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries in ttie Uiiix-ersal Postal Vnion, $2.04, equal to 8s. 6d., or 
8!i marks, or 10(4 francs. Itemit in inone.v order, express 
order, peivonal elieek or bank draft. 
Entered at New Yoj'k Post Olllce as Second (’lass Slatter. 
Advc’iising rates. ".X cents per agate line—T worils. Refei'ences required for 
advei'lisers unknown to us ; and casli mu.st aecoini>any ti'unsicnt orders. 
“A StJUARE DEAL” 
XVe believe that every adverti.seinent in tliis paper is backed by a respon- 
Sble person. We use every possible pri-caution and admit the advertising of 
i^iiaiile lioiises onl.v. But to make doubly sure, we will make good any loss 
to paid subscribers sustained by trusting any deliberate swindler, irrespon¬ 
sible advertisers or misleading advertisements In our columns, and any 
such swindler will be publicly exposed. We are also often called upon 
to ad.pist differences or mistakes between our subscribers and lionest, 
responsible houses, whether advertisers or not. We willingly use our good 
offices to this end, but such coses should not be confused with dishonest 
transactions. We protect subscribers 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 us within one month of the time of 
the transaction, and to identif.v it, you should mention The Kukal Nkw- 
1 orker when writing the a<lvertiser. 
T ins question of the insni'ancc of liifih-clas,s live 
..stock i.s a big one—so Iiig that it has not lieen 
.siettled. It will have to he taken up soon, for the 
live stock business has started a most tremendous 
“boom.” and values for purebred individuals and 
herds are .going u]). As we .see on page IS, present 
rates are too high to make the risk on most animals 
worth taking. Another thing in insurance! Who 
will be the first iiurser.vman to insure his stock as 
true to name and jiresent the customer with a paid- 
up polic.v to iirotect against misfits? Now, gentle¬ 
men, don't all come at once! 
* 
A NTMIUOR of regular motor truck freight routes 
have been started in the iOastern States. The.v 
were made ])ossible by the trouble the railroads are 
having in delivering freight. Where the roads are 
good the motor trucks run regularly and deliver 
goods in competition with the railroads. On a run 
between New York and Bo.ston or Philadelphia, with 
regular stopiiing iilaces, this .service is doing well, 
('xcept in times of dee]) snow or mud. Some of I he 
railroads are also using the trucks for short hauls 
in order to relieve the tracks. Next Summer will .see 
a great increase in this service. 
* 
H ere wo are once more with the advice to order 
fertilizer, lime, seeds and machinery earln. 
There is nothing iierfunctory about this; we mean 
ever.v word of it, and .vou will do yourself a service h.v 
acting uiion it. There was never a time when the rail¬ 
roads were so crowded and tied up with freight as 
right now, and there is little hojie for relief this 
Spring. Some of our own shi])meiits are coming back to 
us. as the railroads refuse to take the risk of handling 
them. To wait until the last moment and then order 
goods for promjit delivery is worse than tempting 
fate—it is business suicide. Get the orders off 
lu’omptl.v. It is all the more necessar.v now that the 
Government will control the railroads. 
T he New .Terse.v Horticultural Society discussed 
the business of selling produce by ]iarccl ]iost. 
Host of those who testitied said the.v had given up 
the idan. The theory of it was all right, and most 
of the goods carried iiroiieidy, but there were “too 
man.v dead beats.” The.v all .said it was quite ea.sy 
to obtain a customer through advertising. For a 
time most peojile pay promptly, and then too many 
of them act like the commission fraud.s. They ask 
for credit, run up a .good-sized bill and then move or 
forget to pay. They are msually at a distance and 
not responsible. It seems there are many city peo- 
])le who make a business of pla.ving this game on 
farm'er.s, and the.v are so slick at it that the.y .steal 
thousands of dollars’ worth of good.s. The parcels 
post offered a good chance for direct dealing, but 
these frauds are killing it off and hurting the nqm- 
tatipn of honest jieople. 
:!■ 
One great addition to tin* dairyman’s income is a 
purebred sire of some popular kind, of the neighborhood. 
Even if he does not rai.se man.v himself, he has to k('ei> 
a sire for his dairy herd : the faddists of his neighbor¬ 
hood will not, and their high-priced help do not like to 
care for them, while a working dairyman can. AVe have 
discovered a profit thereby. Of course, the longer and 
i..o"e jxqndar the pedigree, the larger the fee. c. P. D. 
Pennsylvania, 
G (]uostion about the truth of that. We know a 
number of nei.ghborhoods where it has worked 
out. The introduction of a purebred sire has im- 
lU’oved the cattle and given the jicoiile a better view 
of their business. Y(.ut will find many farm families 
where buying a few head of purebred cattle has 
iinjiroved the farm spirit, made the farmer more 
careful of his stock, and given the children greater 
])i'ide in their work. We have seen this worked out 
so many times that it seems sure that good, purebred 
stock will help the family pride and spirit as they 
build up the herd. 
BAe RURAL. NEW-YORKER 
T'R definition of a farmer when we refer to the 
v.arious commissions and committeos which are 
now grinding the machine for agriculture is 
"One ivho mulcvH hin itrimarii livinr/ and supports 
Jiis family hij irorUiny on the land and managing a 
farm." 
As that is what working farmers are obliged to do 
we think at least the majorit.v of those who repre¬ 
sent them should do the .same, 'fo the best of our 
knowledge there was not a single farmei’ on the 
Food Control of New York, and we have so stated. 
Now comes Charles II. Ihdt.s, the shouter or barker 
for that organization, with “a falsehood nailed.” 
He says Ii.vman AI. Wright is a farmer, juid Mr. 
Wright .sa.vs he has made good on a farm. If .Mr. 
AVright lives u]i to the detinition giv(m above we 
will gladly state the fact, though he must feel like 
the t.vjiical lost sheep as he looks about the council. 
If there are other farmers connected with the work 
let us know and we will print their names. AVe may 
find that Mr. Retts is a farmer in disguise! 
* 
A S we sugge.sted last week, the Government Inis 
as.sunuMl control of the railroads in this couiitr.v. 
.'’'(‘cretai'y McAdoo will be dir(‘ctor-geueral, with un¬ 
limited powers. The Government will assure the 
stock and bondholders a fair income. This will be 
figured on the average opcrc.ting income of the past 
three .xears, and will thus ftill.v protect the owiu'rs. 
'fhe r.'iilroads hav<‘ known for .s-ome time that such 
action was confi'miilati’d. and they have had a full 
chance to prepare fh<* *mselves. Not much preparation 
was ne(‘ded. The roads will lx* run the same as be¬ 
fore, with much the s-ame luditers—the latter being 
now in the Government .service instiNid of working 
for private corporations. The chances are that this 
will work out so well that those who would have 
iK'cn shocked five .vears ago at the thought of Gov- 
('rnment control, will be forced to admit that Fncle 
Sam makes a good roadinaster. thider Goviuai- 
ment control and guarantee the rights of small stock¬ 
holders or trust funds will be i>rot('cted bed ter than 
under jirivate control. 'Phis great industrial I'evolu- 
tion is only one part of the va.st change's which the 
war is forcing upon the world. It will do more in 
three .x ears to change old methods and business hab¬ 
its than 50 years of ea.sy-going peace ever could do. 
AA'ill the nation even consent to .give up tJoverimn'iit 
control when once established? It will depend on 
the way the railroads ai'o handled. No one would 
think of putting the mail-carrying or parcel post 
back into private hands! AA’e think the .Aimwican 
jK'ople may be trusted to .settle that matter in the 
future. 
C ALYIX ,T. IIITSON and Charles 11. lU'tt.s both. 
of course, connected with the Food Control of 
New Y'ork State, are evidently trying to conli'ol the 
mental food of New A'ork farmers. .Air. Retts says 
that Air. lliison told tlie Farm Rureau men of <!r- 
Icans County: 
'I'lio man who niiil(>rlak('.s to create new parties and 
new movements iind engender strife and contention at 
this time' is not a friend of the farmer, but he is an 
enem.v of the Federal and State administrations which 
arc carrying on the war, and ho is an enemy to hi.s 
countr.v. 
Now we are inclim'd to doubt whether Air. Huson 
ever .said any such thing. If he did. we know of 
many Orleans County farmers who would laugh at 
aii.v such statenu'iit. As for I’.etts, there ma.v be a 
few insane peoide who take him seriously as a talk¬ 
ing machine for iiolitician.s, but Air. Huson has 
b(‘(‘u credited with too much .sense to talk nonsense. 
There are two “moveinents” on among oiir farmers. 
One is to reiieal or amend the .school law. 'I'lie 
other is to put do farmers in IJie Xric York J^egis- 
laiiire. Of cour.se. Retts can see in this the blackest 
treason. .According to his view, a man who would 
actuall.v interf(>re with the .school law or vote to elect 
a farmer ought to be hung. Th(*re i.s no hoiie for 
lU'tts, but we did think Calvin .1. Huson had more 
sense than to talk that way to farmers when he 
knows .just how tiu'.v feel. “.An eiu'niy to his coun¬ 
try!” AAT' challen.ge Retts and Air. Huson to come 
up to the test we offered last week. Come, gentlemen, 
line up! 
W ll.AT seem to us vital defects in the New AYirk 
school law are pointed out this xve'ck in the 
first page article. The section of the law referring to 
bonds is printial on i»age (>. The fi’iends of the bill 
are asked to name unbonded districts in which the 
taxes are lower. AA’e rejicat the invitation heiv. 
The R. N.-Ak is ready to give all sides of the ipies- 
tioii a hearing, but when, as in this case, J)5 per cent 
of our corre.'^pondence is in oiiposition. and prac¬ 
tically all the support of the bill comes from inter- 
.TamT.qry tni.s 
ested p.arties. it looks liki' one of tlu'si' <pi('stions 
where the country is lined uii solidly together. 'I'ln' 
friends of the bill undertake to sa.v it is a (trangi' 
measure, fathered. originat('d and urgt'd by the State* 
Grang(*. AA'e are authorized to den.v that statenu'nt. 
The bill was forced iqion the Grange and finally 
passed by practicing a form of deceiition. The 
Grange stands for the iirinciple of keeiting the .school 
district intact, and every farmer in the State should 
do the same. AA'e do not minimize the size of th(> 
.job involved in repealing or changing this law. .As 
stated on page it would be about as ('as.v to mov(* 
the Capitol—.v('t it can be done. There must be an 
organization of men and women in I'ver.v school dis¬ 
trict of the State. A'arious ollicials :ind iioliticians 
are wandering about the State advising farmers not 
to .loin an.v new movement or an.v organization in a 
fight for their rights. Ray no attention to them. 
Go right ahead and organize against this law, or you 
will find it only the beginning of a long string of bur¬ 
dens. 
* 
W HILE man.v farm workers are leaving for the 
cit.v—after higher wage.s—there has started 
;inofher back-to-the-land movement. This time it 
s(*em.s to be a class of peojde who cannot keep uji the 
pace in cit.v work, and think farm life might give 
(hem an ea.sier .job. AAT have all .sorts of jn-oposi- 
tions ]>ut nj) to us. Here is a sainiile: 
Do yon siipiiosc there is among your readers an aged 
man or woman, perh.qis alom^ in the world, who has a 
little farm of from 110 to -lO acres, that the owner is 
nnahle to work through old age or infirmity, which tln'.v 
would he willing my husband and I should have wln'ii 
the.v were done with this life? AA’e to keep the place 
up a.s if we owiu'd it and care for them a.s if they were 
oiir own imrents. AA'e. of course, would want legal 
papers drawn iqi on both sides. .MBS. Ii. n. w. 
Now WG assume that this woman is sincere in be¬ 
lieving that such a plan would work well for all 
parties. A'er.v f('w elderl.v people would sign “h'gal 
pajier.s” of this sort. It would be a very unwise 
thing for (hiem to do in the great ma.iorit.v of cases, 
and if the.v had an.v heirs they would protest against 
an.v such contract. CoiSsciinitious pi'ople might carr.v 
out a contract to ke(‘p the old ix'ople. AA'e know of a 
case where something of this kind was done, but the 
family who made the contract had lived in the 
nei.ghborhood for .v(‘ars, and had proved their charac¬ 
ter. It would be ver.v unwise for an.v elderly jicoide 
to make an.v such arrangemeut Avith unprovc'd 
strangc'r.s. It might be beautiful as a theor.v. but 
ugl.y in practice. So many of (hose propositions Avill 
be made tbat our readers should be on their guard. 
It might be well to tr.v some of tho.se famili('s a ; 
tenants or partmu’s, but do not contract to give the- i 
the farm. 
Brevities 
Stay by the good hens; tlx' iioulti'.\- lido will turn 
soon. 
AA'li.i. 100 |)onnds cf milk hii.v a iioimd of high-grade* 
mix('d fc('d at; .vonr iclacc? 
Tiieue ar(‘ 10.000 soldii'rs in tin* Northwcs'.crn fercsis 
cutting spruce and tir for ac'roplane slock. 
A'ou can ligiiic* the cash v.alue of silage at .‘!5 pci* c*:il 
of the selling ju-ict* of good hay. ton for ton. 
The bakers an* about to d(*cide that tin* doughnut 
r(*quires too much fat and is not therefori' an <*cononiical 
war food. 
The Ohio Exi>eriun*nl Station will ((*st s<*(*d corn for 
Ohio farmers. 'I'here is gr(*ati'r m>ed of such testing 
than ever b(*fore. 
AA'e do not intend to hav<* our childi'cn s**rv(* as a choj'- 
ping block on which soim* ex|)('rl si)lils the kindling of a 
fad or an experiment. 
The guine.a fowl is a good “watchdog.” AVhat a 
scream they can b*t out when disturbed and what loads 
of insects tlu'y will eat I 
Gaudexkbs Imve gr<*iit tioulih* in i-otting of hot'* ! 
frames. The damp situation is bad for unin-oti'cted wo< (1. 
Crude i)etrol<*um has been found a good paint or smear 
to protect such wood. 
Rkorabi.a' souk* of our r<';id<*rs hav<‘ hei'ii makiinr 
“trench ctindles” or trench hejitt'rs for the soldiers. They 
are iiaper rolls diiqied in i)araflin. The R(*d Cro.ss can¬ 
not send any more, owing to lack of freight space. 
Few iieojile r(*alize what the (*ampiiign Avhich resulted 
in the capture' of .b'rusah'in im'ant to European soldiers. 
(Ine of th(*m wrote home tlmt the lu'iit was so fierce that 
farmers h.*id to f('<*d the Ik'iis on icc* cream to prevent 
them from laying hard-boiled eggs! 
fi'ilE latest advici* is to salt the soft corn to keej) it 
from spoiling. A\'(‘st(*rn farmers use* iibout six epiiirts 
of common Sitit .scattered ove-r each load of corn as it 
is luit into the crib, ’riie salt se'cms to act as it doe's 
in preserving me'eit—by druAving the Avater out of the 
corn. 
The normal pulse* beats per minute in the dome'stic 
animals are as follows: Horse's, oO to -12; cattle, MS to 
50; .sheep, goats and hogs. 70 to SO. and dogs. SO to 100. 
The pulse beats faster in young than in old animtils. 
Excitement and a nervous temperament may cause a 
more rapid pulse. 
