120 
The Rural New-Yorker 
Tmc BVSISESfi FABMKR'S PAPER 
A National Weekly Journul for Country and Suburban IlomeH 
EntabUshed miO 
■■iiblblipd weekly by the Rnral Pnlili«hlne Company, 838 We»t 80(h SIreef. New Voet 
Hkhb?;kt W. Oolmsowood, I’resident and Kditor. 
John J. Dillon, Tre.'aurer anti General Manager. 
Wm. F. Dillon, Seci-etary. Mils. K. T. Koyle, As-sociate Editor, 
SUBSCRIPTION : ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreiffii countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.(M, equal to 8s. Cd., or 
815 marks, or 1014 francs. Keinit in money order, express 
order, personal check or bank draft. 
Entered at New York I’ost Ofllce as Second Class Matter. 
Ad vertisiner nates. 7.') cents per ap.ate line—7 words. References required for 
advertisers unknown to us ; and casli must accompany transient orders. 
“ A SQUARE DEAL” 
We believe that every advertisement in this paper Is backed by a respon- 
eible pei-son. We use every possibie precaution and admit the advertising of 
reliable liouses only. But to make doubly sure, we will make (rood any loss 
to paid subscribers sustained by trustin(r 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 adjust differences or mistakes between our subscribera and honest 
responsible houses, whetlier advertisers or not. We willingly use our good 
offices to this end, but such cases should not be confused with dishonest 
transaidions. We protect subscribers against roirues, 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 witliin one month of the time of 
the transaction, and to identify it, you should mention The Rukal New- 
Yobkkk when writing the ailvertiser. 
W IIiL ii pound of woll-halaiiced feed make four 
pounds t)f milk? Will a pound of milk buy 
a liound of .such feed in your msirket? Most feed 
niiinufactiirers claim that the answer to both ques¬ 
tions is “Yes.” but dairymen do not all agree with 
that. It is a good question—one of the things we 
should have an.swered in order to be prepai'ed to 
settle the point about milk jirices. So we call for 
ytiiir ligures, if you can give them. 
♦ 
S tlME farmers iire feeding corn well suited fox- 
seed. It is sound and vital and of true varieties. 
It is ii mistake to feed out such corn. It is all needed 
for s(‘ed Jind will bring a good price. Secretai-y 
Houston asks for .$0,000,000 with which to buy seed 
j'.nd distribute it in sections where the crop failed 
hist yeiir. That sound corn which you iire feeding 
to stock nxiiy be just what some other farmer wants 
to buy. 
• * 
O N page 124 .1. A. ^Macdonald says that few farm 
jiapers would have printed the article on the 
dairy farm because it porti-ays hard work and long 
hours. That may be true, but The R. N.-Y, en¬ 
deavors to tell the truth about farm life. There are 
lilenty of peojile to abuse the farmer or to “uplift” 
him by telling what ought to be or what he irnghi do. 
We consider it oxxr business to picture farming as 
it is. Thei-efoi-e we go to fai-mers 'and country peoixle 
for our facts. It is one of the great ti‘oubles of 
farming that the business has been presented to the 
public on a false basis. One class of critics has per¬ 
sisted in printing a gloomy picture, while, another 
has ]»ainted the whole thing in x-ose color. The truth 
lies between and that is what we try to get. Many 
of our i-eaders will marvel at some of the things 
Mr. Macdonald tells about, yet we believe they are 
true of his Winter life. Our ambition has alway.s 
been to make The R. N.-Y", a clear-cut exponent of 
the life and thought of the American fai-mer. A big 
])ublic man once told us: “I find myself compelled to 
take and read The R. N.-Y. if I expect to know the 
i-eal life of our Eastern farmers.” Thus we pidnt the 
truth as we see it—sometimes raw, sometimes me¬ 
dium and sometimes well done! 
T he di.scussion of the New York, school law is the 
most inqiortant thing now before New York 
farmers—for half a dozen i-easons. IMr. Hall gives 
a fair statement about the law on the lirst page, but 
we do not agree with him about amending it. We 
think the best plan is to repeal this law and then, 
as he says, let farmers and country people get to¬ 
gether and work out a new law which shall be fitted 
to the rural districts. There are two main things 
about this situation. The present law is unsatisfac¬ 
tory and offensive to a very large majority of the 
country people. Most of its defenders are not farm¬ 
ers, but men and women who are more interested in 
the village schools. The great object of any rural 
school law should be to increase the efficiency of the 
local primary school and not, as so many think, to 
build 111 ) tbe grammar or high school. Everything 
should be done to lait a good primary school as close 
as possible to the fai-m homes, and not to take it 
away from them. The tendency of the present law 
is to remove tbe schools from the country disti-icts. 
That may not be the present intention of those who 
supimrt this law, but it will work out that way. 
.\s for amending it. we do not trust the Albany poli¬ 
ticians who would tinker with this law. The safest 
way is to reiieal it and then woi’k out a new one on 
the lines suggested by Mi*. Hall. In this crisis of 
rural education we think the New York Grange has 
the greatest opportunity in all its history to stand 
up with courage and dignity for our farmei's. Cer¬ 
tain interests are now trying to make it appear that 
the Grange is fully resiionsible for the preisCUt law. 
B-Ac RURAI. NtW-YORKER 
January 26, 1918 
We know that this is unti-ue. but at any rate the 
opportunity has come for the Gi’ange to take a 
strong stand for repeal and then come forward with 
a suitable rural school law. 
W E get many odd or strange ideas from our read- 
ei-s. That is one of the advantages of friend¬ 
ship. Our people write us freely and tell us their 
troubles and their needs. The problem of farm help 
is hard enough, and we must all look in new phices 
for new supplies of labor. We believe there ai-e 
tbou.sands of men and women now making a bare 
living trying to work for themselves who could do 
much better vrorklng for others. Can we help find 
such ixeople and bring tlicm together? We ax-e going 
to try. On page 100 you will find two lettex-s, one 
from a man who wints a fai-xn, the other telling of 
an entire faxuily that is \xillixig to work together. 
Both are xiew pi-opositions, but they suggest nexv 
classes of labor which may be made available. 
I N 1917 Connecticut stood at tbe front as a corn 
gi-owing State in yield and value jier acre. The 
average yield ])er aci-e was 51 bushels, and the avei-- 
age value of the cx-op fi-om one acre was $109.0.5. 
f'ompai-ed with some of the great corn growing 
States, we have the following: 
State. 
Ohio. 
Yield. 
. 38 
. .”,7 
Illinois . 
. .’IS 
. .-1(1 
Maryland . 
. 39 
♦ 
Acre Value. 
$.51.0.S 
.”,9.90 
44.50 
17.50 
45.(K) 
.54.00 
01 ..OS 
Nux vomica i.s fatal to all animals Avhose eyes are 
closed until eight or 10 days after their birth, birds in¬ 
cluded. Hawks disappearing, cats having queer action 
and dying after feeding on chicks treated with nux 
vomica is fair evidence. C. F. R. 
Connecticut. 
W E have heax-d at least 50 such statements from 
farmers. They claim that by feexling nux 
vomica to little chicks they can kill off hawks and 
cats. The scientific mexi i-ather scoff at the theory, 
but the lu-actical farxnex-s insist that they are right. 
Of course scientists will not like to admit that plain 
fax-mers have “beatexi them” to a useful di.scovei-y, 
but we think it is lime to test out lliis nux vomica 
theory fully. We never yet kxiew a ])x-aetice to 
become common in axiy counti-y community unless 
it Avas founded upon true pi-inciples. Let the scien¬ 
tific men feed a few chicks on nux vomica and thexi 
feed the chicks to hawks and cats under conditions 
Avhich will make a true axiswer possible. This is a 
simple expex-iment axid it is Avorth AA-hile. 
♦ 
F ARMERS’ Wetdx at Cornell Avill be held this 
year Eebruai-y 11-10. inclusive. Iximan.A’ x-espects 
this famous gathering will be larger and better than 
ever this yeai-. The keynote of the xneeting Avill be 
the Avar situation in its effect upon the farmer, and 
AA-e are promised a full discussion of all sides of it. 
Surely nothing could be more pertinent at this time 
thaxi such a thorough discussioxi if it can be held, 
axid Ave may expect fhe full ti-eatxnent of it from the 
problexn of hired labor to the singixig of patx-iotic 
songs. This Eai-mei-s’ Week has come to be a great 
institutioxi ixi the life of many NeAV Yoi-kers, and this 
jear above'all othei-s there should be a great gather¬ 
ing at Ithaca of men and Avomen avIxo go prepared 
for .serious thought and discus.sion. 
I N his last axxxxual xeport Seci-etary of the Interior 
Eranklin K. Laxie tells of a farmer ixx Oregon 
who wrote to soxne laxid laAvyers in Wa.shington. 
These lawyers were trying to get this man and his 
father to pu.sh a claixn for $1.50 against the United 
States Govei-nment, These farmers had taken up 
public land and had prospered. The hiAvyer fouxid 
they had overpaid the Government and Avaxited the 
job of collecting—he to take half for his services. 
This farmer told hoAV he had givexi his time for help¬ 
ing the Red Cross and Libei-ty Bonds, and said: 
The reason I have been able to do this small amount 
is directly attributed to the fact that my father got title 
to the very 100 acres of land that you now seek to have 
the Govex-nment pay us back $75 and put $75 in your 
pocket. 
I have lived in a A^ex-y small community, and there xs 
an old saying that men do not get bigger than the com- 
mxinity they live in. Washington is a lax-ge community 
and a number of the largest men we have in the L’nited 
States reside there during their term of ofiice, such as 
the President and the Senators. You have the advantage 
of groAving and becoming very large. But I feel bigger 
than the w-hole bunch of lawyers sticking around the 
various dejiartments and trying to suck something out 
of the ill-advised citizenry of the isolated districts. 
There are plenty more fai-mei-s just like this one. 
Do you see them mentioned in the daily papers? 
No, becaxxse it is more fashionable just now to call 
♦ hem slackers and hogs. We are going to change 
that fashion! 
T he U. S. Fuel .Vdxiiinistfator, Dr. Garfield, has 
is.sued a dx’astic order regarding the use of fuel. 
The following sectioxx of his order .shoAvs the tx-e 
mendous poAver Avliich Congress has given the Presi¬ 
dent : 
Section 3. On the following days, namely. .Tanuary 
18, 19, 20. 21 and 22, 1918, and also on each and every 
Monday, beginning .Tanuary 28, 1918. and continuing 
up to and including March 25, 1918, no manxifacturer 
or manufacturing plant shall burn fuel or xise power 
derived from fuel for any purpose. 
There are exceptions gi-anted certaiix ixulixstx*ies 
Avliich px*oduce or haxidle xiecessities, but the object 
is to accuixxuLi te a stock of coal by preventixxg its 
u.se as fuel. The situatioxx is very cx-itical. Coxi- 
gx-ess may force the President to Avithdx-aAv ttie oi-der 
—for the pressure against it is fierce. On the other 
haxid the people may take the position that this is 
one of the cx-uel sacrifices which war axid the hax-dest 
Winter eA-er knoAvxi have forced upon the counti-y. 
'I'hey may stand and take it as a matter of stern 
discipline, or rebel against it. The next few days 
Avill .settle it 
* 
A t least a dozen readers this year have oi-dered 
The R. N.-Y. sent for 1918 to their pa.stoi-s. In 
most cases these clex-gymen liaA-e xi gax-den and much 
of their work is done among countx-y people. We 
liaA-e alA\-ays held that the x-egenei-atioxx of farming 
and the x-estox-atiou of our countx-y neighborhoods 
are truly mox-al px-ohlems, and the church can be of 
great assistance. Our people ai-e detex-mined that 
The R. N.-Y\ shall go everywhere. One reader lias 
had it sexit to his Congressman, and another has 
several xmirkt'd copies sent to a saloonkeeper! We 
shall tiy to carry the me.ssage to all, and it seems 
we help phy.sically as Avell as xuoi-ally, as Ave leax-n 
from a reader Avho lost many fniit tx-ees from x-ab- 
bit injui-y: 
I concluded that something must be done to save the 
trees from destruction. I am a subscriber to a number 
of farm and religious papers that are printed on x-ather 
heavy stock, and about the length of Tiix: R. N.-Y. 
The.se papers I used to wrap my apple trees with, 
taking the paper the long way up the tree and using it 
two double, then Avrapping it tightly about the tree. I 
tied the paper at the top and bottom with binder twine, 
and this was a complete .success, as not a rabbit touched 
a tree. c. g. 
Virginia, 
It is good to Ihink that the paper may protect the 
household fi-onx luimaxi pests and tlxexi keep the A-ex-- 
min JiAA’aj' fx-oxn the tx-ees. We are glad to join the 
religious papers in such practical religion. Rogues 
and rabbits do xiot thrive on jirinters’ ink. 
A t the rraxiklin County. Mass., Farxn Bux-eaix 
xneetixxg theiv Avas exhibited a fine collection of 
“war bi’cad.” 9'his bx-ead was made of oatmeal, x-ye, 
bax’ley and cornm(*al, Avith only a small iiu.xntity of 
Avhexxt fioux-. New Englaxid house\A’iA-es huA’c alwxxys 
been faxnous as biauid xnakers. and this Avas the mo.st 
I'emarkable collection AA'e have seeix any\A’hei‘e. There 
AA’as a beaxxtiful loaf of x-aised coridii-ead—a X'ich, 
goldexi colox-, as light axid ik)x-ous as :i AA-heaten loaf. 
IMi'S, Geox-ge W. ’I’hatcher gave us the x-ecipe, AAdiich 
is Avell AA'orth pi-inting hex-e: 
Boil one (piaif of milk, one jiint water, and pour it 
OA'cl- four heaping <-ups of corumeal; one and one-half 
teasiioonfuls salt; one whole yeast cake; butter size of 
an egg, or lard ; two tablespoonsful of sugar and a little 
flour, so that you can stir all Avith a spoon. stand 
two hours or more in temperature of 70 or 75 degrees. 
After two hours or so. Avhen risen, sidd as much flour as 
you can knead into mixtux-e with your hands. Let stand 
in faixdy warm place over night and bake an hour next 
moi-ning. This makes three loave.s. 
No use talking, a Avoxnan avIxo caix xnake such lix-ead 
out of the humble cornxneal ought to be at the head 
of soxne Food Comxxiis.sion. Cox-nxiieal is expensive, 
but xuany farmei-s liaA-e a hand xxvill axid a sieA-e and 
can prepai-e a hoxne supply. 
Brevities 
Poor business—to winter a .scrub. 
Ideal Aveather for sausage and buckAvheat cakes. 
In a cold barn the milk yield follows the no'rcury 
tOAvard zero. 
The Auxlue of r.ve and vetch as a cover crop is well 
px’oven. Noaa- aa'C have reports of the use of this miitxxre 
of seeds as a coffee substitute. 
The State of Roiith Carolina issues a market bulletin 
in which farmers offer what they have for sale. In the 
last issue 12 people offer dogs, eight cattle and 10 hogs. 
Saa^eden permits a farmer to retain 2.2 pounds of 
wool for each member of the family. The rest of the 
AAmol Clip must be turned over to the government. 
Eaury icehouse should be filled this Winter and new 
houses built, livery extra ton of natural ice saves 
coal and ammonia next Summer for the production of 
ai-tificial ice. 
We have had a number of questions about black sheep 
—not the human kind—but the freaks Avhich noAV and 
then appear in most flocks. Several people want to 
breed them ! Thus far Ave have been unable to find any 
definite information about these black sports. 
