812 
The Rural New-Yorker 
TUB BVSilSESS BABMEIVS TAPER 
A Nallcnnl l^'ockly Journal for ioiintry anil Suburban IfomoA 
Es-to.hli&hf'd iffZO 
PnblSkbi^d hj thf» Koral riihlishingr Companj* 333 llVut 30th Street, »n fork 
Herkkrt vr, COM.IN’GWOOD, President and Kditor. 
John J. Dillon, Treaiftircr and General Mana^fer. 
Wm. F. Dillon, Secretary. Mrs. K. T. Koyle, Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION : ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To forciprn countries in the rnirersal Postal Pnion. $2.01, equal to 3s. Cd., or 
3^ marks, or 101^ francs. Kemit in money order, express 
order, poi-sonal chock or bank draft. 
Entered at New York Post Olfice as Second Class Ttattor. 
Advert rates. TJ cents per afrato line—7 M'ords. Deferences required for 
a<iveii isers unknown to us ; and cash must accompany transient orders. 
SQUARE DEAL” 
We believe that every advertisement in this pai^r is hacked hy a respon- 
pible iMM^on. We use ejrery possible pr<»caulion anti admit the adVertisini; of 
reliable houses only. But to make doubly sure, we will make pood any loss 
to i)aid subwribei*s sustained hy trusting any delibemte swindler, irrespon¬ 
sible aciveidisei’S or misleading a^ivertisemehts in our columns, and any 
such swindler will bo publicly exposed. We ai'e also often called upon 
to adjust differences or mistakes between our subscribers and honest, 
responsible houses, whether advertisers or not. Wewillinply use our pood 
oflices to this end, but such cases should not be confused with dishonest 
transaetjons, Wc protect subscribers apainst ropues. but we will not bo 
resi>onsiblo for the debts of honest banknipts 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 inentioa Tine Rural New- 
Yorker when writinp the advertiser. 
Milk-Fed Americans 
HAT about 5,000,000 signatures to the follow¬ 
ing pledge: 
“I hereby agree to give up the use of soda water 
and other similar ‘soft drinks’ during tlie war, and 
furtlier agree to snl)stitute cold milk for the said 
‘soft drinks' Avhenever I purchase at any public place. 
I will do all I can to increa.se the sale of pure milk 
and will call for it whenever T eat at a public table.” 
. tt 
N ew YoKK farmers .should read Mr. Lyon’s ar¬ 
ticle en ]tage 807, and think what they would 
like done with the fanners’ institutes. This article 
is net a criticism—it is just a suggestion for a plan 
of talking tilings over. No one will he likely to deny 
the truth of what Mr. Lj'on says. ^A’e need meetings 
of a jiiain, practical nature which will apiieal to 
farmers. Of late years the institutes have been 
more in tlie nature of higli scliool leetui’es. They 
should he nearer the graded schools, and they never 
will get there until the farmers themselves exei't the 
needed influence upon them. .So we would like a 
discussion on the subject. Do you think it Avorth 
while to continue the institutes? If so, how should 
they be managed? It is a part of our program to 
carry these tilings right to the farmers for decision, 
and so Ave ask tliese questions. 
M any of our readers Avill rememher Tom Bar¬ 
ron, the English poultry breeder. There are 
thousands of i»oiiltry flocks where the Barron blood 
is a constant reminder of this kindly and gifted 
Englishman. The folloAving extract is made from a 
recent letter from Mr. Barron to (teo. A. ('osgrove: 
Eggs are selling at three for a slillliiig or 12 for .$1. 
Indian corn is $6 for 112 pounds. So you see that poul¬ 
try feeding is bad, and avc can’t always get corn ; it is 
now n.sed in flour for home consuiniitioii. \Ve are ra¬ 
tioned here now; one-half pound niisit each per week, 
one-half pound sugar, four ouiiees butter, one-fourth 
pound bacon each. Plenty of potatoes and flour, hut 
the bread is black. 
Barron .says he has put all the money he has into 
war bonds, and that the English peoiilo Avill .stand up 
to the last man. MTth the help of America they will 
win the Avar. The English poultry husiiiesg is in 
hard condition, but Barron thinks, as Ave do, that 
the man Avho van hang on Avill make money, because 
when the swing comes back there Avill he a Avonder- 
ful demand for good stock. 
t< 
A FEW years ago The K. N.-Y. pointed out the 
advantages of an inside coast Avater route 
from Noaa' England to the Gulf of Mexico. By using 
the Cape Cod Canal and Long Island .Sound, cutting 
through New Jersey and upper Mai-yland and from 
Norfolk on through the coast inlets and sounds, a 
large .ship might pass from Boston to Jacksonville. 
Fla., or New Orleans, Avithont danger from storm or 
attack. Some day such an inside route Avill he a 
necessity. It may he so now iji view of the Avork of 
submarines off the Atlantic coast. The chances are 
that the destruction of shipping hy these .submarines 
will amount to more than the cost of cutting out this 
waterway. 
* 
A’o officer o/ the Fedcraiiou shall hold any Slate 
office. 
HAT is from the by-laws of the New York Fed¬ 
eration of Agi'icultui’e. and is one of the best 
things in that excellent document. Practically all 
the pi-omising farm activities in New Y"ork State 
have had the starch and spirit taken out of them 
by being tied up to some political job. “No man can 
.serve tAvo ma.sters.” AATienever he tries to do so the 
man Avill acknoAvledge one master and unite Avith him 
to dominate the other. In the present condition of 
New York polities there is only one hope for a 
farmers’ organization, and that is stern and nnyield- 
RURAL N E W-Y O R K E U 
ing independence on the part of the ofticers and 
representatives. ShoAv ns a single man Avho has ac¬ 
cepted a political job Avho is or can he fearless 
and hold his job! This ought not to 1)0 so, hut 
can you deny that it is .so? The Noaa- York State 
Grange Avould he much stronger if it stood for this 
prineii)]e of ah.solute diA'orce in political and Grange 
oflicers. A ivsolution covering tliis Avas pre.sented at 
the Syracn.se Grange meeting, and only defeated 
through a political trick. 
* 
A BOLT the greatest fertilizer experiment ever 
known since the world began is to he found in 
the plant food duel between England and Germany. 
We hear most about the fearful and bloody struggle 
in France, but on the farms at home a mighty con¬ 
test, .silent though it may he, is being fought out. 
Both England and Germany are fairly Avell supplied 
Avith nitrogen. Perhaps England has a little the ad- 
A-antage in lier climate and in tliousands'of acres of 
unused rich .sod. Germany Avill perhaps offset this 
in the thorough organization of her agricultural 
methods. England is shoi’t of potash, but can obtain 
needed supplies of i)hosphoru.s. Germany has more 
than she needs of potash, but is limited to small 
quantities of phosphorus. Thus the contest comes 
doAvn to England with phosplmriis against Germany 
Avith potash, and the war may be decided'by the 
oxitcome of this duel rather than by the nitrogen 
n.sed in explosives. AAniich element is the more nec¬ 
essary in the production of food—the life-giving 
pho.^phonis or the life-doAvloping potash? Personal- 
Ij' we Avould back phosphorus as the mightier and 
more necessary element of plant food! 
♦ • 
L A.8T December in the city of Utica tAvo thou- 
.sand members of the Dairymen’s League pub¬ 
licly rebuked Governor Whitman for his attitude to 
agriculture, and demanded an organization to put 
men avIio Avonld he just to the farm nn the Legisla¬ 
ture and in the Executive Chamber. 
In January at liochester two large frnit-groAA'ers’ 
associations passed .similar resolutions. At Ithaca 
the Farm Bureau Association indorsed the senti¬ 
ments of the other as.sociations, and at the annual 
meeting in .Syracuse the State Grange Avent them 
all a little better and demanded the immediate 
re.siguation of the Whitman appointments and a re¬ 
peal of the extravagant, Avasteful and disorganizing 
agricultural legislation of last 3 ’ear. 
Last Aveek, just as the Federation of Agriculture 
Avas about to he formed, in harmony Avith these de¬ 
mands of the farmers of the State, the heads of 
these organizations bowed to the political allure¬ 
ments and publicly attempted to head off the meet¬ 
ing called pevmanentlj' to organize the Federation. 
The.v seek to nsiUT the authority of their own mem- 
ber.ship, and attempt to reverse its expressed judg¬ 
ment. Thej’ make the mistake of assuming that 
they are the association.s. 
Bead the constitution of the Federation on next 
page; next Aveek read the by-laws. Save both and 
read them a second and a third time. Note hoAv 
the authority of the farmer is safeguarded in thesq 
imstniments, and then test in your oavii calmer in¬ 
telligence the sincerity of the men avIio proposed it, 
as compaivd Avith the men who opposed the organi¬ 
zation. 
K: 
Some job trying to secure new subscribers to The B. 
N.-Y. in this locality, as about everyone already takes 
it, and the mighty few that don’t are the hard-shell kind 
that are beyond redemption. ii. E. 
II no—we Avill get them yet. Sometimes avc 
think the softshells are Avorse. They cannot 
stand the fire of opposition or critiei.sm, and Avill not 
stand up and fight Avhen agriculture needs them. It 
may be difficult to start the hard.shells, but Avhen 
they do come the very tonghne.ss of their opinion 
Avill help hold up the line. If the softshells and 
liardshells could only average up the lime Avhich 
snn-ounds their convictions, what an army we should 
have. Keep at them ! 
* 
T he Department of Agriculture estimates that 
this year’s Avheat crop may reach one billion 
binshels. We are becoming used to thinking in 
terms of billions, and this big crop Avill please 
everyone excejit the Kaiser and his friend.s. Har¬ 
vesting has already begun—nearly tAA’o Aveeks ahead 
—and Avith good weather, bread for the Allies Avill he 
assured. There Avill he no immediate let-up on AA’heat 
regulations. This nation expects to play .something 
of the part Joseph played in Egypt A\dien he laid up 
grain against the coming lean years. We must have 
a grain .surplus .someAvhere, and this big crop Avill 
provide for it. The fact is that many of ns will 
never go hack entirely to Avhite flour. The use of 
entire Avheat, oatmeal, barley and corn, enfoi’ced 
.Tunc 22, lots 
though it has been, has convinced many of ns that 
we are far better off for the change, and avo Avill con¬ 
tinue to eat many of the substitutes. 
Not one-fourth of the acreage of potatoes is being 
planted this season that Avas pnt out last year, all 
through this State. I have been in many counties, and 
all report this same shortage. Something should be 
done to- get plenty of the Avasted acres all through the 
country into producing war food for the people. Plenty 
of people in cities would plant if they could be helped 
in some way to get the land to use. and so much seems 
to be idle and no chance of land being used. E. E. s. 
Glean. N. Y. 
HAT is the common report this j’ear. Too much 
tnoney Avas lost on the last crop, and no one in 
his full senses Avill follow up a financial failure Avith 
an “encore’’ unless he is a crop gambler. There Avill 
he a shortage of potatoes next season from all present 
indications. It is not too late in some localities to 
plant for a late crop. The recent “potato drives’’ 
seem to have demoralized the market for producers. 
MTr.VT do you think of Ilndsou Maxim’s write-up in 
The T.itcrnry Diyest about Chine.se farm labor? I think 
Mr. Ma.vim would better not write at all if that is all 
he knows about farming in this country. The Chinese 
are all right, hut only over in China, not in the good 
old U. .S. A. 4 . V j 
I B opinion is that if Mr. Maxim AA’cre an actual 
farmer on a medium-sized farm he never 
Avould advocate Chinese labor for this countrj-. Not 
being a farmer he does not understand. Y'ou will 
notice .that most of the ad\'ice about Iioaa’ to run a 
farm and Iioaa' to meet the future is given l).y men 
Avho never faced the problem of making a living or 
supporting the family as a small freeholder. Tt 
never seems to occur to such advisers that the farm¬ 
er’s own opinion is Avorth considering. M’e can see 
how the large farmers Avho desire large gangs oty 
docile farm laborers would profit through Chinese 
lahoi-ers. but that very profit would, Ave think, oper¬ 
ate to the disadA-antage of the small or medium-sized 
farmers. Our theory is that these smaller free¬ 
holders are of greater importance to the conntj-y 
than the large estates. 
4 «= 
I am sending yon a few name.s of fariner.s in our 
tOAvn. I am a village man, and I feel yon are a friend 
to all. We hope yon convert Elon B. Brown, or en¬ 
lighten Jefferson County voters. It Avoiild help ciean 
house. R. ji. 
Jefferson Co., N. Y’. 
N hi.s la.st campaign for the Senate Mr. BroAA'u re- 
ceiA-ed 9.217 A-otes in Jefferson and 8.070 in Os- 
Avego Countj’. Noav, Avhich do you think Avill be the 
hai-der job, to convert Senator Brown or to e)i- 
lightcn these 17,887 voters? There Avill be .some¬ 
thing like 15,000 Avomen A'oters in the district this 
5 ’ear. Perhaps, being new in politics and more of an 
iiiA'estigating turn of mind, the.v may be easier to en¬ 
lighten. Thoj'’ certainl.v failed to coiiA-ert Senator 
Brown on tlie school (inestion or on prohibition. One 
tiling is sure, the voters of these two counties avIII 
ha\’c to decide thi.s ipiestion. No one on the outside 
can do it for them. Tlie re.sponsil)ilit.v is tlieir own. 
If noAA' they vote for Senator Brown and re-elect 
him, Avill he not have the right to saj' that ho repre- 
sent.s the sentiment of his district? 
T hese “war times” .seem to be furnishing a rich 
harvest for the “tree dopers.’’ The.v offer poAV- 
ders U) he poked into the tree trunk or “paints” and 
smears to plaster on the tree. The claim is that 
this stuff Avill Avork into the .sap, and through it 
kill insects and cure blight and other diseases. 
Man.v a fruit grower deprived of his usual Avorking 
force will he caught hy the plausible argument that 
this stuff Avill save all labor of spraying: Tt is a 
humbug and an expensh'e mistake to use any such 
.substitute for the good old-fashioned plan of spray¬ 
ing. The temptation is greater noAV than usual—but 
resist it! Let the tree dopers alone! 
Brevities 
Get in all the buckAvheat you can. 
It pays sometimes to can some of the hot, camlid re- 
mark.s. — 
Have you organized that Civic League in your school 
district yet ? Do it! 
Cax you help us get closer to the costs of handling 
that ton of coal? See page 806. 
Beek now contains hy law 2i/4 per cent of alcohol, 
ard cider often carries twice as much. 
IYe are convinced that the .shortage of bees in the 
orchard this year has injured the “set” of fruit. 
A Neaa’ York legal decision makes the OAvuer of a car 
equally respon.sible with the driver when accidents occur 
while speeding and both are in the car. 
We cut the Sweet clover when about three feet high 
for hay. After that it gets too woody for the stock. 
There Avill come another growth to produce a good seed 
crop. 
