228 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER’S TABER 
A National Weekly Journal lor Country and Suburban Homes 
Established 1850 
Published weekly by the Rural Publishing Company, 333 West 30lh Street, New York 
Herbert TV. Collingwood, President and Editor. 
John J. Pit,t,on, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wji, F. Dillon, Secretary. Mrs. E. T. Hoyle, Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.M, equal to 8s. 6d„ or 
81s marks, or 10 b> francs. Remit in money order, express 
order,'personal check or bank draft. 
Entered at New York Post Office as Second Class Matter. 
Advertising rates, 75 cents per agate line—7 words. References required for 
advertisers unknown to us , and cash must accompany transient orders. 
“A SQUARE DEAL” 
We believe that every advertisement in this paper is backed by a respon¬ 
sible person. We use every possible precaution and admit the advertising of 
reliable houses only. Rut 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 adjust, differences or mistakes between our subscribers and honest, 
responsible houses, whether advertisers or not. We willingly use our good 
offices to this end, but such eases 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 identify it, you should mention The Rural New- 
Yorker when writing the advertiser. 
I cannot put in words the affection which our family 
have for The R. N.-Y. It is something very rare to feel 
toward a publication; and. I am sure, is drawn out by 
the spirit that the editors show to their “Rural family,” 
and the fact we know that at heart you want the farm¬ 
ing problem solved, not camouflaged. 
Washington Co., N. Y. airs. j. s. langford. 
T HE writer lias been connected with The R. 
N.-Y. for nearly 33 years and, in all that time, 
lie lias never known anything like the genuine affec¬ 
tion and confidence which our readers are showing 
this year. We believe that in all the history of 
American journalism there has never been anything 
finer than the spirit which hinds The R. N.-Y. to its 
readers. It gives us a feeling of pride and a deep 
sense of responsibility. 
* 
N OW there is a movement started to amend the 
New York laws so as to admit women to jury 
duty. The women’s clubs are discussing it. and they 
present some remarkable arguments—on both sides. 
Several Western States have adopted the plan of 
calling women to the jury. In most eases it is not 
compulsory. We have asked readers in the States 
where there are women juries to tell us about it. 
We shall have the facts and the figures from people 
who know about it. 
“When all is said and done, the network of estab¬ 
lished institutions which ice call government is hut 
the harness which the strong fit on the weak.'’ 
W E believe it. Man is a dominating animal, 
and, given power and left to himself to exer¬ 
cise it, he will become more and more arbitrary. 
That is true of individuals, party government or of 
little groups of men who obtain control of organiza¬ 
tions. If fair criticism or reasonable opposition is 
stifled the ruling powers always become more arbi¬ 
trary and life with them become a struggle to in¬ 
crease their power. Sooner or later the “harness” 
which “the strong fit upon the weak” Avill become a 
galling chain unless the weak from time to time 
give evidence of their power to kick the harness off. 
“Statesmen” and so-called leaders often complain 
because the people now and then break away from 
the “organization” and upset the programme. These 
things are at times hard to understand, yet they 
are part of the evidence of power which makes the 
strong ease up on the harness. 
Wf. have come to think that The R. N.-Y. can 
accomplish almost anything it .sets out to do. Here 
is another suggestion which, while not new, as I think 
I have seen it mentioned in “our paper.” is I think 
worthy of consideration. Can you not start a move¬ 
ment to have every mail box on every rural delivery 
route plainly marked with the name of the owner? The 
desirability of it should be apparent to everyone. Very 
few mail boxes in this part of the country are thus 
marked. J- W. hare. 
New York. 
T HE R. N.-Y. is not able to accomplish anything 
unless its readers take the joh in hand. All we 
can do is to suggest Mr. Hare’s suggestion is a good 
one. The box in front of our own farm is marked, 
as are most of the boxes in our neighborhood. Every 
mail box should he plainly marked in this way. That 
is the way a farmer shows his colors. The way to 
l ogin such a reform is to start with your own box 
and see that it is attended to. Then begin on the 
neighbors—but mark your own box first A true 
reform starts at home. 
* 
W E have from the first evidence of peace 
doubted the possibility of obtaining supplies 
of European potash in time for this year’s fertilizers. 
We would do anything possible to hasten such im¬ 
portation, but the truth seems to be that no potash 
can he brought over much before June. It is probable 
that the first potash to come will be sent from 
France, but there is little or no hope that it can 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
get here in time for this Spring's planting. There 
is another misconception about the price of insecti- 
cides. A statement from the Department of Agri¬ 
culture gave the impression that the price of arsenic 
has fallen. That is a mistake. The manufacturers 
stocked up with arsenic months ago, and prices will 
hold during the season. The R. N.-Y. wants to 
obtain the best possible bargains for its readers, and 
if there was any way of changing the situation we 
would do our utmost to bring it about. We give the 
facts as we find them, and advise our readers to 
make sure of their goods by ordering early. 
* 
A LL through the Northern States there will be 
a good acreage of Canadian peas seeded this 
Spring. Oats and Canadian peas seeded together 
make a good substitute for hay. We have never 
found any combination which will give us more 
fodder when seeded early. If the land is strong and 
the season reasonably wet. the oats and peas may he 
cut, the land plowed or disked and then seeded to 
millet, buckwheat, barley or rye with clover. A 
levy useful crop, well suited to these times. Some of 
our readers seem to be a little mixed up over the 
difference between Canada peas and cowpeas. They 
are not the same—on the contrary, quite different in 
habit. The Canada pea is a cool weather crop and 
can be seeded as soon as the ground can be worked 
in Spring. It fades away in hot weather and is of 
very little benefit unless seeded very early. On the 
other hand, the cow pea is a hot weather crop. If 
you seed it at the proper time for oats the cow pea 
will most likely rot in the ground. While the 
Canada pea fades away at hot weather, the cow pea 
revels in the heat and makes an astonishing growth 
in a hot, dry soil. You might seed Canada peas in 
April and get a fine stand. In the hot weather of 
late June they would stop growing. Then they can 
be cut, the ground worked up and cow peas planted, 
so as to get a tremendous growth before frost. If 
you reversed this and planted the cow peas in April 
you would make a failure with both kinds of peas. 
* 
I T does not seem to be generally known that Con¬ 
gress is likely to pass a very strict immigration 
hill. It would bar practically all immigration for 
four years following peace. A few favored classes, 
like students, tourists, etc-., would be admitted, but 
all others except from Canada and Mexico would he 
shut out. This bill is being pushed chiefly by the 
labor unions and will go through unless quick and 
strong protest is made. The avowed object is to 
protect American labor by preventing competition 
from foreigners. The theory is that after peace is 
finally settled there will be a thorough reorganiza¬ 
tion of European labor. During- the war much of 
the work has been done by women. There is now a 
minority of men and they will want their old jobs. 
Thus it is thought many women, wives or relatives 
of dead soldiers, will emigrate; chiefly to this 
country. The European countries will also try to 
dispose of what they call the “socially undesirable” 
or revolutionists. They will he “encouraged” or 
helped to emigrate. The bill before Congress is 
designed to keep undesirable citizens from entering 
the country, and there seems no way of keeping 
them out except to keep all out. Now farmers will 
need help, and many of the women driven from 
Europe by the war would make needed workers on 
our farms. There are also many good foreigners 
who left this country to fight who could now come 
hack to their old farm jobs. This hill would shut 
them out. to the injury of our farmers. The bill is 
being rushed through Congress by the labor unions. 
If farmers are to lie interested in it they nftist start 
at once. 
* 
I N Buffalo, N. Y.. there was a sharp controversy 
between the farmers and the grocers over the 
right of the former to sell their produce at retail on 
the streets. The Buffalo Courier reports: 
The Retail Grocers’ Association and the Marketmen’s 
Association appeared before the mayor and opposed the 
idea of permitting the farmers to go from door to door 
and deal directly with the housewives. Some of them 
said that if the farmers were permitted to peddle, it 
would mean higher prices at the markets and to the 
grocers who deal with the fanners, because the farmers 
would always know that if they did not sell their goods 
at the markets they could go out on the streets and sett 
them. So apparently it became a question of protec¬ 
tion to the retail grocers and marketmen or protection to 
the farmers and the housewives. And the mayor de¬ 
cided in favor of the grocers and marketmen. 
He did, and that is the way it is usually done. 
The sentence printed in italics tells the whole story. 
The grocers intend to force these farmers to sell 
their produce at a low price by depriving them of 
any competitive trade. The farmer knows he cannot 
sell direct, and must either deliver at the grocer’s 
February 8, 1910 
price or haul his produce home. If he could sell 
direct to the consumer, on the street, both he and 
the housewife would be benefited. This is the clear¬ 
est case we have seen yet. If these farmers could 
only get into the daily papers and tell their story 
direct to the consumers, the mayor would soon crawl 
down. In any event, we do not believe that the city 
of Buffalo has the right to prevent a farmer from 
selling his own produce on the public highway so 
long as he does not “obstruct traffic,” Under the 
common law a farmer has that market right, and we 
believe he could fight for and win it in court. 
W E get many opinions about the New York 
State Police. It is a live question, and 
ought to be well thrashed out. The Granges and 
farmers’ clubs are taking it up—as we see from (he 
report on the next page. The voting has run about even 
during the past week, but thus far there is a majority 
in favor of the police. Next week we shall print a 
few notes on both sides to give a line on the argu¬ 
ments. We believe in a popular discussion and 
written referendum to settle such things. Surely 
no legislation should be forced upon country people 
when it is evident that a majority of them oppose it. 
* 
O N page 226 the Hope Farm man describes farm 
conditions as he found them East and West 40 
years ago. That was the result of “cheap food"— 
an overproduction of farm products. It will be hard 
to find, in all the world’s history, a case where any 
overproduction of food has not meant trouble or ruin 
to agriculture. When such a condition occurs the 
control of the food usually passes into the hands of 
middlemen, who are able to buy and sell it at their 
own terms. It has been shown repeatedly that what 
are called “bumper crops” are rarely if ever profit¬ 
able to our farmers. Whenever there is a great 
abundance of food the farmers lose control of the 
price and are compelled to accept what is offered 
them, while the handlers charge the same price 
whether the farmers produce at a loss or profit. 
When food is cheap through over-abundance, we 
have cheap farmers, who, through reduced incomes, 
lack purchasing power. Every dollar used in the 
year’s trade comes originally out of the farm, and 
when the farmer receives only 35 cents of a reduced 
dollar the trade of the entire country feels the 
effect of it. Years ago when British farmers were 
being neglected and swamped by cheap food, Sir 
John B. Lawes said: 
“Iligli farming is no remedy for low prices.” 
A failure to realize that nearly lost England this - 
war. A failure to understand it in this country will 
lose America the backing of her most useful and nec¬ 
essary class of citizens. 
* 
W HERE did the white star on the forliead of so 
many dark-colored horses come from? Is 
this spot left from the entire white face? How does 
it happen that so many dark-colored horses have it? 
Thus far we have not been able to find any satisfac¬ 
tory explanation from horsemen. We recently took 
note of about 300 dark-colored horses in this city. 
Of these 102 showed the star, 62 had solid-colored 
faces and 37 had white or gray faces. We were un¬ 
able to find any white or gray horses with a dark- 
colored star! Where does the star on the forehead 
come from? 
Brevities 
The lousy cow upsets the Warren formula. 
One result of the open Winter is that the boys are 
starting to play marbles six weeks earlier than usual. 
The 17-year locust is coming this year, but there is 
little to fear from him. 
Put us down on record as saying that this is the 
season to “come back” in the chicken business. If you 
have land to spare seed part of it to barley and Spring 
wheat for chicken feed. 
The influenza has created a new demand for cough 
and cold remedies. This has increased demand for wild 
cherry bark, which sells from 10 to 20 cents a pound, 
dry. Even at that you will not get rich fast, for peeling 
and drying bark is something of a dog’s life. 
This story is told to illustrate a difference in race 
characteristics. An Irishman and a Scotchman in the 
army caught a chicken: “That’s a bit of luck,” said 
Pat. “Sure we’ll have a daeint supper tonight.” “No, 
no,” said Sandy, with his native cautiousness. “Let’s 
keep it till tomorrow. It may lay an egg.” 
Run mites are a great pest on poultry. They usually 
pass the day on the under side of tin * 1 roost. At night 
they crawl upon the hens and afflict them. Fat or 
grease will destroy them, and the surest remedy is some 
firm, hard fat painted or smeared on the underside of 
the roost. Beef fat or tallow melted and painted on 
the roost will iret them. 
