436 
March 8, 1019 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S FA TER 
A Nut Ion ul Weekly Jour mi l for Country mill Subiirbnn Homes 
Established isso 
I'ublished weekly by the Rural Publishing Company, 833 West 30th Street, New York 
Herbert \V. Colt.ingwood, President and Editor. 
John J. Dili,on. Treasurer and General Manager. 
nvm. P. Dillon, Secretary. Mrs . K. T. Royi.k, Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION : ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries in tlie Universal Postal Union. $2.01. equal to Rs. tid- or 
81 a marks, or Kib; francs. Remit in money order, express 
order, personal check or bank draft. 
Entered at New Jork Post Office as Second Class Matter 
Advertising rates, 715 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 l>y a respon¬ 
sible ix-rson. We use every possible precaution and admit the advertising of 
reliable houses only. 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 adjust differences or mistakes between our subscribers and honest, 
responsible houses, whether advertisers or not. We w illingly uso our good 
offices to tl is end. but such cases 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 he sent to us within one month of the time of 
the transaction, and to identify it, you should mention Thk Rural New- 
Yorker w hen w riting the advertiser 
H ERE is a letter from the extreme Eastern sifle 
of the coil n I ry : 
I read ;i small article iu the editorial column a few 
weeks back, about a subscriber wbo saved all of liis 
Rural New-Yoeners, while till other publications were 
disposed of. 1 ran beat that. The light that is in The 
I t. N.-Y. I do not hide under n bushel, but pass it on to 
the next man, who will profit by reading it. and tell him 
to pass it. along. C. HERMAN TILTON. 
Massachusetts. 
\Ye would not mind if 100,000 readers started just 
that sort of passing. We hope to give a light so hot 
and strong that it will burn up any bushel they can 
put over us. And then comes this from the far 
Western side: 
1 have just returned from overseas service as a sol¬ 
dier. and was unable to send in my subscription sooner. 
I can’t get. along without The It. N.-Y. I think they 
need your paper over there to show them how to farm 
right.* RALPH ROLAND. 
Arizona. 
A big job, that, but when we get that League <»f 
Nations we must also have a league of agricultural 
notions and notes. 
* 
D URING the past few months more than a dozen 
people have sent ns samples of “bright stones.’’ 
These pebbles were found in the field—often turned 
up by the plow—and the people who found them 
seem to think they are diamonds—of great value. 
There are so many of them that we conclude that 
this “bright stone” belief is general, and to save our 
friends from imposition we shall soon print an ex¬ 
tended article on the subject. The pebbles sent us 
are usually hits of quartz of no value. Some of 
them represent the well-known “fool's gold, which 
has surely fooled many a wise man. We warn our 
readers to beware of promoters who claim that these 
worthless stones are diamonds, and oflter to sell 
them —for u cash in advance consideration. 
* 
f )A 7 6' Island seed earn! Thousands of New 
/ j Yorkers know little of the long and rather 
slender strip of land which pushes its nose out east 
into the sunshine. We have heard people refer to it 
as a sand spit. The truth is that Long Island is fam¬ 
ous for many good things. It. can show some of the 
finest purebred American blood on this continent. 
Here are to he found representatives of the old 
families—still living on the old farm. It is said of 
some localities that the old American stock has 
“run out.” Not on the island—there it does not 
“run out,” hut walks in to a front seat. And though 
it may be hard for our people to believe, some of 
the best farming in the world is done on the island. 
We mean farming —the production of such crops as 
corn, potatoes, hay, cabbage and similar crops. 
Pushed far out into the Atlantic, these Long Island 
farmers have not done much shouting. Now they 
come offering some of their extra sunshine packed 
away in seed corn, and guaranteed sunshine, at that. 
And see how this works out. This seed corn from 
the east end of the island goes up into the northern 
counties, and from it is grown the finest of silage. 
This, fed with the sweet hay and pure water of that 
region, comes back as pure milk to supply the great 
city at the west end of the island. Thus the farmers 
of oi) ( > section work in with those of another. 
* 
Y OU would he surprised to see how many letters 
we have from people who write asking where 
they can sell horse meat. They read in some paper 
that there is a great demand for such meat in this 
big city, and when some old horse is ready for 
slaughter they are ready to “feed the hungry.” 
There is very little demand here. A few horses are 
used as food, but they are good, fat specimens, 
inspected and slaughtered here. The use of horse 
meal sent from the country without inspection would 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
he prohibited. We would not. discuss this were it 
not that many readers seem to think horse meat is 
a regular article of diet here. There is, however, 
a demand for the meat from dog kennels, chicken 
men and hog feeders. In cold weather, when a 
carcass can he shipped without danger, there would 
be sale at a fair price. We have heard of one or 
two cases where the meat was cooked, put in large 
cans and sold as chicken food. But abandon the 
idea that there is a demand for horse meat as 
human food. 
* 
W E think Mr. Gladwin, page 425. takes a very 
sensible view of the probable effect of pro¬ 
hibition on grape-growing. Then 1 is sure to he a 
change in the business, hut we do not believe it 
means ruin. A larger quantity of grape juice will 
he demanded and many of the grapes which would 
cease to he made into wine will he sold in baskets 
as table grapes. We think the former large business 
in table grapes can he restored, and that it will 
provide for grape growers. 
* 
B EFORE this reaches our readers the question of 
“daylight saving" will probably he settled for 
another year. At least <S5 per cent of our farmers 
oppose the “new time." Hands off the clock! they 
say. They were slow al starting their protest, not 
fully realizing when the question would come up. 
Some of them thought this "war measure" would 
fade away with peace. When they did start, how- 
over. they came with a rush and they have nearly or 
quite brought Gongress to the old time. The contest 
has come to he pretty much between city Congress¬ 
men and those from the country. The latter, in¬ 
spired by the farmers, are lighting for the repeal of 
the "daylight saving” law. Had they started earlier 
they would surely have let daylight through it: 
they may do it yet. Senator ('alder of New York 
is working against the farmers in Ill’s and is trying 
to force the “new time” upon them. Some of our 
readers ask why we oppose “daylight saving." We 
represent farmers and country people first of all. 
When, after a fair discussion, the majority of them 
favor a measure, we consider that it is to their best 
interests, and we stand with them. In this case, 
after hearing all sides, a great majority of our peo¬ 
ple oppose this scheme. We therefore oppose it. 
* 
1 send an article from the A etc \ ork Tunes on the 
farmer and daylight saving. What do you honestly 
think about such talk? n. F. J. 
E must go to the poet Tennyson in order to 
express ourselves: 
—"Would that in a longue could utter 
The thoughts that arise in me!" 
If we said exactly what we thick we fear that 
many old friends would be shocked. If we printed 
this opinion we would probably he indicted. We 
have never seen so much fool talk about farmers 
and farming as the daily papers are now printing. 
Most of them know better. This malignant stuff is 
not printed through ignorance. It is part of a well- 
organized plan to poison the minds of city people 
against farmers and producers. We think it is the 
most dangerous propaganda yet started in this coun¬ 
try. for its aim is to separate and keep apart two 
classes of people who should and must he brought 
together—piodneers and consumers. The greatest 
need of industrial life today is for the farmer to 
have a chance to tell the true story of his business 
life to those who buy food. 
* 
W ILL it pay a dairyman or any live stock man 
to buy and use chemical fertilizer? This 
question is frequently asked by men who have an 
abundance of manure. There is a general belief 
that where a farmer has manure enough to give the 
corn and grass land a fair dressing lie does not need 
fertilizers. That is not always sound argument. 
Where whole milk is sold there is a steady drain of 
plant food away from the farm. A ton of cow’s 
milk carries away about 12 pounds of nitrogen, four 
of phosphoric acid and three and one-half of potash. 
Thus with a dairy of 2o cows averaging 5,000 pounds 
per year there would he an annual loss of 000 pounds 
of nitrogen, 200 of phosphoric acid and 100 of 
potash. Much of this nitrogen is returned to the 
farm in the clover and other legumes, and in the 
purchased feed. There is also a good gain in potash 
in the feed, though most of the soil on our dairy 
farms contains an abundance of potash. The greatest 
fertilizer need for our Eastern soils is phosphorus, 
and there is less of that element imported to the 
farm in purchased feed than of nitrogen or potash. 
Phosphorus is an essential in growing corn, which 
is the backbone of our stock keeping. Phosphorus 
not only fills out and hardens the ear, but it hastens 
maturity and in many cases saves the crop by 
ripening it before frost. Considering these tilings, 
we think it will pay the dairyman to use some form 
of phosphorus with the manure, no matter how 
much of the latter he may have. We think the 
phosphorus with the manure, will give him better 
corn. 
* 
WOULD a diploma from the correspondence school lie 
recognized by farmers wishing to employ a superintend¬ 
ent as much as a diploma from a genuine agricultural 
college? w. A. M. 
HAT is from a young man who says he has a 
high school education and wants to become a 
scientific farm manager. He seems to think he can 
take a mail course at a correspondence school and 
then go out and manage a farm. Let him forget 
about that at once. It would be hard to think of a 
more absurd proceeding than for a young man to 
approach a business farmer with a diploma from a 
correspondence school. You cannot make a farm 
manager by mail—nor can you make him in a labora¬ 
tory. It is tni(> that on many of the big farms a 
good record at an agricultural college will he con¬ 
sidered, hut plain, practical common sense and ex¬ 
perience with actual farming are the true require¬ 
ments in farm management. Let this young man 
go out and actually work as hired man on a good 
farm, and then top that experience with college 
work. 
• 
And now these ideals have wrought this new magic, 
that all the peoples of Europe are buoyed up and con¬ 
fident in the spirit of hope, because they lielieve that 
we are at the eve of a new age in the world when 
nations will understand one another, when nations will 
support one another in every just cause, when nations 
will unite every moral and ('very political strength to ■ 
see that the right shall prevail. If America were at 
tins juncture to fail the world, what would come of it? 
I iId not mean any disrespect to any other great people 
when T say that America is the hope of the world; and 
if she does not justify that hope the results are un¬ 
thinkable. Men will he thrown back upon the bitter¬ 
ness of disappointment, not only but the bitterness of 
despair. 
HAT extract from I’resident Wilson’s speech in 
Boston presents the ideal and the reason for his 
argument, in favor of a League of Nations. A very 
large majority of the American people believe that 
some sort of an international organization must be 
formed. Tf is clearly evident that unless some such 
plan is worked out there can lie no permanent peace 
in the world. If left to go back to the old plan it 
will he hut a few years lief ore the nations will he 
found “snarling at each other’s heels.” After the 
horrible slaughter of the past, four years tin* * world 
needs some sort of co-operation for peace, and this 
great nation must in some way he the moving spirit 
of it. We think that is the feeling in the hearts of 
most of our people. At the same time they are not 
yet ready to endorse any plan until they understand 
it fully. This nation has certain definite and in¬ 
herited rights as fixed as the personal rights of an 
Individual, and they will not he resigned without a 
full understanding of what is to take their place, 
rite League of Nations represents a high and beau¬ 
tiful ideal. When it is fully understood and made 
practical and workable we think the American peo¬ 
ple will endorse it. hut they are right in demanding 
a clear understanding of just what it moans. 
* 
Brevities 
Among agricultural implements sold in Australia arc 
rabbit poison carts. They feed our the poison bait like 
a seeder, re dating the size of bait and distance apart 
at which it i delivered. 
That question about the ugly rum lias called out a 
volume of experience. If there is any experience ou 
any farm matter to be had some of our people will come 
forward with it. 
We have told our readers at least a dozen times that 
we would not buy Belgian hares from people who guar¬ 
antee to buy back the surplus stock. Yet still they 
come asking about it. 
From correspondence thus far we conclude that our 
readers generally favor the proposed immigration law. 
Some of them want it modified to permit entrance of 
certain farm laborers, but there is a general feeling in 
favor of "putting up the bars." 
“We think the resolution oil school matters, page 277. 
hits tin' matter just right. God speed the day when we 
rural farmers can have some of the boasted freedom <>f 
this country restored to us in school matters,” says 
William II. Kihhe. of New York. 
This joke is credited to a member of the New York 
Legislature. A bill to compel cider makers to add 
mother of vinegar after 30 days is proposed. < >ne legis¬ 
lator said: “We do not need to put mother into hard 
cider; we should keep hard cider out of father.” 
Here is a fair question: (’an you make a list of 10 
absolutely unselfish tilings you ever did? It looks easy. 
Suppose you are 50 years old. It would mean only one 
every five years. Of course you realize that the farmer* ' 
cause i.s put ahead more by one unselfish thing than by 
50 of the other kind. 
