3274 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSiyESS FARMER'S PAPER 
A Notional Weekly Journal for Country and Hnliurhan II mum 
Established 1SS0 
PuldUhrit weekly by the Rnral ruhliwhint: Company, 88 !! Wett 80 th Street, New York 
Herbert W. COLUNOwooD, President am) Editor. 
John J. l>n,ix>N, Treasurer and (tenoral Manager. 
TVm. F Dii.i.on, Secretary. Mrs. E. T. Royi.k, Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION : ONE DOLLAR A YEAR - 
To foreign countries In the Universal Postal Union, $!>.(H, equal to 8s. cd. or 
marks, or lOSjj franca Remit in money order, express 
order, personal check or bank draft. 
Entered at New York Post Ofllce as Second Class Matter 
Advert ising rates, 75 cents per agate line—7 words. Ttcferenees 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 hy a respon¬ 
sible person. 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 iuiid subscribers sustained by trusting any deliberate swindler, irrespon- 
Bibfc advertisers or misleading advertisements in our columns, and any 
micli swindler will be publicly exposed. We arc also often called upon 
to adjust, differences or mistakes between our subscribers and honest, 
responsible houses, whether advertisers or not. Wo willingly use our good 
ofliccs to this end, hut such cases should not bo confused with dishonest 
transactions. We protect subscribers against, rogues, but we will not bo 
resiKinsible for the debts of honest bankrupts sanctioned bv the courts. 
Notice of the complaint, must be sent to us within one month or the time of 
the transaction, and to identify it, you should mention Tiik Rural. New- 
Yorker when writing the advertiser 
“The high cost of living is Our to price manipula¬ 
tion and extravagant profits of the middleman and 
the failure of the American people to practice even 
ordinarg economy in public or private life." 
T HAT remark was made by .T. R. Howard, presi¬ 
dent of the Iowa Farm Bureau Association. 
He was talking before a committee at Washington. 
If anyone lias come closer to hitting the hull’s eye on 
this target we have not noticed tlie shot. Mr. 
Howard made it clear that the farmer is not respon¬ 
sible for the present condition. Under the present 
system of distribution he cannot get close enough 
to the consumer to become responsible. Except in 
a comparatively few favored cases there are half a 
dozen or more handlers between him and the con¬ 
sumer. It is as true as gospel that millions of 
Americans are living and buying food in the most 
extravagant way because it is the fashion to do so. 
Their parents and grandparents lived simply and 
independently, and saved money by doing themselves 
what, the present generation hires numberless mid¬ 
dlemen to do for them. There is a craze in the heart 
of most of us to ape the manners and the living of 
the friend a little higher up in the social scale. 
This leads to useless expenses which carry (he 
family out into deep water. As someone must be 
Mamed for this “high cost of living,” it. is easy to 
turn upon the farmer! The average city man lias 
permitted himself to he worked into a position 
where he hires half a dozen middlemen to do for 
him what he ought to do himself and, as usual, the 
farmer finally pays for it all. 
* 
Pittsburgh, Aug. 0.— Thirty-two farmers wore ar¬ 
rested here today ou warrants charging them with mis¬ 
demeanor by Murray Livingston, city ordinance officer, 
in an effort, to check profiteering among farmers w T ho 
sell foodstuffs in this city at abnormal prices, and who 
do not mark their measures properly as required by law. 
Those arrested were arraigned in police court and fined 
$1 each for every basket and container which was not 
marked properly. One farmer of the 32 arrested xvas 
discharged. 
IIIS item is going the rounds, and many a city man 
grins and says, “Now those robber farmers will 
get what is due them.” It is an old trick to play 
the farmers in this way. Save a spoonful by throw¬ 
ing out the retail package and make a loud howl 
about it. Then let the big men rob the public by 
the ton and keep quiet about it. We know all about 
this package business—having sold many goods at 
retail. The customers are not deceived, for they 
buy by tlie package and know just what they are 
doing. Whenever the fanner’s retail trade becomes 
large enough to do the consumers any good, the 
dealers always come in with health laws or “weights 
and measures” and shut him off if possible. That 
is an effective way to kill direct trade between the 
farm and the family. 
* 
T HE Ohio Experiment Station figures a value of 
$30 to $37 in a rotation of corn, oats, wheat and 
grass through the use of limestone. It states that 
there are at least 5,000,000 acres of land in Ohio 
that need lime. We have no doubt of it. and this 
need is even greater in New England and New York. 
The older the soil In cultivation the greater the 
lime need. Most of the crops we grow not: only take 
lime from the soil but help to increase the acid con¬ 
ditions. In many cases this lime need is so great 
that years of careful tillage are required to make 
the soil do its best. We think there are thousands 
of acres In the East now kept going through the 
heavy use of fertilizers which could he brought into 
good natural fertility by the use of lime and clover. 
The soil now responds to heavy fertilizing somewhat 
as a man responds to stimulants. Lime and organic 
matter would put new life into the soil, so that it 
would give at least 50 per cent better returns for 
the fertilizer. 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
Can you toll me of any place where I could buy the 
sprouted wheat that is spoken of in the papers quite 
frequently v I am paying $4 per 100 lbs., and this is 
poor wheat mixed with barley and considerable other 
substance not suitable to produce eggs. Could T pur¬ 
chase at reasonable figure 1 would be glad to do so. 
Connecticut. airs. w. e. ji. 
VDEIt the present grading rules we think such 
wheat would better he sold direct by farmers. 
Evidently a good many farmers have some of this 
sprouted wheat. It will not sell well for flour 
making and the usual markets will not take it. 
There are, however, thousands of poultrymen ready 
to buy if they know where to get it. The most prac¬ 
tical thing for growers will lx* * to advertise their 
sprouted wheat for direct sale. We think they can 
easily dispose of it. The County Farm Bureau might 
well collect this wheat and sell to poultrymen. 
* 
A COOT) many of the Eastern farmers will, this 
Fall, adopt the plan of seeding wheat after silage 
corn. In parts of the Middle West this plan has 
been followed for years. The corn is cut and shocked 
or taken out for the silo. Then the soil is disked 
and harrowed and the wheat drilled in. Where the 
shocks remain a strip is left for later drilling, or 
tlie drill is worked around the shocks. This plan 
saves lots of plowing and gets tlie wheat in at about 
the right season. Ground for silage corn is usually 
well manured and cultivated, and is in good con¬ 
dition for wheat. By using phosphate in the drill 
the wheat can be started off right and will do well. 
It is a good plan for many dairy farms. It saves 
labor and puts the wheat where it is sure to have a 
good chance. No one is now urging the farmer to 
overwork himself trying to seed wheat. We think 
there will he a lighter seeding than last year. At 
the same time there is sure to be a fair demand, and 
we think it will pay to seed the usual acreage in 
wheat. 
* 
I T would hardly Vie possible to put tlie history of 
the Government’s work in fixing the price of wheat 
any clearer than Mr. Brigham does on the next 
page. lie served on the committee which unani¬ 
mously agreed that the farmer should have $2.40 
per bushel in order to receive a fair -profit Thus 
every bushel of first-class wheat sold since that time 
has been at least 20 cents a bushel under this fair 
profit price. We believe that if wheat had been left 
free to find its own price in tlie markets our farmers 
would be at least one billion dollars better off. 
“Price fixing” has taken at least that amount of 
money away from the wheat growers, while no 
other industry has been treated in any such way. 
And then in the face of this great loss the public 
is being taught to believe that “price fixing” gave 
the fanner such an advantage that he lias become 
a “profiteer.” Such treatment would start a invo¬ 
lution in any other industry, after the way the 
farmers responded in the appeal to their patriotism. 
Read Mr. Brigham’s article carefully. 
ft 
T HIS season is witnessing a new and good arrange¬ 
ment for farmers’ meetings in New York. In many 
places the Grange. Dairymen’s League and Farm 
Bureau all combine to organize and bold a big pub¬ 
lic meeting. This arrangement guarantees a big at¬ 
tendance and great interest. Most of such meetings 
have been very good thus far. It is a wise plan to 
combine tire power of these organizations in this 
way. Wliat is known as “team work” is an essential 
thing in modern business. There is no reason why 
these various farm organizations should net get to¬ 
gether and concentrate their power. Each can do 
some part of the work better than the other can, 
and it is far better for them to specialize in details 
and combine for great results. 
* 
I T now looks like the eml of “daylight saving.” 
After President Wilson vetoed tin* first repeal Dill 
Uongress passed another law definitely ending the 
daylight saving plan after October. The President 
again vetoed it on the ground that the plan had 
increased production—while admitting that it had 
been a disadvantage to farmers. This aroused fur¬ 
ther resentment among farmers, as it seemed to 
imply that food production was of secondary im¬ 
portance. It was not thought that Congress could 
muster the two-thirds note needed to pass the repeal 
over the President’s veto. Yet on August Iff the 
House voted 223 to 101 in favor of repeal. Two 
days later the Senate also overcame the veto, 
and that will put an end to the most remarkable 
contest seen in Congress for many years. This plan 
to “save daylight” was originally proposed as a war 
measure. It was not considered on any economic 
grounds, but rushed through Congress on the chance 
that it might help in war work. In actual operation 
it soon developed that while popular with many city 
August 30, 1910 
workmen, the plan was bitterly opposed by farmers. 
The great labor unions refused to endorse it, but the 
light against it was made chiefly by country people. 
The situation finally developed about as follows: 
About two-thirds of the members of Congress were 
opposed to the bill. About 85 per cent of the country 
people and a fair minority of town workers were 
actively opposed. A strong element among town 
workers fought for the bill, and another element 
showed Indifference. President Wilson evidently 
sided with the friends of tlie bill, but be was opposed 
by Congress and, we think, a majority of the people 
as well. Thus daylight saving fades out of legisla¬ 
tion.' Tills result clearly shows what country people 
can do whenever they can agree upon some definite 
course of action and get solidly together back of it. 
$ 
T WENTY-FIVE years ago, when horses provided 
the motive power on the farm, the boys did not 
have so much to say about the farm team. The farmer 
considered himself the best judge of a horse, and he 
kept his hands on the reins. The boys worked the 
best team, if at all. under direction. With the 
coming of the farm tractor this is being changed. 
The boys are usually better mechanics than father 
is. They have had a better clmnee to study ma¬ 
chinery, and when if comes to driving the tractor 
father usually gives the boys first place. A young 
man likes to feel that he is directing and controlling 
power, and the cur and (lie tractor are giving him 
his chance. 
* 
E VERYONE who has a sincere interest in dairy 
cattle will be shocked by tlie announcement of 
the clever frauds perpetrated by Charles Cole 
in connection with the seven-day records made by 
him on some of the Holstein cows that he handled. 
There may be some breeders—particularly those who 
have founded or developed herds with animals whose 
claim for excellence is based on these unfortunate 
records—who will feel that the bottom lias dropped 
out of their business. These men will be mistaken. 
By far the largest majority of the Holstein breeders 
are thoroughly honest men. The strength of the breed 
really lies with these honest breeders and with the 
multitude of creditable records whose accuracy can " 
never he questioned. We believe that this unfortu¬ 
nate incident is in no sense a disgrace, because it 
has been met manfully, and because all false records 
will be repudiated. On the other hand, we believe 
that the situation will do much to bring the small 
breeder hack into his own. Prices were getting 
abnormal in the Holstein breed. They bore no rela¬ 
tion to the economic value of the cow, but were 
practically on a sporting basis. With the fall of the 
records on which they were founded, attention can 
once more bo turned to the value of the breed as an 
economical producer of dairy products, and here 
the breeder who milks his own cows, supports his 
family and pays for Ids farm from the receipts from 
their products, has an equal opportunity with the 
speculator and the fancier. 
Brevities 
The profiteer docs not shed any team over his profits. 
The “high cost of living”—does it not cost more to 
feed the eye than to feed the stomach? 
We would not use lien manure in strawberries now 
without mixing some form of phosphorus with it. 
Say, what a world we all could have, if everybody 
would stop hunting for the bad in folks and try to find 
the good. 
The worm working so freely on Lima beans is, by 
nature, a clover insect, which has temporarily left its 
natural food. It must be poisoned. 
At some of tin* public parks now specimens of poison 
ivy are shown—carefully covered with fine wire screens. 
The object is to have city people recognize the plant 
and then keep away from it. 
Too many farmers still use the sweepings from the 
ham floor or hay mow for a seeding down mixture. They 
would not use scrub stock to eat high-priced feed, but 
this is certainly a scrub mixture. 
There are still some farmers who seem to think grass 
seeding does not need manure or fertilizer. The idea 
seems to lx* that grass grows of itself and therefore does 
not need feeding. A mistake. Fertilize it well. 
It seems as though we had more reports about potato 
seed halls this year than in a long time. Remember 
that these souls will not come true to the parent variety. 
The Department of Agriculture at Washington# issues 
a very good pamphlet on potato seedlings. 
The remedies known sin “anti smut,” or by similar 
Dames, and recommended to cure smut in small grain, 
are simply solutions of formalin with a little of some 
other chemical added. They are no more effective than 
the common solution of one pint of formalin to (50 
gallons of water. 
