1458 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER 
A National Weekly Journal tor Country ami Suburban Home* * 
Established iXoO 
I'nlilbhed weekly by the Hural I*uHIiahln(r Contpnny, 333 Went 80lh Street, New Vorli 
Hkkhkiit W. Coli.ijjowood, President and Kditor. 
John J. 1iiux>N, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wit. F. Dii.i-on, Secretary. Mits. E. T. Kovi.k, Associate Editor, 
SUBSCRIPTION : ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries in tlio Universal Postal Union, $2.0t, equal to 8s. Cd, or 
8kj marks, or 10V, francs. Remit In money order, express 
order, personal check or hank draft. 
Entered at New York I’OBt OiTice ns Second Class Matter 
Advertising rates, 75 cents per agate line—7 words. References required for 
advertisers unknown to us , and rash must accompany transient orders. 
“A SQUARE DEAL” 
We believe that every advertisement in this paper is backed by a respon¬ 
sible person. Wo use every possible precaution and admit the advertising of 
reliable holises only. But to make doubly sure, wo will make good any loss 
to paid subscribers sustained by trusting any deli Iterate swindler, irres|>on- 
siblc advertisers or misleading advertisements in our columns, and any 
such swindler will bo 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 uso our good 
ofliecs to this end, but such eases should not bo confused witli dishonest 
transactions. We protect subscribers against rogues, but wo will not bo 
responsible for the debts of honest bankrupts sanctioned by the courts. 
Notice of the complaint must be sent to us within one month ot t he time or 
the transaction, and to identify it, you should mention Tin: lit it u, ,\'kw- 
Yohkkr when writing the ad. ,-rtiser 
D R. LIPMAN tells us on first page of some of the 
tilings being studied at Rothamsted. Many of 
us can remember when little or nothing was known 
of the work of bacteria. At the agricultural college 
where the writer studied, nearly 40 years ago, the 
word “bacteria” was never used in the classroom. 
Apparently no one know what these tiny forms of 
life were, or what they were doing. Life went on 
in ignorance of them. Today it would be hard to 
find an intelligent farmer who does not understand 
at least something of their work, and who lias not 
known the benefit in bis farming of what scientists 
have learned about bacteria. And now we find that 
these useful forms of life—like everything else—have 
their enemies, the protozoa, and we must learn how 
to tight for our friends! Well, the world is moving. 
No—not exactly that, but knowledge is increasing, 
and it is through the power of knowledge that we 
are to move the world. 
* 
I F we were asked to tell the chief reason why the 
average baek-to-tlie-lander fails to make good on 
the farm we should say too much overhead, lie gets 
out over bis bead too much, and be gets a lot of 
advice—far above bis bead, but we do not mean 
that entirely. By "overhead’* we mean the expenses 
or charges just for carrying on the business before 
any start at earning is made. The tendency is to 
buy too expensive an equipment, put up great build¬ 
ings, and then wait to have them tilled. The outfit 
is too big for the job. There is too much dead capi¬ 
tal in equipment—particularly in buildings and home 
surroundings. The back-to-the-landcr often laughs 
at what he calls “those old-time farmers” and their 
equipment, but they make a living, and more, while 
the excess of dead capital in his own equipment may 
spread death all through his plans. The successful 
farmer gets the “overhead” down under foot. Next 
in importance as a cause of failure is a lack of liquid 
capital. The beginner seems to think that farming 
ought to run itself and also provide capital. The 
fact is there is greater need of purchasing capital in 
farming than in any other business. Many back-to- 
the-Ianders tie up too much of their money in land 
and equipment, and have nothing left to work on. 
You have got to have money as well as muscle if 
you expect to work a farm right. 
* 
T HERE is one sure tiling we must all have if we 
expect to get what is due to farming. 1 bat is 
local pride. We have got to have the feeling that our 
locality or our town is just about the finest place 
on earth in which men and women can live. And it 
can be made so if we can get out and develop local 
pride in the old town. You may say that would 
be a job in your town. Perhaps, but so much the 
more pride in it if you can succeed in putting the 
thought over. True love of country is based on the 
feeling that your locality is the best spot on earth 
for a home. 
if 
It lias been a too common error hitherto to consider 
quite unimportant as to whether the individual ie- 
ived from five to 10 grams of butter in his daily 
ition, or whether this was replaced by an equivalent 
imber of calories of carbohydrates. Indeed, the ques- 
Dii at once arises as to whether it would not be ad- 
sable to divert a portion of the carbohydrates designed 
r human food to the purpose of feeding milch cows in 
•der to increase the quota of butter or milk in human 
ct, even when this roundabout method involves a loss 
calories as has been demonstrated. It is quite pos- 
1 , 1 ,. that such a small sacrifice of combustible material 
j«ht vield a very essential and important augmentation 
the nutritive value of tin; daily ration, just, as we 
und the immense superiority of the diet containing 
5 per cent of hotter. 
HIE Scientific American prints that as part of 
the report of Dr. Ilans Aron. 1 hat report gi\es 
results of feeding experiments in Germany dur¬ 
ing the war. The great food trouble In Germany 
arose from si lack of fats. However we nmy praise 
Jht RURAL NEW-YORKER 
the hard hone and lean muscle of our Yankee soldiers 
at the front, it was tlio lack of suitable fat behind the 
line which did much to wear down the German nation. 
Before the great war most people seemed to agree that 
one form of fat was about as good as another in its 
feeding value. Most of our rations for human beings 
were built up on that idea. This great human feed¬ 
ing experiment in Germany has exploded that theory, 
and proved fhe tremendous superiority of butterfat 
over all “substitutes.” The suggestion is made in 
the above quotation that it. might be more profitable 
to feed grain to a cow and let her make it over into 
milk and butter. While this would mean some loss 
in carbohydrates or starchy food, the butterfat pro¬ 
duced from this food would be of such superior 
feeding value that the loss in quantity would be 
turned into a gain in quality. Thus it has been 
demonstrated that the cow has this wonderful power 
of putting new values into food. The scientific men 
have under the old idea of food values shown the great 
loss in human food values by feeding a ton of wheat 
or corn or oats to livestock. Their figures were true 
so long as no allowance was made for the quality 
of the food in meat or milk. Now we are beginning 
to realize the true value of dairy products. The cow 
with her butterfat and the lien with her egg-yolk 
give us the needed vitamines as no other animals 
do. As we learn more and more of these tilings it 
will become more evident that dairying and poultry 
keeping are absolutely essential industries. 
* 
A Fraud, a Cow and an Injunction 
It therefore becomes ‘apparent that no action can be 
taken by you at this meeting that would ia any way 
affect the records of Oliver Cabana, .lr. The questions, 
however, that have been raised go to the very heart and 
life of the association, and if the contention is true, then 
any records made during the last four years and re¬ 
corded, or any officers or directors elected during the 
last four years, when ttie national meetings have been 
held outside the State of New York would be invalid. 
* * * * And until these problems have been de¬ 
cided by the court my own judgment is that no action 
should be taken that in the most remote contingent in¬ 
fringes even the spirit of the injunction. 
HAT is part of the address of President 1). D. 
Aitken of the Holstein Breeders’ Association of 
America. He had called a meeting of the directors 
to consider the great question arising out of the 
questionable tests made by Charles Cole. We have 
all been waiting for these directors to take some 
definite action in the matter. It is now in order to 
explain why they did not do so. Crooked work in 
this test was fairly demonstrated, not only by John 
Arfmann, but by the Vermont Experiment Station. 
The evidence was so clear that Cole went before the 
executive committee in Chicago and made a full 
confession and statement in detail, giving particulars 
about herds and cows and men figuring in his fraud¬ 
ulent work. No effort was made to force this out 
of Cole. He seemed perfectly candid, and said he 
came on his own accord. Another meeting of the 
committee was held, at which John Arfmann, Oliver 
Cabana and others who owned cows with records 
put under suspicion were present. At this meeting 
Mr. Cabana denied any knowledge of the testing, 
but admitted that he had paid a large bonus ($3,000) 
to Cole for obtaining a 50-lb. record. Another meet¬ 
ing was held in Buffalo, and at this meeting Mr. 
Cabana’s lawyer presented an affidavit signed by 
Cole. This stated that what he swore to at Chicago 
was untrue, and that all his records were honest 
and square. To show the character of Cole it is 
stated that the day before this affidavit was pre¬ 
sented at Chicago Cole appeared before a committee 
of breeders and showed them in detail just bow this 
fraudulent scheme could be worked! 
Mr. Cabana promised to furnish the committee 
with his barn records. These records were wanted 
to show how the per cent of fat varied during cer¬ 
tain tests. It would he natural to suppose that a 
man of Mr. Cabana’s standing would instantly offer 
all his records and demand the most searching and 
open investigation. He finally declined, through bis 
attorney, to furnish these records and, instead of 
joining with the directors to clean up the bad mess, 
regardless of who was hurt, he secured an injunc¬ 
tion restraining the association, its directors, officers 
or agents from in any way interfering with the 
records as they stand on the books affecting his 
animals! Until that injunction is removed the 
directors are powerless to act. They have, we un¬ 
derstand, secured good counsel and will fight the 
injunction in the courts. We give this plain recital 
of the facts without comment. That may lie reserved 
until the court acts on this injunction. The case 
luxs now broadened out into a moral issue, and one 
involving the very foundation principles upon which 
a herd association should be built. For if any of 
the records of such an association must carry any 
October 4, 1919 
suggestion of fraud or suspicion, or if the Associa¬ 
tion is powerless to act freely and independently, 
there is no reason why such an association should 
exist. 
* 
S EVERAL people have asked lately if we do not 
get discouraged at the slow progress farmers seem 
to be making in gaining their rights. It. is evident that 
capital and organized labor are lighting a desperate 
battle for supremacy, while the unorganized fanners 
stand by and let these great conflicting interests gain 
power. They see a man like Charles 11. Betts grasp 
control of a great party organization and defiantly 
assert that the fanners will nullify their own words 
and support him. They see other instances in busi¬ 
ness and politics where farmers do not seem to look 
ahead and grasp their own interests—and these 
friends ask if we are not discouraged. We quickly 
answer no! We never get discouraged in a good 
cause. We have been in the tight a great many 
years, and have seen the thing grow slowly and im¬ 
perceptibly perhaps, but none the less surely. All 
evolution is of slow growth, but it is safer and saner 
than revolution. An evolution of the farmers’ view 
of public matters is surely going on. Betts and his 
sort represent the last of the old-time habits and 
methods which have for years held farmers in a 
form of political slavery. The very fact that strong 
men are found to fight Betts and his kind openly 
and with arguments based on the rights of agricul¬ 
ture is the most hopeful thing that has ever hap¬ 
pened to us. Discouraged! Wo do not recognize 
the word. YVe go right on working with tiie utmost 
confidence that in their good time the farmers will 
get together—the strong, solid, conservative class 
they have always been—and master the situation. 
The leaven is working. The bread will rise before 
you realize it. 
if 
A T a recent poultry meeting two hens were exhib¬ 
ited. One had a pullet record of 1514 eggs, the 
other laid so. Visitors were asked to select the good 
hen from the drone on their shape und appearance. 
At least 80 per cent of experienced hen men were 
able to do this correctly, and they fill seemed to 
follow much the same method. In selecting pullets 
they also agreed quite well, and nearly all stated 
that they hud acquired this knowledge within the 
past five years. The truth seems to be that the egg- 
laying contests and the breeding experiments have 
taught us how to analyze a In n. There have always 
been men who through dose observation and “in¬ 
stinct.” act)uired tin* power to tell what a good hen 
ought to look and feel like. They did not quite 
know how it was done, but science lias studied and 
classified these various methods until a certain rule 
is being worked out. Some men will always he 
more expert at it than others, but the last few years 
have put the atnilyxis of a In n mi a solid foundation. 
The result is that fewer drones will be kept. This 
personal selection in connection with the trap nest 
will develop a strain of layers above the average. 
We know from our own experience that pullets that 
are own sisters in breeding vary greatly in laying 
power. This difference seems to be chiefly flue to 
differences of shape <>r disposition. YVe must know 
bow to judge a layer ns well ns how to breed lier. 
Organizing the analysis <>f a ben puts the poultry 
business into its A II ('— analysis, breeding, care. 
Brevities 
Cuba takes about $3,000,000 of our potatoes each 
year. 
When a man says be “means business” it will de¬ 
pend on whether he has any business in him. 
Rye seeded with buckwheat has made a good start 
with us this year. When the buckwheat is cut this rye 
will cover the ground. 
()ru advice is to patronize the home newspaper. Ad¬ 
vertise in it and write for it It will then serve you 
and not the other "master.” 
“No man can serve two masters.” Therefore find 
the true one—the one that will serve you in time of 
need—and give him all your power. 
A good housekeeper can make flour into bread which 
truly is the staff of life. A poor housekeeper can take 
the same flour and make a mess that would be the Cain 
of life! 
Reports from England stub' that last Winter good 
apples brought 00 cents a pound in London. The Food 
Controller has now limited tin* price to 18 cents. This. 
th<*y say, is too low to permit shipment of the highest 
class fruit! 
Many a mysterious fire around the barn and straw- 
stack has been started by a dust, explosion in the 
separator. There is more <>f this than you think. The 
Department of Agriculture at Washington will send 
facts about it. 
During the month of August there were 345 reports 
of violation of the conservation law in New York, with 
only one acquittal! I’he re were 43 hunting licenses 
forfeited because the hunters did not show their buttons 
or carry the license. 
