912 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S FABER 
A Notional Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Home* * 
Establ ished isso _ 
Published weekly by the Kara! Publi«binR Company, 333 West 30th Street, New York 
Herbert W. Collingwood, President and Editor. 
John J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wm. F. Dillon. Se cretary. _ Mrs. E. T. Ho yle, Associate 1 !' 
SUBSCRIPTION ; ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.01. equal to Ra 6d., or 
iju marks, or 105$ francs. Remit in money order, express 
orderf personal check or bank draft. 
Entered at New York Post Office as Second Class Matter. 
Advertising rates, 90 cents per agate line—7 worda 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. 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 he 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 cases should not be confused with dishonest 
transactions. We protect subscribers against rogues, but we will not be 
resiionsible for the debts of honest bankrupts sanctioned by the courts. 
Notice of the complaint must lie 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. 
T HE daylight-saving law was finally repealed by 
the New York Legislature. It came up before 
the Assembly three times. There were two strikes, 
but the last time the farmers made a base hit and 
won out by 7S votes to 59. For a long time the 
Assembly divided on this question along industrial 
lines; that is. the city voted for daylight saving and 
the rural counties against it. Finally the farmers 
and country people convinced the Republican organi¬ 
zation that the farmers would put the responsibility 
squarely upon the leaders if the repeal failed to 
pass. That seems to have had the desired effect, and 
shows how New York farmers must proceed if they 
expect to have their public needs attended to. The 
various farm organizations got together, agreed upon 
just what they wanted, and then put it through. The 
repeal gives New York and other large cities the 
right to pass local ordinances changing time if they 
care to do so. That is their privilege. Under the 
daylight-saving law the cities attempted to force the 
country to adopt an offensive and expensive plan 
against their desire. It is not known as we write 
what Governor Smith will do. At any rate, the 
Legislature, after much prodding, has passed the 
repeal, and the way it was put over probably shows 
how we must proceed in order to get what we need. 
The fundamental thing is for farmers to get together 
and agree upon just what they want, then go right 
after it as if it belonged to them. 
* 
T HE discussion of Mr. Hoover as a Presidential 
candidate—on the next page—is based entirely 
upon his attitude and probable action in relation to 
agricultural matters. The R. N.-Y. is. frankly and 
openly, a farmers’ paper, and it is therefore our 
business to discuss public matters from the stand¬ 
point of agriculture. For this discussion we selected 
letters from two prominent men. both of whom are 
land-owners and farmers. Both were associated 
With Mr. Hoover in the Food Administration, and 
both are intelligent men of wide experience. We 
cannot, unfortunately, print more of the hundreds 
of letters which this discussion lias brought out 
Both sides are well represented, but thus far a 
majority of our correspondents are opposed to the 
nomination of Mr. Hoover. We may add that the 
great majority of those who favor him do so because 
they say he is not tied up to the politicians. Mr. 
Pincliot’s brief answer to this should lie considered. 
You will also notice on the next page that Mr. 
Hoover predicted less demand upon “industry” and 
the duty of all to support the farmer. The facts, 
two years after this speech, are that “industry” is 
still drawing labor from the farm, while the 
farmer is compelled to “go it alone.” 
* 
1 have been a silent reader of your valuable farm 
paper for a long time; now wish to ask a question to he 
answered in The R. N.-Y. to enlighten me a little on 
the subject. Is the farm home as well equipped as the 
farm? ' MRS. B. P. 
Ohio. 
A S a rule we should say no. There are excep* 
tions, where the house comforts and conveni¬ 
ences are provided before the farm is fully equipped 
with machinery, but generally the reverse of this is 
true. This is probably because the farm equipment 
is supposed to have a direct earning capacity, and 
thus to contribute directly to farm income. The ar¬ 
gument usually is that house equipment does not 
represent a direct earning capacity. Those who 
argue that way forget that the products of the home 
are more valuable than those of the farm. We feel 
sure that many boys and girls have been headed 
away from the farm because it became evident to 
them that (he house did not keep pace with the barn 
in sanitary and comfort equipment. In a few cases 
the farm equipment is cut down in order to get extra 
equipment for the house. This is a mistake, as it 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
May 8, 1920 
cuts down the farm’s earning capacity. There ought, 
to he a fair distribution of working capital, so (lint, 
mother may have house furnishings at least equal 
to those which father has in the barn or field. But 
look around in your own neighborhood, and see if 
the women are as well provided for as the men! 
* 
I have just finished handling 7,500 bn. of apples, and 
have done it with very little hired labor outside of the 
harvesting. National banks can hire bookkeepers and 
almost cashiers for less money than we farmers can get 
a man to work for us. 1 had an applicant recently who 
wanted a house, wood for fuel, milk and vegetables, and 
then thought lie could get along with $105 a month, just 
for an ordinary farm hand and teamster. 1 do not care 
to risk planting with such prices for labor. It would 
simply mean a good chance of my working for nothing, 
and 1 am too old for that. c - w - M - 
Massachusetts. 
I N comment on that and similar letters we are tohl 
that many able men worked for one dollar at 
government work during the war. It is our under¬ 
standing that most of these “dollar men” fell under 
one or more of the following classes or groups: 
1. Young men who took up this work largely to 
avoid service in the army. 
2. Men with large independent incomes consisting 
chiefly of “unearned increment.” The dollar was 
about all they ever earned. 
3. Men with large salaries from big corporations 
.—the salaries going right on to help out the dollar. 
4. Men connected with big financial or manufac¬ 
turing interests which were naturally connected with 
war contracts or loans. 
Are we rightly informed or not? 
* 
F EW of us realize how much courage is required 
for a dairjffnan to apply for Federal tuberculin 
test that will give him an accredited herd. Most 
men dread the test as they hesitate to face a search¬ 
ing examination when they fear some dreaded dis¬ 
ease had settled upon their own bodies, or upon those 
they love. Our old friend George Hubbard of 
Dutchess Co., N. Y., puts it -pretty well in the fol¬ 
lowing. Breeders who are after a place at the top 
will have to come to it finally: 
When you have known for a long time that you ought 
to have your herd of cattle tuberculin tested, and your 
wife has* warned you of how you would feel if the little 
children should get tuberculosis, and how you would 
rather kill the whole herd of black and white purebred 
beauties than to have your three little girls exposed to 
milk from infected cows, and you have'also dolt concern 
lest there might be even one spreader in the herd; then 
finally when prices of milk drop below cost and you get 
desperate and sav “they might as well go now if in¬ 
fected.” Then you decide to enter six head in a lug 
quality sale if they will only pass test, and you know a 
T. E. test of the whole herd would help if (favorable. 
Then you hurry off to Albany and arrange for a Fed¬ 
eral test of every last one of your cattle. The veterina¬ 
rian comes and injects from 4 to 8 c.c., according to 
age and size, into your prize stock. Then you wait eight 
hours, feeling better since you have done your duty, and 
at 4 a. m. the doctor gives yon encouragement for first 
temperatures all <>. K., and when, after six more tem¬ 
peratures lie shakes your hand, congratulates you on 
your courage in having such splendid animals subjected 
to tuberculin test, and announces that every animal has 
passed first Federal test for accredited herd without a 
single questionable temperature, Oh, what a grand and 
glorious feeling! 
* 
O NE great trouble resulting from the railroad 
strike is the delay in delivering fertilizer. 
Many farmers neglected to order early. They fol¬ 
lowed the usual plan of waiting until the last mo¬ 
ment, and then calling for immediate delivery. This 
year such delivery is impossible. The fertilizer can¬ 
not be obtained until after the crop has been planted 
—in some cases not until after the plants are several 
inches high! Our advice in such cases is to apply 
the fertilizer at. once upon delivery, and cultivate it 
into the soil. With such crops as potatoes or garden 
truck it pays to mix the fertilizer in the soil at time 
of planting, lmt if this cannot he done it can be used 
later and bring results. The advantage of using a 
high-grade fertilizer for this late application is evi¬ 
dent, for the high-grade goods are more available, 
and the plant food in them can he utilized at once. 
* 
A BILL has been introduced in Congress to pay 
back to wheat growers the money they lost fin 
consequence of the “price fixing.” It is estimated 
that the action of the President and the Food Ad¬ 
ministration caused a loss of 90 cents n bushel on 
wheat. That is, if the price had been left to supply 
and demand the farmers who were forced to sell at 
the artificial price would have received <•<* cents more 
than they did. Under the bill this money is to he 
taken from the billion dollars which was put at the 
disposal of the Grain Corporation for handling the 
wheat supply. Provision is made to pay this money 
only to actual growers and not; to speculators and 
dealers. There is justice in this proposition. In any 
industry besides farming such loss would he prompt¬ 
ly made up, or a profit would have been assured trorn 
the start. Farming seems to he the only large de¬ 
partment of industry in which moil were compelled 
by law to work nt a loss. 
* 
C6 out in front and blow your horn!" says. 
the Hope Farm man on page 910. It is good 
advice. “But,” someone will say, “look at me and 
consider the troubles I have. No one could have a 
worse time, or harder conditions.” We want all such 
to read the following note from a New York farmer, 
and, if possible, get the message in it: 
I have recently returned from the hospital after an 
operation on m.v leg, which was injured over a year 
ago. An X-ray examination showed a partial disloca¬ 
tion of the ankie, and the hone which was broken lapped 
at the ends more than half an inch. The thing is now 
properly assembled and fastened with wire, but of course 
it will take considerable time before 1 can walk readily 
on rough ground. We have no help except irregularly 
by the day, hut we are hoping that we can get along 
without having any land absolutely idle, and that next 
year I shall be in shape to do a man’s work again, l. 
* 
Y OU may consider it late for articles on grafting, 
but there will still be plenty of it. to do. At any 
rate, articles now. while damage from mice and rab¬ 
bits is right, in sight, will surely he studied and kept, 
on file. Next week there will be another belated 
article on bridge-grafting. This could not be hur¬ 
ried, as it describes work done this year. 
* 
E ACH year we have many questions about the 
danger of pasturing stock in sprayed orchards. 
Will the usual poison spray for killing leaf-eating 
insects collect on the grass so as to kill cattle, hogs 
or poultry? Whore the spraying is reasonably done 
there is little or no danger. As a precaution we ad¬ 
vise keeping the stock out for two or three days 
after spraying. The reports of injury from the 
poison which come to us can generally he traced to 
carelessness. In some cases too much spray is put 
onto certain trees. The liquid runs down in a 
stream and collects in little pools. In other cases 
the spray is not shut off in passing from tree to tree, 
and the nozzle is pointed on the ground. Or a hose 
will hurst and a gallon or more run out in a puddle. 
In some cases the sediment in the tank is blown off 
in the orchard. The puddles or patches do the mis¬ 
chief. Some animals seem to hunt for any abnormal 
condition of this sort and will lick up the poison. 
That is where the damage usually comes in. The 
ordinary drip on the grass will rarely cause any 
trouble; still, to he on the safe side, we advise keep¬ 
ing the stock out for two or throe days after spray¬ 
ing is finished. 
* 
N EW YORK readers should consider the report of 
bee tree case recently printed on page 785. It 
lias become a custom in many country neighborhoods 
to enter any farm premises after coons or bee trees 
without permission of the owner. We pointed out 
some weeks ago that this act is really a trespass, 
and that the owner of the land has the right to pro¬ 
tect his property. The ease reported on page 785 
sustains this view. Now what we want is a clear 
legal understanding that game belongs to the owner 
of the farm where it is fed. That is the way to in¬ 
crease game and do justice to farmers. 
* 
I T is reported from many Western towns that 
women are saving money as never before. They 
are opening hank accounts and depositing more 
money than formerly. One reason for this seems to 
lie that working men are handing over their wages 
to their wives—the latter doing the hanking and 
investing. From practically every direction come 
reports that since Prohibition started savings have 
greatly increased, and demand for food lias de\ el¬ 
oped. There are those who deny that this is tine to 
Prohibition, lmt they all admit that family money 
is more plentiful than formerly, and that working 
people are saving more. 
Brevities 
0 ; boneliead cannot well he substituted for back- 
e need to work the hands and the head rather than 
:ougue. 
here will he a large acreage of sunflowers for silage 
Eerkimer Co., N. Y. . , 
ne our our readers says that a good cow in his locai- 
vill hardly bring the price of a ton of gluten. 
DU can break “diplomatic relations” with ‘ l jS^innc 
,vo words, but it may require 2,000 words to lesume 
and eat yom 
“milk” 
Among 
iieneveu you 
i,” walk a mih 
'ering it. 
ERE AFTER it will lie 
svernment reports. 
I, German. 
kW is. or should lie, tin* 
ght. A law cannot, he fully 
ment stands hack of it. 
ith both ground to equal fi 
ilTerence in power between ( 
limoKtone or oyster shells. 
get a letter which makes you feel 
ir favorite dinner before 
cow instead of “milch„ 
other reasons, unleu 
expression of popuhn 
enforced iwiless public 
noness. there seems ht- 
>qual quantities of huie 
