The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
984 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUS1XESG FARMER S TAPER 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban IlomcN 
Established isso 
Foblifcbed ut-elily by tin* * Rural Publishing Comjtnny, 833 Wrst 30tb Street, Jirn York 
Herbert W. Collingwood, President and Editor. 
John J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
W«. F. Dillon. Secretary. Mrs. E. T. Rovlk, Associate Editor. 
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“A SQUARE DEAL” 
We believe that every advertisement in this paper is backed by a respon- 
Fible i>er*on. 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 willingly use our good 
offices to this end, but such cases should not lie confused" with dishonest 
transactions. We protect subscribers against rogues, but we will not lie 
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 Tin: Rural New- 
Yorker when writing the advertiser. 
T HE old alchemists limited for the precious fluid 
which would turn the base metals into gold. 
They never found it. because they did not realize 
that food is more valuable than gold, and that 
human sweat is the only fluid that can turn money 
into food. All the money loaded into the vaults of 
New York and Washington would he powerless to 
prevent famine from spreading her wings over the 
city unless that money can he transmuted into food 
—through the sweat and skill of the farmer. That 
should he the most evident thing in the universe 
to anyone capable of thinking, yet a multitude of city 
people appear to think that agriculture does not 
need capital, or even a fair chance at credit. 
* 
H ERE is a new one for limestone. Chump Clark, 
in his “Quarter Century of American Con- 
ties,’’ says that in the Civil War the soldiers from 
Kentucky on both sides were the largest men in the 
two armies. Then he says: “Limestone accounts 
for it. Thru eat it. think it, breathe it.'" 
Surely lime is the great mineral of the body. No 
man or animal can thrive without it. it is the basis 
of the world's backbone. And Alfalfa and clover are 
the great life-givers of the soil. Most of the nitro¬ 
gen in the earth came to it through the legume 
plants, and lime prepared the way for them, (treat 
is limestone—king of bacteria and backbone! 
• 
You have bad much to say about the need of reforms 
in New York. Now why do. you not give some con¬ 
structive suggestions about how to work them out V 
By the way, what business have the farmers to select 
a candidate or ticket of their own? . 1 . B.B. 
VERYONE admits the need of at least some 
reforms in New York politics. There is no 
use debating that. We think the statement made 
last week about some of the tilings farmers are 
interested in is “constructive.” Thought, at least, is 
constructive, and while we may not all agree regard¬ 
ing the “planks” in that statement, they will at least 
make us think about something besides partisan poli-^ 
tics. As for the last question, the farmers have just^ 
:>s much right to express their preference for candi-j 
dates as any other class. They have a greater right, 
since there are more of them thau of any other 
single class. The hankers, the railroad men, the 
labor unions, the rum sellers—all try to nominate 
men who will give them s' me special privilege, or at 
least be “liberal” toward them. Every State ticket 
usually has an Irishman, a German, a Hebrew or 
perhaps an Italian on it to attract men of foreign 
blood. These are common practices. The farmer 
sees that the State ticket is made up in this way to 
gain the favor of all classes except his own, and he 
sees the political and business favors handed out 
in return for the election of these men. The farmer 
is “getting wise,” and he begins to see that under 
our present political system the only tiling he can 
do is to put u)i a set of candidates who will feel 
under obligations to him. And he does not like the 
present political system of New York: but he knows 
he mii't use it in order to get his hands upon a 
weapon with which to break it. Suppose 50.000 
farmers publicly express their choice for a candidate 
for Governor. Then suppose the Grange, Farm Bu¬ 
reaus, Dairymen's League and other farm societies 
get together and agree upon the name of some strong 
and popular man. No matter who he is. they select 
him, enter his name in the primary and he makes 
V-. canvass of the Stave. Suppose he polls 100.000 
votes or more on a platform stating clearly what 
farmers need and desire. Would not this he an en¬ 
tirely legitimate business? Would it not he a good 
thing for agriculture? Would it not have a good 
effect upon the public life of this State? These are 
the things which will he answered this year. 
S OME of our readers will he surprised at the 
statement about lime and Alfalfa made by Mr. 
Thew, on page 971. We have various analyses show¬ 
ing that a ton of Alfalfa hay contains from 40 to 50 
lbs. of lime. Ground limestone is a little more than 
half lime by weight, so we may easily see how much 
lime will he taken out by five tons of Alfalfa, (if 
course, all soils contain more or less lime, and not 
all the lime in the hay comes direct from the applied 
limestone. A good share of it is needed to “sweeten” 
an acid soil. It will he clear, however, that with its 
great need of lime, Alfalfa cannot hope to succeed 
unless large quantities of it are used. We know 
that Alsike and Crimson clover will often make a fair 
growth on soil too sour for either Red clover or 
Alfalfa. Analysis shows that these varieties con¬ 
tain but little more than half as much lime as Al¬ 
falfa. Mr. Thew makes it appear quite easy to 
start Alfalfa in the Hudson Valley. We have not 
found i y >o on our own farm, but perhaps we did not 
give it a fair chance. 
* 
T HERE is quite a little trouble over loans from 
the Federal Land Banks. The money for mak¬ 
ing these loans is mostly obtained from the sale of 
Federal land bonds. The original law made these 
bonds exempt from taxation, so as to promote their 
sale. With Ibis exception and a relatively high rate 
of interest they should have been a very popular 
security, but the hanks and money-lending interests 
have steadily worked to discredit them. Finally 
these interests brought suit to declare the farm loan 
act unconstitutional. This was on the ground that 
the tax-free provision for the bonds was unfair and 
unlawful. The Supreme Court heard the argument, 
but instead of deciding I he case at once it has now 
called for a reargument. Thus the ease cannot be 
decided for six months or more. In the meantime 
the bonds cannot he sold, and thus there are no 
funds from this source with which to loan money 
to farmers. A comparatively small amount comes 
from interest and mortgage payments, and this is 
reinvested, hut the chief source of income for these 
hanks must come from the sale of bonds. Vast sums 
of money have been applied for as farm loans by 
farmers in the South and West. The general finan¬ 
cial condition now is such that farmers find it very 
difficult to borrow money on real estate except on 
the best of security, and even with that the money 
market is tight. The banking and loaning interests 
are opposed to the Land Banks because a large 
proportion of the loans thus far made have been 
used for paying other mortgages. Many farmers 
have been paying interest at 10 per cent or even 
more. By borrowing from the Land Bank they have 
been able to wipe out the old mortgage and assume 
a Land Bank mortgage at o to 7 per cent. This 
naturally interferes with the old system of lending 
at cut-throat rates. There is a bill now before Con¬ 
gress to authorize the Secretary of the I'nited States 
Treasury to buy $100,000,000 of these farm loan 
bonds while the Supreme Court is deciding the case. 
The Federal farm loan law lias never been quite 
satisfactory because of too much red tape, delay and 
expense. It is practically impossible under it for a 
tenant or hired man to buy a farm unless he can get 
the owner to accept a second mortgage. Only a 
small proportion of the money thus far loaned has 
been directly used for increasing farm production. 
Most of it has been used for paying off other mort¬ 
gages. While this helps to make a more contented 
farmer, it is not the same as capital used to buy 
needed equipment or stock. It. is safe to say that 
every other industry can command easier credit than 
farming. Yet in no other industry is credit so essen¬ 
tial to the nation. 
* 
In looking over the “Thoughts of a Plain Farm 
Woman” T have considered a few questions I wish yon 
would answer. Spring is here at last, with the fruit 
trees loaded with blossoms, and every day yon see town 
and city folks coming in autos and breaking large 
branches of fruit blossoms for home decorations. They 
don’t stop to think every blossom torn from those trees 
mean less fruit. They also wonder why fruit is scarce 
and high. Is there any advice you can give to us 
farmers how to stop this nonsense? MRS. a. b. 
1IIK mean and petty form of robbery becomes a 
serious menace in many localities. Most town 
people who do it fail to realize the damage they are 
up to. A single branch taken from a tree will not 
hurt much, hut when a dozen families begin their 
onslaught upon the orchard it becomes a serious 
matter. Probably these city folks would he satisfied 
with the bloom of wild cherry and seedling apples if 
they could he told the difference. There is nothing 
you can do except to treat such people as you would 
other trespassers, and few of 11 s care tp use women 
and children in that way. We should put up proper 
signs, and if there are wild cherry or seedling peach 
or apple trees near the road put signs on them telling 
visitors they can have this bloom—but to let the rest 
May 22, 1020 
alone. Most of these flower pirates would respect 
that. 
* 
T I1E Danish farmers are practically dependent 
upon shipping for the sale of their products. 
They sell great quantities of butter, cheese and milk, 
which are sent largely to Great Britain and America. 
.V great strike of sailors and ship-workers threatens 
ruin to their business, but they are not willing to 
stand still and he ruined. Wo are unable to print 
the new slogan “TFc have r/ot to do it ourselves'' in 
Danish, but these farmers have adopted it. They will 
send their own workers to handle the trade on the 
docks and man the needed ships for exporting their 
goods! Denmark is naturally a country of sailors, 
and farm workers will be at home on the sea. Dur¬ 
ing a great strike of truck drivers in New York 
thousands of dollars’ worth of farm produce was 
left to rot because it could not lie handled. One 
thing that helped break the strike was the statement 
that an army of nearby farmers would come with 
their own trucks (and shotguns if need be) and de¬ 
liver their own goods from the railroad. The shot¬ 
guns would not he needed, but it would he quite pos¬ 
sible to organize the army of farm trucks. 
>> 
W ILMER ATKINSON, editor of (lie Farm Jour¬ 
nal, died at his home in Philadelphia on May 
10 at the age of 79 years. Mr. Atkinson had been 
’for years a prominent figure in journalism. He 
started in 1806 with the first daily paper in Dela- 
ware. Some 40 years ago lie started the Farm Jour¬ 
nal. and built up a great business through square 
dealing and a strong personality, which he succeeded 
in stamping upon his paper. Mr. Atkinson was of 
true American stock, his ancestors coming to this 
country with William Penn. He was a man of strong 
personality, great strength of character and sound 
personal friendship. He was a useful American and 
a high credit to the profession. 
* 
I T is evident that farmers and their wives are 
determined to have much to say about any coming 
change in the school laws—as they will affect rural 
schools. Various movements are on foot to prepare 
a new amendment or a new law to replace the law 
which was repealed two years ago. Farmers gener¬ 
ally feel that unless they bestir themselves and make 
their wishes known the entire programme will be 
dictated and dominated by the Albany department. 
They feel that the tendency of recent years has been 
to make the State Education Department more and 
more autocratic in its plans to force certain methods 
of reform upon country districts. We think that if 
the Albany authorities had gone at their work with 
a little more liberal spirit and adopted a more con¬ 
ciliatory attitude they would have obtained the 
support of many who now strongly oppose them. We 
think it is a sound, bed-rock principle that no one 
can understand better the needs of the country child 
than the sensible farmers’ wives who formerly 
taught school and who now have children of their 
own to educate. They and the people who own 
property in the country districts should have first 
right to say what rural education should mean. 
These classes of citizens must assert themselves 
through the Grange or the Farm Bureau, and de- 
hnand a fair representation on any committee or 
board which is to suggest new school laws. This 
matter ought, to come up before every public meeting 
of country people this Summer. I/Ct us find what 
we want in rural education, unite upon a fair policy, 
and then go out and work for it. 
Brevities 
A DUST bath is wliat the carpet or rug-beater gets. 
The paths of glory too often lead to the poorbouse. 
Each month the number of hides iu this country 
increases. On March 1 there were 6,544,941 cattle 
hides in sight.. Yet shoe prices are rising. M hy l 
Let us say once more that the sediment from <m 
acetylene tank is of much the same value as ground 
limestone—and no more. It will not act as stone lime 
or slaked lime. 
A reader asks if he cannot grow two crops of oats 
and Canada peas—oue right after the other! No: both 
peas and oats are cool-weather crops, and will not thii\' 
if seeded in Summer. 
The Iowa Agricultural College had over .15,000 calls 
for the seed of that annual Sweet clover! Many who 
sent neglected to enclose a stamp for postage, and thus 
failed to secure the seed. 
What do you think of it—an ordinary laborer de¬ 
mands and obtains $7 per day for running a lawn mower 
in town. A skilled farmer invests in expensive machin¬ 
ery and raises a crop of hay. Counting his expenses 
fairly he makes barely one dollar per_day! 
