1162 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER’S FABER 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homo** 
Established tsso 
Published weekly by the Rural Publishing- Company. 333 West 30th Street, New fork 
Herbert W. Collingwood, President ami Editor. 
John J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
W«. F. Dillon, Secretary. Mrs. E. T. Royle, Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION : ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union. $2.01. equal to 8s. 6d., or 
8>4 marks, or 101* francs. Remit in money order, express 
order, personal check or bank draft. 
Entered at New York Post Office as Second Class Matter. 
Advertising rates, 90 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 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, irrespoJl- 
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 be confused with dishonest 
transactions. We protect subscribers against rogues, but we will not he 
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 The Rural New- 
Yorker when writing the advertiser. 
At every gathering of fanners this Summer, in¬ 
doors or out. there should he a referendum vote on 
the proper candidate for Governor, li e ran supply 
the ballots for such a vote. Will you attend to it in 
your Grange or picnic? 
O NE of our readers lias had an experience in edu¬ 
cating children that will interest you. This 
man was a successful farmer. When the children 
grew past the local schools it became a problem to 
know what to do with them. This man sold his farm 
and took the entire family to a college town. There 
the children entered preparatory school and college, 
while the parents kept, a boarding-house and the 
father worked on the college farm. That went on 
for nine years. Now the children having finished, 
they have bought a larger farm and will go back and 
develop it. These children have had home influences 
right through their college course. Father and 
mother have kept right up with the boys and girls—* 
education lias been made a family affair. As a 
human adventure in education this develops the 
thought of the Hope Farm man in the story of the 
gander and liis big family. What have you in the 
world that is worth more than your boys and girls? 
* 
M R. H. P. DEMAREST of Orange Co., N. Y., has 
been experimenting with “electrifiers” in gar¬ 
den and orchard. These devices are metal posts or 
wires well grounded in the soil, and with the top 
spread out into thin wires or fingers. In theory 
these “electrifiers” are supposed to collect small elec¬ 
tric currents from the air and deposit them in the 
soil, where they stimulate plant growth by some ac¬ 
tion upon the plant food in the soil, or some direct 
action upon the plant. Mr. Demarest has them in 
an apple orchard, and he says: 
I think a blind man would sense the difference be¬ 
tween those rows with the electrifiers in them and the 
others today. Getting more pronounced all the time. 
Electricity lias worked such wonders in other 
lines that there seems no good reason why it should 
not be used to stimulate growth in plants and trees. 
That will be no more remarkable than the work of 
bacteria or some of the other wonderful things which 
science has made known to us. 
W OMEN delegates took a lively part in the Re¬ 
publican National Convention. One of the 
best speeches at Chicago was made by Mrs. Douglas 
Robinson, sister of Theodore Roosevelt. It was an 
example of genuine eloquence. A woman delegate 
from Massachusetts made a strong address for Gov¬ 
ernor Coolidge. The women delegates assumed their 
duties naturally and easily, and the Democratic con¬ 
vention will witness another display of their earnest¬ 
ness and ability. One New York woman gives us the 
following story of her experience with suffrage: 
“A few years ago I went to our State Senator to 
protest against a clear injustice. I told him: ‘I am 
a citizen and a taxpayer.’ He was very polite and 
told me 1 should feel honored to think I am an Amer¬ 
ican and he congratulated me on the fact that I had 
enough property to be taxed. Then—he was very 
busy that (lay. 
“Last year I went again, and this time I said : 
“*I am a citizen, a taxpayer and a voter!* 
“He got right up out of his chair as though a bal¬ 
lot was like a sharp pin, and said : 
“ l My dear madam , what can I do for you?' ” 
* 
F 3W of us realize how the world is changing, and 
how farmers are upsetting old plans and rear¬ 
ranging their farms. Not long ago a farmer told us 
how he is blowing out an old apple orchard. The 
trees are 25 years old, strong and thrifty, and of ex¬ 
cellent varieties. Yet. this man says the orchard is 
Vht RURAL NEW-YORKER 
in ideal potato soil. He does not like apple culture, 
but. he knows how to raise potatoes. He figures that 
with the present outlook for labor there will be sev¬ 
eral years of high-priced potatoes, so out come these 
beautiful trees. And now comes another man who 
says lie has grown tired of raising potatoes. So this 
year he has planted apple trees all over his potato 
fields. They will all be turned into orchards. This 
man says the labor question puts potatoes off the 
map for him, and the orchard will prove a life insur¬ 
ance for his old age. So while one man pulls out 
the trees the other puts them in. Who is right? 
They are both right. Farming in the future can have 
no cut and dried program, but every man will have 
to study his own problem and do what is best in his 
own case. One man rips out trees, while the other 
plants, and both act only after long study of the indi¬ 
vidual problem. That is what we have all got to do 
in the future, for the old plans are surely passing 
away. 
* 
A NUMBER of young women have applied to us 
for work on a farm this Summer. Most of 
them say they have had little or no experience, but 
are “willing to learn." Y>t they seem to want full 
pay while they are learning. We often wonder why 
these young women are not willing to do housework. 
On the busy farm in harvester cultivating time the 
women are usually overworked and» need help as 
much as the men. With good help in her kitchen 
the farmer’s wife could do far more to help along the 
farm business. Some of these would-be workers 
could help far more in production working inside the 
house than they ever can while working out in the 
field. We find it impossible to get many of them to 
agree with this—but who is to help the farmer’s 
wife? In our own case we could hardly use more 
regular labor, even if we could get it, for the women 
now have more than they ought to do. 
* — 
S OME weeks ago we described the work which 
Michigan farmers are doing in public matters. 
Not being satisfied with what they were getting from 
the Legislature and State officers, these farmers 
started in to obtain control. They selected a suit¬ 
able candidate for Governor in Milo D. Campbell. 
The Republican party controls Michigan, and so 
Mr. Campbell’s name lias been entered in the State 
primary of that party. The candidate of that party 
is quite sure to be elected. There are several candi¬ 
dates, but Mr. Campbell seems likely to have the 
solid support of the farmers and stands an excellent, 
chance for the nomination. Onr canvass shows a 
solid backing for him among farmers. That is evi¬ 
dently the way country people must proceed in order 
to have any chance against the politicians. We hope 
there will be farm-backed candidates for both parties 
in the New York primary. What the farmers must, 
realize is that the primary is their weapon, and if 
they will only use it fairly they can control the situ¬ 
ation. 
* 
T HE Jersey B nil< tin gives some figures to show 
the profits made by two oleomargarine com¬ 
panies. They have paid $079,686.24 in excess profits 
and income tax. Then they paid to stockholders 
$466,000 in five years, and $593,000 in seven years on 
a capital stock of $50,000. In addition to this the two 
companies “passed to surplus account” $572.76S.6S. 
The current assets of these two concerns on Febru¬ 
ary 28, 1920, were $1,149,286.16, against a total orig¬ 
inal investment of $50,000 in 1900. The Bulletin 
gives these figures, and then says it is charged that 
some dairymen sell their milk or butter and buy 
“oleo.” 
Wo rather imagine that Jorseymen would bo the 
first to deny the use of this substitute, yet the editor 
of this paper recently attended an auction sale of reg¬ 
istered Jersey cattle, and while seated at the table at 
lunch at noon saw the coloring being mixed in the 
white oleomargarine. This was then taken to the table 
and served to the breeders of Jerseys who were seated 
at the table. Wle leave it to our readers to imagine 
our feelings and our thoughts. 
But why leave it to imagination? Is not that one 
of the reasons why this treacherous practice con¬ 
tinues? Why <li(l not the Bulletin man get right up 
and expose the fraud publicly? It will never be 
cleaned out until tlie guilty parties are named openly. 
The Jersey cow is the natural enemy of oleo. It 
does her more damage than any disease with which 
she is afflicted. The Jersey breeder who offers to 
sell honest cows for butter making and then smears 
“oleo” on the bread offered his guests is a traitor 
to the breed and should be shown up for just what 
he is. 
» 
I would suggest to The R. N.-Y. that the farmers get 
together and appoint a committee to investigate favor¬ 
able candidates for Governor. It would not be diffi- 
ficuit to get their records of the past, and to learn what 
their attitudes have been toward these vital questions, 
July 3, 1020 
There is no need to take any man’s word or promise in 
this matter. „ a. d. b. 
Chenango Co., N. Y. 
F we could have our way in this matter, the fol¬ 
lowing plan would be worked out. We have 
now printed statements from all the suggested can¬ 
didates who care to go on record. Now we would like 
to have at least 150,000 country voters express their 
preference for u man for Governor. Let them use 
the ballot to be printed next week, and be absolutely 
free in expressing their choice. Let men and women 
take active interest in this referendum and go out 
to the neighbors, or to meetings, and obtain as large 
a vote as possible. No harm can be done to any 
worthy man or cause by such action, while no one 
can compute the possibilities for power and pure 
politics which would follow a record of 150,000 or 
more votes cast in this way. Then let there be 
called at some central place a great gathering of 
practical farmers. Let that meeting be absolutely 
free and unbossed. Let the various farm organiza¬ 
tion officers, the college men and the State depart¬ 
ment officials keep out. until they are called in. Let 
this gathering of earnest men and women organize 
in its own way. select its own leaders, and make up 
a simple, direct platform covering what is needed. 
Let it agree upon one of the candidates in eacli great 
party who will stand on this platform, and “stand 
without hitching.” Then let. all of us donate our 
time and such money as we can spare to the task of 
selecting one or both of these men as candidates in 
ihe party primary. We would have a candidate for 
each ticket, because we want to make as large a pop¬ 
ular showing as possible, and under our New York 
primary law members of each party must vote their 
own party ticket, while in the regular election there 
would be no restriction. Briefly stated, this is the 
plan. If anyone can suggest a better one, we want 
it. It is quite possible to work it out if we can all 
get together, drop our personal differences and am¬ 
bitions and conduct a frank and open campaign. 
Arc you with us? The first step is to roll up a great 
preferential vote for a candidate for Governor. 
* 
The cost of producing wheat of the 1919 crop wa 9 
as low as one dollar a bushel on just two farms out 
of 481 included in a cost of production study just com¬ 
pleted by the United States Department of Agriculture. 
On 20 farms it was $5 or over. The bulk of the farms 
1 roduced wheat, at a cost somewhat less than midway 
between these two extremes. The average cost per 
bushel for all farms was $2.15. At such a price half 
the farmers in question would have lost money on their 
\/heat. 
OW what Bolshevik or “sour-minded radical,” 
what “pessimist plunged into .the eternal gloom 
of a grouch,” makes such a statement as that? We 
are glad to answer the question. It is the Secretary 
of Agriculture of these United States. This is part 
of a report just issued by the department. A care¬ 
ful study was made of the costs of production on 4M 
different farms. These farms were typical of gen¬ 
eral conditions, and no one will be likely to dispute 
the figures. The cost of production ran all the way 
from $1 to $5 per bushel. On 159 farms the cost ran 
from $2.20 to $3, and on 90 farms the cost varied 
from $3 to $5 per bushel. Deducting charges and 
freight, the farmers averaged about $1.85 for t!:e 
wheat. The “necessary price” means the price need¬ 
ed to give the grower a fair chance to make a profit. 
Even at a selling price of $2.60, 20 per cent of the 
growers would have lost money. There is no dis¬ 
puting these official figures. The truth is that during 
the war our farmers fed the world and were paid 
far less than hired man’s wages for doing it. At the 
same time every manufacturer of other war neces¬ 
sities was able to pay himself good wages and make 
a profit. 
Brevities 
It is the middleman who makes it hard to make ends 
meet. 
He who shuts himself up with himself goes into 
prison. 
Life is not entirely a matter of what we shall eat for 
dinner. 
Better be the guardian of a garden than the slave • ! 
a farm that is too large. 
Which arc more necessary in your home—new Dow¬ 
ers or new calic recipes? 
They who arc strong have greatest need of wisdom, 
for without it they use their strength like weakness. 
In the South at all railroad -tations we found an 
improvement on the usual “Safety First” notice. It 
vas “Safety Always.” 
Our advice is to attend the big picnics and other 
formers’ gatherings whenever possible. Help make up 
the crowd for agriculture. 
All things in thit> world are possible except one. 
That is ever gaining political help or freedom from 
“leaders” who are led by selfish interests. 
Ever eat any broiled tomatoes—sliced and buttered 
and broiled over a hot fire? When you do, you will 
realize that there is a good substitute for beefsteak. 
