1446 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S TAPER 
K Notional Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes 
Established tsso 
Published weekly by the Rural IMiblishinjr Company, 333 West 30th Street,New Vork 
Herbert W. Colungwood, President and Editor. 
John J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wm. F. Dillon, Secretary. Mits. E. T. Uovle, Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION ; ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.04. equal to 8s. 6d., or 
8I4 marks, or 10Vj franca Remit in money onler, express 
order, personal check or bank draft. 
Entered at New Tork Post Office as Second Class Matter. 
Advertising ratea 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- 
tfble person. We use every possible precaution and admit the advertising: oi 
reliable houses only. But to make doubly sure, we will make Rood 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 bouses, whether advertisers or not. We willingly use our Rood 
offices to this end, but such cases should not be confused with dishonest 
transactions. We protect subscribers against roRues, but we will not be 
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 TnH RURAL New- 
Yorker when writing: the advertiser. _ 
S OME 15 years ago The R. N.-Y. started what, it 
called the Apple Consumers’ League. At that 
time there was a great surplus of apples, and the 
price was ridiculously low. We knew very well that 
the dealers and retailers would never try to increase 
sales. It was to their interests to limit sales, and 
thus obtain the crop for practically nothing. So our 
plan was to go past the dealers and appeal to the 
great buying public to eat more apples. There was 
a great response. The demand increased, and this 
made the market steady and increased the price to 
growers. Now it is necessary to do this work once 
more. There is a tremendous apple crop. The 
dealers want to get hold of it for nothing, and they 
will just about do that unless the demand can he 
increased so as to clean up the surplus promptly. 
We must all get busy at once in an appeal to the 
public. The dealers will not help until they are 
compelled to. So here goes for a revival of the old 
Apple Consumers’ League. We have got to do it 
ourselves. The Farm Bureau Federation shows that 
the average cost of a barrel of apples in Western 
New York is $3.70, and in the Hudson Valley $4.50. 
In order to pay storage, freight, risk and fair profit 
Grade A apples must bring at least $6.50, or “tree 
run” at $4.50. Now, ladies and gentlemen, these are 
the facts. Our remedy lies not in the brains of the 
Legislature or the hearts of the middlemen—but in 
the stomachs of the consumers! 
* 
S INCE the figures of the farm referendum vote 
were printed last week nearly 1,000 more votes 
have been represented. We are asked what good 
can come out of this vote. It is the first time any¬ 
thing of the sort was ever attempted. It represents 
the free, honest desires of at least 20,000 of the 
most intelligent farmers and country people in New 
York. Up to this time political candidates have 
been selected by about 1,000 politicians. These poli¬ 
ticians have selected the men who govern this State. 
The millions of voters have simply accepted a lot of 
hand-picked and tagged candidates—and voted for 
them. It has never ‘been publicly known before 
what type of men farmers would really select, if 
they had opportunity. Now we know that they will 
not from choice choose the candidates which the 
politicians select for them. This vote shows that 
farmers want men who in their lives and their busi¬ 
ness represent tlie great industry of farming. That 
Is not because they expect such men to give special 
privileges to agriculture, hut because such men 
know farm life and have true sympathy for plain 
people. As a result of this vote there will follow 
In New York State much the same movement now 
going on in Ontario, Canada. Last year the Cana¬ 
dian farmers selected their own candidates and 
controlled legislation. This Summer they have been 
completing their organization, selecting their leaders, 
and agreeing solidly upon several big issues. They 
could not start doing this until they got together 
and decided upon the type of men needed to carry 
out their plans. The next step was to put trusted 
men in office and train them by keeping them there. 
Now that is just what will follow in New York, and 
this referendum vote laid the foundation for it by 
showing the type of leadership our farmers demand. 
The movement will never stop. It will not grow 
like a mushroom (and no one wanted it to), but 
it will develop as solidly as an oak tree. The next 
step is to pile up a tremendous vote at the primary 
on September 1.). 
* 
T I-IE statement on the next page is a fair synop¬ 
sis of Judge Miller’s speech on agricultural 
problems. We have not received any other expres¬ 
sion of his views. It is evident that Judge Miller 
knows very little about New York farm problems 
at first band. It seems to us astonishing that he 
The RURAL. NEW-YORKER 
September 11, 1920 
should repeat the time-honored fable that the Coun¬ 
cil of Farms and Markets was created to take agri¬ 
culture out of politics! It is well known that this 
department is one of the most complete and well- 
oiled political machines in the country. It was cre¬ 
ated for political purposes, and has run very true to 
its purpose. Judge Miller seemed to think someone 
might be greatly offended if he even suggested a 
word of criticism. Hs is as careful as a man walk¬ 
ing around a hidden hear trap! Why, man alive! 
The country people of New York are begging for a 
man who will turn that council inside out and clean 
the last corner of it. And that will be about the 
biggest job in the State. 
* 
T HE death of James Wilson at the ripe age of 
85 calls renewed attention to a man who must 
take rank as one of the remarkable characters of 
the earlier part of the twentieth century. For some 
years now Mx\ Wilson has been living in retirement, 
and the stirring days of the Great War naturally 
took our minds away from the old pioneers who did 
so much to organize official agriculture. Mr. Wilson 
served for 16 years as Secretary of Agriculture—a 
continuous performance unequalled by any other 
Cabinet officer. The department might properly he 
classed as a small and rather third-class public ac¬ 
tivity when lie took charge. He had true genius as 
an organizer, and a clear vision as to what the fu¬ 
ture might bring to agriculture. He gained the con¬ 
fidence of Congress, was well supplied with funds, 
and was able to remain in office long enough to ma< 
ture many of his large plans. Much of the success 
of modern farm organizations and the ponderous 
strength of the present great department may be 
traced hack to the great, organizing ability of James 
Wilson. In this busy, rushing age it is hard for the 
active generation to pause long enough to consider 
ilie work of the old-time pioneers. Yet we would 
like to remind some of our enthusiastic young agri¬ 
cultural workers that few Americans have left a 
nobler monument of public works behind them than 
plain and honest James Wilson. 
♦ 
Please give me the law on this: My son is engaged 
to a wealthy lady. lie has her letters. She set the date 
for the wedding. She wrote him not to come; she would 
come, and wrote him to see about the license. He got 
the blanks. She never came, and has turned away from 
iiim. She is 36 years old. Now under the law, as her 
State ratified the woman suffrage act. does that law 
place them on an equal with men? If so, can they he 
sued for breach of promise, the same as a man could? 
J. E. C. 
T HAT is a fair sample of some of the questions 
we receive since the ratification of the nine¬ 
teenth amendment. Just read this amendment as 
printed on page 1376, and you will see that it simply 
states that no citizen shall he denied the right to 
vote on account of sex. It does not consider any 
other rights of women, or make them the equal of 
men, except in this one matter of voting. The ballot 
may win them other “rights” or wrongs in the future. 
Surely a woman may he sued for breach of promise 
just the same as a man. She is not privileged to 
break a contract because she is a woman. Very few 
men would care to face the ridicule which they 
would incur from such a suit, but they can bring one 
if they care to. And, by the way, here is another 
report which perhaps indicates what women may do 
in securing justice: 
A neighbor was tolling the other day that a produce 
dealer, to whom he sold his cabbage crop, always gave 
him nearly the same weight for each load of cabbage. 
Ho was drawing about 4,900 pounds per load— 2y> 
tons. One day the dealer’s wife happened to weigh the 
load, which was like the rest, and her weight on the 
load was 5.300 pounds. When the dealer was questioned 
he remarked : “Oh ! Mrs. J. weighed that load.” Farm 
scales are the solution. 
♦ 
W E have often spoken of the Western men 
who write about buying Eastern farms. 
There are evidently many of them who would like 
to change location if they could be sure of bettering 
themselves. It is no case for any snap judgment. 
A man should know just what he is doing and where 
he is going. The Department of Agriculture at 
Washington issues an excellent pamphlet on “Select¬ 
ing a Farm,” which will help people who plan to 
buy land. New York, New Jersey and other At¬ 
lantic States have many good farms for sale. We 
want all the good farmers we can get, but unless 
they can he satisfied with their bargains, they will 
not fit in. 
* 
W HEN we read, on page 1397, of the great 
trouble caused by that storm in Central New 
York, we all feel that we would like to do something 
to help, and we all want to do it in some way 
that will enable these farmers to maintain their self- 
respect. A terrible calamity has befallen them 
through absolutely no fault of their own. The de¬ 
struction of a dairyman’s bam is worse than the 
wiping out of a factory. In the latter case the man¬ 
ufacturer can usually obtain credit and rebuild, for 
the factory property would he considered a good 
asset When a middle-aged dairyman loses his barn 
under conditions which wipe out insurance, he faces 
a well-nigh hopeless condition. Yet it should not 
he so. The dairymen and farmers of New York, 
could they combine their assets, would control a 
credit so large that the great banks and trust com¬ 
panies would seem like playthings. There ought to 
he a credit fund connected with the Dairymen’s 
Longue, or some other organization, "which could be 
used to finance such cases as we now refer to, and 
enable these farmers to rebuild their barns and go 
on. It is evident that at present there is no agency 
of government or business which will finance them 
properly. Wr have got to do it ourselves, if it is to 
he done at all. This sad incident brings the need 
to us all with great force. Those of us whose homes 
have not been touched should not permit these 
farmers to he driven out of the struggle for lack of 
small financial help, which would mean little to the 
individuals of an organization, yet would mean 
everything to these men. At any rate, they should 
not he forced to sell their cows at a sacrifice. Let 
us see that they bring what they are worth. 
* 
I N spite of all we have printed about cider-making 
and the prohibition law, dozens of farmers write 
asking if they are permitted to make vinegar. Any 
man may crush the juice out of apples and ferment 
it into vinegar without needing any license or permit. 
Go ahead as you have always done if you want to 
make vinegar. You can sell sweet cider at any time 
before it contains half of one per cent of alcohol. 
It will usually keep sweet for about 10 days. After 
that it will he classed as legally “intoxicating,” and 
you run the risk of penalty or fine if you sell it. 
You may drink it at home or give it to guests while 
it is passing through “hard” cider into vinegar. Of 
course, if you make vinegar you cannot safely dis¬ 
pose of it. until it is strong enough to stand the legal 
test for acid. The safest way to sell the elder is to 
pasteurize it, bottle while hot and sell as apple juice. 
* 
T IIE South Carolina Agricultural College, in 
showing the value of cover crops, says: 
Land loft to “rest” docs not improve as rapidly as 
when worked with a good cover crop. JV hen corn was 
planted every three years and the land left to weeds 
in the intervals, the yield was only 18 bushels to eaeli 
aere, hut after five years of corn and Crimson clover 
the yield increased to 50 bushels an acre. 
That is certainly our experience. A crop of weeds 
will provide organic matter for the soil, but it can¬ 
not furnish the plant food which comes from a 
legume—like clover, beans or peas. In our North¬ 
ern country the weeds are mostly killed by the first 
hard frost, while the loss of nitrates from the soil 
goes on until the ground is frozen. Thus a cover 
crop, even of rye alone, while it. may not add any 
nitrogen to the soil, will save a large amount, which 
would otherwise be washed away. “A penny saved 
is a penny earned.” Wo have done our best to show 
the possibilities of the cover crop. It is the best 
fertilizer agent we have. 
* 
W E hear now and then of farmers who make a 
practice of scattering ground phosphate rock 
through the silo while filling is going on. The ob¬ 
ject is to have this phosphate rock well scattered 
all through the silage. The theory is that most 
cattle need more phosphorus than is supplied in the 
usual dairy ration. The chemical action in the silo 
may make some of the phosphorus in the ground 
rock available as cow food, and, in any event, the 
manure is sure to he helped by the rock. It is now 
well understood that on most dairy farms phos¬ 
phorus is the plant food element most needed, it is, 
therefore, becoming a common practice to use phos¬ 
phate with the manure. The use of the phosphate 
in the silo is, therefore, a step beyond the usual 
practice. We think fine-ground hone would be better 
than phosphate rock. 
Brevities 
is about time for someone to start that old fori 
about the hired man who got drunk on silo 3 
E green scum which gathers in water tiuihs -H 
mav he killed or removed by using copper sui 
One-half ounce to 60 gallons of water will clean 
e scum without injuring the stock. 
sad. meat, potatoes and coffee mad e the old 
juartette. The accompaniment was playedI by * * 
t medicine. That music is out of date. Miik, 
and vegetables, and less meat and medicin , 
■ music. 
agent is working tbrongh Now V«rlt Statescllm* 
*nondence courses in ugricultme. TTiy 
t " Pl»V.r that Cornell indorses his scheme. Hm 
nonts do not. correspond with the facts. 
