1648 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER 
A >'n< lonnl Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Ilomn 
Established 1S0O 
Published weekly by the Rural Publishing Company, 333 West 30th Street, Sew fork 
Herbert W. Colldjgwood, President and Editor. 
John J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wm. F. Dillon, Secretary. Mrs. E. T. Hoyle, Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION* ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union. $2.01, equal to 8s. 6d., or 
8,^ marks, or HP* 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- 
Bible 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 |.aid subscribers sustained by trusting any deliberate swindler, irrespon¬ 
sible advertisers or misleading advertisements in our columns, and any 
such swindler will be publicly exposed. Wo 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 
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. 
In man's march up to success, thought must come 
ahead of action. Most failures are due to a reversal 
of this law of life. 
* 
N speaking of the leaders in the egg-laying con¬ 
test two weeks ago we gave the Reds more than 
they deserved. At Vineland the Red birds surely 
lead. On October 8, at the end of 49 weeks, the 
record stood as follows: 
1. H. P. Walker, Mass., R. I. Reds. 4,11(1 
2. Hollywood Farm. X. Y.. White Leghorns. . . . 3.9S1 
3. .T. W. Bottcher, X. J., White Tyeghorns. 3.934 
4. F. J. Matthews, X. J., White Leghorns. 3,860 
The race is very close between Walker’s Reds and 
the Hollywood Leghorns. The latter may yet win out. 
At Storrs, on the same date, there was another 
story, the record being: 
1. .Tules I - '. Francais. N. Y., Barred Rocks. 2.151 
2. Oneck Farm. X. Y.. Barred Rocks. 2.0S7 
3. Pine Crest Farm, Mass., R T. Reds. 2,055 
4. Hollywood Farm, Wash.. White seghorns. . . . 2,000 
5. E. A. Bullard, Pa., White leghorns. 2,000 
Remember that there are 20 birds in each pen at 
Vineland and only 10 at Storrs. To compare the 
two contests, multiply the Storrs record by two. 
That gives this great Barred Rock pen 4,302 eggs, 
compared with 4,116 for the Vineland Reds. 
* 
HE R. N.-Y. has obtained the 20 R. I. Red 
pullets for the new Westwood, X. J., egg-laying 
contest, and formal entry ha<s been made. The 
offers came with a rush last week—there were nearly 
50 in all. As we promised, the first 20 suitable 
pullets were selected. The names of the 20 women 
who send the pullets will soon he printed, and accu¬ 
rate reports will be made. We regret that it was 
not possible to accept all the offers. 
* 
T HE wool market is still stagnant. There is a 
standstill between buyers and producers. A 
large proportion of the wool left in the producers’ 
hands has been “pooled”—that is. hunched together 
and held for a higher price. The buyers are now 
trying to break up these “pools,” so as to control 
the wool. They will try to get local or State pools 
to bid against each other, and spread dissatisfaction 
and trouble. We may expect to see the papers 
filled with wild reports about the wool market, all 
designed to discourage the wool men and induce 
them to give up. Ho not lot them pull the wool over 
your eyes; keep in the pool. A good soldier obeys 
orders. The world must have your wool sooner or 
later. Hang on to it a while longer! 
* 
T HE following news dispatch from Canada, 
printed in the Idaho Slate Market Bulletin, 
will interest many of our farmers who lost money 
on the Government price for wheat: 
Winnipeg, Man., Sept. 24.—More than 835.000,000 
just distributed by the Canadian Wheat Board as ex¬ 
cess profits on last year's crop was like finding money 
to Canadian farmers. 
Every farmer whose wheat the hoard sold is being 
paid at the rate of 30 cents a bushel on participation 
certificates which were issued at the time the wheat 
was delivered. This represents the surplus over the 
82.15 a bushel which the farmers were paid originally. 
The eutire excess profits were pooled and distributed 
pro rata. 
A further distribution on a basis of an additional 
10 cents a bushel is announced for some time in 8op- 
tember or October. This final payment will bring the 
price of last year’s wheat to 82-55 a bushel. 
We understand that this Canadian Wheat Board 
corresponds to the Grain Corporation which handled 
the wheat on this side of the line. A price of $2.15 
per bushel was guaranteed by the Canadian Gov¬ 
ernment, and farmers sold their wheat freely. Tt. 
was worth more than 82.15, and as we see the 
^nrrediun Government uow distributes $30,000,000 
to make good the difference between the guaranteed 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
■price and the real value. Canada is a country 
where farmers are in a majority, and where every¬ 
one recognizes the dominance of agriculture. In 
this country a hill to do similar justice to wheat 
growers is before Congress, but is ridiculed and 
fought by city influences. 
* 
At a meeting of the Castle Creek Grange (Broome 
Co., X. Y.), October 2, the following resolution was 
unanimously adopted : 
“The Castle CTeek Grange, together with the other 
Granges of the State of Xew York, appealed to Gov¬ 
ernor Smith to sign a bill to repeal the daylight-saving 
law. Our appeal was ignored ; therefore, be it 
“Resolved, that we register a fitting rebuke when 
we enter the voting booth -on election day. and that a 
copy of this resolution be sent to the leading farm pa¬ 
pers of the State.” J. s. B. 
ELL, that's the way if we are going to do it 
ourselves. The little election booth is the 
secret chamber in which we must, if ever, pro¬ 
nounce the doom of those who will not stand with 
us. It is very clear that if Governor Smith is re¬ 
elected we shall continue to have daylight saving. 
We know that, and voters must decide whether that 
is the big issue or not. Two other big issues in the 
minds of farmers are prohibition enforcement and 
primary elections. The Democrats are openly and 
frankly “wet.” They favor a “liberal” enfox-cement, 
which, in our opinion, would amount to m’lllification. 
The Republicans dodged the issue, and did not dare 
to take any stand until Senator Thompson and 
Mrs. Boole polled their great vote in the primary. 
Then Judge Miller came out squarely for enforce¬ 
ment of the law. In regard to primary elections 
the Republican politicians are opposed to it, while 
the rank and file of the party want the primary con- 
tinued and strengthened. The Democrats pretend 
that they support the primary, yet they took all 
the independence out of it by “suggesting” a ticket. 
We have no confidence in the managers of either 
party. They will always put the interest of their 
party and pocket above that of the public. The 
hope of the people this year lies in the Legislature. 
More real farmers have been nominated this year 
than ever before. Several of them are strong men 
and natural leaders. If you want things done for 
daylight saving repeal, prohibition or primaries, see 
that you vote for the men who will stand for them 
in the Legislature. 
❖ 
S TARTLIXG reports come from Iowa about the 
shortage of coal. A soft bituminous coal is 
chiefly used in that State. There is plenty of coal 
underground, hut miners’ strikes and car shortage 
have pushed up the price to $20 per ton. At that 
price it is claimed that ear corn is actually a cheaper 
fuel. For $15.75, at present corn prices, we are told 
that a housekeeper can buy greater fuel value in 
ear corn than in coal! That is the report. It may 
he true of a few rural sections of the West, but 
what a commentary upon our present broken-dawn 
system of distribution. Goal in abundance—under 
ground—hungry people in our towns and stock feed 
so high that dairymen can make no profit, while 
Western farmers burn corn because it is their cheap¬ 
est fuel! 
* 
O XE of the most important things for the farmer 
on ordinary soil to do is to use lime. During 
the war the use of lime fell off. The price was too 
high, and the railroads would not or could not de¬ 
liver. Xow we must all go hack to lime and stay 
with it. There has been some controversy about 
the fineness for grinding limestone. Of course, the 
finer it is ground the more active it becomes. It 
also becomes more expensive, since the finer grind¬ 
ing costs more. There is value, however, in the 
coarsely ground limestone. The-farmers and scient¬ 
ists in Illinois have shown that a limestone fine 
enough to pass through a one-fourth inch sieve will 
give good results. It is slow in its action, but will 
in time neutralize the soil. We prefer a finer lime, 
but it will pay to use this coarser material if the 
finer grade cannot be obtained. And do not hesitate 
to put the limestone right on top of the ground in 
case you cannot get it in time to harrow in before 
seeding. 
* 
HE other day. we called for grape juice at a 
public soda-water fountain. We were given 
about one gill of the juice and we were charged 20 
cents. That means $1.60 per quart! We have no 
means of knowing what the grape grower obtained 
for the original grapes, but it certainly did not reach 
up to a 35-eent dollar. During the next 15 minutes 
we saw 42 people step up and buy sweetened water 
called “root beer,” or colored water with a little 
gas mixed with it. Out of the vast sums of monev 
paid for “soft drinks,” the farmer gets practically 
nothing—the gus manufacturers get it all. Xiue- 
October 23, 1920 
tenths of this immense sum ought to go to tliS' 
farmers for pure fruit juices. It never will go 
while such outrageous prices ai’e demanded for this 
juice. Pure apple juice, sterilized and sold at re¬ 
tail at five cents a glass, would bring health to the 
public and wealth to the fruit grower. The Apple 
Consumers’ League will have to take up a new slogan 
—drink apples as well as eat apples. Years ago 
great things were done by a band of determined 
citizens who went about demanding baked apples! 
Now we must demand apple juice at every “soda 
water” stand. Refuse to drink anything else and 
they will come to it. Do not call for cider—that 
has been given a black eye by hard stuff. Call for 
apple juice —drink apple. 
* 
Y OU can hardly think of two forms of farm power 
wider apart than the ox and the gasoline en¬ 
gine. The horse drove the ox off most farms, 
and the horse in turn is being superseded by the 
tractor, the car and the truck. Now there is ac¬ 
tually a movement to bring the ox back for farm 
work. Most of the long hauls for farm crops will 
be made hereafter with trucks. Where roads are 
improved comparatively few horses are seen at or¬ 
dinary road work. There are still many horses 
used on farms, but their labor is more and more 
expensive. Feed is high, and the horse does not 
work as many hours during the year as he did 
before the gasoline engine was adapted to motor 
power. The ox can be kept for less money and 
can be sold for beef. Wnen trained properly, an 
active Devon or Jersey ox can step lively. It seems 
ridiculous at first thought that the use of the rapid 
truck or car should actually lead us back to the 
ox for farm work. Yet under some conditions that 
is already happening. 
READER wants to know whether we made 
any mistake in advising tiie use of ground 
limestone in the Fall—or after the ground is seeded. 
No; we meant just what we said. We did not refer 
to burnt lime, but to the plain limestone simply 
crushed reasonably fine. The Ohio Experiment Sta¬ 
tion says this: 
An application of limestone or phosphate may be 
made to wheat ground even after the crop is sown it 
it is impossible to apply these materials before sowing 
time. 
The delayed application i« not as beneficial as when 
the limestone and phosphate ai’e stirred into the layers 
of the soil where (he plant roots feed, but these sub¬ 
stances play such a part iu growing better crops that 
it is better to apply them in this manner than not to 
use them at all. 
That is our own experience, and we think it good 
advice. Thousands of carloads of limestone have 
been delayed this year, and cannot possibly be 
delivered in time for seeding. Do not let that inter¬ 
fere with the use of this limestone. Scatter it right 
over the ground at any time before snow. 
* 
A S we stated hist week, the new census shows 
that for the first time in American history 
more than half of the population of this country 
lives in city or town. The “rural” population com¬ 
prises that part of the people who live in towns 
of less than 2,500 inhabitants. Thus even with all 
Ihese little towns added to the “open country,” less 
than half of our population is “rural.” That was 
never true before this time, and we now begin to 
realize what a rush there has been away from the 
country. In the new adjustment of Congress dis¬ 
tricts more districts than ever at the North will bo 
dominated by the town and city vote. The draining 
of the rural districts into the town is the greatest 
social problem we now have in America. In work¬ 
ing out a remedy we shall have another case where 
we have got to do it ourselves. No one in the city 
is interested in doing it for us. It is a job for the 
rural people. They have got to combine their cash, 
llieir credit and their character in order to put the 
job over. 
Brevities 
Let us not fall down on the Fall work. 
How long before rhe country’s big corn crop will make 
itself felt in the price of dairy feed? 
Dozens of people are writing to us about bringing 
friends or relatives in Europe into this country. First 
and most important, they must obtain a passport from 
the home country and have it certified or vised by the 
American consul. 
Cleaning a room after a skunk. has occupied it is 
not a pleasant subject or job—but it is needful. This 
is the way S. W. G. does it: "How to remove skunk 
odor: One ounce of oil of anise, put it in two gallons 
nf hot water, pour over place scented.” 
Well, Italy has a big chestnut crop, at least. In 
that country chestnuts are often used as a substitute 
for wheat. In former years nearly every street corner 
in New York was decorated with an Italian roasting 
chestnuts. They have about all disappeared—with the 
blight which has destroyed the American cheetnut crop.( 
