1918 
Tht RURAL. NEW-YORKER 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FA EMEU'S FA PER 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes 
Established <s:o 
l’nljllshrd nteMj by the Rural Publishing Company. 833 Vest 30th Street,New Vorli 
Herbert W. CollingWOOd, President and Editor. 
John’ J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wm. F. DiLLtet, Secretary. Mrs. E. T. Hoyle. Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION t ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union. $2.04. equal to 8s. 6d., or 
8(§ marks, or 10Vj 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. Exit 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 
others to this end, but such eases 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. 
The only aid 1 have had was my wife and The 
R N.-Y .—both the best in their lines. e. s. g. 
HAT is what ouf friend the “back-to-the-lander’’ 
tells us on page 1912. We never had a more 
sincere compliment or a better one. The man who 
has a good and helpful wife does not need any other 
Christmas present. 
A BITTER argument has arisen over the ques¬ 
tion of immigration. Congress seems deter¬ 
mined to stop all immigration for at least one year 
—many Congressmen demand two years. This plan 
is pushed chiefly by the labor unions, who wish to 
restrict the number of laborers in town and city so 
as to keep up the rate of wages. The plan is op¬ 
posed by the agents of the great steamship lines, and 
by the big contractors and manufacturers. The 
transportation agents profit greatly by carrying these 
immigrants. The big corporations desire to use these 
hordes of unskilled workmen for fighting union labor. 
The agricultural interests have never been able to 
agree upon any definite immigration policy. Most 
farmers need .laborers, and if they were sure of ob¬ 
taining decent workmen they would favor immigra¬ 
tion. The truth is that a very large proportion of 
the men and women now seeking admittance are of a 
very inferior type. Let anyone go dqwn to Ellis 
Island, where most of these people enter, and he will 
quickly adrnif that fact. The European countries 
have just now two great labor ambitions. One is to 
hold on the other side all desirable workers. They 
are absolutely needed in rebuilding Europe. On 
the other hand these nations find it equally neces¬ 
sary to get rid of their “undesirables." These are 
chiefly petty criminals, anarchists or plotters for rev¬ 
olution. From their appearance the crowds now 
coming seem mostly of these- undesirable classes. 
They are not needed here and we do not want them. 
Efforts were made in Congress to exempt agricul¬ 
tural laborers and let them in freely, but Congress 
considered this impossible. Every week we have let¬ 
ters from readers who say they desire to bring over 
relatives who will help them at farm work. Some 
plan should be made t<j enable such people to come. 
The general view of the country is that we have 
plenty of “undesirables” now, and should not permit 
any more to enter until conditions settle down. At 
Washington the House finally passed a bill barring 
immigration for one year, but permitting naturalized 
citizens to send for wives and blood relatives. It is 
expected that the Senate will try to cut down the 
suspension limit to six months. 
* 
One trouble with farmers is that they are not eco¬ 
nomical. I saw one family eating lettuce the other day. 
What right has a farmer’s family to buy lettuce from 
the South? S. B. B. 
J UST as much right as you have, and perhaps more. 
The only way for you to know whether a farmer 
is economical or not is to go out on a farm yourself 
and try supporting your family from what you can 
dig out of the soil. We do not think your pay en¬ 
velope would go far. But tell us why a farmer has 
no right to enjoy grapefruit or lettuce if he likes 
them? What has he done that he, as a class, should 
be denied such things? By what authority does any 
other class gain a greater right to them? If dairy¬ 
men were all able to buy such products the gardeners 
and fruit growers could do far more business and 
add to the general prosperity. Milk ranks next to 
sunlight, air and water in the long list of man’s 
necessities. The farmer who produces milk is 10 
times as necessary to humanity as he who keeps 
books or handles candy, ribbons, soap or any other 
product That being so (and who can deny it?) 
why has not such a man the right to enjoy lettuce or 
grapefruit if he likes them? Lettuce is not a luxury, 
but, next to milk, one of the greatest carriers of 
vita mines. 
* 
IIICTI is the more important and the more 
entitled to protection in New York State— 
the beaver or the farmer? From the facts stated on 
page 1915, the beaver seems to have the best of it. 
If it were put to a vote we think you would be sur¬ 
prised to see how many sports and hunters and sen¬ 
timentalists would vote for the beaver! The farmer 
who was compelled to stand by and see his hay crop 
ruined in order that these protected beavers might 
have a bath has no redress in law. because the State 
cannot be sued in such a case, because it is “acting 
as a government”! As law-abiding citizens, we must 
stand for the law, but what we can do is to compel 
the Legislature to change the game laws. 
't' 
O UR New York farmers should not beguile them¬ 
selves with any thought that they are to have 
an easy time repealing the daylight saving law. It 
is true that Gov. Miller will advocate such repeal 
and work for it, but the large cities of the State will 
fight bitterly against repeal. New York. Buffalo, 
Rochester and Albany can control the Legislature, 
and a question like daylight saving will not be made 
a partyi issue, except as the Republicans try to re¬ 
deem their promises. Gov. Smith admits that he 
lost the election through his veto of the repeal bill. 
The Republican party will not dare to oppose the 
farmers in this matter if the latter really show fight. 
They must do that in order to win. 
* 
S HIPMENTS of Danish butter to this country 
have been averaging one million pounds per 
week, with still more to come. How is it possible 
that a small country like Denmark can do such a 
thing? While Denmark did not. enter the war on 
either side, her industries were nearly wrecked. 
She was unable to buy feed from this country, and 
the Danes cannot raise it at home. In consequence 
many of her cows were sold to Germany or slaugh¬ 
tered. IIow then is it possible in less than two years 
for the Danes to “come back” and export butter to 
this country? The answer is found in their complete 
organization. Every detail is worked out like the 
delicate parts of a machine. When the war ended 
this machine did not need to be overhauled and re¬ 
made. It was only necessary to speed up. or “step 
on the gas.” We have never had in this world a 
better illustration of the constructive power of a 
full and scientific organization among farmers. The 
new competition which these imports of butter bring 
can only be permanently met by full organization 
among our own farmers. From the college football 
team up to the great national industry, organization 
gives vital power. 
sD 
T 
T this time it looks as if the hired help question 
would be easier next Spring. “Industry” is 
closing down, and men are being put out of employ¬ 
ment. There is sure to be a general deflation or 
reduction of prices, and that will mean, sooner or 
later, a cut in wages. Many of those v.ho left the 
farms for city work will not be able to hold their 
jobs. They will be obliged to go back to the country 
once more for work and a living. Some of them may 
deny this, and say they will not go. but they will be 
driven out of the city by forces which cannot be re¬ 
sisted. The present condition is abnormal and must 
be readjusted. Through all this trouble there have 
been many faithful hired men who stayed by us, 
although tempted to leave. They should have first 
chance now. In any job for next year we should 
give them the preference. The faithful man deserves 
a reward. 
* 
TIE State Grange of New Jersey last week 
called for an airtight enforcement of the pro¬ 
hibition laws. The Grange went on record as saying 
that prohibition has provided new demands for farm 
products, and made farm labor more reliable. That 
is the general report from agricultural sections. 
There are some exceptions, but they are generally 
due to local conditions. There is no question about 
the fact that much liquor is still sold and con¬ 
sumed. That will continue in diminishing quantities 
for 25 years or a full generation. Nothing else could 
have been expected,, but each year we expect the 
nation to become more firmly determined to prevent 
any repeal of the amendment. 
* * * 
IIIS is the last issue of The R. N.-Y. for 1920. 
The year’s volume contains 1932 pages, against 
1904 last year. In 1914. the year of the outbreak of 
the great war, the year’s volume contained 1512 
pages. The paper has therefore increased in size 
December 25, 1020 
420 pages, or 2$ per cent over pre-war conditions. 
Are we not safe in saying that no other article which 
enters the country home gave any such increased 
value without any increase of price? We like to 
think we are giving our readers the best, agricultural 
bargain that the world can produce. As the year 
closes we want to express our high appreciation of 
(In' way our people have treated us. We have been 
associated with them now for 35 years. That is a 
long time—a large share of the usual human work¬ 
ing life. As we look back over it we cannot remem¬ 
ber any time when the paper had a more loyal, in¬ 
terested and inspiring “family” than it has today. 
By means of the powerful backing of its friends 
The R. N.-Y. has been able to help in many worthy 
enterprises. There is much more to be done in the 
future, and we swing on into the next year with 
hopeful confidence and renewed spirit. Merry 
Christmas to all of you! May the coming year 
lighten your troubles and deepen your faith! 
I N the delightful biography of Wilmer Atkinson, 
just published, we are told of a man or boy who 
was put at the job of driving a yoke of oxen on a 
harrow. All he had to do was to walk beside their 
beads and keep them going. The driver was studious 
and carried a book in his hand, and read as he 
walked along. The oxen came to one place at the 
middle of the field and concluded it was time to 
rest. So they stopped and stood still, as oxen do. 
The “driver” was so intent upon liis book that he 
did not know the oxen had stopped, but kept right 
oa walking till he reached the end of the field. Then 
he came out of his book to find his working com¬ 
panions still standing in the middle where they had 
halted! Well, perhaps we have all seen book men 
who could not keep step with hard workers. We 
knew of a college professor who could not harness 
a horse, and yet he worked out a principle of 
mechanics hitching a team to a plow which increased 
the efficiency by 25 per cent. 
D URING the World War there were numerous re¬ 
ports from France that large numbers of China¬ 
men had been imported to take the place of farm 
laborers. Most Frenchmen of fighting age were or¬ 
dered into the army. These Chinese workers were 
supposed to operate in large gangs, growing food 
somewhat after the plan of manufacturing enter¬ 
prises. This seemed likely to upset the long-estab¬ 
lished French practice of cultivating small farms by 
means of a family unit. There was much speculation 
as to what would happen after the war when the 
French soldiers came home. Would the Chinamen 
remain, working in large units, or would France re¬ 
turn to her old system of small farms? There has 
been some mystery about this, and we have tried to 
learn the facts. The nearest we have come to the 
truth is the following note: 
We have no information iu our files on this subject, 
lmt referred your letter to the French Military Attache, 
who advises us that Chinamen were used in France 
(luring the war only as laborers in the plants, manu¬ 
factories and military stores, according to contracts 
made with them. Their work was performed under 
orders of French foremen in the same way as the French 
workers. None of them was used as combat troops, but 
the French Colonial Army included a number of French 
Indo-China units, which, during the war. were used in 
the rear areas of the French Army as guards of rail¬ 
roads on the lines of communication, or as labor troops 
on the defensive positions. He failed to answer your 
questions regarding the efficiency of their services, and 
whether they are still in France. 
F. M. BARROWS, 
Major, Field Artillery. 
The facts regarding this experiment should be 
made public. There is a strong effort in this country 
to import these coolie laborers for work at crop pro¬ 
duction. The theory is that they could work great 
tracts of land under the factory system, and produce 
food at a less cost than our ordinary farms can ever 
do. Of course, this would break up the American 
family life, as it drove the farmers out of business, 
but its promoters would hardly consider that side 
of it. 
Brevities 
You may fill a boy’s head without feeding it. 
If you do not stick you are likely to be stuck. 
The time is soon coming when the boys will be glad 
enough to come back to father’s farm. 
The chemists have found in corncobs an adhesive 
which promises to make fiber packages waterproof. 
If farming is the business you once decide to pick, re¬ 
member there is just one thing and that is only—stick. 
This question of restricting immigration is uot all 
one-sided. Many farmers favor opening the door wide 
and letting all come in. 
About the biggest problem we have in this country, 
as it affects the future, is the improvement of the rural 
school. We do uot favor killing it, but we do favor 
helping it. 
