146 
*P* RURAL NEW-YORKER 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER S PAPER 
A National Weekly Journal lor Country and Suburban Home* * 
Established ISSO 
F'nbllthrd weekly by the Rural Publishlnp Company, 833 Wcit 30th Street,New Tork 
Hkrrkrt W. Collingwood, President and Editor. 
John J. DnxoN, Treasurer and General Manager. 
\Vm. F. Dillon. Secretary. Mas. E. T. Rotlk, Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION : ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign count ries in the Universal Postal l. nion. $2.04, equal to 8s. 6d., or 
8!* marks, or francs. Remit in money order, express 
order, personal check or bank draft. 
Entered at New York Post Office as Second Class Matter. 
Advertising rates. 1100 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, 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 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 Tub Rural New- 
Yorker when writing the advertiser. 
I have been a reader for over thirty years of The 
It. N.-Y. The difference between it and myself is that 
age improves it. Age makes me quit. I am in my sev- 
entv-fifth year and am still on the farm. 
Ohio. R. c. prugh. 
T any rate, let us hope that as the two are about 
the same age, The R. N.-Y. can help you to re¬ 
main young in spirit. 
* 
Will you settle a bet over the following proposition? 
A bets that the last census proves that there are more 
people living in town and city than there are of rural 
people. B bets that there are more farmers than there 
are city and town dwellers. Who wins? J. H.B. 
E once acted as umpire in a ball game. At 
<me decision, based squarely on the rules, the 
is players and part of the audience tried to mob the 
umpire. After that experience we declined to settle 
any more games or bets. We handle this one on con¬ 
dition that whoever wins, the money is to he 
given to some charity. Under the rules given out by 
Uncle Sam in his census figures, A wins. The table 
printed on the next page tells the story. It is better 
for us to face it and consider what it means, rather 
than try to conceal the facts. For the first time in 
our history more than half the people of this country 
live in cities or in towns with more than 2.500 in¬ 
habitants. The proportions are 51 per cent urban 
and 49 per cent rural. Let us all understand what 
“rural” means in this classification. All towns con¬ 
taining less than 2.500 inhabitants are classed with 
the “open country” as rural. Our estimate is that 
at least 15 per cent of the people live in these little 
towns. Therefore not over 34 per cent can be classed 
as actual farmers. As we see from the table, over 
82 per cent of the population of New York is urban. 
In Rhode Island less than 3 per cent live on farms, 
and in Massachusetts only about 5 per cent are rui*al. 
The State Avith the largest rural population is Mis¬ 
sissippi, Avhere nearly 87 per cent are “rural.” These 
figures make the situation seem worse than it really 
is. Improved roads and automobiles have changed 
farming so that many who still work their farms suc¬ 
cessfully have a residence in town, and go and come 
to the land. There will probably be more of that in 
the future, and it is also true that many acres of 
poorer, rough land will be abandoned. With this 
shifting of population is coming a new development 
of farming, especially in the Eastern States. We 
still believe this section will in the future he the 
most prosperous agricultural section of the country. 
The great cities will provide better markets than 
ever. The development of roads and trucks will help 
solve our transportation problem, high freight rates 
will give us an advantage over distant sections, and 
the very fact of a low farm population will help 
those Avho remain on the farm and work efficiently 
by lessening competition for high-grade and short¬ 
lived products, which we shall all come to in the 
future. The danger in this drift to the cities lies in 
its effect upon the city populations, for they will 
soon begin to feel the pinch of food scarcity. 
* 
CVRD comes that melon growers in Colorado 
and the Southwest are ready to give up rais¬ 
ing and shipping melons to the East. They cannot 
pay the increased freight rates and stay in the busi¬ 
ness. California growers claim that it aa*U1 cost $3.07 
to put a crate of melons in Chicago, against a cost of 
$1.96 before the war. There seems little chance for 
any freight reduction. The roads will he likely to 
demand an increase. The result AA r ill be that the 
West cannot ship melons and similar products to the 
Atlantic coast at a profit. That will mean an in¬ 
creased opportunity for New Jersey and other sec¬ 
tions where formerly great quantities of melons Avere 
grown. The high freight rates will act like a high 
tariff to “protect” our Eastern growers, and bring 
back an industry which was taken from them by 
Western growers. The R. N.-Y. has always claimed 
that as freight rates increase several “lost opportu¬ 
nities” will come back to us. We also think that 
these increasing rates will make grain and meat 
making more popular on many of our farms. 
* 
T least 150 different people have written asking 
hoAv to tan a hide. We have printed the direc¬ 
tions at least half a dozen times, yet still they come. 
Hides are almost given away in the country, even 
though prices for shoes and harness remain high. 
Many farmers are tanning their hides into robes or 
coats, and some are making up a quantity of rough 
leather which will be used for farm leather Avork. 
No one can expect that a new beginner, making up a 
few hides, can produce as good leather as would 
come from a tannery, but many of us will get along 
with what Ave can make. There never were so many 
boots and shoes cobbled and patched over. In our 
own neighborhood we have gone back to old times. 
Avhen the shoemaker went from farm to farm patch¬ 
ing up the shoe wear. We have a man who travels 
about, picking up old shoes for repairing and bring¬ 
ing them back when done. He does good work at 
moderate prices. lie Avas nearly driven out of busi¬ 
ness during “flush” times, but now he is back at his 
trade, and we shall keep him at it. This is one of 
the old economies which avc must all encourage. 
* 
R. WHITMAN H. JORDAN has resigned as 
director of the Geneva (N. Y.) Experiment 
Station after an active service of 25 years. He will 
remain on duty until July 1 of this year. Dr. Jordan 
came to Geneva a quarter of a century ago. During 
his administration the Station has made great de¬ 
velopment, and now probably stands at the head of 
its kind in research and scientific work. In addition 
to his high attainments as a scientist, Dr. Jordan is 
an excellent speaker, a good judge of human nature 
and a popular character at all farm gatherings. He 
has thus become a notable figure in New York agri¬ 
culture, and a national character as well. lie retires 
with the reluctant consent of the board of control 
of the Station after a highly honorable and dis¬ 
tinguished public service. lie will be greatly missed 
by NeAv York farmer audiences, and avc hope that 
he may long be spared to continue his work in some 
less exacting capacity. 
* 
A FEW weeks ago Ave spoke of the new combina¬ 
tion of tractor and ox team now appearing on 
some Eastern farms. We find that this is becoming 
more common than we thought. Many a yoke of cat¬ 
tle may be found in New England, cleaning up after 
(he tractor, and going into rough corners where no 
one would think of sending that machine. The trac¬ 
tor and the ox Avould seem to be about as far apart 
as power appliances can get, yet the whirl of time is 
making the combination. Noav let some scientific 
breeder take a strain of cattle like the Devon and 
produce a family or strain of quick-stepping or even 
trotting oxen ! Stranger things have been done, and 
there would be a great demand for such an animal. 
* 
EPORTS show that silage made of Japanese 
millet giA r es good satisfaction. When the millet 
is cut fine and Avell trampled in the silo it makes good 
feed. Its use for silage will increase, for the millet 
crop can be grown with much less labor than corn. 
It is a broadcast crop, and does not need cultivating 
or hoeing. Some complaint is made about harvest¬ 
ing the millet. Where it is cut and raked into wind¬ 
rows before going to the silo there is danger of tak¬ 
ing in too many stones or sticks, which play havoc 
with the cutter knives. In many cases this objection 
is overcome by cutting the millet with a binder and 
feeding these bundles into the cutter. This is one 
way in which some dairy farmers plan to save labor 
and still fill the silo. 
* 
HERE can he no question about the fact that 
the farmers of NeAv York are opposed to George 
G. Pratt as State Conservation Commissioner. They 
do not want him. and as they have 50 times as much 
interest in wild game as any other class of citizens 
their wishes should he respected. We have urged 
all who feel that Mr. Pratt should not he reappointed 
to Avrite Governor Miller and tell him so. One 
reader thinks there would lie little use in this 
because: 
Commissioner Pratt, as you may know, is a very 
liberal contributor to the Republican, canu 'ign fund 
and is prominent in the social life at "> le Ccon¬ 
sequently he will get about what he wants ir^m this 
administration. He is an aristocrat, and has no sym¬ 
pathy for the common people, and would confine the 
hunting and fishing, were it in his power, entirely to 
his class of people. 
January 29, 1921 
That is all true, so far as we know, and it all adds 
tr the arguments why Mr. Pratt should not be reap¬ 
pointed. No one can state these arguments more 
forcibly. It is no reason, hoAvever, why farmers 
should hesitate about telling Gov. Miller what they 
Avant. He has called for publicity and advice as no 
other Governor in recent years has done. The 
farmers can match money Avith manhood, dollars 
with determination, “influence” with industry, pat¬ 
ronage with patriotism and bluff with ballots. We 
think the Legislature Avill make-some changes in the 
game laws, hut they will never be enforced to the 
satisfaction of farmers so long as Mr. Pratt is com¬ 
missioner. We have seen the politicians of New York 
boasting and defiant behind their solid concrete Avails 
of patronage and “campaign contributions.” Yet Ave 
have also, seen these solid walls melt, away before 
the ink drops and lead pencil marks which indignant 
farmers put on paper! Here is a chance to shoot 
straight. Let every farmer who opposes Mr. Pratt 
write Governor Miller and tell him so. Up and at 
him ! We have got to do it ourselves! 
* 
EVERAL readers ask why we do not “present a 
candidate” for Secretary of Agriculture, and 
work for him. We have been asked to support several 
persons, and have declined for the reason that Ave 
think Senator Harding should be left entirely 
free to make his own choice. He is going to the 
White House under peculiar conditions, and there is 
a hard road ahead of him. Were Ave in his place we 
should select, known and personal friends of ability 
to serve as advisers. We should resent any effort to 
tell us what we ought to do in selecting confidential 
advisers. We think the President should be left free 
to make his own choice and then take the responsibil¬ 
ity for it. “Big men” ai-e not so essential as men 
who are capable of doing “team work.” We think 
Senator Harding has selected the man he 
wants for Secretary of Agriculture. That is his 
privilege, and Ave fa\ r or letting him alone. He has 
plenty of other troubles. • 
* 
HE Farm Bureau Federation is making a great 
fight at Washington for the plan to complete 
and operate the nitrate plant at Mussel Shoals. 
During the war this project was started in order 
to obtain nitrates for manufacturing explosives. At 
Mussel Shoals on the Tennessee River it is possible 
to obtain tremendous water power, which is to be 
used in taking nitrogen from the air. The Avar ended 
before this work was completed, and the Farm Bu¬ 
reau claims that several big industries haA r e suc¬ 
ceeded in preventing an appropriation needed to put 
the plant at work. Those interested iioav have very 
largely a monopoly on the supplies of nitrogen. This 
big government plant would, if put to work, give 
such a supply of nitrates that, fertilizer nitrogen 
would be cheaper, thus proving a direct benefit to 
farmers. The Farm Bureau is trying to get Con¬ 
gress to appropriate money enough to start this work. 
The Senate has agreed, but the House defeated the 
bill by four votes. It Avill he brought up again and 
should lnn'e the support of all farmers. 
Brevities 
Youth does not like to serve. 
A chilled child is poor property. 
This is the true weather for that open fire. 
A man is knoAvn by the company he keeps UAvay from. 
Did you ever hear of a big grass crop following an 
“open” Winter? 
The rook basis of all farm organizations lies between 
you and your next neighbor. 
Do the imported eggs from China and Argentina com¬ 
pete with the fresh-laid eggs produced on nearby farms? 
What is the value of tobacco stems as a fertilizer? 
About four times the market value of manure Avould be 
a fair estimate. 
Thus far this Winter we have few reports of fruit 
tree damage from mice. Last Winter’s experience 
taught us all that we must keep the tree trunks free 
from trash and mounded up. 
“To wear a diamond necklace is the same as hanging 
a certified check for $100,000 around the neck.” That 
is what they say, but we never had the chance to do 
either. 
Several fires in Washington have undoubtedly been 
caused by lighted cigarettes. Now a bill has been intro¬ 
duced to prohibit smoking in any government building ! 
That would include the White House, and hit the Presi¬ 
dent. Such a bill is not likely to pass. 
To all who continue to ask about measuring hay in 
stack or mow. the following: A ton of average hay will 
contain about 520 cubic feet, more or less. Get the cubic 
contents of the stack and divide by this number. It is 
not entirely accurate—only a good guess. 
