UHt RURAL NEW-YORKER 
The Worth of Shoddy 
The-statements of Mr. Perry in a late issue are re¬ 
markable. After defining shoddy as product from virgin 
wool, or woolen rags, he tells us that “shoddy is wool.” 
Yes, it is, the same as pomace is a barrel of nice. big. 
luscious apples. Same as coal ashes are coal and stable 
manure is hay and grain. Shoddy is worth about as 
much in comparison with fleece wool, any wool, as the 
refuse named is with the originals. Shoddy is a refuse 
from wool, a mess of short hair, with no life or natural 
characteristics of wool. The poorest, shortest wool on 
the inside of the legs, the dung locks or the caked bunch 
on the breast bone is as long in fiber as average shoddy, 
and has natural life, crimp and enlargements, without 
which wool refuse is useless. 
After a statement that an “unenforced law is worse 
than no law,” he claims that the truth-in-fabric law 
cannot be enforced. That is what the bootlegger says 
about the Eighteenth Amendment, the smuggler about 
the revenue laws and the representatives of the rag octo¬ 
pus about the fabric law. The statements are worthless. 
Give us the law, and instead of “the sheep men barking 
up the wrong tree” there will be an open season for rag¬ 
men. 
Mr. Perry wants a tariff on wool instead of shoddy 
regulation. If the duty on wool was $5 a pound it would 
not help the price of his wool a cent while shoddy is 
unrestricted. Very little wool is wanted. If a bunch 
of men had license to coin lead the shape of dollars, and 
the public took them for silver dollars, this bunch would 
not want any silver, but they would run along and 
wreck the silver mining industry as shoddy is wrecking 
the sheep industry, as shoddy has put virgin wool below 
the cost of accumulating wholesale rags. 
The table given, from the Boston Commercial Bul¬ 
letin, shows wool under the price of rags, which is easily 
accounted for. A suit of wool will outlast five to 10 
suits of shoddy, and there is a fine chance for repeated 
profits on the victims, who must come repeatedly. 
The poorest, meanest, dirtiest wool that Mr. Perry 
can grow and select from his clip will make better cloth 
than the best shoddy ever ground from woolen rags or 
tailors’ clips. No suit made of shoddy will last long 
enough to pay the union labor that made it. I have one 
of those “Guaranteed all wool” suits here that cost the 
buyer of it over $11 a month for wear. Price. $65; in 
use less than six months. w. w. REYNOLDS. 
Rural and Urban Population 
Wo are often asked how many farmers there are in 
this country. It is almost impossible to say. The 
census divides population into two classes, “rural” 
and “urban.” The former covers those who live in 
towns less than 2.500 population. Of course we all 
know there are many who live in little towns of 
about 1.000 or less. Under the census enumeration 
these are all classed as “rural.” when many of them 
are no more farmers than those who live in New 
York City. The following table shows how the pop¬ 
ulation of 1020 was divided between “rural” and 
“urban.” Our estimate is that not more than one- 
third of the people of this country live in the country 
on farms. 
COMPARATIVE FIGURES BY STATES 
The urban and rural population by States is: 
Urban 
Rural 
Alabama . 
. 509,317 
1,839.857 
Arizona . 
. 117.527 
216,376 
Arkansas . 
. 290,497 
1.461,707 
California . 
. 2,331,729 
1,095,132 
Colorado . 
. 453,259 
486,370 
Connecticut . 
. 936,339 
444.292 
Delaware . 
. 120.767 
102,236 
Florida . 
. 355.825 
612,645 
Georgia . 
. 727,859 
2.167.973 
Idaho . 
. 119,037 
312.829 
Illinois . 
. 4.405.678 
2.079.602 
Iudiana . 
. 1.482,855 
1,445,535 
Iowa . 
. 875,495 
1,528,526 
Kansas . 
. 617.964 
1,151,293 
Kentucky . 
. 633,543 
1,783,087 
Louisiana . 
. 62S.163 
1,170,346 
Maine . 
. 299.569 
468,445 
Maryland . 
580,239 
Massachusetts . 
202.108 
Michigan . 
. 2,241,560 
1,426,852 
Minnesota . 
. 1.051.593 
1,335,532 
Mississippi . 
. 240.121 
1.550,497 
Missouri . 
. 1.596,903 
1,817.152 
Montana . 
. 172,011 
376,878 
Nebraska . 
. 405,306 
891.066 
Nevada . 
. 15,254 
62,153 
New Hampshire . . . . 
. 279.761 
163,322 
New .Tei’sev . 
. 2.182,289 
573.611 
New Mexico . 
. .64.960 
295.390 
New York . 
. 8.589,944 
1.794,9S5 
North Carolina . 
. 490.370 
2.068.753 
North Dakota . 
. 8S.234 
557,446 
Ohio . 
2,082.250 
Oklahoma . 
. 539,480 
1.488,803 
Oregon . 
. 391.019 
392,370 
l’ennsylvania . 
. 5.607,815 
3.112.202 
Rhode Island . 
. 5S9.1SO 
15,217 
South Carolina . 
. 293.987 
1.389.037 
South Dakota . 
. 101.S72 
534,673 
Tennessee . 
. 611.226 
1.722.659 
Texas . 
3,150.539 
Utah . 215.584 233,S12 
Vermont . 109.976 242,452 
Virginia . 673.984 1,635.233 
Washington . 748.735 007.SS6 
West Virginia . 369,007 1,094.694 
Wisconsin . 1.244.56S 1,387.490 
Wyoming . 57,348 137.054 
Agricultural Week in New Jersey 
New Jersey is just emerging from her aunual agri¬ 
cultural spree, none the worse for the dissipation. 
“Agricultural Week at Trenton” draws out yearly the 
brainiest farmers from Cape May to Sussex, and this 
year’s programs, exhibits and banquets were pronounced 
“better than ever” all along the line. To give an idea 
of how comprehensive this event is. one need only men¬ 
tion a list, of the bodies which got together for their 
meetings, annual aud otherwise, from January 11 to 14 : 
The New Jersey State Council of County Boards of 
Agriculture, State Horticultural Society, Poultry. IIol- 
stein-Friesian. Guernsey Breeders’, Dairymen’s, Potato, 
Alfalfa, Beekeepers’, Nurserymen aud Swine Growers’ 
associations. Also there were conferences of home 
economics workers, marketing experts and veterinarians. 
THE EXHIBITS.—Exhibits were unusually fine, 
and included the best corn and potato shows ever put 
on in the State. There were 307 potato entries, repre¬ 
senting American Giant, Irish Cobbler and Green 
Mountain varieties, an exceptionally good display of 
late crop seed tubers, and exhibits showing the use of 
sulphur in controlling potato scab, the use of certified 
seed and fertilizer experiments. Mercer County, with 
a total of 109 imposing exhibits, won the county cup 
for the best display in quality and quantity. Ten 
counties _were represented. In the corn shows there 
were 337 10-ear exhibits, 40 single ear exhibits and 
nine seed exhibits of 50 ears each. The quality of the 
corn was much superior to that of last year. It was 
judged by Nicholas Schmitz, extension specialist in 
agronomy at Pennsylvania State College, and also inci¬ 
dentally by classes of students from the Agricultural 
College, four-year and short courses, and by competitive 
teams of boys taking vocational agriculture at high 
schools of the State. Mr. Schmitz gave Mercer first 
place. 
OTHER FEATURES.—John Barclay’s 60-box com¬ 
mercial exhibit of apples was the striking feature of 
the Horticultural Society exhibit, and won for the third 
year the $200 cup offered for commercial displays. 
Flats of sweet potatoes from South Jersey were also on 
display. 
Other exhibits, of note were the array of homemade 
dresses, all fashioned from one pattern, which repre¬ 
sented the work in dressmaking classes of extension 
work in the State, an educational exhibit put on by the 
State Agricultural College and Experiment Station, an 
exhibition of work done by boys in the agricultural 
courses of vocational high schools in the State, a milk 
bar, a few poultry entries and interesting displays by 
the State Bureau of Markets. Department of Conserva¬ 
tion and Development. Fish and Game Commission, 
Guernsey and IIolstein-Friesian Associations, etc. 
“CONGRESS IS WITH THE FARMER.”—United 
States Senator Joseph S. Frelinghnyseu, president of 
the State Board of Agriculture, opened the session of 
tlie State Agricultural Convention, held on Wednesday, 
with an inspiring address which set forth the attitude 
of Congress toward the farmer and his interests. As 
Senator Frelinghuysen is on the ground floor and is 
supposed to know whereof he speaks, the address was 
most encouraging. “Everything must be done to stimu¬ 
late the farming industry. The broader men are be¬ 
ginning to realize that the cause of the farmer is the 
cause of the human race. Congress is fully alive to the 
needs of the farmers, realizing that the temporary set¬ 
backs which the farmers have experienced this year can 
be overcome with wise governmental legislation.” He 
further reported that Congress favors co-operative asso¬ 
ciations. Federal farm loan banks and a recasting of 
the tariff laws which will benefit both producer and con¬ 
sumer. The need of a restoration of sound business 
methods, effective merchant marine, distribution cen¬ 
ters and the spirit of optimism were some of his sug¬ 
gestions. 
TUBERCULIN TESTING REPORTED.—At the 
afternoon session, given over to reports from specialists 
of the State Board. Alva Agee, secretary of the Board, 
summed up the year’s work as “progress of the State 
Board in the right direction.” Dr. J. FI. McNiel, Chief 
of the Bureau of Animal Industry, presented some sig¬ 
nificant figures in connection with tuberculin testing. 
There are 28 accredited herds in the State, 40 more 
have passed one test without reaction and 36 with a 
few reactions. Ten thousand three hundred and seven 
animals were tested before coming into the State and 
1,487 after entrance. He reported that, a 32 per cent 
greater number of animals had been tested for tuber¬ 
culosis by the Bureau in 1920 than in 1919. 
BUREAU OF MARKETS REPORTS.—A. L. Clark. 
Chief of the Bureau of Markets, in a comprehensive 
report of the six projects undertaken by the Bureau, 
made the statement that New Jersey growers must get 
the control of commission houses in New York City and 
Philadelphia if they are to make the most of wholesale 
selling. He reported at some length on the retail selling 
project carried on in co-operation with the Federated 
Women’s Clubs of the State, in which 100.000 bushels of 
apples and about half as many potatoes had been disposed 
of in straight-to-consumer city markets. Potato produc¬ 
tion in the State of New Jersey, according to H. B. 
Weiss, Chief of the Bureau of Statistics, increased 67 
per cent over that of the previous year, while the value 
of the crop took only a 24 per cent jump over that of 
last year. Ninety-five per cent more apples were grown 
in 1920 than in 1919. but the value only shows an in¬ 
crease of 16 per cent. Wheat, rye, cranberries and 
buckwheat are the only crops in the State whose pro¬ 
duction was not increased. 
NO NEW PLANT DISEASES.—The report of the 
plant pathologist, Dr. Mel T. Cook, was encouraging. 
No new diseases of importance have been introduced 
into the State; even the much-dreaded European potato 
wart, the most destructive and difficult to control of 
any potato disease, has shied clear of New Jersey. The 
United States is spending more money fighting potato 
wart th- on any other disease. 
FIC ING THE JAPANESE BEETLE.—Japanese 
beetle and gypsy moth were the only two insect pests 
touched upon by Dr. T. ,T. Ileadlee. entomologist. The 
Japanese beetle is infesting an area 11 square miles in 
Burlington County, N. J., and eight across the river iu 
Pennsylvania, aud shows possibilities of becoming a 
serious pest. Japanese representatives visiting this 
147 
area say that they have seen more of the beetle in this 
small section than in all Japan, thus leading to the 
theory that the insect must have a parasite in its native 
country. Two men are now working in Japan, and 
hope soon to bring back some of the beetle’s uatural 
enemies. In the meantime it has been discovered that 
arsenate of lead if sprayed on the foliage in gelatinous 
form will be eaten by the beetle and will kill him. 
. “WHALE OF A PEST.”—“If the Japanese beetle 
is a bad pest, the gypsy moth is a whale of a pest.” Dr. 
Ileadlee remarked while discussing the infestation of 
90 to 100 square miles around Somerville aud eight 
outlying points. State legislation has granted $12,000 
to fight the pest, and with the support of Congress Dr. 
Ileadlee hopes to stamp it out before it gets a foothold. 
M HERE FARMING STANDS IN NEW JERSEY. 
—Dr. J. G. Lipman reviewed the farming situation iu 
New Jersey briefly, thus: Although the census shows 
a loss of more than 1.000 farmers in New Jersey during 
the last 10 years, the farmers have raised a larger 
volume of food on a smaller acreage, there has been a 
marked advance in the quality of fruit, corn and pota¬ 
toes. and the whole farming business in the State has 
been marked by greater specialization, as evidenced by 
the remarkable progress in cow-testing associations, in¬ 
vestments in labor-saving devices, etc. 
MESSAGE FROM THE GRANGE.—Hon. David. 
H. Agans, newly-elected Master of the New Jersey State 
Grange, urged co-operation between the Granges aud 
the Farm Bureau Federation, giving his hearty endorse¬ 
ment to the latter, and affirming that unless something 
is given the farmer for the $5.00 which lie has put into 
the federation the whole organization of farming will 
go back 25 years. 
RESOLUTIONS.—Resolutions of the State Board 
and the State Council of County Boards of Agriculture 
were essentially similar. They included (1) favoring 
the establishment of a State constabulary to protect 
rural communities; (2) an extension of'the Federal 
Farm Loan limit to $25,000. requirement of written 
permission to trespass on property for the purpose of 
hunting or fishing; (3) the appointment of farmers on 
the State Game Commission; (4) an increase in the 
State appropriation for the eradication of tuberculosis 
in cattle; (5) an investigation in fertilizer prices to 
ascertain why the cost of mixed goods has not fallen in 
proportion to the cost of raw materials; and (6) oppo¬ 
sition to either State or national daylight-saving legis¬ 
lation. Over 7.000 farmers have already joined the 
federation, and the drive is still in full swing.' The title 
“State Council” has been changed to “State Federa¬ 
tion' so as more nearly to conform to the titles of other 
States. j. n. 
The New President of the Dairymen’s 
League 
I was much interested in your sizing up of the new 
president of the Dairymen’s League; the more so be¬ 
cause I can claim a slight acquaintance with him. this 
acquaintance dating from the time, several years ago, 
when I helped in the organization of the League in 
Northumberland and adjacent counties of Pennsylvania. 
I do not know the motives which impelled the direc¬ 
tors of the League to choose Mr. Slocum for president, 
but they have taken no step which meets with my more 
hearty approval. You have sized him up pretty acu- 
rately, but don’t think that Mr. Slocum is more a man¬ 
ager and director than worker. In a way that is true, 
for the extent of his farm holdings preclude the possi¬ 
bility of his doing any considerable amount of the work 
that is to be done upon them, but I remember one of his 
neighbors telling me of Mr. Slocum’s getting in from 
something like a 150-mile trip from his farm in New 
York State, jumping from his car. putting on overalls, 
shouldering a bag of clover seed and seeding down a 
piece of new wheat before supper. Yes, he is a worker 
all right. 
But it isn’t his ability to perform physical labor that 
most interests us. We are a little too apt to assume 
that a jnan can’t keep the farm view unless his boots are 
in the clay most of the time. But few have been given 
the strength and energy to perform hard physical and 
equally hard mental labor at the same time. Mr. Slo¬ 
cum’s qualifications for the new task that he has as¬ 
sumed are, to my mind, his demonstrated executive abil¬ 
ity, his energy, his enthusiasm, his personal knowledge 
of the difficulties iu the path of the League, his business 
training and experience, and last, but not least, his 
genial personality and his tact. 
Perseverance might be mentioned among the above 
qualifications if I were trying to write a eulogy. When 
I was there, the West Branch Milk Producers’ Asso¬ 
ciation was very young and Mr. Slocum was at the head 
of it. The relations between this association and the 
local milk buyers were not overly cordial. Mr. Slocum 
had an appointment with the largest milk buyer in his 
territory to discuss prices. Upon Mr. Slocum’s arriving 
at that buyer’s office he was coolly—I think that coolly 
is the word—invited out into one of the cold storage 
buildings for the conference. He hadn’t had an oppor¬ 
tunity to dress for such an environment, but he went, 
and he stayed. lie not only stayed there, but he stayed 
right on that particular job until that buyer found it 
convenient to go to Mr. Slocum’s office when business 
was to be transacted, apd. when the dotted line was 
presented, to put his name just above it. M. n. D. 
Meeting of the G. L. F. Exchange 
Those who attend the annual meeting of the Grange 
League Federation Exchange, Inc., arranged for Jan¬ 
uary 31 at the State Armory at Utica, will have the 
privilege of hearing Dr. G. F. Warren of the State 
College of Agriculture, Ithaca. The session will con¬ 
vene at 11 in the morning, at which time the election 
of the directors will take place. Aside from the address 
by Dr. Warren those who attend will receive reports of 
the work of the G. L. F. This organization was six 
months old on the first of January, and its accomplish¬ 
ments in saving dollars for the farmers of the State 
make it one of the leading organizations working for 
the economic interests of agriculture. 
The meeting will mark the retirement from actual 
participation in the affairs of the Exchange of II E. 
Babcock of Ithaca. It was Mr. Babcock who so suc¬ 
cessfully managed the stock issue of the Exchange last 
Summer. Mr. Babcock takes up the study of co-opera¬ 
tive marketing of co-operative associations at the State 
College of Agriculture, in which capacity he will render 
invaluable service to the farmers of the State. 
Fred C. Porter of Crown Point has been recommended 
by the State Farm Bureau Federation to fill the 
vacancy made by the retirement of Mr. Babcock. The 
terms of two other directors also end at this meeting. 
They are Raymond Hitchings of Onondaga Valley and 
Harry Bull of Campbell Flail. Both have been recom¬ 
mended for re-election by the organizations they repre¬ 
sent. namely, the State Grange and Dairymen’s league. 
