1084 
The Rural New-Yorker 
TIIE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes 
Established fSCO 
Published weekly by the Rural Publishing Company, 333 West 30lh Street, New ir'ork 
Herbert W. Colling wood, President and Kditor. 
John J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
VVm. F. Dillon, Secretary. Mrs. E. T. Hoyle, Associate Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, 82.04, equal to 8s. Gd., or 
8i$ marks, or IOV4 francs. Kemit in money order, express 
order, personal check or bank draft. 
Entered at New York Post Office as Second Class Matter. 
Advertising rates, 11.00 per agate line—7 words. References required for 
advertisers unknown to us ; and casli 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 naid 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 lie 
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, yon should mention The Rural New- 
Yorker when writing the advertiser. 
N OW comes D. L. Hartman with another story 
of a Florida strawberry crop. Wc have grown 
strawberries for many years, but we have not been 
able to come anywhere near Hartman’s record. We 
will not, however, indulge in anything like “ 'Tain't 
so!” “It can’t be done!” etc., etc. We believe Mr. 
Hartman tells the truth about his crop. He is half 
strawberry. He knows just what to do—and he 
goes and does it, right on time. You must remember 
that these berries are not grown as you and I would 
giow them in the North. The parent plants are 
started in Spring solely for the purpose of making 
many runners. Then, in the Fall, these runners are 
transplanted one foot apart each way and fed and 
handled like pampered pets. In the warm Florida 
climate these plants do not sleep through the Win¬ 
ter, but keep right on growing and working. And 
this Florida climate is a treacherous thing; again 
and again has Mr. Hartman seen the labor of months 
and the accumulation of years blasted in a single 
night of frost. So when a man takes chances and 
works his way through to a successful crop we feel 
like congratulating him, though we confess our in¬ 
ability to match his success. Next week in a dis¬ 
cussion of his results Mr. Hartman will give some 
interesting results with the use of sulphur. The 
scientific men have thus far been inclined to belittle 
the idea that sulphur is needed on most of our 
Eastern soils. They may find it necessary to revise 
tlteir opinions. 
* 
Township System” is the title of a large 
A volume of 1,693 pages by Thomas E. Finegan, 
formerly New York Deputy Commissioner of Educa¬ 
tion. It is published by the University of the State 
of New York at Albany, and gives a very complete 
history of the efforts to establish the township sys¬ 
tem of schools in New York State. Most of us can 
remember how, after several years of struggle, this 
system was established. The vote in the Assembly 
was close—only one more was needed to carry. The 
result was an uprising among the country people of 
New York such as never was known before. It has 
been said that one might as well expect to lift the 
State Capitol off its foundations as to compel a 
Legislature to repeal a law enacted the previous 
year. Yet this is just what the country people did. 
There was no withstanding their fury. The law 
was promptly repealed. I>r. Finegan. in his volume, 
gives a very fair and detailed statement of the events 
which led up to this result, and he sketches clearly 
the growth of public sentiment regarding this law. 
It is a full and complete history of one of the most 
interesting battles ever fought over an educational 
matter. In view of the work now being done by the 
Committee of Twenty-one this .volume is timely. 
% 
W E get all sorts of reports from the South 
regarding pellagra and its prevalence. One 
man sends us this remarkable statement: 
Tin* * negro never grows much garden because he always 
has a lot of half-starved pigs and chickens and poor 
fences. The pigs and chickens together destroy the 
garden, then the pigs eat the most of the chickens, and 
iu the late Summer and Fall most of the pigs die. 
That is like an endless chain with the end clipped 
off. Yet even with such “system” the negto manages 
to live and remains hopeful. We have known white 
folks who worked on a plan not much better, and 
then blamed the administration or the tariff or some 
political party for their misfortunes. 
* 
FEW weeks ago we started a campaign against 
the “auto hogs.” We were practically alone at 
the starting, but the plan seems to have developed. 
Now we hear from it everywhere, and many papers 
are printing reports of encounters between farmers 
Tht RURAL NEW-YORKER 
and the auto hogs. Several of them are given on the 
next page, and it appears that in some cases at least 
there has been considerable success in ringing these 
hogs. The nuisance is worse than ever before this 
year, and it is high time we organized to protect our 
property from these thieves. 
S TILL they come asking about seeding Ilubam 
clover in the late Summer or early Fall. Do 
not do this unless you leant to experiment and can 
stand the loss of seed. We have never advised Fall 
seeding for this clover. It is not known whether it 
will live through the Winter. The chances are that 
it will not endure our Northern climate. It is a 
one-season crop and. so far as we now know, suitable 
fox seeding in early Spring or after some early crop 
like potatoes or peas. You can seed Alsike clover 
now and get a small crop to plow under next Spring. 
South of Philadelphia you can use Crimson clover 
for that purpose, but do not expect the same thing 
from Hubam. We must all remember that a new 
variety or crop like this clover must be tested and 
tried before we can be sure of it. For example, there 
has been much curiosity as to whether this Hubam 
can be seeded with Spring grain so as to produce a 
crop. Now we have the following report from Iowa: 
One of our farmer friends living six miles from here 
had the nerve to sow Hubam broadcast in his wheat 
this Spring. Ilis wheat was the Fall variety, and he 
cut it. at the usual time, although he did set the binder 
up high and tilted the sickle bar, so as not to injure 
the Ilubam. 
On a portion of his field he had added limestone, on 
another portion he left it alone, and today (August 
20) the plants in the stubble field are fully 36 inches 
high and are making seed rapidly. On the unlimed por¬ 
tion we had to get down on our knees to find the plants, 
and .found a few measuring 5 and 6 inches high. 
Several other reports go to convince us that this 
plan will work. It will enable us to obtain a good 
crop of small grain, and then either secure a good 
crop of clover hay or a heavy manurial crop to plow 
under before wheat or rye seeding. There are many 
localities in the East where, on large farms, such a 
plan of continuous wheat or rye growing would pay. 
The Hubam clover grown between two grain crops 
would he of great service to the soil. But it is clear 
that in order to grow Hubam properly we must use 
lime. 
* 
Two months ago 1 bought a farm of 25 acres with 
the idea of earning my living by raising chickens, but 
do not know just how to begin. I would like advice 
from you as to what kind of chickens are the best laying 
and selling for the market, also what kind of feed should 
be given them. Is it harmful to give chickens left-over 
food, potato peels, etc.? j. y. 
Connecticut. 
HAT is a fair sample of many letters which 
come to us. Here is a man who has bought a 
farm on which, he expects to earn his living. He 
does not even know what breed of hens he wants or 
what he shall feed them. Suppose he rented a store 
on some street corner and then began to ask whether 
he should sell groceries, hardware or drygoods? He 
would not get very far. yet he evidently thinks that 
farming is in some way different. He will find that 
the business of farming is founded on the same busi¬ 
ness principles which must be observed in any line 
of industry. Why should anyone expect that farm¬ 
ing is so different from other lines of work that we 
do not need to consider the plain elements of com¬ 
mon sense when entering it? We have given this 
man the best private advice we can, but we print his 
letter in order to express our wonder that people 
should expect so much from the business of farming. 
¥ 
R EPORTS from New York State indicate a corn 
crop of unusual size. There are some localities 
where drought has cut the crop, but taken as a 
whole the State will grow more corn than usual. 
We think it will be the largest corn crop ever pro¬ 
duced by New York farmers. It is ripening earlier 
than usual. Very soon the roar and whine of the 
silage cutter will he heard and the big silos will 
slowly fill to the top. There may be starving 
humans in Russia and China, but the New York 
cows will have enough to eat. It seems to he true 
that our Eastern farmers are determined to grow 
more of their own fodder and feed. In many 
localities they have cut down the acreage of canning 
or cash crops and put in more small grain and grass. 
Lor the past 10 years the tendency has been the 
oilier way; farmers and dairymen have been con¬ 
tent to buy too much of their feed. Now the swing 
is back to increased feed and grain production, and 
it is a good thing. We find a more hopeful feeling 
among Eastern farmers. They all recognize the 
serious business depression which has followed the 
Great War, but they think the worst is now over, 
and that conditions will improve, slowly perhaps, 
but solidly. 
September 3, 1921 
NE of our readers on the Eastern Shore of 
Maryland sends us a copy of the form of note 
which farmers are forced to sign when borrowing 
money. How would you like to tie yourself up with 
the following: 
.after date for value received 
.jointly and severally promise to pav to. 
or order.dollars. ‘ The benefit of 
all exemption laws of the State of Maryland, or any 
other State, as to said debt or any judgment obtained 
on this note is waived. And I (we) hereby authorize 
and empower any attorney of record to appear for me 
in any Court of Law or Equity, or before any Justice of 
the Peace, and at any time to confess judgment thereon, 
for the amount thereof, debt, interest, costs, including 
an attorney’s fee of ten per cent, for collection, without 
summons or process. The makers and endorsers of this 
obligation waive demand, protest and notice of protest 
thereon, as witness our hands and seals. 
.(Seal) 
.(Seal) 
.(Seal) 
No. 
If there ever was a jug-handled contract, this is it. 
We understand that this is the only form of note 
acceptable at the local banks. The man who signs 
suc-h a note and then runs into a had season or other 
misfortunes for which lie is not responsible, will 
either lose about all he has or go through life with 
a chain around his neck. Notes of this character 
are responsible for the great demand for Federal 
Farm Loans in the South and West. A very large 
proportion of the business done by the Federal Land 
Banks has been in placing a substitute for a “Shy- 
lock” mortgage. The great opposition to the land 
hanks has come from the holder’s of just such notes 
as the one we print. 
* 
E have interested one man in the milk-selling 
problem, who has a practical plan of opera¬ 
tion. Let him tell it: 
“I go home at night through a big l’ailroad station, 
where there is a 'soda fountain.’ On hot days I 
notice people lined up three or four deep ordering 
‘pop, ‘soda’ and other soft drinks. Either thorough 
accident or design it is impossible to obtain a glass 
of pure, cold water in this station. I timed the 
crowd for 15 minutes one day and estimated that 
about $20 was taken in for these soft drinks and 
ice cream. As an experiment, 1 worked through the 
crowd and demanded a glass of milk. It was poured 
out of a bottle—10 cents for about one-third of a 
pint! The next day I did the same. Several men 
of about my age looked at my milk and hesitated. 
Finally two of them ordered some. I kept this up 
for several days, with the result that a number of 
people followed my example. All they needed was 
for someone to start and give the needed suggestion. 
There is always a large element of the buying public 
that will follow like sheep in any popular habit like 
eating, drinking, or wearing a straw hat. I am sure 
that sales of milk at that particular ‘fountain’ have 
been multiplied by five. Anyone can do it.” 
We think so, too. The present craze for “soft 
drinks” is largely a matter of habit or fashion. Once 
make it popular to call for milk and the rest will 
be easy. We want 10.000 men and women who will 
serve in the milk army as the man quoted above has 
done. Call for milk instead of “soft drinks”—call 
out loud and let your voice he heard in the land. 
Tut vitamines into your voice. 
Brevities 
Early plowing, like the early bird, gets the worm. 
Do you take your neighbor in or do you help him out? 
We never saw a bigger weed crop than is being gen¬ 
erally grown this year. 
Of course a good application of lime will make more 
effective tillage. It puts the soil in better condition. 
Connecticut has a new law compelling bakers to 
mark the weight of each loaf of bread on the loaf itself 
or on the wrapper. 
In answer to dozens of questions about kudzu. the 
plants are started from roots—not from seeds. Spring 
is the time to plant them. 
To many questions about the best time for trimming 
trees, we prefer to do it while the tree is dormant, in 
late Winter or early Spring. 
It is good to have what they call “an open mind.” but 
it may be too open. In that case ideas run away from 
it, like water through a sieve. 
Many farmers are pasturing hogs for the first time. 
They usually make the mistake of supposing that the 
hogs will need no grain when at pasture. They ought 
to have some grain if you expect them to gain in weight. 
At the Farm Bureau picnic in Madison Co., Neb., 
on July 28, there were counted 4.304 automobiles and 
one team. The crowd numbered 22.500 people. That 
seems to be the record—hut how lonesome those two 
horses must have been ! 
