I 158 
The Rural New-Yorker 
TI1E BVSISESS FARMER'S TAPER 
K National Weekly Journal lor Country and Suburban Home* 
list n bl ixhfd y'S.:0 
t nhUtbrd "wLIt hr tlir Rural Pilblikhlng- Company. 333 Writ 30lb Slrrrt.Srrr fork 
Herbert W. ( 'olli.vgwood, President and Editor. 
John J. Dillo.V, Treasurer and General Manager. 
’Vm. F. Dillon, Secretary. Mrs. E. T. Royle, Arsoeiatc Editor. 
SUBSCRIPTION : ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
• • foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.id. equal to 8s. 6d., or 
H 1 -j marks, or ! 0 francs. Remit in money order, express 
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Entered at New York Post Office as Second Class Matter. 
Advertising rates. 31.00 per agate line—: words. References required for 
advertisers unknown to us ; and cash must accompany transient orders. 
“A SQUARE DEAL” 
tv.- believe that every advertisement in this paper is backed by a respon- 
• nle person. We use every possible precaution and admit the advertising of 
• liable houses only. But to make doubly sure, we will make good any loss 
... paid subscribers sustained by trusting any deliberate swindler, irrespon- 
s‘bl- advertisers or misleading advertisements in our columns, and any 
Mieb swindler will be publicly exposed. We are also often called upon 
lo adjust differences or mistakes between our subscribers and hon. t 
responsible houses, whether advertisers or not. We willingly use our good 
unices io ibis end, but such cases should not be confused with dishonest 
transactions. We protect subscribers against rogues, but. we will not be 
re-|K,risible for the debts of honest bankrupts sanctioned bv the courts 
Notice Of the complaint must be sent to us within one month of the time of 
llie transaction, and to identify it, you should mention The Rural New- 
T on k ni when writing the advertiser. 
It is our ambition to make The K. N.-Y. so human 
and so sineer*’! y earnest that lie.*) strangers mail 
inn! anywhere and, the moment they find tiny ore 
both readers of this paper, instantly feel that they 
hare the common interests of members of a great 
family. 
Ionchiiig roadside markets and tin like, some of my 
friends, who run out into the country with their ma¬ 
chines (I have none) tell me they can usually buy 
vegetables, eggs, etc., as cheap as, or even cheaper, 
from tlie city markets than from the farmers direct. 
The explanation given by the ’farmers is: that the com¬ 
mission merchants and the grocers’ associations main¬ 
tain a system of espionage upon these roadside sales, 
and blacklist any farmer who sells to auto purchasers 
at rates below those set by these associations, w. S. c. 
«)b io. 
HERE seems to be a gre.it loss of business in 
these roadside stands this season. Many of 
them have been abandoned. The explanation given 
pbove is true—at least in part—but it must be ad¬ 
mitted that some farmers have not been wise or far- 
sighted in their business. We know that some very 
poor goods have been worked off at high prices. 
Kueh practice destroys the only sound argument why 
such stands should exist. It has also been found 
that these stands often attract auto hogs and thieves, 
who steal far more than they buy. 
tk 
T HE managers of the New York State Fair were 
blessed with good weather this year. That 
meant a good attendance and a good time for all. 
There were no “record crowds,” as more prosperous 
years have brought out more people, but the grounds 
and buildings held all who could he comfortably 
provided for. On “Grunge Day” there were at least 
' ..TOO cars parked in the grounds or near them. This 
meant an investment of at least $7,000,000, and 
made a great change in travel. Years ago the hotels 
in Syracuse were mobbed with people unable to get. 
a chance to sleep. Now thousands who formerly 
remained over night drive from their homes in the 
morning and back again at night. In many other 
ways modern methods and ideas have changed the 
character of the fair and the habits of those who at¬ 
tend. Tt is now an immense exposition, requiring 
several days if one is to make any study of it. This 
year great efforts were made to increase the sale of 
dairy products. Several stands were opened for the 
sale of milk by the glass. The new feature was a 
success. At times these counters were crowded with 
customers, Eke the groups at the average “soda 
fountain.” This seems to show that all the public 
need to encourage them in milk drinking is an easy 
place to buy it at a fair price. They are ready for 
it. Special efforts were made to sell ice cream, the 
result being an immense business. Tlie big cheese 
was cut up and'sold in pound packages. One inter¬ 
esting display was made by the wool growers, show¬ 
ing the raw fleece side by side with manufactured 
blankets and cloth, which the wool growers are 
selling. Such things are of great value in showing 
how new markets can he created, and how the pro¬ 
ducer can touch the consumer with his own hands. 
This great fair shows that the farmers know that 
"we have got to do it ourselves “—and they are 
doing it. 
S EVERAL of our readers a re having a close race 
with Jack Frost. The corn or tomatoes or flow¬ 
ers are a little slow in maturing, and it is a ques¬ 
tion whether they can get through before cold 
weather. We often have a season in which this 
sharp race occurs. Some of these people ask if 
nitrate of soda used right now will not hurry ma¬ 
turity and pull the crop through. It will not do any¬ 
thing of the sort. The general belief is that nitrate 
*>f soda is a stimulant, and if that is so it is reason¬ 
able to think that it would push a crop through. 
7bt RURAL NEW-YORKER 
r l he theory will not work. Nitrate is a stimulant in 
tlie fact that it contains available nitrogen, which is 
the element that produces growth in the plant. But 
ibis does not mean that nitrogen will cause the crop 
to mature. It is more likely to prolong its growth 
and delay maturity. Gardeners sometimes make use 
ot this fact to hold tomatoes or other garden crops 
hack from ripening. The nitrate starts a new and 
quick growth and thus seed formation is held back. 
Phosphorus in the form of acid phosphate or fine 
hone would be more likely to encourage maturity or 
sued formation, but it is, of‘course, too late now to 
have much effect before frost. The time to use 
nitrate of soda is in Spring or Summer when a quick, 
active growth is desired. We would never advise its 
use in the Fall except in small quantities on be¬ 
lated vegetables like cabbage or celery. 
B AD as he may consider his lot to be. the aver¬ 
age Eastern farmer is far better off than his 
brother of the Central West. In addition to his 
other troubles, the latter is suffering from the effects 
oi land speculation. Inflated prices for land en¬ 
couraged borrowing and reckless spending. With 
corn at $2 per bushel land may possibly have an 
earning value of $.‘500 per acre. When corn drops to 
50 cents the earning value drops with it. and if 
money has been borrowed on the higher values there 
is sure to he loss if not calamity. The Eastern 
farmer has not done much speculating in land 
values. Where places of farm lands have risen it has 
i >t been on the bus’s of their productive power on 
gambling prices, but because of their favorable loca¬ 
tion for building purposes. Thus our Eastern farm¬ 
ers have not been able to borrow recklessly and, as 
events have turned out, this has been to their advan¬ 
tage. Then again, most of tlie products grown on 
Eastern farms, like milk, fruit, eggs, poultry and 
vegetables, are cash crops. While prices may he too 
low, there Is a sure income, while in the West the 
immense corn crop now being harvested is liable to 
depress the sale of all h cal farm j roducts by creat¬ 
ing a surplus. Tiie Eastern farmers are in a better 
condition. Some of them will make money this 
year in spite of all their trials, and we believe the 
condition will slowly improve. Here on the upper 
Atlantic slope the buying power of farmers is com¬ 
ing l ack, and trade in necessities will improve with 
each month. 
T HERE is considerable talk this season of snap¬ 
ping the ears off the silage corn and pulling 
only the stalks into the silo. The argument is that 
in this way tlie grain can he saved for dry feeding. 
Of course that is true, but what you gain in dry 
grain you lose in tlie silage. The stalks alone can¬ 
not equal the stalks and ears cut up together. You 
will have to add the equivalent of these ears in 
some kind of grain. And you will lose all or most of 
any possible feeding value in the cobs. When put 
into the silo- these soft cobs are mostly eaten with 
tlie rest. The labor of snapping off and husking the 
ears is considerable. We cannot see where you get 
any pay for doing it. Dry corn is likely to.be cheap 
this Winter. A good silo means considerable invest¬ 
ment of capital and it ought to contain the best feed 
you can put into it. We should cut up the entire 
stalk. 
;{c 
T IIE leaders of the labor unions are attempting 
to keep the wages of city and town workmen 
up to the high rates paid during the war. This 
failure of such labor to accept the wage cut which 
has been forced upon farmers is one reason for the 
present stagnation in business. Farmers have been 
forced to accept a reduction of at least one-half in 
prices for their products. They receive wages 
through sales of what they produce. They have lost 
a large share of their purchasing power through re¬ 
duction of prices for farm products. They cannot 
pay the prices demanded for goods, and thus busi¬ 
ness is dull. For the nation cannot prosper so long 
as the farmers are unable to pay their debts, buy 
goods and accumulate a surplus. High wages paid 
to city workers will not mean prosperity.. The high 
cost of labor adds to the cost of the goods, so that 
t De selling price is out of reach of the farm buyer. 
Business cannot be hack to a sound basis while one 
< lass of workmen receive extravagant wages while 
another class is forced to labor at a loss. Both the 
wages and prices obtained during the war were 
abnormal. With the close of the war there was sure 
to be a swing back to lower levels. The great re¬ 
duction in prices for farm, products is the chief 
cause of the present business trouble, because it has 
reduced I'e farmers’ purchasing power and thus 
killed the market. The next contributory cause is 
tlie high rate of wages paid to city workmen. This 
September 24, 1921 
makes the labor cost of goods so high that they can 
hardly be sold at prices which match the farmer’s 
reduced income. 
F ARMERS who live ill counties near New York 
City are having great trouble with foxes which 
are let loose by “hunters.” The plan seems to be 
tor these sports to go back into the wilderness and 
buy fox cubs. As soon as they are large enough 
these young foxes are set at liberty. They are ex¬ 
pected to “maintain themselves on the country” until 
they are well grown. Then the “hunters,” male and 
female, proceed to ride them down. While they are 
growing to a size which fits them to provide a koli- 
day, these foxes are as free as auto hogs in raiding 
tlie farmer’s premises. They make free with his 
poultry and rabbits, and thus gain the strength need¬ 
ed to give the hunters a tine run. Tt is a great nui¬ 
sance. The hunters should he prevented by law 
from turning such vermin loose. Farmers should 
combine and kill these young foxes whenever pos¬ 
sible. Any man who sets such a fox: at liberty is 
no friend of the farmer. 
* 
E have in this country a class of people who 
go a bom saying that the American farmer 
made enormous profits during the war! The truth 
is that during the war period the farmer as a class 
vras but little better off than during the pre-war 
period. In fact, as a result of the war “boom,” 
many farmers are now worse off than they were in 
Ibid. It is true that juices for some farm products 
soared until they touched the sky, blit the purchas¬ 
ing power of the farm dollar was so comparatively 
small that there was little net profit. It is true that 
some farmers were deceived by the temporary high 
prices and made a mistake in sizing up their own 
situation. Considering only the prices for farm 
produce and not estimating the power of his money 
to buy needed goods, the farmer thought lie was 
making more money than he actually was. Thus in 
many cases he thought it safe to buy new land or 
build new buildings or now equipment. This meant 
debt in too many instances; yet, had the agricultural 
situation continued as most of us exjieeted, these 
debts could have been easily wiped out. The war 
ended at least one year before most of us expected. 
Then there came a quick drop in farm places, while 
the buying power of a dollar representing farm 
1 >roducts was cut nearly in two. Very few if any of 
our farmers received any permanent financial benefit 
from tlie war. They received less material benefit 
from it than any other class. 
O N the next page will he found a statement of be 
case of Ilemy -Wolohon of New Jersey—the 
man who shot the chicken thief. We think this case 
should enlist the. sympathy and practical helji <ff 
every hen man in the State. Stealing chickens h-* 
come to he a regular industry on the part of a cer¬ 
tain criminal element found in every well-settled 
neighborhood. With a swift car or truck it is quite 
possible for these rascals to get away with their 
plunder. The action taken by Mr. Wolohon presents 
about the only remedy we know of that is in any 
way effective. Yet he is to be tried for murder or 
manslaughter. We suggest that the poultry keepers 
ot New Jersey take a hand in this trial. Let us all 
get together, made up a fund and. if need be, hire 
the best legal help to be obtained in fighting this 
case. Such action is a necessary part of co-opera¬ 
tion. The first practical offer of help comes from 
Mr. .Tudson W. Murson of Chenango County. N. \ r . 
He sends one dollar as a starter for a defense fund 
in this ease. That is a good foundation to build on. 
Brevities 
Why keep hens? Make them keep you. 
Silo filling is two weeks earlier than usual on the 
average. 
Silage can safely he fed to horses—iu small quan¬ 
tities—but be careful about feeding moldy silage. 
A farmer has a right to the fruit or nuts growing on 
loadside trees in front of his farm. He owns up to the 
middle of the road. 
Y’es, we think the new chemical, paradichloro-benzene, 
will jirove useful in fighting the beach borer. It ought 
to, with such a name. 
East year’s “spelling bee” at the State Fair came 
down to a contest between New York City and “up 
State,” and the latter won. 
Trees on a roadside, in front of the farm, belong to 
the farm owner. In case the owner fails to cut off 
hanging branches, after being notified to do so, and dam¬ 
age occurs from them, the owner is liable. 
The Department of Agriculture, under the pure food 
laws, has ruled that vinegar made from waste or evap¬ 
orated apples shoidd not be branded as “eider” or “pure 
eider” vinegar. It may, however, be labelled “apple 
vinegar.” 
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