. 474 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
March 15, 1924 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER 
A National Weekly Journal l'or Country ami Suburban Homes 
Established 1850 
Published weekly by the Rural Publishing Company. 833 West 80th Street, New fork 
Herbert W. Collingwood, President and Editor. 
John J. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wm. F. Dillon, Secretary. Jilts. E. T. Royle, Associate Editor. 
L. H. Murphy, Circulation Manager. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, 82.04. Remit in money 
order, express order, personal check or bank draft. 
Entered at New York Post Office as Second Class Matter. 
Advertising rates, $1.00 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 t -ansaction, and to identify it, you should mention The Rural New- 
Yorker when writing the advertiser. 
I sometimes think that a person way out here in Mis¬ 
souri doesn’t need an Eastern farm paper but when it 
doesn’t come to my home I feel the lost of a friend. 
"When I find something especially good in it that is a 
help to my locality, I bulletin it in our little country 
store. ii. M. w. 
Missouri. 
HEY say you must “show” a Missourian, and 
it is probably true, but when they are “shown” 
they stand on solid ground. This plan of making a 
bulletin out of a R. N.-Y. clipping is a good advertis¬ 
ing suggestion. 
* 
W E ask you to read every word of Mr. Van Val- 
kenburg’s story on the next page. We give 
it in his own words, and we do not believe that any 
skilled reporter could present this record more forci¬ 
bly than is done in this simple recital. Few men 
would have stuck to the task as Mr. Valkenburg 
did. He makes us think of the story of the boy who 
was sent to the neighbor’s after sour milk. The 
neighbor tried to put him off by telling him they had 
nothing but sweet milk. 
“All right,” said the boy, “I'll sit right here till it 
sours!” 
After half an hour of his persistent “sitting” the 
woman remembered that there was one pan of sour 
milk downstairs and she filled the boy's pail. 
We call attention to the injustice and cruelty 
which underlie this case, and we now have several 
more on hand nearly as bad. This district school 
was taken away from the patrons, and the conditions 
were so bad that the children were denied school op¬ 
portunity. When, after a fight which few men 
would or could carry through, their school was re¬ 
stored, the people found themselves saddled with a 
t.ebt of over $1,900 with no compensating advantage, 
and the loss of their furniture and fixtures. And 
through it all seems to run a picture of the absolute 
inability of the “authorities” to understand why 
these people felt such a desire to retain the integrity 
of their local school. It seems to us that this is, in a 
small way, something of a replica of the blundering 
stupidity of the English statesmen who lost America 
through their inability to realize the spirit of men 
who desire free government. Those who heard Mr. 
Van Valkenburg tell his story at the school meeting 
in Fulton County will never forget the scene. He 
said that his great hope was that he might in some 
way dig enough money out of his farm to enable him 
to educate his boy and make him a lawyer so that 
he might fight the oppressors and riders of the farm¬ 
er! It would be indeed wonderful if that boy could 
be trained so as to become a great tribune of the 
people. 
* 
An old farmer has a large pile of cow manure, which 
he has been piling up for the last six years from about 
eight cows, kept in barn for about five months a year, 
and he wants to sell it. The manure is piled outside 
of the barn under the eaves and about one mile from 
farm. What do you consider this manure is worth or 
what would a load be worth? reader. 
HE only sure way to find such value is to take 
out a fair sample of the manure and have it 
analyzed. Find how much nitrogen, potash and 
phosphoric acid you get in a ton and figure the 
values in comparison with this plant food in other 
forms—taking out the cost of handling. A ton of 
fresh cow manure of average quality will contain 
about 7 lbs. of nitrogen, 8 lbs. of potash and 3 lbs. 
of phosphoric acid. After several years of soaking 
under the barn eaves half or more of this plant food 
will be lost. About the only real value the manure 
will have will come in the organic matter it contains. 
Probably 100 lbs. of a high-grade fertilizer will con¬ 
tain more actual plant food than a ton of this ma¬ 
nure. There can be no standard price. That will 
depend on the locality and the use to which the 
manure will be put. A market gardener would 
naturally pay more than a general farmer if he 
needed the manure because his crops would bring 
more. In our own locality where all sorts of ma- 
nurial products are in demand such manure would 
bring about one dollar a load against two dollars 
for fresh manure. 
* 
W HAT will go along into history as the “vil¬ 
lage bee bill” has been introduced in the New 
York Legislature. The sting in it is contained in the 
following: 
“A person who, at any time between May 15 and 
September 15, inclusive, in any year, shall keep honey 
bees in a village of 100 or more inhabitants, within 
5Q0 ft. of any dwelling or cultivated garden, shall be 
guilty of a misdemeanor and punishable by a fine of 
$25. Each calendar day that such bees are so kept shall 
constitute a separate violation of this section.” 
It seems rather ridiculous that such a thing should 
be dignified by an attempt to crowd it into law. 
Those who support it claim that the bees cause 
“great discomfort” to village residents and boarders. 
On the other hand, it is claimed that a small group 
of beekeepers are trying to shut off all competition 
and particularly that of people who keep a few 
bees in settled localities. The work performed by 
bees in pollinating fruit trees greatly offsets any 
possible damage they may do. Let the bees alone 
and they will mind their own business. They help 
provide an income for many town people who are 
not able to do a full man’s work. We see little ex¬ 
cuse for such a bill. Yet it may slide through un¬ 
less the beekeepers wake up and get busy. ‘Senator 
W. T. Bryne of Albany introduced the bill in the 
State Senate. He will be fair in the matter. Write 
him and give your reasons if you do not Avant the 
bill. 
* 
T HESE friends of the school bill ought to get to¬ 
gether and decide what to do and say about 
this question of consolidation. Here they are travel¬ 
ing about New York insisting that no such thing 
is either contemplated or possible in the school bill. 
At the same time the newspapers are printing this 
report of a Chicago meeting: 
A systematic and vigorous program for the complete 
elimination of the “Eittle Red Sehoolhouse,” was 
urged by Dr. Frank P. Graves, president of the Uni¬ 
versity of New York, before the general session today. 
Consolidation of community resources \A I * * * * * 7 as suggested as 
the first step. The traditional love which surrounds the 
rustic seat of learning has long prevented its accurate 
appraisal by the popular judgment, in the opinion of 
the speaker. 
Exactly! “Consolidation of community resources 
icas suggested as the first step.” If this bill is once 
passed consolidation Avill follow either by amend¬ 
ment or department rule. We should have far greater 
respect for the backers of this hill if, from the first, 
they had come out openly and bravely and stood for 
what every one knoAvs they are after—consolida¬ 
tion. 
H ON. S. L. STRIVINGS of Castile, N. Y„ has an 
opportunity Avhicli seldom comes to a farm 
leader in Neiv York. Mr. Strivings Avas recently 
elected Master of the State Grange—a responsible 
position as spokesman for the only farm organization 
Avhich really represents the plain, working farmer. 
Before his election, Mr. Strivings was an earnest ad- 
A’ocate of the proposed rural school bill. At its State 
conA'ention the Grange did not take a firm, clear- 
cut stand on the question, though it is well under¬ 
stood that a great majority of the members are op¬ 
posed. The nearest approach to a definite statement 
made by the Grange is this: 
“It is evident to the committee that the Grange 
members of the State arc opposed to the provisions 
of the present proposed school bill as drafted ” 
It is impossible, after that, for anyone to claim 
that the Grange favors the bill, and so Mr. Strivings 
finds himself in a difficult position. While person¬ 
ally in favor of the bill he must, as Master of the 
Grange, state clearly that the organization back of 
him is opposed. The question is, should a man in 
public life accept the verdict of his followers, in 
representing them, or present his oAvn conviction? 
We think Mr. Strivings will rise to the occasion, 
represent the organization Avhile he heads it, and 
subordinate his own opinion. At this time New 
York farmers need that sort of a leader. 
* 
T HE farm paper which is championing the pro¬ 
posed school bill makes the significant state¬ 
ment that unless the school bill becomes a Iuav this 
year it will fail. 
It made the same statement last year—proving it¬ 
self a true prophet. Last year it gave as reason 
for its statement that, given a year in Avh-icli to 
Avork, the school superintendents would destroy the 
bill because it crippled some of their poAvers. Now 
the bill provides for an increase of payment for these 
superintendents—evidently designed as a “financial 
gesture” to keep them in line. It can hardly be 
said that a year’s discussion has strengthened rural 
sentiment for the bill. Our investigations show that 
there is less popular demand for it than there was 
last year, and most of the rural members of the 
Assembly fully understand that. The year’s discus¬ 
sion has served to organize and intensify the rural 
feeling against the bill. By voting the solid delega¬ 
tion from Noav York City and a few' up-State cities 
it might be possible to come near to the required 
majority in the Assembly, but the rural Assembly- 
men know just what would happen if the bill were 
fastened upon the country by city votes. With the 
possible exception of one or two every Assemblyman 
from a rural community knoAvs that a majority of 
his people oppose the bill and each one will repre¬ 
sent the feeling of his people—unless he feels kind¬ 
ly disposed tOAvard political suicide. 
* 
I N discussing tax problems and tax reduction in 
particular, there is one thing which most people 
seem to ignore. That is the fearful tax paid for 
gasoline to propel the millions of automobiles hoav 
rushing about the country. In comparing these mod¬ 
ern days with the “old times” of 25 years ago, Ave 
must remember that practically no money, or at 
least very little, was then spent for driving cars or 
for moving picture shows. Now 7 these expenses run 
up into the billions each year, and the greater part 
of it goes for pleasure rather than for any substan¬ 
tial production. We liaA'e made some quite extended 
investigations among people Avho are typical of the 
great middle class of town people. The majority of 
them pay considerably more for gasoline and car 
upkeep than they do as taxes. In many cases this 
output for gasoline is so heavy that the family bud¬ 
get must be cut to meet income, and purchases of 
food, clothing and family supplies are cut doAvn to 
the quick, of necessity. Further investigation shows 
that at least SO per cent of this expense for cars and 
gasoline represents pleasure—the mere driving about 
for the sake of “going somewhere.” When Ave groAvl 
about our expenses Ave should be fair, and realize 
that the heaviest items are the direct and self- 
imposed tax for gasoline, the road taxes for building 
roads suitable for auto traffic, and the tax for mag¬ 
nificent school buildings for housing our children. 
The tax for “entertainment” comes next. Those who 
dance must pay the fiddler. We never knew but one 
fiddler to play all night for nothing, and he Avas very 
simple-minded. It may do little good to tell the 
younger generation that Ave old-timers drove old 
Dobbin or walked, that Ave all turned out and helped 
“make” the roads, and that we got such education 
as came to ns under very simple conditions. This is 
an age of gas and lurid spending, due to nearly 40 
years of grabbing 05 cents of the consumer’s dollar 
and dumping it into toAvn and city. It has all. or 
most of it, come out of the producer through a sys¬ 
tem of distribution which no strong public man dares 
to touch. But Avheii you growl about taxes, be fair, 
and figure out the size of your gasoline and car bill, 
and see Iioav much of it represents actual produc¬ 
tion ! 
Brevities 
Xeav asparagus has come into market from Califor¬ 
nia. How about $50 per dozen bunches? 
We have had two cases of impaction of the stomach 
in cows, caused by feeding Avhole oats. 
We do not try to mix wood ashes with fertilizer 
chemicals. Use the wood ashes broadcast and harrow 7 in. 
Several readers have written asking about using wa¬ 
ter glass to preserve fence posts. We are unable to 
find anyone who has tried such glass successfully. 
In New York State a chattel mortgage should be re¬ 
newed every year in order to protect the holder against 
innocent purchasers. The mortgage is good between 
the parties even though no renewal is filed. 
Fiae men in Albany Co., N. Y., were recently fined a 
total of $140 for setting traps in muskrat houses in vio¬ 
lation of law! And six hunters near Rochester Avere 
fined $225 for taking rabbits w 7 ith a ferret. 
Some people go about carrying a chip on their 
shoulder. It is their chief asset or ornament. There 
is little use trying to knock it off—and it is a form of 
cruelty to deprive them of their chief source of ad¬ 
vertising. 
To “w 7 ear the ermine” has been considered a privilege 
monopolized by kings and queens or great judges—their 
robes being trimmed with fur from the ermine or stoat. 
Now comes news from Germany to the effect that most 
of this aristocratic fur comes from plain white rabbits. 
