554 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
March 29, 1024 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER’S TAPER 
A National Weekly Journal for Country niul Suburban Home* * 
Established 1S50 
rnhlish-d orrbly by th* Kural Publishing Company, S33 Wnt 30th Slrrct. Not York 
Herbert W. Collixgwood, President and Editor. 
John J. Piij.ON, Treasurer and General Manager. 
VVm. F. I)ii.i,on, Secretary. Mas. E. T. Koylk. Associate Editor. 
L. H. MUKl’ity, Circulation Manager. 
SUBSCRIPTION : ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries ill the Universal Postal Union. $2.04. Remit in money 
order, express order, personal cheek 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. Rut 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 eases 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 ol the time of 
the transaction, and to identify it, you should mention THIS Rural Nkw- 
Yorker when writing the advertiser. 
A JOINT resolution has been introduced in Con¬ 
gress calling for an amendment of the U. S. 
constitution. Here it is: 
“Article XVIII. The Congress shall have power to 
regulate throughout the United States the employment 
of women and of persons under the age of 21 years.” 
Of course any Congressman can introduce any 
bill he sees lit. That is one free privilege still re- . 
tained under our glorious constitution. A list of 
the amendments that luive been suggested during tlie 
past 50 years would cover tlxe entire range of 
thought—serious and otherwise. As for this par¬ 
ticular proposition, there is a craze just now to 
“regulate" everything through government control. 
Part of this is due to the fact that more jobs are 
needed to provide for paying political debts, and 
taking care of the vast army, of white-collar gentry 
annually poured out each year from mu* schools and 
colleges. An ideal situation for these parasites 
would he to have half the people do the work and 
Hie other half tell them how to do it right—well 
paid for “organizing” the workers. Then there are 
always cranks and people who have lost faith in the 
ability of the plain man or woman to manage their 
own affairs. These folks want the government to 
wade in and prepare formulas for all human activi¬ 
ties. The truth is that our people have been organ¬ 
ized and directed and regulated too much already. 
The most valuable characteristic of the old-time 
American was his ability to take care of himself 
and his independence and initiative. These character¬ 
istics made the constitution possible. That docu¬ 
ment should not now be used to take these things 
away from him. 
* 
O VER and over we have cases presented to us 
which run about as follows: A farmer buys a 
cow at an auction. She is guaranteed to begin giv¬ 
ing milk on or about a certain date, and the milk is 
needed to till out a contract. r l he cow fails to 
freshen at the stated time, runs for several months 
over, and in some cases will not freshen at all. Can 
the buyer recover damages from tlie seller? It is 
surprising how often this case comes up. It is often 
complicated by the fact that the buyer gives his 
note for the price or most of it. and when he finds 
the cow is not as represented he refuses to pay. 
Now this may be a trick of some cow jockey, or it 
may be an honest misunderstanding on the part of 
the seller. If such a case came into court it would 
depend on the kind of promise or guarantee tlie 
seller gave, and tlie proof of damages. If the seller 
merely said off-hand that he thought the cow would 
he fresh at about a certain time it could hardly be 
called a binding contract. If. on the other hand, he 
made a definite promise or statement before wit¬ 
nesses, he could ho held. It might not be a case of 
positive fraud, for a man may be mistaken about 
such tilings, but lie would have to make good on the 
cow—that is. take her back or pay for any proven 
damage. An expert dairyman would not be likely 
to he caught in such a case, but a man who knows 
little about cows would better not buy without a 
written guarantee. 
O N page 413, in referring to inoculated sulphur, 
a mix-up of letters led to a curious error. It 
was stated that this form of sulphur is ground or 
powdered limestone. Of course what we intended 
to jfliut was limestone-sulphur. Most people would 
realize at once that this was tlie result of mixing 
letters a little, but for the sake of accuracy we 
make this correction. Many farmers are using 
ground limestone and also inoculated sulphur, and 
we want them all to realize that the two are en- 
tirelv different substances. 
W ll are likely to have a “boom" for milk goats, 
and we warn our readers beforehand not to 
get excited over the wood-box cow. We believe that 
the milk goat will surely have a large place in future 
dairying, hut there are some tilings which she can¬ 
not do. She cannot live on air or give milk on poor 
and musty hay and weeds. She is a clean and dainty 
animal, and must have good, well-balanced food. She 
will not give six quarts of milk a day and produce 
three kids each year which will sell at $100 each! 
It is a good goat that will average two quarts a 
day. She can keep happy and supply milk in a 
piano box and lier chief influence upon dairying will 
he found in supplying small families in suburban 
towns with their daily milk. This will be sure to 
interfere somewhat with the present milk distribu¬ 
tion. There will he enough of it done 10 years from 
row to have considerable effect upon the demand for 
cow's milk, As years go on we think the milking 
power of the goats will he developed, and much of 
the present prejudice against the animal will dis¬ 
appear. Breeding goats will he a sensible and fairly 
profitable business if the laws of supply and demand 
are considered. An extravagant “boom” will set the 
business hack for years. 
Referring to the “village bee bill.” many beekeepers 
have their hives located within 500 ft. of their own 
dwelling or cultivated gardens, and some with limited 
area are necessarily restricted in tlie placing of their 
hives, especially beekeepers in a small way. This bill 
does not discriminate between the man who keeps the 
bees and his neighbor since it reads, “any dwelling or 
cultivated garden.” It seems to me the joke will he 
on some of the beekeepers if they don't watch out. 
Massachusetts. w. i. jt. 
HE joke will certainly he on them. They will 
he “stung.” 'This is the hill we mentioned on 
page 174. We think it a foolish hill and it should 
he killed, yet it may pass unless the beekeepers come 
out of the hive and do a little stinging with pen or 
pencil. You all know the story of the colored team¬ 
ster in tlie South, lie was riding with a white man 
and they saw a bumblebee on a clover bloom. The 
driver took his long snake whip and with a ’quick 
jerk picked the bee with the point of his lash. A 
little further on they saw a hornet's nest well popu¬ 
lated. Said the white man: 
“John, can you hit that nest with your whip?” 
“I kin, hut I aint goiir ter.” 
“Why not?” 
“Well boss, there was only one of them bumble¬ 
bees. He had no support —but them hornets ore or¬ 
ganized .” 
Beekeepers, you would better organize and go 
after that bill, or first you know your little friend 
with the sweet mouth and the hot foot will he 
picked off! 
Jjs 
T HE l'. S. Senate, killed the bill to appropriate 
$50,000,000 for the purpose of helping farmers 
in tlie Northwest change from one-crop wheat to 
diversified farming. The money would have been 
advanced, not to pay old debts, but to purchase stock 
and tools needed for dairying or poultry culture. 
President Coolidge favored the plan, and it had gen¬ 
eral support from the West. The vote against it 
was 41 to 32. It was not a political question, but 
more a sectional issue. A Senator from the South 
presented an amendment calling for $25,000,000 to 
l>e loaned to Southern cotton farmers on the plea 
that they needed help as badly as the Western 
wheat growers. When this was voted down most 
of the Southern Senators turned against the bill 
and defeated it. This vote was not expected, for 
it was felt that those Northwestern farmers are in 
actual need, and that a change away from wheat 
growing would he of national benefit and therefore 
a national problem. 
* 
S EVERAL country storekeepers are asking about 
“nickel in the slot” machines which are being 
left in public places by agents. You drop a nickel 
in the slot and take a chance on getting a package 
of gum, a piece of jewelry or money. The ordinary 
machines where you get a piece of candy and know 
what is coming are straight enough, though you sel¬ 
dom get any bargain. These other machines are 
petty gambling devices, and the courts have held 
them to he such. A storekeeper surely takes a chance 
when he permits one in his store. This form of 
gambling is a menace to young people, and the court 
will usually take that view. A merchant who per¬ 
mits this practice in his store may gain some tran¬ 
sient trade, perhaps, but in the end he will lose 
more from the better class of people. 
Y OU would all be surprised to know how many 
cases like the following are presented to us for 
advice. A farmer in Northern New England is 74 
years old; still active, but with the unfailing signs 
that strength is leaving him. His wife is dead: 
there are no near relatives. He has a small farm, 
paid for. productive and reasonably profitable with 
hard work and good management. He has no other 
property except a small bank account. He has lived 
alone for some years. This man has come to fear 
“old age.” Such fanners often live long, and he has 
seen something of the bitterness of lingering on after 
strength 1ms gone. What shall he do? A farm in 
that neighborhood would bring but little—not 
enough in any safe investment to carry him through 
should he live as long as he expects. Besides, he has 
that feeling for tlie land which many of us can 
understand, and he wants to live his full life at 
“home.” He wants to know if he cannot find some¬ 
one who will agree to care for him through his life 
and take the farm as an equivalent. He can prob¬ 
ably find 100 who would “agree” to do that, but out 
of the number scarcely one would have the patience 
to see him through. We have investigated dozens of 
such cases; usually they present the most pitiful out¬ 
come. Plausible folks come, promising everything, 
and they induce the old folks to give them a deed to 
tlie farm, under an agreement to provide “a good 
living” in return. After a year or so they get weary 
<»f the bargain; keep the farm, but make life for the 
old people so unpleasant that what should be the 
crown of life becomes a torment. We earnestly beg 
our people not to enter into any such contract with 
strangers. X ever deed your farm away while you 
live. Keep control of it. and never enter into any 
such contract without consulting some honest busi¬ 
ness man or lawyer. What a powerful story could 
he written from some of the records of lives wrecked 
on the rocks of age which we have here! 
if. 
W E are all liable to error—especially when we 
try to make comparisons—but, personally, 
we think March 10. 1024 stands out as the biggest 
day New York farmers have yet known. We refer 
to the hearing at Albany on the school bill. The As¬ 
sembly Chamber was packed to the doors—old-timers 
tell us it was the largest gathering at a public hear¬ 
ing they ever knew. This gathering stood about 
two to one against the bill. It was a great volun¬ 
teer army of practical farmers ranged against a 
much smaller group of people, most of whom have 
no close contact with country living and would he 
benefited in a pecuniary way by the passage of the 
hill. Those farmers presented their case in a mas¬ 
terly way—strong because it was simple and sincere, 
and they made a profound impression. The day 
was what we call a big one because it shows what 
the New York fanner can do when he is willing to 
do it himself. It was a clear revival of the old-time 
farmers' spirit and independence. It means a new 
start in farm organization and leadership. We pre¬ 
dict that the farmers will now turn their volunteer 
army into a compact, well-dialled organization which 
will settle the school question and several others 
which now confront our country people. Watch 
them! 
Brevities 
Thews is an old proverb. “Beauty does not make the 
pot boil,” but it makes the dinner taste better. 
Some auto drivers who cannot remember the old 
days of equine traffic never did have horse sense. 
Remember that no man who owns or rents a piece of 
laud can give any valid reason why his family should 
not have all the rhubarb and asparagus it can eat—and 
some to give away. 
Thebe is some controversy among our readers as to 
who or what represents the water commissioners in a 
village. If the village is incorporated the village board 
is the water commissioners. If the village is not in¬ 
corporated the town board has the right to appoint 
water commissioners. 
Some time ago we spoke of a man on the sea coast who 
proposes to sell haled seaweed for poultry litter. One 
reader argues in favor of such a plan because it will 
produce iodine for the hen’s food. A more practical 
reader says: “In regards using seaweed for litter in 
poultry houses will say I have tried to my sorrow. As 
you know, salt means moisture, and once wet it will 
stay so.” 
One of our well-wishing readers sends us the follow¬ 
ing wish. We appreciate it: 
“1 pray the prayer the Easterners do, 
May the peace of Allah abide with you; 
Wherever you stay, wherever you go, 
May the beautiful palms of Allah grow. 
Through days of labor, and nights of rest. 
The love of good Allah make you blest; 
So I touch my heart—as the Easterners do,— 
May the peace of Allah abide with you.” 
