1028 
‘Ibt RURAL NEW-YORKER 
July 2G, 1924 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER’S PAPER 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban llomcn 
Established <SS0 
Published weekly by the Rural Publishing: Company, 333 West 80th Street,New Varfc 
Herbert W. Collingwood, President and Editor. 
John .1. Dillon, Treasurer and General Manager. 
Wm. F. Dillon, Secretary. Mrs. E. T. IIoyle, Associate Editor. 
L. H. Murphy, Circulation Manager. 
SUBSCRIPTION : ONE DOLLAR A YEAR 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2 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 j 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 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 transaction, and to identify it, you should mention The Rural New- 
Yorker when writing the advertiser. 
I T has been suggested that New England farmers 
could with profit go back to raising oats, as they 
formerly did. We doubt it. We think Soy beans 
will pay much better. There is more feeding value 
in an acre of Soy beans and, when they are properly 
inoculated, considerable plant food will be added to 
the soil. We doubt if 10 per cent of the oats grown 
in New York and New England are ever grown at a 
profit. 
* 
T HE radio is generally regarded as such a won¬ 
derful thing that he who would even suggest 
any criticism or possible danger from it will be 
looked upon as a heretic. Yet some of our wise men 
are predicting that it will lead to what they call 
standardization of thought. What they mean is that 
this wholesale method of distributing news and in¬ 
formation will, if long continued, kill off that fine 
quality which we call initiative or originality. It is 
quite possible that in the future practically all news 
or public information will be presented through the 
moving picture and the radio. That will surely 
mean public education by an interested and dom¬ 
inant class. It will lead to a public so well trained 
that almost any thought presented to them will be 
accepted. All this has already had much influence 
upon magazines and newspapers. No one can claim 
that they are as strong or original or as influential 
as they were 20 years ago. Standardized shoes 
or wagons or cars may be desirable but the nation 
needs more originality of thought in its men and 
women. 
* 
A EEW years ago farmers were interested in the 
little gas engines which were used to operate the 
working parts of farm machinery. Such an engiue 
would weigh about as much as a good-sized man. It 
would sit just back of the driver, reach out a steel 
arm and move the working parts of a binder or a 
]>otato digger with the strength of several horses. 
When nicely adjusted it would do this work so well 
that about all the horses had to do was to pull the 
dead weight of the machine. Many a time in those 
days, in a wet season, the heavy machine would sink 
into the mud so that the team could hardly pull it, 
and could not give power enough to work the parts. 
It was thought that these steel hired men were to be 
permanent fixtures on such machinery as binders, 
diggers, manure spreaders and the like. Rut some¬ 
how they have all disappeared. They did good ser¬ 
vice, and in their day were indispensable, but the 
modern tractor has displaced them. They are not 
needed when the extra power of the tractor is util¬ 
ized. The power of the little steel hired man is out 
of date when the gigantic arm of the tractor reaches 
over and carries the load. It is just another case 
of the application of power to farm machinery. Our 
grandchildren will no doubt see a central farm sta¬ 
tion taking electrical power out of the air and trans¬ 
mitting it by wireless to plow, harrow, binder, dig¬ 
ger or what not. Perhaps, too, the current will be 
used for killing insects and other pests, and produc¬ 
ing nitrogen for fertilizer. Who knows what won¬ 
ders are coming? 
5k 
UR reports on the potato crop show that the 
early planting was larger than usual, with a 
crop somewhat above requirements. Prices have not 
been satisfactory. As we have often pointed out, the 
demand for potatoes has fallen off slightly in the 
cities. This is largely due to changes in diet. It is 
without question that many people in New York 
City are eating less potatoes and more leafy veg¬ 
etables, like lettuce and spinach. A number of res¬ 
taurants are opening where nothing but macaroni is 
served. No one can question the fact that all these 
things are affecting the potato market. They already 
have something to do with lower prices. As for the 
late crop, our reports show that there will be a re¬ 
duction in acreage and a comparatively short crop. 
It is not possible at this time to make any accurate 
forecasts ,but just now it looks like better prices for 
the Fall crop. Much the same is true of wheat and 
some other staple farm products. It does not appear 
that the country can now produce “bumper crops,” 
and that will be to the advantage of farmers. 
* 
M'ONG the numberless questions put to us dur¬ 
ing each year the following is a sample of one 
frequently repeated: 
Does a retired minister have to pay taxes on real 
estate valued at $2,000, and, if not, would you please 
tell me how to help him not to? M. B. 
New York. 
There seems to be a mix-up regarding the rights 
of the clergy in this respect. The tax law provides 
as follows: The real and personal property of a 
minister of the gospel or priest of any denomination 
being an actual resident and inhabitant of this State, 
who is engaged in the work assigned to him by the 
church or denomination to which he belongs, or who 
is disabled by impaired health from the performance 
of such duties, or over 70 years of age, and the prop¬ 
erty of the widow of such minister while she remains 
such and is an actual resident and inhabitant of this 
State, but the total amount of such exemption on 
account of both real and personal property shall not 
exceed $1,500. Thus thei-e would be an exemption of 
$1,500 in the case noted. 
* 
AST week we printed a correspondence regard¬ 
ing the raid of a company of gas-burners who 
helped themselves to flowers. This was a vei-y mild 
case compared with many, but there has been so 
much high-handed robbery by these gas-burners that 
farmers are justified in raising a disturbance. Some 
of these people are entirely without any respect for 
property rights. They are plain thieves at heart and 
with hand, and no physical punishment is too much 
for them. Our advice is to make it hot for such auto 
hogs. On the other hand, there ai - e respectable and 
honest people who desexwe the best of treatment. 
The other day a car stopped in front of our house 
under a cherry tree. It is a seedling, but the fruit 
is of fair quality. The man in the car wanted to 
know our price for all the cherries on that tree! "We 
made him a low price and he came back with the en¬ 
tire family and picked the fruit. In fox-mer years 
people have come with hatchets and cut or bi'oken off 
great limbs—carrying them away in their cars to 
strip at their leisui-e. We would welcome decent 
people. They would be welcome to surplus flowers 
if they would act like x-easonable beings, but when 
they come like thieves and help themselves without 
asking leave it is time to get busy. We advise or¬ 
ganizing by communities, fully posting the land and 
all turning out on call to give these auto hogs a les¬ 
son that they will not forget for one season at least. 
Since the above was written we learn of a case 
near Utica, N. Y., where a man was killed in a straw¬ 
berry patch. This man seems to have been an auto 
hog. He stopped his car, entered the patch with¬ 
out permission and px-oceeded to help himself to 
fruit. The owner saw him and appax-ently without 
a w.ox* *d of warning came up and shot him dead. 
One of oxxr readers wants to start a fund to raise 
money needed to defend this farmer. We want all 
the particulars about this case before we start any¬ 
thing of that sort. Even an auto hog should have a 
fair chance. 
* 
N May, 1920, one issue of Liberty bonds fell in 
price to 82—or IS points below par. At that 
time a certain man had a few of these bonds which 
he bought during the war—largely from patriotic 
motives. He had accumulated a little money and 
came to us asking how he could invest it. We ad¬ 
vised buying all the Liberty bonds that he could get 
at S2 or anywhere below 90. This man burst into 
a bitter tirade against the Government, claiming 
that it had already cheated him out of 18 per cent 
of his money. He seemed to have lost all faith in 
the power of these bonds to come back to par. He 
would not listen to reason. An agent for the sale 
of stock in some wildcat investment got after him, 
px-omising or “guaranteeing” 15 per cent profit. The 
result was that this man turned over his bonds at 
82 and handed the agent all his cash in exchange 
for this stock. Today it is worth nothing and never 
will be worth a dollar. The only value it ever had 
was as bait for suckers. This issue of Liberty bonds 
is now quoted at 102 and will, in our opinion, go 
close to 110 before maturity. If this man had shown 
patriotic faith in the strength of this Government, 
he could have made 20 points or nearly 25 per cent 
profit instead of losing his money. We fully believe 
in these Government bonds as an investment for 
people of limited means and still more limited 
knowledge of financial matters. One fundamental 
reason for the financial strength of the French na¬ 
tion is the fact that practically all the French people 
invest in national securities. Far better stay down 
on the ground than attempt “fliers” in Wall Street 
* 
W E are having some complaints from beekeep¬ 
ers who claim that poisoned dust is more 
dangerous to their bees than liquid spray. The dust 
seems to stick better and hang to the foliage longer. 
It also sifts in and over the clover and other flow¬ 
ers in the orchard so that the bees are more likely 
to reach the poison. This is a new argument against 
dust; at least we have noit had it seriously advanced 
before this year. What are the facts? Is it true 
that the dust is deadly to bees? 
5k 
Mr. Kirkland, Member of Assembly from Cattaraxxgus 
Go., N. Y., wants to be senator from this district. I 
do not think he deserves to be promoted. Can you tell 
me anything about his vote on the rural school bill and 
the insane bill, appropriating $50,000,000 for insane 
buildings? Russell Woodward of Stockton, Chautau¬ 
qua County is a candidate. He is a bright, keen young 
man. A good talker, master of Chautauqua County 
Pomona Grange and a school teacher of good repute. 
He opposed the rural school bill at the State Grange 
at Buffalo last Winter. a. j. s. 
HE school bill did not come to a vote in the As¬ 
sembly. It pased the State Senate by a strictly 
party vote 26 to 25 but in the Assembly the bill 
never got out of committee. There is no question 
about the fact that Mr. Kirkland sti'ongly favored 
the bill. He was one of the half dozen Republican 
members who tried to force the bill through against 
the judgment of the others. Should he be promoted 
to the Senate he would undoubtedly favor the bill 
next year. His election might fairly be accepted as 
evidence that the voters of Cattaraugus and Chau¬ 
tauqua counties are in favor of the bill, when in 
reality they oppose it. We do not see how any 
farmer who opposes the bill can vote for Mr. Kirk¬ 
land. If he does he will simply put the saddle on 
his own back. Farmers have been doing that too 
long. It is time they gave some of the galled spots 
a chance to heal. 
?k 
What do you know about goat milk? I am thinking 
very much of welling my cows and producing goat milk, 
which I heard from a reliable veterinary I could seil 
to a hospital in Cleveland, O. 1 live 28 miles from 
there. Would you advise me if it pays? rea der, 
E have quite a number of letters like this. It 
seems that some dairymen, disgusted with 
the present outlook for selling cow’s milk, think they 
can stock up with goats and make a small fortune. 
It is true that goats’ milk is sometimes sold at a 
high price to hospitals or for baby feeding, but we 
do not know of any place where a reasonable quan¬ 
tity of it could be sold today. The market would 
have to be developed. This man should not sell his 
cows and buy goats on a mere rumor that there is 
a demand for the milk. Let him make sure that he 
can sell it at a profit before he changes. There may 
be, hei'e and there, a man who has made a profit at 
keeping goats. This profit is usually made, not by 
selling milk, but by handling breeding stock. The 
New York Experiment Station tried a flock of goats 
and concluded that the cost of producing a quart of 
goat’s milk was greater than that of a quart of 
cow’s milk. No one will deny the healthfulness of 
goat’s milk, or many of the claims made for these 
useful little animals. They have their place in the 
daix-y world, but they will not bi*ing any fortune 
where a cow dairy barely pays expenses. 
Brevities 
Have you not got tired of letting “George do it”? 
How many of the State Regents of the Educational 
Department can you name offhand? 
How do the candidates for the Assembly in your 
county stand on the rural school bill? 
Take this from me, nearsighted men, take note before 
it passes: Don’t ever sign a document unless you have 
your glasses. 
Game protectors report that the wildcat crop in parts 
of New York is lai-ger than ever before. Some big ones 
have been killed. 
Drainings from the crank case will speed up the 
passing of hog lice. Smear this stuff over a sack wound 
about a post in the hogyard and the hogs will do the 
rest. 
