246 
Editorial Page of the 
American Agriculturist, October 11, 1924 
A m eric an A gric ulturi s t 
American 
Agriculturist 
Founded 1842 
Henry Morgenthau, Jr 
E. R. Eastman 
Fred W. Ohm . 
Mrs. G. E. Forbush 
Birge Kinne . 
E. C. Weatherby. 
contributing staff 
Jared Van Wagenen, Jr. G. T. Hughes 
Publisher 
Editor 
Associate Editor 
Household Editor 
Advertising Manager 
Circulation Manager 
H. E. Cook 
OUR ADVERTISEMENTS GUARANTEED 
The American Agriculturist accepts only advertising 
which it believes to be thoroughly honest. 
We positively guarantee to our readers fair and honest treat¬ 
ment in dealing with our advertisers. 
We guarantee to refund the price of goods purchased by 
our subscribers from any advertiser who fails to make good 
when the article purchased is found not to be as advertised. 
To benefit by this guarantee subscribers must say: “I saw 
your ad in the American Agriculturist” when ordering 
from our advertisers. 
Published Weekly by 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, INC. 
Address all correspondence for editorial, advertising, _or subscription de¬ 
partments to 
461 Fourth Ave., New York, N. Y„ 
Entered as Second-Class Matter, December 15, 1922, at the Post Office 
at New York, N. Y., under the Act of March 3, 1879. 
Subscription price, payable in advance, $1 a year, $2 for three 
years, $3 for five years. Canadian and foreign, $2 a year. 
VOL. 114 October 11, 1924 No. 15 
Announcement 
W E are enthusiastic over being able to 
announce the addition to our editorial staff 
of nine men who are, perhaps,, the best editors and 
writers on farm subjects in America. 
For some time American Agriculturist has 
belonged to a group of farm journals known as the 
Standard Farm Papers. This organization, work¬ 
ing together for the common good of the American 
farmer, has over a million circulation. The names 
of the papers in the group, together with their 
editors, are as follows: 
The Farmer 
Wallace’s Farmer 
Progressive Farmer 
Pacific Rural Press 
Nebraska Farmer 
Wisconsin Agriculturist 
Prairie Farmer 
Hoard’s Dairyman 
Breeders’ Gazette 
American Agriculturist 
D. A. Wallace 
H. A. Wallace 
Clarence Poe 
Donald Keefer 
T. A. Leadley 
John Cunningham 
C. V. Gregory 
A. J. Glover 
DeWitt C. Wing 
E. R. Eastman 
At a recent meeting we all agreed that the editors 
of these papers should become a contributing staff 
to the other papers in the group. Thus, with one 
act, American Agriculturist is able to offer you 
editorial thought, observations and writings that 
cannot be duplicated by any other publication 
outside of this group in America. 
Space will not allow us to expand in any detail 
upon the experience and qualifications of these 
editors, but we might, for example, mention that 
before long we will be able to offer you an article 
by Dan A. Wallace, the brother of the Secretary 
of Agriculture, an editor who is known and loved 
by farm people throughout the Northwest as a 
fearless champion of the farmers’ cause. As a part 
of this program the Secretary of Agriculture 
himself, Mr. Id. C. Wallace, will contribute an 
article in March on “The Farmers’ Interest in 
Foreign Trade.” 
In November there will be one by Samuel 
McKelvie, the publisher pf Nebraska Farmer. 
The subject of Mr. McKelvie’s article will be 
“The Farmers’ Interest in Government.” Mr. 
McKelvie knows wherewith he speaks, for the 
Nebraska farmers liked him well enough to elect 
him Governor of Nebraska. 
During October there will be an article entitled 
“How Farmers Are Reducing Their Tax Bills,” 
by C. V. Gregory, editor of Prairie Farmer, one of 
the best farm papers in America. 
These are only a few of the subjects we have in 
store for you. Announcements of other subjects 
from this editorial staff will appear in an early 
issue. The best of it all is that not only are we 
able to furnish you writings from the best informed 
group of men, but we have joined these farm papers, 
with over a million farmers back of us, to work 
together on a united program for the advancement 
of the farmers’ interests. 
Farm Taxes in Pennsylvania 
R EAL estate owners in Pennsylvania own less 
than one-half of the taxable property in the 
State, yet they pay over four times as much tax 
as do the other property owners. 
Farmers are real estate owners whose property 
never escapes the assessor. Farmers do not want 
to escape, but they do not want the other fellow to 
escape either. It is only common justice that the 
tax burden be equitably distributed, yet this is far 
from being the case at the present time. 
The Pennsylvania tax law, like that of most of 
the other States, badly needs overhauling to make 
it apply more fairly to farm property. 
The Pennsylvania Farmer very properly asks 
the question, “How does your candidate for the 
legislature stand on this problem for improving 
tax legislation?” Before election and not after, 
is the time to get his answer. 
Deer in New Jersey 
T HE sight of even one deer in old Tioga County, 
where we were born and raised, would cause 
considerable wonder among farmers for weeks. 
Yet there are well settled counties in New Jersey 
where deer have become so numerous as to be a 
serious pest. At a recent meeting, which we 
attended, of New Jersey farmers, several of them 
testified how the deer had entered their orchards 
and eaten off the new growth, causing thousands 
of dollars’ damage. 
Left to themselves, without any help from the 
State, deer gradually disappeared in practically 
all sections of the East, except in the mountains. 
But of late years it has been the policy of the 
State to preserve and protect game with the result 
that there are sections like a few counties in New 
Jersey where there are now more deer probably 
than there were before the country was cleared. 
This makes it fine for the sportsman, and bad for 
the farmer who depends upon his orchard and 
crops for a livelihood. The law in New Jersey 
allows a man to kill a deer on his own premises 
providing he turns the carcass over to the au¬ 
thorities. The farmers state that it is practically 
impossible to kill them. They seem to flourish on 
apple trees sprayed with poison and the average 
farmer cannot get close enough to make much im¬ 
pression upon them with a gun. 
After sojne discussion, the farm organizations in 
New Jersey recently voted to ask the State 
legislature for a law compensating the farmer for 
any damage caused by deer. This is probably as 
good a solution as any, and yet it will be very 
difficult to find any practical way to estimate 
damage. 
As one farmer put it: “How is anyone going to 
figure the amount of damage caused by deer who 
set an entire orchard back a year or more by 
eating off the new growth?” 
Radio Is Coming 
A CCORDING to the United States Depart- 
L ment of Agriculture, there are, this year, 
three times as many radios on farms as there were 
last year. It is estimated that farmers own at 
least 370,000 sets. The reason for this rapid in¬ 
crease is thought to be in the fact that farmers 
have begun to appreciate the great practical value 
of the radio in addition to its entertainment 
attractions. 
Many of the broadcasting stations now are 
doing much in putting in their program with the 
entertainment, much educational information in 
the way of lectures on literature, music and science. 
Several of the stations also are broadcasting 
market reports which farmers find particularly 
valuable at this time of the year. 
In cooperation with the Department of 
Agriculture and the State Department of Farms 
and Markets, the American Agriculturist is 
broadcasting the latest market reports on Tues¬ 
day, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The 
hour of broadcasting is 11:50 a. in., standard time. 
You will note that this has been changed from 
10:50 to 11:50, which will make it a more satis¬ 
factory hour for farmers to listen in. Much time 
and effort is made in getting these latest market, 
reports and they should be very valuable to all 
those who want to get their products on the 
market at the time when the market is in the 
best condition to receive them. 
On every Wednesday evening at 7:50 p. m. the 
American Agriculturist, cooperating with 
WEAF, broadcasts a farm talk. In more than 
a year that we have been doing ! this we have 
tried to bring you a great variety of speakers and 
addresses. Moreover, because thousands of city 
people listen in, we have carried to them also a 
great deal of information about farm problems. 
We hope that you are listening in and that you 
will drop us a line giving us suggestions as to 
what you like and do not like in these radio talks. 
Our Job is to Serve 
W E publish a letter like that which follows 
below not from any motives of self-satis¬ 
faction, but from the deep sense of responsibility 
which it gives us to so publish and edit the Amer¬ 
ican Agriculturist that it may continue to be 
received as an influence for good in the thousands 
of farm homes into which it goes. 
Forty-three years ago we named our youngest child Orange 
Judd Deffenbaugh because we thought there was no farm 
paper like the American Agriculturist and its editor, 
Orange Judd. This son, O. J. Deffenbaugh, is Pullman con¬ 
ductor on the Pennsylvania line from Pittsburgh to New 
York, making two trips every five days. We also have the 
picture “Strawberry Girl” hanging in our dining-room which 
we got ten years before from Orange Judd when our first¬ 
born was a babe (a daughter), who is now the wife of the 
present Congressman from the 11th Ohio District, Edwin D. 
Ricketts. 
Somehow I am persuaded that the American Agricultur¬ 
ist has been a great benefit to me and my family. One of my 
boys is the equal of any farmer in his neighborhood. Another 
is the equal of any lawyer in Lancaster, the birthplace of 
John and W. T. Sherman. 
Enclosed find check for which please send papers to my 
address as above. Success to the American Agriculturist. 
Isaiah Deffenbaugh, 
Lancaster, Fairfield Co., Ohio, 
119 West Allen Street. 
Eastman’s Chestnuts 
I F you knew all I have to stand over these 
attempts at “would be” humor, you would at 
least sympathize with me even if you can find 
nothing to laugh at. Many and varied are the 
endearing terms that members of the American 
Agriculturist’s staff have applied to these 
“chestnuts.” Associate Editor Ohm smiles a 
polite smile when I call his attention to one, and 
immediately asks me if I mean it for a joke. 
“If so,” says he, “you’d better label it!” Then 
when I get a particularly good one, I go and read 
it to the Household Editor and ask her if it is not 
a dandy. “Yes,” she says, looking me innocently 
in the eyes, “but would you mind telling me what 
the point is? ” That is all right. They say a whole 
lot of women have no sense of humor any way. 
Then again it is slightly disconcerting to read one 
of the “chestnuts” to the publisher of A. A., 
expecting to get a laugh, only to have him look at 
me rather pityingly and ask if I don’t think that is 
pretty “wormy.” 
However, once in a while I get even. Do you 
remember the one I told in the September 27th 
issue on what the politicians said about women 
being more honest than men? Well, I got that 
story from our publisher. I thought it was pretty 
good and NEW ALSO. So after I had written 
it up I read it to the Household Editor. When I 
finished she smiled a sickly smile and said, “My 
goodness, is the publisher telling that old gag 
again? I’ve heard him get that off dozens of 
times way back in the Harding-Cox campaign 
years ago!” 
