35o 
THE  RURAL  NEW-YORKER. 
May  28 
Value  of  Fafm  Lands. 
Rising'  in  Minnesota. 
H.  A.  S.,  Dundee, Minn. — TheR.  N.-Y. 
asks  whether  farm  lands  are  worth  more 
in  our  neighborhood  than  five  years  ago. 
About  six  years  ago  I  paid  $5  per  aere  for 
some  and  $6  per  acre  for  other  farm  land 
here,  and  only  a  few  days  ago  I  was 
offered  $50  per  acre  for  it.  Why  ?  Recause 
the  farmers  in  this  neighborhood  have 
learned  how  to  make  the  land  pay  for 
itself  even  at  the  latter  price  ;  while  10 
years  ago  a  great  many  got  land  for  noth¬ 
ing  and  had  to  leave  it  because  they  said 
they  could  not  make  a  living  on  it. 
Going:  Down  in  Orang'e  County,  N.  Y. 
W.  Hart,  Secretary  Walkill  Valley 
Farmers’  Club. — Farm  lands  in  the  Wall- 
kill  Valley,  10  miles  west  of  the  Hudson 
River,  are  selling  very  much  lower  than 
at  any  time  during  the  last  five  years. 
Many  farms  are  now  selling  at  from  $15 
to  $40  per  acre.  In  some  instances  city 
parties  have  bought  farms  that  suited 
their  fancy  at  $100  to  $150  per  acre,  but 
the  sales  of  such  properties  are  very  rare. 
Our  adjacent  villages  and  cities  are 
having  a  rapid  growth.  Our  farming 
communities  are  not  generally  prosper¬ 
ous,  largely  because  the  people  live  in  a 
style  far  beyond  their  means,  while  im¬ 
provements  are  neglected  or  entirely 
omitted,  and  the  farm  mortgage  is  steadily 
advancing  to  its  final  day  of  reckoning. 
Ju  cases  where  this  condition  has  closed 
out  the  homestead,  few  buyers  are  found 
and  usually  the  holder  of  the  claim  is  the 
purchaser.  Yet  the  old  farm  will  give 
its  bountiful  yield  of  food  products  and 
steadily  add  to  the  wealth,  comfort  and 
happiness  of  its  owner,  if  there  is  a  spirit 
of  contentment  and  adaptation  to  the 
position  in  which  he  is  situated. 
Let  a  love  of  rural  life  infuse  the  entire 
ambition  of  the  tiller  of  our  broad  acres, 
with  all  that  is  good,  pure  and  lovely  in 
the  calling.  Let  there  be  a  wise  outlay 
of  savings,  and  a  contented  spirit,  look¬ 
ing  daily  upon  the  ever-changing  land¬ 
scape,  with  a  realization  that  in  no  other 
situation  in  life  can  man  come  in  closer 
contact  and  touch  with  his  Creator,  and 
if  viewed  in  this  light,  farm  life  will  pre¬ 
sent  the  very  strongest  arguments  for  the 
realization  of  the  greatest  enjoyment  we 
can  secure  while  passing  through  the 
pilgrimage  of  life. 
A  Boom  in  Northern  Illinois. 
P.  II.  M.,  Plainfield,  III.— With  us 
farms  are  selling  much  more  readily  and 
at  an  advance  of  from  $5  to  $10  and  $15 
per  acre.  I  think  this  advance  is  largely 
due  to  an  increased  demand  at  paying 
prices  for  all  farm  products;  a  general 
feeling  among  farmers  that  adverse  leg¬ 
islation  is  not  the  cause  of  all  their 
troubles;  the  adoption  of  better  methods 
of  business,  better  cultivation  of  smaller 
areas,  thereby  getting  larger  crops;  bet¬ 
ter  acquaintance  of  individuals  with 
themselves  and  their  farms  resulting  in 
the  growing  of  crops  and  stock  more 
specially  adapted  to  the  capabilities  of 
the  farm  and  skill  of  the  owner;  a  closer 
attention  to  the  smaller  details  in  the 
management  of  the  farms;  in  fact,  a 
better  understanding  of  the  laws  of 
business,  agricultural  and  commercial, 
and  a  better  appreciation  of  the  privil¬ 
eges  and  comforts  of  a  life  on  the  farm. 
Very  few  strangers  have  bought  farms 
in  our  midst;  sales  have  been  principally 
from  one  farmer  to  another  from  a  differ¬ 
ent  part  of  the  township  or  country 
seeking  a  farm  and  surroundings  more 
congenial  to  his  tastes  and  the  specialty 
in  which  he  is  engaged  or  would  like  to  be 
Occasionally  a  farmer  sells  his  farm  to 
the  boys  and  moves  to  the  village;  syn¬ 
dicates  have  also  purchased  several  ad¬ 
joining  farms  near  some  of  our  towns, 
consolidating  them  for  stock-breeding  es¬ 
tablishments  or  manufacturing  sites,  and 
platting  a  portion  for  sale  in  town  lots. 
Yes,  I  beiieve  my  farm  is  a  better  in¬ 
vestment  for  me  now  at  the  quoted  ad¬ 
vance  in  price  than  it  was  five  years  ago; 
partly  because  of  my  better  knowledge 
of  its  possibilities,  the  advantages  of  the 
silo,  and  of  special  over  mixed  farming  ; 
the  better  prospect  for  remunerative 
prices  for  farm  products,  and  the  belief  in 
my  ability  to  produce  larger  crops  at  less 
cost  per  acre  than  I  could  have  done 
without  my  present  experience. 
•Affairs  in  Western  New  York. 
F.  E  Hotchkiss,  Oswego  Co.,  N.  Y. — 
Seven  years  ago  a  farm  of  75  acres  was 
sold  for  $60  per  acre.  Two  years  later  it 
was  sold  for  $50  per  acre.  Two  years 
ago  it  was  bought  back  by  the  former 
owner  at  $30  per  acre,  and  this  is  about 
the  market  price  of  it  to  day.  I  call  to 
mind  at  present  13  rented  farms  in  this 
immediate  vicinity,  all  but  one  of  which 
have  steadily  decreased  in  value.  On 
the  other  hand,  there  are  a  few  farms 
which  have  increased  in  value,  some  con¬ 
siderably.  There  are  farms  here  which 
could  not  be  bought  for  $100  per  acre, 
and  others  nearly  as  good  which  have 
been  sold  for  $40,  the  price  of  the  land 
depending  on  how  anxious  the  owner 
was  to  sell,  or  the  buyer  to  buy,  rather 
than  on  its  actual  value. 
Two  Notes. 
Henry  Stewart,  Macon  Co.,  N.  C. — 
There  is  no  opposition  on  my  part  against 
R.  F.  S.  in  regard  to  Crimson  Clover.  If 
he  can  grow  it  with  success  as  a  more 
profitable  crop  than  Red  Clover  I  shall 
be  pleased,  and  by  no  means  aggrieved. 
I  had  the  plant  growing  in  my  garden 
in  Monroe  County,  Pa.,  and  had  it 
bloom  nicely  in  the  spring  by  protecting 
it.  Rut  in  the  field  it  did  not  survive, 
and  it  will  probably  not  in  an  average 
winter  at  Pittsburgh,  Pa.  No  doubt  the 
snow  protected  it,  as  it  did  the  winter 
oats  of  J.  R  Phillips  mentioned  in  The 
R.  N.-Y.  of  May  7.  I  have  had  potatoes 
green  all  the  winter  that  came  out  green 
in  the  spring  in  northern  Michigan,  from 
under  a  deep  snow,  and  have  heard  of 
the  same  thing  happening  in  Canada,  but 
these  unusual  occurrences  are  like  the 
proverbial  swallow. 
There  is  no  secret  about  the  patent 
medicine  business.  For  25  cents  a  copy 
of  any  patent  granted  by  the  United 
States  will  be  given  to  any  applicant, 
and  for  this  reason  it  is  the  unpatented 
but  secretly  compounded  stuffs  that  the 
makers  object  to  give  an  account  of. 
Not  all  the  quack  medicines  are  patented 
and  probably  only  a  few  of  the  largely 
advertised  nostrums.  And  if  these  were 
accurately  described  to  the  public,  there 
would  be  a  great  surprise.  A  noted  and 
popular  eye-water  sold  in  enormous 
quantities  in  Europe  some  years  ago, 
when  analyzed,  was  found  to  be  pure 
water,  and  hence  its  effect  in  curing  sore 
eyes,  which  only  wanted  washing  in 
clean  water  to  be  made  whole. 
Notes  on  Poplars. 
Isaac  Hicks. — As  a  class,  trees  of  this 
kind  are  not  favorites  with  landscape 
gardeners,  but  they  are  not  without 
value,  if  not  fashionable ;  and,  if  not 
ornamental,  they  are  useful  for  their 
rapid  growth,  hardiness  and  low  price. 
Doubtless  the  cottonwood — P.  monili- 
fera — is  more  planted  in  the  West¬ 
ern  States  than  any  other  variety  of  the 
genus,  but  the  profusion  of  cottony 
down  falling  from  the  catkins  when  in 
bloom  is  a  serious  objection  if  near  the 
house.  In  my  opinion,  the  Balm-of- 
Gilead — P.  candicans — is  a  much  better 
tree  in  the  East,  and  is  very  common  in 
cultivation.  The  leaves  are  abundant, 
glossy  green,  and  of  better  form  than 
those  of  the  cottonwood.  Another  kind 
introduced  from  Europe  under  the  name 
of  Rlack  Italian  Poplar — P.  nigra — is 
also  a  rapid  grower,  of  erect  form  and 
smooth  bark,  but  deficient  in  leaves.  It 
is  abundantly  planted  in  many  places  as 
a  street  tree,  especially  in  those  booming 
cities,  as  its  straight  form,  rapid  growth 
and  low  price  create  a  demand  for  it,  and 
it  may  be  a  better  tree  for  the  purpose 
than  the  Silver  Maple.  I  have  been  much 
interested  in  watching  the  habits  of  the 
Japan  Poplar.  I  believe  it  is  a  recent  in¬ 
troduction.  and,  so  far,  the  tree  promises 
to  be  an  acquisition,  if  not  the  best  of 
this  class.  It  is  a  strong  grower,  with 
smooth  bark,  regular  in  shape,  and  the 
leaves  arc  sufficiently  abundant  to  make 
a  nice  shade,  and  far  better  than  the 
Abele  or  Silver  Poplar — P.  alba — the 
suckers  from  which  are  a  great  nuisance. 
There  are  other  varieties  of  more  or  less 
value,  but  not  equal  in  value  for  street 
planting  to  those  mentioned.  The  Aspen 
and  the  downy-leafed  varieties  are  of 
more  interest  to  the  botanist  than  to  the 
nurseryman. 
Southern  Ice  Cream  Trade. 
E.  E.  Rrown,  Schoharie  County,  N.  Y. 
— Concerning  the  latter  part  of  H.  Stew¬ 
art's  answer  on  page  305,  on  “Southern 
Dairymen  and  the  Ice  Cream  Trade;” 
while  the  makers  of  cheap  grades  of  ice 
cream  do  use  such  compounds  as  he  de¬ 
scribes,  manufacturers  of  a  first-class 
article  of  ice  cream  use  a  large  per  cent 
of  pure  cream,  and,  for  the  best,  abso¬ 
lutely  pure  cream.  I  can  give  T.  R.  II. 
the  address  'of  ice-cream  manufacturers 
in  the  South,  who  make  ice  cream  of  abso¬ 
lutely  pure  cream,  with  no  addition  but 
sugar  and  flavoring  extracts.  While  liv¬ 
ing  South,  I  sold  them  the  cream  and 
saw  it  made  up  more  than  once.  This 
they  called  ice  cream  ;  Mr.  Stewart's 
compound  they  called  frozen  custard. 
*  * 
ROOKS  FOR  FARMERS. — Free  cata¬ 
logue  sent  on  request  by  The  Rural 
Publishing  Company,  Times  Ruilding, 
New  York. 
$lt0reUanf0US!  ‘3Mrrrti0ittg. 
Ip  you  name  The  R.  N.-Y.  to  our  advertisers  you 
may  be  pretty  sure  of  prompt  replies  and  rlgb 
treatment. 
Tlio  Chief  Reason  for  the  great  success  of 
Hood’s  Sarsaparilla  is  found  in  the  fact  that 
Merit  Wins.  Hood’s  Sarsaparilla  is  the  best 
blood  purifier  and  actually  accomplishes  all  that 
is  claimed  for  it.  Prepared  by  C.  I.  Hood  &  Co., 
Apothecaries,  Lowell,  Mass.  Sold  by  druggists. 
»SoothihQ 
Healing^ 
PehetratihQ 
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,V*  ORIGINATED  ‘-/f 
\> 
For  INTERNAL  as  much  as  EXTERNAL  use. 
JOHNSON’S 
Anodyne  Liniment 
Dropped  on  Sugar,  Children  Dove  If. 
Every  Traveler  should  have  a  bottle  of  it  in  his  satchel. 
Acts  promptly.  Always  ready  to  use,  for  Coughs,  Colds, 
Sore  Throat,  Tonsilitis,  Colic,  Cramps  and  Pains.  Re¬ 
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Cures  Croup,  Asthma,  Catarrh,  Bronchitis,  Cholera- 
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Stiff  Muscles  or  strains.  Inhale  for  Nervous  Headache. 
Ill’st’d  Pamphlet  free.  Sold  everywhere.  Price  35 cts. 
FRUIT 
Different  sizes  and 
THE  BLTMYKK 
EVAPORATOR 
THE  ZIMMERMAN 
The  Standard  Machine 
prices.  Illnstrated  Catalogue  free. 
IKON  WORKS  CO..  Cincinnati.  O. 
GENUINE  PHILADELPHIA 
Lawn  Mower. 
HAND  SIZES  10  TO  20  INCHES. 
BOTH  OPEN  AND  SOLID  CYLINDERS. 
PONY  AND  HORSE  30  AND  36  INCHES. 
DAWN  SWEEPERS  and  GRASS  EDGERS. 
GRAHAM,  EMLEN  &  PASSMORE, 
631  Market  St.,  Philadelphia,  Penn. 
The  ROCKER  WASHER 
has  proved  the  most  satis¬ 
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washing  of  100  pieces  in 
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can  he  washed  on  the 
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prices  and  full  description. 
ROCKER  WISHER  GO., 
Fort  Wayne,  Ind. 
Liberal  Inducements  to 
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J.I.CaseT.M.  Go., 
RACINE,  WISCONSIN. 
MANUFACTURERS  OF 
Ironsides  “Agitator” 
THRESHERS. 
( Dingee )  Woodbury  SweepPowers, 
Tread  Powers  and  Saw  Frames, 
Swinging  Stackers, 
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Saw  Mills, 
Portable,  Traction  and  Skid 
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Catalogue  Mailed  FREE. 
IDEAL  In  Name 
and  In  Fact. 
WIND  MILL 
and  Three  Post 
STEEL  TOWER. 
The  LATEST  and  BEST. 
Civno  8-9-12  ft.  Geared, 
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TOWERS,  80,  40,  50  60-ft. 
Mills  with  or  without  graphite 
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STOVER  MFC.  CO.. 
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Farqakar’s  Standard  Engine*  and  Saw  Hills. 
Send  for  Catalogue.  Portable,  Sta¬ 
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Ad&reM  A.  1.  FJJt^UHAS  *  SOI,  lark,  Pa, 
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DIXON  S  SILICA  GRAPHITE  PAINT 
Water  will  run  from  it  pure  and  clean .  It  covers  double 
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FENCING 
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