39o 
THE  RURAL  NEW-YORKER. 
June  11 
Odds  and  Ends. 
Fighting  Horses. — As  is  well  known, 
many  horses  will  fight  with  great  skill 
and  courage  when  once  thoroughly  pro¬ 
voked.  The  writer  once  witnessed  a  fight 
between  a  mustang  and  a  bull  in  which 
the  latter  was  beaten.  We  have  authen¬ 
tic  records  of  a  Canadian  pony  that  at¬ 
tacked  and  killed  a  bear  that  had  sur¬ 
prised  its  master.  In  India  animal  fights 
are  in  great  favor  and  none  are  more  ex¬ 
citing  than  those  between  horses.  Mr. 
Rudyard  Kipling  has  this  to  say  about 
this  fighting: 
Presently  a  bay  Galloway  and  a  black 
pony  danced  out,  dragging  their  attend¬ 
ants  after  them,  at  the  end  of  a  long 
rope.  The  instant  they  were  let  go,  they 
ran  open-mouthed  at  each  other;  then 
turned  tail  to  tail  and  kicked  savagely 
for  five  minutes — the  black  suffering 
most.  Then  after  the  manner  of  horses 
all  the  world  over,  they  turned  round 
and  closed;  each  striking  with  his  fore 
feet  and  striving  to  fix  his  teeth  in  the 
other’s  crest.  They  squealed  shrilly  as 
they  boxed  and  finally  rose  on  end — a 
magnificent  sight — locked  in  each  other’s 
arms.  The  bay  loosening  his  hold  on 
the  black’s  poll,  made  a  snatch  at  the 
black’s  near  fore  leg,  which  was  at  once 
withdrawn.  Roth  then  dropped  to  the 
ground  together  and  kicked  and  bit  at 
close  quarters  till  the  bay  fled  with  the 
black  after  him  through  the  crowd. 
Buffaloes  fight  like  men,  and  rams  like 
fools;  but  horses  fight  like  demons  with 
keen  enjoyment  and  much  skill. 
Montana  Potatoes. —  There  are  no 
such  potatoes  in  the  world  as  are  grown 
in  Montana.  They  attain  prodigious  size, 
and  often  weigh  three,  four,  or  five 
pounds  apiece.  Eighteen  such  potatoes 
make  a  bushel.  To  the  taste  they  are 
like  a  new  vegetable.  The  larger  ones 
are  mealy,  but  the  smaller  ones  are  like 
sacks  of  meal ;  when  the  skin  is  broken 
the  meat  falls  out  like  flour.  It  must 
very  soon  become  the  pride  of  every 
steward  in  the  first-grade  hotels,  restau¬ 
rants  and  clubs  of  the  cities  here — and 
even  in  Europe — to  prepare  these  most 
delicious  vegetables  for  those  who  enjoy 
good  living — Harper’s  Magazine. 
We  have  tried  these  potatoes  Two 
years  ago  a  number  were  sent  to  New 
York  as  illustrations  of  Montana  possi¬ 
bilities.  They  were  very  large  and 
smooth,  but  not  of  best  quality  as  few 
very  large  potatoes  are  apt  to  be.  A 
Rural  Blush  Potato  grown  on  light  soil 
with  chemical  fertilizers  will,  for  quality, 
beat  any  big  Montana  tuber  that  ever 
grew ! 
Who’s  “Authority”  on  Ensilage. — 
There  are  still  lots  of  people  who  claim 
that  ensilage  is  “no  good.”  To  prove 
their  .  assertions  they  bring  statements 
and  figures  from  chemists  and  others 
who  have  analyzed  the  ensilage,  etc. 
The  answer  of  the  silo  man  is  that  the 
cows  like  the  ensilage,  and  if  they  are 
satisfied  he  doesn’t  care  a  cent  what  the 
professors  say.  Mr.  J.  S.  Woodward,  at 
the  institutes,  tells  this  story  to  illustrate 
this  point : 
Smith  owned  a  jackass,  and  kept  him 
in  his  stable.  One  morning  Brown  called 
at  Smith’s  house  and  asked  Smith  to  loan 
him  the  use  of  his  long-eared  quadruped. 
Smith  swore  that  he  had  just  lent  him  to 
Jerry  Simpson,  was  very  sorry,  because 
it  would  delight  him  more  than  to  eat  a 
Thanksgiving  turkey  to  be  able  to  ac¬ 
commodate  his  neighbor  Brown.  Just  as 
Brown  was  about  to  take  his  departure, 
Mr.  Jack  thrust  his  ears  through  the 
open  stable  window  and  brayed  a  “bray” 
that  would  have  knocked  out  Baalam’s 
balker  the  first  round.  “There,”  said 
Brown,  “  is  your  jackass,  now  ;  I  thought 
you  said  jrou  had  just  lent  him  to  Jerry 
Simpson.”  Smith  looked  over  his  shoul¬ 
der,  and,  seeing  the  ears  and  hearing  the 
bray,  said,  “  Well,  if  you  want  to  believe 
that  confounded  old  jackass  instead  of 
me,  you  and  I  are  through  with  busi¬ 
ness.”  Then  Brown  went  home. 
The  vegetarian  philosophy  wars  with 
the  plan  of  the  universe.  Man  was  made 
a  carnivorous  animal.  He  is  a  flesh- 
eater.  His  teeth  prove  it.  If  it  had  been 
intended  that  he  should  live  by  grass 
alone  he  would  have  no  more  upper 
teeth  than  the  herbivorous  cow. — The 
Breeder’s  Gazette. 
The  above  are  comments  by  the  paper 
named,  on  a  statement  made  by  Dr. 
Tanner,  who  announces  himself  a  vege¬ 
tarian.  Our  contemporary  may  be  all 
right  as  to  the  advisability  of  eating  ani¬ 
mal  food,  but  is  wrong  in  asserting  that 
man’s  teeth  prove  him  to  be  a  carnivor¬ 
ous  animal.  How  about  the  horse?  Why 
has  he  upper  teeth?  Certainly  not  for 
the  purpose  of  eating  meat. 
Naming  Animals. — It  is  a  good  thing 
to  have  a  name  for  every  animal  on  the 
farm.  The  children  generally  take  de¬ 
light  in  assigning  names  to  their  favor¬ 
ites.  Almost  every  animal  has  some  in¬ 
dividuality  that  earns  it  a  characteristic 
name.  On  farms  where  there  are  many 
animals,  it  is  often  difficult  to  find  names 
for  all.  It  is  not  a  bad  idea  to  interest 
the  children  in  their  studies  by  urging 
them  to  pick  out  historical  or  scientific 
names  for  their  pets.  The  writer  once  had 
the  naming  of  a  herd  of  over  100  calves 
and  yearlings.  He  gave  them  the  names 
of  Shakespearean  characters,  and  found 
it  an  excellent  way  to  fix  the  incidents 
of  Shakespeare’s  plays  firmly  in  mind. 
"Some  of  the  other  hired  men  would  per¬ 
sist  in  mixing  things  up,  as  “  See  that 
Hamlet ;  she's  doing  well !  ”  Sometimes 
some  very  good  hits  are  made  in  thus 
naming  animals  after  prominent  persons. 
The  London  Live  Stock  Journal  tells  this 
little  story : 
We  may  give  the  comment  of  a  York¬ 
shire  coachman — whose  mistress  deter¬ 
mined  to  call  a  pair  just  sent  from  the 
jobmaster,  “Moody  and  Sankey,”  “  ’Tain’t 
much  of  a  compliment,  ma’am,”  was  the 
rejoinder;  “one  horse  is  a  whistler  and 
t’other’s  a  roarer.” 
Many  children  name  the  pets  that  are 
dear  to  them  after  friends  that  they  love. 
We  think  this  is  a  beautiful  habit,  though 
sometimes  the  pretty  little  kitten  will 
grow  up  to  be  a  horrible  old  cat  and 
bring  shame  to  its  namesake. 
Ostrich  Farming. — Mr.  Edwin  Caw- 
ston,  of  Los  Angeles  County,  Cal.,  writes 
the  Rural  Press  about  his  little  ostrich 
farm.  He  has  20  acres  of  land  ;  eight  in 
fruit  trees,  between  which  he  grows 
sugar  beets  and  corn,  and  the  remainder 
in  Alfalfa.  He  has  49  birds  now  and  can 
grow  beets  and  Alfalfa  enough  to  feed 
100.  Eight  pairs  or  trios  are  kept  for 
breeding — each  set  in  a  pen  100  by  150 
feet.  The  balance,  except  those  under 
six  months,  run  together  in  a  field  of 
about  one  acre.  Four  pounds  of  Alfalfa 
hay,  cut  and  moistened,  is  the  daily 
ration  except  for  laying  birds  which  have 
one  pound  of  corn  each  in  addition. 
When  feeding  beets,  10  pounds  make  a 
daily  ration.  The  eggs  are  hatched  in 
incubators.  Mr.  Cawston  does  all  the 
work  himself.  When  the  birds  are  to  be 
plucked  they  are  driven  into  a  pen  3x6 
feet  and  a  hood  is  pulled  over  their  heads. 
The  chicks  are  plucked  at  six  months  of 
age  and  every  seven  months  thereafter. 
The  annual  product  from  a  full-grown 
LONG  MAY  IT  WAVE! 
Every  man  and  boy,  and  woman,  too, 
who  is  a  true  American,  loves  that  good 
old  flag  as  the  emblem  of  what  is  best  in 
government.  The  principles  for  which 
it  stands  can  not  be  too  early  instilled 
into  the  minds  and  hearts  of  newcomers 
on  the  field  of  action,  be  they  youths  of 
our  own  blood,  or  men  of  other  lands 
come  newly  to  these  shores.  That  flag 
should  ever  wave  in  sight  of  Americans. 
Every  School  House, 
Every  Town  Hall, 
Every  Grange  Hall 
should  have  its  flag-staff,  and  every  flag 
staff  should,  of  course,  bear  its  flag. 
BUT  a  flag  of  cheap  and  poor  stuff 
is  a  disgrace  to  the  flag  itself,  and  the 
regular  bunting  is  very  expensi  ?e.  What 
is  known  as  “  cotton  bunting  ”  makes  a 
flag  that  is  creditable  to  any  man  who 
owns  it,  and  which  cannot  be  distin¬ 
guished  from  the  expensive  bunting 
flags  except  on  close  examination.  The 
colors  are  guaranteed  absolutely  fast. 
We  will  furnish  these  flags,  not  mounted, 
to  our  subscribers  as  follows  : 
SIX  feet  long,  for  one  new  subscrip¬ 
tion  from  date  to  January,  1893,  and  $1.50; 
the  flag  alone  for  $1.25,  prepaid. 
SEVEN  feet  long,  for  one  new  sub¬ 
scription  from  date  to  January,  1893, 
and  $2.00.  Or  alone  for  $1.65  in  cash  ; 
prepaid. 
NINE  feet  long,  for  two  new  subscrip¬ 
tions  to  January,  1893,  and  $3.50.  Or 
for  sale  at  $2.75,  prepaid. 
DO  YOU  LIKE  ICE  CREAM  ? 
OF  COURSE  YOU  DO. 
Well,  then,  if  you  have  no  Ice-Cream 
Freezer,  or  a  poor  one,  read  this. 
Icecream  well  madejs  a  wholesome 
refreshment.  Almost  every  farmer  now 
adays  has  his  own  ice,  and  can  spare 
a  little  milk  and  cream  now  and  then 
In  fact  the  farmer 
who  does  not  pro¬ 
vide  ice  cream  for 
his  family  at  least 
once  a  week,  does 
not  live  up  to  his 
privileges.  We  have 
arranged  to  offer 
this  wonderfully 
effective,  yet  very 
low-priced  freezer. 
The  stirring  motion 
is  applied  by  means 
of  the  Keystone 
Whip  Beater,  which 
may  also  be  used  in 
whipping  cream, 
beating  eggs,  fruit, 
giving  many  recipes  for  ice  creams,  water 
ices,  and  many  new  dishes  for  the  table 
by  aid  of  the  freezer  and  the  beater  which 
accompanies  it.  Price,  $1.50.  Given  to 
any  present  subscriber  sending  two  new 
subscriptions  to  The  R.  N.-Y.  from  date 
to  January,  1893,  and  $2. 
A  CUP  OF  COFFEE 
/ rom  our  premium  coffee  pot  will  brighten 
the  good  wife  and  send  the  husband  to  the 
fields  in  a  cheerful  frame  of  mind. 
It  saves  40  per  cent  over  ordinary 
methods  of  coffee  making. 
It  is  no  more  trouble  than  the  ordinary 
coffee  pot  and  insures  delicious  coffee. 
It  allows  no 
aroma  or 
strength  t  o 
escape. 
It  filters  the 
coffee,  mak¬ 
ing  it  bright 
and  clear, 
and  allows 
no  sediment. 
It  keeps  the 
boiling  water 
in  contact 
with  the  cof- 
fee  grounds 
the  proper 
time  for  extracting  all  the  aroma  and 
strength  and  none  of  the  bitterness. 
The  coffee  pot  is  handsomely  nickel- 
plated  and  has  a  wooden  handle.  Price 
$1.20,  by  express.  This  is  the  two-quart 
size,  holding  three  to  seven  cups.  With  a 
yearly  subscription  to  The  Rural  New- 
Yorker,  $2.25;  with  a  subscription  from 
receipt  of  order  to  Dec.  31,  only  $1.50. 
3  YEARS’  SUBSCRIPTION  FREE.  O 
1.  e.  a  Three  Years’  Subscription  and  a  Serviceable  Fruit 
Drier  for  the  price  of  the  latter. 
ostrich — for  feathers  alone — is  $35.  One 
pair  of  ostriches  will  usually  give  eight 
fertile  eggs  in  a  year.  The  chicks  run 
on  an  Alfalfa  patch  and  thrive  nicely. 
How  Dust  Creeps  In. — Many  a  house¬ 
wife  has  wondered  how  it  is  possible  for 
dust  and  dirt  to  accumulate  in  her  close 
cupboards  and  in  bureau  drawers.  T. 
Pridgin  Teale  in  the  Popular  Science 
Monthly  gives  this  explanation  : 
When  the  air  around  us  becomes  con¬ 
densed — shrinks  into  a  smaller  volume — 
it  becomes  heavier,  puts  greater  pressure 
on  the  surface  of  the  mercury,  and  makes 
it  ascend  in  the  tube;  then  the  mercury 
is  said  to  rise.  When  the  air  expands — 
swells  into  a  larger  volume — it  becomes 
lighter,  the  pressure  on  the  mercury  is 
less,  the  mercury  sinks  in  the  tube,  and 
the  barometer  is  said  to  fall.  Therefore, 
The  U.  S.  Cook  Stove  Fruit  Drier  or  Evaporator. 
Thoroughly  Tested  and 
Approved. 
Latest,  Cheapest,  Best. 
A  Veritable  Little  Bread- 
Winner. 
Weight,  25  Pounds. 
Metal  Base. 
Can  be  used  on  any  kind 
of  Stove. 
Dimensions:  Base,  22x16 
inches;  Height,  26  inches. 
Eight  Galvanized  Wire- 
Cloth  Trays,  contain¬ 
ing  12  square  feet  of 
tray  surface. 
No  Extra  Fire. 
Always  ready  for  use,  and 
will  last  a  lifetime. 
Easily  and  quickly  set  on 
and  off  the  stove  as 
needed,  empty  or 
filled  with  fruit. 
Has  it  ever  occurred  to  you  that,  with  a  little  labor,  wasting  apples,  berries  and 
every  change  of  height  of  the  quicksilver 
which  we  observe  is  a  sign  and  measure 
of  a  change  in  the  volume  of  air  around 
us.  Further,  this  change  in  volume  tells 
no  less  upon  the  air  inside  our  cases  and 
cupboards.  When  the  barometer  falls, 
the  air  around  expands  into  a  larger 
volume,  and  the  air  inside  the  cupboard 
also  expands  and  forces  itself  out  at  every 
minute  crevice.  When  the  barometer 
rises  again,  the  air  inside  the  cupboard, 
as  well  as  outside,  condenses  and  shrinks, 
and  air  is  forced  back  into  the  cupboard 
to  equalize  the  pressure;  and,  along  with 
the  air,  in  goes  the  dust.  The  smaller 
the  crevice,  the  stronger  the  jet  of  air, 
the  farther  goes  the  dirt.  Witness  the 
dirt-tracks  so  often  seen  in  imperfectly 
framed  engravings  or  photographs. 
vegetables  can  be  quickly  evaporated,  and  are  then  worth,  pound  for  pound, 
flour,  sugar,  coffee,  butter,  rice,  oatmeal,  etc.,  or  go  far  towards  purchasing  clothes 
and  little  luxuries  and  necessaries  ? 
Recall  the  Waste  of  Fresh  Fruit  on  the  Farm  or  Town  Lot  for  Seasons  Past. 
This  wasted  fresh  fruit,  with  a  little  labor  added,  represents  just  about  one- 
tenth  as  many  pounds  or  bushels  of  evaporated  fruit.  No  other  business  than  farm¬ 
ing  now  allows  such  a  large  waste,  or  could  long  sustain  it.  The  drier’s  capacity 
is  ample  for  domestic  use.  Up  to  two  bushels  of  fresh  fruit  per  day. 
Price  of  the  Drier  alone,  $7.  Special  price  to  our 
subscribers,  $5  ;  or,  better  still,  together  with  a 
three  years’  subscription,  $7.  This  will  pay  your  own  subscription  for  three  years 
from  the  date  of  expiration  of  time  already  paid  for ;  new  subscriptions  may  be 
substituted  if  preferred. 
THE  RURAL  PUBLISHING  COMPART,  TImm  Building,  Htw  Turk. 
OUR  OFFER: 
