348 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
MAY 2 
THE 
Rural New-Yorker, 
TIMES BUILDING, NEW YORK. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Home*. 
ELBERT 8. CARMAN, 
HERBERT W. COLLINGWOOD, 
EDITOR8, 
Rural Publishing Company: 
LAWSON VALENTINE, Pieiident. RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
THE AMERICAN GARDEN, 
EDGAR H. LIBBY, Manager. OUT-DOOR BOOKS. 
Copyright, 1891, by the Rural Publishing Company. 
SATURDAY, MAY 2, 1891. 
If we were confined to three of the lower growing 
magnolias, our choice would beLennei, Soulangeana 
and Stellata. Pot grown plants may still thrive if 
transplanted. 
Red top Grass seed sown on the sixth of April 
made its appearance in the shape of green blades in 
sufficient quantity to be seen on April 20. Blue 
Grass is a week later. The R. N.-Y. has shown the 
uselessness of sowing Timothy with Red-top, since 
the former sprouts as early as the latter. 
The experiment stations would oblige the farm¬ 
ers of the country if they would allow more space 
to their tables. The lines of many are so close to¬ 
gether that it is difficult to follow the name of the 
variety tried through the “date of planting,” “date 
of blooming,” “date of ripening,” etc., to the “yield 
per acre. ” That these tables are something that 
few examine is due to this one fact of crowding. 
Let us have but one line where at present there are 
three. Then we may ascertain the results without 
straining the patience and the eyes. 
The president of the New York State Road Im¬ 
provement Association proposes a law which he 
thinks would help solve the road question. He 
would provide that every farmer who will spend at 
least $8 in putting wide tires on his wagon should be 
allowed $2 per year rebate on his road-tax. There 
is a very general belief that whenever the roads 
are at all muddy, narrow tires are simply “rut- 
makers.” There are ruts enough now. Can any¬ 
body point to a wide-tired community where the 
roads are not in a superior condition ? 
While efforts are being made in this country to 
restrict immigration, in Canada a bounty of $10 
a head is offered to settlers in the West, besides $5 
per head to the members of each family. Moreover, 
a premium of $2 per head is offered for immigrant 
children. In spite of all this the population of the 
Dominion is increasing at a comparatively slow rate; 
the emigration across the boraer almost counter¬ 
balancing the immigration across the Atlantic, the 
actual increase being due almost entirely to the nat¬ 
ural predominance of births over deaths, and this 
is greatest among the French-Canadians. Canadi¬ 
ans hope that the restriction of immigration in this 
country may turn the tide northward. We certainly 
ought not to envy our friends the possession of the 
rapscallions whom we wish to reject. 
“ There is no person on earth who ought to en¬ 
joy life better, sleep more soundly nights, have a 
better appetite, and who is more independent gen¬ 
erally, than a farmer who owns his own farm, stock 
and tools. He ought to be the happiest of men.” 
so spoke a man whose boyhood had been one of 
hard work and deprivation ; who had been in turn 
farmer, manufacturer and merchant, and who now 
in old age is resting on his oars. People call him 
successful. He has accumulated considerable prop¬ 
erty which is largely invested in real estate which 
he leases to others. But there are many things to 
worry him, and he says that he cannot sleep as he 
used to do. The perplexities he daily meets harass 
him so that he becomes very tired. The debt-ridden 
farmer is not an object of envy, but where is there 
to be found a more independent, care-free life than 
that of the independent, contented farmer ? 
According to the last census the population in 
cities of 8,000 and upwards in 1890 was 18,235,070, 
or 29.12 per cent of the whole population of the 
country. This shows that the cities have increased 
their population and their relative importance to 
the country more rapidly in the last 10 years than 
in any previous decade. In 1790 there were 3 35 per 
cent of the people of the United States living in 
cities ; in 1800 the per cent was 3.97 ; in 1810 it was 
4.93 ; in 1820 the same ; in 1830 it had increased to 
0.72 ; in 1840 to 0 52 ; in 1850 to 12.49 ; in 1860 to 
16,13 ; in 1870 to 20.93 ; in 1880 to 22 57, and in 1890 
to 29.12. Thus the increase during the last 10 
years has been nearly seven per cent—a greater in¬ 
crease than ever before in the history of the coun¬ 
try. It may be that in another decade or two our 
population may be half urban and manufacturers 
and half rural and agricultural, so that the two 
classes may counterbalance each other, and the 
home market for farm products be so great as to 
render the foreign markets of little importance. 
Our readers will remember the contest between 
Prof. J. W. Sanborn and the Regents of the Mis¬ 
souri University two years ago. The Regents had 
no use for the State Agricultural College except as 
a cat’s-paw to haul in the agricultural col¬ 
lege land grant funds. Under their management 
the agricultural school became a dummy ; the uni¬ 
versity gobbled the funds, and turned itself into a 
nice nest for politicians. Prof. Sanborn fought this 
state of affairs, insisting that the money spent on 
the university was misappropriated. The result 
was that he was driven out of the college. The 
principle he fought for would not down, however. 
The legislature took up the matter at last. A com¬ 
mittee of farmers has just reported in favor of sepa¬ 
rating the agricultural college from the university, 
and the legislature has made it the duty of the State 
Board of Agriculture to take charge of the college 
finances. This is a complete justification of Prof. 
Sanborn’s contest. The right wins ! Now, then, 
for the other States where the agricultural college 
funds are “misappropriated.” 
The telegraph informs us that a delegation of the 
Dairymen's Protective Association of the United 
States has called upon the Secretary of the Treasury 
to urge upon him a more rigid enforcement of the 
law regulating the manufacture and saleof oleomar¬ 
garine in Pennsylvania. In New Jersey public 
meetings of the citizens have been held to petition 
officers whose duty it is to enforce the laws against 
gambling, to do just what they have sworn to do. 
In this city and in numerous other places petitions 
are circulated and signed praying public officers, 
elected by the votes of the people, to perform the 
plain duties for which they are elected. Shades of 
our patriot fathers! What are we coming to ? 
Public officers are, according to our theory of gov¬ 
ernment, public servants. Does the farmer hire a 
man to do his farm work and then petition him to 
plow his fields, or hoe his corn, or reap his grain ? 
Why then should the servants of the people be pe¬ 
titioned to do what it is their plain duty to do ? 
The trouble is that there is too much ring rule. 
The people in some sections have asserted their con¬ 
stitutional prerogatives and it is to be hoped that 
this revolution will extend until every public office 
is filled with men who will not dare to disobey the 
voices of the electors. 
Jim and Bill were brothers on the old New Hampshire farm. 
Jim was always '‘steaoy” for the country held a charm 
Kor his heart—he loved it. and he knew eseh rock and hill. 
When the i Ine trees murmured, all his being seemed to thrill. 
Bill was never happy on the farm, he fretted long. 
Never eared to lisien to the wind or hear the song 
That the birds were singing; he grew bitter with the strife, 
Braying to be taken from the quiet, humdrum life. 
Hated country living wilh Its salt fish, beans and perk. 
Backed his little bundle, tramped off boldly to New Vork. 
Bill was smart and prospered In the city’s crazy race, 
Up the heights he clambered at a most surprising pace, 
Name aim fame and money sought him out with eager fei f. 
But they took a mortgage on contentment pure and sweet. 
Back to old New Hampshire—to his boyhood’s home once more. 
Bill went on a visit just to look the old place o’er. 
Solitude seemed frightful, for the pti.es were singing loud, 
Snadows on the hill top seemed to him just like a shroud. 
“Jim,” he said "old fellow ” as he turned away his face, 
“ Don’t see how you live in such a God-forsaken place ! ” 
Jim went to the city just to visit brother Bill 
Ctiy sights and doings gave his honest heart a chill. 
Saw the pow. r and splendor and the heartless race for fame, 
Saw the weak ones bravely fighting poverty and shame, 
Saw where crime was lurking at the very church’s door. 
Saw where sneering gamblers stole the honest toiler’s store. 
“ Kill,” he said “old fellow !” as a shade passed over his face, 
” Don’t see how you live in such a God forsaken place ! ” 
The assignment or failure of the Winner Invest¬ 
ment Company proved a shock to investors in West¬ 
ern securities. This company was very popular 
with New England people and carried the savings 
of many persons who could ill afford to lose. 
It is not yet known how serious the failure is. We 
are told by good authority that the company assign¬ 
ed merely to go out of business, having other 
interests to handle, and that the money of investors 
is perfectly safe. We hope that this is so and that 
investors will not lose. But what is a safe invest¬ 
ment ? Where can surplus money be placed so that 
it will yield a sure and steady income ? It seems 
evident that railroad building has reached a point 
in its development when it can no longer absorb 
large sums of money with profit. Manufacturing 
no longer offers the chances for investments that 
were common 15 years ago. The fact is that men 
who handle large sums of money are puzzled to 
know where to invest it; and this seems like a cu¬ 
rious state of affairs while men are compelled to pay 
excessive rates of interest on small loans. But 
where are the banks and loan companies to invest 
their money in the future ? We know that there 
is a belief among many of these capitalists that 
within a few years country towns and villages will 
call for vast sums for repairing roads and extend¬ 
ing the electric system. In other words, they ex¬ 
pect to place money in the country for the develop¬ 
ment of a system of highways that shall supplement 
the railroad system. Can they make safer invest¬ 
ments ? 
In States where fertilizers are sold, strong efforts 
are made to defend buyers against fraud. The State 
is called upon to inspect the goods and place a value 
upon them. The object is to enable people to know 
just what they are buying—to lessen the possibili¬ 
ties of deception. The various pure food bills are 
designed for the same purpose—to prevent decep¬ 
tion. The tendency of the age is unquestionably 
towards government inspection of food products. 
The people have less and less faith in the honesty 
of manufacturers, and they seem to believe that 
one function of our government is to watch the 
manufacturers and punish them for dishonesty. 
Now, if inspection of foods and fertilizers is just and 
necessary, so is the inspection of cloth, patent medi¬ 
cines and other merchandise. If the “ oleo ” bill 
helped the dairy industry by separating honest 
from dishonest butter, a bill to prevent the use of 
“shoddy,” hair, etc., in “all-wool” cloth would be 
of great value to sheep men. The discovery of a 
process of mixing fats together in imitation of but¬ 
ter is no more remarkable than the method by 
which cows’ hair and other cheap fibers are used in 
place of wool. As for patent medicines, there is 
every reason why the public should be told just 
exactly what they contain. Many of them contain 
liquor enough to intoxicate ; some are made up of 
harmful drugs. When the so-called temperance 
man takes his dose of “ medicine,” let him know 
how much rum he is drinking. If a system of gov¬ 
ernment inspection is once honestly started it can¬ 
not justly stop at a few selected articles. 
In several of the States in which a great deal was 
expected from the great influx of farmers into the 
various legislatures, it must be confessed that the 
results have hitherto been a trifle disappointing. 
Of course, a good deal of the failure to come up to 
expectations, has been due to the opposition of the 
old parties, which nullified or greatly modified the 
measures introduced by the farmers ; but a good 
deal has also been due to the character of these, and 
in many cases to the instability of their supporters. 
It is too early yet to pass these in general review, 
but there is one that has failed so frequently and 
shamefully that it deserves special mention here. If 
there was one abuse worse than another which 
farmers have been denouncing for years it has been 
the bribery of free passes on railroads. In nearly 
all the Western States in whose legislatures farmers 
secured a large or preponderating representation, 
bills were introduced early in the sessions abolish¬ 
ing such flagrant abuses under very severe penal¬ 
ties ; but in nearly every case interest in the move¬ 
ment soon began to languish and in most in¬ 
stances has whollv or to a great extent collapsed. 
It has been boldly charged by Democratic and 
Republican papers alike, that the Grangers ceased 
vigorous support of the measures as soon as they had 
been placated with bribes of free passes themselves. 
With pleasing gifts from the enemy in their pock¬ 
ets, besmirched, bedraggled and demoralized, they 
failed to rally to the cry of reform, and allowed 
their pet scheme to fail. Can such stories be true ? 
If false, how comes it that the conduct of the 
accused has in so many cases afforded prima facie 
proof of the accusations of their abusers ? 
BREVITIES. 
Here’s a quettlon Brrther Farmer 
As you straighten up your hack, 
From your planting I would gladly put to you ; 
As the hugs and weeds and weather 
Now begin their wild attack, 
Have you bitten off more work than you can chew ? 
Save the Adirondacks at any cost. 
Can Miss Hattie Colby keep her farm ? 
Are superior dairy cows born or made ? 
The path from silo gently leads to grass. 
Wiiat’s the good of water without sunshine f 
A good farmer can always And something to do. 
The R. N.-Y. has planted the seeds of 24 different (f) 
species of ricinus. 
The first shoots of asparagus this year were noticed 
April 18—earlier than usual. 
Is there any calf medicine in an egg ? How many have 
had Mr. Lee’s experience—page 356. 
One of the first trees to break bud Is Cercidiphyllum 
Japonicum. It develops with the earliest horse chestnuts. 
You will notice that rye is a favorite crop for soiling 
with the dairymen who tell us how to go from “Barn to 
Grass.” 
The one objection to the Stellata Magnolia referred to 
on another page, is that all its flower buds open at once 
and they last but for two or three days. 
SNAKES are fashionable as a part of the trimmings 
of women’s hats. They are better than bird trimmings and 
more in keeping with the cruel vanity that renders such 
acts tolerable. 
Will a cow lose 20 pounds in weight by making too 
sudden a change to green grass ? Yes, sir. Would a fair 
share of this weight go to milk or butter if she were prop¬ 
erly cared for ? Yes, sir, again. 
ON page 352 we print a carefully revised interview with 
Governor Tillman of Sooth Carolina. Governor Tillman 
is probably the first man elected to that office on a direct 
issue between farmers and townsmen. We are going to 
let our readers know just what sort of men have been 
floated into power by the “reform wave.” 
The McKinley Bill admits free of duty machinery used 
in manufacturing beet sugar. Not long ago some culti¬ 
vators and harrows used In cultivating the sugar beet 
crop were imported and the importers protested against 
the tariff on them. It has just been decided that the duty 
must be paid—that growing the crop is not manufacturing 
the sugar. 
There is a good deal of medicine in a dry, coarse towel. 
If you would take the time, when you come in from the 
field, hot and sweaty, to rub yourself all over, hard with 
a rough towel before eating or resting, you would be hap¬ 
pier, live longer and be a better citizen generally Any 
effort spent in denouncing this as the “idea of a crank ” 
will never destroy its truth, because it is true. 
Every garden, that is, every garden with a lawn and 
lawn borders in which an assortment of deciduous and 
evergreen trees and shrubs is valued, should have a 
specimen of the Fastigiate Oak mentioned in A Path 
and Borders. \ r ariety is the one grand consideration 
in ornamental planting. We want spiry trees and shrubs 
as well as those of rounder and lower growth. Variety 
variety, variety! It is an annual, a biennial, a perennial 
an everlasting source of interest and joy. 
The ensilage industry is now of national importance- 
immense in extent and wonderful in its economic value. 
1 here has always been one drawback about it—too much 
hand-work was required in carrying the stalks from the 
field to the silo. We have pictured a number of sled cut¬ 
ters for cutting off stalks, but these only partially solve 
the problem ; lifting, binding and carrying must still be 
done by hand. We now learn that a macniue has been 
perfected that will cut, bind and load ensilage corn with 
the least possible hand labor. We shall show the machine 
soon. As usual The R. N.-Y. gets hold of the thing first. 
