420 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
MAY 3o 
THE 
Rural New-Yorker, 
TIMES BUILDING. NEW YORK. 
A National Weekly Journal tor Country and Suburban Home*. 
ELBERT 8. CARMAN, 
HERBERT W. COLLINQWOOD, 
EDITOR8. 
Rural Publishing Company: 
LAWSON VALENTINE, Pi«»ident. RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
THE AMERICAN GARDEN, 
EDGAR H. LIBBY, Man*g«r. OUT-DOOR BOOKS. 
Copyright, 1891, by the Rural Publishing Company. 
SATURDAY, MAY 30, 1891. 
NEW WHEAT PRIZES. 
The R. N.-Y. will give two cash prizes of 
$10 and $5 respectively for the best and sec¬ 
ond best heads of the R. N.-Y. wheats con¬ 
taining the greatest number and heaviest 
weight of grains ; not less than three heads 
of a kind to be selected and forwarded to this 
office before August 15, 1891. 
Which of your neighbors keeps a worthless dog, 
but cannot afford to take an agricultural paper ? 
We hope the experiment stations will continue 
The R. N.-Y.’s work of endeavoring to ascertain 
whether sulphur is or is not a preventive of potato 
scab. 
It is admitted that The R. N.-Y. has done its full 
share in devising means for increasing the yield of 
potatoes. Without lessening its efforts in this direc¬ 
tion, it will now go further and endeavor to arouse 
an interest, in the study of the conditions that affect 
the flavor of potatoes. What is “flavor?” It is 
evident that certain combinations of soil, manures 
and varieties produce the best tubers. What are 
these conditions ? 
The Mississippi editors in their convention at 
Yazoo City, the other day, were a unit in opposition 
to the Farmers’ Alliance Sub-Treasury scheme, al¬ 
though a number of them are County Alliance or¬ 
gans. The fact is that the scheme is radically anti- 
Democratic, and the attempt of the Alliance to force 
it into the Democratic platform is pretty certain to 
be a failure. If the members are determined to 
fight for it, they will have to go outside the Demo¬ 
cratic party to do so. Now they are trying to use 
the Democratic party and that party is trying to 
use them for their respective purposes. Which will 
succeed in bamboozling, coercing or leading the 
other by the nose ? The Democratic party has re¬ 
peatedly shown that it has tremendous powers of 
cohesion and vitality, while the Alliance has not 
been in existence long enough to manifest its capa¬ 
bility in this line. 
The following correspondence from a Massachu¬ 
setts subscriber expresses our views so well that we 
give it place here. A sound determination to 
“ Hold The Fort ” has saved many a business. 
“ At the present time with grain high, and not 
the best prospect for pasture and hay, what would 
you advise the dairyman to do ? ” 
“ Hold the fort.” 
1. “ Cut down the grain ration ? ” 
“No.” 
2. “ Sell off the poorer cows ?” 
“ Yes, and feed the remaining herd better.” 
3. “ Give up grain entirely for the summer? ” 
“ No.” 
4. “ Feed full grain rations in spite of the high 
price ? ” 
“Yes and raise all the corn fodder possible for 
ensilage or cured fodder.” 
A firm m this city announces in the most con¬ 
spicuous manner possible that it makes a specialty 
of painting “ Signs on Barns.” It informs business 
men that it will paint their names and addresses on 
barns all over the country so that travelers will be 
sure to read them. These impudent fellows assume 
that they can paint anything they like on a farm¬ 
er’s barn, that in any event they can rent it as a 
bill-board for a small sum. A barn that is not 
worth painting is hardly worth keeping. If any 
business is to be advertised upon it, that business 
should be its owner’s ! Whenever we see the 
merits of somebody’s “Bitters” blazoned all over 
a barn we conclude that the barn belongs to a 
farm that will not bring its value in the market. 
Why? Because in our view that sign does not in¬ 
dicate neatness, enterprise and thrift—and we know 
that there are thousands who feel the same way. 
Numerous runaway accidents have been caused 
by horses becoming frightened at bicycles. Many 
farmers have a feeling of antagonism against these 
machines and their riders. Many would even go 
so far, if they had the power, as to deny them the 
right to the public highway. Many a villager who 
cannot afford the luxury of a horse and carriage 
gets ju»t as much enjoyment and a great deal more 
exercise out of his machine than his more wealthy 
neighbor from his carriage. No single agency has 
done so much in the agitation for better country 
roads as the bicyclers. They have been active in 
their appeals for improved highways. They are 
deserving of much credit for what they have done. 
Because an occasional horse becomes frightened at 
a rider is no reason for their exclusion from public 
roads. The highways are for the benefit of the 
whole people. The only safe way for horse owners 
to avoid accident is to train their horses to the 
sights of everything they are likely to meet on the 
highway. Traction engines are common and much 
more dangerous during certain seasons of the year, 
and it is only a question of time when they will 
be still more largely used at all seasons for haul¬ 
ing purposes. Train the horses and thus avoid 
danger. 
Out of an adult population of about 12,000,000 
males in this country, it is estimated that not less 
than three-quarters of a million who are anxious for 
profitable employment, are compulsorily idle, yet 
from country places, especially in New England, 
numerous complaints come of an exceptionally great 
dearth of agricultural laborers even at from $16 to 
$25 per month and board. The same stress under 
which the housewife in country places finds herself 
in her endeavors to get help in the house, is felt by 
the farmer in his endeavors to get men able and 
willing to perform agricultural labor. This is a 
pregnant sign of the times. The tendency it indi¬ 
cates is not confined to the United States; it is felt 
everywhere. In every part of the civilized world 
the city is growing more rapidly than the country, 
and generally at the latter’s expense. This is due to 
the great drift of population cityward and also to 
the fact that there is absolutely little or no compen¬ 
sating movement in an opposite direction. The 
farmer with half a dozen sons naturally expects 
that at least two or three of them will try to push 
their fortunes in the nearest city or town; while if 
the mechanic employed in the city has six sons it 
seldom or never occurs to either him or them that 
even one of them should go into the country to live. 
This should not be the case. There are hundreds 
and thousands dwelling in the slums and alleys of 
cities to whom country life would be a paradise; 
but they dare not attempt it. Almost every country 
boy will go into a great city with full confidence 
that he can make at least a living in some way; 
while few city boys feel that they can make a living 
in the country, although the chances of success there 
are incomparably greater. Isn’t it time that this 
strange ignorance should be dispelled ? Isn’t it time 
that a movement of population from the towns to 
the country should be inaugurated ? Among the 
multitudinous schemes of benevolence of the day, 
could any do better work than to remove the sur¬ 
plus labor from our cities and establish it on farms 
where there is constant, healthful and profitable 
work for it ? 
THE PEOPLE’S PARTY. 
The Reform Convention, which met last week in 
Cincinnati, decided to advise the formation of a 
new “ People’s Party, ” which is to enter the political 
field as the army under whose banner those who 
wish to “fight the money power” may gather. 
This convention was attended by members of the 
Farmers’ Alliance, Knights of Labor, Citizens’ Alli¬ 
ance, Nationalists and other industrial organiza¬ 
tions, so that its decision is not the voice of any 
one of the many bodies that are demanding justice 
for the laborer as against the capitalist. It is rather 
the voice of the more radical and excitable mem¬ 
bers of all these organizations. 
What did the convention do ? It practically de¬ 
manded the nomination of an independent ticket 
for the Presidential election of 1892, and drew up a 
platform on which the candidates must stand. 
Briefly stated, the demands of this new party are as 
follows : 
The abolition of national banks as banks of issue ; 
the loan of legal tender Treasury notes directly to 
the people at not more than two per cent interest 
per annum upon non-perishable products and upon 
real estate with proper limitations ; the free and 
unlimited coinage of silver ; prohibition of alien 
ownership of land and confiscation of lands now held 
by alien and foreign syndicates, and also of lands 
owned by railroads and other corporations in ex¬ 
cess of what is actually used and needed by 
them ; a graduated income tax ; election of Presi¬ 
dent, Vice-President and United States Senators 
by direct vote of the people ; national control and 
supervision of the means of communication and 
transportation and, if necessary, government 
ownership of the same. 
The convention took no decided stand on the 
tariff, though it leaned somewhat to tariff reform. 
It demanded an “eight-hour day” for workers, 
and denounced the directors of the World’s Fair for 
their action toward the labor unions. 
We do not propose to discuss the wisdom of these 
demands now. A report of the meeting will be fur¬ 
nished in due time. There will be ample oppor¬ 
tunity for discussion during the year that must 
elapse before these candidates can be voted for. 
The convention has either made a blunder or has 
taken a wise political step. History alone will 
show which name its action deserves. 
From a purely theoretical point of view the times 
are ripe for a new party with new issues and new 
leaders, but unless these issues are founded on jus¬ 
tice and unless the leaders are men whom the com¬ 
mon sense of the people will support, there will be 
a halt in the cause or true reform. A third party 
is often a good thing, being a check upon the other 
parties. The issues that win are those that need to 
be discussed and hammered, because pounding 
wears away the covering that hides the true gold. 
So far as practical politics is concerned, the 
new party must eventually be called upon to 
answer the charge that it is a Democratic annex. 
Its leaders know full well that the South will not 
give the People’s party any electoral votes for rea¬ 
sons well stated in these columns by Gov. Tillman 
some weeks ago. They also know that there is 
nothing in their platform to attract Prohibitionists 
or other temperance men. It is also likely to be 
charged with being organized for the purpose of 
destroying the Republican party as the party hold¬ 
ing most of the “capitalists and monopolists.” 
These charges must be met and fought. It must 
also recognize the fact that its demands are such 
that a combination of both old parties against it is 
not impossible. We do not say these things with 
any intention of arguing against the appearance 
of the farmer in politics ; we merely state a few 
facts which are sure to present themselves before 
this matter is settled. We shall watch the growth 
of this new party with the greatest interest and 
keep our readers thoroughly informed as to its pro¬ 
gress and development. At a time like this indis¬ 
criminate praise is far more dangerous than just 
and conservative criticism. 
BREVITIES. 
California cherries. 
Cultivate lady birds. 
Early chicks give winter eggs. 
A “cold wave” rolls down hill. 
Confidence is better than capital. 
The road question grows in importance. 
Is it ever too late to “ take a fresh start ?” 
I s it a vice to carry the smell of the barn wherever you go f 
Large areas of all leading crops have been put in this 
spring. 
A. L. Crosby generally defends some nobler friend than 
tobacco 1 
The best bags for “ bagging” grapes are the 1% pound 
manllla. 
Forest fires have destroyed millions of dollars of prop¬ 
erty and many lives. 
There is not much force in the argument of a temper¬ 
ance lecturer who has ruined his system by overeating. 
What do you think of the people who have to go back 
50 years to find anything good in this, the best of all the 
worlds they know t 
Can the caponizer afford to raise his own roosters ? It 
looks as though he had better watch his chance to buy 
them in the market. 
Consumers are paying from 25 to more than 100 per cent 
more for farm produce than one year ago. Do the farmers 
get their share of the advance ? 
It is astonishing how many New England farmers say 
“No, 1 haven’t any silo yet, but I am coming to It and 
shall have to get one made after all.” 
Why don’t some of our inventors bring out a light cul¬ 
tivator or “ scratcher” that cin be driven by the feet like 
a bicycle ? Would the farm boy like to ride it t 
John A. Woodward, associate editor of the Farm Jour¬ 
nal : “ Mr. Valentine’s good work in the direction of pro¬ 
gressive agriculture entitles him to every good farmer’s 
gratitude.” 
There will be a large crop of peaches. There will be few 
peaches. Fruits nearly all killed. The frost thinned the 
fiuit. Fruit will be scarce and high. Fruit will be plenty 
and cheap. These are merely samples. 
Regarding the prospective value of basic slag as a source 
of phosphoric acid, Dr. Goessman writes: “ 1 have much 
confidence in its efficiency on grass land and pastures as 
well as in case of a turfy soil or soil rich in organic 
matter.” 
Of all the games that The R. N.-Y. is familiar with 
lawn tennis is the one it would select as the ideal game 
for the farmer’s home. The boys and girls, the fathers and 
mothers may join in this healthful, pleasing recreation 
with pleasure and profit. 
For the third year we have tried with every possible 
care to effect a cross between the gooseberry and Missouri 
Currant without any approach to success. Pollen of the 
goosebery was applied to the emasculated currant flowers 
and also pollen of the currant was applied to the goose¬ 
berry. 
How much do you consider your general superintend¬ 
ence of your farm worth ? And in what kind of work 
whether mental or physical, do you excel ? It is a nice 
little problem to solve. Those who have solved it have an 
unerring guide as to what sort of labor they may most 
profitably employ. 
In this part of the country green peas are making a 
feeble growth and blossoming prematurely. The later 
plantings of sweet corn have not appeared and an examin¬ 
ation of the seed shows that it lies intact in the dry soil 
This state of things gives a promise that peas and sweet 
corn will bring remunerative prices. 
Under the provisions of the McKinley Bill a duty of 
20 per cent is levied on animals. Exemptions are made 
in the cases of breeding animals accompanied by certifi¬ 
cates showing that they are imported for breeding pur¬ 
poses only. A curious case has arisen In the importation 
of queen bees. While they are unquestionably for ‘‘breed¬ 
ing purposes” there are no “certificates to the fact” and 
the Importers must pay duty. 
The Republican party is becoming more jubilant than 
even the farmers at the prospects of the fine harvests 
throughout the country and the fine prices for the crops 
They say the adverse “tidal wave” last fall was merely tUe 
result of the widespread agricultural depression. Will a 
good harvest and high prices be due to the policy of the 
present Administration, rather than to tUe sweat of the 
farmer and the nature of the season. 
Delaware is the twenty-fifth of the States to adopt the 
Australian system of ballot reform. The Repuolican 
n ajority in tne Pennsylvania Legislature, in spite of the 
great pressure brought to bear on it, cannot find mora 
courage enough to risK the results of tnis much needed re¬ 
form in the most boss-ridden and monopoly-harried State 
in the Union. If the present legislature, in spite of its 
pledges, fails to grant the demands of the people in this 
direction, it is dollars to cents that the next set of law¬ 
makers sent to Harrisburg, will be more compliant. 
