484 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
JUNE 27 
THE 
Rural New-Yorker, 
TIMES BUILDING. NEW YORK. 
A National Weakly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
ELBERT 8. CARMAN, 
HERBERT W. COLLINQWOOD, 
EDITOR8. 
Rural Publishing Company: 
LAWSON VALENTINE, Prwident. 
EDGAR H. LIBBY, Manager. 
RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
THE AMERICAN GARDEN, 
OUT-DOOR BOOKS. 
Copyright, 1891, by the Rural Publishing Company. 
SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 1891. 
Of all the great lessons taught by the terrible 
French Revolution, the most transcendent was that 
one man’s rights begin only where those of another 
end. What a marvelous check wouldn’t the ac¬ 
tive remembrance of this lesson exercise on the 
opinions and utterances of political cranks and ex¬ 
tremists. They appear to think that nobody ex¬ 
cept themselves has any rights. 
Sir John Macdonald’s shoes appear to be a great 
deal too big for any of his associates. Mr. Abbott, 
stockholder, legal light and agent of the Canadian 
Pacific Railroad, is trying to wear them ; but all 
the Grits and many of the Tories believe that they 
are so much too large that he is certain to slip out 
of them soon. However gifted the new Premier 
may be, the conditions under which he takes office 
must make his task irksome and discouraging and 
probably his tenure of the place of short duration. 
There appears to be a foreboding in England that 
Sir John’s death means the loss of Canada to the 
British Empire, and here there is a belief that the 
event has a tendency in that direction. 
At the close of the war this nation was left with 
an enormous money debt on account of war ex¬ 
penditures, and an enormous moral debt on account 
of the patriotic sacrifices of her sons for the public 
welfare. How it has dealt with both obligations 
is well illustrated by a comparison of the pension 
roll with the interest on the public debt, which 
stands as follows : 
186?. 1892. 
Pension roll.$ 20,936,000 Pension roll.*135,000.000 
Debt Interest. 143,781,000 Debt interest. 27,000,000 
'.Total.$164,717,000 Total.$162,000,000 
While, year after year, the interest on the debt has 
decreased as the principal has been paid off, the 
pension roll has proportionately increased, so that 
now the amount of annual charges for these two 
objects remain substantially unaltered, owing to 
the conversion of a moral into a financial obligation. 
Not the least slipshod, reckless and embarrass¬ 
ing of the pieces of legislation lately enacted at the 
instigation or with the eager cooperation of the 
farmer legislators of some of the Western States is 
the law passed by the Kansas Legislature, at the 
solicitation of the labor organizations, making it a 
misdemeanor for any State, county or municipal 
officer to allow any hired laborer to do more than 
eight hours’ work in a day, unless in an emergencv 
arising from war or danger to human life. Even if 
the men were anxious to work longer hours for 
more pay, it was made illegal to allow them, on the 
ground that by so doing fewer men could obtain 
employment. A fine of from $50 to $100 and im¬ 
prisonment for not less than six months was the 
penalty provided for each violation of the statute. 
No fresh appropriations, however, were made for 
the payment of the additional men that must neces¬ 
sarily be employed to do the required work under 
the new system. The trustees of the charitable 
institutions in the Sunflower State have just dis¬ 
covered that they cannot carry them on with the 
old force under the new arrangement. The insane 
asylum, the reform schools and even the peniten¬ 
tiary, as well as other public institutions of like 
nature, must, therefore, be closed unless the law is 
repealed or appropriations are made for an in¬ 
creased force. The Attorney-General of the State 
declares that the officers will render themselves 
liable to fine and imprisonment in every case in 
which they permit a violation of the law. The 
Board of Trustees of the State charitable institu¬ 
tions have, therefore, informed the Governor that 
unless a special session of the legislature enacts the 
needed legislation before the end of September, the 
inmates of the various institutions will be dis¬ 
charged and the places closed. Why should the 
representatives ot farmers who themselves often 
work 12 or more hours, while their “help” work 
at least as many, enact such a law at all ; and why, 
oh why, do it in such a careless manner as to greatly 
embarrass the public officials and entail needless ex¬ 
pense on the State ? Of course, the Republican Sen¬ 
ate was as much to blame as the Alliance House, 
but the political press of the country is sure to mock 
at the case as a piece of “foolish farmer legislation.” 
States in their respective districts to institute pro¬ 
ceedings in court to prevent and restrain all viola¬ 
tions of the statute. The law was passed with a 
mighty blast of political trumpets; who has heard 
about it since, even in a whisper ? 
On page 485 it will be seen that a simple, 
inexpensive remedy against the hitherto in¬ 
vincible rose-hug or rose-chafer has been dis¬ 
covered at the Rural Grounds. The writer 
would prefer to have continued his experi¬ 
ments a few days longer before making the 
announcement, hut this dread insect is at 
this time devastating thousands of vineyards 
and The R. N.-Y. therefore hastens to make 
known its discovery for the immediate bene¬ 
fit of its readers. 
What a world of bickering, heartburning and 
litigation would be avoided if each person would 
act up to the old maxim so to use his own property 
as not to hurt his neighbor. 
It is curious sometimes to watch the different 
methods of working employed by a solid, fat man 
and a thin, nevous man. All extra exertion is a ter¬ 
ror to the fat man ; he therefore spends much time 
in deliberation and will not go at his work until he 
knows just how to avoid extra exertion. He is fre¬ 
quently called lazy and yet his work is generally 
done on time. He simply studies to get rid of all 
unnecessary work. The thin, nervous man works 
on the opposite principle. He dashes in, helter- 
skelter, throwing off lots of work and tiring 
himself out. When he figures the thing up he 
finds that he has accomplished but little more than 
his fat brother, because much of his work was use¬ 
less. If the fat man could contract a little of the 
thin man’s energy and the thin man could copy the 
fat man’s foresight, they would both be happier and 
richer. 
How many silos are there in the country ? They 
have been talked about in farm papers and at insti¬ 
tutes until one would think they are about as much 
a fixture on the average farm as the corn crib. But 
it is not so. Here, for example, is a note from a 
Michigan reader who writes from Ottawa County : 
“In The Rural of May 30th is the remark, ‘It is 
astonishing how many New England farmers say: 
4 No, I haven’t any silo yet, but I am coming to it,’ 
etc. Well, now, friend Rural, do you know I am 
48 years old, have lived on a farm nearly all my 
life, and in four States, and have never seen a silo, 
or known a farmer who had one ? Fact.” We be¬ 
lieve it will pay our friend to go and see a silo ; he 
can probably find half a dozen near Grand Rapids. 
We suppose there are plenty of farmers who never 
saw a self-binder, a potato digger, a hay loader, or 
a Paris green sprayer. One of the most intelligent 
farmers we have ever met said he had never seen a 
subsoil plow. Yet all these tools are in successful 
operation, saving labor and making money for 
their owners. Does the knowledge of the silo or of 
these improved tools give tone and advantage in 
the agricultural race ? That is the question that 
comes up in this connection. 
A horse died with hydrophobia in one New Jer¬ 
sey town. A cow from which many persons had 
been supplied with milk dying with the same dis 
ease at another. Several mad dogs running at large 
and biting other dogs, cattle, human beings, etc,, 
in various localities. A young man actually fright¬ 
ened to death in this city after being slightly bitten 
by a small dog which had not and has not shown 
any signs of rabies. A prominent lawyer dead from 
the bite of a cat. These are a few incidents of the 
past few days, signs of summer, as it were. The 
people who used the milk from the cow are in the 
greatest apprehension of serious results, and it will 
be a wonder if some of them do not frighten them¬ 
selves to death. The young man was scared to death 
by the predictions of his friends preying upon his 
not over-strong mind. The death of the lawyer 
was followed by a most unreasonable and unreason¬ 
ing war of extermination upon all the cats and 
dogs within reach in the locality. Thus we often 
see people lose their senses in an emergency when 
they ought of all times to keep cool and use their 
best judgment. Life is often sacrificed on this ac¬ 
count. During the heated summer months one 
should more than at any other time heed the in¬ 
junction : Keep cool ! 
The last Congress passed an anti trust law which 
the majority loudly declared would effectually 
bridle these organizations and put an end to their 
objectionable practices. It prohibited any contract 
or combination in restraint of trade among inhabi¬ 
tants of the several States under severe penalties. 
Moreover, any person who monopolized or attempt¬ 
ed to monopolize any part of the trade or commerce 
among the several States became guilty of a mis¬ 
demeanor and liable to a fine of $5,000, or both. Con¬ 
tracts in restraint of trade were declared illegal 
and liable to heavy penalties. Provisions were 
made for the seizure and condemnation of property 
held under contract in violation of the law. Fur¬ 
thermore, it was provided that any person injured 
in business or property by illegal proceedings of 
any corporation under the act could recover three¬ 
fold the damages he had sustained. The several 
United States Circuit Courts were vested with juris¬ 
diction in all such cases, and it was made the duty 
of the several District Attorneys of the United 
BREVITIES. 
Way back in Grandma’s kitchen was a job they Rave “the boy.” 
That sickened his ambition and stirred sorrow out of toy • 
Twas stirring hasty pudding with a big old Iron spoon / ’ 
7 he lesson that It taught me. I shall not forget It soon. 
Beside the steaming kettle with the corn-meal in her hand 
bbe gave me these directions so that I could understand: 
IP ’ keep yer spoon a movln’ too. 
Then pudd n wil be finished, an’ you’ll find It cooked all through ; 
But If ye git to stlrrin with a set o’ jerks an’ jumps. 
An pudd In’ comes out sticky, you’ll jest have to eat the lumps ' ” 
Her saying was a true one—when I stirred on steadily 
The meal was oonked; the pudding from (he ugly lumps was free • 
But when I quit my stirring, and the meal fell In too fast 
Big lumps there were in plenty ; they were saved for my repast. 
The affairs of life are only some big pudding o’er the fire : 
Burned tierce from opportunity with drafts of high desire 
We have our meal and iron spoon provided fair and free ’ 
The chance to make a living is accorded you and me: ’ 
Thf. Stlr « st i d i ,y ” wlth a f, P oon tha t does not shirk, 
The pudding will find favor and bring profit to our work • 
But If we quit our stirring when the arm aches-all unnerved 
We must eat the lumps In sorrow, as a penalty deserved! 
Have respect for your back this seasou. 
What hour do you spend in the garden t 
Why not put a big umbrella on the binder t 
See that the hay is air cured,—not blistered. 
In these broiling days remember the kitchen workers. 
Rural Grounds, Monday, 3 p. m. Thermometer 98 in 
the shade. Tuesday, 97° ; Friday, 60®. 
What you drink and what you eat decide your contest 
with the heat. For big fat dinners, beer and whiskey 
will make the mercury most frisky. 
Plant lice (aphid®) were never before so abundant 
Cherry trees are so infested with them that even the 
cherries and cherry stems are covered with the disgust¬ 
ing little pests. s 
The Agricultural Jubilee at Cornell was a great success 
The largest was a home-made meal "showing the possi- 
biiitles of an American farm.” We shall give an account 
of the jubilee next week. 
The R,. N.-Y.’s report of the new or recently originated 
kinds of strawberries will be placed before the reader in 
time to offer him some guidance as to his selection for late 
summer or early fall planting. 
In describing the success of the Cranbury farmers with 
"chemicals and clover” The R. N.-Y. doos not at once 
argue that all Eastern farmers should give up stock keep¬ 
ing. We merely give the facts. They may fit with some 
farmer’s conditions. 
The Ohio Republicans have nominated Maj'or McKinley 
for governor and have taken a pronounced stand on the 
financial issue. We may therefore look for a lively and 
interesting campaign in the Buckeye State this fall-one 
that will have a marked influence upon National politics. 
The fact that Canadian codfish dealers are sending their 
wares to Brazil under clearances from the United States 
so that they enter duty-free under our new treaty with 
that country, greatly to the detriment of its revenues is 
somewhat of a joke on reciprocity. No doubt many siini 
lar abuses will be clandestinely perpetrated from both 
sides. 
WHAT ails the English sparrow ? Many reports come 
like this one from Adams County, Pa. “The English 
sparrows have almost entirely disappeared from this 
neighborhood, where in former years they were almost as 
plentiful as bees. I do not know why. No special raid 
has been made upon them. Other birds have become 
much more numerous the last two years.” How are thev 
with you t J 
Another series of experiments in tea culture are to be 
made by the Department of Agriculture—this time at 
Los Angeles, California, and the United States Minister 
to China has been asked to provide the seed. Just as was 
proved by Commissioner Le Due’s tea experiments in 
South Carolina, the high cost of American labor as com- 
pared with that of China, will doubtless prove the main 
obstacle to successful tea culture in the Vineyard State. 
J une 15, we are bagging. As a matter of preference, we 
should put on the bags when the grapes are as large as 
No. 6 shot. The depredations of rose-bugs make it neces¬ 
sary, however, that the clusters should be bagged before 
the buds open in many cases; in others while in bloom 
Even then many clusters are injured or destroyed Bag¬ 
ging clusters not yet in bloom is objectionable, because 
many varieties are not self-fertilizing or but imperfectly 
so. This we have ascertained by several years of experi¬ 
ment. 
" Why don’t you turn that cow out in the yard to exer¬ 
cise every day f” said an old farmer last winter, "She’ll 
die if you keep her tied up all the time and you’ll deserve 
to lose her I” The cow was a small “ nervous ” Jersey 
tied with a halter in a well ventilated stable. “ She looks 
fine I” said the same old farmer this spring. " Lucky yon 
followed my advice. Her hide would have been on the 
fence now if you had kept her housed all winter 1” The 
beauty of the thing is that the cow got out of the stable 
but once during the winter I 
The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad has just 
followed the example of the Chicago, Burlington and 
Quincy Road, by reducing its customary dividend and the 
stockholders suffer accordingly. The short corn crop of 
last year is assigned as the principal cause of the shortage 
in the earniDgs of the road and the consequent diminu¬ 
tion in the income of the stockholders. This Is only one 
more proof that, In one way or another, every class yea 
every individual in the community, is benefited by’ the 
success and more or less injured by the failure in any de¬ 
partment of the greatest and grandest of all our indus¬ 
tries—agriculture. 
There is a great deal of dissatisfaction among the hor¬ 
ticulturists of the country at large, and especially among 
the nurserymen, at the proposed plan or arrangement of 
the Horticultural Department at the approaching Colum¬ 
bian Fair at Chicago. According to the general opinion 
the California representatives have been permitted to take 
too influential a part in the preliminary arrangements 
and the horticultural products of California have been 
granted undue prominence to the detriment of those from 
the rest of the country. Special stress is laid on the un¬ 
fitness of Walter S. Maxwell, of California, for the posi¬ 
tion of Chief of the Department, both on account of his 
objectionable personal characteristics and his general ig¬ 
norance of the horticultural conditions and products of 
the country at large. An entire change of classification 
is demanded under penalty of witholding exhibits from 
the big show. 
