1891 
7i5 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
SOME FAIR NOTES. 
( Continued .) 
The recommendations of Gov. Hill, the 
discussions at the institutes and the ex¬ 
tended notices given the subject by the 
papers bring road machines into promin¬ 
ence. After an experience of 10 years as 
“ paymaster,” I can truthfully say they 
are of great value. The Western Wheeled 
Scraper Company, of Aurora, Ill., showed 
several styles of scrapers and road ma¬ 
chines. I noticed as an improvement an ex¬ 
tensible hind axle which gives a broad 
base for rough and uneven work, and de¬ 
livers the dirt inside the wheel. It can be 
narrowed in a few seconds so as to go 
through a gate or to track with a farm 
wagon. By means of a sliding evener and 
rods the draft is taken off the tongue and 
wheel horses and is direct from the scraper. 
By turning up the hand wheels, the trucks 
are lifted from the ground to be greased. 
C. W. Weston, of Port Byron, N. Y., was 
kept busy answering questions from farm¬ 
ers who are thinking of uniting and buying 
one for their district. A small tax is col¬ 
lected each year until it has been paid for, 
and the amount paid by each is deducted 
from the time he has to work. It is a good 
investment and plan, already adopted by 
many districts in this section. 
Among tne dairy goods was a milk cooler 
exhibited by Messrs. Main & Glen, Cort¬ 
land, N. Y. It will perfectly deodorize milk 
and cool it at the same time. It is tin and 
in the form of a truncated cone, on top of 
which is a milk receiver, the outer edge of 
which is perforated with very small holes 
through which the milk flows in very small 
streams, falling about six inches through 
the air on to the cone which may be filled 
with Ice or running water. It is inexpen¬ 
sive and its use would increase the amount 
of good butter, as it removes much which 
Will taint. C. E. CHAPMAN. 
Grange Exhibits In Connecticut. 
Ideal New England weather, clear, cool 
and sunlight by day, and moonlight by 
night, made the 22nd exhibition of the Con¬ 
necticut Agricultural Society a grand suc¬ 
cess. The exhibits of the various granges 
were the most notable features of the fair. 
Wallingford Grange No. 83, showed the 
figure of a farmer plowing with a yoke of 
oxen, made entirely of farm products. The 
design stood in a bed of potatoes around 
which was a border of crab apples. Meri¬ 
den Grange No. 20 made a specialty of flow¬ 
ers, canned goods, fruits and the like. 
Westfield Grange showed an old fashioned 
well and sweep. At the well was the figure 
of a young woman who had apparently just 
come for a drink. Her dress was made of 
oats and corn, and the long well sweep, of 
corn and corn stalks. The well curb was of 
corn stalks, and the bucket was the moss- 
covered proverbial one. Mattabessett 
Grange made the famous old Liberty Bell 
the model for their design. The tower was 
made of vegetables, fruits and grains, and 
the bell of golden rod; but in the matter 
of color It was very much brighter than the 
old bell after which It was modeled. New¬ 
ington Grange, No. 44, showed a pyramid of 
grains and fruits six feet high, the top 
design representing Ceres, the goddess of 
grain. j. H. G. 
West Virginia Enthusiasm. 
In 1884 the people spontaneously re¬ 
sponded to the rescue of the management of 
our State fair at Wheeling drowned out by 
the memorable flood of that year. Last 
spring the beautiful grounds were again 
made desolate by high water, and the peo¬ 
ple have again responded to the emergency, 
more than making up all losses and leav¬ 
ing the association in good shape. The 
success of this year was the result of the 
energy and well directed efforts of the offi¬ 
cers of the association. Secretary George 
Otte and Treasurer George Hook certainly 
performed herculean labors in the prepara¬ 
tion and management of such a fair. The 
people have but a faint idea of the labor, 
worry and hardship involved. The crowd 
entering the grounds on Thursday at the 
four different gates was enormous, a five- 
minute count at one gate showing 285 peo¬ 
ple, or over 55 a minute. Every other 
sound was drowned by the wild and enthu¬ 
siastic demand for “ Tickets 1 ” “ Tickets! ” 
We had racing by moonlight very nearly, 
as 5,000 people stayed on the track until 
7:15 p. M. to see the finish. Considerable 
interest was taken in the tempting display 
of pies, cakes, bread, etc., and especially 
when the eatables ran low on the grounds 
did the crowds around this exhibit remind 
me of a hungry flock of buzzards hovering 
over a dying mule. The returns from the 
sale of beer Thursday were $1,541; this rep¬ 
resents over 30,000 glasses. Then 4,365 
grand stand and quarter stretch tickets 
were sold, and 3,833 railroad coupons were 
taken at the gates, and over 20,000 people 
were on the grounds. Every department 
was full to overflowing, many exhibitors 
having been turned away. About 1,000 
head of stock were on exhibition Many 
horse entries were refused for lack of space, 
while any number of cattle were turned 
away. Over 700 fowls were on exhibition. 
Among them were some “ fur ” fowls, with 
a hairy covering. Among the sheep ex¬ 
hibits were a pair of Dorset Horned which 
attracted much attention. A few half- 
drunken men and overgrown boys, such as 
are sometimes called “ Smart Alecs,” carry¬ 
ing around whips, canes, etc., were seen 
whipping cattle around for no other pur¬ 
pose than to inform sensible people that 
the ignorant animals were on the outside 
of the stalls, and the well-bred animals on 
the inside. The style, speed and size of the 
horses I saw convinced me that stock 
breeders have caught the correct idea, that 
the trotting and pacing horse, to be useful 
and popular, must be also large enough to 
pull a carriage over the country roads and 
fill the place of a general-purpose horse. 
J. E. J. 
Vegetable Notes from Hornellsvllle. 
Kennedy & Co., of Hornellsvllle, had a 
grand exhibit of vegetables, consisting of 
about 50 varieties cf celery, potatoes and 
garden truck. Mr. K. is very successful in 
growing celery and exhibited some beauti¬ 
ful and very large bunches of the White 
Plume. He has a novel way of growing 
and invites criticism. The plants are set 
only 4x15 inches apart in the row and kept 
in place by boards. There is no earthing 
up. His bleaching house is on an inclined 
rock bottom. It is located on a rocky hill¬ 
side where the water works out of the 
seams and drains across the floor. All the 
earth that sticks to the roots of the celery 
Is left on, and the plants are placed up¬ 
right in solid tiers on the floor. They will 
grow a little and bleach perfectly. Some 
portions of the bed have yielded at the rate 
of $2,800 per acre. The florist of Elmira, 
A. T. Rice, had a fine display of vegetables, 
flowers and fruits. ‘‘Some money in the 
business and a good deal of hustling,” said 
he. "The profits come from having some¬ 
thing to sell when others are out.” 
Our old friend Supt. Donald, of Horse- 
heads, took first premium on early potatoes. 
“ I won’t raise anything but early potatoes 
for private customers or money profit,” 
was his characteristic reply to a question 
about the comparative merits of late and 
early potatoes. c. E. c. 
A LISTENER’S NOTES. 
Some Things that Are Talked About. 
More Fertilizers, Less Feed.— A late 
bulletin from the Georgia Experiment Sta¬ 
tion has this: “ If we consult the statis¬ 
tics in regard to the use of commercial fer¬ 
tilizers we find that the Southern States 
are the largest consumers; we find also 
that our Southern States are the largest 
consumers of forage crops raised outside 
our States. If we did not daily see train¬ 
loads of Western hay and corn pass before 
our eyes, we’d be loth to believe it, and 
this is a country and climate where stock 
can be pastured the greater part of the 
year, where green food can be obtained for 
the same period, and where some of the 
most nutritious forage plants grow in lux¬ 
ury and perfection. The cause of this ab¬ 
normal condition, therefore, cannot be at¬ 
tributed to the soil or climate. It is to be 
charged to the present methods of farming, 
the criminal neglect of fodder and food 
products, the waste of the manurial re¬ 
sources of the farm, the injudicious use of 
commercial fertilizers, and the one crop 
system—the cultivation of cotton year after 
year on the same land.” 
The most telling shots now made at 
Southern all-cotton farming are made by 
Southern men who have been in other sec¬ 
tions and seen the importance of the hay 
crop. Statistics make a sad showing. The 
average hay crop of Mississippi for a period 
of 10 years was valued at $324,790 ; that of 
Alabama at $371,603. For an average of the 
same years little Connecticut’s crop was 
worth $9,403,913, while Ohio’s was worth 
$29,807,054—a sum greater than the average 
cotton crops in Arkansas, Louisiana, South 
Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia or Ten¬ 
nessee. In one single year New York State 
has produced a hay crop worth $93,115,000 ! 
The Southern experiment stations cannot 
do better work than to keep hammering 
away at this grass question. Without 
clover America could have no wheat for ex¬ 
port. With clover, field peas and other 
grasses the debts and troubles of the South 
may be wiped out. Let "sectional preju¬ 
dices ” go to grass. 
State Convict Farming.— The system 
of leasing out convicts, practiced in the 
Southern States, has led to a horrible state 
of affairs that calls for protest from all 
humane people. Mississippi is the first 
State to take official steps to remedy the 
system. In her new constitution Missis¬ 
sippi provides for a system of convict farms 
located in various parts of the State on 
which the convicts are to be worked at 
growing cotton, corn or other crops. The 
writer is well acquainted with the man 
who first leased the convicts in Mississippi. 
Shortly after the war the State’s prison at 
Jackson was full of criminals—mostly 
negroes—who were a great expense to the 
State, as there was little or no manufactur¬ 
ing or mining in that part of the State to 
provide indoor labor. He proposed to re¬ 
lieve the State of all expense by feeding, 
clothiDg and housing the negroes for what 
he could make out of their labor. This 
proposition was accepted by the "carpet 
bag ” legislature. Several of the railroads 
in the State were built by this convict 
labor, and the contractor made a fortune. 
At that time the convicts were kept fairly 
well-fed on corn bread and molasses with 
baked sweet potatoes and pork. Later 
fearful abuses erept into the system. Tbe 
writer knows from personal observation of 
the cruelty and injustice with which con¬ 
victs are treated. Mississippi has taken a 
long stride in advance in abolishing the sys¬ 
tem of leasing. If the great farms pro¬ 
posed are properly conducted, they will be 
not only a source of income to the State, 
but useful for experiment or educational 
purposes. Many of the tests at the State 
experiment station could be duplicated on 
a larger scale at the convict farm. When 
efforts are usually made to put convicts at 
useful work, there are always those who cry 
that convict competition is injurious and 
wrong because it interferes with the labor 
of honest workmen. Most of those who 
framed this new Mississippi constitution 
were farmers who did not seem to fear that 
convict labor will hurt their business. Per¬ 
haps they have a deeper plan in view, and 
propose in this way to force a heavier 
production of wheat, corn and meat, the 
staples which Mississippi imports at such 
a loss. If the convicts are made to increase 
the amount of home-grown bread and 
meats, they will do the State much good. 
Why not put convicts at work producing 
sugar in localities where beets, cane or 
sorghum can be grown ? This would mean 
the least Interference with the work of the 
average farm, and at the same time 
cheapen an article of universal use. 
" Legality of a Shave.”— On page 650 
we spoke of a curious law case threatened 
in Connecticut. It has just come to trial 
and the barber was found guilty and fined 
$2 and costs. The court held that when a 
barber seats a man in the chair, tucks a 
towel under his chin and lathers his face 
he enters into a contract to shave him. 
The barber in this case, shaved only one 
side of his customer’s face and then got 
angry and refused to finish the job. The 
barber’s defense was that the customer in¬ 
sulted him by calling him "a darned fool.” 
This defense was not accepted. 
We were disappointed In the results produced by the $1 00 camera offered some time 
ago, so we take special pride in offering the much better "STUDENT ” Camera, which 
includes all the necessary apparatus, chemicals, etc., but also Includes folding tripod, 
carrying satchel and shoulder strap. For the price it is the simplest, strongest, lightest, 
mosr, compact, easie-t of comprehension, readiest in manipulation and cheapest, complete 
outfit that we have ever seen. Price, $2 00, sent prepaid ; or with a year’s subscription 
for ^3 00; either a new subscription may be sent, or your own will be couiinued for a year 
from the time paid for. 
THE RURAL PUBLISHING COMPANY, Times Building, New York. 
French Achromatic Telescope. 
Few things are more interesting or useful in both 
leisure and busy moments in the country than a 
good Telescope, or harder to find. We believe that 
we have in this a thoroughly good Telescope that 
we can offer to our subscribers in confidence that it 
will give satisfaction. When extended it is over 1G 
inches, and when closed G 1-2 inches in length. On 
a clear day you can distinctly see the time on a 
tower clock three miles away. The moons of Jupi¬ 
ter can be seen with it. The Telescope tubes are 
made from heavy polished brass ; the body is cov¬ 
ered with morocco, making a thoroughly substan¬ 
tial instrument. It is achromatic ; that is, does 
not blur the vision by a confusion of colors. Retail 
price, $4.50. Price to our subscribers, sent prepaid, 
$3.00. Given to any present subscriber for two new 
subscriptions and $4.00. Or, for $3.50 we will send 
the telescope, and extend your own subscription for 
one year. 
THE RURAL PUBLISHING GO., Times Building, New York. 
