128 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
Feb. 25 
TBit 
Rural New-Yorker 
TIMES BUILDING, NEW TORE. 
▲ Rational Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
ELBERT S. CABMAN, Editor-In-Chief. 
HERBKHT W. COLLINGWOOD, Managing Editor 
EKWIN G. FOWLER, Associate Editor. 
Copyrighted 1*83. 
SATURDAY , FEBRUARY 25, 1893. 
Our supply of bulbs of Chinese narcissus offered to 
subscribersof The R.- N.-Y. is exhausted. See particu¬ 
lars as to return of the postage money under Publisher’s 
Desk. , # 
The Timbrell strawberry is sweet and delicious 
even before it is ripe. * # 
If everybody objected to trying novelties, that 
would be the end of all improvements in seeds and 
plants. # # 
Plant and seed novelties have always been and 
always will be high in price. This is necessarily so 
Originators have never been adequately paid for their 
productions. The producer of a superior fruit, grain 
or vegetable should realize a fortune from its sale, for 
such productions are rare—the work generally of years 
of study and toil—and they are oftentimes worth mil¬ 
lions to the public. * * 
Readers are solicited to send for and to examine 
carefully and compare the catalogues which are no¬ 
ticed in this issue Let them bear in mind before 
making out their orders that, while cheap seeds are, 
as a rule, dear at any price, high priced seeds are not 
necessarily of the highest excellence. The character 
of a firm is often—perhaps generally—shown by its 
catalogue. It is a safe rule not to patronize a firm 
whose catalogue is filled with monstrous pictures and 
superlative claims Substantial, trustworthy firms 
cannot afford to issue such catalogues. Those alone 
can afford to do so who hope for speedy money returns 
from the credulous class they hope to impose upon. 
* * 
The effort to form a permanent farmers’ union in 
England seems to be gaining strength all the time. 
Lord Wioehilsea, a large farmer and land owner, advo¬ 
cates the formation of a party that shall include land¬ 
lord, tenant and laborer, as he claims that the inter¬ 
ests of all these classes are bound together. In a recent 
interview he is reported as follows : 
He should like to lock the present and past Prime Ministers In a 
room together, and refuse to liberate them until they had made up 
their minds that agriculture was the first thing that must be at¬ 
tended to. 
What do you think of such talk as that from a “noble 
Lord ” who has great landed interests at stake ? That 
sentiment was received by that English audience with 
cheers. American farmers are not alone, you see, in 
demanding a “ fair show ” at the hands of legislators. 
That’s all any honest man wants. 
* # 
Dairy Commissioner Schraub is getting in his work 
and the process of converting his department into a 
political machine has taken definite form. One of the 
most useful subordinates in the department has been 
notified by Mr. Schraub that his continuance in office 
depends on his being able to secure the indorsement 
of his local political leaders. The Commissioner takes 
occasion to say that his services have been entirely 
satisfactory, and that personally, he (the Commis¬ 
sioner) does not wish to remove him, and he will not 
do so, if the indorsement above alluded to is obtained 
and forwarded. This is a very dirty business, and 
warrants the strictures The Rural has previously 
made on Mr. Schraub’s appointment. Fitness for a 
position as one of his subordinates is not necessary. It 
is not essential that the candidate should kmw any¬ 
thing of milk, butter, cheese, or other dairy products— 
he must secure the “ indorsement” of some miserable 
pot-house politicians, whom he would be ashamed to 
be seen with on the street. It would be far better to 
abolish the department entirely than to permit it to 
be thus disgraced. *. * 
It seems necessary to say a word more about that 
book on the Diseases of Cattle published by the 
Department of Agriculture. Our friends have been 
writing to their Congressmen asking for it, and their 
replies are various. To settle the matter, for the 
present at least, we print this note from Secretary 
Rusk, sent to one of our subscribers : 
Your request for a copy of the Special Report on Diseases of Cattle 
and on Cattle Feeding Is at hand. In reply I would state that the 
edition of this work, printed by the Department, is very small and not 
sufficient to supply the requests which are already on file. I would 
be glad to send you a copy of the report if it were possible to do so. 
This proves that there Is such a book. Some Con¬ 
gressmen claimed it had never been printed. Let 
Congress at once appropriate money enough to print a 
large edition. Some of our friends are denouncing the 
Government for issuing such books on the plea that 
it injures the business of agricultural papers and 
other publications. It doesn’t hurt Tiie R. N.-Y.’s 
business. If we can’t make a paper new and bright 
enough to compete with these heavy and ponderous 
Government reports, we will retire from business and 
not beg for legislation to help us out. 
* * 
The most remarkable feature of American State and 
National legislation for the past few years is undoubt¬ 
edly the large number of laws enacted in connection 
with the labor problem. Scarcely a session of Con¬ 
gress or of any State legislature has been held with¬ 
out the passage of one or more laws of this kind. The 
labor organizations have been persistent in their de¬ 
mands ; they have employed lobbies close to all the 
legislatures; they have, in turn, used threats and 
cajoleries to influence the lawmakers, and have been 
eminently successful in their efforts. Indeed, so in¬ 
timidated have some of the legislatures been by their 
menaces that they have been guilty of gross class legis¬ 
lation in their favor, much of which the State and 
Federal courts are pretty sure ultimately to declare un¬ 
constitutional. Then the same kind of clamor is certain 
to be raised against the judiciary that now resounds 
in some of the States against the militia. The most 
ren askable phenomenon in this connection is the 
comparatively small number of the agitators. Out of 
a population of 65,000,000 in this country, about 
20 ,000,000 are wage-earners, and of these not over 
1,500,000 belong to any labor organization, and all the 
perturbation is due to these. As their objects are en¬ 
tirely selfish and often hostile in many respects to the 
interests not only of other classes, but even to those 
of their fellow wage-earners, is it not strange that 
their influence should be so formidable ? Among the 
13,000,000 working people of England, too, the fullest 
reports of the trade unions show only a membership of 
871,000 ; yet this organized body presumes to control 
and direct the action of the entire laboring com¬ 
munity and to formulate all legislation for its benefit. 
Great is the power of active, combative organization ! 
* * 
The discussion of the advantage and profit of mixing 
chemicals at home comes up each year with renewed 
energy. As a matter of theory, the advantages of home 
mixing are very great. The purchase of high-grade 
fertilizers of guaranteed analyses is a step in advance 
of buying manure, because in that case the farmer buys 
exact amounts of plant food that he can measure. 
Manure is not sold subject to an analysis and is the 
most variable product the farmer can buy. There is 
a great scientific advance in buying chemicals by an¬ 
alysis as compared with buying manure by its smell. 
Home mixing, in theory at least, is a closer approach 
to scientific accuracy in farming because, by means of 
it we are supposed to save any excess of nitrogen, 
potash or phosphoric acid contained in the manufac¬ 
tured goods, which our soils do not need. We are also 
supposed to make sure by this means that the forms in 
which these substances are supplied are suitable. Still, 
it must be said that the practice of home mixing is by 
no means common nor does it seem to increase very 
rapidly. In fact, we know of several farmers who 
have given it up after a fair trial. The theory is all 
in its favor and many good farmers continue to prac¬ 
tice it, yet the trade in complete prepared fertilizers 
increases every year. For example, out of a total of 
$1,346,482 spent in New Jersey for fertilizers in 1891 
$1,007,423 went for complete mixed manures, and a 
large pirt of the balance was paid for bone, potash or 
superphosphates to be applied without mixing. This 
home-mixing problem seems to be like the home bread 
making problem It is surprising to see how many 
gardeners and farmers near the large towns and cities 
use bakers’ bread almost entirely. They buy the man¬ 
ufactured bread rather than buy the flour and other 
materials and make the bread at home, though most 
of them prefer the home-made article. The house¬ 
wife’s reasons for buying bread are not unlike those of 
her husband for buying fertilizers. 
* # 
A strenuous effort is to be made in the next Congress 
by the “ oleo” men to secure the repeal of the law 
against their product, chiefly on the plea that it is 
class legislation The anti-oleo interests however, 
are resolved not only to oppose any tampering with 
the present law in the way of abrogating or weaken 
ing it; but to insist on more stringent legislation for 
rendering it more effective. In spite of the boasts of 
the officials, State and National, whose duty it is to 
suppress the manufacture or sale of bogus butter, 
the statistics of the Bureau of I nternal Revenue demon¬ 
strate that a much greater quantity is now turned 
out than before any restrictive State and National 
legislation on the matter. The dairymen of the 
country, therefore, are to appeal to Congress for 
legislation compelling the manufacturers of the con¬ 
coction to color it blue, purple or black, so that it 
cannot be palmed off on the most unsophisticated as 
genuine butter. The sentiment of the dairymen 
everywhere on the subject was emphatically voiced by 
the National Butter, Cheese and Egg Convention at 
Dubuque, la., the other day, in the following resolu¬ 
tions : 
Resolved. That the dairymen of the United States are supporting 
by their taxes the whole framework of American society, ard we here¬ 
by pledge our moral, political and financial opposition to any State or 
National legislator who, by his act or lack of action, shows that he 
has more sympathy with a fraud than with an honest product of the 
farm. 
Resolved, That we respectfully appeal to President-elect Cleveland 
upon occupying his office, to appoint officers in the internal revenue 
service who will enforce the provisions of the national oleomargarine 
law. who will prosecute with vigor all dealers in oleomargarine who 
fall to mark all packages sold to all consumers, as the law directly re¬ 
quires, in Roman letters not less than one-quarter of an inch square. 
Too much emphasis cannot be laid on the latter 
resolution. Culpable failure on the part of the National 
and State officials to perform their plain duty in regard 
to dealings in oleomargarine has been the most scan¬ 
dalously demoralizing feature in connection with the 
laws relating to its manufacture and sale. 
# * 
President-elect Cleveland has selected for Secre¬ 
tary of Agriculture, to succeed Secretary Rusk, J. Ster¬ 
ling Morton, of Nebraska. Mr. Mor‘on is known as the 
originator of Arbor Day. He is a progressive and very 
intelligent man. We shall, of course, give further 
particultars later. # , 
BREVITIES. 
the clover seed question. 
“ Clover seed is awful high -it's most a cent a seed. 
That’s too rich for my old blood, an’ I hev Jest agreed 
Tbet I’ll buy no clover seed er. long’s It’s up so high. 
I’ll jest keep my pocketoook tied right straight up, sez I. 
Sorter guess they must take me ler a millionaire. 
Sech a price fer clover seed is big enull ter scare 
All the profit frum yer farm ; it don’t git me, you bet, 
I’ve gut sense enough ter stick ter good, hard dollars yet.” 
“ Gonter buy some clover seed? Well now I rather guess 
When I cut down that expense you’ll jest hear me confess 
That I’ve come a crazy man—there ain’t no money lent 
Out on bond and mortgages at any known per cent, 
That'll pay the Interest that good old clover will. 
I’m no fool—you’ll nnd me, Blr, a staying by It still. 
Save on scrimpin’ clover seed? Well, not on this here place 
I ain’t gonter let no cent shut out a dollar's face ” 
Separated milk should be true blue in color. 
Can an ensilage-fed cow really become thirsty ? 
Pansies and sweet peas are having a well-merited boom. 
Has any man ever been able to run a separator by wind power ? 
The best sign of a dairy cow is the signature on the check that pays 
for her butter. 
Behind the lighthouse! The man who still tests milk by putting it 
in glass tubes! 
Let no lamb lie down with a lion that is young enough to have 
any teeth and claws. 
The rat must have been provided by Nature to show poultrymen- 
“ where they are at." 
8QUAB farming offers Inducements to boys of all ages from 15 to 75 
years. We shall soon tell all about it. 
The man who wont Improve because to do so would be to go back 
on grandfather's way is a theorist—and his theory is exploded, too. 
The fat and gristle in raw-bone meal retard the solubility of its 
phosphoric acid. Steamed-bone meal is more soluble than the raw. 
A lively, nervous hen wants to lay eggs. She calls for plenty of 
food and has a right to do so. If she is not fed she is justified in steal¬ 
ing food out of the garden or anywhere else. 
Here is the way one of our friends views it: “ How Farmers Get 
Rich ” in The Rural of December 17, 1892, is solid truth and hits the 
calamity shriekers of Nebraska in a tender place.” 
Our friend 0. E. French, of Iowa, thus frankly states one of his 
failures for 1892: ” We have Just lost several thousand dollars by not 
having several hundred good hogs ready for market.” 
“ Spraying with the Bordeaux mixture paid me better than any 
phosphate I ever used,” said a farmer the other day. Is that so, or 
did the spraying simply give the fertilizer a chance to work ? 
Smoke alone will not fight a hard frost successfully. There must be 
a hot lire to begin with. Damp stuff put on this will send up a mixture 
of smoke and hot steam that may help; but the smoke alone does not 
do the work. 
Some weeks ago The R. N.-Y. offered to redeem all bacteria-laden 
paper money by sending 52 Issues of the paper in exchange for every 
dollar. A friend in North Carolina sent us a Confederate dollar and 
calls for the 52 issues. We didn’t mean the bacteria of bankruptcy! 
Our friend now sends a good dollar for The R. N.-Y. and the ‘‘back 
number ” for a souvenir. That’s the best use for it. 
Of course you remember when the Holstein and the Friesian cattle 
breeders combined and declared that the black and white cattle 
should be known as Holsteln-Frleslans. We said at the time that this 
name was too long and that Holland would be better. Now you will 
notice that the “ Friesian” is gradually falling out of the name except 
on the stock records. There is more “ potency” in Holstein. 
WE shall begin next week the publication of an elaborate article by 
Prof. Bolley of the North Dakota Experiment Station on potato scab, 
and the best measures for preventing its attacks. Prof. Bolley 1 b sure 
that this scab is a parasitic disease which can be cured on soils that 
are free from germs. A number of our readers believe that angle¬ 
worms cause the trouble. We shall give them a hearing also. 
A big Flour Trust has just been formed in Chicago. Most of the 
spring wheat millers In Buffalo, Chicago, St. Louis. Milwaukee, Mlnne 
apolls, Mankato and tributary points have finally gone into the 
organization, which is to begin operations after next harvest. Its 
objects, of course, will be to keep down the price of wheat, and raise 
those of flour and the poor man’s loaf, as an effective means of 
unscrupulously adding to the millions of its members. 
A certain man came to the Institute Lecturer and said, “What 
shall I do to make farming pay? ’ And the Lecturer asked of him, 
"What do you do now?” and he answered and said, " I feed all my 
hay and grain at home as did my fathers. I do not like to care 
for live stock, but I must have manure. Western beef sells for less 
than I can raise steers for. Yet do I do as did my fathers—what lack 
I yet?” And the Lecturer said, “Go and knock the steers on the head, 
buy fertility in bags, and sell thy grain and hay, leave meat-makiDg 
to the West and sell water!” 
