348 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
May 20 
of both metals shall possess exactly the came commer¬ 
cial value ; otherwise one metal would cease to con¬ 
tinue as a standard. This was precisely what hap¬ 
pened in the United States. The law of 1792 attempted 
to establish the double standard in this country, and 
it was amended in 1837 and 1873 to consummate this 
object, but ineffectually. All attempts, from 1793, 
when the first coinage law was enacted, until 1873, 
when the silver dollar was demonetized, to get the 
silver dollar into circulation were futile, and during 
all that time—more than 80 years—not so many silver 
dollars were coined as are coined now in every three 
months; and all that were coined were exported. 
Practically the silver dollar was demonetized by nat¬ 
ural laws, and all that was attempted to be accom¬ 
plished in 1873 was to change the law so that it would 
conform to the fact. 
Again he asks, “ Why was it (the demonetization) 
smuggled through Congress ? ” The law of 1873 was 
enacted in the usual manner, passed through the 
usual channels by the usual methods; and no attempt 
was made to get it enacted otherwise, for there was no 
necessity to “ smuggle” it through or to use improper 
or clandestine methods, simply because at that time 
there was no opposition. If the silver dollar was in 
circulation even to a comparatively small extent, or 
if it ever had been, doubtless there would have been 
some opposition. 
Again he asks, “ Is it not a fact that the prices of all 
farm products have declined with the depreciation of 
silver ? ” Within the past year pork has advanced in 
this vicinity from 6 to 10 cents, potatoes from 50 to 90 
cents, apples from SI.25 to $ 2.25 per barrel, and butter 
at this date is 32 cents per pound. “ It is a poor rule 
that doesn’t work both ways.” IIow can demonetiza¬ 
tion of silver send prices both down and up ? s. g. s. 
Livermore, Me. 
“Caught On.”—N ot long ago I talked with a farmer 
here about the agricultural papers. He said they 
taught nothing about farming, he knew how to farm, 
and he cared nothing for what they could tell him. In 
other words “ he knew it all.” I was not brought up 
to the business, and though “ raised ” on a farm, ob¬ 
tained most of the little knowledge I have, from books 
and papers, and I will state one or two cases where I 
turned my “ paper knowledge ” to account directly. 
I used to think the planting of an asparagus bed like 
the founding of a city, and that is the common im¬ 
pression. But after reading an article in The Rural, 
by a Mr. Gifford, I think, I set out a large bed and it 
is a success, and proving more so from year to year. 
That paper was sound, practical, and a “revelation ” 
in asparagus culture. Last fall hay being high and 
scarce, I wanted to feed straw to my horses, I borrowed 
a cutter to try the method of cutting and wetting it. 
I had never fed any, and it always seemed to me that 
clover hay was quite good enough. The cutter did not 
work, but at that time Dr. Galen Wilson’s articles on 
feeding straw took a strong hold on me, and I began 
with a half ration of barley straw, the shortest day of 
the winter. Soon, I was feeding straw altogether with 
five or six quarts of ground grain per day and kept it 
up, and I have a nice little mow of clover hay to show 
for that little bit of information. The horses wintered 
well, looked as well as usual, and felt as well certainly 
as any horses ever did. This has paid for my agricul¬ 
tural papers for many years, and I have just begun. 
I prefer, however, a modification of Dr. Wilson’s ra¬ 
tion, and have fed a little hay, a good deal of straw 
and five or six quarts of grain a day. These are in¬ 
stances, and I am adding to what I know in the same 
way all the time. No one man “ knows it all,” and if 
he doesn’t read nowadays, he won’t know much of it. 
Maine. C. s. p. 
Questions for Anti-Silverites. —1. In reply to the 
questions of W. E. R., in a late Rural, it may be said 
without any partisan bias, and in exact truth, that 
the demonetization of silver was made to meet the 
action of Germany and other European nations in the 
establishment of a single standard—gold. 2. The act 
was hurried through Congress for the reason that it 
could not have been done without strenuous opposi¬ 
tion, had the attempt been discussed freely. 3. Cir¬ 
cumstances have changed since 1873, and had the act 
not been consummated then, it must have been peremp¬ 
tory now, for the enormous increase in the produc¬ 
tion of silver and its actual cheapness must have 
compelled either this course or made silver the sole 
standard. 4. Money may have two values, intrinsic 
and fiat, or legal. But the intrinsic value of it depends 
solely on its worth for other uses than money. Gold 
is now selling in the market at its actual material 
value and so is silver, but while the gold is equal in 
respect of both these values, silver is not, and its 
lawful value as coin is nearly 50 per cent above its 
intrinsic value. And now that the supply of silver is 
very much greater than the demand for it as money, 
its money value is certain soon to come down to its 
intrinsic value. 5. Prices of all commodities have 
fallen as compared with the value of gold ; the real 
fact is that gold has risen in value, and less of it can 
be procured for a bushel of wheat or a fat steer than 
some years ago. And this reduction in the value 
applies to all things—land, clothing, food, etc., etc. 
These are all now sold on a silver basis, or a par with 
the low price of silver, gold being the actual standard 
of value for everything. h. s. 
[Every query must be aooompanled by the name and address of the 
writer to Insure attention. Before asking a question please see If It Is 
not answered In our advertising columns. Ask only a few questions 
at one time. Put questions on a separate piece of paper. 1 
Land Trouble. 
D. F., Daytona, Fla. —A sells a piece of land to B, 
and gives him a written contract for the same, agree¬ 
ing that when he shall have received the money he 
will give him a warranty deed. B paid about one- 
half and died intestate, without any relatives as far 
as A can learn. The contract was not recorded. C, 
D and E send in to the County Judge claims amount¬ 
ing to twice as much as B has paid A. A has written 
to the County Judge and does not get any answer as 
to what they propose to do with the same. 
Ans.—L et A wait until he hears from the other 
party, and then engage a good local lawyer to conduct 
his case. 
Disposal of Property. 
H. \V. R , Ulster Heights, N. Y. —I have a diffi¬ 
cult case on hand and I come to The Rural for advice. 
The case is as follows: About 27 years ago I got mar¬ 
ried and by this marriage we had one child, a girl. 
When she was four years old my wife left me, and 
took the child away from me. At the time when this 
happened I was in Callao in Peru. After my return 
to New York I went to work and sued for divorce 
which was granted me with the privilege to marry 
again if I wished to do so. About 14 years ago I got 
married again, but had no children from my second 
wife, but she had a daughter which I adopted, and 
she has been with us all the time, and helped us in our 
work during these 14 years; she is 30 years old and a 
widow with two children. My second wife died March 
28, 1893. I want to leave all my property to my step¬ 
daughter after my death—I made a will about 10 
years ago, but I am afraid it will be contested after 
my death, so I would like to give my stepdaughter a 
deed of all my real estate and other property of which 
I may be the owner at my death; but at the same time 
I want to secure myself, in case that my stepdaughter 
should marry again before my death, and I would 
like to keep the property in my possession as long as 
I live. I have consulted different lawyers and they 
all give me different advice and have different opin¬ 
ions. Will The Rural give me its opinion and advice 
in this case. I want to make the deed of my property 
so that my stepdaughter will have no trouble after my 
death and so that I will be secured as long as I live. 
Ans. —Give a deed, retaining a life tenancy. 
School Laws of New York State. 
L. L. M , Herkimer County, N. Y .—What is the pres¬ 
ent school law in New York State ? Is there a fine 
imposed on delinquents ? Can a teacher legally close 
a school for a day without the consent of the trustees? 
Have teachers any authority over scholars before or 
after school hours : for instance, can they then forbid 
them to enter a farmer’s orchard ? 
Ans. —The law of the Empire State provides that 
every person having control of any child between the 
ages of 8 and 14 “shall cause such child to attend 
some public or private day school at least 14 weeks in 
each year, eight weeks at least of which attendance 
must be consecutive, or to be instructed regularly at 
home at least 14 weeks in each year in spelling, read¬ 
ing, writing, English grammar, geography and arith¬ 
metic unless the physical or mental condition of the 
child is such as to render such attendance or instruc¬ 
tion inexpedient or impracticable.” Any one failing 
to comply with this provision of the law is liable to 
“a fine for the first offense of $1, and for each succeed¬ 
ing offense in the same year, $5 for each and every 
week, not exceeding 13 in any one year, during which 
he fails to comply with said provisions.” It is the 
duty of the trustees to exact compliance with the law. 
If any person is known to them to be violating its 
provisions they are to give him written notice of his 
liability to a fine, and if the violation continues it is 
their duty to collect the penalty and pay it to the 
supervisor of the town. A teacher in the public 
schools is not justified in closing his school for a day 
without the consent of the trustees except in cases 
provided by law. He may close to attend a teachers’ 
institute of his district, and on Saturdays or other 
days which the custom of the district has made school 
holidays. A teacher has full control of his pupils from 
the time they arrive on the school premises until they 
leave. For any conduct outside of school hours and 
off the premises, in violation of a reasonable rule, 
which conduct has a tendency to injure the school, its 
discipline or reputation, the teacher has authority to 
call the pupil to account. It is therefore clearly 
within a teacher’s authority to prevent a pupil from 
trespassing on a farmer’s orchard during the school 
day and in the neighborhood of the school premises. 
What Becomes of the Nitrogen? 
Several Subscribers .—How much of the nitrogen in 
an ordinary fertilizer can a crop of potatoes utilize, 
and what becomes of the rest ? 
Ans —In the last report of the Connecticut Station 
is an answer to similar questions which we repeat 
here, as it gives the substance of all trustworthy in¬ 
vestigations made up to date : 
“ Under favorable circumstances, most of the nitro¬ 
gen of quick-acting fertilizers, used in the moderate 
quantities commonly employed, is taken up by the 
crops. In drought, the crop does not grow and the 
fertilizer remains unchanged in the soil. In warm 
and wet weather some nitrogen leaches out of the 
soil, and more or less according to the quantity of 
water which runs off in the drainage, and according 
to the kind of fertilizer. In soils where there is free 
access of air for a good depth, the nitrogen of am¬ 
monia and of animal matters, like blood and tankage 
and of urine, passes more or less rapidly into nitric acid, 
provided there be present carbonate of lime or other 
alkaline body to form a nitrate, and provided also 
there be moderate moisture and a summer tempera¬ 
ture. The nitrates thus formed, if not taken up by 
plants, are freely washed out of the soil by drainage 
water. On the other hand, when stable manure or 
leaf mold or grass roots slowly decay in a wet soil 
where access of air is imperfect and the temperature 
low, nitrogen of these and of nitrates, ammonia salts, 
blood, etc., passes into a comparatively inactive form 
like that of swamp muck. Virgin soil from forest or 
prairie contains most of its nitrogen in the latter 
form, which under cultivation (tillage, etc.), is slowly 
changed into nitrates. 
“ Land long left to grass and natural herbage or in 
wood, becomes richer in nitrogen ; that under tillage, 
poorer. In the soil of forests there is said to be no 
nitrates. From drained lands, under tillage, there is 
considerable annual loss of nitrates, and drained 
lands in pasture and meadow also lose nitrogen as 
nitrates, although there Is accumulation of nitrogen at 
the surface in the humus (decayed vegetable matter).’' 
Professor Johnson was also asked if mixing plaster 
with the fertilizer would enable the potatoes to secure 
more of the nitrogen. To this he replies : 
“ It may be said that so far as known, plaster would 
have no influence in case of nitrate of soda or sulphate 
of ammonia. When tankage, blood or urine begins to 
change in the soil under the moist warmth of spring 
ime, it at first yields carbonate of ammonia—the 
same as one may smell in the air of a warm horse 
stable. The process of nitrification is checked by too 
much alkali. Plaster and carbonate of ammonia in 
the presence of water become carbonate of lime and 
sulphate of ammonia, neither of which opposes nitrifi¬ 
cation. It may be that this effect is favorable in the 
soil, especially when the fertilizer is sown in the hill 
or drill and not thoroughly mixed with earth, but 
water enough to wet the soil would be essential to the 
result.” 
Description of " Lumpy Jaw.” Worms In Mare. 
A. J. S., New Millport, Pa. —1. A lump about as 
large as two fists is directly under the center of the 
jaw of one of my cows. It does not interfere with 
her eating and she seems to feel as well as usual. I 
thought it might be “lumpy jaw.” What is a descrip¬ 
tion of the latter, and what should be the treatment 
in my case? 2. A six-year-old mare of mine died last 
week, seemingly without cause. One of her legs 
swelled and she became swollen under the belly to 
her front legs. She would eat but was down-spirited. 
When she died a great bunch of froth worked out at 
her nostrils. She was troubled with worms and I have 
concluded they got so numerous in her stomach as to 
eat through and kill her. We gave her no medicine 
as we did not know what to give. 
Ans — 1. In actinomycosis or lumpy-jaw of cattle, a 
lump or tumor may appear, usually on or adherent to 
one of the jaw bones; but they may occur anywhere 
about the jaws or in the region of the throat between 
the jaws. They also frequently occur in the tongue 
or within the throat as well as in the lungs; and 
rarely in various other parts of the body. These 
tumors may continue to enlarge, unbroken to an 
enormous size, or they may soon form an abscess and 
burst, discharging a creamy pus. One of these tumors 
when opened will be found to contain minute yellow¬ 
ish grains or granules, the actinomycosis or ray fun¬ 
gus, imbedded in the soft tissue, or in the pus if an 
abscess has been formed. These granules are barely 
