352 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
May 20 
IHB 
Rural New-Yorker 
Cor. Chambers and Pearl Sts ., New York. 
4 Hatlonal Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
BLBKliT 8. CABMAN, Editor-In-Chief. 
HERBERT W. COLLINGWOOD, ManaKlng Editor 
BRWIN G. FOWLER, Associate Editor. 
Copyrighted. 1S98. 
Address all communications and make all orders payable to Thu 
Rural Publishing company. 
Money orders and bank drafts are the safest In transmitting money. 
SATURDAY , MAY 20, 1893. 
Already cutting' rates has begun between the great 
Eastern trunk railroad lines to Chicago, and it is a 
widespread impression that a general reduction must 
soon follow. Anyhow the great show will not be in 
its best condition for sightseers until the middle of 
June or a trifle later, and by that time railroad, hotel 
and restaurant rates, as well as many other charges 
are likely to be much more reasonable. 
* • 
The demand for tobacco stems for insecticides is a 
growing one. Here is the way a Michigan reader says 
he proposes to work: “ To avoid the middleman, grow 
the tobacco yourself. I have found this the best and 
cheapest way to get it. It is easy to grow, seed is 
cheap, and the quality is far superior to the stems and 
dust of the factory. A few plants will supply any 
ordinary gardener.” Here is an experiment worth 
trying. Raise your own insecticide j that’s a new 
and useful crop for your farm. 
# # 
From the figures of the Eleventh Census Edward 
Atkinson, the statistician, has found that more than 
half the Western lands are free from all incumbrances, 
and that half the money loaned on mortgages came 
out of the pockets of citizens of the Western States. 
The mortgages cover less than half the value of the 
mortgaged land, and during the last five years have 
been negotiated at lessening rates. These facts should 
tend to allay the deplorable sectional feeling which 
demagogues have lately been doing their best to excite. 
# * 
Trials of sheep-herding dogs are very popular in 
Scotland. Prizes are given on dogs that show the 
greatest skill in driving and directing a flock of sheep. 
At first thought one might say this is a good thing; by 
all means let us encourage the education of dogs. That 
is one side of it. There is another. It seems that 
many shepherds, anxious to win a prize with their 
dogs, spend a good share of their time on the lonely 
sheep runs in practicing. As a result, the sheep are 
worried and kept on the run when they ought to be 
feeding. The education of the dog is all right in 
theory, but such education as that costs more than it 
is worth. # * 
We have in preparation an article on “Certified 
Milk” which we think will startle some of our readers. 
“ Certified milk” is milk that is guaranteed by a com¬ 
mittee of physicians as being strictly pure and whole¬ 
some. The physicians went to the milkman’s barn 
and drew up a set of iron-clad regulations to guide 
him in handling the cows and the product. They agree 
to recommend such milk to their patients and advise 
its use even at a higher price than the ordinary article 
will bring. On the doctors’ part this is simply an effort 
to secure pure milk just as an effort is made to secure 
pure drugs and medicines. We shall give the whole 
story in a short time. It marks a new era in the milk 
business. 
* # 
The essential parts of bread are flour, water and 
yeast. Sugar, salt and potatoes are often added. Sup¬ 
pose that you were to insist that the cook should make 
the bread without water, or without yeast; what 
would be the consequence ? A bread that nobody 
would care to eat. This is just what many farmers are 
doing with their soil (the cook.) They insist that 
profitable crops shall grow in impoverished soils by 
the aid of one-sided or special fertilizers. Phosphate 
or potash or nitrogen is left out. The soil may supply 
the less important constituents, lime, iron, magnesia, 
silica, etc., (sugar, salt and potatoes) but it cannot 
supply the potash, phosphate and nitrogen (flour, 
water and yeast.) The result is a crop that doesn’t 
pay. The unwise part of such a proceeding is to con¬ 
demn the constituent food materials placed in the 
soil’s hands as worthless The soil cannot make per¬ 
fect plants, any more than the cook can make perfect 
bread, unless it has the wherewithal to do it. It 
has long been known as an abstract axiom that a 
silk purse cannot be made out of a sow’s ear. Yet 
many farmers—thousands of them—that accept the 
axiom as sound enough, seem to be trying to prove, at 
an incalculable loss of time, labor and means, that the 
sow’s ear is precisely the stuff out of which to manu¬ 
facture the silk purse. # # 
In Texas there are 200,000 square miles of cattle 
and grazing land which are practically without rail¬ 
roads. In other words, the railroads of the State are 
confined to about one-third of its area, and it is held 
that within these limits the mileage ought to be at 
least twice as great as it is to-day. There is a grow¬ 
ing dissatisfaction at the present condition of affairs. 
The true policy of the State, it is maintained, ought 
by all honorable means to encourage railroad making 
and the consequent general development of the State. 
The policy of the government of late years, however, 
it is charged, has done everything to discourage and 
retard railroad construction, by drastic legislation 
against railroad control and exactions. Capital is 
timid and hesitates to trust itself where it is denied a 
free hand. # # 
It is not generally known that the exports of Amer¬ 
ican hay to England have greatly increased the past 
season. In the year ending June 30, 1892, our total 
exports of hay were valued at $582,838, while 10 years 
before the figure was $261,614. For the same year the 
imports were $715,151. It is said that the returns for 
1893 will show a large increase in these figures. 
American hay has found a good market in London and 
the chances are good for a heavy increase. “ Prime 
clover hay” was quoted in London April 24 at $27.60 
per ton, with inferior grades correspondingly high. 
At such figures there is certainly a market abroad for 
American hay. But can a farmer afford to ship hay 
out of the country ? In doing so, is he not simply 
depleting the fertility of his farm to that extent ? 
Yes, if he depends upon stable manure to maintain the 
fertility of his soil; no, if he is a fertilizer farmer. 
* * 
Prof. Ingersoll, of the Nebraska Experiment Sta¬ 
tion records in a recent bulletin the results of a very 
practical experiment. He proposed to find the exact 
cost of growing an acre of grain or hay. Fields varying 
from one to 32 acres were taken and every item of 
expense was carefully recorded. This included the 
cost of seed and of labor in planting, cultivating and 
harvesting. Labor was charged against the fields at 
the rate of 15 cents an hour for each man and team, 
or $3 per day of 10 hours, for both. The fields were 
treated as nearly as possible like the ordinary treat¬ 
ment given by Nebraska farmers. Briefly stated, 
some of the results are as follows s 
15 acres 
82 acres 
1 acre 
28 acres 
35 acres 
rye. 
• ats. 
wheat. 
corn. 
clover. 
Cost planting... $63.48 
$74.90 
$3.65 
$69.52 
Cost cultlvatlag ___ 
46.65 
Cost harvesting $64.05 
$122.65 
$2.90 
$54.10 
126.7 
Yield per acre.. .21 1- 
■8 .34 4-5 
.83 
.40 7-10 2 6-7 tons 
Cost per bushel 
in granary.39 4-5 .17 7-10 .19 2- 
-5 .15 
$1.32 per ton 
These figures give a good chance for comparison. 
For example, the corn crop followed corn or other 
grain. A 25 acre field planted on a tough Blue grass 
sod yielded 43 bushels per acre, but cost over 23 cents 
a bushel because of the extra labor in fitting the 
ground. Also a wheat field with about the same cost, 
yielded 40 bushels per acre at a cost of but 16 cents a 
bushel. Taxes and interest are not counted in this 
statement, as they vary from farm to farm. The point 
is that the labor item is the chief cost in producing a 
crop, and that the cost per bushel rapidly increases as 
the yield per acre decreases. 
# * 
When a farmer cannot see the report of fertilizer 
analyses at his experiment station, he is only safe in 
accepting the lowest guarantee the maker will print. 
For example, if the manufacturer guarantees “ 2% to 
33* per cent of nitrogen,” the buyer is to assume that 
2J* per cent is all the maker will actually guarantee. 
But now, let us say, comes the station report showing 
that the fertilizer actually contains three per cent of 
nitrogen—one half of one per cent above the manu¬ 
facturer’s guarantee. What about that ? Shall the 
farmer take the station’s word for it and pay on the 
basis of three per cent ? Not by any means. We should 
use the station’s analyses to check off the guarantees 
printed on the bags. If such analyses show that the 
maker uniformly gives more than the average of his 
highest and lowest guarantees it is safe to assume 
that his goods are reliable. Who can buy fertilizers 
intelligently without studying the station lists of 
analyses ? * # 
From present indications the earlier anticipations 
of an enormous rush of visitors from Europe to the 
World’s Fair are hardly likely to be realized. The 
steamship companies announce that but little more 
than the usual number of passengers have been 
booked for the summer months ; the expenses of a 
transatlantic trip are not inconsiderable in addition 
to those of 2,000 miles of land travel and the heavy 
outlays needed at the fair, which are probably exag¬ 
gerated. Chicago is comparatively unknown to the 
bulk of likely European tourists, and society women 
have taken no interest in the matter, and “stag” par¬ 
ties are unpopular. The Chief of the United States 
Passport Division, however, reports that last month 
only 744 passports were issued, as against 1,478 for the 
same month in the preceding year. It is likely, 
therefore, that the number of summer visitors to 
Europe will be much less than usual in late years, 
and that the bulk of them will, with their gold, stay 
at home and thus make good the deficiency in the 
expected importation of the yellow metal hy trans 
atlantic tourists. # 
BREVITIES. 
DECORATION DAY AT HOME. 
It’s almost Deckyratlon Day, I guess I’ll have ter take 
My scythe an’ trim that grave a bit—jest fer his mother’s sake. 
She s glttln' sorter feeble now, an’ I ain't awful smart. 
But jeat about this time o' year a tug comes at my heart. 
Fer John he went a-marchln’ off the latter part o’ May. 
He kissed his Ma, shuck han's with me, an’ turned his bead ter say 
Jest keep the farm a-stlrrln’, Pa. My place Is at the front 
Until the flag is whole agin, an’ then I’ll take the brunt 
Of all the work right off yer han's 1” Re meant Jest what he said. 
He come home In a coffin with a bullet through his head. 
We laid him In the orchard that he uster love so well, 
Hls uniform around him! My! It’s awful hard to tell 
Jest how the years hev drifted on—the neighbors moved away. 
An' nothin’ but deserted farms are ’round our place to-day. 
An' only Jest one sojer’s grave fergotten an' unblessed 
By every one but Ma an’ me—the folks that knowed him best. 
I’m told they deckyrate In style an' do the thing up brown, 
With bands o’ music—speeches too, off yunder In the town. 
But up here on the lonely farm there’s only Ma an’ me 
With only that ole flag to hear, an’ only God to see, 
Jest us two common farmer folks a deckyratln’ here. 
Jest keepln’ up the memories so tender an' so dear. 
A fat purse is too often a fat curse. 
Is Carrie T. Meigs too hard on the hired man? 
The hens lay an antidote for scours In calves. 
It costs a good deal to bold on to stolen money. 
Pasture the cnlf before It is born. See page 846. 
One of the best things to catch Is the ability to “ catch on." 
“ The cat Is out of the bag!” Well, why was It over put In there? 
He who kills a toad gives life to 100 bugs. Are there not bugs enough 
now ? 
No use to dip your pen Into the Ink unless tbe other end Is rubbed In 
think. 
IS It not easier to teach a calf to drink If It has never had a chance 
to suck ? 
You can prune a two-inch limb with your thumb nail—If you take 
It In time. 
The trouble with the Jack-of-all-trades Is that he never learns the 
knack of any. 
“I am down In the mouth” was the bug’s last remark as the turkey's 
bill closed over him. 
All who ask about lumpy jaw In cattle are asked to read the note 
on page 348. We have some pictures of diseased animals coming. 
Most hens are better as mothers than as nurses—that Is why the 
brooder Is useful. A careless man, though, Is worse than a foolish hen. 
There seems to be an antl-oatmeal wave passing over the country. 
The consumption of oatmeal has perceptibly fallen off and cereal 
preparations of whole wheat have taken the place. 
What better use can be made of liquid manure than to sprinkle It 
over the clover stubble? The more growth you can coax out of the 
clover, the richer you are in nitrogen, and nobody is poorer! 
Any calf mixture of sklm-mllk and meal Is at best but a substitute 
for whole milk. There never was a substitute equal to the genuine 
article. The point Is, can you profitably use the fat In whole milk to 
make a better calf ? 
Garden insects have a stout enemy In the Guinea hen. This fowl 
will chase a bug half an hour before letting it go. Make a noise 
mornings ? Of course. Such a bird earns that privilege. Send the 
bugs to Guinea—you’ll never hear from them again ! 
Oh as. W. Garfield concludes that the Germans grow fruit not to 
eat, but mainly to squeeze out the juice for a drink. In a Scotch town 
he says he found a man selling roasted potatoes—two for a penny, or a 
cent apiece In our money. 8 uch a trade would pay In any of our large 
towns. 
IN a case appealed from one of the United States District Courts of 
Texas, the United States Supreme Court has juBt decided that the 
rights protected by the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution 
do not Include the right to sell whisky. It’s encouraging to be assured 
on such high authority that the United States do not authorize the 
right to do wrong. 
The Sugar Trust, being In need of a little money Just now—poor 
thing !—has just added a quarter of a cent per pound to the price of 
refined sugar. What use Is It to protest against this arbitrary taxa¬ 
tion of the breakfast table ? There are millions In these quarters of 
a cent, and Its profits are already upward of $15,000,000 a year 1 
Neveh before, apparently, was there so much dissatisfaction with 
the conduct of many of the Western agricultural colleges. “ Investi¬ 
gations" are being conducted at several of these colleges, and a num¬ 
ber more need a thorough cleaning out. It seems to be the old, old 
story of dwarfing the agricultural departments for the benefit of the 
literary or mechanical sides of the house. Far better chop the whole 
thing off. 
Of the millions of oranges that come to Northern markets but a 
very small portion are sorted and wrapped by hand. They are 
“sized” by rolling them over holes of dlffsrent sizes—those too small 
falling through. All the hand work needed Is to pick out the dis¬ 
colored fruit as It passes along. Wrapping is also done by machinery. 
Who Is Injured because the cheap hand work is taken out? Who 
would suffer If potatoes were all graded In the same way? 
The Princess Aft was an Egyptian notability mummified about 3,400 
years ago and entombed at Achmln in the Land of Chem. The other 
day, Professor Baeyer, on subjecting the cerements to a chemical 
analysis, discovered the ingredients of a lost cosmetic, as well as their 
exact proportions, and the world will soon be charmed by an eye- 
brlghtener which must have been a luxury even ih Pharoah’s days, 
Inasmuch as Its materials were Imported from Hlndoostan. 
The private dairy butter that took the prize at the Connecticut 
Dairyman’s meeting In 1892 contained 85.70 per cent of fat, 1.03 per cent 
of curd, 1.90 per cent of salt and 11.37 per cent of water. It scored 92 
points, while another sample with only 8.64 per cent of water and over 
87 per cent of fat scored only 68 points. What made the difference ? 
Flavor and grain. Let It be remembered that people do not buy the 
best butter because It contains the most fat, but because the appear¬ 
ance and taste suit them. 
