672 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
October 7 
THE 
Rural New-Yorker 
Cor. Chambers and Pearl Sts ., New York. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
ELBERT 8. CARMAN, Editor-In-Chief. 
HERBERT W. COLLINGWOOD. Managing Editor 
ERWIN G. FOWLER. Associate Editor. 
Copyrighted 189.3. 
Address all business communications and make all orders pay¬ 
able to THE RURAL PUBLISHING COMPANY. 
Be sure that the name and address of sender, with name of Post- 
oflice and State, and what the remittance Is for, appear in every letter. 
Money orders and bank drafts on New York are the safest means of 
transmitting money. 
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1893. 
The Democratic party of Massachusetts in the State 
platform formulated last Wednesday, heartily join the 
Farmers’ Alliance in advocating the election of United 
States Senators by the direct vote of the people. This 
proposition is steadily gaining ground among all 
ptrties and the present action or rather inaction of the 
Senate is likely to increase the antagonism to that 
nest of monopolists and plutocrats as at present con¬ 
stituted. # # 
If you are living where you can get tobacco stems or 
other refuse of the “ weed” for a little money, you are 
not living up to your privileges if you do not take 
them. Insects have one characteristic that makes them 
nobler than men—they do not like the taste of tobacco. 
They will run from it when served either in the form 
of a tea or without cooking. Tobacco is also seven 
times as rich in fertility as average stable manure. 
We advocate the use of tobacco—by all bugs and 
worms that are injurious to vegetation. 
* * 
The outrageous abuses connected with the opening 
of the Cherokee Strip are to be investigated by a com¬ 
mittee of the Lower House of r ongress. Brutality on 
the part of the soldiers and United States deputy 
marshals, bribery on the part of the registry agents 
and many other sorts of favoritism and rascality on 
the part of railroad, government and other officials, 
are boldly charged. It is quite generally said that 
those having supei intendence of the business should 
pass the remainder of their lives in prison. 
* # 
There’s a considerable amount of qiret jubilation 
among many of the political papers at the failure of 
Kansas farmers to secure a renewal of their mortgages. 
Most of the loan and mortgage companies doing busi¬ 
ness in the Sunflower State have been working 
chiefly on Eastern capital, and the owners are anxious 
to settle the mortgages and pull out as soon as they 
can, not for want of business, but because they believe 
the legislation sentiment and general antagonistic 
feeling in the State towards money lenders are “vicious 
and vindictive.” Capital is proverbially timid and 
reluctant to risk its safety among a hostile population. 
« # 
Two years ago we gave an account of ‘.he operations 
at a large condensed milk factory. We stated then that 
the company would not permit the feeding of ensilage. 
Some of the farmers around Oxford, N. Y., peti¬ 
tioned the condensing company there not to reject 
milk made from feeding ensilage. The company re¬ 
fused to accept such milk, basing its rejection chiefly 
on Prof. W. W. Cooke’s opinion that ensilage is no 
more digestible than corn fodder. In this we think 
the company shows up a little behind the times. 
Other condensing companies urge the use of ensilage, 
and, as we have shown, the doctors who examine Mr. 
Francisco’s “certified milk” do not object to its use. 
* * 
Some farmers often object to the use of fertilizers 
because, they say, the farm should support itself and 
not go outside for its fertility. Why not say that each 
field should do the same? Would it not be just as 
fair ? When a man uses stable manure, he takes from 
one field to feed another. If he should put on the 
wheat or corn only the manure made from these crops, 
how long would they last ? Instead of doing that, he 
goes to the meadows or even the pastures for manure 
to use on the corn. Not only that, but the richer bot¬ 
tom land is made to support the poorer uplands—the 
manure from crops grown on one being used to feed 
the other. Or take the case of muck: a swamp rep¬ 
resents a part of the life of the surrounding soil that 
has leached into the lower part. When you cart out 
the muck and enrich the uplands you simply transfer 
what was formerly washed out. In the same way 
when you buy bone you simply bring back what live 
stock have taken from your soil. It is just as legiti¬ 
mate to buy fertilizers as it is to take muck or manure 
from one fielc and put it on another. The only thing 
is—can you do it cheaper ? 
It’s a trifle surprising how particular the “starving” 
unemployed often are about the character of the work 
they are willing to accept. They all—or nearly all— 
want just the kind of work that suits them. A case 
in point—the city of Chicago undertook to furnish 
employment at fair wages to the multitudes of com¬ 
pulsorily idle who clamored for bread, by setting them 
to work digging a canal; but very few wanted work 
so badly as to be willing to dig for “living” wages. 
They evidently had more agreeable ways of making a 
living than canal making. Similar experiences are 
multitudinous all over the country. 
* # 
Quite a practical philanthropy is that which some 
liberal persons have devised for improving the poultry 
in Ireland. They secure gifts of thoroughbred birds 
or eggs for hatching, and locate them on farms where 
the poultry seem parUcularly poor. The idea seems 
to be that, left to himself, such a farmer would not try 
to secure better stock, but that with a few good birds 
in his yard, he could not help some improvement. So 
these birds and eggs are distributed every year. There 
is no doubt that fresh and improved blood can be 
distributed in this way, but how about improved care, 
witl out which blood will soon become weaker than 
water ? * , 
When in the midst of a region of country abounding 
with poor farms, tumble-down buildings and fences, 
and general shiftlessness, we find a neat, well tilled 
farm, with good buildings, well kept fences, growing 
good crops, and a general air of prosperity everywhere, 
what is the logical conclusion ? There is apparently 
the same soil on all. The climate can vary but little. 
There is probably no perceptible difference in the 
rainfall. All natural conditions are practically the 
same. What then must we conclude but that the 
difference is in the farmer, and that he alone is re¬ 
sponsible for the widely different condition of affairs ? 
But what an object lesson to the poor farmers of the 
neighborhood. # # 
Just think of it! Elaborate analysis of the sugar 
statistics for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, 
demonstrates that the “clear profit” to the Sugar Trust 
for the year was $28,000,000 ! This monopoly appears 
to have a bigger bonanza than even the Standard Oil— 
the biggest indeed ever known. According to the most 
trustworthy data, the actual value of all the concern's 
properties is only about $20,000,000, so that its profits 
per year more than equal its entire assets. It is 
reported that Attorney-General Olney is about to take 
action against the concern under the National Anti- 
Trust law ; but as counsel for the Whisky Trust he 
is on record as stating very emphatically that in his 
opinion that law is unconstitutional. Well, what are 
you farmers going to do about it ? 
* * 
Three weeks ago we gave the facts about a fraud¬ 
ulent commission man who was clearly at fault in re¬ 
taining money for sales of evaporated apples. This 
week the other side is given. In the other case we 
showed wherein the shipper had erred. In the present 
instance the shipper gave a good illustration of how 
not to do business. He should first have written for 
terms and stencils and then notified the commission 
house promptly that the goods had been shipped. We 
are not arguing in favor of the system of consigning 
goods. Far from it. It would be far more satisfac¬ 
tory if farmers would combine and, by advertising, 
bring buyers to them. At the same time we have no 
inclination to excuse or defend such poor business 
methods as are recorded in this i?sue. 
* * 
Soiling from the silo is the latest wrinkle in dairy¬ 
ing. Everybody recognizes, now, that a cow cannot 
keep up her milk flow on a July and August pasture 
alone. Costly grain even will not make up for the 
loss of green and succulent food. Dairymen here and 
there have long preached the plan of growing a suc¬ 
cession of green crops through the dry season—to be 
cut and fed in the barn. Now it is proposed to let the 
silo store all this green stuff—in other words, to feed 
ensilage every month in the year except perhaps May 
and June. Many a silo is now being filled with this 
end in view, and the plan is well worth the attention 
of dairy farmers who already believe in ensilage as a 
food for winter. They have but to remember that the 
grasses in a dried up pasture are not half so “suc¬ 
culent ” as well cured hay ! 
* # 
Year after year — every fall and spring — we begin to 
get letters from young men in the city who say they 
want to become farmers. Our experience with the 
few that we have helped to locate in the country has 
not been altogether satisfactory. Most of them soon 
become tired of farm life. It is usually too lonesome 
for them, and they long for the noise and bustle of 
the city with its “free shows” and stirring life. Now, 
however, we get letters from a new class of men. 
They seem to have bought small tracts of unimproved 
land, generally in New Jersey or Connecticut. They 
are working at a trade or in business, and this is the 
question they ask: “How can I slowly improve my 
little farm and still hold my city job, or had I better 
drop city work at once and go right out to the unim¬ 
proved land ?” This is a question that we mean to try 
to sift out. * # 
Some of our younger readers on the Western prairies 
will be interested in the picture on our first page. 
See those great rocks in the foreground ? The whole 
pasture is much like that. Very likely your father or 
grandfather has told you stories about such rocky 
pastures, but it required lots of faith to realize such a 
thing. The best ball players usually trace back to 
stony countries and to a race of boys and men who 
have thrown stones for generations. They threw 
them into stone walls and fence corners where they 
are now a nuisance to modern farmers. They are far 
better out of sight, as many of them now are on the 
Rhode Island Experiment Farm. The time will come 
some day when these New England stones will be 
found the best and cheapest building material left in 
the country, and stone homes and barns will become 
famous. # # 
BREVITIES, 
They were sad and worn home seekers standing reedy at “The Strip” 
When the bugle of the Government said “ Go! ” 
And they started in their wagons on their weary racing trip, 
But they didn’t have the slightest bit of show; 
For on every bit of country where they’d like to stop and farm 
Stood a “ Sooner ” with a pistol In his hand. 
And he waved them oft and onward with a manner bland and calm, 
And a language any one could understand. 
Now a " Sooner ” Is a fe'low who goes sneaking In ahead 
Of the honest folks who wait for law and right; 
Then he blusters up and threatens and Inspires a fearful dread 
In the hearts of those who do not like to light. 
Now the only cure for “ Sooners ” is to run tnem off the claim 
At the muzzle of a double-loaded gun. 
For they have no heart or conscience that your words can ever malm, 
And they call your threat of legal action fun. 
There are “ Sooners ” all about you—in your house and barn and field. 
Bluffing scrubs, sir, of tool, animal and plant. 
Do not pay one cent of tribute to such “ Sooners "—make them yield; 
You're a pretty man to humbly say " I can't.” 
A dull market for culls. 
Does labor lighten love ? 
How’s (house) the wood pile? 
Let me alone, jays the drone. 
Whine is the juice of sour grapes. 
The best cowcatcher—a peck of grain. 
The white grub has no tooth for potash. 
Many white grubbers are caused by debt. 
Ake you de-manned at the devil's demand? 
The butter extractor is still on deck, you see. 
The tea that cheers the family, lie c pros I. T. 
What club will raise your bump of generosity? 
“Plant food!” said the dog as he burled big bone. 
Do you call yourself personally acquainted with a man i 
The mean man’s conscience Is covered with soul leather. 
Buttering the manure pile! Feeding Timothy hay to scrubs. 
The cow’s ribs were never made to be seen by an October frost 
No honest cow will sneeze when peas are fed her hunger to appease. 
"AN effusive bird ” is the latest title worn by a young Leghorn 
rooster. 
There are 21 shillings In a guinea coin, but 2,100 shrillings In a 
Guinea hen. 
A black eye Is wheat's present trade mark? Who struck the blow 
that caused It? 
The Milk Exchange can never be accused of “ holding up milk” as 
many cows are. 
Think of adding over 103 pounds a month to the growth of a colt; 
see page 669. Milk did It. 
Mr. Dibble wanted four horses on his potato digger—our friend- 
page 670 does the work with one! 
How can a weed exhaust soil unless It Is cut and taken away? 
What objection to green weeds as manure ? 
A perfect-flowered strawberry plant used to fertilize plstillates 
is like a cow. One is a bovine and the other a beau vine. 
Oh what a tax those little cracks In house and barn and bln levy 
on you; your work drips through, and never more comes in. 
One of our friends writes that through The R. N - Y. he has sold 
some Brown Leghores to go to Aukland, New Zealand, a hey need 
busy nest hens there. 
H. M. Engle says he has never grafted any nut trees except chest¬ 
nuts. On these tongue grafting was used for small trees and cleft 
grafting for large ones. 
Of the 155 national banks that suspended between January 1 and 
September 1, 1893, 72 have resumed business. Isn't it literally in order, 
therefore, to say that times aren’t half as bad as they have been ? 
The Swedish chemists gravely discuss the feeding value of chick- 
weed for farm stock. Think of depending on such stuff for hay! 
Better do that than try to winter tlve cows on what will keep only 
four! 
First record this year from the “ one-horse Jersey farm 1 'is that 
$2,000 worth of strawberries were sold from lees than three acres. The 
tank irrigation was not a full success because the pipes were too 
small. All about It later. 
See that hen drinking the drainage of the manure pile? The next 
egg she lays will be 85 per cent water. Think of 85 per cent manure 
drainage In your boiled egg! You had better feed a plant on that 
water and give purer stuff to the hen. 
Sad s'ght when farmer and his wife have toiled 
Through the long years, stung by the frosts, or broiled 
In the hot sun, to stand, gray-headed, foiled 
Of their life's happiness; with sorrow colled 
About them and the record written—" Spoiled ! ” 
So many rabbits are so'd In the English markets that poultry prices 
are somewhat regulated by the supply of raboit meat. Americans do 
not seem to take to tame rabbit meat, and the many attempts to boom 
rabbit growing here have not been successful. 
