820 
December 9 
TIIE RURAL NEW-YORKE 
THE 
Rural New-Yorker 
Cur. Chambers and Pearl Sts ., New York. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homei, 
ELBERT 8. CARMAN, Editor-In-Chief. 
HERBERT W. COLLINGWOOD, Managing Editor 
ERWIN G. FOWLER, Associate Editor. 
JOHN J. DILLON, Business Manager. 
Copyrighted 1S93. 
Address all business communications and make all orders pay¬ 
able to THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
Be sure that the name and address of sender, with name of Post- 
office 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, DECEMBER 9, 1893. 
The singular spectacle is now presented of our Sec¬ 
retary of Agriculture arguing that government should 
never interfere with the distribution or regulation of 
wealth, while the administration of which he is a part 
proposed an income tax on corporations and invested 
capital. We have also a tariff bill framed purposely 
to destroy protection, which retains the sugar bounty 
—the first principle of protection. 
* * 
Before long we expect to publish some letters from 
well-known farmers in New York State on changes 
that might well be suggested in our State Constitution 
by the coming Constitutional convention. This is a 
good subject to talk about, and we shall be glad of 
any suggestions from our readers. What can that con¬ 
vention do that will benefit New York State agri¬ 
culture ? * * 
Among the business openings for careful Southern 
farmers is th it of raising Crimson clover seed. There 
is a great and growing demand for this seed at prices 
that ought to prove remunerative. The beauty of 
Crimson clover at the South is that it can be grown as 
a third crop in two years without interfering with 
either of the others in their regular rotation, and still 
leave the soil better for having grown the crop. There 
is a good opening in this. 
* * 
An unfortunate error occurred last week. On page 
797, in discussing the difference between clover and 
Timothy we gave a table showing the composition of 
these plants. By mistake the quantities of nitrogen, 
potash and phosphoric acid in clover were credited to 
Timotiy—thus completely reversing the point we 
tried to make in favor of clover. To repeat here, a 
ton of clover contains 40 pounds of nitrogen, and is 
worth $9.07 in manurial value while a ton of Timctby 
contains 19% pounds of nitrogen, and is worth $5.99. 
* * 
We mean business about this matter of making the 
office of State Agricultural Commissioner an elective 
one. If the office of State Engineer is important 
enough to warrant the election by popular vote of the 
man who is to hold it, why should the Agricultural 
Commissioner be simply appointed? We do not want 
a commissioner who will simply reflect the policy of 
the Governor—we want one who wall represent the 
peojde so that farmers may settle upon some certain 
line of policy for guarding their public interests, and 
then elect a man pledged to carry out their wishes. 
* * 
The insurance fraud is abroad in England as well as 
in this country. We read of a man who traveled about 
for nearly three years taking subscriptions for a cer¬ 
tain “ Dairy Association.” He took a payment of $1 25, 
which was supposed to give a membership in the as¬ 
sociation and also insure the farmer’s stock at two- 
thirds of their value ! The fact that for three years a 
man could make a living as such a business does not 
speak well for the intelligence of these farmers, and 
yet we will venture to say that every one of our read¬ 
ers can name half a dozen men who could be caught 
by just such a game. The fact is that the “ something 
for nothing ” bait is so tempting for a certain class of 
farmers that they cannot resist biting at it. 
* * 
We notice an excellent suggestion in the Michigan 
Farmer about the organization of a State League of 
Farmers’ Clubs. Why net have a similar organization 
in New York State ? Scattered over the State are 
many good farmers’ clubs. They are not perhaps con¬ 
nected with any Grange or Alliance, but are indepen¬ 
dent organizations formed for mutual benefit, either 
in social intercourse, the discussion of important ques¬ 
tions, or cooperative buying and selling. The benefit 
arising from a single organization of this kind is often 
marked. Why not enlarge the possibilities for helpful 
work hy enlarging the organization ? We can see 
many ways in which such a State organization might 
be made very profitable. We shall refer to them later: 
now we have to say that The R. N.-Y. will help form 
such an association by bringing the different organiza¬ 
tions together. If the secretaries of the different clubs 
send us their addresses we shall endeavor to put them 
in communication—one with another. 
* * 
We are sorry again to be forced to say that some 
breeders of Dorset sheep are acting in an unbusiness¬ 
like way, to say the least, in sending out third class 
animals—charging first class prices for them. We 
have several complaints about the methods of one 
breeder who is supposed to have a natural reputation 
for skill in breeding and fairness in business. There 
are also complaints about delays in registering sheep, 
and an inability to obtain satisfaction from the head¬ 
quarters of the Dorset Horned Breeders’ Association. 
Now this sort of thing will not answer. The R. N -Y. 
has tried to encourage the introduction of Dorsets, 
believing the breed to be an excellent one. We shall 
be sorry to have to inform our readers that certain 
Dorset breeders are not as honest as their sheep. 
* * 
Secretary J. Sterling Morton made a point in his 
now famous address in favor of a city daily paper for 
farmers. One would suppose that the city papers 
themselves, at least, would indorse this advice. The 
New York Evening Post is a daily paper of good repu¬ 
tation and influence. This is what it has to say about 
Secretary Mo-ton’s proposition : 
Put lc this unqualified way—a “dally newspaper from a great city" 
—this Is about as bad advice as could be given an Ingenuous farmer. 
A large proportion of these ‘ great dallies" ought not to be at any fire¬ 
side. In city or country. With their extravagance, exaggeration, vul¬ 
garity and indecency, they are demoralizing to every family that 
reads them—most of all to the farmer’s famtly, because they are 
likely to be read most carefuLy there. They are "educators” only In 
low alms and vicious ways. 
One trouble with this address is that it is unqualified 
all through and really makes Mr. Morton say certain 
things that have quite a different meaning to one who 
reads between the lines. 
* # 
A number of parties are writing about the value of 
bone black just as it comes from the sugar refineries. 
Most of them seem to have confused the term “dis¬ 
solved bone black” with the crude article, and pro¬ 
pose paying a price altogether too high for the latter. 
Bone black is really a charcoal prepared from bones 
very much as wood charcoal is made. It is used by 
sugar refiners to filter or purify raw sugar, and is 
sold as a fertilizer only when it has lost its filtering 
properties. When this crude bone black is dissolved 
by sulphuric acid, it becomes about the best form of 
superphosphate we have, but before the use of the 
acid it has but little immediate agricultural value be¬ 
cause its phosphoric acid is in an insoluble condition 
and cannot be used by quick-growing plants. For 
broadcasting on grain or grass, especially on wet 
lands, the bone black, if finely ground, may be worth 
$7 a ton to the farmer. Don’t ever pay the quoted 
prices for dissolved bone black. 
# * 
The futu e profit in horse breeding is still bother¬ 
ing many people. The continued substitution of 
pther forms of motive power where formerly only 
horses were used, of course decreases the required 
number of these animals, and hence the demand On 
street railroads is the greatest number displaced. 
Cable and electric cars have been largely substituted 
in many cities. In New York alone, the Broadway 
line has substituted cable cars for horses entirely 
within the past few months. Another long line, the 
Third Avenue, will do the same within a few weeks. 
Thousands of horses are thus displaced. In Brooklyn 
the tro’ley is used on many of the lines. In other 
cities the surface cars are run by other than horse 
power to a greater or less extent. But, according to 
statistics, the proportion of horses thus displaced to 
the whole number in the country is small. The class 
of horses formerly used for this service is, however, 
one for which there seems little demand elsewhere. 
They are those too light for trucking or other heavy 
work, too slow for trotters, not stylish enough for 
family carriage horses, and of little value apparently. 
They always have sold for low prices, and will prob¬ 
ably now sell for still less. Another place where 
many of these horses were used was in towing on the 
canal. Many experiments have been made looking 
to the substitution of other motive power, but, for 
one reason or another, none of the systems tested has 
been adopted. Electricity is now expected to solve the 
problem. A test of a trolley recently on the Erie Canal 
was said to work to perfection. This, if successful, 
will displace, still further, the lower grades of horses. 
But not until the practical application of electricity to 
other vehicles, is the demand for good horses likely to 
bring their production to the point of unprofitable¬ 
ness. Experiments have already been made in Eng¬ 
land in running carriages by electricity, and the re¬ 
sults were very gratifying. It is predicted that the 
time is not far distant when all our carriages, trucks 
and other road vehicles will be propelled by this 
agent, that the farmer will use it to run his farm 
machinery and draw his crops to market, and that it 
will almost entirely displace the horse as a motive 
power. When that time comes, horse breeding will 
probably become unprofitable. The breeding of scrub 
horses, as well as the breeding of scrubs of any kind 
has never been profitable. 
* * 
BREVITIES. 
From the rise of the sun to Its setting at night 
Life has duties for me. but I question 
If there be one good hour In the day's weary fight 
Half so useful In life’s big digestion 
As the hour that I spend when the day nears Its end, 
And the false hopes of life have done rnccilng. 
There is comfort and re»t tox get life at lis best. 
When you sit with the bauv a-rocklng. 
With the soft little arm 'found your neck, and the head 
Into slumber's soft pillow a-drooptng. 
All tne cares of the day fiy aw»v, and Instead 
Thoughts of happy old days come a-trooy lng. 
There’s a hush In the air, and a rest like a prayer 
Seems to come at your som’s gate a-knocklng, 
And your life’s belter part r'ses up lu your heart 
As you sit with the baby a-rocklng. 
We are to.'d how the dairyman puts In bis c-eam 
A “starter ” to bring m bacteria: 
And so in life's churning our hard natures seem 
To be changed Irto something Inferior, 
And we do need so much an occasional touch 
Ol that pure life's bacteria knocking 
At our heart’s Inner d„o-- let us bless evermore 
That good hour with the baty a-rocklng. 
Will roots ever grow into a dry tile? 
Dk, Law tells us just what a cow's "cud” is. 
Teli, the windy men to wind up their speeches. 
Reckless nianagem o nts lead to wieckmore results. 
A FEW remarks by our Illinois bee friend are In order. 
The cow’s cud, you see, works by water power entirely. 
We need tread power when we buy manure by the cord 
is your family run by the “ rule of thumb "—you using the thumb ? 
Axy connection between a thankless child and a spankless child¬ 
hood ? 
Let the dairy maid keep back her tr-ars by catching the right bac¬ 
teria. 
That mule pictured on our first page may be said to be "raising the 
wind.” 
Do you tnlnk you can make good Kelffer pears from that recipe on 
page 818 ? 
It’s wonderful what a responsive chord that dog castration question 
has struck. 
Did you ever know a bee to make a mongrel seed by carrying the 
wrong pollen? 
We should like to hear from any readers who have used sub-irriga¬ 
tion for watering gardens. 
Now they want to know why corn stalks cannot be baled In a power¬ 
ful precS and then put into the silo. 
To dehorn a cow we use a saw; to delay a hen turn In a surplus 
rooster: to display the latter take an axe. 
What does science do? Among other things It knocks out ‘ you 
can't tell till you try” from many operations. 
The preaeder who preached only what he had time to put lu per¬ 
sonal practice would have a verv small congregation. 
See here! Wouldn’t It pay you to spoil a few batches of cream in 
experimenting if In the end you learned just what conditions are best? 
It Is ssid that the Germans are using table oils made from the beech¬ 
nut and seeds of the linden. They are used as substitutes for oil ve oil. 
You don’t want a scrub cross In the barn. You may have one In the 
house after a hard washing day If your wife has no machine to lighten 
her labor. 
There is nothing fresh about Mr. Donald's way of fertilizing aspar¬ 
agus, and yet hundreds of readers seem to think that he gives them 
something new to think about. 
The French have been experimenting with sulphate of carbon In 
silos to prevent fermentation. Why not adopt the Colcord system of 
keeping iermentatlon out entirely ? 
You break up your gain when you break up the grain of the butter 
that forms when you churn to a turn, and your duty Is clear—when 
the outfer comes near, put a brake on the Bpeed of the turn of your 
churn. 
Ouu Colorado friend, page 815, reports a big yield of wheat on a 
tsxfia.ll plot and then says he nas his guns turned on the “Gold Bugs." 
The question Is, will such firing do more good tnan time spent la try¬ 
ing to duplicate that wheat yield on his entire farm? 
MR- Taber showed us how, by running the cultivator In only one 
direction In the row, he pushed the strawberry runners Into the mass 
Of plants so they did not spread qat Into the space between rows. 
This mas.es little more work, but keeps the plants In line. 
You see Mr. Van Wagener, page 814, would under certain conditions, 
go to some successful dairy for buttermjik in which to Import the 
right sort of bacferla for his cream. This is but a good Illustration of 
the necessity of bringing “ new blood ” into things now and then. 
Yqu have your own money and the money of others Invested In a 
business. There Is a sure, old way that will pay a fair profit. Not 
satisfied with that you try an experiment with a new way. It falls. 
That Is gamblfng. Never experiment with the whole thing at once. 
We often hear certain animals spoken of as “mortgage lifters.” Th' y 
ho more lift the mortgage than the hand lifts the basket. The work is 
done by the muscles back of the hand and the man back of the animal. 
How could a jack-screw lift a house unless somebody took hold and 
turned it? 
I? Is only a few months since the great barns at Ellerslle Stock 
Farm with the fine Guernsey herd were wiped out by fire. That did 
not end the business, however. Mr. Cottrell writes us that he h* 18 
plowed 15 acres which will be planted in ensilage corn next year— 
mostly with fertilizers. Think what that will feed.' 
He walks abroad with sad and downcast face, and lagging step; and 
ever and anon, he rubs his stomach as though some fierce pain burned 
up within him. Wouldst thou know his tale ? Last summer, when the 
heat was on, he feign, would make cold storage of himself, and so he 
poured within himself great barrels full of Ice-cold drinks, and then 
from one extreme unto another did he go with speed, and poured hot 
whisky to offset the cold. And these extremes did meet a d fight 
It out within his stomach. No one knows which won—we only know 
that he and health are out. 
