4o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
January 20 
THK 
Rural New-Yorker 
Cor. Charnbera cmd Pearl Sta., New Yorh. 
A Natlonml Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Home*. 
BLBEBT 8. CARMAN, Bdltor-ln-Chlef. 
IIBBBEBT W. COLLINGWOOD, ManaRlng Bdltor 
BBWIN G. FOWLBR, Asgoclate Bdltor. 
JOHN J. DILIiON, Business Manager. 
Copyrighted 1H94. 
Address all business communications and make all orders pay¬ 
able to THK BUBAL NEW-TOUKBB. 
Be sure that the name and address of sender, with name of Post- 
otUce and State, and what the remittance Is for, appear In every letter. 
Money orders and bank drafts on New Tork are the safest means of 
transmitting money. 
SATURDAY, JANUARY 20, 1894. 
Subscribers are particularly requested to notice the 
date on the address label of The R. N.-Y. and to renew 
a few weeks before the expiration of the subscription 
term. Our friends will do us a real service by com¬ 
plying with this request. 
« « 
Let’s have uo more brags about New York State 
being out of debt until those slaughtered tuberculous 
cows are paid for. It is a mean and sneaking policy 
that invites a man to come forward and report cases 
of tuberculosis and then asks him to wait for his 
money. Better make some rich corporation wait for 
its interest than to destroy half a poor man’s herd and 
then make him wait for payment. 
* * 
On what principle is a dog taxed ? Simply because 
he is a dog ? Because of his power to do mischief or 
the amount of affection he is capable of inspiring in 
his master ? If the latter, a suggestion is in order : 
Why should we not have ad valorem dog taxes instead 
of making them specific ? Secretary Morton seems to 
be about the only man in the country fearless enough 
to advocate a dog tax that shall increase as the dog 
decreases in value ! * ^ 
“I received a dtessed veal the other day which 
weighed just 21 pounds, remarked a dealer with 
whom the writer was talking about hog-dressed 
veals.” “What do you do with such?” was asked. 
“ I have to hide them,” was the reply, but he didn’t 
say for how long they were hidden, or what became 
of them afterward. But what must the man who 
ships such “bobs” think of himself? Would he 
eat such veal himself ? 
* • 
It may be that your fellow citizens will never raise 
a costly monument to your memory however deserving 
you may be. It is the wish of every honest American 
to be remembered. It is a pleasure to think that 
some of the good we do will not be “ interred with 
our bones.” We suggest to you that you raise a 
monument to yourself out in the shed that shall take 
the form of a fine wood pile. By so doing you may 
keep your memory—not green, but dry. 
* # 
We give our friends on page 46 space to discuss the 
tariff as it affects potatoes and wool. Our plan is to 
give all sides a fair chance to state their arguments. 
We want no abuse or partisan orations. We are sat¬ 
isfied with fact and logic. One question about this 
tariff on potatoes : Do you or any of your neighbors 
propose to plant fewer potatoes this year than last or 
to use less care, skill, manure or fertilizers than for¬ 
merly ? If you do, permit us to say that you will make 
a mistake. ^ ^ 
Mr Graves tells us, page 36, of the trouble he had 
from inhaling Paris-green. This is the most serious 
objection given against the use of pure, dry poisons. 
It leads us again to refer to a quite important matter 
in the care of the nose. A smear of vaseline on the 
inside of the nostrils will not only save much annoy¬ 
ance from dust, but will often prevent a “ old in the 
head.” When working in coal dust, the chaff from a 
separator or in other dusty places, this simple practice 
will save much discomfort, or even ill health. Try it. 
« * 
A glance at the statement of money in circulation 
(page 41) will show that the old fractional currency 
has disappeared, and that there is but little more of 
subsidiary coins, or change-making money, now than 
when our population was much smaller. It is argued 
that the use of postal notes has destroyed the useful¬ 
ness of small paper currency. This is not so. The 
notes cost more, are no safer than paper bills, and are 
not so easily negotiable. We believe the mailage busi¬ 
ness of farmers would be greatly increased by a reissue 
of fractional currency. It might not be so profitable 
to the post office department, but it would prove a 
saving and convenience to farmers. 
If you were to let the stove try to run on about half 
fuel scime of these cold days—just to save a little wood 
and coal—you would hear from the more telkative 
members of the family. It would serve you right if you 
had to pay a few doctor’s bills and lose the services 
of some of your people for a few days. Yes sir, and 
out in the barn stands the cow ! She can’t talk and 
tell you what she thinks of you—as we hope your wife 
can and does —but when you try to run her on short 
commons you will hear from her in the pocket! That 
is the place where it will hurt you most. 
The following note is sent by an old friend of The 
R. N -Y. : 
Farmers here sell milk for the New York market and they are build¬ 
ing tight, warm barns to make winter milk. Few of them know any¬ 
thing about ventilation, and if they can get warmth It Is all they think 
of. Result, tuberculosis. 
No doubt about it. One of the best ways to spread 
this disease is to shut a sick cow up with a lot of well 
ones so that they must breathe the air she has pois¬ 
oned. It is safer to imprison a wildcat in your barn 
than to imprison the breath from a tuberculous cow ! 
What is the best way to ventilate a barn ? 
* « 
Some farmers are kept poor because of lost fat! We 
don’t mean the bodily fat that is lost through exercise 
or diilease—but the butter fat which the farmer’s good 
cows have made for him and which gets past his 
fingers into the swill barrel. The greatest loss occurs 
in the churn. The buttermilk is a greater thief than 
the skim-milk in most cases. Prof. Wallace of the 
Iowa Station states that he found one sample of 
buttermilk that contained per cent of fat while a 
number tested above four per cent. Such a record 
shows a clear case of theft or incapacity on the part 
of the churn. The R. N.-Y. hopes to take up the sub¬ 
ject of this matter of churning and treat it exhaust¬ 
ively. , 
The Western papers argue that after every previous 
financial crisis at the East, there has been an exodus 
for the West, and they expect to see many of the 
unemployed workmen start for the Western farms in 
the spring. We do not think these hopes will be real¬ 
ized. There is an opinion here among workmen that 
the cheap Western lands are about all taken up, and 
that those who go now will simply have to buy land 
at about the prices for equal areas in New Jersey or 
New England. Prom choice these men would as soon 
stay East as go West. Again, it cannot be denied that 
recent reports about the poverty and political hard¬ 
ships of Western farmers have not proved good immi¬ 
gration documents. ^ 
Lots of people are asking about the use of cut green 
bone as a fertiliz">r. S ime time ago we were asked if 
ensilage would not take the place of manure in hot¬ 
beds. Certainly it would, but those who can afford 
the land to grow ensilage crops must obtain its feeding 
value first. It is the same with cut bone. If well dried 
and mixed with plaster, it would make a good fertil¬ 
izer—nearly equal to tankage. It is worth more, how¬ 
ever, as a food for hens, or even for hogs, and there is 
probably not one place in 500 where it would be cheaper 
to use it as a direct fertilizer. Under ordinary cir¬ 
cumstances, we would as soon think of putting wheat 
bran directly on the manure pile as to skip the hen in 
manuring with cut bone. 
« * 
One thing referred to earlier than usual this season, 
is the plan of selling crops like asparagus and celery 
in water packages. Asparagus as it comes to the cus¬ 
tomer is 94 per cent water. Left in dry air it will lose 
its water—or wilt. Who wants wilted asparagus ? 
No one with any taste, and who ever found a good 
customer in a man devoid of taste ? How do you keep 
a rose ? You put the stem in water. That is right 
and you might make commercial capital out of this 
practice. Sell the asparagus and celery in water¬ 
tight boxes. Stand the bunches upright and keep an 
inch or two of water around the bottom of the bunches. 
That will keep them fresh and prevent wilting. Of 
course this plan is practical only in nearby markets, 
but that is no reason why it should not be tried by 
those who want to obta'n first-class prices. 
« « 
The R. N.-Y. has referred to “ heifer farming ” as a 
profitable business for some farmers to engage in. We 
mean the raising of heifers on cheap feed and pasture 
to be sold to milkmen when old enough to show their 
quality. We recently came across a Massachusetts 
man who is working this plan with quite a little suc¬ 
cess. As soon as his heifer calves are large enough, 
he ships them to a farm in Maine where pasture costs 
little. In the winter they are housed and fed on sweet 
corn stalks and barley or oat hay with grain. An¬ 
other spring off they go to pasture again, coming back 
in time to calve. They are sold to milkmen either at 
first or second calving. In this way the farmer keeps 
19 head of cattle and four horses on 15 acres and is 
able to sell considerable bay. The heifers do not cost 
any mo e than as many steers, but sell for more than 
an equal number of them. They turn all the rough 
forage on the place into excellent manure, and do not 
interfere with the large market gardening business 
done by their owner. As a rule milk dairymen do not 
raise their own heifers any more than farmers raise 
their own seeds. Hence it is that in almost every 
dairy district there is a good chance for the heifer 
dairyman. 
» « 
Thebe is a bill before Congress to appropriate 
$1,000,000 for the purpose of hiring men, women and 
children to extef minate the Russian thistle, a weed 
that is spreading with great rapidity all over the 
Northwest. Secretary Morton on being asked for an 
opinion concerning the merits of this bill has come 
out strongly against it on the ground that the Govern¬ 
ment has no business to interfere with State author¬ 
ity or, in fact, to spend money raised by the people at 
large to benefit the people of a particular locality. 
His plan for exterminating the pest is to declare the 
weed a legal nuisance and to compel owners of land 
under penalty to kill the weeds found on their prem¬ 
ises. It is a nice question whether a bounty or a 
penalty would prove the more deadly for the thistle. 
Colorado oiTce had a law offering a bounty to all who 
would dig up the deadly “ loco weed,” but it was re¬ 
pealed without destroying the weed ! Meanwhile 
some sheepmen in Dakota are claiming that the thistle 
makes good food for their stock and to this extent is 
not objectionable, as on the sheep ranges it will be 
kept eaten down so as greatly to reduce its seeding. 
To grain farmers, however, it is a dangerous pest, and 
some concerted action should be taken against it. 
% * 
BREVIIIES. 
Have yon heard of the preacher who walked up tha aisle 
To preach hu flrst sermon ? With hand-shake and smile— 
The Kood el jer beckoned him off to one side. 
“ You’re new to our people, you mustn't shoot wide 
Cf the mark, so I’ll post you on different views. 
Don’t hit the rumsellers—they hire the beat pews; 
And don't hit the gamblers—they’re strong In oiir town, 
And let politicians go easily down. 
Let upon tbe Baptists and Methodists, too; 
And don’t touch tobacco, and, it I were you. 
I’d go sorter easy on sinners nil ’round.” 
“ Well! welll” said the preacher, “ what then can I pound i ” 
The good elder thoughtfully rubbed his bald bead. 
‘‘Just pound the Chinese till you’re tired,” ho said, 
” They pro laoly won’t hear a word that you say ” 
Tne sermon was weak as dishwater that day. 
For who wins respeet from the old or tne young 
Who carries a mortgage tied onto his tongue ? 
Tbe world loves 1 1 see folks outspoken and brave,i 
And has never a place for the cowardly slave :) 
MasTEKku yourself yet? 
A BCi.i. can't beget his prizes. 
ShEBP that pull wool are too fuil. 
Completeness includes neatness. 
Half uk&d is better tnan no blood. 
CHANGE the bend on the hoe—page 
Do you 0.jectto a dark-colored bean? 
A CHEAP loaf—living on your reUtlves. 
Tub “know It all” man has lived in vain. 
Hay c rtter as a care for he vves—page 47. 
Who was ever helped because he i eipsd? 
Why Is a cabbage head a syno wiu of s iftness? 
Who duplicates The R N -Y’s dollar’s wortn ? 
Pin your faith to some things, but sew it on to others I 
How Is the school doing? Is the dcaool Board a cull? 
Bone, pota>b and sheep In an apple orchard will neat any tariff on 
apples. 
Anybody can put money into tnlQgs—It takes a business man to 
get it out. 
Youb post ape bill would be lightened by charring the ends before 
putting in the ground. 
Too many men who seek to pose as “master” are sticking to their 
’prentice work like plaster. 
Who growls out and grumbles his troubles aioud? The man who is 
all out of step with the crowd? 
The stations give us too many experiment “grounds.” The experi¬ 
ments have all been boiled out. 
Honey, vegetables, fruits, eggs, etc., ought to be by-products on 
vonr farm. Are any of them buy products ? 
WE wonder if the boy who likes to go gunning would take kindly to 
shooting potato bugs with tne Farls-green gun I 
Two schemes for keeping a horse’s toogue under the bit are given 
on page 47. The haolt seems to oe q ite common. 
We are getting more letters about scrub Dorset sheep. Tne asso¬ 
ciation can have them whenever they see dt to call out! 
Now save the farmer as he eyes his dwindling grain and hay, “ Oh, 
how I wish I'd sold the cows that cao’t be made to pay i ” 
He who by farming would got rich to this Idea must stoutly hitch— 
In footing up your store ol wealth put valuation on yo jr health. 
Sub-irrigation for a cold is to soak your feet in h i water. Top 
Irrigation is to drink some substance with a strong “ stick ” In It! 
Sub-irrigation never paid for the cow. Sub-lrrigailon is making 
her stand In a filthy pool. In every l.OOU pound: of cow there are at 
least 600 pounds of water. Can’t you see what happens when you 
won't attend to the cow’s throat Irrlgat.oa? 
Our Iriend, on page 36, asks for the crop that will exhaust the land 
the least. When farmers tell him what they think about it, we pro¬ 
pose to ask the old question whether there Is not more money In the 
crop that Is more exacting and vigorous In Its feeding. 
A HEARTY meal, a lazy feel, a lot of pans to clean, the llrenogiod — 
with no dry wood and “don’t I feel so mean!” I’ll wipe them now, 
then anyhow I guess 1 11 let them go! ’Twill oe like play, another day, 
to make a better show. And so it goes—which only shows, how mort¬ 
gages are made. For old friend dirt puts on a spurt and spoils the 
butter trade. 
