i894 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
25 
THE PROSPECT. 
A FAMILIAR old adage says : “ Look before you leap.” 
When will people learn to apply this in their business 
dealings? We are in receipt of a letter from a man 
wbo has shipped 100 barrels of apples to a commission 
merchant of whom he evidently has some doubts, for 
he inquires if he is responsible. Business men usu¬ 
ally ascertain the reliability of customers before doing 
business with them. Why didn’t this man inquire 
before shipping his apples whether he was likely to 
get his pay for them ? Extra inducements were held 
out to him to get him to ship to this firm, but the 
prospect is that The It. N.-Y. will be called on for 
help. We have dozens of similar cases every year, 
which are examp’es of leaping first and looking altar- 
wards. There are plenty of reliable commission mer¬ 
chants, but these do not hold out such extraordinary 
inducements as some of the doubtful concerns ; hence 
they do not get so many shipments from credulous in¬ 
dividuals. but their returns are generally more satis¬ 
factory for what they do get, and taey are more likely 
to hold customers once secured. 
t t t 
Tue revenue-earning difference between the McKin¬ 
ley and Wilson tariff bills may be seen from the fol¬ 
lowing figures : For the year 1893 the duty amounted 
to ?173 098,471. With the same goods under the Wil¬ 
son tariff the duty would have been 8107,590,170. 
The total duty for 1893 was $198,473,452, while with 
the Wilson bill in force the same importations would 
have paid $123,065,608. We thus have a deficit of 
about $70,000,000 that must be made up in some other 
way. Uow ? One good way would be to lop off a lot 
of useless expenses in conducting the Government. 
There does not appear to be much present disposition 
at Washington to save in this way. It is now pro¬ 
posed to raise the needed revenue by increasing the 
internal revenue tax on whisky, putting a tax on 
playing cards and an income tax of two percent on all 
incomes over $4,QUO per year. The latter proposition 
will meet with warm friends and bitt?r enemies. The 
Populists and many farmers and worlcmen will regard 
it as a scheme for making the rich pay a fairer share 
of the burdens of taxation. Capitalists will consider 
it “ class legislation” and protest that it will hurt 
business and give rise to great frauds in evading the 
returns of incomes. There is sure to be more or less 
dissatisfaction with it, but so there would be with any 
new scheme for taxation. When the details of the 
measure are made public we shall comment on them. 
t t t 
Ix his annual message to the legislature. Governor 
Flower has much to say about the agricultural inter¬ 
ests of New York State. He has a good word to say 
about the experiment stations at Geneva and Cornell, 
and thinks the new State Department of Agriculture 
has proved a success already. The advantage to the 
State of having a good Department of Agriculture is 
apparent to any thinking man. There must be some 
central power or head, with definite authority, if the 
State is to provide money for agricultural advancement 
or pass laws in the interests of agricultural products. 
But Governor Flower has drawn heavily on h’s imagi¬ 
nation in calling the Department as at present organ¬ 
ized a success. Tne Commissioner should be elected 
by the people, like the Governor himself, and not sim¬ 
ply appointed like a clerk as at present. The Governor 
has much to say about the business in bogus butter. 
He points out that, notwithstanding our stringent 
laws, persons have been engaged more persistently 
during the last six months than ever before in fiooding 
the State with their products, openly defying the law 
and claiming the right to sell their goods under the 
inter-State commerce decisions in original and un¬ 
broken packages. j ^ ^ 
The Governor quotes from a decision of the New 
York Court of Appeals as follows : 
The law which prohlolts the manufacture or sale of any product 
not made from unadulterated milk or cream, put made In Imitation 
or semhlance of dairy butter, is constitutional, and producers of but¬ 
ter from animal fats or oils, although the product may be nutritious 
and suitable for food, and the manufacture and sale thereof may not 
be prohibited, nave no constitutional right to resort to devices for the 
purpose of mafcl g their product resemble dairy butter, and the legls 
latuie has power to enact such laws as It may deem necessary to pre¬ 
vent the simulated artlc e being put upon the market In such form or 
manner as to be calculated to deceive. 
As it will be some time before the United States 
Supreme Court can pass on this question, the Governor 
suggests that the legislature at once petition Congress 
to provide by statute that all food products coming 
from one State into another shall, immediately upon 
their entry into the State, become subject to the State 
laws. That is a good suggestion and the legislature 
should carry it out. Senator Hill has already presented 
a bill in the United States Senate that will cover the 
ground. One important thing the Governor did not 
refer to at all. Daring the past year a good many 
tuberculous cows have been slaughtered by State in¬ 
spectors. By law, their owners are entitled to pay¬ 
ment for these cows, but they have never been paid. 
The Governor brags that the State is out of debt. Not 
while these dairymen must wait for their money. Let 
the legislature at once appropriate money enough to 
pay for these cows and provide for future inspections. 
t t ^ 
At the meeting of entomologists held at Madison, 
Wis., last August, Prof. J B. Smith, oC New Jersey, 
gave some interesting facts about the use of fertilizers 
as insecticides. He noticed that farms where chemicals 
were largely used were usually free from soil insects. 
The use of kainit and muriate of potash for plant lice, 
that affect the roots of peach trees,has proved excellent. 
Professor Smith says that almost every large grower 
of peaches in New Jersey has used kainit as an in¬ 
secticide with almost unanimous success. As to the 
corn-web worm, in every case where chemical man¬ 
ures were used, the injury was greatly diminished. 
Kainit ranks first in effectiveness, with nitrate of soda 
next and then muriate of potash. For wire worms, too, 
these fertilizers are very effective—in fact for onion 
and cabbage insects both kainit and nitrate of soda in 
solution have been found superior to hellebore. Pro¬ 
fessor Smith says the phosphates have no insecticide 
value at all. It is claimed by many that the fertilizers 
increase the vigor of the plants and thus apparently 
diminish the injury done by insects, but it seems to 
us that Professor Smith’s experiments with solutions 
of the fertilizers show that there is something about 
them very objectionable to the insects. It will cer¬ 
tainly be a happy day when the farmer can both feed 
the plant and kill insects out of the same bag. While 
the potash salts will destroy certain insects in the soil 
there is no reason why fertdizer makers should make 
absurd claims for their goods. Potash salts will not 
A Pbosi'ective Present to Uncle Sam ! Fig. 9. 
From Minneapolis Journal. 
climb the vines to kill potato bugs, though we might 
think so to read some of the fertilizer circulars. 
t X t 
In a review of the sea board and interior wool mar¬ 
ket for 1893, the American Wool and Cotton Reporter 
says that that year will go into history as the most 
remarkable which the wool interests of the United 
States have ever experienced. Never before have 
prices ruled so low. The decline in fieece wools aver¬ 
aged 20 per cent, while pulled wools shrunk in value 
one-third, and Territory about the same. Foreign 
wools have declined, but not to the same extent. 
Stocks of wools, both domestic and foreign, on hand 
are considerably heavier than at the beginning of the 
year, while sales have been much smaller. Receipts 
of domestic wools at Boston were about 25 per cent 
less than in 1892, while those of foreign wools were 
more than 35 per cent less. The total stocks in the 
markets of the United States are upward of 110,000,000 
pounds. Besides these there are about 23,000,000 
pounds in the country, making about 133,000,000 
pounds unsold in the United States at the beginning 
of this year, against 100,228,980 pounds one year ago, 
t X X 
Somewhat in line with what was written last week 
about the unemployed in the large cities is the follow¬ 
ing letter: 
I see by the papers that large numbers of men are out of employ¬ 
ment IQ nearly all of the large cities. With us U Is almost Imposslole 
to get farm help at any price. In the near future, numbers of men 
(and women, too) could And employment in Otsego and Chenango 
Counties. Dairying Is the main Duslae.<s and milkers would be re¬ 
quired. Is there any show for help from that source ? And would It 
be desirable help ? j. a. iiussox. 
Most of the men now out of work are one-sided work¬ 
ers—that is, they have been trained to do but one 
small part of a great combination. They can do their 
own part to perfection, but would make a blunder of 
some other part. As well think of using the handle of 
a milk pail for the strainer. There are a good many 
among them who were born and raised on farms. 
They might be useful as milkers, but most of the 
others could do little but the roughest work, and they 
probably would not stay long at that because they 
want to be near the old factory when it starts up, so 
as to be in line for a new job at the old trade. It is a 
true saying that “ it’s hard to'teach an old dog new 
tricks,” and skilled workmen do not like to change 
their vocation. J J J 
It is hard to say what insect laid the foundation for 
the present immense business in spraying pumps, 
nozzles and other apparatus. Perhaps the potato bug 
had as much to do with it as any other, though cod¬ 
ling moths might run a close second. These insects 
taught farmers that poisons were necessary in agri¬ 
culture, and later investigation with plant diseases 
showed the necessity of medicines. Then a new busi¬ 
ness was born—that of providing ways and means for 
distributing these poisons and medicines. Acting on 
the principle that they are best given in water, 
pumps, nozzles and tanks were made to handle the 
water until the work is now very effectively done. 
But now a new scheme is presented—that of dispens¬ 
ing with the water and blowing the dry poison—pure 
or slightly reduced in strength, directly upon the 
plant. In this system the blow fan takes the place of 
the pump with great economy of labor, cost and time. 
Is the plan practical? Next week we propose to try 
to answer that question by prijting some letters from 
those who have tried it. We think these letters will 
show the strength as well as the weakness of the 
new system. ^ ^ j 
Since writing last week about the “circulation of 
farm papers” the Western Rural of Chicago has come 
to hand with a column on the subject. This paper 
shows no disposition to enter into the plan proposed 
by The R. N.-Y. We simply quote here what it says 
about the printing of a fac simile of a postage bill as 
an evidence of circulation. 
When It comes to proving circulation the methods adopted by our 
youthful would-be rivals force us to smile. They well know Unit the 
average business man has never had oecaslon to pay postage at 
newspaper rates, and Is entirely unacquainted with the various forms 
of receipts which are given by the postmasters lor postage paid on 
this class of matter. Presuming upon this entirely natural lack of In¬ 
formation on this point with sublime effrontery they publish/ac-«imlles 
of whet they are pleased to Call receipts for postage paid, but which 
are In fact memoranda from the post office of postage due and unpaid 
for two or more weeks which do not bear on their face the faintest 
proof that the amounts named have ever been paid. This Is the 
quickest and easiest way that has ever been Invented by which the 
trick of fooling subscribers and advertisers may be accomplished, 
and It serves its purpose the better because It does not require brains 
to carry the Imposition out, a simple faculty for plain lying being all 
that Is necessary to make an apparently Immense circulation from a 
very small number of actual subscribers. 
A few remarks from the Farm, Field and P’irebide 
B'fe now in order. We shall be sorry to see our pro¬ 
position degenerate into a talking match betsveen the 
agricultural papers of Chicago, but that seems the 
probable outcome at present. Chicago is a great place, 
but there are a few farm papers that do not use that 
post office for their entire business. 
BUSINESS BITS. 
Mr. J. N. REiMEB.q, Davenport, III., has somelhirg of particular 
Interest to swine breeders. Send to him for his free book, "How to 
Raise IMgs.” 
A.ny one who Intends to Invest In horse tle^h this year will do well 
to write Mr. E. 8. Akin, Sclplo, N. V,, and gat description of the Elm¬ 
wood Stock Farm French Coachers and Fercheroni. 
We have several times in the past year been asked where organs 
may be bought direct. Marchal & Smith IMaro Co., 235 East 2Dt 
Street, New York, sell direct to customers on very liberal conditions, 
which may be learned In their advertisement on page .30, or by address¬ 
ing the Arm as above. 
D. IIii,!., the evergreen specialist, of Dundee, Ill., had an exhibit at 
the Columbian Exposition consisting of over G.OJO evergreens, of 40 
different varieties, planted In artistic and pleasing manner for which 
he was awarded first honors. Purchasers will this year receive from 
Mr. Hill a Souvenir evergreen, which, besides belrg a novelty, will 
stand as a living monument In commemoration of the World's Colum¬ 
bian Exposition. 
It Is well to encourage the boys to handle tools, and to teach them 
to keep farm Implements, buildings and things in general about the 
farm In repair. Many odd jobs may be done In the shop during the 
winter to save time and expense in the hurried season to follow. The 
work affords not only profit but pleasure to those who take an Interest 
In It. The foot-power machinery made by Seneca Falls Manufactur¬ 
ing Co , Seneca Falls, N. Y., Is of great help in the shop and will ue 
found especially valuable where steam or waterpower is not available 
Tub Acme harrow has been before the public for many years, and 
people now know what it will do and what It will not do. Such knowl¬ 
edge has, before now, proved the death of ag Icultural implements, 
but not so with the Acme. As Its place in farming Is accurately de¬ 
termined by the attempts made by other tools to supplant ft, farmers 
learn that for crushing, leveling and generally preparing the soil sur¬ 
face for the seed, there Is no tool made that surpasses the Acme. That 
Is Its special work, and nothing can touch It for effectiveness. The 
Acme harrow Is made by Duane H. Nash, of Millington, N. J,, wbo will 
send you a catalogue which describes every detail of the harrow and 
Its work. 
The Stockbkidge MAXUHES.-The making of catalogues or 
pamphlets to Illustrate and describe a manufacturer's go ds, Is getting 
to be an art In Itself. It Is a helpful art, too, because it is educational 
where the pictures and descriptions lead to Investigation snd study. 
Tnere are few things In this line better than the pamphlets prepared 
by the different fertilizer concerns. The photographs of farm scenes 
and crops given are true to life. Of course, they represent the highest 
Ideal of agriculture—the possibilities rather than the probabilities of 
soil culture-but nevertheless they are helpful and Instructive, be¬ 
cause they present an Idral and set a high mark for farmers. The first 
of thse pamphlets at hand this year Is that relatl g the merits of the 
Stockbildge manures, from the Bowker Fertilizer Co., of Boston Mass 
It is a beautiful pamphlet tilled with ano pictures and interestlcg 
matter concerning the use of fertilizers. The design of the pamphlet 
Is to tell what the Siockoildge manures are, what peculiar values they 
possess, and what good farmers have oeen able to do with them. These 
points are well and clearly set forth, as our readers may readily see It 
they will send for the pamphlet. 
