THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
March 3 
138 
THK 
Rural New-Yorker 
Cor. Chambers and Pearl Sts ., New York. 
A Natlenal Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homea, 
KLBKRT 8 . CABMAN, BdltOr-!n-Chlef. 
HBUBKBT W. COLLING WOOD. Managing Bdltor 
KB WIN G. KOWLKB. Associate Bdltor 
JOHN J DILLON, Business Manager. 
VapvngMed l>t94. 
Address all business ootnmunioatlons and make all orders pay¬ 
able to TUB BUBAL NKW rOKKKB 
Be sure that the name and address of sender, with name of Post- 
office and State, and wbat tbe remittance is for. appear in every letter. 
Money orders and bank drafts on New York are the safest means of 
transmitting money 
SATURDAY, MARCH 3, 1S94. 
Whenever science and practice dis¬ 
agree, it is practice that needs readjust¬ 
ment. True science is never wrong, though 
it often has to bear the odium of assump¬ 
tion, arrogance, ignorance and counter¬ 
feit. , * 
OuB cab-a-log" illuEtrations will explain themselves 
to the thoughtful reader. 
* » 
The amount of postage spent in sending out cata¬ 
logues by the seedsmen, nurserymen and floiists must 
be stupendous. Several of the larger catalogues 
mailed to us this year require eight cents’ worth of 
stamps to carry them. And some of the dealers that 
publish such dialogues send out as many as 100,000. 
* k 
Questions about irrigation by wind power are pour¬ 
ing in. Tae average working time of the wind is 
eight hours out of 24. Tae wind mill seems to believe 
in an eight-hour day ! Now, how much can it be de¬ 
pended on to lift into a tank in that time ? How far 
will one day’s work go towards watering an acre ? 
These are questions that we want answered. Don’t 
give us the theory of it—what the mill ouqht to do; but 
some of you people who have really tried irrigation 
by this means tell us what it does ! We are on the 
track of one excellent wind-irrigation plant. 
* * 
“Clover hay will make heavy horses I” That is a 
statement as common as any about fi rming. A great 
majority of farmers believe it, and yet we are getting 
letters day after day from good farmers who never 
feed any hay but clover. Does that dispro7e the say¬ 
ing? Not a bit of it. Mr. Woodward recently ex¬ 
plained jast how the hay causes heaves, and how it 
can be fed without causing this disease. It is not in 
the hay but in the feeding theroof. Lots of damaging 
old farm sayings have come into circulation because 
people would not distinguish between the use and the 
abuse of a good thing. The intelligent man must be 
able to take the ab out of abuse. 
Heat in a lamp or water pipe beats that in a hen’s 
blcod—for some purposes at least. One of these is tbe 
nursing of chickens. Seme hens can hatch out all tbe 
fertile eggs that are put under them, and yet fail to 
nurse 25 per cent of the chicks to the age of caring for 
themselves. That is what gives the brooder a cbance 
to appear on the scene. It has no legs to run away, 
no feet to step on the chicks. It hoMs the heat from 
the lamp or jipe and keeps the chicks where they 
must be warm. Let the hens ba^ch the chicks if you 
like, and when they have finished one hatch give them 
another, but put tbe chicks right into a brooder and 
keep your lamp turned and burning I 
ip * 
A FRIEND in Ohio makes the point that farmers as a 
class are apt to hang to old traditions and methods 
closer than other classes of workmen. The son fol¬ 
lows the father closer on the farm than in town. This 
is perhaps one reason why some other occupations 
have outstripped farming in the practical use of scien¬ 
tific principles. It is true that farmers learn most of 
the new things about their calling from those who are 
not practical farmers. At least, the suggestion comes 
from outside the farm, though it may afterward be 
worked out in practice by the farmers. In that fact 
lies the great value of a farmers' institute. It brings 
new ideas and thoughts into the neighborhood and 
starts a few progressive men into new lines of work. 
They make an evident success of the new idea, and the 
rest follow. 
* k 
“ That boghouse is pretty cold, I know,” said our 
numerous friend, the careless man ; “ but I guess I 
won't fix it to-day. I’ll throw some of this hot horse 
manure in the pen and let it go at that.” He did so, 
and the shivering hog crawled on to the smoking 
manure as much as to say, “Your esteemed favor is at 
hand !” Then the man spent three hours saving the 
country by arguing politics with Neighbor Jones who 
had some idea of voting the Prohibition ticket. Mean¬ 
while, the hog on that hot manure felt like one in a 
Turkish bath. At night he ran out, hot as a brick, for 
his supper and stood in an icy wind. Next day he 
coughed and the man lost the value of many a day’s 
labor before the cough was over ! He could have 
saved it all in an hoar’s carpenter work. Money saved 
is money earned. 
« k 
Acting under the English pure food laws an in¬ 
spector recently arrested a dialer who sold a can of 
condensed skim-milk. A chemist found that 80 per 
cent of the fat in the milk bad been extracted before 
it was condensed. The label contained the word 
Milk in large letters but stated, in very small type 
below that skim milk had beed used. The dealer was 
convicted, but afterwards a higher court set aside the 
verdict. The point thus made was that the buyer 
must read all the label before buying the milk. If he 
failed to do so it was his own fault if he bought skim 
for pure milk. Under the same law why could not a 
milkman have stamped on his quart measure 
“Half the fat In this milk has been taken outl' 
and thus escape conviction? It is a singular rule that 
will not work both ways. 
their presentation. But the bulk of them are as old 
as the hills—old varieties of cabbage, onions, potatoes, 
beets, beans and the litre—the same 10 years ago as 
they £ re to-day. We knjwnot ho^r many instances 
we have noticed that tne same picture of a cabbage, 
onion, beet or carrot is used in different catalogues to 
illuttrate different varieties of cabbages, onio's, etc. 
As to the number of varieties of fijwer, vegetable and 
farm seeds wnich are listed, we fancy that the-e is 
not an experienced seedsman in the country that will 
not agriC wi‘h us that the lists might be not over one- 
quarter as numerous as they nosv are without the 
slightest abridgement of the varieties most needed by 
tnose who plant them. ^ ^ 
BREVITIES. 
And now appears the showy catalotrue. 
S ed catslogue, fair barblceer c f spTlng. 
Whlcn comeih mid tne winter's fn w t j fire 
Tbe heart anew and lignt toe pocket nook. 
The veteran and amateur alike 
Turn o'er its i ages for come n-velty 
Tnat naay perchance turn cut a miracle. 
Lo here the Sieepj catl The same old seed 
Our patents sowed Safe, nenest old slow poke! 
And cere's the \V1 le-awake—up to toe times 
With al. the new and famous novelties. 
Not o-er-done—with no rash ptoxises — 
But Just enough of snow to make a sale. 
Anu this tbe Brlstler like a porcupine. 
Iis oolated statements pries your pocket book. 
And this Is ‘-Take 'em In”—tbe same old fraudi 
Tbe same old fairy stories and tbe same 
Well-glided bait to catch the greedy fools 
Who will rot learn iroju past experience 
That something cannot out of nothing sprlcg. 
Lo here the cats! Wtlch one for you my irlend? 
“ You pays your money and you takas your choice!’’ 
CUKTAir. the cur. 
Is there roup In the coop ? 
Hg who lets up fa.Is down. 
Keep tbe hens up to tbe scratch. 
’* Handle with care I ” the heifers. 
Natchb proposes and man opposes. 
Shun the kerosene emulsion—for hens. 
Blow for blow 1 ’’-swapping big stories. 
A HASTV speeder must be a hearty feeder. 
Why buy nlcrcgen when you can catch it 7 
Carkots and clover hay—good horse food. 
CoM.MON SENSE bas tied from tbe swelled head 
Baked beans for men, baked bones for the hen. 
Take that pen In hand and right the hog’s wrongs! 
The grain gamblers have been trying to buck wheat. 
8. A. Little gives lis a big essay on poultry—page HI. 
The work of cata.ogue reform Is making steady progress. 
AN etlstle to Timothy hay: Y'ou were made to sell, not to feed. 
He is a fool who makes a "cow persuader" of a milking stool 1 
Which has the worst curing on your farm clover hay or corn 
stalks? 
Fence out the sharper with a barbed u’hyt In other words, make 
him explain. 
We regret to learn of the death of our former correspondent. B. F 
Johnson, of Illinois. 
Now we hear of a man who says the silo will pay with only one cowl 
lie has a big barrel. 
Tub sire Is half the herd, eh 7 Every surplus sire In the henyard 
reduces the bock by 10 per cent. 
The SIX-COW dairyman who recently asked about stalks certainly 
gets a practical answer ou page 115. 
Clothes that go into hot water are well steamed, but men that are 
continua.ly In hot «ater are not esteemed 1 
Is temperature In the stable a good enough Indication of ventila¬ 
tion 7 Will tne tbermometer measure the fresh air 7 
« « 
That is a foolish man who says that the use of fer¬ 
tilizers will ever justify one in throwing away stable 
manure or even beiog careless in saving it. Tne fer¬ 
tilizer farmer, of all men, should value any manurial 
substance, because his method of buying fertility 
should make him realize its cash value. While fertil¬ 
izers and a sod cr a green crop can take the place of 
stable manure, it shouid serve as a substitute only 
when the actual cost of the manure is greater. All 
the fertilizer advocate asks in such a dircassion is 
that the stable manure man shall put a fair value on 
the cost of his product and not deceive himself by 
omitting several items of expense. 
* * 
A ■WORD to the many who are complaining because 
we do not give space to this or that “great public 
quest.oa ” line the recent boLd issue! One reason is 
that direct questions from our readers sre more to the 
point just now. We prefer to give space to answers. 
Another reason is that whatever we couid say about 
tbe bend issue would have little influence wi»h the 
present administration, which is evidently determined 
to go ahead without asking or listening to advice. One 
friend in Massac'iusetts says about what “ Plug 
Farmer ” wrote on page 49 : 
Plug Farmer writes in a very cheerful vein, but we all know that 
his case is an exceptional one. To " dedge ” hard limes may sound 
well, out dodging can never be an elevatlrg practice Would it not 
be better to take the lead in dndirg the causes of ’ hard times?" it 
Is as easy as " Babcocklrg” a bvrd of cows, and ihe ellmtn lion of tne 
causes Is vastly mere imponact. They are to be f enu chUfiv In our 
laws. Improved farm practice may elevate a /urnier, but, aione, It 
can never elevate the farnurs 
There is something to think about. We will take 
hold of it before the people get another chance to vote. 
“ He had no business to keep them until they dete¬ 
riorated, but should have sold them tt once,” writes a 
correspondent in relation to some produce which had 
been sold at what he considered too low a figure after 
being held for some time. The fact of tne matter was 
that the market was glut".ed with this line of produce, 
sales were extremely slow at any price, and tbe best 
price that could be obtained was very unsatisfactory. 
When the market is in this shape, or, indeed, in any 
shape a commission merchant cannot go out on the 
streets and force people to buy. Cjuld the farmer do 
this with bis produce at home when there is a glut in 
the market ? It is for the commission merchant’s in¬ 
terest to get the highest price possible and to satisfy 
his customers so far as he can do so. If he doesn’t do 
this, he will lose his trade, but he cannot compel 
people to buy goods that they don’t want, and when 
the market contains twice as many goods of any par¬ 
ticular line as there is a demand for at any price. 
* « 
As is well known, The R. N -Y. has for many years 
urged a reform in catalogue illustrations, looking to¬ 
wards a more just, real, lifalike presentation of the 
thing portrayed. We have insisted that catalogue 
makers use portraits to show what the plant is like, 
not pictures to deceive. It seems tons now that there 
is an obvious need of another reform. It is, first, 
fewer illustrations, and, second, abbreviated lists. In 
some of the catalogues received this year and reviewed 
elsewhere there is an average of from 10 to 15 illus¬ 
trations to the page. What good purpose do they 
serve? Merely to make a bulkier catalogue is the 
only answer that occurs to us. If they were new, odd 
or little known varieties, there is at once a reason for 
IP the lives of surplas roosters led but up against the hatchet, the 
expense yvouid then be lighter and tne Income funds would match it. 
Wheat atd sliver strike their lowest levels together. Where are 
the prophets wno told of the good prices to f..llow tee repeal of the 
Sherman law 7 
wanted. One good reason why wood ashes and bone should ever 
be mixed. They make an excellent combination, but ate better 
applied separately. 
Do.Vt scorn the stations, farmer, ilse ard go put on thy ’specs and 
read eacn bulHiin; ttenscleme will not hurt you-you may know 
tnere is no bullet m a bnl.etlnl 
The latest scheme Is dipping hens In tobacco water to kill lice—page 
145. Wbat next 7 Tne enoex „lvtn to tne nen’s sy stem at such a forced 
batn ougot to knock the lice out. 
Give the one-horse men credit. One out In Washington says he has 
cared lor a 12-acie Ofcna’d wim one-horse 22 years oid. “ihe orchard 
has not grown up to weeds, eUbei I’’ 
Life s foretaste Is too p easact; 'twould be well if we could taste 
the* alter’’first ard spell fore with s to take the read, lor, if we 
were made stre, perhaps we’d heed. 
The latest plan Is to bulla cotton factories in Egypt. In 1893 this 
oou try ooDgbt 39.1)07 baies of 100 pounds eacn from Egypt, while Eng¬ 
land Buppl.eo most of the cotton goods worn there. 
The agricultural students at Pnrdue. Ind., will start on March 3 for 
a trip ameg some ot the best stock breeders In tbe West Prof. Plumb 
goes with them. That is the way to study ilve-stcck husbandryl Get 
out among me breeders. 
Don’t blame new help It they do not at once wo'k into your ways of 
doing ihlnss. You may oe crac ky 1 S larger ih.ngs have 1;appened. 
1 he thing to prize In help Is ihe inclination to try to earn their salary. 
Wnat more do you ask lor? 
One cf o:r readers, a progressive dairyman, keeps this advertise¬ 
ment In his local papers; " Wanted! lo exchange ground feed for 
mover hay !” That msn makes money ou' of a combination of kn-ywl- 
enge and igi oranoe. We hope to tell mere about his trade later. 
Already ihe peach cron has begin to fall, and g owers In some 
pans or tne country are repo tirg 11 ruined. leibaps it is, but It’s 
pietty ear.y to ueclde pcs iivt ly much about it yet. One thtrg Is cer¬ 
tain, this country Is s^ large, and peaches are grown in so many parts 
of It. that It’s a ulgnty poor year a hen ibtre aren’t s me peaches 
somewhere. It's bei.er. newe ver, to have the crop fall now than next 
summer, if it must fall some time. 
