THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
March 10 
156 
THE 
Rural New-Yorker 
Cor. Chambers a/nd Pearl Sts., New Yorh. 
Natienal Weekly Journel for Country and Suburban Homea. 
BLBBBT S. CABMAN, Hdltor-ln-Chlef. 
HHBBHBT W. COLLINGWOOD, Mann(?lnK Hdltor 
BBWIN G. FOWLBB, Associate Bdltor 
JOHN J DltiLON, BusinesB ManaKOr. 
CopyrighUd 1S94. 
Address all business communications and make all orders pay¬ 
able to THE BUBAL NKW-YOKKBB. 
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 
transmlttlnx money. 
SATURDAY, MARCH 10, 1894. 
When you buy stable manure from a neighbor how 
do you estimate its value ? There is a good question 
for you to ponder o/er. Do you go by size, looks, 
smell or the “ going price ?” 
* * 
Women now have full suffrage in Wyoming, Colorado, 
New Zealand, Nova Scotia, Iceland, Isle of Man and 
Island of Jersey It is only a question of time when 
woman will secure all her rights before the law-i-and 
the law will be enlarged, too. We trust that your farm 
will be the next territory to extend full justice to 
woman. 
« * 
A NUMBER of our friends have inquired where to 
write for immigrant farm help, indoors and out. No 
room for particulars this week. If you can’t wait, 
write to W. H. Meara, United States Barge Office, 
New York, and state just what you want—what 
nationality preferred, and what kind of labor is to be 
performed. ^ ^ 
The first of the articles in reply to that question about 
the proper amount of seed to use on an acre is printed 
on page 150. Mr. Kirby is an old market gardener 
and the figures he gives represent the seeding prac¬ 
tices of the market gardeners at Arlington, where 
the soil is rich, and where immense quantities of 
manure are used. What is said about testing seeds is 
well worth your attention. 
» # 
Let us suppose the farmers who supply a canning 
factory’with sweet corn, tomatoes or what not should 
do as our friend suggests on page 162, viz., fix a fair 
price and stick to it. That is what manufacturers 
and dealers in other goods do. Why not farmers ? 
The chief reason is that there are too many traitor 
farmers who “go back” on those who are trying to go 
ahead and desert them when desertion means defeat. 
* * 
The receipts of hay indicate that farmers are not 
marketing so much as usual. Still the supply here 
is ample, and trade is not very lively. Consequently 
no material advance in prices need be expected. Any 
general shipment of large quantities of hay would 
lower prices. As the old rates on hay have been 
restored, increased shipments from the West are 
probable, and prices later in the season may be lower. 
At any rate, from present indications, much higher 
prices are improbable. ^ ^ 
What is to be the future of the sheep growing in¬ 
dustry in this country ? With free wool what will be 
the effect on our present flocks ? These are questions 
that thousands of farmers are asking. The sheep 
business is on the verge of a great change. Which 
way shall we turn in order to float on top of the wave? 
We have a number of valuable articles coming that 
will, we hope, answer these questions. First of all 
comes an exhaustive article by Mr. J. S. Woodward, 
in which we promise some radical views on feeding 
and breeding. 
Attempts to malt wheat appear to have met with 
varying success. Many trials have been made during 
the past few months, owing to the low prices of wheat, 
which average about with barley, in some places being 
less, bushel for bushel. As a bushel of wheat contains 
more pounds than a bushel of barley, the wheat costs 
less, pound for pound. The same is true of it in com¬ 
parison with oats. It is worth every cent of the mar¬ 
ket price to feed, however, and this is the legitimate 
outlet for a large part of the surplus. Send it to mar¬ 
ket in the shape of eggs, poultry, pork, beef and dairy 
products. 
^ * * 
We have not felt inclined to allude to the trial and 
conviction of John Y. McKane until he was safely on 
his way to State prison. The story of his downfall 
as a political “ boss ” is familiar to all. The lesson we 
learn from this case is that the force of public senti¬ 
ment for the right is as strong as ever. The people 
will stand abuse and crime in office for a good while. 
They grumble, but do little more. All of a sudden a great 
wave of public indignation rises. No one knows just 
where or how it starts, but it rolls on and rises till it 
washes the foulness out of public offices. Twenty years 
ago it was Tweed—to-day it is McKane. Who knows 
what will go with the next sweep ? The people still 
rule. It is right that they should. Men may bewail 
the times and tell us that liberty has been swallowed 
up by Trusts and money kings. We do not believe it. 
This is still a Republic, and the old power of the peo¬ 
ple is still supreme. ^ ^ 
That is a good account of a profitable dairy farm on 
our first page. It will pay the reader to study that. 
Buying grain when it is cheap, warming water for 
stock—lots of other little points are each big enough 
for a separate sermon. That scheme of selling butter 
is a good one. Why can’t you make use of it in your 
town ? Sit down and ask yourself that question. In 
spite of the great injury done the trade in general by 
the vile oleo fraud, the making of Urst-clqss butter is 
still a mighty promising industry. We expect soon 
to describe the making of “a pound of butter” in such 
detail that all will understand it. 
* * 
It is often said that the use of improved machinery 
on farms has displaced farm workmen by taking away 
their work—that is, doing the work cheaper than 
could be done by hand power. That is so to a certain 
extent. Another side to the matter is the fact that 
these machines have made necessary a higher degree 
of intelligence on the part of hired men. A man to 
handle a complicated machine must be something 
more than a stout workman—he must possess some of 
the mechanic’s skill and ingenuity. So that the very 
change that drove the ordinary workman from the 
farm has made a better place for his superior comrade 
who stays on the soil. ^ ^ 
It will soon be time to talk about spraying potatoes 
with the Bordeaux Mixture. Last week we had a 
note about “talking leaves” or printed matter. Bot¬ 
anist L. R. Jones, of the Vermont Experiment Station 
(Burlington), is soon to issue a bulletin on spraying. 
It will not only give results, but will show how to do 
it, and it ought to interest every reader of The R. 
N.-Y. We alluded last year to the excellent work 
done at the Vermont Station. It is always a pleasure 
for us to help widen the circulation of valuable bulle¬ 
tins. We like those with illustrations and clear, sim¬ 
ple language, because such pamphlets appeal more 
forcibly to the everyday farmers who want simple 
science or none at all. ^ ^ 
An interesting feature in connection with the short¬ 
age of any product is the readiness with which it is 
transported, often from distant and heretofore un¬ 
thought of points. The shortage of hay in Europe 
last summer started shipments from many different 
sources, until hay became almost a drug on the mar¬ 
ket. Potatoes were a short crop in this country, but 
they have been coming in large quantities from across 
the water, cargoes of from 12,000 to 20,000 sacks being 
not uncommon. Recently a small shipment arrived 
from Spain, Vegetables from Egypt are common in 
our markets at some seasons. The great advance in 
transportation facilities has opened the markets of 
the world to the farmers of the world. 
* * 
The American Consul at Vienna reports that a large 
consignment of frozen Australian beef had been sold 
there for 10 cents per pound after being repacked in 
London. It had been over a month in transit, and the 
distance, of course, meant heavy freight charges. The 
American farmer would have a big advantage over his 
antipodean rival in these respects. England, too, is 
reported to be taking increased quantities of beef and 
mutton, shipments having more than doubled during 
the past two months. Decrease in receipts from former 
sources of supply, the superior quality of the corn-fed 
American meat, and the poor grass crop of the past 
summer are given as causes. Some shippers think that 
this trade is likely to last for at least two years, if, 
indeed, it does not become permanent. 
* * 
We have often explained that a real superphosphate 
is a soluble form of phosphoric acid. Take bone- 
black for example. It is really a charcoal made from 
bone and the phosphoric acid in it will not dissolve in 
water. Add sulphuric acid and the phosphoric acid 
will dissolve in water. What happens? The acid 
makes a new chemical combination. Before it was 
put in the phosphoric acid was combined with lime in 
the proportion of one to three—insoluble. The acid 
took away one part of the lime and left two to each 
part of phosphoric acid—a soluble combination. Now 
observe why we speak of this. Lots of people talk of 
buying dissolved bone black, rock, etc., and adding 
lime to it 1 They get in the habit of adding lime or 
plaster to manures. Don’t you see what they do ? 
They simply give the superphosphate a chance to take 
back that atom of lime which the acid took from it, 
and change back its condition from soluble to reverted 
or insoluble. “ Lime loves a superphosphate” and 
will always unite with it when the two are put 
together. One man thought he did a smart thing 
when he mixed wood ashes with dissolved bone 
black. There are 1,200 pounds of lime in a ton of 
ashes and this man simply threw away the money he 
had paid the manufacturer for treating the bone black 
with acid. Never use lime with a superphosphate. 
* * 
A EEADEB in Pennsylvania asks us to think about 
the following: 
Breeders of thoroughbred stock of various kinds (especially bogs 
are m the habit of sending out lousy stock to the great annoyance of 
these who keep their stock clean. I mus: either quit buying or tlnd a 
remedy. Some of the moet prominent breeders send out such stock 
You can do the average taimer no greater favor than to give these 
men an “airing" in The Bchal. 
We know from sad experience that some breeders of 
poultry generally send specimens of a very strong and 
active breed of lice with their birds. If we had our 
way we would have such breeders compelled to rebate 
one per cent of their price for every louse found on 
the stock sent. If the man who will broadcast lice 
has any more vulnerable point than his pocketbook 
we want to know what it is. 
* * 
BREVITIES. 
I see the subject mentioned in my papers now and then 
trom big strong-minded women down to small weak-minded men 
About some grain or posey over which our folks can brag. 
An emblem of our Nation to go on our starry flag. 
We want a thing of beauty on our old led, white and blue. 
And practical observers want tlnanclal value too. 
Why talk about your clover or your sunflower or your maize? 
Put on a liquor bottle, hold it up to public gaze. 
We pay more cash for liquor than for taxes and for tolls, 
B'or telegraphs and railroads or for charities and souls. 
Hurrah for old King Liquor he’s the biggest gun of all. 
And when It comes to beauty he can make the others crawl. 
He gives his slaves our colors with their noses painted red 
With white all through their livers and blue thoughts all through their 
head. 
So let’s be honest, comrades, let us give our King the place 
Of honor on our standard or dethrone him In disgrace. 
Ark the trees in trim ? 
Berry your family this year 1 
What Is the best sheep fence? 
Husband your wife’s strength. 
Shaving manure is worth saving. 
Don’t bite back at the backbiter 1 
The abbreviation for Oklahoma Is O. K. 
Depressed agriculture needs a deep rest. 
Tread on the corns—as they go Into the silo. 
By their brutes ye shall know them! Dairymen. 
Bolling in wealth—seeding to clover with a roller ! 
Under what circumstances do you harrow the wheat ? 
See how rape gave a soiling patch for cows ? Page 163. 
Have some fun on the farm. That Is the fungicide to kill care. 
A HOG’S convinced against his swill, but only when he’s had his till. 
You make yourself pay a tine when you don’t tine the hen manure. 
Of coarse 1 
Mr. j. H. Hale’s remarks about peach-tree washes will answer 
many questions. 
That man will carry his work at a loss who takes pains to make 
people know he’s the boss. 
Sub-irrigation is all right in the greenhouse, but tub irrigation 
beats It In the farm house. 
Better one hour with “The New Potato Culture” than a year talk¬ 
ing around the village store. 
Let the man who wants a simpler word than protein suggest a term 
that will easier express what protein Is. 
You see they stop a leak In a cow’s teat with the same tool used In 
mending a leak In a pan—a hot Iron. Page 163. 
Keiffer, Wilder, Seckel, Bartlett and Idaho pears ought to stand a 
blizzard 26 degrees below zero. Is not that so? 
Lots of families suffer for meat and drink because the heads of 
those families are too much Inclined to meet and drink. 
“Fink feathers make tine birds,” but they are good for nothing as 
a fertilizer unless they are mixed with blood and manure. 
Though silver, gold and precious stones may lose their purchase 
power, the wages of the ffood hired man go upward every hour. 
Every package of farm produce that leaves your farm Is an ad¬ 
vertising agent. Every one that pleases people helps sell another 1 
ITiNE soil for fine seeds. In heavy soil, what is the objection to cov¬ 
ering the finer seeds with sand? None but difficulty In getting the sand 
For ordinary sores and wounds on horses. The B. N.-Y. has never 
found a better application than three parts sweet oil to one of carbolic 
acid. 
That is a good thought about help In the house advanced by our 
friend on page 158. How can we raise the standard of respect for 
kitchen work? 
“ Cranks ” are all right In their place. We need them to move the 
world’s machinery. They keep the rust off the axle. But don't set a 
crank to turn a crank I 
Our friend who on page 163 tells us about his former trade in asses’ 
milk makes It clearer still that some member of The B. N.-Y.’s family 
can give personal experience on any topic. 
Now, sir, don’t forget this year to do the most von can cultivating 
the crops before they come up. In other words, don’t try to make the 
cultivator do the work that belongs to plow and harrow. 
In ccId and heavy soils,'don’t you use an extra abundance of gar¬ 
den seeds ? You thus allow for the death of some, and the young 
plants, so close together, help each other break the crust. 
W. W. Tracy tells ns that the best English turnip growers use seed 
enough to give at least four plants to the inch. When the plants are 
large enough they are thinned out so as to stand six inches apart. 
This means 25 seeds for one good planti 
See how careful Mr. Willard is to keep weed seeds out of his clover? 
He would not grow It on a field that needed cultivation in order to kill 
the weeds. That’s right, but if every grower practiced that, clover 
seed would certainly be worth “ a cent a seed ! ” 
