i72 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
March 17 
THE 
Rural New-Yorker 
Cor. Chambers and Pearl Sts ., New York. 
Natisnal Weakly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
BLBBBT 8. CABMAN, Bditor-ln-Chlef. 
HBBBKBT W. COLLINQWOOD, Manasrln* Bdltor 
BBWIN G. FOWX.BB. Assoolste Bdltor 
JOHN J DILLON, BustneBs ManaRer. 
VopvrUihted 1894. 
Address all business oommunloatlons and make all orders par¬ 
able to THE BUBAL NKW-YOBKBB. 
Be sure that the name and address of sender, with name of Post 
office and State, and what the remittance la for, appear In every letter. 
Money orders and bank drafts on New York are the safest means of 
transmlttlnR money. 
SATURDAY, MARCH 17, 1894. 
A MAN in Michigan •writes: “ As I live on one acre 
of land right in the town, I want to know what I 
would better try to raise on my land to sell.” Fred 
Grundy’s “ A Fortune In Two Acres,” was written to 
answer just such a question, and we do not believe it 
has ever been answered better than in the pages of 
that pamphlet. 
a « 
Don’t be shocked at Fred Grundy’s consideration 
for the hired girl. He is not talking about one of the 
“ Castle Garden graduates” some of our Eastern farm¬ 
ers hire. His hired girl is likely to be the daughter of 
a neighbor—just as worthy in blood, breeding and 
ability as her employer. Happy the land where such 
help can be had. ^ ^ 
We learn that certain parties are preparing to sell 
milking machines. On another page will.be found a 
fair statement of the value of the machines exhibited 
at the World’s Fair. It is safe to say that no milking 
machine will ever prove successful until somebody can 
put brains in it. It would pay better to put more 
brains into men milkers first. 
• » 
Hebe is the sort of a question we cannot answer 
with any yes or no : “ Do you think it would pay to 
borrow money at seven per cent to build a silo when 
one has about eight acres of corn to handle ?” This 
man lives in Canada. We know of at least two cases 
where men made money by running in debt for a silo. 
Still we advise no man to shoulder such a debt with¬ 
out knowing all about his market, his carefulness and 
his cows. 
« » 
Standing in his own light I Who is ? Well, among 
others, the tomato grower in New Jersey who does 
not send to the Experiment Station at New Brunswick 
for a copy of the bulletin on tomatoes and the manures 
they need. It is hard to make out what some of these 
men are dreaming about when they won't avail them¬ 
selves of the work these stations are doing. If The 
R. N.-Y. had its way, every reader would study the 
bulletins, and the catalogues of our advertisers, too. 
* tt 
A PBiEND calls our attention to the fact that advice 
against using plaster with soluble phosphoric acid is 
not necessary, as it will not cause reversion as will 
lime. That is true and yet there is no reason why 
plaster should be added to a superphosphate. We 
find that many farmers do not realize the exact dif¬ 
ference between plaster and lime. If they can add 
one they do not see why they cannot add the other. 
It is a safe rule therefore to keep both away from 
soluble phosphoric acid. 
4r « 
Does clover need a nurse ? That is the substance of 
the questions asked by our Indiana friend on page 167. 
You will notice that opinions are divided. One man 
says he has always failed with clover seeded alone in 
the spring, while another obtains the best of results. 
It is a common law of agriculture that the clover plant 
needs shade—some plant like wheat, rye or oats to 
shelter it. Such a crop is called a clover nurse, yet 
every now and then we hear of some farmer who 
grows good clover and grass without a nurse. What 
are the conditions that make the nurse necessary or 
unnecessary ? 
• « 
“ Big turkeys don’t sell worth a cent this year,” said 
a commission merchant as he gazed sorrowfully on a 
number of monsters which he was vainly trying to sell 
for a good price. “ No one wants such large birds ex¬ 
cept a few of the restaurants and hotels. Most people 
want small, plump turkeys weighing not over 10 or 12 
pounds apiece. A few years ago these large ones 
were sought, but not now. We have to sell these for 
several cents per pound less than we get for the small 
ones, and then they sell very slowly.” The moral of 
this is that small turkeys are the ones for our farmers 
to aim for. Those that mature early. The Mammoth 
Bronze are not the ones to fill the biU. 
Thebe are a number of poultry breeders who are 
breeding for egg production. With well bred bircjs of 
a certain breed to start with they watch carefully for 
the best layers and use them for breeding stock. In 
this way they hope to develop the laying qualities in 
their birds. If carefully carried out, this plan is bound 
to succeed and with fair dealing and good business 
enterprise it is possible to build up a good trade in 
eggs and poultry. The greatest trouble the breeder 
will encounter is the fact that it is almost impossible 
to get a helper to take personal interest in the flock. 
The owner must attend to both business and breeding 
himself or both will run down 
♦ * 
Hebe is a matter that demands your attention 
Referring to page 104, suppose the readers of The R. 
N.-Y. pay each a small part of the debt they owe to 
Ephraim W. Bull, and thus place him above any need of 
assistance from charitable institutions of any kind. Start 
the ball! benj. buckman. 
The R. N.-Y. starts the ball with 85. Make it a popu¬ 
lar subscription. Let every man, woman and child 
who has ever tasted a Concord grape contribute a 
mite to relieve and honor its originator. The R. N.-Y. 
will gladly forward such contributions. Let us show 
that modern fruit growers are not ungrateful. 
« • 
We have had quite a little to say about rape as a 
soiling crop. Most of the authorities state that it is a 
good feed for sheep, and, possibly, for beef cattle, but 
not for cows giving milk. Recently, however, some 
one has told us about pasturing his cows entirely on 
rape. The Iowa Experiment Station has tested rape 
with other soiling crops. It gave a yield of 54,000 
pounds of green food per acre, but caused a shrinkage 
in milk and an offensive odor in the butter. Sweet 
corn gave the finest flavored milk and butter of any 
soiling crop. It is suggested that one way to use rape 
in feeding cows would be to feed small quantities of 
it in combination with sweet corn. 
* « 
Hebe are two farmers whose farms join. They have 
the same products for sale—hay, potatoes, grain, eggs, 
etc. As they do the same business one would suppose 
they would be hand and glove in any change that 
could possibly affect their trade. One gets his political 
points from a Democratic paper, while the other 
patronizes a Republican sheet. Consequently, instead 
of acting in concert over the proposed Wilson tariff 
bill, they are ready to fight over it. Why ? One is a 
Democrat and the other is a Republican. It makes no 
difference that both are farmers, affected alike by any 
change that may come to pass. This political battle 
must be kept up at any cost. If they can’t sink party 
and find the real truth of a question that vitally affects 
their business, how can they hope to obtain their share 
of the world’s business ? 
« * 
Anotheb excellent symposium in the Woman’s 
Department this week. The discussion of a fair 
division of labor will be sure to interest all house¬ 
wives and househusbands. We propose to continue 
this method of discussing topics of special interest to 
women on the farm. The men folks have helped us 
greatly in times past by suggesting questions for dis¬ 
cussion. We now cordially invite the women to come 
forward with ideas and suggestions about their own 
work. We will agree to obtain the best possible 
answers to all such questions. The R. N.-Y. recog¬ 
nizes the fact that the women of the farm household 
are just as much interested in the farm’s prosperity as 
are the men and hereafter on every question where 
the moral or legal rights of both sexes are involved we 
shall try to give both a fair hearing. 
* * 
Neveb have hothouse lambs sold so low as during 
the past winter. Even the first that came in before 
Christmas did not bring the usual high prices. “What 
is the trouble ? ” was asked of one of the heaviest 
handlers of these, one who formerly had almost a 
monopoly of the receipts. “There are several causes,” 
he said. “ More are raising them, many coming from 
Virginia and other Southern points. The hard times 
have had something to do with it, too, as the demand 
has been less. Then shippers scatter their consign¬ 
ments too much. Formerly we received nearly all of 
these lambs that were sent to market. We could fix 
the price on them, and hold it. But as shippers made 
their consignments to different parties, the latter be¬ 
gan to cut prices, and now we can’t hold the price as 
formerly.” Is there a moral here, or isn’t there ? 
* » 
On February 14, The R. N.-Y. received a letter from 
a lady in Allegany County, N. Y., asking for the 
amount of an unpaid bill against her husband. It was 
contracted, she said, seven years ago. At that time 
her husband was forced to assign, as he could not col-. 
lect money due him. Every bill had since that time 
been paid, except the one due The R. N.-Y., which 
came last on the books. The R. N.-Y. does a cash 
business in subscriptions, and was unable to trace this 
old claim. We therefore wrote the lady that she might 
consider herself released—we would cancel the debt 
against her. On March 3, we received the following 
letter: 
Enclosed I hand yon M. O. for $28. which was the araonnt dne you 
That year (1887) we had 16 copies, and you Rave one copy for every 
seven. It Is the last of our debts. We have paid them all, dollar for 
dollar. Thank you for the kind words of your letter, also for being so 
lenient with us Bespectfully yours, MRS. w. A. hart. 
There is an example of business honor that would 
make thousands of men blush for shame. Words are 
very weak to express what one thinks of such sterling 
honesty. The R. N.-Y. would willingly have forgiven 
this debt, but it is a great pleasure to find such a sound 
example of true old-fashioned honesty in these days 
when so many business men are willing to gain at the 
expense of commercial honor. 
* * 
BREVITIBS. 
OUTDOORS. 
ride on my mower, my plow and my rake. 
The horse lifts the grain and the hay; 
I Bit down to bind, and my comfort I take 
As mv farming goes on—that's the way 
For a fellow to work—have respect for your back. 
Make your bead save your heels and then go 
At a good easy pace down the s ope of life’s track; 
Not with footsteps all stiffened and slow. 
INDOORS. 
with the washboard and tub I must stay here and scrub 
With the water some 10 rods away; 
With a stove that won't draw and a wood pile all raw. 
What a He to call housework a play. 
There are meals to be cooked there are tempers all crooked 
To be straightened and only two thumbs 
And eight fingers complete—all day long on your feet. 
'Tls not strange that your ambition numbs. 
Bring that water Indoors, farmer, do these hard chores. 
Save your wife If she's worthy your name. 
Save her steps ere too late, do It now, sir, don’t wait, 
Or your tools will but publish yeur shame! 
Notv for clover 1 
CAN the devil hire you 7 
WHiNBnotl Why not 7 
JjAZy scholars are school bored. 
Akb you grinding somebody's ax 7 
The stingy man Is giftless If not shiftless. 
graft some good on the “ root of all evil.” 
Thk horse walks while the harrow runs. How 7 
The way to breed a cross cow Is to kick the heifer. 
How to make a cow pay $53 per year net—page 179. 
See how Mr. Gregory reinforces urineless manure 7 
What’s ventilation 7 Exchange of foul for fresh air 1 
Mr. Grundy probably starts all the fires In his house I 
Don’t trust the man who was never ashamed of himself. 
Man may well work after sun If wife’s long day Is still undone. 
Don't heap upon your mental plate more than you can assimilate. 
No use trying to do business by mall If your neighbors won’t trust 
you I 
There are more good seeds In an ounce of prevention than in a 
pound of cure. 
Name one good reaton why a man should not learn how to make a 
bed and cook a meal I 
WHO knows of an orchard of Bartlett pears that always bears good 
crops without other varieties to fertilize their flowers 7 
We had an article on Light Brahmas a few weeks ago. The B. N.-Y 
Is a little staggered to And how many friends this breed has. 
Op course, you understand that If you gave your wife the proper 
tools Indoors, she wouldn’t need so much of your valued hand labor. 
SOMETIMES yon never know you are In a rut until yon run against a 
stone. A stone In a rut must be climbed over—you can’t push It aside 
That Is what makes life In a rat so hard. 
Here’s a point on the hen, we say to It, amen 1 Let those heed who 
feed corn and all that: Though she eatcorn all day, profit never will 
stay, for she can’t be both fertile and fat. 
Some men are like tomato plants. They should bo transplanted two 
or three times In order to make them take a good hold of the home 
soil. A little travel and “roughing It” gives them a better apprecia¬ 
tion of their own home. 
The K N.-Y. never did like a cur. At the same time we recognize 
the fact that there Is a good demand for dogs. Some man can make a 
small fortune by breeding good terriers and other vermin dogs, and 
advertising them at fair prices In The B. N.-Y. Nochargefor this hint. 
Let a warm man sit down on a big, cold rock 1 What will bo the re¬ 
sult—a cold man or a warm rock 7 A thick cushion would act as a non¬ 
conductor of heat. It would not conduct the man’s heat away from 
him. Lots of men’s labor Is spent trying to warm things that only 
steal their heat. 
There Is no more elastic word In the English language than 
“chores,” as many a hired man has found who agreed to do these 
“ light jobs about the house and barn ” after his day ’s work. What’s 
In a name 7 That which we call a chore would pass for ’’work,” and 
make no bones at all. 
“Aw!” says the kcow-lt-all farmer, “I have no time to peddle out 
my goods—I’m a wholesaler I am—not a retailer.” There Is no law to 
prevent a man from turning half the value of his crop over to the 
middleman. For the sake of his family we wish sometimes there was. 
Let such a man spend In peddling the time he spends In meddling 
with the affairs of others and he would be better off. 
Thou wast blessed with a patient wife. She complained not, but did 
thy bidding. Thou fool, not to know when thou wast well off 1 Thou 
didst Impose upon thy wife's patience and do now lord It over her in 
great shape. Could we have our way, we would loosen the hinge at the 
back of her tongue, place a barbed sting at the point and open her 
eyes to the fact that thou art a big coward and deserving of a dally 
prodding. 
They are now talking In Washington about coining the seigniorage 
of the silver In the United States Treasury. A liberal construction of 
he meaning of seigniorage would cover the difference between bullion 
value of this sliver and Its coined value. How about the seigniorage 
of labor—the difference between the price paid for It and Its actua 
value 7 If this was to be paid to the rightful owner, would you gain or 
lose by It 7 
