2o4 
March 31 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
THE 
Rural New-Yorker 
Cor. Chambers and Pearl Sts ., New York. 
Natiaasl Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Hornet. 
BLBBBT B. CABMAN, Bdltor-ln-Chlef. 
HBBBEBT W. COLiLINGWOOD, MansRlnK Bdltor 
BBWIN G. FOWXBB, Associate Editor 
JOUN J DILLON, Business ManaKer. 
Copyrighted lUdi. 
Address all business oommunloatlons and make all orders pay¬ 
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 is for, appear in every letter. 
Money orders and bank drafts on New York are the safest means of 
transmitting money. 
SATURDAY, MARCH 31, 1894. 
Wk know more about windmill irrigation than we 
did a few weeks ago, thanks to several friends who 
have written us their experience. Our readers will 
soon know all that we do about it. 
* * 
Coming I An article on cheap paints, mixtures of 
milk and lime, etc. This is by a painter of long ex¬ 
perience and will interest those who want to act as 
tailor for their own fence, henhouse or roost. Let’s 
have new coats all around. 
* * 
CONTBIBUTIONS for the fund to relieve E. W. Bull are 
coming in. We will print a list of contributions next 
week. The ball has started. Help roll it up. Every 
person who tastes a Concord grape owes a debt of 
gratitude to Mr. Bull. Pay it now. 
* * 
Thebe is more call than ever this year for a cheap 
and serviceable machine for broadcasting fertilizers. 
There are several good machines for putting fertilizers 
in the drill, but those for broadcasting are pretty ex¬ 
pensive for the average farmer. Thousands of farmers 
use the grain drill for fertilizers. Who can make a 
cheap broadcaster ? ^ ^ 
“ A Pound op Butteb” is an exact history of the 
processes employed in one good dairy. These articles 
will not give all the ways in which cream is handled 
and butter made. We shall keep strictly to the record 
of this one pound. The R. N.-Y. prefers a full meal 
to a sandwich. That is why we try to get all useful 
facts about a subject even at the risk of taking con¬ 
siderable space. 
They do spray poultry with the kerosene emulsion 
you see—page 211. We did not know it, and said so 
when we were asked. It looks as though some one of 
our readers can give actual personal experience with 
anything that has been suggested. That is one great 
value of The R. N.-Y. We can truthfully say that we 
do not know of any other paper that gets more actual 
experience from its readers. 
The following questions are referred to poultrymen 
for answers: 
What special good comes from grinding grain for fowls? What are 
gizzards for? Is there any reason other than convenience for feeding 
the warm mess In the morning? Our chickens seem to like It best at 
noon. 
Let US know now why the “authorities” generally 
recommend a “ morning mash.” 
* » 
This is the season of hog dressed veals, and the 
arrivals are large. But many of them do not bring 
the prices they should because of their small size, 
inferior condition, improper dressing, or bad order on 
arrival. Attention to these points would insure more 
satisfactory returns. The weather has been unusually 
warm for the season, and this has caused much deter¬ 
ioration in quality. Ice should be freely used on those 
which are shipped any distance^ and all should be 
thoroughly cooled before shipping. 
* H 
This has been a bad week for the shippers of cab¬ 
bage, kale and some other vegetables. The quantities 
arriving have been enormous, utterly beyond the re¬ 
quirements of the market, or the ability of the hand¬ 
lers to care for. Great quantities of kale have sold for 
not enough to cover the cost of packages, while cab¬ 
bage hasn’t realized enough to pay freight. Added to 
the heavy receipts of Florida cabbage, some Long 
Island growers have sent considerable old cabbage, 
and this is almost unsalable at any price. One dealer 
had paid $16 freight on a car sent him, and was mak¬ 
ing desperate efforts to realize enough to reimburse 
himself. Good cabbages were offered for 50 cents per 
100 with little sale, while some consignees refused to 
receive the stock, and the railroads sold it to pay 
freight. This state of affairs is deplorable, for these 
goods represent a considerable outlay of money and 
labor, and the loss can be illy afforded by the shippers. 
Still it seems unavoidable. There is always an element 
of risk in the production of such perishable products. 
The price may prove high and the profit be large, or 
the contrary may be true. Those who engage in the 
business must be prepared to take this risk. 
* » 
This week you will find a suggestion about getting 
those plants for which you have longed, but thought 
you couldn’t afford. Cooperation is the keynote of 
success in these days and should be applied to small 
things as well as to great schemes. Washing dishes 
is an “ all-the-year-round,” “ three-times-a-day” task, 
and as irksome a duty as the housekeeper has. Dis¬ 
pose of the most disagreeable things first. Following 
this principle, we present first in our Woman’s Depart¬ 
ment several letters containing suggestions which may 
relieve the overworked woman. 
* « 
“ Experience” seemed to be something more than a 
teacher to Tennyson, who wrote : 
And dare we to this fancy give 
That had the wild oat not been sown 
The soil, left barrdn, scarce had grown 
The grain by which a man may live? 
It seems to us that he meant what one may call moral 
green manuring. The wild oats did not, happily, go 
to seed—that is, they did not form permanent bad 
habits. When plowed under they provided humus or 
experience, and ambition or love supplied the chem¬ 
icals that produced a full crop of good. 
* * 
In manure hauling season, when you stop to scrape 
the corn stalks off your fork, the following note from 
a New York subscriber may prove interesting read¬ 
ing : 
l agree with The B. N.-Y. on page 120. Cut the corn stalks before 
the cows get them, then the manure won’t bother. I never allow a 
whole corn stalk to go Into iny barnyard. I began with one cow, one 
horse and one hand fodder cutter on five acres. I have got to 10 cows, 
two horses and a power-cutter. I propose to keep on till I reach 20. It 
pays to cut everything. 
No doubt about it. Cut everything that goes into the 
mangers. A fodder cutter makes better feed, better 
bedding and better manure. 
« * 
Hundreds of people are asking about the use of cor¬ 
rosive sublimate in preventing scab on potatoes. The 
^Michigan Experiment Station (Agricultural College 
P. O.) has issued a poster bulletin on this subject. It 
is printed on heavy cardboard all ready to hang up, 
and contains pictures of scabby and clean potatoes, 
with full directions for using the sublimate solution. 
There is also a calendar for 18 months. This poster is 
one of the things to which The R. N.-Y. is glad to call 
attention. This sort of work is practical and comes 
right home to farmers. It is first-rate advertising. 
With this poster goes another telling all about spray¬ 
ing. 
° Ir * 
In the Swiss Republic the referendum has proved an 
admirable safeguard against unwise legislation. It is 
really the submitting of great public questions to 
popular vote—thus taking out of the legislative depart¬ 
ments of government the responsibility for the pas¬ 
sage of the measure. This has worked well in Switzer¬ 
land. Why not try it here ? How ? Take the Wilson 
Bill with the income tax. There is a fair question, 
whether a majority of the people want that in its 
present shape. What they voted for two years ago 
was a very different thing. A new Congress is to he 
elected next fall. Go to the people with the Wilson 
Bill and let them vote on it and abide by their decision. 
Let the Senate agree to give it a rest until the next 
House of Representatives is elected. Far better do 
that than argue and fight over it all summer. What 
is wrong with that proposition ? There is too much 
row among politicians over the bill. Let the people 
settle it. 
« * 
It seems impossible to answer the questions about 
hen manure so that farmers will understand what we 
mean. For example, a Michigan subscriber sends this 
which he says is the advice given him by an agricul¬ 
tural paper; 
Hen manure should be composted with earth, and with nothing 
else. It should be composted several months, and should be shoveled 
over several times to reduce its strength. 
The idea of reduclnq the strength of hen manure is too 
ridiculous to notice. The valuation of a ton of it sel¬ 
dom runs over $6 anyway. Its chief value consists in 
the nitrogen it contains. If anything is to be added, 
it should be something to “fix” or retain this nitrogen. 
The best thing to do that is plaster. This not only 
holds the nitrogen, but it dries the manure so that it 
may be ground or crushed fine. The best time to use 
the plaster is as soon as possible after the manure is 
dropped. It should be often removed from under the 
roosts and stored in a dry place—kept white with 
plaster. Before using, grind or crush as fine as pos¬ 
sible. For our part, we advise the use of hen manure 
alone without trying to make it the basis for a mixed 
fertilizer. As a general rule we think this will pay 
better than to mix it with potash and bone. 
* * 
Reports from South Carolina seem to indicate that 
the Dispensary Liquor Law is gaining in favor. Prob¬ 
ably no man can be elected Governor of the State who 
is not pledged to support it. In several Western 
States the Populists and Prohibitionists expect to 
unite their forces and make as the basis for agreement 
a trial of the plan of State control and ownership of 
liquor selling. Keen observers believe that this system 
affords the best means of controlling the traffic, 
destroying the element of private profit and taking 
the saloon out of politics. The R. N.-Y. would like to 
see the South Carolina plan given a fair trial in every 
State. 
Even the experts don’t know it all. Some one 
asked about White Top onion sets. As we didn’t find 
them in any of the catalogues we chanced to examine, 
we went to one of the large seed houses to inquire 
about them. Their expert authority pointed out the 
White Multipliers and said they were the same. We 
made our reply accordingly, and asked if any one 
knew more of the matter. A market gardening firm 
in northern New York writes: 
A certain professor of an agricultural college has made the state¬ 
ment that the White Top onion is “the finest, earliest and best onion 
for the market gardener.” His statement Is the simple truth. The 
Whl.e Multiplier is all right so far as It goes, but Is nowhere when 
compared to the White Top onion, the very finest onion of them all. 
Which is another proof of our oft-repeated assertion 
that there is little information of value in any branch 
of agriculture, but some of our readers can give us 
light upon it. ^ 
BREVITIES. 
The fierce old eagle on the flag has had his praises sung 
By poets and by orators, since this fair land was young. 
A wicked, hard old fighter he, but In our peaceful day, 
A weary old back-number Is the selfish bird of prey. 
Old Uncle Sam, from war’s alarms, may now take long release. 
Beneath his vine he now has time to ply the arts of peace. 
Your Uncle needs no fighting bird out In his peaceful pen. 
Par better let the eagle go and raise the Business Hen. 
The eagle and the old war flags, with faded stripes and stars. 
May better serve as memories of battle-painted scars. 
Aye! Let them serve as memorles-a heritage of fame 
That generations yet unborn may In all Justice claim. 
But, In these piping times of peace, the eagle off his perch 
May wisely step; and wnen with care, old Uncle Sam shall search, 
A substitute; I nominate our friend The Business Hen. 
A worthy type of energy and skill for all true men. 
Down with the eagle from the flag, down with his motto slay! 
Dp, lively, with the Business Hen and make that motto lay! 
Far better is the cackle when an honest egg is born 
Than that wild eagle's screaming when a human life is torn. 
Yes, give the hen a roosting place above the starry flag. 
The Business lien! Long may she wave! The country’s pride and brag 
And bred to patriotism, from her healthy eggs we’ll hatch 
The spunk to keep our Yankee land still toeing at the scratch. 
The late worm gets caught. 
Don’t hurry with spurry—page 202. 
'The Leghorn is both fair and fowl. 
Don’t be selfish with your self-respect. 
Isn’t there space in your life for a brace ? 
It takes brains you see to run a dishwasher. 
Mxee “ the speech of your life ’’ In silence ! 
TAN the dog for every bark at the neighbors. 
There are some big bargains In our little ads. 
The bourt of common please—trying to be polite. 
How many men to support a saloon In your town ? 
Sbeuy manure makes knee grease needed In an onion patch. 
A “ CRIBBING’’ horse Is a wind sucker. The remedy Is to shut off 
his wind. 
Boiled beans for cows—page 200. A good way to feed protein, but 
Is It cheap? 
Sad, sad is the end of the dishwasher’s lot who washes in water that 
Isn’t red hot. 
What sort of a man will deny to his wife the right to a share In the 
pleasures of life? 
Cultivate yourself, all greatness Is original. Whoever became 
great through imitation? 
Our columns are open to all who think they can beat that growth of 
grape wood given on page 198. 
Ip you’d stick to your work here’s a pointer for you. You never will 
stick till you make your own glue. 
Three of a kind: the complaining man, the early-rising surplus 
rooster and an early spring flower of the Iris family. 
Boiling the seeds.from the Department of Agriculture!—page 202 
That certainly keeps them from despoiling the land with weeds. 
Young man, the way to get yourself below par Is to show that you 
feel.above your Pa. Young woman, the way to mar your reputation 
Is to be Impudent to your Ma. 
By the last report there were 31 log school houses in New York 
State. Some of the strongest men In history were educated within logs. 
Do modern brick and stone do better? 
WONDER If Mr. Bittner's woodchucks have peculiar tastes or are 
all alike. Some people would chuckle over this experience as an 
argument against the use of fertilizers. 
ENGLISH advice on calf raising Is to put the first third of the milk 
from each cow In a can by Itself. Use the other two-thirds for cream¬ 
ing. You thus have both calf and cream and still feed the former on 
whole milk. The fat Is largely In the last part of the milking. 
" Potato wine’’Is made and sold In France. Potatoes are peeled, 
rasped and crushed, the starch Is made Into sugar by heating, and 
yeast turns It Into a fermented drink. The man who Invents a new and 
cheap Intoxicant deserves 111 of his fellow men, even though he pro¬ 
vide a new market for potatoes 1 
This note from Michigan seems to Indicate that our humble 
attempts at verse writing are catching: " In The Rural of March 10 
under Brevities Is the question: 
“Under what circumstances do you harrow the wheat ?” 
“ When you tickle the surface close down by Us feet.” 
