3oo 
May 12 
# 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
TDK 
Rural New-Yorker 
Cor. Chambers and Pearl Sts., New Ytrrk. 
those for which they were originally designed. How 
far can this be profitably carried, and what imple¬ 
ments can be so used to advantage ? 
Natisaal Weekly Jeuraal for Country and Suburban Hemet. 
BLBBBT 8. CABMAH, Bdltor-ln-Cblef. 
HBBBBBT W. COIiLINGWOOD. ManaRlnK Bdltor 
JOHN J, DILLON, BuslnesB ManaRer. 
Copyrighted 1894. 
Addreta all buBlnesB oommnnloationB and make all orders pay¬ 
able to THB BUBAL NEW-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 
transmlttlnR money. 
SATURDAY, MAY 12, 1894. 
Thk North Carolina Experiment Station finds bran 
adulterated with unground grain and foul weed seeds. 
In one ton of bran there were 54 pounds of cockle 
seed. This beats the enemy that came by night and 
sowed tares in the wheat! 
« 
A Pennsylvania farmer sends us a good question 
which he says he discussed at length with a friend 
without being able to reach the bottom. We want 
more such questions. If we can’t answer them our¬ 
selves, we can enlarge the discussion. 
« 
How does this stand in the contest for the most 
absurd spectacle in American agriculture ? A farmer 
talking eloquently about the manurial values of differ¬ 
ent feeds while the rain is washing the value out of 
his manure pile twice as fast as the live stock can put 
it in. 
« 
This note comes from away out in Indian Territory: 
I am an old subscriber to Thk K. N.-Y., and I cannot do without It 
to save my neck. john swain. 
We want to save the necks of all good citizens. Per¬ 
mit us to say that saving a valuable neck one whole 
year for a silver dollar, is not an expensive luxury. 
m 
Setting plants by machinery I That means the loss 
of another job on which the hand was thought to 
have a patent. All the hand has to do now is to drop 
the plant through a hole—the machine does the rest, 
and does it well. What is to be the end of this 
machine business anyway ? What job will be gobbled 
up next ? 
We call attention to the series of articles on The 
Woman’s Money begun on page 303. These articles 
will record a true financial history full of that simple 
pathos and strength, that carries conviction with it. 
This problem of money for the farm wife or daughter, 
is a big one. Why can’t we shave it down a little ? 
You will see how it was reduced in the case under dis¬ 
cussion. 
« 
“Jebsey' calves make excellent veals and sell for 
good prices, if they are not killed too young,” said a 
wholesaler the other day. ‘ ‘ The trouble is with many 
of them that they are killed too young. They need to 
get a little more age than calves of the larger breeds. 
.f ersey calves at six or seven weeks of age are generally 
very fat and plump, although not of large size, and 
such sell for good prices,” 
* 
Sir J. B. Lawes tell us how the Germans first re¬ 
alized the value of basic slag as a manure, and were 
thus able to secure a large amount of cheap phosphoric 
acid. The Germans now are taking from this country 
large quantities of linseed and cotton-seed meal for 
feeding stock. Suppose they send back in place of it 
sugar made from beets grown with the fertility con¬ 
tained in the linseed and cotton seed. It is easy to 
see how in such a trade Germany has the advantage 
by importing fertility and exporting a product that is 
of no fertilizing value. Americans should feed the 
stock food and grow the sugar at home. 
* 
E. C. N., on page 295, tells of using a transplanter 
as a potato planter. Why not? One of the most 
recent inventions in the line of a potato planter is one 
in which the potatoes are not dropped automatically, 
as is the case with most machines of this class ; but 
the dropper rides on the machine, and feeds the pota¬ 
toes into the hopper in such a way that if he does his 
work as he should, there are no skips. How far can 
this business of making farm machines do the work of 
two or more be carried ? If it be practicable, it means 
a material saving in the outlay for implements on the 
farm. A grain drill is used not only for its original 
purpose, but also to plant beans and corn, beets, and 
perhaps, other seeds; also to distribute fertilizers, 
and as a cultivator and harrow. Other implements 
are sometimes used to do different kinds of work than 
The wise men seem to agree pretty well that the 
is the feed. Take two hens of different breeds and 
feed them both corn. It is not probable that one will 
lay a better fiavored egg. Men are not like hens, you 
see. Give two men the same conditions in life, and 
one may produce work with a taste and fiavor about 
it that doubles its value. And yet it comes back to the 
feeding again, for what is work but the result of the 
mental food taken into the mind and digested ? 
* * 
Mb. Giffin tells us how to kill the young weeds in 
a crop of corn. It does take courage to put the har¬ 
row on a field of young corn, but it pays. The one 
exception we know of is in the case of early sweet 
corn—which is often planted on top of little piles of 
horse manure—dropped in the furrow. In this case, 
the plants have not strong enough root growth to 
enable them to stand up under the harrow. It a 
fact, however, that you can kill 50 baby weeds easier 
than you can one old grandfather. 
* 
Some sections become noted for squash growing. 
The crop pays so well that the rotation grows shorter 
and shorter until some fields are in squash every other 
year. Then, after a time, the crop begins to fail and 
will not respond to manure and cultivation. One great 
trouble is that this constant cropping of squash has 
developed in the soil a big crop of the larv® of squash 
insects which will ruin the squash crop in spite of the 
best culture. Only by lengthening the rotation and 
increasing the time between crops of squash can this 
trouble be avoided. 
« 
On one of the writer’s excursions into the country, 
this sensible advice was noticed painted in large black 
letters on a white board, and posted at the four 
corners of a country road : 
_ □ _^ 
o 
PROTECT THE ROAD! 
DON'T Drive in one Track! 
o 
Sensible, wasn’t it ? If each succeeding driver fol¬ 
low the same path as the preceding, the road will be 
worn into ruts and rendered less desirable as a high¬ 
way. The road in question didn’t have any ruts, but 
was evenly worn. Isn’t it the same with the indi¬ 
vidual ? If he follow the old, beaten track, in a little 
while he will find himself narrowed down into a rut 
from which it is difficult, if not impossible, to escape. 
Don’t get into a rut! Strike out on new lines I Try 
new methods of doing the same old jobs, as well as 
new lines of work! Be wide-awake, and the road 
will grow smoother and better as you advance in life, 
instead of being filled with ruts I 
Hebe is another cheering letter : 
At a meeting of Rose Hill Grange to-day they passed a resolution 
Instructing me to send you 15 to be put lu the fund for the benefit of 
the originator of the Concord grape, Mr. Bull, who we understand Is 
In needy circumstances. 
Hoping this will be In time to do him some good, and hoping to hear 
from jou soon, I remain. Truly yours, 
Waterloo, N. Y. G. k. Marshall, Secretary. 
All honor to Rose Hill Grange. Mr. Ball is now in the 
Old Polks Home at Concord, Mass, His health is 
better than for some time past. We have sent him 
$52.59 as a first installment of this “gratitude fund,” 
and if you will do your duty in this matter we can send 
10 times that amount. Get right up at the next Grange 
or other public meeting, and tell the story of the Con¬ 
cord grape. Then take your hat, put a silver quarter 
in it, and pass it in front of every man, woman and 
child present. We are waiting to hear from YOU ! 
* 
On another page are some offSeial letters relating to 
the subject of the free delivery of mails in the rural 
districts. The post office officials claim that the 
department is not self-supporting ; that the outgo ex¬ 
ceeds i the income. They use this as an argument 
against any extension of the service, or any reduction 
of rates of postage. Not only this, but it is sought to 
advance rates on periodical publications. The fact of 
the ease is that if the mail matter now carried free for 
the Government departments and officials were paid 
for at regular rates, there would be a surplus and not 
a deficiency. Why shouldn’t a well paid Congressman 
or Government official pay postage on his mail matter, 
a large part of which is designed to promote personal 
ends if, indeed, it be not purely personal matter ? 
Why shouldn’t he pay as well as the farmer ? At 
any rate, why should he enjoy special privileges at 
the expense of the farmer or other private citizen ? 
Free rural mail delivery is bound to come sooner or 
later, and these official obstructionists would do well to 
stand from under the gathering movement, or they may 
some fine day hear something drop with a dull thud. 
it 
We hope we have let a little light on the sheep 
question this week. There will evidently be a radical 
change in the breeding of many fiocks. It looks as 
though wool is to become a side issue or by-product in 
sheep husbandry with meat production as the chief 
end of the fiock. The object is to make the change 
from wool to meat as quickly and easily as possible. 
It isn’t going to pay you to let the “ free wool” scare 
drive you into some desperate step for which you will 
be sorry. 
BREVITIES. 
The puma the hose and nozzle had an amunent oae d<iy. 
“ Now I'm the most Important thing,” 1 heard the nozzle say. 
“ You folks would make a sorry Job to labor without me 
To turn your water Into spray to reach the highest tree.” 
Then hose grew quite Indignant, ‘-What a fool you are,” my friend. 
‘ Your work is good for nothing if you're not perched at the end 
Of me—It’s hose that feeds you-there would never be a spray 
Did / not bring the water, whit would nozzle do. I pray?” 
Now what s the use a-talkin’ " said the pump. ” I do the work. 
T force the water through you and yon fellows cannot shirk. 
You only take the water and direct Its proper course. 
It wouldn’t wet your whlst.e If I didn’t give It force.” 
And so these foolish fellows stood and argued loud and long; 
They hadn’t sense enough to pick the right from out the wrong. 
Till little agitator raised his voice and meekly said : 
“ If we’re to earn our money friends, we’d better go ahead. 
We a,l are necessary, each one do6s a needed part. 
And now suppose we drop dispute at once and make a start 
I’ll keep the mixture well stirred up. and pump will force It out 
And hose will carry it along and nozzle serve as spout. 
8 J what’s the use of fighting here until we’re sick and sour ? 
For none o] us could run a stroke without our big friend Power.' 
Don’t spoil your soil. 
All capital Is not cash. 
Kbkp your nozzle e'ean. 
Plant a dish of pie plant. 
Faith with shirks is dead. 
Buckle down and brace up 1 
You can’t hide the tag on brag. 
Hot water can't dissolve grease. 
Bottom beats speed in a long run. 
Spray early or fruit will be knurly. 
Make step savers of the little shavers. 
A DRAG on the young crop hurries It up. 
A STITCH ahead of time saves how many ? 
ADVERT your eyes to the advertisements. 
Any competition for your labor? Why not? 
A PENNED up hog will find medicine In a so 1. 
Mind what Mr. Seely says about Leghorn eggs. 
Not a brilliant prospect lor fies Rural delivery. 
WORK when you work, and shirk when you shirk. 
The liar has a deny trate—ot no value to agriculture. 
Threb to make a bargain—buyer, seller and product. 
Does a stretched Imagination Indicate a widened mind ? 
Haven't you a little spare attention to give the apricot ? 
The man who says, ‘’chickens are a nuisance ’ needs new sense. 
The latest scientific discovery is an lllumlnatlGg oil from grape 
seeds. 
Sugar is retailed cheaper in America than in I’rance, Germany or 
Russia. 
The Ohio Experiment Station reports good results from the use of 
the basic slag I 
Nothing so satisfying as to feel yon have a reserve of funds 
strength or ability. ’ 
Mighty small blessing comes from guessing, mighty small showing 
made from blowlcg. 
That dairyman surely will have to qult-beat-who won’t rid his 
milk of Its animal heat. 
CHEAP eggs make rich pickings for the poor-ls that a balm to you 
for the bruised price of eggs ? 
Did you ever steal the Devll’a livery to do a good deed ? What do 
you think of yourself for doing It ? 
“ Pure DEVILTRY” is not so dangerous as the scrub article. You 
know what to expect of the former. 
There’s warmth and comfort In that 15 cow stable—page 307. It is 
1,000 per cent better than a stray\ stack. 
Mr. woodward writes that the late snow storm seems to have 
killed all the aphides on the apple trees. That was a blizzard blessing. 
IT Is considered complimentary to say of a person “he Is no slouch”! 
A slcgular commentary, that, on the carefulness oftheaverage citizen. 
A SNEEZE Is full brother to a cough. One Is the result of Irritation 
In the front of the nose, the other means Irritation at the back of the 
nose. 
THOSE are untrustworthy men who have to be “ followed up all the 
time.” Nobody hires them except under protest or because they ate 
“cheap.” 
A BROOD of the “17-year locusts” is booked to hatch out about June 
1 this year—along the Hudson from New York to Troy and In parts of 
New Jersey and Connecticut. 
have you saved a cent In plantlig this year? Haven’t thought out 
some new method for saving labor? Well, sir. If that Is so, you are 
hardly up with the procession. 
You’d give your egg record a mighty big boost If you’d rub kerosene 
up and down every roost A good suit of clothes runs away in the 
slice of the profit that’s annually fed to the lice! 
WHEN Nature marks upon your foot so plain that all may see, the 
figure 10, there Is no road to agony so free, as for some evil thought to 
come and whisper In your ear : •’ That foot will stand a No. 9 and so 
quite small appear!” 
A’‘lamb creep” Isa place for grain with an entrance too small 
for the ewe to enter but large enough for the lamb. By its use, the 
little things can be fed without danger that the big ones will steal 
their grain. Some of the demands for legislation are Mke lamb creeps 
-for the benefit of poorer folks. Are these legal lamb creeps Just ? 
