THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
July 7 
428 
THE 
Rural New-Yorker 
Cor. Ohamberg and Pearl St $., New York. 
Natiamal Weakly Joarnal for Country and Suburban Homea. 
SLBHBT 8. CAEUiAN, Bdltor-ln-Oblef. 
HEKBEBT W. OOLXJNGWOOD, Mana»ln« Editor 
JOHN J. DILLON, BnainesB ManoKor. 
Oopvriuhted im. 
Address all business oommnnloatlons and make all orders pay¬ 
able to TUE BUBAL NKW-YOBKEB. 
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 
transmitting money. 
SATURDAY, JULY 7, 1894. 
See how a little egg , sug^ar and milk, turns a mass 
of stale bread into a fine bread pudding. A little 
meat turns the cold potatoes into a good stew. With 
these object lessons in mind, see what you can do with 
straw or coarse corn fodder by cutting up fine and 
mixing with a little ensilage. 
tt 
While many sheep men have made use of the silo, 
they still continue to grow roots—that is, those who 
call themselves “up to the times.” Roots are best 
for the ewes before lambing, while ensilage may be 
fed afterward. Roots and ensilage are not rivals, 
but good friends. Each has a legitimate place on a 
sheep farm. Do not feed sugar beets to rams or 
wethers, though. ^ 
We cannot say too much about the importance of 
sowing fresh and pure seed of Crimson clover. Mr. 
Bancroft says that the use of poor, imported seed 
kept him experimenting for several years and ignor¬ 
ant of the immense value of thejplant, until he raised 
and used the fresh seed, and by degrees gained con¬ 
fidence to sow every available acre with it. Don’t try 
cheap or imported seed I 
* 
The following note is at hand from an honored sub¬ 
scriber of The R. N.-Y.: “ I have been busy day and 
night for two week^ harvesting a magnificent crop, 
and have used a pen only for signing checks, and the 
typewriter not any.” Now, what do you suppose that 
crop was ? Mortgages and notes ? Oh no I It was 
strawberries 1 The small fruit and garden men are 
buying out the grain growers—that is those who 
understand their trade. 
* 
“ Thebe’s a specimen of the honest farmer’s work,” 
said a receiver of ginseng root, as he exhibited a root 
broken in two, revealing a center filled with lead and 
an old nail. “ When that was green, the center was 
scooped out, and this filling put in ; the pieces were 
fitted together, and as it dried, it shrunk down hard 
and dried so that it didn’t show. A pretty good price 
for old iron and lead, S2 to $2.50 per pound.” So it 
seems that not all the dishonest people in the world 
are among the commission men. 
* 
The Kansas Experiment Station has made-a careful 
study of the rusts which affect oats and wheat. The 
conclusion is that it is more practical to try to breed 
‘ ‘ rust-proof ” varieties than to attempt to control the 
disease by spraying. Among other substances used 
in spraying for rust was borax, or our old friend 
“ Preservaline.” It is certainly more honest to use 
this stuff as a fungicide than to try to deceive dairy¬ 
men with it. „ 
“ Who sent that crate in ? ” “John Smith.” “It’s 
all right, then ; no need to open it. His goods are al¬ 
ways first-class. I’ll guarantee them ! ” That is the 
sort of dialogue you hear now and then at a store or 
commission house. That means reputation, and is the 
farmer’s most valuable asset. It is a hard thing to 
earn and the easiest to lose, but it pays. The ques¬ 
tion is, can a man ever hope to earn it without care¬ 
ful early training ? When a man once gets out of the 
habit of being critical and selecting only the best, it 
is an awful job for him to pick the habit up again. 
ft 
One thing very noticeable in the city among the 
large number of horses seen in the streets, is the very 
small proportion of lame or galled ones, or those in 
poor condition. It is much smaller than we usually 
see in country towns or even in the farming districts. 
There may be two reasons assigned for this ; one is 
that business men realize that it does not pay as a 
matter of dollars and cents to use a horse in such 
condition that he cannot peform his full amount of 
labor. Another reason is that the Society for the Pre¬ 
vention of Cruelty to Animals is pretty likely to look 
after any one driving a horse not in good working con¬ 
dition. The pavements upon which city horses travel 
are much harder upon their feet than the country 
roads or farms; but a horse badly lamed or galled 
or suffering in any other way would not be tol¬ 
erated long in the city. We find, too, many times that 
city teamibters are more careful for the comfort of 
their horses. Large numbers of them provide covers 
of one kind or another for their heads in warm 
weather. It pays, too; “ a merciful man is merciful 
to his beast.” ^ 
Why shouldn’t a farmer make himself as comfort¬ 
able as possible at all times ? A noticeable feature at 
many farmers’ meetings, picnics, excursions, etc., dur¬ 
ing warm weather, is the heavy, warm, uncomfortable 
clo’-hing—usually black—worn by most farmers. Why 
they consider it best to array themselves in this man¬ 
ner when they go out for relaxation and recreation, is 
incomprehensible. City people don’t do it. One sees 
them dressed in outing shirts, thin coats and trousers, 
no vests, light straw hats or caps ; the whole outfit 
frequently not weighing over two or three pounds and 
costing not more than from $5 to $8. Sach a rig is 
much cheaper, too. On the score of economy, then, it 
would seem preferable, as well as on that of comfort. 
Why should the farmer swelter in heavy black cloth¬ 
ing, a “biled” shirt, stiff collar and black hat when it 
is so entirely unnecessary ? 
• 
The Jersey herd at Thorndale is a good illustration 
of the practical value of pedigree. The foundation of 
this herd was selected for its pedigree and butter 
record. The blood of the various families of Jerseys 
that show high butter yield was skillfully blended, 
and each animal had to be strong and healthy. The 
milk of these cows has been weighed for years, and 
culling and weeding has been done on the record of 
the scales and not by pedigree. To-day it is a signifi¬ 
cant fact that the animals that lead the herd for profit 
are, as a rule, the ones with the best blood—that is, 
the ones that show the best ancestry. This is a re¬ 
markable instance of the value of a good pedigree of 
the ability of the Jersey cow to retain and prove the 
good qualities of her ancestors. And this remarkable 
power would be even more apparent in a herd of 
grade calves out of a Jersey bull. 
ft 
On page 380 we give some disagreeable facts about 
“ Preservaline,” the humbug compound which certain 
frauds are trying to sell to farmers. Not satisfied 
with what it used to be, we determined to find out 
what it is. A representative of The R. N.-Y. called 
at the place where the stuff is sold and tried to obtain 
a sample. For some reason, the proprietors failed to 
have a sample on hand, but through a friend we ob¬ 
tained one by mail, and sent it to the New York Ex¬ 
periment Station for analysis. Here is the report: 
Geneva, N. Y., June 23, 1894. 
Rural New-Yorker, New York : 
Gentlemen—The sample of Preservaline which 
you sent consists mainly of borax. 
Very truly yours, 
Peter Collier, Director. 
Those who are simple enough to go and put borax 
into milk that human beings are to drink, ought to be 
taken care of at public expense. The knaves who 
sell borax under the name of “ Preservaline ” deserve 
to bo driven out of the business. The trouble is that 
they have too many partners in the agricultural press. 
Papers are advertising this fraud, and will continue 
to do so, even though we show up its real character 
in the blackest type we have. Now let us see how 
many of these papers will take out the advertisement I 
Borax can be bought at 10 cents a pound in large lots, 
yet these humbugs are charging from 30 to 50 cents a 
pound for it under the name of “ Preservaline.” 
ft 
Thebe are several points in Mr. Grundy’s article, 
page 433, that are worth thinking over. First, farmers 
want skilled hands—that is, they want hands who 
know how to milk, plow, run a mower and do the work 
of the farm skillfully and well. The farmer who ex¬ 
pects to make his farm pay him cannot give the time 
needed to educate green hands. Most of the town work¬ 
men would have to give their labor and board them¬ 
selves in order to give the farmer any profit from their 
work. Second, are farmers too .hard on their hired 
men ? There is a good chance for an argument here. 
With the present prices for farm produce, a man must 
do a good deal of work to leave any profit to his em¬ 
ployer after drawing $20 per month and board. Hired 
men may be overworked in some instances, but in 
others that we know of, they are not. We think Mr. 
Grundy takes an extreme view of the case. What he 
would do as an individual is one thing ; whether his 
own opinion should be taken as general advice is an¬ 
other. The R. N.-Y. believes that it is possible for 
young men who are ambitious to excel at farm work 
and management, to secure places on farms where they 
will be in one sense partners. Not tenants as that 
term is generally understood, but sharers in the busi¬ 
ness and profits of the farm, after the plan suggested 
on page 397, for example. We do not believe in forc¬ 
ing men to stay on the farm when their natural in¬ 
clinations are toward some other industry. Agriculture 
would be better off if all the men who prefer mining or 
carpentering or clerking were to leave the farm and 
stay away from it. To say that farming to-day does 
not offer possibilities as great as are to be found in 
other industries, for men well fitted by nature and 
temperament for farm life, is not correct—at least 
not in the Eastern States. 
ft 
Eveby now and then the road question comes close 
home to us. In a certain township in Sullivan County, 
N, Y., the three road districts combined and bought a 
road machine. It was agreed that tax payers should 
“work out” half time and pay the balance in cash— 
for example, a man with $6 road tax would work three 
days and pay $3. In this way, the machine was paid 
for. The roads have never been kept in better shape. 
The machine not only does better surface work than 
any other tool, but it is far more rapid and enables 
the same force and power to cover three times the 
area worked in the old way. The R. N.-Y. is inter¬ 
ested in a farm in this township. As a matter of fact, 
that farm is worth $300 more to-day than it was before 
the 'machine was started on the roads running to it. 
That is to say, better roads have made the farm so 
much more accessible that it will earn the interest on 
that increase of valuation. 
ft 
BREVITIES. 
He mar rack In the church as a saint, 
But la truth he's a miserable sinner, 
That fellow who makes a complaint 
If he can't have a hot Sunday dinner. 
He couldn't, to save his own life. 
His appetite take a big stitch In.; 
An anarchist out of his wife 
He’d make In the heat of the kitchen. 
Then out with the lire In the stove; 
Cool dinners hot Sundays are best. 
Sit down In the shade of the grove 
And give the good housewife a rest. 
Take a reef In your “slackness.” 
Whines and llokers go together. 
The sole end of life—under foot. 
HOLD all your views subject to change. 
Tar one row of tomatoes pruned and staked. 
What berry gives you the longest succession of fruit? 
Cake and kerosene keep beds of men and berries clean. 
Who framed the constitution that governs your family 7 
lE you are a laborer, see that you are worthy of your higher. 
Better keep the bull out of the herd. Give him a private apart¬ 
ment. 
You show what you are made of by the way you face disappoint¬ 
ment 1 
What is your opinion of the man who models a lamb's tall after that 
of a dog ? 
Sokby we can’t say better things about the Dorset Horned Sheep 
breeders—page 436. 
“If at first you don’t succeed—try, try agalnl” That's what we 
advise about Crimson clover. 
The wits of that workman are wandering or lax who drives a small 
stake with the back of his ax. 
Does the Soolallst take for his own family a small edition of the 
laws he would propose for the country 7 
WE wish to know more about that matter brought up on page 436. 
Why do cows leave good water for swill 7 
Thbt tell us a tall is a rudder—that a bob-tailed animal cannot 
turn BO quickly. Where Is the rabbit's rudder 7 
What’8 In a name? Forty cents a pound, when you buy borax for 
10 cents, name It “Preservaline” and sell U for 60. 
You may depend on a leather patch to keep your mower straight If 
you like (page 428) but you would better start right. 
WOULD It pay yon to spend 10 cents a week per cow to fight flies 
successfully 7 Would that mean 10 cents' worth of milk extra 7 
OUK teachings creep out Into acts as folks assimilate their facts. 
Leave undigested facts in mind and mental colic comes behind. 
Nuksekymen generally report good sales this year in all goods ex¬ 
cept purely ornamentals. People are not " sllcalng up ” much these 
times. 
They seem to be having a bad time with potato beetles In the 
Northwest. We learn of one dealer In St. Paul who has sold this sea¬ 
son 187 tons of Paris-green. 
You don't need Government oo Urol of railroads half as much as 
you do self-control of yourself. If you don’t control yourtelr, the 
Government will have to—that’s sure. 
Let some antl-ple eater tell us why plain apple pie Is more danger¬ 
ous to health than apple sauce and bread. Point out the difference, 
too, between custard pie and crackers and milk t 
The dally papers tell ns of large sales of green, half-grown plums 
In western New York. It is said that these plums are pickled and sold 
as olives. So good an authority as 8. D. Willard says he never heard 
of the trade. 
Most people have seen the top which spins for five minutes or more 
by the force obtained by winding a string around a spindle and 
forcibly unwinding It. In Switzerland they have a Babcock cream 
tester working oa this principle. 
The story we hear from the South is generally to the effect that 
farmers are buying less food for their families and llye stock, and in 
general saving cash by diversifying crops. Don’t forget that much 
of this Is due to the work of the Farmers’ Alliance. 
AN Idle strawberry bed is a paradise for weeds. If it has done bear¬ 
ing, plow It up and get some useful orop started. If you are after 
another crop, mow at once after fiultlng and burn as soon as dry. 
That means death to many insects and fungous diseases. 
WE are glad te have the women folks give their Ideas as to how 
machines for saving housework should be made. The wt men know 
what tl'ey want. Let them give Inyentors an Idea. We want machines 
that will make housework seem more dlgnlfled to the men folks. 
