492 
August 4 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
THE 
Rural New-Yorker 
Got. Ghambert and Pearl Stt ., New York. 
A Naticaal Weakly Jonrnal for Country and Suburban Homea. 
ULBHBT 8. CABMAN, Bdltor-ln-Cblel. 
HEBBEBT W. COLLINGWOOD, ManaKlng Editor 
JOIIN J. DILLON, BustnesB ManaKor. 
UopvrUihUd 1894. 
Address all business oommnnloatlons and make all orders pay¬ 
able to THE BDBAL NBW-YOBKHB. 
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, AUGUST 4, 1894. 
There is a great opportunity for some of our scien¬ 
tific friends to display their knowledge over those 
questions about the brush and corn shocks on page 498. 
; * 
About the most dangerous bait a farmer can bite at 
is “ long credit,” It looks easy to buy goods on time 
and have the chance to pay for them in the future, but 
there is a sharp and strong hook underneath it all. 
The man who gives you credit expects to get big inter¬ 
est on the money he waits for. The price is usually 
large enough to pay this interest and a good share of 
the “bad debts” made by trusting those who never 
pay. You pay for it all—on credit. 
« 
The large dry goods houses in New York have gone 
into singular schemes to increase their trade. They 
offered hardware, furniture and groceries at low rates 
in order to get people to come and buy dry goods. 
They now propose to sell meat, and are putting up 
cold storage departments where meat can be held in 
large quantities for customers. The result will be 
cheaper meat for those who buy dry goods. This will 
certainly demoralize the butchers’ trade. Will that 
be good or ill ? ^ 
The New York State Constitutional Convention has 
practically killed woman’s suffrage by deciding in 
committee not to recommend it. While women will 
doubtless be granted some minor concessions as re¬ 
gards the ballot, the full voting privilege is evidently 
a long way off in this State. The fact is that woman’s 
suffrage will make little actual progress until some 
strong party shall take it up and make it a living 
issue. The Populists have done this in Colorado and 
Kansas, and the Republicans have declared in favor 
of suffrage in California. 
« 
We get a glimpse of what Alfalfa does for Western 
hog men, in the articles on page 499. Think of the 
number of head of stock pastured on that one field 1 
No wonder they can make cheap pork in Kansas, 
with such giant hogs to eat such cheap food. And 
Colorado, too, with Alfalfa and sugar beets can make 
finished beef cheaper than any section depending on 
the ordinary grains and grasses. But what about the 
sections that might make use of Alfalfa or Crimson 
clover and will not do so ? What is to become of 
them ? Perhaps you can answer that better. 
* 
As receipts of common potatoes decrease, those of 
sweet potatoes begin to increase. A few have been 
arriving for some time, but it is now time for them to 
come in considerable quantities. So far, the size has 
been small, and the quality not very good, although 
prices have been high. The quality is expected to im¬ 
prove. The largest part of those received here come 
from southern New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Vir¬ 
ginia and the Carolinas, although smaller quantities 
are drawn from a wide range of territory. Sometimes 
Southern shippers send yams here for sweets, but 
these are not wanted and bring low prices. 
The latest report is that some genius has discovered 
a way of treating kerosene so that it can be combined 
with cotton-seed oil to make a tasteless, inodorous fat 
which will greatly cheapen the manufacture of oleo¬ 
margarine. This new combination, it is said, will be 
much cheaper than either tallow or hog fat—it cer¬ 
tainly would be more healthful. If bogus butter is to 
be cheapened in this way, there is all the more reason 
why the genuine article should be protected and made 
distinct from these substitutes. The great profit in 
manufacturing a bogus article, lies in deceiving the 
public and making them think they are buying the 
genuine. These cheap fats must be marked and 
branded so that no one will buy them for butter. And 
don’t forget the other lesson in this new process. 
Cheaper fat! That’s it—cheaper butter fat by means 
of better cows and better crops. Take dairymen in 
sections where Crimson clover thrives. Don’t you see 
what an advantage they have ? It is almost as great 
as that of the chemists who take the cheap fat from 
kerosene. 
« 
We have no disposition to find fault with the follow¬ 
ing extract from the letter of a well known breeder : 
I can’t help tblDklni; that If the Government scientists were as 
assiduous In flndlntc, and warnlUK the public against, the fatal germs 
In the BOTTLB as they are In poor old mulley’s milk pall, they would 
have a sure foundation to stand on even If less followers and pay. 
That’s right. It is the consumption of liquor that 
destroys a large proportion of the human race. We 
don’t forget the liquor in so-called patent medicines 
in making this statement. 
» 
The advantages of the farmers’ club are often set 
forth in theory. It is not so often that we have a 
practical example of how such clubs may succeed. 
The Walkill Valley Farmers’ Association, of Walden, 
N, Y,, is a living example of the benefits of organiza¬ 
tion. This club is an outgrowth of a farmers’ insti¬ 
tute. It now holds institutes and other gatherings of 
its own, and exerts an influence for good in all the 
surrounding country. On August 1.5, it will hold an 
“Outing Day” on the great Borden Home Farm. 
American agriculture needs more such associations. 
Why is there not one in your neighborhood ? There 
are farmers enough, but where is the chain that 
should bind them together ? 
» 
“ Too many varieties !” That is the fault of many 
an apple orchard or potato farm. A few standard 
varieties well grown and prepared for market, will 
make a farm’s reputation, while if the lot is split up 
into 20 or more varieties, there will not be enough of 
any one kind to establish a reputation. The same is 
equally true of a township or larger section of country. 
Let the farmers make a specialty of a few standard 
things that are best suited to that climate and locality, 
and they will soon make a reputation for the place. It 
is true that newer varieties should be grown in a small 
way for testing, for if that be not done, we cannot 
know when improved varieties are brought out. For 
business farming, the main crop should consist of a 
few varieties only. « 
It is easy for a man to see that an acre of ground 
divided into four parts with one part each, in rye. 
Crimson clover, corn and millet, would give a greater 
variety and succession of stock food, than if the whole 
acre were planted to any one crop. With the field 
divided in this way, we have a succession of green 
crops that may be used for soiling before the pastures 
are fit for grazing, and after they are dried up. That 
fact is very evident to any one that can see, and the 
same thing is true, though to a less degree, of a suc¬ 
cession of plants in the pasture. It is a great mistake 
to seed pastures to one or two grasses. There might 
better be six or eight varieties which would give a suc¬ 
cession of food through the season almost like the four 
different crops on the acre of land. 
* 
We get quite a good many letters from parties who 
want to know the fertilizing value of garbage refuse. 
A number of cities are preparing to burn their garbage 
and the ashes from this burning at once attract the 
attention of farmers who know the value of fertilizers. 
Naturally these ashes will vary much in composition, 
depending much on whether the bones are picked out 
before burning. We have analyses of swill ashes 
running as high as eight per cent of potash and 32 of 
phosphoric acid ; but, of course, this is very unusual. 
Our advice to those living near these garbage crema¬ 
tories, is to secure a sample and have it analyzed at the 
State Experiment Station. There is no use trying to 
figure out its value without knowing how much potash 
and phosphoric acid one can buy in a ton. Those who 
start at it first, ought to be able to buy cheap fertility 
in these garbage ashes. 
The investigations made by Prof. Voorhees in regard 
to Crimson clover are very valuable and add much to 
our knowledge of this plant. A singular thing is 
brought out in considering the value of Crimson clover 
for pasture. Here are figures showing how it com¬ 
pares with skim-milk when grazed early in the season: 
POUNDS IN 100. 
Water. Protein. Carbohydrates. Fat. 
Crimson clover... 90 4 3-6 2M 2-5 
8klm-mllk. 90 6 3-5 
From this showing, the young Crimson clover is a 
more valuable food, pound for pound, than skim-milk. 
While this is not wholly fair as a comparison since the 
nutriment in the milk is more digestible and readily 
available, still, this is a wonderful showing for 
Crimson clover, particularly on account of its earli¬ 
ness. It provides this rich pasture before Red clover 
or other pasture grasses are ready. It could be eaten 
down by cattle or hogs and then plowed in for a corn 
crop. This would be a very cheap way of using the 
Crimson clover. Those who know the plant best do 
not plow it under largely as a green manure. Its 
value for seed or for feed is too great to be lost. 
« 
The Committee on Agriculture of the House of Rep¬ 
resentatives has reported favorably an anti-oleo bill 
which, it is expected, will aid in the enforcement of 
the present laws. This bill provides that all imita¬ 
tions or substitutes for butter or cheese not made of 
pure milk and cream, shall, when sent from one State 
into another, be subject to the laws of the State into 
which they are sent. Other laws have failed to regu¬ 
late the sale of oleo, because it has been claimed that, 
because the stuff was sent in the original packages, 
it was subject only to the laws of the State in which 
it was packed. The proposed law will do away with 
all such exemption, and under its provisions, oleo 
brought into the State of New York from outside must 
be sold, if at all, under the laws of this State. Of 
course, the oleo men already set up a howl that this 
would be unconstitutional. But why ? Why should 
not each State have a right to enforce its own regu¬ 
lations ? 
We have been trying some experiments with crowd¬ 
ing plants this year. On a small area of very poor soil, 
the problem was to obtain the largest possible crop of 
the greatest variety. Fertilizers supplied the plant 
food in abundance, and double cropping furnished the 
variety. For example, Crosby sweet corn was planted 
at the usual time in drills. Between the rows of 
corn, bush Lima beans were planted in drills. The 
first ears of corn are now ready for picking, and the 
bean plants are of good size and well developed. 
They are not so far advanced as those planted by 
themselves, as the corn has kept them well shaded, 
still there will be a fair crop developed after the corn 
is cut. As fast as the corn stalks are removed, we 
shall sow turnips on the space between the beans— 
thus securing three crops from the ground. This is 
but one instance of many plans we have tried this 
season for doubling up crops. Why not raise some¬ 
thing besides weeds between the rows ? 
« 
BREVITIES. 
within 70 ur milk can In this raging heat 
Countless bacteria with hying feet 
Are working mischief. In some crack or seam, 
A careless hand, working in daze or dream, 
Forgot with needed force to scald and scour 
And left a bit of curd—unhappy hour I 
For when the new milk sought Its ’oustomed place, 
That curd became headquarters for a race 
Of big bacteila that swarmed and grew 
Until the milk was soured and “turned” all through 
Preservallne, “the dirty milkman's friend" 
Stands by and seeks Its hlthy aid to lend. 
But scorn Its help-hrst cool your milk with care 
And keep It far from foul and tainted air. 
And If yon ship it, ship It In the shade 
And thus preserve Its sweetness and Its grade. 
And scour your cans and sun and scald and boll. 
And thus the sour bacteria you’ll foil. 
No foul water for fowls. 
Two hogs to the ton—page 499. 
Son stroke—spanking the baby. 
Whole milk spells a calf laugh. 
TUBN over a new leaf—In your hat. 
The H. N.-Y.’s correspondent, U. Talcott, is dead. 
Can a farmer ever afford to grow wheat to feed stock T 
Does the educated daughter do as the educated orter ? 
Many an hour of the family peace depends upon the baby’s nap. 
Some men need to bell their wives to learn how little rest they get. 
The latest substitute for sand-paper is soap containing finely ground 
glass. 
Don’t you let a single day pass without putting some honest fun 
Into It. 
A woiiKBu man throws off moisture, but the “worked” soil re¬ 
tains It. 
We want all possible Information respecting the cold storage of 
potatoes. 
AND now comes a story teller with a fable about sheep that eat 
potato bugs I 
That’s a fair statement of the merits and demerits of Crimson 
clover, on page 487. 
Go back 23 years, read what was said about the Mormons and then 
Imagine Utah as a State ! 
“ SiLVEB Ison Its last legs,” says a recent writer. Correct! On legs 
that will last a long time. 
We used to test a “good butter maker” by the looks of the butter. 
Now we want to know how much fat Is left In the milk and buttermilk. 
The rooster now at morning’s hour, proceeds our sleepy ears to 
thrill, and like a man of business, presents his Invoice through his 
bill. 
We find a great many farmers harvesting wood and putting it In the 
barn for the stock to eat next winter. What Is over-ripe hay but 
wood ? 
A NOTE from New England : “There is one thing sure, we must use 
more horse and less hand In our crops, to make anything.” And there 
must be a good head back of the horse. 
We hope to see the time when the Delaware Crimson clover seed 
crop will be worth twice as much as the wheat grown In that Slate. 
That will be a big thing for a little State. 
We have something more about that remarkable blackberry crop 
this week. That shows what a New England hillside can be made to 
do. Fertilizer, culture and care—that’s what It means. 
IN spite of Secretary Morton’s protest, the Senate voted to appro¬ 
priate $1,000,000 for destroying the Busslan thistle. The Secretary Is 
to apportion this money among the various Infested Slates. 
The United States Consul In Bavaria reports a new compound fer 
preserving meats and fruits. It Is called Formalin, which sounds sus¬ 
piciously like our old acquaintance, Preservallne. We want nothing 
of this nature that takes a lien on health ! 
