540 
Tllli RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
August 25 
THK 
Rural New-Yorker 
Oor. Ohanibert and Pearl St$., Hew York. 
A Natismal Weakly Joarnal for Country and Subnrbnn Homoa. 
HLBBKT B. CABMAN, Bdltor-in-Chlef. 
HHKBEBT W. OOLLINGWOOD, Managing Editor 
[ JOHN J. DILLON, Business Manager. 
S' 
OopvrighUd 1894. 
Address all business oommnnloatlons and make all orders pay¬ 
able to THE BUBAL NEW-TOBKBB. 
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, AUGUST 25, 1894. 
Is Crimson clover, sown in the spring, a profitable 
crop ; profitable for any purpose whatever ? The R, 
N,-Y. would be glad to hear from those who have so 
found it. ^ 
We will drop into politics long enough to say that 
the dairyman who would vote for a friend of oleomar¬ 
garine, just because he stands right on the tariff, is 
his own enemy. ^ 
The first answers to that question about the effect 
of a pile of brush or shock of corn on the soil, are 
recorded on page 546. This is an interesting subject, 
and we shall be glad to hear from others. 
What a commotion there is inside a loaf of bread 
when the “ leaven ’’ begins to work ! It necessitates a 
big struggle to do the work required to make bread out 
of the dough. Be patient, therefore, when you see the 
“ leaven of a new idea ” at work in a man or in a com¬ 
munity. It will not stop in spite of all the opposition. 
Somebody will be made better by it. 
« 
At the outing of the Wallkill Valley Farmers’ Asso¬ 
ciation, we are glad to see that special observation 
was made of the raising of the American fiag. That’s 
right. We can’t possibly make too much of our hon¬ 
oring the old stars and stripes. Let the farms of this 
country cultivate patriotism if no other class does. 
We shall have need of it all before long. 
« 
In our account last week of A New Jersey Farm, 
the highest price received for eggs should have been 
45 cents per dozen, instead of 35. We believe in giving 
the hens full credit. The farm hen has been down¬ 
trodden too long, but she has kept quietly at work—ex¬ 
cept, of course, that she cackles when she lays her egg. 
Her performance speaks for itself, and she has a per¬ 
fect right to proclaim to the world the fact that she is 
the most profitable stock on the American farm to-day. 
* 
If you happen to have a copy of Whittier’s poems 
within reach, we hope next Sunday afternoon you 
will sit down and read “The Old Burying Ground.” 
Then go and look at the cemetery in your own neigh¬ 
borhood. The way some of our rural cemeteries are 
neglected, is something shameful. Is it right to make 
the resting place of the dead so hideous and unsightly 
—a range for cows and sheep, or a breeding place for 
weeds ? The love we yet hold for our dead friends 
should prompt us to make their last resting place neat 
and attractive. ^ 
Times are hard. Perhaps you can ease them up a 
little by a more careful use of the so-called waste 
products of the farm. In a short drive across north¬ 
eastern Ohio the other day, we counted no less than 
half a dozen last year’s straw stacks. Now we happen 
to know that this straw could all have been baled and 
sold in the near towns for from §6 to 87 per ton. The 
cash outlay for baling need not have exceeded $1,50 
per ton—quite a handsome addition to the profits of 
wheat growing these times. We had a conversation 
with a man in this same locality who says that his 
wheat straw, baled, will bring one-half as much this 
year as the grain. He sells it in a small town, from 
the wagon, without the assistance of middlemen. 
Look up the teamsters, liverymen, etc,, in your nearest 
village. But what about impoverishing the farm by 
selling off this roughage ? The impoverishment will 
come, not in selling the straw for considerably more 
than it is worth for manure, but in failing to invest a 
portion of the proceeds in more available forms of 
plant food. Prof. iStorer says (Agriculture, Vol. I., 
page 460): “Generally speaking, wherever there is a 
market within reach, straw would much better be sold 
as such, and the price of it expended, if need be, in 
buying some other form of manure.” Of course most 
farmers have a profitable use for some straw for bed¬ 
ding and feeding stock. Use what you can wisely, 
but do not let it rot down in the stack. 
• 
One of the most costly products a dairyman can feed, 
is No. 1 Timothy hay. It is far cheaper to sell such 
hay and huy grain with the money, though such a 
plan would be considered worse than heresy by many 
farmers. We use hay to supply “roughage.” No one 
who has'ever studied the matter, believes that Timothy 
is a cheap source of protein. The “roughage” can be 
supplied very much cheaper in the form of ensilage, 
corn stalks, oats and peas, and clover hay, while with 
the latter a large quantity of actual nutriment is also 
obtained. It is little short of folly in these times for 
a dairy farmer to do anything with his first-class hay 
but sell it. ^ 
We have had all the evidence we need to prove that 
a road machine is a great civilizer in any township 
where it is properly used. It is as much ahead of the 
old plow and scraper as a modern, light-running cul¬ 
tivator is ahead of the old-fashioned plow with which 
the corn and potatoes were formerly butchered. Still, 
the road machine will not run itself. It will not, of 
itself, scrape hard on the humps and drop earth in the 
holes. That work is left to the man who runs the ma¬ 
chine, and for his guidance we have secured a set of 
rules from experienced road-makers—men who know 
how to mend a country road. Study their directions 
—ye roadmakers I ^ 
It seems to be generally conceded that there are 
no really curculio-proof varieties of plums. Some of 
the American species or varieties, resist the curculio 
more than others. It would seem that all of the young 
fruits are punctured, but the larvae which hatch 
out from the eggs do not penetrate the fiesh of some 
kinds so far as to destroy the fruit. The Abundance 
seems to be of this class. Nearly every young plum 
shows the crescent wound, yet a full crop matures. As 
for the Domestica varieties, we must do one of two 
things, namely, jar the trees, or plant them in hen- 
yards. But the latter way is serviceable only to secure 
a home supply, and for this purpose there seems to be 
evidence enough of its effectiveness. We have now 
told our readers all we know of the Abundance (Sweet 
Botan) plum. It is certainly worthy of trial where 
Japan plums are likely to thrive. There are four 
other Japan varieties that we have reason to believe 
worthy of trial, though they have not fruited at the 
Rural Grounds. They are Satsuma Blood, Ogon, Bur¬ 
bank, and Willard. The last is said to be the earliest 
plum in cultivation. ^ 
The fact that Congress finally passed a tariff bill, is 
overshadowed by the fact that the Sugar Trust prac¬ 
tically made that bill, and decided what its own earn¬ 
ings are to be. Mr. Wilson well said that the Trust 
held the people of this country by the throat. The 
situation must be clear to all fair-minded men. It is 
reported on good authority that the Sugar Trust will 
make a profit of $40,000,000 by importing vast quanti¬ 
ties of raw sugar in advance of the bill becoming a 
law. The work of the Trust has been so open in its 
bribery and political deviltry, that the question of 
tariff or protection should have nothing to do with 
future dealings with sugar. The question now is, 
Shall American legislation become a world-wide scan¬ 
dal, and shall we publish abroad the cynical truth 
that members of Congress are to be bought and sold 
like sheep ? We would not support any man of any 
party who will not vote to remove all duties on sugar. 
There is no “ politics ” about that. It is simply a 
question of national preservation. The people of this 
country must take away the special privileges enjoyed 
and abused by that Trust, or they will prove them¬ 
selves incapable of self-government. 
We have stated that the last New York Legislature 
appropriated $8,000 to be spent in agricultural experi¬ 
ment work on Long Island. This work is to be in 
charge of the Geneva Station. At the same time, an¬ 
other fund of $8,000 was appropriated for use in the 
Fifth Judicial Department of New York State. Accord¬ 
ing to law this money is to be expended as follows: “In 
conducting investigations and experiments in horti¬ 
culture ; in discovering and remedying the diseases of 
plants, vines and fruit trees ; in ascertaining the best 
means of fertilizing vineyard, fruit and garden planta¬ 
tions, and of making orchards, vineyards and gardens 
prolific,” and in spreading the knowledge gained by 
means of bulletins, lectures, etc. Prof. Bailey, of Cor¬ 
nell will have charge of this work. That is enough to 
say that it will be pushed hard. We regret to say, 
however, that our political Department of Agriculture 
will have “ general supervision and direction.” The 
Chautauqua Horticultural Society is responsible for 
this excellent movement. But for that enterprising 
organization, no extra money would have been appro¬ 
priated for experiment work. It is one of the most 
energetic societies in the land. If we only had more 
such, the country would be better off. 
« 
Some weeks ago, we spoke of the strange tendency 
of foreign dairy inventors to produce small implements 
for handling little messes of milk or cream.’ The 
“Humming Bird” separator was a case in point, and 
now we have the “Baby” churn shown on page 534. 
As will be seen, this is a very simple device—simply 
a peculiarly shaped can which may be hung up by 
chains and swung to and fro. The cream is placed in¬ 
side and the swinging to and fro is supposed to churn 
it on the same principle employed in our modern 
swing churns. This is not very far removed from the 
South American’s plan of hanging up the cream in a 
raw hide and beating it with a stick; yet, strange to 
say, the new device is said to be quite popular. 
it • 
“ Use bone and potash in early spring,” says a New 
Jersey strawberry grower. “Use bone and potash in 
the fall,” says a Delaware man. Mr. Johnson, our 
One-horse Jersey Farmer, applies fertilizer in mid¬ 
summer, while an experienced New York fruit grower 
applies part in fall and part in spring. Eich of these 
four men gives a different answer to the same ques¬ 
tion. Each has been eminently successful, and is 
entitled to be considered an authority. Bat if these 
experienced horticulturists disagree so radically, how 
is the young and inexperienced fruit grower to know 
which is the best method to follow ? Isn’t he likely 
to be left all at sea by such answers ? We think not. 
The reasons for the different practices are given. Let 
each reader study these and use his own common sense 
in applying the answers to the solution of his own 
problem. He must tike into account his conditions, 
the soil, etc. The season, too, may make some differ¬ 
ence, and this is the uncertain element in the matter. 
On our own soil we believe it best to apply both pot¬ 
ash and bone very early in the spring. We would use only 
the finest and highest quality of bone, and it seems rea¬ 
sonable to assume that some of the nitrogen would 
be lost through the winter if applied in the fall. 
« 
BREVITIES. 
The selflBh man bath stocks and land. 
Full rich Is he In KOOd, bright gold. 
For he has never turned a band 
To shield a brother from the cold. 
But every act and every thought 
Has meant self 's comfort and self's gain. 
Seldsh ail through the years have brought 
No powdr to ease another's pain. 
The seltlsh man Is satlshed. 
'Tls the misfortune of his kind 
To be so swallowed up with pride 
That to all nobler things he's blind. 
Oh, selhsh mani The time Is near 
When all your wealth will pass away, 
And through your record searching clear 
Justice at last will and its way. 
Far better, then, one kindly act. 
One node deed—than all your gold. 
What have you but the stinging fact 
That all your life's best fruit is sold f 
How do you salt live beef? 
The head must heal the heel. 
Thk Abundance plum tree Is loaded for bare. 
Happy the man who sees only ugliness in sin. 
BiOHT about your face or be left about this place. 
Black male your beef herd with a Galloway bull. 
How soon after sowing fall grain will it make pasture? 
Look out for the traitor who hides himself Inside of yourself. 
THIS country never was better worth saving than It Is to-day. 
Why do you consider It Important to have a bulge on a barrel? 
A POOR job for the tongue—making words out of an empty head. 
England's annual egg and poultry bill to foreign countries Is 
120,000,0001 
Prop. “Catapult” Bailey is the latest substitute for the well- 
known “L. H.” 
There's a good chance for you to figure out a plan for that Massa¬ 
chusetts farm—page 530 
You may train tomatoes to a stick, but don't dream that you can 
raise a prize baby that way. 
ONE patriotic suggestion for helping English farmers Is to make 
older Instead of beer the national beverage. 
Add 75 pounds of muriate of potash to a ton of cow manure and yon 
will have about the composition of a ton of seaweed. 
A machine of any kind should pay for Itself In profit before It is dis¬ 
carded Otherwise, It would be cheaper not to buy It. 
A FRIEND In western New York says he has a farm of 136 acres, and 
that It would be a blessing if some one would come and steal 100 acres 
of It. But who ever stole an unsalable thing ? 
No less than 46 electric carriages competed at a recent contest In 
France. It was generally thought that electric motors on single 
vehicles would not succeed except where the wheels run on a fixed 
and solid track. The trouble Is In steering. 
When a horse bolts his food, we put stones in his feed box so that 
he cannot eat so fdst. Lots of human beings are injured by drinking 
too much cold water. Some scheme like the stones that would make 
them sip rather than swill, would be a blessing to them. There may 
be danger even In water! 
The Department of Agriculture states that the average condition of 
the potato crop on August 1 was the lowest ever reported. There Is 
no longer any hope for a large crop of potatoes. Wlih the reduction 
In the duty. It will be Interesting to see to what extent Importation 
will be Increased. The English crop Is also low. 
IN these days of figures, people are counting everything. At the 
Utah Station, counts were made to show the number of plants (of 
various crops) to the acre. Here Is the record: Oats, 1.243 638; barley, 
1,018,215; winter wheat, 1,530,045; rye. 2,722,600: clover. 176,418. Ryeled 
In numbers, but think how one clover plant will outwork any grain ! 
