1894 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
THE PROSPECT. 
A WE8TEEX New York farmer is reported to have 
sowed oats with his Crimson clover late in summer, 
not as a protection from the sun, but from the frost. 
The trying time with clover in that latitude, is not 
during the winter, but in early spring, after the snow 
is gone, and the fields are exposed unprotected to 
alternate freezing and thawing. The oats sown with 
the clover, made quite a growth, and were, of course, 
killed by frost. They thus formed a protecting cover¬ 
ing for the young clover plants, which came through 
the trying spring ordeal in safety. We would like to 
hear more about this. ^ 
One result of the high price of corn and the low 
price of wheat, is that the Whisky Trust is using the 
latter in the manufacture of its goods instead of the 
former as heretofore. Is there any agricultural pro¬ 
duct that will escape prostitution to base uses ? It 
seems that the ingenuity of man is constantly being 
applied to turn those things that were given by 
an all-wise Creator for man’s good, into sources of 
misery and debasement. The distilling of wheat is 
not new, and last fall several malthouses in western 
New York began the manufacture of malt from that 
grain because of its low price ; but the price usually 
ruling for wheat has made its use for those purposes 
unprofitable. If it be thus used to any extent, the 
general effect may be to raise the price. 
* 
The banks and trust companies that are loaning 
money on bond and mortgage nowadays, are adopting 
the practice of making all such loans for one year 
only. As a rule they are perfectly willing to renew 
the mortgage, but one year is usually the limit on its 
face. The reason given is that the times are so shaky 
that the banks want their securities in such shape 
that they can be made available in the shortest time 
in case of an emergency. Many concerns went to the 
wall last year because their assets were in such shape 
that they could not be readily turned into cash to 
meet pressing obligations. In times like these, the 
man with cash always has the advantage in buying. 
It is not safe nowadays for the average man to assume 
any considerable debt in the hope of paying it off 
easily out of the products of his labor. 
IT 
Many accidents have occurred, and several lives have 
been lost through the inefficiency or carelessness of 
the drivers of delivery and express wagons and trucks 
in this city. So grossly careless are many of these 
drivers, that the subject has been broached by some 
of the newspapers, of an examination of all drivers of 
horses as to their proficiency in handling the reins. 
Wouldn’t this be a good idea for farmers to apply to 
the men they purpose hiring ? Many hired men— 
not to mention the farmers themselves—don’t know 
enough properly to feed, water, care for, or handle a 
team. Not only for the sake of the comfort of the 
animals themselves, but for the financial well-being 
of the owner, should this be corrected. To get the 
most and the best service from any machine, the 
operator must be thoroughly familiar with its care 
and handling. The same with the team. Many a 
strong, high-strung pair of horses has been spoiled for 
effective work by some, ignorant, brutal driver. There 
are $ at stake in this matter ; look out for them I 
* 
The Alabama Experiment Station has undertaken a 
useful work in making an exhaustive study of the 
cotton plant'—its habits of growth, manurial needs, 
and varieties. This is a much needed work, particu¬ 
larly the selection andoimprovement of varieties. If 
cotton growers had spent as much time and pains in 
impro'^ing varieties, as our potato growers have spent 
in similar work, the cotton crop would be produced 
far more economically than it is to-day. One interest¬ 
ing thing made evident by the Alabama experiments, 
is that improved culture and skillful manuring not 
only make a larger and more thrifty plant, but 
strengthen and develop the fiber, too. The best fiber 
was obtained from the plants that were kept thriving 
and growing from the start, with no interruption in 
growth. Tbis rule holds true, not only of cotton, but 
of all other crops. ^ 
Chop prospects, on the whole, and taking the country 
at large, are not encouraging. Late maturing crops 
have been badly damaged by drought over a wide ex¬ 
tent of country. In some States, rains during the 
second week in August have improved the situation 
somewhat, but in other parts, crops were injured 
beyond redemption. Pastures have been badly dried 
up, and the output of butter and cheese has diminished 
in consequence. The greater part of Illinois, Indiana 
and Iowa, States in which the drought had been ex¬ 
ceptionally severe, have had more or less copious 
rains, and corn is much benefited in consequence. 
But in many localities, the rain was accompanied by 
heavy winds that did great damage. Potatoes, in the 
drought stricken regions, were too far gone to be 
much helped, Minnesota has been favored with rain 
after a long drought. Kansas corn promises to be 
nearly a failure, entirely so in some parts of the State. 
Many people are said to be abandoning their farms in 
western Kansas and Nebraska on account of the fail¬ 
ure of their crops. In half of Iowa, it is said that no 
amount of rain can help the corn crop. It is estimated 
that 40 per cent of a full crop is a high figure for this 
year, Nebraska is even worse off. Spring grains, as 
a general thing, have been badly hurt, with the ex¬ 
ception of spring wheat which is heavy in the sections 
devoted to that crop. Wheat seems to be a good crop, 
but the price is so low that it is questionable whether 
this is so much of an advantage. Canada farmers seem 
to be better favored, as crops there are generally re¬ 
ported good. In the Eastern States, many localities 
have experienced severe drought, though not to the 
extent of the West. 
« 
The Government crop report, which shows the con¬ 
dition of crops on August 1, gives the decline in corn 
26 points since July 1, the condition being 69.1 against 
95 at the latter date. Last August, the condition was 
reported as 97. Spring wheat is 67.1 against 68.4 
July-l. No figures are given for wheat, but a good 
yield of excellent quality is reported. Barley has lost 
seven points in a month, being 69 8. Oats are 76.5, 
slightly lower than July 1. The acreage of buckwheat 
is slightly less than last year, and the condition 69.8. 
The acreage of hay is reported as less than last year. 
Apples are reported at 44, considerably less than a 
half crop, while peaches have only 22.3 points to their 
credit, less than a quarter crop. The condition of 
grapes is better than either of these fruits, but lower 
than for several years. Potatoes are reported at 74, 
and tobacco at 74 9, The South seems to be better 
favored than the North. Rice has 91 to its credit, 
while cotton is 91.8, an increase of more than two 
points during the month. As regards profit, cotton 
seems to be about as much of a bugbear to the South¬ 
ern farmer as wheat is to his Northern neighbor, so 
that both might have been better suited if some other 
crops had been the ones to make the best showing. 
On the whole, the situation is not an encouraging 
one, but it might be much worse. 
*r 
The Chinese have ordered from an American house 
500,000 pounds of corned beef in tins for army sup¬ 
plies. The Japanese have contracted for 1,000,000 bouil¬ 
lon capsules from a Jersey City company. These cap¬ 
sules are substitutes for solid food. Each capsule 
contains enough nutriment for a cup of bouillon of one 
pound of beef in strength. They are very light, and 
can be packed so that one soldier can carry rations to 
last him for six months. The characteristics of the two 
nations are well illustrated by those different orders. 
The Japanese are intelligent and quick to adopt new 
methods of other countries, while the Chinese stick to 
the old ways and regard with suspicion any departure 
from time honored customs. In the contest between 
the two nations, the sympathy of civilization is with 
Japan. Science is a powerful ally, whether in war or 
in everyday farming, and the up to date farmer has 
more sympathy from the civilized world, and what is 
better, more chances for success, than his neighbor 
Slow-coach. 
tt 
The “ oleo ” people are still at it. Their evident 
plan is to confuse the people with a long string of 
opinions and testimonials from scientific men to show 
that “ oleo ” is a healthful food. By printing such arti¬ 
cles in the prominent city papers, day after day, they 
hope to create a sentiment in favor of their stuff, and, 
in the meantime, they propose to deceive the public 
by selling it as a counterfeit made to resemble but¬ 
ter. Just now there is a bill before the House to 
regulate the handling of “ oleo,” and its friends see 
that they must make votes in some way or it will be 
carried. They want votes from the South, and hence 
are printing long articles in the daily papers to show 
that any regulation of “ oleo ” is sure to hurt the sale 
of cotton-seed oil, since that material is used in mak¬ 
ing "oleo.” What a shame it would be to hurt the 
business of the Cotton Oil Trust. And here is a per¬ 
son, supposed to be in his right mind, printing such 
stuff as this in a city paper : 
Again, hundreds of thousands of people In this State (New York) 
could afford to, and would, buy a certain proportion of milk and but¬ 
ter when compounded with cheaper and equally wholesome animal 
and vegetable fats. Free trade In artlffclal butter, the removal of 
the Government tax, equitable and uniform State laws, would soon 
Increase the consumption of the article, both In export and domestic 
trade, to such an extent that milk, cream and batter will soon be 
worth far more for manufacturing or compounding Into butter sub¬ 
stitutes than for the ordinary and common uses to which farmers 
since the time of Adam have put them. 
Of all the foolish things ever written about dairying, 
that takes the palm. Certainly they could afford to 
buy milk and butter if they got the genuine article ; 
but when they are asked to pay butter prices for a 
541 
compound containing less than 10 per cent of butter 
fat, they fail to see the beauty of the proceeding. No I 
no I The Grout bill now before the House, will settle 
this " oleo” business and knock the counterfeit out of 
it. Let every dairyman write to his Congressman and 
speak up for this bill. Do it now I 
* 
Elkctbicians predict that by the time the year 1900 
rolls around, steam power will be almost entirely dis¬ 
placed by electricity. Since man has conceived the 
wonderful scheme of utilizing the great water power 
of Niagara Falls to generate electricity, there is prom¬ 
ise of an early realization of all that has hitherto 
been dreams. Labor will be lightened all over the 
world. The cheap transmission of electrical power 
will make its use more general than that of gas and 
steam. The cities will not be alone in this benefit, 
for this magic power will enter the farmers’ homes, 
and so easily and faithfully perform the heaviest work, 
that country life will be as it should, the most envied 
existence. It is estimated that Niagara Falls alone 
could do the work of every steam engine on the con¬ 
tinent and have considerable energy to spare. Think 
how many hundreds of years this force has remained 
idle I In every home, and on every farm, there is 
some idle force waiting to be discovered and utilized. 
Seek it out I 
« 
There is a great rush of workmen away from this 
country just now, while immigration has almost en¬ 
tirely stopped. Outgoing steamers are crowded with 
steerage passengers. The explanation given is that 
thousands of former immigrants have lost work in 
these dull times, and are now going back to Europe 
until American industries revive. They can live 
cheaper in Europe than they can here. Most of them 
expect to come back as soon as work becomes more 
plentiful here. Do we want them back ? Are they 
needed ? To the latter question we would answer, 
“ no ”—there are in this country now workmen enough 
to keep American industries going. It is well enough 
to say that America welcomes all good citizens to her 
shores. That talk sounds well, but is it sensible in 
view of the present conditions ? We think not—now 
is a good time to sift out the workmen who come here. 
Certainly, from the standpoint of farmers, there are 
now enough hands employed in growing food. These 
foreigners who work in towns, add little to the demand 
for farm produce. ^ 
The tendency at our agricultural colleges is to make 
these institutions coeducational in character. At 
many of them, girls are admitted on equal terms with 
the boys, while at others, almost every class contains 
several special girl students. These girls usually take 
the regular college course—listening to lectures in the 
same class room with the boys ; but it seems evident 
that if there are to be any great numbers of these girl 
students, some special course of instruction should be 
provided for them. Some of the colleges, Kansas, 
Connecticut and others, have met this want by provid¬ 
ing a course of Domestic Economy. In this course, 
the girls are taught the scientific principles which 
underlie good housekeeping. We believe that this is 
an excellent plan. Surely good housekeeping is as 
important to the human race as scientific barnkeep¬ 
ing. We have plenty of advice concerning the latter, 
but the housewife has not had the opportunities of the 
barnhusband. The subject is of so much importance 
that we purpose telling our readers just what 
"Domestic Science,” as taught at the agricultural col¬ 
leges, is, and what is to be gained by teaching it. 
BUSINESS BITS. 
Vios at panic prices, Is the way Mr. Howard Johnson, of West 
Grove, Pa , states his prices for Chester White plKS. He has 200 head. 
Farmebs who have used the “Mixed Grass" seeds of the Farmer 
Seed Co., formerly of Chicago. Ill., but now of Faribault, Minn., where 
their large seed farm is located, report very flattering results. Cir¬ 
culars and other particulars will be sent on application. 
Baling presses are now In season. Not only hay, but straw, Is 
better handled when baled, and many village people who use small 
quantities, prefer to buy this way to save storage room. The South- 
wick Baling press is claimed to be light running and efficient. The 
Sandwich Mfg. Co., Sandwich, Ill., will tell you all about It. 
This is a good time to paint the buildings, fences, farm wagons and 
other farm Implements. There Is no excuse for not doing so, and the 
cost may be very light now that paints ready mixed may be purchased 
at trifling cost, and any one can apply them. Mr. O. W. Ingersoll, 146 
Plymouth St., Brooklyn, N. Y., furnishes these ready mixed paints 
direct to farmers at factory prices. 
ATTBNTiON Is Called to the advertisement of Leonard D. Harrison, 
New Haven, Conn., manufacturer of the celebrated Burr stone grind¬ 
ing mills. Mr. Harrison’s father, the founder of this business, 
obtained his first patent on grinding mills In 1854, and to-day they ar® 
In operation In every part of the Civilized globe. What every farmer 
and planter needs Is a good, cheap, reliable mill, and such Is the Har¬ 
rison mill. 
A CABUIAQB dash lamp that throws light 200 feet ahead would be a 
desirable attachment to every carriage or light wagon on the farm, 
because, sooner or later, every one Is caught out In the dark. The 
Steam Gauge & Lantern Co., Syracuse, N. Y., or 25 Lake St., Chicago. 
Ill,, make such a lantern. They also make other lanterns of every 
description and will tell you all about them. If you ask them to do so. 
Anything they send out will be all right. 
