668 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
October 20 
THE 
Rural New-Yorker 
Cor. Ohambera and Pearl Sta ., New York. 
A Natlcaal Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homea. 
HLBEBT 8. CABMAN, Bdltor-ln-Cblel. 
HBBBEBT W. COLLINGWCKID, ManaKlng Bdltor 
JOHN J. DILLON, Bnalnesi ManaKOr. 
CopvrighUd m*. 
Addresa all bnalneaa oommnnloatlona and make all ordera pay¬ 
able to THE BUBAL NKW-YOBKBB. 
Be aure that the name and addreaa of aender, with name of Poet 
office and State, and what the remittance la for, appear in every letter. 
Money ordera and bank drafta on New York are the aafeat meana of 
tranamlttlmt monev. 
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1894. 
Fob the next eight months, E. S Carman would pre¬ 
fer that his friends address all communications to No. 
5 West 82nd St., New York City, instead of River 
Edge, N. J. „ 
Many excellent reports as to the behavior of the 
little tubers of Carman No. 1, have been received. 
We shall print the gist of them later on. 
« 
We begin “Primer Science” this week with some 
answers to a few fertilizer questions. If the answers 
are not clear enough, we want you to come again and 
let us try to explain still further. We are studying 
away at the “ balanced rations” problem in the hope 
of making “ protein ” and “carbohydrate” look less 
formidable than they now do to many. 
« 
Herb is something to make a dairyman thoughtful: 
You sugfi;e8t. In a late iBsue, that farmers eelect, weed out, and kill 
all the poor cows. What have you to suggest about poor milkers— 
those that will dry a cow off If she milks a little hard or slow, or kicks 
If they hurt her? 
We would get rid of the poor milkers if we possibly 
could. Unfortunately, the farmer is often obliged to 
put up with them, and submit to loss. It is a good 
plan for a farmer to test the milkers as well as the 
cows now and then by “stripping” after them. Try 
to cure the hard milking cows by using tubes or 
plugs in the teats. ^ 
On page 588 we stated that the San Jo?6 scale insect 
is being brought to the East on California pears. Dr. 
Collier, of the Geneva Station writes that entomolo¬ 
gists have found these insects established on Long 
Island. This is a dangerous state of affairs, for if this 
pest once becomes well scattered through the State, it 
will do far more damage than the Codling moth. It 
should be stamped out at once, even if it is necessary 
to quarantine against California fruit. Where is the 
New York “Department of Agriculture” in a time like 
this ? Hunting for votes, probably. 
« 
At the next meeting of the Association of American 
Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations, among 
other topics to be discussed is “The Colored Farmers 
of Alabama.” The Tuskegee Institute, in Alabama, 
is an agricultural and mechanical school for colored 
students. It is doing a noble work for the colored 
race in training skilled workmen in agriculture and 
the trades. The South is so dependent on the negro 
for its farm labor that it seems strange that so little 
effort has been made to educate him with special 
reference to the work in which he excels. No fur¬ 
ther lessons from history are needed to prove that a 
benighted and ignorant peasantry will ever prove a 
curse to the land that keeps them in ignorance. The 
true education of the negro farm laborer is one of the 
live topics of the day, and the South can well afford 
to take hold of it in a business-like way. 
# 
It is a matter of regret and comment that so many 
farmers fail, from one cause or another, to have their 
stubble land plowed early for wheat. No doubt the 
present season was an unusually diflScult one for this 
work, on account of the severe drought immediately 
after harvest. Bat the successful farmer ever on the 
alert, lest he be caught by just such a season, had his 
stubble land like a summer fallow, the oats or barley 
and weeds well subdued, and plant food liberated by 
cultivation by September 1; while his less fortunate 
neighbor had hardly plowed a furrow. Through 
central New York, not more that one farmer in 10 had 
finished plowing for wheat this season by August 20. 
On a few farms a less acreage of wheat was sown on 
account of the drought, than would have been sown 
had the season been more favorable for fitting the 
ground in the best possible manner. But in most 
cases, the drought affected the time of sowing and 
the preparation the land received, more than it did 
the acreage. Unless the land is unusually fertile, and 
in superior mechanical condition, the greatest yield 
of grain cannot be expected when stubble land is 
plowed and hastily fitted only a few days before sow¬ 
ing the land to wheat. In all of the better wheat soils, 
there is contained in the soil itself, a large amount of 
fertility which may become available by thorough 
cultivation. The vegetable matter in the soil will be 
further broken down, adding available plant food, and 
by frequent stirring, the soil is more finely divided, 
thus giving an increased surface for chemical action 
or weathering of the particles of the soil; this will 
bring some of the plant food contained in the soil into 
such a condition, that the wheat plant can make use 
of it. When land that has just borne an oat crop, is 
plowed and sowed at once to wheat, the available 
plant food has been used up by the oats, leaving little 
available food for the young wheat plant. 
* 
The writer is having an experience just now in 
figuring on the building of a new house. The building 
trade is a good index of the times because a good 
house calls for supplies from a dozen different branches 
of industry. We find that, as compared with several 
years ago, builders have dropped considerably on their 
figures. Why? Bricks are cheaper with us because 
of the failure of a local brick yard. Lumber, nails, 
etc., are no cheaper than before, but wages have been 
reduced for carpenters’ work, and in that item alone 
is found most of the cheapening. This is just what 
we have predicted and expected. The town workman 
will not be so badly off with reduced wages since al¬ 
most everything he pays for except his rent, has fallen 
in price. The farmer has the worst of it, since he can 
only hope to thrive when his customers have money to 
spend. ^ 
Many Granges are now looking about for pleasant 
and profitable work for their members during the 
winter months. The committee of the State Grange 
OQ a course of home reading, has provided a very in¬ 
teresting course of reading in elementary works coher¬ 
ing the lines of general agriculture, plant growth, 
fertilizers and manures, dairy husbandry, fruit grow¬ 
ing and general horticulture, and political economy ; 
the reading to be supplemented by discussion in the 
Grange, and by written papers and examinations. It 
is not at all necessary that the different Granges take 
up the work in a body, although this is desirable. 
Any one may take up the work alone. All that is 
necessary is to get the books and begin the reading. 
Circulars fully describing the work to be undertaken 
and the books recommended, have been sent to tbe 
secretary of each subordinate Grange in the State. 
Any one desiring further information should address 
H. H. Wing, Chairman of the Committee, Ithaca, 
N.Y. 
Farmers in Connecticut employ a good many Ital¬ 
ians as farm laborers. Fruit growers, in particular, 
say that the men and women from Italy are excellent 
gardeners and right at home among fruits and fiowers. 
We are now told that Italian women are employed to 
husk corn—which job they do in a satisfactory way 
for little money. In thus employing cheaper labor, 
these farmers are but following in the steps of manu¬ 
facturers and other business men who claim that there 
is no expense left to cut down but the labor bill. 
What is to become of the American farm hand in tbe 
face of this cheap competition ? We see but two ways 
for him to avoid direct competition with this foreign 
labor: One is to get a farm of his own and employ 
such laborers, the other is to direct their labor as fore¬ 
man or manager for some larger farmer. In these 
days of fierce competition, it rests with the farm hand 
himself to say whether he shall be master or man. If 
he choose the latter he must compete with the cheap¬ 
est labor. ^ 
Curses came home to roost with the directors of the 
Western New York Agricultural Society. The direc¬ 
tors voted to permit gamblers to run their wheel 
games at the Rochester Fair. Soon the report spread 
that instead of giving cigars as prizes, the wheels 
were run openly “ for money only.” One of the direc¬ 
tors, who had voted to admit the nuisance, was sent 
to investigate. A correspondent thus describes what 
he found: 
Imagine his consternation when he found his own boy of 14 engaged 
as “capper and pin-setter” for one of the gamblers. He had him 
by the neck In 10 seconds, and was dragging him away. 
'* But see heie, pa,” said the boy ; ” the man said he would give me 
$5 to work for him to-day. He has got 1300 now In three hours.” 
“No honest business can pay yon $5 per day. Come along, I tell 
you ! ” and he hurried him away. I heard that father say: “Not for 
150 would I have him there an hour.” 
Through that man’s efforts, the grounds were cleared 
of gambling devices. Why did he wait until his boy 
was in danger ? How about another man’s boy ? Are 
we to wait until these moral questions are driven 
home to us like a red-hot iron before starting to help 
settle .them ? They remain unsettled just because 
men do wait in that way. 
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 1893, Americans 
paid duty on §1,889,995 worth of imported nuts. Be¬ 
sides this, there were$852,509 worth of cocoanuts, and 
about $750,000 worth of other nuts imported free of 
duty. We are unable to give the figures for chestnuts 
alone, but we know' that very large quantities are 
brought into the country. The Paragon chestnut is 
better than any of the large imported nuts, and con¬ 
sidering the ease and cheapness with which it may be 
grown, there are few reasons why farmers properly 
situated should not try improved chestnut culture. 
There is a great opening in it for somebody. In the 
past 10 years the greatest value of eggs imported in 
one year was $2,677,360 in 1884, Under a high tariff, 
the value fell to $392,973 in 1893, and see how this 
stimulated the poultry business in this country ? By 
growing improYed chestnuts enough to supply the de¬ 
mand, American farmers may secure nearly $1,000,000 
that would otherwise go abroad—and this regardless 
of any tariff. ^ 
BREVITIES. 
Nitrogen trap! Nitrogen trap! 
That’s what I am says Miss Clover—old chap 
You are too fatl You are too fat! 
Old Brother Potash, say—where are you at? 
Sensible men praise me up, when 
I go a gunning for nitrogen. 
Bulbs on my feet—nitrogen eatt 
Fat, clumsy Potash may take a back seat! 
Don’t be too smart! Don’t be too smart! 
Little Mies Clover, now let’s see you start. 
That you can't do—to save your old shoo 
If old Brother Potash don’tcome to boost you! 
You will be sore trylrg that chore, 
Old Brother Potash has been there before. 
You'll meet your match, to make a good “catch'’ 
Unless you get Potash to Cjme to the soratch. 
Ea:-PEBSSED—a broken hay bale. 
Wheat deserves a good thrashing. 
Who says half a truth Is better than a lie? 
What plant will stand the heaviest feeding? Cabbage! 
Roughage for the the cow—hay, and aiso the first year of her .ife. 
MH. Obeineh puts us through a course of sprouts on potato culture 
page 6t4. 
What about the difference In farm manures given by Mr. Rite- 
page 606 ? 
AS a choice of hcgs for selling wheat at a profit, give us the four¬ 
legged ones this year. 
“ Ophthalmoscopy” would teach us that horses are often short¬ 
sighted Instead of “cussed.” 
The B. N.-Y. favors the re-establlshment of the old whipping post 
as a punishing place fur wife beaters. 
The R. N.-Y. regrets to learn of tbe death of C W. Horr, president 
of tbe National Dairymen’s Association. 
“ A FOKTUNE In two achers?” As the man said when he paid his 
dentist’s bl.l for fi.llng a couple of teeth 
The Geneva Experiment Station reports the Russian thistle In New 
York State on the line of the Lehigh Valley Railroad. 
A MULCH of manure from horses fed on old Timothy Is just the 
thing to seed your strawberry bed to weeds and grass. 
You say you have no capital, young man! Nothing but labor. The 
thing for you to do Is to combine things and do capital labor. 
When a man trains for a prize fight, they stuff him with rare meat 
and little fruit. Are you training for a fight? Eat more fruit. 
Let some able man please leil us where the line between market 
gardening and farming comes In. Do the crops make the “ farmer”— 
or what ? 
Which is the more dangerous for a careless man, to blow stamps 
out with dynamite, or to handle sulphuric acid around them? We call 
It about a tie. 
The recently reported shipment of live cattle from Australia to 
Eng and was not a success. 'The voyage Is too long and the cattle lost 
too much flesh on the trip. 
From one point In Alabama, 56 000 bushels cf corn were shipped to 
Illinois. That speaks well for the South; It wou.d speak better If all 
that corn had been fed at home! 
A “ MILK THIEF ’ Is not Only a self-sucking cow, but a tube with a 
valve on the end that may be pushed down into a can of milk. Thus 
the sampier obtains milk ail the way from top to bottom, which Is 
fair to all. 
AN observing nurseryman telle us that all through Maryland and 
Virginia the pear blight Is ruining whole orchards. “But you can 
hardly ever find a Kelffer tree damaged at ail.” Score a dozen for 
Eelffer at one shot. 
We find a good many farmers who are growing some product at a 
loss, because they say it is about the only way for them to obtain 
cash. Other things that cost less are not exchangeable for ready 
money. Something wrong there, 
OUK friend tells us—page 664, how the neighbor s Business Hen 
“ raised Cain’’between the rows of tomatoes. That proved that she 
belonged to the Business breed. A hen too lazy to scratch, never will 
lay. Restrain the hen that raises Cain, and she will raise a crop of 
eggs Instead. 
A Western New York correspondent, under date of OotoDer 1, 
■writes thus: ‘ Just ate tne last Pickett's Late peach. It Is the peach 
forme. Equal to Crawford in all except size; later and sweet All 
other yellow peaches I have eaten are sour.” What do our readers 
know of this peach? 
Many farmers are satisfied that It pays well to cultivate as shallow 
as possible, but they are beaten by the hired man who persists in 
“ riding on the handles.” The way to beat him Is to fasten crossbars 
on tne cultivator teeth so that tney cannot cut over an inch and 
a half deep. This will not only cultivate but crush and pulverize the 
soil. 
Who ki ows how to gather turnips? Here Is the whole story In six 
chapters by W. Bentzien: 1. Cut tne tops with a sharp shoyel. 2. 
Rake and pitch the tops to one side. 3. A well directed blow with a 
mattock cuts the tap root and brings them loose ou top. 4. Pick up in 
crates. 5 Draw on a low wagon. 6. Slide Into the root cellar on an 
Inclloed plank. 
The new constitution of Mississippi prohibits the leasing of con¬ 
victs after December, 1894 A.I who have ever been near a convict 
camp, will lejDice at th!s. The State will now buy a great farm on 
Which convicts are to work, it would be a good plan to make tnat an 
experiment farm—growing the crops that Mississippi farmers should, 
grow, but do not. 
