1894 
THE RURAI NEW-YORKER. 
669 
THE PROSPECT. 
Large areas of land in Delaware are devoted to the 
culture of small fruits and vegetables. The acreage 
devoted to tomato growing for canning purposes, has 
been greatly increased the present season. In the 
vicinity of one small village in the northern part of 
the State, there were 90 acres planted with tomatoes 
in 1893 ; this season the acreage has been increased to 
300 acres. Until last season, all the plants were set 
by hand, which was a tedious and expensive method. 
Last season transplanting machines were introduced 
in the State. The machines have given excellent sat¬ 
isfaction, as the expense of planting is very much re¬ 
duced, and at the same time the plants are set much 
better than they generally are when set by hand. By 
means of the transplanter, the plants may be put out, 
even during a dry time, thus rendering the grower, 
to a certain extent, independent of the weather. 
* 
Fob centuries, salt was taken out of the Stassf urt 
mines in Germany, without knowledge or thought of 
the vast deposits of potash below the salt stratum. 
Within the past 30 years the potash has become far more 
valuable than the salt. In various parts of this country 
are vast salt beds. Why may it not be possible 
that far down beneath the salt, there are stores of 
potash awaiting discovery and development? On this 
point. Consul Mason, in Germany, quotes a famous 
European expert as follows : 
Not nntll the substrata which lie beneath all the prlrcipal American 
salt beds have been explored to a depth of at least3,000 feet, will It be 
deflnltelr known whether or not nature has stored on the western 
continent a supply of potash adequate and fitted to complete the 
trinity and balance the nitrates of Chile and the phospates of the 
Florida peninsula. 
It is true that nature has supplied the western hemi¬ 
sphere with an abundance of nitrogen and phosphoric 
acid in nitrate of soda and phosphate rock. Tne potash 
ought to be here, too, and perhaps it ma; be found, 
as in Germany, at the bottom of our salt wells. 
■» 
When The K. N.-Y. began to talk about Crimson 
ciover, it stated that it is hard jto tell the truth con¬ 
servatively about this plant. We meant that it is 
difScult for one to see it for the first time at its best 
in Delaware and Maryland without becoming enthusi¬ 
astic over it. We cautioned readers against buying 
large quantities of the seed as a first experiment. It 
seems that hundreds of our readers—all over the coun¬ 
try—have the clover growing on their farms. Will it 
survive the winter ? Tbat is the question we are all 
anxious to have answered. While we are waiting for 
it let us ponder over this note from A. W. Slay maker, 
of Delaware: 
To J. C. H., page 634, and all other readers of The R. N.-Y. who are 
trying Crimson clover for the first time, 1 would suggest that they be 
not too easily discouraged, even If some plants are frozen out by the 
winter. This plant has great power to cover up bare spots, so tbat 
a held that looks quite bare when winter is Just over, will thicken up 
and give a splendid crop by harvest time I have more than once 
been tempted to plow up a piece of this clover as too ihioly set, which 
afterward gave me a fine crop. Doubtless a great many farmers will 
plow down what might make a good crop, and afterward be sure 
this clover will not be suited to their land. It took years for farmers 
here to learn the great value of this plant, and the principal reason 
was tbat they would not believe how small a setting of plants will 
produce a good crop. 
The R. N.-Y. wants a fair trial for this plant. Give 
it a fair chance next spring and let it show what it 
can do. ^ 
One of the most beautiful farming sections in the 
United States is the famous Genesee Valley, in west¬ 
ern New York. It was formerly one of the most fer¬ 
tile, also, and was one of the most noted for the pro¬ 
duction of wheat. In those early days, before the 
Erie Canal was a reality, the wheat was transported 
by wagons long distances to market, in some cases as 
far east as Albany. The old State Road is still a con¬ 
spicuous feature to wagon travelers seeking the most 
direct route from east to west. Then came the Erie 
Canal, then the railroads, and the farmers found a 
market at their very doors. The virgin soil gave 
them certain and heavy crops, and remunerative 
prices made them prosperous and happy. Now the 
impoverished soil requires constant fertilizing and 
careful working to maintain its yield. The markets 
are still close at hand, but the prices barely cover the 
cost of production. Within the past few months, in 
some localities, a bushel of oats—32 pounds—is said to 
have sold for more than a bushel—60 pounds—of 
wheat. Corn is higher, pound for pound, than wheat. 
One farmer had been drawing away his wheat for 55 
cents per bushel, to the flour mill in the village. The 
same mill had been buying Western wheat—not so 
good in quality—which cost 57 cents, and must be 
carted besides. The mill owners seemed to think 
that they would get all the farmers’ wheat anyway, 
so they would pay what they pleased, even though 
they were paying more to outsiders for an inferior 
quality. Live hogs and cattle were selling in the 
same town for less than similar animals were bring¬ 
ing in Chicago or Buffalo. Talk about protecting the 
farmer I It appears very much as though the protec¬ 
tion he needed most was from the robbers in his own 
town. Who is responsible for these conditions, and 
what will the farmers do about it ? 
* 
A GOOD corn harvester is very badly needed in the 
West. All the work of harvesting and thrashing 
small grains and cutting and handling hay is done by 
machinery; but corn and corn fodder are still har¬ 
vested by hand. Anticipating a special demand for 
such machines this fall, inventors and manufacturers 
have been busy, and many machines have been put on 
the market. Those on the principle of a sled or low 
truck on wheels, drawn by one horse between two 
rows, and cutting them by projecting knives, do more 
satisfactory work than any of the others ; but after 
all, they are oaly a trifle more rapid than hand work, 
while not doing as good a job. What is needed is a 
machine which will cut and bind the corn for a lower 
price than hand work costs. Corn binders are on the 
market, but their work is very unsatisfactory. How¬ 
ever, supposing they did good work, the machines are 
so costly, and they work so slowly, that it costs $1 an 
acre to harvest the corn, besides the twine. Add to 
these the cost of setting the bundles up into shocks, 
and it costs as much as hand work, or $1 25 an acre. 
Other styles of corn harvesters are made, and just 
what type the final successful one will be, is hard to 
tell. Probably it will be a binder run by two horses, 
and cutting one row. A price of $1.25 an acre would 
not frighten an Eastern farmer, but it must be re¬ 
membered that the crop west of the Mississippi River 
has a much less value per acre than in New York State. 
* 
There is one point about the effect of low prices of 
farm products that some careless people are over¬ 
looking, and that is, that a decline of 10 per cent in 
the price of anything a farmer has to sell, lessens his 
ability to buy others’ goods far more than 10 per cent, 
and may even destroy it entirely. In our hearing re¬ 
cently, a good business man said : “ Every cut in price 
of our farmers’ products means a similar cut in the 
amount of money they have for spending in our 
stores.” It means much more. If it costs $100 to pro¬ 
duce a horse, and the horse sells for $125, there is a 
$25 surplus that can be used in the purchase of others’ 
products that are not absolute necessities. But if that 
horse sells for $20 less, or $105, there are only $5 that 
can be safely used in that way. If it costs 50 cents to 
grow and market a bushel of wheat, and that bushel 
sells for 75 cents, there is surplus money to go into the 
towns in the purchase of the products of factories. 
That makes ‘‘good times.” If the bushel sells for 
only 50 cents, there is no surplus money to go for any¬ 
thing but the bare necessities of production, factories 
have fewer orders, and then we have “ hard times.” 
The workman in the largest city is directly interested 
in having prices of farm products high enough to give 
farmers a profit, as otherwise within a short time his 
work will stop. He may be making an article that is 
seldom bought by farmers, but his patrons are sure to 
be dependent upon the money spent by the farmers 
of this great agricultural country. It is the 10 or 20 
per cent profit possible in the production of farm 
products that interests many departments of industry. 
If that profit be taken away by a decline in prices, 
general stagnation of business follows. Cheap bread 
and meat in any country are not necessarily a blessing 
to rich or poor. ^ 
While the acreage of potatoes this year in the 
United States is larger, probably, than ever before, 
the average yield per acre is lower than reported 
before in more than a dozen years. The October crop 
report makes a trifle better showing than that of Sep¬ 
tember, but not enough to make any appreciable 
difference in final results. The total yield, too, has 
fallen below that estimated for this year, but three 
times within a dozen years, and each of these years 
the imports have been very heavy, as well as being 
quite heavy in several of the other years. Exports 
are always insignificant. Examination of prices of 
potatoes, both fall and spring, during the years of 
short crop, reveals the fact that, while the spring 
prices were higher than fall prices, they were not 
enough higher to warrant the holding of the crop. 
The New England States show a heavier yield than 
last year, with the single exception of Rhode Island. 
All the others, with one or two exceptions, show more 
or less decrease, in some cases a very heavy one. The 
total falling off from last year’s crop, the whole 
country over, as now estimated, exceeds 10 per cent. 
Of the foreign countries which send us potatoes, Can¬ 
ada is short of last year’s yield fully 10 per cent. All 
the European countries show an apparent decretse 
from their usual yield, but still have plenty to spa'-e, 
and are already sending them on. The prospect is 
just this: In the East, the domestic crop is much 
better than in the West, while in this section there 
will be more competition with imported stock. Hence 
the prospect for higher prices is less favorable. In 
the West, the crop is much shorter, and there will be 
less competition with imported potatoes. Hence there 
is a better outlook for prices. The sweet po ato crop 
is large, and this will be used to a considerab.e extent 
to take the place of the other potatoes where prices 
are high. ^ 
Many “old line” stock fire insurance companies 
now refuse to insure farm property, and others have 
increased their rates. Since the abandonment of 
wood as fuel in nearly all of even our smaller villages, 
coupled with the fact that villagers are more careful 
about stove fixtures, the claim is made that farm 
property is the most hazardous of all classes except 
manufacturing establishments. But it is believed 
that the rates were suffifiently high before, and the 
claims of ccSperative insurance companies are receiv¬ 
ing renewed attention. The Granges have done noble 
work in this line, and there are but few, if any, coun¬ 
ties where their insurance can not be obtained. Other 
companies of a similar nature are plentiful. Where 
the risks are properly inspected, and poor risks ex¬ 
cluded, the expense is very light. From the reports 
of 99 companus to the New York State Central Organ¬ 
ization, we find: 
Number of policies. 87,982 
Amount insured. $156,5(«,617.00 
Average amount Insured In each policy. 1,779.56 
Losses and expenses. 796,393.00 
Cost of InsurlnK per fl.OOi for three years. 5.42 
SavlnK to the policy holders. 304,710.12 
Of course the cj t vckrics lu luo uompaaies according 
to the number of fires, Tne extreme oa one hand is a 
company in Herkimer Cjuuty, wh:c i has $249,520 in¬ 
sured in 85 policies, and has positively no cost for the 
years 1891, 1892 and 1893, and on the other, one in 
Dutchess County where risks amounting to $131,335, in¬ 
sured for three years, cost$2,131, or over $16 per $1,000. 
The number of policies was 45. In the smaller com¬ 
panies, a loss makes a larger assessment; but these 
do not come so often as in the large ones. Most com¬ 
panies have money, so that but one payment per year 
has to be made, and nothing, except $1 for survey, in 
advance. More farmers should join these companies 
and receive the benefits of cooperation. 
The statistician of the Agricultural Department in 
his last report shows by a set of figures, how Southern 
towns and cities are being filled up while the country 
is being deserted. Before the war, the vast majority 
of Southern people lived in the country engaged in 
agricultural pursuits. A very small minority had 
their homes in town or city. Since then, the propor¬ 
tion of townspeople has increased much more rapidly 
than that of country folks, as the following figures 
will show: 
Arkansai. 1860. 1890. 
Urban. 18,410 127,V88 
Agricultural.417,040 1,000,891 
Florida. 
Urban. 18,161 111,105 
AKncultnral.122,263 280,317 
Mittulsaippl. 
Urban. 29,4n0 147,791 
Ai?rlcnltural.761,895 1,141,809 
Urban. 39,233 5’4,6 6 
AgrlcuUuial.664,982 1,660,897 
This is about the way it has gone all over the South. 
The towns are steadily gaining on the country in 
population—in Maryland and Dalaware they have a 
majority. In States like Massachusetts or Connecticut, 
it is easy to see why people should flock to the towns, 
for there are gathered the great factories whicn, in 
prosperous times, offer employment to many. Southern 
towns do not offer such employment. Why, then, 
should farmers flock to them ? One curious fact about 
this matter is thus stated by the statistician: 
When slavery was abolished, many Southern men believed and pre¬ 
dicted that the growth of cotton would fall Into decay, and that the 
manufacturing world would have to look to other countries for the 
supply. But In lees than a generation the cotton product was about 
doubled, notwlihetandlng the fact that hundreds of thousands of 
negroes deserted the fields for the towns, leaving not a great many 
more to plant and pick out cotton than were thus employed In slavery 
times. 
In other words, new methods and suparior enterprise 
have enabled an equal number of men to double the 
crop The trouble is that tnere are too many handlers 
or middlemen in town doing nothing to aid produc¬ 
tion, and yet demanding a share of the proceeds. 
BUSINESS BITS. 
Sweet potato shippers will do well to write to J. H. .Tlenken, 32 
Little Twelfth Street. 
U. S. Smitu, of Cochranvllle, Pa., Is making a special offer for the 
sale of pigs and otuer live stock, ills catalogue will be sent on ap¬ 
plication. 
It Is worth your while to look Into the merits of the Perfection ktlt- 
tlDg machine, an adveitlsement of which appears on the woman and 
homepage. The Perfection Knitting Machine Company, Clearfield, 
Pa., will explain all about It without coat. 
The R. N.-Y. has constantly advised Its readers to ship their pro¬ 
duce to dealers who make a specialty of those products. The advan¬ 
tages of this are obvious. Arcndeacon & Co., 100 Murray Street, 
make a specialty of all hothouse products, hothouse lambs, mush¬ 
rooms, etc., as well as tine fruits and vegetables, and have facilities 
for getting full values. Write them for Instructions and prices. 
THE time was when the good mother was obliged to sit up Eights 
and utilize every moment of spare time over the needles to knit 
stockings and mittsi s for the family. Ef sn while entertaining friends 
on social calls, the click cf the needles went glibly on. Now the knit¬ 
ting may be done for a who.e family In a short time, with one of the 
knitting machines In use for the purpose. J. E. Gearhart. Clearfield, 
Pa., makes one of these, and the price Is so low that any one can have 
one. Write for particulars. 
