7i6 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
THE 
Rural New-Yorker. 
THE BUSINESS FARMERS' PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850. Copyrighted 1894. 
Elbekt S. Cabman, Editor-In-Chief. 
Hkbbert W. Collingwood, Managing Editor. 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
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THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
Corner Chambers and Pearl Streets, New York. 
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1894. 
What is your opinion of a poor man who won’t go 
out of his way to earn $100 honestly and with little 
work ? The next question is, What do you think of 
a farmer who will not use Crimson clover after it has 
been clearly demonstrated that it will thrive in his 
section ? 
O 
A FEW weeks ago, we asked in our smallest type, if 
any farmer could tell what his crops cost per pound 
or bushel. Friends are starting up in various States 
to answer YES to that question. Before long, we 
hope to tell our readers just how this cost is meas¬ 
ured. We think this will be a most interesting thing 
—important, too, as any one with one-third of an eye 
can see. 
O 
A FIRST-RATE thing to think over and talk about, is 
that question about spreading manure on the surface 
or plowing it in—page 710. There is one thing sure— 
manure that has been thoroughly fined and rotted in 
a compost heap, will be far more effective when 
worked in with a harrow than the coarse, hard lumps 
right out of the barnyard. It really needs a ploiv to 
get the latter under cover. 
O 
On June 1, 1890, there were said to be in this country 
2.58,473,1.55 domestic fowls of the kind commonly 
known as “chickens.” They were all roosters at 
night, but unfortunately we are not told how many 
were true roosters (or males). It is safe enough to say 
that there are far too many male “chickens” for the 
world’s good. Our belief is that, if we could slaughter 
75,000,000 males out of this total, the poultry business 
would be more profitable for it. Why not begin on 
your flock ? 
O 
We are very glad to have Prof. Henry, page 710, 
back us up in the fight against the “Creamery Shark.” 
His letter is a strong one, and states the case just as 
it is. No danger of too much help from the other 
agricultural papers. Most of them advertise this 
“ Creamery Shark.” Where a man’s pocketbook is, 
there will his influence be also. It is just the same 
with “Preservaline” and half a dozen other humbugs. 
We would rather have the right to denounce them 
than to have their advertising. 
w 
Our old friend, N. Hallock, makes a good point on 
page 714 where he asks about judging big potatoes at 
fairs. As a matter of fact, extreme size is about the 
least desirable characteristic in a market potato. 
How may judges at our fairs give an accurate judg¬ 
ment as to the eating quality of a potato ? It is a bad 
policy to encourage growers to produce these mon¬ 
strous potatoes when the market demand is for better 
quality. We would like to hear from others regarding 
this, and also what they think of the question of 
shape brought up by Mr. Williams, on page 712. 
O 
It will be noticed that Mr. Agee, page 710, makes 
no reference to fertilizers, but speaks of stable manure 
as though it were the only available source of fertility. 
Mr. Agee has informed us that fertilizers gave very 
poor results on his soil whenever tried. We shall not 
therefore attempt to say what potash and bone might 
be expected to do on his farm in the way of starting 
the rye, clover and cow peas. Mr. Kerr’s experience, 
page 709, is very different. There is a farm that has 
never received any stable manure, and yet it is feed¬ 
ing the home farm and growing rich all the time. We 
know of several farms where all the manure that is 
made is crowded on to about 10 per cent of the plowed 
land. The rest of the farm grows the crops that pro¬ 
vide this manure, and these out-lying fields are kept 
up and improved by the use of fertilizers and sod. 
These farmers would smile at the idea that the im¬ 
provement of the farm must depend upon the supply 
of stable manure, for their green crops for manuring or 
feeding are started equally well with fertilizers. 
There are arguments on both sides of this matter of 
concentrating or scattering manure, but let no man 
believe that a poor spot must remain poor just because 
there is no stable manure to go on it. 
O 
A SIGHT to make angels weep, is that of one of the 
most notorious race track gamblers New Jersey has 
ever known; a man whose nefarious business has 
ruined thousands, who has unblushingly purchased 
his way to high legislative honors, and who has 
not hesitated to corrupt the law makers and judici¬ 
ary. This man has now turned reformer and engaged 
in prosecuting the petty gamblers at an agricultural 
fair. He believes that the morals of the citizens of 
the State have been greatly perverted by these 
devices. What next ? Now let some of the managers 
of the late infamous Louisiana lottery, start a crusade 
against the wicked and demoralizing church fairs 
sometimes held. There is hope for the country yet. 
O 
The teams are grain fed and, after a summer’s work, 
are hardened so that they can do a good day’s work at 
plowing without harm. The weather is cool in 
November ; flies do not bother ; the hired man wants 
to work another month at reduced wages ; the clover 
sod is in prime condition for plowing. Why not do it? 
It never can be done any cheaper or better. The sod 
will partially decay during winter, and can be broken 
up and mixed with the soil next spidng so that it will 
be light and loose—the ideal condition for potatoes. 
The added humus is a nitrogen trap, colors the soil 
black, attracts heat and conserv'es moisture. Quick 
land will settle and give better crops, by withstand¬ 
ing drought. Seeds planted on fall plowed soil of a 
stony, gravelly nature, start quicker and grow faster. 
O 
1. Zangwill, the novelist, has stirred up the learned 
men in England by asserting that nine out of ten 
scientists have not the ability to talk or write so that 
common people can understand them. We have long 
noticed that many professors who confine themselves 
to books and laboratory practice, seem to forget that 
there was a time when they could not comprehend the 
A B C of the matter. Such men may write articles 
and deliver addresses of great value, yet they talk 
over the heads of nine-tenths of the people, and to 
that extent their ammunition is wasted. In fact, 
when we come to wonder why agricultural science 
has not made headway more rapidly among the peo¬ 
ple, we are forced to conclude that the trouble is more 
with the teacher than with the scholar. We often 
speak of Trusts or monopolies of money or other forms 
of wealth. No less dangerous is a monopoly of learn¬ 
ing, that is, holding the things the world ought to 
know in the hands of a few. That is just what we 
are doing through the inability of learned men to get 
down to the level of common people. The great mas¬ 
terpieces of literature—those that will live and be 
read by a dozen generations—are so simple and clear 
that the man without a college education can readily 
understand them. We want the same simplicity and 
clearness in discussions of agricultural science. It is 
only by such writing that the work of our experiment 
stations can be made truly valuable. 
O 
From frequent inquiries as to the best method of 
reseeding and restoring old and run-out pastures, it is 
shown that the nature and food of our common 
grasses are not so well understood as they should be. 
On nearly all soils, all of the common grasses that 
make up the turf of our permanent pastures, will in 
time grow less luxuriantly on account of the decrease 
in the soil of one element of plant food, nitrogen. 
These grasses make use of the nitrogen already in the 
soil, and in time this stock gradually becomes de¬ 
pleted. These plants cannot gather nitrogen ; they 
can only use what some other plants have stored up 
for them. It is extremely fortunate for the American 
farmer that he can grow abundantly another class of 
forage plants which restore to the land more nitrogen 
than they take from it. Because the clovers make 
use of the nitrogen of the atmosphere, they are par¬ 
ticularly suited to restore to the soil this element that 
has been exhausted by the grasses through long con¬ 
tinued growth. As a rule, whenever permanent pas¬ 
tures show signs of failure', through lack of fertility, 
new vigor may be introduced, if a slight stand of 
clover can be secured. This, of course, will be of 
short duration, only a year or two at most, unless it 
be White clover ; but this short growth will be suffi¬ 
cient to leave enough nitrogen in the soil to sustain 
the permanent pasture grasses for several years. If 
White clover can be introduced, the benefit will likely 
be more lasting, as this plant is a perennial. 
O 
Canadian horses are being sent to Scotland in such 
large numbers as seriously to affect horse breeding 
in that country. Farmers find it more profitable to 
buy these horses as they come from the steamer, and 
fatten and train them for the city markets. Thus it 
Ls all over the world. As transportation facilities are 
increased, cheap land comes into direct competition 
with that which is more valuable, and the holder of 
the latter must change his methods or lose the race. 
O 
Probably no one can excel a market gardener in 
getting a maximum amount of produce from a given 
amount of land. There is close calculation on every 
hand to keep the soil constantly occupied during every 
day of the growing season, and to force it to its full 
capacity. One of these men was noticed the other 
day going through a field of turnips, pulling out the 
large ones, and leaving the others to continue their 
growth. How many ordinary farmers would consider 
such work profitable ? The comparative values of 
land and labor would probably decide that question. 
The smaller roots left in the ground would make con¬ 
siderable growth before freezing weather. This is 
but a single instance of the many ways in which these 
men work their highly fertilized, valuable land for all 
there is in it. 
O 
BREI/ITIES. 
A Sunday school teacher, one day in his class, 
Discussed the old question—how came it to pass. 
That old father Adam was {?iven a wife 
To comfort his sorrows and brighten his iife. 
And bring Cain and Abel to fill up the crib. 
So Eve was made up of old Adam’s short rib. 
He asked a few questions—“ Who, children, was Eve ? ” 
A little boy said, “Adam’s wife, I believe!” 
“ And what was she made of ? ” A girl’s feeble tone 
Piped in with the answer, “ Of Adam's backbone! ” 
We often have wondered, when men shrunk away 
From duty and let evil carry the day. 
Just when Adam’s backbone was killed by the frost. 
But now we well know that it never was lost. 
The women folks carry it solid and sound. 
And though men may shirk, their backbone will be found. 
In mother or sister or sweetheart or wife. 
To stand for the honor and justice of life. 
Keep both eyes on the self-satisfied man. 
Can’t keep him down ! He who never let’s up! 
Too much story telling causes many a chat tell mortgage. 
Don’t spend all your time looking out for frauds. Look in now 
and then. 
When you forget to sign your name to a letter, you assign your 
right to an answer. 
Remember, we give you fair warning about that new plum in¬ 
sect this week, page 711. 
Do you dread the winter? Why? Can’t you rub out that dread 
before cold really sets in? 
A CROSS of hydraulic ram on that unused brook will produce a 
good water crop at the barn. 
What would be the effect on the crop, of holding up potato vines 
on wires and trellises? Who have tried it? 
D We want all the information we can get about the wisdom and 
economy of feeding linseed to horses—page 723. 
Buy every farmer a bicycle and you would soon hear a perfect 
roar for good roads. Who know'S a cheaper way? 
One thing we want to know is whether a feed mill on the farm 
will prepare the grain for stock as well as the miller can. 
At the Cincinnati garbage furnace ashes are sold at $8 per ton 
for fertilizer. Such ashes with the analysis given on page 685 are 
worth at least $10 for fertilizing purposes. 
Mr. Kerr says he has gone far enough to know that he doesn’t 
know anything of the possibilities of “Chemicals and Clover” to 
improve poor lands. That’s a good start. 
The Agricultural Department is experimenting with the fiber of 
the Fiorida pineapple. If this fiber can be properly extracted, it 
can be woven or spun into a great variety of fabrics. 
We regret to learn of the death of A. L. Crosby, of Maryland 
who died October 25. Mr. Crosby w'as an educated farmer of great 
ability, and his contributions to agidcultural literature will be 
missed. 
The new tariff bill discriminates against German beet sugar, 
and Germany now proposes to prohibit the importation of Ameri¬ 
can cattle. What about those great “markets of the world” we 
were promised ? 
A LITTLE boy wrote the following as his first attempt at poetry: 
“ Some hens have more sense than mens.” We might add to this, 
“And these same ‘ mens ’ will wear debt’s collars rather than 
change hen sense to dollars.” 
Ex-Govebnob Ben Eaton, of Colorado is a farmer who may ex¬ 
pect to be called upon to pay an income tax. This year he farmed 
95 different farms averaging 160 acres each with crops of potatoes, 
wheat, oats, barley and Alfalfa. 
Samuel Fielding, one of the Chicago anarchists pardoned by the 
Governor of Illinois, has, since he came out of prison, been driv 
ing a beer wagon. He now proposes to become a farmer as he 
says the laboring man has small chance in the cities. 
Notice what Mr. Kerr says about the importance of the clover 
crop. A man can surely afford to raise a crop of wheat and feed 
it to hogs if the wheat wili insure a good stand of clover. That is 
so, but it depends a good deal on what you do with the clover! 
How many years w’ill a dairy cow stand high feeding ? One cor¬ 
respondent says, three. How many do you say ? Is it possible to 
force a cow to produce in three years the butter she would make 
in five under ordinary feeding ? Is a heifer from a forced cow the 
proper one to raise ? 
