732 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
THE 
Rural New-Yorker. 
THE BUSINESS FARMERS' RARER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Establisfied 1850 . Uopyrighled 1804 . 
Elbert S. Carman, Editor-In-Chief. 
Herbert W. CoLLiNowoon, Mana^'inK Editor. 
John J. Dillon, Business Mana«er. 
SL'ltSCIlII’TlONH. 
PKICE, ONE DOLLAll A YEAR. 
To foreig-n countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.04, equal to 
Ss. 6d., or SYt marks, or 10‘A francs. 
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Advertisements Inserted only for resiionsible and honorable houses 
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office and State, and wliat the remittance is for, appear in every 
letter. Money orders and bank drafts on New York are the safest 
means of transmitting money. 
Address all business communications and make all orders pay- 
^ THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
Corner Chambers and Pearl Streets, New York. 
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17, ISfM. 
SuhscribevH Uj The li. N.-Y. iimy lui/ve the remaining 
iHHueH of this year, and the wiwle of 1895, foi' $1.00. 
O 
It is not generally known, we think, that a large 
proportion of the cider consumed in England is of 
American manufacture. The English have just formed 
an association of cider makers, and hope by organiza¬ 
tion to hold their market for Hritish cider. Among 
other schemes proposed, is that of urging loyal 
Hritons to drink English cider instead of foreign beer. 
O 
Most farmers now realize that the liquid manures 
contain some of the most valuable parts of the animal 
excrement. How may they be saved and applied to 
the best advantage ? A tank into which the liquids 
may drain, is often suggested, but Mr. Cottrell, page 
739, shows that this is not easily done. He favors ab¬ 
sorbents for holding the liquids. Who can name a 
suitable pump for such work ? 
O 
Our friend in Louisiana, page 730, corroborates what 
The R. N.-Y. said last week about reducing the co.st 
of growing cotton. The food for mules and workmen 
is a heavy item of expense. If by the use of new for¬ 
age crops like Alfalfa and Crimson clover, both mules 
and hogs may be fed and fattened on the home farm, 
it is easy to see that the expenses of that farm will be 
reduced, and this is probably the most feasible way of 
making any reduction. 
O 
We find an agricultural paper congratulating its 
readers that, as a result of the recent election, the 
price of certain stocks sold in the various New York 
exchanges, went up a few points in value. It is diffi¬ 
cult to imagine how the gamble in these securities can 
benefit the farmer. A rise in the price of wool, wheat, 
butter, cotton or hay, would indicate better returns to 
the producer, but why regard these stock manipula¬ 
tions as indicative of general prosperity. 
It is reported that Cermany intends to establish 
agricultural bureaus at a number of its foreign 
embassies, including Washington. No details of the 
scheme have yet been learned, but it is thought to be 
a duplication of Secretary Morton’s plan of sending 
special agents to certain points to watch legislation 
and to push certain interests. Inasmuch as this plan 
has not met the success that was anticipated, here, it 
will be interesting to know whether the German plan 
will be more successful. 
O 
It has been asserted that the gi*ass of lawns is in¬ 
jured by the continued use of lawn mowers, particu¬ 
larly if the cutting be frequent and close. Cases are 
eited where such injury has been done, without giving 
a reason for the diminished growth, or suggesting a 
remedy. If it be borne in mind that the leaves cor¬ 
respond largely to the respiratory and digestive 
organs of animal life, it is readily seen how necessary 
it is to have a large leaf development, in order to 
secure great development of roots. It has been proved 
by actual trial that grass roots grow largest, strongest 
and most vigorous where the leaves are allowed their 
greatest development. The growth of plants takes 
place through a change in the leaf of the raw mater¬ 
ial absorbed by the root. The crude sap enters the 
plant through the roots, but root growth cannot take 
place by virtue of this sap, until it has been elabor¬ 
ated in the leaf. Stronger growth may be secured 
for the lawn grasses, if the leaves be allowed to attain 
considerable length, sometime during each season. 
On the majority of well kept lawns, however, there is 
no doubt that the vigor of the plants would better be 
kept up by an extra application of fertilizer, than by 
allowing the more natural method of producing strong 
plants and the untidy appearance of tall grass. 
O 
It is said that in France barley is being largely fed 
to horses, being brought from Algiers for that purpose. 
In the southern part of the country, it is used whole 
like oats, in the middle part, it is cru.shed, while in 
the northern part it is cooked. It is fed to heavy 
draft horses, and not to carriage horses. This grain 
is also said to be largely used as horse feed in Turkey, 
Asia Minor, Greece and Arabia, the ordinary ration 
being 12 pounds per day, though sometimes 1.5 to 18 
pounds are given. It is fed without grinding or soaking. 
O 
Read the article on “ Pedigreed potatoes”—page 
726. That is a fair .statement of the time and care 
needed to be sure that your potatoes are of one type, 
and that the true one. We have bought potatoes at a 
high price from which grew vines of at least three 
different varieties—both early and late. They must 
have been mixed in the barrel, and yet they may have 
been taken just as they were dug. The trouble was 
that they were not sorted by the vlnen. If a man 
plant Early Rose, he cannot get another variety from 
that seed. 
O 
After getting so many farmers started with Crim¬ 
son clover this year, we were almost timid about tell¬ 
ing the facts about “ winter oats ” as they thrive at 
the South. In spite of all one can do to urge caution 
in testing a new thing, there are always those who 
rush in pell mell and invest heavily. Then, if the new 
thing prove unsuited to their locality, they blame us, 
forgetting that we did our best to urge experiment first. 
“ Winter oats,” Crimson clover and dozens of other 
new things, are well worth an investigation. They 
may or they may not prove profitable for you. You 
must experiment to find out. The “ finding out” may 
make all the difference between profit and loss. 
O 
We think we have gone far enough in “ The Bal¬ 
anced Ration ” to make clear to any feeder the great 
advantage of clover hay in the dairy, and the folly of 
depending on Timothy for cow food. The silo gives 
Timothy even less room on the dairy farm than it for¬ 
merly had. In most rations, as they are fed at random 
on our farms, there is quite a loss of fat. We need 
more of the muscle-making foods to save this fat ex¬ 
cess. There is nothing cheaper and better for this work 
than clover hay, and we hope to be able to show clearly 
how absolutely necessary clover is in making up the 
cheapest ration. Still another thing learned is the ad¬ 
vantage of weiy/mw/ food. A “forkful’is too indefi¬ 
nite, particularly when you never even weigh a sam¬ 
ple forkful to use as a standard. 
Q 
Corn fodder excited more interest than any, other 
subject, at the recent Iowa Stock Breeders’ Conven¬ 
tion. There was agreement in regard to its value, 
and also that more than ever was saved this fall. 
There was disagreement in regard to the best way to 
save and feed it. Some advocated cutting or shred¬ 
ding, while others maintained that the cheapest cut¬ 
ters and shredders were the jaw's of steers. This may 
be true if the fodder is to be fed outdoors, but cutting 
is advocated for barn feeding, not because it helps the 
cattle in masticating, and will induce them to eat more 
of it, though this is probably true, but because, every¬ 
thing considered, it is a saving of labor. It is a very 
hopeful sign, that these men, the most enterprising 
farmers in the State, have awakened to the importance 
of this feed. May the agitation go on till every farmer 
is moved. Sweet corn fodder, from which the corn had 
been picked for the factory, sold at auction in Jasper 
County for $4.05 an acre, and fodder from field corn 
sold for $5.25 an acre. This probably never happened 
before. The usual price is five cents a shock or about 
$1.10 an acre. 
O 
A WET spot in one field, and stones scattered around 
in another. The hired man’s time is out, and he is 
anxious for a job. Business is not pressing you. 
Make a combination on the above. Drain your fields 
instead of your pocketbook. Stop the lo.ss of a por¬ 
tion of the crop. Do away wdth that feeling of .shame 
which you experience when you figure out the aver¬ 
age yield. Give the faithful man another month’s 
work. Do not look upon it as a task. Save all the 
labor you can. Think of the pleasure it will be to 
you for years to come to look upon the finished field, 
and the doing will become a pleasure also. Make the 
ditch wide and as deep as you can, and retain a good 
outlet. It will drain the land better, and hold more 
stones. Y’ou can dry one field and clear another at 
one operation. The plow can be used to loosen the 
earth for the shovel the first 18 inches. Leave the 
bottom of the ditch rounding, so that the jamb stones 
will not work into the center, and fill up the throat. 
Lay a row on both sides, and cover with fiat stones. 
Lay on another course, and then you can throw them 
from the wagon without doing harm. A wagon-load 
of stones to the rod can be disposed of easily. It is 
much better than to throw them in piles around every 
tree and in the fence corners. “ Out of sight, out of 
mind,” is a saying owners of stony farms can study 
with profit. 
O 
The following letter is from a young man in Massa- 
chu.setts: 
I have a small farm, with a good market near at hand for every¬ 
thing which I can raise. My father was a common farmer as 
many of my neighbors are at present, making a good living and 
that is all. I have not the time or money to attend an agricultural 
school, but I would like some books that I may learn what farming 
really is—some that I can understand, and that treat the subject in 
a good, clear way. 
Now, are there any books on agriculture that will 
really help such a young man ? If so, what are they ? 
This is a very important subject, and we want to keep 
at it until we can select a list of agricultural books 
that we can recommend as really helpful. What books 
have helped you in your farming ? Let the scientists 
be sure to remember that people want books simply 
and clearly written. Drive out the fog from agricul¬ 
tural science. One excellent plan for young people is 
to join one of the reading clubs, which conduct a 
course of reading in agriculture and horticulture. The 
Penn.sylvania Agricultural College conducts such a 
course in an excellent manner. W’e advise those of 
our subscribers who desire such a course, to write to 
Prof. H. J. Waters, State College, Pa. 
O 
BREVITIES. 
What is a fiat? A command, thej’ say. 
In Webster’s dictionary, which, to me. 
Makes all word-tangled meanings clear as day; 
I’m satisfied with that authority. 
A fiat will be backed by every hand 
That strikes for liberty, when freemen know 
That he is true who issues the command. 
No wrong can stand before that mighty blow. 
But when, for lower aims and base desires. 
Mere politicians send their fiat out 
And light the hatred of fierce party fires. 
And, for an argument, give but the shout, 
“ Support ME, Rrn the party's nominee ! " 
Then honest men refuse to pay their tolls. 
But rise up in their strength and majesty 
And say, “ Fie at that fiat," at the polls. 
How many skim-milk cows in your herd? 
Doesn’t your herd need a new coat of male f 
You must shake a man up to fill him full of good. 
Bran is too high—compared with the price of wheat. 
Ever know a snake to catch mice ? Some snakes do it. 
The no-account farmer is the one who doesn’t keep books. 
“ Crops that walk ”—live stock. Crops that talk —cash crops. 
Out of mind but not out of sight—the “ muss ” in your dooryard. 
All things considered, what’s the best covering for a youngster’s 
legs? 
Be sure and read Grundy’s remarks about the little late weeds— 
page 727. 
Mr. Augur says that he can raise potatoes at a cost of $40 an 
acre. Can you do that ? 
New Zealand ships more butter to the English mai'ket than 
either Canada or the United States ! 
“Second-crop Cain.” When your boy imitates your bad habits. 
It’s poisonous for such young stock. 
Cabbage sells at $5 per ton at the Long Island pickle factories. 
That is as low, comparatively, as 40-cent wheat. 
Do you notice how eager feeders are to get hold of pumpkins for 
their stock? You should have grown a good crop of them. 
Some oue with a sweet-scented silo should comment on that arti¬ 
cle-page 739— and tell why ensilage has a bad smell sometimes. 
A FRIEND in New York State says that a man was chased out of 
his field for persisting in hilling up potatoes. A good chase that. 
Why not buy your pure-blood animal now? The extra price 
charged next spring will be far greater than the cost of winter¬ 
ing. You can make a profit on that. 
The Chine.se outnumber the Japanese, 10 to 1, and yet the latter 
drive the former. Why? Organization and skillful discipline. 
How’ else are farmers to make head against the handlers ? 
“ Wheat on the brain, a mortgage on the farm, and a chattel 
mortgage on everything else,” is the way our California friend— 
page 737—pictures the end of the exclusive wheat grower. 
Cotton sells in Liverpool at 6)4 cents a pound—the lowest price 
ever known. No hope for increase, either. What to do about it ? 
Reduce the cost of a pound by growing your supplies at home. 
Returns from the back counties are all in, and it is settled that 
the wife of the man who feeds his crops to scrubs and then re¬ 
fuses to keep them dry and warm, w-ill be elected to wear her old 
dress another year—by a large majority. 
The very day you hear of a garbage crematory near you, go 
and see what you can get the ashes for. Send a sample to the 
State experiment station for analysis. You never will have a 
better chance to obtain a cheap fertilizer. 
The advantage of cooperation in the study of “The Balanced 
Ration,” is quite evident. With many actual rations—just as they 
are fed in your barn, we can have a valuable chance for compari¬ 
son. Weigh one cow’s daily food, and send us the recoi’d. To 
weigh the hay or fodder, run it through the cutter and weigh in a 
box or basket. 
