THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
765 
THE PROSPECT. 
Tuat is a true and pathetic picture on our first page 
this week. It is made directly from a photograph 
taken in a hill town in New York State. The old 
homestead, built when the country was a wilderness, 
is now falling into decay—a corner of the newer and 
more pretentious farmhouse is seen through the open¬ 
ing. The grandfather of the man sitting on the log, 
built this old house. Here his family of sturdy sons 
and daughters grew up around him. It was home to 
them—they asked nothing better, for here were found 
health and sweet content. Could they come back to¬ 
day, how they would protest against the destruction 
of the old house ! But newer generations have come 
with no veneration for old-time things. They have 
permitted the old house to fall into decay. It is now 
but an eyesore ! Tear it down and cut it up for fire 
wood ! Its seasoned old timbers will roar their pro¬ 
test in the blaze that rushes up the chimney, and that 
will be the last of it. It may be that these old build¬ 
ings have outlived their usefulness, and that it is time 
for them to pass off the scene as their former occu¬ 
pants have done. At the same time we are always 
sorry to see them go. They are monuments of labor 
and faith built when this country was new, and when 
hope was the largest stock in trade that Americans 
could claim. There should be true memories and 
lessons for coming generations in these old-time homes, 
and we count it as one unfortunate indication of the 
time, that young people of the present day can destroy 
these old landmarks with a ruthless hand, and feel no 
reverence for those who erected them. The “new” is 
but a revised edition of the “old”—let us never forget 
that we have obligations to the past that cannot be 
shirked. 
o 
We are continually receiving inquiries from readers 
who “ want to know you know,” where to buy fruit 
and ornamental trees and vines, small fruit plants, 
garden and field seeds, etc. All such inquirers will 
save themselves time and trouble by writing directly 
to the nurserymen and seedsmen who are almost con¬ 
stantly advertising in the columns of The R. N.-Y. 
All reputable seedsmen sell all or nearly all, the old 
standard varieties of garden, field, and flower seeds. 
The same is true with regard to the nurserymen who 
deal in almost everything that has been introduced 
for any length of time. Novelties of recent introduc¬ 
tion are generally found at only a few places. All 
these firms send catalogues which tell about the 
different varieties, methods of culture, and which also 
give much other valuable information. They are well 
worth studying for the information they contain. 
Send for them. About all we could do in most cases 
would be to refer you to some of these firms. 
Q 
Appi.es appear to have been a heavier crop than 
was anticipated. Still there will probably be no more 
than enough to supply the home and foreign demand. 
Just now, the receipts have been heavy, as shippers 
have been rushing in the fruit to get it off their hands. 
As a consequence, the market has been dull on all but 
the best. Some dealers .say that prices will be better 
a little later, after the rush is over, while others say 
that the Florida orange crop, which is beginning to 
arrive, will tend to depress apple prices. More can be 
made by shippers by better grading and packing than 
in any other way. At least half the apples that 
are sent to this market, should never have been sent. 
Better make them into evaporated stock. The latter 
is looking up a little on account of an increased ex¬ 
port demand. Somewhat higher prices are realized, 
and the general tone of the market is much better. 
It isn’t likely that any extreme prices will be realized, 
for either fresh or dried fruit, but the prospect is good 
for a good, steady demand, at fair prices. 
0 
The inventive genius of man is constantly at work 
devising means for conducing to his comfort and 
happiness. Marvelous achievements in the past are 
continually being eclipsed by more marvelous ones. 
In the matter of railroad travel, wonders have been 
accomplished; but the end is not yet. Nothing is 
thought now of a train which goes at the rate of 50 
or 60 miles an hour, while that speed is often ex¬ 
ceeded for short distances. But the increased speed 
means increased dapger, and appliances for guarding 
against accidents have not kept pace with the need 
therefor. A recent invention was tested the other 
day, which gave warning in the cab of the engine of 
the approach of a train miles away, of an open 
switch, of a car partly on the track, thus obstructing 
it, and of an iron wire across the track. It is also 
claimed that under certain conditions, one moving 
train can signal to another on the same track. It 
would seem that the possibilities of this invention are 
enormous, and that by means of it, and of inevitable 
improvements, a large part of the causes of railroad 
accidents may be overcome. As it is, the railroad is 
the safest means of travel in the world, and far less 
people are injured and killed, in px’oportion to the 
number carried, than among those who travel by 
wagon. This proportion is likely to be still further 
reduced. 
O 
The wholesale Thanksgiving market is nearly over 
as we go to press. An extra demand is created in all 
articles of food supply, but more particularly in poul¬ 
try. This always produces an extra supply, but the 
probability is that this year, the latter will far ex¬ 
ceed the former. Receipts up to this time are far in 
excess of those of last year, while the heaviest ship¬ 
ments do not arrive until Monday. Much stock which 
has already arrived, is in poor condition, having been 
shipped dry packed where the weather was cold, but 
finding wai’m and unfavorable weather on arrival 
here. Prospects are that only moderate prices will 
be realized for the best stock, while poor will hardly 
sell for enough to pay expenses. As for live poultry, 
the market is already flat, and prices are ridiculously 
low. Though bad for shippers, these conditions are 
good for consumers. 
O 
As a result of many experiments with feeding lay¬ 
ing hens, authorities seem to agree that a ration con¬ 
taining about twice as much of the fat-formers as of 
muscle-makers gives best results. The difiiculty is 
that some hens in the flock lay more than others, and 
their individual characteristics interfere with the 
application of fixed rules. For fattening hens, the 
ration should be about six times as much fat-formers 
as mu.scle-makers. The fact that the food of laying 
hens consists of so large a variety—animal, vegetable 
and mineral—renders it impossible to formulate a 
table of foods. As long as they are fed together, 
instead of separately, the non-laying hen will receive 
the same food as the producing bird, and will conse¬ 
quently fatten instead of appropriating the food to 
eggs. Hence, owing to these individual peculiarities, 
the balanced ration is fixed at one to two, which 
approaches very nearly the composition of the egg. 
This difference in the feeding capacity of different 
individuals is found in herds of cows as well as in 
flocks of hens. It is quite likely that two cows, 
standing side by side in the same barn, might with 
profit be fed widely different rations, but it does not 
follow that the .saving would be great enough to pay 
for the labor and time required to mix and feed special 
messes for each one. 
G 
The R. N.-Y. has always favored progress, either 
with a large or small p. VVe believe that progress is 
one great essential of life. What are we living for 
if not to improve and make our small portion of the 
world better, because we have lived in it ? We have 
always regarded laziness as a bar to progress—in fact, 
we have considered it a disease to be overcome by a 
good dose of strong will. It is possible we have been 
wrong in thi.s—the following note from Connecticut 
would indicate it: 
Give lazine.ss its due. It lias probably fathered as many inven. 
tions as necessity has mothered. It has been an uplifting force in 
that it has influenced men to turn from dependence upon mere 
brawn, to the higher art of living by their wits, which latter 
method is legitimate under certain restrictions. A dairyman 
whose cream was raised by the coid, deep setting process, di.s- 
liked to feed ice-cold skim-milk to calves in winter, and also dis¬ 
liked the trouble of rewarming the milk. He overcame the difficulty 
by setting the vessel of milk into the ensila ge 12 hours in advance 
of feeding, and it was there warmed properly for the calf. Now 
he is studying how his water can be softened by throwing around 
the tank in the stable the ensilage for the next d.ay’s feed. 
Very well, let us be just to the lazy man. Let us even 
call him a public benefactor if his aversion to moving 
his bodily muscles, forces him to make his mind do 
double duty. The trouble lies in the example he sets. 
Such a man is only half lazy—his mind is active 
enough ; but those who see how comfortably he gets 
along, will fail to see that, and will become lazy in 
body without the mental ability to make up for it. 
Of such are “croakers” made. 
Q 
A FRIEND writes that he would like to see one 
change made in The R. N.-Y. He would like to see 
the “ Humorous Column expunged,” and the same 
space filled with selections from the Bible. VVe are 
very glad that he finds only one thing that he wishes 
changed. This is very encouraging. But we see no 
reason for omitting the few humorous items which 
we have been in the habit of printing from week to 
week. These have come to be an established feature 
of the paper. We would like to make them much 
better than they are. This friend writes that he has 
a family of 10 children, and is anxio»s to exclude 
“foolish, useless, or pernicious” literature from their 
hands. From his letter, we infer that he classes the 
items in question under this heading. We are not 
prepared to admit that either one of these terms ap¬ 
plies to them, and our readers will bear us witness 
that nothing appears in The R. N.-Y. to which the 
last applies. The editors of The R. N.-Y. believe in 
the teachings of the Bible. They find there the texts, 
“ A merry heart doeth good like a medicine,” “ A 
merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance,” “ He 
that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast,” 
“ A time to laugh,” and “a time to dance,” etc. Any¬ 
thing “ useless, foolish or pernicious” in these ? The 
late lamented Oliver Wendell Holmes, one of the 
most lovable and kindliest hearted of men, said, 
“ Humor is a mingling of wit and love.” A celebrated 
I). I), has written a book on “ Wit and Humor of the 
Bible.” He shows that wit and humor have their 
origin in ennobling emotions, and have been used in 
all literatures for the highest purposes. One com¬ 
mentary on this book says that it is “ scholarly, rever¬ 
ent, and full of suggestion.” True wit and humor 
are never coarse, and have their true place in all 
literature. 
O 
The following note from a Michigan subscriber 
calls attention to two matters, which we deem of 
great public importance : 
I heartily wi.sh that the tariff question could be put in chargre of 
a commission, and removed from the see-sawing', up and down 
maneuvers of the great political parties. Then, perhaps, great 
moral questions, such as the liquor trattic and its terrible in¬ 
fluence for evil, might be taken up in earnest, and not Ignored 
and shunned as they are now. As to the price of bread, here is a 
pointer in the right direction. According to an advex-tisement in 
the Elmira Advertiser (New York), the Elmirit steam bakery 
oft'ei's “ nice fi-esh bread ” at the rate of “two pounds for a nickel.” 
Is not such an offer a public blessing ? Why not do the same in 
all our cities ? 
We wish, indeed, that a tariff commission could be 
appointed to handle this vexed question and settle it. 
The present method of deciding the rates of duties 
is wrong and unsatisfactory. It affords the best pos¬ 
sible opportunity for monopolies and favored interests 
to secure more than their share of tariff advantage. 
A commission to settle these questions, as the Supreme 
Court settles questions of law, would, in our opinion, 
be far more satisfactory than the present method by 
which a fully satisfactory tariff bill has never been 
devised. As to the price of bread—one chief reason 
why the loaf has held its piuce, though flour has fallen 
nearly one-half, is that the trade in the large cities is 
practically controlled by Unions or Trusts, which, by 
working in concert, are able to keep up the price of 
bi’ead. Those who are willing to make a fair price, 
are outsiders or “ scabs,” and will be forced or bought 
out of the business. This is the meanest illustration 
yet given of the power of a monopoly to dictate 
prices. 
BUS/NESS B/TS. 
The Praii’le State incubatoi* has demonstrated its merit many 
times over, and has friends by the score. Illusti-ated catalogue 
free, fi-om Prairie State Incubator Co., Homer City, Pa. 
We think that those old salt kettles would be must useful things 
on the farm. Thei-e ai’e so many uses for them. A. H. Crawford, 
Liverpool, N. Y., tells more about them in his little advertisement. 
Those who liave sugar orchards, know the value of a good sap 
spout. The double-tin spout made by Record Mfg. Co., Con- 
neaut, O., is good and cheap. You can have a sample by writing 
for it. Better get it now, and if you want more, have them in time. 
Evehy one who is out nights, should have a driving lamp at¬ 
tached to his wagon, and evei-y one is out nights who drives at all. 
R. E. Dietz Co., 60 Laight Sti-eet, New York, make the best lamp for 
the purpose. Every milk wagon as well as pleasure wagon, should 
have one. 
Eveky farm should have a workshop, and no farm workshop is 
complete without power of some kind. Even where steam is used, 
foot power comes in handy. The Seneca Falls Mfg. Co., Seneca 
Falls, N. Y., mamifacture an excellent foot power, and kindi'ed 
laboi'-saving machinery. The catalogue is free. 
The Cutaway Hai-i-ow Co., Higganum, Conn., have evidently got 
something new in what they call a Revolving plow. We have not 
seen it yet, anti know nothing of its merits beyond the fact that it 
is put on the market by a Arm with a reputation for flrst-class 
goods. Better send and get their descriptive cii’culars. We will 
have more about it later. 
Interest the children at home. Make home pleasant for them, 
and teach them to entei-tain each other. Pleasing games help in 
this, and the older ones can join them with profit. We are led to 
these remarks just now by the card of Game of States in this issue. 
Tlxis is an instructive and entei-taining game. The Greenfield 
Novelty Co., Greenfield, Mass., send it for 25 cents, or we will mail 
it free for one new yearly subscription. 
The trxxe “ balanced ration ” for a laying hen is about one part 
of muscle-makers to two pai'ts of fat-formers. This is based on 
about the composition of an egg aside from its water. A hen must 
have “ bulk ” along with this strong combination, and we know 
that grain alone will not enable us to give a proportion of one to 
two. How can we get it, then ? There is only one way, and that 
is to feed enough meat and bone to give the right amount of mus- 
cle-makei's, even when mixed with bulky foods like potatoes or 
gi-een food. In summer, the hen gets her “ meat ” in the form of 
insects—in winter it must be supplied in other forms. One of the 
vei’y best of these forms is the famous “ Animal Meal,” supplied 
by the Bowker Fertilizer Co., Boston, Mass. This gives you the 
mu.scle-makers in a condensed dry powder, -which you can mix 
with soft food to give just the propox’tion you need. By all means, 
send and get a pamphlet describing this product. 
In buying a sawmill, as in purchasing any other piece of ma- 
chinei-y, the purchaser should be sui-e of the house with which he 
is about to deal, and should look carefully into the merits of the 
machine. There is necessai'ily con.siderable strain on a sawmill, 
and weak or faulty parts are likely to give out, with the results of 
expensive repairs and lost time. Another consideration is that of 
being able to set the timber exactly as desired, and thus avoid 
dockage. Then the feed shoxild be under ixerfect control. These 
are some of the points that are to be considered. A. B. Farquhar 
Co., York, Pa., make a mill tnct covers these requirements and 
many others besides. This house has been manufacturing saw¬ 
mills for 30 years, and builds them in seven different sizes. Every 
mill is .set up at their works and tested before being sent out. It is 
one of the vei’y best houses in the country, and any one who buys 
one of their mills, will get the worth of his money and a mill that 
will give satisfaction. 
