4 o 
tHE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
THE 
Rural New-Yorker. 
THE BUSINESS FARMERS' PAPER 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850. Copyrighted 1895 
Elbert S. Carman, Editor-in-Chief. 
Herbert W. Collingwood, Managing Editor. 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
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able 10 THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
Corner Chambers and Pearl Streets, New York. 
SATURDAY. JANUARY 19, 1895. 
A number of farmers in a western New York town, 
and perhaps others in other places, it is said, will 
shortly he called upon to pay notes of $25 each, which 
were given to a prepossessing young man who was 
selling a new kind of oats in small quantities. Of 
course, the farmers didn't sign any notes, but equally 
of course, their signatures are now appended to these, 
and they will be obliged to pay them. The moral is 
as plain as the names on the notes. 
Q 
A great scientist has been studying the effects of 
extreme cold on the human system. Well wrapped in 
furs, he submitted himself to an artificial cold of 
nearly 100 degrees below zero. Perhaps the most 
striking fact of this unique experience was that ex¬ 
treme cold brought on a feeling of hunger. The ex¬ 
planation is, that the body naturally consumes more 
and more of the food as fuel when subjected to cold. 
One does not need to imitate this scientist to learn 
that. Go out and measure the appetite of that cow 
tied fast beside a crack in the wall, or as a more touch¬ 
ing illustration, keep accounts and measure the hole 
she makes in your profits. 
O 
In the winter of 1879 the fruit farming industry in 
the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg was nearly ruined. 
It seems strange to us to be told that the local legis¬ 
lature of the Grand Duchy voted subsidies to farmers 
who planted a fixed number of trees. In other words, 
the government paid farmers a bounty to reestablish 
their business. On page 34, a farmer in Ohio tells us 
that he has been driven out of profitable farming by 
the removal of the duty on wool. We are going to try 
to find out what other Ohio farmers have to say about 
that. We wonder if there is any large class of citi¬ 
zens who think the government should help such a 
farmer by paying him a bounty. 
Q 
“Some of the produce we get sells itself, and we 
hardly know that we have had it,” said a prominent 
commission merchant the other day. “It comes from 
men who have been sending us goods for years ; their 
produce is always good and comes in excellent shape, 
and we have customers all ready to take it. Such 
shippers get prices that satisfy them, and they have 
made money. Put there are others who send stuff 
that it takes mighty hard work by a good salesman to 
sell. Such are not suited, don’t make any money, and 
no one cares to receive their shipments.” To which 
class do you belong ? It is easy to “ get out of your 
class” isn’t it ? “Yes” to go down, but “no” to get up. 
O 
The question raised by Mr. Watson, on page 34, is 
an important one. We do not think any general 
answer can be given to it, as much will depend on the 
conditions and the character and judgment of the 
borrower. No money can be made without some risk. 
Most American fortunes, large and small, have been 
made on borrowed capital. Money was borrowed, with 
other forms of property given as security. With this 
borrowed cash, an investment was made in the hope 
that by applying skill and care to the property pur¬ 
chased, it would so increase, both in value and earn¬ 
ing capacity, that its proceeds would enable the bor¬ 
rower to pay the debt and lay something aside. This 
is done in other trades—why not in farming ? If for 
cash one may buy a contrivance that will enable him 
to accomplish more and better work than he could 
without it, why not borrow the cash as a good invest¬ 
ment ? What are the flaws in that logic ? The device 
may not do in real practice what it promised to do in 
the theory, or the man who was to manage it may not 
do his duty. Put what do you say about it ? 
O 
We don’t know how the people with poor teeth will 
take our suggestion that soups, stews and cereals, are 
more in line with their needs than hard foods that 
need chewing. Our point is that the work done by the 
teeth and jaws is a very necessary part of digestion. 
If this work cannot be done in the mouth, it must be 
done over the stove or in the stomach. The former 
plan is cheaper and less painful. Loss of the teeth 
often means a serious loss of health, because extra 
work is thrown upon the stomach. The stove is 
tougher than the stomach, and the poor teeth should 
be reenforced by extra and more careful cooking. 
O 
A reader in Tompkins County, N. Y., sends us the 
following note : 
The farmers in this part of the State have been discussing the 
advisability of abolishing some of the commissions which we have 
at present, as they are altogether too expensive for the work done. 
At their last meeting, our farmers’ club appointed a committee 
to investigate the matter, and report such resolutions as seemed 
best to be forwarded to our Member of Assembly. I would be 
pleased to receive any suggestion The R. N.-Y. can give as to 
which, if any, of these commissions should be retained. 
In a matter of this kind, no offhand answer can be 
given. We shall endeavor to secure a list of the State 
commissions, with the moneys appropriated for them. 
If any of our readers have knowledge and opinions on 
this subject, we shall be pleased to have them help us 
with suggestions. 
O 
Four years ago, Mr. John A. McGlinchey, of Ohio, 
wrote us about an experiment in treating black-knot 
with kerosene. On a badly infested tree, he touched 
the knots with a brush dipped in kerosene, taking 
care not to let the oil spread or run down over the 
surrounding bark. Mr. McGlinchey now writes the 
following : 
My plum trees treated for black-knot five years ago by touching 
the knots with coal oil, are still free from the disease. The scars 
on the bodies nearly all healed over. Oil must not run down. 
A friend in Vermont reports good results from the use 
of iodine in much the same way. We once collected 
the opinions of a number of experts on this matter. 
They seemed to agree that the plan might be useful 
on a small scale, but was not practical for large 
culture. 
O 
On page 38, a friend takes the ground that the best 
system of soiling cattle will include summer ensilage. 
While it is possible to secure a succession of green 
crops through the summer by growing many kinds, 
and giving a succession of plantings—much the same 
results would be reached with less labor by feeding 
good corn or clover ensilage during the dry months. 
This is what Mr. E. H. Bancroft, of Delaware, does. 
Ilis silos are filled with Crimson clover in May, and 
the cattle thrive on this during summer. In the fall, 
the same silos are again filled with corn and cow peas 
for winter feeding. There is much truth in the claim 
that such a system is less laborious and about as sat¬ 
isfactory for the cows as that of cutting green crops 
in the field and hauling them to the barn for feeding. 
W 
Mr. Clark Allis of Orleans County, N. Y., has the 
smartest Crimson clover yet recorded. At 9 A. m. Sep¬ 
tember 7 he sowed the seed in well prepared soil, and 28 
hours later the plants were apparent above ground. 
The weather was very warm and rainy and the soil 
was good. Mr. Allis is the man who sold one hothouse 
lamb for $10 and two more at $9.50 each about Christ¬ 
mas. The sheep must have been pastured on that lively 
Crimson clover ! Mr. Allis grows a good many beans. 
When the beans are off, the ground is dragged with a 
spring-tooth harrow, and rye or Crimson clover sowed. 
This gives fall pasture for the sheep and a crop to 
plow under in the spring. Speaking of “hard times” 
business, here is a bit of philosophy : 
As a commercial traveler said about the hard times, it was the 
new goods and the old liars that made sales this year. So it 
must be in farming, the men with something new will get there. 
That is so—they will surely beat the “old liars” in 
the long run, though some of the latter have a long 
start. 
O 
A county noted for beans is Orleans County, N. Y. 
The industry which has assumed great proportions, 
like many other great enterprises, had a very humble 
beginning. The first beans are said to have been 
planted in 1836, by a farmer who brought a small 
quantity of seed from the eastern part of the State. 
The product of the first planting was three pecks, and 
these were divided among the different neighbors. In 
1838, the immense area of two acres was planted by 
one man, and the product was sold for $1.75 per 
bushel. In a short time afterward, the crop became 
general, and has ever since been regarded as a staple 
crop of that part of the State. It is estimated that 
since 1880, the average annual yield of this county 
alone, has been 375,000 bushels. This shows what 
may be accomplished when to a favorable soil and 
climate, are added persevering and intelligent effort. 
How many of these growers include beans largely in 
their diet ? 
O 
From the tone of a number of questions at hand, 
we judge that some persons who do not believe in 
silos, would like very much to prove that the use of 
ensilage has been chiefly responsible for the prevalence 
of tuberculosis in cattle. We think it would be just 
as difficult to show that the increase of consumption 
in human beings is chiefly due to the general use of 
canned goods. A Massachusetts farmer writes the 
following about the experience of a rich man who 
built a $20,000 barn : 
He built five cellars under the whole, so that hardly a rat could 
get in; then he bought 100 hogs of a fine breed, and put them into 
the cellar, and over that he put 120 cattle, fine breed. Over his 
cattle he had more than 250 tons of hay, in the cellar he had some 
500 loads of manure, and on top of this pile of manure I could see 
the hogs seeking whatever they could find to devour. In the fall, 
the cellar was closed and not opened until spring. He had in less 
than six years plenty of ground to dig and fill with tuberculous 
cattle. 
The tight manure cellar beats the silo as a disease 
breeder, ten to one ! 
o 
BREVITIES. 
(SEE first page.) 
Let others loaf about the stove, and roast their feet the while 
Their women folks scold at the wood—I’d rather see ’em smile. 
So out I hie me to the block, and with my ax and saw, 
Proceed to manufacture that which dulls the teeth of “jaw.” 
You broken-down old apple tree—a pimple on the nose 
Of Nature—and you broken fence disheartened from the blows 
Of winter, and you useless rail—I’ll have you ’round no more. 
Too long your grinning face has made the eyes of passers sore. 
And as I chop you short and fine, and pack you in the shed, 
The blessings of my women folks will hover ’round my head. 
And, in imagination, I can estimate the cake 
And pie and pudding, sauce and bread that my good wife will bake 
From this old rubbish, after I have chopped it up complete, 
And in the woodhouse dried it out to concentrated heat. 
So fare ye well, old eyesore trash ! I’ll wipe you from the earth. 
Within the stove, full many meals will bless you at their birth. 
And kitchen life shall be for me a long and pleasing rhyme. 
The dinner horn, like Gabriel’s trump, will surely blow on time. 
Hogs need charcoal. 
A stitch ahead of time saves 10. 
Sunflowers for a feather food—page 47. 
Stand up and be counted where you belong. 
Stamp doubt, and the blues are stamped out. 
Zero is the “ bust ” measure for Florida oranges. 
The business when —when do you begin to do better ? 
Should politics come within the range of the Grange ? 
Beans better than ballots—page 46. Don’t you think so ? 
“ What next ? ” page 34. There is a study for Ohio farmers. 
Your wife won’t be jealous if you fall in love with Miss Clover. 
Taking stock—the scrubs. They take your food and give you 
nothing back. 
What evener will make wife, husband and mother-in-law pull 
together ? There is one. 
In the science of egg production, the hen is the lay man and the 
surplus rooster the lame ’un. 
“ Spontaneous compensation !” What the farmer is not likely 
to get for his tuberculous cows. 
Better not invest much money in improved chestnuts in locali¬ 
ties where wild chestnuts are not found in the woods. 
We wonder if you realize the difference between knowledge that 
grows from an opinion, and an opinion that grows from knowl¬ 
edge. 
A Bourbon is one who does not know how to forget. Scientific 
men are not often Bourbons. They forget what it is to be ignor¬ 
ant of the first principles of a thing. 
We are glad to have Prof. Tracy give us the bright side of 
artichoke culture, page 38. Our own experience has not been so 
satisfactory. Let us hear from others. 
Among the advantages enjoyed by Argentine as a wheat export¬ 
ing nation, is the fact that the wheat fields are within 100 miles of 
the seaboard. No great railroad fees to pay. 
No man can “ whip the devil ’round a stump ” unless he pro¬ 
vides the stump by neglecting to blow out some old habit or evil 
desire. That is just what the devil likes to hide behind. 
Lots of farmers in this country have never believed that horses 
can be kept without corn. It is worth the whole of “ Primer 
Science ” to see some of them get the first inkling of the truth 
about feeding. 
These are sad times for many farmers in the West, where 
drought and scarcity of cash have brought the wolf to the door. 
Even where grain or stock are on hand, it is often impossible to 
exchange them for money with which to buy the necessities of 
life. 
In former New England days, they used to teach the boys to 
throw the cores of theiixapples into the swill barrel, rather than 
into the fire. That taught them to hate wastes, and enabled New 
England to lend money to the rest of the country. Many of those 
who sneer at that practice, would not invest capital in a swill 
barrel ! 
Speaking of the values of starch and fats for food, our friend, 
page 46, refers to the Chinese and their diet of rice. These Chinese 
are making but a sorry showing against the Japanese. While the 
latter are not large eaters of meat, they consume fish largely and 
also large quantities of vegetable muscle-makers in the form of 
beans and other legumes. 
The R. N.-Y. would never feed over three pounds of cotton-seed 
meal per day to one cow, and none at all unless some laxative 
food were fed with it. We hear of people who feed four or five 
pounds, but they are like the people who grow over 600 bushels of 
potatoes per acre—very few and a long way apart Besides that 
the cows seldom live to prove it. 
