9o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
February 9 
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. Coli.ingwood, Managing Editor. 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
SUBSCRIPTIONS. 
PRICE, ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.04, equal to 
8 s. 6d., or 8% marks, or 10% francs. 
ADVERTISING RATES. 
Thirty cents per agate line (14 lines to the inch). Yearly orders 
of 10 or more lines, and 1,000-line orders, 26 cents per line. 
Reading Notices, ending with “ Adv .,” 75 cents per 
count line. Absolutely One Price Only. 
Advertisements inserted only for responsible and honorable houses 
Be sure that the name and address of sender, with name of Post- 
office and State, and what 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- 
able 10 THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
Corner Chambers and Pearl Streets, New York. 
SATURDAY. FEBRUARY 9, 1895. 
A GOOD point is made about ice and strawberries on 
page 83. There will be few to say that the writer 
doesn’t give facts. By the way, the time to begin that 
combination is not when the berries are ready to ship, 
but when the ice is thick enough to put under shelter. 
Hope you have it already in sawdust. 
G 
The first answer to that Ohio farmer who wanted to 
know “what to do next” since the wool tariff has 
been removed, is found on page 88. The answer is— 
get back into sheep of a better quality. Other 
answers will follow. Remember that The R. N.-Y. 
does not indorse all that these men say. We just pro¬ 
vide a place for them to say it. 
O 
The Sixth Annual Exhibition of the New York 
Poultry and Pigeon Association is in progress at Madi¬ 
son Square Garden as we go to press. In number of 
entries, and quality of exhibits, it exceeds anything 
of the kind ever before held. The most noted breeders 
of the country are represented by their finest fowls 
and pigeons. Several incubators and brooders are in 
operation, and there is a fine showing of eggs and 
dressed poultry. The poultry business is not suffer¬ 
ing from depression judging from this exhibition. 
G 
Here is a whole sermon in a few words from a New 
York State subscriber : 
I grew five acres of roots on purpose to ship to the Pittsburgh 
market, but that market did not want stump-rooted carrots, and 
mine were all that kind. Had I known that the market required 
the Danvers Half-long, and sowed that kind, I would have re¬ 
ceived $300 more for my roots. 
The cost of a day spent in Pittsburgh finding out just 
what was wanted in that market, might have been $o. 
A fair investment that will put hindsight in the place 
of foresight, always pays. 
G 
The season during which game may be legally sold 
in this market and throughout the State, is closed 
with the exception of snipe, plover and wild ducks, 
which are salable until May 1. The season for killing 
grouse, woodcock, partridge and quail expired Decem¬ 
ber 31, but dealers were allowed until January 31 to 
dispose of those on hand. Shippers should bear these 
facts in mind. Only last week a commission man re¬ 
ceived a lot of quail and rabbits from a Western State, 
three weeks after the latter were outlawed. He was 
liable to a heavy fine for simply having them in his 
possession, so had to smuggle them out of sight, and 
give them away to any one who would take them. 
No one should ship such things without knowing the 
conditions in the markets to which they purpose ship¬ 
ping.. 
G 
The Cornell Experiment Station is conducting a 
series of horticultural schools in the Fifth Judicial 
District of New York. The first one was held at 
Fredonia, Chautauqua County, and was a great success. 
These meetings are not like an ordinary farmers’ in¬ 
stitute—they are just like the lectures and recitations 
in a class at college. A few topics are taken up and 
discussed in a simple, yet practical manner. For ex¬ 
ample, at Fredonia, Prof. Bailey gave each member of 
the class a piece of grape vine, and all were asked to 
examine it and see what they could tell about it. They 
had all handled tons of vines in pruning their vine¬ 
yards, yet some of them for the first time began to 
realize the wonders of the little sticks they had in 
their hands. Science taught them in one day to ob¬ 
serve more interesting things about their own busi¬ 
ness, than they had dreamed of in years of practical 
work. The first thing that impressed these farmers 
was that truly scientific men are exact. Scientific 
accuracy will not permit a man to say “ I guess so”— 
or “that’sabout it.” He must give an accurate reason 
for it, or not actually know it. These schools illus¬ 
trate the great value of the study of elementary agri¬ 
culture in our country schools, but they also clearly 
show that too few of our ordinary teachers are com¬ 
petent to teach it. 
G 
The plan of congregating 1,000 hens in one build¬ 
ing, is an economical measure. Instead of 10 scattered 
houses, we have one. It is easy to see that material, 
feed and labor are saved by such a scheme. It is on 
the principle of the concentration that has made 
Trusts effective. Mr. Woodward has told us about 
keeping 1,000 lambs in one building, and great dairy 
barns are built to hold 500 or more cattle. Why not 
condensed poultry feeding as well ? Are birds more 
liable to disease ? Is the risk greater with them ? 
Can any one provide comfortable shelter for 1,000 hens 
cheaper than Mr. Stevenson figures it out? In what 
other way can one man give good care to 1,000 hens ; 
and cannot that number be increased ? As a rule, 
poultry authorities advocate small scattered build¬ 
ings. We would like to know why ? 
G 
It is a rare thing to pick up a seed catalogue now¬ 
adays without reading an account of some marvelous 
new fodder plant that is going to revolutionize stock 
feeding in short order. How and why is that done 
year after year, and why do we not hear that these 
wonderful plants have driven our old-fashioned grasses 
and grains out of the back door ? Suppose a man sees 
this advertisement by Blowhard & Wind: 
2,000 LBS. OF BUTTER FROM ONE ACRE 
CAN BE PRODUCED BY FEEDING A CROP OP 
yr’Leguminicus Peasepod-^ 
THE WONDERFUL NEW FORAGE PLANT. 
That is just what John Smith has been hunting for, 
and he sends 25 cents for a “sample packet.” He re¬ 
ceives two dozen ordinary peas. Of course he de¬ 
nounces Blowhard & Wind as frauds, but they can 
make this logical defense: Peter Brown makes a 
sworn statement that on one square rod of ground, 
he grew a certain weight of peas—therefore he can 
grow 160 times as many on one acre. Prof. Johnson 
says that weight of peas will contain so many pounds 
of muscle-makers, fat-formers and fat. Prof. Jackson 
declares that if this be fed in a “ balanced ration ” to 
the best dairy cows, it will produce 2,000 pounds of but¬ 
ter. There you have logic and science to silence J ohn 
Smith’s claim of fraud. It is all based on sworn state¬ 
ments and undoubted science except the if, and J ohn 
Smith is a pretty man not to be able to supply two 
little letters like that. Without meaning to do so, 
Blowhard & Wind teach a good lesson in their adver¬ 
tisement. It is a good deal wiser to spend your money 
trying to increase the yield of the good old-time 
plants, than to expect wonderful results from these 
“ novelties.” 
O 
Mr. S. S. Bailey who, in this issue, tells us of his 
success with irrigation, is one of the most remarkable 
farmers in the West. An old pioneer, he settled on 
his present farm half a century ago, and last fall cele¬ 
brated the anniversary of his goldeD wedding. His 
long years of service as a successful farmer, will give 
additional value to what he says of irrigation. He 
waited until he had actual facts and experience to 
present, before telling about his plan. We are much 
pleased that he sent this account to us for publication, 
because he says, “ I consider The R. N.-Y. the model 
farm paper of America.” In further explanation of 
his plan, M r. Bailey says : 
I carry the water in ditches to the main distributing ditches, 
and thence in furrows from the main ditches between rows of 
corn, cabbage, berries, etc. I take the water from the main 
ditches and use it from day to day where most needed, some days 
on one end of the field, other days in the middle or other end. 
Where the soil is very porous, or has much muck in it, much is 
done by the seepage of the water. The water is not run over the 
surface, but into deep furrows and held there till the soil is well 
wet. 
And now, what about the thousands of brooks run¬ 
ning through our farms to the large streams or lakes ? 
It took a long time to show farmers the waste and 
folly of draining the barnyard into these streams. 
Some of them seem hardly to have learned it yet. It 
should not now be so hard to convince farmers that 
the water in that stream is wasted when it runs un¬ 
obstructed past fields on which plants are dying from 
thirst. To dam a stream is to bless the field below 
the head of the water. Have you such a stream ? 
Have you forgotten last year’s drought ? 
Mr. J. S. Woodward on the opposite page, makes a 
suggestion regarding a change in the law governing 
the New York Agricultural Department. Much the 
same plan was submitted some months ago, but at 
that time no change was possible. Now is the time, 
if ever, to try to make this department more effective, 
and we want the opinion of farmers as to the wisdom 
of Mr. Woodward’s plan. There is one thing that 
must be considered : It is always hard to get a non- 
salaried Board of men busy with private occupations, 
to give the necessary time and attention to public 
matters. 
G 
That letter from the Indiana farmer on page 85 
represents the thoughts of many at this time. The 
low prices for grains and meats have forced large 
farmers to consider the advantage of growing a large 
vegetable crop on a comparatively small area. Every 
general argument that could be made in favor of a 
creamery will be made in favor of a canning factory, 
and often with more effect because in most localities 
there are persons who are always more ready to rush 
into any new scheme that promises great returns than 
to try to improve old methods or practices. That old 
creamery shark recognizes this fact, and he is abroad 
in the land trying to sell canning outfits at exorbitant 
prices. Our advice is to go easy in such matters. Try 
some crop like sweet corn, with which you are famil¬ 
iar, first, and gradually pick up tomatoes and other 
things you don’t know so much about. Above all, be 
sure the canning factory is reliable, before you begin. 
G 
BREVITIES. 
Get a balance in the ration of the food you feed your head ; 
Don’t let stomach get the benefit alone. 
Just remember that the brain is made of what you think and read, 
Feed a balance if you’d give it strength and tone. 
There’s a patient, faithful worker on the inside of your skull, 
And he needs good food to keep him at his task, 
Over-dosed with mental fat he'll turnup drowsy, dead and dull, 
Like the powder in a wetted powder flask. 
Read the thoughts of mental giants who have molded history. 
Let the words of addle-witted men alone. 
Read the strong and burning messages that set the bondman free, 
Read the hope that drove the tyrant from his throne. 
Be that tyrant man or habit—’tis the food you feed your brain, 
’Tis the thinking and the planning that shall say, 
Whether you or whether tyrant, be degraded with the chain. 
’Tis the ratio of the mind’s work to its play. 
High hillage is bad tillage. 
Is one nest egg enough to deceive a hen ? 
There is a difference between dirt and soil. 
Elbow grease—the “essential oil” of work. 
Who runs the fire department in your house ? 
A “ crank ”—one who first believes theory is fact. 
Why seed with scab after reading Mr. Currier’s article ? 
What’s the object of your life, and what’s it subject to? 
What difference between a circumstance and a “happenstance”? 
“ Whoa !” or “Get up !” Which is your horse better acquainted 
with ? 
The drought cost money—don’t let winter idleness cost you 
more. 
Winter oats are doing well, at least as far north as southern 
New Jersey. 
Put manure on the clover sod for corn. Won’t it leach ? Cer¬ 
tainly, it will leach into the corn crib. 
Jewelry indicates that you are able to steal, borrow, beg or 
earn money. What else is it good for ? 
It won’t cost you a cent to start your tomatoes on Mr. Bacon’s 
plan, and it may bring you in a dollar. 
“All flesh is grass!” Right—and all bone too. That’s why 
bone is a good fertilizer for pastures and meadows. 
A Hereford heifer owned by Queen Victoria, dressed 77% per 
cent of her live weight—the best record of the sort known. 
See what that man did—page 87—who took the dust of his hay 
mow to seed down his lawn ? He seeded fast enough, but oh, what 
seed ! 
Do you notice that we are making you acquainted with a good 
many insects? “ Bugs” play a leading part in your farming. It 
is a good thing to know them. 
One of our advertisers sends us a nice, well-written letter from 
one of our readers who forgot to tell what State he lives in. We 
found him on our list, but—that isn’t business ! 
Within a few hours’ ride of that fearful “Rainbelt” country, one 
may find such a scene as is pictured on our first page ! Water 
did it. Are you wasting water that you might save ? 
Where is the place to select seed corn ? On the stalk ? Why ? 
Because the only way to grow another good ear is to have another 
good stalk. Same with seed potatoes—go to the vine. 
Farmer, know thy soil, let not a single chance put weight upon 
thy toil and keep thee on the dance. Know what thy soil can do, 
down to the hardest pan, let clover roots dig through and lay thy 
profit’s span. 
By making the manure gutter and the manger a little “angling” 
you make one end of the cow’s standing room wider than the 
other. That’s one way to make the larger cows more comfortable 
—put them at the long end. 
On page 82 is given a good device for lifting a carcass for dress¬ 
ing animals. It is held by putting a stick between the hoisting 
rod and the ropes. Don’t get in range of that rod. If the stick 
should slip or break, you might get a blow that would break your 
skull. 
A friend in Indiana writes at the close of an excellent article 
detailing his method of farming : “ Add a few big words—I think 
I have written it in too common language.” That’s just where he 
makes a mistake. We have no “ big words ” to add. They are 
like bullets of dough—flattening on the outside of a man’s head. 
Simple words go in like a rifle ball. 
