226 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
March 30 
THE 
Rural New-Yorker. 
THE BUSINESS FARMERS' TAPER 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850. Copyrighted 1895 
Elbkbt S. Cabman, Editor-in-Chief. 
Hebkebt W. Collingwood, 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 8J4 marks, or 10J4 francs. 
ADVERTISING RATES. 
Thirty cents per agate line n 4 lines to the inch). Yearly orders 
of 10 or more lines, and 1,000-line orders, 25 cents per line. 
Reading Notices, ending with “Adv.,” 75 cents per 
count line. Absolutely One Pbice 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, MARCH 30, 1895. 
Mr. Crawford, page 220, tells us just how to grow 
a large crop of strawberries. Few men in the country 
know more about this subject. Will all who set out 
to follow this advice, grow 7,000 quarts on each acre ? 
Oh, no ! Will fate or luck be to blame for the failure? 
Oh, no ! again. The trouble will be that one or more 
of the operations outlined here will not be well done. 
The one most likely to be neglected is properly cutting 
off the runners, and thus weakening the plant. Isn’t 
that so ? 
O 
The talk about the San Jos6 scale, has had the effect 
of stirring people up to investigate the various scale 
insects that affect trees. In almost every mail, we 
get specimens of branches and twigs sent for examina¬ 
tion. That’s right. These insects deserve notice, and 
we are glad to see our readers get after them. The 
entomologists at Cornell are glad to have farmers in 
New York State come to them for advice. Make use 
of the experiment station, by all means. These “bug 
doctors’’ have their microscopes all ready for you. 
O 
The Columbian Luna Annual is an excellent pam¬ 
phlet prepared by Prof. I). G. Porter, a former contribu¬ 
tor of The It. N.-Y. It contains a calendar prepared 
in an unusually interesting and attractive way, with 
plain descriptions of the old Greek and Homan calen¬ 
dars. Each month is described in this way, and the 
origin of the month’s name is made clear by choice 
selections from the best of prose and poetry. This 
pamphlet is one that all educated people will enjoy, 
and we gladly add it to the list of books supplied by 
The It. N.-Y. The retail price is 30 cents. We will 
send it for one new subscription to The R. N.-Y. 
O 
Reports from Florida indicate an unusually large 
acreage of watermelons in that State this year. The 
destruction of the vegetable and strawberry crops by 
frost the past winter, is probably largely responsible. 
The growers think that the watermelon crop is, at 
least, not liable to injury from frost. The Florida 
crop usually meets a good demand, as it comes in 
somewhat earlier than that from Georgia. Now if 
the former State will grow good varieties, and take 
pains carefully to assort the crop and send only good 
prime melons, they may get prices that will go far to 
retrieve the losses of the past winter. Failure to do 
this, has cost them much good money in the past. 
O 
One gets some curious ideas on reading the agricul¬ 
tural papers published in other lands. There is a wide 
difference in the practices of farmers. For example, 
an Irish paper informs us that farmers in one county 
in Ireland go to the seashore to grow their potato seed 
in the sand. There are 150 acres in one place divided 
into these small seed lots. Practical details are given 
showing how to build walls and banks to keep the 
tide back, so that seed can be grown in the sand 
below high water mark. There seems to be a belief 
that tubers grown in this open sand, will make super¬ 
ior seed for use on upland or swamp. The same paper 
tells us that in old times whole “ poreens” or small¬ 
sized tubers were used for seed entirely. The practice 
of making “ slits,” or cutting the seed came to Ireland 
from Scotland, and men were hired to show buyers 
how to cut them. Irish growers seem to think that 
cutting the seed has been a detriment to the crop— 
with their methods of culture. M. Girard, the great 
French experimenter, claims excellent results from 
his heavy seeding with whole, medium-sized tubers. 
The R. N.-Y.’s experiments show that this depends 
on the variety. To plant whole seed of some varieties, 
would surely mean a crop of small-sized tubers. No 
general rule can, therefore, be given ; but each farmer 
should study the habits of the variety he plants, and 
gauge his seed pieces accordingly. 
O 
If those seed potatoes of yours could talk, this is 
about what they would say : “ Now, master, we want 
to help you this year. We’ve got the life in us to help 
lift you out of these bad times if you’ll only let us 
try. Don’t hustle us out of the bin and into the 
ground the same day. Give us a few days in some 
warm place where we can bask in the sun. Then 
you’ll see our sprouts start out thick and bunchy. 
That’s what we want. Then cut us up with at least 
two good eyes to a piece, and plant us in mellow soil 
with plenty of good food near by. That’s all we ask to 
start with. You’ll hear from us again later. But don’t 
forget the few days in the sun.” 
G 
One argument used by those who mix fertilizers at 
home, is that they know what their mixture contains 
if they buy the ingredients and put them together. 
Don’t make too much of that. Isn’t it possible to 
adulterate the separate materials as well as the mixed 
goods ? Is it any easier for the farmer to know that 
his “pure bone” is half oyster shells, or his nitrate of 
soda one-fourth common salt than to know that there 
is leather in the mixed goods ? Not long since, a 
dealer quoted very low prices to one of our readers on 
“ nitrate of soda” and “muriate,” but he was sharp 
enough not to guarantee any analysis to go with them. 
Always insist upon a guaranteed analysis whether you 
buy separate chemicals or mixed goods. 
o 
A friend in Monroe County, Ill., after relating his 
experience with Crimson clover, says this : 
The R. N.-Y. wants new ideas. How’s this ? If I can find time, 
I shall take up a bunch or root of Crimson clover, and take it with 
me when I go out canvassing for subscriptions to The R. N.-Y. 
It would be only fair, as I owe the knowledge of its existence to 
The R. N.-Y. 
That ought to make a good subscription argument. 
Any thoughtful man can see the value of such a plant 
as Crimson clover. Suppose that every man who in 
the next five years will be led by what is said in The 
R. N.-Y. to try this clover, should subscribe to our 
paper. The number would be legion. Tell your 
friends that we don’t stop with Crimson clover. 
There are dozens of other good things that must be 
popularized. 
O 
That’s an interesting story, page 218 , of the way 
that Indiana hog farm is run. Mark the two chief 
points about it. Clover keeps up the farm, and pro¬ 
vides for large crops of grain. The hog crop walks 
off on its own legs, and doesn’t need to be hoed and 
manured. Under this system, one intelligent man's 
labor is made to produce good results, the bill for hired 
help is greatly reduced, and it is possible to make a 
pound of pork for less than the wholesale selling 
price. Some farmers at the East who have large 
farms on their hands, are beginning to adopt some 
such system. A few of the best acres are highly 
manured and used to grow some well-selling crop. 
Enough land is used to enable the members of the 
family to cultivate it well with the use of improved 
tools—with as little hired help as possible. The rest 
of the farm is seeded to grass or set to orchards fed 
with fertilizers and the product sold in the field. In 
many cases, this is better than trying to skim over 
the whole farm. 
G 
After years of litigation, the courts have decided 
against the organization known as “ The Milk Ex¬ 
change,” and the board of directors have decided to 
terminate its business. For years, this skeleton of an 
organization has fixed the price which farmers were 
paid for milk. The whole system was a slick game 
for regulating prices against the interests of pro¬ 
ducers, and in favor of certain dealers and middle¬ 
men. The “ Exchange ” is no more, and the important 
question now arises, what is to take its place and make 
future milk prices ? If the old Milk Unions were now 
organized and in good working order, they could step 
in and form a new organization that could secure a 
fair price to the consumer. Without some such or¬ 
ganization and its representatives, they will lose their 
chance, for some new group of dealers will step in 
and regulate prices as before. The farmers have 
fought this “ Exchange ” for years, and at last driven 
it out of existence. They should now come forward 
and reap the benefits of their battle by demanding 
representation on any board that succeeds the “ Ex¬ 
change.” Farmers must move lively in this matter, 
and organize so that they can meet dealers in a busi¬ 
ness like way. There must be some fixed standard in 
the price of milk. The trouble has been that hereto¬ 
fore farmers have had little or no show in arranging 
that price. Nobody considered the cost of a quart of 
milk to the farmer, but the whole thing was arranged 
on a basis of profit to the dealer, and the farmer took 
what he could get. Now is the time for the farmer to 
make himself heard from, and to act. If left alone, 
the same parties who controlled the “ Exchange ” 
will soon find some way to continue to fix prices to 
suit themselves. 
G 
Of recent years, the importation of Texas cattle 
into South Dakota, where they were fed for a year or 
two and then placed on the market, has been a source 
of considerable revenue to the State. It is said that 
about 75,000 yearly have been thus brought in, and 
their feeding has produced a revenue of several mil¬ 
lion dollars to the farmers of the State. This revenue 
is now to be cut off for a year at least, as the Governor 
has prohibited the importation of cattle from Texas 
for one year on the ground of the alleged prevalence 
of pleuro-pneumonia in the latter State. The procla¬ 
mation is said to have caused considerable surprise. 
If this embargo be continued, South Dakota may fur¬ 
nish a good market for this young stock from some 
other State not under the ban. 
G 
The R. N.-Y* has always desired and sought the ex¬ 
perience and opinions of its readers. A dozen heads 
are better than one, particularly when it comes to 
discussing the problems of agriculture. We are glad 
that many of our readers recognize this fact also. As 
one friend in Massachusetts says : 
Readers of a practical paper like The R. N.-Y., get all the bene 
fits they would derive from being members of an immense 
farmers’ club, and with a trifling expense of time and money. 1 
have hesitated about taking the trouble to write for its columns, 
and do so because its usefulness can be made complete only by 
each member of “the club” doing his part. 
That is the proper view to take. Our policy has 
always been to endeavor to secure full discussion of 
any subject. We don’t pretend to “ know it all.” We 
are after the man who knows more than we do. Our 
business with him is to get his facts. 
G 
BREVITIES. 
If you would say, “ It pays to spray,” 
I’ll tell you how to prove it. 
I’ll have vou sent—an argument— 
Nothing on earth can move it : 
A fireplace bright—no other light— 
Your sweetheart there beside you. 
A dish of fruit your taste to suit, 
And care too weak to ride you. 
An apple fair you deftly pare, 
Your eyes are other where, sir; 
You take a bite—up goes the light ! 
Your thoughts are close to swear , sir. 
It was a worm—a hateful worm, 
That tracked across your bite, sir. 
Down to the core—you want no more, 
And pleasure takes her flight, sir. 
So now, see here, the fact is clear, 
That worm’s excuse for staying, 
Is just because some person was 
Neglectful of his spraying. 
Had he but seen that Paris-green 
Was sprayed upon the apple 
While it was young—your outraged tongue 
With no foul worm need grapple. 
Small fries—broilers. 
The white grub—baker’s bread. 
Abe the tomato plants under way ? 
Pbactice is the anti-toxiue for theory. 
The broad-gauge man can’t make a rut. 
Now is a good time to feed linseed meal. 
Don’t toot your own horn at the institute. 
Why is a good Indian like a tree ? He’s a red O. K. 
You wouldn’t irrigate a wet swamp—or use nitrogen on a clover 
crop. 
People pay for the starch in potatoes. They can buy water 
cheaper elsewhere. 
A hole ly terror to flies—a wire screen. Give the flies a hole ly 
reception this year. 
Why don’t you let that frog in the swamp do all the croaking on 
your farm this spring ? 
Who curries his cow with a milking stool, writes down at the 
end of his name— A. fool. 
_ This spring, for the first time in history, California eggs were- 
shipped by the car-load to Chicago ! 
Do the hay-rake teeth chew up the grass roots, and thus hurt 
the meadows (see page 219) ? What is your opinion ? 
Having told how the plants of Vineland sweets are started, we 
shall skip until nearer the time for setting them out. 
A bill before the New Jersey Legislature prescribes punishment 
for any one who puts German carp in the waters of that State. 
Anotheb story of a young woman’s poultry business on page 
233. There’s meat in that record—enough of it to make half a 
dozen “balanced rations.” 
The thoroughbred stallion is valuable for the runners he will 
produce. It isn’t so with the strawberry plant that is to bear a 
quart of berries next year ! The runner runs away with the 
plant’s vitality. 
Gbeat is the poultryman of tact; of good, fresh eggs he hath not 
lacked ! All winter long his lips have smacked o’er custard pie 
and omelet—backed by ham and eggs; yes, yes, he’s tacked cut 
paper where his house was cracked. 
If you cannot get subscriptions for The R. N.-Y., my friend; if 
to labor as an agent your ambition does not tend, you can write 
to advertisers when you wish some goods to buy, and remark, “ I 
saw your ad, sir, in my friend, The R. N.-Y.” 
