246 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
April 6 
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 THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
Corner Chambers and Pearl Streets, New York. 
SATURDAY , APRIL 6, 1895. 
There’s money in the duck business—for those who 
have things just right to raise them. That doesn’t 
mean that you are to rush right into the business and 
make your fortune unless you are willing to accept 
experience in payment for your trouble. These articles 
show only the possibilities of the business—that’s all. 
O 
The growth of the practice of dishorning cattle in 
dairy herds is something remarkable. It is getting to 
be so that a horned herd of practical dairy animals is 
the exception. In barnyards and narrow lanes, 
sharp horns on a cow are dangerous weapons and 
nothing more. Too many udders are bruised, if not 
ruined, by a blow from a horn. The hornless animals 
are quiet and gentle, herding together like sheep. 
o 
The writer recently spent several days at Cornell 
University, observing the work done there in class 
room and at the experiment station. It is proposed 
to describe this work in a series of plain articles for 
the benefit of those who have not taken the “short 
course.” The R. N.-Y. wants to bring farmers closer 
to these stations—some of which are doing valuable 
work. Hereafter we hope to give a synopsis of the 
various bulletins so that farmers may know what is 
being done at the stations, and keep track of the work. 
© 
Of course you ought to belong to a church, a Sunday- 
school or a Grange ! You know how music helps out 
the exercises at these places. Good music requires a 
good musical instrument. These are three statements 
that you ought not to try to controvert. We will add 
another that is equally true. Here it is. A fine 
Emerson piano heads our list of premiums. If the 
members of your church or Grange will start out 
earnestly and faithfully after subscriptions from now 
until May 1, they can earn that piano. There’s 
cooperation for you ! Try it! 
G 
Prof. Goff gives us an interesting article on page 
241 about testing the potato for its starch. That is 
certainly a simple test, that any one can perform. It 
remains to be seen whether a profitable market for 
such tested potatoes could be obtained. We think 
that it could where a farmer is close enough to town 
to pick up a retail trade. Prof. Goff’s experiments do 
not seem to show that high-testing potato seed will 
transmit the good qualities unless the most favorable 
culture is given. In fact, he thinks that culture and 
climate have most to do with it. This is a very inter¬ 
esting subject—one we ought to know more about. 
O 
On the next page is a suggestion about settling the 
milk question by organizing a large company of milk 
producers to combine with three large dealers and 
handle the whole trade. The great difficulty with this 
would be to find three dealers ready to take $150,000 
worth of stock. What guarantee could the officers of 
the organization give them ? How could they be sure 
that the specified amount of milk would be forth¬ 
coming ? It all comes down to the question whether 
the producers will hold together in an organization. 
At present, dealers are all at sea over prices for the 
coming year. There is likely to be a flood of milk 
here this summer, and unless some system for fixing 
prices and regulating supplies is arranged soon, prices 
will rule low. That will give the “ Milk Exchange” 
people a chance to say, “ I told you so—when we 
regulated prices we did better for you.” The farmers 
should have some share in regulating prices. One 
plan is for a committee of six farmers to meet six 
dealers and agree upon a price. At least eight of the 
12 must agree. In case of a disagreement each side is 
to appoint one member. If these two cannot agree 
they are to select a third for referee who will decide. 
Some such plan as that would settle the matter in the 
most satisfactory way. It could probably be carried 
out if the dealer could be made to see that it is to his 
advantage to stop this continual bickering and un¬ 
certainty about prices. 
O 
Some of those who sowed Crimson clover in the corn 
last summer, failed to get a good stand because of the 
drought. In such times, rolling assists germination, 
because firming or compacting the soil promotes 
evaporation, and brings moisture to the surface. 
This suggests a new tool which may be needed in 
sowing Crimson clover. A small one-horse roller to 
run between the corn rows after cultivating in the 
Crimson clover is needed. A light roller attachment 
to the cultivator might answer. New crops bring new 
methods, and these demand new tools. So it will be 
with Crimson clover, and the roller may often be 
needed to insure a good catch. 
O 
Another “ big story” this week in the account of 
that New England hay crop. It’s a true story, too—no 
fiction about it, and no cause for friction in the minds 
of those who think New England soil is “played out.” 
Why. lots of it has never had a chance to work yet. 
Lots of swamps and “ cat holes” have been for cen¬ 
turies storing up the fertility that leached out of the 
hills. With draining, seeding and proper feeding, 
how they will preach the gospel of Timothy and 
Clover. We are glad that Mr. Clark has so plainly 
shown what these neglected fields are capable of 
doing. You will notice that he uses only bone and 
potash and small quantities of nitrate of soda. That 
is right in line with The R. N.-Y.’s advice. 
G 
A good illustration of the utility of cross-bred live 
stock, is seen in the “ blue-gray” cattle of Scotland. 
These cattle are produced by breeding Short-horns 
with polled Angus or Galloways. The produce is a 
dark gray animal, with the fattening qualities and 
size of the Short-horn, and the tough, easy-keeping 
qualities of the polled blacks. While not so large as the 
Short-horns, the “ blue-grays” are far better suited to 
rough, hilly pastures and coarse feed, and can be fed 
with greater profit. They are therefore more desir¬ 
able for beef production in that region. Of course, 
they are not used for breeding—they are kept as steers, 
but not as bulls. This cross-breeding may answer for 
meat making when, as in this case, “ hustling” quali¬ 
ties are desired, but for dairying, we believe it far 
safer to stick to one pure breed or, at least, use the best 
thoroughbred bull possible and produce high-grades. 
G 
A good deal of milk is shipped to Philadelphia from 
the central New York counties, over the Lehigh Val¬ 
ley Railroad. Milk farmers are just now greatly ex¬ 
cited over a proposition to cut down the price to IX 
cent a quart for the summer. There is no profit at 
that price, and many farmers take the position that 
unless they can get two cents a quart they would bet¬ 
ter keep their milk at home and make it into butter. 
They could do that because there are a good many 
buttermakers still left in that country. They could 
do it better than the Orange County milk farmer, be¬ 
cause buttermaking is pretty nearly a lost art there. 
In trying to organize milk farmers to stand out for 
higher prices, the great trouble is that there are many 
who have no capital and must have some regular cash 
income from their cows. It is not so much a question 
of profit as of living with them, and they will not give 
up their regular income, even though it means a loss. 
G 
There are certain frauds that die hard—in fact, they 
never die at all. No matter how their absurd claims 
are punctured, they turn up with a smile every spring, 
and open their mouths for dollars. One of these is 
the humbug over in Connecticut that proposes to kill 
insects on fruit trees by injecting chemicals into the 
sap of the tree. Here is an extract from his circular : 
The worm, or insect, subsists wholly on the sap of the tree. He 
first deposits his seed in the blossom; there it remains until 
hatched, about the time the fruit is forming. Then it takes its 
final abode in the center of the fruit, and there remains until it 
either drops or is gathered for the market. Our method used to 
destroy this insect is by inoculation, there being a chemical trans¬ 
mitted by the sap passing through the tree to the utmost ends of 
the branches, from there to bud and blossom, where the insects 
come to deposit their seed, or the seed has already hatched, they 
come in contact with the chemics which are in tke sap and which 
they subsist on, and is a positive destruction. The chemicals are 
in no way injurious to the tree or fruit. 
Think of a man in this enlightened age sending out 
such stuff as that, and actually finding people to buy 
these “chemics” and put them into trees! Soft 
heads are sure to bring about hard times. 
You know what “ swamped ” means. Ruined, 
wrecked, overpowered by outside forces, are defini¬ 
tions. Now the New York State farmer who persists in 
doing business just as he did 20 years ago, is in danger 
of being swamped. Why? Because Western farmers 
are growing his products cheaper than he can grow 
them, while great railroad systems have revolutionized 
transportation. You will be swamped unless you 
grow crops that the West cannot handle satisfactorily, 
or grow the same crops cheaper and better. Sorry we 
can’t give you a more cheerful spring outlook, but we 
try to tell the truth. The cheerful part of it is that 
it is possible for you to improve your farming and 
make a day’s labor produce more than it does now. 
That's true, or you are the most remarkable man the 
world has known in 1,900 years. 
G 
We are informed that a meeting of milk-producing 
farmers was held in this city last week, and also a 
meeting of creamery men, largely the members of the 
old Milk Exchange. Of the doings of the farmers, we 
have received no news. The dealers are reported to 
have formed an organization, and to have resolved to 
apply for a charter, and become incorporated accord¬ 
ing to law. There is apparently nothing whatever to 
prevent their doing this. The courts dissolved the 
old exchange simply because it hadn’t complied with 
certain legal forms. In reorganizing, these mistakes 
will be avoided, and there is every reason to believe 
that the new organization will be stronger than the 
old. The meeting at which this action was taken, 
fixed the price of milk, from March 16, the date of the 
death of the old exchange, at 2% cents, one-quarter 
cent less than the price up to that time. So that, as 
The R. N.-Y. predicted, the dealers will dictate prices 
as before. 
G 
BREI/ITIES. 
Won’t I be glad to see that snowdrift go, 
Out yonder in the garden ? Well, I guess ! 
This winter’s been so plaguey hard and slow, 
That I’m jest hankerin' for the first good mess 
Of ’sparrergrass and pie plant ; now, my wife 
Is too good natured most times of the year. 
But now, my stars ! I’d best insure my life, 
The way she feels when spring ain’t quite gut here. 
Cooped up all winter, with the snow outside, 
Ground white, nose red, an’ all her feelin’s blue. 
There ain’t no doubt her temper must be tried; 
How she does ache fer winter ter git through. 
But you jest wait till spring warms up the ground, 
An’ sparrergrass an’ lettuce make their nest; 
String beans an’ sweet corn, berries by the pound, 
An’ that air “ tired feelin’ ” gits a rest. 
So I’m jest waitin’ fer the breath o’ spring 
To melt that snow—I’m ready, and my seeds 
Is in the pantry—while the bluebirds sing, 
I’ll spend a day or so at garden deeds. 
A mold trap — a piece of cheese. 
“ What’s in a name ?" An aim ! 
Can a contented man make progress ? 
Corn has a big crop— a heavy feeder. 
Better spray with the barrel on its side. 
The hog wants a pen shun —in that pasture. 
Miss Ann Opportunity becomes Mrs. Shirk. 
First epistle to Timothy hay—bone meal ! Second—potash ! 
Read Prof. Goff’s brine test for quality in potatoes—page 241. 
Don’t aerate your opinions too much—they might blow away ! 
Who can bring nine cows to beat that butter record on page 253 ? 
Raise the pork on a stalk that can walk. In prose, raise pigs 
with good legs. 
How many times have you “taken a fool’s advice” by “ having 
your own way ?” 
There is now a new object in pruning trees—to open spaces for 
proper spraying. 
A favorite method of committing suicide is to leave off your 
flannels too early. 
Shall it be blessing or shall it be curse? What’s the companion 
to ride in your hearse ? 
Who’s all right ? Mr. Mutton Sheep. All he wants is time, and 
not so much of that, either. 
A rainbow is a bow of promise. A beau of promise is one who 
is faithful to come—rain or shine. 
The way to stone that frog is to run a stone drain through the 
swamp. A drain will give him pain. 
The connecting link between health and disease may be found 
in your sink, your drink or your think. 
Read about the tame dandelions—page 245. We are often blue 
in spring because of a lack of “ greens.” 
Spring’s here ! Get a start, sir ; we want you to show that good 
old “ Get up ” wasn’t foundered by whoa ! 
Write out a list of your wrongs. Look them in the face. You 
will be astonished to see how many of them can be righted by 
righteous conduct on your part. 
Plant lice are bad enough, but plant lies are worse. That’s 
what you do when you teach the child (by example) to deceive. 
You need a spraying with praying. 
We have examined a good many silos and their contents during 
the past week. The best ensilage has been found in tight wooden 
silos with the corn cut into th z finest pieces. 
There are thoughts that brace down as well as those that 
“brace up.” Cut out the former by not giving wav to them. 
Don’t judge others while under the tooth of such a brace ! 
Mr. B. C. Sears, of Orange County, N. Y., keeps ice in his s o 
The ensilage is fed out before the “ice weather” fails, and frozen 
juice takes the place of succulence. The ice in turn goes before 
the corn crop is ready for the silo. 
