266 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
April 13 
THE 
Rural New-Yorker. 
THE BUSINESS FARMERS' PAPER 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established i860. Copyrighted 1895 
Elbebt S. Cabman, Editor-in-Chief. 
Hebbebt W. Coi.lingwood, Managing Editor. 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
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8s. 6d., or 8*4 marks, or 10*4 francs. 
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Thirty cents per agate line (14 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 40 THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
Corner Chambers and Pearl Streets, New York. 
SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 1895. 
At Cornell University lately, Prof. Hailey showed 
us Lima beans growing in the forcing house. The 
bush, or dwarf Lima, had climbed a string almost to 
the top of the house. The little sieva bean retained 
its bush habit, but the “dwarfs” climbed the strings 
like sailors in the heat and moisture of the forcing 
house. 
O 
Most of the New Jersey peaches coming to this mar¬ 
ket, have the baskets covei-ed. Those coming from 
Delaware do not. Commission merchants are trying 
to discourage the use of covers by the former. The 
covers are considered unnecessary, and a needless ex¬ 
pense. Many of the peaches are sold from the trucks, 
and buyers cannot examine the fruit when covered as 
they can when not so covered. This is not intended 
to apply to strictly fancy fruit, but for the bulk of the 
shipments such covers would seem to be not worth the 
expense. 
O 
A new way of stealing potatoes is to take them by 
the car-load. A New York State subscriber writes 
this : 
Please caution your readers about selling potatoes by the car¬ 
load, and tilling orders before receiving pay for each load as put 
in the car. A neighbor has lost a car-load. It was shipped with¬ 
out his knowledge while on his way home for another load. I 
have since heard of three car-loads being stolen. So far, the 
thieves have escaped arrest. 
It ought to be possible to trace that car and catch the 
thieves unloading it. When selling to a local dealer, 
it may be possible to collect payment for each load, 
but not when shipping direct to a seller in the city. 
O 
A little illustration of the importance of the in¬ 
ventor is seen in that new treatment for the cabbage 
maggot—page 259. It was known that the bisulphide 
of carbon would kill the maggot, but this treatment 
could not be made fully effective until some one 
learned how to do it economically and rapidly. So far 
as practical results go, the application of a principle 
is often about as important as the principle itself. 
That explains why sometimes men on adjoining farms 
differ widely in their results. The forces going on 
about them are the same, but one makes better use of 
them and thus turns them to a more profitable use. 
O 
On page 167 of Tbe R. N.-Y., in speaking of reports 
concerning the location of the San Jos6 scale, we used 
these words: “The charges were made in a paper 
which had made no investigation of the matter, and 
which displays the Lovett Company’s advertisement 
without a word of comment.” Our good friend, the 
Ohio Farmer, thinks that we did them an injustice in 
that sentence. The words were hastily written, and 
were not well considered. The Ohio Farmer was the 
first paper to publicly name the New Jersey nurseries 
in which the scale was found. It published the infor¬ 
mation on the authority of Prof. W ebster, of Ohio, 
and subsequently inserted the Lovett Company’s ad¬ 
vertisement. The li. N.-Y r . was not satisfied with 
anything less than a personal investigation and would 
not insert the advertisement until such an investiga¬ 
tion was made. As a matter of fact, we found the 
scale on the Lovett stock after the “ad” appeared in 
the Ohio Farmer and but for our visit, some diseased 
stock would undoubtedly have been sent out. The 
R. N.-Y. simply suppressed the advertisement until 
personally assured that steps would be taken to render 
the trees safe for shipment. This was too important 
a matter to discuss from any one-sided standpoint, 
and it is always our policy to try to obtain all the facts 
before making a public statement. The Ohio Farmer 
deserves credit for publicly locating the scale and 
The R. N.-Y. regrets any allusion that may seem 
unjust or unkind to it. 
O 
Every big corporation in New Jersey had a lawyer 
or agent at Trenton during the last legislature looking 
after bills that might possibly affect their business. 
It was much the same in other States. A good many 
bills affecting agriculture were passed. Many farmers 
will know nothing about it until they run up against 
these bills in real practice. Even if they had known 
about it, a single farmer before a committee or writ¬ 
ing to his representative would have had but little 
influence. When a farmer can go before a committee 
and fairly represent the views of 100 other farmers he 
will always get a hearing 1 . That is one advantage of 
organization among farmers—they can make them¬ 
selves heard. 
O 
The Kentucky Experiment Station has had some 
curious experiences with fertilizer analyses. In sev¬ 
eral cases samples were sent to the station with the 
printed tags that appeared on the bags from which 
the samples were drawn. Analysis showed such a 
wide difference from the tag, that an investigation was 
made. It was found that the wrong tags had been 
used in the factory. Ry mistake, the tags for high- 
grade goods had been sewed on to bags containing a 
much inferior article. That is a pretty rough mistake 
on the farmer who paid a high-grade price for such 
goods. The trouble is, it will take him six months to 
find the mistake out, and then he can prove nothing. 
At the same time, this incident shows the value of 
the work done at our stations in detecting such 
“ mistakes.” 
O 
Some very interesting feeding experiments have 
been under way at Cornell University during the past 
year. Bran is chiefly composed of the husk or outer 
covering of the wheat kernel. Naturally it contains 
a larger proportion of protein or muscle-makers than 
the entire kei'nel. In like manner, gluten meal con¬ 
tains more protein than the entire maize kei’nel, 
because the gluten represents what is left after most 
of the stax’ch is removed. The plan at Cornell was to 
make a strong ration by combining wheat and bran 
to feed to one lot of pigs, while another lot were to 
have a ration composed of coi’n and gluten meal that 
would give exactly the same ratio as the wheat and 
bi-an. It is not wheat against coin, but a mixture of 
wheat products against a mixture of corn products. 
We shall give the details of this experiment later. It 
is a good illustration of the feeding combinations that 
can be made by using the new by-pi-oducts intelli¬ 
gently. 
G 
The R. N.-Y. has always advised against the use of 
fresh, unleached wood ashes for potatoes. In our ex¬ 
perience, scab has almost invariably resulted fi’om 
such use. The Rhode Island Experiment Station, as 
stated on page 183, lias found that whenever ashes or 
air-slaked lime was used, the amount of scab has 
been greatly increased. This has held true even when 
the seed was treated w’ith corrosive sublimate. The 
conclusion reached at the station is that the scab dis¬ 
ease is checked by the natural sourness of the soil, 
and that lime, by correcting this sourness, makes it 
easier for the disease to spread. Stable manure is 
alkaline, and this, too, makes a better breeding place 
for the disease. This is the best explanation w r c have 
yet had. However useful lime or wood ashes may be 
on other crops, w T e would not use either directly on 
potatoes. The practice of using ashes on clover one 
year before the potato crop, as they do out in that 
“ Wisconsin Paradise,” is safe, because the effect of 
the quicklime is spent before the potatoes are planted, 
and a heavier clover sod is provided. 
G 
The California fruitmen are hustlers. They are 
also wide-awake, and constantly on the lookout for 
opportunities to extend the markets for their fruit, 
and for improving and cheapening transportation. 
It is reported that an exhibition of California products 
is to be held in Berlin from May 5 to July 5, this year, 
to be followed by similar expositions at Brussels, 
Paris, Copenhagen and London. Not content with 
capturing the markets of the East, they are now reach¬ 
ing out for those of Europe. The Fruit Growers’ Con¬ 
vention held at Sacramento last fall, appointed a com¬ 
mittee to investigate the methods of fruit shipments, 
and to confer with the railroads with a view' to getting 
better rates. They say now that they will get a five- 
day service to Chicago in a ventilated car. So far, 
this will help certain portions of the State, but will 
not other parts, and will not materially improve the 
service east of Chicago. But with their characteristic 
enterprise, no doubt some system will be perfected 
that will greatly reduce the time in transit, and the 
freight rates. This means increased competition with 
Eastern fruits, and of course lower prices. What will 
the Eastern fruit growers do to meet this competition ? 
G 
When a horse gets into mischief, there is usually a 
man or boy “ pushing on the lines.” This letter re¬ 
quires little comment : 
It is a common occurence to hear of a horse running off with a 
vehicle and breaking it to pieces. But to hear of a horse running 
off and breaking a 200-acre farm, is newsy. As this thing did occur 
not far from where I write, I give it just as it actually went, for 
the benefit of any young farmer among the readers of The R. N.-Y. 
who may have a “ fast horse ” hitched to a farm, and is being 
driven by a “ fast” son trying to trot a living out of the farm. It 
was the misfortune of a young farmer to get possession of a well- 
bred trotting colt at a very low price. He took a great deal of 
pride in the fine blood and style of the colt until it got to making 
time on the track and blue ribbons in the ring. Then the young 
man began to go crazy, borrow money on his farm and attend all 
the races. The man that loaned the money got the farm. The 
young farmer got to betting and doing other things that go with 
it. The horse was sold for about the common price for a good 
horse, and the young farmer, once prosperous on his own farm, 
now lives with his wife and children on rented land; but he is said 
to have cooled off. If you know of a good young man that is 
starting on this road, read this to him, and.call on me for particu¬ 
lars, and he can get them. J. c. s. 
Pendleton, S. C. 
There’s another “ big story” with the bigness rauged 
the wrong way. Any man who has built up a home 
by earning one dime to put on another, will know how 
easy a fast horse and a glass of beer can pull it dow T n 
G 
BREVITIES. 
Miss Medium Clover, the papers all say, 
Has married our friend, Mr. Timothy Hay. 
And down in the meadow, with prospect so bright, 
They’ve started housekeeping—of course it’s all right 
For well-matured people to make their own plan, 
But, careful Miss Clover, you’ve married a man 
Quite grasping by nature—he’ll crowd you, my dear, 
Right out of the field if you show the least fear. 
For two or three years he will work you and then 
Your work will be over while he, like most men 
Will go courting ’round for another fair wife. 
Now don’t let him do it ! Hang on to your life ! 
Make up to John Farmer and ask him to fling 
A few of your seeds on the sod every spring. 
Don’t put yourself on the shelf. 
Felt boots are one size too small. 
Harden yourself digging the garden. 
Better try dieting than to die eating. 
We need “ scours ” in the dairy room. 
B. C. Sears on the milk question—page 274. 
Name any country where wheat growing pays to-day. 
What is “ scientific feeding” ? The study of cows and effect. 
Wool boots and thick .rubbers make a sensible foot gear for 
dairymen. 
“ Make your bed and then lie about it.” That doesn’t refer to 
the strawberry bed. 
Don’t poke sticks or pins in your ears. That’s the sort of ear- 
rake to cause ear ache. 
Farmers and gardeners near cities generally speak well of 
Italians as farm laborers. 
String beans are becoming very popular as a forcing crop. 
They grow fast and sell well. 
In California a “ blanket man” is a tramp laborer who goes 
from place to place with no real home but his blanket. 
If you let 24 hours pass, after reading this paper, without start¬ 
ing that garden, your good intentions will be bankrupt. 
According to Prof. Wing’s figures, page 263, cheesemakers in 
New York State are whey off as regards economy of butter fats ! 
This is what an honest man at Venice Center, N. Y., says: “For 
myself, I would say that I am years in arrears for benefits gained 
through The R. N.-Y.” 
In this country, 20,096 patents for inventions pertaining to vehi¬ 
cles have been allowed, 10,155 for harvesters, 4,130 for thrashing 
machines, and 1,022 for plows. 
A piazza around the house is fine for summer. Have it fixed so 
that you can inclose it with glass in winter, and you will save fuel 
and double the house room on sunny days. 
Your tongue is the hatcher of lots of disease; your mouth and 
your throat are the nest. Though Nature goes pleading to you 
on her knees, you won’t give your stomach a rest. 
The picture of potato leaf injured by the flea beetle, on page 219, 
appealed to many farmers. Our opinion is that the dry Bordeaux 
Mixture dusted on the leaves may drive off the beetle. 
How do you think the baby would thrive on chunks of cheese 
instead of milk ? How are these little garden plants going to win 
you a prize when fed with great chunks of hen manure ? 
We hear of a man who heard his wife cough all winter without 
losing flesh over it. One morning he heard the hogs coughing, 
and how he did worry and fret until he found a remedy. Wonder 
if that man lives near you ! 
Low milk prices have struck British dairymen. In Scotland, for 
example, two cents a quart is offered by creamerymen. The effect 
of this is to change the breeds and character of the cattle on 
farms—from Ayrsliires to Galloways. 
Last year we told our readers of the experiment at Ellerslie 
Stock Farm in growing ensilage corn on worn-out meadows with 
the use of fertilizer. Over 1,800 tons of ensilage were grown in 
this way in spite of the severe drought! 
There are two sisters—call them O and Co—unto whose sins you 
trace most of your woe. They regulate the damper of your life 
and keep you in hot water, talk, and strife. So if in peace your 
life race you would run—the sins of 0 miss and of Co miss — shun. 
It is a mistake to think that a weeder will render the use of a 
cultivator unnecessary. The weeder works only while the crop is 
small. The advantages are that it does light and rapid work 
when weeds are most easily killed. The cultivator’s work comes 
after the plants grow too large to pass through the weeder. 
