4i2 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
June 15 
THE 
Rural New-Yorker. 
THE B U8INE8S FARMERS' PAPER 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850. Copyrighted 1805 
Elbert S. Carman, Editor-In-Chief. 
Herbert 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 
8s. 6d., or 8*4 marks, or 10J4 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, 25 cents per line. 
Reading Notices, ending with “Adv.,” 75 cents per 
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Auvertisements 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, JUNE 15, 1895. 
June 15, the day on which our present subscription 
contest closes, is close at hand; yet there is ample 
time for any one to come in for his choice of the 
premiums, in addition to his regular commissions. 
Eleven names is the largest club yet in for a 845 
mowing machine, a 825 hayrake, and 850 in cash 
premiums. Let some one get to work at once ; even 
one day’s work would win a premium now. Any one 
can work up to the night of June 15, wire the num¬ 
ber of names mailed, and they will count. Can you 
get a machine, or rake, or 815 in cash easier ? This 
is the last call. The premiums will be awarded be¬ 
fore we go to press with the next issue. 
O 
There’s meat in that article about peach growing 
in Texas—page 408. Turning the worms into pork is 
not bad business for any fruit grower to be in. Better 
make pork than pedigree out of any worm ! How 
about that scheme of feeding the birds ? 
• O 
Don’t forget to milk after the hired man now and 
then, and see how much he leaves. Many a cow is 
dried off by careless milking. She gets the blame 
when the milker is at fault. Strip the cows yourself 
now and then. It will have a good effect in dressing 
up the hired man’s sense of his duty. 
o 
There isn’t so much danger to this country in the 
great wealth that is held by those who started poor 
and earned it. These men generally understand the 
value of money. The danger of that money will come 
when it passes into the hands of the next generation 
—boys who never earned a dollar of it, and will con¬ 
trol it only through the accident of circumstances. 
G 
It is stated that the Agricultural Department will 
ask the next Congress for an appropriation large 
enough to provide for a yearly census of farm acreage 
and farm products. This is a good idea. Our present 
estimates regarding farm statistics, are little better 
than guesses. The agricultural statistics of the 
census of 1890 have not yet been printed, and only the 
merest abstract is to be obtained.* 
G 
There is a good deal worth reading in that dis¬ 
cussion of “ frostproof” strawberries this week. Mr. 
Crawford’s plan for growing a big crop and dodging 
the frost, will prove an eye-opener for many. It is 
singular how Parker Earle seems to vary in hardiness 
in different parts of the country. Mr. M. A. Thayer 
writes that Gandy is about the safest variety he has. 
Warfield is long in fruit, and may have its first blooms 
killed by frost, yet produce a good crop from late buds. 
G 
For several years, The R. N.-Y. has fought that 
Chicago creamery shark, and exposed its fraudulent 
methods of doing business. We have been almost 
alone in this work. Other agricultural papers have 
advertised the “shark” and agreed as part of their 
advertising contract, not to permit a word against 
these deceptive methods to be printed. In spite of all 
this, the business of the creamery shark has been hurt. 
Many of his fat contracts have been put in the fire by 
friends of The R. N.-Y. We are informed that one 
honorable member of the firm has left it rather than 
do such a disreputable business as his partners had 
drifted him into. The firm is cutting down its adver¬ 
tising, too, and now comes one of the most amusing 
things connected with the matter. After taking the 
advertising of this fraud for years, keeping silent, 
though well knowing what was going on, these papers 
now begin to talk gravely about creameries and 
canning factories “ established by smooth-tongued 
agents, etc.” So long as this fraud was willing to put 
up the cash to buy silence, these papers accepted the 
bribe, and tied a dollar bill over their spectacles 
whenever “creamery shark” was mentioned. Now 
that the bribe has stopped, they are prepared to weep 
over the wrongs of the farmer. It would be more 
amusing if hundreds of farmers had not already lost 
their hard-earned dollars partly through the pur¬ 
chased silence of these same papers ! 
G 
The R. N.-Y. has no excuses to make for dwelling 
so long on the various means of increasing the capac¬ 
ity of the soil for holding water. Water is the life of 
the plant. As we have pointed out so many times, 
the crop must depend on the soil water—that which 
has sunk in from former rains. It is a shame to see 
the culture carried out that will most rapidly bring 
this moisture to the surface, and cause it to evap¬ 
orate. Let a good farmer control the upper three 
inches of his soil, and he will save tons of water on 
every acre. Either mulch the surface or keep it con¬ 
stantly stirred. In this way, you can arrest a good 
share of the moisture, and keep it where it will do 
the most good. 
G 
The way ideas grow among careful readers of a 
paper like The R. N.-Y., is seen from this note sent 
by a New York State subscriber : 
I have tried the corrosive sublimate solution for potato scab, for 
three years, and many persons having seen my potatoes, want 
the recipe; they have even sent by mail from neighboring towns 
to learn how to make the solution. I expect to use the Bordeaux 
Mixture for the potato blight this summer, to help make a perfect 
crop. 
This man says that he expects to learn many more 
valuable things from The R. N.-Y. We hope so— 
there are lots of things yet unknown. We are on the 
lookout for knowledge concerning them. Still, there 
are thousands of farmers yet who never heard of cor¬ 
rosive sublimate. 
G 
The business of growing celery is increasing every 
year. Many began in a small way with this crop, and 
have increased their acreage as the market grew. The 
question of still further extension, brings up a new 
problem. Can celery be successfully grown on ordi¬ 
nary land without stable manure ? In many localities 
the supply of stable manure is limited. When these 
men are no longer sure of an increased supply, must 
they stop increasing their celery ground ? Will fer¬ 
tilizers alone, or in large part, take the place of 
manure on this crop? Many growers—particularly 
those at the West—say emphatically that fertilizers 
are not a substitute for manure for celery, but most of 
them have never given them a fair trial. What do our 
readers say ? We shall be pleased to have reports of 
any actual experiments. Of course, we wish to know 
something about the character of the soil. 
G 
Many of our readers may think Mr. Augur is telling 
a very big story this week when he says that one 
family of seven boarders is ready to pay 8140 each 
week for the freedom of that farmer’s house and 
table ! That money is undoubtedly paid, and the 
boarders are probably ready to testify that they get 
their money’s worth. The advent of such boarders 
will, however, be found much like angels’ visits in 
their frequency, and we advise our readers not to 
depend on 820 boarders alone. Begin on humble 
game ! At the same time, this “ Summer Boarder 
Crop ” will pay if it be well managed. The Eastern 
farmer made money when he took the Western steer 
in as a boarder, and fed the products of the farm to 
him. He felt badly when the dressed-beef trade laid 
this business bare. Now he is learning to feed his crops 
to the “Summer Boarder,” instead of the Western 
steer, and the change is a good one. 
G 
During the latter part of April, the following note 
was received from a friend in Louisiana : 
I have thought for several years that American Beauty rose 
buds could be grown here and shipped to New York by special 
delivery stamps through the mail, and get there in salable condi¬ 
tion. I send you in to-day’s mail, with special delivery stamp, a 
box of American Beauty roses to test this matter. Please have 
them submitted to some buyer of roses immediately upon their 
arrival, and find out if any of them are in a salable condition, and 
what they are worth in the New York market. Do not let them 
know whence they came, so they may be judged entirely upon 
their intrinsic merits. Let me know candidly what you think of 
this matter. I could produce them here in the greatest quantity 
at a trifling cost, and they would open during the latter part of 
March and in April. 
The roses had no commercial value by the time they 
reached us. On the larger buds, the petals were 
almost all shaken off, while the smaller ones were 
stained and marred. Evidently a light package is 
shaken about too much in the mails. For safe carriage 
of flowers evidently a heavy package is necessary. If 
express rates were as cheap proportionately as Uncle 
Sam’s mailage rates, we could easily secure cheap 
chucks of Louisiana sunshine. 
G 
Not only are bicycles, electric and cable cars hurt¬ 
ing the business of the horse, but other motors are 
pushing him out of a job. The number of traction 
engines in use is something surprising. These en¬ 
gines have been greatly improved of late years, and 
as roads become harder and smoother, they do better 
and better service. In the West and Northwest, im¬ 
mense quantities of Height are hauled by gas or 
steam traction engines. We look for a great increase 
in this business. It is bound to come, with road 
improvement, and there are many reasons why big 
traction engines will be better for hauling country 
freight than electric roads. 
G 
It’s a little amusing to see the way some of the 
agricultural papers claim to have “introduced Crimson 
clover to the public.” The R. N.-Y. hasn’t any time 
or space to make any “claims” in this line. We don’t 
care who booms the plant—it’s a good thing where it 
will thrive, and any paper that will talk about it con¬ 
servatively, will help its readers. In a recent letter, 
Mr. M. B. Rowe of Virginia, says : 
I sowed Crimson clover after a crop of 20 acres of spring oats in 
August, using one-half bushel of rye, and one gallon of Crimson 
clover seed per acre. In some portions of this field, which is now 
being cut, the clover measures from 3 to 3*/4 feet in height. After 
three years’ trial, I can say that The R. N.-Y. has my thanks for 
the introduction of Crimson clover, as well as a good many other 
things valuable to the farmer. The Commissioner of Agriculture 
could further the interest of agriculture if he would set apart a 
sum each year for the purpose of putting The R. N.-Y. into the 
hands of a large number of farmers. 
We are on record as saying that we do not ask for any 
special privileges that are not given to other business 
men. At the same time, if the State government 
wants to put agricultural literature into the hands of 
the people, we will guarantee to give as much value 
for 81 as anybody else. 
G 
BREVITIES. 
Old Whitfield, the preacher, came over the sea, 
To preach to the colonists, long years ago. 
A mighty revivalist surely was he; 
His fame ran ahead like a herald, and so, 
Whenever he preached—like the flow of the sea, 
The people came pouring; one evening there came 
A darkey; so fervent and happy was he, 
He shouted and prayed with his soul in a flame, 
He rolled in the dust, and be shouted and sang. 
So great a revival he never had known; 
And all the way home, how the pine forests rang 
With hymns that he sang in a lung-breaking tone. 
“ Ah, Ned, you are happy ! ” his good master said, 
“ What a pity that Whitfield himself wasn’t there.” 
“ What ! wasn’t dat Whitfield? ” said startled old Ned. 
“ No, Whitfield was sick! ” With a much injured air, 
Old Ned dropped his singing and manner so gay, 
While looks of disgust o’er his black features crawl. 
“ If dat wasn’t Whitfield, I’s jest gut ter say 
I’s done gut my clothes dirt fer nuffln' at all ! ” 
The moral is easy—don’t go like old Ned, 
And dirty your clothes in your idle applause 
For names —give the best of your life work instead, 
For that which the name represents, sir, the cause ! 
Don’t toughen a tender heart. 
Don’t “ Bordeaux ” the plants too thick. 
Don’t say, “Oh, dear !” at every new idea. 
Dishorning fluid on the ram’s horns—page 419. 
What’s the matter with the dyspeptic ? Organic ! 
Why don’t we hear more about the hard spent dollars ? 
We hope your temper is bearish this season— Jorbearish. 
A schoolhouse ought to be a hothouse for starting young ideas. 
Don’t let the bad season cause any despairlty between hope and 
work. 
What is the usual course of the summer showers in your 
locality ? 
It will pay you to try winter oats. Give Crimson clover a little 
oatmeal, as Mr. Bancroft does. 
What’s the best “ three-horse evener ” for a team composed of 
wife, husband and mother-in-law ? A baby ! 
We believe in bb«tf»(aiism for the home—give both father’s 
and mother’s thoughts a chance to circulate. 
We hope that report of the cooking school lecture will prove of 
direct benefit to the women folks and indirect benefit to the men 
folks. 
“ No foreign weeds for my farm ! ” That’s the application of 
the “ Monroe Doctrine ” to your corn row. Crimson clover is not 
a weed. 
Suppose Red clover were a new plant on your farm ! Would 
not its behavior during the past trying winter have “ proved” to 
many that it was not a useful plant? 
Grapes will be worth saving this year. Bag some of the best 
bunches ! Persons with only a few vines can afford to cover them 
with cheese cloth to keep off rose bugs. 
We have planted the dwarf varieties of Lima beans side by side 
in several different situations. In every case the little Henderson 
starts two or three days ahead of the others. 
There may be a lesson for you in the way they make those con¬ 
centrated manures—page 409. Better combine your plans with 
useful work instead of a lot of energy that doesn’t count. 
In a recent debate in the English Parliament, it was proposed 
to benefit the English farmer : 1, By passing a law compelling 
brewers to make “pure beer” and, 2, to drink more of this beer 
and thus create a new market for English barley. There’s stom¬ 
ach patriotism for you ! 
