1895 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
4i3 
f 
l 
THE PROSPECT. 
The Louisiana papers describe a remarkable irri¬ 
gation scheme that is in operation in the rice-growing 
districts of southwest Louisiana. A canal 12 miles 
long, 81 feet wide and 4 feet deep, is filled with 
water pumped up from the river. The original canal 
was built by throwing up earth banks about five feet 
high, so that the water might run between them on 
the natural prairie surface. It is now proposed to 
dig two feet deep into the soil so that flat boats will 
float in the water. In this way the water can be 
used, not only to irrigate the rice, but to float the 
crop to market. This is but one illustration of the 
wonderful progress now being made in irrigation in 
various parts of the country. 
0 
Here are a dozen farmers living in a well-watered 
community. Above each house, is a fine spring of 
pure water. What would you think of these men if 
they were to have water from the town piped out to 
them and pay, say, §10 a year for the privilege of 
using the drainage of the town’s watershed ? We can 
imagine your words ! Now, the farms of these same 
men are capable of growing Red and Crimson clover 
so as to capture from the air at least §10 worth of 
nitrogen per acre—to say nothing of §15 worth of 
“muscle-makers.” When you see them hauling out 
from town costly feed and fertilizer that they paid 
hard cash for, why not apply the same name that is 
due in the water case ? 
O 
Postmaster-General Bissell opposed even a trial 
of free mail delivery in the rural districts. Ilis chief 
argument was that of cost—he claimed that the ser¬ 
vice would average §2,000 for each country post office. 
Prof. J. W. Sanborn states that his local post office in 
New Hampshire, carries the mail of about 50 farm 
families, and would require a foot journey of about 
10 miles to deliver the mails. Prof. Sanborn will 
agree to have the mail delivered in that district for 
§200 or one-tenth of Mr. Bissell’sestimate. Mr. Bissell 
would not even spend the §10,000 appropriated by 
Congress for making a trial of free delivery. The 
arguments in favor of better mailage facilities in the 
country, are too broad to be upset by a mere question 
of economy. A change is needed, and will have to 
come before long. 
0 
Two corporations are said to have started in Oregon 
for the sale of horse meat. Large quantities of this 
meat are sold in tins as corned beef. The National 
Provisioner states that this meat is now being sold in 
disguise, and recommends this test for it: 
The meat is thoroughly chopped up and boiled for 30 to 60 min¬ 
utes in four times its weight of water. The bouillon thus obtained 
has added to it, after cooling, five per cent of commercial nitric 
acid, and it is then filtered through paper. A few cubic centi¬ 
metres of the filtered product are poured into a test tube, and a 
few drops of iodised water (saturated while hot) are allowed to 
flow down the sides of the tube. With the horse bouillon, there is 
formed a violet-red-brown ring, which is not developed in veal, 
beef, mutton, pork or chicken bouillon. 
This is the paper that has been so busy abusing 
farmers because they demanded that “oleo” should 
be sold for what it is, and not palmed off as butter. 
Now that cotton oil and horse meat are likely to be 
sold for lard and beef, we hear a very different story. 
O 
Prof. L. H. Bailey told us at Cornell that in his 
opinion, the two most important things in Northern 
horticulture are spraying and winter forcing. The 
Bordeaux Mixture well answers the requirements of 
a fungicide, but there is to be a great improvement in 
appliances and methods of using it. The time is 
coming within a few years, when the man who does 
not spray his fruit, will not be able to keep up with 
the procession at all. Indeed, it is not too much to 
expect that the time will come when the State will be 
called upon to compel farmers to keep insects and 
fruit diseases in check. In some Southern States it is 
unlawful to haul animals that have died from diseases 
like anthrax, out into the open field. The reason 
is that buzzards devour these carcasses, and thus 
scatter the disease about. We have no doubt that 
many of us will live to see the day when it will be 
considered little less than criminal for a farmer to 
make his orchard or field a breeding place for insects 
or plant diseases. Prof. Bailey said that he believed 
the time would come when spraying will be done by 
steam power—a small engine being put on a light 
wagon for the purpose. We have just been reading 
of a place in California where this very thing is being 
done now, in spraying orange and lemon trees with 
the kerosene emulsion. A tank holding about 200 
gallons is placed on a light wagon. Back of that is a 
small vapor engine which works a powerful pump, 
forcing the liquid through eight lines of hose at once. 
At the end of each hose is a bamboo cane 10 feet long, 
with the spraying nozzle at the end. This long cane 
can be poked in and about the trees, so that all parts 
of it are hit by the spray. Thus a single team can 
haul this outfit along, and do very rapid work. It is 
stated that four men covered 30 acres in one day with 
one machine. Something of this sort is pretty likely 
to come into use in large orchards, and it would give 
somebody a chance to do most of the spraying for a 
whole neighborhood ! 
O 
The Pacific Rural Press tells of a novel scheme re¬ 
cently tried at Porterville, Cal., in an effort to settle 
the question of wages for harvest hands. A meeting 
of farmers and workmen was called : 
After a good deal of talk, each person present was invited to 
write on a piece of paper what, in his judgment, would be a fair 
price for a day’s wages. Only’12 farmers voted, and the average 
amounted to $1.65 per day. Thirty-seven laborers then cast their 
votes, with the result that the average arrived at was $2 per diem. 
The average of the farmers and farm hands adjusted on the above 
basis was, therefore, $1.82)4. 
No definite result was reached, but these figures at 
least gave a basis for settlement. It would be much 
better to have a fair compromise price as a standard, 
than to have each laborer extort what he can, and 
each farmer force the laborer down as far as possible. 
One thing, however, will upset such a price, and that 
is that one laborer may be worth far more than 
another. 
O 
The following unique Crimson clover testimony is 
from A. I. Root, whose place is in northern Ohio. In 
the latter part of September, he sowed the seed 
among raspberries. It did not come up well, and 
early this spring, there seemed to be so little clover 
that the whole thing was cultivated twice and well 
hoed. The other day, some visitors went through the 
field : 
“ Why, what new sort of clover is that in there among those 
raspberries ? ” one of them said. I was a little way off, and told 
him I did not know of any new clover; but come to get a little 
nearer, there were great stalks here and there among the canes, 
from one to two feet high, bursting out in great blooms of these 
wonderful crimson, strawberry-like heads. Why, notwithstand¬ 
ing all our cultivating and hoeing, there was in some places 
almost a fair stand of Crimson clover. Now, you see, I am going 
to try this thing again; and I do not know but there would have 
been quite a stand on the creek bottom, if I had not been in so 
much haste to decide it was all killed, and plow it under. This 
raspberry patch was the only place where the clover could have 
made a show, for all the rest was plowed under fully 10 inches 
deep. 
We get just such reports from our readers. One man 
on Long Island reported the clover all dead. Later 
he was surprised to find that he had a fair stand. 
Stick to Crimson clover ! You will live to thank The 
R. N.-Y. for that advice. 
Q 
About a month ago, The R. N.-Y. referred to an 
outbreak of typhoid fever as being caused by the 
water used by a milkman who furnished milk to the 
afflicted families. The matter has assumed a serious 
aspect to the milkman. During the progress of the 
epidemic, there were 400 cases of fever, 21 of which 
proved fatal. A thorough investigation, both by the 
local and State Boards of Health, traced the source 
of the infection to a well on his place in the water 
from which the cans were washed. Public opinion 
has been aroused, and the milkman has finally been 
arrested charged with manslaughter in having caused 
the death of one of the victims. This is something 
new in judicial proceedings, but is perfectly right 
and justifiable. We have laws against the adultera¬ 
tion of food products, even when the adulterants are 
perfectly harmless. Why shouldn’t the law take cog¬ 
nizance of any material in food dangerous to health 
or life ? The man may plead ignorance of the condi¬ 
tion of the water, and will probably escape because 
he doubtless had no intention of poisoning his cus¬ 
tomers. But what business has a man to be ignorant 
in such a case ? Such criminal carelessness should 
be severely punished. 
PRICES OF HOTHOUSE LAMBS. 
In a recent issue of a New York weekly paper, on 
the so-called “ agricultural ” page, are some state¬ 
ments about hothouse lambs by a professional agri¬ 
cultural writer who is old enough to know better than 
to draw the conclusions he does. In brief, his state¬ 
ments are that lambs are not so high as formerly 
(which is true); that all persons whom he knew sent 
their lambs to New York City, and, “ apparently with¬ 
out regard to quality, each received the same price 
that all others did who sent at the same time that 
neither of his two New York papers reports hothouse 
lambs, but two Boston papers quote them irregularly, 
and give much higher quotations than those received 
by shippers to New York ; that one of these quoted 
prices in New York at §10 to §12 each ; and that not 
once were quoted Boston prices, even late in the sea¬ 
son, so low as prices received in New York by ship¬ 
pers of the best lambs. So, after studying the situa¬ 
tion (at a distance), this wiseacre comes to the con¬ 
clusion that the New York commission men have 
formed a syndicate of their own. He warns them 
that they would better rise and explain, and thus 
save the country customers the trouble of investigat¬ 
ing, and also intimates that the latter might combine 
and send one or two salesmen to New York to trans¬ 
act their own business. An Ohio subscriber calls our 
attention to this article and asks our opinion. He 
says that he knew that he hadn’t received so much 
for his lambs as formerly, but he supposed that it 
was on account of the general depression, and conse¬ 
quent decreased demand coupled with the increased 
supply. 
Our correspondent is just right in his conclusions. 
Hothouse lambs are luxuries. The prices formerly re¬ 
ceived, were prohibitive except to a very few wealthy 
purchasers, or fashionable restaurants. The number 
taken by these was necessarily limited. A much 
larger number could be sold only by reducing the 
price. Former prices were extremely profitable, more 
farmers engaged in their production, the financial de¬ 
pression lessened the already limited demand, and 
prices have ruled considerably lower. 
The story that there is any syndicate or combina¬ 
tion among commission men, is pure nonsense. If 
there were, higher prices might be sometimes main¬ 
tained ; but the very nature of things makes such a 
combination here an utter impossibility. When the 
hothouse lamb business was in its infancy, a certain 
firm here handled nearly all the lambs. They had a 
monopoly of the business and secured good prices. 
But some shippers tried to sell their own, or shipped 
them to other dealers, and the competition thus engen¬ 
dered, had its effect in reducing prices. 
As for lambs of different grades all selling for the 
same price, that frequently happens when the market 
is not heavily supplied. A lot of Iambs are offered, 
and the first buyer naturally takes the best. Later 
buyers must take what are left, even though they pay 
as much as the first man for much better lambs. Then, 
again, there are dishonest dealers of the Hayt stamp, 
whose methods of making returns are past finding 
out. But those who ship to reputable men are likely 
to get returns in accordance with the goods sent. 
As for Boston prices being higher than those of 
New York, it is simply a matter of supply and de¬ 
mand. Boston doesn’t usually receive such a quantity 
of lambs as New York, hence prices are somewhat 
higher. Under heavier receipts, lower prices would 
prevail. 
Even under the somewhat lower prices of the past 
two or three years, hothouse lambs should prove 
profitable to those who have proper facilities for 
marketing them. As for the selling, the best that can 
be done is to ship to reliable and honest dealers in 
the market that pays the best prices. 
BUSINESS BITS. 
In speaking’ of catarrh cures, we have always insisted that the 
patient must breathe through the nose. Some people cannot do 
this naturally because the nostrils are fallen in. What then ? 
Use the “nasal expander,” which is to the nose what glasses are 
to the eyes. Write The Nasal Expander Co., P. O. Box 45, Station 
W, Brooklyn, N. Y. 
Those who are interested in the baling of hay, will do well to 
send to the Sandwich Mfg. Co., 119 Main Street, Sandwich, Ill., 
and get a catalogue of their Southwick baling press. This press 
has a double stroke, is light draft, and gives a tight bale. The 
catalogue gives full particulars, and every press is guaranteed 
by the manufacturers. 
The “ P. and B.” Ruberoid roofing has been in use a long time 
for large buildings requiring a cheap, easily-laid, odorless, water¬ 
proof roofing. It is now being introduced for use on farm build¬ 
ings of every description. Send for a free sample of the roofings, 
and building and sheathing papers, to the Standard Paint Co., 2 
Liberty Street, New York City. 
Metal wheels are growing in popular favor for farm wagons. 
They help make good roads, and prevent cutting deep ruts in soft 
ground, hence save horse flesh. The spokes of the Tiger wheel 
are riveted to the tire, and the wheel is a very strong one. It is 
made by Stoddard Mfg. Co., Dayton, O. They will send full 
description free if you ask for it. 
Messbs. F. W. Bird <fe Son, East Walpole, Mass., offer to send 
entirely free to any of our subscribers, a full line of samples of 
their Neponset Red Rope Roofing Fabric. This fabric is water¬ 
proof, windproof, frostproof. Cheaper and better than shingles 
Takes the place of shingles or clapboards on out-houses, and back 
plaster in dwellings. Any one can put it on. Send and get their 
samples anyway, it costs nothing. 
Farmers who have suffered damages from woodchucks, prairie 
dogs, rats, mice and insects in grain, have a protection in Taylor’s 
“ Furna” Carbon Bisulphide. Bisulphide of carbon is a volatile 
substance, that kills by its deadly fumes. It may be bought of 
druggists, but the price is usually too high. Better send to 
Edward R. Taylor, Cleveland, O., for his pamphlet. He will send 
it free, and sell you the product direct at less than one-quarter of 
the price usually charged by druggists. 
Last year, when Mr. Cottrell wanted a sprinkling cart to dis¬ 
tribute liquid manure, he could find nothing to suit his purpose 
until he struck “ Studebaker’s Little Gem.” It does the work to 
his entire satisfaction. It may also lie used for distributing Paris- 
green on potatoes, sprinkling lawns, and irrigating gardens and 
small-fruit farms. Studebaker Bros. Mfg. Co., South Bend, Ind., 
are the manufacturers, and will send description free. They are 
noted as the largest vehicle manufacturers in the world. 
In the West, 10 windmills are seen to-day where one was seen 
five years ago. The farmer considers a mill almost as essential 
as a farm. The improvement in mills is no doubt largely responsi¬ 
ble for this, and especially the development of the steel mill 
which insures durability in addition to perfect work. Among 
these modern mills will be found the Perkins. The manufacturers 
have retained in this mill the same principle of regulating that 
characterized the old reliable Perkins wood wheel for so many 
years, that of setting the wheel on one side of the turntable or 
vertical axis, and by this means doing away with all side vanes, 
levers, balls, etc. By an adjustment or rudder, the wheel is 
placed square to the wind while at work and the edge of the wheel 
to the wind when out of gear, or at rest. This reduces the weight 
as is essential in a steel mill, and secures strength. For further 
particulars, get the full description of the Perkins Windmill Com¬ 
pany, Mishawaka, Ind. 
