624 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
September 14 
/IsWeCoToK 
"GROUND FINE.” 
Paris-green is a deadly poison ! That 
is true, yet few people realize that it is 
almost a national necessity. So vast is 
the army of bugs and beetles that annu¬ 
ally march against our crops, that but 
for the use of arsenic in some form, 
many of us would go hungrier than we 
now do. The last number of Insect 
Life contains some new facts about 
Paris-green. We used in this country 
over 2,000 tons of it last year. The chief 
objection raised against Paris-green as a 
bug poison is that it settles readily to 
the bottom of the tank or barrel, and 
must be kept stirred up. Why does it 
settle ? Because it is really a rather 
coarse powder. Grind it finer, and it 
would remain suspended in the water 
much longer and, of course, give more 
uniform results. Now this coarse grain 
is unnecessary. The reason it is not 
made finer illustrates one curious phase 
of human nature. The public demand 
a dark-colored product. They think 
that Paris-green with anything but a 
dark green color would be adulterated 
stuff. Now the truth is that the green 
color is simply due to the larger size of 
the crystals. Grind them finer, and the 
color would be whitish, because there 
would be thousands more of reflecting 
surfaces for the sun to strike against. 
One more thing about this poison in¬ 
terests us this week. How is it made ? 
First they put white arsenic with car¬ 
bonate of soda into boiling water. The 
soda and the arsenic form arsenite of 
soda. Sulphate of copper is then dis¬ 
solved in water and is then added to the 
soda and arsenic. The result is a com¬ 
bination of arsenic and copper (arsenite 
of copper) which falls to the bottom in 
the form of a solid, while the soda and 
sulphur form sulphate of soda, which re¬ 
mains in solution. Then they add acetic 
acid which forms what they call “an 
aceto-arsenite of copper, or a double salt 
of copper with arsenious acid and acetic 
acid”—in short, Paris-green. 
* 
Now we have purposely given this 
long rigmarole in order to make our 
weekly point strong. Prof. Marlatt got 
some Paris-green that had been ground 
so fine that it was almost white in color. 
It remained suspended in water three 
times as long as the ordinary green- 
colored “ green.” lie also said, “what’s 
the use of adding this acetic acid to the 
copper and arsenic ?” They made him 
some of the poison without this acid. In 
fineness, it is superior to any other 
powder, as it remained in suspension 24 
hours ! It costs one-half as much as or¬ 
dinary Paris-green, and if it will poison 
the bugs as well—there’s a great saving. 
* 
Now then—agriculture is endangered 
by mental and moral bugs as well as 1 
those that eat up our plants. The poison j 
for them is truth, and the problem is to . 
put that on them in such a form that it » 
will kill the evils of selfishness, obstinacy i 
and laziness, and give better things a ‘ 
chance to control a man’s life. s 
You have doubtless seen a man hold , 
his eye open and ask “ Do you see any- - 
thing green in that ?” His idea is that 
observation and experience have rubbed , 
I And here’s another thought in the 
same line. Observe the long process 
gone through with in order to get that 
original arsenic into the final “Paris- 
green.” There are objections to the 
^ arsenic used alone. It must be in such 
shape that it won’t hurt the foliage, and 
will give a definite proportion of poison. 
It’s just so with a fact or truth that is to 
kill one of these mental or moral bugs 
in the farmer’s nature. It must first be 
’ dug out of the farm or laboratory. Then 
it must be tested, not only by the simple 
experimenter, but by the farmer who is 
made conservative and watchful by the 
fact that too big an experiment with a 
new thing might mean no butter or 
cheese with the daily bread. Then it 
must be put into words that will drill 
their way into a man’s heart and mind, 
and leave the thought inside to sprout 
and grow. It may be a pun or a joke, a 
bit of doggerel verse, a good, strong 
scolding, a fair and manly entreaty, a 
sound logical appeal to reason, ora clean 
cut scientific discussion. All these forms 
may be needed to bring that truth home 
so that it will kill that bad bug. Just 
like the soda, the water, the copper and 
the arsenic, that truth must be com¬ 
bined and made over to hit the right 
spot. There must be experience, force 
and earnestness back of it, or it will 
flatten on the outside of the reader’s 
head. Some writers think these facts 
must be dressed up in an immense num¬ 
ber of big words before they are printed. 
It’s like adding the acetic acid to the 
copper. We get a finer product with¬ 
out it. 
* 
Now you have doubtless noticed one 
singular thing this week. Thus far we 
haven’t mentioned The R. N.-Y., and 
any long or short-term subscription 
offer. We’ll make up for it next week 
in great shape, for then we are going on 
to give our own ideas of what an agri¬ 
cultural paper ought to be—so far as its 
writers and articles are concerned. We 
expect to have a good square talk with 
our readers on this very important sub¬ 
ject. But it wouldn’t be right for us to 
stop without a word about this great 
subscription season. It is very satisfac¬ 
tory to us. Our folks are all astir, and 
are bringing in neighbors and friends in 
every mail, and it’s not only numbers, 
but quality that we are proud of. Why, 
here’s a note all the way from Kansas 
giving personal information about par¬ 
ties who have started to take The R. 
N.-Y. : 
Mr. John is a bachelor who has the esteem of 
all his neighbors, and has always been too busy 
and bashful to get him a wife. He saw the good 
qualities of The R. N.-Y. at a glance, and was 
loud in its praise. If any young German-Ameri- 
can girl reader of The R. N.-Y. wants an honest, 
temperate man for a husband, and a half interest 
in 160 acres of handsome prairie land, she has 
only to let it be known and furnish first-class 
recommendations. We will vouch for Bashful 
John. Mr. Harry is one of the coming young 
men, brim full of new ideas. He is a large 
farmer and stockman, plows by steam, shells and 
thrashes his own grain, and grinds it by his own 
machinery. Elmer is our local nurseryman and 
hothouse man. The little item in The R. N.-Y. 
about drying fruit in the glasshouse, was a rev¬ 
elation to him, and was immediately turned to 
pecuniary advantage. Ephraim is the T. B. Terry 
of the West, as he has just started to renovate a 
run-down farm, and is rapidly laying Mr. Terry’s r _ 
success in the shade. 
Fertilizers for Fall Crops 
should contain a high percentage of Potash to 
insure the largest yield and a permanent enrichment 
of the soil. 
Write for our “Farmers’ Guide,” a 142 -page illustrated book. It 
is brim full of useful information for farmers. It will be sent free, and 
will make and save you money. Address, 
GERMAN KALI WORKS, 93 Nassau Street, New York. 
£ Bowker’s Fertilizers. 3 
SOLUBLE ACTIVI — BURE. 
There’s a quartette of citizens for you ! 
We hope that The R. N.-Y. will solace 
our bashful friend until he gets his wife. 
He’s wrong, though, to endure single 
all the green color out of fraud, and fined curgedness so long. That farm needs a 
if 11 w fill 1 iq H rrh f fh neV» if. ^ _ . - n 
it up till he “sees right through it.” 
\ T et that man may be one of those who 
think Paris-green is adulterated unless 
it has that dark green color. He’s wrong, 
because those who know tell us that this 
color only shows that the poison is not 
as fine as it should be. Yet all through 
life we see people led on by highly- 
colored and sensational advice or infor¬ 
mation. They are misled by the color of 
such half-truth, and won’t see that, 
while the real facts are not half so hand¬ 
some, they are far more useful, because 
they are ground up finer by actual ex¬ 
perience. 
partner ! Now, they are four very fine 
men, but you will doubtless claim that 
you can show four just as good in your 
place. Very likely they are fine fellows, 
but if they are not yet on The R. N.-Y.’s 
subscription list, they don’t come within 
singing distance of this quartette. That 
green color of the Paris-green is still in 
their eyes. Why don’t you grind it out ? 
The winners of the $1 prizes last week 
Sept. 3.—J. E. Peek, Steuben Co., N. Y. 
4. —C. P. Waugh, Brooke Co., W. Va. 
5. —Lofton Ketchum, Eau Claire Co., Wis. 
6 . —S. P. Bell, Washington Co., Md. 
7. —J. R. B. Lehman, Fulton Co., N. Y 
EBOWKER 
mmimmmmiiisi 
Do not pay freight 
on sand, dirt, and organic matter. 
Albert’s Concentrated Manures 
are not made from refuse materials. 
Read our literature and learn the difference betwee* 
compounds and mixtures. It is sent free. 
ROBT. L. MERWIN & CO., 88 Wall St., N. Y. 
FRUIT EVAPORATORS. 
The J5TNA PNEUMATIC has, in competition 
with other Evaporators, excelled them all in quantity 
and efficiency. Catalogues Free. 
VERMONT FARM MACHINE COMPANY, 
Bellows Falls, Vt. 
OMPLETE 
ATALOGUE 
I OF GUNS AND 
SPORTING GOODS 
We ship our best fk /—'t f /-> 
Screened Canada I\ I I | J L 
Aonilo 
at bottom .prices. Analysis and Weight Guaranteed 
Address THE FOREST CITY WOOD ASH CO., 
No. 9 Merchants Row, Boston. Mass 
ODORLESS miilin delivered at your 
■ ■luma 1 llUlllVIJ nearest station, for 
MINERAL •"**"■*** * 20.00 per ton. 
Agents wanted In every farming town. Send for 
circulars to THE FOREST CITY WOOD ASH CO 
No. 9 Merchants Row, Boston, Mass 
delivered at your 
nearest station, for 
* 20.00 per ton. 
S\N/\YVS 
STANDARD 
I R00F\UG 
L 2.^?V3. 
trade mark. 
Can be applied by 
any one on steep or 
flat roofs. 
LOW PRICE! 
DURABLE! 
FIREPROOF! 
If you are going to 
build or have leaky 
shingle or tin roofs, 
send for sample 
and circular. 
A. F. SWAN, 
38 Dey Street. N. Y, 
NOW READY. 
UNUSUALLY LOW PRICES^ 
SEND 2-CENT STAMP FOR COPY. 
E. C. MEACHAM ARMS CO ST. LOUIS, 
_._M O. 
Books Worth Buying. 
Fruit Packages. 
A description of the current styles of baskets 
boxes, crates and barrels used in marketing 
fruits in all parts of the country. How to 
grade and pack fruit. Illustrated. Paper 
20 cents. 
The Business Hen. 
This little book is one of the most popular we 
have ever published. Every one interested at 
all in poultry, seems to want it, and to ap¬ 
preciate it. It gets down to the practical side 
of the question, and treats of the hen as the 
means of making a dollar. The price in cloth 
is 75 cents, but as the paper cover edition is 
exhausted, we fill all orders in cloth covers at 
paper cover price, while a new supply of 
paper covers are being provided. Price, 40 
cents. Sent to any subscriber for sending us 
one new subscription. 
The Rural New-Yorker, New York. 
iSOI f) Under a POSITIVE GUARANTEE ^ 
I V.v 1^1/ to wash as clean as can be done on the washboard, even to the voK' 
■ dirtiest wristbands and collars of a dirty shirt. This applies to TerritTs Perfect 
x 'Ynslilng Muchlne, which Is guaranteed to wash from the finest linen or lace to the heavi- ]|ji 
f est bedding and all with equal effect. Machines sent on trial at wholesale prices; if not Illj/Slfj 
f satisfactory money refunded. LIVE AGENTS WANTED. For terms, exclusive territory 
; and^priceswjlte PORTLAND MFC. CO., Box 14, Portland, Mich. W 
FREE! FREEB 
Catalogue, illustrated in colors, containing full descriptions ot all our Pianos 
and Organs. REMEMBER, we are the only firm of actual manufacturersselling 
exclusively to the general public direct, at factory cost —the only firm where , 
g.g j _ you get the Real Exact Value for your 
fM 5 money. There are no agents’, dealers’ 
Ml illir**T*7—TllfSarwIl or middlemen's profits udded. 
Save Money! 
CASH or on EASY PAYMENTS, 
o suit your elreumstances. Pianos and • 
'rgans shipped oh 30 days’ trial in your 
own home under our special warrant for 
'Organs 
REFERENCES: Our bunk, your bank, any bank. fvgtk $25.00Jwyj 
the editor of this paper, or any of the multitude of feagJSa - __ 
patrons who have purchased millions of dollars worth of 
instruments from us during the past 30 Tears. A list 
of ten thousand recent patrons sent with every cata- (VI 
first purchaser in a place one ofour finest PIANOS eIH 
sjreciallv fitted and finished for only or 
one of our latest PAKLOK ORGANS for ££5. > mwL ||j> \fj 'll || 1 ti 
All Extras for each Instrument FREE. 1 
Washing ton. New Jerse y. Established nearly 80 years. 
Don’t fail to write at once to 
CORNISH & co. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER IMP’D SEWING MACHINE. 
It is seldom that we find an article that we can so heartily indorse as we can 
this sewing machine. There are two of them in homes connected with The Rural 
New-Yorker, and we know that no better machine is made at any price. No 
, _ reader of Tiie R. N.-Y. should pay $45 or 
$50 for a machine. This machine is war- 
|jpi£fi 2 as|ygg|j ranted and guaranteed in every way. We 
j! _ shall send it on 20 days’ trial, and if not 
x -——t "I." satisfactory in every way, we shall take it 
back and return the money. It has all the 
j) P&lfl attachments, and is warranted for 10 years. 
H I .[ pjw j; ISjiiTf High arm, oak or walnut woodwork, and 
III I ’Sfgf -illiSiElilf 4 five drawers. As it is a staple machine, 
\? 4 1 |:Qfi j. new parts may be secured at any time if 
^ I i||p[ 1needed. A complete set of attachments and 
I mu I HHN instruction book accompany each machine 
1 n» I I lif-li 1 Price delivered, east of Rocky Mountains, 
$19.50, or with one year’s subscription, $20 ; 
( \ or we will send it, freight paid, and a club 
i i gg pj : “t& ■] of 10 new yearly subscriptions for $25. 
the RURAL NEW-YORKER, New York. 
