652 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
September 28 
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-tn-Chief. 
Herbert W. Coli.ingwood, Managing Editor. 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
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8s. 6d., or 8 Vi marks, or 10 l A francs. 
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We must have copy one week before the date of issue. 
Be sure that the name and address of sender, with name of Post- 
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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 4,0 THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
Corner Chambers and Pearl Streets, New York. 
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1895. 
Last call ! as the auctioneer says, on that sub¬ 
scription contest. As you will see on page (556, the 
past week has added but little to the size of the lead¬ 
ing clubs. Some men need only an opportunity. 
Here it is ! Embrace it. There is a chance for $50 in 
such a hug. You may, if you like, telegraph us Mon¬ 
day night, September 30, how many names you have 
secured. They will all be counted ! 
O 
We would like very much to have you send us that 
statement about the feeding of your poultry. It will 
help us all to have a wide range of such feeding to 
make up an average from. Let’s cooperate in this. 
G 
The R. N.-Y. claims that it will not cost $5 more to 
raise a grade steer to the fattening age, than it will to 
raise a “scrub.” If that is so, then that Kansas feed¬ 
ing experiment teaches a good lesson in economy. 
Are we not right about this difference in cost ? 
© 
It was stated two weeks ago as an argument against 
cooking feed, that a high temperature made the 
“ muscle-makers” less soluble. Really the feeds most 
commonly cooked, are coarse fodder or vegetables not 
rich in muscle-makers at all. The chief advantage 
seems to be mechanical—the cooking softens the 
fodder so that the stock eat it more readily, while a 
little grain cooked with it, adds a desired flavor. 
G 
Wiiat’s the matter with skim-milk—that is, when it 
sails under its true colors ? In many cases, it is more 
wholesome than whole milk, and is recommended by 
physicians. Then, too, it can be sold at a low price, 
and many who could not purchase whole milk in any 
considerable quantity, could afford a full supply of 
the skimmed article. Yet it cannot legally be sold in 
this State without a special dispensation ! While the 
sale of milk from which any part of the cream has 
been removed, is all wrong when it is sold as pure, 
whole milk, it is unfortunate that the dishonesty of 
some dealers has rendered such a law necessary. 
Innocent parties must suffer because of the misdeeds 
of others. 
G 
Last week, The R. N.-Y. spoke again of the war 
for pure milk in this city, of the efforts of the City 
Board of Health, and of the work that should be done 
by the State Board of Agriculture, in inspecting the 
milk at the source of supply. The Assistant Commis¬ 
sioner of Agriculture says, with regard to the appar¬ 
ent lack of activity in this direction, that the work is 
being -done, but that it does not show because, on 
account of a law passed at the last session of the 
Legislature, it is compulsory for every State official 
to prosecute through the office of the Attorney Gen¬ 
eral, and that this cuts him off from receiving the 
same assistance accorded the city health officials. He 
says further, that while the City Health Board can 
draw on the city for funds at any time, the State 
Department can use only what is appropriated by the 
Legislature. That while the City Health Board has 
been specially active only since the agitation through 
the public press, the State Department has been active 
for the past 10 years, and during that time has prose¬ 
cuted more than 1,000 cases. That there are about 
1,000 stations in the State from which an average of 
20 cans of milk are shipped daily, and that, as the law 
requires the presence of two inspectors when milk or 
any other article of food is tested, more than 2,000 
men would be required for the milk business alone, 
to say nothing of all the other things that the Depart¬ 
ment must watch over. It is manifestly impossible 
for -the Department to cover all the ground all the 
time with its present limited appropriation. He con¬ 
siders the present legal standard a high one, and says 
that efforts will be made by dairymen the coming 
winter to have it lowered. He is opposed to the sale 
of skim-milk which has been permitted by the city 
authorities in special cases. While the Board of 
Health says that it has found no boracic acid, the 
State Department has found several cases where it 
had been used. He is of the opinion that somebody 
will be surprised when the cases now on hand are 
prosecuted. There seems to be a spirit of antagonism 
between the city and State officials, and if this result 
in stimulating each to greater activity, it’s well so ; 
but if time and strength are frittered away, it is to be 
deplored. 
G 
The “scrubs” rather beat the “pure bloods” in that 
Kansas feeding experiment, if you count the real cost 
of each. The scrubs had the advantage—they had 
been bred for that sort of treatment. Suppose the 
feeder were to say, “These Short-horns ate more than 
the scrubs, to be sure, but they also made more 
manure and, if you put the right value on that, they 
will come in ahead !” Now that is just what a good 
many farmers have been telling themselves. By 
putting a high valuation on the manure, they think 
that they figure out a profit on old-time stock feeding. 
They go on paying their hard-earned dollars, year 
after year, in order to have the fun of deceiving them¬ 
selves. It doesn’t pay. Keep stock that pay a profit, 
or don’t keep any. 
G 
The farmer stood by the fence looking at the well- 
shocked corn crop, when a shrill voice broke in upon 
his ear. “Good day, Mr. Farmer; I’m glad you are 
here, as I have a word to say to you. My name is 
Corn Stalk—I’m an old friend of yours. You cut me 
in good shape, and shocked me up in such a way that 
it didn’t shock my nerves a bit. I field cured, I do, 
and I don’t want to get sick. There’s a bad season of 
rain and frost ahead of us. It just takes the pluck 
all out of me to think of getting soaked and frozen. 
Some folks think all I’m good for is to raise an ear. 
That’s wrong. I can refer you to hundreds of pro¬ 
fessors, and millions of live stock to prove that the 
ear doesn’t contain as much real food as there is in 
the stalk and leaf. There’s the dinner horn, and I 
know you’re hungry ; but I must say this : Get me 
under cover as soon as I am dry. Husk me out and 
then get me out of the wet. Don’t let the rain reign 
over you. I can’t win any prizes when I’m weather¬ 
beaten. I want a roof over my head, and I want it 
bad. Good day, sir !” 
G 
Last spring The R. N.-Y. illustrated and described 
the Norman breed of cattle, an importation of which 
had been made into this country. Dr. Salmon, Chief 
of the Bureau of Animal Industry at Washington, in 
reply to an inquiry from Secretary Morton, as to the 
advisability of importing them, says that they would 
undoubtedly be imported in larger numbers but for 
the danger of introducing contagious diseases with 
them. He says that only recently have the depart¬ 
ments in France, where these cattle are bred, been 
declared free from pleuro-pneumonia, but the adjoin¬ 
ing districts are still most seriously infected with that 
disease. The Norman district is also infected with 
foot and mouth disease and anthrax, according to 
official reports. In regard to the prevalence of bovine 
tuberculosis in France, Dr. Salmon quotes from a 
French paper which says that the Minister of Agricul¬ 
ture is alarmed at the spread of tuberculosis in all the 
cattle raising districts, and has issued instructions to 
all the health officers in the various departments fix¬ 
ing the amount of indemnity to be paid to owners for 
cattle killed. 
G 
Wiiat is to be the market effect of the great whole¬ 
sale fruit growing enterprises that are springing up 
throughout the land ? That great peach orchard in 
Georgia is an example of what is being done in this 
line. In Kansas, are great aiiple orchards that will 
produce in full bearing at least 500 car-loads of fruit. 
T. V. Munson tells us of a section in Texas where 
grapes may be grown to perfection at very low cost. 
California pear growers are shipping their fruit to 
London. It is the great development in railroad 
transportation that has made great concerns possible. 
California pears are sent in cold storage to New York 
—a journey of 6 % days. In 40 minutes a car-load of 
fruit is emptied into the steamer’s refrigerator. It is 
carried to Southampton and then sent to London. Of 
course this fruit is picked green. The fact that it can 
be sent so far, shows how transportation has been im¬ 
proved. Without these improved facilities for ship¬ 
ping his goods, the large grower, far away from the 
market, could not utilize his other advantages, of 
cheap land, fertilizers and labor. The tendency 
seems to be to occupy more of these cheap, distant 
lands in this wholesale way. The small grower can¬ 
not compete with the large one so far from the mar¬ 
ket, but nearer to the consumer he will still command 
the best of the trade. 
G 
As autumn draws on, each succeeding year sees an 
increasing number of strangers in the city—many of 
them evidently from the country, and all intent on 
seeing the new and strange sights which abound on 
every hand. They are encountered everywhere, and 
are evidently making the most of new opportunities, 
and new experiences. They may be distinguished at 
a glance, but they are not of that “ hayseed” class so 
often portrayed by some extremely verdant writers 
in the city papers. On the contrary, they are intelli¬ 
gent in appearance, usually well dressed—better than 
the average city man, and have a prosperous, well-fed 
appearance that betokens, at least, tolerable success 
in life. In former times—not so many years ago, 
either—the farmer who took a trip to the city, was a 
rarity. But times have changed, and people have 
changed with them. Railroads encourage the travel 
habit by offering special rates at certain seasons, and 
some of them run great excursions at much reduced 
rates. This is good. It is good for the city people to 
go to the country, and good lor the country people to 
come to the city. They become better acquainted, 
and a mutual interchange of ideas and experiences 
cannot but be helpful to both. But a visit to the city 
by most farmers will increase the love for the old 
farm, and the devotion to the free, untrammeled 
country life. 
G 
BREVITIES. 
“Nursery stock!” “ Nursery stock!” 
That’s what you hold in your arms when you rock 
That little baby of yours to and fro, 
When off to dreamland you want her to go. 
“ Nursery stock?” Little seedling is she. 
Life’s shade and sunshine will certainly be 
Ruled by the bud or the graft that you place 
Into her life; you will find there a trace 
Of your behavior, your meanness and sin; 
Good and bad influence both will creep in. 
Daily example of husband and wife 
Start off the course of that vreak little life. 
“Nursery stock!” Better bud from this hour, 
So that her fruit won’t be puckered and sour. 
A brake beats a break. 
Don’t feed so much hay. 
The “still” changes rye into riot. 
The moulting hen lives in a shed. 
You can pick ills out of “ pickles.” 
No success without love of the work. 
Procrastination is the Old Nick of time. 
Endless questions often make a why’d tire. 
Are the buff breeds of poultry crossed with bluff ? 
Who ever saw a selfish man saw off his own fault ? 
A hen can climb a woven wire fence if she wants to. 
A prize for the best essay on dishorning—see page 659. 
The yard dog is seldom “bark bound” at the sight of a stranger. 
We are picking ears from Crosby sweet corn that was planted 
July 8. 
A hearty laugh contains the oil to grease the hinge made stiff 
by toil. 
By all means let’s have more about that device for washing— 
page 653. 
The first thing they did to those Kansas steers was to cut their 
horns off. 
Barbed wire goes up in price while the animals it is to control 
go down. That won’t do. 
A hoe is a simple tool, but how many hired men know how to 
use it to the best advantage? 
A scrub animal is good enough for the scrub man who gives 
only scrub care and scrub feed. 
Bone, sinew and brains—a complete fertilizer for success. 
Capital would help the mixture. 
Don’t crow—even when you get “out of the woods.” Imitate 
some nobler thing than a rooster. 
Which of your hens start laying first after their moult? You 
want these early birds for breeders. 
In making your platform, just put in this plank : “ I’ll stand by 
the right though they call me a crank.” 
Better brush up your memory of the terms used iD last year’s 
“ Balanced Ration.” We shall get at it again ere long. 
It’s a mighty poor way to dignify agriculture to put its name 
on a fair, and then pack it with “snide” shows and fakes ! 
There are good points in that poultry article—page 653. Patron¬ 
ize the butcher who can’t sell all his meat—if you want a bargain. 
Our potted Parker Earle strawberries, set out September 3, are 
thriving. The late rains came just right for them. We want a 
quart from each vine next spring. 
The work of building that retarding room at the Geneva, (N. Y.) 
Experiment Station, has been put under contract. We look for 
some helpful experiments from that. 
“ Who, by taking thought, can add one cubit to his stature?” 
The literary thief who steals the thoughts of others and pads 
them with words, comes nearest to it. 
Your growing crops will not become D mented for lack of nitro¬ 
gen within their reach, if down below, the barnyard is C mented 
a crust that chokes the bottom of the leach ! 
“ Muttonize” is the latest word in sheep breeding. It means 
the introduction of the blood of meat-growing sheep into the wool 
flocks. Let’s “muttonize” the frauds who have long pulled wool 
over the farmer’s eyes. 
