36$ 
fVlOOBE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
SEC. 6 
Xlmrjr of a pluralist. 
DAILY RURAL LIFE. 
From the Diary of a Centlemun near New 
York City. 
SEVEN KINDS OF CAK'. 
Nov. 21.—A few years since a young mar¬ 
ried man called on me to obtain a situation 
as gardener; wanting a man at that t ime 
we soon made a bargain. I agreed to pay 
him ten dollars per week, furnish him vege¬ 
tables and fruits from the garden and a cozy 
little cottage of five rooms, rent free. He 
said that he had been unfortunate and was 
not only out of work but out- of money as 
well. 1 advanced him money to bring his 
wife and child as well as household goods 
from his former home u distance of a hun¬ 
dred miles or more. Soon after my new 
gardener commenced work it began to be 
talked about among my old hands that he 
was going to be very economical und lay up 
money out of his salary. 11c was temperate, 
indulging in no luxuries beyond a pipe, of 
which no one could complain, on the score of 
expense, and he said that he could save at 
least six dollars a week out of the ten re¬ 
ceived. Further than this, his late experi¬ 
ence would teach him not again to be out of 
money and work at the same time. The 
garden machinery moved on smoothly for 
the first three or four months: then a change 
in the habits of our gardener was noticeable, 
and he began to talk of juicy steaks, mutton 
chops, excellent pics and puddings; and in¬ 
stead of visiting the grocery only on Satur¬ 
days he bad to go hi the middle of the week 
in order to secure supplies for his table. 
Soon after this change had begun he boast- 
ingly announced to Iris fellow workmen, one 
afternoon, that Ids wife had just finished 
baking seven kinds of sweet cake. I also 
noticed that he began to be very absent- 
minded, frequently forgetting to label the 
plants set out, and that he had to visit his 
home several times during working hours 
before and after dinner; failing in gutting up 
in the morning in time to have breakfast be¬ 
fore seven o'clock was becoming a common 
occurrence; in fact, too much cake and too 
little work hogan to show themselves very 
conspicuously. During the next six months 
there was little c1b« talked of among the 
men but low wages and how mean a man 
must be not to pay bis worxmen enough to 
supply them with necessary food. At the 
same time, however, I had two other men, 
one with live children and the other with 
four; but both managed to keep their fami¬ 
lies comfortably on $8 per week, and are still 
doing the same. I presume, however, that 
they do not live on tenderloin steaks and 
calce. 
Of course, as my gardener became dissatis¬ 
fied with his wages the less he would do for 
what was paid him, and at the close of the 
year I received notice that his salary must be 
raised or he would quit; and quit, he did, 
selling some of his furnit lire in order to raise 
money to move what remained; for he ha/1 
not saved a dollar during the. year; the seven 
kinds of meat, cake, or like luxuries, had 
taken it. all. It is certainly true that. $520 
is not. u large sum for a man and his wife to 
eat up; but no laboring man can afford to 
indulge even to that extent. One half of 
his salary might, without, beggarly economy, 
have been saved or expended in clothing ; 
but it is useless to t alk to such men, for their 
appetites are more powerful than their men¬ 
tal faculties and became the bane of their 
lives. An increase of salary only means an 
increase of luxuries upon the table; and 
while I believe in good living, and the two 
hundred pounds of body which I carry is 
proof (in t his i nst:nice at least) that I prac¬ 
tice as well as preach, still I know there are 
many poor families who arc kept so mainly 
through t heir extravagance in eating. When¬ 
ever I hear a laboring man, who has had 
steady employment and good wages, talking 
about starving, or not being able to procure 
food lor liis family, 1 am reminded of the 
seven kinds of cake. There are, it. is true, 
many a poor Ocnus working at his rope of 
straw, his wife being the other animal repre¬ 
sented in the fable, consuming it as fast as 
made, hence his utmost exertion is but 
“ labor lost.” 
But I dare not more than hint at this for 
fear of calling down upon ray venerable 
head the innumerable lady correspond¬ 
ents of the Rubai. New-Yorker. They 
would certainly toll me about the cigars and 
other unnecessary luxuries in which our sex 
too frequently indulge. But the facts in re¬ 
gal'd to the sweet cake remain ; and such 
men, be they ever so industrious, or their 
wages ever so great, always manage to spend 
every cent almost as soon as received. One 
spendthrift, in a family is better than two; 
but to have a good team, both must pull 
squarely upon the ycke ! 
* A VARIETY WEDDING. 
Nov. 22.—1 was just about to write, ‘‘in 
the good old times,” but, 1 won’t, for I don’t 
believe in any such nonsense ; there never 
was so good a time as the present. But 1 
will put it a little more truthful and say:—In 
the hard times when Mrs. “ Ruralist ” and 
myself were married, iu that solid old log- 
house in the country, we never heard of any 
one besides t he near relations making pres 
entato the bride. Perhaps it was owing to 
the unsophisticated condition of the society 
in which we moved ; but if any Tom, Dick 
or Hahrt had sent Mrs. “ Ruralist ” a pres¬ 
ent on our wedding day, I would have called 
him to account without delay. But now-a- 
daysit has become a fashionable practice to 
receive presents from anybody, and every¬ 
body who is Invited is expected to make 
them, and shrewd calculations are made be¬ 
forehand in regard to the number ami value 
of those likely to be received on the wedding 
day. Invitations are sent to those most 
likely to “ come down handsomely;” and if 
any fail to do the thing up “brown,” they 
are accused of being mean and niggardly. 
When 1 was young, to be. asked to a wed¬ 
ding meant a new suit of clothes, and noth¬ 
ing more. By-the-by. that reminds me that 
I have t wo new suits charged to an acquaint¬ 
ance who invited me twice to his wedding, 
and bot h times the thing in some way fell 
through, and years after he married another 
girl and his first alliance married a railroad 
conductor. But now-a-duys if a fellow is in¬ 
vited to a wedding, ho is expected to do 
something more than merely appear in his 
best clothes; the bride will expect a present. 
The wedding gifts are not the end of this 
fashionable begging ; for if a couple happens 
to live together five years, and during that 
time neither has commenced a suit for di¬ 
vorce, t lie event must be celebrated by what 
is called a “ wooden wedding," which is only 
an excuse for beg No. 2. After this comes 
the tin, crystal, china, silver, and I don’t 
know how many other begging days, which 
Occur in the lives of a certain class who 
would be ashamed to stand on the street 
corners asking for pennies, although they 
practice the same thing, in principle, in, it is 
true, a more fashionable manner. To this 
list we must also add those fond mothers 
(and whoever knew one that was not)—per¬ 
haps T had better add fathers—who name 
their babies, from first to last, after some 
rich relation who may remember the child 
in his will. Or it may be that the baby is 
named after some flcquaintanee who, it is 
expected, will send it a handsome present. 
How many a man and woman has had to 
hear a distressingly homely name all their 
lives, just because somebody’s vanity re¬ 
quired tickling. 
Now, if intelligent white people will en¬ 
courage these periodical begging weddings, 
why should not. our colored citizens do the 
saint? ? There being no good reason why our 
colored people should be deprived of such in¬ 
nocent. amusement, they appear to have 
adopted the fashion with all the grace be¬ 
longing to the race—at least those residing 
in my neighborhood. That many of them 
cannot tell when they were married, or if 
they were married at all, makes no differ¬ 
ence, the frolic and presents are just as 
acceptable at one time as another. My 
colored neighbors have commenced t he fash¬ 
ionable beeging weddings in good earnest 
this winter. Bam. B. opened the season with 
a wooden wedding (five years), although he 
has been married only four. Ha rut Jones 
followed with a crystal wedding (fifteen 
years), although his oldest daughter claims 
to be eighteen. As these two proved to be a 
great success in the way of fun and presents, 
my man John concluded to try his hand at a 
begging wedding ; but to tell how long he 
had been married, or even the day of the 
month, was an enigma that could not be 
readily solved. But John’s ready wit helped 
him out, for lie decided to cal) it a “ Variety 
Wedding.” “Now,” says John, “they can 
jus’ come d< wn with anything they tire a 
mind to gnv me. I’ll take anything, from a 
load of wood up to the clean silver.” 
Sam's invitations were written out, and 
commenced—“ You are highly invited,” 
which was certainly elegant enough but not 
strictly in the fashionable style; and some 
of the neighbors took occasion to criticise 
these samples of lame literature, which 
made John a little cautious ; consequently 
he had his cards printed and sent through 
the post in regular form. For weeks past 
there has been little else talked of among | 
our colored people but John’s “variety wed¬ 
ding.” He actually saved a part of his 
week’s salary in order to treat his friends 
handsomely ; und, judging from the amount 
of provision purchased and the hams, beef 
tongues, legs of mutton, bread, cakes, etc., 
etc., sent him by the neighbors, his house 
was well stocked with eatables for once at 
least. 
Last night the great event came off and 
my place was considerably darker than usu¬ 
al. The feasting and dancing was kept up 
until sunrise this morning, and then the 
party was not only declared adjourned, but 
a great succe-s. I shall not pretend to give 
a complete inventory of the presents re¬ 
ceived, but only mention a few, premising 
the list by stating that John’s stock of pro¬ 
visions wns completely exhausted at six 
o’clock this morning, his visitors consuming 
an amount that would have kept his family 
nicety the entire winter, Of course he is out 
of provisions, out of motley, and in debt for 
some of the luxuries provided for liis guests ; 
but he has some presents to fall back on—for 
instance, he received six butter dishes, but 
cannot afford to keep one well filled ; seven 
sugar bowls, with no sugar to put in any of 
them ; six handsome kerosene lamps, but as 
he buys his oil by the pint or quart, there is 
frequently not enough in the house to fill 
one; three glass preserve dishes, a pair of 
handsome vases for flowers, and many 
equally useless articles are among the valu¬ 
able presents. As these variety weddings 
are only a species of co-operation, perhaps 
they will become generally popular among 
a certain class who think the co-operative 
principal must be carried out in all kinds of 
business in order to secure equal justice. 
COLORADO FLOUR. 
Nov. 23.—No traveler who has crossed our 
continent since tlie completion of the Pacific 
Railroad, could have failed to notice the 
great improvement in the quality of bread 
found at the hotels and restaurants soon 
after reaching the great plains, or where the 
flour is made from wheat raised by artificial 
irrigation. California flour lias long been 
celebrated feu- its excellence; and lately 
as good an article has occasionally reached 
the outside world from Utah, Colorado and 
other localities in the Rocky Mountain 
.region. Last summer, while traveling among 
the mountains and over the great plains, 1 
was surprised to find such excellent bread 
everywhere: and, not believing that it was 
due to the making, I made inquiries and 
learned that good bread was almost universal 
from Western Kansas to the Pacific, and all 
owing to the excellent, quality of the Hour 
made, from wheat raised by irrigation. Mrs. 
“Ruralist” declared that she? must have 
some Colorado flour, and another lady of 
our party was equally as anxious to try 
bread making out of it at homo. Jn our 
journeying? we visited the Bough and Ready 
Mills at Littleton, Colorado, which are cele¬ 
brated for producing a superior brand of 
flour. After learning the price at the mills, 
adding the probable cost of freight to New 
York, 1 concluded to risk a half dozen bar¬ 
rels on my return home. The flour arrived 
last week in excellent order; freight, $4.86 
per barrel from Littleton to New York City, 
which, added to the pri< e paid at the mills, 
makes it cost me a few cents per barrel less 
than my grocery man asks for the best brands 
of St. Louis flour. Tlic quality is superb, 
very white, with a slight golden tinge, with 
the peculiar delicate flavor of nearly all 
wheat raised in a very dry climate. 
-- 
FINE APPLES IN ENGLAND. 
The Garden says: — “We have received 
some of the most superb apples ever seen 
in London from Mr. Shepherd, gardener at 
Pax Hill Park, Hayward’s Heath, all of which 
have been grown on the French Paradise 
stock, and the trees winch have borne them 
are described as far surpassing what the 
most flattering engravings of the French 
trees might, have led us to expect. These 
fruits have been pronounced by the best 
judges in Covent Garden to be the finest 
apples ever known to have been grown in 
England. Among them are white Calvillea, 
each weighing 1 lb. 4 oz., and measuring 15)d 
indies in circumference; Belle Josephines, 
brilliant golden yellow, V2% inches in circum¬ 
ference; Resnctte du Canada equally large ; 
and Belle <le Bois, weighing each 1 lb. 7 oz., 
and measuring 15 inches in circumference. 
These have been obtained from cordons, and, 
as may be seen, are magnificent results of 
that system of culture. We shall, on another 
occasion, enter more particularly into the 
details of this matter.” 
la he i nine-Vic 
ARSENIC FOR SWINE. 
A correspondent of the Southern Farmer 
writes “ I heard a reliable gentleman say 
that he had several pigs that lay around the 
yard and under the houses until they were 
nearly dead with mange. They were annoy¬ 
ing and lie wanted to get rid of them ; but 
to use liis own words, he ‘ lulled to knock 
them in the head with ligbtwoud knots,’ so 
ho procured some arsenic and gave them 
about two grains apiece. About three hours 
after that he found them stretched out in the 
sunshine, and he thought sure they wore 
‘ goners,’ but, to his great surprise, the pigs 
were up at ‘ grub time,’ with appetites as 
‘keen as a briar,’ He gave them another 
dose, but instead of its causing their exit 
they commenced thriving from that. day. In 
a short time they had shed all the old hair 
and scales, a new coat came out, aud he said 
he had never had a finer or healthier lot of 
hogs iu liis life from that time until they 
were killed for bacon. I know from my 
own experience that a certain quantity of 
strychnine will cure mange in hogs when 
nothing else will. A hog tluit has taken 
strychnine or arsenic should not be killed in 
two or three months, as it will take that time 
for the poison to get out of the blood.” 
.-♦+>-— 
PIG-PEN PAPERS. 
Apples for Hog Cholera.— A. F. in the In¬ 
diana Farmer says :— Daniel M. Mills of 
Bridgeport has been trying apples as a rem¬ 
edy for hog cholera, the cholera breaking 
out among Ids hogs, killing them at a fearful 
rate. As u last resort he turned them into 
his orchard to cat the “ wind-fulls.” Ills re¬ 
port to us is, “those that wore uot too sick 
to eat apples, commenced mending immedi¬ 
ately, a marked improvement being obvious 
in three or four days ; while those that were 
too sick to eat apples died.” This is a fact, 
aud it may he well to keep it in remem¬ 
brance for future use. 
Mopping of Urine in Pigs. —Mr. M. W. 
Houohton lost one pig from this cause, aud 
saved another by sending through the water¬ 
course of the animal, with n syringe, the fol¬ 
lowing preparation :—A piece of eastile soap 
as large as a walnut, made fine aud dissolved; 
half a pint of molasses and water ; one tea- 
spoonful of fine salt. 
COW GIVING BLOODY MILK. 
In response to G. S. Brock’s inquiry in 
Rural New-Yorker, Oct. 25, I give one ex¬ 
perience Our cow gavo bloody milk out of 
one teat, and kept growing worse, slowly ; 
sometimes yielding clots of blood, but. gener¬ 
ally a reddish stream. Wo pronounced it gar¬ 
get, and applied a garget remedy ; and as 
we had lost one good cow from the disease, 
we did not wait long. We dug Poke root, 
{Phytolacca decandraj pounded it up finely, 
mixed it with meal, giving every other even¬ 
ing a piece about, as large as a hickory nut. 
The cow did not get entirely well for some 
Line, but seems well now, though we do not 
milk her out of that teat. The milk looked 
right. I think we did not give her enough— 
that if we had given her another roll, she 
would have done better. It can be purchased 
at the drug stores if it does not grow in Mr. 
Brock’s garden. l. j. 
Mills Co., Iowa. 
—- -*.*-+ - 
NOTES FOR HERDSMEN 
How Much Butler ought a Cowlo Make.— 
Will some of your correspondents tell me, 
through the columns of the Rural New- 
Yorker, how much butter a good cow should 
be able to make, and how much butter ought 
a good cow to make from one quai’t of milk, 
cow to be led on nothing taut grass, and such 
grass as they get first of November ? 1 have 
•a grade Alderney cow that will make one 
pound of butter from nine quarts of milk, 
and she will give nine quarts of milk per day. 
She has nothing to eat but what she gets by 
running in frost-bitten fail feed.—A Subscri¬ 
ber. Hart/"onl, Conn. 
Jersey Stock for Maine. —Mr. T. J. Hand, 
Sing Sing, N. Y., informs us he has sold Mr. 
J. Batter, Goshen, Maine, the Jersey bull 
“Euclid,” (520). “Euclid’s” sire, imported 
“Lawrence,” was sold to Hon. E. Dkla- 
field Smith of New York City, for $000, 
about two years ago. 
