JAW. 2« 
©ORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER 
“RROCRE8S AND IMPROVEMENT. ’ 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
A NATIONAL ILLUSTRATED 
RURAL, LITERARY AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
D. D. T. IVTOOJRE. 
Foundsr and COMduotlnjg Editor. 
CHAS. D. BRAGDON, ANDREW 3. FULLER, 
•Associate Editor*. 
HENRY S. RANDALL LL, D., Cortland Village, N. Y., 
Editor or tiik llitr. rt.mrnt or Sukkf Hubdandrv. 
X. A. WILLARD, A. M., Little Falls, N. Y., 
Editor or tiik JIkpartmkkt i*r Dairt lltiBBAWDar. 
G, A. C. BARNETT, PiibliBhcr. 
TERMS, IN ADVANCE: 
Subscription.—Single Copy, $2.50 per Year. To 
Clubs:—Fivu Copies, and one copy free to Agent or 
Better up of Club, for $12.M); Seven Copies, and one 
free, for $16; Ten copies, and one free, $20—only $2 
per copy. As wo we obliged to pre-pay the American 
postage on papers mailed to foreign countries. Twenty 
Cents should be added to above rates for each yearly 
copy mailed to Canada, and One Dollar per copy to 
Europe. Drafts. Post-Office Money Orders anil Regis¬ 
tered Letters may be mailed at our risk. CUT - Liberal 
Premiums to all Club Agents who do not take free 
copies. Spcciineu Numbers, Show-Bills, &c., sent free. 
ADVERTISING RATES: 
Inside. 14th and 16th pages (Agate space).00c. per line. 
•• 13th page.1.00 
Outside or last page. .1.60 11 
Fifty per cent, extra for unusual display. 
Hpeeiul Notices, leaded, by count.2.00 “ 
Business “ ...2.60 “ 
Beading “ .3.00 M 
CJrtNo advertisement Inserted for less than $3. 
PUBLICATION OFFICES: 
No, 5 Beekman Street, New York City, and No. 82 
Buffalo Street, Rochester, N. Y. 
SATURDAY, JANUARY 24, 1874. 
TO RURAL READERS. 
NOW IS THE TIME 1 
Yes, Now is the Very Best Time for 
Agents (and all disposed to become such) 
to form Clubs for 1874. liy sending in as 
many names as possible now—and before 
Feb. 1st—Subscribers and Agents will confer 
a special favor. Agenl-Frknds can send 
small clubs, or parts of large ones, and con - 
tinue their efforts for weeks and months 
afterwards — receiving Premiums, or Com¬ 
missions, in proportion to the number of 
subscribers obtained- Many of our Agents 
send several clubs every Winter, some taking 
small premiums for each, and others wailing 
until their lists arc completed and then se¬ 
lecting such articles as they prefer. 
—So, Send on your Names and Lists, Good 
Friends! TFc will respond promptly , by for¬ 
warding Papers a/nd Premiums as desired , 
and moreover furnish you a better Rural 
New-Yokkeu during 1874, than ever before! 
JS?” Back Numbers of this Volu/mc sup- t 
plied to all new subscribers desiring them, 
until otherwise announced. 
ON ITS MERITS ALONE. 
Some months ago we concluded that the 
plan of giving a ebrorno or other picture as a 
premium to each subscriber, was not the prop¬ 
er thing for a flrst-olass journnl to do, and 
resolved in future to base the claims of the 
Rural New-Yorker to support upon its mer¬ 
its alone. Having so decided we made the fol¬ 
lowing brief but pertinent announcement in a 
Supplement which contained our Prospectus, 
&c., for 1874; 
Ton Best Paper, and the Best Premiums to 
Agents, is our motto. We ignore Cbromos and 
all other cheap colored pictures, preferring to 
put our money in the paper, and in Premiums 
to Agents. 
The truth is that the chromo business has, In 
vulgar parlance, been “run into the ground” 
by many papers. Not a few so-called “ splendid 
cbromos,” which are said to be worth from $5 
to $10, only cost from ten to twenty cents per 
copy, and hence the “ sell” is altogether too 
transparent. We last year gave a flue steel 
engraving —a really costly and meritorious pic¬ 
ture—hut concluded this year to nut our money 
in the paper itself, and thus give every subscriber 
more than “ value received” for his or her sub¬ 
scription. We are paying more for illustrations 
and contributions on Practical, Scientific and 
Literary subjects than formerly—and of course 
more than any contemporary'—and believe the 
investment will be appreciated by our readers. 
Tt would perhaps be easier certainly cheaper 
to send a daub of a chromo to each subscriber, 
but we prefer to give good illustrations and 
matter every week, and think the reading public 
will coincide lu that opinion. 
It Is verily trmy that “ every tub must stand 
upon its own bottom,” and unless a paper has 
character and merit It cannot become perma¬ 
nently prosperous, Inasmuch as such aids as 
chromes are of only temporary aval). The 
t rue course is to make a paper of value, which 
shall be sought and taken for jt.s merit only, 
instead of resorting to any extraneous “ dodge,” 
be It picture or other device, to buy subscribers. 
The course we have taken In this matter lias, 
wc are glad to know, been strongly indorsed 
(as we believed It would be) by many of our 
readers. For example, Mr. N. G. Wilson, a 
prominent citizen of Washington Co., Ohio, 
writes us In this sensible strain: 
“ 1 am heartily glad the good old Rural does 
not offer any picture premium this year. The 
RURAL Is worth Its price, and more too, any 
time : but I was afraid that this year you would 
(owing to some adverse reports) think It neces¬ 
sary to give something more than the paper 
for the money. It Is not flattering to the Intel¬ 
ligence of the readers of a first-class journal to 
offer them a five dollar (?) picture for nothing; 
and especially when they know that by remit¬ 
ting twenty-five cents for mounting a colored 
daub t hey pay the cost of picture aud postage, 
and a profit besides! My best wishes are for the 
success of all first-class agricultural publica¬ 
tions, and especially for my favorite one, the 
Rural New-Yorker. May its subscription 
Jfst grow, like our sturdy oaks, larger for a 
hundred years, and may it be so firmly rooted 
In American soil that the greatest financial 
hurricane cannot shake It. We all know the 
Nation is the better for the efforts of the Agri¬ 
cultural Press.” 
the doings of their agents and intended to have 
something to say about it. 
One thing should be Insisted upon: —That 
there should be no special legislation affecting 
local interest* which does not. Include a pro¬ 
vision that the subject shall be submitted 
finally, and before It becomes a law, to a vote 
of the people of the town or county affected by 
It. There should be such expression upon this 
subject of special legislation, at such meetings 
as we have suggested, that, it would be neither 
misunderstood nor disregarded. 
- 
RURAL NOTES AND QUERIES. 
SOCIETY IN THE COUNTRY. 
One of the chronic complaints made by farm¬ 
ers Is that they have no society—that they are 
so isolated, have none of the social privileges 
which might be theirs were they living In 
towns. This is often UBod by farmers' sons, 
daughters and wives as a reason why the 
homestead should bo sold or rented and the 
family move Into town near a church and 
school. These reasons arc sometimes valid. 
But it Is often the caao that a neighborhood of 
farmers make no effort, to employ their own 
resources in social development. There is no 
neighborhood cohesion. Every man’s hand is 
against the other man's hand ; every woman 
nurses scandal against, every other woman. 
The amenities of life are neither known nor 
mimed. There L« no friendly interchange of 
visits. The long winter evenings corno and go 
and no neighbor ever sees the other except as 
they chance to meet at the blacksmith's shop, 
in the market, on the road or at church. They 
neither get together to talk over farm or other 
matters. There are no reading, singing, debat¬ 
ing, dramatic, or other clubs formed among 
the young folks. They have to go to town for 
amusement or profit. 
Need wo say t hat this is both wrong and un¬ 
necessary i Suppose the material out of which 
country’ society is to bo composed is crude and 
uncultivated ! Cultivate It. Here is a field for 
effort on the part, of the more intelligent. Stim¬ 
ulate thought and action in this direction and 
it will be astoiiisning how much the crudest, 
and most untutored will learn In a short, spaoe 
of time. At any rate, hold neighborhood meet¬ 
ings. Gather together at the home of some 
one once a w r cek, and strive to develop friendly 
feeling, neighborhood pride and ambition, homo 
talent and resources. Let old and young meet. 
Abandon formalities which only freeze out 
natural action and beget no warmth. Go in for 
a good t ime, In some way. Combine instruc¬ 
tion with amusement. Plan some project which 
shall enlist t he active co-operation of all. Treat 
no one as unimportant. Make every one, old 
and young, feel that he or Bhe has a place, can, 
and is expected to act a part. Commend what 
is done well and kindly and considerately crit¬ 
icise whatever may be improved. 
Why, this isolation of which so many com¬ 
plain can he broken. It should be. It will bo. 
Wo are glad to know that the Patrons of Hus¬ 
bandry aro an agency to this end. But thou¬ 
sands wilt not join It; and those thousands 
should substitute something else for it which 
shall moot the social wants and awaken the 
social spirit, among farmers. There are a hun¬ 
dred ways for improvement and pleasure which 
will suggest themselves the moment the ice 
of reserve and self-distrust is broken. These 
winter evonlngs should be utilized to get ac¬ 
quainted with each other—to lift each other 
up; and any neighborhood effort of this sort 
should include all! Try it 1 
- - 
INFLUENCING LEGISLATION. 
It farmers were to meet at, some market 
plaoo in their respective localities onoe a week 
during the session of the Legislature, and dis, 
cuss measures before that body, giving expres¬ 
sion to individual views and cryatallzing that 
expression in a series of resolutions and for¬ 
ward it to the Representatives from their re¬ 
spective districts, they might accomplish a 
great deal of good and prevent much harmful 
legislation. They would thus let it be known 
at the State Capital that they were watching 
01*11 Engineering. — Will you give ti short, 
sketch or synopsis of the profession of civil 
engineering the duties, inducements, chances 
Of rising to a proficiency, salaries, &c„ especial¬ 
ly describing the different duties, kinds of 
work, &c.y—L. N. Smith. 
Civil engineering includes the art. of design¬ 
ing and superintending the work of construct¬ 
ing roads, railways, bridges, canals, harbors, 
docks, water works, drainage, sewerage, mining 
machinery, the working of metals, &e. Engi¬ 
neers make specialties of those different, el oases 
of work, and are known specifically as railway, 
hydraulic, mechanical, mining, dock and har¬ 
bor engineers, Ac., according to the special 
work they assume—and yet all are civil engi¬ 
neers, which is a name used to distinguish 
members of the same profession from military 
engineers. There is always ample field for suc¬ 
cess in this profession, provided one la adapted 
to It, loves It and works hard. Salaries range 
from $1,000 to $15,000 a year, according to abili¬ 
ty. It is in tills profession as in all others—the 
pay and success accords with the proficiency 
of the man. 
■ — »♦» 
Agriculture in Ireland.— An English journal 
exclaims :—Ireland is fast going to grass. The 
proportion of tillage Is every' year becoming 
less, and the land passing into the bands of 
graziers. The flow T er of the population arc 
steadily leaving our shores, and those who re¬ 
main are not Inclined to work, now strangely 
ideas change) with the lapse of years 1 Two 
centuries ago the English people were most 
anxious to divert the thoughts of the Irish 
from their old nomadic habits of pasturing 
stock, and to induce them to turn their atten¬ 
tion to tillage. Edmund Spenser, writing of 
t he Irish, -aid, “Tho cattle man is no better 
than a thief,” and i hc English governors of the 
day fully indorsod that statement, and did 
much to encourage tillage farming In tho coun¬ 
try. All this is now changed. Local proprie¬ 
tors do little or nothing towards encouraging 
•mall holders. 
»♦< 
Much Valuable Time !* Lost In what people 
call leisure hours. For example, after the day's 
work Is clone many persons remain idle, think¬ 
ing In that way t o get. rest. Much more effect¬ 
ive rest, however, can be obtained by a gentle 
exorcise of the brain, while the body Is still. 
We therefore call the attention of all farmers 
generally, and constant readers of tho Rural 
particularly, to our list, of books published on 
another page, from a careful perusal of which 
they will surely find some book of practical 
value to thorn in their dally avocations, by the 
reading of which they can improve their leisure 
hours. 
Vlnyhew’s Illustrated llorsc Management (in 
answer to L. J. Grinnell, Rutland Co., Vt.,) 
contains descriptive remarks (illustrated) upon 
anatomy, medicine, shoeing, teeth, food, vices, 
stables, together with a plain account of the 
situation, nature and value of the various 
points of the animal, with comments upon 
grooms, dealers, breeders, breakers, trainers, 
carriages and harness. It is a very valuable 
work for any man who keeps or breeds horses. 
“Mayhcw’s Illustrated Horso Doctor" treats 
entirely and elaborately of the diseases of the 
horse, with the latest mode of treatment and 
all the requisite prescriptions. It is indispen¬ 
sable to tho horseman. 
Originator of Hit* Order of Patrons or Hus¬ 
bandry. A Patron” writes us that Oliver 
I f. Kelley, the efficient Secretary’ of the Na¬ 
tional Grange of P. of H. is the originator of 
the Order, In place of William Saunders, to 
whom we gave such credit in our issue of Jan. 
3. Our correspondent says Mr. Kelley “first 
suggested the idea to Mr. Saunders.” We are 
quite willing Mr, Kelly should have this credit 
If he la entitled to it; and no doubt Mr. Saun¬ 
ders is. Wo have never heard that Mr. Saun¬ 
ders made any claim to the title of originator. 
Wo had seen the statement made, however, 
that ho was tho originator, and had never seen 
It denied—henco our error. 
RURAL BREVITIES. 
Electrotypes of Engravings.—Publishers and 
others wishing electrotypes of engravings given 
in the Rural New-Yorker, Willard’s Practi¬ 
cal Dairy Husbandry, tho People’s Practical 
Poultry Book, and the Practical Shepherd, can 
obtain the same, at reasonable prices, on ap¬ 
plication at this office. We have the original 
wood cuts of most of the engravi ngs published 
In the Rural for the past twenty years, and 
can furnish electrotypes on short notice and at 
“ Btunning” prices. 
The American Dairymen's Association met 
at Utica last week. It was a great gathering 
and a profitable one. Mr. Willard will have 
something to say about it in our columns next 
week, probably. 
“Lady G.” is informed that but one com¬ 
munication has been received from her. 
Cotton of excellent quality has been suc¬ 
cessfully grown near Wachlta, Kansas, the 
past season. 
Mr. A. F. Moon, the bee oulturist, has estab¬ 
lished himself at Rome, Ga., whence he issues 
Moon s Bee World. 
J • 8* 8, is informed that we do not know 
whether “ The Nation:tl Virginia Land Compa¬ 
ny * is a “ square thing ” or not. 
A National Piokon Show’, under the aus¬ 
pices of the National Oohimbarian Society, is 
to bo held in this city Feb. lit—24. 
Seed catalogues from R. D. Hawley, Hart- 
ford, Conn, and HenryA. Dreek, 714 Chestnut 
8t., 1 Inladolphia, Pa., have been received. 
The farmers, at their recent meeting at 
Woodstock, Vt.. formally decided that grass 
W’as the best crop t o be raised in the State. 
A meeting of tho New Jersey Stale Grange 
of Patrons of Husbandry was held at Camden 
Jan.o. 1 hirty-tlve Granges were rexiresented. 
James Anderson wants the Rural to toll 
him where he can got some full-hlooded Leg¬ 
horn chickens. Our advertising columns should 
answer. 
A process has been patented In England for 
making cheese of rich quality from skimmed 
milk and tallow, “provided the latter Is not 
too highly flavored r* 
The Russian Government has been peti¬ 
tioned to chock the export at ion of rye, on ac¬ 
count of the wants of home provinces, w’hoso 
stocks are running low. 
•f 8. Armstrong, Treasurer of the Illinois 
State Grange has arranged to commence the 
manufacture of plow s for the Granges of that 
State, at Wellington, III. 
Colman's Rural World makes a sensible sug¬ 
gestion that the Granges hold open meetings 
for -the discussion of agricultural and other 
topics of general Interest. 
J). .7. Magle is informed that the'best work 
on Landscape Gardening w’oknow of is Scott’s, 
published by p. A ppleton & Co. of this city. 
We believe the price is $8, 
The Annual Circular and Catalogue of Veg¬ 
etable and Flower Seeds Issued by .Tames J. H. 
Gregory, Marblehead, Mass., is received. It 
contains much useful information. 
In Maine they are urging tho enactment of 
laws requiring that apples, other fruits and 
cgtffc, BJi&ll bo Hold by weight. Consumers, es- 
pedal I y ought to sustain such an effort. 
VV. B. Ma-SBIR is informed that he can prob¬ 
ably get Alfalfa, aud the seed of tho Prolific 
Joint corn, of it. K. Bliss & Sons of this city, 
or of any seedsman advertising in our columns. 
E. Taylor can probably obtain Hon. Mar¬ 
shall 1*. WiLDJ.it s address before the Mass. 
Hort. Soo. 1 by addressing that gentleman or E. 
W. Bus well, Treasurer and Cor. Scc'y, Boston, 
Mass. 
Harry Letts Is Informed that wo gavo all 
tho information In our possession concerning 
the company forming to cultivate fruit in 
Florida, and know none of tho parties inter¬ 
ested in it. 
The Acclimation Society of Cincinnati lately 
received 13.000 worth of birds from Germany, 
comprising many varieties never before brought 
to this country. Thoy will lie t urned at largo 
nuxt spring. • 
A cheese, weighing 2,200 pounds, made in 
Oneida Co., N. Y7, was shipped to London re- 
cently, made on a special order for a Christ mas 
show ; 27,000 pounds of milk were consumed 
In making It. 
The advantages of arbitration among farm¬ 
ers is illustrated by tho statement that a Ken¬ 
tuckian has just paid $300 in cash for the lux¬ 
ury of a lawsuit, for tin* possession of an aged 
sheep worth $3. 
*‘ Depose Watts !” is t he cry of our Western 
friends. But suppose you do ? Some one will 
be appointed in his place who can and will dis¬ 
tribute seeds for the benefit of Congressmen, 
so Watt’s tho use 7 
S. A. Sackett is informed that we know of 
no published work upon incubation. The 
People's Practical Poultry Book (for sale at this 
office, price $1.50) contains illustrations and de¬ 
scriptions of incubators. 
An Illinoisan expresses tho opinion that the 
State Farmers' Association, “with its open 
doors and its wide, liberal toleration of speech 
and discussion, has largely outgrown the 
Grangers ” of that State. 
DraJ'Eh Ruugles, of the firm of Rugcles, 
Nourse & Mason, predecessors of the Ames 
Plow Company (thirty years ago), In making 
agricultural Implements at Worcester, died a 
few’ days ago, aged seventy-four. 
Wm. Saunders, R. M. Copeland, Fred’k 
Law OlmstkAD, JosiAH HoOPESaud Ciias. i;. 
Miller have been appointed a committee on 
planting and decorating the grounds by the 
Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia. 
The death of Col. Benj. F. Evans, one of the 
publishers of the Rural Carolinian, is an¬ 
nounced. He was a man of great energv, en¬ 
terprise, ability and integrity, and his death is 
profoundly regretted by those who knew him 
best. 
An immense deposit of shale filled with oil 
has been discovered on the line of the Union 
Pacific Railroad, about, three hundred miles 
west of Cheyenne. Wyoming. The shale burns 
freely, and can be used as fuel in manufactur¬ 
ing the oil. 
H. W. Willard writes t—I f the multitude 
could read the Rural New-yorker of Dec. 20, 
and see and know that Dr. Bowne had cured 
Santa Claus of the panic, I feel confident you 
would have many thousands of subscribers 
added to your list of friends.” 
BUSINESS NOTICES, 
“O inamnm, what shall I do?” says ten-year-old 
Annie, with a plaintive voice. 
‘‘Mamma, ’rauso me.” adds curly-headcd Harry, 
aud the patient, loving mother looks with wiBtfui 
eye for something to Batlsfy her bright, restless 
children. 
If she had now Avtlude, or Game of Birds, it would 
be Just the tiling. Sent, post-paid, for seventy-five 
cents, by West & Lee. Worcester. Mass. 
