Ilk received $66,000,000 and paid only $3,750,000. 
The better companies can safely reduce their 
rates twenty-five per cent. ; the remainder 
should reduce—their expenses. 
FALLACIES OF LIFE INSURANCE -VI 
described as standard chicks, and there will be 
an eclipse, sure! 
PROGRESS AND IMPROVEMENT 
From the explanations and analyses of life 
Insurance processes already given, it appears 
that the insurance which, when it becomes 
payable, has cost the policy holderthe smallest 
outlay, I* best and most desirable for bis pur¬ 
poses, and that the lowest rate of premium Is 
that calculated at the highest rate of interest. 
The question arises, W liy doc* not competition 
reduce the rat e of premium, as in other branch¬ 
es of Insurance, to the lowest remunerative 
terms? No one acquainted with the history 
of finance and the causes which determine ' lie 
rate of Interest upon safe Investments, doubts 
that fully as much as six per cent, will be ob¬ 
tained for half a century to come, tot it lias 
been for half a century past , or that, even If the 
life company had no other sources of gain than 
that derived from premiums and interest, it 
could safely base Its premiums upon such an 
assumption of Interest, and reduce Its rates so 
as to Invite patronage. 
This question of possible reduction of pre¬ 
miums was anticipated twenty years since, 
The premium companies of this country, being 
wholly without experience or precedent, bor¬ 
rowed from the English companies not only 
their plans but their high rates of premium. 
.'ftien luted at four percent. They 
Advertising In Hie Rural Yew-Yorker is not 
only a good investment for manufacturers, 
breeders, nurserymen, seedsmen, etc., but usu¬ 
ally pays large dividends. Indeed, we have the 
testimony of many advertisers that the Rural 
pays them better than any other journal. As a 
recent instance in point, Mr. .i. Uosstci.r, Par¬ 
sons, Vice-President of the Walter A. Wood 
Mowing and Reaping Machine Co., In response 
loan inquiry from its New York Office, writes 
from the headquarters of that long-chartered 
Institution, at Hooslck Falls. N. Y., (under date 
of April 30,1674,) in this positive styloYours 
of yesterday received, relating to Run a t. New- 
Yorker. We have always had a good opinion 
of the Rural, and always have more inquiry 
from people having seen our advertisement 
in the Rural New-Yorkkr than any other 
paper.” 
A NATIONAL ILLUSTRATED 
RURAL NOTES AND QUERIES 
A Young Man Compelled lo Give t'p n Trade, 
writes:—“I would like your opinion about a 
young man going to farming who has always 
lived in town except two summers. I have a 
trade, but am compelled to give it. up. My 
choice is t.o be a farmer. Do you think I would 
be successful if I accept the teachings of the 
Rural Nkw-Yohkeh, good books and practi¬ 
cal farmers. Not knowing what tho Rural 
New-Yorker was, I bad the news agent send 
and get. me. a copy. That was In February, and 
I have been taking It ever since, and will be a 
regular subscriber after my time expires with 
him. I have been taking the Scientific Ameri¬ 
can for a long time, but 1 like the Rural the 
best.” 1 f a man has a good trade it is better he 
should stick to It if lie can; but our corre¬ 
spondent. says be Is ” compelled to give it up," 
and that Ids next choice is to be a farmer. 
Very well; biro out with some thorough-going 
farmer, read the Rural and other agricultural 
papers and books, endeavor to master the 
theory of agriculture as well as to learn it prac¬ 
tically, and if you arc Industrious and econom¬ 
ical you cannot fall. Even as a farmer, the 
Scientific American will be useful to you In ad¬ 
dition to the Run ai. New- Yorker. It bos a 
sphere of its own, is unexcelled in Its specialty, 
and conflict* in no wise with the peculiar work 
this paper is doing. Head other agricultural 
papers ns well. You cannot have too many 
sources for obtaining knowledge, and t he far¬ 
mer of to-day must spend money to keep 
posted on current agricultural oventB, and It 
will pay him to do so. A young man especially 
should take all the papers relating to his 
specialty lie can pay for, read and digest prop¬ 
erly. Take your own State agricultural paper, 
and keep posted as to what is going on in your 
own State. Rut we think it will pay you to 
take the Rural New-Yorker in addition. 
Founder and Conduoting Editor. 
CHAS. D. BRAGDON, ANDREW S. FULLER, 
ARHOoiiit^ IGdi to VHm 
HENRY S. RANDALL LL, D., Cortland Village, N. Y., 
Kuitok or rim Diohdiwt or Sussr 1 Io»»»nhky. 
X. A. WILLARD, A. M., Little Falls, N. Y., 
Editor or thk l)»r*iiTMihT oV Daisy litiiuKDHV. 
G. A. C. UARNETT, PublUhcr, 
TERMS, IN ADVANCE: 
Subscription .—Single Copy. $2.50 per Year. To 
Clubs:—Five Copies, and one copy free to Agent or 
getter up of Club, for *12.80; Seven Copies, and one 
free, for 116; Ten Copies, and one free, fSO-only *2 
per copy. A» we. are obliged to pre-pay the American 
postage on papers mailed to foreign countries. Twenty 
Cents should be added to above rates tor each yearly 
copy malted to Canada, and One Dollar per copy to 
Europe. Drafts, Post-Office Money Orders and Regis¬ 
tered Letters may be mailed at our risk. fUf Liberal 
Premiums to all Club Agents who do not lake free 
copies. Spoclmeu Numbers, Show-Bills. Ac., sent free. 
American Agricultural Machinery in Ger¬ 
many.—According to recent reports from Ger¬ 
many, tho English manufacturers of agricul¬ 
tural machinery are losing their monopoly of 
the German market by the competition of 
American manufacturers. Importations from 
America commenced seven years ago, and the 
1 1 iieine** lias rapidly developed. Mowers and 
reapers, lawn mowers and pitchforks am most 
imported. In 1873,8,000 American mower* and 
reapers were sold on the European Continent; 
it la estimated 13,000 will bo sold the present 
year. American cost iron i» found to be the 
strongest in the world, and the German effort 
to copy American machines has failed to be 
profitable. The trade promises to extend. 
covories, widen nave none mum m ........j 
American life Insurance, and to make It, In 
many reepOOts, very unlike insurance elsewhere. 
The first, discovery was that the exotic pre¬ 
mium was much too high for their require¬ 
ments, and they adopted the device of divi¬ 
dends to swell the superfluity. They even 
went, so far aa to anticipate a redundancy by 
taking. In some Instances, as much as hall the 
premium In promissory notes, orlienBupon the 
policy. Economic and prudent management 
combined with a favorable mortality expe¬ 
rience enabled the better companies to redeem 
these notes or liens at regular intervals. 
The second discovery, which had so much to 
do In retarding the coming era of low pre¬ 
miums and forestalling competition, was, that 
four per cent., though adopted by the English 
companies because it was a high rat e there, 
was relatively a rodiculously low rate In this 
country, and that new companies, profiting by 
their experiences, might adopt a lower pre¬ 
mium computed at a rate of Interest more 
nearly conforming to their experienees, and so 
compete with them In a market of their own 
creating. The profits of insurance are derived 
from the custody of moneys. The high pre¬ 
mium contributed then, as now, immense 
amounts of trust funds which a low premium 
would not. The English precedents were worth 
preserving worth, In fact, some sacrifices of 
corporate reticences and exclusiveness to main¬ 
tain. 
The earliest insurance laws enacted by the 
State of Massachusetts, and which have been 
the text of different code* in various States, re- 
quired every company effecting insurances 
within t his State to make annually a detailed 
report of its assets and liabilities, Income anil 
expenditures, and such other Information as 
(lie Superintendent or Commissioner might r>- 
quirc. All this was, as it. should have been, 
right, proper and expedient, If the only pur¬ 
pose of the people of the State, whose interests 
were to he subserved, was to establish a system 
of supervision and Inquisition lor this interest; 
but, unhappily Tor the promotion of cheap in¬ 
surance, this was not all. The liabilities of the 
companies were to be computed according to a 
designated table of mortality, and at four per 
cent, interest, and the company whose low pre¬ 
miums would not provide It with money enough 
to meet this requirement was Incontinently 
thrust out. One deserving company, still pros- 
nering. came under the Interdiction of tho 
ADVERTISING RATES: 
Inside 14th uml 16th pages(Agate spaoe).<J0c. per line. 
" Wth ....70 M 
Outside or law. page..............i.uu 
Kilty percent.extra for unusual display. 
Special Notices, leaded, by count.}•";> 
Business “ J-Mj 
Discount on 4 Insertions. 10 per ot.s 8 Ins., 16 per ct.; 
13 ins., 20 per ct.; 26 ins., 25 per ot.: 52 Ins.. M'A per et. 
jy No advertisement inserted for less than $3. 
Mights of Adirondack Mountains,— Mr, VKR- 
planck Colvin, who has been surveying the 
Adirondack region, which It Is proposed to re- 
reserva as a State Park, in his report to the 
Legislature, corrects the bights of several of 
tho mountain poaka. Mounts Marcy and Mc¬ 
Intyre, ho finds, are correctly given at 5.000 feet 
altitude. He reduce* Mount Dix to 4,870 Ceet, 
Mount Seward to 4,318 feet, and Bantanoni, to 
4,007 feet. Ho finds Mount Haystack and Mount 
Skylight to be higher than heretofore reported, 
and gives new measures of several other moun¬ 
tains of Important altitude, Mr. Colvin also 
gives the measures of some t w o hundred new 
lakes, covering front forty to fifty square miles. 
PUBLICATION OFFICES: 
78 Duane Street. New York City, and No. 67 
East Main St, (Darrow'* Bookstore, Osburn 
House Block,) Rochester, N. Y. 
The Engllxh Agricultural Laborers' Lock- 
Out.— In England there is an Agricultural La¬ 
borers’ Union, which has been dictating terms 
to the laborers’employers. A counter organi¬ 
zation exists among employers, who are re¬ 
solved to give no employment to Union men. 
Efforts have been made at arbitration*; but. 
employers refuse, asserting it Is not a question 
of wages, but whether the Union shall run 
their business or themselves. British political 
economists are looking with some apprehen¬ 
sion upon this derangement of the means of 
production, anticipating Its effects upon the 
markets and upon emigration. Many laborers 
are migrating to Canada, New Zealand, the 
United Kl.at.es and elsewhere. .Meantime the 
Union is supporting those idle laborers at 
about two-thirds the money they would bo 
earning were they at work. The farmers, how¬ 
ever, arc well along with their work; are 
adopting systems of husbandry that will in¬ 
volve the employment of fewer laborers and 
more labor-saving machinery. Late telegrams 
state that there is a prospect that arbitration 
will lie accepted; but the tone of the latest 
British papers received does not Indicate this. 
The British Groin Markets, according to mail 
advices to April 18, are firmer, at an advance 
for wheat and flou r. Tho Continental markets 
also show Increased finnne** -those of Franco 
being but scantily supplied with grain. The 
crop prospects in l.he localities where harvests 
are early are reported good; but two months 
at. least must elapse before the market can be¬ 
gin to realize receipts from them. The steady 
decline since the tirst of January seems to be 
radically checked, and there Is a better look 
ahead for producers. 
SATURDAY, MAY 9, 1874, 
The Principal Publication Office of this Jour¬ 
nal has been removed to 
Pro. 78 DUANE ST., 
NEAR AND EAST OF> BROADWAY. N. Y. f 
Where all business letters and communications 
should bo addressed, and where we shall be 
happy to see the friends of the Rural. 
RURAL BREVITIES 
We have Inquiries for Ayrshire cows—who 
lms them for sale? 
"Old Subscriber" is informed that we can 
make no new engagements. 
John T. Merrill la advised to purchase 
Allen’s American cattle. 
We have inquiries for Southern Queen Sweet 
Potato plants. Those of our readers who have 
them for sale should advertise them. 
We acknowledge the receipt of the third 
annual report of the New Hampshire Board of 
Agriculture from Secretary James O. Adams. 
If Spencer Cranoh were to look In our Book 
List he would find that he can obtain The Peo¬ 
ple's Practical Poultry Book by remitting $1.50 
to thin Office. 
A correspondent asks if any of our readers 
can inform him if as good butter as New York 
produces can he made from tho wild prairie 
grass ol the West. 
Wk have received the annual of the Syracuse 
University from J. P. Griffin, Registrar, Syra¬ 
cuse, N. V. Those instructed in the institu¬ 
tion should smid for a copy. 
We cannot liBorm D. G. Bntholf where lie 
can get Wild Goose Plum trees; ho should 
write to some of the nurserymen advertising 
In our columns for such information. 
R. H. Pkndkruast, Bayfield, Wis., says r—“ If 
you have any friend lu the South who would 
like to invest u sinull amount of money iu small 
fruit business, 1 wish you would send me his 
address. We know of no slush friend. 
“ A Subscriber to tub Rural ” is informed 
that what is called "Red Kidney Bean" is 
dark rose-color throughout and about the size 
and shape of tho White Kidney—What he pur¬ 
chased as " Red Kidney "—“white with red 
eye," is not the bean known as “ Red Kidney ” 
In this market. 
“ Country Board Wanted." Such is the head- 
ingof occasional advertisements in New York 
dallies, to which, we are advised, divers re¬ 
sponses are usually received. But we, ami 
several friends, desire more than mere board , 
or a shingle. Not that we wish style or epicu¬ 
rean viands or cooking that is not required. 
We want, first, a healthy locality—the contrary 
of Bonner’s place, where the malaria was 
“ right there," and not two or three miles away. 
And, secondly, a location convenient to some 
good, well-managed railroad, within say 25 or 
30 miles of New York. Third—we don't want 
to be extort lanutcd in the matter of prices. 
Ignoring stylo In fixtures and fare, wo only 
desire good cooking and plain, neat apart¬ 
ments, beddlug, etc. Those within the distance 
aforementioned, who can respond favorably, 
Will “please communicate,” stating location, 
convoaiences and terms. There must be many 
people within the prescribed distance of New 
York who can “ fill the bill," as aforosald, and 
by early application at or to this office they 
may hear of something to their advantage. 
REMOVED, AND “ALL RIGHT 
moving most, of our material, including sundry 
appurtenances, during driving rain, hall and 
snow storms, the scene would have appeared a 
moving one Indeed! But the Herculean task 
is accomplished at last, and, though things are 
very “ miscellaneously mixed," all hands “ still 
live," and, better yet, the Rural is issued "on 
time,"—aa bright and readable as ever! 
Publishers whose establishments are burned 
are entitled to credit for, and may justly boast 
of, issuing their periodicals without intemip- 
titm—as did the Harpers. some years ago—but 
we Imagine a visitation of the “ devouring ele¬ 
ment” is "no circumstance” to the ordeal 
through which we havo just passed 1 Indeed, 
In Southern phraseology, “we reckon” our 
publisher, printers, etc., would prefers crema¬ 
tion of material to another removal, and that 
time* at least, (to say nothlug of vexation of 
spirit and physical exhaustion,) would be saved 
thereby! Be that as it may, they merit a vote 
of thanks for Incessant and successful efforts 
to put this number of tho Rural to press 
promptly,—without an hour's delay,—and doubt 
not our readers will make tho acknowledgment 
unanimous. Moreover, we trust its readers will 
ere long discover that this removal of the Ru¬ 
ral Nkw-Yorkf .11 not only mean# business, 
but that it must result. In a manifestation of 
true " Progress and Improvement.” 
— Meantime, we join with the compositors 
and others In saying, with emphasis, in the 
decidedly expressive parlance of now-u-days 
''Give no a nd!” 
The Poultry Men are Ludicrously by the 
Ears.—There was a Buffalo Poultry Convention 
at which an American Poultry Association was 
organized, which proceeded to fix upon a 
“Standard of Excellence" and give "Instruc¬ 
tions to Judges” and otherwise arbitrarily dic¬ 
tate to all creation. Whereat there is a rebel¬ 
lion ; there are some men who will not he swal¬ 
lowed up any how; and these other men pro¬ 
pose another Convention and probably another 
"American Standard of Excellence” will ke 
hatched, and the poultry world will receive a 
double dose of wisdom. Go on, gentlemen. 
Meantime, raise pure fowls, send to your cus¬ 
tomers just what they pay for, including eggs 
true to name and that will hatch every time. 
So shall the sunshine of the Rural New- 
YORKF.it beam upon you ; but go back upon tho 
claar, darling public, grind your own little axes 
at public expense, and raise the dickens gener. 
ally beoause your particular chickens are not 
BUSINESS NOTICES 
Many ot our Ladies complain of being defraud¬ 
ed in buying Spool Silks, in some instances getting 
not more than one-balf the number of yards repre¬ 
sented. Every spool ot the Kureku Bilk Is warranted 
full length and perfect in every respect. 
IMPORTANT. 
" The NAT’I. M’f'g Co.," 49 Dey St., N. Y., have 10 
new articles of domestic utility: Just out; necessities 
lu every family; samples sent by mail. They want a 
good agent In every town; will send an Blast'd Cata¬ 
logue and sample FREE. Satisfaction guaranteed. 
