“progress  and  improvement.’ 
MOORE’S  RURAL  NEW-YORKER, 
A  NATIONAL.  ILLUBTRATKI) 
mkl  IJTKRARY  AND  FABILY  NKWSPAPKB. 
ANDREW  S.  FULLER,  Editor. 
ELBERT  S.  CARMAN,  -  -  Associate  Editor. 
X.  A.  WILLARD,  A.  M.,  Lillie  Falls,  N.  Y., 
Editoii  or  THi  Djcpahtmbnt  or  Daiiav  Ucsbanoby. 
G.  A.  C.  BARNETT,  PnlillHlicr. 
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Address 
RURAL  PUBLISHING  CO., 
78  Duane  Street,  New  York  City. 
SATURDAY,  AUG.  19,  187C. 
DECISIONS  WITHOUT  KNOWLEDQE. 
“  supposed  ”  they  had  been  eating  the 
holes  found  in  their  leaves.  It  is  not  well 
to  strike  in  the  dark,  or  accuse  without 
knowledge  even  the  insects  which  crawl 
at  our  feet,  for  there  is  danger  of  injuring 
friends  as  well  as  foes. 
The  same  caution  in  regard  to  various 
operations  upon  the  farm  are  necessary 
in  order  to  avrrid  mistakes  both  in  words 
and  detids,  and  it  is  well  to  know  some¬ 
thing  of  the  n,aturo  of  particular  plants 
before  bolitwing  or  asserting  that  one  8]>e- 
cies  may  ho  changed  into  or  bring  fortli 
nnothijr,  as  in  the  case  of  wheat  turning 
to  ch<!B8,  as  thousands  of  our  farmers  be¬ 
lieve  is  not  only  possible  but  that  the 
transformation  luitually  occurs  every  year. 
IJut  we  did  not  commence  to  write  a  hom¬ 
ily  upon  superstition  and  prejudices,  but 
merely  to  caution  our  readers  against  giv¬ 
ing  a  positive  decision  before  knowing, 
remembering  that  lie  who  keeps  jiace  with 
true  knowledge  walks  slowly. 
DAIRYMEN’S  SQUABBLE. 
AVe  are  all  more  or  less  liable  to  acquire 
the  habit  of  deciding  subjects  brought 
before  us  without  possessing  any  posi¬ 
tive  knowledge  relating  thei’cto.  To  thuik, 
believe,  have  an  o])iuion  based  upon  what 
some  one  has  told  us,  often  passes  c.nr- 
rent  as  i>ci’sonal  knowledge,  .mil  it  is  this 
readiness  to  take  mere  assertion  second¬ 
hand  which,  mure  than  anything  else, 
prevents  progress  in  rural  jyursuits. 
It  is  the  belief  of  many  that  the  king¬ 
bird  is  very  destructive  to  bees  ;  but  how 
mauy  know  it  to  bo  a  positive  fact  ?  The 
crow  is  accused  of" feeding  upon  the  eggs 
of  smaller  species  of  birds,  also  to  pick 
out  the  eyes  of  chickens  and  other  fowls ; 
but  it  wmxltl  1)0  interesting  to  have  one  of 
the  crows’  accusers  cross-examined  ujion 
oath  and  see  just  how  much  he  did  know, 
as  well  as  the  nearness  of  the  two  parties 
at  tlio  time  of  the  occurrence.  It  is  not 
every  crow  that  Avill  jicrmit  being  ap¬ 
proached  so  near  as  to  bo  caught  sucking 
eggs,  picking  out  the  eyes  of  other  birds, 
aud  like  rascalities  ;  and  tlie  witnesses 
against  them  who  could  testify  iu  the  af¬ 
firmative,  ajidof  Uieir  own  personal  knowl¬ 
edge,  we  opini!  arc  not  numerous. 
Certain  species  of  insects  have  often 
been  accused  of  doing  great  damage  to 
plants  by  persons  who  did  not  know  that 
it  was  impossible  for  the-m  to  do  harm  to 
vegetation  of  any  kind ;  while  others  sup¬ 
posed  to  be  harmless  were  the  real  depre¬ 
dators,  the  mistake  arising  from  a  want 
of  knowledge  to  enable  the  owner  to  see 
aright.  Not  mauy  yeare  since  we  heard 
an  aged  and  very  intelligent  gentleman 
declare  before  an  assemblage  of  farmers, 
that  buttoL'flies  were  eating  up  all  tlie  cab¬ 
bages  in  his  neighborhood.  When  his 
statement  was  questioned,  he  reiterated 
it  with  emphasis ;  hut  every  entomologist 
knows  that  liutierflies  liave  no  jaws  or 
mandibles  for  eating  vegehibles,  but  the 
larvm  or  caterpillars  have,  heuce  the  geu- 
tlemau  referred  to  had  seen  the  former 
hovering  over  the  cabbage  plants  and 
THE  POSTAL  FRAUD  AGAIN. 
count  of  this  advancement.  Since  this 
change,  which  cannot  be  characterized  by 
any  more  fitting  name  than  a  swindle 
anti  a  direct  insult  to  the  entire  agricultu¬ 
ral  community,  the  Rural  press,  of  fine 
accord,  joined  in  denouncing  tlie  act  aud 
in  demanding  the  restoration  of  the  old 
rates  uiion  seeds,  yilonts  and  cuttings.  Li 
roBponsc  to  these  demands  we  were  prom- 
isea  a  reconsideration  ;  in  fact,  a  bill  was 
The  report  by  our  Centennial  corres¬ 
pondent  this  week,  of  the  meet  ing  of  the 
Ring  Committee  at  Philadelphia  seems 
to  vindicate  fully  the  first  position  taken 
by  the  KuraIj  in  relation  to  thin  body, 
A  business  meeting  was  called  and  tho 
whole  day  consumed  in  the  calling  of  batl 
names,  and  the  exhibition  of  gem^ral 
dirty  linen.  A  resolution  was  otlerctl  to 
apjioint  a  committee  to  investigate  the 
cnnrges  made  by  Mr.  Ream,  luid  tlie 
public  press  (meaning  of  course  the 
Rueal  New-Yohkkh)  and  it  was  voted 
down  and  hustled  out  of  sight  at  oiice, 
Tliis  we  expected.  A  majority  of  this 
wise  body  do  nof  want  an  invf^stigation. 
They  have  no  idea  of  submitting  their 
conauct  to  examination  by  an  impartial 
committee,  and  this  action  of  voting  down 
the  investigation  is  an  excellent  incUcation 
of  which  way  the  wand  blows. 
The  Dairy  Exhibition  is,  to  be  sure,  a 
total  failure,  but  these  gentlemen  square 
themselves  biuik  in  their  seats  jiud  throw 
the  whole  resiiousibility  of  it  upon  the 
Ruhal.  Goofl,  gentlemen  !  We  iipiire- 
ciate  the  compliment  and  shall  iu  future 
make  excellent  use  of  tlie  influon,ce  with 
which  we  are  credited  h)  jiut  our  editorial 
foot  (aud  it  is  no  dwarf,  eitlierVupon 
everything  that  smacks  of  wrong,  and 
save  our  readers  aud  patrons  from  hiuin 
every  time  we  are  as  successful  in  dis¬ 
covering  it  as  Wf)  were  in  this  Dairy  mat¬ 
ter.  We  wanted  the  exliibitioii  to  be  a 
success  ;  but  not  at  the  sacrifice  of  all 
principles  of  honesty  and  fair  dealing. 
We  were  anxious  that  our  jirogressive 
Dairymen  should  show  to  tlie  world  those 
improvements  which  have  Ix.-on  inungu- 
ratod  here  iu  such  rapid  succession  during 
the  last  few  years.  But  that  can  only 
he  done  tlirongh  the  inedium  of  a  fair, 
impartial  body  of  men,  who  have  no  axes 
to  grind,  and  no  interests  of  their  own  to 
forward  in  tho  exhibition  wliicii  they 
have  charge.  The  Centonnial  Commis¬ 
sion  have  left  this  whole  display  iu  the 
bauds  of  tlte  committee  appointed  for 
tliat  purpose,  and  the  public  can  now  see 
how  they  have  performed  their  duties. 
Wo  arc  very  feiulul  that  material  changes 
will  have  soon  to  be  matle  in  tlie  persouel 
of  this  cornmittoe  if  tm*r  a  successful  ex¬ 
hibition  is  to  be  had.  The  horse  nitty  be 
led  to  water  but  he  cannot  be  made  to 
drink.  So  the  thiirymau  may  be  provided 
with  conveniences,  but  ho  cannot  ho 
forced  to  exJiibit ;  and  certainly  all  the 
resolutions  which  this  body  may  pass 
commendatory  of  their  own  conduct,  will 
not  convince  the  public  tliat  they  are  all 
right,  in  tJie  face  of  their  past  acts.  We 
call  upon  those  members  of  the  cornmittoe 
who  ore  forwai-cling  theii'  jiersoniJ  inter¬ 
ests  at  public  expense  to  resign  for  that 
reason,  and  upon  those  who  are  not,  to 
resign  because  they  are  in  bad  company. 
This  we  believe  is  the  only  course  which 
can  save  tho  Dairy  Exhibition  from  be¬ 
coming  a  reproach  aud  a  laughing  stock. 
introduced  for  the  iiurpose  of  restoring 
tho  old  rates  of  one  half  ceut  per  ounce, 
as  formerly  and  it  was  roportod  upon  fa¬ 
vorably,  aud  soon  we  read  in  the  daily 
papers  that  it  liad  been  passed  by  Con- 
gTCHs  and  received  the  signature  of  tho 
Prtisident. 
So  fully  batl  the  impression  gotten 
abroad  that  there  was  to  be  a  full  restora¬ 
tion  of  the  old  rates,  that  a  number  of  our 
contempfiraries  announced  it  as  a  fact, 
naming  the  articles  which  could  be  sent 
throngli  the  mails,  such  as  soeds,  plants 
and  cuttings,  at  the  rate  of  one  halt  cent 
per  ounce.  JJut  when  the  act  appeared 
in  the  official  organ  of  the  Post-OlUcc  De¬ 
partment,  tho  illusion  was  dispelled ;  for 
the  only  change  made  is  to  pennit  the 
sending  of  books,  magazines,  ativerlisc- 
ments,  sheet  music,  &c.,  at  one  half  cent 
per  ounce,  and  all  other  third-class  mat¬ 
ter,  such  as  seeds,  plants,  Ac.,  at  double 
these  rates.  This  is  the  kind  of  attention 
Congressmen  generally  pay  to  the  wishes 
and  welfare  of  the  r^idents  of  the  rural 
districts ;  and  while  we  point  out  the 
fraud  perpetrated,  it  is  for  them  to  right 
their  wrongs  through  the  ballot  box,  being 
careful  that  traitors  to  tlieir  interests  are 
permitted  to  stay  at  home. 
For  nearly  two  years  our  people  have 
been  subjected  to  great  annoyance  by  the 
advance  of  rates  of  postage  on  third-class 
mail  matter.  Without  the  least  notice 
tho  rates  were  doubled  and  our  hundreds 
and  thousands  of  seedsmen  aud  nursery¬ 
men  who  had  promised  in  their  catalogues 
to  send  out  their  goods  at  certain  rates, 
found  themselves  unable  to  do  so  on  ac- 
RURAL  NOTES. 
Politics  versus  Fiiriiiing. — One 
of  our  subscribers  in  Connecticut  after 
trying  to  get  up  a  club  for  the  Rttbal 
NBW-YoKKKKwrite«  ; — “  T  wish  yon  would 
give  tliose  farmers  a  raj)  who  will  study 
|)olitic3  and  subscribe  for  ijolitical  papers 
to  the  exclusion  of  agriculture  and  agri¬ 
cultural  journals,  anil  all  the  while  keep 
prating  “  that  farming  don’t  i>ay.”  We 
would  bo  very  much  jileased  to  comply 
wilh  so  sensible  a  request,  if  there  wius 
any  likelyliood  of  its  doing  any  good,  but 
nnfortnimtely  tlie  class  of  men  referred  to 
are  “  wedded  to  their  idols”  an^  ignorance, 
and  ns  they  do  not  take,  or  read  Lite 
Rural  our  words,  however  forcibly  ex¬ 
pressed,  wouhl  bo  of  no  avail.  It  is  nuvtu-- 
thchiHS  true  that  the  old  idea  “  that  any 
fool  can  succeed  as  a  farmer,”  is  far  from 
lieing  extinct,  else  the  Rural  New-York¬ 
er  aud  a  hundred  other  similar  journals 
published  in  the  United  States  would 
have  ten  to  twenty  times  their  present 
imtronage  aud  circulation. 
Graaslioppcr.s  on  tlic  Plains. — 
We  hear  that  the  grasshoppers,  or  Rocky 
Mountain  Locusts,  are  again  making  oc¬ 
casional  visits  to  tlie  gardens  aud  fields  of 
Colorado  and  Minnesota  ;  but  no  move  is 
being  mmlo  liy  the  Governrueut  to  ascer- 
liiiu  whether  their  depredations  can  be 
avoided  or  not.  A  few  thousands  of  tlol- 
lars  were  asked  of  Congress  last  year 
to  pay  for  tho  services  of  a  competent 
committee  of  Entomologists  to  investigate 
this  locust  matter;  but  it  wan  rcfiiseti  on 
tho  score  of  economy,  while  the  pests  pro¬ 
ceed  on  tlieir  devastating  raid.s,  desti-oyiiig 
millions  of  dollai-H’  worth  of  private  proj)- 
crly  ;  not  an  effort  being  matlo  to  save  it. 
Millions  can  be  had  to  iirevoiit  the  iiiids 
of  tho  Sioux,  but  uot  a  cent  to  check  tho 
ravages  of  the  grasshupjiers,  which  have 
driven  thousands  of  our  Western  pioneei’s 
to  tho  brink  of  starvation.  Consistency, 
thou  oi-t  indeed  a  jewel ! 
What  They  Eat  in  Paris. — Under 
the  general  name  of  “Poultry,”  there 
was  sold  iu  Paris  in  the  course  of 
1875,  6,656,779  chickens,  2,106,610  tame 
rabbits,  1,583,817  iiigcous,  706,389  geese, 
695,648  ducks,  479,816  turkeys,  126,639 
luds,  28,660  lambs  and  sucking  pigs, 
14,956  guinea  fowls,  21,014  kilogrammes 
(about  22  tons)  of  goose  livers,  11,617 
kilogrammes  (about  11  tons)  of  cocks’ 
comlJB,  9,308  kilogrammes  (nearly  10  tons) 
of  ducks'  livers  and  121  kilogrammes 
(more  than  2  cwts.)  of  chickens’  kidneys. 
Altogether,  the  game  and  poultiy  sold 
during  the  year  represented  a  weight  of 
21,064,569  kilogrammes,  (more than  21,000 
tons),  which  is  equivalent  to  an  annual 
consumption  of  about  25  lbs.  for  each  of 
the  1,851,000  inhabitants  of  Paris. 
have  discovered  something  at  the  Centen¬ 
nial,  After  speaking  of  the  different 
classes  of  Agricultural  Macliinery  as  such, 
he  proceeds  to  say: — “Tho  crowning  suc¬ 
cess  in  this  brajich  of  the  art  seems  to 
have  been  achieved  by  another  machine, 
w'here  tho  straw  is  not  only  carried  up 
from  the  binding-table,  hut  where,  by  the 
unaided  action  of  machinery  dnveii  by 
the  forward  movement  of  the  reujjer,  the 
gavel  is  actually  bound  with  wire  and 
thrown  to  tho  ground."  Will  Rrotlier 
Warino  tell  us  which  of  these  machines 
lie  refers  to  ?  W.vlter  A.  Wood  A  Co. 
have  Lock's  Binder,  then  there  lU'o  tho 
McPkkkso.n,  Gordon  and  MoCormick 
Binders,  all  on  exhibition.  Which  is  tho 
“  another  machine  ?”  Take  another  look 
in  Agricultural  Hall ! 
’I’lie  Rural  as  an  Advortising 
I  ]>Iediuiii.  —  We  publish  below  one  of 
1  mauy  letters  f»f  this  stamp  that  we  have 
1  received  tin's  season,  shoiving  that  the 
Rural,  as  of  old,  still  holds  its  own  as 
one  of  tlie  best  advertisiug  mediums  iu 
[  the  country  : — “For  years  we  have  adver- 
I  tised  the  llalladay  .Standard  Wind  Mill 
I  in  the  leading  agnciiltural  journals  of  tho 
I  country  and  for  some  time  pa.st,  to  satisfy 
our  own  curiosity,  have  given  each  paper 
credit  as  named  by  our  correspoudeut, 
aud  we  find  that  the  Rural  New-Yorker 
has  brought  us  more  letters  thau  all  oth¬ 
ers  combined  save  one. — U.  S,  Wind  En¬ 
gine  &  Pump  Co.” 
Another  Binder. — G,  E.  W.,  Jr., 
in  the  Nation  of  the  10th  iust.,  seems  to 
RURAL  BREVITIES. 
We  have  inquiries  for  Incubators.  Who  will 
toll  us  which  of  the  many  in  market  is  best,  or 
if  any  of  them  are  worth  the  trouble  of  testing. 
The  Amekican  Rural  Home,  in  copying  our 
careful  and  exhaustive  list  of  Fairs,  gives  us 
credit,  being  an  honorahlo  excejitiou  to  the  ma¬ 
jority  of  tho  agnoull.ural  press. 
New  Gkai’Ks  are  again  in  order,  and  we  hope 
those  Itaving  choice  novelties  in  tliis  line  will  not 
forgot  that  tho  Ruual  N  ew-Youk  kr  office  is  a 
good  place  to  send  things  of  this  kind  which  pos¬ 
sess  merit. 
Ik  any  rciulor  of  the  Uurai,  New-Yorker  has 
ever  found  or  can  find  Bermuda  grass 
flactylon)  bearing  stsjd,  we  should  be  pleased  to 
receive  a  sample.  A  goose  quill  full  will  answer 
our  puiiKiBO. 
From  the  number  of  invitations  received  to 
attend  Fairs  this  fail,  wo  oouolude  that  the  Ru¬ 
ral  ri-'orlers  are  Miixious  to  see  all  their  friouds. 
and  we  return  om' thanks  for  courtesies  extended 
aud  intended. 
The  California  Ilorticultunst  informs  Ra  read¬ 
ers  that  the  .\nierican  I’omological  (Society  pub- 
hshoB  ••evorj’yoar”  ouoof  its  valuable  collections. 
This  will  certainly  he  news  to  the  members  of 
this  3otiiet.y,  who’ have  always  been  couteut  with 
a  volume  once  iu  two  years. 
Another  interoRtiug  Centennial  letter  from 
our  correspondent  “  Suout-uuhn."  will  he  found 
on  tho  lifth  page,  having  been  received  too  late 
on  tho  lifth  page,  having  been  received  too  late 
for  insertion  in  our  regular  (.'-entemiial  Depart¬ 
ment.  He  finds  that  the  muddy  waters  of  tho 
Diury  pool  are  still  in  need  of  a  filter. 
It  is  roportod  that  the  town  authorities  of 
Chiuo,  Cal.,  have  passed  an  ordinance  doclariug 
the  honey  bee  a  nuisance  without  the  oorporato 
limits,  owing  to  its  oecasional  habit  of  destroy¬ 
ing  fruit.  What  have  our  .Apiiuiaus  to  say  to 
this  attack  on  tho  honey-iualdug  or  gathering 
insect  ? 
The  fine  collection  of  insects  exhibited  by  the 
Canadian  Entomological  .Soeietios  at  the  Centen¬ 
nial  Exhibition,  arc  rapidly  losing  their  colors 
owing  to  exposure  to  the  light.  The  Entomolo¬ 
gists  or  Enlomological  Bocioties  of  the  United 
States  do  not  make  a  show,  simply  for  the  reason 
that  tliey  could  not  uJTord  to  see  their  choice 
spocinicim  destroyed. 
Ocu  old  roadside  weed  as  well  as  potted  occu¬ 
pant  ol  "Grandmother's  Garden, "  the  Frickly 
Cora f rev,  is  now  boiug  commended  as  a  valuable 
forage  plant — at  lexst,  the  English  journals  say 
that  it<  is  attracting  considerable  attention  iu 
Great  Britain.  It  would  not  be  at  all  surprising 
if  Comfiey  and  .Terusalom  Artichoke  should  yet 
lake  a  high  rank  among  om*  valuable  field  crox)S. 
.A  mBxsTKocs  hailstorm  on  tlie  23d  of  July 
struck  the  northern  suburbs  of  iiondou,  Eug., 
doing  a  great  amount  of  damage  to  growing 
crops  and  piirtioulurly  glass  structures.  All  kinds 
of  green-growing  plants  wore  cut  down  and  even 
fruits  upon  the  trees  wei'e  cut  into  shreds.  The 
nurserymen  and  gardeners  suffered  severe  losses, 
so  much  BO  that  subscriptions  are  being  raised 
for  their  relief. 
Ebtel’s  Portable  Hay  Press  i«  somothing 
novel  and  original  tu  this  line  which  should 
command  investigation  at  the  hands  of  farmer.'). 
Those  w  ho  bale  hay  uuderstand  the  importance 
of  having  it  done  w  ell  aud  cheaply.  Whore  it  is 
a  question  of  tho  saving  of  money,  it  behoove.) 
oiu-  readers  to  learn  the  particulars  of  the  pro¬ 
cess.  George  Ebtel,  QuLocey,  Ill.,  issues  a 
free  pamphlet  explaining  this  press  fully.  Send 
for  iL 
Having  beeu  somewhat  oeasored  for  the  seem¬ 
ing  harshness  of  our  note  in  last  week's  Ru^l. 
when  referring  to  the  attempted  suicide  of  P*  3. 
Elliott,  in  hinting  that  it  might  be  an  adyertis- 
Elliott,  in  hinting  that  it  might  be  an  aav  erus- 
ing  dmlge,  we  beg  leave  to  call  the  attention  of 
our  kind-hearted  critics  to  the  fact  G»at  the  gen¬ 
tleman  has  since  published  a  cai'd  in  a  Rochester 
paper  over  his  own  signature,  admitting  that 
said  act  gave  him  as  much  free  advertising  as  he 
could  have  obtained  for  4i300  in  cash. 
