26S 
THE  RURAL  NEW-YORKER. 
■ 
“PROGRESS  AND  IMPROVEMENT.” 
THE  RURAL  NEW-YORKER, 
A  NATIONAL  ILLUSTRATED 
aillAL,  LITKRARV  AND  FAllir  NKW8PAPRR. 
ANDREW  S.  FULLER,  Editor. 
ELBERT  8.  CARMAN,  -  -  Associate  Editor. 
X.  A.  WILLARD.  A.  M.,  Litlle  Falls,  R.  Y., 
ICDtroX  OF  THK  D»p*htu*nt  of  Daift  Hufbahdby. 
G.  A.  C.  HARNETT,  PublUher. 
TERMS  FOR  1877,  IN  ADVANCE, 
or  import  and  aid  is  often  tendered,  al¬ 
though  unasked ;  while  a  less  enthusiastic 
individual,  but  eriually  as  worthy,  might 
fail  to  even  attract  our  attention. 
Put  more  earnestness  into  your  own 
actions  if  you  would  gain  the  confidence 
of  others,  for  it  is  certainly  true  that  the 
world  is  always  more  inclined  to  help 
those  who  are  apparently  going  up  hill 
than  down,  even  though  appearances  may 
often  be  deceptive.  Be  in  earnest  and 
have  faith  in  whatever  you  undertake  and 
others  ^vill  catch  the  spirit  of  your  enthu¬ 
siasm,  whether  they  will  or  no. 
INCLUDING  POSTAGE,  WHICH  PUBLISHERS  PREPAY. 
SiriKlo  Coi)y,  ili2.6y  i>er  Year.  To  Clubs Five  Copies, 
aiid  one  copy  tree  to  Ajfout  or  KOtter  up  of  Club,  for 
@11.2/1;  Seveu  Ooi>lc«.and  onefree,  for  @18.06:  Ten  Cop¬ 
ies,  and  one  froe.  @20 -only  @a  per  copy.  The  above 
r:iteH  inclii'U  poytagr  (under  Uie  new  law)  to  any  part 
III  tlie  United  States,  and  the  Anierlcau  postaire  on  all 
cftpies  moiled  to  Canada.  On  j>ai*er»  mailed  to  Europe, 
by  steuiiier,  the  iiostiuro  will  be  86  (Nllits  extra  for  eaoli 
subserliitdon.  Drafla.  Post-Ofllee  Money  Orders  and 
Itfifeistered  I  rfdtors  may  be  mailed  at  our  risk.  ffW  Lib¬ 
eral  Premiums  to  all  Club  Ajfcmts  who  do  not  take  free 
copies.  Specimen  Numbers,  Show  Hllls,  Ac.,  sent  free. 
ADVERTISING  RATES: 
Inside,  Hth  and  LHh  pawos  ( Aieate  space),  .tuc.  per  line 
■'  lathpHFre . W'  „ 
Outside  or  last  pas'c . . 
Fifty  per  <H.  extra  for  unusual  dlsiuoy. 
Kpeoial  Notices,  leaded,  by  count . 7« 
jtnsiness  "  *j 
ItoadinK  "  Lw 
Discount  oil  4  luaertlons.  10  r>er  ct ;  8  ins.,  15  )<er  ct. ; 
13  ins.,  20  per  ct. ;  2«  ins.,  36  per  ct. :  62  ms..  33.S  per  ct. 
ir??”  No  advertisement  inserted  for  less  than  $2. 
Address  ruRAL  PUBLISHING  CO., 
78  Duane  Street,  New  York  City. 
SATURDAY,  OCT.  21,  1876. 
THE  DIFTEHEHOE 
Those  who  own  land  and  till  it  are 
very  much  inclined  to  think  that  they  fare 
worse  than  jierBons  engaged  in  other  avo¬ 
cations.  While  it  is  doubtless  true  that 
the  farmer,  gardener  and  fruit  grower  is 
not  generally  in  a  iiositiou  to  make  large 
profits  or  much  money  by  what  is  termed 
speculation,  still  there  is  a  substantial 
basis  to  their  operations  not  found  at  the 
bottom  of  a  majority  of  other  industries. 
The  man  who  sows  a  field  with  grain  or 
sets  out  trees  for  either  use  or  ornament, 
has  just  that  amount  of  property,  if  no 
more,  which  increases  while  he  sleeps, 
and  herein  there  is  a  difference  between 
him  and  the  merchant,  not  in  favor  of  the 
latter.  Goods  when  once  purchased  and 
laid  uijon  the  shelves,  seldom  increase  in 
value,  while  the  sprouting  seed  and  grow¬ 
ing  plant  always  does  when  put  into  the 
earth  with  that  purpose  in  view.  We 
would  that  all  men  having  the  opportunity, 
should  avail  tliemselves  of  nature’s  bounty 
in  this  direction,  planting  more  trees  to 
grow'  as  time  passes,  thereby  increasing 
their  owu  individual  wealth  and  that  of 
the  community  at  large  at  the  same  time. 
A  man  who  learns  to  look  upon  the  bright 
side  of  nature  w'hile  tending  his  flocks 
and  cultivating  his  laud,  is  more  likely  to 
take  pleasure  in  labor,  as  well  as  to  do 
his  work  better  than  the  one  who  looks 
upon  the  dark  side  ;  and  we  are  inclined 
to  think  that  success  or  failure  often 
hinges  upon  this  difference  in  the  dispo¬ 
sition  or  peculiarities  of  different  indi¬ 
viduals. 
An  unwilling  servant  is  seldom  a  good 
or  faithful  one,  and  the  same  rule  holds 
good  in  the  higher  walks  of  life  ;  hence, 
every  person  should  endeavor  to  cultivate 
a  spirit  of  earnestness  which  generally 
adds  force  in  accomplishing  our  object 
imd  Itiads  others  to  put  confidence  in  what¬ 
ever  we  undertake,  ^^^leu  we  meet  a 
man  who,  to  use  a  common  phrase,  is 
“  desperately  in  earnest”  in  any  scheme 
or  avocation  which  he  may  have  in  hand, 
our  sympathies  are  enlisted  in  his  behalf 
in  advance  of  a  know'ledge  of  its  nature 
SOIEHTITIO  FAKMING. 
Tueke  is  no  word  more  misunderstiKid 
or,  perhaps,  distortetl  among  farmers, 
than  the  word  science  as  appli^  te  agri¬ 
culture.  Jt  is  deemed  an  empirical,  arbi¬ 
trary,  high-flying  »Something,  created  by 
a  clique  of  men  filled  with  vagaries  and 
destitute  of  oommon-sen.He,  to  be  sliuiiued 
— ^to  be  fought  off  like  cucroaching  flames. 
How  can  the  farmer  be  modi-,  in  know 
that  in  just  so  far  as  his  own  operations 
are  oondneted  skillfully,  he  is  himself  a 
scientific  farmer  whether  he  would  or  no  ! 
We  ouce  he.ard  a  wcll-te-do  farmer  say  : 
“If  1  followed  the  instnictions  of  your 
agricultural  journals  and  books  I  should 
fail  in  two  years.”  From  his  view  he  was 
right.  He  xvas  set  in  the  belief  that  such 
journals  are  written  np  by  men  who  have 
gained  their  ideas  of  farming  from  bcsjks 
alone  and  who  are  stuffed  with  all  so^ 
of  contradictory,  impracticable  theories 
to  the  exclusion  of  all  that  is  the  out- 
growtli  of  labor  aud  observation  in^  the 
field.  Trustw'orthy  agricultural  periodi¬ 
cals  impart,  or  aim  to  impart,  only  the 
most  efficient  methods.  They  aim  to 
spread  over  the  laud  every  new  theory 
that  promises  to  increase  the  farm  yield 
with  the  same  or  less  labor  and  expeuse. 
They  do  not  ask  or  wish  the  farmer  to 
accept  tl)eir  statements  (detractory  or 
laudatory j  upon  faith,  but  to  excite  in¬ 
quiry  aud  experiment  to  the  end  that  the 
gcxKi  may  be  accepted,  the  bad  rejected. 
Is  there  a  shorter  or  easier  road  to 
progi'ess  ? 
Cim  any  farmer  suppose  that  whereap» 
every  other  science  is  progressing  with 
palpable  strides  from  generation  to  gene¬ 
ration — w  e  might  ahnost  say  from  year  to 
year — that  the  science  of  farming  not  only 
remains  l)ut  ever  must  remain  in  atatu 
q  uo  t 
It  is  all  wrong  to  suppose  that  the  edit¬ 
ors  of  and  contributors  to  agricultural 
joumals  as  W'cll  as  the  authors  of  agi'icul- 
tural  works,  are  office-men  and  know  little 
or  nothing  of  farm  practice.  Many  of 
them  have  mode  practical  farming  the 
study  of  their  lives.  They  obtain  by 
work  the  fabric  out  of  which  to  shape  new 
material.  The  hands  are  made  the  instru¬ 
ments  of  furnishing  the  mind  with  food 
which,  added  to  the  recorded  teachings  of 
those  in  years  past,  form  the  elements 
out  of  which  original  ideas  are  elaborated 
and  scientific  progress  insured.  The 
farmer,  as  we  may  designate  him,  diners 
from  the  scientific  farmer  in  but  one  re¬ 
spect,  viz.,  the  former  looks  to  results 
mainly,  the  latter  to  causes  as  well.  For 
instance,  the  unscientific  farmer  applies 
lime  to  tw’o  fields.  Upon  the  one  the  crop 
is  unquestionably  benefited — upon  the 
other  unquestionably  injured.  He  con¬ 
cludes  that  the  one  field  needs  lime,^  the 
other  does  not  aud  this  conviction  is  fixed 
for  life.  The  scientific  farmer  finds  in 
tliese  opposite  effects  imjiortant  data  upon 
w'hich  to  establish  iirinciples  universally 
apphcable.  His  first  inquiry  is  as  to  the 
cause  of  tlie  difference.  Was  one  field 
deficient  in  lime,  the  other  sick  of  it  ? 
Was  the  soil  of  one  field  such  that  the 
lime  hastened  the  decomposition  of  cer¬ 
tain  slowly-soluble  particles  which  w'ere 
essential  to  the  vigorous  growth  of  the 
crop,  wMe  upon  the  other  no  such  slowly- 
soiuble  material  existed  ?  What  manures 
had  previously  been  used  ?  What  is  the 
chemical  constitution  of  the  two  crops 
cultivated  ?  Th^,  among  many,  are  a 
few  of  the  inquiries  that  at  once  suggest 
themselves  to  the  scientific  farmer  and  it 
is  not  impossible  that  their  investigation 
would  prove  under  otiier  methods  of  cul¬ 
tivation  or  by  the  subsequent  use  of  other 
fertilizers  or* by  extremis  of  temperature 
or  rainfall,  that  the  very  field  that  pro¬ 
duced  the  scanty  crop  owing,  as  was  sup¬ 
posed,  to  the  use  of  lime,  w  ould  tlieu  by 
its  use  produce  most  bountifully  ;  while 
the  other  field  might  in  tlie  same  degree 
be  rendered  unfertile.  In  this  supposable 
case,  though  the  unscientific  farmer’s  con¬ 
clusion  that  lime  was  harmful  in  the  one 
instance  and  beneficial  in  the  other  were 
correct,  the  conditions  remaining  un¬ 
changed,  he  gains  no  inkling  of  what 
those  conditions  are  and  is  necessarily 
incapable  of  drawing  any  inference  what¬ 
ever  for  his  future  guidance. 
Ill  ridiculing  science  as  applied  to  farm¬ 
ing,  farmers  know  not  w'hat  they  do. 
Scientific  farming  may  be  freely  defined 
as  perfect  farming — for  science  is  but 
knowleilge  —  and  he  who  approximates 
more  nearly  to  this,  is  to  that  extent  a  ■ 
scientific  farmer,  though  he  may  be  ignor¬ 
ant  of  every  technical  word  or  prt^ess 
known  to  science,  and  though  the  princi¬ 
ples  which  he  practises  upon  his  own 
farm  may  prove  utterly  worthless  as  ap¬ 
plied  to  another.  The  same  may  be  said 
of  every  other  science.  Is  one  who  rea¬ 
sons  accurately  and  forcibly  luiy  the  less 
a  logician  liecanse  ho  knows  not  eveji  the 
signification  of  the  word  syllogism  ?  Is  a 
musician  any  the  less  .1  musician  because 
he  can  not  tell  one  note  from  another  ?  Is 
be  any  tlie  less  a  mathematician  who  can 
eomiuitc  by  a  peculiar  mental  process  of 
his  own  the  number  of  bricks  rociuired  to 
couKtriicl  a  cistern  of  a  given  diameter, 
though  he  may  never  have  heard  of  the 
classic  PoiiH  UMiuorurn  f 
The  difference  then  between  the  good 
uneducated  farmer  and  the  scientific  farm¬ 
er  is  but  one  of  degree  ;  and  in  condemn¬ 
ing  the  latter,  the  former  not  only  con¬ 
demns  himself  in  so  far  as  he  ia  a  good  1 
farmer,  but  opjmses  the  acquirement  and  l 
the  dissemination  of  that  knowledge 
w'liicb,  directed  to  causes  as  well  as  ef- 
ccts ;  directed  to  the  recording  of  all 
facts  appeilaining  to  agriculture  from 
wliatever  source,  provides  the  sole  means 
by  w  hich  true  knowledge  may  be  gained 
and  disseminated  among  all  people  and 
through  all  coming  ages. 
The  science  of  farming  is  still  in  ite 
infancy.  Tlie  profoundest  workers  are 
still  grpoiug  in  all  but  darkness — but 
the  dim  light  in  the  di8tauc.e  and  the 
flaslies  that  oftener  aud  more  brightly 
ligliten  np  the  vista  of  agriculture,  bid  us 
hope  that  a  more  constant  and  brighter 
ligut  is  about  to  dawn,  and  he  who  thrusts 
himself  forward  to  scorn  the  noble  labors 
of  those  who  seek  to  hasten  it,  whether 
bylabors  in  the  field,  lalioratory  or  study, 
may  live  it  is  to  be  hoped,  to  blush  over 
their  short-sightedness. 
,  aXTRAL  NOTES. 
Rural  Premiums  Appreciated. 
— Among  the  many  letters,  showing  the 
encouragement  given  us  in  our  endeavors 
to  send  the  Rcbal  forward  as  a  good 
messenger,  the  following  is  from  friend 
Gbeen  of  Allegany  Co.,  who  has  sent  in 
a  EirBAL  Club  ever  since  he  was  a  boy  : 
“All  the  Premiums  due  me  from  the 
Rukal  have  been  received  in  good  order 
and  I  am  much  pleased  with  them,  as 
they  are  fijst-class  in  every  respect.  As 
I  anticipate  sending  you  more  subscrip¬ 
tions  for  the  KuBAL’for  1877  than  ever 
before,  I  want  to  fully  prepare  for  the 
comiiig  campaign  for  the  Old  Rcbal, 
which  I  intend,  on  my  part,  to  make  an 
aygressivc  one,  not  merely  acting  on  tlie 
de/eneive  and  taking  sub^riptions  w'hen 
I  can’t  avoid  it,  but  going  out  to  get 
them.  Yours  truly,  Geo.  A.  Green, 
Agent.” 
Waters’  Orchestriau  Chimes. — 
In  our  last  issue  our  musical  critic  gave  a 
brief  description  of  this  instrument,  a 
new  jjarlor  organ  just  introduced  by 
Horace  Waters  k  Sons.  He  stated  a 
simple  fact  wheu  he  wrote  that  “  it  is  in 
advance  of  anything  heretofore  offered  to 
the  musical  public.”  Our  printer  has 
but  recently  taken  up  the  study  of  San¬ 
skrit  and  the  best  he  could  do  with  the 
“copy”  was  to  make  it  read,  “is  in  ad¬ 
vance  of  anything  heretofore  to  offend  to 
the  musical  public, "  This  error  has  cast 
a  gloom  over  the  Sanctum.  We  regret 
the  mistake  and  deplore  the  loss  of  ciur 
esteemed  assixjiate.  He  read  the  notice 
and  subsequently  went  to  the  Asylum  a 
howling  maniac. 
Rabies  Caaiiia  in  England. — 
From  late  English  journals  we  learn  that 
some  valuable  packs  of  hounds  have  had 
to  be  killed  on  account  of  the  presence  of 
rabies  ami  hydiophobia  among  them. 
The  latest  outbreak  of  this  fearful  malady 
caused  the  destruction  of  a  number  of 
hounds  estimated  to  be  worth  five  hun¬ 
dred  pounds,  the  pack  being  one  of  the 
best  in  the  kingdom.  Many  theories  have 
been  advanced  as  to  the  cause  of  these 
outbreaks,  but  none  seem  to  be  entii-ely 
satisfactory.  The  malady  seems  to  lurk 
among  the  kennels  of  tsertain  districts. 
Patented  Plants.— The  Editor  of 
the  Gardeners’  ]\Ionthly,  in  discussing 
the  advisability  of  giving  the  originators 
of  new  plants  ‘  ‘  protecting  patents,  ”  says, 
“We  know  of  a  person  who  has  been 
some  six  years  working  on  a  new  plant 
and  who  will  probably  realize  $20,000  for 
his  labor  and  skill.”  This  we  think,  is 
fully  as  much  as  a  man  could  think  of 
doing  under  any  horticultural  patent  law. 
There  are  far  too  many  patents  now'  for 
the  welfare  of  the  masses,  and  to  adil  to 
the  number  or  facilities  for  the  same  might 
increase  instead  of  decrease  their  burdens. 
Kiiufai  or  Poh*. — This  East  India 
game  is  becoming  quite  popular  in  Amer¬ 
ica  .and,  like  ba.se  ball,  is  likely  to  bring 
a  croji  of  broken  fingers  and  shins,  if 
nothing  worse  liappens  to  those  who  in- 
dulge  m  the  “manly  sport."  Anything 
that  has  any  fun  in  it,  is  always  welcome 
among  those  who  have  leisure  hours  to 
while  away  and  money  to  spend  in  grati¬ 
fying  their  tastes,  in  whatever  direction 
they  may  happen  to  run. 
The  Aiustcrdani  Exhibition. — 
There  is  to  be  a  grand  International  Hor¬ 
ticultural  Exhibition  at  Amsterdam,  Hol¬ 
land,  in  1877.  and  all  the  nations  of  the 
world  are  invitotl  to  participate  therein, 
as  at  our  Centennial  Show.  Now  let  our 
horticulturists  mahe  preparations  to  show' 
the  Dutch  what  can  be  done  in  the  way 
of  horticultural  products  from  America. 
RURAL  BREVITIES. 
Mr.  G.  F.  Xkedham  sendH  us  an  intcrestiug 
ac(X)unt  of  the  Potomac  Fruit  Growers’  Associa¬ 
tion,  August  meeting,  which  we  cannot  publish 
on  account  of  lack  of  spsioo. 
The  sales  of  stock,  ospeciatly  Short-Horn,  has 
been  brisk  this  faU  and  the  prices  are  reported 
as  being  quite  satisfactory.  In  fact,  the  outlook 
for  all  Muds  of  fann  shaik  aiqiears  to  bo  good. 
The  Early  Vermont  and  Snowflake  aro  reported 
to  have  done  exceedingly  well  in  England  this 
season  and  the  former  is  said  to  promise  to  be¬ 
come  one  of  tlie  most  useful  of  American  va¬ 
rieties. 
It  is  reported  that  the  authorities  of  Blue- 
Earth  Co.,  Minn.,  have  paid  for  2,000  bushels  of 
locusts,  aud  that  in  the  eutii'e  State  where  these 
insects  occurred,  not  less  than  50,000  bushels 
were  <leBtroyed  the  present  season. 
There  has  been  a  strong  effort  by  the  coal 
companies  during  the  past  few  days  to  put  up 
the  price  of  coal,  but  without  effect.  The  back¬ 
bone  of  the  monoi»olieB  having  been  broken,  it 
will  be  difficult  to  mend  it  while  labor  remains 
cheap  and  abundant. 
We  are  in  receipt  of  two  ears  of  D.  A.  Comp¬ 
ton’s  early  yellow  com,  which  appears  to  be  an 
extra  fine  variety.  It  is  a  twelve-rowed  sort  and 
we  are  assured  liy  the  originator  that  it  is  extra 
early,  the  crop  this  season  having  been  cut  up 
and  shocked  August  14. 
Again  we  chrouicle  the  visit  of  a  Centennial 
Rural  Agent— Mr.  Henry  Hul-h,  St.  Charles, 
Ills. — who  stopped  on  hie  way  to  Philadelphia  to 
have  a  friendly  chat  on  businees  prospects,  Ac. 
He  reports  everything  flourishing  in  his  State 
and  that  the  Rurai.  is  gaining  friends  steadily. 
J.  Y.  Bicknkll,  Westmoreland,  N*.  Y.,  makes 
an  offer  of  game  fowls  in  his  advertisement  on 
another  page  that  should  interest  poultry  fan¬ 
ciers  ana  others.  As  Mr.  Bicknell  carried  off 
about  all  the  honors  at  the  last  S.  Y.  State  Fair, 
it  is  safe  to  say  his  stock  is  a  desirable  one  to 
select  from. 
Thebe  have  been  many  “  comers”  in  grain, 
stocks  aud  other  articles,  but  the  meanest  “  corn¬ 
er”  we  have  ever  heard  of  is  a  “  corner”  in  qm- 
nine,  sending  this  useful  drug  up  fifty  to  seventy- 
five  cents  pier  ounce.  This  is  hard  on  those  who 
have  gotten  the  ‘’shakes'’  or  malarial  fever 
through  their  visits  to  the  Centennial. 
The  N.  Y.  Herald,  in  speaking  of  the  amount 
of  grain  on  hand  ready  for  shipment,  says : 
W^tern  warehouses  are  glutted  with  grain, 
which  the  owners  are  holding  so  that  the  rail¬ 
roads  may  soon  have  so  much  to  carry  East  that 
they  may  put  on  the  high  tariff  rates.  Gentle¬ 
men  farmers,  how  long  will  it  take  you  to  learn 
that,  80  far  as  export  is  concerned,  the  price  of 
American  wheat  is  in  Liverpiool  and  nowhere 
else  ?" 
Db.  H.  a.  Grant,  of  Enfield,  Conn.,  writes 
that  he  used  one  of  the  Halladay  Wlnd  Mills, 
made  by  the  U.  S.  Wind  Mill  Co.  constantly,  dav 
and  night,  except  when  his  water  tank  was  full, 
from  its  erection  in  1853  he  replaced  it  by 
steam  for  other  purpioaos  in  1872.  He  further 
says  that  its  eutire  cost  o(  repairs  during  that 
whole  time  did  not  exceed  $15  and  that  with  §2 
more  expenditure  it  would  be  good  for  auother 
five  years. 
The  advertisement  in  this  issue  of  Messrs. 
IXJBD  A  Taylor  should  be  carefully  read,  as  it 
gives  a  succinct  list  of  all  the  new  fall  goods 
with  prices.  The  most  stylish  stuffs  here  an- 
uounced  hare  not  been  distributed  through  the 
country  yet  and  they  are,  consequently,  onlv 
attaiua'ble  in  New  York.  The  system  adopted 
by  this  house  as  set  forth  in  the  advertisement, 
puts  it  in  any  lady’s  power  to  avail  herself  of 
their  facilities  without  as  much  exjiense  as  would 
be  iticurred  by  ti'ading  iu  her  owu  town  and 
I  with  facilities  quite  as  ample. 
