212 
THE RURAL WEW-YORKER. 
MARCH 26 
THE 
Rural New-Yorker, 
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY. 
Conducted by 
ELBERT S. CARMAN. 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
No. 34 Park Row, New York. 
SATURDAY, MARCH 36 1881. 
With onr present information, we think 
the It. N-Y. has reason to congratulate 
itself that it has rather opposed than ad¬ 
vocated the use of barb-wire fences for 
farm inclosnres. We are laboring under 
the belief that they will be heartily •con¬ 
demned ere many years. 
-*"•"*-- 
Immense fields of pampas grass are be¬ 
ing cultivated in Southern California— 
so great is the demand for those beauti¬ 
ful plumes. Perhaps in the not distant 
future they will enter into the decora¬ 
tions devised by milliners, and super¬ 
sede the plumes of the ostrich. 
Professor Birchoff, of Munich, an¬ 
nounces that a woman’s brain weighs 
about 1(M per cent, less than that of a 
man. The average weight of the mascu¬ 
line brain be places at 1,3(12 grammes, 
and that of the woman at 1,219 grammes, 
and he has examined about a thousand 
brains. So much for brains in Germany. 
The professor should come to America 
where the brains of women are altogether 
another affair, Bnt it is a well-accepted 
adage that the best goods are in the 
smallest bundles, and that quality, rather 
than quantity, is the measure of value. 
■ « ♦ » 
Pistillate varieties of strawberries 
are increasing in number. Is this due 
to the fact that, iu making crosses, pistil¬ 
late flowers are used for the seed bearers 
instead of emasculated perfect flowers? 
It seems reasonable that it should be so. 
If pistillate flowers are placed beside per¬ 
fect flowerB away or protected from other 
kinds, of course, if the pistillates bear 
fruit, the pollen was furnished by the 
perfect flowers. This is a much easier 
way of effecting a cross than by destroy¬ 
ing the anthers of perfect Mowers. But 
the tendency of such breeding will propa- 
bly be still further to increase pistillate 
kinds, which is not desirable. 
-#-*-•*-- 
Rubber boots are cheaper than the 
doctor. They cost from $2.00 to $3.50 
per pair, for boots for babies up to adults. 
For children, they are indispensable dur¬ 
ing the wet seasons, as the little ones 
never thrive well without fresh air and 
sunshine. They can well do without rib¬ 
bons, feathers and furbelows. Give 
them instead rubber boots and insure for 
them dry feet, and peace of mind for 
yourself. Next to the boots, never al¬ 
low them to go to bed with cold feet, 
neither go to bed with cold feet yourself. 
Warm, dry feet at night form a pretty 
sure guarantee that you’ll waken in the 
morning alive, and be free from a cold. 
The Foresters' Department in 
the British East Indies is said to be 
the largest and best managed of any in 
the world. It is now proposed to bring 
one of the foresters from tha f country to 
superintend the forests of Great Britain, 
and have arboriculture taught students 
there, as has long been done in France, 
Germany and Switzerland. We wish 
such a school could be established by the 
United States Government. A lamenta¬ 
ble destruction bus long been going on in 
our forests ever since the settlement of the 
country. If they were annually thinned 
oat as needed, in a judicious way, instead 
of being mercilessly slashed down by the 
wholesale, they would furnish all the 
wood and timber we want, and still keep 
up the necessary growth from the 
youDger trees for future requirements. 
A Good Year for Agricultural Col¬ 
leges in the West.—W e are informed 
by reliable authority that the Legisla¬ 
ture of Kansas appropriated all that 
was asked for in support of the Agricul¬ 
tural College without a dissenting vote 
in the Senate, and only seven dissenting 
votes out of nearly two hundred in 
the House. There was no abuse by 
any member. At Pardue University, in 
Indiana, a large appropriation went 
through easily without a scratch. At Lan¬ 
sing, Michigan, the Legislative commit¬ 
tees added by a unanimous vote 2,200 
dollars, and intended to add a thousand 
more to the amount asked for by the col¬ 
lege. The last thousand was omitted by 
oversight, but may yet pass in a separate 
bill. The items added by the joint com¬ 
mittees were mostly for experiments. 
The bill went through easily with very 
few opposing votes. The appropriation 
for two years was about $63,000. 
-♦ • ♦- 
Distinguished Hungarian Land¬ 
holders on a Visit to the United 
States.— Six of these, namely, the Counts 
Andrasey, J. and G. Szechanyi, and E. 
Hoyos ; Baron Gudenus; and Dr. Ru¬ 
dolph Meyer, are now making the tour of 
our country for the purpose of inform¬ 
ing themselves as to the vegetable, grass 
and grain crops, the best methods of grow¬ 
ing them, and the machinery used for this 
purpose and preparing them for market; 
also to examine the different breeds of 
our domestic animals, their rearing and 
fattening ; and especially cattle, with a 
view, we dare say, of seeing if they can¬ 
not share with us iu the foreign supplies 
of the British market. These gentle- 
mau possess very large estates in North¬ 
ern Hungary, near the Carpathian 
Mountains, whence spring the sources 
of the river Theiss. The climate there, 
we are informed, is much like that of 
New England, but the soil is somewhat 
different. The seasons for the two past 
years have been very disastrous—a great 
failure in all sortB of crops, and want and 
suffering are among the peasantry in 
consequence. Strong men can be hired 
there for 15 cents per day and the peo¬ 
ple have been living for some time 
chiefly on coarse black bread, and not a 
mouthful of meat and no vegetables to 
supplement their meager fare. 
- - ■» 4 «- 
CULTIVATION OF FISH. 
It is asserted, and we dare say truly, 
that millions of acres we possess of salt 
and fresh water, properly stocked with 
fish, would yield a greater profit than the 
same area of our most fertile soils iu veg¬ 
etables, grass, and grain. Last year the 
appropriation for the support of the New 
York Fishery Commission was vetoed by 
the Governor, and it is feared on this ac¬ 
count that the Legislature will not renew 
it. We think if it does not, it will be a 
great misfortune to the public. Few 
Commissions have, been os benc-fieial as 
this. It has not only rest-ocked many of 
our bays, rivers, and lakes with their 
original, valuable and delicious finny 
tribes, but it has also introduced several 
kinds among them from distant parts of 
the country, as well as some from abroad. 
The property for hatching and breed¬ 
ing has cost the State about $50,000, and 
if neglected now will go to ruin. If kept 
up in active use it may sot n add fifty times 
the cost to the wealth of the country in 
the production of fish. Our people, 
especially in the interior, eat too mud) 
meat. To vary this with fish would be 
much more healthy for them, to say 
nothing of the luxury and variety they 
would add to their diet. Salmon, shad, 
sheep’s-head, Spanish mackerel, lobsters, 
oysters, soft crabB and clams from salt 
water; also the most delicious of all, the 
white fish, the Mackinaw and smaller 
trout of the fresh waters may be pro¬ 
duced so cheaply that, the poorest people 
could afford to purchase them for their 
tables. Now they are usually so dear 
that it requires a pretty well-fijled purse 
to indulge in any but the medium or in¬ 
ferior sorts. 
■ ■ ■ -» »♦- 
TO BUBAL SUBSCRIBERS. 
Our old readers will pardon us for 
stating to our new readers that we al¬ 
ways reserve the right of commencing 
and of discontinuing our Free Seed and 
Plant Distribution whenever we choose ; 
that they are in no sense premiums, and 
that our aim through them is, as a first 
consideration, to introduce new and su¬ 
perior varieties. A reference to those 
which we have distributed during the 
past four years will show that in this we 
have met with a good share of success, 
and it is exceedingly gratifying to the 
Rural that such is the case. We have 
been told by several new subscribers of 
late, who were complaining they had not 
received the seeds, that they “subscrib¬ 
ed to get the seeds!" May we be excused 
lor saying we do not value such sub¬ 
scribers, and that they had better wait 
until our seeds are offered for sale by 
seedsmen in general, at the usual price 
of well-known kinds. 
Every one of our subscribers who has 
applied ; who haB sent his share of the 
postage : who has plainly written his 
name or address, will have received the 
seeds of our present distribution in a 
few days, unless it may be owing to mis¬ 
takes in our office or irregularities of the 
postoffiees, and we presume we shall have 
enough left to supply all exceptions of 
this kind. Many of our good friends 
write to thank us for seeds sent. We 
thank them for their consideration. But, 
again, we beg to say that we are entitled 
to no thanks. We fancy that we are try¬ 
ing to do a good work for the agricultu¬ 
ral and horticultural interests of onr 
country. In this our subscribers are 
aiding ns—they give us the means to 
do it. The obligation is at least mutual, 
or, if not, the balance of thanks is due 
from us to them. 
THE PRESIDENT AND THE FARMERS, 
Farmers, irrespective of political bias, 
have good reason, we trust, to congratu¬ 
late themselves on Mr. Garfield’s acces¬ 
sion to the Presidential chair. He has 
the reputation of being a thorough and 
practical farmer, which his well cultiva¬ 
ted acres in Ohio would seem to justify. 
Believing him to be in sympathy with 
agriculturists everywhere, we shall 
hope for his hearty co-operation in what¬ 
ever may advance the great agricultural 
interests of the country, and the position 
which he now occupies will enable him 
to wield a great and lasting influence in 
promoting these interests. In his inau¬ 
gural address he sayB : “The interests of 
agriculture should have more attention 
from the Government, than they have 
yet received. As the Government lights 
our coasts for the protection of mariners 
and the benefit of commerce, so it should 
give to the tillers of the soil the best, 
lights of practical science and experience. ” 
From these words we may infer that lie 
is contemplating some practical solution 
of the problem concerning a Cabinet pos¬ 
ition for the Commissioner of Agriculture. 
The Department of Agriculture, though 
stinted in its appropriations, has been, 
under Gen. Le Due, of great value to the 
material development of the country, and 
when elevated to equal rank and privi¬ 
lege with the other Departments, its 
value may be increased mauy-folcL 
We believe that President Garfield 
realizes the fact that this great branch 
of onr productive forces has been ignored, 
or treated in a grudging, half-hearted 
way, as if it were a disgrace rather than 
an honor to place the Agricultural 
Department on an equal footing with 
the other Departments. The Govern¬ 
ment seems to be ashamed to recognize 
agriculture as a great foundation of 
wealth and power, although it cannot 
get rid of the fact that, as one has said, 
“ the nation dwells largely in the cottages 
and farm houses of the country.” If the 
President wishes to win the grateful rec¬ 
ognition of the great coummunity of farm¬ 
ers, he will take the present opportunity 
to use his power to increase the capacity 
and usefulness of the Department of Ag¬ 
riculture. 
-♦ ♦ » ■ - 
SOME NOTABLE HORSE SALES. 
Last week a large number of horse¬ 
men from all parts of the country assem¬ 
bled in this city to attend a couple of 
large sales of horses many of which were 
distinguished either for their own per¬ 
formances or those of their ancestors or 
relatives. On Tuesday, March 15th, 36 
imported thoroughbred horses were sold 
under the auspices of the Americau 
Horse Exchange, an institution lately 
established here under the direction of 
Wm. H. Vanderbilt and several other 
wealthy lovers of horse-flesh for the hon¬ 
est sale here of imported and home-raised 
stock, and for the exportation of Ameri¬ 
can horses to various foreign countries 
in which there may be a market for them. 
The sale included 36 horses, two only of 
which—Matchless by Stockwell and Non¬ 
pareil by Kingston—brought four figures 
—$1,000 and $1,025, respectively. From 
these the prices ran down to $30, the 
whole 39 bringing only $12,020, an aver¬ 
age of $333.88. Much disappointment 
was felt by the importers at the low 
prices, the offsprings of Derby winners 
having in several cases been sold for 
less than the price good cart horses 
often fetch. It is evident that the day 
has gone by when the mere fact that an 
animal web imported gave it a fictitious 
value. 
On the three following days Messrs. 
P. C. Kellogg & Co., held their annual 
combination r-ales of roadsters at the 
American Institute Building. In view of 
the high reputation of some of the trot¬ 
ters sold, the prices here, too, were some¬ 
what disappointing. Fifty-one horses 
were sold on Wednesday for $21,730—an 
average of $426. On Thursday 39 were sold 
for $8,630—an average of $265, and on 
Friday 47 were auctioned oil for $17,775, 
an average of $378. The entire sale 
included 137 horses, colts and fillies, 
which sold for $48,135—an average of a 
trifle over $351. On Friday, 14 Shet¬ 
land ponies went under the hammer at 
an average price of $110 per head, the 
highest figure being $265 for a beautiful, 
little stallion. 
On Thursday, March 3rd, theTsale and 
dispersion of the Blink Bonny "stud oc¬ 
curred in England. This was founded 
and overlooked for 18 years by Mr. W. 
FAnson, and it offered for sale fourteen 
brood mares and eight yearlings. The 
former brought the aggregate sum of 
$31,620, an average of $2,258, and the 
latter a total of SI 7,590, an average of 
$2,795. The highest-priced animal in 
each lot—the mare. Pearl, $10,925 and 
the colt Pero Gomez, $2.180—were 
bought, it is reported, for Mr. Pierre 
Lorillard, and will be brought to this 
country. For prime horses there is a 
good market everywhere; but inferior 
animals, however loudly they may be 
puffed, are likely to go for a song. 
-*«♦•-*-- 
BREVITIES. 
Ex-Gov. Furnas (Nebraska) tells us in an¬ 
other column that, unless we have a late 
SpriDg. every indication favors bounteous 
crops this year. 
With all thy getting, get wisdom, which 
means an unabridged and illustrated dictiona¬ 
ry. Next to the Bible, it is the most import¬ 
ant head-piece a family can possess, that can 
be procured with money. 
Professor Tracy (Detroit, Mich.), writes 
n= that be found, last season, a difference of 
400 percent, in the marketable product of two 
lots of ouion seed of the same variety sowed 
eide by aide and thinned to the same number 
of plants in the row. 
President Garfield is the only President 
who has beeD inaugurated in the presence of 
his mother. Ilappy man! Most of us meet 
with our greatest successes only after the 
hearts that would have enjoyed them most 
are ruddering in the dust. 
Clouds as Cows. —In the Aryan mythology 
the clouds were supposed io be cows, whose 
teeming udders not only refreshed, but replen¬ 
ished the thirsty and weary earth. In Ger¬ 
many the common superslitior is that a fire 
kindled by lightning can only be extinguished 
by cows’ milk, hair, etc., moaning that heaven¬ 
ly fire can only be quenched by the waters of 
heaven ; that is, rain and dew from the clouds. 
Tub visible supply of wheat is now compar¬ 
atively 6mal!, and owing to this fact and an 
increased European demand prices are stiffen¬ 
ing. The obstructions to railroad traffic in the 
Northwest owing to the heavy snow storms 
have prevented the rnovementof wheat from the 
interior in sorno sections for weeks. The ten¬ 
dency of prices at present is upward; but the 
high figures that ruled at this time last year, 
owing to the manipulations of the syndicate 
that formed the wheat corner, cannot be ex- 
S ccted. The heavy snows in the West and 
[orthwest, it is expected, will cause a late 
Spring and a late opening of lake navigation 
is also feared. 
At lust, after many disappointments and not 
a little discouragement to the managers, the 
fust million dollars has been subscribed in aid 
of the World’s Fuir to be held in this city iu 
1888. Had not this first installment been com¬ 
pleted last week, it Is not improbable the un¬ 
dertaking would have collapsed through lack 
of encouragement from the general public ; at 
any rate, it is more than likely that Gen. 
Grant wonld have resigned the pres dency of 
the enterprise, which, under the circumstances, 
would have been a severe blow to it. As it is, 
he may find it convenient or necessary to do 
so, in view of his other engagements, but the 
project is now considered to be on the turn¬ 
pike road to bucccbb. 
The wheat farmers of England, according 
to late advices, are greatly discouraged at the 
competition with this country and the unfa¬ 
vorable weather which has of late seriously 
impeded agricultural work. So many farms 
all over the country are now tsnantless that 
even should the weather henceforth prove pro¬ 
pitious, a considerable diminution in farm 
crops seems inevitable. A single landlord in 
Essex, one of the leading wheat-producing 
counties, has over 10,000 acres of land for 
which he can find no cultivators, and a great 
deal of slovenly farming Is loudly complained 
of. Land owners are still making deductions 
in rent to their leasehold tenants, and ace ready 
to rent their unoccupied lands at considerably 
lower flguros than they were formerly willing 
to accept. On this account and because, as a 
rule, they are relaxing their former strictness, 
with regard to the terms of leases, a considera¬ 
ble increase of tenants is expected at Mich¬ 
aelmas. 
One of the severest and most widespread 
storms of the season formed in the Gulf of 
Mexico and Southern Texas on Friday laBt 
and moved rapidly northeastward, spreading 
over the entire country east of the Missouri 
Hi ver. In its passage nine inches of rain are 
reported to have fallen at Atlanta, Georgia, 
five inches at Augusta, while the downpour was 
correspondingly heavy all over Northern 
Georgia and Western Tennessee. Several 
freshet* have dooe a great deal of damage in 
both States, On Saturday the storm swept 
over the Eastern, M ; ddie and Northwestern 
States, and in the last section it proved the 
severest storm of the Winter, from twelve to 
eighteen inches of snow having fallen in In¬ 
diana, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and over the 
upper lakes. This, certainly seems to have 
been one of Veunor’a lucky '* hits,” as he had 
foretold one of the heaviest storms of the sea¬ 
son on the I9lh or 30th ot March. Winter 
really ended with the vernal equinox on the 
MUlh, regardless of the Spring ot poetB, alman¬ 
acs or popular fancy, and to-day here is sunny 
and cheerful enough for the opening Spring. 
