22© 
9 
TABLE OF CONTENTS, 
Practical Dbi’autmknts: 
McrinOsand C"t*wolds...... 
A Uencfact,,r to IXtn Country. 
Cheeee Making In Virginia.. 
Heifer* Coming In Milk. Treatment of. 
Mllk-Pui s—Tenjpc-rattire of Milk-Rooms... 
Butter. Substitute* for.,. . 
Live Stock Exhibition, The Cenlenblal. 
Live Stock, Nebraska lor... 
Cow Physiognomy. 
Pure Witter for Stock . 
American Berkshire Record ... 
Pig Rearing in Tit!rotary..... ..... 
A Woman’* Acre— Sd.i . .........— 
Strawhi-rry Runners. Outline off. 
Trees,Shrill)!* anti Vine*. A Kow Desirable 
Correspondents Letters extracts from.... 
American Pom. SotL—Sixteenth Session... 
Sweet Potatoes ... 
Culndluni. Edible.... 
Hard on Radishes... 
Geranium*, Propagating. 
Another Offer to Rural Subscriber*. 
Notes....... 
Exchange. 
Clover and Grass Seed, Sow. 
Roller, Put on the. 
Percentages. ... 
French Industries, Depression of. 
Peat for Fodder.. 
Cold Storms on Poultry, Effects of.......... 
Poultry Account.. -. 
Wagon. The Wnteriown... . 
Thresher, The Buffalo Pitts.. 
Gardening. Landscape. 
Winter Mulurtteit rj! Bees. 
Food, Good and Cheap. 
Recipes. 
Editorial Page: 
Proffering Advice.... 
Dr. Cratin' Cow. . 
Notes-Brevities... 
. 2115 
. 213 
. 2H 
. 2U 
. 2D 
. 2D 
. 2D 
. 215 
. 215 
. 215 
. 215 
. 215 
. 216 
. 216 
. 216 
. 216 
. 216 
. 217 
. 217 
. 217 
. 217 
. 217 
. 217 
. 217 
. 217 
. 217 
. 217 
. 217 
. 217 
. 217 
. 217 
. 216 
. 216 
. 218 
. 218 
. 210 
. 219 
220 
22(1 
220 
Litlrauv : 
Poetry. 
Store.. 
Miscellaneous. 
Recent Literature. 
Sabbath Reading. 
Ladies’ Portfolio. 
Reading for the Young. 
Publisher's Notices. 
New* ortho Week.... 
Market*... 
Personals.... 
Everywhere... 
Answers to Correspondents 
Humorous.. 
Advertlsementa .. 
.221, 222, 223 
. 221 
. 222 
. 222 
. 222 
. 22.3 
. 22.3 
. 221 
. 224 
. 225 
. 326 
. 226 
. 227 
.228 
210, 225, 22(5, 2'7, 228 
RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY. 
ANDREW S. FULLER, Editor. 
X. A. WILLARD, A. M,, Little Falls, It. Y„ 
EelTO* O* TH* DlIiUTMUM O» D.IIIV HdBJUNDBY. 
G. A. C. BARNETT, Publisher. 
Address 
RURAL PUBLISHING CO.. 
73 Duane Street, New York City. 
SATURDAY, APRIL 7, 1877. 
FEOFFEEINQ ADVICE. 
There are many persons who will de¬ 
clare, upon the least provocation, that 
Lose who “preach should practice,” hut 
this does not follow any more than that a 
doctor should take his own medieiue, or 
that the eommander-in-ebief of an army 
should strike the first blow or fire the first 
gun. Mr. Mechi, the well-known scien¬ 
tific English farmer, said iu a late speech, 
that “If no one ever preached what ho 
did not. practice, a large proportion of the 
best sermons would be lost to usand 
we think, lie never uttered a more pro¬ 
found truth than this. 
Of course, we do not, refer to the clergy 
in these remarks, although it is just pos¬ 
sible that some of them may be found to 
whom it might bo reproachfully said, 
“Doctor, heal thyself!” But we are all 
preachers of some sort, whether our audi¬ 
ence is large or small, sitting under the 
pulpit or by the fireside. Proffering ad¬ 
vice, indeed, to our fellow man, is almost 
a universal habit; but just how far the 
custom may be indulged in with benefit 
both to the bestower and receiver, is a 
question which can only be decided by 
the participants in each individual tran¬ 
saction, and not always even by these. 
But there is one phase of this advice 
question which, we regret to say, many 
well-informed persons seem to overlook, 
or if observed, they ignore its existence. 
This we have foreshadowed iu our open¬ 
ing paragraph, but we will put it iu plain¬ 
er words, by asserting that a man may do 
a vast amount of good to his fellow man 
by preaching what he does not and cannot 
practice. lie may point the way out to 
others but not go himself, or be abundant¬ 
ly qualified to tell how things should be 
done, yet not be personally capable of 
putting his own instructions into practice, 
b There is, however, a large class of per- 
kL 
sons who lay great stress upon what they 
term practical knowledge gained by per¬ 
sonal experience, and while we are willing 
to admit that experience is a most, excel¬ 
lent. road to learning, we must also insist 
that there are innumerable instances 
where, by analagous reasoning, a man 
may reach a safe conclusion by a much 
shorter path. The architect may be abun¬ 
dantly qualified to draw plans and tell 
just how a buildiug should be construct¬ 
ed, and still not be able to make a work- 
man-like saw-liorso with his own hands. 
In like manner, we believe that a man 
may be so well informed about the struct¬ 
ure of a cow’s udder and lacteal veins that 
he can proffer the most scientific and prac¬ 
tical advice about milking, although he 
may never have milked a cow in his life. 
Were it necessary, hundreds and thou¬ 
sands of instances might be given wherein 
mankind has been benefited by advice 
proffered by men who had no practical 
experience of the matters upon which 
they discourse. 
We certainly have no desire to under¬ 
value practical knowledge and experience, 
but it is not only unnecessary but a waste 
of life for each individual to endeavor to 
go over the same field which has been 
trodden by thousands before him, while 
the information sought can be procured 
iu books and papers at much less cost of 
time and money. This is one piece of 
proffered advice which our readers may 
accept or reject, according to circumstan¬ 
ces or their faith in the preacher. 
—-4-44-- 
DE. GRAFTS’ COW. 
It is noAv a good time for the mountains 
to rejoice, and the valleys to clap their 
hands, while the patent churn lifts up its 
voice in the land, and all because we have 
a new Dairymen’s Association. 
Four stars of the first magnitude, culled 
with great care from the nebulous milky 
way, will, like the flaming sword of Israel, 
lure on the parched seekers after infor¬ 
mation. Iu the front rank gleams the 
Hon. Harris Lewis, and twinkling-after 
come Mr. Shull, Dr. Crafts, and the 
doctor's modest cow. This combination, 
although unusual, will, we are. confident, 
render essential service to the interests 
represented, and we may henceforth look 
forward to a large increase in the personal 
element of dairying. 
While the unity of purpose and of 
action will bo complete, it is nevertheless 
to be regretted that one of the four asso¬ 
ciates, the cow, suffers from an hcridstary 
paralysis of the tongue that compels it to 
utter thoughts that burn in a “ low ” 
tone, which though audible, is not per¬ 
fectly understood by any but the doctor, 
and wbile we mention this circumstance, 
it is not. to be construed into a slur on the 
bovine intellect, which is as bright as 
ever, notwithstanding a little weakness it 
has for ardent “horns.” In fact, the 
four gentlemen who added up, make the 
sum of this select association are all more 
or less addicted to one thing or another, 
and the cow cannot be blamed if it in¬ 
dulges too much in animal spirits. Far 
be it from us to cast the first stoue. 
We are apprised through strictly con¬ 
fidential channels that it was the original 
intention to restrict the association to five 
members, the fifth place being reserved 
for the faithful companion of Bnalnm, 
whom it was designed should be chosen 
as the mouth piece of the organization. 
Consultation with Mr. Lewis, however, 
developed the fact that the ass was really 
incapacitated. He was dead. Had been 
dead for 6ome time, iu short. Mr. Lewis 
was quick to demonstrate that this fact 
made no material difference, ns his close 
and sympathetic personal relations with 
the animal, would qualify him to act in 
its ( the animal’s) stead. The other mem¬ 
bers thought so, and thus it was the asso¬ 
ciation became reduced to four. They pay 
a deserved tribute to themselves and the 
lamented animal when the society see tit 
to abbreviate association. Although the 
organization is limited iu point of num¬ 
bers, yet we can really see no end to its 
usefulness, and if rivalries can be success¬ 
fully smothered, we predict for it a career. 
We fear rivalry from one quarter only. 
There mat’ spring up a coolness between 
Mr. Lewis and the cow. Up to the pres¬ 
ent time the Hon. Harris has had the 
reputation of making the best butter in 
Herkimer County. If put to a test, how¬ 
ever, we cannot, help believing that the 
cow would produce an article superior to 
his. We therefore call on Mr. Shull and 
the Doctor to use their influence to pre¬ 
vent competition. 
The motto of the Association, Qui tam, 
(Who are we?) is, except in the case of 
Dr. Gratis and the cow, superfluous. 
Any It Ural reader may inform himself of 
the' antecedents of the remaining members 
by referring to our very interesting articles 
on the Centennial Dairy Bing. Now, few 
societies can be truly useful on a capital 
of four dollars per annum, that is, three, 
dollars a year, the cow for obvious reasons 
not being a paying member, and although 
we should be the last one to asperse the 
financial management of Mr. Shull, we 
submit, candidly, should the cow be > 
“milked” the entire year, merely to 
make up a deficit in the treasury caused 
by a too free use of postage stamps ? We 
should not mention the matters if the cow 
oould speak for itself. 
Alas 1 br we write the low, soft, voice of 
slander insidiously penetrates the circum¬ 
ambient ether of our sanctum, poisoning 
our ears with unverified rumors concern¬ 
ing the cow, and while we repel the accu¬ 
sations with indignant warmth, we must 
as a conscientious man and brother say 
that we emphatically do not believe that 
Mr. Lewis was instigated by the cow in 
his attempt to control the election of 
officers in the N. Y. State Dairymen's 
Association, or that this worthy auimal 
(we mean the cow) was the sole source of 
supply for Mr. Blanding’s Model Dairy 
Restaurant at the Centennial. Such 
rumors could only have originated with 
mean rniuds, and we feel sure cannot in¬ 
fluence the career of Lewis, Shull, 
Cbatts and Oo(w), to whom wc wish 
long life and prosperity. 
We would add that communications in¬ 
tended to reach the officers of the new 
association may be addressed to the Secre¬ 
tary, Dr. Crafts’ Cow, Binghamton, N. Y. 
-- 444 — - 
RURAL NOTES. 
Patent Annoyances. —With the 
advent of mild weather the pestiferous 
patent agent has started on his travels. 
No class of the community are more sore¬ 
ly victimized by these gentry than farm¬ 
ers. It should* be borne iu inind that the 
fellows who meander through the country 
extorting, under the name of “royalty,” 
a tax on goods already honestly paid for, 
belong to a slippery, lintrustworthy tribe. 
Before any attention is ever paid to their 
demands, they should be forced to pro¬ 
duce an authenticated copy of the patent 
for which they claim to be agents, and 
also verified credentials from the patentee, 
authorizing them to act in his behalf. 
Whenever they threaten legal proceed¬ 
ings, security for tbo costs in the suit 
should always be exacted, as they arc of 
a migratory nature, and deserve scant 
courtesy. The specification aud claim of 
each patent should be carefully scrutin¬ 
ized, aud unless they cover precisely or 
substantially the device used, no atten¬ 
tion should be paid to them. We learn 
that one of this tribe, claiming a patent 
on woven wire fences, is causing consid¬ 
erable annoyance out West. Now woven 
wire fences' have been used for genera¬ 
tions, and his patent can only cover sumo 
novel feature in the method of making 
them. What this is, a glance at the pat¬ 
ent will show, and all fences not made iu 
that precise way, are not infringements 
on hiB patent. 
—-4H-* 
3Iain Grape - Swindle.—The man 
who pretends to have originated a new, 
marvelously fine grape, to which he gave 
his own name, is reported to be doing a 
grand business in the Western St ates, sell¬ 
ing the vines at two and three dollars 
each. Time and again the pomologists 
who know all about this grape, have in¬ 
formed the public that it is nothing more 
or less than the Concord. It. is, however, 
only a small portion of the people who 
want a grape vine, who read agricultural 
and horticultural papers. Hence all the 
exposures of swindles of this kind, which 
are published from time to time, only 
reach a small minority of the public, leuv- 
iug the masseB to become the ready dupes 
of every sharper who chooses to peddle 
his wares about the country. Were it not 
for the wiseacres who believe that news¬ 
papers are incapable of teaching them 
anything worth knowing, the race of ras¬ 
cally plant and patent peddlers would 
soon starve, and this is just where ignor¬ 
ance brings bliss to those who do not de¬ 
serve it. 
All Grain and no Cliaff. — A 
private note from one of the Rural Bri¬ 
gade, now traveling “ont.West,” informs 
ub that the employes of CoL A. P. Dickey 
of the Racine Agricultural Foundry and 
Machine Works, presented him with a 
magnificent gold-headed cane ou his 60th 
birthday which occurred March 24th. Mr. 
John Hackman made tho presentation 
speech, which was responded to by the 
Col. in a felicitous and happy manner. 
Col. Dickey has manufactured Fanning 
Mills for thirty-five years, and about the 
first farm work we remember doing was 
that of standing on an inverted half-bushel 
measure and turning the crank of a Dickey 
mill, and a good one it was, although we 
then thought it turned “mighty hard.” 
■-4M-* 
Those Spoons.— We have been some¬ 
what surprised to receive several letters 
from our subscribers, asking us when tve 
were going to forward the silver spoons 
advertised in our columus by a firm in 
Cincinnati, Ohio. Advertisers choose 
their own way of offering their wares for 
sale, and of late an appeal to the subscrib¬ 
ers of the journal in which certain parties 
advertise, seems to have become quite 
popular for the purpose of attracting at¬ 
tention. Whenever the Rural Publish¬ 
ing Company has anything to offer to its 
patrons, it will say so over its own name, 
and then alone be responsible. 
Retirement of Mr. E. S. Carman. 
—For reasons which need not be explain¬ 
ed, I discontinue my editorial connection 
with the Rural New-Yorker. I have 
made many valued acquaintances and 
friends during my connection with it, and 
now bid them, in so far as that connection 
is concerned—Adieu. Devoted for tho 
present to horticultural studies and prac¬ 
tice, my future address will be my home 
—River Iv.lge, Bergen Co., N. J.—whith¬ 
er my friends will hereafter direct their 
ever-welcome communications. 
Elbert S. Carman. 
Agents aiul Subscribers.— Here¬ 
after, no back numbers of the Rural will 
be sent to new subscribers unless special¬ 
ly ordered. In case a subscriber desires 
liis term to begin with tho first of the vol¬ 
ume, he must so state aud the back num¬ 
bers will be gladly furnished. 
- 4 • » ■ - 
BUBAL BKEVITIES. 
Cheyenne, \V. T., is doing a I Driving business 
sending supplies to the Black Hills. 
The Southern Pacific railways in California 
are planting Eucalyptus trees along each side of 
their roads, in order to furnish a supply of tim¬ 
ber in the future. 
Why can t we swear, when scientists make 
words to onr hand ? Instead of yelling Sacre— 
Moses' when the fat spills out, we may merely 
whisper, Sticdiaromyces ! 
They havo a grape vine in North Carolina 
which, it is claimed, is over two hundred and 
t,f ty years old, covers an acre and a half of ground 
and yielded last year, sixteen barrels of wine. 
A German agriculturist has been experiment¬ 
ing with seed-wheal, aud finds that after being 
kept five years, scarcely a kernel will germinate. 
What have onr Egyptian travelers got to say 
about “ Mumuiy-wheat” sprouting when 3000 
years old after this ? 
The English butchers have at last come to the 
conclusion that there is no use in getting fright¬ 
ened about the introduction of fresh meat from 
America, and, like the man whom Noah refused 
to take into the avk, they believe ” it is not going 
to be much of a shower, after all." 
We notice that there is quite a sharp compe 
tition among breeders of lancy poultry, aud a 
general cutting down of prices is now in order. 
There is a limit however even in such matters, 
and it is not reasonable to suppose that men are 
going to sell a first rate article for less than cost 
of production. 
Prudently Break up Your Cold by the 
timely use of Dr. Jayne’s Expectorant, an old 
remedy for Bore Lungs and Throats, and a cer¬ 
tain curative for Coughs. 
BUSINESS NOTICES. 
Consumers when purchasing White Lead should 
bear in mind that much of it sold as pure is adulte¬ 
rated from twenty to fifty per cent., and money spent 
for such stuff is worse tliun thrown away. If you 
would paint your house with the host, purchase only 
the “ FUmuixU Brand Pure White Lead, man¬ 
ufactured by Eckstein. Hills <£ Co., Cincinnati, O. Its 
whiteuess, fineness aud great bony t tkos it the meet 
desirable and mqst economical Paint that cun be 
used. It is sold by dealers in Paints with e guaran¬ 
tee of absolute purity. 
Hearing Restored. —Great invention by one 
who was deal for 20 years. Send stamp lor partic¬ 
ulars. Jno. Garmore. Lock-i ox905,Covington,Ky. 
-»♦«- 
The Rest Oil for Harness ;s the celebrated 
Vacuum Oil, made at Rochester, N. Y., and sold by 
harness makers everywhere. 
