THE RURAL MEW-YORKER. 
TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
Practical Departments: 
“ Vibrator ” Principle. The. 
Plow, A New Hurd Metul.. 
Uutter. Working. 
Dniry-ll<>u*' - . (kmCrete. 
Milch CowB, Food for. 
Eg * f"i lltoi-liini'. Transporting, 
Poullrr F,rm* in England. 
Egg*.Ciing . .. . ....... .. 
Qtipea Cuni|lhtir s# n Remedy for 
Bird*. About My. 
Swallow*,The HlhornntKjn of... 
Spider A Paper* Mil king. . 
Anwif to UorreapomionV*-.... 
Advice. Wholesome. .. 
KnglPh F rrnlnB. Condition of... 
Oruuge Meeting. A. 
Potato. U ldnn r.i nt. 
Sevenu eri-»8 1 Cicada. The.,— 
Burn*. A State Av-Hyeren. 
Evi rgreoim Poisoning Culliis. 
Ynking < hUIc by the Horn’'. 
Fence Post*, t" F'rcucrve. 
Salicylic Antd in the Household 
Retilpe*. Original and Selected-.. 
Asthma and 1W Treatnieol. 
A»i«jrugui. llcul'hf nines* of. 
Cattle Put'd|r g. Green Crop* for.. 
Horne, a Murvelnu*. 
Ediwiual Pare: 
Tran) pa. 
Reform. 
Note*—Brevities. 
I.iteua uy : 
Poetry. 
Slerni Nevada, The. 
Story.....•. 
MiHCellaneoim.-. 
Recent J.iltirnture. 
Coujlng llvenW. 
Ladle*' I'uitinltn. 
Reading tor the Young. 
Pnxnler... . 
Sabi Kill Read mg. 
Mark el*.. . 
Publisher'* Notice*. 
Now* of the Week.— .... 
Everywhere........ 
Personal*,...... 
Humnrou*. 
Advertisement*. 
373 
371 
374 
.374 
374 
374 
373 
373 
375 
375 
37.1 
373 
37(1 
33 C 
376 
876 
:i7« 
377 
377 
377 
377 
377 
373 
373 
37* 
37H 
373 
379 
380 
380 
3t0 
.381.383, 334 
. 381 
. 381 
.382 
. 382 
.383 
..383 
. 381 
.384 
. 384 
.38) 
. 886 
.386 
... 386 
. 387 
. . 388 
379. 386, 387,383 
RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY. 
ANDREW S. FULLER, Editor. 
X. A. WILLARD, A. M., Little Falls, N. Y., 
It nok or Tin- Ii.i',tiTD.si o, Daisy Hi n ,»mho 
H. A. C. 15 A II Nl.TT, Publisher. 
Address 
RURAL PUBLISHING CO., 
78 Duane Street, New York City. 
SATURDAY, JUNE 10, 1877. 
TRAMPS. 
Besides the insect depredators that 
plague tlie rural population at this season 
of the year, they are, in nearly every' part 
of tliu country, likewise subjected to an¬ 
noyance and loss from a horde of human 
pests bearing the foul, ragged, shiftless 
forms of (ramps. The former are a griev¬ 
ous visitation from Nature, which philos¬ 
ophy teaches the farmer to submit to 
with some patienco as inevitable ; while 
the latter are a pestiferous product of So¬ 
ciety, wbieh it is every man’s duty to ex¬ 
tirpate. To abate the first, the most 
effectual means is often a liberal diet of 
poison ; but to get rid of the second, a 
stringent system of starvation is always 
the most efficacious remedy. There is a 
mawkish sentiment of philanthropy abroad 
that might object to such heroic treat¬ 
ment ; but every sensible nnui acquainted 
with the nature, extent, and causes of the 
evil, must inevitably oomo to the conclu¬ 
sion that a severe measure of this kind is, 
not only iudispensible to check its growth 
and eradicate it, but must ultimately 
prove a blessing, in austere disguise, not 
only to society at large, but also to the. 
wretched boings whose solitary chance 
for reformation and recovered manliness 
depends on the application of this harsh 
usage. 
Desperate ailments require desperate 
remedies, and neither the toper’s craving 
for liquor, nor the opium-eater’s for 
his favorite poison, is more tenacious than 
the tramp’s love for the most utterly 
hopeless laziness—a laziness so inherent 
and controlling hb to render him incap¬ 
able of either memory, hope, ambition, 
love, or gratitude ; a laziness so degrading 
as to make its victim too indifferent to Lis 
own comfort and the opinion of others to 
seek improvement in his miserable exist¬ 
ence, or to maintain even the slightest 
semblance of personal cleanliness. Hav¬ 
ing sunk to the level of bestial indulgence, 
since the law withholds from him the ap¬ 
plication of the lash or goad, the only re¬ 
maining means of forcing him to self-sus¬ 
taining labor, is hunger—the most pow- 
crful stimulant to exertion in bis case as 
well as in that of other animals. 
During the summer months the dis¬ 
tinctive characteristics of this shiftless 
race are slightly modified by their diffu¬ 
sion through the country and the neces¬ 
sity they labor under to make the effort 
of slouching from one farm-house to an¬ 
other, to repeat at each the rehearsed lie 
about their fruitless search for work. In 
winter, however, the baneful relief indis¬ 
criminately afforded to the destitute in 
this and other cities, attracts to these cen¬ 
ters of misplaced benevolence a horde of 
idle and dissolute tramps, who are kept 
for months in a condition which, to 
them, is one of such unaccustomed lux¬ 
ury that, on the arrival of mild weather, 
they are in excellent trim to carry the 
nuisance of their presence everywhere 
throughout the rural districts. We have 
had the curiosity to avail ourselves, dur¬ 
ing the past winter, of abundant oppor¬ 
tunities to study the nature of these pests, 
and the results of our investigation have 
forced on us the reluctant conclusion that 
they deserve but- scaut kiuduess, and that 
the sterner the measures with which they 
are treated the more effectual will they 
be, both as regards the reformation of the 
evil and its consequent diminution. 
The tramp lacks the persistence and 
foresight of the professional beggar, and 
the enterprise and ingenuity of the pro¬ 
fessional thief. When he begs it is only 
to meet the small necessities of the day, 
when he steals lie merely takes the uucou- 
sidered trifles which happen to be lyiug 
about loose in his way. In the city his 
lawless proclivities are measurably re¬ 
strained by his fear of the ubiquitous 
polioemau, but relieved from this dread 
in the country, his cowardice and dis¬ 
honesty manifest themselves in terrifying 
unprotectwl women, purloining every¬ 
thing exchangeable for the whisky he 
loves, and firing tho#ie.ks or barns of the 
farmer who may have shown him the 
severity he richly merits. Generally he 
is cursed with a hazy idea that the world 
owes him a living, regardless of the fact 
that the world has worked hard for all it 
possesses, and owes each man precisely 
what he lias earned, and no more. Innate 
improvidence, indolence, falsehood, dis¬ 
honesty and petty knavery sometimes 
drive him to this disreputable career, und 
these vices are always either generated or 
strengthened by it. Years ago, it hap¬ 
pened occasionally that a poor man of up¬ 
right character “ took to the road ” really 
in search of the work lie could not find at 
home, but so discreditable has this course 
lately become that the chanceH are now 
exceedingly slim of finding, among the 
disreputable crew, a person of this kind, 
however plausible the tales of destitution 
and oompulsory idleness that may drop 
from their lying lips. Should a man still 
retaining a sense of self-respect, start on 
this course through thoughtlessness or 
desperation, the sooner the treatment he 
receives forces him to abaudon it, the 
better for his manliness and integrity, for 
so pernicious are its influences and asso¬ 
ciations that the preservation of these 
virtues is nearly impossible, if the career 
be even briefly persisted in. 
Each neighborhood should combine to 
deal sternly with every member of this 
migratory tribe, in kindness as well as in 
justice rofuse them any assistance except 
earned by work, and stringently enforce 
all general and local laws against them. 
It should be borne in mind that true 
charity is a matter of the head as well as 
of the heart, of reason more than impulse, 
and that indiscriminate alms giving is 
generally a curse rather than a blessing 
to the beneficiaries. 
REFORM. 
Notwithstanding the little faith which 
it is within the power of the professional 
politician of either party to inspire in the 
mind of the general public, the promises 
lately made by the authorities at Wash¬ 
ington seem to possess the ring of the 
true metal. The President and his whole 
cabinet display an apparent desire to ad¬ 
vance the civil service of the country to a 
sound business basis, lopping off all sine¬ 
cures aud retaining in pay only those who 
earn their money, the same as any raer 
chant would do in conducting his own 
business:—All this, too, without con¬ 
sideration being given to the manner of 
making appointment*. 
We have several times had oecasion to 
say that one of our greatest evils is the 
professional politician and this is the 
animal who will resist any reform which 
has a tendency to weaken his power 
(patronage) with his so-called constitu¬ 
ency. Should the reform be carried out, 
which we are willing to believe to be an 
actual occurrence when we see it, this 
sijcial hyena will weep and wail and gnash 
Ins teeth, to the extreme delight of all 
good citizens who pay the tuxes. Very 
little sympathy will go out to thiscreatura 
from the rural population which has re¬ 
ceived little else but blows and kicks from 
him, while they have footed his bills for 
eating and drinking and many other 
things for which payment never should 
be made. The agricultural or producing 
classes have received little good at his 
hands, and may expect lesa. When the 
politician can vote away millions of public 
money to railroa<ls aud* mines while he is 
lighting a paltry appropriation for the 
benefit of the interests which constitute 
the real wealth aud solidity of the country, 
the farmer must not build high hopes 
upon his friendship or assistance. This 
movement on the part of the administra¬ 
tion, if successful, can save millions to 
the country every year and prevent the 
further education of political bummers 
who now bid fair to own the whole coun¬ 
try. 
Do not allow the movement to be con¬ 
fined to Washington alone but, let each 
citizen agitato the reform in his own little 
community whether it be Democratic or 
Republican. The principle is right aud 
should obtain every wJiere. Let the cry 
which gives the spoils to the victor be 
buried in eternal oblivion. Let no such 
thing as spoils exist. Let polities as a 
business be abolished and compel the 
office-holder to earn his pay before he 
gets it. Such a course would not only be 
un economical one, but %vould secure a 
much better class of public servauts. 
Many good men are deterred from accept 
iug an official position which they could 
fill with honor to the people aud credit to 
themselves by the reputed necessity of 
doing all sorts of dirty political work in¬ 
stead of the legitimate labor for which 
they would be appointed. Abolish the 
mtronage system and we can secure much 
letter public service at less cost. 
All tliesc are facts have been re¬ 
peated so often that they seem now like 
platitudes, yet they are of sufficient im¬ 
portance to demand eareful thoughts at 
all times. Aud while the tune is becom¬ 
ing fashionable let us siug it sonorously 
and continually, Ii' a little enthusiasm 
could be fired upon the subject we pre¬ 
dict that Murphy's Tidal Wave of Temper- 
anco would be sunk into insignificance 
when results were compared. It does 
not matter wliich party is in power, they 
are all human, aud right would enlist 
might in a very short time. Therefore 
let each citizen, both male and female, put 
a shoulder to the ball of reform and roll 
it forward to the goal of success. Our 
salvatioD is not in the success of eitlmr 
party but in the purification of both, aud 
this cau only be accomplished by the abo¬ 
lition of our present system of political 
patronage. The farmers of this country 
themselves have the power and the moral 
tone to urge this matter to a successful 
issue if they will eaeh consider it an indi¬ 
vidual duty to do so, and surely no class of 
people are more deeply interested than 
those who foot the bills. 
- 4 4 » . . - 
NOTES. 
Prayer and Locusts. — Notwith¬ 
standing the many well-authenticated in¬ 
stances of direct answer to prayer, given 
in the volume recently published by our 
friend Williams, aud by which it is pos¬ 
sible the Governor of Minnesota was in¬ 
duced to appoint a day of fasting and I 
prayer for deliverance from grasshoi)- 
pere—it seems in this instance not to have 1 
worked well. Wo must infer something 
is radically wrong with the clergy and 
people of Minnesota, who did the praying, 
for we read “ the prayer of the righteous 
man availeth." Nor has the Governor 
been more happy in his last, endeavor. 
I He offered so large a bounty for the 
destruction of grasshoppers that the rais¬ 
ing of them for the purpose of getting 
the bounty offered, promises to be more 
profitable t han the production of ordinary 
farm crops. In a State where a bounty 
of five dollars was given for each wolf 
, killed it was noticed that an old Indian 
j brought none but young ones, aud when 
asked the reason, said “ If kill old ones 
no more young ones. Let old ones live 
young ones every year.” The ’hopper 
still hoppeth in Minnesota, and we await 
with considerable curiosity the next effort 
of the Governor for their destruction. 
- - 
Severe Droughts.—We have com¬ 
plained of the droughts wliich sometimes 
occur in this vicinity ; but they are light 
aud inconsiderable in comparison with 
those occurring in other parts of the 
world. Tn Southern California cattle 
have died in great numbers for want of 
food, and thousands of head have been 
driven to more favorable regions, in order 
to save their lives. A still worse drought 
is now prevailing in parts of Australia. 
It is reported that in New South Wales 
nearly every sheep station has lost from 
one thousand to fifty thousand head of 
sheep, und the sum total will not full short 
of one million sheep. Regions of coun¬ 
try hundreds of miles in extent, formerly 
used and considered excellent pasture, are 
now entirely destitute of herbage, and not 
a blade of grass eun be seen. So scarce 
is fodder, that a flock of two thousand 
sheep was recently sold in the city of 
Adelaide at. about twenty-five cents of onr 
currency per head. Those of our farmers 
who feel inclined to complain of low 
prices of mutton, wool, and other farm 
products, would do well to consider the 
condition of their fellow' farmers in the 
droughty regions we have named. 
BREVITIES. 
I Fob moro than two centuries certain scion tints 
J have been trying to show the world that sponta- 
ucoub generation of plants and animal life is 
possible ; but we still wait for the proof, even in 
the most minute forms. Do ‘‘giveit up,” gen¬ 
tlemen, and let ua rest for awhile on liacteria. 
The Springfield (Mass.) Republican thinks the 
potato beetle is a •* transient infliction, and that 
after flourishing for two or three houmous, it will 
pass on to new conqnoHtH.” So thought some 
of the Western farmers nearly twenty years 
ago; but the pent still remains, not having 
" passed oh to pastures new.” 
A correh roHji knt of tho Florida Agriculturist 
again raises our expectations about juto culture 
in the United Stales, and although he tells all 
about the culture of the plant anil the prices in 
Now York market, he fail*, like all his predeces¬ 
sor*, to tell us how much it costa per pound to 
extract the precious fiber; yet that is just where 
experience and theory confuse us. 
A CORRESPONDENT Of the WcStCITl Rural MIIVS 
that tho “locust, grasshoppers and mantes are 
all of the sHtiio n/iidr*, although known to ento¬ 
mologists to bo <|Uito distinct.” Just so; but 
what puzzles us is that they am all of one ttpeeies 
and vet quite dintirict. Ah well might be have 
Baid that eows, horses, and sheep are all one and 
the sumo animal, and yet wonderfully distinct. 
There is an act of Congress relating to pre¬ 
emption and wale of dtisert land*, under w hich 
great swindling is said to ho carried on. The 
act strictly provides that, tne laud pre-empted 
under it shall be desert land, and beforn entries 
can bo finally made at the Laud Office, pre-empt- 
ora are required to prove affirmatively that not 
an aero is susceptible of cultivation except by 
m igatiou, 
Nurserymen, Attention !—The second an¬ 
nual meeting of the American Association of 
Nurserymen, Seedsmen, and Florists will be held 
at Chicago, in tho Exposition Building, begin¬ 
ning Juno 20, nl 10 A. M., aud continuing 
three days. The headquarters are at Grand 
Pacific Hotel, which offers reduced rates to those 
attending the convention. Reduced rates of 
fate also ou the leading railroads. All in the 
trade, and others interested, are cordially invited 
to t»o present.—E i.isii Moody, president, Lock- 
port, A r . 1'- 
A wealthy citizen of San Francisco has train¬ 
ed aud dnilcd a company of Indians, of Pacific 
coast tribes, as a regular military organization, 
aud their proficiency as soldiers has given the 
War Department some new ideas. Capt. Mc- 
J *xat,d, the citizen alluded to. proposes to take 
nil the able-bodied male Indians of the oountry 
in hand, aud, by tho same course of training, 
p; ducea.ii efficient corps of 20,000 native troops. 
II j says no more money will bo required to at¬ 
tain this end than is now annually appropriated 
for Indian support. 
BUSINESS NOTICES. 
Tlie Best Oil for Harness is the celebrated 
Vacuum OtL, made at Rochester, N. Y., and sold by 
harness makers everywhere. 
C 
