<92 
THE RURAL WEW-YO 
RKER. 
SEPT. 22 
TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
PRACTICAL DEPARTMENTS: 
Bridge. A Rustle. 185 
Coat, Tli<?. . 185 
Manures, Chemical mill Other. 1811 
Thought* from n Kiirm. 180 
KlectrlcRy >md Atmospheric Nitrogen. 18(1 
Fertilizer 1 '. Norlli Carolina. 188 
J)»lryStock in Kiill,Turning. 180 
Rird-Houne. Iron. 187 
Hmnruer-i Dome, a itimiic. . 187 
Notes trout the Kui'ttl Ground* . 187 
Vegetable Garden The Pets ol Our.. 187 
Gardening Pen-Talks. 188 
Si raw berries, Large and Desirable. 188 
Toiiuitoes. More l.xpcrleneo w ith. 188 
Hip? Ih there a It.;>insr.. 188 
Aclionin Malvnvl-cu*. ■ •.... .. 188 
Correspondents'Letter*. Extracts from. 188 
Catalogues, VCi. Received..... 188 
Cherries. New Hardy. 189 
Doyenne <lu Comlee. ...18'l 
First Annual Meeting of the N. Y. State Karra- 
ers’ Alllaneo . ..... 189 
Poultry and Neighbors .. 189 
Diseased (Til'kon*. iH'.t 
Grapes, Handotu Notes about. 18 !I 
Brletlets . 1MI 
Sweeping. 190 
Piths..... 190 
Keelpes. 190 
Burnt Special Reports . 190 
Answers 10 Correspondents. 1911 
Mars and Ills Satellites. 191 
Jewelry. Milk. 191 
Pest. A t'orn-tleld.. 191 
Insect s Ns mod... 
Buckeye Force Feed. Tho. 
Plow, A New. 
191 
1911 
I9t> 
Editorial Fade: 
Education in liiiml Districts. 
Husiiies* cod tiie crops. 
Notes—Brevities... 
... 
192 
192 
17'' 
Literary : 
Foetry. 
r.>8 
Ktorv. . 
198 
191 
195 
l'*5 
Miscellaneous... . 
Ladiett’ 1'oriJnlio... 
Reading for the Young. 
Puzzler. 
isr 
m 
Sabbath Reading. 
MarkitH... 
l'.Ki 
197 
Nuwh of the Week. 
198 
199 
200 
200 
Pertmtmlf*.. 
Humorous. 
Advertisement*. 
...191. 197 199.. 
RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY. 
Address 
RURAL PUBLISHING CO., 
78 Duane Street, New York City. 
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22. 1877. 
We promised that our Extra Issue of la8t 
week should be tiveuty-live thousand. It was 
twenty-seven thousand. We commit such errors 
too infrequently not to ho willing to acknowl¬ 
edge thorn whan they do occur. 
“Education of Farmers' Bovs" will bo the 
subject of M. It. Buckuam, President of the 
University of Vermont, iu tho series of essays 
announced last week. 
We call attention to the article “ A Corn Field 
Pest,” by Miss Emma A. Smith, well known as 
an indefatigable worker in the field of Ento¬ 
mology. 
EDUCATION IN EUKAL DISTEIOTS. 
Throughout this country, children en¬ 
gage in some money-making occupation 
at so early an age that during their school 
days there is, as a rule, only time enough 
to prepare the mind for the reception of 
knowledge to which the reading and expe¬ 
rience of later life are constantly adding. 
In other words, it is chiefly the power of 
acquiring information rather than its ac¬ 
tual acquisition, that is gained in the few 
years to which schooling is generally lim¬ 
ited, and iu tho absence of any special 
aptitude or inclination iu the scholar, this 
power is developed, in reference to any 
particular branch of knowledge, in pro¬ 
portion to the amount of attention then 
bestowed upon its study. It is therefore 
highly important that special regard 
should at that time be paid to those de¬ 
partments of knowledge, an acquaintance 
with which is likely to be of particular 
use or profit to the student w his future 
career. Not only is a foundation laid in 
this way for subsequent acquisitions on 
these points, but there is engrafted on the 
youthful mind a habit of accumulating in¬ 
formation, which is the most valuable gift 
instruction can confer. 
Iu accordance with this principle, spe¬ 
cial attention should be bestowed in our 
schools on those studies which may, in 
the future, be exceptionally useful to the 
majority of the children attending them. 
In many districts, this practice has been 
already partially introduced by teaching 
German, where that is the native language 
of a large proportion of the residents in 
the neighborhood. But the possible ad¬ 
vantages from this practice are insignifi¬ 
cant in comparison with the certain bene¬ 
fits from early instruction in agricultural 
science among the youthful inhabitants 
of rural districts. On the farm there are 
so many ways of utilizing tho labor of 
children that their school-days arc gen¬ 
erally briefer than those of youngsters of 
the same ago elsewhere ; and it is there¬ 
fore highly important, that the instruction 
then given them should be of a practical 
nature, and calculated to teach them a 
discriminating appreciation of the drift 
and meaning of the lesson a which experi¬ 
ence and observation are constantly pre¬ 
senting to the notice of the agriculturist. 
By this means, valuable scientific princi¬ 
ples enforced and illustrated by daily ex¬ 
perience, would be lastingly impressed on 
the retentive minds of childhood, while a 
taste and capacity would be engendered 
for increasing the knowledge of these and 
applying them to ordinary practice on the 
farm. A healthy interest in agricultural 
pursuits would also be awakened among the 
rising generation, which would do more 
to keep the boys on tho farm and make 
them prosperous aud contented there 
than all the frequent suggestions of the 
agricultural press or the remonstrances 
of their parents. Moreover, the drudgery 
of farm W'ork would be lightened by af¬ 
fording exercise to tho mind as well as to 
the body, and farming would, ere long, 
cease to be a routine of daily toil, de¬ 
manding little more than tho mental hab¬ 
its and capacities of an ignorant laborer. 
Notwithstanding the excellence of on r ag¬ 
ricultural schools and colleges, experience 
has shown that the number of students 
they can attract is lamentably small iu 
comparison with that of those who might 
be benefited by their instructions. What, 
is needed is to popularize exact, agricul¬ 
tural knowledge, and one of the most effi¬ 
cacious ways to effect this end in to intro¬ 
duce instruction iu agricultural science as 
a prominent feature in the curriculum of 
our public schools throughout tho rural 
districts. Even if in the future career of 
some of tho scholars the knowledge in this 
way gaiued eould never bo brought into 
practical use, besides rendering their ed¬ 
ucation more liberal the acquisition of it 
would bo an excellent mental training— 
j list as legitimate an object of scholastic 
discipline as the attainment of information. 
At the outset, the chief difficulty would 
doubtless be to find teachers who were not 
totally ignorant with regard to agricultu¬ 
ral husbandry; but the practice once defi¬ 
nitely iutrodueed, this source of embar¬ 
rassment would soon cease to exist; for 
iu educational matters, more perhaps than 
in any other, the supply of competent men 
is generally equal to tho demaud ; and a 
slight increase in tho emoluments of the 
teacher’s office, amply repaid by the ben¬ 
eficial results, would readily produce u 
class fully able to impart the needed ele¬ 
mentary instruction. 
-»»» 
BUSINESS AND THE CHOPS. 
We are accustomed to hear, as each 
spring aud autumn is ushered in, the 
glowing prophecies of the sanguine as to 
the immediate restoration of prosperity. 
They are encouraged to repeat from time 
to time their unsuccessful oracular ven¬ 
tures by the staple and pet phrase, “ the 
hard times cannot last always." The 
invariable wrecking of their cheerful pre¬ 
dictions does not dismay them iu the 
least, but they remain serene and even 
gleeful under circumstances apparently 
the most depressing. Often the distinc¬ 
tion between Buocess and failure is ob¬ 
scure to their minds and the gradual ap¬ 
proach of their own collapse is rarely ob¬ 
served by them. When, as frequently 
happens, they are brought face to face 
with sudden disaster, they are the very 
last to see and acknowledge it, and are 
even then ready to discount its effects. 
“ Always look at the bright side of 
things,” is a neat and haudy saying, and 
one of a certain value. But unfortunate¬ 
ly it is generally interpreted as implying 
that only the bright side should be looked 
at, aud thus to most persons it becomes 
a misleading and very unwise saying. 
The cautious and far-seeing business 
man does not limit lm acceptance of it to 
its express terms. Ho not only looks on 
tho bright Hide of things, but on tbe dull 
side also. Iu fact, if he is a truly sagacious 
f ierson, lie puts the matters with which 
le has to deal iu every possible light be¬ 
fore his mind, and rather courts tho con¬ 
templation of their worst aspects at the 
very outset. He watches carefully the 
signs of the times, and from the neutral 
ground between hope and fear is able to 
determine calmly what they arc aud 
what they promise. No iynes fatui of 
“great expectations” dazzle or allure 
Mm. 
This fall a number of concurrent cir¬ 
cumstances, which we will point out, 
have disposed both classes to admit that 
the long hoped for revival of trade lias 
commenced at last. In the first pluee 
the penalties exacted by the inexorable 
laws of trade for over-stimulation aud 
over-production would seem to have been 
amply paid by the many years of stagna¬ 
tion and inactivity which the commercial 
world has suffered. In the second place 
dreadful wars iu cereal-growing countries 
have checked production and exporta¬ 
tion ; and other countries which, in 
the most favorable seasons, are only 
partial producers of the grain con¬ 
sumed bv them, are this season afflicted 
by a failure of their crops. It is said 
that Great Britain alone will require 12,- 
000,000 of quarters of wheat (100,000,000 
bushels) to supply the anticipated defi¬ 
ciency there. 
But to our people the important con¬ 
sideration in connection with these facts 
is the great abundance, variety and excel¬ 
lence of our home crops. These offer us 
tho assurance not only of au ample sup¬ 
ply for domestic wauts, but also of a vast 
sin-plus equal to the utmost demands of 
foreign countries. That, we shall be called 
on to meet such demands has beeu so 
plainly foreshadowed that already shares 
in the grain-carrying roads have greatly 
advanced in price, and the speculation in 
grain of all descriptions has received a 
fresh stimulus. All departments of in¬ 
dustry aud trade are beginning to feel the 
effects of the increased confidence of the 
business public. Merchants, manufac¬ 
turers and transportation companies are 
alike extending their plans m order to lie 
ready for the expected calls upon their 
resources. 
Thus the oft-repeated truism that suc¬ 
cessful agriculture forms tho basis of our 
prosperity is euforced with more than 
usual earnestness aud effect. That we 
have developed a great capacity for other 
pursuits during our career of a hundred 
years is also true. But agriculture must 
for years to come continue to be our 
chief reliance as a means of national 
advancement. In facilities for harvesting 
and marketing the crops no other country 
can vie with us for a moment, but some 
of them excel us iu nice details of manage¬ 
ment, and skillful application of means 
whereby tho shortcomings of nature are 
supplemented. But in these matters we 
arc making good progress, aud it may 
perhaps be within the power of the 
farmer of tho future iu unpropitious 
seHsous to command the conditions 
necessary to au averuge productiveness. 
-»-» ♦-- 
NOTES. 
Slugs and Fruit Trees.—We no¬ 
tice that farmers as a rule seem to care 
very little for the slugs that defoliate 
their young peur trees. The leaves dis¬ 
appear so gradually that, knowing that 
the trees themselves are not immediately 
harmed, the slugs are not disturbed. 
But the injury they work is not the less 
real tlrough gradual. The functions of a 
tree cannot be performed without leaves. 
Its vitality is weakened and this debili¬ 
tated condition inrites insects and di senses 
wMch otherwise would never attack it. 
The fruiting period of young trees is 
greatly deferred also by the depredations 
of sings, though poBsibly in older speci¬ 
mens it might be hastened—especially 
when the tree is over-vigorous. In young 
trees the loss of leaves retards the develojj- 
inent of fruit spurs—and the second 
growth of leaves is generally too late to 
mature plump aud healthy* buds. The 
next spring's growth will be found to be 
emphatically checked; aud, if slugs are 
then unmolested, the young tree will have 
experienced so severe an injury that, in 
spite of the best after care, it will never 
again be restored, to its wonted beauty 
and health. The simplest remedy for 
the slug we know of, and that most readily 
administered is—selecting a qniet morn¬ 
ing when the leaves are laden with dew— 
to throw up among the branches fine, 
dry coal ashes. By this method both 
sides of tho leaves will be coated with 
the ashes and the slugs killed or driven 
off. 
Cross-fertilization of Flowers. 
—M. Cabriehe states that M. I Ioullet 
collected some pollen of Ceratozamia Mex¬ 
icans in gardens of the museum iu 1867. 
With these he fertilized some female flow¬ 
ers of G. Mexicans in 1872, the result tlxis 
year being an abundant crop of the dru¬ 
paceous fruit of ttos plant. It never seems 
to occur to our friends while visiting 
florists’ or the conservatories of acquaint¬ 
ances, that they might, remove the stamens 
of flowers which they especially fancy, 
wrap them up iu paper and apply the pol¬ 
len to the stigmas of their own plants of 
the same species at home. The seedlings 
from such cross-breeding often distinctly 
resemble, either one parent or tho other, 
and as often tho male parent as the female. 
BREVITIES. 
The Rural's Politics—Vote for good men ro- 
gardless of party. 
The difference between Tweed-ledum and 
Tweed-ledee slowly reveals itself. 
Abortion in Cattle is often caused by allow¬ 
ing them to drink from pools impregnated with 
the juice of decaying leaves, and especially those 
of the ash tree. Fresh mangel-wurzel x-oots, 
and still more so the leaves, ate also dangerous 
iu tills respect. 
The Italian rule for eatino Grapes says 
that to suck the pulp of the berry, rejecting 
Heed and skin, has a laxative; to swallow the 
seeds an astringent; to consume both skin and 
seed with the pulp, u thoroughly wholesome 
effect. 
A Remedy fob Choking Cattle is opportune 
about this time when they are more than usually 
exposed to the danger of getting an apple, po¬ 
tato, or small turnip stuck in the gullet. A cer¬ 
tain remedy is Hani to he to open the mouth of 
the choking animal and throw upon its tongue, 
away back, a tablespoonful of saltpeter, then let 
tho beast go and the obstacle will either puns 
out or in, iu a very short time. 
A remedy for HovjftK, highly commended by 
several German agricultural papers, and oppor¬ 
tune about this time when cattle are often per¬ 
mitted by careless fann-hamls to feed upon the 
second Crop of Clover, is to give the bloated ani¬ 
mals a cold water bath, by emptying over their 
backs Severn 1 bucketfuls, aud then inserting a 
piece of garlic iu their throats. But where the 
mishap has been observed early enough, placing 
dry hay or straw within reach of tho animals is 
a pretty certain preventive of evil results. 
Mr Geo. Gordon writing about tho Spirteas 
in the London Garden, says of Spiivea tomentosa 
that it is four or five feet high; that the flowers 
are red, and that they bloom in August and Sept. 
The plants which wo have seen would averuge 
luss than three feet; the flower is gem rally ros*. - 
color, sometimes white never red — and it 
blooms late iu July. Mr. Gordon remarks at 
the end of toe article, that the Neihias of Pro¬ 
fessor Don are considered by some botanists to 
be species of Bpirtea—which reminds us that the 
old favorite Ntuebark, which is loo venerable to 
be danced about, has beeu removed from tbe 
Spinous and placed under Neillias iu the first vol¬ 
ume of Die Botany of California. 
Remedies for injuries to Fruit Trees are 
mentioned by Herr Lucas iu a late work on Orch¬ 
arding. According to lnra, wounds of too usual 
sort arc best treated by cutting out the injured 
part, and smearing the parts laid bare by the in¬ 
cision with resin or tar. Washing tbem with 
water and bandaging with wet cloths, have also 
frequently produced good results- Wounds on 
toe trunks of smooth- barked trees, caused by 
hailstones, should bo smeared with a mixture of 
clay aud cow's-duug. Fruit trees injured by lato 
frosts, if the bark looks spotted and the liber 
assiuues a reddish appearance, should bo scari¬ 
fied at ouce, or the strips of bark may bo cut out 
iu the direction of toe length of toe ti unk, and 
the line of toe incision filled up with paste made 
of clay, oow’s-duug aud ashes. 
One of our contemporaries finds fault that tbe 
editors of tho Rural .New- Yorker do not publish 
their names every week. Now, we have left them 
out—at a great sacrifice ol vanity—because wo 
thought our readers would prefer reading mat¬ 
ter in their stead. We are of opiuiun that as a 
rule, toe editors themselves are toe individuals 
most gratified by a standing advertisement of 
their names. If Ibe Rural is a poor paper, the 
publication of names will not help it greatly. If 
it is a good paper, verily tho names will make it 
no better. If the editors of tho Rural ure really 
distinguished men, they need, no advertisement, 
if they aspire to houorablu distinction, let them 
emu it, not by advertising themselves iu then- 
own paper, but by seeking to render it foremost 
iu its special fields of inquiry and experience. 
Unless our readers object, we shall try to be 
content with publishing our names iu the semi¬ 
annual indexes aud during the inevitable adver¬ 
tising campaign. 
BUSINESS NOTICES. 
The Best Oil tor Harness is the celebrated 
Vacuum Oil, made at Rochester, *i. Y., and sold by 
harness matters everywhere. 
