374 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
DEC. 8 
TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
Practical Departments: 
Topics, Rural...jjSj 
JottiDK" Hi Kirby Homestead. ‘*5 
Cropping. Double-•;.•••.ijS 
West anti Home of Its Sarmers, The. 
Kims, Uir bo.- £!;. 
Lawn Topics... fSf. 
Hen’s Ne*l. An Improved.*.*•• 
Poultry PnyV Does..... "fi 
(.hicks. Date-Hutched... si? 
Arumlo Don*x. 21;; 
Flower Garden. Bulhs for the.•.my 
Hfibrothnmnua...... 
Uriel) eta.....ri! 
Maryland. KnstisHi r-Norc of... ;,i{ 
Catalogues, in.. Received..."I' 
Buckwheat Cake*. More About. <W| 
}t0ci ...... ii it n v(*< 
Mental IClYcot* of Certain Bodily Conditions... 872 
Elementary fiabstances ... 
North Carolina Notes,..... 
Bural Kpedal Keporis... 
Dairy Cows. Manuk-cuienl of.. A * 
Wheat OrowiiiH. The Exhaustive Nature of the 
Present System of.... 373 
Editorial Page: 
A Dangerous Element.. 
The Abuse ol the Patent System 
NoteB—Brevities. 
Literary s 
Poetry.. 
Ladies’ Portfolio,. .. 
A Lesson in Hair-Dressing. 
Opaline Painting. 
Fitness In Dress. 
Talks oD Timely Topics. 
King Eenr’s Slave.. . 
Books Received.. 
Sabbath Readme . 
Golden .Maxims. 
True Zeal. ... . 
Reading for the Young. 
Kins’ Cos and Queen Los... ..... 
Letters ftom Hoys and Girls. 
Puzy.ler.. 
Publisher's Notices. 
Various. .. 
Markets. 
Answers to Correspondents. 
News of the Week. 
Personals.. ...... 
Wit and Humor. 
Advertisements. 
371 
374 
374 
, 375. 350, 377 
. 375 
.375 
. 375 
. 375 
37C 
.370 
. 377 
. 377 
. 377 
.377 
.378 
. 378 
. 37H 
.878 
. 879 
. 379 
... ..379 
. 380 
. 380 
. 381 
. 382 
373, 380, 381,382 
THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY. 
Address 
RURAL PUBLISHING CO., 
78 Duane Street, New York City. 
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1877- 
We wish to say to our friends that though wo 
had supposed our supply of seeds was equal to 
any probable demand, three of the five kinds 
announced, are, or shortly will be, exhausted. 
Instead, however, of discontinuing the seed 
distribution at this time, we shall try to contin¬ 
ue it until the 1st of January, supplying such 
other seeds aB we have in their place. Many 
have written that they have not received the 
seeds. We need only reply that not ono-tbird 
of the orders received have as yet been mailed, 
a fact that, were wo to state the entire number 
of applications would insure for us a rea¬ 
sonable amount of patience. We take this 
opportunity to assure our friends of our grate¬ 
ful appreciation of their kind words and good 
wishes. They have well repaid uh for a dozen 
seed distributions, the sincerity of which re¬ 
mark we propose to demonstrate during the 
coming year. 
t Straws Show whioh way the wind blows. 
We may state that the amount received for sub¬ 
scriptions during November, is two and a half 
times greater than for the corresponding month 
of last year ! We could reasonably ask no more 
than that this should continue until the first of 
March. 
Tub article on Opaline Painting in the La¬ 
dies’ Portfolio, gives information which would 
o Jst ten dollars to obtain in New York. 
A DANGEROUS ELEMENT. 
Able-bodied, lazy, insolent, filthy and 
lawless, their sole aim in life is to obtain 
a livelihood without work, and vicious 
indulgence without punishment. 
Hitherto it has been far too much the 
fashion to treat these shiftless outlaws as 
ordinary dependents on public or private 
charity, and to regard their existence as 
a transient evil incident to the depression 
in business and one which would pass 
away at the end of “hard times.” Never 
was idea more erroneous. The tramp 
belongs to the criminal classes deserving 
punishment, not to the ranks of the indi¬ 
gent whose misfortunes entitle them to the 
alms of the benevolent. Instead of abat¬ 
ing the nuisance, a return of prosperous 
times would be very likely to augment it 
on account of the increased liberality 
with which the wants of the vagabonds 
would then bo supplied. Although in 
some instances the tramp may have be¬ 
gun his nomadic life in honest search for 
work, so demoralizing are the associations 
and tendency of the career that he soon 
learnB to regard honesty, industry and 
frugality as mean weaknesses, and to 
think that his “ smartness ” is shown 
and his happiness best Becured by avoid¬ 
ing work and exacting a support either 
by theft, cringing, or intimidation from 
those who are foolish enough to be meanly 
frugal and industrious. 
The continuous increase in the number 
of these vagabonds, their multitudinous 
vices and the difficulty, if not hopeless¬ 
ness, of their reformation, all render them 
the most dangerous class in society, and 
should urge upon the community the ab¬ 
solute necessity of taking advantage of 
every opportunity of checking or sup¬ 
pressing this perilous element. With the 
advent of cold weather, most of them 
abandon the farming districts and make 
their way to the towns and cities where, 
during the rigors of winter, they expect 
to obtain either a chance livelihood from 
the credulity of the charitable, or a snug 
berth till spring in some hospital, poor- 
house or charitable institution. Already 
the streets of this city are becoming un¬ 
pleasantly thronged with their shuffling, 
grimy, ragged figures, while the pedes¬ 
trians are constantly plagued with their 
persistent importunities and mendacious 
fabrications. Now that they are gathered 
together in large numbers within reach of 
the municipal authorities of this and other 
cities, the full severity of State and mu¬ 
nicipal laws should be rigorously enforced 
against them, and a liberal allowanoe of 
the work they have shirked during their 
nomadic career, should be exacted from 
them in return for a scanty support dur¬ 
ing the inclemency of winter. By such 
beneficent harshness, it is not improbable 
that the life of a tramp may be made as 
odious to some of them as it is at present 
to the respectable members of the com¬ 
munity. 
_._-♦■*■♦- 
THE ABUSE OF THE PATENT SYSTEM. 
From all parts of the country, but 
especially from the rural districts, there 
have been frequently coming, of late, 
loud complaints of an increase of insolent 
exactions, depredations and outrages by 
vagabond tramps. In some parts of 
Pennsylvania they have organized pre¬ 
datory camps from which they are in the 
habit of sallying forth to raid upon the 
neighboring farmers, levying tribute upon 
the farms, gardens, bams and poultry 
yards. Occasionally they go so far as to 
throw a railroad train off the track merely 
for the purpose of pillaging the wreck, 
and within the past couple of weeks, 
lawless bands of them have, several times, 
felt themselves strong enough to offer 
armed resistance to officers of the law 
attempting to arrest and bring them 
to justice for their villainies. In the 
neighborhoods cursed by their presence 
in large numbers, there exists a reign of 
terror among women and children, and 
neither property nor person is seoure. 
It cannot be denied that patents have 
been of immense service in developing 
the material industries of this country ; 
but notwithstanding this fact, it is certain 
that there is springing up, particularly in 
rural districts, a feeling hostile to the 
operations of the patent bureau, as at 
present conducted. The practice uow in 
vogue at Washington is not of recent date. 
It haa been growing for several years, and 
we believe it to be contrary to the letter 
and spirit of the patent laws, as it most 
certainly is to the interests of the public. 
Patents are issued now for the most in¬ 
significant and unimportant modifications 
of existing things, with apparently little 
reference to their utility, which is a point 
specially required to be considered. And 
not only so, but there is a gradually in¬ 
creasing tendency among officials to ig¬ 
nore examinations altogether, and to issue 
patents for the same thing to different 
persons, as is done in England. 
It is not many years since a patent-office 
examiner said to*us, “ It is to our interest 
to have as many patents issued as possi¬ 
ble.” What qualifications, if any, were 
annexed to this remark, we do not remem¬ 
ber. Indeed, we are not able to see how 
it could be qualified so as to give it the 
force and effect of a sound and wholesome 
principle. It is hardly possible that the 
patent bureau regulations sanction such 
an idea, and yet the practice of the bureau 
is precisely in accord with it. If the re¬ 
mark had reference to an increase of the 
business and revenue of the bureau 
(which we presume wsis the case), then 
all we have to say is that the public is 
not interested in or benefited by such in¬ 
crease, when secured by the sacrifice of 
important principles essential to the use¬ 
fulness of the system. 
The specifications and descriptions con¬ 
tained in patents nowadays, are often so 
vague and confused, that patentees them¬ 
selves do not know (though they may 
think they do) what their patents in real¬ 
ity give or purport, to give them. This 
is apt to be the case with patents which 
are based on very slight claims to novel¬ 
ty. It is a continual source of entangle¬ 
ment and difficulty against which, we 
think, the public have a right to protest, 
inasmneh as it often involves heavy pecu¬ 
niary loss to them, and is besides, easily 
remedied. We arc aware that it. may be 
said that patents do not pretend to and 
cannot absolutely give any rights to pat¬ 
entees—that almost all patents are in a 
state of suspense, as it were, between val- 
nableness and worthlessness, until adju- 
cated upon in the courts. But many pat¬ 
entees and the public generally do not 
understand this fact, and the former fre¬ 
quently vend and the latter as frequently 
buy, in entire ignoranoe of it. 
Of course, we are opposed to the aban¬ 
donment of the system of examination. It 
is the best system, if rigidly adhered to 
and carried out. A change to the English 
system would, with the low Government 
fees now asked, be a sweet boon to patent 
agents, and we are not surprised that they 
strenuously advocate it. But the country 
would under it find the universality of 
patents a prodigious nuisance, and in 
the end become disgusted with the whole 
matter. Perhaps some of our readers 
will regard this view as a recommendation 
of the English plan, not being especially 
enamored of monopolies of any descrip¬ 
tion. 
When Congress finally determines to 
seriously grapple with this subject, as it 
manifests from time to time a disposition 
to do, let it consider the practicability of 
stating in the official instrument called a 
patent, precisely and clearly what it is 
issued for; as for instance, in words to 
the following effect: — “ This patent 
is limited to”—(the exact thing that is 
new plainly pointed out.)—“All else re¬ 
ferred to in the claims and specifications 
in connection with and explanation of”— 
(this new thing)—“ is old and not patent- 
able.” Further, we ore decidedly of the 
opinion that it would be a good plan to 
have printed conspicuously in the patent 
instrument, the numbers and dates of the 
patents which show priority of invention, 
as to any of the original claims, to which 
reference is had during the examination 
in the office. These requirements would 
harm nobody except, perhaps, the patent- 
agents, whom we regard as responsible, in 
a great measure, for the lax methods intro¬ 
duced into the bureau. On the other 
hand, they would greatly benefit purchas¬ 
ers of patents and patented articles, 
-♦ *-♦-- 
NOTES. 
A Suggestive Change. — The 
change of name proposed for an excellent 
organization, from “ Society for the Pre¬ 
vention of Cruelty to Animals ” to 
“ Society for the Promotion of Kindness 
to Anima ls” is good so far as it may 
direct attention not merely to the evils of 
inh umanity to the lower orders of creation, 
but also to the advantages derivable from 
treatiug them well. The change would 
mark an advance iu public sentiment 
with regard to the deserts of our domesti¬ 
cated animals. The present name implies 
a necessity for oheoking brutality ; that 
proposed would show that the more 
generous instincts of our nature had 
triumphed over our baser tendencies, 
and now only needed a little fostering. 
In view, however, of several recent reve¬ 
lations, notably of a barbarous bull-fight 
that recently disgraced Ban Francisco, it 
is extremely doubtful whether this happy 
hour has yet arrived. If interference or 
punishment of any kind could constrain 
men to be less cruel and force them to be 
more humane to the animals under their 
charge, we should favor a full measure of 
either. But laws are not so adequate to 
punish cruelty to the lower animals, as to 
our own race. A man may inflict cause¬ 
less suffering upon his horse with im¬ 
punity, whereas a similar outrage perpe¬ 
trated against his fellow-man would ren¬ 
der him liable to the severest, legal pun¬ 
ishment as well as to public reprobation. 
A society intrusted with power to check 
and punish cruelty must always deal 
merely with isolated cases. It has no 
power to establish a system of espionage 
upon the treatment a man deals out to his 
stock in his own stable or upon bis own 
premises. From the circumstances of 
the case, its action must be confined 
mainly to the cities, whereas, unfortu¬ 
nately, the brutal instincts of humanity 
are not restricted to such narrow limits, 
and have far more numerous opportuni¬ 
ties to vent themselves in acts of barbarity 
in the sequestered stables, barnyards and 
pastures of quiet country districts. The 
fact is that among men themselves there 
are higher and lower auimals and when 
some of the latter have control of beasts 
lower even than themselves in the order 
of nature, there is an unrelenting war of 
the stronger upon tho weaker, just as it al¬ 
ways has existed among the brute creation. 
It would seem from the proposed change 
of name that the Society have in view 
efforts to manufacture higher from lower 
human animals—an excellent idea, truly. 
But according to our best information 
they might become familiar with the 
process by practicing upon some of their 
own employes. 
-• — 
Mouse-Proof Granaries.—Noth¬ 
ing about a farm is more annoying or un¬ 
satisfactory than a well-filled granary 
over-run with rats and mice. The owner 
has a sort of feeling that he has been 
beaten or outwitted by the vermin. A 
thorough man often puts bricks and 
mortar between the joists. Many other 
devices have been practiced with greater 
or less success, but none that we have 
ever seen are cheaper or more efficient 
than the two following: Ceil up the 
granary with any kind of wood on all 
sides, and while this is going on stuff in 
BcrapB of tin from a tin-shop. Mice will 
not work in such places. The strip be¬ 
low the door should be of hard wood and 
come up a few inches above the floor to 
meet the bottom of the door. The other 
method is neat and inexpensive. It con¬ 
sists in coiling all around with two layers, 
breaking joints of seasoned beech or 
hard maple boards each three-fourths of 
an inch thick. 
Fix the Gate.—Instead of climbing 
over, going around, or lifting a rickety 
gate several times a day, repair it at once. 
Every time a person passes through such 
an entrance he is reminded of something 
which needs immediate attention. If the 
owner of the place passes, he receives an 
impression which is anything but agree¬ 
able. If propped up, or hanging by ono 
hinge, or if there is something wrong 
about the fastening, cattle, swine, or 
other animals are likely to break through 
and do more damage to garden or shade 
trees than twice the cost of repairing the 
gate, saying nothing about the risk of 
losing one's temper or the probability 
that the stock are liable to injury or 
tempted to fall into bad habits. Repair 
the gate at once, you will feel more like 
a man and everything will put on a 
brighter appearance. 
-♦■*-*- 
BREVITIES. 
Coarse Bones are by many considered the 
very best manure for Grape vines. 
One of the most showy ornaments displayed 
iu florists' windows at the present time, is the 
soft, feathery plumes of the Pampas Grass. They 
are sold for from 25 to 50 cents each. 
Ground ginger 8 cents per IS.; Chestnuts, $1 
per bu.; Hickorynut*, *1.25 per bu.; Cran¬ 
berries, 55 ; Crate-1 bu., 51.50 ; Prime Peanuts 
per bu. raw, $1 30(&'1.35; roasted, $2.00; Ca- 
tawbas are about tho only grapes on market at 
present. 
The heaviest bunch of black grapes so far as 
known, was exhibited Nov. 10, in Dublin. The 
variety was GroB Guillaume. The weight was 
twenty-three pounds five ounces, length twenty- 
four inches and width across the shoulders 
twenty-two and a half inohes. 
Since the advent of the Rural New Yorker, 
nearly 30 years ago, scores of “ Rural" papers 
have come into existence. Of late we see the 
Illustrated New Yorker and Florida New Yorker, 
and—really we wish them all well—but do uot 
ourselves wish to get so mixed up that we shall 
not know oursolves. 
In our issue of Nov. 24 in Prof. Shelton’s ar¬ 
ticle upon Western Farm topics it was stated 
that 97-100 of an inch of rain had fallen during 
the mouth of October, according to the meteor¬ 
ological record of the Manhattan (Kansas) Ag. 
College. It should have read 9.7-100, (nine and 
seven one hundredth) inches. The mistake was 
ours. 
