THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
JUNE 22 
t 
TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
Practical departments: 
Russian Forests (Illustrated).388 
Jottiuus at Kirby Homestead—Col. F. D. Curtin... 390 
Van’s Vlnwa.890 
Experiments with Commercial Fertilizers—Prof. 
G.C. Caldwell.3W 
Delays are Dangerous. 391 
Depth fur Covering Seeds—W. J. Fowler.391 
Garden Talks and Walks — Kennel.if. 391 
Horticultural Proceedings in .Midi. Agricultural 
Collogc. 391 
Science and Practice—Prof. J. W. Beal.891 
Robert Kakewell uud bis Works - Prof. 1. P. Rob¬ 
erts.302 
A Few Words About Sorrel—T. H. Hoskins, M. D. 392 
Books ttcdntved. 392 
Catalogues Received. 393 
The Fast Acltnowledcmen s... 393 
FertilizerAtiulyses-S. W. Johnson.. .... 393 
To Make Apple Trees Bear.398 
Management of Pigs In Summer -E. W. Stewart., 393 
Bulbs for the Flower Garden- 'V. L. C. Drew .. . 893 
Sterili y In Antmuls-One Wne Knows. .394 
Wmining Calves—An Old Fanner. 394 
Answers to Correspondents : 
Preparing Caterpillars for Inflation-Natural 
History Cabinet, Pita-Wood, etc. 391 
Remedies for Kuup in Poultry. 391 
Flavoring Butter. 391 
Butter troui New Milch and Farrow Cows.391 
A Wei Cellar. 394 
Silver Spangled Bantam ICggs. 391 
Plant* for Name. 391 
Miscellaneous . 391 
Communications Received. 894 
Everywhere 
North Carolina Notes—M. B. Prince 
Neosho Vadey, Kansas. 
Brookston, N. C. 
Dunnsvdle, Va. 
Rural Grounds. 
Brown Co., Wis. 
Corry, Pa. 
Last days of the “Cricket”.... 
Domestic. Economy: 
Home Decoration. 
Domestic Recipes. 
Graham Bread.. 
Corn St iroll Cake......... 
Crumb Pudding.. 
To Prevent Staiued Hands. 
Baked Fish.... 
Markets. 
Editorial Page: 
Exportation of Live Cattle... . 
Medhal Education. 
Wlmt Kind of Help do You Hire ?. 
Teaching-Children to Pick Things Up 
Brevities... 
Liter art: 
391 
394 
394 
.394 
394 
391 
394 
393 
400 
400 
IIP 
400 
400 
400 
401 
390 
396 
390 
380 
398 
Poetrv. . 
3Q7 flOCI 4ft? 
Leaves fr nu the Birches. 
Conjugal Discern* . 
The Goort Man's Departure. 
Bric-n-Brae. 
. .. 3TW 
The Housekeeper's Pruning Shears—J. E. Mc- 
CotmughUiy.... .. . 399 
Talk About my Jewels —Marguerite.!... 399 
Sermon to Girls on Conkinir. 
WecLIed Love— Slur Morris.. 
Ferns ami Flower#-S. H. It. 
Too Late.. 
AM 
Item* for Correspondents. 
. 399 
Newstif the Wees—Herman.. 
400 
Reading for the Young : 
Pocket-Money for Young People: 
tlis Mason.. 
Letters from Boys and Girls....... 
Wild cherries in June.. 
No. 7—8. Ru- 
.402 
.402 
.402 
Jim Crow..... 
4<»2 
A Nice MtUe Girl. 
How to Make a Squaker. 
Long Wis lied to Join Us. 
From Ohio ... 
.. 402 
The Fir.'t Attempt. 
Puzzler. 
. 4u2 
4Q2 
Sabbath Reading : 
Cross of Jesus Christ,. 
Personals.. 
._ 403 
Wit an , Humor. 
...404 
Advert. nts . 
...395.401,403,404 
THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY. 
Address 
RURAL PUBLISHING CO., 
78 Duane Street, New York City. 
SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 1878. 
EXPORTATION OF LIVE CATTLE. 
Just as we begin to realize the possi¬ 
bilities of tbe live cattle trade with Great 
Britain, a bill is brought before Parlia¬ 
ment to cause all these animals to be 
slaughtered at the wharf where they are 
landed. And, although the measure has, 
for the present, been defeated, it is by 
no meanB improbable that jealousy of 
foreign competition will hereafter prompt 
the agricultural interest of Great Britain 
to advocate legislation of a similar nature. 
There can be no doubt that the English 
people fear the effect of our competition 
much more than they fear the importation 
of contagious diseases; still they have a 
very convenient excuse for adopting a 
measure that will virtually stop our ex¬ 
ports of live cattle. If our Government 
were only alive to its responsibilities, if 
contagious diseases hero were made the 
subject of proper sanitary regulations > if 
affected animals were isolated and de¬ 
stroyed, and proper disinfection practiced, 
this excuse would no longer exist, and we 
could make such representations abroad 
as would give our cattle the freest entry 
in any port in the world. The represent¬ 
atives of Canada, it appears, have been 
able to show that their stock is free from 
disease, and, as a consequence, their cat¬ 
tle have been allowed to go to any 
part of the kingdom. On our part, there 
seems to have been nothing done to pre¬ 
serve our privileges in this respect; in¬ 
deed, it is difficult to see how a case could 
be made out in our favor while the pres¬ 
ent know-nothing, do-notliing policy of 
our Government is continued.; 
We have long been apprehensive that 
our exportation of live cattle would be 
stopped, sooner or later, in some such 
way. We have had contagious pleuro¬ 
pneumonia domesticated among us for 
more than thirty years, and during this 
time it has been spreading in every direc¬ 
tion until now no one is able to say where 
it exists and where it does not. Our gov¬ 
ernment has made no effort to check its 
extension, nor even to collect information 
of its progress ; and as no one in our own. 
country can make any pretense to know¬ 
ing what danger there iB of its exporta¬ 
tion, we can scarcely expect the English 
to khow more. England has already lost 
over $500,000,000 from the ravages of this 
disease; her experience was dearly bought, 
and she cannot be blamed for providing 
against its future introduction by any 
reasonable measure. 
Both our people and government ap¬ 
pear to be totally oblivious of their duties 
iu regard to such plagues, and apparently 
nothing will be done to check them till 
severe and repeated losses demonstrate 
the necessity of such measures. Pleuro¬ 
pneumonia is the most dangerous of all 
this class of diseases, as three or four 
months may elapse between exposure to 
the contagion and the appearance of the 
first symptoms, and as the disease may be 
communicated uuriug a considerable part 
of this period, we can see how readily an 
animal might be taken to England and 
driven over many miles of that country, 
spreading the germs of this disease 
wherever it went, and finally be butchered 
before any symptoms of pleuro-pneumo- 
nia were apparent. Again, some animals 
may have the disease in a latent form, 
never showing any symptoms whatever, 
but still are as dangerous as the plainest 
cases. 
These facts show that the fears of tbe 
English people are not entirely ground¬ 
less. We have pleuro-pneumonia among 
us—it may not yet have reached the herds, 
or even the sections of country from which 
animals are drawn for exportation; but 
who knows how soon it may appear there? 
Or who can positively assert that all of 
such herds are even uow free from it ? It 
is said that a recent outbreak at Clinton, 
N. J., was caused by a cow brought from 
Ohio; did onr government, or any indi- 
vidual outside of the infected, district, sus¬ 
pect that pleuro-pneumonia existed in 
Ohio before this fact became known ? 
We do not wish to excite needless 
alarm, or to overestimate the danger from 
this disease; but we have a duty to per¬ 
form in regard to it, and we cannot see 
that anything is to be gained by trying to 
convince ourselves, or the English people, 
that no danger is to be apprehended from 
any disease existing in oar country. We 
cannot, therefore, agree with those jour¬ 
nals winch think our government should 
make such representations abroad as 
would give our cattle free entrance into 
the British ports; it is the plain duty of 
our govornmant to make sure that such 
danger does not exist before asserting 
that this is true. If the destruction of 
our live cattle trade proves sufficient to 
awaken our people to the necessity of 
stamping out contagious diseases on their 
first appearance, and of making such reg¬ 
ulations as shall prevent their spread, the 
loss will be more than counterbalanced by 
the gain. 
-»♦ ♦ 
MEDICAL EDUCATION. 
We printed in the Bubal last year 
an article “ How Doctors are Made,” in 
which we endeavored to show that even 
under the most favorable circumstances, 
and with the closest attention on the part 
of both student and instructor, it would 
be next to impossible for a majority even 
of a class in a medical colleges to obtain 
in tbe three years’ study the law requires, 
sufficient knowledge of the many difficult 
branches of medical science to entitle 
them to a graduation and legal permission 
to practice the healing art. We believe 
there is a tendency in the right direction, 
but its effect is not yet very apparent. 
One college in New York at its last com¬ 
mencement, of a class of more than a 
hundred, graduated all but six—and this 
college ranks with the first in the country. 
Onr thought was turned to this matter 
by a recent statement in one of our daily 
papers that of twelve students of law who 
applied to the board of examination, for 
certificates of approval, only seven passed 
a satisfactory examination. Are we to 
infer that these applicants were less intel¬ 
lectual or less studious than medical stu¬ 
dents in general, or that the examiners in 
the law are more strict than those of the 
medical schools ? One who has had expe¬ 
rience or opportunity for observation, 
would decide that question readily. It 
is time the public took the matter of ed¬ 
ucating physicians into consideration. 
We entrust the lives of ourselves and of 
our families in their hands, with no other 
guaranty of their ability, than their di¬ 
plomas, and we should see these diplo¬ 
mas are not granted to those who are not 
entitled to them. It would be supposed 
that a more thorough examination should 
be made of the qualifications of him to 
whom we entrust our fives, than of him 
who takes care and guardianship of our 
property. Let us see how it is : The law 
requires that a medical student shall have 
been under the instruction of a respecta¬ 
ble medical practitioner three years, and 
that he shall have attended two courses 
of lectures in some medical college, es¬ 
tablished and conducted in conformity 
with the laws of the State, and shall pass 
a satisfactory examination by the faculty 
of the college he last attended. 
It will be noticed that no examination 
for qualifications is made on entering med¬ 
ical college®—and the time spent with the 
instructor may or may not have been well 
employed. At the end of the lecture 
term the examination is held. The in¬ 
ducements to pass the students are these : 
The faculty, being as a rule permanently 
connected 1 with the college, divide the 
profits thereof, consequently it is for 
their interest to have large olasses. They 
are not anxious to drive scholars to other 
institutions through fear of severe exam¬ 
inations. Beside, there is a fee paid by 
each student graduated, in addition to his 
other college expenses. 
Let us look for a moment at the re¬ 
quirements of the law student in this 
State. A board of examiners is appoint¬ 
ed each year by the Supreme Court for 
each district, to whom applicants present 
a certificate of some practicing attorney 
to the effect that the bearer has been 
studying in his office, under his direction, 
at least three years. If successful in 
passing the examination of the examin¬ 
ers, the applicant is admitted to practice 
law as au attorney. Iu this capacity he 
gives advice, and prepares oases, but is 
not entitled to present them to the 
courts. After two years of this practice 
an attorney can present himself for an¬ 
other examination whioh, if successful, 
entitles him to practice in the courts as 
counsellor. It takes a man five years to 
beoome qualified to manage a law case in 
which your property is involved. Three 
years is considered sufficient for him who 
haB your fife in his hands. If the lawyer 
makes a mistake in his management it is 
easily seen and his reputation suffers iu 
consequence. For the physician—dead 
men tell no tales—and his errors are too 
often charged over to the inscrutable 
ways of Providence. Every man in the 
State should make this matter of medical 
education a personal one. Once set the 
question prominently before tbe public 
and it will not rest until the standard of 
qualification for medical practitioners is 
raised. No physician should he allowed 
to practice who haa not had at least two 
years experience in hospital, or under di¬ 
rection of a practicing physician. 
Worse things could be done with public 
money than to establish a free medical 
college in each State, from which none 
but thorough and well qualified Btudents 
Bhould be graduated. 
--- 
NOTES. 
Teaching'children to pick things 
lip,—We know a man who is quite par¬ 
ticular about keeping every thing in its 
proper place. We heard him say, that 
he acquired this habit through the train¬ 
ing of his mother. When a boy even as 
far back as he could remember, hie mother 
always made him pick up and put away 
his playthings after he had got through 
with them. He was often allowed to get 
out all the materials ho wanted for a good 
time. In bad weather the kitchen was 
often at the disposal of himself and 
brother, but they always understood that 
every thing was to be cleared up at the 
close of the plav. No doubt there is a 
difference in children, for we have known 
boys of tbe same family, of nearly the same 
age, brought up in all respects as nearly 
alike as possible, yet one of them was al¬ 
ways careless, and became a careless easy 
man, while tbe other was extremely par¬ 
ticular in all the dotails of his dress, 
sports, and work. Still, granting this 
difference which many would call a natural 
difference, we believe a persistent training 
in early childhood would make an orderly 
man out of the most careless child. 
-- 
What kind of Help do yon 
hire ?—Generally, one of the first re¬ 
quisites is faithfulness in performing 
work. This is well enough as far as it 
goes. A clear bargain is made as to the 
rate of wages, duties to be performed, 
and the length of time. We wish to call 
the attention of farmers to another point 
iu this matter, whioh is too^ often neg¬ 
lected. What are the habits of the man 
employed? Is he temperate? Does he 
use tobacco ? Is bis language free from 
profanity and every tiling whioh is vile or 
indelicate ? If you have auy young boys 
or older boys, they will very likely as¬ 
sociate much with the hired men. The 
men are older and stouter and can do 
many things which the boys are unable 
to perform. The boys will imitate the 
vices of men as well as their good qual¬ 
ities. If you have daughters, it is scarcely 
of less importance that the hired help 
possess the good qualities above men¬ 
tioned. Good habits and good morals 
are of great value. A young man who 
possesses them is of priceless value when 
compared with one who does not. 
-»•» ♦- 
BREVITIES. 
Ocb readers are promised & series of horticul¬ 
tural articles by Renoclaf, to extend, it may be, 
through the rest of the year. We leave these 
articles to speak for themselves. 
Awhile ago we complained that sparrows eat 
onr strawberries. Wo find that robins oat them 
too. But we had rather that the robin should 
eat half-a-dozon than that tliu sparrow should 
eat one. The robin earns its living—if not by 
devouring insects k by its pleasing notes —its 
decorous behavior and comely looks. We had 
as liof part with strawberries* as with robins. 
But the sparrow is among birds what tramps 
are among men. 
We respectfully announce that the Rural 
Cricket Clock will be withdrawn as a premium on 
and after the first day of July. It is now appa¬ 
rent, if it has not buen from the beginning, that 
this clock iB all that it was represented to be. 
The compensation that we have is that all who 
have received it have boon well pleased. As a 
method of obtaining now subscribers it has been 
an actual loss to us. Our free seed distribution 
for the present year will be announced as soon 
as wo can estimate the probable crop of needs. 
The Scientific American publishes the follow¬ 
ing on neutralizing poison“ A poison of any 
oonooivablo description and degree of potency, 
which has been intentionally or accidentally 
swallowed, may, it is M nid, be rendered almost 
instantly harmless by simply swallowing two 
gills of sweet oil. A person with a very strong 
constitution should take ucarlv twice fbo quan¬ 
tity. This oil, it is alleged, will m «t positively 
neutralize every form of vegetable, animal, or 
mineral poison with which physicians and chem¬ 
ists are acquainted.” This is of inestimable 
value if true. Who Bays it, and how does he 
know '( 
This is just the season of the year when city 
people begin to think about how much they es¬ 
teem their country friends aud relations. It’s a 
peculiar kind of esteem -an ardent affection, in 
fact, that burning intensely through the summer 
season, burns itself out by fall. But a smolder¬ 
ing spark is always left that, by nursing through 
the next nine months, is ready again in .Jnne to 
burn up as brightly .as before. Conversely, how¬ 
ever, country people love their city relations and 
friends best in winter, and, spite of all the iron¬ 
ical things said about it, the interchange of 
courteous hospitality is quite natural aud sensi¬ 
ble. 
Some years ago a son of the late Baron Liebig 
asked Mr. J. B. Lawks of Rothauisted to furn¬ 
ish him with samples of the soil of a certain 
wheat field, and the result of his analysis estab¬ 
lished the fact that manures, Rnch as phosphoric 
acid and potash, remain in combination with the 
soil, very close to the surface. As all manures 
are applied either to the surface of the soil, or a 
few inches below it, we may consider that if they 
contain potash, phosphoric acid aud nitrogen, as 
is the case with farmyard manure, the two for¬ 
mer will remain close to the place where they 
are deposited, while the nitrogen, as it becomes 
converted into nitric acid, will diffuse through 
the soil, where part will bo arrested by vegeta¬ 
tion, and part will escape into the subsoil and 
drains. 
The “ Rural New Yorker.”— We notice with 
pleasure the recent enlargement of the Rural 
New Yorker as an indication of present pros¬ 
perity and a progressive spirit. This paper 
has seen troublous times, and wo are glad it 
has reached calmer waters. Its present editor 
has our admiration for the reviving work he has 
accomplished .—Pacific Rural Press. 
[Liberal-minded journals like the above seem 
disposed to give the present editors of the Rural 
New Yorker more credit than is really their 
due. The truth is, as we have before stated, 
the Rural has never seen such “ troublous ” 
times but what, had it been conducted with any 
sort of management, it would have paid a hand¬ 
some yearly income beyond its expenses. Its 
present success is due, therefore, just as muoh 
to a reduction of needless expenses, as to any 
improvement iu the paper, Increase of circula¬ 
tion, or advertising patronage.— Eds.] 
FrofCBSOr Real givos tho following reasons in 
brief for cutting grass early. Stock of all kinds 
prefer young grass to that which is in the flower, 
and that which is iu fiower to that which is older 
or has gone to Bood. He believes tho same holds 
true of hay or grass deprived of most of its 
moisture. Wo should make hay early: 1st. Be¬ 
cause all kinds of stock like it best. 2d. Out it 
just before the flowers appear (or before full¬ 
blooming in clover), because the chemist finds at 
that time the grass contains a greater proportion 
of nutritions or digestible materials than when 
cut later. 8d. This plan leaves a longer time for 
tho next growth, which may be UBed for pasture 
or for mowing again. 4th. It exhausts the roots 
of the plants less than when cut later. The 
English found, long ago, that ono great cause of 
tho deterioration of meadows was that of allow¬ 
ing grass to get too old before cutting. 6th The 
crop may often be cut at this time and secured 
in good order, while if the owner waits for the 
coming .of the flowers, bad weather may inter¬ 
fere. Gth. If only a part is out early, some por¬ 
tions will likely get into flower or even go .to 
seed before it is Beoured. 
