THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
AUG. 24 
TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
EverywTiere : 
Season Notes. 
Now York—87 Towns and Counties.538, 534, 636 
New Jorsoy-4 
Pennsylvania—5 • 
Ohio—14 
Wlchiiriin—8 ' 
Illinois—4 1 
Indiana—1 • 
JOWH —5 ‘ 
■Wisconsin—3 * 
Kansas 6 
Minnesota—2 • 
Nebraska—2 1 
Eastern St'tes-8 
Southern 8tates-24 ‘ 
.534. 536 
.534, 588 
.5X4.! 36 
.534. 536 
.535 
.535, 536 
.535, 536 
. 536 
.635, 638 
. 5X6 
. 636 
...635 
.536, 537 
Practical Departments: 
Hints fur the Seaann-Rv a Jersey Parmer... 638 
A G>widShow tor a Ci'v-B'-ed Fiu-rsm-. .638 
The Tobareo Plant-No 2-E. ft. Bllllntrs. 638 
ImaBinary Diseases ol Animals—No. 2—D. 1C. Sal- 
mon, D. V M.538, 539 
Minnesota State Fair, The...619 
Amur 1 Meeting ot the S’ew York State Farmers’ 
Allis' ce. 536 
Mode of Extracting Gape V onus.539 
l>oe Days and Chickens.5 9 
"'hat Others Sny.535) 
European C U're-p ndnnee.7777777 . . .. ... 537 
State Indnsirlal Survey*, . . 637 
CommnnloaMori' Received. 5.37 
A Foreigner’s Opinion... .. ' 537 
A New cheap Horse-Cower.537 
Paris A wiirits. ,, ' ' 537 
United Stales Agricultural Exhibit,'The.....!” 537 
Johnson Harvester Company, The. . 537 
N. Y. Plow Company. The. 537 
Editorial page; 
Ottr Crop Reports... 540 
All that Is lo be done. ’ . ‘ 77". " 540 
Pearl Millet. 540 
A Positive Cure for Gapes. 540 
A Novelty Indeed !.. .540 
Professor Grav. 540 
Fruit Crop of Michigan...77.7.610 
Brevities. . 540 
Donie&lic Economy: 
Mop-Handle Papers—No. 2—. 511 
A New Dish . 541 
Domestic Recipes.7... .77.7..777 544 
I.ITKRAKY : 
Poetry-...541, 543. 646 
Euphrosyne.. .. 541 542 
Catarina Cornam's Abdication..".."."*7.7.549 
Hvalthfttlness Ot Fruit. . *. 51? 
I.e .Mannekln Kigure...'.7.7.. 542 
First Flpger-Ring, The. ..549 
An Expensive Boarder... 549 
Recent Literature. . 549 
Brio-a-Brac. '"543 
Degeneracy of Women. The.777.. 543 
BarfS 1 Chairs - (Illustrated) . ,77777 643 
‘‘I 8infer N>t a Woman to Preach.’..’7.7. 543 
Womans Rebuke to Workingmen—Mrs. Swlss- 
helm. roo 
A True Woman. .’..7.7777 543 
Reading tor [tie Young • 
Pocket-Money for Young People—No. 13—An¬ 
nie lj. Jack. roc 
Letters front Boys and Girls..7.777"’.546 
P11 Skier. The....7.777 546 
Sabbath Reading : 
Great Help. The...,...,,. run 
News of the Week—Herman. .544 545 
Pergonals. ?|2 
Wit an I Humor..777777777. 546 
Advertise Lents. 777.5457547, 548 
THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
PUBLISHED EVERT SATURDAY. 
Address 
RURAL PUBLISHING CO., 
_78 Duane Street, New York City. 
SATURDAY AUG 24, 1878. 
We offered, some time ago, to sell the cuts 
used in this Journal for ten cents the square 
inch. Many have requested us to send proofs 
of our cuts. As we have upwards of ten thou¬ 
sand, we could not undertake to do so. Persons 
wishing to purchase, must select from flies of 
the Rural New-Yorker. 
OUB CROP REPORTS. 
It has long been a fashion with witlings 
and wiseacres to characterize farmers as 
immemorial grumblers, always loud in 
their complaints of bad crops, never will¬ 
ing to acknowledge good ones, and when 
forced to do so by an abundant harvest, 
forever lustily growling at low prices in 
an over-stocked market. Of this alleged 
tendency to discontent among the agricul¬ 
tural community, however, there is little 
trace in the long list of crop reports 
furnished us for publication in this issue 
by our farmer friends in every part of the 
country. Of the multitude of reports 
with which we have been kindly favored, 
lack of space permits us to insert here 
only such a selection as will give to our 
readers a fair idea of the condition of the 
harvests throughout the land. Moreover, 
a large number of reports from our 
friends iu the distant Southern and West¬ 
ern States have only reached us either after 
our columns had been filled up, or too 
late for publication, even if from their 
importance we had been willing to dis¬ 
place other matter to make room for their 
insertion. 
These notes, coming as they do, in 
nearly every instance, from actual tillers 
of the soil, show that, despite a few 
partial failures here and there, generally 
confined to only a single crop, the harvest 
throughout the country is, on the whole, 
an unprecedently good-one. The perusal 
of the reports is gratifying, not only be¬ 
cause of the widesjiread prosperity they 
indicate, but also on account of the hearty 
and often enthusiastic language in which 
that prosperity is acknowledged. The 
Spirit of gladness and content that finds 
expression in Btich words is infectious 
through them, and inspires pleasure and 
satisfaction in the minds of all who read 
them, 
Down to abont the middle of -July, the 
prospects of a large yield was better for 
spring than for winter wheat. Since 
then, however, storms in some places and 
the intense heat everywhere have so 
seriously damaged the former that, al¬ 
though about 2,000,000 more acres were 
sown to it this year than last, the total 
yield will probably not be any heavier, 
while some estimate it at considerably 
less. According to the reports of the 
Department of Agriculture, supplemented 
by those of the various State Boards of 
Agriculture, the area under winter wheat 
this year is at least 2,500,000 acres 
greater than last year. Moreover, 
while last year the yield was only 90, 
assuming 100 to be a fair good average, 
this year the yield is 101. In other 
words, where eleven and a-half bushels 
per acre were harvested in 1877, twelve 
and one-tenth bushels will be gathered 
in 1878, From the total acreage under 
spring and winter wheat, amounting, 
according to the latest estimates, to 
34,000,000, a yield of 429,000,000 bushels 
is confidently expected. 
Many agricultural journals in spring 
strenuously urged that potatoes should 
be planted early ; but it seems that those 
planted late are nearly everywhere more 
promising than those put in sooner—a 
proof that even agricultural journals are 
not always infallible. Here, however, 
there is a plausible excus* for their mis¬ 
take ; for neither of them pretends to 
foretell the weather a month or two 
ahead, and the failure of the early planted 
potatoes is due more to weatherly influ¬ 
ences than to any other cause. 
From all appearances the corn crop 
will bo extremely abundant; and as very 
little of this is exported in its natural 
condition, there will be a splendid oppor¬ 
tunity to send it abroad at low rates of 
freight in the shape of juicy beef and fat 
pork. It is doubtful, too, whether there 
has been so excellent an opportunity of 
testing the comparative value of corn¬ 
stalks as fodder as that presented this year 
by the extraordinary growth of the stalks 
reported from all over the country. It 
is to be hoped that the abundance of 
maize in all forms will not lead to care¬ 
lessness or wastefulness in its use. 
Of all fruits, peaches and grapes came 
off decidedly the worst from that rude 
encounter with Jack Frost last May. It 
is the part of a wise man to learn, from 
the experience of the past, lessons for the 
guidance of his conduct in the future; 
the past spring’s experience therefore will 
give the shrewd fruit culturist many a use¬ 
ful hint for his treatment of grapes and 
peaches during the next season resembling 
the past—probably fifty years hence. 
-- 
ALL THAT IS TO BE DONE! 
Suppose we succeed in doubling the 
yield of corn, wheat and other orops by 
intelligent culture and the application of 
improved methods of agriculture. That 
wonld be a triumph for “intelligent cul¬ 
ture” and “improved methods." Sup¬ 
pose then that their value in the market 
falls to half its present value? That 
would not be satisfactory. The problem 
before us is to double the yield and to 
maintain the price. Then there ought 
not to be a grumble. If this could be 
effected with half the expenditure of 
labor aDd time that is at present re¬ 
quired, that 3vould be a triumph indeed. 
Then farmers would find plenty of time 
to read agricultural papers; interest 
themselves in farmers' clubs ; participate 
in politics; dress in the latest style; 
adorn their door-yards ; plant evergreen 
windbreaks ; stop up all the cracks iu 
their barns ; wear smiling faces at home, 
and occasinally go abroad. Or they 
could investigate hog - cholera, pear- 
blight, grape-rot, bow to exterminate in- 
sect-pests, and so on until nothing in 
particular is left to investigate except the 
new questions which arise out of the ele¬ 
vated condition of things. 
Our really slow progress iu agricultural 
matters has been due in a great measure 
to a lack of time. To give the first illus¬ 
tration that occurs to us—it is known 
from actual experiment that it requires 
but one-twentieth the time to “ kill weeds 
before they are born,” that it requires to 
exterminate them after they have grown 
“ apace. ” Whence it follows that if after 
“ weeds have grown apace ” twenty days 
are needed to kill weeds — under the 
killing-them-before-they-are-born system, 
one day would suffice. It is plain that 
nineteen days would be left for stopping 
up the cracks in the barn ; for traveling 
abroad; reading agricultural literature, 
etc., etc. Again, agricultural progress 
has been retarded by an absence of con¬ 
certed effort. The effort has been made, 
but upon the principle of equal forces 
pulling in opposite directions. The re¬ 
sult of this sort of effort simply lacerates 
the object upon which the forces are ap¬ 
plied. In fact, many an object has been 
broken all to pieces by this sort of effort. 
We must first settle upon a plan, and 
then harmoniously and vigorously pull 
together. The problem, as we Bee it af¬ 
ter a careful perusal of all of our agri¬ 
cultural literature, is as we have stated : 
To double the yield of all orops and to 
maintain the price with half the expen¬ 
diture of time and labor at present em¬ 
ployed ! 
-»-» ♦- 
PEARL MILLET. 
Sometime ago we spoke discon ragingly 
of Pearl Millet. A considerable quan¬ 
tity was planted at the farm with unusual 
care and the seed did not germinate. 
That sown later at the Kural Grounds 
germinated readily, bnt after attaining a 
few inchesi i bight, remained stationary so 
long that we were ready to conclude it 
was not at all adapted to this climate. 
Since that time, however, it has made a 
surprising growth, some plants measur¬ 
ing seven feet in diameter—a thick mass 
of long green leaves and short-jointed 
stalks, that animals eat most greedily. 
Some plants were cut off June 26. They 
have continued to grow since, but rather 
feebly, and there seems at present little 
chance of this second growth being of 
much value. 
The portrait we have seen of Pearl 
Millet doeB not represent the plant as it 
grows now. That gives its hight as at 
least twice its width, and is the portrait 
of a mature plant. Ours will measure 
more than twice as much iu diameter as 
in hight. The stalks—of which there 
are over fifty to a single root—so crowd 
each other that they seem to be thrown 
over, the entire plant assuming a round 
form. It shows no signs of heading yet, 
and indeed has never, that we are aware 
of, seeded in so cold a climate. Our cor¬ 
respondent, Col. M. C. Weld, tested 
this plant while editor of “ The Home¬ 
stead,” (Hartford, Ot.,) twenty years ago, 
and disseminated the seed for others to 
try. The reports were favorable, in view 
of which, as well as of the fact that it 
has been cultivated in some of the 
southern States for many years, it is 
singular that Pearl Millet, if worthy of 
it, has escaped general cultivation. 
-- 
A POSITIVE CURE FOR GAPES. 
Many are the remedies that have been 
recommended for the pestilential and 
fatal disease among chickens known as 
the gapes. It is the result of one or 
more worms in the windpipe of the suf¬ 
ferer, and the use of horsehair, twisted 
and inserted into the windpipe, is often 
spoken of, and also the use of feathers ; 
but the great difficulty seems to be to get 
anything into the windpipe (not the 
throat), and successfully bring away the 
worms. Generally the worms could not 
be caught; besides the loss of time, the 
bungling with the patient more often 
killed than cured it. The positive remedy 
of which we have to speak, is essentially 
the sarno iu theory, but rendered effectual 
by a difference iu the modus operandi. 
Mr. Peter Van Buskirk instructed our 
correspondent, Mr. Hales, who has com¬ 
municated it to us. The trouble, how¬ 
ever, is, that so much depends on pre¬ 
cision in performing the operation that 
one must almost see it dime, to be able 
to perform it successfully. Mr. Hales 
thought that Mr. Van Buskirk’s descrip¬ 
tion would be sufficient, but he tried 
many times without success, until he 
saw one chicken relieved, by his instruc¬ 
tor. Since that time he has relieved 
many, which the neighbors around have 
taken to him. We do not presume that 
his description of the process on another 
page, will enable our readers to practice 
the method with any greater success than 
he attained from the instructions of Mr. 
Van Buskirk. We have given the process 
described by Mr, Hales, and are satisfied 
that it will be acceptable to many of our 
readers as a positive, simple cure, and if 
only one in a neighborhood hits on a 
successful performance of it from the de¬ 
scription, it will accomplish good results, 
and lessen the difficulty of rearing chick¬ 
ens. 
-»■»»■ ■ ■ 
A NOVELTY INDEED! 
We were asked by a friend one day last 
week to call at the salesrooms of Young & 
Elliot, of this city, to see a blue seedling 
Gladiolus. It was among an extensive col¬ 
lection of seedlings of this beautiful flower 
raised by Mr. 0. L. Allen of Queens, L. I. 
Seeing that our friend was iu earnest, 
which we doubted at first, almost the 
same as if he had spoken of a blue rose, 
we hastened to the place of exhibition. 
The individual flowers of the spike were 
rather large and well opened, and the 
color of all the petals except the lower 
ones, was a uniform grayish-blue, or la¬ 
vender, without streak or blotch. The 
lower ones were marked with a tongue of 
a deeper color, a deep blue inclining to 
violet. The upper part of the spike 
alone was exhibited—the flowers of the 
other half, left upon the flowering stalk, 
had been pollen ated, in the hopes of 
securing seeds. It was the first bloom of 
the seed-conn, and we sincerely hope 
that Mr. Allen may sucoeed in raising a 
stock from this bulb, of which, however, 
there may well rest in his mind many a 
misgiving. 
FRUIT CROP OF MICHIGAN. 
As we are about to go to press, the fol¬ 
lowing is received from Secretary Gar¬ 
field: 
Our apple orop iu Miohigan has been 
dropping badly, and the peach crop will 
be below the average. The Hale’s are 
just going to market at remunerative 
prices. We never can overdo the fruit 
business iu Michigan, with the great in¬ 
definite West to supply, and our very 
best apples can be shipped abroad with 
a good profit. We can have our Michi¬ 
gan Bed Canudas, GreeuiDgs, Baldwins, 
and Spys, handled in London, at an ex¬ 
pense of $1,60 per barrel, including freight 
and commission. We are thinking about 
sending over some specimens to Paris, 
for we understand that the people there 
are somewhat skeptical about the Iowa 
wax collection being modeled from real 
fruit. If we could get a barrel of our 
Grand Traverse apples there in good 
shape, it would soon dispel all skepticism 
in that direction. 
Hastily yours, 
C. w. a. 
- 
Professor Asa Gray.—“ We are 
pleased to learn that at the last meeting 
of the French Academy of Science, held 
on July 29, Prof. Asa Gray, the well- 
known American botanist, was elected 
corresponding member of the botanical 
section of that learned body, by thirty- 
two votes out of forty. Mr. Charles Dar¬ 
win, who was the other candidate, only 
polled five votes. Althongh, of course, 
we should have been glad if the honor 
had fallen on our own countryman, we 
most cordially congratulate Professor Ada 
Gray, on the well-earned distinction con¬ 
ferred on liim, a sentiment in which we 
are perfectly sure that his unsuccessful 
rival will join most heartily. It will be 
seen by this, that if one wants to con¬ 
sider the feelings of all, and particularly 
those of M. Decaisne, and the gentlemen 
who compose the French Academy of 
Science, it is not well to do too much. 
Professor Gray, however, is also an inde¬ 
fatigable worker, in the cause of science.” 
VVe take the above from the London Gar¬ 
den, of August 3. 
-- 
BREVITIES. 
Early potatoes are generally a failure. 
J. J. Mechi makes meat to grow wheat, and 
it answers his purpose. 
At the Rural farm the corn crop, it is thought, 
promises the beBt yield, for twelve years at least. 
The space given this week to crop reports 
from different sections delays the publication of 
severa 1 timely articles. 
Mr. A. B. Crandall asks: “Has anybody 
(seedsmen possibly excepted) realized a comfort¬ 
able profit from Prickly Comfrey ?’’ 
To see the beautiful plums uow offered in our 
markets and fruit stores and stands, one would 
not suppose there was suoli an insect as the 
Curoulio. 
Le Cultivateub assures us that a piece of 
paper, cut round and applied to the palate, will 
stop bleeding at the nose in 45 seconds. That’s 
a simple remedy and the authority is good. 
Commission kb Killebrew says that the natu¬ 
ral destiny of Tennessee is to feed the popula¬ 
tion of the cotton States and supply them with 
animals, and he thinks she will never realize the 
fuU wealth of her real estate and climate until 
grass and stock take the place of cotton and 
oorn. 
The editor of the Miohigan Farmer and 8ec‘y 
Garfield visited the grounds and buildings in 
process of ereotion for the State Fair. The ed¬ 
itor concludes—“ We came away well satisfied 
that the buildings were the best and the cheap¬ 
est that have ever been prepared for the annual 
exhibition of the Michigan State Agricultural 
Society.” 
Boyden 30.—So far as we are enabled to 
judge of the new large varieties of Strawberries 
that have excited so much interest during the 
past two or three years, we would prefer Boy- 
deu 30 to any one of them. It needs good cul¬ 
ture, oertaiuly. So do the others. But it is 
sweeter than any of them—will average as large 
and bear handling or carriage j ust as well as any 
and better than most of them. We have ob¬ 
served, however, (it may be owing to local pecu¬ 
liarities), that its second is its best year. 
