746 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
NOV. @ 
TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
Practice i. Departments: 
Free Seed Distribution—An Announcement of— 
(III naira’ed).. 709. .10 
A French Poultry Farm—(Illu'trated). <11 
Some Notes from the Harden—W. H. White. 712 
Origin of lltellenrlelta Raspberry. 712 
Note from Mr. Downing..,. <J* 
Sensible Horse-shoe— (Illustrated).<12 
Notos from Nebraska—Kx-Gov. R. W. Furnas.... <13 
Book* Received.7M 
Catalogue» Received. < 18 
Every where : 
Trade and Agriculture in England—Prof. I. 
Sheldon.- 
Notes from Kentucky. 
Berlin, Ohio. 
Henry Co.. Ohio. 
Amherst, Mass...,... 
Coventry. N. Y... 
St. Clair Co., Ill. 
Corning, N. Y . 
Hueo, Hi. 
Attica, N. Y. 
Jackson. Midi.. .. 
Cambridge. Mass... 
York, Nebraska..... 
Dallas, Texas. 
P. 
714 
714 
714 
714 
714 
714 
714 
714 
714 
7U 
714 
714 
714 
714 
A runners la Correspondents: 
Destroying Insects on Canary Birds. 714 
Treattneni.of Brnllux. 714 
Miscellaneous.i[4 
Communications Received. <14 
Editorial Page: 
The Truth About It. 
Feed I ng Co w a in Fall. 
Steeling by Proxy. 
How to Manege Bones Uni Small Way 
B isket Willows. . 
International Dairy Fair. 
Brevities. 
716 
716 
716 
716 
716 
716 
716 
Domestic Economy : 
Fresh Sifting from the Eltchen-Flre—Annie L. 
Jack.. 720 
Cheep Paint lorOui-Uouses.720 
Domestic Recipes. 720 
QuerteB Answered... 720 
uxnuKr: 
Poetry.. . 718 719,722 
Coming Events.7l7 
Feather-Flowers and Butterflies—(illustrated)... 717 
Items for Correspondents. 717 
Weaker Than a Woman. 717 
Rounding on an Old Chum. 718 
ll«iceDt l.itnrature.718 
Sctomltlc and Useful. 718 
Bric-a-Brac. 719 
Retuiing tor ttie Young : 
Three Spinsters. 
New Toy... . 
Answer toSaos-Soucl. 
News of the Week—Herman 
Personals . 
Wit and Humor. 
Markets. 
Advertisements. 
. 722 
. 722 
.T22 
. 722 
.723 
. 724 
.72U 
715, 721, 722. 723 
THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
PUBLISHED EVERY 8ATURDAY. 
Address 
RURAL PUBLISHING CO., 
78 Duane Street, New York City. 
SATURDAY NOV. 9, 1878. 
Inasmuch as the- income of The Rural New- 
Yorker. duriny the present year , has consvlera - 
bly exceeded its expenditures — consistently with 
our statement often repeated, that our first aim is 
to benefit our subscribers—ice shall furnish the 
Rural New-Yorker from now until the first, of 
January , 1880, (fourteen months), for Two 
dollars, and after the first of January at Two 
dollars per year, or $1.10 for six months. 
We are glad to call attention to our paper 
from Professor Sheldon, upon Trade and Agri¬ 
culture in Eogland. Our readers may hope to 
hear from him again. 
Our Free Seed Distribution will remain open 
to all subscribers who may apply for them, until 
further notice. 
Our new Premium Lists, specimen copies and 
agents' outfits will now be forwarded free to all 
who Bpply. 
The Rural New Yorker is invariably discon¬ 
tinued at the end of the subscription term. 
THE TRUTH ABOUT IT. 
We presume to say, and we do so pre¬ 
sume because we know it to be the truth, 
that our one object in conducting the 
Kubal New-Yorker is to benefit those 
who either from motives of pleasure, in¬ 
struction, or as a means of livelihood, 
strive to know more of the soil—more of 
plant life—more of the relations of one 
to the other, and how to render them 
more serviceable to mankind. Oar pleas¬ 
ure lies in these endeavors ; our reward 
depends on their success. 
We have had a very successful year, if 
the hearty approval of onr readers and 
of the more liberal-minded part of the 
press of the country, as well as a consid¬ 
erable surplus of money beyond our 
business requirements, can be so con¬ 
strued. We propose to use this surplus 
in a way that shall be consistent with our 
professions, viz., first, in a free seed dis¬ 
tribution among our subscribers, that, to 
all who are placed so as adequately to 
prize really choice seeds, Bhall equal in 
money-value the yearly subscription price 
of the Rural New-Yorker; —second, 
by making the subscription price $2.00 
to all now and hereafter, whether singly 
or in clubs. Those who desire to get up 
clubs will be entitled, according to the 
size of their olubs, to the articles men¬ 
tioned and fully described in our annual 
premium list, now nearly ready, or, if 
they prefer it, to a cash commission;—and, 
third, by improving the Rural as much 
during i879 as it has been improved dur¬ 
ing 1878—it is twaddle to assume that it 
cannot be improved. 
We scarcely need request our friends 
to aid us in extending our circulation. 
If the Rural New-Yorker is worthy of 
support; if our friends, from past ex¬ 
perience, can confide in our ability and 
resolution to do what we declare we are 
earnestly striving to do ; if they them¬ 
selves desire to promote the interests of 
the rural home and the happiness of its 
inmates, they will, acting under the in¬ 
spiration of their own impulses- 
Spread the News ! 
.-- 
FEEDING COWS IN FALL. 
Dairying was formerly carried on gen¬ 
erally in a very careless, Blipshod way. 
A cow was a cow, and was supposed to 
give milk from some inherent power, re¬ 
gardless of the manner of keeping. Now, 
thanks to dairymen’s associations and the 
more careful discussions in agricultural 
journals, dairymen are studying their 
speciality with much more care and atten¬ 
tion to all its particulars. Few now be¬ 
lieve that they can draw milk from the 
udder unless it first goes in at the month. 
They do not expect the cow to produce 
something from nothing, and they are 
inquiring anxiously about the best foods 
to produce milk, and the best methods of 
feeding. They study, not only the valua¬ 
ble characteristics of the different breeds, 
but the methods of perpetuating them. 
This refers to the advanced dairymen ; 
the great mass will have much to learn 
before they reach this point. Too many 
are careless about the feeding of their 
cows in fall. They think the season is 
past and that almost any thing will do 
them now. Having got through with 
the factory season, they pay little atten¬ 
tion to the further yield of milk, drying 
off their cows without any thougnt of its 
effect upon the next season’s yield. They 
do not sufficiently study the oow as a 
milk producer, and see that secreting 
milk is made a matter of habit; that if u 
cow is well fed and the flow of milk long 
kept up, this habit will continue yeiu*_^ 
after year until she becomeb almost a 
perpetual milking machine. Many dairy¬ 
men are wont to extol the virtue of cer¬ 
tain cows that yield a large flow of milk 
in the flush of the season, taking little 
note of how long this yield is kept up. 
The value of a cow depends much more 
upon the length of the milking season, 
than upon the quantity of milk given for 
a few weeks. We have had cows that 
never gave more than 25 pounds of milk 
per day, and yet gave more milk daring 
the season than others yielding even 4.0 
pounds at the flush. The one class would 
average 20 pounds per day for 300 days, 
or 6,000 pounds per year; whilst the 
other would average only 20 pounds per 
day for 250 days, or 5,000 pounds per 
season. Now, the habit of holding out 
the milk was fixed in the first class at an 
early age, by good feeding through the 
whole season and careful milking. The 
second class had formed the habit of 
drying off at about eight months; and 
although yielding a large amount for a 
few days, they soon fell below the other 
class. 
This habit of giving a pretty uniform 
quantity of milk is influenced very much 
by the uniformity of feeding and milking 
when the cow is young. If the cow gets 
a generous diet only when the grass is 
abundant and in a very succulent state, 
and no attempt is made to give a full 
ration when the grass iB short, she falls 
off in her milk so decidedly and it con¬ 
tinues so long as to become permanent, 
and cannot be recovered when grass again 
becomes abundant. The most important 
qualification in a cow, is to hold out her 
milk in a generally uniform quantity. 
This, to a great extent, is the result of 
proper treatment when the cow is young. 
If the heifer, with her first calf, is allowed 
to dry off at eight months, she will be 
very likely to do the same thing the next 
season. But if the young cow is to be 
established in a steady flow of milk, she 
must be fed uniformly a full ration dur¬ 
ing the whole season. 
When the grass becomes short or dried, 
she must have other green food or grain 
to make up the deficiency. This extra 
food is the more important as the weather 
becomes cold, in the fall, and the grass 
becomes less nutritious from touches of 
frost. Then the dairyman must draw on 
his early-cut clover or late-sown corn. 
This being partly cured in shock, is 
sweet and nutritious and cows will eat it 
greedily in the stable at night and morn¬ 
ing. If these are not sufficient to keep 
up the full flow of milk for the season, 
then a small grain ration of corn meal, 
oats, middlings, or bran, should be given 
also. Greater care should be taken in 
milking, for the milker should be sure 
that every drop is drawn from the udder. 
The cow yields her milk less readily at 
this season than when she gives a larger 
quantity. The cool weather renders the 
teats more sensitive to chafing in milking. 
Too great stress cannot be laid upon 
the importance of a full milking season 
of ten months, but this full milking sea¬ 
son must always be accompanied by a 
full and generous ration. 
-*--*-«- 
STEALING BY PROXY. 
In many parts of the country the fence- 
laws are now such that no one is obliged 
to fence against his neighbors’ cattle or 
poultry. But in every community there 
are lawless individuals’who will take ad¬ 
vantage of the removal of fences—which 
is encouraged, and was designed to be 
encouraged, by this legislation—to turn 
out their cattle at night to depredate 
upon the property of the neighborhood. 
And it is astonishing what wonderful 
sympathy seems to exist between such 
people and their live stock, and what 
skill ihe latter develop in unlawful appro¬ 
priation under the training they receive 
from their owners. Marks of their pres¬ 
ence night after night, will be found next 
morning, especially if the nights be dark 
or rainy. But it is rarely that anything 
but a regular night-watch will catch the 
culprits, or trace their ownership. When, 
by chance or careful watching, their own¬ 
ership is traced, the victim of the thievery 
is always assured that their escape from 
the inclosure of their owner was quite 
accidental, and the only instance during 
the season. Yet all surrounding circum¬ 
stances may point to the fact that these 
auimals get, and are expected to get, the 
most of their living by such plunder. 
The utmost severity of the law should, at 
all times, be visited upon men who prac¬ 
tice this stealing by proxy. 
How to Manage Bones in a 
Small Way.—A great deal of valuable 
fertilizing material is lost or wasted by 
reason of nnacquaintance with cheap and 
handy ways of utilizing it. This is par¬ 
ticularly true of bones, considerable 
quantities of which lie about and are ac¬ 
cessible to farmers and gardeners, but 
are not used because no cheap way of 
making them available is known. Now, 
half a ton, or so, of bones may be easily 
reduced to a fine powder every winter by 
burning them, a few at a time, in the 
kitchen stove. Have a box or basket 
handy, and having collected a pile of 
bones and placed them where they will 
not be buried in snow or covered with 
ice, keep the box or basket filled with 
them in the shed. Put five or ten pounds 
in the stove with the wood during the 
day, and next morning when the ashes 
are taken up, the bones will be found 
mostly in a pulverulent condition. Any 
incompletely burned pieces may be left 
in the stove until the next day. This 
will quadruple the value of the ashes as a 
fertilizer, at no expense except that of a 
little trouble. The bone-ash thus pro¬ 
duced is about half the weight of the raw- 
bones, and its commercial value is about 
$40 a ton. 
-♦ - 
Basket Willows.—While it may be 
questionable if the basket Willow can be 
grown extensively for profit in this coun¬ 
try, except perhaps in foreign localities, 
no farm should be without a few plants. 
The long, slender branches—as tough as 
leather and as pliant—would be found 
useful in many cases. For instance, some¬ 
thing better and more convenient than is 
usually at hand, is needed to bind corn¬ 
stalks or millet. Many uses will suggest 
themselves when the article is at hand. 
This Willow will thrive almost anywhere, 
but best in a moist soil. It can be planted 
where most out of the wa;p and requires 
little attention. It is readily grown from 
cuttings and a dozen plants well estab¬ 
lished, will produce more yards of useful 
material than would be at first supposed. 
The International Dairy Fail*.— 
We cannot too strongly urge upon our 
readers interested in dairy matters, the 
importance of at once making prepara¬ 
tions either for exhibiting their products 
at the grand exhibition to be held in this 
oity early next month, or, at any rate, for 
visiting it, if at all possible. Arrange¬ 
ments have already been made for making 
this the finest and most instructive display 
in its line ever held in this country, ex¬ 
cept possibly that at the Centennial; and 
here there will be none of the bickering 
and disagreement that characterized that 
department of the Philadelphia show. 
BREVITIES. 
Prune grapes-vines. 
Whately Bays: “ It in the neglect of timely re¬ 
pair that makes rebuilding necessary." 
Fultz and Clawson are the stars in the play 
of Wheat upon the Agricultural stage. 
It is suggested to our readers that they pre¬ 
serve this number of the Rural for future refer¬ 
ence. 
Before the ground freezes, take up the 
wooden labels (stakes)—tar the part that goes 
into the ground, and sprinkle it with sand while 
the tar is soft. 
In guarding as far as we may against the sever¬ 
ities of winter, provide for the comforts of all 
farm animals from humane motives as well as 
from those of self-interest. 
Dr. Hoskins thinks well of the Lost Nation 
(spring) Wheat. We would thank him if he 
would tell us how much he knows of its having 
yielded per acre the past season. 
The "Magnum-bonum," a new potato, is 
tnnoh praised in England. We have yet to 
learn whether it is really a good variety or 
whether it is simply greatly advertised. 
It may be well to bear in mind that the buds 
now formed on grape-vines contain the rudi¬ 
mentary fruit for another year. In pruning or 
laying down the canes, we should be careful not 
to harm such buds. 
From Ex-Gov. Furnas of Brownsville. Neb.,, 
we have received a basket of several varieties of 
apples, viz. Ben Davis, Rawle’s Genet. Gilpin 
(Carthouse. Little Romanite), and Wine sap. 
They are perfect specimens of their kinds. 
“The owl that watching in th" barn. 
Sees th« bimh 1 creeping in th- corn, 
Sits still, and sbuta Ill-round blueeyes. 
As if h slept, until be spies 
The little beast within his stretch— 
Then starts, and seises on the wretch 1” 
We were reminded by the above how very like 
the ways of the owl are sometimes the ways of 
Borne roon. 
The general respect, if not affection, in which 
the name of Marshall P. Wilder is held through¬ 
out this country, is abundantly shown by the 
hearty congratulations of all upon the occasion 
of his 80th birthday. During a loug life he has 
been an earnest worker in horticulture, snd to¬ 
day there are few men io the world who have 
more friends and fewer enemies. 
We beg to say to those interested in our Do¬ 
mestic Economy Department that owing to a 
somewhat protracted illoess of the editor, from 
which she is now happily recovered, a number 
of questions and communications have not re¬ 
ceived the prompt attention usually given to 
them. This week that aud other departments 
are much shortened, or crowded out altogether. 
We repeat our advice not to spread man¬ 
ure or covering of any kind over the roots of 
fruit trees, or strawberry beds; not to lay down 
grape vines or raspberries until after the first 
hard freeze. If it Is desired to cover the last two 
with earth, enough for the purpose most be set 
aside and bo covered as to prevent its freezing. 
Our readers may rest assured that much harm 
results from covering such plants too early. 
Make the rule: Cover late in the fall and un¬ 
cover late in the spring. 
We would state that we have already received 
more comments upon onr soil experiments, as 
detailed under “ Notes from the Rural Grounds,” 
than we can find space for. Il is notable that 
most of our correspondents criticise conclusions 
not among those of the article in question. We 
are happy at all times to publish the severest 
criticisms, if only just and pertinent. But our 
friends criticise us severely for what we neither 
Baid nor thought of saying, as they would dis¬ 
cover, we are confident, were they to read our 
experiments and remarks carefully. 
If the people throughout the country who 
prize rare and choice seeds really believed that 
onr free seed distribution amounted to as much 
to each applicant as the yearly subscription 
price of the paper, no doubt our circulation 
would be greatly extended by It alone. Choice 
Beeds are dealt out sparingly in small envelopes, 
aud twenty-five cents, sometimes fifty and 
seventy-five, are asked fur each little packet. 
At the lowest price our ten packets (the choice), 
would amount to $2 50, which is fifty cent; more 
than the annual subscription price of the Rural 
New-Yorker. 
It seems that iu England there has been a 
general failure of cut-door tomatoes (they are 
extensively cultivated under glass), ouly a few 
plants on warm walls having ripened any. Oner 
case is mentioned by English Journals where one 
grower had two acres of grouud planted with 
tomatoes, “all carefully staked and tied," not 
one of which ripened. TIiub it seems, that 
English gardeners this year have much to la¬ 
ment—a pitiful fruit crop, fearful destruction 
among potatoes, and the total failure of the to¬ 
mato plant. English gardeners must try the 
Golden Rural Tomato. 
From auy of the numbers of the Rural devo¬ 
ted to specialties, Buch as Strawberries, Millet, 
Grapes, &c., which have been issued from time 
to time daring the past eighteen months, of 
course many of our uaual departments are 
neoessardy excluded. A gentleman calling at 
the office a day or so ago, said : “ I sent for a 
specimen copy of the Rural New Yorker sup¬ 
posing it was a farm as well as a garden journal 
--bat it was all full of Raspberries.” To these 
who receive rpeoirueuB of the present number 
we would say that the Rural is not always full 
of free-seed distributions. 
Really good dairymaids are rare now-adays. 
The accomplishment of playing upon the piano 
is growing more fascinating iu farmers’ families. 
Piauos are rather more ornamental than milk- 
pails. A piano teacher costs fifteen dollars per 
quarter. Girls practice two hours per day for 
from one to five yearH. Sometimes they can 
then play something. Rut elegant music-boxes 
can he purchased for fifty dollars that make 
better music, play more tuuea, and play them 
better than the girls—that is than forty-nine out 
of fifty of them. Why not buy the music-box as 
a reward for the youDg women who learn the 
arts of the dairyma’id ? 
