FEB. 25 
the "White Russian Oats extensively ad¬ 
vertised in agricultural papers last year 
and again this. Attentive readers of the 
Rural New-Yorker are not placed under 
this necessity. They were carefully tested 
at the Rural Farm last year beside many 
other kinds, and a true report of their 
yield and general value was presented. 
Beside this report, scores of reports have 
been printed in our “Everywhere' 1 Depart¬ 
ment from Rural correspondents in every 
part of the country. 
appropriation commensurate with the 
great importance of the matter will be 
made. 
response to our call for back numte r s of the 
Rural. 
Captain Payne's Oklahoma colonist s who 
have made their adventurous way in to that 
coveted region, are being interviewed by the 
military from Fort Reno, preliminary to be¬ 
ing escorted back to Kansas. From the tone 
of the extreme "Western and Southwestern 
papers, it-isvery evident that the occupation 
of Oklahoma by white settlers is merely a 
question of time, and of very short, time, too. 
Throughout, the whole adjoining territory 
there appears to he uti energet ic determination 
to occupy promptly the rich valleys of the for¬ 
bidden area, and ail the forces at the command 
of General Pope cannot do more than delay 
the settlement of the land. 
"More than two years ago we thought it 
was impossible to make a paper any better 
than the Rural was then, but it does seem 
that, it is better, or else we fancy it so. When 
the Wheat and Coni Numbers came out, we 
said, “ This caps the climax,” and so we laid 
those numbers carefully by, looking them 
over from time to time, and wondering if 
every one of the thousands of readers of the 
Rural fully appreciated the great, amount of 
work and hard labor embodied in only one 
such Number of the paper. Now comes the 
Bonanza Fanning, just wliat we, all wanted to 
know about—every Number being worth its 
weiffht in </old to any reeding, thinking man. 
Fort Atkinson, Wis. CORNER & Curtis.” 
We have had several inquiries as to the 
trustworthiness of Messrs. ,1. E. Phillips & 
Co., produce commission men. 341 Greenwich 
St, New York City. Dairymen and farmers 
who have consigned them goods for sale have 
been unable to obtain either an account of 
sales or the price of their goods. We learn 
that C. C. Allen, Easton, N. Y., was recently 
in the city and had one of the parties arrested 
for obtaining las produce under false repre¬ 
sentation^, and made Mr. Ballard, who is in 
reality the firm, pay him in full, rather toan 
risk legal penalties. This firm did business last 
year in Broad St., under the name of Ballard, 
Branch & Co. Our read era will be wise in tak¬ 
ing a note of i hese facts and never trusting 
their produce iu such hands, 
A COUPLE of weeks ago we announced 
the collapse of the Delaware Beet Sugar 
Coiupuuy, the only one in the United 
States east of California where the last of a 
dozen ‘or so American experiments in this 
line is still struggling at Alverado. In Can¬ 
ada several organizations for the manufac¬ 
ture of this sorb of sugar have been estab- 
1 ished on a larger scale than any have reach¬ 
ed on tins side of the line, but success there 
seems to be as unattainable as here. Last 
Wednesday the Beet Root Sugar Company 
ol the Province of Quebec met at Farnlmrn 
and reported a serious loss in the production 
of the first season Application will be made 
to Parliament to issue £ 125,000 in mortgage 
bonds in order to continue the efforts to make 
the industry a success in the Dominion. We 
have not much faith in the healthy growth 
of any industry which requires exceptional 
Governmental support and cuddling. 
In writing to Congress about his proposi¬ 
tion to establish Agricultural Experiment 
Stations in various parts of the county. Com, 
Loring says that to begin with the Depart¬ 
ment of Agriculture, it should have a farm of 
150 to 300 acres in the District of Columbia for 
testing various crops ami plants suitable for 
the climate with space enough for a fruit or 
chard containing at least one specimen of 
eveiy fruit tree and bush adapted to the loca¬ 
tion, with provision for the addition of new 
sorts. Then at carefully selected stations in 
various parte of the country there should be 
experiment farms not. exceeding 100 acres 
each, an area he considers amply sufficient for 
all practical experiments in all sorts of plants 
;. Those farms, 
RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
NEITHER A BORROWER NOR A 
LENDER BE." 
Conducted by 
ELBERT S. CARMAK 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
No. 84 Park Row, New York. 
SATURDAY FEB. 25, 1882, 
Mr. Jonathan Periam, the editor of 
the Prairie Farmer, asks us to contradict 
our statement copied from a Chicago 
paper, to the effect that the Prairie Farm¬ 
er had failed. This we have already 
done—and wo are very sorry we should 
have given publicity to a report which 
seems to have had no foundation in fact. 
Mr. Periam says : “The Prairie Farmer 
has simply changed hands, and is 
now in the hands of a financially strong 
publishing company. ” Mr. Periam adds: 
“ I realize the fact that you would not, 
with the many years of cordial journalis¬ 
tic courtesy that have passed between your 
paper and the Farmer, do ns an injustice.” 
No, indeed, Mr. Periam, we would not 
knowingly do an enemy injustice, much 
less a friend as the Prairie Farmer has al¬ 
ways been to the Rural New-Yorker. 
We say may perdition catch any editor 
that will use his journal to gratify his 
personal hatreds or jealousies 
NOTICE, 
All who—having applied for our 
present Seed Distribution inclosing two 
three-cent stamps or an equivalent—have 
not yet received it, will now kindly 
advise us by postal card. Those who 
have subscribed for the Rural in connec¬ 
tion with the Inter-Ocean, Detroit Free 
Press, World, or other journals which 
club with us, are not required to pay 
any postage. 
Several articles on Hop and Cran 
berry culture will soon appear. 
We shall endeavor to present an illus 
trated article on grafting next week. 
We think the special lists of fruits for 
the different States will be ready for pub¬ 
lication next week. 
Several Subscribers inquire as to the 
value of Russian White Oats advertised as 
above stated last season and this. As our 
old readers are aware, we tested this new 
oat beside a dozen other kinds. The 
yields of most of the other kinds were 
greater than that of the Russian. This is 
our experience. On the other hand, the 
Rural 1 8 Everywhere Department has 
presented a number of reports very favor¬ 
able to them. Of all our oats Pringle’s 
Chinese Ilulless were the earliest and cut 
July 15. Next the Washington, cut July 
21. White Australian. Russian Rust¬ 
proof, and Mammoth Yellow were ready 
to cut at the same time. The Russian 
White were ready to cut not until July 
2!), They bear a one-sided panicle, aver¬ 
aging with us 60 spikelets. The straw 
was not very heavy but strong. It stood 
up better than several of the others. The 
average liight was four feet, being from 
six to ten inches shorter than the English 
oats on one side of them and the Wash¬ 
ington on the other. The Washington 
Oats smutted badly with us, and, judged 
by our own test and by the majority of re¬ 
ports printed in these columns, they are 
not to be preferred to well-known 
varieties. 
We shall continue to give special con¬ 
sideration to vegetables and vegetable 
culture until the planting season opens in 
the North. 
The three kinds of wheat in the Ru¬ 
ral’s present seed distribution are Win¬ 
ter wheats. Those living in Spring- 
wheat sections are advised to sow them 
this Spring. 
As far as the edition permits we shall 
be glad to send our Special Fruit Number 
to any names sent to us by our subscribers. 
It will be a valuable number as, to us, it 
has been a laborious one. 
I f the number on your wrapper after 
the name is 1674, your subscription ex¬ 
pires with this week’s paper ; if the 
number is 1675, next week, and so on. 
Seepage 132 for full explanation. 
A distinguished botanist and horticul¬ 
turist writes us that he always grows a 
couple of clumps of dodder in the Sum¬ 
mer just for variety’s sake and it is odd, 
but true, that not one person in ten who 
goes there knows dodder or what it is. 
AGRICULTURAL APPROPRIATIONS, 
We think now that the Rural seeds of 
our distribution of 1880-1 have been ful¬ 
ly enough reported upon to satisfy all of 
our readers. For these reports our friends 
will accept our best thanks. We still, 
however, solicit crop reports and, indeed, 
the experience of all who work in the 
field, garden, orchard or dairy. 
and crops, at least nt the outset, 
besides being fairly representatives of the 
topography of the respective sections, should 
I be of average good soil, and be well suppled 
with water so t hat on u.portion of the laud ex¬ 
periments could be madeiu trio irrigation of 
certain crops at certain seasons. Suitable ac¬ 
commodation should he supplied tor the super¬ 
intendent and other employes so il at the en¬ 
tomologist, chemist, mierescopist, botanist and 
other temporary or permanent attaches, 
should have places suitable for their respective 
lines of work in connection with the Station. 
The annual election of officers of the Inter¬ 
national Dairy Fair Association took place 
Feb. 14th. In response to notices sent out by 
the Secretary, about fifty members met at the 
Butter Cheese and Egg' Exchange, formerly 
the American Exchange, the regular head¬ 
quarters of this association, and elected Geo. 
B. Douglas*, Pretd ’eat, a prominent butter 
and cheese merchant. The old Secretary, T, 
Mortimer Weaver, was re-elected. Washing¬ 
ton Winsor was clod ed Treasurer, and Col, R. 
P, MeGltncey of Elgin, Illinois, first Vice- 
President. The regular reports of Treasurer 
and Secretary were received and approved. 
The constitution^ I number of Vice Presidents 
and Roald of Managers wore ulso elected 
and were chosen from all ti e dairy dis¬ 
tricts of the States and Canada. Addi¬ 
tional interest to the routine of the an¬ 
nual election wag created by an opposition 
election for officers of the same association. 
This was held under a call issued by the for¬ 
mer President, Mr F. I). Moulton, and was 
held at the Grand Central Hotel. There were 
about thirty members presi nt, twenty-five of 
whom refused to vote, claiming that the meet¬ 
ing was irregular, but Mr iteuII held proxies 
enough to form a quorum and with these and 
the assistance of four or five members voting 
with him, Mr. Moulton was re-elected Presi¬ 
dent and Mr. Real!,Seen.tary, and with the e 
exceptions nearly the same list of officers was 
elected as at the meeting held at huadquai- 
ters. The promoters of this meeting claim that 
the President, with the consent of those vot¬ 
ing, bad a right to waive the strict require¬ 
ments of tho by laws so far as holding the 
election at headquarters and other irregulari¬ 
ties claimed by the opposition, were con¬ 
cerned. This revival of interest may lead to 
a much more vigorous policy in the future, 
which this association seems to stand in need 
of, although the revival ia due to a strug¬ 
gle for supremacy among salt dealers. 
At this season of the year and until 
early Summer, we wish the Rural were 
just three times as large as it is, then we 
might hope to do justice to all of our 
departments. We are publishing the 
choicest matter we can obtain,and our ad¬ 
vertising columns are certainly filled with 
the announcements of the first firms in 
America. Read the Rural attentively. 
less than was asked for, but $71,380 
more than last year’s appropriation. The 
principal items of increase are $65,000 for 
the collection of crop statistics, $15,000 
for additional clerical force and $10,000 
for the reclamation of waste and arid 
lands. There are only a few trifling cur¬ 
tailments of former items of appropria¬ 
tions. In addition to the above objects 
appropriations have also been made as 
follows: for the purchase, propagation 
and distribution of seeds $80,000 ; for 
the investigation of diseases of swine and 
other domestic animals ; $25,000, for con¬ 
tinuing the investigation as to insects in¬ 
jurious to agriculture, $25,000 ; for re¬ 
clamation of waste and arid lands, $20,- 
000 ; for contingent expenses of the De¬ 
partment, $15,000 ; for tho examination 
of wools and animal fibres, $10,000; for 
experimental garden aucl grounds, $7,000 ; 
for collecting data respecting the agri- 
cultral needs of the country west of the 
Rocky Mountains, $5,000 ; to enable the 
Commissioner to investigate and report 
on the subjectof forestry, $5,000 ; for in¬ 
vestigation of thehabits, movements, etc,, 
of the Rocky Mountain Locust, $5,000. 
It is provided that no part of the $20,000 
appropriation for the reclamation of waste 
and arid lands shall be expended upon 
lands owned by individuals or corpora¬ 
tions. We regret the absence of any 
special appropriation for the suppression 
of pleuro-pncumonia among cattle, un¬ 
less it is intended that the Treasury De¬ 
partment shall continue to take charge of 
this necessary work. If so we trust an 
We never present bills for the Rural 
New-Yorker. The paper stops at the 
end of the subscription term, or if one 
or two numbers further are sent no charge 
is made. In order to compensate sub¬ 
scribers for delays in placing the names 
on our list or for irregularities which oc¬ 
cur during the rush of the subscription 
season, we often extend the subscription 
term several weeks. 
If any proof were needed of the feelings 
of friendliness which very many of our 
readers cherish for the Rural New- 
Yorker, it would have been shown in 
the number of sympathetic letters we have 
received from them, written under the 
impression that our building was burnt 
during the late disastrous fire. Well, 
our readers have merely placed us under 
another obligation to serve, them as best 
we may, though we shall never be able to 
serve them as well as we would wish. 
Send for the catalogues announced in other 
columns. They will cost you little or nothing 
—they may suve you much. 
Mr. T. D. CURTIS thinks, with many others, 
that a bull is half Itio herd, and that no matter 
how fine the female may be, if the male is in¬ 
ferior—so the progeny will be. 
Our thanks are due to Mr. Geo. Jackson, 
Dailsville, Md., Mrs. T. T. Sabin, Norway, 
Iowa, D. P. Paine, Pana, Ill., and Geo. M. 
High, Middle Bass, Ohio, for their generous 
that many inquiries are being 
our ^contemporaries respecting 
