256 
APRIL 45 
THE RURAL WEW-YORKER. 
THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
A National Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Conducted by 
ELBERT 8. CARMAN. 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
No. 84 P.irk Row, New York. 
SATURDAY, APRIL 15, 1882. 
The Bermuda Grass seed, ■which we 
alluded to April 1, as probably true seeds, 
proves to be so. At nil events, the 
test lot. has freely sprouted, and the only 
question remaining is whether it is true 
Bermuda Grass or not. 
We do not suppose the Rural wheats 
of the Regular Free Seed Distribution of 
1881 2 will mature as Spring wheat; but 
we do not kuow this and, as we have said 
before, we hope that those who live in ex 
clusively Spring wheat-growing sections 
will try them as Spring wheats. 
The report' has gone forth more than 
once of late that the Manchester and the 
Hovey strawberries are the same. For 
general culture the Hovey now-a-days is 
rarely motioned, Thjsoriginated with 0. 
M. Ilovey of Boston, forty odd years ago ! 
Were the two to prove identical, it would 
he a grand joke upon our leading small- 
fruit authorities and a stunning commen¬ 
tary upon our horticultural progress. We 
presume that the identity will begin and 
end in the two points of resemblance, viz., 
one, that both are strawberries, and, two, 
that, both are pistillates. 
THE RURAL’S METHOD OP CORN CUL¬ 
TIVATION IN BRIEF. 
The teachings of our experience with 
corn raising at the Rural Experiment 
Grounds may be summed up as follows : 
a T. Sod ground is best. If farm manure 
is used it is better to harrow it in than 
to plow it under. If spread upon the 
sod and plowed under, do not plow deep. 
2. If concentrated fertilizers are used, 
plow and harrow and then sow the fer- 
tili :r and harrow until the ground is 
thoroughly titled. All dry concentrated 
fertilizers—as raw hone flour, for example 
—should he well mixed with an equal 
quantity of moist earth, otherwise a con¬ 
siderable part of the finest of the hone 
flour will be blown away. A more even 
distribution of any kind of chemical fer¬ 
tilizer can be made if extended with soil 
than if not. 
3. A surface dressing of from four to 
five hundred pounds of concentrated fer¬ 
tilizer on sod ground, if well prepared, is 
a sufficient quantity. 
4. Do not manure in the hill or drill 
with concentrated fertilizers. Of all 
methods of manuring this is, in the end, 
the most wasteful and ineffectual. Plant 
in drills, dropping one kernel every six 
inches. Mark the drills four feet apart if 
the variety of corn grows as tall as ten 
feet, und at the first hoeing cut out every 
other plant where the stand is full. 
5. Never use the plow after a field is 
planted to corn. Give shallow cultiva¬ 
tion with the object, of stirring and mel¬ 
lowing only the surface. The roots of 
corn plants meet in the rows after the 
plants are one foot in hight, and the roots 
should never he disturbed. The objec¬ 
tion to planting in drills—viz., that the 
corn can be cultivated by horse-power 
only one way—is really of little weight. 
If the rows are straight., the cultivator 
may be run quite close to the plants, and 
but very little hand-hoeing is needed. 
The Rural’s method of corn cultivation 
has been tried by very many of our read¬ 
ers, and we have yet to hear from one 
who, having tried it, does not approve 
of it. 
THE PROPER REMEDY. 
We see that some influential papers— 
chiefly those that are non-agricultural- 
are advocating inoculation as a safeguard 
against, fatality from contagious pleuro- 
pneutnoni i among cattle. European ex¬ 
perience, has amply shown that cattle 
which have been inoculated with the virus 
of the disease and which have subse¬ 
quently been exposed to contagion from 
infected animals, have not contracted the 
malady, and nearly all the Inoculated 
beasts have recovered, with the frequent 
loss of the whole or a part, of the tail 
where the inoculation is effected. The 
same experience, however, has demon¬ 
strated that the disease thus artificially 
produced is just as contagious and can be 
spread by just as many agencies as that 
contracted naturally—in the various ways 
by which contagious ailments are ordi¬ 
narily spread, Where the disease is very 
widespread, as in some parts of England, 
France, Holland and Germany nearly 
every year, and in many parts of Russia at 
all times, inoculation is often thought ad¬ 
visable, because there are already so many 
sources of contagion there that it would 
he too costly an undertaking to attempt 
to stop the spread of the disease by 
slaughtering all the infected animals. 
Many, therefore, think it advisable to 
check its ravages by inoculating those 
herds whose location may expose them to 
contagion from infected animals in the 
neighborhood; hut in all such cases the 
inoculated herds are isolated as rigidly as 
those that, have “caught” the malady 
from other infected animals. This form 
of prevention, too, has by no means met 
with universal favor in »ny of those conn 
tries, except perhaps in Russia. In this 
country the number of infected animals 
is so small in comparison with the number 
of those that are sound, that our sole 
object should he to prevent the spread 
of the disease, and this is best effected by 
slaughtering or completely isolating all 
ailing animals. By inoculation the sources 
of contagion are increased; whereas, our 
object must, be to decrease these, or rather 
to get rid of them altogether. 
The census of 1880 shows that in June, 
1880, there were iu the United State's 
000,002 working oxen, 12,442,137 milch 
cows, and 22,4 00,5(52 other cuttle, or a 
a total of 35,007,701 neat, cattle, and 
since the census was taken t he number 
has certainly increased. Now every one 
of these is more or less endangered 
by the. existence of contagious pleuro 
pneumonia in any part of the Union. 
In view, therefore, of the vast interests 
that are imperiled by the presence of a 
comparatively small number of eases in 
the Atlantic States from Connecticut to 
Virginia, and in view of the injury al 
ready inflicted by these on the cattle ex¬ 
ports of the whole nation, effective meas¬ 
ures should be promptly taken to stamp 
out the disease by slaughtering every in¬ 
fected auimal and isolating all that have 
been exposed to contagion. The owners 
of the diseased animals should, of course, 
he compensated for the chances that the 
sick animals might recover if the disease 
wore permitted to take its course under 
veterinarian or other care. If the outlay 
for such reimbursement is considered too 
heavy for payment by the States in which 
the disease is prevalent, then the General 
Government should not, hesitate to pay 
the whole or a fair proportion of the sum, 
as a premium for the insurance of the 
cattle of the whole country against the 
disastrous disease. 
THE OUTLOOK FOR NEXT WHEAT 
HARVEST. 
From a large, very large, number of 
reports by State Boards of Agriculture, 
local journals and our own correspond¬ 
ents, the inference is inevitable that, ac¬ 
cording to present indications, the condi¬ 
tion of Fall-sown grain, especially of 
wheat, promises an unusually large har¬ 
vest. Not only has there been compara¬ 
tively very little of the winter-killing 
and heaving generally widely reported at 
corresponding times in Spring, hut the 
growth is very thrifty, and little injury 
has been done by imccts. The acreage, 
too, under small grains, particularly 
wheat, is considerably larger than last 
year iu the older-settled States, and the 
increase is still more marked iu the border 
States on new breaking. Reports from 
most of the Southern Stoles, too, tell of 
a much larger acreage than usuul under 
small grains, mauy of the planters having 
at last realized that there is more profit in 
diversified farming than iu growing cotton 
exclusively or nearly so. From the latest 
transatlantic reports it is evident that 
Western Europe has emerged from a mild 
winter into an early and genial Spring. 
Cablegrams from London, Paris, Berlin, 
Stockholm, Vienna, and other capitals, 
speak joyously of the moderate Winter 
and the bright Spring weather which has 
blessed the nations with promises of abun 
dant harvests. Nearly everywhere the 
Fall-sown crons are reported to be in fine 
condition, and at present the outlook is 
favorable for such a harvest as Europe lias 
not seen for the last, four or live years. 
Of course, harvest is still a long time 
off on both sides of the Atlantic, and nu¬ 
merous mishaps may darken here and 
there the present golden prospect. This 
morning’s telegrams bring news of disas¬ 
trous cyclones in Kansas and of nearly 
equally disastrous hurricanes in Michigan 
and Iowa; while all traffic, we are told, is 
blocked by terrible snow-storms in Mani¬ 
toba, Northern Dakota and Northwestern 
Minnesota. The floods of the great West¬ 
ern rivers are yearly growing higher, and 
the June floods on the Mississippi, Mis¬ 
souri and their larger tributaries may prove 
even more disastrous to crops than the 
present overflow. Notwithstanding these 
black possibilities, however, there is a 
strong probability that the next wheat 
harvest of the world will he unusually 
heavy, and therefore, that prices for this 
cereal will he low. In view of this out¬ 
look, would it not he advisable for our 
friends iu the spring-wheat section, who 
have not already sown their wheat, to 
consider whether it would pay them bet¬ 
ter to sow to wheat a smaller acreage than 
they intended, using the land for some 
other crop more likely to he higher-priced? 
Our friends in the far larger winter-wheat 
area too, might, perhaps with profit, so 
arrange the crops not already in the ground 
as to he better prepared for low prices for 
wheat next, harvest. 
WHEAT AND CORN IN FARMERS’ 
HANDS. 
As regards the price of grain between 
this time and next, harvest, the quantity 
at. present in farmers’ hands is an import¬ 
ant consideration, and although it is a 
question that interests grain dealers rather 
than grain growers, still the latter should 
keep posted on it as well us possible, both 
because nothing connected with theirown 
business should he a matter of indiffer¬ 
ence to them and because they may thus 
obtain some profitable hints for another 
season. The Department of Agriculture 
appears to be taking more pains than usual 
this year to collect statistics of agricultu¬ 
ral matters, and has just completed an 
estimate of the corn and wheat in farm¬ 
ers’hands as late as March 20 this year 
and last. The. seven States that produce 
a surplus of com yielded 1,04(1,000,000 
bushels in 1880, and 737,000,000 bushels in 
1881. On March 20 returns were made to 
the Department of the quantity of corn 
in the farmers’ hands from over 400 coun¬ 
ties in these States, representing more 
than two-thirds the entire area. From 
these it appears that the percentage still 
on hand was us follows: Ohio, 24 uguinst 
33 last year; Indiuna, 27 against 83; Illi¬ 
nois, 20 against 30; Iowa, 20 against 40; 
Missouri, 15 against80; Kansas, 10against 
30; and Nebraska, 28 against 88. Thus 
the average in 1882 is nearly 24 per cent, 
of the short crop, amounting to 175,000,- 
000 bushels ; wliile in 1881 the average 
was 37 percent,, amounting to 388,000,- 
000 bushels. In those seven States, there¬ 
fore, there were 213,000,000 bushels less 
corn in farmers’ hands on March 20 last., 
than on the same day a year previous. 
As .338.000,000 bushels of the crop of 
1880 remained in first hands on March 20, 
1881, 708,000,000 must have been market¬ 
ed; and as 175,000,000 bushels of thecrop 
of 1881 were still in first hands on March 
20, 1882, 5(52,00U,000 must have been 
marketed. Thus there was an economy 
of 140,000,000 bushels lust Fall and Win¬ 
ter over the previous Fall and Winter, 
due most likely to the higher prices; 
to the smaller number of hogs fed; to the 
milder Winter, on account of which a 
smaller quantity was needed for feed, ami 
to the decrease in our exports. At the 
same rates of decrease iu consumption 
from now until harvest, we shall re¬ 
quire 20 per cent, less corn this year 
than last, and a reduction of 20 
per cent, on 163,000,000 bushels — the 
apparent, shortage between this year and 
last—would reduce this to 95,000,000 
bushels for the shortage at. harvest time. 
But as it is estimated that this amount of 
corn from the previous harvests was in 
farmers’ hands at the opening of last, har¬ 
vest, it is estimated that, there is in the 
country about enough corn to last, eco¬ 
nomically, until the next crop comes into 
market. 
Of wheat tins same States produced 
256,000,000 bushels in 1880 and 169,000,- 
000 in 1881. The proportion in first hands 
on March 20, last, was put as follows: Ohio, 
25 per cent, against, 80 per cent, on same 
date in 1881; Indiana, 18againBt 28: Illi¬ 
nois, 10 against 24; Iowa, 23 against 28; 
Missouri, 17 uguinsL28; Kansas, J5against 
26 ; Nebraska, 21 against 23, or 21 per 
cent, of the crop of 1880, amounting to 
30,000,000 bushels against 25 per cent, 
of the crop of 1881, amounting to 04,- 
000,000 a shortage of 28,000.000, in 
addition to a shortage of 76,000,000 in 
Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, the 
three other States which yield a surplus 
of wheat on this side of the Rocky Moun¬ 
tains. Thus it appears that of last crop 133,- 
000,000 bush, had been marketed to March 
20, this year, against 192,000,000 at the 
same date last year—a reduction of 59,000,- 
000 bushels, or 31 per cent. If we apply 
the same ratio of reduction from now until 
harvest, a little figuring will show that 
44,000,000 bushels left farmers’ hands 
from March 20 to harvest last year, and a 
reduction of 31 per cent, on this would 
bring it, down to about 30,000,000 bushels 
as the amount, required for market until 
next harvest. 
These estimates include only seven 
Stales, but il would he fair to estimate 
the quantity held back elsewhere by the 
proportion in first hands in these, if the 
estimates were correct. At best., however, 
they are only approximate, and differ con¬ 
siderably from the estimates of the vari¬ 
ous State Boards of Agriculture. For 
instance, according to a telegram just re¬ 
ceived here from Columbus, Ohio, the 
State Board of Agriculture puts the 
amount of the old corn crop in producers’ 
hands on April 1st at 17 per cent, against 
24 per cent, on March 20, according to 
the estimate of the Agricultural Depart¬ 
ment,—too large a difference to have been 
marketed in eleven days. From this and 
various other sources, however, the in¬ 
ference ean be drawn with a fair de¬ 
gree of assurance that the price of 
corn will not fall materially until next 
harvest. Even with the economy of 
consumption due to high prices, there 
will he very little old corn or wheat 
in first hands when the new crops are 
harvested, and if the prices fall the con¬ 
sumption will increase enough to cause 
a serious shortage before August. Any 
considerable change in corn prices that 
may occur will probably he due rather to 
speculative flurries, such as that which 
has raised wheat to its present, unduly 
high figure, than to the relation of de¬ 
mand and supply. 
BREVITIES. 
Straw'berries 40@50c. per quart—that is 
per pint. The alleged quart baskets hold a 
full pint and no more. 
Last week the thermometer was 85 degrees 
in St. Louis and our friends complain that 
Winter clothes are insufferable. 
Wk have this to say of Triple Crown : Of 
six kinds planted in the sandy soil of our farm 
last Hpring, this stood the sun and drought 
best. 
How deep should potatoes (cut to single 
eyes e. g.) be pUnited to yield best iu light and 
in heavy soils! Have any careful experiments 
been made! 
Attention is called to Mr. H. H, B’s re¬ 
marks ujion Shumaker wheat in the Every¬ 
where Department, page 253 under “Penn¬ 
sylvania.” 
So high has speculation raised the price of 
wheat hero now in comparison with Liverpool 
quotations, that the transatlantic steamship 
lines are offering to take grain as ballast, free, 
while the Boston lines are offering a premium 
of three or four cents per 100 pounds for such 
ballast! As prices are lower now in England 
than at, Chicago, a loss would be incurred even 
if the grain were transported the entire dis¬ 
tance gratis. 
In the case of Hull vs. Hull, lately decided 
by the Supreme Court of Errors of Connec¬ 
ticut, the facts were these A sold to B all 
the colts which should thereafter ho foaled 
by certain mares kept, in A’s stable under 
B’s care. A became bankrupt and hisoreditors 
brought an action to take such colts from 
B, The court, however, speaking through 
Judge Loomis, decided in favor of B, on the 
ground that as the colts were not in exist¬ 
ence ut the time of the sale, it, was valid as 
against the creditors of the owner of the 
maim 
The salary expenses of the Department of 
Agriculture umount to $32,600, divided as fol¬ 
lows:—Pay of Commissioner, $4,000; chief 
clerk, chemist, entomologist, statistician and 
superintendent of the experimental garden, 
$2,000 each; nderoseopist, botanist., disbursing 
clerk, superintendent of seed room and librar¬ 
ian, $1,800 each; assistant chemist, $1,600; 
engineer, $1,4(10; assistant superintendent of 
the experimental garden, assistant, superin¬ 
tendent of the seed room and superintendent 
of seed bags, $1,200 each; two museum attend¬ 
ants, $1,000 each; a carpenter, $900. Hire 
of help and incidental expenses run up the 
total annual outlay to about. $50,000. 
The lightning-rod peddlers are again “on 
the road,” swindling farmers, especially in 
the West. These fellows ura getting a worse 
“ name” than even the patent-right sharpers. 
Usually the spruce, glib tongued, courteous, 
kind-hearted, philanthropic “ agent” drives 
up first, and generously offers “to rod” the 
farm house and burns for a mere trifle—$25 
to $50, making a liberal discount of $10 or so 
for whatever old rods there may be, which, 
of course, are ulwnys worthless, Inasmuch as 
his are the only genuine safeguard against 
lightning. A longer or shorter time after the 
departure of this “ gent.’’ with an older duly 
signed bv the innocent fanner, the “guug” 
conies along headed by the “foreman” or 
“ setter.” These put up ns many rods as they 
thick the farmer can be Induced to pay for. 
and when the job is finished, the “setter” de¬ 
mands cash to the tune of $200 or $300, or 
occasionally he will he content with a note— 
indorsed if possible. In vain the farmer 
pleads that the “agent” agreed to do the 
work for $'55, the “setter” who is by no means 
courteous or generous, insists that what his 
dupe had signed w as an order for “ rodding ” 
at “so much” a foot, and lie must abide by 
his contract. In nine cases out of teu the 
“setter” wheedles or bullies the victim into 
a flagrantly fraudulent settlement. 
