608 
RURAL NEW'YORKER, 
A. National Journal lor Country and Suburban Homes, 
Conducted by 
1ELBERT 8. CARMAN. 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
No. 84 Park Row, New York. 
SATURDAY, SEPT. 2, 1882. 
When Dr. Billerica sees the Rural 
Thoroughbred Flint, we shall be prepared 
to hear of his changing his great ensilage 
corn for that variety. What’ll he do for 
a cut? 
-- 
We desire to express thanks to thoje of 
our subscribers who have kindly sent us 
names to which to mail the Fair Number 
of the Rural New-Yorker. These 
names have come to us rather more nu¬ 
merously than we had counted upon and, 
as our fair list is longer than heretofore, 
it may be feared unless another editon is 
printed, that some of the names must be 
neglected. We are grateful to our frienis 
all the same, and shall supply all applica¬ 
tions until the last paper is sent away. 
We have received the following pleas¬ 
ant note from the much-beloved Marshall 
P. Wilder: 
Dorchester, Mass., Aug. 25, If83. 
The Fair Number, with its numerous 
advertisements and experiments with 
seeds at the Farm, is full of meat. This 
is the kind of information we want. The 
trials of peas accord with my own results. 
That’s right 1 fiend out the seeds of 
grapes. In a few years you will hear from 
hundreds of them, and perhaps from 
some as good asor betterthan their parent. 
Think of what a blessing the Concord has 
been to the world! And who that loves 
a fruit would not plant the seeds which 
you propose to send them? Your inser¬ 
tion in this number of my doggerel 
rhymes is timely and in keeping with 
your distribution of seeds. 
- »♦-» - 
We are inclined to believe that the old- 
style “plowing-matchcs” at fairs were 
good things. Are our farmers and their 
hired men as good plowmen as thote were 
years ago ? Do we take the pains to lay 
a good furrow without “balks,” that they 
did ? There used to be a healthful rival¬ 
ry at the plowing matches which had its 
influence on all the farmers who wit¬ 
nessed as well as participated in them, 
and when they again held the plow they 
took pride in the work. Would it not be 
wise to revive again the custom of offer¬ 
ing premiums for best plowing at the 
fairs, and give our young farmers, as well 
as older ones, a chance to show their 
skill ? Good plowing is profitable; 
“balks” in the furrow swallow too much 
seed! A thoroughly prepared seed-bed is 
worth a dressing of manure. 
- » ♦ ♦ - 
AUGUST FROSTS AND CROPS, 
In the second week in August there 
were “light frosts” in Northern Wiscon¬ 
sin, while snow fell in some parts of Min¬ 
nesota. As a late Summer is held to be 
absolutely necessary for anything like a 
fair corn crop in the Northwest, this 
seeming indication that the Summer’s 
backbone was broken has excited con¬ 
siderable apprehension among the farm¬ 
ers in that section, and indeed in other 
sections where the occurrence has become 
known. The records of the Signal Ser¬ 
vice Bureau, however, show that little 
significance need be attributed to August 
frosts. The average temperature of last 
August was unusually high east of the 
one-hundredth meridian, yet the first 
frost occurred in Manitoba on the sixth 
of the month. In 1880 there were light 
frosts in Michigan as early as August 3, 
but the crops that year were not at all 
injuied. In August, 1870, the first frosts 
occurred in Wisconsin, Iowa and Michi¬ 
gan on August 8, but the crops suffered 
no material damage. In August, 1877, 
there was frost at Denver, Col., on the 
sixth; at Logansport, Ind., and at Cape 
May, Del., on the 13th. In August, 
1874, there were frosts in New York and 
New Jersey from the third to the fifth; 
although the highest temperature occur¬ 
red two weeks later, and the crops were 
fine both in 1877 and 1874. 
-» » ♦ 
THE FAIR NUMBER OF THE R. N-Y. 
The care given to our Fair Number is 
not always apparent to the ordinary 
reader. We presume that such an array 
of noted writers was never before col¬ 
lected between the covers of a single 
number of any farm or garden journal. 
Here is the list: 
Hon. M. P. Wilder, Mas**. 
Mr. Charles Downing, N. Y. 
Mr. W. Robinson, F. L. S., Editor of London 
Garden. 
Mr. Thomas Meehan, Editor of the Gardeners’ 
Monthly. 
Dr. W. J. Beal, Ag. Coll.. Michigan. 
Prof. A. J. Cook, Ag. Coll.. Michigan. 
Sir J. B. Lawes, Bart, L. L D , etc , England. 
Prof. J. P. Sheldon, Coll, of Ag., England. 
Hon. X A. Willard. A. M , N. Y. 
Major H. E Alvord, Houghton Farm, N. Y. 
Dr. John A. Warder, Ohio. 
Prof. J. W. Sanborn, Mo. 
Mr. B, F. Johnson, Ills. 
Hon. C. S Cooper. New Jersey. 
Hon. T. T. Lyon, Michigan. 
Prof. G. E. Morrow, Illinois. 
Hon. P. J. Berckmann, Georgia. 
Mr. Henry Stewart, New Jersey. 
Mr. J. B Armstrong. Editor, California. 
Mr. A. B. Allen, New Jersey. 
Mr. Richard Goodman, Mass. 
Mrs. A. L Jack, Canada. 
Mrs. Mary Beal McLoutb, Michigan. 
Mrs. Mary Wager Fisher, Pennsylvania. 
Mrs. Emily Thatcher Bennett, New York. 
Mrs. J. E. McConnaughy, Penn. 
Miss Ray Clark. 
Mrs. Emily Maple. 
To the above we may add nearly 20 
columns of editorials—116 columns of ad¬ 
vertising representing the first firms of 
the country, and 22 origiual engravings. 
The number itself comprises 44 pages, 
which is the same size as the Fair Num¬ 
ber of last year notwithstanding the pre¬ 
mium list is omitted. We presume the 
complete edition of 100,000 copies will 
cost not less than $6,000, 
DRESSED CATTLE FROM CHICAGO. 
Not less than about 40 car-loads or about 
1,500 head of dressed cattle a day are 
being shipped to the Eastern States from 
Chicago, almost entirely by three firms, 
and the trade is growing rapidly, and as a 
consequence the shipping of live cattle 
aud cut-meats is falling off correspond¬ 
ingly. They are all shipped in refrigera¬ 
tor cars, either by express or freight and 
the meat is delivered as fresh and sweet 
as when it came from the slaughter-house; 
indeed, the retail butchers of this city say 
it is in better condition for use than fresh¬ 
ly Killed meat. Besides the saving in 
handling and feeding on the road, there 
is a great saving in freight in shippiug 
meat dressed over the old custom of ship¬ 
ping it on the hoof; for while onecar will 
carry 35 dressed carcasses, it cannot carry 
more than half that number alive. The 
Chicago dealers and shippers are jubilant 
over this innovation. They predict that 
it will not be long until the entire East 
will receive the great bulk of its meat 
supply in this way, for, they declare, 
Eastern butchers cannot handle cattle 
alive and compete with those dealing in 
dressed beef furnished from Chicago. 
Eastern consumers, it is foretold, will be 
the gainers by the new movement; for 
just as American meats are now' retailed in 
England at the same or even lower prices 
than in New York, so Chicago-killed 
meats will be sold in the Eastern cities as 
low as in Chicago—if not lower. The 
wholesale slaughter-house butchers of the 
East will suffer, and those of Baltimore 
are already up in arms against the new 
trade; retail butchers, however, are tak¬ 
ing the matter philosophically, for it will 
be just as convenient for them to buy their 
dressed meat from the Chicago depots as 
from the slaughter houses. The innova¬ 
tion will probably have some effect on the 
prices of Eastern beef cattle; and there is 
no reason why dressed sheep and swine 
should not be shipped in the same way. 
Chicago seems to expect to monopolize 
the trude; but if there are advantages in 
shipping meat in this way from Chicago, 
why shouldn’t there be greater advantages 
in shipping it from points nearer the 
sources of supply further west? 
-» 
THE TEXAS FEVER SCARE. 
The cattle disease, supposed to be Tex¬ 
as fever, which,as stated in the Rural of 
August 19, lately appeared in Alabama, 
North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, 
and Pennsylvania, is reported to have 
since broken out in Cayuga Co., New 
York, near Weedsport and Bennett, 
where it has already caused considerable 
mortality. Investigation has shown that 
in whatever pastures the plague has ap¬ 
peared, Texas or Cherokee cattle had been 
grazing a longer or shorter time before it 
became manifest. The telegraphed symp¬ 
toms are these: Debility comes on sud¬ 
denly; the animal becomes dizzy, stag¬ 
gers around a few hours, then lies down, 
froths at the mouth and dies. On post¬ 
mortem examination of two cases, the 
spleen was found greatly enlarged, in¬ 
flamed and congested; the kidneys con¬ 
gested, and the omassum, or third stomach, 
badly impaired, being solidly compacted 
with food. Thelungs, heart and liver were 
apparently in a normal condition. The 
temperature of the affected animals was 
found to be two or three degrees above 
normal. They were all found thickly in¬ 
fested with what one called “Texas 
ticks”—small “bugs" which take a firm 
hold on the hide. 
By direction of Governor Cornell, 
Augustus Denniston, State Cattle Com¬ 
missioner, accompanied by a couple of 
veterinarians from Syracuse and Auburn, 
has visited the affected herds and declared 
the disease to be Texas fever. The Sheriff 
of the county, in accordance with the 
statute, took charge of the herds, at the 
Commissioner’s direction. A strict quar¬ 
antine has been established, and all per¬ 
sons are forbidden to visit the contam¬ 
inated fields. The Commissioner thinks 
it likely that all cattle now sick, as well 
as those that have been exposed to con¬ 
tagion, will be slaughtered aud their 
owners reimbursed from the $50,000 appro¬ 
priation made a couple of years ago for 
that purpose, the bulk of which still re¬ 
mains unexpended. The neighborhood 
of Sennett is noted for its fine herds, 
many of which are pure-bred, and 
measures should at once be taken to 
stamp out the plague before those valu¬ 
able animals and others are affected. 
A telegram from Steubenville, Ohio, an¬ 
nounces that the plague has also just 
appeared in that neighborhood. 
From Wyoming Territory we learn that 
Frewen Bros., of Cheyenne, lately bought 
48 Short-horn bulls at Lexington, Ky., 
which are supposed to have contracted 
the disease in passing through the stock- 
yards at St. Louis, m route. Of the 48, 
13 died of the fever, but our contributor, 
Dr. J. I). Hoskins, Territorial Veteri¬ 
narian, promptly prevented the infected 
herd from entering the Territory where 
they might have spread the disease 
among the vast herds roving on the 
ranges. Altogether this disease is preva¬ 
lent over an unusually wide area this 
year. 
-- 
“BLIND POOLS.” 
“A blind pool is a combination of par¬ 
ties taking certain interests in a transac¬ 
tion and leaving the purchases and sales 
in connection with the transaction entire¬ 
ly to the party who gets the pool up and 
in whom they all repose confidence.” 
Such is the definition given of this species 
of speculation by that expert in all sorts 
of financial transactions, Mr. Jay Gould. 
In ordinary “pools” in the “stock” or 
“produce” markets a number of persons 
contribute a certain proportion of the 
capital needed, but all have still a voice 
in the conduct of the speculation; or, far 
more commonly still, each member of the 
pool retains control of his own invest¬ 
ment, though bound by an expressed or 
implied agreement to act in conjuction 
with his colleagues; whereas in a 
“blind-pool” the whole affair is con¬ 
fided absolutely to the knowledge, 
skill, judgment aud honesty of the ori¬ 
ginator of the transaction. No man of 
ordinary common sense would therefore 
trustfully place his money in the hands of 
the manipulator or of such a “pool,” with¬ 
out having excellent reasons for believing 
him the possessor of these qualities in an 
eminent degree. Even when the parties 
interested in a “blind pool” are by per¬ 
sonal acquaintance well assured of the wis¬ 
dom and integrity of its manipulator, they 
must feel that, except in rare instances, 
there is greater risk in such a transaction 
than in an ordinary pool,inasmuch as in the 
former the wisdom of one is substituted 
for the combined wisdom of several in 
the latter. 
The honesty of the head of such a 
“pool” is, of course, an all-important 
consideration; for as the whole of his 
course is secret even from his coadjutors, 
and the transaction is, at best, generally 
of a “slippery” nature, though legally not 
dishonest, there is a great temptation for 
him to yield to any fraudulent taint that 
may lurk in his character. Thorough 
knowledge of the business in which in¬ 
vestments are to be made, great financial 
skill, well-known integrity of character 
and fidelity to his associates are therefore 
the only grounds on which the manipula¬ 
tor of a “blind pool” can claim support 
and the only reasons why his supporters 
can reasonably expect success and fair 
dealing. 
The country is flooded, however, with 
the circulars and advertisements of the 
getters-up of “blind-pools” who have no 
claim whatever to support on these 
grounds, and whose sole reliance for 
patronage must be on the credulity and 
gullibility of those who through folly or 
avarice are disposed to yield to their 
blandishments. In the Rurals of July 
29 and of August 5, we told our readers 
of such a concern which, under the name 
of the American Grain Company, alias 
W. T. Soule & Co., professed to make it a 
business to get up “blind pools” in grain 
in Chicago. That was, or rather is, a 
specimen of a considerable number of 
other similar concerns that flourish in 
several other Western cities, all of which 
are untrustworthy. Lately we have re¬ 
ceived a number of circulars sent all over 
the country by “Edgar, Gray, & Co., 
Bankers,” Exchange Place, New York 
City, who also profess to be engaged in 
getting-up “blitid pools,” notin produce, 
however, but in railroad and other stocks. 
Both concerns are conducted on substan¬ 
tially the same plan. The shares of the 
Western concern, however, were offered at 
the low provincial price of $25 each; 
while the certificates of the New York 
concern can only be had at the metropoli¬ 
tan figure of $50 apiece. 
Like its Western congener, the East¬ 
ern concern promises the speedy enrich¬ 
ment of its patroua by means of the 
enormous profits it engages to make by 
the investment of their money in financial 
securities; but, like the other too, it also 
requires that they should implicitly trust 
its judgment and integrity, and to win 
their confidence it offers as references for 
its business standing, Cornelius Vander¬ 
bilt and II. 13. McCulloch. 
Here arc the results of a little investi¬ 
gation into the character of the “blind- 
pool” business of “Edgar Gray & Co., 
Bankers.” The “banking house” con¬ 
sists of two small rooms on the seventh 
floor of the Post Building, the outer 
room being used chiefly for mailing cir¬ 
culars and the inner one for “banking" 
purposes. Who the Co. is, if there is 
any Co., we could not learn; but Edgar 
Gray is a gentleman whom the police ofli- 
cers brought back from Europe some 
months ago on a charge of forgery; but 
who has since managed to get at liberty. 
Cornelius Vanderbilt has no relation or 
connection, beyond the name, with the 
millionaire Vanderbilt family, but is mere¬ 
ly a salesman behind the counter of a 
Broadway straw goods store; and II. B. 
McCulloch is not Hugh McCulloch, ex- 
Secretary of the United States Treasury, 
but—well, a person exactly answering his 
description, “bosses” the mailing of al¬ 
luring circulars in the outer office of 
“Edgar Gray & Co., Bankers.” That, such 
“ nobodies” should be given as refer¬ 
ences might lead even the most charita¬ 
ble to think that there might be an in¬ 
tention that their names should be mis 
taken for those of their well-known 
namesakes. That such concerns exist is, 
of course, proof that they receive some 
patronage, and consequently that there 
is a sad neglect of duty on the part of 
the “fool-killer.” 
•-♦-*-♦- 
BREVITIES. 
Drought continues—corn is beyond help at 
the Rural Grounds. 
W e are gratified to hear of cheering pros¬ 
pects of the Virginia State Fair under the man¬ 
agement of Gen. W. C. Wickham, the newly 
elected President, and one of Virginia’s most 
successful and practical agriculturists. We 
predict for the coming fair a grand and suc¬ 
cessful display. 
In the earlier part of the Fair edition we 
neglected to state at the bottom of the 
column, page .567, that the article on the Harn- 
beltonian Stallion, Enchanter, was concluded 
on page 572. 
Farmers should not forget that the success 
of their county or district fairs always de¬ 
pends very largely on them. If they are 
awake to their duty and take pleasure and 
pride in exhibiting their agricultural and hor¬ 
ticultural produces, a fair cannot fail to be 
interesting, but otherwise it may be little bet¬ 
ter than a second-class horse-trot. 
Canary-seed is scarce—the supply in the 
United States will barely last 15 months, and 
no more can lie gathered for a year. Abroad, 
too, the supply is scanty. F.ngland is ship- 
K canary-seed to Spain—sending coals to 
castle—and Spain and Southern France 
are calling upon Smyrna und toe levant. 
Switzerland, too, is short and Italy has no 
surplus. The owners of Canary birds should 
therefore be economical in feeding their pets. 
The planters along the Lower Mississippi 
are, some of them, not very sorry for the late 
overflow. Just as the Nile in its overflow de¬ 
posits on the land a coating of mud which for 
thousands of years bos rendered manure 
needless in spite of constant cropping, so the 
deposit of sediment by the Father of Waters 
saves the lands from exhaustion and increases 
their fertility. As a matter of fact, planta¬ 
tions subject to overflow are held at higher 
prices than those in the hilly country exempt 
from such visitations. It is estimated that 
a flood adds $o per acre to the value of a river 
farm, for It is found that an overflow makes 
large crops for the three succeeding years. 
