504 
THE RURAL 
JULY 
THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
A National Journal i'or Country and Suburban Homes. 
Conducted by 
ELBERT S. CUtMiS. 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
No. 34 Park Row, New York. 
SATURDAY, JULY 29, lbs2. 
The Premium List will not be incorpor¬ 
ated with the Fair Number. It will be 
sent to all on application. 
— - 
Our friends who intend to favor us 
with communications or advertisements 
for the Fair Number must be in haste 
about it. 
—-♦♦♦- 
TnE good Marshall P. Wilder writes 
us: “Thank you for the report on peas. 
American Wonder, Telephone and Cham¬ 
pion are good enough for me. The Man¬ 
chester Strawberry is a distinct and new 
variety. The Caroline Raspberry is all 
you say of it.” 
— - ■ 4 ♦ ♦- 
We may now say to our readers, 
what many of them ere this have found 
out for themselves, that the Rural 
Thoroughbred Flint throws up more 
suckers, we venture to say, than any 
other variety of corn which they have 
raised. As a corn for fodder it is un- 
equaled. As to productiveness, a few 
weeks will tell the story. 
— ♦♦ » - 
In reply to oui inquiry Dr. Lawes 
kindly writes us as follows: “A farmer 
is, 1 think, very foolish to purchase ni¬ 
trogen in the form of leather, however 
finely ground or however much acted 
upon with ucids. Tt. is still a very insolu¬ 
ble compound. When a person purchases 
nitrogen you may assume that the many 
thousand pounds of nitrogen which every 
acre of his land certainly contains does 
not nitrify with sullieient rapidity for the 
requirements of his crops. He requires, 
therefore, active nitrogen such as ammon- 
nitrates, or organic nitrogen, which will 
rapidly nitrify, such as urine, blood, 
etc. Purchased nitrogen should return 
the larger proportion, if not the whole, of 
the outlay in the first crop.” 
-- 
Contrary to all prognostications of a 
marked decline on the advent of Summer, 
the price of prime beef still remains ex¬ 
tremely high all over the country. Al¬ 
though a late census bulletin shows that 
in the United States the number of cattle, 
other than milch cows, increased 66 per 
cent, from 1870 to 1880, whereas the popu¬ 
lation increased only 30 per cent., yet 
Gen. J. S. Brisbin, who has devoted much 
attention to the question of our meat 
supply, writing the other day from Mon- 
ceive $10 a day and actual expenses 
while traveling. The duty of these 
shall be to advise as to the best methods 
of treating, transporting and caring for 
animals and of providing against the 
spread of contagious diseases. The farm¬ 
ers of the country are in no special hurry 
regarding the proposed change in the 
status of the Agricultural Department; 
that is a matter in which Agriculture can 
“bide its time;” but prompt action must 
be taken to check the spread of pleuro 
pneumonia and other contagious diseases 
among stock, and to stamp them out. 
Every day of delay in this matter 
exposes the vast stock interests of 
the West to disaster. Owing to the 
high price of beef hundreds of calves 
are being taken West to fatten, and 
many of these go from the infected 
districts in the East, and may therefore 
carry contagion with them. The present 
precautions against such a calamity are 
wholly insufheientin view of tbeenormous 
loss that must result from the spread of 
pleuro pneumonia among the herds on the 
Western ranges. Great Britain threatens 
to prohibit absolutely the landing of 
American cattle unless more stringent 
precautions are taken to prevent the ship¬ 
ment of infected beasts. Other European 
countries are also meditating harsher 
measures against meats Jrom this country. 
For the safety of our vast stock interests 
at home, as well as for the recovery and 
preservation of our foreign meat markets, 
prompt measures must, be taken by the 
National and State Governments to rid 
the country of contagious diseases among 
opposed by a paltrier minority, seven com¬ 
paratively unknown Representatives only 
having finally voted against it. As 
first introduced by the House Committee 
on Agriculture the bill was decidedly 
objectionable in that it assigned to the 
proposed Department so many duties only 
remotely connected with agriculture that 
there was grave risk that owing to the 
multiplicity of its functions the Depart¬ 
ment would not or could not pay proper 
attention to the needs of the industry for 
whose benefit it was established. Bo many 
make such outlay, and has therefore to 
a considerable extent been at the mercy 
of buyers. What information in this 
connection has reached him has come 
through agricultural and other papers, 
which have generally been dependent for 
prompt information on cablegram*, whose 
tone has, it is to be feared, been some¬ 
times untruthfully influenced by dealers 
and speculators. Sometimes these cable¬ 
grams presume to condense the informa¬ 
tion collected by large transatlantic deal¬ 
ers, and in such cases there are plausi- 
SPECULATION IN GRAIN A 
OPPORTUNITY! 
GRAND 
our demesne animals, and the first step in thing about law but little about agricul 
this direction is the immediate establish- ture, referred the matterto Joseph Nimmo, 
ment of the National Bureau of Animal Jr., Statistician of the Treasury Depart- 
Industry. ment, who knows everything about every- 
■-- thing. This omniscient gentleman straight- 
SPECULATION IN GRAIN A GRAND way furnished an “ opiuion” stronely°ad- 
OPPORTUNITY ! verse to the proposed elevation of the 
- Department which r,-presents the great- 
Spei ulation in the bread of the world est industry in the land and the largest 
has always been deprecated. “ Fere- section of our population. Every sheet 
stalling,” as it was called, was a capital i u th e country opposed to the due repre¬ 
crime centuries ago, for it. was considered, seutation of Agriculture in the Govern 
ind justly so, a criminal attempt to »ient at once declared the objections 
make the principal food of mankind scarce urged by Mr. Nimmo, Jr., were conclusive, 
ind dear and thus by raising the price of was said that the President and Cabinet 
it to indirectly rob the public. And so fu,, y coincided iu the opinion. We have 
t must be confessed that the speculations heard, however, that the President has 
n grain, grain deals, corners, and other declared that neither he nor the Cabinet 
schemes for enhancing the prices of food has ever spoken approvingly of it; and 
mght now to be considered. It is well that he considered it unwise and super- 
t&own that the great pork deal of two serviceable—which it undoubtedly was. 
rears ago raised the price of pork iu the The Senate Committee on Agriculture, 
narket several dollars a barrel, and every however, has reported against the meas- 
lerson who wag compelled to purchase a ur ?> and it will probably not be passed at 
jound of pork for the supply of his fam- this session of Congress, which must close 
ly was made to contribute to that gigan- earl y in August. The names of the Senate 
ie robbery. But we set out to disclose Committee on Agriculture should be re- 
iow this iniquitous practice is itself made membered by farmers. They are: William 
he means of robbing deluded persons Mahone, of Virginia; Henry W. Blair, of 
fho are tempted by false promises to con- New Hampshire; Preston B, Plumb, of 
ribute money in small sums for the pur- Kansas; Charles H. Van Wyck, of Ne- 
tose of making so-called “deals” or braska; James If. Slater, of Oregon, and 
peculations in graiu. We have before James Z. George, of Mississippi. 
earnest appeals against such enlargement ble grounds for distrust; in other cases 
of its functions, however, came from live ! they corneas the pith of reports gathered 
agricultural papers and wide-awake agri- by European agricultural papers, but from 
cultural societies all over the country, that examination aDd comparison we can as- 
amendraents in the House removed from sert that these do not always truthfully 
the bill nearly all the objectionable feat- represent the reports they pretend to con- 
ures, and later amendments in the Senate dense. By the time the essence of such 
removed the few' remaining provisions to reports has reached American readers 
which farmers could have objected. Hav- through American papers which have con¬ 
ing passed the popular branch of Con- densed them after their tardy arrival by 
gress by so overwhelming a majority, and mail, the information they offer is too old 
having been amended so as to meet the to be of much use, except in the way of 
views of the great majority of farmers, it regulating the degreeof credit that should 
was expected that the bill w r ould meet no be accorded to later reports received by 
serious opposition in the Senate. “ It is cable. 
the unexpected, however, that happens,” It was with much satisfaction, there- 
said a paradoxical Frenchman, and the fore, that a couple of months ago, we 
saying is true here. .... heartily approved the liberal appropria- 
William Mahone, of Virginia, is Chair- tions made by Congress for the collection 
man of the Senate Committee on Agricul- of foreign crop statistics as well as for a 
ture, and this position gives him more more prompt and complete publication of 
weight in agricultural matters than any the outlook and outcome of our domestic 
other Senator.^ Anxious to curry favor harvest. As announced by the Rural 
with the Administration, some weeks ago last week, this enlarged appropriation has 
he asked Secretary Folger his opinion of enabled the Department of Agriculture 
the measure. Folger, who knows every- to establish an ofiice in London for the 
Speculation in the bread of the world 
lias always been deprecated. “ Fore¬ 
stalling,” as it was called, was a capital 
crime centuries ago, for it. was considered, 
and justly so, a criminal attempt to 
make the principal food of mankind scarce 
and dear and thus by raising the price of 
it to indirectly rob the public. And so 
it must be confessed that the speculations 
in grain, grain deals, corners, and other 
schemes for enhancing the prices of food 
ought now to be considered. It is well 
known that the great pork deal of two 
years ago raised the price of pork iu the 
market several dollars a barrel, and every 
person who was compelled to purchase a 
pound of pork for the supply of his fam¬ 
ily was made to contribute to that gigan¬ 
tic robbery. But we set out to disclose 
how this iniquitous practice is itself made 
the means of robbing deluded persons 
who are temptf d by false promises to con¬ 
tribute money in small sums for the pur¬ 
pose of making so-called “deals” or 
speculations in grain. We have before 
us a circular which has been widely dis¬ 
tributed among farmers and persons of 
small means, and which offers shares in a 
tana, insists we are raising beef for only sma11 and which offers shares in a 
40,000,000 people, while we ought to be company to be formed for the purpose of 
raising beef for 80,000,000 in view of the speculating in grain in the Chicago mar- 
raising beef for 80 , 000,000 in view of the _ 
rapid Increase of our population and the Ten thousand shares of $25 each 
foreign demand for cattle and dressed are to be distributed among those persons 
meat. According to Commissioner Lor- w ho may be so foolish as to biteat this 
ing, a comparison of the Chicago prices glittering bait. The stock is said to be 
of beeves of different grades for the last non-asses&ible and a dividend of 24 per 
six years, shows a constant decline from oent ‘ P er annum is guaranteed, and 500 to 
1876 to 1870, amounting to 20 per cent. M 00 per cent, is promised by and by. 
for choice beeves during this period. The company which asks to be entrusted 
Then began a rise which in three years a q uar ter of a million dollars and 
exceeded 40 per cent.: the advance beino- j^hich guarantees at least $60,000 a year 
slow in ’79 and ’80, but the increase reach” iu dividends is made up of two persons, 
ing fully $1 per hundred live weight du- who sa 7 ^ey were “established in 1875,” 
ring 1881. Since January 1, however the whatever that may mean. Who they are 
advance has been unprecedented ’ the ^ iere ls n °thing to indicate; but their 
range being from $5.85 to $6.35 in Janu- character can be easily estimated by the 
ary, and from $8.65 to $8.90 in June or consummate coolness with which they 
i_ r ' w q dr in Ann A J 4. I. . (fant- 1 
an increase of over 45 per cent, in six 
months 1 With another short corn crop 
this year, where would the price of first- 
class beef stop on its upward flight? 
- 4 <»■»-- 
A BUREAU OP ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 
One of the commendable additions pro¬ 
posed to be made to the amended De¬ 
partment of Agriculture was a Bureau of 
Animal Industry. While opposing the 
elevation of the Department to the rank 
of an executive Department, the Senate 
Committee on Agriculture has agreed 
upon a bill to create such a Bureau to be 
attached to tlib present Agricultural De¬ 
partment. The salary of the chief is to 
be $3,000 ayear, and the Commissioner of 
Agriculture is authorized to appoint a 
clerk at a salary of $1,800 per annum, and 
two Commissioners, one of whom shall be 
a practical stock-raiser, and one an ex¬ 
perienced business-man familiar with 
questions relating to commercial trans¬ 
actions in live stock, each of them to re¬ 
ask 10,000 persons to send them $25 each “ 0l ! s shl P“ ent s *egulate the prices for 
for the purpose of speculating, for which feimilar goods m the home markets, and 
no security of any kind is offered. We consequently the profits to the dealers 
have heard of “ cheek ” and of “ cheek of and producers. The foreign prices de¬ 
brass,” but this is adamantine and multi- P® lld principally upon three conditions:— 
farious cheek which surpasses belief. And 10irst > the exportable surpluses in this 
yet we believe there are persons who will country; second, those in other competing 
1 , . . * /-.All nli.'lAA 4 A V. !_,1 A I . _. A 1 r I I 
FOREIGN CROP REPORTS. 
It is one of the conditions of modern 
civilization and of the close relations the 
fortunes of one nation have with those of 
all other civilized lands that the crops of 
all commercial countries are pooled for 
the markets of the world. The food 
surpluses of all are combined to supply 
the deficiencies of all. Of late years no 
country has had such large exportable 
surpluses of agricultural products as the 
United States. One-thiid of our wheat 
crop, one-fourth of our hog products, be¬ 
sides large exports of dead and alive beef 
and mutton, as well rs of corn, hops, to¬ 
bacco and other farm products are sold in 
foreign markets—chiefly in those of Eu¬ 
rope. The prices obtained for these enor¬ 
mous shipments regulate the prices for 
similar goods in the home markets, and 
consequently the profits to the dealers 
and producers. The foreign prices de¬ 
pend principally upon three conditions:— 
First, the exportable surpluses in this 
be eager to send their mcmey to these 
persons educated in all the tricks, deceits, 
and rascalities of the Chicago speculators, 
and expect, with childlike trust and calm¬ 
ness, the promised dividends of 500 per 
cent. We cannot believe for a moment 
that any reader of the Rural would be 
found among the deluded and disap¬ 
pointed gudgeons who snap at so bare a 
hook as this. 
---— 
DEFERRED, NOT DEFEATED. 
On May 10th last, the House of Repre¬ 
sentatives passed the bill raising the De¬ 
partment of Agriculture to the rank of an 
executive Department, whose chief was to 
have a seat in the Cabinet. No popu¬ 
lar measure of any importance was ever 
countries; and, third, the extent of the 
! they come as the pith of reports gathered 
by European agricultural papers, but from 
examination aDd comparison we can as¬ 
sert that these do not always truthfully 
represent the reports they pretend to con¬ 
dense. By the time the essence of such 
reports has reached American readers 
through American papers which have con¬ 
densed them after their tardy arrival by 
mail, the information they offer is too old 
to be of much use, except in the way of 
regulating the degreeof credit that should 
be accorded to later reports received by 
cable. 
It was with much satisfaction, there¬ 
fore, that a couple of months ago, we 
heartily approved the liberal appropria¬ 
tions made by Congress for the collection 
of foreign crop statistics as well as for a 
more prompt and complete publication of 
the outlook and outcome of our domestic 
harvest. As announced by the Rural 
last week, this enlarged appropriation has 
enabled the Department of Agriculture 
to establish an ofiice in London for the 
collection of European crop statistics, and 
we also trust that measures will be 
promptly taken for collecting reliable data 
as to the crops in Africa, India, Australia, 
New Zealand, Chili, Buenos Ayres, aud 
all other countries whose agricultural pro¬ 
ducts come into competit ion with our own. 
The objects of the Agricultural Depart¬ 
ment, as we learn from Washington, are 
as follows: First, to report monthly, briefly 
by cable and more at length by mail, 
information of growing European crops 
in which Americans have a direct interest 
through exportations to supnly deficien¬ 
cies of transatlantic harvests; second, to 
collect statistics of meat-producing ani¬ 
mals in Europran countries, as well as the 
prices of beef, mutton, hog products, but¬ 
ter and cheese; third, to make any re¬ 
quired investigations of facts aud processes 
of European agriculture that may be of 
advantage to American producers; fourth, 
to collect, through our consular agents, 
any special statistics that maybe of value 
in this connection. 
Information of this sort, collected from 
intelligent and impartial sources, and 
therefore truthfully representing the status 
of growth of European crops and the 
results of the harvests, must be of no 
small use to American farmers if published 
promptly in such a way that it will reach 
all parts of the country at the earliest 
moment. 
-- 
BREVITIES, 
Do not fail to read “What Others Say” this 
week, pages 501 and 502. 
We congratulate the Colorado Ag. College 
upon the choice of Professor C. L. ingerosoll 
as its President. 
W hat is the best and most economical way 
of preserving potatoei— early potatoes, 
medium and late? 
From having spent several weeks in Aiken, 
S. C., we know that what Mr. Ott says in 
another column respecting the tea plant is the 
truth. 
A VENERABLEand valued contributor writes 
us: “1 think that the article, page 468, by B. 
F. Johnson, eutitled 'Borne Facts about the 
Weather,’ a highly valuable one, which will 
prove very useful to farmers and others if 
they will pay attention to it.” 
How deplorable the scarcity of timber in 
some parts of the West when, as we read, “a 
party of Colorado citizens were forced to ride 
six miles to find a tree suitable for hanging a 
horse-thief!" People in that, district should 
take a lively interest in Dr. Warder's articles 
on Forestry. 
Mr. Smith, the foreman of the Rural Farm, 
was attacked while in the cow-yard by a 
demand in those countries whose produc- young Jersey bull which he had raised. Mr. 
firm nf fond 5c 4 ,, Smith fought back as well as he could with a 
tion of food is insufficient to satisfy the 
requirements of their populations, aud 
w r hich consequently offer markets for our 
surplus products as well as for those of 
all other countries. 
The probable extent of the food defi¬ 
ciencies in our foreign markets and the 
amount of the surplus production of 
other countries are therefore matters of 
great importance to every American 
farmer, for on these in a great measure 
depend the prices he can obtain for his 
products. While the large grain and 
provision dealers have for years been 
spending thousands of dollars individu¬ 
ally to obtain reliable data on these 
points, the individual farmer could not 
picket. But the picket broke in two, the bull 
knocked him over and would doubtless have 
wounded him seriously if not fatally were it 
not for the timely und brave interference of 
his wife who drove the bull off by repeated 
blows over the eyes and nose with the first 
piece of ' ood she could lay her hands on, thus 
releasing her husband. 
At the late Norfolk County Show in Eng¬ 
land there was a larger exhibition of red 
polled cattle than had ever before been made 
there, being 60 m number. Nearly all the 
cows presented indications of being great 
milkers. The Norfolk Polls are celebrated 
for the dairy, as well as the cognate breed in 
the adjoining county of Suffolk; and when 
dried off for fatting, they put on flesh rapidly 
and make an excellent quality of beef. The 
breed thus is a generally useful one, and we 
hope to soon see it become more popular here. 
