784 
NOV 18 
The Walking Horse.— Our venerable and 
distinguished contributor, Mr. A. B. Allen, 
says in the same journal that the country 
would reap incalculable be tie (It if the walk of 
its ordinary horse could be accelerated a single 
mile per hour beyond what is now general. It 
would put millions of dollars extra into the 
national pockets every year. We might have 
horses which would walk five miles per hour, 
j ust as naturally and easily as three to three- 
and-a-half, and rarely four, as is now the 
rule. All the farm, and much of the country 
road and town street horse-work itt done at a 
walk. It costs no more to feed a smart walk- 
5 r than it does a slow’, lazy one, and frequently 
not so much. Now, let any one calculate the 
profit and advantage of using the former in 
preference to the latter. Let the farmer see 
how much more land per day he can get 
plowed and harrowed; how many more 
loads of hay, straw, grain and vegetables he 
can take to market; and how much more 
rapidly he is able to accomplish all his other 
work, and he will have little patience in keep¬ 
ing a slow-walking horse any longer. It will 
be the same with the expressman, the team¬ 
ster and the truckman. 
Bellfounder, got by the celebrated imported 
trotting horse of this name, out of Lady Al¬ 
port, was not only a fast trotter, but had a 
natural, easy walk of live miles an hour. He 
was kept by Mr. Allen’s family several years, 
and nearly all bis stock, out of quite common 
mares, proved excellent walkers. This shows 
how easily and rapidly an increased fast¬ 
walking stock may be bral by all farmers, if 
they will only take due pains to select the 
stallions to which they may hereafter uiek 
their mares. A fast walking horse commands 
a considerably higher price, with those who 
care for the pace, than a slow walker, and 
such buyers are constantly on the increase 
now, and that day will come bj’-and-by when 
a slow walker will hardly get a bid. The 
fastest walk Mr. Allen has yet seen, exactly 
timed and put on record, was that of the 
English horse Sloven. He made, without ex¬ 
tra effort, 5.69 miles per hour. All agrieul. 
tural societies ought to have good premiums 
for fast-walking horses,the highest prize to be 
awarded to the one which walked five miles 
per hour; the second to four and one-half 
miles; the third to four miles. This last 
should be the least time for which to award a 
prize, and all breeds be allowed to compete. 
The Sunflower to be Cultivated. —We 
are told that the Chinese worship the sunflow¬ 
er, not, like our intenser aesthetes, because it 
is so utterly precious as an art object, but 
simply because they hold it to be the most 
useful vegetable in existence. There would, 
indeed, appear to be but few purposes to 
which the sunflower cannot be turned with 
advantage to mankind. Scientifically dealt 
with, it will supply us alike with our morning 
roll aDd our evening cigar. It is equally sus¬ 
ceptible of conversion into a cake of soap, 
surpassingly emollient, or into a rich and lus¬ 
trous silk dress. As oil it may be consumed 
no less freely in the salad bowl than in the 
table lamp. Cattle will fatten sooner on sun¬ 
flower cake than on linseed cake. The little 
busy bee improves each shining hour more 
profitably in connection with this than with 
any other opening flower. In fact, so numer¬ 
ous are its excellencies and so beneficial its vir¬ 
tues that the sunflower may with great pro¬ 
priety be designated the friend of man. Peo. 
pie in this country will hardly go the length 
of worshiping it for its versatile utility, after 
the Celestial manner; but wo understand 
from the London Daily Telegraph that its cul¬ 
tivation upon British soil is about to be un¬ 
dertaken upon a large scale. Several acres of 
ground will be laid down with sunflowers in 
the Thames Valley next year. ^Esthetic pil¬ 
grims will doubtless flock to those ineffable 
plantations, eager to steep their souls in the 
yellow beauty of countless sunflowers, but 
caring little for those characteristics and ca¬ 
pacities of the vegetable which endear it to 
the “ heathen Chinee. 1 ’ The more prosaic 
among the Londoners will view acres of sun¬ 
flowers with justifiable complacency, on the 
ground that they can scarcely have too much 
of a plant furnishing the wherewithal for eat¬ 
ing, smokiDg, washing and dressing them¬ 
selves, fighting their rooms, lubricating their 
lettuces, and imparting a healthy obesity to 
their oxen. 
Instructions of Practical Interest to 
Amateurs in Silk Culture,— L. S. Crozier, 
manager of the Mississippi Silk Company, in 
a circular recently issued, deplores, on the 
one hand, the extravagant promises made by 
enthusiasts of tenfold more profit than silk 
culture can afford to pay, aud, on the other 1 
hand, the efforts of the incredulous to discour¬ 
age beginners. Silk culture, according to 
Mr. Crozier’s long experience and observa¬ 
tion, must be accepted as a rich addition to 
general farming, not as a specialty for which 
all other occupation is forsaken. The first 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
condition of success in silk culture laid down 
in the circular noticed is to start with first- 
rate annual breeds of silkworms. The second 
condition is to buy these early in November, 
before the embryo has moved. The embryo 
begins to move after freezing, at the first 
change of temperature. The eggs, according 
to authority referred to, must be kept cold 
and dry, always at the outside temperature 
in the shade. The mold engendered by the 
moisture from the ice-house or from a cellar 
lives on the embryo, hence it is to be avoided. 
Let the eggs hatch just as the first tender 
buds open. Having secured the best eggs, the 
breeder ought to have the best kind of mul¬ 
berry trees, as first-rate silk comes not only 
from the best breed of silkworms, but alse the 
best trees, the best leaves, the best season. To 
ensure good reproduction, care is required 
that the worms are fed often and regularly 
with tender leaves before the heat of June in¬ 
jures the larva*. Beginners on a small scale 
are advised by Mr. Crozier to start with from 
ono-half to one ounce of silkworm eggs, while 
the trees are growing, and in case the leaves 
of the mulberry trees are exhausted before 
the silkworms have spun their cocoons, a 
hedge of Osage Orange can be brought into 
requisition. 
The Parmer’s Wife. —There are several 
leading departments which, by common con¬ 
sent, are relegated to the sphere of the wife, 
says a writer in the Cultivator. Embraced 
iu her special department is the management 
of the household expenses, and, unless dairy¬ 
ing is made the chief business of the farm, she 
has usually the entire care of the dairy. A 
story is told of one of the early pioneers in a 
new country, who, with his wife, commenced 
farming on a tract of 100 acres of wild land, 
only partially paid for. Year after year they 
prospered, the 100 acres were paid for, in 
large part, by the hard-earned money which 
the wife had secured through the sales of but¬ 
ter and cheese. Again and again the question 
was asked by the husband, •* Shall 1 buy an¬ 
other hundred acres ?” and the answer by his 
good wife was always ready and always the 
same: “Set me 15 more cows and you may 
safely buy the land.” When in their old age 
a fine farm of 500 acres was fully paid for, the 
wife could rightfully boast that it was her 
labor, quite as much as that of her husband, 
which had paid for their broad acres. The 
power which a farmer’s wife may exercise in 
the domestic economies of the farm carries 
with it many responsibilities. It is her doty 
in every way to fit herself to become a judi¬ 
cious helpmeet and counsellor. The farmers’ 
club meeting should be open to the wife and 
the daughter, as well as to the farmer and son. 
Not infrequently the little improvements mode 
at trifling expense, through the influence of 
the wife’s taste and tact, add more to the 
value aud attractiveness of the home than 
many times the money cost invested under the 
husband’s management. In all the sugges¬ 
tions as to making farm life attractive to 
young men there is none better than to enlist 
the hearty co-operation of their mothers and 
sisters. They will point out to the youth the 
ideal and aesthetic side of the farmer’s work, 
while if lie learns farming wholly from his 
father he is apt to learn it only as a life of 
prosy and poorly-paid toil. 
The Rules for the Erection of Light 
ning Rods, according to the latest scientific 
information and which should be especially 
emphasized, are these: no insulator should be 
used; the rod should not terminate in a slen¬ 
der point—it should be of su(Relent size; all 
joints should make perfect connections; great 
care should be taken to insure large surface 
contact with moist earth; ail large metallic 
surfaces should be in metallic connection with 
the rod; there should be a sufficient number 
of conductors extending above the roof, but 
one conductor down the side of the building 
to the earth is sufficient. It should be ob¬ 
served that no stress is placed upon the form 
of the rod. Since the electricity traverses 
the whole thickness of the rod, and not its 
surface, it is apparent that the diameter or 
the weight per foot is the only consideration 
on this score. The claims sometimes made by 
venders, that their conductors are specially 
meritorious because they are fluted, angular, 
flat, tubular,or of any other peculiar form, are 
entirely gratuitous. The amount of material 
iu the cross section of the conductor deter¬ 
mines the value. If any form is to be pre¬ 
ferred, it is that of a cylinder. 
- ♦ ♦ ♦ - 
MULTUM IN PARVO. 
Thar iz advice enuff now laj’iug around to 
run three juBt such worlds as this; what we 
are sufferiug most for iz sum good examples, 
says philosopher Billings... 
The Herald P. I. says that “Some of our 
rag-pickers should go South and pick cotton.. 
Mr. F. D. Coburn says that much of the 
future character of a cow depends on her 
treatment with her first calf. 
The Breeders’ Gazette remarks that any 
system of breeding which annually turns out" 
as many long-legged, light fleshed, unthrifty 
cattle as may be found among the Short¬ 
horns of the presentday is radically defective. 
If it is not already the case, it can be but a 
matter of time until the United States will 
have better draft horses to breed from than 
any other country in the world, says the 
Pittsburg Stockman. The average breeder is 
getting bis eyes open to the importance of 
patronizing the best stock he can reach, and 
sees that nothing pays better. 
Mr. Duncan, of Indiana, likes educated 
farmers because they are always ready to give 
reasons for their acts... 
An American correspondent of the London 
Live Stock Gazette echoes what “ Stockman ” 
has several times said in these columns: “At 
the present time Americans are speculating 
like wildfire in the ranches and stocks of the 
West, regular gambling, like grain corners, 
etc.” The correspondent Bays: “The end of 
all these will be disastrous in the extreme; a 
few only will come out with a big pile, being 
shrewd enough to unload at the top of the 
market.” The correspondent also remarks 
on the extraordinary prices paid for Aberdeen 
Polled cattle at Chicago, and fears they will 
not be maintained long........ 
In England there is a potato called Duke of 
Albany which is said to be a sport of the 
Beauty of Hebron or “ a white form of Beauty 
of Hebron ”. 
It is generally considered that Mr. W. H. 
Vanderbilt is playiflg with fire in a most reck¬ 
less manner.... 
Do you propose to build an Ice-house this 
Fall?.... 
The Rochester Post-Express says that corn 
husking continues in the rural districts, but 
Wheatville, Genesee County, remains theouly 
place heard from, up to the hour of going to 
press, where a bashful young man was found 
with nine red ears in his pocket and he was 
ducked iu a mill pond by a bevy of indignant 
girls..... 
Cm anon says that he who receives a good 
turn should never forget it; he who does one 
should never remember it. But as a matter 
of fact the good memory is just the other way. 
The Rural New-Yorker will be sent to 
all yearly subscribers from now until Jan. 
1st. 1884 for $3.00. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Colorado. 
Table Rook, El Paso Co., Oct. 39.—Wheat, 
rye and oats in this vicinity did very well 
indeed this year. Potatoes a large crop, 
worth from 75c. to 81.25 per cwt. Oats are 
81.50 per cwt; wheat and rye the same. 
My own rye averaged 2G>£ bushels to the 
acre; oats 43V<; bushels. j. k. k. 
Connecticut. 
Columbia, Tolland Co., Oct. 30.— About a 
mouth ago the Summer drouth was broken 
by continued rain that hindered harvesting 
corn and potatoes and very much injured the 
corn fodder, but now harvesting is pretty 
nearly completed. Crops were better than 
was anticipated. Corn will yield a third 
more than was expected in the Summer. The 
potato crop was good, but the demand for 
the tubers is not active; 75c. are offered at the 
present time. Ouions turned out to be a fair 
crop and the market which closed at 81 has 
declined to 75c. Beef is Dot in very active de¬ 
mand and brings only about T or 8c. for 
dressed. Pork is 10c. per pound, but sales are 
few; blitter is active at 30 and 33c.; eggs, 30c. 
per dozen. Of hay no soles are being made. 
Tbe apple crop is uneven; in some sections it 
is excellent, in others hardly a fair crop; 
there is some demand at 82 per barrel, but 
few sales. There is an unusual supply of 
chestnuts at 5c per quart, while walnuts are 
BCfiXC©, jj Y 
Illinois 
Danvers, McLean Co., Nov. 1.—Till now 
the Fall season has been delightful—plenty of 
rain and not any too much, and the weather 
has been grand for ull kinds of work—really 
more pleasant than in mid-Summer. True, 
we have had several frosts, but so far ouly 
heavy enough to cause the foliage to put on 
its Autumn colors and now look beautiful. 
The thrashing season is about ending. But 
little wheat was sown last Fall, and the yield 
per acre was not a full crop; but tbe quality 
is good. Rye acreage considerable, but yield 
below an average. Acreage of oats large and 
crop good. In spite of the continued rain 
during the cultivating season there are some 
good fields of corn aud the yield will average 
fully half a crop. The potato crop is not a 
full average, yet there are plenty on the 
market and the quality is very good. Toma¬ 
toes a fair crop and cabbages abundant. 
Scarcely any apples at all of home growth, 
but there are plenty shipped. Every branch 
of trade carried on in this section has had a 
pretty fair showing. Mechanics and laboring 
men all have had plenty to do, and although 
farmers have not realized full crops in every 
particular, yet the prices obtained for every 
article they have put on the market will fully 
compensate for the deficiency iu yield, p. a. 
luwn, 
Atlantic, Cass Co., Oct. 27.—Corn will av¬ 
erage about 35 to 30 bushels to the acre in 
Cass County. Potatoes and hay are good 
crops. heat poor. Wheat is 65 cents; old 
corn, 50 cents; potatoes, 30 cents; butter, 25 
to 30 cents; eggs, 20 cents. t. h. h. 
New Jersey. 
Montclair, Essex Co., Nov. 3.—Jack Frost 
made his appearance last night, and laid his 
withering hand heavily on our tender bedding 
plants and flowers, and their beauty is a 
thing of the past. Since the ending of the 
drouth in September the floral occupants of 
garden aud lawn have taken a new lease of 
life, the sere aud browne.l fields have assumed 
a green and Spring-like aspect, as if to com¬ 
pensate for the past; the foliage of the forests 
has presented a variety of gorgeous coloring 
seldom equaled, and, excepting an unusual 
arnouut of dull weather, the country has pre¬ 
sented a picture of beauty seldom attained, 
“ It is remarkable how frost holds off,” has 
been the general expression of every one. 
October 22d is the latest date of Jack Frost’s 
previous appearance I can recall. November 
3, 1883, goes on record. e. w. 
New York. 
Norton Htll, Greene Co., Oct 27.—The 
season has been fair; grass, oats, rye, wheat 
and pasture all good. Buckwheat, corn and 
fruit poor, although by no means failures, as 
they are quite half crops. Drouth cut the 
Fall crops short. There hos been a large 
amount of rye and wheat sown for this 
section and both are looking well on account 
of favorable Fall. There has been a largo 
make of nice butter this Fall because of timely 
rains and good pastures. Butter is Belling at 
home for 30 cents. Not much pork being 
fatted; it is worth here 89.50 per cwt; wheat, 
81.05; oats, 50c; apples, 82 50; rye, 95c; pota¬ 
toes, 75c; buckwheat, 80c; hay, 810. w. H. i. 
Penn Yan, Yates Co., Oct. 30. — The 
Rural corn I do not think adapted to the past 
season, hut could not say as to this locality. 
We bad such a cold, backward Spring and 
such dry weather when the corn ought to have 
been doing its best that it did not do much 
for me. u. L . M . 
Pennsylvania, 
Flatten burg Station, Oct. 24.—In this 
section there was a fair average crop of wheat 
and rye; oats good; com half crop; potatoes 
half crop. Late cabbage very poor, on ac¬ 
count of the cabbage worms being pleutiful. 
Apple and pear crops light. Good crops of 
small fruits. a. b. m. 
White House, Cumberland Co., Oct. 31.— 
We had a very heavy ciop of wheat in our 
county last season. Our oat crop was light, 
but we are going to have a good crop of corn, 
I am raising the Canning and Early Ohio 
com. I have one ear of the Thoroughbred 
Flint corn which is lfij.j' iuches in length, but 
is not quite filled at the butt. j. g. 
RURAL SEED REPORTS. 
Colorado. 
Table Rock, El Paso Co., Oct. 2!).—From 
11 pounds of White Elephant potatoes raised 
last year, I this year got 720 pounds of very 
flue tubers. Prom the ten pounds of White 
W ashing ton oats of last year I have now 860 
pounds of extra fine oats. Some of the heads 
were from 12 to 18 inches long. All who saw 
them said they were ahead of anything they 
ever saw. The asparagus is doing finely. The 
hollyhocks the same. This place is too high 
up for squashes and corn. The three varieties 
of wheat sent last Spring are up now and 
looking fine. j. e. k. 
Illinois. 
Danvers, McLean Co., Nov. 1.—My Gem 
Squash failed on account of the wet weather. 
I have a number of flue ears of corn. My 
hollyhocks grew well but there was no sign of 
bloom. At present they are green and look 
well, [They will bloom next Summer, the 
roots are hardy, Ens.j p. w. a. 
Utah, Warren Co., Oct. 32.—I planted 148 
kernels of the Rural Heavy Dent on new land 
without any fertilizers; 85 germinated. I 
plowed three times, hoed once, and on July 
4 my neighbor’s horses eat It off to the ground. 
As it was rather late when planted (May 15) 
it came on again, and Lhavc corn enough to 
try it again. Of Little Gem Squash we had 
three vines but only one bore; had three very 
nice squashes. Five of the Lima Beans ger¬ 
minated; three of them got drowned out and 
the others did not set till quite late—not many 
getting ripe. Celery as nice as can be. The 
