9 
DEC 30 
884 
THE BUBAL !1W-Y0BM£B 
r r >x k 
RURAL NLW-YORKER, 
A National Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Conducted by 
ELBERT S . CARMAN. 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
No. Si Park Row, New York. 
SATURDAY, DEC. SO. 1882 
The Youth’s Department and our mar¬ 
ket reports have been necessarily crowded 
out this week and some other Depart¬ 
ments greatly curtailed to give space 
for the Index. 
Not boastfully but appreciatively do 
we call attention to the index of the 33rd 
annual volume of the Rural New Yorker. 
What an amount of painstaking labor is 
involved in itB compilation ! What a 
vast fund of information on every phase 
of agricultural life is referred to in its 
columns ! Read over carefully the index 
to aDy Department of the paper and you 
will be surprised, as we have ourselves 
been, at the large amount of first-class 
information given during the year on all 
connecting topics by the best writers. 
Then read the index to the Querist De¬ 
partment, in which questions of all sorts 
are pithily answered ; what a storehouse 
of thoroughly practical and interesting 
knowledge is this Department for the 
twelvemonth! 
The importation of Sumatran tobacco 
into the United States has increased from 
38 pounds in 1880 to 783,763 pounds in 
1882. This Orient il kind is used ex¬ 
clusively for wrappers, and for that pui- 
pose brings a very much higher price 
than any native sort. The tobacco 
growers of this country, especially those 
of the Connicticut Valley who feel the 
competition most keenly, are greatly dis¬ 
turbed by the rapid increase in the em¬ 
ployment of the stranger. Juke the Cali¬ 
fornians in case of the Chinese, they 
wish to bar out the Oriental, in this case 
by levying a strongly protective tax upon 
it. Appeals have already been made to 
Congress and the Treasury Department 
on the subject, and a convention of the 
Connecticut Valley growers is to be held 
at Hartford on December 26, to form a 
New England Tobacco Growers’ Associa¬ 
tion to agitate the matter. 
-- 
All over the West, and especially in 
Minnesota, there is a good deal of com¬ 
plaint among grain-growers about the in¬ 
justice of the present system of wheat in¬ 
spection. It seems to us that there is a 
good deal of cause for the discontent of 
faimers in this matter. The inspector 
who grades the grain is himself either 
the buyer or the buyer’s agent, and it is 
therefore to his interest to depreciate the 
grade of what he purchases. There 
should be an official inspector with no 
interest or bias in the determination of 
the grade of wheat. At first blush it 
seems an easy problem to devise tome 
simple and impartial system of grain in¬ 
spection ; but experience has amply shown 
that what legislation that has hitherto | 
taken place on the subject has not been ef¬ 
fectual. While it is very easy to point oul 
evils, it. is by no means easy to indicate 
appropriate legislative remedies; but in 
view of the high price paid for legisla¬ 
tive ability, this problem ought certainly 
to be capable of satisfactoiy solution. 
The showing for cattle exports from 
over the Canada line is very gratifying 
as representing the growth of that branch 
of trade. From the returns up to the 
close of navigation it appears that the 
exports of live stock from Montreal in¬ 
cluded 42,303 cattle, and 76,053 sheep 
as against the full returns for 1881 of 
45,535 cattle and 62,401 sheep. The ap¬ 
pended statement shows the number ex¬ 
ported since 1877, the returns for this year 
being up to the close of navigation : 
Cattle. Sheep. 
1877 . 6.940 9,505 
1878 . 18,655 41,225 
1879 . 25,009 80,332 
1880 . 50,905 81,843 
1881 . 45 535 62.401 
1882 . 42.303 76,053 
It is thought that the final returns for 
the current year will show an increase 
over the number exported in 1880. It is 
farther gratifying to note that the loss of 
animals in transit was exceedingly small. 
Out of over 7,000 head of cattle tians- 
ported by one line, only 15 were lost and 
out of nearly 20,000 sheep only 280 were 
lost in transit. 
COTTON SEED AND THE COTTON 
PLANT. 
Before the u War ” the cotton seed 
of the South was practically wasted, the 
surplusage over what was needed for seed 
being used—when economically used at 
all—as a fertilizer or stock feed. The 
Census returns show that in 1880 there 
were 45 mills making from the product 
cotton-seed oil and cake to the value of 
$8,000,000, the seed used being valued > t 
$5,500,000. Ten years earlier—in 1870 
—there were only 26 mills which used up 
$1,750,000 worth of seed. The capacity 
and number oi the mills has greatly in¬ 
creased since the Census, and it is dow 
reasonably estimated that ere loDg the 
surplus crop of cotton-seed will be con¬ 
verted into products worth from fifty to 
seventy-five millions dollars, all, or nearly 
all, of which will be added to the wealth 
of the South in addition to what it 
would be had this new industry never 
been started. About a year ago the start¬ 
ling announcement was made by Mr. 
Edward A tkinson that analysis demon¬ 
strated that the cotton plant, after having 
borne the crop, was a valuable feed for 
stock, and the advice was given that the 
plants should be ground to prepare them 
for this purpose. We have anxiously 
watched for uews of experiments in this 
line ; but hitherto our watch has been 
vain. Surely in view of the enormous 
profits the country might realize from 
such a source of stock feed, and ot the 
authority on which the statement with re¬ 
gard to the practicability of utilizing it 
was made, it would be worth while for 
some of the Southern Experiment Stations 
or Agricultural Colleges to make some ex¬ 
periments with regard to the subject— 
and publish the results. 
-•-*-*- 
LEGISLATION ON TOBACCO TAX¬ 
ATION. 
Congressional legislation affecting the 
duty on tobacco should not be dilatory. 
All over the country manufacturers are 
stopping work pending such legislation. 
With the tobacco trade the question of 
the reduction or even the repeal of the 
duty, so far as continuing work is con¬ 
cerned, is trivial in comparison with a 
knowledge of the absolute conclusions of 
Congress in regaid to the matter. The 
trade docs not wish to have a heavy load 
of highly taxed goods on hand, when 
newly made competing goods are either 
more lightly taxed or not taxed at all. 
The allowance of a rebate of taxes to per 
sons holding slocks of manufactured to¬ 
bacco would, to some extent, obviate the 
difficulty; but experience has shown that 
the allowance of rebates is attended with 
many sbuseB, much expense and consider¬ 
able inconvenience. Let Congress decide 
at once whether the taxes on tobacco 
shall remain unchanged, be lowered or 
entirely abolished. Already thousands 
of “hands” have been thrown out of 
employment in most of the tobacco manu¬ 
facturing centers pending legislation one 
way or the other on this topic. With 
the stoppage of manufacture the price of 
leaf must decline, so that whi'e tardiness 
in legislation brings want and privation 
to manufacturing operatives, it causes un¬ 
duly low prices and consequent losses 
among tobacco growers. Really this con¬ 
sideration is the only one why these should, 
on their own account, feel auy interest in 
the question. The removal or diminution 
of taxation on manufactured tobacco 
will probably have no effect on the price 
of the raw material. An examination of 
our market reports for the last 20 years 
or more shows that the price of leaf tobacco 
has been higher during the time manufac¬ 
tured tobacco has been taxed than before. 
OSTRICH FARMING. 
In order to furnish would-be ostrich 
raisers in this country with such informa¬ 
tion as may be needed in beginning the 
work, the Department of State at Wash¬ 
ington has published reports on ostrich 
raising from the United Stated consuls 
at Algiers, Cape Town and Buenos Ay ref. 
Consul Jordan of Algiers sees no reason 
why ostriches cannot bo profitably raised 
in this country. Consul Stiles of Cape 
Town is s trifie'doubtful about the climate. 
Consul Baker of Buenos Ayres is confi¬ 
dent that the birds would thrive among 
us. All agree that the transportation of 
ostriches by sea is entirely practicable, 
(though the eggs cannot be safely shipped) 
and that the birds would thrive well here 
on grass, grain and gravel, their natural 
food. The ostrich is not very sensitive to 
extremes of temperature, and will live 
anywhere except in a very rainy climate 
or on damp, marshy soil. It requires an 
abundance of pure water and a large shed 
which must be kept clean. The yearly 
expense of keeping a pair is put at $50, 
and the mauner of caring for them and 
of plucking the feathers is easily learnt. 
In feed, the reports contain full information 
on the entire subject of ostrich farming. 
It is estimated that one hen would pro¬ 
duce four chicks worth $25,000 (1) whose 
feathers would sell for $38,000 ( !) During 
the first year the chick grows 25 pounds 
of feathers ; during the second, 45 
pounds; the third, 50; and the fourth, 75. 
A year-old-chick can be bought ut Algiers 
•for $160, and one 15 months old, for 
$200. C. .T. Sketch ley, late of “ South 
Africa,” thinks ostriches would thrive 
in California, Colorado, Florida, Vir¬ 
ginia or Texas; but why he doesn’t in¬ 
clude other States equally rich in the con¬ 
ditions said to be suitable for this new in¬ 
dustry it is hard to conjecture. A cor¬ 
respondent of an esteemed contemporary 
contradicts a statement made in a late 
issue of the Rural to the effect that 
ostrich farming had lately been overdone 
in South Africa. He acknowledges, how¬ 
ever, that birds were a “drug on the 
market. ” there some months ago, but 
attributes the fact to a severe drought 
which made feed scanty. Ostrich feath¬ 
ers, however, were at that time 35 per 
cent, cheaper than three years previ 
ously. Did the “severe drought” and 
the scarcity of feed produce a super¬ 
abundance of feathers ? We should re¬ 
joice in the success of ostrich farming in 
this country—but we do not like the 
idea that it should start under false 
colors. Let that excellent class, the 
“fancy” farmers, try it first. They 
can afford to fail; and if they succeed 
others are sure to imitate their example 
as there is no patent on the industry. 
-- 
PATENT EXTORTIONS. 
That the inventors of useful devices 
should obtain a fair, nay a genero is, re¬ 
ward for their ingenuity and labor no 
one esn advocate more strongly than the 
Rural; nor can auy one deprecate more 
strongly the exaction of extravagant 
sums, in the name of such inventors, by 
parties whose sole claim to pub'ic recog¬ 
nition lies in the investment of compara¬ 
tively su.all amounts in the expect! tion 
of obtaining therefor outrageous returns. 
The worst of such cises are those covered 
by patents for what are called “ broad 
claims.” These “protect,” not mechani¬ 
cal devices or auy arrangements of parts 
to accomplish & desired end, but a gen¬ 
eral “process” which other devices can 
accomplish much better than those “in¬ 
vented” by the original patentees. N. 
W. Green’s patent covering a “ broad 
claim” for the “process” of making a well 
by driving a rod into the ground until it 
shall reach the water-bearing strata, is a 
c ise in point. The oppressive nature of 
the “royalty” exacted by those who 
have bought most of Green’s interest in 
this patent, is known to every one, as 
well as the small right Green ever had to 
compensation for any iugenuity or labor 
he invested in the “discovery”; yet a 
judgment handed down by the United 
States Supreme Court last Monday r< u- 
ders it highly probable that the “roy¬ 
alty ” claimed by the owners of this pa¬ 
tent and their agents must be paid by all 
the owners of “ driven wells " through¬ 
out the country. The least sum likely to 
be extorted in one way or another from 
the pockets of the public, and mostly from 
those of the farming community, on ac¬ 
count of this patent, is moderately esti¬ 
mated at $7,000,000, and probably it will 
run up to twice that amount. 
Another grievous patent burthen likely 
soon to press upon the galled shoulders of 
farmers and fruit-growers is a “ royalty ” 
it is proposed to levy under the “ Alden 
patents,” from all those using devices or 
processes for drying fruit by means of h< t 
air. The drying of fruit iu this way is 
said to have been practiced first in 1871, 
and Charles Alden claims that he then 
“ invented and patented the process, the 
machine by which the process is accom¬ 
plished, and the product.” Shortly after¬ 
wards, as he alleges, his machines were 
put upon the market, but other machines 
for the same purpose were purchased, to 
his detriment, by fruit-growers in New 
York, M iryland, Delaware and Michigan 
as well as other fruit-growing parts of the 
country. It is modestly estimated that 
upwards of $3,000,000 areinvested in fruit 
drying. Alden some years ago brought 
suit for alleged infringements of his 
patents, but discontinued them for lack of 
money. Three months ago, however, he 
sold his patent to the Alden Evaporating 
Fruit Company of this city, and straight¬ 
way these began suits against the owners 
and manufacturers of fruit evaporating 
machines. 
Following the example of the manipu¬ 
lators of the Green patent and of all that 
rapacious class, the Company recently 
advertised in Delaware papers that they 
were prepared to settle with infringers 
under any of the Alden j stents and grant 
licenses for the use nf the evaporators. 
The fruit-groweiB of Delaware and Mary¬ 
land, however, have resolved to resist the 
exactions, and to this end have formed a 
society known as the Peninsular Evapora¬ 
tor Association, representing a capital of 
$2,000,000. At a meeting held in Di ver, 
Delaware, last week the association came 
to the resolution to fight all proceedings 
brought against any member by the Alden 
Company. Fiuit-growers in other parts 
of the country, as well as the manufactur¬ 
ers of “ evaporators”under other patents 
should at once combine to Tesist “tooth 
and nail” this projected exaction. Dila¬ 
toriness in such matters is sure to entail 
grief, indignation and loss in the end. 
Neither should any interested party be 
sluggish or niggardly in the expectation 
of gaining by the energy and liberality 
of others. Many valid reasons can be 
given against such conduct; but for farm¬ 
ers and fruit-growers it is enough, for 
brevity’s sake, to hint at its despicable 
meanness. 
-- 
BREVITIES. 
The Kama* City fat-stock show is consid¬ 
ered a certainty for next Fall: over ♦8,000 
have been already subscribed towards ex¬ 
penses. A brilliant success to it! 
We have received a number of letters from 
our subscribers which show that the guns ad¬ 
vertised by E J. Hinsd-tle & Co. are not at 
all that their advertisements represent them 
to be. 
Scattered I h rough the West there are 
about 250 “ bucket shops ” that do business on 
the basis of the quotations of the Chicago 
Board of Trade. As noted here at the time, the 
Secretary of the Board some months ago sent 
notice to the telegraph companies doing busi¬ 
ness on the Board that after January 1, 1883, 
no operator would le allowed on the Board 
who transmitted market quotations to “bucket 
shops.” The GeDi rul Superintendent of the 
Western Union Telegraph has assured the 
Board that after the above date no quotations 
will be sent over the Company’s wires to any 
part of the country. This action it Is believed 
will close up all these centers of gambling in 
farm prodwts and other “respectable” forms 
of gambling. 
Another loud-grabbing association—"the 
American Land and Cattle Syndicate”—has 
been organized at Kansas City. It is said to 
consist of 30 member*, including, of course, 
some of the richest men in the city -bankers, 
land owner* and cattle owners, with the two 
United States Senators and the Governor of 
the State. The syndicate is preparing to “con¬ 
trol vast interests in the territory south and 
west." The central office will bo in Kansas 
City, with branch offices in Texas, New York 
and London. We are not at all bliud to the 
advantages afforded by abundant capital in 
“opening up” a new country; but vast estates 
and landlordism are not likely to contribute 
more to the general happiness on this side of 
the Atlantic than they have ou the other. 
Undich the present tariff on wool which 
has been in force since 1867. the improvement 
in thequalityof the carcass and of thefleeceof 
our sheep has been steadily progressive, aud 
while the duty on foreign wools has encour¬ 
aged domestic sheep raising, the price of wool 
has declined, on the whole, w ith the increase 
in the number of sheep. Boston is the prin¬ 
cipal wool murket in the country, and accord¬ 
ing to the best information obtainable by the 
Tariff Commission the average currency 
price of the United States wool clip in that 
market was: 1867. 51 cents; 1870, 46 cents; 
1875, 43 cents; 1880, 48 cents. In 1867 the 
average weight of l e lleeees was somewhat 
below 3J^ pounds—worth, say $1 80; while iu 
1880, the average weight was 5bj pounds— 
worth, say, $2 60. These figures sneak loudly 
in favor of the advantages of the present 
tariff on wool to American agriculture, as 
well as of the skill and enterprise which 
have produced so m rked un Increase iu the 
weight of the fleeces, and tin- bunches 
throughout the country can tell of a paralle 
improvement in the quality' of the mutton. 
