might gaze at it in astonishment, shake 
his head and depart sorrowfully, hut such 
were better lost than retained. Those 
whose custom was best worth having, 
congratulated themselves on the fact that 
their grocer could afford to sell his goods 
cheaper if he would abide by the rule he 
had adopted. They saw he could reduce 
his expenses by saving the wages of an 
accountant and collector, and would not 
feel obliged to make them contribute a 
percentage on all the purchases they 
made, to make up his losses sustained 
through the defalcation of careless, dis¬ 
honest, or uufortunate customers. Anoth¬ 
er class was benefited also—those who 
could always pay for their purchases 
when made, if they must; but who were 
inclined to spend money in hand for un¬ 
necessary things when it was not de¬ 
manded for the ready payment of neces¬ 
saries. If this sign were displayed at 
every store, and its decision final, it 
would work a needed reformation, and 
the Philosopher’s Stone (on the authority 
of John Randolph) would be found. 
We have “ many a time and oft” en¬ 
deavored to enforce on the readers of the 
Rural the wisdom of this way of deal¬ 
ing, not we hope without good effect. 
We carry it out in our dealings with our 
subscribers, and in all our general busi¬ 
ness, and hope to see the time, and that 
at no distant day, when in all transac¬ 
tions less than one hundred dollars at 
most, the inflexible rule will be that of our 
German friend, which, spelled according 
to Webster or Worcester, would read— 
Positively no trust. 
This alone will cause a renovation of 
Eastern farms and a revival of Eastern 
agriculture, that may more than pay for 
the construction of the work. It will en¬ 
able California and Oregon profitably to 
discharge their surplus products in Eu¬ 
ropean markets, and thus place this fer¬ 
tile portion of our country on an equal 
footing with the Eastern States. 
The passage of the world’s commerce 
through the Gulf will cause an influx of 
immigrants to the South and revive 
Southern industries. These must be the 
inevitable effects in this country what¬ 
ever nation controls the canal; but it is 
obvious that if the enterprise is under the 
protection of our Government, the ad¬ 
vantages politically as well as commer¬ 
cially must still be infinitely greater. It 
is to be hoped that such interests will no 
longer be trifled with ; if American cap¬ 
italists are unwilling to invest their 
money m the scheme and our Govern¬ 
ment still hesitates to take the work in 
hand, no impediments should be laid in 
the way of other nations who may wish to 
do 80 . 
RURAL NEW-YORKER 
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY 
CONDUCTED BY 
ELBERT S. CARMAN, 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
78 Duane Street, New York 
SATURDAY, MARCH. 13, 1880, 
REMOVAL. 
On and after May 1st of this year the 
Rural New-Yorker will occupy its new 
quarters, No. 34 Park Row, corner of 
Beekman Street. 
Announcement. 
We have now as we believe a sufficient 
quantity of the beautiful Laurel-leaf Willow 
(Salix pentandra?) to bo able to send a few 
cuttings to all of our yearly subscribers who 
apply. 
Wc pronounce this one of the most beautiful 
and desirable ornamental trees (of the second 
size) in cultivation, extremely hardy and 
adapted to a great variety of soils and an ex¬ 
tensive range of country. Its merits have 
already been so fully 6ct forth in these columns 
that further remark is needless. This is a sup¬ 
plementary announcement under our Free 
Plant and Seed Distribution for 1S80. Sub¬ 
scribers desiring cutting6 are required to send 
us a two-cent stamp for postage. We promise 
to send as mouy cuttings to each as that 
amount of postage will cover. When received, 
place them in an upright or slightly inclined 
position in mellow soil. Press the soil firmly 
about them and keep it nvoisl —not wet. We 
desire that this beautiful plant should grow 
in the grounds of every subscriber of the 
Rural New-Yorker. 
SOME CIRCUMSTANCES WHPH FAVOR 
THE FORMATION OF SALTPETER 
IN THE SOIL. 
THE INTER-OCEANIC CANAL. 
Speaking of Hybrids, Professor Beal 
defines, as we understand him, a variety- 
hybrid to be the cross between two dif¬ 
ferent varieties of the same species;—a 
species-hybrid to be the cross between 
two different species of the same genus; 
a genus-hybrid to he a cross between two 
different genera. This, we believe, is 
according to Sachs. The genus-hybrid 
is a word that scarcely needs to have an 
existence. The variety-hybrid is it 
seems to us, objectionable because “ hy¬ 
brid ” conveys a meaning of relationship 
more distant than that existing between 
varieties of the same species. It strikes 
us that “ cross ” and “ hybrid ” cover the 
whole ground, the former to be applied 
to varieties of the same species that have 
been interbred;—the latter to be applied 
to all the more distant relationships. 
BREVITIES 
Several stallions of the celebrated Per- 
cheron breed from France, and of the 
Clydesdale from Scotland, were recently 
lost on their voyage to the United States 
owing to the excessively stormy weather, 
which has prevailed ffearly ah winter on 
the Atlantic Ocean. 
We have counseled our friends over 
and over again not to ship full-grown 
horses or cattle in the winter season, in¬ 
deed during the five months from the 1st 
of November to the 1st of April, on ac¬ 
count of the liability of dangerous 
storms during this season, and the great 
risk of the total loss, or serious injury of 
their animals. Indeed, it would be much 
better to never import full-grown horses 
or cattle. A good judge of them cau se¬ 
lect colts or calves that are sure to grow 
up, after importation, equal to their par¬ 
ents. The oo6t of them is not usually 
over one-fifth to one-third of those full- 
grown ; the cost of feed and transporta¬ 
tion is also much less, ^nd the risk of 
death or accident trifling in comparison. 
In six months to two years after the ar¬ 
rival here the males cau be put to service, 
and in another year or two be sufficiently 
grown to show to full advantage. 
seeding. In F.ngland while 1£ bushels is 
often enough lor fall seeding, if sown early, 
no wideawake farmer would think of using 
less than two bushels for spring seeding. 
The Rural World says that there is a strong 
probability that a lirrn will be organized to 1 
open a sorgo sugar factory aud works at Ed- 
wardsville, Ill., the coming summer. The firm 
will consist of Mr. G. 0. W. Belcher of St. 
Louis. 0. M. Sehwarzof F.dwardsville, HI.} and' 
Mr C.F. Miilcr, the well-known sorgo grower 
of Minnesota. We wish the new firm success^ 
Mu. John B. Moore offers a new Bort of 
Asparagus, which he says is “ the result of 
cross-breeding.” Wc have a fancy that there 
is a good deal of this cross-breeding going on 
between different asparagus plauts while in 
bloom, and as millions of seeds have been 
planted and very faint deviations have been 
kpown to occur in consequence, we should 
like to know the peculiarities of Mr. Moore’s 
method. 
Tue New Jersey Solons have repealed the 
pleuro pneumonia Act—said repeal to take 
effect ou and after Wednesday March 10, 1880. 
The quarantine against Now York is raised 
and all cattle will he allowed to enter New 
Jersey without a permit. Whether the saving 
obtained bj this prcinatnre abolition of a 
wise enactment, will not prove “ penny wise 
aud pound foolish” to the State at large and 
especially to its cattle interests, we have 
grave doubts. 
Mr. M. Z. Binoham of Princeville, III., who 
was a prize winner in the contest for the great¬ 
est yields of Blount’s Prolific Corn, sends the 
following acknowledgement of receipt of pre¬ 
mium: 
Princeville, Peoria Co., Ill., Feb. 21st, 1880. 
Editors Rural New-Yorker I received to¬ 
day from Rumsey A Co , Seneca Falls, N. Y., 
$25.00 worth of their goods, all sound. With 
many thanks to you and them for the 6th 
Corn Premium, I am, Yours truely, 
M. Z. Bingham. 
B0SI DEVELE NO DR0SCHT 
nigh fatal. Absolutely dry air generally 
had the effect of killing the nitric fer¬ 
ment, and in all cases dryness stopped 
the action of the ferment, as long as the 
condition of dryness was maintained. 
As regards solid substances, it was 
found that nitrification is the more act¬ 
ive in proportion as the substance is 
more moist; provided, of course, that the 
substance, earth or what not, is not ac¬ 
tually drowned or water-soaked to Buch 
Above is the transcript of a sign that 
was displayed some ycar.s ago in a Ger¬ 
man grocery in Ohio. We have no 
doubt the worthy Teuton cudgled his 
brains severely before the orthography 
was arranged to suit him ; neither do we 
doubt his mental labor was well repaid 
in good currency and again in satisfac¬ 
tion. Occasionally a whilom customer 
