220 
APRIL 3 
% 
THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY. 
CONDUCTED BY 
ELBERT S. CARMAN. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
7H Duan« 8tre«t, New York. 
SATURDAY, APRIL 3, 1880. 
REMOVAL. 
On and after May 1st of this year the 
Rukajj New-Yorker will occupy its new 
quarters, No. 34 Park Row, comer of 
Beekman Street. 
NOTICE. 
All applications for cuttings of Sail* pen- 
laud ra, which we are now sending to sub¬ 
scribers, must be received within ten dayB 
fr^i this date. 
Last year we experimented with all 
sorts of celery. It will be remembered 
that several catalogues made a specialty 
of red and golden dwarf and half-dwarf 
kinds. As they do not retain their color 
after blanching, the color may be entirely 
disregarded, except as it may serve to in¬ 
dicate quality. A variety known as 
Golden-heart, half dwarf, pleased us most, 
as being remarkably crisp, tender and 
sweet. For the rost, it was difficult to 
inula any ehoiee. Our conclusion is that 
excellent celery depends less upon the 
kind cultivated, than upon proper culti¬ 
vation and blanching. 
Cattle similar to Short-horns former¬ 
ly existed in Mayence, France. These 
have been crossed now by thoroughbred 
Short-boms from England, and the 
grades cannot be told from pure-breds. 
The late Or. Livingstone, when trav¬ 
eling some 30 years ago or more in 
Af rica, found in one of the districts there 
a distinct breed of cattle closely resem¬ 
bling English Short-horns in Bize and in 
all their fine points. The probability is 
that the latter may have been derived 
from importations from the former, cen¬ 
turies ago, as the Merino sheep of Spain 
were said, by Columella, an ancient Ro¬ 
man writer on agriculture, to come from 
a very fine-w r ooled African sheep, bred 
in great numbers from time immemoria 1 . 
-- 
Six Thousand Million Eggs. —“Pro¬ 
fessor” Corbett of Hicksville, N. Y., 
is reported as asserting that this is the 
number of eggs annually produced in 
France; that 80,000,000 of these are 
hatched, and the chickens worth one and 
a half francs each (at what age he does 
lot state) or about $20,000,000. We should 
like to know what authority “Prof.” C. 
has for the above assertion, for we saw it 
stated in the London Agricultural Ga¬ 
zette, of Dec. 22, 1870, that France pro- 
dm-ed in 1878, only 3,000,000,000—just 
half of Prof. C’s number. It also stated 
that the poultry was worth thatsame year 
150,000,000 francs (sajr about $25,000,000.) 
We wish the statistics of American 
poultry and eggs of all kinds could ho got 
at; but it is a very difficult thing to ac¬ 
complish in so extensive a country as 
ours, and one so sparsely populated. We 
Lave no doubt it would be found an as¬ 
tonishing amount, little if at all inferior 
to the French production ; for out far¬ 
mers not only universally keep poultry of 
various kinds, but many village and city 
residents keep them also. 
-♦ » ♦- 
We are glad to hear that a distinct 
work on Scotoh cuttle has recently been 
issm d from the Scotch press. The West 
Highland or Kyloes, as they are some¬ 
times called, are generally of hardly me- 
diuta size, but axe so spirited in carriage 
and wear such lofty horns, as to give 
them an imposing appearance. The 
wi ix r has often paused to admire them 
im l ey roamed over the high, grassy 
mu. of Scotland, or pastured in the low¬ 
lands. They are of various colors, red, 
yeilow, cream, dun, black and brindled. 
We prefer the red and yellow, as we 
found them tha best handlers. Their 
beef commands from a half to one penny 
per pound more in the London market 
than any other sort. The Polled Gallo- 
vmy anti Angus are considerably larger 
thou t he West Highlanders, and their beef 
in almost of as good a quality, and fetches 
a trifle higher price in British markets 
than either Short-horn, Hereford, Sussex 
or Devon. Tnese are mostly ef black 
color, with some red, dun, etc. Cows 
of these Sootch breeds usually give but 
small messes of milk ; but it is very rich, 
scarcely inferior for making gilt-edge 
butter, to that of the famous Channel Is¬ 
land oows, 
■ ■ » ♦ ♦ 
The pea weevils are becoming more and 
more numerous. Until of late years wo 
have looked to Canada for our supply of 
seeds of the well-known varieties. But 
the beetle is beooming as abundant there 
as here, and it would Beem that we must 
now look to England as our main re¬ 
liance for sound seed. It has been sug¬ 
gested in these columns that if farmers 
and gardeners would thrust the bags of 
seed peas into boiling water for a mo¬ 
ment, before opening them, these de¬ 
structive insects might be greatly reduced 
in numbers. Otherwise the myriads of 
beetles to be found in seed bags escape 
to deposit their eggs upon the young 
pea-pod almost as soon as it has been 
formed. A single egg is deposited upon 
the pod over each pea. This soon hatch¬ 
es, the grub eating through the pod into 
the pod or seed, the hole closing as 
growth proceeds. Here the larva, or 
grub, remains until fall and winter 
during which it passes through its 
changes. For fastidious people, who 
are fond of the tender, savory green-pea, 
it is far from pleasant to know that on 
the average they eat half a dozen pea- 
weevil grubs with every mouthful of 
peas. But we know of no remedy except 
the impracticable one, either that all far¬ 
mers unite to destroy the beetle in the 
way we have suggested, or that they 
go without green peas for several years 
in the hope that the weevil will starve to 
death or become accustomed to deposit¬ 
ing its eggs upon some other frnit that 
might answer its purposes as well. 
The British farmer is by no means the 
only grumbler at American cereal com¬ 
petition ; the Russian peasant also is 
loud in liis complaints of the same thing. 
Not only has it forced him to sell his sur¬ 
plus at lower figures to the rest of Eu¬ 
rope, but it now threatens to share with 
him some of the home markets. Carry¬ 
ing coals to Newcastle could be no more 
exasperating to the denizens of that 
smoky city than carrying wheat to Odessa 
must be to the farmers of the vast wheat- 
growing tracts of the Crimea and South¬ 
ern Russia. Lately, however, an Amer¬ 
ican vessel is reported to have touched 
at Odessa with a cargo of grain for the 
famine-stricken people in the Caucasus. 
Thanks to official corruption and exces¬ 
sive freight charges both by rail and 
vessel on the Black Sea, the merchants 
of Tifiis find it cheaper to bring grain all 
the way from this country than to tran¬ 
sport it from the neighboring Russian 
provinces where during last autumn 
thousands of tons of wheat rotted along 
the southern railways owing to the ab¬ 
sence of proper granaries to protect it 
from the weather and the inadequacy of 
rolling stock to transport it to the sea. 
As a sample of bad management and ex¬ 
action, a local paper mentions that, owing 
to the freight depot of the Odessa Rail¬ 
way being a mile and a half from the ex¬ 
port quay, the cost of conveying the 
grain in wagons over the interval is heav¬ 
ier than that of its carriage all the way 
from Odessa to London. 
-- 
The almost uninterrupted series of 
successes of the Chilians against the com¬ 
bined forces of Peru and Bolivia has 
forced the latter to abandon her ally 
whom she led into the unjust conflict, 
white at the same time the Peruvians 
have been defeated on every side, and 
have lost a large part of their territory, 
including the province of Tarapaca, with 
its vast beds of salt and nitres. The 
triumph of the Chilians gives them the 
entire control of the supply of nitrates to 
the world from that quarter, and it is 
from the extensive saltpeter deposits 
found in the adjacent provinces of the 
three Republics that the great bulk of 
nitrates for agricultural purposes is de¬ 
rived. It was the greed to obtain con¬ 
trol of all the deposits, that about a year 
ago led Peru to j oin with Bolivia in an 
attack upon Chili, where extensive salt¬ 
peter beds had lately been discovered. 
A recent decree of the Chilian Govern¬ 
ment orders all the olaborators of nitrates 
who had contracts with the Peruvian 
Government or its agents to deliver the 
specified quantity to the Inspector-Gen¬ 
eral of the Nitrate Establishments, for 
which they will receive from the Chilian 
Government the price stipulated in the 
contract. The amounts of nitrates in store 
and ready for shipment are to be reported 
to the Government in order that they 
may be sold to the highest bidder, for the 
benefit of the Chilian treasury. On the 
ether hand, the Peruvian Government 
has forbidden the export of nitrates from 
the province it has lost, under pain of 
confiscation of tlie shipments and of all 
the properties of the shippers in Peru, 
The nitrate contractors therefore are be¬ 
tween two fires, but as that of the Chili¬ 
ans is the closer, they will, no doubt, net 
upon the order of that Government, which 
places it, as regards the producers of 
nitrateB, in the same relation as that oc¬ 
cupied by the Peruvian Government be¬ 
fore the Chilian occupation. 
“Fun over oleomargarine” was the' 
sub-heading in one of our evening pa¬ 
pers here in describing the proceedings 
in the United States Senate on the 16th 
of March. Mr. Davis, of Illinois, had 
introduced a memorial asking Congress 
to pass a law to prevent the sale of grease 
butter as genuine butter, and the grave 
Senators relaxed their usual dignity to 
have a little fun over a matter that bears 
closely upon the financial interests of the 
vast dairy industry of the country, upon 
the health of its citizens and upon the 
morality of its trading community. Sen¬ 
ators Conkling, Edmunds and Anthony 
are mentioned as the chief jokers of the 
occasion, and the farmers of the country 
would do well to remember the circum¬ 
stance when these gentlemen shall solicit 
their suffrago on some future occasion. 
It has often occurred to us that if the 
names of those representatives of the 
people. State and Congressional, who 
find it to their taste or profit to neglect or 
oppose the legislation demanded by the 
best interests of agriculture, were more 
frequently placed before the fanners of 
the country, fear of the just indignation 
of these might have a salutary effect 
upon those whose re-election must in 
most cases depend greatly upon the votes 
of that class whose welfare they had dis¬ 
regarded or in j oreA The fun here was 
mainly over the selection of the Commit¬ 
tee to which the farmers’ memorial should 
be referred ; and finally it was sent, not 
to the Committee on Agriculture, but to 
that on Manufactures. 
-» - 
TnE penalty of getting hay seed in 
one’s hair must be serious in some parts 
of Australia. There are districts in that 
country where the sheep are mueh dis¬ 
tressed and often actually destroyed by 
the seeds of certain grasses call d “ Fle- 
chilla,” which, having once fallen upon or 
been caught by the wool, quickly work 
their way through the skins of the animals 
into their fiesh. The ripe seeds of those 
grasses aro armedwith recurved barbules 
whose points, being sharp as needles, 
easily penetrate the akin, every move¬ 
ment of the animal tending to drive the 
seed deeper and deeper into the flesh. 
The mutton exposed for sale in the 
butchers’ shops is sometimes so full of 
these grass seeds that it exoites the at¬ 
tention of strangers. One newly arrived 
immigrant describes a fore-quarter of 
mutton as resembling a ham just taken 
from the bag of chaff in which it had been 
brought from England. On close exam¬ 
ination it appeared that many of the 
Beeds bail still their long, thin tails drawn 
through the flesh, like threads interlac¬ 
ing each other in every direction. Ho 
goes on to say that, on questioning the 
butcher, he was told that they rarely 
killed a sheep that was not more or less 
punctured in this way. It stands to rea¬ 
son that butchers’ meat, such as this, must 
need to be thoroughly cooked before eat¬ 
ing. From other accounts it appears that 
the seeds are not infrequently found 
actually piercing the heart, liver and 
kidneys of sheep that h;-ve died from the 
effects of their movements. One writer 
says that he has found “the internal or¬ 
gans so crowded with the seeds that they 
felt like a bag of needles, if squeezed in the 
hand. ” On some 4 4 runs” where these gras¬ 
ses are specially abundant, the annual loss 
of sheep is a very serious matter. It 
has even been asserted that the northern 
part of Queensland is unfit for sheep be¬ 
cause of the great abundance of the 
uoxious grasses. 
-♦♦ » 
On March 22, the members of the Com¬ 
mittees of Congress on Manufactures and 
Agriculture had a junketing trip to Bal¬ 
timore, to inspect the process of manu¬ 
facturing oleomargarine at the factory of 
the American Manufacturing Company, 
whose proud boast it is that it turns out 
from 4,000 to 6,000 pounds of the stuff 
every day. Everything about the factory, 
from the president to the refuse heap, 
was on dress-parade to receive the distin¬ 
guished visitors and, knowing what was 
awaiting them alter the fun of inspection 
was ended, all returned the civilities of 
their entertainers with assurances of the 
high gratification they felt at the sight be¬ 
fore them. Having thus earned their din¬ 
ner, they were treated to “a magnificent 
banquet ” at Rennert’s Hotel. After the 
cloth was removed, stimulated by the 
magnificent faro they had done justice to, 
and especially by the “ salmon,” several 
of the Congressional Solons became so 
many Demostheneses in the vehemence of 
their laudation of the product which they 
had been inspecting. Mr. Horr, of 
Michigan, was the first of the festive 
bauqueters to launch into praise, in which 
he tried to rival Mr. Carroll, one of the 
Directors of the Company, who had pre¬ 
ceded him. Mr. Beale, of Va., could 
not praise too highly “the cow that 
with 100 teats distills, not milk, but 
butter.” Mr. Aiken, of S. 0., enthu¬ 
siastically declared that he would never 
have another churn on his farm, but 
would buy oleomargarine. Mr. Wise, 
of Pa., was no longer a “doubting 
Thomas ” about the merits of the pro¬ 
duct. Most of the other visitors, too, 
were equally complaisant to their hosts 
over the “walnuts and the wine.” Of a 
truth, great is the power of a good dinner 
with anfabundanoe of etceterccs, over the 
average Congressman; hence it doubtless 
is that the most successful lobbyists have 
always been the best caterers. But 
while every corporate interest has its 
lobby, what chance against any of them 
has any conflicting agricultural interest 
unsupported by an influence so potent 
with the average legislator? 
• - * *"4- 
BREVITIES. 
Professor Levi Stockbridge has been elect¬ 
ed fifth President of the Massachusetts Agri¬ 
cultural College, in place of the Hou. Charles 
L. Flint who has resigned. This is the square 
man in the square hole. 
Wb see advertised a variety of corn that 
bears kernels larger than any other variety. 
Very little is said aB to other characteristics. 
Ie this the 44 Cuzco” to which the Rural New- 
Yorker has of late called attent ion ? If bo, wo 
can assure fanners that It will not ripen north 
or North Carolina, if, indeed, it will ripen 
even there. 
A very good example has been set by the 
Paris Courts. A quack doctor who advertised 
very extensively a pretended cure for cancer, 
has been condemned to pay a fine of a 1,000 
francs for practising without a diploma. If 
be bad onlj T known how cheaply he could have 
bought a splendid diploma over here, he might 
have saved his money. 
The Congressional Committee on Printing 
has decided that. 300.000 Reports of the Depart¬ 
ment of Agriculture for 1870 shall be print¬ 
ed. We trust that some effectual means may 
be devised by which these funds of useful and 
interesting information may be distributed 
where they will do the most good—among the 
farmers of the country. 
For beds of colored foliage the following 
plants are very suitableAchy ran tlics in vari¬ 
ety j Coleus in variety; Artemesia argentea, 
gymnocarpa, maritime; and candidissima; Al- 
ter li author as in variety; Gnaphulltm. For 
the middle of such bods, the following plants 
areas desirable as any we can call to mind: 
—Abutilon Durwinli or Boule do Niege; Cala- 
dium esculentum; Cannae ; variegated Arundo 
Don ax or Eulalia Japonlca zebrlna. 
A bill ie before the Mass. Legislature against 
tramps, punishing them with imprisonment 
from six months to two years. The R. I. 
Assembly has passed a law punishing tramps 
with a year’s imprisonment. In the other New 
England States there has been severe legisla¬ 
tion to suppress them Southern aud Western 
farmers, unless their States take prompt simi¬ 
lar action, may now look for an increase 
among this class of summer visitors. 
It now appears that the moon, whieh exerts 
so many other Influences, is supposed to affect 
certain forms of disease. Recently a practi¬ 
tioner, who is a 44 high dilutionist,” has applied 
to certain scientific men to aid him in reduc¬ 
ing the 44 pale ray ” to aueh a shape that it may 
lie used for medicinal purposes. Tbns far the 
experiment has not been a success. In New 
Jersey lightning has been brought into a 11 uid 
form, but bottled moonshine eludes scientific 
pursuit belter than the mystery of the diamond 
does. 
Tiik youngsters who are members of Uucie 
Mark’s Horticultural Club, have shared in our 
Seed Distribution, inasmuch as we have sent a 
package containing some (lower and vegetable 
seeds to each. We do this to encourage them 
ip the work, and, if possiblu, help to develop 
a taste for gardening that may prove of value to 
them iu after years. Parents should help them 
in every way possible. Give a small plat of 
ground 10 each boy and girl who 1 b willing to 
nndertuke its cultivation; furnish them with 
sunill tools and be ready with directions aud 
counsel, and occasionally a helping hand when¬ 
ever they may need such assieUmce, 
A greatly increased demand of muttou 
from America, for the consumption of Eng¬ 
land. is likely to ensue this year. Ill conse¬ 
quence of the continued cold and wet weather 
of the past season, foot and liver rot have been 
very destructive of sheep there. The Euglish 
papers report them as dyiim off by thousands, 
whole flocks becoming extinct. In .seven of 
the Southern counties, where upwards of 
8,000.000 sheep have been kept, it is feared 
scarcely one,fourth of them will be saved. Iu 
some iusluuces. after butchering sheep whieh 
It was supposed would be passable mutton, the 
inunr part of the caieasb was found rotten aud 
uneatable, and the only thing saved of any 
value was the pelt. The various breeds of 
Down sheep are the best for us to breed for 
the English market; for they are not. only the 
most salable, but the most profitable. For 
some account of these, with portraits, see our 
issue of February 14, page 410. 
