MOV. 20 
THE 
NEW-YORKER. 
THE 
Rural New-Yorker, 
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY. 
Conducted by 
ELBERT E. CARMAN. 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
No. 84 Park Row, New York. 
SATURDAY, NOV. 20, 1880. 
A WORD BETWEEN THE RURAL AND 
ITS READERS. 
All of our agents, friends and read¬ 
ers are invited to send for our Premium 
Lists, posters and specimen copies. All 
or any will be sent promptly without 
charge. If each one of our subscribers 
could find, it. convenient to send us an¬ 
other subscription besides his own, the 
Rural’s circulation ivould be doubled 
for 1881 ! We respectfully submit that 
the Rural New-Yorker would be an ap¬ 
propriate and acceptable present to 
many hard-working, worthy farmers or 
gardeners who may feel that they cannot 
themselves afford to subscribe. 
We repeat that friendly words spoken 
now will be more effective than if spoken 
later when many will have determined 
upon their reading matter for another 
year. The Rural will appreciate such 
kind words and endeavor by continued, 
unremitting work and downright devo¬ 
tion to their interests to prove more 
valuable to its readers during 1881 
ih au it has proven during any year 
of its existence. In all sincerity we 
pledge ourselves to this. Our first aim 
in the future as it has been in the past 
will be to elevate the professions of ag¬ 
riculture and horticulture to their legiti¬ 
mate spheres among the industries of 
mankind ; to make them respected by all 
good, intelligent people and to impress 
upon the people of our country the fact, 
which is now quietly ignored, that it is to 
the American farmer that America owes 
her present prosperity and greatness. 
It is quite natural that the Rural should 
desire to be foremost—first in this grand 
work. The one additional subscription 
and the f r iendly word would greatly aid 
us in that direction, good readers. 
-■ 
Probably cabbage worms have never 
been more numerous in many parts of 
the country than during the present sea¬ 
son. Acres upon acres were riddled by 
them upon Long Island, and it would ap¬ 
pear nothing has been discovered, not 
dangerous to human life, that will destroy 
them. We saved our own cabbages by 
going over them and cutting the worms 
in two with a sharp, pointed pair of scis- 
Bors. They are so nearly the color of the 
leaf that it is a trying, wearisome matter 
to discover them at first, but the eye be¬ 
comes trained after a while and one is 
surprised at the rapidity with which at 
length he is enabled to destroy them. 
•- - 
Great Butter Cows. — It is quite 
exhilarating to read the numerous ac¬ 
counts which have for a few months past 
been given to the papers of the great 
butter yields of various cows. It began 
with one pound per day, then rose to two 
pounds, which were thought quite extra¬ 
ordinary ; but this wonder did not last 
long ; for before one could scarcely 
turn round, the record jumped up to 
three pounds, then the dairy public be¬ 
gan to take breath, and thought it could 
not be exceeded, when, lol out jumps 
four pounds, with the possibility, on the 
part of one writer, that this will soon be 
surpassed. It was formerly considered 
a great thing for a cow to give her weight 
of milk in a single year; but now comes 
a race of cows that will produce that 
weight of butter; and perhaps in course 
of time double upon it. 
- ■ ♦»» 
Borders or trenches for grape-vines 
are often prepared by digging out the 
earth, let us say, two feet in depth, four 
feet in width and of a length depending 
upon the number of vines to be planted. 
This trench is then filled-in to the depth 
of a foot with stable manure and the rest 
with the good Boil taken out of it. It 
would be far better to throw in the 
good soil first and finish with the man¬ 
ure. In this case the soil beneath in¬ 
to which the roots would freely penetrate 
would receive the juices of the manure. 
In the other case the hard sub-soil, into 
which the roots should not be encouraged 
to grow, would receive those juices. 
We have often seen garden beds pre¬ 
pared in the same way. But it is in fact a 
mere waste of labor and manure. The 
feeding roots of most plants grow near 
the surface and there is where their food 
should be most abundant. It is better 
that the food should go to the roots than 
that the roots should be obliged to grope 
for it in all directions through the hard, 
airless sub-soil. 
YIELD OF CHESTER CO. MAMMOTH CORN. 
The Report of Messrs. Dodge & Oo., 
as may be seen by reference to page 767, 
gives the Chester Co. Mammoth au aver¬ 
age of 236 bushels of ears per acre. We 
find that one bushel of this corn in ears 
weighs 35 pounds, making 17 quarts of 
shelled corn weighing 28 pounds, or a 
total average of 125 bushels of shelled 
corn per acre. It must appear, therefore, 
until we are enabled to present our re¬ 
port of the measurement of the entire 
yield of the field that one acre (the best ) 
of the Chester Co. Mammoth yielded 300 
bushels of perfect ears, or over 159 
bushels of grain, and that the average 
yield of the entire field is 125 bushels of 
grain. The actual measurements of the 
entire fields of both Blount and Ches¬ 
ter will be published in our Corn Num¬ 
ber. 
- ■- ♦♦ »- 
JUTE. 
One of the most promising new fields 
for farming in the Southern States is the 
cultivation.of jute. As a fiber it is largely 
taking the place of flax and hemp in 
coarse products, and it is also said to be 
much used in much fiuer goods, some of 
the handsomest carpets being partly of 
jute. There is no doubt but the demand 
is to be large and to steadily increase. 
A distribution of seeds in the vicinity 
of St. Louis last Spring, by Professor 
Waterhouse, of the Washington Univer¬ 
sity, brought two samples of products. 
One grown by Dr. Shaw, of Shaw's cele¬ 
brated botanical garden, had no unusual 
culture and grew to the bight of several 
feet and produced seed. Another grown 
by Professor Jenks was six feet and three 
inches high on October fifth. This 
specimen had frequent waterings while 
growing. 
Jute is as easily raised as corn, and, 
planted in March or April it may be har¬ 
vested in June, July and August, after 
cotton has been laid and at a time when 
there is no other special call upon the 
farm force. The labor of cultivation is 
light, as its growth is so rank as to over¬ 
shadow everything else in the field and 
its yield is simply enormous. There 
is a very wide field of industry in jute 
cultivation and one wliioh will eventually 
be very profitable. The importations 
of jute during the year ending June 30, 
1880, were over $7,000,000, all of which 
can easily be produced at home. 
•» *» 
INCREASE IN THE MANUFACTURE AND 
CONSUMPTION OF WOOLEN GOODS. 
Another great encouragement for flock- 
masters to add to the numbers of their 
sheep as fast us possible, is the rapid in¬ 
crease of woolen manufactories in our 
country for twenty years paBt, and the 
cheapening and improvement of their fa¬ 
brics. The consequence is an unprece¬ 
dented demand, especially for under¬ 
clothing. Seventy years ago, linen fa¬ 
brics were almost the only ones used for 
this purpose and also many household 
purposes. Sixty years ago, when cotton 
manufactories had been established to 
some extent, their fabrics began to take 
the place of linen ; and now for 20 years 
past the use of woolen goods has been 
rapidly superseding in many instances 
both linen and cotton. 
Tins change is highly gratifying, as 
woolen garments are much the most 
healthful, even in hot climates, and 
should be worn .in our own, Summer as 
well as Winter, particularly those next 
the Bkin, when they can be borne with 
comfort. They absorb the perspiration of 
the body more freely, and guard it 
against sudden chills and rheumatism. 
Ail who wear woolen under-clothing are 
not nearly so liable to take those severe 
colds which are almost certain to bring 
on other ailments more or less danger¬ 
ous. 
Close observation of the medical faculty 
for Borne years past, substantiates the 
above. It is found particularly the case 
with travelers, sailors and soldiers, who 
are so much exposed to sudden changes 
of the weather at all times by night as 
well as by day and also to sudden changes 
of climate. Woolen under-clothing may 
he found irritating and uncomfortable at 
first to a very sensitive skin. In this case 
adopt such as is fabricated of a mixture 
of cotton and wool, and after getting well 
accustomed to that, change for pure 
wool. 
The fleeces of our flocks have been so 
varied and improved within 50 years past, 
as to furnish nearly all the sorts nec¬ 
essary for the manufacture of thick goods 
for blankets aud men’s wear, and also 
ior the finer dress goods of ladies aud 
children’s under and over garments. These 
different qualities of wool ean be easily 
multiplied now to any extent, and the 
manufacturers have only to express their 
desires to the flock-masters to insure 
their being rapidly fulfilled. 
----- 
A NEW SENSATION. 
A sensational story is in circulation, 
to the effect that butter which has been 
adulterated with soapstone has been sent 
from Western cities to New York for sale; 
and that some Western farmers have pur¬ 
chased the soapstone finely ground, by 
the barrel, for the purpose of mixing it 
with their butter. This story is a trans¬ 
parent fraud beyond a doubt. What its 
object may be, for it has an object cer¬ 
tainly, is difficult to comprehend, unless 
it be au attack upon the reputation of 
Western butter. That it is without good 
basis may easily be proved by any person 
who knows what soapstone is, or who will 
procure some and try for himself if he 
can add 20 per cent, in weight of it, that 
is, 10 pounds to 50 pounds of butter, or 
even more, as it is charged, without easy 
detection by the taste or sight. As a test 
we have reduced to the finest powder a 
specimen of the soapstone from the local¬ 
ity mentioned, Philadelphia—the quar¬ 
ries are withiu a few miles of that city 
and known to us—and have mixed it with 
five times its weight in butter. The min¬ 
eral is left upon the tongue as the butter 
dissolves and is gritty to the teeth. Its 
peculiar, pearly glistening appearance 
and silvery whiteness are also distinctly 
visible to the unaided eye, and under a 
common pocket lens are plainly visible. 
The author of this remarkable “ canard" 
is the victim of a hoax or is himself the 
author of what Artemus Ward once 
wrote ns a “goak,” or perhaps worse. 
Western butter is at the head of the 
market aud has attained its well deserved 
position by its merits and in spite of dif¬ 
ficulties aud prejudices. Western dairy¬ 
men are not fools. Having an excellent 
reputation which is highly profitable to 
them, they are wise enough to retain it in 
the only way that is possible. No doubt, 
soapstone may have been used for adul¬ 
terating lard, and that it can be so used 
without easy detection, and lard is notori¬ 
ously subjected to adulteration with va¬ 
rious cheap or valueless matters, such as 
water, for one, by certain manipulations. 
It may be, too, that the lowest grades of 
butter, that have been “milled,” as it is 
called, and which are sold for cooking 
purposes only, may have been mixed with 
lard so adulterated. This is possible. 
But that good butter can be so adulter¬ 
ated or is likely to be, is not true; it is, 
in fact, beyond possibility, without easy 
detection. If any reader has been dis¬ 
turbed by this false, sensational story ; 
let him rest in peace. If we felt inclined 
to be jocular over this matter, we should 
say that all this soapstone business is 
nothing but tale anyhow. 
-♦♦♦- 
BREVITIES. 
Mr. Purdy deems the Worden one of our 
most valuable early grapes for the million. 
This is much like the Concord. 
If children must eat candy, let it be Rock 
Candy. All others are liable to have been 
adulterated with glucose or something worse. 
Glugobb is defined in a recent French paper 
as follows:—" Glucose—a product with which 
wine is manufactured without grapes, cider 
without apples and confectionery without 
sugar.” 
Mr. SiDNEr in his able work says: “The 
beauty of the cart horse depends not on line 
quality or delicate symmetry, bat on a sort of 
elephantine ponderosity that bespeaks power 
in every muscle aud in every limb.” 
“ What pear shown at this meeting is as 
good, all things considered, as Beurre d’ An¬ 
jou ?" was asked at the last meeting of the 
Western New York Horticultural Society. 
Pres. Barry answered—“None. Anjou is the 
best pear in the world." 
Col. Warren, the editor of the California 
Farmer, lately enjoyed a dinner prepared by 
several friends in honor of his 75th birthday. 
In 1854 he established his journal and has done 
moie, probably, than any other person to de¬ 
velop the agriculture of his State. 
A well known agricultural writer and edi¬ 
tor makes this remark in a private letter to 
the Rural: “Now I hope for four years of 
peace and prosperity—glad in my whole heart 
election is over, I detest tins political wrang¬ 
ling and the slanders of either party." 
Messrs. Read & Pell in their report of 
agricultural matters in America, use several 
odd words respecting corn. In one part they 
speak of corn-Bhellera for “stripping the grain 
from the core." In acother they allude to the 
value of the “green cobs for the table.” 
Notwithstanding the great yield of grapes 
all over the country the past season, there was 
not one day when Concords were sold in New 
York city at retail for less than six cents per 
pound—full weight. And yet many of the 
growers sold their entire crops for less thau 
two cents per pound! 
A few days ago we saw a Hercules’s Club nt 
the office of Tborburn <fc Co. of this city. It 
was three feet and ten inches in length. There 
was nothing very extraordinary about this, 
but we were informed that the seed from which 
this gourd was grown was brought from Pata¬ 
gonia by Ihe Wilkes’e Expedition in 1834 
Thus, it will be seen, the seed was not less 
than 46 years old- 
We would advise onr readers for the lati¬ 
tude of Philadelphia and north of it, who re¬ 
ceived the Cuthbert Raspberry, to cover the 
earth about the stems for a distance of two 
feet with iburnyftrd mauure. Those living 
south of Philadelphia might better wait unt’l 
the first freeze. This mulch will tend to pre¬ 
vent sudden freezings and thawings, and in 
this wav help the roots as well as by furnish¬ 
ing ready food when Spring arrives. 
The editor of the Chicago Weekly Tribune, 
commenting upon our corn yield, says: 
“There is nothing remarkable in the yield! 
and wo only call attention to it as an illustra¬ 
tion of what a little extra manure and work 
will do for a crop of corn in a climate and mil 
not nearly so favorable as ours for its growth ." 
We beg to state, there is a good deal that is re¬ 
markable in the yield and that instead of 
“ extra manure,” a comparatively Bmall quan¬ 
tity was used. 
What trees to plant about the home—what 
shrubs? These questions we shall endeavor 
to answer in onr Tree and Shrub special num¬ 
ber of the Rural New Yorker, to be issued 
before the Spring planting season arrives. 
We shall endeavor to give all needed informa¬ 
tion regarding the subjects treated. At the 
Rural Grounds we have over two acres of land 
in ornamental trees and shrubs, scarcely anv 
two of which are alike, and we shall commend 
only those which have proven hardy and the 
finest of their class. 
Our occasional contributor, Prof. Sheldon, 
who has been visiting Canada (we regret he 
did not favor us), writes to the Live Stock 
Journal respecting the Cauada methods of 
raising corn for soiling and for bay. IPs 
concludes: “ Now, it appears to me that in the 
warmer parts of Britain, and on good soil, this 
corn would bo fouud very useful to dairy farm¬ 
ers as a staple green crop for soiling; in any 
case, it would do to use by way of variety 
among other crops.” We would suggest 
Blount’s White Prolific as an excellent kind f vr 
the purpose. 
Col. Wilder writes us: “lam glad that you 
keep up the illustrations of American grapes. 
We are making grand additions to our list aud 
the time will come when we shall have grapes, 
wines and raisins to compete with the world. 
So I said in my former addresses. In my Report 
of the Paris Exposition, 1867, and other places. 
We can scarcely begin to estimate the results 
which are to arise from the capability of our 
wide range of territory aud climate. Thiuk. 
for example, of the great North-west equal 
in fertility and salubrity to California—a ter¬ 
ritory equal to 22 States like Ohio—soon to bo 
occupied by the swarming millions going west. 
Dotjbi.k Flowers,—I n a communication to the 
Academic lies Sciences, M. Iteekel attributes the form¬ 
ation of double flowers (from the roplnoement of »tn- 
ruens by r.otalK) to long-continued self, fertilization, 
and he proven his statement by adducing the results 
of some experiments made by him on Convolvulus 
arvensis, wherein ho effected self-fertilization for 
three yennratloue, and la the third succeeded in pro¬ 
ducing double flower*. 
According to this philosophy, one would 
suppose that all clcistogamous flowers, as, for 
example, the Closed Gentian, would become 
double, which is far from the fact. It is our 
impression that the Cardinal Flower and also 
L. syphilitica are self-fertilizing. We have 
never heard of a double flower of either. It 
might be supposed, also, that oats aud wheat 
would long ago have become sterile through 
doubling up. 
The exports of flour from this country are 
increasing even more rapidly than those of 
wheat, and it would seem that the day is not 
far distant when a large proportion of the 
wheat crop will be sent abroad in the shape of 
floor, thns securing toour own working classes 
the labor of milling. For some time back, 
English millers have felt the competition, and 
now a wall on the same subject comes from 
Hungary. The yellowish, adhesive Hungarian 
flower has long held a front rank in Europe 
where it fonnd customers at high figures iu 
Great Britain, France, Germany and Switzer¬ 
land. A few years ago, In view of demand for 
the article, a large number of new mills were 
built at Pesth and other points, but so great 
has been the falling off of late in this trade 
that many of these are uow idle, while others 
are forced, in order to compete In prices with 
our product, to make lower grades of flour, 
thus endangering the reputation which gave 
rise to the demand for their goods. Although 
American flour iB not yet considered quite so 
good as Hungarian, still It is confessedly so 
fine and can be placed on the market bo much 
cheaper, that it Is fast driving lis rival out of 
the markets of Great Britain, France Switz¬ 
erland and Borne parts of Germany. 
