284 
THE BUBAL fliEW-VOBKEB 
MAY 4 
THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY. 
CONDUCTED BE 
ELBERT S. CARMAN. 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
No. 34 Park Row, New York. 
SATURDAY, MAY 1, 1880. 
KEMOVAL, 
The Rural New-Yokker is now in its 
new quarters, No. 34 Park Row, comer 
of Beekman Street. 
At first glance it may appear that for¬ 
cing plants aod fruits by the use of the 
electric light is not likely to prove of any 
practical utility. It can never be of as 
much value to us as to English horticul¬ 
turists, it is true, but we often stand 
greatly in need of snn during occasional 
winters, and almost invariably there are 
periods when plants suffer and flow¬ 
ers are backward from need of sunshine. 
Further experiments by Dr. Siemens 
seem to demonstrate the power of the 
electric light to ripen fruits and to color 
flowers. If the cost of its production can 
be reduced to a nominal sum, no doubt 
the American gardener will have occasion 
to avail himself of its use as well as the 
English gardener, though never perhaps 
to the same extent. At a late meeting of 
of the Royal Society, Dr. Siemens showed 
two pots of Strawberries which had been 
treated the same, except that one had 
been subjected to tbe electric light for a 
fortnight and the other had not. The 
plant which had been all the while ex¬ 
posed to light (■/. e., sunlight during the 
day, electric by night) bore far more 
vigorous leaves and of a darker color 
than the other which was not subjected 
i) the electric light. The berries of the 
first were at least a week further advanced 
than those of the other. Of 16 berries, 
14 were colored and for the most part 
ripe. Upon the other, of 14 berries only 
one was colored, while the others were 
entirely green. 
During the mouth nearly 34,000 immi¬ 
grants had arrived at this port on Satur¬ 
day evening, April 24; 40,000 was the 
greatest number that ever arrived here 
in April, and it is confidently expected 
that that number will be equaled, or even 
exceeded, during the six remaining days 
of this month. Tbe Irish and Germans, 
as usual, head the list of nationalities that 
have contributed to this tidal wave ; but 
it also includes large contributions from 
countries that have hitherto contributed 
only in a small way to the population of 
this country. The number of Italians 
and Hungarians has notably increased, 
while Danes and Norwegians have like¬ 
wise come in an unusual flood. The 
character of the immigrants is considered 
much better than the average, a circum¬ 
stance due in a great measure to the 
fact there is among them a large 
proportion of farmers and mechanics. 
In former years of heavy immigration 
the vast bulk of the newcomers were 
either forced to stay in this city or neigh¬ 
borhood, or at least in the Atlantic States, 
by want of means to take them elsewhere 
or they elected to remain here because 
ignorant of the superior advantages of 
other sections. This year, however, the 
authorities at Castle Garden say that a 
very large proportion of the immigrants 
go directly to the West, having procured 
“through tickets in Europe, and that a 
comparatively small share only of the 
mighty influx remains at the East. 
We learn from our correspondent in 
South Carolina that peaches and fruits 
generally thereabouts are either badly in¬ 
jured or destroyed. Fig trees, the J apau 
Persimmon, potatoes, green peas, oorn, 
etc., were also injured. There is a nook 
in the momitains of western South Caro¬ 
lina, however, that seems to have escaped 
the effects of this severe and untimely 
frost, though 150 miles north of the coun¬ 
try of which our Aiken correspondent 
speaks. This “nook” is locally oalled 
“Thermal Belt.” It is a strip of land 
extending for a short distance along the 
south side of the mountains between 
Spartanburg and Hendersonville, and 
while within a few miles of it in any direc¬ 
tion severe frosts at this season are not 
rare, it is very seldom that even light frosts 
occur in the “Thermal Belt” to harm 
the tendereBt buds of spring. No doubt 
some of the causes which contribute to 
the successful culture of fruits in the 
Belt are also conducive to the well-being 
of those who seek the contiguous valley 
aB a health resort. The air is surpris¬ 
ingly dry and the grass as free from dew 
at sunrise or in the evening as at mid¬ 
day. The elevation is midway between 
that of Aiken, which is 700 feet above 
sea-level, aud Asheville or Henderson¬ 
ville, which are about 2,200 feet above. 
Protected on all Bides by mountains, the 
climate is an intermediate one, escaping 
the rude blasts of the Asheville and Hen¬ 
dersonville mountains, on the one hand, 
and the somewhat enervating heat and 
sultriness of Aiken, on the other. We re¬ 
ceive these facts from a trustworthy 
source, and cannot doubt that the region 
of country of which we are speaking is 
destined not only to become famous as 
a fruit belt, but as one of the most effec¬ 
tive health resorts in our country. 
■ - 
Subdivision of Land in France.— 
The consequences of an absurd law are 
well stated in the following terms by 
Mr. Richardson, an English agricultural 
writer. 
In France, the law says, “ Each one 
of the co-heirs may claim his share of 
the. real and personal property and 
“ in forming the portions of each, it is as 
well to avoid, as far as may be possible, 
cutting up the inheritance, and also well 
to give each co-heir the same quantity of 
real or person al estate. ” The courts have 
interpreted this to mean that a division 
must take place, if claimed, and have 
quashed wills which made a disposition 
to one heir of the real estate, to another 
of the personal, or gave to each co-heir a 
separate real estate, although the value 
of each might be fairly apportioned. The 
consequence of this is a continual divi¬ 
sion and subdivision of plots of land, un¬ 
til at last no cultivation is possible 
except with a spade, andin some cases the 
spade must not be a full-sized one; and a 
tree cannot be planted on an estate be¬ 
cause it is illegal to plant one within two 
yards of your neighbor’s boundary, and 
your neighbor on each side is within that 
distance. 
It would seem as if compression such 
as this must soon lead naturally to vio¬ 
lent disruption of th 3 existing order of 
things and to new arrangements. There 
was a story some years since, when rifled 
cannon were first invented, to the effect 
that a German Grand Duke having 
bought one of the new guns for the use 
of his “ army”, was forced to make trea¬ 
ties with two neighboring dukes before 
he could introduce artillery practice. 
The more distant neighbor gave him 
leave to set up a target in his domain, 
and the other granted permission to fire 
across his laud. Iu this particular in¬ 
stance it was not long before United 
Germany “rectified the boundaries ” and 
“ absorbed ” the three potentates. 
-- 
The speculators who, last fall and win¬ 
ter, ran up the price of wheat far beyond 
wbat the ratio of demand and supply jus¬ 
tified, are likely to be pinched pretty se¬ 
verely before they can unload the twenty 
to thirty million bushel b which it is es¬ 
timated they still control. Already much, 
if not all, of the profit they made on the 
rise, must be lost by the fall that has oc¬ 
curred, despite their best efforts to keep 
up prices. A glance at our market re¬ 
ports in the issue for Jan. 3, will show 
that on Dec. 27, No. 2 Chicago spring 
wheat was worth $1.33- ; whereas, as seen 
in this issue, the same grade was worth 
last Saturday, the 24th, only $1.12—a 
drop of 21i e. Doubtless, however, in the 
meanwhile, the chief manipulators of the 
ring have profitably shifted much of their 
load on other shoulders, besides selling 
a good deal of their stock at a fair profit. 
The fall, however, has not ended yet, ancl 
in the next few weeks it is likely to be 
much more rapid than it has hitherto 
been. Besides miscalculating somewhat 
the extent of the shortage of cereals else¬ 
where, the ring did not reckon upon the 
obstinate unwillingness of our foreign 
customers to pay the exorbitant prices 
demanded by this handful of greedy 
speculators unscrupulously seeking from 
the distress of Europe to enrich them¬ 
selves. Owingtothehigh prices for bread- 
stuffs brought about by their machin¬ 
ations, our foreign customers have been 
economical in their use, besides substi¬ 
tuting for them, to an unusual extent, 
other articles of food. Moreover, other 
nations who had a surplus of wheat, 
acted in the same way, in order to be able 
to sell the more at the high figures of¬ 
fered. Thus it happens that with the 
prospect of an abundant harvest every¬ 
where, and the certainty that some of it 
will soon bo in the market from India, 
Northern Africa and other warm regions, 
the ring now finds itself heavily burdened 
with a load, most of which was bought at 
higher figures than those at which they 
can reasonably expect to dispose of it. 
Well, there will be few mourners over any 
loss they may incur. Their selfish greed 
has sorely pinched starving millions, 
seriously injured trade and commerce, 
made our foreign customers seek other 
markets and stimulated to greater efforts 
our foreign rivals. 
♦ ♦+-- 
FISH CULTURE A 8 ONE TERM IN A 
ROTATION OF CROPS. 
The following bit of European expe¬ 
rience is of iuterest as bearing upon the 
culture of carp and other pond fishes, a 
subject which is beginning to attract 
considerable attention among farmers in 
this oountry. 
In eastern France, at the base of 
the Jura mountains, there is a tract of 
about 180,000 aores, formerly called 
Dombes, which is or was so covered with 
ponds, largely artificial, that a map of 
the region is said to have shown as much 
water as dry land. A curious system of 
rotation has long been practised there 
consisting of the alternate culture of fish 
crops and grain crops; or, latterly, of 
fish, grain and grass. The ponds are 
kept full of water and stocked with fish 
for three or four years—two-year-old or 
three-year-old fish being bought for the 
purpose of the breeders. In due season, 
when the fish crop has ripened and been 
sold, the sluice-gates are lifted and the 
water drawn off, there being no difficulty 
in laying the bed of the pond dry, since 
the whole district lies on a slope from 
which water flows away readily. Simple 
ditches aud furrows are opened to dry 
the pond bottom which is then plowed 
and kept under cultivation during three 
or four years. Abundant crops are ob¬ 
tained, although no manure is added. 
Indeed, the soil is sometimes so rich that 
there is risk, during the first year of cul¬ 
tivation, that the grain crops may run 
too much to straw. In some cases oats 
and barley are grown and in others, 
where the land is of better quality, a crop 
of wheat is taken the first year and two 
crops of oats in succession after the 
wheat. Sometimes the grain is followed 
by grass, though this seems to be a mod¬ 
ern innovation specially applicable to 
cases where the ponds are to be drained 
permanently. Iu this event the ground 
is readily converted into good pasture. 
The soil of the district is a stiff clay, 
impenetrable to water, such as would 
have been extiemely difficult to cultivate 
by ordinary methods in the days before 
tile-drains "and other modem appliances 
had been discovered; and it is from this 
circumstance doubtless that the peculiar 
system now in question had its origin. 
The land is so thoroughly fertilized by the 
water that the crops obtained from it are 
all exoellent, and it is to be noted that 
when the practice was maintained in its 
purity all the crops were of kinds imme¬ 
diately merchantable. The system was 
formerly held in high esteem and, as a 
mere matter of farming, was undoubtedly 
excellent, but a very serious objection to 
it is its unhealthiness, and it is now dis¬ 
credited on this account. There were 
not only too many ponds in the district, 
but the alternate soaking and drying of 
the land was pernicious. Of late years, 
the tendency has been to drain the ponds 
permanently and to grow forage upon the 
land for the support of stock, according 
to ordinary farm methods. Quite recent¬ 
ly a company, aided by Government, has 
done much work in the way of draining 
the ponds methodically. It is said that 
the public health has been distinctly im¬ 
proved, as a result of the permanent 
drainings, and that malarial fevers are 
still slowly diminishing in the district as 
the work goes on. 
-- 
BREVITIES. 
It appears that iu 1878 we imported 17,549 
ounces of quinine. Last year this amount was 
increased to 228,S4S ounces. 
Tub general prosperity of our country is 
something so new and entertaining that politics 
are obliged to take a back seat. 
Professor Shelton, of the Kansas State Agri¬ 
cultural College, it will be seen, advises our 
Western readers to plant “ King Phillip ” com. 
Two plots six feet by four, of rich, sandy 
soil (if watered when needed) will supply a 
family of four with crisp, tender radishes from 
the first of June until the middle of October. 
Radishes arc worse than worthless unless they 
are fresh aud tender. 
Manx farmers and especially farmers’sons 
cannot lid themselves of the fascination cf 
breeding horses for speed. It is well for them 
to bear in mind that weight, endurance and 
strength are what are most needed on thefarm 
aud that speed is not compatible with those 
qualities. 
Judge Parry 6 tates in liis “Forty Years 
Among Small Fruits” that “Queen of the 
Market ” was mtroduced by J. R. Helfrich of 
Jersey City, N. J. Does Mr. H. know any¬ 
thing of its parentage ? Speaking of tho Cutlf 
bert, Judge Parry, gays: “ It is a fruit of the. 
same character and may be classed with the 
“Queen of the Market” which it much re¬ 
sembles in large size and fine appearance, and 
it bag probably descended from the same 
healthy parentage. 
Referring to our Editorial in last Issue, 
Professor W. J. Beal, of the Michigan Agricul¬ 
tural College, writes ns that that college is al¬ 
ready. iu a small way, raising the best pro¬ 
curable hardy grasses for seed. So far, how¬ 
ever, the quantity obtained has been very 
small—only enough to supply several other 
agricultural colleges aud a few private indi¬ 
viduals. The grasses, be well remarks, can 
never be accurately grown except under tbe 
eye of a flood botanist. 
The Western Rural informs us that there 
are parties selling the Chinese Hulless Oats la 
Ohio at $10 per bushel. Seedsmen, both East 
and West, are offering them at from $1.50 to 
$2 00 Readers of tee Rural New-Yorker 
coaid scarcely be deceived into paying such a 
price for tbe ITulIesii Oats. We have raised 
them at the Rural’s farm and our reports as to 
their value could not have escaped them. It 
is a prolific variety, tbe only objection beiug 
that if left until ripe, a considerable proportion 
of grain is lost. 
We have bad an unusually large number 
of requests the past season that we would 
send the Rural NEw-YoRKEiiand waitvarious 
lengths of time for payments. The requests 
are entirely reasonable. Many journals do 
not require' pay in advance; many journals are 
sent for several years or until requests of 
discontinuance are received. It is a matter 
for each journal to decide for itself. Tho 
Rural New-Yorker is invariably discontinued 
at the end of the subscription term and we 
invariabLy require pay in advance. It Beems 
to us the only business-like manner of con¬ 
ducting the newspaper business. 
The agricultural editor of the New York Sun 
speaking of •* Pearl "(Cat-tall or Horse)Millet, 
says: “We have had occasion to refer toit dur¬ 
ing the past three or fouryears, and have now 
nothing to add or take from our former state¬ 
ments in regard to iu We will say, hoioever , 
that it is not adapted to the more Northern 
States, aDd north of the latitude of New York 
City it will not succeed except iu warm light 
soils and in very favorable seasons. The 
italics are ours. The editor of the Sun has 
“nothingto add or take from former state¬ 
ments!” “ We wiU say, however, etc.”—is not 
that an addition or a subtraction ? What is 
it? How diplomatic! The agricultural editor 
of the Sun ought to have been a statesman. 
Judging from the experience of the past 
months of this year, and especially of last 
week, this is likely to be remembered as the 
cyclonic year. Never within our remembrance 
Las there been a land storm so wide, so loDg, 
so terribly destructive of life and property as 
that whose track, last week, through Kansas, 
Missouri and Illinois, was marked by disfigur¬ 
ed corpses and maimed survivors, by leveled 
homesteads and wrecked villages, by uprooted 
trees aud general ruin. Far on each side of its 
general course other storms less in extent, 
though hardly less iu violence, have also 
wrought a world of desolation, while away on 
the Pacific coast, beyond the barrier of the 
Rocky Mountains, ihc telegraph has ju6t an¬ 
nounced a rain and wind storm of unprece¬ 
dented severity. 
As foretold here a few weeks ago. Dr. 
Albert R. Ledoux, late Director of the North 
Carolina Experiment Station, has just opened 
an agricultural busiccss laboratory iu ibi* 
city. The nature of the business and the ad¬ 
dress at which it is carried on are told in our 
advertising columns, aud it need scarcely be 
mentioned to our readers that Dr. Ledoux is 
fully competent, both by high professional 
ability and wide experience in hie chosen pur¬ 
suit, to confer a laellug benefit on the farmers 
aud otners who may consult him, by the accu¬ 
racy of tho information he can impart. North 
Carolina’s loss is likely to prove a gain not 
to New York only, but to all the neighboring 
States whose farmers can avail themselves of 
the Doctor’s services. 
Last Thursday, when the Senate joint reso¬ 
lution directing the Committees on Agriculture 
to consider generally the subject of agriculture 
came up in the House, Mr. Reagan, of Texas, 
submitted au amendment directing the Senate 
aud House Committees to inquire into tbe 
effect ou the agricultural interests of the 
country of adopting a tariff for revenue only, 
instead of tho present protective tariff- Mr. 
Garfield objected, whereupon Mr. Reagan 
charged that the protective tariff costthc ag¬ 
ricultural classes $800,000,000 per year on ac¬ 
count of ihc higher prices they have to pay 
for goods, and that in return they only receive 
the flattery of vague platitudes. “The flattery 
of vague platitudes” is good as applied to 
all the farmers of the country have received 
from the Government. 
In England the late winter and early spring 
have been all that the farmer could desire for 
starling the grass and putting iu Ills crops. 
Fall-sown wheat, though a trifle backward, 
and the lato-sown thin, is, on the whole, in fine 
condition. In Scotland the weather has been 
equally favorable, aud seeding Is about three 
weeks earlier than last year. Iu Ireland, the 
weather has been somewhat wetter and tbe 
work, therefore, iB uot quite so forward, but 
there are good hopes of a fine crop next har¬ 
vest. Potatoes are mostly planted, and the 
seed potatoes sent out by America on the Con¬ 
stellation are being rapidly dlscharg3d and 
forwarded to the distressed districts for imme¬ 
diate plautiug. France has been blessed wilk 
fine seasonable weather, and all crops are In 
au excellent condition, especially the fall- 
sown wheat which has an unusually bright, 
healthy appearauce, due to late rains and 
genial days. Oats, barley aud particularly 
rye, are also in excellent trim. In Germany 
the weather has been dry, bright, hut very 
cold, especially in the northern part, yet re¬ 
ports ot the growing crops arc favorable, ex¬ 
cept oil-seeds which were severely injured 
by a late cold snap. The spring is backward 
in Russia. The slight advices from northern 
Africa speak favorably of the agricultural 
prospects, especially in Algeria, which has 
lately been cheered with abundant rains. 
