348 
THE BUBAL NEW-YORKER, 
MAY 39 
THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
PUBLISHED EVERT SATURDAY. 
Address 
CONDUCTED BT 
ELBERT S. CARMAN. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
No. 34 Park Row, New York. 
SATURDAY, MAY 29, 1880. 
Beautiful Norwegian Ponies.—W e 
wish some of our enterprising horsemen 
would follow the example of the cele¬ 
brated violinist, Ole Bull, and import a 
few of these for stud breeding in our 
country. They are of such handsome 
fancy colors, so fine of form, gentle, and 
at the same time spirited, that they would 
immediately become fashionable and com¬ 
mand h>gh prices. Two of Ole Bull's im¬ 
portations are of a light cream color, and 
two others of a bright salmon. The four 
hare long white tails and beautiful flow¬ 
ing manes. They are valued at $1,000 to 
$2,000 each. 
- » - 
Comparative Value of Different 
Manures.— Prof. Yoelcker, of England, 
in analyzing these, reports poultry man¬ 
ure. fresh, as containing about two per 
oent. of ammonia; dried, a little over four 
per cent.; farm-yard manure, three-quar¬ 
ters per cent.; Peruvian guano from the 
Chincha Islands (all exhausted several 
years ago) used to yield 16 to 18 per 
ceut., but that latterly obtained from 
other Peruvian islands only gives from 
three to eight per cent, of ammonia. 
The latter is richer in phosphate of lime 
tiiau the former, containing as high as 40 
per cent. Pigeon dung is richer than 
that of poultry when both are fresh, in 
consequence of more moisture and silici- 
ous matter being found in the latter. Soot 
unadulterated contains three and a-half 
to four per cent, of ammonia. 
Many persons have heretofore thought 
chicken manure as rich as Peruvian 
guano from the Chincha Islands used to 
be; but from Prof. Voelcker’s analysis 
above, they will see that it is only from 
one-eight to one-ninth as valuable as 
that, and about half as rich as the pour- 
est quality now obtained from Peru. 
Broom Corn, as many of our readers 
may Enow, was introduced to this coun¬ 
try by Dr. Franklin. He 6aw a seed on 
a broom, planted it, and the seeds from 
this single plant were the beginning of 
broom corn as an American agricultural 
product. Tlie credit for the broom-mak¬ 
ing industry is due to the Sliakers, wlio, 
raising tbe plants in their gardeuB, man- 
ulactured tile brooms and sold them for 
60 oents, or more, apiece. Immediately 
alter too war, so great was the profit 
from its cultivation, that it was soon 
overdone and tnc many who had rushed 
into the business were soon discouraged 
and abandoned it. Now it is cultivated 
in ail parts of the country. Tlie stalks 
grow very tall; the seedB, if left to ma¬ 
ture auu ground with corn or oats, are 
deemed excellent lor fattening cattle. 
But as the straw is brighter and more 
desirable if cut while the seeds are in the 
milk or dough state, the seeds are not 
gatiiered. Tliese should be planted on 
good soil, in drills three feet apart, the 
seeds one foot apart in the drill. 
The Wool Clip in Great Britain this 
spring, on account of the great loss of 
sncep during the past year, it has been 
supposed by many wouul tail 25 to 30 per 
cent, short of an average. This, and even 
more, it is confessed, will be the ease in 
some districts; but Mr. J. L. Bowles, of 
Liverpool, who has taken great pains to 
ascertain the loss of the whole United 
Kingdom, sets it down as not to exceed 10 
per cent. Our own Hock-masters should 
now take this into consideration, and be 
caretul not to set so high a price on 
their w oi after shearing hb to prevent 
mauuiaeturers from purchasing freely. 
D it costs too much there will be no pro¬ 
fit on their fabrics, and they must curtail 
their production. T^is will lessen the 
demand for wool, and consequently the 
price must tall. Wheat growers, or 
rather the purchasers, by advancing the 
price too much at one tune last year, 
lessened exportation. Prices then de¬ 
clined, and many of them met with heavy 
ossea. 
- ♦♦ ♦ - 
One of the oldest and most respected 
agricultural editors of our country writes 
as follows; 
“ You cannot better edit the Rural 
New-Yorker than by spending as muon 
time as possible on your example crops. 
No other editors that I know are doing 
this, and yonr reports of the same will 
give your periodical a reputation and 
confidence with the public unprecedented 
in American agricultural literature.” 
Some force may be added to the above 
opinion when it is considered that the 
Bubal has no plants, or seeds, or imple¬ 
ments, or, indeed, anything else except 
itself, for sale. We have only the truth 
to tell, and we have no interests to re¬ 
strain or bias us in telling it. We earn¬ 
estly desire to promote the interests of 
agriculture and horticulture by praisiDg 
that which is good, and condemning that 
which is bad—aud this we shall do in so 
far as we have judgment and knowl¬ 
edge to guide us. 
--- 
WELLS FOR THE FAR WEST. 
A proposition is before the House of 
Representatives, in the shape of an amend¬ 
ment to “ the Agricultural Appropriation 
Bill,” which provides that the (Jommision- 
er of Agriculture shall be empowered to 
oontract lor the sinking of artesian wells 
for the purpose of reclaiming the arid 
and waste lands of the West by means of 
irrigation. While it has justly been con¬ 
sidered dou'.tful if wells can be made 
available for this purpose, yet the bare 
chauoe that they may be usefully and 
profitably employed is of such vast im¬ 
portance that it is to be hoped the amend¬ 
ment will prevail. The cost of making 
the experiment will be very Bmall, and if 
one successful attempt is made under 
such circumstances as will show that the 
project is feasible, it will set at rest the 
question of the value of our vast territory 
iu those regions that are now arid and 
waste. If tlie supply of water is of no 
greater volume than shall permit these at 
present wortbless lands to be used for 
grazing cattle, the expenditure will have 
been a judicious one for the Government, 
for it will give a certain value to millions of 
square miles of land which is now utterly 
worthless. This is eminently a case in 
winch the public funds may be justly ex¬ 
pended and a business which may be 
very properly entrusted to the present 
Commissioner, who has proved himself 
both enterprising and energetic. 
-- 
THE WEATHER. 
Reports of drought are far more com¬ 
mon in the West than in the region eust 
of the Alleghanies, but this year com¬ 
plaints are beginning to be as loud iu the 
latter region as iu the former. May is a 
pivotal mouth, so far as agriculture is 
concerned, in tbe Northern States ; for 
the rainfall, though not sufficient in it- 
Belf for the crops, yet usually is consid¬ 
erably heavier than in June or .1 uly. In 
the Atlantic and Middle States the rain¬ 
fall in May is usually about three and 
three-quarter inches, "but the weather 
observations indicate that uji to the pres¬ 
ent time durmg the month there has 
been a deficiency of about 50 to 60 per 
cent. Moreover, the prevailing winds 
have been of a drying kind, abstracting 
much of the moisture previously held by 
the soil, and so free of clouds or aqueous 
vapor of any sort has been the atmos¬ 
phere of late, that the sun’s rays have 
reached the earth with great absorp¬ 
tive power, robbing even the subsoil of 
its watery stores. The winter, too, was 
so uuusually mild that the snow-fall on 
the Appalachian chain was comparatively 
light, and even the occasional spells of hot 
weatuer, sending the thermometer, now 
and then, up among the nineties, have 
failed to melt the snow enough to raise 
tbe streams flowing from the Alleghanies. 
Mr. Austed the English expert, in a 
late work shows, as the result of careful 
observations, that in England the aver¬ 
age annual amount of water taken up 
from the exposed water surfaces is at 
least 17 inches, and in some districts as 
much as 30. Mr. Greaves, a distinguished 
civil engmecr, concludes from a multi¬ 
tude of observations that the evaporation 
diminishes the supply afforded by the 
rainfall by 75 per cent, in the British 
Isles, and as the climate of the United 
States is drier tuan that of those islands, 
it is likely that the quantity taken up 
will be at least as great. The recent for¬ 
est fires that are doing and have done 
such a world of mischief iu New Jersey, 
Northern Pennsylvania and some of tbe 
other States, are, no doubt, largely due 
to the abnormal drought, and unless 
Providence soon sends us a copious down¬ 
pour, it is more than probable our crops 
will suffer even more seriously than they 
are now suffering, from the same cause. 
-- 
DEVELOP THE HOME CHEESE MARKET. 
The foreign market seems to have a 
strange fascination for dairymen. They 
are affected favorably or otherwise by 
any ohange in the market for cheese in 
England, and that market rules our 
prices here like a magician’s wand. 
There has been much written upon the 
necessity of developing our home market 
for cheese, of working for the greater 
market at our doors rather than for the 
smaller one three thousand miles away. 
But distance so “ lends enchantment to 
the view” that no home considerations 
can be seen. The cheese is all made to 
suit tbe supposed taste and coeditions of 
the foreign trade, and what, can’t be sold 
for that trade is worked off on the home 
market. 
Cbeese for long shipment must bo 
made too dry to Buit the best homo 
taste, and thus all our cheeses are made 
so dry as to appear poorer in cream or 
butter than they really are. Such cheeses 
require long and skillful curing to develop 
all their good qualities, and our dairymen 
have not taken the trouble to construct 
proper caring rooms; they therefore push 
them upon the market as early as pos¬ 
sible, calculating that they may ripeu on 
the ocean voyage. Most of our cheese 
finds its way iuto the hands of commis¬ 
sion merchants or dealers within 30 to 85 
days after being taken from the hoop. 
These commission men have no proper 
facilities, even if they had the knowledge, 
for caring cheese. They do have them 
taken from the boxes and dressed a few 
times to keep them from spoiling, when 
held for a longer period than expected; 
but this is a matter of simple preserva¬ 
tion and cannot be considered any proper 
curing. And in this questionable state 
they come to the retailers' hands and are 
disposed of to parties who need sympathy 
during their consumption. 
It must, be evident that this cheese is 
not likely to build up the home market, to 
eniarge the class of cheese eaters, but 
rather to discourage the consumption of 
this important article of food, which 
ought to be used in quantity second only 
to butter; whereas, while at least 600,000,- 
000 pounds of butter are consumed annu¬ 
ally by our people, not more than 150,- 
000,000 pounds of cheese are oonsumed. 
From 120,000,000 to 140,01X1,000 pounds of 
cheese are yearly exported, and this fixes 
the price of all the cheese that is made iu 
this country, while,if onc-half of the effort 
that has been made to build up this for¬ 
eign market had been given to suiting the 
taste of our own people, the home con¬ 
sumption might have been increased to a 
larger amouut than the whole foreign 
trade. If the per capita consumption of 
our population should be increased sim¬ 
ply one ounce per week, it would aggre¬ 
gate 140,000,000 pounds per year. 
But the fact is not to be disguised that 
absolutely no general effort has been 
made to increase the home market. At 
the meetings of our Dairymen’s Associa¬ 
tions certain lac; ory mauagers, who saw 
the importance of increasing this home 
market, have given the result of an effort 
in making cheese suited to this local trade 
and of presenting it before the people of 
the district. And in every case the in¬ 
creased consumption was equal to ten 
pounds per capita per annum for the dis¬ 
trict canvassed, an increase which, if ex¬ 
tended among our whole population, 
would require double our present make 
to supply. All that was done to this end 
consisted in making a softer and appar¬ 
ently more rich and buttery cheese, -nd 
curing it better before placing it in 
the hands of the retailer. But in every 
instance the public appreciated the extra 
quality of the cheese, and expended its 
patronage accordingly. If the factories 
would co-opirate in making a concerted 
effort to suit the home taste for cheese, 
not five years would pass before the price 
of cheese, as of batter, would be fixed in 
the home market and not in the foreign 
market. The latter would still be import¬ 
ant, but it would not, as now, fix the price 
on home consumption. The first consider¬ 
ation in improving the home market muBt 
be an improved system of curing. The 
inability of a large proportion of factories 
to hold any part of their stock for more 
thorough curing is a serious obstacle to 
supplying the home trade with a strictly 
fine cheese. 
BREVITIES. 
We are sorry to fiod that our specimen of 
tbe Blood Birch has been much injured by the 
past winter. 
In consideration of the partial or total 
failure of the hay crop in many parts of the 
country, fodder plants should be largely Bown 
while there is still time. 
Wa have planted about one acre (not meas¬ 
ured yet) of Blount’s corn, 16 inches apart iu 
the drills, these four feet apart. We propose 
to give it plenty of room. 
A rote from the Rural farm informs ns 
that owing to the hot, dry weather of the past 
week, the hay crop is ruined. Wheat on high, 
sandy land is severely scorched in places. 
We have been reading wbat has been said 
of the value of the Soja bean, and fail to see 
wherein it is more desirable for cultivation 
than several varieties of onr Cow-pea (bean). 
It is necesaarv that, we should again state 
that the several Free Plant and Seed Distribu¬ 
tions of the Rural New-Yorker are closed. 
The next Distribution will be announced about 
Sept. let. 
We have always raised onr sweet potatoes 
in ridges a foot h'gh, setting the plants a foot 
apart. A friend who has tried both ways says 
he prefers hills. Four plants are set in each 
hill aud the bills four feet apart. 
Prof. Cook. (Rutger's College, New Bruns¬ 
wick, N. J.), reports the yi**ld of Clawson 19$ 
bushels per acre; that of Foltz at the ra'e of 
30$ bushels. This same marked difference 
has been found for three years in succession. 
Zinc Collar Pad. We see this highly 
recommended as a cure for sore-necked cattle 
mules aud horses. Can any of our readers 
who have long and faithfully tried this pad in¬ 
form us as to its merits? It is said to act as 
an astringent and quickly cure sore shoulders. 
At tbe late show of the Ayrshire Ag. Asso¬ 
ciation, a serious charge was made against 
the representative of the Duke of Buccleuch 
by the judges. Three of his finest cows were 
found to have bad their teals tightly bound 
with tape, the object being to give a full ap¬ 
pearance to the udder. 
The Japan Climbing Fern (Lygodium scan- 
deneJ ia a handsome vine and a fine acquisition 
among onr newer plants. The trouble seems 
to ba, as compared with Srnilax, that it make3 
most of its growth in the spring. To be really 
profitable to the florist, each string ought to 
bring at least one dollar. 
We have been looking over a selection of 
new Pelargoniums, and have noted the follow¬ 
ing as the best; Victor Hugo, a dwarf; flower 
double, salmon color. Jealousy is a siugle of 
a yellowish salmon. The flower is very large 
and the petals imbricated. Lc Candenr bears 
a small, but compact truss, nearly white at 
first, changing to rose. Mad. Thiband is a 
violet rose, large, double- Naomi bears a 
a smalltruss, but the individual flower is re- 
markbale for its size and singular shape. 
Colar pink with a dash of violet. 
Many of onr readers have never even tried 
the experiment of planting corn iu d ills. VVe 
are much in favor of the plan from experience, 
and should feel sorry if obliged to go back to 
the old system of checks or hills. We are now 
usiDg a corn drill which drops a grain every 
14 iuches and covers. The drills are four feet 
apart. ThiB is for Blount’s corn. For varie¬ 
ties that do not grow so lull and nuckcr les«, 
3$ feet would be a sufficient width for the 
rows. It *' stands to reason” that lour kernels 
planted 14 inches apart will grow and develop 
better tbau four kernels planted together. We 
doubt if the extra labor in cultivating is 
enough to be taken into account. 
By all accounts from that quarter enor¬ 
mous amounts of comme r cia' fertilizers 
were this year used in the Southern Stales, 
especially in those that M uch the Atlantic— 
more even than ten or twelve years ago. At 
that time thousands tf planters ran heavily 
into debt for these means of restoring the 
fertility of tbe soil exnausted by the. reckless 
cropping of the improvident days of slavery, 
aud it took many of them years of anxiety and 
economy and the sale for a song of many of 
their acres to get rid of tbe loud they hud ibns 
imprudently (.placed upon their shoulders, 
while uot a few slipped from uuder it either 
through the bankruptcy court or acro-s to 
Texas. It is to be hoped that the experience 
of those bitter days has taught the planters a 
lesson of prudence, for this Is needed even in 
well-doing. As for the dealers, trust them to 
look out for their own interests without 
prompting. 
The forces that have controlled the grain 
market for severel mouths have produced im¬ 
portant changjB in the routes of shipments, 
some of widen will donbileBs be permanent. 
By these New Orlcano has certainly been tne 
greatest gainer, and Boston probably the 
greatest loser. V\ bile the former has bad a 
heavy bui plus of grain beyoud its capacity of 
storage aud vessel room, the latter baa bad a 
great surplus Of freight room, us wed of eior- 
age capacity. During the month of Mai eh the 
Crescent City, iudeed, ruuked second only to 
New York as an export point. For this rush 
of business the Queen of ibe South is indebted 
mainly Lo the Father of Waters, aud to Jay 
Gould who is vigorously sustaining the barge 
system, by which a large proportion of me 
Western products that formerly came east¬ 
ward ou their way to a loreign muiket, now 
seek it by this southern route. 
We find (he following in the agricultural 
columns of our respected contemporary the 
Germantown 'lelegrapb; — "Five hundred 
thousand dollars won! This is the amouut, 
more or less, that we believe wan wagered be¬ 
tween the Telegraph and Rural New Yorker. 
as to the germination of weevil eaten peas. 
The Jatter proposed that uot over flltoun out 
of a hundred planted would grow ; and, hav¬ 
ing contested this point we Bccnred the hun¬ 
dred hollow peas, which seemed to be mere 
shells; they were duly planted; and forty have 
made their appeal ance and look as vigorous 
aB those untouched by the weevil. A check 
for the amount is now in order. Wbenit is 
received aud paid, those wbo furnished us 
with the seed may call upon us lor their 
promised share, Meantime it will be also in 
order for tbe Rural to acknowledge the corn, 
or pea just as it pleases.” The test which the 
veteran editor of the Telegraph has made, 
shows a higher percentage of vitality for 
weevil-eaten peas than did our own tests or 
the many others which have from time to time 
been published iu these columns. Granting 
that the Telegraph test was made in the best 
of faith, yet it is not unreasonable to suppose 
that the chance of winning so large a sum may 
have caused the youug plants to seem more vig¬ 
orous than they really were. We hold the edi¬ 
tor in duty bound to tell ns how many ot tae 
40 plants bear fruit. Meanwhile, since an 
alternative is offered us, we freely “ acknow- 
edge the oom." 
