364 
TKf RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
JUNE Sii 
T H E 
RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY. 
CONDUCTED BY 
ELBERT S. CARMAN. 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
No. 34 Park Row, New York. 
SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 1880. 
Subscribers of the Rural New-Yorker 
will greatly oblige us if they will promptly 
notify us of any irregularity in the receipt of 
their papers. The many changes rendered 
necessary by our removal and an unusually 
large number of complaints make us desirous 
of rectifying any further derangements at 
present unknown to us as speedily as possible. 
Gratoz Short-horn Bulls.— We regret 
to learn that many of these are taken to 
the Far West by unprincipled breeders, 
and sold to the ignorant ranchers as full- 
bred, thus greatly injuring the reputation 
of the latter among them, because the 
stock of even the very best grade bulls 
canuot by any possibility be nearly equal 
to that of thoroughbred. In breeding 
from grades, the tendency of the progeny 
is to go back to the bad points of its com¬ 
mon dam. rather than to the superior 
points of the sire. If the ranchmen would 
demand a herd-book pedigree of all from 
whom they purchase they could not then 
be cheated in the quality of the animals, 
or, if so, by referring to the herd-book, 
the cheat would be instantly detected, and 
the seller of the grade for a thorough¬ 
bred might be prosecuted and heavy dam¬ 
ages got from him, as was recently done 
in a case of the kind in England. 
.-♦-*-*- 
An Objectionable Practice. —To our 
view, the beauty o c the surroundings 
of many country homes is seriously mar¬ 
red by the very common practice of cut¬ 
ting off the lower branches of the trees 
so as to expose a bare trunk from eight 
to fifteen feet in bight or more. This is 
especially detrimental to the appearanoe 
of evergreen trees whose beauty in a 
great measure depends upon a full growth 
of their lower foliage, even though it 
rests upon the ground. Deciduous trees, 
however, when thus cut up, have the 
look of being held up in the air, while 
the grounds aro robbed of that shady, 
verdant fullness, which is so essential a 
part of 1 an dscape beauty. A forest viewed 
at a distance is grand. The tall, naked 
trunks are in keeping with its extent. 
But to those who seek the woods for 
pleasant walks, the smaller trees, the 
shrubs, the undergrowth, and not the 
tall trees, are the immediate objects of 
interest. To cut off the lower branches 
of trees is to remove the tree out of—above 
the lawn, while the rude stems are alone 
left for ornament. 
-- »-»■♦- 
« tht. ” Authority.—'T he street eipns of New York 
are always interesting’»n<l especially ao Just after the 
May movinirs A rural paper published in the City of 
New York celebrates its removal with a. perfect erup¬ 
tion of siyns. One of these reads “The American 
Horticultural Authority." “ The Authority'’ is pood, 
mid it was well to put if on toe sign, as it might not lie 
discovered by reading the paper. 
The above is truly sarcastic—isn’t it? 
We frankly confess it hurt us. Argue as 
we would that it was the outcome of 
greed and ill-nature—yet we felt that we 
deserved the scathing reproach in a meas¬ 
ure. Oh ! that that sign had never been 
painted ! The object of the sign was in 
truth to inform those who might not dis¬ 
cover it from reading the paper, as well 
as those who do not read it at, all, that 
the Rural New-Yorker is THE Ameri- 
ican Horticultural Authority. Has the 
American Agriculturist, in its self-lauda¬ 
tions, never made equally astounding 
claims, the truth of which nobody might, 
could, would, or should otherwise ever 
have suspected! Why then should the 
A. A. hobble across the park during this 
“heated term” to read our signs and to 
cast its sarcasms at this bit of pretension ? 
Why? 
Alter thinking the matter over awhile 
full of shame and—remorse, we recalled a 
little circumstance that at once allayed a 
part of the sting. It was not many months 
ago that the A. A. earnestly solicited us 
t-o purchase a fifty-thousand dollar inter¬ 
est in itB management. Aha ! thought 
we—had we done so—would the A. A. 
then have objected had we assumed to 
be 4 4 The American Horticultural Author¬ 
ity?” And would the assumption have 
been any the less pretentious ? 
The Census. —We would remind our 
friends that the taking of the Census 
begins to-morrow, June 1st. It is highly 
important, on several accounts, for the 
interests of agriculture that full and 
truthful answers should be returned to 
all questions relating to farming and farm 
products, and we trust our friends will 
not only be themselves careful in thiB 
matter, but urge the necessity of care 
upon their neighbors also. The enu¬ 
merators are strictly instructed to observe 
courtesy towards all with whom their 
business brings them into relation, and 
any failure in this respect should be re¬ 
reported to the Superintendent. At the 
same time it must not be forgotten that 
the public should aid them in their 
duties by returning full and prompt 
answers to all legitimate questions. Any 
refusal in this matter subjects the offen¬ 
der to legal penalties. A word of caution 
may also not be out of order here. Many 
swindlers will doubtless make use of this 
opportunity to exercise their calling, and 
we warn all farmers and others to be on 
their guard against such rascals, and to 
sign absolutely HOtking they have not 
read, and which they do not clearly un¬ 
derstand. The law provides that the 
census enumerators must be taken from 
the districts in wkiob they operate, and no 
difficulty should therefore exist in identi¬ 
fying them. 
- «♦«» 
CARRIAGE AND HEAVY DRAFT HORSES. 
Both kinds of these horses have been 
scarce and dear in our city markets this 
spring, and the country has been scoured 
in every direction with the hope of obtain¬ 
ing a supply equal to the demand, but 
with only partial success. For many 
years to come, we are persuaded that 
such horses, if rightly bred, will be the 
most profitable stock that can be grown 
in our country, for there is not only an 
active and increasing home demand, but 
they will also be wanted for foreign ex¬ 
portation. 
A horse for the gentleman’s carriage 
should be extra-well bred; that is to say, 
he must have a good share of race-horse 
blood in his veins, either immediately or 
remotely, otherwise he will be lacking in 
style, spirit, action and endurance, all of 
which are essential to be oombined in fine 
carriage horses for a gentleman’s driving, 
either single or paired. 
For the buggy or light wagon, a bight 
of 15 to 15} hands with a weight of 1,000 
to 1,100 pounds, is the best size; but for 
pairs for the carriage and the coup<5, they 
should be 16 to 17 hands high, and weigh 
from 1,200 to 1,300 pounds. This enables 
them to make a fine, lofty show, and 
gives them substance and power enough 
to take a heavy carriage full of people, 
not only easily over city pavements and 
through the park, but aiso over rough 
country roads, when gentlemen go to their 
summer residences. 
Unlike the Europeans, we are sadly 
deficient in horses for heavy draft—such 
as are large and powerful enough to work 
the heavy clay soils of our farms, and for 
the use of city carts and truck wagons. 
These should be rather short in the leg, 
of block (pony) build, and with the best 
of feet and legs. They may be from 16 
to 17} hands high, and weigh cot less 
than 1,400 or overgo 1,800 pounds. For 
the above purpose it is much more eco¬ 
nomical to use horses of these sizes than 
smaller ones, but they must not be made 
up of coarse bones and dabby flesh. 
Their boneB should be fine for the size 
and the flesh firm—tough muscle, not 
butcher's meat—and the cords and sinews 
be like whalebone. The action must also 
be good, the walk fast, and the trot rea¬ 
sonably quick, with an indomitable will 
and a courage that never balks at a heavy 
pull. 
Now is the time for farmers to decide 
upon the best and most suitable stallions 
to which to breed their mares. The 
value of the offspring greatly depends on 
this, and they should not mind an extra 
price for servioe, when the produce at 
full growth is likely to bring twice or 
thrice what it could be sold for if got by 
an inferior male. 
— -- ■ 
AGRICULTURE AND THE TARIFF. 
Last Thursday, May 27, the United 
States Senate held some discussion aneut 
oue feature of the bill making appropria¬ 
tions for the Department of Agriculture. 
The bill authorizes the President to ap¬ 
point nine Commissioners from civil life 
whose duty it shall be to investigate thor¬ 
oughly all the various questions relat¬ 
ing to the agricultural, commercial, man¬ 
ufacturing and mining interests of the 
country, so far as the same may be ne¬ 
cessary to the establishment of a judi¬ 
cious tariff. In the prosecution of its in¬ 
quiries, the Commission is empowered to 
visit such portions of the country as it 
may deem advisable. Should the bill 
pasB with this feature incorporated in it, 
no legislation on the tariff must be looked 
for during the present session of Con¬ 
gress. Indeed, there is little doubt but 
that the main reason why the measure 
receives the hearty support of the Pro¬ 
tectionists in that body, is to be found 
in the delay its adoption must necessi¬ 
tate in legislation lightening the duties 
on some foreign imports. So long, how¬ 
ever, as its tendency is beneficial to agri¬ 
culture, we do not care to scrutinize too 
closely the motives of its supporters, on 
the principle that it’s churlish to “look a 
gift horse, in the mouth.” 
We are Btrongly of opinion that the 
proposed investigation is essential to any 
alterations in the present tariff, that wiil 
prove at all satisfactory to the vast agri¬ 
cultural interests of the oountry. In 
legislating on thiB subject in the past the 
interests of agriculture have been, to a 
great extent, neglected or sacrificed in 
favor of those of other industries. This 
injustice, we are willing to admit, has 
been largely dne to the ignorance of our 
legislators with regard to the effects of 
many of their enactments upon the agri¬ 
culture of the country. All corporate in¬ 
terests have always been prompt in pre¬ 
senting to Congress generally a one-sided 
view of the bearing of legislation affect¬ 
ing their own welfare; the agricultural 
classes alone have never had recourse to 
the often doubtful methods by which 
other industries have secured legislative 
action favorable to their own prosperity. 
What success has attended agriculture in 
this country has been in spite of legisla¬ 
tion ; what reverses it has met with have 
more than once been precipitated or ag¬ 
gravated by it. With both branches of 
Congress composed mainly of lawyers, 
together with a pretty liberal sprinkling 
of those engaged in other professions and 
callings which have nothing to do with 
agriculture beyond drawing a large share 
of their support from its labors, there is 
urgent need of more light among our law¬ 
makers upon agricultural topics than can 
come from the handful of Congressmen 
whose chief pursuit is farming—when 
politics and other avocations leave them 
any leisure for it. 
Let us, therefore, have a thorough in¬ 
vestigation of the bearing of legislation 
upon the rights and needs of agriculture, 
the prime interest of the country, not only 
with reference to the taxation of foreign 
goods imported into the country, but 
with regard to internal taxation also. But 
as past experience has taught us to be 
very moderate in our expectations of Con¬ 
gressional action for the benefit of agri¬ 
culture, we shall be content, for the pres¬ 
ent, with the limited investigation pro¬ 
posed in the above bill. 
-» • ♦ 
BREVITIES. 
The London Garden of May 15 gives a 
colored plate of three magnificent Hybrid Tea 
Roses, viz: Duke of Connaught, Pearl and 
Beauty of Stapleford: 
The English papers are protesting—as well 
they may—against the stupid regulations 
which are being enacted by Belgium, France, 
Italy and other governments as precautions 
against the Phylloxera. 
Train a single tomato plant up the side of 
a bam, kitchen, shed or arbor, the same as 
one would train any other vine without ten¬ 
drils. Most persons wiil be surprised at the 
quantity of fruit it will yield. 
We can now speak from experience with 
regard to London Purple. Three tablespoon¬ 
fuls of the Purple to a peck of plaster are 
quite effectual in killing the beetles. It seems 
in every way preferable to Paris-green. It is 
perhaps needless to say that the flour and 
Purple must be thoroughly mix id. Perhaps 
a smaller proportion of the Purple would suf¬ 
fice. 
We take the credit to ourselves of having 
discovered that Defiance wheat is valuable as 
a winter variety for this climate. If at this 
time we were called upon to decide which of alL 
our wiuter wheats In the moat promising, we 
should have to say the Defiance. But the appear¬ 
ance of our experiment plots has changed very 
much since early spring, some of the most 
promising then being the least promising now. 
And ihere is still time for further changes. 
The strawberry meeting of the Michigan 
Pomological Society, will be held at Battle 
Creek, Mich, on the 16th, 17th and 18th 
of J une. The meetings of thi6 society are al¬ 
ways of extraordinary interest and all lovers 
of horticulture will profit by attending. Ar¬ 
rangements will be made lor the entertain¬ 
ment of delegates from abroad aud representa¬ 
tives of local horticultural societies. A num¬ 
ber of prominent horticulturists will address 
the meeting. 
A writer in the Mark Lane Express, re¬ 
ferring to our International Exhibition of 
sheep aud wool at Philadelphia next Septem¬ 
ber, says : “In order to induce foreigner- to 
exhiuit, the United States lias passed a bill 
exempting exhibits from duties, provided they 
are imported solely for exhibition. This conces¬ 
sion is rendered almost useless by the niggardly 
condition that If the commodities are after¬ 
wards sold in the States, they will be liable to 
the duties current at the time.” The comment 
is made upon the above as follows:—'•In¬ 
ternational exhibitions are quite out of char¬ 
acter with prohibitory tariffs, as these are 
outrages upon the proper principle of inter¬ 
national trade.’ 
For months past it has been a continual 
complaint of those visiting the horse marts of 
this city in search of powerful draft horses and 
fine large pairs of carriage horses, as well as of 
single coup<- horses, that there were uot nearly 
enough in the market to supply the demand, 
and both dealers and private buyers have sent 
out and scoured the neighboring country in 
vain for them. It will pay our farmers—and 
that well—to pay special attention to the rais¬ 
ing of horses suitable to supply thLs rapidly 
growing demand, which is not confined ex¬ 
clusively to this section, but extends, with 
more or less urgeucy, all over the country. 
European Crop Prospects. Across the 
Atlantic, too, there has been a more or less 
severe drought, hut it does not seem to have 
hitherto done much damage to crops. The 
London Times in its iesue of Mav 37th, Bays* 
“Experts predict that there will be a great 
harvest here and in France where the appear¬ 
ance of the wheat is all that could be desired.” 
Of the English crops the same high authority 
says;—“ Some rain would do good, but a con¬ 
tinuance of dry weather will do no harm.” 
And again. “ The aspect, of the weather, which 
is now anxiously watched by those Interested 
in pasturage and root crops, does not seem 
to concern operators In the wheat market." 
It is estimated that if the promises of the 
wheat harvest are realized, it will save Eng¬ 
land and France together fully twenty million 
pounds sterling, or about one hundred million 
dollars, nearly ail of which would otherwise 
come to this country. 
Tub large sale of Jersey cattle in this citv a 
few days ago, marks a new departure in judg¬ 
ing of the points which are to determine the 
value of animals of this fine breed. Hereto¬ 
fore. whenever they have been brought under 
the auctioneer’s hammer, importation, regis¬ 
tration and fancy colors have mainly deter¬ 
mined the prices which they brought; but un¬ 
der the impulse of the recent movement ot 
several associations looking to tbe record of 
performances of cows at the pail, each cow at 
the late vendue was sold mainly upon her 
actual butter record, though, of course, the 
other points were not wholly neglected in the 
transaction. In the sale of bulls, too. the 
record of their ancestresses at the pail went a 
great way towards fixing their price. It was 
also remarkable in that the prices obtained for 
Myra II. and Lass Edith—$1,100 and $1,435 re¬ 
spectively—are said to have been the highest 
ever brought in this country by Jersey cattle 
at public sale. 
Tub Veterinary report of the British Privy 
Council for 1870. just issued shows that during 
last year 101,303, cattle, 193,268 sheep and 
18,843 pigs—813 408 animals in all—left the 
United States and Canada for the United King¬ 
dom. Of these 14,034 were thrown overboard 
at sea, 1,249 were lauded dead, 455 were so 
much injured or exhausted that they had to be 
killed immediately after landing. Thus out of 
313,408 animals 15.728 were either lost over¬ 
board, or as the Mark Lane Express puts it, 
“had to be killed to save their lives.” This 
makes more than twenty per cent. We have long 
urged the necessity of reformation in the 
method of transporting live stock in the long 
voyage across the Atlantic, aud been especially 
earnest against shipments during the stormy 
and inclement months of winter, during which 
most of the above casualties occurred. As the 
losses incurred by the shippers seem power¬ 
less to effect a reformation in this matter, the 
law should soon prohibit such reckless cruelty 
to animals. 
The Session of the New York Legisla¬ 
ture has come to a close, leaving much 
disappointment at the non-fulfillment of 
most of its promises of reforming flagrant 
abuses. With regard to railroud legislation, 
through the machinations of a powerful lobby 
the Anti-Discrimination bill and the bi|l creat¬ 
ing a Board of Railway Commissioners to 
overlook railroad affairs, were both lost. The 
$50,000 spent by the Hupburn Committee in 
investigating the abuses ill railroad charges 
against which tbe former bill was directed, 
are not, however, to be regretted, as the odious 
injustice of these abuses has bceu so clearly 
demonstrated that the force of public opinion 
must soon overcome lobby influences, aud iu- 
Bnre legislation against them. Among theiaws 
passed by both Houses and in which the 
farmers are especially interested are, the anti¬ 
tramp law; Beuator Halbert's bill "To 
Prevent Deception in the Sale of Butter,” pro 
viding that oleomargarine tubs shall be 
stamped legibly, and Mr. T. Skinner's bill ap¬ 
propriating $20,000 for an agricultural experi¬ 
ment station. As our readers are aware, the 
Rural New-Yorker has earnestly advocated 
all these measures, and it will certainly do its 
utmost to insure proper legislation anent 
railroad freight changes during the next ses¬ 
sion of the legislature. 
The Drouoitt and the Crops.— East of the 
Alleghanies the long drought has affected the 
agricultural interests very injuriously. For 
nearly six weeks little rain has fallen, aud 
although on yesterday, May 30, there was a 
wideeuread rain over moBt of that section, 
still it came too late und was cot heavy enough 
to more than cause a partial recovery of the 
damaged crops. The hay crop has suffered 
most, and farmers estimate it will uot be more 
than half a crop, drains have suffered less 
and in them 25 per cent, is about the present 
estimate of the loss. Garden truck of ail 
kinds has been damaged considerably by the 
dry spell, except potatoes which seem to have 
suffered more from the Colorado beetles. 
Among fruits apples alone seem in fair con¬ 
dition. Young peaches have fallen and 
withered in many places, and cherries have 
been picked before ripe, to prevent an eutire 
loss. The Joss in strawberries is put down at 
25 per cent. In the West the wiuter wheat in 
most of the StateB is in fine condition. In 
Texas and Kansas drought has injured the 
wheat crop seriously, but reeeut rains will pro¬ 
duce half or three-quarters of an average 
yield per acru. In the Northwest wet weather 
caused a late planting ot corn and spring 
wheat, but both are now doing finely. Iu the 
South a Rood stand of cotton is the rule; late 
rains have greatly benefited the crop, but have 
g iven a start to the worms iu some sections. 
u the whole the harvest prospects are a 
good average. 
