JULY 47 
A writes in the Loudon Garden traps field 
mice by placiug bits of cheese in bottles sunk 
in the soil, rather on the slant, the mouth 
on the level of the ground. 
Tue Oleander Poisonous.— It is stated that 
the oleander “ is a deadly poison, and may fre¬ 
quently prove a treacherous fondling if not 
carefully watched. It is one of our most beau¬ 
tiful window plauts when covered with its 
large rose-like blossoms, but la these blossoms 
the weapon of death resides.’’ A case is re¬ 
corded of a child having eaten a few flowers 
aud being poisoned by the same. The Annals 
of the Peninsular War states that “ a number 
of French soldiers went out foraging near 
Madrid, returned laden with the fruits of their 
search. One of the number, with a view of 
securing some wood to make skewers for the 
meat, cut a quantity of oleander bows, and, 
having stripped them of the bark, used the 
wood in the meat. The result was, that out 
of twelve who ate of the roast seveu died, and 
the rest were dangerously ill. The poisonous 
principle is so subtle that its exhalations alone 
are suliicieut to cause serious accidents, and 
even death, to those who recline or sleep for 
any time under their influence. It exists 
equally in every part of the plant, but it is con¬ 
siderably weakened by cultivation.” 
Knowledge. —We commend the following 
remarks of Prof. Wnghtsou, president of the 
new English Agricultural College. The ques¬ 
tion of the ignorant and of the self-sullicient is 
ever, “Of what use is that?” But, it is very 
dillicult to say what is of use aud what is not 
Of use. Knowledge is powerful aud knowledge 
is portable. It dwells with us alter we have 
received it. It fructifies in us and throws its 
light on subjects with which we may find our¬ 
selves brought in contact. Knowledge is sug¬ 
gestive, enabling us to offer explanations of 
the unknown from the known. Knowledge is 
the best safeguard against foolish statements 
and false arguments—the best defense against 
the wiles of quacks aud impostors. Be care¬ 
ful, I say, of the seductive spirit of laziness 
which prompts you to question the usefulness 
of any subject. The most learned men never 
feel that they kuow enough, and there is some¬ 
thing ennobling aBd fascinating in the clear 
perception of a new fact in natural science, 
which amply repays the trouble of acquiring 
it, even if it went no farther. 
As previous numbers of the Rural New- 
Yorker will show—we fully indorse the fol¬ 
lowing Irom Column's Rural World : While 
we are on shrubs, let us not forget an old 
favorite of ours, the Hypericum Kalmianum. 
or Laurel-leaved St. John’s Wort. It is a na¬ 
tive of our stony hillsides ; in bloom from July 
to Septemner; forms a very dense, round 
shrub, about two to three feet high ; its glossy 
loiiage is flue for bouquet greeu; its yellow 
blossoms are very delicate and beautiful and 
furnish an abundance of honey for the bees for 
several months. Bee-keepers should not neg¬ 
lect to plant an abundance of it near their bee 
stauds, and it also make6 as beautiful and or¬ 
namental a hedge as can be found. Its only 
drawback is that it is a native. It is neither 
Russian, Japanese, Chinese nor English, but 
simply a native American, and of course not 
fashionable or desirable on that accouut. It is 
neither lar-fotehed nor dear-bought, and there¬ 
fore will not sell among native Americans. 
The Weeping Mountain Ash has proba¬ 
bly received as much attention as any weep¬ 
ing tree, on account of its distinct habit, says 
Mr. Win. C. Barry. A careful examiuation of 
its mode of growth cannot fail to excite won¬ 
der. if worked two or three feet lrom the 
ground and allowed to grow wild, it 600 a be¬ 
comes as odd a piece of lramework as it is 
possible to imagine. I have an indistinct rec¬ 
ollection of one I saw growing in this manner, 
and at the time I considered.it.as great a curi¬ 
osity as 1 had ever 6een. Grafted 6ix to eight 
feet high, it becomes a very desirable lawn 
tree, and in the Autumn, laden with large 
clusters of bright red fruit, it produces a bril¬ 
liant effect. 
“Fancy Farming," in the usual eense of 
the term, says the New York Evening Post, is 
almost always the sure road to financial ruin. 
It requires a fat purse to experiment with 
costly breeds of cattle, sheep aud fowls. 
Much, however, is thus learned, and the more 
wealih aad intelligence that are turned toward 
the improvement of 6tock, the better it is for 
the farming community generally. 
Partisan Vituperation.— “ The political 
campaigu just opening,” says the Husband¬ 
man, “ promises to be abusive, slanderous and 
disgraceful in its treatment of candidates. 
The blackguardism of politics has become so 
shameless and reckless iu the last few years 
that it is nothing lees than a national disgrace. 
A candidate for a high office may have ffad a 
spotless character up to the moment of his 
nomination, but that will not shield him from 
attack. He will be pictured as a monster of 
vices, and the public will be invited to consider 
THE RU1AL ^EW-YOBICER. 
specific charges of wrong in which he has 
been profiting. Tlis good name will give him 
no protection among those who revel in politi¬ 
cal slanders. Is it not possible lo reform 
politics in this respect? Are partisans wholly 
destitute of honorable consideration for their 
opponents?" [Yes, as a rule, we think they 
are.—Eds ] “It is extremely hurtful to the 
moral eense of the people to be regaled on lies 
that have the plausibility of truth, and are 
offered in disparagement of men selected for 
high official positions." 
Selecting Seed. —Mr. Geddes says: “ If far¬ 
mers would exercise as much care in selecting 
seed wheat as they do in corn, there would be 
less running out.” “ This is a fact,” says Prof. 
Blount in the Country Gentleman, “and 1 am 
surp’rised that more farmers do not 6ce it. In 
my experiments with corn, I have tenaciously 
held the fact that the top ear bears the only 
seed suitable to plant, and as tenaciously do 
I hold that there is only one head in each stool 
of wheat perfect enough to keep it from de¬ 
teriorating. Auolher reason why wheats run 
out, is that as long as farmers take their seed 
from the commou granary, eo long will it 
diminish in yield. They may sifi it, sling it 
across tbe barn floor, and run it through 
a hundred sieves, aud it will still decrease. 
Not until they exercise the patience and 
science of hand-picking a bushel or two every 
year from the top heads of the best stools, aud 
sowing them alone on some choice lot lor seed 
the following year, will they escapu the de¬ 
generating influences of bad, unremunerative 
crops. Wheat is so remarkably sensitive that 
it receives the slightest attention most kindly ; 
and, on the other hand, the presence of any 
foreign plant (even another kind of wheat), 
weed, fly, bug or worm, takc9 from it its life to 
such a degree that every farmer loses rnauy 
bushels annually.’ 
Another Insecticide.— it is by no means 
i labor thrown awajq even when there is a doubt 
of realizipg any benefit from a claimed recipe 
for a good jiurpose. We can try it, and hold 
fast if it should prove of serv.ee. We have 
before us (says the Germautowu Telegraph) 
what a German gardener declares is a remedy 
for destroying the black or green flies, cater¬ 
pillars, etc. It is 6imply to take the water 
in which the stems of the tomato-plant Lave 
been boiled, and sprinkle it. when eold, with 
a syringe, over the plants affected by these or 
other insects. It not only kills the insects, but 
leaves an odor which prevents others from 
coming. We may also mention that the juice 
of the tomato itself will quickly remove oil 
stains from the hands, etc. 
SUPPLEMENTARY CROP REPORTS. 
Cal., Santa Rosa, Sonoma Co.—Wheat, av¬ 
erage crop. Corn, late planting aud poor 
prospects; Spring cold and wet. Potatoes 
promise fairly. Oats, rye, aud barley, average 
yields. Varieties of wheat: Oregon Club, 
Chili, Australian and Smith’s Club principally. 
The acreage in small grain is about 10 per 
cent, more than in 1879. The comparative 
acreage, each with the others, iu small grain 
iu this county is about 60 per cent, of wheat; 
barley, 25 per cent.; oats, 10; rye, five. Aver¬ 
age yield of wheat in bushels, say 20 per acre. 
Prospects for fruit, the poorest for sevt-u years. 
All sorts, except plums, will scarcely yield 
anything. Best Summer apple, Red Aslrachan; 
best Winter, Newtown Pippin; best pears. 
Barlett and Winter Neiis j best peaches, Alex¬ 
ander, Crawford's Early, and Smock. Grapes 
will be an immense yield, promising over 
2,000,000 gallons of wine for 1880 in Sonoma 
county alone. j. b. a. 
Cal., San Gabriel, Los Angeles Co.—In this 
county the harvest will be excellent. Barley 
is ,the principal crop ; wheat ranks next, the 
Odessa wheat being the variety usually planted 
on account of its not rusting. The Early Rose i6 
the variety of potato generally planted. The 
acreage devoted to small grains is probably one- 
half more than last year. Sugar cane is not 
grown. A number in the country, however, are 
growing the sugar beet for sugar. Fruit pro¬ 
spects are good; we grow almost all kinds here, 
f i om oranges and lemons to the Norlucrn fruits. 
Oranges, lemons, grapes aud poaches, are 
raised in larger quantities than other fruits, 
though plums, pears, apples, quinces, apricots, 
nectarines, &c., &c., are all grown here, and 
bear well. a. p. a. 
Fla., Leo Park, Waldo Co.—Cotton in this 
section of Florida is not a promising crop. 
The early part of the season was unfavorable, 
and many farmers plowed it under and fell 
hack upon rice. In a few places—and these 
are always under negro cultivation—1 have 
seen some good patches of cotton, but it is 
doubtful whether, even If the remainder of 
the season be favorable, the yield will reach to 
more than 70 per cent, of the old average. A 
slightly increased area has this year been 
given to sugar, and the cane generally looks 
well. Oat6 have been—well, a failure. Seeing 
the way they were likely to turn out, I early 
plowed mine under and sowed sorghum for 
fodder in their place, and I have had no reason 
to regret the plan. The value of the Early 
Amber variety as a forage plant Is not suffi¬ 
ciently understood. Tbe area of rice is larger 
Ibis year than last, and will be much further 
increased next. year. It looks well, and far¬ 
mers are beginning to see that it is their safest 
and one of their most profitable crops. The 
absence of machiucry fur cleaning it has betn 
a drawback, but that is being remedied. This 
is tbe “ off ” year for oranges; but do not, on 
that account, think that there will be any de¬ 
ficiency in the supply. So much has been 
done of late in the making of orange groves 
that uew trees are every year coming into 
bearing, so that, although individual trees 
may not be as heavily laden as last year, 
the crop that is destiued for Northern mar¬ 
kets is probably larger than ever. Bananas 
are early aud good, the warm Winter having 
spared the plants over a much higher range 
than usual. Com promises well. Some fine 
ears were brought me to-day, pronounced 
ripe, the first ol the season iu this neighbor¬ 
hood. Tobacco is being more largely culti¬ 
vated. Some grown experimentally last year 
was not distinguishable from the best Havana, 
and there are now 40 or 50 acres iu this imme¬ 
diate vicinity showiug as fine a product ub 
can be 6een anywhere. Sweet potatoes—the 
great staud- by of so many iu Florida—areas 
yet in au early stage, but they are growing 
fast and promise well. Of wheat and hay we 
have none—I wish we had. 1 have an experi¬ 
mental plot of Teosinte that is looking so fine 
as to give me great faith in its value, a. i. e. 
Idaho, Buis City, Ada Co.—This county 
raises from 150,000 to 200,000 bushels of all 
60 rts of grain. Little or no sorghum is grown 
here. All fruits grown here will give flue 
crops this year. But little com is raised here. 
B. b. w. 
111., Volo, Lake Co.—Wheat is rusted; flax 
i6 good; corn splendid; potatoes good; very 
few beetles; hay heavy, except clover, which 
was winter-killed. Apple trees loaded; small 
fruit plentiful. Sheep and dairy goods are the 
leading products of this county. The oat crop 
very heavy. Mold’s Ennobled oats look 
splendid. The Golden Ovoid maagel is doffig 
well. I hud to pull up some to thin them out. 
The seed was first-rate. I planted the Laurel- 
leaved willow on high, dry ground, aud it is 
growing first-rate, the sprouts being 30 inches 
long. The Cuthbert raspberries arc growing 
nice. Abies Siberica came up iu the beginning 
of May. I removed the glass, but did not shade 
enough ; iu two days it became very hot and 
the plants died. t. d. 
111., Mt. Palatine, Putnam Co.— Wheat 
nearly a failure. Oats are bo far all right. 
Corn is the leading grain for this part of the 
country, aud is well advanced and doing well. 
Potatoes are in good condition and doing well; 
free from bugs. Fruit better than last year. 
Rural. 
Ind., Warsaw, Cosciusko Co.—We are right 
in thu midst of the wheat harvest; the crop is 
about au average oue; the quality will be No. 
1, if wet weather does not hurt it. The acre¬ 
age is 25 per ceut. larger than in other years. 
Com looks very well for the Beasou. The 
wet weather has hindered a great rnauy that 
have clay laud from cultivating it as it should 
have been done, aud now that clover hay¬ 
making and wheat-cutting have come, they 
cannot give it the attention it should have. 
Oats are good. Potatoes are a fine crop, taken 
at large, but they are not grown very exten¬ 
sively here. Fruits of all kinds are fair crops, 
with the exception of gooseberries aud cur¬ 
rants, which the worms have completely de¬ 
stroyed. Our chief varieties of wheat are the 
red Blue-Stone, Fultz, Wagoner, Buckeye, 
Lancaster, Clawson — ail red but the last. 
Of oats we grow Excelsior, aud the common 
white. Of potatoes the favorites are the Early 
Rose, Red Peachblow, Peeilcss, andj Snow¬ 
flake. Of wheat the red Blue-Stone aud 
Wagoner have proved to be the best, all things 
considered; of potatoes, the Early Rose and 
Peachblows; and of oats, the Excelsior; 
of apples, Rambo, Yellow Bellflower, Seek-No- 
Further, Vandevere, Ben Davie, Baldwiu, 
Maiden's Blush, White Winter Pearmain, 
aud Neverfaii; of cherries, the common red. 
Borghum is not grown to as great au extent as 
It was a few years ago. I do not think that 
we understand how to handle it to make good 
sirup. I am trying a small patch this year of 
Early Amber. It is the first cane that I ever 
planted, so it is an experiment with me. I am 
also experimenting with mangel-wurzel and 
American Rutabagas. This is the first time I 
have tried to raise roots iu the place of grain 
for stock. Farmers here are prosperous, and 
our State is improving rapidly. e. a. t. 
Ind., Auburn, DeKalb Co.—Wheat, good, 
mostly Lancaster and Fuilz. Com, a very 
good stand on upland, but 6mall on low land ; 
it is drowned. The oat prospect is good. 
Grass, an average crop. Potatoes ditto. Of 
rye and barley, very little is sown, but that is 
good. Of sorghum too very little is planted. 
Apples, a light crop. Pears, peaches and 
small fruits good crops. Acreage under wheat, 
largo; corn, small; oats, average; potatoes, 
average. av. j.w. 
Iowa, Letts, Louisa Co.—Crop prospects are 
good in this section. Winter wheat will be 
rather light owing to its freeziug outcast Winter. 
Spring wheat is about au average—the acre¬ 
age, however, is less thau commou. Rye, 
good; most of it is in shock. Oats look fine 
and promise a large yield; the acreage is 
somewhat greater than for some years past. 
Com is lookiug very well. The month of May 
was dry aud it did not all come up at once, 
and it looks quite uneven; the acreage is as 
large as common. The prospect for a crop is 
as good as in years past. Potatoes look well, 
the earlier kinds are now fit for use. Almost 
all kinds of fruit will be plentiful, except 
late cherries, which were injured by late 
frosts. All crops on the bottom lands in this 
part of the Stale are nearly ruined by high 
water. There will be an abundance raised on 
the high lauds to fill the place, and yet have a 
surplus to spare for the Eastern market, with 
some over for the needy Irishman. The seeds 
from the Rural office are almost all growing, 
and look well. Out of 11 Tellephone peas five 
were weevil-eaten and did not grow. Those 
that grew are now ripe and I am pleased with 
the looks of them. The Cuthberts will bear a 
few berries this season, so we will 6ee wbat 
they are like. win. m. n. 
Iowa, Burlington, Des Moines Co.—We are 
just iu the midst of harvest here. Fall wheat 
will make a half crop; that is, what was not 
plowed up in the Spring. There was a good 
deal of it plowed up and sowu to Spring wheat 
or planted to corn. Spring wheat Is pretty 
good; the Chinch bug hurt it somewhat, but 
there is not much sowu. Oats look splendid 
aud arc just beginning to ripen; there is a 
pretty large acreage. Corn is as good as 
people could wish it. In this section we have 
had very nice weather all Summer. Hay will 
be a very fair crop. Apples are abundant and 
of good quality. Of peaches we have none 
worthy of note. Small fruits have been very 
plentiful. My Euuobled oats are very rank ; 
owing to being sick I did not get them sown 
until late. Mangels are doing fine. 
w. p. p. 
Iowa, Manchester, Delaware Co.—No wheat 
laised here this year; oats and potatoes good ; 
corn backward owiug to heavy ruins, but look¬ 
iug well; rye good, also barley. Our corn is 
the yellow sort, and white Dent—mostly yel¬ 
low. Potatoes, Peachblow and Early Rose. 
More com is planted than of any other grain ; 
oats next; then rye, barley aud wheat; small 
amount of sorghum. We do not raise more 
than half the fruit we consume here; what 
orchard-: there are will bear well, as this is a 
good year for fruit iu this locality. c. J. b. 
Iowa, Prescott, Adams Co.—Wheat promises 
a fair average yield—acreage about 10 per cent, 
less than last year. Oats fair to good. Com 
is doiug well; one or two good rains will give 
us a fair crop. Most of it is now “ laid by." 
potatoes, early at least, will not yield to exceed 
50 per cent. Our hopes will be in thu late 
planting and rain soon. Grass is very short; 
we shall be compelled to resort to wild slough 
grass for a supply. j. s. B. 
Iowa, Mason City, Cerro Gordo Co.—Wheat 
bids fair for a big crop here. Com is bloom¬ 
ing. I have some of tbe large yellow Dent 
that is five feet high. Potatoes are doing 
well. Hay is heavy. If nothing happens to 
the crops we in Northern Iowa will have 
plenty of grain to haudle this Fall. Fruits of 
all kinds are light. r. l. l. 
Kan , Randolph, Riley Co.—The harvest of 
wheat, oats and rye will be two-thirds of an 
average crop. The prospects for corn and 
potatoes are for good average crops. No bar¬ 
ley is sown here. The varieties of wheat are 
mostly Treadwell and Michigan White. No 
Spring wheat is sown. Common white oats. 
Fully seventy-five per cent, oi the cultivated 
land is plauted to com: the rest is aboat 
equally divided between wheat, oats, and rye. 
Of potatoes but very lew are planted—Early 
Rose and Peachblow. Considerable sorghum 
is being grown in some of the adjoining coun¬ 
ties, but none hero to speak of. Of fruit there 
are no peuchoB or apple orchards that are old 
enough to bear fruit iu this locality, but iu the 
more eastern counties there are good average 
crops of apples. A severe drought through 
April and May, with Chinch buga, greatly in¬ 
jured the small grains. p. b. w. 
Kansas, Garnett, Anderson Co.—The wheat 
harvest iu this vicinity is very good. The 
western part of our county has been too dry, 
aud the crops are poor. Corn is looking very 
well. Oats are about au average crop. Pota¬ 
toes are very good. The varieties of wheat 
generally raised here are Fuilz, Walker aud 
May. Fultz appears to have he preference for 
a good, hardy wheat, out the Walker Is con¬ 
sidered very nearly as good. I think the 
wheat will average about 18 bushels per acre; 
some fields will go 25 bushels per acre. r. w. g. 
