492 
JULY 34 
IKE KUBAL NEW-YORKER. 
THE 
Rural New-Yorker, 
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY. 
Conducted by 
ELBERT S. CARMAN. 
Address 
TIIE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
No. 34 Park Row, New York. 
SATURDAY, JULY 31, 1880. 
Last week’s Rubai. New-Yorker, referring 
to the Fair number to be published about Sep¬ 
tember 1st, guaranteed an issue of “over 
75,000 copies"—how much over we were not 
tkeu prepared to stale. We now guarantee 
that the edition shall be over 100,000. 
Pictured Exaggeration. • — Nursery¬ 
men, seedsmen and florists are now at 
work upon their Spring catalogues. We 
venture to offer the advice that they will, 
iu their illustrations of strawberries, 
raspberries, liowers and vegetables, pic¬ 
ture representative specimens and aban¬ 
don the exaggeration which both deceives 
the public and wholly misrepresents the 
origiuals. At the Rural Farm we have 
raised wheat, the largest spike of which 
measures plump seven aud one-quarter 
iuches. There were hundreds measur¬ 
ing over six inches. Would it be fair, 
were we to offer this kind of wheat for 
sale, to present an engraving of this one 
head as a typ > of this variety of wheat? 
“ Well, it is true to life,” says the seeds¬ 
man ; “you are entitled to show the 
plant you intend to introduce at its best. 
It would be suicidal to picture the small¬ 
est head.” But the truth lies between. 
The largest head is true to life certainly, 
but to individual life. And so of the 
smallest. The average size is that alone 
which conveys an impression which does 
not mislead. 
-- 
OUR ABUNDANCE. 
Statistical tables inform us that the 
United States, while it contains less than 
a sixth of the population of Europe, lias 
four-fifths as many swine, a third as many 
cattle and a fifth as many sheejias are in all 
of the countries of Europe together. It is 
noteworthy that domestic animals every¬ 
where decrease in numbers with the in¬ 
crease of human population. Tu China 
only so many of the smaller kinds, usu¬ 
ally fowls, arc kept us are needed to pick 
up the otherwise irrecoverable wastes. 
Oui - immense herds aud I locks are the 
natural concomitant of our abundance of 
vegetable food beyond the capacity of our 
p ipulution to consume or export. In Eu¬ 
rope, though a new country compared 
with Asia, the people ale beginning to 
see that they eaunot afford to transmute 
eight or ten pounds of nutritive seeds 
into one pound of tlesh haviug little or 
no greater nutritive value than au equal 
weight of the material out of whicli it 
was formed. As tillage encroaches upon 
forage grounds, grasses aud other cheap 
foods for domestic animals decrease in 
quantity, while grains are worth too 
much fur human food to be fed out for 
meat. Consequently there is and must 
bo a lessening of animal food eorresfioml- 
iug to the decrease of available food for 
animals. 
-- 
REMEDY FOR FOUL WATER. 
The modern practice of getting the 
water-supply of cities aud towns from 
ponds has revealed the fact that the wa¬ 
ters of most ponds and reservoirs are li¬ 
able occasionally to take on more or less 
unpleasant odor aud taste due to the 
growth aud decay of large numbers of 
aquatic plants of kinds so minute that 
they can only be seen with the micro¬ 
scope. It is uncertain whether ivator 
thus polluted is actually unwholesome, 
but it is essentially disagreeable aud un¬ 
palatable ; and it is still a greater puzzle 
how to prevent, or even hinder, the ac¬ 
cumulation of this anuoyiug vegetation in 
large bodies of water. Filtration of the 
water at the house of each individual con¬ 
sumer seems to be the best palliative 
hitherto devised, for iu this way a great 
deal of the troublesome matter may be 
removed. Aeration of the water after it 
lias passed through the pipes, or even 
letting the water Btand for some time ex¬ 
posed to the air, is another device of 
merit. Aud by boiling the water be¬ 
fore nse, it is possible to dissipate some 
of the upleasanl tlavor. 
Doubtless many wells whose waters 
are not cold enough and dark enough to 
prevent the growth of such vegetation 
are liable to suffer iu the same way as the 
ponds; and it is of interest to note an in¬ 
genious device for overcoming the diffi¬ 
culty iu a body of water thus limited, 
which was recently put in use by a Ger¬ 
man near Hartford, Conn., as reported in 
the Couraut of that city. To cure the 
foul well he first cleaned it out; lie then 
put iu a peck of salt, and, after the well 
hail tilled up with water, he again pump¬ 
ed it. dry. The operation is manifestly 
of the same order as the sweetening of 
hntter tha* “tastes of the firkin” by 
drenching it with brine. In both cases 
the solution of salt destroys the micro¬ 
scopic organisms which have caused run- 
cidity. 
-- 
THE PROPOSED NEW YORK EXPERI¬ 
MENT STATION. 
During the last session of the New 
York Legislature a bill was passed w’hieh 
jtrovides for the establishment of an Ag¬ 
ricultural Experiment Station in the State 
of New York, and the sum of $20,001) 
was appropriated for its maintenance. 
The bill provides that the affairs of the 
Station shall be governed by a Board of 
Control, of w hich six members shall be 
chosen by the six leading agricultural 
societies in the State, two members to be 
elected by the Board, aud the Governor 
of the State and the Director of the Sta¬ 
tion to be members ex officio. The 
Board held a meeting in Cooper Union, 
this city, on the 20th inst., mainly to 
elect the two members required by the 
bill. A large number of representative 
farmers throughout the State also at¬ 
tended the meeting, thereby showing 
tlieir interest in the matter. 
At the next meeting of the Board, 
which will take place on August 4th, in 
the Executive Chamber at Albany, tho 
question where to locate the Station will 
be brought up and perhaps settled. 
This point is of the greatest importance, 
and no decision should be made until the 
matter has been thoroughly considered 
iu all its bearings. Two propositions 
have already been presented ; one is to 
place the Station on Long Island, and the 
other, to locate it somewhere near Ithaca. 
If the Rural New-Yorker were selfish 
enough to consider only its individual 
preference, we should for many reasons 
favor Long Island as the site. But iu 
this matter selfish preference should have 
no voice. It s. ems to us that iu order 
to offer equal advantages to all farmers of 
the State, for whose avowed benefit this 
movement is inaugurated, the Station 
ought to have a central location. 
Ithaca is objected to on the score thut 
experiments of the kind that should tuke 
place at the Station are already under 
way at Cornell University. The same 
objeetiou may be raised in regard to Long 
Island. Here is the Rural Farm, where 
trustworthy experiments with seeds, cul¬ 
ture and fertilizers are constantly takiug 
place. But why at Ithaca ? The Station 
would be still nearer the center of the 
State if located somewhere in the Mo¬ 
hawk Yadey, say near Utica. Here it 
would be about eqiu-distant 1'rom the ex¬ 
tremities of the State, ami all farmers 
who dtsiio to visit the grounds, or who 
send articles for analysis, or who in any 
other way have intercourse with the Sta¬ 
tion, wuuhl enjoy equal advantages. If 
the experiment grounds were located on 
Long Island, farmers iu the northern 
counties would certainly be at a disad¬ 
vantage iu these respects. Farmers, as a 
class, do not travel much, aud a journey 
of 200 or 300 miles longer than need be, 
for the purpose of visitiug the experi¬ 
ment grounds, is a matter oi no little con¬ 
sequence to them. Moreover, the temper¬ 
ature and general aspect of the climate 
near Utica will he a fair medium of the 
climate all over the State, and on that ac¬ 
count, too, the location is ailmirably 
suited l’or agricultural experiments, tho 
results of which are to be applied to all 
sections of the State. 
It has been suggested that Stations bo 
established at half a dozen places, or at 
as many places as may be considered 
practicable, and that one of them be made 
the headquarters. This idea is excellent, 
if the funds for their support can be sup¬ 
plied ; but if the funds Bhould be lacking 
to make the work of real value, we are 
greatly in favor of a single Station well 
supported, and whose work can be relied 
upon iu every respect. 
We hope the Board will consider these 
points carefully before they make a fiual 
move in this matter, which, on behalf of 
the farmers of the State, has been left in 
their trust. 
- -♦♦♦ 
FARMS AND FARMERS. 
Farmers, like poets, are born, not 
made. There are thousands who occa¬ 
sionally make rhymes, but never a line of 
true poetry, and there are thousands who 
labor on farms all their lives and still are 
never farmers in the true meaning of the 
word. It takes but little skill to boe a 
row of corn or to dig a hill of potatoes ; 
but when we come to the real, serious, 
practical business of farming, we shall 
find it is, from first to last, au avo¬ 
cation that requires as much soundness 
of judgment aud clearness of foresight to 
insure success as any other trude or pro¬ 
fession. It is true that Nature is boun¬ 
tiful in her gilts, aud iu almost every 
instance lie who expressing his de¬ 
sires by both faith and works receives 
something ; but it is only those who work 
with the spirit and tho understanding 
also who receive the fullness of her 
bouuty. 
There are hut few who have not suffi¬ 
cient ability to plow and to sow and to reap; 
blit to know when and how to do these 
tbiugs in order to secure tho greatest re¬ 
turn, is given to but a very few of the 
many thousands who engage, either from 
choice or necessity, in agricultural pur¬ 
suits. We say from necessity, for it often 
happens that we find on the same farm 
that has given employment aud livelihood 
to his father, a man in no way fitted for 
the business, whose choice and success 
would have been in some other pursuit, 
but who as a boy was compelled to stick 
to the plow only for the reason that some¬ 
body must do it, and one son, at least, 
must remain to take care of the home¬ 
stead aud of father and mother iu their 
old age. 
Farming is not the only occupation in 
which those least fitted for it are em¬ 
ployed. The fact that 00 out of every 
100 who engage iu mercantile affairs soon¬ 
er or later go to financial ruin, and that 
the great ma jority of those who chooselaw, 
the ministry or medicine are never able 
to attain even moderate success, shows 
how little attention is given to the put¬ 
ting of a boy or a young man in the 
place for which he is by nature beet 
fitted. This poor lawyer might have 
made au excellent farmer, while that poor 
farmer has in him latent power that, if cul¬ 
tivated, would have enabled him to take a 
high rank at the bar. Bat we did not set 
out to write an essay on the right man in 
the right place. 
A successful farmer is ono who is nat¬ 
urally a chemist. A farm is a laboratory 
where chemical changes are constantly 
going on either with or without the ob¬ 
servation aud aid of the farmer, and he 
only is the successful one who can make 
the forces of nature work for his profit. 
There are certain things connected 
with farming that one not a fool cannot 
belli learning, aud a general routine may 
be followed that, taking one year with 
another, will result iu producing average 
crops. But tile true farmer is he who 
uudorslandingly—we would say scientific¬ 
ally if the word was not so distasteful to 
many—departs from this routine and 
holds converse with nature, making a 
bargain with the soil, perhaps, that for a 
certain amount of particular care and 
fertilization a certain aud large oroii shall 
be returned. 
It is said that a good chess player is 
able to give a reason for every move he 
makes, aud a move that is made without 
au object in view is worse than useless. 
A commander iu a battle field who has 
not clear aud definite ideas of what he 
wauts to do and why, sends his men to 
inexcusable slaughter. 
So the farmer, who does not wisely 
plan and carefully execute his work, 
while his labors may not be entirely use¬ 
less, only attains a partial success. 
There is hardly one item of a farmer’s 
business that may be done strictly by 
rule. Everything must be changed or 
varied to meet circumstances. That 
w hich would be advisable to do with au 
early Spring is hazardous in a late one. 
If the field is wet and the soil does not 
crumble when the furrow turns, let it 
alone and plow the other more sandy or 
higher one. This heap of manure, that 
in a dry time would be just the thing for 
a certain crop, must go elsewhere. Shall 
tfiis field be plowed this Fall, or left till 
Spring? Aud so on through the thou¬ 
sand questions that are constantly aris¬ 
ing. He who is competent, first, to see 
the necessity of asking them and after¬ 
ward to decide them, is worthy of the 
uumo of farmer; others are laborers. Of 
the first there are few; of the latter, 
many. 
A farmer should be a student of books 
as well as of nature, iu order that he 
may profit by the experience of those 
who have gone before him. Every year 
people are repeating the failures of those 
wlio lived a thousand years ago. The 
necessity of an education for a larmer is 
not sufficiently appreciated. Thomas, 
who is to be a minister, and Richard, who 
expects to gather fame and riches as a 
lawyer, must be sent to college, while 
Harry, who is to work the farm, must be 
content, ns he too often is, with such 
teaching as the district school affords. 
This is all wrong, and not until there is 
a change will farmers take the position 
iu society to which they are entitled. 
As we sometimes see an "eloquent minis¬ 
ter or a talented lawyer who has attained 
his position by virtue of bis own unaided 
intellect, so we sometimes find a thor¬ 
ough, scientifically practical farmer who 
lias sought out in nature’s own books, 
the fields, tho knowledge necessary for 
making his labors successful aud his life 
of use not only to himself but to all 
around him. 
It should uot be forgotten by those in 
others paths of life, that on the labors 
of the farmer depends their welfare. 
This is true to a greater extent tliau is 
often remembered. Suppose that every 
agriculturist in the country could, by 
some means, be changed iustantly into a 
first-class farmer. It would be impossible 
to compute the wealth that would be 
added to this couutry during the next 
year. And everybody knows that a good 
year for farmers means prosperity to 
every branch of trade and commerce. 
BREVITIES. 
Prof. Tiiomas writes to as lhat he finds the 
larva; of the Cabbage moth infested this season 
by a fungus and au insect parasite. 
Tub old Mark Lane Express appears in its 
issue of July 5tli, in u new and. in our opinion, 
a greatly improved form. This agricultural 
weekly was first issued in Loudon, Euglanti, 
on the 2nd of January, 1832. 
Wk are iu receipt (July 26) of a box of 
peaches from I)r. McAboy of the Thermal 
Belt, of which wo have several times spokeu 
ol late. The jicaches were received in bad 
order owing to imperfect packing. But in 
size, coloring and quality they arc better Ilian 
any peaches we have seen iu this market 
the present season. 
Lilium superbnm is now in bloom. Hun¬ 
dreds of these grow in the lowlands of the Ru¬ 
ral Farm adding greatly to the beauty of the 
thickets and woods. This is the Turk's Cap 
lily which is thought by many botanists to be 
scarcely distinct from L. Carolinian um and L. 
(Janadense. We have found them within a few 
days past of a wider range of cotors than in 
seasons heretofore—some being of a pure 
lemon, others of a bright scarlet, all spotted 
with dark purple or brown—as well as the 
ordinary intermediate shades. We have never 
been sueeesslul with Ibis beautiful lily in the 
garden. After a season or so of diminishing 
vigor, it has fuiled entirely. 
As will be seen we have begun this week a 
radical change in the news department of this 
journal. Instead ot the oue or two columns 
that have hitherto been devoted to nows, we 
now devote oue entire page. This will enable 
us to keep our readers thoroughly informed, by 
presenting an epitome, at least, of the most im¬ 
portant occurrences in the world's history from 
week to week. It uiuy occur to our friends thut 
even one page will scarcely suffice for the pre¬ 
sentation of such ubiBtnry; but deprived ot all 
fllliugand sensational effect, facts may bo stated 
iu a surprisingly brief space. The news will 
be gathered from every Bource, and rewritten 
by two of the Rural editors—all trash will bo 
n jeeted. and only such news as may in some 
way profit and instinct our readers will be 
placed before them. 
Tub high prices that ruled for wheat during 
the past season, led farmers through the North¬ 
west to sell, as a rule, all they could possibly 
spare, while the same cause seems to have de¬ 
terred millers from laying in a heavy supply. 
Accordingly the latter through almost that en¬ 
tire 6cctiou appeur to be short of “ hard," or 
*• Minnesota” Spring wheat, so that it is re¬ 
ported that of thu 304.730 bushels ol the vari¬ 
ety lately in storage in Chicago, 60,0(H) arc to 
to be sent by water to Milwaukee, and 100,000 
by rail to points in tho interior as far oil as 
MinuoupoliB. In the absence of a sufficient 
Bupply of “hard,” it is doubtful whether the 
mills will decide to take what is kuown us 
••soft" Spring wheat, or shut down until the 
new harvest is in the market. The new' wheat 
in that region will hardly be ready for grind¬ 
ing before about the middle of September; for 
after it has ripened and been harvested it will 
require some time until it is dried enough for 
millers’ use. 
From a private, but trustworthy source, we 
are iu receipt of the following important par¬ 
ticulars regarding wheat: 
Illinois, July 31, 1880.—There is a “boom" 
started in wheat, based on the fact that the 
crop will bo short with ns. shorter abroad, 
and the foreign demand large. For Illinois 
the quautily will be something more thau last 
year, but the quality will be greatly inferior. 
The Chicago market opened at 85c., aud lias 
already advanced ten cents for No. 3, and may 
go 10 to 20 cents higher. For the center of 
the Blaus aud for the total country where the 
oats and wheat both were in theBtage of filling 
uud ripening the grain duriug the heated term 
from June 20 to 14th of .Inly, the crops will be 
a partial failure, if not Bomelliing worse. For 
a week, however, we have had a cool spell und 
ibis will be ft godsend for all that portion of 
the northwestern Spring wheat region, where 
the. wheat Is in course of heading out und 
fiJliug. In a few words, the middle cereal re¬ 
gion, north of 40 deg. and up to 43 deg., has 
lost a large share of its oula and considerable 
Winter, and most of Us Spring wheat. From 
present appearances the Spring wheat iu upper 
Minnesota, Dakota und Manitoba will be ex¬ 
ceptionally gcod, unless the weather should 
turn out hot and they get then a couple of 
weeks ol boat and humidity. 
