SEPT.48 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
525 
elve, takes too much time and fuel, and is 
altogether too slow to pay. 
One that will evaporate 40 to 100 bushels per 
day costs comparatively less, can be run more 
economically as regards fuel and labor, and 
consequently pays beet. After a Bories of care¬ 
ful experiments. I have coma to the conclu¬ 
sion that only the larger ones will prove sat¬ 
isfactory. 
As we And men will “ exaggerate” in order 
to sell their goods, we should be cautious how 
we accept all the statements of people who have 
evaporators to sell. I have small circulars 
from manufacturers who state that one bushel 
of apples will produce six to seven pounds of 
dried fruit. This estimate is one-third too 
high. Such apples as are generally used for 
drying will only turn out about four pounds 
per bushel. Forty years ago the rule was “five 
bushels of green apples will make one of 
dried,” and later experience proves the old 
rule to be not far wrong. 
Two years ago I dried 50 bushels of teu dif¬ 
ferent varieties, that were unfit for market, 
being under-6ized, one-sided, bruised, etc., and 
the result was 220 pounds as sold in January. 
I had tried this before and have since, with 
just about the same result. Any one testing 
this for himself will (unless he has evap¬ 
orators to sell) find that four pounds per 
bushel is the safest estimate when calculating 
the probable profits of investing in evapora¬ 
tors. The difference between four and six 
bushels will seriously affect the profits. 
Of course, if we use first-class apples (which 
are hardly ever dried), the yield will be some¬ 
what larger, but in no case will it exceed four 
and one-half to five pounds per bushel. If this 
is a fact, as I claim it is, it were better to 
know it before making any investments in 
drying apparatus. Nelson Ritter. 
Onondaga Co., N. Y. 
Srifirtifir autr ®Mul, 
THE TBUTH ABOUT IT. 
[The object of articles under this heading Is not so 
much to deal with" hum buKB" as with the many un¬ 
conscious errors that creep into the methods of daily 
country routine life.— Eds.] 
“FREAKS” OF LIGHTNING. 
Your recent account of the curious effect of 
a stioke of lightning upon the premises of 
Mr. Williams, of Montclair, N. J., exhibits, 
curiously enough, several of the so-called 
“freaks” which are very usually noticed in 
the erratic behavior of lightning. Bat elec¬ 
tricity, of which lightning is but the vibible 
effect, never performs freaks. Its conduct is 
exemplary in respect of its reasonableness. It 
does everything upon compulsion and by the 
force of the most infallible laws. The most 
surprising conduct of the lightning in this case 
was I hat it did not strike the house, and that 
it struck a low grape arbor, of which it shat¬ 
tered a post and cnt the wire into short lengths. 
Now all this is seen to be most method¬ 
ical and business-like when the reasons for it 
are understood ; and it is of great interest that 
these should be understood, because then per¬ 
sons may know what to expect in a thunder¬ 
storm, and knowing the character of this pow¬ 
erful and, iu most cases, mysterious fluid, tLey 
may pass through a storm wilhout the usual 
feeling of apprehension or even horror, with 
which many persons are painfully affected. 
Now, thd truth of this matter is as follows :— 
BeDjamiu Franklin was the first discoverer of 
the identity of lightning with electricity, and 
therefore proved that the laws which govern 
electricity, as we can produce it in electrical 
machines, are precisely the same as those 
which govern the infinitely more intense elec¬ 
tricity of nature. The truth is, the earth is a 
vast electrical machine, in all respects, except¬ 
ing as to its incalculable power, similar to the 
toys which amuse bojB and instruct men. The 
first great law of electricity is that, like all 
other fluids, it seeks a level or an equilibi ium ; 
not of gravity or surface, as in water, but of 
intensity. The next is that when the equi¬ 
librium is distut bed by an excessive production 
in one place, this excess flows to the place 
where the accumulation is deficient. Usually 
it flows silently and imperceptibly, without 
attracting notice, excepting to the scientific 
observer, with his sensitive electrometers or 
electricity measurers or gauges. This current 
flows through msdiurns which are naturally 
able to conduct it, and these are known as 
conductors, and some substances are good 
conductors, as copper, iron, and water, while 
others are bad, as glass, dry wood, air, 
etc. If the conductor is equal in capacity 
in every part, just as a canal might be for 
water, the current flows easily, but if portions 
of it do not conduct as well as others, just as if 
a canal were narrow in places, the stream is 
impeded, and an overflow or break occurs in 
the-e places; for the last law which need be 
mentioned here is that when electricity meets 
with a resisting medium it produces a quantity 
of heat proportionate with its intensity. Thus, 
when a cloud charged with electricity passes 
over a portion of the earth’s surface where the 
equilibrium needs to be restored, a current is 
at once established. If the conducting medium 
cannot take it off fast enough, a sudden dis¬ 
charge is made, and this being throngh an 
unfavorable medium, great heat is produced 
and becomes visible as in lightning. It is not 
necessary here to refer to positive and neg¬ 
ative electricity; these terms are used only to 
express the want of an equilibrium above 
noted. 
Now, let us go to Mr. Williams's place and 
explain those freaks. The house waB provided 
with lightning rods, aud these do not carry off 
a stroke of lightning ; they have not capacity 
enough for that, but they conduct the elec¬ 
tricity in a qniet, continuous stream from the 
moist air to the ground, and the house is not 
struck. To do this is the only nse and value 
of lightning rods. But the trellis post being 
dry wood was not a conductor, and being in 
the way of the forcible current, was struck by 
it, and the heat caused by the resistance pro¬ 
duced such 6udden expansion or explosion of 
the fibers or of the air contained between them 
as to rend them apart and tear the post to 
pieces. Then the current took the wires, which 
are good conductors, and the fluid passed 
through them. But no wire is perfectly even 
in structure, and faults in the material in 
making wire are repeated over and over again 
in the course of its length. When the fluid 
came t.o the parts where the conducting power 
was weak, the resistance caused heat, and this 
heat melted, and by its enormous power prob¬ 
ably vaporized, the iron precisely at those 
spots, and so caused the wire to drop into 
pieces. H. Stewart. 
♦ -- 
LIGHTNING FREAKS. 
In the issue of the Rural for Aug. 21, “ Hor- 
ticola” tells of “curious freaks" of lightning, 
and asks for a similar case, if known. I have 
met with a ease so similar that I will state it- 
In the Summer of 1S?8, about the last of Au¬ 
gust, we had here a heavy rain, accompanied 
with unusual thunder and lightning. The lat¬ 
ter “ struck in more different places upon 
an area a mile in diameter than I ever knew 
of. Ail Osage Orange hedge, a mile and a half 
long, inclosing my orchard, was struck in seve¬ 
ral places widely apart. At such places the 
leaves were burnt to a crisp for a length vary¬ 
ing from five to twelve feet. A privet hedge, 
makiDg the first year’s growth, had about 13 
feet of one end burnt in the same manner. The 
west end, which was burnt, abutted upon a 
board fence running north and south, and the 
hedge was eight feet from, and ran parallel 
with, vineyard rows trained to wire on tall ce¬ 
dar posts, yet nothing showed any effects of 
the lightning except the hedge, which looked 
as if a sheet of liime had been spread upon it. 
My house has two stove flues coming out from 
the roof near together. Oee had a lightning 
rod attached to it. This one was, it would 
seem, lifted away from the roof, dropped to 
the ground, aud the rod lifted from its fasten¬ 
ings and thrown back across the roof. No 
further damage was done to the house. At the 
same moment a door shutter was torn to pieces 
at the grafting house, about 40 yards away, 
and the pieces scattered iu the yard, but no 
other mark of the “stroke” was left upon the 
house. About 50 feet from this door there 
was a shrubbery nursery in which several feet 
of one row of young shrubs were burned like 
the hedges already noticed. The effect upon 
the hedges aud the shrubbery was only a loss of 
foliage ; the plants lived, sent out new leaves 
and went on growing. In all this electric 
shower no person was hurt. Jot. 
Greene Co, Mo. 
miscellaneous. 
SHIPMENT OF FRESH MEAT ABROAD. 
This is one of the most commendable enter¬ 
prises of the present day and ought to be 
adopted exclusively in preference to the 
transportation of live animals, as it is not 
only the safest, but iu the long run the most 
profitable. There are two methods of doing 
this, one of which is to slaughter the animals 
at the port where, they are to be shipped, aud 
stow the carcasses in refrigerated compartments 
of the vessel in which the meat is to be trans¬ 
ported ; and the other is to can the meat as 
near to the places where the cattle are bred as 
possible. This latter is the more economical, 
as the horas and hides of the cattle, the pelts 
of the sheep, and the bristles of the swine are 
then kept at home, where they are indispensa¬ 
ble for various manufacturing pui poses; while 
the offal of all can thus be saved and carried 
back to the soil to enrich it aud thus prevent 
its being deteriorated In cultivation. 
The transportation of animals ou the ocean 
Is accompanied, with great ciuelty and loss. 
M my who are engaged iu it shamelessly dis- 
regat d the former, and only care for the latter, 
as this lessens their profits, their feelings be¬ 
ing only touched throngh their pockets. 
During the past year upwards of 310.000 cat¬ 
tle, sheep and swine were shipped from the 
United States and Canada to Great Britain, of 
which 14 024 were thrown overboard on the 
voyage, 1.249 were landed dead, and 455 were 
so much injured that they had to be killed im¬ 
mediately after landing. This is a terrible loss, 
it being about one-twentieth of the whole 
number. Where are the officials of the Socie¬ 
ties for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 
that they do not put a stop to this inhuman 
business ? They have benignly regulated the 
transportation of animals on (he land ; why, 
then, should they not do the same on the water 
on both 6ides of the Atlantic ? If they will not 
perform their duty in this respect, the munici¬ 
pal officers of the ports whore the animals are 
shipped, and again where they are landed, 
ought to attend to it; and in case of inhu¬ 
manity in the transportation, the eonfiscatiou 
of the animals would be none too severe a 
punishment to their owners. But in rough 
weather, which is always to be expected 
to a greater or less degree on every 
voyage, it is impossible to prevent suffering, 
so that the most humane and profitable way 
is to cease entirely from shipping live ani¬ 
mals across the ocean for slaughter, 
- • ♦- 
A Fine Plum. —A specimen of the plum 
illustrated and described in full iu our issue of 
October 4, 1879. haB been sent us by G. H. and 
J. H. Hale, South Glastonbury, Conn. As then 
remarked, this plum seems to be a distinct 
variety, as it has not yet been identified with 
any other known sort. The branch is 18 inches 
long, and bears three plums <>]x6£ inches in 
circumference. Large, obovate; color red¬ 
dish-purple wilh llghtrblue bloom. Stalk three- 
quarters of an inch long. Rather deep, narrow 
cavity. Flesh of an olive-brown color ; stone 
nearly free. Very juicy—sweet and acid agree- 
bly combined. An excellent plum. 
-- 
A “Ladies' Grain and Provision Exchange” 
has just been established in Chicago, where la¬ 
dies can speculate, apart from coarse men, in 
agricultural products. How is it we never 
hear of Gentlemen's Associations ? The near¬ 
est approach to this kind of thing we know 
of is the "Gentlemen’s Sons’ Association” of 
this city, the existence of which is occasional¬ 
ly brought to public notice by the compulsory 
appearance of some of its members in our po¬ 
lice courts. 
-- — 
CATALOGUES, ETC., RECEIVED. 
Catalogue of the State Agricultural Col¬ 
lege of Kansas at Manhattan. 
The Autumn exhibition of the N. Y. Hort., 
Society will be held at Metropolitan Concert 
Hall corner Broadwav and 41st Street, on Wed¬ 
nesday, Thursday and Friday Sept.. 22nd, 23rd, 
and 24th. Address, James Y. Murkland. Re¬ 
cording Secretary, 13 Cortlandt Street, N. Y. 
Hubbard s Right-Hand Record and News¬ 
paper Directory, is the title of a complete 
list of leading newspapers all over the world 
with such information and directions as will 
enable advertisers to make some estimate of 
the direction to give their patronage. Ths 
book is neatly printed, the facts conveniently 
arranged, and it contains very mnch in small 
space. H. P. Hubbard, Advertising Agent, 
New Haven, Conn., is the compiler aud pub¬ 
lisher. 
—---. 
BR'EFLETS. 
There has been a fatal duel in South Caro¬ 
lina. Isn't it bad enongh to have railroad and 
steamboat catastrophes, without such distress¬ 
ing carelessuess in duels?—Boston Post. 
. . The Husbandman says: “Farmers have 
such lital interest in purifying government 
and equalizing its burdens, that they cannot 
afford to be led by men who have no regard for 
their welfare. 1 ’ Very, very true.It 
is true that Clapp’s Favorite is quite worthless 
if permitted to ripen upon the tree. But the 
same may be said of mauy others. 
First-rate, cheap things tempt purchasers. 
Hence the supply creates the demand. 
It is in this way that what were considered as 
dainties for which there was but a limited de¬ 
mand have become necessities for which there is 
always a brisk demand.Celery grow¬ 
ers should bear iu mind that nothiug is gained 
by earthing up too soon. The growth is re¬ 
tarded.Mr. C. E. Thorne, the untiring 
farm Superintendent of the Ohio State Univer¬ 
sity (Columbus), speaks a good word, iu Farm 
and Fireside, for the Velvet Chaff wheat. It 
is extremely early in ripening; the straw is 
stiff and the head heavily bearded. The grain 
is of medium size but very plump and heavy— 
of a dark amber color and a peculiarly hairy 
brown chaff which gives the variety its name. 
It yields about the sa ne in most places where 
it has beou tried—as heavily as Clawson or 
.Mr. Thorne has never known 
Velvet Chaff to be affected by smut. Its flour- 
iug qualities are among the best. We 
have tried, side by side, grape-vines set out in 
the Fall and Spring. The former have made 
the more vigorous growth. . . Asparagus beds, 
as we have before noted, had better he pre¬ 
pared now. Our readers might during Octo¬ 
ber prepare their plots for our Argenteuil and 
Dutch Asparagus seed. Make the soil deep 
and mellow. Then cover wtth farm manure 
to be spaded under in the Spring.We 
have labored very hard Indeed to present our 
friends with an acceptable list for our next 
Distribution. If it fail to please them, we shall 
justify ourselves in feeling sadly disappointed. 
.Which is the best variety of wh^at ? 
Nobodv can answer that question. There is 
probahly a larger quantity of Fultz and Clawson 
raised than of all other winter kinds together* 
But this does not prove they will yield most on 
any farm where they have not been tried. We 
advise onr farmers to try small quantities of 
different kinds. Measure off a few plots 33 
feet square, which is 1-40 of an acre. Sow 
broadcast or use a hand drill. This will aid 
you to answer the above question. 
All sorts of hardy vines and ornamenfal shrubs 
may advantageously be planted this Fall. A 
slight covering or mulch of straw or long 
manure will prove no detriment. 
WHAT OTHERS SAY. 
Early Ohio Potato.—" This is the earliest 
of all the American Rose type of potatoes, has 
of all the shortest haulm, resembles B*anty of 
Hebron in color of akin, but is rounder and 
turns out a much more even table sample. 
I strongly recommend this kind because I find 
it in table quality quite superior to ail other 
Americans; indeed even now when boiled it 
becomes as floury as a Regent aDd quite as 
good. Its short top admits of its being grown 
in rows at 24 inches apart, and on a warm 
border it will, I am sure, beat all the Ashleaf 
Kidneys in earliness. It is not a new Ameri¬ 
can kind, but has only recently been intro¬ 
duced into cotnmercehere.” We find the above 
in Gardening Illustrated, London, England. 
We fiDd the following in the London Farmer. 
Always to tsNte from the soil, never to give to 
the soil even the rest of nature, makes the 
most fertile land weak. American farming 
has taken the best out of the wheat soils of 
half a continent. What wonder that we 
are flooded with American grain ? But when 
little ne^ land shall remain to be opened up, 
and the average yield per acre on old land 
shall show a steady diminution, what wonder 
then if the United States should find their ag¬ 
ricultural expoit pre-eminence to be slipping 
away from them ? 
Again—Trotting at Fairs.— A correspond¬ 
ent of the Maine Farmer says: “You may as 
well offer a premium for the best barrel of 
whiskey which is made of the grain that a 
farmer raises as for the fastest trotting horse. 
In point of fact, whisky and a technically 
‘fast horse’ are equally useless and pernicious. 
So also of apples. Because farmers raise ap¬ 
ples, and they are properly products upon 
which premiums may be paid, it dots not fol¬ 
low tbat the making of good cider to be used 
as a beverage, and apple brandy should be en¬ 
couraged by agricultural societies. The truth 
is, this horse trottiug at fairs is simply gamb¬ 
ling and betting, disguised under the thin 
veil of testing and trying the speed of horses 
of no earthly use to any one except those en¬ 
gaged in it, and an idle class which always as¬ 
semble on any exciting public occasion. The 
thoughtful and serious farmers who would 
like to make the cattle &how and fair an occa¬ 
sion to exhibit their good work, farm products 
and domestic mannfaetures, inspect that shown 
by others, compare notes with each other and 
learn something new and valuable, care noth¬ 
ing, as a rule, about fast horses a"y more than 
a sober mei chant does about some montrosity 
which an idle showman brings along and of¬ 
fers for sale or exhibition. The trotting for 
a purse of $50 is only gambling for that 
purse, and anioDg the crowd of people are 
those always there who are betting their $5, 
$10 and $50 that this or that horse will win 
the race." 
[If the agricultural press with oue voice 
would persistently condemn this evil practice 
—evil in all its tendencies—trotting at “ agri¬ 
cultural fairs” would soon become a thing of 
the past.— Eds.] 
Worms in Horses. To destroy pin worms 
in horses, give an injection of salt and water 
two or three days in succession, then adminis¬ 
ter a ball consisting of half an ounce of aloes 
and one drachm of calomel.—N. Y. Herald. 
As the potato plant is propagated by its 
tuber, after the manner of a bud, or cutting, 
the effort made by the plant to produce Its 
flowers and seeds must be a waste of power, 
which detracts from the desirid crop—the 
tubers. We (Mark Lane Expr« sc) know an 
instance in which a six-acre field of potatoes 
was tested to show the trutn of this pos¬ 
tulate; three rows had the blossoms cut off and 
three rows were left intact, alternately all over 
