824 
THE BUBAL NEW-YOBKEB. 
MAY 4? 
the 
RURAL NLW'YORKER, 
A National Journal .or Country and Suburban Homes. 
Conducted by 
XLBKRT 8. CARMAW. 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
No. 84 Park Row. New York. 
SATURDAY, MAY 17, 1884. 
There is not a Spring that passes in 
which we do not feel more and more like 
telling our readers to buy the Japan or¬ 
namental quince. It is, in fact, the queen 
of hardy spring-blooming shrubs. 
The Rural New-Yorker begs to offer 
$10 for the largest potato, without prongs 
or secondary tubers, delivered, postage or 
expressage prepaid, at this office before 
October 1st, The name of the tender 
should be written on the wrapper, and the 
variety and manner of cultivation should 
be stated by postal card. 
- - -" 
Under the title of the paper “Rural 
New-Yorker,” and under the bull’s bead 
thereof, will be seen the volume (XLIII.) 
and number (1790.) One unit is added to 
this every week. When it is the same as 
the number on your address wrapper, your 
subscription exjdres. If there is nonum- 
her following the name, the subscription 
expires at the end of this year. 1 lease 
examine, and renew ft week or so in ad¬ 
vance. 
i 4 -- 
In setting cabbage plants, it is better 
to pull or cut off all of the large leaves, 
leaving only the small central ones. The 
outer leaves are of no service to the young 
plant for the reason that the roots can¬ 
not supply them with moisture, so that 
they wilt and die. In an expeimient, 
made several years ago, we secured a 
better stand from plants so treated than 
from those which were set with their 
leaves entire, as they were taken from the 
send bed. _ _ _ 
Now that for the rest of the year our 
columns will not be too crowded with 
advertisements, we will be glad to hear 
from our readers as to the condition of 
the growing crops; as to which varieties 
thrive best, which fail. We would also 
be glad to secure any items of their ex¬ 
perience, which may prove serviceable to 
readers in general. Our many Canada 
friends are particularly invited to tell us 
what kinds of fruit and grains thrive best 
with them. 
----- 
The most surprising thing in our 
present experiments is the effect of ft 
slight mulch of farm manure upon several 
kinds of our new (cross-bred) wheats. 
This was spread upon the land between 
the drills last Fall, after hard frosts at 
the rate of about 10 tons to the acre. The 
plants so treated have tillered twice as 
much, and the leaves are twice as broad 
as the others, and the color is a deeper 
green. We have never treated wheat 
in this way before, and cannot, of course, 
judge as to what its effect may be at har¬ 
vest. 
----- 
About half of the farm journals and 
hack farm writers of the country are now 
advocating for com, drill-planting, no- 
hilliug, surface-manuring aud shallow cul¬ 
tivation, just as if they had themselves 
originated the combined method, and bad 
themselves proven its advantages over the 
old methods of check-planting, hilling- 
up, deep manuring and deep cultivation. 
Nobody can deny that—though one or the 
other of these details may have been prac¬ 
ticed through nil time—the quadruplicate 
combination as applied to the same field, 
was first practiced and first advocated by 
the Rural New-Yorker, and it seems 
but scant justice that credit should be 
given to us accordingly. We are not so 
verv benevolent that we can afford to 
relinquish to the authors of. re-written 
articles, the earnest labors of six years. 
For a part of the past two weeks we 
have busied ourselves with crossing the 
flowers of some of our best fruit and or¬ 
namental trees. We have crossed several 
of our best kinds of pears upon the Kiet- 
fer and the Mikado (a Chinese pear); also 
the ornamental Japan quinces upon the 
latter; Soulange’s Magnolia upon Lcunes 
Magnolia, etc. It is tvorthy of note, that 
the stigmas of the flowers of these mag¬ 
nolias are quite withered before the an¬ 
thers of the stamens are in anthesis— 
that is, botanically speaking, the flowers 
arc proterogynous. Hence it is that these 
cross -bred varieties rarely bear seed. 1 he 
generative organs are as perfect as those 
of any other flowers; but they are not 
virile at the same time—the same as with 
pelargoniums, some kinds of aider, tin- 
corn plant, etc. Many have attributed 
this failure to fruit to the barrenness which 
cross-bred varieties sometimes show. 
Now for the Kerosene Emulsion: Take 
a teacupful, or a pint, or any other quan¬ 
tity and add the same amount of milk, 
sweet or sour, and shake them together 
m a jug until the emulsion is formed. 
Use one part of this to five or six of water 
for the cabbage worm, for aphides—the 
lice that infest the leaves of cherries, 
grape-vines, etc.—and. it may be, for 
other insect*. How shall we appl\ itt 
Spraying pumps,of course, would serve the 
purpose well. But. we should use the spray¬ 
ing bellowB already alluded to until some¬ 
thing is found cheaper and more handy. 
The bellows (WoodaBon) are sold by most 
seedsmen at about $1,150 each. They are 
useful in many ways, as, for example, in 
spraying hen-housca with kerosene. I hese 
bellows were sent to us for trial two years 
ago and we have used them with satis¬ 
faction. We do not kuow the manufac¬ 
turer, and make this note purely in the 
interest of our readers. It matters not 
whether those who send us things to try 
advertise in the Rural or not; we are 
only too glad to be instrumental m intro¬ 
ducing on improved article or method 
quite regardless of advertising patronage. 
The only trouble is, we cannot find tune 
to test properly the many new things sent 
to us. 
-- ♦♦—-- 
THIRTY KINDS OF EARLY CORN TO 
BE CROSSED UPON THE IM¬ 
PROVED BLOUNT. 
Wk are preparing to cross different va¬ 
rieties of Indian corn on an extended 
scale. Plots of about, one twentieth of 
an acre—60x83 feet—have been marked 
out, running lengthwise of a narrow one- 
acre field. On every alternate plot, our 
improved Blount. Corn has been planted. 
On the. intervening plots, beginning in 
about 10 days and ending in about four 
weeks, we shall plant successively about 
30 different varieties, which we have pro¬ 
cured here and there, together with many 
kinds generously sent t,o us by Rural 
readers, as liighly valued in the lot allties 
where they have been cultivated. All of 
them are ‘ believed to be early varieties, 
and it is for this reason that we shall plant, 
them in succession, as above stated, so 
that all, a greater part, or at least some of 
them, may bloom simultaneously with the 
improved Blount, which is later, and thus 
enable us to make the desired crosses. 
The Blount will be made the mother plant 
in all cases. That is, just so soon as a 
tassel (which bears the male flowers) ap¬ 
pears, it will he cut off, so that any pol- 
lenationand consequent fertilization which 
occur will be due? to the polU.n t of the other 
varieties, and thus crosses will be assured. 
It may be presumed that the crossing of 
corn on so large a scale has never before 
been attempted, and it. will require years 
before the improved Blount kernels of 
this crop, sired by 20 or more varieties, 
will have assumed anything like varietal 
uniformity. 
Blount’s Corn was introduced years ago 
by the R. N.-Y. through its Free Seed 
Distribution, and we have every year 
since sought to improve it in every way. 
It has uow hut one serious fault—lateness, 
though 10 days earlier than when first 
raised at the Rural Farm. 
What we now seek to do by this multi¬ 
tudinous crossing, is to establish > arieties 
that, shall not grow so tall, shall ripen 
within 100 days, and hear larger ears 
lower upon tlie stalks. It will be the 
work of five years more. 
rangements are being made for another 
building almost as large. 
All the Southern States have applied 
for space, except Kentucky, and a bill is 
now before the Legislature of that State, 
providing for a grand display of its re¬ 
sources there. Twenty Northern and 
Western States and Territorities have 
already secured space, and others are 
making-, arrangements to he represented. 
Fourteen foreign Governments have de¬ 
clared their intention to take part, in the 
display, and a large area has been applied 
for by foreign firms and individuals. 
The applications from American exhib¬ 
itors alone already call for more Rpace 
than was occupied by similar exhibits at 
Philadelphia. The ‘Live Stock Depart¬ 
ment will transcend anything of the kind 
ever seen in this country. Ln the Horti¬ 
cultural Department the premiums will 
I amount to over $20,000, besides gold, sil¬ 
ver, and bronze medals. Parker Earle, 
President, of the Mississippi Valley Hor¬ 
ticultural Society, is chief of the Depart¬ 
ment, and there is a superintendent from 
Missouri and another from Indiana, be¬ 
sides several special Commissioners from 
the East; while our friend, P. J. Berck- 
mans, of Georgia, is Foreign Commis¬ 
sioner. Commissioner Loring has been of¬ 
fered the direction of the Agricultural 
Department. 
Arrangements have been madofor experi¬ 
mental gardens, in which growing crops, 
such as cotton, sugar, jute, tobacco, etc., 
will be shown. Quantities of evergreens 
from nurseries North and South will em¬ 
bellish the grounds. Mexico has appro¬ 
priated $200,000 for the Exposition, and 
many of the States of that, Republic have 
appropriated $.’3,000 each, to display their 
special resources, while nil the Central 
American States are taking great interest, 
in the show. Never has there been seen 
so vast and varied a display of manufac¬ 
tured goods as that which will delight 
and instruct visitors to the Crescent City 
next Winter, while the exhibition of min¬ 
erals from foreign countries and our min¬ 
ing States and Territories will be the most 
extensive ever witnessed. Other exposi¬ 
tions are to he held this year at London, 
Philadelphia, Louisville, Cincinnati, St. 
Louis and Denver, hut all will be closed 
before the New Orleans Exposition will 
open, so that the choicest exhibits may he 
transferred 1 hit her. 
We heartily wish a brilliant success to 
this splendid enterprise, which will not 
only afford a fine market for the manu¬ 
factures of the world and increase the 
productive capacity of the South by af¬ 
fording a better knowledge of the inven¬ 
tions of the age, but also do much good 
by the. mingling of the people of all sec- 
tions in a great national industrial cele¬ 
bration. 
LAND-GRABBERS NOT WANTED. 
THE NEXT INTERNATIONAL EXPOSI¬ 
TION. 
Last Thursday the House passed the 
bill already passed by the Senate, making 
what is virtually a loan of $1,000,000 m 
aid of the International Exposition to he 
opened at New Orleans on the first of next 
December. This was originally designed 
to celebrate the centennial of the first 
exportation of cotton trom America, but 
it now promises to be the largest exhibi¬ 
tion of the industrial resources and pro¬ 
ducts of the world ever held in this coun¬ 
try The mam building covers 33 acres, 
affording 1,656,300 square feet of 
ground, or 1,215,000 feet of exhibiting 
space, a larger area than that ot the main 
building and Machinery Hall combined 
at Philadelphia in 1876. Seven months 
before the opening it was found that tins 
vast structure was inadequate, and ar- 
TnK earth is man’s, created for his use 
and given to the race as a common in¬ 
heritance, Its subsequent subdivision and 
individual ownership by nations and men 
were wholly artificial, rendered necessary 
by the multiplication of the race, its or¬ 
ganization into civilized society, the di¬ 
vision of labor, and the variety of its pro¬ 
ducts. Nothing so ennobles a man and 
makes him feel his responsibility to lus 
God and his fellow man; nothing makes 
him so worthy his manhood as the abso¬ 
lute. ownership of a portion of land, how¬ 
ever small, constituting a home for him¬ 
self and his family. 
The more evenly the land is divided, 
the more numerous the owners, the more 
general the occupation and cultivation by 
the actual owners—the more stable the 
Government, and the more contented and 
happy the people. The great weakness 
of the Government of England, the source 
of most danger to its institutions, is not 
its monarchy", or its aristocracy, but its 
enormous landed estates, the very few 
land-owners, and the great multitude who 
have not the least interest in the soil, and 
through that, in the stability of the Gov¬ 
ernment. Unless England s rulers shall 
have the wisdom, and shall exercise the 
power to compel the division and sale of 
those immense estates, so as to enable the 
many to become owners of the soil and 
interested partners of the Government, 
sooner or later she’ must become despotic, 
or be revolutionized, and compelled to 
change her institutions. The only reason 
why such a result has been so long delay¬ 
ed has been because the settlement, of the 
New World acted as a safety-valve for 
her surplus population. The unparalleled 
growth and prosperity of America are due 
to the wisdom of the fathers in adopting 
different institutions, and to the vast 
amount of rich, cheap lands within the 
reach of all; to the fact that, instead of 
having owners of millions of acres of land, 
she has millions of land owners, and no 
large landed estates. One of the most 
gratifying facts revealed by our census re¬ 
ports is, that our farms are constantly de¬ 
creasing in size, and as constantly increas¬ 
ing in numbers. So long as we have 
plenty of land virtually free, or at least 
within the reach of all who desire to pos¬ 
sess a farm and build a home, we need 
have no fear for the safety of our institu¬ 
tions or the stability of the Government. 
The recent purchase of millions of acres 
of the public lands by a few capitalists and 
corporations, should cause careful consid¬ 
eration of this subject, by every lover of 
his country, and especially should this be 
the case when foreign capitalists, mostly 
English nabobs, buy millions of acres of our 
rich domain. One* five-million-acre land- 
owner means one million landless poor,and 
this is contrary to the wise policy of our 
Government, as shown by the withdrawal 
of all public lauds from sale, except in 
limited quantities, to actual settlers. 
These vast tracts are mostly geenred, as 
recent investigations show, by false 
swearing, misrepresentations, and fraud; 
practices but little better than stealing, 
but under no circumstances should such 
acquisition be permitted. The object of 
these purchasers is, of course, to make 
money, and this is only possible by the in¬ 
creased value of these tracts, due to the 
actual settlement and improvement _ot 
surrounding lands. Thus, while the pio¬ 
neers are enduring the privations and 
hardships of frontier life, and are build¬ 
ing homes and subduing farms for them¬ 
selves, and are developing the resources 
of the country, they are doubling and 
quadrupling tlic wealth of these land- 
grabbers, who are quietly enjoying them¬ 
selves in some Eastern or foreign city. 
That these capitalists have no right to 
buy and hold these lands, becomes evi¬ 
dent if we consider what would be the 
result of such practices carried to an ex¬ 
treme. Suppose they were to buy and 
hold all the public lands, it would pre¬ 
vent all further development of the coun¬ 
try, which would, certainly be detrimental 
to the best interests of the Nation ; but 
private must never supersede public in¬ 
terests, consequently the Government has 
not only the right, hut it becomes it* duty, 
to compel these men to at once improve 
these lands, or to sell them to those who 
will. Capital has no more right to buy 
and hold land, than it has to hoard grain 
or any other necessity, and when it does 
so, it becomes the' public enemy and 
should be so treated. It is vital to the 
prosperity and endurance, of free Govern - 
ment that the people should have the 
lands in small quantities, for actual set¬ 
tlement, which will insure their speedy 
improvement, and such has been for 
many years the policy of our Government, 
and should not now he abandoned, but its 
immediate attention should he given to 
this matter. It should see to it that these 
men and these monopolies be not. allowed 
to dishonestly rob the people of tbeir 
lands; not only this, but they should be 
compelled to allow actual settlers to take 
the laud which they have already secured, 
at a fair price. We can see the evil effects 
of this land monopoly in the Old World; 
we should be warned in time against let¬ 
ting it get a foot-hold in the New. 
BREVITIES. 
The hill system of manuring is like living 
from hand to mouth, a poor way. 
There is a withholding that tendeth 
to poverty, and a scattering. that increaseth. 
This is agriculturally true in the use of ma¬ 
nure. 
Is the horse treated in accordance with his 
worth? He is the most important animal on 
the farm. Does he get cleaned, fed. watered, 
and looked after according to his deserts? 
The only difficulty in the way of planting 
corn in drills, is in cultivation.' So say many. 
If, however, the drills are straight, the culti¬ 
vator may he run close to the corn, and there 
is really no difficult}' about it. 
The Gregg Black-cap has never done well 
at the Rural Grounds. The berries are not un¬ 
commonly large, and the canes are somewhat 
tender. Still, we do not doubt it is entitled to 
the praise it receives from many of our VV est- 
ern friends. 
Everybody will be delighted to learn that 
the American Agriculturist is now “freed 
from all encumbrancer.” and actually 
« equipped with brains.’’ This we learn from 
a postal sent to the Rural, dated May 0th, 
from the Orange Judd Company. It may be 
true that the A. A. is “freed from its encum¬ 
brances,” but that other statement as to 
“brains,'' is hard to believe! 
Ik troubled with cut-worms, don’t neglect to 
roll a piece of paper (any kind will answer) 
about the stems of tomato and cabbage plants 
when setting them in the open ground No 
string is required to bold the paper. Merely 
secure the lower part by pressing soil upon it 
about the stem. This is so quickly done that it 
is well worth >hile, even when planting m 
fields, if the cut-worm abounds. 
