404 
THE RURAL WEW-YORKER. 
JUf9E n 
THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
A National Journal for Country and Suburban Homes, 
Conducted by 
ELBEltT 8. CARMAN. 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
No. K4 Park Row, New York. 
SATURDAY, JUNE 14, 1884. 
The most vigorous and fruitful of any 
of our strawberry plants set this Spring 
are Amateur and Jewel. The berries, 
too, are of large size, of a bright red color 
and quite firm. The quality is not of the 
best—nevertheless, we predict that both 
kinds have come to stay. 
The promise is that the Diehl-Mediter¬ 
ranean Cross-bred Wheat will have a boom 
next Fall, and that the seed will be Bold 
for a high price. Our subscribers should 
take care of the seed we have sent them. 
We used this considerably as t he male in 
crossing our wheats last Summer, and 
many of our plants resemble it closely. 
Thomas Laxton, the well-known pea 
and potato experimenter of England, 
writes us, under date of May 23d, “I 
have suffered so severely from the severe 
frosts aud cold checks of last month, 
after the mildest Winter ever experienced 
here, that if I were 30 instead of 50, I 
would go to Southern California. Ex¬ 
perimental work is too uncertain in its 
results in such a climate as this.” 
Mr. W. A. Banders, of Sanders, Cali¬ 
fornia, sent us last year seeds of a variety 
of Sorghum halapense (Johnson’s Grass) 
which ho calls Evergreen Millet. The 
plants, so far as we could determine, wore 
in appearance just the same as the Jfala- 
pense. It seems, however, to be hardier 
since the plants are now alive and grow¬ 
ing thriftily, having endured the Winter 
in an exposed situation without harm. 
Under the title of the paper “Rural 
New-Yorker,” and under the bull’s head 
thereof, will be seen the volume (XLIU.) 
and number (1795.) One unit is added to 
this every week. When it is the same as 
the number on your address wrapper, your 
subscription empires. If there is no num¬ 
ber following the name, the subscription 
expires at the end of this year. Please 
examine, and renew a week or so in ad¬ 
vance. 
Many have doubted that the immense 
crops of potatoes reported, were actually 
raised at the Rural Grounds last season. 
Judging from the wonderfully healthy 
and vigorous appearance of the tops at 
present, the yield this year may exceed 
that of last. When we harvest the pota- 
toe#, our doubting friends had better visit 
us and estimate the yield for themselves. 
The plants are one foot apart aud the 
rows three feet apart, so that each “bill” 
will give the yield of 1-14,520th of an 
aero. We have no secrets at the Rural 
Grounds. If we learn anything worth 
knowing, we want our readers to know it 
at once. That is what we are working for. 
cent man can do, is to keep them cut so 
they shall not ripen seeds to be scattered 
over his neighbors’ fields. The worst, 
nuisance in any community is a weed¬ 
growing farmer; he is of no profit to him¬ 
self, i» a damage to everybody about him, 
and a disgrace to his profession. Cut the 
weeds; it is now time, to prevent their 
seeding, and it will do something toward 
eradicating them. Put not off till to¬ 
morrow the cutting of the weeds. 
At Judge Parry’s pow-wow over the 
Junior Queen—re-christencd Parry—a far 
better name—all were enthusiastic in its 
praise. From our own tests, we judge 
that the berry it well worthy of praise; 
but we are sick of these pow-wows. The 
fruit to be looked at, and judged upon, is 
shown under the most favorable condi¬ 
tions. The prominent horticulturists who 
attend, see, and state what they see. Their 
words of praise are recorded and pub¬ 
lished. and the new fruit is offered to the 
public, supported by the unqualified praise 
of men whose names are known every¬ 
where. If ever, on such occasions, ad¬ 
verse opinions are expressed, they never 
appear in the reports. The nurserymen 
see that the new fruit is to have a grand 
“send-off.” All buy it, and the next sea¬ 
son wo find it, illustrated in colors in all 
of the catalogues, accompanied by the 
commendatory expressions uttered at the 
pow-wow. But the tests of the public 
too often prove that the new fruit is no 
better than scores of old kinds, and fre¬ 
quently it is heard of afterwards hut to 
he condemned. Conservative horticultur¬ 
ists who would not mislead the public, will 
learn to be careful what they say at these 
mutual admiration gatherings. 
OUTLOOK FOR CROPS. 
Are yourself and family reveling in an 
abundance of small fruits? If not, you 
are not getting the comfort out of a farm¬ 
er’s life that God designed you should; 
nor are you dealing justly with those com¬ 
mitted to your charge. There is not only 
comfort in having plenty of fruit, but 
there is health as well. The yearning of 
the system on these hot days, for those 
juicy, refreshing fruits, is hut the voice 
of Nature asking for a supply of the acids 
contained in them, to enable her to over¬ 
come the evil effects of last Winter’s se¬ 
vere cold, and no one can afford to disre¬ 
gard it. If you have not plenty of all 
kinds of fruit in its season, neglect the 
matter no longer; but set apart a gener¬ 
ous plot of ground, and set about prepar¬ 
ing it for next Spring’s planting. Do not 
forget it; such forgetfulness doesn’t pay. 
How about those weeds ? Have they 
been cut, or are they still growing along 
the fences and in by-places all about the 
farm ? The weed tax of American farm¬ 
ers is ten times the amount of all their 
other taxes. Weeds are becoming almost 
universal. The fences are hidden in a 
hedge of weeds; the meadows are gay 
with their blossoms, and many grain 
fields arc so filled with weeds that it is 
difficult to tell what was sown. It is a 
wonder that so little attention is given 
to their destruction. The least any de- 
Carolina, 101; South Carolina, 106; Geor¬ 
gia, 103; Florida, 104; Alabama, 105; 
Mississippi, 105; Louisiana, 99; Texas, 
105; Arkansas, 106; Tennessee, 101, and 
Missouri, 80. The season is from one to 
two weeks late, but the plants are general¬ 
ly thrifty and vigorous. The general aver¬ 
age condition is 87 against 86 on June 1 
last year, and 89 at the same time 1882. 
The figures by States are:—Virginia, 90; 
North Carolina, 97; Georgia, 96; Flori¬ 
da, 99; Alabama, 93; Mississippi, 87; 
Louisiana, 72; Texas, 77; Arkansas, 85; 
Tennessee, 92, and Missouri 90. The chief 
cause of the low condition is want of size, 
which a few weeks of warm weather may 
remedy; hut a continuance of the cool 
temperature and heavy raiDB which have 
lately prevailed beyond the Mississippi, 
will prove disastrous in that section. 
DANGER AHEAD. 
On May 1, the condition of the winter 
wheat, promised a yield of 350,000,000 
bushels, according to the returns of the 
Department of Agriculture, and the gene¬ 
ral average condition on June 1 was still 
high, being 93 against 94 a month before. 
Last year it was only 75 at the same date, 
while in 1882 it was 99. Since the May 
report, the Illinois average has declined 11 
points, and those of Ohio and Kentucky 
three points each, while Indiana. Michi¬ 
gan and some other States show a higher 
condition. The average condition of the 
principal winter wheat-growing States is 
—New York, 98; Pennsylvania, 100 
Maryland, 99; Georgia. 93; Texas, 98 
Kentucky, 96; Ohio, 82; Michigan, 91 
Indiana,'91; Illinois, 76, and Missouri, 
90. The increase in the area of spring 
wheat is nearly nine per cent., or 900,000 
acres, of which 400,000 are in Dakota. 
Its condition averages 101 in nearly every 
district. Last year the growth of spring 
wheat towards the close of the season, 
was very favorable, and if the yield this 
year equals last year’s average, an increase 
of nine per cent, implies a total yield of 
135,000,000 bushels, or an aggregate yield 
of, approximately, 485,000,000 of spring 
aud winter wheat, Tallmadge, the Mil¬ 
waukee “authority,” basing his calcula¬ 
tion* on reports received from the Secre¬ 
taries of the State Boards of Agriculture 
and statistical agents, estimates the yield 
of spring wheat at 141,000,000 bushels, 
and that, of winter wheat at 375,000,000; 
or an aggregate of 516,000,000 bushels. 
The estimates of several other “authori¬ 
ties” vary between these figures. 
There is an estimated iucrease of four 
per cent, in the area of oats, and its aver¬ 
age condition is 98 against 96 at the same 
time a year ago, and 101 on June 1, 1882, 
As usual, the averages are highest in the 
States north of the 40th parallel, though 
they arc up to the standard in all the Wes¬ 
tern States. The general average of rye ad¬ 
vanced during May from 90 to 97; while 
the average of barley fell from 101 to 98, 
against 97 at the same date last year, and 
91 on June 1, 1882. In New York it is 97; 
in Pennsylvania, 90; in Wisconsin, 101; 
in Minnesota, 100; in Iowa, 97; in Ne¬ 
braska, 100, and in California, 98. These 
seven States usually produce four-fifths of 
the crop. 
In the South there appears to be a ten¬ 
dency to increase the area under cotton, 
checked somewhat in the South-west, by 
heavy rains and inundations, and in North 
Carolina and Tennessee by low tempera¬ 
ture at the planting season. Replanting 
was still in progress to some extent, on 
June 1, even in the lower latitudes. The 
warm clear weather in the Atlantic States 
In late May caused a vigorous growth, 
and afforded opportunities for thoroughly 
clean cultivation; but in the West, the 
fields are grassy and “chopping out” is 
not jet finished. The apparent increase 
in the area is about four per cent. 
A comparison with the area of previous 
years is as follows: Virginia, 83; North 
bring in a free market; and we abhor the 
teachings that the trader, the man of ne¬ 
cessitous convenience, should not be rea¬ 
sonably paid; but we do say that specula¬ 
tors, monopolists, and stock jobbers are 
public robbers and legalized thieves; and 
it is a shame that the tendency of law is 
to favor their work. It threatens the pro¬ 
sperity of the people and the existence of 
our Government. It is high time that we 
gave serious consideration to the warning 
words of Webster, and that some efficient 
means should be devised to correct these 
evil tendencies. 
BREVITIES. 
“The freest government,” said Daniel 
Webster, “cannot long endure when 
the tendency of the laws is to create a 
rapid accumulation of property in the 
hands of the few, and to render the 
masses poor and dependent.” Is not 
property accumulating in the hands of 
the few, and are not the masses fast be¬ 
coming poor and dependent ? The 
wealth of Vanderbilt and Gould far ex¬ 
ceeds that of Croesus or Marcus Aurelius. 
Men are not considered very rich whose 
wealth does not exceed $10,000,000. Nor 
have theie enormous fortunes been gained 
by legitimate trade. They are the re¬ 
sults of speculation or monopoly. Often 
this speculation has been in breadstuffs, 
“corners” (which are crimes by our old 
common law), as in the case of Armour 
Brothers, who made, in one year, $7,000,- 
000 by a “corner” in pork. Fully as 
often this wealth is the fruit of monopoly 
(another crime by our common law), as 
in the case of the Pacific Railroads and 
the Standard Oil Company. 
Do we realize bow rapidly wealth is 
gravitating into the hands of the few ? 
Twenty-five years ago the richest man in 
the country was not worth above $10,- 
000,000. When old Stephen Girard died 
he was the wealthiest man in the United 
States, and he was not worth more than 
that. When Commodore Vanderbilt died 
his estate was estimated at $75,000,000, 
and the estate of A. T. Stewart, a few 
years thereafter, was rated at $50,000,000. 
These were then the richest men in the 
country. 
But what of the other side ? Take 
Boston, the center of culture, the pride 
of Puritan New England. Consult the 
report of the Massachusetts Bureau of 
Labor Statistics. In Boston there are 
30,000 women who live by sewing. Their 
average weekly wages do not exceed 
$2.75 Paper-box makers average $3 per 
week. Machine girls make more, per¬ 
haps a dollar a day; but the work in¬ 
duces spinal disease, and in two years 
breaks them down. They work ten hours 
per day. They live on dry food, and 
perhaps a little weak tea, and sleep in 
miserable, filthy quarters. Steady work 
just keeps soul and body together; lack 
of work means either starvation, beggary, 
or shame. 
Do the laws favor this ? Where is there 
one that opposes it? Note the fate of bills 
in opposition to it that came before Con¬ 
gress. If they provide for the giving back 
to the Government, lands forfeited by 
powerful railroad corporations, they arc 
amended till they have but little force; if 
to compel another railroad to provide a 
sinking fund to pay its indebtedness to 
the Government, they are so framed as to 
put the matter entirely in the hands of the 
corporation. When settlers attempted to 
occupv certain lands claimed by a Califor¬ 
nia railroad, the Supreme Court decided 
that the lands belonged to the railroad; 
shortly afterwards, when the State of 
California attempted to tax this railroad 
for these lands, the same court decided 
that the lands did not belong to the rail¬ 
road. It is notorious that laws are so 
framed, so interpreted, and so enforced as 
to favor the accumulation of riches, even 
by unjust means, and to make poverty the 
lot of the many. 
With these facts before us the words of 
Webster have a deep significance. They 
are the expression of the deep conviction 
of a statesman, after a thorough study of 
history. We believe that the laborer is 
worthy of his hire; we believe that supe¬ 
rior labor should receive superior pay: we 
hold that property, rightly won, should 
be held as sacred in law as liberty or life. 
We know that by the natural course of 
events some earn and save more than oth¬ 
ers, and what thus becomes theirs they 
should hold inviolable. We abhor com¬ 
munism; we believe that the work of the 
hand or head should be paid all it will 
Adieu, Bib Bob! We fear you must join 
the army of great expectations that have 
come to grief. 
Sorrv to say our Jefferson Grape-vine, 
though apparently unharmed by the Winter, 
is making a feeble growth. 
There is tome trouble connected with bag¬ 
ging grapes—but they will bring enough more 
in the market to pay for twice the trouble. 
In dry weather keep the cultivator moving. 
Frequent stirring of the surface soil will do 
much to mitigate the evil effects of a drought. 
Pinch off the ends of all shoots of grape¬ 
vines that, are growing beyond the trellis. 
Pinch out the laterals. Prepare bags for the 
young bunches. 
A friend writes us that the Mensury is a 
foreign barley. The Imperial, he says, is more 
profitable to raise, as it tillers more and the 
heads are larger. 
The nine plants of our hybrid between 
wheat and rye have passed the blooming 
period. We have now only to fear that the 
English sparrow may destroy the heads. 
The Iron-clad Strawberry is early and quite 
firm at. th«* Rural Grounds. The quality is 
medium and the plant, healthy and prolific. 
Accounts from several Western friends are 
favorable. 
Onx gentleman at Judge Parry's Junior 
Queen pow wow said that, Crescents fertilized 
with Sharpless would sell for Sharpless. We 
are slow to believe that the pollen exercises 
such an influence over the growt h of the berry. 
We do not find any specimen* of the new 
strawberry Parrv (Junior Queen) a* large as 
the largest of Sharpless, but the average size 
of the berry Is larger. It is never coxcombed 
with us; but we have only a few plants. Il¬ 
lustrations will appear later. 
If you can find a grander tree for the lawn 
than the CucuinberTree,Magnolia arouminata. 
we should like to know what it is. Cut it hack 
for two or three years. aDd do not. trim it up 
from the ground. There is no other tree that 
will assume a more beaut iful pyramidal form 
of luxuriant foliage. 
We have had as many a* .135 varieties of 
strawberries growing in the Rural Grounds. 
This season we have about 40. But we have 
never yet had strawberries in such quantities 
that we were not obliged to buy them almost 
daily of our neighbors during their season. 
This is one of the muuy pleasures of experi¬ 
menting. 
Have you made any provision for giving 
the cows, during the droughts of August and 
September, a daily ration of some green food. 
It. will add 50 per cent, to their yield i>f milk, 
aud 100 per cent, to their comfort. Remem¬ 
ber. a cow is but u machine: she can only 
manufacture, and cannot originate; so if you 
want butter aud milk you must supply the 
raw material—good food. It is not too late to 
sow a piece of corn for this purpose. 
It is with regret we learn that Mr. Mar¬ 
shall P. Wilder. Jr., eon of the venerable 
President of the American Pomological So¬ 
ciety, died at bis father's residence, Dorches¬ 
ter. Mass.. on Saturday, June 7. For more 
than a year he bad been in declining health, 
and the hope that a Winter spent in Colorado 
would restore his waning strength, proving 
fallacious, he returned home in April to pass 
away among a large circle of friends. With 
many noble qualities of mind and heart, he 
gave promise of well sustaining the honored 
name of his venerable father, in whose sad 
bereavement a host of friends in all parts of 
the country will sorrowfully sympathize. 
Ant man who should allow the pen con¬ 
taining his growing or fattening pigs to be¬ 
come so infested with rats and mice that they 
would eat half or two-thirds of the feed in¬ 
tended for the pigs, without taking anv effec¬ 
tual means to drive them away or destroy 
them, could not certainly expect to make 
pork-raising profitable, and would be justly 
regarded by his neighbor* as a fool. This 
course would be no more foolish than to allow 
a field devoted to any crop to become infested 
with weeds. Those take the food needed for 
the growth of the plants, just as much as do 
the mice that for the pigs: and yet how many 
fields there are in which it is hard to distin¬ 
guish the crop amid the weeds! Weed-grow¬ 
ing doesn’t pay any tetter than rat-feeding. 
“Fret not thyself, for anything!” Fretting 
never did any good at any time, it never made 
poor hired help any better: it never makes 
children anv more careful or quiet, and it cer¬ 
tainly never makes them love you any tetter. 
Nol ‘The worst thing, the most senseless thing 
a farmer (or bis wife either) can do. is to fret. 
Fretting irritates even the animals you may 
be using; try the experiment: when they are 
working as nicely as you can wish, commence 
jerking the rems, talk loud, scold them a little, 
and see how quickly they become unmanage¬ 
able. And then fretting operates badly on the 
fretter; it makes him excited, peevish, and to 
feel that all the world is awry. No! don’t 
fret, though things may not go just to your 
wish; take it coolly; think the matter over; 
nine times in ten the fault is your own, and if 
it is not,'a cool headfis worth a hundred times 
more than one in a fret. 
