43S 
THE RURAL HEW-YORKER. 
THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
A National Journal for Country and Suburban Homea 
Conducted by 
KI.BEBT H. C A H M A » . 
Address 
THE KURA I, NEW-YORKER, 
No. S4 Park Row, New York. 
Mr. Jno. S. Collins, who attended the 
late Nurserymen’s meeting at Chicago, 
writes us that the town of Pullman (Ills.) 
belongs to the Pullman Car Co., and that 
the sewage is carried from the town to 
the tillable land by the use of the immense 
Corliss engine which was exhibited at the 
Centennial. On some of the land 100,000 
gallons a day to 12 acres were used. Upon 
100 acres of land cultivated in celery, cab¬ 
bage and potatoes principally, they cleared 
$ 6 , 000 . 
Can chemists tell whether the nitrogen 
of chemical fertilizers comes from hair, 
leather, rags, horn shavings, or from flesh, 
blood, or other sources in which it is 
available as plant food? Can chemists 
tell us whether phosphoric acid conics 
from rock or from bones? If not, to wlmt 
extent can we rely upon the analyses 
which are given in the reports of the State 
agricultural stations? Truly we must 
trust to the honesty of chemical fertilizer 
manufacturers to a great extent, after all. 
Farmers, in getting their reapers and 
mowers ready for use, should see that 
every bolt and nut is screwed-up to its 
place and that all parts (It perfectly. Bet¬ 
ter spend an hour or so beforehand in 
looking them over than have to stop after 
work is commenced. In starting any ma¬ 
chine that has been used, it is economy to 
use at least one gallon of kerosene or crude 
petroleum. It will cost anywhere from 
10 to 25 cents, and if used freely once or 
twice before starting, and if then (lie rest 
of the gallon is used in the first two or 
three hours the machine is run, it will 
soften up and wash out the old oil and 
gum that have become settled in the boxes 
as hard as wax, and save the teams many 
thousands of pounds in the aggregate 
draft every day as long as i( is run, and 
to save draft is to save muscle, and muscle 
costs feed, and feed is money. Don’t 
spare the kerosene. 
-— 
In our tests with different commercial 
fertilizers upon potatoes, a report of 
which is given in this impression, every 
plot lolls the same story. Potash or phos¬ 
phoric acid, alone or combined, does no 
good; but ammonia alone, as well as the 
three combined, produce the strongest 
growth. We have never heard of a series 
of tests which so corroborate each ot her. 
Evidently the land needs complete ferti¬ 
lizers, and that is just what might have 
been inferred when it is considered that 
it has been cropped for many years and 
has received very little plant food of any 
kind. It may he asked: “Why docstheam- 
rnonia, or nitrate of soda, alone produce 
such marked effects ?” Our answer would 
be, that as both of these are very soluble, 
the acid probably serves to render availa¬ 
ble the potash and phosphoric acid of the 
soil which were previously unavailable. If 
the very same experiments were continued 
on the same plots for several years, the 
nitrogen would probably show no more 
effect than cither of the others. 
WORK FOR THE BUREAU OF ANIMAL 
INDUSTRY. 
There are two kinds of pleuro-pneu- 
monia to which cattle are liable, one of 
which is contagious while the other, like 
the disease of the same name iu the human 
subject, is not communicable to others. 
The former is the plague which has 
wrought woeful destruction among the 
herds of Europe, and whose reported ex¬ 
istence in a few places in this country has 
provoked the restrictions to which our 
cattle trade is subjected across the Atlan¬ 
tic. It has always been claimed by some 
people that although the symptoms of 
affected animals here closely resembled 
those of the contagious form of pleuro¬ 
pneumonia, the disease in reality was 
neither contagious nor infectious. Some 
have maintained that the malady was of 
local origin, caused by the manner of feed¬ 
ing or keeping stock, while others who 
were willing to concede that it was origi¬ 
nally imported, have thought the type 
was so modified by our climate and other 
causes as to lose its contagious character. 
Skeptics of both classes have stoutly as¬ 
serted that the veterinarians who have re¬ 
ported the existence of contagious pleuro¬ 
pneumonia among our herds, have either 
been ignorantly mistaken in their diagno¬ 
sis, or have purposely exaggerated the 
danger from the disease, with the object of 
securing for themselves notoriety or fat 
offices. The assertion has been frequently 
reiterated that there is notin this country a 
single case of contagious pleuro-pneumo- 
nia.and the $1,000 w hich a prominent stock 
owner offered some months ago for proof of 
such a case, still remain in the challenger’s 
pocket. While in Eogland and other in¬ 
fected European countries, the most strin¬ 
gent regulations and the utmost rigor in 
their enforcement are needed to prevent 
tlie rapid and disastrous spread of the dis¬ 
ease over wide areas, it does seem a trifle 
strange that in this country, in Spite of 
the careless manner in which it has been 
treated in some of the States in which its 
existence has been reported, it has re¬ 
mained confined almost entirely to a few 
places wdiere the pestiferous conditions 
under which the cattle are kept, would 
naturally generate non-contagious pleuro¬ 
pneumonia among other maladies. 
In view of the heavy losses already in¬ 
flicted on cattle owners by the reported 
existence of contagious pleuro-pncumonia 
here and there in a few of the Atlantic 
States, the real nature of the disease 
among our herds should have been de¬ 
monstrated long ago. “Better late than 
never,” however, and accordingly we arc 
pleased to learn that a part of the $150,000 
lately appropriated by Congress for the 
work of the Animal Industry Bureau, is 
to be expended in investigations in this 
direction. Through Dr. I). E. Salmon, 
Chief Veterinarian of the Department of 
Agriculture, Commissioner Loring has 
been consulting with the Boards of 
Health of New York, Brooklyn and Jer¬ 
sey City, and it has been decided that the 
Brooklyn Board shall establish au experi¬ 
mental station where healthy and diseased 
cattle will be confined t ogether, to ascer¬ 
tain whether the disease is really contagi¬ 
ous. Similar tests will be made at Phila¬ 
delphia and Washington, while agents 
will be sent to various points in the West 
to report observations there. 
-♦♦♦-- 
THE FIGHT AGAINST BOGUS DAIRY 
PRODUCTS. 
The law prohibiting the manufacture 
and sale of oleomargarine and similar pro¬ 
ducts in this State, went, into effect on 
June 1; but a large number of factories 
arc still turning out the stuff, and it is 
sold as freely as ever by the wholesale and 
retail dealers. Just as in Cleveland and 
Chicago, the two principal Western points 
where artificial “butters” are made, the 
manufacture has greatly diminished for 
the Summer, so in this cit v where most 
of the Eastern hog and bullock “butters” 
are made, some of the factories have sus¬ 
pended operations for the present, not out 
of respect for the law, but because it is 
more profitable to accumulate the raw 
materials now, to be worked up into imi¬ 
tation concoctions in the Fall. Many of 
the makers openly anuounce their inten¬ 
tion of defying the law as unconstitution¬ 
al; while the dealers, for a long time to 
come, will find an excuse for selling the 
product, in the plea that it was manufac¬ 
tured previous to the first of June; for no 
one questions the right of the manufac¬ 
turer or dealer to sell any of his product 
made before that date. Complaints are 
already heard of the inaction ot Dairy 
Commissioner Brown for not proceeding 
at once against the violators of the law; 
but it should be remembered that the 
Commissioner had not only to create the 
machinery of the Commission, but to get 
it in working order and start it pro¬ 
perly. 
Moreover, the law for the enforcement of 
which the Commission was founded, relates 
to many other things besides bogus butters, 
only one short section out of the 16 of 
which it is composed, relating to the sale of 
such concoctions. While it is highly im¬ 
portant that the law should be enforced 
against oleomargarine and similar pro¬ 
ducts, the adulterations of milk and cheese 
must also receive attention. 8omc weeks 
ago an inspector was appointed for New 
York and Brooklyn, whose business it is 
to ascertain the present condition of the 
oleomargarine and suine trade, and in¬ 
vestigations of a similar nature arc being 
made in other parts of the State with re¬ 
gard to all the subjects covered by the 
law. The opponents of the law have 
engaged the services of the most eminent 
counsel, those of W. M. Evarts among 
others, and prudence demands a careful 
examination of the whole ground, so that 
when proceedings shall be begun, they 
mav bo prosecuted with a reasonable pros¬ 
pect of success. In view of the Western 
judicial decisions, it is hardly likely that 
the Courts will decide against the con¬ 
stitutionality of the law. That the State 
has the right to prohibit tbe manufacture, 
wilhin her borders, of unwholesome pro¬ 
ducts or of those specially likely to be 
unwholesome and fraudulent, has been 
affirmed by the Courts in Missouri and 
Jowa, and oleomargarine and its con¬ 
geners have been included in this cate¬ 
gory. Probably the chief trouble will 
arise with regard to products made out¬ 
side the boundary of the State, for here 
the State legislation may be found to con¬ 
flict with the Federal Constitution. The 
progress of the struggle against imitation 
dairy products in New York will doubt¬ 
less be watched with no small interest by 
dairymen in all other sections of the coun¬ 
try, and should be of at least equal inter¬ 
est to consumers of dairy products, for 
while only the pockets of the former are 
concerned, the health of the latter is 
liable to be affected by the results. The 
wealthiest manufacturers of the products 
in the country aTe here, and they will 
doubtless be willing to spend a liberal 
share of their vast profits in order to 
secure a continuance of them, by upsetting 
the law which puts an end to them; while 
the State has already appropriated $60,000 
to secure the enforcement of the law by 
special means outside the ordinary ma¬ 
chinery; and will doubtless supply funds 
to support its legislation vigorously and 
effectively beffore the Courts. The result 
of the contest in this State is very likely 
to affect legislation in others also. 
COMMON SENSE INSURES SUCCESS. 
Although firmly believing in the effi¬ 
cacy of science when applied to the ope¬ 
rations of the farm and cultivation of the 
soil—in short, in thorough complete, sci¬ 
entific farming—and (hat the farmer who 
most thoroughly understands the scien¬ 
tific relations between the soil and ma¬ 
nures on the one hand, and.soils and crops 
on the other, and who most closely com¬ 
plies with their requirements, will be the 
most successful, and will, while raising 
the best and most paying crops, most im¬ 
prove his soil; yet we do not wish it 
understood that we think that mere book 
knowledge, or a thorough, theoretical, 
scientific knowledge alone, no matter how 
complete or how perfectly learned, ever 
can make a farmer. A perfect theoretical, 
scientific knowledge alone never makes a 
watch-maker, a machinist, a physician or 
a chemist even; why should it make a 
farmer? In all branches, proficiency re¬ 
quires the student to be taught the practi¬ 
cal application, as well as the theoretical 
parts of science. 
Men are endowed with certain natural 
faculties which, for convenience, we call 
senses, and through which all knowledge 
of outward things is acquired, and which, 
especially in the farmer, need the highest 
degree of cultivation, so that they may 
become remarkably acute, and ever-ready 
for use in detecting any waste or in sug¬ 
gesting any possible improvement in his 
methods, whether applied to the soil or 
the stock. His ear should be as well 
trained as that of the finest musician, 
ready to detect anything going amiss on 
the farm or in the farm machinery, by the 
sound; his quick ear should catch the first 
symptom of distress m the breathing of 
any animal. His nose should be a stand¬ 
ing investigating committee, always on 
the alert for any noisome smell about 
the stable, cellar, or manure piles; that 
nothing valuable be allowed to escape; 
that nothing mitritious be wasted by im¬ 
properly feeding the stock; that no foul 
gases be allowed to breed in the cellar, to 
poison himself or his family. 
His eye should have constant supervis¬ 
ion of everything, seeing and approving 
what is right, and condemning what is 
wrong; it should aiso be able to detect in 
the clouds and sky the indications and 
probabilities of the weather. A delicate 
sense of taste is not only a source of much 
pleasure, but should be also used to de¬ 
tect by the taste of the milk anything 
amiss in the feed of the cow, and should 
enable the farmer to make butter and 
cheese of the finest grade and of uniform 
quality. 
Touch, or feeling, if properly edu¬ 
cated, enables tbe farmer to detect that 
certain softness of skin and tissues be¬ 
neath, which, in an animal, are indicative 
of a tendency to acquire flesh rapidly and 
of the best quality. It also enables him 
to judge correctly of the condition as to 
dryness of his crops in the fields and in 
the mow. and also of the keeping of the 
grain in the bin. 
There is still another sense of vastly 
more importance to the farmer than any of 
these— common sense. This is that fac¬ 
ulty of the mind by which we weigh im¬ 
pressions, test the truth of so-called 
knowledge, and form our own judgment; 
it leads us to investigate, sift, weigh, and 
judge. By it alone can the impressions 
received by the other senses become avail¬ 
able, and without, it the most complete 
scientific education is only so much more 
weight to an overloaded animal. It differs 
from knowledge, because it weighs knowl¬ 
edge; it takes the statements of science, 
compares them with each other, and with 
facta already established, and judges of 
their accuracy. Wc have known some very 
learned and wise men that were very defi¬ 
cient in common sense—notably so—and 
made the most ridiculous blunders. It 
differs from judgment, from the fact that 
on its investigation!!, tests and conclu¬ 
sions, judgment is formed, and unless so 
formed ia very liable to be incorrect. 
Common sense is the offspring of brains, 
active, thinking, educated brains. Its 
possessor is thoughtful, careful, consid¬ 
erate; if confronted with an emergency, 
he carefully considers the surroundings, 
quickly arrives at a conclusion, and, on 
acting upon it, almost invariably finds it 
correct. It is as essential in hired help 
as muscle, and often much more so; if 
sent to perform certain work, the posses¬ 
sor of it takes all the tools needed along; 
he knows just how to take advantage 
of every circumstance, and thus saves 
time and muscle both, not only for him¬ 
self but for his team as well. Common 
sense, like all other faculties, is to a cer¬ 
tain extent a natural gift, yet it is as 
capable of education and development a9 
mind or muscle, and being so very im¬ 
portant. in all positions of life, should 
receive great attention from the parent 
and educator. 
Education without common sense makes 
a man like a ponderous engine without a 
governor, liable to the greatest irregular¬ 
ities, and to ruin at last. Science and 
common sense combined are simply irre¬ 
sistible; no obstacle too great to be over¬ 
come, no success too complete to be at¬ 
tained ; therefore give the children a good 
education, and see to it that their com¬ 
mon sense is not neglected. 
BREVITIES. 
A little lemon juice in water with no su¬ 
gar is very efficacious in quenching thirst. 
Tuk Farm. Field and Fireside, of Chicago, 
Ill., has concluded not to sue tbeR. N.-Y. for 
libel. We are sorry, aud have expressed our 
regrets to its publisher. 
Be careful during this very hot weather 
not to drink too much ice-water. Though it 
mav taste better, it reallv will not quench 
thirst as quickly as water of the temperature 
of the air. 
The early strawberry crop at the Rural 
Grounds was very good; the later crop has 
been ruined by drought. Oats are burning 
up; early sweet-corn is tasseliog out when a 
foot high; field potatoes have received a severe 
check, and we have never known a full crop 
to follow. 
We have been looking over the last volume 
of the Am. Pom. Society somewhat carefully, 
and must say that it seems to us more valua¬ 
ble than any other we can call to mind. One 
would suppose that Secretary Beal already 
had his hands fuLl without this additional 
load, which is of itself no light oue to carry. 
It is tbe fashion no w-adays to end about 
everv sentence with “and that sort of thine, 
“and things of that sort,” “and such stuff,” 
“and all that.” “don’t you know,” don't you 
see” etc. We beg to say that “this sort of 
thing” sets us wild, and that callers at the 
Rural office will kindly suppress “such stuff, 
for, “don’t you know,” we hear so much of it, 
“don’t you see,” that we had far rather listen 
to talk of things of some other sort. 
From the well-known agricultural writer 
and editor, Mr. A. B. Allen, we have received 
the following gratifying note: “That is a 
beautiful tribute you pay to your father, in 
the Rural of 21st June, and I have no doubt 
it is perfectly just. You also show your owu 
admirable management of the paper, and in¬ 
domitable industry and perseverance. May 
a kind Providence long spare your life for a 
continuation of this highly useful and benefi¬ 
cent work. As an earnest appreciation of it, 
I hereunto subscribe my name in full. 
ANTHONY BENEZET ALLEN.” 
