582 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
SEPT S 
THE 
RURAL NLW'YORKLR. 
A National Journal for Country and Suburban Homo» 
Conducted by 
E. 8. CAKMAN, 
J. 8. WOOD W A HI), 
Associate. 
AddrcKH 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
No. M I'auk Row, New York. 
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER «, 1884. 
For the second time, we have dug our 
wild Rocky Mountain potato, collected 
by Mr. Lemon. The largest this year, 
as last, was one inch in diameter. It is 
Bolanum Fendlerii. 
Wk say that Sir J. B. Lawes’s article 
on the fertilizat ion of polatoes in the Fair 
Number should be worth to everyone 
who strives to ruise fine yields of potatoes, 
more than the yearly subscription price 
of the paper. Is that your opinion? 
Wk can ussure Prof. Lazenby, of the 
Ohio Ex. Station, that Silver Chaff and 
Landrcili (i. e. Armstrong} are by no 
mean* identical, as stated in bis last bul¬ 
letin. We have raised both for at least 
six years. He will no doubt take pains 
to correct this mistake. 
Mr. Wm. Frasier, of Washington, 
sends us a sample of our Fultzo-Clawson 
Wheat sent out in our Free Seed Distri¬ 
bution several years ago, merely to show 
the difference between that which he 
sowed as received from the Rural, and 
that which he now raises. We have to 
say that, without exception, the grains 
are the largest of any wc have ever seen. 
Go through the corn-field and take the 
first steps towards insuring the best seed. 
Select plants that do not sucker; the low¬ 
est-growing, earliest - maturing. Select 
those which bear the ears lowest. Tie 
about such plants long strips of old calico, 
or something of the kind just as conspic¬ 
uous. The corn is cut and shocked. When 
husked, all the ears upon marked stalks 
should be thrown together, and the best 
ears only retained for seed. 
Please send us all the names you can 
of those who are interested in the topics 
of which the R. N.-Y. treats. Wo will 
send them our first issue of November, 
which will contain our Free Seed Distri¬ 
bution Announcement. We are going to 
ask all of our readers to assist in extend¬ 
ing the Rural’s circulation for 1885. We 
have worked hard to assist nud please our 
readers, and we think that they will agree 
with us that the paper should be read by 
every good farmer in the land. We do 
not value readers who care, more for cheap 
premiums than they do for sound agricul¬ 
tural teachings. 
When we offered the $10 for the 
largest, shapely potato, we did so in 
perfect good faith and with no de¬ 
sire to secure a whole car-load of pota¬ 
toes, which a friend suggests may be the 
case, and that the aggregate amount paid 
in charges by the many who must fail, 
will lie more than the money received by 
the one successful. This we should sin¬ 
cerely regret; and that no one may pay 
any needless charges, we suggest that 
when any one finds a potato which he 
thinks worthy of competition, he should 
carefully preserve it in common sand, 
and send us a postal card telling its actual 
weight. We will from time to time pub¬ 
lish the weights of the largest, and after 
November 1 we will notify those whom we 
wish to forward their potatoes, and we 
will pay the charges on all except the 
winning potato, and thus “avoid the 
. very appearance of evil." Is this fair? 
Don’t neglect to take good care of the 
Cross-bred Diehl - Mediterranean Wheat, 
and give it a good chance. We have re¬ 
ceived the following reports of yields: 
Mr. Pierson, of Niagara Co., N. Y., had 
over 40 bushels from 56 pounds sown on 
one acre; Mr. Leet, of Erie Co., Pa., had 
44 bushels from one bushel sown on one 
acre; Mr. II. M. Jnques, of Niagara Co., 
N. Y., had over 46 bushels per acre; Mr. 
Collier, of Genesee Co., got 45 bushels 
per acre; Mr. Cole, of Monroe Co., N. 
Y., had over 48 bushels; Mr. Allen, of 
the same county, got 50 bushels; Mr. 
Ballantine also got over 50 bushels. We 
have so far not a single unfavorable re¬ 
port. Our best acre gave over 55 bushels, 
and on a trial plot wc got over 1,000 
heads from one head planted, and we 
want each of our friends to do as well for 
next year’s use. Wo also want at least 500 
boys and girls too to secure at least'one- 
half bushel; we believe they can do bet¬ 
ter. If they will do as we did on our 
trial plot (see page 564), or plant six by 
twelve inches with the same treatment, 
there is no reason w hy they should not re¬ 
ceive as large an increase as we did with 
the single head. Now, boys, for honest, 
hard work to secure the seed ; and then 
for a little strife to see who will get the 
largest yield. 
One of Our Girls writes: “I am a girl, 
and yet I want to get up a club of sub¬ 
scribers and secure some Cross-bred 
Diehl-Mediterranean Wheat, for three rea¬ 
sons. Odc: We have no boy now in our 
family. We had an only brother once, 
who was a kind, intelligent, bright boy; 
but lie died some years ago. Another, 
I want to earn some money as badly as 
though T were a boy. My papa will furnish 
me the horse with which to canvass, will 
furnish the ground for the wheat and do 
all the work,and give me half the proceeds. 
Lastly: I like the Rural New-Yorker, 
and want to do some good by helping to 
increase its circulation, and believe a sub¬ 
scriber secured by me, would get just as 
much good by reading it, as though lie 
gave his name and money to a boy. Now, 
will you please give me a chance to get 
some of Unit fine wheat?” 
Why, bless your lonely, ambitions, 
benevolent, darling heart, Sophie, Yes. 
a thousand times yes, and every other 
girl too! Why, we meant to include the 
girls all the time; we think just as much 
of them as we do of the boys (thirty 
years ago we thought a great deal more 
of them,) and we shall only he too glad 
to have them share in the labor and the 
reward, and hereafter, when we say boys, 
just remember we mean the girls, too. 
THE LARGEST POTATO YIELD EVER 
PRODUCED AT THE RURAL EX¬ 
PERIMENTAL OROUND8. 
At the rate of Thirteen Hundred and 
Ninety-one and a-lialf (1,361 1-2) bushels 
to the acre! They were dug and weighed, 
and the yield estimated by Sec. E. Wil¬ 
liams, of Montclair, New Jersey, and C. L. 
Jones, of Newark, New Jersey, Wednes¬ 
day, August 27. Particulars will be given 
in due time. The second best yield, sur¬ 
passing all other yields in previous sea¬ 
sons, was Thirteen Hundred and Sixty- 
one and a quarter (1,861 14) bushels to 
the acre. They were dug August 18. 
How do we produce them ? Wide 
trenches; a mellow bottom; the seed 
pieces covered with two inches of soil; 
the fertilizer strewn evenly upon tin's; 
the trench filled with the soil as lovnely as 
possible and heaped up A*8baped, so that 
it will settle to a level of the soil on either 
side after a rain or bo \ flat cultivation. 
Try it, friends; there is more in this than 
may appear, as we shall one day endeavor 
to explain. 
PLANT MORE TREES. 
A Friend writes us:—“On the 10th 
of May, 1876, 1 was in charge of a large 
school, and our pupils wished to do some¬ 
thing to remember the day: after some 
reflection, 1 suggested that they plant 
three trees—one for the boys, one for the 
girls, and one for the teacher. This met 
their approval, and they divided into three 
committees: one went to the woods and 
dug the trees; another dug the holes, and 
the other procured several large buckets 
of warmish water, with a cup for each 
scholar. The trees were placed in the 
holes; a little rich soil and decayed leaves, 
brought from the woods, were put among 
and over the roots, just sufficient to keep 
them in position without holding. Thu 
whole school then assembled around them, 
and after appropriate singing and speeches, 
formed in line and, still singing, marched 
around the trees, each pouring a cup of 
water upon the roots of each of the t hree 
trees, after which the earth was filled in 
nicely around each tree. Those three trees 
are now growing nicely and look splendid, 
very much better than other ami much 
superior trees planted by the school au¬ 
thorities.” 
The reason for this is plain. As those 
little fellows assisted in planting the trees, i 
and poured their free-will offerings of pure i 
water over the roots, those trees took hold i 
of their affections; and as we always care i 
for and look after what has our love, 1 
those trees—the children’s trees—have 
been tenderly eared for and watched over, 
and have responded to sucli care by fine < 
growth. > i 
As we read this beautiful and touching i 
incident, our memory and our love went 
back to our boyhood days—to an after- i 
noon when we helped to plant a class-tree 
in the old academy yard. Though more 
than a third of a century ago, our love 
still clings to that fine tree, and we visit, 
it as reverently as wc visit our mother’s 
grave. We commend this practice to every 
teacher. If they love their pupils and 
wish to be remembered, they can do noth¬ 
ing that will fasten their memory so pleas¬ 
antly and indelibly upon the young hearts 
as to have it associated with the planting 
of a tree. Let us plant more trees! 
TAKE A HOLIDAY AT THE FAIRS. 
Even a comparatively light burden be¬ 
comes almost intolerably oppressive if 
constantly and unceasingly borne, and it. 
helps one wonderfully to lay it down, 
straighten up and take a deep breath, if 
only for a moment. If it makes the bur¬ 
den no lighter, it does what amounts to 
the same thing, it rests the tired muscles 
nnd makes them the more able to bear it. 
It, does a team engaged in heavy work an 
awful sight of good to occasionally stop, 
have the harness loosened, and be allowed 
to get a long breath; It, seems to put new 
life; and vigor into them, and they always 
look their thanks. The farmer is too apt 
to mukc his life like the constant bearing 
of the heavy load, or the drawing of the 
team. He does not have resting and 
breathing spells enough; ho seems to think 
he cannot afford the time. He forgets 
that the distance is much shorter to the 
rested horse, and the load much lighter 
to the rested man. 
Just now is aspleuduMime to turn over 
a new leaf. The season of fairs is just 
opening, and every farmer should so plan 
his work that he can go to one or more of 
them. We believe that this year they will 
be more free from objectionable features 
than ever before. Do not think it 
enough that you go alone, brother far¬ 
mer; your wife needs a rest as badly as 
you do, and often ten times worse. Plan, 
therefore, to take her. And then the 
boys—they have been good boys, and 
have worked hard and faithfully; of 
course, you will take them. And the 
girls- -well, you might, as well make up 
your mind to take the whole family, not 
forgetting the hired man. Go early and 
go every day. When you get there, don’t 
get to talking politics and forget all 
about the family; they are worth more to 
you than all the politicians; so stick by 
them and let the button-hoUn go. Take 
the whole family about, and show them 
the improved stock; call attentiou to the 
points of excellence in the different breeds, 
aud kinds of domestic animals. Show 
them the fruits and flowers; show them 
the farm and household machinery; and 
see if you can’t find some new improve¬ 
ments in it. Be sure to point out every 
point of interest in everything. Make 
yourself happy by seeing how much you 
can interest them in what comes from the 
farm, and what tends to lighten the labors 
of the farm. 
If you see anything on the ground that 
merits your disapproval, call the mana¬ 
gers’ attention to it, and beg of them to 
abate the nuisance. If they neglect to do 
so, make a memorandum of it., and be 
mre to settle with them at the next an¬ 
nual election. We believe that, two or 
three days thus spent will be much better 
than money at interest, and we believe 
you will be surprised at how r many new 
ideas you will get, and will be charmed at 
the new’ zest and interest it will put into 
the work, of even the hired mail. Try it. 
CONTAGIOUS PLEURO PNEUMONIA IN 
THE WEST. 
Hitherto it has always been claimed 
that whatever might be the case with 
regard to contagious pleuro pneumonia 
among our herds east of the Alleghany 
Mountains, a single case of the disease 
had never been found west of that, range. 
It was on this account that pressure was 
brought to bear on the English Govern¬ 
ment to induce it to remove its restrictions 
on the importation of cattle from the West, 
although it might still continue to sche¬ 
dule the herds in the Atlantic States, where 
it was acknowledged a few widely scat¬ 
tered instances of the disease existed. It 
was justly urged that because the dis¬ 
ease infested a few localities in a nar¬ 
row strip of the seaboard States, it was 
unfair to embargo all the cattle in so vast 
a country as the United States, especially 
as nearly all the exported stock came 
from the great West, whose herds 
were wholly free from the plague. 
This plea can no longer be urged in favor 
of the removal of the restrictions. A week 
ago the country was startled by the an¬ 
nouncement that the dreaded malady had 
forced its way beyond the Alleghanies, 
and had appeared in several places in Illi¬ 
nois, The State authorities nnd the new¬ 
ly-established Bureau of Animal Industry 
promptly set about investigating the mat¬ 
ter, and it is already officially announced 
that, eight cases have been discovered near 
Chicago; two cases near Sterling; four 
cases near Peoria; one case at, Elmhurst; 
three cases at Geneva; one case near 
Springfield; two cases near Virginia, and 
one case near Jacksonville, while a num¬ 
ber of reported cases in other localities 
have not yet been investigated. All the 
original cases appeared among Jersey cat¬ 
tle, and it is said that the auction sale of 
Jerseys at Virginia, Cass Co., Illinois, in 
February last, distributed the infected 
animals throughout the Slate, and that 
animals from this sale were also taken to 
Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa, and Kentucky. 
Which of the animals that came to the 
Virginia sale brought the disease, m not 
positively decided; but one that came 
from Mr. Dye, of Ohio, wns siek with in¬ 
flammation of the lungs, and this beast is 
thought to have originated the outbreak. 
As Mr. Dye is the most extensive specu¬ 
lator in Jersey cattle in the country, and 
lias sent cattle to nearly every herd in the 
West, Dr. Salmon, Chief of the Bureau of 
Animal Industry, thinks it likely that if 
his herd is infected, the disease must have 
been spread to nearly every Jersey herd 
in the Union. 
Commissioner T.oring urges the owners 
of all herds of Jersey cattle in the United 
States, into which new animals have been 
introduced since January 1. to stop ship¬ 
ments until after October 1. Tt must be 
remembered that Section 7 of the act es¬ 
tablishing the Bureau of Animal Industry, 
makes it a misdemeanor, punishable by a 
fine of not less than $100, or more than 
$5,000, or by imprisonment of not more 
than one year, or both, to ship cattle 
affected with any contagious, infectious 
or communicable disease, and especially 
the disease known aB pleuro-pneumonia, 
from one State or Territory to another. 
Several of the infected animals have 
already been condemned and slaughtered. 
The 11 killed of Mr. Boyd’s herd at Elm¬ 
hurst, were worth from $250 to $1,000 
each, and some of the infected animals 
belonging to other herds are worth much 
more, so that the loss due to the extirpa¬ 
tion of the disease from its present, known 
limits must be very heavy; but this, how¬ 
ever great, will be a mere trifle in com¬ 
parison with the loss to the nation should 
this most insidious and fatal disease spread 
among the vast herds of the West. 
While we believe the extent of the pre¬ 
sent outbreak may be exaggerated, it is 
impossible to exaggerate the damage that 
may be done if the disease is not checked 
as vigorously as possible, and stamped out 
at the earliest moment. It is no longer 
safe to purchase stock cattle that have 
been carried by rail or other public con¬ 
veyance; or that have been at public sales, 
markets or fairs, or ot her assemblages of 
cattle, or iri contact with cattle so ex¬ 
posed. Stock cattle should be obtained 
only from well-known herds, among which 
there has been no death or sickness for 
the last six months, and to which no ad¬ 
ditions from unknown sources have been 
made for that time, and which have not 
come in contact with passing herds. 
These precautions may appear burdensome; 
but here, “eternal vigilance” is the price 
of immunity from contagion. 
BREVITIES. 
This seat does not seem to be engaged or 
married. Let’s take it. 
A friend writing for herself and family 
from Canada, says: “ I was very much pleas¬ 
ed with the picture of Mr. Saunders. It is a 
good likeness, aud we knew him at first sight.” 
Wk are sorry to say tbut of all onr grapes 
the Vcrgenncs, which we have often com¬ 
mended to our readers, is rott ing the worst. 
There will not be one perfect bunch, or any¬ 
thing like a perfect bunch. 
Wk have just seen a little lawn densely 
shaded, upon which the grasses were killed 
during a drought. It was sown to Timothy 
lust Fall and has been cut the same as other 
la wns during the Summer. It already forms 
a complete sod resembling thatof Blue Grass. 
Our friend, Mr. John Burr, of Leaven¬ 
worth. Kansas, who has originated many 
promising grapes, w rites us l hat he is 84 years 
old, which reminds him that he cannot expect 
to have a much longer time to raise new 
grapes. Nevertheless, he says, “I hope to 
drop with the harness on.” 
