T H TC 
RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
A National Journnl for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Conducted by 
KLBEKT S. CARMAN. 
Address 
THE RURAL NKvv-YORKER. 
No. 34 P. rk Row, New York. 
SATURDAY, JAN. 6. 1883. 
ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR THE NEW 
YEAR. 
First: 
We are pleased to announce that a 
special series of ably written articles has 
been secured by the Rural New-Yorker, 
the publication of which will be begun in 
a week or so. The complete list of the 
writers and the subjects chosen are as 
follows : 
BY SIR .1. B. LAWES, 
ROTHAMSTED, ENGLAND. 
Subject: How to Renovate Impoverished 
Land. 
BY HON. CASSIUS M. CLAY, 
KENTUCKY. 
Subject: The Value of Improved Stock. 
BY HON. BEN. PERLKY POORE, 
INDIAN HILL FARM, MASS. 
Subject: Making Farm Homes Happy. 
BY PROP. LEVI STOCKBRIDGE, 
AMHERST, MASS. 
Subject: The Agricultural Capabilities of 
Dakota and Montana. 
BY PROP. G. E. MORI OW, 
ILLINOIS INDUS. UNIT I.K6ITY. 
Subject: 1st. The Pedigrt Question. 2nd. 
Lessons from the Fat Stock Shows. 
BY GE#. B. LORING, 
U. S. COM. OT AGRICULTURE. 
Subject: Farm Parses. 
BY .TAMES R. NICHOLS, M. D., A. M., 
EDITOR JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY, MASS. 
Subject: Facts Learned from Twenty five 
Years' Experience in Conducting an Experi¬ 
ment Farm. 
BY PROP. W. O. ATWATER, 
Subject: Agricultural Sciences in Europe. 
Prof. Atwater is now in Munich, Bavaria. 
BY PROP. G, C. CALDWELL, 
CORNELL UNIVERSITY. 
Subject: Manufacturers' Residues, such 
as Malt Sprouts , Oil Cakes, Distillei'y Res¬ 
idues, etc., as Fodder for Milch Covjs. 
BY W. A. ARMSTRONG, 
EDITOR HUSBANDMAN, NEW YORK. 
Subject: The Means of Agricultural Im¬ 
provement. 
BY REV. E. P. ROE, 
NEW YORK. 
Subject: How to Secure the Best Returns 
in Strawberry Culture. 
BY PROP. J. M. MCBRIDE, 
SOUTH CAROLINA AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. 
Subject: Farm Seeds—Their Purity and 
Vitality. 
BY PROF. W. .J. BEAL, 
MICHIGAN AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. 
Subject: Should all Students be Compelled 
to Labor at an Agricultural College ? 
BY II. W. RAVENEL, 
SOUTH CAROLINA. 
Subject: The Introduction of Japan Clo¬ 
ver into this Country. 
■''econd : 
“ PROFITABLE FARMING FOR A POOR 
MAN.” 
Such is the title of a series of essays 
for the best of which premiums were 
offered in the Rural New-Yorker of 
August 12. Our object in soliciting 
such articles was t > assist those farmers 
who have limited means or those who, 
with a small caj ital, are about to engage 
in farming. 
Among the many enterprises of the 
Rural New-Yorker, probably not one 
other promises to offer so mnoh of real 
instruction to those who are striving t< 
make tbe Poor Farm, pay, as this series of 
premium essays which will be begua next 
week to continue through the year. They 
are written by fhose who have passed 
through the deprivations and tribulations 
of an impoverished beginning to real 
success. Read them. They may prove 
of more value to you , reader, than the 
cost of 20 yeirs’ subscription to the 
Rural New Yorker. 
Third. 
Mr. Stewart's farm story which has 
engaged the t ttention of our readers for 
many monthB will end in a few weeks. 
Another fiom the pen of a gifted young 
farmerine will be commenced a few weeks 
afterwards. It will be a true, conservative, 
exact chronicle of the trials, disappoint¬ 
ments and successes of earnest but inex¬ 
perienced young people in farm and garden 
life. All should j ead it. 
Fourth. 
Sir J. B. Lawes, of Rothamsted, Eng¬ 
land will continue to favor us with occa¬ 
sional articles. The candid, critical, 
stock papers entitled “ Notes ty a Stock- 
man" will be continued—so also will 
“ Fays" by u Leon ,” 1 ‘ Ruralims" bv' i Hor- 
ticola," “ Jottings at Kirby Homestead ” 
hy Col. F. D. Curtis ; “Notes on Back 
Numbeis” by Dr. T. H. Hoskins; Notes 
and Comments bv Mr. C. E. Parnell 
and Notes from the Rural Experiment 
Grounds. 
Fifth. 
The profit of anything is more in its 
cheap production than in its high price. 
To produce an article at it lowest cost will 
give a profit to tbe producer when another 
who is not so skillful loses money, and yet 
both sell at the fan e price in the market. 
How to produce various articles on the 
farm at the lowest price is very impor¬ 
tant knowledge for farmers. Some of 
our readers may know how this is done; 
but many do not ; but all of them will no 
doubt be interested in hearing from one 
who, as they are well aware, has had a 
long and varied experience in this direc¬ 
tion. We are therefore pleased to say 
that Mr. Henry Stewart.will soon begin a 
series of articles beginning u How to pro¬ 
duce milk at two cents a quart," following 
up with others of a similar character. 
When it is found desirable these articles 
will be illustrated. 
• Sixth. 
Hon. C. M. Clay of Kentucky will con¬ 
tribute occasionally during the year Notes 
on sheep husbandry and farm stock. 
The subject of Agricultural Colleges; 
Their Benefit to Farmers; Should Far¬ 
mers Send their Sons; Should Manual 
Labor be Enforced, will be freely dis¬ 
cussed. 
Finally. 
For our lady readers we have to say 
that their several departments will receive 
the attention necessary to lender them 
more interesting than ever before. 
We shall continue with all care our full 
accounts of the Markets, News of the 
AVeek, domestic, foreign and agricultural. 
All events of general interest will be 
clearly narrated while all verbiage aud 
repetition will be avoided, as also all de¬ 
tails of crime, which should nevei find a 
place in a pure-toned family paper. 
Read Annie L. Jack’s article under Do¬ 
mestic Economy entitled, “Housekeeping 
Experiences of a City Girl who Married a 
Farmer.” 
— - .»■» + - 
Mrs. Mary Wageb-Fisher’s article in 
the Literary Department takes a some¬ 
what novel and startling view of the sub¬ 
ject considered. 
-» ♦ » 
We shall be able to send to each < f our 
subscribers aboul 200 grains of the Black- 
bearded Centennial Wheat. We had in¬ 
tended to send twice as much, but we 
have secured all there is in the country 
that is true and pure, so far as we can 
learn. 
- 4 -*-*- 
Again tbe most prosperous year the 
Rural New-Yorker has ever enjoyed is 
promised for 1883. We are altogether 
thankful, grateful, humble and desirous 
of showing our appreciation of a warmer 
friendliness and a heartier support than 
we arc sure of deserving. But we are 
going to try to please our friends better 
than ever before. 
We have spoken of sendingout 300,000 
seeds of the Niagara Grape to applicants 
for the Rural’s Free Seed Distribution. 
The seeds have been received—all true 
Niagaras guaranteed—and we find by 
measuring s small quantity and weighing 
the rest that there will be over 600,000 
seeds for distribution. We are counting 
upon 15,000 applicants, which will give 
about 40 seeds to each. 
Seven Hundred and Twenty-six bushels 
of the Blush Potato to the acre! Such 
was the yield in small plots of this new 
drought-resisting variety at the Rural Ex¬ 
periment Grounds during the past season 
under fiat cultivation. One of these pota¬ 
toes will be sent to all applicants in the 
Rural’s Free Seed Distribution of the 
present year. The quality of this potato 
is unsurpassed. 
It appears that carefully prepared 
statistics of the public sales of Short¬ 
horns in 1881-2 show an advance of about 
$34 per heid in the aveiage price this year 
ovei last, the sales last year averaging $158 
per head against $192 this year. A con¬ 
siderable part of this rise is. no doubt, 
due to the advance in the price of all 
sorts of beef csttle; still an advance in 
the price of Short-horns, to whatever 
cause it may be due, is not without en¬ 
couragement to breeders. 
-- 
The Rural Army of Seedling Grape 
Growers 1 Join it readers ! Let us see 
what the readers of the Rural New- 
Yorker may do during the next three 
or four years to perfect the native Ameri¬ 
can grape. The possibilities have never 
been dreamed of. The grape industry of 
America is but in its infancy. The best 
of the seedlings produced from tbe seven 
hundred thousand seeds we shall send out 
will be worth thousands upon thousands 
of dollars to those who raise them and 
millions to the nation. 
OUR CORN PREMIUMS. 
On another page will be found the an¬ 
nouncement of awards in the Rural corn 
contest. It may be well to say, for the 
benefit of our new subscribers, that in our 
Free Seed Distribution of 1881-2 a small 
packet of cither the Rural Thoroughbred 
Flint or Rural Hesvy Dent corn was sent 
to all applicants, and premiums for the 
best yields were offered in our Fair edi¬ 
tion of 1881. The seed was planted last 
Spring and the results of the harvest 
were ascertained and reported to us in 
November. We have spent days in com¬ 
paring and compiling these results and 
in awarding the premiums justly. Itmay 
seem to some that our awards are not 
according to the conditions and data 
give i; but if they had all the reports 
and affidavits be fore them and were con¬ 
versant with all tbe facts in the case 
which cannot well be written out, they 
would then admit, if now they have rea¬ 
son to doubt, the fairness of our awards. 
Not being personally acquainted with 
any of the comj etitors, we have had, as 
we should in any ca9e, only the ends of 
justice in view. As some of the called- 
for evidence has not yet been received, 
we may be obliged to slightly change the 
awards as now announced. Tue detailed 
reports we have reserved for later use. 
-- 
INVESTMENT OF ENGLISH CAPITAL 
IN AMERICAN LAND. 
A remarkable phenomenon of the 
times is the eagerness which English 
noblemen and capitalists are displaying 
of late in the investment of money in 
large tracts of American land. Wea'thy 
men in England are always ambitious of 
owning large estates, because they be¬ 
lieve in the stability of such investments, 
and because special honor aud dignity 
have for ages neen attached to the pos¬ 
session of land in that as in all other mon¬ 
archical countries. Tbe agricultural mis¬ 
fortunes that have made farming in Eng¬ 
land unprofitable for tbe last five or six 
years have considerably lowered the value 
oi land there, while the agitation across 
the Channel has had even a worse effect 
in the same direction in the sister island, 
and consequently all desirous of investing 
in that species of property have been 
forced to look elsewhere for desirable lo¬ 
cations. The gigsnlie struggle cf our 
civil war attracted unwonted Europe*n 
attention to this country, and the mighty 
power display! d by the nation during ils 
continuance won for America in a few 
years a high degree of respect which a 
century of peace could not have secured. 
Then the supreme good faith with which 
all the onerous burthens entailed by the 
war were cheerfully met, and the ease 
with which our enormous public debt 
is being rapidly paid off, have given 
foreign capitalists, and especially those 
of Great Britain, an immense amount of 
confidence in the credit of this country 
and a very high estimation of its fu¬ 
ture prosperity. 
Then again, our enormous exports of 
food of all kind as well as of cotton, etc., 
have constrained general transatlantic at¬ 
tention to the enormous capabilities of this 
country in the production of all the most 
useful and valuable kinds of “raw materi¬ 
als;” while the general sonhmont on the 
subject has lately been emphasized in the 
forcible utterances of Gladstone and other 
Euiopean notabilities. Moreover, Europ¬ 
eans have lately acquired a juster knowl¬ 
edge than ever before of the marvelous 
resources of this country, because of late 
years it has become fashionable for Eng¬ 
lish men of means to make a tour of the 
United States; while American Immigra¬ 
tion Societies have been vigorously puffing 
the capabilities of different, sections of 
the country among the people beyond the 
water. Moreover, a large number of 
books and pamphlets concerning this 
country, its resources and productions, 
have of late years been published in the 
United Kingdom, the newspaper corres¬ 
pondence has been unusually voluminous, 
and in every way the relations of the two 
nations have become closer. 
At present there is an enormous accumu¬ 
lation of English capital seeking profitable 
investment, and on account of the above 
reasons, capitalists naturally turn to this 
country. They have tried Canada, and con¬ 
siderable investments have been made in 
land there; but with six months of Winter, 
three months of ba<^ weather, a short 
Summer and inadequate facilities for 
transporting produce to market, the Do¬ 
minion offers ranch less inducement to in¬ 
vest capital than does her more fortunate 
and energetic neighbor. During 1 he past 
few years, therefore, millions of English 
money have been invested in the United 
States in large tracts of land, which 
sells lor what Eng’ishmen must consider 
a ridiculously small price, in nearly all 
the thinly settled parts of this country, 
and little is risked in prophesying that 
within the next five years there will be 
a perfect furor for such investments. 
BREVITIES. 
Prks Wilder has appointed Sept. 12, 13, 
14 next for the 19t.b session of the American 
Pomological Society. 
Let all who are struggling to prosper on the 
farm read the Rural’s “ Poor Farm ” series 
which will begin next week. 
Mr. E. B. Rigg, of Edgar Co., Ills., sends 
us a pencil sketch of an ear of Rural Thorough- 
nred Corn measurinjpfrom buit to tip just 17 
inches. 
All of our test plots of potatoes were cul¬ 
tivated flat, that is, there was no hilling or rid¬ 
ging up about the stems as in ordinary field or 
garden culture. 
“ I look forward to the premium series, 
4 Profitable Farming for a Poor Man,’ with a 
great deal of interest.”—J. L 8. The above 
is the expression of many Rural readers. 
What is the heat way of economically 
preserving shingles l Some say soak them in 
lime-water. Have our friends any informa¬ 
tion from experience touching this really im¬ 
portant matter? 
The catalogues announced in another place 
are among the most handsome and instructive 
of any we have ever seen. All of our readers 
should send for them and examine them. The 
American seedsman’s and nurseryman's cata¬ 
logue of to-day is, within certain limits, as 
much an instructor of all who work thesoilas 
is the agricultural paper. 
Under the auspices of Commissioner Loring 
a serie« of meetings of representative agricul¬ 
turists will take place in Washington, com¬ 
mencing on Tuesday, Janunrv 23d, 1883. 
Tbe subjects of agricultural colleges and tbeir 
work, the animal industries of the country 
and the cotton industry will be exhaustively 
and learnedly discussed. 
It appears from additional particulars fur¬ 
nished respecting the new grape “Ponghkeep- 
pie Red,” by Mr. Caywood. too late to lie 
incorporated in the article on p. 3 that the 
grape oontuins sugar enough to rai*fn if (sus¬ 
pended in a paper bag and hnng in n warm 
room. Its Miceh-Mrine matter hnw stood in dif¬ 
ferent seasons at from 102 to 10R degrees aud 
the acid at from four to five. 
Mr Jonathan Talcott. of Rome, N. Y., 
thinks be has made a groat advance in the 
yield of theRuowflake potato this year from 
a late-growing me selected from his crop of 
1881. The bulk of the tubers have grown much 
larger: and there arc fewer small ones, while 
smoothness and good table qualities are not 
impaired. He proposes to test them another 
year when if the above characteristics be re¬ 
tained, this ftport of the Snowflake will prove 
very valuable. 
A late Washington dispatch says the 
extent of known fraudulent land entries 
throughout the West now amounts to over 
1,100 (KM) acres, and new frauds are be¬ 
ing brought to light rlaflv. In Colorado three 
entire townships of 2f»,000 acres were entered 
in a novel way. A “reputable” citizen hired 
a gambler to enter the lands by employing 
“heelers arid runners in," and that 44 reputa¬ 
ble ” citizen has now sold the entire three 
townships tbu« fraudulently entered. A high 
Land Office iifllefal is of opinion that notone- 
t wen tie tb of the Timber Culture entries are 
bona fide. Tbe general conviction grows 
stronger that fraudulent entries cannot be 
stopped until the preemption laws are repealed. 
