JAN 27 
THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
A National Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Conducted by 
KLBEBT S. CARMAN. 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
No. 34 Park Row. New York. 
SATURDAY, JAN. 27, 1S83. 
Attention is called to Mr. Hardin’s 
plan of ensilaging corn, on another page. 
The quality of the Niagara Grape is 
this year inferior to that of last season. 
We have received from several friends 
specimens of Palestine wheat, to which 
we shall one day allude. 
We beg to inform our readers that we 
have a full supply of Rural Premium 
Lists for 1883 and we should be glad to 
send them to subscribers on application. 
Last week we saw a very good bunch 
of raisins from a new black seedling of 
Mr. A. J. Cay wood, not jet introduced. 
We also ate specimens of the Poughkeep¬ 
sie Red, which were extremely sweet and 
juicy. 
-*-»-•- 
At the late assembly of the N. J. Hor¬ 
ticultural Society, a member stated that 
he tried to roast a Kieffer pear, and it put 
the fire out! We shall have a careful 
word to say as to this pear in a few weeks. 
-- 
The truth about thiDgs—new grains, 
new roots, new tubers, new flowers, new 
fruits, new implements, new farm meth¬ 
ods—that is what the Rural wants to 
know: the truth about all that has to do 
with farms, farmers, fruit-growers, gar¬ 
deners, stockmen, etc., etc. 
We want our readers to be ready to 
plant the seeds of the Niagara Grape as 
soon as received. We would suggest 
that they plant them in flower pots and 
cover them with a glass. It may be well 
to soak the seeds before planting them, in 
warm water, changing it as it cools, for 
a day or so —vat Ixtiling water. This 
would injure the germ. 
■»•»+■ - 
Time flies, Rural readers—the sub¬ 
scription season is at its zenith. A good 
word, an additional subscription will 
help us—will please us always. We have 
never had loo much of this kind of 
good thing. The more we get, the more 
we want. Premiums, posters and free 
specimen copies may still be supplied 
without any limit. 
“Did you not know,” asks one of our 
valued contributors, “that we are like 
children animated in making a play¬ 
house ? There is vastly more fun in fixing 
it up than in using it. So, all along, we 
usually enjoy doing a thing—building a 
house, it may be—more than using it. 
This trait is valuable. It ever spurs us 
on to good work. When we are satisfied, 
we are of little use after that.” 
- * • ♦ 
We are taking pains to arrive at the 
truth of the matter in regard to the qual¬ 
ity of the much-talked-of, much adver¬ 
tised Kieffer Pear. All things consid¬ 
ered, is it advisable to buy it? Will it 
prove a profitable market sort? We shall 
endeavor to answer these queries in time 
to guide our readers in making their se¬ 
lections by Spring. Meantime, let them 
read what Judge Parry, E. Williams, H. 
A. Chase and others have said in our 
columns. 
The Inter-Ocean, the great American 
news weekly, or the N. IT. World and 
the Rural New-Yorker, with its Free 
Seed Distribution included, all one year 
for $2.75. The Detroit Free Press and 
the Household with the Roral New- 
Yorker with its Free Seed Distribution 
included, all one year for $3.00. Sub- 
8cnbtions promptly forwarded. The 
chance is a good one. Each paper in 
this combination is put down to the low¬ 
est possible price. 
The immense amounts which American 
seedsmen are now spending in catalogues 
and premiums, are enough to startle 
cautious, caieful farmers and gardeners 
wl o are obliged to count the cost of every 
little expenditure. It seems to us that 
the business is being overdone, and that 
such lavish outlays must one day end. 
Some of their catalogues, sent to aopli- 
cants without charge, are really valuable 
as standard woiks of farm and horticul¬ 
tural information. 8everal firms have 
spent hund-edB of dollars for the best 
practical essays on the cultivation of lead¬ 
ing crops, in order to render the cata¬ 
logues more useful. 
» » 4 - 
Among vegetable novelties we notice a 
“Three-Colored Celeriac ” is offered by 
Chr. Lorenz, of Erfurt, Germany. The 
leaves quite resemble those of common 
celery as to form, but they are streaked 
with a stlver-gray in the center, and an 
edging of creamy-white. In l utumn, 
Mr. Lorenz says, the leaf-stalks assume a 
reddish tint. This variety iB said to come 
quite true, the seed giving 80 per cent, 
of variegated plants. Mr. Lorenz charges 
about 37 1-2 cents for 100 seeds, and $2 
for electrotypes. These latter have al¬ 
ready appeared in American prints. Va¬ 
riegated plants are now common enough. 
Their novelty has passed away. It is 
simply, therefore, valuable as a celeriac, 
and nobody need want celeriac, in this 
country, when he can get good celery. 
Examine into your accounts. Ascer¬ 
tain exactly what you otce. It is not bo 
important that you should know exactly 
what is owed to you. Oil the harness, 
arrange the harne? s-room so that every 
piece of harness has its place; paint the 
wagons, the implements; clean out a id 
whitewash the nests in the hen-house; 
sprinkle kerosene everywnere, but espec¬ 
ially in the nests and upon the perches 
and in the cracks; feed the poultry and, 
in fact, all farm itock regularly; examine 
the catalogues announced elsewhere. 
Study and compare them; make out lists 
of what you think you need and then 
modify it as otheT catalogu :s are received 
and examined. What fruit trees, small 
fruit, ornamental plants do you need? Be 
careful as to this. Some kinds will just 
suit your soil and climate—others will 
prove worthless, so that you will lose 
your money, time aod temper. Do not 
order of irresponsible or unknown per¬ 
sons. It is maddening to find next year 
or years hence we have ordered, paid and 
cared for kinds not true to name. When 
you desire information respecting aDy va¬ 
riety of fruit, grain, vegetable, flower, 
implement: any breed of poultry or farm 
live-stock—look to the Rural Index. It 
will help you. Put all things in order for 
the Imsy season which will come upon us 
ere we know it—to the end that we may 
muke the most of our time when time is 
money. 
HIGH-PRICED ANIMALS. 
As a general rule, we are opposed to 
paying exorbitant prices for domestic an 
imals, as well as for all other kinds of 
things which tend to gratify one’s pride 
or fancy, for the results are often great 
disappointment and loss. This does not 
seem to be the case, however, in the pur¬ 
chase by the Earl Bective, of England, of 
three Short-horns at the famous sale of 
Mr. Campbell, of New York Mills, in 
1873. For these the Earl, we think, paid 
over $50,000. Of their produce since 
they have been taken to his estate in Eng¬ 
land, he has sold to the amount of about 
$65,000, aside from some t5 to 20 of their 
descendants which are still retained to con¬ 
tinue the breeding. The Tenth Duchess 
of Geneva, one of the three animals pur¬ 
chased of Mr. Campbell, was in calf at 
the time, and ti e youngster at its birth 
was called the Duke of Underly. When 
at a proper age, Earl Btctive permitted 
him to sire a considerable number of cows 
for others, outside of his own herd. The 
fee for each of them was 45 guineis 
($231). The aggregate sum of these added 
considerbly to the prodt realized over and 
above that from the sale of stock, bo that 
the original high prices paid for the three 
animals at the Campbell sale, have netted 
the purchaser a handsome leturn on his 
investment. The above hull, Duke of 
Underly, died rather suddenly on the 6th 
of December past. He was not quite 
eight years old at the time. Ilia death 
was premature, and is much regietted by 
all lovers of Short-horn cattle. 
THE CORN PREMIUMS AGAIN. 
As several queries concerning the corn 
awards have been received, we take oc¬ 
casion to answer them publicly, although 
detailed replies have already been made 
by letter. One says: “Did you not 
award the prizes before affidavits were re¬ 
ceived ?” In no ease, whatever ! “Did 
you not. require all reports and affidavits 
to be sent in before Dec. 1, 1882 ?” We 
requested the reports, but not the affida¬ 
vits. See Rural, Oct. 28. “Did you 
not award the first prize to the one who 
rsised the largest amount, by weight, of 
shelled com from any single kernel 1” 
The one who had the largest average 
weight, per kernel, from the whole plot, 
received the first prize. “ How did you 
determine to whom to send for affida¬ 
vits ?” This query was plainly answered 
in Rural of Jan. 6, where we said, in 
awarding the prizes,that we bad requested 
affidavits from all those who reported a 
yield at the rate of 100 bushels of shelled 
corn per acre or over, presuming that the 
full amount of land—one fortieth of an 
acre—had been used. There w'ere less 
than 27 (the number of prizes to be given) 
who reported previous to Jan. 6, over 
140 pounds of shelled com from the one- 
fortieth of an acre, which amount it was 
necessary to have to entitle one to the 
claim of a 100-bushel yield per acre, reck¬ 
oning 56 pounds to the bushel. 1 o make 
up the 27, we requested affidavits for the 
next highest yields reported, presuming 
that the full fortieth of an acre had been 
used, aud to those who complied with the 
request, the prizes were then awarded. 
But as all the affilavits had not been re¬ 
ceived up to Jan. 6, when the list was 
published, we said editorially that it 
might be necessary to slightly change the 
awards as then made. The revised list, 
as announced last week, will be published 
in the Rural of February 3. We trust 
these explanations will be satisfactory. 
THE APPLE AND POTATO MARKET. 
An interview with several of the lead¬ 
ing dealers in apples in Washington Mar¬ 
ket, confirms us in the belief that the 
n arket is dull, very dull, just at present. 
“There’s nothing doing in them,” said 
one ; “nobody wants to buy at present 
prices.” There are a good many apples, 
of all kinds, in the market, mostly those 
that were bought up aod Btored in the 
Fall, but there’s no outlet for them, and 
business in this line is about at a stand¬ 
still.” We found that Baldwins range 
from $4 to $5, and for extra fine fruit, 
still higher ; Greenings, $4 to $5 for tine 
lots ; Northern Spys, $3 to $4, and 8pitz- 
enbergs,choice,'range from $4.50 to $5.50, 
and extra-fine lots sometimes reach $6 per 
barrel. Gillyflowers are scarce, and Tal- 
man Sweets are without sale. There are 
a few Russets in market, but the main 
supply will not arrive until the latter part 
of next month, or in March. The Ben 
Davis is also scarce. Quite large quanti¬ 
ties of apples are shipped to Cuba, but 
we were shown recent advices therefrom 
which pronounced the market “flat.” 
“How does the quality average this 
year, as compared with last, in the stand¬ 
ard varieties?” we inquired. “Much 
poorer ; the average is very poor, there 
bemg more wormy fruit than ever before, 
and much of it is so badly barreled and 
poorly assorted as to make good prices 
for some of it beyond reach.” 
“ It’s an old story, but wbat have you 
to say about the packing of this fruit ? 
Does it average well the barrel through?” 
“ Look here !” said the dealer, “ here is a 
barrel from the top of which I have just 
taken a basket of good fruit. Look at 
the applea there in the middle of the bar¬ 
rel,” and he turned them out a little that 
we might see. A large number were 
worthless, being almost wholly decayed. 
“ gome of that fruit was on the point of 
decay when it was pac ted ; there’s no 
doubt about it; and then look at the 
knurly, knotty, inferior specimens! But 
let’s see how the bottom is,” said be, and 
he turned the barrel down, and showed 
as fine specimens as need be. When will 
shippers learn what is for their own in¬ 
terest in this matter ? 
“Have you any other suggestions as 
regards packing ?” “ Well, a great mis¬ 
take is made in putting several varieties 
of apples in one barrel, as many do, and 
then selling them all as Baldwins,orGreen- 
ings, or Seck-no-Furthers, as the case may 
be. Probably only small shippers do this, 
but they should mark tue barrel as 
‘mixed’ fruit. Anotl er trouble is th«t 
often the barrels are mismarked —acci¬ 
dentally, probably—but it annoys us, to 
say the least.” It certainly is for the 
shippers’ interest to assort and grade their 
fruit, and deal honestly in the packing. 
The various sizes of apple barrels are also 
highly disapproved of in the market, since 
nearly as much is wanted for “stove¬ 
pipes”—that is, small, flat-hoopsd bar¬ 
rels, as for the larger, round hoops. 
There is but little activity in the potato 
market, also, at present. Said a promi¬ 
nent dealer: “I’ve been in the potato 
business over 30 years, on this corner, and 
am well posted on the market, and I tell 
you trade is dull.” “What variety do 
you sell the most of ?” wc asked. “The 
Burbank, by all odds,’’said he. “All these 
potatoes you see here, are from NovaPco- 
tia ; they are far better than any from the 
States. The Rose potatoes are quoted 
highest, but this Winter they are very 
much decayed at the ends.” “I notice 
you have the Beauty o' Hebron : what 
have you to say abo.it it ?” “ It is a pood 
potato, but the consumers are not ac¬ 
quainted with its merits yet.” 
“Are there many potatoes now arriv¬ 
ing?” “State stock has conic forward 
moderately, but rec» nt cold weather and 
storm? have som* wbHt. checked arrivals. 
Nova Scotia shippers will send us stock 
freely as soon as the weather will per 
mit.” “Are there many seed potatoes 
being now shipped to the South ?” “No; 
ihe shipments are limited, owing to the 
cold weather there, whic i checks the de¬ 
mand. There ib a very fair demand from 
Havana,and prices may be quoted steady.” 
As to prices, the following-named va¬ 
rieties stand about as follows : Early Rose, 
$2.60 to $3; Burbank, $2 60 to $2 85: 
Peerless (State). $2 25 to $2.62; Snow¬ 
flake, $2.37 to $2.60: Mercer, $2 to $2 25. 
Sweet potatoes r npe, according to qual¬ 
ity, from $1.75 to $2.75 per barrel. We 
found quite a commotion among Waih- 
ington Market dealers concerning the re¬ 
cent reports that the market was to be 
broken up or removed to another place. 
The dealers claim that they are required 
to move, but they are given no satisfac¬ 
tory location for future occupancy, and it 
will hardly do, they think, to scatter the 
booths promiscuously about town. 
BREVITIES. 
We can no loDger supply back numbers. 
Farmers, when you visit cities, don’t ac¬ 
cept a room In the tenth story of your hotel. 
H W. Ra venel sees no reason why Canary 
seed cannot be profitably grown in South 
Carolina. 
We judge Mr. Ellwanger’s (EIlw8Dger & 
Barryjnotes on new and scarce grapes, to be 
a very valuable paper. 
At the recent meeting of the N J. Horticul¬ 
tural 8ociety, the Youth’s Department of the 
Rural was cited as heirg the best thing for 
the voung folks in the line of Horticulture 
that is found in any agricultural paper. 
Examine the seedmen’s catalogues, now 
that ibere is time to do so. carefully and un- 
derstandinglv. Later, work will press, and 
the seeds will be selected of necessity, and 
with little discrimination. 
“You run a magnificent paper,” writes Dr. 
W. J. Beal. “The best thing in the last was: 
‘Sit down and think hard. Lay the best 
plans you can for another year,' The next 
to me,” he continneB, “was that of Green on 
'Unpalatable Truths.’" 
We call attention to the “discussion ” on 
the Youth’s pave, this week, on the topic of 
boys learning to farm S'ire of the young 
folks tell what they think about it. We hope 
parents will encourage their children in tak¬ 
ing an active interest in the Horticnltural 
Club, and its work. 
Farmers do not need to be told that hens 
will lay as many eggs without cocks in the 
flock as with. It Ib throwing money away to 
feed many cocks except durlDg Ibe breeding 
Reason. It has been said that hens are more 
contented with than without the males. Our 
own experience is that the reverse iH the truth. 
We should like to bear from any of our 
readers wbo have produced large potato crops 
—bow they did it. Hill* or drills? What 
poll—wbat manures? How best to prepare 
the land? Flat culture or billing up? How 
best to harvest? How best to keep? The best 
varieties? All these questions might advan¬ 
tageously be discussed in our columns rather 
more than they have been. 
There appears a strong possibility, almost 
amounting to a probability, that the pro¬ 
jected German prohibition of importation of 
American bog produots will be either greatly 
modified or never go into force. The most 
influential papers throughout Germany 
have vigorouely protested against the meas¬ 
ure, urging the imrollcy of it for several 
weighty reasons. There is actually little or 
no more danger from American pork than 
from pork raised in any other foreign coun¬ 
try or at home. In spite of the prohibition, 
American pork will certainly be sold in the 
German markets, a* it will be imported from 
other countries after having been repacked as 
the home-raised product of those countries, 
thus subjecting Germans to the same risks 
that might be incurred from direct import* 
tion, while raising the price and giving good 
grounds for irritation and retaliatory legisla¬ 
tion on this side of the Atlantic Then again, 
the injury caused to the vast bulk of the peo¬ 
ple in favor of the comparatively small body 
interested in domestic pork raising would give 
a great lift to tho Social Democrats, and the 
government 1* very unwilling to grant these 
any more grounds for popular agitation. On 
the whole, in the international struggle rag¬ 
ing between the German Empire and the 
American Hog, victory is sure to rest 
finally on the side of the American Hog. 
