346 
THE RURAL 03EW-YORKER. 
MAY 43 
THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
Conducted by 
E L BlE RT S. CARMAN. 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
No. 31 Park Row. New York. 
SATURDAY, MAY 10, 1883. 
Any of the Rural wheats that will not 
stand the climate when planted a single 
grain ten inches apart each way in a well- 
drained soil, are rejected. Thus the Ru¬ 
ral cross-breeds will have one merit at 
least—that of extreme hardiness. 
The several plants of “Blue Mountain 
Raspberry" sent to us in April of 1881 
from Wyoming Territory, have been dug 
up and thrown away as too tender for our 
climate. The Dwarf Blackberry sent to 
us by the Messrs. Hale of Connecticut in 
1881 has also proved tender. The leaves 
were small, the plant quite upright-grow¬ 
ing, though less than two feet high. Ex¬ 
cept as a curiosity little was expected from 
this by the Hale Brothers. The caues of 
the Christine Raspberry sent to us by Mr. 
E. P. Roe. are, for the most part, killed. 
Among our new strawberries not one is 
more thrifty than the James Yick. The 
plants are full of buds. 
It pains us to see the way some of our 
neighbor fanners sow their fertilizers. 
When dry and sown when the wind is 
blowing, even gently, we have seen the 
line dust, the most soluble portion, blown 
to a distance of 75 feet. “Oh,* 1 said one 
friend, “it all goes on the land.” The 
best way is either to mix it with 
an equal bulk of moist earth or to sprinkle 
water upon every shovelful through the 
rose of a watering-pot. Then mix with 
a hoe or shovel. Turning it once suffices. 
In this way the dust is held and the manure 
is spread just where it is wanted. Applied 
as we have suggested one pailful is 
enough for a bag—200 pounds. 
-- 
We would direct the attention of our 
readers to the very interesting discussion 
of the Youth’s Horticultural Club on 
page 322 of this issue. Recognizing the 
fact that the fanning of the future must 
descend into the hands of the children of 
to-day, and that with them rests much of 
its advancement, we have striven and are 
striving to make this department as bene¬ 
ficial and interesting to the youths as 
lies in our power. Through its columns 
it is our endeavor to stimulate the children 
to take an active interest in the affairs of 
the farm, and to recognize that “agricul¬ 
ture is the grandest, noblest and most 
useful occupation of man.” In this work 
we would kiudly solicit the co-operation 
of our older readers, by suggesting to the 
younger members of the family the good 
to be derived from the Youths’ Column, 
and by aiding them as much as possible 
in their youthful experiments. Although 
the present discussion has not been re¬ 
sponded to as well as we could wish, we 
have no doubt that the future will 
make up for past deficiencies. In next 
week’s Rural we shall make an announce¬ 
ment which we think will be pleasing 
to all. 
Upon its first introduction, probably no 
other potato has ever created a livelier de¬ 
mand than has the Rural Blush. The 
general excellence of the. Beauty of Hebron 
and White Elephant potatoes, both sent 
out in our Free Seed Distribution, has 
no doubt aided in creating this demand. 
Our entire supply was exhausted before 
we announced the closing of our present 
seed distribution, and in order to meet the 
complaints of those who wrote that the 
Blush had not been received (the number 
of such reports received was far greater 
than we had counted upon), we 
were obliged to dig up one acre of small 
potatoes which had been planted (one in 
a hill) for a part of next year’s crop. 
This supplied us with over 3,000 small 
potatoes, which have been mailed during 
the past week, two in a box, for each 
"omplaint. We have claimed for the 
Blush that it is first, in quality, yield and 
in keeping properties, and these are the 
claims we still make, though the seed dis¬ 
tribution is closed and not less than 30,- 
000 potatoes have been sent about the 
country to be tested. If our claims prove 
unfounded our friends will not so readily 
confide in what we say regarding our next 
Distribution. But we have spoken in 
good faith and have little fear that the 
reports from our subscribers will not, in 
the main, support the Rukai/s estimate, 
which has been founded upon careful 
and comparative tests in different soils 
and localities. 
RURAL WHEAT TESTS. 
Tnu following notes should prove of value 
to all wheat growers, since they show 
which of over 200 kinds have proved the 
hardiest at the Rural Experiment Grounds. 
Our present wheat plots are located in a 
most trying northeast exposure. We take 
100 as indicating those varieties which 
have passed through the Winter wholly 
unharmed. Our own cross-breeds are not 
included for the reason that we are not as 
yet ready to offer any of them in our seed 
distributions. Tt may he said, however, 
that 10 per cent, have proven entirely 
hardy, 20 per cent, quite hardy, while the 
rest have been injured to an extent that 
gives little promise that any of them will 
ever be worthy of introduction—at least 
for this climate. A variety of wheat (un¬ 
named) kindly sent to us by Sir .1. B. 
Lawes is the only sort that can he 
rated at 100. The vigor and hardiness of 
this variety are something remarkable. 
Landreth’s Wheat, 95; Bentley, 80; Fult- 
zo-Clawson, 90; Travis, 80; from C. Lcet 
(name unknown), 80; from J. G. Evans 
(called Red-chaff), 75; Armstrong, 85; 
Golden Prolific. (Johnson & Stokes), 80; 
Martin’s Amber (J. A. Everett), 80; Cham¬ 
pion Amber (from J. S. Woodward), 95; 
Ingersoll's cross between Lancaster and 
Armstrong, 90; cross between Diehl and 
Mediterranean (from W, W. Tracy, Su¬ 
perintendent of D. M. Ferry & Co.’s Ex. 
Grounds), 92; Ileige’sProlific, 80. White 
Lovett, Rural Winter White Towsc, Ru¬ 
ral Winter Black-bearded Centennial, Ru¬ 
ral Winter Defiance are badly winter-killed. 
WORK AT THE RURAL GROUNDS. 
Since our last notes we have planted of 
potatoes Jones’s Prize-taker, from J. A. 
Everett, of Pennsylvania; a seedling from 
D. IST, West, of Montana. Of this Mr. 
West remarks that he has raised 90tne 
weighing AH pounds, and “ to-day 
(May 1st) I can select out of every hun¬ 
dred pounds.as they come,20 potatoes that 
will weigh one pound each a very pretty 
seedling from M. L. Kcltzel, of Colfax Co., 
Wyoming Territory. He says it is a cross 
between a late white potato and the Early 
Vermont. Two colors came from the cross 
—white and red—both of which he sends 
us; Guelph, from W. II. Marcon, of On¬ 
tario, Canada; Mount Pleasant, from C. 
E. Sloan, of Wisconsin, and Mullaly, from 
W. E. Weld, of N. Y. 
Of corn we have planted 17 different 
kinds, but a mere mention of their names 
would scarcely interest our readers. 
Of grapes we have, planted Ulster Co. 
Prolific, Poughkeepsie Red, Aml'er. El¬ 
vira, Faith, Pearl, Transparent, Dempsey, 
Owasso, besides several that we are re¬ 
quested not to mention at present. 
Of Raspberries we have planted Marl¬ 
boro (as our readers know), Hansell, 
Superb, Everbearing, Crimson Beauty. 
Of Blackberries, Early Harvest, Tay¬ 
lor’s, Wilson Jr., Stayman’s Early. 
Of currants we have planted Moore’s 
Ruby, an unnamed kind from O. IT. Alex¬ 
ander of Vermont; and Black Champion, 
a new black currant, produced in England, 
of promise. 
Of strawberries new, or not yet tested 
by us, we have received (last Fall) a num¬ 
ber from B. Hathaway, of Michigan, James 
Vick (last full), Arnold’s Pride from Pres. 
T. T. Lyon, Nigh’s Superb from J. W. 
Nigh, Piqua, Ohio, Big Boh and Ironclad 
from A. M. Purdy, of Palmyra, N. Y., 
Mrs. Garfield and Walter from G. II. & J. 
II. Hale, of GlastoNbury, Conn. 
WINTER WHEAT. 
plowing up of large areas in Ohio and Illi¬ 
nois. In Missouri a reduction from 83 to 
80 is reported; while in Indiana and New 
Jersey the condition is the same as in 
April—75 and 101 respectively. All the 
other Northern States, the Pacific Coast 
and nearly all the Southern States show 
an improvement since the April report, 
the averages being: Connecticut, 96; 
Pennsylvania, 95; Delaware, 85; Mary¬ 
land, 99; Virginia, 97; North Carolina, 
96; South Carolina, 93; Georgia, 97; 
Alabama, 98; Mississippi, 92; Texas, 87; 
Arkansas, 86; Tennessee. 88; West Vir¬ 
ginia, 90; Kentucky, 81; Kansas, 91; 
California. 77; Oregon, 72—an improve¬ 
ment of 15 points in California and of 17 
in Oregon. The average condition of the 
Winter wheat is 83 1-2 against 80 in April. 
In 1879 and 1880 the general average 
was 99, in 1881 it was 88, and in 1882, 
102. Two years ago the average declined 
from 88 to 80 in July, while last year it 
had increased from 100 in May to 104 at 
harvest time. In all the Department’s re¬ 
port the condition indicated by 100 mean sa 
medium growth with a full stand and a 
healthy plant. The present prospect for 
the Winter wheat, area, in view of the 
poor condition and reduced acreage, is 
put at 20 per cent, less than in May last, 
representing a loss of 77,000,000 bushels, 
and as the outcome last year was 508,000,- 
000, bushels the aggregate this year should 
be about 426.000,000. uni ess the yield in the 
Spring wheat region makes up the short¬ 
age in the Winter wheat area. The De¬ 
partment’s reports on Spring wheat, will 
not be published before June 1, but Da¬ 
kota already reports a probable increase of 
30 per cent.*, while in Minnesota 86 per 
cent, of last year’s area was planted on 
May 1; and an increase ot 15 per cent, is 
reported in Washington Territory. 
A BLOW AT THE DRIVEN-WELL 
PATENT. 
appeal will be made, not by the opponents 
of the patent, as in the Indiana case, hut 
by its supporters who are now enjoying 
the novel experience ol defeat. More¬ 
over, on one of the points to be decided 
upon—that, concerning the validity of the 
reissue—Judge Bradley, who took no 
part in deciding the Indiana case, will be 
very likely, it is thought, to decide ad¬ 
versely to the patentee, as he, like several 
of the* other Judges, is known to he op¬ 
posed to the flagrant, abuses often covered 
hv reissues of patents. 
This signal victory is due to the courage 
and persistency of an alliance of Iowa 
farmers against whom over 300 actions 
for driven well royalty were pending in 
the U. S. Circuit Court at Des Moines. 
Many others, like thousands of driven 
well owners throughout the country, had 
either paid the royalty ou first demand or 
confessed judgment and settled at heavy 
costs. So* annoying had the persecutions 
of the driven-well agents become that many 
defended their premises with shot-guns 
against the swarming nuisances, and mob 
law was threatened. The opinion of the 
Court is significant in that it possibly fore¬ 
shadows the result in several barbed-wire 
fence patent suits to be decided at this 
term of the same Court. Inasmuch as 
the term of a patent ends 17 years from 
the date of the issue of the original patent 
(not from that of the reissue), Green’s 
patent will expire on January 13, 1885, so 
that it has less than three years still to 
run; but unless well-owners, encouraged 
by this decision, vigorously oppose the 
collection of royalty, the aggregate of the 
patentee’s exactions during this short 
period is likely to exceed the enormous 
sum wrung from the public during the 
whole course of the previous extortions. 
Unusual interest has been felt in the 
May crop report of the Department of 
Agriculture. Returns came in the first 
of the month, and it took to the tenth to 
arrange and sum them up. Several days 
ago reports from Chicago stated that some 
of the great grain speculators there bail 
obtained the results of the reports; in 
other words, that they had bribed some of 
the employes of the Department to betray 
the “secrets” of the office; but this lias 
been denied from Washington. Accord¬ 
ing to the report the condition of Winter 
wheat, as compared with last mouth, is 
considerably lower in New York, Michi¬ 
gan, Ohio and Illinois, owing to injury by 
frost early in April, and the real damage 
by March freezing was more fully dis¬ 
closed as the covering of snow and ice 
disappeared. 
The average is 77 for New York, the 
depreciation being heaviest in Onondaga, 
Niagara, Geuessee and Ontario Counties; 
for Michigan, 88; for Ohio, 62; for Illi¬ 
nois, 66: additional loss is caused by the 
BREVITIES. 
Ever since Nelson W. Green’s claims 
for royalty on the driven well began to be 
enforced, we have been steadily and very 
honestly opposed to them, believing them 
unjust and oppressive. When the United 
States Supreme Court in the case of Hines 
vs. Wahl, on appeal from the United 
States Circuit Court of the Seventh Dis¬ 
trict (Indiana), decided by an even Court, 
the other day, in favor of the validity of 
tlie patent, we warned our friends that 
unless the decision were reversed, the ex¬ 
tortionate royalty must be paid, and ex¬ 
pressed the opinion that in order to meet 
the great expenses of the necessary 7 litiga¬ 
tion, farmers and all others opposed to the 
exactions of the patentee, should combine; 
for the outlay that would he too heavy 
for one could he easily borne by many. 
The great set-back for the opponents of 
the patent has been that the United States 
Circuit Courts, before which patent cases 
first come, have hitherto always decided 
in favor of the validity ot the patent nit re 
and more influenced in all cases since the 
first by the authority of prior decisions. 
Thus in any appeal that might be made 
to the Supreme Court the appelants would 
he handicapped by an adverse decision 
from the lower court. It is with no little 
satisfaction therefore we announce that 
a telegram yesterday from Des Moines, 
Iowa, tells us that a decision has just been 
rendered there by the United States Cir¬ 
cuit Court adverse to the validity of 
the Green patent. The Court holds that 
there are at. least two well-established 
instances of prior use of the principle 
involved in the patent, one of them at 
Independence, Iowa, where a well was 
sunk in the early Summer of 1861, 
and the other at Milwaukee where a 
large number of driven wells were put 
down as early as 1849, while Green's orig¬ 
inal patent wasn’t issued until January 14, 
1868, and he did not claim to have “dis¬ 
covered” the principle until after the well 
at Independence had proved a success. 
Moreover, the Court holds that, as the 
Rural proved in a lengthy article on Sep¬ 
tember 30, 1876, and again in the Rural 
of November 12, 1881, Green made no ef¬ 
fort to prevent the use of bis discovery by 
the public for seven years, and it is upon 
this fact, rather than upon the eircum- 
stancc that the Iowa and Wisconsin wells 
antedated Green’s alleged “discovery" 
that the patent is held void. But the 
Court also holds Lliat the reissue granted 
May 8, 1871, under which all claims for 
royalty are made, was void for the reason 
that it set out a broader claim than was 
contained in the original patent, just as 
we stated editorially in the Rural of 
April 14. Every point on which this 
righteous decision is founded has been 
emphasized over and over again in vari¬ 
ous articles in the Rural during the last 
half-dozen years. 
Of course, the case will be appealed to 
the United States Supreme Court, but the 
The regular Free Seed Distribution of the 
Rural New-Yorker for 1882-3 is note 
closed. 
The Northern Spy is at present the only ap¬ 
ple in the New York market that is worth eat¬ 
ing. 
It is wouderful what one can do with an 
acre of well-drained land if one sets about it 
iu earnest. 
These are busy times at the Rural Grounds. 
We are getting iu more testa and experiments 
than ever before—tw o to one. 
We have never vet transplanted evergreen 
trees too early in the Spring. Only tree ped¬ 
dlers who have trees for sale will advise late 
transplanting. 
Strawberry plants have wintered well in 
the neighborhood of the Rural Grounds and 
nothing but excessive drought can prevent a 
fine crop. All small fruits, in fact, give a fine 
promise. 
Three loads of fresh stable manure, will 
make two loads of well rotted manure, with 
its nutriment, especially the nitrogen, far 
more available. The 
one-third less. 
te cost of spreading it is 
How much difference is there between ex¬ 
posing manure uncovered in the barn-yard 
and spread in the field ? The manure water 
which passes through the manure in the barn¬ 
yard is lost; that in the field enriches the soil. 
The Golden Bell (Forsythla viridissiran) is 
one of tlje showiest and hardiest of shrubs. 
F. Fortimeii, however, seems to ho a week 
earlier in blooming and theilowers are larger. 
This shrub trained in tree fashion is very 
effective. 
It is a fact which we could easily and for¬ 
cibly prove that bad our subscribers been 
more careful in wilting their names and ad¬ 
dresses more plainly there would have been 
few complaints that the Rural Seed Distribu¬ 
tion failed to reach them. 
AucoRDirfft to the latest bulletin of the 
Conn Ag. Ex. Station Chittenden’s Complete 
Fertilizer for Roots. Potatoes and Vegetables 
as well as other fertilizers made by this firm 
costs <18.00 more than it. is worth; Raw Boue 
Superphosphate made by G. W. Miller costs 
$15.00 more than it is worth. 
We find that, Soulange’B Magnolia is just 
about three days behind Lenny’s Magnolia in 
blooming. The flowers of the first, are reddish 
about the base; those of the other are purple 
outside and whitish within. Both are beauti¬ 
ful little trees whether iu bloom or leaf and 
should be grown in every door-yard. 
To protect tomato and cabbage plants from 
being cut off by the cut worm, wrap a bit of 
paper about the stem extending up an inch 
or so and low enough to be held in its place by 
the soil. The first, paper to hand, whether 
wrapping or newspaper, will answer the pur¬ 
pose. Where cut worms are troublesome this 
simple method of protection pays. 
Plant bush beans, Limas and all pole beans. 
Sow cabbage seeds. Plant water and musk- 
tnelons. Give them mellow rich soil. Plant 
cucumbers, peppers. Bow beet*. Weed the 
young celery pi nuts thoroughly and keep the 
soil mellow. Sow lettuce—plant sweet aud 
field corn. Weed the onions carefully. Get 
brush ready for tall-growing peus. Cut out 
raspberry suckers. Tie up the grape-vine 
canes. 
Now that the pressure upon our reading 
columns is growing less, we ask our farm ream 
ers to send us items of their most valuable 
experience. It is their duty to do so, or of such 
of them at least who have the good cause at 
limit. We do not ask for lengthy articles 
do not desire them. We do not ask for intro¬ 
ductions or conclusion?. We want the valua¬ 
ble PACTS it written iu two lines. 
