386 
s 
JUNE 23 
THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
Conducted by 
ELBERT 6. CARMAN. 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
No. 34 Park Row, New York. 
SATURDAY, JUNE 23, 1883. 
We had always supposed until last year 
that the white grub was the cause of the 
destruction of many of our strawberry 
plants. At that time it was intimated 
that tin’s was chiefly or always due to 
wire-worms. We mean the wiry, slim, 
ring-jointed millipede (Julus). This sea¬ 
son we have examined a number of weak- 
growing plants, and find the roots and 
crowns infested with this worm. We have 
also found that much of the injury to the 
berries, which we had charged to toads 
and birds, is also caused by them. They 
attack the berries which rest upon the 
soil, and it was by raising such berries 
that we first discovered them at work in 
numbers from one to half-a-dozen. There 
is no doubt, also that these worms cause 
scab in potatoes, as we stated last year. 
One small plot had been manured with 
half-decayed leaves in which they existed 
in great numbers. The surface of all the 
potatoes was variously gnawed and cor¬ 
roded by the worms and a greater part 
were not fit for use. 
The Southern Exposition to be held 
in Louisville next August bids fair to 
transcend the. cotton exhibition held in 
Atlanta in 1880, in number and variety of 
exhibits, excellence of womauship, num¬ 
ber of visitors, and in the spirit of na¬ 
tional friendliness which such comming¬ 
lings of the people and the interests of dif¬ 
ferent sections, should foster. The people 
of Louisville, and of Kentucky; and, in¬ 
deed, of the South generally, are nobly ex¬ 
erting themselves to make the show a bril¬ 
liant success, a grand display of the efforts 
of the Young South in the mine, the field 
and the factory. The North everywhere 
is heartily cooperating with the labors of 
their brethren, conscious that, as Presi¬ 
dent Arthur says in his cheering letter to 
the General Manager last Tuesday, the 
influences of t he noble undertaking will 
by no means be limited to its mere material 
consequences; it will assist in quenching 
the spirit of sectional antagonism, already 
by God’s blessing well-nigh extinct. It 
will bring the people of the land into more 
intimate acquaintance and sympathy. It 
will bind them together in closer devotion 
to the sentiment which now' dwells in 
every patriotic breast:—One Union, one 
Constitution, one Destiny. 
Yesterday a convention of “white- 
wine'’ vinegar makers and of the “New 
York State Cider and Vinegar Makers’ 
Association,” took place in this city. The 
acidity of their product appeared to per¬ 
meate' the discussion of the delegates. 
The association charged that the “white- 
wine men” are ruining not only the legiti¬ 
mate trade, but also the business of the 
distillers. In 1879 Congress authorized 
the makers of whiskey vinegar (white- 
wine vinegar) to vaporize and distill their 
own spirits from corn and molasses. These 
spirits cost only 24 cents a gallon, and it 
was charged that the whiskey vinegar 
men swindled the Government by making 
whiskey of a certain part of the spirits 
without paying the revenue tax of 90 cents 
a gallon. Two bushels of corn will make 
50 gallons of vinegar or eight gallons of 
whiskey, according to one of the speakers, 
and whiskey-making without taxation is 
ten times as profitable as vinegar-making. 
At a cost of 24 cents for production and 90 
cents for tax, the w hiskey could not be 
sold for less than $1.14 a gallon without 
loss; while untaxed whiskey could be 
sold for 25 cents a gallon with profit. In 
a distillery a revenue officer notes every¬ 
thing; in the vinegar factory everything 
is left, to the honesty of the owner, and so 
distrustful are the regular vinegar makers 
of the honesty of the “white-wine meil” 
that they are seeking to have the law of 
1879 repealed. In this effort we heartily 
wish them success. 
-- 
Last Wednesday Lord Carlingford, the 
English Minister of Agriculture, received 
a large and influential deputation repre¬ 
senting towns in England containing 10,- 
000,000 people, the object of which was 
“to protest against restrictions on the 
food supply.” Lord Carlingford said thal 
the decrease in the importation of Ameri¬ 
can cattle was due to the fact that better 
prices could be obtained here than in Great 
Britain, and not to the system of compul¬ 
sory slaughter of imported animals at 
British ports. The Government, he said, 
would continue to act, up to the spirit of 
the present laws, and would not strain 
them m the direction of further prohibi¬ 
tion, as was urged the other day byadele- 
gation of farmers headed by the Duke of 
Richmond and Gordon, the president, for 
the current year, of the Royal English 
Agricultural Society. Like the farmers 
and hog-raisers of Germany and France, 
the farmers of England are anxious to lie 
protected from competition, with Ameri¬ 
can meats; but while the people at large 
in Germany and France tamely allow’their 
rulers to deprive them of cheap and whole¬ 
some meat from this country for the ben- 
fit of a comparatively small body of agri¬ 
culturists, the people at large in England 
promptly rise up in protest against even 
the threat of such a deprivation. It is this 
jealous regard for individual rights; this 
keen sense that the prime object of all 
good government is to accomplish the 
greatest good for the greatest number; 
this outspoken dislike of class legislation; 
this readiness to protest not only against, 
the presence but even against the approach 
of governmental abuses, that have justly 
placed England far in advance of all the 
other nations of the Old World on the road 
to the highest civilization. 
-»■» »- 
A PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION. 
The Anti-Horse-Thief Association is to 
hold its next annual meeting at Chilli- 
cothe, Missouri, on September 26tli next. 
The local association in Northeastern Mis¬ 
souri is the charter organization. This 
association owed its origin to depreda¬ 
tions by horse-thieves and other lawless 
characters in that section as long ago as 
the settlement, of the Mormons at Nnuvoo. 
This place being only a night’s travel 
from Missouri and the width of the river 
from Iowa, offered the outlaw's an easily 
accessible refuge after their depredations. 
The advent of Bill Hickman and his 
Danites gave further protection to crime, 
and the outbreak of the late war greatly 
increased outlawry tlirougliout the whole 
of the region. The Federal and Confed¬ 
erate forces held Northeastern Missouri 
by turns, and regularly organized bands 
of criminals preyed upon the settlers re¬ 
gardless of their politics. Societies for 
mutual aid and protection were estab¬ 
lished and with feeble hands tried to 
protect themselves and their property. 
At length a call was made for delegates 
from the various protective societies to 
meet in September, 1868, at Luray. Clarke 
County, Mo., at which place Judge B. P. 
llnnan,the present Grand Worthy President 
of the association in Kansas, then lived. 
The first constitution and by-laws were 
drawn up there and the organization of 
the Grand Order of the Anti-Horse Thief 
Association of Missouri and neighboring 
States was completed on October 23, 1863, 
though the organization of the national 
and State orders did not take place till 
1881, when this association of farmers for 
mutual aid had attained such widespread 
dimensions that it wu„s decided to form a 
National Grand Order and State Grand 
Orders. The National Grand Order, con¬ 
sisting of five delegates from each State, 
meets annually on the fourth Wednesday 
of September, and decides upon the laws 
to govern the State and subordinate Orders 
and also upon secret w’ork for the coming 
year. All depredations on members of the 
Association are relentlessly prosecuted, 
and so wholesome has been the fear with 
which the criminal classes have in this 
way been inspired that the members of 
the society are reported to be very 
rarely troubled by criminals of this sort. 
— ,. - 
A GOOD WORK. 
In one of the large public schools of 
Brooklyn are congregated 1,600 scholars, 
over w'liose work an energetic lady princi¬ 
pal presides. From a farm in the “Buck¬ 
eye” State she went to Brooklyn to engage 
in educational work, and make a way in 
the world. Although transported from 
the freedom of the farm to the irksome 
duties and confinement of the school-room, 
her love for the farm has not abated, but, 
on the contrary, she has endeavored, even 
in the crowded city, to interest both her¬ 
self and scholars in the w r ork which per¬ 
tains to agriculture. She has purchased 
seeds and distributed them among the pu¬ 
pils; given them instruction in the raising 
of plants and interested them to such an 
extent that many of them are now engaged 
in growing plants and raising seeds. Oc¬ 
casionally reports are tendered showing 
how the crops are progressing. From her 
own pocket-book has this ene.rgete woman 
paid out several hundred dollars for seeds 
and agricultural books and papers, in or¬ 
der to promote the good work she has on 
hand. A lively interest has been awak¬ 
ened in the minds of the children, so that 
they are doing all that they can to for¬ 
ward this enterprise of studying practical 
farming in a big city. In crowded Brook¬ 
lyn but little room is to be found for 
growing plants, so that many of these 
young farmers have their farms on the 
house-tops or in back windows. The teach¬ 
er, like her pupils, is also cultivating her 
part. Every inch of available soil in the 
back-yard she has put. under cultivation, 
and she informed us that she even thought 
of hiring some land lying idle in the next 
yard. With surh energy and enthusiasm 
attending her work, we think and trust it 
is bound to succeed. 
We bring this case before our readers to 
illustrate to them one method of making 
school work something besides the dull 
routine work that it usually is, and at the 
same time awakening an interest in the 
youthful mind toward the farm and its 
work. Tiie farmers do not. seek addi¬ 
tions to their ranks from among the bro¬ 
ken-down ministers of the professions, etc. 
who turn to farming as a last resort, but 
from among the youths who are full of 
life and activity, and who add brains to 
their work. Tens of thousands of schools 
distributed over these United States might 
fittingly follow in the footsteps of this 
Brooklyn contemporary. The amount of 
good that would result therefrom is incal¬ 
culable, while the other studies need suf¬ 
fer nothing in consequence. In traversing 
the country how many bare, neglected 
school-yards do we pass by, which might 
be changed into really beautiful grounds, 
were it the fancy of the teachers to inter¬ 
est themselves and their pupils in the work! 
CROP OUTLOOK. 
According to the Dcparment of Agri¬ 
culture’s crop report for June, the condi¬ 
tion of Winter wheat is low’cr than in 
May throughout the entire area, with few 
exceptions. As reported in April, the 
area under Winter wheat w'as 27,734,000 
acres, and allowing for the loss since then 
by plowing up, the remainingarea is about 
four per cent, less than last year. From 
State reports we learn that the extent of 
the area plowed up has been 10 per cent, 
in Ohio, 10 per cent, in Indiana and 20 
per cent, in Illinois, with a much smaller 
area in the other Winter wheat States, It 
must be remembered, however, that only 
poor fields arc plowed up, and that there is 
a good deal of this sort of thing every year, 
The decline m the condition of the crop 
amounts to 4 points in Connecticut, 14 in 
New' York, 2 in Ohio, 8 in Indiana, 15 in 
Illinois and 7 in Missouri. It is slight in 
Michigan and generally throughout the 
South. The general average of condition 
is 75, against 83 in May, In June 1882 it 
was 99 for Winter wheat. Considering 
100 to represent a medium grow th w ith a 
full Stand and a healthy condition of the 
plant, then the condition by States on 
the first of the month was: Connecticut, 
92; New York, 63; New Jersey, 101; 
Pennsylvania, 97; Delaware, 88; Mary¬ 
land, 98; Virginia, 93; North Carolina 
and South Carolina, 95; Georgia, 06; Ala¬ 
bama, 95; Mississippi, 83; Texas, 86; Ar¬ 
kansas, 80; Tennessee, 85, West Virginia, 
88; Kentucky, 77 ; Ohio, 60; Michigan, 
80; Indiana, 67; Missouri, 70; Illinois, 51; 
Kansas, 89; California, 88; and Oregon, 90. 
The Spring wheat area has been in¬ 
creased about 500,009 acres, or nearly 5 
per cent. Wisconsin reports a reduction 
of 1 per cent.; Iowa of 2 per cent. Min- 
nessota makes an increase of 5 per cent, 
Nebraska of 7, Dakota of 40, and Montana 
of 35. The Spring wheat States have an 
acreage of nearly 10,000,000 acres. The 
condition of Spring wheat is everywhere 
high, averaging 98 per cent, the same as 
last year. 
The May report put the loss by plowing 
up at 3j<; per cent, and the shortage in 
Winter wheat, as compared with last year, 
was estimated at 77.000,000 bushels. This 
indicates a condition 16H percent below 
last year’s on May Land it is a lair de¬ 
duction to estimate the condition on June 
1 at 24 per cent below what it was at the 
same date last year. This would make 
the aggregate shortage 110,000,000 hush 
els in the Winter wheat yield, making the 
entire Winter wheat crop 275,000,000. 
The Spring wheat area, however, is esti¬ 
mated to be 5 per cent greater than last 
year, while the condition is everywhere 
high. Lust, year's Spring wheat crop was 
118,000,000 bushels, and an addition of 
5 per cent would raise the yield to 125, 
000,000, which would make the total 
wheat crop of 1883 about 400,000,000 
bushels, against 503,000,000 last. year. 
From reports from 1,000 different points 
throughout the country, it appears that 
the condition of corn is generally good, 
There is a large increase in acreage, espe¬ 
cially in the Winter wheat States where 
hundreds of thousands of acres of ruined 
wheat have been plowed up and planted 
to corn. The cold weather in May merely 
delayed planting and retarded growth, 
while the warm, bright weather that came 
with June has done a world of good. 
Where the crop failed owing to poor seed 
or bad condition of soil, the full acreage 
has, in nearly all cases, been replanted. 
Kansas has the largest increase : last year 
the yield there was 157,000.000 bushels; 
according to the present outlook, it will 
not fall below 200,000,000bush('lsthisyear. 
IuMissouri and Illinois, the yield will also 
be much heavier, and Ohio is credited with 
a prospective crop of 100,000,000 bushels. 
In Wisconsin there is a large increase m 
acreage, hut the outlook is generally dis¬ 
couraging, for unseasonable weather de¬ 
layed planting in some places so late that 
fodder only can be raised. Frost did 
considerable damage in Indiana, but 
wherever the crop was cut down it. has 
been replanted. Ill Kentucky and Minne¬ 
sota there is an increase of acreage, and 
the condition is reported good. On flic 
whole, judging from present appearances , 
the aggregate corn crop of the country in 
1883 is likely to be about 10 per cent, 
greater than that of last year—1,617,025,- 
100 bushels. 
The area under oats is estimated at 19.- 
200,000 acres—an increase of about five per 
cent; the condition is high, averaging 96. 
The Agricultural Department says there 
is a decrease of one per cent in the cotton 
area of Florida and Tennessee, and of 10 
per cent, in the cotton section in Virginia 
and Missouri; but there is an increase of 
8 per cent in Texas. 7 in Arkansas, 5 in 
Louisiana, 3 in Alabama, 2 in South Caro¬ 
lina and Mississippi, and I in Georgia. The 
cotton area in 1882 was 16,276,000 acres; 
this year it. is estimated at 16,780,000, an 
increase of 504,000 acres, so that it ap¬ 
pears all the advice lavished on planters, 
urging them to plant less cotton and more 
grain and vegetables has been wasted. 
The area by States in thousand acres is: 
Virginia 55, North Carolina 1.050, South 
Carolina 1,619, Georgia 2,873, Florida 
258, Alabama 2,010, Mississippi 2,278, 
Louisiana 932, Texas 3,035, Arkansas 
1,188, Tennessee 807. Missouri, the Indian 
Territory and other States contribute 
the remainder. 
The season is everywhere late, the range 
being from one to two weeks. The cold, 
rainy April delayed planting and retarded 
growth, and the cold, dry May extended 
attempts to fill up gaps to the beginning 
of June: indeed, as far south as the Gulf 
States some belated plants hadn’t appeared 
on the first, of the month. Persistent ef¬ 
forts have been made throughout the 
whole cotton belt to secure a perfect 
stand. Owing to the unfavorable weather 
the outlook for cotton now is by no means 
cheering, but the fine growing June days 
are brightening the prospect. 
BREVITIES. 
The hot, dry weather has ruined all of our 
oats that were sown in light soil. 
“From Life” was printed under our first- 
page engraving of last week. This was a mis¬ 
take. It was drawn by our artist from an 
etching. 
Neviknsia Alabnmensis (figured in R. N.-Y. 
of Jan. T. 1882,) after standing the climate for 
two years was killed during the past Winter 
or Spring. This is the Alabama Snow-wreath. 
When scale insects hatch out (it, is time 
now) spray them with this mixture: make an 
emulsion of one tablespoonful ol’ kerosene and 
apiece ol soup us large as a black walnut. 
Add this to one gallon Of water. It is also 
one of the best remedies for plant, lice and 
cabbage worms. 
The Empire State Grape, about which wo 
have had inquiries, was sold by Mr. Ricketts 
to the (,Jeo. A. Stone Grape Co., of Rochester, 
N. Y. Plants are at present, held ut $5 each. 
We are privately informed that it is better in 
quality tliau the Lady Washington, but that 
the berry does not. bang very well to the stem. 
It is thought, however, that it must, prove a 
lino market sort. 
Foreign capital is being largely invested in 
Mexico. A Scotch syndicate paid £4,000,900 
for 6,000,000 acres of land in Durango it week 
or two since, and « German syndicate is a 
large land-owner in New Mexico. In old Mex¬ 
ico ruuch after ranch is falling into the hands 
of foreign capitalists, and it is predicted tlmt 
in half a century uine-tcuths of Mexico’s nor¬ 
thern States will be practically owned by citi¬ 
zens of this country and Europe. 
Colorado is fast becoming one of the great 
cattle States, yet just as Galveston, the chief 
city of the greatest cattle State in the Union, 
receives condensed milk from New York, so 
Denver, the chief city of Colorado, receives 
lour-lifths of its beef in refrigerator cars from 
Kansas City, Missouri. The fault lies with 
the Colorado cattle men. Less than a dozen 
stockmen control the Colorado ranches, and 
prices are held up to suit t heir whims or plans. 
Three years ago Spring cattle on t he hoof sold 
in Denver at Ac. per pound; ()<•. and 6Wt\ are 
asked to-day, and if the cattle-owners do not 
get that figure t hey prefer to let the stock 
run on the range. 
