AUG 48 
S2( 
trees which have never failed of a crop. We 
advise our readers, ns we have often done be¬ 
fore. to plant plum trees in their hen yards.,.. 
Mr. Byckmnn thinks that if we could plant 
pear seeds where we desire the tree to stand, 
and graft upon the seedling stock, thus pre¬ 
serving the tap-root, we should hear less of 
blight... 
Dr. Sturtevant notes, as between the plant¬ 
ings of April 2d, and May 12, that in every 
ease the early planted pea of the variety is the 
more prolific, and that earliness is not direct¬ 
ly proportional to the period of planting. 
Dr Hoskins does not think that any middle- 
aged man will live to sec the day when {food 
evaporated fruit will not be salable. Large 
quantities will be taken for exportation. 
Mr. Dodge estimates that this country loses 
1,000,000 acres of wheat by being winter-killed 
.Late turnips may be sown upon plowed 
graiu stubbles.Cut all brush from lanes, 
fence corners; cut and burn the weeds which 
have seeds.Cut away the canes of 
raspberries that have borne fruit and support 
the new canes. Are you ready to bud? Move 
the sweet potato vines to prevent them from 
taking root. Spread out the onions on a floor 
where a free, current of air may blow over 
them........ 
The Herald has this bit of advice which is 
always timely—always good. We wish we could 
follow it ourselves: “There is nothing in this 
world that pays such large dividends as cheer¬ 
fulness. We are apt to forget that we are not 
by nature intended to be suapping turtles. 
Grumbling is the one thing which, as the coun¬ 
tryman said, we “orient” to do, and therefore 
it is the one thing we take most delight iu 
doing. Life would be sweeter and brighter 
• for you if you would speak this little piece to 
yourself every morning:— 
Whistle and hoe, sing as you go, 
Shorten the row by the songs you know.” 
Hot temper makes many enemies. Neither 
a word nor a stone once let go can be called 
back... 
Cumpuiim. 
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE OP 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
Lake Hopatcong. Morris Co., N. J. Aug. 5. 
“ Over the hills and far away. ” How often 
this verse, so full of quieting, restful, roman¬ 
tic reveries, comes to one's mind as lie looks 
over the mountains wooded to the water’s 
edge, precipitous in their dopes, roekv, 
wild, uninhabited save bv the several camps 
that have located here and there. 
Did you ever visit Lake George? Here we 
. have it, though upon a less grand scale. 
But the loss of grandeur, of magnificent dis¬ 
tances is more than made up by the cozier 
pictnrosquoness of the mountains more closely 
pneked together; of the lake that more re¬ 
sembles a dozen sinuous rivers, deep and blue, 
that wind and wiud into hundreds of coves 
and delightful shady, shadowv places that 
tempt an evening or early morning row. 
Fifty-two miles from the great eitv of New 
York! Tt, is hard to believe that such a 
wilderness of mountains and vales; of islands 
and forests: of deep, clear water well stocked 
with pickerel, black bass nod yellow perch 
could exist and yet be so little known to the 
thousands of people who yearly seek the 
Adirondack?, ortho Far West for just such se¬ 
cluded. delightful views and privileges as are 
found here. “Why are there no magnifi¬ 
cent hotels hero?” “ Whv isn’t it a fashiona¬ 
ble resort?” Such are the inquiries ever made 
by strangers visiting this lonely but charm¬ 
ing place for the first time. The answer is 
convincing: 
The property is sold subject, to the interests 
of two ownerships, viz; the canal and the 
iron. One would not care to build a one-hun¬ 
dred-thousand-dollar hotel subject to having 
an iron pit dug in his grounds or under his 
house; or to having the lake lowered 10 or 30 
feet, lima exposing acres of lake bottom, as 
years ago it was raised 12 feet or more so as 
the better to feed the Morris Canal. 
Agricultural Ah, there isn’t any agricul¬ 
ture hem The mountains are above that: the 
valleys beneath it. being too short, sharp and 
stony. Here and there is a patch of potatoes, 
corn, whoa t, rye or oats—blit of fields entitled to 
the name there are few or none. 1 lorticulture? 
Fruit culture? They need not be mentioned. 
Wehuveaoon neither garden, vineyard nor 
orchard, unless a few Hollyhocks and Dahlias 
for the first, a dozen Concord Grape-vines for 
the second, and a few apple and pear trees of 
what seems to be natural fruit for the third, 
are entitled to those names. There am no 
villages-no church spires to meet the eye as 
it searches through valleys or travels aloug 
r e mountain tops and sides over an area many 
?- miles in circuit. 
The lake is said to be 1200 feet above the sea. 
]t The hotel is upon a hill or mountain 100 feet 
l ’ above the lake. Directly hack of this Is an¬ 
other mountain 175 feet higher, upon the top 
of which in a clearing of the trees is a little 
wooden house or pavilion. Thither a wiud- 
b- ingroad leads through the trees and rocks 
y —a favorite walk of all the hoarders— 
e and when the pavilion is once reached the 
view over the entire country is beautiful 
. indeed. 
Viewing Lake Hopatcong from the house 
i we have on the right a cove that would seem 
e to be the confluence of two rivers, the one 
coursing northerly for a mile-and-a-half, when 
s it branches like the breast-bone of a chicken 
1 aD<l is soon lost among the hills; the other 
1 running westerly, following which we soon ar¬ 
rive upon the diagonal shore at the mouth of 
i the liver Styx, named thus, I suppose, because 
f its crazv-looking shores might be supposed to 
t bear ‘some resemblance to those Stygian 
3 Shores of the mythological river of Hades. This 
i little river spreads out to the right and left, 
so as to shape itself like the letter T. From 
this place we can see but little of the lake be¬ 
yond the mouth of the river, because it bends 
5 to the south, aud the view is cut off by a prom- 
l oratory extending out from the southern shore. 
. The lake is about seven miles in length (as a 
crow flies)‘and mnsVlue N. E. and S. W. To get 
any correct idea of its zig-zag, winding, bend¬ 
ing shape the fact is one must explore it for 
himself. A stranger approaching would be 
sure to mistake it for a cluster or chain of 
small lakes, or several rivers. On every 
side it is inclosed by hills for the most part 
covered with woods which grow near to the 
water’s edge, leaving only a narrow margin 
of rocks and stones. The hotel faces the cen¬ 
tral and widest portion of the lake, to the 
nearest part of which the distance is about a 
furlong. From the water’s edge or hotel 
landing for a little steam yacht that carries 
passengers to and from the house and railroad 
station, to midway up the hill is a grove of 
second growth Chestnuts, Oaks, etc., and here 
protected by the shade, one may greatly en¬ 
joy the view of the lake—the oft out-going 
and returning little boats that filled with 
hotel guests dot its surface, some sailing for 
amusement or health; others visiting different 
points of interest, some trolling, some fish¬ 
ing at rest. 
The hotel is well conducted by an attentive, 
'Obliging German and bis family, and tbe 
hoarders are generally German families of the 
bettor class who come here year after year for 
a quiet, restful time. There are several other 
hotels about the Lake, one a respectable 
American hotel But coming here, as we did, 
not for pleasure but to improve the health of 
our little ones, the German hotel was 
preferred on account of its somewhat higher, 
more open situation. 
There has beeu much cold, rainy weather 
during which my own chief occupation 1ms 
been endeavoring to keep warm—attended 
for the most part with poor success, so few 
and defective are the provisions for cold snaps. 
Few situations that I have ever visited seem 
quite so dreary as this in stormy weather. The 
high, unprotected position of the house itself 
seems to invite a concentrated effort; of the 
wind to upset it. as it whistles around every 
part and roars from the woodlands about. 
The usual rides, sails and excursions arc im¬ 
practicable; the boarders huddle together in 
damp-looking dismal groups, there to show 
bv dull, disjointed conversations that all at¬ 
tempts at pleasure are suspended Fn-n/thinn 
tolls you -‘it is stormy,” The view from 
the windows is far extended; yon see the 
black, thick clouds of half the heavens, the 
bending trees, the steadily falling rain for 
miles. At such times the best thing to do is to 
roll yourself up in an extra blanket and go to 
bed, there to remain until the clouds disperse 
and the sun shines once more. 
We have been here a mouth and the health 
of our children is scarcely improved and we 
are sad indeed. The charming lake, its hillsand 
valleys, the unobtrusive kindliness of all are, 
I fear, but ill appreciated. Many other 
sick children have been brought here and ] 
have been benefited at once. They are out- I 
of-doors at nil hours without hats half of the ] 
time, mul I know of no other case of sickness ] 
among them. 
Is there malaria here? Oh, yes. it is here i 
and there, no doubt, iu the valleys or low' t 
places, but not on the higher lands so far as I 
can hear. Malaria! it has hexane the scourge 
of this country, the slow death of thousands 
upon thousands. Are not its cause, spread t 
and cure as fit subjects of public concern and 1 
investigation as are those of the diseases I 
of cattle? c > 
i aged badly; will not make more than one- 
fourtn of a crop, though rain should come 
withm three days, and there are no signs of 
fc any now. Cotton short anil at a stand-still, 
tboigh cotton will stand more dry weather 
3 than any other crop. Peaches less than half 
3 a crop and poor. Apples quite a. fair crop. 
Oats light but of good quality. Wheat poor. 
. Health good. Country improving, with some 
Northern people moving in. ,t. r. c. 
I Illinois. 
Winchester, Scott Co., July 30.—I am 
i about through my crop work now; my corn on 
i 32 acres is laid by, and my wheat on 20 acres 
■ is stacked. Tliis week I will put up what hav 
i I want, and then be through with the rush of 
the work, I do not keep a hired hand, but 
have got as good a field of corn as there is in 
the neighborhood. Wheat is not thrashing 
out as well as was anticipated. The yield is 
only from 10 to 15 bushels per acre, with lots of 
rye and cheat in it. The prospect for corn 
was never better: so the old men say. Oats 
are good—better than common—the crop is 
about half cut. G rass and hay abunda nt. We 
have not had any cyclones yet in this part of 
the world, hence we are, or should be thank¬ 
ful. j. a. c. 
Iowa. 
Story City. Story Co., Aug. 2.—Harvest is 
nearly completed here and is the best we 
have had for years. Spring wheat is much 
above the average, though this is not what we 
call a “wheat county.” The heads are well- 
filled, the berries plump and bright. The vari¬ 
ety most raised here is called ‘Sea Island.” 
Oats are just, immense; the straw just the 
right bight and well loaded with plump graiu. 
No rust has appeared, nor have the Chinch 
Bugs made us their annual visit. The B.-b. 
Centennial Wheat was with me a complete 
failure. Only five or six plants headed and 
those were smooth and the grain shriveled 
badly. Cora looks well, though it is from ten 
days to two weeks behind. However, if we 
have a late Fall we shall have a splendid crop, 
but should early frosts occur there will be lots 
of “soft corn.” w. a. w. 
Woodbine, Harrison Co., Aug. 3.—Small 
grains of all kinds are good. Harvest is 
nearly over aud stacking has commenced. 
Com is rather backw ard and will be a short 
crop, unless we have a very favorable season 
from this time on. Everybody is contented 
here and prosperous. “ g.” 
Louisiana. 
Bayou Barbary, Parish of Livingston, 
July 29.—Not understanding the raising of 
grapes from seed, only 17 of mine came up, 
and then by leaving them exposed to the 
showers and hot sun of our climate I nearly 
lost them all before [ moved them to where 
they got the sun for only an hour or two 
mornings and evenings. I believe I will save 
enough for a start. The Blush Potato came to 
hand a great deal too late for this elimate. I 
cut it in seven pieces aud planted them in the 
drill one foot apart, on March tfi; dug them 
on June 16, and got a level bucketful. I think 
they would have done a groat deal better 
were it not that they commenced to rot before 
the tops died down. I planted the com, 50 
grains, on April 23, 1 j grains in a hill three 
feet apart each way. Every seed came up but 
one, and every stalk has two ears aud some 
three. I planted them in my garden aud did 
not manure them, as’I thought, the ground was 
rich enough: I never hilled them up. The 
watermelon seeds all rotted in the ground ex¬ 
cept one, I think I shall eat a melon from it 1 
in a few days, as there are two very flue-look¬ 
ing ones on it for the first year. I gave the 1 
flower seeds to my children, as I was too busy 
to attend to them. They have got some verv ' 
pretty flowers, but the most of thorn stayed in 1 
the ground. “subscriber.” 
Michigan. 
Evart, Osceola Co., July 31.—Our season 
here has beeu a very wet one. Since May 1 it 1 
has rained nearly, or quite, four days out of ' 
the seven in each week, consequently all I 
Spring crops are very backward Corn a very 1 
poor show; a great deal of the seed rotted iu ' 
the ground. The same may lie said of 1 
potatoes that were planted early, hut late- i 
planted arc looking w ell. Wheat that did not a 
kill out is good. Grass heavy. Having com- c 
moneed, but very little secured yet. Small 
ti uits in abundance, “Subscriber ” I ^ 
and grass now being harvested; besides, 
; most of the w heat crop is yet in the shock and 
■ may yet be seriously injured by continued wet 
weather. Cora is very fine in prospect. Have 
now field corn Jn roasting ear. (Murdock’s 
Favorite) Wysor Cora in roasting ear, also 
Burpee’s Hiawa&see. Early Orange Cane six 
to eight feet high. Blush Potatoes, excessive 
growth of vines; not any potatoes’ yet; 
Welcome Oats, a failure (rusted). j. r. g. 
Minnesota. 
Lamberton, Redwood Co., Aug. 1.—We 
are having very nice weather for harvest so 
far. Cora coming to the front on the jump 
when properly attended to. Barley mostly 
cut and some in stack—a fair crop. Oats a 
heavy crop, going down some on strong land; 
will commence cutting the last of this week. 
Wheat promises to equal the phenomenal crop 
"f Haying mostly done and of good 
quality—all wild hay. Now is the time for 
men of energy to come in here and buy, as 
laud will probably double in value in this 
region during the next year or two, and it can 
be acquired now as cheaply as “ homesteads ” 
can be made, with but little of the in¬ 
conveniences attending settlement in a new 
countr - v - w. w. K. 
Stockton, Winona Co., Aug. l.-The potato 
crop is good here. Cora will be an average 
crop. Barley is good and is being harvested 
Winter wheat cut and good. Oats will be 
good. Grass a big crop; but the weather is 
poor for hay-making. Spring wheat will not 
be a full crop this year. s. g r 
Nebraska. 
Creighton, Knox Co., July 29. -Farmers 
m this part of Nebraska are all elated over 
ci op prospects. IV e are. now in the midst of 
the harvest. Wheat is of the finest quality, 
and corn is looking splendid. I have been a 
resident of this county- for about 18 months. 
and during that time land has advanced fully 
50 per cent - Government land is now nearlv 
all taken up. H £. b. 
Ohio. 
Claridon. Geauga Co., J uly 24.— I have just 
cut my wheat, estimated yield of Grecian and 
Democrat varieties 20 to 25 bushels per acre 
The average for this town will not be over 10 
bushels this year against 22 last year. Oats 
look well: will yield 50 bushels, if ‘rust doesn’t 
strike them. Cora rather poor and weedy 
Hay very heavy. E w 
Columbus, Franklin Co., July 31.—Wheat 
very poor in most parts of this State. Your 
contributor Mr. \\ I. Chamberlain. Secretary 
of the State Board of Agriculture, says that 
the crop reports just coming in show the apple 
crop will not be over a quarter ot the average 
this is the third consecutive year of ltoht 
apple crops. Though wheat is poor, oats, rye 
aud barley are immense crops. w. h. k 
Foster’s Crossings, Aug. 2.-We have had 
a dry spell of a few weeks’ duration, till some 
of the corn was past hope. Last night we 
had a fine rain, and another shower this even¬ 
ing has revived everything not too much wil¬ 
ted. We are generally through harvesting, 
except hauling in oats; some few have beeu 
thrashing out of the field. Wheat is very 
light—scarcely half a crop. Meadows gener¬ 
ally good, except some of a few years’ stand¬ 
ing which were weedy. Oats a fair crop, 
a bove average. Corn generally will be a lig ht 
crop. Prospect for potatoes good. We have 
had no bother with the Colorado Beetle. I 
have seen only two or three in this neighbor¬ 
hood this year. About Dayton, O., they are 
still plentiful. You are succeeding grandly 
m improving the Rural. I think it far bet¬ 
ter this year than ever before. My neighbor 
who takes it, often says, "This week's Rural 
is a splendid paper.” 1 thiuk it will be hard 
to improve it. [Thanks, we are going to do 
so, however. Eds.] t n 
Missouri, 
E. S. C. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Oi*or«in. 
Marietta, Cobb Co.. July SO.-We are now 
having a>vere drought. Up-land corn dam- 
Plano, Henry Co., July 30.-Cropsgood with 
the exception of wheat which was deficient 
in yield although much better than was ex¬ 
pected early iu the season. Some wheat has 
been thrashed and oats also, wheat making 
t’i orn eight to 20 bushels per acre; oats from 
40 to 60 bushels. Some of my own raising 
averaged 52 bushels per acre by weight; sold 
at 20 cents per bushel, now worth 15 cents'. 
Having too much rain just now for the flax 
Oregon. 
Walla Walla, Umatilla Co., July 23.-This 
region, lying as it does between the Cascade 
Mountains and the Blue Mountains, is a vast 
prairie in the true meaning of the word. It is 
covered with Bunch Gras.s and Grease Wood 
w:th only very little wood or timber, along the 
rivers and creeks. With the exception of a 
few places, there is little or no running water 
and very few springs. In most places water 
can be hail from four to fifty feet deep, though 
it often happens that one has to siuk deeper 
Soils differ in different localities from adobe 
at the foot of the mountains to an ashy, alka¬ 
line soil that at first will raise nothing; but 
which, by exposure to the. atmosphere for a 
whole Summer will produce anv cereal heav¬ 
ily. Eastern people, not knowing the soils 
here, become disgusted and leave, if they can. 
or buy land already under cultivation,'when 
just over the fence, the same kind of soil is 
l to be had for nothing by settling under the 
Homestead Law. immigrants are flowing to 
I thls ,tp I w country from every, or nearly 
every, State in the Union as well as from 
