724 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
NOV 3 
THE 
RURAU NEW-YORKER, 
Conducted by 
ELBKRT 8. CARMAN. 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
No. 34 Park Row. New York. 
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1883. 
If we examine the first catalogue at 
hand, we find new varieties of corn of¬ 
fered at 25 cents per packet; new peas 
and wheats at 25 cents per packet ; new 
rye, oats and tomatoes at 25 cents; new 
flowers at 25 cents each packet. Taking 
less than these retail prices as our guide 
for new varieties of grain, vegetables or 
flowers, the Rural’s next Seed Distribu¬ 
tion could easily he figured as of more 
value than the yearly subscription price of 
the paper. Thus : 
The Rural Union Corn.$-20 
Cleveland’s Rural New-Yorker Pea. 20 
The Diehl-Mediterranean Wheat.10 
The Thousand-fold Rye.10 
Hereford’s Market Garden Pea.20 
Black Champion Oats .20 
Tomatoes, at least 10 different new varie¬ 
ties at 10 cts. each.1.00 
The Rural Garden Treasures, at least 100 
different varieties at one cent each kind. 1.00 
Total. .S 3 - 00 
Is this a fair estimate, or are these 
figures, as are many others, given merely 
to mislead ? We are preparing for 18,000 
applications, that is to say, 108,000 en¬ 
velopes, counting the addressed envelope, 
and it would be very unwise, in the face 
of so many prospective tests, for the 
Rural greatly to exaggerate the value of 
the seeds in view of the fact that we 
should merely lessen the confidence of our 
readers in our future statements. We can¬ 
not say that our Free Seed and Plant Dis¬ 
tributions have been instrumental in add¬ 
ing very largely to our circulation, but we 
can say that it lias pleased us to have in¬ 
troduced several of the most valuable 
varieties of farm and garden novelties 
now in cultivation. 
Tnu new Posters and Premium List of 
the Rural New-Yorker are now ready, 
and will be cheerfully sent gratis to all 
applicants. 
Ellwanger & Barry report that they 
have again tested the Miner's seedling 
grapes, and do not find one in the lot 
worthy of being retained. 
placed in a paper box, which was placed 
in a feed bin. On October 23d all but 
one of the first lot had rotted, while t hose 
of the second lot were firm. Both lots 
colored to about the same extent, those 
in the dark being rather more highly col¬ 
ored of the two. 
- »-*-« - 
We have been surprised at the growth 
made by Shaffer’s Colossal and the Ohio 
Black-cap. The canes of the first grew 15 
feet long; those of the second 16 feet. 
Two teet of the latter were cut off, and 
the remaining 14 feet are now tied to a 
stake nearly as high. We want to have 
the fun of climbing a ladder to pick the 
raspberries next year, though probably 
the canes will be winter-killed somewhat. 
We had intended to preserve the canes of 
the Shaffer also, but they were cut by 
mistake. 
, » « > - 
One day last week a splendid Kieffer 
Pear — the finest we have seen — was 
brought to the office. The skin was a 
rich, golden yellow, suffused with a faint 
vermillion on one side. The flesh was 
very juicy and rather more tender, that is, 
rather less gritty, than that of any other 
Kieffer we have ever eaten. It possessed, 
however, the peculiar nondescript flavor 
which is neither of the pear, apple, nor 
quince, but which might be produced 
possibly if all were united in certain pro¬ 
portions. A friend, Mr. H. A. Chase, 
has kindly sent us a basket of these pears, 
so that we shall have an opportunity of 
again testing them as they ripen. 
- - ■> » » - 
We once saw a man returning from his 
day’s work; nothing strange about that. 
As he entered his door-yard, his little 
three-year-old girl and his dog came to 
meet him. In advance was the little 
daughter, face full of smiles, losy lips 
ripe for kisses, eyes full of love’s wel¬ 
come. He pushed her roughly aside with¬ 
out. a word, hut stooped down, patted the 
dog on the head, and spoke to it kindly. 
Come to think of it, there was nothing 
strange about that, for the two-legged 
cur was the more brutish brute of the 
two. But we pittied the little girl as she 
stood by the gate, smiles all gone, and 
eyes full of tears; and we hated the dog 
that got all the caresses and kiud words, 
though the dog was not to blame. 
The back of the match monopoly is 
broken, not scratched. There is not a 
monopoly in the country that is not evil; 
but this smelt, more sulphurous* than any. 
John speaks of men “who love darkness 
rather than light if this monopoly had 
existed much longer Americans would 
have preferred darkness rather than light, 
not “because their deeds were evil,” but 
because their match-makers were evil. 
We shall never pine to see the head of 
this monopoly come to the light. This is 
a victory after a contest. We are glad to 
know that in this match the people have 
been a match for the match-makers. Now 
let attention be given the Standard Oil 
Company. Let light once more be free— 
of all unjust gains. Then can we burn our 
midnight lamp with justice to our con¬ 
science and purse. 
In Saratoga Co., N. Y., apple merchants 
are paying $4 per barrel for Greenings, 
Northern Spy, etc., on the tree. This is 
equivalent to $4.30 delivered. 
Of all the crosses we have made, we 
are most curious as to the outcome of that 
between wheat and rye made the past 
Summer. We have nine plants in a 
flourishing condition. 
-- 
Mr. S. Miller, of Bluffton, Mo., sends 
us specimens of Persimmons, which in qua¬ 
lity are fully as good as any of the Japan 
Persimmons which have proven tender in 
this climate. They are nearly round in 
shape, and as large as Duane’s Purple 
Plum. In quality they are sweet, and 
free from astringency. 
-*-*--•- 
The Rural New-Yorker during the 
past eight years has sown every variety of 
wheat it could obtain. Many of these so- 
called varieties prove to be the same. Of 
over 150 kinds tested, we have now not 
over 15 which promise to be better than 
such old kinds as the Mediterranean, all 
things considered. We have produced, 
perhaps, 100 varieties from cross-breed¬ 
ing. Perhaps two or three of these may 
prove worthy of dissemination. 
Again we feel called upon to advise 
our readers who are confined to small 
country places to plant Paradise-dwarf 
Apples. For 10 years we have watched 
these little trees with great pleasure and 
satisfaction. Usually they are loaded 
with fine fruit—even while standards fail 
to bear. The past year has been an “ off” 
one for standards, but the third in suc¬ 
cession on which the dwarfs have given 
us full yields. Our experience is limited 
to the Wagencr, Alexander, Northern Spy, 
Twenty-Ounce, and Lady. Of these the 
Alexander, Wagencr, and Twenty-Ounce 
bear best. They often begiu to bear the 
second year—curlier, indeed, than the 
Duchesse Pear upon quince. We learn, 
however, that the Red Astraehan, King of 
Tompkins Co., Graven stein, Jonathan, 
Blush, Swaar, and Fameuse also do well 
on the Paradise stock. With us they 
grow from six to 10 feet high, so that 10 
feet apart each way would give ample 
room. It seems to us that the fruit is 
always larger and fairer upon these dwarfs 
than upon standards. Our friends should 
be careful of whom they order, as Doucin 
stocks arc sometimes sent out for the true 
Paradise. 
- - 
THE PRESENT PERIL. 
On the morning of October 4th, six The present peril of our country, the 
large green tomatoes were placed in the Rev. Dr. Howard Crosby thinks, is exact- 
sun out-of-doors, and protected every ly here. The dangerous classes among 
night from rain or frost. At the same us are those who are engaged in amassing 
time six others of the same size were colossal fortunes—the giants who tread 
ordinary men under their heels, and care 
not how much the people suffer. They 
are absorbed with their own greatness, 
lifted by their wealth out of all sympathy 
with the masses of mankind, and live as 
if the world belonged to them. In mon¬ 
archical countries, so long as the people 
can find a living, they will endure the 
oppression; but in a republic like ours, 
the time of account will come sooner. 
Here the people will not wait until they 
are ruined. They have some notions of 
rights and some forethought of impend¬ 
ing evil, and they will anticipate their 
own crisis by making a crisis for others. 
He offers three ways of avoiding the 
catastrophe; First, the election of honest, 
upright, men, to office—men who can 
neither be bullied nor bribed. Second, 
the enactment of laws to defend the poor 
against the rich oppressor ; to restrict and 
regulate corporate and individual sway 
over the industries and highways of the 
nation; to limit individual wealth and 
subject corporate wealth to supervision 
and just governmental control; to secure 
to the laborer bis wages for a year at a 
time, to be forfeited only for such mis¬ 
conduct as the courts would recognize; 
and to punish the avoidance of tax paying 
by severe penalties, and bribery by loss of 
citizenship and 10 years' imprisonment. 
Third, an adequate and watchful execu¬ 
tive force, who will enforce the laws. 
Welcome the delightful day! But it 
will never come until the largest class in 
the country, file farmers, know their in¬ 
terests, make themselves felt, and claim 
their rights in the government. 
NEIGHBORLINESS ON THE FARM, 
We are all too selfish. We should be 
more neighborly, co-operating one with 
another. It is natural for old folks to 
think olden times the best, but they speak 
an important truth when they say that 
people were more accommodating and 
kindly disposed to others forty years ago. 
It would be better for us if we were so 
to-day. It would be better for us finan¬ 
cially. The majority of us live on small 
farms. Yet because of our selfishness, 
and the selfishness of others, we are com¬ 
pelled to purchase almost as much farm 
machinery as if we lived upon a farm four 
times as large. If four farmers would 
club together they could have all neces¬ 
sary machinery, provide for its wear and 
tear, and shelter, for really less than one- 
fourth of what their selfishness makes 
these items cost them. As it now is, the 
farmer markets his small production of 
grain and stock alone, and must submit 
to lower prices than if he had a larger 
quantity. If farmers would be a little 
more neighborly, and put their grain or 
stock together till they had a car-load, or 
several car-loads, they could get better 
prices for it at their home market, or 
could ship it themselves and save the 
midd leman’s commission. 
Again, farmers could save money by 
clubbing together and buying t heir house¬ 
hold supplies in larger quantities. Gro¬ 
ceries and clothing could be purchased at 
wholesale prices because purchased in 
wholesale quantities. But we are too sel¬ 
fish and unneighborly to do this. 
But there are still higher and nobler 
gains. We have been given social and 
spiritual natures. The gift was not a 
mistaken one.* We should develop these 
elements of our being, because to do so 
makes us better. Selfishness is fast mak¬ 
ing social intercourse obsolete in the 
country. The possibilities for human 
society are not great among the isolated 
farm homes. We should not make them 
less. Let us all bo more neighborly and 
sociable, more kindly disposed one to 
another. We shall he richer in wealth of 
earthly goods, of mental gains and spirit¬ 
ual charms. We shall all be more truly 
happy. 
-♦♦♦- 
NOW, POTATOES. 
Potatoes, potatoes ! What a splendid 
crop they are if we could but raise 600 
instead of 200 bushels to the acre, without 
spending more for fertilizers and cultiva 
tion than the crop is worth. How shall 
we do it? Can it he done? The Rural 
has given careful attention to this question, 
and our answer is that it can be done. 
That is to say, if we know how best to 
raise potatoes, we can raise 600 bushels to 
the acre at a cost that will not exceed the 
extra cost of manure and tillage. We 
have raised no less than 250 kinds of pota¬ 
toes, and they have been planted and 
cared for in perhaps 50 different ways. 
Now, what is the best way ! First, as to 
food, they must have, if the soil is not 
rich, plenty of thoroughly well-rotted farm 
manure. We lay stress upon its being 
thoroughly decomposed, else wire-worms 
and grubs will destroy or greatly injure 
the crop. Then, we should add to Hus 
farm manure at least 300 pounds of pota¬ 
to chemical fertilizer. This consists of 
bone, nitrogen, and potash, but especially 
of potash. In this way we furnish a friable, 
moisture-retaining soil from the farm ma¬ 
nure, as well as a slowly soluble food, and 
from the chemical fertilizers an immedia¬ 
tely soluble food, ns well as a preparation 
that repels the white grill) or lava of the 
May Beetle, and wire-worms which per¬ 
petrate infinite damage to the growing 
tuber. The farm manure should be well 
incorporated with the soil by shallow 
plowing and harrowing; the. concentrated 
manures by harrowing alone. Then, if 
the season prove dry, we have the mois¬ 
ture from the light, retentive farm manure 
and the concentrated food of the chemical 
fertilizers, without any contact that could 
corrode or wither. If the season prove 
wet, we have still a mechanical condition 
of the soil, which, while it furnishes 
abundance of food, is still mellow and 
yielding. 
The Rural has raised at the rate of 
nearly 11,200 bushels to the acre the 
past season. And we have asked our¬ 
selves ; “Could this he done in field cul¬ 
ture?” The only reply is : “Yes, if the 
conditions were the same, and it were pro¬ 
fitable to male the conditions the same.” 
Well, did we supply food, did we culti¬ 
vate in a way that would render field cul¬ 
ture on the same plan unprofitable ? By 
no means. Thp amount of manure used 
was not excessive ; the amount of culti¬ 
vation only sufficient to subdue weeds and 
keep the soil mcUmr. Tn one case a mulch 
of straw (in the drill and covered with 
soil), on low land, reduced the yield to 
200 bushels per acre; in another case the 
same sort of mulch on high land increased 
the yield to over 1,100 bushels to the acre. 
Was the cost excessive ? IIow much 
would it cost a farmer to fill a five-inch 
trench with three inches of cut straw ? 
Would it cost as much as the difference 
between 200 and 1,100 bushels ? We tell 
you. Rural readers, there is no crop 
raised that is so little understood as pota¬ 
toes. There is no crop raised that will 
pay better if the proper treatment be 
given. We are confident of it. Let all 
of our readers study the reports wc shall 
publish during the next four months, col¬ 
lectively. We cannot present them all at 
once, and, unless a comparative conside¬ 
ration be given, the results of our very 
careful experiments will be lost. 
-♦ « ♦- 
RURAL BREVITIES 
Mr Phocnix writes, us: “The man or 
woman that will make rye and barley as 
popular and toothsome as Is oatmeal will de¬ 
serve a fortune ami a monument.” 
Looking over old notes we fliul the follow¬ 
ing: “ Carlotta is 1 be best, grape in the United 
States.” So said Mr. T, B. Minor a few 
months before his death. And then lie added: 
Victoria is about as good.” 
If any of our readers have photographs or 
sketches of curious or remarkable fruits, roots, 
tubers, grains, or anything of llie kiud, we 
would be glad if they would send them to the 
Rural to be .engraved, if found worthy of such 
an honor. 
One of the handsomest shrubs wo have ever 
cultivated is Mapnolia llalleana. It iserowd- 
ed with semi-double, nearly white flowers in 
early Spring before the leaves appear. It is 
of low stature; the branches are short-jointed, 
and the bright foliage remains green until 
severe frosts conceal them entirely. 
Mr J. T. Lovett writes: “It certainly 
speaks well for the enterprise of the Rural 
that it should havu given the public t.be only 
report I have seen, that can be called a report, 
of the recent biennial meeting uf the Ameri¬ 
can Pomologieal Society. The poor character 
of the reports of the deliberations of that re¬ 
nowned and learned body, that have appeared 
in some papers that, clai m to have horticulture 
at heart, undthe entire absence of such re¬ 
ports from others, bespeak very weak praise 
for both classes. The Ruiial'h report was n 
good one, and were it not for it much that 
was said and done would have been lost to the 
thousands who are interested hut who could 
not attend.” 
The great trunk railroad lines from Chicago 
to the seaboard seem resolved to increase the 
rates of freight on dressed beef with a view 
to discouraging the growth of this promising 
industry in Chicago and the West for the 
benefit of the stock-yards along the lines, 
chiefly those at Buffalo, Pittsburg and New 
York. The railroad managers are largely in¬ 
terested in these, and in times past received 
enormous profits from outrageous charges for 
keeping stock and selling fodder In them, anil 
the dressed beef trade has already inflicted a 
serious blow on the business connected with 
these yards and threatens one still more dis¬ 
astrous. Accordingly Commissioner Fink has 
announced Mint the rates on dressed beef from 
Chicago to New York shall be advanced about 
five cents per 100 pounds. The rate now on 
live cattle is 40o. pel’ 100 pounds; that on 
dressed beef 64c. and this is to be raised to 
00 cents, although it lms been demonstrated 
that with the live stock rate at 40c. dressed 
beef should not be charged over 50c., aud that 
at that rate the traffic would yield as heavy 
a profit as cattle at 40c. 
