776 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
THE 
RURAL NEW'YORKER, 
Conducted by 
ELBERT 8. CARMAN. 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
No. 84 Park Row. New York. 
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24,1883. 
All of our readers who send articles 
competing for the Rural Prizes should 
mark the outside I, II, III, IV, etc., ac¬ 
cording to the class to which each may 
belong. 
Please, in sending us stamps, do not 
stick them to the paper. 
- 
Address all personal letters, that need 
prompt attention, to E. S. Carman, River 
Edge, Bergen Co., New Jersey. 
We had a gale last week, and the stooks 
of corn still unhusked in many fields were 
blown down. View it as you will, it is 
poor economy to leave corn in the fields 
so late wherever labor can be obtained at 
a reasonable rate. 
-4-4-4- 
Readers of the Rural New-Yorker, 
another subscription season is upon us. 
We beg of you, in renewing, to write 
your names and addresses plainly and in 
full. If un address is to be changed, 
give your old address as well as the new or 
we cannot make the change. 
4 » » 
Farmers, fruit-growers, stock-men, 
dairymen, have you been successful 1 If 
so, why ? Have you been unsuccessful ? 
To what was your failure owiug ? Often¬ 
times the most valuable truths may be 
told in a few words—and we want those 
few words from our readers for 1884. 
-- 
TnE Rural’s recipe for getting rid of 
cabbage worms, currant worms, larvae of 
squash bugs, etc.: Thoroughly mix with 
an egg beater a gill of kerosene with a 
gill of sour milk. Then add one table- 
spoonful to a pailful of water. Mix with a 
stick and apply through a spraying bel¬ 
lows or garden syringe. It is more 
thoroughly and economically applied 
through the bellows. 
This we ask and nothing more—that 
every subscriber of the Rural New- 
Yorker that thinks it has done its best 
during 1883, and that it is worthy of a 
wider patronage, will send us ONE new 
subscriber for 1884. Our wealthy sub¬ 
scribers might do worse than to send a 
copy of the Rural to some poor, worthy 
farmer-friend as a Christmas gift. It 
might serve him better than a present of 
one hundred dollars. 
The club price of the Rural New- 
Yorker and the Detroit Free Press and 
Household has heretofore been $3, includ¬ 
ing the Rural Free Seed Distribution. We 
are now enabled to announce that from 
now until January 1st, 1885, the combi¬ 
nation price will he hut $2.75. If the 
subscription be sent through the Rural 
New-Yorker, prompt attention is prom¬ 
ised, We again club with the good Inter- 
Ocean, price as hitherto, $2.75. The N. 
Y. Times has been substituted in place of 
the N. Y. World. Subscribe through the 
Rural. 
FEWER DOCTORS OF MEN ; MORE 
DOCTORS OF ANIMALS. 
The live stock of the country is worth 
$2,000,000,000. From a financial point 
of view, care for the health of these is of 
vast importance, as the preventable losses 
every year run high among the millions. 
Moreover, the opinion is gaining ground 
that there are many diseases that are com¬ 
mon to men and animals, and which are 
communicable from one to the other, and, 
therefore, to insure his own safety from 
contagion it is the duty of man to be care¬ 
ful of the health of the lower animals 
about him. Investigations, like those of 
Jenner which led to the discovery that 
small-pox can lie prevented by vaccine 
virus, have already led to the belief 
that scarlatina and scarlet fever have ori¬ 
ginated in the horse, and it is known that 
their spread may be prevented by the use 
of equine virus. In spite of these financial 
and sanitary considerations, however, the 
number of skilled veterinary surgeons in 
this country is lamentably inadequate. 
Indeed it is thought that in the whole 
United States there are not educated veter¬ 
inarians enough to supply one to each 
large city, to say nothing of the country 
districts. We have often received letters 
which say that no person of the kind can 
be found within 50 to 100 miles. 
it is to be hoped that, the national con¬ 
vention which met at Chicago last Tues¬ 
day for the purpose of considering the 
subject of contagious diseases among ani¬ 
mals, will direct public attention in a 
forcible manner to this deficiency in the 
number of skilled veterinarians in nil parts 
of the country. Our medical colleges are 
turning out doctors by hundreds, yes, liy 
thousands, every year, until the country 
is so greatly over-supplied with them that 
a large proportion of them find it difficult 
to make both ends meet even in a sickly 
season and an insalubrious section. The 
proportion of doctors to inhabitants is 
much greater in this country than in 
any other. In the United States there 
are 16% doctors to every 10,000 persons. 
In England the proportion is six to 10,000; 
in France, three; in Germany, three and 
a fraction; in Hungary and Italy, six; 
and in Switzerland, seven. Why do 
not some of ours study the diseases of 
the domestic animals rather than those of 
their owners ? The fees for attending 
horses and other valuable animals are gen¬ 
erally greater thaD those for attending 
men; veterinarians meet with much fewer 
bad debts than doctors; they have much 
less competition; their services are often 
much more useful and real; and their call¬ 
ing should be as honorable. Let us have 
fewer doctors of men and more doctors of 
other animals. 
TO RURAL READERS. 
Owing to the misrepresentations of 
many publishers, and to the fact that we 
say very little about it, the actual circula¬ 
tion of the Rural New-Yorker is un¬ 
derrated by many. This is a matter of 
little concern to us, since, during a greater 
part of the year, we receive more adver¬ 
tising than we can well accommodate 
without trespassing too much upon our 
readers’ space. It is true, we might en¬ 
large the paper. So, too, we might re¬ 
duce the price. But we do not intend to 
do either. As to the latter proposi¬ 
tion, we prefer to improve the Rural, as 
we are enabled so to do, rather than to 
reduce its price. The class of readers 
who care more for 50 cents a year than they 
do for trustworthy, original information 
by the best writers in the land, is a class 
of readers that we do not value. The 
Rural New-Yorker could lie published 
for $1 a year were we to fill its columns 
with stuff; were w f c to give up original 
illustrations and its Experiment Grounds, 
and to print it upon inferior paper; and, 
again, were we to admit stock advertise¬ 
ments at one-half the price we charge to 
other advertising patrons. We propose, 
however, instead of all this, to restrict 
advertisements in the future more than in 
the past, and to increase in quality con¬ 
tributions to the Rural, Its illustrations, 
and the paper upon which it is printed. 
There arc too many cheap “agricultural” 
prints in this country, and though many 
of them are well managed and worth 
many times the subscription price, they 
are all too dependent upon advertising 
patronage to enable them to pursue an in¬ 
dependent course, and to purchase by 
original investigation the best information 
of these progressive times, As to the 
circulation of the Rural New Yorker, 
we question whether there is one other 
country weekly of its class in America 
that can show as large an actual subscrip¬ 
tion list—by which wc mean a list of paid- 
up yearly subscribers. If any of our es¬ 
teemed contemporaries should care to dis¬ 
pute the claim, we are ever ready to meet 
them half way. 
Finally, dear Rural readers, while we 
make these statements and claims, we 
think of j'ou as the basis of our entire 
success and prosperity. Perhaps the 
claims of gratitude arc in a measure mu¬ 
tually binding; but we arc certainly and 
sincerely grateful for your appreciation 
of our labors, which, to do ourselves sim¬ 
ple justice, have been as constant and as 
earnest as any which we are capable of 
performing—for our whole hearts have 
been in the work. 
EVACUATION DAY. 
The latest of a series ol centennial 
celebrations in this country will occur in 
this city Monday, November 26. Impres¬ 
sive ceremonies at Lexington and Concord 
ome eight years ago, and later in this 
city and at the International Exposition 
in Philadelphia, and still later at York- 
town, and a few days ago at Newburgh, 
have marked both the struggle of the 
Revolution and the (light of a century. 
Obscurer places have also observed their 
days by appropriate exercises, by com¬ 
memorative buildings aud public move¬ 
ments. It remains to celebrate the evacu¬ 
ation of this city by the British on Novem- 
25, 1783, and for this ample provision is 
being made. 
This day has had annual observ¬ 
ance here through most of the century; 
yet the day has taken no prominent place 
in history," and owing to our mixed popu¬ 
lation of many nationalities, has attracted 
less attention than many of our other 
national days. Still, November 25,1783, 
was truly a great day to this city aud na¬ 
tion. The terms of peace were substan¬ 
tially arrauged some six mouths before, 
and hostilities had ceased. Finis was, 
however, to be written to the book of the 
Revolution. This was done on that day 
by the quiet, orderly withdrawal of the 
British forces about 3 o’clock P. M. to 
Staten and Governor’s Islands, whence 
they sailed for England, December 4th. 
Evacuation Day in 1783 was a day of 
contrasts. The British soldiers went out 
shining in scarlet, and gold uniforms, with 
bright steel and brass gleaming in the sun¬ 
light, but with their proud spirits sub¬ 
dued. Succeeding (hem there came into 
the city our citizen soldiery, scarred, 
weather-beaten, with garments and Hags 
tattered and torn in camp and battle; but 
they marched conscious victors and deliv¬ 
erers, and were welcomed as such with 
smiles and tears by a grateful people. 
Society here had long been torn asunder 
by Whig and Tory hate aggravated by a 
hostile army of occupation. But this 
hate was calmed by the arbitrament of 
peace. Many Tories left for Canada. The 
banished Whigs returned, and recovered 
their residences. Hostile citizens accepted 
the situation, and abandoned the lost 
cause. The peaceful rivalries of business, 
and the graceful interchanges and devout- 
ceremonials of a social and religious peo¬ 
ple, succeeded to the insolence and op¬ 
pression of martial rule. 
The city' was then in its infancy. 
Broadway extended not far beyond 
City Hall* Park. The population is esti¬ 
mated to have been at that time not over 
15,000 to 20,000. Now New York is the 
metropolitan city of the continent iu busi¬ 
ness, wealth, architecture, arts, aud all the 
luxuries and vices of an old city; Broad¬ 
way is built solid with great towering 
business blocks for miles, while the city’s 
population has, in these one hundred 
years increased nearly one hundred-fold. 
We do well, therefore, to celebrate 
the day and the deed which made all this 
greatness of the city and nation possible. 
We fitly call to mind those heroic leaders, 
civic and military, who led other equally 
heroic souls through siege and march and 
fierce battle, by land and sea, to hard- 
won victory. This celebration concerns 
the nation not less than the city. Its 
memories and its lessons are for all. 
- 4-44 - 
RURAL DISEASES. 
Recently acquired knowledge in re¬ 
gard to the origin and character of infec¬ 
tious and contagious diseases, which at 
this season are so frequent in rural locali¬ 
ties, sustains tfie general opinion of physi¬ 
cians that they are almost wholly pre¬ 
ventable. The fact that such diseases as 
typhoid fever, scarlet fever, scarlatina, 
diarrhoea and dysentery, are spread by the 
conveyance of living organisms, which 
are commonly called germs, in water and 
food, is of vital importance to dwellers in 
rural villages and upon farms, and even 
to the inhabitants ol cities. It has long 
been a proved fact that water will absorb 
these germs with great readiness, and 
that such impure water will convey the 
diseases to persons drinking it, unless it 
has been previously boiled, But the close 
researches made by the most skillful in- 
investigators have shown that these deadly 
germs, when absorbed by albuminous 
liquids, as milk, for instance, are repro¬ 
duced in them with inconceivable rapidity, 
and very quickly become the most virulent 
sources of the diseases. Fresh meat, 
also, when exposed to infection by these 
germs, provides an equally active vehicle 
for their conveyance to persons who may 
consume it in an uncooked, or partially 
cooked, condition. The same is true of 
all moist food in which the germs may 
find lodgment. On account of this fact, 
milk, beer, and moist food become far 
more virulent agents of infection than 
water, aud are to bo still more strictly 
guarded against. Numerous cases are 
upon record, in which widespread attacks 
NOV 24 
■ - - \ 
of infectious diseases have been traced in 
the clearest manner to the use of milk 
which has been exposed to the air of 
houses or dairies, in which persons have 
been subject to them. These proofs have 
been so cleai aud so abundant as to leave 
no doubt whatever of the fact. 
The case in Port Jervis, referred to in 
our last issue, furnishes a text which may 
well be made a subject for thought and 
consideration for farmers and dairymen. 
An outbreak of typhoid fever in that vil¬ 
lage, in which there are already a hundred 
victims, has been explained by the fact 
that the milk consumed by most of t hese 
persons was brought from a dairy in which 
there were three cases of lliis disease. 
The exceedingly infectious nature of 
typhoid fever is well known. The germs 
thrown off by the sick persons in their 
breath, but still more in their evacuations, 
will poison the air for a considerable dis¬ 
tance, and when they fall into water will 
not only infect it, but in many cases will 
increase in it with marvelous rapidity. 
The utmost cleanliness in the care of the 
milk may be observed, the very water 
itself used for this purpose is the most 
likely vehicle for the conveyance of the 
germs in(o the milk cans. The milk of 
60 cows taken from a hot-lied of disease 
of this kind cannot fail to be of the ut¬ 
most danger to the consumers. 
The knowledge of these facts has led 
the public authorities, moved thereto by 
the physicians, to establish Boards of 
Health, whose official purpose is the pre¬ 
vention of disease. But unless some strin¬ 
gent rules are made for their guidance 
and the exercise of their authority, the 
Boards of Health can only partially effect 
this purpose. Every physician should be 
compelled to report to these officers every 
case of typhoid fever or other infectious 
disease which may occur in his practice up¬ 
on farms from which milk is sold, either to 
families or cheese factories. A proper and 
effective quarantine should then be estab¬ 
lished. Tn this way one rarely suspected, 
but most potent agent for the conveyance 
of these alarming and dangerous diseases, 
maybe arrested and prevented from doing 
infinite mischief, now important this is to 
the inhabitants of cities is apparent. The 
introduction of infectious diseases into a 
crowded city may cause tilt loss of a 
thousand lives in a few days and before 
the source can oe detected. Every favor¬ 
able condition exists there for the spread 
of such disorders. This suggested pre¬ 
caution would, therefore, be of (he great¬ 
est value and indeed of imperative neces¬ 
sity in these cases, and it is difficult to 
conceive of any effective substitute for it. 
BREVITIES. 
We should no longer for this latitude delay 
trenching celery. Cover more and more as 
the weather grows colder. 
We have secured several reports corrobor¬ 
ating the Rural’s report that the Tree Beau 
' is of no special value; one, that it is of great 
value. 
Dubino the past week or so we have been 
sowing salt aud lime upon our best gardeu 
land in the hope of disturbing the wire-worms 
with which the soil is infested. Our grape¬ 
vines, raspberries aud blackberries are all 
pruned. 
Rural readers, send us your orders for our 
now posters, for specimen copies aud premium 
lists. We should lie glad to forward them 
promptly. A postal application with your 
name and address written plainly is alone re¬ 
quired 
R. P. Gkkknlkak, M. I)., near Wilming¬ 
ton, Del., writes: “I am in receipt of your 
postal informing me that you have awarded 
me a wheat premium, for which many 
thanks. For an unfavorable season, I could 
scarcely have expected it.” 
“ I feel anxious to work the Rural into 
more families in Michigan than are in receipt 
of it at present. I (iud more of real value to 
me ns a small fruit grower in the Rural 
New-Yorker than in any of the seven other 
publications which I receive regularly. 
"Eaton Rapids, Mich. S. R. Fuller.” 
JuntiK McCrary, of the United States Cir¬ 
cuit Court, has just decided a ease i n Colorado, 
that restores to the public domain an exceed¬ 
ingly valuable tract which was boldly 
stolen. In 1873, 61 quarter sections, or nearly 
100,000 acres of laud near Trinidad, were 
fraudulently pre-empted in the names of 61 
fictitious persons, and fraudulent certificates 
were issued by the Register of the Land 
Office at Puebla. The land, which was known 
to contain coal aud iron, and which is worth 
many million dollars, was pre-empted as 
agricultural land, and stolen by perjury and 
conspiracy between a couple of thieves and 
the officials It was then conveyed in a body 
to what is now known as the Colorado Coal 
and Iron Company. .Judge McCrary holds 
that as the patentees were fictitious persons, 
no title passed, uud the patents are absolutely 
null and void. The origiuul thieves, however, 
will never be punished, nor will the rascally 
Federal officers w r ho acted in collusion with 
t hem. 8o long ns the thieves uiv never pun 
ished. while they nearly always retain their 
plunder, the premium on perjured dishonesty 
is too great for many “respectable” rasenis 
along tne.frontier. 
