154 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
A National Journal lor Country and Suburban Homes 
Conducted by 
E. S. CABMAN, 
J. S. WOODWARD, 
Editor. 
Associate. 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
No. 34 Park Row, New York. 
SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 1885. 
If the number on your address label is 
1833, your subscription term will expire 
next week; if 1834, the week after, and 
so on. Please look to this. 
Rural friends, we are so far behind 
with the Farmers 1 Club that we must beg 
you to ask fewer questions for a few 
weeks—or until we can publish the mat¬ 
ter already in hand. 
A White Star Potato has been sent to 
us, which has been kept for two and one- 
half years without any special attempt at 
preservation. We shall give an engrav¬ 
ing and an account of it next week. 
The offer of a World’s Cyclopedia or 
a Webster’s Dictionary to old subscribers 
for one new subscriber is still open. 
Fifteen cents for postage, in addition to 
the $2.00, must be sent. Either of the 
above books is worth at retail, one dollar. 
Intending advertisers need never ap¬ 
ply to us for rates. They are published 
in every issue of the Rural New-Yorker, 
and we never depart from them. We 
hold that all advertisers should he treated 
alike, and that it is a kind of swindling 
to charge one more than another for the 
same privileges. 
Three different posters; the full account 
of our Free Seed Distribution; the offer 
of $2,800 in presents to subscribers for the 
largest clubs; our premium list and speci¬ 
men copies will be sent to all, post-paid, 
on application. We will also gladly send 
specimens to any list of names which our 
readeis may send us in order to aid them 
in obtaining new subscribers. 
Next week, Rural friends, we shall 
print another Farmers’ Club supplement. 
But we shall still be very much behind 
with our answers to questions. Our read¬ 
ers should not grow impatient or deem 
themselves neglected because answers to 
their questions do not appear at once—or 
even in several weeks. The great amount 
of space given to this department and the 
supplements printed from time to time 
are proof that such is not the case. 
The Rural is naturally desirous of 
being able to say that its circulation for 
1885 is larger than ever before, notwith¬ 
standing the dull times. We want your 
continued help good readers. 1 he kindly 
word—the one new subscriber are what 
we ask of you. If you will take pay for 
your services, please remember the $2,800 
worth of presents which we offer to sub¬ 
scribers alone for the largest clubs. 
These presents will pay you three-fold for 
any services you may be pleased to render. 
Remember that $2,800 worth of pres¬ 
ents to those of our subscribers who send 
us the largest, clubs. There will be presents 
for all. That may now be considered a set¬ 
tled thing; and many of them will pay our 
friends ten fold for their exertions. Send 
for the Rural posters and for the supple¬ 
ment of November 8, which will explain 
all. Give us the good word, Rural read¬ 
ers. The times are hard. Wen ed your 
best support. The subscription season 
wears on apace, and we hope, with your 
aid, to be able to say: “Our subscription 
list is larger than ever before.” 
We have upon our mantel, one on either 
end, a Latania Borbonica that, notwith¬ 
standing the excessive heat from the 
“Baltimore” heater underneath, have 
been growing luxuriantly duringthe Win¬ 
ter. The pots are kept well-watered and 
covered with moss. In this moss it hap¬ 
pens there are several of the modest little 
woodland vines known as the Partridge 
Berry ( Mitehella re pens). They have 
been blooming for several days. The 
chaste, beautilul little tubular white 
flowers, like those of the honeysuckle but 
smaller and borne in pairs, are delight¬ 
fully fragrant. 
The twentieth session of the American 
Pomological Society is announced for 
Wednesday, September 9th, at. 10 o’clock, 
A. M., and it is to continue three days. 
Provision is made for three sessions daily, 
and this means more effective work than 
ever before. From a casual perusal of 
the preliminary programme and the list 
of subjects, we predict such a waking 
and stirring up of this old society as will 
surprise even its oldtr members, and make 
all feel that it will be “good to be there.” 
There is to be no fussy banquet, but, in¬ 
stead, an “experience” meeting, and as it 
is to be held at Grand Rapids, Michigan, 
and as tbisis his home, we venture the as¬ 
sertion that it will be one of Secretary 
Garfield’s love feasts, and they are worth 
going a thousand miles to attend. Evciy 
fruitgrower should send for a programme 
to Dr. W. .T. Beal, the Secretary, Lansing, 
Mich., and every one should begin to 
make preparation so as to be there. It 
will pay! 
IS IT RIGHT? 
A Fourteen-year-old boy writes us 
that, wanting a little money that should 
be all his own, he bought a pig last 
Spring with his saved-up pennies and 
managed to buy enough mill feed to keep 
it growing all Summer, and last Fail he 
earned the corn, to fatten it, by husking 
nights for every eighth bushel. lie has 
just sold the pig for $20 and his father 
took the money saying the boy had no 
use for it and that he would give him 
another pig in the Spring. Tbe boy asks 
was that right? We wish we could say no 
loud enough bo that every father in Ameri¬ 
ca could hear. Lcgalh, no doubt, the 
father had a right to the money, but mor¬ 
ally be had no more right to it than he 
would have to any other boy’s money. 
That, boy had worked full hours for his 
father and had taken time from his sleep 
to earn the corn that made that pig, and 
in the sight of an honest God it was theft 
for that father to take tbe money. Not 
only this,but the father who would so treat 
his boy is as nearly a fool as w mid be he 
who should give a young colt its first les¬ 
son in harness hitched to a stump or an 
immovable load. A tew such lessons 
crushes the ambition all out of a boy or 
colt either, and whde no one so treats an 
animal, the country is full of such ex¬ 
amples with the boys. We know a 
hundred such fathers. They seem to 
think that the boys have no rights that 
their fathers are bound to respect, that 
the entire end and aim of boyhood is to 
add a few dollars to tbeir wealth and 
when the boys, utterly disgusted, leave 
home they wonder why their boys take 
no interest in the farm. 
Fathers, this is all wrong. Those boys 
are given you to fashion into men. One 
full-grown, honest, intelligent man is 
worth more to the country, and should be 
to his father, than the whole farm. Your 
whole study should be, not how to squeeze 
a few dollars more out of the boys, and 
to this end, dwarf them mentally aDd 
destroy their ambition; but. how you can 
make them more thoughtful, more am¬ 
bitious and more intelligent than your¬ 
selves. Nothing pays better than to 
encourage the boys—except to teach them 
honesty—and this you can’t do by de¬ 
frauding them, and nothing so encour¬ 
ages one to thought and care in his work 
as a pecuniary interest. Don’t fail there 
fore to give tbe boys a direct interest in 
something on the farm, and then see to it, 
as you would prize their integrity, that 
you deal honestly by them in dividing 
the profits. With how much more com¬ 
placency will you leave, when you come 
to die, a full-grown, honest, prosperous 
man —your ton, than a paltry bank ac¬ 
count! Deal justly, deal liberally, deal 
encouragingly, with the boys! 
THE DECLINE IN WHEAT. 
The late advance of wheat here from 81 
to 95 cents per bushel has been checked, and 
prices have again rapidly declined in this 
and all other large markets in the coun¬ 
try, especially since last Wednesday. 
Several causes have contributed to this de¬ 
pression. The news that the French 
Chambers have raised the import duty on 
wheat to 16 cents per bushel was the 
prime motor in starting the decline. The 
imposition of so heavy a duty, however, 
is thought to be an electoral manccvre des¬ 
tined to be repealed before the next har¬ 
vest can reach Europe. During the 
present year not only will the Chambers 
have to be renewed at the polls, but a 
new Piesident must be elected, as M, 
Grhvy’s term of seven years ends on Jan¬ 
uary 30 1880. The electoral campaign 
for the renewal of the Chambers begins, 
constitutionally, in June next, and that 
for the Presidency in next December, and 
as tbe peasants form the largest mass of 
voters, the Ministry is anxious to concili¬ 
ate them by increased duties on foreign 
giains, but it is thought that soon after 
the election the increase of duties will be 
removed under pressure from the turbu¬ 
lent population of tbe cities, who will 
rebel agbinst high prices for bread, and 
insist on the free importation of American 
grain. 
The recent increase of import duties on 
foreign agricultural products into Ger¬ 
many,has also had a depressing influence, 
although our imports of wheat last year 
amouuted to only 886,096 bushels, in ad¬ 
dition to 34,062 barrels of flour. Indeed 
at the present time the United Kingdom, 
always our chief market, is the only im¬ 
portant European country in whicli hos¬ 
tile hgislation against imports of Ameri¬ 
can products has not been passed within 
the last six months. Even in Great Britain 
we are met with increased imports from 
Russia, which will be still further aug¬ 
mented as soon as navigation opens 
from the Baltic ports in a week or two, 
while the latest advices from India show 
a considerable increase in the average 
wheat area of 26,000.000 acres, and aD 
excellent condition of the grow ing crop, 
so that a “bumper crop” is expected. 
Of the 26,000,000 acres, 18,000,000 lie in 
the British provinces of the Punjnub, the 
Northwestern Provinces and Oudh, the 
Central Provinces and Bombay, and re¬ 
ports from all these are excellent. 
Still in England and this country farm¬ 
ers who can afford to hold their 
wheat, are keeping it for higher prices, 
insisting that much of the present depres¬ 
sion is due to speculative rumors and 
manipulation, and that the real relation 
of supply and demand indicates that bet¬ 
ter figures should rule. 
Recently over a dozen of the monster 
steamers that, ply between this country 
and Europe, have been chartered by the 
British Government to he used as trans¬ 
ports for tbe Egyptian expedition; France 
has also chartered several of the vessels 
belonging to the French trans-Atlantic 
Hues to transport troops and war material 
to China: while Italy has engaged three 
of the Florio line to carry the troops 
which have recently seized several points 
on the eastern coast of Africa; this cur¬ 
tailment of ocean transportation has raised 
freights to Europe, and a number of or¬ 
ders have been cabled across the Atlantic 
by foreign speculators, ordering the sale 
here of a good deal of “long” wheat. 
The collapse yesterday of two extensive 
grain dealers of St. Louis further'depress- 
ed prices, as several million bushels of 
wheat held by them and their friends 
were thrown on a declining market. The 
shrewdest speculators are cautious in buy¬ 
ing or belli n g tn the present condition of 
affairs, and just now he would be a rash 
man who would predict tbe course of the 
niaiket for the next few weeks, if he 
knew that others might be influenced by 
his prediction. 
-♦ » ♦ 
BEE KEEPERS IN COUNCIL. 
A laroe convention of bee-keepers, 
from the United States, Cuba and Cana¬ 
da, closed its sessions at the Exposition 
Building, New Orleans, last Thursday, 
alter having taken the first steps towards 
the formation of an International Bee- 
Keepers’ Association. The bee-keeping 
industry has attained large proportions iu 
this country, and is steadily extending. 
Besides au increased domestic consump¬ 
tion, our exports of honey have more than 
quadrupled within four years. The busi¬ 
ness has grown most rapidly in Calilornia, 
whcie, in the southern four counties 
uloue, there are 560 “bee-ranches,” yield¬ 
ing annually between four and five million 
pounds of honey. Colorado and Utah 
also, are thickly doi ted with “bee-farms,” 
while many of the older States, notably 
New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Ken¬ 
tucky, North Carolina, Michigan, Wis¬ 
consin aud Illinois, produce large quauti 
ties of honey. In spite of the late very 
large increase of production, however, 
there are no signs of “under-consump¬ 
tion.” 
During the current disousssion on the 
projected treaty between this country aud 
Spam on behalf of Cuba and Porto Rica, 
many of our bee-keepers have vigorously 
protested agnintsthe proposed removal of 
tbe present duty of 20 cents a gallou on 
Cuban honey, on the ground that no place 
iu the world is so favorable to the pro¬ 
duction of bee nectar as the “Ever-faithful 
Island,” and that importation of Cuban 
honey would depreciate here the price of 
thedomestio product. Canadian honey,too, 
is subject to the same duty; yet although 
the honey-making interests of this coun¬ 
try and its two neighbors conflict to some 
extent, the boney-producing interests of 
the three are identical, and there is no 
doubt that the projected association will 
be productive of much good if cast in 
such a practical mould as some of the 
great European organizations, notably the 
British Bee-keepers’ Association. The 
aim of the members of this body is not 
only scientific, but commercial, and even 
patriotic, as it seeks to promote the wel¬ 
fare of the country at lurge, by develop¬ 
ing to the widest extent a source of 
wealth until lately greatly neglected. By 
issuing the soundest information with re¬ 
gard to the habits of bees, tbe best 
methods of keeping them, and the* 
most approved modes of extracting, pre¬ 
paring, aud marketing liouey, it is stim¬ 
ulating farmers and other dwellers in 
the country to devote more attention to 
apiculture, and thus adding materially 
to the wealth and comfort of the nation. 
It has been already at work eleven years, 
and the results of its labors have become 
very noticeable, especially when contrast¬ 
ed with those of other rural activities 
during tbe late years of agricultural de¬ 
pression. Lectures on bee keeping have 
been given in country districts; libraries 
have been gathered; useful literature has 
been prepared aud widely scattered; ex¬ 
perts with bee exhibition tents have at¬ 
tended agricultural and horticultural 
shows in all parts of the country; county 
associations have, been formed and affili¬ 
ated with the central society, and honey 
shows have been held, in order to exhibit 
tbe best kinds of hives and other apiarian 
appliances. Great efforts are also being 
made to supply a sure and profitable mar¬ 
ket for honey, and several “honey compa¬ 
nies” have been formed on a commercial 
basis to handle the product. 
In Germany teachers are paid to travel 
about and instruct the peasantry in bee¬ 
keeping; money is paid for prizes to 
village bee clubs, and every school-master, 
before receiving his diploma, must pass 
an examination in the apiariao art. Much 
attention is also paid to honey production 
in Southern Russia, Hungary and Trance. 
We heartily wish the new American asso¬ 
ciation “God-speed!” and would mildly 
hint that a few useful lessons might be 
le irnt by it from a study of the methods 
followed by tbe older associations of “ef¬ 
fete Europe.” 
BREVITIES. 
Please tell us how you like the World’s 
Cyclopedia or Webster’s Dictionary. 
In the greenhouses of Mr. James Tnplin, of 
Bergen Co., N. J , we have lately seen Cauna 
Ebcmanui in bloom. The flowers are large— 
as large as those of small gladioli—and of a 
rare, rosy-purple color difficult to describe. 
These are borne iu spikes of from 15 to 20 
flowers each. The leaves are of a deep green 
of great luxuriance. The plant grows from 
five to six feet in a season, each stalk bearing 
its long spike of flowers. It is an acquisition 
of rare merit. 
Goon weekly papers, and especially the 
Rural, are—Dext. attar good parents and 
good schools—the greatest advantage und best 
defense against the terrible dangers of evil 
communications and bad company, and 
against the malaise of fatigue, loneliness and 
ennui, that can be provided for the young peo¬ 
ple who are fortunate, if they could only 
know it, in the comparative solitude of a 
country farm. 
Ik there is a handsomer flower than that of 
the newer sorts of gladioli, we should like to 
know what it is. The spikes of the choicer 
varieties of this plant are brilliant and strik¬ 
ing in the extreme Let us mention as a col¬ 
lection of six the following: Eugene Scribe, 
Shnkspeare, Lord Bvron. Mary Stuart, Oc- 
tavia and Newton Unnamed gladioli of ex¬ 
cellent sorts may lie purchased for 50 cents 
per dozen. Our friends should sow seeds and 
raise their own varieties. Seedlings will 
bloom in three years. 
A FRIEND of ours purchased of an agent 
what he supposed was a rare aud beautiful 
flower—the Beilis pereunis—tbe English 
Daisy. He tended it carefully and it bloomed 
a common daisy. It is a common thing for 
traveling salestujn to sell us rare aud valuable 
trees or plaut*, under tbeir botanical names, 
native trees or plants of no especial value, 
which tbe farmer would reroguize at once by 
the common names Reliable nurserymen 
usually give both the scientific and the com¬ 
mon name in tbeir catalogues. 
With so little pure water in the world, and 
so many unwholesome articles of food as we 
are continually told of, how is it that so many 
still live to the full three score years and ten. 
escaping all the countless accidents of life? 
Somebody writes, and gets it printed for ev¬ 
erybody to read, that even strawberries are 
almost poisonous to many people, producing 
pimples, boils, etc. Perhaps they do when 
freely' eaten, coming, as they do, early in the 
Summer, when the blood needs an alterative 
purging of its accumulation of dregs. There 
cannot be a cleansing without some mode of 
drainage or exit for the waste Tbe skin is full 
of countless numbers of waste-pipes, aud if 
some of these get clogged by u ro*b of body- 
sewage, the cleansing agent, should not be 
Mamed. Rather see to it that the skm be kept 
in good open condition, and then use more and 
more of the ripe, juicy, heaven-sent fruits. 
But use them fresh; there is no question about 
the unwholesomeuess of fruits that are enter¬ 
ing upon decay. 
