490 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
A Nat ional Journal for Country and Suburban Homes 
Conducted by 
K. s. CAIUUS, 
j. s. woodward. 
Editor. 
Associate. 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
No. 34 Park Row, New York. 
SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 1885. 
In hiring help, remember, other things 
being equal, to select the man with the 
most brains; even a brainy horse is worth 
twice as mpch as a “lunk-head.” 
A little too much churning injures 
the butter by destroying the grain; the 
proper point at which to stop, is when 
the gramfles are the size of wheat kernels. 
Somebody will kindly tell us,if he can, 
why the perches in hen-houses should be 
over 18 inches high, and why they should 
be less than three inches broad, rounded 
over the edges? 
The Massachusetts Ploughman has been 
doing good service to its readers by its 
phonographic reports of the meetings of 
farmers in Boston. The discussions are 
among the liveliest and most instructive 
of any we have ever read. 
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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 
readers may send us in order to aid them 
in obtaining new subscribers. 
Do you wish your children to stay with 
you and become intelligent, successful 
farmers? 8ee to it, that you make your 
home pleasant, and their lives happy. Sup¬ 
ply them with good books and papers; in¬ 
terest them in seeking to know how nature 
does her work, and give each a pecuniary 
interest in some branch of your farm. 
Nothing pays better than to grow men ! 
PT INDIAN DEPREDATION CLAIMS. 
&“The Indian Appropriation Bill passed by 
the last Congress just at its close, cont ains 
a clause of great interest to thousands of 
settlers in the Western and Pacific States 
and Territories, who have suffered from 
Indian depredations ; for it provides 
$10,000 to enable the Secretary of the 
Interior to investigate the claims of set¬ 
tlers for damages on account of depreda¬ 
tions by the red-skins, and requires him 
to report to Congress at its next session 
all such unpaid claims allowed in whole 
or iu part, as well as all those pending 
but not yet allowed. 
The regular and special lists of such 
claims in the Interior Department show 
that during the last 35 years the depreda¬ 
tions alleged to have been committed by 
Indians amount to upwards of $10,000,- 
000, while other claims, not yet reported, 
aggregate between $8,000,000 and $9,- 
000,000, making a total loss of over $18,- 
000,000 since 1835, an average of over 
$500,000 a year. The depredators belong 
to almost every tribe in the United States, 
and the claims range from $5 to $500,000. 
As far back as 1802 Congress author¬ 
ized the President to deduct the value of 
property stolen or destroyed by Indians 
“out of the annual stipend which the 
United States are bound to pay to the 
tribe.” In 1834, it was enacted that if 
the Indians had no annuities, the claims 
should be paid out of the Treasury. In 
1859, this law was repealed, so far as 
payment from the Treasury was con¬ 
cerned, but the annuities of the Indians 
were left responsible for indemnification. 
In 1870, it was provided that no claims 
for Indian depredations should be paid 
until Congress had made special appro¬ 
priations therefor, and, in 1872, it was 
enacted that the Secretary of the 
Interior should report to Congress an¬ 
nually all claims presented during the 
preceding year, in addition to special re¬ 
ports made on demand of Congress. 
After the claims have been passed upon 
by the Interior Department, they are re¬ 
ferred to the Court of Claims for adjudi¬ 
cation, and after a. favorable report from 
that body, Congress’may still refuse pay¬ 
ment. Under the present system few 
claimants have secured redress. The pre¬ 
requisites to success are, favorable reports 
from the Indian agents and the Commis¬ 
sioner of Indian Affairs, friendly members 
of Congress, persistent attorneys, and per¬ 
tinacious claimants. 
THE WRONG OX GORED. 
An amendment to the anti-oleomarga¬ 
rine bill now before the New York Legis¬ 
lature, provides for the use of an official 
brand for “full-cream cheese,” and makes 
it a misdemeanor to place that brand on 
any other. In this, and probably every 
other dairy State, “skim-milk cheese” is, 
to a large extent, enhanced in value from 
five to seven cents a pound by the addi¬ 
tion of pure lard and oleo oil, which ren¬ 
der it so much more palatable that it is 
often sold within one or two cents of the 
price of full-cream cheese. Members of 
the butter and cheese trade of this city, 
who are strongly in favor of laws against 
the sale of imitation dairy products, 
are vigorously opposing this amendment. 
Their opposition is based on the grounds, 
first, it would be detrimental to the com¬ 
mercial interests of this city and State, 
owing to the inability of the merchants to 
control the action of the shippers of pro¬ 
duce in the interior of this State, or of 
those residing in other States, or the pur¬ 
chase of these products in this city for 
export to foreign countries; second, be¬ 
cause dairy products are uot sold in this 
State by brand or classification, but by 
the quality of the product ascertained by 
skilled experts: and, third, because, 
since the branding and classification of 
these products are largely done under 
trade-marks protected by the United 
States, legislation against the use of these 
would work to the detriment of the trade 
and commerce of this city. The support¬ 
ers of the measure take high moral 
grounds, insisting that the adoption of the 
amendmet woulcl tend to put an end to 
fraudulent practices, and to promote con¬ 
fidence in the American cheese, trade at 
home and abroad, while the manufactur¬ 
ers of skim and other cheeses would have 
no legitimate cause of complaint, as the 
trade-marks of the shippers can be put on 
the packages by the side of the official 
brand. As lately stated in the Rural by 
that high English authority. Prof. J. P. 
Sheldon, there is no doubt that the sale 
of American full-cream cheese is injured 
in Europe, by the importation of Ameri¬ 
can cheese adulterated with oleo; yet it is 
very doubtful whether the branding of 
the genuine article would put an end to 
the fraudulent sale of the adulterated con¬ 
coction. Anyhow it makes a vast differ¬ 
ence whose ox is gored. 
CORN AND WHEAT ON HAND. 
The report of the consumption and 
stock on hand of corn and wheat, issued 
last Tuesday by the Department of Agri¬ 
culture, shows that there is an exception¬ 
ally large amount of both awaiting a 
market. Of corn, it appears that 37 1-2 
per cent, of the last crop is still in the 
hands of farmers, against 33 per cent, of 
the previous crop on March 1, 1884. At 
the latter date, the quantity in farmers’ 
hands was 512,000,000 bushels, while 
now the amount is 675,000,000. In tbe 
Middle States, the stock is 29,000,000 
bushels against 22,000,000, last March. 
In the South, the proportion is the same 
as last year—41.6 per cent.—but tbe 
quantity is 145,000,000 bushels against 
138,000*000. The proportion in tbe West, 
is 36 7 against 30.7; the quantity is 490,- 
000,000, or 144,000,000 more than the 
stock a year previous. Two years ago, 
the ptock W'as 587,000,000 bushels, or 
36.8 per cent, of the crop—1,617,000,000 
bushels. The amount sent abroad is a 
few million bushels less than last year, 
our exports having been 28,000,000 bush¬ 
els against 32,000,000 at the same date 
last year. The proportion of merchant¬ 
able corn is very large—87 per cent.., 
against 60 per cent,, last year, and 80 per 
cent, for a period of years. 
Of wheat 83 per cent of the last crop is 
reported to be in the farmers’ hands. This 
would amount to 169,000,000 bushels, or 
50,000 more than the Btock last March, 
when the crop was 92,000,000 bushels 
less. There has been a slightly freer use 
of wheat for bread, owing to the low 
prices for it, and a little of the poorer 
quality has been fed to stock. In 1883 
the stock in farmers’ hands on March 1 
was 28.5 per cent, of the previous crop, 
or 143,000,000 bushels, while on March 1, 
1882, there were only 08,000,000 bushelB. 
The quantity held back is reported to be 
above the average in every Western State, 
except Illinois and Missouri, and in ucar- 
ly all the Atlantic and Gulf States. 
At the end of December it was estimat¬ 
ed that, on the basis of the average con¬ 
sumption for the year and exports not 
larger than those of last year, there would 
remain about 189,000,000 bushels for ex 
port from January 1 to July 1, During 
the last two months our exports amount 
ed to between 25,000,000 and 30,000,000 
bushels, so that the amount remaining for 
a foreign market on March 1 was about 
100,000,000 according to the December 
estimate of tbe Department. But while, 
on the one hand, the Department makes 
no deduction tor domestic consumption 
during the first six months of the year; 
on the other hand it makes no allowance 
for the 43,000,000 bushels of “visible sup¬ 
ply” on March 1, or for the large quantity 
held by local dealers and in elevators 
along the railroads, as well as by millers 
and all others who are not farmers; nor 
for the vast amount represented by all the 
flour now in the country. Making due 
allowances on both sides, it seems highly 
probable that the amount of wheat in the 
country really waiting for a foreign mar¬ 
ket on March 1, was as large as the esti¬ 
mate of the Department for the end of 
December. In any case the quantity of 
corn and wheat in the country awaiting a 
market must be unprecedentedly great. 
Other authorities differ somewhat from 
the Department: for instance, exhaust¬ 
ive reports to the Cincinnati Price Cur¬ 
rent from 12 States, show that au average 
of 32 per cent ot last year’s crop, remained 
in the farmers’ hands on March 1st, and 
it estimates that in other parts of the 
country, only 31 per cent so remained. 
It puts the amount of wheat not yet mar¬ 
keted at 162,000,000 bushels, which 
added to the 43,000,000 bushels of “vis¬ 
ible supply” would make an aggregate of 
205,000,000 bushels, against 150,000,000 
estimated by the Agricultural Depart¬ 
ment for stock in farmers’ hands nnd 
“visible supply” on March l, 1884, or an 
increase of 55.000,000 bushels. 
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INABILITY NO EXCUSE. 
We commend to our reader the article 
by Major Brooks on another page, protest¬ 
ing against the cruelty to cattle on the 
Western ranges. We have there seen the 
poor brutes by the thousands with 
nothing for protection against the terrible 
cold and wind that neither man nor 
beast could face, “bunching” for a little 
protection and warmth, the stronger 
trampling the weaker to death, or “drift¬ 
ing” helplessly before the fearful blasts. 
Gaunt and hollow-eyed for want. of food 
and water, they were unable to withstand 
the terrible cold and were perishing by 
hundreds; their moans were enough to 
draw tears of pity. 
While the Almighty gave dominion 
over lower animals to men, by placing them 
unreservedly in his keeping. He imposed 
upon him the sacred duty of caring for, 
and providing them with what was neces¬ 
sary for their comfort. While they are 
unreservedly in man’s power, and he has 
the undoubted right to use them, at his 
will, for his profit and necessities, he is 
under the strictest moral obligation to see 
that they do not suffer for food, water or 
shelter; and when it becomes necessary to 
transport them to market, or deprive them 
of life, he is bound to so perform these 
operations as to cause them the minimum 
amount of suffering from either want, 
fright or pain. In no one thing does man 
so grievously sin as in his ill-treatment ot 
the lower animals; nor is liis cruelty con¬ 
fined alone to the Western Plains. As 
we have traveled through the older States 
and seen the poor animals in a piercing 
wind or driving storm standing with tlieir 
feet drawn close together, their backs 
arched like a barrel hoop, and shivering 
so that one could almost bear their bones 
rattling together, we have almost wished 
we had the power to compel the owner 
to take their place, half-clothed and hun¬ 
gry, for a single night that he might, in a 
measure, realize the intense suffering he 
forces them to endure, not. for one night 
only, but for the \^hole Winter. It is no 
excuse that the number of a man’s stock 
is so large that he cannot provide them 
with food and shelter; no man has a right 
to own more than he can properly care for. 
Aside from the cruelty and sinfulness of 
this course, it is the worst kind of folly 
and bad management. We have not a 
doubt but the value of cattle lost the pres¬ 
ent Winter on the Western ranges would 
be amply adequate to provide shelter for 
every animal, and the loss by death is but 
as a drop in the bucket to the actual de¬ 
preciation of the. survivors by the. loss of 
fieBh nnd thrift through their terrible ex¬ 
posure. 
While in the fanning portion of the 
country but comparatively few cattle die, 
yet the loss and suffering could we but 
take cognizance of the aggregate, would 
appall us. We see the animals going into 
Winter sleek and fat; we see them going 
to the fields in Spring mere piles of bones 
bound together by the skin: do we not re¬ 
alize the lo88 there has been and the suf¬ 
ferings endured in tbe wasting away of 
the lost flesh? While some of this 
loss has been from want of sufficient food, 
much the largest part is due to exposure 
to the piercing cold. While the cattle 
companies may console themselves that 
where they have not lost more than one- 
fourth of their animals,they can still show 
a fair profit, they should remember that a 
“merciful man is merciful to his beast,” 
and a just God will 6ureh bring them tc 
an account for the untold misery which 
they have caused. It is no shame to us 
as a nation that home and foreign syndi¬ 
cates and capitalists should fail to realize 
the greatest possible profits from their in¬ 
vestments; but it is a burning shame to 
us as a nation that, we should permit them 
to violate the laws of humanity, in order 
to .swell their extravagant gains by inflict¬ 
ing on inoffensive beasts the most execra¬ 
ble cruelty. 
THE CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY. 
Owing to the recent danger of war be¬ 
tween Great Britain and Russia, on ac¬ 
count of the threatened encroachments 
of the latter on Afghanistan nnd the con¬ 
sequent menace to English power in In¬ 
dia, considerable apprehension has been 
aroused in tbe Dominion with regard to 
attacks, in the event of war, by the 
Russian fleet upon the Canadian posses¬ 
sions on the Pacific, and inquiries have 
just been made by the Imperial Govern¬ 
ment as to the probable date of tbe com¬ 
pletion of the Canadian Pacific Railway, 
which is being built under Government 
auspices as a political and commercial 
highway, uniting British Columbia and 
the Northwest with the more thickly 
settled parts of the Domiuion, and afford¬ 
ing means lor the rapid transportation of 
troops from the Atlautic to the Pacific, as 
well as for the settlement and develop 
ment of the vast stretch of country along 
the line. The main line of the road, be¬ 
ginning at Montreal and ending at 
Burrard Inlet, British Columbia, is 2,800 
miles long, a length considerably greater 
than that, of any of the Pacific railroads 
in this country. Although built by a 
private company, the means for its con¬ 
struction have been furnished almost en¬ 
tirely by the Government. These have 
consisted of an original subsidy of $25,- 
000,000, a loan of $30,000,000 in 1884, 
and an outlay of $30,000,000 on certain 
sections built by the Government on ac¬ 
count of the enormous cost of the work. 
Iu addition to this money subsidy of $85,- 
000,000, the company has received a land 
grant of 25,000,000 acres, the average 
value of which is estimated at $2 per 
acre. 
The Dominion Government has a lien 
on the road for $30,000,000, and this the 
Company now purposes to ask it to re¬ 
linquish. This having been done, the 
Company proposes to issue $30,000,000 
worth of 5-20 preference bonds upon the 
unincumbered road, and hand over $15,- 
000,000 of these to the Government, 
together with 7,500,000 acres of land, 
valued at $2 per acre, in consideration of 
its surrender of its mortgage. The re¬ 
maining $15,000,000 of bonds would then 
be disposed of by the Company, the pro¬ 
ceeds being applied to the completion 
and equipment of the road; but to enable 
the Company to pay off its floating debts 
and meet current expenses, it is intended 
to ask the Government for an advance of 
$4,000,000, to be repaid out of the pro¬ 
ceeds of the $15,000,000 worth of bonds 
to be sold by the Company. This, it is 
claimed, will enable the latter to sell its 
stock at a satisfactory figure, fulfill its 
contracts, aud open the line for traffic by 
the close of the current year. The 815,- 
000,000 of bonds given ns security to the 
Government, would not be worth in the 
market over $12,000,000, so that the com¬ 
pleted road would have cost the country 
$73,000,000 and 17,500,000 acres ot land, 
deducting from the original grant of 25,- 
000,000 acres, the 7,500,000 returned to 
the Government for the proposed surren¬ 
der of its lien. 
The Northern Pacific, iu this country, 
resembles tbe Canadian Pacific more 
closely than either the Union or Southern 
Pacific; but. while the former is only 
1,800 miles long, the latter is 2,800, and 
while the construction of the latter is a 
political as well as commercial measure, 
(as was that of our Union Pacific during 
the war), that of the former was exclu¬ 
sively a commercial enterprise; yet the 
Northern Pacific, in spite of a laud grant 
of 47,000,000 acres, worth more per acre 
than the Canadian giant, swamped Jay 
Cooke and Yillard and robbed the thou¬ 
sands of investors who had trusted to 
their representations. Estimating its 
laod grant at $2 per acre, the Northern 
Pacific cost the people of this country 
$94,000,000 for 1,800 miles of line; while 
the Canadian Pacific will cost our neigh¬ 
bors only $108,000,000 for 2,800 miles. 
