SIPT 19 
THE 
RURAL- NEW-YORKER, 
ANatlonal Journal for Country ami Suburban Homos 
Conducted by 
K. S. CABMAN, 
Editor, 
J. S. WOODWARD, 
Associate. 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
No. 84 Park Row, New York. 
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 18S5. 
TEE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
From now until January lsf, 1887, for 
TWO DOLLARS! 
The Special List of Presents to 
Subscribers (and to them alone) will 
be issued in October. It will also con¬ 
tain a full account of our next Seed 
Distribution. 
Any subscriptions sent to ns now will count 
for Presents i be so me ns it sent later. 
Any present subscriber may renew upon the above 
terms and order us to send his copy to any friend, as 
a id ft, until the end or this year, e., for the unex- 
plrod term. This will cost our good friends nothing 
whatever, while it may aid them In obtaining sub¬ 
scriptions and will certainly entitle them to the 
Rural's best thanks. 
The Rcral New-Yorkkr should be read by every 
progressive farmer In the land, and we thick that 
all of our readers will be engaged In a good work If 
they aid us In greatly extending Its circulation for 
1886. ___ 
The promised article on chemical fer¬ 
tilizers by Sir J. B. Lawes has not yet ar¬ 
rived. But it will arrive and will serve 
our friends later just as well as earlier. 
Have you been pleased with the Special 
Fertilizer articles ? Remember this one 
thing: If special fertilizers fail—try com¬ 
plete fertilizers before you condemn them. 
Send us lists of names as large as you 
choose—10, 100 or 1,000. We will mail 
to each name a specimen of the Rural 
New-Yorker in early November. Then 
solicit their subscriptions and secure one 
of the Rural presents to subscribers. 
The Rural finds this year that although 
seed-pieces of potatoes from the seed end 
sprout before pieces from other parts of 
the potato, there is no appreciable differ¬ 
ence in the time of maturing. It would 
appear that different varieties of potatoes 
give different results. 
It appears that Mr. Beach, the late ad¬ 
vertising clerk and part owner of the 
American Agriculturist, has absconded 
with not less than $20,000. Mr. Judd is 
trying to sell out the paper, and we hope 
he will succeed, so that it may be con¬ 
ducted in an honorable, creditable w r ay. 
Special numbers have their disadvan¬ 
tages. We are usually a week or so be¬ 
hind with our answers to questions under 
the Farmers’ Club Department, and this 
necessarily. But we arc now fully three 
weeks behind, and our friends must bear 
with us. since we do the best we can. It 
may be mentioned, also, that many ex¬ 
cellent, timely articles are unavoidably 
carried over. 
- ♦♦ ♦ 
We shall soon be enabled to present 
accurate portraits of our wheat aud rye 
hybrids, also of several remarkable wheat 
crosses, the parentage being Diehl-Medi¬ 
terranean and Armstrong or Landreth. 
We shall endeavor to sow our special plots 
before the 20th. We are now plowing 
the land and spreading farm manure, 
which, with chemical fertilizers, will be 
harrowed in. 
Subscribers and agents: Now is the 
time for you to begin your work for the 
campaign of 1885-6. To aid you, we offer 
the Rural New-Yorker from now until 
1887 for the price of one year, viz., two 
dollars 1 The list of presents to our 
subscribers alone for clubs, and the list 
of premiums to regular agents will be, it 
is believed, of more real value than any 
ever offered by any journal. Join us, 
friends, in doubling tLe circulation of the 
Rural New-Yorker. 
The Hon. Marshall P. Wilder, in a note 
received from Dorchester, Mass., this 
morning, says: “Yes, the Rostiezer is 
fine, nearly up to the Seckel, and was 
sometimes called Summer Seckel. This 
came to me nearly 50 years ago from the 
nursery "of the brothers Bauman, of Bol- 
weillcr,} France, (Upper Rhine Depart¬ 
ment). The tree is healthy and vigorous, 
but rather straggling in growth, but very 
productive. Its fruit is in clusters of five 
to ten pears.” 
-*-*-♦- 
Experiment grounds are invaluable to 
farm journals. We were the first to test 
and to recognize the merits of the new 
strawberry, Jewell, and to predict that it 
had come to stay. Now, a year later, other 
farm journals are praising it from what 
they hear. The Sharpless, Manchester, 
Crescent, Cumberland Triumph are 
others commended by the Rural even 
before, in some cases, they were offered 
for sale. It was the same with the Cuth- 
bert, Caroline, Marlboro, Shaffer’s Col¬ 
ossal Raspberries; with the Niagara, Vic¬ 
toria, El Dorado, and many other grapes; 
with the Diehl-Mediterranean, Armstrong 
(Landreth), Silver Chaff, Clawson, Sur¬ 
prise, Fultzo-Clawson and other wheats— 
while many other grains, roots, shrubs, 
flowers, trees, fruits and vegetables might 
be mentioned. And the condemnation of 
many worthless novelties has been no less 
useful to our readers than the praise be¬ 
stowed upon those of merit. The editors 
of farm journals should know from ex¬ 
perience what to praise and what to con¬ 
demn, and they can only do this by work 
and study in experiment grounds. 
The 40 days allowed to the cattle barons 
by the President’s proclamation, to drive 
their stock from the Cheyenne and Ara¬ 
pahoe Reservations ended on September 
1. A telegram last Wednesday tells us 
that 70,000 head had already been driven 
off, and that the remainder, 40,000, were 
on the way. This aggregate is far below 
the figures of the cattle kings, when they 
sought to persuade the President that it 
would be impossible to remove their herds 
within the limit of 40 days. They then 
asserted that the number of cattle on the 
reservations was not less than 800,000 
head. It was also maintained that it 
would be impossible to find fresh pastures 
for so vast a number; but there appears to 
have been little difficulty in accomplishing 
this impossibility, only one of the barons 
having hitherto failed to find a ranch be¬ 
yond the reservations. Gen. Miles tele¬ 
graphed to Washington, last Thursday, 
that within a month of that day every 
animal will be out of the reservations. 
In addition to the task of finding new 
grazing grounds, the cattlemen have been 
hampered by unusually heavy rains, 
which have swollen the streams and 
washed aw ay the few bridges across them. 
The cattle barons are discovering that 
the false pretenses and fraudulent de¬ 
vices which have been so suces&ful in the 
pa 9 t, are of little avail at the present time. 
The removal of illegal fences lrom the 
public domain is the next step in order, 
and we are glad to learn that steps have 
already been taken to secure prompt com¬ 
pliance with the President’s proclama¬ 
tion on this important mutter. 
-• » » 
TO RURAL SUBSCRIBERS: 
GREETING. 
Tlmt we may enable oor Subscribers to 
present the Kami N*w.Y#rker to any of 
their friends for the rent of I SS5, without 
coat or trouble to thema-lvea, llie otter ia 
hereby made that we will now renew their 
subscription* for the KKST of thi* year 
ANI) the WHOLE OF NEXT for the reirulnr 
yearly price of iS.OOi an offer which nil 
who are really friend* of till* jonrnnl will, 
uo doubt, freely accept. 
When so desired, we will Kindly write to 
tlioae who are in thi* wuy presented with 
the Rural lor the rest of the year the follow¬ 
ing note: 
Mr. --, of -. a subscriber authorizes 
us to mail you the Rural New Yorker, with 
his compliments, for the rest of this year (for 
payment of which this is a receipt in full), 
hoping that you may be interested in its 
perusal. THE EDITORS AND PUBLISHERS. 
We feel assured that the spirit which 
prompts this oiler on our part will commend 
itaell to till, and we respectfully ash our 
subscriber* to confer upon uo the favor ©1 
RENEWIN'!* AT ONCE—Instead ol wuitiiiK 
until the end ol the year; furnishing us, at 
the same time, the names und addresses to 
which we are to send the Rural New-Yorker 
for the rest of this year a* a present from 
them. 
» » « - 
SMAl L COINS. 
Walkinci through the streets with a 
young Southern man recently, we noticed 
how carefully he examined the little signs 
put up by fruit Healers. The idea of 
selling any article for less than five cents 
seemed very strange to him. At the 
South, and, in fact, throughout a large 
portion of the West, the “nickel” repre¬ 
sents the lowest standard of value. We 
believe it would be an excellent thing for 
the South if the smaller coins could be 
introduced there. Our one, two, and 
three-cent pieces would be particularly 
handy for the negroes and poorer whites. 
A close division of change would be sure 
to teach lessons in economy; such has 
been the uniform result. The majority of 
people are obliged to save money in the 
“little things,” and the money lost in pay¬ 
ing five cents for an article that three 
cents would buy, if the smaller coin were 
iu circulation, would make a considerable 
sum in the course of a year. The intro¬ 
duction of the “nickel” into California 
completely revolutionized prices. At 
first, people objected to the new-comer, 
thinking it too “small business;” but 
when the advantage of the new state of 
affairs became apparent, all the hard 
words were taken back, and it is now 
likely that the smaller coins will follow 
GRAPE NOTES CONTINUED. 
At this date (September 9) the Pock- 
lington is scarcely beginning to ripen. 
Only a few berries are softening—most of 
them are still as hard as bullets. The 
bunches are free from rot, the vineB from 
mildew. But why should the Pockhng- 
ton bo prized? The berries are more 
foxy than those of the Concord, the qual¬ 
ity otherwise no better, ami it is later in 
ripening- Niagara is ripening with Con¬ 
cord. A few of the berries rotted, but 
there are many fine bunches. 
We desire to speak a word or so in fa¬ 
vor of Moore’s Early. A more perfectly 
healthy vine has never been raised at the 
Rural Grounds. The Concord bears larger 
bunches, but the average size of the 
punches of Moore’s Eailv is larger than 
the averuge size of the Concord’p, while the 
size of the berry is decidedly larger. The 
quality is much the same. Moore’s Early 
ripens at least 10 days earlier than the 
Concord, and the bunches ripen more 
uniformly. The experience of another 
year with the Victoria (Miner) not only 
supports all we have said in its favor, but 
induces the belief that it has not been 
praised enough. This is the fifth year 
that the vine (we have but one) has 
borne an immense crop. It is loaded with 
large, perfect bunches, free from rot or 
imperfections of any kind, which are rip¬ 
ening with the Concord. We are more 
than ever impressed that few have the 
true Victoria, beyond those to whom we 
have sent cuttings. This Fall we shall 
present all of our cuttings to nurserymen, 
that this remarkable white grape may be 
propagated and spread over the country. 
CROPS. 
A month ago, it appeared highly prob¬ 
able that 1885 would be a year of un¬ 
precedented prosperity for the the South. 
In a section pre-eminently agricultural in 
an agricultural nation, the reports of all 
crops were of a glowing description, and 
a golden era of prosperity was predicted. 
The reports of all crops still remain as 
favorable as ever, except with regard to 
cotton—which in that section transcends 
all others in importance. The last returns 
from most of the cotton States are consid 
erably less favorable than their predeces¬ 
sors, and the September Report of the De¬ 
partment of Agriculture, while less unfav¬ 
orable than those of other “authorities,” 
shows the prevalence of hot and dry 
weather during August every where, except 
in Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida. 
Drought has been quite serious in Texas, 
Arkansas, Western Tennessee, Southern 
Alabama, Georgia and the Carohnas; while 
the caterpillar has done much damage in 
Southern Tcxa=, Arkansas, and Central 
and Southern Georgia and Alabama. The 
boll-worm is doing much injury in the 
black belt of Alabama and also in Arkan¬ 
sas and Texas. The condition has de¬ 
clined in every State, the average being 
87 against 96 1-2 in August. Last year 
it was 82 in September and 87 in August. 
The present average, however, is two 
joints above the September average of the 
ast 10 years; and the area is the largest ever 
grown. The figures for the several States 
areas follows: Virginia, 88 ; North Caro¬ 
lina, 8 G; South Carolina, 88 ; Georgia, 91; 
Florida, 90; Alabama, 88 ; Mississippi, 89; 
Louisiana, 90; Texas, 82; Arkansas, 83; 
Tennessee, 87. Generally the plants are vig¬ 
orous and capable, witli favorable autumn 
weather, of an ample growth and boll 
development. In districts most infested 
with cotton-worms, the loss is irreparable 
and stiII threatening. Picking has begun 
in many sections, and will be general by 
September 20. 
As already indicateu in the Rural, the 
condition of spring wheat has been con¬ 
siderably impaired since the first of Au¬ 
gust in the Northwest, the district of 
principal production. Heavy rains were 
followed by extreme beat between the 
first and middle of last month, just before 
harvest, shriveling the grain and causing 
rust. Heavy wind storms also prostrated 
and damaged large areas. There are 
some complaints of smut in Nebraska, and 
also of a little in Dakota; while chinch 
bugs have done some damage in Wiscon¬ 
sin and Minnesota. The averages are: 
For Wisconsin, 77, a loss of 8 points; 
Minnesota, 78, a loss of 5 ; Dakota, 96, a 
loss of 4; Iowa. 88 , a loss of 7 points. 
Northern New England, Colorado and the 
Territories are nearly or quite up to 100. 
The general average’for all spring wheat 
is 863 ^. against 95 in August. The crop 
of last year was 156,000,000 bushels. The 
returns for winter wheat are almost iden¬ 
tical with those given in the July report. 
There is a slight advance in Michigan, 
Texas and Maryland, and some other 
States, and a slight decrease in several, 
the general average being 65.8, against 
65 in July. Unless the result of thrash¬ 
ing changes the present expectations, the 
winter wheat crop may, the Department 
thinks, be placed at 217 , 000 , 000 , and 
spring crop and 134,000,000 bushels.mak¬ 
ing an aggregate yield of 351,000,000 
bushels. 
The condition of corn still continues 
high, ranging from 90 to 100 in State 
averages. The general average is 95 
against 96 in August. This high average, 
supported by the latest creditable tele¬ 
grams from the Northeast, flatly contra¬ 
dicts the alarmist reports telegraphed all 
over the country a short time ago of seri¬ 
ous injury from early frosts. The condi¬ 
tion is now one point better than it was 
at the same time last year, when it was 
reported 94. Frost has hitherto done 
very little injury, and can do very little 
if it keeps off till the end of next week. 
Over three-fourths of the corn crop of 
the country has been beyond injury from 
frost for upwards of a week, and any 
damage to the remainder will, after a few 
days, be con fined to the fodder. By Septem¬ 
ber 20 , all danger of frost, it, is thought, 
will be over in all parts of the country, 
and the indications at present promise, 
what our Special Crop Number predicted, 
“an unprecedented crop.” 
BREVITIES. 
Our Prunus Pissardii has held the purple 
color of its foliage during the entire Summer. 
The fair edition of the Breeder’s Gazette is 
certainly the most creditable number ever 
issued by any stock journal. We offer our 
congratulations to the editors and publishers. 
There ifl a notiou among some farmers that 
those muskmelons which have the largest cir¬ 
cle at the flower end are the sweetest. Is 
there anything in itf We do not fiud that 
there is. 
For the second year we have failed to raise 
muakmelonB and watermelons in a poor soil, 
though liberal quantities of chemical fertili¬ 
zers were thoroughly mixed with it It seems 
that melons like a shovelful of old manure 
under them, 
Muskmelons from the neighborhood of the 
R. G., have been selling for about one dollar 
per barrel—from 28 to 33 in a barrel. They 
have sold as low as 50 cents. The crop has 
been immense and the melons of tine size, 
but, owing to cool nights and frequent rains, 
of poor quality. 
Rural Readers, sit down at once, and 
write: "Send my copy of the Rural New- 
Yorker to "John Smith, Summit, Oregon,” 
for the rest of this year, and continue to send 
me the R. N.-Y. for this year and for 
1886. Please find $2 inclosed.” All of our 
readers who regard the PvURAL as an enter¬ 
prising, conscientious paper, should be willing 
to do this. Why not’/ 
It will be a thoughtful kindness on the part 
of onr subscribers to send the Rural to some 
friend for the rest of this year, they them¬ 
selves renewing for over 15 months for the 
same price as they will be obliged to pay for 
one year if (hey wait until December or Jan¬ 
uary Sending the UU It At. to a friend for 
the rest of 1885 wilt therefore cost the sub¬ 
scriber nothing, while many recipients of the 
Idndness will wish to continue it longer. Thus 
the Rural’s influence for 188t) will be 
widened. 
Two roses, which have pleased us greatly 
the present season, are Grace Darling (from 
the Dingoe Conard Co.) aud the Marquis de 
Castellano. The first is u Tea. blooming al¬ 
most constantly. The buds, though uot very 
large, are of exquisite shape and of a clear, 
waxen color, yellowish-white below, verging 
into rose and then into a delicate crimson 
about the edges: The flower is of medium 
size and very sweet. Castellano (Ellwanger 
& Barry) is a Hybrid Remontant, blooming 
freely in Juue and early Fall. The flowers 
are large and full, of a bright rose color, 
though not very fragrant. 
Johiah K. Brown. Dairy Commissioner of 
New York State, who wa* appointed maiuly 
to protect the dairymen of the State against 
competition with manufactured Imitations of 
dairy products, has hitherto done might,v 
little in that lino—why / He is now vigorously 
prosecuting milk dealers throughout the State, 
demanding penalties of $100 each from those 
whose milk does not come up to the lactometer 
test, and suing them iu case of refusal to pay. 
It is reported that over 4,000 suits bn vo already 
been begun, the costs alone on which, if col¬ 
lected, are estimated at $400,000 ! Brown’s 
agents are said to be ubiquitous. Why this 
vigor and vigilance iu prosecuting poor milk 
dealers aud this neglect in prosecuting rich 
oleo manufacturers ? Is it because the Com¬ 
missioner will, iu the former case, receive one- 
half of. tlm penulty recovered t 
