THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
ANational Journal for Country and Suburban Homes 
Conducted by 
e. s. CARMAN, 
Editor. 
3 . S. WOODWARD, 
Associata. 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
No. 3-1 Park Row, New York. 
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1885. 
Subscribers of the Rural need never tale 
the trouble to write ns to 1 ‘stop 1 ' the paper. 
It -is invariably discontinued at the ex¬ 
piration of the svlmriptmt term, except hy 
oversight, in wh ich case it is our loss. 
250,000 CO PIES 
of the Rural New-Yorker of its Special 
Number, containing a full account of its 
next Free Seed Distribution and presents 
to subscribers for clubs, will be issued 
early next month. The price for adver¬ 
tisements will be 40 cents per agate line. 
It should be $2.50 per line. This issue 
of 250,000 copies {guaranteed) will be 
mailed from the date of its publication 
until next May. It is further guaranteed 
that every issue of the Rural New-Yor¬ 
ker from November 10 until January 15, 
will be at least 20,000 copies in excess of 
its regular issues. Advertising copy for 
the edition of 250,000 must be received by 
October 24th. Patrons need not ask for 
position. 
THE RURAL’S REGULAR PREMIUM- 
LIST 
for all who wish to act as agents, will soon 
be issued. We have taken great pains to 
obtain articles that will liberally compen¬ 
sate all who make efforts in the Rural's 
behalf. 
OUR SEED DISTRIBUTION SUP¬ 
PLEMENT and a full list of Presents to 
Subscribers for clubs will be issued early 
next month. We think that the former 
will please them, and that the latter will 
both please and surprise them. 
We beg to return our best thanks to 
those of our friends who have sent us 
names. We shall mail specimen copies to 
every one of the names thus received early 
in November. 
FRIENDS OF THE RURAL 
are requested to renew for the rest of this 
year and all of next for the regular price 
(32), and to present the Rural for the 
rest of this year (their unexpired term) to 
some appreciative friend. 
THIS WILL COST our subscribers 
nothing whatever. The present is made 
at our expense. In this way, they may 
aid in increasing the Rdral’s circulation 
for 1886. 
-» ♦ » - - 
As we read the reports of members at 
the late session of the American Pomo- 
logical Society upon grapes and small 
fruits, it is a matter of some surprise to 
us, and certainly very gratifying, that 
they so nearly correspond with the re¬ 
ports from the Rural Grounds. 
Everybody knows how important a 
part Marshall P. Wilder has taken in the 
extension of fruit culture throughout our 
immense domain. He could have done, 
he thinks, nothing better to promote the 
health and happiness of mankind. “Had 
1 four score uud seven years more to live,” 
he writes us, “I would give them all to 
the same object.” 
A bmallIiox of the new Woodruff Red 
Grape was received at this office two 
weeks ago from our friend, Mr. Evart H. 
Scott, of Ann Arbor, Mich. The bunches 
were of medium size, the berry large and 
showy. The quality was not good, the 
pulp being tough, and the flavor as foxy 
as that of wild Labrusca grapes plucked 
from the roadside hedge. 
Has any one of our subscribers a 
quantity of the Thousand-fold Rye, or of 
the Rural Black Champion Oats sent 
out by us in the Free Seed Distributions. 
If so, will he send us a card giving the 
quantity and price, cleaned extra well for 
seed. 
We would now again remind our read¬ 
ers that it is just the time to plant grape 
seeds. Select the best varieties and plant 
the seeds in well drained boxes or pot* of 
garden soil. Place them in any sunny 
window in a room never cold enough to 
freeze water, and by June you will have 
vines from three to 12 or even 18 inches 
high. But you must plant the seeds fresh 
from the grape. If allowed to dry, they 
may take six months to sprout. Grape 
seeds may also be planted in drills in the 
garden—the drills covered with an inch 
or so of manure. Many will sprout next 
Spring. 
Mr. J. Ellerton, Auburn, N.Y., sends 
us a grape vine which he says was grown 
from green wood,and asksuswbat we think 
of it, and of this method of propagation. 
While this vine looks well enough, our 
observation and experience are not at all 
favorable to this method of propagation. 
Nothing ever yet gave grape planting 
such a set-back, and caused so much dis¬ 
appointment to the planters, as the ex¬ 
tended sale, a few years ago, of vines 
grown from green and immature wood; 
and many grapes had their reputations 
well-nigh ruined by wholesale propaga¬ 
tion in this way. The Delaware was a 
victim, and it took nearly a half score of 
years for it to recover from the injury. 
We not only cannot recommend the plant¬ 
ing of vines so propagated, but we feel 
it incumbent upon us to advise plauters 
not to touch such plants at even one 
fourth the price of properly grown 
plants. We sincerely hope that this style 
of propagation is not to be again pushed. 
We hope that every farm house in this 
country is well supplied with pop-corn 
for the coining Winter. The cold weather 
is coming now and “Home, Sweet Home” 
seems more of a reality as the members 
of the family gather around the fire. 
The best and happiest families are the 
eating families. Where some light lunch 
can be served so that all can have a hand 
at preparing and eating it, the very best 
of feeling will be brought out. There is 
nothing better for this purpose than pop¬ 
corn. The American corn-popper stands 
between many a home and the saloon. 
Intemperance rarely pushes its way into 
a pleasant and attractive country home. 
The long winter evenings filled with 
reading, games, and the ever-necessary 
pop-corn, will give the boys a “home 
feeling" that will stay through life, and, 
aside from its social powers, pop-corn as 
a medicine should not be overlooked. 
Many physicians recommend it as a cure 
for dyspepsia. It is certain that one can 
eat an immense quantity of it without 
experiencing any ill effects. Served with 
milk in the place of bread, it makes a 
dish “fit for a king.” The possibilities 
of the pop-corn are great. Every farmer 
should aid in developing them. 
DEADLY POISONS. 
The recent sad case of accidental 
poisoning in New Jersey, where a careless 
substitution of morphine for quinine 
caused the death of two girls, should be 
a warning to those who allow poisons in 
any shape to come into their families. One 
cannot be too careful in handling Paris- 
green, “Rough on Rats,” or any of the 
deadly poisons thatare sold as “extermin¬ 
ators.” The number of deaths that are 
caused by poisoning is frightfully large. 
In one year in England, 569 deaths were 
caused in this way. Of these, 281 were 
the victims of accidental poisoning, while 
the rest were suicides. The death of one 
who takes his own life is horrible enough, 
but what must be the feeling of those 
whose carelessness has taken the life—it 
may be of a loved and trusted friend. 
A man may, in the heat ol passion, strike 
bis friend dead, and pass the remainder 
of his life in one hideous nightmare; but 
can his lot be easier than that of him who 
knows that but for his carelessness, the 
dead might be alive? We never know how 
precious life is until it is lost. Every 
year dozens of reports reach us of deaths 
caused by the careless handling of insect 
or rat poisons. In most of these cases, 
1 the mischief is caused by mixing the bot¬ 
tles or packets containing the poison a 
with those containing harmless materials. 
Children or careless members of the! fam¬ 
ily, in their ignorance or haste, use the 
poisoDs without knowing of their harm¬ 
ful effects. 
We hold that all poisons should be kept 
away from anything that is used as food. 
We "have seen a package of Paris-green 
kept in the pantry with the sugar and 
salt. Such an arrangement always secuicd 
like a very tempting of Providence. 
Poisons are safest when kept out of the 
house. There ought to be a cupboard 
out in the barn where they could be kept 
locked up until needed. We know of one 
household -where everything of a danger¬ 
ous nature is kept in blue bottles. The 
children learn to associate that color with 
danger, and consequently shun it. It is 
impossible for one to use too much care 
in this respect. Many of the so-called 
“destroyers” are not necessary; there are 
milder measures that are just as effective. 
In case the poisons are taken accidentally, 
and the fact is discovered, prompt action 
is of the utmost importance. In ordinary 
cases of poisoning, where there are no 
stains upon the lips, give an emetic at 
once. The great object is to empty the 
stomach. Mustard and warm water will 
be easy to prepare, and should be admin¬ 
istered at once. The vomiting should be 
encouraged by every possible means. 
When there are stains about the mouth 
or lips, do not give an emetic, but give a 
large dose of oil. Keep the patient 
awake by all possible means. If there is 
danger of a fit, dash water in his face. 
BOYS, DON’T DO IT. 
No true lover of his country, seeinghow 
very prevalent the use of tobacci is be¬ 
coming, and knowing its pernicious effect 
upon the human system, can help tremb¬ 
ling with anxiety for the future of this 
nation. Not only do the majority of 
middle aged and old men smoke or chew, 
almost incessantly; but, what is a thou¬ 
sand times worse, the youths and boys, 
even down to mere children, go about 
with cigarette, cigar or pipe, m their 
mouths. A lady can hardly get into a 
street car or cross the ferries in this city, 
even though on the ladies’ side of the 
boats, without being compelled to inhale 
air foul with, the smoke of the filthy 
weeds, or having her clothes soiled with 
the filthier spittle. When a person be¬ 
comes accustomed to its use, he seems to 
think that everyone else has acquired a 
liking for the stilling smoke, and goes 
puffing about among decent, people with¬ 
out ever so much as taking thought of 
their comfort. The average tobacco 
smoker seems to think that those who do 
not smoke have no rights that a smoker 
is bound to respect. There are some true 
gentlemen who use tobacco, but to every 
one such,there are a thousand of the loaf¬ 
er class who violate true politeness every 
hour of the day. 
To be convinced that the use of tobacco, 
even in a small way (there is no such 
thing as moderation; even its occasional 
use is an excess), is injurious to the users, 
one has but to look at the narrow chests, 
sunken cheeks, hollow eyes and cadaver¬ 
ous look of its votaries. Although not 
so rapid in its blighting effects as alcohol, 
it is slowly, but none the less surely, 
burning out the vitality, and sapping the 
manhood of the American people. Were 
it not that the women of America have 
more senBe than to use the vile weed, we 
should rapidly degenerate into a nation of 
hypochondriacs and imbeciles. And then 
when a person becomes thoroughly ad¬ 
dicted to its use, it seems to take hold of 
the very fountain of his existence, and 
make a perfect slave of its victim; and 
very few ever permanently escape from 
its thralldom. 
And then what a filthy habit it is 1 As 
we have looked at the users, spitting and 
squirting the disgusting decoction about, 
regardless of decency or the rights of 
others, we have often wondered how it 
was that men—men of intelligence and 
refinement in other matters—would use a 
thing so vile and so distasteful, that every 
few seconds they were obliged to eject 
the poisonous saliva or become sick by its 
absorption, We don’t believe anybody 
ever liked the stuff naturally, unless per¬ 
chance through heredity, by a father's 
use of it. Nor does any young man take 
to it out of love for it or its effects, 
Youths begin its use and persist therein, 
though suffering severely, only because 
they have an idea that it looks manly to 
be seen smoking or chewing. It i t 
sociable, and they think manly to treat or 
be treated to a cigar or cigarette, and 
then they have not sufficient moral cour¬ 
age to acknowledge that it« use is offen¬ 
sive, and so they persist, against their 
better judgment and against the protest 
of their physical nature, until they fill 
their Bystem so with the pernicious nar¬ 
cotic, that every nerve in their diseased 
bodies demands a continual supply. 
We always feel the utmost pity for the 
slave of tobacco, aud when we see a 
bright., lovable boy or youth putting 
those filthy cigarettes (for boys mostly 
begin with cigarettes) into his mouth 
with a shudder and look of disgust, and 
holding it with his teeth as though it 
were, as it is, too filthy to be touched by 
human lips, we want to put our arms 
about him and say: “Dear boy, don’t do 
that; throw the nasty thing away, it is 
fit only to be eaten by worms or to kill 
vermin, and not even the latter on living 
animals. It will permeate your whole 
substance and poison the foundations of 
your existence. It will become your 
master, binding you more firmly than 
with rods of iron. It will render you 
dyspeptic and incapable of your best 
life’s work, and also incapable of trans¬ 
mitting to your offspring all those noble, 
God-given attributes which it is your 
duty and should he your pride to hand 
down. It will do all these things, and, 
beyond this, cause you to be offensive to 
all, pure, cleanly people of good sense. 
In view of these certain results, we be¬ 
seech you, dear boy, throw away the 
vicious thing and stop now the evil habit 
when you can.” 
And to the thousands and ten thousands 
of boys on the farms and in the towns 
whose lips have never yet been polluted 
with the cursed weed, we would say: 
“Be men. Be manly, pure, clean men, 
and when enticed by your comrades or 
others to smoke and chew, muster your 
moral courage to your aid, and grounded 
in right and the love of your mother, 
don't you do it!” 
BREVITIES. 
Livelier 
Than ever 
Will be the 
Rural for 1886. 
Our readers will be 
Greatly interested in the 
Special to appear November 7. 
Mr. Lovett calls the Comet-Lawson Pear 
“Lawson’s Comet.” 
We were pretty severely lectured at one 
time because the Rural had no word of 
praise for the Prentiss Grape. We should 
now feel some cause of regret if we had 
praised it. 
Mr. James Horn, of Wolf Island, Canada, 
writes us, under date of Sept. 19: “The Al- 
bi n Rake was duly received, and I was 
greatly pleased with it. It draws very easily 
and works to perfection. I have hcou richly- 
paid for the little time I spent in getting up 
the club which secured it.; it fact, I have been 
paid twice over, once hy the satisfaction I 
have bad in extending the circulation of the 
best paper I see, and again by the receipt of 
this splendid rake. Many thanks to both the 
Albion Manufacturing Co. and the Rural.” 
The best sewing machine in the world for 
40 l/early subscribers! Retail price SCO The 
Rural GUARANTEES it to (live satisfaction. 
It has not been offered for sale generally. 
There is no other machine, that approaches it. 
in simplicity, durability or the ease and 
noiselessness with which it may be worked. 
Noiv is your chance, ladies. 
We read that journals should as seldom as 
possible own themselves iu the wrong; that 
journals weaken their authority hv the ad¬ 
mission of error by losing the confidence of 
their readers, We could easily name several 
journals that are conducted on this principle. 
When convicted of error or falsehood, the 
editors are quiet, or they seek by irrelevant 
discussion to keep up the aptieimiuee of being 
in the right while trusting that their erroneous 
or false statement* will be forgotten We can 
not conceive of u course more culpable. It is 
culpable in the individual, and ns much more 
so in the editor as his influence is greater. If 
a journalist values the confidence of bis read¬ 
ers, he Bhould seek never to deceive them, or 
if unwittingly he does, then he should hasten 
to bet himself right. 
Every Saturday afternoon, the towns iu the 
West, and the East too, for that, matter, are 
filled with farmers who come In to sell produce 
of some kind. There is always a class of these 
farmers who got tbeloweatprice, and the very 
least social recognition. Of course, they do, 
aud they go home growling about it, without 
once thinking that it may be partly their own 
fault. They drive iu with a load of perfectly 
clean produce, wen ring a ragged coat, a greasy 
old hat, a pair of soiled overalls, aua dirty 
boots fresh from the barn. If they would 
spend If) minutes in "fixing up,” or iu lettiug 
their good wives perform the operation for 
them, they could command twice the respect 
they do. Suppose a merchant should give up 
all care for his personal appearance, how 
long would he retain his customers? Neatness 
is uot inconsistent with hard work. Every 
mau should “dress for the work.” The rugged 
"barn-yard” suit is as much out of place in u 
clean wagou in the tow n as the best suit would 
be iu the barn. An improvement In personal 
uppearanco Is one of the duties entailed upon 
the mun who seeks to dignify agriculture. It 
does no good to say that many of our Presi¬ 
dents have worn rough clothing. They did not 
uot wera it when they got before the public. 
