370 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
HAY 30 
THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
A National Journal for Country and Suburban Homes 
Conduoted by 
£. S. CARMAN, 
J . 8. WOOllWAKI), 
Editor. 
Associate. 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-l T ORKER, 
No. 34 Park Row, New York. 
SATURDAY, MAY 80, 1885. 
TO NEW SUBSCRIBERS. 
The regular seed distribution of the 
It. N.-Y. of 1884-5 ended by limitation 
May 1st. 
--—— 
The attention of those who fear John¬ 
son Grass is called to a note by Mr. H. 
Post in last week’s Rural. 
Pour or five years ago, most of our 
grapes were more or less injured by the 
Winter, The raspberries, however, es¬ 
caped with less injury than usual. The 
past Winter has made sad havoc with 
raspberries, while our grapes never passed 
a Winter with less injury. Even Lady 
Washington, that has always been injured 
to some extent and was once killed nearly 
to the ground, is this Spring alive to the 
very tips of the canes. 
A correction. —Last week, it was 
stated that the seed of all our kinds of 
sweet corn, some of which we had pur¬ 
chased and others received from friends, 
had rotted in the ground. This we pre¬ 
sumed to be the case, as it was planted in 
late April and early May, and the subse¬ 
quent weather waB cold and wet. The 
past few bright, sunny days aud warm 
nights have caused the kernels to sprout, 
and the stand seems to be exceptionally 
good. If there is anything that saddens 
us, it is to find that hard, diligent work— 
especially in a short, backward season 
like this, when it is impossible to repair 
the damage—has all been thrown away. 
There are in this country alone, in 
round numbers, 48,000,000 sheep. The 
annual lamb production is about 13,000,- 
000. The annual loss of lambs, on an 
average, is fully 1,500,000, and the an¬ 
nual loss of grown sheep is 1,800,000; 
and this loss of both lambs and old sheep 
is mostly the result of insufficient food 
and neglect. Now is it not a fact that 
with better accommodation, rations and 
better feeding and care, thus preventing 
these losses as well as the still greater one 
of damage to the quality of the wool re¬ 
sulting from exposure and insufficient 
food, sheep growing would be reasonably 
profitable even in these times of low 
prices? This question is worth the con¬ 
sideration of sheep owners. 
It is highly probable that all the De¬ 
partments of the Government, and all 
the bureaus in the Departments will be 
freely investigated under the present 
Administration. We would particularly 
direct attention to the conduct of the 
General Land Office, one of the bureaus 
in the Department of the Interior. In 
no other branch of the Government have 
more stupendous fraudebeen perpetrated. 
The entire control of the bureau by 
land-grabbing railroad monopolies; their 
unscrupulous seizure of vast areas of ter¬ 
ritory; the aggression of the cattle kings, 
whose hireling ruffians outrage and kill 
honest settlers who stand in their way to 
plunder, have been frequently denounced 
in the Rural. Investigation and reform 
are urgently needed in this matter, and 
both should be thorough and prompt. 
Thk value of the utmost honesty in 
State finances has been well illustrated 
during the past week by the low rate of 
interest at which Connecticut has been 
able to place a loan of $1,740,000, due in 
1910, and made for refunding purposes. 
The entire amount was taken by two New 
York banking houses at 100.876, and at 
three per cent, interest. In other words, 
three per cent, bonds issued by an Ameri¬ 
can State of undoubted honesty, are worth 
to bankers a fraction over par. The ulti- 
timate holder of the investment will there¬ 
fore realize somewhat less than three per 
cent.per annum; but his investment will be 
absolutely safe. This is the lowest rate of 
interest ever yet given for the bonds of 
any American State, and the refunding of 
the debt secured by it relieves the people 
of Connecticut of $50,000 a year in the bur¬ 
then of interest. How many other States 
can obtain suchjundeniable proof of the 
high opinion of their intogrity entertained 
by the public. Honesty is the best policy 
in public as well as in private affairs. 
A combustible writer in one of our ex¬ 
changes speaks of the soil of the Rural 
Farm aB being very poor. It is, on the 
contrary, a rich soil. The lialf-acre of 
poor soil selected for the trench-mulch 
plan of raising potatoes is hired of a neigh¬ 
bor near the Rural’s Experimental 
Grounds in New Jersey. We deBire to 
show our readers just what there is in 
the system,and this we can do better in a 
poor, worn-out soil that has received less 
than 15 tons of farm manure in as many 
years and has been constantly cropped, 
than in a rich soil that should produce a 
good yield of potatoes under any sensible 
method of culture. In fact the test is 
made under chosen unfavorable conditions 
and without any regard to economy. 
Should the yield prove a large one, or a 
paying one, therefore, then our readers 
will have full confidence that they can 
do at least as well upon their own farms 
without the expenses which accompany 
accuracy of detail in every stage of the 
work. 
—- ♦ »» 
. The youthful mind is ever inquisitive, 
and it is well, for human knowledge is 
the result of investigation. Books are 
only records of what lias been learned by 
experience, and happy is he who has a 
good book to consult. We have taken 
great pleasure in sending out the hun¬ 
dreds of cyclopedias, because so much of 
real knowledge is contained in such a 
handy form for the children’s use. Though 
our gifts have been awarded, tbe particu¬ 
lars of which will be given next week, 
still there are thousands of our readers, 
who would be well pleased and much 
benefited by the ownership of one of these 
cyclopedias, and every one of them could 
get it by calling some friend’s attention to 
the Rural, and obtaining his subscrip¬ 
tion. That, with 15 cents for postage, 
will secure the book. We shall continue 
to distribute them as long as the publish¬ 
ers do not withdraw their liberal offer. 
BELITTLING THE LOSSES. 
The Executive Committee of the Nation¬ 
al Cattle and Horse Growers’ Association 
of the United States furnishes the follow¬ 
ing live-stock bulletin for the week ending 
May 9,1885: 
Twenty-six Vice-Presidents of the States 
and Territories report percentage of losses 
among cattle and horses during the past 
Winter as follows: Arizona one-lialf of 
one per cent.; Arkansas, no unusual losses; 
Canada, thre° to five percent.; California, 
no unusual losses; Idaho, two-aDd-one- 
half per cent.; Illinois, no unusual losses; 
Indiana, no unusual losses—possibly one- 
fourth of one per cent.; Iowa, one-half 
of one per cent.; Indian Territory, five to 
six per cent.; Kansas, two per cent.; 
Montana, three to five per cent.; Minne¬ 
sota. no unusual losses; Nevada, about 
one-half of one per cent.; New Mexico, 
about one-half of one per cent.; Nebraska 
(West), three to four per cent.; New 
YorS, no unusual losses; New England, 
no unusual losses—possibly one-fourth of 
one per cent.; Old Mexico, no unusual 
losses; Oregon, no unusual losses; Penn,, 
do unusual losses; Texas, three to five per 
cent.; Virginia, no unusual losses; West 
Virginia, one-half to one per cent.; Wis¬ 
consin, no unusual losses; Wyoming 
Territory, from four to five per cent.; 
Washington Territory, no unusual losses. 
What would be considered “unusual 
losses?” How high is the usual winter 
loss? Are not. these stockmen interested 
iu belittling the losses? Would not fewer 
enter the business if heavy winter losses 
were announced, and would not the 
value of the stock be thus depreciated? 
Is it hardly likely that any set of men 
will he candid about their losses when 
such candor is certain to injure their 
business ? 
FARM WAGES. 
Nearly half of the wage-earners of this 
country are, it is estimated, employed di¬ 
rectly or indirectly in agriculture, and the 
question of the price of labor on the farm 
has therefore a wider interest than in any 
other industry. The latest report of Mr. 
Dodge, Statistician of the Department of 
Agriculture, contains a comprehensive 
statement of the wages paid to farm labor¬ 
ers in all parts of the country, based upon 
what is believed to be entirely trustworthy 
data. According to this, the average 
monthly wages are, in the Eastern States, 
825.30; in the Middle States, $23.19; in 
the Southern States,$14.27; in the Western 
States, $22.26, and in California, $38.75. 
The great number of persons thrown out 
of employment in other pursuits, and 
who have sought a livelihood from farm 
labor, has depressed the wages of farm 
hands to some extent in the Eastern, South¬ 
ern and Western States; but in the Mid¬ 
dle States and California an advance bas 
been made, even since 1882, and the cur¬ 
rent wages are the highest ever known, 
reckoned in gold values. Iligher wages, 
it is true, were paid in 1866, but in a 
depreciated currency. Since 1883, how¬ 
ever, the decline in the rate of wages has 
been $1.32 per month, or about five per 
cent, in the Eastern States; $1.03, or six 
percent., in the Southern 8tates; $1.37, 
or less than six per cent, in the Western 
States; while there has been an advance 
of 95 cents per month, or over four per 
cent., in the Middle States, and one of 50 
cents, or more than one per cent, in Cali¬ 
fornia, so that the general decline is about 
five per cent. In view of the great de¬ 
pression in other industries, and the seri¬ 
ous reduction in wages in spite of fre¬ 
quent strikes, this is a very excellent 
showing for the wages of farm hands. 
PROFIT, NOT PRODUCTION, DESIR- 
ABLE. 
Every few days is chronicled the death 
of some noted butter or milk-producing 
cow. To beat some previous record, they 
are pampered and gorged; put under high 
pressure for a longer or shorter time, per¬ 
haps an enormous yield is reached, but the 
next we bear, the cow is dead—died of 
milk fever is the story—“killed with kind¬ 
ness,” through the ambition of the owner, 
would be the truth—“busted,” in vulgar 
phrase. The wisdom of such a course 
is on a par with that of a lot of engineers 
who, to see which boiler could sustain the 
highest pressure, should build enormous 
fires and weight tbe safety-valves; nine 
might come out of the trial with boilers 
strained but whole, the tenth one 
“bursts.” 
Such forcing is not only cruelty to the 
cows, but absolute folly for the owners, 
and deceiving to the public. It is of no 
advantage to force from 20 to 40 pounds 
of butter from a cow, when to do it costs 
a good deal more than the butter will sell 
for, and “kills tbe cow in the bargain;” 
nor do such animals possess any character¬ 
istics worthy of propagation. What is 
wanted are cows that will give, not the 
largest production of milk and butter re¬ 
gardless of cost, but the largest produc¬ 
tion in comparison to the food consumed : 
a yield that shall show the largest profit 
in its production. Let’s have done with 
this high pressure foolishness and cruelty. 
Now give us a record of the food con 
sumed and its value, as well as of the but¬ 
ter or milk produced; let us see the 
dollars-and-cents aspect; and let those 
cows have the highest honors that yield 
the largest product of milk or butter from 
the food eaten, whose existence ration is 
the smallest, or, in other words, those 
giving a quart of milk or a pound of 
butter at the lowest cost. This is the 
direction in which the profit should be 
sought, and not wholly in the sale of the 
stock. Who will take the lead, and de¬ 
serve the gratitude of all the people? We 
shall be glad to chronicle such perform¬ 
ances. 
REFORMS NEEDED IN THE DEPART¬ 
MENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
Commissioner of Agriculture Colman 
is greatly embarrassed by the lavish ex¬ 
penditure of the previous administration 
of the Department. He finds that the ap¬ 
propriations which should have lasted till 
the close of the current fiscal year, July 
1, are all expended, except the money for 
salaries, which coulii not be drawn upon 
in advance. He is unable at present, 
therefore, to carry out many improvements 
he had intended to make, and it is said to 
be probable that criminal prosecutions will 
be brought against those who have mis¬ 
applied the funds of the Department. 
Dr. Loring is held to be responsible only 
indirectly, as the offenses are attributed 
to some of his subordinates who had the 
real management of the Department. 
It is not unlikely that a radical change 
will soon be made in the seed distribution 
bureau. This has come to be like a 
wholesale warehouse, except that the 
seeds are given away instead of being 
sold. Originally the seed distribution 
grew out of tbe practice of asking our 
consuls in all parts of the world*to collect 
and send home rare and useful seeds and 
plants, which were tried at the Experi¬ 
ment Grounds of the Department, and 
then sent out over the country to persons 
who would carefully give them a fair 
trial and note the results. Later it be 
came the custom to send agents ubroad 
to buy large quantities of seeds for broad¬ 
cast distribution; and frequently the 
Department, has bought hack, at high fig¬ 
ures, the seeds from its own presents for 
a second distribution, Of late it has been 
buying, at unreasonable prices, corn, oats, 
wheat, and all sorts of seeds that, can be 
bad from legitimate seedsmen, and scat¬ 
tering them with a prodigal hand 
throughout the country. It is now pro¬ 
posed to wipe out this wholesale distri¬ 
bution, and to reduce this feature to the 
original experimental proportions. The 
distribution of free seeds to his friends is, 
however, dear to the heart of the ordinary 
Congressman, and outside pressure will 
probably be needed to bring about any 
reformation in this direction. The money, 
however, can, no doubt, be more advan¬ 
tageously used in other ways. 
BY ALL MEANS: YES. 
The farmers’ distrust of science, and 
the contempt with which lie looked upon 
every man who attempted to use scientific 
knowledge in the cultivation of his soil.are 
passing away.along with the richness that 
ages of decaying vegetation bad accumu¬ 
lated in the virgin soil; and men every¬ 
where with their eight, 10 and 13-bushel 
crops are anxiously inquiring what they 
can do to maintain and increase the pro¬ 
ductiveness of their fields, and this none 
too soon. Science is not the enemy of 
the fanner, but his friend. No business 
more depends for success upon a strict 
compliance with the laws that govern 
its operations. The growth of every 
plant depends upon its finding in the soil 
and within the reach of its roots those 
elements from which, by the aid of the 
sun and the rain, it can build up its struc¬ 
ture and produce a yield of seed; and be 
will reap the largest crop, who best com¬ 
plies with this law, by supplying those 
elements that are missin'*, or present in 
insufficient quantity. To do this is 
scientific farming, and to know what is 
wanting and how best to supply it is 
science. Is there anything in this to 
frighten the fanner or be derided by him? 
The object of the agricultural colleges is 
to teach the student, these principles; the 
object of the experiment stations is to 
more fully investigate, and to familiarize 
the farmers with these fundamental laws. 
Agricultural science—so-called—is a new 
science, and because errors may be dis¬ 
covered in its deductions, we should not 
be too hasty to condemn it; other 
sciences have for ages entertained and 
taught the most absurd errors before the 
truth was discovered. We need investi¬ 
gation, consultation and cooperation 
among those engaged in experiment and 
study, toward the better understanding 
of the, as yet little known, laws of vege¬ 
table growth, toward the establishment 
of fact, and the disproving of fallacy. 
We are glad that Commissioner Col¬ 
man bas invited the agricultural colleges 
aud experiment stations to send dele¬ 
gates to meet at Washington June 24th. 
Every school of agriculture, whether 
college or experiment station, should be 
represented, and we suggest that a special 
invitation be extended to our Canadian 
brethren. We wonder a little that the 
Commissioner did not broaden his invita¬ 
tion so as to include the agricultural 
press, as he must know it is a potent 
agent in this field, and surely has need to 
be fully up with the tiine9. No agricul¬ 
tural teacher should miss this gathering. 
Let there be a rousing meeting! 
BREVITIES. 
The Japan Cercidiphyllum is perfectly 
hardy at the Rural Qrouuds. 
The flower of all the kinds of Japan pear 
that we have seen are about twice the size of 
those in general cultivation. 
Such notes as those furnished by Mr. Fal¬ 
coner, under “Rays,” are simply invaluable 
to those interested in the topics treated of. 
How would it answer for some of our ex¬ 
periment stations to make experiments with 
a view of ascertaining whether lightning-rods 
do or do not protect? 
In the hurry and rush of the short Spring, 
no one should forget either to plaut, or to 
tend the garden. 11 is the best-paying part of 
tbe farm if well cared for, and the greatest 
nuisance if neglected. See to it that it be not 
tbe latter. 
Nurserymen, etc., attention! The Tenth 
Annual Meetiug of the A merican Association 
of Nurserymen. Florists and Seedsmen will 
be held at Hershv Hall, Chicago. III., com¬ 
mencing June 17th, and lastiug four davs. 
D. Wilmot Scott, Secretary, Galena. 111. All 
engaged in the very honorable and important 
callings to be be.re represented, should make a 
point, of being present. Chicago always 
makes them welcome. 
It is a great thing to he beautiful God 
painted the flowers. He made them beauti¬ 
ful; no one should despise beauty. It is a far 
greater thing to be good, and goodness is far 
dearer to God than beauty. The one is evan¬ 
escent and sooner or later always fades; the 
other is abiding and cun be made to grow 
more charming and endeariug as the years go 
by. The one is a gift, the other is acquired, 
therefore do not pride yourself beauty, but 
strive to acquire goodness. 
