THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
1865 
times and worked with harrow and other 
tools, the soil is mellowed and made fine to the 
whole derth plowed, resulting in sowing the 
seed too deep, and in severe Winters it is sure 
to heave badly and run together and to so 
weaken the plants, if not to entirely destroy 
them, that in a succeeding unfavorable year it 
is impossible for them to produce the beat 
results. 
A much better way, and one that can he 
followed without the loss of a crop, is to sow 
wheat after some spring crop or after a clover- 
hay crop or pasture. In no case should the plow¬ 
ing be done sooner than the first of August., 
and if a pasture is to be used, it should be 
previously looked to that no weeds be allowed 
to seed before plowing. The ground should 
be plowed only once, but be well plowed; 
then harrowed, rolled and cultivated until 
packed hard and solid below and the surface 
mellowed, but, only a couple of inches deep. 
Of course, hy this method the loss by the 
evaporation or by washing by rains is reduced 
to the lowest limlt.and the seed-bed is prepared 
just as wheat or other winter grain requires— 
hard and solid below and friable on the top- 
reducing the disturbance by frosts to the 
lowest amount. Now, if the value of the 
clover-hay or grain taken off, or of the past¬ 
ure, lie added, in the shape of some kind of 
manure or fertilizer, a better crop will be 
produced than is possible in the old way, and 
the lanf, instead of being robbed, will be made 
the richer. My word for it, no one who tries 
this will for a moment regret that he has got 
out of the old, old rut of summer-fallowing, 
and into the better way. 
complicated pieces of animal mechanism that 
can be found iu all zoology. It has to sustain 
a heavy weight on hard ground. Therefore 
it must be strong and bard. That the strength 
be not wasted in lifting needless weight, it 
must be light, the bone which supports it be¬ 
ing of a spongy character. In order to pre¬ 
vent the step from jarring the spine and 
brain, it must be elastic. The animal is in¬ 
tended by nature to climb rocky ground. 
Therefore the hoof must be sharp edged. The 
horse is intended to traverse slippery places 
without falling. Therefore, the hoof must be 
able to cling. To guard the hoof from injury 
when treading on sharp stones, the lower sur¬ 
face of the hoof must be thick. Now. with 
the best intentions, man destroys or neutral¬ 
izes every one of these conditions. As it must 
be strong and hard, roan weakens it by cutting 
it away with knives and rasps, driving nails 
into it, and filling it with moist suhstauces 
for the express purpose of softening the horn. 
As it must be light, man baug3 an average of 
six pounds of iron on the four hoofs. As it 
must be elastic, man places a ring of non¬ 
yielding iron between the hoof and the ground. 
As it must be sharp edged, man cuts away 
the edge, and substitutes a flat, slippery plate 
of iron. 
■ Ml 
THE RURAL’S LUNCH. 
The New Agriculture.— Mr. Charles A. 
Green, in the Tribune, gives a long account of 
a pow wow got up especially to boom a so- 
called new syjiem of drainage and “ sub-irri¬ 
gation” on wmch the experimenter, Mr. Cole, 
has obtained a patent of which he wishes to 
sell farm rights, and to which be gives the 
..above title. It consists in digging ditches par¬ 
allel to the face of the hills, from a foot and-a 
half to two feet wide and four or six feet deep 
and twenty feet apart, which are to be filled 
18 inches in depth at the bottom with coarse 
round stones, which are to he covered with 
four to six inches of flat stones. These are 
then covered with the small stones taken from 
the ditches or picked from the soil: on these 
is placed straw and then earth level with the 
surface. These drains have no outlets, but 
are connected together at short distances by 
shallow cross ditches which, when the upper 
drains are filled, carry the surplus water to 
the next one below, and so on through the 
whole system. These deeper ditches are in¬ 
tended to receive the water from rains and 
melting snows, and to hold it as a reservoir for 
use of the growing plants in a dry time. Mr. 
Green reports finding an extraordinary growth 
and yield of strawberries on what was once a 
barren hill-side, but he was not advised how 
much manure had been used or what sort of 
cultivation had been given to produce the fine 
crop, and much regrets that Mr. Cole had not 
other plots growing near-by, that had re¬ 
ceived all the advantages of cultivation 
and manuring, but without the peculiar 
treatment which this land bad received. 
When wo consider that it costs $500 to pre¬ 
pare an acre after this method, we fully 
coincide with Mr. Green's opinion which is, 
that while there appears to be much in it 
that is novel and useful, Mr. Cole claims en¬ 
tirely too much, and Mr. G. fears that others 
who try the same experiment in other soils and 
situations may be sadlvdisappointed. He does 
not doubt that, an acre can be made to yield 
an increased harvest by this method: hut that 
it would Vie a paving investment is another 
question. For high gardening near large 
cities, on hill-sides where the subsoil is very 
tenacious, he thinks It may be made profitable; 
but for general field culture, for common 
farm crops, he would want much further ex¬ 
periment ami evidence before be could rec¬ 
ommend it. While we cannot but wish Mr, 
Cole the most abundant success in his experi¬ 
ment, we must caution our readers to study 
• 
and investigate the new method, but, above 
all thing*, to keep cool ami not invest 
wildly in it. We read about this “new” sys¬ 
tem as practiced iu parts of California and 
Colorado at least six vears ago: and if it were 
of great practical utility, it would have been 
far more extensively employed by this time. 
Anyhow h<vw can a patent on such a long 
known system be valid? 
The Horse’s Hoop.—The hoof of the 
horse, remarks J. T. Wood in the Youths’ 
Companion, is one outlie most wonderful aud 
Labor and Intellect.— Ruskin says that 
it is no less fatal error to despise labor, when 
regulated by intellect, than to value it for its 
own sake. We are always in these da vs trying 
to separate the two: we want one man to be 
always working, and we call one a gentleman 
and the other an operative; whereas the work¬ 
man ought often to be thinking, and the 
thinker often to be working, and hotb should 
be gentlemen in the best sense. As it is, we 
make both ungentle, the one envying, the 
other despising, his brother, and the mass of 
society is made up of morbid thinkers and 
miserable workers.,. 
It is only by labor that thought can be made 
happy; and the profession should be liberal, 
and there should be less pride felt in peculiar¬ 
ity of employment and more in excellence of 
achievement... 
A telegram from Southport. Conn., dated 
July 8th and published in the New York 
Tribune of July 9th under the heading “Hou- 
or to an Editor,” savs: “A party of leading 
fruit men assembled by invitation at the Sher¬ 
wood Farm near this village to-day to exam¬ 
ine a new black raspberry originated by A. 
H. Sherwood. The berry has been named 
“Carman” in honor of E S. Carman, Editor 
of the Rural New-Yorker. 
Mr. Beecher doesn’t believe in the use of 
tobacco—especially poor tobacco. He said in 
a recent sermon that man may be (!) justified 
in smoking, hut charity hasn’t a mantle that 
is broad enough to cover a man who uses bad 
tobacco.... 
Mr. Cbozier is a great admirer of Orchard 
Grass. He places it far in advance of Timo¬ 
thy or any other grass cultivated. He espec¬ 
ially recommends its culture wherever the 
white Ox-eve Daisy is troublesome, because it 
is ready to cut for hay before that weed is 
ready to seed, aud it is thus prevented from 
multiplying in that way. The same is true 
of manv other weeds. Orchard Grass does 
better out in the open sunshine than 'in the 
shade, though it is so vigorous that it does 
better in the shade Mian Timothy or other 
grasses. 
Mr F. R. Carskadon, who is the pioneer 
“siloist” in West Virginia, after a careful trial 
for two years, and after a careful study of 
the experience of others, is convinced that 
the capacity of land for supporting stock is 
at least doubled by the use of silage. He in¬ 
vites any doubters to come to bis barn and see 
the stock fed, so savs the Ohio Farmer. 
L. B. Arnold, in the Farmer’s Advocate of 
Cauadn, speaking of wife-killing arrange 
raeuts, says that a large amount of needless 
work comes from setting milk iu a multiplicity 
of small vessels, causing a waste of time aud 
labor in filling, skimming, emptying, washing 
and handling so many dishes, three quarters 
of which might be avoided by setting cold in 
a few large vessels... 
Another large item of work, he mentions. 
In small dairies is very commonly endured iu 
the selection and operation of churns. The 
churning is the hardest part of the work in 
the dairy, and whenever it can be, this task 
ought to t>e shifted to some other power than 
the direct use of the human baud, and in too 
many cases female hands at that. 
Unfortunately the very hardest workiug 
one of all is more frequently found in small 
dairies than any other—the old dash churn. 
Partly from its simple structure aud low cost, 
but chiefly from the force of custom, it con¬ 
tinues iu use, a terror to dairy maids and half- 
grown boys, aud, very likely, will be banded 
down to future generations. 
The American Cultivator says that ihere is a box of seeds from an Eastern firm, which 
no good reason wb^ a farmer with good pro- cost $40, and be had $15 to pav for freight, 
duetive real estate security should pay nearly He explained that his farm had heen “rut out 
double the rate of interest that bis city neigh- on shares” last year, which accounted for the 
bor is obliged to pay upon dwelling houses and factof no seeds having been saved. He had a 
stores..... large herd of cows of common stock, and be 
While money is going begging in our large sa,r * be bad sold butter for five successive 
cities at two, three and four per cent, per years for 50 cents a pound, but be could no 
annum, thousands of industrious and respon- longer hope for so much. Qneof bis sons had 
sible farmers are paying from six to ten per charge of the dairy, for which there was a 
cent, for money which they have hired to bnv. separate and well-equipped building. His 
or to improve their farms... level - well-kept Helds and the exceedingly 
„ _ ^ ... picturesque surroundings—and Renton is a 
J. W. D which, we presume stands for pr e t ty place from a natural standpoint, 
our esteemed young assocate of other years tafc * M ft town> COT , sisla chWlv of sa]oons _ 
says, in the Garden that he has med sawdust malfp Us farm verv attraetiv6 one . Hp hag 
as a mulch for potatoes It will keep them ... , . 
. . , ’ , -nli a well-appointed dwelling with grounds in 
moist, he savs, and do more. It will make a , . ... ,, , . ,. „ .. .. 
„ ’ ... , .._ .... front, that, are the admiration of the “country 
fine retreat for the white grub. “Tbe bills . „ ... . . ^ / 
... . „ . . round ’ From tbe front entrance to tbe gate 
were alive with grubs.” Tbe potatoes were , , „ ... 
, , , _ . , there is a long, wide garden walk with flower- 
also scabby. Our readers will remember that , , , .. T 
.. . .... ... beds on each side. In the grounds are many 
a portion of our potato laud was mulched , , , , , , 
. ,, . . choice ornamental shrubs and trees, and 
with forest leaves. The potatoes were ruined , . ,, ... T , 
. ‘ . . . . one highly prized is a Japan Cedar. 
by the wire-worm, causing what we under- . _ ^ , 
f , .. . „ ’ . . ... The owner confessed that be had been 
stand as “scab.” Onr experiments with saw- nf .. M ... 
. imposed upon at times by the mgh-sound- 
dust as a mulch have led us to discountenance Jng name5 . Q patalo(?nes flnd had reeeived for 
its use for that purpose... something greatly extolled, hut native shrubs, 
Mr. Edward Atkinson says that if the which everv farmer regarded as a nuisance 
cur dog was not stronger than the average Here j saw> fnr tbe first time ont hi s coast, the 
Legislature, we could raise all the wool that English Hawthorn in full bloom—the trees 
we now import. one mags Q f rosv blossoms. How thrift and 
“A jewell that is a jewel” is whatthe New comfort and fruit and flowers spring up in the 
England Homestead calls Mr. Augur’s new footsteps of the cannv Scotchman, plant 
strawberry. him where you will: This beautiful farm has 
Monarch Rhubarb bears the largest leaf- been wrought from acres that a few years 
stalks we have ever seen. a £° were a perfect jungle of moss-grown 
Josiah Hoopes says, in the New York Tri- trees ani1 amass of ^nseundergrowth, hardly 
bune. that plums budded on peach stocks, in to hfl conceived bv the Eastern mind. The 
manv sections, grow as thriftily, bear as pro- C f ar Rivar 7 hicb through *-a stream 
foselv, and are as long lived as when worked of clearness and coldness-is fed. as 
on the plum root. In some localities, espe- are a tbp3e nver? ' by the melting snows of 
dally on light and sandy soils, the former are tbe Cascade Mountains. 
noticeably superior, even succeeding perfectly From Kenton to New Castle the land is hilly, 
where the latter proves a failure. still wooded and undeveloped agriculturally. 
In reversing the system and budding the In the wooda 1 * reat quantifies of the 
peach on plum, very little good is effected. “Maiden’s Hair Fern, three to four feet in 
unless we make an exception in favor of a* bight and altogether exquisite. There is 
dwarfer growth. Experiments, covering nothing more poisonous in these Western 
many years, have demonstrated to Mr. Washington forests than the nettle which 
Hoopes’s satisfaction that no substantial im- stings. Anaximander has often mentioned a 
provement ever results from the union.* Even prevalence of snakes, but I haven t a faculty 
in pots, peach on its own roots appears to grow for seeing them. I tramp aronud in all sorts 
and fruit quite as well as when budded on Pl a,>es without a thought of anything dis- 
healthv plum roots. The “borers” must be agreeable, but hoping meantime to see a bear, 
kept out in either case, and “yellows” is as Ani ia Mav wbon the Salmon-berries are ripe 
likely to attack the one as the other...... a n ^ other berries are ripening, thehearscome 
boldly out into the regions of civilization and 
habitation, to indulge their appetite for fresh 
fruits. Nobodv is harmed but the bear, who 
rarely escapes being shot and hung up in the 
front of a Seattle butcher’s shop. 
In riding from Renton to Franklin I saw 
no farms of note—the land is largely glacial 
moraine, and the small settlements are of 
miners, many of them Chinese The Frank¬ 
lin mine on the Green River has fine natural 
beauties, the view of Ranier being magnifi¬ 
cent. The passenger traflic on these routes is 
accommodated by one coach attached to the 
coal-cars, except when there are excursions, 
when open cars are used in fine weather. We 
were the only passengers from Black Diamond 
to Franklin, and the conductor not only ran 
the engine for onr special accommodation, 
but gave us all the time there we wanted and 
constituted himself our guide to tbe “sights” 
of the place, one of which was the “cook 
house” of the workmen. We found a youDg 
Norwegian woman in charge of it. but she 
could speak but a word or two of English. 
The building of logs consisted of one large 
room and one or two smaller ones. At one 
end was a cook-stove and around the sides 
and one end were bins in two tiers, for beds. 
In the middle of the room was a large, square 
place filled in with earth, which was used in 
Winter for a fire-place. Directly over it was 
the chimney and extending down from it to 
within five or six feet of the flior. was a large 
wooden arrangement, like an inverted funnel, 
only the bottom was square, and of the size 
of the fire-place. Up through this great fun¬ 
nel rose the smoke and around the blazing fire 
sat the men with their wet clothes hung on 
nails driven in the sides of the funnel. I 
thought it a capital “scheme,” and could 
easily imagine the social spirit it evoked. 
Another of the “sights” was the cabin of a 
draughtsman, which was al-o of logs, but 
very delightful inside. All the furniture but 
tbe stove had evidently beeu made by himself, 
and it was interesting to look at the entirely 
comfortable and restful chairs which he had 
rudely constructed of bits of timber and 
boards. Prints from illustrated journals il¬ 
luminated the rough walls. Everything was 
iu charming order; even the oecupaut’s shoes 
had been set away with their toes at an exact 
augle. The young man was absent—having 
gone out to shoot a bear. 
At Black Diamond we remained several 
hours. Ttioro is quite a capacious and new 
hotel at this place and several log houses, 
built with projecting roofs, which form a 
0trenjttrf)fre. 
TRANSCONTINENTAL LETTERS, 
XXXV. 
MARY WAGER-FISHER. 
In a country where coal abounds, the 
building of railroads and the development of 
coal mines have an immediate connection, 
and if the lauds along these highways are 
valuable for agricultural purposes, it is but 
natural that they should attract the new 
“settlers.” I have lately made some excur¬ 
sions into the coal-mining regions over what 
is known as tbe Columbia & Puget Sound 
Railroad and its branches. The mines and 
the towns that have sprung up around them 
are called respectively, Rentou, New Castle, 
Cedar Mountain, Black Diamond and Frauk 
lin. The coal from the Black Diamond is 
regarded as tbe best as yet found in Washing¬ 
ton. The Columbia & Puget Sound Railroad 
begins at Seattle and follows the Valley of 
the Duwamish River to Renton, and from this 
point one branch runsoff near Lake Washing¬ 
ton and on to New Castle—the direction all 
the time being toward the Cascade Mountains 
—the other branch of the road follows the 
Cedar River, and then bends southward to 
the Green River at which point the distance 
to the line of the Northern Pacific, which is 
being built across the mountains, is two miles, 
and there a junction Is to be made. The Du¬ 
wamish River is formed by the White River 
and Black River; the latter receives the 
water of the Cedar River and connects the 
Duwamish with Lake Washington; and Renton 
is located near to the junction of these various 
waters. 
The land in the valley of the White River 
is undoubtedly the most considerable and 
valuable for farming to be found iu the Sound 
Country. 
The Duwamish Valley is narrow, but there 
are a few fine farms in it, aud the one of most 
note is owned and cultivated by a Scotchman 
—may be he is Eogltsh—who came hither 
from near Rochester. N. Y.. some L5 or 20 
years ago. When we visited the farm. I 
found the Rural on the library table. The 
thrifty farmer said that he used no tobacco, 
aud as he applied his “tobacco money” to the 
purchase of books aud journals, he was never 
like his neighbors, who were “too poor to sub- 
Bcribejfor newspapers. ”iHo had just received 
