THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
MAY 23 
i 
THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
ANational Journal for Country and Suburban Home*. 
Conducted by 
E & B B K T S. CABMAN. 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
No. S4 Park Row, New York. 
SATURDAY, MAY 28, 1887. 
The deadly slop bucket will be heard 
from before fall. It is wonderful how 
careless some otherwise neat housewives 
are about the disposal of swill and slops. 
In many houses it is still customary to 
simply throw slops and dish water out the 
back door. Some families rise to the dig¬ 
nity of a barrel or tub, but this is kept 
partly filled until it is sickening. This 
slop pail nuisance is as bad as the usual 
privy. It is worse iu some respects, for it 
comes to the very door and pushes itself 
directly into the family. A large, well 
cleared drain ora barrel set upon wheels 
should be found at the rear of every house. 
The labor required to construct one or to 
operate the other will he well spent. 
The R. N.-Y. has always held that, 
though manure or fertilizer in the hill" or 
drill is good to 1 ‘give the plant a start,” 
it can not serve the plant later when the 
roots extend far beyond the food in all 
directions, and when, as iu the case of 
the corn plant during the grain-forming 
period, it stands most in need of food. 
To gain light upon the subject we have 
planted corn as follows: In the first plot, a 
high-grade complete fertilizer at the rate of 
880 pounds was sown broadcast. In 
the second the same amount of fertilizer 
was sown in the drills. In the third 440 
pounds were sown in the drills and the rest 
(440 pounds) broadcast. In the fourth plot 
fertilizer was omitted. In the fifth plot 
double the quantity of fertilizer (1760 
pounds) was sown broadcast. 
Some New York City people who de¬ 
pend upon spending the summer in the 
country with their families are practicing 
a new plan this year. They send to the 
parties who offer board and get samples 
of well or spring water which they get 
analyzed. Experience has taught them 
that disease lurks in many a country well, 
and they do not mean to go to any place 
where there is danger of drinking the 
drainage from the privy or barnyard. 
This plan is sound and sensible. Foul 
water is one of the most dangerous sources 
of disease. Many people lull themselves 
into a state of security by imagining that 
water that comes out of an okl-fashioned 
well must of necessity be healthy. This 
is about as senseless as the idea that ice 
taken from a dull and stagnant pool is as 
pure as ue<d be. Many dread diseases are 
lurking in these polluted wells. 
The immigration season is now at its 
bight. The rush to this country is great¬ 
er than ever before. The best of the im¬ 
migrants do not stop in this part of the 
country; they go to the West at once 
where they have friends whose success 
has induced them to come hither. We 
get a class of immigrants here that we 
could well dispense with. They come 
trooping in hundreds by this office every 
day. They are mostly Italians, under¬ 
sized men and women, with ignorant, 
brutal-looking faces. They carry all their 
worldly goods in a bag over the shoulder. 
With their hard faces, bent and stuDted 
forms and ragged clothing they look like 
the sweepings of the slums of European 
cities. There is small hope of making 
honest and self-respecting American citi¬ 
zens out of such people. They will only 
rum the American laborer whenever they 
come in competition with him. We have 
no use in this country for such mentally 
and physically undeveloped specimens of 
humanity. 
Attention is called to the article on 
liquid manures by Dr. Hoskins, page 366. 
The loss of urine in most stables must be 
looked upon as one of the greatest fertil¬ 
izing wastes on the farm. Many farmers 
preserve a portion of this urine by throw- 
ing the horse manure and bedding into 
the gutters back of the cattle. There 
these act as fair absorbents, and when 
the stuff is thrown into piles, it car¬ 
ries a goodly portion of the urine with it. 
Others attempt, by means of plaster and 
absorbents like chaff and peat moss, to 
hold the valuable ammonia in a compact 
and easily handled form. Others preserve 
the entire urine in tanks, and apply it by 
means of watering carts. None of these 
processes have been entirely satisfactory. 
The fact is now strongly pointed out that 
urine is weak in phosphoric acid, and it 
is suggested that the addition of phos¬ 
phoric acid in some form would give far 
better results than the uriue when used 
alone. At present this is only a suggestion, 
but it is well worthy of attention. If 
ground bone, “floats” or any other phos- 
phatic substance can be advantageously 
used with urine, the public should know 
about it. We shall endeavor to investi¬ 
gate the matter. 
Comparison and study of a large num¬ 
ber of recent reports from the Western 
ranges indicate that the losses of cattle 
reported at an earlier date were consider¬ 
ably exaggerated. It is just possible, how¬ 
ever, that the later reports minimize the 
actual losses in the interest of the large 
stock owners, many if not most of whom 
hold their herds for sale, and consequently 
object to reports of heavy losses in the 
business. Whatever their reliability, how¬ 
ever, they declare that the only Territory 
that suffered severe losses was Montana, 
where the mortality averaged from 15 to 
35 per cent. The losses in Colorado, 
Western Kansas, and Nebraska ran under 
an average of five per cent. Parts of 
Idaho and Wyoming suffered quite severe¬ 
ly, particularly the Northwestern sections, 
but the average losses in both Territories 
were not excessive. Utah, New Mexico, 
and Arizona were particularly fortunate. 
Although considerable, losses were suffered 
in Texas owing to the drought, the win¬ 
ter was less disastrous than those of 1885-6. 
Reports from every section tell of the 
encroachments of settlers upon the grazing 
territory, and particularly in Nebraska, 
Kansas, and Colorado, where cattle men 
are being pushed steadily westward. 
It is a common opinion that the cattle 
raising industry on the plains has reached 
its higbt under present conditions. The 
failure of Swan Brothers at Cheyenne, and 
the troubles of the Marquis de Mores 
here are mere indications of the difficul¬ 
ties which many other livestock magnates 
undy the old regime are now encountering. 
A few years of success, especially in a new 
industry, suffice to make those engaged in 
it forget the necessity of providing for a 
rainy day, and this has been, to a great ex¬ 
tent, the case with the cattle “kings,” 
“barons” and native as well as foreign 
syndicates on the western ranges. 
Commercial Relations with Can¬ 
ada. —The trade relations between the 
United States and Canada have been re¬ 
ceiving a good deal of attention and been 
discussed at considerable length of late. 
Congressman Ben. Butterworth of Ohio, 
who previously had won notoriety chiefly 
as a persistent office-seeker and bolder, 
has made the subject a hobby and is rid¬ 
ing it vigorously in various parts of the 
country. Projects of commercial union 
or reciprocity have been suggested as 
adapted to meet the commercial circum¬ 
stances of the two countries. Opinions 
on the subject have not yet been defin¬ 
itely formed on either side of the line. 
Though there have been many expressions 
in favor of the adoption of one or the other 
plan on both sides of the border, the gen¬ 
eral drift of public opinion, especially 
among the manufacturing and commer¬ 
cial classes iu the Dominion appears to go 
decidedly against either. People In this 
country, as a whole, take comparatively 
little interest in the matter. There is a 
general sentiment, however, that the lib¬ 
erty of free trade with the sixty millions 
of people of this country is hardly repaid 
by a like freedom of trade with the four 
or five millions in Canada. As a perquis¬ 
ite either to commercial union or recip¬ 
rocity, the Dominion would have to raise 
her tariff on imports from the United 
Kingdom and the rest of Europe to the 
level of the American tariff on similar im¬ 
ports; for, otherwise, in ease of free trade 
between this country and the Dominion, 
European goods would pour through Can¬ 
ada across the line under the Canadian in¬ 
stead of the United States tariff on the 
products. Most Canadians strongly ob¬ 
ject to discrimination against the Mother 
Country even for the acknowledged ad¬ 
vantages of free trade with the United 
States, and the latter must, of course, in¬ 
sist on this proviso. Indeed, there is a 
strong opposition in most quarters here to 
the extension of the privileges of com¬ 
mercial union to Canada except on the 
basis of political union. 
CHICAGO LABOR TROUBLES. 
TnE workingmen of Chicago are in a 
bad way. Socialistic agitators and “walk¬ 
ing delegates” among them have become 
nuisances to the rest of the community. 
Among no class is the demoralization 
greater than among those engaged in 
building operations. For a long time 
demands for a decrease of working hours 
and an increase of wages have been grow¬ 
ing more and more peremptory and insult¬ 
ing under threat of striking, and their 
contemptuous indifference to the feelings 
and rights of others has culminated in a 
strike which has been met by a general 
lock out, sotbat 81,000hod-carriers, brick¬ 
layers, masons, and others engaged in 
building operations are now out of em¬ 
ployment. The master-builders have come 
to a decision no longer to endure the per¬ 
petual annoyances, interference, and un¬ 
certainty to which they have long been 
subjected by their workmen. 
According to the resolutions adopted 
by a large meeting of them last Thursday, 
every master builder or contractor who is 
a member of the association agrees not to 
employ any workman who will not sign a 
certain card pledging himself to recog¬ 
nize the rights of the employer to employ 
any man he wishes, pay such wages, work 
as many hours, and generally regulate his 
business in the way he deems fit, provid¬ 
ed that the employer deals with the men 
justly and lawfully. It is further pro¬ 
vided that the apprentice system shall be 
untrammeled by any regulations except 
those made by the law of the land. The 
employers agreed to end the lockout and 
resume business on June 1. on this basis. 
There was considerable opposition to the 
adoption of these resolutions chiefly ou 
the ground that they constitute a direct 
attack on trades unions, and may lead to 
a strike much more extensive than the 
employers had any idea of or could suc¬ 
cessfully handle. After all, the labor 
problem isthe greatest of the day, and can 
be solved only after many struggles, hard¬ 
ships and experiments. The outcome of 
this struggle between the operatives and 
master builders in Chicago is sure to in¬ 
fluence the relations of employers and em¬ 
ployed not only there and among build¬ 
ers, but in other parts of the country, and 
among other classes of workingmen also. 
-«-«--»- 
HOLST El NS TO THE FRONT. 
TnE result of the butter contest at the 
late New York Dairy Show was a genuine 
surprise to most cattle men. The test 
was reserved till the last, it being con¬ 
sidered the most important trial of all. 
When the prize for producing the greatest 
weight of milk in one day went to a Hol¬ 
stein oow, it was the general opinion that 
it went where it. belonged. There was 
hut one Jersey entered, and she made but 
a poor showing. “Wait till the butter 
test,” said the Jersey breeders. “Then 
we will prove that our little cattle are as 
famous at the churn as the big Dutch 
cows are at the pail.” Before the test 75 
per cent, of those interested in the matter 
would have been ready to admit that the 
Jerseys looked like sure winners. It has 
become almost second nature to speak of 
the Jersey as the butter cow par excellence. 
In order to carry out the popular idea, the 
Jersey, if she was to be beaten at all, 
should have been defeated by the Guern¬ 
sey or Ayrshire—never by the “watery- 
milk” Holstein. But. beaten she was, and 
that ingloriously. The first prize went to 
the Holstein cow Clothilde, which made 
two pounds seven and one-half ounces of 
butter from milk yielded within the pre¬ 
scribed 34 hours. The only cow to push 
her closely was one of her own calves. 
There was nothing objectionable about 
the test; it was a fair and square victory 
for the black-and-white cattle. What 
does the victory prove? That Clothilde 
is the best butter cow in the world, that 
the average Holstein is sure to give more 
butter than the average Jersey, or that the 
Jersey has now lost her place? Not by 
any means. It has simply been proved 
that. Clothilde produced more butter than 
any other cow entered for the trial. It is 
natural to suppose that the Jersey men 
were anxious to win, and that they took 
pains to enter good specimens of the 
breed. Many Jersey cows have, in pri¬ 
vate tests, surpassed Clothilde’s record. 
There are hundreds of Jerseys that can 
make more than two pounds seven and 
one-half ounces of butter in 24 hours. 
Every owner of a Jersey cow will regret 
that those who had the jersey interests in 
chaige did not have enterprise enough to 
bring such animals to the show. This 
trial does not even prove that Clothilde 
was the most economical butter maker at 
the show. Taking the cost of her feed 
into consideration, her butter may have 
been more expensive than that from some 
of the edws she defeated. But one thing 
has been settled beyond all question—the 
Holstein cattle have been wonderfully im¬ 
proved during the past ten years. After 
this contest, the “watery-milk” sneer had 
better be omitted by their opponents. 
brevities. 
Connecticut, too, has the promise of a fine 
peach crop this season. 
Now, as hitherto, the Iron-clad Strawberry 
gives us our first blooms, 
See next week’s Rural for an account of 
the prize butter at the Dairy Show. Every 
prize-winner will contribute a short note on 
butter making. 
How many calves will be dehorned this 
year? Whyuot try the operation on one at 
least, and see w hat the result w ill be? You 
never will know' about it until you try it.. 
A brass band is out of place at a dairy 
show. Visitors desire to ask questions. It is 
impossible to do this successfully while a 
baud, such a. 1 - was employed at the late Dairy 
Show, is in full blast. 
There are few plants that start from seed 
so readily as lilacs, and there are few plauts 
that excel them iu wealth of bloom and frag- 
ranee. They are hardy and will thrive under 
neglect, though well repaying the care which 
more fastidious plauts exact. 
From fine potted plants received from the 
originator, wo shall probably be able to ex¬ 
press a partial opinion respecting the new 
Jessie Strawberry during the present season. 
We have many new kinds of strawberries as 
well as other small fruits, including grapes, 
w'bicb we also hope to speak of as they fruit. 
There is no use of spraying apple trees, after 
the apples are half-an-inch in diameter, with 
Loudon-purple or Paris-green. The Codling 
Moth lays the egg in or on the calyx about 
the time the blossom unfolds, and the egg 
hatches in a few days and the grub begins to 
eat. its way into the apple. It is then that the 
grub is killed by the poison. 
Application was recently made to the 
health authorities of this city for protection 
against a mocking-bird which annoyed people 
by its shrill w histling. Several law suits in 
England have arisen from the crowing of 
roosters. The shrill-voiced champions started 
early iu the morning, awakening people who 
think the early moruiug hours are the best 
time for sleeping. 
One great difference between the Jersey aud 
Holstein cattle was strikingly shown at the 
Dairy Show. The Jerseys were nervous and 
excitable, easily frightened at every unusual 
sight or souud. The Holsteius were happy 
ami quiet. It seemed almost impossible to 
frighten them. They were as quiet as they 
would have been at home. The Jerseys fell 
off in their milk and butter records to a far 
greater extent than did the HoLsteuis. 
Not long since we received the cash for an 
advertisement of a “new method” for preserv¬ 
ing eggs. On investigation it was found that 
the advertiser proposed to tell his correspond¬ 
ents to mid salt to lime-water aud then put 
into this mixture the contents of a package lie 
would send for 81. The fellow is undoubted¬ 
ly a fraud, though the lime and the salt 
would probably keep the eggs fairly well. 
Eggs packed in common salt have been kept 
for six months without damage. 
California Wines are likely to advance, 
according to the latest advices. The leading 
causes are said to be the small stocks of old 
wine on hand: the good quality of the last 
crop, which induced an increased foreign de¬ 
mand; the injurious effects of the late frosts 
upon the vines in the heaviest producing 
districts, and improved storage facilities for 
large quantities of the product. The advance 
is expected to be from 15 to 25 cents a gallou, 
aud sales are already reported at IS cents per 
gallou. 
There are many farmers who have not 
observed the difference between the pistillate 
and bisexual flowers of strawberries. There 
may be some who do not know that some 
varieties are wholly dependent upon others 
for the pollen without which the “merry” can 
not form. If they will now compare the blos¬ 
soms of the Jewell. Manchester, Crescent, 
Champion, or Daniel Boone, with those of 
the Downing, Wilson, Sbnrpless, Jucunda, 
Cap. Jack, etc., the difference will at once 
appear. It is well to point out these differ¬ 
ences to young people. They often lead to 
habits of closer observation and study. 
In the spring of 1888, we received several 
new' lilacs from James Dougal (the originator) 
of Windsor, ()nt,, Canada. Prince of Wales 
is a purplish red in the hud, losing much of 
the reel as the buds expund, aud heeoming 
nearly lilac. The thyrscs are uliout the same 
size ns in the common lilac. Priucess Alexan¬ 
dra bears white flowers nearly twice the size 
of the common white and the thyrses will 
average larger. It is extremely floriferous 
aud altogether a grand variety. Albert the 
Good we do not, find superior to several of the 
purplish varieties now offered by nurserymen. 
A double variety bears small thyrscs ot lilac- 
colored flowers, eueli of which has two tubes 
—oue growing out of the other—and a partial 
third tube. It is less fragrant than theothers 
aud is valuable chiefly for its double (lowers. 
Currant-worms will now be stripping the 
currant aud gooseberry bushes of their leaves, 
and where the pests are abundant the fruit 
will not mature. The remedy usually pre¬ 
scribed is to dust the bushes with powdered 
hellebore. But hellebore costa 20 cents a 
pound, and the cost of the fruit is materially 
increased if two or more application# are nec- 
essary. instead oi this, we wet two table- 
spooululs of the fresh powder with alcohol, 
mash it into a paste and theu stir it in a pail¬ 
ful of water. This is then sprayed upon the 
bushes through a little baud pump and cv- 
clouu nozzle. The spraying bellows may be 
used instead, though it. soon becomes tedious, 
hard work. In lieu of the alcohol, boiling 
hot water may be used to wet the powder and 
form it into a paste. If the water is poured 
upon the dry powder, it will remain lumpy 
and the lumps will obstruct, the nozzle or bel¬ 
lows. Hellebore used in this way will cost a 
mere trifle, as one pailful of water will serve 
to spray a dozen large bushes. Iu the ab¬ 
sence* of bellows oy band pumps, a flower-pot 
answers very well. 
