THE RURAL MEW-YORMER* 
JUNE IS 
THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
A National Journal for Country and Suburban Hornet 
Conducted by 
ELBBHT S. CABMAN. 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
No. St Park Row, New York. 
SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 1887. 
A cartoon of striking interest, the 
ninth of the series, will appear next 
week. 
Very few white, or indeed colored 
grapes of recent introduction have been 
praised as highly a9 the Empire State. 
Though laid down last fall, it was killed 
nearly to the roots during the past winter 
at the Rural Grounds and will not bear 
this year. As hardiness is said to be one 
of its many fine qualities, we merely give 
the above as a fact without attempting 
to account for it. The Worden, Bright¬ 
on and Herbert beside it were unharmed. 
“I was surprised and pleased,’’writes 
Dr. Hoskins to the R. N.-Y., “to notice 
your editorial in this ■week’s Rural ‘Re¬ 
tarders, not Starters.’ I have been sharp¬ 
ly taken up in agricultural meetings and 
elsewhere for stating that to be my own 
experience, but it is an old and uniform 
one with me.” lie refers us to a very in¬ 
teresting article on the subject in the N. 
E. Farmer, the pertinent parts of which 
will appear under “What Others Say,” 
next week. 
One of the most surprising things that 
has ever occurred in our farm experience 
is the remarkable effect of a light mulch 
of manure upon a part of our rye-wheat 
hybrids, put on during early winter. On 
the mulched portion every plant lived, 
and they are now the strongest-growing 
plants we have ever seen, with heavy 
culms aud leaves nearly an inch wide. 
On the other portion 75 per cent, of the 
plants were thrown out of the soil by the 
freezings and thawings of a peculiarly 
trying winter, aud of course perished. 
Those that lived are now as vigorous as 
the others, perhaps, but the mulch saved 
thiee-quarters of the crop. It must be 
remembered that the seeds were planted 
in the intersections of 10-inch squares, and 
were therefore more liable to be thrown 
out by frost than in the case of broadcast 
sowing or drilling-in the seeds. 
♦ »«- 
The main street of Plymouth, Mass., is, 
without doubt, one of the most beauti¬ 
fully shaded avenues in this country. 
Great elms, wonderful for their age and 
vigor, arch over the street at a bight of 
40 feet above the ground. The shade 
during the hot summers is perfect, while 
the view from one end of the street is de¬ 
lightful. A village improvement society 
has done much to keep these grand elms 
in vigorous health. Up to the present 
time the great preventive used against 
insect enemies has been moist printer’s 
ink smeared on cloth or paper and tied 
about the trees. This year the Paris- 
green solution has been fouud effective on 
the smaller trees, hut with the larger trees 
much difficulty is experienced in drench¬ 
ing every part. It has been proposed to 
use an old-fashioned, hand-pumping fire- 
engine to throw a spray to the top of the 
trees. The trees stand in such a conspic¬ 
uous place, close to dwelling houses aud 
in the very heart of the town that the ap¬ 
plication of the arsenites seems like a 
dangerous expedient. 
Tiie proposal to locate the New York 
State Fair permanently at Syracuse is 
meeting with considerable opposition in 
some quarters. The chief objections to 
the plan are that it would take much of 
the interest away from the enterprise and 
render it. too much of a local affair. All 
are taxed to support the fair arid better 
satisfaction will be given if it can be 
held, as heretofore, in various parts of the 
State. If the fair is permanently located, 
rival local societies will spring up and 
take much of the interest away. These 
are the main objections urged against the 
change. The friends of the new plan de¬ 
sire a place that will be fairly accessible 
from all parts of the State. They desire 
permanent grounds and buildings which 
they can improve and develop from year 
to year. Usage is against the new plan, 
for most of the successful State fairs are 
held iu different parts of the States, from 
year to year; still, if some central point 
could be secured that would be satisfac¬ 
tory to the majority, it seems evident that 
very superior facilities for holding the 
exhibition could be secured. 
Two years ago farmers were advised to 
bathe their work horses with water to 
which Buhach had been added. It was 
claimed that such bathing would keep 
the flies from worrying the animals while 
at work. The plan has given excellent 
satisfaction to many of our readers. The 
mixture is taken to the field in a tightly 
corked bottle. Every hour or so the 
neck, shoulders, body and legs of the 
horse are sponged with this mixture. 
Every man who owns a good team of 
horses should be glad to do what he con¬ 
veniently can to add to their comfort. 
At this trying season we have need of 
every ounce of work the horse is capable 
of. The man knows that his own work 
counts for most when he feels happy and 
takes measures to promote lm comfort, 
lie should know that the same thing 
holds true of his faithful dumb servant, 
the horse. Keeping a damp sponge or 
piece of felt over the horse’s head while 
in the sun, bathing him with Buhach and 
water now and then, taking off the har¬ 
ness at noon and looking carefully after 
his food and drink require a little extra 
time aud trouble, but the work pays a 
good interest. Remember the horse this 
hot weather] 
One of the most, instructive chapters in 
Prof. Storer’s “Agriculture” treats of ir¬ 
rigation. The opinion is offered that 
there are hundreds of points in New Eng- 
hind aud the Middle States where a sys¬ 
tem of artificial watering could be easily 
and cheaply carried out. It is a noticeable 
fact that every farmer or gardener who 
has made use of irrigation in Colorado or 
California is confident that he could go 
back to Massachusetts or New York and 
partially carry out the system there. 
There are numberless streams, brooks, 
ponds and lakes that offer an almost un¬ 
limited water supply to those who occupy 
the land near them. It is a bold state¬ 
ment to make that this matter of control¬ 
ling a water supply is as important as the 
fertilizer problem, yet during the hot, dry 
weeks of July and August there will be 
many to agree with us. Prof Storer be¬ 
lieves that the day will come when irriga¬ 
tion will be widely practiced at the East. 
The pumping engine of the future, he 
thinks, will have the sun’s rays for its 
fuel. Several machines for condensing 
and supplying the heat of the sun have 
been nearly perfected and he regards their 
perfection and adoption as a mere ques¬ 
tion of time. What will the farming of 
the future belike? Will the implements 
and methods of our great grandchild'en 
fill us with the feelings that must come 
to our own ancestors at the sight, of our 
reapers and other improved implements? 
GAMBLING IN GRATN. 
There is an Illinois law which makes 
it a criminal offence to run a “corner” 
and force up the prices of commodities 
far beyond their legitimate market value. 
Neither do the public prosecutors attempt, 
uor does public opinion demand the 
enforcement of this law, however. A 
week ago a warrant w;ir issued under, it 
for the arrest of P. D. Armour for corner¬ 
ing pork, on complaint of a rival speculat¬ 
or; but although the latter professes to 
have ample proof to support his charge, 
he has just been allowed to drop the case 
on the alleged import unities of Armour’s 
friends, and not a voice lias been raised 
against this gross failure to puuish a 
criminal action. An extremely stringent 
anti-bucket-shop law has just been passed 
by the Legislature. There is no doubt 
the gambling evils it seeks to remove are 
disastrously demoralizing to a large pro¬ 
portion of the community; but, the gam¬ 
bling evils which the law against “cor¬ 
nering” produce has failed to remove are 
disastrously demoralizing to the country at 
large. Will the new law be as loosely en¬ 
forced ns the old? If enforced more rigid¬ 
ly. is it because it, is directed only against 
the small fry among the gamblers, while 
the old law is directed against the big 
whales in the pool? 
A telegram from Chicago this morn¬ 
ing tells us that the houses composing the 
clique that is manipulating the present 
corner in wheat have already taken in be¬ 
tween $1,250,000 and $1,500,000 profits 
on the deal since it commenced; that the 
expense so far in carrying charges, inter¬ 
est,, commissions, etc., foot up between 
$800,000 and $900,000; that, the clique 
pays H cent commission (H cent each 
way); that, the 10,000,000 bushels of cash 
wheat in store average the clique 83 cents 
to 85 cents, and that an obstinate short 
interest representing 8,000,000 to 10,000,- 
000 bushels will not Bettle. For many 
years past the Chicago newspapers have 
treated speculators in wheat as the most 
useful class of merchants, and have con¬ 
stantly argued that, the creation by them 
of “a large market” for farm products 
was beneficial to the farmer. Now. how¬ 
ever, they are loudly denouncing the en¬ 
cumbrances to trade produced by the 
present movement. Twenty-eight, hundred 
cars loaded with wheat, some containing 
1,000 bushels, have accumulated there 
awaiting an opportunity to unload. The 
elevators are so full that holders of wheat, 
on the track are paying the owners of 
corn and oats in the elevators to move 
their grain so as to make room for wheat, 
in order that it may be deliverable on 
contract. The damage done to the gen¬ 
eral trade of the city is so great that pro¬ 
tests from business men of all classes are 
loud against a continuance of this unnat¬ 
ural state of the market, and against the 
continued aid given by the hanks to the 
ruinous speculation now in progress. 
What do the unscrupulous speculators 
care about these protests, or about the 
injury their action is causing to the best 
interests of the country and the fair fame 
of its business methods? They have mil¬ 
lions at, stake, and all they care about is 
to save themseH'es from loss and pile up 
their gains as high as possible. Why 
should they pay any heed to public opin¬ 
ion which censures their conduct, but 
which prostrates itself before the millions 
that conduct has wrung from the people? 
No class in the community suffers more 
from such transactions than do farmers. 
A large, share of the great competition 
which American farmers have been meet¬ 
ing of late, and which has so sorely de¬ 
pressed the prices of their products, has 
been due to American gambliug in grain. 
Over and over again American speculators 
have held the prices of wheat in this 
country away above those in Europe, keep¬ 
ing back the American supply in order to 
force other countries to pay an unnatural 
price. This has very naturally produced 
distrust and indignation abroad; hence 
railroads have been built to tap the wheat 
producing regions of India and Russia; 
wheat growing has been stimulated in 
Australasia, South America, and Egypt; 
almost prohibitory tariffs have been enact¬ 
ed m Germany and France, and the de¬ 
pendence of Europe on American supply 
has been reduced as far as possible. 
The high prices produced by corners do not 
benefit the farmers of the country, most of 
whom have parted with all their salable 
grain long before the wrld speculation 
begins; but the demoralization produc¬ 
ed by them in home and foreign markets, 
greatly injures the agricultural communi¬ 
ty, by increasing the amount of foreign 
competition and closing many profitable 
foreign markets. The longer speculation 
is allowed to rule American markets, the 
poorer will be the prospect for American 
farmers. A more healthy public opinion 
must, however, soon prevail. Then spec¬ 
ulation in food products will be considered 
inimical to the public welfare, and gamb¬ 
lers in produce will be placed on the same 
level as gamblers at cards. 
brevities. 
If you want lots of vines and few straw¬ 
berries, plant Bonanza. 
Mr Gilt.ette’s article “ The Hop-Plant 
Louse” may help hop growers. 
The 12fcb annual meeting of the Nursery¬ 
men's Assoeiaton will take place in Chicago 
tlio 15-15-17. Secretary, D. W. Seott,, Galena, 
Illinois. 
Read Prof. Arnold’s remarks on Koumiss; 
Peter B. Mead’s estimate of the American 
Wonder Machine; Mr. “Grundy’s” statements 
respecting swine plague. 
The bird killers and “sportsmen” will not 
like our cartoon for next week Fanners who 
are makintyheir annual fight against insect 
enemies win appreciate its truth. 
“The expense of a windmill has been for 
eight years about four ounces of castor oil 
once in three weeks, and not more than 25 
cents besides.” So writes Mr. Whittomoro. 
See page 400. 
Almost every family has its own popular 
“summer drink,” These range from oat-meal 
and water to root beer, or “switchell.” We 
have never found anything that suited us bet¬ 
ter than cold milk or butter-milk. 
Mr. Blaine thinks the fee business is a 
model industry. The erop takes nothing from 
the laud—about, thp only crop, by the way, 
that does not-and the gathering of it pro¬ 
vides good winter work for liundmis of men, 
At, this season of the year it, is a pretty valu¬ 
able erop, too. 
Ok the 18 Patagonian pggs for which we 
paid five dollars to Mr. R. Wilson, of Meehan- 
lcsville. Pa., three onlv hatched out: and the 
chicks are all of different colors. We have 
engaged another setting for Julv. the earliest 
time they can be procured, with which we 
hope to tie more fortunate. 
“When I see that tree I like to stop and 
take a long breath,” said Editor Stiles as he 
stopped to admire a 15-feet specimen of Abies 
pungens in’ the ’ Rural Grounds. There is 
indeed scarcely anything among conifers to 
equal the refreshing beauty of its new shoots. 
This is the Blue Colorado Spruce. 
If we were obliged to resort to the method 
of destroying rose bugs which our contempor¬ 
aries advocate, viz . hand picking, we fear 
that we should leave all Infested plants to 
their fate. Those who try the pyrethrum 
remedy, which the Rural several 3 -pars ago 
and since has found effectual, will not waste 
much time in hand-picking. 
As an evidence of the favor with which en¬ 
silage is regarded in the West,, just now. it 
may be stated that, the State Board of Agri¬ 
culture of Michigan has decided to build a 
much larger silo than the one now in use. The 
old silo will be filled with clover this year. 
It, was originally constructed so that if’the en¬ 
silage proved a failure the silo could be used 
as a root cellar. 
The R. N. V. received from J. V. Henry 
Nott, of Kingston N. Y., 14 eggs of the new 
bread of poultry called Grav Downs. They 
were put under a good hen May 12 and nine 
healthy chicks hatched out in 21days. Four 
are white and five nearly lilaek. ’ This breed 
18 a sport of the Plymouth Rock, remarkable 
for their downy feathers and the fact that 
they are unable to fly over ordinary fences. 
Last Sunday a preacher in this city said 
that during the previous week, in the space 
between Denver ami the Atlantic ocean, 1,500 
people had died from the effects of alcoholic 
liquors. If cholera or anv plague of like na¬ 
ture had carried away that number of peo¬ 
ple the whole country would lie on fire with 
excitement. Yet every week sees this vast 
number of deaths from drunkenness, and the 
public hardly stirs itself to pub down the evil. 
For some reason our season of “oniony” 
milk and butter was shorter than usual this 
year. The rows seemed to lose their taste for 
the wild onion earlier than last year. About 
the only cure for this pest is to’dig it out of 
the pastures. Farmers are sometimes told 
that salt,peter added to the milk will remove 
this unpleasant taste. We cannot learn that 
this treatment is effective. The farmer who 
soils his cattle lias little to fear. 
Last year wo suggested a “Weed Day.” 
The idea was for the farmers of a neighbor¬ 
hood to set apart one day, or a portion of a 
day, to making war upon' the weeds in vacant 
or public places. Such united action would 
do much to clear out the hated vegetation 
that eats out so much of tho~farm’s substance. 
Here is a chance for the Grange to organize a 
new and taking celebration. Patrons are mak¬ 
ing much of Arbor Day. Let them now in¬ 
augurate “Weed Day.” 
Limb should never be largely used on any 
soil without first experimenting with it on a 
small scale. In certain soils it is of great 
value, but in .some others it does lasting Injury 
In two fields of limestone soil, many miles 
apart in Brush and Penn’s Vallies. Pa.', where 
lime had been applied more than50 vears ago 
the parrs covered by it can be plainly seen 
ever since, in the weak, imperfect growth 
especially of clover and corn, which never 
grow healthily or to full size there. 
Why are two vent-holes in the top of a can 
hotter proof than one of the wholesomcness of 
the preserved contents? Because the presence 
of two holes proves that the vent-hole has been 
closed in the first stage of the cooking so that 
a second hole is required in the second stage- 
while t he presence of only one vent-hole shows 
that during t he first stage of cooking the vent¬ 
hole has been open. rendering the contents 
liable to contamination from the inrush of 
foul vat-water. For full explanation read 
“Asparagus Conning” page 388. 
Almost every week we receive letters from 
our subscribers relating to cattle which are 
sick with a disease so like pi euro-pneumo¬ 
nia that the owners are anxious to he on the 
sure side and positively determine what the 
disease is. Oftentimes this anxiety proves 
unfounded, but. in several instances outbreaks 
of the dread disease have been discovered in 
this way. While we are always glad to do 
whnt we can for our friends, we must, repeat 
what we have previously said, that the surest 
and quickest way to determine the matter is 
to send directly to the Department of Agri¬ 
culture at Washington. Write the symptoms 
of the disease ns clearly as possible aud state 
the facts regarding the history of the animals. 
First of all read carefully the article by Dr 
Kilbnme on page 155 of the Rural 0 f 
April 15. 
The farmers of Westchester County. N. Y., 
are in a sad plight owing to the prevalence of 
contagious pleuropneumonia among their 
herds. There are 30.000 cattle in the infected 
district,involving a capital of about $1,800,000. 
All infected herds are being rapidly slaught¬ 
ered. and all suspected are strickly quaran¬ 
tined. The Government, allows $20 for an in¬ 
fected cow and $40 for n healthy beast killed 
by way of precaution, or more if tin* ani¬ 
mal is specially valuable, For years the 
county has been furnishing a good deal of the 
milk for this market; but the trade is now 
nearly paralyzed, and cannot regain its ordin¬ 
ary volume under the most favorable condi¬ 
tions till next full. Other places should be 
warned, and take prompt measures for the 
suppression of the plague on its first appear¬ 
ance. 
New Yorkers, of all grades of society, are 
fond of (lowers. Those who live in thu"coun¬ 
try and do business in the city come in every 
morning at this season laden with roses. The 
other day a man came across one of the fer¬ 
ries with a basket of red roses in his hand. A 
crowd of rough-looking workmen stood on a 
street corner. The man’s hat blow off. One 
of the workmen stopped it and brought it 
back: ns a reward he got a rose for biinseif 
and each one of his companions. It was odd 
to sec them, later in the day. working on the 
dock, each one with a rose pinned to his shirt. 
In the ordinary “pretty story” these men 
would have reformed as t.lie result of the in¬ 
fluence of the flowers. We doubt if this came 
true, but we do believe the day’s work was a 
little brighter and easier because the roses 
were worn. Very likely they 'were taken 
home’at, night for children’to seo.* Itiis.better 
to believe that they were. • 
