THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
AUG S 
THE 
RURAL- NEW-YORKER, 
ANational Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Conducted by 
EGBERT S. CARMAN. 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
No. St Park Row, New York. 
SATURDAY, AUGUST 0, 1SS7. 
All readers of tlie R. N.-Y, should 
study the articles of Dr. Stewart, Dr. Hos¬ 
kins and Prof. Cook, which appear on the 
second page of this issue. 
Handling the potato crop; imple¬ 
ments nsed; methods; the Aspinwall 
digger—a better one needed; does it pay 
to hold potatoes until spring?; when to 
harvest. See page 511. 
It is thought that most of the phosphor¬ 
ic acid and potash of fertilizers remains in 
the soil nntil exhausted by crops. Sup¬ 
pose we apply at one time enough of these 
and nitrogen in a soluble form to suffice 
for five crops. We need noL look for more 
than one full crop unless every year an ad¬ 
ditional application of nitrogen he made. 
Attention is called to Sir J. B. Lawes's 
article on page 510. 
Recent heavy rains in New England, 
the Middle States, and the West, have 
caused a multitude of freshets. Narrow 
streams and shallow ponds have over¬ 
flowed their banks. As the waters re¬ 
cede, deposits of decaying vegetable mat¬ 
ter are left exposed to the torrid sun, 
generating germs of disease which soon 
affect the neighboring population, usual¬ 
ly in the form of dysentery of a very fatal 
type. In several cases within the writer’s 
knowledge every family in a narrow, 
overflowed valley was attacked, and sev¬ 
eral deaths occurred in some households. 
In a pretty wide experience, in every 
case the famous “cholera medicine," used 
when the first griping sensation was ex¬ 
perienced, checked the progress of the 
complaint and saved the patient. In 
plain terms, the specific consists of equal 
parts of tincture of opium, red pepper, 
peppermint, rhubarb and camphor. The 
dose is 15 to 20 drops for an adult, and 
five to 10 for a child. The dose should 
be repeated every hour, until relief is af¬ 
forded. In all cases of “summer com¬ 
plaint," accompanied with griping pains, 
with or without vomiting, the above rem¬ 
edy has always afforded prompt relief. 
At this season of frequent down-pours 
and blazing suns, we would strongly urge 
every family to have it at hand. 
NEW BREEDS. 
As in every other branch of the live¬ 
stock business, something depends upon 
new breeds of poultry among those who 
make a specialty of selling fancy stock. 
It is safe to say that the White Plymouth 
Rocks, White Javas and White Wyan- 
dottes are having a “boom” just now, not 
because they possess extraordinary merit, 
but because they are white and new. As 
the old standard Plymouth Rocks and 
Wjandottes throw “sports," from which 
it is claimed the new white breeds are 
derived, it is apparent that the new 
breeds are more liable to “sport" than the 
old ones. There are but few, if any, 
flocks of standard Wyaudottes that can 
be relied upon to produce progeny of uni¬ 
form color and characteristics, and even 
the Plymouth Rocks, which are more 
firmly established, being an old breed, do 
not always give satisfaction, so far as uni¬ 
formity is concerned. If such is the case, 
buyers must, expect chicks other than 
white from the eggs of the new white 
breeds, as many persons have been disap¬ 
pointed with them during the past sea¬ 
son. But they are new ancl suit the fash¬ 
ion. So far as merit is concerned, they do 
not outrank the old breeds, and certainly 
do not deserve greater consideration. 
NOVELTIES AT FAIRS. 
Fair managers should keep a sharp 
look-out for novelties, New things on 
the fair grounds attract attention. Peo¬ 
ple grow tired of seeing the same things 
year after year. Many a fair association 
has died out because the managers could 
not provide novelties. The patrons went 
where new things could be found. There 
are several features of English shows that 
might well be introduced at our large 
shows here. One of these is the dairy 
contest. We have frequently spoken of 
this. In England it always attracts at¬ 
tention and is one of the most interesting 
features of the show. Equal quantities 
of cream, as nearly alike in quality as can 
be procured, are given to the contestants, 
who are. usually fanners’ wives or daugh¬ 
ters. The contestants use any dairy uten¬ 
sils they please. They churn, work and 
salt the butter in public, and good judges 
decide upon the various samples. It is 
strange that this contest has never been 
attempted at American shows and fairs. 
It is sure to ho popular. If fair managers 
are dull in the matter, there is a grand 
chance here for some enterprising manu¬ 
facturer of dairy implements. Another 
feature of some English show's is a horse¬ 
shoeing contest. This always calls out a 
crowd of farmers. Considering the fact 
that a good share of the farm profits hangs 
on the feet of the horse, the care of the 
hoof is of the greatest importance. If 
farmers could see, on the fair grounds, 
various methods of shoeing, with an 
expert to show which was right and which 
was wrong and why one was right and 
another wrong, they would learn much 
about a very important matter. The en¬ 
silage system is now becoming enough of 
a feature of American farming to warrant 
a department at the fairs. Samples of 
silage, plans of silos and mixed rations 
for beef, milk or butter might be exhib¬ 
ited. Good exhibits of wool or hay 
would be attraciive. Graded cattle 
should be exhibited. Place a thorough¬ 
bred, a scrub and a good grade side bv 
side. This will make an object lesson 
worth far more than any collection of full- 
blooded cattle. 
“TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN.” 
The picture on our first page tells a 
dreadful story. Is this story in any way 
true or is it all imagination ? Out of the 
reeking pond-hole, the polluted well, the 
damp and filthy barnyard, death, repre¬ 
sented by a skeleton, is rising. His bony 
hands are laid upon the farmhouse. The 
light, burning in the sick room shows that 
some loved member of the family lies 
gasping under the weight of his curse. 
It is hard to think at such a time that 
this grim and pitiless monster has been 
nursed into a giant's strength by the care¬ 
lessness of those whom now he touches 
with disease. By neglecting the common 
laws of health the members of the family 
have created this monster. Now, more 
powerful thau those who made him, his 
hand is at their throats. We do not wish 
to exaggerate the causes of disease in 
farm life. Is the picture exaggerated ? 
Are there not farm houses fairly nestling 
in the arms of disease ? Are there not 
families who drink every day of their 
lives water from wells which receive the 
drainage from slop-hole, privy and barn¬ 
yard ? The skeleton which stoops over 
them is not seen. The fevers that lurk 
in the filthy wells and foul gases give lit¬ 
tle. warning of their approach. When 
some loved one sickens and lies for days 
between life and death, or drops entirely 
the troubles and joys of life, we are told 
of the “inscrutable ways of Providence.” 
Farm life should be the healthiest life 
imaginable. It is when thought and care 
are exercised. It is not when the laws of 
health are violated. Is this skeleton 
bend ng over your house ? Does your 
well receive the germs of disease from any 
filthy surroundings ? Is your house sur- 
n unded by decaying matter ? These 
questions are pertinent. The deadly sea¬ 
son of the year is at hand. Have you 
prepared for it ? 
“PLEURO” IN NEW YORK. 
Contagious pleuro-pneumonia among 
cattle in Walton, Delaware County, New 
York, and also in the adjacent town of 
Lackawack, Ulster County, is causing 
great alarm among the farmers. The 
way in which it was introduced should 
be a warning to those who buy strange 
cattle without due investigation with 
regard to their health, aud the place from 
which they have come. As far back as 
April last, a car-load of cattle was brought 
to Walton from the West, and sold out, 
one or two in a place, through the 
adjacent country. The disease broke out 
virulently in June among several herds in 
which the Western cattle had found 
homes. It spread for some time before 
its malignant character became known. 
Then the State veterinary authorities 
killed a number of the diseased animals, 
and quaumtined infected herds, and tried 
to trace up the other animals from that 
infected car-load. The loss of money to 
the farmers has been considerable; the 
loss of peace of mind much more serious. 
According to a preliminary report just 
made to the CommUsioncr of Agricul¬ 
ture by the Chief of the Bureau of Ani¬ 
mal Industry, in the six months ending 
June 30, 79 herds containing 2,201 ani¬ 
mals, were inspected in this State; of 
these, 45 herds were infected, and con¬ 
tained 937 animals of which 125 were 
diseased. The number slaughtered was 
117, of which 25 showed, on post-mortem, 
the lesions of pleuro-pneumonia. The 
following counties are now quarantined: 
Westchester, New York, Richmond, 
•Kings, Queens, and Suffolk, and unless 
the recent outbreaks are promptly sup¬ 
pressed, Delaware and Ulster arc likely 
to be added to the list. 
ANTHRAX IN MAN. 
By a dispatch from Utica, N. Y., we 
learn that a farmer in the neighboring town 
of Deerfield lost three cows last week from 
bloody murrain, a form of anthrax, a 
malignantly contagious disease. Inocula¬ 
tion with the blood or tissues of animals 
that have died from it, causes, both in 
man and other animals, a malignant form 
of inflammation called “malignant pus¬ 
tule." The Deerfield cows, we are told, 
were buried near a running stream, and 
infected the water. Contaminating the 
water to be drunk by other animals has 
long been known as one of the most com¬ 
mon ways of spreading the disease. In 
the present case three cows belonging to 
a neighbor lower down the stream, soon 
died. 'Hie owner and a friend while 
looking for the cause, were stung by mos¬ 
quitoes and at last accounts were seriously 
ill, “having been inoculated with virus." 
There is no doubt that contagion is 
spread by flies in this and some other dis¬ 
eases and, if the symptoms are all right 
in the present case, no doubt the mos¬ 
quitoes did the mischief. The local 
effect of inoculation, on the skin, is that 
within 24 hours the spot becomes hot, red, 
and swollen for about one-third of an 
inch In depth. In 48 hours the swelling 
increases to perhaps two inches, and to 
several inches ou the third day, if the 
animal survives. Usually the disease is 
communicated to man by direct iunocula- 
tion, as in the case of butchers and others 
who skin the iufected carcasses, the poison 
finding its way through the skin of the 
operator: or by means of the skin or hair 
of dead unimals; by eating the flesh of ani¬ 
mals killed by it, or by using the milk or 
butter or cheese from affected cows. A 
prolific provocation of the disease is 
drinking stagnant water. Bottom lands 
that have been recently iuundated, 
marshes and low-lying, clay-calcareous, 
soils are all favorable to its development, 
and this season is likely to produce it in 
many places. For the protection of other 
animals as well of men, too much care 
cannot be taken to bury the carcasses of 
deceased animals very deep, and at a dis¬ 
tance from running or still water liable to 
be used by other animals. 
THE CANAL UNION CONVENTION. 
About 150 delegates of the “Canal 
Union,” which labors for the improve¬ 
ment of the New' York canals, especially 
the Erie, met at Rochester last Thursday. 
Over two-thirds of them were from Buffa¬ 
lo and New York and-the rest from vari¬ 
ous cities ou the Erie. Federal aid was 
opposed on the ground that the accept¬ 
ance of it would open the floodgates of 
local improvement, at Federal expense, so 
wide in other States that New York, 
which now pays 16 per cent, of all Feder¬ 
al revenues, would, in the end, be a large 
loser. It was alleged that, although it has 
often been stated that the total cost of the 
proposed improvements would amount to 
$10,000,000, it really would not be over 
$5,000,000, of which $900,000 have al¬ 
ready been provided for by State appro¬ 
priations. The taxes for this outlay, if 
wholly paid for by the farms of the State 
would be less than $2 apiece; or 76 cents 
on all the assessed real aud personal prop¬ 
erty on the farms; or $1 in $400 on the 
farm and its products. If all the property 
in the State were assessed, the cost would 
be ODly $1 iu $12,000, and this for one 
year only; while the improvements would 
be permanent. Gieat stress w'as laid on 
the advantages of canals as regulators of 
freight charges on railroads. The saving 
by consequent lower rates on these, 
every year, was put at a hundred times 
the tax needed to secure the improve¬ 
ment. Everything was harmornious till, 
towards the end of the session when most 
of the members from Buffalo and New' 
York were absent, a series of resolutions 
were sprung on the meeting, vigorously 
denouncing the excessive elevator charg¬ 
es, commissions, wharfage and other exac¬ 
tions at the terminals, Buffalo aud New 
York; and recommending the legislature 
to reduce the elevator extortions as soon as 
possible. Then pandemonium broke 
loose. The convention was packed 
mainly in the interests of the abuses thus 
assailed, and though most of their sup¬ 
porters were absent, the resolutions, after 
nn attempt to reject them, were tabled. 
Great apprehensions were expressed as to 
the action of the convention of the farm¬ 
ers of the State, which meets at Syracuse, 
chiefly to discuss this same subject, on 
August 25. It is quite certain that a very 
different opinion will be expressed with 
regard to the grievous exactions at the 
canal terminals, New York and Buffalo. 
♦ »■ — 
BREVITIES, 
Our list of fairs next week will be the most 
complete ever published, 
Ik your cellar is damp, avoid the first floor 
for sleeping rooms. 
There are few causes so provocative of 
colds, fevers, rheumatism, etc., as coolmg off 
in the night air after a hard day’s work. 
The showery weather (July 25) is rotting 
tomatoes as they have never in these parts 
been known to rot before. Few are ripening 
as yet. 
In malarial districts avoid the night air as 
far as possible, aud never go out iu the morn¬ 
ing without, first eating something, if only a 
slice of bread and butter. 
We are glad that the managers of the N. Y. 
State Fair have offered premiums for trained 
collie dogs, A good collie can be rnado to 
rank with the profitable stock of the farm. 
The demand for celery plants has been 
greater than the supply this year. Several 
large seedsmen state that they have sold their 
entire stock and have to refuse orders. 
Many farmers near us will feed their stock 
on Timothy straw next winter. The grass 
stood until it began to turn yellow before it 
was cut. How much better than straw is 
this? 
We are glad to see that Matthew Crawford 
(Ohio) speaks favorably of the Henderson 
Strawberry. Its quality is certainly of the 
best and, were it productive at the Rural 
Grounds, we should prefer it to auy variety 
we know. 
TnE next meeting of the Society of Ameri¬ 
can Florists (Chicago, August 16, 17 aud 18) 
promises to be one of unusual interest. Ed¬ 
win Lonsdale, Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, 
is Secretary. Perishable plants will receive 
due attention until exhibitors arrive. 
The weather has been such for the lost two 
weekB that hundreds of tons of hay have been 
lost in our neighborhood. There has been 
hardly a day without one or more heavy 
showers. The air is so heavily ehnrged with 
moisture that hay curing is impossible. We 
have plenty of moisture to spare for our 
Western friends. 
Simon’s Plum (Prunus Rimonii) is ripening 
a moderately full crop at the Rural Grounds. 
This was illustrated and described last year 
iu the rural for October 16. It is said by 
some to bo a pure plutu, but its corrugated 
pit and peach-leaf flavor suggest something of 
the peach also. The skin is Litter, and it is not 
worthy of cultivation here. • 
People buying green corn iutbo markets or 
grocery stores select ears with bright green 
busks rather than those having a purplish 
color, though the luttor may be, iu fact, fresh¬ 
er and the corn more tender. So it is that 
Early Dean, Marblehead, Cory, etc., are pre¬ 
ferred by marketmen to Pedigree, Nu Plus 
Ultra, etc., the husks of which are often pur¬ 
plish iu color. 
Take a vacation this summer, even if it be 
for a few hours only. Too many farmers get 
“farm bound.” In this condition the nund 
get* too tmrrow to permit a broad idea to 
enter, and too bigoted to realize that, others 
have valuable thoughts aud suggestions. Go 
out and look around a little. A change of 
scene will rest the mind aud the body. At the 
same time it will make a good home seem all 
the sweeter when you come hack to it. 
Does the first-page picture startle you, gen¬ 
tle reader? It is Intended to startle you, 
whether you be geutle or otherwise. We 
want you to see to it at once that your cellars 
be clean and pure; that the slop-hole or cess¬ 
pool do not contaminate the water you drink; 
that, the closet be deodorized and properly 
attended to; that, in short, you remove at 
once in so far as a thorough search may en¬ 
able you to discover it, every cause which 
may lead to sickness. 
Here are two somewhat contradictory par¬ 
agraphs taken from the same issue of the 
Kansas City (Mo.) Live Stock Indicator: 
“Kansas never was as prosperous as to-day. 
The bountiful rains of this month insure a rich 
harvest to tlu> p&>ple.” And again: “it is 
useless, in spite of the reported great, promise 
of the corn crop in Kansas, to deny that rain 
is needed very, vary much, aud that many 
wells and springs that have stood the strain 
and drain of the past 16 months of insufficient 
rainfall, are now giviug out.” 
Ho much Illness has of late been attributed 
to tyrotoilcou, a poisonous substance some¬ 
times found in ice-cream, that auy fresh infor¬ 
mation with regard to the mysterious mutter 
must be of interest. The thing was discovered 
by Professor Victor C. Vaughan about a year 
ago, and since then he has spent a good deal 
of time investigating it. He has discovered 
that it is identical with diazobenzol, a sub¬ 
stance which has been known for many years, 
aud which was first prepared from aniline by 
a Gorman chemist. The poison is caused by a 
peculiar fermentation of the cream before it 
s frozen, and can be separated from the 
cream by treatment with soda and ether, 
which dissolve the poison, which is entirely 
destroyed by boiling the ice-cream mixture 
before it is frozen. This has been one of the 
bugaboos lately raised against the wholesome- 
nesn of milk and its products by the oleomar¬ 
garine advocates; but it is not, it turns out, a 
property of milk or its products iu a natural 
condition; but the result of a mixture of other 
ingredients therewith. 
