SS2 
THE BUBAL MEW-Y0B&EB. 
AU§ 2? 
keenest delight. We only halted long enough 
in Washington to change ears, and then pro¬ 
ceeded to Baltimore where friends awaited 
us, under whose hospitable roof we rested 
for several days awaiting the arrival of the 
one gone into Florida. Although the laddie 
was in a beautiful home where be had been a 
great ppt from bis babyhood, his little heart 
was still, unsatisfied, and when he went to 
bed at night he said, “Mamma, this is not 
home ; I want to go home!" but the attrac¬ 
tions about him were too great for him to be 
unhappy long. 
I have often been in Baltimore, but never 
in the springtime for an extended visit, and 
as I went driving in my friend’s carriage, 
1 realized, as never before, the great lieauty 
of Baltimore—her miles of delightfully clean 
streets lined with elegant dwellings, her parks 
and monuments, her churches and beneficent 
institutions,—Peabody, the John Hopkins 
University, the Enoch Pratt free library, a 
superb building munificently furnished, and 
her famed public schools. In Baltimore was 
opened, in 1884, a manual training-school sup¬ 
ported by the public school fund, and the 
first experiment of the kind in the United 
States. I paid it a visit, one day and was very 
courteously received by the Lieutenant in 
charge. The object of the school is to fur¬ 
nish instruction and practice in the use of 
tools, and such instruction as may bo deemed 
necessary in mathematics, drawing, and the 
English branches of a high-school course, and 
practical instruction showing how to use tools 
—the foundation of many trades. No one 
specific trade is taught, but they have carpen¬ 
try, wood-carving, wood-turning, pattern¬ 
making, proper care and use of tools. In 
machine-shop work, they have fitting, turn¬ 
ing, drilling, plauing. mauagement and care 
of steam-engines and boilers. About one 
hour a day is given to drawing and two 
to shop work. Boys must be at least 
14 years of age, and furnish satisfactory 
proofs of good moral character, nud pass a 
prescribed examination. Ability to use the 
English language correctly is especially de¬ 
sired. 
Tho number of pupils, at first limited 
to 50. has increased to 150, and more are wait¬ 
ing to enter—just the kind of a school needed 
in every city. I was told that the school is 
vehemently opposed by the trades’ labor-un¬ 
ions, because in it boys learn to work and af¬ 
ter a course of study are, if bright and apt, 
ready to “turn their hand at any trade.” The 
Lieutenant told me that the gentleman who 
projected and carried this school into effect is 
working and planning a similar school for 
girls. “And will they be taught carpentry?” 
I asked. “Oh, I suppose not,” ho replied, *‘J 
don’t think carpentry is essential for girls, is 
it?” “It is very essential for a great many 
gjfls—really the hast and brightest girls—for 
all clever housekeepers have to use tools more 
or less,” I urged, “and there are lots of girls 
who would make very good carpenters for re¬ 
pairs and tilings about their own houses”— 
but the labor-unions objected to anything 
that would make the public at large self-help¬ 
ful: if a coat book needed to be put up, it was 
the business of the hook-needer to send for a 
carpenter to do the job, etc., etc. Really, it 
looks at times as if we would have to fight 
again for our liberties—our commonest liber¬ 
ties! All kinds of boys, socially, are iu this 
school—the sous of the rich; some so poor that 
shoes have to be provided for them, and one 
lad at a turning lathe was pointed out as a 
grandson of President Monroe. “Hoodlum- 
ism” will everywhere diminish in proportion 
as these schools increase. Girls are to be 
thught cooking and. domestic economy—tho 
schools to be an adjunct, if possible, to the fe¬ 
male high schools—and carpentry, I trust, 
will be included. 
Anaximander put in an appearance in due 
time. He had not been captivated with Flor¬ 
ida, had stopped in all the leading cities of 
the coast up—and on the 14t,h day of 
May, the laddie’s ninth birthday, we left Bal¬ 
timore for “home”—Maryland, Delaware and 
at last Pennsylvania. A carriage for us was 
at the railway station—a few miles out of tho 
city of Philadelphia—and at two in tho after¬ 
noon we wheeled in at. the “drive” iu the old 
homestead grounds which we had left two 
years before, the laddie too glad to say a 
word! Everything indoors and out had been 
put. in perfect order, our pet carriage horse 
was in her stall. . Nothing lacked but the 
laddie’s dog which had died of extreme old 
age during our absence. Alter Hying through 
nil the rooms in the house, and wondering 
how It. happened that they all seemed so much 
smaller than they used to! the boy darted 
o(T to his frog-poud in the woods and returned 
with u frog In his hauds to be tamed. When 
he weut to bed that night he said. “This has 
been Wu? happiest day of my life, mamma. 
I said I must reach home for my birthday! 
Oh, this is home. It is the most beautiful 
place iu the whole world, really it is, and J 
never again want to leave it for even one 
day.” 
We were all glad with the laddie, and 
thankful that during so many thousands of 
miles of travel, by land and by water, we 
had met with no mishaps or accidents, that 
we had suffered neither from illness nor mis¬ 
fortune of any kind, and that we were again 
at home, safe and well, better in every way 
for the holiday, and enriched with an exper¬ 
ience, delightful and valuable beyond meas¬ 
urement. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Ohio. 
Kingsbury, Meigs Co., August 7.—Corn a 
good stand, but is being shortened by 
dry weather. Wheat and oats fair crops. 
Potatoes early, below the nverago; late, will 
be nothing if it, does not rain in a short time. 
[It has mined since, but hardly enough.—E ds.] 
Garden “truck” not. very good—injured by 
dry weather. Apples hardly one-fourth of 
the crop; pears but a little better; plums 
almost, a failure; peaches one half a crop; 
raspberries and strawberries, good; grapes in¬ 
jured by rot, but will be a good crop. Hay 
was about an average. d. b. s. 
•Onltforntn. 
Alturas, Modoc Co., July 28.—Owing to 
late frosts some vegetables and corn are below 
an average. Wheat, rye, barley and oats are 
about 8 ft per cent, of average crops. Grass 
of all kinds 100 per Cent, and they are of tho 
very best, quality. All kinds of stock are 
looking well. Horses and cattle thrive here 
admirably—large ranges and plenty ol good 
water. L. J. K. 
Canada. 
Aroyle, Southern Mauitoba, July 20.— 
Crops here look a great deal better than for 
yearn past and farmers are in good spirits 
with the promise of a bountiful harvest. 
Wheat—Red Fyfo—will yield ahout on tho 
average, front 20 to 25 bushels per acre, and if 
the weather continues as at present we shall 
have an early harvest. Oats look well and 
promise an abundant yield; a good deal more 
sown than last. year. Hay rather light., owing 
to the drought last summer and lack of rain 
in the spring. Potatoes and garden stuff gen¬ 
erally arc doing much better than for some 
years past, and grubs and files uro not so 
numerous as some summers gone by. 
w. G. w. 
Dakota Territory. 
Hermosa, Custer Co., August 7.—Small 
grains are only half crops iu general here¬ 
abouts, although I have whut would be con¬ 
sidered full crops; but 1 irrigate and am only 
one among hundreds to do so. Corn has 
stood the drought well and wo have had suf¬ 
ficient rain of late to insure a fair crop. We 
do not consider this section successful for 
farming; it is a stock-raising country, but 
either in connection with the other can be 
made a success. We have a choice stock 
country and our stock is doing well. No 
disease has ever been known in this district 
either among hogs or cattle. Dairying is be¬ 
coming quite a business. 1 am very much 
pleased with the Rural. Wo have received 
some very valuable information, and 1 don't 
see how stock men aud fanners can run or 
keep house successfully without it. d. p. r. 
Illiiioi*. 
Rockford, Winnebago Co., Aug. 10.—We 
had a heavy rain last night that has broken 
the backbone of the long-continued drought. 
It came too late to do much material good 
except for fall feed. w. d. h. 
Iowa. 
Des Moines, Polk Co., Aug, 8 .—The 
drought is still Revere. We have given up all 
hope now of gettiug more than a half crop of 
corn, and will be very thankful for that much. 
Mauy fields of corn are already burned up to 
the ear, and the corn cannot possibly fill in 
these fired-up fields. The chinch bugs are 
getting in their work well on lots of the corn. 
There was never such damage by those pests 
before in this section, and I fear we are rais¬ 
ing so many of them that we will not get 
clear of nil this winter, as it is said they live 
over all winter. [Yes; Harris says some of 
them continue alive during winter in tlioir 
places of concealment.— Eds] Our farmers 
think of quitting grain growing until we get 
clear of them. We hoped to got rain in time 
to make lute potatoes, but we had ns well give 
it up, for the potatoes arc dying badly and 
the grub worm is eating what few there are. 
Farmers thought they would sow turnips and 
get some feed from them for their stock, aud 
a great many acres were sown; but the dry 
weather and grasshoppers have about used up 
all that came up. I have liecn sowing ever 
since June 20, and if I get enough for family 
use l shall be thankful. Pastures are as dry 
ns the Sahara, and it is mockery to turn cattle 
on them, except for shade and exercise. We 
have to feed dry feed. Wells are neai’ly all 
dry. Some farmers are digging deeper and 
our towus are sinking artesian wells. Cattle 
are being driven for miles to the Des Moines 
River for water, and the river is lower than 
ever known—a child ran wade across it. 
There is a gloomy prospect hero for food for 
the long winter. [A sad outlook indeed.— 
Eds.] f. s. w. 
Iowa. 
Eldridge, Scott Co., Aug. 7.—Barley has 
been thrashed; yield from five to 30 bushels 
per acre: will not average over 12 or 14 bush¬ 
els; quality inferior. Wheat about 80 per 
cent, of an average crop; acreage very small. 
Oats fair. Timothy almost a total failure. 
Corn will be bid,ter than last year, but will 
not make the yield anticipated from July re¬ 
ports. Potatoes will be a failure unless we 
get rain very soon, and that will only save 
those planted very late. L, o. s. 
Kansas 
Burlington, Coffey Co., Aug. 8—In this 
immediate section wo are burned out by tho 
drought. Hay one-half crop. Oats eight to 
12 bushels per acre. Wheat aud potatoes fail¬ 
ures. Corn made a wonderful promise, but 
as a rule we will have very little marketable 
corn. Flax large acreage aud a heavy yield. 
o. d. k. 
Michigan. 
Byron. Shiawassee Co., Aug. 12.—The acre¬ 
age of the following crops is fully up to aver¬ 
age:—hay, coni, oats and wheat—but the 
yield of wheat and oats per acre, according to 
the reports made by the thrasher-men, will 
not lie much more than three-fourths of a 
crop, if quite ns high as that. Corn has been 
badly hurt in this section by drought. Hay 
is a full crop. j. f. m. 
Minnesota. 
Orrock, Sherbourne Co., Aug. 12.—We 
have had very little raiu all summer, conse¬ 
quently crops are very light. Wheat, acre¬ 
age, 125; yield from 0 to 8 bushels per acre. 
Oats about the same. Rye a little better. 
Corn about half a crop. Potatoes almost a 
failure. All kinds of fruit dried lip. Ilay 
a good crop. W. S. E. 
Nebraska. 
Hkatherburn, Richardson Co., Aug. 7.— 
Tlw soil of this section is loess. Though light 
anil porous to a great depth, it is sufficiently 
tenacious aud compact to make goad brick. 
Under favorable conditions it. is very produc¬ 
tive. This is pre-eminently a corn country 
and noted for tho excellence of its fruit and 
the soil is well adapted to the cultivation of 
the tamo grasses. Crops do not suffer so se¬ 
verely in protracted drought as in soils under¬ 
laid by rock or hard-pan, though they respond 
as readily to the action of moisture us else¬ 
where; hence it is that in 18(10, when, to the 
south of here, the inhabitants weie on tho 
verge of starvation, the residents of this State 
hud sufficient to live Oil, and in 1875, when the 
grasshoppers devoured nearly everything 
planted before the 10th of June, an abundance 
wa3 harvested here to sustain the residents of 
the county. With the exception of the above 
mentioned years and 1873, when crops were 
cut short by drought, an abundance of corn 
has been raised aud u vast surplus shipped 
from the State. For the last three years we 
have not had the accustomed amount of rain. 
The first of these years the moisture in the soil 
sustained tho crops and they yielded wall. 
The spring of 188(1 opened without sufficient 
rain and the dry spell continued until the 24th 
of June, wbeu we hail a fine rain, after which 
there was none to speak of until fall. Wheat 
yielded from eight to 18 bushels uu acre, rye 
15, oats 40, corn from 20 to (15, and potatoes 
that ripened early yielded well, but sprouted 
in the ground and rotted badly, while the lato 
ones were poor. Clover produced an unusual 
yield of seed. Last spring commenced with 
the moisture nearly exhausted from the soil, 
and but little fell until the latter part of May, 
when wo had a good rain that moistened the 
earth to the depth of 15 or 20 inches. Since 
then we have had nothing but light showers 
tbut slightly moistened the surface. The 
rain in May sustained the small grains and 
the early potatoes until ripe and the tame 
grasses made a heavy growth. Wheat yields 
from 10 to 40 bushels per acre; rye, 15; oats, 
4ft to (15; and potatoes, though the early ones 
are a fair yield, will not supply tho demand of 
tho count}'. Corn, which suffemi severely 
from cut-worms where replanted, has not 
eared, aud the early planting, in many places, 
stunds destitute of ears, the leaves sored by 
heat and the stalks exhausted of their juices 
by the chinch bug. It may yield from 10 to 
30 bushels per acre. Fruit tries set during 
the last and previous springs have, many of 
them, died, and peaches hang withered upon 
the trees. Apples Ret well, but do not grow to 
their usual size nor have their accustomed llu 
vor, yet the later varieties hung on well, and 
the Ben Davis and the Northern Spy bend 
with the weight of their fruit, while beneath 
the trees Blue Grass has long been dry enough 
to hum, and most of tho springs and smaller 
streams in the county have ceased to flow. 
Blight of the apple-trees lias boon arrested by 
the drought, and it has preventel its develop¬ 
ment in the pear. There will be no clover 
seed, except from the June cutting. j. w. 
Oregon. 
Haines, Baker Co., Aug. 10.—The crops in 
Powder River Valley are. on an average, very 
promising. Hay is rather light, but still 
good. Oats yield from (50 to 75 bushels to tho 
acre, and the crop never looked better. Bar¬ 
ley is sown abundantly and will yield well this 
season. Corn is not raised as a rule. The 
wheat crop is light. Potatoes were badly in¬ 
jured by the late frosts, but still there will be 
quite a quantity raised, as they were planted 
extensively. Fruit is scarce, but there are 
immense quantities of berries. This is more 
of a stock thau a farming country, m. p. r. 
Texas. 
Gonzales. Gonzales Co., Aug., 6.— Cotton 
will not be a big crop in Texas this year. Corn 
is good over a wide section. Folks will come 
out better than Inst year, still the balance on 
the right side will be small. j. t. 
Washington Territory. 
Pomroy, Garfield Co., Aug. 8.— The season 
has been neither the best nor the worst. It 
started with plenty of snow in February, with 
ground but little frozen. Then came plenty 
of raitt iu March and April.anil the latter part 
of May and the first part of June were warm, 
dry and some days hot. We had good rains 
about June 15, which gave us a good crop 
of winter wheat. Since then we have 
had hot days and cool nights without rain; 
hence all spring-sown grain is light—little 
more than half crop. Wheat in particular is 
badly shriveled. Barley is better. Corn will 
not be a half crop. Potatoes about ditto. 
Our country is overrun with worms of vari¬ 
ous kinds and especially with the cut-worm 
family, of which there seems to lie a variety 
for every stage of plant life, from t he germin¬ 
ating seed to the full-grown plant, so that 
gardens are not as good as usual. The fruit crop 
on an average is light, but few localities having 
a full crop while in many, there is none. Ap¬ 
ples are about 75 per cont. of an average 
yield; peaches 50 in tho most favored spots; 
plutus, primes aud cherries above lftfi; while 
berries of all kinds were almuduut, I hear 
complaints of the curculio and other insect 
pests, and a blue leuf louse is very uuinerous 
on my plum trees, and a blight effects others. 
Some of my pears are also affected with a 
kind of leaf blight but not very badly. 
a. ii. n. 
“ Staminate ” Strawberries ? — About 
three years ago we called our friend, the Al¬ 
bany Cultivator and Country Gentleman, to 
account, because its respected horticultural 
editor, Mr. J. J. Thomas, favored the use of 
the word “staminate” for those varieties of 
strawberries whose flowers bear both stamens 
and pistils. The Cultivator replied that all 
strawberry blossoms have both stamens and 
pistils, and that those sorts commonly known 
as “pistillate” have imperfect or abortive 
stamens, and are therefore not self-fertilizing. 
Hence, “the word ‘ pistillate,” strictly speak¬ 
ing, applies to none.” Wo have hold that the 
use of the word “staminate” is misleading, 
because it implies that the flower is uni¬ 
sexual, and have insisted upon the word “ bi¬ 
sexual ” or “perfect;” we have favored tho 
word “pistillate,” because the flowers of cer¬ 
tain kinds are virtually deprived of po¬ 
tent stamens or authors, and are practically 
unisexual. A recent article in the above 
journal concludes; 
“The mistake which writer usually make 
is in calling those sorts “pistillate” which, al¬ 
though having stamens, have none largo 
enough to impregnate fully their own berries. 
It would be more correct to denominate those 
with large stamens ’‘self fertilizing” only. 
A less freonent mistake is to nnuio those 
“staminate” which have large stamens, and 
do not need the aid of other sorts. All vari¬ 
eties are both staminate and pistillate, and 
those who would bo strictly uccurale may do 
well to avoid the error of indirectly indicat¬ 
ing their dicecious character,” 
Mr. Thomas, it. would appear, has changed 
his opinion to the extent of admitting that 
our objection to the word “staminate” is well 
founded. It. doesn't appear to us that the use 
of the word “pistillate,” to designate flowers 
that are deficient iu pollen, is stretching ac¬ 
curacy too far. The meaning of the letter P, 
in the strawberry catalogues, is now well un¬ 
derstood. 
Experience with Ensilage.—A writer 
iu the Farmers’ Review says Mint he filled his 
