THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
ANatlonal Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Conducted by 
ELBERT S. CARMAN. 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
No. S4 Park Row, New York. 
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1887. 
Any of our readers who would wish 
to represent "The Rural New-Yorker" 
at the Fairs—North, South, East or 
West—and obtain subscriptions, either 
yearly or for a short term, will please 
communicate with this office at once. 
Liberal terms will be offered. 
TnE seeds of Kaffir Corn (sorghum) are 
now (Sept. 1st) ripening. They are 
borne in oblong, upright, close panicles 
nearly a foot long. The yield of grain 
to the acre must be heavy. Plants cut 
off near the ground Aug. 19, are making 
a second growth of leaves from the 
stumps left, five or six to each stump, 
and about a foot long. It does not ap¬ 
pear that the second growth will amount 
to much. 
In reply to our inquiry, W. C. Barry, of 
Ellwauger & Barry, says that, he does not 
know that Rosa rugosa has ever been 
crossed with auy other species of rose. 
We selected this rose for hybridizing pur¬ 
poses because, of its altogether peculiar 
and beautiful foliage. Our hybrid seed¬ 
lings may not and probably will not 
themselves amount to anything; but they 
may still prove to be the parents from 
which distinct and fine varieties may 
spring. 
Great efforts are being made to sup¬ 
press “pleuro” in this city and the neigh¬ 
boring country. The Board of Health 
here has appointed a special veterinarian 
at a salary of $1,500 a year. The- 
Bureau of Animal Industry has opened 
quarters here. Veterinarians from Cook 
County, III., are reinforcing the local 
stall. Each infected section is systemati¬ 
cally parceled out and investigated. 
Many infected and exposed beasts have 
been slaughtered, and preparations have 
been completed for slaughtering many 
more. This “hot-bed” of disease will 
soon be purified, if possible. 
The coming winter will force many 
farmers to feed straw and corn fodder for 
the first time. Something must be pro¬ 
vided to take the place of the diminished 
hay crop, or cattle will have to be sold. 
Instead of selling, many good farmers, 
who find an unusual hollow in the hay 
mow, desire to take advantage of the 
present low prices to stock their farms 
with superior cattle; so straw and fodder 
will be called into use to provide the body 
of the ration, with grain, oil meal and cot¬ 
ton-seed meal for the heart. The notes on 
the preparation of corn fodder, to be 
found on another page, will interest all 
who are short of hay or who desire to turn 
some, bay into cash. The question of 
steaming and cutting the coarser parts of 
the stalks was discussed :30 years ago, and 
there is a difference of opinion still. 
As a new idea, the old storyis now 
“going the rounds” that in order to avoid 
dampness in cellars it is better to keep 
them closed in the day time and open at 
night. We believe, but we do not pre¬ 
tend to know, that this is bad advice. At 
all events we act upon our faith and open 
our cellar windows and doors during 
every clear day while we are careful to 
dose them at night. The cellar is always 
quite dry and the air sweet. For the 
same reason that sleeping rooms up-stairs 
are considered more healthful than those, 
on the ground floor or over the cellar, wo 
should prefer to exclude the night air. 
For the same reason that low, damp plac¬ 
es where malarious or infectious vapors 
collect aud rest, are to be avoided, we 
should prefer to keep the cellar windows 
closed at night. See to it that the cellar 
walls are whitewashed as needed; that 
decaying stuff be kept out of it; that the 
sun-warmed air circulate through it dur¬ 
ing the day—but shut up the cellar at 
night, 
-- 
There are stored away in the Govern¬ 
ment vaults at Washington 500 tons of 
gold and nearly 7,500 tons of silver. If 
loaded in carts like coals it would require 
8,000 strong horses to haul it. Every 
dollar of this vast sum represents a 
dollar’s worth of labor. The whole 
of it represents the entire earnings of 
1,000,000 workmen for one year. It, was 
wrung from the people by war taxes con¬ 
tinued for over 20 years after war had 
ceased. It has been earned by the toilers 
of the country, aud is as useless to them 
now as if it still remained buried in the 
mines. The commerce of the country 
needs a larger money circulation. The 
agriculture of the country demands it,. 
Putting it into the market may make 
money cheaper. That is what all our 
60,000,000 population want, except a few T 
thousands or hundred thousands of capital¬ 
ists. The money was created not by 
their labors, but by those of the toilers, 
and belongs, therefore, to the latter. Such 
a vast hoard is not needed to secure the 
paper obligations of a nation whose word 
is as good as gold. This vast accumula¬ 
tion is a constant temptation to reckless 
extravagance by Congress; a constant en¬ 
ticement to all sorts of outrageous claims 
on public generosity and beneficence. 
Taxes should be speedily reduced so as to 
put an end to the hoarding process, and 
some means should be devised for prompt¬ 
ly restoring this enormous sum to the 
people’s pockets, from which it should 
never have been taken. 
The entire business of the country is 
being rapidly organized m the form of 
great “trusts” or syndicates. The system 
is very profitable to those who embark in 
it, hence nearly all interests are seeking 
to organize in that way, and every one of 
them appears to be combining, against 
the greatest of all—agriculture. With 
syndicates to control the prices of every¬ 
thing the farmer has to buy, while he is 
utterly unable to influence the prices of 
what he has to sell, what chance has he ? 
Ilis buying prices are determined by com¬ 
binations of domestic manufacturers and 
merchants; his selling prices by those 
ruling in the markets of the world. Not 
only are the great trusts combined 
against him, but in every line of manu¬ 
factures there are combinations for keep¬ 
ing or putting up prices, by which he is 
the principal sufferer. Nay, the Gov- 
erment itself, by adding from 10 to 70 
per cent, to the cost of most things he 
has to buy, in the shape of protection to 
manufacturers, adds to his burthens, ft 
is in times of low prices, like the present,* 
that these burthens are felt most oppress¬ 
ively; yet it is at just such times of low 
prices that anti-farmer trusts, syndicates 
and combinations appear busiest in de¬ 
vising means for still further depleting 
the. farmer’s pockets. The farmers’ losses 
through drought alone this year are esti¬ 
mated at $600,000,000, aud they will prob¬ 
ably exceed that enormous sum; but anti¬ 
farmer syndicates are multiplying and 
the old ones arc gouging the farmer as 
hard-heartedly as ever. 
THE ONE-MAN PARTY. 
Henry Georoe proposes in the present 
campaign, to go before the farmers of 
New York State with his land theories. 
Heretofore he has appealed to the work¬ 
ingmen of New York City. We believe 
“the land theory” will be repudiated by 
farmers and in fact by all who own land. 
That many of our present forms of taxa¬ 
tion arc unjust, and that the farming 
classes Ijave not been able to secure all the 
advantages that the laws have been made 
to bring to other classes, we firmly believe. 
That Ileury George and his land theory 
will relieve these burdens is not by any 
means clear. We cannot see anything in 
the party or its platform but Henry 
George. It is a one man party if there 
ever was ooe. Iu his grasp upon the 
name, the purposes, and the organization 
of his party Henry George has a complete 
monopoly. When a party comes before 
the people with a policy so intricate and 
extended that only one man is able to 
comprehend it, they need not be surprised 
if shrewd and sensible farmers refuse to 
join until the party principles are put into 
such simple forms that all can understand 
them. It will be possible to find hun¬ 
dreds, yes, thousands of city workers who 
are willing to blindly follow any glib- 
tongued hader who can offer a plausible 
cure for poverty. Let this leader go 
before men who have property iuterests to 
represent the results of frugality, temper¬ 
ance and industry, aud he strikes an en¬ 
tirely new class of hearers. They will 
take nothing for granted, aud they have 
something to do besides worshipping a 
brilliant leader. This is a poor country for 
a one-man party. 
- * ♦ ♦ 
OUR LATEST GRAPE NOTES. 
In view of the fact that many readers of 
the R. N.-Y are making up lists of grapes 
for fall planting, the following notes, 
taken Sept. 3, may prove serviceable: 
Jessica (white)though rotting less than 
many others kinds up to 10 days ago,will 
not ripen any perfect bunches for the 
reason that the vine lias lost its foliage. 
Berckmans, which also resisted rot up to 
two weeks ago, is now totting cons dera- 
bly. Poughkeepsie Red loses its leaves 
and the berries have all rotted and fallen. 
Woodruff Red is now ripening a few 
bunches of large, showy grapes. The 
quality is of the poorest. Amber Queen 
rots considerably. The quality is very good. 
Brighton ripens a fair crop. F. B. Hayes. A 
vine of this was received from Mr. J. B. 
Moore, Concord, Mass., in December of 
1885. Tin; vine ripened a dozen bunches 
about Aug, 80. The berries (white with a 
heavy bloom) are entirely free of rot. 
They are from medium to large in size, 
pulp somewhat breaking and tender. 
Sprightly, juicy, few-seeded. Skin thin, 
but firm; bunches of medium size with¬ 
out shoulders. We consider it, this sea¬ 
son, our best early white grape. It ripens 
just between Moore’s Early and Cottage. 
Ulster Prolific is bearing a fine crop with¬ 
out a particle of rot or mildew. It will 
ripen with Delaware. Worden again ripens 
exactly with Concord. The berries are 
larger, the bunches smaller and less 
shouldered. Both are rotting badly, 
Victoria, Carlotta (white) and Rocking¬ 
ham are bearing fair crops, the last alone 
rotting, though less than Worden orCou- 
cord. Pocklington is free of rot, but late 
to ripen. It bears a large crop of fair¬ 
sized bunches. Duchess is worthless 
here. Niagara will not hear a decent 
bunch. The foliago has mildewed and 
is falling. Moore's Early isagnin bearing 
a fair crop of medium-sized bunches, the 
berries of w r hioh arc even larger than 
usual—no rot. Jefferson, Eldorado, Her¬ 
bert, Wilder, Latly and our various new 
kinds wnich are seedlings of Eume!au,have 
failed from one cause or another this sea¬ 
son, which, with one exception, has been 
the most unfavorable for grape culture 
within our remembrance. 
CHARLES M. HOVEY. 
It is with deep regret and warm sym¬ 
pathy we announce that our old contri¬ 
butor and friend, Charles M. Hovey, 
widely and favorably known as a florist 
and pomologist, ended a long, useful and 
honorable life last Thursday night, at Ids 
home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, after 
an illness of several months. Mr. Hovey 
was born at Carabridgeport on October 
26, 1810- His taste for gardening was 
developed at the early age of 15, when, in 
co-operation with his brother, he began 
to lay the foundation of the nursery busi¬ 
ness which has acquired a world-wide re¬ 
putation since then. 
In 1834, in addition to their nursery at 
the ’Port, they began a seed business in 
Boston, which they have ever since suc¬ 
cessfully continued. In 1840 the firm 
bought a wild woodland tract in East 
Boston, and to this they removed their 
nursery business. In 1844 Mr. Hovey 
visited Europe and bought a choice col¬ 
lection of ornamental trees and shrubs in 
English, Scotch, French and Belgian 
nurseries, and of these 175 specimens still 
remain, though 70 percent, of the various 
kinds perished within the first two years. 
During his whole career hybridization was 
his favorite work, and by it he secured 
many tine results, especially among cam¬ 
ellias, which he began to hybridize in 
1835. In 1838 he began hybridizing aza¬ 
leas, and Japanese lilies in 1845, and ob¬ 
tained many well-known varieties of both, 
ns well as of several other species of 
flowers in this way. Beginning in 1833 
liis labor of hybridizing strawberries, he 
obtained the. Boston Pine and llovcy's 
Seedling the following year, and since 
then he has secured many notable succes¬ 
ses both with strawberries aud other 
fruits. 
In 1835, when but little over 24, Mr. 
Hovey founded the Magazine of Horti¬ 
culture, aud remained its editor during - 
its existence—a period of 34 years. For 
54 years he was an active member of the 
Massachusetts Horticultural Society and 
President of it from 1863-1806, inclusive. 
It was during his administration that the 
present Horticultural nail was erected, 
mainly through his high courage and un¬ 
tiring energy. An encyclopedea of in¬ 
formation on all horticultural subjects, 
with a marvelously retentive memory, 
and frank lucidity of expression, Air. 
Hovey was au instructive and delightful 
companion who made hosts of friends, 
who all over the country will mourn his 
death. An excellent original portrait and 
sketch of his life appeared in the Rural 
New-Yorker of April 28, 1881. 
BREVITIES. 
Our Miss Tnplin, who for a time is sojourn¬ 
ing in Michigan, presents in her department a 
suggestive article on "Women as Horticultur¬ 
ists.” 
For a good crop of corn during this dry 
season. Prof. Cook of the Michigan Agricul¬ 
tural College, has to thank a “blessed quar¬ 
tette.” See ‘"Drought Resisted,”page 594. 
In mauy localities, the honey season has 
been almost a failure. In many cases colonies 
have not enough stores for winter consump¬ 
tion. It is to be feared that too many bee¬ 
keepers will become discouraged at this state 
of affairs and let the bees die. 
At the meeting of the American Fomologi- 
cal Society, held iu Boston September 14, it is 
proposed to make the greatest display of hor¬ 
ticultural and pomologicaJ products ever seen 
on this continent. The hall in which the ex¬ 
hibition will take place will, with its galleries, 
afford a space of nearly au acre. 
Ox another page several parties speak of 
feeding chopped corn fodder well wet with 
hot water, to nurses troubled with the heaves. 
This feed is good. This disease is greatly ag¬ 
gravated by feeding dry and dusty clover bay, 
as many farmers do. Chopping mid wetting 
the hay has long been considered one of the 
safest methods of preparing the food for a 
beavoy horse. 
It appears that the crops of beans and peas 
are light again this year. These crops are 
often overlooked in the interest that attaches 
to grains or cot ton, but they - aro far more im¬ 
portant to many than wheat or corn. In 
many districts beans are the principal crop 
grown, and a failure in yield or low prices 
will be sure to cause trouble. With a short¬ 
ened crop, prices bid fair to be high this year. 
Last whiter a friend lost a cow at calving 
time. The death was principally due to cou- 
stipatiou This frightened others whose cows 
were about ready to “ come in.” A few days 
before calving the next cow was given 
several large closes of oil. These caused a 
serious attack of diarrhoea, which weakened 
the cow so that she was unable to calve with¬ 
out assistance. A good thing can be easily 
overdone. A cow should be kept in good 
healthy condition and not allowed to suffer 
from either constipation or diarrhoea at any 
time. 
On August 29 the Board of Trustees of the 
University of Tennessee unanimously elected 
Charles 8. Plumb, formerly of the editorial 
staff of the Hun At. New Yorker, aud at pres¬ 
ent first assistant.at the New York Experiment 
Station, as Professor of Agriculture iu that 
institution. The choice is all tin- more hon¬ 
orable because the position was offered spon¬ 
taneously, having been in no way sought. If 
earnest, intelligent work, groat perseverance 
and high ambition for honorable success are 
worth anything, his career there will he both 
honorable to himself and useful to the Uni- 
verity. The Rural heartily wishes him 
success. 
Reports say that potatoes will be so scarce 
in some parts of the West, this year that sup¬ 
plies must lie drawn from other places even 
for farmers’ use. Heavy freight for long dis¬ 
tances is almost prohibitory with regard to 
Eastern potatoes, if there will be any to spare 
from home consumption; but Western Canada 
has au uimsuaUy abundant crop, and is with¬ 
in a reasonable distance of the potatoloss 
country; but. then.for the “protection” of our 
farmers the Government has imposed a duty 
of 15 cents a bushel on Canadian potatoes. 
With regard to farmers ut. any rate, the in¬ 
quiry is pertinent, “Docs protection protect f’> 
OwiNuto the protests against his .July re¬ 
port. made by tobacco growers and handlers 
in Kentucky and Ohio, aud indeed in the 
other chief tobacco growing sections, Statisti- 
ciun Dodge, of the Department of Agriculture, 
has been making uuusualiy careful and exten¬ 
sive investigations as to the area under tobacco 
this year, and the prospect of t he crop. To¬ 
bacco men were unanimous in their declara¬ 
tion that liis previous estimate was far too 
high, and their opinion appears to have been 
quite correct. Mr. Dodge finds from the late 
returns, that an average of only 41.5 per cent, 
of last year's acreage has been plnuted : while 
16,000 western growers report that their own 
areas iu cultivation are less than 40 percent, 
as compared with last year's acreage. The 
Statistician’s July report gave Kentucky 78 
per cent, of last year’s area. Even with the 
best aud most careful men mistakes aro fre¬ 
quent, especially iu estimating crops over a 
wide extent of country, when the estimates 
are based on the reports of others; but it is 
Beldoiu such errors are so promptly and 
frankly acknowledged by any official digni¬ 
tary. 
On September 1 the “Pure Wine Law,” en¬ 
acted by the last. Legislature, went into effect 
iu New York State. It is designed to give 
wine drinkers au idea of the constituents of 
their beverages. It defines “pure wines” as 
containing 75 per cent, of grape or undried 
fruit juice; “half wines” as containing 50 per 
cent, of pure juice, aud “made wines” asauy- 
tbing containing between 50 aud 25 per cent. 
Manufacturers are forbidden to sell or make 
auy wine containing less than 25 per cent, of 
pure juice, or auv in which there is any one 
of a long list of adulterating substances. On 
packages containing “half” or “made” wines 
there must he brands or labels with letters 
half an inch long, telling the class to which 
the wine belongs. Violation of the law is 
made a misdemeanor, and the penalty ranges 
from $200 to $1,000 fine, or from six to t welve 
months’ imprisonment. There are also penal¬ 
ties of $1 for each gallon sold or manufac¬ 
tured. The viueyaedists of this istut.c, like 
those of California, have long been demanding 
au anti-adulteration law, but the present ouo 
will hardly answer their expectations. Put¬ 
ting carbonic acid gas in wiue to make it 
effervesce more lively, is forbidden, though it 
is iu no way unwholesome, cannot possibly bo 
detected, and is used in nearly all domestic 
champagnes, and many imported brands, as 
well as iu soda and mineral waters. This pro¬ 
vision is said to be unconstitutional, aud the 
makers aud dealers will test the law and 
meanwhile entirely disregard it. 
