THE RUBAI, NEW-YOPKER. 
THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
A National Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Conducted by 
ELBERT S. CARMAN. 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
No. S4 Park i ,ow, New York. 
SATURDAY. NOVEMBER 20, 18S7. 
NOTICE. 
The Rural New-Yorker trill be sent from 
this date to January 1, 1889—57 weeks — 
for the regular yearly price of $2.00. The 
senders of clubs of five or over may reset ve 
50 emits for each yearly subscription in pay¬ 
ment for the work involved in securing the 
clubs. Or they may select suitable articles 
from our new rcminm-list. In this case , 
there is no cash commission allowed. Speci¬ 
mens and premium-lists and our series of 
four cartoons will be cheerf ully and promptly 
sent to all applicants. 
This year, as in the past, we have 
special club combinations with: 1st, 
the Inter-Ocean of Chicago, III.; 2d, 
the Detroit Free Press of Detroit, Mich , 
and last, the Weekly World of New 
York. And now we are glad to add the 
Courier-Journal of Louisville, Ky. The 
price for either the Rural and Inter- 
Ocean, or Free Press, is $2.50; for the 
Rural and the World (including its 
book premium), the price is $2.60; 
for the Rural and Courier-Journal, the 
price is $2.75. The publishers of 
these journals will gladly furnish speci¬ 
men copies without charge. We prom¬ 
ise prompt attention in forwarding all 
subscriptions received. Subscribe 
through the R. N.-Y. 
A partial prospectus of the It, N.-Y. 
for 1888, as presented on page 792, should 
attract the attention of all readers, both 
new and old. 
u Bis datqui cito dot" is a Latin proverb 
that might well be recalled and acted 
upon during these holiday times—“He 
who gives promptly, gives twice as 
much.”__ 
Hopeful, thankful, grateful, frisky, 
enthusiastic; with love for all and hatred 
only of our owu shortcomings; this is 
the way the Rural feels to-day and we 
hope that with a greater measure of merit 
and a less measure of demerit our friends 
may be enjoying the same complacent 
state of mind. 
For eggs we are convinced that for this 
climate White Leghorns will give us the 
greatest weight of eggs the year round, 
and, if kept warm and clean, will prove 
the best Y'iuter layers. The egg of Dork¬ 
ings will average as large as that of a 
Leghorn, and they will lay as many in 
hot weather. Hut, they can not stand our 
winters as well. Leghorns and Dorkings 
will stand all the food they will cat and 
not get too fat. The Brahmas, if over-fed, 
will get too fat and stop laying. We 
have known four pounds of fat to be 
taken oil a single Brahma hen. 
♦ »» 
A prominent officer of one of our agri¬ 
cultural experiment stations writes the R. 
N.-Y. as follows: 
“ I notice from a late Rural that you feel 
somewhat pained te learn that your fearless 
criticisms of the Ohio Experiment Station 
have offended some connected with it. 
Of course.you can not. help this. But, the fact 
remains that our experiment stations must bear 
the test of honest criticism. If they cannot 
do this, it isa certain indication that they arc 
not what they should lie. 1 think we should 
treat their mistakes wit h due charity, remem¬ 
bering the difficulties under which they are la¬ 
boring, but we certainly ought, not to ignore 
their mist 'kes und shortcomings, otherwise 
tho strong* a, incentive for their improvement 
is removed.’' 
not closely together as in usual packing, 
but merely so that the stalks pressed 
against each other somewhat. The tops 
are above the soil so that, during sunshiny 
days the leaves may be exposed to the sun 
and air. When frosts threaten, the trench 
is covered by the double-pitch roof, and 
when freezing weather is probable, leaves, 
litter and corn-stalks arc placed over it 
as needed. Here we have over the cel¬ 
ery a triangular air-space of at least two 
square feet. Air may be admitted at 
both ends at any time when it is not 
thought well to remove the roof sections. 
Our theory is this: As the leaves are not 
injured by contact with the protecting 
material but are occasionally exposed to 
sun and air, and as the roots are still 
resting in soil, the needs of the plants are 
far enough supplied to preserve them in 
a healthy, if not growing condition. The 
method is by no means an expensive one 
and should it prove as successful as wc 
are led to hope it may, exact plans, etc., 
will be presented next spring after its 
success shall have been assured. 
Which of the oldest inhabitants any¬ 
where can remember when beef cattle 
nearly everywhere, and especially at the 
West, were us low-priced as they have 
been of late? Blooded cattle at the great 
autumn sales have shared the fate of 
scrubs and grades from the prairies and 
ranges. The general conclusion is that 
there has been a decline of from 20 to 25 
per cent, in values of good blooded stock, 
and still stockmen have not to any con¬ 
siderable extent availed themselves of 
the bargains. It is only a few years ago 
that, range cattle-keeping was booming; 
nothing was to be heard of but the vast 
fortunes that were to be realized by those 
engaging in the business. Now reports 
of bankruptcy, dishonesty and sore dis¬ 
tress are heard on all sides among the 
cattle kings, barons and syndicates. In¬ 
stead of putting money in the pockets of 
those interested in it, the business is tak¬ 
ing money out of their pockets unless 
they wish to abandon it altogether. 
Cablegrams tell us that the directors of 
the Texas Land and Cattle Company, with 
headquarters at Dundee, Scotland, have 
made a call of $7.50 per share on the 
share-holders whose previous payments 
had been $25 on each $50 share. The 
directors urge the share-holders to have 
faith in the future prosperity of the com¬ 
pany, and to pay up promptly; but as 
the shares have been recently offered for 
about $3 each, it is hardly likely 
their advice will be followed. The de¬ 
pression in the prices of all, except the 
best class of beef cattle, is, no doubt, in 
iu a great measure due to the enormous 
number of range cattle forced on the 
market by distress among the great range 
syndicates and capitalists. 
TWO SIDES OF FARM LIFE. * 
O UR Thanksgiving cartoon is sugges¬ 
tive as well as novel. It is a scene 
that, one may witness in almost any well 
regulated country community. “The 
Pork Side of Farm Life” is well repre¬ 
sented by the thin, dyspeptic-looking 
couple at the left of the picture. The 
curse of an exclusive pork diet is to be 
seen clinging to them in spite of their 
every appearance of worldly prosperity. 
A s Dr. Hoskins says, they have been “dig¬ 
ging their graves with their teeth” very 
successfully. How different the appear- 
ence of their neighbors, who are sup¬ 
posed to live on a farm where fruits aud 
vegetables abound. Here wc have the 
picture of health and contentment. Both 
parties are equally well dressed and pros¬ 
perous, but what man or woman would 
hesitate for a moment in deciding upon 
which side of the line to stand? Both 
are starting for church. Can there be 
any doubt as to which will most clearly 
carry out the spirit of the day? There 
can be no doubt concerning the fact that 
health and happiness depend very largely 
upon diet. We sincerely believe that in 
many instances the “pork” and the “fruit, 
and vegetable” sides of farm life represent 
all the difference between misery and 
comfort, disease and health. The best of 
the matter is that any farmer can de¬ 
termine for himself which side he will 
take. By the way, which side are you 
on? Thanksgiving is a good date for you 
to investigate the matter. 
- 
DRIVEN WELL PATENT INVALID. 
the patentee proposed to collect a royalty 
of $10 on each, or an aggregate of $20,- 
000,000!!! Most of these wells arc used 
by farmers, and they would have to pay 
nearly the whole of this vast amount. 
State courts have no jurisdiction in pa¬ 
tent cases; these have to be decided by the 
United States Courts; first, by District or 
Circuit Courts, and on appeal from them 
by the Supreme Court. Green's patent 
was applied for in 1860 and granted in 
1868, aud the first decision with regard to 
it was rendered by the United States Cir¬ 
cuit Court for New York in 1870, sustain¬ 
ing the validity of the patent. Siuce then 
the patent has been before the United 
States Distirct and Circuit Courts in at 
least ten of the States, and the decisions 
have been about equally divided for and 
against its validity. On appeals from 
these the case has been before the Su¬ 
premo Court for yeais. Nearly two years 
ago it rendered its first decision on the 
matter, but as two of the Justices were 
in favor of the validity of the patent and 
two against it, while one was absent, no 
settlement was made. On Monday, May 
81, the Court again announced its decision 
on the matter, this time sustaining the 
validity of the patent. There were two 
appeals—one from the United States 
Circuit Court for Connecticut, and the 
other from that for Northern Ohio—and 
the same decision covered both. 
It was supposed that this ended thelit- 
igatiou; but it did not. The United 
States Circuit Court for Iowa had decided 
against the validity of the patent on the 
distinct ground that the device had been 
in general use for over two years 
before Green’s claim for a patent, 
while the law says that whenever 
this has been the case, the “invention” 
has become public property, and therefore 
no patent can be legally granted for it. 
The case was appealed to the Supreme 
Court over three years ago, and last. Mon¬ 
day—Nov. 14—it decided that the grounds 
were well taken, and tlfat the patent has 
been all along invalid. It ought never to 
have been granted. The “ invention” of 
the driven or tube well is claimed to have 
been made in 1801. The fust patent, for 
it was obtained by James Suggett iu 1803. 
Over 75 others were obtained between 
that date aud 1808, when Green’s patent 
was granted. As a patent has only 17 
years to run from the date of its original 
issue, the term of Green's patent expired 
on January 14, 1885, and now, nearly 
three years after the expiration of the pat¬ 
ent the highest court in the land decides 
that it ought, never to have been issued, 
and therefore that it bad been invalid 
from the first. 
From the day Green obtained his pat¬ 
ent he and his agents have been vigorous¬ 
ly and persistently exacting royalty from 
the public who used the device. The 
man had absolutely no claim as an inven¬ 
tor. He had expended neither thought, 
labor nor money in perfecting the method. 
His claim for a patent was the result, of 
an afterthought, on seeing that many 
others who had obtained patents in con¬ 
nection with it had made a groat deal of 
money. Yet, during all these 20 years 
he and those to whom he sold his “rights,” 
have been extorting money from the 
public — chiefly the farmers— in every 
State in the Union, and every county in 
every State; and they have been doing 
this on the ground of a patent which the 
court of last resort, nearly three years 
after the expiration of the patent, has 
just decided to have been all the time 
invalid! ! All along hundreds of driven 
well owners all over the country have re¬ 
fused to pay any royalty. In many of 
the States, especially in the West, they 
have clubbed together to defray the ex¬ 
penses of carrying the case before the 
courts, and of appealing from the lower 
courts to the highest. But a large pro¬ 
portion of the owners of such wells have 
paid the royalty rather than incur the 
trouble, inconvenience and worry of a 
lawsuit. There is little doubt that in 20 
ears of extortion several million dollars 
ave thus been exacted from the public. 
Can the public recover any part of the 
money? Where the persons who collect¬ 
ed it, either as agents or principals, are 
“responsible,” suit for its recovery should 
be brought against them. Years ago 
Green sold his “rights” to the whole of 
the United States, except New England, 
to Andrews Brothers, of this city. The 
firm is worth over $1,000,000, and it 
might be well for the Grange, to whose 
efforts the final decision is mainly due, to 
bring a test ease against it, as the concern 
and its agents have boeu nearly the only 
extortioners. 
brvitiees. 
From its conduct at the Rural Grounds wo 
have feared that the Empire State Grape is 
not hardy in this climate. It is to be hoped 
that this is an exceptional case. 
Mr. Jacobs begins his series of poultry 
articles in this number entitled, “The Broiler, 
from the Egg to the Griddle.” Mr. Jacobs is 
recognized as one of the best posted practical 
poultry raisers in this country. 
“The slower we eat, the less wo want.” 
Read Dr. Hoskins’s article under Hygiene. It 
is a simple statement, of pressiugly important 
facts and should be considered in connection 
with our first-page presentation of the mat¬ 
ter. 
There is not a man in tho country who 
could do decent work with his nose badly 
frozen. There are plenty of men who expect 
hens to lay well when their combs are frozen 
or their cows to give a full mess of milk while 
their horns are frozen. Is this right? 
It will be noticed on reading the article by 
P. H. Jacobs, that the pedigree of a good 
broiler runs bock oven beyond the egg from 
which it is produced. A great, deal depends 
even upou the food given to the birds that pro¬ 
duce the egg A good lesson here for farmers 
to study over. 
Considerable Is being said about thrash¬ 
ing corn just now. The Ritual will aid the 
discussion in a novel way, by publishing 
drawings of the thrashed fodder, to show how 
completely the stalks are broken up Nothing 
could more forcibly show the advantage of 
the system. 
Here are some of the later kinds of straw¬ 
berries, the vines of which are uow (Nov. 18) 
the greenest and thriftiest: Enhance, Augur’s 
New Seedling, Alloy No. 4, Augur 87, Davis, 
Gandy’s Prize, Jessie, Anna, Lida, Hilton, 
Essex Couuty. 
A NEIGHBOR has produced an excellent lay¬ 
ing fowl by crossing a Langshnn rooster on 
White Leghorn hens, birds produced from 
this cross are slightly larger than Leghorns 
with smaller combs nud bluish legs. They are 
white with black feathers on the neck and 
wings. The pullets lay at six mouths old, 
giving white, shapely eggs. 
Now then, friend, see if any other agricul¬ 
tural paper makes a better announcement of 
contents for 1888 than is found on page 792. 
The best of it is that this statement does 
not represent simply what the Rural wants 
to do, but wbat it is actually going to do. 
Tho articles are all arranged for. 
One of the worst of the farm customs that 
have “grown gray with age” is the desire to 
believe that the Log is by nature a dirty ani¬ 
mal. There are many good farmers who really 
think the hog is happiest iu u wet and filthy 
pen. Only give the hog a chance and he will 
soon show them their mistake. 
Judge T. C. Jones of Ohio, will begin in 
next week’s Rural a valuable senes of artic¬ 
les. The Rural lias suggested the plan of 
inaugurating better tests for Hie quality of 
beef at our fat stock shows and Judge Jo nes, 
one of our best authorities on beef cattle, will 
comment upon this suggestion. He will be 
followed by other good breeders. 
Ellwanger & Barry, of Rochester, N. Y., 
write us as follows: 
“Your favor is at hand; also the clipping 
from the Gardeners’ Chronicle. We consider 
the Wilder Rose a distinct variety. It.origin¬ 
ated with us from seed; when we sent it out 
we took great, pains to determine its value. 
We concluded that it possessed enough dis¬ 
tinctive features to render it superior to 
Alfred Colomb in several ways.” 
The R. N.-Y. has had a good deal to say first 
and last about Moore’s Early Grape. We have 
never claimed that, it, is as productive as the 
Concord. Our claim is |ust, this: The vine is 
hardy, healthy and a strong grower. The 
berry is large, the bunches medium. The 
quality is about the same as that of Concord, 
The vine never injures itself by overbearing. 
It ripens its fruit thoroughly. It is, consid¬ 
ering its earliness , the best black grape we 
know. If it ripened as late as the Concord, 
we should not care for it at alJ. 
Tub Short horn and Hereford* have until 
quite lately had the battle for general superi¬ 
ority entirely to themselves, and bitterly did 
their supporters engage m it. Rat idly but 
steadily the Aberdeen-Angus has become a 
prominent factor in the fight, until now it 
may be fairly said to lie a triangular strug¬ 
gle, with Devons buck of the Short-boms, 
Sussex back of the Hcrefords und Galloways 
buck of the Angus. The Kansas- City Fat 
Stock Show gave about equal glory to the 
Aberdeen-Augus and Short-horns. Which 
will tho Chicago Show honor? 
A great deal has been said about the neces¬ 
sity of supplying “complete” foods to plants— 
that is to sav, everything the plant requires 
and in certain propoi tious. Experiments 
through many years have shown that plants 
cannot, thrive without these food constituents 
It is the same with nil animals. People may 
live upon pork as a chief part of their diet, 
but they will neither live so long nor enjoy 
the some vigor as those who eat less fat and 
more of other loss carbonaceous foods. If we 
would have nimble, vigorous bodies aud clear 
heads; if we would secure to ourselves tho 
greatest amount of happiness and accomplish 
the greatest amount of good, let us eat more 
fruit and less grease. 
After every bridge disaster it is found 
that a few hours’work at tightening nuts or 
straightening holts would have saved the 
structure. The little faults that seemed insig¬ 
nificant, grew with Startling rapidity when 
neglected. The bridge did fairly well in or¬ 
dinary times, but could not stand an emer- 
S enoy. Good farmers know that, farm work is 
ke a bridge in this respect. There are doz¬ 
ens of little “bolts” nml "nuts,” getting out of 
shape constantly. The proper thing is to keep 
them in order when but little work is required 
to do it.. It is safe to regard every crack in a 
tool, every loose board or other “nut” as au 
euemy that will do its best to grow in size and 
harmfulness. Thanksgiving is a good time to 
overhaul things nud tighteu ull the “nuts.” 
The Rural’s method of keeping celery 
promises well thus fur. If a gardener 
were setting out to win a prize for keep¬ 
ing celery latest, he would naturally think 
first of how to keep the leaves anil roots 
alive. Our plants wore taken up with all 
the soil that would hold fast to them, and 
packed in the trench (three feet^ wide) 
O NE of the most important decisions 
ever rendered by the United States 
Supreme Court was given last Monday. 
It was decided that Green’s broad claim 
for a patent on driven wells is invalid. 
During the arguments on the trial it was 
estimated that there were 2,000,000 such 
wells in the country, and the agents of 
