AUG. 43 
54SS 
THE BUBAL HEW-YGBKEB. 
farm CjC0ti0mu. »| 
* I 1\ 
NIGHT-SOIL AS A STANDARD 
FERTILIZER. 
J. J. H. GREGORY. 
depend to‘a large degree on this very [cheap 
and very powerful fertilizer. 
Marblehead ,'Mass. 
For the past twenty-five years night-soil has 
been the standard manure used by the large 
majority of our farmers. By this I mean 
that it has been their chief dependence in the 
raising of squashes, cabbages, potatoes and 
onions, the principal crops of this market¬ 
farming region. Living in a town of about 
8,000 inhabitants, and within from two to 
three miles of cities of a population of from 
25,000 to 35,000, neither of them with a com¬ 
plete system of sewerage, the farmers are, at 
but a trifling expense,able to obtain an almost 
unlimited amount of this kind of plant-food. 
In this town they collect from November 1st, 
until frost breaks the ground in the spring, 
aiming to do as large a portion of the work as 
possible before the vaults are frozen up. Our 
apparatus consists of a water-tight, oblong 
box, strengthened by iron rods, having two 
doors. One is on top, which is nearly half 
the size of the top and hinged to turn back; 
into this the night-soil is poured. The other 
is at the end, and from this the box is emptied 
into the receptacle made to receive it. Each 
of these doors is fastened with a thumb nut, 
to make it tight after loading. The boxes 
(“ honey carts” is the slang name for them) 
hold from two to six cord feet. The larger ones 
are for a large yoke of oxen, or a powerful 
team of horses, and are mounted directly on 
wheels. The smaller ones are made to fit into 
a common cart, from which they are removed 
when not in use. Whatever size is used, it is 
necessary for easy carriage, where there is 
much up or down hill, that it should be filled 
full. 
To fill these boxes the men have a tub, 
usually made by cutting away one-third of a 
strong barrel and strengthening it with iron 
hoops; they also have a dipper made from a 
white lead keg, that holds 100 pounds or more, 
and into it a stout handle about 10 feet long 
is fastened diagonally, passing through a hole 
near the top and reaching the bottom. 
A stout bench, which is stood behind the box 
on which they rest the tub, and on which they 
climb when going to pour its contents into the 
cart, completes the outfit. When the contents 
of the vault are too solid to be dipped out, they 
are removed by shoveling, when a third man is 
required, two being the usual complement for 
each team. There has never been any charge 
made for night soil, the owners of the premi¬ 
ses being usually very glad to have the closets 
cleared, and within a few years since, owing 
to the inroads of the maggot, less land has 
been devoted to onion raising, and the demands 
for manure having decreased, those who col¬ 
lect it have been, making some charge for their 
services. They are ready to collect and haul 
it to the farms free for those farmers who will 
supply the team and apparatus, getting good 
wages from the charge they make to owners of 
the tenements. 
The dumping place for the night soil on each 
larm is usually a body of muck, hauled to a 
convenient location and then made into beds 
30 or 40 feet long and half as wide and nearly 
a couple of feet in depth, with rims around 
them as high as the bottom of the box from 
the ground. Against one of these the full 
box is backed and the fastenings to the door 
at the end being unscrewed, its contents shoot 
into the bed. When filled the top is covered 
with barn manure or sea manure, and in the 
early spring before it is fully thawed the mass 
is broken up by pick and shoveled over to 
mix its contents and start the heating up, the 
large frozen lumps being thrown outside to 
thaw. If time allows after a lapse of ten days 
or a fortnight, it is again pitched over. The 
mixture is applied to our crops at the rate 
of from six to 20 cords to the acre, the quality 
varying with the amount on hand and the 
enterprise of the farmer. 
The crops raised from such manure are 
exceptionally large. Potatoes yield 200 to 300 
bushels per acre. Hubbard and Turban squashe 
bear from seven to twelve tons, and cabbage 
of some varieties average the size of a half 
bushel measure, with some crops much larger. 
Now as to the effect of this long and contin¬ 
uous use of night-soil as a standard manure on 
our farms, I have had full opportunity to ob- 
erve this, having used it on two of my own 
farms, 100 loads, on one, and considerably 
more large box-loads on the other annually for 
many years. The whole matter may be put 
in a nut-shell: our farms are still in a high 
state of cultivation, producing very heavy 
crops, but I notice that where night-soil is used 
very heavily, the land when laid down, will 
yield but one good crop of grass. Night-soil 
s especially deficient in potash, and 1 have 
dvised the use of this liberally by those who 
Some time ago the Eye-opener warned read¬ 
ers of the Rural against the gangs of theives 
and scoundrels of all kinds that travel with 
circuses, and some of whom pay big prices 
for “side-show” privileges. Since then we 
have seen several accounts of the rascality 
and depredations of these people in different 
parts of the country. Take as an example 
the gang that has been accompanying Frank 
Robinson’s circus through Orange, Ulster and 
Delaware Counties, N. Y., and whom the 
police are now after. From numerous accounts 
no more desperate gang of thieves and cut¬ 
throats ever pillaged or terrorized a far West¬ 
ern town. They robbed the patrons of the 
circus right and left, plundered farm-houses, 
“held up” people on country roads, and took 
away their valuables. Beware of the bunco- 
man, pickpockets, gambling sharpers, dishon¬ 
est fakirs, thieves and robbers that usually 
flock around or follow shortly after every 
circus in the country. 
Several Inquirers. —A number of inquir¬ 
ies reach the Eye-opener, asking whether “So- 
and-so ” is or is not reliable. The concerns in¬ 
quired about in this way are generally small 
and recently established. Most of them, there¬ 
fore, have no business rating with the various 
mercantile agencies which make it their special 
business to investigate and give “rating” to all 
the genuine business firms of the country. It 
would greatly help our investigations if each 
inquirer of this kind would tell us all he knows 
about the business of the concern he is anxious 
about, and forward to us the advertisement, 
letter or circular which had attracted his at¬ 
tention to it. The E.-O. trusts that inquirers 
will bear this request in mind when writing 
to him hereafter. So far as we know, F. T. 
Hopkins (cosmetics), this city, is reliable for 
reasonable amounts. 
Concerns Censured. —Under this caption 
the Eye-Opener will,from time to time,give the 
names of various dubious concerns he has seen 
spoken of in other papers, but which have not 
been lately investigated from the Rural Of¬ 
fice. That fraud, the Mississippi Valley Farm¬ 
er, is “ catching it” hot from several Western 
papers which are receiving complaints that sub¬ 
scribers have, since January, received only one 
or two copies of the sheet, and that no one has 
received a single one of the thousands of pres¬ 
ents offered to subscribers. Of course, as we 
said some months ago, Swindler Gardner is at 
the back of this scheme. The rascal had the 
impudence to send to his dupes for 10 cents 
extra for packing the presents, and that’s the 
last heard of him by any of his “subscribers”! 
There are several other papers of much the 
same kind in different parts of the country, 
which advertise widely, and must, therefore, 
find a large number of dupes who believe in 
their alluring offers, and help them to pay 
their bills and line their pockets. Others of 
the same class are temporarily suppressed 
until the next subscription season approaches, 
when they will be glowingly revived, unless 
the sharpers should think it better to take ad¬ 
vantage of a new name. 
fyormnan. 
PRESERVING THE FROG. 
riously damage the hoof by the use of the 
rasp; but, fortunately, the frog is proof 
against attacks by this instrument, and even 
the knife requires to be sharp,else the peculiar 
nature of the frog will resist. Fever in the 
feet is a prolific source of injury to the frog, 
and should be overcome at the earliest possi¬ 
ble day. Confinement upon a dry, plank 
floor is damaging by keeping up too complete 
a state of dryness. Cutting the frog away at 
the time of shoeing, then setting the foot upon 
caulkins, in such manner as to prevent the 
frog from pressing upon the ground, will, 
sooner or later, interfere with its development 
and usefulness. The most important function 
of the frog is to lessen the shock to the foot in 
its contact with the ground. This being the 
fact, it should be so maintained, and the shoe 
be so constructed that at every step the frog 
can come in for a fair share of the pressure 
upon whatever substance the horse is required 
to tread. G. s. 
FOUR ORNAMENTAL WILLOWS. 
In the summer of 1882, we specially ad¬ 
mired four of the willows found over the 
steppes of East Europe in parks, pleasure 
grounds, or as street trees. As these have 
been found to succeed perfectly where tried 
East, West, and South, they should have 
the attention of propagators. 
Salix Napoleonis is the commonest tree 
of decidedly weeping habit in East Europe. 
Its beautiful habit of growth, and purple- 
tinted leaf will make it a favorite, especi- 
allj in parts of the country where the Kil¬ 
marnock and Babylonica fail to endure the 
summer heat and winter cold. The best 
stock for it we have found is the Salix aurea, 
a rank-growing, upright species of East Eu¬ 
rope, with the brightest vellow bark of the 
willows, known to the writer. 
Salix laurifolia, as imported from 
Central Russia, differs from that of West 
Europe in its larger size, its more symmet¬ 
rical form of rounded top, its larger, thicker 
and glossier leaves, and, above all, in its 
ability to retain perfect wood and foliage at 
the North, and on the great Western 
prairies. 
Salix alba argentea is a steppe form of 
the White Willow, with decidedly silvery foli¬ 
age that is retained on old trees. As the trees 
attain age and size the branches become de¬ 
cidedly pendent. Over large areas of our 
country it will become popular for planting in 
parks, on large lawns, in cemeteries, etc. 
This tree is common along the old military 
roads in East Europe. 
Salix rosmarinifolia, as imported from 
East Europe, and common in Central Asia, 
differs from the variety from West Europe, of 
the nurseries, in its narrower, thicker and more 
silvery leaves, and in its ability to maintain 
clean, perfect foliage in parts of our country 
remote from large bodies of water. Even in the 
States east of the lakes the foliage of the com. 
mon variety is subject to leaf-scald, rust, etc. 
Ames, Iowa. J. E. budd. 
i^liscdianwiiB. 
CORRESPONDENTS’ VIEWS. 
The Fulcaster wheat did better in this sec¬ 
tion than any other variety. It is an early 
wheat, stands up well, and is easy to grow— 
almost as long as rye in this section—stands the 
winter very well, and yields from 25 to 30 
bushels per acre. G. s. s. 
Snyder Co., Pa. 
Many persons think farmers have plenty of 
leisure time in winter, but I find winter nearly 
as busy as any time, and I think any good 
farmer can find work to do if he looks for it. 
Medway, Mass. m. m. 
R. N.-Y.—The woods are full of work— 
work that will pay too. He who looks for it 
will get it. 
Correct.—I have taken the R. N.-Y. for 
three years, and I think it grows better all the 
time. I remember the first time I saw the Ru¬ 
ral ; it was in 1872, when it was called Moore’s 
R. N.-Yorker, I am glad to see the stand the 
Rural has made in favor of the farmer. The 
series of cartoons are simply immense, and 
strike the nail on the head every time. I am 
considerably interested in the Rural’s potato 
experiments, and hope it will raise those 700 
bushels. The farmers of this part of Kansas 
are just beginning to realize the advantage of 
better tillage and more manure, fewer live 
stock and better blood. They have found out 
that it is an up-hill business to make a living in 
the old way of raising grain and selling it and 
letting their stock rough it through the win¬ 
ter. They are building barns and sheds for 
their stock, and providing better feed for them, 
and so the good work goes on, and the Rural 
is doing its share to lift the farmer out of the 
old ruts, and on to the high road to ease, 
health and happiness. GEO. o. a. 
Barnesville, Kansas. 
Reference is here made to that very import¬ 
ant cushion beneath the horse’s foot—the frog, 
so-called. If, in seeking a horse, we take up 
the foot and find the frog well-preserved; the 
cushion, so to speak, wide, full and soft, the 
probability is that the remainder of the foot 
will be in good order. There may be an excep¬ 
tion to this in the case of a used-up horse having 
been turned out to pasture for a period long 
enough to permit the frog to take on new 
growth. If the frog be fully protected and 
well maintained, the hoof will be found but 
little if at all contracted, for the very good 
reason that the hoof cannot readily contract 
if the frog be up to its normal size in every 
way. But it is the smith,the horse-shoer,who 
ruins the frog; that is, very many of them do 
this. During the many years that the writer 
has driven horses, he has always made it a 
rule to be present during the shoeing, and has 
never permitted more than the slightest trim¬ 
ming of the frog, nothing more than the trim¬ 
ming off of insignificant parts, already nearly 
detached. The smith can mutilate and se- 
amateur. 
% 
Fertilization. — In the matter of fertilizing 
every horticulturist must use his own judg¬ 
ment, for if the ground is naturally very fer¬ 
tile he need not apply much; but if he has a 
gravelly subsoil, and this subsoil is near the 
surface, it is a known fact that the effect of 
fertilizers is lost sooner than on clay upland. 
In such a case I would advise less fertilization 
at a time than on clay soil, but I would 
keep it up every year to the extent that is 
needed. But I must caution every man who 
buys a worn-out farm and tries to bring it up< 
to fight shy of every person who does not ad¬ 
vocate manure for everything. It is the 
successful farmer’s sheet-anchor. 
Morristown, Ind. D. C. A. R. 
An Advertisement Gratis. —The article 
on quince culture in the Rural of July 17th, 
is good enough to justify the following adver¬ 
tisement anywhere: 
Quince Culture Illustrated. The 
WHOLE STORY IN A NUT SHELL, AND THE 
SHELL IS FULL OF MEAT. BY CHAS. L. JONES, 
Treasurer of the N. J. S. Horticultural Socie¬ 
ty. Price 5 cents. Fact. Address the Rural 
New-Yorker. e. w. 
No matter how scientifically the operation 
of dehorning may be performed, a good dis¬ 
infectant must be applied to the wounded 
stub. I know of nothing better for this 
purpose than Thymo-Cresol. L. T. s. 
At our fairs it is a common thing to see 
several plates of apples which have no resem¬ 
blance to each other, exhibited under one 
name. This is perhaps unavoidable, but it 
leads to endless confusion in the minds of 
amateurs. As Mr. Collins says apples from 
different sides of a tree may be so unlike as to 
deceive even an expert. 
Why do people always talk about and fear 
malaria in places where the vegetable growth 
is dense, or where there are ponds or streams? 
Some of the healthiest localities in America 
are full of streams and ponds. Such places 
are dangerous only when the ponds are cleaned 
out or the vegetation is cut off. The really 
dangerous places are where the water is in 
“dishes” just beneath the surface. These 
dishes just beneath the surface are often 
invisible, but they are therefore all the more 
dangerous. Where they are known to exist 
it will often pay to bore through the clay and 
permit the water to escape into a sandy sub¬ 
stratum. J. H. G. 
The educational effect of the average ex¬ 
hibit of plants and flowers,at our agricultural 
fairs, is largely lost because of the want of 
proper labels. The average visitor is totally 
ignorant of the names of the rarer plants and 
flowers, but as a rule is anxious to learn about 
them. The custom of offering a special pre¬ 
mium for named collections of wild flowers is 
a good one, and we are glad that it is becom¬ 
ing so common. J. G. h. 
TREES GROW IN VALUE. 
Will trees increase in value under ordinary 
conditions at the usual rate of interest, say 
five or six per cent. ? Let us see. I have six 
maples set out along the roadside; they cost, 
say, six dollars ten years ago. They have cost, 
including interest, say $12. Aside from the 
increased value which they have given ad¬ 
joining real estate, they are easily worth five 
dollars apiece—not a bad investment. An¬ 
other example : I have four apple trees in the 
barnyard. They cost 30 cents apiece ten 
years ago. Aside from the shade and general 
improvement, they have added to the place, 
they pay their original cost and interest every 
year. It does pay to invest money in trees. 
SHADY. 
[R. N.-Y.—Not unless you are willing to 
take care of the trees.] 
EDUCATION OF FARMERS. 
F. K. MORELAND. 
PART II. 
The agricultural press as an agent in the 
education of farmers’ sons and daughter 
