THE RURAL WEW-YORKER. 
plete mixture. Use one part of the solution 
to ten of water. It is very effective when 
used against scale: the constructor of it says 
that it will remove that thread-like black 
scale which sticks closer than a brother to 
some of the palms imported from the Euro¬ 
pean nurseries._ 
PiCEA Excelsa Vah. Conica.— Mr. Fal¬ 
coner, whose experience with shrubs, trees 
and flowers, is only equaled by his conscien¬ 
tious way of writing about them, says in the 
above journal, that this is a dwarf and most 
compact spruce well adapted for, and much 
used in, city gardening—in small plats, in 
vases and elsewhere where small evergreens 
are used It is very hardy, of good form and 
color and not easily broken. Mr. Trumpy, 
of Parson’s Nursery, tells him that the de¬ 
mand for it far exceeds the supply. Ho can¬ 
not get up a stock of it by grafting, as graft¬ 
ed plants don't assume the dense conieul habit 
so desirable in the variety; in order to have 
it in its finest form it must bo raised from 
cuttings. Mr. Falconer has several large 
specimens of it, and although some 10 or 17 
years old, they still maintain their dense form 
and are as compact as can be and branched to 
the ground, and that too without the aid of 
the knife. And it is one of the few evergreens 
on his place that escaped the terrific blizzard 
of March last unhurt. Our own specimen is 
about 14 years old and some ten feet high. 
It was not injured in the least by the blizzard 
neither has it been injured by any other 
cause. 
Massachusetts Farms.— The third volume 
of the reports on the State census of 1885, re¬ 
cently issued by Colonel Carroll D. Wright, 
gives some interesting figures about Massa¬ 
chusetts farms. There are 939,000 acres of 
cultivated land in the Htate, including 44,000 
acres which are inside city limits. The average 
value of the “city farms’’ is $237 per acre, 
and of the country farms $55 ber aero. The 
farms of highest value per acre are those 
within the limits of Suffolk county, whero 
they are held on the average at $1,551 per 
acre. Middlesex comes next, at $112 per acre 
and Norfolk is a close thiid at $110. The 
average value of farms in Barnstable is $94 
per acre; in Essex, $85; in Bristol, $63; in 
Plymouth, $58: in Hampden, $46; in Worces¬ 
ter, $44; in Hampshire, $41; inFranklin, $40; 
in Berkshire, $38; in Dukes, $34; while Nan¬ 
tucket ends the list with the lowest valuation 
of all, $31 per acre. 
Those prices are not as high as the young 
men who “go West” have to pay for land 
equully well situated with respect to railroads 
and markets in any district beyond the Ohio 
River. It is truo that Massachusetts land is 
not as fertile as land in some parts of the West, 
and cannot be as easily worked for grain 
crops; but there are valuable crops, especially 
the hardy fruits, which can be raised there 
hotter than iu any other part of tho United 
States. _ 
The Rose-Colored Japanese Weeping 
Cherry.— Mr. Falconer has two specimens of 
this tree, niue to ton feet high, with clean 
stems seven feet high, and a spread of branch¬ 
es 12 feet across. They bloomed May 4, and 
appeared like immense pink umbrellas. They 
are by far the most striking plants that bloom 
so early. Tho Yulan magnolias are conspic¬ 
uous on account of their many large white 
flowers, and the forsythias on account of their 
profusion of bright yellow blossoms, but both 
are moderately common and to be found in 
many gardens. Rut such rose-colored um¬ 
brellas as are displayed iu these Japanese 
cherry trees, are extremely rare. They are 
perfectly hardy, free growers and most gener¬ 
ous bloomers. Tho flowers are produced be¬ 
fore tho leaves appear 
WIDE-AWAKE ITEMS. 
The best yields of potatoes last year at the 
Maine Station were as follows: Morning Star 
at the rate of 439 bushels per acre; Rose’s New 
Giant, 331; Monroe Co. Prize, 372; White 
Elephant, 329; Garfield, 383; Dunmore, 367; 
Orange Co. White, 366. 
Prof. Sanborn, first rate authority, says, 
in the Prairie Farmer, that ho believes that at 
about the time tho seeds pass out of tho dough 
8 tute, Timothy is richest and heaviest. Or¬ 
chard Grass should be cut eurlier. For butter 
production ho would cut Timothy still earlier, 
as a better color and aroma will be given tho 
butter, though not a greater amount will bo 
made. Its greater palatableness and softness 
commends its early cutting for young stock.. 
Clover, Prof. Sanborn says, should bo cut 
when the heads are browned. The scattering 
of the leaves will follow late cutting. 
Clover rained upon loses about seven per 
cent, of albuminoids and the same amount of 
carbohydrates . 
The editor of our esteemed contemporary, 
the Elmira Husbandman, would evidently not 
care to invest much in the Rural’s Trench 
system of raising potatoes, with its flat and 
shallow cultivation. It says that “deep, fre¬ 
quent and thorough tillage for potatoes will 
constitute the safest guaranty for a full yield.” 
Tnu N. E. Farmer prefers to sow buckwheat 
in June. It would not be safe to sow it after 
tho first of July in the climate of Massachu¬ 
setts. Give it warm, dry land. How half a 
bushel of seed, if the soil is good, to the acre. 
More will weaken the straw. Forty bushels 
per acre is a good yield. Buckwheat will 
often produce very well on poorish land. 
Major Alvohu deems a well-built masonry 
silo the most economical in the end. 
For succession, plant gladioli at intervals 
up to tho last week in June. 
Mr. H. H. Thomas considers tho mosquito a 
useful pest, seven-eighths of its existence being 
devoted to tho service of man and only one- 
eighth to his annoyance. During its larval 
state (21 days) it engages in sanitary work 
with ardor and thoroughness. Wherever 
there is filthy water, there the mosquito larvae 
may be found voraciously devouring the con¬ 
taminating matter. As is pretty well known, 
it is only the female mosquito that does the 
fighting. 
The farmers, says Col. Curtis in the Na¬ 
tional Htockman, think they can rear hogs and 
breeding sows on such cheap foods as turnips 
and apples with grass and clover. The bran 
and middlings, fed extra, will help to enrich 
tho farm and to increase the growth and pro¬ 
fits . 
John Gould repeats in the Ohio Farmor 
what has been said time and again, that it is 
the solids iu milk that give it its value, notits 
gross weight; and dairymen must as soon as 
possible drop this nonsense about the weight 
of milk, and know about its quality, and how 
best to secure and maintain it. Then, and not 
till then, will dairying be established on a 
paying basis for the whole. The few havo 
found it out, and are making tho money. 
According to Prof. Hargent, tho strongest 
w ood in the United States is that of the nut¬ 
meg hickory of the Arkansas region, and the 
weakest the West Indian birch. The most 
elastic is the tamarack, the white or shell- 
bark hickory standing far below it. The least 
elastic, and the lowest in specific gravity, is 
the wood of tho Ficus aurea. Tho highest 
specific gravity, upon which in general de¬ 
pends value as fuel, is attained by the blue- 
wood of Texas. 
Wm. Horne says of dehorning, in tho Coun¬ 
try Gentleman: “1 know of quite a number of 
animals whose heads are nearly rotted off. 
Five absolutely breathe through tho apertures 
whence the horns came off. I know of 27 an¬ 
imals which were dehorned; five of them 
camo near dying, two did die, and all tho rest 
degenerated.” Probably this state of things 
was owing to some other cause than dehorning, 
or else this operation must havo been very 
badly performed. 
WORD FOR WORD. 
Hoard’s Dairyman: “Tho man who wants 
bis dinner on time, and has a robelious stom¬ 
ach if he doesn’t get this “square meal,” when 
it is due, should remember his cow’s stomach 
is affected in the same way. He should 
further know that when a cow is forced to 
think of something that disturbs the equan¬ 
imity of her peaceful soul [good cows have 
souls—of course they do], being distract¬ 
ed from the pursuit of the business she is 
made for, she fails to make a normal supply 
of milk.”-Husbandman: “A cheap way 
to got an orcliurd is to set trees along bound¬ 
ary lines whero they will not encroach upon 
land used for cropping. Cared for well they 
may do better than by the usual system of 
planting in rows, because there will bo less 
crowding.”-“Two great political parties, 
great in the number of adherents—that is all 
—are nearly ready for the quadrennial con¬ 
test, full of sound, fury and mendacity.”- 
Breeder’s Gazette: “A correspondent of the 
English Agricultural Gazette from a recent 
experiment in feeding dairy cows draws tho 
conclusion that “bran will pay the milk-seller, 
but oats the butter-maker.” Upon a ration of 
hay with “one gallon” of bran each per day 
for two weeks, the two tested cows yielded 22]^ 
pounds of butter. Tho same cows with tho 
same quantity of ground oats substituted for 
the bran, produced 29 pounds of butter—the 
bran costing 5s. 6d. per cwt. and oats 6s.”- 
Henry Stewart: “It is not my desire to run 
down Lucerne; it has its place and uses in 
agriculture; but if any farmer, deluded by 
tho exaggerated pictures of it with roots 15 
feet long and thicker than a prize mangel, 
should think that he can make anything by 
growing it where clover does well, and dis¬ 
placing this excellent crop for the now-old 
plant, Lucerne, under its new name, Alfalfa, 
he will make a costly mistake.”- 
Cufnjwljjm. 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Canada. 
Chateaunguay Basin, Province of Que¬ 
bec, Canuda, May 24.—Having just returned 
homo from a hurried trip through Massa¬ 
chusetts, New York, and New Jersey, I find 
myself comparing notes in regard to the ad¬ 
vancement of vegetation, that may be of 
interest to Rural readers. 
The Pyrus Japonica, lilacs, and apple trees 
in bud in Boston, Mass., were in full bloom 
at River Edge, N. J., where potato tops were 
the size of the top of a toacup, and peas al¬ 
most in flower, while some varieties of straw¬ 
berries were white with bloom. Along tho 
banks of the Hudson they seemed just a few 
days later, the apple trees then having a 
freshness of bloom that they were losing in 
Now Jersey. As we nearod home, there was 
a decided change till awaking at the Canada 
boundary in early morning, I said, “Why the 
trees look dead 1” Then I noticed the living 
green buds. I wore New Jersey lilacs on May 
22d, then in full bloom, and beautiful white 
ones are still iu bud, and to day—the 24th— 
red plum trees are opening flowers, this being 
usually corn planting time with us. Tho 
grape-vines are just beginning to show signs 
of leafing, and a small Pyrus Japonica has its 
fast-closed buds; no potato vines aro up, nor 
is there any sign of strawberry bloom. Things 
grow fast hero when they do start, and we 
are just about 10 days behind New York, 
and there is a little longer interval between 
our vegetation and that of N. Jersery. A large 
Hard Maple tree near the house is covered 
with flowers, and is beautifully yellow. 
The hyacinths aro still blooming and some of 
tho tulips aro still in bud; yet the grass had 
to be mown on May 22, being a little too long 
for the lawn-mower. 
An old friend in New York State told mo 
a very singular circumstance that happened 
some time early in the century. Her birth¬ 
day was Juno 26, and on that day there was a 
snow-storm that made the roads very bad 
for her father to go for a nurse. 
Tho potatoes were hoed, tho corn well 
up, and the farmers of Northern Now 
York thought they were ruined when 
tho snow covered everything. But it melted 
before night and they had better crops than 
usual. Probably so many tender things had 
not been adopted for farm surroundings and 
tho staples survived, but the fact was inter¬ 
esting to me and worthy of record. I think 
the birds come to us early and faithfully. 
They seem to put their trust in Providence and 
never fail to cheer us. I noticed tho friendly 
little yellow birds at the Rural Grounds. 
They are very helpful among the goosebeiry 
and currant bushes and should never be de¬ 
stroyed. Dandelions are in flower and so aro 
the wiki blue violets, that dotted the road¬ 
sides during our travels. To see the spring 
open three times in a season is a pleasant en¬ 
joyment to a lover of nature, and at homo to¬ 
day everything is in its freshest beauty. The 
apple trees have fast-closed buds, but give 
promise of beauty in the near future when 
this great orchard opens its flowers. 
ANNIE L. JACK. 
North Carollnn. 
Moohehvillk, Iredell Co., May 21.—This 
month has been cool and wet since the first. 
A light frost on tho 14th did slight damage to 
the more tender vegetables. Gardens are fur¬ 
nishing peas and potatoes for the table. Straw¬ 
berries are done for this time, but May cher¬ 
ries are ripe, so we havo peas, potatoes and pies. 
There is some dysentery, but in the main good 
health prevails. All the crops seem to bo 
doing very well. The cotton plant is up and 
iu fair condition. Corn is not a very good 
stand. Some corn has been worked over 
The prospect for wheat, rye, clover and oats 
are fair to good. Stock of all kinds are iu 
good condition. All feed stuffs aro plentiful 
and cheap: corn 50c. to 55c. per bushel; peas 
50c. to 60c.; cotton-seed 12)^c. to 15c. per bus. 
of 30 pounds; cotton seed oil-meal $22.50 to $25 
per ton of 2,000 pounds; hay of good quality 
$10pertou. Some cotton and corn are still 
in hands of farmers, who are waiting further 
development of the present crop before they 
sell. Tho Farmers’ Alliance is still gaining 
members and bids fair to organize a majority 
of the tillers of the soil and become a power 
in the lan d. w. H. B. 
Horsford’a Acid Phosphate. 
Ill Kllects oi Tobacco 
relieved by its use.— Adv. 
glUjsrjcUanfoujs gnUertijrtng. 
Dangerous Food Adulteration. 
Ik consumers prefer to buy an adulterated 
article of food because it can be had at a 
lower price, they undoubtedly have the 
right to do so, provided tho adulterants aro 
not of a character injurious to health. If 
such articles are not falsely sold as pure, and 
the customer is not deceived as to their real 
character, tho transaction is not illegitimate. 
But the great danger in the traffic in adul¬ 
terated food arises from tho deception that is 
practiced by manufacturers usually classing 
such goods as pure. This is almost invariably 
done when the adulterant is one that is injur¬ 
ious to health. For instance, manufacturers 
of alum and lime baking powders not only 
fail to inform the public of the real character 
of their goods, but carefully conceal the fact 
that they are made from these poisonous ar¬ 
ticles. Most of these manufacturers also claim 
that their articles aro pure and wholesome, 
while some go still further and proclaim bold¬ 
ly that they are cream-of-tarbar goods,or oven 
the genuine Royal Baking Powder itself. No 
consumer will buy alum baking powders 
knowingly, for it is well understood that they 
are detrimental to health. The sale of lime 
and alum baking powders as pure and whole¬ 
some articles is, therefore, criminal, and it is 
satisfactory to notice that several persons en¬ 
gaged in such salo have already been brought 
to justice in the courts. 
The olficial analysts have recently beon 
active in tho pursuit of these dishonest articles. 
The baking powders of several States havo 
been carefully and critically examined. The 
officials are surprised at tho large amount of 
lime and alum goods found. It is a suggestive 
fact that no baking powder except tho Royal 
has beon found without either lime or alum, 
and many contain both. Dr. Price’s baking 
powder has beon found to contain nearly 12 
percent, of lime; Cleveland’s 11 percent, of 
impurities; the phosphate powders over 12 per 
cent, of lime. 
The chief service of lime is to add weight. 
It is truo that lime, when subjected to heat, 
gives off a certain amount of carbonic acid gas, 
but a quicklime is left—a caustic of most pow¬ 
erful naturo. A small quantity of dry lime 
upon the tongue, or in the eye, produces pain¬ 
ful effects; how much more serious must these 
effects be on the delicate membranes of the 
stomach, intestines and kidneys, more partic¬ 
ularly of infants and children, and especially 
when the lime is taken into the system day 
alter day, and with almost evory meal. This 
is said by physicians to be one of the causes 
of indigestion, dyspepsia, and those painful 
diseases of the kidneys now so prevalent. 
Adulteration with lime is quite as much to 
bo dreaded as with alum, which has heretofore 
received tho most emphatic condemnation 
from food analysts, physicans and chemists, 
for the reason while alum may be partially 
dissolved by tho heat of baking it is impossi¬ 
ble to destroy or change tho nature of tho 
lime so that tho entire amount in the baking 
powder passes, with all its injurious properties, 
into tho stomach. 
The large profits from tho manufacture of 
lime and alum baking powers has placed 
many of them in tho market. They aro to be 
found in the stock of almost every retail 
dealer, and are urged upon customers calling 
for baking powders upon all occasions. 
Because of their well-known detrimental 
character it is desirable that prompt means 
bo taken to suppress their manufacture. 
Pure baking powders are oue of the chief 
aids to the cook in preparing perfect and 
wholesome food. While those aro to be ob¬ 
tained of well-established reputation, like the 
Royal, of whose purity there has never been 
a question, it is proper to avoid all others. 
AGENTS 
WANTED 
CAMPAIGN BIOGRAPHIES 
Will be first out. IIKST, CIIKA l*KHT, and go 
like wildfire. Secure territory at once Address 
11 lit It A 1C I) It It Oil I Kits. Philadelphia, 
Boston, or Chicago. 
MAKE HENS LAY 
S HERIDAN’S CONDITION POWDER in absolute- 
lypuro and highly concentrated. It Is strictly 
a medicine to be given with food. Nothing on earth 
will make hens lay like It. It cures chicken chol¬ 
era and all diseases of hens. Illustrated book by 
mall free. Hold everywhere, or sent by mall ror 
20 ots. in stamps. tin cans, 81? 
81.20- Six cans by express, prepaid, for 80. 
j, n, Jtiiuiaon 6* Qo., P. O. Box 81 IS, Boston. Msss. 
Solti by Hardware Healers Generally. 
Ageete 
Wanted 
PROFITS FOR FARMERS. 
A ruin storm is oomlng. how can f 
save my hay t Ask your dealer for 
Monarch Hav Carrier circu¬ 
lars oy write uh Best mode. We manu¬ 
facture tin- latest Improved Hay Tools. 
Catslonu, treo. Oburr ltros- ho> A Marion. O. 
