JUNE 23 
■ 
THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
A National Journal for Country and Suburban Home'". 
Conducted by 
ELBERT 8. C ARM AS 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
No. S4 Park Row, New York. 
SATURDAY, JURE 23, 1888. 
TnE R. New-Yorker for the coming 
campaign desires to be represented at all 
the leading fairs, farmers’ institutes, etc. 
in the country, and to have active, relia¬ 
ble agents in every county. Liberal terms 
will be granted upon application. 
The great potato grower, T. B. Terry, 
writes us, under date of June 9, as fol¬ 
lows : “I put in a row some 40 rods long 
with potato fertilizer, 1.000 pounds per 
acre, by your method. We now think it 
the best row in the lot ; but perhaps that 
is because we want it to be. Time will 
tell. A row, machine-planted, with 
1,000 pounds of fertilizer per acre does not 
now look as well. 
Mr. Robert Douglas tells us that the 
White Pine will stand trimming as well 
as the common Hemlcck, and that it may 
in the same way be used for hedges and 
thick planting. We are sorry to learn 
from him that the Umbrella Pine (Scia- 
dopitys verticillata\ so hardy in the East 
and so notably distinct withal, is not 
hardy in Illinois. So, likewise, Alccck’s 
Spruce, the Oriental Spruce, the Tiger’s- 
tail Spruce and even the common Hemlock, 
among the choicest of conifers, do 
not thrive in his State. It is not the cold 
but the drying winds and violent alterna¬ 
tions of freezing and thawing peculiar to 
the climate that do the damage. 
. -■■■■ 
TnE agricultual teacher or writer who 
habitually uses the word “phosphate” 
in writing about chemical fertilizers does 
wrong. There is nothing that so mixes 
the farmer who is beginning the use of 
chemical fertilizers as the indiscriminate 
use of “phosphate.” There are 
fertilizers as thoroughly different from 
“phosphates” as clover is different from 
Timothy. As well use the word “hay” 
in speaking of dried fodder of any kind 
as to use “phosphate” as many writers do. 
This is a good point to remember. Men 
who are best qualified to know better are 
frequently guilty. 
Southern dairying has been for the past 
few years gaining in popularity. The 
grade Jersey is the dairy cow for the 
South; there she reaches her highest ex¬ 
cellence. The demand for good Jersey 
grades in the Gulf States exceeds that 
for any other class of cattle. Various 
Breeders’ Associations for the purpose of 
organizing and systematizing the trade 
in Jersey grades have been successfully 
formed in Mississippi and Alabama. The 
pedigrees of these grades on the sires’ 
side are carefully kept and the records of 
the mother are also considered. South¬ 
ern dairymen are planning their business 
well in thus securing recognition for 
their most profitable dairy cow. The 
creamery business has found many friends 
in Mississippi. The first one was estab¬ 
lished at the State Agricultural College 
where all could observe its w r orking. 
♦ ♦ » ■ 
TnE dairymen who have written the 
calf notes this week are well agreed on 
one point. It is folly to try to raise a 
calf from a poor cow. It is wrong to 
keep a poor cow, but it is worse to per¬ 
petuate her inferiority. The sire is evi¬ 
dently more than “half the herd” in the 
opinion of these dairymen. A standard 
dairy notion has been that a calf could 
not be well started without feeding it 
new milk for the first two months and 
skimmed milk for the next four months of 
its life. Here we have men who raise 
first-rate dairy cows in sections where it 
is next to impossible to obtain milk for 
feeding. One point made by Mr. Talcott 
should be remembered by farmers who 
have the choice of several bulls. With 
little known about the ancestors of the 
different bulls, it will be well to pick out 
the one with the best development of the 
imperfect teats and udder. 
-- 
It is with much sympathetic regret 
that we announce the death of George 
Noyes, one of the proprietors of the 
Massachusetts Ploughman, and Treasurer 
the George Noyes Ploughman Company 
for over a quarter of a century. After 
an illness of several weeks, he passed 
away calmly on Tuesday afternoon, June 
12, at the age of fifty-seven. After leav¬ 
ing school be entered the office of the 
Norkfolk Democrat, and has been con¬ 
nected with journalism nearly ever since. 
About 25 years ago he bought the Plough¬ 
man and in connection with Mr. Flint 
made it for many years one of the best 
of New England agricultural papers. He 
was an energetic, persieent worker and a 
cordial, courteous gentleman. He was 
never married, being, as he used to say, 
wedded for life to this journal. He leaves 
two brothers, and also two sisters with 
whom he had for years made his home. 
Ilia less is a serious ore to agricultural 
journalism and will be regretted by 
thousands of friends. 
The only advantage we can see in buy¬ 
ing sizable trees is that for the first few 
years they are less liable to accidents 
from being trodden upon, while they are 
helpful in giving a finished appearance to 
new grounds. 
• » * 
THE MILLERS AND THE FARMERS. 
We are now glad to announce what 
hitherto we cared only to i ntimate—that we 
shall be able to send to all of our subscrib¬ 
ers who apply, in good time for next sea¬ 
son’s planting, one potato of the Rural 
New Yorker No. 2. Of all our many seed¬ 
lings, the result of 10 years’ work, this is 
the first we have desired to introduce Of 
the hundreds upon hundreds of varieties 
tested at the Rural Grounds, it seems to 
us, taken all in all, the closest to perfec¬ 
tion. It may not prove so valuable else¬ 
where. That remains to be seen. The 
No. 3 is somewhat less shapely than the 
No. 2,but it out-yields it, though the No. 
2 has produced at the rate of over 800 
bushels to the acre. No. 4 has not only 
out-yielded No. 3, but has given the high¬ 
est yield of any potato ever raised at the 
Rural Grounds. The No’s. 3 and 4 will 
also be distributed among our subscribers, 
and finally introduced to the potato grow¬ 
ing public as soon as a sufficient stock for 
the purpose can be grown. We will, in 
due time, advise our readers when to send 
in their applications. 
-- 
Well, the first of our hybrid roses be¬ 
tween the Japan or Ramanas Rose (R. 
rugosa)and Harrison’s Yellow,has bloomed 
and the flower is a surprise to us. It has 
20 petals and the color is far away from 
that of either its papa (yellow) or its 
mamma (a light pink.) The color is al¬ 
most that of Gen. Jacq. No one will 
doubt the parentage of this rose when we 
repeat that we have never planted a rose 
seed other than of Rosa rugosa, and that 
up to one year after these seedlings were in 
existence, no other pollen but Harrison’s 
had been used. The foliage is beautiful, 
being longer and more pointed than the 
Japan, of a light-green color, and thick, 
firm texture without its wrinkles. The 
plant is wonderfully vigorous and shapely. 
An engraved photograph of foliage, buds 
and flowers will appear later. 
The 60 hybrids (produced last year) be¬ 
tween Rosa rugosa, with pollen from 
many different roses, are all doing well. 
Possibly a few of these may bloom during 
the summer. 
During a call at this office, Mr. Robert 
Douglas, everywhere so well known for 
his benevolent endeavors to promote the 
interests of ornamental and economic tree¬ 
planting for nearly half a century, told 
us the following incident, which should 
prove of exceeding value to those who 
have evergreen trees to buy: In the 
spring of 1850 he bought and planted a 
lot of Norway Spruces, three to four feet 
in hight, for two dollars each At the 
same time he bought and planted a lot of 
small ones varying in hight from eight 
to 10 inches, for 10 cents each. In lets 
than 10 years (it might have been eight) 
the 10-inch trees were as large as the two- 
dollar trees and of a better shape. In any 
estimate of the comparative value of 
such trees, the difference in freight and 
cost of handling and the greater liability 
of the larger trees to die, are considera¬ 
ble items in favor of the small trees. 
As our readers are aware, the R. N-Y. 
is making a similar experiment now. One 
hundred little trees—consisting of Blue 
Spruce, White Pine, etc., were secured 
from Mr. Douglas’s nursery, Waukegan, 
Ills., the past spring, by mail. The en¬ 
tire package was not over 12 inches long 
by 10 thick. These were set out in a field 
in rows three feet apart, two feet apart in 
the rows. Every one has lived and most 
of them have made a healthy new growth. 
T he last session of the Millers’ National 
Convention opened at Buffalo, N. Y., 
Thursday. The first resolution evi¬ 
dently looks to the establishment of a 
Flour Trust. Here it is: “Resolved, that 
the Executive Committee take steps to se¬ 
cure the consent of three-fourths of the 
merchant milling capacity of each State 
to agree to submit to their control the 
output of the country, and as soon as ob¬ 
tained that they take steps to put the 
same into effect.” The language is not 
very lucid, ’tis true, but the intention is 
quite plain. It was also resolved to take 
steps to ascertain the full milling capacity 
of the States and Territories, also the con¬ 
sumption of flour in this country so as to 
show the relation of production and con¬ 
sumption, and what is left over for ex¬ 
port, with a view to regulate supply and 
demand. As in other trusts, the millers 
of the country want to do less work while 
making more money, by putting up the 
price of the manufactured article, while 
putting down the price of the raw mater¬ 
ial—wheat in the present case. To leave 
no doubt whatever of their selfish inten¬ 
tions, and to show that they utterly disre¬ 
gard the interests of the vast body of pro¬ 
ducers who supply them with grist, they 
finally resolved that it was the sense of the 
convention that the duty on wheat should 
be removed, and that a copy of the reso 
lution to that effect, should be sent to the 
Chairman on the Tariff Revision of the 
House of Representatives. 
The present duty on wheat is 20 cents a 
bushel,and if this were removed, the farm¬ 
ers of the entire Northwest would at once 
have to meet strenuous competition from 
the great bonanza wheat growers of Mani¬ 
toba and the whole Canadian Northwest 
Territory. The great milling interests of 
the country are princi pally situated at Min¬ 
neapolis and other Northwestern points 
within easy reach of the great Canadian 
wheat fields; hence the great eagerness 
of the Millers’ Association for the re¬ 
moval of one of the few import duties 
that “protect” agriculture. Of course, 
Canada is the only “foreign” country 
from which competition in wheat is to 
be feared; but if our northern friends 
want the advantages of free trade with 
this country in wheat as well as in other 
matters, they can easily obtain them by 
joining the Union. 
CROP REPORTS. 
A ccording to the June crop report of 
the Department of Agriculture 
there has been a reduction in the area 
seeded to winter wheat in some States, 
though the average acreage of all is but 
slightly reduced. In the East and South 
there has been no material loss of area from 
freezing, but in several of the Western 
States the loss has been considerable. 
The apparent reduction of acreage under 
winter wheat as compared with last 
year’s area is about 1,250,000 acres. The 
amount of reduction is about 7.2 per 
cent, for the entire country. It is 18 per 
cent, in Illinois; 14 in Ohio ; ten in 
Michigan and nine in Indiana. With 
regard to spring wheat, there has been 
an increase in Dakota and the Territories 
further West ; but a decrease in Iowa, 
Wisconsin and Minnesota, making 
an average decrease of one per cent, for 
spring wheat. The area in wheat is 
slightly below 36,000,000 acres, and in a 
telegram to the Chicago Board of Trade 
Statistician Dodge says the returns indi 
cate, at present, a probable yield of 13 
bushels per acre of spring wheat and not 
more than ten-and-a-half of winter. 
With an area of 13,310,000 acres o: r 
spring wheat and 23,000,000 acres o' 
winter, the prospect for a crop would, 
therefore, be 414,000,000 bushels. Other 
authorities, however, estimate the en¬ 
tire crop at not over from 375,000,000 to 
400,000,000. There appears to be an in¬ 
crease of4.8 percent, in the area of oats 
compared with last year. Condition 95.4. 
On June 1, last year, the condition was 
91, and on July 1, it was reduced 85.9. 
The indications now are that the crop 
will equal or exceed 750,000,000 bushels, 
or about 100,000,000 bushels more than 
last year when the production was large 
—659,618,000 bushels. 
The acreage in barley is bardv the same 
as last year. New York and Wisconsin 
are credited with an increase of one per 
cent.; Minnesota with two, and Dakota 
and Iowa with 10 each. On the other 
land, California and Missouri report a 
small reduction. The conditions average 
38.8, though in California, the State of 
largest production, the condition is only 
80. The area in rye is practically the 
same as last year—condition 93.9. 
The area in cotton appears to have been 
increased in every State except Florida. 
As usual, the increase is largest in States 
west of the Mississippi. A preliminary sur¬ 
vey of the acreage makes the increase two 
percent., and brings the aggregate area 
close to 19,000,000 acres. The general 
average condition is 89. 
brevities. 
It is not yet too late to start a crop of Hun¬ 
garian Grass if you fear a dearth of fodder. 
The largest strawberries at the Rural 
Grounds up to this date (June 12) have been 
picked from Bubach No. 5. The quality is 
very good. 
We regret to learn that Chas. W. Garfield 
has been compelled, by reason of failing 
health, to resign the Secretaryship of the 
Michigan State Horticultural Society. 
Read what Mr. Hales says about feeding 
brewers’ grains to chickens, on page 412. 
Some feeders who believe that clean, sound 
rye will poi on poultry, feed brewers’ grains. 
Are they wise? 
The next novelty in agriculture will be the 
use of ensilage stacks. They are sure to bo 
tried considerably during the next few years. 
Wait and see what others think about them. 
The Rural will keep its readers informed. 
In spite of all instructions to the contrary, 
it appears that some parties still persist in 
shipping perishable produce to this market 
on Saturday. This will not do. The best mar¬ 
ket days here are Wednesday, Thursday and 
Friday. 
Don’t forget that the R. N.-Y., says that 
Pyre*hrum (pure and fresh) or Buhach will 
destroy the terrible rose-bug. Use two table¬ 
spoonfuls (made into a paste with hot water) 
to two gallons of water and spray the mixture 
upon infested plants. 
“ Water from the barnyard well is unfit 
for human use : why is it good for the stock 
which furnish us with some of our principal 
food—milk, cheese and butter?” is the poser 
asked by a correspondent on another page of 
th’s issue. 
Mrs. Jack makes a remark in another col¬ 
umn of this issue, that inexperienced persons 
who propose to buy fruit trees would do well 
to heed: “The moral is to plant small trees, 
for in nothing is the value of the motto ‘make 
haste slowly’ more exemplified than in the 
business of tree planting.” 
The New York State Board of Agriculture, 
while adhering to its opposition to the Palmer 
pleuro-pneumonia bill, withdraws its charges 
against the Consolidated Cattle Growers’ As¬ 
sociation on which that opposition was main¬ 
ly founded. The Palmer bill, however, is 
dead and this recantation can’t revive it. 
It is common to sav that a colt costs noth¬ 
ing to raise for the first four months—while 
he is sucking the dam. Is this correct? If 
the mare is to do her regular work doesn’t she 
need extra grain to provide for the flow of 
milk? It may be a small matter, but let us 
be accurate. 
A friend, at Wakeman. Ohio, sends the 
following concerning the Country Girl car¬ 
toon. “I think the Rural cartoon of June 
9. would strike deeper on a person’s mind 
than a volume written by the best author on 
the same subject, because both sides of the 
subject are illustrated, and imprinted on the 
mind at a glance.” 
Prof. Cook makes a good suggestion on page 
412. By all means “let us hear from others." 
The Mississippi Agricultural College usually 
conducts such a sale at the annual commence¬ 
ment. The college stock is placed on exhibi¬ 
tion and the surplus is sold. Breders from 
near-by portions of the State send both thor¬ 
oughbred and graded stock to be sold at auc¬ 
tion. 
Mr. Orange Judd, who during the past 
four years has been the editor and business- 
manager of the Prairie Farmer, bids adieu to 
his readers, his contract having expired. The 
“separation is wholly due to a difference of 
opinion as to the future division of the emolu¬ 
ments or income of the business.” Mr. Judd 
and the proprietors part with the fullest ex¬ 
pressions of good-will. We are glad of it. 
The greatest pest at the Rural Grounds, is 
the flea—the insect or a close relation that 
hitherto has confined itself chiefly to turnips, 
cabbages, radishes and the like. This season 
it has taken to potato and tomato vines, to 
beans and also many ornamental plants. We 
have been obliged to cover our seedling pota¬ 
toes (those started from seed in the house the 
past spring) with netting to save their lives. 
Syringa villosa is a little-known lilac in 
this countr v. The leaves resemble those of 
the Fringe Tree (Chionanthus) and the entire 
habit is quite different from that of the Com¬ 
mon or French Lilacs, while it blooms some 
two weeks later. It is now, June 12, in full 
bloom at the Rural Grounds. The flowers are 
nearly white within, purplish without, some¬ 
what smaller than those of the Common Lilac 
and less fragrant. It is desirable as one of a 
collection, but one is enough. 
According to the railroad charges published 
yesterday, the Iowa State R. R. Commissioners 
have substantially reduced the present rates 20 
per cent, on all business within the State limits. 
The matter has been under investigation for a 
considerable time, and it was inevitably forced 
on the minds of the Commissioners that the 
rates charged were exorbitant. At first they 
proposed still further to reduce the maximum 
charges, and it was only the energetic pro¬ 
tests of the railroad companies that modified 
their original intention. It is a healthy sign 
of the times that there is a growing tendency of 
such bodies interfering with railroad'measui es 
and;,exaction,.in their k respective States. 
