THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
A National Journal for Country and Suburban Home ?, 
Conducted by 
ELBERT s. CARMAN 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
No. 84 Park Row, New York. 
As we would avoid plantiug English 
potatoes for seed, so we would avoid 
English wheats. Years ago we tried dif¬ 
ferent kinds of English wheats, among 
them several varieties kindly sent to us 
by Sir J. 13. Lawes as the most valuable of 
those raised on his Rothamsted farm. 
Not one of them proved of any value on 
the Rural Farm ior the one reason that 
all were too late. The leaves rusted and 
the kernels, in consequence, shriveled. 
A good cow means simply one that has the 
capacity for producing large amounts of 
milk and butter from her feed. It does not 
mean a cow that can make something out oj 
nothing. See Prof Armsby's article, page 
493. 
“Why should not women milk? They 
are gentler than men , and it won’t hurt 
them if the milking place is kept as it 
should be.” The above question is ask¬ 
ed by a Canadian subscriber. Why not? 
Many of them do. We know half a doz¬ 
en women who milk every day in the 
year, and they do not lose an atom of 
respect from any person worth consider¬ 
ing. Lots of people who never went 
within a rod of a cow, sigh in pity when¬ 
ever they see a woman walking with a 
milking pail. In many cases the miiker is 
happier than the one that sighs for her. 
Prof. Sanborn evidently believes that 
the time is coming when the consumers 
of pork will continue their investigations 
as to the wholesomeness of their food be¬ 
yond the butcher’s block. In other words, 
those who are willing to pay the best 
prices for pork will want to know under 
what conditions and from what foods the 
pork is made. The investigations as to 
the possibility of feeding for fat or for 
lean have instructed the consumers as 
well as the producers. The wisest of the 
producers are those who will take advan¬ 
tage of this fact by producing meat that 
the consumers want, and advertising the 
fact that they do so. 
Standard rations do very well in the major¬ 
ity of cases, producing a good average re¬ 
sult; but the man who expects to excel in 
handling his herd must go beyond the stand¬ 
ard ration,and learn to feed a special ration 
for special purposes. L. S. Hardin, page 
493. 
Plant your tomatoes in rich soil is the 
gist of an article which has been widely 
copied by farm papers. Some ten years 
ago the R. N.-Y. raised about a 
dozen plants in rich garden soil. 
They made a prodigious growth of vine, 
bore few tomatoes, and those did not ripen 
until late in the fall. We have ever since 
advocated raising tomatoes in a moderately 
fertile soil, and what we have since seen 
and learned from market gardeners con¬ 
firms this as being sound advice. Soil 
may be too poor, it is true, for the earliest 
and most profitable crop ; but we doubt if 
large quantities of fertilizer or manure can 
be advantageously used. 
The R. N. Y. was favorably impressed 
with the new black grape Eaton when 
first bunches and leaves were sent to the 
office, some three years ago. We have 
SATURDAY, JULY 28, 1888. 
Here is a question sent by one who has 
made a success of fruit growing. Let us 
hear what you think of it : “Is it possi¬ 
ble to grow fruit profitably, using only 
artificial fertilizers when very little stock 
can be kept? I should like to see this 
question discussed, as it is very important 
in advising people who wish to go into 
fruit-growing without extra stock.” 
since had no occasion to recall any of 
our favorable opinions or hopes then ex¬ 
pressed. At this time (July 17) the ber¬ 
ries are the largest of any in our collec¬ 
tion, and the vine is in perfect health and 
vigor. 
The Ulster (Caywood) is well filled with 
clusters which up to this time are free 
from rot. 
The Victoria (Miner) as usual leads all 
of our varieties in the number, size and 
perfection of its bunches, in hardiness and 
thrift of vine. 
One of the most brilliant and beautiful 
cannas ever raised at the Rural Grounds 
is the new variety known as Gen. Bou¬ 
langer. The flowers bloom as early as 
July 5th. They are borne in close ra¬ 
cemes and remind one of orchids both iu 
form and color. The ground is a bright 
lemon-yellow streaked and spotted with 
crimson. The plants are dwarf, being 
at present scarcely more than two feet 
high. It is a valuable acquisition. 
All scientific efforts to increase the propor¬ 
tion of butter fats over the caseine in milk, 
by feeding, have been unsuccessful. The 
proportions do vary;but so far as has been 
ascertained, the variations are due to some 
other cause than the food eaten. Variations 
of temperature probably have much to do 
with it. If so, there ought tobe a larger pro¬ 
portion of butter fats on warm, fair days 
than on cold, rainy ones. Feeding foods 
rich in fat does not increase the proportion 
of cream. See T. D. Curtis's remarks, page 
493. 1 y 
As usual,we have selected only a few of 
the finest heads of our cross-bred whea's 
and wheat-and-rye hybrids to sow, or rath¬ 
er plant, next September. Every year we 
destroy scores of varieties which every 
season appear as variations of the crosses 
not fully fixed. There seems no good 
reason why new kinds should be perpetu¬ 
ated simply because they are new or dif¬ 
ferent from those in cultivation. 
Six vaiieties have been selected to be 
propagated for distribution as soon as a 
sufficient stock can be grown. Photo¬ 
graphs have been taken and their por¬ 
traits will soon appear. Nothing what¬ 
ever will be claimed for these varieties, 
beyond what may be implied by an im¬ 
partial statement of their promise as grown 
in the wheat plots of our trial grounds. 
Many costly city houses are veritable 
“whited sepulchres.” Through defective 
and clumsy systems of plumbing death 
comes stealing up from sewers and cess¬ 
pools. Those interested in sanitation 
have repeatedly shown how a system of 
plumbing, cheaper, less clumsy and 
stronger would cut down the danger from 
sewer-gas one-half. Why is not this new 
system adopted at once? Those who 
have investigated the matter find that it 
is mainly due to the powerful influence of 
capital. The amount of money invested 
in stock and patterns for manufacturing 
some of the old forms of plumbing fix¬ 
tures is enormous. Many of these fixtures 
are absolutely dangerous to the public 
health, and yet they aie kept in use be¬ 
cause rich manufacturers and dealers say 
so. This is but one case in 100. IIow 
many farmers are kept at work with in¬ 
ferior tools because of this same spirit? 
In 1881, the new peas, Pride of the 
Market ana Stratagem, introduced by the 
London firm of James Carter & Co., were 
raised in the R. N-Y. Grounds. The 
vines of both kinds averaged about two 
feet in hight, matured at the same time 
and were of much the same habit. As, 
however, the Stratagem was found to be 
rather more productive and of better 
quality, it was selected for distribution 
among our subscribers and it has since 
become perhaps the most valued pea of 
its season, which is intermediate. 
Among a lot of seeds with which the 
Department of Agriculture favored us 
the present season, was a package marked 
“Pride of the Market.” These were 
planted, not with a view of testing the 
variety again,but merely for home use. 
They prove to be a mixed lot, not one of 
which is true to name. The vines grow 
from two feet to six feet in hight. The 
blossoms were of various colors, the peas 
of all sizes, some wrinkled, some smooth. 
Thus it happens that a really excellent 
old variety will be condemned as worth¬ 
less by all who have raised the Govern¬ 
ment seed sent cut all over the country 
under the same name. 
A New York subscriber asks this 
question, after reading the articles on 
calf-raising in a recent Rural : “Has 
any one ever experimented on raising 
calves from poor cows ?” A great many 
calves have been raised from poor cows, 
and most of them have added to the 
numbers of poor stock ; but, as far as we 
know, little experimenting has been done 
to determine, with anything like scientific 
accuracy, the great advantage of breeding 
from the best cows and getting rid of the 
calves from poor ones. This is one of the 
things that “ everybody knows” and 
which yet cannot be proved by actual fig¬ 
ures. Most farmers will now acknowl¬ 
edge the profit of using a thoroughbred 
bull. Many of them still think that the 
bull is nine-tenths of the herd. He is 
not. No first-class dairy herd can be es¬ 
tablished until the cows are divided into 
groups according to their dairy qualities 
and the breeding confined to the best 
group. Our experiment stations might do 
many worse things than that of trying to 
figure the ability of the cow to transmit 
her milk and butter-making powers. 
Here are a few tariff figures that may 
be interesting to farmers. They are taken 
from the report of the Chief of "the Bureau 
of Statistics, just published. We give 
the quantities of various agricultural pro¬ 
ducts imported during the years ending 
June 30, 1886 and 1887. The figures for 
the year just ended are not yet com¬ 
pleted. 
1886. 
ments with grasses, and one of $15,000- 
for the investigation of yellows in the 
peach and the remedies therefor. Silk 
culture is encouraged by an appropriation 
of $20,000 for experiments at Washing¬ 
ton and elsewhere under control of the 
Department of Agriculture, and $10,000 
are given to agencies under charge of the 
Women’s Silk Culture Association of the 
United States. On the whole, the appro¬ 
priations are liberal for all objects and 
more than liberal for a few. 
Animals ... 
Breadstuffs 
Cement.... 
Cider. 
Hay. 
Honey.. 
Hops. 
Provisions. 
Butter. 
Cheese. 
Milk. 
Vegetables. 
Vinegar.... 
Wool. 
1887. 
Quantity. 
564,677 
Quantity. Value. 
462.787 $ 8,6)3,472 
7,164,361 
650.682 733,296 
5,108 1,466 
92,175 1.0S5.408 
45,118 16.244 
2,728,971 440.216 
486,160 
178,534 28.357 
6,282,007 852,785 
671,282 
2,840 998 
95.601 18,549 
107,910,549 13,794,212 
Under vegetables the heaviest 
were for potatoes, the items being for 
1886, 1,945,028 bushels, valued at $650, 
292.45, and for 1887, 1,430,918 bushels, 
valued at $542,234.40. The imports for 
the year just closed will probably largely 
exceed either of these figures. The im 
port duty on potatoes is 15 cents per 
bushel. 
1,074.400 
1.789 
72.722 
13,466 
16,618,829 
236,025 
6,558,464 
85.037 
114.404,113 
Value. 
$ 4,665,06 
6,886,560 
1,101,994 
499 
791,686 
5.242 
1,329,506 
441,675 
88.101 
870.828 
606,328 
2,276,304 
17,446 
16,851.869 
items 
THINNING FRUIT. 
S OME of the best fruit growers in West¬ 
ern New York—a famous fruit coun¬ 
try—make a regular practice of thinning 
the fruit on the trees when a heavy crop is 
promised. Here is what a well-known 
grower writes : “We practice thinning 
our plums, pears and quinces, and are 
well-satisfied that there is nothing more 
important in fruit culture than thinning 
the fruit on the tree when we have a fuil 
crop.”Manjfarmers who have not tried this 
think it requires too much time and that 
the benefits are not pronounced enough to 
pay for this time. Those who practice 
thinning—that is, the removal of small and 
poor fruit—say it pays as well as pruning. 
For example, A. S. Dyckman, one of the 
best known peach growers of Michigan, 
writes thus about it“It certainly pays in 
the Michigan Peach Belt to thin peaches. 
We are now in the midst of thinning. 
The following is a good rule for thinning : 
For a twig (of last year’s growth) six 
inches long, leave one peach ; for a twig 
10 inches long leave two peaches ; for a 
twig 15 inches long leave three peaches. 
Most people wait until near the pit-hard¬ 
ening period, when the full effect of insect 
injury can be easily determined. Thin¬ 
ning promotes longevity in the tree, in¬ 
sures greater size, uniformity and better 
flavor to the fruit.” 
CONGRESSIONAL AGRICULTURAL 
APPROPRIATIONS. 
A QUARREL ABOUT PLEURO¬ 
PNEUMONIA. 
P ROFESSOR LAW, New York State 
Veterinarian, and the farmers of 
Queens County, L. I.. are at loggerheads, 
and the latter have laid complaints 
against the former before Governor Hill, 
with whom the case is now pending. 
In Queens County a considerable number 
of cattle are affected with contagious 
pleuro-pneumonia, and the Professor with 
$500,000 of Government money and the 
authority of the Empire State at his back, 
is hard at work eradicating the plague. 
The farmers want to inoculate unaffected 
but exposed anrmals, and this the Pro¬ 
fessor will not permit; and in this he is 
supported by the best veterinary authori¬ 
ties in this country and Europe. The 
farmers claim, however, that there is no 
need of quarantining the entire county, 
and claim that the Professor is unjust in 
his treatment of them. They say that he 
condemns cows and then refuses to pay 
anything like what they are worth ; that 
by this means he has almost ruined or 
greatly embarrassed several of them; that 
he “has bullied” several dairymen into 
selling their stock, even when the cattle 
were in a healthy condition; and, finally, 
that he is playing into the hands of cattle- 
jobbers who buy the animals after they 
are condemned. They allege that his in¬ 
terests lie in buying the cattle cheap, and 
selling them dear, and that he is very 
vigilant in looking after his own interests. 
Similar complaints were made against 
him a short time ago by the farmers of 
Westchester County, when he was stamp¬ 
ing out the disease there. Indeed, on 
both sides of the Atlantic complaints from 
farmers whose cattle are being slaughtered 
for the public good, are frequent and loud. 
While we believe that the method fol¬ 
lowed by the Professor is the most effect¬ 
ive, still it ought to be carried out so as 
to cause as little trouble and loss as possi¬ 
ble. The owners of slaughtered animals 
ought to be fairly remunerated, and con¬ 
sideration should be given not only to the 
actual value of the animals, but also to 
the loss of business consequent on the de¬ 
crease of the herd. It appears that the 
Professor is very brusk and arbitrary in 
his treatment of the farmers. When 
they have demurred to the appraisal put 
upon their animals, it is said that he has 
threatened “to quarantine their premises 
for six months,” and then, in a fit of 
spleen, to have made a reappraisement 
still lower than the first. Professor Law 
is probably our highest authority on ve¬ 
terinary matters; but courtesy, civility 
and fair-mindedness do not always 
go with great ability or learning. 
O N Wednesday last the President 
signed the Agricultural Appropri¬ 
ation Bill for the fiscal year ending June 
30, 1889. The total amount appropriated 
is $1,886,925, of which $100,000 for exper¬ 
iments in sorghum sugar making were 
added by the Senate after the bill had 
passed the House the first time. The Com¬ 
missioner of Agriculture did not want any 
money for this purpose, but the sorgho 
interests of the country, especially those 
of Kansas, insisted on a liberal appropria¬ 
tion, and after some wrangling between 
the two Houses their demand was granted. 
With the exception of this item,a detailed 
list of the various objects for which the ap¬ 
propriation is made appeared in the Rural 
of June 2, page 374. 
The appropriation for the current year 
exceeds that for last year by nearly $200,- 
000. The heaviest single items are $685,- 
000 for the agricultural experiment sta¬ 
tions; $500,000 for the Bureau of Animal 
Industry; $104,200 for the seed distrib¬ 
ution; $100,000 for sorghum sugar ex¬ 
periments; $95,000 for collecting statistics 
and $36,300 for arranging and tabulating 
them. The total amount for salaries is 
$190,000 against $161,490 last year. 
The salary of the Commissioner of 
Agriculture is raised from $4,000 to $5,- 
000 a year, being now equal to that of a 
Congressman. The salaries of the Libra¬ 
rian, the Chief of the Seed Division, and 
the Superintendent of the Ground are in¬ 
creased by $200 apiece. An item of $20, 
000 is given for investigations and experi¬ 
BREVITIES. 
A great season for grape rot is this at the 
R. G. 
Cuthberts are far ahead of any red rasp¬ 
berries of their season grown in the neighbor¬ 
hood of the Rural Grounds (Bergen Co., N. J.) 
this season. The Golden Queen is the best 
yellow by all odds. For two goldens, select 
the Caroline for early and the Golden Queen 
for late. 
By the sudden death of the Rev. Edward 
Payson Roe, last Thursday night, at the early 
age of 50, America loses its most popular and 
prolific novelist; horticulture, a genial adept, 
and the world, a thoroughly honest,honorable 
and lovable citizen. The circulation of his 
various works in this conntry amounted to 
over half a million copies, and allowing only 
three readers to each copy. over a million and 
a half of our reading public have been in¬ 
structed, amused and delighted by his pen, 
while the entire tone of all is healthy and 
moral. As every reader is a friend few could 
have left so large a circle of mourners round 
their graves. 
The New York State Hop-Growers’ Asso¬ 
ciation together with representatives of the 
Brewers’ Association, held a convention at 
Utica last Wednesday. The members of the 
joint convention resolved “that all legisla¬ 
tion in future shall be in the interest of the 
New York State agricultural and manufac¬ 
turing products,” and that they would regard 
any legislation adverse to hops, malt and 
beer as against their interests, 'r o that end 
they favor the organization of the hop- 
growers and barley-raisers of the State into 
county associations, whose aim shall be to se¬ 
cure the election of officers “who will respect 
their interests.” These associations should be 
non-political, but should support for office 
such men as favor their interests. 
