o HO 
THE RURAL NIW-YORKER. 
JAN 49 
THE 
RURAL NEW'YORKER, 
ANatlonal Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Conducted by 
EGBERT S. CARMAN. 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
No. 84 Park Row, New York. 
SATURDAY, JANUARY 19, 1889. 
“He who getteth himself honey, 
Though a clown, he shall have flies. 
In the end God grinds the miller ; 
In the dark, the mole hath eyes." 
Read Frof. Porter’s article on page 41, 
“The Yard-stick or the Plow.” 
And the game goes merrily on, while 
dairy farmers are defrauded of a large part 
of their just profit, and I suppose this will go 
on until the nations rise up in indignation 
and put an end to such unscrupulous prac¬ 
tices once for all.— Prof. Sheldon, page 36. 
“Ques. —Why am I a farmer?” 
“Ans. -Because I can trust the Lord 
more, and people less for success in this 
business, above all others.” J. m. y. 
What ive complain of is the abominable 
fact that it was ever called by a name which 
identified it with the dairy. This it is that 
has done most of the harm to dairy farmers , 
for had the spurious stuff from the first been 
called by a name which properly and effectu¬ 
ally disconnected it from the dairy, not a 
tithe of the mischief would have been perpe¬ 
trated.— Prof. Sheldon, page 36. 
Do not fail to read Mr. Terry’s article 
on page 85. Every word of it, in the 
R. N.-Y.’s estimation, is true. It touches 
the heart with its evident sincerity while its 
forcible truths are spoken in the simplest, 
most touching manner. Thank you Mr. 
Terry—many thanks. 
I know a man who once ate some of this 
stuff, toasted, at supper; he was hungry at 
the time, or he wouldn't have eaten much of 
it; he survived, but the Doctor declared he 
had had a close shave of it, and he has never 
tasted American cheese since .— Prof. Shel¬ 
don, page 36. 
--- 
No less than three potato originators 
have written us that the R. N.-Y. potato 
No. 2, is precisely the same as their own 
seedlings. “There is no doubt about it.” 
No less than six persons have written us 
that the R. N.-Y. Trench System is their 
system. One says, “I began it 60 years 
ago.” 
You protect the skin, so to speak, of your 
great and noble country, and you tolerate 
a festering abscess m your vitals. Indeed, 
you Americans are a very funny people. 
You could crush a vast civil war, and you 
seem to be powerless against bogus cheese .— 
Prof. Sheldon, page 36. 
- »«» ♦ • — +> - 
Thank you, ladies, very much, for your 
interest in the Women’s National Potato 
Contest. We can scarcely believe it. 
Souvenirs Yor all of you who produce 
creditable yields, are what we desire to 
secure. The eyes of the world will be 
upon you, ladies. Will you object to 
that? The Contest is a worthy one and 
will do good. 
The process of liming may temporarily pay, 
but it is at the expense of the future, while 
we pay for the agent that does this permanent 
mischief .—See Prof. Sanborn, page 34. 
During the past two weeks of damp, 
unseasonable weather, nearly every fowl 
in the neighborhood of the Rural Grounds 
has had the roup. A near neighbor who 
keeps about 75 hens and gives them 
excellent care, treats this disease with 
almost unfailing success, and this too 
without resorting to any medicine or roup 
nostrums whatever. The roupy bird is 
shut up in a darkened coop and the coop 
is placed in a warm part of the barn. 
She is fed nutritious food while thus 
confined, but in small quantity. Usually 
from three to four days of this treatment 
suffice for a complete cure. 
Five hundred bushels of potatoes on 
an acre of impoverished soil is what the R. 
N.-Y. expects to raise next season under 
the Rural Trench System, aided mainly by 
fertilizers. Let us see. It further ex¬ 
pects to raise at the rate of over 700 
bushels on one-fortieth of an acre. It 
further proposes to raise over 100 bushels 
of shelled corn on a measured acre, as 10 
years ago it averaged more than that on 
five acres. 
The best vegetables, new and old, in¬ 
cluding celery, cabbage, lettuce, beets, 
Brussel’s sprouts,borecole,carrot, celeriac, 
cucumber, egg plant, garlic, onion, leek, 
mushrooms, radish, spinach, okra, pep¬ 
pers, rhubarb, squash, tomato, pumpkin, 
peas, beans, sweet corn, cauliflower, 
celery, etc., etc., early and late for field and 
garden. These will be treated in a Special 
soon to appear, by the best practical 
writers of the country. 
The R. N.-Y. considers the article by 
Mr. Terry, on page 35, one of the most 
eloquent and admirable tributes it has 
ever seen. It is true, every word of it, 
and we venture to say that there is hardly 
a right-minded, fair-thinking man who 
will not acknowledge its truth. 
“Have confidence enough tn each other's 
judgment to ask no questions about little 
amounts. Have the pocket book as acces¬ 
sible to one partner as to the other. No ti~ue 
woman will ever abuse such a partnership, 
and there are more true women in this 
world than there are true men." 
Right you are, Mr. Terry, just as right 
as you can ever be. Well said. The 
writer of this is not at all ashamed to say 
that his wife is just as good a financial 
manager as he is, just as well able to 
handle every cent of money belonging to 
us, and a great deal better able to 
manage any expense that has to do with 
household matters. 
The R. N.-Y. is going to see how much 
corn it can raise on a measured acre; how 
many potatoes on a measured acre. Then 
the ladies of the R. N.-Y. have entered 
for the Women’s “Potato Contest.” 
Again it is going to try to raise at the 
rate of over 700 bushels of potatoes per 
acre on more than double the area of last 
year’s “Contest” plot. It hopes also to 
print many reports as to the R. N.-Y. 
No. 2. (from the little specimen sent to 
each applicant-subscriber), that will show 
it to be the best late or intermediate 
potato in existence. It also further hopes, 
should the Flea-beetle be kept in check, 
to show that the R. N.-Y. No.’s 3 and 4 
are the biggest yielders of all varieties at 
present known, while the quality is ex¬ 
tra fine. It still further hopes to send 
out a few grains of six different kinds of 
its hybrid rye and wheat and cross-bred 
wheat plants, and that a number of other 
varieties will have become so fixed as to 
be ready for dissemination another year. 
We have great hopes trom these new 
varieties. Oh I it hopes for lots of things 
from the New Year. It is anticipating 
lots of fun for itself and for its good 
readers. It is altogether happy, and 
would gladly aid in making them happy 
as well. 
LIEUT. GOVERNOR JOxXES AC¬ 
CEPTS. 
T HE R. N.-Y. solicited Lieut. Gov. 
Jones to act as one of the judges in 
the R.N.-Y.’s potatocontest next summer. 
His reply is as follows: 
“It will afford me a great deal of 
pleasure to serve as one of the judges at 
your next potato contest.” 
Our next potato contest promises to be 
a matter of no little importance, and it is 
desirable that well known people be se¬ 
lected as judges, so that there may be no 
manner of doubt as to the impartiality of 
their report. 
There will be'three plots. First, the 
full acre plot of irregular ground and an 
impoverished soil; second, the Women’s 
plot, and, last, the regular contest plot, 
which will be twice as large as that of 
last year. All are to be treated strictly in 
accordance with the R. N.-Y, Trench 
Method. 
A NOTE FROM PRES. BERCKMANS. 
46rp HE next session of the American 
JL Pomological Society will be held 
at Ocala (not Sanford), Florida, Feb. 20, 
21 and 22. There will be a large attend¬ 
ance, judging from many lettters I daily 
receive. In a few days I shall be able to 
announce that reduced rates have been 
secured from railroads. The Ocala peo 
pie are doing everything possible to en¬ 
tertain their friends and they hope to 
welcome many from every section.” 
P. J. BERCKMANS. 
THE WOMEN’S NATIONAL POTATO 
CONTEST. 
E STIMATED value of souvenirs con¬ 
tributed up to January 10th, $850.00 
H. L. Barricklow, Rising Sun, Ind. 
$5 in grape-vines and ornamental shrubs. 
G. W. Fry, Dunlap, Mo., a choice of 
a setting of eggs of either Silver Wyan- 
dottes or R. C. B. Leghorns. 
Northrcp, Braslan & Goodwin Co., 
Minneapolis, Minn., $10 in any kind of 
seeds from their 1889 catalogue. 
Geo. B. Loring, M. D., Washington, 
D. C., $5.00 in cash. 
W. B. Alwood, vice-director of the 
Virginia Experiment Station, $5 in cash. 
M. Murray, Centre, O. Five premi¬ 
ums, each consisting of two pounds of 
Ross’s Favorite potato (new). 
S. Frogner, Herman, Minn., $20 in 
potatoes, as follows: 
10 prizes of one peck each of Early 
Minnesota (new.) 
10 prizes of one pound each of No. 18 
(not for sale.) 
10 prizes of one pound each of No. 64 
(not for sale). 
10 prizes of one pound each of No. 50 
(not for sale). 
The pound prizes to be sent postpaid; 
the peck to be sent by express at recip¬ 
ient’s expense. 
Jones, of Binghamton, N. Y., $10in 
two platform scales. 
WHY NOT? 
A ND there is not one, as yet, to accept 
of the Rural’s wager. What’s the 
matter with you, good people? The 
mefney will go to a charitable purpose. 
Probably the R. N.-Y. will be defeated. 
It was defeated last year, and now, on a 
plot more than twice as large, it wagers 
$50 or $100 that it will next year raise at 
the rate of over 700 bushels of potatoes 
to the acre. Why not accept it, friends 
—you who have money to give away to 
some worthy charity? Let the season be 
what it may; in spite of insect depreda¬ 
tions; in spite of too much rain or of 
drought; in spite of poor seed, of var¬ 
ieties that may not yield well—in spite 
of anything, the Rural is willing to 
wager $100 that it will raise seventeen and 
a half bushels of potatoes on one-fortieth 
of an acre. And we propose to do it 
economically. What can he done on one- 
fortieth of an acre can he done on an acre 
if the same conditions are secured. It 
is our intention to plant an acre also, and 
in 1890 to make the same offer for the 
acre that we now make for the smaller 
area. The land is at present rough, un¬ 
even and impoverished. We shall do 
our best with it next spring, and see how 
large a yield may be obtained under the 
Rural Trench System, faithfully report¬ 
ing the results to our readers. Mean 
while, friends, we are waiting for you to 
accept of our present wager, and it is 
difficult to see why it is not readily 
accepted. Please tell us of an authentic 
record where as many as 17bushels 
of potatoes have been raised on an area 
of 1,089 square feet. 
. - « « » —- 
FIRST SEVERE BLOW AT THE 
TRUSTS. 
T HE first severe blow against Trust 
monopolies has just been delivered by 
Justice Barrett,of the New York Supreme 
Court, m a luminous decision against the 
North River Sugar Refining Company, one 
of the most important members of the 
Sugar Trust. Before the organization of 
the Trust, the sugar refineries of the State 
were conducted both by corporations and 
partnerships. To form the Trust, all the 
partnerships were turned into corpora¬ 
tions, which agreed that all the shares of 
their capital should be transferred to a 
Board of Trustees consisting ot 11 per¬ 
sons. The share-holders did not sell their 
interests,but received in exchange for their 
deeds “trust certificates,” just like the 
certificates of stock in any corporation. 
The Trust consisted of all the refineries 
in New York State together with the most 
prominent concerns in other States, and 
its object was to prevent competition and 
control prices. The directors of each of 
the original corporations became mere 
agents of the Trust, and each corpora¬ 
tion paid over the profits of its business 
to the board of 11 men, and from the ag¬ 
gregate profits dividends were declared 
on the Trust certificates. 
Corporations enjoy certain privileges 
from the State, and are amenable to its 
laws. By joining a Trust, which is in 
the form of a corporation though it is not 
one, they shirk their obligations while 
retaining their privileges. The Judge 
decides that the company has forfeited 
its charter because it went beyond its cor¬ 
porate powers in merging itself in the 
Trust. He bases his decision on no par¬ 
ticular law, but on the broad principle of 
“plain law and plain sense” that the law 
is able to protect itself against such 
abuses of the privileges it grants, 
“which, if allowed to thrive and become 
general, must inevitably lead to the op¬ 
pression of the people, and ultimately to the 
subversion of their political rights”. The 
application of this principle of common 
law is not confined to the State of New 
York, but extends to every State in the 
Union. It is difficult to overestimate 
the importance of this decision, should 
it be sustained by the Court of Appeals, 
to which the case is sure to be taken. 
True, it applies only to corporations 
forming Trusts, while that exemplar of all 
Trusts, the Standard Oil Company, de¬ 
clares it is not affected by it, as it is com¬ 
posed, not of corporations, but of indiv¬ 
idual stock-holders. While, as Judge 
Barrett suggests, “ further legislation, 
both preventive and disciplinary,” is de¬ 
sirable “to check and punish” the wrongs 
done, by these monopolies, it is a cause of 
thankfulness to the general public that so 
trenchant a judgment has now been ren¬ 
dered against them, which may serve as a 
wholesome precedent in other cases an d 
in other States. 
BREVITIES. 
Read what Dr. Kilborne says about yel¬ 
low pork, on page 37. 
January 10, and no frost in the ground. 
Potatoes are sprouting badly. 
‘ “ Why do i farm?’ To my mind the main 
articles in the Thanksgiving Number answer 
that question pretty well.” 
“There is a point or two in this potato seed 
business not generally known.” See Mr. 
Falconer’s article on the first page. 
Mr. Pratt, on page 36, ascribes a portion 
of the loss in the average butter production 
of his herd to a change of milkers. It is cer¬ 
tainly remarkable how much difference in a 
cow’s yield a new milker can produce. 
Mr. Howard, page 37, outlines a plan fora 
poultry experiment. Wouldn’t the soil of that 
field be rich the next year ? Speaking of poul¬ 
try experiments, when are our experiment sta¬ 
tions going to try something of the kind ? 
Mr. Hodgeman, on page 35, gives the 
history of a very successful farmers’ organ¬ 
ization. Is he right in his guess that the 
managers of the N. Y. State meetings are 
trying to “heat the mass from the top?” 
Think this over. 
The experiments on'feeding steers of various 
breeds, conducted at the Michigan Agricul¬ 
tural College, aroused considerable interest 
among cattle-men. Now it is proposed to con¬ 
duct a similar experiment with sheep of the 
different breeds. 
You will notice that the first of the exper¬ 
iments as to the weight ot milk required to 
make a pound of butter, is recorded this week 
under “Discussion.” In this case it required 
18 2-13 pounds of milk to make a pound of 
butter. Can your cows beat this record? 
