352 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
MAY 25 
THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
AN ational Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Conducted by 
BfcBEBT 8. CARMAN. 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
No. 84 Park Row, New York. 
SATURDAY, MAY 25, 1889. 
Read Prof. Porter’s views as to what agricul¬ 
tural colleges are good ior. 
Bone and Unleaciied AsnES. —They 
are first-rate for all crops. This combin¬ 
ation is a complete fertilzer, but a little de¬ 
ficient in nitrogen. 
One of the most promising new va- 
vieties of strawberry growing in the 
Rural Grounds is one sent to use by T. Y. 
Munson, of Texas. Should this berry toe 
the mark, after a sufficient trial, it will 
be called Parker Earle. 
Latest as to the Flea-beetle. On the 
morning of May 17 the fleas were seen to 
be thicker than ever and many leaves 
badly perforated. Half of the Contest 
Plot was sprayed with the Bordeaux 
mixture made as follows: Half a pound 
of copper sulphate dissolved in hot water 
and two pounds of lime added to two 
gallons of water. This was first run 
through a fine sieve so as to insure its 
not clogging the nozzle. The other half 
was sprayed with water in which three 
ounces of bitter aloes were dissolved. 
The lime of the Bordeaux mixture is evi¬ 
dently injuring the leaves. The Flea- 
beetle seems to relish both mixtures. 
Ex-Mayor Hewitt is in Europe study¬ 
ing the basic process of manufacturing 
steel. He tells an interviewer that he 
believes this process will be largely em¬ 
ployed in America before 10 years and 
that it will eventually supersede all 
others. This means not only cheaper and 
better steel, but it means a great addition 
to our supply of phosphoric acid avail¬ 
able for fertilizing purposes. In the basic 
process the phosphorus is removed from 
the iron. Phosphate meal. Thomas slag, 
etc., are names given to this residue in 
England, where it has been found to con¬ 
tain from 20 to 35 per cent, of phosphoric 
acid. 
For several years past R. N.-Y. readers 
may recall that we have spoken in high 
terms of praise of a white grape which 
was sent to us tour years ago by David 
Bundy, of Colerain, Ohio, for trial. As 
it behaves at the Rural Grounds we re¬ 
gard it as the best native white grape in 
cultivation, all things considered, and one 
which, it may be presumed, will adapt 
itself to a wide range of country and 
climate. We have never seen the variety 
alluded to in any other journal, and are 
glad in this instance, as we have had oc¬ 
casion to be in many others, of being the 
first to bring to public notice what prom¬ 
ises to be a novelty of the first merit. 
We learn that a company is beiDg 
formed to introduce the Colerain, as the 
new grape has been named. 
“J am sure that when the seed is allowed 
to ripen, the amount of digestible nutriment 
tn millet is reduced one-half. It makes very 
poor hay. When cut while the plant is com¬ 
ing into bloom, millet makes excellent hay 
which is good food for any kind of stock ."— 
Col. F. D. Curtis, page 329. 
About the only new hay plant that is 
just now demanding extra attention from 
farmers is Alfalfa. It is certain that the 
plant is very valuable at the South or in 
the dry, hot regions of the West. Re¬ 
ports from the North and East are still 
somewhat contradictory. Here is one 
just received from the Michigan Agricul¬ 
tural College. 
“ The cold weather which we are hav¬ 
ing this spring, especially during the past 
week, has injured the Alfalfa very much. 
Some mornings it looks as though it 
would never revive again, although there 
had been no frost. Our common clover 
in an adjoining plot does not seem to be 
affected in the least by the cold. After a 
week of cold, northwest wind which we 
are haviDg, the Alfalfa looks quite yellow 
and some of it is killed to all appearances. 
I think the great problem is to get it 
throughbhe first,year successfully.” 
Help, Entomologists! The R. N.-Y. 
calls for help for hundreds of farmers and 
gardeners as well as for itself whose po¬ 
tato vines are thus early being destroyed 
by the Flea-beetle. Prof. Riley (United 
States Entomologist) insists that Paris- 
green water, if sprayed on the under side 
of the leaves, will destroy them. We 
have tried this thoroughly and make the 
positive assertion that it will not destroy 
them. The R. N. Y. during the past two 
weeks has tried Paris-green, crude car¬ 
bolic acid, sulphuric acid, thymo-cresol, 
hellebore, pyrethrum, tobacco water, to¬ 
bacco-soap water, whale-oil soap water 
and several patent compounds which 
need not be mentioned. We can not see 
that any of these orvaiious combinations 
ot them either harm or drive them 
away. Look to ^our potato leaves. You 
may not see the little dark beetle in great 
numbers, but if the leaves are partly or 
wholly perforated with little holes as big 
as pin heads, be sure he is there. These 
perforations soon destroy the leaf tissue, 
the leaf withers and the plant suffers pro¬ 
portionately. 
Great Britain is rapidly following 
the example of the United States in the 
formation of trusts. The number organ¬ 
ized during the whole of last year was 
only 15, with a total capital of less than 
$50,000,000; but during the first three 
months of this year, according to the 
London Economist, 19 new associations 
have been formed, with a total capital of 
about $125,000,000. It is alleged, how¬ 
ever, that some of these are little better 
than confidence games got up for the 
purpose of beguiling money from the 
pockets of the public into those of the 
schemers. They are all floated, however, 
with a facility which unmistakably be¬ 
trays a superabundance of idle capital or 
amazing gullibility in the British Isles. 
Has anything of this kind been done on 
this side of the water? Why, certainly. 
Thousands, yes, probably millions of dol¬ 
lars have been enticed out of the pockets 
of the public into their own by the pro¬ 
moters of various trusts, which promised 
enormous profits for the few at the cost 
of the many, but which can never fulfill 
those promises. Already in England 
there are grave fears of the collapse of 
many of these wind bags, and the Gov¬ 
ernment is strongly urged by long-headed 
financiers to put an end to these schemes, 
which, at the best, must be adverse to the 
public welfare. 
ADDITIONAL NAMES. 
T HESE are more names of those who 
have entered for the Women’s Po¬ 
tato Contest. 
Mrs- Alexander Sneddon, Lancaster Co., 
Nebraska. 
Mrs. C. McIntosh, Brant Co., Canada. 
Mrs. Y. W. Griblin, Gieenwood Co., Kan. 
Mrs. F. Dick, Washington Co., Minn. 
Fannie Dick, Washington Co., Minn. 
Theodoria Dick, Washington Co., Minn. 
Mrs. G. S. Paine, Kennebec Co., Maine. 
Mrs. C. M. Grossman, La Grange Co., Ind. 
Mrs. Belinda E. Jones, Chautauqua Co., 
N. Y. 
Mrs. Daphne Martin, Posey Co., Ind. 
Mrs. Anna A. Hay, Butler Co., Pa. 
Mrs. G. Drew, Macoupin Co., Ill. 
Mrs. Lavina Robinson, Marshall Co., Ind. 
Mrs. Geo. A. Newcomb, Cattaraugus Co., 
N. Y. 
Mrs. Hannah A. Morton, Wright Co., 
Iowa. 
Mrs. Josie Lawrence, Jefferson Co., Iowa. 
A. Boorda, Warren Co., Iowa. 
Miss Alice E. Wysor, Pulaski Co., Va. 
Mrs. A. F. Mase, Audrain Co., Mo. 
Mrs. Angeline Winslow, Yamhill Co., 
Oregon. 
Mrs. Wm. Y. Wilbur, Cumberland Co., 
Maine. 
Mrs. Orson Grover, Hillsdale Co., Mich. 
Miss Helen Wheeler, Jerauld Co., Dakota. 
Mrs. Wm. She* wood, Tioga Co., N. Y. 
Emily Cockeram, Dunn Co., Wis. 
Fannie Ccckeram, Dunn Co., Wis. 
Mrs. G, Y. Wimmer, Coffee Co., Tenn, 
Mary V. Lishy, Adams Co„ Pa, 
Tillie F. Lishy, Adams Co.. Pa. 
Mrs. E. McMahon, Beaver Co„ Pa. 
Mrs. E. C, Dodge, Dane Co., Wis. 
--^ ♦ «-» - 
SOMETHING NEW. 
T HE R. N.-Y. has always been very 
successful in securing the opinions 
and experience of practical farmers. It 
has come closer to the farm and to actual 
farm work than any other agricultural 
paper. It has made a business of gath¬ 
ering the opinions and experience of 
those who do actual farm work. Exam¬ 
ine any number of the Rural and see 
how many articles it contains that bear 
the indelible stamp of practical agricul¬ 
ture. We now propose to go a wide step 
in advance of any former feat of agricul¬ 
tural journalism, and call to our aid the 
wonderful resources of photography and 
photo-engraving. We are prepared to 
print life-like pictures ot interesting ani¬ 
mals and objects just as we now print 
reports of farm methods and experiences. 
For example, we are printing reports 
from some of our readers who are test¬ 
ing their cows in a simple manner. These 
reports are instructive because they show 
how many pounds of milk are required 
to make a pound of butter, and this will 
go to show farmers whether their cows 
are above or below the average. Valua¬ 
ble as these comparative records are, it 
can be readily seen that they would be 
still more valuable if life-like pictures of 
the cows could be given. This is exactly 
what the R. N.-Y. proposes to encourage 
its readers to do. We have always been 
glad to have our readers tell us how they 
proceed to make farming pay; now we 
invite them to show us the sort of cattle, 
horses, sheep, etc., they are raising, the 
sort of homes they live in and the appli¬ 
ances they find helpful. 
Photographs are now quite easily ob¬ 
tained in almost any locality. By means 
of the new processes of engraving, plates 
can be made directly from the photo¬ 
graph, so that we are able to print an 
exact likeness of the object photo¬ 
graphed. The R. N.-Y. takes pleasure 
in making this new departure, and hopes 
its readers will take advantage of it. 
The R. N.-Y. is the first paper in the 
world to propose such a thing. It wi'l cost 
a large amount of money, but if the plan 
will help to make any clearer the Rural’s 
right to the title of “ the best agricultural 
paper in the world,” we shall be amply 
compensated. We shall be glad to hear 
from those who can send us photographs. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER’S NEXT 
POTATO CONTEST. 
THE LIST OF JUDGES COMPLETED. 
T is proposed that the potatoes of the 
next “Contest ” plot be dug on the 
last Friday of September next. The plot 
will be more than twice the size of last 
year’s plot, and the effort will be, as then, 
to raise at the rate of over 700 bushels to 
the acre. The following gentlemen have 
consented to act as judges: 
Lieut. Gov. Edward F. Jones, N. Y. 
Prof. Geo. H. Cook, Director of the 
N. J. Agricultural Experiment Station. 
L. H. Bailey, Professor of Horticul¬ 
ture at Cornell University. 
Dr. Byron D. Halstead, Professor of 
Botany, at Rutger’s College, N. J. 
E. H. Libby, Editor of the American 
Garden, N. Y. 
E. L. Coy, N. Y. 
Hon. John A. Woodward, Pa. 
J. S. Woodward, Secretary of the New 
York State Board of Agriculture. 
Prof. Henry E. Alvord, Director of 
the Maryland Agricultural Experiment 
Station. 
Col. F. D. Curtis, New York. 
Hon. Edwin Willits, Assistant Secre¬ 
tary of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. 
William Falconer, “Dosoris,” Glen 
Cove, L. I., N. Y. 
E. G. Fowler, Editor of the Farmer, 
Orange County, N. Y. 
Hon. J. G, Webb, Justice of the Peace, 
N. J. 
It is conceded on all hands that the 
R. N.-Y’s “ potato work,” as it may well 
be called, has stimulated an interest in 
the culture of potatoes never before 
known. No less than 900 women pretty 
well distributed over the entire country, 
as shown by our published list, (a per¬ 
fected list will be printed in the Fall), 
are now striving to show the possibilities 
of this farm crop which ranks, in money 
value, scarcely less than that of grass, 
wheat or corn in those sections well adapt¬ 
ed to its culture. The R. N.-Y. “Contest 
Plot” has this year received at the rate 
of but 1,000 pounds of fertilizer to the 
acre, and the time and trouble of plant¬ 
ing and cultivating the plot, will be no 
more than any farmer can afford to give 
to his fields, if, by the Rural’s method 
of culture, heavy crops can be secured. 
We hope to raise on this plot over 20 
bushels of potatoes, or more than one- 
eighth of the yield ordinarily produced 
by those who consider themselves good 
farmers, on an entire acre. Let us see, 
friends. In view of all this, theR. N.-Y. 
has been careful to select good and prom¬ 
inent men to see the crop dug, to weigh 
and estimate the yield, to the end that all 
who see their report may know that it is 
one to command their confidence. 
tl He may rest assured that if his soil be 
light and sandy, the harrow will ivorlc him 
sorrow and tribulation; but if, on the con¬ 
trary, it be heavy and inclined to clay, the 
harroio will not only help in fitting the soil, 
but will aid immensely in hurrying on the 
work and in saving time." —A. T. T., page 
332. 
R. N.-Y. Is this your experience ? 
BREVITIES. 
Bean growers in Western New York use 
bean vines for stock food. They are consid¬ 
ered best for sheep. 
Can we cure weeds with such care that 
they will make better fodder than the best 
grasses poorly cured? 
Will any farmer kindly tell a good reason 
for stepping on the seed potato after it is 
dropped in the hill or drill? 
I Regard the Rural New-Yorker as the 
very best of the journals of its class. 
PROF. JAMES F. BABCOCK. 
The future home of the baled-hay industry 
lies in the Northwest. It will follow wheat to 
the point where the best product can be pro¬ 
duced. 
One heaping tea-spoonful of pure Paris- 
green to a pailful of water for the potato-bee¬ 
tle, or one pound to one barrel of plaster, if 
intimately'mixed, will kill as well as a larger 
quantity of the poison, which is liable to in¬ 
jure the leaves more or less. 
Have the apple blossoms fallen? Then 
spray the trees with water and Paris-green— 
about one ounce to five gallons of water. 
London-purple is more readily held in suspen¬ 
sion, costs a good deal less (15 cents a pound) 
and contains about the same per cent, of ar¬ 
senic. 
In England,Rye grass, rape and other forage 
plants are being boomed. Little is said about 
these plants here—a good many wise men 
wonder why not. It should be remembered 
that corn is a wonderful crop in this country; 
while in England it is merely a plant to be ex¬ 
perimented with. 
If you would have fine melons, dig wide 
holes; then mix a liberal quantity of old farm 
manure with the soil as it is returned. Com¬ 
pact the soil and plant all the way from a 
dozen to 20 seeds, if you have plenty and thin 
out to two or three. Have the hills for water¬ 
melons 10x10 feet; muskmelous 0x0. 
Readers of the R. N.-Y. in all sections are 
asked to examine their potato vines to see if 
they are or are not attacked by the Flea-bee¬ 
tle—the little black, jumping insects to which 
frequent allusion has been made in these 
pages during the past year. A history, with 
illustrations was given last fall, pago 540. As 
was then shown by the R. N.-Y., many cases 
of supposed “blight” were really caused by 
these nimble little imps. 
Last year wo picked out six of our best 
hens and put them into a small pen with a 
good rooster. We set 52 eggs from this pen 
and 48 of them hatched. This year we have 
tried selecting eggs from several yards where 
several roosters run with large flocks of hens. 
The result is very disappointing, as a large 
proportion of the eggs prove infertile. Here¬ 
after all our eggs for setting will come from 
a small pen of our best liens mated with a 
rooster of good form and breed. 
Delegates representing the 10 cotton 
States, met at Birmingham, Alabama, May 
15-16. A representative of the jute bag¬ 
ging trust offered to make a contract for 
bagging at 10% cents per pound. This 
proposition was not sustained, and the 
convention “resolved” to use cotton bag¬ 
ging to be manufactured in the South, and 
to demand from purchasers and manufac¬ 
turers an allowance of at least eight cents per 
E ound on each bale covered with cotton 
aggiug. The cotton bagging costs 12% cents 
per yard weighing three fourths of a pound. 
