464 
THE BUBAL. ®IEW-Y©BKEB S 
JULY 43 
THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
AN*tlonal Journal for Country and Suburban Homes, 
Conducted by 
BfcBEBT 8. CARMAN, 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-TOREEB, 
No. 84 Paris: Row, New York. 
SATURDAY, JULY 13, 1889. 
SPECIAL NOTICE. 
N reply to inquiries we may state that 
the lower portion of the flowers of 
the potato R. N.-Y. No. 2 is purple. 
This purplish color covers about half the 
corolla. The outer portion is nearly 
white. This variety never hears white 
flowers. The stems also are, here and 
there, tinted with purple. They are long- 
jointed and do not branch as freely as 
most other varieties. 
The R. N.-Y. wheats promise to give a 
heavier yield than ever before—probably 
close upon 40 bushels to the acre. It in¬ 
terests our farm neighbors greatly that 
such a yield should be the outcome of 
single grains planted a foot apart each 
way. 
The wet weather has served to discour¬ 
age a good many haymakers. A great 
deal of hay has been put into the barn in 
a condition that would not have been tol¬ 
erated in a dry season. Indeed, some of 
this hay is in such a state that quite a 
number of farmers are nervous about 
“spontaneous combustion;” several have 
written the R. N.-Y. about the matter. 
Next week we will give some little space 
to this subject. Other farmers, particu 
larly those in Canada,are thinking serious¬ 
ly of putting a good deal of their grass 
into the si o. They are tired of “haying 
between showers ” As we write, the sun 
comes out again warm and bright, and 
we sincerely hope its presence betokens 
suitable harvest weather. 
“ When I contrast my occupation with 
those of friends who are in business in the 
villages around me, and see the lives they 
live, I conclude that I am as well off as they 
are, although some have things nicer tnan 
we, and have more advantages as to society 
than it is possible for us to have. But if I 
am not mistaken, all can see things that they 
wish they might have different from what 
they do have." —G. A. B., page 458. 
That audacious intruder, the English 
sparrow, is justly denounced by the De- 
partmtnt of Agriculture. He is accused 
of eating grains and seeds in destructive 
quantities, both in field and garden, of 
destroying great quantities of vegetables 
and fruits, and of maltreating and driv¬ 
ing from their homes many of our 
cherished warblers and other birds, and 
of being noisy, quarrelsome and filthy. 
To get rid of the pests it is recommended 
that bounties should be offered by the 
various States to promote their whole¬ 
sale destruction. Individual efforts to 
exterminate them in the way of nest de¬ 
struction, shooting, trapping and poison¬ 
ing are strongly urged. A strong ob¬ 
jection to the last, however, lies in the 
danger that other birds as well as other 
creatures would be endangered by it. 
What are you doing to abate the 
nuisance? 
A Michigan subscriber sends the 
following request: 
“ Will the Rural a-k some of its sub¬ 
scribers who have a hay press, to put up 
a few bales of freshly cut Timothy, 
clover or corn, as an experiment? It 
seems to me that it would be so much 
like silage, that it would probably keep 
if packed very solidly.” 
The R. N.-Y, seconds this request. 
Will not hay press men try this? Some 
experiments have been made in years 
past in this mattei, and the weight of 
evidence seems to be against the practice. 
The difficulty seems to be that the pressed 
grass will not keep well. However, the 
experiments should be continued until 
we know all about it. We can readily 
see that baled grass would find a good 
sale in the city markets. The question is— 
is it possible to bale the grass? We hope 
some of our readers will help answer this 
question. 
“ If a farmer with c. family were to leave 
his farm and take a place at a trade, and 
get $12 per week, he would wonder where his 
money went to if he had to buy the same 
things he had without price on the farm ."— 
M. L., page 459. 
In addition to the trial contest plots, 
the R. N.-Y. is trying to raise large 
yields of potatoes on a measured acre, 
and also on a half-acre. These crops are 
looking well just now, and with a con¬ 
tinuance of the rainy season we hope for 
good yields. There is quite a difference 
in the number of potatoes found in a 
single hill. Here is the result of a little 
investigation made the other day: The 
potatoes were all small and we counted 
all of them, even those just beginning to 
form. By “hill” we mean the vine or 
vines that grew from a single seed-piece. 
Brownell’s Winner. .20and 21 
Rural New-Yorker No. 2. 16 
State of Maine. 11 
Clark’s No. 1. 8 
The Brownell’s Winner and State of 
Maine are growing in the same field and 
have received exactly the same amount 
of fertilizer. Does the large number ot 
tubers formed on the Brownell’s Winner 
indicate a heavy yield of small potatoes? 
We think not, but rather believe that 
with plenty of moisture, a majority of 
the tubers will be of marketable size. 
We 6hall all see in the fall. 
According to Ex-Governor Glick, of 
is ansas, for many years an extensive cat¬ 
tle raiser, the beef and poik combine at 
Chicago, and Kansas City and other 
Western packing centers, has worked 
more harm to the farmers and stock-rais 
era of his State than all the grasshopper 
invasions and droughts that ever devas¬ 
tated it. Recent developments before the 
National Railroad Commissioners at Chi¬ 
cago show one way in which such combi¬ 
nations injure farmers. One packer had 
reluctantly to confess that in November, 
1886 he, with eight others, signed an 
agreement to keep down the price of hogs 
and keep up the price of pork by closing 
some of the packing houses and regulat¬ 
ing the supply. The agreement has been 
maintained ever since and will not expire 
before next November. Each packing 
house has to do only a certain percentage 
of the total business of the pool Eac 
week it pays a bonus which averages 4^ 
cents, on each hog killed over its quota, 
and receives a bonus of so much per hog 
on the number less than its quota which 
it kills. Over $300,000 have been al¬ 
ready paid out in this way, and some of 
the firms which have packed no hogs 
whatever for one or two years have con¬ 
tinued to receive the bonus. Of course, 
the aggregate amount of the bonus as 
well as the extra profits made through 
the agreement comes from the pockets of 
the producers and consumers. The com¬ 
bine fleece the public on both sides with 
both hands. In spite of all that has been 
said against such combinations, they con¬ 
tinue to flourish more and more vigor 
ously. 
“ When a man has an opportunity to pro¬ 
vide well for his family, with a little surplus 
to lay by and contribute to the wants of those 
around him, he is, m my estimation, in a 
most desirable position to let well enough 
alone ."—page 459 
WHO IS TO JUDGE EXPERIMENT 
WORK ? 
T HE R. N.-Y. is informed that the 
Hatch bill provides no remedy for 
the wrongs perpetrated at the Missouri 
Agiicultural College, and that the De¬ 
partment of Agriculture at Washington 
has no control over the action of the di- 
ieotors of the stations. Th-y report, so 
our informant states, to the Goveinors of 
the States, and furnish copies of such re¬ 
ports to the Washington Department and 
to the Secretary of the Treasury. The 
Secretary of the Treasury accepts such re¬ 
ports as conclusive. The li. N.-Y. was 
under the impression that the powers of 
the officials of the Department of Agri¬ 
culture were larger in such matters. If, 
as stated, they have “no control over the 
action of the directors,” it is certainly 
unreasonable to call upon them to apply 
a remedy ? 
But who is responsible ? It may be 
just as well to settle this matter now as 
at any other time. We are establishing 
a precedent. The directors of these sta¬ 
tions are to be held responsible for the 
proper use of the money appropriated for 
experiment work, but who is to decide 
as to the quality of that work ? 
The R. N.-Y. does not think the di¬ 
rectors of the Missouri Station have 
shown themselves proper persons to 
superintend valuable experiments. They 
have certainly permitted personal and 
political antagonism to guide their ac¬ 
tions, and we firmly believe that an in¬ 
vestigation will reveal a clear misappro¬ 
priation of funds. Now then, the It. 
N.-Y. wants to know who is to hold 
these directors responsible? When the 
Hatch bill was before Congress, the R. 
N.-Y. pointed out this very defect. We 
were assured that certain amendments 
would surely remove it. One of the 
prime movers in securing the passage of 
the bill, wrote the R, N.-Y.—page 25, 
1887. “If it appears from the reports of 
any station that the funds are being mis¬ 
applied, the agricultural press of the 
country will see to it that this facL is 
bi ought to the attention of Congress, 
when the appropriation will either be 
withdrawn, or the station will be allowed 
another year to amend its ways, accord¬ 
ing to the discretion of Congress.” This 
read well before the stations were estab¬ 
lished, but how about it now? Are the 
agricultural papers of the country to be 
the sole judges? Who decides upon the 
value of these bulletins and reports? 
The R. N.-Y. could easily pick out a 
dozen that are not, in its opinion, worth 
the paper they are printed on. Theie 
ought to be some central power that can 
weigh the work of the stations, investi¬ 
gate reputed wrongs and be able to apply 
some remedy. Perhaps there is such a 
power. Where is it ? That is what the 
R. N.-Y. wants to know. When it ia lo¬ 
cated we will try and get it to establish a 
precedent. Some of the framers of the 
Hatch bill should make these points 
clearer thaD they are. 
“ Five or even $10 a month are no great 
object with me as between a first class and a 
poor hand "—Page 462. 
TAKE YOUR CHOICE. 
AKING the best catalogue near at 
hand, we find announced, under a 
display heading of il Non- poisonous in¬ 
sect powders” first “Peroxide of Sili¬ 
cate” and second “Hammond’s Slug- 
shot.” The price of either by the barrel 
(say 200 pounds) is four cents per pound 
or eight dollars. These compounds 
ought not to be called non-poisonous 
since their insect-killing power depends 
upon arsenic in some form. It is true 
that the poison is so extended with harm¬ 
less substances, such as plaster or lime, 
that in 99 cases in 100 there is little 
likelihood of any animal eating enough of 
the mixture to kill or even sicken it. 
Nevertheless there is a chance that, 
through accident, oversight or negligence, 
the poison may not in the hundredth case 
be thoroughly and equally distributed 
through the diluting substance and that 
therefore, a small quantity might, if lap¬ 
ped by horses or cattle, or accidentally 
mingled with their food, endanger life. 
That Slug-shot is a well-prepared insec¬ 
ticide the R. N.-Y. knows to be a fact. 
That it is no better in any way than a 
pound of pure Paris grten thoroughly in¬ 
termingled with 200 pounds of plaster, it 
believes to be a fact. Now a barrel of fine 
plaster costs, say $1.25. A pound of fine 
Paiis-green costs, say, 30 cents, or one of 
London-purple, 20 cents, estimating them 
at the highest figures. The barrel of 
plaster and the poison can be thoroughly 
mixed in one hour at a cost of less than 
25 ctnts for labor. We have now at a 
cost of $1,75, 200 pounds of an insecti¬ 
cide just as effective and just as safe as 
is either Slug-shot or Silicate at a cost of 
$8.00 for the same quantity. If this 
statement is not trustworthy, gentlemen, 
tell us wherein it is faulty and the li. N.- 
Y, will gladly revise it accordingly. 
It is quite against the R. N.-Y.’s pe¬ 
cuniary interests to present such subjects 
in this way. Both firms advertise their 
insecticides freely, and the R. N.-Y. has 
been favored with its full share of their 
patronage. If our readers prefer to pay 
$8 and freight for an article no better 
than they can manufacture at home for 
$1.75, that is their affair. Directing not 
controlling their choice is the R. N.-Y.’s 
province. As Slug-shot and the Per¬ 
oxide ot Silicate are mentioned together 
in the above remarks as if of equal value, 
it is simply just to add the remark that 
whereas we have never known the Slug- 
shot to harm the foliage to which it has 
been applied, harmful effects have in¬ 
variably followed the use of the Silicate. 
“ Why do I farm ? For health, pleasure 
and profit. Health comes from the out-door 
life ; pleasure from the contact with nature; 
profit from a good farm and good farming 
—an additional source of pleasure .”—page 
459. 
BREVITIES. 
A Worthless cur makes valuable soap 
grease. 
Read what Prof. A. J. Cook says about 
poisoning bees. 
The cows like sweet apples. The horse 
will not refuse them either. 
It seems to be “ every man to bis taste ” in 
cultivators in “ discussion” this week. 
Make ready for quite a surprising discus¬ 
sion of the proposed tariff on bananas. 
It seems too bad that our cattle must suffer 
from the attacks of flies. Can we not think 
of some practical remedy ? 
Readers who have ever bad any experi¬ 
ence with feeding hogs on swill or hotel ref¬ 
use. hauled from the town, are requested to 
send us their names. 
For an impartial, dispassionate, thorough-,, 
ly sensible discussion of the ‘‘ Woman Qr x 
tiori,”rfad “Women as Women” by “Aup; 
Ancient ” on page 466. ^ 
For the light, sandy soil of the south por¬ 
tion of Long Island, there is no other straw¬ 
berry that approaches the Charles Downing 
for size and quality. It is for that section the 
perfect berry. 
It will be remembered that for three years 
past a large amount of Powdered sulphur has 
been used on the R. N.-Y. potato contest plot, 
and that it has been thought that it has pro¬ 
tected the tubers against the wire-worms, 
which in this soil seem to cause “ scab.” This 
year no sulphur was used. 
A farmer in Clinton county, N. Y., sends 
the following reasons for being satisfied with 
life: “ 1 have two boys, one 18 and the other 
16. and a girl 14 ye^rs old, the beat wife in 
the country, as good a hired man as they 
make, and 290 acres of land to look after. I 
do not think I need to complain.” 
The leaves of cherry trees on certain parts 
of Long Island have been destroyed bv a fun¬ 
gus, so that the trees look as if it were Novem¬ 
ber. Some of the main roads near the R. N.- 
Y. Farm, which are lined with cherry trees, 
planted for ornament as well as for fruit, pre¬ 
sent. a desolate appearance, far more in keep¬ 
ing with late fall than mid-summer. The R, 
N.-Y. is endeavoring to find out the cause of 
and remedy for this new destroyer. 
Several newspaper correspondents notably 
Mr. De Young, of the San Franciso Chronicle, 
having declared that the American exhibit 
of cereals at the Paris Exposition would hard¬ 
ly do credit to a county fair, Secretary Rusk in¬ 
quired about the matter, and has just received 
a cablegram from General U. B.Franklin, the 
American Commissioner, saying: “ AH juries 
that have examined the agricultural exhibit 
of the United States pronounce it excellent in 
all respects. So do I.” Of the $250,000 ap¬ 
propriated by Congress for the American dis¬ 
play, $25,000 were set apart for the agricul¬ 
tural portion of it. Surely a ereditablo show 
could be easily made for that sum. 
A philosopher of Cobden, Illinois (II. M. 
T. C ), after showing that human beings are 
fond of clustering together in proportion as 
they are uncivilized—when danger induces 
it—or uncultured—when they have no 
thoughts, either of 'heir own or preserved in 
books, for company—goes on to show, very 
fully, how the occupied mind becomes freed 
from superstitious fears, such as that of being 
alone in the dark. a«d from temptations and 
beguilements which a craving for company 
exposes one to He concludes that it is of 
first importance to the well-being and happy 
existence of young people to provide them 
with occupations interesting enough to be suf¬ 
ficient companionship for some time, until at 
length such habits of research and industry 
and thought are formed as to establish self¬ 
content, self-reliance and self-control. Such 
young persons will be welcome in any good 
society, yet will be well satisfied with only 
their own. A boy who can work contentedly 
alone in bis own shop or garden, or a girl in 
her room for Hours, has safely secured a chief 
conditiou lor a happy, contented, useful and 
honorable life. 
