480 
JULY 20 
THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
▲National Journal for Country and Suburban Homes 
Conducted by 
KIBE&T 8. Oiaiil, 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
No. 84 Pars Row, New York. 
SATURDAY, JULY 20, 1889. 
SPECIAL NOTICE. 
TN 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 
That it will not pay to bag grape 
flowers or buds is the conclusion the 
R. N.-Y. arrives at from the trials made 
this season. Most of the bud cr flower 
racemes so bagged failed to set fruit. 
-i■ ♦ »■ ^- 
In its account of the system of farming 
employed near Cranbury, New Jersey, 
the R. N.-Y. gave the number of head of 
stock kept by the different farmers. By 
way of comparison, we would like to have 
farmers in other parts of the country tell 
us how many head of stock they keep. 
Tell us the number of acres and then the 
number of cattle, horses and sheep. This 
will make a very interesting comparison. 
Two more of the R. N.-Y.’s hybrids 
between the raspberry and blackberry are 
bearing fruit. One plant shows in the 
leaves and stems a resemblance to both 
parents. The berries, which consist of 
from one to five or six drupelets resem¬ 
bling those of the blackberry, have yet a 
decided raspberry flavor. There is not a 
perfect berry on the plant The other 
hybrid has large, peculiar foliage differ¬ 
ent from that of any other raspberry, yet 
of the laspberry type. It bears yellow 
fruit about the size of Golden Queen, and 
of good quality. 
The Umbrella Pine (Sciadopitys verti- 
cillata) is bound to become a most popu¬ 
lar evergreen tree wherever it will suc¬ 
ceed. Why ? Because it is exceedingly 
hardy, exceedingly distinct. It is just 
as different from other hardy conifers as 
is the Common Hemlock from the Nor¬ 
way Spruce. It is a slow grower in early 
life, but each succeeding year the growth 
increases. Our only specimen is now 
about 10 years old from the nursery. It 
is but four feet high, and when we say 
that it has grown this season 11 inches, 
its slow growth of preceding yeais will 
be understood, 
-» M » - 
Yesterday was a bad day for trusts on 
the Stock Exchange of this city. Specu¬ 
lators had been investing in trust certifi¬ 
cates without knowledge as to the num¬ 
ber of such certificates that had been 
issued. Of course, the value of the securi¬ 
ties depended largely on the number on the 
market. On Thursday five of the trusts 
are reported to have made a statement 
on the matter, and though the shadow of 
doubt has been cast on the truth of this, 
the vastness of the capitalization given, 
so frightened investors that there was a 
stampede to sell out, prices tumbled, and 
the end is not yet. 
Why not sell live poultry now ? When 
the hens begin to stop laying is the time 
to get rid of them. Live poultry will 
bring more money now than at Thanks¬ 
giving or Christmas. Consult any year’s 
market record and see if this is not so. 
The R. N.-Y. believes that 60 per cent, 
of the people who send live poultry to 
this market lose the price of the feed 
given after August. The same thing oc¬ 
curs every year. There is always a glut 
at the holidays, always dissatisfaction, 
always loss. Send the poultry now. 
After they stop laying they will be loaf¬ 
ers anyway. Who wants to support 
loafers ? 
Questions involving the rights of rail¬ 
roads and the rights of the public are be¬ 
ing discussed with interest just now. 
Have the railroads any business to en¬ 
courage law-breaking and ruffianism? 
The recent brutal prize-fight was rendered 
possible by the action of the management 
of the Queen and Crescent Railroad. In 
the face of the proclamation of the 
Governor of Mississippi, the fighters and 
the thugs that followed them were 
cariied into Mississippi and out again, 
every effort being made by the railroad 
employes to dodge the authorities and 
prevent arrests. The R. N.-Y. wants to 
know why such action does not consti¬ 
tute a punishable offence. 
The R. N.-Y. learns of a “Lamb 
Club ” formed by a party of Tennessee 
sheep men for the purpose of breeding 
and selling spring lambs to the best ad¬ 
vantage. The lambs are sent to the 
New York market, great pains being tak¬ 
en to secure the best possible specimens 
as well as to ship them in good con¬ 
dition. By combining and concentrat¬ 
ing their business, the members of the 
club are enabled to secure lowest rates of 
transportation and to present lambs of 
uniform grade. Thus far, as we are im- 
formed, this club has been quite success¬ 
ful. We know of manufacturers of ma¬ 
ple sugar, honey and butter who have 
done business on much the same principle 
and in every case with success. There is 
a lesson here for other neighborly com¬ 
munities. 
Should the White Lead Trust succeed 
in its endeavors to buy or force out all 
the manufacturers of white lead in the 
country, paint will be effectually corner 
ed by trusts; for the production of lin 
seed oil has been controlled by one for 
two years. Marvelous is the precision 
with which these monopolies pounce 
upon articles of prime necessity as sub¬ 
jects for extortion and plunder, There’s 
a growing belief that ere long the people, 
in sheer self-defense, will throw open our 
markets to the world’s competition in 
products controlled by trusts. The duty 
on white lead averages40 percept.; that 
on linseed oil, 55 per cent. How unsa¬ 
lable must be the greed of the combina¬ 
tion that seeks to levy an exorbitant trib 
ute from all who use paint, seeing that 
it is not satisfied with such a margin 
as that beyond the cost of production iTnd 
a reasonable profit to outsiders! 
-—' «♦ »<»-- 
The R. N.-Y. learns of a difference be¬ 
tween a Grange in New York State and 
the Director of the Geneva Experiment 
Station. One of the conditions to be 
observed in sending samples of fertilizers 
to the station for analysis is that the pack¬ 
age must be labeled plainly with a copy 
of the printing upon the bag; that is, a 
copy of the manufacturer’s claimed anal¬ 
ysis must be sent. As we understand 
the matter, the Master of the Grange 
wanted the station to analyze a sample of 
fertilizer, but refused to send a copy of 
the claimed analysis. He proposed to 
deposit it with a Justice of the Peace and 
send it to the station after the station’s 
analysis had been rendered. Dr. Collier 
refused to make the analysis, unless the 
Grange would comply with the regular 
conditions. We are not told why the 
Grange would not forward the claimed 
analysis. We would like to know whv 
not. J 
The R. N.-Y. experimented last fall 
with buying live pullets in the New York 
market to serve as winter layers. The 
purchase was based upon the theory that 
chickens can be reared in Central New 
York, shipped to this city and sold at a 
slight profit for less than it costs in our 
neighborhood to rear them. This is prob¬ 
ably true. We bought some pullets for 
35 cents each, tbat we could hardly have 
raised for less than 45 cents. The risk 
came in the impossibility of determining 
anything about the laying qualities of 
the pullets. Several of those we bought 
died soon after bringing them home; one 
proved the best layer in the yard, while 
at least half of them did not begin to pay 
for their keeping. On the whole, the ex¬ 
periment did not pay. This year we put 
our best layers in a pen by themselves 
with a fine Dorking rooster, and used the 
eggs from this pen for setting. We be¬ 
lieve this will give far better satisfaction. 
The trade in dressed beef is driving 
beef cattle away from Eastern farms 
What are farmers to do for live stock? 
Many of them are increasing the size of 
their dairy herds, but this increase will 
not go beyond a certain limit. Already 
we find farmers who prophesy that with¬ 
in five years the dairy business will be 
entirely overdone. The R. N.-Y. does 
not believe that good butter will ever go 
begging for a market. The poorer 
grades will undoubtedly have to do so. 
But what we want to say is that many 
farmers are afraid of dairying and want 
some sort of live stock besides dairy 
cows. And the latest plan is to revive 
horse breeding at the East. In many lo¬ 
calities near our large cities, horse raising 
is almost a lost art. One must travel 
miles before finding a good stallion. 
There is a good demand for well-bred 
coachers and roadsters, particularly for 
matched pairs. Will such stock take the 
place of cattle on Eastern farms? We 
would like to have our readers tell us 
what they think about it. 
Two weeks ago, page445, the R. N.-Y. 
called attention to a new method for es¬ 
timating fat in milk, devised by Mr. Par¬ 
sons of the New Hampshire Experiment 
Station. In this notice it was stated that 
the method depended on a table of fig¬ 
ures and also that it was quite similar to 
the method devised by Prof. Short. On 
a careful examination, the R. N.-Y. finds 
that these statements are hardly fair. 
The table of figures was printed simply 
for convenience. A formula such as is 
used in the Short’s method, could be used 
if desired. The method is quite distinct 
from Short’s and appears to have the 
merit of making a more complete sepa¬ 
ration, of the butter fat. In fact, the 
method seems well adapted to the use of 
creameries or large dairies. Mr. T. A. 
Hazen, manager of a Vermont creamery, 
writes us that he has used the method in 
two testings of the milk furnished by the 
patrons of his creamery, and is well 
pleased with it, as it gives better results 
than either the lactocrite or the oil-test 
churn, both of which were previouslv 
used. 
The Canadian Government, through 
its savings banks, is paying four per cent, 
interest on deposits. Indeed, owing to 
the expenses incurred by advertising the 
business and paying commissions to post¬ 
masters, the rate, it is estimated, aver¬ 
ages, 4.1 per cent. The Government 
began to pay this rate- at a time when 
other banks were paying as high as five 
per cent. Since that time the rate of in¬ 
terest all over the world has moved down; 
but the Dominion savings banks have 
failed to respond to the movement. 
Thus the government banks have be¬ 
come competitors with other banks, and 
the natural effect has been to keep the in¬ 
terest rates above the natural level. The 
depositors in the savings banks are gain¬ 
ers by this condition of affairs; but the 
debtors of the Dominion and those who 
want to borrow money are losers, as they 
have to pay a higher rate of inteiest on 
loans. Farmers are, for the most part, 
among the latter class, and the policy of 
the Government m this line is therefore 
against their interests. The chief attrac¬ 
tion which should be offered by the 
government savings system should be the 
government guarantee of the security of 
the deposits, and in no case should the 
rate of interest on them be higher than 
that paid by private institutions. 
TARIFF THOUGHTS. 
S OME of the figures relating to the 
trade in tropical fruits are worth re¬ 
peating here. In 1880 we imported fruits 
as follows: 
Dutiable. 
Free of Duty 
Total 
. $15,106,551 
. . 5,774,847 
$20,881,398 
The total value of the orchard prod¬ 
ucts of this country for 1880 was $50,- 
876,154. Of course, the value of these 
products for 1888 or for 1889 is greater 
than that of 1880, still it seems evident 
that w T e depend too much upon other 
countries for our fruit supply. The de¬ 
velopment of Florida oraDge groves will 
doubtless result in cutting down our 
orange bill, and California certainly 
ought to be able to supply us with more 
of our raisins. 
The discussion of “A Tariff on Ba¬ 
nanas” which we give in this issue, 
strikes the R. N.-Y. as being very fair. 
The men who discuss the matter are 
vitally interested, as most of them de¬ 
pend upon the sale ol fruits for a good 
share of their living. The R. N.-Y. 
would like to give figures showing the 
quantities of strawberries produced, and 
the prices paid for them during the years 
when the tariff on bananas was in force. 
Such figures are not obtainable. The 
pith of the matter seems to be that the 
American people like bananas. Even 
those who grow their own small fruits, buy 
and eat the foreign fruit. We cannot 
supply the trade on our own soil. When 
bananas • are plentiful and cheap the 
public naturally demands a low price for 
other fruits. What then are we to do? 
HEMP. 
L AST year raw foreign hemp to the 
value of $1,791,941, was imported 
into this country, against $847,449 worth 
in 1887. In addition to this, $73,362 
worth of hemp tow was imported, against 
$119,125 worth during the previous year. 
The duty on raw hemp is $25 per ton; 
that on hemp tow, $10 per ton. Hemp 
yarn or twine to the value of $77,990 was 
imported, against $62,316 worth the pre¬ 
vious year. The duty on this is 35 per 
cent. There was also imported several 
million dollars’ worth of manufactured 
fabrics consisting wholly or partly of 
hemp. 
In 1879, the year included in the last 
census, only 5,025 tons of hemp were 
produced in the United States, against 
12,746 tons in 1869. Of the total, 4,583 
tons were produced in Kentucky, 209 in 
Missouri, 78 in Michigan, 72 in Kan¬ 
sas, 20 in Minnesota and two in North 
Carolina. Lately the growing of Ken¬ 
tucky hemp has been attempted by about 
30 farmers in Rensselaer and Washington 
Counties, New York, where the plants 
grow to a higbt of six to eight feet. The 
producers say the crop brings in $50 an 
acre and that the success of the experi¬ 
ment will probably make hemp a staple 
product of that section. Why is it not 
grown more extensively in this country ? 
Surely with the protection afforded by 
the tariff, all we need of the raw material 
at any rate, ought to be produced at 
home. Twenty years ago Ohio and In¬ 
diana ranked next to Kentucky as hemp- 
producers, while in 1879 not a pound 
was raised in either. If hemp raising 
were tried in many other sections of the 
country, it would doubtless be found 
that the crop would thrive as profitably 
as it appears to do in Central New York. 
BREVITIES. 
The R. N. Y. has just planted an acre ot 
fodder corn on oats sod. 
Dairymen seem to be settling upon corn 
silage and clover hay as an excellent bulk 
ration for dairy cows. 
The Hilborn, as to size and quality of tb© 
berry, is the best blackcap at present on trial 
at the Rural Grounds. 
The R. N.-Y. has a fine field of fodder 
corn—Thoroughbred Flint. This variety has 
remarkable suckering qualities and will evi¬ 
dently make magnificent fodder. 
Would you rid your lawn of plentain? 
Wait until after a heavy rain. Then gainer 
all the leaves of the plantain, taking a hold 
as near the “crown” as possible. Pull stead¬ 
ily and, in nine cases out of 10, the roots will 
come up entire. The R. N.-Y speaks from 
experience. 
Mr. F. D. Douglas, president of the Ver¬ 
mont Dairymen’s Association and one of the 
best dairymen in the country, is to write us a 
series of articles on dairying. Mr. Douglas 
writes: “lam much pleased with the R. N.- 
Y. and prefer to write for it rather than for 
any other agricultural paper.” 
The advantages of working a hill farm are 
most evident in such a season as this has been. 
Corn on the low lands of the N. J. Farm is 
poor and sickly owing to too much wet. On 
the uplands where the soil is warm and dry. 
the stand is excellent. Give us a dry season 
and the conditions would be almost reversed. 
It is hard work to climb the hill, but a sight 
of this year’s crop fully repays one for the 
journey. 
Prior to this season the R. N.-Y. has never 
met with much success in raising Tea Roses 
out-of-doors, for the reason that they were 
never properly treated. This year a round 
bed, 25 feet in diameter, was well enriched 
with old horje and hen manure, deeply spaded 
and leveled. In this about 100 Teas, for the 
most part yellows, were planted, strong, pot- 
plants having been ordered from the Storrs, 
Harrison Company, Ellwanger & Barry’, 
Robert Scott & Son, J. N. May. and Peter 
Henderspn, and transplanted about the 20th 
of May. well-rooted, stocky plants of ihis kind 
soon adapt themselves to the change aud in 
such rich, mellow soil will soon begin to bloom. 
If little, cheap plants are ordered by mail, 
they do not begin growth until midsummer 
and then flowers are few aud small 
During very dry weather, the bed must be 
drenched with water occasionally if we would 
have large, perfect buds and flowers. Insects 
are readily held in check if the plants are 
kept in a vigorous growing condition. A lit¬ 
tle hellebore and piyrethrum water sprayed up¬ 
on them from time to time is all that is re¬ 
quired. Among the roses blooming at this 
lime freely, the following (yellow or nearly so) 
may be mentioned as the most charming: 
Perle. Cointesse de Frigneuse, Mad. Jos. God- 
ier (China), Marie Van Houtte, Mine. Welche, 
Namenlose Schoue, lvabella Sprunt, Caroline 
Custer and Sunset. But if, at this time we 
were to choose but one, it would be Perle, 
