§62 
Til BUBAL #§IW-Y©BKEB. 
AUG 24 
THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
ANational Journal for Country and Suburban Home 
Conducted by 
ELBERT S. CARMAN. 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
No, 34 Park Row, New York. 
SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 1889 
Pres. Lyon page 563 pronounces the 
Erie and Lawton Blackberries not alike. 
To the R. N.-Y. tne Erie seems a hardier 
variety. 
Read “ Farm Libraries" page 568. What 
do you think of “ At A Fair ” page 556? 
March, if you would keep up with the 
procession. March , march —there is no 
escape Irom it! It is the weapon of the 
industrious against the idle; a weapon 
that God has placed in their hands as a 
means of equitable and humane self- 
preservation. 
“ The Red Polled I consider next to the 
Devon as general purpose cows .' 1 ' 1 — L. P. Al¬ 
len, page 556. 
Prop. Cook, of the New Jersey Ex¬ 
periment Station, reports, in a late bulle¬ 
tin, what the R. N.-Y. has so persiatently 
endeavored to impress upon its readers. 
As a rule, he says, the fertilizer which 
contains the greatest amounts of nitrogen, 
phosphoric acid and potash is the cheap¬ 
est; for the cost of manufacture, freight¬ 
age and rate of commission are the same 
for high-grade as for low-grade fertilizers, 
and the labor on the part of the farmer is 
increased as the grade of the goods decreases. 
The R. N.-Y. confidently anticipates 
the time when tbere will be no demand 
whatever for low-grade fertilizers. 
“ When enumerating cut-worm remedies 
we should not forget to mention clean cul¬ 
ture."— C. P. Gillette, page 557. 
There will be no Pennsylvania State 
Agricultural Fair this year. The State 
Agricultural Society, owing to great 
carelessness and mismanagement, has 
financially collapsed. Last Wednesday the 
State fair grounds at Philadelphia to¬ 
gether with the buildings, franchise, etc., 
was bought in for $2,500, by the Reading 
Railroad Company, which foreclosed a 
mortgage for $25,000, which it held on 
the property. Investigation shows that 
the Association also owes an aggregate of 
$80,000 to various other parties. It is to 
be hoped other fair associations which 
may be disposed to run recklessly into 
debt, will take warning from the plight 
of this “ terrible example.” 
“ But look at it , you who ivish well to the 
babes in a million cradles ! Wtiat about 
this modem narrowing down of human 
activities and observation ?— Oliver How¬ 
ard, page 558. 
The R. N.-Y. wants to know whether 
hay can be satisfactorily baled from the 
field. A number of our readers who have 
tried this experiment report failure. The 
hay will not keep in good condition. 
Here is a note from a manufacturer of 
hay-presses, which ought to have weight: 
“We experimented with our machines 
in baling grass as cut from the field, but 
we did not find that it kept. Others 
claim that they have baled grass that 
was partly cured, and that it kept well; 
but we are of the opinion that it would 
not answer for general use. We know 
that our machines will bale it as well as 
any other kind; but we think no kind 
will bale it loosely enough so as to allow 
the air to circulate freely through and 
thus dry it out without molding.” 
-- »« • »«» »- 
“ Where was the owner of that boy? Well, 
I don't know ; but 1 do know that I would 
not have had that boy go through my potato 
field in that way, at that time, for $20 an 
acre." —T. B. Terry, page 555. 
“When shall I stop the churn so as to 
get the best ‘grain’ to my butter ?” There 
is probably no one dairy question that is 
asked more frequently than this. The 
usual answer is: “When the butter has 
formed in lumps about the size of wheat 
kernels.” The man who^gives this ans¬ 
wer doubtless thinks it conclusive. The 
’earner often sighs for something more 
definite. “About the size of wheat ker¬ 
nels” will not tell it all. The R. N.-Y. 
will give its readers something more defi¬ 
nite. One of the best butter-makers in 
New York State will have photographs 
taken of his butter just as he stops the 
churn. We will print these photographs 
together with one showing the effects of 
too much churning. These pictures will 
tell more than a volume of words ever 
could. 
“ This plan of planting com will give more 
stalks and sunshine to the acre than any 
other, and experiments have shown that 17 
inches in the drill is about as close as our 
large corn will grow and produce ears ."— 
J. C. Stribling, page 556. 
THE R. N.-Y. WOMEN’S POTATO 
CONTEST. 
HHHE reports of those engaged in this 
contest must be received at this 
office on or before October 1st. 
“ What shall I decorate ? ” asked an in¬ 
sipid city boarder of me. And I showed her 
the butter-crocks, churn, hen-coop and mow¬ 
ing machine. “ Take your choice," Isaid. 
She looked at me softly, and then sighed 
sadly. 1 '— Jerseyisms, page 557. 
nnWENTY-FIVE dollars are offered by 
the R. N.-Y. as follows: Fifteen 
dollars for the largest and best shaped 
R. N.-Y. No. 2; $10 for the second-best. 
Description and weight should be sent in 
before November next. Those only who 
may be entitled to one or the other of 
the above prizes, as judged by their own 
reports , will be asked to forward the 
specimens to this office. 
“ A farmer who is making butter would be 
better off by keeping a Guernsey or Jersey 
cow until she was five years old and then 
knocking her on the head and burying her, 
than by keeping such a beast as many of the 
farmers hereabouts keep until she also ts 
five years old, when they get a good price for 
her beef." —W. E. R., page 560. 
THE R. N.-Y.’S POTATO CONTEST 
PLOT. 
A 8 has already been stated, the Worn- 
en’s Contest plot of the R. N.-Y. 
was selected on a low piece of land in an¬ 
ticipation of a very dry season. The 
vines made a rank growth until the lat¬ 
ter part of July when the leaves began to 
blacken and in a few days all were dead. 
Several hills were examined and the tu¬ 
bers were found to be a mass of inexpress¬ 
ibly putrid rot. The varieties were R. 
N.-Y. Nos. 2, 3, 4, and Brownell’s Winner. 
Whether on high or low land potatoes in 
the vicinity of the Rural Experiment 
Grounds are rotting as they never have 
been known to rot before. 
It is believed that it is not alone the ex¬ 
cessively wet season that has caused the 
rot, but that the serious injury which the 
vines sustained from the flea-beetle in the 
early part so weakened the plants that 
growth being checked, they had the less 
chance to recover in a soil constantly wet 
to saturation. 
The yield of the regular contest plot 
will probably go beyond that of last year, 
but on that, too, the vines are nearly 
dead and from an examination of several 
hills, it is feared that rot will destroy so 
considerable a portion that ft will be 
needless to call unon the judges to per¬ 
form a task which they so kindly imposed 
upon themselves at the R. N.-Y.’s re¬ 
quest. 
“ For general reading there are some books 
necessary to every household: first of all of 
which is the Bible ; not the big, brass clasped 
ten dollar book always untouched on the par¬ 
lor table and fit for the only use to which it 
is put, the stowing away of relics of all sorts, 
from the children's valentines to the sacred 
locks of hair ; but the convenient-sized refer¬ 
ence Bible for the family reading and Sun¬ 
day School work." —M. J. Carpenter, page 
568. 
- >♦ «- 
THE POTATO CROP. 
W HAT are the facts regarding the 
condition of potatoes? It seems 
evident that the Eastern crop is consider¬ 
ably damaged by the continued wet 
weather. It may be that this damage is 
less than is anticipated. Possibly the ac¬ 
counts of rotting refer to small localities 
and that the real damage will have com¬ 
paratively little influence on the total 
crop of the country. The reports from 
the East are quite general, however, and 
indicate at least that the appearance of 
the crop is not promising. The actual 
state of affairs cannot be determined un¬ 
til the potatoes are dug. When a man 
finds iot in his field during such weather 
as we are now having, the trouble natur¬ 
ally looks large to him and he will fre¬ 
quently find an agreeable surprise when 
he digs the crop. The Western crop seems 
to be irregular—some fields are very good 
and others very poor. We should say 
that, on the whole, the crop at the West 
will be fully an average one. The defic¬ 
iency will be at the East and the size of 
the deficiency will determine the price. 
As matters now stand, prices should be 
firm and a little above those of last year. 
There are one or two other points about 
the crop that are interesting just now. 
Does coarse stable manure stimulate rot 
in a damp season? This is suggested by 
Dr. Halsted. We hope our potato grow¬ 
ers will tell us what they think about it. 
It seems sensible to argue that potatoes 
should not be planted next year in fields 
where the rot prevails now Many farm¬ 
ers plant potatoes on the same ground, 
year after year. This season of rot will 
probably make it necessary for them to 
begin a system of rotation. It would 
appear that there is little danger to pub 
lie health in the rotting tubers. Prof. 
Stockbridge, of Japan, recently declared 
that decay in vegetable material induced 
the formation of a poisonous principle, 
but as this principle is always destroyed 
in cooking and as potatoes are never 
eaten raw, the danger from this source 
is not worth mentioning. 
FORWARD—MARCH! 
T has been the unswerving policy of 
the Rural New Yorker ever since 
its present management founded it upon 
the ruins of Moore's R. N. -Y., while re¬ 
taining its distinctively characteristic 
features, to inaugurate every year, in one 
way or another, progressive changes 
which should at length entitle it to be 
ranked in appearance , as well as in con¬ 
tents and originality, with the most pop¬ 
ular and refined magazines and general- 
news periodicals of the times. 
A valid reason has never occurred to us 
why the farm and garden interests of our 
country should not be represented by jour¬ 
nals in all respects the equals of those which 
represent other industrial interests of min¬ 
or—certainly not of paramount—impor¬ 
tance. Accordingly, we have now to an¬ 
nounce that, agreeably with our progres¬ 
sive plans, the R. N.-Y. will hereafter be 
printed upon supercalendered paper of a 
weight which shall secure its readers the 
full benefit of another feature of which 
farm journals printed upon inferior paper 
cannot avail themselves, i e. the employ¬ 
ment of new photographic etchings. These 
are absolutely faithful reproductions of 
the photographs themselves, and, as is con¬ 
fidently believed, are so far superior, tor 
most kinds of portraiture as to fully 
warrant the extra expense incurred in 
their use, and the consequent substitu¬ 
tion of paper of a weight and finish 
essential to their perfect reproduction. 
The proprietors of many of our respected 
contemporaries have seen fit to reduce the 
price of their publications from time to 
time, during the past five or six years, 
the evident object being to secure a wider 
distribution—a commendable object, 
surely, in so far as it could be secured 
without any notable depreciation in their 
value. This reduction in price, however, 
has later become general, so that it is 
problematical, at this time, whether the 
earlier increase, so induced, has been sus¬ 
tained, and whether, if not sustained, 
they can be conducted without a corres¬ 
ponding economy in the cost of their 
publication. 
The paper upon which this edition of 
the R N.-Y. is printed is the same as 
that which it is proposed to use in the 
future, or at least until it may be deemed 
judicious to substitute a still better 
grade. The first issue in September will 
show still further notable changes which 
will speak for themselves, and, as we 
confidently hope, merit the approval of 
our readers and secure a more extended 
constituency for the coming year. 
All readers are respectfully referred to 
the R. N.-Y. advertisement on the third 
cover-page. That states, in a few words, 
what we have to say to both agents and 
subscribers. 
A small cow, with the right kind of machinery 
in her, can get all the milk solids oat of a 
given amount of feed as well as a big cow. Bat 
it you have good, big cows, and thoy give you a 
fair profit, keep them, but breed them to the 
smallest good dairy ball you can find, and if the 
result Is a more concentrated cow, I think you 
are the gainer.—A. L. CROSBY, page 558. 
BREVITIES. 
Read the last paragraph of Dr. Hoskins’s 
article on page 557. 
The R. N.-Y. Dorking hens are now laying 
well while hens of other breeds are decidedly 
lazy. 
All readers of this paper are requested to 
read the advertisement on the third page of 
the cover. 
The first report of the Women’s Potato 
Contest comes to us from Mrs. L. E. Wood, 
of Dade County, Mo., and an excellent report 
it is. 
We will tell all about the new “ Butter Ex¬ 
tractor ” next week. We have, also, a fine 
report of two of the N. Y. State Dairy Con¬ 
ferences. 
The next symposium will discuss the econ¬ 
omy of the practice of pasturing meadows. 
Mr. C. S. Rice will present the matter in a 
way that will doubtless startle many of our 
readers. 
The R. N.-Y. has in preparation an illus¬ 
trated article on the newer blackberries, 
which may serve to guide those who are iu 
search of such information. The illustrations 
will be photo-engravings from nature. 
Just now the demand is for young, round 
beets to be cooked whole. They must be dark- 
colored. No matter how good light-colored 
beets may be, they will not sell well. Here is 
a hint for consumers who don’t care for 
“ fashion.” 
The second crop of potato beetles were all 
on hand fora great celebration. Just as they 
got a good taste the vines began to die. The 
beetles were left without food. This fact and 
the continued web weather led the R. N.-Y. 
to hope that we may have fewer beetles next 
year. 
While there is a division of opinion as to 
the outcome of the corn crop, there is a gen¬ 
eral belief that the oat crop is the largest ever 
harvested in this country. The rains have 
injured the grain somewhat, but there is 
plenty left. Will oats be much lower in con¬ 
sequence of this large crop ? 
Mu. J. N. Muncey not long ago, gave, in 
these columns, some figures showing the cost 
of supplying his family with sugar, coffee. 
Hour, tea and other necessaries. It would be 
very interesting if we could compare these 
figures with those ot other households. We 
have received one or two statements already 
and we would like to hear from all who keep 
accurate accouuts. For instance, is the sugar 
bill of a N. Y. farm family greater per mem¬ 
ber than that of the Iowa family described 
in Mx..Muncey'8 article? 
