580 
THE BUBAL 1EW-Y0BMER, 
AUG 34 
THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
ANatlonal Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Conducted by 
K1BKHT S. CARMAN. 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
No. 34 Park Row, New York. 
SATURDAY, AUGUST 31, 1889 
As the Report of the Special Commis¬ 
sion on Diseases of Swine would take up 
two columns, and as we cannot see that 
it would be either instructive or interest¬ 
ing to our readers, it is omitted. The 
R. N.-Y.’s columns are somewhat too 
valuable to be given up to absolutely 
worthless reports. 
-■» ♦ ■ ■ - 
Here is an idea, friends. It comes 
from a Maine subscriber: 
“If any of the Rural’s subscribers wish 
a perfect corn-cutter, let them cut away 
the handle of a hoe so as to leave about 18 
inches of it, and they will have the best 
implement known. I ridiculed this idea; 
but one blow with it completely convert¬ 
ed me. It is play to cut corn with it, and 
the work can be done very rapidly.” 
Grapes are smaller than ever before at 
this time in the season, though the 
bunches average as large as usual. The 
vines have made an unusually strong 
growth, which may account for the small¬ 
ness of the berries. Moore’s Early, Cole- 
rain, Early Victor and Cottage are the 
first to ripen. Many varieties are 
rotting. The Eaton bears the larg¬ 
est berries which, as well as the vine, 
are free from rot and mildew. It is a 
showy, very desirable grape. The Cole- 
rain again shows itself worthy of all the 
R. N.-Y. has said in its favor. 
Farmers are sometimes urged to buy 
“ sore ” mares that have worked hard be¬ 
fore trucks or horse-cars, and to use them 
for breeding purposes. This seems all 
right in theory; but of late the R. N. - Y. 
has received complaints to the effect 
that many of these mares fail to breed. 
Whether it is the rough treatment to 
which they have been subjected in the 
city, or whether it is over-feeding on 
grain that caused the trouble we cannot 
say. We would like to have those who 
have tried these city mares for breeders, 
tell us what they have found them cap¬ 
able of. 
“ I know that I am advocating the unpop¬ 
ular side of this question, but have had the 
best evidence before me for years that my 
practice of pasturing meadows does them no 
injury, and is of great benefit to the dairy." 
—C. E. Rice, page 574. 
The R, N. Y. wants to have a little 
hand in making suggestions as to the Na¬ 
tional Flower as well as its contempora¬ 
ries. It proposes first, the Moccason 
Flower (Cypripedium) or Lady’s Slipper; 
and, second, the Cardinal Flower (Lobe¬ 
lia). Of the first, we have C. arietinum, 
parviflorum, acaule, spectabile, pubes- 
cens and candidum, all natives 
of our own country, some of which are 
among its most striking and oddly-beau- 
tiful flowers. Of the second we have, 
among a dozen species, the everywhere 
popular Cardinal Flower, Lobelia cardi- 
nalis, found in the moist grounds of near¬ 
ly every State in the Union. 
News comes from the Northwest that 
the Northern Dakota and Northern Pa¬ 
cific elevator companies have effected a 
business deal whereby the competition 
for the grain of North Dakota will be 
discontinued, and farmers will have to 
accept such rates as the elevator com¬ 
panies may choose to offer. What is the 
moral difference between the conduct of 
such a combination of plunderers and 
that of a band of highway robbers? Of 
course, there’s a vast legal difference. 
The successful robber detected among re¬ 
spectable men, is disgraced and punished; 
whereas the successful plunderer, though 
known to all men, is respected and 
petted. There are many crimes—black 
ones, too—not yet included in the statute 
laws. 
The horse and mule markets in this 
city open very satisfactorily this season. 
This is one of the best markets in ths 
world for fine horses. Buyers are con¬ 
stantly on the outlook for fast driving 
horses, matched pairs and stylish coachers, 
and there is usually little trouble about 
prices for really good animals. Horses 
are brought here from all parts of the 
country, and orders are frequently re¬ 
ceived from Mexico and other foreign 
countries. Just at present good, matched 
pairs bring the highest prices. Many of 
these horses are picked up on farms by 
buyers who have had an eye on them 
from colthood. The outlook for the 
horse market in this vicinity was never 
better for good stock and never poorer 
for poor stock. 
TnERE have been 50 failures among 
wool dealers in the last eight months and 
a considerable number of manufacturers 
of woolen goods have also either closed 
their works or gone into bankruptcy 
This great depression in the wool busi¬ 
ness is uniformly attributed to the present 
high tariff on the raw staple, and a com¬ 
bined effort is to be made to secure, at 
the next session of Congress, a great re¬ 
duction or the entire abolition of import 
duties on wool. The National Associa¬ 
tion of Wool Manufacturers has called an 
extraordinary meeting of that body at 
Boston on September 17, for the purpose 
of taking vigorous action in the matter. 
Isn’t it time for the wool-growers of the 
country also to take prompt and vigorous 
measures te counteract a growing agita¬ 
tion which seriously threatens their in¬ 
terests ? Forewarned should be fore¬ 
armed. 
The Southern Interstate Farmers’ As¬ 
sociation which closed its annual session 
at Montgomery, Alabama, last Wednes¬ 
day, recommended the absolute discon¬ 
tinuance of jute bagging whenever a sub¬ 
stitute can be obtained, and passed a res¬ 
olution urging the non-use, when possi¬ 
ble, of every article which has been 
placed or shall hereafter be placed under 
a trust for the purpose of excluding com¬ 
petition. There is no anti-trust law in 
Alabama; why didn’t the assembled farm¬ 
ers advocate the passage of one ? The 
greed of trusts and kindred organizations 
will never be successfully checked by the 
passage of mere “resolutions.” When 
the price of any article in common use is 
raised beyond a certain point, its con¬ 
sumption will inevitably diminish by an 
unchangeable economic law; and mere 
resolutions are hardly likely to affect the 
course or extent of this diminution. 
An observing Michigan subscriber 
writes that he has learned the following 
things during the past year. 
“I have become convinced of what I 
have long believed, that, while our Michi¬ 
gan is a wonderful country for grass, the 
idea of a permanent meadow or pasture is 
for Americans a delusion and a snare. 
We have not the warm, moist, almost 
humid climate of England. I am satis¬ 
fied the pasture must go. It is the easiest 
thing in the world to sow grass seed too 
deeply. I have lived with grasses a good 
deal the last year, and have noticed 
many cases of failure of seeds sown in 
drills, when the same seed succeeded well 
if sown broadcast and left to cover itself. 
Clover with oats has again succeeded 
with us, and the tedder is the best man 
in the hay field. This last I have known 
some years. I have encountered land this 
year that may be worked up too fine for 
its own good, and have learned that White 
Clover when not wanted is one of our 
worst weeds.” 
The game laws in many of the States 
should be overhauled and changed. As 
at present constructed, they benefit the 
hunter and the city “sportsman” more 
than any other class of citizens. This 
should not be so. The game found on 
the farms or on lands adjacent to farms 
ought to belong to farmers or country 
people. The game laws should have for 
their prime object the preservation of 
game for the benefit of those who are 
most clearly entitled to it. All game 
laws should recognize the fact that the 
owner of the land upon which the game 
is found should have first right to what¬ 
ever profit or pleasure the game may 
bring. Many a farmer’s boy has man¬ 
fully refrained from setting his snares 
for quail or partridge because such action 
was “against the law,” only to see a 
crowd of “pot-hunters” comemarching 
on the farm the day “ the law is off,” to 
conduct their murderous fusilade. The 
R. N.-Y. wants game laws that will give 
the farmer first right to the game raised 
on his land. 
We are informed by a reliable authori¬ 
ty that the cruel practice of spaying cows 
and heifers has been followed to such ex¬ 
tent in the Far West as to quite seriously 
diminish the number of calves. In fact, 
it appears that so much of this work has 
been done that the cattle supply from the 
plains will be not a little influenced 
thereby in the next two or three years. 
Men who have watched the Western 
markets for years inform us that the pros¬ 
pects are unusually bright for better 
prices for beef cattle. Very heavy ship¬ 
ments are now being made to Europe and 
there is every reason to believe that this 
business will continue. In fact, the 
prospects for beef growers in sections 
where the dressed beef people come to 
buy rather than to sell are good. The 
prospect for hogs is not so encouraging 
just at present. The supply of hogs at 
the West seems to be above the average, 
and if the corn crop turns out to be no 
better than is now expected, there will 
be a rush to market the hogs for which 
there will be no corn. This will surely 
result in unsatisfactory prices. 
THE R. N.-Y. WHEAT CROSSES 
AND HYBRIDS. 
T HE R. N.-Y. has very little that is 
new or interesting to report in re¬ 
gard to its wheat crosses and hybrids. 
As its readers well know, one of its en¬ 
deavors has been, by using rye pollen 
year after year upon the progeny of wheat 
and rye hybrids, starting with wheat as 
the mother, to produce a plant which 
should be rye to all appearances; in other 
words, to get back to rye through wheat. 
This trial has come to an end through 
necessity or through causes “over which 
we had no control,” viz., absolute barren¬ 
ness of the latest progeny. Several 
plants were produced with a parentage 
seven-eighths rye. These the first year 
bore a few kernels which were planted. 
The next year, many of the best heads 
were again treated to rye pollen, but 
neither these nor the heads not so treated 
bore any grains. We need not detail our 
trials further than to say that we are 
satisfied that any endeavors to originate a 
hybrid which shall be more than three- 
quarters rye will prove ineffectual. 
For the rest, it may be said that we are 
endeavoring to fix a number of varieties 
three-quarters rye, one-quarter wheat, by 
parentage, with a view to their introduc¬ 
tion. 
A 
THE POTATO CROP. 
STUDY of the potato reports on 
page 576, will confirm the R. 
N.-Y.’s prediction of last week. The 
Eastern crop is seriously damaged and 
will be cut short at least one-third, while 
the Western crop, taken as a whole, is 
an average one. One feature of the sit¬ 
uation is quite significant: The rot 
seems to be worst in the districts largely 
given up to potato growing. As a rule, 
the best crop condition is found this year 
in localities where the home demand 
nearly equals the supply. It is true that 
potatoes may “dig out” better than our 
correspondents expect. The R. N.-Y. 
finds its potatoes in better condition than 
it had leason to hope f®r three weeks 
ago. Still, the early death of the vines 
will cut the crop short and help fill the 
market with small, half-formed tubers. 
The crop will be short. Prices ought to 
be high; who will reap the advantage— 
farmers or middlemen? 
Where dees the bulk of the potato 
crop come from? Is it a sectional 
crop? It is generally understood 
that wheat, corn and beef belong to 
the West. How about potatoes? The 
question is of unusual interest this year 
as the rot is confined principally to the 
Eastern States. The figures we have to 
present are taken from the Department of 
Agriculture’s report of 7 888. It is the 
crop of 1887 that is given. The Eastern 
States are Maine, Vermont, New Hamp¬ 
shire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Con¬ 
necticut, New York, New Jersey and 
Pennsylvania. The Western States are 
Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Iowa, 
Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska. The 
Northwest includes Wiscon-in, Dakota, 
and Minnesota; the Far West, Califor¬ 
nia, Colorado, Oregon, Utah, Washing¬ 
ton, Nevada, etc. The total crop of 1887 
was 134,103,0C ' ‘ ' 
follows. 
States. 
44 
Eastern 
Western 
Northwest “ 
Far West. 
All others. 
bushels 
divided as 
BUSHKl.S. 
ran chjjt. ok 
whoi.e caor. 
49,861,000 
36 
40,846.000 
80 
18.427.iHiO 
13 
10,253,000 
9 
14,819,000 
12 
Most of our readers will be surprised 
at this showing, we think. How about 
the demand for potatoes—where are most 
of them to be sold ? It is evident that 
growers must look to the towns and 
cities for their best market. Below we 
give the population of the cities and 
towns. Remember that this is the buying 
population—the consumeis who cannot 
grow their own produce. We have sim¬ 
ply divided the country into two princi 
pal sections on a line drawn just west of 
Baltimore. 
Eastern States.7,514,000 
Western States. 4,632,000 
Thus we see that while not one-half 
the crop is produced east of Baltimore, 
nearly 65 per cent, of the urban popu¬ 
lation of the country is located in that 
section. With these figures for a basis 
and assuming the Eastern crop to be 65 per 
cent, of an average, an interesting prob¬ 
lem can be worked out. 
“ Most of us are anxious to turn in the 
stock where the meadows look fine for feed, 
but it would be a better plan, if we would 
only do so, to give the meadows a good top- 
dressing after mowing, with either barn¬ 
yard manure or some commercial fertilizer, 
instead of feeding them off." —C. F. Olm¬ 
sted, page 574. 
BREVITIES. 
Our horses like cabbage. 
The magazine reviews the present week 
will be especially interesting to the ladies. 
Read Dr. Stewart’s views regarding rot¬ 
ten potatoes, how best to preserve the crop, 
etc., on page 578. 
Lima Beans and melonssell well. Tomatoes 
sell better than was expected. It pays to 
have a variety of crops. 
What varieties of potatoes will stand the 
rot best with you ? Let us know when you re¬ 
port on the R. N.-Y. No. 2. 
The R. N.-Y. has received seven copies of a 
recent experiment station bulletin. Is this 
the way to make up a circulation ? 
Of all insipid fruit, we will choose Clapp’s 
Favorite as being the most insipid as it this 
season ripens at the Rural Grounds. No 
doubt the drenchiDg rains are responsible. 
Magnolia cordata is now (August 20) in full 
bloom, although it bore its usual number of 
flowers in late May. We prize this tree for 
its svmmetry and ample foliage more than 
for its flowers. 
We planted our late fodder corn in drills so 
that the stalks stand about six inches apart. 
It is now two feet high. Our neighbor, over 
the fence, planted a few days later. His stalk* 
stand 15 to the foot. The crop is hardly tour 
inches high. 
In the country about the Rural Grounds all 
the potato vines are dead and have been so 
for a week or more. Potato beetles deprived 
of this preferred food, are wandering every¬ 
where in search of a substitute. Tomato 
vines are alive with them. 
A perfect season this is and has been for the 
Great-panicled Hydrangea. It can not stand 
drought. The panicles are small and the 
leaves droop. It may be well to remind our 
readers that cuttings from the new wood take 
root very readily, and these little plants will 
not fail to bloom next year and they will 
bear larger panicles than older plants. 
What seemed like a genuine ensilage 
“ boom ” was started at the Ensilage Conven¬ 
tion at Cleveland last spring. The R. N.-Y. 
is now informed that not much over one-half 
the silos that were contemplated will be built. 
The reasons given are various. This has been 
an excellent season for hay, a poor year for 
corn. As the slo depends upon the corn crop 
and is to remedy a failure in hay, it will be 
seen that the past season has not been entire¬ 
ly suited to the ensilage system. 
At this time (August 20) we may mention 
the following among our little collection of 
Tea and Hybrid Tea Roses as blooming most 
freely. Now is just the time when beautiful 
roses in one’s garden, if not worth their weight 
in gold, are, at least, most highly prized. 
Marie Van Houtto, Apolline, Perle, Etoile de 
Lyon, Comtesse de Frigneuse, (a most charm¬ 
ing yellow) Caroline Custer, Canary, Madame 
Hoste, Madam Welche. The new hybrid be¬ 
tween Rosa rugosa and Sombreuil, named 
Georges Bruaut, has made a fair growth. 
Two strong pot-plants were ordered early in 
the season. Neither has bloomed nor formed a 
bud up to ibis time. 
A well-drained firm seed-bed as level as 
it may be, with a mellow surface, is the first 
essential of successful wheat-culture. If the 
land dishes in any part so that water will 
stand for several hours after hard rains, the 
wheat in those places will be injured or 
killed. Drill in from one to one and three- 
quarters bushel of clean seed to the acre ac¬ 
cording to the fertility of the land and the 
tillering habit of the wheat Drill it one 
and a-half iuch deep. The R. N.-Y. from its 
own trials, does not approve of rolling wheat 
land after it has been sown, if the Held has 
been properly fitted. Whether it will pay or 
not to mulch the field with fine manure 
after the ground is frozen, will lopend upon 
circumstances which each farmer must con¬ 
sider for himself, as, for instance, the cost of 
the manure, the fertility of the land, its liabil¬ 
ity to. heave ;.etc. 
