702 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
OCTOBER i9 
S CRIBNER for September has an article 
by Prof. Shaler of Harvard on “ The 
Common Roads. ” These were in the primi¬ 
tive periods of history simply trails over 
which pack-animals transported passen¬ 
gers and freight. The invention of wheeled 
vehicles necessitated better roads. The 
Romans were the first to build good car¬ 
riage-ways. Great Britian and Switzer¬ 
land have the best roads of the European 
countries. The United States are most poor¬ 
ly provided with roads of any country of 
equal area and general culture, owing to 
their abundant means of water communica¬ 
tion and the rapid construction of railroads. 
The author must have had personal experi 
ence in the common American method of 
road repairing, as he graphically describes 
the “ annual road-making picnic.” He says 
it is probable that the sum of the road-tax 
in this countx-y, taking into account the ex¬ 
ecrable roads commonly found, is greater 
than that of our ordinary taxation. To 
remedy this state of things, the agricul¬ 
tural colleges should teach l’oad making; the 
work should be done by the township or 
county governments, thus permitting the 
utilization of machinery now inaccessible. 
Numerous suggestions are offered in rela¬ 
tion to improving the country l’oads on dif¬ 
ferent soils. “Electricity in War” is dis¬ 
cussed by Lieutenant W. S. Hughes of the 
United States Navy, in its relation to Naval 
Warfare, and by Lieutenant John Mills, of 
the U. S. Army, in its l-elation to Land 
Warfare. The uses to which it is put are 
numerous. It is used in the powerful 
search-light; for signalling between vessels 
long distances apart; for torpedo detectors; 
firing large guns; estimating the speed of 
ships; exploding torpedoes, etc. Indeed, it 
seems well-nigh impossible to imagiue any 
mechanical work to which it cannot be ap¬ 
plied. By its aid the speed of a cannon 
ball may be ascertained. A torpedo has 
been invented which may be sent out over 
the water, guided and propelled from the 
shore, and exploded at will or automati¬ 
cally upon striking the enemy’s vessel. 
Donald G. Mitchell under the caption: 
“A Scattering Shot at Some Ruralities,” 
gives some observations among some of the 
depopulated and decaying New England 
villages and farms. Two stories of travel 
are: “A Summer in Iceland,” and “How 
I Crossed Masai-land.” There is the usual 
proportion of fiction. Chaides Scribner’s 
Sons, New York. 
-- 
L IPPINCOTT’S space is largely oc¬ 
cupied by the novel “ Creole and 
Puritan,” by T. C. DeLeon. Anne H. 
Wharton essays an answer to the much 
mooted question : “ What Shall be Our Na¬ 
tional Flower ? ” She favors the golden- 
rod. “ The Trials of Magazine Editors ” 
are vividly portrayed by Junius Henri 
Browne. They evidently have to suffer a 
great deal from over-ambitious authors, or 
would-be authors, but the writer is con- 
straiued to exclaim: “The trials of the 
editor are certainly manifold and peculiar, 
but less serious and harassing than those of 
writers.” The publishei-s have added a 
new department: “ With the Wits.” 
While some of the humorous hits are very 
good, some give the idea of being made to 
order out of very scant materials. Some of 
the most interesting departments have 
been dropped, and this issue is not, with 
the possible exception of the novel, equal to 
the usual standard. J. B. Lippincott & 
Company, Philadelphia. 
--+• +- 
T HE WRITER has quite an argument 
from a woman in favor of the addi¬ 
tion of the termination “ess” to the title 
of a woman who engages in professional or 
mechanical occupations. If she essays to 
heal the sick, she should be known as a 
doctress, or rather a physicianess ; if she 
would climb higher and erect a mansion 
wherein to dwell, she becomes a carpexi- 
tress, or, excuse the slip, a buildress, as 
carpenters are somewhat out of date. 
Should her inclinations lead her to till the 
soil, she would become a farmress. She 
might also become a cookress, a bakress, an 
editress, a conductress, and so on ad lib¬ 
itum. Don’t let us have any half-way bus¬ 
iness about this reform ! There is considera¬ 
ble good advice in “About Handwriting,” 
which we would be glad to see followed. 
“Queries” contain much interesting in¬ 
formation. The Writer, Boston. 
BOOK REVIEWS. 
W E ARE in receipt of the “ Album of 
Agricultural Statistics of the 
United States ” from Hon. J. M. Rusk, 
Secretary of Agriculture. It contains 16 
maps of the United States each presenting 
a sepax’ate topic, e. g. : Percentage of unoc¬ 
cupied and of farm lands comprising the 
superficial area of each State. Acreage of 
corn, (and wheat and oats on separate 
maps) per 1,000 acres of superficial area in 
each State. Average values of each kind of 
live stock in each State. Average value of 
lands in the United States, etc. An outline 
map is presented, in each case, showing the 
boundai’ies of the several States, and by 
means of the different colors, the facts to 
be presented are instantly conveyed to the 
eye, imparting the desired information 
much more quickly and l-eadily than could 
be done with statistical tables. To illus¬ 
trate: one map contains in each State a 
semi-circle in four colors: one color re¬ 
presents the comparative area of til¬ 
lage lands, another the grass lands, a 
third the woodland, and the fourth the 
unproductive lands. A glance shows the 
comparative area of each in the diffei-ent 
States. The album is a new departure in 
statistical work, and is a very interesting, 
and at the same time valuable addition to 
statistical literature. Department of Agri¬ 
culture, Washington, D. C. 
T HE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 
A new edition of this very entertain¬ 
ing and valuable book is just at hand, and 
in it numerous changes appear. In noting 
these, the author, W. Robinson, Editor of 
“ The Garden,” “ Gardening Illustrated,” 
etc., asserts his belief that any book with 
a useful aim would be bettered were the 
author compelled by law “ to keep to it and 
mend it all his life.” One avowed purpose 
of the book is to destroy the notion that a 
flower-garden must be of set pattern and 
placed at one side of the house. For the 
benefit of those of our readers who may not 
be familiar with the first edition, we may 
say that the book forms volume I. of the 
Garden Cyclopedia, two parts. Part I. 
consists of a description of some of the best 
typical English gai'dens, and discussions of 
liai’dy plants and ways of arranging them ; 
climbers ; Alpine and rock gai’dens: spring, 
autumn, and fragx’ant flowers; color in the 
flower garden ; roseries ; wasted efforts ; 
etc. Part II. gives full desci’iptions of all 
the best plants for the garden. Mr. Robin¬ 
son pithily says : “Select only good plants ; 
throw away worthless kinds; thei’e is no 
scarcity of the very best The book is 
written in the interest of out-door plants 
only—hardy and half-hardy—and pays no 
attention to bedding plants. Unlike most 
English works, this is almost equally valu¬ 
able to the American and the English 
gardener. Pi’ofusely illusti'ated and in¬ 
dexed ; cloth, green and gold; 6x9; 832 
pages. John Murray, Albermarle Sti-eet, 
London. 
(9 
3 For OCTOBER contains the opening chapters of 
MAUD HOWE’S Society Novel, “PHILLIDA.” 
“Plullida ’ is a story oi English society life, wiitten by one who thoroughly ps 
knows her ground With her distinfnmherl mother. Mrs Tulin Ward Howe. R 
I “A New York Woman of Fashion 
i 
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ThfIADIES Hone 
1 <J 0URNAL 
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With her distinguished mother, Mrs. Julia Ward Howe, S: 
Miss Howe lived for some time in England, and her talent and beauty 
made her eagerly received among the very best people. She has made 
good use of her rare opportunities, and has studied the charms and foibles 
of English society with a keen and impartial eye. The heroine is an 
American girl who goes to England and creates a furore in London society. 
I FLORENCE HOWE HALL contributes another paper on 
“Affectations and Inelegancies of Speech .” 
| SUSAN C00UDGE 
writes a splendid story for the girls— 
“A Coming Out ”—treating of a young girl’s training for | 
a society ” 
I 
coming out. 
Pen portraits of a dozen well-known society women of £ 
New York. Written by one of the “four hundred,’’ 
MARGARET E. SANGSTER 
contributes one of her 
-“In the Night Season" —beautifully il- 
graceful poems 
lustrated. 
",Forgotten Graves of Famous Authors 
by Edw. Bok. One of the most interesting papers ever § 
published. 
AH Hallow Eve —a nutting shake and other games. Illus¬ 
trated. 
i! Autumn Brides and Brides Maids— with other fashion g 
matter complete. By our own Mrs. John W. Bishop, 
nowin Paris, furnishing the latest news in Styles, Novel- v 
ties, etc., for The Ladies' Home Journal. 
Other features are “ Nursing m Fevers," by Mrs. A. R. f, 
1 Practical Home Dress Making" by Emma | 
sx- © 
Ramsey. 
Hooper. “Flowers and House Plants ,” by Eben E. Rex 
ford. “ English Meat Teas." “ Talks with the Doctor', etc. c 
Ladies' Home Journal is the ideal home periodical for Christian, cul- > - 
ted families. Pure in tone, never sensational, always an unobtrusive r '• 
The 
tivated ... .., 
moral in its fiction, and always helpful and practical. It employs the most ( 
distinguished writers and artists, and is filled with the best obtainable onyi- 
nal matter. Is always new, fresh, and attractive by its handsome printing ( 
and illustrations. It is read by everybody; at least it has nearly half a 
million subscribers and buyers, a larger circulation than any other periodi¬ 
cal, which shows its great popularity. 
| The October Number is ready on the news stands, and 
(; costs but io cents a copy. A Three Months Trial Sub- f- 
| scription may be had for only Twenty-Five Cents, sent | | 
direct to the publishers. 
For ONE DOLLAR we will mail The Ladies’ 
Home Journal from now to January ist, 1891 — 
that is the balance of this year—FREE, and a FULL £ 
YEAR from January ist, 1890 , to January ist, 1891 . I 
Curtis Publishing Co., Philadelphia, Pa. 
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A 
BAY STATE AGRICULTURAL 
SOCIETY. 
(RURAL SPECIAL REPORT.) 
T HE Third Annual Cattle Show and 
Fair of the Bay State Agi’icultural So¬ 
ciety was held in Mechanics’ Building, Bos¬ 
ton, Mass., fi’om the 7th to the 12th of Octo¬ 
ber. It was in all respects the best and most 
successful agricultural exhibition ever held 
in the East. On the main floor of the ex¬ 
hibition hall directly as one entei’ed the 
building, wei’e the flowers and shrubs, 
flanked on one side by long rows of tables 
loaded with vegetables, and on the other by 
similar tables covered with fruit. The gal¬ 
lery was filled on one side with the poultry 
exhibit and on the other with implements. 
One of the side rooms was appropriated by 
the ladies and was well filled with various 
articles of domestic manufacture. The other 
side room was used by the Grangers. On 
the central bridge of the gallery, Mr. Ellis 
of Norwood, had a fish hatchery, where the 
process of hatching fish from the spawn 
was carried on. The spawn used was that 
of the carp, and the young fish in all stages 
of development were shown. The sides of 
the main hall were filled with agricultural 
implements. In the center was located the 
show-ring, while the bands were located on 
the stage surrounded by a perfect wilder 
ness of ti-ees and shrubs. 
Along the rear of the buildings an annex 
was erected for the swine, and adjoining it 
were the sheep pens. The exhibition of 
both sheep and swine was in many respects 
the best ever seen in New England. The 
horses and cattle wei’e kept in stalls in the 
basement when not in the show-ring on the 
main floor. 
On the whole, the fair was an unquali¬ 
fied success. Naturally it was compared, 
not with the fail’s of other societies, but 
with the great fair of two years ago held by 
the society in the same building. The ver¬ 
dict seemed to be that while the arrange¬ 
ment of the exhibit was better, the average 
character of the articles shown and the 
general appearance of the exhibit were 
about the same. The working dairy at¬ 
tracted much attention and will be de¬ 
scribed in a separate article. J. H. G. 
Pi.orcllanriou.s' §UvntEing. 
FOR 25 YEARS 
I have used Dr Seth Arnold’s 
Cough Elder and It Is the only 
medicine which relieves my 
cough. —Peter Kdel, Oloi ersville 
N. V. l’riee 25c., 50c. unit 
$1 i>er bottle. 
ALL DEALERS SELL IT. 
Splendid Location. Good Salesmen. Bail? Returns. 
WARREN, HARPER & BRO., 
Fruit and Produce Commission Merchants, 
HO Dock gt.. Philadelphia. Pa. 
Reference : Blxth National Hank and tho Trade (imrrally. 
Consignments Solicited. 
Starr 
>./C6VEft 
A HEW TREATMENT. 
Sufferers are not generally aware thatl 
these diseases are contagious, or that they! 
are duo to the presence of living para-1 
Bites in the lining membrane of tho noser 
auu eustachian tubes. Microscopic re¬ 
search, however, has proved this to be a 
fact, and the result of this discovery is 
that a simple remedy has been discovered 
which permanently cures the most aggra¬ 
vated cases of these distressing diseases by 
afew simple applications made (f too weeks 
apart) by tho patient at home. A pampb 
let explaining this new treatment is sent 
free by A. H. Dixon & Son, 337 and 339 
West King Street, Toronto, Canada. 
