THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY. 
Address 
RURAL PUBLISHING CO., 
78 Duane Street, New York City. 
SATURDAY, FEB. 1. 1879. 
We will be pleased to send one or more copies 
of the Rural New-Yorker/ ree to any of our 
subscribers sufficiently interested in its welfare 
to be willing to hand them to their neighbors for 
inspection. An intimation by postal card will 
suffice. _ 
Our readers who apply will have the Beauty 
of Hebron potato sent to them separately, be¬ 
cause to send this with Beeds makes an awk¬ 
ward package, and also, because the seeds may 
be forwarded at any time regardless of the 
weather, while the potatoes may be injured by 
frost. We mention this for the reason that our 
friends receiving the potato ouly, may think 
the rest of their selection has been overlooked. 
We earnestly request that all letters containing 
money, or any communication intended for the 
Business Department of the, paper, beatldressed 
to The Rural Publishing Co., and not to any 
individual We cannot otherwise guarantee the 
prompt entry of names upon our lx>oks, or the 
acknowledgment of money. 
Applicants for seeds will please observe that 
the postage on ant possible selection of ten 
sorts of seeds, is never more than five cents. 
A one-cent stamp suffices for any selection 
of ten varieties exclusive of the Beauty of 
Hebron potato, Pearl Millet and Defiance wheat. 
If the first of these three, is included m the list, 
then a two cent, extra stamp is needed, and if 
the second and thv'd are included, an extra two 
cent stamp is also required. 
We offered, some time ago, to sell the cuts 
used in this Journal for twelve cents the square 
inch. Many have requested us to send proofs 
of our cuts. As we have upwards of ten thou¬ 
sand, we could not undertake to do so. Per¬ 
sons wishing to purchase, must select from 
files of the Rural New-Yorker. 
CO-OPERATION IN THE PURCHASE OF 
FARM IMPLEMENTS. 
In an article lately upon “ Skilled La¬ 
bor,” we showed that the inevitable ten¬ 
dency of tbe present unorganized condi¬ 
tion of agriculturists is to break up our 
democratic system of small, independent 
farming, and to aggregate these small 
farms into large ones, ou which machinery 
may be employed as largely as possible. 
In our coun try where education is open 
to all, and where intelligence is more gen¬ 
erally diffused than in any other land, it 
would seem that these small holdings 
might be more generally saved to their 
owners by a simple plan of co-operation. 
Superior intelligence ought to result in a 
superior social system among our farmers 
—ought to add to mutual confidence and 
reciprocal help. The concentration of 
the landed property of a country in the 
hands of a small minority of its inhabi¬ 
tants is quite congenial to a monarchy, 
but it would be decidedly opposed to the 
progress of republican institutions in this 
country. The breaking up of small pro¬ 
prietors would interfere with our school 
system ; for, owing to the sparse popula¬ 
tion of large districts, there could be only 
a small attendance at some of the schools 
unless the scholars traveled from greater 
distances than would be desirable. Its 
political bearing also, would be disas¬ 
trous to the well-being of the State, as it 
would constantly create more and more 
disproportion between the populations of 
country and city, until all political power 
would gravitate to the latter, and who 
can look with indifference upon the time 
when a great State shall succumb to the 
easy virtue of its cities ? We feel like 
doing all we can to increase and not di¬ 
minish the number of these independent 
tillers of small farms. 
And if these small farmers will study 
co-operation, it will put them in posses¬ 
sion of all the facilities for working then- 
land with the best labor-saving machin¬ 
ery. And as can easily be shown, this 
co-operation will give, each of them all 
these advantages as cheaply,inproportion, 
as if he owned all the farms of his asso¬ 
ciates. Let us suppose that one set of 
machinery will work 300 acres of land, 
and that these 300 acres are owned by 
seven farmers—five with 50 acres each, 
and two with 25 acres—all adjoining. 
Now what should reasonably hinder these 
seven farmers from forming a co-operative 
partnership in the purchase and working 
of all the machinery required to till these 
THE RURAL WEW-Y0RKER. FES. t 
300 acres to the best possible advantage ? 
As there are in this supposed partnership 
two, each of whom ow-ns 25 acres, this 
number of acres must represent a share, 
and each of the fifty-acre farms will hold 
two shares. 
Let us suppose them to purchase a 
mower and reaper, and if in a grain region, 
a Belf-binder, hay-tedder, grain drill, field 
roller, two-borse cultivator, an artificial- 
manure distributor, stock and hay scales, 
horse-power, straw-cutter, etc. These 
and perhaps a few other implements 
would cost from §800 to $1,000, and each 
share would cost from $66 to $84. The 
seven farmers would even feel the cost less 
than a single farmer owning the 300 acres ; 
for the seven small farms would be w r ortk 
more than the one large farm, and there 
would be more work for the set of ma¬ 
chinery, as the small farms would be 
worked more carefully and tbe aggregate 
production would be larger, and the more 
the machinery was used, the more profit. 
If it is objected that eight farmers 
could not be accommodated with one set 
of implements, it may be answered that a 
proper division of time would afford abun¬ 
dant opportunity for all tbe work to be 
done on each farm, since the area of land 
is no greater than is often worked in one 
farm with one Bet of machinery, In hay¬ 
ing and harvesting, each could use the 
mowing and reaping machines in rotation. 
The horse-power straw-cutter would en¬ 
able each one to cut his hay and straw or 
feed in the most economical way. More¬ 
over, owning the machinery together they 
would be likely to assist each other, and 
thereby save the oost of considerable 
labor. 
In a social point, these co-operative 
partnerships would improve the neigh¬ 
borly relations among farmers in a marked 
degree. We urge this as a feasible means 
of preventing the necessity for the small 
farmer’s selling out to his neighbor, and 
either going into new States, or accepting 
wages from the larger land-owners. This 
simple co-operation, requiring only a 
knowledge of business principles, will en¬ 
able the small farmer to compete most 
successfully with the large one, and to 
maintain his footing under the most trying 
circumstances. The natural result of such 
co-operation among the small farmers 
would soon lead to the co-operation of 
larger bodies of fanners for other great 
and important purposes. It is want of 
social education that has prevented 
closer relations of farmers with each 
other, and their persistent, independent 
and individual action has made them the 
easy prey of the trading classes. We 
trust the future will show their capacity 
to act together, so that they may avail 
themselves of their natural advantages. 
-♦♦ ♦ - 
TO WHAT PURPOSE T 
“ Madame Anderson completed, yesterday, the 
extraordinary feat of walking 2,700 quarter miles 
In 2,7oo consecutive quarter hours at Mozart Gar¬ 
den, Brooklyn.’ 
The above or similar paragraphs ap¬ 
peared in most of the New York and 
Brooklyn papers for January 14, 
That uny one, and more especially any 
woman, could be possessed of persistency 
and endurance sufficient to enable her to 
accomplish such a feat as this, is wonder¬ 
ful. Had it been only to walk six hun¬ 
dred and seventy-five miles in four weeks, 
choosing her own time for walking and 
resting, it would have been considered an 
accomplishment worthy of remark, a task 
few women would care to undertake. 
Such are the thoughts that seem to oc¬ 
cur first when reading such an announce¬ 
ment, but to all reasoning minds comes 
the question : “To what purpose has it 
been done?” And the only reply that 
can be made is: “For the purpose of 
transferring money from the pockets of 
the curious and the idle to her own. ” If 
the question be varied, and it be asked 
what good purpose has it Bubscrved, tbe 
only answer is : “ None—not the least.” 
No one i8 better, morally or physically, 
for it—we wish w r e could know none is 
worse. It is reported that the Maclaine's 
share in the profits was $8,000. When 
we consider what she has undoubtedly 
lost, this sum seems small in comparison. 
She has gained in money and notoriety, 
and lost in many ways—especially in 
vigor and doubtless in length of life. She 
has sinned against herself, and through 
herself, against her Creator. Whatever 
power of mind or muscle one is gifted 
with should be used for the good of, first, 
its possessor, and, next, of those about 
him, and of mankind as a whole. The 
parable of the talents should not in its 
application be confined only to money or 
intellectual possessions. One is as truly 
accountable for the way in which he ex¬ 
pends his strength, as for the way in 
which he disposes of any other of his pos¬ 
sessions. He is not the fit possessor of 
wealth who will not use it for good ends. 
Nor is the athlete to be pardoned who 
wastes his powers in foolish exhibitions 
from which no good results. Madame 
Anderson’s argument is that she can make 
more money in a month this way than by 
any other labor or profession in years, to 
which our reply is: “ Making money is 
not the chief end of life.” 
We know' not, what others may think of 
a husband who can see his wife endure 
and suffer with equanimity, not to say 
pleasure, what Madame Anderson has un¬ 
dergone during the past month. He must 
know that she is violating physiological 
law's for which she must pay the penalty, 
probably by a ruined constitution and 
shortened life. But he has been content 
to see her, day after day, walk her rounds, 
with feet blistered and lacerated, and 
sometimes in such a state of stupor that it 
required the assistance of her “coach” to 
keep her upright anti on the track, while 
often she had to receive from him a sharp 
blow on the shoulders to rouse her to con¬ 
sciousness and keep her up to her work. 
We do not know the man, and have no 
desire to make his acquaintance, but we 
must believe him devoid of common hu¬ 
manity, and shall not be surprised to 
learn in after times that he has spent 
in gambling and debauchery the money 
she receives for these exhibitions, 
leaving her at last to starve in a garret 
or to the in a hospital. 
If a child or an animal had been com¬ 
pelled to endure such paiu and fatigue 
during the. last month, the strong arm of 
the law would have been invoked in its 
behalf. But a woman is supposed to have 
free will and to act from her own desires. 
We understand, however, that, without 
disputing the above ground, some women 
of Brooklyn have petitioned the Common 
Council to prevent such exhibitions in 
future on the ground that they are in 
violation of laws for the observance of 
the Sabbath, and tend to induce intem¬ 
perance and immoralities. Had this been 
merely a local matter we should not have 
mentioned it in our columns, but we un¬ 
derstand the exhibition is to be repeated 
in all of our principal cities (if the woman 
lives long enough) and we have no doubt 
she will have scores of imitators. We 
desire therefore to enter our protest 
against all such in the name of common 
morality and of right. There are none 
who commend the proper exercise of the 
physical powers more strongly than we 
do, or advise the too much neglected 
practice of walking. One in good health 
should be able to walk several miles at 
fair speed, say, four miles an hour, with¬ 
out undue fatigue. We have more than 
once urged this upon our readers, and 
shall doubtless have more to say about it 
in future. 
-■» ♦ ♦ 
FREE SEED DISTRIBUTION, ETC. 
WEmaynowstate thatwe shall begin our 
Free Seed Distribution on the 15th inst. 
As soon as it is ended, we propose to send 
to all who apply a few onnees of a new 
variety of field corn which we believe to 
be one of the most prolific varieties ever 
cultivated. Of this specific notice will 
be given in due time. We ask of our 
friends that they will carefully plant and 
care for the seeds which we offer them, 
and that as they are enabled so to do, 
they will report to us just what they think 
of them. 
It is very evident that we can have no 
object in sending out seeds that are not 
superior of their kinds. It would be 
short-sighted, indeed, for us to praise 
these seeds beyond their deserts, sending 
them, as we do, among those who can in 
a few months verify the accuracy of our 
statements. We have Baid that many of 
the seeds offered in our list cannot else¬ 
where bo procured. Fearing that, we 
should fall short of several kinds, we have 
ourselves sent to the leading seedsmen of 
England and Franoe for additional sup¬ 
plies. But we. have failed in thiB way to 
procure an ounce. 
It is becoming more and more evident 
to us that agricultural and horticultural 
journals are the mediums by aud through 
which new seeds aud plants should Tie 
distributed and tested. It is the editors’ 
duty to keep posted upon all new plants 
and methods. How can they do this 
without experiment grounds ? They 
should instruct the seedsman rather than 
receive their instructions through his 
catalogue which is generally a mere re¬ 
statement of what is said by the seedsmen 
of other countries. If many of our agri¬ 
cultural papers are as prosperous as their 
statements would imply, and if they have 
the welfare of the farmer, fruit-grower 
and gardener as closely at heart as they 
profess to have it, they will follow the 
Bubal’s example, viz,: secure experiment 
grounds, test seeds, plants and fruits for 
themselves, distribute novelties among 
their subscribers, and by such means 
benefit their readers as they never can do 
by merely sitting in their sanctums and 
copying, * re-hashing, or criticising the 
statements of others. Many of our seeds¬ 
men raise their own seeds, but it is sub¬ 
mitted that the introducer is not an im¬ 
partial judge of his own plants. 
BREVITIES. 
Col. Curtis knowB of a remedy for the hard 
times. 
Several of our correspondents speak highly 
of Lost Nation (Spring) Wheat. 
We do not know that we shall ever again 
find space for our weekly table of contents. 
The Indiana Farmer, from its own experi¬ 
ence, corroborates what we have said of the 
Acme Tomato. 
We have just eaten some sugar made from 
the stalks of Pearl Millet by the Agricultural 
Department, at Washington. 
Prof. Arnold succeeds ex-Governor Sey¬ 
mour us President of the New York Dairymen’s 
Association. If a successor had to be fomid, 
it is fortunate that the choice fell upon so ex¬ 
cellent a one. 
Isn’t it a trifle curious that the President 
and Vice-President of tlic Great International 
Dairy Association of the future should both 
have been elected to those positions on account 
of tlielr interest in the sale, not of genuine 
dairy products, but of salt. 
The farmers of Massachusetts have good 
reason to regret that their State Agricultural 
College has lost the services of its efficient pres¬ 
ident, Col. W. 8. Clark. A man of wide experi¬ 
ence, fine abilities, and a hard-worker, he was 
eminently lilted to advance t he best interests of 
the institution over which he presided. 
Among the most remarkable new plauts of 
last year, Conophallus Titanum may be con¬ 
sidered the most remarkable. It is an Aroid 
like our Calla Lily. "Its tuhevs measure five 
feet in circumference and its leal 45 Ret in cir¬ 
cumscription, on a stalk 10 feet high, while its 
spathc, of a bright black-purple, measures 
nearly three feet across.” 
At the dinner of the N. Y. nort. Society, given 
last Wednesday evening at the Astor House, 
everything passed off in an agreeable way. 
Wilson G. Hunt, presided, and umong the 
guests—about seventy-five in number—were 
Mr. Dana of the N. Y. Sun, Thomas Hogg, S. 
B. Parsons, and many of the seedsmen and 
(loriBts of the city and suburbs. 
The announcement in our “news” columns 
of the death, by consumption, of Joseph N. 
Sturtevant, one of the well known Sturtevant 
brothers of WanBhakum Farm, will carry re¬ 
gret to many a farm fireside ; for the deceased 
gentleman was not only a frequent contribu¬ 
tor to the Scientific Farmer, but also a thought¬ 
ful writer to the agricultural press in different 
parts of the country. 
We find there are many people about the 
country Avho are willing to utter falsehoods for 
the sake of sharing in our seed distribution. 
They praise the Rural as the best paper ever 
published. Send stamps and make their choice 
of ten. But their names are not upon our 
lists The greater number of these people 
will find that they have told “ atorlos and 
parted with their stamps to a poor purpose. 
Defalcations and defaulters are now the 
fashionable words which we use to designate 
thefts aud thieves in high places. Those are 
the words to polish over the crime—these to 
designate the criminals. Physicians find it 
profitable to give new names to old diseases. 
They are talked of, feared and written about 
more. Old plauts are “introduced’’ under new 
aud winning names, thus securing a ready sale. 
There is ever so much in a name. 
During several months past we have been 
experimenting to ascertain what degree of 
looseness or compactness of soil best promoted 
the germination and early growth of scedB. In 
one of these experiments tlie "lifting” power 
of the growing embryo was well shown. 
Radish seeds were planted hall an iuch deep in 
a number of pots. In some of them the soil 
had been pressed so compactly that Lite little 
plants were unable to penetrate it, yet they 
grew, nevertheless, raising the entire layers of 
soil above them, fully halt" an inch thick, and 
supporting it for a day until it cracked and 
broke into pieces. 
There is one part of the Rural which many 
of our farming friends do not 6tudy as closely 
a6 they might with profit, to judge from the 
questions frequently sent us with regard to 
matters full information on which could bo 
found in our market reports. In these days of 
small margins on agricultural products a close 
study of the local and general markets Is es¬ 
sential to secure all the advantages derivable 
from judiciously selling and buylug. Nowa¬ 
days only a moiety of the goods used on a 
farm are produced ou it, and it is therefore 
desirable that the farmer should become a 
close buyer as well as a shrewd seller. It is to 
place within his reach the best means of ac¬ 
complishing this twofold object that we are 
cai'Giul every week to collect the best and 
latest market reports at this point, where, in 
reality, the prices are fixed for the rest of the 
country. 
Tue editor of the Agricultural Department 
of the New York Tribune is extremely careful 
to give credit for every item taken from other 
journals—even if but a line in length —and he 
naturully insists that others should do so as 
well. The following note is taken from the 
Tribune of Jun. 22: 
" We are informed that an article about The 
Sheep's Foot, lately quoted in the Tribune,with 
credit to the Cincinnati Times, appeared origi¬ 
nally in the Rural New-Yorker. And has it 
coin’e to this, that we can't curry one of these 
Western papers without—finding a Tartar ?” 
How can agricultural editors set themselves 
up as entitled to the confidence of their readers 
if their columns show that they are capable of 
such thefts ? We scarcely ever look over our 
exchanges without fielding articles In them 
published ub original, which wore written for 
our columns. 
