APRIL IB 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. MB 
thoroughbred cattle, horses, sheep and hogs 
has become a greater industry in this county 
than in any other county of like size in any 
State on the continent. Yet the ordinary 
modes of feeding practiced by most of our 
farmers, show a sad lack of proper education 
and economy. Some of the finest fat cattle 
sent to Europe last year were fed on the blue- 
grass pastures by hauling the corn from the 
fields, stalks and all, and scattering it on the 
ground once a day. In this whole operation 
the waste was enormous. Lauds and all kinds of 
stock are on the rise. Corn is selling at 60c. 
per bashel; wheat, 00c. to 95c.; hogs, S^c.; 
best cattle, 5c. Blue-grass will in a few days 
bo fit for pasture. p. l. c. 
Colorado, Benuett’s P. 0., April 0.—I live 
34 miles east'of Denver on the plains where 
very few of the ranchmeu make gardens—not 
one in ten. I have two acres of garden, how¬ 
ever, which I water by moans of a windmill; 
for without artificial wateiiug everything would 
be burnt up by July. I have tried corn here, 
but it has never grown well. I also tried po¬ 
tatoes with the same variety of seed for three 
successive years, but the third year they “ ran 
out ” completely. Peas, beans, parsnips, 
onions and turnips, all do very well with me, 
and so do a good many sorts of flowers. I have 
also tried trees iu this treeless country. I find 
the Lombardy Poplars and Balm of Gilead, 
raised from cuttings, do as well as Cotton¬ 
woods. The latter are the only trees we have 
right here ; but 30 miles away there are Pines. 
Last year I raised a few Scotch Pines and soft 
and hard Maples from seed; but this is rather 
a hard region for gardening: the hot sun and 
drying winds draw the life out of any plaut 
that has not had a good start. We have had a 
hard wiuter in this region; a good many sheep 
have perished, and cattle are badly scattered 
and in very poor condition. Grasses are com¬ 
ing up well, but we need rain to give all vege- 
tatiou a good start. j. w. s. 
Minnesota, Winona Co., April 8.—We are 
gettiug ready for farm work hereabouts, and 
shall commence in a couple of days. A large 
number of fanners about here purchased fruit 
trees ol a nursery at Dayton, Ohio, last fall. 
All of these trees have been winter-killed, 
although they were said to be iron-clads. They 
were mostly Duchess, Haas, Huzza, and Nich¬ 
olas trees—all Russians. At the same time 
those purchased at a home nursery in this 
county, at a quarter of the price, though 
planted under the same conditions, are doing 
well, and are all alive. I think the farmers 
have learnt a lesson, and will purchase trees at 
home in future. Farm produce is low iu this 
section: wheat, from 50c. to 90c. ; oats, 20c.; 
barley, 50e. to 60c.; corn, 20c. ; wheat bran at 
the mills, ¥3 to $4 per ton; shorts, $5 to §7 
per ton according to grade. j. a. 
Washington Territory, Snohomish City, 
March 31.—After six weeks of rain, this is our 
first spring-like day. Money is hard to get. 
There’s not much sale for logs, and logs are 
our chief commodity. Potatoes, 50c,; wheat, $1; 
barley, 50c.; oats, lc. perlb.; corn, $1 a bush.; 
The Lost Natiou wheat is mostly sown. A Mr. 
Lc Day, sowed on a plot 8 by 12 feet, 235 ker¬ 
nels of Teun: Headed wheat—something new 
here—and harvested 10 pouuds, or at the rate 
of 57 bushels pei acre. Harter. 
Ohio, New Loudon, Huron Co., April 8.— 
Our spring is very backward. Roads vt ry bad. 
Sugar weather comes slowly. We are selliug 
maple molasses for $1 pei gallon; but some 
sells as low as 80c. per gallon. Our large crop 
of todder will be pretty nearly all fed, owing 
to the duration of wintry weather. Wheat is 
looking pretty well, considering the late sow¬ 
ing. Grass roots look well. Stock will come 
out of winter-quarters iu good condition. 
B. P. 
Penn., Anuvillo, Lebanon Co., April 7.—Cold 
weather has prevented the farmers from plow¬ 
ing and working the ground as much as usual 
at this season. Still some oats have been sown, 
some potatoes planted, and some gardening 
done iu this neighborhood. Wiuter wheat 
looks well, coming up green. Wheat sells for 
$1; rye, 50c.; corn, 25c.; clover seed, $3.10; 
potatoes, 75c.; hay, $7 to $8 per ton. 
J. A. B. 
Michigan, Grand Rapids, April 10.—We have 
promise of a good crop of fruit in this State. 
Peaches are Injured on low grounds in the 
southern sections, but on our west shore, and 
as far North as Grand Traverse, the thermom¬ 
eter has not gone below zero, and tender fruits 
are all right. Where Apples did not overbear 
last year there will be an excellent crop. 
* C. w. o. 
Kansas, Everett, April 8.— Winter wheat 
is looking fair. Oats are growing slowly. We 
need rain badly. Some farmers are planting 
corn and all are busy getting ready to plaut. 
The peach crop iu this vicinity will be a fail¬ 
ure this year, on account of the cold winter 
we have had, and the cold weather now pre¬ 
vailing has injured plum blossoms, j. j. d. 
Wisconsin, East Troy, Walworth Co., April 
6 .—Stock are doiug well. About the first of 
March the 6iiow left us, and, thinking we were 
going to have spring right away, we plowed 
sod on the 11th. Since then it has been cold 
and backward. We are plowing again now, 
however, though it is snowing. Clover looked 
well before the last snowfall. h. a. t. 
Kansas, Oswego, Labette Co., April 4. —Anx¬ 
iously looking for rain. Ground unusually 
dry for this time of year. Farmers busy plow¬ 
ing for, and planting corn. Some planted the 
last week in March. Oats coming up. Wheat 
looking well. Fruit buds injured, but not all 
killed. e. f. b. 
New York, Brooklyn, April 14th.—During 
the past week the weather in this neighbor¬ 
hood has been extremely variable. We had a 
heavy snow-storm on Friday, sleet on Satur¬ 
day morning, sunshine in the afternoon, 
clouds and cold on Sunday, and to-day a fine 
spring day. • h. w. d. 
Iowa, Conway, Taylor Co., April 5.—Fall 
wheat looks well here; spring wheat was all in 
by the 20th of March. Oats are about all sown. 
Fears are entertained that much fruit lias been 
killed by the freezing weather of this week. 
L. W. B. 
New York, Worcester, Otsego Co., March 
31.—Thi6 is a poor com section. We have 
frosts in June, and our seasons for corn are 
often very short. It’s too cold yet for making 
maple sugar, and there is plenty of snow. 
j. d. w. 
New York, Fluvanna, Aprils.—Ice 14 inches 
thick on Lake Chautauqua. Ducks, geese and 
swans, however, make their appearance around 
the mouths of streams running into the lake, 
and afford good sport to hunters. h. a. w 
Nebraska, Beatrice. Gage Co., April 8.— 
There are 10,000 sheep within 20 miles of this 
place and plenty of room for more. A wool- 
buyer would do w’cll around here this summer. 
R. L. B. 
New Jersey, Metuchen, Middlesex Co., April 
9th.—Spring is backward; but grain is looking 
very well considering the hard winter we have 
had. s. w. h. 
lomologual. 
HIGHLAND BEAUTY. 
E. P. Roe has a seedling Apple which he pro¬ 
poses to call “Highland Beauty," the accom¬ 
panying sketch of which was made from speci¬ 
mens sent to this office a month or so ago. 
Under date of March 17th, be writes: “ I send 
you to-day a few of my seedling apples. No 
special effort has been made to keep them 
over. The tree is a good grower but inclines to 
dwarf itself by overbearing. Many of the 
branches were like ropes of ouious last year.” 
The apples were as perfectly preserved as 
if they had just been picked from the tree. 
The shape of the Highland Beauty is shown by 
the eugraviug. The color is a light, clear yel¬ 
low, sometimes with and sometimes without a 
red cheek. The flesh is quite tender, the least 
bit acid, and of an agreeable flavor. 
Will it take the place of the Lady Apple ? is 
the questiou, no doubt, which has determined 
Mr. Roe as to its propagation and sale. We 
only present it to the reader as a new fruit, 
possessing peculiar merits, which will insure 
it a place among recognized varieties. 
Jfloruuliiiral, 
GERANIUM NEW LIFE. 
In your criticism of “ New Life"—in Rural 
for April 5, you speak of it as not possessed of 
vigor. We think you must be mistaken, as in 
our experience with it we have found it an 
extra-vigorous grower. We now have fine 
specimen plants in seven-inch pots, which were 
taken from cutting bed not five months ago 
these and many smaller ones are now in bloom, 
and we cannot see why in vigor of growth or 
size and duration of bloom, it will not compare 
favorably with old well-known sorts. The 
great demand for it has led florists to push its 
propagation to the utmost. For this reason 
many plants sent out, after having been 60 
forced, will grow but slowly for a time. We 
do not wish to see any new plant either praised 
too highly, or cried down, until it has had a 
fair trial. *• Many men of many minds;” so 
with “ New Life ;’’ while some do not care for 
it, many call it beautiful and want it in their 
collections. We do not write this for publica¬ 
tion, but only to admonish that the Rural 
which is usually right, Is sometimes mistaken. 
Keene, N. H. Ellis Bros. 
[We take the liberty to publish the above be¬ 
cause several have spoken to ns regarding 
“ New Life,” and we have received other com¬ 
munications all to the effect that we are much 
mistaken in our own estimate of the plant.— 
Eds.] 
Geranium New Life. — Eds. Rural: Permit 
us to state that your estimate of the new Ge¬ 
ranium “ New Life ” is quite astray. It is vig¬ 
orous—bears fair-sized trusses and is with us 
the admiration of all who see it. Perhaps you 
have judged it too soon after receiving it from 
the florist. a. r. d. 
New York City. 
Hattons, 
CATALOGUES, &c., RECEIVED. 
R. Douglas & Sons, Waukegan, Ill.,—We 
have received from this firm, the most exten¬ 
sive growers of evergreens from seed in this 
country by far, their circulars, catalogues, &c. 
for the present year. There are points in them 
to which we desire to call special attention, be¬ 
cause they possess uuusual interest, not only 
to our readers in general, but to the nursery¬ 
men of this as well as of other countries. 
First. Among their thousands of evergreen 
seedlings have, from time to time, occurred 
sports which have been propagated and will 
be for ihe first time offered for sale in the 
autumn of this year. These are numbered, 1, 
2, 3, 4 and 5, specimens of which were sent to 
us by Mr. Douglas two years ago to be tested 
in our grounds. They are very distinct and 
may be purchased entire by any enterprising 
firm that desires to control their entire propa¬ 
gation and sale. 
No. 1 is a golden American Arbor-vita? that 
remains conspicuously golden during three- 
quarters of the year. 
No. 2 is also an Arbor-vita? tipped with white. 
No. 3 is a deep, though bright green Arbor- 
vitie of a very compact and dwarf habit. 
No. 4 also an Arbor-Vita*, we ourselves mis¬ 
took for a Retinospora. 
No. 5 is a beautiful golden Juniper (Com¬ 
munis) of prostrate manner of growth. 
Among other coniferous seedlings to be of¬ 
fered next fall are Abies Engelmannii—Abies 
Parryaua, the A. Mcnziesii of Colorado—Abies 
Douglasii which withstands 30 deg. below zero 
without injury—Pieea concolor—Pinus pon- 
derosa—Sciadopitys verticillata (See Rural of 
Nov. 24, 1877. 
These will have completed their second 
year’s growth iu the fall. These evergreens, as 
well as deciduous forest trees, are sent by mail 
all over the couutry as safely as if they were 
securely packed in boxes. We have no space 
for further reference to the specialties of this 
immense seedling establishment. The circu¬ 
lars, pamphlets &e., will be sent gratuitously 
to all who apply. 
WHAT OTHERS SAY. 
Gratifying Acknowledgments. — Among 
the late letters from our patrons, expressive of 
their satisfaction with the results of advertising 
in the Rural New-Yorker, we select the fol¬ 
lowing for the reason, first, that their words 
carry with them the weight which attaches to 
establishments of national reputation; and 
second, for the reason that they are proofs that 
the influence of the Rural is confined to no 
special State or part of our country: 
Richmond, lnd., March 5 , ’79. 
Rural Pub. Co., Gents:— Out lust advertisement 
In the Rural New-Yorkkk paid us very well In¬ 
deed, as we have already traced several goal sales 
to It, with a prospect ot still more. Yours very 
truly, Richmond City Mill Works. 
L T. Lemon Seet’y. 
Sandwich, 111., March 28, ”9. 
Rural Pub. Co., Gents:—W c can trace to our 
advertisement, now running In the Rural Nkw- 
Yorker, many good sales, and, all things con¬ 
sidered, we believe It to be as valuable a medium 
as we have ever used for reaching the better class 
of farmers. Yours truly, Sandwich Mfg. Co. 
J. P. Adams, Secfy. 
Batavia, 111., March 29, '79. 
Rural Pub. Co., Gents:—For several years we 
have advertised In the leading agricultural papers 
of the country, and can positively state that the 
“Rural New-Yorker’’ has brought us more 
letters than any other weekly we have made use 
of. We consider it one of the best mediums for 
reaching the leading farmers. Yours truly, 
United States Wind K. and P, Co. 
The Best Red Raspberry.— Charles Dowu- 
iug tells the N. Y. Tribune that the Turner is 
probably the best red Raspberry. Of course 
much depends upon the location and taste of 
consumers. 
A NEW HARD METAL PLOW. 
Mr. Geo. Taylor, the agent of the Belcher 
and Taylor Agl. Tool Co., of Chicopee Falls, 
Mass., has, as the result of a series of very 
thorough tests, obtained a chilled metal of uni¬ 
form harduess and fine grain which the com¬ 
pany will introduce this season. It has been 
subjected to the roughest usage in the field 
and has withstood the most persistent efforts 
made with a view to detect undesirable quali¬ 
ties. The conical plow made by this corpora¬ 
tion will be cast in this metal this season.’ 
This plow, the shape of the mold-board of 
which we iBustrate, is making a very hand¬ 
some record io all kinds of soil. The conical 
pattern is found to promote a very light draft. 
Another plow in great favor is the Oneonta 
Clipper, an iron-beam swivel plow that com¬ 
bines some very important improvements, 
notably the shifting handles, which bring the 
coulter in position at each turn of the mold- 
board. The plow can be turned without tak¬ 
ing the hands from the handles—a very con¬ 
venient and labor-saving arrangement. These 
and other plows are fully described iu the 
spring catalogue (now ready) sent out free by 
the company 
— - »♦ ♦ 
Mr. W, P. Emmert, Freeport, Ill., seems to 
be a collector of inventions that may be best 
appreciated in the household. His catalogue 
now before us gives auswers to a large number 
of questions asked us by our correspondents. 
There are scores of these little inventions, 
simple iu themselves, that are a great help in 
the daily routine. He has devised a plan by 
which purchasers may dub together and get a 
liberal discount from the list price on orders so 
sent. 
In addition to his catalogue, he has publish¬ 
ed a new treatise on butter-making, which he 
is willing to give free to those interested in the 
dairy, if they will be at the pains of asking for 
it, which is certainly liberal, as the book con¬ 
tains some good ideas. 
-■»- ♦ ♦- 
C. Aultman & Co., of Canton, Ohio, issue 
two very pretty catalogues this season, one 
descriptive of the improved “Buckeye " mower 
and reaper, and the other explaining the ad¬ 
vantages of the “Sweepstakes" thrasher. 
Such literature is important to every farmer 
who proposes to keep informed of improve¬ 
ments in machinery—and those who do not 
keep "posted” will, in the end, regret the 
oversight. 
-- 
Tolley’s New Patent Champion One-hor6p 
Cultivator is a new implement being introduced 
by the Wheeler and Melick Co., Albany, N. Y. 
Its peculiar feature is a screw-shaped tooth 
that can be set to throw the soil to or from the 
plants. Besides this uuique improvement it 
embraces other features that make a cultiva¬ 
tor valuable. It is sold at a low price. 
-♦-*-♦- 
Tue Dexter spring, to which our attention 
was directed during the Centennial, is a very 
durable, easy and cheap spring, and one that 
people living in the country cau appreciate. It 
will stand the most severe usage, is very cheap 
in price, and when mounted under a vehicle, 
it is handsome in appearance. The Dexter 
Spring Co., Hulton, Pa., is the maker. 
- - - 
The Walter A. Wood Mowing Machine Com¬ 
pany has beeu awarded the contract by the 
Secretary of the Interior to supply the Indians 
in the Indiau Territory with mowing machines 
and reapers. The contract will amount to 
about $8,000. This is the first time the gov- 
ernmeut has furnished the Indians with mow¬ 
ers and reapers. 
-»» » 
Bradley & Co., of Syracuse, N. Y., and 
Chicago, Ill., have their catalogues of mowing 
and reaping machinery now ready for the sea¬ 
son of 1879. Their machines are very thor¬ 
oughly made and have merits that every prac¬ 
tical farmer will approve of. 
The Little Giant Tile Mill, made by Baylies 
\ atighau, it Co. of Richmond lnd., seems to 
be the subject of very general comment 
among "tilers' at present, aud the pamphlet 
issued by the firm will be fouud of interest. 
It is sent out free ou application, we believe. 
-—- 
Tue catalogue of Russell & Co., of Massilou, 
Ohio, for 1879, just received, is very attractive 
iu appearance, and illustrations, and describes 
the new thrasher made by this company very 
clearly. It may bo had on application. 
