RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
(JFlrmrtojjcre. 
CHAT WITH THE RURAL. 
EX-GOV. ROBERT W. FURNAS, OF NEBRASKA. 
I have read that excellent, old and familiar 
visitor, the Rural, with pleasure and profit, 
these many years. If I were sure its originator 
would not hear nrc, i would say that as it 
grows older I like it better. People should 
'row better as they grow older. Why should 
lot publications, especially those devoted to 
agriculture, horticulture, pomology, and kin¬ 
dred subjects, do so? 
While we out West—in the very “Far 
West”—talk and write among, and with, our- 
selveR about agriculture, do you know how 
timid and embarrassed we feel to appear be¬ 
fore a Far East audience, or through the col¬ 
umns of an agricultural periodical older than 
many of us ? More appropriate for us to sit at 
the feet of such men as Wilder, Thomas, 
Downing, and other silver-locked veteran 
teachers and laborers, and learn from them 
lessons of wisdom, speaking from age and ex¬ 
perience. This would seem the more proper. 
And yet. while we obtain fundamental general 
principles, and much else desirable and valu¬ 
able from the old States, and from the brains 
of honored forefathers, do you know that we 
have had much to learn, out here, from actual 
experience, having had uot a few original prob¬ 
lems to solve. 
You will remember when we “ studied geo¬ 
graphy” that all now known as the Great 
West, more particularly that region west of 
the Missouri River and east of the Rocky 
Mountains, was designated, characterized and 
set apart by the books as the “Great Ameri¬ 
can Desert." Government officials—General 
Fremont, Captain Miles and others—reported it 
a barren waste. Twenty-three years’ succes¬ 
sive residence in Nebraska, an eye-witness to 
the wonderful changes that have taken place 
within that time in the climate, rainfall, and 
actual soil products, warrants the concession, 
at least, that the data upou which was based 
our boyhood geography was correct. Allow 
me to mention one single instance or feature 
of the great changes I have personally wit¬ 
nessed. 
What was known, even since the beginning 
of the current decade, as “ the Sand Dills" in 
Platte Valley, near Fort Kearney, were actu¬ 
ally as destitute of any kind of vegetation as 
the mid-street of Broadway in your city. Now 
luxuriant native grass grows all over these 
hills. Cattle and live stock of all kinds grow 
fat and sleek among them, and thousands of 
tons of blue-stem hay are put up annually. 
Ten years ago one kuowing this region could 
not be induced to take a million acres of these 
lands as a free gift—now they are being occu¬ 
pied by enterprising tillers of the soil and good 
crops raised. I made a short trip through this 
section of the State the present season, and 
confess to great surprise at what “ my own 
eyes beheld." 
When I first came here, settlers—“ squat¬ 
ters” they were then called—“ hugged ” tbe 
west bank of the Missouri River, never 
dreaming of going further into the interior than 
eight or ten miles. The valleys of the Ne¬ 
maha, Blue, Platte aud Republican Rivers fur¬ 
ther inland, were “goodenough, perhaps, bui 
we will never live to see the country settled 
up and civilized out that far!” The man who 
talked of plauting fall wheat, for instance, was 
“crazy.” One who would plant a fruit tree 
then would have been scut to the lunatic asy¬ 
lum, had there been one near enough. Ton 
cm readily imagine (hat “we old settlers” 
had not much to encourage us—that all w'as 
an experiment. Without particularizing, you 
are familiar with results and the facts as they 
exist to-day. No portion of our national do¬ 
main stands higher as to general and diversi¬ 
fied agricultural products. The “twin sicters" 
—Nebraska and Kansas—have carried away 
three first national pomplogical premiums 
awarded by the American Pomologieal Society 
—the former two, the latter one. While, as 
before conceded, we learned much from the 
East—brought much of it from there with us— 
we have had much more to learn for our¬ 
selves, and arc, therefore, entitled to some 
credit for originality. Don’t you think so ? 
The present season with us has been an un¬ 
precedented one in many respects: crops have 
been good all over the State, in some por¬ 
tions, however, better than in others, and 
some Icinds better than others. Com 
and wheat—the great staple products—are 
more than an average. Prices are better thau 
usual. Farmers, and, consequently, all tbe 
people, are in better condition and heart than 
for mauy years. More good, solid improve¬ 
ments are being made. Hundreds who came 
here a few years ago, and have delved along, 
living iu “dug-outs,” are now enjoying com¬ 
fortable, iu very many instances, even luxuri¬ 
ous homes, with all modern advanced civilized 
and enlightened surroundings. More rail¬ 
roads are being constructed this season than 
in any two or three years before. The rapid 
filling up of the State, together with the ad¬ 
vantageous facilities for railroad building, war¬ 
rants this increase. A few years more aud Ne¬ 
braska will be spider-webbed with railroads. 
We have “ passed through the deep waters,” 
are out on high, dry land, and on the road to 
future greatness as a people. We now have 
more to encourage—more to live for, methinks, 
than you in the old and established portions 
of the United States. There is more of the 
future before us. more to make, more to ob¬ 
tain. 
The grazing interest in the western portion 
of the State, aud west of that, has already as¬ 
sumed unthought-of proportions. I dare not 
tell you, aud you would ho slow to believe, 
how many hundred thousand head of live 
stock arc now feeding and keeping “ beef- 
fat ” the year round, on simply the nutritious 
native grasses on tbe plains east of the Rocky 
Mountains, and bow many go annually to feed 
the consumers of the East. This “ Great 
West” is the bread aud meat-producing region 
of the world. 
Digressing a moment, I agree with the 
Rural in its interpretation of the word “ ex¬ 
travagance.” One is entitled to, and even cri¬ 
minal if he or she neglects, to enjoy and 
absorb all there is good in this world, legiti¬ 
mately and rightf ully obtainable. So long as 
expenditures arc kept below ouc’s honorable 
income, there is no extravagance. The mo¬ 
ment this boundary Hue is overstepped, whe¬ 
ther the amount be one cent or one million 
dollars, then there is extravagance. 
When 1 eat down to partly fulfill a promise 
to write you, 1 had no retention of sermoniz¬ 
ing; but on looking over my hastily-penciled 
pages, I find that I have come well-nigh to it. 
It is Sabbath, and I had just returned from 
church, after hearing an excellent discourse 
on the subject— “ Progress.” Hence the line 
of thought iudulgcd in. I had promised y T ou 
some notes iu relation to my new forty-acre 
fruit farm, planted this season. But as I have 
now already imposed ou your good nature [No, 
no.— Eds ] in a rambling manner, let it suffice 
for the present. Perhaps, some other time I 
may let you know how many apple, pear, 
peach, plum, prune, uectarine, apricot and 
cherry trees, grape-vines, flowering shrubs, 
aud so ou, 1 have planted; the varieties, what 
distance apart, location, soil, manner of treat¬ 
ment, etc., etc. 
Brownvttie, Neb., Nov. 10, isT9. 
--- 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORT3. 
N. Y.j Elmira, Nov. 22d.—We have been 
favored by a heavy rainfall which has put an 
end to the most severe drought ever known in 
this locality. It has filled dry wells and cis¬ 
terns aud started streams and has improved 
greatly the condition of winter wheat, which 
owiug to tbe dry weather has made but feeble 
growth. Farmers about here have been very 
busy for the past 10 days stripping tobacco, 
which was taken down lu fine condition. Owing 
to the warm,wet weather, aud the unusual green 
state of the stalks, it was necessary to strip the 
leaves from the stalk6 iu the least possible time, 
to prevent damage from heating in the pack, 
which had commenced in many cases. 
The past few weeks have witnessed a 
marked change iu the prices of nearly all agri¬ 
cultural products. An upward tendency is 
clearly visible, and our farmers begin to feel 
encouraged over their future prospects. Tbe 
prices of the most important products are as 
follows; wheat, $1.30 to $1.35 ; corn. OOcts. to 
62 cts; oats, 86 to 40 cts; barley, 65 to 75 cts 
per br.; hay, $12 to $14 per ton; butter, 23 to 
30 cts per pound. 
N. Y.. Syracuse, Onondaga Co., Nov. 21.— 
We are now in tbe midst of a cold snap. The 
thermometer stood at 14 degn.es above zero 
this morning, with a piercing wind, and a 
slight fall of snow. My Grape-vines arc about 
half laid down and covered. While 1 shall 
probably have open weather to finish the job, 
i should much prefer uot to have the vines ex¬ 
posed to even this slight freeze. Many grape 
growers iu this vicinity leave their vines up all 
winter ; but I prefer to be on the safe side. 
N. B. 
Mien., Gagetown, Tuscola Co., Nov. 20.—On 
the 2d day of November we were visited by 
a heavy snow storm which lasted about six 
hours; but did no damage. There has been 
more wheat sown in thi6 county this fall than 
in any one season before, and it is growing 
rapidly; even late sowed wheat is in excellent 
condition for the winter. Potatoes arc a good 
crop and nearly all have been Becured. Corn 
is above an average yield throughout the 
county, and farmers are busily engaged in 
husking aud storing it. n. k. d. 
Cal., Penryn, Placer Co., November 14.— 
We are having our first genuine rain storm 
for the season, and from necessity we are 
compelled to stay in the house, which I often 
think is providentially arranged that wc may 
perform long-neglected duties without iuler- 
fering with out-door work, 1 have long had 
a desire to write to the Rural, but for yery 
many reasons have been unable to do so. 
Perhaps many of your readers who desire to 
change their residence from the climate of 
the Eastern States for our beautiful climate 
would do so at once, if they could be satisfied 
first that they really knew from reliable in¬ 
formation what they could do when they got 
here. The great trouble with many who have 
come here with high hopes, has been that the 
information that sent them hither was 
obtained from circulars sent out by our 
railroads and colonization companies or 
societies. These have been so highly colored 
that they were, in fact, misrepresentations. 
They have taken exceptional cases and 
represented them as the general results. The 
consequence has been that we have been com¬ 
pelled to hear “ curses loud and deep” from 
very many who have come to California within 
the last few years, when really any sensible 
man must have known that the expectations 
to which these exaggerated circulars gave 
birth, could uot be realized. Our particular 
locality affords at this time an opportunity for 
a man of small capital, say from $2,000, to 
©3,000, to make a good investment and by 
industry and reasonable economy he may ex¬ 
pect to make money. Understand in this 
connection I wish it distinctly understood, 
that it is necessary that a man should have 
a practical knowlege of fruit raising iu all its 
details. With this knowledge and the habits 
I mention, it is almost impossible to fail. Our 
soil is a decomposed granite which, I am told, 
has proven the very best for the production 
of fine grapes aud many other fruits. Our mar¬ 
kets are San Francisco, Virginia City and 
mauy other smaller places east and west on 
the line of Central Pacific R. K. We are 
within about eight hours of San Francisco, 
sufficiently near to ship berries. Our peaches 
—of which we produce more than of anything 
else—usually bring in the San Francisco mar¬ 
ket trom SO to 50 per cent more than those 
from any other part of the State. Both soil 
aud climate are particularly adapted to their 
successful cultivation. For the past two sea¬ 
sons we have beeu eetliug out Oranges, Lemons, 
aud Limes, as it has been proven, beyond a 
peradventure, that they can be cultivated 
successfully on our foot-hills. There have 
been trees in bearing, in our neighborhood, 
for 10 or 12 years, raised from seed. I have 
thought that perhaps these were more hardy 
than budded trees—time will tell. For the 
production of berries of all kinds, our foot¬ 
hills are c qunlly well adapted. Now this be¬ 
ing the ease, a man with practical knowledge 
of the business and reasonable expectations, 
can find among us a homo that should be 
satisfactory in every way. In reference to 
climate, we have the very best, and, of course, 
this implies that it is very healthful. Land, 
uncultivated, can be bought at from ©10 to ©20 
per acre, according to quality and location ; 
if situated near a railroad station it would, 
of course, bo worth more than if it were a con¬ 
siderable distance from it. 
Of the seeds 1 received from the Rural 
last spring, the Acme tomato has proven the 
best we have ever raised. From the seed sent 
I shipped about 45 forty-pound boxes. The 
Golden Rural is excellent, but the color and 
size are objectionable for market, except for 
preserving. The Beauty of Hebron potato 
proved to be about equal to the Early Rose, 
both iu quality and earliness : the Voorhis 
watermelon did exceedingly well. From the 
seeds sent I raised fifteen melons ranging 
from 10 to 20 pounds each, and they proved 
both early and delicious. Pear Millet I 
must say I do not like as well as Egyptian 
corn, neither for quality nor quantity 
of feed produce. Blount corn w'as not a 
success. We made a failure with our flower 
seeds from the fact lhat other duties, more 
pressing, caused ns to neglect them. Seeds¬ 
men, I think, are oftentimes censured when 
the blame for poor returns lies with the man 
who plants Ihe seed. J. w. b. 
Canada, St. David’s, Lincoln Co., Nov. 17.— 
Crops of nearly every description have turned 
out well re this section, and the prices 
realized therefor have been satisfactory. The 
yield of late potatoes is excellent; though in 
some places they are rotting badly. My 
Blount s corn has just closed a most remark¬ 
able career of stalk-growing, and has, besides, 
yielded eats and nubbins to the amount of one 
bushel from 64 hills—two stalks to the hill- 
while my Early Cauada corn adjoining it 
yielded from 11 to 2 bushels from the same 
number of hills, the culture being the same in 
both cases. Therefore no more Blount’s corn 
for me; besides, had the Blount’s c rn yielded 
well, in this locality it would uot ripen one year 
in ten. Whether scientific training has made 
it so I know not; but this corn has developed 
some peculiar characteristics—one is its ten¬ 
dency to uniic heaveu and earth in a straight 
line; a less magnificent one is to vary the num¬ 
ber of rows ou tire cob from 8 to 10; aud 
still another, to vary the shape of the kernel, 
on some cars it being broad and redented; on 
others slender, lliuty-lookiug kernels are found 
with no indentation. It also varies in color 
from ears nearly purple to those of a pure 
DEC. 6 
glossy white. The only thing approaching un. 
iformity in this variety—that I can discover— 
is, first, its multiple earing, and, second, its 
tall growth ; and both of these traits I regard 
as faults, thefirst when more than two ears are 
attempted on one stalk, and the latter abso¬ 
lutely, unless the stalks can be utilized for fire¬ 
wood or feucing material. I think it time 
that farmers were disabused of the idea that 
the corn that attempts the growth of six or 
.eight cars on a stalk, is the corn. Why raise 
so many nubbins to produce the same weight 
of corn as will grow on two ears, and thereby 
necessitate so much extra work in husking? 
Moreover, the husks around these nubbius and 
the cobs thereiu, to a great extent, arc a draft 
upon the vigor of the. plant, that should be ex¬ 
pended in producing graiu. My opiuiou is that 
breeding for more cars will not be attempted 
by the corn-breeder of the near future, but the 
ears will, perhaps, be thinued, as we now thin 
fruit, and fewer but longer and more perfect 
ears be striven after. If Blount's corn does not 
“ mend its ways," ten years hence it will be 
spoken of only as one of the thoroughly-tried 
but discarded varieties of the past. e. m. a. 
Centrist, 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Plaster and Charcoal. 
P. Portsmouth, Fa., asks the relative value 
of plaster and charcoal as a top-dressing for 
clover or grass, and also in a compost. 
Ans.— Plaster and eharcoal have nothing in 
common by which they may be compared. 
Charcoal is absolutely inert and of no use as a 
fertilizer; it may operate indirectly as an ab¬ 
sorbent of oxygen, or other gases, for which 
it has a great affinity, and serve to hold them 
until the roots of plants which come in contact 
with it can make use of them ; but it has no 
power to act in any other way. Charcoal con¬ 
tains thu mineral matter—the ash—of the 
wood of which it is made, and a portion of the 
cellular tissue in a state of carbonization. Iu 
this state it is practically indestructible, and 
may remain in the soil for years unchanged. 
Plaster, on the contrary, is a salt of lime, solu¬ 
ble in water, and possessing the power of 
chemical reaction when brought into contact 
with substances upon which it exerts its effects. 
It consists of sulphuric acid, 46), per cent., 
lime, 321 per cent., and water of combination, 
21 per cent. The chemical union betweei: the 
base (lime) aud the acid is rather weak, and is 
dissolved when the plaster is brought into 
contact, in solution, with a base, such as am- 
mouia, for which the acid has a stronger affin¬ 
ity than for lime. This ease of decomposition 
is one of its chief values, agriculturally, as it 
act6 very usefully in combining with free am¬ 
monia and fixiug it as sulphate of ammonia, 
leaving ihe lime free to enter into combination 
with carbonic acid, for which it has a stronger 
affinity thau for sulphuric acid. As to the 
actual money value of the two, it may be said 
that charcoal is worth no more than for the 
potash contained in its ashes, which is, per- 
happ, a ceut or two a bushel: while piaster is 
worth its usual market value, which is about 40 
ceuts a bushel when ground for use, this value 
being more than that of its acid aud lime 
merely, on account of its favorable action, 
chemically, iu other ways than by the addi¬ 
tion of its simple ingredients to the soil, and 
also because of its effect upou the clover crop, 
an effect that is not, as yet, fully explained. 
“Burry” Wool, etc. 
B. L. B.. Bucksville, S. G., asks, what is the 
difference in price between wool with cockle 
burrs in it aud that free from them; 2, how 
should they be removed; 3, will the Depart¬ 
ment of Agriculture, at Washington, analyse 
minerals ; 4, when should alfalfa and orehard- 
gTas6 be sown in that latitude ? 
Ans— Wool with burrs in it goes into mar¬ 
ket as “burry," and is considerably reduced 
in value. The prices quoted in a trade list, 
now before us, are, for tub-washed, choice, 50 
cents per lb.; fair. 45 cents; aud for burry, 36 
ceuts. So that the loss in value is from 9 to 14 
cents in tub-washed wool. Low grades of wool 
lose even more, and “burry” will bring 33 
per cent, less than “ fair to good,” free from 
burrs. Burrs cau only be taken out by ma¬ 
chinery iu the factory, and even then some 
burrs will be left in, as may be discovered by the 
unfortunate wearer of underclothing, in the 
material with which some burry wool has been 
mixed- It is this difficulty which causes the 
loss iu value. The Agricultural Department at 
Washington docs not analyze minerals. That 
is not in its province. Any specimens yon may 
send to us will he named for you, and if they 
are sufficiently valuable for aualysis, there are 
parties in New York who would make an 
analysis tor about ©8,00. But very few numer¬ 
als need a complete analysis to ascertain their 
value. Alfalfa should be sown early iu the 
spring. Orchard-grass should be sown iu 
your latitude in September. 
