THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
JUNE H 
THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY. 
Address 
RURAL PUBLISHING CO., 
78 Duane Street, New York City. 
SATURDAY, JUNE 14, 1879. 
Those who are interested in the present crop 
prospect of the United States will find ranch to 
study, in next week's Rural New-Yorker. 
IS IT EXTRAVAGANCE! 
Under tlie above heading a Western 
agricultural journal which, by-the-by, 
carefully avoids mentioning the Rural 
New-Yorker as the source of the article, 
criticises, very favorably and fairly, how¬ 
ever, our recent remarks upon the sys¬ 
tem of purchasing on credit. The ex¬ 
tensive and generally favorable notice 
which our articles have called forth from 
our contemporaries, is proof, if any such 
were wanting, that they were both timely 
and pertinent, and that they promise to 
be useful to a great degree, and in that 
to subserve the purpose for which they 
were written. 
The journal alluded to professes to be¬ 
lieve that we implied that “in order to 
make their business pay, farmers must 
deprive themselves of all the luxuries of 
life aud confine themselves to the mere 
necessities of existence.” Nothing could 
be more nncandid and gratuitous on the 
part of our respected contemporary. The 
whole conduct and expression of the 
Rural New-Yorker forbid any such as¬ 
sumption. If any one particular thought 
is more frequently or strongly expressed, 
directly and indirectly, throughout our 
columns, than another, it is, that farmers 
should by all means avail themselves of 
every advantage for comfort, pleasure, 
and enjoyment in life, that their calling 
should secure to them. To this end this 
journal is thoroughly devoted, and we 
defy any reader, be he or she ever so pre¬ 
judiced in our disfavor, to rise from a 
perusal of any number without feeling 
that the culture of the intellect and of the 
amenities of social life, are served as 
faithfully and as energetically aB the 
most practical interests of farm and 
garden. The fact is, that to a strong 
sense of what is due to our readers in 
this regard, they owe the expression of 
our honest ideas on the subject of deal¬ 
ing for cash only, and the avoidance of 
credit. 
The whole of our remarks have for 
their purpose the elevation of the agri¬ 
cultural interest to independence, com¬ 
fort and ease of life. They encourage 
the saving of money that it may be used 
to elevate ; and discourage the reckless 
spending of credit which keeps a man 
oor and heapH discouragements upon 
im. It is not that we would have him 
drudge ; on the contrary, wo would 
lighten his toil and fill bis home with all 
the refinements of rural life and social 
culture as soon as he has secured the 
means therefor. To have all these things 
and owe for them is not any additional 
happiness. It is “a worm-in-tho bud," 
which feeds upon the blossom of a man’s 
hopes and blasts their fruitfulness. To 
try to induce any man, woman or child, 
born, reared or living on a farm, or any 
mechanic, artisan or workman whatever, 
to belie ve that he can enjoy the pleasures 
and luxuries of life, except so far as he 
earns them by labor, is wrong ; it is 
false and must be disastrous to the mis¬ 
led victims. We desire no such sacri¬ 
fices. We would rather utter a warning 
Vrice than tempt to a course that must 
disappoint in the end. It is not extrava¬ 
gance to possess all these things when 
they can be procured aud paid for with¬ 
out going into debt; but it is extrava¬ 
gance to purchase anything but the ac¬ 
tual necessaries of life or anything that 
can be dispensed with, by the use of 
borrowed money or on credit. 
It is also a great mistake to lead the 
young people to suppose that work is de¬ 
grading, demoralizing or “ too tiresome 
for anything.” Let them do their duty ; 
occupy the walk in life allotted to them 
cheerfully, faithfully; and enjoy from 
the fruits of their industry every possible 
comfort and advantage. It iH their right 
and we will help them to secure and 
maintain it. But, in the words of our 
great Teacher, we would admonish them 
that “ these ought ye to have done, and 
not to leave the other undone.” The 
spirit of the age is not too favorable by 
any means to economy, either true or 
false ; it has, on the contrary, rather a 
tendency the other way, and the whole 
country has been suffering during a cycle 
of harcl timeB which has been unexampled 
for severity and duration, from the effects 
of this tendency. It is time now to be 
wise. There are many sore hearts, and 
broken hopes, and homes bereft of pros¬ 
perity which was built on a foundation 
of sand. Those build surely, who build 
slowly and upon a solid foundation; 
and although our homily may be flavored 
with a bitter herb, we would offer that as 
a tonic which may contribute healthful¬ 
ness and strength. 
-»»» - - 
BETTER FARMING NEEDED. 
The competition among farmers is much 
closer and sharper than formerly. The 
time has gone by in most sections of the 
country when poor farming could insure 
even the moderate success of making a 
living. During the last four or five years 
thousands of farmers have steadily lost 
money, and unless they reverse the pro¬ 
cess, it is only a question of time when 
they must go under. The losses of farm¬ 
ers have generally been attributed to the 
times and, with the return of prosperity 
and general revival of business, it bus 
been supposed that farmers’ profits would 
return and eveiybody could make money 
ajgain. Undoubtedly the stress of the 
times has affected farmers as well as 
everybody else ; but the time will never 
come when any but the best farming will 
be successful. The nominal success 
which has always heretofore attended 
even the poorest farming has been due 
to the moderate ambition of most farmers 
and the little with which they have been 
contented. So long as men are satisfied 
with hard work and getting little or 
nothing for their invested capital, and as 
an outcome making a bare living, it ought 
not to be difficult to satisfy them. Yet 
this is what thousands of farmers have 
done of late years. During the war, 
and for a few years after, in our era 
of high prices, most farmers made some 
money. Old debts were paid, and in 
some cases better modes of farming were 
adopted. But the years which have fol¬ 
lowed have pinched us all. The more 
expensive habits of living, adopted ten or 
twelve years ago, sire not readily dropped. 
Prices of farm produce have fallen as low 
as before the war, and from almost every 
quarter we are advised that expenses of 
every kind must be out down in a corres¬ 
ponding ratio, or everybody will go to 
ruin. 
Undoubtedly this is sensible advice for 
a large proportion of fanners. Wherever 
the soil has been allowed to run down; 
wherever weeds have crept in, increaJHg 
the cost of cultivation; wherever, from 
any cause, the productive capacity of the 
farm has decreased, an immediate cutting 
down of living expenses is a necessity, 
dire though it may seem. But it is fool¬ 
ish for fanners to look at this subject 
from the standpoint of miserly parsimony. 
No class of men work harder and none are 
better entitled to the comforts and luxu¬ 
ries which hard work should obtain. 
While poor farming may not, and proba¬ 
bly will not, make even a bare living, a 
better management should give the 
farmer something more. Pmdent saving 
is always advisable, hut a mania for re¬ 
trenchment, such as is now prevalent, is 
not wise. Much that is said about saving, 
under the influence of this mania, is sheer 
nonsense. We have heard farmers talk 
about reducing expenses by paying less 
wages, when it was a solemn fact that 
they would steadily lose money every year 
if their hired help worked for nothing. 
What such farmers need is better man¬ 
agement, by which the productive capac¬ 
ity of their farms can be increased. After 
tins they may also find it necessary to 
decrease expenses as much as possible 
without decreasing production. 
Better farming is the specific for most 
of the evils of which farmers complain. 
The competition in farming is now so 
sharp that we shall need better farming 
than we have had, to prevent absolute 
losses. We have no expectation, and 
scarcely any wish for a return of days 
when slip-shod farming could make mon¬ 
ey. Poor farming inevitably tends to 
sterility of the soil, and it will* be a bless¬ 
ing in disguise if we have a return of 
times when only good fanning can suc¬ 
ceed. But the misapprehension which 
so widely prevails that the losses of our 
present farming should or can be reme¬ 
died by savings, is working incalculable 
mischief. The present year, with our 
currency down to hard-pan, offers better 
opportunities for moderate profits as the 
result of well-directed efforts than wo 
have seen in years before. The specu¬ 
lative prices which prevailed in Avar times 
must not be expected, hut farmers who 
have land in good conditioi/for cropping, 
will make a serious mistake if they do 
not invest the labor necessary to secure a 
crop. It will probably cost less to pro¬ 
duce anything now than in any previous 
year sinoe the war, and the prices of farm 
products are likely to be higher rather 
than lower. 
- 4 » ► - 
ARE WE PROSPEROUS OR DEPRESSED ! 
It has been so constantly reiterated, for 
a few years past, that we are in a depress¬ 
ed and unfortunately impoverished con¬ 
dition, that our own people have come to 
believe it without any due consideration 
of the facts. But when had we more cap¬ 
ital in improved lands, in comfortable 
dwellings, in factories for the production 
of clothes to comfort the body, in fnmaoes 
and mills for the production of iron and 
steel for the manufacture of machines 
and implements of every conceivable 
A'ariety, administering to the necessities, 
comforts and luxury of the people ? When 
had we a capacity to produce more sur¬ 
plus of wheat and corn for bread ? When 
grew we more auimals to supply human 
food and administer to the pleasures of 
life ? When had Ave more money capital, 
or any money that sought investment at 
four per cent ? When before were the 
people able to loan the Government eight¬ 
een hundred millions of dollars ? When, 
in the history of the world could cotton 
fabrics of all descriptions be produced at 
so little cost ? What element of Avealth 
do we lack ? If we are in an impoverished 
conch tion, it is the poverty of superabun¬ 
dance—the poverty of too muoh food, too 
much clothing, too much machinery, too 
much of all the commodities that admin¬ 
ister to the necessities, conveniences, com¬ 
forts and luxuries of life. We are unfor¬ 
tunate in having too much, unfortunate 
in not being able to use or sell all we 
produce. 
During the fiscal years 1876, 1877, 1878 
and three months of 1879, we have export¬ 
ed $704,243,518 worth of onr own pro¬ 
ducts more than all our importations. 
This is an average of more than one hun¬ 
dred and eighty-seven millions per year, 
and the average for the last two years Inis 
been more than two hundred and fifty-five 
millions per year. Does this look like 
financial distress ? Two hundred and 
fifty-five millions per annum more to sell 
than Ave Avant to buy ! A feAv more such 
years of distress Avill make us the richest 
nation on earth. In 1873, the balance of 
trade was against us over one hundred 
and nineteen millions. That was the year 
of the panic. We had thought ourselves 
prosperous before that, yet from 1863 to 
1873 inclusive, we had run in debt every 
year from 39 millions up to 182 millions. 
In 1873 we bought 59 millions’ worth of 
iron and steel; in 1878 only nine millions. 
Here was a saring of 50 millions. On 
railroad bars we saved 19 millions. We 
saved 74 millions on cotton and woolen 
manufactures. We made enough to sup¬ 
ply these millions and all we could sell 
abroad. We are now diligently hunting 
up other markets—can sell to any new 
customer we can find. Our distressing 
poverty has put us in possession of enor¬ 
mous surplus productions and manufac¬ 
tures. Only tell us where we can sell 
them and we shall be happy. 
-- 
ENGLISH AGRICULTURE. 
There is room in the Avorld for all. 
The briskest competition should engender 
no feeling of gratification at the reverses 
of a rival. Therefore it is a matter for 
regret to notice the unsatisfactory, not to 
say disastrous condition of English agri¬ 
culture. English journals are filled with 
complaints and forebodings of evil. 
Agriculture was never in so depressed a 
condition. Rents are unpaid ; farms go 
a-begging ; the OAYiiers cannot Avork 
them ; and tenants cannot make enough 
out of them to pay for labor and for rent. 
The English farinerB are deluged under a 
flood of American products. The cheap 
lands of this great continent and our free 
system of labor—in which we include the 
privilege to work without losing caste as 
a gentleman—have borne the fruit which 
has been so long a-ripening ; and our un¬ 
fortunate rivals aoross the water are no 
longer able to compete with us. The 
gates are now broken doAvn. Our exports 
are iioAving abroad nearly at the rate of 
one million dollars each day, over and 
above the amount of imports. This re¬ 
sult is the inevitable effect of a law which 
no man, or nation, can set aside. We 
could not help it if we Avould. The best 
we can do is to offer to our rivals a posi¬ 
tion by our side where they can share 
our advantages. Here is room for all. 
There, the balance is ^disturbed ; here 
it is suspended evenly and is not likely 
to be disturbed until our broad fields and 
plains are fully occupied. And this can¬ 
not occur for a century, perhaps for 
several of them to come. 
BREVITIES. 
None should fail to read the important ad¬ 
dress of Dr. Lawes on pages 375 and 376. 
Our respected correspondent, Mr. 8. B. 
Peck, of Muskegon, Mich., is now 74 years of 
age. 
Fluid extract of the leaves of Arbor-vitse is 
recommended for intermittent fevers and also 
for rheumatism. 
Mr. Hovea' implies in English papers that 
the Horse-chestnut is a faster-growing tree 
than tho Tulip—which is a mistake. 
The Gardeners’ Chronicle says that Madame 
Vilmoriu's improved French variety of tho 
Dandelion is, In fact, a very excellent and 
agreeable salad plant Avhen properly cultivated 
and blanched. 
Now is the time to use Hellebore upon cur¬ 
rant bushes to destroy the currant worm. 
Use four tablespoonfuls of the powder to a 
pailful of water. 
Mr. E. S. Rand, who has been spending a 
year or so in Brazil, is so enraptured with the 
climate that he has “ little Avieh to come home.” 
He says it is “ the loveliest and most healthy 
in the world." 
Dr. Hoskins tells the writer that he plants 
twice as mauy trees in his orchards as he in¬ 
tends to remain, calculating that the interme¬ 
diate trees Avill twice pay for themselves before 
they seriously interfere with the others, and 
have to be removed. 
As stated last year, the quantity of flour or 
plaster Avith which l’aris-green is mixed to kill 
potato beetles, may be much greater than sup¬ 
posed. One farmer told us that he used one 
pound of Paris-green to 300 pounds of plaster 
effectually. When so used, care must bo taken 
to mix tho two thoroughly. 
Mr. Peter Henderson, in the Gardeners’ 
Monthly, says that his experience has never 
yet shown him a single instauee wherein he 
was certain that plants either absorb liquid 
manure, or even fertilising gases by their 
leaves. He states that plants growing in 
air so strongly impregnated with the oflluvia 
from fertilizer factories that it is almost un¬ 
bearable. are not appreciably benefited there¬ 
by. The air is a gas or rather a combination 
of gases, and there are plants ivhich live upon 
the uir aud thrive- Don’t their leaves absorb 
the gases ? 
Our correspondent. Professor Sheldon, of 
Cireueester. England, closes a note to the Ag¬ 
ricultural Gazette thus gloomywise: “The 
dread silence of despair pervades the country; 
people have left off grumbling—they have no 
heart for even that. We are on the eve of a 
crisis.’’ When we of this country consider our 
abundant crops during several years oast, and 
the promise of abundant crops for still another 
season, and think of the agricultural distress 
in England, avc should be thankful indeed. 
But lhankfidness is a rare aud a puny plant. 
It is “smothered out" by the ubiquitous weed, 
ijueruiousTU-ns. 
“ Amateur” asks in the N. Y. Tribune : 
“ Are the packages of garden seed in nil the 
stores kept over indefinitely from year to year 
until sold? I uever kneiv a dealer to throw 
any away on account of age. Ought not the 
law to compel growers of seeds to print the 
ear on the parcel, so that the buyer may 
now Avhcthcr his cucumber or onion seed is a 
year or forty years old?” Any seedsman un¬ 
principled enough to sell dead seeds, would be 
unprincipled enough to change the envelope 
and date from year to year. The best ivay 
that we know of is for each purchaser to note 
carefully how well or ill Beeds vegetate, and 
to purchase of those who by his oavu experi¬ 
ence, he believes to sell the purest, freshest 
seeds. 
A highly novel mode of transporting live 
6 tock over long distances has been lately meu- 
tioued in several English and Australian 
papers. It is proposed to throw the animals 
to be transported, into a profound state of 
coma, bear them across the ocean in a state of 
insensibility and revive them on landing. It 
is said that au Australian has actually suc¬ 
ceeded by the injection of a vegetable poison 
into the ears of certaiu animals, in producing 
a condition of artificial death, then keeping 
the apparently lifeless bodies from decompo¬ 
sition by confining them iu a chamber at. a low 
temperature, aud finally revlviug them by the 
injection of a special antidote. The only fear 
entertained Liy the discoverer as to the com¬ 
plete success of this method of transporting 
animals, is that there might be some slight 
breakage during a long voyage, owing to the 
hardi-frozen, brittle condition of the inseusible 
sleepers! 
Despite the check put upon our cattle trade 
with England, our importation not of beef 
only, but also of liveanimals into that country, 
is steadily increasing. On the Mersey the fa¬ 
cilities for slaughtering cattle after landing, 
are entirely inadequate to meet the demands of 
onr increasing importations, and enlarged 
abattoirs are rapidly being pushed forward to 
completion, both on the Liverpool and Bir¬ 
kenhead sides of the river. Dead meat from 
this country has already overcome the preju¬ 
dice against it in some quarters in the 
Old Country, and is now largely sold as 
home-raised beef by the London butchers. 
English families are rapidly bccomingacquaint- 
ed with this fact; the newspapers speak of it; 
and public opinion is arraying itself against 
the butchers, not on account of selling an in¬ 
ferior article as English beef, but becuuse they 
sell at the full price of Eugllsh beef an article 
which, though equally good, can he had In the 
market at. a lower figure. Of course, this un¬ 
derhand stylo of dealing tends to limit tem¬ 
porarily the sale of our beef; but its effects 
are sure to result iu ultimate good. In this 
ivay the last A'estigcs of prejudice will be speed¬ 
ily removed from all classes, and us shops are 
soon to be opened everywhere for the honest 
sale of American beef,' thousands who have 
hitherto beou paying for it the price of home- 
raised beef, will be sure to buy it at lower rates. 
