476 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
JULY 26 
THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY. 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
7 8 Duane Street, New York City. 
■ ■ — . ■ ■■ «, - 
SATURDAY, JULY 26. 1879. 
ANNOUNCEMENT. 
The latter part of August we shall publish 
our Fair Edition. We promise, in advance, 
—life spared. — that it shall be the most 
costly if not the most interesting and in¬ 
structive number of the Rural New-York¬ 
er ever published. We shall issue at least 
50,000 extra copies and all of our read¬ 
ers—our agents and the Secretaries of Fairs— 
are iuvited, indeed solicited, to send for as 
many copies as they are willing to give to their 
friends or to distribute. These will be cheer¬ 
fully forwarded to any address free of any 
charge whatever. 
THE CONTENTS OF WHICH WILL AP¬ 
PEAR TO THE READER AS HE READS. 
Except to the inexperienced, there are 
very few hints of value to be given at 
this season to those engaged in agricul¬ 
ture. Really valuable timely hints have 
been so often published that it seems a 
waste of time and space to repeat them. 
It would be better for the few who might 
be benefited, to turn to old numbers of 
agricultural journals for such informa¬ 
tion, than that the many should again 
see before them a worse than thrice-told 
tale. It may be well to remind our read¬ 
ers in general terms, however, of a few 
matters that might otherwise be neglected 
or forgotten. 
The budding season is now at hand, 
and budding may be performed with bet¬ 
ter success by the beginner than graft¬ 
ing. Besides, if budding fail, grafting 
may be tried in the spring; whereas, if 
grafting in the spring fail, it cannot, or¬ 
dinarily, the same season be repeated. 
Budding is the best method, of increas¬ 
ing such fruits as the Peach, for, in the 
North, grafting is usually unsuccessful. 
At this season, there is no transplanting 
to be performed, and the farmer is 
blessed, after the hay and small grain 
harvest, with an interval of comparative 
rest. Be may, therefore, amuse himself 
for an hour or so each day by procuring 
buds of better varieties that grow upon 
neighboring grounds and inserting them 
upon seedlings or less desirable sorts 
that grow upon his own premises. Bud¬ 
ding is a nice, cleanly operation, that 
might well be performed by female 
hands, but it is a matter of surprise to 
us that very few young ladies, or old 
ladies, know, or seem to care to know, 
anything about it. We suggest, there¬ 
fore, to our fair readers that they try it 
once, and now. Begin with Roses, and 
see how many buds of different varieties 
can be successfully budded upon one 
bush. Thus it would be easy to have 
perhaps twenty Roses of different colors 
blooming upon the same plant at the 
same time. 
Purslane, or “ Pussley” as it is often 
called, is an inoffensive weed at worst. 
Tet it increases with wonderful rapidity 
if left to itself. Its extermination is very 
easy if taken in time, otherwise it gives 
increasing trouble throughout the entire 
season. We have found that, purslane 
plants, after they are pulled up, will form 
and mature seeds, so that it is not suffi¬ 
cient that they should be pulled up and 
left upon the surface to die. Upon each 
plant a great many flowers bloom daily, 
and each flower will mature over 100 
seeds. These are self-sown, and hence 
an impression has become general that 
the more we hoe or pull up Purslane, the 
faster it increases. This is due in a 
measure to the fact that pieces of the 
stem form roots readily and grow, but it 
is mainly due, as we have stated, to the 
thousands df seeds which mature and are 
scattered far and near. It seems an end¬ 
less and an unprofitable task to pull up 
fir hoe up every Purslane that appears in 
early summer. And yet, we know from 
experience that one hour thus employed 
in the middle of June, or a little later, 
will save many hours of labor after they 
have bloomed and sown their myriads of 
seeds. 
Upon land at the Rural Grounds from 
which peas have been removed, we are 
now setting out late cabbages and celery. 
As to the latter, after having tried vari¬ 
ous methods, we believe that a shallow 
trench is better than either a deep trench 
or surface planting. A drill three to four 
inches deep would suffice. If most of the 
leaves be cut off and the roots placed six 
inches apart, in such a drill—the ground, 
of course, having been suitably enriched 
and mellowed—the best results may be 
anticipated. We are planting only dwarf 
varieties. The golden and crimson van- 
ties, to which we have several times re¬ 
ferred, were planted for an early crop. 
There are many farmers who do not raise 
celery at all, believing that it is more 
trouble than it is worth. But the meth¬ 
ods of planting, cultivating and storing 
are now so simple, as compared with cel¬ 
ery culture years ago, that we deem they 
make a costly mistake in not providing 
an ample supply of this delicious veget¬ 
able. 
As to late cabbages: Late Bergen, Large 
Late Drumhead, Large Flat Dutch, and, 
especially for family use, Drumhead Sa¬ 
voy are the best varieties. For garden 
culture, we would again call attention to 
the desirability of cutting off half the 
leaves before setting, and of puddling 
the plants in holes an inch in diameter, 
and covering with dry soil. Treated in 
this way, a failure is veiy rare. 
Early in the spring we imported from 
London a quantity of the new and much 
extolled Carter's Telephone Pea. It was 
not, however, planted until late, and the 
peas are now ripening for seed. This 
seed, provided we can save enough and 
import enough together for the purpose, 
we shall send out in our next free seed 
distribution, as in our grounds it has 
proven of such value that we cannot 
doubt it is destined to become one of our 
best standard varieties. The difficulty 
that at present presents itself, is to se¬ 
cure a large enough quantity. The orig¬ 
inators hold the seed at a very high price, 
and even then are unwilling to send it 
out in large quantities. 
In our flower garden, little else but 
moving the lawns, weeding the beds and 
keeping the margins sharp and shapely, 
is needed. We need rain, and in conse¬ 
quence a few plants droop and the 
grass in places bums. Nevertheless, 
we have been taught by costly experi¬ 
ence that artificial watering does not 
pay at all. In our severest droughts wo 
lose but few plants, and the cost of arti¬ 
ficial watering is worth ten times their 
value. Besides, when once begun, it 
must be continued until welcome ruin re¬ 
moves the necessity. 
We have given our fruit trees a last 
wash for the year, of lime, sulphur, salt, 
ashes and soap, mixed with hot water 
and stirred during the application. This 
we have practiced twice or thrice during 
each season since the Rural Grounds 
have existed as such, and, strange to 
say, with one exception, a borer has 
never entered our apple trees. Finally, 
good readers—we would fain call you 
all Dear Friends—we have been work¬ 
ing hard during this “heated term” 
to prepare future numbers of our paper 
that shall make you feel more than ever 
before that of all farm helps and hints, 
of all money and labor-saving contri¬ 
vances, you can the least afford to get 
along without the Rural New-Yorker. 
-- 
ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS. 
We know of no more agreeable topic 
on which to write this July afternoon, 
with the mercury' at 98 degrees, than the 
Arctic regions. Even to think of the 
mountains of ice may be some alleviation 
to this torrid heat. 
We are neither prophets nor sons of 
prophets, but for many years past it has 
seemed to us that all geographical re¬ 
search tends to show that attempts to 
reach the higher latitudes should be made 
by way of Behring’s Straits or of the 
Spitzenbergen Sea. A map of the ocean 
currents wall show that that great warm 
current, the Gulf Stream, after leaving 
the American continent off Newfound¬ 
land, divides, one portion washing the 
British Isles and giving them a tempera¬ 
ture many degrees higher than American 
countries in the same latitude, while the 
other, diverging northwardly, leaves the 
main-land of Northern Europe at Norway 
and passes between Spitzenbergen and 
Nova Zemblft to unknow n regions above. 
In the Pacific Ocean the Japan current, 
or Kuro Siwo, divides in mid-ocean, one 
branch raising the temperature of the 
Alaskan coast till Sitka, in latitude 57 de¬ 
grees, lias an average temperature of 45 
degrees, the same as Portland, Me., in 
latitude 41 degrees, while the either passes 
northward through Behring’s Straits, per¬ 
haps to meet its fellow of the Gulf Stream 
in the great open Polar Sea, These two 
currents running northward must have a 
southern complement to return the waters 
to the equator. This is found in the one 
that passes down Baffin’s Bay, bearing 
on its tide those mighty icebergs that are 
the terror of navigators of the upper At¬ 
lantic. It is against this current that 
most Arctic expeditions have so energet¬ 
ically striven, with so little result, since 
the time when in 1653 the Portuguese 
navigator, John Corlereal, made the first 
attempt to discover the Northwest Pas¬ 
sage. He failed, and so. practically, have 
all his successors. There are early records 
that the Dutch found, in 1675, “after hav¬ 
ing sailed to the northeastward of Nova 
Zembla several hundred leagues between 
the parallels of 70 and 80 degrees, the sea 
was perfectly open and free from ice 
also that in 1655 a Dutch whaler sailed 
in a sea entirely free from ice to ■within 
one degree of the pole, and that about 
the same time one of his countrymen 
passed the pole and sailed two degrees 
on the other side. It is true these ac¬ 
counts have been taken with many grains 
of distrust; so have accounts of other 
voyagers, that have been proved true, 
Behring’s Strait is the name given to 
the ocean passage between Asia and 
America ut their nearest approach, and 
connects the Arctic and Pacific Oceans. 
Its central part may be described as in 
latitude 66 degrees and longitude 168 de¬ 
grees. At its narrowest it is only 26 miles 
wide, and its depth in the middle is 
about 30 fathoms. Such icebergs as are 
frequently seen off Labrador would run 
aground there. The temperature of the 
water is much higher than that of the 
same latitude in Baffin’s Bay ; the cur¬ 
rent runs toward the pole instead of away 
from it, thus aiding instead of opposing 
vessels in their upward journey, 
Sevei’al attempts haver been made to 
reach the pole by way of these straits, 
the most notable of which are those of 
Captain Cook in 1779; his successor, 
Captain Clark, in 1780; Kotzebue, of the 
Russian navy, in 1815, who claims to 
have seen the open polar sea. Several 
whaling ships have passed many miles 
beyond the straits, but not as explorers. 
This pathway has been neglected hereto¬ 
fore, probably because of the difficulty 
of properly fitting out vessels adapted to 
the purpose on the Pacific coast, but this 
objection no longer exists. Already the 
expedition inaugurated by Mr. Bennett, 
proprietor of the New York Herald, has 
sailed from San Francisco complete in 
all its equipments, and the expectations 
are great that it will completely succeed 
in establishing, without room for future 
question, that an open Polar Sea is a 
fact. 
But whether this expedition may be so 
entirely successful, there is little doubt 
it will result in reaohing a higher point 
than has been attained above the straits, 
and that many of the secrets of the Arctic 
region will be laid open to us as new 
pages in the book of nature. 
BE A FRIEND IN NEED. 
The necessities of pioneer life origi¬ 
nated certain useful and commendable 
customs. When a cabin was to be built, 
the neighbors collected, joined with alac¬ 
rity in the work, finished the heaviest of 
the task, and realized all expected pay in 
the sumptuous feast and the simple and 
lively pastimes of the evening. It was 
common for the thoughtful matron to 
combine a quilting-party with the house¬ 
raising, and secure generous help in her 
domestic interest. As years advanced, 
and society and customs changed, there 
were occasional instances of free, united 
help to those who, for any cause, needed 
it. At present these beautiful expres¬ 
sions of good-will are, at most, very rare. 
Too many now content themselves with 
randering to neighbors simply what they 
can justly and legally claim, or with be¬ 
stowing the incidental, individual favors 
that can be con ferred without much care 
or expense. People Beern to know less of, 
and care less for one another than for¬ 
merly. 
There is need of some recognition of 
old ways in these matters. To pay what 
one owes is legal honesty; to do for a 
neighbor what he really needs is benevo¬ 
lence. After all our assumed independ¬ 
ence and extravagant self-love, we de¬ 
pend, to a considerable degree, on one 
another. There are many accidents to 
which we all are liable, which may call 
most affectingly for a little temporary as¬ 
sistance. A farmer may lose his only 
horse in the crisis of his crop. He may 
have protracted sickness or some dis¬ 
abling injury when his farm most needs 
his attention. A family may suffer a ter¬ 
rible visitation of some dread disease. 
Fire may destroy buildings, or floods 
sweep away crops and fences. What is 
the poor man to do ? His neighbors may 
think that their own trials are so heavy that 
they have no time or means to spare. 
But let them think again. They can 
spare one day, and, perhaps, not see any 
ill effects. Or they may, each, contribute 
a small amount in money or valuable ar¬ 
ticles, without any appreciable privation 
to themselves or their interests. The 
many “ littles ” in work or means will re¬ 
store hope and strength to the unfortu¬ 
nate, and secure to the giver a richer 
reward than the pioneer enjoyed in his 
evening’s festivity. 
Is there any necessitous case in your 
community ? If so, go forward yourself, 
and propose the generous enterprise of 
combining the trifles in time and money, 
and thus win for yourself and others tne 
sweet reward of gratitude, self-approba¬ 
tion, and all the blessings from both man 
and Heaven that are accorded to a gener¬ 
ous deed 
Fortune is to-day quite as fitful as ever. 
We may now be able to help while oth¬ 
ers need. Ere long we may sorely, sadly 
need, and the grateful recipients of our 
kindness may come to our relief. 
-- 
BREVITIES. 
A neighbor raises good crops of corn be¬ 
tween his strawberry rows. 
The London Farmer says that seven per 
cent of the sheep in Baltimore (!) are killed by 
dogs! 
Mr. Joseph Harris cannot too earnestly 
recommend the use of superphosphates for 
turnips. 
When attacked by the flea, sprinkle lime- 
dust over the leaves of turnips early in the 
morning. 
Count Stone is the English of Graff Stein, 
a German after whom the now celebrated Gra- 
venstein Apple was named. 
Agricultural Fairs."—A name which 
enables good people to attend horse-races 
without doing violence to their consciences. 
There is no better time in the year for rid¬ 
ding the gardens and fields of weeds than the 
present. Usually droughts of greater or less 
severity prevail, and weeds pulled or plowed 
up die at once. FI ant Cauliflowers, Sage, late 
Cabbage, Celery, Thyme. 
The object of articles published under the 
heading "The Truth About it,” we may say to 
our new readers, is not so much intended to 
deal with " Humbugs " as with the many un¬ 
conscious errors that creep into the methods of 
daily country routine life. 
The Sharpless Strawberry originated with 
Mr. J. K. Sharpless, of Catawissa, Pa. Among 
those who have tried it, we believe it has more 
friends than any other of the uew sorts. Mr. 
Sharpless is to be congratulated and thanked 
by the strawberry-loving community. 
If you would raise large crops of Ruta¬ 
bagas, spread over the laud a liberal dressing 
of old manure and plow it uuder. Then 6ow 
250 pounds of superphosphate to the acre and 
harrow well. Then drill in the seed- Of all 
the concentrated fertilizers, none is better for 
turnips than superphosphates. 
How often in the course of our lives we have 
“branched off ” into the new-fangled annuals 
for bedding purposes, and how often have we 
returned to the Petunia, Portulaea, Phlox, 
Pink, Verbena, and such other good old plants 
that may be trusted to keep up their blooms 
for most of the seasou, let the weather be wbat 
it may. 
Frieuds visiting ns ask: “How do you 
keep the stems of your fruit trees bo clean, so 
free from rough bark, so healthy-looking?” 
We use a wash, often referred to in these col¬ 
umns, several times every growing season, and 
keep a ring of earth about five feet iu diame¬ 
ter smooth and free from weeds. To what ex¬ 
tent the clean stems are due to this we cannot 
say. 
Mr. W. R. Lazenbt has said, we do not 
know when or where, that, after numerous ex¬ 
periments and very careful trials^ he finds 
either of the following applications "safe, 
cheap and effective" for the cabbage-worm: 
A pouud of whale-oil soap in about six gallons 
of water; or, a few quarts of tar in a barrel 
of water. The use of cither, two or three 
times during the season, suffices. 
The difference betweeu the good aud poor 
farmer may be seen better in an unfavorable 
thau a favorable seasou. In the latter case 
crops are so large that they will scarcely briug 
enough to pay for producing them. But in 
unfavorable seasons the good farmer is re¬ 
warded for his skill and patience. The poor 
farms suffer more than the good farms—the 
good farmers reap the benefits. 
There is one sort of farm animal that agri¬ 
cultural papers do not say much about. It 
thrives on all farms, will eat what it can get, 
requires no care either iu winter or summer, 
multiplies rapidly, suffers from no contagious 
diseases, aud, judgiug from the fact that one 
or more may be found upon all farms, whether 
large or small, ought to be highly esteemed by 
farmers in general. We allude to the cat. The 
cat, uext to poultry, is the most neglected ani¬ 
mal on many a farm. 
Among the best sorts of turnips for sowing 
from now till the end of August, are the fol¬ 
lowing: Uow-horn, White Norfolk, Red-top 
Strap-leap, White French, Yellow Stone, Golden 
Ball, White Egg and Yellow Globe. Root crops 
of all kinds are more and more appreciated in 
this country as the necessity of mixed food 
for stock is recognized. Turnips germinate 
quickly, aud farmers should be provided with 
lime, U6he6 or soot to scatter over the drills or 
over the entire field, if broadcasted, as soon as 
germiuation begins, iu order to protect them 
from the fly. If thus provided, half of the 
8 eed usually sown will suffice, a%l the sowing 
of the lime or ashes is really loss trouble thau 
the hoeing out of the surplus plants. We have 
no doubt that half a pound would suffice for 
an acre if sown in drills by hand, and that 
with proper cultivation the crop would prove 
larger for it. 
