540 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
AUG. 23 
THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY. 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
78 Duane Street, New York City. 
SATURDAY, AUG. 23. 1879. 
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN. 
Instead of 50.000 extra numbers of the 
Rural New-Yorker, as heretofore stated, we 
now guarantee an extra issue of 130,000 for our 
Fair number. It will be made up of 28 pages, 
including the cover. Many original engrav¬ 
ings and articles from the following writers 
are either received or promised: Dr. J. B. 
Lawes, of Rothamsted, Eng.; Professor J. P. 
Sheldon, of Cirencester, Eng.; Professors I. P. 
Roberts and G. C. Caldwell, James Taplin, 
Henry Stewart, Pres. T. T. Lyon, M. B. Bate- 
ham, M. B. Prince, M. C. Weld, Professor L. 
B. Arnold, W. I. Chamberlain, J. B. Arm¬ 
strong, William Falconer, J. T. Lovett, Col. 
F. D. Curtis, S. Parsons and others. 
We may also state that our next Free 
Seed Distribution will be fully and definitely 
announced. In reply to many inquiries, it 
may be said that our rates for advertising in 
the Fair Number will be the same as in any 
other number. Advertising copy must be 
received prior to the 25th inst. 
We again invite agents, secretaries and our 
readers to send for as many copies as they 
may be willing to distribute or to hand to 
their friends. They will be promptly for¬ 
warded free of charge. 
THE LESSONS OF ADVERSITY. 
The lessons of adversity are many and 
various, physical, intellectual, agricul¬ 
tural, financial, political, moral. Ad¬ 
versity comes usually, we believe, in 
consequence of our violation of some 
great law of our being or of the world in 
which we live ; and is doubtless intended 
by a Wise Providence both as a check 
and a warning. Physical pain, for ex¬ 
ample, lias most beneficent results. Un- 
consiously our foot, or hand, or face, 
or whole body is exposed to too great 
heat, or too great cold, and acute pain 
tells us of the fact, and warns us to pro¬ 
tect ourselves. But for the pain, hand 
or foot or body might be maimed or des¬ 
troyed by fire or frost or accident. 
Disease, too, often has a similar mis¬ 
sion, and its lessons should be carefully 
studied and promptly acted upon. Ty¬ 
phoid fever warns us that we are breath¬ 
ing tainted air or drinking poisoned wa¬ 
ter or both, and bids us promptly change 
our course in these respects. Ague often 
bids a country' household look well to its 
slop drains, pig-sties, barnyards, cess¬ 
pools, garbage, and the general cleanli¬ 
ness of its Biirroundings. Or it bids a 
whole community look to the drainage of 
its swamps, or the destruction of the 
mill dam that floods acres of ground and 
fills the air with the miasma of decaying 
vegetable matter. Even so trilling an 
inconvenienee as the sudden and unex¬ 
pected sneeze or tickling of the throat, 
warns you to remove from the refreshing 
draft of air that cools your heated 
brow. Yellow fever has its lessons, too, 
more intricate and hard to trace, but on 
that very account to be studied the more 
diligently and persistently. One lesson, 
doubtless, is the necessity of greater 
cleanliness in our towns and cities. It, 
may prove the great besom which the 
Almighty holds up before our City Fath¬ 
ers, and says, ‘ ‘ Sweep well youx streets 
and cleanse your sewers, or your city 
shall be swept with this besom of des¬ 
truction.” A most intelligent physician 
from Memphis said to us years ago 
“Memphis ought to have yellow fever. 
Her great bayou floods from the river 
in high water, doesn’t drain back at 
low water, receives the sewage of the 
city, and in dry hot times becomes a vile 
and stagnant pool to breed disease and 
pestilenoe.” The ultimate causes of the 
fever may be more remote aud intricate 
and hard to find. They require and are 
receiving the careful study of competent 
medical and scientific men. But this 
that we have given seems so obviously 
one cause at least of its spread and vir¬ 
ulence, that “he that runs may read.” 
Truly the old divine spoke not so far 
amiss when he said, “Cleanliness and 
Godliness are near of kin.” 
The student, the teacher, the profes¬ 
sional man and the man of business are 
often warned by intellectual adversity 
that they are violating some law of the 
intellect. The free horse that will not 
brook the whip, and seems never to tire, 
finally becomes sluggish, minds not even 
the lash, and perspires inordinately un¬ 
der moderate driving. If his owner 
has sense he knows the steed has been 
overworked, or is ill and needs rest, care, 
and possibly treatment. So the eager 
mind, when it becomes dull, dreads the 
task it once delighted in, or tosses the 
body by night with restless nervousness,or 
makes it start from uneasy sleep, tortured 
■with horrid dreams, shows plainly that it 
needs rest, change, recuperation, or the 
correction of some violation of physical 
as well as mental law. Happy are we if 
we heed the warning before nervous pros¬ 
tration or even insanity follows. 
Financial stringency or panic often¬ 
times checks a community or country in a 
career of reckless extravagance or wild 
speculation, in time to avert impending 
financial ruin. Political defeat makes a 
great party look well to its principles, and 
find wherein it has swerved from those 
great laws of practical righteousness and 
justice and financial honesty on which a 
free government must always rest. 
So too in the field of morals, which be¬ 
longs rather to the pulpit and the re¬ 
ligious press, it may be shown that 
“whatsoever a man soweth that shall he 
also reap.” That disaster and affliction 
come in accordance with natural or moral 
laws, or for their violation, but that they 
are none the less sent by a Wise Provi¬ 
dence for our good, as a warning and a 
guide. Here is a Christian man so intent 
upon his business schemes that he 
neglects the proper training of his chil¬ 
dren. One cliild dies by disease, indeed, 
and in the natural course of things. But 
the father’s heart clings to those that re¬ 
main, and he sees the folly of undue ab¬ 
sorption in business to the neglect of 
proper care for what is far more precious. 
Or financial reverse warns him not to 
make wealth his god lest he fimlthe love 
of money the root of all evil. 
But the point we lmd in mind as more 
specially adapted to these columns, was 
the lessons of adversity in agriculture. 
The space already occupied, however, 
warns us that this must be reserved for 
consideration at another time. 
■» » » ■ 
WHEN TO SELL. 
Every one who is engaged in any de¬ 
partment of agriculture or manufacture 
is supposed to have from time to time 
something to sell or exchange. On the 
disposition of this surplus depends the 
supply of all articles that the person does 
not raise, embracing all implements aud 
improvements of every kind that require 
an outlay. Hence it is a matter of 
moment that the sale of these things be 
made at the time that the best price, all 
considered, will be obtained. Is it pos¬ 
sible to be certain of this time ? In gen¬ 
eral, no. There are many articles that 
constitute exceptions. Those that cannot 
be conveniently preserved, must, of 
course, be thrown on the market at once. 
Others that are in demand in certain sea¬ 
sons only, will be governed by the season 
trade. But the most common and valu¬ 
able products of human industry are al¬ 
ways in market, and yet are subject to 
frequent fluctuations in price. Such are 
the leading products of the farm and 
most of the useful manufactures. As to 
these no fixed rule can be given, but the 
following suggestions will commend them¬ 
selves to the prudent. 
One should keep himself informed of 
the state of the market, especially in 
places accessible to him, and as far as 
practicable in places whose trade affects 
directly liis local market. The best way 
to secure this, is to take and read good 
papers, that give not only the tabular 
market statements, but also intelligent 
and impartial comments and counsels. 
When necessity compels one to sell, he 
can only submit, regardless of prices ; 
but in all other cases, he ought to govern 
himself consistently by reasonable proba¬ 
bilities. Unless in the face of a compar¬ 
ative certainty that there will be no 
advance, economy plainly forbids the dis¬ 
posal of a commodity at a price that is 
not more than its cost to the producer. 
Business cannot live on losses. A certain 
farmer who always prospered made it a 
rule to sell everything he could spare as 
soon as it was in marketable condition. 
He never made much at one time, but he 
avoided all risks of rogueB and fireB, all 
injuries by vermin and weather, all the 
trouble and expense of protracted stor¬ 
age, all the reduction of shrinkage and 
incidental waste ; and he was receiving 
money now and then, through the year. 
It is Bafe advice to say that every one 
should be content to sell at a reasonable 
profit. To wait for very large prices is 
dangerous policy, and, especially as to 
the necessaries of life, very bad morals. 
What man must have, his fellow-man 
should be willing to furnish at rates that 
are not exorbitant or oppressive. Busi¬ 
ness should never violate the principles 
of magnanimity and true charity. 
--- 
CARELESSNESS AS A SOURCE OF INCOME. 
It is amazing to consider the extent to 
which losses are incurred on the one hand, 
and sales and occupation afforded, on the 
other hand, by the inexcusable careless¬ 
ness of people who know better and ought 
to do better. The fastening of a well- 
bucket is deranged, or a hoop is loose, but 
the thoughtless man or woman never 
notices the trouble until the bucket is 
dropped in the well or the bottom is out. 
Then time is lost, the family is inconveni¬ 
enced, and perhaps a neighbor gets a job 
of work and the pay. The gate-latch is 
out of order ; no attention is paid to it; 
the hogs or cows get in; the yard is 
rooted up ; the shrubbery is destroyed ; 
thegardeneris employed, and the nursery¬ 
man has an order. A tire is loose on the 
wheel; the wood is swiftly wearing away, 
a little care would set the matter right; 
no pains are taken ; away on the road a 
wheel is crushed, and the wheelwrighthas 
some employment. A shingle is out of 
place on the roof ; one nail would mend 
the trouble ; that nail isn’t driven ; the 
rain steals in, and soon the plasterer is 
paid to use trowel and brush. A bridle 
rein is weak; a bit is worn ; nobody thinks 
of examining either ; a horse is drawn to 
one side, or a horse runs away; a vehicle 
is teoken ; a carriage-maker or blacksmith 
is profited, and perhaps a surgeon lias a 
profitable professional engagement. 
The water of a well is impure; those 
who use it complain, no proper steps are 
taken ; the family have serious sickness ; 
the druggist sells his medicines, aud the 
doctor gets his fees. In the same way the 
cellar is foul; the mephitic gases escape 
through the floors ; the blood is poisoned; 
the fever rages, some suffer; some die; 
the physieian has u harvest, and even the 
undertaker and sexton find employment. 
A stove-chimney is in dangerous condi¬ 
tion ; people have eyes to sec, but don’t 
use them ; the fire soon does its dreadful 
work, and carpenters and merchants have 
a good time. So of many—very many 
things. 
Are you innocent of such neglect ? 
There are far better and cheaper ways to 
give work and profit to others. By tak¬ 
ing care of what you have, you may be¬ 
come able to add other and more valuable 
things which you desire. There is true 
economy in proper attention to small as 
well as great things. 
- ♦ - 
THE OUTLOOK FOR PRICES OF GRAIN. 
Despite the short crops of some parts 
of Europe, the prospects for a speedy 
rise in the price of American grain are 
not very encouraging. Of late the im¬ 
portations into England have been exceed¬ 
ingly heavy, so that in face of the short 
domestic harvest, nrices rule low. Usually 
when crops are snort there, farmers are 
partly compensated by high prices, but 
this year is an exception to the rule. Ac¬ 
cording to the best estimates, France will 
require $125,000,000 worth of foreign 
cereals, but a large proportion of this will 
be supplied from Southern Russia and the 
Lower Danube, where, as heretofore 
stated, the grain crops have been very 
abundant this year. Never before, ac¬ 
cording to yesterday’s cablegram, was so 
large, a quantity of wheat stored at Odessa, 
and there are, it is said, but few buyers. 
The actual supply does not seem too 
great for the prospective demand, but too 
much of it is being thrown upon the 
market at this season. Later on, it is not 
improbable, that prices will go up consid¬ 
erably. The present outlook is, that we 
shall have a surplus of upwards of 150,- 
000,000 bushels of wheat for exportation, 
while six countries in Europe will need 
about 300,000,000 bushels. Of this, not 
much over 100,000,000 bushels can be sup¬ 
plied from other European sources. 
Northern Africa will hardly be able to fur¬ 
nish enough for its own needs ; the trade 
in cereals with India is still in its infancy, 
though capable of vast development. 
The same may yet be said of the supply 
of wheat from Australia aud New Zealand, 
while the war now raging between Peru 
and Chili will check cereal exports from 
Valparaiso. The supply from all these 
sources cannot, therefore, be over, say, 
30,000,000 bushels, which will leave a 
good market for all we can spare. 
-- 
BLOUNT’S CORN-WHAT WILL THE HAR¬ 
VEST BE! HIGH HOPES. 
A few weeks ago Blount’s White Pro¬ 
lific Corn was reported in our Everywhere 
Department as from ten to fifteen feet 
high, and yet no silk or sets had appeared. 
Our own plots and those of neighboring 
farmers, who had received the packages 
we sent them, corroborated those reports, 
and we began to feel that our “Free 
Distribution ” in so far as the com was 
concerned, would result in little benefit to 
ourselves or friends. We may now state 
that the promised yield is something 
wonderful, and we do not doubt that the 
country in general and even Professor 
Blount hiniBelf will be surprised at the 
yield of those plots which draw the 
Rural premiums. 
-■ - 
BREVITIES. 
“ Rain, rain, rain.” Such is our brief note 
from the Rural Grounds. 
Remember that wood ashes are, perhaps, the 
very best fertilizer for strawberries aud bone- 
flour, or superphosphate next. 
Among hardy perennials there are few hand¬ 
somer flowers at (liis season than those of 
Campanula grandiflora. 
We have Tomato vines on trellis seven feet 
high. For the home garden, this is a very at¬ 
tractive and satisfactory way of treating the 
tomato plant. 
The well-known horticulturist, Dr. F. M. 
iiexarner, writes us: “The advertisement in 
the Rural Nkw-Yorkkr has brought me more 
orders than I received from the same advertise¬ 
ment iu any other weekly paper." 
Prof. Rilev, will Wcevil-eatcn peas grow as 
well as others? Now, answer u& please. You 
know those who have the promotion of scien¬ 
tific or any other truths at heart always hasten 
to “ own up” when they have gone astray. 
Tree peddlers in Kansas are selling Rose 
bushes, which are guaranteed to bear blue 
flowers. We are surprised they do not talk 
about red. white and. blue roses ; the blue one 
is old ! That would be an “ American Banner,” 
indeed. 
The Times and Journal, of Bricksburg. New 
Jersey, says : *•’ It is the opinion of an did po¬ 
tato grower that the seed potato, the ‘Beauty 
of Ilebron,’ furnished us by the Rural Nkvv- 
Yokkek, came up Quicker, grew faster, and 
matured earlier than any Murphy on record.” 
The editor of the Gardeners’ Monthly, joins 
the editor of the Country Gentleman in advis¬ 
ing that the old stems of Raspberries and 
Blackberries be left until fall—but for a dif¬ 
ferent reason. He thiuks the partial shade the 
old stems make, seems rather beneficial than 
otherwise under our hot suns. 
Those who desire to know a6 to the value of 
Pearl Millet. Beauty of Hebron potato, Blouut’s 
Corn. Golden Rural Tomato and the other seeds 
of our last Free Seed Distribution, should read 
from beginning to end our “Everywhere” 
Department. Aside from crop reports, how¬ 
ever, it is one of the most entertaining aud 
instructive parts of the paper. So say many 
readers. 
Judging from the letters and circulars aud 
bills and catalogues aud tickets we are receiv¬ 
ing from the secretaries of fairs, all over the 
country, more energy and interest are being 
manifested than usual in Agricultural Fairs. 
We hope this interest may he maintained by a 
greater attendance thau usual, aud with more 
benefit to the agricultural and horticultural 
community. 
California is going to have a Horticultural 
Society. One would think, if such societies 
are useful anywhere, they would be iudispcu- 
sable iu that 8iule of balmy air, fruits and 
flowers. We learn the above from our contem¬ 
porary, the California Horticulturist, which, 
by the. way is a very different magazine, under 
the editorship of Mr. Shinn, from what it was 
uuder that of his predecessor. 
Mb. Barry iu a note to us, or in au article 
which will appear next week—we forget 
which—refers to the Honeywell Peuch as of 
poor quality. Trees of Ibis were sent to us 
two or three years ago by Messrs. A. Hance A 
Sons, to be tried. They fruit this year. They 
were the first to ripen of any of out peaches, 
but most of them rotted on the tree, aud those 
that ripened were as nearly devoid of peach 
flavor as any we have ever eaten. 
Mr, A. B. Crandall, says in the New York 
Tribune: “That there was no horse-racing at 
the recent great show of the Royal Agricultural 
Society ol England was not for lack ot room, 
as the 105 acres of “ Kilburn pasture” inclosed 
could easily have ufforded ample space for the 
track deemed so indispensable at most, fairs in 
America.” It is a notable fact that at the best 
agricultural show of England aud the best ol 
the United Slates horse-racing is not permitted. 
Correction.-—I n our issue of August 9th. a 
summary of our tests as to whether weevil- 
eaten peas would grow was preseuted. Iu the 
last line of Test No. 4. the word “ more ” should 
have been nonk —as follows: 
Test No- 4-—On the same date as above, 
tweuty-five weevil-eaten peas were planted 
two-aud-a-half iuches deep. They had been 
soaked, as in the above test, for six hours. 
They were not artificially watered afterwards. 
None appeared above ground. 
Objection has with justice been made to the 
Chinese Magnolias, that they bloom in spring 
before the leaves expaud. Tropical-iooking 
flowers aud bare twigs aud chilly winds of 
April are not iu kcepi ug. One pities the flowers, 
because they look cold and lonely. Magnolia 
Lenuei, however, though it bloomed profusely 
in early spring, is now blooming again. The 
large, purple dowers arc very pleasing among 
the rich, heavy leaves. From the spring flow¬ 
ers, many cones of fruit formed so that the 
tree is iu fruit and flower simultaneously. 
Perhaps if we were to cut out the buds which 
form a little later to bloom next spring, it 
would bloom more profusely, iu August, and 
thus after several years, perhaps, be changed 
from a spring to a late-summer-blooming Mag¬ 
nolia. Of all our Magnolias this pleases us most. 
