THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
&S4 
dtojrfojfm. 
BEYOND THE MISSISSIPPI. 
To the majority of the inhabitants of the 
Eastern States, the term “ Beyond the Missis¬ 
sippi" conveys a vision of herds of buffaloes 
roaming at will over their native hills; of bands 
of painted Indians, gay w®h beads, feathers 
and blankets, and bristling with spear, toma¬ 
hawk, and arrows, and many imagine the mil¬ 
lions of acres toward the setting sun to be one 
vast plain, without dwelling, or civilized in¬ 
habitant. They fancy that civilization paused 
in its westward march when it arrived at the 
eastern banks of that mighty river that rolls 
onward toward the Gulf. Could they but see 
the right side of the picture, their love and 
admiration for (heir native States would only 
be equalled by the homage they would offer to 
their sister States beyond the Father of Waters. 
Last, week for pleasure as well as business, 
I took a short trip northward on the St. Louis, 
Kansas City and Northern Kailway, my objec¬ 
tive point being Queen City, a little town of 
about 400 inhabitants, situated in Schuyler 
Co. For the sake of seeing the country, crops, 
etc., I took a seat in the caboose of the noon 
freight; the passenger trains having a bad 
habit of running in the other direction, and at 
the wrong time of day. The road led up the 
divide, and far in the distance on the west I 
could see, outlined against the sky, the belt of 
timber that marks the course of the Chariton 
River; while directly along the line of the 
road and fringing it on either side were fields 
of corn and Hungarian grass and beautiful 
meadows thickly dotted with hay shocks and 
redolent with the fragrance of the new-mown 
hay. At Queen City, as well as at all other 
towns on this road, there is a good business 
done in railroad ties, bridge timber, piling and 
hoop poles. This is a great advantage to the 
merchants, as the contractors pay very largely 
in store orders. The shipping consists of oats, 
hay, corn, hogs, cattle and sheep. Freights per 
car-load are from §20 to §10 each—distance 
to St. Louis, 218 miles. Oats are shipped for 
§26 per car load, hay lor §20. Last year hog 
cholera visited this section and about depopu¬ 
lated thepig-pous, in many instances the whole 
drove being swept away. In this section no 
remedy has ever been tried that does the least 
good. If any of the reuders of the Rural 
know a remedy that is sure, he should publish 
it for the benefit of the wor ld. 
This year has been the best for corn and 
other grain, that we have had in ten years. 
Everything looks fine, and corn bids fair to 
yield from fifty to sixty bushels to the acre. 
In common seasons, the average is from thirty 
to forty bushels. Hay is always light here, us 
farmers generally have not learned to feed 
their laud. If the manuro that is allowed to 
go to waste, were spread upon (he meadows 
and corn-fields, the crop could bo doubled in 
five years. The yield of hay varies from one- 
half to one ton per acre. A great many farm¬ 
ers depend on wild hay, as a very good quality 
can be cut on the Chariton bottom lands for 
just the labor of securing it. Oats yield from 
forty to fifty bushels to the acre. This year 
the yield of wheat is fine, and I was told that 
Schuyler county raised enough for home con¬ 
sumption. Tu the timber lands there is no 
reason why farmers should not raise their own 
breadstuff's all the time, for the soil is adapted 
to wheat growing and the land well sheltered. 
I was told last fall by an old granger that he 
had failed to get a good wheat crop only twice 
in seventeen years. He would not fail whero 
others would starve, for he had nearly one 
hundred stands of bees, and a beautifully kept 
vineyard of Concord Grapes. 
Last winter was the most severe of any 
known to that wonderful oldest inhabitant, 
who is the oracle of all little one-horse towns. 
The peach trees gave up the ghost without a 
struggle, and everybody that cats peaches this 
summer has to pay two prices for them, and 
depend on Arkansas and California for his 
supply. The 6oil and climate hero seem to 
be especially adapted to fruit-growing. The 
small fruits are finer and better-flavored than 
I ever saw them in New York. The timber 
lands are generally spoken of as “not good for 
much,” but they beat the prairies for fruit aud 
wheat, and in wet seasons they are better for 
corn. 
The great wants of this country are men 
with some capital and a great deal of enter¬ 
prise. The majority of fanners here arc in 
debt. Having Invested every cent for laud, 
they of course had to run in debt for team, 
tools and seed. The failure of crops for a 
year or Iwo brings a mortgage on their land, 
aud their lives are one long struggle to pay 
interest—a grievous load which a lit Lie fore¬ 
thought might have prevented. It does not 
pay in Missouri—or in any other place—to be 
laud-poor. Two or three hundred acres of un- 
fenccd, unimproved land to pay taxes on 
would swump a well-to-do man in five years, 
uuless he sold it. In a former letter, published 
in the Rural of July 26, I made a statement 
in.rcgard to the society here, and also concern¬ 
ing the welcome which Eastern men receive at 
the hands of the average Missourian. On 
looking it over, I fear that it will not convey 
to the mind of the reader (he exact meaning I 
intended to impart, so I will agaiu touch upon 
the same point. Ton years ago (he political 
differences between the North and the South 
were much more pronounced than now. The 
ill-feeling between the two has gradually been 
growing less, until in this section there is but 
little to choose between the two parties, and 
the balance quite frequently is in favor of the 
Southerner. The more advanced ideas, and 
better—because quicker and cheaper— methods 
of farm work practiced by the Yankees—and 
everything east of the Mississippi is Yankee to 
a Missourian are copied by His neighbors, 
and very many of the Yankees copy the Mis¬ 
sourians. When both parties have sense 
enough to bo generous towards the pet notions 
of the other, and eschew political differences, 
they each prove to be a benefit to the other. 
A great deal of trouble is occasioned by those 
hot-lieads who esteem it their bonndou duty to 
couvert all their neighbors to their own way 
of thinking. These malcontents are not con- 
flued to one political party, but belong to all 
parties, and not infrequently to no party. I 
do not wish to be understood that an Eastern 
man cannot bring his family here and live in 
security and enjoyment; but unless be has 
the good sense to hold his tongue, the chances 
are that he will learu what kind of steel the 
Missourian is made of. 
Missouri is by no means a wilderness. If 
you will examine your United States histories 
you will find that Missouri became a State in 
the year 1821. it is inhabited by people whose 
opinions are already formed. It is already 
well up in the arte aud sciences, In horticul¬ 
ture aud agriculture. It boasts of three Nor¬ 
mal schools, an agricultural college and a 
whole mountain of iron. This being the case, 
it is the bight of folly, to say the least, for a 
man to come to this State with the expressed 
purpose of “setting up his household gods,” 
and at the same time setting himself in violent 
antagonism to his surroundings. If you feel 
that you cannot live here on good terms with 
those you differ from in opinion, the best thing 
for you to do will be to stay where you are, 
for you are the man I meant in my first letter. 
If you are a farmer, discuss corn, wheat, 
plows, sulky rakes, two-horse cultivators, 
rotation of crops and the best plan for running 
farm operations generally. If you are a stock 
breeder, talk Devons, Short-horns, Alderneys 
aud Jerseys. If you are a dairyman, converse 
with your neighbors about the profits of butter 
and cheese. In short, no matter what your 
calliug, attend to your own business, save 
your manure, and read the Rural and five or 
six other papers or magazines, aud you will be 
certain to succeed, and will never regret the 
discipline that helped you to gain a compe¬ 
tency. Bessie Victor. 
Sublette, Adair Co., Mo. 
-- 
RURAL SPECIAL REPORTS. 
Mass., North Leverett, Franklin Co., Aug. 
18.—My corn looks very thrifty but I fear it 
will not get out of the way of the fro6t next 
fall. I cau count Beven ears on some stalks ; 
some are just 6ilking out; other ears are just 
coming in sight. My tomatoes look well, but 
the frost lust spring put them so far back that 
there are no ripe ones yet. The frost hurt my 
Pearl Millet very badly also, but some of it is 
beginning to grow now and looks pretty well. 
My potatoes look well, the vines are dead. I 
have uot dug any of them, but I think that 
they will yield well. Potatoes generally are 
a good crop about here, of good size aud 
mealy. c. o. 
New York, Burtonvillc, Montgomery Co., 
Aug. 15.—I planted my Blount’s corn on the 
19th of May, on soil that I had raised a heavy 
crop of winter wheat on the previous year. 
No commercial manures were used, and the 
corn stands to-day ten feet high, on an aver¬ 
age, and is throwing out from five to eight 
cars to the ftalk ; and about two-thirds of the 
stalks have thrown out from one to four shoots 
that stand nearly as high as the parent stalk 
and also have ears. J planted my corn ono 
seed to the hill, making 128 hills, as 1 received 
that number of kernels. Of these, 199 came 
up aud commenced growing as if they raeaut 
business. It is certainly a curiosity to look at, 
as it stands to-day. It has thrown out roots 
from the first joint, six inches above the level 
of the ground, as large as a pipe-stem, which 
run down at right-angles and penetrate the 
soil, as 1 suppose nature intended it should, to 
support the heavy weight of ears and stalk. 
The corn is quite an attraction to my neigh¬ 
bors who come quite a distance to sec it. One 
day last week one of the neighbors called to 
see me, and found me in tbe corn at work. As 
he came up on the opposite side of the patch, 
he yelled: 
“ Hello! where are you ?” 
“Here,” I replied. 
“Well,” said he, “this beats all the corn I 
ever saw! No wonder though, as I have seen 
yoti in hero every morning at work,” 
The facts are that I did visit it every morn¬ 
ing at first to watch the cnt-worms, but in 
spite of my vigilance they destroyed one hill. 
I think, however, that I stand a pretty good 
chance to get one of the prizes, unless an early 
frost should interfere with the prospects. 
The Defiance wheat the Rural sent me, was 
sowed late, but is looking well; the Pearl Mil¬ 
let, on the contrary, was a complete failure. 
The crops iu this section are pretty fair this 
year, and there will be about an average 
yield. n. b. o. 
N. Y., Mountaiuville, Orange Co., Aug. 9.— 
The Beauty of Hebron potatoes are a success. 
There were 28 eyes on the pair I got. I cut 
21 sets and nil brought nice tubers which T dug 
up and put in the cellar three weeks since, 
and turnips are now growing where they grew. 
I did not treat them hotter than the others in 
the garden, which were Early Rose, aud the 
Beauties are fully as fine—which is saying a 
good deal, lor mine is a magnificent crop. The 
Early Rose were planted iu April—the first 
week- the Beauties we set iu a box and brought 
into the house at night or covered it over with 
a carpet; they were up and transplanted just 
as the others were up, so that it was a pretty 
equal start. 1 have just commenced digging 
up the Early Rose, 6o that there is about two 
week’s difference as regards being early, but 
iu other respects equality exists. I have an 
eighth of an aci e.and judging from the few rows 
got up to day, which, as stated, are very fine 
there will be 50 bushels—iu fact there were 
51 short rows and I have had over a bushel per 
row. I forgot to say I had nearly three pecks 
of the Beauty of nebron, level measure, and 
just over half a bushel heaping measure, g.g. 
N. Y., North Germantown, Columbia Co., 
Aug. 16.—Wo arc having a splendid rain to¬ 
day—the first iu four weeks. Everything be¬ 
gan to show the effects of the drought except 
Grapes, which promise a full crop. Pium 
trees are looking bad. being covered with black 
knots, and now the leaves are falling off and 
exposing the fruit. Pears aro a full crop, hut 
some orchards are being ruined by the blight. 
My neighbors all express surprise at my 
Blount’s corn, as It is the tallest und best-eared 
they ever saw. In bight it ranges from ten lo 
fourteen feet seven inches, with from three to 
six cars to each stalk. g. e. l. 
N. Y., Johnson's Creek, Niagara Co., Aug. 
18. —I have dug toy Beauty of Hebron pota¬ 
toes, aud find 30 potatoes weighing five pounds 
and three-quarters, being the proceeds of the 
potato the Rural sent me last spring. The 
seed potato weighed 1 i ounce. Prospects aro 
good for a large crop of peaches aud an aver¬ 
age crop of apples. Grain crops, except bar¬ 
ley, are good. Blount's corn is 12 feet high 
aud still growing. G. n. 
N. Y., Wc6t Fort Ann, Washington Co., Aug. 
19. —My Blount's corn looks good. Defiance 
wheat is a failure. Three seeds of the melons 
grew. I have nine nice melons and some small 
ones. o. f. b. 
N. J., Harbourton, Mercer Co., Aug. 19.—We 
have just had three days and nights of heavy 
rain. The ground seldom gets 60 full of water 
as it is now. Oats are a good crop, and have 
been harvested with little expense, as the 
growth did uot get lodged. Early potatoes are 
a light yield, being few in the ground, on ac¬ 
count of dry weather Corn promises a very 
heavy yield. My Blount corn is about 14 feet 
long and of no bight, as it all lies flat on the 
ground this morning. I can’tgcttho premiums 
this year. Fruits of all kinds, except pears 
and grapes, are scarce. Prices of grain are 
low: wheat, §1.10 per bushel; oats, 30 cents; 
corn, 50 cents; butler, 10 cents per pound. 
J. B. 
Pa., Lineville Station, Crawford Co.. Aug 
18.—Harvesting is nearly through aud farm¬ 
ers are now preparing to sow wheat. Crops 
have suffered considerably from the drought, 
but recent showers have revived them, so that 
they are looking well at present. We are 
having very cool weather especially at nights. 
I planted Blount's Prolific on May 29. It is 
tubselcd aud siiked out, and stands from eight 
to eleven feet high. Beaut}* of Jlebron has 
been ripe some time. 1 have dug one hill aud 
planted for a second crop, but it lias not come 
up yet. The Voorhis watermelon is doing 
finely. The vines have melons ou them 
nearly as big as a peck measure. s. u. r 
Pa., Derry Church, Dauphin Co., Aug. 14. 
1879.—Wo have had a very dry Bummer. There 
has been no rain of any account since before 
haymaking. Corn needs rain badly. I have 
just come out of my Blount’s corn patch; it 
looks fine. I had no stick with which I could 
reach the top of most of the stalks, but I judge 
most of them are 12 feet or thereabouts, high. 
It is nearly all in tassel, and most of it shows 
four, five aud six cars, while a few plants 
have seven aud eight, it only needs rain to 
make it yield “amazingly.” The Beauty of 
Hebron potato the Rural sent, I made twenty 
plunts out of, and got a peek measure even 
full of very fine potatoes, all of which I want 
to keep for seed next year. I tested them 
with the Early Rose, and they cqino to per¬ 
fection about two weeks earlier. The 
Pearl Millet is a failure thus far, though I at¬ 
tribute it to the dryness of the season, never¬ 
theless if life is spared, I intend to give it a 
trial next season again. The Acme tomato 
has been earlier than the Hathaway Excel¬ 
sior and Trophy, which I also have. It is not 
so large as either of the others, but for fine 
flavor, smooth, round shape aud fleshiness, I 
prefer it to either. The beets are beautiful, some 
have quite, light leaves while others are very 
dark-crimson. Wheat hereabouts was good; 
oats suffered somewhat on account of drought, 
and corn in general looks well. Wheat sella 
at §1; oats 25c; and corn, 42c. per bushel; 
butter, 10c. per lb; and eggs 10c. per doz; 
potatoes, 75c. per bushel. e. e. b. s. 
Illinois, Balleyville, Ogle Co., Aug 13.— 
The harvest has closed aud thrashing has be¬ 
gun. Wiuter wheat is yielding from 25 to 30 
bushels or more, per acre, but the acreage iu 
this locality was not large. More winter wheat 
will be sown hero this fall than ever before. 
Rye is also a good crop, but the spring wheat 
aud barley arc light, though the quality is 
better than last year. Oats are a fair crop. 
Not enough grain has becu thrashed yet to 
enable us to estimate correctly the general 
average. The spring drought and chinch bugs 
did considerable damage. Tbe experiment of 
sowing salt on wheat-land, near Rochelle, in 
this county, did uot prove as beneficial as it 
did last year. Corn is very promising. Po¬ 
tatoes and vegetables are plentiful but the 
cabbage-worms are injuring tbe cabbages 
greatly. Since harvest has closed the farmers 
have been busy “ cleaning out” their graua- 
ries and corn-cribs, preparatory to filling them 
with their new crops ; so there is a pretty large 
amount of grain being marketed. Good and 
enterprising farmers aro preparing for the 
agricultural fairs. Our State Fair will be held 
at Springfield, Sept. 29 to Oct. 4., S. D. Fisher, 
Sec., Springfield, III ; the Ogle County Fair, 
atOregon, Ill., Sept.9th, 10th, 11th and 12th., 
John T. Gautz, Sec., Oregon, Ill. Attend the 
fairs, and if you have auy thing to exhibit, send 
to the secretaries for premium lists, w. b. d. 
Mich., Matherton, Ionia Co., Aug., 14.— 
I think that my coru will have a flue start for 
next year, for I expect to winter it over in order 
to have it get ripe. It is now from ten to 
twelve feet high and just beginning to set ears. 
Guess I shall have to get some blankets for it. 
J. T. 
Wis., Wiota, Lafayette Co., Augt 11.—The 
Blount's corn sent me by (lie Rural looks 
fine. It is thirteen feet nine iuehes high with 
from four tonine cars tothestalk. The Beauty 
of Hebron potato is splendid. I have dug 
only one hill yet. I think this sort about the 
same as the Early Rose. The Defiance wheat 
didn't do very well—the rust damaged it very 
much. I intend, however, to try it another 
year. l. r. 
Kan., Edgertou, Johnson Co., Aug. 12.—My 
Blount’s corn 6luuds from 12 to 14 feet high, 
with from three to eight cars to the stalk. But 
the most surprising feature of it is that there 
are from three to four stalks from ouo grain, 
each seemingly independent of the others. 
The Beauty of Hebron potatoes are earlier, 
more productive and of better quality than 
Early Rose. Most of my Pearl Millet has 
headed out and 1 believe the seed will ripen 
here. It stands from six to nine font high. 
A. B, D. 
Maryland, Near Easton, Talbot Co., Aug. 
15tb.—I am farming lands lying on and adja¬ 
cent to salt water, in fact almost every field 
abuts ou some cove or creek. These being 
navigable, we deliver our grain ou schooners, 
and iu return they land for us lime or other farm 
needs. These quiet bays whose shores are 
fringed with Pines aud Cedars, and the promin¬ 
ent points improved with modern residences, 
resemble lake scenery. The wheat filled finely, 
and the harvest was a good one. Yields of 40 
bushels per acre were not uncommon. The 
“ writer ” cut 70 acres, yielding 2,100 bushels 
of grain of the finest quality. The corn crop 
made a fair growth during the drought, but 
near its close began to suffer, as it was in silk 
and tassel, but our salt air would revive It 
wonderfully at nights. Since the raius a won¬ 
derful improvement has been made; corn has 
revived, and is earing heavily ; pastures have 
sprung up green at once, and everything has 
been refreshed. The plows are busy breaking 
fallow*, which is being done in the finest order. 
The next is our fodder season. As soon as the 
ears are matured Lhe blades arc stripped, cured 
aud shocked, aud then stored in the barn, 
making an abundance of fine horse feed. The 
tops are next cut, tied iu bridles and shocked, 
and when cured, stacked. The stalks w'itkthe 
cars are carted off, or carri id into rows and 
set up, the ground flushed, rolled, and wheat 
drilled in, using some fertilizer through the 
drill. We aim to manure all coru laud at the rate 
of 75 cart-loads per acre in spring. Manures 
are made by hauling Into yards, muck, soil from 
woods aud feuce rows, ditch banks, etc., aud 
by backing up two furrows through depressions, 
and hauling out the excavated soil, which gives 
drainage. A compost heap near the baclibqild** 
