F40 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY. 
CONDUCTED BY 
ELBERT S. CARMAN. 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
78 Duane Street, New York City. 
SATURDAY, NOV. 15, 1879. 
SPECIAL NOTICE. 
Those who are interested in extending the 
circulation of this journal for 1880 are solicited 
to send for specimen copies, premium lists and 
posters—any or all—which will he forwarded 
promptly without charge. It is our wish and 
intention to make the Rural New-Yorker for 
the coming year more attractive, more valu¬ 
able than ever before, whether its circulation 
be increased or remain at its present number. 
We ask of our present subscribers that, for 
the benefit of agriculture and horticulture, 
they will state to their friends, at fitting times, 
the estimation in which they hold this journal, 
whether such estimation be one of approbation 
or disapproval. It is a plain duty that rests 
upon us all to encourage that which seems 
worthy of success; and the duty is equally 
plain that we should not countenance any pub¬ 
lic enterprise which does not strive to promote 
the welfare of the public it professes to serve. 
The art and science of agriculture and horti¬ 
culture have assumed in our country an en¬ 
grossing magnitude far beyond anything we 
could have dreamed of a few years ago; and 
among our most urgent needs are represent¬ 
ative journals that, original, conscientious and 
independent, shall forcibly construe and ad¬ 
vance the interests involved. 
EXTRAVAGANCE 1 
There is probably no word more often 
need without a distinct idea of its meaning 
in the mind of the user, than extrava¬ 
gance. When Mrs. Jones says Mrs. 
Smith dresses extravagantly, it is doubtful 
if she could explain, even to her own satis¬ 
faction, just what she means, and as the 
word is used in common conversation, it 
conveys no definite idea further than that 
the person to whom it is applied, has not 
the commendation of the one using it. 
If we turn to the dictionary for a solution 
of the question, we find it may be synon¬ 
ymous with wasteful or unreasonable, or 
it may only mean profuse. 
Then again, what might be considered 
extravagant, expenditure for one, would be 
only a judicious investment when made 
by another. In ante helium timeB, the 
writer heard an old, white-headed planter 
in Carolina, remark of a young neighbor 
who had been compelled to sell a slave to 
raise money;—“I alters knew he would 
come to nothin’. Extravagant dog ! Eat¬ 
ing boughten flour and wearing store 
clothes!” For the rest of the community 
com bread was the standard and home- 
spun served to clothe rich and poor alike. 
These were all that were considered need¬ 
ful, and anything more than these was 
extravagant. We knew one good old 
lady in a county town, who remarked 
upon the extravagance of the minister’s 
wife, because she had a pair of new kid 
gloves every year. 
It would-be very difficult to draw a line 
just beyond which extravagance lies. 
Much depends on one’s condition, habits, 
means and surroundings. Shall one 
with a limited income, who denies him¬ 
self, it may be, some of the more expen¬ 
sive and unnecessary, although veiy com¬ 
mon articles of food, for the purpose of 
being able to indulge his taste for some 
fine book or picture, thus gratify his 
intellectual or aesthetic taste without de¬ 
serving the epithet Or shall a lady who 
chooses to have less ribbons and laces, 
and applies the money thus saved, to the 
ornamentation of garden or lawn be con¬ 
sidered by society as extravagant V 
We labor, and hope to receive a reward 
for it. It seems only proper that one 
should use that which is his as best 
pleases him, provided always no harm is 
done to others ; but society must be con¬ 
sidered and Mrs. Grundy conciliated. 
We can, and do often, to our own dis¬ 
comfort and displeasure, refrain from 
doing things we would like to do, and in 
the doing of which there would be no 
wrong, rather than act against public 
opinion, or in ways that would be objec¬ 
tionable to our friends. 
If one spends beyond his income, as he 
may perhaps and still spend but little, 
while his expenditures might not by a 
majority of people be called extravagant, 
they certainly would be injudicious, for 
they would be leading him into debt. On 
the other hand, one may spend less than 
his moderate income, and be open to the 
same charge. How to adapt our expenses 
so as to harmonize at once with our needs, 
our wants and our receipts, is a puzzling 
problem. Some bave a faculty for really 
getting mere for a dollar than others— 
more things of real use, we mean. Given 
two families with the same numbers and 
the same income, and we often see the 
one with apparent abundance ; while the 
other is always in straightened circum¬ 
stances. This comes from knowing how 
to spend money to the best advantage. 
But we bave not yet an answer to the 
question :—What is extravagance ? Does 
one spend money unnecessarily for the 
mere gratification of pride ? That is fool¬ 
ishness, Is one’s expense account high 
because he takes no care of the things he 
has, and from this want of care is obliged 
to renew them often ? That is negligence. 
Does one buy an article at a price, when 
another for less money and a little planning 
could lie made to answer the same pur¬ 
pose ? This is want of frugality. Is the 
table set with a multitude of dishes, in¬ 
cluding fruits and vegetables out of sea¬ 
son and therefore expensive? That is 
foolish gratification of the palate, and 
often to the injury of the stomach as well 
as the purse. Does oue housewife by her 
attention and skill, provide her table as 
well as, and at less cost than, another ? 
That is economy. Does one consider 
what is necessary, and in procuring only 
that, save from a slender salary means to 
accumulate against a ‘ ‘ rainy day” ? That 
is prudence. Is one with an income 
beyond his greatest needs extravagant 
if he rides when others, not so rich in 
worldly goods, walk, or if he dresses in 
fine clothes while they are clad in home¬ 
spun ? He is gratifying his desires and 
spends for the purpose ouly the money 
he might otherwise have laid aside to be 
spent, perhaps, by his heirs in riotous 
living, or divided among lawyers in a con¬ 
test over his will. When one pays large 
prices for pictures or statuary without 
materially depleting his purse, buys fine 
horses or cattle which, although done for 
his own gratification, may be, and usually 
are, the means of improving the stock of 
all in his neighborhood; when one builds a 
house large, commodious, convenient and 
beautiful, and pays for it with money 
fairly earned, leaving enough to amply 
supply all his other wants, these expenses 
may be profuse aud lavish, but because 
they are so, are they necessarily to be 
condemned ? 
When one spends money in a greater 
degree and for other purposes than is 
generally done by the people by whom he 
is surrounded, who are in the same pecu¬ 
niary circumstances, he is, in their 
opinion, extravagant, and that is about all 
the word means. 
THE FARMERS’ BONANZA. 
Profits made by one class in a country 
from other classes, however much they 
may enrich the fortunate class, add not a 
dollar to the wealth of the nation—so far 
as that is concerned, it is like a person 
changing money from one pocket to 
another. What is gained by exporting 
goods to foreign countries, however, in¬ 
creases not only the wealth of the export¬ 
ing class, but also of their country at 
large. During the current year our 
farmers have been eminently successful 
in enriching themselves both from tlieir 
fellow citizens and from other nations, 
and from the latter source they have 
added so many hundred millions to the 
aggregate wealth of the country that all 
other classes can well afford to contribute 
to the well-being of that which, more 
than all others combined, has been the 
means of restoring activity to our work¬ 
shops, liveliness to all kinds of business 
and prosperity to the land. 
Excellent as was the agricultural out¬ 
look early in the season, it haB been con¬ 
stantly improving since then. A careful 
review of foreign and domestic crops, from 
the best attainable sources of information, 
enabled us from the first to prophesy an 
advance in price of grain, and to suggest 
to our friends the advisability of holding 
back their crops for higher figures than 
those that were then offered ; but we 
hardly hoped that the advance would 
have been so great as it has proved. 
Taking as a standard the Chicago mar¬ 
ket, both as a central point and as 
the largest in the country, we find 
that in the middle of last August, winter 
wheat was selling at 90c to 93c ; No. 2 
Bpring wheat for 85c; corn for 33 |c; and 
oats for 23}e to 24c. At these prices far¬ 
mers made a fail- profit, nor did they ex- 
peet that they would get much higher 
figures for their erops. Whatever, in 
addition to these prices, they have since 
obtained for theBe products, is an unex¬ 
pected addition to their wealth.. Last 
week, -winter wheat was selling there for 
$1.25 to $1.27, an advance of 38 per cent 
over the price in the middle of August.; 
No. 2 spring was quoted at $1.18, a rise 
of 38 per cent; corn brought 47c, a rise 
of 40 per cent.; while oats were 32ic, a 
rise of 45 per cent Quotations in the 
other large grain markets show a relative 
advance, and it may be fairly held that, 
as compared with the figures in August 
last, at all points in the country, the 
prices at present have risen in the same 
proportion. 
Of course, a good deal of the erops was 
marketed before the advance began, and 
a good deal also during the course of 
the upward movement; but, taking into 
account the known receipts of grain at 
different centers, and the fact that farmers 
have this year been less precipitate than 
usual in rushing their harvests to mar¬ 
ket, it is not unfair to estimate that, as a 
body, they have got. 20 per cent more for 
their cereals than the prices offered at the 
middle of August. From the estimated 
crops of the Northwest alone this would 
make a total sum of close upon $100,- 
000,000 for the farmers of that section— 
an enormous aggregate that must be near¬ 
ly tripled for the farmers of the country 
at large. Morever, the advance has not 
been confined solely to cereals—butter and 
cheese as well as hogs, have also shared 
in it, and, more or less, nearly every pro¬ 
duct of the farm. 
In view of the fact that, as a class, far¬ 
mers would hardly have grumbled at 
the prices offered for their products a 
couple of months ago, they should now 
rejoice and be thankful at the unexpected 
bonanza they have since stricken in 
the shape of the hundreds of mil¬ 
lions they have gained from the late 
advance in the prices of their wares. Of 
course, the proportion of the prize pock¬ 
eted by each, must be comparatively 
small; but. even this will, in most cases, 
be individually very satisfactory, and, 
moreover, each can cordially rejoice in 
the good fortune of his neighbors. 
PREPARE FOR THE CENSUS. 
Accurate statistical information with 
regard to the agriculture of this country 
is of prime importance not to our own 
farmers and citizens alone, but to the 
world at large. Recognizing this fact, 
Congress by an Act, approved March 3, 
1879, provided that the next census 
should be completed within the month of 
June, 1880. By this provision it is ex- 
peoted to avoid most of the errors in 
former agricultural reports, due to the 
faet that many of the products returned 
embraced those of two different crops. 
As the next enumeration will be completed 
between June 1st. and the 30th inclu¬ 
sive, nearly all the crops harvested one 
year can be pretty accurately ascer¬ 
tained. Those for the calendar year 
1879 will include the cereals, peas, beans, 
rice, tobacco, cotton, potatoes, fruits of 
all kinds, hay, clover, grass seed, hemp, 
flax, honey, sugar-caue, sorghum, and, in 
short, everything harvested this fall. The 
crops of the calendar year 1880 will be 
few, embracing maple siigar and molasses, 
and wool clipped chiefly in spring, ex¬ 
cept in Southern California, Texas and 
some of the other Southern States where 
two clippings a year are obtained. For 
certain agricultural products there is no 
regular harvest, for they are gathered 
as they mature, week by week, and day 
by day. These comprise butter, cheese, 
milk sold, value of animals slaughtered, 
yield of market gardens, timber of all 
kinds, and home manufactures. 
It is extremely desirable that the re¬ 
turns on all these topics should be full 
and accurate, and this end can be best 
secured by the hearty and intelligent co¬ 
operation of our farmers. Accordingly, 
Francis A, Walker, Superintendent of 
the Census, strongly recommends them 
to make notes, from time to time, of the 
quantities aud values of the several crops 
gathered ; of the number of aoreB planted 
to each, and of all other particulars that 
will enable them to make prompt, full 
and accurate returns when the census 
canvassers call upon them next June. 
ANOTHER CHECK ON OUR LIVE STOCK 
TRADE. 
Last Thursday’s cablegram announced 
that the English Privy Council had just 
issued orders that after the fourth of next 
month live sheep imported into Great 
Britain from this country must be sub¬ 
jected to the same regulations as imported 
live cattle. They must therefore be killed 
at the port of debarkation, and for this 
purpose increased accommodation must 
be constructed, while the piofits of the 
trade will be lessened, and consequently 
the price paid for sheep by the exporters 
to our farmers. The cause assigned for 
this additional restriction on our live 
stock trade is that among the numerous 
shipments of American sheep, a few cases 
of scab had been discovered on several 
occasions. 
A few months ago we called attention 
to the fact that the Government veteri¬ 
narians who inspect at Liverpool the live 
stock landed from this country, had de¬ 
clared that sheep infected with this high¬ 
ly contagious disease, were among those 
landed from several vessels, and at the 
same time we insisted on the urgent ne¬ 
cessity that existed for the appointment 
of skilled, veterinarians as examiners of 
stock at the ports of Portland, Boston, 
New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore, 
whence this branch of trade is carried on, 
for the purpose of guarding against the 
exportation of what., if persisted in, 
must certainly, ere 1 ong, close this im¬ 
portant outlet for a growing branch of 
agricultural industry. Abont the same 
time Gen. Le Due appeared before the 
Senate Committee on Agriculture, and 
among other measures urged this one 
also. The matter has been grossly neg¬ 
lected, however, and as a consequence, 
the sheep husbandry of the country has 
received as severe a check as Adminis¬ 
trative dilatoriness and Congressional 
neglect could inflict upon it. 
From England’s action with regard to 
the importation of live cattle from this 
country, it could be readily inferred that 
the Government merely wanted a plaus¬ 
ible pretext for putting an embargo on 
other branches of our live stock 
trade also, and the strictest precautions 
should have been taken here to prevent 
the exportation of any animals not 
thoroughly sound and in good condition, 
lest disease should become developed or 
generated through the hardships of the 
voyage. Politicians, however, have been 
appointed examining officers, instead of 
skilled veterinarians—and a promising 
branch of agricultural industry conse¬ 
quently suffers a serious check. 
■ 
BREVITIES. 
A photograph (card) is received of a basket 
of splendid tomatoes, without name or address 
of sender. 
If you want to turn a toikl Strawberry into a 
Wilder , give it lots of potash, no soda, plenty 
of magnesia. 
‘'Rochester, N. H., is excited over matters 
growing out of their late fair. . . On Sunday 
before the fair, the trotting men trained their 
horses all day.” 
Late English journals tell us that the pre¬ 
sent advance in graiu, etc., is due to “des¬ 
perate speculation on ttn other 6ide of the 
Atlantic. ’ Say rather to desperate need of 
food on the European side. 
Onward.— Mr. Ott, ol Aiken, S. <J., sends us 
some tea of his own raising. The leaves were 
dried without manipulation. The quality we 
thought about the same as that of “ Euglish 
Breakfast” that sells for 75 ets per pound. 
Thf, papers are now printing a good deal 
about Teosinte (Reanaluxurlaus) as a new fod¬ 
der plaut. Readers will bear in mind we tested 
this at the Rural Grounds over a year ago, and 
found that it needs a warmer climate than 
ours. 
Referring to the decay of our Central Park, 
Mr. Meehan says that he will not join in the 
crusade against the politicians who control it, 
but blame the respectable citizens of New 
York by whose apathy the politicians get such 
control—which is, uo doubt, the proper view 
to take of the matter. 
If it pays to purchase eostly agricultural im¬ 
plements, it certainly pays to take care of them, 
now that they are to be laid by for a six 
months. The time to care for all farm tools is 
now. Put them in complete order that they 
may be ready for use when needed in the 
spr'iug, and time presses. This is trite advice, 
readers, but we all stand iu need of it. 
The following note from a friend explains 
itself: “ Several of our correspondents agree 
with Mr. Lovett, in Rural of Oct. 25th, as to 
the identity of the Cuthbert and Queen of the 
Market Raspberries. Did the public ever 
hear anything of the Queeu of the Market 
before it waB advertised for sale? Where, 
when, and by whom did it originate ? Who 
christened it? Who knows? Is it not about 
time some one arose to explain ? 
Rural Reader.” 
We hope our nurserymen and, indeed, our 
readers interested in such matters, will try 
budding and grafting different varieties of 
Pears upon the Japau Quince. Mr. W, C. 
Strong has so budded 10,000, using seedling 
Japan quince stocks. He has lound that the 
average growth of cions Is greater than that 
of Pears upon the common Quince. There are 
but half a dozen kinds that do well upon the 
common Quince. Perhaps the employment of 
the ornamental Quince for stocks, may in¬ 
crease this number. 
We learn from our respected friend aud con¬ 
tributor, Mrs. Annie L. Jack, of the Province 
of Quebec, that among Apples they prize Far- 
meuse first; Red Astrachan, second; St. Law¬ 
rence, third; Alexander, fourth; Tetofsky, 
Duchess of Oldenburg aud I’ewaukle, fifth. 
Among Pears, Flemish Beauty does well. The 
Flurtford Prolific Grape is often mildewed ; 
Concord, never. Eumelan does well, is gen¬ 
erally loaded with fruit aud free from mildew. 
The Delaware al 60 does well. Ail require pro¬ 
tection during the cold season. Among Straw¬ 
berries, the Wilson and Charles Downing do 
best. Seth Boydeu has been discarded. Cap. 
Jack, Jucunda and Golden Defiance, have done 
well the past summer. 
