FE 8 
THIS 
RURAL NLW'YORKLR, 
A National Journal for Country and Suburban Ho.:u 
Conducted by 
E. s. CARMAN, 
J. S. WOODWARD, 
Editor. 
Associate. 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
No. St Park P.ow, New York. 
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1886. 
If the number on your address label is 
1880, your subscription expires with this 
number; if 1881, next week; 1882, in two 
weeks, etc. 
■ . ♦ 
How far north is the Japan Chestnut 
hardy? We would feel obliged if nursery¬ 
men or any of our readers who are growing 
this tree would answer. How much hard¬ 
ier is it than the Spanish Chestnut? 
of the Texans as destructive to the other 
herds along their route. The land-grab¬ 
bers of New Mexico strenuously resent 
any outside encroachment on their stolen 
domain. There is also a multitude of other 
grounds of contention between the lords 
of the various State ranges. Even within 
the several States and Territories there is 
a great deal of squabbling between differ¬ 
ent interests. In Texas, for instance, the 
stockmen from the south are a unit against 
“free grass, 1 ’and generally are squarely 
opposed to their brethren of the Pan-handle 
on the question of Spanish or Texan fever. 
They also insist that grazing lands are 
worth from 16c. to 20c. an acre annually, 
whereas the Pan-handle men contend that 
half that amount is an exorbitant rental. 
There are also rancorous differences on 
the quarantine and several other local 
questions; besides the never-ending war 
with the sheep men, etc. Truly, the 
possessor of cattle on a “thousand hills” 
is not always happy, unless, perchance, he 
finds happiness in constant contention. 
PRIZES. 
Subscribers of the Rural need never take 
the trouble to write us to “stop” the paper. 
It is invariably discontinued at the expir¬ 
ation of the subscript ion term, except by 
oversight , in which case it is our loss. 
A neighboring farmer has had an 
Evergreen Blackberry growing beside his 
kitchen (looking east) for six years. The 
canes make a strong growth from the root 
every season, hut are always killed back 
during the Winter. The leaves are still 
(Jan. 28) green. It has never borne fruit. 
We have received very many letters re¬ 
garding what is known as the Evergreen 
Blackberry since our statements,made from 
time to time, that it. is simply a variety of 
the European species Rubus fruticosus, and 
valuable chiefly as an ornamental vine or 
curiosity. But it seems there are varieties 
and varieties. During the past season, we 
have received fruit from the Far West, 
that, was of very good quality, while the 
vines were absolutely loaded. Our illus¬ 
trations, which have been prepared with 
great care, and the articles accompanying 
them should therefore excite some in¬ 
terest. 
FORFEITURE OF UNEARNED RAIL¬ 
ROAD GRANTS. 
As long ago as August, 1856 and March, 
1857, large land grants were made to Ala¬ 
bama, Louisiana and Mississippi, for the 
construction of various railroads, none, of 
which have been built; yet, during- all 
these long years, the land has been with¬ 
held from settlement. A bill is now be¬ 
fore the Lower House of Congress for the 
forfeiture of all unearned land grants in 
those States, and from the tone of the dis¬ 
cussion, it is evident that a large majority 
of both parties are determined to vote for 
all bills forfeiting these and similar grants. 
The grants to the Southern Pacific Rail¬ 
road and all the unearned parts of the ex¬ 
travagant grants to other roads, are also 
likely to he declared forfeited. All these 
lands, amounting in the aggregate to over 
100,000,000 acres, should be at once re¬ 
stored to the public domain for entry 
under the Homestead Law's. It is a burn¬ 
ing shame that, while multitudes of poor 
settlers have for years been hunting for 
favorable locations for homesteads, these 
lands—some of them excellent for agricul¬ 
tural purposes—should have been held so 
long at the disposal of a handful of wealthy 
speculators. Instead of being the happy 
homes of numerous families, and contrib¬ 
uting to the wealth of the nation and the 
income of the Government, they have lain 
waste, or been a stimulus to the idleness 
and thriftlessuess of the squatter and the 
vagabond. 
SQUABBLES OF STOCKMEN. 
In spite of the late amalgamation of 
the two great live-stock associations— 
those of Chicago aud 8t. Louis—the cuttle 
baron, king, syndicate and corporation 
family doesn’t appear altogether happy. 
The members own millions upon millions 
of beef-covered beasts in Summer, aud of 
hide-clad skeletons in Winter, but there’s 
a world of bickering and contention in the 
family circle. Those of Wyoming and 
Montana are tolerant of cheap Texan Stock¬ 
ers and feeders, because by filling out the 
gaunt creatures on their ample ranges, 
they can make an excellent profit, while 
the danger from Texas fever is trifling 
when the beasts have reached those north¬ 
ern latitudes. The stockmen of Nebraska, 
Kansas, Arkansas and Colorado, on the 
other hand, bitterly oppose the admission 
TEN DOLLARS 
for the largest Bird Cantaloupe from the 
Seed of the Rural’s present Free Seed 
Distribution. 
TEN DOLLARS 
for the largest Watermelon. 
TEN DOLLARS 
for the longest ear of the Angel of Mid¬ 
night Corn containing the greatest num¬ 
ber of kernels. 
TEN DOLLARS 
for 10 of the heaviest pods from the Alas¬ 
ka Pea. 
The Prizes will be awarded October 1st, 
1886. All competitors will be required 
to advise us as to the weight or size of 
their peas, melon, or corn by postal card. 
Those who take the prizes will then be 
required to send the peas, corn, or melons 
by express at the Rural’s expense. 
-»♦» 
AWAY WITH ALIEN LANDLORDISM! 
In what other nation in the entire civil¬ 
ized world are aliens, who have no inten¬ 
tion of settling in the country, permitted 
to become the possessors of large tracts of 
real estate? Here this evil has become so 
flagrant and its results so intolerable that 
prompt Congressional legislation, putting 
an end to the practice, is urgently demand¬ 
ed. Not only have foreigners bought vast 
areas of the public domain at merely nomi¬ 
nal figures, and either leased or used them as 
cattle ranges, or held them until, owing to 
the rapid rise in the price of land, they 
could sell them at an enormous profit ; but 
they have also illegally seized large tracts 
of the public land, fenced them in, aud 
in the grossest way oppressed and abused 
our own native and naturalized citizens 
who sought homes there in accordance 
with the law of the land. 
There is another class of alien land 
owners about whom the public knows 
little or nothing, but who cause a world 
of misery and degradation. These are 
the alien absentee landlords who own large 
estates in this country, and, in order to 
get money to hoard or squander abroad, 
grind the faces or their American tenants, 
and introduce into this free country the 
worst, features of the cruel landlordism 
that has for centuries cursed shackled 
Ireland. William Scully, of Celtic birth 
but now a resident of London, is an in¬ 
stance of this abhorrent species. As an 
Irish landlord, his career was so disgraced 
by oppression and extortion, that it was 
appropriately finished by an encounter 
with his tenants. He was tried but. 
acquitted of double murder, but was so 
execrated that he sold his Irish property 
in 1865, and since then has been building 
up in Illinois, Kansas and Nebraska the 
system of landlordism, which even Irish 
peasants, accustomed for centuries to op¬ 
pression, could not endure. For 50 cents 
an acre, he bought land warrants issued to 
the soldiers of the Mexican war, and in 
this and like ways, acquired large tracts 
of laud in the above and other States. In 
Logan County, Illinois, alone, he has 40,- 
000 to 45,000 acres, and his rule over his 
250 tenants there lias, we are assured by 
the Chicago Tribune, “reduced their 
families to a condition approaching serf¬ 
dom. ” The long account given by that 
paper of Scully’s system of landlordism in 
Illinois shows a heartless cruelty, a pitiless 
oppression equal to anything we have ever 
heard of or seen in Ireland. 
Congress, before the close of the present 
session, should pass laws providing not 
only against the prevalence, but even 
against the possibility of such abuses. We 
want neither alien land-grabbers, alien 
landlords, nor, above all, Irish landlord 
ism in this country. Away with every 
vestige of them! 
SLUG-SHOT. 
Mr. Bem.tamin Hammond, the proprietor 
of Slug-Shot, writes us as follows: 
“A copy of your paper, dated January 2.3, 
1886, is received, aud comments on ‘Hammond’s 
Slug-Shot’noted. As the substantial formula 
of ‘Slug-Shot’ has not been kept, a secret, and 
the statement, made by me is correct, I extend 
you and all persons interested, an invitation to 
visit my factory, and go through my works, 
from cellar to garret, and investigate and 
publish the report as fully as you choose.” 
On page 322 of the 1884 report of the 
N. . Experiment Station, is the follow¬ 
ing statement: 
“The indications are that Hammond’s Slug- 
Shot is neither more nor less than London- 
purple mixed with a very large proportion of 
gas or slaked lime.” 
The qualitative tests of lime and arsenic 
are very simple, and it seems reasonable 
to suppose that the Chemist of the Station 
would not have made the above statement 
without having made these, tests. 
If, however, the Chemist, is wrong, it 
will be a very easy matter for Mr. Ham¬ 
mond to prove it—aud that is what he 
should do. Our interest in the matter does 
not go beyond desiring to inform the pub¬ 
lic whether it is oris not an economical and 
safe insecticide. Its efficiency is not 
questioned. A thorough chemical analysis 
of samples procured of retail dealers 
would settle the question at once. 
If, as the Chemist of the N. Y. Station 
intimates, Slug-Shot is composed of Lon- 
don-purple and lime, it certainly is not an 
economical insecticide at the prices 
charged for it. 
Since writing the above, we have re¬ 
ceived a letter from Director Sturtevant, 
who says that the Chemist of the Station 
“did not make the statement" with which 
we credit him, thus removing the respon¬ 
sibility to some other officer of the Station. 
He further refers to a letter sent to us, Jan. 
8th, in which the following passage 
occurred : 
“There is no doubt but what Hammond’s 
Slug-Shot contains arsenic. The test for ar¬ 
senic cannot be mistaken. Whether this arsenic 
is in the form of white arsenic, Paris-green or 
London-purple, I do not know'. . . . The 
mere fact that it contains arsenic is sufficient. 
If Mr. Hammond makes an affidavit that there 
is no arsenic in his preparation, it will then 
be time enough to present evidence.” 
This note from Dr. gturtevant was in 
reply to a printed card from Mr. Ham¬ 
mond, sent to us, which we forwarded to 
the Station. The card was, as we remem¬ 
ber, an affidavit that the Slug-Shot con¬ 
tained neither London-purple nor lime. 
Dr. Sturtevant’s letter reproaches us with 
injustice both to the Station and the Sta¬ 
tion’s Chemist. No injustice was intended, 
and we shall gladly present the case 
fairly as soon as we are shown wherein the 
injustice lies. 
WINTER LOSSES OF STOCK ON THE 
RANGES. 
As usual, there is a great difference of opin¬ 
ion with regard to the extent of the losses of 
live stock, and especially of neat cattle, 
on the great Western ranges thus far dur¬ 
ing the Winter. As yet all reports must 
be based on mere estimates founded on 
the deaths observed within circumscribed 
areas under special conditions. Dead 
cattle have been seen by hundreds along 
the lines of railroads, where they sought 
shelter; by thousands along river banks, 
where their ceaseless drifting before the 
blizzards was checked; by tens of thousands 
beside wire fences, where, huddled to¬ 
gether, they starved and froze to a miserable 
death. No calculation, even approximate¬ 
ly trustworthy, can be made before the 
Spring “round-ups.” Then, too, nearly 
all the business of stock raising on the 
plains and prairies has been concentrated 
in the hands of a comparatively small 
number of cattle kings, foreign syndicates 
and domestic joint-stock companies. The 
days of the small stockmen are over. The 
owners of “bunches” of 100 to 500 head of 
cattle have been either ruined or forced 
to sell, at any figure, by the rapacity, ar¬ 
rogance and tyranny of their wealthier, 
more powerful and wholly unscrupulous 
neighbors. Many of these corporations 
have been formed for the express purpose 
of securing investments from people at a 
distance, either in this country or in 
Europe, and there has often been as much 
misrepresentation, exaggeration and fraud 
in their circulars and prospectuses as in 
those of the most disreputable ‘ ‘wild-cat” 
mines further West. Most of them are 
only too willing to dispose of some of 
their stock at extravagant figures, by 
selling shares at prices based on grossly 
exaggerated accounts of profits. It is to 
the interest of all these to minimize 
the winter losses of stock, so as to pre¬ 
vent any serious depreciation of their 
property in the eyes of prospective in¬ 
vestors. Accordingly, every year, through 
the press and in other venal ways, they 
are accustomed to belittle the losses due 
to their shiftless and cruel mode of stock 
raising and the. severity of a semi-arctic 
Winter on the elevatedXand exposed 
ranges. 
Probably the most disastrous cause of 
loss, however, arises from the introduction 
of wire fences on the ranges. In most 
cases, the use of these was prompted by 
an unscrupulous rapacity which defied 
law and all considerations of fair play. 
Corporations inclosed millions of acres to 
which they had not a shadow of title. 
They drove out hundreds of poor men, 
struggling for a living by a little farming 
and raising a few head of cattle. Often 
they deliberately fenced in wells and 
water-courses to force their weaker neigh¬ 
bors either to sell their stock for a song or 
leave the country. They tore down the 
fences and turned in their herds upon the 
crops of the weaklings. When all other 
means failed, their hirelings’ rifle, pistol 
or bowie got rid of an obnoxious settler, 
in a purposely provoked quarrel, and 
his starving family soon scrimped or 
begged their way to a less brutal region. 
So long as they made large profits, these 
spoliators cared not a whit for the laws of 
God or man. While the wire fences, how¬ 
ever, kept intruders out of the stolen 
ranges, they have also prevented the stock 
from seeking food and shelter in stormy 
weather. On the shelterless plains and 
prairies, cattle never cease drifting before 
a beating storm unless they find the shelter 
of a timber belt, a bluff or a depression. On 
encountering a wire fence, they crowd 
along the line in dense masses, the weak 
and ailing are trampled to death, and their 
stronger comrades soon perish from hun¬ 
ger, thirst and exposure. So great have 
been the losses from this cause, that in 
some sections there has been serious dis¬ 
cussion among stock owners as to an ad- 
visibility of removing the fences. “A 
just retribution!” one is tempted to ex¬ 
claim. But just think of the horrible 
agony of the perishing cattle! The stock 
owners, too, if their losses are great and 
widespread, ran generally recoup most of 
them by throwing them on the consumers, 
by raising the price of cattle on the hoof. 
BREVITIES. 
Music in the farm home! Let us have 
more of it! 
Parsley-leaved is one name for the Ever- 
Greeu Blackberry. 
Yes, “let us be cheerful in our homes.” 
Road Rural “Life Notes.” 
Money sent in letters for subscriptions to 
the Rural New-Yorker is at the sender’s 
risk. Our terms are invariably $2.00 a year 
in advance. 
We have received a number of communica¬ 
tions regarding Meech’s Prolific Quince, which 
we cannot publish. Our space is too valuable 
to be given to ft matter which really'needs no 
further discussion. 
W. L. Ward, of Marshall, Dane Co., Wis., 
writes: “The Enterprise* Meat. Chopper has 
just come to hand. It is the best machine 
1 ever saw for cutting meat, for it truly cuts 
it. The machine is surely a prize.” 
Notices of catalogues are continued this 
week on the following page. Refer to the 
advertising columns for particulars, and men¬ 
tion the R. N. Y, in any correspondence. Such 
mention is advantageous to all parties—the 
correspondent, the advertiser and the Rural. 
Referring to Notes from the Rural 
Grounds of this week, aud to the effectiveness 
of Pyrethrnm powder as an insecticide, it 
may be well to say that we have tried it as a 
remedy, for gapes in chickens. The ‘chicken 
inhaling it died, though possibly too sick to 
recover in any case. 
We are now mailing the Rural’s Films Seed 
Distribution. Plaut the seeds carefully in well- 
prepared, mellow soil. Give them all a good 
chance and let us sec who will raise the largest 
water-melons anil musk-melons; the best plot 
of corn (the name oppresses us); the earnest 
peas, the best assortment of flowers. Try and 
interest the children iu this good work. 
Mr. Thomas describes the Hcricart Pear, 
illustrated ou page 88, ms of'medium size, fine¬ 
grained flesh, buttery, often gritty and slightly 
astringent. He says it is not rich, but pussess- 
or a peculiar aromatic flavor. It. ripens the 
last of September. With regard to the Oilier 
Pacha, he rates the quality as juicy, buttery 
and vinous, aud says it ripens Sept. 1st. The 
size is also medium. 
In our premium list, we were in'error in 
stating that the sets of Filling’s milking tubes 
contained different sizes. The truth is the 
four tubes are all of the same size. The price 
we gave correctly—60 cents each, or $2 for a 
set of four They are just what is needed by 
every man keeping cows, and we shall take 
great pleasure inTsending them as mentioned 
in the premium list. 
