APRIL \1 
THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
A National Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Conducted by 
E. S. CARMAN, 
J. S. WOODWARD, 
Editor. 
Associate. 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
No. St Park Row, New York. 
SATURDAY, APRIL, 17, 1S8G. 
If the number on your address label is 
1890, your subscription expires with this 
number; if 1891, next week; 1892, in two 
weeks, etc. 
Mr. .T. W. Jottnson, of Ontario, Cana¬ 
da, writes that he harvested over 800 
bushels of potatoes last season ou less than 
one acre of land, grown by the Rural’s 
trench-flat-oulture system. “This is more 
than double any previous yield” adds Mr. 
Johnson. The kinds were Pearl of Savoy, 
Clarke’s YNo. 1, White Star and Rural 
Blush. 
We shall not present many pictures in 
our Poultry Special. Portraits of nearly 
all the valuable breeds have been publish¬ 
ed and republished so often that we dare 
say our readers arc familiar with them. 
Our aim is to give, in a condensed 
form, all needed information regarding 
the beet breeds and the best management 
of poultry; to show whether poultry-rais¬ 
ing is profitable; in how far, and under 
what conditions it is profitable. 
We do not intend that our Special 
Poultry Number shall be written iu the 
interests of professional poultry dealers or 
fanciers, or to pull up any breed, incu¬ 
bator, patent contrivance, special foods, 
medicines or anything of the kind. What 
we desire is that it shall help the farmer 
to make poultry keeping more profitable. 
We have always thought that the average 
farmer does not. give to his fowls the 
thought and care that he might give 
advantageously. 
NOTICE. 
All potatoes and living plants to be 
tested, should he sent to River Edge, 
Bergen Co., New Jersey, and not to this 
office. 
When complete chemical fertilizers 
are used without increasing the ci'op, this 
is no proof that the. fertilizers were inef¬ 
fectual. It- is proof that the soil is al¬ 
ready abundantly supplied with plant 
food"—and “enough is as good as a feast.” 
To test the effects of fertilizers, it is bet¬ 
ter to select a poor soil. Our first experi¬ 
ments were made at the Long Island 
Rural Farm years ago. We used every 
kind of fertilizer and every combination 
of them without ever ascertaining that 
one kind was needed more than another, 
or that they were needed at all. The 
reason v no doubt, was that the soil was al¬ 
ready fertile. Upon the New Jersey 
plots, which have been impoverished by 
years of cropping without any adequate 
return of plant food, we cannot raise a 
profitable crop of anything without fer¬ 
tilizers or farm manure, and, so far as we 
can judge, the one answers just as well 
the other._ _ _ 
On Wednesday, Senator Wilson’s bill 
doubling the postage on fourth-class mat¬ 
ter, received a contemptuous kick in its 
original birth-place—the U. S. Senate, 
where the Committee on Post Offices order¬ 
ed an adverse report on it. This kills once 
more what was killed a month ago in the 
House. The “old-fogy” Senate is always 
muchslowerthauthellou.se in respond¬ 
ing to public sentiment on all matters of 
public interest. It is the oligarchical rep¬ 
resentative of the States, not, like the 
House, the democratic representative of 
the people. Its members arc, for the most 
part, either the paid attorneys of railroads, 
national banks, and other wealthy and 
unscrupulous corporations, or the direct 
representatives of such bodies, ormillion- 
aires who owe their seats more to their 
money than to their intellect or popular¬ 
ity. But even such*a body, although only 
indirectly representing the people, could 
not venture to disregard the emphatic 
expression of public disappropntion, even 
in a matter where the interests of corpor¬ 
ations were iu conflict with the interests 
of the people. After all, it is the people 
who still rule in this country whenever 
they leave no doubt as to their wishes in 
matters of legislation. 
Any of our readers may try this exper¬ 
iment without much trouble or expense, 
while it may prove of great service to 
them in ascertaining the effects of 
special fertilizers, or what kinds their soil 
most needs. Take, for example, two rows 
of corn. After the seed is planted and be¬ 
fore it sprouts, sow upon them for any 
distance, say 30 feet (it may be less or 
more as desired), a quantity of wood 
ashes or sulphate or muriate of potash. 
Then, skipping six feet, sow fine raw bone 
flour for the next 30 feet. Again skipping 
six feet, sow upon the next 30 feet both 
of them. Upon a fourth 30 feet, add 
nitrogen to the potash and bone, forming- 
what is known as “a complete fertilizer.” 
This we have done at. the Rural Grounds 
for several years with the result, as pub¬ 
lished, that, the complete fertilizer 
gives us nearly twice as much grain as 
either the bone or potash or both com¬ 
bined. The nitrogen may be iu the form 
of nitrate of soda," sulphate of ammonia 
or blood. We think that any of the lead¬ 
ing fertilizer firms would furnish the in¬ 
gredients in small quantities for such ex¬ 
periments. 
SPECIAL. 
Those who, having applied for the 
Rural’s present seed distribution prior 
to April 6th, have not yet received it, 
will kindly notify us by postal at once. 
--- 
How many farmers ever write to their 
Representative urging him to support or 
oppose, pending legislation? Few we 
fear, yet we think the list could be very 
profitably increased. The common people 
make aud unmake the legislator. It is 
well for the latter to keep this fact in 
mind, ne is selected to execute the will 
of the people. When he gets tired of 
doing this and wants to put his own 
judgment against the wishes of those 
who have made him, it is well to let 
him try to re-elect himself. Never write 
to vou’r Congressman about unimportant 
or trivial matters which he cannot pos¬ 
sibly change or bring about. Find out 
what legislation will be likely to need, 
his vote. If you see anything that is of 
special importance to agriculture, notify 
your “political agent” that you expect 
him to favor it. if he is on the right side 
when the vote is taken, remember him at 
the next election. If he goes against the 
measure, remember him still more care¬ 
fully. Our political system needs clean¬ 
ing." We can all help in the work. Be¬ 
gin with the Representatives. Let them 
understand that they are to stop working 
for themselves when they enter the em¬ 
ployment of the people. A well culti¬ 
vated memory taken to the ballot box a 
few times, will wonderfully help the 
cause of the farmer. 
There are hundreds of workmen in 
our large manufacturing towns,so situated 
that they can do considerable gardening. 
A good mechanic is reasonably sure of a 
permanent job. In Summer he has a fair 
amount of time for himself. Any intelli¬ 
gent man can find far more pleasure and 
rest in the training and cultivating of 
fruits and flowers than in lounging about 
the town talking with his comrades. We 
know of mechanics, who, on their little 
garden patch, have raised plenty of small 
fruits for their own table and sold a con¬ 
siderable quantity to their neighbors. 
Bettor than this," they have originated 
new seedlings of great promise. There 
are hundreds who might profitably follow 
their example. There is au increasing 
demand among workmen for shorter 
hours of labor. If labor is to be shortened, 
the profitable disposition of the added 
hours of leisure will make an interesting 
study. What shall lie done with our 
time? Intelligent workmen in the smaller 
cities and towns will he quick to appreci¬ 
ate the advantages offered by gardening, 
bee-keeping or poultry raising. Work in 
these branches will never interfere with 
(heir skill as craftsmen, while they will 
be able to reduce household expenses and 
increase the income by a trifle, aud thus 
work into the sure track that leads up to 
a home of their own. Labor societies 
would do well to encourage this home 
building among their members. Manu¬ 
facturers could do uothiug more profitable 
than to surround their factories with a 
community of small laud owners, who 
would have a double interest in the suc¬ 
cess of the towu and its business. The 
true solution of the labor question will he 
found in just such a community. 
WANTED—BRAINS AND PUSH. 
Horace Greeley once said “There is 
something to do everywhere for him who 
knows how T to do it. ” If this statement 
ever applies, it will apply now in these 
days of overproduction and starvation 
prices. What shall the farmer raise that 
will pay him a good profit? No! the 
case is not a hopeless one. There arc still 
opportunities. All the oleomargarine, 
hutterine and suine have not yet destroyed 
the market for genuine gilt-edged butter. 
A friend who lives more than 50 miles 
from any city, retails all the butter he can 
make on a 60-acre farm at, 40 cents a 
pound. Hundreds of other farmers could 
doubtless do as well had they but the 
will and the skill. Many, if not all, of 
our large cities are as yet poorly supplied 
with that most delicious vegetable, the 
cauliflower. Brains, manure and a little 
land will produce this vegetable in abun¬ 
dance. The skill is not difficult to acquire 
where there is a determination to succeed. 
A few weeks ago a Massachusetts straw¬ 
berry grower gave us.some bits of experi¬ 
ence*. lie had been in business, we believe, 
our seasons. His friends and neighbors 
all discouraged him at the beginning, in¬ 
sisting that there was no profit in straw - 
berries. But he went to work with a 
vim. He used plenty of manure, and grew 
first-class fruit. He never allowed a poor 
berry to go to market, and never used a 
basket a second time. The result w 7 as 
that he soon gained a reputation for fancy 
fruit and had no trouble in disposing of 
his crop at fancy prices. This is not all 
that might be said. The rearing of lambs 
for the early market is proving profitable 
to those w’ho understand it and attend to it 
thoroughly. The right man might make 
a fortune growing mushrooms near almost 
any of our large cities. After all, there 
is moreiu the man than in the business. 
SHALL WOOL GO ON THE FREE LIST? 
The tariff bill of 1882 made such a re¬ 
duction in the duty on imported w r ool 
that the sheep husbandry of the country, 
according to those engaged in it, has suf¬ 
fered severely ever since. Free-traders 
have all along insisted, however, that 
while the producers of manufactured 
goods arc benefited by a protective tariff, 
the producers of raw materials, and more 
particularly of wool, ought to be benefited 
by free trade in the goods that compete 
with their own ! The Morrison bill, intro¬ 
duced in the House a few months ago, 
had the negative merit that, while it aid 
not raise the duty on wool as wool-grow¬ 
ers desired, it made no material reduction 
in the duties imposed in 1882. The Hew- 
itt-Morrison bill, a mongrel concern re¬ 
sulting from a union of certain provisions 
of a tariff bill lately introduced by manu¬ 
facturer Hewitt of "this city, with some of 
those of the old Morrison bill, places 
wool, hemp and flax on the free list, and 
the measure is likely to pass the House, 
but its success is doubtful in the Senate. 
There would be uo doubt whatever about 
the defeat of the measure, if the farmers 
of the country would do their duty in 
urging the representatives from their 
States in both Houses of Congress to vote 
against it. This should be promptly done, 
not only by those personally interested in 
sheep husbandry, but by all others. 
“What affects one is the concern of all” 
Is an excellent motto of the Knights of 
Labor; why shouldn’t it be also applicable 
to farmers, whose interests, as affected by 
national legislation, are nearly all identi¬ 
cal. Those who may he forced to aban¬ 
don sheep raising, will have to take up 
some other business, and thus come into 
keener competition with those engaged in 
other agricultural vocations. No selfish 
consideration, however, should be needed 
to stimulate farmers to protect at so little 
cost of time, labor or cash, the threatened 
interests of their fellow's. 
THE RURAL’S WHEAT-RYE HYBRIDS. 
In a recent article in Science Dr. E. L. 
Sturtevant, the energetic Director of the 
N. Y. Ex. Station, states that the evi¬ 
dence of our having produced true hy¬ 
brids between wheat and rye is open to 
“grave doubts.” Tic does not question 
the “attempt at a cross.” “The variabil¬ 
ity,” he says, “is indicative of a for¬ 
eign pollen.” But he thinks that under 
the “stimulus of the rye pollen, atavism 
has resulted,whereby varieties dormant in 
the wheat plant have made their appear¬ 
ance.” 
Dr. Trelease, of the Shaw School of 
Botany of St, Louis, Mu., also expresses 
the opinion based on the pirhirex which 
he has seen of these hybrids, that evi¬ 
dence is wanting of an actual cross. 
We would remark that heads of several 
of these varieties were sent to a number 
of eminent botanists several years ago, all 
of whom accept ed them ns actual hybrids. 
A few days ago w r e again sent a head to 
Dr. W. J. Beal, of the Michigan Ag 
College, our first authority on grasses 
who replies as follows: 
Editor Rural New-Yorker: 
Your recent letter arrived contninhig a 
spike of your hybrid wheat and rye. You 
may remember that some time ago, soon after 
maturing, you sent four spikes, one of which 
was sterile, the others fertile. 
I have been looking them all over, 
I, of course, Icuow nothing about how care¬ 
ful you were in removing the pollen before 
mature, and hi Isolating the flowers. 
As I understand atavism, it is the i-ecur- 
rence of the original type of species in the 
progeny of its varieties, ortho reappearance 
in animals or plants of traits belonging to 
their remote progenitors, which their immedi¬ 
ate parents Old not present. It is strange 
that your specimens, so many of them, should 
all or a sudden assume these forms, as they 
would if it were a case of atavism. Perhaps 
we do not yet know what, a hybrid is, but 
from my stand-point, I cannot set 1 why you 
have not as clear u case ns anybody on record. 
If these are uot good evidences of hybridism, 
t hen I know of no instances In the Vegetable 
Kingdom. I cannot see how any botanist can 
doubt it who looks over your specimens. It 
seems to me that your Armstrong seed was 
fathered by the rye, call it what you will. 
w J. BEAL. 
Ag’l. Coll., Mich., March 29, 188C. 
BREVITIES. 
We are asked to give an opinion as to 
whether different kinds of peas when planted 
and blooming together will mix. Our opinion 
is that they will not mix. 
Are stored potatoes still rotting in your 
neighborhood? Is the stock on hand large? 
What are ttie rauge and prospects for prices? 
A prompt auswer would oblige many inquir¬ 
ers 
Set au asparagus bed—or, sow the seeds. 
The latter is the cheaper way if one doesn’t, 
mind waiting a year longer. Seedling plants 
are always stronger ami will produce larger 
shoots than sets from old plants. 
Wk hope that our readers who iutend to 
transplant trees will bear in mind this one 
simple piece of advice: Don’t expose the roots 
to the wind or sun for an instant, or any longer 
than is absolutely necessary. 
The laws of morality arc tho same in all 
places. What is n fraud in America is also a 
fraud in England. How one special form of 
fraud is regarded there is well told by Prof. 
Sheldon in' his article on “Bogus Butter” else¬ 
where in this issue. 
All of our subscribers who have not done 
so are requested to apply for the Seed Distri¬ 
bution at once. Iu previous years we have re¬ 
ceived many letters to the effect that it was 
not received. We hope that the present year 
may prove an exception. 
We have never been very successful in 
keeping our celery after the middle of March 
by the usual methods. One of our neighbors 
has been veiy successful this season by what 
to us is a new plan which wc shall place be¬ 
fore our readers iu due time. Meanwhile we 
shall be glad to hear from our readers on the 
subject. 
LAST year we planted bn) roses of the more 
tender varieties, such as Teas, Bourbons and 
Noisettes, commonly known as “ever-bloom- 
iug or monthly roses,” In early Winter the 
stems were laid over and covered with leaves, 
and upon these an inch or so of soil was place- 
ed. We now find that all are alive. This pro¬ 
tection may be given with little trouble, and 
in this way we" secure their delicate beauty, 
fragrance, range of colox*, aud frequency of 
bloom, with tho sturdier and somewhat more 
restricted charms of the hybrid perpetuals. 
The distress in Great Britain—agricultural 
and monii Cacturing—last year, caused a con¬ 
siderable decrease from 1884 in the drink bill 
of tlie “tight little Island.” The bill paid, 
however, reduced ns it was, still equaled the 
nation’s outlay for broad, butter and cheese: 
was nearly the same as t he total sum of all the 
rents paid for faraxe aud farm houses; was 
three times the amount spent for tea, coffee, 
sugar and cocoa: aud six times the amount 
spent on linen and voi ton goods. Poor England, 
indeed—lmt, ship! What is that adage about 
dweller-' iu glass houses'? 
Mr. Wm. Robinson, the founder of the 
Garden and other papers, and author of half a 
dozen valuable horticultural works, has pur¬ 
chased 250 acres of land iu East Crainstead, 
England, which will give him au ample oppor¬ 
tunity, greatly needed we should suppose, of 
out-d’oor work. It, is time that Mr. Robinson 
relieved himself in this way. Upon his land 
is a beautiful and true Elizabethan house 
built in 1596 Mr. R. writes us, under date of 
March 15, that they have had a terrible Win¬ 
ter for work. “Not a kitchen garden seed 
sown, or a potato planted as yet. To-day the 
teiys were skating on my lakes. Quite new 
for S. England in March.” 
The House Committee on Post Offices has 
not only put its collective foot down very 
heavily on the bill increasing the postage on 
fourth-class matter; but, after thorough inves¬ 
tigation. has reported a Dill extending the 
“special delivery system,” to nil other classes of 
mull matter besides the first, to which it is now 
limited. Affixing an extra ten-rent stamp on 
a parcel of any kind will insure its immediate 
transmission and delivery, instead of being 
tardily forwarded and delivered as is the ease 
by far too often at present. The speedy de¬ 
livery of cuttings and other goods for field, 
garden and orchard, is often ii matter of con¬ 
siderable Importance. The Dill should be pass¬ 
ed, and will be if every one interested in postal 
reformwould help it along by writing in favor 
of It to his Representative in Congress. If it be¬ 
comes a law, the business of the corpulent 
express companies who sought to increase their 
gains, will suffer considerably. They went out 
for wool'aud are likely to come back shorn. 
