THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
APRIL 2 
THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
ANatlonal Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Conducted by 
K. S. CARMAN, 
J. S. WOODWARD, 
Editor. 
Associate. 
Address 
THE KUltAL NEW-YORKER, 
No. 34 Park Row, New York. 
SATURDAY, APRIL, 24, 1880. 
Subscribers of the Rural need never take 
the trouble to ‘twite us to “stop" the paper. 
It is invariably discontinued at the explic¬ 
ation of the subscription term , except by 
oversight , in which case it is our loss. 
If the number on your address label is 
181)1, your subscription expires with this 
number; if 1892, next week; 1898, in two 
weeks, etc. 
If any of our Canada subscribers have 
not received the seed distribution, please 
notify us at once. 
Tnos. H. Jolliffe, of Natick, Mass., 
writes us: “The Japan Chestnut stood a 
temperature of ^ below zero this Win¬ 
ter, with only an inch or tw r o of the tips 
injured.” 
The Poultry Special will be issued a 
a few days after May 1st. Many of our 
friends are showing a deep interest in the 
subject, and the Number promises to be as 
valuable as any of the Rural Specials. 
If any subscriber of the Rttral New- 
Yorker has not received the paper regular- 
ly , he will confer a favor by notifying vs. 
We are anxious to extend the time far 
enough to male up for all mistakes or neg¬ 
lects. 
In the course of a year or so or more, 
we have little doubt that our contemporar¬ 
ies will take up the advocacy of the Japan 
Chestnut. We have certainly done, our 
share during the present season—a share 
that will be forgotten by the many, but 
remembered by the few, and gratefully 
remembered, too, as we confidently believe. 
Mrs. A. E. M. Carman, the. wife and 
constant encourager and helpmate of the 
Editor of the R.N.-Y,, in all of his work, 
will hereafter assume, entire charge of the 
Domestic Economy Department. She 
will gladly welcome appropriate notes and 
articles from our lady readers. 
Tornado-swept St. Cloud and Sauk 
Rapids, Minnesota, ask for help from the 
generous benevolence of the country. 
Botli are in a comparatively newly 
settled section. The agriculture of the 
surrounding country afforded support to 
both before their misfortune; let the ag¬ 
riculture of the whole nation afford them 
help in their terrible addiction. The 
aggregate of many small contributions 
would make a generous sum. The mayors 
of both towns will make the best use of 
donations. 
The first National Convention of Wool- 
growers held the other day at St. Louis, 
had for its principal object the organiza¬ 
tion of the wool-growers of the country, 
so as to enable them in the future to in¬ 
fluence national legislation with ,\ view 
to protecting their industry against foreign 
competition. Resolutions were unanimous¬ 
ly adopted urging the restoration of the 
tariff of 1807 or its equivalent, and de¬ 
nouncing the Morrison-Hewitt bill lately 
reported by the Ways and Means Commit¬ 
tee of Congress, admitting foreign wool 
free of d uty. ^ ^ 
Twelve years ago two companion 
Hemlock trees were planted at the Rural 
Grounds. Both were injured the second 
year afterwards and cut hack, one of them 
more than the other. Both are now 
beautiful, shapely trees. The one that 
was cut hack the most is now a foot taller 
than the other. It is a pity that the ef¬ 
fect of judicious pruning or disbudding 
evergreen trees while young is not better 
understood. In this way the White Pine 
may be made to assume any shape and to 
clothe itself with its lithe foliage as may 
be desired. 
From year to year one’s estimate of the 
beauty and value of trees changes. If we 
were asked to-day which of our evergreen 
trees we most value, we should at once 
auswerlAbies Alcocquiana. Our only tree 
was’planted 12 years ago, and is now 
about 12 feet high. More graceful, less 
rigid than the Norway, it never has been 
injured in the least by sun or frost. One 
of its charms is the color of its leaves. 
Underneath they are covered with a gray 
or blue bloom, like the skin of a grape, 
while they are green above. The two 
colors blend so as to give a changeable ef¬ 
fect that is as distinct as it is pleasing to 
the eye. 
Beginning March 19, and finishing 
April 2d, we lrnve sown short rows of 
the following kinds of oats. The older 
kinds have often been sown before, but 
for the purpose of comparison, it is 
necessary to have them side by side:—Wel¬ 
come, American Banner, Badger Queen, 
Virginia Winter, Clydesdale (of this we 
have four acres), Hopetown, Russian 
White, American Beauty, Race Horse, 
White Belgian, White Schocnen, Triumph, 
Probsteier, Yankee Prolific, Improved 
Swiss, Improved Challenge, Dakota Chief- 
tian, and half a dozen supposed distinct 
varieties without names. Several of those 
mentioned the Rural has already classed 
as the same. All of the above are high 
enough to mark the drills at a distance. 
NOTICE. 
FOR SUBSCRIBERS who shall have sent us 
clubs will be positively awarded May 10th. We 
think that a pleasant surprise awaits them. 
The most senseless “boom” is that 
which certain speculators are trying to 
work up about Alaska. Don’t believe 
them! Because potatoes grew to a large 
size in a garden at Sitka and a few Alas¬ 
kan hens did double duty, is no reason 
why a poor man should go there. You 
can raise larger potatoes and more pro¬ 
ductive hens within a dozen miles of 
where you now live. The mining inter¬ 
ests of Alaska may develop, but such 
development will require vast capital. 
As a summer reBort the country will be a 
success; as a farming community, never. 
Rural readers who have read Mrs. 
Fisher’s articles know enough to keep 
away from Alaska. Turn yourself into 
an emigrant only as a last resort. Be 
contented and do your best on the old 
farm. You cannot imagine how much 
sorrow it will cost you to pull the old 
friends, old memories and old associations 
up by the roots. Make the best of what 
you have. 
A mild, June day with scarcely wind 
enough to stir the leaves. The soil was 
moderately dry. We are speaking of 
April 14th, when, from seven in the morn¬ 
ing until five in the evening, we (three of 
us) planted 30 plots of the same kind of 
potato, each with a different fertilizer or 
different combinations. It is, in part, a 
repetition of the series of experiments 
made two years ago, with important 
additions. The plots are in the same 
field upon a different part that has re¬ 
ceived neither fertilizer nor munure in 
many years, though it has been cropped 
every year. The stillness of the air and 
the pleasant day enabled us to distribute 
the fertilizers and to do the entire work 
in a most satisfactory way. A second 
series of experiments will be started in a 
week or so in the same impoverished field. 
-- » » - — 
For the first time since the beginning of 
the present agitation about the tariff on 
wool, in 1882, the House Ways and 
Means Committee are distinctly divided on 
the question, the majority, headed by 
Morrison of Illinois, and Hewitt of New 
York, both Democrats, urging the plnee- 
ing of wool on the free list, and the min¬ 
ority', headed by McKinley, of Ohio, and 
Reed of Maine, both Republicans, declar¬ 
ing in favor of a restoration of the tariff of 
1867. The minority report well says that 
the arrangement of the free list is pecul¬ 
iarly an assault ou the agricultural interests 
of the country, as out of 4,000 articles in 
the tariff, the leading products of agricul¬ 
ture are singled out for injury or ruin by 
unrestricted competition from abroad. 
Wool has been on the dutiable list since 
1824; most of the other articles on it have 
been placed there since the beginning of 
the late war; yet it is now proposed to 
remove therefrom what over a half a 
century’s experience has demonstrated 
should be there, and to allow other things 
to remain on it, though placed there 
avowedly to meet the temporary demands 
of war. The manufacturers of the 
country are beginning to realize that in re¬ 
moving “protection” from the agriculture 
of the nation, there is a great, and grow¬ 
ing danger that • “protection” may, ere 
long, be also removed from its manufac¬ 
tures. If the farmer is to enjoy none of 
the advantages of the tariff, why should 
he suffer from all its disadvantages? The 
farmers’ votes are decisive in tariff legis¬ 
lation, if once the farmers can combine on 
any particular policy. 
TROUBLE IN THE BARBED-WIRE 
FENCE MONOPOLY. 
Probably the most grasping and op¬ 
pressive monopoly that now vexes the 
farmers and stockmen of the country is 
the Washburn & Moen Company. For 
years it lias been buying up all the patents 
on barbed-wire fencing until now it con¬ 
trols over 100, and insists on a “broad 
claim” on the manufacture of every rod 
of barbed-wire fence made in the country. 
Successive suits at law aud contests with 
makers have greatly reduced its extortions 
in the form of “royalties;” but it still 
exacts 15 cents per iOO pounds from all 
other manufacturers. Jolliet, 111., is the 
chief center of manufacture, most of the 
large and a large proportion of the small 
licensees being located there, and the 
annual “royalty” these have to pay 
amounts to from $250,000 to $300,000. 
The arch-monopolist is the most extensive 
manufacturer, and stringently insists that 
all the wire must be sold at a uniform 
price. The business is exceptionally dull 
just now. In competing for the unusually 
small demand, wholesale cutting of prices 
is charged. A telegram from jolliet on 
Monday says Washburn & Moen threaten 
“to paralyze the sale and monopolize the 
manufacture of the product on account of 
alleged cutting of prices, scalping and 
moonshining of the licensees.” The 
latter claim that this threat is only a 
pretext or excuse for cutting by the 
patent holders who desire to monop¬ 
olize in their own shops the whole 
barbed-wire fence business, and fleece the 
licensees. The cost of plain wire, these 
say, is $3.16 per 100 pounds; cost of 
barbing, 40 cents; royalty, 15cents; total, 
$3.71. They maintain, however, that 
Washburn so controls the manufacture of 
plain wire that from the margin on that 
they have to pay 06 cents per 100 pounds 
to him. They are reported as threatening 
“to pool their product, refuse to pay 
royalty, manufacture their own plain wire, 
put 2lV centaper 100 pounds into a liti¬ 
gation fund, and fight to the bitter end.” 
We hope they will. When a certain class 
disagree, honest men are likely to get 
their rights. 
SPECIAL. 
Those who, having applied for the 
Rural’s present seed distribution prior 
to April 15th, have not yet received it, 
will kindly notify us by postal at once. 
BOGUS BUTTER IN CONGRESS. 
A fortnight ago the Rural, in speak¬ 
ing of the number of anti-“oleo” bills 
before Congress, said that had the intro¬ 
ducers consulted together beforehand, 
and agreed upon a single bill combiniug 
the best features of all, it would have 
been better for the dairymen of the 
country. The House Committee on Agri¬ 
culture. has come to the same conclusion; 
for last Tuesday it appointed a Sub¬ 
committee, consisting of Hatch, of Mis¬ 
souri; Green, of North Carolina; and 
White, of Minnesota, to draw a new bill 
“to regulate the sale of oleomargarine, 
butterine and other imitations of dairy 
butter.” It is intended to combine in it 
the best, points in all the other bills. 
What is wanted is a bill that, first, of 
all, cannot possibly be upset, in whole 
or in part, by the United States Supreme 
Court; for if is certain to he ultimately 
subjected to the decision of that tribunal 
of final arbitrament. Those interested in 
the manufacture and sale of bogus butter 
have too much at stake not to contest to 
the bitter end any form of legislation 
which shall discriminate against or in any 
way hamper or regulate their busiuess. 
The manufacturers alone own to a yearly 
profit of $5,000,000; and the aggregate 
profits of those who sell the concoctions 
for what they arc or as genuine dairy pro¬ 
ducts, vastly exceed that amount. 
Already they have a powerful lobby in 
Washington, fighting in their behalf. 
Special care should be taken to prevent 
any of these in the guise of a friend of the 
dairymen or an pnemy of the oleo-men, 
from treacherously securing the insertion 
of any provision which might upset or 
endanger the validity of the Act. The 
National Government has a right to levy 
a general tax for revenue purposes on any 
line of manufacture. It taxes whiskey; 
why shouldn’t it tax all imitations of, 
or substitutes for, dairy products? A tax 
of ten centsja pound would, it is thought 
by those thoroughly acquainted with both 
the dairy and “oleo” business, bring the 
cost of bogus butter up to that of the 
poorer makes of genuine butter, and 
while leaving a fair margin of profit to the 
manufacturers and retailers, take away 
from both the alluring temptation of palm¬ 
ing off on the public the false for the real. 
It. should also be provided that all pack¬ 
ages containing the goods must be plain¬ 
ly marked with large-sized letters indi¬ 
cating the nature of the contents; and 
that they must be kept within sight of 
purchasers until the contents of each pack¬ 
age have been disposed of. Is there any¬ 
thing in the Constitution of the United 
States which forbids legislation prescribing 
a particular color for any particular line of 
products? If not, it should be provided 
that bogus butter should all be colored of 
some particular tint; if there is any doubt 
on the constitutionality of such legisla¬ 
tion, it would be imprudent to endanger 
the Actbyinsistingon it. Provisions should 
be made for the stringent enforcement of 
the law; and to this end a part of each 
fine for any violation thereof, should goto 
the informer. Something of this kind we 
consider essential to the best results from 
any anti-oleo legislation. Officials may be 
bribed to neglect their duty or to shut their 
eyes to offences; but no swindling dealer 
or manufacturer is likely to run the risk 
of detection by the multitudinous and ubi¬ 
quitous informer, whose interest in the 
results will make him press for a trial 
and devise the best means of securing a 
conviction. 
The researches of the Department of 
Agriculture with regard to the anti-oleo 
legislation of the various States and the 
decisions of different Courts on various 
phases of it. should he an aid to the Sub¬ 
committee in framing a law which, while 
affording adequate protection to the pro¬ 
ducers and consumers of genuine dairy 
goods, will not be unjust towards the 
manufacturers of, and dealers in, any 
healthful product which may honestly 
and openly compete therewith. 
BREVITIES. 
Plant the Red-flowering Horse-chestnut; 
the White Double-flowering Horse-chestnut. 
Plant the Purple Beech, Schwerdler's Maple. 
Referring to our first-page cut of the Cay¬ 
uga Grape, it may be said that a single vine 
was received from H. S. Anderson, of Union 
Springs, N. Y., May .30, 1885. It is a seedling 
of the Eiunelan we believe. The vine has 
made a fair growth. 
A farmer in Orange County. New York, 
has been prosecuted by Dairy Commissioner 
Brown for selling adulterated milk, and fined 
$100. Four others charged with the same 
offence, settled by paying $100 apiece. Excel¬ 
lent! But how many sellers of bogus butter in 
this State, have been forced to pay any fine 
through the efforts of the Commissioner ? 
Let us all work together to protect the 
birds. The agricultural press are a unit in 
favor of such protection. We want the help 
of every farmer and every farmer’s family. 
The ladies can and will discountenance the 
wearing of feathers and plumes. The boys 
Can stop the robbing of birds’ nests and the 
killing of young birds. We want every 
farmer to put up a sign warning every 
“sportsman” and bird killer off the farm. We 
want your help. Can we not have it? 
TnE time will come, when—war and pestilence 
being reduced—a vast population will crowd 
upon the soil and every available foot of it 
will be wanted for the yield of provision for 
human sustenance; then even the weedy plants 
will have full share of studious attention in all 
country common schools. Their seeds will be 
on exhibition and will be made familiar, and 
also themselves as leafy plants, and their 
habits. They will Ite necessarily scarce in 
fields and gardens then, for their destructive 
presence will not be tolerated. 
Early in the week a telegram from Port¬ 
land, Oregon, told the world east of the 
Rockies that an English, German and Chinese 
syndicate hud made a contract with the Mex¬ 
ican Government to send 000,000 Chinese to 
Mexico withiu a year, the Mexican Govern¬ 
ment agreeing to give each Chinaman 20acres 
of land. That would be 12,000,000 acres. 
Mexico has no such area of enltivatable public 
land for gift or sale, even in widely separated 
regions. Perhaps the amount could be made up 
of such land that the more one owned, the 
poorer he would be—but even that is doubtful. 
Then fancy an immigration of 50.000 pig-tailed 
Celestials a month! The report is a hoax or a 
monstrous exaggeration. 
Just at. this season, before the loaves come 
out, an inspection of young apple and pear 
trees which have been making but little 
growth, w'ill very likely show little white 
spots on the bark, which easily scale off when 
the thumb nail or a knife is used, leaving a 
reddish smear. The scale, like a tent covers 
the eggs or progeny of a female scale louse, 
which will, in June, invisibly to common eyes, 
begin to run about, seeking the new' growth 
on which to feed. They drain this of the sap 
which should make new wood, or of some of 
its essentials; for the wood on which they ex¬ 
ist ou the bark is always very brittle, open, 
and imperfect, and very little’of it forms. A 
brushing with coal oil before the buds open, 
destroys these vermiu even under their scales; 
it is not a safe application on leaves or young 
growth, but can'be froely’nmUsafely used on 
the firm bark before the budsjswell. 
