AUG SS 
THE RURAL HEW-YORKER. 
would have been much less sickness, the child’s 
life might have been saved and all the family 
made healthier by the liberal use of the gar¬ 
den products thus freely fertilized. 
A Misconception Corrected. — Our 
friend, Waldo F. Brown, writing of Pur¬ 
due University to the Farmer’s Review, 
says that among farmers at large there is a 
feeling that the Professors of Agriculture are 
a set of soft-handed, kid-gloved men, with 
broad-cloth coats and silk hats, whose interest 
in agriculture is expressed by the promptness 
and regularity with which they draw their 
salaries. Nothing, ho says, could be father 
from the truth. There is not a man among 
those whom be met that does not understand 
thoroughly the details of farm work, and with¬ 
out a single exception they were brought up 
on the farm, while many of them were for 
years practical farmers; and although their 
work is now that of instructors rather than of 
farmers, they go to the fields with their stu¬ 
dents and direct theii work and often work 
with them. Personal contact with them by 
our intelligent farmers would at once banish 
suspicion and correct the false views which 
are held by many concerning these men and 
their work. 
Cleaning Wool.— The United States Con¬ 
sul at Sydney reports that an improved ma¬ 
chine has recently been erected in Victoria for 
cleaning wool on the skin. It is modeled 
after the English machines used for the pur¬ 
pose, and consists of a series of beaters form¬ 
ing a cy lind er. The skin is marie to pass be¬ 
tween two rollers revolving at a high rate of 
speed, but which hold in position and feed it 
against the beaters. The gearing apparatus is 
so arranged that the rollers can be rev rsed 
and allow the skin to be worked in and out. 
The machiue is said to leave the pelt in a soft¬ 
ened condition, thus helping to improve the 
quality of the basil. 
California Wheat Fleet.— From a 
lengthy review in the San Francisco Bulletin 
upon the above subject it appears that 237 ves¬ 
sels cleared from California during the cereal 
year just ended. Of these, 231 were for 
Europe, 4 for Australia, and 2 for South 
Africa. This was the smallest in any year 
since 1878-79, when only 109 were cleared. 
The registered tonnage of last year’s vessels 
amounted to 377,473. The freight earnings 
amounted to §4,123.091. or a little less than 
§11 per registered ton. There were only 11 
vessels that went at. over 35s., and 142 went 
at or under 30s. The classification of the ves¬ 
sels according to nationalities, was as follows; 
British, 145 ; American, 77 ; German, 11 ; 
Norwegian, 3; Italian. 1; Total, 237. 
Southern Fruit-Growing.— The Charles¬ 
ton News says that increased attention lias 
lately been given in South Carolina to the 
cultivation of fruit and the vine. Thousands 
of acres are planted each year with water¬ 
melons. During the past four years more than 
100,000 peach trees have been planted in Barn¬ 
well aud Aiken Counties, and it is estimated 
that at least 70,000 of these trees are now iu 
bearing condition. As early as 1884, 3,000 
acres of South Carolina farm land were plant¬ 
ed with watermelons. Owing to bad returns 
on that crop the area in 1885 was only 
2,348 acres. The profits on the crop last year 
were so large that there have been more than 
5,000 acres planted with melons this year. It 
is estimated that under favorable conditions 
each acre will yield at least 500 melons, aud 
that the total crop grown for shipment this 
year to outside markets will amount to 2,500,- 
000 melons. 
Australian Wools.— Though it is gener¬ 
ally kuown that the wool and wheat are the 
staple products of the Australian colonies few 
particulars have been published concern¬ 
ing the former. Though efforts looking to 
the reduction of duties on wool in the United 
States have been frequently suggested for 
several years, no definito action has been taken, 
the wool-growers of the United States fearing 
the competition that they would thus have to 
meet. It is believed, however, that there are 
some, grades of Australian wools which are 
not grown in the United States, but 
which it is found necessary to iniprot for 
the purpose of mixing with the home-grown 
article, and it has been stated that a reduc¬ 
tion of the tariff on such grades would be 
beneficial. The imports of wool into Great 
Britain are valued at £31,500,000, abnost the 
same value as the cotton imports. The in¬ 
crease in the exports from the colonics has 
been considerable within the past quarter of a 
century, as is shown by the Australian Times 
and Auglo-New-Zealander. While in 1861 
the number of sheep was 24,000,000 and the 
export 73,000,000 pounds of wool, last year 
there were 75,000,000 sheep and the export 
reached 435,000,000 pounds. The exact num¬ 
ber of sheep, according to official returns, is 
as follow's: 
New South Wales..30,37. ,8711Tasmanla.1 ,T»,02T 
New Ze Hand.It,ffiO.iWt)',Western Australia.1,547,001 
Victoria.10,620.173 Fiji. 5,868 
Queensland.MW,0001 .... T ~ 
South Australia.... 6,99'', 1061 Total.,4,913,40, 
The average yield per sheep is five pounds 
in grease or two-aud-a-half pounds washed. 
The weight of the bales varies in the different 
colonies from 244 to 370 pounds for scoured, 
294 to 374 for washed and 370 to 450 for greasy. 
The merino fleece is heavier in w eight than an 
equal quality of other varieties, aud appears 
to have improved under the Australian cli¬ 
mate. Prices vary, of course, according to 
market fluctuations, hut they are fortunately 
notv ruling higher than has l»eeu the case for 
some time past. Different varieties grow best 
in the different colonies to which they seem 
adapted. For instance, while New Zealand 
produces excellent luster wools, those of West- 
ern Australia meet best the requirements of 
the worsted trade. 
Alsike Clover.— Our friend J. S. Wood¬ 
ward writes the Press that this plant is valu¬ 
able on certain soils and for certain uses, but 
much of what is just now being said in its 
favor is not justified by the facts. Mr. W. 
first sowed it more than twenty years ago, and 
as it has been quite extensively grown iu por¬ 
tions of Niagara County, N. Y,, w'here he 
lives, during all the time since, he knows 
something of its advantages and defects. It 
is peculiarly adapted to the moist, black, heavy 
soils of the black ash and soft maple swamps 
which once covered a considerable portion of 
the country, and for a long time it was ex¬ 
tremely profitable for its seed, which often 
yielded as much as five, and sometimes seven, 
bushels per acre, which at first sold for §20 
pei- bushel, aud for a longtime for as much as 
or more than §10. These days, however, are 
past, and it now seldom sells for more than §5, 
and sometimes for less than §2. It delights in 
rich, heavy clays,even if they are quite wet, 
especially in Fall and Spring. It does fairly 
well on heavy uplands, but is of feeble growth 
aud short duration on light, sandy lands, aud 
does not amount to much on light, dry 
gravel. 
As a pasture plant it is far inferior to Red or 
Wbite Clover, for it does not endure the tramp¬ 
ling of stock so well. After the middle of Sum¬ 
mer it makes but little growth aud none if the 
season proves dry. As a meadow plant it 
makes a great show, beginning to blossom 
quite early, and continuing in bloom until 
after Red Clover should be in the mow, 
and during the whole time its solid bed 
of pink flowers leads the owner to 
think it will give him about three 
tons of hay per acre. But it lodges badly, and 
when cut and cured it is light and chaffy aud 
seldom yields a single ton to the acre on the 
richest soil. Its hay is of only medium quality, 
not nearly so good as Medium Clover, while 
it yields hardly more than half as much per 
acre. After cutting for hay it makes no 
growth, affording no second crop or any 
after-feed. Its form of growth is creeping, 
like White Clover, with only small surface 
roots, and it puts nothing into the soil if 
plowed after haying, aud only a very small 
quantity if used for greet) manuring when in 
full growth. Its true uses, Mr. Woodward 
thinks, are as a honey plant aud for mixing 
with other “ grass seeds.” Being such a per¬ 
sistent and abundant bloomer, it has no super¬ 
ior as a honey producer, it being estimated 
that it will yield 500 pounds per acre in a good 
year. It grows well along with other clovers, 
filling in the bottom, and if they are killed in 
spots by the wet or iu others 1>y cold the Al¬ 
sike fills up wonderfully, as it is entirely hardy 
and at haying time it will add several hun¬ 
dred pounds to the weight of bay on each acre. 
The proper method is to apportion the seeds 
the same as for ordinary seeding, and then 
add two pounds of Alsike seed per acre. Let 
this be extra, as you will then have noue too 
much seed for the best results. When sowu 
with Medium Clover and that is cut, as it 
should be, when only in full bloom, the Alsike 
will again start up, giving a large second 
bloom aud perfecting so much seed that it 
will fill the land, and on soils well adapted to 
growth will become nearly as persistent and 
permanent as White Clover. 
A Transformation. — The editor of the 
New Eugland Farmer tells of a horse that was 
owned by a shiftless, lazy farmer for many 
years, and which from colthood up always 
looked like an old-time horse. It was thin in 
flesh, rough of coat and poor in spirit. It had 
a lazy gait that was recognized by all the 
neighbors as it passed. Neither the continual 
jerkiug of the reins, nor the repeated touch of 
the,driver’s whip would make any lasting im¬ 
pression on the rate of speed. After getting 
along into his “teens” the owner concluded he 
must sell or swap him off for what he would 
bring and buy him a new and young horse. 
The animal went for a low price of course, 
but he fell into the hands of a different sort of 
a man, one who fed well and took good care of 
all his animals. In six months the former 
owner did not know his horse when it was 
driven by. It was nearly 200 pounds heavier, 
its coat was smooth and glossy, its head was 
up, eyes bright, and in general appearance the 
animal was the picture of vigor and good 
health. He had dropped his old gait and 
traveled like a horse that is proud of his blood 
and breeding. We have always felt that peo¬ 
ple who are not willing to give good care to 
their animals have no right to own them. 
BRIEFS. 
It is told in St, Paul, that the children in 
Minneapolis, its near-by aud hated rival, have 
refused to read the Bible in the public schools 
because it is “filled full of talk about St. Paul.” 
while from Genesis to Revelation there is no 
mention made of Minneapolis. 
Dr. Harvey says, in the "Weekly Press, that 
if tired in one place, tired in all. If you tire 
a horse’s neck by checking him high you tire 
him all over. When a man has a toothache 
he has no comfortable cubic inch in him,from 
scalp to sole. 
"New Jersey 1b to have a horticultural society that 
will hold Its first exhibition in Orange the coming 
Fall. Messrs. Barr, Do Forest, T. J. Slaughter an.l 
James R. Pitcher arc at the head of the organization.’’ 
So says a late number of our esteemed con¬ 
temporary the American Florist. Is it possi¬ 
ble the Florist does not know tbet New Jersey 
has already a horticultural society, and has 
had for 10 years past. The gentlemen named 
are not all ignorant of this fact, for some of 
them have had personal invitations to attend 
its meetings. If Orange is to be favored with 
a society of its own, it is all well enough, but 
to imply that the State has to this time been 
without one, is to ignore the large amount of 
work and good done by the earnest labor of 
the members of the State Society and its in¬ 
defatigable Secretary. 
The Editor of the American Garden is in¬ 
formed that the arsenic of Hammond’s Slug 
Shot is so mixed with its antidote as to render 
it harmless to all except insects. A correspon¬ 
dent of that journal states that certain horses 
were hitched to the hack of his wagon and be¬ 
fore he knew it had eaten over half of a teu- 
pound p ckage of Slug Shot. Beyond a slight 
physicing they were not harmed. Dr. F. M. 
Hexamer, it seems, recommended the formula 
to Mr. Hammond and he should be able to 
state whether it is or is not poisonous. The 
statement made by the New York Experiment 
Station after having analyzed a package sent 
thereby the Rural New-Yorkf.r appeared 
several months ago. 
The experimental stations of the country, 
says the New England Fanner, where already 
established, have not cost the farmers more 
than from ten cents to a quarter of a dollar 
per year ou each farm in their resjieetive 
States. We must remember that the stations 
are young, and there has not been time for the 
great amount of good to come from them 
which we hope to receive in the future. Do 
not let us Hud fault unreasonably till the pre- 
limi nary stages of the work are passed. 
Mr. Roe says, in Harper's for August, 
that the quotat ion, “Doubtless God could have 
made a better berry than the strawberry, but 
he didn’t,” has been quoted by the greater part 
of the human race, aud attributed to nearly 
every prominent man from Adam to Mr. 
Beecher... 
Mr. A. M. Purdy has sold his paj>er, the 
Fruit Recorder, to the publisher of Popular 
Gardening. 
Berrien Co., of Michigan, has started a 
Fruit Exchange, as we learn from Mr. Lib¬ 
by’s Garden. Each package sent out by mem¬ 
bers boars the inspector’s stamp—thus : 
The Michigan Exchange hereby guarantees the con¬ 
tents of this package to be uniform and true to ap¬ 
pearance; and the buyer will confer a favor by re 
porting any fraud detected in any package bearing 
this stamp. W. A. Brown. Inspector, Benton Harbor, 
Mich... 
Mr. Fairchild, of Connecticut, says in the 
Connecticut Ex. Station Report, t hat if he had 
farm manure enough to manure one acre well, 
and he wanted to plant three acres, ho would 
spread the manure over the whole and make 
up the other two-thirds with commercial fer¬ 
tilizer.. 
Make cuttings of pelargoniums for winter 
and spring blooming. Pansies may be in¬ 
duced to bloom freely during these hot days if 
the soil is kept moist. Otherwise the plants 
will burn and the flower’s la come very small. 
A little bed at the Rural Grounds is now as 
bright and fresh as earlier in the season. The 
soil is very rich, mellow and moist. It is well 
to sow the seeds of pansies now for next year. 
So also, seeds of hardy perennials and bien¬ 
nials may now be sown—pinks, hollyhocks- 
aquilegias, delphiniums, &c., &c. 
(l'\H'vijwl)crc. 
TRANSCONTINENTAL LETTERS.—LXII. 
MART WAGER-FISHER. 
The coast valleys of California; Saucelito; 
San Rafael: Duncan Mills; the dairy re¬ 
gion of California; the “white Chinese 
prices of dairy land; 'Romaics Ray; t imber 
wot te; rural scenery. 
I think there can be but one opinion in re¬ 
gard to the proferableness of the coast valleys 
of California for country living. Irrigation is 
not required as a rule, and the midsummer 
heat never reaches that excessive degree which 
obtains iu the valleys of the interior. Be¬ 
tween the Sacramento Valley and the coast are 
three regions of country lying between ranges 
of mountains—none of great bight aud trav¬ 
ersed by as many different railroads, that 
have considerable repute for their climate and 
products. The smallest of these is Napa Val¬ 
ley. in Yolo County and the furthest inland 
from the sea, and the hottest in Sum mer. An¬ 
aximander made a jaunt through it, finding it 
largely planted with grapes, and very attrac¬ 
tive. Of the two other regions I can speak 
from personal observation, having spent two 
days iu each. 
It was about March 10th when we left San 
Francisco by ferry for Saucelito, which lies 
on the opposite side of the “Golden Gate” 
from Sau Francisco. All the ferry trips from 
San Francisco are of the most charming char¬ 
acter, delightful boats, aud the bay with its 
islands and its shipping always an imposing 
and spirited sight. Among the vessels at 
anchor lay the “Bear,” one of the boats that 
was engaged in the Greeley relief expedition. 
The United States Government., I believe, owns 
the islauds in this bay and n number of them 
are utilized for purposes of defence. Saucelito 
is a small town perched on the side of the 
steep hill, or mountain rising up from the 
water. The views from it are superb, but its 
climate of winds and fogs is too much like that 
of San Francisco to reuder it a favorite place 
of suburban resort. By roil from this point it 
is nine miles to San Rafael, the road running 
in to this town from San Anselmo aud out 
again—simply a spur. San Rafael has a pop¬ 
ulation of 5.000, and this population largely 
does business iu Sau Francisco. The town is 
built in a basin of the mountains, the chief 
peak of which is Mt. Tamalpais with a zigzag 
curriage road to the summit. A lady who 
lives here told me that the views to be had 
on this drive equal anything she saw in the 
Yosemite Valley. The climate is very equable 
and mild, there is a sea breeze, but no fogs, 
and people in not robust health speak of San 
Rafael as quite a paradise. It is a pretty 
place; there is no outlook except one mounts 
the hills, but the hills are vine-clad, and beau¬ 
tiful villas are planted up the mountain sides, 
iu the midst of beautiful trees and flowers. 
All in all, it is very like a southern French or 
Italian town. Shop-keepers sat ou the side¬ 
walks in shirt sleeves, reading and smoking, 
and women were on piazzas with their sewing. 
From Sau Rafael we went to the extreme 
northern terminus of tlie North Pacific Coast 
Railroad to Dunoon Mills, in the Redwood 
Forest. Duncan Mills is eighty miles from 
San Francisco ami six miles from the sea-coast. 
The road follows for fifteen miles Tomales 
Bay and is never more than fifteen miles from 
the sea, and for sixty miles of the way runs 
through Marion County, and the remaining 
twenty miles lies iu Sonoma. This region is 
considered the best dairy country ill the State, 
the butter being of fine quality. There is 
comparatively little land suited for tilliug, but 
the great bills and canyons are covered with 
grass, upon which thu cattle graze the entire 
year around. It keeps given about a month 
longer in Summer than does the grass in the 
interior valleys, and there seems to be abun¬ 
dant water furnished by spriugs in the can¬ 
yons. At. intervals there are Redwood forests, 
and then miles of country devoid of trees, ex¬ 
cept along the water-courses, the principal be¬ 
ing the Russian River. The entire route is of 
a very picturesque character, and the road, 
from necessity, a narrow-gauge. The con¬ 
ductor on the road told me that in the prev¬ 
ious week, from one station, he had taken to 
San Francisco 175 boxes of butter of 50 pounds 
each, and ut various stations were stacks of 
butter boxes. They are of wood, painted on 
the outside, about four feet long and from 
twenty to twenty-four inches wide, with a lid 
shutting over the top. The butter is made 
into rolls actually weighing less than two 
pounds, but called that, and these rolls are 
stood on end in the box, and about twenty- 
five fill it. There are many Swiss aud some 
Italians engaged here in dairying, and the 
Swiss I have hoard called the “White Chi¬ 
nese” of the coast. They are industrious, eco¬ 
nomical, frugal, and confine their association 
chiefly with the Swiss colony around them. 
