THE 
BREVITIES. 
THE B5JBAL W1W-Y0BKER. 
©E© 44 
RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
ANatlonal Journal for Country and Suburban Homea 
Conducted by 
EIiBRRT B. CABMAN. 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
No. *1 Park Row, New York. 
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1886. 
NOTICE. 
All subscribers who desire the Rural’s 
Seed Distribution must apply foi it. 
Hitherto we have not required those who 
subscribe for the Rural in connection 
with other papers to make an application. 
This has caused confusion. It is only 
necessary to say “Send seeds.” 
Referring to the Brazilian Flour Corn 
shown on page 823, we may say that an 
average ear. as sent to us by Mr. Wilson, 
weighed, Nov. 15, four ounces; the cob 
five-eighths of an ounce. There were 10 
rows, and 35 kernels to the row. The ear 
was not quite dry—the grain of a white 
color, without dents. 
It may save many of our subscribers 
trouble if we state that, so far as we know, 
money (bills) sent to us by letter almost 
invariably reach us safely. Inclosing bills 
in letters saves the bother of writing 
checks or procuring money orders. Still, 
we can not, for obvious reasons, assume 
auv responsibility. 
—-» - 
Wo cannot understand why the use of 
complete chemical fertilizers in the Fall 
is not a wasteful use of plant food in so 
far as the nitrogen, if in a soluble form, 
is concerned. Nitrate of soda or sul¬ 
phate of ammonia is immediately soluble. 
The roots of plants (wheat or rye for exam¬ 
ple) can not feed upon it during the cold 
season, and the rains therefore carry it 
through the soil and there is little left for 
Spring. We cannot afford to lose the 
most costly ingredient of our manures. 
Nitrogen in organic matter, such as farm 
manure, blood, hair and bone, becomes 
slowly soluble, far less so in cold than in 
warm weather, so that we may safely ap¬ 
ply them in the Fall. 
The Langshan chicks at the Rural 
Grounds, hatched out May 20th, are now 
fine birds. There are but three pulletsand 
four cockerels. In one respect they dis¬ 
appoint us: the pullets have not yet layed. 
Their necks and legs are rather longer 
than we had looked for; their plumage is 
more brilliantly colored—iridescent is the 
word to express it. From all that has 
been written about Langslians, we had 
supposed a closer resemblance to the Black 
Cochin. But their necks and legs are 
longer; they are taller birds, and less 
heavily feathered down the legs. Mr. 
Henry Stewart once insisted that the Black 
Cochins and Langslians were the same. 
Henry Hales has intimated that the Lang¬ 
shan is an improved Black Cochin. But 
if these are lit birds for comparison, there 
are marked differences.* 
All who are interested in chemical fer¬ 
tilizers should seud to the Connecticut 
Agricultural Experiment Station for 
Bulletin No 89. This gives 2? analyses 
of special fertilizers, and (JO analyses of 
nitrogenous fertilizers and guano's anal¬ 
yzed by the Station. Prof. Johnson has 
adopted the excellent method of present¬ 
ing the percentage difference between the 
cost of the fertilizer and the station valu¬ 
ation. Thus “Common Sense Fertilizer” 
costs $40 per ton. The station analysis 
shows it to be worth only $15.80 per ton, 
the difference being 153 percent. Chart¬ 
er Oak fertilizer'sells for $30 a ton. The 
Station analysis shows'it, to be worth but 
$15.77—a difference of 90 per cent. Most 
of the fertilizers show a 'fair margin be¬ 
tween the selling price and valuation. 
Address Prof. S. W. Johnson,’New Haven 
Conn. 
We know a man who ran for a county 
office. He ran hard, but. the other man 
ran harder. Somebody had to win, and 
our friend got on the underside. During 
the canvass he traveled all over the 
county, shook hands with everybody’and 
thoroughly organized his campaign. All 
his careful work went for nothing unless 
he expects to run again. 1 Now'bmppose 
he had let polities alone and canvassed 
his own business as carefully as he did the 
county? Suppose he had found out what 
farm product sold best, made business 
friends, talked up bis facilities for mak¬ 
ing good butter, cheese or whatever he 
had to sell, and then gone home and 
worked bis goods into the market he had 
talked up? It will be a very sour man 
who will say he would not have been bet¬ 
ter off to-day. Running for a county of¬ 
fice is about the most unsatisfactory busi¬ 
ness a farmer can get into. Canvassing 
and building up a business is twice as sat¬ 
isfactory. 
TnE practice of planting a tree as a 
celebration of some pleasant family event 
is one well worthy of encouragement. 
In some families a'tree is a 1 wavs planted 
when the baby is christened. The tree is 
named for the little stranger; they grow 
up together. The little one comes early 
to know his tree and a pleasant feeling of 
ownership, respect and association is kind¬ 
led. Surely the idea is a beautiful one. 
In every family there are pleasant meet¬ 
ings. Old and dear friends come to us 
from far a wavy—start up out of the long 
years of forgetfulness. How- can we more 
fittingly celebrate their visit than by 
planting a tree or shrub, that shall grow 
up with the years and whisper to us of 
those who helped start it into vigor? 
And even when death takes one from our 
midst, what more thoughtful tribute to 
the dead can there he than a tree well 
planted and nourished? Its strong, free- 
growing life will bring pleasant memories 
of the one that lias passed away, and its 
leaves will whisper to us and its branches 
reach dowu to us as we sit beneath it. 
For 13 years a driven well has been 
used at the Rural Grounds. The pipe is 
driven through the cellar 17 feet deep and 
connects with a pump in the kitchen. 
Another pipe connects with the cistern 
The water from either the cistern or well 
may be used by turning a crank. The 
driven well has never worked satisfacto¬ 
rily. The water is raised with difficulty 
and the valves of (he pump are soon dis¬ 
ordered from the strain. It has been de¬ 
cided to dig a well near the house and to 
connect the pump by underground lead 
pipes with this well. Large cement bar¬ 
rel-pipes (three feet in diameter) will be 
sunk instead of using stones. The ques¬ 
tion respectfully submitted to our read¬ 
ers is this: Should the top of this well be 
covered, so ug to exclude the air, as well 
as dust, insects, etc., or should it be left 
open the same as other weds from which 
the water is raised in buckets? We find 
that there is a decided difference of opin¬ 
ion on this subject, even among pump 
and well experts. 
■ » • • 
One of the meanest things about the 
Washington Seed distribution is that the 
bulk of the seed is purchased from a few 
favored seedsmen. The competition is 
not open to all. It is not the lowest, price 
or the cleanest, purest seeds necessarily 
that will insure the orders from Washing¬ 
ton. We know of a number of cases in 
which the prices paid for immense quan- 
tilies or certain kinds of seeds were higher 
than those appended in the regular whole¬ 
sale catalogues of well known seedsmen. 
We know of other cases in which the en¬ 
deavors of several of the first seed firms in 
the country to sell the Department seeds of 
the best quality and at the lowest prices 
were unavailing—their letters of inquiry 
and requests for replies quite ignored. 
This Washington seeds business is a dis¬ 
grace in every way; an imposition upon 
the farmer; a fraud upon the seedsmen. 
A few valuable kinds of seed? have been 
distributed by the Department, it is true, 
and so, too, have hundreds of kinds of in¬ 
ferior seeds and thousands of pernicious 
weeds. The farmers can put a stop to 
this fraud. Wp should require a pledge 
from every congressional candidate that 
he. will use his influence to abolish the 
Washington Seed Store. 
Mr. Falconer speaks the Rural’s 
views when he tells us (see his article page 
822) that he buys about everything that 
turns up year after year in the way of nov¬ 
elties. He never depends on a novelty 
for a crop, but takes pleasure in 
growing and comparing it. in his trial 
grounds. People talk, hesavs, of getting 
swindled in novelties, hut it is curious 
that it.is “we old fellows that have practic¬ 
ally engaged in this growing and experi¬ 
ment business for a quarter of a century 
or more, who bnv and trv the most of the 
novelties every year.” “We are only do¬ 
ing a little towards keeping posted in our 
business. We never look for a bonanza, 
no matter bow loudly puffed the alleged 
novelty may be. We take it. easy, keep 
our temper and make a note of it.” 
There are many of our readers who feel 
too poor to invest their hard earnings in 
the high-priced novelties every year?an¬ 
nounced. Too often, it is true, the “nov¬ 
elties” prove to be old things with new 
and taking names; too often, even if new, 
they prove to be inferior to old kinds. 
Nevertheless we must say that in the long 
run, view it which way you will—as a 
matter of profit or instruction or both— 
novelty-testing has amply repaid us. 
- — »» ■ — 
PREPARING FOR BATTLE. 
It is very evident that the battle for 
and against oleomargarine is to be fought 
over again in the next Congress. Last 
Saturday, a large meeting of stockmen at 
St, Louis unanimously adopted resolu¬ 
tions declaring that the wholesale dealers’ 
license of $480, and the retail dealers’ 
license of $48, are exorbitant, and that, the 
tax of two rents per pound on the concoc¬ 
tion meets all requirements and objects of 
the law and fully protects the agricultural 
classes. They stated that the manufac¬ 
ture of oleomargarine enhances the value 
of cattle from $2 to $4, and of hogs from 
13 to 15 cents per head, and urged “all 
friends of the cattle interests” to memor¬ 
ialize Congress “for a reduction of the 
special licenses and for a repeal of all the 
obnoxious prohibitory and monopolistic 
features of the oleomargarine bill.” 
A memorial to Congress was drafted 
and signed by a large number of commis¬ 
sion merchants and exchanges, nnd some 
citizens “setting forth the objectionable 
features of the Oleomargarine Bill and the 
bad effects they have had,” and particu¬ 
larly praying that the special licenses he 
reduced. This is part of a general move¬ 
ment bytheoleo men. Similar “protests 
and petitions” are to be sent to Congress 
from other quarters. Large invested inter¬ 
ests arc terribly persistent in seeking their 
selfish ends,and the oleo interest lmsal ways 
been among the most unscrupulous in this 
way. Tin* supporters of genuine butter 
and honest dealing, too, find several de¬ 
fects in the bill already passed, and it is 
very likely they will seek in the next ses¬ 
sion of Congress the amendments which 
experience may show to be necessary to 
render the law more effective. The final 
issue, must rest with the farmers of the 
country, but they must remember that 
they are fighting against a watchful, 
powerful and deeply interested foe, al¬ 
ways ready to take advantage of any 
remissness or blunder on their side. If 
the oleo men seek in any way to lessen the 
stringency of the present, law, it is very 
likely they will be like the party who 
went out for wool and came home shorn. 
A SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL COL¬ 
LEGE. 
The farmers of South Carolina want 
an agricultural college. What is more they 
propose to demand one and to make the 
the kind of college they want. It’s a most 
encouraging evidence of progress in the 
right direction that the following senti¬ 
ments were loudly applauded at the late 
Farmers’ meeting in Columbia: 
“What we want to guard against is allow¬ 
ing the board of agriculture and the college 
being made an asvlnm for broken-down poli¬ 
ticians and old superannuated Bourbon aris¬ 
tocrats, who are thoroughly incompetent, who 
worship the oast, and arc incapable of progress 
of any sort, but who boldly assume to govern 
lis bv divine right and are ever ready to put 
in their claims to fill every position of honor 
or profit that may offer. These people arc the 
banc of our State, and not knowing how to 
lead, are riding us like “SinbadVoId man of the 
sea” If they are to get control of our agri¬ 
cultural college we had best not found one. for 
they will select ita professors from among their 
kindred and friends, and (he school will fail 
most miserably to fulfill our hopes and expec¬ 
tations.” 
Let the farmers of South Carolina stick 
to these sentiments, and they will yetliave 
a college to be proud of It was proposed 
at the above mentioned meeting to permit 
the various counties of flic Stale to bid for 
the location of the college. In this way 
the farm could be obtained at. a very 
small cost. Tt was estimated that the in¬ 
stitution could be run at a cost of $30,000 
per year if if could be “kept out of the 
bands of politicians and broken-down gen¬ 
tlemen,” With the present privilege tax 
on fertilizers and the income from the 
land-script fund applied to the maintain- 
ance of the college, the State would have 
but little to pay for its support. It is 
propose! to place the control of the col¬ 
lege in the hands of a Board to be elected 
by State conventions of farmers. In this 
wav politicians will have nothing to do 
with it, while the Granges and other far¬ 
mers’ organizations will control it in every 
way. We wish the farmers of South Car¬ 
olina God speed in tllcir work. Tbev 
have all the mistakes and experiments of 
the past to aid them, and in no part of the 
country can the ideal agricultural college 
be made to accomplish more real good. 
This is the first trial week of the super- 
calendered paper. Readers will please observe. 
After three or four weeks we shall use the 
heavier machine-calendered paper. Then our 
subscribers, those who care about it, are to vote 
which they prefer. 
It is doubtful if the cost of what, seems to 
be a trifling improvement in n journal like the 
R. N.-Y. is adequately considered by most 
readers. For instance, if the supercalendered 
paper be elected, the extra cost will lie pre- 
ciselv $2.50 per thousand eopies each week, 
without adding the increased postal expenses. 
We have succeeded in rooting a fair pro¬ 
portion of grape-vine cuttings liy merely bury¬ 
ing the cuttings in mellow soil and covering 
them with Utter or coarse manure. Let the 
upper bud of the cutting be placed level with 
the soil. Compact, the soil firmly about the 
lower bud. Some varieties will uot strike in 
this w ay. 
Mr. Wm. E. Green, of Vermont, the or- 
igiuutor of the Vergeunes grape. died last 
month, Mr. Green was considered one of the 
best judges of cattle and fruit, in Vermont. 
He was frequently called to Montreal to act 
as judge at. the fairs. A new grane. the Ear 
jy Vermont, considered by good judges supe¬ 
rior to the Vergenties. was originated by Mr 
Green, but has never beeu introduced. 
California Arbor Day was appointed for 
November 27. This was a poor selection. The 
day comes at the wrong senson for tree, plant 
ing. Even in “sunny” California there are 
seasons and seasons. There is a practical side 
to forestry that, must not lie overlooked bv en¬ 
thusiasts. The tree planter is the parent of the 
forest, and he should always be deferred to. 
The Stab/ Forestry Commission of California 
hope to have Arbor Day named for some date 
in February. 
The Connecticut Board of Agriculture will 
hold a meeting at Torrington. Conn.. Decem¬ 
ber 14-i6. An excellent.programme has been 
arranged, including papers from such men as 
1’ M Augur. Professor S. W. Johnson. Pro¬ 
fessor Brewer, John E. Russell and others. 
These fanners’ meetings have done a vast 
amount of good Connecticut is too small a 
State to hold alt t he good they can bring about. 
It spreads ont all over the country. The far¬ 
mer who goes to this meeting will secure ma¬ 
terial enough to keep his brain busy for the 
next year. 
There are very few desirable shrubs that 
will grow close to a house and thrive under 
its sheltering eaves. Nothing that we know 
of is so well adapted for this purpose ns the 
Upright, or Bush Honeysuckles, such as Loni- 
cera fragrantlssima. ldsplda, Btnudishii. etc., 
to be found in the catalogues of most nursery¬ 
men. Their leaves are retained unite fresh 
and green until nearly January. Their flow¬ 
ers are fragrant, and by annual pruning the 
boshes assume as compact a torn as may be 
desired 
The Royal Agricultural Society of England 
propose a horse-shoeing competition at. their 
coming agricultural shows, At past exhibi¬ 
tions cf this kind too much bns been allowed 
for quickness in shoeing, Thera has been a 
tendency to do hasty work rather than to 
show how shoes ought to be put on. The 
cases where a shop must, be put on in a great 
hurry are comparatively few beside those 
where the shoe is to stay on the horse’s foot 
for long and active service. Speed is desir¬ 
able. but excellence in workmanship is best of 
all. In view of the paramount importance of 
sound feet, in the horse and of the injury fre¬ 
quently done liv unskillful shoeing, every en¬ 
couragement should lie given to improvements 
in farriery. 
A L. Pen nock & Son. of Lansdowne, Pa., 
are sending out a circular on the merits of 
what tbev call the “Melon Pear.” a name 
rather misleading. It is possible that the 
above firm is not aware that this is a vorv rid 
plant—an egg nlnnt indeed—known in Eng¬ 
land since 1.7*7. Gray’s Garden Botany 
(page 230) calls it, an egg plant. Vilmorin 
catalogues it a? an egv plant. Its botanical 
name is Solnnum Melongenn. This Mr. Pen- 
nook gives. We are not presuming that he 
intends to deceive anybody in his circular. 
In fact, the firm expressly!states that thev have 
uot, fruiter! it. But it would have been well to 
do so before issuing the circular. 
It looks as though the successful Fanners’ 
Institutes of the Winter are goiug to be those 
under the direction of a regular manager, 
who makes it Ids business to see that the pro¬ 
grammes ura arranged and carried out. A 
good anpropriafion is needed to start t hese in¬ 
stitutes as they should lie started. There is 
enough good to be accomplished at these meet¬ 
ings to make it worth while to pnv a mini well 
to look after them and give his whole time to 
the work. There ought to be a rousing meet¬ 
ing held in every count V of New York State 
this Wiulipr. but who has heard of anv move¬ 
ment towards such a result? We believe in 
Farmers’ Institutes. They pay well. They 
can’t tic carried on for nothing, and State 
Boards of Agriculture can’t go to sleep nnd 
dreiun them. 
SlCKNBSS’Vuid death frequently enter the 
system through the feet. Fashion has killed 
hundreds, but its victims grow fewer. It is 
more in the style now to wear wanner cloth¬ 
ing about the chest and to permit more plav 
for the lungs. People have the hardest work 
to get over the idea that small feet arc an ev¬ 
idence of breeding. The tendency still is to¬ 
wards the thinnest of shoes and stockings. 
These coining directly against the cold pave¬ 
ments of the city cause many a case of pneu¬ 
monia that might have been avoided. To the 
creditnf farmers and their I'lumlies be it said 
that they have far less of this absurd veneration 
for small feet, vet there are many who dislike 
to wear shoes large enough to permit of prop¬ 
er foot covering or who would rather have 
their feet danqieued than be seen wearing an 
overshoe. Such a feeling is all nonsense. 
Comfort and health should always be consult¬ 
ed first of all. Money spent'for warm'aud 
comfortable foot coverings is well spout. 
