8 
DEG 48 
THE 
THE 
RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
A National Journal for Country and Suburban Homes, 
Conducted by 
ELBERT 8. CARMAN. 
Address 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
No. 34 Park Row, New York. 
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1886. 
NOTICE. 
All subscribers who desire the Rural’s 
Seed Distribution must apply for 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.” 
And so we are blessed with the oppor¬ 
tunity of once more wishing our readers a 
Merry Christmas. And we wish it rigi t 
heartily. 
A.ND again the year is nearing its close. 
How the years roll by! Many, very many 
of our readers are growing old. And the 
Rural is growing old too, and its editors 
along with it. But we hope to live an¬ 
other year and to give our best efforts to 
the Rural, and again next year, as now, to 
wish our friends a Merry, Merry Christ¬ 
mas! 
The next number of the ll.N.-Y. (Dec. 
25) will be the Index Number, the last of 
the year. The average index of weekly 
papers is of little value to anybody. 
The reason is probably that a carefully 
prepared index involves not only an im¬ 
mense amount of patient labor, but it 
must be prepared by those who are skilled 
in the work. The real value of a compre¬ 
hensive, accurate index to a farm journal 
is known only to those progressive farmers 
who are liable at any time to desire spe¬ 
cific information on any of the important 
farm questions which may arise and 
which need immediate answers. 
It still seems to be an open question 
whether it is more profitable to grow a 
single ear or two ears or more of corn to 
a stalk. It is a question that ought to 
be easily answered. If the single ear 
gives a greater weight of grain than two 
or more ears it is unquestionably the best 
corn to raise. If it, gives the same amount 
of grain, it is still the best corn to grow, 
for it takes about twice as much time to 
husk and shell two ears as it does one. 
For 10 years wc have raised both the so- 
called Blount’s Prolific and the Chester 
County Mammoth. The former will av¬ 
erage over two ears to a stalk; the latter 
less than one ear. And yet the average 
yield of the Chester in shelled corn is,year 
after year, greater than the other. 
There is an immense field for the im¬ 
provement of nuts by crossing. Thus the 
Japan and American chestnuts could very 
readily be crossed, the male and female 
flowers being distinct on the same plant 
(monoecious) as in Gupulifer®, or the Oak 
Family in general. It would only be 
necessary to shake the ripe male flowers 
(catkins) of the one over the little cone- 
like females of the others, and then cover 
them with light, strong paper for a few 
days. It would be just as easy as to 
cross different varieties of corn. We 
should have attempted the cross last Sum¬ 
mer, except that our only specimen of 
Japan ChestDUt bore only sterile flowers. 
Of course, in order to originate the best 
crossbreeds it would be judicious to select 
the best of the Japan and American chest¬ 
nuts for parents. This the Rural can 
not do, as we have not discovered any su¬ 
perior American Chestnuts about us, and 
our Japan seedlings are as yet too young 
to bear. But some of our nurserymen or 
readers may act upon the suggestion. 
-• ♦- 
The Hon. A. H. Parker, of New York, 
has introdued a bill into Congress to in¬ 
crease the tax on oleomargarine from two 
to six cents per pound, and also wishes to 
strike out from the present enactment the 
words, “and all oleomargarine intended 
for future consumption which contains in¬ 
gredients adjudged * * * to be deleter¬ 
ious to public health shall be forfeited to 
the United States,” Daiiymen are. con¬ 
stantly com plaining that the present tax is 
insufficient, and that the above clause in 
the bill lately passed gives an unfair ad¬ 
vantage to the dealers in oleo, since it in¬ 
timates that the government stamp is evi¬ 
dence that there are no deleterious ingred¬ 
ients in the concoction; whereas, as a 
matter of fact, the government officials 
have neither the knowledge, time, nor 
facilities for examining the fats used at the 
various factories. It might have been bet¬ 
ter to wait a little longer before seeking 
any amendments to the present lnw,so as to 
allow time enough to learn more thorough¬ 
ly its faults and shortcomings, and the de¬ 
fects in its enforcement. The oleo men, 
however, were preparing to strike; and it 
may be as well that the dairymen have 
got in the first blow. 
The following articles will appear early 
in the New Year: 
Manure versus Drought. 
By Dr. W. I. Chamberlain. President of 
the "Iowa Ag. College. 
Beautiful Trees and Shrubs not Well 
Known at the West. 
By Prof. J. L. Budd, of the Iowa Agricul¬ 
tural College. _ 
Experience in Corn Growing. 
By Prof. G. E. Morrow, of the University of 
Illinois. _ 
Lawes & Gilbert’s Experiments. 
By Joseph Harris, of Rochester, N. Y. 
These articles will continue through the entire 
year. _ 
The Outlook for Strawberry Culture. 
By President Parker Earle, of Ills. 
Rose Culture in the Southern States. 
By President P. J Berekmaus, of Georgia. 
Sorghum Halapense and its many Aliases. 
By Hon. Henry W. Ravenel, of South 
Carolina. _ 
More Quite Early and Late Pears. 
By Gen. W. H. Noble, of Connecticut. 
The Farm Labor Problem. 
By Prof. F. A. Gulley, of the Mississippi 
Agricultural College. 
Tobacco Raising in North Carolina. 
By M. B. Prince. 
Notes from Rothamsted. 
By Sir J. B. Lawes, of England. 
Fruit Notes. 
Pres. P. Barry, of New York. 
Dairy Notes. 
By Professor J. P. Sheldon, of England. 
Greenhouse Structures. 
By Peter Hendei-son, of New York. 
The Abolition of the Washington Seed 
Distribution. 
By the R. N.-Y. and several contributors. 
THE WASHINGTON SEED ABOMINA¬ 
TION. 
We propose to do all in our power dur¬ 
ing 1887 to create a feeling inimical to the 
continuance of the Washington Seed 
Abomination. It is assumed that the 
money which it costs—let us say one hun¬ 
dred and fifty thousand dollars yearly— 
is appropriated and spent for the benefit 
of farmers and the promotion of the agri¬ 
cultural interests of the country. AYe have 
never heard of or talked to an intelligent 
farmer who did not regard it as an inju¬ 
dicious expenditure, or else simply as a 
politician's device to further his own sel¬ 
fish ends. 
Who pays this money? Every tax 
payer. But those who do not cultivate 
land can receive no benefit ; while, if those 
who do cultivate land regard is as a prof¬ 
ligate waste of money, there seems no 
reason why this appropriation should con¬ 
tinue, or, if continued, why it should not 
be used for the benefit of farmers in one 
way or another. 
One hundred and fifty thousand dollars 
would amply support a’ Central National 
Experiment Station for three years, if 
good and efficient officers were appointed 
to conduct it, and from such a station we 
might hope for adequate results if the 
farmers of the country were permitted to 
select the officers. But anything of this 
kind if made a political machine, will 
grind out its scanty products at a cost far 
beyond their value*. There are many Con¬ 
gressmen who know full well that this 
seed business is little short of an absolute 
swindle upon the people. There are many 
other Congressman who’favor it solely as 
a method of gaining popularity or votes, 
and it is these alone who are responsible 
for the maintenance of the Washington 
Seed Store. But the farmers can change 
this if they will, and it shall be our endea¬ 
vor to bring about this change. 
We are by no means opposed to the’ap- 
propriation of one hundred and fifty thou¬ 
sand dollars or of twice that amount for 
the promotion of farm "interests; hut we 
don’t want the farmers to get the name 
and the politicians to get the game. Now, 
readers of the Rural and brethren of the 
farm press, let us heartily unite and see 
what we can do. 
PRIZES FROM THE RURAL’S SEEDS. 
A CLOSE CONTEST. 
THE PRIZES WIDELY DISTRIBUTED. 
Manitoba, Secures the Corn Prise\ Iowa has 
the Heaviest Peas ; Kansas the Heaviest 
Watermelon ; Arizona the Heaviest Can¬ 
taloupe. 
ANGEL OF MIDNIGHT CORN. 
This contest was exceeding close and 
very hard to decide. The prize was of¬ 
fered for “the longest car containing the 
greatest number of kernels.” Our idea 
was to select the ear producing the great¬ 
est weight of grain. The best ears varied 
greatly: one report was sent of an ear 
15% inches long, containing 885 kernels. 
Another was 10 inches long and contained 
627 kernels. Obviously the kernels in one 
case were much larger than in the other, 
while the weight would be about the same. 
After carefully comparing all records, we 
award the prize to 
E. Fowler, Headingly, Manitoba. 
The prize ear contains 548 kernels and 
is 18 inches long. In our judgment the 
next best ear was that grown by Rev. L. 
S. Ely, Mitchell Co., Iowa. This was 13 
inches long and contained 537 kernels. 
ALASKA PEAS. 
The weights varied very widely, owing 
doubtless to the fact that the peas were 
weighed at different stages of maturity: 
some while green and others when fully 
ripe. To the best of our judgment the 
prize should he awarded to 
Robert E. Crylie, Carrol County, Iowa. 
The 10 pods secured by him weighed 
ounces. Several reports of heavier 
peas were sent to us, but weighed upon 
our own scales they fell far short of the 
reported weight. The next heaviest peas 
were grown by W. H. Taylor, Canada, 
bird cantaloupe. 
The heaviest cantaloupe of w T hich we 
have record was raised by 
AY. A. Lattin, Pinal Co., Arizona. 
This weighed 29 pounds. The next 
largest was grown by B. M. Rixler, Buffalo 
Co., Nebraska, This weighed 20 pounds. 
watermelon. 
The heaviest melon was grown by 
A. M. Pvlk, Edwards Co., Kans. 
It weighed 50 l j pounds and measured 
34 and 54 inches in circumference. The 
next heaviest melon was grown by J. M. 
Moss, Clay Co., Fla. This weighed 50 
pounds. 
The prizes, $10 each, will be forwarded 
to the winners. The contest drew out an 
unusually large number of competitors. 
Many boys and girls won honorable places 
on the list. The Rural returns thanks 
to its friends for their interest in the mat¬ 
ter. AYe wish all could obtain a prize. 
PLEURO-PNEUMONIA MUST BE ERAD¬ 
ICATED. 
In a late communication to the Presi¬ 
dent the Western cattlemen say they “have 
more than $600,000,000 iuvested in cattle 
alone,” and that their vast herds will in 
all probability be swept from the earth if 
contagious pleuro-pueumonia ouce reaches 
the open ranges. Vast as are the cattle in¬ 
terests of the raugemcn, however, they are 
small in comparison with those of the rest 
of the country, which are also endangered. 
A recent investigation into the losses from 
this plague among cattle in Illinois has 
resulted in a report which says that “the 
Hereford interest in the State has suffered 
to the value of $1,000,000”; while the 
annual loss to the cattle interests of the 
State are placed at $10,000,000. Add to 
this loss in Illinois alone those in the rest 
of the country, and the yearly losses in¬ 
curred by the cattle owners of the na¬ 
tion, owing to the presence of this dis¬ 
ease among us, will reach an appalling 
magnitude. Commissioner Colinan well 
says “with a disease of this character at 
Chicago” the cattle industry “hasreached 
a crisis ”; for that is the most dangerous 
point in the whole country for its speedy 
distribution to the pastures and ranges 
of the entire AVest. Before the disease 
appeared here tens of thousands of cattle 
were shipped to England to be taken to 
the interior to be fattened on American 
corn and feed-stuffs and sold in the mark¬ 
ets as American cattle. The cattle shipped 
to that country now have to be slaught¬ 
ered on the docks, which decreases the 
price of shipping cattle $15 per head. 
The Consolidated Cattle-growers’ Associ¬ 
ation of the United Slates demands of 
Congress a rigid inspection system and an 
appropriation of $5,000,000 to enforce it. 
The President, in his message, recom¬ 
mends prompt action in this line. With 
an overflowing Treasury and absolute con¬ 
trol over transportation between the States 
and the importation of cattle from abroad, 
the responsibility rests on Congress to take 
immediate action on these demands. The 
question concerns the consumers of beef, 
milk, butter and cheese, as well as the 
cattlemen of the country, for the losses 
which will certainly follow inaction or 
negligence at AYasliington will greatly 
increase the prices of these products. 
One of the first bills passed at this session 
of Congress should provide for the erad¬ 
ication of the plague, and it should grant 
full power and money to effect that object. 
BREVITIES. 
The new “ Jessie ” is said to lie the most re¬ 
markable strawberry of latter days. Let us 
see. 
The Eye-Opener and farm-law items will be 
found this week on page 850. The Youth’s 
Department is unavoidably omitted. 
We find that Washington Territory is not 
going to lie behind other paris of the country 
in propagating the Japan Chestnut. We find 
them offered for sale in a catalogue just re¬ 
ceived. 
The important and well-considered address 
of Pres. Lyon before the Michigan State Hor¬ 
ticultural Society will he found in the Grand 
Rapids Democrat of Dec. 1st, 2nd and 3rd, as 
well as a full report of the proceedings. 
AYe should like to see a Central National Ag¬ 
ricultural Experiment Station established— 
say in Missouri—and in the middle of the 
grounds r “ colossal statue of a farmer sup¬ 
plying the world ” designed after our first- 
page engraving. 
Early in January we shall place before our 
readers, in a supplement, a full account of the 
results of last season’s trials of all kinds of 
fertilizers upon potatoes. This experiment is 
a repetition of that made two years ago, 
though more extended. The two will be 
compared together and so illustrated that all 
may understand the more important results 
without much study. 
Scores, if not hundreds, of new grapes 
have been introduced during the past 10 
years, all of which, it has been claimed, were 
superior to the well-known kinds. To-day 
(Deo. 6) not one of these newer grapes can be 
found in our large markets. Of all our native 
grapes, the Catawba is the only one to be 
found in quantity. It. must be considered, 
however, that many years are required so to 
distribute and to propagate a new grape that 
it can be offered for sale in large quantities. 
We were taken to task awhile ago for stating 
that the Niagara Grape sold for a fancy price 
in a Broadway fancy fruit store. “Such 
statements are misleading,” our friend said. 
The grapes referred to were evidently selected 
bunches grown in bags, and so wo remarked 
at the time. We have said over and over 
again, and were the lirst to say in print, that 
the quality of the Niagara is no better than 
that of the Concord in our humble estimation. 
If lieautiful bunches, grown in hags, sell for a 
fancy price, is there any hann in stating it as 
an item of uewsf 
The R. N.-Y. some time ago expressed sur¬ 
prise and doubt as to the statement made by 
one of our leading small-fruit nurserymen 
that the Earhart. Everbearing; and old Ohio 
Everbearing were the same. Mr. L. H. Gir- 
ton, of Bristol, Tnd, writes that, he has them 
both growing side by side, and that they dif¬ 
fer widely in manner of growth, leaf and 
stalk. “In fact,” be says, “the Earhart is 
different from anything of the raspberry kiud 
I know of.” Mr. John Little, of Ontario Can¬ 
ada, writes that he has both kinds and that 
they “bear no resemblance to each other 
whatever.” 
An experiment begun about eight years 
ago ended the past Summer. A strong root 
of Paulownia imperialis was planted in the 
Spring and confined to a single shoot. It 
grew the first season about six feet high. The 
next Spring this growth of a single stem was 
cut off at the ground. All but oue bud was 
rubbed off and a stem lb feet high grew that 
second season. The third year this was ent off 
and the new stem grew about nine feet. Since 
then the new stems have made less and less 
growth until the past Summer,when the plant 
died. The fact is that all pruning tends to 
weaken plants and that severe pruning,if long 
continued is death. 
It is said that in China two species of ants 
which build their nests suspended from the 
branches of trees, are protected by orange 
growers who stretch rods from tree top to tree 
top to serve as bridges for the ants which keep 
the trees clear of injurious vermin. Some 
species of ants have been found to be effectual 
destroyers of canker-worms In this country. 
In Italy and Germany colonies of the common 
black ant. are established in orchards by the 
care of the proprietors as a sure means of 
keeping the tress clean. Here wo are very 
unjust and thankless to ants, worms, toads 
hornets and even snakes. 
Last Summer the first of our blackberries 
to ripen, ns we have stated, was the Early 
Harvest. The date was July 10; the quality 
rich and good. The plants are rather tender. 
The second to ripen was the Snvder. viz., 
July 20. Taylor’s Prolific ripens after Kitta¬ 
tinny. The t horns of this variety are formid¬ 
able. AVilsou Jr. ripened with Kittatinny, 
though claimed to be much earlier. Early 
cluster ripens about with Snvder, a trifle 
earlier than Kittatinny, bnt the berries are 
smaller and the quality certainly no better. 
AY’hat we want is a thornless blackberry of 
the quality and size of the Kittatinny and of 
the hardiness of .Snyder. No. doubt we shall 
have it some day. 
