THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
March 3 
154 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMENS PAPER. 
A National V/eekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes, 
Established 1850. 
Herbert W. Collinowood, Editor. 
Dr. Walter Van Fleet, j 
H. E. Van Deman, V Associates. 
Mrs. E. T. Royle, | 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
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THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
409 Pearl Street, New York. 
SATURDAY , MARCH 3, 1900. 
At the recent meeting of the Eastern New York 
Horticultural Society, Prof. S. A. Beach, of the Gen¬ 
eva Experiment Station, read an excellent paper on 
new varieties of fruits recently tested at the Station. 
We hope to give this paper in full at an early date. 
The R. N.-Y. is generally recognized as the paper 
which devotes most attention to a discussion of 
varieties. While not the “only” paper in this line, 
we may fairly say that many years of study and ob¬ 
servation have given us the right to speak with 
some authority. 
ft 
A learned German investigator has found that 
the quarrelsome tendency of strange lots of swine 
may be overcome by plying the animals with cheap 
spirits when first turned into the pen together. The 
beasts are made mellow, and when the resulting 
sleep has passed they wake fully acquainted and at 
peace with all and sundry. This is the best use we 
ever heard that liquor has been put to. Throw 
whisky to the swine, it makes them friends! That’s 
more than can oe said of its effect upon humans! It 
might be used for irrigating hops or tobacco! 
ft 
On page 151, Mr. MacKellar asks some questions 
that are of great importance to dairymen. Will it 
pay to put Soy beans or cow peas into the silo with 
the corn? In theory such a combination would make 
just about a perfect bovine ham sandwich, but most 
of the authorities say that corn is the silo crop, and 
that it is better to cut and dry such crops as clover, 
peas or beans. That has been our opinion, but we 
always try to get an opinion out of the way when a 
real fact comes along. We won’t budge for a theory 
or a bogus fact, but if anyone has the real article re¬ 
garding this silo crop—we want to Know it. 
fluence and character for sale to the highest bidder, 
we know that there are still to be found newspaper 
men who realize the responsibilities of their profes¬ 
sion, and honestly try to be true to them. 
ft 
The officeholders always do effective political work 
for their party. On their travels they talk about 
what the party has done, and frequently put in just 
the word needed to make a convert. It is to their in¬ 
terest to do this. Institute speakers and others who 
are supposed to work in the interests of agriculture 
may do some effective tongue-grafting as members 
x of the American Apple Consumers’ League. Talk 
Apple! Apple! Apple! Let no hotel or restaurant 
keeper escape! if apples are not mentioned on the 
bill of fare call for them louder than ever. Make ap¬ 
ple-eating fashionable. You gentlemen spend much 
time in showing us now to produce fine apples; now, 
then, help create a new demand for them. 
ft 
There seems to be no doubt that a large proportion 
of the Kieffer pears that are canned are sold under 
Bartlett labels. Millions of cans of Kieffers are an¬ 
nually sold, but who ever saw this name on a label? 
Served in the raw, Bartlett is a name to swear by, 
while Kieffer is a name to swear at; yet, when weil 
preserved, Kieffer is the better of the two. There is 
no good reason why tne Bartlett label should be 
used. It is only a dishonest attempt to steal a free 
ride to popular favor on an honest old name. The 
scheme of the oleo men is much the same. For cen¬ 
turies butter has ranked justly as the best fat for 
human consumption. It nas a characteristic color 
and appearance. The whole scheme of the oleo men 
is to counterfeit this color and appearance. No one 
can object when the Kieffer canners or the oleo men 
put their product out for just what it is, but both 
producers and consumers have a right to protest when 
they attempt to sneak into market behind “Bartlett’’ 
or butter. 
ft 
A teamster in Connecticut was hired to cart 
garbage away from a town at a regular rate per ton. 
He drove his loaded wagon on the scales, and re¬ 
ceived credit for the weight, it was finally found 
that his scheme was to pump his wagon partly full of 
water before weighing. He was thus paid nearly $3 
per ton for hauling water. This flooded his own 
pocketbook, but tapped the pockets of ihe taxpayers. 
We think of this when we see the cars that are loaded 
with New York stable manure. The manure is loaded 
on the car, and then tne man with the hose mounts 
it and soaks -- well down with water. Several tons 
of the “real fiuid" are added, and then tne car is 
weighed. The farmer pays for it all. Sometimes his 
fork will run against great chunits of ice weighing 
several hundred pounds. This water has no greater 
agricultural value than the rain which falls upon the 
farm. Think of the folly of buying and hauling this 
water when cow peas, grown on the back fields of the 
farm, will supply cheaper and better vegetable 
matter. 
Next week The R. N.-Y. will issue its annual nov¬ 
elty or catalogue number. It will contain careful re¬ 
views of the horticultural catalogues, with special 
reference to new varieties, or novelties of promising 
merit. This annual review of the novelties has be¬ 
come a standard feature of The R. N.-Y. and adver¬ 
tisers and readers alike demand it. There are fewer 
novelties than usual this year, and we notice that 
the big stories and extravagant pictures are giving 
place to photographic engravings and businesslike 
statement. \ou will get the heart of it next week in 
picture, song and story—with much interesting mat¬ 
ter besides. 
ft 
The Rev. Chas. M. Sheldon, author of In His Steps, 
is to try the experiment of editing a Kansas daily 
paper for one week. His guide both as to editorial 
expression and business dealings will be the question, 
“What would Jesus do?” We have not referred to 
this experiment before, because it has seemed to us 
much like a shrewd advertising scheme on the part 
of the owner of the paper. We receive letters and 
circulars soliciting advertisements, on the plea that 
this novel experiment will attract many new readers 
to the paper, and thus make it a good advertising 
medium. It will also offer a good chance for adver¬ 
tisers to learn whether the statements made in their 
advertisements come up to the test. It does not seem 
likely to us that a man without long training and ex¬ 
perience can hope to succeed in making an ideal 
newspaper. Sound judgment, based on long years of 
clean and hopeful thinking, will be necessary, for it 
must be admitted that Jesus Himself used rare judg¬ 
ment and wisdom in His dealings with mankind. 
While it is true that too many papers offer their in- 
Out in Michigan, about 30 years ago, a barefoot 
man, one Summer day, was following the tracks of 
a trespassing horse across a newly-plowed field. The 
sandy soil was scorching hot, the man winced at 
every step, till he reached a place where the horse 
had rolled. There the soil was gratefully cool; a 
coolness produced by evaporation, but none the less 
grateful. The man wanted to produce a good seed 
bed on that field, after the stray horse had been shut 
out. He fell to thinking of the cool spot, and wished 
he could make one the size of the field. While plow¬ 
ing that afternoon, it occurred to him that a stone- 
boat would pack the earth, but it would also leave 
it too smooth. Then he thought of some combina¬ 
tion of planks that would both firm the soil and 
roughen the surface. The plank drag resulted. The 
inventor used it immediately, and has used it ever 
since with increasing delight. He loads it down well, 
and goes over the newly-plowed furrows at the close 
of every half day. At first his neighbors ridiculed 
him; now many men use this device. It is efficient 
and cheap, and not a “horse-killer.” 
ft 
Paris-green is very popular as an insect poison. 
Its use is so general that many States have attempted 
to protect those who use it by passing laws defining 
the amount of arsenic it must contain, and punishing 
those who adulterate it. This has led to a curious 
state of affairs. Many samples of so-called Paris- 
green contain more than the required per cent of 
arsenious oxide, yet are not the true articles at all. 
The extra poison is secured by adding white arsenic 
or other forms which are soluble in water. True 
Paris-green is not soluble in water—it makes a 
mechanical mixture, and this is one of its best quali¬ 
ties. The water-soluble arsenic does considerable 
damage by burning or scalding the leaves of tender 
plants. The California Experiment Station has made 
a thorough study of the various arsenical poisons. It 
says that the laws governing the sale of Paris-green 
should be made more exact. It is not enough to make 
the manufacturers guarantee the full amount of 
arsenious oxide, but they should go further, and state 
how much of this is soluble in water. This is a seri¬ 
ous matter in California, where the foliage is badly 
injured by the soluble poison. In other parts of the 
country the leaves are not so likely to be injured, yet 
the pure Paris-green is the ideal poison, and the low 
per cent of soluble arsenic would be the surest 
guarantee. 
ft 
The idea of feeding a crop in order to produce 
something to sell or something to feed to stock is 
common enough. All farmers realize the necessity 
for doing it. The idea of feeding an animal in order 
to produce manure is also well understood. The plan 
of feeding a plant in order to fertilize the ground is 
new to most farmers, and yet it is just as reasonable 
as either of the others. The southern cow pea has 
remarkable power for restoring worn-out soils. It 
will grow and thrive in light, poor soils where most 
plants would be dried out. Its finger marks are al¬ 
ways plainly seen in the crops that follow it—it puts 
“something green” in their eye. The cow pea makes 
good use of the minerals—potash and phosphoric 
acid. We are sometimes told of turning sheep into a 
poor field and feeding them heavily with grain. Af¬ 
ter a season of such pasturing the poor field is so well 
manured that it will produce a fair crop. It is just 
as reasonable to pasture a poor field with cow peas, 
and feed them well on potash and phosphoric acid. 
They will give that field character at small cost. 
The cow pea is not suited to the richer fields—he may 
become a partial loafer there. On the poor, back 
fields, which almost every farm is ashamed of, the 
cow pea will prove a hustler and an organizer of in¬ 
dustry. 
ft 
BREVITIES. 
Our temper runs away at times, as everybody knows; 
We say things, while we’re angry, that we won’t say in 
repose. 
To show the truest penitence, this little maxim keep: 
Just make it up before you go to sleep! 
Don’t let the darkness find you with a sword of anger 
drawn 
To make some fond heart suffer till the breaking of the 
dawn. 
Come, let your anger vanish; knock your pride into a 
heap; 
Just make it up before you go to sleep! 
Who knows where you will wander when the shades of 
night depart? 
Don’t enter that dim country with hot anger in your 
heart! 
Don’t mind the provocation—as ye sow so shall ye reap; 
Just make it up before you go to sleep! 
A boy is better than a careless man. 
Who ever saw a dead sure thing in life? 
Let Bossy boss the job of eating her dinner. 
Knock off the head and tail of theory and you have O. 
The poultry flock is divided into layers and lame uns. 
The man who has no troubles of his own—is usually 
asleep. 
The American mule is doing great work in South 
Africa. 
Why not name some big-eared variety of corn The 
Donkey? 
Test out your cows, and show your sweetest manners 
to those who can—sell those that can’t for canners. 
There has been a compromise over the tariff with 
Porto Rico—one-fourth of the regular duty is proposed. 
There have been many stories afloat about the use of 
compressed air as a motor, as suggested on page 143 . 
Who can tell us anything definite about it? 
The bedbug problem is a bad one to contemplate, but 
it will sometimes, persist in forcing itself upon us. The 
Hydrocyanic acid gas treatment is worth trying. 
Keeley, the “gold-cure” man, is dead. His life was 
useful, if he did nothing more than to show that drunk¬ 
enness is a disease which is more easily prevented than 
cured. 
Poultry diseased with tuberculosis should be put under 
control of the State Agricultural Department! If the 
State fowls go under such control it may be argued that 
the State Fair should also go there! 
Spray the district school with character. You must 
mix the character in your own heart before you can 
spray it through your mouth. The teacher and the boys 
know bogus morals when they see them. 
Mr. Van Deman’s article on grafting this week, is a 
model for clearness and simple language. Come now, 
gentlemen, head your science low down, so that those 
who stand on the ground can pick the ripe fruit. 
During the last fiscal year Uncle Sam did something of 
a foreign trade in eggs. He exported 33,057,720 eggs. Cuba 
was his best customer, for that Island took 60 per cent 
of the whole, with Canada next. That represented but 
a small part of Uncle Sam’s hen fruit—It merely shows 
what ought to be done for the American hen. 
