66 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
January 28 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850. 
Elbert S. Carman, Editor-In-Chief. 
Herbert W. Collingwood, Managing Editor. 
Frank H. Valentine, I Associate Editors 
Mrs. E. T. Royle, j- Associate suitors. 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.04, equal to 
8s. 6d., or 8*4 marks, or 10*4 francs. 
ADVERTISING RATES. 
Thirty cents per agate line (14 lines to the inch). Yearly orders 
of 10 or more lines, and 1,000-line orders, 25 cents per line. 
Reading Notices, ending with “Adv.," 75 cents per 
count fine. Absolutely One Price Only. 
Advertisements inserted only for responsible and honorable houses 
We must have copy one week before the date of issue. 
Name and address of sender, and what the remittance is for, 
should appear in every letter. 
Remittances may be made in money order, postal order, express 
order, personal check or bank draft. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
409 Pearl Street, New York. 
SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 1889 
5 
for 
$4 
Send us a club of four subscriptions with $4, 
and we will advance your own subscription 
one year free, or send one new subscription for 
a neighbor with 81, and ask for your choice of 
these books : 
New Potato Culture...$0.40 
Business Hen.40 
The Nursery Book.50 
American Grape Training.75 
Horticulturist’s Rule Book.50 
We send any one of them, post paid, as a reward for 
sending us one new subscription. 
Two weeks ago, we spoke of the doings of the 
creamery shark in western New York. When he 
found that the farmers understood the matter, he 
came down over 81,000 on his price. That is part of 
what you get by standing up for your rights ! 
Oub institute workers want to remember these 
things among others: 
1. Specialists and fancy farmers can take care of 
themselves. 
2. The common farmers are getting tired of big 
stories and sick of funny (?) stories without point. 
3. It is better to put great thoughts into A, B, C 
language than to put A, B, C thoughts into “ great” 
language. 
New Yorkebs often allude playfully to their neigh¬ 
bor Connecticut as the Wooden-nutmeg State ; but the 
worm has turned, and Connecticut now talks back on 
the subject of New York’s peach-stone almonds. It 
appears that a New Haven fruit dealer complains of 
a new fraud, which consists in treating peach pits to 
some process by which they assume the outside ap¬ 
pearance of almonds. It is only when the consumer 
smashes a nutcracker or about 812 worth of teeth, 
dentists’ rates, in the endeavor to break the shell, 
that he realizes the fraud. Peach-pit almonds seem 
worthy to go down in history arm-in-arm with shoe- 
peg oats. 
We begin this week a careful description of what 
is known as the Torrens system of registering land 
titles. Several farm papers have mentioned this sys¬ 
tem, but The R. N.-Y. is the first to give an accurate 
legal statement about it. We favor this system, by 
all means. We fail to see what sound argument can 
be made against it. It will save thousands of dollars 
now spent for useless “ searches,” and give greater 
security to property. The lawyers will oppose it, for 
it will mean fewer legal quibbles and less money spent 
in searching titles. An effort is being made to estab¬ 
lish the system in Michigan, and we do not see how 
any land owner can oppose it. 
We doubt whether the no-breakfast scheme advo¬ 
cated on page 69 will find much favor among farmers. 
It might among city workers who dwell in suburban 
towns, and who must rush to catch trains in the 
morning. We heard one such individual, only a few 
days ago, say that he hadn't eaten a breakfast in 10 
years; he didn’t have time. The morning meal of 
many a worker consists mostly of a cup of coffee, a 
roll or slice of bread, a dish of oatmeal or other cereal, 
and perhaps not even so much as this. We doubt the 
wisdom of the radical change advocated, for those 
engaged in hard manual labor. It would, undoubtedly, 
benefit some, especially those engaged in sedentary 
occupations. We believe that the time to eat is when 
one is hungry, and the healthy stomach certainly de¬ 
mands food long before the noon hour. Many physi¬ 
cians advise against the practice of going out in the 
early morning without first taking a little something 
to “ stay the stomach,” especially in malarious locali¬ 
ties. Some sanitariums recommend two meals a day, 
but they have the dinner hour late, make this a heavy 
meal, and dispense with the evening meal. At any 
rate, a radical change like the one proposed should be 
made cautiously. It is a fad which has been helped 
along by the publication of a book on the subject, and 
like many other fads, finds many followers, and is 
bound to flourish for a time. 
The inquirer on page 68, who wishes a balanced ra¬ 
tion made up largely of what he can produce on the 
farm, says that he has some of the “ Farmers’ Bulle¬ 
tins ” on the subject, but that they are largely bal¬ 
anced for city people who have everything to buy. 
The names applied to such publications would seem 
to be misnomers. The trouble with many of our sci¬ 
entific friends is that they know little or nothing of 
the situation and needs of farmers. They study 
books too much and people too little. They need to 
get around more and learn the difficulties and prob¬ 
lems that confront the every-day farmer. Some of 
them do this, and they are rendering him great ser¬ 
vice in helping to solve his problems. Come out of 
your shells, gentlemen, and meet face to face the peo¬ 
ple whose interest you are paid to serve ! 
“ Why can’t you let the farmers’ institutes alone ?” 
says John Smith. “ They are doing well, the people 
come in crowds, and all are well satisfied. They may 
not be all they should be, but they are doing well. 
Why criticise them ? Why set people talking against 
them ?” John Smith earns about 830 each year at 
institute work. He is a fair speaker, but not much 
of a farmer. On the other hand, James Brown says 
that the institutes are doing little good. The speak¬ 
ers thrash over old straw, he says, and are chiefly 
anxious to make a good personal impression so as to 
be called next year to the same place. James Brown, 
by the way, did some institute work last year which 
was not satisfactory to the managers. Now where 
lies the truth ? Is the institute reaching new men ? 
Is it getting hold of the people who most need its 
help? A fair answer seems to be, Yes—but not as 
fast as it should. We think New York State should 
copy western methods more, give more time to “ local 
talent ”, and make more of the social features. 
A food inspector recently seized in a store at Roth- 
erhithe, London, 1,100 cans of fish, soup, meat, toma¬ 
toes and milk, all in a state of absolute putridity. It 
was discovered that many of the cans had been pricked 
to let out the foul gas, and then deftly resealed, which 
was regarded as evidence that the actual condition of 
the stuff was known. The shopkeeper was fined £50 
for exposing the cans for sale, and £50 for selling 
them, a total of nearly 8500, the magistrate stating 
that, if he could find the person responsible for prick¬ 
ing the tins, he would give the culprit six months’ 
hard labor. We noted recently several cases of poison¬ 
ing from canned corn in this country, where the stuff 
had been served as a side dish in a cheap restaurant, 
and where it was, doubtless, purchased at a low price 
because of defective quality. We cannot insist too 
strongly upon thorough investigation of cases of sup¬ 
posed poisoning from canned products; apart from the 
danger to public health, such cases throw discredit 
upon the products, and damage an important industry. 
* • • 
Over 50 years ago, when the late Senator Morrill 
was 38 years old, he had saved what seemed to him 
money enough so that he gave up active business and 
retired to a farm. Seven years later, he was sent to 
Congress, and for the rest of his long life, represented 
Vermont at Washington. This fact is mentioned to 
show how the instincts of most money-makers have 
changed since the war. Half a century ago, when 
men made a modest fortune, it was quite customary 
for them to retire—usually going to the farm. They 
did not spend their lives in idleness, but in study and 
helpful work, both public and private. They seemed 
to realize that society had given them the chance to 
make their money, and that society, or public in¬ 
terests, had a right to demand something from them 
in return. We see but little of that old spirit to-day. 
When a man has made enough money to last him 
through an honorable life, does he stop in order to 
give others a chance ? No ; as a rule, he works harder 
than ever to roll up an immense fortune. He cannot 
possibly spend it, and he knows that it will be likely 
to make his children idle rather than useful members 
of society. These men might often do great public 
service if they would accept office and apply their 
business talents to public affairs. They are “too 
busy.” At what? Piling up great fortunes which 
they cannot use, and which often represent so much 
more taken in small sums from the many. One thing 
that troubles this country is the fact that the race of 
men who “know when they have enough” is dying 
out. Instead of a useful class of retired middle-aged 
men, we have fathers who work like slaves for money 
until they die, and sons who spend that money for 
pleasure. Another trouble is that rich men do not 
realize what they owe to the public. But for the 
millions of poorer men whose necessity or convenience 
they have served, they could not have gained their 
wealth. They owe the public—the public is their 
creditor. Senator Morrill retired “when he had 
enough”, and gave his maturer years to the service of 
his State and country. What an example he set for 
the men who will die in the fight for gold ! 
About 88,000,000 or 89,000,000 are sent out of the 
country annually for little things; 850,000 here, 
8100,000 there, the list comprising a large number of 
articles of necessity or luxury. It is a hobby of the 
Secretary of Agriculture to reduce these eight or nine 
millions, and to keep as much of the money as pos¬ 
sible in the country ; not by attempting to educate 
the people to do without the articles, but to raise 
them in the United States, so that the money will be 
spent among our own people. The latest sub-division 
of this hobby is Easter lilies, which are imported in 
large amounts every season, from Bermuda, to the 
value of about 860,000. But Secretary Wilson thinks 
that this ornamental can be grown just as well in 
some of our southern States as in Bermuda. At least 
he has spent 8500 in purchasing lily bulbs for distribu¬ 
tion to different points in the South ; and now he has 
just sent special agent M. G. Kains to Bermuda, to 
find out what he can about Easter lily culture. The 
inference is that the first thing Bermuda knows she 
will find that her lilies are not wanted in her former 
market in the United States, but that the Yankees 
have captured her market with their home product. 
Our people must cultivate these lilies properly, or 
there will be no sense in trying to encourage the in¬ 
dustry. 
BREVITIES. 
Tick! Tick! Tick! Tick! says the good old clock on the mantel, 
speaking low. 
X have marked your time for a goodly while, as fast the minutes go. 
Yon gray-haired man was a child in arms when my first Tick! 
Tick! was heard, 
Yet the babe asleep in his crib upstairs, for years shall hear my 
word. 
Tick! Tick! Tick! Tick! says the brave old clock; keeping step 
with Time’s slow pace 
Alike through sickness and joy and grief, have the hours passed 
o’er my face. 
The weary hours that have crawled like snails at the close of 
life’s long day, 
And joyous hours that have seemed so short to the younger hearts 
at play. 
Tick! Tick! For my hands have marked them all as over my face 
they flew, 
Yet never a wrinkle the old clock shows—its face is smooth and 
true. 
Tick! Tick! Tick! Tick! says the hopeful clock—I have seen 
strange things up here; 
I have seen death touch with his blighting hand all things the 
world holds dear. 
I have seen the boy who left at morn, with his face aglow with 
pride, 
At eve come back like a broken man, to the faith he once denied. 
Tick! Tick! Tick! Tick! I have seen the hopes and the work of 
man decay, 
But never have known God’s word to fall—Tick! Tick! and He 
lives to-day! 
Be deed your creed. 
I can’t is a can ker worm. 
Keen as a brier—mean as a liar. 
Do not turn service into servitude. 
A poor farmer makes a poor farm. 
It's high time we got rid of low desires. 
Who can build up “ cheek ” without breaking down conscience? 
They are manufacturing future institute workers in Ohio—see 
page 56. 
Wouldn’t your customers esteem some of that steam-forced 
asparagus ? 
“ I manufacture widows and orphans,” says the soldier! “I 
feed them,” says the farmer. 
We never before saw so much advice about feeding salt to poul¬ 
try. What’s the need of it ? 
We wish Mr. Slingerland, page 55, could induce the humbug to 
hibernate during the Winter. 
Don’t ‘‘nurse your wrath it is like feeding cow’s milk to a 
wolf when it ought to go to feed the baby. 
That great cow, Bella, page 61, is one-sixteenth “ off ” in her 
pedigree, and that represents over $900 in value. Her head seems 
to indicate a drop of Short-horn blood. 
One gardener sits down and says “ them book fellers can’t 
teach me anything! ” Another gets a start on growing rhubarb 
in the dark and forcing asparagus with steam. Which is your 
class ? 
Ex- Vice-President. That X was a good title to add to the name 
of Hamilton Busbey. The New York State Agricultural Society 
did it in good shape. His “ eminent services to agriculture ” de¬ 
served it. 
John Gould tells us that even bran is now divided. In northern 
Ohio, the “ white” bran is largely fed, and the coarse bran is 
sent elsewhere. We have noticed that the bran we buy has less 
fine particles in it than formerly. 
It is said that California wineB are sold so cheaply that their 
use has seriously injured the sales of beer, especially in New 
Orleans and other southern cities. Some restaurants in this city 
give a small bottle of wine with a dinner! 
