THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
March 11 
188 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850. 
Ei.bert S. Carman, Editor-in-Chief. 
Herbert W. Collinowooii, Managing Editor. 
Associate Editors. 
Frank H. Valentine, I 
Mrs. E. T. Hoyle, ( j 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
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of 10 or more lines, and 1,000-line orders, 25 cents per iine. 
Reading Notices, ending with “Adt.," 75 cents per 
count line. Absolutely One Price Only. 
Advertisements inserted only for responsible and honorable houses 
We must have copy one week before the date of issue. 
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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, MARCH 11, 1899. 
The practical reality of soil inoculation is brought 
before us by the action of one large seed firm, which 
now offers legume-inoculated soil, to be used as a 
“ starter.” The li. N.-Y. has often alluded to the 
fact that, on some soils, a leguminous crop, such as 
clover or peas, is slow to start, owing to a deficiency 
of those peculiar bacteria which aid the plant in ob¬ 
taining nitrogen from the air. Now, however, we 
may buy these nitrogen-catchers just as we may buy 
a butter-starter for dairy use. We realize that we 
have friends as well as foes among the busy bacteria. 
In studying the various seed and plant catalogues, 
and advertisements of the same, one is struck with 
the great number of premiums and prizes of various 
kinds offered. Many offer considerable sums of money 
for the best names for new varieties-originated or in¬ 
troduced by them. Others offer prizes for the largest 
crops raised from seeds of certain specified varieties. 
Some offer liberal inducements for introducing the 
seeds to neighbors, while others make liberal offers 
for the names of seed-buying friends. Evidently, the 
growing of seeds is only a small part of the business ; 
the selling of them is greater. Keen competition and 
an increased number of seed and plant dealers are re¬ 
sponsible for this. 
The rush of skilled labor and money to Cuba is some¬ 
thing remarkable. Shrewd, active men from all over 
the country are flocking to the Island after a chance 
to make money, and millions of dollars are being 
quietly invested in land. We know of one company 
formed to take up a tract of rich land just outside of 
Havana for farming purposes. It is proposed to plant 
50 acres of potatoes, 15 of beans and 10 each of toma¬ 
toes and onions—carrying tools and fertilizers from 
this country, and shipping the produce back. Some 
enormous profits are figured out of this venture, but 
for our part, we are willing to continue to grow these 
crops in New Jersey. How this country of ours would 
bloom if this skilled labor and capital could be ap¬ 
plied to the improvement of our own soil and market! 
In a letter to the Secretary of the American For¬ 
estry Association, Secretary Wilson gives his opinion 
as to the value of timber belts or hedges as a protec¬ 
tion against winds in a prairie country. He observes 
that the farmer can graze earlier in the Spring and 
later in the Fall when he has such protection for his 
pasture lands. Concerning the importance of tree 
protection and tree planting to the farmers, he states 
that, throughout one-third, or possibly even one-half 
of the United States, all land values rest upon the 
ability to obtain an artificial supply of water, while 
it is generally believed that the destruction of forests 
at the headwaters of many streams affects the water 
supply greatly. The connection between crippled 
forests and periodical droughts alternated by freshets, 
is very often overlooked by those most deeply inter¬ 
ested. The farmer needs a voice in forestry affairs. 
In regard to the correspondence course in agriculture 
at the Pennsylvania State College, Prof. Watson says 
that its success is even beyond their expectations. 
The responses have been most gratifying, and the 
work done by students enrolled most encouraging. 
He says that many of the papers sent in response to 
the examination questions are finely written, and 
would do credit to advanced students. Prof. Watson 
hopes and believes that these correspondence courses 
in the different departments of agricultural work 
will go far to bridge over the chasm between the 
scientist and the practical farmer ; that the scientific 
part of farming may be simplified and brought home 
to the latter in a manner that he can appreciate and 
comprehend. He also believes that these correspond¬ 
ence lessons will be the means of fitting many teachers 
in the country schools for work along lines heretofore 
neglected, but now considered most desirable by all 
advanced educators. 
Reports from Michigan are that farmers “ are wild 
over beet sugar.” The average farmer of good sense 
doesn’t get “wild” nowadays, but no doubt, in parts 
of Michigan and New York, farmers are anxious to 
find some new crop that will pay fair returns in cash. 
The beet-sugar factories have paid ca3h for beets, and 
most farmers who are naturally good cultivators grew 
fair crops. The beets, probably, paid as well as wheat, 
corn, or most fruits. Our advice would be for farmers 
to raise beets whenever they can obtain a contract for 
them at a fair price. As to investing money in the 
factory—that is another matter. Personally, we would 
not do it, for we have no hesitation in sayiug that the 
chances are that Cuba and the Philippines, under 
American management, and with American capital, 
will settle the sugar-growing question within a com¬ 
paratively few years. There is no reason why the 
farmer should not handle a share of the State bounty 
for beet sugar, but let him keep his money out of the 
factory! 
Free delivery of the mail in rural districts is sure 
to come some day. Every scheme to extend the ser¬ 
vice into the country makes an argument in its favor, 
for the more farmers see of it the more they realize 
its advantages. There is a bill now before Congress 
which provides 
That all contracts for carrying mail on star routes made after 
the passage of this act shall include the deposit in the proper 
boxes placed on the line of the routes for this purpose, without 
charge to the addressees, any mail matter that may be Intrusted 
to the carrier for such distribution by auy postmaster on the 
route. 
The carriers must take up mail matter put in these 
boxes, and put it in the nearest post office. The post¬ 
master must, on a written order from any person liv¬ 
ing near the mail route, deliver mail to the carrier. 
The person desiring mail must put up a box as near as 
possible to the roadside, and request in writing the 
delivery of his mail. These mail-boxes are to be num¬ 
bered consecutively. This would start a free delivery 
without great cost, and lead to a great extension of 
the service. 
• • 
Mr. Whitelaw Reid, one of the American Peace 
Commissioners, in explaining what America has to 
gain by holding the Philippine Islands, says: 
One bugbear is that our American workmen will be swamped 
under the immigration of cheap eastern labor. But tropical 
labor does not emigrate to colder climates. None has ever come. 
If we need a law to keep them out, we can make it. 
Let us look at this statement from the standpoint of 
the American farmer. No one expects that Filipinos 
are coming to this country to compete with the Amer¬ 
ican hired man. What farmers fear is that the prod¬ 
ucts of the Filipinos’ labor will be brought here to 
compete in the markets that belong to Americans. 
For example, the Department of Agriculture is send¬ 
ing cotton seed to the Philippine Islands, and will 
begin to investigate and improve the cane-sugar in¬ 
dustry—as soon as the rebels are “ pacified ”. What 
can this mean except a great increase in the output 
of cotton and sugar ? Even now thousands of cotton 
growers at the South are on the verge of ruin. How 
can the beet-sugar factories at the North hope to live 
in the face of increased tropical development ? As to 
a law to keep such products out, with American cap¬ 
ital invested in cotton and sugar plantations and 
American money in the ships that are to carry the 
products, what chance would the farmer have? 
The method of disposing of old, disabled or surplus 
horses described on page 185, seems an admirable one. 
Yet an eastern poultryman nearly lost his fancy egg 
trade by a similar practice. He was situated where 
he could get many such horses for a very low price, or 
for nothing. He used none but healthy ones. These 
were killed and dressed as carefully as beef animals 
would have been. The meat was thoroughly cooked, 
and fed to the hens with excellent results. He had, 
apparently, struck a regular bonanza. Hut he reck¬ 
oned without his egg buyers. They learned that the 
fancy fresh eggs they had been so eagerly buying 
were from hens which were being fed on dead horses. 
That was enough. Their sensitive stomachs couldn’t 
stand that, and forthwith the ultimatum came to the 
thrifty hen man: “No dead horse in our’n! You 
stop, or we stop !” He stopped; What unreason¬ 
ing prejudice ! The horse is one of the most cleanly 
animals known. If not diseased, his flesh is as whole¬ 
some, even for human food, as that of any animal, 
certainly as much so as that of the hog or the hen. 
This would be a most desirable and merciful method 
of disposing of many of the old wrecks now disgrac¬ 
ing our highways and fields. Yet such unreasoning 
people as these protest at this while gulping down 
with relish vile concoctions tenfold more objection¬ 
able and harmful. They “ strain at a gnat and swal¬ 
low a camel.” 
• • 
The question of planting apple trees is becoming 
a lively one. All over the eastern States farmers are 
considering the plan of setting out orchards of red 
Winter apples of good quality. This may be over¬ 
done, but we must all remember that but a small per 
cent of the trees that are planted will ever live to 
support the planters in old age. We shall begin, next 
week, the publication of a very valuable paper by Dr. 
E. H. Jenkins on The Feeding of a Tree, which 
should be read by all orchardists. 
Events of the Week. 
Domestic.—February 23, a gas explosion at Hartford City, Ind , 
killed four persons . . The steamship GermaHic, which was 
capsized by weight of ice at her pier during the blizzard, was 
righted February 23. The wreckers’ bill was $50,000, and the 
damage to the interior of the vessel will be much more. . . A 
fire in the packinghouse district of the Chicago Stockyards, Feb¬ 
ruary 23, resulted in the death of one fireman, injury to several 
others, and a loss of $200,000. During the same day, a building 
which stood through the great Chicago fire of 1871 was destroyed; 
loss, $225,000. . . A fire which started February 23 at Musco¬ 
gee, I. T., destroyed one-half of the town, loss nearly $500,000. . 
A bridge over Buffalo Creek, near Lewisburg, Pa., was weakened 
by an ice gorge, and gave way February 23, carrying with it a 
locomotive and three cars; three men injured. . . The fall of 
an avalanche on the Lasal Mountain, near Park City, Utah, has 
revealed a valuable copper vein. . . Smallpox is spreading at 
Dallas, Tex. The United States regular army recruiting station 
has temporarily stopped enlistments, and city and county jails 
do not receive ordinary prisoners, but confine them in a tempo¬ 
rary prison outside the city limits. The epidemic shows no 
abatement over the State. . . February 26, an overcharge of 
electricity started several fires in New Orleans, all being in fine 
residences provided with electric light. The loss amounted to 
$250,000. . . A fire in Holyoke, Mass , February 28, resulted in 
a loss of over $250,000. . . A tornado passed over the neighborhood 
of Yazoo City, Miss., February 28; many houses were blown 
down, and a dozen people injured, three fatally. A case of small¬ 
pox was reported February 28 in Roosevelt Hospital, New York 
City. . . The customs receipts reported for February were 
$16,921,000, being the largest amount collected in that month 
since 1893. . . A party of 300 filibusters, which left Kansas City 
for Central America, went to pieces in New Orleans, and was 
disbanded. It was said that the men were going to Honduras, 
but it seems more probable that Bluellelds was their destination. 
Most of the men returned home. . . A case of varioloid at 
Princeton University has caused many students to go home. . 
The coal miners in Arkansas and Indian Territory went out on 
strike March l,and every mine in that territory is closed; between 
8,000 and 10,000 men are idle. . . A serious outbreak of typhoid 
fever is reported at Paterson, N. J.; polluted water is suspected. 
. . . Lord Herschell, formerly Lord High Chancellor of Great 
Britain, and representative of that country on the Canadian 
Commission, died very suddenly in Washington, March 1. . . 
A whisky trust has been completed, with a capital of $128,500,000. 
Philippines —The rebels continued their attacks February 
23-24. Twelve Montana men and seven Kansas men were killed, 
two wounded; 500 suspected natives were arrested. Tee troop¬ 
ship Scandia arrived with reenforcements. Our troops were com¬ 
pelled to burn native huts, to drive out sharpshooters. Tne loss 
by the incendiary fires February 22 is said to amount to $500,000. 
Extra precautions have been taken to prevent the burning of the 
Escolta, the principal business street. Gen. Otis has issued an 
order compelling all residents to remain in their homes after 7 
p. m. . . Admiral Dewey telegraphed February 24, asking that 
“ lor political reasons ”, the Oregon be sent to him at once. Ma- 
nila is quieting down, though there are continual skirmishes. 
About 1,200 suspects have been arrested since the fires began. 
The marine fire brigade of the British cruiser Narcissus is land¬ 
ed every night to protect the English banks. Underwriters re¬ 
fuse to pay losses by fire, claiming exemption by reason of a war 
clause in the policies. . . February 25 the Petrel took posses¬ 
sion of Cebu. 
Cuba.—There is much discontent in the Province of Santiago, 
and the Cubans demand that the government be turned over to 
them. It is said that the people are making secret preparations 
for an insurrection. At Havana, trouble continues over the color 
line. Typhoid exists in Gen. Lee’s camp, and it is feared that 
it may become epidemic. The camp 1 b in an unsanitary condi¬ 
tion. The intention was to provide sewers, but this was not 
done, and the arrangements are the same as in the camps here. 
. . The burning of Spanish blockhouses near Havana began 
February 27. American camps will be established on their sites. 
. . Gen. Brooke learned that the Cubans were preparing to 
hold elections at Sancti Spiritus, Remedios, and other places, 
and has forbidden these elections, They cannot be held until the 
civil administration is organized. 
Congress.—The compromise Army bill was reported February 
24. It provides for an army of 62,000 men until 1901, with the addi¬ 
tion of 35 volunteer regiments for service in Cuba, Porto Rico, 
and the Philippines, to be made up of natives or not, as the 
President may deem most desirable. During the discussion of 
the bill, Mr. Johnson (Rep., Ind.) bitterly attacked the President, 
characterizing his Philippine policy as “Christianizing with the 
sword and civilizing with the cannon.” In the Senate, Mr. 
Sewell, of New Jersey, expressed oppposltion to the Administra¬ 
tive policy in regard to Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philippines. The 
bill passed the Senate February 27, with its compromise, the vote 
being 55 to 13. It calls now for 65,000 regulars and 35,000 volun¬ 
teers until July 1, 1901, when it shall be reduced to 27,000. The 
House passed the bill March 1, by a vote of 203 to 32. . . Feb¬ 
ruary 24, the Senate passed the River and Harbor bill, with the 
Morgan Nicaragua Canal bill attached to it as a rider. . . The 
Army Appropriation bill passed the House February 27. Mr. 
Dockery estimates the appropriations of this Congress at 
$1,698,231,000. . . The Senate has passed the bill authorizing the 
President to appoint to the Naval Academy acting naval cadets 
who served in the war with Spain. 
