250 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
April 1 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMER'S BARER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850. 
Kt.rkrt S. Carman, Editor-In-Chief. 
Herbert W. Collingwood, Managing Editor. 
Frank H. Valentine, ( . „ , . _... 
Mrs. E. T. Royle, f Associate Editors. 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
for him to sell his hogs at 2% cents and buy them 
back again at 8 and 12% cents. The reader whose 
questions are answered by Mr. Bonham observes tbat 
farmers now “ are sorry butchers, and getting worse 
every year.” He thinks few understand the proper 
dressing of meats. A study of our markets shows 
that this is true. A knowledge of both butchering 
and curing meals stems a nectssary line for any all 
’round farmer. 
SUBSCRIPTION: ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.04, equal to 
8 s. 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 line. 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, APRIL 1, 1899. 
DO NOT SOW CRIMSON CLOVER IN SPRING ! 
It seems to require big, black letters to send that 
advice home. People confuse Crimson with Red clover. 
The two varieties are unlike in habit. Crimson is an 
annual, and grows best in cool weather. Hot weather 
brings it to head without regard for its size. If you 
want a quick-growing manurial crop that loves sun¬ 
shine, sow cow peas or even white beans. They will 
die with the frost. Do not, under any circumstances, 
sow Crimson clover in the Spring. The R. N.-Y. is 
partly responsible for the spread of this clover, and 
we want our friends to start right with it. 
• i 
As we go to press, there is nothing new to report 
about the milk trust. No one will say that any con¬ 
tract has been signed, in fact parties interested are 
more secretive than ever. The Milk Association com¬ 
mittee seem to have the milk to deliver, but there is 
a decided hitch somewhere. We hops for the best, 
but the job is a mighty one. 
• 
• • 
In planning for the crops of the coming season, 
every farmer or truck grower should consider the 
liability of spreading disease by planting on infected 
ground. Many bacterial diseases of plants are spread 
in this way. If the seed-bed is infected, the disease 
will be transmitted to ground previously free from it. 
Black rot of the cabbage, say the bacteriologists, is 
often spread in this way. It is, also, well to remember 
that insect pests, such as Colorado beetles, Squash 
bugs, etc., carry the germs of bacterial disease from 
plant to plant. 
• • 
The old adage that it’s an ill wind that blows no¬ 
body good, is exemplified by conditions resulting from 
the late severe freeze. Such large quantities of early 
vegetables were killed in the South that there has 
been an extraordinary demand for canned goods. This 
has resulted in cleaning up the stocks closely, and the 
result will be that there will be a better demand for 
canning stock the present season. This will be a good 
thing for the growers, and should insure them better 
prices. Perhaps the gains will offset the losses, 
taking the country together, though this is poor con¬ 
solation to those who suffered such serious losses. 
• 
• • 
We shall begin next week to tell how the Maryland 
nurserymen fumigate their nursery stock to destroy 
the San Jos6 scale. It is an interesting story, and 
one that ought to interest all fruit growers. The 
way to fight the scale is to prevent its spreading. 
This can best be done at the nursery. When it once 
reaches the orchard, the danger is doubled. Nursery 
fumigation is the best guarantee the purchaser can 
have. It is not generally known that, in the early 
use of hydrocyanic gas, a company came near secur¬ 
ing a patent for this method of killing insects. As in 
the case of the Babcock milk test, our agricultural 
scientists gave this discovery freely to the public. 
• 
• • 
As a means of protection against a packinghouse 
trust, Mr. Bonham’s article on page 248 furnishes 
much food for thought. The suggestion to turn $2 75 
hogs into $8 meat will appeal to any careful man of 
business. This is especially the case where many em¬ 
ployees are housed and fed, as on a nursery, or fruit 
and truck farm. Some of these establishments make a 
specialty of hog-feeding just for this purpose, and 
thus dispose of many waste products. In addition to 
this, it is well to consider the housekeeper’s side. 
There is no reason why a farmer’s family should live 
on pork all the year ’round, neither is there reason 
Last December, a man was walking along the 
Bowery, New York City, when a big brewery truck 
horse, possibly moved by the reflection that all flesh is 
grass, browsed on his coat sleeve, and bit off a large 
piece, together with a bit o? skin from his arm. The in¬ 
jured man sued for $25, the price of his coat, making no 
claim for the skin incidentally removed from his arm. 
The case was dismissed on the ground that the owner 
of the horse did not know that it was vicious. A 
higher court has overruled this, because the horse had 
its fore feet on the sidewalk, where it had no right to 
be, and this renders the owner liable. No man in his 
right mind would ever think of calling the law an 
“ exact science.” 
Readers should be very careful this year in buying 
seed potatoes. Thousands of bushels of seed were 
destroyed during the recent freeze, and many more 
were chilled so as nearly to destroy their vitality. 
Look out for this chilled and frosted seed. It will 
prove expensive at any price. Another thing : This 
promises to be a golden year for tree agents. Many 
fruit trees were killed by the cold, and others were 
severely injured, and must be cut back. This means 
a great demand for new stock. Agents will run 
about with “ famous new varieties ”, at a high price, 
to fill the places made by Jack Frost. The tree agent 
will have his innings. This year, as never before, 
farmers should patronize the honest home nursery. 
• 
• « 
The use of carrier pigeons for carrying messages 
has increased largely in recent years. Many ocean 
steamships carry several, which are released with 
messages after the vessels are hundreds of mile 3 at 
sea. Carrier pigeons are part of the outfit of many 
of the great newspaper offices. The peculiar instinct 
of these birds, which guides them unerringly back to 
their homes over hundreds of miles of trackless ocean 
or unfamiliar land, is one of the most mysterious and 
wonderful things in the animal world. It is put to 
practical use in many ways. A Nebraska country 
physician is reported to b3 using these birds to save 
him many long, hard rides over the prairie. When 
visiting isolated patients, he leaves several carrier 
pigeons, and these are released at intervals with re¬ 
ports of the patient’s condition, thus saving him much 
time in making needless visits, and serving to sum¬ 
mon him promptly in case of urgent need. 
• 
• • 
Some worthy but misguided people don’t seem to 
sympathize with all the agitation and legislation 
against ‘‘renovated,” “ deviled” or “ process ” butter, 
for by whatever name it’s called, it's the same old 
butter. The Philadelphia Record, after commenting 
oa the work of the Department of Agriculture in its 
efforts to suppress this butter, says : 
If the process of chemical science can make this butter cheap, 
agreeable in taste, pure and free from all deleterious substance, 
as it is said to be, what is the use of making a fuss about it ? 
Instead of attempting to banish it from the market by legisla¬ 
tion, as was for a time attempted with oleomargarine, it should 
be welcomed as a triumph of science in restoring to use what 
might have gone to waste. 
All true so far as it goes. No one wants to banish it 
from the market if it is only sold for what it is. But 
that is just the trouble. It is not sold for what it is, 
and not one person in 100 knows what he is buying 
when he gets it. We want it to stand on its own 
merits, and not try to discredit honest dairymen by 
posing as honest fresh butter. 
i • 
It is said that Michigan farmers will double their 
acreage of sugar beets this year. Last year, the one 
factory assured had to go into 19 counties to get 
enough beets for its season’s run; this year, Bay 
County alone will supply, it is expected, as much as 
the entire 19. The State will continue to pay a bounty 
of one cent a pound on manufactured sugar. The 
factory at West Bay City will receive $00,000 from the 
State, having made 6,000,000 pounds of sugar since 
October 22 last. The profits of the farmers varied 
greatly, the average being put at $20 to $35 an acre, 
but it is asserted that some growers, who live near 
stone roads, and in close proximity to the factory, 
cleared $45 per acre. The only failures reported ap¬ 
peared due chiefly to poor seed. There has been some 
complaint because the factory people will not open 
their books, and show whether there was an actual 
profit on the manufacture of sugar without the State 
bounty. Some farmers think the State is making the 
manufacturers a present of one cent a pound when 
they could do a fair business without it. 
In all the discussion about the Ben Davis apple, 
Kieffer pear, and other similar fruits of inferior qual¬ 
ity, one important point is often lost sight of, and 
that is the effect the eating of inferior fruit has upon 
the eaters. The great argument of many is that these 
fruits sell well because of their fine appearance, are 
profitable to grow, hence they say, “ Why not grow 
them ?” The point we make is that these fruits do 
more to discourage the fruit-eating habit than all hor¬ 
ticultural agencies combined can overcome. Many a 
man buys apple?, grapes, or other fine-looking fruit 
in anticipation of a great treat. On eating it, he dis¬ 
covers that the quality is inferior ; he is disappointed 
and disgusted, and is likely to purchase sparingly, if 
at all. Had he found fine quality, he would have been 
pleased, he would have longed for more, and his future 
purchases would have been larger. Multiply this case 
by millions—the number of fruit buyers—and you 
have the situation in a nutshell. Good-quality fruits 
will increase the demand many fold. 
The suggeition under Hope Farm Notes about or¬ 
ganizing an American Apple Consumers’ League, is 
made in sober earnest. In our travels about the coun¬ 
try, we find few public places where first-class apples 
are served to guests. Hotels often serve oranges, 
bananas and grapes, but very few good apples are to 
be found. Most Americans of approved taste prefer a 
good, juicy apple to any other fruit, and if permitted 
to do so, would eat raw or baked apples or applesauce 
with nearly every meal. We find that wide-awake 
hotel and restaurant keepers are anxious to serve 
what their customers call for. If one guest after 
another should begin to demand apples, and criticise 
the establishment if no apples were served, it would 
not be long before that fruit would occupy a very 
prominent place on the bill of fare. The object of 
the American Apple Consumers’ League is to encour¬ 
age the consumption of American fruit by Americans. 
It costs nothing to join. Theobjjcts of the League 
are entirely praiseworthy. We should have 1,000,000 
members at once. Will you join ? 
BREVITIES 
“SPRING POETRY.” 
Father— What day is this ? Say, Mother, you’ll forget 
How old you be next thing, but anyhow 
You mustn’t drop your weddin’ day, an’ yet, 
/didn’t think of it until jest now. 
I felt the breath of Spring blow down the hill, 
An’ see how green the grass was sproutin’ out. 
In through the door I see your big eyes fill 
With water, though your heart Is mighty stout. 
Our weddin’day! That’s right! I mind it well, 
How sweet you was, an’ I come in to say— 
I kinder thought you’d like to hear me tell— 
You’re sweeter now than what ye was that day. 
Mother— Now, Father, ain’t you shamed ? You ought to know 
This ain’t no place—right in the kitchen, too— 
An’ here’s my hands all cluttered up with dough. 
Where’s Billy ? Can’t you wait till I get through ? 
I never did see such a man— 
Billy— Say, John— 
I peeked in through the door and there was Ma 
A settin’ on Pa’s knee an’ takin’ on 
An’ cryin’—say, but what a dunce you are. 
They’ll both be so good-natured that they’ll do 
Most anything we ask ’em for—that’s right; 
We’ll be in clover, Johnny, me an’ you— 
I’m gonter ask three times for pie to-night. 
Plant a tree! 
Care has a double—his name is trouble. 
Yes, sir, the “ bread basket” is a waist basket. 
The squirrel is said to be a better mouser than the cat. 
If you would do business, you must give business its due. 
It is certainly Gauling—to have profits take “ French leave.” 
Every yoke of oxen must use a nigh trait or they will be “ off.” 
The tender horse is often galled because the tool’s not ovei- 
hauled. 
“Yes,” said the hen as she tried to fly over the fence. “I am 
in soar need ”. 
It means a lazy and broken nature unless you feed thought on 
a balanced ration. 
Car-loads of Mexican tomatoes have been coming into this 
count-y since February. 
Red June, Abundance, Burbank. That seems about “ the whole 
thing” thus far in well-tested Japan plums. 
A good apple is agent for a dozen more. A poor apple Is a 
warning which reads, “ Beware of the fraud.” 
Mrs San Jose Scale has no wings. It is a good thing tbat he • 
husband is the only flying member of the family. 
A feminine reader who speaks up for Ben Davis on page 253, 
says, “ They are infinitely better than any dried apple.” There’s 
a compliment for you. 
The recent cold snap, snapped the hopes of peach growers. A 
“ snap ” has been called a “ peach ”, but there was too much ice 
about thiB one to warrant this definition. 
When sprouts of brotherly love come up in your heart let ’em 
alone. Don’t try to graft something else on them. Most people 
do so, and that is why there is so much “ human nature ” on tap 
