28 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
January 8 
“Almost, But Lost!” 
That may be the sad refrain of some of onr agents on 
January 16, after the subscription contest closes. They will 
feel worse than the boy who saw his father cut the pie into 
six pieces. There were just six at table, but before pietime 
came, in walked the minister, and—the boy had the plate. 
Piety came before pie-eaty. 
$ 1 , 000.00 
That does not grow on every bush. We have a cocoanut of 
that size, and it will be knocked down and divided on Janu¬ 
ary 16, among the agents who have secured the largest clubs. 
The largest club earns $200. You know the terms. This is 
only a last call—a rallying cry for recruits. The clubs thus 
far are all small. There never was a better chance for sub¬ 
scription agents. Up and at ’em ! 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, New York. 
As We Go to Press. 
" IMPROVEMENT." 
Few people realize what wonderful 
improvements have been made in steam 
engines during the last 25 years. At the 
late meeting of the American Society of 
Mechanical Engineers, Mr. F. W. Dean 
made this remarkable statement: 
Twenty-seven years ago, the Corliss simple 
condensing engine was the most economical in 
use, and this consumed 19 or 20 pounds of steam 
an hour for each horse power developed. In other 
words, that weight of water had to be turned 
into steam every hour for each horse power de¬ 
veloped. To-day, in the best types of compound 
engines, only a little more than one-half of this 
quantity of steam is needed, or 11 % pounds. In 
the near future, the use of superheated steam 
offers such further economics that we have a 
right to anticipate a further reduction of the 
amount needed to produce a horse power for an 
hour, to 10 pounds. Already, in Germany, a 
small Schmidt motor has developed power at the 
rate of use of 10.17 pounds. 
Think for a moment what that means! 
In 1870, one-horse power in a 1,000-horse¬ 
power plant cost $38.14 per year. Such 
a pi an t should be run now at a yearly 
cost of $10.31 per horsepower! Steam 
jackets, reheaters, improved grates, and 
many other things have combined to 
help save this immense amount of heat. 
Wonderful, isn’t it ? This increase of 
power from a pound of coal makes itself 
felt all through the list of articles that 
are turned out by the machinery that is 
worked by the engine. In many cases, 
these machines have been improved al¬ 
most as much as the engine, so that the 
decreased cost of production is some¬ 
thing wonderful. 
The question is, Has agriculture kept 
up with manufacturing in this respect, 
and if not, why ? Go back 25 years, and 
examine the tools, live stock, and varie¬ 
ties of plants and trees then in use. Do 
those we have to-day show as much im¬ 
provement as the modern engine shows 
over the old-timer? Has the farmer 
who has kept right up with the times in 
all lines of scientific improvement, been 
able to cut down the cost of production 
of a pound or bushel as the manufacturer 
has ? 
These are hard questions, that ought 
to interest any farmer. We can hardly 
be expected to answer them in a single 
column. We shall not try to. We have 
brought you thus far simply to say that 
we shall try to let in the light all through 
1898. Of coux-se, you will be with us to 
see how the wise men handle these mat¬ 
ters. It will cost you only $1 for a com¬ 
mutation ticket good for 52 issues. 
Now just one thing more. One of the 
families into which The R. N.-Y. goes 
regularly is composed of women who are 
on the farm formerly conducted by hus¬ 
band and father. We may print part of 
a recent letter from them. 
Though the dear old father left us almost a 
year ago, we want to see his name on labels of 
Tiik R. N.-Y. and kindred papers, so in renewing, 
we use his name instead of our own. 
“ We cannot say, and we will not say 
That he Is dead, he is just ‘ away; ’ 
With a cheery smile and a wave of the hand, 
He has wandered into an Unknown Land, 
And left us dreaming how very fair 
It needs must be, since he lingers there.” 
That is a touching and beautiful senti¬ 
ment—the desire to see father’s name 
just as it used to be in other days. We 
think there are others on our list who 
have the paper come in much the same 
way. “ Father used to take it! ” You have 
no idea how many people say that about 
The R. N.-Y. We hope your children 
will be able to say it about you ! 
National Experiments in Peach 
Culture. —The committee which was 
appointed at the last meeting of the 
Association of Colleges and Stations for 
cooperative work in testing the five races 
of peaches in the United States,and to find 
out their adaptability to different ther¬ 
mal lines, has agreed upon a plan, and 
is submitting it to 24 experiment sta¬ 
tions, asking them to cooperate in this 
work. It might be interesting to indi¬ 
viduals, also, to engage in this work, 
and those desiring to do so will find a 
list of the varieties given below. If the 
experiments prove what may i-easonably 
be expected, the question of what vari¬ 
eties to plant in any latitude will be a 
very simple matter to determine. It 
could then be predicted, with a reason¬ 
able degree of certainty, from what 
races seedlings should come to fruit suc¬ 
cessfully in a given latitude. If these 
problems can be settled, even with par¬ 
tial success, it will be an enormous sav¬ 
ing to the individual grower. Of course, 
it is expected that humidity, as well as 
latitude, will affect results. But the 
question may reasonably be asked : Why 
may we not find racial differences in 
peaches as well as in stocks as regards 
their ability to thrive in different lati¬ 
tudes ? 
The following races and seedlings are 
recommended by the committee: Peen- 
To race : Peen-To, Angel, Waldo ; South 
China race : Honey, Pallas, Early China ; 
Spanish race: Cabler’s Indian, Texas, 
Victoria; North China race: Chinese 
Cling, Elberta, Mamie Ross; Persian 
race: Alexander, Mountain Rose, Old- 
mixon Free. 
Chicago Wheat Speculators.— For 
many weeks past, a great wheat deal 
has been in progress in Chicago. Its only 
apparent effect on the wheat market at 
large has been to render it a little 
firmer, possibly to sustain prices some¬ 
what. That the enormous transactions 
have had so little effect on the market, 
goes to show the general confidence in 
The Genuine “Brown’s Bronchial Troches” 
are sola only In boxes. They are wonderfully 
effective for Coughs and Throat Troubles.— Adv. 
this commodity. It shows that the spec- I 
ulators feel assured that present prices 
will, at least, be maintained, if, indeed, 
not advanced. The two parties imme¬ 
diately concerned in this wheat deal are 
P. D. Armour, the great pork packer, and 
Joseph Leiter, a young man but a few 
years out of college. The latter began 
buying wheat in large quantities because 
he asserted that he thought it was good 
property to own. Little had been heard 
of him before. Mr. Armour thought to 
drive the young man to the wall, and 
sold him million after million of bush¬ 
els, all of which the young man took 
and paid for. Mr. Armour, too, con¬ 
tracted to deliver some December wheat 
at prices lower than he was forced to pay 
for it to fill his contracts, so lie has lost 
heavily. Mr. Leiter’s father, a lifelong 
merchant, is reported to approve of his 
son’s operations, and to be ready to back 
him up, if need be, with almost unlimited 
capital. Thus the situation stands to¬ 
day, the last of the year, when all con¬ 
tracts must close according to the rules 
of the Chicago Exchange. Mr. Leiter has 
millions of bushels of wheat of the best 
quality, which is worth more than it cost 
him. Mr. Armour seems to be out con¬ 
siderable money, and the general mar¬ 
ket remains firm. 
There is but one good 
make of lamp-chimneys — 
Macbeth — and your dealer 
knows it. 
You want the Index. 
Write Macbeth Pittsburgh Pa 
SPRAYING CROPS : Why, 
When and How to Do It.— By Prof. Clar¬ 
ence M. Weed. Illustrated. 
This little book tells in plain, understandable 
English, just what the ordinary farmer and fruit 
grower most needs to know. It describes all the 
insecticides and fungicides used in spraying; all 
the principal appliances used ; tells when to 
spray; what precautions to observe ; describes 
the insects and fungi against which it is neces¬ 
sary to guard; in fact, is a complete, condensed, 
convenient handbook on the whole subject. Price 
in stiff paper covers, is but 26 cents, postpaid. 
Fruit. 
Trees and Vines become 
hardier, and their products bet¬ 
ter colored and better flavored 
when liberally treated with 
fertilizers containing at least 
io% actual 
Potash. 
lUDnC A” illustrated book which tells 
rlvEC what Potash is, and how it 
should be used, is sent free to 
all applicants. Send your address. 
GERMAN KALI WORKS, 
93 Nassau St., New York. 
Mountainside Farm's 
HERDS and FLOCKS 
the property of the 
Estate ot Theodore A. Havemeyer, 
will be sold by auction at 
Mountainside Farm, Mahwah, N. J., 
(on Erie Railroad, 30 miles from New York), 
JANUARY 18, 19, 20 and 21, 1898. 
PETER G. KELLOGG, Auctioneer, 
lias received instructions to sell as 
above stated, all of the 
Cattle, Horses, Sheep-Poultry 
of this great 
BREEDING AND DAIRY ESTABLISHMENT. 
180 Registered Jersey Cattle. 
20 Registered Simmenthal Cattle. 
20 Registered Normandy Cattle. 
150 Crossbred Animals. 
130 South Down Sheep. 
25 Horses Used on the Farm. 
A large assortment of Thoroughbred Poultry. 
Catalogues in due time furnished by 
PETER C. KELLOGG, Auctioneer, 
107 John Street, New York. 
The Rural Nkw-Yorkkb. New York. 
VA/WW>^V^WWVWWWVWV W WWWWWWV 
SAVE MONEY*—DIRECT SALES TO FARMERS. < 
Yon have the benefit ef the Agents’ Commission and tho Middleman’s profit 
a m a t vsth PhoB. Acid. Ammonia. Actual Potash. 
AN AL1 b J b. r)er cent . pgr cent . 
Pure Raw Bone Meal. 22 to 25 4 to 5 
Scientific Corn & Grain Fertilizer 9 to 10 2 to 3 
Scientific Economy Fertilizer .... 9 to 10 2% to 3% 
Scientific Tobacco Fertilizer. 11 to 12 3 to 4 
Scientific Potato Fertilizer. 9 to 10 3% to 4% 
Bone and Meat. 13 to 15 4 to 5 
THE SCIENTIFIC FERTILIZER CO, 
For samples and book, write P. O. Box 1017. Herr’s Island, Pittsburgh, Pa. 
per cent. 
2 to 3 
4 to 5 
4 to 6 
6 to 7 
$22 oo per ton 
16 oo 
20 OO 
2X OO 
23 oo 
18 oo 
Yoiill be Enthusiastic 
When you learn how many and how valuable are the ad¬ 
vantages that attend the use of these famous Separators. 
Does the advantage of getting more cream out of your milk 
than by any other means count for anything with you ? 
Does the advantage of better butter quality count for any¬ 
thing? Does an increase of i s per cent, more butter mean 
anything to you? If so, you should investigate the 
IMPROVED 
UNITED STATES SEPARATOR 
There is not a better separator in the world than 
this. Dairymen who have tried several and con¬ 
ducted comparative tests, say there are none so 
good. It is a fact that the Improved United 
States Cream Separator separates the cream com¬ 
pletely, and does it quicker and at less cost than 
any other. It runs easily, operates easily and 
cleans easily. Isn’t it to your interest to learn all 
you can about it? 
Write us for Catalogues and further particulars, which we 
will gladly send FREE, beware of imitations and infringe¬ 
ments. Agents wanted where we are not represented. 
VERMONT FARM MACHINE CO., Bellows Falls, Yt. 
