226 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
March 26 
The Rural New-Yorker. 
THE BUSINESS FARMERS' PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850 . 
Elbert S. Carman, Editor-in-Chief. 
Herbert W. Collinowood, Managing Editor. 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
SUBSCRIPTIONS. 
PRICE, ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.04, equal to 
8 s. Cd., or 854 marks, or 1054 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 ner line. 
Reading Notices, ending with “ Adv.,” 7» 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. 
Be sure that the name and address of sender, with name of 
Post-office and State, and what the remittance is for, appear in 
every letter. Money orders and bank drafts on New York are the 
safest means of transmitting money. 
Address all business communications and make all orders pay¬ 
able to THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
Corner Chambers and Pearl Streets, New York. 
SATURDAY , MARCH 26, 18.98. 
We have some club raisers who look after clubs for 
The R. N.-Y. during the month of April. We are 
going to award these premiums May 1 to the amount 
of $ 100 . Perhaps you are one who can help some. If 
so, you can share in this money exactly in proportion 
to the work you do. See page 235 for particulars. 
O 
For years, rabbits have been a serious pest in Aus¬ 
tralia. Now the thrifty Australians ship both canned 
and refrigerated rabbits to England in great quanti¬ 
ties, one of the Melbourne cold storage warehouses 
receiving about 700 crates of rabbits a day during last 
February. It used to be said that a thrifty Yankee 
farmer would grow rich by selling his disadvantages, 
and the Australians appear to be proceeding in the 
same line. 
G 
A bill before the New Jersey Legislature would 
establish a village or farm on State property where 
epileptics can be cared for. That is a wise and humane 
plan. It is a great mistake to put these unfortunate 
persons into insane asylums with the ordinary insane. 
That would be quite sure to deprive the epileptic of 
any chance he might have for recovery. On a farm, 
or in a quiet village, with cheerful and pleasant sur¬ 
roundings, it is possible to help, if not entirely cure 
the disease. 
O 
Besides the immense quantities of fresh bananas 
the tropical countries are continually sending us, they 
are now experimenting in shipping them evaporated. 
It is said that a fair degree of success has attended 
these experiments ; but in this shape, they can never 
take the place of the yellow fruit now seen on the 
push carts. Imagine a dirty son of Italy waxing 
eloquent and crying, “ Banan’ cheap, tena centa 
buneha ! ” over the mummified remains of this yellow¬ 
skinned bunch of starch and sugar ! 
0 
Some Chicago men recently made a proposition to 
pay the city $ 20,000 few the privilege of establishing 
bars for the sale of intoxicating liquors in all the 
police stations. Apait from the revenue thus ob¬ 
tained by the city, the projectors of this enterprise 
think that such bars would be a great convenience to 
the hangers-on around the police station. As liquor 
often sends a man to the station house, it seems only 
fair to bring the liquor there, too, but why not go a 
step farther, and put the bar behind bars entirely ? 
O 
That’s quite an idea on page 219 about a fruit 
grower sending scions from his own bearing trees of 
the desired varieties, that the nurseryman may use 
these in growing his trees to order. Given a trusty 
nurseryman, and a great element of uncertainty as to 
the outcome with purchased trees, would be removed. 
The nurseryman’s knowledge, skill and experience 
would all be at the service of the buyer, but they 
would divide the responsibility between them. Of 
course, this scheme would be impracticable on a small 
scale, but it strikes us as well worth considering by 
larger planters. 
© 
We are likely to have an extension of the free rural 
mail delivery. The annual postal appropriation bill 
calls for $150,000 for this service, and authorizes the 
Postmaster-General to use for the purpose a sum equal 
to the aggregate compensation of postmasters, cost of 
mail transportation, star-route service, and mail-mes¬ 
senger service that may be discontinued by reason of 
the establishment of rural free delivery. There is 
sure to be considerable saving in this line, so that 
there is likely to be a large increase in this service. 
The chances now are that it will grow steadily until 
millions of country people receive daily mails at their 
doors. The more the experiment is tried, the stronger 
will be the demand for it. 
0 
The State of Nebraska passed a law reducing the 
freight rates on railroad traffic within that State. 
The reduction amounted to nearly 30 per cent, and 
the railroads fought the new law in the courts. The 
United States Supreme Court has just decided against 
the State. It says that the State may regulate freight 
rates, but cannot put them below a reasonable limit. 
This “reasonable limit” means a charge that will 
permit the railroad to pay a fair profit on its capi¬ 
talization. In this suit, the State claimed that its 
rates were high enough to pay a good return on the 
actual value of the railroad property. This, it was 
claimed, is the true basis of estimating capital. The 
court says that the rights of the investor must be re¬ 
spected, and in taking this ground, it only reaffirms 
its old position many times expressed. We understand 
that the Nebraska Legislature will now pass another 
bill with a smaller cut in rates. 
O 
In a letter to the secretary of the Michigan Millers’ 
Association, Dr. R. C. Kedzie, of the Michigan Agri¬ 
cultural College, says: 
I protest against the proposed adtilteration of our Winter-wheat 
flour by mixing with it the refuse starch of the glucose factories. 
I object because it is not only an adulteration, but a degradation 
of the typical food of Americans, a food which, with the addition 
of abundance of meat, has largely contributed to make the 
brainy and stalwart race which the nations have learned to 
respect, honor, or fear, according to circumstances. 
Dr. Kedzie has spent many years of a useful life in 
efforts to secure varieties of Winter wheat of superior 
milling qualities. Since wheat has risen in price, 
cheap grades of flour have come tipon the market. 
These flours are adulterated, not only with corn meal, 
but with “flourine,” a by-product in the manufacture 
of glucose. No wonder Dr. Kedzie says that such 
stulf changes bread from a “staff of life” to “a 
crutch to support weakened and diseased bodies and 
enfeebled brains.” The fertilizer dealer who sells 
plant food is obliged by law to print on the outside of 
his bags just what they contain. Publicity has driven 
the frauds out of the fertilizer business. The St. 
Paul Pioneer-Press suggests this label for certain 
packages of flour: 
ANANIAS MILLING CO. 
X X X X 
FAMILY FLOUR. 
Warranted Strictly Pure. 
Analysis: Wheat flour, 40 per cent; Corn meal, 40 
per cent; Chalk, 20 per cent. 
NOTE.—The chalk is added on the recommenda¬ 
tion of eminent physicians, on account of its great 
bone-producing power. 
How much profit would this company pay its stock¬ 
holders if it told the truth in that brief manner ? 
Food producers must fake up the battle against adul¬ 
terations just as dairymen fought “ oleo ” and con¬ 
quered it. Down with counterfeits! must be the 
watchword of all honest producers. 
O 
Early in the season, the Oxnards, who control most 
of the beet-sugar factories in Nebraska, inserted in 
their contracts with farmers a clause to the effect 
that, if Hawaii were annexed to the United States, 
the price paid for beets would be 50 cents less per ton. 
Farmers have largely held off from signing the con¬ 
tracts because of this clause. The Oxnards now say 
that they withdraw the clause because they consider 
that the annexation scheme has been killed. We 
believe that Hawaiian annexation would have been a 
hard blow to the beet-sugar industry, without com¬ 
pensating advantages. Wfe have little douljt that the 
time will come when the American people will pro¬ 
duce, on this continent, all the sugar the nation re¬ 
quires. We think this will be done mostly west of the 
Missouri River in a section which needs, more than 
any other, a new cash crop like sugar beets. This 
section would be most likely to be injured by compe¬ 
tition with coolie labor in Hawaii. 
© 
The Khedive of Egypt has approved a contract for 
building two great dams across the River Nile, to be 
used for storing and distributing water for irrigation. 
They are to be completed in five years, and when 
they are in full operation, the area of cultivated 
Egyptian land will be vastly increased. There is no 
more fertile land in the world than that in the Valley of 
the Nile. It owes its fertility largely to the river water, 
and this, in former years, has been, to a great extent, 
wasted—flowing idly to the sea. If this water can be 
stored and utilized, the output of Egyptian cotton and 
grain will be immensely increased—so much so as to 
compete quite seriously with the exports from this 
country. The world has reached an age now when 
progress cannot be expected from bringing new soil 
into cultivation. Civilization must now utilize what 
former generations properly considered wastes. Is 
there not, on your farm, some smaller Nile in the 
shape of spring, brook or pond that may be used 
to irrigate a part of your land ? 
G 
No farmer can make a permanent success trying to 
raise crops on poor soil. It is often a good business 
move to buy wornout land at a low price, and increase 
its ability to produce by good culture and the skillful 
use of manures and fertilizers. To let soil drag along 
without improvement—yielding only half crops—is 
heart-breaking and discouraging work. There is gen¬ 
uine pleasure in farming when we can feel, year after 
year, that, in spite of good crops, the soil is growing 
more productive all the time ; it is possible to get in 
harmony with Nature so that we may have such a 
feeling. Thousands of farmers at the East have seen 
farms apparently exhausted grow more productive 
than ever, and steadily improve under skillful treat¬ 
ment. The man with a good cash capital can always 
buy fertilizers or manure to good advantage, and if 
he will experiment and study, he is reasonably sure to 
improve his farm and pay a profit while doing so. 
Most farmers on poor soil lack the capital needed to 
invest largely in fertilizers, but that is no reason why 
they should be content to let the farm run down. 
Many idle fields, that are at present worse than use¬ 
less, might be made useful if they could be broken up 
this Spring and sown to cow peas, with $5 worth of 
fertilizer per acre. With better tillage and the use of 
cow peas and clover, any farm may be slowly and 
surely improved. It is worth trying, at least. 
0 
BREVITIES. 
CONGRESS TO PRESIDENT McKINLEY. 
Now, William, here’s your money, fifty millions in a lump, 
Enough to make your poeketbook look mighty round and plump. 
You needn’t stop to sign a note—our folks believe in you, 
We think your head is level, and we know your heart is true. 
Now fifty million dollars doesn’t grow on every bush. 
Don’t waste your money, William—you may need it at a push. 
We plank it down right gladly—with no murmur of regret, 
Though every penny of it has been bathed in honest sweat. 
Don’t waste your cash on candy or on giugerbread or fun, 
But make your first investment in a good breech-loading gun, 
And hang it where the Spanish Don, and all the world may Bee 
That, though we’re peaceably inclined, we will not crook the knee. 
We’d rather birds would build their nests within the cannon’s 
mouth, 
But if it’s war, we’ll clean ’em out, and North, East, West and 
South 
Will stand behind you, William, if your cause is true and just, 
We’ve got the army musket down—we’re cleaning off the rust. 
Don’t wear your money, William, on your shoulder like a chip, 
Don’t brag about your dogs of war, and how you’ll let ’em slip; 
But keep a silent, steady lip, and wear a watchful eye, 
Get every gun in readiness, and keep your powder dry. 
Keep pine tar away from fruit trees. 
Put life into the deadheads, or fire them. 
The squeaking wheel needs an “oil meal.” 
Don’t make your conscience an infernal organ. 
You must bury your sorrow to raise sweet peace. 
H— which gets the larger capital letter—hog, or home ? 
What weapon for fighting a mortgage ? Try a good sward. 
That omission man at your house—does he wear your clothes ? 
Watch the man who is simply “smart.” He is usually lacking 
in soul and heart. 
“The Wearing of the Green,” as sung by Miss Crimson Clover, 
is a very effective song. 
Country-store loafers—they toil not neither do they do any¬ 
thing but spin yarns, which even Solomon could hardly equal. 
Don’t waste time trying to cover every square inch with broad¬ 
casted fertilizer; plow, harrow and water will help spread it ? 
Sir Walter Raw lay is a good name for the noisy rooster. 
Why? Watch his wife come off the nest and hear his hurraw 
lay ! 
The latest novelty in tools is an attempt to rig small wheels on 
weeders, so mounted on springs that the teeth can be pushed up 
or down. 
The latest report is of a Connecticut man who has been mar¬ 
ried three times, is the father of 41 children and about 150 grand¬ 
children and greatgrandchildren! This man is said to be a Cana¬ 
dian by birth. 
There was a man in our town, and he was wondrous wise; he 
set out bramble bushes bearing berries of good size, and after 
setting he did trim and hoe and fertilize. He now doth sport a 
bank account—go thou and do likewise. 
Great Britain spent $17,500,000 for intoxicating drink last year. 
Americans averaged per capita during last year 14.89 gallons of 
malt liquors, one gallon of distilled spirits and half a gallon of 
wine. This is a decrease from former years. 
The daily papers tell of a car-load of Illinois eggs which x>assed 
through a railroad wreck recently, without the fracture of a 
single shell. Is the existing war scare causing the Illinois lienB 
to lay armor-plated eggs ? How the Spaniards would run from a 
six-months-old Chicago egg! 
It is rejiorted that Ohio has repealed that part of her game 
laws which protected rabbits. There are other States which 
should follow this example. These prolific little animals soon 
become great x>ests if given half a chance, and have become an 
intolerable nuisance in many jilaces where thev have received 
more or less complete protection. 
