October 
676 THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
The Rural New-Yorker. 
THE BUSINESS FARMERS' PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established I860. 
Elbert S. Carman, Kditor-in-Chlef. 
Herbert W. Collinowood, Managing Editor. 
Frank H. Valentine, 1 . „„„ . . 
Mrs. K. T. Rotle, f Associate Editors. 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
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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 , OCTOBER 1 , 1898. 
We notice that seedsmen and others praise Crimson 
clover highly as a crop for poor soils. Our experience 
is that the way to obtain profit from Crimson clover is 
to use it on good soil, or to fertilize it well. While it 
will make a fair growth on very poor soil, it will not 
do nearly so well as cow peas. We think that some 
farmers have been disappointed with Crimson clover 
because they expected it to do as well as rye on poor 
soil. It is a mistake to expect it to do so. Feed the 
Crimson clover ! It will make that food over for you. 
0 
The work of the Audubon Society in discouraging 
the use of stuffed birds as millinery trimming, ap¬ 
pears to be extending its range. A recent news item 
relates that a woman wearing a bonnet trimmed with 
a bird was visiting Fort Sheridan, when the American 
eagle, adopted by the First Illinois Regiment as a 
mascot, swooped down upon the murderous bonnet, 
seized the bird, and Hew back to his perch with a 
hoarse croak which seemed to say, “ Now will you 
join the Audubon Society?” It is a significant fact 
that our national bird should lead his race in this re¬ 
form. 
» 
Bacteria have been found alive on the ice of the 
glaciers. The temperature never rises above the freez¬ 
ing point, yet those tiny forms of life have lived in 
that cold region, perhaps for thousands of years. They 
have been asleep ready to resume their work of de¬ 
struction when warmth is restored. If bacteria will 
live under such conditions, they will live under the 
rim of a milk can. They live there, only too glad 
of the chance to spoil the milk before its time. The 
bacteria will sleep for ages in the cold of the glacier, 
but one minute in boiling water means for them “ the 
sleep that knows no waking.” That is why a jet of 
live steam blown into the can, with the mouth of it 
held down, is the best of all purifiers 
© 
In connection with the article on peppermint grow¬ 
ing this week, it might be well to give some figures 
regarding the industry. The estimated total yield of 
the United States is about 230,000 pounds annually. 
Michigan leads all the States of the Union in the pro¬ 
duction of this aromatic crop. In 1897, it was esti¬ 
mated that, there were 8,260 acres of peppermint 
grown in that State. Over 1,000 acres of this were 
grown by one man, Ex-Congressman A. M. Todd. In 
the same year, Indiana produced about 165 acres of 
peppermint, and New York 275 acres. The crop is 
not considered as profitable as it used to be. The 
chances are that, in the future, the culture of this 
crop will be concentrated upon large farms where 
advantage may be taken of large appliances in grow¬ 
ing and distilling the product. 
© 
Many Bermuda products come to our markets every 
Winter, and great quantities of Bermuda lilies are 
received every Easter. The Island is said to be very 
fertile, but only a part of it is under cultivation, and 
some of this is but indifferently tilled. The United 
States Consul says that only 3,000 acres out of a total 
of 10,042 are under cultivation. When well cared for, 
the ground is capable of yielding four crops of vege¬ 
tables in a year ; but many of the farmers are shift¬ 
less, and do not improve their opportunities. On es¬ 
tates where care and skill are exercised, great returns 
are obtained. A single acre of tomatoes has yielded 
$1,500, and an acre of lilies $1,800. The principal 
exports are tomatoes, potatoes, onions and lilies, all 
of which come to the United States. The last are the 
most important, and these have been stricken with a 
parasitic disease which has also attacked the crops of 
vegetables, and for which no remedy has yet been dis¬ 
covered. The Island formerly produced great quan¬ 
tities of fruit trees, but all succumbed to disease. The 
banana is said to be about the only fruit remaining. 
With our new possessions in the West Indie , we 
should soon be in position to be independent of Ber¬ 
muda for our Winter vegetables. 
© 
Any one who still retains the belief, fostered by 
yellow newspapers, that prizefighters are brave 
and daring men of irresistible physical courage, 
will receive a severe shock on studying the back¬ 
bone of our army. It was, we believe, Col. T. W. 
Higginson who stated, after the War of the Rebel¬ 
lion, that a regiment recruited from Y. M. C. A. gym¬ 
nasiums could outfight a regiment of prizefighters. 
When that great wave of patriotism overwhelmed this 
country last Spring, did the prominent pugilists rush 
forth to the country’s aid ? No, it was peaceful 
clerks, farmers, mechanics, and the ornamental class 
described scornfully as dudes, who fought the triple 
fight with death, disease and starvation. The pugilists 
were busy writing to the newspapers and posing for 
the kinetoscope. There may be men who can be util¬ 
ized only in pugilism, but recent experiences show 
that, in national emergencies, outside the regular 
service, we are likely to find our most brilliant and 
spectacular hero in a man whose private life is devoted 
to drilling wheat, teaching subtraction, or some 
equally mild and peaceful occupation. 
© 
In a bulletin on wheat experiments, the Indiana 
Station reports, among other things : 
Heavy applications of manure and commercial fertilizer to the 
wheat crop have proved profitable in proportion to the exhaustive¬ 
ness of the system of cropping followed. 
We have noticed that most western farmers, in begin¬ 
ning the use of fertilizers, make very small applica¬ 
tions. They seem to fear that anything beyond the 
immediate requirements of the wheat crop will be 
lost. In some cases, they do not use enough to supply 
fully the needs of the wheat, therefore condemn fer¬ 
tilizers in general. In the eastern States, where very 
much larger quantities of fertilizers are used, farmers 
frequently put a ton on each acre of potatoes, thus 
fertilizing all the crops of grain, grass and corn in a 
five-years’ rotation. Experience for a number of years 
has shown that this crowding of the fertilizer upon 
the potato crop pays better than to divide it between 
four other crops. The exception is in the case of 
nitrogen, which can be quickly applied to any lacking 
crop in the form of nitrate of soda. 
© 
Four weeks ago we gave the facts connected with 
Mr. Hamilton Busby and the racing associations. This 
man was appointed by Gov. Black to collect the special 
tax imposed on trotting race meetings for the benefit 
of agricultural societies. The law states that the 
racing associations shall pay five per cent of their 
gross receipts to the State for this purpose. Mr. 
Busby is editor of a sporting paper which advertised 
over 100 of these meetings, yet out of about $50,000 
due, he collected $300 and filed just one bond. He 
draws a salary of $1,500, with $500 more for expenses ! 
When brought before Gov. Black, he admitted the 
charges made against him—merely saying that he 
thought the law defective. The “ cheek ” of this man 
is equaled only by the “ nerve” of Gov. Black, first in 
appointing him, and then holding him in office. Such 
a man should have teen kicked out long ago—kicked 
so hard that he would be obliged to stand for a long 
time. Gov. Black is responsible first for the folly of 
appointing Busby, and then for the crime of keeping 
him in office after he showed his inability to do his 
duty. Both men seem to be catering to the sporting 
element, one for business and the other for political 
support. In the meantime, the agricultural associa¬ 
tions have lost a good sum of money that rightfully 
belonged to them. 
© 
Swindlers are still abroad in the country. Probably 
they are after the wealth the farmer has been piling 
up during the high prices of wheat, potatoes and 
apples. One sleek chap is trying to sell at exorbitant 
prices oats for which he claims a phenomenal yield. 
The fellow who sells for a high price kernels from 
an enormous ear of corn, has been exposed in The R. 
N.-Y., but he is still looking for victims—and finding 
them, too. Near some interior towns, men who claimed 
to represent the local photographer, went around tak¬ 
ing orders for photographs. For $1 a dozen, they 
agreed to furnish photographs usually selling for two 
or three times that price. They were furnished with 
coupons, to be filled out with the name and address 
of the customer, and the latter was required to pay 
50 cents down, the remainder to be paid when the 
coupon was handed in for the pictures. As the pho¬ 
tographer was well known, everything was supposed 
to be all right, and the schemers harvested a good 
crop of half dollars, and put themselves out of harm’s 
way before they were detected. Of course, the coupons 
were worthless. A plausible swindler has lately 
appeared near some suburban towns, whose plan is 
quite original. He tells people owning houses that 
he is in the real estate business, and that he can sell 
their property for prices which the victims know are 
very high. He explains his plan, which is to put up 
big signboards all along the roads and railroads 
leading to the city. All the innocent suburbanite 
has to do is to give him a description of the property 
—and $5 to help pay the expense of advertising. This 
is a most barefaced scheme, but it is bound to catch 
many, because it appeals to their cupidity. Look 
out for all these chaps ! 
© 
On Wednesday, September 21, the new dairy and 
horticultural building at the Geneva Experiment Sta¬ 
tion was dedicated with appropriate and impressive 
ceremonies. This building, erected at a cost of $41,000, 
is the most complete in its facilities for dairy investi¬ 
gation of any laboratory in this country, if not in the 
world. It is not, of course, intended for educational 
or industrial purposes, but for scientific investigation 
of some of the problems that puzzle those who manu¬ 
facture cheese or butter from milk. The speakers, 
Secretary James Wilson, Ex-Gov. Hoard, lion. Chas. 
W. Garfield, Prof. 1. P. Roberts and others made much 
of the fact that this magnificent building stands as a 
monument to a development of practical scientific 
education that has been rapid and remarkable. Twenty 
short years ago there was a wide gap between the 
professor of agriculture and the every-day practical 
farmer. The practical man was inclined to sneer at 
the scientist and to deny him a place in working out 
the problems of agriculture. Slowly but surely this 
has been changed. This great dairy building, erected 
willingly by New York State, is but one indication of 
the change that has come over public ideas regarding 
industrial education. It was made clear at this meet¬ 
ing how an increasing number of farmers are reaching 
out after knowledge, and overcoming their prejudices 
against the scientist or laboratory man. It was a 
great and interesting day. and in a later report, we 
shall try to make a study of the speakers and what 
they said. 
© 
BREVITIES. 
The farm: September twenty-first, year, eighteen ninety eight. 
Dear Mother: We are moving on as well as we know how; 
We’ve got the grain all seeded an’ the frost is sorter late; 
You won’t find us complainin', but I’ll tell ye, ma, right now, 
The house aiut what it should be—Oh! I git enough to eat! 
The folks are lookin’ after me from every pint of view. 
An’ yet, we’re sorter lonesome, yes, we’re kinder sad an’ beat, 
The boys are sorter wearyiu’ an’ lookin’ round for you. 
You had to take the baby on your visit—you don’t know 
How big a hole you dug here when you carried her away; 
I want to sit an’ hold her, rockin’, rockin’ to an' fro, 
An’ listen to her tellin’ all the doin’s of the day. 
We’re glad to git your letters, an’ we picture things all out— 
We wonder what your doin’ now, an’ how the baby acts; 
We hope she's fleshed a little, an' that you are growin’ stout, 
An’ buildln’ faith an’ confidence to face the stubborn facts 
That common folks must live with—that we cannot dodge or shift. 
We know the change will give you just a little stronger grip 
To fasten on to duty so’s to make a harder lift, 
An’ I’ll bet you’ll be mighty glad to make the homeward trip. 
Attention ! To business ! 
What about the war taxes ? 
Fertilize the character crop. 
Time to stuff food into the pig. 
A stern reality—the village “ sitter.” 
Be sure of your facts before you conclude. 
Docking— one of the de tails of the horse trade. 
Mr. Promise will poll a larger vote than Mr. Fulfill. 
It broadens the farmer to go abroad now and then. 
The proof of the pudding is the call for a second plate ! 
Mr. Saccharine Sorghum is a respected citizen of Kansas. 
“ I lay low,” said Mrs. Leghorn as she cackled out from under 
the henhouse! 
The surgeons report that flies carried the germs of typhoid 
fever in the army camps. 
He who makes two blades of grass grow where one grew before 
—helps reduce the price of liay. 
Another Commissioner of Agriculture for New York State is 
to be appointed in January. Who ? 
The New York Board of Health should compel the steaming of 
all milk cans before they leave the city. 
No ! No ! Sulphur in the form of language will not cure the 
bad blood that comes between neighbors. 
Our National policy! Develop the hills and corners of America 
before jumping off to the islands of the sea. 
The great meeting at Geneva, N. Y., illustrated the value of 
the bicycle to farmers. They wheeled in from all directions. 
The Post Office Department has started a free mail delivery at 
Santiago in Cuba. It seems like petty business to give those 
Spaniards the benefit of the service which is denied to thousands 
of American farmers. 
We hear less and less in the English papers against American 
beef. Several years ago, there was a great outcry against it, 
many Englishmen going so far as to demand a tariff on this beef • 
as that means much with an Englishman. Step by step, however, 
the American beef seems to have overcome opposition, and it is 
now recognized as a legitimate occupant for the English marke t 
