724 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
October 2 
The Rural New-Yorker 
THE BUSINESS FARMERS’ PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850. 
Et.bkrt S. Carman, Editor-in-Ckief. 
Herbert W. Coli.ingwood, Managing Editor. 
Frank H. Valentine, | ._. . 
Mrs. E. T. Royle, }■ Associate Editors. 
Joun J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
SUBSCRIPTIONS. 
Price, One Dollar A Tear. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, 82.04, equal to 
8s. 6d., or 8*4 marks, or 10J4 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. 
Be sure that the name and address of sender, with name of 
Post-oflice and State, and what the remittance is foi, 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 , OCTOBER 22, 1898. 
ONLY 10 CENTS. 
Wk wish again to remind our friends that we are 
sending The R. N.-Y. to new subscribers for the rest 
of this year for only 10 cents. We do this, as before 
explained, to advertise the paper and make an 
acquaintance for it in homes where it is not now 
known. Won’t you make this offer known to some of 
your neighbors ? 
© 
Since we have been offering to send The R. N.-Y. 
for the remainder of the year at a nominal price, we 
have received the money in several cases from people 
who forgot or neglected to give their name and ad¬ 
dress. Of course it is impossible to send the paper, 
until we hear from them further. The amount is so 
small that many farmers are inclined to let it go 
rather than take the trouble to write about it, and 
are likely to hold us to blame for not getting the 
paper. We would thank old readers to advise us of 
any case where a neighbor fails to get his paper under 
such circumstances. We yet have some unclaimed 
remittances that came without name or address, a 
year ago. 
® 
‘ Talk about Bromus inermis or Awnless Brome 
grass,” says an expert on grass culture, “ it will prove 
as valuable as Crimson clover.” That is why we are 
getting those who have had experience with this grass 
as a farm crop to tell us about it. You will see that 
most of them live in Canada or the Northwest, where 
there is usually less rainfall than in our average cli¬ 
mate. There is no doubt that the grass makes good 
pasture and hay, and that it thrives on light soils. 
Will it become a pest like Crab or Quack grass when 
used in a rotation ? In the Northwest, it is quite 
easily killed out. In a humid climate, it will be 
harder to kill. We should try it first on some field 
that could, if desired, be left in permanent grass. 
O 
It is asserted that agricultural fairs in Indiana have 
been gradually declining during the past 10 years, and 
this year, the lack of interest has resulted in heavy 
losses. This decline is traced to demoralized manage¬ 
ment. Since 1893, there ha,s been an increase in sen¬ 
sational attractions, drawn from the Midway at the 
World’s Fair ; this has alienated the best agricultural 
element, while encouraging a lower class of attend¬ 
ance. An additional respect will be given to the 
farmers who refuse to patronize such shows. Indiana’s 
experience will emphasize what we have always be¬ 
lieved, that the circus and variety show are no part 
of an agricultural fair, and that the way to make such 
fairs successful is to cater entirely to the best agri¬ 
cultural element. 
The food show at Madison Square Garden under the 
auspices of the New York Retail Grocers’ Union, is an 
interesting place to visit. The most prominent ob¬ 
ject on entering the hall, is a tall monument reaching 
to the roof, whose base, shaft and capstone are made 
of bars of soap. At the far end, is a model bakery 
where all the processes of breadmaking are carried on, 
machinery being largely used in the operations. At 
the left of this is a cider-mill which furnishes no end 
of interest to city people, and where they can get a 
drink of sweet cider right from the press. Every con¬ 
ceivable food product is shown, and every advantage 
taken of the opportunity of advertising and introduc¬ 
ing new preparations. The methods adopted are well 
worth studying. Cooking lectures attract the women, 
and an occasional man strays in seeking to gain a 
knowledge of culinary mysteries. Amusement and 
instruction are happily combined 
A Virginia paper tells of a 10-acre farm near Nor¬ 
folk which i-_ all cleared and cultivated. The “ head 
of the house ” cares for the eight acres on which are 
grown hay, oats, corn, sweet and Irish potatoes, ber¬ 
ries, etc. The live stock consists of two milch cows, 
the milk from which is sold at eight cents per quart, 
three horses, two sows and a flock of hens. The help¬ 
meet attends to the two acres on which are grown 
parsley, carrots, onions, leeks, asparagus, celery and 
other vegetables. These are made up into little 
bunches, each containing one onion, one carrot, one 
leek, one sprig of parsley and one of thyme, all in¬ 
closed in a fresh cabbage leaf, and selling for three 
cents. She averages 100 bunches per day, and the 
larger part of the cash income of the farm comes from 
the sales from these two acres. Talk about woman 
being the weaker vessel ! 
A member of the Board of Control of the New York 
State Experiment Station, Mr. N. Ilallock, tells us 
that, on a tour through the New York wholesale 
markets, he discovered plenty of San Jos6 scale on 
California oranges, and on pears from the up-river 
districts. The scale that is on the fruit that goes into 
consumption isn’t likely to do so much damage as that 
on nursery stock, but it is an evidence of the existence 
of the scale in these localities. Mr. Hallock said that, 
when he picked his Seckel pears, at his place on Long 
Island, he found them infested with the scale, and on 
tracing it up, he found that the scale came from some 
peach trees from a New Jersey nursery. These were 
destroyed, and he purposes a course of heroic treat¬ 
ment on his pear trees. The scale is here, and widely 
scattered, and a relentless warfare must be waged 
upon it to keep it in check. 
® 
The discussion on the first page of this issue, re¬ 
garding revenge in horses, brings to mind an item 
recently printed in the daily papers. A circus em¬ 
ployee in Pennsylvania amused himself by tormenting 
a female elephant and her calf, until the mother be¬ 
came furious, when he ceased his dangerous pastime. 
That night, the elephant broke her shackles, went 
to a tent in which some of the employees slept and, 
picking up her tormenter from where he lay between 
two others, killed him by dashing him against the 
ground. Many similar instances are reported of the 
elephant. The opinion, expressed on the first page, 
that the horse possesses memory and instinct, but 
little actual intelligence, will be opposed by many 
horse lovers. We think, however, that horses differ 
as much as humans in this, and also that, like all 
animals, their intelligence is brought out by human 
association. 
0 
\ It is reported that a number of the largest tan¬ 
neries in this country are about to close indefinitely, 
in order to increase the price of leather, and lessen 
the price of hides. There has been an overproduction 
of leather which, together with the keen competition 
among shoemakers, has combined to cheapen the 
product, while hides have materially advanced. Some 
of the leather makers blame the new tariff, under 
which hides pay an ad valorem duty of 15 per cent. 
It was thought that this duty would aid American 
farmers, but the tanners assert that it has not put 
any money in the farmers’ pockets, all the benefit 
being received by the great packers, who have raised 
the price of domestic hides. Under this new tariff, 
the combined tanneries known as the “ Leather 
Trust ” have developed a large export business in hem¬ 
lock sole leather, because the duties paid on imported 
hides are refunded when these hides go to Europe as 
leather. 
e 
Americans are often puzzled by the reports of Ger¬ 
many’s opposition to American trade. We are all 
liable, in this country, to look upon Germany as a 
great agricultural nation. The fact is that, during 
the past 12 or 15 years, a great industrial change has 
been going on among the German people. Formerly, 
the Germans produced nearly all the food needed at 
home. Of late, however, the nation has been follow¬ 
ing England in the development of its manufacturing 
industries ; in fact, Germany is becoming less and less 
an agricultural country, and more and more a manu¬ 
facturing nation. As in England, the manufacturing 
population demand cheaper food. The German farmers 
have endeavored to retain their home market by 
the exclusion of food from other countries. This is 
why they have endeavored to exclude American bread- 
stuffs, provisions and fruits. This has been done by 
means of tariffs and by laws passed ostensibly for sani¬ 
tary purposes. If or a long time, these farmers were suc¬ 
cessful, but they have grown weaker and weaker every 
year. The factory workmen demand cheaper food, 
cheaper grain and meat than the German farmers can 
at present supply. The chances are, therefore, that, 
in the future, Germany will depend more and more 
upon this country for supplies of food, and the chances 
are that less effort will be made by the Germans to 
exclude American products. 
© 
A first-class nursery tree does not necessarily con¬ 
form to any fixed and arbitrary standard, but varies 
in size and form according to the characteristics of 
the variety. It must be well grown, healthy and 
clean. This shows most clearly to the eye in the ap¬ 
pearance of the bark. The bark should be fresh and 
bright. If it is dry and shrunken, the tree is, proba¬ 
bly, in poor condition. But there are many other 
things to look out for—good roots, freedom from woolly 
aphis, scale, etc., so that it is impossible in many 
ways to give any rule by which a beginner can always 
tell a first-grade tree. There is one good, safe rule, 
however, and that is to buy trees of a first-class, re¬ 
sponsible nurseryman. The irresponsible tree agent 
may furnish good trees, or he may not. But the re¬ 
liable nurseryman can tell a good tree better than 
any amateur alive, and he is bound by every law of 
self-interest to furnish the best trees he knows how 
to his customers. We would rather trust the judg¬ 
ment of a good nurseryman than to trust our own. 
This is a very simple rule then: Deal with a good 
nurseryman. The next question, of course, is : Where 
does he live ? 
G 
New York City boasts of an organization of women 
called the Rainy Day Club, facetiously termed by some 
of the irreverent, the Rainy Daisies. The avowed 
object of the club is to advocate the wearing of what 
they term rational dress, that is, abbreviated skirts, 
particularly during inclement weather. They usually 
hold monthly meetings. They have just held the 
opening meeting of the season. The day was an ideal 
one for their pet hobby—muggy, drizzly, with fre¬ 
quent showers. Yet with the exception of the presi¬ 
dent (who always wears her rainy-day costume) and 
some of the officers, hardly a member but was rigged 
out in her best bonnet and long skirts. The clerk of the 
weather must have been in sympathy with the move¬ 
ment last Winter, for nearly every one of their meet¬ 
ing days was an exceedingly stormy, bad one, yet the 
advocated costumes were conspicuous by their ab¬ 
sence. This sort of thing has made the club and its 
members the laughing stock of every one. A motto 
has been suggested, “ Do as I say, not as I do ! ” and 
a new title, the “Mystical Order of the Maybees!” 
The point is that by talking one thing and doing an¬ 
other, they have brought discredit upon the cause 
they pretend to indorse. Words count for little when 
not backed up by deeds. 
® 
BREVITIES. 
UNCLE SAM TALKS TO HIMSELF. 
I call it darned unfortunate—just when I’d told John Bull 
I’d take them Fillypinos in an’ vaccinate ’em full 
Of mighty eager hankerin’ for Yankee liberty, 
Until they run fer shelter to “ the banner of the free.” 
I had their suit of freedom made—a little undersized— 
But now them pesky Indians—they won’t stay civilized. 
Them red, ungrateful fellers, why, I’ve brought ’em up by hand, 
I’ve fed ’em promises an’ rum, an’ took away their land. 
They hadn’t nothin’ else to do but die off easy-like, 
An’ thank the Lord, they’re civilized, but now, see how they strike! 
A civilized American—with tommyhawk in hand, 
An’ mouth filled up with war whoops don’t exactly fill the brand 
I’ve ben a-showin’ Europe, as a sample of the way 
I’d mark them Fillypinos; so it’s mighty rough, I say, 
That jest as I had made my brags, an’ made ’em double-sized, 
Them plaguey western Indians—they won't stay civilized. 
Shorts for the shotes. 
How is the cover crop doing ? 
The No. 3 is the best of the Carman potatoes. 
The wiseman knows when his wife desires to talk. 
Best measure of value for a house dog is a yard stick. 
Try living 24 hours on nothing but grapes and bread and butter. 
No use talking, the general-purpose cow is having her innings. 
Thoroughblood is a better word for pure stock than thorough¬ 
bred. 
The lazy man needs irritation to make him yield his crop of 
work. 
Who wants some of that 10-cent per acre Michigan land, 
page 718. 
“ When the poor sheep and silk worm wore that very clothing 
long before”. 
A friend should be like a mustard plaster—warm you up and 
draw you out! 
A tool that every farmer needs is the address of his State ex¬ 
periment station. 
The “ Big 4 ’’—Watchful Eye, Skillful Hand, Thoughtful Head 
and Silent Tongue. 
Mrs. Laying Hen, she does not like a wind. She objects to the 
windy men who brag about her. 
The man who keeps up a rotten or defective fence on the high¬ 
way is liable for damages resulting from its breakage or fall. 
He is a wise man who knows how to run 
When some temptation bobs up in his way. 
Wise, wise is he who cannot see the fun 
Of risking character in idle play. 
The courts have decided that trolley-car companies are re¬ 
sponsible for injuries which are caused by starting with a jerk 
before passengers have had a reasonable time to take seats. 
