April 23 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
3o6 
The Rural New-Yorker. 
TEE BUSINESS FARMERS' PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established, 1850. 
Elbert S. Carman, Editor-in-Chief. 
Herbert W. Collingwood, Managing Editor. 
Frank H. Valentine, 1 Associate Editors 
Mrs. E. T. Roylk, f Associate unitors. 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
SUBSCRIPTIONS. 
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8s. 6d., or 8J4 marks, or 1054 francs. 
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of 10 or more lines, and 1,000-line orders, 25 cents per line. 
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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, APRIL 23, 1898. 
Some of the experiment stations are endeavoring' to 
discourage the killing of harmless snakes, which, as 
they point out, are really as valuable to the farmers 
as the ungainly but useful toad. A great many insects 
are eaten by snakes, cutworms being a favorite 
article of diet. It is true that the snakes are some¬ 
times guilty of swallowing toads, wild birds’ eggs and 
young nestlings, but on the whole, they are beneficent 
creatures. There are few poisonous snakes in the 
farming districts of the eastern States, so our prej¬ 
udice against them is rather the result of their evil 
look, than of any dangerous quality. 
G 
The demand for fractional currency is still strong 
among country people. A good supply of paper money 
in denominations of less than $1 would enable farm¬ 
ers to do considerable small business by mail. There 
are many who do not care to risk silver in the mails, 
and who do not find it convenient to buy money orders 
at the post office. Paper money would enable them 
to send many small orders during the year, and would 
prove a great convenience. We do not believe that 
this paper currency would lead people to spend their 
money foolishly. The fact is that a small silver coin 
in the pocket is a constant inducement to buy some 
trifle. 
G 
A returned traveler says that one of our largest 
western meat-packing firms is doing a great business 
in selling hams to the British. The latter are great 
lovers of particular brands of homemade hams, the 
different brands differing slightly in the manner of 
curing. In a recent trial in court, it is reported that 
proof was given that Chicago hams of one and the 
same brand were being unloaded as these special 
brands, at 30 cents a pound, each brand being smeared 
with a different kind of grease. Either the reporter 
or the perpetrator of this fraud is a great prevaricator, 
or else the epicures on the other side can’t see the dif¬ 
ference in hams that they profess to be able to do. 
Q 
Farmers are often advised to pack bones with wood 
ashes in order to soften them for use as a fertilizer. 
As usually done, this is a slow and unsatisfactory pro¬ 
cess. One of our readers who was able to buy bones 
at $12.50 to $15 per ton, tried it last year and gave it 
up. It took too long to soften the hard bones. Then 
he bought a bone grinder or cutter. As fast as the 
bones were cut, they were packed in barrels with 
three times their weight of wood ashes. In two 
weeks, with the ashes kept moist, the bones were 
thoroughly mixed. This makes a good fertilizer for 
grass or grain. Where bones can be bought in quan¬ 
tity, it will pay to handle them in this way. Many of 
the whole ones, however, will not “reduce” by this 
treatment. 
0 
The American people appear to have made up their 
minds that the useless and inhuman warfare in Cuba 
must stop. We think that the time has come when 
neither President nor Congress can stem the tide of 
public opinion in this direction. Many Americans do 
not attempt to study all the historical events that 
have brought about the difficulties between Spain and 
her colonies. They have simply decided that the 
Cubans should govern themselves, and their motives 
are sincere and honest. We think that a majority of 
thinking and responsible Americans have confidence 
in President McKinley in this crisis. They are glad 
that he has exhausted every honorable means to pre¬ 
vent war without giving up the great principle that 
Spain must take her flag out of Cuba. The majority 
of responsible Americans do not want war. They do 
not like to appear in the role of a big, strong man 
taking a switch to some ill-bred upstart of a boy who 
has been spoiled in his bringing up. At the same 
time, if moral suasion and the sight of the stick will 
not make that boy behave himself. Uncle Sam stands 
ready to apply the stick where it will do the most good. 
The Spaniard has thrown stones at the American 
eagle’s perch long enough. If Uncle Sam does get 
after him, there will be dust marks on the Spaniard’s 
jacket for a century! 
Q 
It is reported that a commission merchant from 
Nova Scotia has called upon the Purchasing Commis¬ 
sary for the United States army, and made proposi¬ 
tions to deliver, in case of war, cargoes of potatoes 
and other fresh vegetables direct to Cuba or other 
points. The claim is made that these vegetables, 
being grown so far north, can be transported into 
the South in much better condition than those grown 
farther south. We don’t believe that it will be neces¬ 
sary for Uncle Sam to go outside his own domain for 
provisions to feed his army, and that the quality of 
our products is just as good as can be grown anywhere 
on earth. But the purchasing agents must be con¬ 
vinced of these facts. 
G 
Why should the railroads charge 30 cents per 100 
pounds for hauling grapes from points in central New 
York, while the rate for apples or potatoes is only 15 
cents ? There is no reason or justice in this high rate 
on grapes. When grapes sold for twice the modern 
prices, the rail?-oad rate was about the same. The 
grower is forced to pay a much greater per cent of his 
returns to the railroad, while the cost of conducting 
the railroads has steadily declined. No wonder acres 
formerly in vineyards are going back into grain. The 
railroad managers do not seem to understand that, for 
every acre turned back from grapes to wheat, they 
get less than one-eighth the amount of freight per 
acre. This injustice will last until growers combine 
and bring the power of public opinion to bear upon the 
railroads. All farmers should unite in demanding 
fairer rates, for an injustice to any class of producers 
is sure, in the end, to injure all. 
G 
The R. N.-Y. has before referred to experiments in 
the compression of flour for storage. Further experi¬ 
ments, made in England, seem to show that this is 
quite practicable. Under hydraulic pressure, flour 
can be compressed so that it occupies only two-fifths 
of the space required when loose. The blocks thus 
formed are coherent enough to be packed and handled 
without breaking. It is not at all difficult to reduce 
the blocks to powder again ; the flour is soon reduced 
to powder by the knife or rolling-pin, and may then 
be sifted. In baking, no difference is noticeable be¬ 
tween compressed and loose flour. In keeping quali¬ 
ties, the compressed flour has a great advantage ; not 
only is there an entire absence of mustiness or moldi¬ 
ness, after a lapse of sufficient time to induce deterio¬ 
ration of loose flour, but there is, also, entire freedom 
from insect life. Weevils are a serious enemy to flour 
in storage, but the compression destroys all existent 
insect life, and practically sterilizes the flour. The 
blocks are much less liable to outside attack than the 
loose flour. It is said that the compressed flour is to 
be adopted by the British army and navy ; apart from 
the convenience in transportation, it will be practi¬ 
cally immune against deterioration and insect attacks. 
G 
Why should the European nations be willing to fight 
over the division of Africa or of China ? Few white 
men care to live in these countries ; they will not add 
greatly to the world’s supply of food—at least for 
years to come. They are inhabited by people with few 
and simple wants. That is just why the nations are 
after them. Modern civilization increases man’s de¬ 
sires. He who caters to that desire grows rich in 
trade. There may be 100,000,000 humans in Africa 
who never wore a shirt or a modern hat. Once make 
them believe that they should have two suits of clothes 
a year, and you create a clothing trade worthy of a 
nation’s factories. As these savages grow up the so¬ 
cial scale so that they feel the need of firearms, fire¬ 
water, firecrackers, and the thousand and one super¬ 
fluous things which society has tacked on since Adam’s 
day, new trade is created, new factories are needed, 
and new ships are built. Germany, England and 
France have outgrown their home markets for manu¬ 
factured goods. Mechanical skill has so wonderfully 
increased the output of the modern factories that 
these countries must look outside of the home market 
for the sale of their surplus. Thus it is that they are 
ready to fight for the future trade of people now 
ranked as savages or half-civilized. The United States 
may look on with composure while this wrangling is 
going on. The more the nations turn to manufactur¬ 
ing, the more food they must buy of us. Especially 
is this true of meat and flour. No country can pro¬ 
duce first-class beef, pork and mutton as cheaply as 
America. While American manufacturers are, or 
ought to be, able to hold their own in foreign trade, 
American farmers may expect a constantly increasing 
foreign demand for food and, indirectly, the opening 
up and civilizing of Africa and China will increase 
this demand. The case is different with cotton for, 
under British control, China and Egypt are likely to 
produce vast quantities of the staple and compete 
seriously with the southern States. 
0 
A convention of secretaries of boards of agriculture 
and institute managers from New England and New 
York, was held at Boston, April 6-7. Delegates were 
present from the seven States, and three profitable 
sessions for the discussion of methods of institute 
work were held. The point was made very clear that 
success in institute work requires system, and careful 
management by a central committee, rather than leav¬ 
ing the work too largely to local committees. Manager 
Dawley brought much enthusiasm and good advice 
based on two years’ experience in institute work in 
New York State. Calls for work of this kind are in¬ 
creasing year by year, and farmers are profiting by 
this union of scientific and practical teachings. Nearly 
all of the delegates testified that some of the best in¬ 
stitute workers are those connected with our stations 
and agricultural colleges. A new phase of work for 
institutes — the discussion and encouragement of 
Nature studies in our rural schools—was generally 
approved by the delegates present. A permanent or¬ 
ganization was formed, to be known as the Eastern 
Association of Farmers’ Institute Workers. This as¬ 
sociation designs to bring together annually, institute 
workers from New England, New York and New Jer¬ 
sey, for a general discussion of institute methods and 
work, and for the training of institute workers. 
G 
BREVITIES. 
CUBA IN THE KITCHEN. 
“ Ef I wuz iu the White House now, them Spanish dons would go 
A packin’ out of Cuby—no, I ain’t no hand to blow; 
But ef I held the drivin’ reins of this here government, 
You wouldn’t ketch me wastin’ time, I tell ye, they’d a went. 
Ef / wuz there, I’d take the field an’ blow Havaiiny down, 
You wouldn’t ketch me backin’ out”- 
“ Now stop your noise, Joe Brown, 
I’ve heered enough of Cuby—give them Spanish dons a rest. 
You set here like a settin’ hen, a hatchin’ out a nest 
Of ‘ what I'd do ef I was there' —I’ll bet you’d run away; 
You’d better take your ax an’ saw, an’ go right out and play 
That woodpile is Havanny, an’ that Weyler is the pump. 
Fill up that water bucket—not a word from you, now—jump ! 
Or I won’t cook no dinner, and you’ll be as petered out 
As them reconcentraders that you talk so much about. 
The wrongs of sufferin’ Cuby don’t give you no right to shirk; 
I’m gonter build a trochy ’round that pantry till you work.” 
A sitting citizen—the lazy man ! 
Keep the chilled plowshares hot. 
The soiling crop cleans the land. 
A little praise goes a long ways. 
The farm hand must use his head. 
He who “ knows it all ” goes before a fall. 
To cool a man off, give him responsibility. 
The small of your back may hold a big pain. 
The devil propagates his works by layers of liars. 
Use of a hair dye drove a New York girl to suicide! 
What would be the objection to an iron or steel barn ? 
The calf is three-fourths the herd—care is the other quarter. 
A general-purpose co w is better than one with no purpose at all. 
The bulldog opposes arbitration, though always ready for a bite 
ration. 
Horticulture for the Children will be found this week on 
page 315. 
The boy thinks that his mother’s slipper is like Shylock—it is 
connected with “ a pound of flesh ”. 
A mighty poor citizen—he who takes time to curse the Span¬ 
iards, and makes his wife cut the stove wood. 
Switzerland has now prohibited the importation of fresh fruit 
from the United States, in consequence of the San Jos6 scale. 
An English clergyman has recently been fined $25 and costs for 
starving calves. Did you ever notice the way the minister some¬ 
times feeds his horse ? 
An old English inn bears upon its signboard the title Of “ The 
Four Alls.” It is explained by the proverb “ Queen governs all, 
parson prays for all, soldier fights for all, and farmer pays for all.” 
Enter ye at the little end of the horn, for tight is the squeeze 
and hard on the feelings for those who enter the big end with 
much noise and are then forced to crawl out the small and nar¬ 
row way. 
Say what you will now, every farmer knows, 
No matter how the originator blows, 
A new potato, wheresoe’r it grows, 
Must early rise to beat the Early Rose. 
The Canary Islands, discussed lately as the possible scene of 
conflict with Spain, grow tomatoes very largely for the British 
market, Las Palmas shipping about 3,000 tons a year. About 
350,000 bunches of bananas are, also, shipped annually from this 
port to British markets. 
It is said that one county in Kansas offered a bounty of three 
cents for every rabbit scalp turned in. The farmers all turned 
out one week with their shotguns, killed 158,514 rabbits, and ex¬ 
hausted the county treasury. It is suggested that they must now 
work overtime, to pay the extra tax. 
