1897 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
89 
WHAT I SEE AND HEAR. 
I noticed a lot of very fine chickens dressed capon 
style. The dealer said that there was no advantage 
in this style of dressing unless it might he in the 
weight of the feathers left on, which isn’t much. 
Some unscrupulous dealer might sell them to an un¬ 
suspecting and ignorant customer for capons, but few 
would be thus deceived. They would better be clean 
picked. 
X X t 
I saw a delivery wagon from a wholesale meat firm 
delivering some bacon at a restaurant. The driver 
took out one piece at a time and laid it carefully on 
the sidewalk, which was covered with filth and slush 
from the dirty streets. When a sufficient number had 
been laid out, they were carefully piled together and 
carried in. Talk about germs, microbes, bacteria, 
bacilli, etc. ! Verily, the city dweller knoweth not 
what he eateth ! 
X X X 
There is always more or less damage to perishable 
products by such extremely cold weather as we have 
just been experiencing. Its effects are plainly seen 
as one walks through the markets, and it stands the 
purchaser of fruits and vegetables to look well to what 
he is buying. The effects of frost are more evident on 
some things than on others, but some of the hucksters 
have ways of disguising its effects ; they can pur¬ 
chase frosted produce very cheaply, and the most 
that they get for it is clear gain. 
X t X 
A certain grocer is selling strictly fresh, new-laid 
eggs at retail for less than the wholesale price of 
such eggs. He also guarantees to replace all that 
are stale, and he has a good many to replace, too. 
But the absurdity is that there should need to be any 
such guarantee on strictly fresh-laid eggs. The fact is 
that these are refrigerator eggs, or in some cases, per¬ 
haps, limed, with, probably, a few fresh ones mixed 
in. They serve to draw a not too discriminating 
trade, and the replacing satisfies the purchasers. It 
is simply a trick of the trade. 
X t X 
I have been much interested in observing the 
methods of different retailers of provisions with whom 
I deal. Some of them represent their goods just as 
they are. For instance, I saw some egg plants on 
one green grocer’s stand, and asked the price. “ Oh, 
you don’t want those ; they are too far gone,” was 
the reply. Some dealers would try to make the buyer 
think that the vegetables are all right, and, perhaps, 
succeed, thereby making a sale, and—losing a cus¬ 
tomer. That’s the sort of enterprise that doesn’t pay. 
A customer who buys under such urging, is disgusted 
with himself and the seller, and will avoid the latter 
afterward. 
XXX 
“ Have you any small packages of choice butter ?” 
I asked one commission man. “ No, not at this time 
of year ; later we shall have plenty. We have small, 
fancy packages, but the package doesn’t make the 
butter.” I have seen the same thing in many a store. 
The creameries make choice butter, but it is put up 
in large tubs. Most of the smaller dairies that make 
choice butter seem to have a private trade. This is 
best for them, but not for those who would like 
to buy choice butter in small quantities in the general 
market. Many make the mistake of putting inferior 
butter into these small, fancy packages, but few 
buyers are fooled thereby. Better make the butter 
good in the first place. 
X X X 
In one commission house, I saw a large pile of 
crates of comb honey, nearly all White clover, and as 
fine a lot as I have seen in many a day. I asked 
what price was received for such, and was told that 
they were trying to get 13 cents for the best grade ; 
the second grade went for a little less, basswood for 
still less, and so on down to buckwheat, which 
brought seven to nine cents. This honey is in pound 
sections, from 30 to 40 sections packed in a neat crate 
made with open sides so that the honey shows off 
well. Trade in honey is slow now ; later, there is a 
heavy demand from the Hebrews, who consume large 
quantities of it during their holiday feasts. Shippers 
should bear this point in mind. 
t X X 
A western New York correspondent wishes some¬ 
thing said about cabbage in the market. He says 
that about 100 car-loads have been shipped from his 
station, and some of it has paid the wrong way. One 
shipper was requested to forward 317.80 to pay the 
balance of freight and commission on one car-load. 
Some two or three months ago, I told about one ship¬ 
per from this same locality who had sent a car-load 
of very fine cabbage when the market here was 
glutted from nearby points, and it sold for very low 
prices. This is the mistake made by many, and is 
often the cause of loss. No produce should be shipped 
to a market already oversupplied. Now cabbage 
prices are double what they were last fall, and the 
demand is good. If the quality is all right, they 
would sell well now. But the quality is often such 
that prices must be low ; there are many reasons for 
low prices. f. h. v. 
THE SILO IS KING OF CORN. 
“Corn Is*King!” It was a western man who in¬ 
vented that phrase. The total corn crop of 1891 was 
worth $836,439,228, while the combined value of the 
crops of wheat, oats, rye, barley and buckwheat for 
the same year was only $795,301,036. While the bulk 
of this great crop was produced in what is known as 
the “ corn belt ” of the Western States, even in a State 
like New Jersey, wherever mixed farming is prac¬ 
ticed, the corn crop has been most profitable in any 
series of years. We are not, therefore, surprised at 
receiving the following note from a Jerseyman : 
“ Corn is king ! ” 
Is corn king? 
To-day, in Somerset County, New Jersey, one bushel of corn is 
equal to 1J4 bushel of coal. Twenty-fire years ago, one bushel of 
corn would buy nearly eight bushels of coal. Which is king, corn 
or coal? 
No single food product can ever become “ king ” in 
the sense that it will crowd out competition. Coal is 
a king, or nearly so, because it has long enjoyed 
almost a monopoly of force through steam. The 
location of cities has been determined largely by the 
ease with which coal could be hauled to them. When 
electricity can harness the streams or the ocean waves, 
there will be an overproduction of force, and coal and 
petroleum will lose their monopoly and cities will be 
scattered. In 1872, the average wholesale price of 
anthracite coal at Philadelphia was $3.74 per ton ; in 
1895, it was $3.50 ; it is now about $4. The produc¬ 
tion of coal in 1880 was 70,478,426 tons; in 1894, 
152,447,791 tons. Our population in 1870 was 38,557,- 
371, and in 1890, 62,622,250. The increase in the pro¬ 
duction of various crops may be seen from the follow¬ 
ing : 
1872. 1895. 
Bushels. Bushels. 
Corn. 1,092,719,000 2,151.138,580 
Wheat. 249,997,100 467,102.947 
Oats. 271,747,000 824,443,537 
The present price of corn in New York is 29 to 31 
cents ; fifteen years ago, the average price for the 
year was over 80 cents. The crop for 1882 was 25 per 
cent less than that of 1895, yet it was worth over 
$215,000,000 more ! It seems to us that, during the 
past four years, thousands of farmers have been in¬ 
creasing their crops of corn and oats, and decreasing 
the area in wheat. The immense increase in the num¬ 
ber of silos and the vast quantities of shredded fodder 
that have been saved and fed, have gradually re¬ 
duced the demand for the grain. The fact is that the 
effect of the silo in reducing the price of most of our 
feeding stuffs by cheapening the home part of the 
ration and reducing the demand for purchased fat¬ 
forming foods has hardly begun to be appreciated. 
The extended use of Crimson clover has almost stopped 
the sale of nitrogenous fertilizers in Delaware. The 
silo and the corn shredder will, in time, cut the prices 
of food stuffs in two. The silo is king of corn ! 
Lazy Man Wins 
For years we sprayed our ex¬ 
tensive orchards with 
the common Spray 
Pumps, but became 
disgusted with the 
hard, nasty work and invented 
the ‘•ECLIPSE.” Now we do 
the work easily and pleasantly. 
So does every man who uses 
^ them. Send for Catalogue. 
MORRILL & MORLEY, 
Benton Harbor, Mich. 
WE MANUFACTURE 
PUMPS FOR ALL PURPOSES 
Our Spray Pumps and Nozzles are used by the 
experiment stations and all leading horticultur- 
. ists. The best fruit and berries can only be pro¬ 
duced by spraying. We send a valuable illustrated 
36 Page Book on Spraying, FREE, Address 
THE DEMING CO., SALEM, _ 
HENION & HUBBELL, General Western 
61 to 69 North Jefferson St., Chicago, 
-**• - '* %L --V—- "1 i 
E. Address \ 
M, OHIO. * 
stern Agents, *1 
'ago, III. j 
— n -A 
CAGLE SPWAY PUMP 
PITTSBURGH PUMP CO. 
322 LIBERTY ST. 
PITTSBURGH. PA. 
CppijY- 
perfect Aorufos 8 ! 11 ^ 
EMPIRE 
KING 
I 
PERFECT AGITATORS .'* 1 No s2orchiS| | 
foliage. No leather or rubber valves. Twelve 
styles of Spray Pumps. Catalogue Fbbe. 
HELD FORCE PUMP CO., 18 Market 8t.,Loekport. 5.1 
iMiiiiiiiiimiimnimminiimiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiia 
P(%> 
■ » 04 STVI PC w I 
S 1 
21 STYLES. 
BEST and CHEAPEST. 
s 
5 Catalogue and full treatise on spraying fruit s 
S and vegetable crops mailed free. Address 
WM. STAHL, QUINCY, ILL. ^ 
aailllllllll’«HIIIIIIIIIHllllllllllllHllllinillllllllllHiniinni. 
THE LIGHTNING SEED SOWER! 
{^“Guaranteed to Sow from 50 to 
80 Acres per Day (either Horse 
back or Foot), of Clover, Timothy, 
Millet, Flax, and all Seeds of 
same nature. 
Will be sent to 
any Postoffice on re¬ 
ceipt ot $1.50. It notsati*. 
factory, money refunded. 
Circulars Free. Agents Wanted. 
FRANZEN & BUSS, 
GOLDEN, ILL,. 
REFERENCE: GOLDEN BANK. 
I 
AGE.NTS 
WANTED. 
ACME 
Illustrated 
pamphlet 
mailed 
free. 
PULVERIZING HARROW, CLOD CRUSHER AND LEVELER. 
Adapted to all soils, all work. Crashes, cuts, 
lifts, pulverizes, turns, levels the soil in one oper¬ 
ation. Made entirely of cast steel and wrought iron 
—practically indestructible. 
Cheapest riding harrow on earth. $8.00 and np. 
SENT ON TRIAL 5°nS r B I&^ inyexpenfle *!?*?■ ™ s h, sole mn, 
u uui Batiaiaeiory. Millington, New Jersey, and 
N. B.—I deliver free on board at distributing points. 
PLEASE MENTION THIS PAPER. 
30 So. Canal St., Chicago. 
THE GENUINE 
Has no equal. Works easy and throws a 
constant stream. Never freezes. Over 
300,000 in nse and giving universal satis¬ 
faction. Send for circulars and prices, 
giving depth of well. Beware of Imitations. 
Also manufacturers of the Imperial 
Galvanized Steel Wind Mills and 
Nteel Derricks, Iron Turbine and 
Columbia Steel Wind Engine*, 
Dower MUK Well Drilling .VIa- 
eliiraea. Tank and Spray Pump*, 
Buckeye Lawn Mower*, Iron 
Fencing, ete. 
MAST, FOOS & CO 
SPRlNGFlfiLO. OHIO 
Maple Evaporators. 
MOST DURABLE , MOST ECONOMICAL , 
CHEAPEST. Manufactured by 
McLANE & SCHANCK, Linesville, Pa. 
Will 
not 
break 
Send fo 
circular. 
WILLIS 
SAP SPOUT. 
In one piece with hook. Hand- 
, , , . somely made from tinned mal- 
. leable iron. 1< ar superior to all others. 
Full line of other Maple Sugar Goods. 
CHARLES MILLAK & SON, UTICA, 5. Y. 
Facts About the Indian Territory. 
For Information how and when to secure homes 
send 10 cents to E. JOHNSON, Webber’s Falls, I. T. ’ 
