io4 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
February 13 
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. 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
SUBSCRIPTIONS. 
PRICE, ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. 
To foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.04, equal to 
8s. 6d., or 8*4 marks, or 1014 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. 
Ad vertisements 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 
Postroffice 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, FEBRUARY 13, 1897. 
The Hudson Valley Horticultural Society was form¬ 
ally organized at Poughkeepsie last Wednesday. 
With few slight changes the constitution of the 
Western New York Horticultural Society was adopted. 
The new society will cover the counties along the 
Hudson River from Washington, south, and also Long 
Island. The following officers were elected : Presi¬ 
dent, Col. James Wood; vice-president, W. F. Taber; 
recording secretary, E Van Alstyne; correspond¬ 
ing secretary, E. G. Fowler, and treasurer, B. D. 
Van Buren. The society will hold its first meeting 
at Poughkeepsie, March 11 and 12, and it is expected 
that some of the best fruit authorities in the country 
will be present. Full particulars will be given later. 
O 
It is not generally known that outside of linseed 
and cotton-seed meals, there is no stock food richer 
than buckwheat middlings. They are especially rich 
in muscle-makers and pure fat, and are particularly 
valuable for feeding with ensilage. In actual feeding 
value, they are easily worth nine-tenths as much as 
cotton-seed meal, while at local mills, they can often 
be bought for half as much. Some men are able to 
buy wood ashes at a few dollars per load, because 
there is but a small local demand, and no one has 
really tried to compare values of different forms of 
potash. Just so with buckwheat middlings. At many 
local mills, the farmer who knows what he wants and 
is able to compare values, can often secure a wonder¬ 
ful bargain. 
® 
The first response to the call for facts regarding 
the use of ensilage as food for mules and horses, 
is as follows : 
This is my first season with a silo. I built a round one, 36 feet 
high by 24 feet in diameter, and filled it with heavily-eared Vir¬ 
ginia white dent corn cut to one-half-inch lengths. The ensilage 
is very dry but sweet. I commenced feeding November 15, also 
to my horses and mules. On Christmas day, one mule ailed, 
seemed to get stiff in the back and hind legs, and died in 24 hours; 
before New Year’s day came ’round, I had lost seven valuable 
animals, my entire working force. Veterinarians could give no 
relief. We opened several of these animals, and found the blood 
very dark colored, the lungs and liver congested, but their bowels 
in good order; no signs of colic whatsoever. j. f. sarg. 
Black Forest Farm, Va. 
Why cannot some of our veterinarians tell us what 
there is in ensilage to cause such a disease ? Was it 
the ensilage ? 
G 
Secretary of Agriculture Morton intends to go 
out of office with flying colors so far as his attitude 
toward the free distribution of Government seeds is 
concerned. He has fought against the continuance 
of this farce ever since he was appointed, but Congress 
has persisted in making the appropriation every year 
in spite of his protests. Not being able to accom¬ 
plish the abolition of the system, the Secretary has 
striven to make the service as economical and prac¬ 
tical as possible. In a circular recently issued, he 
shows that his plan has secured nearly twice as much 
seed as the old plan, and of a better quality. Only 
good, viable seeds were secured, the business was 
divided among several seedsmen, and prompt delivery 
of the seeds to the people was secured. Last year, 
19,053,839 packets of vegetable seeds, 1,012,500 packets 
of flower seeds and 292,925 quarts of field seeds were 
purchased. Each packet of vegetable seed cost less 
than six mills, each packet of flower seed less than 
eight mills and each quart of field seeds, such as 
corn, Timothy, clover, etc., a fraction over four cents. 
The total weight of seed purchased was over 1,200,000 
pounds, and as put up for distribution, it would load 
75 mail cars. The seeds cost $130,000, testing, inspec¬ 
tion and cost of distribution about $20,000 more, and 
the expense to the postal department for handling 
them was estimated at $100,000 more. The vegetable 
and field seeds distributed would plant 227,346 acres. 
The seeds were purchased of different firms in dif¬ 
ferent parts of the country, all put up ready for mail¬ 
ing, and each packet bears the name of the firm 
sending it out, thus furnishing a good deal of adver¬ 
tising to the successful bidders for the contract. The 
only further improvement the Secretary recommends 
“is the total abolition of the promiscuous and gratui¬ 
tous distribution of seed by Governmental agencies.” 
o 
Prof. Roberts read a forcible paper before the 
Western New York Horticultural Society showing 
that the soil itself is a vast storage place for uncon¬ 
sidered plant food. He advocated improved tillage 
and the conservation of moisture to make better use 
of this soil food. The R. N.-Y. has often noted that, 
in places where large quantities of 'fertilizer or ma¬ 
nure are used, too little attention is paid to proper til¬ 
lage. Some farmers are like dairymen who feed a well- 
balanced ration, but neglect to curry the cow and keep 
her comfortable. There is fertility in the live mus¬ 
cles of a horse’s leg as well as in the dead bone. Who 
can find a set of harrows and plows that will till the 
soil as well as Mr. Derby’s Delaware Crimson clover ? 
This plant is the best possible exponent of Prof. 
Roberts’s idea of making the soil soluble ! 
© 
A law in New York State compels railroads to sell 
1,000-mile books at the rate of two cents a mile. Last 
fall, a representative of The R. N.-Y. tried to buy 
such a book of the Erie Railroad Company, but was 
not permitted to do so. He brought suit against the 
company and secured a judgment for $50. The 
Supreme Court has now affirmed this decision and 
established the principle that the railroad companies 
must sell these books when called upon to do so. 
The Erie runs through New Jersey. Its plea was 
that the purchaser intended to use the ticket to ride 
to some point outside the State which was not cov¬ 
ered by the State law. The court held that it did not 
matter what he intended to do. He did not get to 
that point since the railroad company refused to sell 
the book. There will be no question about railroads 
operating wholly within the State ; they must sell 
the books on demand. The States of New Jersey and 
Pennsylvania should now pass a similar law so that 
there can be no possible loophole for railroads pass¬ 
ing through two or more States. 
o 
In a recent bulletin from Cornell, Prof. Bailey gives 
two instances to show how old things may be repre¬ 
sented as new and wonderful to the uninitiated. Last 
spring, a seedsman offered a “ mole tree ”—a plant 
which he said would drive moles out of a garden. 
Prof. Bailey finds that it is the Caper Spurge (Euphor¬ 
bia Lathyris), an old garden plant in continuous use 
for, at least, 300 years. It is an interesting plant, 
and may, possibly, be objectionable to moles. That 
is all that can be said of it, and it is worse than folly 
to send out such an old veteran at such an extrava¬ 
gant price. A botanist could have named this plant 
at once and given its history. The stations do well to 
follow up these so-called “ novelties ” and find out 
what they are. This is a part of the “ watch-dog ” 
business that Prof. Jordan speaks of. Samples of 
potatoes, cut for planting, came to Cornell covered 
with a white powder. The dealer who prepared 
them said that he had discovered a material that 
would prevent the tubers from shrinking 1 What do 
you suppose it was ? Ordinary land plaster ! Here 
was a “ discovery ” that thousands of farmers have 
been familiar with for years. Doubtless, if it were 
advertised, thousands more would pay their hard- 
earned dollars for it! 
0 
Last year, we gave an account of the practices of 
a Michigan man who thrashed corn and oats together 
so that the grains were mixed in the bin and the fod¬ 
der and straw were mixed in the mow. Mr. O. H. 
Smith tells us, on page 99, how he added peas and 
barley to this mixture, and thus made a regular sand¬ 
wich for his stock. Facts about such practices are 
spread by means of the agricultural papers. It is 
safe to say that, in every county of this great coun¬ 
try, there are practices or methods worked out by 
local farmers that are of value, not only at home, 
but abroad. How are such things to be scattered ex¬ 
cept through the agricultural papers ? Men in other 
lines of business are quickly informed when changes 
or developments occur. There is no reason why a 
farmer should not be informed about what others are 
doing, while manufacturers make it their business to 
learn what is going on outside their own factory or 
store. We often hear farmers say that agricultural 
papers and experiment stations are injuring the busi¬ 
ness of farmers by broadcasting such information, 
and thus cheapening the cost of production. Our 
opinion is that agriculture would be far worse off than 
at present if it had been denied the benefits of science 
or the advantages of scientific discussion that are 
accorded to other industries. Manufacturers secure 
a patent and monopolize a discovery of one of Nature’s 
secrets. Who thinks that farmers in general would 
be better off if such things as the Babcock milk test, 
the use of Bordeaux Mixture, the growing of Crimson 
clover, or the principle of ensiloing corn were pat¬ 
ented or monopolized by a protected few ? 
O 
No wonder the ancients considered phosphorus the 
essence of life. It is the essential principle in the 
production of all seeds from which new life is to be 
started. On most soils, phosphoric acid is needed in 
larger proportion than either potash or nitrogen. In 
nourishing the human system, too, the phosphates 
are most necessary. Various preparations said to be 
made from the brain of the ox or of the fish have 
been put up and sold in large quantities. They have 
unquestionably given excellent results when used by 
nervous or overworked people, or those who take too 
little bone-forming material in their food. Doctors 
are now advocating the use of phosphoric acid in 
cases of gravel or formation of calculi in the kidneys 
and bladder. There is no reason why one should use 
the high-priced substances said to be formed from 
“ fish brains”. A mixture of diluted phosphoric acid 
and glycerine will answer the purpose. We use 310 
drops dilute phosphoric acid and 310 drops of standard 
glycerine mixed in a four-ounce bottle of thick sugar 
syrup. Five teaspoonfuls will make 300 drops, which 
is close enough. One teaspoonful of this syrup mix¬ 
ture in a little water three times a day is “good 
medicine” for those troubled with gravel or those 
generally “run-down.” 
BREVITIES. 
Of all back-numbered singers I have beard, from worst to best, 
Old Pop, fer all his practice, is about the homeliest. 
He’s mighty sure to splinter common music every time, 
An’ them big flyin’ splinters punch a hole in every rhyme. 
An’ if the biggest mansion in the skies sold fer a song, 
Pop couldn’t earn a shingle, fer he’d surely sing it wrong. 
An’ yet, sometimes at evenin’, when he sets down in his chair, 
A-singin’ to the baby—why, it sounds jest like a prayer. 
You orter hear him singin’ “ Happy Day” an’ ‘'Saved by Grace,” 
Or some of them old-timers, with the fire light in his face ! 
There ain’t no music to it, but, somehow, it’s full of tears, 
Them splintered notes a-pleadin’ fer the baby’s cornin’ years. 
His voice is like sandpaper to a stranger’s ear, an’ yet 
An angel’s ain’t no sweeter to the baby’s taste—I bet. 
I’ve heard of primy donners with a note jest like a bird, 
That runs from A way down to X—at least, that’s what I’ve heard; 
But give me Pop a-singin’ with his face by baby’s head, 
An’ I won’t ask no further—take the rest, sez I—’nougb said I 
Fer one note straight from Natur’ is worth 20 of your art; 
Pop’s throat is out o’ kilter, but it leads straight from his heart. 
Whine not! Why not ? 
Break ur or break down ! 
What spur starts the spurt ? 
La grippe makes us lose our grip. 
Take a drinK ! The demand of a demon. 
“Thou shalt not! ” is a must-y command. 
Cost of a Long Island pickle crop—page 103. 
List not to the whine that is read or spoken. 
Among the Marketmen will be found on page 108. 
Why will a poor cow eat more food that a good one ? 
Who is the shirk ? He who puts no heart within his work ! 
Yes, sir, a question that sticks in your mind is a barbed why. 
Let the convicts make free school books and broken stone for 
roads. 
Don’t let the children tease for tea ! Make them tea teeto¬ 
tallers ! 
When Adam talked and Eve tended, woman’s rights were soon 
amended. 
Mr. Stave Silo most certainly will make Timothy Hay pay the 
fertilizer bill. 
What proportion of American farmers are in debt to fertilizer 
or implement dealers ? 
Talk is cheap. That may be why there is so little dry-up mat¬ 
ter in our word rations. 
You pay a big inheritance tax when you keep the daughter of 
scrubs for a dairy cow. 
You are the head of a family ! How many bad influences did 
you head off in 1896 and keep out of the house ? 
Fe ! Fi ! Fo ! Fum ! Take the money that’s spent for rum. 
Let it be spent for bread and meat ! Farmer would sit on a 
higher seat ! 
Cutting stalks with a hand cutter doesn’t seem to be such a 
“ man-killing” job after all—if we may believe the live men who 
are doing it right along. 
“To be continued in our next!” Don’t take that saying for 
your text, but make your point and then sit down. Strong words 
are conversation’s crown. 
The Lehigh Valley Railroad carried 70 Cornell students to the 
Western New York Horticultural Society meeting. It would pay 
railroads to carry farmers free to such meetings. That is the 
way to make future business. 
A good McGowan nozzle and a lively spraying pump will put 
your whitewash where you will as fast as you can jump. Your 
whitewash must be thin as wash, not thick and stiff as mush. 
Then aim your nozzle—let it go. Good bye to Mr. Brush. 
A brook runs through two farms. One farmer lets it go with 
the leachings of his barnyard. The other farmer lifts the water 
upon his soil and adds to his crop by irrigation. Thus thought 
adds a value to water—the most unstable thing in the universe. 
