28o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
April 24 
The Rural New=Yorker. 
THE BUSINESS FARMERS' PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 18W. 
Elbert S. Carman. Editor-In-Chief. 
Herbert W r . Collingwood, Manatring- 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 10)4 francs. 
ADVERTISING KATES. 
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 certs 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-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 24, 1897. 
LAST CALL 1 
It is time for Sir Walter Raleigh to be under the sod. 
Put a halter 
On Sir Walter; 
Here's a two-cent stamp, 
Send the lively scamp. 
JOHN SMITH, 
AUSTRALIA. 
That order is good for one Sir Walter Raleigh potato. 
Last chance to secure this fine tuber. You will be 
proud of him if you treat him well ! 
O 
The farmer with a good grain drill has little use 
for a corn marker or planter. Thousands of farmers 
never use anything else for planting corn. A stick at 
the side marks the track for the first row on the 
return, and by adjusting the tubes properly, two 
rows are planted at each trip across the field. The 
Rural Thoroughbred flint corn has a large kernel, yet 
the grain drill plants it perfectly one foot or 18 
inches apart in the drill as desired. On smooth land, 
the grain drill will, also, serve as a marker and fer¬ 
tilizer distributer. The chief objection is that the 
fertilizer box is usually too small, so that repeated 
filling is necessary. 
© 
Hebe is a problem presented by a New York State 
subscriber : 
My lowland was thickly seeded with clover last fall, but now 
the frost has pulled it nearly out, some entirely, standing wrong 
end up. If I roll it, the plants will be pushed back, but the horses 
will make holes, and the soil will be hard, etc. Which would you 
do—roll or let it go 7 
Our own plan would be to “ let it go.” We should 
expect to do more harm than good with horses and 
roller. In other words, we doubt whether the advan¬ 
tage of crushing the plants back into the ground 
would compensate for the damage done to the damp 
ground by tramping. Are we wrong or right ? 
O 
On page 138, we called for 35,000,000 Americans to 
pledge themselves to eat three apples every day from 
August 15 to July 1. The Fruit Exchange Review 
adds this note : 
If The R. N.-Y. will substitute oranges from January 1 to July 
1, the Review will assist in circulating the pledge. 
Then comes the Texas Stockman with this amendment: 
We indorse and desire to amend by asking the pledge to be 
taken by 70 000,000 people to eat three apples each for 365 days in 
each year. Why not? Apples are cheap and plentiful. 
We can’t accept the first amendment—the last one is 
good enough for us except that we want some room 
left for small fruits in summer. If any reader cares 
to eat both apples and oranges from January to July, 
we’ll not complain—but don’t leave off the apples ! 
G 
During the past winter, Prof. I. P. Roberts has de¬ 
livered, at various meetings, an interesting address 
based on experiments conducted at Cornell to deter¬ 
mine something of the effect of tillage in liberating 
the plant food of the soil. These facts have now been 
issued in the form of a bulletin, and all farmers who 
buy fertilizers should read it. We have often ob¬ 
served that farmers who use large quantities of fer¬ 
tilizers are likely to neglect proper tillage in pre¬ 
paring the soil. Some of these large fertilizer farmers 
do not even use a harrow. The land is plowed and 
the fertilizer applied with a grain drill, which light 
scratching answers for a harrowmg. The use of fer¬ 
tilizers is likely to give some farmers an idea that 
soluble fertilizers are so readily available that careful 
tillage may be dispensed with. That is a great mis¬ 
take, for the very solubility of the fertilizers makes 
it necessary that the soil should be finely pulverized. 
On our potato ground this year, we have first worked 
the soil over with a Cutaway, then plowed deep with 
a swivel plow, and then worked several times with 
the Acme. This gives a loose, mellow seed bed into 
which the spring rains will soak. We expect to pre¬ 
vent any crust from forming on the surface by the 
constant use of weeder and cultivator. The best of 
cultivation will not make up for poor preparation 
of the soil before planting. 
O 
We constantly receive letters and circulars from 
people who want to advertise in The R. N.-Y., giving 
references from governors, mayors, members of Con¬ 
gress, presidents of banks, and such notables. Often¬ 
times we do not take the trouble to look up the refer¬ 
ences, because their schemes are frauds on the face 
of them. But when we do follow them up, we find 
that the people referred to are usually cautious and 
guarded in reply or, which is more often the case, we 
find that the references have been given without the 
knowledge or consent of the persons referred to, in 
the hope that we would be satisfied with the high- 
sounding names and not write them at all. In other 
words, the references are pure bluff. This is a trick 
often played successfully by unscrupulous commission 
men, and other frauds who ask credit of farmers. 
Don’t accept titled references as a satisfactory basis 
for credit. 
© 
In the State of Washington, applicants for the posi¬ 
tion of horticultural commissioner must pass an exami¬ 
nation in horticulture, and prove that they have had 
experience in fruit matters, before they can obtain 
certificates. These commissioners are to enforce the 
laws regulating the spread of insect and fuDgous 
pests. They evidently do these things better on the 
Pacific coast than they do at this end of the country. 
We have heard of one case in an Atlantic coast State 
where a man was appointed inspector under a law 
regulating the spread of black knot. One of his first 
official acts was to write a letter about like this to a 
nurseryman of his acquaintance: “I have been 
appointed black-knot inspector ! I want to come and 
see you some day, and have you tell me just what black 
knot is so that I can always tell it! ” The piurn orchards 
of that State are “ plumb safe” in the hands of such 
a man as that. The worst breed of ticks is politics. 
© 
The “ stove shark ” is still at work. His plan is to 
set up a stove in your kitchen, and get you to sign a 
paper purporting to be a simple receipt. This paper 
turns up later as a note for $67 with interest, and you 
will be made to pay it. Here is the history of a little 
stove drama which was acted in Massachusetts : 
The stove man and mules called at Mr. B.’s to make a sale. 
Mr. B. would make no promise or agreement whatever, but the 
agent Insisted upon leaving a stove “ on trial.” While the agent 
was setting up the stove, Mr. B. was called away. When the 
work was accomplished, a paper was presented to Mrs. B. for 
signature. She declining to sign, the agent said that the paper 
was oniy to show where the stove was, as the mules might “ kick 
off his head ” before he made his report to the company. Sup¬ 
posing that she was only signing an acknowledgment that she 
had the stove, she finally signed. Of course, it was a note. When 
Mr. B. returned home and learned the facts, he immediately fol¬ 
lowed the agent who, at first, declined to give up the note, but 
when followed up with threats of legal proceedings, “ came to 
terms,” took his stove and returned the note. While Mr. B. was a 
responsible man, Mrs. B. owned the real estate—as the stove agent 
knew. This is one of the cases near here. 
It does not seem possible that any reader of The R. 
N.-Y. will sign such a paper, for we have repeatedly 
exposed this method of doing or undoing business. 
This farmer took the right course in demanding the 
return of the note. Would that farmers generally 
would be equally prompt in demanding their rights. 
© 
A German writer, Dr. Karl Peters, has made some 
remarkable statements regarding the money which 
Eogland has invested in North and South America, 
Australia, India and South Africa. He figures that 
the United States alone pay to England each year 
$250,000,000 as interest and dividends, while French 
statistics put it at $400 000,000. This money was 
originally borrowed chiefly to build railroads and 
other public works. The yearly interest is paid 
largely in agricultural products such as wheat, cotton, 
provisions, etc. In other words, American farmers 
are sending abroad each year vast quantities of 
cotton, beef and grain to pay interest on debts 
which, as a rule, gave them only an indirect benefit, 
if any. It is easy to imagine what an outcry there 
would be if, for any reason, there was no surplus of 
agricultural products to be sent abroad, so that the 
actual borrowers of this money would be forced to 
pay their interest money in other ways. When we 
consider that India, Egypt, Australia and South 
America are also paying yearly interest money to 
England in the form of cotton, grain, wool and meat, 
and increasing rather than reducing the debt, it seems 
very clear that such a condition of things must affect 
prices—to the detriment of the farmer. It would also 
seem next to impossible that the principal of this 
great debt can ever be paid under present conditions, 
for unless prices of export agricultural products 
rise greatly in value, we can hardly expect to pay 
more than the interest by our balance of trade abroad. 
Yet we are told that we must establish a “confidence” 
that will enable us to borrow more foreign money ! 
© 
The North Carolina Experiment Station chemists 
have adopted a new plan of stating the analysis of a 
fertilizer. When such an analysis is above the guar¬ 
antee made by the manufacturer, the exact figures 
are omitted. When they are below the guarantee, 
the exact figures are given. The chief reason for this 
course is stated as follows : 
It will prevent manufacturers from sending special high-grade 
lots of their fertilizers into the State early in the season, for the 
purpose of getting analyses which might be considerably higher 
than the regular guarantee of the brand in question. After the 
first analysis, if such is the case, the manufacturers might ship 
lower-grade articles, but still be within their guarantee. The fact 
that one analysis was high and another lower, but both higher 
than the guarantee, could hardly be considered unlawful and 
opposed to the present fertilizer laws. Much injustice might be 
done, however, to farmers who might be persuaded by the agents 
of these brands that all their fertilizers would run as high as the 
first high analysis. 
We have often heard of this practice. Certainly the 
station should not help such people to a false reputa¬ 
tion. At the same time, there are several manufac¬ 
turers whose goods always analyze considerably 
above the guarantee, and they deserve recognition in 
some way. It is quite significant that, out of 148 
analyses printed in the last North Carolina bulletin, 
only two fell below the guaranteed value, and 
one of these was but 22 cents under. 
© 
BREVITIES. 
Four centuries ago, a horde of fierce barbarians came 
From Asia into Europe with a track of blood and flame. 
And since that time within his lair beside the southern sea, 
The Turk has lived a menace to our Christian liberty. 
A cruel, hateful despot—reaching out his bloody hands 
In search of helpless victims, like an evil Fate he stands. 
The bones of martyrs whiten in the sun beside his track. 
Yet Europe’s Christian rulers shrug their shoulders and turn 
back. 
John Bull is Turkey’s creditor, and Englishmen have sold 
The right to stand for liberty which England claimed of old. 
And Germany with all her pride and learning does not dare 
To speak a word in protest to the sullen Russian bear. 
And Austria is silent now, and Italy is dumb, 
And even France supinely lies with conscience cold and numb. 
And only Greece, the baby State, Greece, feeble, small and poor, 
Has dared to knock with sword in band upon the Moslem’s door. 
God save the State when craven hearts have lost the fire of old, 
When Christian rulers in their shame sell principle for gold. 
But on the smouldering fires of truth, let Freedom’s breath be 
blown, 
Till men like those of old shall drive the coward from the throne. 
Hoarse flesh—a sore throat. 
Proud flesh—a turned-up nose ! 
Noisy horses are bad neigh bores. 
The R. N.-Y. is printed in read ink. 
The ‘‘setter” has a craze for a laze. 
Don’t let the hired man get too high. 
Is Charity’s chair empty at your house ? 
It is hard sometimes to give a soft answer. 
Don’t give father the seat farthest from comfort. 
White grubs make splendid grub for four-footed grunters. 
Oats and peas will please the cow—in the silo or in the mow. 
Every- species of wind— save that of the windy man — dries up ! 
Crimson clover is likely to suffer from the “heaves” caused by 
frost. 
“ Fixing it in his mind ” may be called propagation by “ tell ye 
graft.” 
A New York State reader has fattened pigs on gluten meal and 
beets and “never had better pork.” 
AVe have just sowed two acres of oats near the barn to cut for 
horse hay. Three bushels of seed per acre. 
A sterilized conscience always agrees with what you want to 
do. You might call it an unconscious conscience. 
Prop. Voorhees suggests a mixture of one part each, bone, acid 
rock and muriate of potash as a fertilizer for apple orchards. 
Two gluttons for food—Parker Earle strawberry and R. N.-Y. 
No. 2 potato. Gluttons pay when they use their food to good 
advantage. 
No, sir, we do not advise you to sow Crimson clover in the 
spring. It is a cool-weather plant. Hot weather will make it 
head out when too short for profit. 
Dr. Kilborne tells us, page 286. that the horse has plenty of 
gall or bile, but no place in which to store it. We wish some men 
were built more on the horse plan. 
A North Dakota subscriber tells this tale of woe: “The hired 
girl dug up my R. N.-Y. No. 2, after being shown where they were, 
and given a special admonition not to touch.” There was poetry 
about that—per verse ity. 
Here is a report on grass seeding from Tompkins County, N. Y.: 
“Some of the best seeding around here is where clover was sown 
with flint corn. The corn was sown broadcast and used for fodder 
for dry stock. It is cut with a binder, and is worth more than 
oats.” 
I’ve seen fond hopes go up in smoke with no compensating 
heat. I’ve seen the liveliest living lie on the lips of the deadest 
“ beat ’’ ; but the hardest fraud that is offered up, and the most 
regretful steal, is the good horse flesh that is ground away in 
the squeal of the rusty wheel. 
