5o4 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
i 
July 31 
The Rural New=Yorker. 
1HE BUSINESS FARMERS PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Established 1850. 
Elbert S. Carman. Editor-In-Chief. 
Herbert W. Colling wood, 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 
8 s. 6d., or 8*4 marks, or 10% 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 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, JULY 31, 1897. 
Another new book that fruit growers will want is 
The Principles of Fruit Growing, 
— BY— 
PROF. L. H. BAILEY. 
This covers the subject of fruit growing, including 
packing and selling. The price is 81.25. It is an ex¬ 
cellent book. 
O 
The daily papers of the country have had more or 
less to say about the efforts made by the Department 
of Agriculture to investigate the foreign butter trade. 
It appears that most of these newspaper stories have 
been largely made out of whole cloth, and have been 
printed in such a way as to give a very imperfect and 
more or less incorrect representation of the results 
thus far obtained. The department will soon issue 
an accurate report, and then we shall be able to know 
exactly what has been accomplished. It is safe to 
say that those who have told most about these re¬ 
sults know least about the actual facts. 
G 
The Klondyke gold mines of Alaska are now at¬ 
tracting the world’s attention. The Creator certainly 
tucked gold away in the most inaccessible parts of 
the earth’s crust. Every ounce of it must be weighed 
against a fearful measure of human life and privation. 
The great want in the Klondyke region is human food. 
Miners who go there must carry with them one or 
two years’ supply of food, or they may face possible 
starvation. This idea of storing up food for future 
use illustrates the plan of fertilizing followed by 
Mr. Lewis and Mr. Hewlett. The latter feeds once 
in five years, and the fifth crop is satisfactory. Mr. 
Lewis puts it this way : “ My farm contains 90 acres. 
If I spend 8*00 for fertilizer, that represents an aver¬ 
age of less than 84 50 per acre. True, it all goes on 
the potatoes, but the other crops make use of it in 
subsequent years I ” 
© 
We understand that there is a conspiracy on foot to 
elect the following ticket on your farm : 
Superintendent of Dairy.Mrs. Scrub Cow. 
Poultry Manager.Mr. Surplus Rooster. 
Engineer.Prof. Balky Horse. 
Inspector of Pens.Mr. Runt Pig. 
Chief of Police.Capt. Cur Dog. 
The chief argument advanced by these parties is that 
possession is nine points of the law. They have been 
with you for years through storm and shine. They 
have eaten up your substance without making fair 
returns, until they feel that they have a perfect right 
to continue. A United States Senator once advanced 
the theory that, after serving for a term of years in 
any one place, the laborer secured a right to his posi¬ 
tion and a share of the proceeds. Scrub Cow, Runt 
Pig and Cur Dog argue in just that way, and unless 
you break up their slate, they will continue to sit 
down on your affairs and keep them down. 
O 
On page 502, Dr. W. J. Beal gives an interesting 
account of his method of killing Quack grass. Our 
experience with a tough sod this year convinces us 
that he is right in saying that deep plowing will often 
preserve weeds instead of destroying them. It is true 
that these weeds may not make much of a showing 
in a well-cultivated corn crop which is usually 
grown on such sod, but they are almost sure to appear 
in the succeeding potato crop. We have often heard 
farmers wonder why potatoes are so grassy when 
grown after a well-cultivated corn crop. The plow 
turned that grass under and kept it out of sight, but 
did not kill it. The thick corn kept it down, but 
when the potato vines became too large for cultiva¬ 
tion, up came the grass through them to occupy the 
land. The use of a Cutaway instead of a plow on that 
sod would give more grass to kill in the corn, but 
would drive It out so that it may be killed ! In some 
cases, that is just what the plow does not do ! 
G 
Mb G M. Clark, the Connecticut grass man, sends 
us the report of this year’s grass crop. This is the 
thirteenth crop taken from the 16 acres : 
Pounds. 
Total on 16 acres. 155.409 
Total on 10*4 acres. 118.804 
Total on 6 best acres. 68,707 
Total on 5V4 poorest acres. 36,605 
Average on 10)4 acres. 11,314 
Average on 6 acres. 11,450 
Average on 5J4 poorest acres. 6,656 
Average on whole field of 16 acres. 9,713 
Best % of an acre. 9,830 
Rate per acre. 15,728 
Best acre. 13.270 
Second best acre. 12,943 
This gives a total yield of 13 tons more than the 16 
acres yielded last year. The best five-eighths of an 
acre yielded at the rate of 15.728 pounds. This is 
coming close to eight tons per acre, which is Mr. 
Clark’s standard. Naturally good grass land, perfect 
preparation, plenty of seed and fertilizer. Without 
these, big grass crops are impossible. Possibly, you 
have the land. Now is the time to begin to supply 
the other needful things. 
G 
Sixty years ago, a good proportion of the beef cat¬ 
tle in England were worked under the yoke, and 
were expected to provide power as well as beef. 
Gradually horses took the place of oxen for farm 
work, and to-day, comparatively few working cattle 
are found. Formerly the steer lived for two purposes, 
and the necessity for large bones and heavy neck and 
shoulders was recognized in breeding animals. As 
the steer gradually dropped farm work and became 
a beef gentleman, the system of selecting and mating 
breeding animals changed, until now the ideal steer 
is a very different animal from the standard animal 
of 50 years ago. He is now smaller in bone, very 
much earlier in maturing, and with more loin and 
less shoulder and neck. Animal or plant life may be 
quickly adapted to new conditions or necessities. 
Years ago, there were two brothers on a New England 
farm. One remained at home, married a country girl, 
and kept his children and grandchildren about him. 
The other went to the city. His children and grand¬ 
children have passed their lives at desk and counter. 
To-day there is little family resemblance between the 
friend of the plow and the slave of the desk. Differ¬ 
ences in work, habits, thought and food have changed 
the descendants of the two brothers by adapting them 
to separate needs of life. These things show the 
farmer how, by careful selection, care and feeding, 
he can do much to adapt his animals and plants to 
the particular needs of his farm. Certainly there is 
no more interesting business in the world than thus 
developing a special strain of animal or plant. 
G 
The Legislature of Pennsylvania has recently passed 
two bills which are unique in their way, and have 
something of a bearing upon agriculture. • One of 
them requires all employers of aliens who may be 
notified by the tax collector, to deduct from the 
wages or earnings of such alien employees, a sum 
sufficient to pay taxes that may be assessed against 
the aliens. In other words, by this law, the State 
may compel such employers to pay the taxes of those 
aliens who work for them. In case the employer does 
not comply with the provisions of this law, he is to 
forfeit twice the amount of said tax. The germ of 
the other bill is contained in the section printed below: 
Section 1. Be it enacted, etc., That all persons, firms, associa¬ 
tions or corporations employing one or more foreign-born un¬ 
naturalized male persons over 21 years of age within this com¬ 
monwealth, shall be and are hereby taxed at the rate of three cents 
per day for each day each of Buch foreign-born unnaturalized male 
persons may be employed, which tax shall be paid into the 
respective county treasuries; one-half of which tax to be dis¬ 
tributed among the respective school districts of each county, in 
proportion to the number of schools in said districts; the other 
half of said tax shall be used by the proper county authorities 
for defraying the general expenses of county government. The 
distribution of the school fund to be made on or before December 
1 of each year. 
Employers are compelled to keep a record of the 
labor performed by aliens in their service, showing 
the exact number of days such persons are employed 
by them, and in case these reports are not kept and 
tax payments promptly made, such employers are 
guilty of misdemeanor, and may be fined from 8200 to 
81 000 at the discretion of the court. The object of 
the bill is stated to compel aliens or those who have 
no intention of becoming citizens of this country, to 
help maintain our local, State and National Govern¬ 
ment. The law will apply to the farmer who employs 
a single alien as well as to the coal-mine owner who 
imports hundreds of cheap laborers. The bill went 
into effect on July 1, and of course, little is yet 
known of its workings. It is said, however, that 
many persons and corporations have refused to em¬ 
ploy alien labor, because of the extra trouble in mak¬ 
ing out the reports and the extra accounts with the 
laborers. One effect has been to increase the num¬ 
ber of applicants for naturalization, and in some of 
the towns and cities, new citizens are being ground 
out at wholesale. Good lawyers have said that this 
law is not constitutional, but it is not likely that 
these aliens will be able to carry on a legal fight 
against it. It will be well enough for Pennsylvania 
farmers to understand that they are certainly liable 
to this tax in case their workmen have not been 
naturalized. 
G 
It is said that Massachusetts and Kansas generally 
start most of the legislation that is out of the ordin¬ 
ary. The Massachusetts Legislature has passed the 
following law : 
Whoever has in his possession the body or feathers of any bird 
whose takiog or killiog is prohibited by section 4 of chapter 276 
of the acts of the year 1886, or wears such feathers for the purpose 
of dress or ornament, shall be punished as provided in said 
section; provided that this act shall not be construed to prohibit 
personshaving the certificate provided for in said section from 
taking or killing such birds; and provided, further, that this act 
shall not apply to natural history associations or to the pro¬ 
prietors of museums, or other collections for scientific purposes. 
Tbe only birds exempted by the old law were Eng¬ 
lish sparrows, crow blackbirds, crows, blue jays, 
birds of prey, and wild geese. Game birds may be 
killed during certain seasons, but their feathers may 
not be worn or sold for dress or ornamental purposes 
without liability to a fine of 810. The Boston police 
say that this law will be enforced. Wholesale and 
retail dealers in millinery goods will be warned and 
prosecuted if they persist in selling feather orna¬ 
ments. Women who wear birds or feathers are liable 
to arrest and fine. Women will, naturally, be the 
chief offenders, yet it was said that the law was 
passed largely because influential women called for 
it. Now let some Massachusetts genius start the 
fashion of wearing poultry«feathers ! What could be 
neater than the wing or tail feather of a well-barred 
Plymouth Rock ? A well-bred Game cock or a Rhode 
Island Red could certainly supply flashes of color. 
The milliners of Massachusetts should not despair 
while the poultry hold out, and poultry keepers will 
welcome any addition to the value of their stock. 
G 
BREVITIES. 
Professor I. P. 
Roberts—says he, 
Punch up the soil for its fertilitee. 
Down in the earth 
There is no dearth 
Of good plant food that will come to you free. 
Harrow and hoe, 
Cultivate—throw 
Open the soil to the air and the sun; 
Keep it stirred well, 
Harvest will tell 
How you have tickled the crop into fun. 
Grind up the ground, 
Value is found 
In the steel teeth of the cultivator; 
Book tells about it, 
Then you can’t doubt it; 
We sell the books—that is what we’re here for. 
Speed the cultivator. 
Plan a rainy day job. 
Let us have the think of propriety. 
Get the Crimson clover seed in lively. 
Demean yourself—saw the meanness off. 
Get those milk pans right into hot water. 
Good business is a matter of dollars and sense. 
Certainly—“ dog days” make one feel like a dog. 
Called dead! Bacteria in pans that have been scalded! 
Yes, sir— lots of buildings go up to smoke on the pipe line. 
Chicken lice are thickest on the smallest and weakest birds! 
Y'ou can sometimes advance an idea best by keeping it back. 
Every family should have one—a Green Mountain grape vine. 
“ I want to be an angel!” Good! Asa starter, stop raising 
cain. 
Which is more dangerous—the foolish wise man or the learned 
idiot ? 
Down with the tobacco trust! All right—suppose you quit 
using tobacco. 
Ben Davis apples grown in Colorado are said to be of fair 
quality. They do not get to New York ! 
It is said that a strain of hornless Hereford cattle has been 
produced. Polled Short-horns have been popular for some years. 
Babies are human bacteria. It is an old saying that what will 
kill milk bacteria will also kill babies. “ Preservaline,” for 
example. 
Don’t say that, because Mr. Hewlett uses 3,000 pounds of fer¬ 
tilizer per acre, we advise you to do the same. We do not—we 
only tell you what he does. 
The R. N.-Y. recently mentioned the case of a horse that eats 
poison ivy. A friend tells us of a horse so fond of this plant that 
he will climb over a wood-pile to reach a fence where it grows. 
No injury results from this poison ivy diet. 
Whale-oil soap made with caustic potash instead of soda has 
proved excellent for the destruction of scale insects on green¬ 
house palms, and would appear valuable for the orchard. It is 
semi-liquid, and is readily mix^d with water, a proportion of 
two ounces to the gallon being efficacious, without injury to 
the foliage. 
