536 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
August 14 
The Rural New=Yorker. 
PUE BUSINESS FARMERS PAPER, 
tx A &Uoua Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes 
Established 1850. 
Elbert S. Carman. Editor-lu-Cbief. 
Herbert W. Collinowood, Managing: Editor. 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
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Address aU business communications and make an orders pay 
able to THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
Corner Chambers and Pearl Streets, New York. 
SATURDAY , AUGUST 14 1897. 
THE 
NEW 
BOOK 
LIST 
SEND 
FOR 
IT 
IS NOW READY. 
What Do We. Want Now? 
YOUR BOOK TRADE! 
© 
Mb Van Deman’s excellent article on budding 
may be read by children all the way from 13 to 90 
years of age. Thousands of grown-up people do not 
know how to bud and graft. Why? Because they 
never learned how. Our scientific writers are liable 
to forget that most people need the plainest and 
simplest instruction in scientific matters. Get down 
to the level of the crowd ! Mr. Slingerland, in his 
talks on insects, has a very happy faculty of putting 
things in readable shape. The best way to show 
your learning is to make people understand it. 
0 
told that the present favorable outlook for wheat is 
due to a failure in European crops. It gives one a 
curious thought in this connection to wonder what 
our newspapers would have said if last year’s Presi¬ 
dential election had gone the other way, and Europe 
was still obliged to call for our surplus wheat. 
© 
We are informed that the “alien law” of Penn¬ 
sylvania, which compels employers of aliens to pay to 
the county treasurer three cents for each laborer’s 
working day, originated in the coal regions. The 
law making public education compulsory compelled 
the people of these regions to build many school 
houses and to pay heavy taxes for the education of 
the children of foreigners. This law seems to have 
been the result of an effort to compel aliens to pay a 
fair share of the public expenses. There is consider¬ 
able objection to it. Manufacturers and coal-mine 
owners object to the expense and trouble of keeping 
account with alien workmen. An Englishman in 
Pittsburg has brought suit to test the constitution¬ 
ality of this law. He claims that he is protected by 
the laws of the United States, and that no State can 
interfere with his business or place special burdens 
of taxation upon him. It is a nice point, and we 
would not be surprised if the law be declared un¬ 
constitutional. 
0 
One of our readers in the State of Maine became 
interested in dishorning and, finally, cut the horns off 
from his herd of 40 cows. It was a great success. 
The cows are better in every way without the horns. 
Some misguided persons who, probably, never saw 
the inside of a cow’s horn, raised a great hue and 
cry over this dishorning, and our friend has now been 
summoned to appear before a court to answer to the 
charge of cruelty to animals. Another Maine farmer 
who dishorned his cows was hauled before a court 
and fined $5 and costs, as he foolishly pleaded guilty. 
We advise our Maine friend to make a fight in the 
courts. The principle has been established again 
and again that dishorning, properly performed, is not 
a cruel operation. Maine seems to be about 10 years 
behind the age in this respect. It is time that she 
rubbed her eyes and realized that horns are of no 
more real value to a cow than is a pistol in a man’s 
pocket. No jury will convict a dishorner for cruelty 
to animals if the facts are all brought out. 
The latest cure for drunkenness is “ Equisine.” 
This is produced by injecting alcohol into the blood 
of a healthy horse. The blood is then drawn from 
the horse and subjected to a certain treatment which 
produces a sticky and straw-colored fluid. The 
patient is inoculated with this “ Equisine” somewhat 
as a smallpox patient is vaccinated. Whether this 
new treatment be a hoax or not, the constant endeavor 
to secure some cure for the disease of drunkenness 
should certainly attract the attention of all thought¬ 
ful people. It seems strange that, while the vast 
majority of people are hunting for various cures for 
the disease, so few of them should realize that the 
true remedy is to stop the sale of the liquor that is 
responsible for the disease. 
0 
The New York daily papers are printing a singular 
advertisement in connection with the Klondyke gold 
fields. Steamship companies offer to take passengers 
from New York City to Circle City, Alaska, with bag¬ 
gage, for $1,000. These passengers are to be delivered 
at Circle City on or before June 15, 1898. The winter 
is to be passed at a place on the lower Yukon River, 
and labor at cutting wood for steamer use is guaran¬ 
teed to passengers. The $1,000 is to cover transporta¬ 
tion, board, medicines and other necessary expenses 
up to June 15. That is, perhaps, a fair illustration 
of the expenses and trouble necessary to one who 
would dig gold in Alaska. We venture to say that, 
if any of our readers can raise $1,000 in cash and will 
invest it in a good farm outfit east of the Alleghany 
Mountains, he will stand 16 chances of making fair 
returns on it, to one chance of making even a living 
in Alaska. 
© 
During the fiscal year ending June 30,1897, the total 
exports from this country amounted to $1,032,001,300. 
Of this vast sum, $683,878 990, over 66 per cent of the 
whole, represented agricultural products. You will 
notice that all the reports of returning prosperity 
are evidently based on the fact that the American 
farmer has produced an abundant crop, with a fair 
prospect of selling the surplus in Europe. The fact 
is there can be no permanent prosperity in this coun¬ 
try unless the farmer can do a fair business. Manu¬ 
facturing, commerce and the arts must languish unless 
the farmer is prosperous, and it is to be regretted 
that such a large slice of the farmer’s business must 
go to those who merely handle his products. We are 
© 
Poison ivy seems to have given more trouble than 
usual this year ; at least, we have heard of more 
than the usual number of cases. In the Year Book 
of the Department of Agriculture, V. K. Chesnut 
states that, not until 1895, were scientists sure just 
what causes the irritation or poisoning. It is now 
known that the poison is a non-volatile oil which has 
been called “ toxicodendrol.” It is found in all parts 
of the plant, even in the wood after drying. It is 
insoluble in water, and cannot be washed from the 
skin by water alone. Alcohol dissolves it readily, and 
the best treatment for the poison is to bathe the 
affected part as soon as possible in sugar of lead dis¬ 
solved in alcohol. The sugar of lead is added to the 
alcohol until no more will dissolve. The resulting 
milky fluid may be rubbed on the skin. The sugar of 
lead is a poison, and must not be taken into the 
mouth. The poison is not spread through the agency 
of the blood, but spreads along the surface of the 
skin, so that prompt bathing with the wash will hold 
it in check. 
O 
\ In the week ending April 10, there were imported 
into England 1,761,524 pounds of condensed milk. 
This meant 870,000 gallons of whole milk, and repre¬ 
sents the most serious competition that the English 
dairy farmer is obliged to face, because most of it 
is made from skim-milk. The European skims the 
milk, makes butter and sends it to England. Then 
he condenses the skim-milk, puts it in cans, and sends 
it also to England to compete with the milk sold by 
the English dairyman. The plan of sending frozen 
milk to the English market has been given up because 
this new scheme pays better. The skim-milk would 
not pay when shipped in bulk, but when condensed 
and packed in cans, it finds a ready sale. An English 
farmer would not wean his calves on skim-milk alone, 
yet hundreds of English babies are being fed on it 
because their parents do not realize that the cream 
was all taken out before the milk was condensed. 
This form of robbery works both ways. It enables 
the dishonest dairyman to obtain double prices for 
his milk. The butter goes into competition with those 
who make that the sole product of their dairy, while 
the skim-milk, when condensed, competes unfairly 
with those who sell honest milk. It is as bad a fraud 
as the butterine humbug. English dairymen demand 
that every can of such milk must bear the word, 
“ skimmed,” in large letters. Then if people wish to 
buy it, they may do so. This principle is right. The 
State of Illinois has declared that no butterine shall 
be colored to represent butter. The manufacturers 
of this stuff have decided to contest the law. The 
result of their contest will be a national law on the 
lines of the Illinois State law—and it will serve them 
right ! 
o 
For the past few weeks, the daily papers have re¬ 
ported meetings of Kansas people to protest against 
proposed plans for sending orphan children from the 
eastern cities to the West in search of homes. It ap¬ 
pears that, for the past 20 years, certain good people 
in the eastern towns have interested themselves in 
finding homes for little waifs who were picked up on 
the city streets. It has been thought desirable to 
send these children to the West, as it was considered 
a good plan to remove them as far as possible from 
the scenes of their early lives. Inquiry among our 
Kansas readers indicates that there is no longer much 
of a demand for such children. Formerly there were 
many childless people who were glad to take a little 
one to bring up as their own. Conditions of society 
have now changed, and as one of our Kansas readers 
puts it, “ There are more orphan and homeless chil¬ 
dren living here now than can find good homes.” 
Naturally one would prefer to take a child of known 
pedigree rather than to risk a waif from the lower 
city parentage. There are bright and good men and 
women who went there 20 years ago as homeless 
waifs. The prairie farms have given them strength 
of mind and body. There is room for many more 
like them, but there are Kansas children, too, who 
must be considered. We cannot blame our western 
friends for 6aying that the East should take care of 
the orphans and homeless ones which modern city 
conditions have produced. At the same time, it is 
true that there is most hope for these youDg lives in 
a complete change of environment and conditions. 
© 
BREVITIES. 
HAWAII. 
Well, now, old Uncle Samuel! A man as old as you! 
To go off courting.colored girls across the ocean blue! 
We didn’t think it of you—there are inaidenB nearer home. 
If you will go a-courting, sir, what need for you to roam ? 
Up North is sweet Miss Canada, if you had common sense, 
You’d try to join your farm to hers, and cut down your expense. 
To think of you a-sighing at Hawaii’s door the while 
The sweet and thrifty Canada is quite inclined to smile. 
And then there’s little Cuba, with her raven eyes and hair, 
She loves you, Uncle Samuel, she’s dying with despair. 
The Spanish Don goes packing. Oh, she has an eye on you! 
She’ll make your old age happy—you will find her sweet and true 
But you go courting colored girls? What ails you low, old chap? 
A man with your fine pedigree a rival of the Jap! 
It’s time your older daughters came and told you to your face 
They want no Sandwich Islander to sit in mother’s place. 
Rouse up, old Uncle Samuel! Don’t be cute Cupid’s tool, 
Don’t prove the ancient saying that was aimed at an “ old fool.” 
Let Miss Hawaii sun herself across the'leagues of foam. 
Don’t marry all her family, come, Uncle Sam, come home! 
Last call for sowing turnips. 
Yes, the hen thief is a chicken collerer. 
Toothache makes many a horse “ ugly.” 
Hurry with the Crimson clover seeding. 
Death to the weed— be that your creed ! 
A die versified life is best for some poets. 
Spell proper time with three letters— now ! 
Barley and peas will give fair fodder up to October. 
No man who is afraid of a hoe can succeed with small fruit. 
Weigh your words—but don’t load the scales with self interest. 
Select the Bartlett pear with the reddest cheek for your own 
eating. 
The surplus rooster is a great success as a broiler. Otherwise 
he is a spoiler. 
Yes, my friend,” said the sour milk, “I certainly have a germy 
side to my nature.” 
Thickly-sown corn fodder is as yellow as gold—but there is 
very little gold in it. 
Don’t be afraid to feed corn to the young poultry so long as 
they have plenty of range. 
Frost finds rape too tough for its teeth. Not so with hogs and 
sheep. Moral—sow Bomerape! 
Don’t dig the potatoes until the vines are entirely dead. The 
tuners grow while there is a spark of life in the vines. 
A STANDARD variety of wheat will not “ run out” if you take 
pains to select plump and sound seed, and care for it. 
We picked good specimens of the Wilder currant August 2, 
which makes 29 days of fruiting. This variety is a “ stayer.” 
We notice about the same amount of thickly sown corn this 
year. What a mistake to raise such stuff. It is hardly as thick 
as skim-milk—yellow and feeble. Corn must have sun and air 
around it. 
Specimens of the Dikeman cherry kept perfectly until July 30 - 
in an ordinary box, received by mail from Geneva July 19 This 
cherry is full of good points—flavor, late ripening, good keeper, 
and fine appearance. 
Yes, sir, for seeding down this fall, we would use all we could 
afford of a mixture containing three parts fine ground bone and 
one part muriate of potash. In the spring, we would use, at 
least, 250 pounds of nitrate of soda on each acre. 
Prof. J. C. Arthur, of the Indiana Station, has found that a 
solution of formalin gives, on the whole, better results tnan the 
corrosive sublimate in preventing potato scab. This substance 
will not, however, destroy vermin in poultry houses or elsewhere, 
though it will destroy disease germs. 
