584 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
September 4 
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, 
l-o foreign countries in the Universal Postal Union, $2.04, equal to 
8s. 6d., or 8*4 marks, or 10J4 francs. 
ADVERTISING RATES. 
Thirty cents per agate line (14 lines to the inch). Yearly orders 
of JO or more lines, and 1,000-line orders, 25 cents per Lne. 
Reading Notices, ending with “ Adv.," 75 cents per 
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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 oiders and bank drafts cn 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, SEPTEMBER 4, 1897. 
dOub friends are responding nobly to our proposi¬ 
tion to send The Rural New-Yorker for the rest of 
the year for 25 cents. Some are getting up large 
clubs, others are sending just one or two. If you 
have not yet done so, we are looking for just one 
from you at least. For four at 25 cents each, we will 
send you your choice of these books : 
The Forcing Book, by Prof. Bailey. 
The Nursery Book, by Prof. Bailey. 
The New Potato Culture, by E. S. Carman. 
Tne Business Hen, by H. W. Collingwood. 
These names will count for the premiums, if you de¬ 
cide to get up a larger club. 
© 
We have always felt some pride in being the first 
American -journal to induce Sir J. B. Lawes to write 
for it, a man to whom, more than to any other, as we 
believe, agriculture is indebted. His first article 
appeared in The R. N-Y. about 20 years ago, a por¬ 
trait of him appearing December 28, 1878. We dare 
say that our friends will read with interest Prof. 
Plumb’s account of his visit to Rothamsted. 
© 
The Canadians have grown roots as a part of their 
farm rotations for many years. They understand 
root culture well. Oar farmers on this side of the 
line have never taken very kindly to root growing. 
Too many Americans dislike a hoe and will not get 
down into the soil. Jnst now there is a rush for 
growing the sugar beet in order to provide a new 
crop for this continent. It would not be surprising 
if the Canadians were first to make sugar beet grow¬ 
ing anything like a national industry. They are in 
the habit of growing roots, and have millions of acres 
on which the crop will grow. 
© 
Among troublesome migratory weeds, the Buffalo 
bur, Solanum rostratum, a native of the eastern base 
of the Rocky Mountains, has not only traveled to the 
Atlantic coast, but is now reported as causing serious 
trouble in some parts of Germany. In common with 
most Western weeds which have migrated towards 
the East, the Buffalo bur has traveled chiefly on the 
line of the railways, being disseminated in fodder, 
baled hay, etc. It is a singular fact that weeds are 
often more troublesome in an adopted country than in 
their native habitat, an example being the Orange 
hawkweed, now very troublesome in many sections 
ol this country, while in Switzerland, its native home, 
it is neither annoying nor migratory. 
© 
Prices for wheat are jumping up and down in the 
large market cities. There has been a sharp rise in 
priee for the past six weeks, but during the past few 
days, it seems evident that the market is largely in 
the hands of grain gamblers who are manipulating 
prices for their own benefit. It is even claimed that 
European buyers who bought wheat at 90 cents 
some weeks ago, have just unloaded it in New York 
at $1. Under our present system of selling options 
and futures, the gamblers reap a harvest in a season 
like the present. In fact, it is highly probable that 
the grain dealers make more profit out of handling 
and selling the crop, than do the farmers who produce 
it. In Germany, such gambling is restricted by law, 
and dealers are restrained from dealing in futures. 
The German farmers say that this law has .resulted to 
their benefit; while the dealers say that it has restricted 
trade. A few years ago, an effort was made to pass 
an anti-option bill through Congress, but it was 
“hungup” in the Senate, and has not been heard 
from since. It seems to us that the record of the past 
few weeks ought to convince any reasonable man that 
our present system of regulating-grain prices is chiefly 
in the interest of the dealer, if not against the interest 
of the farmer. We would like to see the entire system 
of dealing in options and futures done away with. 
Our belief is that, in the long run, this system works 
against the interests of the producer, and that it does 
not give a fair regulation of prices on the farm. 
© 
A municipal laboratory has been recently established 
in Paris, where a citizen may take any article of food 
or drink purchased from a city tradesman, and have 
it analyzed free of charge. Should it be adulterated, 
the management of the laboratory undertakes the 
punishment of the offender, without further trouble 
to the purchaser. A tradesman found guilty of adul¬ 
teration, is liable to a heavy fine, as well as imprison¬ 
ment, and may be compelled by the police to display 
conspicuously in his window or over his door a 
placard bearing the words : “ Convicted of adultera¬ 
tion.” The establishment of such a public laboratory 
in our large cities would be a valuable protection to 
purchasers ; doubtless, analysis would reveal strange 
results in some of our most familiar foods. 
© 
Years ago in New England, it was quite common 
to see the father with a large family of boys at work 
in one field. Before mowing machines were in gen¬ 
eral use, it was not uncommon to see the father mow¬ 
ing ahead with five or six sons swinging their scythes 
behind him. Such things are rarely seen now on the 
old homestead, but a friend in Ohio sends us the fol¬ 
lowing account of a quite remarkable event: 
Can the Empire State beat or equal this? Peter Linder (who 
lives in the northeastern part of Nimishillen Township, Stark 
County, O.), and his 10 son9, Christian, Peter, Joseph, Samuel, 
David, John, Daniel, Jacob, Amos and Eli, were all plowing in 
the same field, 11 teams in all, on Saturday, August 14, 1897. Mr. 
Linder is 58 years old, hale and hearty, and one of our most pros¬ 
perous farmers. His oldest son is 35, and the youngest 15. It 
was quite a curiosity, and many people witnessed the novel 
scene, as it had been published in our home papers. 
One remarkable thing about this group is the fact 
that the father is only 43 years older than the youngest 
boy. If any of our readers can instance any other 
similar group of workers, we shall be glad to have 
them do so. 
© 
Farmers in Indiana tell us that they hope to sub¬ 
stitute Crimson clover in their grass and grain rota¬ 
tion for the Red. We do not believe that they will 
ever be able to do it successfully. The plants are too 
different in habit. Five years out of seven, those 
who expect to make hay out of Crimson clover will 
be disappointed. It does not mature during good 
haying weather, and its chief value will be as a green 
manure and winter-cover crop. It will not do to ex¬ 
pect too much from this plant. If it grow among 
the corn, cover the ground during the winter, and 
furnish fertility equal to 10 loads of stable manure 
in the spring, it has done its share of farm work. 
Why ask more of it ? Crimson clover is not a scrub. 
It will not take potash out of the air and nitrogen 
out of a stone. Like a Jersey cow, it must receive 
good care, and must be well fed. It will add to your 
store of nitrogen, if you feed it well on potash and 
phosphoric acid. It is not a “ hustler ” like the cow 
pea, and it will not give the best of satisfaction as a 
hay plant. 
© 
And now there are rumors of a milk trust! The 
idea is said to have been evolved by a wealthy baker 
of this city who was instrumental in the formation 
of the cracker trust a few years ago. It is backed by 
an English syndicate possessing practically unlimited 
capital. The plan is to buy out all the leading 
dealers of the city, both wholesale and retail, and 
the farms and dairies that supply them. The syndi¬ 
cate is now busy in getting options on these proper¬ 
ties. The dealer is asked to place an estimate on the 
value of his plant. Experts will then examine his 
books and assets, and if all be satisfactory the syndi¬ 
cate offers to pay him one-half in cash and one-half 
in stock of the company. If his figures are consid¬ 
ered too high, or if he refuse to accept the terms, 
then, probably, the usual course of such organiza¬ 
tions will be followed and he will be forced out of 
business. It is a big undertaking, to say the least. 
In round numbers 25,000 cans of milk are brought to 
this city every day. The promoter of this scheme 
claims already to have secured control of 10,000. 
The arguments in favor of such an enterprise are the 
old familiar ones—the greater economies of handling 
and distribution possible. It is true that a great 
saving could be effected if the distribution of the 
milk were under one efficient management, but it re¬ 
mains to be seen whether the producers and consum¬ 
ers would be gainers thereby—that is, provided the 
scheme works. 
The study of plant-life in our public schools ;is 
slowly making headway, and it should be of interest 
to note how extensively such subjects are dealt with 
abroad. In one province of southern Russia, out of 
a total of 504 schools, 227 possessed school gardens, 
having a total area of 283 acres. In 1895, these gar¬ 
dens contained 111,000 fruit trees and 238,300 planted 
forest trees. The school-masters teach the culture 
of trees, vines, grains, garden plants, silkworms and 
bees. Many of the primary schools in small villages 
have small orchards and kitchen gardens. In Berlin 
there are school gardens, which supply every public 
school in the city with plants for observation. The 
Massachusetts Horticultural Society offers each year 
prizes for school gardens, and is doing much to en¬ 
courage this work. It would be well were other hor¬ 
ticultural societies to labor in this field. 
© 
Reports from various parts of the country indicate 
a serious shortage of potatoes. The crop started out 
with brilliant promise, but the wet weather has 
caused rot and blight which have seriously reduced 
the crop. In a note from one of our readers in 
Illinois, we find the following statement: 
Potatoes and tomatoes throughout the West are almost an 
entire failure. In tact, potatoes are a luxury, and the price is 
governed by the conscience of the seller, there being no stable 
market price. 
While this, of course, is an extravagant statement, 
it is undoubtedly true that the general crop , both in 
this country and abroad, is much smaller thaD that 
of last year. The R. N.-Y. is not given to prophesy¬ 
ing regarding prices of farm products, for under our 
present system of selling, such prices are too often 
regulated by gamblers. We expect, however, to 
obtain at least 81 a bushel for our own crop of pota¬ 
toes, and our belief is that this figure will be reached 
in most of the larger markets before next spring. 
Our opinion, however, is that it will not be easy to 
hold all of this year’s crop. Blighted potatoes are 
inclined to rot in storage, and unless one has the best 
facilities for keeping them our advice would be to 
sell out this fall if a fair price can be obtained. 
0 
BREVITIES. 
GOL DARN A MUSKEETER! 
Why Hiram, ain’t ye shamed! A man like you! 
To use such words—afore the neighbors, too!” 
“ Don’t make no odds, them words jest jiopped right out 
When that tormented feller ran his snout 
Right through that bald place, and drawed out tli ; blood, 
Gol darn him! Now thatsayin’ does me good. 
I’ve pounded at him 50 times, I’ll bet, 
An’ every time, he’ll dodge around an’ whet 
His bill agin his foot! What’s that you say ? 
I orter have more patience! Dodge away— 
You mean, tormented critter—there he flies 
So loaded down with blood he scarce kin rise. 
I’ll ketch ye now, you bitin’, hateful thing— 
An’ there’s another, hear that feller sing! 
I say my say, an’ say it o’er again, 
An’ say it so I make my rneanin’ plain— 
Gol-darn a muskeeter /” 
Scour milk cans with salt. 
Dibs in warm water—the trout. 
A good name for the cur— Death! 
Op course you do ill to fight a duel. 
Time to have the pullets under cover ! 
Will some one please rein up the rain ! 
Pork and beans on the same vine—page 578. 
What does a 100-pound boy cost you per pound ? 
Basic slag appears able to “sweeten ” sour land. 
Melon growers are melancholy. All size—no flavor. 
Get steam up and then get it down where it is needed. 
Bad. To see your evil habits crop out in the child crop. 
Sow tears in the wheat—tear the ground well up. Pulverize it! 
“ He who by farming would get rich” this year must ditch and 
ditch and ditch! 
A stave silo may keep your cow’s ribs from looking like barrel 
staves next spring ! 
Self-sucking heifer—page 591 Better slit her throat rather 
than split her tongue ! 
Strain the barrel with good measure—it will not strain your 
relations with the customer. 
Last week we referred to those who farm “ for the long run!” 
Sir J. B. Lawes is a worthy example. 
We recently had an order for three pounds of cow manure for 
use as a poultice on a dog ! What next ? 
Cream is the lightest part of milk and rises to the top; why do 
the heaviest fruits rise to the top of the package ? 
In Mr. Van Deman’s article on Horticulture for the Children, 
page 531, the types made him speak of “ setting the buds in late 
autumn or fall.” It should have been “ late summer or fall.” 
The persons who insist upon closing the windows in their sleep¬ 
ing rooms tell of the danger to health resulting from exposure to 
night air. What, we may ask, do they purpose breathing at night? 
Dozed air, probably. 
The government of Canada purposes to levy a royalty of 10 per 
cent on the gold mined on its territory. There is gold on your 
farm. It is in grass and grain. Your cows are mining it. You, 
doubtless, think that it will be a very scrubby old scrub that will 
not pay you 10 per cent of this gold in the form of butter. The 
chances are that, right in your barn, are fat, fine-looking cows 
that do not pay you any such royalty. Make them do it or turn 
them out! 
