THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
November 2 7 
7 76 
The Rural New-Yorker. 
TJBE B US1NE88 FARMERS' PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Home*, 
Established 1850. 
Elbkbt S. Cabman. Editor-in-Chief. 
Herbert W Collingwood, Managing Editor. 
Josh J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
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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. 
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Post-office and State, and what the remittance is for, appear in 
every letter. Money oi ders 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 , NOVEMBER 27. 1897. 
Don’t you want one of the books in the list below ? 
You, probably, have a neighbor or friend who wants 
The R. N -Y. next year. As an extra inducement, 
we will send him the paper for the rest of this year 
free. Send us the dollar and mention 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. 
The Business Hen, by H. W. Collingwood. 
David Copperfield, by Dickens. 
We will send the paper until January 1 , 1899, and you 
the book, both postpaid. If you want to get up a 
club, the name will count for premiums. 
The Horse Show is in full swing at Madison Square 
Garden as we go to press, this being its closing day. 
This year’s show equals, if it does not exceed, its pre¬ 
decessors in number and quality of exhibits, attend¬ 
ance and interest. It is the most successful and 
financially profitable exhibition of the kind ever held 
in this city. Next week, we shall give some points 
gathered from the show. 
© 
They, evidently, do things on a wholesale scale out 
in the State of Washington. Here is a report from 
the fourth annual Spokane Fruit Fair : 
Paid admissions 70,000. Monstrosities in fruits, an Idaho pear, 
weight, 33 ounces; a plate of five pears, same variety, weight, 
8 Vi pounds; a Maxon (local) apple, 32*4 ounces, and a woman 
with four babies. Can New York beat it? 
No, we think New York will have to take a back seat 
when it comes to competing with monstrosities. We 
shall have to be contented to seek quality , and let 
other sections struggle with quantity. 
O 
On pBge 771 will be found opinions by a number of 
well-known sheep breeders regarding the future of 
their business. It is a new thing to hear breeders of 
Merinos say that they expect something of a return 
to the old prices for fine wool. Most farmers seem to 
have deserted the Merino, or bred into its veins the 
blood of the mutton breeds. Pjraaps they have gDne 
too far in this. Tnat, at, least, see ns to be the opin¬ 
ion of those who ought to kno»v most about it. Tne 
breeders of mutton and coarse-wooled sheep are 
equally sanguine over the future prospects. Taere 
is every reason to believe that sheep are again to be 
ranked among profitable live stock. 
© 
For several years, there has been more or less con¬ 
troversy between the United States and Canada over 
the sealing and fisheries questions. The tariff is, 
also, a bone of contention. Canadians wish to sell 
us lumber, barley, wool, potatoes and other articles 
of food. Our own manufacturers wish to sell their 
manufactured goods in Canada, and cottoa and to¬ 
bacco dealers have their raw products to offer. As a 
result, America has a tariff to protect the American 
farmer, while Canada has a tariff designed to protect 
the “infant industries” of her manufacturers. The 
Canadians, through their prime minister, have just 
proposed to submit all these questions to a joint com¬ 
mission or board of arbitration. The Americans 
wish to pin the discussion down to the single ques¬ 
tion of the sealing interests, while the Canadians 
want reciprocity, immigration and the fishing ques¬ 
tion discussed with it—all or none ! Much the same 
proposition was made by Mr. Blaine from our side of 
the house eight years ago, and Canada then rejected 
it. Few people believe that Coagress will agree to 
the present proposition. .Since McKinley’s election, 
the Canadians have gone to work systematically to 
secure a larger share of British trade in food prod¬ 
ucts, and the figures show that they are gaining at 
our expense. 
o 
As every well-versed sheep man knows, and as 
every amateur ought to know, it is very essential 
that the sheep have a dry, clean place at all times, 
but especially during winter and spring, in order to 
keep their wool and feet in good condition. In study¬ 
ing to accomplish this, it would be well to note the 
method employed by the veteran breeder and show¬ 
man, Mr. Henry Arkell. In the fall, before freezing 
weather, the yards are covered with a coat of straw 
from two to three feet deep ; this is tramped down 
firm with a pair of horses. The object of this coating 
at this time is to keep the frost out of the ground 
beneath, so that the water from melting snows and 
spring rains may soak away in the ground instead of 
having to be soaked up by the frequent application of 
six or eight inches of straw. 
® 
In his article descriptive of beet-sugar making, L. 
A. Clinton speaks of the need of a school for the 
training of beet-sugar experts from among our own 
young men. This new industry gives promise of 
assuming great proportions, and it will be a disgrace 
to American science and progress if we are obliged 
to continue to send abroad for men to take charge of 
these enterprises. Why do not our agricultural col¬ 
leges grasp this idea, and prepare at once to supply 
this need. What reason have they for existence if 
they are not progressive enough, not only to keep 
pace with such demands as these, but to anticipate 
them ? We have plenty of material in the shape of 
brainy young men; why should not the colleges 
crystallize this into efficient superintendents for these 
inevitable sugar-beet factories ? 
© 
At a meeting of the Congress of American Orni¬ 
thologists held recently, it was stated that Wisconsin 
is in advance of any other State in bird protection, 
having set aside one day upon which school children 
may be taught the usefulness of the wild birds, 
guided by competent instruction. The Ornitholo¬ 
gists’ Union conducts its work for the protection of 
birds through the Audubon Society, now established 
in 25 per cent of the States. The objects of this 
society are : To discourage the purchase or use of the 
feathers of any bird for ornament, except those of 
the ostrich, domesticated fowls and game birds; to 
discourage the destruction of birds or their eggs, and 
to influence legislators to set aside one day in the 
year as “ Bird Day,” which it may be expedient to 
combine with Arbor Day. 
© 
Dnder a new order of the traffic committee gov¬ 
erning express rates, seeds in cloth bags or boxes 
may now be sent at 20 per cent reduction from regu¬ 
lar merchandise rates. This reduction is due to the 
organized efforts of the American Seed Trade Asso¬ 
ciation. Several years ago, the Society of American 
Florists and American Nurserymen’s Association suc¬ 
ceeded in obtaining a similar reduction on express 
rates for plants, trees and shrubs. Individual pro¬ 
tests to the various traffic managers are of little 
use ; but the collective opinion of a responsible body 
representing special trade interests will be listened to 
with attention. Shippers of farm or orchard products 
may find material for consideration in the manner in 
which the nurserymen and florists have obtained 
these concessions from the express companies. 
© 
Bergen County, N. J., is becoming headquarters 
for winter horse boarding. Hundreds of valuable 
horses are sent out from the city to pass the winter 
in idleness. Formerly these horses were fed on oats 
and Timothy hay, most of which was shipped in from 
New York State. This hay has cost too much, and 
horsemen have substituted corn stalks with good sat¬ 
isfaction. Last winter, mstny horses were fed on 
stalks and bran with a little linseed meal. They 
wintered in excellent condition at much less cost 
than when fed on hay and oats. The whole stalks 
are shredded, or the horses eat what they like from 
them, after which the butts are run through the 
shredder. In either case, the refuse is used for bed¬ 
ding. Thus it is that cheaper rations for all farm 
animals are being utilized. It is wonderful how the 
corn plant contributes to this cheapening. 
© 
Postmaster-General Gaby has come out squarely 
in favor of postal savings banks for this country. It 
is true that this is not a new thing, because it has 
been suggested from Washington before. It is also 
true that there never has been before such a general 
demand among country people for such banks. Most 
of the arguments against the plan come from the 
larger cities. This is what one might naturally ex¬ 
pect, for these “ centers of trade” have always desired 
to control the money of the country. One great rea¬ 
son for the postal banks is the fact that money which 
is now scattered and often wasted, would be brought 
together in the hands of the Government. The Post¬ 
master-General suggests that the money thus secured 
may he used to pay off the Government bonds and 
build public buildings. Far better to use, for these 
purposes, the scattered money of the people rather 
than the money of the great bankers. 
© 
What good is to be gained by the proposed annexa¬ 
tion of Hawaii ? It seems to us that it would be a 
detriment to the American farmers’ interests. Just 
now, the most promising new industry is that of beet- 
sugar making. The Government and private in¬ 
dividuals are spending thousands of dollars in efforts 
to put this new industry on a fair footing. Once 
make Hawaii an American State or territory, and we 
fasten upon the sugar industry forever the rivalry 
and competition of Asiatic labor. The sugar crop in 
Hawaii is grown chiefly by the cheapest labor. It 
will be almost impossible for small American free¬ 
holders to compete with such laborers. Why should 
we give away the market possibilities of 250,000 tons 
of sugar ? What are we to receive in return ? Let 
Americans keep their own sugar market. We need 
the crop. Why give it away ? . 
© 
BREVITIES. 
“GO BURY THY SORROW!” 
God bless the man who buries in his heart 
His sorrow, and goes out with smiliug face 
To dare and do his humble honest part, 
And keeps his grief in hiding—not a trace 
Of his hard trouble will his lips make known. 
With faith and hope, serenely on he goes, 
The weary world has troubles of its own; 
It needs his happiness and not his woes. 
And God will bless him, for his grief will turn 
To strength and hope within his heart some day, 
And buried sorrow from his life will burn 
All but the gold of faith and love away. 
Keep the sigh inside. 
Fowl minded— the poultry crank. 
For the land’s sake ! Use potash ! 
Don’t boil it down by taking off the t. 
Honeyed words from candied friends. 
You lower yourself by raising the devil. 
This Is the living the world owes you—O. 
The best way to spell operate is with a eo. 
The wet hen shuns the open side of a crack. 
To “ crystallize a thought ” you must first warm it up. 
The rum shop can tell many a tale of home consumption. 
A club of R. N.-Y. subscribers will paint your town read. 
The chances are that the tense of your intense cultivation is all 
in the future! 
The Rhode Island Agricultural College will start a short course 
of teaching the fine points of poultry. 
The worst crank-hater has sense enough to see that there is a 
distinction between a crank and a fool. 
Another suggested roup cure is one part hydrochloric acid to 
4,000 parts water. Use as a spray, and dilute in drinking water. 
From the tight silo’s fragrant depths, how sweet the cow’s milk 
flows; how sweet the taste of ensilage, none but old Jersey knows. 
About the only job on the Yukon River this winter will be chop¬ 
ping wood. You can get just such a job in your own back yard. 
Five hundred car-loads of potatoes have been shipped from 
Canada to Cuba. The Spaniards will need more muscle-making 
food than that. 
A new society of retail nurserymen will try to prevent under¬ 
selling of nursery stock. They claim that “ the end of low prices ” 
has nearly come. 
, A German finds that ordinary illuminating gas gives a brighter 
light when driven into a burner under high pressure. Every good 
thing, brains included, is made brighter by being pushed along ! 
How quickly one can stop a horse by closing his nostrils with 
the fingers! A newly patented attachment to a bridle does this 
work by pushing small pads against the nose. The reins control 
these pads. 
The “horseless carriage” was a factor in the New York City 
election. One candidate hired 15 of them, decorated them with 
cards and mottoes, and kept them running up and down the 
streets for 16 hours a day. 
Australia is to push her dairy business by building more 
creameries and importing dairy stock for breeding. Probably 
America will send wheat bran and oil meal to feed these Aus¬ 
tralian cows. What a mistake ! 
According to Dr. Merriam, every woman who wears an owl’s 
head and feathers represents a loss of $50 to agriculture. If the 
owl had lived and done his full duty, he would have killed mice 
and insects that might have destroyed $50 worth of grain and 
other food. Combine figures with several ifs, and how they do 
swell. 
In the description of beet-sugar making, on our first page, it 
will be noticed that the product is turned out in the shape of 
granulated sugar, all ready for the market. The establishment 
of beet-sugar factories all over the country would knock the 
refineries out of business, and this might settle the question of 
getting rid of the Sugar Trust. 
Users of the famous Marseilles soap, made from “ pure olive 
oil”, should note the suspension of the soap works where it is 
made, owing to the quarantine against imports from India, in 
consequence of the plague. This prohibition barred out the com¬ 
mon linseed oil, which forms the foundation of the soap. With 
the removal of the embargo, the making of “ olive ” soap from 
linseed oil will again become possible. 
