272 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
APRIL 26 
THE 
Rural New-Yorker, 
TIMES BUILDING, NEW YORK. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
stale, returned them accordingly ? We doubt if those 
who prefer to buy seeds of grocery stores would 
ever take the pains to send samples to any central 
authority for examination. Such people are the 
“ne’er-do-weels” of farm life. They put off buying 
their seeds until the last minute, and then rush for 
the “commission” seeds, ready to take the chances, 
whether they are weedy or pure, dead or alive. 
ELBERT S. CARMAN, 
HERBERT W. COLLINQWOOD, 
Rural Publishing Company: 
LAWSON VALENTINE, President. 
EDGAR H. LIBBY, Manager. 
RURAL NEW-VORKER, 
THE AMERICAN GARDEN, 
OUT-DOOR BOOKS. 
Copyright, 1890, by the Rural Publishing Company. 
SATURDAY, APRIL 2G, 1890. 
A man who raises chickens for business 
never uses Bantams for incubators. 
The R. N.-Y. has never opposed manuring corn 
(or any other plant) in the hilt. It is good so far as 
it goes. If the rest of the soil is fertile, manure in 
the hill may give the plants a more vigorous start, 
which vigor will be retained during the entire sea¬ 
son and assist materially in increasing the crop both 
of stover and gram. But in an impoverished soil 
one need never look for a maximum crop from hill- 
manuring alone. 
W. F. Massey, it seems, thinks North Carolina 
sweet potato growers are losing what might become 
a profitable business by allowing local prejudice to 
keep them from growing varieties that the people 
want. Much the same thing might be said about . 
other sections of the country and other products. 
The successful business man aims to supply what 
his customers want and not what he thinks they 
ought to have. When we attempt to make people 
take what we think they ought to have—not what 
they want—we must expect to pay something for 
the fun of riding our hobby. There is a whole ser¬ 
mon in Mr. Massey’s statement. 
The opposition to the Butterworth bill is very 
general among the Boards of Trade in all our large 
cities. It is argued that the enforcement of such a 
law would so upset business that a panic would re¬ 
sult. It is claimed that the law could not distin¬ 
guish between the speculator who has no intention 
of delivering produce and the legitimate dealer who 
sells what he means to purchase for future de¬ 
livery. It is admitted that the bill strikes at the 
gamblers in produce and that it would injure them, 
but, so say the Boards of Trade men, it would also 
disturb important and legitimate trading that must 
be based on future delivery. Those who oppose 
this bill admit that produce gamblers are injuring 
business. They apparently admit their inability to 
suggest a measure that would stop this gambling 
more effectively than the Butterworth bill will do 
it. This is the weak point in their case. 
A novel and unique convention is being held in 
this city. It is a meeting of representatives of the 
American Working Girls’ Societies. Every self- 
respecting man will honor these young women for 
their intelligent and energetic efforts to make their 
work more enjoyable and effective. We wish there 
were more wives and daughters of farmers in their 
ranks. It will do no good to say that these women 
“ ought to be at home attending to their household 
duties.” The world recognizes the fact that honest, 
self-supporting women have a perfect right to meet 
and organize their work as they see fit. The R. 
N.-Y. wishes these young women could help us in 
the matter of farm help. There are thousands of 
women fighting starvation with a needle in our 
cities who ought to be at work in our farm houses. 
Thus far it has been found almost impossible to in¬ 
duce these women to leave their city work. It 
would seem that this association might do much to 
overcome the singular repugnance which city 
women feel for farm work. 
About 15 years ago the R. N.-Y. carried on an ex¬ 
tensive series of experiments designed to show what 
sized seed-pieces would give the most profitable 
crop of potatoes. Potato peels, one and two eyes, 
quarter, half and whole potatoes were used. One, 
two, three, four and five eye pieces were planted 
in hills. The result was that we have since 
planted large nieces with from two to three eyes 
each as, all things considered, the best measure 
of seed. And that is what we have advised our 
readers to do. In the light of more recent develop¬ 
ments, we shall try the same series of experiments 
again the present season, though somewhat modi¬ 
fied as to the space given to the smaller cuttings. 
The R. N.-Y. proposes to experiment with grain 
hay this year. We have sown barley, oats, rye 
and peas separately and also in combinations of two 
or more grains together. One would suppose that 
peas, oats and barley cut at the proper time and 
rightly cured, ought to make a perfect ration for 
cattle. There is but little market for this grain 
hay in the city, though the R. N.-Y. believes that 
barley hay might be successfully introduced into 
our city horse stables. Grain hay will be valuable 
to the general farmer because it will enable him to 
sell his Timothy and still provide excellent food for 
his stock. Next week’s paper will be largely de¬ 
voted to a discussion of cheap fodders for stock, 
and we shall then have more to say about this 
grain hay. 
On another page a correspondent criticises some 
of the doings of local Patrons of Industry. As the 
R. N.-Y. understands it, this criticism is directed, 
not against the general principles of the order, but 
against local practices on the part of individuals. 
It is never fair to judge a large organization wholly 
by the acts of individual members. The Patrons of 
Industry must not rush things too fast. Hurried 
work is never first class work. And a hurried 
judgment is no better. Farmers must remember 
that the value of any organization will depend, not 
so much upon what it now is, as upon what it may 
become w ith proper support. What our correspond¬ 
ent says about loaning money to those who wnl not 
make the proper use of it is sound. 
The English guarantee that the North Carolina 
Experiment Station talks about is that the seeds¬ 
man shall take back seeds (paying cost of carriage) 
in case they be found impure or below a certain 
percentage of vitality. “The seeds once sown,” 
there is no guarantee of any kind. In order to as¬ 
certain] whether the purchased seeds are pure and 
fresh, samples must be sent to the Botanist of the 
Royal'Agricultural Society. Is there a reputable 
seedsman in this country that would decline to 
grant the same privilege to every one of his 
patrons? .; Is there one that would not feel under 
obligations to any purchaser who, having ascer¬ 
tained that the seeds purchased were impure and 
The new tariff bill, as finally reported to the House, 
contains two important changes from the original 
copy. Sugar is to be admitted free and a bounty of 
two cents per pound is provided for that made in 
this country from cane, beets or sorghum. Hides 
are to remain on the free list. The sugar bounty is 
to remain in force for 15 years. About the only 
persons who desire a continuance of the tariff on 
sugar are the sugar refiners, the men who regard 
our tariff as a holy thing that should not be touched 
under any circumstances, and scientists who want 
to continue sorghum and beet experiments. The 
proposed bounty ought to satisfy all other sugar 
workers. As for hides, there seems to be a general 
belief that any increase in price occasioned by the 
tariff would help the great slaughterers rather than 
individual farmers. In reporting the bill the com¬ 
mittee place great stress on their'desire to aid Amer¬ 
ican farmers by encouraging silk culture in this 
country. In the light of the silk experiments that 
have already been made, the R. N.-Y. must regard 
this legislation as a very silly piece of business. 
It is a very short memory that cannot recall the 
circulars and pamphlets sent over the country by 
the friends of oleomargarine when the bill to tax 
that material was before Congress. Similar circu¬ 
lars are now being sent out by the friends of “ com¬ 
pound lard.” These circulars attempt to prove 
that the “compound ” is cleaner and more healthful 
than the pure fat of the hog. Suppose it is—what 
has that to do with the question ? The people de¬ 
mand that you sell your “compound” for just what 
it is, and not label it “ pure lard ” when it is noth¬ 
ing of the sort. Is there any good reason why this 
should not be done ? All over the world farmers 
are coming to realize the fact that adulterations, 
dishonest packing and bogus goods generally are in¬ 
juring their business to an alarming extent. Farm¬ 
ers must be fair and honest in this matter. It 
will not do o cry against a wrong that hurts us and 
wink at another that might come nearer helping us. 
In England to day a great deal of American meat 
is marked “British ” or “Irish,” and is sold at an 
advanced price. The English Parliament is called 
upon to pass a bill declaring it unlawful to sell for¬ 
eign meat without distinctly stating that it is for¬ 
eign. Our point is that the American farmer 
should indorse such a bill. He cannot afford to 
have the meat he sends to England sold for any¬ 
thing but American meat. 
United States Judge Hughes, sitting at Rich¬ 
mond, has just decided that the meat inspection 
law lately passed by the Virginia legislature is con¬ 
trary to the Federal Constitution. The law provid¬ 
ed that a tax of one cent per pound should be levied, 
to defray the cost of inspection, on all meat slaught¬ 
ered beyond 120 miles from the place at which it 
was offered for sale. It was intended to shut out 
Chicago dressed meat. The elaborate decision 
takes the ground that the inspection is not meant 
as a sanitary measure within the “ police powers ” 
of the State, but as a .State revenue measure ; that 
the tax of one cent per pound is outrageous ,and that 
meat slaughtered within 120 miles of the place of 
delivery could be sold under the law in an unsound 
condition. Of course, the Big Four fought the law, 
and though an appeal to the United States Supreme 
Court is probable, the Chicago and Kansas City 
monopoly will meanwhile have the right to sell its 
goods within the jurisdiction of Judge Hughes. A 
somewhat similar law was passed by Kansas, but 
no decision as to its constitutionality has yet been 
rendered. Such matters of inter State commerce 
are exclusively within the jurisdiction of the Unit¬ 
ed States Circuit and District Courts with a right 
of appeal to the United States Supreme Court. The 
lower courts often differ in opinion with regard to 
such legal conundrums ; hut until the question has 
been finally settled for the whole country by the 
United States Supreme Court, the decision of each 
lower court is binding within its own jurisdiction. 
Should we treat drunken men as criminals or as 
the victims of a disease ? That question comes to 
mind after reading the forcible “discussion” on 
page 270. Medical men generally seem to agree 
that drunkenness is a disease. As between the sell¬ 
er and the drinker of liquor, popular judgment 
will, we think, place the moral responsibility for 
any crime that may result from the drinking upon 
the former. There can be no possible question 
about the fact that the best of our farmers are be¬ 
coming intensely interested in this question of liq¬ 
uor selling. There is hardly a family in this coun¬ 
try that has not had a shadow thrown over it by 
this disease of drunkenness. And the liquor traffic 
hurts the farmer’s business. Let the money that is 
spent for liquor, in this city alone, he paid for food 
for the thousands who go hungry and for clothing 
for the thousands who go unclothed, and'the entire 
country would feel the effect of the change. The 
liquor traffic hurts the farmer none the less because 
it fights him at long range. If he could come to 
close quarters with it, he might strangle it ; but it 
reaches out from the town where it is all too fre¬ 
quently protected by the local authorities. Our 
friend makes a powerful and touching plea because 
she speaks from her heart. There are thousands of 
men and women who feel as she does about this 
matter. They cannot tell just what ought to be 
done. They have faith in the right and hope and 
believe that a way must be found to touch the pub¬ 
lic conscience so that this hideous traffic can be 
stopped. 
BREVITIES. 
Twknty great big countries all raising wheat, 
One llttleoounrry buying stuff to eat. 
England Is the little country, all iho rest must try 
To chop down the cost of wheat that she wants to buy. 
Hundreds of our farmers raising wheat for less 
Than It costs to pull It from the soil, I guess 
Better let the rich men rob their soil with wheat, 
Look about and try to raise something else to cat. 
Off feed take heed! Leave food, no good! 
Go to the sitting hen, thou croaker, and learn patience 
and perseverance. 
Five minutes spent in story telling now may represent a 
day’s time at harvest. 
It is a poor farmer who assumes that because beans will 
grow on poor soil, they are not worthy of the best soil on 
the farm. 
Boss your own job or give it to somebody else that will 
boss it. A job that is not bossed by somebody will injure 
itself and everything else that comes in contact with it. 
A FULL supply of asparagus, young beets for greens, 
green peas ana sweet corn ; is there a farmer or gardener 
that can afford to do without these for his own family’s 
use T 
PLANT a small area to Rural Thoroughbred Flint Corn 
for the silo. It suckers so freely that two plants to a 
hill—the hills three feet apart each way—will make a full 
stand. 
Are you going to try the Parker "Earle Strawberry f 
Purchase six plants ana, if the variety disappoints you, 
send in the bill to the R. N.-Y. We have confidence in it 
you see. 
A light covering of strawy stuff will help the home 
asparagus bed justat this time. A broadcast of unleached 
ashes and bone will surely do no harm. We assume that 
you want large, tender Bhoots. 
Now is the time young friend to begin the study of 
botany. Get Gray’s “How Plants Grow” and study it 
half an hour each day. The R. N.-Y.’s word for it you will 
never have occasion to regret the time so spent. 
ALL the reports of the Rural New-Yorker Potato 
which have thus far come to our notice, are highly favor¬ 
able except those from the South and Southern Middle 
States. There the reports are unfavorable. This variety 
will be largely planted the present season. The price has 
remained high and the stock is about sold out. 
The plant label shown at Fig. 77(page 266) as nearly 
solves the label problem as any we have ever seen or used. 
Its one decided advantage over the usual zinc label with a 
hole punched in for the wire to pass through, is that, being 
coiled about the wire, the wear of the one upon the other 
is so gradual that It will last for many years ; while where 
the wire passes through a hole the swaying of the label 
causes the wire to cut through in a few years. 
Through Prof. Lemmon the R. N.-Y. obtained several 
tubers of each of the wild varieties (or species) of potatoes, 
which he and his wife discovered in the Rocky Mountains. 
These were raised for three successive years at the Rural 
Grounds. As they did not increase in size, there seemed 
no reason to continue their cultivation. We fancy from 
onr own experience that Dr. Harris (see page 266) is mis¬ 
taken in his assumption that the potato beetle does not 
relish the wild potato plant. 
The R. N.-Y. Is told of an experiment made with plant¬ 
ing corn and potatoes together. The potatoes word first 
planted in rows four feet apart and, later, the corn was 
planted between the rows of potatoes. The soil was light 
and subject to drought. It. was reasoned that, the corn, a 
tall-growing crop,would suffer less than the potatoes from 
drought, while its shade might protect the latter if the 
season proved very dry. Unfortunately the very dry sea¬ 
son needed to test this experiment did not arrive. 
