1 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
29$ 
NEW YORK CITY FARMERS. 
It may be news to many of our readers, 
but it is, nevertheless, a fact that not only 
within the limits of this city but upon the 
densely populated Manhattan Island itself, 
hundreds and thousands of persons find 
employment, support life, and many of 
them make very satisfactory profits by 
gardening upon unoccupied city lots. Al¬ 
though the Island is well covered with 
buildings even up to its northernmost ex¬ 
tremity, there are here and there on the 
upper part, tracts varying in size from a 
single city lot to a whole block or several 
blocks which are held for sale or for an ap¬ 
preciation in value. Upon many of these 
is carried on the most intensive system of 
farming in this country, if not in the 
world. The land is rented in larger or 
smaller parcels by the gardeners, many of 
whom have occupied their present holdings 
for many years. They generally occupy 
small cottages, often mere huts situated 
upon the land. Most of them own a horse 
or two. They formerly paid a rent of 
about $5 per city lot, (there being about 16 
lots to the acre,) sometimes less, occasion¬ 
ally more. Many of them now pay no 
rent, the reason being that the property is 
for sale, and it may be desirable that they 
should vacate it at any time, should it be 
sold; this they could not be forced to do if 
they paid x-ent, but while they occupy the 
land rent-free they do so at their own risk, 
and are liable to be turned oft at very short 
notice without regard to the condition of 
their crops. 
The location is one of the best in the 
world for truck-farming; it is close to the 
best market on this continent—at its very 
door in fact; it is in the very midst of an 
unlimited supply of manure from the 
stables on every side, which is obtained in 
many cases for the hauling: it is sheltered 
by its surroundings not only from cold 
winds, but also, by its proximity to the 
smoky and heated air of the city, from the 
extreme cold of winter and from the early 
and late frosts which often devastate the 
gardens of the open country ; the condition 
of the soil and the methods used are 
such that every day in the year may be em¬ 
ployed ; and, not least of all advantages, a 
plentiful supply of water is always at hand. 
The latter, however, must be paid for ac¬ 
cording to the amount used, each block 
being provided with a meter. A large pro¬ 
portion of the land is covered with hot¬ 
beds, so close together that there is just 
room to pass between them. The crops in 
these are started often before Christmas, 
and one crop follows another in rapid suc¬ 
cession, three and sometimes four or more 
being grown each season. The prin¬ 
cipal crops are radishes, lettuces, beets, 
early cabbages, cauliflowers, celery and 
such crops as cau be made to produce the 
maximum of value on the minimum of 
laud. The soil is made very rich, and uot 
a foot of it is allowed to go to waste or to 
remain idle for any length of time. After 
the radishes, beets, lettuces and other crops 
grown under glass are removed, the land is 
thickly covered with manure and set to 
celery. Of course, provision must be made 
for covering the hot-beds during cold snaps, 
which is usually done with coarse hay or 
straw, or with mats or frames made special¬ 
ly for this purpose. An immense amount 
of labor is required, about three men being 
necessary to properly care for an acre of 
glass. Many women, children and cheap 
foreign laborers are employed. 
The vegetables grown here are the best 
that cau be produced, and always sell for 
top prices. They are so close to market 
that they can be furnished perfectly fresh, 
and thus have au immense advantage over 
those brought from a distance. The profits 
are something many of the gardeners are 
averse to discussing. They say that the 
large quantities of Southern produce 
brought to this market have depreciated 
prices somewhat compared with what they 
were years ago, but as they mostly get 
their land rent-free and their manure for 
the drawing, whereas they formerly had to 
pay one dollar per load for the latter, they 
evidently are not losing money. They are 
very evasive in their answers on this point, 
however. Some of them formerly figured 
out a profit of $2,000 per acre, clear of all 
expenses. This may sound extravagant, 
but if we take into consideration the fact 
that much of this laud is valued at $100,000 
and upwards per acre, we see that the per¬ 
centage of profit is such that many farmers 
would think they were going to the dogs if 
they made no more. The severe frosts 
throughout the South have had the effect 
of decreasing the supply of early truck in 
this market, and the prices of the home¬ 
grown vegetables have risen proportion¬ 
ately. As these garden-lots are occupied 
for building purposes, of course the gar¬ 
deners must move on. There are no more 
vacant lots for them to appropriate on the 
Island, hence they must move beyond the 
Harlem River, out in New Jersey, or on 
Long Island. Here they will find plenty of 
land for sale at prices varying with its 
desirability, but it is doubtful if they can 
find anywhere a location in which they can 
duplicate their present advantages and 
profits. These garden-farms are an excel 
lent example of the possibilities of land 
when skillfully worked to its utmost capa¬ 
city, and we shall have more to say of them 
later in the season. 
If Christians would teach Infidels to be 
just to Christianity, they should them¬ 
selves be just to Infidelity. (John Stuart 
Mill.) 
To what purpose do you profess to be¬ 
lieve in the unity of the human race, which 
is the necessary consequence of the unity 
of God, if you do not strive to verify it by 
destroying the arbitrary divisions and en¬ 
mities that still separate the different 
tribes of humanity ? Why do we talk of 
fraternity while we allow any of our 
brethren to be trampled on, degraded, or 
despised ? The earth is our workshop. 
We may not curse it, we are bound to 
sanctify it. We must strive to make of 
humanity one single family. (Mazzini.) 
Piisrellattfou.$ guUTftising. 
Please mention R. N.-Y. to our adver¬ 
tisers. 
The soft, velvety coloring effect so desirable for 
house exteriors can only he produced and penna 
nently held by the use of 
CABOT’S CBEOSOTE SHINGLE STAINS. 
For Samples on Wood, with Circulars and full 
Information, apply to 
SAMUEL CABOT, 
70 Kilby Street, Boston, Mass. 
Mention Robal New-Yorker. 
Rochester Hay Slings and Carriers. 
Result of twenty-two years’ experience. 
SEND FOR ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE. 
RICKER & MONTGOMERY, 
58 Lorlmer St., Rochester, N. Y. 
For M A I* L E, 
SORGHUM, 
CIDElt, and 
.Fruit Jellies. 
lias a corrugated 
pin over firebox, 
i doubling boiling 
•capacity; small 
interchangeable syruo 
l pans (connected by 
siphons), easily han- 
r died for cleansing and storing; 
i and a perfect automatic 
'recnlntor. TheChanipion 
is as great an improvement 
_ over the Cook pan as the 
latter was over the old iron kettle hung on a fence 
rail. Catalogues Free. Mention this paper. 
THE G. H. GRIMM MFG. CO., Hudson, D. 
FARM TRUCKS 
Ihisisthe CHEAPEST 
MOST HANDY AND 
USEFUL WAGON 
FOR 
Farm Use. 
A little in¬ 
vestigation 
mag save 
you money. 
Sendfor descrip- 
live Circular and 
Price List to 
KEMP & BURPEE MFG. CO, Syracuse,n.’ 
FRONTWHLELSTURN 
UNDER THE BODY. 
ECLIPSE CORN PLANTER. 
Will plant Field and Ensilage Corn, Beans, Peas and 
Beet Seed In hills, drills and checks—in hills up 
to 15 Inches: In checks from 36 Inches up to any dis¬ 
tance desired. Will distribute all Fertilizers wet or 
dry. Farmers, send for circulars giving truthful tes¬ 
timonials. ECLIPSE CORN PLANTER CO.. 
Enfield, Grafton Co.. New Hampshire. 
RUCKEYE SENIOR 
W ^LAWN 
MoweR 
ic.de in 
0, 12.14, 16 
nd 18 inch 
ut. Most Re- 
; ab/e Mower 
>se. Easy to work. 
Also Manufacturers of the Buckeye Hose Reel 
aud Lawn Sprinkler. Iron Turbine Wind En- 
cines. Buckeye Force Pumps and Buckeye 
Iron Fencing. Send for Illustrated Circulars to 
MAST, FOOS A CO., SPRINCF1ELD, O. 
DEAF! 
■ NESS & HEAD NOISES CURED by 
Feck’s INVISIBLE TUBULAR EAR 
__ CUSHIONS. Whispers heard. Com¬ 
fortable. Sueee.sfut where all Itemedleefatl. Sold by I. lUStOX, 
Stops Pain, Cramps. Inflammation in body or limb, 
like magic. Cures Croup. Asthma, Colds, Catarrh, Chol¬ 
era Morbus, Piarrinea, Rheumatism, Neuralgia, Lame- 
back, Stiff Joints and Strains. Full particulars free. Price 
35 eta. post-paid. I. S. JOHNSON <K CO., Boston, Mass. 
L OW-DOWN WAGON on high wheels-only 
Practical, Common Sense farm Wagon It. 
the world. Send for 28 reasons why. 
GARDINER IRON WAGON CO., 
Mulllca Hill. N. J 
AGENTS 
WANTED 
BREED’S UNIVERSAL 
WEEDER AN3 CULTIVATOR 
. B. TEK.BY, of C. bio, says: ** It 
cultivated two 
rows at once; 
hoed them per¬ 
fectly, going 
•ver seven aerei 
in five hours." 
UNIVERSAL 
WEEDER CO. 
North Woin, I. H. 
Send for 
Circular 
and 
pricelist 
MALLEABLE 
HAYING 
TOOLS. 
Write for CIRCULARS 
AND PRICKS. 
Iron 
MARION, OTTTO. 
PICKET FENCE MACHINE. 
No twisting of main wires: no sag to 
fence: pickets easily removed and re¬ 
placed. Write for prices and circular to 
AGENT8 LANSING WHEELBARROW CO.. 
WANTED. Lansing, .Michigan. 
Dialogues, Tableaux, Speakers, for 
School.Club & Parlor. Best. out. Cata 
loguo free. T. S. Denison, Chicago J1L 
POTATO DIGGER. 
IMPROVED tertal by skilled 
workmen, built on correct princi¬ 
ples and folly warranted; 17 YKARS 
KXPKK1KNCK. Sent on tri*T. Writ© 
for Circular and Price. 
HOLSTEIN-FRIESIAN CATTLE 
DO YOU WANT THE BEST? 
’I lien send ior a Catalogue ot the only 
herd in which 100 Cows have averaged 
19 lbs. and 18 have averaged 24 lbs. of 
butter per week. In which 96 Cows 
have averaged 16,019 lbs. of milk per 
year. 
MORSES. 
Clydesdale, Percheron, French Coach, 
American-bred Coach, Standard-bred 
Trotters, of the best and most Popular 
Breeding. 
Also Berkshire and Cheshire Swine. 
Separate Catalogues of Horses and Cattle. Prices 
low for high quality of stock. (In writing mention 
this paper j 
SMITHS, POWELL & LAMB 
St RACUSE. N. V. 
JVt°YFARM 
FLORIDA? 
TheJ.T.&K.W. SYSTEM 
Railways and Steamers* cover one thousand mile* 
territory ; own 
FIVE MILLION ACRES 
WE WANT WORKERS. 
Good lands sold CHEAP, and first frelahtand tickets 
FREE to actual settlers only. Address 
J. R. PARROTT, 
Land Commissioner, 
J. T. A K. W. System 
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA. 
Bkkcham's Pills cure bilious and nervous Ills. 
General Advertising Rates of 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
TIMES BUILDING, NEW YORK. 
The following rates are n variable All are there¬ 
fore respect/ully informed that any correspondence 
with a view to obtaining different terms will prove 
futile. 
Ordinary Advertisements, per agate line (this 
sized type. 14 lines to the Inch).30 cents 
PERCHERON 
HORSES 
AT BARGAINS! 
Wc mean exactly what we say. We have 146 Head Imported 
and Pure Bred Stallions and Mares, 6 French 1 oaeh Stallions, 86 Head 
of Grade Stallions ami Mares, *20 Shetland aud kxmoor Ponies, and 
27 Head Registered Holstein Cattle, nearly all of which must be 
disposed of during this season, owing to changes in our business. 
If you think of buying write us (describing what you want: for out 
Catalogue and Prices, and we will convince you that it will pay you well to buy of us. 
Island Home Stock Farm. SAVAGE & FARNUM, Detrrit, Mich. 
One thousand lines or more, within one year 
from date of first insertion, per agate line, *25 “ 
Yearly orders occupying 10 or more lines 
agate space.1..25 ** 
Preferred positions.25 per cent, extra. 
Heading Notices, ending with “Atle.,’* per 
line, minion leaded. .. 75 cents 
Terms of Subscription. 
The subscription price of the Rural New-Yorker Is 
Single copy, per year.$2.00 
“• •* Six months. 1.10 
Great Britain Ireland, Australia and 
Germany, per year, post-paid. $3.04 (12s. 6d.) 
France... 8.04 (1614 fr.) 
French Colonies. 4.03>2914 fr.) 
Agents will be supplied with canvassing outfit on 
application. 
Entered at the Post-office at New York City, N Y.. 
as second class mail matter. 
