374 
THE RURAT. NEW-YORKER. 
sible. We can do as much after tea as we could in the 
entire afternoon without this valuable implement. It 
makes two men work lively to load the hay, right from 
the swath or tedder, as it is carried tip by this machine. 
It takes it as clean as a rake would. In case of putting 
clover into the silo, or in soiling, the machine is even more 
desirable. It is hitched on to the wagon in a minute, and 
even with green clover, men never complain of being tired. 
Our machine, after three years, is as good as new. It has 
not broken, and I see no reason why it should not last in¬ 
definitely. I believe it would pay on a farm with 20 acres 
in hay. A. j. cook. 
Prices of American Implements Abroad.— In the 
issue of the Rural just received, I find an item to the 
effect that a member of Congress stated that the self- 
biuder could be bought in Scotland for $120. The remarks 
added seem to indicate that the editor believes that this 
statement is correct, and that American binder manufac¬ 
turers are charging too much for their machines at home. 
Now, the fact is that twine binders are not, and never have 
been sold in Scotland at retail for $120. Such machines 
sell at very much higher prices in England and Scotland 
than in the United States. When in England last 
summer, I made inquiries of a number of leading English 
manufacturers, and of the agents of American and Can¬ 
adian binder factories. From these I found that the price 
of standard twine binders in Great Britain was from $215 
to $225, and in France the same grade of machine sold for 
substantially the same price. I may state, besides, that the 
sales on the other side of the ocean are generally for cash 
or very short time, while in this country binders are, as a 
rule, sold on very long time, and in many cases the se¬ 
curity is very poor. According to the best information I 
am able to collect, binders are now being sold in all parts 
of the United States, east of the Missouri, for from $140 to 
$145, and it is a well-known fact that they can be bought 
at retail by the farmer for spot cash at a much lower price. 
It is rather surprising that binders should be so much 
cheaper in this country than in England, but the figures I 
have given are substantially correct. E. j. B. 
Chicago, III. 
English Implements.— The English farmers'.have a 
number of farm conveniences that are not much used on 
this side of the water. It might pay some of our American 
manufacturers to import or imitate these contrivances. 
Last week we spoke of root pulpers which crush roots in¬ 
stead of slicing them. The “ Strawsonizer ” has also been 
mentioned. This machine distributes lime, fertilizers and 
other dry substances by the air-blast method. We need 
this machine here. Grindstones hung in metal troughs 
with iron foot treadles are also advertised in the English 
papers. Many an American farmer would be thankful for 
one of these. *• Hay barns ” made wholly of wrought iron 
seem to be quite largely used. They are skeleton buildings, 
with round roofs of corrugated iron and curtains of the 
same material for sides. They are, of course, made in sec¬ 
tions and the largest piece seems to be light enough for 
two men to handle. Hay can be thrown into such barns 
from any side and cannot be injured by storms. With our 
climate, unless the present weather continues, we do not 
need these iron barns for hay any more than we need 
silage stackers, which are in quite general use on the other 
side. English weights for pressing down silage or even for 
rolling land are made of large, hollow rollers in which 
water is poured. This gives a very heavy weight and when 
the roller is to be hauled to another field the water is per¬ 
mitted to run out, thus reducing the weight. 
Prongs on the Hoe.—D id you ever try one of those 
four-pronged potato diggers for cultivating the ground 
amongst growing crops ? I have, and can say that they 
are the best and easiest-working tool for the purpose that 
I have ever seen. With one you can work the ground 
deeper than with any kind of a hoe, and it will pull the 
grass and weed root? to the surface, from which they can 
be picked up and carried off. G. P. A. 
Whitinsville, Mass. 
Disk Cultivator for Asparagus.— I use a disk culti¬ 
vator in place of the old-style hone, and it is a great im¬ 
provement, leaving the ground in much better shape for 
asparagus in the cutting season. It leaves it loose, and 
that is what is needed. JOHN schenck. 
Long Island. 
A FARMER’S FARM NOTES. 
To AVOID THE ONIONY TASTE IN MILK turn a lot of 
heifers and dry cows in the pasture first, and leave them 
there for 10 days or two weeks. Before they will eat the 
grass, they will hunt out and eat every atom of garlic so 
thoroughly as to leave none for the milkers when their 
turn comes. It costs nothing to try. 
Spraying with Whitewash.—E. A. L., Buffalo, 
Iowa, Page 337.—Mr. Hales names the outfit, and how to 
prepare the wash. Poultry keepers should know that this 
is a very effective way of whitewashing the inside of a hen 
house, because one can blow the stuff into cracks and 
corners that no brush can reach. Use the same syringe to 
apply kerosene if lice show themselves. Such applications 
will rout the enemy completely. 
A Bulletin Board.— Farmers, you all have, at one 
time or another, a fresh cow, some pigs, some seed wheat, 
to sell, or you want something. You have neighbors who 
want just what you have to sell or who have just what 
you want to buy. How are you and they to know each 
other’s wants, and meet ? I’ll tell you. Let three or four 
or a dozen of you, make a board about two by three feet, 
paint it black and put it up on the corner of your creamery 
or post-office, or in the village store. (If you give him a 
hint, the storekeeper will buy and put up the board him¬ 
self.) Write out plainly what you have or want; tack it 
up on the board, and the job is done. You always put a 
board on your own fence ? If.the looked-for buyer comes 
that way, very well; he is sure to go to the creamery or 
store, and all will soon get in the habit of “ looking at the 
board,” if only from curiosity. Try it: it doesn’t cost 
much. 
The Best Methods of Keeping Summer Butter.— My 
practice always has been to turn it into cash as quickly as 
possible: that will keep, and I believe that, taking all the 
chances, it pays quite as well as holding the butter until 
fall. But why make summer butter ? Why not make all 
the butter in the fall, winter and spring, when there is 
plenty of time to milk, and city customers are at home to 
buy it, and when the price is up, if it ever is. I don’t like to 
milk in summer; it is bad enough to work without having 
to sit close up to a cow, however hot one may be; be¬ 
sides, I can use my time to better advantage in the field 
than in helping to make 15-cent butter. No; let the cows 
go dry ; take a rest, and give your cows one in summer; 
you will have plenty of milk, for you can’t get all cows to 
dry up, and you will make more money and will have no 
trouble about keeping summer butter. Better use winter 
butter in summer. 
Coarse vs. Fine Grinding. Page 334. Yes, whether 
one should grind feed or not depends largely on the animal 
to be fed. I believe that grinding may be largely done 
away with, by steaming cut hay or stalks or straw, and 
whole grain. As a case in point: I have a friend who 
used to cut considerable hay, and he raised a lot of corn 
and oats. He sold his stalks, had his oats thrashed, and 
fed corn and oats ground together, dry, and plenty of good 
hay. His cattle did well, and were in good condition. We 
had some conversation one summer, and the next winter 
he put in a steamer and steam box. He cut his oats and 
left them in the sheaf, his corn on the cob. He ran the 
corn-stalks and oats through the feed cutters, and with 
them steamed enough corn on the ear to go around. This 
was broken somewhat by hand, being very soft, and this 
mess was fed warm night and morning, with a little dry 
hay at noon. His cattle on this did as well as before. 
They were in as good condition, and he sold about 30 tons 
of hay which he did not need, in place of some stalks at a 
low price. He claimed a saving of about $350, and I be¬ 
lieve it was more rather than less, when all the items were 
considered. I looked at the manure many times, and 
every thing seemed fully digested. 
What are Orange County Farmers Going to do 
About Ice f—It looks as if the man with a cold spring, not 
too far off, is lucky, for such a spring will go far to take 
the place of ice. Not having a spring, and wishing to save 
ice, I first used whisky barrels sawed off so that a can of 
milk standing in one would be covered to the neck with 
water. I pumped in water fresh from my well, stirred the 
milk several times, ran off the water by means of a plug, 
pumped the cask full again, and put in around the can 
what ice I could spare, then covered up with old bagging. 
Later, I improved on this plan somewhat, in that I buried 
a water-tight box in the ground in a shaded spot up to the 
cover. In my case 1 wanted room for four cans, so I made 
the box to hold two cans in each end, and made a small 
slat space in the center for ice. 1 put my milk in this after 
I had cooled it, and it kept perfectly. Each time I put in 
ice, 1 bailed out one or more pails of water, using it to 
wash my ice clean. In this way I had to empty the box 
but once in a summer, and then only because some milk 
got spilled in the water. The box was all the time sweet. 
Such a box, I think, would be better than casks if no ice 
were to be had, provided a waste-pipe could be used and 
the water could run directly into it. The box should have 
a hinged cover, made as nearly as may be air-tight; but I 
always kept the cans without covers while in the box. 
W hy not add to the creamery plant an ice machine ? Ice 
can be made for its price in summer. Then each patron 
could be independent ot a cold winter, getting his ice sup¬ 
ply for the day when he delivered his milk, and it could be 
spring-water, clear ice. 
Plantain ; Ivy Poison.— At this timely season the 
Rural N.-Y. wants information as to ivy poison and the 
“ cures ” for it. I am a good subject to experiment on, for 
I get poisoned if I look at it, and I get it "bad." 1 was 
laid up for nine weeks, all told, with it last summer. Now 
for cures: First a doctor treated «ie with sugar of lead ; 
it worked “ beautifully,” the lead and ivy worked like a 
team, and it took me six weeks to get well. Then lobelia 
was tried; it felt really nice, but as far as any effect went, 
I could feel none. I was advised next time lo slake some 
lime, and when the stuff got cold, soak my hand in it. I 
did so, and so far as effect was concerned, it was like the 
lobelia. The next doctor was more “advanced.” He said: 
“ Use iodine freely.” 1 did —very freely, and the skin came 
clean off in about twelve hours. It was then only a burn, 
and that healed in a week, while the ivy unuisturbed 
usually took three. Here was progress ; but it was severe 
treatment, and quite painful, so next time 1 decided to do 
as a friend advised, and try St. Jacob’s oil. If used freely 
and promptly 1 lound that it killed much of the trouble; 
but the worst spots vsent through their regular course. 
This . rings me to the latter part of last summer. Both 
my hands were badly poisoned, when 1 met two boys on 
the road, who kindly told me I was a fool to stand ail that 
pain when it could be cured in a day. I allowed them to 
"doctor” one hand, so that 1 could make comparison. 
They took a small bunch of the leaves of the common 
plantain, that grows everywhere; grated the bunch on a 
stone until the sap flowed freely, then rubbed my left 
hand with it until it was green with sap. I was told to 
wash it next morning, and, i/ it needed it, rub the stuff 
on again. It did not need it, for the hand was practically 
well; still 1 did put some on one or two places where it 
had been very bad, and that “fixed” them. At the same 
time 1 rubbed the sap on my right hand, and in 24 hours I 
could use it freely. 1 have been poisoned twice since then, 
and this remedy has given instant relief and Bpeedy cure. 
TUNE 7 
Womans Work. 
CHAT BY THE WAY. 
I N putting whalebone casings in a basque, ease them on 
to the seam, so that they appear quite puckered. They 
then give to the figure, when the basque is on, so that the 
seams lie perfectly flat. The casings should be cut on a 
perfect bias. I never care for the casings one buys ready 
prepared; those made of the lining or some pretty con¬ 
trasting stuff look much better. The look of a basque de¬ 
pends so much on the care taken in all these little details. 
A very beautiful gown of heliotrope silk and black lace 
had the basque lined with black silk, with heliotrope cas¬ 
ings for the whalebones, and heliotrope coverings over the 
shields. We can’t all have silk linings in our gowns; but 
there is no reason why the little details should not be as 
carefully finished. It is the care displayed in these minor 
matters that shows up in the general effect. 
♦ 
* ♦ 
No ONE can do good work with poor tools. Blunt scis¬ 
sors, rusty or clumsy needles, the lack of suitable thread, 
or buttons or patterns—all these troubles will double the 
work in the family sewing. It is poor economy to make a 
gown without the necessary “ findings”—to mend without 
the right darning cotton, or to try to cut out without pins 
or pattern. It is worth while to keep one’s work-box al¬ 
ways replenished, especially if one buys staple articles by 
the quantity. In large cities there is often an opportunity 
to buy “notions” very cheap at occasional sales, and when 
the chance comes it is well to avail oneself of it, while 
those who are distant from the cities will find their best 
chance in buying by the quantity. These trifling econo¬ 
mies amount to a good deal in the long run. 
* * 
There is one species of economy, however, which does 
not pay in the long run, and that is economy in rest and 
recreation at the expense of health. Just now we are 
entering upon a season when a certain amount of rest and 
recreation is absolutely necessary; but it is the busiest 
time of the year to the country housewife. Everything 
seems clamoring for attention at once—a thousand duties 
to be done, and perhaps but one pair of hands to do them. 
But it is a good deal better to let something “slide ” for a 
time, while a bit of rest is taken, than to drop right in the 
harness, leaving all the cares and joys at once. There is 
just as much nervous prostration from overwork among 
tired-out housewives as among purely intellectual workers 
—often with less attempt at alleviation. Do stop by the 
way, and gain a bit of enjoyment, even if it does seem 
stolen from hours of unremitting toil. 
* 
* * 
Just notice half a dozen girls discussing some interest¬ 
ing topic; how many among them will speak good Eng¬ 
lish ? Correct or grammatical speech seems the exception, 
rather than the rule, even among girls of fair education. 
Now, there really is no reason for this. Certainly gram¬ 
mar, as taught in most schools, does little to correct care¬ 
less speech, because the pupils regard it simply as one of 
their studies, without any thought of applying it to every¬ 
day life. But a child may be as readily taught to speak 
correctly, as the reverse. It is such a very important 
matter, for slangy or ungrammatical speech always gives 
the speaker an impress of vulgarity, or at least suggests 
very humble or ignorant surroundings. Yet some of the 
most ungrammatical speakers I know are the children of 
well-educated people, whose surroundings have always 
been of the best. A very formal precision in speech is not 
pleasant, but one may be grammatical without this, and 
the use of slang in any form should be sternly avoided. 
When I hear a girl say she was “ rattled” instead of em¬ 
barrassed, that her new hat is “just dandy,” or that her 
recent acquaintance is a “ new mash,” I decide that she is 
either ignorant or vulgar—though it would perhaps be 
more charitable to consider her heedless only. But it is 
better to be a little bit prim, if there is no medium; I 
doubt whether we should use slang words at all, if we 
fully knew their origin. 
* * * 
After a six months’ struggle with an oil-stove, I have 
come to the conclusion that it is a nuisance. It was used 
for heating a small room, and it certainly kept the tem¬ 
perature comfortable all winter; there was little odor from 
it, and there was no more trouble in keeping it supplied 
than in filling a lamp. But by spring, walls, ceiling and 
all the woodwork were so coated with greasy dirt that it is 
impossible to clean them thoroughly ; the discoloration 
seems permanent, and the labor of cleaning was excessive. 
A papered wall would be utterly ruined; no more oil 
stoves for me. emily louisk taplin. 
Hunt up a pair of great-grandfather’s shoes and see if 
they resemble yours. Then see if your blacksmith is put¬ 
ting the same sort of shoes on your horse that your grand¬ 
father’s horses carried. 
|Ui£ccUan<w 
In writing to advertisers, please mention the R. N.-Y. 
When Baby was sick, we gave her Castorla, 
When she was a Child, she cried tor Caatorla. 
When she became Jllas, she clung to Caatoris. 
When she had Children, she gave them Caatorla, 
