386 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
FARMERS’ CLUB—DISCUSSION. 
Seeds and Seedsmen. 
J. A. F., Terre Haute. Ind.— The 
Rural New-Yorker in the discussion as 
to the duties of seedsmen has certainly 
been fair towards them. One might suppose 
from the insinuations of some that they 
were up for trial, having been indicted by 
public opinion. Is this so ? Ido not think 
it is. My impression is that there is no 
widespread complaint as to the goods they 
furnish. . There doubtless are some care¬ 
less and unprincipled men in the trade as 
in all others; but in nearly all the prin¬ 
cipal seed houses the purchaser may expect 
to get what he buys, and that which will 
grow reasonably well. If otherwise, the 
sending of unsatisfactory seeds may occur 
through an error which all are liable to. 
Seedsmen do not claim to be infallible, and, 
in fact, many years’ experience tells me 
that a reported failure of vitality is much 
more likely to occur through the fault of 
the sower than that of the seedsman. 
Every seedsman knows how this is. A 
complaint comes in of certain seeds, but 
one who is a neighbor of the complainant 
sends in a report that his sowing from the 
same lot was perfectly good. The seeds¬ 
man often has the same seed that is con¬ 
demned growing on his counter. Then we 
have extensive tests as to the percentage of 
vitality, such as those of the New Hamp¬ 
shire Experiment Station, in which the 
average vitality of the seeds named is gen¬ 
erally good. If the buyer could always get 
seeds of the average vitality he should be 
contented. A wise man, however good he 
may believe his seed to be, will sow more 
than would be needed if every seed should 
grow, for there are many causes for loss. 
Then if only a portion should grow he 
might still have a good stand; if nearly 
all. he could thin out. 
Now it might be practicable for a seeds¬ 
man to make a certain guarantee of vege¬ 
table seeds; for he can test these just pre¬ 
vious to the selling season; but as to farm 
seeds it does not seem practicable to do so. 
Few seedsmen could lay in a sufficient 
stock of these in advance of the season and 
have them tested. Then how is the seeds¬ 
man to get tested seeds ? He cannot go 
into the general market and buy them with 
a warrantee. He cannot have samples to 
test, for the particular lots from which the 
samples have been selected are likely to be 
sold before he can make the tests. The car¬ 
load that he proposes to buy may be indeed 
made up of different lots possessed of vary¬ 
ing vitality, although passed by the inspec¬ 
tor as of equal grade. But the fact is that 
the appearance of the seed to a practiced 
seedsman is nearly a sufficient guide, and 
that the farmer who wants a good article 
runs little risk if he is willing to pay for it. 
Frequently this is not the case. An in¬ 
stance in point is this: Clover seed has sold 
lower this season than ever before. The 
seed harvested in this section was poor; 
there were many light, defective grains in 
it and the thrashers delivered it in a dirty 
condition, so that there was a loss of from 
four to 10 pounds to the bushel in reclean¬ 
ing. The seed as brought to market was 
retailed at $3. per bushel, and for that well 
recleaned $3.50 were asked. Notwithstand¬ 
ing this exceedingly low price, numerous 
farmers objected to the price of the best 
kind and preferred the cheaper, dirty seed. 
It would have been better for them to have 
paid $5. for the best than to have sown the 
cheaper sort. There was no encouragement 
to the seedsman to furnish the best. Many 
purchasers insisted on getting the good 
seed for the lowest price and as they were 
able to get the cheaper grade elsewhere, the 
seedsman was obliged to sell the good seed 
for the price of the bad. With the excep¬ 
tion of Blue Grass, the averages in these 
tests of grass seeds are not bad. and as to 
the Blue Grass, it is well known that to se¬ 
cure a stand a large amount of seed must 
be sown. The fact is that the seedsmen are 
ahead of the farmers in their views of the 
advantages of good seeds, at least as far as 
my observation extends, and the farmers 
need educating in this matter. 
Doesn’t Believe In the Eight Hours 
System. 
B. E. L.. Portland, Michigan.— The 
talk about the era of oppression heard on 
every hand from the farmers and labor¬ 
ers, caused, they claim, by the ac¬ 
tion of the middlemen, manufacturers 
and retailers, is extremely absurd. The 
amount of the “ oppression ” is grossly ex¬ 
aggerated. Evm if the people were op¬ 
pressed, as they claim to be, would oppres¬ 
sion on their part in the way of strikes and 
boycotts remedy the evil ? Force can never 
accomplish what wise legislation can. The 
cmpiuyee makes his grievances only more 
complicated when he lays at the door of his 
employer the anarchist’s bomb. Although 
present demands may be reluctantly com¬ 
plied with, there will be a future reckon¬ 
ing. Down with anarchy! The people 
should stand up firmly for their rights and 
mutual benefits. Knowledge and power 
are to be gained by organization; but this 
power should not be used when there is 
danger of crushing out legitimate business 
enterprise and infringing on the rights of 
others. Can this nation prosper with one 
class in open warfare against another ? 
Providence designed the people to live har¬ 
moniously. The bickering, revengeful feel¬ 
ing now afloat over the land forebodes dis¬ 
tress for the laborer, disaster for the busi¬ 
ness man and failure for the manufacturer 
and capitalist. If those “strikers” in 
Chicago were obliged to earn their living 
by farming, it would be indispensable for 
them to work more than they have lately 
been doing. The man who by reason of dis¬ 
ability is not able to work more than eight 
hours per day should be conveyed to the 
hospital, and the man who is “too tired” 
to work 10 hours per day would be doing 
his employer a favor not to work at all. 
Striking is a barbarous custom and a halt 
should be called. That the farmer and 
laborer have rights no one pretends to dis¬ 
pute. and they have the privilege of stand¬ 
ing stanchly up for them until legislation 
has dealt justly by them. Stringent laws 
should be enacted for the protection of the 
people against - monopolies, trusts and 
adulteration of food, and we are still hop¬ 
ing, in the face of numerous discourage¬ 
ments, that something may yet be done to 
wipe out the liquor traffic—the greatest of 
all “oppressions,” and thus to solve the 
problems of over taxation and under-con¬ 
sumption. Reform should begin at home, 
and if every person in the world discarded 
selfishness, and did to others as he would 
be done by, we would have the pleasure of 
announcing the advent of the millennium. 
“King” Corn’s Level Throne. 
I. B., Scottsville, N. Y.— In the Rural 
of May 24, Mr. Edward F. Dibble told us 
of his method of raising corn and spoke 
approvingly of it. I was born in this, 
Monroe County, N. Y., more than 60 years 
ago, and have spent my life here thus far 
in farming, fattening cattle and running a 
dairy of more than 100 cows, and have had a 
cornfield each of the last 40 years. I claim 
to have some knowledge of raising corn. I 
believe there is a better way of doing so, 
for me at least, than Mr. Dibble’s. Let me 
compare the two. If I were to raise corn 
in Mr. Dibble’s way an acre would cost me 
about as follows: 
Rent of one acre, good corn land. #5.00 
Plowing the same with three horses. 2.50 
Rolling, per acre. .25 
Dragging three times . 1.00 
Marking out once each way.30 
Seed..15 
Planting by hand. 1.50 
Cultivating four times. 2.00 
Hoeing by hand—once. 2 00 
Cutting it up and putting 35hills in each shock. 1.75 
Husking at four cents per bushel of ears— 
100 bushels... 4.IK) 
Drawing the busked corn and cribbing. 8 00 
Drawing the stalks and putting in barn. 1.75 
I would then have 100 bushels of ears in the 
crib and not far from two tons of very 
poor stalks for.#25.20 
The cost of one acre of corn raised in my 
way is as follows: 
Rent of land—one acre. $5.00 
Plowing. 2.50 
Rolling. 25 
Dragging, three times. 1.00 
Seed..15 
Planting by a common grain drill.30 
Cultivating four limes. 2.00 
Cutting up with a common grain reaper, 
throwing off in gavels.50 
Setting It up in shocks from 80 to 100 hills. 50 
Total cost per acre—my way.$12.20 
I cut up my own corn just as soon as it 
becomes well glazed, while the stalks retain 
their green color and much of their suc¬ 
culence, as I fully believe the entire crop 
is much more valuable then than at any 
later time, I let my corn remain in the 
field until I want to feed and then draw it 
to the bam and pass it through the feed- 
cutter, cutting the whole mass fine, corn¬ 
stalks and all. I then have about four tons 
of very valuable feed from each acre, which 
is pleasant, easy and agreeable to feed, and 
worth not less than $10 per ton. The ex¬ 
pense of drawing it from the field to the 
barn may be one dollar or one and a-half 
more, but the work is done between milk¬ 
ings when there is little else for my men to 
do. I claim for my way the advantage of 
level culture, and the corn before it is cut 
stands up decidedly better in drills than in 
hills. By cutting it early and putting it in 
large shocks and not exposing the stalks 
again until they are fed, their aroma can be 
preserved better than in any other way. I 
take good care that the corn should be all 
fed by the middle of February; but while 
it lasts all the stock around me have 
plenty, especially pigs and poultry. Most 
certainly I want some shelled corn, and I 
feed several car-loads each year, but I buy 
it delivered within half a mile of my own 
house, and this last year it cost a little less 
than 40 cents per bushel. It is ground fine 
and mixed with bran, half and half bj 
weight. Is there a better way than mine ? 
There may be, and if so, I wish some 
brother farmer would tell me. I have 
learned a good deal, but there must still be 
much I have never learned about raising 
and feeding King Corn. 
Free Trade at Home. 
F. W. H., Warren, Maine.— It seems to 
me that the agricultural press lays an un¬ 
necessary stress on the importance of the 
tariff question. The farmers are the last, I 
am afraid, to get any good from a change in 
the tariff. But there is a subject on which 
too much emphasis cannot be put—namely, 
the adulteration of products with which 
farm produce comes into competition. The 
prices the Rural has given for butter and 
lard in South America seem to make that a 
very desirable market; but of what use can 
it be to the farmer when the manufacturers 
of dead cow-butter and cotton-oil lard 
stand ready to fill all demands with their 
products The injury such deceptive 
goods do the farmer is more than any gov¬ 
ernment tariff can repair, and while there is 
chance for an honest difference of opinion 
among farmers on the tariff, it does not 
seem as if there could be any difference in 
opinion about adulterations. The advan¬ 
tages of freedom from competition with 
these frauds in our own country will be 
better than those of a market abroad, but 
we want both. 
R. N.-Y.—Public sentiment all over the 
country is demanding the passage of laws 
that shall compel manufacturers to guar¬ 
antee their goods and honestly label them. 
It is not known yet how this can be done 
with fairness to all, but a way must be 
found ere long or manufacturers and sellers 
of adulterated goods will be dealt with 
severely. As for goods to be sent abroad, 
we have already lost hundreds of thousands 
of dollars worth of our foreign tradesimply 
because a lot of scoundrels have sent bogus 
products that were guaranteed to be genu¬ 
ine. A strict system of government in¬ 
spection of all exported products seems to be 
the best remedy for this evil. 
Codling Moth In Oregon. 
Prof. E. R. Lake, Corvallis, Oregon. 
—In the issue of May 17, on page 318, is an 
item concerning tho alleged views of 
Oregon horticulturists on the codling 
moth. While the matter is correctly 
quoted, the statement that the pest will 
soon disappear here embodies the opinion 
of only one man as given in a meeting of 
40, and, furthermore, such views are not 
entertained by the body of horticulturists 
in our State. In fact, we feel that the pest 
is here to stay, and that measures for its 
control must be more energetically and 
persistently followed than is necessary in 
the colder Eastern States. For example, 
the best results in spraying with the 
arsenites, as furnished by those fruit¬ 
growers who have had the longest ex¬ 
perience in this State, have been obtained 
by giving five and six applications. Where 
is the Eastern State that finds such prac¬ 
tice necessary ? Yet, while I do not say 
that this number of applications is neces¬ 
sary, and that we shall be obliged to pursue 
such a practice, it has been found best under 
existing circumstances. As yet the practice 
of spraying is merely local. Much has 
been done during the past two years by the 
State Board of Horticulture and the State 
Horticultural Society to bring this practice 
before the people ; but we are proverbially 
slow (Webfoot), and some time must elapse 
before the use of arsenites as a preventive 
for the codling moth will have come into 
general practice. 
Some Grapes In Wisconsin. 
A. J.G., Waukesha, Wis.— Whatadiffer- 
ence soil, location, climate, etc., make in the 
growing and ripening of grapes i Our ex¬ 
perience here is so different from E. P. 
Powell’s, as given in the Rural for May 24, 
that I could not help noting the difference. 
Diamond has been planted three years and 
has made a poor growth ; the foliage is not 
healthy and the vine has not yet fruited. 
Lady is a slow grower, but a good fair 
bearer of handsome fruit, in quality as 
good as Concord. Niagara is a strong 
grower and a good bearer of showy fruit, 
the quality of which is no better than that 
of the Concord, and the vine is not always 
perfect in leaf. Hayes is fine, healthy and 
good, and resembles Martha, only it is 
better. Duchess is a heavy bearer of choice 
fruit of excellent quality, and a splendid 
keeper. Pocklington is a good grower and 
bearer, but is too foxy to be classed with 
JUNE 14 
good grapes. Empire State is a great 
bearer of fruit of pure quality and good. 
Gcertner and Salem both mildew badly 
here, while Lindley and Massasoit do not. 
Brighton is superb. We have to cover all 
grapes in winter. My choice for quality as 
grown here, would be: For three red 
grapes, Brighton, Lindley, Massasoit; for 
three white, Duchess, Empire State, Lady; 
for three black, Worden, Wilder, Moore’s 
Early. 
Family Cows. 
J. B. L., Monroe County, N. Y.—In a 
recent Rural, Mr. Terry tells us that he 
keeps a cow and still has to buy all his but¬ 
ter, or at least a good share of it. That cow 
must seem out of place with the rest of 
Terry’s surroundings. She is not much of 
a cow if she compels her owner to pay $50 
a year for butter. Mr. Terry ought to get 
a good Jersey,—a living example of inten¬ 
sive farming. Such a cow would fit in well 
with his farm methods. Again, on page 
299, Hortense Dudley says a merchant 
wants a Holstein cow because he likes to see 
“ a big pitcher of milk on his table.” Now, 
Holsteins are not the only cattle that will 
fill up a big pitcher with milk. I have a 
Jersey that will give in her flush 15 quarts 
per day of rich milk, and she will give a 
fair mess up to within two weeks of calving. 
Her skim-milk is good to drink too. You 
do not have to let her milk stand three or 
four days in order to get the cream out of 
it. Where one has to buy feed, the Jersey 
is the “ family cow ” every time. 
Value of Barley Porridge. 
A. S. M., Lakewood, N. J.—Tf barley is 
good as hay it is not bad as meal, as T can 
testify. Many years ago, while a lad, I was 
afflicted with indigestion and general debil¬ 
ity, which the local doctors seemed unable 
to cope with ; so my father took me to a 
noted doctor in a distant city—there were 
no railroads then. After an examination, 
the physician said : “Takethe laddie home 
and give him barley porridge three times a 
day.” The treatment was carried out and I 
was soon a healthy 1 oy. and feel certain 
now, after a long and varied career and ex¬ 
perience of life, that had I always stuck 
to barlev porridge or some diet equally 
simple, I would be a much better man 
physically to-day. 
Deception In Seeds. 
J. H., East Aurora, N. Y.—The testing 
of the vitality of seeds, as reported on page 
221, isall right; but how about their purity. 
When the Mammoth Silver King Onion was 
booming as a novelty, I sent for one packet 
to each of two leading seed-houses. The 
vitality of the seed was all right, and I got 
a good stand; but I got from one packet 
two genuine Silver Kings and from the 
other three; the rest were Queens, Wethers- 
fields and Danvers. The crop from both 
looked as though the seed were taken from 
the same box. 
Thinning Fruit Again. 
S. S. B., East Paris, Mich.— Thinning 
fruit is practiced to quite a large extent in 
Michigan; but mostly by peach and grape 
growers. Peaches are thinned when about 
the size of robins’ eggs, as one can then see 
how much thinning is needed. Grapes are 
thinned the last of June, by taking off the 
imperfect and crowded stems. Sometimes 
thinning is not required, but wheu it is it 
pays well. The size of the remaining fruit 
is very much increased and it sells readily 
at almost double the price of fruit not 
thinned. 
BRIEFS. 
So late as 1838, says Prof. S. W. Johnson, 
the Gottingen Academy offered a prize for 
a satisfactory solution of the then vexed 
question whether the ingredients of ashes 
are essential to vegetable growth. It is, in 
fact, during the last 50 years that agricul¬ 
tural chemistry has come to rest on -sure 
foundations. Our knowledge of the struc¬ 
ture and physiology of plants is of like 
recent development. What immense prac¬ 
tical benefit the farmer has gathered from 
this advance of science I 
Cato and Columella knew, indeed, that 
ashes, bones, bird-dung and green man¬ 
uring, as well as drainage and itera¬ 
tion of the soil, were good for crops ; but 
that carbonic acid, potash, phosphate 
of lime and compounds of nitrogen are 
the chief pabulum of vegetation, they did 
not know. They did not know that the 
atmosphere dissolves the rocks and con- 
