4o8 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
Publishers Desk. 
Equality Means Equality. 
PROTECTION FOR PLANTSMEN. 
For many years past the orig¬ 
inators, discoverers and intro¬ 
ducers of varieties of useful and 
ornamental plants new to culti¬ 
vation, have been discussing the 
vexed question of legal protection 
of their rights in these products 
of their brains and hands. That 
a valuable variety of plant is as 
much entitled to “ protection” as 
any mechanical invention, or 
medical discovery, or book, or 
paper, or trade-mark, can not 
be logically disputed. The diffi¬ 
culty has been that the methods 
heretofore proposed have not 
met with favor because they 
gave no adequate promise of 
real protection. We believe 
that such protection is offered 
in the plan of a proposed law 
given to the public jointly by 
the R.N.-Y. and The American 
Garden, the text of which is 
printed in another column. We 
invite the most critical discussion 
of this plan, to the end that, if 
this is not the right method, a 
practical basis may be reached. 
TO THE PARTY ADDRESSED. 
The gentlemen of the agricul¬ 
tural trades, the merchants and 
manufacturers who seek to reach 
the public through the medium 
of advertisements, have been led 
by subservient and shallow-prin¬ 
cipled editors and publishers to 
consider the printed opinions of 
the editors as purchasable by 
them at prices varying according 
to the need or greed of the pub¬ 
lishers for lucre. This has led to 
the outrageous and disgusting 
practice of publishing the most 
unqualified indorsements of ad¬ 
vertisers in the editorial columns 
of many alleged respectable rural 
journals, the articles being pre¬ 
pared wholly or in part by the 
advertiser. So common has the 
practice become that at least one 
paper sends out ready-prepared 
“ puffs ” to the advertiser in ad¬ 
vance, offering to insert them 
gratis if the advertiser will be 
so good as to extend his patron¬ 
age to that paper. Bah ! Such 
rot is enough to sicken any re¬ 
spectable man, and we are glad 
to note tliat most reputable ad¬ 
vertisers will have no part in 
such methods. The R. N.-Y. and 
The American Garden absolute¬ 
ly refuse to lie parties to such ser¬ 
vility. We have too much respect 
for our readers and advertising 
patrons to palm off as our own 
other folks’ exaggerated opinions 
of themselves in the shape of free 
“ads.” in our reading columns. 
On the other hand, we propose to 
expose every form of humbug as 
we have space and time to in¬ 
vestigate. And we are always 
glad and eager to chronicle every 
useful new implement, breed, 
plant, manufactured article or 
method, and every improvement 
or new use of any of these that 
may be of value or interest to 
rural readers, quite regardless of 
whether the owners are adver¬ 
tisers or not. This we believe to 
be within the legitimate province 
of any self-respecting newspaper 
or magazine. We can not always 
have space to spare for these 
things; every week we have 
more good matter on hand than 
would suffice to fill half a dozen 
issues ; yet we welcome, seek and 
solicit fresh, bright and practical 
matter of every sort within the 
scope of our journals. 
As soon as arrangements can 
ho completed, we shall begin the 
publication of a series of articles 
entitled. “ Through the Genesee 
Valley With a Camera.” Our 
correspondent, Edw. F. Dibble, 
will describe the agriculture of 
the famous Genesee Valley—one 
of the most interesting farming 
sections in the world. A photog¬ 
rapher will aid him in securing 
views of buildings, stock, etc., 
etc., in that section. We hope to 
make such articles a feature of 
the R.N.-Y. hereafter. 
Live Stock Notes. 
At a recent meeting of sheepmen in 
Wales, competitive trials of sheep dogs 
were held. Why not ? Our sportsmen 
have competitive trials for setters and 
pointers, why not encourage the practical 
canine—the Shepherd dog ? 
The training stable at Miller & Sibley’s 
Prospect Hill Stock Farm, Franklin, Pa., 
was burned on the 3d. “All the animals, 
comprising 20 trotting horses valued at 
$250,000, were gotten out unharmed through 
the heroic efforts of the employees. One 
employee was severely trampled on. Loss 
$ 75 , 000 :” 
A dishorning defence association has 
been formed in Ireland, with the view of 
bringing forward evidence in support of 
the practice when the government insti¬ 
tutes. as it has threatened to, a prosecution 
in order to obtain the opinion of the Court 
of Queen’s Bench as to the legality of the 
operation. 
English papers constantly refer to the 
importance of calf-rearing for English 
farmers. There are many Englishmen 
who would like to import calves from 
other countries. Could they do this, they 
would be willing to let the authorities keep 
out “store cattle.” It is not likely, how¬ 
ever, that any such distinction will be 
made. 
A new mart for the sale of blooded 
horses is to be opened in New York in the 
old panorama building, 7th avenue and 
55th St. The building will accommodate 
400 horses and 100 carriages. It will be a 
branch of the famous London “Tatter- 
sails” and will be conducted by Mr. Wil¬ 
liam Easton, a well known live stock auc¬ 
tioneer. 
The London cart horse parade was a 
great success. There were 302 horses and 
251 drivers in line. It is said that the 
judges went through their work in earnest, 
examining jaws for raw sores that might 
have arisen from careless or cruel bitting, 
drawing their hands through the mane to 
see that the tooth comb had been recently 
used, throwing back the hair of the fet¬ 
lock. and examining the hoofs, etc. Nat¬ 
urally the Shire and Clydesdale horses pre¬ 
dominated. 
Feed TnE Colt.—A friend sends us the 
following quotation from an English paper, 
which he says is as true as it can be: “ As 
a rule, a foal gets on very well till the 
autumnal grazing fails both himself and 
his dam. Then is the time to hold out the 
sympathetic handful of corn and bran and 
other nice digestible foods, maintaining or 
increasing the supply throughout the first 
winter. The cost is very little, and on the 
first of May you will turn outtograss such 
a robust yearling as will take care of him¬ 
self and do well during the next three 
winters at small cost, and be a far better 
four-year-old than the foal that is debili¬ 
tated by starvation during his first and 
coldest and most cruel winter.” 
Mules as Stayers.— Upon entering a 
shaft of a Pennsylvania mine which had 
been on fire, 12 mules were found alive 
after being without food and water for 26 
days. This suggests great possibilities for 
the much-abused mule. In the blizzard- 
burdened and snow-laden North and West, 
he might be corralled under snug shelter 
iu the fall and left to while away the long 
winter in seclusion. Through the flood- 
TUNE 21 
stricken valleys he might be sealed up in a 
water tight retreat on the approach of 
threatening weather with the full assur¬ 
ance that he will be found safe w r hen 
wanted. The mule has never been noted 
for his beauty: his has been a utilitarian 
existence, but the discovery of these stay¬ 
ing qualities must endear him still more to 
those farmers who want an animal for ser¬ 
vice and not for looks. 
The Poultry Business.— In regard to 
the past season’s business in broilers and 
eggs for hatching, Mr. P. H. Jacobs writes : 
“ Prices have been a little lower than 
they were last year, but in Hammonton 
fewer broilers have been raised this season, 
owing principally to loss of time from the 
eggs not having been fertile. This lack of 
fertility is partially due to the excessively 
wet. winter, the hens being more closely 
confined than usual. Some of our broiler- 
raisers did better than ever before; but 
ot hers did not do so well. The complaint that 
eggs did nothatch well is general. Eggs of 
pure breeds, for hatching purposes, have 
sold well this season, many breeders not 
being able to fill their orders. There is a 
large demand for Indian Games. The busi¬ 
ness is much better than it was in 1889.” 
The Daughter’s Cows. — A traveler 
among the Boers of South Africa thus 
describes a singular custom among the 
people of that country: “When a girl is 
born, she is given a heifer by her parents. 
All the offspring of this heifer belong to 
the girl; but to pay the cost of herding and 
feeding, every second bull calf—born of the 
heifer or her female descendants—belongs 
to the parents. When the girl comes to a 
marriageable age she does not go empty- 
handed to her husband : but has a herd— 
sometimes as many as 100 head—all in her 
own right.. By the time she has finished 
her education, she has cows enough to form 
a dairy, which she manages for herself— 
selling the milk, butter, and sometimes 
cheese. There is therefore no sudden drain 
on her parents’ means when she marries.” 
The sons do not have the same privilege. 
They must marry some other man’s 
daughter 1 
“ A New Cross.” —This is what the Eng¬ 
lish papers call the calves from Kerry 
cows and Aberdeen-Angus bulls. We are 
told that "than the Kerry in its own 
proper sphere there is no more useful 
variety of cattle in existence. It is the one 
native breed of cattle now existing in Ire¬ 
land, and is well worthy of more attention 
than has as yet been given to its improve¬ 
ment and extension. The corresponding 
variety of cattle in the northeastern coun¬ 
ties of Scotland is the Polled Aberdeen- 
Angus breed, which has become famous at 
home and abroad for its wonderful pre¬ 
cocity and excellent beef-producing proper¬ 
ties.” Of the animals produced by this 
cross we are informed that "during their 
first winter in Scotland these crosses were 
kept out on the field upon turnip tops and 
what pasture they could pick up. In the 
following summer they had no extra food 
on the pasture, but during the past winter 
and spring they were liberally stall fed. 
They were black in color, all hornless, ex¬ 
cept one, were fairly well-shaped, and ex¬ 
hibited the very best features of beef 
cattle.” 
Mutton Merinos. —Farmers seem to be 
greatly pleased at the efforts now being 
made to encourage the production of 
Merino sheep bred particularly for mutton. 
The N. Y. State Agricultural Society has 
made a new class for “ Merinos bred for 
mutton, size and form of carcass to be con¬ 
sidered, and length of staple,” and it is 
hoped that this will encourage the develop¬ 
ment of two distinct types of the Merino; 
one a special-purpose animal bred for wool 
alone and the other a larger animal showing 
a fair fleece of wool and producing a good 
mutton carcass. Mutton from “ woolly ” 
Merinos is poor stuff, as consumers gener¬ 
ally get it, and one reason why Americans 
prefer pork and beef to mutton is because 
farmers have persisted in supplying us with 
the flesh of sheep which, while excelling as 
wool makers, can never be expected to make 
mutton. Farmers who feed sheep are 
obliged to buy wool Merinos because, most 
of tne time, there is nothing else to buy. 
The mutton Merino will be the true “gen¬ 
eral-purpose ” sheep. 
Live Stock Insurance.— The Secretary 
of the Farmers’ and Stock-Breeders’ Asso¬ 
ciation sends us the following note: “ I 
was interested and amused in reading what 
the Rural correspondents had to say about 
live stock insurance. The majority, I 
notice, think that live stock insurance is a 
good thing, while some of them think it 
entirely too expensive. All, however, are 
unanimous iu the opinion that fire insur¬ 
ance is necessary, and still the statistics 
show that only two per cent, of the horses 
of the country die or are killed by fire and 
lightning. Messrs. Miller & Sibley, of Penn¬ 
sylvania, I think cover the ground when 
they say there is a strong prejudice against 
mutual live stock insurance. We do busi¬ 
ness on the straight premium, no assess 
merits, and our company has been a great 
success from the date of its organization. 
We are fast educating some of our leading 
stock men to believe that live stock insur¬ 
ance is a necessity as much so as fire in¬ 
surance, and we are commanding the re¬ 
spect and patronage of the best class of 
stock breeders in our State.” 
Eastern-raised Horses.— Mr. A. M. 
Lagrange, of Albany County, N.Y.,believes 
that there will always be a good demand 
for horses raised on farms at the East. He 
says: “ I can raise a young horse for $75 to 
the age of three years: but the mare and 
stallion must be first-class, and I would 
work both, as I find that if the mare is 
worked moderately and fed good oats and 
bay, the colt is always strong and healthy. 
1 also obtain the best colts from young 
mares that dropped their first colt when 
they were three years old. Such mares 
breed almost every year. It is a mistaken 
idea that farmers can make money by 
raising trotters. They should raise general- 
purpose horses of compact form, weighing 
1,000 to 1,400 pounds, with good, sound 
hoofs. These are the foundation of every 
horse; without them he isnotworth much. 
My experience is that a Norman stallion 
crossed on the ITambletonian mare pro¬ 
duces a good roadster and a grand farm 
horse, which is just what the farmer wants, 
and it does not take all the farmer raises to 
keep such an animal in fine condition. T 
think it a great pleasure to raise and work 
fine young horses, and there is always a 
ready sale for them at the highest market 
prices. I also claim that the horse raised 
on an Eastern farm is worth more than the 
Western horse, as be is trained, worked 
and well cared for, and is more gentle in 
every way. The fast walker is the horse 
for the farmer. With such an animal he 
can make, time on the road with a load as 
well as before the plow and in mowing, and 
any other work on the farm.” 
“ Our Best Customers.”— English breed¬ 
ers seem to be changing in their ideas of 
desirable markets for their surplus breed¬ 
ing stock. Formerly this country was 
looked upon ns the most desirable market. 
Now, a class of wise men come for¬ 
ward with the proposition that “ our 
best customers are our brother breed¬ 
ers.” Prof. Wriehtson is credited with 
these remarks: “ Where shall we find such 
markets for our Shire horses as the port of 
Liverpool, where over 1.(100 head can be 
seen out for a holiday show ? Even these 
are but the creme tie la creme of the vast 
crowd of working horses, all of which have 
to be kept up. Then, again, what is the 
proportion of home buyers to foreign for 
any of our home breeds? Probably 100 to 
one. This is a matter for the deepest 
thought, and we hope our breeders will 
take it to heart. We are glad to see foreign 
buyers here, and we welcome them. The 
more outlets for our best ‘stock the better 
for all parties.’ But, after all, * the nimble 
sixpence ’ is a British coin.” 
Mr. Sanders Spencer comes closer still to 
the point when he says: “I would suggest 
that, instead of our attempting to breed 
what the American buyers are pleased to 
call improved Shires, or horses of a lighter 
and more flashy style, we should redouble 
our efforts to flatten and harden the bone 
and sinews, improve the walking action, 
breed out those few round ankles and short 
upright pasterns and the coarse curly hair, 
and at the same time retain, and if possible 
increase the weight and substance of our 
Shire horses. With all our efforts we shall 
still breed a sufficient number of these 
lighter-limbed horses to which our foreign 
customers appear to be partial, and at the 
same time produce animals which will com¬ 
mand a remunerative price for draught 
work as long as England remains the em¬ 
porium of the civilized world.” 
Choose the Right Breed.— The follow¬ 
ing letter from James Turner, Lansing, 
Michigan, will, we think, strike our read¬ 
ers as being both sensible and fair : 
“ My own experience has been that each 
one of the improved breeds of horses is best 
in certain places. You will find that the 
breeders of each distinct class are liable to 
claim for them that they ami they alone 
are the best horses for the farmers and 
stock-growers to breed. This claim, how¬ 
ever. is too broad and entirely untenable. 
In the right place the Clydesdale is best; 
in another the Percheron, and in auother 
special class of work the American trotting 
horse, and so on, down through the list of 
the various Improved breeds. I would 
PijsrcUuncous' 
In writing to advertisers please always 
mention the Rural. 
A HANDY TOOL. 
The MANAHAN LADDER HOOK 
Is a convenient device to he attached to the top of 
the ladder, for the purpose of holding It In position 
when placed upon the roofs of buildings, when In use 
for picking fruit, pruning trees, etc. It combines 
strength with light weight and small cost, and being 
reversible is entirely out of the way when closed. 
Regular Price. 81 per Set; nty Price, 50 
cents per set by mall, post-paid. Address 
K. E, FELLOWS. Box 4. Tonally, N. J. 
m BMNESS & HEAO NOISES CURED b.v 
B]IL jfm fcl'eek’a INVISIBLE TUBULAR EAR 
Km B CUSHIONS. Whispers heard. Coin- 
fortnblr. Surr.'.iful wlirro nil ItemiMlien tnll. Solti bj I. UlStOX, 
«ulj, SiU llr'dwnj, New fork. Write for book of prooA » KtK. 
