442 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
JULY f 5 
“ Rough on Rogues." 
LOOKOUT 
ALMANAC 
LOOKING OUT FOR NUMBKR ONE. 
JULY. 
Monday Look out f° r a counterfeit $10 
J bill on the Germania National 
/ • Bank of New Orleans, check 
letter C. The work on the face of the bill 
is poorly executed, while the back is a very 
good imitation of the genuine. The ink is 
a little too dark. Look out for copyright 
robbers. A set of books costing $130 in 
England is now to be issued in a “new 
fac-simile ” edition for this country for 
$36.60. Our present copyright laws afford 
a first-class chance for genteel pirates to 
get rich. Look out that you distinguish 
between your friends and your foes. Many 
people look upon all birds and insects as 
their enemies. This is nonsense. Here, 
for instance, is a letter from a subscriber 
in New York State : “ Did you know that 
cuckoos eat the tent caterpillar? They 
have cleared my orchard pretty clean of 
them this year. I never observed them at 
work before, and never saw so many 
cuckoos before.” We had not observed 
this fact. The cuckoo is generally re¬ 
garded as a bad bird. You will notice 
that Prof. A. J. Cook begins in this issue 
of the R. N.-Y. some articles on Useful In¬ 
sects. We shall talk about useful birds 
later. Nothing like knowing your friends. 
Tuesday Look out fc bat you realize the 
g J great importance of studying the 
character of the 
The students of natural history tell us all 
about the habits and characteristics of the 
bull dog. They do very well; but they 
lose the best point when they neglect to in 
sist that this dog was created for the 
special purpose of teaching human beings 
one of the most important lessons of life. 
The bull dog is not the best for “ watch¬ 
ing.” He jumps upon friend and foe alike. 
He cannot discriminate. He has no sense 
of humor, no mercy and little affection. 
He gives no warning but jumps upon the 
visitor with savage eagerness. But the 
bull dog’s tenacity of purpose is proverbial. 
He “ hangs on.” Kicked or coaxed, 
pounded or petted, he keeps his grip and 
the consequence is that when it comes to a 
fight one pound of bull dog is worth two 
pounds of dog that wastes one pound in 
barking and jumping. Go to the bull dog 
and learn that it is the man who gets a 
good grip on his work and tnen clinches 
that grip with every ounce of energy he 
can muster that draws the prize. Mr. 
Hangon can give Mr. Bark-and jump a 
mile the start and beat him. 
Wednesday s^aii we i°° kout * or tke uew 
1 school book concern ? This 
9* question is asked by so many 
of our readers that we print the following 
correspondence. The first letter is from one 
of our subscribers in (Jooperstown, N. Y. 
x, 
“About four weeks ago there came along 
an ageut selling school charts, and claim¬ 
ing to represent ivison, Blakeman & Co., 
of New York City. Acting as trustee of 
my district, 1 purchased one, as did nearly 
every trustee in this town and some adjoin¬ 
ing ones. About a week alter this transac¬ 
tion 1 received the inclosed letter from New 
York; with it was an envelope addressed to 
the American Book Company. A lew days 
afterwards the chart came with express 
charges prepaid according to agreement. 
The label on the wrapper bore the names of 
lvision&Blakeman. Now what 1 want to 
know is this; have the American Book Co. 
succeeded lvisou, Blakeman 6c Co. is the 
statement made in the letter regular or is 
it a scheme to make us pay for the chart 
twice ? ” 
IVo. 2. 
To our Friends and Customers : 
We have to announce to you that on and 
after the 15th inst., the school book publi¬ 
cations heretofore owned and issued by us 
will be published by the American Book 
Company whose places of business will be 
806 & 808 Broadway, New York: 137 Wal¬ 
nut street, Cincinnati, and Nos. 258 & 
260 Wabash Avenue, Chicago. This com¬ 
pany will faithfully carry out all contracts 
entered into by us for the publication and 
supply of our books. In making this an¬ 
nouncement we are deeply mindful of that 
sentiment which comes from the breaking 
up of old and friendly relationships which 
have existed for so many years. We shall, 
however, hope to renew these through the 
American Book Company, in which we 
shall be actively interested. 
Yours sincerely, 
IVISON, BLAKEMAN & CO. 
This matter will be found “all right.” 
The leading publishers of school books have 
combined and formed the American Book 
Company. Instead of having half a dozen 
firms engaged in the business there will 
now be but one. All the old text books 
will be printed as before, and we feel cer¬ 
tain that every obligation will be faith- 
lully carried out. The new arrangement is 
a sort of Trust. We believe the outcome, 
in this case will be cheaper prices for school 
books. 
* * 
* 
Thursday I'* 1 * 8 * 8 It. N.-Y. day again. 
There are several articles in this 
«J* paper that you should study. 
How about that article , on the advantages 
of an education ? Governor Luce makes a 
good showing for The Grange. Mr. Ma- 
comber gives us some facts about mowing 
machines that ought to be worth money. 
Mr. Terry minks Mrs. T.’s labor is worth 
more than two cents an hour at mending 
bags. Read them all. If your experience 
convinces you that these lolks are wrong, 
don t hesitate to say so right out in plain 
language. 
* 
* * 
Friday ^■' 0o ^ out > y° u boys, that you keep 
jour wits about you when you 
go on errands. Here is a letter 
from Illinois, that shows how one boy’s 
wits went wool-gathering: “1 wondered 
why the Rural did not come, as 1 had re¬ 
newed my subscription in due time. The 
reason was made plain a short time ago. 
Our boy attended the school in the vil¬ 
lage, and the letter containing the remit¬ 
tance was given him to mail. The other 
day when his mother put away his winter 
clothing, she found the letter in his over¬ 
coat pocket. For nearly two mouths the 
Rural has failed to aid in brightening our 
home, and I herewith inclose $2, with the 
hope that the publishers will appreciate 
tne situation, and, if possible, supply the 
missing numbers and let the renewal com¬ 
mence where the old subscription ended.” 
Nothing like keeping your wits about you. 
They may be lost if they stray off. W hat 
are lost wits good for ? 
Qatnrdav Look out for rumsellers who 
J try to invade the places selected 
1^’ for holding farmers’ picnics to 
sell their liquors. Set the dogs on them. 
The Michigan Farmer prints the following 
resolution adopted by the Webster Farm¬ 
er’s Club of that State. 
“ Resolved, That we, in the interest of 
morality and good government, view with 
alarm the disposition of lawless men to in¬ 
vade the town or place selected for holding 
the annual Farmers’ Picnic and sell intoxi¬ 
cants ; and that unless the citizens and 
officers of said town or place will give as¬ 
surance that the laws will be enforced and 
that no liquor shall be sold, we as a club re- 
luse to participate in the exercises.” 
That’s business—the sort of liquor busi¬ 
ness that we like. Give the rum 
business a kick whenever jou can. Noth¬ 
ing like being a kicker in a good cause. 
The cause dignities the kick. The same 
farmers’ club censures aroad machiuecom- 
pauy for not sending needed repairs. Look 
out tor business men who don’t attend to 
business. Look out that your wheat fields 
are. clean. You w ill ob.-erve a great many 
such fields with rye growing in them. The 
mixing is generally attributed to the 
thrashers It is very difficult to clean a 
thrashing machine after using it on rye, 
and the lew kernels left in it seem sure of 
being used in seeding. If you don’t get 
rid of this rye, it will lower the grade of all 
the wheat you raise. 
Poultry Yard. 
BRONZE TURKEYS. 
The first requisite for successful turkey 
breeding is that the stock shall be good. 
First-class Bronze turkeys will cost consid¬ 
erably more per pair or trio than other 
kinds, but with the same care and range 
they will grow to almost twice the size of 
the common stock, and having greater 
stamina can be reared with far less care and 
loss. In fact, until they are five months 
old, the young poults will consume less 
food than would be required by the same 
number of chickens. It is true that young 
turkeys are very delicate until they are 
about three weeks old, but after that time 
they are quite hardy, and when reared on 
the farm where they can have access to 
meadows and pasture-lands they will al¬ 
most keep themselves after they are a 
month old ; and if one learns to observe 
a few simple rules in the management of 
the little ones, it is possible to rear a whole 
flock without the loss of a single one. 
I would not advise any one, however, to 
embark in turkey-rearing unless the locality 
be a dry one; for a damp, marshy, cold soil 
is fatal, and no amount of drainage can 
make it fit for turkeys. No matter how 
rocky, sandy, or broken it maybe, the fowls 
will be healthy; in fact, if the soil does not 
contain sand and gravel, both should be 
provided. 
The best plan for buying breeding stock, 
I think, is to procure them in the fall, for 
the usefulness of fowls in the spring de¬ 
pends, to a great extent, upon the way 
they have been wintered. Besides, they 
ought to become accustomed to their sur¬ 
roundings, and to lose all fear of the person 
who is to care for them. It is a great ad¬ 
vantage that the hens should be gentle and 
docile; they are not then so likely to 
wander off and make their nests in out-of- 
the-way places, where the eggs will be lost. 
Good judgment must be exercised in the 
selection of the fowls. A healthy bird is 
known by the bright red color of the head 
and gills, and a general appearance of life 
and activity. When a turkey feels the least 
bit indisposed, its head is drawn down be¬ 
tween its shoulders, and the most tempting 
food will not induce it to eat. The plumage 
must be bright aud glossy, and when pure 
bronze many brilliant iridescent hues are 
visible as the sun-light is reflected from 
diffeient points. Do not buy an old bird 
whose legs are very scaly, or light red or 
pinkish ; if the tuft of hair on the breast 
has become bushy that also indicates age, 
and such a bird will not prove of much 
service. 
It is said that a turkey does not attain 
its full maturity until it is three years old, 
and that it is always best to breed from 
matured fowls; but in our climate 1 am 
inclined to think they are best when two 
years, aud for some years I have had very 
good success with hens one year old. 
The young hens begin laying earlier thau 
the older ones in the season, which is an 
advantage, as the produce will be ready 
for early sale. Their eggs, however, are 
much smaller than those of the mature 
birds, aud consequently the little turkeys 
are smaller and probably more delicate. 
At the age of eight mouths, hens should 
weigh from 14 to 16 pounds. I would not 
buy those weighing less, as they were 
either hatched late in the summer or 
stunted in their growth. 
There is a good deal of difference in the 
shape aud color of the different kinds of 
Bronze turkeys. What is called the Mam- 
motn Bronze is considerably lighter in 
color, especially before it is fully grown, 
and it is also very compact in shape, with 
a broad body and short legs; though w hen 
fully matured I do not know that this 
weighs any more than the Dark Bronze, 
which is a very hardy variety, gentle, 
docile, aud easily managed, and desirable 
in many respects. There is also consider¬ 
able difference in the size aud shape of the 
heus in the same brood. 1 have one hen, 
about two years old, that I consider a 
model of size and beauty. She is long in 
the body, broad in the breast, very sym¬ 
metrical in form, beautifully bronzed, and, 
without being very fat, weighs just 18 
pounds. 
In selecting breeding stock, it is best to 
use a cock not related in any way to the 
hens, for turkeys are delicate to begin with, 
and any in-breeding will make them more 
so. Eight hens are sufficient for one cock, 
aud with that number nearly, or quite, 200 
turkeys can be raised. Bronze turkeys of 
a good strain are great layers. One of my 
hens last year produced about 60 eggs. 
When the eggs are properly taken care of 
they hatch exceedingly well. It is not? a 
good plan, however, for a beginner to at¬ 
tempt too much the first year. There is 
danger of becoming discouraged, should 
the season prove unfavorable, or “luck” 
be against him. A trio is enough to begin 
with. 
From Christmas until the laying season 
begins, great care must be given to feeding 
the hens, as the number of eggs produced 
will, to a great extent, depend upon the 
food given them during that time. Fat- 
producing foods, such as Indian corn, 
cotton-seed meal, etc., should be fed spar¬ 
ingly ; milk, which is rich in albumen and 
other egg-producing elements, oats, cracked 
wheat, and other small grains maj' be lib¬ 
erally fed night and morning. But unless 
the weather is very severe, do not feed the 
turkeys at all at noon, for they should be 
driven aw T ay from the house, made to for. 
age in the fields, and pick up whatever 
they can about the barns and stables where 
the cattle and other live stock are fed. If 
they are unable to procure anything green 
in the fields, something should be given 
them from the garden, as raw cabbage, 
turnips, etc. 
The greater the variety of food they re¬ 
ceive, the healthier they will be. After the 
middle of February they should not be 
driven out into the fields, for then each hen 
will be looking around for a good hiding 
place for her nest. As an inducement to 
them to remain in the yard, a light meal 
may be given them at noon. Oats, barley, 
or some other small grain can be scattered 
among straw, so as to keep them busy in 
scratching for it. Never give fowls so much 
to eat that they w r ill sit down perfectly satis¬ 
fied after a meal. Keep them always on the 
alert looking for something else. A hen 
that grows inert from over feeding, will 
soon get too fat to laj T , and the next thing 
she will be sick. 
After the first of March the hens should 
be confined for a few hours each day in a 
good, dry, well-ventilated house in which 
comfortable nests have been made. It is 
best to place the nests ou the ground, so 
that the hens step in and out of them easily, 
as in that case there will be less danger of 
breaking the eggs. Above all things, be 
gentle with the hens, make them know you 
are their best friend ; this will tend to 
overcome their natural shyness and enable 
you to manage them to the best advantage. 
A Farmer’s Daughter. 
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neatly held by the use of 
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For Samples on Wood, with Circulars and full 
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SAMUEL CABOT, 
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