5i8 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
AUG. 9 
the reception of the seed. The advent of the disk and 
Cutaway reduced this labor more than half. The land is 
now plowed deep enough at first to cover all trash, and 
then lett to the tender mercies of the broiling sun until 
about 10 days before seeding time arrives. Then, instead 
of replowing and otherwise wrestling with it, the farmer 
mounts his disk and leisurely cuts, slices, chops and pul¬ 
verizes it until he has a seed-bed mellow at the surface 
and firm beneath, and as near perfection as the most 
exacting could wish for. 
Harrows of this class are used almost exclusively for 
pulverizing, smoothing and mellowing the surface and 
fitting it for the seed, and not for plowing it, as some par¬ 
lor farmers suppose. They are tools that can be used to 
advantage on any soil that is not stony or half sand. For 
our stiff prairie soils they are just the things, as they 
enable the farmer to fit his land for seeding in half the 
time and with half the labor formerly required. With the 
exercise of a little skill and common sense in their use and 
management they will invariably give the best of satisfac¬ 
tion. F. GRUNDY. 
Christian County, Ill. 
BUSINESS BITS. 
Maple Syrup “ Voucher.”— We are frequently asked 
how some farmers succeed in building up special markets 
for their products. In reply, we may print the following 
exact copy of a card issued by one of our subscribers. This 
card goes with every can and in every letter, and every 
statement is backed up by actual practice. He has no 
difficulty in selling all he can make: 
STRICTLY PURE MAPLE SYRUP. 
Dear Sir:—I shall be pleased to supply you the coming 
spriug with maple syrup. The apparatus and methods in 
my bush are the latest improved, and insure a very superior 
article. The bush is in cnarge of my brother, who has had 
long experience, and spares no pains to secure that “ neat¬ 
ness and dispatch ” which are demanded to secure the best 
syrup. I warrant all my syrup to be strictly pure, light 
in color, fresh, and of standard weight. This warrant is 
only necessary to sell the first time. Thenceforth the syrup 
sells itself. 
This syrup will he delivered on cars at $1.25, with can. 
The syrup will be delivered in March or April. Address 
all orders to - 
How Railroads Hurt a Chicken Business.— Speak¬ 
ing of cheap railroad transportation of now-a-days reminds 
me of an assertion made in reference to the advantages or 
disadvantages of railroads to the country, by a large 
Western shipper of long experience. In his view railroads 
are a positive detriment to the country, or, as he expressed 
it—‘‘ a cuss.” 
“ How do you prove that ? ” was asked. 
“ Well, I will tell you. Forty years ago I used to run a 
poultry wagon into Boston. I had a big, four-horse wagon 
piled up with racks and coops and I used to run out 25 to 
50 miles in the country to buy the birds. I could fill up 
the coops with chickens at six cents apiece, as well as with 
ducks, geese and turkeys in proportion. When I got to 
Boston the chickens would go like hot cakes at 18 cents 
apiece and the other fowls at about the same profit—say 
300 per cent. The whole capital employed was not more 
than $1,000 and I got rich fast enough. After the railroads 
were built the farmers that raised chickens got so that 
they knew as muen about the Boston market as I did, and 
I could not make a cent, and had to quit. Now I have 
about $100,000 in my business and I can only just make a 
living. A. F. F. 
Irrigating from a Spring.— I have an acre of potatoes 
planted in drills which are looking fine, but are very dry. 
1 can run water along the drills from a spring situated 
about 100 rods from the potatoes. Does The Rural know 
whether cold water run through the drills would help the 
potatoes, or would it injure them more than it would do 
good ? We have frequent rains, but owing to the enorm¬ 
ous growth of the potato tops, the water does not get to 
the ground, which is as dry and hard as it is possible for 
ground to be. My reason for not turning on the water 
and finding out for myself is that it is an acre entered for 
a prize, and the crop promises to be immense. 
Franklin County, N. Y. W. H. R. 
Ans. —We do not know what the result would be. The 
writer has had some little experience at irrigating potatoes 
in Colorado. The water used there is, of course, warm, 
after running through miles of irrigating ditches. We 
believe that the water from the spring would very soon 
be warm after running through soil as hot as it is after 
a summer day. In fact, we do not think the low tem¬ 
perature of the water would do any damage to the crop. 
The great trouble will be to get the water to run evenly 
over the acre. Unless furrows or low trenches are made 
by the side of the rows, the water will be sure to stand on 
some parts of the field—there will be too much on one part 
and too little on another. If the vines are so thick, we do 
not see how these furrows can be made without injuring 
the plants. This matter of spring or pond irrigation is a 
very interesting one, and The R. N.-Y. would like to hear 
from any of its friends who have practiced it. 
The Creamery Business.— I have been thinking of 
putting up a creamery and write to The R. N.-Y. for infor¬ 
mation in regard to it. Would it be likely to pay in the 
future ? If so, what is the best plan for building one, and 
the best machinery, and how many cows must one keep in 
order to make it pay ? Un what plan should it be run ? 
Could The Rural refer me to any one who could give me 
the desired information t w. B. 
Chester Co., Pa. 
Ans. —The article on the first page of this issue will prob¬ 
ably help you. You can tell better than we can about the 
business prospects in your neighborhood, and the chances 
for selling butter. A great deal of information may be 
found in the pamphlets issued by the Vermont Farm 
Machine Company, Bellows Falls, Vt.; J. S. Carter, 
cuse, N.-Y.; Moseley & Stoddard, Rutland, Vermont, and 
A. H. Reid, Philadelphia. These pamphlets give plans 
for creameries and figures to show the cost of erecting 
buildings, etc. _ 
CATALOGUES, ETC., RECEIVED. 
J. T. Lovett, Little Silver, Monmouth County, 
N. J.—An illustrated pamphlet of pot-grown and layer 
strawberry plants with instructions for their cultivation. 
All the new and most of the old standard sorts are offered. 
P. K. Dederick & Co., Albany, N. Y.—A catalogue 
descriptive of the perpetual or continuous steel case baling 
presses made by this well known house. The business 
done by Dederick & Co., is immense. Their presses go to 
all parts of the world and there is no firm in existence that 
takes so much pride in keeping up with the times on all 
new inventions or all actual needs of hay balers. Send for 
the catalogue. 
Ellwanger & Barry, Rochester, N. Y —Catalogue 
of pot-grown and layer strawberries—the best of the old 
and new kinds. This firm introduced the Sharpless. 
Among other novelties we may note two that should be in 
every garden, viz., Spiraea Bumalda and the Red branched 
Hydrangea. Note also the list of new lilacs. 
A WOMAN’S FARMING. 
No. V. 
As soon as his year was up, I discharged my man, and 
rented my house, together with the garden and some priv¬ 
ileges in the barn, to a middle aged man and wife for $50 
a year. This man had commenced life bare-handed ; had, 
when young, hired out by the year to farmers, and worked 
his way up until he, together with his wife, had earned 
enough to buy a farm. They had worked and paid for it, 
canceling the mortgage, and had money to boot when it 
was sold a few years before renting my place. The man 
would work by the day, and I engaged him to work for me 
whenever and at whatever he felt like working, for he was 
an above-board person and not obliged to work, but from 
long habit and training he felt better when doing some¬ 
thing. I obtained a prize when I got this family in the 
house. He possessed a great deal of homely logic, much 
awkward ability and tact that had done him much good 
service, and what he said, when understood and looked into, 
was reasonable and to the point. The rough stone had 
never been polished by education. He was a strong man 
yet, and had possessed strength akin to that of iron in his 
youth. It had been hard digging and grubbing night and 
day that brought the dollars into his pocket, and his wife 
followed his example, until, being the feebler, toilsome 
work in the farmer’s kitchen before marriage had broken 
a constitution otherwise good, and the farm had to be sold. 
I derived great benefit from this man’s advice and experi¬ 
ence. He was a man of good habits, and I felt that a little 
more education would have enabled him to preserve his 
strength and brought out his power to better advantage. 
“ ’Tis education forms the common mind,” and there is no 
position in life in which it can be turned to better account 
than on the farm. 
I also hired an experienced hand by the month, paying 
him $22 per month with board. I paid the day man $1 a 
day with board. The first year I came out even, paid my 
rent and interest, and was able to increase my dairy. At 
the commencement of the second year I had 10 cows, hav¬ 
ing made some purchases, 25 sheep, an ox and a horse 
team, and a small amount of cash in hand for current ex¬ 
penses. I now made it a rule to pay cash for whatever I 
purchased, believing that, although in many cases credit 
is a good thing, in the long run it is a detriment. If there 
was ever a land holder proud of his or her possessions it 
was I. All of these beautiful acres were mine; all of this 
grass was growing for me! This grain rustling like a 
bride in her garments, and with down-hanging head, was 
mine 1 Those grand old oaks that had been for ages grow¬ 
ing, and which hung a great canopy of leafage overhead, 
were mine ! Ownership is a powerful incentive to labor. 
I resolved that the mortgage should be lifted, so that the 
land should be absolutely mine. 
About this time I received a lucrative offer from an ag¬ 
ricultural paper to tell all that I knew about poultry. 
The hen fever was then at its hight, and I had gained 
much experience and knew a considerable amount about 
breeds. During the management of my other affairs I had 
not been idle in regard to poultry which was a source of 
great profit. I accepted the offer. The consequent writ¬ 
ing increased my duties a little, but I did not feel it much. 
Every day I felt thankful that I had persevered and gained 
an education in my youth. Although I had gained at 
school only the mere rudiments, I had been enabled with 
my natural powers to enlarge upon my small acquisitions 
and obtained a good understanding of what I studied. 
From my dairy I made an average of 50 pounds of butter 
per week for eight months. There was more of .Jersey blood 
than of any other in my herd, and 1 had a fine young herd 
growing. I had purchased of a noted Jersey breeder in the 
neighborhood two cows and a bull calf having paid $150, 
for the three. Both cows were guai - antet*l to be with calf, 
they were descended from a direct importation, and were 
fine, large specimens of the breed. One soon came into heat 
and was wor.hless for the dairy. She never bred. I had to 
fatten her. Her size was so great and she took on so much 
flesh that she netted me $50 for beef. 1 spoke to the breed¬ 
er’s farmer about it, stating the fact. The breeder informed 
him to allow me the use of Mb prize bull, for damages. No 
man would have accepted this offer, yet I did, and 1 am this 
day the better off for it. 1 sent all of my herd—and I had 
half, three-quarter, and full-blood Jerseys—to this animal. 
The result was, a majority of heifer calves next year with 
solid colors and black tongues. The bull was a grandson 
of the celebrated Niobe, the.Centennial prize cow, From 
one of the pure-bloods, the sister to the cow which gained 
me this prize, I had a fine bull calf with solid color and full 
black points which at that time were very desirable. This 
animal was a great acquisition at the time, and netted me 
considerable profit when he came into use. C. B. 
Womans Work. 
HABITUAL POLITENESS IN THE FAMILY. 
OME of us may remember the story of the gentleman, 
who, after an accidental collision with another upon 
the street, took time to say, hastily : “ My dear sir, I don’t 
know which of us is to blame; if I ran into you, I beg your 
pardon; if you ran into me, don’t mention it,” and hurried 
on again. While we may laugh at the story, is it not well 
for us to consider that “ though politeness may be only an 
air-cushion, it eases the jolts wonderfully ?” In connection 
with the article in another number discussing “ The Family 
Temper,” let us think for a moment whether the family 
politeness, or lack of it, be not in very large measure 
responsible for the family temper. Does the family tem¬ 
per, however ill it may be, ever flame out against the 
guests in our homes ? Seldom, indeed, can such instances 
be quoted. Yet, if the temper be an ill one, what hinders it 
from venting itself on the guest as well as on the regular 
members of the family ? Surely nothing but the unwritten 
code which requires courtesy to a guest under all circum¬ 
stances. If, then, such a code, written or unwritten, were 
to be applied to the family life, and it were understood 
that the different members thereof were to strive to be 
fully as polite to each other as to the chance comers and 
goers, would not ill tempers be smothered and overcome, 
just as fire smoulders and dies without air to fan it into 
flame ? Who can be boorish to a persistently courteous 
person ? Who but will be ashamed of an angry fling, if it 
is met by a polite rejoinder. Indeed, who could be guilty 
of any such discourtesy to begin with, if the rule of uni¬ 
versal politeness were made especially emphatic with re¬ 
gard to the family. 
Our correspondent wonders who it is that decrees the 
family temper, and adds: “ Not wittingly, of course.” It 
is just here that we wish to make an emphatic point. If, 
as we believe, the family temper depends to a very great 
degree upon the family “ manners,” why should not this 
temper be “wittingly” decreed As a matter of fact the 
heads of the family are, in large measure, directly respon¬ 
sible. This is a matter that can be controlled, for if the 
father and mother set the example of unvarying politeness 
to each other and to their children, adding to the effect of 
example by wisely directed precept in judiciously small 
quantity, there will be little friction, and consequently 
little manifestation of temper to “ stir up wrath.” A story 
is just published to the effect that a society woman, dur¬ 
ing the course of a half-hour’s talk at dome evening enter¬ 
tainment, dropped her handkerchief and her fan. The one 
was restored to her by one gentleman who received the 
most marked acknowledgment of his courtesy ; the other 
was handed to her by a second gentleman, who received no 
notice whatever. An onlooker noted the facts, and inquired 
the reason for the marked contrast in the lady’s manner 
of receiving the two similar acts of courtesy. The reply 
was : “ The first gentleman is the noted Mr. B.; the other 
is only her husband.” Only her husband, and therefore 
not entitled to decent politeness ! Truly, familiarity breeds 
contempt. What girl, during her courtship would think 
of accepting any act of civility without due return ? What 
lover but strives in every possible way to heap even unusual 
courtesies upon his lady-love ? 
Common sense tells us that this can be done after mar¬ 
riage just as well as before. If politeness in the family is a 
lost art, it can be restored. One alone can do a great deal 
to this end; two can in time control the whole family, 
especially if those two be the heads. The discourtesy 
shown from husband to wife, and vice-versa, is the real 
root of the difficulty; the “ heredity ” is much more largely 
a heredity of custom than of character. Politeness in 
many families is a lost art, and among farming people, 
where so much time aud thought are necessarily given to 
daily toil, it is especially likely to be lost sight of. Charity 
Sweetheart is not by any means the only girl whose brothers 
think it too much trouble to be polite to their sisters. 
Some time ago a correspondent gave an instauce of an 
especially flagrant breach of good-manners, on the part of 
a girl of 15, to which another replied: “ The error lay in the 
careless training of an indulgent mother and a business- 
absorbed father.” But “ training” includes both example 
aud precept. We seriously believe that in this often 
neglected matter may b6 found the reasons for the failure 
of what are thought to be more important instructions, 
and that even love, charity and virtue may fail because of 
a lack of the ingrained habits and principles of courtesy to 
others. Let us, with Lokman, learn good manners even 
from the ill-mannered, by “ avoiding whatever in their be¬ 
havior may appear disagreeable to us.” 
£tti$ccUancou.$ 
In writing to advertisers, please mention The R. N.-Y. 
When Baby was sick, we nave her Coaiorla, 
When she was a Child, she cried for Caatorla. 
When she became Miss, she clung to Castorla, 
When she hud Children, she gave them Castorla. 
