538 
AUG. 16 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
“Rough on Rogues 
LOOKOUT 
ALMANAC 
LOOKING OUT FOR NUMBER ONE. 
AUGUST. 
Monday ^ J00 ^ out ^ or those “ Crayon Por- 
q * trait Artists ” over in Brooklyn, 
lo. They offer to give you a fine 
crayon portrait free of charge if you will 
send them your picture and sign a little 
slip which they send you. The point is that 
when you sign the slip you agree to buy a 
frame for the picture and you cannot get 
anything until you pay a good, round price 
for the frame. People who are capable of 
doing good work do not give their labor 
away in these days. Lots of people seem 
to think they are likely to, however. Look 
out for the “ funeral expenses” game, you 
people who have relatives or friends alone 
in distant parts. A lady in Trenton, N. J. 
recently received a telegram from Kansas 
City requesting funds for the burial of her 
brother. She sent $100 to an “ undertaker.” 
Later she discovered that her brother is 
alive and well and that some rascal had se¬ 
cured her money and made off with it. He 
knew her brother was a stranger, not in 
very good health, and argued that a story 
of his death would be about the most plau¬ 
sible lie he could tell. Shame on such ras¬ 
cals ! That does no good, however, because 
they have no sense of shame. 
Tuesday ^ ou observe that this gentle- 
_ J man has a very 
19. 
A bald head is not necessarily the indica¬ 
tion of any horrible crime, nor is it anything 
to be particularly ashamed of. It is incon¬ 
venient at times when flies and mosquit¬ 
oes abound, but there is a good deal of 
dignity about a bald head, after all, if a 
man does not show by his actions that he 
is ashamed of it. A bald head is a striking 
thing, because it arrests attention and 
holds it. The man who owns the head 
shown above is directly responsible for his 
own baldness. In the first place, he drank 
a good deal of whisky and ruined his 
health ; he wore a hat that was too tight 
for him ; then when he was a young man, 
while intoxicated, he rubbed kerosene over 
the top of his head. That ruined the hair, 
and when he realized what he had done he 
tried a number of “ hair renewers,” but 
they only seemed to hasten the loss of the 
hair. If you could see this man’s nose you 
would find it as red as a beet. It is a good 
deal more startling than his bald head. 
In order to be fair, he should have this 
sign : . 
“rum did it” 
painted on the back of his head. There is 
no need of painting any note of explanation 
on his nose. 
✓ * 
4 » 
Look out for strangers who 
want to buy your farm. Nel- 
son Decker who lives near 
New York, had a neat game played on him. 
Some days ago a young fellow of good 
address, who passed by the name of John 
Gordon and professed to be spending his 
vacation in the neighborhood, made the 
acquaintance of Mr. Decker, who wants to 
retire from farming. The young man sug¬ 
gested that he knew a rich retired German 
grocer in New York who might be induced 
to buy the farm. Mr. Decker told his new 
acquaintance that if he would get the 
grocer to come up to Narrowsburg and buy 
the farm he might have all he could get for 
the property over $4,000, as a commission 
for negotiating the sale. In due time the 
German grocer put in an appearance, and 
was so well pleased with the farm that he 
bargained to pay $7,000 for it, the deed of 
conveyance to be executed on Saturday 
and payment to be made by a certified 
check on the National Park Bank of New 
York. On Friday the young sharper who 
had pretended to negotiate the sale called 
upon Farmer Decker and stated that he 
should want his share of the purchase 
money in bank bills as soon as the transac¬ 
tion was consummated on the morrow, 
inasmuch as he had been suddenly sum¬ 
moned to Chicago on business. He per¬ 
suaded the credulous farmer to go over to 
Honesdale, 16 miles distant, and draw out 
$500 he had in bank there and to borrow 
$2,500 on a note at short date. The 
sharpers were on hand at Mr. Decker’s 
house at the appointed hour on Saturday, 
and they managed by some sort of hocus- 
pocus, which the old farmer is at a loss to 
explain, to get $3,000 in cash into their 
possession and decamp with it. It was 
some hours later before the victim found 
out that he had been swindled, and mean¬ 
time the sharpers had boarded some out¬ 
going train and got a safe distance away. 
Thursday * 8 N.-Y. day again. 
^ What do you think of Mr. 
2 I • Terry’s plan of mulching ber¬ 
ries ? Would it pay you to do it ? Is not 
Mr. Rice right in what he says about agri¬ 
cultural depression ? What do you think 
of Cassius M. Clay’s railroad idea ? Try a 
few experiments with your milk as Col. 
Curtis and Prof. Ladd suggest and see if 
you can’t save ice. 
* • 
* 
Friday we 1°°^ out * or s. r. & r. 
M. Lowery, who are seeking money 
to aid In establishing silk culture 
in Alabama ? The writer has met Mr. S. 
R. Lowery. He is an intelligent colored 
man of good address and education. He 
wants to establisn a colony of colored 
people near Birmingham, Alabama, where 
silk culture can be carried on in connection 
with the growing of corn and cotton. He 
thinks the colored people will succeed at 
silk culture as they are patient and perse¬ 
vering ; that they can take hold of this in¬ 
dustry and obtain almost exclusive control 
of it for their race. Mr. Lowery’s plan is 
to organize a stock company and obtain 
capital by selling shares to those who de¬ 
sire to help his race into habits of industry 
and thrift. The R. N.-Y. thinks Mr. 
Lowery is working in a good cause. It has 
no evidence to show that he is anything 
but an honest man. The colored people 
may succeed with silk culture, but we do 
not believe white Americans ever can. 
Those fellows who were caught in Connec¬ 
ticut selling fraudulent groceries to farmers 
were sharp rascals. A dispatch from Hart¬ 
ford says: “The most remarkable feature 
of the prosecutions against the Syracuse 
people who have been selling goods to the 
farmers in this vicinity is the fact that 
though many of the latter were victimized 
but one was willing to prosecute. Yet it is 
certain that nearly all the goods sold could 
have been obtained from our local dealers, 
If not too grossly adulterated to be sold by 
any reputable merchant, at a less price 
than was charged the farmer for them.” 
Saturday ^°° k out * or p®°p^® who give 
* you titles that you have not 
earned by good, hard service. 
When a man addresses you as “ Doctor” or 
“Professor” or “Major” or “Judge” 
when you are nothing but a plain, every-day 
“ Mister,” keep your eye on him—he is 
after something. And look out that you 
do not feel tickled when somebody does 
give you one of these titles. Some of us be¬ 
come very fond of such attentions and per¬ 
mit them to bias our judgment in quite 
important matters. Lookout! Don’t touch 
a title till you have earned it. 
Poultry Yard. 
Diseases of fowls are elaborately treated 
in our poultry papers and in the Poultry 
World this month, 65 diseases are named 
that the poor hen is heir to. Reme¬ 
dies are also given, but unfortunately the 
remedy is easier than the diagnosis. It we 
knew what disease a fowl w'as troubled 
with we might apply the remedy, but the 
trouble is to correctly diagnose the disease. 
Except in very simple ailments we do not 
believe in doctoring fowls at all. Kill, 
burn and bury all sick fowls. 
perhaps in cases where a very valuable 
bird is concerned. Nature’s remedies are 
milk, water, grass, air and sunshine. 
Boiled milk is an infallible cure for 
diarrhoea, and far safer than the tannic 
acid often prescribed. Hot water will cure 
swelled head and many affections of the 
throat. Diseases of the stomach and liver 
find in grass the best remedy; diseases of 
the egg organs we never attempt to cure, 
but simply put the bird out of misery by 
death. It is now claimed that even gapes 
can be cured by using boiling water with 
the soft food. Probably the most effective 
gape remedy is to take a shovelful of live 
coals from the fire, sprinkle carbolic acid 
on them and allow the chickens to inhale 
the fumes. It is a “ local ” treatment, and 
all nostrums that claim to cure gapes 
through the medium of a fowl’s stomach 
we believe are frauds. In treating fowls 
the main thing to use is common sense, 
but some people must spend money on 
quack medicines, so we doubt whether they 
would ever feel satisfied without pills or 
powders. A noted dealer in stock told us 
once that the “ American public will buy 
anything. Put up a lot of sand in a 
bottle, label it as something that will cure 
all kinds of diseases, and the public will 
rush to buy.” This may be a little severe, 
but the columns of nearly all our news¬ 
papers abound in advertisements of nos¬ 
trums that often are a sad commentary on 
the intelligence of the American people. 
J. H. D. 
A BOX of convenient size, about 12 inches 
deep, filled with road dust, sand, coal ashes, 
dry earth, any one or a mixture of all, 
through which a few pounds of sulphur im¬ 
pregnated with carbolic acid have been 
mixed, makes an excellent dust bath. Fur¬ 
nished with this, the hens will keep them¬ 
selves free from lice. 
Whitewash (thin), kerosene, spraying 
pump, boy, poultry house: excellent com¬ 
bination. Good for poultry—bad for lice. 
Another good way to circumvent the 
lice is to turn out the poultry, close up the 
house tightly, and burn sulphur inside. 
This penetrates every crevice and not a 
louse can escape. 
But there may be enough for seed left on 
the fowls. Dust them thoroughly with 
buhach or insect powder, or rub a little 
kerosene over the feathers. 
Eggs packed now in salt and kept in a 
cool place, the packages being turned fre¬ 
quently, will be just as good for many pur¬ 
poses next winter as fresh eggs. Not so 
good to sell as fresh eggs, because they 
are not fresh, though we have known smart 
poultrymen try to convince buyers that 
they were. 
Crude carbolic acid is an efficient and 
inexpensive disinfectant, and should be 
freely used around the poultry house. 
Land plaster is useful as an absorbent 
and deodorizer. It adds to the value of the 
droppings and the comfort of the fowls. 
A writer in the Fanciers’ Gazette thinks 
that, taking all things into consideration, 
the cheapest and most satisfactory way of 
starting with a new breed is to purchase a 
trio of fowls that are known to be first- 
class. There is much less risk than in 
purchasing eggs from fowls of which 
nothing is known. 
Pea fowl eggs hatch in 28 days. 
Do not allow growing chicks to roost 
upon narrow perches, like the edges of thin 
boards. Doing so will be very likely to 
make the breast-bones grow crooked, which 
will injure the appearance of the birds when 
dressed, even though no more serious re¬ 
sults follow. Narrow boards about three 
inches wide and one inch thick, make very 
good perches, both for chicks and fowls, 
when laid flat-wise. Do not place the 
perches so high that the fowls will injure 
themselves in jumping down. 
Good poultry authorities claim that 
there is no doubt that so-called white 
“sports” will, in a few generations, be¬ 
come sickly scrubs unless something is 
done to improve their stamina. Mr Felch 
would introduce foreign blood from another 
white breed to restore the vigor of each 
sickly flock. An experienced breeder may 
do this with oftentimes excellent results, 
but a novice is usually in altogether too 
great haste to accomplish his purpose, and 
uses so much of this easily-obtained new 
blood that his fowls soon become little 
better than cross-bred mongrels. 
Florida breeders claim that there is no 
PRINCIPAL 
-AND — 
INTEREST 
IN THESE! - BOOKS 
FOR RURAL READERS. 
HORTICULTURIST’S RULE BOOK-By 
Prof. L. H. Bailey. A book wh f ch should be In the 
hands of every rural worker. Pronounced by press 
and public as invaluable. John J. Thomas says In 
Countru Gentleman : “ It Is just such a portable bock 
as many practical and experimental Hardeners will 
want at hand for Its condensed Information on she 
multitude of subjects which are constantly coming 
before them.” 
Dr. F. M. Hexainer of American Agriculturist 
says: ‘‘It is difficult to conceive how a greater 
amount of practseal, every-day information relating 
to fruits and vegetables could be condensed into 
smaller compass than is contained in this little 
manual.” 236 pages; flexible cloth covers Price 
$1 00 by mail post paid 
THE ANNALS OK HORTICULTURE-For 
1889. By L. H. Bailey. CONTENTS : General 
Annals: Review of Yields and Prices of 1889. Hor 
ticultural Work of the Experiment Stations. Hor¬ 
ticultural Work of the Department of Agriculture, 
Economic Entomology. Arsenites for the Curculio. 
Combating Insects with their Parasites. Vegetable 
Pathology. Laws for Checking Insect Ravages and 
Plant Diseases. Oriental Fruits. The New Plants of 
the Southern States. Fruits of the Cold Prairie 
States. Fruits for the Cold North, and Protection of 
some Tender Fruits. Notes on Fruits in California. 
Recent Tendencies in Ornamental Gardening, and in 
Ornamentals. Chrysanthemums. Orchids. The Na¬ 
tional Flower Discussion. Laws to Regulate Weights 
and Measures. Societies. Recent Horticultural 
lAterature: Reviews of Books on Horticulture, for 
1899. Reviews and Abstracts of all Bulletins of Hor¬ 
ticultural Interest which have Appeared from the 
Congressional Experiment Stations. Lists of the 
Horticultural Periodicals of the World. Toois and 
Conveniences of the Year. Annals of Plants: Com¬ 
plete Lists of all the Fruits, Vegetables and Ornamen¬ 
tal Plants Introduced in 1889. a Complete List of all 
the Varieties of Vegetables now Cultivated in North 
America, with Revision of the Names by the Horti¬ 
cultural Committee on Nomenclature. Plant Por¬ 
traits In all Periodicals of the Year. Directories: 
Officers of all the National, State, Provincial, and 
other Important Horticultural Organizations of 
North America. Horticulturists of the Experiment 
Stations. Botanic Gardens of the World. Obituaries 
and Biographies for the Year. Horticulture in Other 
Lands. Price In cloth, about 250 pages, Illustrated 
$1.00; paper. 60 cents. 
THE HOME AORK-By E. P. Roe. Mr. Roe 
wrote half a score of novels, yet many of his ad¬ 
mirers Insist that he knew more about gardening 
than human nature, and could talk about it to better 
effect. During the last few years of his life he had 
one of the most beautiful home estates in America, 
and was his own landscape gardener, orchard plan¬ 
ter, vine grower and florist His book is not a mere 
list of trees, shrubs, plants and vegetables: it is a 
leisurely discussion of matters or taste and utility out 
of doors, and no one Interested in beautifying the 
grounds around his home can fail to get some 
valuable suggestions from Mr Roe. Even the man 
or woman who has only a “ truck patch” in a back 
ard will get his or her money back if he buys this 
00 k and reads it carefully. Umo. cloth. Price $1.50. 
THE ROSE; Its Cultivation, Varieties, Etc., 
Etc.— By H. B. Ellwanokr. “Mr. Ellwauger’s con¬ 
nection with one of the largest nurseries In America, 
which has yearly imported the new varieties of 
merit as they have appeared and given them extensive 
cultivation, has placed unusual advantages within 
his reach, which he has successfully Improved. In 
addition to the valued directions for cultivation—for 
planting, pruning, propagation, the treatment of 
diseases and Insect enemies-the work is rendered 
particularly valuable for its classification, and for 
the full alphabetical and descriptive list of 9i6 
varieties. We are glad to commend this work, 
which is the result or great care and much labor.”— 
Country Gentleman, lfimo. cloth. Price, $1.25. 
MY HANDKERCHIEF GARI>EN-By Charles 
Barnard. “Mr. Barnard,’’ says Garden and Forest, 
“is popularly said to write on more subjects than 
any one else, not excepting Mr. Gladstone, and to 
write equally well upon them all. Certainly nothing 
could be better of its kind than this little volume, 
into the 69 pages of which is crammed much useful 
Information, conveyed in a delightfully easy way. 
His " Handkerchief Garden” was a house plot in a 
suburban town, measuring 25 by 60 feet. In one year 
it yielded hint ‘ a garden, fresh vegetables, exercise, 
health and $20.49. aud the why and how are. so 
clearly explained that any one who reads and re¬ 
members need not despair of doing likewise. Price, 
paper. 25 cents. 
SUCCESS WITH SMALL FRUITS— By E. P 
Roe. A cheap edition of this famous book, bringing 
this most valuable treatise, which has heretofore 
been offered only at a high price, within the reach 
of every one. l2mo., cloth. Price, $1.50. 
LIBERTY AND A LIVING— Howto get Bread 
and Butter, Sunshine and Health, Leisure and Books, 
without Slaving away One’s Life. By P. G. Hubert, 
Jr. I61110. cloth, with frontispiece, $ 1 . 00 . "It is de¬ 
cidedly well written, with a good deal of dry, some¬ 
times caustic, humor and a half satirical shrewdness 
of penetration.— Chioago limes. 
THE GARDEN— As considered in literature by 
certain polite writers. With a critical essay by Wal¬ 
ter Howe. With portrait of William Kent. $1.00. 
GARDENING FOR PROFIT-By Peter Hen 
derson. This book has been read by thousands of 
people who In its pages have found the first Incentive 
toward gardening. Every phase of gardening after 
the most approved methods ts touched upon In the 
writer’s pleasing style, and the course made plain for 
following the business profitably Sit) pages, full 
cloth bound, by mail post paid, *2.00. 
GARDENING FOR PLEASURE-By Peter 
Henderson Uniform with the above, but treating 
of plants and flowers, as well as fruits and vege¬ 
tables. A valuable work for enthusiastic amateurs 
Cloth bound, by mail post paid, $2 00 . 
PRACTICAL FLORICULTURE-By Peter 
Henderson. This work is generally conceded to be an 
authority on the subject of which It treats ; it con¬ 
tains hints on the growing of flowering plants both 
indoors aud out. Cloth, by mail post paid, $1.5o. 
HOW THE FARM PAYS-By Wm. Cro/.ikr 
aud Peter Henderson. This work is recognized as 
one of the most reliable guides in the work of the 
farm. Every branch of tne work Is touched upon 
and made plain. Cloth, by mail post paid, $2.50. 
The indiscriminate use of drugs is to be 
deplored in the animal kingdom. Nature 
often provides remedies that are simple 
and effective, and all allopathic and 
homeopathic pills are unnecessary except 
better place lor raising chickens than an 
orange grove. The trees furnish excellent 
shade, aud the chickens help to fertilize 
and cultivate the soil, keep down weeds, 
insects, etc. 
THE RURAL PUBLISHING COMPANY, 
TIMES BUILDING, 
NEW Yon TXT 
