602 
SEPT. i3 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
Naomi carried off the blue ribbon as the best plate on the 
table. The Diamond also carried off a prize. From 15 
entries I made I won 14 premiums in, it is claimed, the 
best display of grapes ever made in the South. 
Lyndon, Ky g. r. wood. 
Remarks. —Of all the grapes we have ever seen grown 
out of-doors this side of California, we have rarely seen 
larger or more perfect bunches. The bunches of Jessica 
were small, but the quality sweet and pure. Noah (white) 
tough pulp and acid. A splendid bunch of Senasqua 
(black), all the berries adhering to the stem. Berries 
closely compact; bunch not shouldered, six inches long. 
Quality tender, sweet, sprightly, delicious. Wyoming 
Red—sweet, foxy. Telegraph—a good Concord in quality. 
Moore’s Diamond (white) medium bunches, grapes cling- 
relations. He has felt it for several years. He has had good 
crops generally ; he knows that the world contains just as 
many mouths to be fed as ever, and that under proper con¬ 
ditions of exchange he is expected to provide for a large 
share of them. But his market is poor and he is obliged 
to pay such heavy taxes on his land and so much money 
for supplies that his toil and care net him next to 
nothing. 
It has taken our farmer some time to get at the fact 
that his difficulty is largely a political one, and he is now 
beginning to call a halt in order to examine for himself 
the governmental machine. On investigation he finds that 
one of the greatest hindrances to his welfare is that foot¬ 
ball of politicians, the tariff. While for years he has thrown 
up his hat and cast his vote for Protection, it is dawning 
on him that his class is the worst protected of all in the 
country ! Protection bleeds him when he buys and starves 
him when he sells, but his amazing credulity in the past is 
now giving place to an independent attitude which por¬ 
tends future political action for himself. He is aware also 
that neither of the leading political parties has any settled 
convictions on the tariff question. He surmises, too, that 
both are willing to prolong a guerilla warfare concerning 
it simply for party ends. 
Nor is the war tariff his only difficulty. Many of our 
farms are heavily mortgaged, and it is gross injustice to 
collect a tax on the full valuation of property when some 
rapacious money-lender holds a claim against it for half or 
two-thirds of its worth. Clearly such claim ought to be 
deducted from the valuation of the realty, and the mort¬ 
gage itself be made to bear its share of the burden of taxa¬ 
tion. And, further, there is great injustice in the fact that 
hidden property may escape all assessment. Our tax laws 
discriminate against the farmer, bringing him to account 
for possessing property which he cannot put into bank 
'Tightening the Cinch 
256. 
ing firmly. Skin rather tender, very jucy, pulp melting 
and tender. Foxy, but an excellent grape. Maxatawny— 
a white grape, with a rosy tint, oblong, juicy, mild, large 
seeded ; bunches medium. Noah—a green grape, sour, 
probably not ripe. Dracut Amber, red, medium-sized 
bunch, very foxy—as foxy as a wild Labrusca. Naomi— 
white, beautiful bunches, six inches long, heavily shoul¬ 
dered, pure in flavor, though not of highest quality ; dis¬ 
solving pulp, firm skin. Lady W.—the bunch seven inches 
long and five inches in diameter at the top, which is 
vaults, and allowing the bond-holder, the speculator and 
stock gambler to secrete their wealth beyond the reach of 
the tax collector. Will either of the chief political parties 
of this nation, having as they do heavy capitalists for their 
leaders, ever lift these burdens ? To look for such a thing 
would be to expect the impossible ! 
What shall be done ? The farmer knows that the poli¬ 
tician’s concern in his welfare is “for revenue (votes) 
only,’’ and he has been continually betrayed by both the 
old parties, neither of which represents his interests. The 
Grange has done the cause of agriculture a good turn ; but 
by its very constitution cannot fill the bill politically. Can 
the farmer compel the Republican or the Democratic party 
to espouse his cause against unjust taxation and an op¬ 
pressive tariff ? Never while bankers, contractors, Wall 
street speculators and their ilk control the party policy of 
each. 
“Separate political action 1” This should be the war- 
cry of the farmer—North, South, East and West, and the 
Farmers’ Alliance is built for just this purpose. It is 
pushing the issues just noted, and other matters of great 
importance to the agricultural population of the whole 
land. A movement of the farmers by the farmers and for 
the farmors, it is aiming at, and will doubtless secure, in 
the near future, the political control of several of the 
Southern and Western States. Incidentally, for the inter¬ 
ests of all workers are identical, the wage earners of the 
States where the Alliance has a hold are giving it their 
hearty support. What if the politicians are dismayed and 
a complete pulling down of political fences is implied In 
such a movement ? The success of the Alliance means not 
only the lifting of unjust taxation and a true tariff reform, 
but also the downfall of slum politics and the building up 
of a cleaner political fabric. 
What is being done in the South and West ought to be 
duplicated in every one of the Northern and Eastern States 
within the next 12 months. Virtually the same con¬ 
ditions confront us that stand in their path. Their issues 
are ours; their needs and ours are in the main identical. 
If the farmers of this entire nation would immediately 
unite, they could swiftly adjust these matters so im¬ 
portant to them as well as some others which come under 
the head neither of tax nor tariff, but, like these, are 
neglected by the very men who have been elected to office 
by farmers’ votes. It does not take the eye of a prophet 
to see that the trend of affairs in our country is such that 
we shall be compelled to unite ere long, or else take the 
place of serfs instead of free citizens of a great republic. 
_ SEER. 
and all taxes. He works hard and tills the soil fairly well. 
The first two years he made excellent crops and paid off a 
$500 debt besides his rent; but since that time, owing to 
droughts, floods, insects, etc., he has barely made enough 
to pay the rent and live. Last year he was a little short, 
and as the drought has nipped him again this year I think 
he is about finished. “ What this land needs,” said he, 
“ is clovering and a year’s rest; but I don’t see how I can 
arrange it and pay the rent.” I suggested that he might 
write to his landlord, who lives in Pennsylvania, and ask 
for a reduction for one year. He did so, but it was no go. 
The landlord wanted his annual rent in full and without 
fail. In an adjoining township lie 2,240 acres of magnifi¬ 
cent farming land in a body. This land a speculator has 
rented from the owner, who lives elsewhere, for an annual 
cash rental of $2.50 per acre. Then he has sub let it in lots 
of 40 acres and upwards to a class of semi-slaves for one- 
third of the crops. The more they can raise on the land 
the greater are his profits, and naturally he is forcing them 
to work it to its utmost limit—rob it of every atom of fer¬ 
tility that it will yield up while his lease runs. Owing to 
the severe drought prevailing, the indications are that he 
will come out of the little end of the horn this year. If it 
compels him to throw up the lease and depart, the drought 
will prove to be a blessing in disguise to that section. The 
houses on this tract are small and most of the stables mere 
ramshackle sheds. No improvements of any sort are being 
made or contemplated; but everything has the appearance 
of being made to serve a mere temporary purpose. In fact, 
the general appearance of the entire section is that of a 
community of squatters who expect to be bounced at any 
moment. It is a blot on the face of this fair State, and 
there are hundreds of others like it. Many of these tracts 
are so entailed that they cannot be sold under the present 
laws. Others are held at a price that no one.can pay. The 
splendid tract above mentioned cost the ancestors of the 
present owners the stupendous sum of 12}£ cents per acre ! 
We certainly need an overturning of some things, and the 
sooner it comes the better. 
Christian Co., Ill. 
THE NEW GRAPE BRILLIANT. 
This originated with our respected friend T. V. Munson, 
of Denison, Tex. The illustration is a not very satisfactory 
drawing of a bunch received on July 18. The variety is the 
result of crossing the Delaware on Lindley in 1882. The vines 
are exceedingly prolific and free from disease. The color 
varies in the same bunch from a greenish-purple to the 
color of Catawba. Pulp tender, somewhat meaty. Skin 
thin. Seeds two to four, of medium size. Juicy, not of the 
highest quality, but pure and pleasant. Berry medium in 
size, somewhat obovate. (See Fig. 257.) 
The New Grape Brilliant. Fig. 257. 
The Farmers Club. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
[Every query must be accompanied by the name and address 
of the writer to insure attention. Before asking a question, please 
see if it is not answered in our advertising columns. Ask only 
a few questions at one time. Put questions on a separate piece 
of paper.] 
Fertilizing Matter In Milk and Cream. 
J. II. 13., Orleans County, N. Y .—Have any experiments 
been made to show how much fertility is taken from a 
farm in the form of milk and its products. 
ANSWERED BY PROF. E. F. LADD. 
A large number of experiments and investigations were 
made by the writer at the Geneva Station to gain informa¬ 
tion which might be of value to the dairymen of ourState. 
A few of the results have been published, but a much 
larger number of investigations were not fully completed, 
and the data remain in the possession of the station, and 
may be published by those who now have charge of the 
work. A few analyses were made to determine the amount 
of fertilizing matter contained in milk and its various 
products. A good cow should produce 6,000 pounds of 
milk annually, and make 300 pounds of butter. I believe 
three fourths or more of the cows iu New York State may 
be made to do as well as this by proper care and judicious 
feeding. 3,True, I lay more stress on feeding than do many 
Grapes from the Old Kentucky Home. 
I send to The R. N.-Y. by to-day’s express a package of 
sample bunches of grapes. They are mostly Northern 
varieties Labrusca and its hybrids. Some Northern 
friends seem to think that such varieties cannot be grown 
so far south ; but that is all a mistake, for they caD be 
grown here as well as anywhere. I doubt very much if 
Mr. Ricketts ever grew any more perfect bunches than the 
Lady Washington and Naomi, as seen here. Indeed, I 
never saw such perfect clusters as I grew this year, and, 
strange to say, the most perfect were all Northern varie¬ 
ties. Grapes will not average more than half a crop, 
owing to the rot. Some vineyards rotted fully half; while 
I don’t think I lost five pounds in a thousand. Indeed, 
but few of mine showed any rot at all. Arnold’s No. 8 and 
Black Eagle rotted worse than any others, and Eaton and 
Empire State next, which rather surprised me, as I thought 
they were almost exempt from rot; but of all the grapes 
for the money in them, give me the Moore’s Early. It is 
the greatest market grape in America to-day. I have just 
disposed of my crop at 10 and 12>£ cents per pound whole¬ 
sale ; others sell at three and four cents. There is more 
money in one acre of this variety than in five acres of any¬ 
thing later ; but when it comes to table grapes for family 
use, don t forget the Eldorado. I have eaten specimens of 
many varieties: but there is nothing so exquisite as the 
Eldorado. The flavor is perfectly delightful. The great 
trouble is that one never gets enough. I must not forget 
to mention that sparkling gem, the Diamond ; it has done 
remarkably well with me. I wish my friend, Mr. J. Moore, 
could see the vine as it now stands loaded with clusters 
that are prettier than those shown in the lithograph. I am 
sorry the Jessica does not do well in the Rural Grounds. It 
is splendid for so early a grape, and it is very pure in 
flavor, and ripens the first of all. Those much condemned 
grapes, the Rogers’s hybrids, do very well for me; in fact, 
I don’t know one that I would discard. There are few new 
varieties better than Agawam, Aminia, No. 39, Lindley and 
Goethe; yet people are always harping on the notion that 
hybrids are not healthy. Somehow or other varieties with 
more or less Vinifera blood give me the most satisfaction. 
To cite a case, Ricketts’s Bacchus mildewed until every 
leaf fell, while his hybrids never showed a trace of the 
disease, though alongside the others. 
My vineyard is troubled with a pest about which I can 
hear .nothing. It is the grape curculio. Do any of The 
Rural readers know anything about it ? If so, let them 
speak through its columns. The Rural hit the nail 
squarely on the head when it said : “ This country needs 
some more Munsons.” It certainly does, but then I 
suppose there will be some younger Munsons after a 
while. [There are two young Munsons coming on at 
quite a lively rate. Let us hope they will prove to be 
“ chips off the old block,” though lightning rarely striKes 
twice in the same place. Meanwhile let us trust that 
younger Woods will be growing up.— Eds.] Please observe 
how perfect Lady Washington is. Every blossom perfected 
a berry; there is not one missing. Fern Creek Fruit Grow¬ 
ers’ Association has just held its annual meeting, at which 
double-shouldered, makes usQregret that this grand grape 
thrives in odd places alone, among which the Rural 
Grounds is not included. We would gladly pay a thousand 
dollars or so if we could raise such specimens at the Rural 
Grounds. 
THE FARMERS’ ALLIANCE. 
DO WE NEED IT IN NEW YORK STATE? 
Some farmers read. Those who do so have doubtless be¬ 
come more or less interested of late in the organization 
bearing the above name. While to some it seems a far-off 
affair with which we have nothing in common, to many 
of the thinking agriculturists of the East it has a signifi¬ 
cance such as no other political movement of recent years, 
except the Prohibition agitation, can boast. The reason 
is plain. The farmer, East as well as West, has become 
aware that there is a screw loose somewhere in his trade 
