686 
OCT. ii 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
TH6 
Rural New-Yorker, 
TIMES BUILDING, NEW YORK. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
ELBERT S. CARMAN, ) EDITORS. 
HERBERT W. COLLINGWOOD, ) 
Rural Publishing Company: 
LAWSON VALENTINE, President. 
EDGAR H. LIBBY, Manager. 
RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
THE AMERICAN GARDEN, 
OUT-DOOR BOOKS. 
Copyright, 1890, by the Rural Publishing Company 
gambling institutions pure and simple. We cordial¬ 
ly indorse the following note from one of our sub¬ 
scribers: “The boy who goes to a fair where he is 
offered cheap jewelry, induced to drop ‘ only a 
nickel ’ on the dice-box board, or to invest a dime 
in a chance game, who throws a ball at the de¬ 
graded white man blacked up to resemble a negro, 
who exclaims, in profane language: ‘Hit if you 
can! you get a cigar anyway! ’ is getting bad train¬ 
ing. A little later two or three young country boys 
must try their first cigar obtained in this way, 
down at the back of the horse stables, ashamed to 
be seen by father or mother! Sad words! One day 
at such a fair is a splendid start to ruin.” This 
year’s New Jersey State fair was, in certain re¬ 
spects, a model one. We shall pay our best re¬ 
spects to it next week. 
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1890. 
It is the man who gets up every time he is 
knocked down that makes his antagonist tired. 
Tie up your savings with good hard knots, 
Then bite your tingers till they’re sore. 
Safe then your savings till the string rots, 
Then And them larger than before. 
The attention of our readers is particularly 
called to the second cash premium offer which ap¬ 
pears on page 690 in the Publisher's department. 
From time to time we have noted, in these 
columns, the fact that the male asparagus plant is 
thriftier than the female plants, giving larger 
shoots and larger and more vigorous plants. This 
is natural enough, since the males are not dwarfed 
by seed-bearing. Mr. W. J. Green, of the Ohio 
Station, as we are glad to learn from a private 
letter, is investigating the subject. He finds that 
the sterile plants are not only the more vigorous 
but give the earlier cuttings. 
We are informed that an effort is being made to 
organize a “ Trust” among the leading nurserymen 
of the country. It is proposed to secure control of 
40 or more of the leading nurseries, retaining the 
present owners as managers, and thus practically 
control the trade, it being reasoned that a strong 
combination of 40 large firms would be able to 
successfully combat the scattering efforts of the re¬ 
maining smaller ones. The avowed object of the 
scheme is to increase prices of nursery stock as 
well as to put a stop to the wholesale cutting of 
prices practiced by many nurserymen. From our 
present information we do not think this “trust” 
is needed and we hope it will not succeed. 
There is, apparently, no end to California’s good 
fortune this year. The present fruit failure has 
given the fruit-growers of the State a chance to 
prove several things which they were desirous of 
demonstrating. California fruits have a flavor and 
excellence particularly their own. The growers are 
experts at packing, the quality of the fruit is 
strictly first class and it can be sold at auction by 
sample, because one package is as good as another. 
People appreciate these things and are willing: to 
pay for them. But this is not the only result of the 
poor fruit year. Nurserymen have been accustomed 
to go to Tennessee for their peach pits. Now they 
are buying from California. We are told that 
“California peach pits are in about as sharp de¬ 
mand as California dried peaches.” These are the 
articles that have been used in former “years for 
fuel or road making.” Lucky State! Lucky State! 
A friend of the writer recently made the trip 
across the Atlantic in a great ocean steamer. _ Next 
him at the table sat a man who is prominent in New 
York State affairs, and who is able to purchase any 
luxury that he may desire. At each meal he 
brought to the table a little stone jug containing the 
purest and richest Jersey cream. It was perfectly 
sweet, and each jug contained enough for a day’s 
supply. Hundreds of passengers envied this man 
his sweet cream, and would gladly have paid a 
round price for a similar supply. This cream is 
prepared or “jugged” in England. The process is 
the same as that employed in “sterilizing” milk— 
the same used in canning fruits or vegetables. The 
cream placed in the jugs is heated to a high tern 
perature when the jugs are tightly sealed. The 
cream will then keep perfectly until the jugs are 
opened. There is a good demand for this “ jugged ” 
cream. The dairyman who secures the trade will 
make money. _ 
Not one paper that we have seen joins The 
R. N.-Y. in condemning the methods employed by 
John Lewis Childs in selling his plants, as exempli¬ 
fied in his Wineberry scheme. On the other hand, 
the American Agriculturist, with a fair sized ad¬ 
vertisement of Childs in one part of the paper, and 
a long, glowing editorial account of the “ Great 
Japan Wineberry ” in another, declares that there 
is not the slightest evidence to show that he 
(Childs) knew it to be an old thing when he intro¬ 
duced it ! The American Agriculturist many years 
ago was a respectable publication and accomplished 
a deal of good. We should like to ask, in all sin¬ 
cerity, what earthly excuse there is for its exist¬ 
ence as it is conducted to day ? 
It appears from the note printed on page 685, 
that efforts are being made to sell adulterated 
cattle foods. Naturally those foods are selected 
that farmers know least about and which they de¬ 
sire to experiment, with in order to save their grain 
bill. Cotton seed meal is the most likely substance 
to receive attention from these scoundrels The 
adulterations used are not, as a rule, harmful; 
they are simply cheap substances which are not 
worth the prices asked for the combination. When 
you buy them you do not get your money’s worth. 
These dealers in bogus goods are just the fellows to 
buy up those cheap by products of rice that we talk 
about on another page and sell them for cotton¬ 
seed meal prices._ 
It is reported that 5,000,000 dozen eggs were im¬ 
ported last year—most of them from Canada. Sup 
porters of the McKinley bill hope that the increased 
duty provided by that measure will produce a bet¬ 
ter price for American eggs, and it is confidently 
predicted that the “hen business” will receive a 
pronounced “boom.” All the tariffs that ever can 
be placed on eggs will avail nothing unless more 
care is taken in breeding and caring for hens. The 
hen is able to take care of herself it she is properly 
backed up. We have always held that the best 
place for the egg business is right among the 
wheat fields of the West—close to the best egg- 
producing food that can be obtained. This idea 
has been ridiculed in some quarters, but we are 
now glad to see that Kansas papers are advocating 
the keeping of poultry on wheat farms. This is a 
good idea. There is no limit to the “ egg belt.” 
The fairs this year have been either cleaner or 
worse than in any previous year. Many of these 
expositions have been all that could be desired. 
Others have been conducted in a most outrageous 
manner. Some of the large fairs are becoming 
The more closely the affairs of the Geneva Sta¬ 
tion are examined, the more clearly is the weakness 
of the present administration indicated. Last week 
we pointed out some inaccuracies in bulletin No. 
21. Bulletin 23 is worse yet and is a disgrace to 
the station. There is a bit of inside history con¬ 
nected with this bulletin, that will give a faint idea 
of the way things are done at Geneva. It was at 
first proposed to publish in it an article on “a 
comparison of silage and roots,” but the Director 
decided to cut this article out entirely. Then the 
author of the bulletin got excited, claiming that 
this “comparison” was one or his chief points, so 
the omitted article was printed on separate slips to 
be distributed with the bulletin. After they were 
printed, the author of this “comparison” found 
that he had made a mistake in his figures, which 
changed the entire meaning of the experiment. 
The first figures showed a great difference in favor 
of the silage, while the corrected figures showed no 
difference. So the slips were not sent out at all. 
This is bright business! 
An illustration of the ill effects of the pernicious 
practice of special legislation for the benefit of par¬ 
ticular industries is found in the results to the cot¬ 
ton seed industry of the Conger Lard Bill, which, 
at one time, seemed likely to become a law. Cot¬ 
ton seed oil enters largely into the manufacture of 
compound lard. This bill proposes to place the 
manufacture of the compound under the espionage 
of the Internal Revenue Bureau, and to tax the 
product. The proposed legislation would virtually 
impose a tax of at least five cents per gaLon on the 
oil. This had the effect of reducing the price of 
cotton seed about 50 per cent. The proposed bill 
may not have been the sole cause of the reduction, 
however. The seed has become an important and 
valuable by product of the cotton grower. It is es¬ 
pecially important to a certain class of poor plant¬ 
ers, whose only money crop is cotton, which is 
mortgaged for till it is worth to carry them through 
the season. The seed is all that remains after 
the mortgage is paid. With this product 
practically unsalable, the plight of the poor 
growers would have been pitiable indeed. 
What right the government has to tax the produc¬ 
tion of an important food product is not clear. Why 
should the manufacturers of “ compound lard” be 
made to pay a tax any more than the manufacturers 
of the hog product. The latter is certainly no more 
healthful than the former, if as much so. What 
right has the government to tax oleomargarine so 
long as it is made of healthful materials and sold for 
just what it is ? The opposition to these and other 
similar products, outside of those classes with vvhom 
the products have entered into direct competition, 
has arisen largely from the attempt to palm them 
off as the genuine articles for which they are substi¬ 
tuted. We doubt if the government would ever 
have taxed oleomargarine if it had always been 
offered and sold for just what it was. The govern¬ 
ment should see that pure and unadulterated articles 
of food are made and sold for just what they are, 
but should not legislate in favor of any particular 
class of manufacturers. This is a very unwise 
policy._ 
Among all the plans suggested for providing 
cheaper food for working people, few are more 
practical than that of increasing the edible fresh¬ 
water fish supplies. In New York State alone 
there are thousands of acres of lakes, ponds and 
streams which might be made to produce abun¬ 
dance of cheap and nutritious food. Fresh fish is 
becoming dearer instead of cheaper, and unless our 
present methods are changed, fish will become a 
luxury instead of being, as it should be, the 
cheapest food on the market. In this State, a 
number of well known men. headed by Ex Judge 
George F. Danforth, are endeavoring to interest the 
public in this matter. From the circular issued by 
these the following quotation is made: 
“Aside from the advantages which cheap food gives to 
our people, we believe that, properly nourished, the fish in¬ 
dustry would prove a source of revenue and add greatly to 
the wealth of the State, for we ought not only to be able 
to supply our own needs at from four to six cents per 
pound, but we ought also to be able to send quantities of 
fish from our waters into every State.” 
This is sensible. We hope the State Government 
will take steps to develop this industry. The pos¬ 
sibilities of an acre of fresh water are as interesting 
to our civilization as the possibilities of an acre of 
land. 
A great deal more might be said about the desire 
of many city clerks and book keepers to become 
farmers. There are many reasons why it would be 
an excellent thing for the city to thus help popu¬ 
late the country. The very fact that the country 
is now pouring so many of its bright young men 
into the city is, to those who write like our friend 
on page 681, a good argument in favor of leaving 
town. Competition is fierce enough now. It will 
be worse 10 years hence. The average man of 
middle age who has not succeeded in working him¬ 
self into a place where a good salary and a per¬ 
manent position are assured, has a most discourag¬ 
ing prospect before him. It is only a question of 
time before the younger and more active men will 
push him aside. After that what ? In the city 
his little savings will not support him long. Is it 
strange that younger men who see the condition 
into which their older friends are drifting, look to 
“ a piece of land ” as the most profitable investment 
they can find for their savings ? “Afarmer is sure 
of a living anyway,” but a city man is not sure of 
one by any means. We wish we could say to all 
these young men : “Go by all means ; you are 
sure to better yourselves !” Experience has taught 
us, however, that success is not at all assured. 
There are so many individual conditions to be con¬ 
sidered, any one of which might upset the whole ar¬ 
rangement, that we can give no general advice con¬ 
cerning a matter which so deeply affects the lives 
of those for whom we have nothing but good 
wishes. 
BREVITIES. 
The green tomato now makrs bold 
To claim your best attention. 
It substitutes for many lrults, 
Too long a list to mention. 
We all like pastry made of plums 
Or apples, pears or peaches: 
If green tomato, s take their place. 
Why ! stick to them like leeches! 
Read about that Potato Trust “ out West.” 
The economical man has not eaten bush Limas this 
year. 
Another insecticide has been patented. It consists of 
the extracts of water-pepper and worm wood combined. 
It is important to know when and how to open your 
silo. It makes considerable difference how you do it. This 
subject will be discu-sed by silo men next week. 
Fatten the stock for winter. Horses, cattle, sheep, 
dogs, cats— anything that can suffer from the cold must 
be protected during cold weather. Good food is cheapest. 
That it is not wise to condemn novelties iu a wholesale 
way, the three bush Limas may be mentioned in evidence. 
They have their place—a previously unoccupied one—and 
have come to stay. 
Before long we hope to print a photograph of a negro 
cotton-grower’s outfit of tools—the whole tning probably 
not worth over $4. This picture will make a startling con¬ 
trast to Mr. Terry’s outfit. 
Mr. J. C. Stribling informs us that ou good land in his 
part of South Carolina the yield of cotton seed per acre is 
nearly equal to that of corn and oats at the West, and 
sells lor about the same price per busuel. Tne lint, then, 
is an “ extra.” 
A PATENT has been issued for a “ Remedy for Asthma” 
which consists of brandy, honey, olive oil, vinegar, and 
rhubarb ! Another patent is issued for hoot-salve, which 
consists of clay dried and ground, two pounds ; tar, one- 
half pint; crude petroleum, oue pint, aud vaseline, oue 
ouuce. 
It is said that the Canadians are rushing large quan¬ 
tities of barley iuto tnis country, hoping thus to get anead 
of the increased duty provided fdr iu the McKiuley bill. 
Our Canadian ftieuds are evidently considerably excited 
over this tariff bill. The R. N.-Y. believes iu giving every 
side a fair hearing. It has therefore secured the opinions 
of a number of Canadian barley growers as to the effect of 
this bill ou their farming. 
A good watch is a good thing. The Rural New- 
Yorker protects its subscribers from extortion in 
buying watches and many other things. 
