84o 
DEC. 6 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
All Sorts. 
AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES AND EXPERIMENT 
STATIONS. 
Experiment Station Bulletins Issued During the 
Week. 
IRcaders wanting any of these Bulletins should write to the 
secretary of the experiment station in each case.] 
Utah, Logan City No. a: Plow Trials. 
Delaware, Newark No. 10 : Diseases of the Vine. 
Colorado, Fort Collins No. 13 : Measurement of Water. 
Iowa, Ames No. n : Hay, Creamers, Insects. 
Prof. Chester, Delaware Station, has made some ex¬ 
haustive experiments with the salts of copper for diseases 
of the vine. .Three vineyards in different parts of the 
State were treated. In one case all treated vines were 
washed with a solution of one pound 9! sulphate of cop¬ 
per in 25 gallons of water on April 11. The Bordeaux 
Mixture was applied at four different times. May 7 9, 
May 19 and 20, June 7-10, June 26 and 27, and July 21, a 
spraying was made with carbonate of copper and carbonate 
of ammonia mixed, to avoid the necessity for washing the 
fruit free of the Bordeaux Mixture. This treatment cost 
$27.80 or three cents per vine. The crop was worth $560.90. 
Last year, 1,088 vines yielded $144.20. Experiments in 
other vineyards gave nearly similar results, demonstrat¬ 
ing the fact that while a single year’s treatment with 
these remedies may not completely annihilate rot in a 
vineyard, persistent effort, season after season, will prove 
successful. But will the use of the copper salts impair 
either the market value or the healthfulness of the fruit T 
The Bordeaux Mixture docs stain the grapes if it is present 
in excess at the time of vintage, and it has been mistaken 
for Paris green by city customers. The trouble can be 
entirely overcome by washing the grspes in a diluted mix¬ 
ture of vinegar and water. In one experiment glue was 
used with the Bordeaux Mixture to see how much of the 
copper would stick to the grapes under the most favorable 
circumstances. Analysis showed 47 pounds of copper in 
1,000,000 pounds of grapes. 
Samuel Coulson, of Louisiana, writes to Insect Life (the 
entomological journal of the Department of Agriculture), 
that the Paris-green sold exclusively in his portion of the 
South last season was so badly adulterated that in many 
instances It killed cotton, while in others it had no effect 
upon the worms, no matter how liberally it was used. In 
some instances it was so mixed with very flue white sand 
that he found as much as seven pounds of sand left in the 
dusting bag after sifting out the “ green ” in one pack¬ 
age of 25 pounds. “ In my opinion,” he says, “ Paris green 
should be subject to inspection and astrict test, just as many 
other articles are inspected before they are put on the mar¬ 
ket, aud a severe penalty should attach to the tampering 
with or adulteration of the article after it has received the 
inspector’s stamp.” 
If the farmers of Vermont would heed and practice the 
-advice g*ven them iu Bulletin 21, Vermont Station, there 
would soon be a rush for the money to be made on some of 
those abandoned farms. The Vermont dairymen have 
been giving away too much butter fat—that’s what ails 
them. A creamery in Franklin paid 60 cents per 100 
pounds for all milk. A chemist analyzed samples from the 
different patrons and found that the value varied from 52 
to 74 cents per 100 pounds ! Read what Prof. Cooke, of 
Vermont, says: “ A careful study of the herds of this 
State will show the evil effects of the present method of 
paying for milk. Wherever In this State a cheese factory 
lias been run for many years it will be found that the 
berds in that vicinity all give thin milk aud will produce 
but a small number of pounds of butter a year. The rea¬ 
son of this is evident. The patrons have been paid entirely 
by the weight of their milk, and so all their efforts in 
breeding have been directed to getting cows that would 
give ttie largest quantity of milk without regard to its 
quality, and as a large flow is almost always accompanied 
by a poor quality of milk the result is that the general 
character of the milk of the neighborhood is lowered.” 
And here again: "Where the milk is paid for according 
to weight, a premium is put on watering or skimming it. 
Human nature is not proof against this temptation, and 
as a result we have found samples of milk that had been 
tampered with in every one of the more than 20 creameries 
that we have tested.” All true—every word of it. When 
are you going to stop it T This bulletin shows you how. 
" Trimming the plants lightly late in summer gave a 
greatly increased yield. The essential general points in 
profitable tomato culture are these: Careful selection and 
breeding; early sowing; frequent or, at least, occasional 
transplanting to obtain stocky plants ; rich soil, well pre¬ 
pared and well tilled.” Says Prof. Bailey in Bulletin 21, 
Cornell University. 
Prof. Roberts (Bulletin 22), concludes, from two trials in 
two seasons, that he has received no return in milk aud 
butter from feeding a grain ration to cows on good pasture. 
The increased fund provided by the new Morrill Bill will 
Ixj used at the Iowa College to maintain a dairy school. 
Prof. J. W. Sanborn (Utah), continues the plow trials 
begun in Missouri. He says 200,000,000 days of horse work 
are required for the annual plowing of the country. The 
difference in draft between good plows aud good plowing 
aud poor plows aud poor plowing is from 10 to 30 per cent, 
which might be easily saved. The trials pronounce against 
the coulter and farmers are advised to dispense with that 
attachment. The truck or small wheel under the beam is 
useful and should be used on our plows again. It was too 
hastily discarded. A good plowman can very materially 
lessen the draft on the horses by holding the plow true. 
The difference in plowmen iu this respect is very marked. 
An old plow point drew 36 per cent harder than a new one, 
yet the old one had been "sharpened.” "What a tax on 
our horses is bad workmanship at the forge ! ” As a rule, 
walking plows gave slightly less draft than the sulky 
plows; but the sulkies turned the better furrows. 
Prof. A J. Cook (Michigan) has devoted nearly 14 acres to 
special honey plants to see if such special planting will 
pay. The experiments indicate that the practice is of 
doubtful value. Chapman’s Honey Plant did well the 
first year, but failed the second. The seed is difficult to 
secure. " The chaff has barbed awus that are very minute. 
These fly everywhere as the seed is cleaned, and except one 
is protected better than he will be unless previously 
taught by experience, these awns are sure to enter the 
eyes and pierce the skin at every possible opportunity. 
The effect of this is almost maddening. For three or four 
days the pain in the wounded eyes and skin is almost un¬ 
endurable.” The Rocky Mountain Bee Plant did not 
germinate well aud the flowers furnished but little honey. 
Melissa did well, blossomed freely and was visited by the 
bees. But it is an annual, and must be planted annually, 
which is too expensive. 
SOCIETIES AND ORGANIZATIONS. 
Indiana Board of Agriculture, financial report: Total 
receipts, $43,581.45; disbursements, $31,561.35; premiums 
awarded at the State Fair, $13,037.50; total, $44,598 85; 
deficit, $1,019.40. Too much wet weather. 
A Fruit-Growers’ Association has been formed by In¬ 
diana fruitmen. 
The annual exhibition of the English Brewers’ Associa¬ 
tion was held in Loudon last month. There were 56 
samples of English barley, 22 of foreign and 12 Canadian. 
Concerning the latter the brewers say : " Canadian bar¬ 
leys must, like other foreigu malting barleys, have two 
attributes to sell them well here; namely, quality and 
color, and they should be mellow into the bargain. At 
present the-se attributes are, iu the main, wanting ; but the 
seed stocks are such as should enable Canada to send us 
fine barleys in a season favorable to their growth.” 
An association has been formed in England to attempt 
to briug about “ a uniform weight for all grain through¬ 
out the country.” 
The Ohio State Grange meets at Tiffin, O., December 
9—11. T. R. Smith, Delaware, O., secretary. 
The Kansas Farmer remarks that while the farmers of 
that State have given some attention to politics, they have 
not neglected to put in the largest acreage of winter wheat 
ever known iu the State. 
A society of prominent men has been formed in New 
York State for increasing and cheapening the food fish 
supply in lakes aud rivers. Call is made for regular and 
liberal yearly appropriations for propagating food fish, 
especially white fish, and stringent, laws regarding netting 
and fishing, Frank J. Amsdeu, Rochester, N. Y., is sec¬ 
retary. 
The South Dakota Farmers’ Alliauce have “ adopted a 
platform.” Among other things they call for the estab¬ 
lishment of an extensive system of irrigation at an early 
date, an amendment to the State constitution forbidding 
sales of public school lands and a uniform series of 
school books to be furnished by the State at cost. They 
demand that railroad passenger rates shall be fixed at 
two cents per mile; that railroad commissioners be elected 
aud empowered to make freight schedules for all State 
tralfic; that the appraised value of railroads for taxation 
be fixed at the value they are bonded for; and that a law 
taxing mortgages be enacted. 
Senator Pugh has been again sent to the Senate from 
Alabama. The Farmers’ Alliauce supported Agricultural 
Commissioner Kolb first for Governor and then for the 
Senate. He has been beaten for both positions. 
It has been stated that Governor elect Tillman of South 
Carolina, will attempt to bring about a sale of the entire 
interest of the State in the phosphate deposits. It is 
claimed that enough money could be so realized to pay off 
the entire State debt aud leave a comfortable balance iu 
the treasury. An “English syndicate” is now talked 
about as willing to pay a fabulous sum for the phosphate 
rights. The farmers, as a rule, are iu favor of selling and 
paying the State’s debts at once, and thus getting rid of 
the heavy taxation necessary to pay the interest every year. 
The Vermont Senate has killed the effort to establish a 
separate Agricultural College in that State. The Lower 
House passed the bill by a large majority, but the Senate 
refused a "third reading” by a vote of 18 to 12. This 
action will ouly serve to strengthen the Farmers’ League 
and the Grange, aud will place Vermont, iu 1892, nearer 
the Democratic column than she has ever been before. 
The Vermont Senate, in opposing the farmers’ just de¬ 
mands with regard to the State Agricultural College, 
should remember the fate of the Massachusetts Senate for 
having opposed the farmers’just demands with regard to 
anti-oleo legislation. 
The Indiana State Farmers’ Alliance recently met at 
Indianapolis aud "suggested” a few things for the Indiana 
Legislature to consider in the interests of farmers in that 
State. Here are some of them : 1. Salaries of public 
officials to be cut down to figures proportionate with those 
paid iu ordinary business. 2. Legislation to exempt the 
debtor from taxation on real indebtedness. 3. Repeal of 
the law giving commissioners the power to grant special 
elections for voting aid to railroads aud corporat ions. 4. 
The liquor traffic is wholly detrimental to the farmers’ in¬ 
terests. 5. A radical revision of State tax laws to the end 
that all classes shall contribute in maintaining the public 
burdens. Mortgages and other incumbrances upon real 
estate shall be assessed as a part of the realty, thus reliev¬ 
ing the mortgagor from a double taxation. 0. Making it 
a trespass to hunt upon inclosed lands without tfie written 
consent of the occupant of the land, aud that it shall be 
unlawful to kill quails under any circumstances. 7. A 
law requiring all goods manufactured by convict labor to 
be plaiuiy branded as couvict products. 
A READER’S NOTES. 
From the Popular Scieuce Monthly we learn that the 
first successful iron works in this country were built at 
Saugus, Mass., in 1634—28 years after Plymouth was set¬ 
tled. The owners were granted certain privileges, among 
which was a monoply of the manufacture for 21 years. 
This was the beginning of " protection with incidental 
revenue” in this country. As early as 1580 iron works 
were started in Virginia, but soon abandoned. In 1622 an¬ 
other attempt to smelt iron was made at a point 66 miles 
above Jamestown, Va. The Indians burned the buildings 
aud killed 347 people. 
In 1793 George Washington sent a letter to the British 
Board of Agriculture in which he said : " I know of no 
pursuit iu which more real and important services can be 
rendered to any country than by improving its agricul¬ 
ture, its breeds of useful animals, and other branches of a 
husbandman’s care; nor can I conceive any plan more con¬ 
ducive to this end than the one you have introduced for 
bringing to view the actual state of them in all parts of 
the kingdom, by which good and bad habits are exhibited 
in a manner too plain to be misconceived.” The " immor¬ 
tal George ” evidently believed iu agricultural statistics. 
In 1795 this British Board sent out detailed information 
regarding the making of potato slips, "which, roasted and 
dried, were said to have kept for 40 years.” These were 
what we now call “Saratoga chips.” We believe they are 
covered by a patent! 
M. M. Ballou, in " Aztec Laud,” says that in the little 
town of Irapuato, in the State of Guanajuato, Mexico, 
strawberries are sold on the railroad trains every day iu 
the year. The berries, he says, could be forwarded from 
Irapuato to Chicago aud all intermediate cities so as to be 
sold in our markets every day In the year, by means of the 
present railway connections. This looks like a chance for 
" foreigu capitalists but it is doubtful if sales of straw¬ 
berries could be made profitable during the winter. Prov¬ 
idence designed the strawberry for warm weather iu our 
part of the globe. 
As a melancholy evidence of the decline in the hill 
towns of ^Vermont. Immigration Commissioner Valentine 
tells of a town in Windham County, made historic as being 
the town on the summit of the Green Mountains, where 
Webster, iu the log cabin campaign of 1840, delivered an 
oration before an assemblage of more than 20,000 men and 
women, “ gathered from the Hudson even to the Connecti¬ 
cut.” The meadow where he stood, with the orchard near 
at. hand, is now grown up to trees, some of them evidently 
more than 40 years of age. The house he occupied is gone. 
The log-cabin drawn by 40 yoke of oxen, aud subsequently 
set upon a foundation and occupied aud preserved for 
years as a memento of one of Vermont’s most noted days, 
long since went to decay, aud its site is now a matter of 
dispute. Of a small village near by scarcely a vestige 
remains. The old stone fences, once lnclosiug cultivated 
fields, now lead through growing forests. More than one- 
half the town can now be purchased for much le.-s than $5 
an acre. 
Iu Colmau’s European Agriculture, published iu 1849, is 
a report of an experiment in thin seeding of wheat. An 
acre of land was forked or spaded over, and the wheat dib¬ 
bled in with single grains six by nine Inches apart. The 
plants covered the grouud completely and the yield was 
enormous. The total amount of seed needed was six quarts. 
The R. N.-Y. has always stated that with perfectly pre¬ 
pared grouud much less seed than is generally used will 
answer. As all know, in our experiment plots wheat is 
planted oue foot apart each way, the staud aud yield being 
all that are needed. 
Postmaster-General Wauamaker’s annual report con¬ 
tains additional arguments in favor of a government tele¬ 
graph service. He says that the people who pay iu postage 
rates the cost of the postal system have a right to the use 
of the postal plants as a means of reducing the cost -ot 
telegraphic correspondence, aud for the instant transmis¬ 
sion of postal money orders. The government has proved 
itself able to mauage successfully the telegraph business 
in connection with the postal system aud as a part of It. 
In one form or another the public imperatively demands 
cheaper telegraphy, aud the Post Office Department can 
supply it at less cost than any corporation, unless the 
latter has rent, light aud fuel free, aud carriers and clerks 
without pay. 
For pork the trade continues disappointing, as buyers, 
taking advantage of the scarcity of potatoes, and kuowiug 
that the small farmers must part with their “rent-payers” 
at whatever price, still decline to concede any advance on 
the low rates current for some time past .—Dublin Market 
Report. 
"Buyers’’seem to be the same the world over. Whip¬ 
ping a man’s necessities to serve one's own ends seems to 
be a well-nigh universal practice 1 
SOCIETY MEETINGS TO COME. 
Ohio State Horticultural, Zanesville, December 10—12. 
Chautauqua Horticultural, Ripley, N. Y., Dec. 6. 
Farmers’ Institutes. 
New Yoke. —Coblesklll, December 8—9; Delhi, De¬ 
cember 12—13; Warsaw, December 15—16: Unadilla, De¬ 
cember 17—18; Liberty, December 19—20. 
Ohio. —Nlmislla, Warren, Mendon aud Lima, December 
1—2; Canton, Canfield, Enterprise aud Columbus Grove, 
December 3—1; Carrollton, Windham, Uuopolisand Ben¬ 
ton Ridge, December 5—6. 
INDIANA.— Rising Sun, December 6—10; Lswrenceburg, 
December 10—11; Osgood, December, 12—13; Brookville, 
December 16—17. 
Wisconsin. —Alma and Ossee, Decembers— 9; RockjElm 
. and Blair, December 10—11; Dur.audaud Alma Center, De¬ 
cember 12—13; Neillsville aud Galesville, December 16--17. 
