292 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
April 25 
THK 
The Rural New-Yorker. 
THE BUSINESS FARMERS PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes 
Established 1850. 
Elbert S. Carman, Editor-in-Chief. 
Herbert W. Collingwood, Managing Editor. 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
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Address all business communications and make all orders pay 
able THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
Corner Chambers and Pearl Streets, New York. 
SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 1896. 
Again we say that this is the year for buying seed 
potatoes. The chances are ten to one against another 
such crop as we had in 1895. Stand by the potato as 
stiff as the starch that comes out of it. Now is the 
time to buy the newer varieties at less than cost. 
© 
Neighbor Jones left his plow in the furrow, and 
his mowing machine in the fence corner, last fall. 
The consequence is that he has two tools this spring 
hearing a crust of rust. Neighbor Jones has another 
tool—his mind. If that has passed the winter in the 
fence corner of some old notion or prejudice, it also 
has a coat of rust on it. Rust on the visible tools is 
bad enough, but mental rust is worse yet. How 
about the rust on your mind ? 
© 
All through the South, as we have often said, you 
will find corn fields with rows of cow peas growing 
between the rows of corn. The pea vines do not inter¬ 
fere with the corn, and when plowed under after 
making their growth, furnish fertility for the next 
corn crop. Some of our northern gardeners make use 
of this principle in a still more practical way. They 
plant early peas in wide rows and, at the proper time, 
plant sweet corn between the rows of peas. Then, 
when the peas are picked, the vines may be plowed 
under to fertilize the corn. Of course, the small-vined 
varieties of peas are best for this purpose, and the 
pickers are obliged to use care in avoiding the corn. 
© 
Mr. A. I. Root makes the following statement re¬ 
garding his experience with Crimson clover : 
Crimson clover will stand the average winter of northern Ohio 
when the seed is sown in July or early in August. When our patch 
gets to its best we purpose to plow it under so as to get a place 
for potatoes. With the present high price of hay, it seems almost 
wicked to plow under such a crop of green food. Of course, the 
great point is that you have a heavy stand of clover on your 
ground in nine or ten months after the seed was put in. 
We have never believed that it will pay the average 
farmer to try to cut Crimson clover for hay. It does 
not ripen in good hay weather. We would use it for 
pasture, soiling or ensilage, or plow it under for 
green manuring. 
© 
Governor Coffin, of Connecticut, in his message to 
the legislature for 1895, suggested that the State ap¬ 
propriate money for the special purpose of studying 
the nutritive values of various human foods. He says 
that more than half the incomes of those who work 
in town and city, is spent for food. If these work¬ 
men can be taught to select their food with refer¬ 
ence to its nutritive value, it is evident that quite a 
saving can be made. The legislature appropriated 
$1,800 for this work, and elaborate experiments are 
now being made at the Storrs Experiment Station, 
which will surely add much to our knowledge of 
human food values. To aid in this work, a large 
apparatus has been prepared into which a man or 
animal may be placed for hours or days, so that the 
food, drink and air given him, as well as all excreta, 
can be measured and analyzed. The potential energy 
of the materials taken into the body and given off 
from it, the heat radiated from it, and the mus¬ 
cular work done, can all be measured. The results 
will be interesting and, certainly, ought to lay 
the foundation for valuable conclusions. We doubt 
the possibility of making out any satisfactory gen¬ 
eral “ balanced ration ” for human beings, yet there 
is no doubt that a study of the nutritive values 
of food in connection with the laws of diet and 
digestion, would be of great advantage to all who 
must count the cost of living. 
Mr. Scarff, on page 287, sounds a note of warning 
regarding the “stove shark.” We have been watch¬ 
ing this game for some time. A number of our read¬ 
ers and friends have either bought the stoves or have 
been induced to do so. In almost every case that has 
come under our observation, there has been trouble 
about the settlement of notes, and we conclude that 
the “stove snark” is a worthy follower of the famous 
“creamery shark” which Tiie R. N.-Y. chased into 
bankruptcy last year. We expect to open on the 
“stove shark” in the same way. In the meantime, our 
advice to all farmers is to let wandering salesmen 
alone. Never sign a note for a stranger, but patronize 
some reliable house when you need a stove. 
© 
A number of our new readers continue to ask about 
the pJan of soaking seed potatoes in a solution of cor¬ 
rosive sublimate to prevent scab. Briefly stated, here 
is the story : Dissolve two ounces of corrosive subli¬ 
mate in a wooden bucket, using two gallons of water. 
Add this liquid to 14 gallons of water, and stir it well. 
Wash the potatoes, put them in a sack or fine wire 
basket, and lower them into the liquid. Let them 
soak 90 minutes, lift out, drain dry, and cut for seed. 
Seed that is very scabby, may be soaked two hours. 
Potatoes soaked in this way and planted on clean 
ground, are reasonably sure to be free from scab. If 
planted on ground used last year for potatoes that 
were affected by the scab, this treatment would not 
be so effective. 
© 
It was reported, some weeks ago, that the bill to 
regulate the sale and manufacture of “ filled” cheese, 
was in danger, and that Congress might substitute a 
measure not at all satisfactory. When that was 
known, telegrams and letters began to pour in from 
all over the country. They came from farmers, cheese- 
makers and dealers, exporters and others, who know 
how damaging this filled cheese business is. Chair¬ 
man Grosvenor of the House Committee on Agricul¬ 
ture, complains that he received a telegram on the 
subject every 15 minutes, and was frequently disturbed 
at night by them. That’s right. The farmers are 
learning how to make their wants known. If they 
would disturb the sleep of a few more Congressmen 
at the proper time, they would breed fewer night¬ 
mares over the home mortgage. 
Thomas Dorlon Carman, father of Elbert S. Carman 
and Adaline M. Snedeker, died at his residence in 
Brooklyn, N. Y.,on Thursday, April 16. Mr. Carman 
was born in 1809, and enjoyed vigorous health up to 
within three days of his death. Many of our older 
readers will remember Mr. Carman’s connection with 
The R. N.-Y. 20 years ago, as well as the extended 
sketch of his life—written by his son some years since. 
Mr. Mapes comes pretty close to the point when he 
says, on page 298, that no one seems to know just 
what to suggest as an ideal balanced ration for a hen. 
Before starting to prepare these notes on “ Feeding a 
Hen,” we read any number of articles on poultry feed¬ 
ing, and concluded that all we could safely do would 
be to suggest and urge poultry keepers to experiment 
and observe. It has taken years and years to work 
out the facts that form the basis for our cattle feed¬ 
ing, and even now it must be admitted that the science 
is but in its infancy. What we need in this country, 
is a careful and conscientious experiment with feeding 
poultry. It should run through several years, and give 
us data to settle some of the pointed questions that 
have been brought out under “ Primer Science.” We 
will guarantee that the experiment station that takes 
up this matter in a business-like way, can make itself 
the most popular institution of the sort in this country. 
© 
A study of our Crimson clover patch shows some 
interesting things. The soil is heavy and strong. The 
seed was sown early in August after a crop of early 
potatoes grown under a mulch. The stand was best 
on a portion that was rolled after seeding. The sea¬ 
son was very dry, and the plants made but a feeble 
growth during the fall. They appeared to stand the 
cold winter, but in March, when the ground began to 
crack and “heave,” many of the plants were killed. 
We find them now dead and loose in the ground, so 
that the whole large root may be easily pulled out. 
Apparently, when the ground split and cracked, the 
whole plant was lifted up, and its rootlets were broken 
off so that, when the soil settled back, the plant did 
not go with it. There are still living plants enough 
left to make a fair stand, and they are now growing 
well. The stand appears to be best where straw or 
manure was left as a partial mulch. It seems fair to 
conclude that Crimson clover is better suited to lighter 
than to heavier soils. Early seeding is necessary, and 
rolling or packing after seeding is advisable. We con¬ 
clude that it is a good plan, if possible, to put Crim¬ 
son clover on land where manure can be used to ad¬ 
vantage, and to haul the manure out while the frost 
is in the ground, and spread it over the clover. In 
this way, you will get your manure out at a good 
time, and also help the clover. Our opinion is that 
Crimson clover is better suited to vegetable or fruit 
culture than to general farming. 
© 
In the report of the Governor of Arizona, we find 
an account of the trial of four Indians who were sent 
to jail for stealing some ponies which they traded for 
food. One of them made this little speech : 
For hundreds of years, my people have lived on the banks of the 
Gila River. We have always been honest and peaceful, and have 
supported ourselves and never asked for any help from the Great 
Father at Washington. We have raised our own wheat and corn, 
and ground it in our own metates. Until the past few years, we 
have always had plenty of water to irrigate our farms, and never 
knew what want was. We always had grain stored up for a full 
year’s supply. We were happy and contented. Since the white 
men came and built the big canals and acequias, we have no 
water for our crops. The Government refuses to give us food, 
and we do not ask for it ; we only ask for water, for we prefer to 
earn our own living if we can. I am no thief, and I will not beg, 
but my wife and children were hungry, and I must either steal or 
they must starve. So I took the horses and traded them for 
grain, and the hunger of my family was satisfied. You can do 
with me what you will. I have spoken. 
It appears that these Indians are willing and anxious 
to secure lands and work them, if they can obtain 
water for irrigation. When an Indian really wants 
water, it seems to us like a very singular proceeding 
to deprive him of it. Instead of turning these desert 
lands and the water right over to speculators and cor¬ 
porations to sell at a great profit, it would be better 
for the Government first to make sure that the Indians 
are supplied. It is a step backward in civilization, to 
permit white men to grab water rights away from 
Indians, and thus drive them into crime. 
© 
BREVITIES. 
A maiden lady owned a piece of ground, 
And morn and eve in summer she was found 
Within her garden. But her neighbor kept 
A flock of hens, and while she worked or slept, 
With busy feet they dug her finest seed. 
In vain she chased them at her utmost speed, 
And “shooed” and stoned them—quite undignified, 
The while her neighbor laughed until he cried. 
But women who can foil the wiles of men, 
Will not be daunted by a Leghorn hen. 
The hand that rocks the cradle, still can block 
Man’s ridicule, and give his nerves a shock. 
Our lady cried a bit—as was her right— 
Then took some cards and on each one did write 
“ Please keep your hens at home ! a seed of corn 
She strung to each—with early break of dawn— 
Back came the hens; they gobbled grain and string— 
Then back for home they started on the wing. 
From every mouth there dragged the lady’s card. 
“ Please keep ” ; he scratched his head—his heart was hard, 
But shame cut through it like a knife, and hence 
His hens no more flew o’er the lady’s fence. 
A golden mean— the miser. 
Irrigation for the lawn dry. 
No animal so dainty as the sheep. 
Better a bathroom than a parlor ! 
The ill-bread cook is seldom kneady enough. 
Life insurance is all right—so is wife insurance. 
It will pay you to plant an improved chestnut tree. 
It will soon pay to begin to salt down some of the fresh eggs. 
Tue Crimson clover and winter oats reports are coming in. 
Where is yours ? 
Some men are like seeds. They must be put in hot water before 
they will sprout. 
Now let us hear how some of that shredded fodder from the 
corn busker came through the winter. 
Lots of poultry flocks need grit. It should be fed in large 
chunks to the man who rules the roost. 
S. H. Derby of Delaware estimates the cost of spraying an apple 
tree five times as 10 cents for material and labor. 
The latest advice to amateurs is to soak a corn cob overnight 
and put it at the bottom of a big hole when transplanting tomato 
plants ! 
The craze just now is for red apples. Don’t think that a red 
skin will always sell a poor taste. It is possible to overdo this 
red craze. 
A trotter’s son with Hackney blood, that picks its feet up as 
it should, and has some pride in head and tail, will never fail of 
ready sale. 
In 1890, there were, in this country, 12,690,152 families. What do 
you think of the scheme of improving your own family before you 
begin on the other 12,690,151 ? 
If one purpose to plant new varieties of potatoes, the method of 
sprouting described on the first page will enable him to determine 
much about their size and manner of growth. 
The earth mulch is a good frost protector. Many a crop of 
early jiotatoes and tomato.es has been saved by throwing a light 
covering of earth over them when frost threatened. 
Our legislatures have ground out so many laws that a complete 
report of American cases would cover 5,000,000 pages. By reading 
50 pages a day, a man might cover it all in 230 years ! All these 
billions of words written to explain the Ten Commandments ! 
We have examined a sample of 30 tons of ensilage made in Vir¬ 
ginia from frosted corn. It is sour and almost charred—unfit for 
stock food, and useful only as manure. From the appearance of 
the sample, we suspect that the silo is not tight, and that no water 
was used on the stalks as they were put in. 
