THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
May 16 
34o 
The Rural New-Yorker. 
THE BUSINESS FANNERS' PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes. 
Extablished I860. 
Elbert 8. Cabman, Editor-In-Chief. 
Hebbebt W. Collins wood, Managing Editor. 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
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able 40 THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
Corner Chambers and Pearl Streets. New York. 
SATURDA Y. MA Y 16. 1896. 
Mb. Ague makes a good point, when he says, page 
335, that the past few very trying seasons have been 
much against Crimson clover or, in fact, any new or 
untried plant. Under similar circumstances, Red 
clover would not have made itself popular, for after 
several failures, most farmers would have turned 
against it. Stick to Crimson clover yet. The R. N.-Y. 
still believes in it, and advises its use. 
® 
Market gardeners realize, more and more, the 
necessity of having a constant supply of water for 
irrigation. It would be a singular man, in these 
days, who would move to a new place for gardening 
without considering how he could secure water. A 
water privilege is sure to be valuable, ani where a 
stream can be made to flow over land without the ex¬ 
pense of pumping, it is likely to be as valuable for 
irrigating as it would be for turning a mill wheel. 
O 
A dairyman who wishes to purchase 10 or 12 pure¬ 
bred Guernsey cows or hei f ers, says that he can't find 
them anywhere in this vicinity. Those who have 
them seem loath to sell them, at any rate, for a price 
that any one can afford to pay. This in the face of 
the fact that dairy prices were never so low. This 
indicates the growing popularity of the Guernsey as 
a dairy breed, and it also indicates that dairymen are 
after the best cows that can be had. There is always 
more profit in a good animal than in a poor one. 
® 
Hebe is an experiment some of our northern farm¬ 
ers may care to try this summer. When the corn is 
from six inches to knee high, go through a few rows 
and plant two or three southern cow peas in or near 
each hill. They will start and grow, slowly at first, 
but rapidly later, and when the corn is ready to lay 
by, they will spread and nearly cover the ground. 
After the corn is cut off. the hogs may be turned ia to 
eat the peas, or the wnole mass may be turned under 
for green manuring. In some ways, this will be better 
than trying to sow a row of peas between the rows 
of corn. As a green crop, tnis will be surer than 
Crimson clover, and more valuable than rye. Try it 
in a small way. 
© 
In commenting on Gov. Morton’s singular act in 
appointing the wrong mao as Commissioner of Agri¬ 
culture, our usually cautious friend, the Country 
Gentleman, has this to say about the new Commis¬ 
sioner : 
His chief distinction, however, is political. He was elected 
clerk of his town in 1883 ; was a delegate to the Republican State 
conventions of 1885 and of toe present year ; and is understood to 
have renoered important services to bis party in the elections of 
1894. It is said that the appointment is made largely on the 
earnest solicitation of Mr. Thomas C. Platt, who is reported to 
have promised Mr. Wieting the place, many months ago. 
Now, then, how long is it since Mr. Thomas C. Platt 
was selected by the farmers of New York State to 
pick out a commissijner for them ? What business 
has he to promise a place of this sort to anybody ? If it 
be true that this position was bought and paid for by 
political “ influence,” then it must follow that Gov. 
Morton knew whom h6 expected to appoint from the 
first, and he merely listened, with his mind made up, 
to delegations and appeals against a man whose only 
qualification stems to have been that ‘’he rendered 
important services to his party in the elections of 
1894 I” If that is true, it is a double insult to the 
farmers of the State. The whole thing seems to have 
been a case of low-down politic-*—a mere bargain and 
sale. The R. N.-Y. has no personal feeling against 
Mr. Wieting. We hope most sincerely tnat he will 
surprise us all and prove a great success as Commis¬ 
sioner, though we are frank to say that the chances 
are against it. We wish him well, and promise to do 
all in our power to help him organize and build up 
his department. What we protest against is the man¬ 
ner in which this appointment was made. Such a 
political bargain is enough to curse any man hovvever 
worthy he may be. and we regret that the Governor 
lacked the backbone necessary to do justice to our 
farmers. 
© 
Dr. Jenkins, of the Connecticut Station, last year, 
received four samples of milk for analysis. They 
varied all the way from to 11% per cent of solids, 
and 2.2 to 2 7 per cent of fat. This would indicate 
that the milk had been skimmed or watered, yet its 
specific gravity was that of normal milk—in other 
words, both fat and solids were lacking. Here was a 
singular case, for while a single cow might give such 
milk, there was no experience to show that the mixed 
milk of a whole herd had ever shown such an analysis. 
Accordingly, other samples were called for, and tney 
were sent with the assurance that the man who took 
the samples -saw the cows milked and, therefore, 
knew there was no water in the milk. These samples 
showed 2 6 per cent fat, and about 11 per cent total 
solids. The mystery was not explained until the wit¬ 
ness chanced to mention that the cows were about 
half milked, and the calves were turned in to finish the 
milking. Now the question arises, Was that first half 
really “milk”? All who have ever investigated the 
matter, know that the “strippings” are always 
richer than the first milking. Analyses made in France 
with cows giving 20 quarts, show that the first quart 
averaged 1.12 per cent fat, and 10.30 per cent total 
solids, while the last quart averaged 6 88 per cent fat 
and 15 GO per cent total solids. Thus in the division 
indicated by these Connecticut samples, the human 
babies were cheated at the expense of the cow babies. 
The first half of a milking will not stand the test of 
legal milk. 
ANDRE W S. FULLER. 
Andrew S. Fuller died from heart failure on Mon¬ 
day, May 4, at his home near Ridgewood, Bergen 
County. N. J., where he and his wife have lived for 
upwards of 30 years. Few horticulturists of our 
country are better known for their works. Ilis Small 
Fruit Culture, Grape Culture, Forestry and other 
books have had a wide circulation, and are still re¬ 
garded as standard works. Mr. Fuller was. for many 
years, an associate editor of Moore s Rural New- 
Yorker. About 22 years ago, he bought an interest 
in the paper, and became the editor-in-chief, Mr. E. S. 
Carman, wno also bought an interest, being an asso¬ 
ciate. This connection continued for only a year or 
so, when Mr. Carman bought the entire paper, and 
changed the name to The Rural New-Yorker. Mr. 
Fuiler was, for many years, the agricultural editor 
of the New York Sun, and a frequent contributor to 
the New York Tribune. He was born in Utica, N. Y., 
(58 years ago. Ilis parents were poor, and he was a 
so-called self-educated man. 
The French have invented a bicycle fire engine. It 
is made like a double tandem with hose and a power¬ 
ful pump placed between. The whole thing weighs 
about 140 pounds. Four men wheel it to the fire. 
When once on the scene, they raise the wheels from 
the ground, put the pump in order, unreel the hose, 
and them jump on to the saddles and work the pu up 
just as they would if they were trying to make a 
record mile. It is said that four men, working to¬ 
gether in this way, can pump 4,500 gallons an hour, 
and force it 75 or 100 feet into the air ! There is a 
hint for some of our bicycle riding farm boys. Make 
the wheel useful for spraying trees or for pumping 
water for irrigation ! 
© 
As most of our readers know the people of the South 
are making a strong effort just now to induce North¬ 
ern men to come and settle among them. A conven¬ 
tion of Northern settlers was held at Southern Bines, 
N. C., last week, for the purpose of organizing this 
effort, so that the claims of the South might be pre¬ 
sented in the most striking and effective manner. 
The writer attended this convention and had an op¬ 
portunity of talking with representative men from 
several Southern States. In suosequent issues we 
hope to tell our readers something of what we saw 
and heard. For many years the immigration move¬ 
ment from the North to the South has been slow and 
unsteady. Now that the Northern settlers themselves 
are to take hold of the matter, more definite results 
may be looked for. Tnese men will be liable to deal 
less with general statements about the undeveloped 
mines and forests of the South, which demand large 
capital for their development, and more with the op¬ 
portunities for individuals on small farms or less 
elaborate enterprises. A large immigration of skilled 
mechanics and farmers to the South will have a 
marked effect upon the future of this country. Such 
a movement of p jpulation is more probible now than 
it ever has been before, and The R N.-Y. hopes to 
give its readers a fair and conservative view of the 
South and its prospects. 
© 
In the Southern States, cattle are greatly troubled 
by ticks (Ixodes bovis) a minute insect that inflicts 
great torture and damage upon cattle. Southern 
cattlemen have long hunted for a satisfactory way of 
destroying this pest. At the Texas Experiment Sta¬ 
tion, very satisfactory results have been obtained 
from dipping cattle. A tank seven feet deep, four 
feet wide at the bottom, and 24 feet long, is filled 
with water and 100 gallons or more of cotton-seed oil 
are poured on top. This makes a layer of oil about 
one inch thick oa the surface of the water. Suitable 
fences and gates are arranged, so that cattle are 
driven into this tank one at a time. They swim 
through and, as they climb out and drain, are com¬ 
pletely covered with oil, and this kills the great 
majority of the ticks. By dipping two or three times 
during the tick season, the cattle are kept reasonably 
free. This is but an illustration of the different 
methods necessary in different parts of the country. 
Our Northern cattlemen have seldom considered such 
a thing as dipping tneir stock to protect them from 
insects. Possibly they will, in time, find it necessary 
to do something of the sort. 
© 
BREVITIES. 
There is a time in the alTalrs of men 
When goouly patience ceases to become 
A virtue. He wno wisely calculates 
And finds when that important time arrives 
And then gels mad and spurs his madness up, 
And strikes out right and left—In other words, 
“ Kicks like a steer" with little aim or style, 
May not perhaps be calleJ a Chesterfield 
Or be held up hefore his fellowmen 
As some pink pattern of politeness—yet 
He btirs his little world to cleaner acts 
And punches up the laggard sense of right 
And duty in his fellows. So go forth, 
Get mad for once, when patience doth go wrong, 
And, in the ooiling that you give your blood 
Drive off the scum of laziness and fear. 
Now for spraying. 
Agitate the road question. 
Stekb clear of scrub cows. 
Put plenty of potash on potatoes. 
Bad practice does not make perfect. 
Cut some of the oats for hay this year. 
Try a few cow peas for green manuring. 
Read the “ stove shark ” note on page 335. 
What's the difference between woman kind and woman cross? 
Put a little molasses in the Paris-green water, fora “sticker.” 
Four-inch green grass is a “ balanced ” ration—cut or grazed. 
Ohio has followed New York with a bill compelling railroads to 
carry bicycles as baggage. 
If a scrub cow or hog be desired, we expect that the creature 
will always be sired by neglect. 
Who can tell us about evaporated tomatoes? A reader wishes 
to know whether they will sell as well as the canned. 
How many farmers in New York Slate think that the State 
Department of Agriculture has paid its way thus far? 
The fraud who has a powder that will “increase the amount of 
butter in 100 pounds of milk,” is once more abroad in the land. 
We are surprised to see how many farmers there are who claim 
to have received benefit from the use of kainit in destroying cut¬ 
worms and grubs. 
Harrowing or cultivating in the dust is harrowing to the lungs. 
Keep the nostrils well smeared with vaseline. It will save you 
lots of discomfort. 
To fill the farmers up with wealth, and fill the cities up with 
health, let every citizen in the United States eat the equivalent of 
six good apples every day. 
Raising cane with toe expectation of enjoying the sweets of life 
in consequence, is a somewhat singular thing; yet Mr. Benedict 
tells us how it may be done, on page 333. 
The latest dodge is to tiy to get seedsmen to put seed up in 
papers similar to those used by the government, and thus obtain 
the benefit of free postage. Hunt the rascals out. 
On page 303, we had a picture of the “ Vineless ” strawberry. 
Mr. M. Crawford now writes that he has a two-year-old plant of 
this variety that weighs IP/% ounces, and has roots 25 l / s inches 
long ! Whew ! 
No one likes the taste of the mucilage on a postage stamp, yet 
how many think to moisten the envelope instead of the stamp? 
Tne effect is the same exactly. Some one has now invented an 
envelope with the mucilage on the body. You may moisten the 
flap without smearing your tongue. 
Experiments at the Connecticut Station indicate that the nitro¬ 
gen in cotton-seed meal is more readily available tnan that in 
dried blood, fish or tankage, though dried blood and fish rank 
close to it. The low price of cotton-seed meal of late years, has 
made it one of the cheapest sources of organic nitrogen. To 
obtain the best results, a quantity of nitrate of soda should be 
used with it, thus giving two forms of nitrogen. 
An English stableman who took boarding horses, got in the 
habit of giving them antimony and arsenic to make their coats 
sleek, and thns save currying. He gave an overdose, and one 
horse died. The defense was that there was no intention of injur¬ 
ing the animals, but the judge fined the man $5. In England, it 
appears, the practice of giving small doses of these drugs to im¬ 
prove toe coat, is quite prevalent among grooms. The law now 
declares it unlawful to give even the smallest dose of any poison 
without the owner’s consent. 
