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THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
May 30 
The Rural New=Yorker. 
THE B V8INESS FARMERS' PAPER. 
A National Weekly Journal for Country and Suburban Homes 
Established 1850. 
Elbert S. Cabman, Editor-In-Chief. 
Herbert W. Collinowood, Managing Editor. 
John J. Dillon, Business Manager. 
SUBSCRIPTIONS. 
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8s. 6d., or 854 marks, or 1054 francs. 
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of 10 or more lines, and 1,000-line orders, 25 cents per line. 
Reading Notices, ending with “Adv.," 75 cents per 
count line. Absolutely One Price Only. 
Advertisements inserted only for responsible and honorable houses 
We must have copy one week before the date of Issue. 
Be sure that the name and address of sender, with name of Post- 
office and State, and what the remittance is for, appear In every 
letter. Money orders and bank drafts on New York are the safest 
means of transmitting money. 
Address all business communications and make all orders pay 
able 40 THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
Corner Chambers and Pearl Streets. New York. 
SATURDAY, MAY 30, 1896. 
Considerable space is given this week to a discus¬ 
sion as to the probable value of cow peas in the North. 
The R. N.-Y. grew many varieties of cow peas on 
its Long Island farm 16 years ago, and it was thus 
shown that several kinds may be grown to maturity 
in the latitude of New York City. J. H. Hale found 
the cow pea so valuable in his Georgia peach orchard, 
that he determined to try it in Connecticut. He has 
found it very valuable on his Northern farms. This 
is one of the plants that you ought to try. For many 
purposes at the South, it is more valuable than Crim¬ 
son clover. Our information this week comes from 
Southern men who formerly lived at the North. 
O 
In an accident to a ferry boat in New York harbor 
last week, two horses hitched to an express wagon, 
were thrown into the water. Their traces were cut 
and they swam away into the fog side by side. They 
kept afloat nearly two hours, when one sank, while 
the other was rescued, though so exhausted that he 
could hardly stand. A policeman who saw them 
swimming past the pier, says that when he called to 
them, one horse looked at him and then turned and 
apparently spoke to his companion, for both turned 
and swam wearily up to the pier. They displayed 
almost human intelligence in waiting for a chance to 
be taken out. Surely the horse is man’s noblest brute 
friend. 
0 
Last week, we gave a picture of an old-time settler’s 
home. This week, by way of contrast, we show a 
modern farmhouse—the residence of Mr. R. Galaway 
of Orange County, N. Y. The plain, humble-looking 
building shown last week, without shade or natural 
ornament, was, doubtless, a satisfactory home for the 
farmer who built it; but it seems almost as bare as a 
prison by the side of the beautifully shaded home 
pictured this week. There are great possibilities for 
adornment in the average farmhouse front yard. 
With trees and shrubs, a few flowers grouped to the 
best advantage, and a brushful of paint applied in 
time, a farmer can, at small expense, add much to the 
appearance, if not to the value, of his farm. 
© 
The Department of Agriculture has received a com¬ 
munication from the British Board of Agriculture, 
relating to samples of imported butter analyzed under 
direction of the Board from May, 1895, to February, 
1896. The total number of samples analyzed was 995, 
coming from 12 different countries. Samples from 
seven of these, or more than one-half, were adul¬ 
terated. Of these Belgium furnished 5 samples, 
1 adulterated ; Denmark, 182, of which 8 were 
adulterated ; Germany 154, 43 adulterated ; Hol¬ 
land 250, 66 adulterated ; Norway and Sweden 109, 
2 adulterated ; Russia, 49, 5 adulterated. The coun¬ 
tries contributing samples among which no adul¬ 
teration was found, were, Argentina, 4 samples; 
Austria, 57 ; Canada, 39 ; France, 62 ; New Zealand, 
21 ; United States, 63. The showing of our own 
country is certainly a very encouraging one. It is a 
notable fact that Germany had the highest percentage 
of adulteration of any country—about 28 per cent; 
this, too, from a country that has made the biggest 
howl of any foreign country over the alleged adul¬ 
teration and unhealth fulness of imported food articles, 
especially those from the United States. Next to this 
came Holland, a country long noted for its dairy 
products, with over 26 per cent of its samples adulter¬ 
ated. And even Denmark, whose butter is supposed, 
in England, to equal the best, furnished several 
adulterated samples. The Britisher desires pure 
butter, and this test will show him that such a thing 
is made in this country. If this good record be con¬ 
tinued, our butter trade may be largely extended in 
that direction, and the disastrous gluts of the past 
few months may be rendered less frequent in the 
future. Suppose there had been no legislation against 
“ oleo” in this country ! How many of these samples 
would have been ‘'pure”? 
© 
“Oh, dear! What shall I do if this dry weather 
don’t let up ! ” 
“You might mulch your ground ; that will keep in 
moisture.” 
“ You don’t think that I have straw enough to 
cover over five acres of potatoes, and ten acres of 
corn, do you ? ” 
“ Straw is good, but, perhaps, no better than forest 
leaves or bog hay. Any of them, if properly put on, 
will help wonderfully.” 
“ Do you think that I am so big a fool as to cart 
stuff enough to mulch 15 acres?” 
“ I mulch my ground.” 
“ What with ? ” 
“ I spread an inch of dry soil over it.” 
“From where do you cart it ? ” 
“ I don’t cart it at all. I make it on the ground with 
a good harrow or cultivator.” 
“Oh!” 
© 
We conclude that many gardeners are irrigating 
small fruits and vegetables for the first time this sea¬ 
son. Particularly is this the case with strawberries, 
for the dry weather has threatened destruction to this 
crop. The tendency has been, perhaps, to pour on too 
much water, for there is such a thing as giving a 
plant too much drink. The Parker Earle strawberry, 
in suitable locations, is about the heaviest bearer 
known. The usual advice has been to give it all the 
food and water you can get hold of. Mr. James 
Nimon, who originated the berry, has this to say in 
regard to irrigation : 
I would advise you to be very cautious about watering your 
Parker Earles after the fruit begins to ripen. A friend in western 
Texas writes me that he spoiled part of his crop by overwatering. 
One good watering a week will be found sufficient. 
The present season has given us a good chance to 
observe the difference, if any, in the growth of the 
roots of mulched and unmulched strawberry plants. 
It is claimed that mulching induces a root growth 
nearer the surface. As the result of experiments in 
California, it is claimed that too much water not only 
makes the fruit soft, but injures the quality by 
increasing the acidity. 
© 
Four members of the United States Senate Finance 
Committee, oppose the passage of the “Filled Cheese” 
bill. It is the same old story that has been so often 
fought over with regard to “ oleo ” and other fraudu¬ 
lent goods. Such men undertake to prove that “filled” 
cheese is a cheap and healthful food, and that, by 
prohibiting its manufacture, Congress strikes a blow 
at the rights of poor men. A good deal of such oppo¬ 
sition comes from those who claim that “filled” 
cheese creates a market for cotton-seed oil or tallow 
—though they are not usually honest enough to admit 
this. The absurdity of their argument is shown when 
we understand that the bill before Congress does not 
prohibit the manufacture of this bogus cheese, but 
simply prevents dealers from selling it for the real 
article. It saves the poor man from being swindled, 
for he may still buy his cheap cheese if he like, know¬ 
ing just what he is getting. This bill is still in danger. 
Any bill held in the United States Congress, is in dan¬ 
ger for no one can tell what evil influence will fall 
foul of it there. Every dairyman in the country should 
write to the Senators from his State, and urge them 
to support this measure, and bring it to a vote at once. 
© 
In sending his report on Crimson clover, a Missouri 
subscriber makes this statement: 
This spring, but two plants were alive, a cluster of about a 
dozen leaves not one-half inch high. I pulled one up, and never 
was so surprised; that little, runty bunch of half-dead leaves, 
about as big as a half dollar, had a tap root nearly eight inches 
long, and half the size of a lead pencil. 
It certainly is surprising to see how this plant grows 
when it once gets a start. The R. N.-Y. claims that 
when one can obtain a fair growth before winter sets 
in, he will obtain a profit over cost of labor and seed, 
even though every plant die before spring. Another 
point about this clover is brought out in this note from 
a Massachusetts man : 
Mr. Agee is right about Crimson clover. Three years ago, one 
of my neighbors sowed a few pounds of seed on the most barren 
spot on his premises, saying that, if it grows there, it would grow 
anywhere. He was right; the plants made a feeble growth and, 
finally, succumbed. He never sowed any more. When people 
will recognize that plants need food as well as humans and ani¬ 
mals, we shall not hear of so many failures. 
Buckwheat has been called the goat among cultivated 
plants, because it seems to be able to live on the 
coarsest and hardest food. Rye or cow peas will also 
grow on very poor land. Clover, however, needs bet¬ 
ter care, and will richly repay it. The way to make 
a scrub is to turn the little calf out in the fly pasture 
to live on dead grass, air and poor water. Give both 
clover and calf a fair chance ! 
© 
Every year, some one starts in to make money by 
offering a bait to the dairymen who want to make 
something out of nothing. It is usually in the line of 
a substance or process that will increase the amount 
of butter that may be made from 100 pounds of milk. 
Recently, an advertisement of such a process appeared 
in the New York papers. A friend of The R. N.-Y. 
answered it, and received a letter from Philadelphia 
from which the following is a quotation : 
The reason I am desirous of interesting an active person for a 
half interest in this business, is on account of my own business 
occupying really more time than I have to devote to it. Philadel¬ 
phia is such a slow town, I decided to advertise in New York City, 
knowing that I would be apt to find some energetic person who 
would have the “ get up ” and “ go ” about him sufficient to push 
this business to a successful issue. The article that I have is very 
valuable, and is the accidental discovery of an amateur chemist. 
There is nothing harmful about the preparation whatever, and 
it will do all that I claim for it, namely, at a cost of less than 30 
cents, it will increase the yield of butter at least 25 per cent, and 
sometimes more. I am willing to guarantee that from 100 pounds 
of butter as now made, by the use of my process I can enlarge it 
to 125 pounds, with only the cost of 30 cents additional. I would 
be pleased to show you the process if you can find it convenient 
to make a trip here, and if not satisfactory to you, I will refund 
you the amount of your expenses coming and going, including 
hotel. 
Now, the only way in which 100 pounds of butter can 
be “ enlarged ” to 125 in churning, is to add some sub¬ 
stance like alum or rennet that will coagulate a por¬ 
tion of the cheesy matter in the milk, so that it will 
collect with the particles of butter fat. The so-called 
“ butter ” will be 20 per cent cheese and in one sense 
as much of a fraud as is oleomargarine. Such “butter” 
would be quickly detected by those who buy it, and 
in the end, such a process would ruin any dairyman 
who employed it. It would serve him right, too, if he 
really tried to sell such stuff for real butter. 
© 
BREVITIES. 
Mark this poor pumpkin seed—its start is small, 
Just tiny leaflets breaking through the ground; 
Yet see the vines before the frosts of fall. 
Grow till they hide the field for rods around ! 
But if you’d feed the plant and give it drink. 
Back to the little hill you still must go— 
The vine is only a connecting link 
To carry food out where the pumpkins grow. 
With due respect for you, my worthy friend, 
Your life is like a rampant pumpkin vine; 
In babyhood, you start and feebly send 
Small leaflets out—too weak to run or twine, 
Until, well nurtured by a mother’s care 
And true home influence, you run at will, 
And send your searching fingers every where ! 
Yet the headquarters of your life must still 
Be at the starting point—the roots that cling 
To the old home will influence each day, 
And from the dust of memory, will bring 
A balm or curse that ever more will stay ! 
What do you curb impatience with ? 
Get ready for another short hay crop. 
The nostrils are the proper lung holes. 
Pinch off every bud on spring-set strawberries. 
Michigan is about “done” as a lumbering State. 
Stocking the garden with a hose is in order just now. 
Just as it was last year ! The latest Crimson clover reports are 
the best. 
Don’t sing “ Home, Sweet Home ! ” in a bearytone voice ! Stop 
growling ! 
Nothing so constant and exact in value the world over, as 
“ human nature.” 
We want 10 poles of Lima beans for each member of the family 
in the home garden. 
Maybe, if you make Saturday a half holiday, Sunday will come 
nearer being a whole holy day. 
Seed that is planted in soil that is lumpy, will surely make 
plants that are laggard and grumpy. 
A hen has little or no saliva in her mouth. That is one reason 
why dry ground grain is not to her taste. 
The White grub is a horrid thing, he makes your feelings ache 
—and yet, for Mrs. Leghorn Hen, he beats a sirloin steak. 
You build a house with saw and hammer, but if it be your best 
desire to build a dairy herd, you clamor, not for a saw, but 
purebred sire. 
If we can’t make laws to prevent people from making fools of 
themselves, let’s, at least, have laws to stop them from making 
fools of others. 
The Lincoln sheep ought to be popular with Americans, but 
there are few of them outside of England. They thrive best on 
low or marshy land. 
It is generally supposed that a large tree is capable of finding 
a water supply, however dry the surface may be. Prof. Crozier 
has found Beech trees that have actually been killed by drought. 
A “lazy man’s method” of growing strawberries is to bore a 
hole in a wide board, and let the plant grow up through the hole. 
The board shades the ground, conserves moisture and kills 
weeds. 
The drought extends everywhere. Even in Cuba, the “ rainy 
season” seems to be late—to the disgust of the Cubans who find 
fever more dangerous than dynamite, and easier to import than 
cartridges. 
Mr. O. W. Mapes advances the theory that roup in poultry is 
not unlike whooping cough in the way that it affects poultry. It 
is worse among young fowls. Older birds, particularly those that 
have had the disease, are less susceptible to it. 
