1866 
FARMERS’ CLUB DISCUSSION. 
(continued. 
the vitality of the tree from the injury 
that would result in producing an over¬ 
crop. 
A large orchardist near Rochester, 
during an off year, found that there 
were a few apples clinging to his trees, 
but he had no idea that they would be 
enough to amount to anything, they 
were so scattered. But these few apples 
continued to expand to such a marvelous 
size, and there were so few culls or 
inferior specimens, that he was able, in 
the late fall, to gather a full crop of 
apples from the orchard. This illustra¬ 
tion teaches that it is not necessary for 
the trees to be loaded down and the 
apples crowded on one another in order 
to gather a full crop. 
Poison Ivy Again. 
J. B., Marlboro, N. Y.—I have been 
poisoned many times with poison ivy 
and sumac, and I know that it will 
“ spread” in the blood, causing itching 
in parts of the body where the skin is 
the most tender. My remedy is to bathe 
it in as hot water as I can ; it will 
sting as though one were being stung by 
insects, but it will draw the poison out. 
Then I bathe with alum water, or soda 
water, or some liniment. Bruised plan¬ 
tain would be good for a poultice, or to 
bathe the parts ; it is an anti-poison. I 
have heard of snakes fighting, then leav¬ 
ing each other and eating plantain grow¬ 
ing on the field of battle, then going at 
it again. Stramonium is poison—one 
poison sometimes kills another. 
Sheep in Connecticut. 
□ T. J. S., Shaker Station, Conn.— I 
was pleased to see The R. N.-Y.’s late 
strictures on the “Connecticut Yankee.” 
It is all true, yet I meekly rise to his 
defense. It is said that there are more 
patents to the square inch in Connecti¬ 
cut, than on an equal area in any other 
portion of the earth; indeed, I have 
heard some irreverent people say that 
all the men and half the women of this 
State are inventors. This may be an ex¬ 
aggeration, but it goes to show that the 
Nutmeg has brains, yet he deliberately 
lets the dog eat his mutton. So true it 
is that “ with the talents of an angel, a 
man may be a fool.” 
The Future of Lamb Feeding. 
J. E. Wing, Ohio. — The R. N.-Y. asks 
about the number of lambs to be fed in 
the lamb feeding districts. It is very 
hard to say just yet what will be done ; 
but, at present, the feeders declare that 
the lessons and losses of the past two 
years shall not be repeated, that they 
will have their lambs much cheaper, or 
will not buy to feed at all. Yet the 
price is higher than last year. For one 
thing, the supply of feeders is smaller 
than usual this side the river, and, too, 
the lambs are far from being as good as 
usual. In Ohio, there is very great sick¬ 
ness and death among the lambs, caused, 
apparently, by invasions of parasites 
obtained, in large part, from drinking 
stagnant water. It is net uncommon 
to hear of a man losing 40 per cent of his 
lambs and having the remainder in de¬ 
plorable condition. 
I can read the handwriting on the 
wall, and see that the western feeder 
with his cheap and excellent Alfalfa 
hay, cheap grain and superior climate, 
is sure to run out most lamb-feeders in 
this country sooner or later. What we 
shall do then, I do not know, but it looks 
as though we would turn our attention 
to supplying fat lambs for earlier mar¬ 
kets, say, about Christmas, and to the 
winter or hothouse lamb business. That, 
instead of being a business already over¬ 
done, as was predicted years ago, is yet 
very profitable to the man with the right 
combination of brains, pains and means 
to do it. No fear of western competition 
in that line unless, as an Arizona friend 
threatens, they raise and fatten the 
lambs on Alfalfa green, put them in a 
car along with their mothers and bring 
all East together, their shepherd in 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
611 
charge with a car-load of choice hay and 
grain to feed them along the way. As 
that scheme is practicable, it only awaits 
a genius with faith to start it going, and 
away goes our present monopoly of the 
winter lamb business. 
1 wish to impress the very great prob¬ 
ability that now is the accepted time to 
embark in the sheep business, that is, 
if one is a capable shepherd, and if he 
has a well adapted sheep farm. Ewes 
can yet be bought at very low prices, 
and ram breeders are selling rams at less 
than the cost of production. 
I spoke of the losses of the past two 
years; it depends on how you took 
things, and on how you figure results, 
whether there were losses or not. For 
instance, we fed each year, not far from 
100 tons of hay, largely clover, about 30 
to 50 tons of wheat bran or oil meal, not 
counting corn and rough feed. The 
manure from all of this was carefully 
saved and applied to the land, and as 
the result, we shall, this year, cut not 
far from 250 loads of hay, and husk 
above 3,000 bushels of corn from a 200- 
acre farm, besides growing as immense 
a crop of weeds as it was ever my lot to 
see. As nearly half the farm is in per¬ 
manent pasture, it will do very well for 
the degenerate East, nothing at all, of 
course, to what a Kansas or a California 
farm could do. 
I know a man who claims to have fed 
at a serious loss, and I will not dispute 
with him on the question. He has not 
yet cleaned up the manure from the 
feeding of 1894, 1895 or 189(5. He is try¬ 
ing commercial fertilizers, but is in¬ 
clined to think that they, and farming, 
do not pay. 
Firearms On the Farm. 
J. C. S., Ore Banks, Va. —My excel¬ 
lent gun affords me a sense of relief 
similar to that which I feel every time 
my insurance policy is paid for. I want 
all my children to know how to handle 
firearms ; not only to shoot, but to hit 
the mark when occasion requires. Not 
only that, I am glad that my wife has 
overcome the natural timidity of women, 
and can take steady aim, fire, hit and 
kill. When I find a rabit supping on 
the bark of my apple trees, I turn the 
tables on him by breakfasting on his 
flesh. It is cheaper to shoot a wild 
turkey than to raise a tame one. And 
when a deer disregards all fences and 
fence laws, and helps himself to the 
sweat of my brow—well, I like to be 
helped a second time to a nice, juicy 
piece of venison. 
In a section of the country where the 
bulk of the land is covered with primeval 
forest, game would soon multiply so 
rapidly as to prove a serious nuisance 
were it not for firearms. One of my 
boys has recently discovered a den of 
foxes, and bold fellows they are. A 
body of artillery could not rout them in 
the stronghold of which they have taken 
possession, and it might prove a criminal 
offense to try poison, and for the same 
reason, traps cannot be used at the 
place. If I were now to dispense with 
my gun, I might as well make up my 
mind to dispense with my poultry. Is 
there any need of a gun on my farm ? 
1 wish to ask our anti-gun nists in this 
matter, to consider that, if all law-abid¬ 
ing citizens were, forthwith, to dispense 
with firearms, the criminal class would 
immediately become emboldened, and 
murder, robbery and rapine would be¬ 
come the order of the day. We farmers 
who live isolated from our neighbors, 
keep firearms, not for the sake of com¬ 
mitting offense, but in order to prevent 
any assault beiDg made upon us. An 
argument against them based on the 
occasional accidents resulting there¬ 
from, is void from the fact that it proves 
too much. On the same grounds, 1 
might argue against travel by land and 
sea, the use of gas or electricity, the 
manufacture of explosives for industrial 
purposes, quarrying or mining, and so 
down the list. Many are so situated 
that the need of firearms may not be so 
apparent ; but even some of these may 
yet rue the day because they did not 
provide themselves with the protection 
within their reach. “For”, as once said 
a North Carolinian, “it may not be often 
that a man actually needs a gun, but 
when he does need it, he needs it 
darned bad.” See Luke xii.: 39. 
- Cincinnati. 
New York. 
ARMSTRONG & McKELVY 
Pittsburgh. 
BEYMER-BAUMAN 
Pittsburgh. 
DAVIS-CHAMBERS 
Pittsburgh. 
FAHNESTOCK 
Pittsburgh. 
ANCHOR ) 
[• Ci 
ECKSTEIN ) 
ATLANTIC 
BRADLEY 
BROOKLYN 
JEWETT 
ULSTER 
UNION 
SOUTHERN 
SHIPMAN 
COLLIER 1 
MISSOURI | 
RED SEAL 
SOUTHERN j 
JOHN T. LEWIS * BROS.CO 
] Philadelphia. 
| Chi 
Chicago. 
St. Louis. 
M0RLEY 
SALEM 
CORNELL 
KENTUCKY 
Cleveland. 
Salem, Mass. 
Buffalo. 
I F YOU DON’T KNOW, ask the prac- 
tical, responsible painter — ask anyone 
whose business it is to know — and he 
will tell you to use Pure White Lead and 
Pure Linseed Oil. They make the best and 
most durable paint. To be sure of getting 
Pure hite Lead 
examine the brand (see list genuine brands). 
For colors use the National Lead Co.’s 
Pure White Lead 'hinting Colors. No trouble 
to make or match a shade. 
Pamphlet giving valuable information and card showing samples 
of colors free; also cards showing pictures of twelve houses of different 
designs painted in various styles or combinations of shades forwarded 
upon application to those intending to paint. 
NATIONAL LEAD CO., 
I Broadway, New York. 
KEMP’S MANURE SPREADER 
16 Years on 
the Market. 
Improved 
for 1896. 
BREADS any kind of manure in any 
quantity to the 
quantity to the acre and does it better 
hand worn, even if a man spends ten 
on what the machine will do in two 
minutes. Sent to any responsible party 
subject to approval, who will furnish satisfactory references or rating of responsibility. Illustrated 
catalogue free. laii-geNt and oldest inaniifucturerH of manure qireudersln the world. 
KhMP & BURPEE MANUFACTURING CO., Box 38, Syracuse, N. Y 
Do You Want a Watch ? 
W HEN the prices of Watches were reduced during the panic of 
1893 and the following year, we thought that surely they 
would go up again promptly. But we find that we are still 
able to buj - them at panic prices, and some grades even cheaper than 
ever before. We urge no one to buy these watches of us. We 
simply know that retailers are obliged to make good profits on 
watches, no matter where they are located, and we are simply buy¬ 
ing these, as we want them, at wholesale prices, and add enough to 
cover cost of correspondence and postage, so that our readers, who 
want watches of any grade, can get them at practically wholesale 
prices. Every watch is guaranteed to us, and we, in turn, guarantee 
them to purchasers. We will return the money in any case of 
dissatisfaction. We, however, sell these watches only to subscribers. 
All Around Reduction in Waltham and Elgin Watches. 
Offer No. 200. “Crescent Street.” 
Elgin or Waltham Watch—Men’s Size, $4.50. > Waltham Watch—Men’s Size. Pride of the Wal- 
No. 200 is a handsome Elgin or Waltham Watch, tham Factory, 
men’s size. The works contain seven jewels, com- \ The best full-sized Waltham watch is called 
pensation balance, safety piuion, stem winding ; “Crescent Street.” This watch is made from the 
and setting apparatus, and all he greatest im- / very finest materials, each part being selected by 
provements. The case is open face only, and is ( expert workmen. Every wheel is perfect, every 
made of a composite that wears just like silver. ^ Jewel is a precious stone, every pinion is polished 
The case is made by the Keystone Watch Case , to the highest degree. In fact, this watch is, as 
Company and guaranteed in every respect. The ; the Waltham Company guarantees, “ perfect in 
case is made on the thin model plan. Price, $4.50. ( construction and finish.” The Company also says 
, in its catalogue that this is “ the finest full-plate 
Offer No. 201. / movement in the world.” The full plate is a re- 
Elgin or Waltham Watch—Men’s Size, $10. / cent improvement in watchmaking. It is a metal 
No. 201 is a gold filled open face case, dust j ca P’ covering all the mechanism, excepting the 
proof; guaranteed to wear like solid gold for 15 Glance, thus saving many bills for cleaning, 
years. The movement is seven jewels, stem wind These celebrated works are full jeweled with red 
and set, and contains all the latest improvements. < rub ^ J ewels iu solid ^ old settings. They contain 
Sent delivery guaranteed by registered mail for ) compensation expansion balance, safety pinion, 
$10. Hunting case, $3 extra. 8tem binding and setting apparatus, patent 
) Breguet hair-spring, hardened and tempered in 
Offer No 202. form, patent regulator and double sunk dial, 
Waltham Watch-Men’s Size, $13.50. { made expressly for this watch. The dial is 
) genuine. 
The AmericanWatch Company, at Waltham, has ( No 203 Cresc ent Street, Solid 14k., 40 dwt. 
made a reduction in the price of its 15-jewel move-' (Hunting case only).$52.90 
ments. We take the first opportunity to give our '( No. 204. Crescent Street. Gold filled, 20-year 
readers the advantage of the new price list, and Hunting or Open Face case. 37.00 
offer the following-described bargains. 1 No. 205. Crescent Street. Gold filled, 15-year. 
No. 202 is an open face, 15-jewel in settings, com- Hunting or Open Face case. 33.25 
pensation balance, patent Breguet hair-spring, 27.85 
hardened and tempered in form. White porcelain < No 2Q7 Crescent street , Solid Nickel Silver, 
dial, stem wind and pendant, set in a gold-filled, < Open Face dust-proof case. 25.00 
engraved or engine-turned pattern case. War- ) Q 
ranted to wear like solid gold for 15 years. We Offer No. 208. 
will send this watch to any address, delivery Ladies’Solid Gold Waltham or Elgin Watch, $20. 
guaranteed, for the sum of only $13.50. The works are manufactured at Waltham or 
_ _ „ ___ Elgin. They are made of the finest materials, 
er * carefully selected. The jewels are all cut and pol- 
Ladies’Gold Filled Waltham or Elgin Watch, $13.50 lshed iu Europe, where seerdt processes are 
No. 209 is a Ladies’ Gold-filled Engraved Watch, handed down from generation to generation. The 
guaranteed by the manufacturer to wear 15years, dial is made of the finest porcelain and the hands 
The works contain seven jewels, exposed pallets, of blue tempered steel. The case is solid 14k. 
safety pinion and all improvements. Price.de- United States Assay, handsomely engraved. We 
livery guaranteed, $13.50. will send this watch, delivery guaranteed, for $20. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, NEW YORK. 
