102 Bureau of Farmers' Institutes. 



another, the old, of the moon. There is more moonshine than 

 anything else in the theory. 



Mr. Chapman. — I once heard an old darkey say that he knew 

 that watermelons would go very much further in the full, than 

 in the new, of the moon. 



Question. — How much better is a separator than a creamer, and 

 what kind of separator would you recommend ? 



Mr. Richardson. — The first part of that question is easier to 

 answer than the latter. There is no comparison between the two 

 systems. The separator takes all but a trace of the fat out of the 

 milk. The creamer will not. There are a number of good sepa- 

 rators now in the market. All do excellent work. 



Question. — Is there not a great loss of plant food by leaching 

 from fall plowing? 



Mr. Chapman. — There are but three elements of plant food 

 which we care anything about. These are nitrogen, potash and 

 phosphoric acid. The last two cannot get away unless they are 

 washed out of the soil. The first mentioned must be changed into 

 a nitrate, which will not evaporate unless the soil reaches a tem- 

 perature of 70 degrees. So there can be no loss from that source. 



Question. — Which is the cheaper — to bring water from a 

 spring 120 rods away, or put up a windmill and tank? 



Mr. Woodward. — That would mean buying 120 rods of pipe. 

 I should put up the windmill and tank. I have a mill that has 

 been in use for 13 years, and it has not cost me 15 cents a year 

 for repairs. 



A Farmer. — Why not use a gasoline engine, instead of a wind- 

 mill? 



Mr. Woodward. — It would require some one to start and stop 

 the engine, and there would be some expense for gasoline. There 

 is nothing so cheap as wind for motive power. 



Question. — If you have a piece of sod ground in which to plant 

 corn, will it pay to plow it and sow rye, the fall before, and then 

 plow it under in the spring for the corn crop? 



Mr. Woodward. — I should much prefer to have the grass on 

 the ground. We allow it to grow all it will in the spring, never 

 plowing the land till we are ready to plant the com. Sometimes 

 we have to put a chain on the plow, to get the grass all under. 

 We then roll down the furrows hard, after which we fine the soil 

 perfectly. This grass turned under will make humus to hold 

 moisture, which the corn must, have to mature it. 



