40 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[March, 



while the}- may not yield so much butter when 

 fresh as "some others, it is more regular, and 

 they continue in milk for a longer period be- 

 tween calving, which will more than make up 

 the difference. 



The Ayrshires, which have been more re- 

 cently introduced, have gained quite a reputa- 

 tion as milkers. Considering size and build 

 of the animal, the yield and quality of milk 

 and butter places this breed very favorably 

 before the public. 



The Dutch or Holstein cattle are also of 

 modern introduction in this country, and have 

 already many admirers. They are of large 

 size, and their unifonnity of appearance is 

 evidence of being a fixed type. As milkers, 

 they have probably no superiors in reference 

 to quantity, but it is rather deficient in richness. 

 The Devon dates back probably as far as 

 any known breed, and yet they have not be- 

 come so generally disseminated as some other 

 breeds. As milkers they have no special re- 

 putation, but a healthier breed is nowhere to 

 be found. As workers they have no rival, un- 

 less it be the Holstein, which also stands pre- 

 eminent in that line. Whatever the merits of 

 the latter breeds may be, an objectionable 

 feature is their large horns, which disfigiu-es 

 them in the estimation of the growing senti- 

 ment, which is inclined to breed still less 

 horns, and may we not hope that these un- 

 necessary and dangerous appendages may be 

 bred out altogether. 



The Herefords have strong advocates, but 

 very few have been introduced into this sec- 

 tion of country, and they are but little known 

 here. 



The common stock throughout the country, 

 if it will bear the title of a breed, is certainly 

 a conglomerate one, as it embraces all the 

 shades, colors, forms and sizes imaginable, as 

 well as some of the best and poorest milkers 

 that can be foimd anywhere. 



The question consequently arises, what breed 

 of cattle is most profitable to the farmer ? 

 This being a mooted question, it is hardly ex- 

 pecte d to be settled by scribbling over a few 

 pages of foolscap. It is more likely that it 

 never will be settled, as farmers seem to agree 

 to disagree upon this as upon many other 

 questions. The selection of animals for profit 

 depends very much upon the purpose for which 

 they are wanted, whether for beef, milk, 

 cheese, butter or show, or all these qualities 

 combined. If the latter, then postei'ity may 

 celebrate at least another centennial before 

 the object will lie realized. That the different 

 breeds possess different merits, and may be, 

 or are already, to a great extent, classified as 

 such, need not be questioned; but as each 

 breed has advocates claiming its superiority 

 over all others, there are many who would 

 sell out their own and t)uy other stock, or im- 

 prove it by crossing, were it not for the con- 

 fusion of reports from breeders. 



In summing up these reports, the result in- 

 dicates that the largest amount of milk and 

 butter productions from single animals of the 

 varioiis breeds, native or common not ex- 

 excepted, doesnot materially vary. It is there- 

 fore of primary importance to make a judi- 

 cious selection of stock adapted to the ob- 

 ject in view, whether it be milk, cream, 

 cheese or Ijutter, for among the various breeds 

 no one need go far amiss if he keep his eyes 

 open and exercises proper judgment. — -H. 3f. 

 M, Marietta, Pa., Mar. 4, 1876. 



For The Lancaster Farmer. 

 SELECTION OF SEED CORN. 



In the February number, J. B. (whoever 

 that may be) takes me to task to give him fur- 

 ther information as to how friend Cooper man- 

 aged to improve his crops by a judicious selec- 

 tion of seed from his own farm. I rarely 

 think it worth while to reply to anonymous 

 correspondents. However, in this instance a 

 few remarks may be advisable. 



As .1. B. has got off the track of my former 

 article, I shall reply as I think most suitable. 

 Evidently his object in noticing my commu- 

 nication was to inform the readers of The 



Farmer that he grows large crops of corn — 

 eighty to- ninety bushels on an average per 

 acre. 



He desires to be informed of "Cooper's plan 

 of growing corn in New .Jersey — what kind of 

 fertilizers "he used, how he planted his corn," 

 &c., and says " the answers would be a great 

 help." Cooper's statements were published 

 some forty or more years ago, either in the 

 American Farmer, of' Baltimore, or in the 

 Farmers^ Cahinet, of Philadelphia. I have 

 these publications of that time, but do not 

 care to hunt up the article at present. 



In my former article, I gave the facts and 

 the rcsidt of how Cooper improved his crops 

 by selecting his seed from crops on his own 

 farm, showing that crops would not deterior- 

 ate, but improve, and that there was no ad- 

 vantage gained by procuring seed of the same 

 variety from a distance, and the chances were 

 liy changing seed the result most likely would 

 be a fresh croji of weeds. But, as J. B. says, 

 "he selects his seed corn from his own crib," 

 and yet raises eighty-seven to ninety bushels 

 shelled corn on an acre, I should think any 

 reasonable farmer ought to be satisfied ; yet J. 

 B. wishes to know the mimdkr. of Cooper's 

 management, as he thinks "it would be a 

 great help." Does he suppose by getting this 

 " great hel]) " he could then grow four or five 

 hundred bushels per acre '? Such wonderful 

 progress no doubt would stimulate the whole 

 farming fraternity, and by this "great help " 

 such enormous crops would be produced that 

 it could not be used up, unless, as in some of 

 the western states, it would have to be used 

 for fuel.— J". B. Oarber, Columbia, Pa., Feb- 

 ruary 28, 1876. 



^ 



For The Lancaster Farmer. 

 POTATO CULTURE. 

 My meagre knowledge about potato culture 

 may scarcely be entitled to a corner in your 

 journal ; yet if in my feeble remarks Init a 

 simple hint or idea may be given for the bene- 

 fit of another, my efforts will be more than 

 repaid ; but if, through my simplicity, others 

 with larger knowledge take courage to detail 

 their experience, they will disseminate a good 

 that will return a rich reward. Are there 

 any who feel that if potatoes need looking 

 after, " give me the hoe ; I have not cultivated 

 with the pen ? I feel more so. That we 

 have cultivated with the hoe, gives, however, 

 the very substance for the pen ; if such of us 

 give but our mite to each others' experience, 

 it cannot otherwise but result to the interest 

 of all. 



Having nothing to boast of enormous yields 

 of 40-oz. potatoes, I would merely say I grew 

 the Early Rose potato since it was first intro- 

 duced, investing a dollar for one pound. 

 These were cut to single eyes, planting them 

 in a loamy soil of medium fertility, in hills 

 2x2 feet, enriched with a half-peck of finely 

 broken up barn-yard manure to each hill. The 

 yield was seventy-two pounds. Upon the in- 

 troduction of the Snowflake potato, two 

 years ago, I obtained one tuber weighing one- 

 third of a pound. This was divided in halves, 

 laying the pieces cut-side down on pure sand, 

 and covered with rich soil two inches deep. 

 After the sprouts were out a few inches the 

 pieces were taken up, the sprouts carefully 

 slipped off, returning the pieces to their for- 

 mer situation. The slips were potted singly 

 in 3-inch pots, and kept shaded and well 

 watered until fully established. After grow- 

 ing in the pots to the height of three to five 

 inclies they were transplanted in hills, same 

 as described for the Early Rose. This process 

 was repeated three times with the pieces. 



The season being excessively dry, the last 

 planting did very little. The yield was 5.5 

 pounds. On these occasions my neighV)ors 

 thought me qiiite successful ; yet I well knew, 

 that with better fertilized hills, and with more 

 favoral)le conditions, much better results 

 could be obtained. But how immensely were 

 my ideas short of what was actually achieved 

 last season by several growers of Snowllake, 

 using one pound of seed cut to single eyes I 

 P. C. Wood, Esther, 111., raised 1,417 pounds ; 



J. L. Perkins, Little Sioux, Iowa, 1,304 lbs. ; 

 Frederick H. Seller, Verona, Essex county, 

 K. .J., 1,125 lbs. A number of others had re- ^H 

 suits nearly as great. Enormous as these pro- ^| 

 ducts mayappear, yet each party had reasons 

 to conclude that still greater yields can be 

 reached. One party gathered 56 pounds from 

 two hills ; had all his hillS yielded similar re- 

 sults, his product would have been a little 

 over forty-one ban-els from one pound of po- 

 tatoes. 



To gain these results, soil of great depth 

 and highest fertility was selected, to which 

 was added very liberal applications of wood 

 ashes, hen manure and plaster, lioth in hill 

 and as surface dressing. These facts are re- 

 ferred to merely to show what has really been 

 accomplished by giving plants plenty of proper 

 food. 



lieaving these lofty attainments, we will 

 i-eturn to those who are most successful in 

 general field culture. It is needless to go into 

 details as to the condition of soil. All will 

 admit that well-drained soil of high fertility is 

 the basis on which to build a good crop, but 

 how to build may be a question answered more 

 diversely. The ground deeply plowed and 

 thoroughly cultivated, the mode of planting 

 adopted by very successful cultivators is to cross- 

 furrow six or eight inches deep, three feet apart, 

 and drop a set at each intersection, covering 

 with about two inches of soil. As the vines 

 grow, cultivation begins by hilling up, which is 

 continxied as the plants advance, in some in- 

 stances to eighteen inches high, making large, 

 broad hills. By giving the hills this distance 

 apart, the roots have plenty of room to ramify 

 and find abundant food without stinting their 

 neighbors. Here the question may be asked, 

 would it not be an especial advantage, at least 

 now that we have to entertain the Colorado 

 potato bug as a guest, to use every means to 

 bring our potato vines to the highest degree 

 of vigor ; so that if our unwelcome visitor 

 gets at least a luncheon before the vines are 

 seasoned with the specific remedy (Paris 

 Green) the plants may suffer less immediate 

 damage, and be in good condition to outgrow 

 it — thiis perfecting a more bountiful crop, and 

 well repaying all extra feeding. 



Descending still lower, or to my own level, 

 I will say a few words more about my own 

 experience. From practical tests, I have 

 found that seed grown in widely separated 

 localities yields better and produces finer pota- 

 toes than that grown on the same place ; 

 hence it is a profitable investment to obtain a 

 change of seed. Growing mostly for early 

 marketing, the system spoken of above was 

 not practiced by myself; as the crop was taken 

 up before fully grown, so much space was un- 

 necessary. I have rather practiced close plant- 

 ing, drawing furrows two feet apart and drop- 

 ping sets of two a\id three eyes every nine 

 inches. In the season of 1875, in the face of 

 an excessive drouth in early summer, I had 

 a fine yield of Early Rose and Snowflake, by 

 drawing furrows eight inches deep, through 

 which a narrow cultivator with long, sharp 

 teeth was run, pulverizing the soil six inches 

 deeper, on which was sprinkled a dressing of 

 broken up stable manure, the sets being 

 dropped on and covered with about two inches 

 of soil. As the vines grew they were ridged 

 up. Much advantage is gained in earliness 

 by putting the seed potatoes, spread in a sin- 

 gle layer, in a moderately warm light place 

 two or three weeks in advance of planting 

 time, to develop the eyes. To use means to 

 get potatoes to mature early is not only an 

 advantage for early marketing, but a great 

 gain by shortening "the time of the bug war. 

 To the same end, varieties with compact vines 

 are desirable. 



As to varieties, it may be presumed that 

 those of which I have spoken are my favorites. 

 The Early Rose needs no praise; it has be- 

 come a standard variety. The Snowflake is 

 as yet a new comer, but it needs no further re- 

 commendation than its own high merits in all 

 that pertains to a first-class potato, to dissem- 

 inate it with express speed to every corner of 

 the land.— D. K. H., Lancaster, Feb. 26, 1876. 



