1892 
5 
THE  RURAL  NEW-YORKER. 
mand  high  prices,  and,  what  is  more  important,  would 
be  richly  worth  them.  The  bull  calves  of  inferior  cows 
would  not  be  registered,  as  they  ought  not  to  be,  for 
they  would  be  worthless  as  sires.  If,  in  addition  to 
pedigree  records,  the  club  deems  it  advisable  to  record 
the  percentage  of  butter  fat,  weight  of  milk,  period  of 
lactation,  the  improvement  so  long  sought  would  be 
greatly  promoted,  and  the  records  would  be  searched 
in  the  pursuit  of  good  bulls. 
The  simplicity,  accuracy  and  cheapness,  of  the  new 
chemical  test  appear  to  have  moved  all  obstacles  in  the 
way  of  this  step  forward  ;  such  records,  if  kept  at  all, 
would  necessarily  go  into  a  separate  book  kept  for  the 
purpose.  Sufficient  charge  might  be  made  to  cover 
the  cost.  Owners  of  cows  showing  a  high  test  would 
not  be  backward  in  using  such  a  register,  as  it  would 
be  their  very  best  advertisement.  Thus  may  we  stimu¬ 
late  a  rivalry  among  ourselves  to.  do  our  very  best  to 
enlarge  the  usefulness  of  the  best  foundation  dairy 
animal  known  to  the  world. 
KNOTS,  HITCHES  AND  BENDS. 
How  many  know  how  to  tie  a  knot  that  will  stay 
tied  ?  Not  many  landsmen,  according  to  our  observa¬ 
tion,  though  all  feel  the  need  of  such  knowledge.  The 
pictures  of  knots  shown  at  Fig.  5,  are  taken  from  a 
little  pamphlet  called  “  Manilla  Rope.”  In  this  book 
we  are  told  that  these  knots  are  known  by  the  follow¬ 
ing  names  :  A,  bight  of  a  rope;  B,  simple  or  overhand 
knot;  C,  figure-8  knot:  I),  double  knot;  E,  boat  knot; 
F,  bowline,  first  step;  G,  bowline,  second  step:  H,  bow¬ 
line,  completed:  I,  square  of  reef  knot;  J,  sheet  bend, 
or  weaver’s  knot;  K,  sheet  bend  with  a  toggle;  L,  Car- 
rick  bend;  M,  stevedore  knot  completed;  N,  stevedore 
knot  commenced;  O,  slip  knot;  P,  Flemish  loop;  Q, 
chain  knot  with  toggle;  R,  half-hitch;  S,  timber-hitch: 
T,  clove-hitch;  U,  rolling-hitch;  V,  timber-hitch  and 
half-hitch;  W,  Black  wall-hitch;  X,  fisherman’s  bend; 
Y,  round  turn  and  half-hitch;  Z,  wall  knot  com¬ 
menced;  A  A,  wall  knot  completed;  B  B,  wall  knot 
crown  commenced  ;  C  C,  wall  knot  crown  completed. 
The  principle  of  a  knot  is  that  no  two  parts,  which 
would  move  in  the  same  direction  if  the  rope  were  to 
slip,  should  lie  alongside  of  and  touching  each  other. 
The  bowline  is  one  of  the  most  useful  knots;  it  will  not 
slip,  and,  after  being  strained,  is  easily  untied.  It 
should  be  tied  with  facility  by  every  one  who  handles 
rope.  Commence  by  making  a  bight  in  the  rope,  then 
put  the  end  through  the  bight  and  under  the  standing 
part,  as  shown  in  G;  then  pass  the  end  again  through 
the  bight  and  haul  tight.  The  square  or  reef  knot 
must  not  be  mistaken  for  the  “  granny  ”  knot  that 
slips  under  a  strain.  Knots  II,  K  and  M  are  easily 
untied  after  being  under  strain.  The  knot  M  is  useful 
when  the  rope  passes  through  an  eye  and  is  held  by 
the  knot,  as  it  will  not  slip  and  is  easily  untied  after 
being  strained.  The  timber-hitch  S  looks  as  though  it 
would  give  way,  but  it  will  not ;  the  greater  the  strain 
the  tighter  it  will  hold.  The  wall  knot  looks  com¬ 
plicated,  but  is  easily  made  by  proceeding  as  follows  : 
Form  a  bight  with  strand  1,  and  pass  the  strand  2 
around  the  end  of  it,  and  the  strand  3  around  the  end  of 
2,  and  then  through  the  bight  of  1,  as  shown  in  the 
engraving  Z;  haul  the  ends  taut,  when  the  appearance 
is  as  shown  in  the  engraving  A  A.  The  end  of  the 
strand  1  is  now  laid  over  the  center  of  the  knot,  strand 
2  laid  over  1,  and  3  over  2,  when  the  end  of  3  is  passed 
through  the  bight  of  1,  as  shown  in  the  engraving1 
B  B;  haul  all  the  strands  taut  as  shown  in  the  engrav¬ 
ing  C  C. 
ANSWER  TO  CORRESPONDENTS. 
[Every  query  must  be  accompanied  by  the  name  and  address  of  the 
writer  to  insure  attention.  Before  asking  a  question  please  see  if  it  is 
not  answered  in  our  advertising  columns.  Ask  only  a  few  questions 
at  one  time.  Put  questions  on  a  separate  piece  of  paper.] 
Ensilage  for  Ewes  and  Horses. 
O.  H.  A.,  Monroe  County,  N.  Y. — Is  ensilage  suitable 
food  for  breeding  ewes  and  is  there  any  difference  in 
its  use  before  or  after  lambing?  It  is  intended  to  be 
mixed  with  cut  straw  (oat  or  wheat)  and  bran  mid- 
lings,  oil  meal  and  perhaps  some  corn  meal.  In  feed¬ 
ing  the  ewes  uncut  straw,  this  feed  and  some  clover 
hay  would  it  not  be  best  to  give  the  long  straw  the 
first  thing  in  the  morning?  A  few  roots  are  to  be  fed 
also,  and  is  it  not  better  to  cut  them?  Will  ensilage  do 
for  horses  and  colts  not  working? 
An'S. — Yes  when  fed  in  suitable  quantities.  About 
one  bushel  for  10  sheep  will  be  excellent.  Fed  before 
lambing,  it  keeps  the  ewes  in  good  condition,  and, 
continued  after  lambing,  it  helps  out  the  flow  of  milk 
and  keeps  the  system  in  good  order.  The  ewes  we 
think  will  be  likely  to  eat  the  long  straw  up  cleaner  if 
it  is  fed  in  the  morning  before  the  grain  and  ensilage 
are  given.  The  sheep  will  gnaw  the  roots  if  fed  whole, 
but  we  should  prefer  to  slice  them  if  possible,  as  they 
will  be  eaten  up  cleaner  and  give  each  sheep  a  better 
chance  to  get  a  fair  share.  Quite  a  number  of  feeders 
are  beginning  to  use  the  English  pulping  or  crushing 
machines  for  smashing  the  roots  into  a  soft  and  sticky 
mass  with  which  the  grain  can  be  easily  mixed.  Nine- 
tenths  of  the  current  evidence  is  to  the  effect  that  en¬ 
silage  is  a  first-class  food  for  colts  and  mares.  A  few 
adverse  reports  are  still  received,  however,  and  it  is 
well  to  begin  feeding  it  cautiously. 
How  Much  Food  Required  for  WorkP 
C.  F.  C.,  Elgin ,  Mich. — I  was  much  interested  in  a 
late  article  giving  the  nutritive  ratio  of  nitrogenous 
and  carbonaceous  foods  for  cows.  What  is  the 
proper  ratio  for  a  farm  horse  at  work  ?  Should  it  be 
the  same  in  winter  when  idle  ? 
Ans. — Mr.  Stewart’s  article  in  this  issue  explains 
this  matter  pretty  well.  Dr.  Wolff’s  feeding  standards 
for  a  horse  weighing  1,000  pounds  call  for  a  ratio  of 
one  to  6%  when  at  light  work,  and  one  to  5%  when  at 
hard  labor.  That  is,  figured  the  same  as  on  page  800, 
a  horse  at  light  work  should  have  food  containing  1% 
pound  of  protein,  9  1-10  pounds  of  carbohydrates  and 
3-10  pound  of  fat.  When  the  work  becomes  heavy  he 
must  have  2  4-5  pounds  of  protein,  13  2-5  pounds  of 
carbohydrates,  and  4-5  pound  of  fat.  This  increase  of 
food  represents  about  the  difference  in  force  required 
to  do  heavier  work.  By  consulting  the  figures  on 
page  800,  one  can  readily  figure  how  much  grain  and 
hay  will  be  required  for  the  increase. 
Something-  About  New  York  Roads. 
E.  J.  P.,  Medina,  N.  Y. — 1.  Where  can  I  obtain  a 
good  work  on  the  highways  of  this  State  ?  2.  How 
many  miles  of  highways  are  there  in  the  State  outside 
of  cities  and  towns  ?  3.  How  many  miles  of  railroad  ? 
4.  What  is  the  cost  of  maintaining  a  mile  of  railroad  ? 
5.  What  of  building  a  mile  of  asphalt  pavement? 
0.  What  of  building  a  mile  of  railroad  ? 
Ans. — 1.  We  do  not  know  of  any  good  work  dealing 
with  the  roads  of  New  York  State.  The  Secretary  of 
State  at  Albany  can  doubtless  send  you  statistics  and 
figures.  We  do  not  know  of  any  practical  book  on  road 
making  that  will  be  of  much  service  to  one  without 
some  knowledge  of  engineering.  In  fact,  it  seems  to 
be  about  as  hard  to  tell  a  man  how  to  build  a  highway 
as  it  would  be  to  describe  the  building  of  a  railroad. 
2.  We  cannot  say.  We  will  try  to  collect  the  figures 
later.  3.  For  the  year  ending  June  30,  1889 — the  latest 
figures  at  hand — there  were  in  New  York  State  7,080 
miles  of  tracks.  There  were  six  States  with  a  greater 
mileage  than  New  York,  viz  :  Illinois,  Kansas,  Iowa, 
Pennsylvania,  Ohio  and  Texas.  4.  It  is  impossible  to 
give  the  figures  for  New  York  State  alone.  The  fol¬ 
lowing  figures  represent  a  summary  and  average  of  all 
the  railroads  in  the  country,  viz :  1,704  companies, 
operating  157,758  miles  of  road,  with  29,030  locomotives 
and  1,097,591  cars,  and  employing  704,743  persons: 
Cost  of  carrying  one  passenger  one  mile . $.0199 
Cost  of  carrying  one  ton  of  freight  one  mile . 0092 
Cost  of  running  a  passenger  train  one  mile . 8300 
Cost  of  running  a  freight  train  one  mile .  1 .00 
Average  cost  of  all  trains  one  mile . 948 
The  following  figures  give  the  cost  on  several  roads 
that  run  through  New  York  : 
1  passenger  I  ton 
Total  Cost  of  1  mile.  1  mile. 
Itoad.  Miles,  expenses.  maint’ing.  Cents.  Cents. 
N.  Y.  Central....  1,420  22,550,731  ]  i’913|855  ll28  M 
Erie .  1,832  17,075,907  ]  b)ioo!s02  1,35  -  415 
I).,  Jj.  &  W .  779  11,783,501  j  i;«28,388  1-64  -581 
N.Y..&W .  424  1,537,444  j  1.524  1.108 
Under  the  “cost  of  maintaining,”  the  first  item  re¬ 
fers  to  the  cost  of  keeping  up  the  road  bed,  and  the 
second  to  the  cost  of  keeping  up  the  equipment  of  cars, 
etc.  5.  It  depends  largely  upon  the  grade,  character 
of  the  soil,  situation,  etc.  Probably  a  little  over  $1  per 
square  yard  would  be  an  average  price.  6.  No  fair 
answer  can  be  given,  as  all  depends  upon  the  char¬ 
acter  of  the  ground,  the  number  and  extent  of  the  ex¬ 
cavations  that  must  be  made  and  the  number  of  bridges 
needed.  “From  $30,000  to  $250,000  per  mile ’’would 
be  a  fair  estimate. 
Chemical  Fertilizers  for  Grass  Land. 
W.  B.,  Colehrook,  Conn. — Will  it  pay  to  use  commer¬ 
cial  fertilizer  on  mowings  of  a  run-down  farm?  I  can’t 
plow  them  all,  and  have  not  stock  enough  yet  to  fur¬ 
nish  any  more  manure  than  can  go  on  the  plowed  por¬ 
tions;  and  yet  I  need  all  the  hay  I  can  get  as  I  go 
along.  If  fertilizing  broadcast  in  spring  would  pay, 
what  chemical  constituents  must  I  get  ?  I  have  two 
acres  plowed  for  oats  and  intend  to  let  them  ripen  ; 
what  kind  of  chemicals  can  I  use  on  this  piece  to  ad¬ 
vantage? 
Ans. — We  could  only  venture  a  guess  as  to  whether  it 
will  pay  to  use  fertilizers  on  “mowings.”  How  far  is  the 
land  run  down?  How  long  has  it  been  in  grass?  What 
kind  of  grass?  We  are  sure  that  complete  fertilizers  will 
bring  any  reasonably  strong  land  into  grass  if  the  soil  can 
be  cultivated  so  as  to  kill  out  the  worst  weeds  and  ma  ke 
a  good  seed  bed  for  the  grass  seeds.  If  the  “mowings” 
are  filled  with  worthless  weeds  with  much  of  the 
grass  killed  out — as  is  the  case  with  many  such  fields — 
we  doubt  if  the  fertilizer  would  pay,  for  while  the  grass 
would  be  better,  the  weeds  would  also  be  stronger.  If 
the  mowings  are  really  “run  down,”  we  do  not  be¬ 
lieve  they  can  be  restored  without  breaking  them  up. 
We  should  plant  corn  on  the  sod  with  at  least  (>()() 
pounds  of  complete  fertilizer  per  acre.  If  potatoes  are 
a  salable  crop  with  you  try  them  next  with  at  least 
1,000  pounds  of  fertilizer;  then  seed  to  wheat  or  rye 
and  grass.  This  may  seem  a  slow  way  to.  obtain  the 
“mowings,”  but  it  is  safe  and  siire  for  there  are  nine 
chances  in  ten  that  the  potato  crop  will  pay  all  ex¬ 
penses.  When  Timothy  is  once  well  started,  yearly 
applications  of  fertilizers  will  hold  it.  As  to  the  proper 
fertilizers,  our  friend  must  decide  whether  he  ought  to 
buy  and  use  the  raw  material  or  the  mixed  fertilizers 
of  the  dealers.  In  the  absence  of  any  definite  knowl¬ 
edge  as  to  the  needs  of  this  “run-down  ”  land,  we  must 
advise  him  to  use  complete  fertilizers  whether  lie  uses 
the  raw  material  or  dealers’  brands. 
Causes  of  Bitter  Milk. 
E.  II.  B.,  Wellsville,  Pa. — Why  do  my  cows  give  bitter 
milk  ?  It  is  not  noticed  until  the  cream  rises.  They  are 
fed  some  oil  meal  ;  would  that  affect  the  milk  ? 
Ans. — The  most  common  cause  is  due  to  the  change 
in  the  milk  which  occurs  in  the  last  period  of  gesta¬ 
tion.  The  milk  of  some  cows  two  months  or  10  weeks 
before  calving  becomes  bitter  or  salty.  Disease  of  the 
liver  or  a  state  of  the  system  corresponding  to  “bil¬ 
iousness  ”  in  a  human  being  may  give  a  more  or  less 
bitter  taste  to  the  milk.  Some  weeds  and  other  plants 
when  in  large  quantities  in  the  hay,  may  affect  the 
milk.  We  feel  sure  that  decaying  cabbages  or  potatoes, 
when  fed  between  milkings,  will  give  a  bad  taste  to  the 
milk.  Unhealthy  or  filthy  stables,  when  near  garbage 
or  other  decaying  matter,  may  give  the  milk  a  bad 
flavor  if  it  remains  there  for  any  length  of  time.  We 
feed  oil  meal  every  day  and  have  no  trouble  from  bit¬ 
ter  milk.  Sometimes  when  milk  is  set  in  damp,  cold, 
moldy  places,  like  a  wet  cellar  in  which  provisions  are 
stored,  the  cream  has  a  bitter  taste.  A  single  unhealthy 
cow  might  give  all  the  milk  a  ‘  ‘  bad  name  ”  if  it  is 
mixed  together. 
Fish  and  Strawberries. 
W.  B.,  Troupsburg,  N.  Y. — 1.  I  have  just  road  the 
article  on  planting  fish,  page  894.  I  have  two  good 
locations  for  fish  ponds  on  my  farm.  The  only  serious 
difficulty  is  to  get  the  fish  planted.  Will  the  Commis¬ 
sion  sell  fish  for  private  ponds  ?  2.  I  expect  to  have 
a  fine  crop  of  strawberries.  Fresh  fish  is  a  luxury 
which  many  farmers  may  enjoy  at  small  expense.  My 
farm  is  nearly  100  acres.  I  use  irrigation  for  the  gar¬ 
den  and  berry  patch.  The  water  is  brought  through 
pipes  from  springs  on  the  hill,  having  a  fall  of  175  to 
200  feet. 
Ans. — 1.  Apply  to  E.  C.  Blackford,  President  of  the 
New  York  State  Fish  Commission,  New  York,  and  we 
think  he  will  supply  you.  2.  Strawberries  and  fish  make 
a  good  combination.  It  is  a  fact  that  farmers  should 
have  more  fish  to  go  with  the  berries.  It  is  a  “  great 
scheme  ”  to  have  the  fish  pond  between  the  spring  and 
the  berry  patch,  and  thus  make  the  water  do  double 
service. 
Miscellaneous. 
Ailanthus  'Free. — F.  H.,  Greenwood,  N.  Y. — This  is  a 
tree  that  we  have  never  cared  to  admire  except  upon 
the  premises  of  others.  The  seeds,  if  fresh,  will  sprout 
readily  at  any  season  in  a  proper  temperature — say  one 
of  70  degrees.  Many  of  the  seeds  are  abortive.  Seeds¬ 
men  offer  them  at  about  25  cents  the  ounce. 
Pruning  Evergreens. — W.  B.  C.,  Shippensburg,  Pa. — If 
the  trees  are  small  disbudding  is  advisable  by  all 
means — otherwise  cut  back  the  lateral  shoots.  Dis¬ 
budding  for  large  trees  involves  too  much  trouble.  We 
prefer  to  prune  in  late  August ;  otherwise  in  early 
spring,  before  growth  starts  and  just  so  soon  as  the 
fear  of  intensely  cold  weather  is  past.  You  may  per¬ 
haps  secure  Swedes  at  the  Swedish  Emigrant  Home, 
14  Greenwich  Street,  New  York. 
Pecans  Not  Fruiting. — W.  H.  F.,  Mobile,  Ala. — As  to 
your  pecan  trees,  14  years  old,  that  “  blossom  every 
year  but  form  very  few  nuts,”  the  only  cause  we  can 
assign  is  that  the  pollen  ripens  before  or  after  the 
female  flowers  are  receptive.  How  many  trees  are 
there  and  how  far  apart  ? 
Silo  for  Whole  Corn.— -A.  F.  A.,  Grand  View,  Tenn. 
— Yes,  you  can  build  “  a  silo  for  one  or  two  cows  to  be 
filled  with  uncut  corn.”  Whether  it  will  pay  or  not 
is  something  that  must  be  determined  by  trial.  There 
will  be  some  loss  in  the  whole  corn;  but  probably  not 
enough  to  warrant  the  cost  of  cutting  the  stalks  for 
only  two  cows.  It  depends  much  upon  how  much  you 
have  to  do  in  winter. 
