152 
March  5 
THE  RURAL  NEW-YORKER. 
vein  of  water,  but,  in  deepening1  it,  he  struck  a  bed  of 
sand  that  dried  it,  and  was  compelled  to  fill  it  up  to 
the  original  level  to  make  it  retain  water.  1  his  hap¬ 
pens  quite  frequently,  and  the  question  arises  whether 
it  is  not  possible  that  outlets  could  be  got  for  tile 
draining  some  lands  by  using  driven  wells  that  inter¬ 
sect  large  water  veins.  It  would  seem  that  the  mat¬ 
ter  is  worthy  of  some  consideration.  Those  who  do 
not  live  on  flat  lands,  hedged  in  by  similar  lands  on 
neighboring  farms,  can  hardly  appreciate  the  mag¬ 
nitude  of  the  difficulties  that  present  themselves  to 
those  who  wish  to  tile.  If  those  who  are  thus  situated 
could  find  outlets  beneath,  we  could  appreciate  the  in¬ 
dependence  of  farm  life  much  better.  ai.va  agke. 
What  Is  Being  Done  About  “Oleo.” 
The  records  of  the  courts  of  this  city  and  Brooklyn 
furnish  some  items  nowadays  that  make  interesting 
reading  to  dairymen  and  the  friends  of  honest  butter 
generally.  We  allude  to  convictions  for  selling  bogus 
butter.  Since  the  1st  of  January  the 
following  persons  were  arraigned  with 
the  appended  results : 
Andrew  T.  Moore,  restaurant,  at  68 
Columbia  Street,  Brooklyn.  Charged 
with  selling  fraudulent  butter;  pleaded 
guilty,  and  was  fined  $50. 
Charles  H.  Wheelock,  restaurant,  No. 
2  Atlantic  Avenue,  Brooklyn.  Same 
charge;  pleaded  guilty;  fined  $50. 
Thomas  Brennan,  keeper  of  a  boarding¬ 
house,  at  24  Albany  Street,  New  York. 
Charged  with  the  unlawful  sale  of  fraud¬ 
ulent  butter;  tried,  convicted  and  fined  $50 
Joseph  II.  Cople,  restaurant,  40  Front 
Street,  New  York.  Same  charge;  tried, 
convicted  and  fined  $50. 
James  S.  Pell,  restaurant,  10  and  12 
Ann  Street,  New  York.  Same  charge; 
tried,  convicted  and  fined  $50. 
Charles  Groll,  restaurant,  Nos.  1  and  2 
State  Street.  Same  charge;  tried,  con¬ 
victed  and  fined  $50.  This  will  be  pleas¬ 
ant  reading  to  the  brokers  of  the  Produce 
Exchange,  who  were  prominent  among 
his  patrons,  and  who  doubtless  supposed 
they  were  eating  fine  butter. 
Moses  J.  Nichols,  restaurant,  48  White¬ 
hall  Street.  Same  charge;  tried,  con¬ 
victed  and  fined  $50. 
Charles  Roberg,  restaurant,  866  Eleventh  Avenue. 
Same  charge;  tried,  convicted  and  fined  $50. 
The  Rural  notes  these  excerpts  from  the  court  pro¬ 
ceedings  with  unalloyed  satisfaction  and  was  impelled, 
after  securing  them,  to  call  on  Assistant  Dairy  Com¬ 
missioner  Van  Valkenburgli,  to  learn  what  further 
work  was  going  on  in  his  department. 
“  i  see  you  have  been  reminding  some  transgressors 
of  the  dairy  laws  recently  that  the  way  of  ‘  the  trans¬ 
gressor  is  hard,’”  said  The  Rural  rep¬ 
resentative  to  Mr.  Van  Valkenburgh, 
showing  him  the  extracts  above  given. 
“Oh,  yes,”  he  replied,  “and  in  the 
language  of  the  familiar  hymn,  ‘  there’s 
more  to  follow.’  Twenty -three  other 
offenders  have  been  arrested  and  held  for 
trial  and  I  have  about  a  dozen  more  upon 
whom  the  warrants  have  not  yet  been 
served.” 
“Where  does  all  this  ‘oleo’  come  from  ?” 
“Some  from  Chicago,  some  from  Pro¬ 
vidence  and  other  points.  1  he  salesmen 
for  it  generally  take  orders  and  have 
it  shipped  directly  from  the  factory  to 
the  purchaser  in  the  original  package, 
and  under  the  decision  of  the  1  nited 
States  Supreme  Court,  we  cannot  meddle 
with  it  until  the  purchaser  in  turn  be¬ 
gins  its  sale.” 
“Is  any  of  this  stuff  manufactured  in 
New  York  ?” 
“  Not  a  pound.  Armour  &  Co.,  of  Chi¬ 
cago,  have  an  extensive  warehouse  here 
where  it  is  stored  as  shipped  from  Chicago, 
but  this,  I  think,  is  mostly  distributed 
into  other  States— New  Jersey,  Pennsyl¬ 
vania  and  the  Eastern  States.” 
“  Do  you  look  with  any  more  favor  on  this  counter¬ 
feit  than  you  did  formerly  ?  ” 
“  Decidedly  not.  It  is  the  meanest  kind  of  a  fraud 
and  I  have  never  yet  met  a  respectable  man  who 
bought  it  for  his  family,  knowing  what  it  is.  1  do  not 
believe  it  is  made  of  any  better  materials  than  entei  ed 
into  it  two  or  three  years  ago.” 
“  Do  you  know  of  the  use  of  fat  from  animals  dying 
of  disease  being  used  in  it  ?  ”  said  The  Rural. 
“  I  have  no  positive  knowledge  that  such  is  the  case, 
but  there  are  some  mighty  suspicious  circumstances. 
The  establishments  at  Barren  Island  and  Elizabeth, 
N.  J.,  produce  two  grades  of  fat,  one  of  which  is 
bleached  very  white.  Much  of  this  is  shipped  to  this 
city  in  new  barrels,  without  any  mark,  and  here  it  is 
stored  in  warehouses.  Where  it  goes  after  that  I  hav e 
never  been  able  to  find  out,  though  I  have  made  earnest 
efforts  to  do  so.  I  have  my  suspicions.” 
We  trust  Mr.  Van  Valkenburgh  will  go  on  vigorously 
with  the  work.  There  is  nothing  to  be  said  in  favor 
of  this  meanest  of  all  frauds,  bogus  butter. 
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.] 
An  Acre  of  Onions. 
E.  E.  S.,  Franklin,  Ohio.— I  think  of  planting  an  acre 
of  onions.  1.  Can  I  raise  them  from  seed  ?  2.  What 
kind  is  most  profitable  ?  3.  How  close  should  they  be 
drilled?  4.  How  much  fertilizer  and  what  kind?  I 
Building  of  Standard  Butter  Company 
should  like  to  hear  from  some  onion  growers  through 
The  Rural. 
Ans.— 1 The  great  bulk  of  the  onion  crop  is  grown 
from  seed,  though  Mr.  T.  Greiner’s  new  method,  of 
sowing  the  seed  in  hot-beds  and  transplanting  to  the 
field,  has,  so  far,  been  productive  of  results  that  seem 
remarkable  when  contrasted  with  the  crops  grown  by 
the  old  methods.  Such  crops  run  from  250  to  600 
bushels  per  acre,  400  or  500  being  common,  while 
Laboratory  at  Standard  Butter  Factory.  Fig 
double  that  amount  may  be  grown  by  the  new  method. 
2.  The  old  favorites  have  been  Red  Wethersfield,  Yel¬ 
low  Danvers,  Silverskin  and  White  Globe.  More 
recently,  the  Italian  and  Spanish  varieties  have  been 
grown  by  many.  The  demands  of  your  market  should 
be  consulted  ere  you  settle  the  question  of  varieties. 
If  you  transplant,  the  Prizetaker- is  very  highly  com¬ 
mended.  3.  Rows  are  generally  drilled  about  a  foot 
apart.  4.  The  onion  needs  a  rich  soil.  It  costs  as 
much  for  labor  to  care  for  a  poor  field  as  for  a  rich 
one.  Stable  manure  is  good.  Put  on  enough  to 
make  the  land  grow  a  big  crop  of  corn  and  then  put  on 
as  much  more— it  will  not  be  too  much.  High-grade 
fertilizers  are  excellent  for  onions — some  of  the  best 
growers  rely  almost  exclusively  on  them.  Keeping 
the  onions  free  from  weeds  is  one  of  the  requisites  and 
in  this  direction,  commercial  fertilizers  are  better,  not 
filling  the  ground  with  grass  and  weed  seeds,  as  does 
stable  manure.  You  will  need  a  seed  drill,  and  some 
special  tools  for  cultivation — the  Planet  J rs.  are  among 
the  best.  High  fertilizing  and  clean  culture  are  requi¬ 
sites  to  success  ;  lacking  in  either,  failure  is  certain. 
Double  Crops  of  Potatoes;  Clovers  for  Mountains. 
Subscriber,  Buncombe  County,  N.  C. — 1.  It  is  stated  that 
Eastern  truck  farmers  raised  a  second  crop  of  potatoes 
for  seed,  and  that  better  crops  are  raised  from  such 
seed  ;  how  is  this  done  ?  If  a  second  crop  can  be  raised 
in  New  England,  I  think  it  can  be  done  here  in  the 
mountains  of  North  Carolina.  2.  I  notice  that  several 
potato  growers  discard  the  seed  end,  but  I  have  never 
seen  any  reason  assigned  for  the  practice.  What  is  it  ? 
3.  If  I  sow  Mammoth  Clover  this  spring  with  small 
gram,  will  the  crop  seed  in  the  fall,  and  by  plowing 
the  clover  under,  will  it  seed  the  land  for  another  crop  ? 
The  common  Red  Clover  will  do  this.  Will  the  larger 
be  likely  to  do  better  on  sandy  soil  than  the  common 
Red? 
Ans. — Growing  two  crops  of  potatoes  in  the  same 
season  is  practicable  only  where  early  planting  in  the 
spring  is  possible,  and  the  fall  season  is 
long  enough  to  ripen  a  crop  planted  in 
June.  This  may  be  done  in  Buncombe 
County,  N.  C.,  as  well  as  in  the  eastern 
part  of  the  State.  I  have  done  it  in 
Macon  County,  where  the  season  is  not 
so  long  as  in  Buncombe.  The  potato  will 
sprout  quickly  as  soon  as  the  soil  is 
warm,  and  will  make  roots  in  March  and 
sometimes  in  February.  My  plan  has 
been  to  plant  in  the  fall,  or  in  February 
or  March,  and  cover  the  seed  with  eight 
or  ten  inches  of  soil,  which  is  leveled 
down  as  early  as  may  be  safe  in  the 
spring.  As  soon  as  the  first  leaves  ap¬ 
pear,  the  soil  is  thrown  over  them  lightly 
with  the  garden  plow,  run  by  hand, 
and  this  is  repeated,  if  necessary,  until 
the  weather  is  settled  warm.  By  re¬ 
peated  cultivation  the  growth  is  hastened, 
and  the  potatoes  are  fit  for  use  early  in 
June.  They  will  ripen  fast  if  kept  in 
a  warm,  dry  place,  and  may  be  forced 
to  sprout  before  the  end  of  the  month, 
when  the  seed  is  sprouted  in  the  open 
air  on  the  warm  soil.  As  soon  as  the  sprouts  grow, 
the  seed  is  planted  and  covered  not  more  than  three 
inches,  and  more  soil  is  turned  on  them  by  the 
plow  quite  lightly  to  give  them  sufficient  covering. 
The  second  crop  was  ripe  in  September.  The  quality, 
however,  is  not  so  good  as  that  of  the  first  crop,  I  sup¬ 
pose  on  account  of  the  warmer  season.  I  don’t  think 
this  can  be  done  in  New  England — certainly  not  with 
profit.  I  have  also  had  a  second  crop  by  planting  late 
in  March,  and  covering  the  seed  deep 
enough  to  avoid  the  late  spring  frosts. 
The  second  crop  will  keep  longer  in  the 
spring  for  domestic  use. 
To  discard  the  seed  end,  which  is  the 
opposite  of  the  stem  end,  I  believe  is  a 
waste.  This  end  has  more  buds  than 
the  rest  of  the  potato,  and  I  have  never 
been  able  to  distinguish  any  difference 
in  the  product  of  these  small  cuttings 
and  of  the  larger  pieces.  In  studying  the 
sprouting  of  potatoes  in  the  cellar,  I  have 
seen  that  these  end  buds  start  the  first, 
and  should  think  they  would  make  an 
earlier  crop  if  planted  by  themselves. 
But  I  am  very  sure  they  will  make  as 
good  a  yield  as  any  other  part  of  the 
seed. 
If  Mammoth  Clover  is  sown  early  in 
the  spring  on  good  soil,  it  will  make  a 
good  crop  of  hay,  but  not  of  seed.  lo 
plow  under  clover  will  bury  the  seed 
too  deep  for  a  good  seeding  of  the  land, 
and  I  would  rather  take  the  hay  and  buy 
fresh  seed  for  another  crop.  I  had  clover 
sown  on  oats  in  March  last  year,  that 
would  have  given  1%  ton  of  hay  in  Sep¬ 
tember  to  the  acre.  But  I  left  it  on  the  ground 
as  I  had  all  the  hay  I  wanted.  I  would  not  de¬ 
pend  on  seeding  the  land  in  this  way.  If  there 
should  be  clover  enough  to  make  seed  it  would 
make  more  money  for  the  hajr  than  would  buy 
the  small  quantity  of  seed  needed.  Scarlet  Clover 
will  not  make  sufficient  growth  in  the  mountain 
counties  to  be  of  any  use  in  the  spring  or  summer,  as 
compared  with  the  Red  or  Mammoth  Clover.  It  needs 
a  milder  season  than  we  in  Macon  County,  N.  C.,  have 
in  the  winter.  It  is  a  valuable  plant  for  the  low  coun¬ 
try  on  the  south  of  us,  where  the  climate  is  milder. 
On  my  land  the  Mammoth  and  the  Red  Clover  both  do 
well  on  clay,  and  better  than  on  the  light  gravel  or 
sand.  I  have  grown  the  Mammoth  Clover  for  five 
years,  and  like  it  better  every  year.  I  have  put  the 
hay  in  my  barn  for  $1.25  per  ton,  which  is  cheap 
enough  for  anybody.  It  yields  at  least  one-half  more 
than°the  small  Red.  henry  stewart. 
