236 
THE  RURAL  NEW-YORKER. 
April  9 
M.  T.  Thompson,  Virginia. — On  page 
178  L.  B.  Pierce  says  a  Methodist  clergy¬ 
man  whom  he  knew  and  who  had  been  in 
different  parts  of  Ohio  said  it  cost  from 
$05  to  $78  per  year  to  keep  a  horse  and 
that  was  cheaper  than  he  could  keep  one. 
One  time  I  wanted  to  borrow  a  horse  a 
few  weeks  for  its  keep,  and  a  certain 
Methodist  clergyman  I  knew  well  told 
me  I  might  go  to  his  barn  and  get  his,  for 
he  was  not  using  it  very  much,  so  I  took 
him  at  his  word  and  went  to  the  barn 
rather  earlier  in  the  morning  than  the 
gentleman  was  used  to  rising,  but  still  it 
was  daylight.  He  sent  word  out  by  the 
boys,  however,  that  I  should  take  the 
horse,  so  I  went  to  the  bam  and  heard  the 
horse  paw,  paw,  as  I  began  to  open  the 
door.  Well,  I  was  surprised  to  see  that 
poor  animal  tied  there  with  not  a  mouth¬ 
ful  of  anything  to  eat.  He  had  licked  the 
manger  and  floor  almost  as  clean  as  if 
swept,  as  far  as  he  could  reach  in  all 
directions,  and  was  so  weak  that  when  I 
attempted  to  back  him  in  the  buggy  I 
was  afraid  he  would  fall  down  and  break 
the  shafts,  so  I  believe  this  gentleman 
could  keep  a  horse  for  $65  to  $78  per  year 
on  such  fare.  It  is  not  best  to  doubt  the 
word  of  a  minister  until  you  give  him  a 
chance  to  explain  how  things  can  be 
done  ;  for  he  generally  has  a  way  of  ex¬ 
plaining  matters  very  satisfactorily.  The 
gentleman  I  have  reference  to  was  a  pro¬ 
fessor  in  a  college  the  last  time  I  heard 
of  him.  No  doubt  he  could  easily  explain 
to  the  young  students  how  to  keep  a 
horse  cheaply  by  not  feeding  him. 
An  Improvement  in  Preserved  Forage. 
S.  M.  Colcoki),  Massachusetts. — Re¬ 
ferring  to  my  contribution  published  and 
illustrated  in  The  Rural  about  one  year 
ago  on  the  lateral  pressure  of  ensilage 
in  silos,  I  have  to  say  that  I  have  tried 
this  season,  and  I  found  that  my  walls  of 
finely  finished,  smooth  cement  were  as 
smooth  as  sand-paper.  I  cleaned  them, 
and  in  dry,  hot  weather  put  on  a  surface 
of  shellac  and  alcohol,  giving  them  a 
surface  as  smooth  as  glass,  impervious  to 
water.  This  treatment  has  straightened 
the  strata  lines,  and  now  only  the  strata 
of  imperfect  spreading  and  treading 
while  packing  are  seen;  also  the  varia¬ 
tions  of  density  between  ears  of  corn, 
butts  and  leaves,  which  did  not  drop  into 
the  silo  in  uniform  proportions;  I  think 
this  one  of  the  best  experiments  I  have 
made,  because  it  prevents  all  contact  with 
the  walls,  and  will  be  a  vast  improvement 
on  wooden  silos,  but  I  did  not  think  it 
would  mark  the  track,  carelessness  and 
negligence  of  the  spreader  and  treader 
under  such  a  pressure  of  circumstances; 
but  I  suppose  all  our  tracks  in  life  must 
come  to  the  surface  sooner  or  later. 
My  forage  is  simply  perfect  now,  and 
is  always  so,  yet  the  silo  shows  every 
imperfection  in  manipulation  or  “  help” 
and  the  governor  governs  it  all. 
The  Different  Clovers. 
Alva  Agee,  Ohio. — One  of  our  North¬ 
ern  agricultural  journals  has  had  so  much 
to  say  in  favor  of  Crimson  Clover  that 
many  of  its  readers  were  doubtless  led 
to  think  that  it  was  the  needed  crop  to 
replace  rye  as  a  fall-sown  crop  for  turn¬ 
ing  under  in  the  spring.  Some  people 
who  had  experimented  with  it  during 
our  open  winters  of  1890  and  1891  and 
had  done  fairly  well  with  it,  were  tell¬ 
ing  of  its  desirable  qualities,  and  the 
other  side  was  left  untold.  I  am  glad  to 
see  that  The  Rural  is  advising  against 
sowing  it  anywhere  in  the  North,  as  it 
can  bring  only  disappointment  in  a  lati¬ 
tude  that  has  rigorous  winters.  Dr. 
Stewart  says  that  it  needs  a  milder  cli¬ 
mate  than  prevails  in  his  upland  home 
in  North  Carolina,  and  it  is  now  time  for 
the  Crimson  Clover  boom  to  subside  so 
far  as  Northern  latitudes  are  concerned. 
Dr.  Stewart’s  advocacy  of  Mammoth 
Clover  for  hay  seems  to  emphasize  the 
need  of  knowledge  of  a  writer’s  locality 
when  reading  after  him.  On  North 
Carolina  soil  this  clover,  it  seems,  does 
not  grow  too  rank  for  hay,  but  in  richer 
sections  of  the  North  it  is  otherwise.  In 
Southern  Ohio  it  produces  very  long  and 
coarse  stalks,  and  stock  do  not  like  it  at 
all.  It  is  a  much  ranker  grower  than 
the  common  Red  Clover,  and  the  latter 
on  rich  land  has  an  excess  of  stalk  for 
good  hay.  Extra  heavy  seeding  might 
affect  this  in  some  degree,  of  course,  but 
many  farmers  find  that  the  Mammoth 
does  not  make  good  hay,  and  is  not  at  all 
comparable  with  the  Red  Clover.  This 
only  goes  to  prove  that  each  farmer 
must  vary  the  methods  of  others  to  suit 
his  own  land,  and  combine  experiment 
with  reading.  They  go  hand  in  hand. 
Smut  in  Corn. 
H.  S.,  Bergen  County,  N.  J. — Mr. 
Summey  in  his  story  of  the  hill  of  corn, 
page  163,  touches  a  point  that  deserves 
comment.  “  Fatty,”  he  says,  “  had  two 
small  ears,  one  of  which  was  smutty.” 
This  tells  the  secret,  as  I  believe,  of  this 
frequent  trouble  with  corn  as  well  as 
with  other  crops.  The  weak  fall  a  prey 
to  disease,  no  matter  to  what  the  weak¬ 
ness  may  be  due.  Nature  abhors  a 
weakling,  and  only  the  fit  and  strong 
survive.  Consequently  there  are  pro¬ 
vided  a  host  of  parasites  whose  office  is 
to  execute  the  law  of  the  survival  of  the 
fittest,  and  destroy  these  weaklings.  In 
many  years’  experience  I  have  had 
numerous  proofs  of  this,  and  especially 
as  regards  smut  in  corn.  After  growing 
several  crops  in  succession  on  the  same 
land,  smut  increased  so  much  that  the 
ninth  crop  wUs  almost  completely  des¬ 
troyed  by  it;  and  it  began  to  appear 
when  the  plants  were  no  more  than  two 
feet  tall,  showing  clearly  that  these  were 
diseased  ah  origine. 
Starving-  Cows  to  Abortion. 
Henry  Stewart. — Abortion  in  dairy 
cows  is  so  important  a  subject  for  study 
as  to  merit  the  gravest  consideration. 
But  among  all  the  notes  given  in  The 
Rural  of  March  5,  I  fail  to  see  any  men¬ 
tion  of  what  may  be  the  most  effective 
cause  of  it.  This  is  insufficient  feeding. 
Every  product  requires  its  special  mater¬ 
ial,  of  which  it  is  constructed.  A  calf  is 
such  a  product,  and  it  is  expected  from  a 
cow  that  is  fed  up  to  the  extreme  limit 
of  digestion  and  assimilation  for  the  pro¬ 
duction  of  milk  and  butter.  These  take 
from  the  animal  precisely  the  same  food 
elements  as  the  calf,  and  as  the  cow  has 
been  trained  and  bred  to  use  its  food  for 
milk  first,  of  course  the  calf  suffers,  and 
becomes  stunted  in  its  fetal  growth  and 
cannot  reach  maturity.  Does  not  too  long 
milking  produce  this  disease,  for  it  is  a 
disease  ?  Do  we  not  kill  the  goose  that 
lays  the  golden  egg,  by  thinking  of  noth¬ 
ing  but  the  egg  and  starving  the  goose  ? 
A  Few  Small  Fruits. 
Isaac  Hicks,  Queens  County,  N.  Y. — 
For  family  use  I  have  found  no  raspberry 
equal  in  all  respects  to  the  Golden  Queen. 
Once  I  valued  the  Caroline,  but  it  is  too 
soft  and  lacking  in  flavor,  though  very 
productive.  The  Cuthbert  is  a  splendid 
berry  ;  but  it  is  often  killed  by  cold  win¬ 
ters,  and  the  fruit  is,  except  in  color, 
identical  with  Golden  Queen.  I  have  had 
the  Shaffer  several  years.  It  is  a  giant 
in  growth  and  productiveness,  but, 
although  of  large  size,  it  is  sour,  and  in 
quality,  far  below  the  above  kinds.  With 
those  who  pick  their  own  berries  the 
Turner,  Brandj^wine,  and  other  small  or 
medium  berries  take  so  much  time  that 
Golden  Queen  for  early,  and  Cuthbert  will 
be  preferred.  The  Downing  and  Triumph 
Gooseberries  give  us  full  satisfaction. 
We  think  we  need  not  repine  because  the 
English  sorts  do  not  succeed.  If  one 
wants  a  very  prolific,  hardy  blackberry, 
let  him  try  the  Snyder  and  Agawam ;  if 
he  desires  a  later  and  very  large  and 
hardy  berry,  he  should  try  the  Erie,  and 
for  a  nice,  sweet,  late  berry,  let  him  try 
the  Taylor,  which  is  full  of  sharp,  ugly 
thorns.  There  are  several  newer  varie¬ 
ties  I  have  not  fully  tested  yet.  If  one 
wants  good,  sweet  plums  and  plenty  of 
them,  let  him  try  Botan,  but  pass  by 
Simon’s  as  it  has  a  miserable  flavor. 
White  Niagara  Grape. 
Two  years  old.  Very  low  price.  Three  sample  vines 
by  mall  15  cents.  Also  other  varieties.  Send  for  prices. 
Address  B.  WHEATON  CLARK,  Lockport,  N.  Y. 
HARDY 
(For  Spring  Planting.) 
The  largest  stock  I  NEWEST  Varieties, 
in  America.  |  FINEST  PLANTS. 
'SSSS  ELLWANGER  &  BARRY, 
free.  Mt.  Hope  Nurseries,  Rochester.  N.  X. 
The  North  Carolina  Station  has  but 
poor  success  with  many  kinds  of  toma¬ 
toes  which  thrive  well  elsewhere.  A  late 
bulletin  says  that  “  Ignotum  is  unproduc¬ 
tive  and  not  worth  growing  ;”  that  Hen¬ 
derson’s  Ponderosa  (400)  is  “  in  its  pres¬ 
ent  shape  worthless;”  that  Thorburn’s 
Long  Keeper  is  a  “  total  failure ;”  that 
the  Potomac  is  “  a  failure  owing  to  rot”.. 
Of  late  peas  the  North  Carolina  Station 
says  that  it  has  found  nothing  to  exceed 
in  productiveness  and  quality  Yorkshire 
Hero,  Stratagem  and  Horsford’s  Market 
Garden.  Has  the  Station  tried  Shropshire 
Hero,  Heroine  and  Mayor  ?  We  would 
also  suggest  Nott’s  Excelsior  instead  of 
American  Wonder,  and  Alpha  for  the 
earliest  wrinkled . 
Seed  Potatoes. 
Choice  selected  Houlton,  Aroostook  County,  Maine, 
Early  Rose,  Beauty  of  Hebron,  and  all  other  well- 
known  varieties.  For  sale  by 
W.  E.  IHJKYEA’S  SONS, 
Produce  Commission  Merchants, 
119  Warren  Street  New  York. 
SEED  POTATOES. 
Did  It  ever  occur  to  vou  that  Aroostook  Comity. 
Maine,  Seed  Potatoes  are  THE  BEST.  We  do 
not  mean  by  this  that  they  are  as  good  as  any,  but 
that  they  are  absolutely  the  BEST  grown  anywhere. 
The  reasons  for  this  opinion  are  set  forth  in  our  Cat¬ 
alogue  for  1892.  Mailed  free  upon  request. 
WM.  S.  SWEET  &  SON,  Providence,  R.  I. 
100  Bush.  Rural  New-Yorker  No,  2  Seed  Potatoes 
$1  per  bushel  of  60  pounds,  bags  free.  Can  ship  via 
Penn.  RR.,  Balt,  and  Ohio  RR.,  or  Reading  RR. 
BENJ.  SHARPLESS,  West  Chester,  Pa. 
The  Illinois  Experiment  Station  has 
been  making  an  extended  series  of  ex¬ 
periments  with  oats  during  the  past  three 
years  and  the  results  are  instructive  only 
as  showing  negative  results.  “No  one 
variety,”  the  report  says,  ‘  has  been 
( Continued  on  next  page.) 
$tU;sceUatt*0ttj5 
If  you  name  The  R.  N.-Y.  to  our  advertisers  you 
may  be  pretty  sure  of  prompt  replies  and  right 
treatment. 
He’s  All  Right 
Severe  Struggle  with  the 
Grip— Postmaster  Foster 
Of  Lubec,  Me.,  says  regarding  Hood’s  Sarsaparilla  : 
“  Last  spring  I  had  a  severe  attack  of  the  Grip  which 
left  me  in  a  very  feeble  condition.  I  had  no  appetite, 
was  nervous,  and  was  in  a  poor  way  generally.  I  was 
advised  to  take 
Hood’s  Sarsaparilla 
And  in  a  few  days  I  began  to  improve.  My  appetite 
Increased  till  it  seemed  that  I  could  not  get  enough 
to  eat.  When  I  had  taken  three  bottles  I  felt  as  well 
as  ever,  and  I  may  say  better  than  ever.  I  lose  no 
opportunity  to  recommend  It.” 
HOOD'S  PILLS  are  purely  vegetable,  and  are  the 
best  liver  invigorator  and  family  cathartic. 
Highly  concentrated.  Dose  small.  In  quantity  costs 
less  than  one-tenth  cent  a  day  i>er  hen.  Prevents  and 
cures  all  diseases.  If  you  can’t  get  it,  we  send  by  mall 
post-paid.  One  pack.  25c.  Five  $1.  2  1-4  lb.  can  $1.20, 
6  cans  $5.  Express  paid.  Testimonials  free.  Send  stamps  or 
cash.  Farmers’  Poultry  Guide  (price  25c.)  free  with  $1.0* 
orders  or  more.  L  S.  JOHNSON  &  CO..  Boston.  Masa 
SEED  POTATOES.— Rural  New-Yorker  No.  2, 
“Thorburn”  stock.  Price:  Peck,  30  cents; 
bushel,  $1;  barrel,  $2.75,  f.  o.  b. 
J.  C.  GROSSMAN,  Wolcottville,  Ind. 
Ministers,  Polaris,  Triumph,  New 
Queen,  $1  per  bushel.  Many  other 
kinds.  Price-list  Free. 
GEO.  A.  BONNELL,  Waterloo,  N.  Y. 
STRAW- 
KASP- 
BJLACK- 
GOOSE- 
Berry  Plants. 
Currants,  Grapes,  Fruit  Trees,  etc.  Standard 
Varieties  at  Reasonable  Prices.  Headquarters  for 
the  Snyder  Blackberry.  All  plants  warranted  true 
to  label.  Catalogue  free. 
G.  S.  BUTLER,  Cromwell,  Conn., 
Originator  of  the  Cromwell  Raspberry 
CWCDGDCCM?  300  Varieties,  Natives  off 
LVLnUnCCnd,  Every  Land.  Lists  Free 
350,000  Fine  Peach  Trees, 
grown  from  pure  natural  seed,  for  sale  at  a  sacrifice, 
or  will  exchange  In  large  lots  for  good  real  estate 
well  located,  or  good  personal  property.  For  descrip¬ 
tive  catalogue  address 
E.  R.  COCHRAN  &  CO., 
Middletown  Nursery  and  Fruit  Farm. 
Middletown,  Del. 
401 
Varieties 
BEST  SORTS  of  Apple, 
Peach,  Cherry, 
Pear,  Quince, 
Plum,  Strawber. 
FRUITS 
rv,  Raspberry,  Blackberry.Currant, 
Grape,  Got  seberry.etc.  Also  Chest¬ 
nuts.  "Walnuts.  Trifoliate  Orange. 
BERRIES 
ipes  and  other 
Novelties. 
- Send  for  Catalogue  - 
J.  S.  COLLINS  &  SON,  Moorestown.  N 
^iiimiiiiiinumiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiKiiiiiiiiiiiim 
The  farmer  who  makes  money  must  E 
work  fast.  This  means  he  must  have  the  E 
Planet  Jr.  Horse  Hoe.  * 
The  Planet  Jr.  abolishes  all  waste  of  time.  The  £ 
Lever  Wheel  sets  it  to  run  deeper  or  shallower  in  an  E 
instant.  The  Lever  Expander  sets  it  to  any  width  in  E 
another  instant ;  you  don’t  even  stop  the  horse.  The  E 
Roller  Covering  attachment  leaves  ridges  all  ready  for  E 
the  drill.  While  the  Vine  Lifter  clears  the  way,  the  sweeps  cut  out  every  weed  E 
growing  underneath.  Its  specialty  is  doing  two  or  three  things  at  once. 
This  means  money.  T.,  ...  ..  „  „  .  ,  — 
J  It’s  so  with  all  the  Planet  Jr.  tools.  ■» 
Do  you  know  all  about  them?  You  need  the  latest  Catalogue.  Write  direct  to  us  for  it.  £ 
immmmmmiimii 
Quick 
Work 
=  S.  L.  ALLEN  &  CO.,  1107  MARKET  ST.,  PHILADELPHIA.  E 
=1  [  i  1 1 1 :  a  i  e  1 1  s  1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1  a  s  1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 : 1 1  ■■  1 1 1 1 1 1  q  i  ■  i  ■  1 1  a  1 1 1 1 1 !  1 1 1 1 1  [  i  e  1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1  ■  i  n: 
KRAUS  SULKY  CULTIVATOR. 
PIVOT  AXLE.  Wheels  and  Shovels  Move 
Automatically.  ENTIRE  Machine 
Guided  with  Foot  Levers. 
No  Slipping  on  Side-Hills. 
—  ALSO  — 
^  Akron  Sulky  -m 
Oomblning  parallel  movement  with  pivot  axle  and  ad¬ 
justable  wheels.  One  or  two  horse 
WALKERS. 
Don’t  Buy  a  Cultivator  „Ttor‘Xt“Se^  St KI,AU9 
THE  AKRON  TOOL  COMPANY,  AKRON,  O. 
