1892 
THE  RURAL  NEW-YORKER, 
349 
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Trade  in  Asparagus  “Tips.” 
We  learn  that  at  some  of  the  higher  class  restaur¬ 
ants,  asparagus  tips  are  called  for  with  little  or  none 
of  the  stalk  attached.  Have  you  ever  catered  to  this 
trade?  How  are  the  tips  picked  and  packed,  and  how 
does  this  trade  compare  in  profit  with  selling  bunches — 
with  a  fair  length  of  stalk? 
L  know  nothing  about  the  trade  in  asparagus  tips, 
hut  suppose  they  are  cut  when  about  an  inch  above 
ground.  I  know  that  they  make  a  very  fine  dish,  ten¬ 
der  and  sweet.  I  have  sold  my  crop  this  season  here 
at  home  in  Horsehead’s,  N.  Y.,  to  a  commission  house. 
I  would  think  the  tips  should  bring  50  cents  per 
pound  to  make  the  crop  pay  as  well  as  10  cents  for  the 
stalks  as  now  sold.  a.  donald. 
I  would  simply  say  “  No  ”  were  it  not  for  the  use 
made  of  the  word  “  bunches.”  I  sell  no  asparagus 
in  bunches.  I  evoluted  from  strings  to  tape,  and  then 
to  rubber  bands  as  tying  material  and  have  finally 
broken  away  from  all  bands  and  sell  by  the  pound. 
The  stalks  are  never  cut,  but  broken  so  that  there  is 
absolutely  no  waste  to  the  consumer,  and  no  tempta¬ 
tion  for  help  to  place  inferior  stalks  in  the  middle  of 
the  bunches,  a  temptation  that  few  can  withstand. 
Each  stalk  sells  upon  its  merits  and  the  consumer  pur¬ 
chases  just  the  amount  he  desires,  which  is  often  im¬ 
possible  when  asparagus  is  sold  by  the  bunch.  The 
bunching  business  should  be  releg-ated  to  history.  We 
have  no  use  for  the  system  to-day.  ciias.  w.  Garfield. 
Clover  Hay  and  Slobbering  Horses, 
Have  you  ever  known  a  case  where  clover  hay  caused 
a  horse  to  slobber  ?  Is  good,  well-cured  clover  hay 
ever  injurious  to  any  animal  ? 
I  have  never  known  clover  hay  to  cause  horses  to 
slobber  provided  it  was  the  first  crop  ;  neither  will  a 
first  crop  of  green  clover  do  so,  but  the  second  crop 
always  does.  I  have  attributed  the  salivating  effects1 
of  clover  to  the  seed  ;  the  first  crop  having  no  seed — or 
very  little — does  not  salivate,  but  the  second  crop— 
either  green  or  dry — does.  I  have  never  noticed  any 
bad  results  from  feeding  clover  hay  to  any  other  kind  of 
stock ;  if  I  had  to  choose  between  clover  and  Timothy 
for  feeding  to  all  kinds  of  stock,  horses  included,  I 
would  take  the  clover  every  time.  Is  slobbering  injur¬ 
ious  to  horses  ?  I  don’t  think  it  is,  but  it  looks  very 
bad,  and  I  remember  how  my  pride  was  hurt  when,  as 
a  boy,  I  had  to  drive  a  slobbering  horse — and  I  wouldn’t 
like  it  any  better  now.  A.  l.  crosby. 
My  experience  in  feeding  clover  hay  to  horses  in 
recent  years  is  that  it  has  not  caused  them  to  slobber. 
I  fed  it  to  four  horses  all  the  fore  part  of  last  winter 
without  causing  the  least  appearance  of  slobbers. 
About  20  years  ago  it  was  a  general  complaint  in  this 
locality  that  clover  hay,  and  especially  clover  pasture, 
caused  horses  to  slobber;  but  some  farmers  ascribed 
it,  not  to  the  clover,  but  to  a  weed  known  as  “  lobe 
lice,”  “eyebright”  or  “Indian  tobacco,”  which  usually 
sprang  up  in  newly  seeded  clover  fields.  The  hay 
which  caused  the  slobbers  at  that  time  was  in  first- 
class  condition,  except  perhaps  that  it  was  dusty,  as 
clover  hay  is  more  apt  to  be  than  Timothy.  My 
opinion  is  that  clover  hay  without  weeds,  properly 
cured,  will  not  cause  slobbers.  Clover  hay  is  more  nu¬ 
tritious  than  any  other  kind  of  fodder  I  am  acquainted 
with,  and  is  especially  valuable  when  fed  to  cows  for 
milk  production.  My  cows  shrank  in  their  milk  last 
winter  when  the  corn  stalks  and  clover  hay  were  gone, 
and  I  commenced  to  feed  Timothy.  j.  w.  Ingham. 
The  second  crop  of  clover  hay,  especially  if  it  is  cut 
late,  is  almost  certain  to  make  horses  slobber.  It  is 
not  known  why,  but  two  suppositions  have  been  put 
forth  to  account  for  it :  first,  acrid  plants  which  do 
not  make  their  appearance  early  in  the  spring,  often 
appear  in  the  second  crop ;  second,  it  is  believed  by 
some  that  the  cold  nights  and  imperfect  development 
of  the  second  crop  of  clover  combined,  tend  to  produce 
irritation  and  slobberiDg.  At  times,  even  first-class 
as  well  as  the  second  cutting  of  hay  will  cause  horses 
to  slobber  ;  but  usually  not  if  cut  early  in  the  season 
before  the  nights  are  cold  and  damp.  Clover  hay  is 
apt  to  be  dusty.  Dusty  hay  seriously  injures  horses. 
Clover  hay  is  greatly  relished  by  horses,  and  they  can 
be  sex-iously  injured  simply  by  eating  too  much  of  it. 
If  good,  clean  clover  hay  (first  cutting)  is  fed  in  quite 
restricted  quantities,  and  the  animals  are  fed  grain, 
there  is  little  or  no  danger  of  injury  ;  but,  if  the  horses 
are  given  all  they  can  eat,  the  bowels  become  so  dis¬ 
tended  that  they  encroach  upon  the  lung  room,  and,  in 
time,  produce  short-winded  horses  and  those  having 
the  heaves.  [prof.]  i.  p.  Roberts. 
During  the  past  20  years  or  more  Medium  Clover  has  . 
been  my  main  hay  crop.  I  have  fed  it  to  horses,  cows 
and  sheep  and  they  become  so  attached  to  it  as  a  daily 
ration  that  whenever  I  find  it  necessary  to  change  to 
Timothy  hay  for  a  short  time,  it  takes  considerable 
“  coaxing  ”  (by  sprinkling  with  salt  or  grain)  to  induce 
them  to  eat  it.  I  have  regarded  early  cut  and  propei-ly 
cured  clover  hay  alone  as  a  very  satisfactory  ration  for 
horses  when  idle  or  at  light  work  as  well  as  for  cows 
not  in  milk.  As  to  its  causing  slobbers  in  horses,  my 
experience  gives  no  support  to  the  theory.  It  is  my 
general  practice  to  confine  my  work  horses,  when  idle, 
to  the  stable  during  the  entire  year,  and  when  I  adhere 
rigidly  to  this  rule  they  never  slobber.  It  has  been 
asserted  that  the  use  of  clover  hay  is  the  usual  cause 
of  heaves.  This,  to  some  extent,  may  be  true  for  the 
reason  that  if  not  properly  handled  it  is  pretty  likely 
to  be  musty.  In  my  opinion  if  breeders  would  give  up 
raising  colts  from  heavey  sires  or  dams,  clover-hay 
would  not  be  so  often  blamed  for  heaves.  If  raised 
upon  ground  free  from  weeds  of  all  sorts,  cut  early, 
properly  cured  and  well  housed,  I  do  not  believe  any 
farmer  will  be  dissatisfied  with  its  use  for  cows,  horses, 
sheep  or  swine.  c.  t.  Leonard. 
Some  Silo  Questions. 
S.  S.  L.,  Ontario,  Canada. — l’lease  submit  these  ques¬ 
tions  to  The  Rural  subscribers  :  1.  What  are  the  best 
form  and  material  for  a  silo  ?  Should  it  be  round, 
octagon  or  square  ?  2.  What  is  the  best  corn  for  ensi¬ 
lage  for  western  New  York — sweet,  gourd  seed  or 
flint  ?  3.  Give  analysis  of  sweet-corn  stalks. 
Ans. — 1.  We  shall  be  glad  to  have  comments  from  our 
readers.  We  believe  the  square  silo,  made  of  boards 
and  tarred  paper,  with  an  inside  coating  of  tar,  is  most 
commonly  used.  2.  As  a  rule  the  best  corn  for  ensi¬ 
lage  will  be  the  corn  that  produces  the  best  crop  of 
grain  in  your  section  The  best  ensilage  is  the  nearest 
approach  to  mature  corn  stalks  “  preserved  in  their 
juices,”  so  to  speak.  In  fact,  corn  should  be  grown  so 
that  it  will  make  either  grain  or  ensilage  as  desired — 
or  both,  by  picking  off  and  drying  the  ears  and  putting 
the  stalks  in  the  silo.  Sweet  corn  is,  praised  by  some 
farmers  and  condemned  by  others.  We  presume  some 
of  this  difference  in  opinion  is  due  to  different  methods 
of  putting  it  in  the  silo.  3.  The  average  of  21  analyses 
of  different  varieties  of  sweet  corn  gives  79. 1  per  cent 
water,  1.3  per  cent  ash,  1.9  per  cent  protein,  4.4  per 
cent  crude  fiber,  12.8  per  .cent  cax’bohydrates  and  0.5 
per  cent  fat. 
Keeping-  Milk  in  a  Well. 
W.  I.  L.,  Stratford,  Conn. — Can  summer  morning 
and  night’s  milk  be  kept  in  well  water,  without  ice, 
to  be  peddled  in  the  city  ?  If  so,  how  ?  I  am  seven 
miles  from  a  city  and  to  get  it  to  market  by  5  A.  m.,  I 
have  to  milk  at  3,  and  then  the  milk  has  to  go  in 
the  cans  and  to  the  city  while  it  is  warm,  and  I  am 
afraid  it  will  not  keep  in  hot  weather. 
Ans.  Yes,  with  several  “ifs.”  If  the  water  in  the 
well  is  50  degrees  or  colder  anti  free  from  foul  gases, 
and  if  the  milk  is  thoi-oughly  aerated  or  stirred  as 
soon  as  it  is  drawn  from  the  can  and  while  it  is  being 
cooled.  If  cooled  in  a  deep  well  it  will  be  difficult  to 
stir  it  thoroughly  while  cooling.  One  of  Powell’s 
aerators  with  a  long  rod  attached  to  it  might  be 
plunged  down  into  the  milk  and  thus  thoroughly  stir  it. 
You  ought  to  have  a  small  ice-house  and  it  will  pay  you 
to  build  one  like  that  described  on  page  789  of  The 
R.  N.-Y.  for  1891.  To  cool  your  milk  in  the  well  make 
a  platform  or  cage  large  enough  to  hold  your  cans 
and  lower  it  by  means  of  a  rope  or  chain  fastened  to  a 
windlass.  Fill  the  cans  about  two-thirds  full  and 
lower  them  so  that  the  water  comes  above  the  milk. 
Cheap  Forms  of  Potash  and  Phosphoric  Acid. 
A.  H.  A.,  Hartford,  Ohio. — What  did  Paul  Wagner 
mean  by  Thomas’s  phosphate  powder  ?  What  are  the 
best,  cheapest  forms  of  potash  and  phosphoric  acid  and 
from  whom  can  they  be  procured  ? 
Ans. — Thomas’s  phosphate,  basic  slag  and  “inodor¬ 
ous  phosphate  ”  are  all  the  same.  It  is  a  waste  product 
in  the  manufacture  of  steel.  All  iron  ores  contain 
more  or  less  phosphorus.  In  the  Thomas  process  this 
phosphorus  is  removed  by  running  the  melted  metal 
through  or  over  lime  which  unites  with  the  phos¬ 
phorus  in  a  chemical  combination  with  more  or  less 
sand,  etc.  When  ground  into  a  fine  powder  it  makes 
a  useful  fertilizer  on  plants  that  do  not  require  very 
soluble  forms  of  phosphoric  acid.  The  cheapest  forms 
of  potash  and  phosphoric  acid  will  vary  somewhat 
with  locality  and  market.  Sometimes  wood  ashes  can 
be  obtained  for  little  money.  In  that  case  both  sub¬ 
stances  may  cost  less  in  that  form  than  in  any  other. 
Bones  may  sometimes  be  had  for  the  hauling  or  for  a 
nominal  price.  When  ground,  burned  or  “reduced” 
with  acids  or  potash,  they  will  yield  cheap  phosphoric 
acid.  In  the  usual  commercial  forms  as  sold  by  the 
fertilizer  dealers  muriate  of  potash  is  about  the  cheap¬ 
est  form.  The  cheapest  form  of  phosphoric  acid  is  dis¬ 
solved  South  Carolina  rock  or  Florida  phosphate.  Dis¬ 
solved  bone  black  is  also  a  comparatively  cheap  source. 
Write  for  prices  to  the  Cleveland  Dryer  Co.,  Cleveland, 
Ohio,  Michigan  Carbon  Woi’ks,  Detroit,  Mich,  and  W. 
S.  Powell  &  Co.,  Baltimore,  Md.  With  their  figures 
and  with  the  analyses  of  bone  i*oek,  etc.,  you  can  figure 
the  cost  of  phosphoric  acid  in  the  different  forms. 
Some  Strawberry  Fertilizing:  Questions. 
D.  Angola,  Ind. — 1.  From  whom  can  the  evergreen 
Picea  oi’ientalis  be  obtained?  2.  Is  salt  that  has  been 
used  to  salt  old  hides  of  any  fertilizer  value  mixed  with 
other  manure  ?  3.  I  have  just  cultivated  my  straw¬ 
berries  with  a  fine-tooth  cultivator,  and  I  then  mulched 
them  heavily  with  straw,  after  I  had  used  about  5G 
bushels  of  unleached  ashes  mixed  with  one-year-old 
compost  at  the  rate  of  five  big  loads  to  the  acre.  My 
plants  look  fine,  and  I  expect  a  big  crop  ?  Have  I 
done  right? 
Ans. — 1.  Storrs  &  Harrison  Company,  Painesville,  (). 
2.  It  may  prove  of  indirect  advantage  on  your  soil.  A 
trial  can  alone  determine.  3.  We  should  prefer  to 
spread  the  ashes,  and  do  the  mulching  before  the  blos¬ 
soms  appear.  The  ashes  are  a  first-rate  fertilizer  in 
so  far  as  potash  is  concerned.  Not  knowing  what  the 
compost  is,  we  cannot  advise  our  friend  further. 
Some  Irrigating-  Questions. 
O.  H.  C.,  Norfolk  County,  Mass. — 1.  IV hat  effect  will 
it  have  on  grass  to  spread  water  from  a  small  stream 
fed  by  springs  over  it  continually  for  days  ?  2.  What 
is  the  best  system  of  watering  a  strawberry  bed  of 
2x20  rods,  with  a  gradual  slope  of  20  rods? 
Ans  —1.  A  wonderful  effect,  particulaxdy  if  the  season 
is  naturally  di*y.  The  grass  will  be  heavier  and  better 
in  every  way.  2.  We  could  not  tell  without  seeing  the 
bed.  During  the  next  month  we  hope  to  visit  several 
places  where  irrigation  is  practiced  and  fully  describe 
the  methods  employed.  The  present  season,  thus  far 
at  least,  is  wet  enough  for  anybody.  One  plan  is  to 
mulch  the  ground  between  the  rows  heavily  with  hay, 
straw  or  manure  and  then  let  the  water  trickle  down 
through  it  from  the  highest  point.  The  mulch  when 
once  thoroughly  soaked  through  retains  the  moisture 
for  a  long  time — this  system  is  most  economical  in  the 
use  of  water.  Most  irrigators  we  think  have  a  tank 
between  the  field  and  the  source  of  water  supply, 
when  the  latter  is  high  enough  to  give  sufficient 
“head.”  This  tank  not  only  holds  water  so  that  a 
good  supply  is  always  ready  when  needed,  but  it 
enables  the  farmer  to  use  a  hose  and  sprinkler  for 
wetting  his  crops.  Mr.  A.  1.  Root  in  Gleanings,  thus 
describes  a  cheap  device  used  by  H.  A.  March,  who  has 
a  garden  on  an  island  in  Puget  Sound.  The  water 
comes  from  a  spring  on  a  hillside  : 
A  hugh  tank  was  constructed  on  the  upper  side  of  his  garden, 
where  the  water  Is  warmed  up  by  the  sun  before  putting  It  on  the 
plants.  Our  friend  had  no  money  to  buy  Iron  pipes,  and  his  ground 
does  not  He  so  he  can  run  the  water  In  trenches. 
He  bought  some  heavy  ducking,  or  sail  cloth,  and  made  his  own  cloth 
hose.  A  whole  piece  Is  unrolled,  cut  from  end  to  end  In  three  equal 
strips.  Each  strip  Is  rolled  up  and  made  Into  a  hose  by  double  seam¬ 
ing  on  a  sewing-machine.  Then  he  put  this  cloth  hose  Into  a  tub  con¬ 
taining  boiled  linseed  oil  and  tar,  one  gallon  of  tar  to  live  of  oil. 
The  surplus  oil  Is  now  pressed  out  by  running  the  hose  through  a  com¬ 
mon  clothes  wringer,  and,  when  dry,  there  Is  oil  enough  to  hold  the 
water.  For  connecting  these  cloth  tubes,  a  short  tube  of  heavy  tin  Is 
pushed  Into  the  cloth  tube,  and  tied  with  a  stout  piece  of  twine.  To 
prevent  It  from  slipping  apart,  a  bead  Is  turned  near  each  end  of  the 
short  tin  tube.  He  has  about  2,000  feet  of  this  canvas  hose,  and  It  cost 
him  only  about  two  cents  per  foot.  He  has  used  some  of  It  for  live 
years,  and  It  has  not  broken  anywhere  yet.  This  Is  really  doing  better 
than  rubber  hose  that  cost  us  about  12  cents  per  foot. 
To  Irrigate  a  Held  the  cloth  hose  Is  laid  to  the  point  In  the  lot  fur¬ 
thest  from  the  tank.  One  of  his  men  now  takes  the  end  of  the  hose  In 
hand  and  thoroughly  waters  nine  rows  of  plants— four  rows  each  side 
of  him,  and  the  one  betweau  his  feet.  As  he  gets  the  ground  well 
soaked  he  walks  backward;  and  when  he  gets  back  to  a  coupling  In  the 
hose  he  pulls  the  bow-knot  In  the  string,  and  drops  one  length  of  hose. 
This  he  repeats  until  the  nine  rows  are  watered  the  whole  length  of  the 
Held;  then  he  puts  his  hose  together  and  waters  nine  rows  more,  and 
so  on.  A  good  man  will  thoroughly  soak  an  acre  In  a  day. 
Miscellaneous. 
Presei'ving  Eggs. — T.  G.,  Yorkshire  Center,  N.  Y. — 
For  preserving-  eggs  make  a  lime  pickle  as  follows  : 
Stone  lime  two  pounds,  salt  one  pint,  water  four  gal¬ 
lons.  Slake  the  lime  ;  when  cold,  put  it  and  the  salt 
with  the  water  into  some  receptacle,  stir  and  let  settle 
twice  ;  the  clean  liquid  is  what  you  want.  Have  just 
enough  of  the  liquid  to  cover  the  eggs,  then  place  a 
cloth  over  them  and  spread  some  of  the  lime  sediment 
over  it. 
H.  S.  J.,  Islip,  Long  Island. — Yes,  the  Rural  Thor¬ 
oughbred  Flint  Corn  will  mature  with  you.  Seed  is 
sold  by  Thorburn  &  Co.,  Peter  Henderson  &  Co.,  New 
York  and  J.  J.  II.  Gregory,  Marblehead,  Mass. 
Whey  for  Hogs.— J.  M.,  Mount  Ayr,  la. — It  will  prob 
ably  pay  you  to  haul  sweet  whey  one  mile  to  feed  to 
hogs,  but  we  doubt  if  you  can  afford  to  pay  any  money 
for  it. 
Mrs.  O.  W.  L.,  Monroe,  la. — 1.  The  clematis  is  propa¬ 
gated  by  grafting  and  layering.  2.  We  do  not  know 
of  a  book  giving  the  “  originator,  date  and  place  of  all 
hardy  plants.”  Downing’s  work  is  probably  the  best. 
