1892 
THE  RURAL  NEW-YORKER.  365 
largely  increased  that  nothing  is  wasted,  and  the  re¬ 
sult  is  that  even  a  small  crop  at  the  present  time  is 
equal  to,  if  not  greater  than  a  good  crop  of  10  years 
ago.” 
“  And  still  you  think  the  consumption  will  increase 
with  the  production  ?” 
“  I  think  evaporated  apples  have  come  to  stay.  They 
are  staple  products,  the  value  of  which  will  be  largely 
regulated  by  the  laws  of  supply  and  demand.” 
“Yet  you  think  our  Eastern  fruit  growers  have 
strong  competitors  in  California  ?” 
“  Their  only  competitors  are  there  ;  but  the  fancy 
for  California  fruit  may  not  last  long  ;  in  fact,  the 
desire  for  certain  varieties  already  appears  to  be 
diminishing.” 
“Is  it  possible  that  in  time  fruits  there  may  be 
affected  by  the  same  diseases  that  harass  our  fruit 
trees  here  ?” 
“  The  conditions  are  so  different  that  there  is  not 
much  to  fear.  California  is  especially  favored  for  the 
growing  of  fruits,  perhaps  more  so  than  any  other 
place  in  the  world,  and  I  think  that  the  fungous  dis¬ 
eases  will  not  be  as  troublesome  in  that  section  on 
account  of  the  dry  climate  and  other  influences.” 
Oats  and  Peas  and  Sweet  Corn 
for  Cows. 
Here  is  the  way  I  care  for  the  cattle  at  the  Baker 
Homestead.  When  the  cows  are  first  turned  out  to 
pasture,  it  is  only  for  a  short  time  during  the  first  few 
days  and  their  hay  is  slightly  wet  with  brine  to  induce 
them  to  eat  as  much  as  possible  ;  the  grain  ration  is 
decreased  from  day  to  day  as  the  grass  improves,  and 
when  the  cows  are  safely  on  pasture  they  no  longer 
get  any  grain,  because  at  that  season  grass  is  at  its 
best  and  I  wish  to  clean  the  grain  from  their  systems, 
as  constant  grain  rations  soon  tell  on  them  and  they 
become  old  before  their  time. 
I  sow  as  early  as  the  ground  will  work  nicely,  on 
well  prepared  soil,  peas  and  oats.  When  using  the 
drill  I  sow  of  each  1)4  bushel  per  acre,  drilling  the 
oats  first  one  way  and  then  crossing  with  the  peas.  I 
weight  the  drill  teeth  slightly  when  drilling  the  latter 
to  get  them  deeper  in  the  ground. 
I  commence  to  cut  the  crop  for  the  cows  as  soon  as 
the  oats  have  headed  and  feed  in  the  lot  when  the 
ground  is  dry.  I  would  prefer  to  feed  in  the  stable, 
but  mine  is  not  convenient  fofr  getting  in  the  feed  from 
the  outside.  When  this  crop  is  too  hard  to  be  fed,  I 
turn  to  the  early-cut  meadow,  as  I  practice  the  four- 
years  course.  I  do  not  hesitate  to  pasture  the  meadow 
if  fodder  is  short,  supplementing  the  feed  with  bran 
and  a  little  coxm  meal ;  but  usually  my  early  sweet 
corn  is  ready  and  I  feed  ears  and  all.  This  year,  how¬ 
ever,  I  shall  pluck  the  ears  and  sell  them  to  a  newly 
established  canning  factory,  and  if  the  cows  do  not  keep 
up  the  usual  supply  of  butter,  I  shall  continue  the 
gi’ain  ration.  About  the  time  when  the  frost  comes  I 
cut  some  sweet  corn  and  tie  up  in  large  shocks  to  be 
fed  with  the  field  pumpkins  grown  with  the  corn. 
I  keep  the  cows  in  as  §oon  as  the  nights  turn  chilly 
and  do  not  let  them  out  in  cold  rains.  About  this  time 
I  measure  the  silo  to  see  how  many  tons  it  contains 
and  determine  how  many  cattle  to  feed  from  it  for  180 
days.  It  is  easy  to  tell  how  much  can  be  fed  per  day 
with  a  grain  ration,  to  each  cow  to  keep  her  up  to 
profitable  butter  prodxxction.  This  year  my  ensilage 
will  be  made  from  the  stalks  of  sweet  corn  from  which 
the  ears  have  been  picked  for  the  canning  factory,  and 
I  have  sowed  a  larger  acreage  of  oats  and  peas  to  make 
out  a  grain  ration.  It  is  butter  that  I  am  after  and  I 
cannot  afford  to  neglect  the  cows.  The  past  year  my 
herd  often  produced  276  pounds  of  butter  per  cow. 
Three  of  them  were  heifers  with  their  first  calves  and 
there  was  one  fai’row  cow.  I  have  lost  my  best 
thoroughbred  Jersey  and  one  grade  by  milk  fever, 
but  shall  continue  to  use  the  Babcock  test  and  this 
year  I  shall  find  out  the  best  ones ;  for  it  does  not  take 
any  more  time  to  milk  and  care  for  a  cow  that  will 
make  300  pounds  of  butter  in  a  year  than  for  one  that 
will  yield  only  125  pounds,  and  the  difference  of  175 
pounds  of  butter  at  25  cents  per  pound  is  what  I  am 
looking  after.  A.  D.  baker. 
*  *  # 
Paris-green  WitlLOut  Plaster. — T.  S.,  Perth,  N.  Y. — 
We  have  not  tried  the  “  Cyclone  Exterminating  Ma¬ 
chine  ”  and  cannot  speak  definitely  about  it.  It  is 
said  to  blow  the  Paris-green  directly  upon  the  plants 
so  evenly  and  in  such  small  quantities  that  they  are 
uninjured  while  enough  is  delivered  to  kill  the  insects. 
In  this  way,  it  is  said,  the  same  quantity  of  poison 
may  be  put  on  alone  that  is  used  with  a  barrel  of  plas¬ 
ter.  We  hope  to  test  the  machine  and  report.  In  the 
South  the  planters  apply  pure  Paris-green  to  the  cot¬ 
ton  plant,  dusting  it  on  from  a  muslin  bag — with  little 
or  no  injury  to  the  plant.  If  the  machine  can  deliver 
the  “green”  as  stated,  it  will  save  a  vast  amount  of 
mixing  and  handling. 
[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.] 
Points  on  Melon  Culture. 
1.  Is  pinching  the  tips  of  the  runners  generally  prac¬ 
ticed  by  the  more  successful  growers  ?  If  so,  at  what 
time  is  the  pinching  done  ?  2.  Is  manuring  in  the 
hill,  or  broadcast,  or  both  found  most  satisfactory  ?  3. 
What  kind  of  soil  produces  the  finest  melons,  and  is 
very  rich  soil  desirable  ? 
A  Light  Soil  and  Hill  Manuring. 
The  best  soil  is  a  friable  loam  that  will  allow  heat 
to  penetrate  to  the  roots  of  the  melons,  and  receive 
water  freely  without  becoming  stiff.  A  very  rich  soil 
is  to  be  avoided  because  of  the  tendency  to  produce 
much  vine  and  flavorless  fruit.  Cultivation  does  not 
mean  the  planting  of  seed  and  gathering  of  fruit,  but 
an  intelligent  care  of  the  growing  plants.  A  liberal 
supply  of  nourishment  should  be  given  the  melon  vine 
when  young  to  induce  a  healthy  and  vigorous  growth, 
which  should  be  checked  at  the  time  for  maturing  the 
fruit.  Manuring  in  hills,  therefore,  1  have  found  pro- 
duces  the  best  results.  The  roots  of  the  melon  extend 
often  five  feet  from  the  stem,  and  if  they  continually 
find  rich  food,  the  vine  grows  luxuriantly  at  the  ex¬ 
pense  of  good  and  early  fruit.  This  excessive  growth 
of  vine  necessitates  pinching  the  tips  of  the  vines 
(although  I  do  not  find  it  generally  practiced)  in  order 
to  force  the  development  of  fruit.  The  practice  of 
pinching  does  not,  however,  accomplish  the  purpose  as 
successfully  as  does  the  manuring  in  hills.  The  truth 
of  this  statement  I  have  seen  strongly  supported  by 
my  experience  with  grape  vines,  having  grown  them 
on  rich  and  poor  soils  with  the  best  and  sweetest 
fruit  from  the  latter.  If  pinching  is  to  be  practiced  on 
the  melon  it  should  be  done  when  the  first  fruits  are 
as  large  as  apples,  taking  away  about  one  foot  of  the 
tip  of  the  vine.  [prop.]  geo.  c.  butz. 
1.  Pinching  is  not  practiced  to  any  extent,  even  in 
gardens.  2.  Manuring  in  the  hill  is  quite  generally 
done,  though  when  fertilizers  are  used  broadcasting  is 
more  general.  3.  Melons  are  planted  on  very  light, 
sandy  soil — usually  the  poorest.  N.  iiallock. 
1.  I  have  not  practiced  pinching  the  tips  of  runners 
and  do  not  think  the  practice  is  general  among  success¬ 
ful  growers  in  this  section.  2.  We  always  compost 
in  the  hill,  though  we  generally  broadcast  both  manure 
and  fertilizer  in  addition.  3.  A  deep  sandy  loam  is  our 
most  favorable  soil  for  melons.  A  naturally  rich  soil 
is  liable  to  be  too  heavy.  e.  b.  yoorhees. 
1.  No ;  although  it  seems  to  be  beneficial  in  some 
seasons  when  a  too  rampant  growth  is  made.  After 
the  third  or  fourth  fruit-bearing  blossom.  2.  Both.  3. 
A  light,  sandy  loam.  Yes.  w.  F.  bird. 
Cost  of  a  Bushel  of  Barley. 
F.  H.  II.,  Hillsboro,  Colo.— In  The  R.  N.-Y.  for  May 
14,  page  326,  extracts  from  Bulletin  15  of  Ames,  la., 
Experiment  Station  are  given,  in  which  the  statement 
is  made  that  it  costs  11  cents  to  grow  a  bushel  of  bar¬ 
ley.  If  the  itemized  account  of  the  cost  of  that  barley 
crop  is  given  in  the  bulletin,  together  with  its  general 
treatment  in  planting  and  harvesting,  I’m  sure  The 
Rural  x’eaders  would  be  grateful  for  its  reproduction 
in  the  paper,  for  to  know  how  to  produce  a  bushel  of 
barley  for  1 1  cents  or  20  cents,  I  would  consider  worth 
a  small  fortune,  even  out  here  in  Colorado,  where 
farm  products  are  comparatively  low. 
Ans. — The  statement  as  it  appears  in  the  bulletin 
follows : 
The  field  of  barley  was  a  level  plat  of  upland.  The 
soil  was  a  sandy  loam.  The  plat  had  been  fall  plowed. 
Following  is  the  table  of  labor  expense  : 
Plowing,  20  hours,  at  23  cents  per  hour .  $4.00 
Cultivating,  hours,  at  23  cents  per  hour .  2.01 
Harrowing,  8‘4  hours,  at  23  cents  per  hour .  1.95 
Sowing,  4  hours,  at  23  cents  per  hour . 92 
Cutting,  5  hours,  at  30  cents  per  hour .  1.50 
Shocking,  16*4  hours,  at  15  cents  per  hour .  2.47 
Stacking,  30  hours,  at  15  cents  per  hour .  4.50 
Thrashing,  18>4  hours,  at  15  cents  per  hour .  2.77 
Thrashing,  250  bushels,  at  3  cents  per  bushel .  7.50 
Total .  $28.22 
Following  are  the  proceeds  of  the  crop : 
250  bushels  barley,  at  60  cents  per  bushel . $150.00 
4  tons  of  straw,  estimated .  16.00 
Total .  $166.00 
Any  practical  farmer  will  observe  that  there  is  too 
much  time  involved  in  the  items  of  shocking  and  stack¬ 
ing.  This  extra  expense  is  due  to  a  mistake  of  the 
man  operating  the  binder.  The  barley  was  slightly 
green  when  cut,  and  the  operator  made  the  sheaves 
so  large  that  the  shocks  had  to  be  handled  over  sev¬ 
eral  times  to  effect  the  proper  curing  of  the  straw. 
The  gross  proceeds  of  the  crop  were .  $166. GO 
Cost  of  labor .  28.22 
Net  proceeds . $137.78 
Cost  of  labor  per  bushel,  11.2  cents;  the  variety  of 
barley  sown,  Manshury.  This  variety  takes  more 
kindly  to  our  soil  and  climate  than  any  that  we  have 
sown,  and  has  proved,  for  us,  a  profitable  crop. 
Growing1  Peas  Out  of  Season. 
W.  M.  R.,  Madison  County,  N.  Y. — I  am  gaining  al 
the  information  possible  in  relation  to  raising  and 
shipping  green  peas  to  the  New  York  market  during 
August  and  early  September.  I  expect  to  sow  Cham¬ 
pions  two  feet  apart  in  rows  ;  shall  1  use  commercial 
manures?  Is  much  ammonia  needed  to  make  a  good 
stand  and  crop  ?  At  what  time  in  the  above  months 
should  they  reach  market  ?  I  am  told  to  ship  in  half¬ 
barrel  truck  baskets.  What  are  they  ?  I  have  in  mind 
to  ship  in  one-third  bushel  peach  baskets,  using  gauze 
covers  ? 
Ans. — For  peas  we  should  use  a  fertilizer  rather  low 
in  ammonia  ;  say  four  per  cent ;  high  in  potash  and 
phosphoric  acid,  say  10  per  cent  and  12  per  cent 
respectively.  We  have  never  been  able  to  grow  late 
peas  successfully.  They  rot  and  mildew  so  that  it  is 
almost  impossible  to  perfect  the  crop.  The  last  of 
August  would  probably  be  the  best  season  to  sell  them. 
It  is  possible  that  you  can  carry  the  peas  through  the 
season  by  using  the  ammoniacal  copper  solution  on  the 
vines.  It  is  certainly  worth  trying.  The  most  popular 
package  for  shipping  peas  in  is  the  half  barrel  or  third 
bari-el  “truck  basket.”  It  is  made  just  as  a  cheap 
peach  basket  is  made,  only  taller  and  larger.  It  is 
used  lai’gely  for  shipping  string  ]>eans  and  other  com¬ 
modities  which  are  not  very  heavy.  The  articles  can 
be  bought  (half  barrel)  for  about  $13  per  hundred, 
with  cartage  added  for  small  lots,  and  500  or  more  at 
that  price  f.  o.  b. 
Wants  “He”  Asparagus  Plants. 
L.  M.  Y.,  Orient,  N.  Y. — Wishing  to  set  out  an  acre 
of  asparagus  this  spring  I  wrote  last  summer  to  sev¬ 
eral  men  who  grow  plants,  offering  to  pay  them  for 
their  trouble  if  they  would  destroy  the  females  during 
the  summer.  They  all  said  my  request  was  nonsensical, 
and  that  since  the  first  year  the  plants  bear  no  seed- 
balls,  I  must  get  two-year-old  plants  if  I  wished  them 
to  make  such  a  selection.  Moi’eover,  they  declared 
that  good  year-old  plants  are  better  than  two-year-olds, 
so  I  gave  up  the  project ;  but  I  have  received  a  good 
many  more  than  I  deeded,  and  have  buried  the  sur¬ 
plus  in  a  trench,  and  can  fill  in  this  summer.  I  have 
also  sowed  some  seed  myself  this  spring,  and  the 
plants  have  come  up  thickly.  Do  they  blossom  the  first 
year  ?  If  so,  would  it  be  advisable  to  delay  thinning 
till  they  do,  so  as  to  leave  the  males.  Most  growers 
do  not  thin  at  all  ;  but  I  want  good  plants,  and  am 
undecided  whether  to  thin  now  or  wait. 
Ans. — Yearling  plants  do  sometimes  bloom — not 
generally.  The  best  way  to  secure  a  male  plantation 
is  to  wait  until  the  plants  bloom,  and  then  destroy 
the  females. 
A  Succession  of  Green  Crops. 
T.  II.  L.,  Falmouth,  Mass. — I  have  a  meadow  in  grass ; 
will  it  do  (in  the  line  of  chemicals  and  clover)  after 
cutting  the  grass — say  on  June  25 — to  turn  it  over,  sow 
Hungarian  Grass  or  millet,  cut  the  crop  at  the  proper 
time,  turn  it  over  again  and  sow  clover?  Will  the 
clover  stand  the  winter  and  grow  enough  the  follow¬ 
ing  spring  to  be  turned  under  for  corn  by  May  25  ?  Or 
would  winter  rye  be  better  for  a  green  crop,  to  be 
turned  under,  using  at  the  first  plowing  about  800 
pounds  of  Pacific  guano  to  the  acre  ? 
Ans. — It  will  not  do  to  sow  the  clover  in  the  fall. 
The  rye,  if  well  seeded,  will  give  a  good  green  crop  for 
the  coi-n,  but  we  should  use  with  it  at  least  400  pounds 
of  a  high-grade  fertilizer  unless  the  ground  is  very 
strong. 
What  Is  the  Price  of  Milk  P 
A.  B.,  Meshappen,  Pa. — It  is  stated  on  page  325  of 
The  Rural  that  the  Exchange  price  of  milk  is  2% 
cents  per  quart,  net.  We  get  only  two  cents,  and  after 
May  16,  we  will  get  only  1)4  cent.  We  are  on  the  line 
of  the  Lehigh  Valley  Railroad,  about  220  miles  from 
New  York,  and  the  freight  on  a  can  of  milk  is  32  cents, 
the  same  as  from  all  other  stations. 
Ans. — The  quotations  given  in  The  Rural  are  en¬ 
tirely  correct.  You  are  selling  your  milk  at  half  a 
cent  per  quart  under  the  market  price.  On  May  16, 
the  price  was  reduced  to  two  cents  by  the  Exchange. 
If  your  contract  called  for  Exchange  or  market  price, 
you  can  compel  the  dealer,  if  he  is  responsible,  to  pay 
you  the  balance.  You  should  receive  two  cents  from 
May  16. 
Miscellaneous. 
Detasseling  Corn — G.  W.  McC.,  Illinois  Experiment 
Station. — Experiments  with  removing  the  tassels  from 
corn  have  been  tried  at  the  Wisconsin  Station,  and 
also  at  the  Michigan  Agricultural  College. 
Several  Subscribers. — The  “precipitated  phosphate” 
mentioned  by  Prof.  E.  B.  Voorhees  week  before  last,  is 
a  waste  product  in  glue  manufacture.  It  is  a  white 
powder  which  has  been  precipitated  from  solution  by 
the  addition  of  lime.  It  is  a  cheap  source  of  phos¬ 
phoric  acid,  but  its  production  is  limited  and  it  is  not 
for  sale  on  the  general  market. 
