638 
THE  RURAL  NEW-YORKER. 
Oct.  1 
Sheep  for  the  Women  Folks. 
IL,  Fairfield  County,  Conn. — Money 
at  compound  interest  will  double  itself 
much  more  quickly  than  at  simple  in¬ 
terest.  A  note  drawing  interest  semi¬ 
annually,  quarterly  or  monthly  is  more 
productive  than  one  on  which  interest  is 
paid  annually,  because  the  interest  itself 
can  be  deposited  to  the  holder’s  credit 
and  begin  to  bear  interest  itself.  The 
same  rule  applies  to  a  flock  of  sheep. 
Ewes  that  give  a  lamb  or  two  every  year 
or  twice  per  year,  and  give  a  heavy,  sal¬ 
able  fleece  are  annually  paying  three  div¬ 
idends  that  help  a  farmer  up  the  finan¬ 
cial  scale  amazingly,  to  say  nothing  of 
the  mechanical  and  manurial  advantage 
sheep  are  to  any  farm.  It  is  surprising 
that  more  dollars  are  not  put  into  this 
kind  of  stock  and  less  into  the  savings 
banks  at  3%  to  5  per  cent.  Compound 
interest  at  eight  per  cent  is  not  to  be 
compared  to  good  sheep  well  cared  for. 
The  great  interest  in  fowls  which  has 
been  awakened  in  the  past  few  years 
is  due  to  the  profits  that  are  possible 
from  a  few  birds  properly  managed.  But 
the  profits  are  meager  and  the  possibili¬ 
ties  limited  because  it  is  impracticable  to 
herd  large  numbers  of  fowls  together  and 
have  them  do  well.  In  separate  houses 
the  minuteness  and  multiplicity  of  detail 
make  it  impossible  to  care  for  many  with¬ 
out  hired  help  and  this  usually  destroys 
the  chances  for  success,  because  of  the 
expense  and  the  failure  of  hired  hands 
to  take  an  owner’s  interest  in  them. 
With  sheep  the  case  is  totally  different 
and  there  is  no  reason  why  one  man  with 
proper  facilities  should  not  be  able  to 
care  fully  for  at  least  500  of  these  inter¬ 
esting,  interest-bearing  and  wooly- 
backed  coupons. 
On  many  a  farm  where  money  is  scarce, 
more  stock  could  be  kept,  and  why  should 
it  not  be  sheep  ?  If  the  owner  is  too 
busy,  let  him  start  his  son  or  daughter 
or  both  together  with  a  high- bred  nucleus 
of  a  flock.  It  may  be  the  means  of  turn¬ 
ing  their  attention  to  the  brighter  possi¬ 
bilities  of  farming  and  keeping  them  on 
the  farm.  I  say  girls,  as  well  as  boys, 
for  the  care  of  sheep  is  admirably  adapted 
to  women  and  girls — much  more  so  than 
the  feeding  and  management  of  poultry. 
The  work  is  not  more  heavy,  it  requires 
more  activity,  like  pasture  wralks  in  the 
sunshine  and  air,  and  contact  with  sheep 
is  in  itself  healthful.  The  sympathy  and 
tenderness  natural  to  the  feminine  heart 
are  precisely  what  tend  to  the  prosperity 
of  sheep,  and  especially  of  young  lambs. 
The  shearing  and  stable  clearing,  neces¬ 
sary  but  twice  a  year,  are  jobs  which  can 
easily  be  done  by  hired  help.  There  is 
no  reason  why  the  care  of  sheep  should 
not  prove  a  highly  remunerative  and 
pleasant  field  for  the  enterprise  of  am¬ 
bitious  young  women  of  the  period  who 
see  the  ranks  of  workers  in  the  trades 
and  professions  full,  and  underpaid,  and 
yet  desire  to  be  independent.  Try  it, 
girls;  try  it  boys.  Learn  how  to  make 
sheep  treble  the  capital  invested  and  in 
one  year. 
Against  Iron  Roofing. 
S.  J.  P.,  Mosgrove,  Pa. — A  recent 
Rural,  speaking  of  metal  roofing,  said  : 
“  These  coverings  are  very  popular  now 
with  farmers,  and  deservedly  so  ;  they 
beat  shingles  for  many  reasons.”  Are  the 
reasons  really  many  ?  The  noise  made 
by  them  every  time  a  strong  wind  blows 
is  annoying,  and  the  owner’s  fear  that 
they  will  blow  off  is  renewed.  I  know 
one  barn  from  which  three  metallic  roofs 
have  been  blown  off.  They  drop  mois¬ 
ture  unless  building  paper  is  laid  between 
the  sheathing  and  roof,  and  even  this 
will  not  prevent  moisture  from  being 
condensed  on  the  under  side  of  the  roof, 
and,  if  there  be  a  spot  where  the  paint 
was  knocked  off  in  putting  on  the  roof, 
rust  will  eat  a  leak  from  the  under  side. 
In  hot  weather  toilers  or  sleepers  under 
them  are  almost  suffocated.  Painting 
them  is  a  periodical  expense  and  also 
dangerous  work,  unless  they  are  made 
almost  flat,  and  such  a  condition  detracts 
from  the  looks  of  the  buildings,  making 
them  look  like  potteries  or  rolling  mills. 
I  came  nearer  losing  my  life  while  paint¬ 
ing  one  of  them  than  I  ever  did  from  any 
other  accident.  It  is  almost  impossible 
to  keep  a  steel  or  iron  roof  so  painted 
that  it  will  not  rust.  Neither  material 
will  hold  the  paint.  I  paint  mine  an¬ 
nually  and  cannot  prevent  rust.  Although 
I  have  no  shingle  roofs,  I  believe  a  good 
one  will  outlast  my  steel,  though  I  give 
it  -  all  necessary  attention.  I  know  a 
shingle  roof  that  was  put  on  over  23 
years  ago,  and  is  doing  fairly  good  ser¬ 
vice  yet. 
The  plan  of  construction  in  a  steel  or 
iron  roof  is  so  faulty  that  it  is  next  to 
impossible  to  make  it  rain-proof.  Where 
the  cross-locks  are  made  there  are  four 
thicknesses  of  material.  In  bending  it 
over  to  make  the  standing  seam,  of 
course  the  layers  are  doubled  so  that 
there  are  eight  ;  add  to  these  the  turned- 
up  edge  of  the  other  sheet,  and  there  are 
nine,  and  perhaps  sometimes  one  will 
be  compelled  to  put  a  cleat  right  at  the 
cross-lock,  which,  when  bent  over,  will 
make  11  thicknesses  of  material  in  all. 
These  cannot  be  pressed  so  tightly  that 
a  drifting  rain  will  not  sweep  across  the 
sheet  with  sufficient  force  to  push  its  way 
up  any  crevice  it  finds,  only  to  fall  in¬ 
side.  One  could,  of  course,  apply  a  cap¬ 
roofing,  so  as  not  perhaps  to  need  so 
many  thicknesses  at  any  one  place  ;  but 
there  are  more  objections  to  it. 
Another  objection  to  such  roofing  is 
that  one  can  scarcely  get  it  without 
“sand-holes.”  Manufacturers  say  that 
all  sand-hole  sheets  are  thrown  out,  but 
some  of  them  will  be  overlooked,  and  the 
result  is  that  one  has  a  leak  at  the 
start,  and  will  be  disappointed  if  he  tries 
to  patch  such  roofs  with  iron  cement. 
The  only  advantage  they  have  over  shin¬ 
gles  is  that  they  lessen  the  dangers  of 
fire  from  without,  and  afford  a  better 
chance  to  fight  it  if  within,  and  “just 
maybe  ”  they  are  ligditning-proof.  They 
will  not  be  the  cause  of  a  lower  insurance 
rate,  however.  At  least,  mine  has  not 
secured  one.  A  tin  roof  might  do  with 
a  biennial  painting  (I  paint  mine  yearly), 
and,  although  it  has  several  of  the  same 
faults  steel  and  iron  have,  yet  I  believe 
that  it  comes  as  near  to  making  a  perfect 
rain-proof  covering  as  anything  gener¬ 
ally  used  nowadaj's.  I  have  one  that 
never  leaks,  and  think  it  will  outlast  any 
other  material,  cost  considered. 
Satisfied  With  Bordeaux  Mixture. 
W.  H.  A.,  Thompson's,  Tenn. — My  suc¬ 
cess  in  spraying  grapes  this  season  was 
nearly  perfect.  The  work  was  thoroughly 
done.  The  Bordeaux  mixture  was  of 
full  strength  and  sprayed  while  the  buds 
were  bursting,  when  in  bloom,  and  every 
twelfth  day  thereafter.  The  leaves  were 
coated  with  it  and  the  terrific  rains 
that  serrated  and  gullied  and  battered 
the  soil  out  of  shape  left  them  coated. 
In  spite  of  wet  weather  almost  from 
spring  until  midsummer  the  mixture  did 
its  work  so  well  as  to  leave  little  to  be 
desired.  The  last  spraying  was  made  on 
June  9,  and  the  Concords  began  to  be 
good  on  August  15.  The  clusters  then 
were  so  nearly  perfect  that  only  a  close 
examination  could  have  shown  a  few 
missing  berries.  Anthracnose  was  present 
throughout  the  season,  and  of  the  Cataw- 
bas  ripening  two  weeks  after  the  Concords 
probably  five  per  cent  were  lost  from  it. 
A  saturated  solution  of  sulphate  of  iron 
was  used  early  in  spring  on  the  dormant 
vines.  The  curculio  got  more  grapes 
than  both  black  rot  and  anthracnose. 
Grape  raising  here  is  scarcely  practicable 
without  spraying.  I  have  known  a  few 
to  have  a  fair  crop  in  a  dry  year  without 
it,  but  I  lost  nine-tenths  of  mine  every 
year  when  it  wasn’t  done.  All  the  un¬ 
sprayed  grapes  here  this  year  are  from 
a  nearly  total  to  a  total  failure.  If  Mr. 
Greiner  knows  a  better  form  of  sulphur 
than  that  in  sulphate  of  copper  he  should 
give  it.  I  could  guess  at  it — any  one 
could.  To  find  it  is  the  difficulty.  Mr. 
Greiner  hopes  to  make  from  crude  gyp¬ 
sum  a  “simplified  Bordeaux,”  superior 
in  some  way  to  anything  known.  Is  he 
serious  in  this?  Would  he  map  out  a 
course  for  chemists,  indicating  the  lines 
to  be  followed  ? 
The  Bordeaux  is  not  a  simple  mixture, 
but  an  intricate  chemical  union  produced 
by  sulphuric  acid  in  a  weak  chemical 
affinity  with  copper.  Without  this  acid 
we  can  have  no  Bordeaux,  and  the  time 
seems  very  remote  when  sulphuric  acid 
will  be  made  from  gypsum.  A  simple 
solution  of  gypsum  is  difficult. 
Fruit  Eating-  Crows. 
J.  C.  G.,  Fredericton,  Md. — The  case 
of  a  Massachusetts  man  whose  fruit  was 
injured  by  crows  was  mentioned  in  a  late 
Rural.  A  few  years  ago  the  crows 
attempted  the  same  trick  on  my  Duchess 
and  Alexander  apples,  doing  most  harm 
to  the  fruit  while  on  the  tree.  A  few 
strips  of  colored  cotton  or  strings  placed 
in  the  tops  of  the  trees  stopped  the 
trouble  at  once. 
Some  True  Dwarf  Beans. 
B.  T.  V.  0.,  Lewis,  Iowa. — In  a  late 
Rural  is  this  question  :  “  How  are  your 
Bush  Limas?  Are  they  stretching  out  for 
poles?”  Here  the  Burpee  Bush  Lima  has 
proved  a  true  bush.  No  large  Lima  does 
well  here,  and  during  three  years’  trial 
this  variety  has  been  ahead  of  the  old 
pole  sorts  in  earliness,  yield,  etc.,  and  in 
over  an  acre  I  have  found  only  one  or 
two  that  showed  the  least  signs  of  run¬ 
ning.  The  Dreer’s  Bush  Lima  is  a  heavy 
cropper,  considerably  earlier  this  season 
than  Burpee’s  ;  but  it  grows  so  sprawl- 
ingly  that  all  the  beans  lie  on  the  ground 
and  most  of  them  are  spoilt  before  they 
get  ripe.  Henderson’s  Bush  Lima,  al¬ 
though  a  small  sort,  is  very  hardy  and 
prolific  and  the  beans  are  of  fine  flavor 
and  as  easily  raised  as  Navy  or  Pea  Beans 
and  give  larger  crops. 
(' Continued  on  next  page.) 
Ip  you  name  The  R.  N.-Y.  to  our  advertisers  you 
may  be  pretty  sure  of  prompt  replies  and  right 
treatment. 
A  Veteran 
Mr.  Joseph  Hcm- 
merich,  529  E.  146th 
St.,  N.  Y.  City,  in  1862, 
at  the  battle  of  Fair 
Oaks,  was  stricken  with 
Typhoid  Fever,  and 
after  a  long  struggle  in 
hospitals,  was  discharg¬ 
ed  as  incurable  with 
Consumption.  Helias 
Jos.  Hemmerich.  lately  token  Hood’s  Sar¬ 
saparilla,  is  in  good  health,  and  cordially  rec- 
omn  ends  IlOOU’S  NAltSAPAKIIJ.A 
as  a  general  blood  purifier  and  tonic  medi¬ 
cine,  especially  to  his  comrades  in  the  G.  A.  It. 
HOOD’S  PlLLS  are  hand  made,  and  are  per¬ 
fect  in  composition,  proportion  and  appearance. 
Nothing  On  Earth  Will 
LIKE 
Sheridan’s  Condition  Powder ! 
KEEPS  YOUR  CHICKENS 
Strong  and  Healthy  ;  Prevents  all  Disease. 
Good  for  Moulting  liens. 
It  is  absolutely  pure.  Highly  concentrated.  In  quan¬ 
tity  costs  tenth  of  a  cent  a  day.  No  other  one-fourtli  as 
strong.  Strictly  a  medicine.  “  One  large  can  saved  mo 
$10 ;  send  six  to  prevent  Roup,”  says  one  customer. 
If  you  can’t  get  it  send  to  us. 
We  mail  one  pack  25c.  Five  SI  A  2  1-1  lb.  can  $1.20.  Six 
cans,  §5  00,  express  paid.  Poultry  liaising  Guide,  price 
25  cents,  free  with  81.00  orders  or  more.  Sample  copy 
of  The  Best  Poultry  Paper  sent  free. 
I.  S.  JOHNSON  &  CO.,  22  Custom  House  St.,  Boston,  Moss. 
GrIVE  •  TIIE  ’  BABY 
IF  YOU  WISH  your  infant  to  be 
well  nourished,  healthy,  and  vigorous. 
THE  •  BEST  •  FOOD 
For  Hand-Fed  Infants,  Invalids,  Conva¬ 
lescents,  Dyspeptics,  and  the  Aged. 
Our  Book  for  MOTHERS, 
“THE  CARE  AND  FEEDING  OF  INFANTS,” 
Mailed  free  upon  request. 
"Idli  ber-Goodaleco.,  Boston,  m  ass. 
Beware  of  the  Ram. 
Ask  the  man  who  exhibits  the  I’AGE  WOVEN 
WI  RE  EENC  E,  at  the  fairs,  to  agitate  the  Batter¬ 
ing  Ram  or  “  Royal  Buntcr,”  and  show  you  how  a 
shock  that  would  ruin  any  other  fence  has  no  terror 
for  this.  The  same  test  shows  how  little  changes  of 
temperature  affect  it.  Write  for  particulars. 
PAGE  WOVEN  WIRE  FENCE  CO., 
Adrian,  Mich. 
ANCHOR  FENCE  POST. 
Is  the  easiest  set,  most  indis- 
tructable,  and  only  practical  Iron 
post  made,  for  all  kinds  of  wire  and 
metal  fencing,  for  farm,  stockyards 
or  ornamental  purposes.  Circular  on  application. 
ANCHOR  POST  CO.,  59  D.  W.  42d  St.,N.Y. 
AND 
Gem 
S  T  E  E  L- 
toWER 
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and  worth  its  weight  in  gold.  The  i 
GEM  STEEL  TOWER  is  made  trian- j 
gular  in  shape,  the  corners  and  girts  being! 
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