1892 
THE  RURAL  NEW-YORKER. 
drinking  and  cooking  purposes  as  new  milk,  and  that 
the  creamery  could  sell  its  stockholders  butter  cheaper 
than  they  could  make  it  on  their  own  farms.  The 
picture  was  painted  in  such  rosy  hues  that  people  al¬ 
most  fell  over  each  other  in  the  rush  to  “  get  in  on  the 
ground  floor.”  If  any  person  dared  to  utter  a  word  of 
disparagement,  or  to  doubt  the  unbounded  success  of 
the  scheme,  he  was  liable  to  meet  with  tribulation. 
He  was  looked  on  as  a  man  who  was  utterly  devoid  of 
enterprise,  who  was  opposed  to  building  up  his  town 
and  improving  the  condition  of  his  county,  as  an 
anarchist,  as  a  public  enemy,  and  was  sat  on  accord¬ 
ingly.  Now  the  stockholders  and  chief  promoters  are 
calling  themselves  soft-headed  suckers,  and  kicking 
themselves  all  over  their  farms.  feed  grundy. 
Christian  County,  Ill. 
How  They  Worked  in  Kansas. 
The  farmers  of  this  neighborhood  have  been  taken 
in  on  a  creamery  deal.  The  agents  of  a  Chicago  firm 
took  a  committee  of  our  farmers  to  see  several  success¬ 
ful  creameries  in  Illinois  and  finally  to  the  company’s 
headquarters  at  Chicago,  paying  all  expenses.  While 
in  Chicago  a  proposition  tvas  submitted  to  the  com¬ 
mittee  to  build  a  creamery  at  our  town,  the  institution 
to  be  fitted  with  a  cold  storage  device  for  cooling  by 
ammonia,  the  plant  to  cost  $6,850  and  the  stock  to  be 
taken  in  shares  of  $100  each,  the  amount  to  be  taken 
by  any  one  person  to  be  limited  to  two  shares,  and  in 
case  of  failure  to  raise  the  necessary  amount,  the  same 
plant  was  to  be  put  in  except  that  an  ice  room  was  to 
be  substituted  for  the  chemical  cold 
storage,  so  that  the  cost  would  be 
only  $4,850.  The  committee  ob¬ 
jected,  however,  to  the  latter  pro¬ 
position,  as  cooling  with  water 
was  out  of  the  question  with  us, 
since  our  winters  are  not  always 
cold  enough  to  form  ice  thick 
enough  for  use,  so  they  refused 
to  subscribe  to  the  double  con¬ 
tract.  The  creamery  men  then 
submitted  a  contract  supposed  to 
be  for  the  $6,850  plant  or  nothing, 
and  this  the  committee  signed. 
On  their  return,  the  company’s 
agents  canvassed  the  neighborhood 
in  company  with  members  of  the 
committee  who  were  enthusiastic 
over  the  possibilities  of  the  cream¬ 
ery  business,  and  a  large  number 
of  our  farmers  were  induced  to 
take  stock.  The  agents  were  often 
asked  what  would  be  done  if  enough 
stock  was  not  subscribed  for  the 
$6,850  plant,  and  they  said  the  mat¬ 
ter  would  be  dropped.  Only  $4,800 
was  raised,  and  now  it  turns  out 
the  contract  was  so  worded  that 
in  case  the  stock  for  the  $6,850 
plant  could  not  be  raised,  the  $4,850 
contract  would  be  operative,  pro¬ 
vided  48  shares  were  taken  ;  but  the  writing  was  so 
worded  that  this  provision  escaped  the  notice  of  the 
farmers.  The  latter  have  refused  to  accept  the  cheaper 
plant.  Now,  can  the  company  compel  the  farmers 
to  pay  for  the  cheap  plant  if  they  build  it,  and  does 
the  agents’  verbal  agreement  amount  to  anything  ? 
Bucyrus,  Kan.  A.  g.  w. 
R.  N.-Y.— If  good  witnesses  can  testify  that  the 
company  or  its  recognized  agents  stated  that  the  con¬ 
tract  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  cheaper  plant,  it 
is  our  opinion  that  it  cannot  make  you  pay  for  it 
unless  you  want  it.  *  *  # 
A  Fertilizer  Farmer  Talks.— I  was  much  inter¬ 
ested  in  the  account  of  John  M.  Jamison’s  farming.  In 
a  late  Rural.  With  his  rotation  on  corn,  wheat  and 
clover,  I  would  suggest  that  he  continue  to  haul  all 
the  stable  manure  he  can,  so  long  as  he  can  have  it  for 
the  hauling,  and  apply  all  to  his  sod  for  corn.  What¬ 
ever  may  be  the  quantity  of  stable  manure  to  be  ap¬ 
plied,  let  it  be  put  on  equally  over  the  entire  field ; 
then  let  him  broadcast  250  or  300  pounds  of  plain 
superphosphate  per  acre.  That  application  would 
practically  represent  phosphoric  acid,  which  would 
put  his  land  in  such  a  condition  as  to  insure  a  splen¬ 
did  crop  of  corn  in  a  favorable  season. 
Now,  as  to  treatment  of  the  wheat  crop  :  I  would  be 
governed  by  circumstances,  first  as  to  quantity  of 
stable  manure  applied  per  acre  to  the  corn  crop  ;  so 
long  as  Mr.  Jamison  can  get  his  stable  manure  for  the 
hauling,  it  will  pay  him  to  hire  it  all  done,  as  I  under¬ 
stand  it  is  a  short  haul,  and  1  would  apply  all  the 
stable  manure  to  the  corn  crop.  The  heavier  the 
application,  the  less  the  amount  to  be  applied  to  the 
wheat  and  clover  crops.  If  the  farm  were  here  in 
New  Jersey,  I  would  apply  a  complete  chemical  fer¬ 
tilizer  to  the  wheat  and  clover,  the  quantity  to  be 
determined  by  the  amount  of  stable  manure  applied 
to  the  corn  crop.  D.  c.  lewis. 
TILE  DRAINAGE  AND  FERTILIZERS. 
DR.  W.  I.  CHAMBERLAIN’S  FARM. 
Fertilizers  On  a  Clay  Soil. 
Mr.  Chamberlain  lives  about  one  mile  to  the  east  of 
Hudson,  O.,  a  pleasant  New  England  village  peopled 
by  a  very  desirable  class  of  citizens — persons  attracted 
there  by  the  Western  Reserve  University  which,  by 
the  way,  has  been  removed  to  Cleveland.  His  father 
must  have  had  an  eye  for  beautiful  landscape,  the 
view  to  the  east  of  the  farm  being  one  of  great  beauty. 
This,  with  the  carefully  trimmed  hedges  along  the 
roadside,  the  well-kept  lawn  sloping  gradually  into 
orchard  and  meadow,  makes  a  very  pleasant  impres¬ 
sion  on  the  passer-by. 
I  found  the  proprietor  at  home  and  soon  started  on 
a  tramp  across  a  36-acre  field  where  the  fertilizer  ex¬ 
periments  on  wheat,  clover  and  Timothy  seeding  were 
made  the  past  year. 
Fertilizers  on  Clay.— The  soil  is  a  moderately 
heavy  clay  and  is  thoroughly  tile-drained  at  intervals 
of  two  and  three  rods.  The  field  is  divided  into  six 
plots  of  six  acres  each  and  was  thought  at  the  time  of 
seeding  to  be  about  equal  all  over  so  far  as  plant  food 
was  concerned.  Results  show  that  some  portions 
were  not  so  favorable  for  wheat  this  year  as  others. 
On  parts  of  three  plots  wheat  followed  wheat  (a  sort 
of  inbreeding,  is  it  not  ?)  and  the  crop  was  not  nearly 
so  good  as  where  wheat  followed  clover  and  Timothy, 
or  Timothy  sod.  The  fertilizer  used  was  an  ammoniated 
superphosphate  with  a  guaranteed  analysis  of  3%  to 
4%  per  cent  ammonia,  9  to  11  per  cent  of  available 
phosphoric  acid  and  one  to  two  per  cent  of  potash. 
£!°H-  ,^°  superphosphates . yielded  10  bu.  wheat  per  acre. 
I  lot  2.  150  pounds  of  superphosphates,  .yielded  1!)J4  bu.  wheat  per-acre 
1  lot  8.  200  pounds  of  superphosphates,  .yielded  20  bu  wheat  per  acre* 
Plot  4.  800  pounds  of  superphosphates.,  yielded  13J4  bu.  wheat  per  acre' 
Plot  5.  400  pounds  of  superphosphates,  .yielded  20)^  bu.  wheat  per  acre- 
I  lot  6.  450  pounds  of  superphosphates,  .yielded  22  bu.  wheat  per  acre- 
T  hree  acres  of  plot  3,  all  of  plot  4  and  one  acre  of 
plot  5  were  wheat  after  wheat,  and  consequently  do 
not  furnish  a  fair  comparison  with  the  “no  phosphate” 
plot.  The  wheat  of  plot  6  was  preceded  by  Timothy, 
while  plots  1  and  2  were  clover  and  Timothy,  so  there 
may  be  an  inequality  here. 
Taken  as  a  whole,  plots  2  to  6  inclusive,  with  an  av¬ 
erage  of  300  pounds  of  superphosphate  per  acre,  aver¬ 
aged  19  bushels  of  wheat  per  acre.  Plot  1  without  su¬ 
perphosphate  yielded  10  bushels  per  acre;  so  it  would 
seem  to  be  understating  it  to  say  that  300  pounds  of 
superphosphate— cost  $4.20— gave  an  increase  of  nine 
bushels  of  wheat.  As  to  the  seeding  of  clover  and 
Timothy,  there  is  a  marked  difference  in  the  stand  of 
clover  on  the  fertilized  plots.  Timothy  seems  to  be 
more  at  home  on  clay  and  is  good  everywhere,  while 
clover  is  scattering  save  on  the  fertilized  plots.  The 
total  yield  was  disappointing  to  Mr.  Chamberlain  and 
is  much  below  his  usual  average.  Cause,  the  unfavor¬ 
able  season. 
Mr.  Chamberlain  is  to  make  an  interesting  experi¬ 
ment  with  this  36-acre  field,  particularly  so  to  those 
who  have  somewhat  similar  soil.  Half  of  it  is  seeded 
to  clover  and  will  be  rotated  with  potatoes  and  wheat, 
what  manure  is  made  being  used.  The  other  half  is 
seeded  to  Timothy  and  will  be  mowed  as  long  as  the 
yield  keeps  up  to  two  tons  of  cured  hay  per  acre,  and 
then  plowed  and  seeded  to  wheat  and  Timothy  again. 
As  his  is  naturally  grass  land  Mr.  Chamberlain  is  in 
doubt  at  present  as  to  which  will  pay  the  better.  He 
hopes  to  find  out.  To  this  36-acre  field  he  expects  to 
795 
add  12  acres  from  an  adjoining  pasture  lot,  as  he  finds 
it  more  profitable  to  till  than  pasture  land. 
The  Orchard. — Wheat  is  only  one  of  the  many 
sourcesiof  income  on  this'farra.  Perhaps  the  orchard  is 
of  first  importance.  Certain  it  is  that  the  writer  never 
saw  as  neatly  pruned  and  healthy-looking  trees — 600 
of  them  covering  15  acres:  all  was  seeded  to  wheat 
this  fall,  the  entire  surface  being  plowed.  Last  year 
the  income  from  the  orchard  heads  the  list,  being  $600 
in  round  numbers,  and  only  one  tree  in  four  bearing. 
This  year  the  bloom  was  excellent  but  the  excessive 
rain  washed  off  the  pollen,  so  apples  did  not  set  and 
the  product  is  next  to  nothing. 
The  whole  of  the  orchard  is  now  thoroughly  tiled. 
The  Sugar  Camp. — Another  important  source  of  in¬ 
come  is  the  sugar  camp.  Mr.  Chamberlain  thinks  the 
money  from  this  comes  the  easiest  of  any  he  gets.  The 
work  comes  in  a  season  of  year  when  men  and  teams 
are  otherwise  unemployed.  Fuel  used  is  mainly  rub¬ 
bish.  The  land  occupied  by  the  maples  also  furnishes 
considerable  pasture.  He  has  600  trees  scattered  over 
some  15  acres  ;  hangs  1,000  buckets,  all  tin  and  all 
covered  ;  bores  a  three-eighth-incli  hole  at  first  and 
later  in  season  uses  Cook’s  half-inch  curve-lipped  bit  for 
rimming  out  or  freshening  the  holes.  He  has  to  have 
two  sets  of  spouts,  but  thinks  the  extra  flow  of  sap 
as  the  trees  begin  to  dry  up  more  than  pays. 
He  uses  the  G.  H.  Grimm  Co.’s  Champion  evapora¬ 
tor,  for  which  he  has  only  good  words.  No  sugar  is 
made,  but  the  entire  product  is  sold  as  syrup  in  neat  tin 
packages  hermetically  sealed.  He 
has  more  orders  for  maple  syrup 
than  he  can  fill. 
The  above  mentioned  products 
with  hay  make  up  the  bulk  of  his 
sales.  He  keeps  a  few  head  of  cat¬ 
tle,  principally  young  stock,  but 
sells  a  good  <  share  of  his  hay,  as 
he  does  not  think  it  necessary  to 
feed  it  all  in  order  to  “  keep  up  ” 
the  farm.  He  keeps  up  the  farm 
by  purchasing  commercial  ferti¬ 
lizers,  three  to  four  tons  a  year ; 
buys  no  other  manure.  The  win¬ 
ter  season  for  a  few  years  has  been 
spent  in  tiling  and  making  other 
improvements.  As  these  are  get¬ 
ting  pretty  well  along,  he  contem¬ 
plates  starting  a  winter  dairy  soon, 
and  is  accordingly  working  into 
grade  Holsteins.  One  reason  for 
starting  the  dairy  is  that  help, 
which  it  seems  best  for  him  to  hire 
by  the  year,  may  be  profitably  em¬ 
ployed  during  the  winter  months. 
Marketing  Products. — Hay  is 
hauled  in  bulk,  or  baled  and  shipped 
to  Cleveland  and  sold  directly  to 
consumers.  By  hauling  to  Cleve¬ 
land  in  bulk,  he  gets  $5  per  ton 
more  than  he  could  to  bale  and  ship 
to  middlemen.  Apples,  all  of  them  frequently  wanted 
in  his  own  town,  are  sold  to  consumers.  Unmar¬ 
ketable  ones  are  made  into  vinegar  and  bring  about 
35  cents  per  bushel.  Maple  syrup  is  sent  to  private 
customers  from  Massachusetts  to  Colorado. 
The  Hedge  Fence. — Mr.  Chamberlain  is  a  great  ad¬ 
mirer  of  the  hedge  fence,  and  under  his  care  it  does 
seem  to  be  an  ideal  fence.  “  And  the  best  of  it  is,” 
says  he,  “  the  only  cash  outlay  for  a  neat  and  service¬ 
able  fence  is  eight  cents  a  rod  ;  all  the  rest  is  labor.” 
Mr.  Chamberlain’s  road  fences  and  nearly  all  his  line 
fence  are  hedges.  He  set  out  a  mile  this  year ;  he 
has  some  27  years  old.  They  have  to  be  pruned  from 
two  to  four  times  a  year,  owing  to  rainfall,  but  a  man 
can  average  one  mile  a  day,  trimming  both  sides  and 
top. 
Neighbors  and  Roads. — Between  the  Chamberlain 
farm  and  the  corporation  limits  lies  the  farm  and 
country-seat  of  James  W.  Ellsworth,  a  Chicago  million¬ 
aire.  The  latter  does  not  put  all  his  money  inside  of 
his  fences,  but  in  connection  with  Mr.  Chamberlain 
and  others  interested,  is  continuing  road  improvements 
a  mile  or  more  beyond  the  corporation.  And  they  are 
doing  a  better  job,  I  think,  than  the  city  fathers  have 
done.  As  this  subject  is  under  discussion  the  country 
over,  perhaps  The  R.  N.-Y.  would  like  to  know  how 
these  “  farmers  ”  are  proceeding.  The  county  and 
town  together  furnish  one  dollar  for  every  two  raised 
by  subscription.  The  county  and  town  money  pays 
the  expense  of  getting  the  material — limestone  furnace 
slag — and  the  farmers  work  out  all  of  their  subscrip¬ 
tions  by  hauling  slag  from  the  railroad  station  and 
building  the  road.  This  is  generally  done  after  fall 
work  is  completed,  and  can  be  worked  at  all  winter, 
as  the  road  is  built  from  the  town  end  and  the  heavy 
loads  are  hauled  over  it.  Three  furrows  are  first 
How  the  Drainage  Makes  the  Barn  Overflow.  Fig.  302. 
