66 
IAN. 24 
Profitable Grapes For A Market 
Vineyard. 
Thaddeus Smith, Pelee Island, On¬ 
tario. —My vineyard consists of 30 acres, 
and most of the vines were planted 22 years 
ago. I have planted over 50 varieties. We 
ship to distant cities and sell at home to 
the wine manufacturers. The Catawba 
and Concord have been my most profitable 
crops, and Delaware and Ives next. Out of 
the 50 other varieties tried there are not 
half a dozen that I would plant here for 
profit. I have had 200 vines of the Niagara 
for six years, and so far, find it more desir¬ 
able than any of the 10 other white grapes I 
have, on account of its hardiness, produc¬ 
tiveness and large, showy clusters, and 
while the supply is still limited it brings 
good prices for shipping, but it is not a 
favorite with the wine makers. The Etta 
is more hardy, and much freer from disease, 
and quite as productive as the Niagara, 
but I have not yet fully tested its market 
qualities. It is late, but a great improve¬ 
ment on the Elvira and Noah, and it has 
none of the foxiness of the Niagara. The 
Worden is of much better quality than the 
Concord; the berries are larger and it 
ripens here a week or 10 days earlier. I 
mean that it ripens and not merely that it 
colors, and if it proves as hardy and pro¬ 
ductive and as good a shipper it should take 
the place of the Concord. The Woodruff 
Red, Hosford’s Mammoth, Eaton and 
Downing are on trial. The Woodruff and 
Hosford are promising, the former on ac¬ 
count of its hardiness and vigorous growth, 
and its beautifully colored, large berries, 
but its clusters are small and its quality no 
better than that of the Niagara. The latter 
is also hardy and productive, and on ac¬ 
count of its large clusters, and very large 
berries—many of them an inch in diameter 
—it is a showy and salable fruit, and its 
quality is good. The others have not yet 
borne enough to justify an opinion. 
“2,000 Bushels of Onions per Acre.” 
Is It a Possibility? 
E. E. Summey, Niagara County, N.Y.— 
In a recent advertisement of a new book I 
read: “Onion culture; 2,000 bushels per 
acre, on an entirely new system. The be¬ 
ginner grows 1,500 bushels per acre as 
easily as the expert his 600 bushels in the 
old way.” The author is a man of large 
practical experience, and if any one can 
raise such a crop he undoubtedly can, but 
that if stands in the way. It has never yet 
been done on a full acre of land. The 
system received a trial this last season, but 
was not successful because of unfavorable 
weather. Herein lies the difficulty, for in 
order to obtain such a crop the land must 
be in the finest condition as regards 
manure, drainage, etc.; the weather must 
be favorable throughout the entire season ; 
blight must not come, and, in fact, circum¬ 
stances must all conspire together as 
benignautly as they do not do in this part 
.of the country in nine years out of ten. 
This is not written for the purpose of dis¬ 
couraging any one from trying this method, 
but simply to caution growers against 
putting all their eggs in one basket, since 
many persons might figure like this : “ Two ’ 
thousand bushels per acre at one dollar per 
bushel would make $2,000,” and the cost 
having been deducted, a very satisfactory 
profit, indeed, must be left. 
The recipe is very simple : “ Take a pound 
of Prizetaker or Spanish King seed and 
early in the season sow it thinly in a hot¬ 
bed, and get the ground into shape as soon 
as possible in the spring, and transplant 
the onion seedlings from the hot-bed to the 
outdoor plot, setting them in rows a foot 
apart and four inches apart in the row. The 
soil should be rich, in the first place, and 
as the crop is growing commercial fertiliz¬ 
ers, such as nitrate of soda, etc., must be 
applied to maintain a vigorous growth ; 
then harvest and sell them, not attempting 
to hold them overwinter. Thus planted 
and cared for, an acre will produce at most 
11,000 plants, and the cultivation must be 
thorough. 
Although I tried this method the past 
year, and intend to give it another trial 
this coming season, yet I am not at all 
certain that my crop will reach any re¬ 
markable proportions, even though I should 
not plant more than a tenth or so of an 
acre. My mode of procedure will be as 
follows : One ounce of seed will be sown 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
in a mild hot-bed as early as practicable 
on enough surface to give the plants 
plenty of space, and they will be permitted 
to grow until the weather and the ground 
are suitable for planting out. I anticipate 
o another dry season, hence my desire to 
take full advantage of the early spring to 
secure as good a growth as possible. Last 
season a neighbor obtained about a ton of 
onions from one ounce of seed so treated— 
a record that it will require some work 
and skill to beat. The main objection that 
can be urged against growing the varieties 
mentioned, is that they cannot well be 
stored Overwinter; hence the market is 
liable to get glutted early in the season, 
especially if it becomes common to raise 
2,000 bushels to the acre, the country over. 
It has not been found that the old kinds, 
like the Danvers and Yellow and Red 
Wethersfield, give a greater yield when 
transplanted than when grown in the or¬ 
dinary way. My experience last year 
showed that the main part of the labor 
was in transplanting, as after this was 
done the use of a hand cultivator would 
keep the bed fairly clear of weeds, and if 
a couple of hoeings were given in addition, 
comparatively very little work would be 
needed to keep the crop entirely free from 
weeds. A great advantage Is that culti* 
vating can commence as soon as the plant¬ 
ing is finished, so that the weeds will prac¬ 
tically have no chance at all providing reg¬ 
ular attention is given to the work. 
Pasturing vs. Soiling. 
C. S. Rice, Lewis County, N. Y.—At the 
New York State Dairymen’s Convention 
A. D. Baker said: “ I believe that a great 
loss is incurred by pasturing, as it takes 
twice as many acres in summer as in winter 
to furnish a cow’s food.” John Gould said : 
“ Nine acres of ensilage kept 27 cows for 
seven months; why should I pasture 80 
acres to keep the same number in sum¬ 
mer ?” 
Good pasture furnishes almost perfect 
rations for the dairy. It is not necessary 
to feed grain in connection with good pas¬ 
ture to balance the ration. Only first-class 
cows will give profitable returns for such 
feeding of grain. If land is worth $50 per 
acre, then 80 acres will be worth $4,000, the 
interest of which at six per cent is $240. If 
$30 be added to this amount for taxes and 
fence repairs,then $270,or $10 per head, will 
be the cost for keeping the cows at pasture 
through the summer or, say, for five 
months. Suppose ensilage from one acre 
to cost $15, including interest on land, then 
nine acres will cost $135. But cows giving 
milk will need seven pounds of grain feed 
to balance the ensilage ration and make it 
equal to good pasture. It will require 
about 20 tons of feed to supply seven pounds 
each day for seven months to 27 cows. It will 
take 20 acres of good, well cultivated land 
to produce this amount of grain of quality 
right to .feed in connection with ensilage; 
or it can be bought in an average season 
for $400. Then the cost of keeping these 
cows for seven months will be, for ensilage 
$135 and for grain $400, in all, $535. For five 
months, or the same length of time that 
the cows were kept on pasture, the cost 
would be $382. These figures show a balance 
of $112 in favor of pasturing 27 cows for five 
months. To this amount must be added 
the cost of labor in feeding and the care of 
the cows when kept up and fed ensilage, as 
well as interest on the cost of the silo and a 
reasonable sum for its wear and tear. 
It is true that land at a higher value 
would show different results, as the 
amount of interest would be greatly in¬ 
creased on the larger number of acres re¬ 
quired in pasturing. It is equally true, 
however, that only a comparatively small 
portion of the pasture land of the State of 
New York can be valued at $50 per acre. 
Labor, which is scarce and dear, enters 
largely into the cost of keeping dairy cows 
on ensilage and grain. Land that is plenty 
and cheap can be profitably used as pasture, 
with milk bringing 75 cents net per 100 
pounds at the cheese factory. What we 
need in northern New York is better cows 
and better care of pasture lands. 
Japanese Buckwheat. 
F. C. Luckenback, Wyoming County, 
N. Y.—The bitterness found in Japanese 
Buckwheat flour seems to be discovered only 
by the millers and is nothing but the gall 
and wormwood of their natures, instead of 
any defect in the flour. Whenever a new 
wheat or other grain is introduced by farm¬ 
ers, millers are the first to condemn it. But 
when sufficient quantities are raised to 
warrant the miller in putting his mill in 
order to produce the best results, then the 
gall is all out of him, and where he had con¬ 
demned he cannot praise too highly. Such 
is the experience of our people. Now Jap¬ 
anese Buckwheat has not had a good test; 
but it is coming to the front and will be 
the buckwheat of the future; so, millers, be 
wise; cleanse out all bitterness in your na¬ 
tures and if you will be honest, you will 
say, with those who have given this flour 
a thorough test, that it is superior to all 
other brands. Japanese Buckwheat is king. 
O. H. Alexander, Chittenden County, 
Vt. —Farmers in this town do not like the 
Japanese Buckwheat as well as the Silver 
Hull. The latter yielded more per acre 
during the past season than the former, 
and gives better flour. I raised last season 
what is called the Hulless Buckwheat, 
which has no more hull than the hulless 
barley, and yields one-third more than any 
variety I have ever seen, and makes very 
good flour, 
F. D. Snyder, Tompkins County, N. Y. 
—By careful observation and inquiry I find 
that Japanese Buckwheat was a failure 
here the past season as compared with 
Silver Hull and other old varieties. A 
party who has done quite an extensive 
business thrashing, said to me recently, 
that of all he had thrashed, only in one 
instance had Japanese done as well as 
other varieties on the same farms or in the 
same localities. Two kinds were sowed by 
many who tried Japanese for the first 
time, making a fair test so far as 1890 is 
concerned. Millers do not speak well of 
the Japanese. 
C. E. Fox, Lorain County, O.—I have 
raised Japanese Buckwheat for two years. 
I do not see that the grain grows any 
smaller. It yields about twice as much as 
the common kinds, and I think it is more 
sure to fill in an unfavorable season. Our 
miller has new and improved machinery 
for grinding buckwheat. He says the Jap 
anese grinds just as well as the other sorts, 
and makes a little nicer, whiter flour. 
Breed Off The Briers. 
E. P. Powell, Oneida County, N. Y.— 
Briers do not belong to civilization; they 
should be abolished. In the rose family 
we have nearly got rid of thorns ; and have 
done so entirely in the apple, pear, plum, 
apricot, peach and cherry, and I have no 
doubt we can get rid of those now attached 
to the raspberry and blackberry. Indeed, 
we have raspberries that are very nearly 
thornless. This is the point to be next 
sought in new varieties. We want a thorn¬ 
less and hardy Gregg; but the Gregg we 
have is neither hardy nor thornless. It is 
very probable that we shall have to look to 
crosses from Davison’s Thornless. The 
purpose of the thorns seems to have been 
protection. In the struggle for existence 
the wild bush most stoutly provided with 
briers kept off browsing animals, and so 
became the parent of a thorny stock. 
Those who succeed in raising or finding a 
thornless blackberry of quality equal to 
the Agawam, will make a fortune and con¬ 
fer a favor on the world. 
When writing to advertisers, please 
mention The Rural New-Yorker. 
Pervad“8 the whole human family. Pimples, boils 
and other small eruptions are as certainly caused by 
scrofula as the dreadful running sores, swellings in 
the neck, etc., and should be cured as soon as pos 
sible. 
You can rely upon Hood's Sarsaparilla as a positive 
remedy for every form of scrofula, salt rheum and 
all other humors. It eradicates every impurity, and 
vitalizes and enriches the blood. 
Hood’s Sarsaparilla 
Sold by all druggists. $1; six for *5. Prepared only 
by C. I. HOOD & CO., Ap >theearles, Lowell, Mass 
IOO Doses One Dollar 
'EridaI' 
CONDITION POWDER 
Highly concentrated. Dose small. In quantity costs 
less than one-tenth cent a day |>er hen. Prevents and 
cures all diseases. If you can’t get it, we send by mail 
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, Mass. 
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BEECHAM’S PILLS 
For Bilious and Uertras Disorders. 
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A child can man¬ 
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all it wants is fill- 
&b D2Qxxq in ? and , wi P in g 
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trimming once a week. 
So much for one year’s im¬ 
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We have a primer to send. 
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PRINT BUTTER. 
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It is constructed of tliin pieces of liard 
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It saves freight and express charges. 
It keeps the butier In good shape. 
The Ifealers like it. Their customers 
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It may be packed In the regular butter box or 
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Give this Package a trial and you will use 
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