1891 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
compared with other articles, and while the dollar itself is 
too hard to get to be an honest dollar for the producers of 
commodities that, like silver, are sufficient for the demand 
and reserve to be measured in silver. 
The result of unlimited coinage of silver and the re¬ 
striction of its purchasing value to its intrinsic value, 
would be, of course, to enhance the price of all products 
measured in it, just so much as the purchasing value of 
the silver dollar would be less than the purchasing value 
of the gold dollar or the paper dollar based on gold. It 
would in no sense be flat money or a debased currency; 
but a fair, honest, constitutional dollar with less purchas¬ 
ing value than the dear gold one, and therefore easier 
to get. 
There are some slight benefits to be derived by the 
farmer from silver certificates based on silver measured in 
gold, but absolute free coinage of stiver at the old ratio— 
not a new one equalizing silver with gold—is the only 
road fhis class of farmers can afford to travel, if they ex¬ 
pect to “get there.” Whether their aims and wishes are 
best for the rest of the people as well as themselves, is 
another question. ALVA AGEE. 
R. N.-Y.—What is “ the old ratio ” of gold and silver ? 
Silver never has been equalized with gold in any part of 
the civilized world. A varying number of grains, ounces 
or pounds of silver have always been equal respectively to 
a single grain, ounce or pound of gold; and the number of 
pounds, etc., of silver, that have at various times been 
equivalent in exchangeable value to one pound, etc., of 
gold, has been the ratio between the two metals. This 
has constantly fluctuated from time immemorial. The 
following extract from a lengthy table published by the 
National Mint shows the variations in the ratio of value 
of both metals for the 10 years preceding and following 
the demonetization of silver in this country in 1878. 
Year. Ratio. 
1803.. 1 to 15.37 
18(54.15 37 
1865 .15 44 
1866 .15.43 
1867 .15.57 
1868 .15.59 
1869 .15.60 
Year Ratio. 
1870...1 to 15.57 
187 L.15 57 
1872 .15 63 
1873 .15 92 
1874 .16.17 
1875 .16 59 
1876 .17.88 
Year. Ratio. 
1877.. 1 to 17.22 
1878 .17 94 
1879 .18 40 
1880 .18.05 
1881 .18.16 
1882 .18 19 
1883 .18.64 
A SINGLE TAX QUESTION ANSWERED. 
As single tax is up for discussion, “ I want to know ” the 
answer to the following question : Farmer T. owns 50 acres 
of land upon which is a fair (but not good) house and barn. 
He works faithfully, makes a living for his family, yet 
saves but little or no money. He pays taxes on a valua¬ 
tion of $50 per acre. Should a retired merchant, banker or 
whisky-seller purchase a place of five acres, now for sale, 
on the opposite side of the road, erect a palatial residence 
and fine out-buildings, and live luxuriously on his income, 
how much more (or less) taxes would he pay under the 
single-tax system than Farmer T., and why ? uher. 
Falls Church, Ya. 
ANSWERED BY WM. T. CROASDALE, EDITOR THE STANDARD. 
As is usual with these hypothetical cases there is a 
looseness of statement that makes definite answers some¬ 
times misleading. Before the single-tax was levied on 
Farmer T. the v&lue of his house, barn and other improve¬ 
ments would be deducted, and the value of his bare land 
would thus be ascertained. The value would probably not 
be $50 an acre. As a matter of fact, such a case as that 
supposed would not be likely to arise unless there was a 
demand for land in that neighborhood for villa sites, 
which demand Farmer T. was stupidly ignoring or else 
resisting, with a view to selling out his own land at an 
increased price. Assuming the case to be fairly stated, 
however, the answer is the same. If “ the land across the 
» road ” was naturally no better situated than that of 
Farmer T. the single-tax on it per acre would be no greater 
than that levied on Farmer T.’s land, and it would not be 
increased one cent because the new purchaser had erected 
a fine building on it. The owner of the “ palatial resi¬ 
dence ” would therefore pay only one-tenth of the tax 
paid on 50 acres of adjacent land equally valuable. 
The correspondent’s “ Why ?” opens a big question. 
Briefly, the answer is (1) that the land really belongs to 
the community as a whole ; its value is created by com¬ 
petition for its use due to communal growth and advance¬ 
ment, and the men permitted to permanently appropriate 
the common domain to their personal use ought to pay 
into the public treasury the annual value of the privilege 
thus accorded them. (2) Putting aside all ethical con¬ 
siderations, the erection of “ palatial ” or other residences 
is a good thing and the State ought not to fine men for 
building them. Farmer T. can lose nothing, and may 
gain much, by the enterprise of his rich neighbor. Why, 
then, does he want to tax him for building ? 
This answers the question so far as it relates to the two 
tracts of land mentioned. But there is no ground for the 
assumption that the “retired merchant, banker or whisky 
seller” will pay no other tax than that levied on the site 
of his home. The class of men whom we now speak of as 
“ living on their incomes ” will, under the single-tax, be 
the heaviest taxpayers, although to-day they need pay 
scarcely anything if they choose to conceal their property. 
Such men live for the most part on rents, on interest 
derived from mortgages and railroad and mining stocks 
and bonds. Their incomes are mostly the result of land 
ownership or the control of monopolies based on land 
ownership._ 
Satsuma Orange. — W. F. Massey, of North Caro¬ 
lina, says, in Orchard and Garden, that up to January 10, 
his Satsuma Oranges, planted last spring, and entirely 
unprotected, did not seem to be injured. He thinks 
there is reason to believe that they may pass through 
the winter there. His plants are grafted on Citrus trifo- 
liata, which is of undoubted hardiness. 
The Farmers Club. 
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
[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.] 
A Cheap Ration for Stock. 
E. C. A., Aberdeen, S. D.—The oats and barley having 
been very light in weight here last year, I wish to mix 
something with the feed ; which is the better and cheaper 
at the following prices: Corn, 50 cents per bushel; oil- 
meal, $1.50 per cwt., and in what proportion should I mix 
them ? 
Ans. —At the prices mentioned and with the light grain 
oil-meal will be the cheaper food. The relative values of 
corn and oil meal, which we suppose to be linseed, are, for 
corn $1.11 per 100 pounds or $22.20 per ton, and for linseed 
oil meal, new-process, $1.60 per 100 pounds, or $32.20 per 
ton, and for old process $1.89 per 100 pounds or $37.80 per 
ton. As compared with corn at $50 per ton, new-process 
oil meal would be worth nearly $75 a ton or $3.75 per 100 
pounds. The oil meal would make a better nutritive 
ration with the light oats and barley than corn. The pro¬ 
portions might be an equal weight of each feed. A very 
fair feed might be made of 100 pounds each of the oats and 
barley and 50 pounds of the oil meal. 
Oiling Shingles. 
H. G. M., Schell City, Mo.—In laying 70,000 shingles 
will it pay me to saturate them with oil? What would 
be the best way to do this and how much oil would be re¬ 
quired? 
Ans. —As saturation with crude petroleum will double 
the durability of the shingles and a barrel of the [oil will 
cost very little—not over $2 probably—the labor and ex¬ 
pense will be well repaid. In applying the oil, the easiest 
way, in the end, is to dip the shingles one by one in the 
barrel, wipe off the surplus oil with a small short-handled 
mop and lay the shingles in a heap to soak up the oil. 
This should be done one day ahead of the laying. If no 
waste is made a barrel of 50 gallons will serve for the whole 
70.000. 
Treatment of a Pear Orchard. 
S. W. A., Barry, III. —The 62 Keiffer and Le Conte 
trees in my pear orchard were set out last spring and all 
grew nicely. Potatoes occupied the land last year. Should 
I cultivate some crop there this year ? If so, when should 
the land be given up to the trees exclusively ? Would it 
help them to seed the place to clover ? Do they need 
trimming like apples—a little each year ? The land is 
rather thin, and I put a peck of unleached ashes round 
each tree last fall. 
Ans.— The land should be cultivated in some low-grow¬ 
ing crop like potatoes, or beans. These should not crowd 
the trees too closely. The most successful pear growers 
keep their orchards clean by thorough and continuous 
cultivation without cropping after the trees begin to bear. 
Seeding to clover with the object of plowing under the 
crop as a fertilizer might be a benefit. The only pruning 
required is to keep off suckers, cut out interfering 
branches, and shorten in branches that are growing too 
long for symmetry. It would have been better to put on 
the ashes in spring when the roots were ready to ap¬ 
propriate their fertility at once. Ashes and bone flour are 
good fertilizers. Muriate of potash is used largely by 
some fruit-growers where ashes are not obtainable, as it 
furnishes potash in a cheap form. 
The Blight of Tomatoes. 
N. H., Lewiston, Idaho.— What is the cause of blight or 
rust in the tomato, and what is a remedy ? It has com¬ 
pletely destroyed the crop in this country for several years 
past. The plants grow strong and healthy sometimes till 
the fruit is half grown, when the blight strikes them and 
neither vine nor fruit makes any more growth. The vines 
turn yellow but do not wither or seem to die—seemingly a 
case of suspended animation. The trouble affects some 
plants earlier than others in the same row. 
Ans. —It is impossible to answer this inquiry with any 
degree of satisfaction, without having previously ex¬ 
amined a diseased specimen. There are many things that 
may cause the distress mentioned to the tomato crop. It 
is possible that the trouble is due to insects, for there are 
many minute species which, while too small to be readily 
seen, may cause the leaves to blight, turn yellow and die. 
It may be a leaf miner insect that, working within the sub¬ 
stance of the leaf, causes its destruction. On the other 
hand, there are fungi which prey upon the tomato plant 
and particularly the leaves, causing them to turn yellow. 
In such cases the mould will usually show itself upon the 
under side of the pale leaves. The same mould may at¬ 
tack the fruit, causing it to rot, beginning most frequently 
at the stem end Complaints of a similar nature have be¬ 
fore been made from the far West. If the trouble is wide¬ 
spread, specimens should be sent next season to the Ex¬ 
periment Station of the State or Territory for examina¬ 
tion. Until the cause is known in any particular case, no 
remedy can be given intelligently. If the crop is a failure 
or unprofitable and has been for years, it may be the part 
of wisdom to grow tomatoes only in small quantities, if at 
all, in the infested regions for a.few years and thus starve 
out the pest, if possible. 
Strawberries on Sod Land. 
A. H. H., Mantua, O.— The coming spring I want to 
set strawberries on sod ground which has usually yielded 
about 1X ton of hay per acre. Can a good crop of berries 
be grown there with commercial fertilizers only ? If so, 
what kind and how much per acre ? How many bushels 
of berries per acre would be a good crop ? 
Ans. —If there are any white grubs, the larvae of the 
May Beetle, in your soil, you had better grow hoed 
145 
crops on the land at least one season before planting to 
strawberries. These grubs are usually found in sod land 
and are destructive to strawberry plants. Many growers 
use nothing but commercial fertilizers for strawberries and 
other small fruits. Wood ashes are first class and there is 
little clanger of using too much; bone flour should be 
used with them—from 500 to 1,800 pounds per acre. Muriate 
of potash Is probably the cheapest source of potash after 
wood ashes. We would consider 100 bushels per acre a 
fair crop, though 250 to 300 bushels have been grown. 
Condensed Milk. 
V. B., Nile, N. Y.—What is the process of making 
condensed milk ; the cost of production ; the number of 
pounds of, milk it takes to make one of the manufactured 
article, and the wholesale and retail selling price, and 
is the process covered by letters patent ? 
Ans.—C ondensed milk is made by boiling ordinary milk 
in steam-jacketed vacuum evaporating pans, at such a 
low temperature as will entirely avoid scorching it. The 
process and apparatus are all protected by patents, al¬ 
though we believe the limit of time has expired on the 
earliest patents for the process. But at any rate the busi¬ 
ness is one that cannot be carried on in a small way be¬ 
cause competition has so reduced the prices that profit is 
impossible unless large quantities are handled with the 
greatest economy. There are two kinds of condensed milk 
—that put up in cans and sweetened, and which will keep 
for years, and the plain milk sold In bulk not sweetened, 
that keeps for a few days. In the former case about 80 per 
cent of the water is taken out of the milk, leaving one 
pound of thick pasty substance out of every five pounds 
of milk. As with all sorts of business, nowadays, there 
Is a small margin of profit in this, and the producers are 
paid but very little more for the milk than the patrons 
of creameries and cheese factories get, and the small 
extra price is hardly earned, considering the greater care 
in feeding and management to secure the very highest 
possible purity and excellence of the milk. Cheap foods, 
as brewers’grains, silage, etc., are prohibited, because the 
slightest taint in the milk is concentrated five times in 
the process of condensing. The retail price of the pound 
cans Is about 18 cents, the wholesale about 13 cents ; the 
plain milk is sold for about 10 cents per pound. 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
H. G. W., Hudson County, N. J.—l. Where can I pro¬ 
cure a copy of this State’s Constitution ? 2. Of what use 
are the higher mathematics to one pursuing an agricul¬ 
tural course ? 
Ans. —1. The Secretary of State, Trenton, N. J. 2. Aside 
from the practical benefits of such studies, they train the 
mind to think and reason accurately and logically. 
H. G. S., Edyerton, Ohio. —What success have the silo 
men had this winter with whole corn ensilage? Would it 
be better to run it through the cutter? Isn’t it cheaper to 
put it in whole? 
Ans. —We have received but three reports from those 
who used the whole stalks without cutting, and these were 
all favorable. The great majority of farmers cut the stalks 
and think it pays to do so. Let us hear from all the whole 
stalk men. 
It. O. B., (No address).— 1. I have a lot of seed potatoes 
the size of a hen’s egg and smaller, would it be advisable 
to plant them whole in trenches 15 inches by 3% feet apart? 
2. Will spraying fruit trees with Paris-green kill the honey 
bees that may seek the flowers for nectar ? 
Ans. —We have never liked small potatoes for seed. 
Would advise a closer planting, say one by three feet 
apart. 2. Probably, if the trees are sprayed before the 
blossoms fall. Trees should not be sprayed while blos¬ 
soming. 
Subscriber, Winchester, Ky.— The inclosed clipping was 
taken from the Western Farmers’ Almanac. If what it 
says is true, would not the method spoken of be cheaper 
than spraying for protecting fruit trees ? 
No worm or other insect is ever found upon the eucalyp¬ 
tus tree. A row of trees planted through an orchard or 
vineyard will cause Insects, worms and caterpillars to va¬ 
cate that region. 
ANS.—There is just one little trouble in the way; sup¬ 
posing the statements to be true—and they are not—the 
eucalyptus will not stand the climate. 
J. C. G.,Wolcottville, Ind.— 1. What is the best extra 
early potato for market, quality and productiveness being 
desired aside from earliness? 2. Could Breed’s weeder be 
profitably used on new land among stumps in weeding po¬ 
tatoes, the land being otherwise smooth and clean? 
Ans. —1. Early Puritan is fine, but not very early. Next, 
choose Early Sunrise or Beauty of Hebron. 2. No. Look 
at the picture of the implement in the advertisement in 
our columns and you will see that it cannot pass over or 
around stumps. 
F. H., Greenwood, N. Y. —Are John Lewis Childs’s Tree 
Blackberry, Tree Currant and mulberries and dewberries, 
what he claims? 
Ans.— The mulberry is a tree of course. The Crandall 
Currant is a black currant that, like any other currant, 
may be trained in tree form. The blackberry is about as 
much of a “ tree ” as any other variety. 
L. F. F., Brooklyn, Mich.— What is the best fertilizer 
for cucumbers intended for pickles? 
Ans.— Use plenty of well-rotted yard manure, preferably 
from cows, both broadcast and in the hill. Commercia 
fertilizers are also good in the hill to give the plants a 
start. 
H. C. D., Rochester, N. Y.— What is the best method of 
aerating milk to be used for retailing in a city ? 
Ans.— Probably one of the aerating machines would suit 
you. Write to J. S. Carter, Syracuse, N. Y., for a catalogue 
of such machines. 
