1891 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
233 
Business. 
Terry on Tiles, Weeders and Diggers. 
W. B , Monroe County, N. Y— Will T. B. Terry answer 
through The Rural the following questions. 1. Will 
Breed’s weeder take the place of a Thomas harrow on 
light, sandy soil in cultivating potatoes ? Can he work 
the weeder when the vines are a foot high without hurting 
the vines ? Has he ever used it in beans ? If so, now does 
it work ? There is none in use In this section, but there 
are a number of farmers who would buy some if they are 
good tools. Will Mr. Terry tell us all he can about work¬ 
ing them ? 2. What tools does he use in digging tile 
drains ? I wish to lay some round tile this spring; but 
have never had any experience in tiling. How does he 
leave the bottom of a trench before laying the tiles ? Does 
he cover them with straw before filling the trench ? 3. 
Will the Hoover potato-digger work as well on sandy 
(chestnut) soil as on gravel ? There are no Hoover diggers 
in this section ; but all others fail on chestnut soil. 
1. Breed’s weeder is a very light smoothing harrow. It 
hardly takes the place of the Thomas, bat has on my farm 
rather made a place for itself. After planting we use the 
Thomas to level the ground and fine it, and prevent weeds 
from coming up, for perhaps two weeks. Then the pota¬ 
toes come up in clean, fine soil. As soon as we can follow 
the rows we begin to use the weeder, and use it every few 
days until the vines get so large that it seems to do more 
harm than good. I think I have been through them when 
nearly a foot high. We use the weeder after a shower, 
when the soil gets just dry enough to work best. In a few 
hours it is too dry. I have ordered another so that we can 
rush things when the conditions are jast right. If the 
soil gets packed too hard, we cultivate first and follow 
with the weeder. For nice work, on light, clean soils, it 
will give satisfaction. On stony land and hard soil it will 
not, I think. It gives, of course, only the lightest of sur¬ 
face tillage, about such as one would give in the garden 
with a hand-rake. I have not used the weeder anywhere 
except in the potato field. 2. I use for draining an Eng¬ 
lish ditching spade 5 inches wide and 13 long, I think, and 
a long handled, narrow shovel for cleaning out loose dirt, 
and a scoop for making a little trench to lay the tiles in- 
one of the kind that you push before you, not one you pull 
towards you. These and water are all I need. With a 
line and an old ax the top is marked and the sod cut 
through (if sod ground) about one foot wide. Then this 
cut is thrown out with a spade, and the loose dirt is 
thrown out and the ground graded about right, by the 
water, which will be running at the time of year when 
draining can usually be best done. I like to grade so as to 
have the fall quite uniform. Then I dig a second cut and 
clean out and a third the same. The bottom of the ditch 
will be about six inches wide. Then I grade very care¬ 
fully with the shovel and scoop, making a little trench to 
lay the tiles in. When the water runs uniformly in this 
trench or groove I lay the tiles, beginning at the lower end 
and being careful that there is nothing in them 
or runs in, except water. If there is no water run¬ 
ning in the dilch, I draw some for testing purposes on a 
stone boat in barrels. It takes but little and then I know 
what I am doing, and that I am doing the job once for all. 
I am careful not to put in a poor, soft tile. I take a spade 
and shave off the clay subsoil next to the tiles, near the 
bottom of the ditch, and cover them well with that first. 
This is carefully trodden down and then the rest of the 
filling may be done with less care. I have myself graded, 
laid, and put the first dirt over every tile laid. The farmer 
should always know that this is done right. It is quite a 
simple matter to grade by water. Practice will soon enable 
a fair workman to get along quite fast. In digging I put 
the surface soil (first cut) on one side and the subsoil on 
the other, and then put the subsoil back first. A man will 
now learn to dig a ditch quite narrow to save handling dirt. 
The way to use the spade can hardly be told in words. It 
should not be used with the blade squarely across the 
ditch. First, say, the left corner should be put about two 
inches back on the left side of the ditch, and then the 
right corner about two Inches back on right side before it 
is thrust down. It will thus go into hard clay more easily. 
An iron sole should be fitted with a strap to the bottom of 
the foot to protect it. I would not think of using straw 
over tiles, but always the clay subsoil. 3. I should expect 
the Hoover digger to do its very best work on sandy, 
chestnut soil. ^ terry 
A Concrete Potato Cellar. 
J. S., Richmond, Va.—I wish to build a potato cellar of 
water cement 20x30 feet, with walls between seven and 
eight feet high, and ten inches thick. What proportion 
of cement and sand should I use, and could I safely use 
screened gravel to reduce the cost J> About how many 
barrels of cement would be needed ? 
Ans.— Concrete for this purpose may be made of one 
barrel of water lime, two of clean, sharp sand and 4% of 
coarse gravel or broken stone. These quantities will 
make 27 cubic feet; thus the whole amount for the wall 
mentioned, will be equal to 22 times the above quantities 
of each of the materials mentioned, or 22 barrels of the 
water lime, 44 of the sand and 100 of the gravel. In mix- 
io£? the concrete special care is necessary because it sets 
hard quickly. Not more than one barrel of the dry mixed 
cement and sand should be wetted up at once, and as soon 
as it is mixed, the IX barrel of gravel previously wetted 
is thoroughly mixed in. Then while this is being put in 
the molds for the wall, another batch is preparing. The 
molds for the wall are made by setting planks up to hold 
the concrete, which should be rammed firmly as it is laid 
up. After going around the whole wall the planks are 
raised and another round is laid on, each being about 16 
or 18 inches deep. The doors and windows are built in as 
the wall is laid. The plates laid in the wail for the beams 
should be two-inch planks bedded in the cement. 
A WESTERN NEW YORK FARM LEASE ON 
SHARES. 
At the request of several new subscribers for such a 
general form, we reprint the farm lease given in The R. 
N.-Y. of last year. This lease is in quite general use 
among the farmers and renters of western New York. It 
is a significant fact that the system of renting farms is on 
the increase, as the owners of farms retire on their rents 
or engage in other business. A system of leasing that will 
be fair to both parties is of the utmost importance. Which 
party has the better of this bargain ? 
Form of Lease. 
Lease made between James E. Brown, lessor, and Wil¬ 
liam J. Smith, lessee, this 15th day of March, 1890. In 
consideration of the rents and covenants hereinafter con¬ 
tained, said lessor has and does hereby devise and lease 
to said lessee the farm of said lessor, situate in the town 
of Oakland, New York, known as the “Alton Farm,”con¬ 
taining 150 acres of land, more or less, with the privileges 
and appurtenances for and during the term of three years 
from the first day of April, 1890, which term will end 
March 31, 1893. 
In consideration whereof said lessee covenants and agrees 
with said lessor, that he will occupy, till and in all re¬ 
spects cultivate said lands during the term aforesaid in a 
workmanlike manner. He will not commit any waste or 
damage, or suffer any to be done. He will keep the fences 
and buildings on said premises in as good repair as he finds 
them, reasonable wear and damage by the elements ex¬ 
cepted. (Said lessor to furnish all materials therefor.) He 
Is to do, or cause to be done, all necessary work and labor 
in and about the cultivation of said premises. He will de¬ 
liver to said lessor or his order and draw to market one 
equal half of all the proceeds and crops produced on said 
premises during said term and within a reasonable time 
after the same shall have been gathered and harvested. 
He is to have all of the products of the garden for his own 
use. He is to have fire wood for one fire. He is to have the 
privilege of pasturing two cows on said farm, and of feed¬ 
ing them in winter out of the undivided products of the 
farm, also of keeping and feeding from the undivided 
products of coarse fodder, hay and straw, such a number 
of horses as may be necessary to run said farm. He is to 
feed said work-horses out of his grain, and in the winter 
only three horses are to be kept in the barn, the others are 
to run in the yard. 
He is to keep 25 hens, to be kept in the hennery, and fed 
from the undivided products. He is to mow all weeds 
along the fences in the cultivated fields. He is to cut all 
thistles and noxious weeds before they go to seed, growing 
on the farm or highways belonging to said farm, and he is 
to weed the mustard out of all oat and barley fields. He 
is to trim the orchards annually. He is to pick and pre¬ 
pare for market, in a careful manner, all winter fruit 
(each party hereto paying half the cost of barrels), he is to 
pick up and draw to the mill all cider apples (the cider to 
be divided like other products.) He is to have the surplus 
pasturage and half the surplus grain and fodder fed out 
on said farm. He is to bear half the expense of all stock 
purchased for the purpose of feeding, when the same is 
put in yard or pasture. He shall allow no hogs to run on 
the farm except with rings in their nose3. He is to draw 
all fencing materials and materials for repairing buildings 
deemed necessary by said lessor from the nearest rail¬ 
road station. He is to build, in a workman like manner, 
not exceeding 20 rods of board fence annually (said lessor 
to furnish the materials). He is to lay over, stake and cap 
in like manner not exceeding 30 rods of rail fence 
annually. He is to draw out and apply, where deemed 
necessary by said lessor, all manure from all barns and 
yards. He is to pay all ordinary school taxes and all high¬ 
way taxes assessed on said lands, said lessor to pay all 
other taxes. He is not to allow stock to run in the high¬ 
way and is to enforce the law relating thereto. He is not 
to allow smoking in or about the barns. He is to take 
good care of the dwelling-house and surroundings, and 
keep all sprouts and noxious weeds cut in the yard and 
around the same. He is to clear the throats of all under¬ 
drains and ditches, especially in the spring, and if there 
are any small difficulties in such ditches, he is to remedy 
them, and he is to board all help employed for the neces¬ 
sary repairing of ditches. He is to board all help em¬ 
ployed for the necessary repairing of buildings. He is to 
repair all stone wall needing repairing, and where old 
stakes are gone In rail fences new ones are to be inserted, 
and he will not assign this lease or let or underlet said 
premises or any part thereof. 
The said lessor hereby covenants and agrees with said 
lessee that he will find one equal half of all seed or seeds to be 
sown on said lands, and to furnish one equal half of all 
fertilizers to be used on said premises (said lessee to find 
the other one-half). He is to become the joint owner of all 
calves dropped from the cows kept on the said lands by the 
lessee. He is to find half the hogs placed on said premises 
and to have half the income and profit thereof. He is to 
become the joint owner of all the colts dropped from the 
mares kept on said lands by the lessee, and, further, he 
agrees to pay half the service of horse (said lessee paying 
the other half, and half the colt or colts to belong to the 
lessee). It is understood that in case said lessor should 
sell said farm before the expiration of this lease, the said 
lessee will on 60 days’ notice, give quiet and peaceable pos¬ 
session of the same at the expiration of any year, on pay¬ 
ment to him of a reasonable compensation for the damages 
he may have sustained thereby, and should any dispute 
arise regarding such compensation, the same shall be fixed 
by two competent persons, one chosen by the lessor and 
the other by the lessee, and these two shall have power to 
name another, an umpire, whose decision shall be binding 
on both parties. It is further understood that all hay and 
straw raised on said farm shall be fed out thereon. The 
said lessee covenants that at the expiration of said term 
he will surrender up said premises to said lessor in as 
good condition as now, necessary wear and damage by the 
elements excepted. In case any hay or corn-stalks are 
left on said premises at the expiration of this lease, said 
lessee is to have the privilege of selling his one-half of the 
same off from the farm. The lessee is to have the priv¬ 
ilege of sowing the usual number of acres of winter wheat 
on said farm the last year of the term, the same is to 
be sown, harvested and divided, subject to the foregoing 
conditions, and the lessee is to have possession of the 
land so sown, for the purpose of so harvesting and secur¬ 
ing the offgoing crop. And, lastly, it is agreed by and 
between the parties to this lease, that the lessor shall have 
the general supervision of the premises occupied and tilled 
by the lessee during the said term. 
In witness whereof the parties hereto have hereunto and 
hereunder set their hands and seals the day and year first 
above written james e. brown. 
Witness: CHARLES C. CALLOW. WILLIAM J. SMITH. 
IMPLEMENT NOTES. 
The spading and digging harrows are likely to make a 
revolution in orchard cultivation. 
The Ames Plow Company make a good subsoil plow. 
We shall talk about subsoil plowing next week. 
A farmer tells us that where manure is put in the 
hill, Breed’s weeder will pull it up worse than where it 
is broadcast, because the roots in the former case are 
shorter and nearer the surface. Anything in this ? 
The Sherwood steel harness is having a large sale. It is 
a good thing. It Is very handy in unloading hay with the 
fork or slings. It takes but an instant to unhitch the 
horses from the wagon and hitch them to the fork rope. 
We frequently catch a bigger mouthful of hay than one 
horse ought to handle. 
A New Nail. —This is described as a “ twisted wire nail, 
a cross between a nail and a screw.” It is an English 
idea. Farm Implement News says it Is supposed to repre¬ 
sent as great an improvement over the plain wire nail as 
that is over the cut nail. This twisted wire nail can be 
driven into the wood easily, but its screw shape gives a 
greater holding power than that of either the plain wire 
or cut nail. 
Wind Electricity a Failure.— On page 113 we gave 
a brief account of efforts made by a gentleman living at 
Honolulu to use wind power for generating electricity for 
lighting his house. The following note from Mr. Camp¬ 
bell’s agent shows that the scheme has failed : 
“The attempt to generate electricity by wind power in 
Honolulu proved a failure, and steam is now used. I believe 
the trouble was that as soon as the wind had fallen below 
a certain strength, the electricity which had been generated 
by the mill when the wind was strong returned the com¬ 
pliment and ran the mill, so that the wind power was dis¬ 
carded and steam used in its place to the owner’s com¬ 
plete satisfaction.” 
Use of a Road Machine —At this time of ihe year we 
always feel like calling attention particularly to the need 
of road machines, for at no other period are they so neces¬ 
sary. During the winter the roads become rutted and 
flattened, the crowning dirt or gravel being worked to the 
side, where it lies loose or frozen. Now, a 3 the frost goes 
out, is the time when this can be returned to its place on 
the center with the least expenditure of force or finance, 
as everybody knows who knows anything about such 
roads. The dirt lie3Up loosely and may be shoved back 
to its place—just when it is most needed there, also—with 
a road machine at scarcely any expense. There is scarcely 
a road in many strictly rural parts of the country, 
and especially in the West, that does not require such 
application of a road machine every spring, and for that 
purpose, if for no other, every road district should have a 
machine. But usually the dirt is left to pack or become 
matted with weeds, so that when an effort may be made 
to return it to its proper place, it costs five times as much 
as it would if taken at the proper time; and the road 
without its crown, open to receive and hold the rains of 
spring, goes from wreck to ruin. Nothing so important 
is so shamefully neglected or so stupidly managed as the 
country road. 
NOVELTIES AND STAPLES. 
From the Catalogues. 
Vick’s Home Floriculture just issued, is a book of 
225 pages in large print, fine paper, well bound in cloth, 
price $1.50. It is written by Eben E. Rexford wholly from 
the experience he has had with the well-known flowers 
which are considered. It is a book for amateurs. It is 
not intended as a “short-cut” to a complete knowledge 
of the habits and requirements of plants. Such a knowl¬ 
edge can only come from intelligent, personal study and 
observation. It is intended to encourage the amateur to 
go on with his home floriculture, and, written as it is in a 
familiar, plain style, well accomplishes the object for 
which it was written. 
Henry A. Dreer, 714 Chestnut Street, Philadel¬ 
phia, Pa. —Dreer’s Garden Calendar is now issued, the 
53d year of its publication. It is a large book of 186 
pages, 16 of which are given to specialties in plants and 
seeds ; 84 to seeds of all kinds; 45 to plants, such as roses, 
begonias, caladiums, dahlias, fuchsias, ferns, geraniums, 
palms, orchids, water lilies, hardy perennials, lilies, phlox, 
hardy ornamental grasses and hardy shrubs and climbers; 
grapes and small fruits of all kinds, and large fruits. We 
had supposed that the Kumerle Dwarf Lima, owing to 
the general failure of the crop, would not be offered tor 
sale this year. Mr. Dreer offers it, however, as Dreer’s 
Bush Lima, placing the name, “Kumerle’s Dwarf Lima,” 
in parenthesis. This dwarf is a sport of Dreel’s Pole 
Lima. It is offered per packet of 15 seeds for 25 cents. 
Five hundred dollars are offered in premiums for the best 
specimens of certain vegetables grown from Dreer’s seeds. 
