1 891 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
3o5 
it. I would plant it during July, and peas during the first 
half of August. Cuthbert Raspberries may be set between 
the hills of corn at the time of planting, the green canes of 
the same season’s growth being removed, and there will be 
a crop as soon as the strawberries set the following spring. 
Raspberries are a surer crop than strawberries, and re¬ 
quire only such care as may be given with horse cultiva¬ 
tion. F. W. PROCTOR. 
The Mixing of Corn. 
J. M. R , Christian County, Mo.—Without ever having 
made experiments to test it, I have always thought differ¬ 
ent varieties of field corn would mix with each other and 
also with sweet and pop-corn, and so have planted them 
apart. Now I see it stated that there will be no visible 
mixture the first year, but that seed from this crop will 
show the mixture the second year. What is The R.N.-Y.’s 
experience ? If the different varieties do not show evi¬ 
dence of mixing the first year, then trial plots for experi¬ 
ment, and not with the intention of producing seed, might 
be planted in alternate rows. 
Ans.—S ome varieties of field corn seem far more potent 
than others and resist any change from foreign pollen. 
Such varieties do not show the effects of crossing the first 
year. The R N.-Y. once planted about 60 different varie¬ 
ties in one field. About half of them, to speak approxi¬ 
mately, showed the effects of crossing. For experiment 
purposes there is no objection to planting in alternate 
rows, except that in some cases this might lead to insuffi¬ 
cient pollination, as where early and late kinds are planted 
together. 
Cheap Molasses for Stock Feeding. 
W. O. F., Chreensburg, Ind. —I can get N. O. molasses 
for 16 cents per gallon; can it be used in a ration for feed¬ 
ing hogs at this price ? What would be a formula for such 
a ration ? How will it do for milch cows and how should 
it be fed ? 
Ans.—M olasses is largely used in England for fattening 
cattle and at the price mentioned I think it could be fed 
profitably in the way indicated. This food is wholly di¬ 
gestible and helps the digestion of other food. It contains 
only carbonaceous matter, but fat and butter are made up 
of the game. In feeding pigs I would mix it with the food, 
giving a quart of it per day. For cow3 I would use it mixed 
with water for wetting the cut feed. If fed in large quan¬ 
tities it is apt to become laxative and will surfeit the ani¬ 
mals and lessen the appetite, consequently it should be 
given at first in small quantities gradually increased as it 
is found desirable. The Texas Experiment Station (A. and 
M. College. P. O., Texas) has issued a bulletin giving the 
results of feeding cheap molasses with different rations. 
Send for it. H. stewart. 
Muck for Potatoes. 
0. A. 0 , Morrison, 111.—In reading “ The New Potato 
Culture ” I failed to find the record of the author’s experi¬ 
ments with muck as a fertilizer either alone or in com¬ 
bination. I have quantities of fine peat muck adjoining 
fields of clay wash deposits. Is it valuable as a fertilizer 
or as a mulch on this latter soil in connection with The 
Rural trench system ? 
Ans.—The R. N.-Y. has never made any experiments 
worthy of record with muck for potatoes. Some kinds of 
muck are worth more than farm manure—others are com¬ 
paratively worthless, except it may be for mellowing stiff 
clay soil. Our inquirer can find out the value of his muck, 
first, by analysis, second, by using it on his land. It 
would be better to compost It a year before applying it to 
the land if notable results are to be looked for the first 
season. 
Potatoes on Sod. 
J. M. C. (no address). —I wish to plow one acre of Tim¬ 
othy sod which has lain three years since seeding (it was 
also seeded with clover, but the clover has run out) and 
plant to potatoes. I have 600 pounds of Stockbrldge Po¬ 
tato Manure, and about 30 bushels of wood ashes to apply 
to it. I could also apply barn manure, but with me it 
seems to stimulate the rot. The soil is a clay loam, with 
some parts inclined to muck. How and when should I 
plow it and plant it, and when should I apply fertilizers 
to secure the best results P Would a quantity of salt har¬ 
rowed in be of any benefit ? 
Ans. —The sooner the acre is plowed the better. After 
plowing spread the Stockbrldge and ashes and harrow. 
Theu plow the trenches and plant two to three-eye pieces 
one by three feet apart and cover. The salt might be of 
service by indirect action upon the soil. We would prefer 
to sow salt upon a plot of the acre in an experimental way. 
It should not be lost sight of that the Stockbrldge con¬ 
tains a considerable quantity of salt or its equivalent. 
Feed for Pregnant Ewes. 
H, H. C., Northville, Tenn .—Is linseed oil meal good 
feed for ewe lambs ? I fed 10 of them this winter with a 
ration of corn meal, one quart, linseed meal, half a pint, 
and all the clover hay they would eat up clean. They ap¬ 
peared to be in good trim, but when the ewes came in it 
was from one week to three weeks before their time, and 
they had no milk, nor had their bags formed and all the 
lambs died. Why did the ewes come in before time, and why 
did they have no milk ? Did the linseed oil meal cause 
them to abort ? What is the best ration for ewes to make 
milk P Some farmers in the South use whole corn; is it 
good for them ? 
ANS.— Linseed oil meal is of two kinds, new-process and 
old-process. The difference is that the old-process meal 
contains about 12 per cent of oil and the new-process meal 
next to none at all. The old-process meal is not in any 
way objectionable, as the oil prevents costiveness, which 
frequently causes abortion. The only source of probable 
injury is in giving the ewes dry meal, which may clog in 
the stomach from too greedy swallowing of it. Whole 
corn for this reason is not desirable, as sheep will swallow 
it too fast, and some have been choked in this way. More¬ 
over, a feed of all corn Is not healthful. Oats are best for 
ewes, at least for part of the time. It is quite probable 
that the oil meal has been the cause of the loss of the 
lambs and the absence of milk. Ewes about to lamb, and 
indeed all through the winter require careful attention in 
regard to feeding. Constipation is to be avoided and it is 
a great help to use some roots, if only cut round potatoes 
or sweet potatoes, if turnips are not provided. The best 
grain food is oats, with one-third corn mixed. One pint 
each per day is sufficient for small sheep. After the ewes 
have dropped their lambs safely the feed may be increased 
gradually to a pint twice a day of the mixed grain. 
How To Get Immigrant Farm Hands. 
I. T. D., iV. Guilford, Conn.— Where can I obtain a man 
and wife just landed, for farm and housework? 
Ans.— Go to the United States landing station at the ex¬ 
treme southern front of New York. There, and among the 
many boarding houses and employment offices nearby you 
can find all sorts of men and women waiting for work. If 
you write to the superintendent, inclosing a stamp and 
asking for information concerning desirable immigrants, 
you may secure suitable servants, but the better way will 
be to go yourself and make your own selection. Last year 
the writer employed Danes. They were found at a Danish 
boarding house on Greenwich Street near Castle Garden. 
Danes or Swedes seem to give the best general satisfaction 
and it is well to secure them as soon after landing as pos¬ 
sible. If several neighboring farmers can go together and 
each secure one or more helpers, thus forming a “colony,” 
the hands will be liappier and better satisfied to remain. 
Work On a North Dakota Wheat Farm. 
Several Subscribers —On page 243 S. C. Carpenter 
tells how he sold 8,400 bushels of wheat. We want to 
know how much work was required to produco this crop P 
Ans. —Mr. Carpenter kindly sends us the following 
detailed report of the year’s work on his 640-acre farm, 
which is in Cass Co., N. D. 
I sow about 100 acres of Blue Stem and about 300 acres 
of Scotch Fife spring wheat. The Blue Stem gives the 
best yield, but must be harvested before It Is over ripe, as 
it shells easily. Of vegetables and corn I raise the early 
varieties, and from early to medium-early potatoes. I hire 
two men in the spring for eight months each, at about $24 
a month and board, and one man for about 14 days in 
seeding time at one dollar a day and board. My first work 
is to prepare the seed and see that my harrows and drills 
or seeders are in good repair. I expect my teams to make 
18 miles a day for the season, and as my land is worked 
they make two miles at each round across the section and 
back. I use a light four-horse harrow of four sections, 
which cuts about 20 feet wide. I have usually followed 
the harrow with two eight-foot seeders, each drawn by 
three horses; but last spring I used a four-horse shoe 
drill, 12 feet wide. When seeding is finished, I plant pota¬ 
toes and garden truck. Last year I raised about 10 acres 
of flint corn. After seeding I sow about 25 acres of 
Timothy on wheat ground. Then the manure is drawn 
out and placed where it is most needed. About May 10 I 
commence plowing summer fallow, of which I usually 
have about 150 acres. I use two 15-inch gang plows, with 
five horses to each. With these I plow from 10 to 11 acres 
each day. About May 25 I sow the summer fallow to 
millet, and let it grow until July 15, when I cut some of it 
for feed, but plow most of it under and leave the ground 
ready for seeding the next spring. 
During harvest, which begins from August 1 to 15, I 
use three binders with three horses to each. They will all 
cut an average of 45 acres per day, and five men will put 
the grain in shock. I pay about $1.75 per day and board 
to harvest help, and $2 per day and board for thrashing, 
and $3.50 per day and board for man and team. I usually 
finish harvest about September 1; then I employ a thrash¬ 
ing machine, which Is drawn into the field, and six teams 
are sent to gather and draw the bundles of grain to 
the machine; one team “ bucks ” the straw away from 
under the straw-carrier. The latter is usually moved every 
half day. Two teams draw the wheat to the granary, and 
one team draws water for the engine ; straw serves for fuel. 
A reasonably good machine will average about 1,200 
bushels of wheat and 2,000 bushels of oats per day. Some 
thrashers furnish everything ; in such cases they get from 
10 to 12 cents per bushel for thrashing and putting 
the wheat in the granary, and about six cents per bushel 
for oats, and the farmer has nothing to do but pay the 
thrashing bill. Usually the farmer furnishes help and 
board; when this is done the thrashers get 3% and some¬ 
times four cents per bushel for thrashing wheat and two 
cents per bushel for oats. About September 8 thrash¬ 
ing is done and the plows are set to work, and there is 
ample time to do the rest of the plowing for the next 
spring’s sowing. As soon as the plowing is finished I start 
two four-horse teams drawing grain to market, which is 
five miles distant. We make two trips each day with both 
teams, with about 120 bushels to the load. 
Feeding Lambs for Market. 
A. C. S., Johnsonville, N. Y. —What is the best propor¬ 
tion in a mixture of wheat bran, cotton-seed meal and 
corn to get the greatest weight on lambs that are being 
fed for market ? 
Ans.— The only danger in feeding cotton-seed meal is in 
its concentrated nutritious qualities. It contains over 40 
per cent of nitrogenous matters and about 16 per cent of 
oil. If it is mixed with equal parts of bran and corn meal 
the nutritive ratio will be as follows : 
Nitrogen- Carbonace- 
Per cent of 
ous matters. 
ous matters. 
Oil. 
Rates. 
Cotton seed meal. 
.41.5 
215 
16.0 
1 to 1.8 
Bran. 
.13.0 
59. 
5.5 
1 to V4 
Corn meal. 
.10.U 
62.0 
6.5 
1 to 8Ms 
64.5 
145.5 
26 
Average. 
43.5 
8.6 
1 to 3.2 
It Is seen how the high ratio of the cotton-seed meal 
neutralizes that of the bran and corn meal, making the 
ratio of the whole 1 to 3.2, instead of the healthful ratio of 
1 to 5}4 ; so that the cotton-seed meal is in excess, and 
should be reduced one half, thus giving an average ratio 
of 1 to 4}£, which is not out of the way for feeding to fat 
tening animals, and will not be unhealthful for the lambs. 
The danger of feeding too much cotton-seed meal lies in 
the large quantity of nitrogenous elements, the excess of 
which must pass through the kidneys and thus disturb 
these delicate organs. But with 50 pounds of this meal 
with 100 pounds each of the other foods, this danger would 
be avoided. 
How Mr. Terry Sorts Strawberries. 
A. J. S., Bristol, Ind. —Since reading Mr. Terry’s article 
on strawberries, I would like to know his method of 
sorting ? 
Ans.—O ur dealers prefer the berries in half bushel draw¬ 
ers rather than quart boxes. We pick in nine pound grape 
baskets, with a two-quart tin can in one end. Every berry 
that is not large and perfect goes into the can ; the choice 
ones into the basket Then we empty the latter into the 
drawers by themselves, taking care that they shall be just 
the sams all the way through. Such berries, picked when 
just ripe, and taken to market fresh two or three times a 
day, will sell by the bushel In our little town for $3.21) to 
$4. We usually sell the culls for $2 a bushel. With the 
plants thinned out as oura are and new beds set every year, 
we do not have many of the small ones until late in the 
season. T. B. TERRY. 
Mixing a Fertilizer. 
C. C. H., Matawan, N. J. —How would the following 
mixture do for a high-grade fertilizer? Dry fish scrap, 
Peter Cooper’s bone meal, high-grade sulphate of potash 
and nitrate of soda. 
Nitrogen. 
P. Acid. Potash. 
Pounds. 
Pounds. 
Pounds. Pounds. 
Fl’h scrap. 
. 10 0 
60 
60 
Peter Cooper’s bone meal.... 
500 
10 
125 
Nitrate of soda. 
2110 
32 
Sulphate of potash. 
8(,0 
165 
Total. 
. 2,0.0 
102 
165 165 
Ans. —If the fish scrap 
is fine 
and dry, the materials 
mixed in the proportions indie ited would make an excel¬ 
lent high-grade fertilizer, especially for potatoes and truck. 
A fertilizer with such a high percentage of nitrate- 
nitrogen should not be used in large quantities in the 
fall of the year. 
Manurlal Value of Old Herrings. 
J. W., Champly Basin, Quebec. —What is the manurial 
value of old herrings and cod fishP The herrings are in 
barrels with the brine and some of the codfish are dried, 
and some green. What can I afford to pay for each and 
how should they be prepared for application? 
Ans.—D ried and ground fish scrap contains on an aver¬ 
age eight to ten per cent of nitrogen and from six to eight 
per cent of phosphoric acid. Such material Is now worth on 
the market from $20 to $25 per ton. Old herrings as de¬ 
scribed must contain a high percentage of moisture in ad¬ 
dition to the salt; they are also in a poor mechanical con¬ 
dition for application to crops. Their manurlal value could 
not be determined accurately without a chemical analysis. 
Assuming that they contain 60 per cent of moisture they 
would probably be cheap at $10 per ton. Analyses of green 
codfish have shown them to contain as high as eight per 
cent of nitrogen, while the dry have been shown to con¬ 
tain as high as 14 per cent; on this basis, they would be 
worth at least $20 for the nitrogen alone, as against less 
than $12 for the green fish. Probably the most economical 
method of utilizing such refuse would be by composting 
it with horse manure. The addition of lime or gypsum 
would also be of advantage. Hair and wool waste have 
been used to great advantage by this means, using two or 
three tons of the maure to one of the refuse. 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
R. N.-Y. Potato— W. W., Central Park, Ill.—The R. 
N.-Y. is a late potato. The true variety may be known by 
its upright growth, few and thick stems, and by the color 
of its blossoms, which Is three quarters purple. Yes, we 
advise a trial in the location as stated. 
Seeding with Oats. —J. S. G., Plainfield, N. J—There is 
nothing that can be sown with oats that can be cut the 
same season. Clover is the best crop for this purpose, but 
it cannot be cut until the next year. 
Raising Mushroom Spawn.— S. W., Sandy Ridge, Pa.— 
How to raise mushroom spawn has no meaning. It isn’t 
made in this country; all that is used is imported, the 
briok spawn from England and the flake spawn from 
France. If you mean how to raise mushrooms from 
spawn, that would require an article on the subject. Better 
get W. Falconer’s book, “Mushrooms, How to Grow 
Them.” It gives all the facts of cultivation, and also tells 
how to make the spawn. 
Transplanting Beans —J. H. McC., Wrightsville, Pa — 
Yes; beans can be sown In pots in frames about the first 
of April and transplanted into the garden as soon as 
danger from frost is past. They should come into 1 earing 
about the first week in June. But this kind of business 
does not pay. Why not sow the beans in the ground and 
cover them with a temporary frame and sashes, and bank 
around the frame with hot manure, and cover over at 
night with mats, straw or other protecting material P 
Cutting Locust Timber.— L. M. V., Covesville, Va.—You 
can cut locust timber in August for the best results; but 
it can be cut at any time, and if seasoned thoroughly, 
the results will be about the same. 
Which Soil for Potatoes ?—J. S. F., Plainfield, N. J.—Of 
the three soils described below, we should prefer No. 3, 
the “ loamy soil ” for potatoes. No. 1 is a red shale on 
which corn was grown last year; it is well drained by tiles. 
No. 2 is a light soil on which was sown turnips too late for 
profit (they are about two inches in diameter and are badly 
frosted). I have given it a good coat of stable manure ai d 
am thinking of ploughing them under. No. 3 is a loamy 
soil on which were cabbage. 
