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THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
849 
we have increase! onr outlay for roads—the county tax I 
think has been reduced. The average voter has no means 
of knowing how the public money is spent. We all pay 
our tax bills with more or less grumbling and have a sort 
of a dim idea that property holding is high-priced fun 
after all. 
Our present system of taxation is crude and in many 
ways unfair, because it puts an unjust burthen on real 
estate. Here is a true instance to illustrate this. Last 
year, in this township, a young man held a farm. He paid 
all the taxes because the farm was in his name, and at the 
same time he paid, each year, $235 in mortgage interest. 
His tax bill was a trifle over $59. Now he has sold his 
farm—that is, somebody assumed the mortgage, and paid 
the young man $1,000 in cash. He took that money and 
invested it in New York at five per cent, still living in 
this township. This year, including poll tax, his tax bill 
is only $3 44, though he is better off and worth more money 
than he was last year. The man who bought the farm still 
pays the $59 in taxes and the mortgage interest. This 
thing is rough on the farmer, and is one reason why 
country real estate is hard of sale. A man with a few 
thousand dollars can put it in a bank or buy stocks and 
bonds paying a good interest and yet escaping taxation. 
Real property, however, is always taxed—in fact, it pays a 
great share of the burthens that rightly belong to other 
invested property. This is not just and fair and the result 
is that farm property not only does not pay the dividends 
it ought to, but is slow of sale and shunned by buyers. 
Another thing I have observed is the tax on a man’s 
improvements. One man in our township has a two- 
acre lot nicely laid out with trees, shrubs, flowers, etc. 
His tax bill is a little higher than his neighbor’s who 
has a 25 acre farm with an excellent house and grounds. 
The first man has spent a great deal of money in gratify¬ 
ing his taste for landscape gardening. His improvements 
are of value to him alone—they add nothing to the earn¬ 
ing capacity of the place. They simply add to the ex¬ 
pense of keeping it up and would not be appreciated by 
the average buyer. Yet all these improvements are taxed. 
It seems as though a man is to be taxed for what he 
spends on his place. I suppose in a case like the above 
the assessors take into consideration a man’s ability to 
pay, which is not just or right unless his entire property 
is considered. We have some men with thoroughbred 
cattle and horses. Though bred for high prioes, they 
count for no more on tax bills than so many “ scrubs.” 
Everything is a “ horse ” or a “ cow.” My big dog weigh¬ 
ing over 100 pounds is taxed the same as my neighbor’s 
Japanese dog weighing three pounds. The fact is that an 
increase in the value of property is taxed only when it ap¬ 
pears in improvements in real estate. Let a man improve 
his farm so that it grows double the former crop and his 
taxes will be but little increased. Let him build a new 
house, plant trees and shrubs and make Improvements 
that show, and his taxes are generally raised. This is 
also unjust and discourages improvements. Of all the 
new schemes for taxation that I have heard, the fairest is 
an inheritance tax. This would cripple nobody and would 
tend to break up and scatter the big family fortunes. It 
seems to me that this keeping of vast sums of money in 
one family through one generation after another will re¬ 
sult as harmfully as does the English land law which 
practically prevents the breaking up for sale of the vast 
estates which are needed for the working classes. 
JERSEYMAN. 
Farmers are not Lazy.— Prof. Jordan is quoted as 
saying that farmers are shiftless and lazy. That is false. 
They are worked to death to poor purpose. The trouble is 
a mistaken direction of force. I don’t mean to try to show 
how their force is misdirected ; I only say that is the 
truth. In all my circle of acquaintances I know but one 
lazy farmer. He caught politics a few years ago and it 
took all the manly stuff out of him—he never had much. 
Lazy people do not take to farming. They are abundant 
almost anywhere else. No, sirl it is wasted force that is 
the trouble with farmers. I will illustrate by one question: 
How many million horsepowers do you suppose have this 
fall gone to raking leaves off lawns where nature placed 
them to protect the grass during winter ? E. p. p. 
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 QUESTION OF FODDER VALUES. 
I leased a farm for a term of years, one condition being 
that a silo should be built for me; on the other hand, I 
was required to maintain a certain amount of stock. I 
planted six acres of field corn and four acres of ensilage 
corn, hoping to be thus able to supply my stock and have 
some hay to sell. My landlord refused to build the silo, 
and deprived me of several necessary facilities, the result 
being that the lease was canceled, he buying my crop in 
the condition in which it was in the middle of September, 
and hiring me to manage the farm, I paying rent and all 
charges up to that date. 
1. What interest have I in the 65 tons of hay in the 
barn, which, had the lease continued, would have been 
made into milk? My late landlord claims it all for the 
good of the farm. I claim its market value here, less the 
manurial value (?) which belongs to the farm. 2. What 
would be the proportionate value of the four acres of en¬ 
silage corn, averaging 12 feet high with a large proportion 
of ears in the milk stage. Hay is worth $15 a ton. This 
corn would run about 20 tons per acre. I have repeatedly 
weighed acres and half acres, and last year weighed nine 
acres, load by load, and I believe I am a fair judge. I am 
charging for seven tons per acre cured, at $5 per ton. 
3. What would the stover on the six acres of field corn be 
proportionately worth? This grew very well, few hills 
were missed, and there was a good, stout growth of five to 
six-foot corn, which was cut from September 12 to 25, 
when it was nicely glazed. I am charging for three 
tons per acre of cured fodder, at $5 per ton. I have no 
data on which to base this estimate of the weight, but take 
my prices from experience, and a statement of Dr. 
Goessmann, of the Massachusetts State Agricultural Col¬ 
lege, who told me that he considered such fodder was 
worth half as much as good hay. Bat as the purchaser 
had to cut and cure it, I make allowance for that expense. 
Worcester Co., Mass. R. D. M. 
The Renter Should Have It All. 
1. The 65 tons of hay should all go to the renter ; that is, 
its market value in the barn should be the basis of valua¬ 
tion. Since the silo was not furnished, and the contract 
was vacated without any mention of the hay or its manur¬ 
ial value, the landlord should forfeit the manurial value of 
the hay as an offset for his failing to keep contract. 2. 
The ensilage corn, If uncut, should not be valued at more 
than $15, if it was sowed corn; if drilled, or hilled, it 
might be worth from $20 to $25 per acre. 3. Field corn, 
standing, would have to be very good to sell for $20 per 
acre, standing uncut in the fields of New York. In Mas¬ 
sachusetts it might be higher. [prof.] i. p. Roberts. 
The Manurial Value Considered. 
1. Under No. 1 manurial values only are discussed, the 
legal aspects of the question are not considered. The 
average amount of fertilizer constituents contained in 
one ton of Timothy hay are, from our analyses, 20 pounds 
of nitrogen, 7.2 pouuds of phosphoric acid and 26 pounds 
of potasn. These, if bought in the form of commercial 
fertilizers, would cost at least $5. If hay is fed to milch 
cows, a considerable proportion of the nitrogen would pass 
into the milk, the mineral elements would be retained in 
very small amounts, so that it would be difficult to esti¬ 
mate the amounts that would pass into the manure unless 
an accurate record were kept of the product, and the 
weight of the animal. Assuming that two-thirds of the 
nitrogen and all of the mineral elements pass into the 
manure, and that manure of the same quality costs $2 per 
ton, the value of the manurial elements in one ton of 
hay would be, approximately, $3. In my opinion this 
valuation would be fair, or, in other words, $3 per ton 
should be deducted from the selling price of the hay. 
2. Assuming that fodder corn contains an average of 80 
per cent of moisture when cut, and that it would contain 
20 per cent when dried, the 20 tons would make but 5 tons 
of cured fodder per acre. This figure would, I think, be 
nearly correct. Cured corn fodder cut at the proper time 
and carefully housed contains quite as much digestible 
food, and of quite as good a character as Timothy hay, 
and if properly fed is worth quite as much as the hay, 
though the cost of cutting and shredding—if that is con¬ 
sidered necessary—should be deducted from the $15, the 
selling price of the hay. 3. The stover from field corn on 
land that would produce 20 tons of ensilage per acre, 
would probably amount to three tons per acre. If the 
stover has been carefully handled, both in husking and 
hauling, $5 per ton would be a fair price stored in the barn. 
E. B. VOORHEES. 
Hot-House Grapes for Sale. 
A. S , Adrian, Mich .—What are the names of a few 
dealers in fine fruit in New York city, as I have some very 
nice foreign grapes grown under glass, such as White Nice, 
Barbarossa and Black Hamburg ? I have seen them sell 
in the city for $2.50 per pound, but don’t expect any such 
price. 
Ans —Archdeacon & Co., Barclay St., make a specialty 
of this class of grapes, but they tell us there is practically 
no sale for them on account of the large quantities of 
California and foreign grapes now in the market. The 
very finest only can be sold, and these only in limited 
quantities and at unsatisfactory prices. They say that it 
would be impossible that the fruit shipped from so great 
a distance should arrive in condition to satisfy the trade. 
They advise against shipping any such grapes here until 
the market improves. This may possibly be at the holiday 
season, though it is impossible to say with any certainty. 
A market should be sought nearer home. 
Budding the Peach. 
J. J. P., Warsaw, Ky.—ln budding the peach in June 
are buds used from the present or previous season’s 
growth ? I should think the current season’s growth 
would not be fully enough developed. 
Ans.— In the North, buds from the previous season’s 
growth are used. The practice may vary in the South. 
The operation is the same as in fall budding. The main 
point is to preserve the buds in good condition through the 
winter. They must be preserved from drying and at the 
same time not be kept too moist. 
Rations For Cows And Sheep. 
H. L., Meshoppen, Pa. —1. What is a formula for com¬ 
pounding a grain ration for the production of butter, the 
coarse fodder to consist of equal parts by measure of en¬ 
silage cut and put in a silo, ears and stalks together, and 
common husked corn fodder cut in half-inch lengths ? 
The following are the prices asked here: corn meal at 
$28 per ton; linseed meal, $26 per ton; wheat bran, $20 per 
ton; buckwheat shorts, $15 per ton. 2. What is a grain ra¬ 
tion also for sheep whose feed consists of the ensilage men¬ 
tioned for cows and clover and Timothy hay mixed—equal 
parts of hay and ensilage. Would ensilage be a suitable 
feed for sheep without other coarse fodder ? 
Ans.— 1. As the albuminoids of corn fodder aresomawhat 
indigestible, only one-third of the substance being digested, 
it is necessary to add to this food a considerable proportion 
of other matter having a high equivalent of nitrogenous 
substance. This will be afforded by the bran or linseed 
meal. But the effect of the food on the butter product 
is to be considered, and neither of these two substances is 
free from objection in this respect. Cotton-3eed meal is 
quite free from all objections in regard to the quality of 
the butter and it may be procured for about the same cost 
proportionately to its feeding value. If the corn ensilage 
has full-grown ears on it, in the usual proportion, that 
will supply enough of the corn, and with the feeding ra¬ 
tion mentioned, four pounds daily of the cottonseed meal 
would be sufficient. Buckwheat in any form is not to be 
recommended as food for cows kept for making butter, 
because of its effect ou the quality of the product, as it 
renders it white and of a crumbly texture. A cow of or¬ 
dinary weight will require about 40 pounds of ensilage, 10 
pounds of the dry fodder, and 4 pounds of the cottonseed 
meal per day. If it is thought best to use the linseed meal, 
five or six pounds daily will be equivalent to the quantity 
of cotton-sesd meal mentioned. 2 I do not know any reason 
why ensilage is not a proper food for sheep, if it is free 
from acid. But sour ensilage will certainly cause trouble. 
The food for sheep must be sound and free from all 
taints of decomposition of any kind, and then a variety of 
food is always desirable. The ensilage should be fed 
cautiously at first and the effect be noted, and under any 
circumstances it should not form more than half the food. 
When it is sweet and free from mold it may take the place 
of roots, and its succulence will be desirable. A small 
feed may be given morning and evening, with the dry 
fodder at noon, and whatever grain food may be used may 
be given at night after the evening mess of fodder. Mixed 
grains, oats, rye and buck wheat make the best food of this 
kind for sheep, and one pound a day might be given safely 
to a moderate-sized sheep. As the season advances and 
the ewes near the lambing time the grain ration maybe 
Increased one half. henry stewart. 
Street Car Horses. 
L. O. J., Moline, 111 .—How many street car horses are In 
use in the United states, and will they be continued ? 
Ans.—N o accurate statistics are at hand as the number 
is constantly changing. From tne best information in our 
possession It appears that there were, on November 1, 
88,114 horses used on railroads in the United States and 
Canada. Last year there were 116,795, showing a loss of 
28,681 in one year! Within the past few years electricity 
has driven many horses from the cars. In 1890 there were 
8,123 miles of tracks, with 5,661 operated by animals, 1,263 
by .electricity, 488 by cable and the rest by steam. Some 
time has been lost in determining the best system of elec¬ 
tricity. The overhead system is now most generally used 
and gives cheaper and quicker service than horses. The 
cables are useful on steep grades or on crowded streets 
where there is no room for electric wires. It is evident 
that many more railroads will adopt the electric system, 
but there will always be some places In which horses alone 
can be used. The numoer of oar horses engaged in this 
work is, however, bound to be reduoed still further. 
Value of Buckwheat Hulls. 
H. P. D., Warwick, N. Y .—Wnat are buckwheat hulls 
worth a ton for sheep wnen corn is worth 70 cents and 
buckwheat 60 cents a bushel ? Tne mills here throw them 
away. 
Ans.—A single analysis shows that these hulls have a 
value of about one-sixth that of the corn, but it appears 
that they are not uniform. Mr. Ingham, one of our Penn¬ 
sylvania correspondents, says that hulls from grinding 
dry buckwheat are so tough and Indigestible that they are 
useful only for bedding and absorbents. When damp 
buckwheat is ground the hulls contain quite a good deal of 
“meat” from the grain, and make good food for sheep or 
other stock. The hulls are worth hauling away for bed¬ 
ding or manure, but we would not pay anything for them 
unless a sample had been sent for analysis to the stations 
at Ithaca or Gene\a and the result showed a fair amount 
of digestible animal food. 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
Swedes for Farm Help.—A. W. H., Angola, Ind.—Few 
of the Danes and Swedes that come here remain in the 
city. Most of them have places already engaged. Write 
to the Swedisn Emigrant Home, 14 Greenwich Street, New 
York, stating just what you want and giving references. 
Lime for Loamy Land.—R. R., Flemington, N. J.— 
Lime is just as much a plant food as are bone, ashes, nitro¬ 
gen, etc. As most soils have a sufficient supply, it does not 
pay to apply it except for its indirect action In liberating 
other plant foods—such as potash or nitrogen—in which the 
soils may be deficient. Whether your land—a dark loam 
soil, with a clay subsoil, naturally well drained—needs 
lime can be determined only by a trial. 
Unripened Corn for Seed— J. M. G., Upper Alton, Ill.— 
Your seed corn fell down when the ears had just passed 
the roasting ear stage. The stalks and ears were put away 
to ripen. Will It make good seed now ? Unless the germ 
has been injured by mold or otherwise, it will germinate 
and probably produce as good a crop as that more fully 
matured. You should test selected kernels. 
Selling Old Beer Corks.—J. B., Fort Assinaboine, Mont. 
—You say “ I am in a position where I can, without much 
trouble to myself, save about 10,060 beer corks a month. 
What would they be worth ?” The New York Bot¬ 
tling Works pay 25 cents per pailful for wnole corks. 
The place lor you to apply for a market is where the bot¬ 
tling is done from which the corks are obtained. 
