223 
1893 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
mg’ the cover) and it is impossible for a hen to roost 
on the sides of the nest and soil it with droppings. 
In the southwest end, midway between the window 
and the table, is a smill coop for confining broody 
hens. It is raised from the floor like the table, the 
cover slopes at an angle which makes it uncomfort¬ 
able for a hen to use it for roosting purposes and it is 
made of slats throughout. Not much chance for a 
broody hen in these. Nothing but hemlock slats. I 
call it the jail. I find it an important part of the 
plan. After a hen once becomes accustomed to her 
home she must never be carried or confined elsewhere 
or she might not “ come home to roost.” 
Fig. 90 shows the feeding trough used for the morn¬ 
ing feed. I have never seen one like it in use. If one 
takes an ordinary feeding trough and lays a wide 
board over it after he has put in the feed, the hens 
will find it impossible to get into the feed with their 
feet or to deposit any droppings into it. Certainly 
you may say, neither can they eat their breakfast. If 
now you raise the board a few inches, their' breakfast 
is ready. Now raise the trough a few inches from the 
floor, and it takes a lively Biddy to scratch any litter 
from the floor into it. That is the principle on which 
it is constructed. It is simple and effective. Hun¬ 
dreds who read this will make one like it the next 
rainy day. The cover is fastened in place with 
hinges, for convenience in feeding. The drinking 
fountain is constructed on the same principle. It is 
simply a four-quart pressed tin basin set under a 
board that projects an inch or more on all sides. If a 
little water happens to get frozen in it, it is in the 
most convenient shape to be easily removed. 
Above the private hen entrance shown at Fig. 89 is 
placed the electrical feed box or hopper. The small 
door which closes this entrance is hung on pulleys, and 
drops of its own weight when the catch which holds 
it is released. The electro magnet seems to do this, 
and also to operate a slide which covers an opening in 
the bottom of the feed box, allowing the grain to fall 
to the floor. In falling, it strikes a metal disc, which 
scatters it and warns Biddy that supper is ready. It 
is interesting work to feed h large flock in this way. 
As one touches the button, he seems to touch a nerve 
in each individual member of the flock. Instantly 
every head goes up, and away they all go home to 
supper. The cost of lumber and material for such a 
house is about $25. The cost for labor depends some¬ 
what on style of finish. o. w. mapes. 
Orange County, N. Y. 
HAYSLOPE FARM DAIRY NOTES. 
Our Butter Record. —G. W. H., in a late Rural 
thinks we should make more butter than we do. Under 
ordinary conditions I think the same, but under the 
existing circumstances, I believe we have done very 
well. Our herd numbers 28 cows; now let me give 
the ages of the animals and then let us see if our yield 
is not better than it shows on its face. Six of our 
heifers calved when 10 and 18 months old. This was 
not desired, but was caused by their being away from 
home to pasture and being bred by a stray bull. 
Three others are three years old, and eight are four. 
Besides these, one had been in milk one year when I 
came Lere. She calved January 3, 1893, thus giving 
us little help for the year. Also another had been in 
milk 13 months and calved August 27, 1892. Besides 
these, there have been other difficulties to contend 
with, one of which was a new man in a new place. 
We hope for a much better yield next year, one that 
will be worthy of publication. 
Some Fat Milk Tests.—The R. N.-Y., in the issue 
of March 4, expresses a desire for authentic reports of 
large butter fat yields. Following are some of our 
best yields by the Babcock test: 
No. of months Percent 
Date. Cow. in milk. Fat. 
June 10. 
15 
7. 
Nov. 4. 
2 
7.4 
Nov. 4. 
8 
7.3 
Nov. 4. 
11 
7.3 
Nov. 4. 
8 
7.4 
Dec. 5. 
9 
9.6 
Dec. 15. 
9 
8.6 
Nov. 4. 
10 
8.2 
Dec. 15. 
11 
8.1 
The cows are all thoroughbred Jerseys. I consider 
my work correct, as I have had ample experience in 
sampling and analyzing. 
The following are the results of the fat determina¬ 
tion on skim and buttermilk made March 2, 1893 : 
Skim-milk : Cream gathered by DeLaval No. 2 separ¬ 
ator. Temperature 85 degrees. Jersey milk. Fat, a 
bead about the size of a pin head, too small for read¬ 
ing. Buttermilk: ripened cream, churned at 64 
degrees; time of churning 20 minutes; churned in 
Davis No. 6 churn. About six quarts of water were 
used for rinsing down the churn. Amount of butter 
32 pounds. Fat, a bead about the size of a mustard 
seed, too small for reading. k. tarbell, sup’t. 
STRAWBERRY WEEVIL. 
In answer to A. W., Montpelier, Vt., on page 185, I 
would state that the strawberry weevil is a small black 
beetle about one-twelfth of an inch in length, that 
punctures the stem just below the strawberry blos¬ 
soms and causes them to dry up and fall off. The 
insect is illustrated in Bulletin No. 12 of the Delaware 
Agricultural College Experiment Station, which can 
be had by sending address to this station, at Newark, 
Del. M. H. BECKWITH. 
R. N.-Y.—The pictures given herewith are taken 
from this bulletin. Professor 
Beckwith states • that the in¬ 
sect did considerable damage 
on several farms in Delaware 
and Maryland last season. 
The weevils attack the plant 
as soon as the buds begin 
to appear in the spring, work¬ 
ing almost exclusively on 
the buds and blossoms of the 
perfect flowering varieties. 
They destroy the blossoms and 
Fig. 9?. 
Strawberry Weevil (Anthonomus Strawberry Weevil: spray of straw- 
musculus.) berries showing beetles at work, 
natural size. 
of course prevent the formation of fruit. They seem 
to work for two seasons, after which they disappear. 
As to remedies, Professor Beckwith says they must be 
applied early in the season, as soon as the blossom 
buds begin to appear. Under no circumstances should 
any of the arsenites be used. The following sugges¬ 
tions are made: 
Kerosene Emolsion.— The frequent use of the kerosene emulsion 
upon the plants, making the first application at the first appearance 
of the buds or even before they appear, will probably prevent an 
attack of the beetles. The formula for making the emulsion Is as 
follows : 
Kerosene.Two gallons. 
Common soap.One-half pound. 
Water.One gallon. 
Dissolve the soap In boiling water, and, after removing from the 
fire and while yet boiling, add the kerosene oil, emulsifying the mix¬ 
ture by pumping It through a force pump with a spray nozzle Into the 
same vessel until It assumes the appearance of thick cream, and the 
oil does not rise to the surface. 
Dilute the above mixture with from 9 to 15 parts of water when 
using, so that It will not be stronger than 1 part of oil to 15 of water. 
White Hellebore.— We would advise the use of white hellebore 
upon the plants the same as Is used upon currant bushes to destroy 
the currant worms. It Is perfectly harmless to mankind. This should 
be applied with water, as follows: 
White hellebore.One ounce. 
Common glue .One ounce 
Water.Three gallons. 
Either of the above remedies can be sprayed upon the plants by 
means of one of the spraying pumps that are manufactured for that 
purpose. _ 
THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. 
A TALK ABOUT VARIETIES. 
What I don’t know about vegetables would make a 
long article, and yet in raising hundreds of varieties 
yearly I have gained some information which I am 
willing to share with the readers of The Rural New- 
Yorker. It is a pleasure to raise a large number of 
varieties ; but for immediate profit the fewer the bet¬ 
ter. But how is one to know which are the few that 
are the most profitable unless many are tried? Al¬ 
though I have spent considerable money for seeds and 
fertilizers and much time in experimenting, I feel that 
the expenditure has been a profitable one, for T no w 
know which are the best varieties and the best methods 
of cultivation for this vicinity. 
Of course vegetables can be grown on any kind of 
land, but I believe they can be grown more easily, 
cheaply, and to a higher state of perfection on a sandy 
loam than on a gravely clay or mucky soil. The ob¬ 
jection to sandy loam—that crops do not stand a 
drought on it—is overcome to a great extent if the 
manure used is plowed in, and fertilizers are used in 
the hill, the seed planted deep and the plants kept 
free from weeds by the frequent use of the cultivator. 
A crop that is not choked by weeds and has plenty to 
feed on is in a better condition to go through a 
drought than one that is half starved. 
The question is often asked if it pays to buy manure 
or fertilizers. One thing is certain : it doesn’t pay to 
plant without them. If one has no manure of his 
own saving, and cannot buy any, he had better not 
plant at all; for if he does he will be sure to be dis¬ 
appointed. As to buying stable manure or fertilizers, 
my advice is this: save all the manure you can on 
your own farm; but if you must spend money for 
fertility invest it in high-grade commercial fertilizer. 
In buying them, one can know just what he is getting 
which he cannot in buying stable manure. The 
difference in the cost of hauling often makes the pur¬ 
chase of stable manure unprofitable when money in¬ 
vested in fertilizer would be a remunerative invest¬ 
ment. The value of hen manure is variously esti¬ 
mated : one writer going so far as to say that it is 
worth more, pound for pound, than high-grade com¬ 
mercial fertilizer, which sells at $40 per ton. After 
using the product of 150 hens and 400 chickens annu¬ 
ally, I can truly say that I would prefer to sell it at 
50 cents a barrel and buy fertilizers at $40 per ton. 
Last year I applied 100 bushels of droppings, 75 per 
cent pure, on a carrot bed 25x180 feet, and got a good 
crop ; but if I had scattered it over an acre as many 
would have recommended, it would have had but little 
effect. It is liable to injure plants if applied in the 
hill or drill, but if spread on plowed land and har¬ 
rowed in, there is no danger of putting on too much. 
Beginning in alphabetical order, I will say that if 
confined to one variety of beans, it would be the Hor¬ 
ticultural Bush. The plants are hardy and adapted 
to a great variety of soils and conditions. The beans 
are excellent as “ strings,” “ shells ” and dry baked. 
The Pole Horticultural is very much like it, and will 
yield larger crops, but costs more to raise. For a 
small garden, I should prefer the pole variety, as the 
pods are longer, easier to pick and less liable to be¬ 
come soiled, but as a field bean I prefer the bush. If 
two kinds are to be planted, the second would be the 
variety of small white pea bean called Mexican Tree. 
Planted in rows three feet apart and two feet between 
the hills, one bean in a place, the plants will com¬ 
pletely cover the ground and yield an immense crop 
of superior beans for baking. They are very easily 
planted, cultivated and gathered. If one more variety 
were to be added, it would be Low’s Champion Bush, 
a large red bean much like the Horticultural, but not 
red-podded. These are my conclusions after testing 
40 varieties of beans for several years. 
After extended trials, I consider the Edmund’s Blood 
turnip the best beet in cultivation, either for home 
use or market. If planted in succession, no other 
variety is needed. It is good for summer, fall or win¬ 
ter. The Golden Tankard stands equally high among 
mangolds. 
Cabbage has been my specialty for a number of 
years ; consequently I have given it considerable atten¬ 
tion. After growing all the leading varieties, I can easily 
select the best three for this locality. For early, nothing 
equals the Jersey Wakefield. It can be depended upon 
to produce a fine crop of hard heads if the planter does 
his share of the work. For second early, fall and win¬ 
ter, the Warren (sometimes called Warren’s Stone¬ 
mason) is, in my estimation, so much better than any 
other that, were I to grow 25,000 cabbages for the 
main crop, every one would be a Warren. It is medium 
as to earliness, with comparatively small outer leaves, 
and is sure to produce a solid head, round and uniform 
in shape. I always raise a few of the Improved Ameri¬ 
can Savoys for home use, but do not consider them 
profitable for market. If one wants a large cabbage, 
Fottler’s Brunswick will give satisfaction. It is, how¬ 
ever, too large to sell well in these markets. The 
largest pickling cabbage is Mammoth Red Rock, but 
it is not of as good quality as the Dwarf Red Erfurt. 
The best carrot for home consumption is Chantenay, 
but for market I prefer Danvers. White Belgian and 
White Vosges produce large crops, but do not sell as 
well as the orange colored varieties. 
Notwithstanding all that has been said against the 
White Plume celery, it has given me greater satisfac- 
faction than any other kind. Next to it I would place 
the Golden Self-Blanching. Red celeries are inferior. 
[In what way ?— Eds.] All the dwarf varieties of 
cauliflower are allied to the Erfurt, which is probably 
the best for all purposes. 
The Black Mexican sweet corn is so tender, rich and 
sweet that I shall hereafter plant no other variety, 
prefeiring to wait a few weeks for it rather than run 
the risk of its mixing with any other kinds. I am 
aware that the Cory, Marblehead, Pride of America 
and several other kinds are early ; but I consider them 
all of poor quality. The Amber Cream is very rich 
and sweet. It is a late variety. Although not exactly 
in the line of vegetables for a field corn the Self-Husk¬ 
ing has given great satisfaction.—[It is an excellent 
variety.— Eds.] It is a very early flint. The ears are 
about 12 inches in length, the kernels very dark 
yellow in color. When ripe the husks separate from 
the ear for two thirds of its length, making husking 
comparatively easy.—[Perfectly true.— Eds.] 
If but one variety of cucumbers is grown, I would 
take the Improved White Spine. Between cold east 
winds and potato bugs it is more than egg plants are 
worth to raise them. Kohl rabi is but little grown, 
which would not be the case if people knew what a 
fine vegetable it is. It is as hardy as cabbage, no 
insect troubles it and I consider it superior to the 
turnip for eating. The White Vienna is the best 
variety, and if wanted for winter should be planted 
about the same time as rutabagas. The Hanson 
lettuce is my favorite. If confined to one variety of 
