1893 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
395 
the breeds has been ascertained. Bulletin No. 34, 
August 1891. 
Cheese. —Experiments to determine the amount of 
fat lost in cheese-making at factories, the effect of 
tainted milk; the relation of fat in milk, to yield of 
cheese; the influence of skimming milk and of adding 
cream upon yield and quality of cheese; and upon 
the different details of practical cheese-making have 
been made. The results of these experiments, one of 
the best informed dairymen in the State considers the 
most valuable contribution to the art of cheese-making 
ever made. The cheese maker in every cheese factory 
in the State should procure all the bulletins recording 
these experiments, and study them carefully. They 
are recorded in Bulletins Nos. 34, 35, 37, 43, 45, 4G 
and 47. 
Analyses of Commercial Fertilizers. —This de¬ 
partment of the station work has been very thorough. 
A separate appropriation is made annually for con¬ 
ducting it. “About a thousand samples of commer¬ 
cial fertilizers have been collected from every por¬ 
tion of the State and have been analyzed.” The out¬ 
line of the history, general principles underlying their 
use, description of materials used, fertilizing materi¬ 
als produced on farms, explanation of terms of chem¬ 
ical analysis, commercial valuations of fertilizers, and 
potassium sulphide, liver of sulphur, as a preventive 
of mildew is clearly shown. 
ArrLES, Etc. —There are about 450 varieties of ap¬ 
ples, besides a large number of varieties of pears, 
plums, cherries and other fruit trees. As time is re¬ 
quired before these will come into bearing, no bulle¬ 
tins comparing the different varieties have been issued ; 
but a complete history of the black knct on the plum 
and cherry trees is given in Bulletin No. 40. This 
contains a statement of facts that should convince 
every one of the necessity of enforcing the law in rela¬ 
tion to black knot. 
Potatoes. —Experiments relating to the influence of 
copperas compounds in soils upon vegetation, spraying 
with fungicides for prevention of potato blight and 
treatment of potato scab have been conducted, and an 
account of these is given in Bulletins Nos. 41 and 49. 
Beans. —About 46 per cent of the common beans 
raised in the United States are grown in the State of 
New York. Anthracnose has attacked the plant and 
its fruit. Careful examination of this disease has been 
made at the station. Blight of common beans, blight 
of Lima beans and bean rust have also received atten¬ 
tion. The results of these investigations are embodied 
in Bulletin No. 48 Every bean grower in the country 
should possess a copy of this to him valuable treatise. 
DICTATOR IS DEAD. 
The great trotting stallion, Dictator, died May 26 at 
Ashland, Ky., of old age. He was foaled 30 years ago 
in Orange County, N. Y.—a son of the great Hamble- 
tonian, and full brother to the famous Dexter. The 
black mare Clara was bred year after year to Hamble- 
tonian, and Dexter was one of her first colts. Five 
years later she dropped Dictator—a small brown colt 
— destined to be known as perhaps the most useful son 
of Ilambletonian. Early in life Dictator did not show 
much speed. He had a good gait and that was about 
all. Most of the sons of Ilambletonian were like him 
in this respect, for Dexter was nine years old before 
he made his record of 2:17%. The fact that Dictator 
was full brother to Dexter helped him greatly in the 
stud. Dexter was a gelding, and naturally horsemen 
were willing to patronize his full brother. As a sire 
Dictator was wonderfully successful. Among his sons^ 
are Jay-Eye-See, 2:10, Director, 2:17, and Phallas, 
2:13% He has 48 sons and daughters, with records 
below 2:20. He is also the sire of Nancy Lee, whose 
colt, Nancy Hanks, has a record of 2:04. We are told 
that “ Dictator ceased to be of service four or five 
years ago, and nothing but the most assiduous care 
has kept the old horse alive since then. For years 
past he has been fed on ground oats sweetened with 
molasses, and the same molasses had to be none other 
DICTATOR, THE GREATEST SON OF OLD HAMBLETONIAN. Fig. 144. 
the results of analyses of the various commercial fer¬ 
tilizers, are clearly stated in a series of bulletins 
numbered 26, 27, 32, 33 and 42. A good idea of the 
subject of maintaining or promoting the fertility of 
the soil may be obtained by a study of this series. 
Those desiring to know the composition of all the 
leading commercial fertilizers sold in the State will 
find it in Bulletin No. 42. 
Poultry. —Theresultsof feeding poultry skim-milk, 
the effects of tallow, salt and oyster shells as part of 
their ration are given in Bulletins Nos. 38 and 39. 
From the experiments reported in No. 39 it is made 
clear that hens do assimilate lime from oyster shells. 
Small Fruits. —A large part of the work of the 
Horticultural Department consists in testing new 
varieties of small fruits, for which the soil at the sta¬ 
tion is remarkably well adapted. In Bulletins Nos. 
36 and 44 a description of the newer varieties of straw¬ 
berries is given, as well as an account of the various 
insect enemies of the strawberry. The lp-tely intro¬ 
duced varieties of the raspberry, the diseases to which 
the plant is subject and its insect enemies are dis¬ 
cussed. Blackberries and currants are also reported. 
Of gooseberries there are about 250 varieties at the 
station, and the value of spraying with a solution of 
Conclusion. —Space forbids more than allusion 
to the fact that the funds of the station are handi¬ 
capped by the expense of postage on its bulletins and 
reports, which item amounts to several thousand dol¬ 
lars a year. If a single thousand of the $15,000 an¬ 
nually given to the State by the United States was 
diverted to the State experiment station, it would 
carry the privilege of sending its bulletins and reports 
through the mail without payment of postage. 
It is hoped that every one who reads this article will 
avail himself of the station work in his line by writing 
to the State Experiment Station, Geneva, N. Y., for 
the bulletins devoted to his particular branch of farm 
products. WILLIAM D. BARNS. 
The necessity of new appliances and new methods 
for meeting changed conditions is nowhere more ap¬ 
parent than in the growing of young ducks and 
chickers for the markets. It would be an utter im¬ 
possibility to supply the existing demand for these if 
the uncertain and unsatisfactory old hen were the 
only available incubator. Formerly the old biddy 
was fairly satisfactory ; but now she is a back num¬ 
ber so far as the carrying on of this business on a 
commercial scale is concerned. 
than the best New Orleans brand or the old fellow 
would refuse to eat.” 
Certainly the old horse had earned the right to 
select the food that suited him best A picture of 
Dictator is shown at Fig. 144. 
PLUM TREES IN HEN YARDS. 
Curcui.io Safe From Hens. — I have 30 plum trees 
in one hen yard, and a considerable number of apple 
trees in another. I find the hens useful in keeping 
the ground clean, and of course they destroy every 
kind of insect they come across. I have 75 plum trees 
in a lot by themselves, and have given them clean 
cultivation, dressed the ground each fall with hen 
manure and bone meal, and the trees are better than 
those in the yar.L. I inclosed quite a large patch of 
raspberries and some currants this spring, and they 
are getting clean culture with a vengeance. The 
earth is full of worms, and in digging for these the 
hens have nearly dug up the bushes and have eaten 
the blossoms as high as ttiey could reach. The plum 
business here is not very promising. I have 200 grow¬ 
ing, and if I get fruit enough to pay the cost of the 
trees when planted I shall do well. The black knot 
is working on them badly, and there are lots of trees 
