446 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
July 1 
!5’ CLU d 
DISCUSSIONS 
sP ifj 
Rooster-Pecked Wives. 
L E L., Nebraska. —I have read with 
much interest the recent articles on 
“ hired men” in the columns of The R. 
N -Y., and can heartily indorse what 
Carrie T. Meigs has said. Having seen 
one or two hired men in the course of 
my short life of 40 years, I am slightly 
acquainted with the sometimes neces¬ 
sary evil. I might have kept still had 
not “ Farmer,” of Lyndonville, N. Y., 
come forth with his sweeping tirade 
against women in general and in defence 
of the poor, much abused hired man He 
has without doubt, “ freed his mind.” I 
hope he will excuse me if I free mine. 
The keynote of that man’s character is 
sounded in the closing words of his little 
speech : “ The proper place fora woman 
is in the house, and I think there would 
he less trouble between farmers and 
their hired men if women would stay 
wh're they belon r.” Just so. 
We often read and talk about “ hen¬ 
pecked husbands,” but who ever heard 
any mention made of “ rooster-pscked 
wives ? ” Pardon the expression, if you 
think it needs pardoning, hut I would 
like to ask why one term is not just as 
allowable as the other, and just as ex¬ 
pressive 9 Such wives exist, and I am thor¬ 
oughly convinced that “ Farmer’s” wife 
is one of them. From his style of talk, 
there is little reason to doubt that his 
wife and daughters (if he has any) are 
regularly cowed, household drudges, not 
daring to call their poor souls their own 
in the presence of “Farmer” and his 
“ hired man.” This gentleman (?) can¬ 
not brook the idea of the wives and 
children “ bossing ” the hired men. but 
how about the hired men bossing the 
wives and children ? Perfectly allow¬ 
able, I suppose. They do it. Carrie T. 
Meigs has not told it all; their impudence 
and arrogance are at times something 
amazing. I once heard a farmer tell his 
hired man to hitch up a team for his wife 
to drive to town straightway. Mr. Hired 
Man marched to the house and demanded 
to know of the lady what in thunder she 
wanted to go to town for, adding that if 
there was anything wanted, he could go 
after it. Upon another occasion there 
was company for supper at this same 
place. A lady guest was in the act of 
pouring some syrup from the pitcher, 
when one of the hired men reached 
across the table and with his finger ac¬ 
tually wiped the mouth of the pitcher, 
and then transferred his finger to his own 
mouth. The lady left the table and the 
house; a scene followed. I could men¬ 
tion in detail many occurrences of a simi¬ 
lar nature which have in one way or 
another come under my observation, but 
think these two will suffice. In both in¬ 
stances the hired men had been well 
treated, and shared with the family the 
best the house afforded, but all this 
proved “ too rich for their blood.” Their 
treatment was far better than they de¬ 
served. I have known a very few good, 
trusty hired men, but they have been the 
exceptions, not the rule, and, when se¬ 
cured, are worth their weight in gold. 
The Shrinkage in Hay. 
A. D. A., Montpelier, Vermont. —In 
The R. N.-Y. of June 3, page 381, J. T. 
C., inquires in regard to the loss or 
shrinkage of hay after keeping it for 
some time. I call to mind a bit of ex¬ 
perience of some 40 years ago. It may 
not be strictly in the line of the inquiry, 
but I think it an indication of possibili¬ 
ties. Having a piece of grass seeded the 
September previous, after a crop of corn, 
with Herd’s-grass, half a bushel to the 
acre, a line was stretched inclosing one 
square rod. After the surrounding grass 
had been cut and raked back, the rod 
was cut and treated the same as the rest. 
When sufficiently cured the whole was 
put into the barn. That growing on the 
measured ground weighed at the rate of 
3K tons per acre and was put on the 
high beams ; after it had been turned 
once and lain two weeks, it was again 
weighed and was found to have shrunk 
at the rate of 700 pounds per acre or 200 
per ton. The grass was fine and thick, 
almost like a mat, not very tall, and was 
cut before fairly headed out, because it 
began to lod^e—perhaps it shrank more 
on account of being cut pretty green. 
I often hear or see in the papers in¬ 
quiries in regard to the number of cubic 
feet required for a ton of hay. Many 
times the answer is given 500 feet. I do 
not think any definite number of feet 
can be relied upon as a rule—much de¬ 
pends upon the quality and condition of 
the hay and more upon the judgment of 
the person making the estimate. I have 
many times weighed and assisted in 
weighing hay from a given number of 
feet and found a variation of from 380 
feet in a deep well bay of fine hay, to 000 
feet on a small scaffold of a coarse, loosly 
packed article. 
Fotatoes Planted With Trees. 
T. J. T., address unknown.—I have had 
considerable experience in growing trees, 
and I always put several potatoes under 
each when I set them# I have a young 
apple orchard set 10 years ago. I then 
placed potatoes under each tree, and 
potatoes grow from the roots every year; 
many have come up this spring. When 
a boy, I knew an old man who was very 
successful in growing all kinds of trees, 
and he always placed potatoes under 
every tree when he set it. 
C. E. T., Forestville, N. Y.—I have 
tried potatoes and also oats for the above 
purpose. I find oats the better. 
Guarding: Apple Trees From Mice. 
B. B., Farmingdalk, III.—As to the 
mice repellers mentioned on page 404, a 
pound of dissolved copperas in a bucket 
of whitewash makes a wash that cer¬ 
tainly repels mice, yet they may be 
driven by hunger to gnaw through this 
wash, and they may make their holes 
and nests at the base of the tree and 
gnaw the bark beneath the surface of 
the ground. In the latter case the mound 
of earth advised is a disadvantage, as the 
mice are thus afforded a dry harbor and 
they will even often select such places 
for their winter-quarters. Mounding 
does no good except to prevent the mice 
that travel under the snow from reach¬ 
ing the tree. This wash applied quite 
diluted (as a thick wash scales off) to 
trees in September on a dry day is nearly 
effectual for the winter against mice and 
rabbits, and quite so against the round- 
headed apple borer if used about May 
—the time varying with the latitude. 
I sympathize with D. W. D , as I “have 
been there,” and have given the matter 
some study. This is what I do : In the 
fall I cut a gallon or two of apples into 
pieces about one-third of an inch square 
and stir in a quantity of arsenic or stryeh 
nine ; then I go over the whole orchard, 
not omitting the fence corners at the end 
and roll a poisoned piece into every 
mouse hole I can find ; this uses up most 
of the mice, then I apply the wash. 
Afterward on very valuable trees I place 
a lath tree protector, sinking the ends 
into the ground ; or a screen wire may be 
used in the same way. Still, drifting 
snows may cover all these devices and 
leave the upper part of the tree open for 
the rabbits. 
More About Free Crates. 
C. D. L., Taunton, Mass.—I see by 
The Rural that the farmers are not 
all satisfied with the action of the com¬ 
mission merchants in refusing to return 
empty crates, and no wonder; the crates, 
after being used still have a market 
value, and when within reasonable dis¬ 
tance should be returned or an exchange 
be effected; or an allowance made for 
them. Here, as elsewhere, most of the 
prominent merchants have agreed to re- 
turr no crates ; but at this time car-loads 
of empty crates are being sent out free 
to the farmers in this vicinity, the farm¬ 
ers to return the crates filled, thus 
obliging the latter to make their con¬ 
signments to the owners of the crates. 
Corn After Corn. 
E. B. W., Newton, Iowa. —I find some¬ 
thing interesting in each issue of The R. 
N.-Y. This time it is the articles on 
“ Corn after Corn,” in a recent Farmer’s 
Club. I notice that the answers to the 
questions are all by Eastern men Does 
The Rural want to hear from the West? 
[Certainly, yes. The West is, par excel¬ 
lence, the corn country.— Eds.] At the 
Illinois Experiment Station, located at 
Champaign, there is a half acre from 
which 15 continuous corn crops have been 
taken, most of the time stalks and all, 
without manure of any kind having been 
applied to it during the whole period. 
The average of the last three crops of 
which I have the reports—the 13, 14 and 
15—is 48.7 bushels, certainly a profitable 
yield. A half acre next to this, which 
has been in corn the same length of time, 
but which has been heavily manured with 
stable manure, yielded during the sam 
years an average of 67.1 bushels per acre, 
or at the rate of 18.4 bushels more than 
the unmanured. I noticed, though, that 
these plots are situated on very black 
rich land, land that aDy experienced Il¬ 
linois farmer would choose as his best 
corn land. The prairie soil does not av¬ 
erage as rich as that, much less the whole 
State. 
In practice it is not found advisable to 
crop continuously with corn. If the land 
is new, that is, an old Blue-grass pasture 
plowed under, five or six profitable crops 
can be raised. Then the land should be 
rested two years, with oats or wheat, 
after which th ee or four profitable corn 
crops may he raise*!. I believe, though 
I have no proof, that the decreased yield 
after several continuous corn crops is 
owing more to the mechanical condition 
of the soil than to lack of fertility. It 
is the universal custom to pasture the 
stalks in winter. Many plow the ground 
too wet, and are very careless about 
tramping it while in that state. Even 
with the best of management, the soil 
loses that fine condition admired by all, 
(Continued on next page.) 
PisrcUaneuuo mlioing. 
In writing to advertisers, please always mention 
The Rural New-Yorker. 
Paisley. 
'HENEVERI see 
Hood’s Sarsapa¬ 
rilla I want to bow and 
say ‘ Tiiank You.’ I 
was badly affected with 
Eczema and Scrof u la 
Sores, covering almost 
the whole of one side of 
my face, nearly to the 
top of my head. Run¬ 
ning sores discharged 
from both ears. My eyes were very bad. For 
nearly a year I was deaf. I took HOOD’S 
SAKSA'PAKILIiA and the sores on my 
eyes and in my ears healed. I can now hear 
and see as well as ever.” Mrs. Amanda Pais¬ 
ley, 176 Lander Street, Newburgh, N. Y. 
HOOD’S PILLS cure all Liver Ills, jaundice, 
sick headache) biliousness, sour stomach, nausea. 
NORTON’S PLANT OUSTER 
distributes Paris Green, London Pur¬ 
ple, or any dry Insecticide. It can be 
carried In one hand, and the dust- 
guard projected over each hill or 
Q| ■ HIV plant successively. A slight motion 
HI HM I of the hand throws down the powder, 
■ ■ and envelopes the leaves and stalks 
of the plant in a cloud of dust. It Is 
light, cheap and easily handled, and 
saves all waste. Send for descriptive 
circular. THE TROY STAMPING 
WORKS, Troy, N. Y. 
LEGGETT'S 
PARIS GREEN or DRY POWDER GUN. 
distributes Paris-Green, London-Purple, Helle¬ 
bore, or any dry powder In any quantity desired. 
By turning the crank a volume of powder is 
forced through the tube, and envelopes the plant, 
bush or tree in a cloud of dust. It is simple, dur¬ 
able and cheap. Four tubers with each gun, full 
length eight feet. Price, $6; express paid east of 
Rocky Mountains. Send for circular. Agents wanted 
LEGGETT & PRO., 301 Pearl St., New York. 
WHEAT 
GROWERS 
r; Should always use Bradley’s 
Standard Fertilizers. They 
are absolutely the best fer- 
til izers m a n u factu red, a ml 
never fail to bring large ]>re¬ 
fits to their users. 
See our agents or write 
us before purchasing. 
Bradley Fertilizer Go., 
BOSTON. 
Western New York Office : 
843 Granite lildg., Rochester, N. Y. 
THE ECLIPSE 
WIND MILL 
THE 
ORIGINAL 
SELF-REGULATING 
WOOD WHEEL 
Will run in Lighter Wind 
and do More Work 
than any other. 
FAIRBANKS’ 
GALVANIZED STEEL 
Wind Mills and Towers. 
Pumps, Tanks, &c,. 
Send for Catalogue and Prices. 
FAIRBANKS, MORSE & CO., CHICAGO, ILL 
SOMETHING NEW 
l\ T COMBINATION WITH 
J. E. PORTER’S 
SOLID STEEL 
Track and Carrier 
A sling that he has just 
invented, and on which 
he was granted a patent 
May 9, 1891. Ask your 
dealers for the Porter 
Hay Carrier with his new 
sling used instead of a 
fork, or send to the 
Pioneer manufacturer of 
Hay Carriers for his 1893 
circular, describing his 
latest Improvements for 
handling hay. J. E. PORTER, Ottawa, Ill. 
ATTENTION! 
ASK FOR THIS AXE. 
USE NO OTHER. 
Wood-choppers, try the 
Kelly Perfect axe 
It will cut more wood 
than any other axe. 
The scoop in the blade 
keeps it from sticking in 
the wood, and makes it 
cut deeper than any other 
axe. Ask your dealer for 
it. Send us his name if 
he don’t keep it. It is the 
Anti-Trust Axe. 
Kelly Axe Mfg.Co. 
LOUISVILLE, KY. 
MAKE MONEY 
While You 
STAHL’S 
EXCELSIOR 
FRUIT DRIER 
Evaporate? Frnit DAY 
and NIGHT. Catalogue 
free upon application. 
Address 
WILLIAM STAHL 
EVAPORATOR COMP’Y, 
QUINCY, ILL. 
