494 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
July 22 
Against Quieksand in the Drains. 
J. S. Woodward, Niagara County, 
N. Y.—In The R. N Y. of July 1, page 
445, tlie editors ask for the experience of 
those who have laid tile drains in quick- 
sandy places. I have tried covering the 
jo'nts between the tiles in such lands 
with various substances. Where obtain¬ 
able, I would prefer to cover each joint 
with a shovelful of sand or fine gravel. 
This will keep the quicksand out and 
will be of course, indestructible. More 
than 20 years ago I under-drained a field 
a part of which was very quicksandy and 
where I could net get either sand or 
gravel. I tried several plans, but obtain¬ 
ed the most satisfactory success where I 
used water or swale grass. The draining 
was done in August and I sent into some 
low ground and had cut a lot of this 
grass. When laying the tiles 1 placed 
over each joint a large handful, first 
twisting it so as to form a sort of soft 
rope and tucking each end down over 
the tile so as to bring the grass close 
upon the joint. Where this was done 
the tiles are apparently clear to-day and 
no trouble has ever been given by the 
quicksand. 
Babes in the Agricultural Woods. 
Phelps Wyman, Vermont — The readi¬ 
ness of Tiie Rural to print every good 
word for the winter short course in 
agriculture at Cornell University, has 
aroused a corresponding desire in me to 
siy something in its favor. As an at¬ 
tendant last winter, I can say that it 
was thoroughly practical and to the 
point, and woatever of the scientific side 
of agriculture cropped out (and how could 
there be time for much of it in 11 weeks?) 
only served to arouse a greater respect for 
the calling and to show that the farmer is 
in reality making the sciences his play¬ 
things. But these subjects were stu¬ 
diously avoided, and what we were taught 
in dairying, in fruit growing, in all the 
various branches of agriculture, even to 
agricultural chemistry, was directed 
with an eye to something which we might 
apply directly when we got home, and 
not a day or hardly a lecture passed 
without giving us the solution of some 
problem which we had studied before 
without seeming result. If I may say it, 
it was the teachings of The Rural New- 
Yorker systematized and drilled into us, 
so that now the paper may talk to us 
with hopes of better effect. When we 
had finished what seemed a very short 
term, during which we were received as 
equals by the other students with the 
utmost friendliness, we could not help 
feeling that we might deserve the degree 
of “ Babes in Agriculture,” so little did 
we think we knew, and like babes, we 
cried for more. More I hope many of us 
will get there, and may we be able to 
give to many readers of The Rural as 
hearty a welcome as that which we re- 
cei/ed. 
Wife I* Assistant Boss. 
T. B. P., Goldsboro, N. C.—Poor Car¬ 
rie T. Meigs has stirred up a hornets’ 
nest and must suffer for her folly. She 
has touched up angels (?) unawares. By 
a careful reading of her article it will be 
noticed that she does not describe all 
hired men, but the average hired man as 
she has seen him. In justice to the 
average hired man of our section, I will 
say he is net as bad as the one she de¬ 
scribes ; but there are a few that will do 
to go in her class. Not a few have criti¬ 
cised her—for what ? She says she sim¬ 
ply stated facts, and no one has contro¬ 
verted that. If she stated facts, why 
this uprising, unless it is because facts, 
at times, look bad in print. 
“ A Farmer ” from Lyndonville, N. Y., 
comes to the rescue of the persecuted, 
and oh ! what a flood of light he turns 
on—his own household. I dare say 
neither his wife nor daughter would 
ever suggest to the hired man that it 
was time to go to work, or desist from 
any deviltry he might be engaged in. 
No, they have evidently been differently 
schooled. When Mr. Hired Man, or his 
equal, “ A Farmer,” is around bossing 
all he surveys on that homestead, the 
women and children know enough to stay 
wh ere th ey belong, and if they h ave griev¬ 
ances or suggestions, they know enough 
to be sure to let no ear catch them save 
their own. Should a daughter of his 
have kindled in her breast a desire for 
greater freedom, and go off with some 
man who would consider her a rational 
being and be willing to take her as a 
partner and not as a slave, without con¬ 
sulting “ A Farmer,” the latter can con¬ 
sole himself with the sweet thought that 
he and the hired man had bossed her 
while she was with them, and that of 
late he could see signs of some highfa¬ 
lutin’ ideas showing themselves, and that 
it is better for the peace of the family 
that she had gone before other members 
could catch the disease. How differ¬ 
ently matters run in some other homes, 
where the wife, the daughter, in fact all 
the children feel that they have an in¬ 
terest in the home they are enjoying ; 
that the father considers them as mem¬ 
bers of his family who some time will 
have to take full control of affairs, and 
considers his wife his equal, and that 
what is his interest is hers, and that 
they are full and equal p rtners, who 
counsel together and know that their 
interests are identical, hence they are as 
one. Blessed picture, not found in the 
home of A Farmer.” I presume that if 
one of the many hired men who have 
been in the employ of “ A Farmer” and 
enjoyed a division of the bossing of the 
women folks, were to get into a home 
like the above, where he wouldn’t be 
considered as a partner in the business, 
but a hired servant, the bonds of re¬ 
straint would chafe him considerably, 
and he might sigh for a return to his 
former place. 
This is written by one who has worked 
for wages on a farm, and who now em¬ 
ploys several hired men—some of them 
worthy gentlemen who have his respect 
and best wishes, and with whom there 
has never been a single jar or unpleasant 
word. They are treated respectfully, 
and some of them eat and occupy the 
same room with members of the family. 
Yet the wife is boss by his special direc¬ 
tions when he is absent, and will remain 
so. When she can’t boss the hired man 
lie must depart. 
A Hard-Working: Mower. 
T. II., Lockhart, Tex. —I bought a five- 
foot-cut New Deering mower in May, 
1891, and it has given better satisfaction 
than any other, and we have tried a good 
many. I have 250 acres in Johnson grass, 
which I cut twice, and some of it three 
times a year, and I have cut one crop 
this year, which will make, in all, be¬ 
tween 1,250 and 1,500 tons, and the only 
expense for extras has been for sections 
for two knives and three new guards. I 
shall have to get a new set of sections 
for two knives when I commence cutting 
the late summer crop. With that excep¬ 
tion, the machine is as good as new ; but 
I think there is plenty of room for im¬ 
provement in mowing machines. 
A Flat-Stone Drain. 
D. J. St. J , Canajohakie, N. Y.—I was 
greatly interested in the article on stone 
drains by C. E. Chapman, in The R. N.-Y. 
of June 17. The stone drain is undoubt¬ 
edly the drain for the farmer having 
plenty of stones and little capital. While 
Mr. Chapman gave us three good methods 
of laying stone drains, he did not men¬ 
tion the one which, in my opinion, is the 
best of all. Set flat stones about 10 
inches in diameter firmly on edge against 
each side of the ditch, filling in the space 
between with flat stones, all set on edges, 
the thin edges down, and all running 
parallel to each other and to the line of 
the ditch. Lay the whole length of the 
ditch in this manner, being always care¬ 
ful to place the stones thin edges down. 
Fill the ditch as advised by Mr. Chap¬ 
man, and there will be no danger of mis¬ 
placing the stones by driving over with 
a horse, and there will be little chance 
that so many waterways will become 
clogged. Such a drain will carry a sur¬ 
prisingly large stream of water. 
Get Rid of the Orchard Mice. 
D. W. D , Hickman, Ky. —My inquiry 
for a wash to repel mice from apple trees 
elicited iD a late Rural a remedy from 
B. B , Farmingdale, Ill., who has my 
sincere thanks. Within the last 10 years 
I have planted about 1,200 apple trees 
My practice has been to cultivate the 
orchards for four years in potatoes, peas 
or corn, then seed down to Red clover. 
I believe now I followed the wrong 
course, located as I am on hills inter¬ 
sected by steep acclivities and ravines 
which harbor mice and rabbits. I have 
found by observation that clover seed is 
especially acceptable to the mice, and in 
seeding down to clover I furnish them 
an unlimited supply of their favorite 
food, and also a splendid harbor under 
the clover during winter. I believe I as¬ 
sert a fact when I state that on 14 acres 
of youDg orchard there are not 10 feet 
square untraversed by runs of the little 
rodents. In future I sliill give clean 
cultivation to annual crops in my or¬ 
chards, and remove all harbors for ver¬ 
min and fence rows and poison all runs. 
I follow general farming on 52 acres, but 
one acre of apple orchard pays more net 
profit than 10 in grain or grass. 
Crimson Clover in England. 
T. B., South Lowell, Ala.— In several 
recent issues of The Rural and other 
papers I have noticed articles on Crimson 
clover, some leporting satisfactory re¬ 
sults, but more often failures. I believe 
the last were caused in nearly every 
case by the seed being covered too deeply. 
I grew it for many years in the South of 
England, and, unless the ground was un¬ 
usually hard, no preparation was needed, 
but the seed was sown on the grain stub¬ 
ble and very lightly coverei with a bush 
drag. If the ground was excessively dry 
and hard, this drag or a very light har¬ 
row was run over the surface first, and 
again after the seed had been sown. 
M anaged in this way, a stand is reason¬ 
ably certain. It is a very valuable crop, 
but not so much for hay as for feeding 
in a green state, as it comes in very early 
in spring. 
That Sheep and Dog Country. 
A. L , Barboursville, Va.—I live in 
Albermarle County, Va., 100 miles south¬ 
west from Washington by rail, and about 
20 from the Blue Ridge mountains. This 
is a very healthy section and the land is 
hilly or rolling. There is plenty of good 
(Continued on next page.) 
In writing to advertisers, please always mention 
The Rtthal New-Yorker. 
Mr. S. G. Derry. 
Thousands 
Of dollars I spent trying 
to find a cure for Mult 
It hen m, which I had 
13 years, rhysicians 
said they never saw so 
severe a case. My legs, 
back and arms were cov¬ 
ered by the humor. I 
began to take HOOD’S 
8 ABSAPABILI-A, 
and the flesh became 
more healthy, the sores noon healed, the 
scales fell off, I was soon able to give up ban¬ 
dages and crutches, and a happy man I was. 
S. G Derry, 45 Bradford St., Providence, R. I. 
HOOD’S PILLS cure liver ills, constipation, 
biliousness, jaundice, and sick headache. Try them. 
Farmers YOUR Produce 
To F. I. SAGE & SON, 183 Reade St., N. Y., 
Receivers of all kinds of Country Produce, in¬ 
cluding Game, Live and Dressed Poultry and Dressed 
Calves. Specialties— Berries, Grapes, Apples, Pears, 
Honey, Onlpns aud Potatoes. Correspondence and 
Consignments solicited. Stencils furnished. Ref¬ 
erence: Dun’s or Bradstreet’s Commercial Reports, 
to be found at any bank. 
POT-GROWN 
STRAWBERRIES. 
Selected varieties for family and market should be 
planted In July or August, In order to get good re¬ 
sults the following season. Handsome Catalogue, 
wltn latest Information as to varieties and culture 
ready July 1st. Free. 
JELLWANGER <Sfc BARRY, 
Mount Hope Nurseries, 
53d Year. Rochester, N. Y. 
NEW YORK STATE FAIR 
Syracuse , September 14-21. 
Magnificent and Spacious 
Poultry Building and Horticultural Hall, 
ready for use this fall. 
The Most Complete Buildings, 
The Greatest Railroad Facilities, 
The Largest Premiums 
OF ANY FAIR IN THE STATE 
Entries close Aug. 10. For Prize-Lists and other 
Information address G. HOWARD DA VisON, 
Secretary. Albany, N. Y 
CORN Harvesting REVOLUIION ZED 
For Machine producing Best Results Ever Re¬ 
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FALL 1893 
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Two sizes:— 
Do fast and good work. 
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Send for full descriptions. 
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SEND FOR CATALOGUE. 
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US Birer St., BATAVIA, ILL. 
Buckeye Wrought Iron Punched Kail Fence. 
Also manufacturers of Iron Cresting, Iron Turbine an4 
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lAfri I ^liPPliF ^ Kinds ' Water - 6at ' 0n - 
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I Ing, Wind&Steam Mach'y. Encyclopedia 26a. 
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Branch Houses. 
