1893 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
7oi 
pointed. With no great care of the vines ; with a soil 
of but ordinary richness Mr. Ricketts year after year 
raised >his seedlings and exhibited them at many fairs 
where they scarcely ever failed to carry off the first 
premium. But other people have never been able to 
do what Mr. Ricketts has done and few of his grapes 
have more than a local reputation. Mr. Munson’s 
grapes have not yet been sufficiently tried in the north 
to show what they are. We have a dozen of his 
varieties several of which, as reported, fruited last 
season at the Rural Grounds. But we are not ready 
to express any opinion. The Gaertner is one of the 
showiest of Rogers’s collection. The color is a light 
red and the berries translucent almost to transpar¬ 
ency. In many places it thrives, the vine being strong 
and productive. In other places the berry rots and is 
worthless. The seedsman mentioned failed some 
years ago. The Bushberg catalogue published by 
Bush, Son & Meissner, of Bushberg, Mo., would 
interest and instruct our friend greatly. So, too, we 
would advise him to procure “ Our Native Grapes,” 
published by C. Mitzsky & Co., of Rochester, N. Y. 
Dry Stalks in a Half-Filled Silo. 
O. S. S , Middlcburg, Pa .—The article in The Rural, 
of September 30 on filling a silo with dry corn fodder 
after the corn is husked, is of great importance to me. 
I have a 6ilo and got it only about half full, for the 
reason that my corn was short on account of the 
drought, and, as Mr. Talcott says, I must have some 
corn for other purposes. Can I fill the remainder of my 
silo with this corn fodder, as stated in that article? I 
have chaff on top about one foot thick, and it seems 
to be all right. Shall I remove that covering, or can 
I put the corn fodder right on top of it ? I find that 
cattle eat corn fodder very readily early in the fall or 
winter, but towards spring it seems to get more 
woody, and they do not care for it. The Maryland 
Station gives the digestible matter of corn stalks as 
66per cent, and I think it pays to care for them. 
In the silo it would be better still, I think. 
Ans.—M r. S. can save the entire 66 per cent of food 
value in his dry sta’ks by making them into ensilage. 
He can convert every particle of the woody matter 
into such a digestible form by cooking it in his silo, 
that his cattle will eat it greedily and digest it per¬ 
fectly. For many years I have cut every particle of 
my field corn stalks after hu&king time, into my silo 
and made ensilage of them. Of course I must have 
some dry corn to feed on the farm. My chickens and 
hogs are ripened off with corn, and at the same time 
I raise a sufficient amount of large white ensilage 
corn that I put in the silo, for all the grain ration l 
ever give to cattle, unless I am forcing flesh on them 
for the butchers’ block. I then feed ground feed in 
addition to ensilage te close up the work. Filling 
silos with this large white late corn, grown to full 
maturity, comes from three to four weeks later on my 
farm than the harvest of common field corn, so I husk 
the field corn first, and when I am ready to fill the 
silos I close out the corn stalk job entirely. I have 
sometimes run every fourth load of dry stalks into a 
silo with three loads of fresh, green, juicy ensilage, 
and then there was excess of moisture enough to save 
it all perfectly without the addition of water as the 
silo is filled. Mr. S. need not disturb the contents of 
his silo a particle, but commence on top of that to cut 
and fill in his dry corn stalks. Cut as fine, and just 
the same, as he did in filling with green corn; but, 
in addition to this, he must stay up in the silo him¬ 
self and sprinkle on fully six or eight pails of water 
with each wagon-load of corn stalks. Be sure to 
have these finely-cut, dry stalks all wet up evenly in 
the pit, so that when it is filled it will heat up and 
moisten them. henry talcott. 
A Talk About a Silo. 
J. W. 0., Hillsboro, 111. —Our land in this part of 
the State is black, rolling prairie, which will raise 
from 50 to 80 bushels of shelled corn to the acre in a 
good season, but owing to the severe drought this 
summer, we shall have very poor corn. 1 have never 
seen a silo, as there are non «in this part of the coun¬ 
try. 1. Will a silo made tight enough to hold 
thrashed wheat be tight enough for ensilage ? 2. At 
what stage of the corn’s growth should it be put into 
the silo ? 3 Dues the ensilage heat and go through a 
Sweat? 4. Does it have to % be taken from the top 
when feeding it ? 5. About what will a machine for 
cutting and elevating into the silo cost ? 
Ans.—1 Yes, but probably not strong enough, un¬ 
less strengthened by extra boards or joists. 2. You 
will see by the article in this issue of The R. N.-Y. 
that it reallj makes little difference, provided water 
is used to keep the dry stalks wet. Most farmers aim 
to get the stalks in before the.frost. Really there is 
little difference between cutting for husking or for 
the silo. J ust as the corn is glazing is a good time to 
cut. 3. Yes—in the ordinary silo. 4. Yes, it is better 
to take a few inches of the top surface for each feed¬ 
ing. The balance keeps better. 5. Of course it de¬ 
pends upon the size you want. About $60 ought to 
buy an outfit. We shall have more about ensilage 
scon. Send to the Wisconsin Experiment Station, 
Madison, Wis., for bulletins on siloes. 
“Pare Cider Vinegar.” 
J. M. A , Tamaroa, 111 —How can I make a No. 1 
article of cider vinegar ? Does it need pure cider, or 
is it better part water ? Does the cider need filtering, 
and if so, what is the best method ? Where is the 
best place to keep it—in the sun or an open shed, or 
cellar ? 
Ans. —Pure cider vinegar isn’t pure if it is part 
water. Sometimes good, sharp vinegar is too acid for 
some consumers, and they add more or less water to 
make it more to their taste. But the mmufacturer 
or seller of cider vinegar has no business to do this 
unless he sells it for what it is — an adulterated 
article. New York State requires that vinegar shill 
test 4}4 per cent of acetic acid, the ac'd wlrch gives 
it its sharpness. Other vinegars, such as what are 
known as corn vinegar, distillery vinegar, white-wine 
vinegar, pickling vinegar, etc., may have the requisite 
amount of acetic acid to satisfy the law, but pure 
cider vinegar contains also malic acid, the natural 
acid of the apple, which gives it a quality possessed 
by no other vinegar. 
To make a good quality of vinegar, the first re¬ 
quisite is a first-class quality of cider. One good 
method is es follows : To begin with, the casks should 
be thoroughly cleaned and scalded. Afterwards boil¬ 
ing vinegar is poured into them, and they are rolled 
around occasionally for a few days to give the vinegar 
an opportunity to strike into the wood. Then the 
barrels or casks are filled about one-third full of 
strong, pure cider vinegar. To this a couple of gal¬ 
lons of cider are added, and this is repeated at inter¬ 
vals of say a week or 10 days, until the cask is two- 
thirds full, when the whole is left for a couple of 
weeks, at which time the contents should be good 
vinegar. One-half of it is drawn off, and the process 
repeated with the remainder. In the summer it is 
better kept in the sun, but the casks should have the 
bung holes, which are not stopped, kept covered with 
cloth to keep out insects. In winter the cider should 
be kept at a temperature of about 80 degrees F. to be 
converted into vinegar. 
Another method of making vinegar is to have a 
series of casks so arranged that the cider will trickle 
slowly from ODe to the other, thus exposing it to the 
air. The addition of a little vinegar as a starter 
would hasten the process. The important points are 
a sufficient degree of heat, and exposure to the air. 
It is not necessary to filter the cider, but it should be 
well racked off or strained, so as to free it from all 
pomace and sediment. 
Tobacco Waste Again. 
W. 0. E , Whltly, Out. —Please give me the value 
—approximately—of tobacco waste when used as a 
fertilizer. 
Ans.— Of course the stems and waste vary quite a 
little in composition, the Kentucky or Southern stems 
being somewhat richer in potash than the Connecticut 
stems. Perhaps a fair average would give a fertiliz¬ 
ing value of about $13.50 per ton estimating average 
stable manure as worth $2. These stems are chiefly 
valuable for the potash they contain. If used in any 
quantity as a general manure, nitrogen and phos¬ 
phoric acid in some form should be added. They are 
also good as a mulch around small fruits and are good 
to drive off many kinds of insects—like squash and 
melon bugs. 
A List of Frolts. 
G. A. P., Wilawana, Pa —I wish to set about 100 
trees each of pears, peaches and plums for a begin¬ 
ning. I want no more varieties than are needed for 
the greatest profit. Would you recommend the 
Abundance, Saratoga or Spaulding plums, or all of 
them ? Also the Crosbey peach ? Please give me a 
list (not more than three of each variety unless es¬ 
pecially desirable) that will be most suitable for this 
latitude, having regard only for market purposes. 
With irrigation, is Timbrell as valuable as Brandywine? 
How does their yield compare with Parker Earle ? The 
last yielded at the rate of more than 300 bushels per 
acre with me this year. I had thought of the follow¬ 
ing list: Plums—Abundance, Lombard, Moore’s 
Arctic ; peaches—Cro3bey, Crawford’s Early, Craw¬ 
ford’s Late and Elberta; pears—Lawson, Bartlett, 
Sheldon. 
Ans. —It is a question whether the Burbank might 
not well be substituted for Abundance. We should 
substitute Wilder Early for Lawson pear. Otherwise 
we cannot improve upon the list without a closer 
knowledge of situation, etc. We should certainly try 
the Crosbey peach. Timbrell is better in quality than 
Brandywine, though Brandywine itself is very good— 
superior indeed—but not best, which may, we think, 
fairly be said of Timbrell. Of the two, we think 
Brandy wine the larger yielder. Either will compare 
well in yield with Parker Earle. 
A Wheat Fertilizer for Indiana. 
W. R F ., Ca8tleton, Tnd .—Will you publish in The 
Rural the value of a fertilizer with the following 
analysis : Soluble phosphoric acid, 6.83 per cent; re¬ 
verted phosphoric acid, 4 61; insoluble phosphoric 
acid, 1.28 ; ammonia (H 3 N), 2.99 ; potassa (K 3 0), 2.30 
per cent. What should the above be worth per ton, 
and is it a good combination for wheat ? Is it adapted 
for clay soil such as is found in Indiana ? Also for 
black land, how much should be used per acre ? Does 
it help Timothy sown after it as much as it would 
clover ? 
Ans. —The fertilizing value shown by that analysis 
is about $25 per ton. It is a fair combination for wheat. 
It would prove of more benefit to the clover if it con¬ 
tained more potash. You can use from 300 to 1,000 
pounds per acre with the wheat—the more profitable 
amount to be determined by experiment. 
Closely Bred Sheep; Corn or Hogs ? 
R , Munclc, lad. —1. I have a few ewe lambs in the 
flock that were sired by the buck that I have selected 
for this season. Would the lambs from this kind of a 
cros^, for one year, be as good as they would with a 
different sire ? 2 Isn’t there more profit to farmers 
living two to six miles from market in raising corn to 
sell than in feeding it to hogs, taking into considera¬ 
tion the prices usually paid for each ? 
Ans. —1. It would depend somewhat on the breed 
of sheep and the other blood that went to make up the 
cross, also on the size and vigor of the ewes. As a 
general rule we should not care to breed so closely if 
it could be avoided. If you have but a few ewes of 
this breeding it might do to breed them to their half 
brothpr, rather than try another buck. Of course the 
shape and vigor of the eyes must be considered. 2. 
Just now we think hogs would pay better, but in the 
long run it will depend largely on the farmer. We 
would like to have a discussion on this point. 
Fertilizer and Solis for Peas. 
A. F . S , Lopez, Wash .—What kind of soil is best 
adapted to the American Wonder peas ? Is a sandy 
one better than a loose black sort ? What is a good 
fertilizer for peas? Would lime alone be of any 
value ? 
Ans —We have raised American Wonder on light 
and heavy soils. It thrives well on either, provided it 
is rich. A fertilizer should be high in potash and 
phosphate for peas. Lime would be of value if the 
soil happened to be deficient in it, or it might have a 
helpful indirect effect. 
Mulching Wheat with Manure. 
L W. S., Hartland, N. Y .—Can I topdress with safety 
this fall or winter wheat that is now up several inches? 
I fear that it will smother the growing plant, although 
the manure is well rotted. 
Ans —Yes, that is what has been done for many 
years upon the wheat experiment plots of the Rural 
Grounds. Of course, the manure must be well rotted, 
short, and spread not until the ground is frozen. 
A Keiffer Pear Worth Eating. 
A. H. G., Lawrence, Kan —You so frequently refer 
to the Keiffer pear as of poor quality, that I send you 
a sample as grown in eastern Kansas and ripened after 
my style. Let them get as nearly ripe as may be on 
the tree—till (this year they drop early) early frosts, 
then ripen in a dark, cool cellar till they get sufficiently 
soft to yield readily to the pressure of the thumb. 
Then I am satisfied I have a good pear. The sample 
sent you will perhaps reach you in time for good eat¬ 
ing, and if you think ycu have anything better, I shall 
be obliged to you for a sample. I grow mostly Keiffer, 
Garber’s Hybrid and Rutter, besides a few of many 
others, but the others are so liable to blight that it is 
exceedingly hazardous to attempt them for profit. 
The Rutter is far better than the Idaho, which is the 
most liable to blight of any pear on my place, and is 
equal to it in size, color and quality of fruit, and also 
very productive. It may be hard to separate Rutter 
from Idaho as I taw and tested them. The possible 
trouble with so many poor Keiffers is they are picked 
too early, and grown too far north. 
Ans —We are glad to receive such letters from our 
friends. We have long recognized the fact that in 
some parts of the country south of New York, the 
Keiffer, when carefully ripened, is a pear of some 
value. The specimen sent by Mr. G. was fully ripe 
when received, and was, in quality, somewhat bet¬ 
ter than any we have eaten before, being higher in 
quality, more aromatic, with a smaller proportion of 
the woody grains that render it nearly worthless as 
grown at the Rural Grounds. It is no doubt true that 
the Keiffer is often picked too soon. 
Soil Analysis. —J. F. H , Sand Lake, N. Y.—The State 
Experiment Station at Geneva will analyze your soil. 
Send there for full directions about sampling and 
shipping. 
