1893 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
833 
the land, and would such a business be likely to suc¬ 
ceed there ? 
Ans —East Tennessee comprises all that portion 
of the State lying between the Cumberland Mountains 
on the northwest and the Great Smoky Mountains on 
the southeast. Eastern Tennessee is a hilly or moun¬ 
tainous country. There are thousands of beautiful and 
fertile valleys, each separated from the other by high 
and often rugged ridges. These ridges extend in a 
southwestern and northeastern course uniformly. The 
best and most productive portions of eastern Tennes¬ 
see are adjacent to the rivers and in Sweet Water Val¬ 
ley and numerous other small valleys thereabouts. 
This country is well watered, and is naturally a dairy 
region. Many men are making big money at butter 
dairying in connection with hog raising. My nearest 
neighbor has as fine a herd of Jersey cows as can easily 
be found, and each cow is paying $90 per year to her 
owner. He will not keep a cow that fails to make one 
pound per day, and, as he has been raising and culling 
for 20 years, he now has a fine herd. He sells his but¬ 
ter to customers in Southern cities, Atlanta, Macon, 
Chattanooga, etc. He gets 35 cents per pound the year 
’round for his butter delivered at the railroad at Lou¬ 
don, and the buyer pays the freight. Others are doing 
as well, and when a man gets his reputation estab¬ 
lished, any one can do equally well here. There is a 
scarcity of good butter throughout the South, as well 
as in the North, and this neighbor has shown me many 
urgent inquiries from parties whom he could not sup¬ 
ply, asking where they could get such batter ; the 
price was a secondary matter. 
We can grow enormous quantities of ensilage per 
acre, andean, with proper care, have nine months’ pas¬ 
ture in the year. Dairying makes not only the farmer, 
but the farm richer. The woodland does not afford 
sufficient pasturage. Throughout this region, as a 
rule, it consists of a vigorous growth of oak, chestnut, 
hickory, etc., and almost always furnishes an abund¬ 
ance of mast for hogs. Young hogs and stockers will 
flourish all winter in a woods pasture, but the foliage 
is so heavy that no grass grows in the woods. This is 
true of the woodland throughout eastern Tennessee 
and, so far as I have seen, in western North Carolioa. 
Here in the valleys all cultivated grasses flourish, 
especially clover, Orchard grass, and Red top. When 
one ascends the Smoky Mountains to a certain alti¬ 
tude, Blue grass becomes indigenous. While here the 
woods are too dense to allow it to grow, yet in all 
clearings and open places it soon takes possession. On 
the top of the range there is little or no timber, and 
from May to September, there is splendid grazing ; 
but the winters are longer and it is too far from civili¬ 
zation. I have ridden hard all dav on the Smoky 
Mountains without seeing a human habitation. Here 
and there was a herders’ cabin where herders stay in 
summer and herd cattle and horses sent up there for 
the summers range. This is a fine fruit region, and 
would doubtless be a good dairy section if accessible ; 
but it is from 25 to 50 miles from a railroad, and con¬ 
sequently is out of the question at present, as butter, 
to command the top price, must be sent regularly and 
often to the buyer. Hence I would not advise locating 
in the mountains, but rather somewhere in the valley 
within reach of civilization, schools, churches, towns 
and railroads. Inasmuch as one must either go to the 
mountain top for grazing, or else clear the land of 
timber before grass will grow, it is better to locate 
on a farm already cleared in the valley. Good, well 
improved farms may be had yet at from $20 to $30 per 
acre within from two to five miles of a railroad, and 
those somewhat worn out but easily reclaimed at $15 
to $20 per acre. We need more dairy farmers ; nearly 
all of us are working that way in this region. The 
men engaged in that business are prosperous and con¬ 
tented, while the farmers who depend on corn and 
wheat are “ hard up ” and complaining. I have se¬ 
cured a small herd of heifers ranging in blood from 
three-fourths up, and have a thoroughbred bull to 
breed from, and aim to make butter and pork. We 
shall always, or for years at least, have a market for 
more than we can make, in the cities of the south, and 
a man could, in my judgment, do no better than to 
engage in butter dairying anywhere in eastern Ten¬ 
nessee adjacent to the E. T. V. & Ga. R. R., where 
he would have quick transit to the consumer. Now is 
a good time to buy land, as the low price o f grain has 
discouraged farmers, and they will sell cheap. The 
man who wants to locate can do as well now as he is 
ever likely to do. e. l. griffin. 
Fish Chum and Potash. 
R. B. H., Ellsworth, Me. —I have two acres of old 
mowing field pretty well run out that was plowed the 
latter part of August. About October 1 two tons of 
fish chum or pomace, the refuse of a sardine factory, 
were carefully spread on the piece and thoroughly 
harrowed in. What other fertilizer should be put on 
in the spring to get the ground in good shape for 
planting potatoes, corn, roots, and vegetables gener¬ 
ally? Does it pay to buy fish chum at $8.50 per ton 
landed on your farm ? It is fine, but not dry. It comes 
in barrels, eight barrels, about 2,400 pounds, to the 
ton ? 
Ans. —The thing to remember about fish is that it 
contains nitrogen and phosphoric acid, but no potash. 
The fish and the sod will probably give you enough of 
these two substances for corn. You will need to add 
potash in some form—say wood ashes or muriate of 
potash. Of the latter you may safely use 300 pounds 
per acre, and unless you can get very low rates on 
wood ashes, probably the muriate will give you the 
cheapest potash. For vegetables, and perhaps for pota¬ 
toes, we would add 75 pounds of nitrate of soda per 
acre in the spring. Fish chum varies in composition, 
as it contains more or less water. A fair average 
analysis is 5% per cent nitrogen and 6% per cent 
phosphoric acid. At $8 50 per ton it is a cheap fertil¬ 
izer, but remember that it is not complete without 
potash. 
Seeds of R. N.-Y. No. 2 Potato. 
J. R. W., Elmira, N. Y. —In digging my Rural No. 
2 potatoes this fall, my son found five seed balls. 
Does The R. N.-Y. want them, or will ib tell me how 
to propagate them ? My seed is direct from The 
Rural distribution. 
Ans. —If our friend will treat these seeds precisely 
as i.e would tomato seeds, he will do as well as may 
be done. Transplant the little seedlings to small 
(three-inch) pots when about four inches tall. Thump 
them oat and plant in rich soil about June 1. Sow 
the seeds in boxes, pans or pots in February. No, 
mary thanks, we received all the seeds we care to have 
from a friend in Holland, where the variety seeds 
freely. 
Some Hardy Roses for Massachusetts. 
J. B. IF., Charlton, Mass. —I wish to plant about 35 
or 40 rose bushes on the north side of my lot the 
coining spring. The land slopes towards the north at 
the rate of five or six feet to the 100. There is a stone 
wall on the lire between me and my neighbor, about 
3)4 or 4 feet high, running east and west, which gives 
me the south side for my roses, and the wall will keep 
off the cold winter winds. Will Tiie R. N.-Y. name 
seven different varieties that will be hardy enough to 
withstand our cold winters ? I do not want the ex¬ 
pensive ki ids, and I would like them on their own 
roots (not budded on other kinds) so that I need not 
be troubled with suckers coming up in case the tops 
get killed. The bushes I purpose to get are first-class 
two-year-olds and well rooted. 
Ans —Hardiness made a first consideration, we 
w mid choose the following : La Reine, Gen. Jacque¬ 
minot, Baronne Pr6vost, Charles Margottin, Mabel 
Morrison, Marguerite de St. Amande, Rev. J. B. M. 
Camm. 
Where Wood Ashes Are Cheap Enough. 
J. II. S., Parkersburg, W. Va. —On page 785 The R. 
N.-Y. says: “ What forms of potash will best take the 
place of wood ashes?” I was expecting to put ashes, 
made by burning white oak slabs, upon my peach 
orchard. Is this not the right thing to do ? Can 
something better be used ? What are such ashes worth 
when fresh ? They will cost $3 per ton in the orchard. 
Ans. —Such wood ashes at $3 per ton give you cheaper 
potash than you can get in any other form. We re¬ 
ferred to the farmers wh are using ashes that cost 
from $9 to $13 per ton. For many years ashes were 
by far the cheapest source of potash. Now, the Ger¬ 
man potash salts are sold at prices that give cheaper 
potash than the ashes at $8 or over. White oax ashes 
are excellent and at the price named cannot be im¬ 
proved upon. They would sell readily at $13 on the 
Hudson River. 
A Talk About Cauliflowers. 
W. F. V. B., Margaretvllle, N. Y. —Will A. A. Crozier 
tell us if he has used any of H. C. March’s cauliflower 
seed, and how it compared with European seed ? Has 
he ever grown any of Thorburn’s Gilt Edge ? If so, 
how does it compare with Henderson’s Snowball for 
size and earliness? Where was the cauliflower seed 
grown that Frances Brill sent him for trial ? 
Ans —I have not grown Thorburn’s Gilt Edge, but 
he is a good seedsman and I should gxpect him to have 
something good. Brill’s seed is probably grown on 
Paget Sound. H. A. March wrote me that he grew 
seed for Brill. I grew four acres of March’s Perfec¬ 
tion (No. 9) last year and two acres this year, but am 
not satisfied with it. In earliness and vigor it is all 
that has been claimed for it, and some of the heads are 
as good as one could wish, but a large portion of them 
are more or less leafy, which greatly diminishes their 
value for market. If I were growing cauliflower for a 
pickling factory, I would as soon have that variety as 
any, as it heads well and the seed is cheap. I have 
been much interested in the question of American- 
grown cauliflower seed, but I fear that those engaged 
in its production have not the care or skill to grow 
seed of the best quality. Henderson’s Snowball has 
on the whole given me as good satisfaction as any¬ 
thing I have grown and I would be slow to change it 
for any other variety. a. a. crozier. 
Potash and Rye for Potatoes. 
C. N. O., Independence, Ohio .—1. What is the cheap¬ 
est form of potash I can buy, outside of wood ashes ? 
2. Would it be a good fertilizer to apply on a sandy 
soil for potatoes in connection with rye ? 
Ans. — 1. Muriate of potash. 2. We presume you 
mean a crop of rye plowed under. We do not think 
the potash alone would give best results. Fine ground 
bone with the potash would be excellent. For best 
quality of potatoes the higher-priced sulphate of pot¬ 
ash would be better. 
Why Use Sulphate of Potash for Potatoes. 
S. M. II., Moreton Farm, N. Y. —From the results 
of what experiments have you arrived at the conclu¬ 
sion that potash in the form of a sulphate is better for 
potatoes than in the form of a muriate ; or, in other 
words, that chlorine is injurious to the plant ? Also, 
have there been any other experiments made that 
tend to throw a doubt upon this conclusion ? 
Ans. —We have never made any experiments to 
prove that the use of e ther is better than the other. 
We would refer you to the experiments made by the 
New Jersey Station, New Brunswick. Write to Di¬ 
rector E. B. Voorhees. It was shown by these trials 
that the solid matter was increased by the use of sul¬ 
phate. 
“ Scab ” on Potatoes and Chickens. 
R.L. L., Ten Mile Hill, S.C. —Potato scab several years 
ago, made its appearance in my fields in spots where 
ashes had been dumped. Since that time these scab- 
affected spots have spread to quite a formidable area. 
I have been on the alert for a remedy. The soaking 
of the seed potatoes in the corrosive sublimate solu¬ 
tion, seems to be a good step in the right direction. 
What would be the effect on the soil if a similar solu¬ 
tion were applied ? How much could be applied with¬ 
out injury ? Another queer coincidence in connection 
with this scab-affected soil is, that it invariably grows 
the “ graveyard-weed,” and if young chickens are 
allowed to range where this weed is growing they are 
almost invariably affected with scabby-head. The 
natives here honestly believe that the weed gives the 
chickens the sore-head. I think it is the “something” 
in the soil that is favorable both to the growth of the 
bacteria and the weed. What say you ? I also think 
that some, if not all ashes contain this “something” 
in quantity. 
Ans. —In our own experiments, wood ashes when 
used in the hill or drill, have invariably caused the 
potatoes to scab. Some of this trouble is probably 
due to the fact that the potash in the ashes is in the 
form of a carbonate—a caustic—which may corrode or 
scar the tender skin of a growing potato. Put your 
finger in the water that leaches down through a barrel 
of ashes if you want to see just how it acts. It is a 
mistake to put ashes in the hill or drill—broadcast and 
harrow in, always. We have no idea that the cor¬ 
rosive sublimate soaking would protect potatoes 
planted with wood ashes. To use the solution poured 
on the soil would not be practicable. As to the 
“ scabby-head” in young chickens we will leave that 
for some wiser head to break the scab off. 
Can he Make a Living: on a Farm. 
“ RuralisBrooklyn, N. Y. —I am the owner of about 
20 acres of nice land located about 15 miles out of Bos¬ 
ton, Mass. Do you think it possible for a young man 
who has had no experience in such matters, to make 
a living for himself and wife on such a place as this, 
raising poultry (including turkeys and geese), small 
fruits, or cut flowers, and which of the three do you 
think would pay the best? 
Ans. —“All things are possible,” but one of the 
hardest things we know of is for an inexperienced 
man to make a living on a farm. That 20 acres of 
good land 15 miles from Boston can be made to pro¬ 
vide a good income for an industrious man, is beyond 
question. The man must earn his income there just 
as he would in a city business. In the latter case if 
he does not work on certain well defined rules of 
trade his employer will discharge him. In the country, 
if he does not follow the laws of Nature and business, 
too, the farmer will discharge him ! Can a man make 
a living, running a machine or a restaurant or a horse 
car—or a farm? It is all in the man. The best plan 
we can suggest would be to follow about the plan of 
Mr. Johnson, as given in our little book—“ The Busi¬ 
ness Hen.” Mr. J.ikeeps poultry and se. eggs, berries, 
potatoes, hay, etc. He has made his litt.e farm pay well. 
Some Orapes. —L. H., Ltuiaville, Ky.—Herbemont 
is an Aestivalis grape, origin not known. For the 
South, it is one of the best kinds—especially on hill¬ 
sides. It is there highly productive. Bunches long, 
shouldered and compact; berries black, small. The 
skin is thin, flesh sweet without pulp, juicy and high- 
flavored. Ripens a little after Catawba. Maxatawney 
is a Labrusca originating in Pennsylvania. Buncn 
medium, long, not much shouldered, berry medium, 
pale yellow. Flesh tender, not pulpy, sweet and fine. 
Quality excellent. Ripens late—too late north of 
Pennsylvania. The “Braul” we do not know. 
