THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
February 24 
116 
Kosbkonong' and Delaware are of similar form to 
Vick’s Champion and R N.-Y. No 2 , and proved to be 
productive last season. Kosbkonong' rotted some, but 
Delaware seemed to be free from this fault. The Troy 
Seedling which has been grown about here quite ex¬ 
tensively for the past two years, is the poorest quality 
of any potato I am acquainted with. On some farms, 
it produces a heavy crop, but on others it is only a fair 
yielder. It requires a long season of growth and 
matures its tubers late in the fall after the tempera¬ 
ture is so low that there is no danger of blight; hence 
this variety is strictly blight and rot proof. The tops 
remain green until frost kills them, like the old 
P^achblow, and the skin peels from the tubers unless 
they are left in the ground until very late in the fall. 
The tubers are white and in shape between long and 
round. 
I do not think Victor Rose is an improvement on the 
other varieties of Rose. It is a seedling of Reeves 
Rose that originated in this town, and it has been 
grown by farmers about here three years. The tubers 
are oblong with a pink skin, and are very liable to be 
hollow. Victor Rose planted last season on rich sandy 
land by the side of Everitt, had more weak hills, was 
affected more by blight and gave only two-thirds as 
large a yield. The E -eritt yielded 200 bushels per 
acre. I find the Everi't to be as good a variety of 
Rose as there is. It gives unifcrmly large crops, but 
like other varieties of Rose, is somewhat liable to rot. 
Brownell’s Winner is an excellent variety ; it will sell 
for Rose, but requires a longer season. The tops are 
very vigorous and heavy and crop large. The Maggie 
Murphy introduced by Vick’s Sons last spring is very 
similar in shape and color to Victor Rose. 
Victor, N. Y. m. f. webjter. 
SHOWING OFF THE HENS. 
THE GREAT NEW YORK EXHIBITION. 
What the Breeds Are Doing. 
The Fifth Annual Exhibition of the New York 
Poultry and Pigeon Association was one of the best 
ever held, both as to number and quality of birds ex¬ 
hibited. There were so ne poor fowls there, but the 
number was small. Exhibitors have learned that it 
doesn’t pay to bring inferior specimens, as the large 
number of birds shown, and their uniformly good 
quality, render such a proceeding unprofitable. 
The heavy breeds seem great favorites with the 
fanciers, judging from the entries. There were a 
goodly number of Light and Dark Brahmas, a larger 
number of the foimer. Cochins, Buff and Partridge 
showing much the larger number, followed by Black, 
and White, exceeded the Brahmas in number. There 
was a good showing of Black Langshans, with a very 
few Whites and Blues. There was a big and fine 
showing of Barred P. Rocks, the old standbys, with a 
mujh smaller number of Whites and Buffs. Wyan- 
dottes showed up pretty well, with Silvers, Goldens 
and Buffs about equal in numbers, and a few Whites. 
Leghorns made a large display, the S C. Browns out¬ 
numbering the Whites, but these two comprised the 
bulk of the exhibits. The R Dse Combs made a small dis¬ 
play. There were quite a number of Buffs. The rest 
of the entries were divided among a large number of 
different breeds, most of them of more interest to the 
fancier than to the farmer. Indian Games made a 
good showing and seem to be quite popular. 
Among ducks, Pekins stood at the head. The New 
York Experiment Station displayed a lot of capons of 
the Lingshan and P, Cochin breeds, the prize takers 
of the latter breed. Turkeys made an unusually 
strong display, the larger number Bronze. There 
were a few geese, some swans, different varieties of 
pheasants. Bantams, and a display of pigeons, equal 
in variety to the show of poultry. 
A number of incubators and brooders were doing 
business, and hundreds of downy chicks were adding 
their peeps to the general clamor. A green-bone cut¬ 
ter run by a small electric motor was exhibited, as 
well as samples of various kinds of poultry food, 
sheLs, bone, grit of various kinds, etc. 
Special Eggs for Broilers. 
One of the most interesting features of the show was 
that of dressed poultry and eggs. There were several 
classes of eggs, hen eggs, brown; hen eggs, white; 
hen eggs, heaviest, any color, duck eggs, etc , and a 
class, best display cf eggs. The last brought out three 
large collections. The most interesting of these was 
that of L H. Myers of Bethlehem Center, N. Y. He 
makes a specialty of furnishing eggs for incubators, 
keeping several hundred hens for this purpose. These 
hens are the results of several years of crossing. He 
always uses purebred males, changing the breed each 
year. For example, if he used White Leghorn ma les 
last year, he wouldn’t use them this year, but wo aid 
use P. Rocks, Brahmas, Cochins Wyandottes or some 
other light colored breed with yellow legs. He con¬ 
tinues to use the hens of these succeeding crosses year 
after year, continually changing the males, thus in¬ 
troducing fresh blood each year. In this way, he 
secures greater fertility of eggs, and stronger chicks 
that not only make their way out o' the shells with 
greater ease, but grow more thriftily afterward. The 
hens resulting from this manner of crossing are a 
motley lot, but this matters little for broilers. A hen 
may be a typical Leghorn in shape with a P. Rock suit 
of feathers, a Wyandotte comb, and the leg feathering 
of a Brahma or Cochin. 
Egg Results from Crosses. 
A large mass of eggs from these hens was shown. 
They were not so varied in color as one might expect 
considering the much mixed blood. The prevailing 
color was brown, with some light-colored ones Mr. 
Myers said there would be none of the latter if there 
were no admixture of Leghorn blood. For broilers, 
he considers his plan the best possible. 
Mr. Myers had a large exhibit of eggs produced from 
birds resulting from the crossing of two pure breeds, 
which formed an interesting study. The most of them 
were quite uniform in color. A cross of Leghorn with 
another breed toned down the chalky whiteness of the 
pure Leghorn eggs, and generally gave eggs of g''od 
size. A cross of W. Leghorn male upon S. Wyandotte 
hens gave large eggs of a light-brown color, and very 
uniform in appearance. W. P. Rock male upon B. P. 
Rock hens gave a very dark egg. Other crosses 
noted were W. Leghorn upon W. P. Rock, L. Brahma 
upon W. Leghorn, S Wyandotte upon B. P. Rock, L. 
Brahma upon B. P. Rock, Buff Coehin upon S. Wyan¬ 
dotte, L. Brahma upon S. Wyandotte, Buff Cochin upon 
W. Leghorn, S. Wyandotte upon Br. Leghorn. There 
were also eggs from a number of different combica- 
tions, and from several pure breeds, including some 
from Bantams which were remarkable for size when 
the size of the breed was taken into account. Mr. 
Myers said that he would guarantee that the breeds 
crossed as he had done would invariably give as uni¬ 
form results. 
The dressed poultry display was not large, and, as 
it was kept in a warm room, it became so ripe that it 
was necessary to remove it when the show wis two- 
thirds over. Some provision should be made for keep¬ 
ing it in cold storage, and it was said that such an ar¬ 
rangement was contemplated for the next exhibition. 
Mr. Myers had nearly the whole field to himself, and 
captured first prizes on everything but the heaviest 
dressed turkey. Will C, House, Fort Plain, N. Y., hav¬ 
ing a monster that went seven pounds over his com¬ 
petitor. The broilers were hatched from eggs from Mr. 
Myers’s crossings, and the capons were from P, Rock 
cockerels and Buff Cochin hens. There should be more 
competition in dressed poultry. 
The New York show is the last great show of the 
season, and is probably the largest and best. The pre¬ 
miums offered were libe’al, and the arrangements 
were excellent. Altogether it was instructive and 
helpful to the intelligent and progressive breeder. 
[Every query inusi be aooompenied by the name and addresB of the 
writer to Insure attention. Before asking a question please see If it is 
not answered in our advertising oolumns Ask only a few questions at 
one time. Put questions on a separate piece of paper.j 
Mammoth Clover and Hog Pastures. 
J. C., Salisbuvy, Afd ,—I wish to sow Mammoth clover 
this spring, alone or with oats, and before sowing 
time would like to hear from experienced growers 
answers to the following questions : 1 . When is the 
best time to sow ? 2 . Can a crop of seed be obtained 
the first year ? 3. If not pastured, can a crop of hay 
be cut after cutting for seed the same year ? 4 Is the 
hay as good as Medium clover ? 5. If topdressed with 
bone or other fertilizer every fall, how many years 
will it remain profitable for seed, hay or pasture ? 6. 
I wish to sow for permanent hog pasture about three 
acres along the river front and fix up permanent hog 
quarters where they may have water and pasture all 
the time in season. Will Mammoth clover fill the bill ? 
If not, what grass mixture will ? 
Ans. — 1 . In this latitude, the southern central part 
of Ohio, it is sown at the usual time of sowing Medium 
clover on clay land, the last week of February or the first 
week of March ; on black bottom lands, about the last 
week of March or the first week in April, j. c. will do 
well to follow the custom of those in his latitude who 
succeed with the Me dium. In planning to sow with oats 
with the expectation of securing a perfect catch, I 
would sow the oats thinly. If the oats are not too 
thick, I would expect a better catch of straw if sown 
with other small grain, as is the usual custom here. 2 . 
In some instances a crop of seed may be had the first 
year, but the weather must be favorable, after the oat 
crop is taken off. 3. A crop of hay and seed cannot 
be had the same year. The seed crop is not ripe till 
the last of July or first of August. If the clover come 
on again, it is too late to get a crop of.hay. If the 
crop grow, it is too late in the season to get it cured ; 
the days are too short. If the first crop be cut for hay, 
the second crop will be too late to make seed ; the first 
crop is the seed crop. On some clay soils it does not 
make any growth after being cut for seed, but remains 
during the fall as brown as a Timothy meadow when 
the season is dry. Mr. Markley, on his black, loamy 
soil, expects an aftermath for fall pasture, and has it, 
unless the season be remarkably dry. 4. By most 
growers it is not considered as good for hay as Medium 
clover ; in fact, it is generally spoken of as not fit for 
hay, owing to the fact that it is so difficult to cure on 
account of its rank growth. Yesterday an experi¬ 
enced grower remarked that it made good hay, but to 
make it a success for hay, it should be pasoured closely 
for about a month in the spring. 5, Mammoth clover 
is a biennial, and the same in nature as the Medium, 
the only differences being that it grows ranker, is 
about three weeks later, making the first crop the 
seed crop. It is always at its best the second year after 
sowing, and will fail each year after. No amount of 
fertilizer can change its nature. If we expect the 
most goed from its use, it must be plowed down the 
third year after seeding. 6 . Mammoth clover will not 
answer for permanent hog pasture. For a permanent 
pasture I would sow Timothy in the fall. Mammoth 
or Medium clover in the spring with Blue grass. For 
hogs, there is nothing superior to Blue grass for early 
spring or late fall pasture. The Timothy will flourish 
remarkably well for a year or two, or possibly three, 
after the clover begins to fail. Then it will begin to 
fail, and wnile it is failing, the Blue grass will get a 
hold. With the Blue grass will come in White clover, 
that in its season I do not think can be surpassed for 
hog pasture. If there be no White clover, the Blue 
grass will fail, as it is always found with the latter 
where it flourishes best. Topdressing will, of course, 
benefit these grasses, but if the land be rich, the drop¬ 
pings from grain-fed hogs should keep the pasture in 
fine shape. Usually the natural grasses of a section 
of country answer best, if we know the best wav to 
handle them. The difficulty with a Blue grass pasture 
lies in the fact that in extremely dry weather it ceases 
to grow. JOHN M. JAMISON. 
Ross County, 0. 
Cooking: a Fish Dinner for Corn. 
L, TF,, Port Bruce, Ont —I own a farm—soil, sandy 
loam and I also carry on a fishing business close by. 
During the last eight or ten years, I have dumped the 
offal in planked up holes in the sand on the beach 
12x12x16 feet, and I have two of them full. 1. How 
can I cheaply deodorize the offal so I can draw it on 
the land as manure ? 2 . What quantity per acre 
should be applied ? 3. What would be a good crop to 
put on the land thus manured ? 
Ans — 1, When this fish was put away you should 
have mixed plaster or kainit with it as it was put into 
the pits. You should now use kainit or muriate of 
potash on the fish as taken out. Sprinkle this sub¬ 
stance over it freely and add dry muck or good soil 
enough to thcr jughly dry it. If you could get fine 
charcoal or refuse from an old charcoal pit, it would 
be excellent for this purpose. 2 and 3. You cannot 
use too much of it for corn, which would be the best 
crop for it. Do not use it without adding the potash 
for that substance is lacking in the fish. 
Horse Manure, Corn Planter, Etc. 
E S M , Markle, Ind .— 1. How can I keep horse ma¬ 
nure from heating for two or three weeks ? I want it 
for a hot bed, and haven’t enough animals to make 
what I need in less than about 18 or 20 days, 2 . Will 
a little sawdust mixed in (I use sawdust for bedding) 
be detrimental ? 3. There is a new hand corn planter 
being talked up here that puts about one tablespoonf ul 
of fertilizer in each hid with the corn. Does The R. 
N.-Y. think it a good thing ? 4. What would be a good 
wash for a young horse’s shoulders to toughen be¬ 
fore putting him to the plow in the spring ? 5 How 
long should it be used before putting to hard work ? 
6 . What do you consider the best early cabbage for 
market ? 
Ans. — 1 . Keep the pile moist. It would be a good 
plan to pour the liquid manure over it. Many farmers 
arrange a water-tight cistern under the pile into 
which the teachings run, to be pumped to the top of 
the heap whenever the heat becomes too great. 2 . 
Some gardeners claim that the use of sawdust or shav¬ 
ings is obj eetionable. You will find all we know about 
it on page 105, last week. 3. We do not approve of put¬ 
ting fertilizer directly in the bill of corn with the 
seed We prefer to scatter it about the hill so that it 
will not touch the seed. 4, We have found a wash made 
of oak bark steeped in water with urine added helpful 
for this. 5. Use for three weeks before working. 6 , The 
Early Jersey Wakefield seems still to be the favorite, 
though different seedsmen are offering special strains 
