1894 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. i53 
gavels. Let it lie till thoronglily cured, then hull 
from the field, loading it on the wagons with long 
tined barley forks which will pick up a whole gavel at 
once without shelling. We throw on what can be 
piled on without treading ; this does not allow heavy 
loads, but it saves seed. I pay S2 per bag of seed for 
hulling and furnish eight men and three teams. The 
time required depends upon the machine, also the 
bulk of straw and its condition in regard to dampness. 
We hull about two to three acres per hour. I always 
run the seed through a grass seed cleaner to remove 
any bits of broken straw or immature seed which 
might go through the patent recleaner on the huller, 
thus taking out two or three pounds per 100. 6. Of 
Medium Red clover seed, sow eight to ten pounds and 
of White six pounds per acre. 7. From one field of 23 
acres, I sold 127 bushels, which was at the rate of 53>^ 
bushels. From another 20-acre field, I had 60 bushels. 
A neighbor had five acres which yielded 30 bushels. 
Another neighbor owning a field across the fence had 
a yield of 11 bushels from 20 acres. These fields all 
yielded about the same quantity of hay for the first 
crop, but the lighter yielding fields had been grazed 
upon the fall before, the one which yielded 11 bushels 
being quite closely pastured. 8. The price of clover 
seed varies too much to give a satisfactory answer. 
9. The season we sow the seed we receive a crop of 
grain and the next season our clover seed crop. 10, 
Clover will seed the second year if a good stand can 
be maintained. j. e. wiiiLAKP. 
Illinois. 
How to Feed Clover to Horses. 
C. W. S., Riverpoint, R. I .—I am interested in the 
matter of feeding clover hay to horses and would be 
pleased if Mr. J, S. Woodward would state how 
much clover hay he considers to be a daily ration for 
a good sized farm horse or mare ; one, say, weighing 
1,100 pounds. I cure clover hay in the cock, making 
them of say, 40 pounds weight of cured hay. In this 
climate it is always necessary to use hay caps. Cotton 
cloth 13^ yard square makes good ones. Put up the 
hay as soon as it is wilted, and free from water. 
Ans. —It requires as good judgment properly to 
feed a working horse as to practice medicine. It will 
hardly do to feed a horse each day according to the 
work expected of it, and still when worked steadily 
and hard every day, more feed should be given than 
when idle, or when kept, as many horses are, mostly 
idle and for use next summer, and when used, driven 
at a slow gait only and used very little. Well cured 
clover hay is a good food, and if clean and free from 
dust may constitute their entire food. Mr. Terry 
claims to feed his working team nothing but clover 
hay, but I could never see how such a course could be 
profitable. I want my horses to work too many hours 
in a day and to work too hard to keep in proper con¬ 
dition on clover hay alone. 
When being wintered on clover hay alone, horses 
should have enough to keep in good flesh and should 
be fed not less than three times daily, four would be 
better, so as not to be obliged to eat too much at one 
time. But where horses are working hard or driven 
much, faster than a walk, it is better that the clover 
hay ration be lessened in amount and some grain be 
added. If the owner can’t endure seeing them stand¬ 
ing idle and with nothing to eat, the mangers may be 
filled with straw—oat, wheat or almost any other 
straw if bright and free from dust. For a 1,100 pound 
hard working horse not driven fast, 15 pounds a day 
may be given in two or three feeds ; to this should be 
added enough grain to keep the horse in condition, 
i. e., with no loss of flesh. To a driving horse of that 
weight, I would give not over 6 to 10 pounds and give 
nearly all of that at night—not more than two pounds 
in the morning and none at noon. To this add suffi¬ 
cient grain to maintain the condition. Of course 
clover hay, or for that matter any other hay, that is 
musty or mow burned, is not fit food for any animal, 
much less the horse ; and if the owner be obliged to 
feed such hay, it should always be well wetted, and 
several hours before being fed. j. s. woodward. 
A Talk About Spurry. 
E. W., North Collins, N. F.—Will The R. N.-Y. tell 
its readers something about spurry ? 1 have a German 
in my employ who has said so much in its favor that I 
have ordered seeds to experiment with. 
Ans. —Spurry belongs to the Pink family and is often 
called Corn spurry. It is an annual plant and though 
cultivated in Europe as a winter pasture, will never 
prove valuable in this country, we fancy, because 
there are many other more valuable fodder and pas¬ 
ture plants. It is said to thrive on thin, sandy soils 
where little else of value will thrive. It is said that 
it may be sown early in spring, in May and in mid¬ 
summer and produce three crops which if plowed 
under will fit the land for grain or other crops. Dr. 
Miles, of the Michigan Agricultural College, some 10 
years ago praised it for sandy soils. Dr. Eedzie 
(Michigan) says that spurry has shown wonderful 
productiveness. Its value as a manurial plant on light 
soils is pronounced. It is readily eaten by cows and 
sheep. 
Ventilation for a Fruit Cellar. 
H. M., Klzers, Pa. —I am building a fruit cellar, 
size 28x38 feet; wall seven feet high, with shingle 
roof, and will ceil it tight overhead. I shall cover on 
top of this with chaff or some dry material to prevent 
freezing. 1. Will I need any upward ventilation ? 
2. If so, will the ventilator need to extend below the 
ceiling, or would it be better to have it reach nearly 
to the bottom of the cellar ? 3. Could an ice-box be 
used in the center of the cellar for late keeping of 
apples if the drainage were good ? This fruit house is 
dug in the side of a hill with a Southern exposure. 
I would be thankful for any suggestions. 
Ans.— 1 and 2. A ventilator is needed in the top to 
extend just below the ceiling, with a slide to close or 
open just when needed. 3. The ice-box would be 
best overhead, as cold air settles; but I think it would 
be just as well for a building of that kind not to have 
any ice-box, as it would be likely to make it damp. 
He can have it so arranged as to open when cool and 
close it up when warm. J. F. wygant. 
Small Fruits for a Home Garden. 
W. S. V. H., Qalt, Mo .—What varieties of blackber¬ 
ries, raspberries, gooseberries, currants, strawberries 
and dewberries, would be best for a home fruit garden, 
with good soil and a climate subject to drought ? 2. 
Where could I get cuttings and scions of the LeConte 
and Keiffer pears ? Would they be likely to grow 
well here (Northern Missouri)? 
Ans.— 1. Blackberries; Snyder, Taylor, Agawam. 
Raspberries: Cuthbert, Turner. Gooseberries: Red 
Jacket, Columbus. Currants: Fay. Strawberries: 
Bubach, Brandywine, Rio, Parker Earle, Timbrell. 
Dewberries: Lucretia. 2. Of Stark Bros., Louisiana, 
Mo. Yes. 
About Chestnuts, Apples and Tomatoes. 
O. S. C., Ashaioay, R. I. —I intend to set a few Japan 
Mammoth chestnut trees in spring, and I wish to 
know a little more about them. 1. Why do those 
offering them for sale, make the big difference of 
from 50 cents to ®1.50 per tree each of the same size ? 
2. Are grafted trees better than seedlings, or will the 
latter grow the same nuts in size and quality as the 
former ? 3. What does The R. N,-Y. or any of its 
readers know of the apple named the Arctic offered 
for sale by a nursery in Maine ? 4. Are the Vermont 
Beauty and the Fayette Beauty pears the same ? 5. 
What do The R. N.-Y. readers think of growing a ripe 
tomato in 26 days from planting of the seed ? Can it 
be possible to do so? It has been done, but how 
many will believe it ? 
Ans.— 1. Seedlings of the Japan Mammoth are 
offered at a much lower price than grafted trees. 2. 
Except for a grove or for ornamental purposes, we 
would not plant seedling chestnuts of any kind what¬ 
ever. They vary indefinitely as do other fruits. 
Select the best varieties known to-day and plant 
them. There is but one way to preserve varieties 
and that is by propagating the varietal tree, either 
by budding, grafting or layering. 3. We know noth¬ 
ing of the Arctic apple. 4. No. 5. We do not regard 
it as possible. 
An Early Corn; When to Sow Turnips. 
O. W. O., Wilmore, Cambria County, Pa. —1. What 
variety of Early dent corn is best suited to this 
locality ? We must have something to mature within 
100 days. 2. When shall I sow early turnips, also 
transplant early cabbage? Compare with time for 
sowing oats, or planting corn. 
Ans.— 1. The Pride of the North or Queen of the 
Prairie is the earliest. Kindly, however, read the 
catalogue special. 2. For your section, sow in April 
in drills a foot apart and thin out to about six inches 
in the rows. Transplant early cabbage just as soon 
as there is no longer a reasonable fear of frost. 
What About the “Seed End” of Potatoes. 
A. H. H., Neenah, Wis .—In planting both early and 
late varieties of Beauty of Hebron and Burbank pota¬ 
toes, would you advise planting the seed ends, or cut¬ 
ting them off and throwing them away ? How many 
eyes to the piece in cutting the above varieties for seed ? 
Ans.— No, we would leave the seed end and so cut 
the potatoes that only a part of the seed end will be 
left on any one piece. If m edium sized potatoes are 
used we would aim to have three eyes to each piece. 
Salt for Potato Scab. 
J. R., Clifton Springs, N. F.—1. Would salt applied 
to potato ground be beneficial in preventing potato 
scab ? When would be the best time to apply it, har¬ 
rowed into the soil well, before planting or after the 
potatoes are up, say six inches high, sowed broadcast 
and cultivated in ? How many pounds per acre could 
be used without injuring the crop ? 2. Would it have 
any effect on fertilizers if used in coanection with it, 
the fertilizer being drilled in with the potatoes, as I 
use an Aspinwall planter ? The soil is sandy loam, 
with small spots of gravel and clay. It is a clover 
sod, but not very heavy ; not yet plowed. 
Ans. —1. Salt probably has some effect to repel wire- 
worms. It probably has some effect to prevent scab 
as the result of a fungous injury. But it will not pre¬ 
vent scab. We would much prefer to use either 
kainit or muriate of potash, as, besides the potash, 
they contain large quantities of salt. Use all the 
way from 100 to 300 pounds of the muriate and 400 to 
1,000 pounds of kainit per acre. We would prefer to 
sow this in the furrows after the potatoes are planted 
and slightly covered with soil—otherwise broadcast 
just before the potatoes are planted. 2. No, it would 
not affect the other fertilizers used. 
To Get Mares in Condition. 
E. W. L., Newark, Del. —I have two mares that raised 
colts last fall, and they are in very poor condition 
now. They are hide-bound and their hair is trying to 
turn the wrong way. What shall I feed them ? I 
have weaned the colts. 
Ans. —You do not say what care and attention the 
mares have received, or what feed you have been giv¬ 
ing them during the winter, so that I can only guess 
at the probable cause of their present condition. The 
usual cause for the poor general condition you 
describe, is lack of proper care and attention, and 
insufficient or unsaitable food. It is evident that the 
mares have been neglected in one or more of these 
particulars, and that you have only to give them bet¬ 
ter attention or more suitable feed to improve their 
condition. Not knowing the particular cause, I can 
give only general directions. First see that they are 
made as comfortable as possible as to quarters. 
Then give them each at least 20 to 30 minutes 
vigorous grooming daily with comb and brush. 
This will add greatly to their appearance, both in 
tendency to relieve the hidebound condition and in 
improving their coats. As to their rations, they may 
be varied to suit the food you have on hand, or that 
can be obtained. Chop-feed once or twice daily would 
be as good as anything. If convenient, give chop 
morning and noon with grain and a moderate ration 
of long hay at night. For the chop, each horse should 
receive 12 to 18 quarts of loose cut hay with three to 
six quarts mill feed, according to their condition and 
the work they are performing. Mix the mill feed 
with the cut hay and dampen slightly. The mill feed 
should consist of a mixture of equal parts of corn meal 
ground oats and wheat bran, or some other similar 
mixture. One-half pint ground flaxseed or flaxseed 
cake added to the feed twice daily will improve their 
condition and the appearance of their coats. 
F, I., KILBOUNK. 
^kin Disease in a Horse. 
F. W. W., Centralia, 111. —What is the matter with 
my four-year-old horse ? He is rubbing himself con¬ 
stantly. Where the hair is coming off, his skin is 
rough and dry. I can find no lice on him. 
Ans. —The condition of the skin is probably not due 
to parasites, but to the condition of the system from 
some fault in digestion. Give the horse six drams 
each of best aloes and ginger, either as a ball or in a 
drench. Follow with a light bran mash diet until the 
bowels are freely purged. If not purged in three 
days, repeat the dose. Then give twice daily, in the 
feed, two tablespoonfuls of the following powders: 
sulphate of soda, one pound; powdered gentian, one- 
half pound ; powdered nux vomica and nitrate of pot¬ 
ash, one-fourth pound each; mix. Give the horse a 
good grooming and exercise daily Bathe the irri¬ 
tated portions of the skin daily with a lotion of one 
teaspoonful each of cooking soda and carbolic acid dis¬ 
solved in one quart of water. F. l. k. 
For a Mare Out of Sorts. 
A. D. S., Ooe's Station, Ohio. —I have a mare that had 
something similar to distemper about three months 
ago. She did not run at the nose as horses usually do 
in such cases, but a ridge formed between the eyes a 
little below a direct line between them. The ridge is 
about one-half inch above the frontal bone and seems 
a part of it. I never saw anything like it and would 
like to know how to reduce it. The mare is coming 
five years old and suckled a colt last summer, and is 
not in good condition on account of this and sickness. 
Ans. —Paint the ridge daily with the compound 
tincture of iodine, until the skin is well blistered. 
Give two tablespoonfuls of the following powders in 
feed twice daily : Powdered gentian and epsom salts 
of each one pound, nitrate of potash and sulphate of 
iron of each one-fourth pound; mix. F. l. k. 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
TimJyrell Strawberry. —I. G., Northport, Mich.—This 
variety is somewhat later than Wilson. Obtain it 
from E. W. Reid, Bridgeport, Ohio. 
Tomatoes “Mtajing.”— A. A. F., Elizabeth, N. J.— 
Yes ; tomatoes planted side by side may mix. That is 
certain. They do mix. There is no doubt of that. As 
a rule, however, it is probable they do not mix. 
