376 
June 16 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
$25, the farmers would almost be independent of the 
shop. All manufacturing establishments have their 
repair shop in which to repair their own tools. Why 
not the farmer ? s m. macombkb. 
THREE WAYS OF ENDING STUMPS. 
Kerosene Will End Them. 
The subscriber who would like to know how to clear 
land of stumps should cut his trees in June or .July, 
and leave the stumps until the next May or.June; 
then take a 1 or IK-inch auger and bore in the heart 
of the stump the depth of the auger. Clean out the 
chips, and fill the hole with kerosene. Lay a board 
on the top of the stump to keep off the rain, and leave 
them until July ; then fill the holes with oil again, 
and in about three or four days set them on fire. I 
will warrant that it will burn the stump, roots and 
all. It is easier and better than with any stump ma¬ 
chine that ever was made. I helped clear land in this 
way in Ohio, and I know what it will do. c. .i. s. 
Sanborn, N. Y. 
Twist Them Out With a Pole. 
Cut a strong lever 20 feet long, and with a strong 
chain you can pull any stump up to eight or ten 
inches through. Select one stump for anchorage; lay 
the lever on the opposite side from that you wish to 
draw, and with a gcod pair of horses at the long end 
of the lever, you can draw more stumps in one day 
than with any stump machine I have ever seen. You 
will require a chain made of three-fourth-inch iron to 
pull a 10-inch stump. With a chain 25 feet long you 
can clear all the stumps within reach of the first an¬ 
chor stump. Jjsave one stump wlthio reach of the 
chain to pull the anchor, and the work is complete. 
Syracuse, N, Y. c, l. s. 
Fire Them Out With Dynamite. 
Subscriber, page 345, can rid his land of stumps very 
quickly and at no very great expense, by the use of 
dynamite. It can be had at about 12 or 14 cents per 
pound, and from one-half to three-fourths of a pound 
will throw out a good sized stump. Many people are 
afraid to use it, but it is no more dangerous than com¬ 
mon powder, a hundred times less trouble to use and 
a hundred times more effective in use. To use it, 
make a hole with an iron bar under the stump close to 
the main root, unwrap one end of a stick of dynamite 
(those about three-quarters of an inch in diameter are 
best), and make a small hole in the dynamite with a 
small stick or the end of a lead pencil; into this push 
a cap or exploder into which has been shoved the end 
of a piece of fuse of suitable length. Having done 
this, put the wrapping back in place and tie a string 
about it and smear with soap or wagon grease so as to 
make it water t’ght. Place the dynamite close against 
the stump and pack it there with earth or anything 
else that will hold it in contact with the stump. When 
all is ready, pour in a pail of water, fire the end of the 
fuse, skip to a safe distance and just look to see that 
stump get out as though the place where it stood were 
too hot to hold it. This way of getting them out is 
much easier, quicker and cheaper than digging or 
using a stump puller. No matter how large or green 
the stump, it must come. I have seen the pieces fiy 15 
to 25 rods when an extra charge was used. w. 
MORE FACTS ABOUT CRIMSON CLOVER. 
The R. N.-Y. is receiving many letters from all parts 
of the country asking about this clover. As to whether 
it will thrive in this or that locality, we have only an 
opinion to offer. Our advice is to experiment in a 
small way and watch the development of the crop. 
Mr. E. H. Bancroft writes the following, which is a 
synopsis of many replies to questions sent him per¬ 
sonally : 
Any well-drained soil will do, but it is not favorable 
if there be hardpan too near the surface. The plant is 
an annual; when the seed ripens, it dies. Seed should 
be sown, 10 to 15 pounds per acre, in July, August or 
September, and harrowed or brushed in lightly. If 
weather and soil be dry, roll; if very dry, roll hard. 
The crop matures here for hay or green feed, eariy 
in May ; for seed, in June. Sow in corn or any track 
at the last working. Buckwheat is the best nurse 
crop for it; tomatoes are very good. Any slight shade 
protects the young plants, though it is most largely 
sown by itself. Italian Rye grass seed may profitably 
be sown with it, one bushel per acre, increasing the 
weight of crop, and holding the clover up, as it is 
liable to grow so heavy on good soil as to fall down. 
It is not well adapted to spring sowing. It is a weed 
killer; makes the best of hay, green feed and ensilage, 
and improves the soil in aU cases, whatever use is 
made of it. I have never heard of a case where any 
ill effect resulted from plojving it under, as practiced 
by Mr. J. II Hale, of Connecticut; on the contrary, 
its good effects have been proclaimed everywhere it 
has been tried. All inquirers ask where seed can be 
obtained. Of course, I grow the seed and have some 
to sell, but all farmers should buy from their local 
dealers if prices are reasonable, and they can be as¬ 
sured of getting fresh, clean, domestic seed from the 
acclimated plant, and free from the “ clever cancer ” 
that is found in the imported seed. This seed deterio¬ 
rates with age more rapidly than that of the common 
clovers, and should not be used if older than the crop 
of the previous year. 
What Say? 
What About the Milk ?—I am living in southern 
Wisconsin, 90 miles from Chicago and two miles from 
the railroad. I send milk to the factory but don’t get 
satisfactory prices. Can The R. N.-Y. recommend 
some method of handling my milk so that I can get 
better prices ? e. r b. 
Troy, Wis. 
Potato Sorter. —Will those who have used any of 
the potato sorting machines, give their opinions of 
them in The R. N.-Y.? Which is the best? reader. 
Baling Alfalfa. —We Texas farmers want to know 
whether we can bale Alfalfa as soon as dry, or will it 
be necessary first to put it in stacks and allow it to 
sweat ? Would it mildew in bales if put up dry, say, 
four days after being cut ? c. c. 
Velasco, Texas. 
The Life of a Digger. —What is the life (in acres 
dug) of the different makes of potato diggers ? 
Fishers, N. Y. _ n. a. b. 
PROSPECT FOR WESTERN NEW YORK FRUITS. 
The article on “A Village Fruit Farm,” page 344, is 
not overdrawn. At present writing, all of my fruit 
trees are well loaded, with the exception of peaches ; 
no drop has occurred from the excessive rains of late. 
There will be peaches enough for a crop of first 
quality fruit. The outlook for German prunes is very 
promising. I am in hopes to market 1,000 10-pound 
baskets. 
The pear crop, so far, is standing this excessive 
rainy spell remarkably well. I have sprayed the 
pears four times with Bordeaux Mixture, using Paris- 
green each time, with the exception of the first, which 
was applied before the buds were enlarged very much. 
After all this spraying, I see that quite a few pears 
are becoming affected with the blotch or patch. As 
yet the foliage remains perfectly healthy. Later appli¬ 
cations of the Mixture will be made if circumstances 
seem to require it. With proper care and attention 
I shall be able to market a 300-barrel crop of pears. 
M. A. COOK. 
A JOB FOR THE DOG. 
Fig. 102, page 375, shows a device that is said to be 
in use in California for working an irrigating pump. 
It is a wheel about 10 feet in diameter, and with a rim 
two feet wide. Inside of this a dog is placed—there are 
cleats on the rim to give him a footing. He is sup¬ 
posed to walk or run, treadmill fashion, and this turns 
the wheel and works a crank which connects with a 
pump handle. We are told that each dog is worked 
about half an hour—when a fresh dog is put in. Here 
is a chance for some ingenious boy to show how valu¬ 
able his dog is. _ 
ALL GOOD BUTTER GETS A PRIZE. 
justice at last. 
A New Departure in Awarding Prizes on Dairy 
Goods at the New York State Fairs. 
The New York State Agricultural Society, slow but 
sure, are at the next State Fair to do just what I 
urged when secretary in 1890. The Executive Board 
have put the dairy exhibit at the next State Fair in 
charge of Director George A. Smith, and set aside $1,000 
for paying prizes on butter and cheese. The method 
heretofore followed by the society in awarding prizes, 
was to offer one each of first, second and third in each 
class on butter and cheese; so that, no matter how 
many exhibitors and how superior their goods might 
be or how nearly alike, only three could get a prize, 
and the rest get not even an honorable mention. The 
first year that I was secretary I saw the injustice of 
this plan, and that, instead of drawing out a large 
exhibit, its tendency was to repel exhibitors. The 
next year I went with the judge and saw numerous 
samples of butter so nearly alike that so good a judge 
of butter as David Lewis, of New York, said he would 
have to shut his eyes, and choose between the pack¬ 
ages to be given second and third prizes and those to 
get nothing. 
When dairymen were urged to make entries and 
show goods, they answered that it would cost them so 
much to put their goods on the fair grounds and that 
there was so little chance for them to get one of the 
three prizes offered, that they could not afford the 
risk and expense. I suggested the plan never then 
used, but which was similar to the one now adopted 
by Mr. Smith, but could not induce the executive 
board to try it. By Mr. Smith’s plan, every exhibitor 
showing butter or cheese good enough to score 74 
points out of a possible 100, will secure a prize and the 
amount will depend upon the quality of his goods. 
The plan adopted will be fully published in the an¬ 
nual premium list, which will soon be sent out by the 
secretary, James B. Docharty, Albany, or may be had 
of George A. Smith, same address. The scale of 
points by which exhibits will be judged is as follows : 
CHBKSB MADE FOR 
KXPOHT 
CHEKSK FOn HOME 
TRADE. 
TRADE. 
Flavor. 
. <6 
Flavor. 
. fO 
Texture and body. 
. FO 
Texture and body. 
. 25 
Color. 
. 15 
Color. 
. 16 
Finish. 
. 10 
F.nlsh . 
. 10 
AKgregate. 
. 100 
Aggregate. 
100 
BUTTER IN 
EACH CLASS- 
Flavor. 
. 46 
Grain. 
. 25 
Color. 
. 16 
Patting .... 
. 10 
Packing ... 
Aggregate. 100 
To show how nicely this p’an will work, and how fair 
it will be to exhibitors, let us take the class. 
Butter Made in Private Dairy in Packages : 
June Made, 
As an illustration : I do not know just what the sum 
to be given in this class will be, but suppose it be $150. 
Now suppose that there are 20 entries in this class, 
and that 15 of them will score 75 points, or over. Of 
course, no butter not good enough to score 74 points, 
is worthy of any prize. Now suppose, for simplicity 
in figuring, that the judges find two samples scoring 
76 points, thus just getting within the prize limit, and 
other samples scoring all along up until he finds two 
scoring 95 points, one 96 and one 98 points. When he 
figured the aggregate of points scored by the 15 above 
74 points each, it should prove just 150 points. It is 
easy to see that in this case, each point scored above 
the 74 would be entitled to a prize of $1. Instead of 
the exhibitor entering the sample scoring 98 points 
getting $50, as by the old way, the one entering the 
sample scoring 96, getting $30, and the judge being 
obliged to draw cuts to decide which of those entering 
the samples scoring 95, should be paid $20, and which 
should get nothing, and no one below them getting 
anything, the owner of the samples would be paid 
for the 98 point, $24 for his excess of 24 points. The 
96 point exhibitor would get $22, each of the owners 
of the 95 point exhibits would get $21, and so down 
even to the two entering the 76 point butter, which 
would get $2 each. 
It seems to me that this method of distributing all 
the prize money in the dairy department should call 
out a very large exhibit and that the new dairy house, 
although it is to be doubled in size should not be large 
enough to accommodate the goods shown. Nothing 
can be fairer and the dairymen should show that they 
fully appreciate the step taken forward. j. s. w. 
MR. SMITH AND THAT BEAN. 
I am heartily in sympathy with Mr. Smith (R. N.-Y., 
page 251), in his claim that those who introduce new 
varieties of vegetables to the public, should have full 
credit therefor ; that the originators should be held in 
especial regard, and that all attempts to duplicate 
names for the same vegetable should be severely 
censured. I have always endeavored as a seedsman to 
square my acts with my theories. This bean I got 
directly from the gardener who claims to have im¬ 
proved it and fixed its type, paying him his own price 
for it, $25 a bushel, with his permission to name it, he 
stating to me that he had never sold any to any seeds¬ 
man and that according to his own knowledge and be¬ 
lief it had never been introduced. After my catalogue 
was out, correspondence with Mr. Smith developed 
the fact that he had obtained the same bean through a 
friend who had obtained it originally from the same 
gardener of whom I had obtained mine ; and that he 
had sent me a sample two or three years before. On 
examination, my note book showed that beans suf¬ 
ficient for a single pole had been received and the 
word “failure” was written against them. It was a 
season when many varieties failed to give satisfaction, 
and to get an idea what a bean is by the result from a 
single pole, is about as difficult as to determine the 
value of a potato from the results obtained from plant¬ 
ing a single tuber. For this reason in my experiment 
grounds I always aim to plant three or more poles of 
each kind. In cataloguing the bean as Mammoth Car¬ 
mine Podded, I was entirely unaware that it was the 
same as the one catalogued by Mr. Smith, who was 
pricing it at retail at half what I paid for it at whole¬ 
sale. As the matter stands, I think we would each do 
well another season to handle it with an alias, the one 
name to indicate that given by the introducer and the 
other to recognize the right of the improver or origi¬ 
nator in his own property. j j. h Gregory. 
Marblehead, Mass. 
