758 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
ground as well as I know how. I shall plant the rest 
of the farm with peach, pear and cherry trees as 
quickly as possible, enriching the soil highly wher¬ 
ever I set out a tree, and gradually improving the soil 
between the trees by plowing under Crimson clover or 
spurry. At first 1 shall plow under the whole plant, 
then when the soil gets better, cut the clover for hay 
and turn under the sod after dressing it with phos¬ 
phates and potash. Can any one give me a better 
plan for redeeming my “hungry acres” with the least 
possible outlay of money ? N. n. kgi-kston jr. 
WHAT SAY? 
IIoMKMAOE Hay Press. —I understand that there are 
homemade, hand hay presses which will do good work 
and are practical and u.seful for baling hay and straw 
for market. Will some of the readers of The R. N.-Y. 
give such information as will enable me to build one ? 
Spruce Creek, Pa. .J. R. i. 
Does It Pay to Grow Grapes ? —A question that is 
agitating our horticultural minds, as a family, is 
whether it is advisable to pull up our grape vines and 
plant potatoes or grain on the ground, or to keep on 
with the vineyard. I do not think any one who buys 
grapes at two cents a pound can be aware of the cost 
in labor that they represent ; to lift the vines in 
spring, to prune through summer, cultivate the ground 
all the season, gather and basket, cover and pay ship¬ 
ment and commis.sion ; then prune the vines and lay 
them away, covering each with earth ! It is a very 
arduous task. Then there is the cost of manuring, and 
now we are threatened with the necessity of spraying, 
which brings us at once to the question. Does it pay ? 
The younger members of the family say. No, but wiser 
heads advocate to plod on and wait for better results. 
It is very poetical to read of the “ purple grapes ” and 
‘ ‘ rich fruit of the vine ; ” but when there is no profit 
in the culture, when the expenses devour all the in¬ 
come derived from them, we feel inclined to ask. Does 
it pay to grow grapes ? annie e. .tack. 
Hillside, Canada. 
FARM TOOLS IN PARTNERSHIP. 
HOW TO CO-OPERATE IN BUYING. 
In these times of general depression in the prices of 
farm produce ; with labor, interest rates and taxes 
nearly as high as in the ’60’s, it behooves us, as farm¬ 
ers, to reduce the cost of production in every possible 
way. One way in which we, in this neighborhood, 
have done this, for a few years past, is in the purchase 
and use of farm tools in partnership. A binder stands 
in my barn, which belongs to my more well-to-do 
neighbor. He paid for it. 1 care for and run it. Two 
r three days’ work by me, cuts his grain ; then I have 
the use of the machine for my harvest. He, an old 
man, had the cash to pay for a machine—I hadn’t. I 
had the “ knack ” for operating and properly caring 
for the machine—he hadn’t. So the combination was 
a good thing for both, as has been proved by several 
years’ trial. 
A mower is owned by another neighbor and myself, 
with equally pleasant results. A grain drill has been 
owned by three of us, for eight years, and no mention 
has been made by any one of dissolving the partner¬ 
ship. Other tools not owned in common are used by 
all. Two of us have rollers, the third takes either 
when not in use. One has a hay tedder, another a 
spray pump, the third, a wheelbarrow grass seeder. 
One has a seed drill for putting in beet, carrot, turnip 
and onion seed. A bean harvester was purchased this 
year by two of us ; next* year a potato digger will be 
added to our list of company tools, and possibly a 
planter. 
The objection might be raised that a tool used by so 
many persons will wear out quicker, and so, in the 
long run, be no cheaper for the users than single 
ownership. This objection is overruled by the fact 
that so many improvements are annually made in most 
machines, that one a half dozen years old is out of 
date, and something simpler and cheaper is on the 
market. Only a dozen years since, binders cost $240, 
and were horse killers ; now, less than half the money 
buys a better machine, of light draft. By co5peration, 
we are able to keep somewhere nearly abreast of the 
times in labor-saving implements, at a minimum cost. 
My nearest neighbor and myself often co5perate to 
mutual advantage in the use of teams and men, as 
well as tools. For example, his men helped us set 
four acres of cabbage plants, thus taking advantage 
of the right condition of soil. In return, we helped 
him put in the barn his 38 acres of wheat, hustling it 
in when dry, just before a long storm. He was be¬ 
lated with fall seeding ; I was through. My man and 
team helped him four days ; he paid me for the man’s 
labor, but I made no charge for the team, thus trying 
to get even with him for a horse to drive to town 
with berries, or to do some cultivating when my team 
was busy with other work. 
Certain conditions should be present to make this 
plan of cooperation work profitably and pleasantly. 
Farm buildings should be situated near each other, so 
that little time is lost in going after and returning 
tools. Owners should be equally eareful in their use 
of the tools, and wdlling to repair any damage. Tools 
jointly owned should be kept at a central place, and 
always be put in that place. But over and above all, 
the neighbors must feel and act neighborly, ever 
keeping in mind the maxims, “ Do unto others as ye 
would, etc.,” and “ In honor preferring one another.” 
A man once borrowed a tool and failed to return it. 
The owner needing it, went after it. An apology 
was made for not returning it at once, to whieh was 
replied, “Oh, that’s all right. It’s trouble enough to 
borrow a tool, let alone taking it home again.” 
Yates County, N. Y. e. c. gillett. 
- THE COST OF A CROP.” 
DOLLARS AND CENTS PART OF IT. 
How many farmers can tell the cost per pound or bushel of the 
crops they raise ? 
The above question was asked in a recent R. N.-Y., 
and it is surprising how few farmers can answer it. 
In putting a selling price on his goods, the first thing 
the merchant or manufacturer has to eonsider, is the 
cost. If he sells below cost, he is bound to lose money, 
and it is just the same with the farmer. There is no 
other business on the face of the earth that will stand 
the loose business methods of the average farmer. 
Most farmers follow some system of bookkeeping, it 
is true, and know how much money they take in and 
pay out ; but that is about as far as they get. As to 
what each crop costs, in labor, manure, fertilizer, 
land rent, etc., they are in ignorance, and all these 
things must be considered in figuring on the cost of a 
crop. 
I was born and reared on the farm, and when I 
decided to adopt the occupation of a farmer, I decided 
that it was just as necessary for the farmer to know 
the exact cost of his productions, as it was for the 
manufacturer to know the cost of his manufactures, 
or the merchant his wares. With this end in view, I 
adopted the following plan : In the first place, I make 
a map of my farm every spring, with the different 
fields laid out and numbered. I also have a book 
which I call ‘ ‘ The Crop Record. ” I use a single 
eolumn ledger. Almost any kind of blank book will 
do, but this will be found the most convenient. Each 
crop is given a page in this book, with the name of 
the erop and the number of the field in which it is to 
be planted, written at the top. Then in the debit 
column, are charged every stroke of work, all ferti¬ 
lizer, seeds, manure, etc., used on the crop. In the 
credit column, are placed all receipts from the erop. 
If any of the crop is used at home or on the place, the 
crop is given due credit for the same. The day’s work 
is recorded every night. Thus at the end of the sea¬ 
son, I can tell to a cent what every crop raised for 
market has cost and whether I am i*aising it at a profit, 
or losing money on it. 
The result of the use of this system is that several 
crops have been discarded as profitless, which were sup¬ 
posed to be quite profitable before the system was 
adopted. I am satisfied that a farmer should and can 
know just as much about the cost of his products as a 
man in any other line of business. 
The following is an exact copy of a page in my crop 
record. The field was not numbered, as it was a nar¬ 
row strip through a young pear orchard : 
ONIONS. 
One-fifth acre, fertilized with one load of rabbit and hen manure, 
mixed with six bushels of ashes and 300 pounds of Tampico ^ano. 
DB. CR. 
To seed. $2.05 
April 8, value of manure. 1.50 
April 8, fertilizer. 4.50 
April 8, preparing ground and sowing_ 1.50 
April 27, hoeing (wheel hoe).25 
May 4, hoeing (wheel hoe).25 
May 10, hoeing (wheel hoe).25 
May 11 and 12, weeding (hand). 2.00 
May 17, hoeing (wheel hoe).25 
May 23, weeding (hand).30 
May 25, hoeing (wheel hoe).25 
June 10, hoeing (wheel hoe).25 
June 20, weeding (hand). 1.00 
Jxily 30, weeding (hand).50 
September 15, pulling.75 
September 21, picking up and carting in... 1.25 
Assorting and marketing. 5.00 
Cash received. $46.90 
Net profit.$25.05 
$46.90 $46.90 
Prodxict, 51 bushels; cost per bushel, $.47)4. 
I figure all work the same as though I had to hire it 
done by the day. Thus, if laboring wages are $1.25 
per day, and a man hired by the month does a day’s 
work on a certain crop, the crop would be charged 
$1.25. Or, if a man with team could be hired for $3.25 
per day, and my man and team should work a day on 
a crop, the crop would be charged with $3.25, the same 
as though I had hired an outsider to do it. I suppose 
some will say that it does not cost me $3.25 for the 
day’s work, if I own the toam and hire the man by the 
month. All I have to say is, that if I cannot make my 
business pay me something more than laboring wages, 
I would better sell out and work for somebody else. 
Vineland, N. J. _ s. t. d. 
A CHAPTER ON BIG POTATOES. 
This morning I read a statement on page 684 of 
The R. N.-Y., making the offer of the paper one year 
to any one who could produce 34 potatoes that would 
weigh 60 pounds. I can go you six better than that. 
I inclose the statement of Adelbert A. Babcock, our 
postmaster, sworn to before Elmer Parker, J. P., that 
I have to-day delivered to said postmaster 28 potatoes 
that weighed 60 pounds net. I think I could dupli¬ 
cate them at least 20 times in a bin of 200 bushels of 
the same variety. I simply sorted these off the top 
of the bin, and I know that I did not get the largest, 
as when we were digging, we weighed several and 
found one that weighed three pounds, nine ounces. 
Another, which was the finest specimen I have ever 
seen for so large a tuber, weighed three pounds, two 
ounces. That one was taken into an adjoining 
county by a friend as a specimen of the variety. 
I have taken pains to verify these weights for the 
following reason : Last .season, I wrote to The R. N.-Y. 
a.sking how to tone down the R. N.-Y. No. 2 potato, as 
it grew too large, making the statement that .seven of 
them weighex^ 173^ pounds. A Connecticut reader of 
The R. N.-Y. wrote me last spring for some of these 
potatoes, saying that if I had not exaggerated in my 
statement to The R. N.-Y., he would pay a big price ; 
that he never saw a potato that weighed 2}4 pounds, 
and never believed that one could be grown, etc. I 
had sold to my neighbors all the seed I had to spare, so 
could not convince my Connecticut friend that I had 
not exaggerated, and I do not wLsh to be counted in 
the list of those who would exaggerate. I wish to say 
to him through The R. N.-Y. that if he wishes to pay 
freight, I will ship him a bushel, free of charge. I 
did not keep his name or address. 
These potatoes were given common field culture and 
not grown to see what they would do. They are not 
the R. N.-Y. No. 2. That variety has not grown so 
large with me this season, as I took The R. N.-Y.’s 
advice and planted them in drills 2 feet 8 inches by 16 
inches, with two to three eyes on each piece. It took 
30 bushels per acre for seed, of those monster potatoes, 
but I got over 300 bushels per acre of very fine grade 
tubers, without any fertilizer, as I was afraid of their 
getting too large again. I have not weighed any of 
them, but think that I might find 34 which weigh 60 
pounds. They suffered terribly from the drought. 
The little piece of Carman No. 1 sent by The R. 
N.-Y., did nicely for me, considering the show it had 
I got 5 % pounds all told. They were mostly large and 
smooth. The excessive drought interfered with their 
growth materially, as they had to mature before any 
fall rains came. They were in a test plot with several 
other varieties, and all were given the same advan¬ 
tages as the general field crop. 
This is my first season’s experience with the Hoover 
digger. It has done excellent work, but I found a 
good many of these three pounders going over to the 
left with the. vines and trash. The kickers would 
push them off like big flat stones. 
I have some pretty large potatoes, but this is a large 
country, and I am sure some one will show up some 
larger ones. If they do, then, like Mr. Lyon, 1 will 
make another assortment. I consider myself well paid 
when I receive 52 numbers of The Rural New-Yorker 
for $1. I have made the culture of potatoes a study 
for many years, and am already your debtor by hun¬ 
dreds of dollars for information received, so you will 
please not credit me on any subscription, until you 
have received pay therefor. o. T. perkins. 
Hallsport, N. Y. 
R. N.-Y.—The sworn statement referred to is at 
hand. These big potatoes are showing up all over the 
country, and we shall now have to withdraw our 
offer. O. L. Smith, of Spokane, Wash., claims to have 
26 Early Rose potatoes that weigh 74 pounds ! 
A Land of Big Potatoes. 
The two little Carman potatoes received last winter, 
were cut to 11 eyes, and planted April 16. They were 
dug October 21; yield, 20 pounds and 6 ounces—71 
tubers. On page 684, The R. N.-Y. offers a year’s sub¬ 
scription to any one who can produce 34 potatoes 
whose aggregate weight will be 60 pounds. This could 
be easily secured by almost any of the potato growers 
along this Western coast. I planted a small piece of 
land containing 403^ rods, or measured by the row 
allowing three feet for their width, there was a little 
less than 23-100 of an acre. The plow cut about 14 
inches, and there were two extra furrows. One-third 
was planted to Burbank, the other two-thirds to R. 
N.-Y. No. 2, the most satisfactory potato I have ever 
planted. Yet they have one failing, and that is that 
when irrigated, they grow too large and are, conse¬ 
quently hollow hearted; the hollow is in some instances, 
as large as my fist. The yield from this little patch has 
