fHE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
3 
from 500 to 700 pounds of live pork per acre. It would 
be preferable to have a movable fence, or to feed be¬ 
tween hurdles, giving them a certain part to graze on, 
until that is finished, moving the fence or hurdles 
back every day or two, giving them another portion, 
and so on across the field, which would be more 
economical than giving them the whole field to roam 
over at once. Sweet corn, if plantings have been 
properly regulated, comes in just after the oats and 
peas, and will do to feed through duly and August. 
If fed stalks and all when in the roasting condition, it 
makes a cheap and wholesome food. I would plant 
some of the large early varieties, also Evergreen for 
later feeding. A good grain ration for pigs on pasture, 
is made of two parts each of corn meal, wheat bran 
and ground oats, and one part linseed meal, mixed in 
water, using three times the bulk of liquid to the bulk 
of the ingredients, fed twice a day fresh and sweet. I 
don’t know what young spring pigs are worth in 
Michigan, but I think it would be preferable to buy 
them, than to buy the brood sows now. I think, with 
proper care, F. T. B.'s scheme is practicable. 
Mannsville, N. Y. george staplin jr. 
FARMING ON A BUSINESS BASIS. 
A WESTERN NEW YORK FARM VISITED. 
(Concluded.) 
Exercise and Food for Steers and Lambs. 
“ Do you allow them exercise besides what they ob¬ 
tain fastened here in this manner?” 
‘ ; Only as they are unfastened to be weighed from 
time to time, until they are in condition for market. 
Considering that steers 
of this age (two years 
the coming spring) usu¬ 
ally make a gain of 300 
to 400 pounds each, it 
hardly seems probable 
that additional exercise 
would tend to increased 
weights.” 
‘ ‘ Of what do their ra¬ 
tions principally con¬ 
sist ? ” 
“For about four weeks 
after entering the sta¬ 
bles, their feed consists 
of one-half bushel of 
ensilage and one quart 
of bran each, morning 
and night, with a ration 
of barley straw during 
the day. The ration of 
ensilage is continued 
and the bran increased 
to two quarts at each 
feeding, with straw as 
before. For finishing 
off, say, for the last two 
months, we have usually 
fed cotton-seed meal and 
corn meal equal parts ; 
but this year, we intend feeding for this purpose four 
quarts of wheat and corn meal mixed with the one- 
half bushel of ensilage night and morning, no hay 
being fed at any time. Our experience of five years 
in following out this method, assures us that no other 
could be adopted that would satisfactorily take its 
place. The feeding of good, rich ensilage seems to be 
the only way out for the farmer during these times of 
low prices and Western competition.” 
The fattening lambs were in pens containing 12 and 
14 each. Mr. Green believes it economy to buy the 
strongest and best types of lambs possible for this pur¬ 
pose ; a more rapid and heavy growth is thus attained, 
and better prices are realized. The medium and coarser 
wooled breeds predominate. “We usually hold them 
till February or March, when they are sometimes 
shorn, the wool being sold separate. Of course, we 
are governed by circumstances. An increased weight 
of 24 or 32 pounds per head is usually attained ; but 
last season an average gain of 45 pounds per head was 
made, caused by a few weeks’ run in pasture be¬ 
fore they were taken to the feeding pens. But there 
is not the money in this business as in former years.” 
Perfect ventilation, cleanliness and the thoroughly 
systematic arrangements that prevailed, the abund¬ 
ance of straw used for the absorption of liquid ma¬ 
nures throughout the stables and feeding pens, cer¬ 
tainly augured well for ultimate success. Pipes dis¬ 
charging a constant flow of water into tubs furnished 
for each pen of lambs, led to the inquiry as to how 
and where it was obtained. 
Water Supply and Drainage. 
“Originally, the great objection to this farm was 
the meager supply of water. Wells of great depth 
were dug that afterward became dry when water 
was most needed. Stock at such times were driven to 
a distant stream, or water was hauled to them. A 
hydraulic ram was resorted to for the purpose of forc¬ 
ing a supply from a far away spring which proved 
only a partial success, and thus thousands of dollars 
were expended. After many years' experience of a 
most discouraging character, an experiment was made 
in digging for water on the lower lands of the farm, 
when, at the depth of only 12 feet, an abundant sup¬ 
ply was found, sufficient for all purposes. A windmill 
now forces the water in pipes into a large reservoir 
under that grass covered mound on the lawn fronting 
the house. Thence it is conveyed to the stables, yards 
and feeding pens, also to both dwelling houses. ” 
“ Are those lower lands referred to in condition to 
require artificial drainage for best results ?” 
“Yes, there were many acres where the first plant¬ 
ing should have been drain tiles, but, instead, we 
have been underdraining where most needed for many 
years, and many thousand tiles have thus been laid. 
We find Larimer’s ditching plow an invaluable aid in 
the performance of this work, saving a vast amount 
of labor, and being a success in the hardest soil.” 
“ Sections of sewer pipe noticed by the roadside 
would indicate that you make use of them in this 
work.” 
“ It was a question with us for many years how to 
dispose of a small stream that followed a depression 
entirely across the lower end of the farm. An open 
ditch would soon fill up with surface soil, grass, etc. ; 
tile drains emptying into it would soon be filled with 
silt, and other refuse matter at the point of discharge, 
requiring constant care and watchfulness. The largest 
sized ordinary drain tile not having sufficient capacity 
to attempt underdraining it, the idea was conceived that 
sewer pipe could be successfully used for the purpose. 
It was learned that second quality or rejected pipe 
could be secured at rates that would allow of their 
being used, and we now have nearly a mile of such 
drainage, giving perfect satisfaction, and affording 
permanent outlets for the numerous side drains on 
either side. It now affords an uninterrupted working 
of all farm implements entirely across the fields 
through which it passes.” 
The Help Problem ; Other Matters. 
“ How much help is required to perform the labor 
on a farm of this size ?” 
“The branches of farming in which we are now 
engaged give employment to five first-class men dur¬ 
ing the busy season, and two have steady employment 
during the year. Occasionally, when v> ork presses, 
day help is resorted to.” 
“ Are you obliged to board all these men ? ” 
“ Oh, no ! We have three tenant houses, substantial, 
commodious, and with many modern conveniences, 
that are occupied by three of them with their families; 
two single men are boarded, their washing being 
done outside at their own expense. This method we 
find secures a class of help much more competent and 
trustworthy. And then, the relief it affords the pro¬ 
verbially overburdened housewife is of most im¬ 
portance ! While there may not be so many dollars in 
the credit column at the close of the year, may we not 
assume that the reward otherwise, is far greater ? ’" 
After a casual observance of the well selected vol¬ 
umes, and the leading periodicals and newspapers of 
the day (R. N.-Y. included), that find a place on the 
tables, it is safe to infer that the time is not wholly 
given to manual labor on the farm. We have here 
illustrated the possibilities to be accomplished by close 
and persistent application, for no revenue is derived 
from any outside source. The resources of the farm 
only, are depended upon for the maintenance of its 
high state of fertility. The tasteful and neat appear¬ 
ance of the well arranged dwellings, farm buildings and 
the many other environments, should tend to make 
homelife on the farm one most to be desired, i. n. c. 
BREEDING UP PLANTS. 
There seem to be two processes going on all the 
time in the animal and vegetable world : The careful 
are always improving Nature ; the careless are al¬ 
ways letting the improved things retrograde. When 
things are suffered to take this course, it is said that 
they have “ run out.” It is somewhat difficult to keep 
things up to the standard, but it can be done. Mr. 
Doolittle took the common wild raspberry, and by 
selection and culture, bred up one of the most profit¬ 
able raspberries we have had. But now the Doolittle 
is out of date. The Wilson strawberry has had the 
same history, and the Crescent is now likely to go the 
same way. It has been said that the introduction of 
the Early Rose potato has been worth millions to tlve 
United States ; but in our part of the country, the 
Rose has nearly run out and so far we have had noth¬ 
ing to take its place. 
Whence does this degeneration come ? The answer 
is easy to find. In the case of the Doolittle, people 
planted them, and when these went to brush thickets, 
they took the worthless tips to plant other rows. So 
with the Wilson and the Crescent strawberries. People 
have been in the habit of taking puny runners from 
old foot-trodden beds, until the varieties have dwin¬ 
dled away. .lust now, in these parts, the Gregg is the 
popular raspberry. 
There are plantations of 
an acre or so planted for 
the fruit. In the spring 
the owners offer tips for 
sale. These tips have 
rooted themselves late 
in the fall, a n d are 
about as large as a dog’s 
foot. The result is that 
the Gregg is becoming 
worthless. I had occa¬ 
sion to take up some 
Gregg tips in clods, to 
fill a few vacancies. 
They would. fill a peck 
measure. T h e s e will 
make plants that will 
improve the variety 
rather than run it out. 
But a fact or two to 
illustrate the above as¬ 
sertions. One of the 
best strawberry growers 
for many years in Wis¬ 
consin, planted only the 
Wilson, from which he 
gathered 300 bushels per 
acre. Besides a proper 
preparation and fertili¬ 
zing of the soil, he always kept a rich bed of 
young plants from which to get plants to renew 
his plantings. People have planted the small and 
worthless Early Rose potatoes and grown them 
on worthless soil among weeds, until the variety has 
run out. The tree peddlers of the West buy up thou¬ 
sands of cheap strawberry plants dug from between 
the rows of old beds, and deliver these to customers. 
Many of the “choice” plants delivered at high prices 
by the agents, are of this sort. I know whereof I 
speak, for I have sold thousands of this sort of plants 
to the peddlers to be sold as above. Now a real live 
strawberry grower, would no more set out these 
plants than he would breed from razor-back hogs. 
I have been growing small fruit for 20 years, and 
have found that there is no need to let plants run out. 
Those of us who are up to the true methods, make 
the land as rich as possible, and set out plants, both 
of strawberries and raspberries from new beds. Dur¬ 
ing summer, these rows have the best of cultivation. 
In the spring, the plants are so large and thrifty that 
they astonish persons who have been accustomed only 
to plants from old beds. Instead of taking late-set 
runners from old strawberry beds, we dig up the whole 
row. In this way, we get plants that have' grown in 
mellow soil and had all summer in which to make their 
growth. The result is that the plants do not run out, 
but are, instead, continually being improved. 
Iowa. A. D. FIELD. 
Early Mastodon Corn. —Will some farmer who 
raises the Early Mastodon corn, write his experience 
with it ? I have heard that it is a very large corn, 
and would like to know whether it would mature in 
Massachusetts. Our corn season is from May 10 to about 
September 10. This year was an extra long season, 
and we had no frost to hurt the corn till October ; but 
some years it is spoiled September 1 . l. n. f. 
A WEED NURSERY. WHAT A BACKYARD DOES FOR A NEIGHBORHOOD. Fig. 3. 
