5o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
cold weather; as the thermometer often gets as low 
as 20 degrees under this shed, and in extremely cold 
weather without sunshine, even lower. In April and 
May I would not be afraid of any bad effects from too 
much succulence, even though the cows were turned 
into an open yard. Whether feeding ensilage alone 
or with some other coarse fodder, excepting, per¬ 
haps, clover hay, I would prefer to add some cotton¬ 
seed meal to the ration with the bran. For butter 
or cream, I would do it whether the c.over were fed 
or not. Where gluten meal may be had, it also could 
be used to advantage. I am feeding 23 pounds of 
ensilage, 10 pounds of beets, eight pounds of grain 
mixture, composed by weight of two parts bran, two 
parts gluten, one part cotton-seed meal, and all the 
cut corn fodder they will eat, but no hay. 
Lenape Farm, Pa. f. l. mulford. 
Need of Bulk in the Ration. 
1. No, unless I could substitute some dry food like 
cut corn stover, clover hay, oat hay or straw. 2. A 
little good hay seems to have a remarkable effect 
upon the yield of milk and cream. 3. I would prefer 
to give some dry, bulky food in connection with en¬ 
silage, to extend the stomach. If sufficient ensil¬ 
age were fed to do this, I would fear tympanitis. If 
the ration lacks bulk I would fear impaction. 
Amherst, Mass. n. m. t. 
The Cow is Made by Her Food. 
It would not be wise to feed ensilage and bran alone 
to a dairy of milch cows, through the entire winter. 
Animals, other things being equal, do best when fed 
on a variety of foods. They are also believed to digest 
their food better, and to be more healthy, notwith¬ 
standing the fact that animals may be fed on a single 
variety of food, and even that of an inferior quality, 
yet remain what might be termed “ healthy.” All 
improvement in our domestic animals, has come 
primarily from the effect of a varied, improved and 
more liberal ration. The cow, in her native condition, 
gave all the milk that she could. In order that she 
might give more, first of all, she must eat and digest 
more food than formerly. In time, the habit of eat¬ 
ing and digesting more food, and of transforming it 
into one or more particular products, becomes a well 
established habit. No variety of domestic animals, 
and no class of people, have ever been brought from 
a low to a high standard, without having supplied to 
them a variety of nourishing and easily digestible 
foods. The one object in feeding a varied ration, is 
to induce the animal to digest and assimilate a greater 
proportion of food over and above that necessary to 
supply its wants, than it could upon a single class of 
food. In other words, a variety of foods tends to 
stimulate the organs to greater activity. Hood ensil¬ 
age and bran may not result in producing unhealthy 
conditions of the animal, yet a more varied ration, 
and especially one containing a little hay, would be 
likely, in the long run, to produce better results than 
the ration named above. i. p. Roberts. 
Cornell. 
Hay Is a Decided Improvement. 
I would not think it wise to omit hay, as it is a de¬ 
cided improvement to the ensilage ration aside from 
the food it adds Cows fed heavily on ensilage, crave 
the dry hay, and will eat straw with avidity if allowed 
access to it. We can safely follow the cows’ inclina¬ 
tion in this matter. Milkmen, as a rule, are not 
breeders. They are feeding for immediate results in 
milk and flesh, turning off for beef those cows that, 
from failing milk yield or accident, are no longer 
profitable at the pail, and supplying their places with 
fresh ones. Hence we often find the milkman feeding 
to excess, because of their cheapness or ease of procur¬ 
ing, many foods which the careful breeder, who seeks 
not only a large dairy product, but the continued 
dairy usefulness of the cow and health of her off¬ 
spring, either discards or uses with discretion. Good 
ensilage is grand food for dairy cows. Its use has in¬ 
creased the stock carrying capacity of this farm 100 
per cent. Still I would not think of depriving my 
Jerseys of their clover hay any more than myself of 
good bread and butter. Variety and palatability are 
as important as chemical analysis and “ balancing ” of 
rations. geo. w. sisson jr. 
St. Lawrence County, N. Y. 
THREE HORSES HITCHED ABREAST. 
MAKE THE LAZY HORSE DO HIS SHARE. 
A New York State Rig. —The plan for hitching 
three horses abreast in The R. N.-Y. of December 
22, 1894, may be good, but I think my way is better. 
The middle horse is between two tongues, and I use 
two neck yokes fastened to the three horses in the 
ordinary way. For reins, I use two-horse reins. The 
near horse has the near horses’ rein, and the outside 
off horse, has the off rein. To fasten the outside 
horses to the middle horse, I use two pieces of small 
rope, one end of which is tied to the inside of each 
outside horse’s bit. and the other end to the harness of 
the middle horse. For whiffletrees, I use a heavy 
evener to which are fastened three single whiffletrees. 
When I hitch the horses to the wagon I cross the in¬ 
side traces, so that each outside horse is hitched to the 
center singletree, and the center horse’s traces are 
fastened to the outside singletrees. By this plan, I 
save all expense for reins and a three-horse whiffie- 
tree ; also time in hitching and unhitching, as I do 
not have the three-horse reins to bother with. 
Warwick, N. Y. h. p. d. 
How They Work in Maine. —The matter of using 
three horses abreast is one of considerable interest. 
It is often the case that three light horses can be 
bought and kept at a cost but little above that of a 
single pair of heavier ones. It is also very convenient 
to have a third horse for driving or other purposes, 
when an ordinary pair can easily do the work required. 
In haying time, for instance, one horse may be had 
the whole afternoon for raking, while the pair are 
doing the carting. Then when needed we put the 
three horses together and have a good stiff team. 
The evener shown in The R. N.-Y., page 806, 1894, 
does not seem to be just the thing. If the hitch keeps 
each horse just where he belongs, it does not follow 
that each horse is doing his share of the work. The 
arrangement we use here is to put the clevis one- 
third the length of the evener from the end, and on 
the short end use a two-horse evener for the pair and 
the single horse on the long end, which just balances 
the pair. With this hitch, see Fig. 20, if either horse 
lags a little behind, he is still doing his share of the 
work. 
In working this rig on the pole of our farm machin¬ 
ery, we put the pole between the pair, make the two- 
horse evener a little longer than usual ; then, in 
hitching up, bring the off trace up over the pole and 
it is all right. The middle horse has to walk pretty 
THREE-HORSE RIG IN MAINE. Fig. 20. 
close to the pole, and if liable to chafe, wrap the pole 
with soft bags or like material, and gee ’round in turn¬ 
ing, where the work will admit. In working a plow 
or spring-tooth harrow on heavy soils, I think that 
this rig will commend itself at once, to all as pref¬ 
erable to the one previously shown. In the matter of 
reins, our plan is to hitch the horses together at the 
bits with two short straps 16 or 18 inches long, and 
then use common double reins on the two outside 
horses. J. c. 
EXPERIENCE WITH CHEST NUT RAIL 
DRAINAGE. 
WOODEN WATER WAYS THAT WORK IN SECRET. 
Large and Flat Rails.—A neighbor, several years 
ago, had a hillside which was springy. Being short of 
funds for tile, he resorted to rails. He made them 
large and flat, placing two in the bottom of the ditch, 
from four to six inches apart, and a third across the 
top. He then threw in an inch or so of straw, and 
packed it down to prevent the loose earth from filling 
up the space between the rails. This was all covered 
over nicely, and the rails served the purpose equally 
as well as the tile for several years. t. s. c. & son. 
West Virginia. 
Pole Draining an Orchard. —Chestnut railsanswer 
very well to fill ditches ; but chestnut poles ai*e more 
economical and better. I use poles too crooked for 
rails, and by chopping in and weakening them, make 
them suit the contour of the ditch. I cut ditches not 
less than three feet deep. If the bottom is soft, I use 
three poles, one on each side of the ditch, the third 
riding on top as a cap. If I have them, I fill up with 
any kind of stone to within 18 inches of the top of the 
ditch, cover with leaves (or Broom straw is best), if 
convenient, and plow in the banks well, making the 
earth higher over the ditch. If the bottom of the 
ditch is solid, one pole is sufficient. Place the pole in 
the middle of the ditch, and lean flat stones from each 
angle of the ditch against the pole, forming a culvert 
on each side of the pole. Then fill in with small 
stones as before. I have ditches thus made that have 
been working perfectly for over 15 years, and have no 
idea that they will ever give any ti'ouble. 
I have one ditch about 60 rods in length, that I am 
very proud of. It is in the middle of my best orchard 
of 1,200 apple trees. My neighbors all said that it was 
impossible to underdrain, as there was too much water; 
but as the open ditch was very much in the way of 
getting the fruit, I determined to try it. In a dry 
time, I cut a ditch 3>£ feet deep, and 2>a wide, and 
placed one pole from eight to ten inches in diameter 
in the midclle. I then leaned large stones (many of 
them as large as a man could lift) against the poles, 
placing them four or five inches apart, and capped 
them with other large stones. This was to form a 
space for surplus water in time of floods. I then filled 
up with other smaller stones to within 18 inches of 
the surface. I then took my mower and wagon and 
went to a neighbor’s field (not growing this kind of 
hay myself) and cut a four-horse load of Broom straw 
for top filling. This is best, as it will not rot beforte 
the earth becomes compact over it. I plowed in the 
banks, leaving the earth at least a foot higher over the 
ditch. I next sowed it to Orchard grass and clover, 
and set a row of apple trees near it. That was six 
years ago, and although we have had several floods, 
and higher water than was ever known in our little 
valley before, and I have seen water enough to turn 
a small mill coming out of that ditch, to-day there is 
a nice, compact sod over it. The trees are doing well, 
and I have no idea that it will ever give any trouble. 
I would state that a good many of the large stones 
came out of the ditch, and we have a large surplus of 
stone very convenient. I have a mile or more of such 
ditches on my farm of 500 acres, all working well, 
and never expect to use any other material, as I have 
a surplus of it very convenient. c. B. wood. 
Rappahannock County, Ya. 
Old Enough to Vote. —I used chestnut rails about 
4x4 inches, split and laid four inches apart, and one 
flat one on top, just like covering with a plank. I 
put drains about 30 inches deep in the year 1873, and 
they are good to-day. When I put them in I put old 
hay on top of the rails, and tramped it down, and also 
the ground. I put the bark in also to fill uneven 
places ; it will last about as long as the rails. In 1892, 
I tapped a spring about 400 feet from my house, and 
laid three-quarter-inch pipe from the spring to my 
kitchen and barn, also with a tap at each place. When 
I put the pipe down, I had to go under two of these 
drains, and was surprised to see them in such good 
condition, with water running at the time. I went 
under them deep, to keep my pipe cool. t. m. 
Ohio. 
Be Sure of a Good Fall. —Chestnut rails are ex¬ 
cellent material for ditching wet, swampy land. In 
the first place, care should be taken to have a good 
outlet for the drainage water. Then make a ditch 
one foot wide, and 3% feet deep, right across the 
swamp, lay in four or five good straight rails, taking 
care to give the water a good fall, say, four inches in 
100 feet, covering the rails with rough grass or thin 
sod, to prevent the soil from washing through them 
into the drain. Make the laterals 20 feet apart, one 
foot wide by 3 % feet deep, taking care to give the 
water a fall into the main drain. Lay in four rails or 
more, and cover with sod or grass as in the main drain. 
Have a hand-saw near by to saw off the ends of the 
rails to fit into the main drain, so as to make a good 
junction, then cover with the soil or muck. e. r. 
Gallatin, Tenn. 
Poles and Rye Straw. —I put a rail drain down in 
the spring of 1887, that is still working perfectly. 
Instead of using rails of the usual length, I cut poles 
six or eight inches thick at the butt and 30 feet long. 
I laid one on each side of the bottom of the ditch, and 
the third on top of the two, covered with rye straw to 
keep the earth from sifting down when filling, and 
the job was done. My reason for using the poles was 
because of insufficient fall, and not being able to go 
below frost. The frost will have no effect on the 
poles, while it would displace tiles. The lessened ex¬ 
pense is quite an item when one has the poles. I took 
the bark off the poles, which I think is quite necessary. 
Stanton, N. J. j. d. 
SOME NOTES ON NUTS. 
CHESTNUTS ; DO WALNUTS KILL FRUITS ? 
Did the Walnut Kill Them ?—There is a large 
walnut tree near here, which the owner did not wish 
to cut, but wished pear trees near. He says that he 
planted about seven different times, and none lived 
over three years. He then gave it up, saying that he 
blamed all on the black walnut. In another place, no 
fruit tree would live within 50 feet of walnut trees 
over six to eight inches in diameter. j. a. m. 
Ohio. 
Where Chestnuts Grow. —The fruitfulness or ster¬ 
ility of chestnut trees, and the profitableness of the’r 
culture, depend upon the soil in which they are 
grown. The chestnut confines itself generally to the 
slate, freestone and sandstone soils of the country. 
Isolated trees may be found in sand or gravel beds in 
limestone soils, but are very rare. In a chestnut soil, 
trees from three inches to seven feet in diameter, bear 
fruit. Isolated trees in cultivated fields are as' pro¬ 
ductive as those in groups, or in the forest. While 
there are years in which the yield of fruit is small 
and some trees do not bear, none can be found that 
are continuously infertile. It will be a waste of time 
to plant chestnut trees where they do not grow spon- 
