1895 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
85 
“ Yes, if I were buying my feed, I would be willing 
to pay just as much for a ton of corn-and-cob meal as 
for a ton of clear corn meal.” 
About one-fourth of a mile—1,220 feet, to be exact— 
of corn cribs, averaging over 10 feet high and 10 feet 
wide, stand near each other, filled to the top with 
plump ears of white corn. 
“You prefer a white variety ? ” I suggested. 
“Yes, white as I can get it. I reject all red cobs 
when selecting seed. The white yields well, and suits 
the eastern and other markets best.” 
“ What is the average shrinkage of corn in the crib 
from fall until May ? ” 
“There is, I fancy, no such thing as ‘average’ 
shrinkage. A period of three or five years is no crite¬ 
rion for the next period. In 1893, we had almost no 
rain in August and September, and I think that corn 
was as dry when it went into the crib, as when it 
came out. I would say that corn shrinks from fall 
until the next summer, anywhere from 5 to 20 per 
cent, as a rule.” 
“ How do you cultivate ?” 
“I am experimenting all the time along this line. I 
believe in level culture, and theoretically, no cultiva¬ 
tion should be deep ; but so far I do not find that a 
deep plowing when the plants are small decreases the 
yield at all. I am so opposed to deep cultivation late 
in the season, that this year I did not have the heart 
to experiment with it even on a single strip. We 
have invented an implement for surface cultivation 
that is very satisfactory. The unsolved problems of 
agriculture are many. I frankly confess that I find 
the proper management of so large a property, burden¬ 
some. I see wastes, and struggle to stop them. Yes, 
I sometimes think that one-third as large an acreage 
wSuld be better, but who would willingly part with a 
portion of his heritage. If the game is not too large 
for my gun, I will in time obtain the mastery I seek. 
While an old lawyer, I am a young farmer.” 
I asked the Judge whether, in his opinion, his 
ownership of a vast tract of land entails upon him any 
special claims on the part of the poor and hungry, 
that the bondholder of equal wealth does not have. 
“ Not a bit of it,” he answered quickly. “ The par¬ 
able of the talents settles all that, I fancy. Every 
man is debtor to his fellow men according to his 
ability to serve them, no matter whether his posses¬ 
sions be land, bonds or brains. I am trying to be help¬ 
ful, but the fact that my property is in land, has 
nothing to do with the matter.” 
Extensive ownership of land is generally condemned 
in this country, and often rightfully so, as it leads the 
owners too often to desert their pi*operty and spend 
in the towns the money taken fi*om cash renters who 
rob the soil. Hut the thoug-ht came to me that a few 
such men as this one, unmindful of the temptation to 
live in ease in town, and studying on the fai-m the 
many problems that confront farmei's, building up 
the soil and experimenting at the expense of immedi¬ 
ate large cash returns, go far to reconcile American 
public opinion with extensive land-holding. 
ALYA AGEE. 
CURING THE POTATO SCAB. 
HOW THEY 1)0 IT IN THE NORTHWEST. 
A Very Small Crop. —In regard Jo the use of cor¬ 
rosive sublimate for the prevention of scab on pota¬ 
toes, in this section at least, the experimental stage is 
past. I think that it is only a question of a few years 
when every farmer will consider corrosive sublimate 
as necessary to the growing of a good potato crop as 
good soil and good culture. 
I planted 52 acres in May, 1894, and all the seed, 
with the exception of 33 bushels, was soaked in the 
sublimate solution for 1 % hour. The result was 49 
acres of even-sized, smooth potatoes, but a vei*y light 
yield, as we had no rain more than to lay the dust, 
from the time the potatoes were planted until they 
were up. The seed of the other three acres was not 
soaked, as it seemed to be about perfect as far as 
scab was concerned ; but the yield was less than half, 
per acre, of those treated, and the tubers were small, 
scabby and ill-shaped. In fact, if I hadn’t raised 
them on contract for a seed house, with the price 
agreed upon for the entire crop, before planting, I 
could not have sold them. I have not given my yield 
for 1894 above, and would not, if it were not for 
making the comparison between soaked and unsoaked 
seed. In all my experience in growing potatoes, the 
crop of 1894 was the lightest by over 100 per cent. 
Although they were planted on good land that was 
clover sod, plowed in 1893 and cared for to the best 
of my knowledge, I got only 50 bushels per acre on 
the 49 acres, and 22 bushels per aci-e on the other 
three. If the seed house had offered me the product 
of that three acres for 35, 1 would have said, “No, 
thank you.” In fact, I advised them to run the lot 
through a common fanning mill, using an oat sieve 
to sort them. Two years ago, I said that any one 
that half tried could grow 200 bushels per acre with 
common field culture ; but I have found that with a 
clear sky for three months of the growing season, it 
can’t be done. I kept the ci*op free fi*om weeds and 
bugs, stiri-ed the soil constantly with the best of 
tools, and after the tubers commenced to form, not 
over 1% to 2 inches deep, with a cultivator contain¬ 
ing 14 small teeth. But evei*y thing was dead by Sep¬ 
tember 1, except my Rural New-Yorker No. 2s, and 
they remained gi*een until frost came. The bulk of 
my crop next year will be of this variety. 
How to Soak the Seed. —In xxsing the corrosive 
sxxbiimate, evei*y farmer will have a best way, and 
each way will be sure to be different. I will give my 
method, which has proved qxxite satisfactory to me for 
the past two years. I have a tank made of two-inch 
plank, one foot deep by foxxr feet wide by foxxrteen 
feet long. I selected a sunny place for the work, as 
near the cellar as possible. I lay down boards by the 
side of the tank, until I have a smooth floor about 1(5 
feet sqxxare, for drying the potatoes after soaking. I 
fill the tank about one half fxxll of water, and to this 
add one oxxnce of corrosive sublimate to each eight 
gallons of water. The tank holds about 30 bushels 
of potatoes, and this amoxxnt of water will cover 
them nicely. I leave them in the solxxtion 1% hoxxr, 
and then with a potato screen-shovel scatter them 
over the floor by the side of the tank. If the sxxn 
shines, they will be di*y in a few minutes, but we com¬ 
mence cutting at once, as a wet potato cuts easier 
than a dry one. Don’t be afraid of a cut or sore on 
the hands getting poisoned, for I have found that 
keeping the hands wet for a few days in handling the 
potatoes from the above mixture, will cure a cut or 
bi'uise of long standing. 
The only exti*a cost to me for putting the seed 
through this treatment, is the cost of the corrosive 
sublimate, which is G l /i cents per ounce, and the cost 
of shoveling the potatoes from the tank to the plat¬ 
form, which at 31.50 per day, amounts to five cents 
per tank of 30 bushels, as it takes a man 20 minutes to 
clear the tank ; 50 ounces of corrosive sublimate will 
do for 50 acres of potatoes, or 6% cents per acre. As 
a tank of 30 bushels of potatoes will plant about three 
aci’es, the extra cost of handling per acre, at five cents 
per tank, would be 1% cent. This added to G}4 cents 
for the poison, makes only 8}^ cents per acre, as the 
cost of the treatment—outside of the tools. As almost 
evei*y farmer has something that will do for a tank, 
and already owns a potato shovel, the cost of tools 
cannot well be charged to the job. Some of the water 
will be wasted when shoveling oxxt the potatoes, and 
should be made up by adding lpore water and poison, 
in the same proportion as at first. 
I am ashamed of my small crop for 1894, and now 
that it is past, I don’t know where I could have bet¬ 
tered it, with better cultivation or seed ; but I did 
notice that a part of the crop grown on stxxbble 
groxxnd, in barley in 1893, yielded quite a little better 
than that on the clover sod. However, I shall stick to 
clover sod as much as possible in the fxxtxxre, as it 
never played such a trick before. e. ii. currier. 
River Falls, Wis. 
[Every query mu.st'be^aceompanied-by •theuiameumd address of 
the writer to insure attention. Before asking a question please 
see whether it is not answered in our advertising columns. Ask 
only a few questions at one time. Put questions on a separate 
piece of paper.1 
Forty Acres Near a Canning Factory Enough. 
B. C. McN., Brook, Ind .—I have been raising corn and oats on 
40 acres, and have been losing money. I have a good deal of land 
rented—204 acres. I have to give $4.50 rent for 83 acres, and half 
the crop in the field for the rest. But there is nothing made at it, 
as the rent is too high, and there is no w.ay to enrich the land, as 
the owner will not let me sow clover. I have 40 acres of good land, 
sandy loam soil with a clay subsoil, that is well tiled every eight 
rods, with a good outlet. About 20 acres of it has been broken’only 
five years. A canning factory is to be started here this spring, 
and they wish the farmers to agree to raise from five to ten acres 
of tomatoes and sweet corn each. They wish me to sign contracts 
for five aci*es of tomatoes and ten of sweet corn. How much can I 
realize per acre by raising tomatoes and sweet corn ? What is 
the average yield per acre, and can one man attend to that 
amount of ground ? Before they started the canning factory, I was 
thinking of going into the poultry business for eggs. I have 300 
pullets and 50 one-year-old hens now. Eggs have not been less 
than 10 cents per dozen here for the last seven years. Would that 
be a more profitable business ? This year, I had 55 acres of corn, 
10 acres of oats, 10 acres of truck and 5 acres of pasture, and have 
kept a strict book account. The only thing that I made anything 
at, was raising cabbage plants to sell. 
Ans.—T he first question as to how a man can make 
the most money on 40 acres of land, is a poser. It de¬ 
pends on the land, the man, the market, the season, 
and many other minor conditions. One thing is cer¬ 
tain, however, the quicker he gives up his rented 
land and confines his efforts to his 40 acres, the bet¬ 
ter. The trouble with many farmers is that they are 
expending their energies over too much surface ; 40 
acres is enough for any ordinai’y man. Stick to that 
and be yoxxr own boss. Properly woi*ked, there should 
be a small gold mine in that 40 acres of “ good, well- 
tiled land.” 
As to the canning factoi’y. These are goot^- things 
for farmers, if run by reliable parties who pay a fair 
price for stock. First ascertain the reliability of the 
company. If this be found satisfactory, our fx*iend 
probably cannot do better than to contract for grow¬ 
ing 10 acres of sweet cox*n. He knows how to grow 
field corn, and sweet coim is much the same. It must 
be planted a little latex*, sometimes, as it will not en- 
dux*e quite so much cold and dampness as field corn, 
and it is a little slower in starting. Hut the general 
cultivation is about the same. The same tools used in 
the field coi*n will do here, so thex*e is no need for any 
further outlay. One man would have no trouble in 
caring for that amount of ground until it is time to 
harvest the crop, when additional help would prob- 
ably be needed. The stalks make excellent fodder for 
lxoi’ses and cattle, and the crop is usually quite profit¬ 
able. If he has been sxxccessfxxl in gi*owing tomatoes 
on a small scale, he might do well to conti*act for a 
small patch of these, bxxt five acres is rather large for 
one to begin on. As to the yield and retxirns per 
acre from both of these crops, they vary so widely 
according to cii*cumstances, that it is oxxt of the qxxes- 
tion for us to give any figxires. VVe woxxld be glad to 
hear from any of oxxr readers on this point. 
On the rest of the land, go on with the poultry busi¬ 
ness, and extend it as retxxims seem to wai*rant. That 
number of hens should enable yoxx to work up a special 
max*ket, in which case better prices for eggs might be 
obtained. The grain needed may be raised, unless it 
can be pxxrchased cheaper, taking care not to plant the 
field coi*n too close to the sweet, or it may mix. The 
nixmber of pxxllets and hens yoxx have, should give you 
a first-class start in the poultx*y bxxsiness. Some East¬ 
ern fanners claim that they caxx make money raising 
eggs for an average price of one cent apiece. You 
shoxxld do as well. Stick to the poultx*y business, by 
all means. 
As for the truck business, it is genei*ally profitable 
whex*e the market is good, bxxt requires hard wox*k and 
close application. Small fruit growing is lighter, 
cleaner work, and genex*ally pi*ofitable. Try a few 
strawberries, currants, etc. You can learn the best 
methods of cultivation with a small patch, this fruit 
will be vei*y acceptable for home use, and you can 
learn whether the market will warrant yoxx in extend¬ 
ing the bxxsiness. These and similar lxew ventures 
may be tried on a small scale, and the outcome decided 
without much outlay. 
Some land will be requix*ed for pasture or for grow¬ 
ing soiling crops if cows ax*e kept. Potatoes should 
be profitable. Try some Crimson clover. Hut, above 
all, concentrate the labor and fertilizers, and brains 
on that 40 acres, and work it for all there is in it. A 
book might be written on this sxxbject, but we can 
only throw out these few hints, and trxist the inquirer 
may get other hints from our columns that will help 
him to solve this problem satisfactorily. 
Seedling Asparagus ; Ashes; Gooseberry. 
,/. C. A., Washington, Ind. —I wish to set about one-fourth acre 
to asparagus. The ground is a rich clay loam and was heavily 
manured with horse manure and broken up last fall. It appears 
to be in excellent condition, having been used as a truck patch for 
three years. Last spring, I procured some Columbian asparagus 
seed, and sowed in a bed in drills a foot apart. It came up a 
little late, but I cultivated carefully, and, owing to the extreme 
drought last summer, the tops of the little asparagus grew to not 
more than two feet in height. Are they large enough to set out 
next spring, or would I better let them grow in the bed until two 
years old ? Asparagus sells best here gathered while white, the 
stalks being cut below the surface. Is the Columbian an improve¬ 
ment on the older sorts ? Having so much wood handy, we burn 
it mostly for fuel. Which is the better, to scatter the ashes over 
the garden as fast as they accumulate, or prepare a suitable place 
to keep them unleached until spring, and then sow them on the 
broken ground ? Would the Columbus gooseberry be likely to do 
well here ? Who has it for sale ? 
Ans. —Under the circumstances, we would let the 
asparagus plants remain in the seed-bed another sea¬ 
son. We consider the Columbian an improvement 
only in that its young shoots are whiter than those of 
any other kind. Except on potatoes, we would sow 
unleached ashes at any time when most convenient. 
As to the Columbus gooseberry, we may only say that 
is the only large foreign vaxiety that does not mildew 
at the Rural Grounds. ellwanger & barry. 
Scurfy Bark-Louse on Apple Trees. 
D. W. I)., Hickman, Ky.—A. recent article in The R. N.-Y. in re¬ 
gard to the San Jos6 scale, caused me some fears in regard to my 
apple orchard of several hundred trees. It is my invariable custom 
each year to paint my trees with a mixture made of soft soap, lime 
and a trace of coal tar; this is to prevent attacks of rabbits, in¬ 
sects, etc. When painting the trees this season, I found some 
Early Harvest and Winesap trees pretty well shingled with a scale 
insect of which I inclose specimens. Is this the San Jos6 scale, or 
a specimen common to Eastern and Western orchards? 
Ans. —The white scales were not the San Jos6 scale. 
They were the Scurfy Rark-louse (Chionaspis furfurus), 
which is quite common in the East on fruit trees. It 
rarely occurs in sufficient numbers to cause alarm. 
