1895 
4 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
better, for the reason that a good draft is assured, all 
the heat is utilized, the furnace may be smaller, and 
less fuel is required. 
A thin coating of straw or coarse manure is spread 
over the floor. This is to keep the earth from sifting 
through between the rails. For earth, I use sand 
from a wash in the fields. Any sandy soil will do, 
however. This is placed on the straw to the depth of 
eight inches. A few days before the potatoes are 
placed in the bed, a fire is made in the furnace in order 
to get things warmed up. The temperature should 
be the same as recommended for the manure bed (70 
degrees). A bright, warm day should be selected to 
put in the seed. The earth is shoveled out to the 
depth of two or three inches from a space two or 
three feet wide, the full width of the bed. The seed 
is then placed, leaving a space of one inch between 
each tuber, and pressing them gently into the soft 
earth about one-half of their thickness. The earth is 
then shoveled from another strip and used to cover 
them. The process is repeated until all is done, using 
the earth thrown out first to cover the last strip. Over 
all is put a covering of salt hay or straw to the depth 
of one foot or eighteen inches. 
The directions for the management of the covering 
and watering of the manure bed will apply also to the 
fire beds. The latter, however, will require a greater 
amount of water as they dry out much faster. As 
soon as the plants are nicely up, which will be about 
two weeks from the time of bedding, the heat should 
be withdrawn, so that the plants may get properly 
hardened. 
It will be observed that the seed is placed farther 
apart in the fire bed, than in the manure bed. The 
sweet potato is literally covered with invisible eyes. 
The fire heat, even at the same temperature, seems to 
develop more of these eyes than the manure heat, 
hence it is necessary to give them more room, as the 
plants would be too weak and spindling. As soon as 
the sprout is pulled from an eye, that 
is the end of it, but other hitherto 
latent eyes begin to develop, so that 
two, and sometimes three crops of 
plants may be pulled from the same 
bed. I find it an advantage in a bed 
of this size, to use about 30 pounds of 
some high grade fertilizer, well mixed 
with the earth put on top of the seed. 
It should be done before the seed is 
put in and thoroughly mixed with the 
soil. 
The tile bed is the most popular, as 
well as the most durable, and is prob¬ 
ably the cheapest in the end. The 
usual width is 12 feet, and the length 
anywhere from 30 to 70 feet. A hole is 
sunk across one end, four or five feet 
deep, two feet wide, and five feet 
long, in which the furnace is built. 
There must be a hole of the same 
depth for an entrance to the furnace. Four lines 
of six-inch drain tile are then run from the fur- 
nace at equal distances apart the whole length of the 
bed. They are two feet below the surface at the fur¬ 
nace, and rise gradually, until they are but eight 
inches below at the opposite end. A wooden chimney 
is provided for each one. The sides are one-foot 
boards set on edge, and held in place by small stakes. 
Various styles of covering are used on all these beds, 
but as I have mentioned before, I have always found 
the hay or straw all sufficient. In a higher latitude, 
some closer covering would probably be necessary. 
The fuel should be wood, as the gas from coal would 
undoubtedly injure the plants. The earth must be 
renewed at least every two years (some growers renew 
it every year, which is probably the safest plan), as 
the decaying potatoes encourage the growth of disease 
germs, which are likely to be communicated to the 
plants the following year. Plants are sometimes 
grown in greenhouses, but not often, as at the time 
sweet potato plants are grown, some other crop is more 
profitable for the greenhouse. After the necessary 
supply of plants is procured, the potatoes may be used 
for hog feed. g. t. d. 
Vineland, N. J. 
THE SECRET OF SOWING CLOVER SEED. 
WHEN IT SHOULD NOT HE SOWN. 
A man should never sow clover seed, in this latitude 
(Indianapolis) in March after the frost is out and the 
ground has settled and become smooth and hard, and 
before it cracks, about April. The most of Nature’s 
seeds are wrapped snugly in a chaff or shell, and are 
carefully protected by the mulch from sudden changes 
of temperature. On the contrary, we knock the wooly 
chaff off the clover seed, and throw it on the bare 
ground or snow, stripped of both chaff and mulch. 
The seed itself may not be hurt by frost; but a few 
warm rains which often come in March in this latitude, 
with bright sunshine and balmy air, may sprout it, 
and then a sharp snap may freeze the tender plumule 
to death. If seed is buried in the damp soil, it will 
be kept too cool to sprout until the ground is warm 
enough to sprout it, which is late enough to be safe 
from killing frosts. 
A friend at an institute asked, Why not sow clover 
seed when Nature does it, in the fall? We can often 
improve on Nature ; she sows in July on a clover sod 
which has choked out weeds, and also, being about 
dead, does not draw moisture from the soil, and does 
furnish a splendid mulch to protect the young clover 
plant during winter. Hut we don’t wish to reseed a 
clover sod. I have sowed in corn in July twice, and 
the rank corn took the moisture from the soil and 
killed my clover. The best crop with which to sow 
clover is small grain. 
A friend said that several of his neighbors sowed in 
wheat in the fall, the same as we sow Timothy. The 
danger is that a dry fall may give a slight gi*owth, 
and a severe winter may kill the young plants. Then 
why not sow in early winter ? Because the seed, de¬ 
nuded of its chaff, will be exposed to the elements 
for an unnecessary period, is not likely to be covered 
by repeated freezing and thawing, and is liable to be 
washed about by floods and melting snow. Why not 
wait till we approach the growing season ? Then is 
the nick of time to sow clover seed. 
It is interesting to study the effort of a clover root 
wheD it is tryingto penetrate a smooth, firm surface. 
If sprouted on mellow soil, it will go directly down 
into it. But if the ground is hard, the radicle (root) 
will grow, say, an inch long on the surface, and will 
bend horizontally much as a boy bends a pin ; then 
it throws out a wooly coating of fine, very short, 
hairy growth, which fixes the root among the numer¬ 
ous very small objects and grooves of the surface, and 
prevents it from lifting, while the tip end forms a very 
small point and, turning down, tries to push into the 
soil. If the soil is too firm to be penetrated, the root 
will be lifted from its delicate anchorage, and will die. 
Many successful clover farmers sow when the ground 
cracks about April 1. The seed rolls into these cracks, 
and is deep enough not to be easily killed by a spring 
drought. I once sowed at that time, and a rain came 
and swelled the cracks shut, and I thought my seed 
was gone. But after drying a few days, the cracks 
opened again, and I had a good stand. One other 
method was suggested by a farmer of this State. He 
harrows his wheat where clear of corn stalks, with a 
sharp smoothing harrow, and sows immediately. The 
seed lodges in a well-distributed condition, falls in the 
harrow scratches, and a slight rain covers it. On new 
ground likely to have no volunteer clover, I sow one 
bushel to six acres. On old ground in clover often, a 
bushel to eight acres. e. ii. c. 
Indiana. 
Some Ideas. 
[Under this heading we shall print from time to time “ideas” or 
short bits of thought or suggestion that occur to our readers or 
which we can obtain from other sources. The gener.il character 
of these notes will show what is wanted. We shall be pleased to 
have our readers help in this department.] 
What About This? —The R. N.-Y. is, without doubt, 
one of the ablest and best conducted agricultural 
papers in America, and I believe it is the wish of its 
publishers that it should be of benefit to all. But it 
. benefits only a small class, while it and all other ad¬ 
vanced agricultural publications, are an absolute curse 
to the great majority of farmers—to all who have not 
capital sufficient to enable them to secure and profit 
by all improvements in machinery and methods that 
may be necessary to them. By capital, I mean the 
ability to get and do whatever is needed, without pay¬ 
ing usury. Only in exceptional cases can the farmer 
afford to pay interest. Probably without intending it, 
The R. N.-Y. is assisting in building up classes, is work¬ 
ing for the benefit of the well-to-do, and the mentally 
keen, or exceptionally enterprising. But it ^working 
199 
great injury to the great mass who have not a 
surplus of money or brains. Under our present social 
system, every improvement that saves labor, is simply 
another step in the impoverishment and enslavement 
of the masses. b. t. 
San Juan County, Wash. 
Corn Harrow. —In an account of an experiment in 
corn culture at the Ohio Agricultural College, we are 
told : 
All the cultivated plots were harrowed at first with the Gould 
harrow—a harrow triangular in shape, made of scantling through 
which 60-penny wire nails were driven and afterward bent a 
little. It is drawn from one side and not from the corner. The 
traces are hitched directly to the harrow, and this gives it a little 
horse motion which makes its work still more effective. The corn 
was all drilled, using the plow attachment, which leaves the corn 
in the bottom of a small furrow and which allows the use of the 
harrow during a more extended period. The harrow is drawn 
by one horse, and takes two rows at a time. 
This gave excellent results. The plan of fastening a 
stick to the shovels of a Planet Jr. cultivator to pre¬ 
vent them from running too deep, also succeeded. 
Anything to give shallow cultivation. 
A Dream oe Debt. —For some yeai - s past, I have 
been figuring on machinery to irrigate a large field 
which slopes two or three ways, and has water within 
10 feet of the surface. I looked at machinery at the 
State fair, and corresponded with several on the sub¬ 
ject. Yesterday, an agent called, and showed me esti¬ 
mates and illustrations which filled the bill, and I 
contracted with him at once, and gave my order for 
an outfit, the notes to be payable in one year, with 
interest at eight per cent. After he had gone, I fig¬ 
ured the thing up again, and found that the notes 
amounted to more than I had thought, reaching near 
$500. I had also not stated the capacity of the pump 
and hot-air engine, only of the tank and hose. It 
flashed on me like lightning, that I had been swindled. 
I was already in debt for land recently bought, and 
the gloom and deep despondency which overwhelmed 
me were awful. Oh, how could I tell 
my good, helpful wife, who had been 
with me making many sacrifices to 
reach a definite end? Here by one 
thoughtless, careless, reckless dash of 
the pen, I had laid a burden on our 
shoulders which would almost paralyze 
us for a year or two. By this one 
stroke of the pen, I had flung to the 
wind more money than all her smaller 
savings would replace in 20 years. 
My wretchedness and remorse be¬ 
came so intense and depressing, that 
it awoke me from my fitful sleep and, 
behold, it was all a dream ! What a 
tremendous burden rolled from my 
shoulders. I took one long, deep 
breath, and my heart jumped and 
pounded my ribs. But one resolution 
is surely well embedded in my mind 
—that I will never sign anything for a 
stranger, and again, that 1 will never close an import¬ 
ant trade without waiting for the reaction which 
usually comes in 24 hours. E. h. c. 
Carmel, Ind. 
Our “Scooter.” —One of the most useful tools on 
our place is an old plow, with the moldboard removed, 
and the share, or lay. as we call it in the West, cut 
down to about 12 inches. We use it for a great va¬ 
riety of purposes. It passes easily through weeds or 
mulch that would clog any other plow. With the lay 
sharp, and running about four inches deep, one horse 
draws it readily ; and it is excellent to loosen the 
ground in spring in the orchard, and between the 
rows of grapes and small fruits, as it makes no ridges 
or dead furrows. I often put an old shoe, or a tin 
can, on the point, to prevent it going too deep, and 
make furrows for garden peas, corn, beans and the 
like. With an extra wooden beam bolted alongside 
that it may be set to follow in the furrow after an 
ordinary plow, it makes a very good subsoiler. 
With a good team, the subsoil may be loosened to a 
considerable depth, and still be left beneath the soil 
as it should be. I have just prepared ground for po¬ 
tatoes and strawberries in this way. There is a great 
movement, here in the West, in favor of irrigation ; 
but I hear reports from those who have tried it, that 
subsoiling is very effective in combating drought. 
It is almost indispensable in the nursery, and I pre¬ 
sume it would pay as well in farming. I am told that 
a similar plow in the South is called a “scooter,” and 
ours goes by that name. f. k. h. 
Salina, Kan. 
It. N.-Y.—Bulletin 31, of the Arkansas Station, con¬ 
tains the picture shown at Fig. 02. This tool is called 
a “ heel scrape and scooter.” The single shovel forms 
the “scooter” part of the tool. It is seven inches 
long and 3% inches wide. It will do the work de¬ 
scribed by our correspondent. To make the “heel 
scrape,” the curved iron is bolted on as shown. These 
“scrapes” are 10 and 24 inches long, about 2 % inches 
A HOUSE FOR 4,000 BROILERS. Fig. 61. 
