34 2 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
May 18 
value additionally in restoring fertility, and supply¬ 
ing it to all the region to which the roots range 
for their food. 
I have said that under this cover, within this dark¬ 
ness, moisture, and self-regulating temperature, 
Nature develops the root systems of trees and plants 
in the midst of her thus provided fertility. The feed¬ 
ing roots or rootlets, in the economy of Nature, are 
everywhere present in the first or upper stratum of 
the ground, while the larger horizontal and tap roots, 
for bracing and holding, principally occupy the lower 
or subsoil regions, as might be expected. Go into the 
forests, remove the leaves and explore the first foot 
depth of soil, and you will find it literally filled with 
feeding roots of all sizes, down to the fineness of a 
hair, and up to the very surface of the ground. This 
is rendered possible only by Nature’s condition of this 
profound repose under cover, and a mere removal of 
the coat of fallen leaves by consequent exposure to 
sun heat and light, and drying winds, destroys very 
many, if not all, of these surface rootlets, and thus 
perfectly accounts for the injurious consequences of 
raking off leaves of which Liebig speaks. Now just 
here in the ever-supplied and ever-abounding fex’tility, 
moisture and sufficient self-regulation of temperature, 
met by intelligently-directed, coexisting, perfectly- 
operating root systems, lies Nature’s open secret of 
her excellent management of her forests, in all the 
magnificence of their wild, untrained luxuriance. 
We may have precisely the same fertility, root sys¬ 
tems and vigor in our orchards, and with our trees, 
wherever they stand, by treating their roots in the 
same way, and we can contribute to perfect the 
scheme by placing our trees at proper distances apart, 
shading their main stems, pruning their branches 
upon a reasonable plan (not yet, I regret to say, in 
general operation), and by other methods of treatment 
now well-known, and others coming to notice. 
New jersey. woodbkidge strong. 
(To be continued.) 
AN ACRE OF POTATOES FOR $40. 
IS IT POSSIBLE ? 
Some months ago, C. P. Augur, of Connecticut, 
stated that he could grow an acre of potatoes at a cost 
of $40. This statement has started quite a little dis¬ 
cussion, and we give some of the opinions. 
Mr. Augur Gives His Figures. 
To illustrate the difference in the value of potato 
crops grown frotn different varieties, I give the figures 
of cost and yield of an acre grown as an experiment. 
A clover sod was selected, plowed in the fall, har¬ 
rowed as soon as the ground could be worked in the 
spring, furrowed six inches deep, running a two-horse 
plow twice through each drill, and planted to pota¬ 
toes. The plot contained 50 rows, 16 rods in length, 
and was planted with New Queen, Hampden Beauty, 
Sunlit Star, Early Bose and Delaware, the latter 
variety resembling R. N.-Y. No. 2. The plot was fer¬ 
tilized with 20 pounds of Stockbridge special potato 
manure per row, and all received the same care and 
cultivation. The black flea and dry weather injured 
the crop somewhat, but the total yield was 268 bushels 
of marketable tubers. The result by varieties was 
Delaware, 110 bushels; New Queen, 60 ; Hampden 
Beauty, 44 ; Early Rose, 33 ; Sunlit Star, 21. If all 
had been Delaware, the yield would have been 550 
bushels. If all had been Sunlit Star, it would have 
been 105 bushels, a total difference of 445 bushels due 
entirely to variety. These potatoes were sold from 
the field at 70 qents per bushel ; this would give a 
difference of $311.50 in favor of the Delaware, assum¬ 
ing that the acre had all been planted to that variety. 
Allowing 10 cents per bushel for cost of marketing, 
a net gain would have been made of $280.35, a sum 
well worthy of any farmer’s consideration. 
The cost of growing this acre was greater than was 
necessary, although very little of it represented an 
actual cash outlay. The fertilizer cost $20, the seed 
$1.80, and the labor $12.40, exclusive of gathering the 
crop. The cultivation consisted of two harrowings 
with a smoothing harrow, one before the plants were 
up and one after, and three stirrings of the soil be¬ 
tween the rows with a cultivator. The cost of plant¬ 
ing might have been lessened by using a potato cutter 
and planter ; but the experiment was conducted partly 
on the Rural trench system, and there was a little 
old-fashioned prejudice against a planter. The only 
actual cash outlay was for the fertilizer and a pound 
of Paris-green ; of the rest, the experimenter merely 
took it out of the crop receipts, and put it into his 
pocket as payment for his home-grown seed potatoes, 
his own time, and that of his team. 
My land is a strong clay soil, with a hardpan for¬ 
mation three to five feet from the surface. It is nearly 
all well-drained, and works up in fine condition. 
This soil has been fed for 100 years—perhaps much 
longer—with stable manures, and has always borne 
good, and often excellent, crops. It has been show¬ 
ing in the last 10 years or more, a tendency to yield 
less crops than formerly, for the same treatment, and 
I have experimented to learn what elements of fer¬ 
tility were lacking. Without detailing my experi¬ 
ments, I will say that I am convinced that its greatest 
need is potash, and that without it, I can not grow a 
full crop of any of the ordinary farm products, no 
matter how generously I may supply phosphoric acid 
or nitrogen. Even potash in the form of old iron, as 
we get it in the Canadian leached ashes, “from hard 
wood,” shows marked and lasting effects. I have an 
idea, also, that some of my lost fertility is down next 
above that hardpan, and I am sending clover messen¬ 
gers down to bring it up. “ Drawing on your bank 
account,” says Mr. Gregory; but of what use is a bank 
account if one may not draw a check on it occasionally? 
Connecticut. c. p. augur. 
An Estimate from Ohio. 
Yes, 1 can grow an acre of potatoes for $40, and I 
think that the cost is generally less than that ; but the 
cost varies more with potatoes than with almost any 
other crop with which I am acquainted. The itemized 
cost, with me, is as follows : 
Plowing and fitting, man and team 10 hours at 30 cents per 
hour. $3.00 
Furrowing two times, man and horse three hours at 15 cents 
per hour.45 
Covering two times, man and horse three hours at 15 cents 
per hour.45 
Harrowing two times, man and horse one hour at 15 cents 
per hour.15 
Cultivating eight times, man and horse 10 hours at 15 cents 
per hour. 1.50 
Raking one time, man 15 hours at 10 cents per hour. 1.50 
Hand weeding, 10 hours at 10 cents per hour. 1.00 
Eight bushels seed at 50 cents per bushel. 4.00 
Cutting seed at 10 cents per bushel.80 
Dropping seed, five hours at 10 cents per hour.50 
Spraying with Pari^green. 1.50 
Digging and picking up. 5.00 
Hauling to market. 7.50 
Interest on land. 4.00 
Total. $31.35 
This reckoning is on a basis of 100 bushels per acre, 
and to the cost should be added the amount of plant 
food removed by the crop. If stable manure were 
used, I would not count the cost of applying it, as it 
has to be hauled out somewhere anyway; but the 
cost of applying commercial fertilizers should be added. 
In furrowing, I go twice in the row because I am 
satisfied that the second trip pays me better for the 
time spent than any other work done to the crop. I 
cover with a Victor potato coverer, and re-cover just 
after they come through the ground. Two harrowings 
and one raking with a garden rake, if done on time, 
will kill nearly all the weeds in the row, and will leave 
the surface fairly level. The amount of seed varies 
with different varieties and individuals, but I think 
that eight bushels is enough of almost any variety. 
I make no allowance for spraying with Bordeaux 
Mixture, as it doesn’t pay to use it here. The only 
disease that it will cure, is quite rare in this locality, 
and by planting early varieties quite early, and late 
varieties in June, there is not much danger of it doing 
any harm. e. tully. 
Trumbull County, O. 
A Big Expense in Connecticut. 
Mr. Augur’s article on the value of improved varie¬ 
ties of potatoes, and his statement that the cost need 
not be over $40 per acre, somewhat surprise me. 
Surely Mr. Augur knows that 800 bushels of potatoes 
contain more than $40 worth of potash, phosphoric 
acid and nitrogen, and that such crops produced at 
such a rate of cost, must seriously impoverish his 
land. I have figured on the expense of growing pota¬ 
toes, and this is about as low as I could bring it in 
1894. I wouldn't sell the land for $50 per acre where 
it is located, but would if it cost 20 cents to pick and 
market a bushel of potatoes : 
Use of land. $3.00 
Plowing. 2.00 
Harrowing. 3.00 
Seed. 10.00 
Fertilizer. 40.00 
Planting. 2.00 
Cultivating twice with weeder. 50 
Cultivating three times with horse hoe. 1.50 
Hand hoeing twice. 2.00 
Poison. 1.25 
Applying poison. 1.75 
Digging. 1.00 
Total.$68.00 
$68 multiplied by 10 equals $680, just about what 
my 10 acres of potatoes cost me before the boys 
began to pick them up, which costs two cents per 
bushel. The crop was 756 bushels, which makes an 
additional expense of $15.12, or a total of $695.12. 
The receipts were as follows : 
364 bushels (No. 1) at 65 cents in the field.$236.60 
242 bushels (No. 2) at 35 cents in the field. 84.70 
160 bushels at 20 cents for feeding stock. 30.00 
Total.$351.30 
The varieties which put me furthest “ in the hole,” 
were those which I have tested for years, and have 
proved most profitable. I believe that the moral to 
Mr. Augur's story was to plant varieties we have 
found suited to our soil. The Rural New-Yorker No. 
2 has never done well here. I do not know where I 
can reduce my expense a dollar without reducing the 
receipts several dollars in an averag-e season. If any 
of The R. N.-Y. readers wish to enter into partner¬ 
ship with me, I can furnish the experience, if they 
will put in the other thing. G. s. butler. 
Connecticut. 
NOTES ON THE “NEW HAY CULTURE.” 
wny NOT “ EVAPORATE ” YOUR HAY ? 
As evaporated apples are to dried ones, so evap¬ 
orated or new-culture hay should be rated in quality 
and price by the wide-awake would-be purchasers in 
the towns and cities. We produce this article at 
“Advance Meadows,” by careful and intelligent labor 
from the sowing of the seed until the final loading in 
the car of the baled product. Liberal sowing of 
carefully selected home-grown grass seed, is the first 
requirement. We use one peck of pure Timothy, 
with a little Alsike clover to give it bottom and im¬ 
prove the quality, although during the past season it 
failed to grow, leaving the Timothy entirely pure. 
Our next step is to use a sharp, steel-tooth lever 
harrow, set so as to stick close to the surface, and 
divide the grass stools into several parts, thus insur¬ 
ing a thick, fine, soft product; this operation should 
be performed as soon as the grass fields are settled in 
the spring, following immediately with a heavy 
roller to press the grass into the soft bed below the 
surface. This process will pay for the labor required 
in the increased utility of the haying machinery, and 
in lessening the cost from breakage by rough ground; 
even should it not increase the yield, the quality will 
undoubtedly be much enhanced. Our hay fields thus 
treated should now be growing finely under the in¬ 
fluences of sunshine and warm showers. 
To cut the thick, fine, soft grass, requires sharp 
knives ; so when it rains we grind hard. We do not 
wear out the hired man's muscle, but put the pony in 
the power, and tread an edge on the two six-foot 
sickles of the Big 4 McCormick mower, which fur¬ 
nishes the motion and strength for the cutting. I can 
see no difference in draft on the smooth fields, between 
this and a 4)( or 5-foot cut machine; but in time 
saved in the cutting, the difference is large. 
We next overhaul the Keystone loader, seeing that 
the ropes are well tarred, bolts tight, slats firm, etc. 
We then practice on the hay tedder, which has never 
broken for us in five seasons’ use, and we finish on the 
chief evaporator, the C. B. & Q. side-delivery rake. 
Two good hay racks, wide and not too long, and 
eight of Louden's standard wagon slings, with revers¬ 
ible jack and carrier, complete our outfit. When 
these are thoroughly gone over and greased, we are 
about ready for our grass. 
As we have about 60 acres of it, we must start in as 
soon as the blossom fairly shows up, generally in this 
locality about June 25. The first rule is to watch the 
weather and government forecasts closely. We start 
mowing in the afternoon about four o’clock, continue 
m the early morning, and also immediately start the 
tedder to lifting the grass from the ground ; as soon 
as the hay can be moved clean and without trouble 
by the side-delivery rake, we start it down a row; it 
will not move a full row of the heavy stuff at first, 
so I turn on the row and move it back and partially 
over, thus compacting it slightly and rounding it so 
that the bulk is in the air and free from sun-baking 
and ground-coloring influences; in other words, it is 
evaporating. 
As the sun gets more powerful, the rows being 
raked are increased in bulk to the capacity of the 
loader. We prefer very slow driving with a large 
bulk of hay in the row, as its color is improved. The 
Keystone is a tireless hay pitcher, so the muscle saved 
from the grindstone is now needed by the hands. 
The hay never gets too dry and breaks, and the tools 
refuse to do good work if it is too green, so we thus 
get it in when it is just right. The use of the kick¬ 
ing, or side-delivery rake, prevents the gathering of 
stubbles, while stones and dirt fall out by gravita¬ 
tion, leaving a pure product of enhanced value. 
This method would be incomplete without the 
Louden sling. We use spreaders 30 inches in length, 
and carry four slings to the wagon ; one is laid on the 
bottom of the bed as we start out, the other three are 
neatly rolled and placed in front of the upright and 
over the horses, supported by curved iron or wooden 
holders. We use a good boy or man to drive, and the 
horses just barely move along the heavy windrow. 1 
take my station at the loader’s throat, and with steady 
thrusts build up my end of the sling load, then pass 
the hay to the man who builds the front end, binding 
and ending the sling load in the center, to insure easy 
distribution in the mow. We then lay another sling 
and do likewise until the fourth is filled, and 1% ton 
of hay is on the wagon. As we never use more than 
one extra hand and a boy, we load two wagons at a 
time, the man mowing or raking as needed. 
The load can be elevated at any point along the 
carrier inside or at the ends of the mow, and at any 
height, and delivered into any mow ; or stuff can be 
taken out of any mow without touching the carrier 
