7l2 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
October 26 
28 feet, and it is much easier to hold the thermometer 
steady than in the 20-foot houses. I think that this 
rule will be limited by the height of the ridge pole, as 
we do not find it well to get too far away from the 
glass. But, if I am not mistaken, Messrs. Rawson, of 
Boston, and Busch, of Minneapolis, grow many of 
their crops on the greenhouse floor, doing away with 
all benches whatever. 
I would commence with a stone or grout founda¬ 
tion. Our houses are on posts, but when we build 
again they will not be. The solid foundation must 
not, in this climate, come higher than the ground 
level, for frost is bound to follow through a solid 
wall. Of course, the best wall is a hollow one, brick 
with the joints all laid tight. When that cannot be 
afforded, the next best is the wooden one on the stone 
foundation. In building, the 2x4’s should be covered 
on both sides with building paper, outside with 
grooved siding, and inside with common lumber with 
the cracks all filled with mortar. At the junction of 
the wall with the foundation, everything should be 
tight, also at the eaves. 
The all-important part is the roof. Don’t let any 
one humbug you with old sashes. The first requisite 
of success is light; we must have all there is. Use as 
large glass as possible, and as light permanent rails 
and supports as are consistent with safety. Avoid as 
much as possible anything that will cast a shadow. 
Iron pipe is cheap, strong and small, and makes good 
supports. The glass should be bedded in putty and, 
after tacking, cemented with white lead and sand. 
We lap in white lead, also using the least lap possible. 
The lead makes the joints wind tight. We butted one 
house, but it was not satisfactory, and when the big 
hail storm removed all our glass, we relaid as above. 
As soon as the house is built, insure. We didn’t, 
but we insure now ; we learned that at the cost of one 
year’s work. Re-building after a hail storm is worse 
than building the first time. 
The next thing to receive attention is the heating. 
Be satisfied with nothing less than hot water or steam; 
don’t fool with flues. We know, for we tried them to 
the extent of heating our entire plant with them. 
The first winter with steam was a revelation. As to 
the relative merits of steam and hot water, I think 
that the difference is about this: The fire must be 
alwajs hot enough to make live steam with a steam 
plant, or one has no heat, and its chief advantage is 
that one can increase pressure and hasten circulation 
in very cold weather. With hot water, the fire can be 
left longer as, so long as the water retains heat, there 
is circulation. The pinch with hot water is on the 
extremely cold winter nights, when extra heat is 
needed and can’t be had unless there are extra pipes 
for the purpose. I believe there is a system embrac¬ 
ing forced circulation for hot water, but I have never 
seen it in use. 
In buying heating apparatus, it is the part of wis¬ 
dom to figure on the probable expansion, and put in a 
boiler of double or more than double the present 
needs ; for as additions are made one can hitch on the 
pipes. Besides, it is never wise to crowd the boiler to 
its capacity as a steady diet, for there should always 
be a force in reserve for use in emergencies. In put¬ 
ting in the first piping, I would buy my materials 
separately, and then hire a good plumber, or, at any 
rate, a plumber that thoroughly understands steam or 
hot water heating. I would hire by the day, and 
work with him myself, learning the reason and prin¬ 
ciple of things. Then, when building the next house 
with my own help, I can do my own plumbing, by 
simply buying the tools. We put in our piping 
entirely ourselves, and it works very nicely now, but 
we might have saved ourselves some of that costly 
knowledge called experience, if we had had a skilled 
mechanic with us at the start. But after all, there is 
nothing like experience ; anything learned in that 
school is learned for good. w. H. woodhams. 
Kalamazoo County, Mich. 
RED AND YELLOW APPLES IN WASHINGTON. 
How Eastern Apples Differ Out West. 
I noticed the request of S. G., of Blaine, Wash., for 
information as to one red and one yellow apple of 
large size, high color, best quality and both long 
keepers ; also the replies of several pomologists. I 
have examined a great many specimens grown in 
Washington of nearly all the varieties mentioned in 
these replies. The popular apples of the Eastern 
States, are quite different w hen grown anywhere on 
the Pacific coast. Except in high altitudes, from 2,000 
to 6,000 feet above sea level, they mature earlier, the 
red varieties are usually less brilliant, and nearly all 
kinds are increased in size, elongated in shape, and 
are not so highly flavored as in their Eastern homes. 
When S. G. asks for long keepers, he practically 
makes his requirement for good quality almost impos¬ 
sible. A long-keeping apple is so because it is 
unripe when gathered, and is correspondingly deprived 
of the possibilities of the development of its delicious, 
edible qualities. The earlier any fruit is gathered, 
the longer it will keep afterwards, and the poorer it 
will be. Hence we have many very late winter apples 
of poor quality, but very few of high flavor. How¬ 
ever, it does not follow that all apples, or other fruits, 
that come to full maturity on the tree, are of high 
quality; for many do not have the peculiarities of 
constitution that will make them so. 
I do not think that large size is necessarily accom¬ 
panied by poor quality ; because some of the very 
large apples, such as Fall Pippin, Western Beauty, 
King of Tompkins, Northern Spy and Yellow Bell¬ 
flower, are among the best in flavor. The same is 
true of other fruits, as in case of the Bahia or Wash¬ 
ington Navel orange, which is at once the largest and 
the most delicious of the list, and there are very large 
peaches, pears, plums, etc., that rank high in quality. 
One reason why we have so many large fruits of poor 
quality is, that they have been selected and propa¬ 
gated merely because of their large size. On the other 
hand, there are many small varieties, that have been 
preserved only because of their fine flavor. We have 
nearly all the chance seedlings of large size and poor 
quality, and very few of the multitude of little seed¬ 
lings of poor quality. But as has been said, very large 
apples are not desirable. It is those of medium size 
that find the most ready sale. 
If those who are seeking for a red winter apple of 
good size, color and flavor, will plant Paragon, Akin, 
Babbitt, Springdale and Stayman (Stayman’s Wine- 
sap), they will be testing the very best of all the varie¬ 
ties, old and new, of that class, with which I am 
acquainted. Among them, I believe, will be found 
some of the leading market and family apples of the 
future. Of all the yellow winter apples, Huntsman 
is my choice. It is not only above medium size, beau¬ 
tiful, rich in flavor and a late keeper, but the tree be¬ 
haves well in the orchard. As to the kinds suggested 
by S. G., Whinnery is too small for market anywhere, 
and Flory is too early for his locality. 
H. E. VAN I)KMAN. 
" Bigness " Has Nothing Else of Value. 
C. W. Garfield, page 685, “ hits the nail on the head ” 
exactly. Of just what use these big specimens of fruit 
are outside of exhibition halls or State fairs, I am at 
a loss to know. A few weeks ago I exhibited 48 varie¬ 
ties of peaches at the Easton, (Md.) fair, and a few 
plates of Globe certainly attracted more attention 
and caused more comment than anything else in the 
lot. Alongside, was a plate of Walker’s Variegated, 
a peach not especially noted for large size. The past 
season, I know of one orchard containing 680 trees of 
Walkers and Shipleys, a similar variety, that picked 
over 2,400 baskets, which netted the owner more than 
$800 in cash. 1 cannot call to mind an orchard of the 
same number of Globe trees, in this vicinity, in fact 
in Sussex County, that has netted $80 since it has been 
planted. Globe is a beautiful, large, late yellow 
peach, but it is a very shy bearer, rots almost as badly 
as Hale’s Early and for “ dollars, fun and comfort,” 
is simply not “ in it ” here. The same might be said 
of extra big apples. At the Columbian Exposition 
where there was so much competition among exhibit¬ 
ors to show the “ biggest apple,” a Gloria Mundi 
from Oregon, weighing 33 ounces, eclipsed all com¬ 
petitors ; yet of what value was it ? A well-grown 
tree of Winesap, Ben Davis, Missouri Pippin, Stay- 
man, Paragon, Baldwin, York Imperial or Rhode 
Island Greening, is worth more to any grower than a 
whole orchard of “ big apples ” with only “ bigness ” 
to recommend them. HasS. G. from Washington ever 
tried Wealthy from Minnesota? It is a fine variety 
there, possessing many good qualities and might be 
what he is looking for. I would advise him to pro¬ 
cure scions and proceed to test some of the most 
desirable varieties; he can then be sure of finding 
something suited to his purpose. Charles weight. 
Delaware. _ 
Cubic Feet of Ensilage in a Ton. 
C. E. P., Worcester, Mass .—A neighbor has a silo 14x24 feet, 
which is now filled seven feet. I have agreed to put in eight feet 
more at a certain price per ton, to be ascertained by measuring 
the silo, after being well packed as filled. How many cubic feet 
will it take to make a ton ? What would be a fair average weight 
per cubic foot ? .The corn is Southern White, 12 feet high, well 
eared; ears, perhaps, a little too old to cook. 
Ans.— It is difficult to state definitely what a cubic 
foot of ensilage will weigh. Weight will depend quite 
largely upon the height of the silo, and somewhat 
upon the kind and condition of the corn when put in. 
It is customary to estimate a cubic foot of ensilage in 
the silo, after it has settled, at 40 pounds. If the silo 
is very tall, a cubic foot at the bottom would prob¬ 
ably weigh considerably more, while that at the very 
top might weigh less. On this basis, it would require 
50 cubic feet of ensilage for a ton. If the silo is a small 
one and not very deep, and the corn be cut quite 
long, probably 40 pounds per cubic foot would be 
rather more than actual weight would show. But 
under ordinary conditions, with our present knowl¬ 
edge, 40 pounds will be a fair estimate. 
□[Every query must be accompanied by the name and address of 
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piece of paper.1 
WHAT SHALL / USE FOR POWER ? 
I am anxious to get a satisfactory engine to run my farm ma¬ 
chinery, bone cutter, fodder cutter, shredder, grain grinding 
mill, etc. Should it be a steam or gasoline engine, or what ? My 
establishment is not large enough to justify an expensive plant, 
and my experience is very small. c. h. s. 
New Jersey. 
It Should Be a Steam Engine. 
Under the conditions named, it would not be wise 
to buy anything but a steam engine, although there 
are gasoline and naphtha engines of various kinds 
which, in skillful hands, do good work. Just how 
large a boiler and engine will be required, it is im¬ 
possible to determine, since the size of the fodder 
cutter, thrasher and grain grinding mill are not given. 
With us, a six-horse-power engine and boiler drives 
our feed cutter in the fall, a bone cutter whenever 
required, and a four-horse-power stationary thrasher. 
Of course, the cutter and thrasher are not both used 
at the same time. We have a mill for grinding feed, 
but it takes a large amount of power, and since we 
have water mills near by which grind cheaply, we 
have not been using it in recent years, believing that 
it is cheaper to hire the grain ground than to grind it 
with our own appliances. Almost any firm that 
manufactures steam engines, will be able to furnish 
a satisfactory one of the size named. As a rule, it is 
safe to buy a little larger boiler than would seem to 
be necessary to drive the machinery, as the custom is 
always to add to rather than to take off work to be 
done by an engine. i. p. Roberts. 
Get Enough Power to Start with. 
I have had no experience with gasoline engines, but 
would recommend a steam engine and boiler com¬ 
bined. It should be portable to accommodate such 
varied work and locations. Be sure to get power 
enough. Two horses move a load more easily than 
one. I made the error which I caution others to avoid. 
I have taken out both boiler and engine, putin double 
the power, and all run smoothly and easily. C. H. S. 
will, after putting in the power, use it more than he 
now expects for other purposes than those named. 
Rochester, Mass. G. w. h. 
Steam for a Milk Farm. 
We use a 12-horse tubular engine for cleaning bot¬ 
tles, milk vessels, etc., run a small two-horse power 
engine for the separator, and a six-horse-power engine 
for cutting ensilage, thrashing, etc. I have heard the 
Shipman oil engine highly spoken of, and I think it 
would be safer about buildings than either steam or 
gasoline. I would not advise less than a six-horse¬ 
power engine for farm work, as any smaller engine 
would be too severely taxed when cutting stalks, 
grinding, or thrashing. B. c. sears. 
Orange County, N. Y. 
/ Hire All Engine Work. 
I have had no experience with an engine of any 
kind, beyond the traction engines that come and do 
our thrashing, saw wood or bale hay. We run our 
fodder cutter with one horse on a tread power, which 
is the cheapest of all powers, when one has idle horses, 
as farmers have in winter. As for grinding, that is 
done at a mill, one mile distant. It costs eight cents 
per 100 pounds for corn on the cob. We take a load, 
and bring home the load taken the last time, thus 
always having a load both ways. Farmers about here 
do not own engines, though this county of Chester is 
the third in the United States in the value of its 
agricultural productions, the adjoining county of Lan¬ 
caster being first. Our thrashing was done this year 
by a machine that blew all the straw and chaff through 
a pipe some 10 or 12 inches in diameter. This pipe 
started near the lower, rear part of the machine, 
went up a little above the top, then at a right angle 
eight or ten feet. It could be lengthened or closed 
like a telescope and swung around in any direction. 
The end could be elevated or depressed. There was 
a rapidly-revolving fan at the lower end where it left 
the thrasher. The straw went up and out a-humming, 
clear across a 20-foot mow, and into a big shed beyond. 
When the shed was full, they swung the pipe around, 
throwing the straw all over a 20x40-foot mow. It was 
astonishing how so much straw went out of so small 
a hole, and it never looked to be half full. Then they 
had a machine at the front which they called a band 
cutter and feeder. The men in the mow threw the 
sheaves in with a fork, and away they went, thus sav- 
