THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
November 9 
early September, which I intend planting next spring 
to learn whether there is any difference between 
seed matured in Pennsylvania, and that grown in 
North Carolina.” 
“ In this trying season, have you noticed any differ¬ 
ence in varieties of potatoes, as to their ability to 
withstand drought?” 
“A single experiment goes far to show the ability 
of the Carman No. 3 potato as a drought-resisting 
sort. Side by side with Sir William and Craig’s Seed¬ 
ling—both of which have a good record for vitality— 
the No. 3 stood bright, green, and apparently vigorous, 
two weeks after those sorts were dead. A neighbor, 
to whom I gave a medium-sized tuber weighing about 
three-quarters of a pound, planted 11 hills from it— 
one-eye pieces. He dug 27 pounds of nice potatoes, 
with scarcely a small one among them.” 
Mr. Garrahan’s experiment is sure to prove very in¬ 
structive to Northern farmers. It is more valuable 
than the small-plat experiments conducted at some of 
the experiment stations, because it deals with actual 
farm conditions. There is no estimate about it, but 
we have the conditions that are found on a real farm. 
That experiment with cow peas will be worth money 
to those farmers who will follow it up carefully. In 
the South, one can quickly see the value of 
cow peas in keeping soil in good heart. As 
Mr Garrahan is showing, this crop can be used 
to great advantage on many Northern farms. 
CHESTNUT SHAFTING IN NEW ENGLAND 
Taking a day off last week, I visited the 
farm of Judge Andrew J. Coe, of Meriden, to 
look over his extensive operations in the gi-aft- 
ing of Japan chestnuts upon our native stock. 
As The It. N.-Y. has, I believe, been the fore¬ 
most paper in America to advocate nut culture 
for profit, I thought possibly a few sample nuts, 
as well as a few notes, might be acceptable at 
this time, when so much attention is being 
given to this important and growing subject. 
Mr. Coe has, for many years, been a firm be¬ 
liever in the profitableness of nut culture in 
New England, and has tested by grafting most 
of the European varieties and their seedlings 
that are now grown in this country. While he 
has had fair success, it was not until the advent 
of the Japan varieties that he was fully satis 
fied that in these we had something that would 
unite readily with our American stocks, and at 
the same time give us nuts of extra large size |p 
and of high quality. Being satisfied of this, but 
not fully satisfied as to the hardiness of the \j 
Japans, he four years ago grafted some on ^ 
native seedlings in low land where the frosts 
of early fall and winter were the most severe 
and dangerous. The growth has been marvelous, 
and grafts put into a three-inch stock, eight 
feet from the ground, four years ago, have 
now formed a strong, bushy head, fully 10 feet 
across and bore freely this season, after the last 
very severe winter, when Snyder blackberries, 
the most hardy type we have in New England, 
were entirely killed to the ground in an adjoin¬ 
ing field. This certainly tests the hardiness of 
the Japans. 
Several j T ears ago, Mr. Coe bought the choicest 
selection of Luther Burbank’s 10,000 Japan 
seedlings, and it is not only the largest, but 
sweetest chestnut I have ever seen. More 
recently he has bought two others of Mr. Burbank, 
and on the wooded hilisides above the city of Meriden, 
has grafted an 18-acre block of native chestnut sprouts 
with these improved Japan seedling nuts. 
My visit at this particular time, was to study the 
effects of grafting at different seasons of the year. 
Both cleft and crown grafting are practiced, mostly on 
stocks one to two inches in diameter four feet from 
the ground. About half of last spring’s work was 
done by the middle of April, just as new life was com¬ 
ing into the sprouts, and the remainder later in May 
when the leaves were well developed. In the early 
grafting, not more than 20 or 25 per cent of the 
scions grew, and these made a growth of from two to 
four feet; but of the later grafting, more than 75 per 
cent have grown, although not making so strong a 
growth this season as the few of the earlier ones 
which survived. This certainly proves that, if the 
scions can be kept in good condition, late grafting is 
the proper thing for the Japan varieties in this lati¬ 
tude. 1 was not able to obtain any nuts of the very 
large, sweet Burbank, but of the two others I send a 
few samples. 
The lai-gest, light-colored one marked “ Early,” 
while not so sweet as the Burbank, 1 consider of beau¬ 
tiful appearance and fully as sweet as the average of 
onr American varieties. When we consider that it 
will mature fully three weeks earlier than these, it 
must prove of very great value as a market sort. In 
a letter from Mr. Burbank, he speaks of it as being of 
medium size, excellent flavor, and so early that it is 
all gone before the American, Spanish or average 
Japan chestnuts ripen. It is a fine, sweet nut. and 
has always produced a full crop, which ripens all at 
once. 
I also send samples of the other, which is known as 
the 18-months chestnut, having been raised from seed 
of a Japan nut by Mr. Burbank, and come into fruit¬ 
ing in 18 months after the seed was planted. It is 
certainly an early and profuse bearer, and, as you 
will see. a large nut of very fine appearance and of 
better quality than any of the Europeans, or their 
crosses, that I have found. It is a little later than 
the other, but still is earlier than most of ou; native 
chestnuts here, and I came away from Meriden fully 
satisfied that Mr. Coe, in the purchase and develop¬ 
ment of these fine nuts and his demonstration of the 
possibilities of utilizing our chestnut sprout lands for 
commercial nut growing in this way, was not only 
proving a public benefactor, but would also within a 
few years reap substantial profits from his great nut 
orchard, which is now so well under way. 
Of one thing I am sure, that, in all this talk of com- 
SHRUBBY VERBENA. Fig. 234. (See Rukai.isms, Page 747.) 
mercial nut culture, we shall eventually settle down 
to the grafting and planting of the Japans and their 
seedlings, as they have a closer affinity for our Ameri¬ 
can stocks than do any of the Europeans, while the 
quality of the best of them is fully equal to the 
sweetest of American nuts. j. h. iiai.e. 
R. N.-Y.—The nuts were very dry when they reached 
us, but the quality is excellent. The Early is fully 
as large as Paragon, and at least its equal in quality 
as judged by a single specimen. 
HORSE SHOE FARM NOTES. 
THE COST 
BUSHEL 
POTATOES. 
The R. N.-Y. says, ou page 700, “ No one can tell 
when he is selling to advantage, until he knows some¬ 
where near what the crops cost.” That is no answer to 
the question discussed. No customer cares what they 
cost, or would give a cent more if he did. The 
grower may know that they cost twice what they are 
selling for, but that is no encouragement for higher 
prices in the future. The law of supply and demand 
fixes the price. The knowledge of cost will enable 
him to decide upon one of two things, an abandon¬ 
ment of the business, or a change in methods of grow¬ 
ing. I know what my potatoes cost, but cannot get 
any more for them than my neighbor who does not. 
Some seven years ago, I said the low prices of 
the past would be the high prices of the future, and 
that when some genius would perfect a potato digger. 
I could raise potatoes for 10 cents per bushel. I am 
not very jubilant over the fact that these prophesies 
have been fulfilled, but can stand the present condi¬ 
tion of things much better than those who still cling 
to the hoe-and-hill system. Here is the cost of grow¬ 
ing an acre of potatoes as I figured it out for this 
season : 
Plowing- in the fall. $1.50 
Harrowing three times, spring.66 
Cultivating twice.40 
Seed. 4.00 
Cutting seed.25 
Marking.25 
Dropping. 25 
Dropping phosphate.25 
Covering.25 
200 pounds phosphate.■.. 3.CO 
Digging. 7.00 
Cost per acre.$17.81 
Average yield of 10 acres, 200 bushels. 
Cost per bushel, nine cents. 
Some Objections.—“ Not enough for plowing ?” 
Yes it is. I hired a man in November for 813 per 
month, and bought a good six-year-old horse for 830. 
One dollar is enough for the use of a team at that 
time of year, when not busy ; I would have to charge 
83 in spring. 
“ Harrowing G6 cents all bosh ?” 
Fall-plowed clover on gravelly soil will fall 
to pieces with one harrowing ready for fur¬ 
rowing out for planting. 
“ Cultivating twice not a quarter enough ?” 
That depends on method. We cover with a 
harrow, harrow twice before cultivating, and 
with phosphate have no weeds. 
“ Seed too high ?” 
Seed worth less than 50 cents is not worth 
using. For a good yield, use no scrub stock. 
“ Cannot mark, drop, phosphate and cover an 
acre for 81 ?” 
We did do it ; • three of us in 2)4 hours. 
No machinery was used except the plow and 
harrow. 
“ The phosphate costs more than 81.50 per 
100 pounds if suitable for potatoes ?” 
I made my own formula, and got a high-grade 
fertilizer for 830. 
“ Cannot dig for 3)4 cents per bushel ?” 
With our new machine, we have averaged 
even less than that. This includes the whole 
cost of digging, picking and storing. 
If The R. N.-Y. readers see any fallacy in 
this, I shall be glad to have them riddle it. 
Suggestions for Reducing Cost. — 1 have 
been digging potatoes every pleasant day for 
a month. Those fields which are best cared for, 
yield best; but this does not mean that useless 
labor pays. Weeds and potatoes do not thrive 
together, but a suitable selection of variety 
often overcomes the bad effect of weeds, and 
gives larger yields. I have had the lesson of 
“profit in knowledge of varieties” pounded into 
k C"\ me while riding the digger, until 1 cannot get 
it out of my head. The thought is worth 
more than the interest on the machine. I would 
be digging some of the fine varieties where 
the potatoes would lie in a thick row behind the 
machine running from 200 to 400 bushels per acre 
when I would find that the owner had stuck in a 
few rows of “ ‘Nonesuch’ scrub stock,” and at 
once the yield would fall off half and the cost 
jump up double. One patron picked a few rows 
and found a difference of 150 bushels per acre, 
but there was the same cost for culture. In one 
field, one-half was “hilled up’ after ha 3 'ing ; the cut’ 
ting of the roots by the too deep cultivating cut the 
crop in two. Such mistakes are expensive. 
Another essential thing, I notice, is the amount of 
work done by the different crews of men and boys. 
Some men’s help are cheerful, ambitious, and do not 
seem to know anything about stopping, fooling or 
shirking during work hours ; others seem at a loss 
how to take hold, and accomplish comparatively little. 
I have made up my mind that the difference is made 
b 3 r the example of the employer, his methods and the 
table fare given the men. This conclusion is formed 
from observing that the same difference of business 
habits is found in their children. Such things count 
in considering the cost of growing potatoes, more so in 
the future usefulness of the children, c. e. chapman. 
Crimson Clover Hay.—I s it clear to all R. N.-Y. 
readers just how the case of the Crimson clover hair 
balls mentioned on page 713 stands ? It should be 
made plain that Crimson clover hay is not dangerous 
in the slightest degree to any kind of live stock ; but 
that Crimson clover chaff, maybe dangerous. Yet a 
great deal of this clover haulm has been fed in Delaware 
and ill results are rare. But the hay, properly speak¬ 
ing, never does harm. On the contrary, practice and 
chemical analysis agree in placing a high value on it 
Dover, Del. w. w. 
