IMPROVED CHESTNUTS FOR NEW ENGLAND. 
PICTURES OF TWO GOOD NUTS. 
Some of the Difficulties in Improving Varieties. 
Two weeks ago, on page 742, Mr. Hale told us about 
the experiments with grafted chestnuts conducted by 
Judge Coe, of Connecticut. This week, at Figs. 244 
and 245, we are able to show photographs of 
two of the improved varieties mentioned by 
Mr. Hale. These nuts, as stated before, are 
selections from seedling^ of Japan chestnuts, 
planted by Luther Burbank, of California. Mr. 
Burbank grew 10,000 seedlings, and out of this 
number only four were worth growing. Of 
these four, Judge Coe has three. The “18- 
months ” (Fig. 244) originated from the Japan 
Mammoth. It bore ripe nuts in 18 months 
from the time the seed was planted. Mr. Bur¬ 
bank says that with him the nuts of “ 18-months ” 
are about half way in size and general appear¬ 
ance between the American sweet and the 
Japan nuts. He says that this variety “ may be 
a cross, as the two varieties are growing not 
very far apart.” With him, the tree has never 
failed to produce all the nuts it could carry, 
and is very early. One picture shows the exact 
size of a fair specimen of burr and nuts as 
grown by Judge Coe. 
The other variety, “ Early,” (Fig. 245) as will 
be seen, is larger than “ 18-months.” Mr. Hale 
was greatly pleased with this nut, because of its 
beautiful appearance and excellent quality. It 
will mature, in Connecticut, fully three weeks 
earlier than the common American nuts, and will 
prove very valuable as a market variety. 
Judge Coe is an enthusiast on the subject of new 
varieties and new ideas in horticulture. In 1863, he 
planted the Concord grape largely—being one of the 
first to do so. Of late years, he says that 
so many people are eagerly hunting for 
“new things” in horticulture, that he 
was driven to the woods for a place to 
enable him to keep ahead. Like Mr. 
Engle, of Pennsylvania, he saw all about 
him useless hillsides of strong but rocky 
land—wasted because they are not suited 
to the growth of ordinary farm crops. 
He expects to find, in these new and fine 
chestnuts, a crop that will, in time, make 
such old hillsides yield $300 per acre ! 
Judge Coe is the man of whom The 
R. N.-Y. said last year that he made a 
pond of water serve four purposes. The 
pond is formed by damming up a stream. 
It provides water for stock, and also ice. 
The overflow runs a water power for 
doing anything that can be done from 
the turning of a wheel, and after per¬ 
forming this useful labor, the water is 
used for irrigating fruit and garden crops. 
Some idea of the patience required to 
produce valuable improvements in fruits 
or flowers, may be seen from a bit of Mr. 
Burbank’s experience. He planted 10,000 
nuts in all, but threw away all the trees 
but four. Some of these seedlings, he 
says, produced enormous nuts, seven to a 
burr, each nut handsome and over two 
inches across. The trees were strong 
growers and abundant bearers; but these huge nuts 
were of no better flavor than acorns, and so every 
one of them was destroyed. 
Mr. Burbank says that, with him, the Japan chest¬ 
nut is a wonderfully varying variety. Some seedlings 
from enormous selected nuts have produced nuts 
smaller than the smallest American chestnuts. With 
him, the Japan does not do well when grafted on 
the Spanish or Italian trees. It is at'its best on the 
American root. He has been crossing the Japan 
Mammoth and American chestnuts, and has a number 
of these hybrids to come in bearing shortly; but 
he says, “after all, it seems unnecessary work, as some 
of the Japan chestnuts are fully as sweet as Ameri¬ 
can, of largest size, and bear young and abundantly.” 
THE “ 18-MONTIIS ” CHESTNUT. From Nature. Fig. 244. 
As was stated last year in relating Mr. Engle’s 
experience with chestnuts, this crop promises to be 
of great value to farmers who have acres of waste 
land. The nuts can be readily sold. The crop costs 
little or nothing in the way of plant-food and culti- 
THE BURBANK “EARLY” CHESTNUT. From Nature. Fig. 245. 
vation, and will grow anywhere that chestnut trees 
will thrive. It seems like a fairy tale to say that 
land too rocky and steep to raise three woodchucks to 
an acre, can be made to produce a crop which, acre 
for acre, will bring as much money as potatoes ! Yet 
this is not only possible, but is, in fact, being done ! 
To make a waste hillside useful by growing nuts, is 
surely a step out of the old ruts. 
A NORTH CAROLINA BUTTER FARM. 
DAIRYING IN A HOT CLIMATE. 
Advantages and Disadvantages Down South. 
Thinking that some of the Northern dairymen may 
be interested in the methods followed by Southern 
dairymen, I will attempt to describe l he methods of 
one of them. In the South, we have to buy 
most of our grain, but we have a long pasturage 
season which lessens expense. Then the ex¬ 
tremely hot summer weather makes the use of 
ice necessary in nearly all dairies. This adds 
much to the expense and trouble. But even 
with the help of ice, there are times when it is 
very difficult to turn out the best quality of 
butter. The cost of buildings is not so great 
as at the North, for there is less severe weather 
to provide against. It is, of course, less trouble 
and expense to winter a herd at the South than 
at the North. 
The Clover Dale Dairy Farm is situated near 
Raleigh, N. C., and is owned by Dr. R. II. Lewis. 
Here is where the first separator in North Caro¬ 
lina was put in operation, and it is the second 
farm in the State to build silos and put up en¬ 
silage. The first to use ensilage was Mr. C. W. 
Garrett, of Halifax County. The herd of cattle 
is made up entirely of purebred and grade 
Guernseys. Upon being asked why that breed 
was chosen, Dr. Lewis replied that when first 
starting his farm, he carefully studied all the 
breeds, especially Jerseys and Guernseys, and 
compared them from an impartial standpoint. 
He found that the Jerseys could produce more butter 
than the Guernseys per head; but he also found that 
the G uernsey cow produced butter at less cost per pound 
—one experiment station said 2% cents less. The farm 
is run at present by Mr. Bradshaw. In the last eight 
years, the butter has taken six first and 
two second premiums at the State Fair. 
For six months, from October 15 to 
April 15, the cattle are fed from 40 to 75 
pounds of ensilage per day. This is ac¬ 
companied by cotton-seed meal and wheat 
bran, mixed in equal parts. About seven 
pounds per day of this mixture are fed to 
each cow. During the other six months 
the cows are pastured on annual and Red 
clover, and on fields after the crops are 
removed. During that time, only two 
pounds per day of the grain mixture are 
fed. The ensilage is entirely of corn, 
and Mr. G. estimated it to cost $2.50 per 
ton to grow and put in the silo. Fifty 
acres of corn will produce 275 tons of 
ensilage. The grain costs, on the aver¬ 
age, one cent a pound. About 60 acres of 
pasturage are required to supply 40 cows 
during the summer. 
Dr. Lewis stated that his plan of build¬ 
ing was to use the cheapest that would 
serve the purpose. The cow stalls are in 
two long rows with a driveway between. 
The cows stand with their heads out, so 
that a wagon may be driven through to 
take out the manure. Over the stalls is 
a low loft for stover, but little room is 
needed for coarse feed. The silos are 
arranged along one side of the stable, so 
that everything is convenient and compact. The 
silos are built in the ground—as Dr. Lewis expressed 
it, “ Nothing but a hole in the ground.” The ensilage 
is put in, covered with chaff and straw, and over that 
a layer of soil. This makes a nearly air-tight cover¬ 
ing, and also acts as a weight. This is the first trial 
of that method, however, a covering of boards with 
weights having been used before. The feed is aot 
