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of the potatoes, the other eight ounces eon 
sistingof “ wrappings,” etc ; while the ode 
half pound of ours, never made their appear 
ance “above ground.” Bo in reality we line 
only three pounds that grew. These wcr< 
planted late in May, if we remember correct 
ly, aa they came to hand very late, our owi 
fault, however, as we ordered them a montl 
too late. The soil upon which they wen 
grown is a light sandy loam, that had 1*>ei 
cleared five years previously, and < roppe< 
each year since, without manure. It wa 
ii]owed deep, no manure applied, and the pc 
proper consistency it should be placed in 
molds and subjected to immense pressure. 
FEEDING CATTLE 
PLAN OF COTTAGE RESIDENCE 
POTATOES FOR MARKET 
1 think this ih one of the things in winch 
almost all our farmers arc remiss. For proof 
Of what I say, go into the yards of our farm¬ 
er's and look at their cattle, especially their 
cows, and what do you see ? IV liy, skin and 
bonoa, but not much else. You ask if they 
are with calf; the answer is, “yes.” You go 
away thinking, if they do not die at that 
time he is lucky. Well, suppose they live 
through and are turned out to grass ; the re¬ 
sult is, that what should go into the pail in 
the shape of milk, butter, etc., has to go on 
to the animal to build up wliut has been 
burned off to keep the animal warm through 
the winter. Now, the loss to the country in 
this way every year is enormous ; for it takes 
all summer to get the animal up in any de¬ 
cent sort of condition for milk. 1 believe 
that two-thirds of the cows kept in this coun¬ 
try would produce more than all do now if 
they only had wliat they ought to have to 
eat. It is not so much improved breeds of 
.stock t hat are wanted os it is improved care of 
what we ha ve got. There is no economy in 
letting an animal get poor ; but some people 
seem to think that it is all gain if they only 
save a little hay by the operation. 1 have 
heard people, argue that they could make it 
up on grass, not thinking that, every pound 
lost is lout, and has got to be replaced. Where¬ 
as, if the animal had had such feed us it ought 
to have, it would not have been lost. 
One thing cattle need they do not get, is 
plenty of salt; they ought to have some every 
day, but I fear many do not get it once a 
For several years the reach Blow has oeen 
our main dependence, but late years it has 
not done as well ; it is too late, too many 
small ones, too hard to dig. It sets so late 
that in a dry season it fails ; und at best, no 
matter how early it is planted, we must let 
it remain in the ground till the List day of the 
season, and then if it. happens to freeze up 
before night a part of our potat oes are left in 
the ground over winter. There are over one 
hundred acres left out. this winter, within six 
miles of Rochester in one direction. As the 
ground has not thawed since it. froze, up last, 
fall, and lius been bare most of the time, and 
the mercury several times below zero, 1 think 
the question whether the ground will take 
the frost out of the potatoes without injury, 
alter one freezing might be settled, perhaps 
some who have a chance to try it will report 
to the JtriU-U Six or eight years ago the 
White Peach Blow was more productive, and 
better in quality, but of late is no bet ter than 
the Red. 
Most farmers plant large 
as it happens 
price, sell the large ones, 
In reply to your correspondent, M. H. H., 
in Rural New-Yorker of March 15, page 
169, I would say that it Is impossible to make 
a very satisfactory disposal of the rooms as 
designated, and particularly in t he prescribed 
form and size. But. perhaps the enclosed plan 
terially checked by the severe and protracted 
drouth which followed. From the 12t.li day 
of June, till the following October, we did 
not have a single rain that wet down to po¬ 
tato roots. 
In August, the tops of Campbell's Late 
Rose commenced to wither and die, while 
many of the other Late Rose were actually 
scorched to death. Campbell's were culti¬ 
vated and hoed but once; the othets twice. 
The middle of October, they were ripe and 
ready to dig, while avert/ one of the “sport 
varieties were green and growing when win 
ter set in on the 14t h of November. IN e re¬ 
ceived from our three pounds of Campbell’s, 
•Jin lbs. of as nice potatoes os we saw grown 
anywhere, the pust season. 
Had our three pounds been planted in good 
rich soil, and the. season been favorable, we 
have not the least doubt but they would 
have produced twelve bushels. As it was, 
the yield from them, was four times as much 
as from any of the late “sport” varieties or 
the Early Rose. In quality, Campbell’* were 
good, far better than imy potato we grew 
)a.st, season ; as all other varieties were poor 
and insipid. Moreover, they (Campbell’s) 
attained a good size, considering the season, 
and were smooth and free I nnu excrescence, 
ami handsome in color. We do not wonder 
that Mr. T. grew scraggy specimens, in such 
a soil and with such treatment, Wc have 
not mentioned any of the “sport’ varieties 
by name, simply because wc do not think 
they possess any merit worth mentioning, 
nor have we recommended Campbell’s Late 
Rose, because we have any pecuniary intei* 
cst. iu them, for we have none ; but because 
we believe them to be worthy of a full and 
impartial trial. We shall plant our foui 
bushels this spring, although we could sell 
them at eight or ten dollars per bushel. 
Hichbert A. Burch. 
Van Boren Co., Mich. 
or small potatoes , 
or when potatoes bring a high 
and plant the small 
ones. Perhaps this has been one cause of , 
failure—if so, cannot we improve it by select 
ing the best, as we do our seed corn. Four 
years since 1 planted some small, nuhby, pur¬ 
ple Mercers : but by selecting those that were 
smooth and of medium size, since then, have 
now blit few small or prongy ones. No doubt 
the Peach Blow might be Improved in this 
way, but it is too late. What, we want, is a 
variety Unit does not ripen later t han the 
Fluke, as good in quality t hrough the season 
as the Peach Blow, large and productive and 
bring the highest price in market. It, should 
be colored, so os not to show bruises or other 
defects as readily ; oval, or kidney shape, 
these being most dusiruble for boiling or bak¬ 
ing. 
What, have we among the old or new vari¬ 
eties that meets these requirements ? of the 
Goodrich Seedlings nearly all have been dis¬ 
carded. The Early Goodrich yields well in a 
wet season, or on a clay soil, and is good in 
quality through the. season, but is not adapt 
ed to all soils or seasons. The Harison lacks 
in quality. Among Mr. Brksek’s seedlings, 
only three varieties seem desiral Jo. The King 
of Earlies is as early as any variety we ha v e, 
but is better in quality as an early potato. 
It requires very ricli ground and close plant¬ 
ing to secure a crop. The same applies to 
the. Spotted Shaw, Ash-leaf, or New Hamp¬ 
shire Seedling, which are about as early. 1 he 
Early Rose does not bring the highest price 
in market as an early or late potato for table 
use, and probably will not long for seed, ihe 
Peerless in large and handsome, productive, 
and of good quality as a late potato. Still 
these varieties seem more desirable for one 
growing potatoes simply for home use, com¬ 
ing in rotation aa they do from early to late. 
If°the Peerless would sell well iu the fall we 
might safely plant it. 1 have never tried but 
one variety (Red Jacket, a seedling from the 
Mercer) as good in quality, that yielded moi e, 
or is less objectionable. 
There are other varieties from which we 
might select, that come within our scope, that 
are good in quality and more productive than 
the Peach Blow, such as Shaker s Fancy, Ida 
ho, White Rose, Mohawk, Concord ; even the 
Purple Mercer has done better with me than 
the Peach Blow, and suits our table quite as 
well, either boiled or baked, it is e\ ident 
that no late growing variety meets with fa¬ 
vor, for the Excelsior, Riley and a seedling 
from the Mercer, which are better Iu quality, 
have not become popular. When co-opera¬ 
tion becomes established among fanners, no 
doubt they will call a convention that will se¬ 
lect a variety to take the place of the Peach 
TURNIPS FOR STOCK 
H. M., on page 187 of Rural, asks for in¬ 
formation in regard to feeding turnips to 
stock. I see it stated in the Agriculturist 
that the common white turnip, when first 
the field, contains about 94 per 
Aberdeens, 92 per cent. ; 
\ Now, if this is the 
taken by themselves, they would not 
feed, and I do not think 
HARROWING WHEAT 
ANOTHER PLAN WANTED 
Having experimented a good deal for 
several years, and noticed the results of 
others, in harrowing wheat in the spring, I 
am led to address you upon this important 
subject. Wheat, as you are aware, is sown 
in the fall, two months or more before the 
setting in of winter. The ground is generally 
well prepared for the seed, made mellow and 
line. After sowing it is exposed to the beat¬ 
ing rains, which pack the ground considera¬ 
bly. During the winter it is exposed to more 
storms, so tha t when the ground settles in the 
spring wliat was mellow soil in the fall has 
become so hard that a horse scarcely mokes 
any impression in passing over the field. 
Suppose corn be planted in the fall at the 
same time that the wheat is sown, and left 
during the summer with uo more cultivation 
than the wheat receives, the crop would 
As I contemplate building, I am much in¬ 
terested in the designs you furnish in the 
Rural New-Yorker. The one figured in 
your issue of February 15 comes the nearest 
to my idea of wliat 1 shall require, of anv - 
thing that I have ever seen for a small farm¬ 
house or cottage. I would preserve the gen¬ 
eral outline of the house anil location of 
rooms, but, if possible, bring the library and 
kitchen nearer to the dining-room and to each 
other, and by some means 1 would locate one 
taken from 
cent, of water 
rutabagas, 90 per cent 
ease, t- 
seem to be very extra 
they are. I should not want to buy them if 
I were obliged to pay over ten cents per 
bushel ; and I think that would be too much 
as au ordinary thing ; but as un appetizer 
they might be worth double or treble that 
amount. We have fed out some three hun¬ 
dred bushels this winter to seven head of cat¬ 
tle. I should like to have enough to feed a 
half bushel per day to each animal through 
the winter ; and 1 find, by experience, that 
is about all a moderate sized cow will eat 
right along and not cloy. Of course, a In ge 
ox might eat double this amount. If a man 
can raise them at a cost of say five or six 
; cents per bushel, the more he raises and feeds 
the better ; and, according to the above, I 
don’t see much difference between the white 
and the Russia, A - - N - 
Westport, Conn. 
NOTES FOR HERDSMEN. 
Poke Boot, not “ Seo/fe” Hoof, for Garget. 
— T. G. Quincy, Mich., is informed that we 
have never failed to cure garget by the use of 
poke root, sometimes called seoke-root, But 
we have known skunk cabbage to be called 
seoke-root. That is not the root to be used. 
It is of the plant known as poke berry which 
grows on up-lands, has a stalk three to the 
feet high and bears a dark purple, jucy fruit, 
from which we used to make ink when a boj. 
Its botanical name is Phytolacca derandra. 
You should be careful to milk the cow ' lean, 
and after milking bathe the bug thorough 1} 
in warm water, rubbing it dry afterward. 
jl Self-Sucking Cow is prevented from thus 
indulging by an Illinoisian, who puts a halter 
or strap over her head that will hold a co n 
mon bridle-bit in her mouth. She eats and 
drinks just os well as without it alter a utue, 
and is finally cured of the propensity. 
injuring the wneex in me iuum, hum 
is wonderful. A very few days of warm 
weather after the harrowing the wheat 
starts into very rapid growth, which itBeems 
to retain during the season. I had fifty 
acres last spring, which, like nearly all the 
wheat in this part of the country, looked 
very badly in the spring. 1 gave it a good 
ban-owing. The effect was exceedingly sat- 
“THE LATE ROBE POTATOES.” 
The long and interesting article of Mr. 
Talcott, under the above caption, published 
in the Rural New Yorker of Feb. 8th, ’7:i, 
page 90, has no doubt attracted general at¬ 
tention. Having had some experience with 
“Late Rose Potatoes,” which is so different 
from Mr. Talcott’ s, we give it for the bene¬ 
fit of those who may think of testing them 
for themselves. Iu the spring of ’72 we sent 
to Mr. G. W. Campbell for a four pound 
package of “ Campbell’s Late Rose.” As Mi-. 
T. says -.—There were only three and a-half 
COTTAGE RESIDENCE—SECOND FLOOR. 
or two bedrooms on the lower floor ; and, 
with the addition of another room for a milk- 
room, I think the plan would be perfect for 
my situation. If you or any of your readers 
can give me a plan of what I want , you v\ ill 
(Treat, lv oblige a young farmer and reader. 
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